Time to pony up for the Peacock
My post on Monday bumped my plans to give you a list of weekly horror movies to watch, but I have found the perfect streaming service for fans if they don't mind ponying up a few bucks for the month (if you have Spectrum TV, check and see if they offer the service for free).
The 3rd (or is it 4th with the original?) installment to the newest Halloween storyline is hitting theaters this Friday, but you can also watch it with Peacock Premium. Which is way cheaper than a trip to the theater.
An added bonus is the ability to watch The Black Phone for free. I haven't watched it yet but it looks amazing.
Blurb - After being abducted by a child killer and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer's previous victims.
They also have Idris Elba's newest hit Beast. I'm not sure if it's horror but I'd bet, it's a fun film.
Blurb - A father and his two teenage daughters find themselves hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the Savanna has but one apex predator.
More importantly, they have a number of horror films to get you ready for Halloween. I'll list 10 of my favorites below so you can get started right away.
Sinister - Washed-up true crime writer Ellison Oswalt finds a box of super 8 home movies in his new home, revealing that the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose legacy dates back to the 1960s.
This is a top 10 overall horror movie for me. It hits all the right notes and has a few WTF moments.
2. The Curse of the Werewolf - In eighteenth-century Spain, an adopted boy becomes a werewolf and terrorizes the inhabitants of his town.
This is the Hammer remake of the classic Wolf-Man (which you can also watch on Peacock). It's also one of my favorite werewolf pictures and a top 5 Hammer movie. Oliver Reed shines in the role.
3. Exorcist III - A police lieutenant uncovers more than he bargained for as his investigation of a series of murders, which have all the hallmarks of the deceased Gemini serial killer, leads him to question the patients of a psychiatric ward.
I'm a huge George C. Scott fan and his performance alone makes this a must-watch. I always suggest hunting down the director's cut since it is a superior film, but for free the theatrical release is a fun chapter that got shoehorned into the Exorcist world.
4. Videodrome - A programmer at a TV station that specializes in adult entertainment searches for the producers of a dangerous and bizarre broadcast.
This is a perfect slice of bizarro horror. James Woods is near perfect and the special effects are amazing for being early 80s (and Canadian).
5. The House of the Devil - In 1983, financially struggling college student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret, putting her life in mortal danger.
Speaking of the 80s, this movie will take you back in time. It is the slowest of slow burns, but I found the movie to be entertaining and nostalgic.
6. The People Under the Stairs - Two adults and a juvenile break into a house occupied by a brother and sister and their stolen children. There, they must fight for their lives.
Wes Craven lets it all hang out in this bizarre and over-the-top look at class and race. It's a time machine to the early 90s and I wonder how any of us survived.
7. Devil - A group of people are trapped in an elevator and the Devil is mysteriously amongst them.
It's nothing groundbreaking, but I found the performances enjoyable. This movie knows what it is, and delivers.
8. Pitch Black - A transport ship crashes and leaves its crew stranded on a desert planet inhabited by bloodthirsty creatures that come out during an eclipse.
This is one of my favorite movies. It's the perfect blend of serial killer suspense, monster movie, and sci-fy adventure. None of the actors were well known at the time, and the 3 main ones were in many of my favorite films in the 90s and early 2000s.
9. Cooties - A mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary school, transforming the kids into a feral swarm of mass savages. An unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the fight of their lives.
I will never miss a chance to suggest Cooties. The cast is great, and who doesn't want to see a swarm of zombie-fied children get killed in humorous ways?
10. An American Werewolf in Paris - An American man unwittingly gets involved with French werewolves who have developed a serum allowing them to transform at will.
I'm a sucker for a werewolf movie, and I loved this one when it came out in '97. It's the beginning of CGI getting used for transformation so it's missing the amazing special effects from the original, but the movie overall is fun and entertaining.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are a few Halloween movies, the Tremors franchise, some of the Chucky films, and so much more to get your Halloween vibes going.
Honorable mentions ...