Happy Halloween Birthday Horror Nights pt. 3
Happy Halloween Birthday Horror Nights pt. 3
the dawn of the final week (of October)
This month, I’ve been focusing The Scorpio Room’s programming on one of my favorite things: horror movies. Not only was my birthday last week, but like most horror writers,
and I are horror movie obsessives. We spend our whole October on a delicious and deadly media binge, catching up on everything from the past year’s horror offerings to long-buried classics.The previous two installments were pretty popular, so before I kick November 1 off with a brand new series on writing process, for paid subscribers only, we’ll wrap this month with one final installment of our Halloween Horror Night movie reviews. If you haven’t read the others yet, here are part one and part two.
But you all are comics fans, and I do love comics…especially horror comics.
We (as in, Blake and I both) just had our first kickoff this week on a new horror project that’s uniquely suited to our interests, and it’s been a blast, but we won’t be able to chat about that for some time. So in the mean time, here’s a tiny little one-panel teaser from our story in the CREEPSHOW 2024 HOLIDAY SPECIAL, by incredible artist Stevan Subic:
Stevan’s art in this thing is so, so creepy, I can’t wait to share it. You can order it from your local comic shop, or a great place like Things From Another World here, and they’ll ship it to you. Better yet - hit up your local comic shop and ask for a copy or two! We guarantee it’ll be a blast of a stocking stuffer, and an even better New Year’s Eve party favor.
HARLEY QUINN Vol 2: EYE DON’T LIKE ME TPB - 11.19.24
CREEPSHOW 2024 HOLIDAY SPECIAL - 12.18.24
THOUGHT BUBBLE - 11.12.24-11.17.24
CATWOMAN: NINE LIVES TPB - 12.03.24
HARLEY QUINN Vol 3: CLOWN ABOUT TOWN - 03.25.25
And now as promised: more horror movie reviews from me and
!THE MUMMY (1932)
TINI: I’m gonna get this out of the way up top - I have now seen this movie and the Brendan Fraser remake the same amount of times. Which is to say, once. So I’m not really comparing this one to that at all, and I don’t have useful commentary in that regard. But this one: I loved it!
Blake, we were talking about how people refer to the Universal Monster movies as ‘acquired tastes,’ but like. They’re all actually super different in tone and frankly, in watchability. I liked this one a lot - not quite as much as Frankenstein, Bride, and Invisible Man, but way more, personally, than Dracula and Wolfman.
BLAKE: I’m a big fan of the original Universal monster movies, ever since I first read those Crestwood Monster Books as a kid. Gotta concur that, despite the man himself, being my favorite of the monsters, Dracula (1931) is probably my least favorite of the OGs. But, we’re here to talk about The Mummy (1932)! Boris Karloff really shines here as Imhotep/Ardeth Bey -- he is equally charming and mysteriously aloof -- Frankenstein (1931) doesn’t get the opportunity to showcase Karloff’s eloquence and melodious cadence, so the Mummy is a great opportunity for that.
TINI: Yeah! He’s almost got like a proto-Candyman vibe here. Your creepy, deep-voiced boyfriend is here from the past…dreamy sigh. Romance is dead! And I love it!
EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC
TINI: Blake loves The Exorcist. I enjoy and respect it a ton, but the one I really love is Exorcist III.
I…don’t think anyone likes this one. Woof. Wow.
BLAKE: Yeah, The Exorcist is one of my favorite films of all time -- it’s true cinema. As far as Boorman’s Exorcist II: The Heretic, it is one of the most inexplicable sequels of all time. Given just how regimented and tedious that the movie industry can be (even back in the 1970s), I really cannot fathom how this movie got approved. I genuinely feel bad for everyone involved.
TINI: The part where Regan cures a child’s non-verbal autism by cheerfully offering “I was possessed by a demon!” is wild. Also, Linda did not want to be gross for this movie, which is a bummer. Regan is like, important bed-rotting representation.
BLAKE: We do need to talk, however. I notice you refer to her as “Ree-Gan.” And her name is “Ray-gan.” Like the president. I don’t want to have this conversation again! ;-;
TINI: I’m afraid if I say it like the president three times he’ll appear and try to say AIDS isn’t real!! Or if not him, that awful Aussie breakdancer. But okay. Because I love you.
