October has always felt like the perfect month to let the movies take over. The weather gets colder, the leaves start changing, the days get shorter, and suddenly watching something creepy, autumnal, nostalgic, or just a little weird feels like an obligation rather than an indulgence. Daily Halloween movie challenges have become a beloved October tradition for exactly that reason.
So this October, I’m turning this very blog into one giant celebration of Halloween and Fall Films.
For the entire month, there will be a movie recommendation every single day. Thirty-one days, thirty-one films, and hopefully a whole lot of opinions, arguments, nostalgia, scares, laughs, and recommendations along the way.
But there’s a twist (M. Night style): I’m not doing it alone.
Throughout the month, I’ll be joined by guest creators who will each bring their own perspective to the celebration. Some will revisit old favorites. Some will champion overlooked movies. Some might introduce you to something you’ve never seen. And, because Halloween should be fun, not everything will necessarily be terrifying.
Expect slashers, supernatural horror, Halloween classics, autumn movies, creepy comedies, family-friendly favorites, psychological nightmares, cult films, and a few surprises along the way. Think of it as a cinematic countdown to Halloween, but with a bunch of different voices helping choose what gets watched.
The goal isn’t to create some definitive list of the “best” Halloween movies (Ive already done that, keep up). It’s about celebrating why these movies matter to us; the films that make us remember being kids, staying up too late, watching something we probably weren’t supposed to, or simply realizing that autumn feels a little more magical when there’s a good movie playing.
So grab some candy, make some popcorn, turn down the lights, and join us.
One month. One movie a day. A whole lot of Halloween.
October starts now.
Every year when fall rolls in, I start looking for that one movie that feels like the perfect doorway into the season. It is not necessarily the scariest movie, and not even necessarily the best horror movie, but something that captures that special feeling of crisp evenings, Halloween decorations, childhood memories, and just enough spooky atmosphere to make you excited for October. For me, Ernest Scared Stupid is one of those movies.
There are some horror movies you save for Halloween night, and then there are those horror movies that feel like the beginning of Halloween. Ernest Scared Stupid is firmly in that second category. It’s a movie I love recommending because it understands that being scared can actually be fun and laugh out loud funny.
At first glance, Ernest Scared Stupid looks like a goofy kids’ comedy and, honestly, it absolutely is. Jim Varney’s Ernest is a walking tornado of bad decisions, exaggerated expressions, and prat falls. But underneath all that silliness is a surprisingly effective little horror movie. The story involves an ancient troll (created by reusing the Killer Clowns From Outer Space), terrified children, creepy woods, and some genuinely unsettling moments. The troll itself is far creepier than you might expect from a movie aimed at younger audiences, and a few sequences still have the ability to produce legitimate chills.
That’s what makes the movie such a great gateway into horror. It mixes comedy, childhood adventure, coming-of-age themes, and supernatural horror without allowing any one ingredient to completely overwhelm the others. Kids get to be the heroes, adults aren’t necessarily the ones who understand what’s happening, and the whole thing has the unmistakable feeling of a childhood Halloween memory straight out of the 80s.
(Speaking of 80s our latest anthology “Totally Rad: The 80s Anthology” came out last week, it’s on KindlePrime, check it out: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HL6XMN14)
It’s also wonderfully tied to the season. The costumes, falling leaves, small-town atmosphere, Halloween decorations, and sense of kids wandering around after dark all make it feel like autumn distilled into ninety minutes.
So if you’re looking for something to ease yourself into the Halloween season, Ernest Scared Stupid is a fantastic place to start. It reminds you that horror doesn’t always have to be bleak or brutal. Sometimes it can be funny, creepy, nostalgic, and genuinely charming all at once. Get yourself a big cup of Miak and enjoy the start of the spooky season.
