Super Mega Halloween Project Wrap-Up

Thank you all!

Finally, my first major Substack project is complete, and what an interesting assortment of films it was. From shambling monsters to psychotic slashers, we’ve covered movies across 60 years, each important and enjoyable in their own way. Without further ado - let’s have a look at the stats:

In first place, 1996’s Scream with 19 points. Am I biased? Probably. Is it still fantastic? Absolutely.

In joint second place, 1933’s King Kong, 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein and 1954’s Them!

In third place, 1968’s Night of the Living Dead.

And in joint last place, 1958’s The Trollenberg Terror, 1965’s Die Monster Die! and 1988’s Pumpkinhead.

But let’s go even deeper. Let’s see who won in each category!

I find it refreshing that even if some scored higher than others, every film had an atmosphere just as good as the last. Isn’t that what horror is all about?

To close us out I’ll throw a one-sentence summary of my thoughts on each film.

• 1933’s King Kong is a bold and fascinating classic that packs a gory punch.

• 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein is an amusing but nevertheless emotive example of the timeless power of the sequel.

• 1954’s Them! is an old-school scifi banger, getting up real close and personal to real world anxieties.

• 1958’s The Trollenberg Terror is a pleasant and easy mystery that I feel is probably underrated.

• 1965’s Die Monster Die! is a Sunday afternoon family horror, and definitely one to watch around Halloween.

• 1968’s Night of the Living Dead is a charged and eerie genre staple positively thick with blood and bones.

• 1988’s Pumpkinhead is a folk-tale revenge moral where Hell comes up to greet you.

• 1996’s Scream is a brilliant example of how to revitalise a genre and bring it screaming and shaking into the modern age.

Snapshot from Misfit’s Scream! video

Thank you greatly for reading along as I’ve been putting these out guys! Been absolutely loving all your comments on your thoughts on the films, and my takes too. Makes it quadruple as fun! I’m beyond excited for our next two projects.

Speaking of, in November we’ll delve into Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. How many we’ll get through remains to be seen, but expect at least the first three. Hell, I’ve already seen the first one, so let’s hope for 4. I can’t promise we’ll get to Freddy V.S Jason (2003) or the remake, but I’ll do what I can! However, I have some boring life stuff coming up so there might be a slight lapse. That said, best believe I have stuff in store for when things calm down a bit. I know you’ll all be here regardless, putting out awesome content.

Anyway, as ever, thanks for reading,

Until next time,

H.E.

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