BLAKE: “Pazuzu’s Regan is the only Regan...”
IN A VIOLENT NATURE (2024)
TINI: What a cool fucking experiment this is. A slasher movie that relies heavily on slasher movie tropes, in this movie we follow “Johnny”, a Jason Voorhees/Michael Myers-style slasher as he ploddingly hunts down the local campers who have crossed him.
It’s described as ‘ambient horror,’ and we do spend a lot of it on Johnny’s long, slow walks through beautiful, sun-dappled forests. What works so well is the knowledge that while these peaceful, meditative walks are happening, the protagonists are desperate to survive, scrambling for ways out and weaponry and information. But the slasher, like a shark in the water, simply moves forward, a singular goal in mind.
BLAKE: I don’t know if you would appreciate this if you were not a fan of the Slasher genre. But if you are, I can’t recommend it enough! Best way of thinking about it is if instead of following around the usual protagonists (and victims,) the camera almost consistently focuses purely on the monster. It’s... kind of like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? There’s another movie going on within the movie, and its plot is constantly moving even when we, the audience, are not around for it. Its execution is so simplistic and yet so brilliant. I will say, the ending does get a little bit... plodding? But that’s mainly because it kind of abandons this premise.
WES CRAVEN’S CURSED
TINI: This was by far the most fun of the ‘bad’ movies we watched. But I can’t believe it was made ten years after SCREAM - it feels like it was made by a director with a far less competent grasp on the genre. It’s about werewolves, if you like those, and Christina Ricci is the star, but she never really does that much to be interesting or bestial or scary with her role (short of some creepy Wolverine-style air sniffing in the office.)
Judy Greer, however, is maybe one of the best cinematic werewolves we’ve ever seen.
BLAKE: It wasn’t great. But it was pretty fun. I love Judy Greer in everything she does, and seeing a werewolf shoot someone the bird is worth the price of admission. That being said, it’s like a modern Fright Night (1985) that focuses on werewolves instead of vampires. Thing is... Fright Night is pretty cheesy and so is this movie. And I certainly expect different things from Wes Craven than I do Tom Holland. But one can tell that this movie had studio interference all over it.
TINI: Oh yeah. A quick Google tells me no one was happy with what this movie came out to be, and it stinks like it.
I KNOW WHO KILLED ME (2007)
TINI: My pick for our bad movie night, I watched this when it originally came out - I love horror movies and Lindsay Lohan’s bad on-set behavior was the stuff of TMZ and OhNoTheyDidnt legend. (Anyone else remember ONTD?)
I was hoping for a re-appraisal - in the years since, a few people have called it a ‘modern giallo.’ It uh….isn’t.
BLAKE: I don’t know what to say about this movie. It’s barely a horror film. It’s barely anything. You should go watch it.
TINI: Yeah, actually. Aspiring writers, every scene in our work should do something - introduce or reveal more information about characters, concepts, relationships, or mysteries. Watch this movie if you’d like a great example of what it looks like when a story keeps putting scenes in front of you that do functionally nothing.
Also, we’re big fans of
’s How Did This Get Made, and there’s a hilarious episode about this movie you can laugh along with as a reward for suffering through.MISERY
TINI: Not much to say about this one that hasn’t been said. In the hands of less skilled writers and filmmakers this would have been a story ‘by writers, for writers,’ but it’s universally terrifying, as well as tense from start to finish, and tiny in scope. Not many horror movies take place mostly in one bedroom, during the day, but it’s a very Stephen King thing to do. Five stars, one of my favorites of the season, and I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner. Kathy Bates carries this movie on her cockadoodie back.
BLAKE: Well, let’s not undersell James Caan. When you consider that he, in various parts of this movie, has to play the role of a man playing a role (while also being terrified for his life,) he is expressing so much vulnerability from an actor that is usually not associated with such things. I mean, he’s Sonny Corleone for God’s sake. But, this is the role that catapulted Kathy Bates to stardom, and rightfully so. She switches between sweet, sweet but worryingly overbearing, and absolutely sinister with such alacrity.
HOST
TINI: I like Bong-Joon Ho, but I don’t know that his tone worked for a monster movie, for me. He’s so good at human relationships, which makes sci-fi a natural choice for him, honestly - great science fiction just brings out human frailties and choices. And when this movie is at its best, it does that - families making tough decisions, and tense moments that rely on knowing each family member and their idiosyncrasies in a way that makes for satisfying storytelling. But the actual horror of this one never really manifested for me. Lead actor Song Kang-Ho is just as charming and fun to watch here as he is in Parasite, but when he’s doing it with an actual parasite in him, I just didn’t really get scared.
BLAKE: Yeah, ultimately I’m not sure what to make of this movie. It was good, and I was certainly entertained, but man, did the ending bug the hell out of me. I won’t get into spoilers here, but while I love a bittersweet ending, this one just frustrated me.
THE BLACKENING (2024)
TINI: What a good horror comedy. A bunch of friends in a cabin playing a creepy game while bad shit goes down - it’s like a fun combination of Bodies Bodies Bodies meets Saw, with the self-awareness of Cabin in the Woods and Scream. For a short movie with a big cast, this movie does a great job of really letting you know who each character is right up front, in a way that makes all their choices make sense and feel rewarding. Super funny, right up until the very, very end.
BLAKE: I will admit, when I went into this, I was expecting something that was more in the vein of the Scary Movie franchise. Which is to say, a completely irreverent spoof of Jordan Peele flicks. It’s certainly not that, and I would definitely say that Cabin in the Woods is a much more apt comparison. There are jokes and gags and whatnot, but the stakes and threats are taken very seriously and played straight. Granted, there is a lot of commentary within this movie that I can’t comment on, simply because the culture it’s commenting on is not my own -- however, with that being said, there’s a lot here to enjoy, and I certainly did!
TINI: Why is it that these movies always make me miss my days of hanging out in cabins, alive with drunken stupidity? You’d think I’d wise up and be glad I’m not slasher bait anymore.
HERETIC (2024)
TINI: I had to save this one for last. First of all, I feel a bit bad recommending it on our Halloween list, because it isn’t out until November 8th, but wow. Blake and I scored an invite to the premiere, and the event was awesome - I love themed drinks and a beautiful venue. But the film itself was the highlight of the night.
Hugh Grant as “Mr. Read” is the leading A-lister everyone’s talking about, and while his performance is perfect, phenomenal, it’s the other two leads who really surprised me in this movie. Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as the missionaries going door to door each become individually fascinating believers, one with the zeal of the convert and the other with the faith of the true born. I think a lot of movies would have made these women too similar, or equally faithful, but Heretic really excels in making both leads feel so, so real to anyone who has ever wanted to believe in anything.
Tense, scary, smart, funny, gorgeously shot - this might be my favorite of the season, and I have nothing bad to say about it. (Rare, from me.)
BLAKE: Yeah, I really don’t have much more to add, here. This screening was part of the AFI Film Festival, to which we were invited by A24. I have to admit, when one is invited to a premiere, with the glitz and the glam, and the celebrity appearances and all, it’s very easy to overlook the flaws in the film that is being debuted. But even putting on my most cynical of goggles, I really have trouble finding any substantial critiques for this movie. I saw some twists coming, but not all of them, and that made for a very exciting viewing experience.
TINI: Agreed. I can’t wait for everyone else to see this one so I can talk about it with others.
Coming up on the Scorpio Room: On November 1, I launch Session 0 of my writing process posts for paid subscribers, more preparation for Thought Bubble, and upcoming announcements!
Did you Roomies (that is, patrons of The Scorpio Room) watch any good horror lately?
As always - stay extra weird this Hallowed week, and talk soon! 🎃
-TH 10.28.24 20:08
Happy Halloween! Definitely looking forward to this new project, whatever it turns out to be! Sounds like there's a lot of secrets to look forward to.
As a huge fan of your Marvel work, I've been wanting to ask: how does it feel for you that Betsy and Rachel still together, and going strong, in this new era of X-Men?