Spooktober Double Features

31 Horror Double Features for October

I've seen a lot of horror movies. In this post, I suggest a double feature for each night in October. I curated these pairs to play well together, but I know not all of these will be available to everyone, so feel free to pick just one, or mix and match. Each of these movies has the FabGlitch Certified Spooky seal of approval.

October 01 - "Comedy of Terrors"

Elvira Mistress of the Dark (1988)

Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)

This is a fantastic pair. My tastes in horror movies skew toward camp and comedy, so I chose these to set the tone for my double feature spooktacular. Both have a wholesome-yet-horny horror vibe. Very 1980s. Lots of familiar faces.

October 02 - "Old God Party"

La Cheisa (1989)

Gate, The (1987)

I didn't discover The Church until recently, but I return to The Gate regularly. It's been a childhood favorite since it was a new release. Both are surreal and scary with great special effects that hold up. They both feel like nightmares come to life.

Demons & Demons 2 are classics. I recently learned that The Church (1989) was originally intended to be a sequel, but director Michele Soavi rewrote it to elevate it from mere splatter, and it shows. If any Demons fans haven't seen The Church, check it out!

October 03 - "Food for Thought"

The Brain (1988)

Brain Damage (1988)

Two faves, both a blast. There's thematic overlap with young dudes in the prime of their lives, struggling with losing their Free Will and their minds, to media or substances. Timeless. David Gale and John Zacherle nail their villainous roles. 1988, a great year for brains!

October 04 - "Infected Party"

Splinter (2008)

Virus (1999)

Both under-known and under-rated: Splinter is the more original, but Virus is very enjoyable and one of the better The Thing knock-offs ever produced. I almost included Leviathan (1989) instead of Splinter, but it's super slick, genuinely creepy, and deserves attention.

October 05 - "There Goes the Neighborhood"

The Burbs (1989)

The Vagrant (1992)

Two incredibly wacky and fun comedy-horror flicks. What makes this a great double feature are the over-the-top dream sequences and the degrading sanity of the main character. Stellar supporting characters. Both of these are fantastic.

October 06 - "Anthologies I"

Body Bags (1993)

Cat’s Eye (1985)

Anthologies are a great form of cinema, particularly well suited to the horror Genre. They waste almost no time getting to the point. I love the framing narratives & hosts, & the bite-sized twisty short-story-feel of each segment. "Hair" and "General" are standouts in these two.

Out of all the great horror anthologies, I chose these two because they seem to me to be lesser-known. Cat's Eye (1985) has been a fav since I was a kid, and Body Bags (1993) has phenomenal cameos & great cast, all of which seem to be having a lot of fun, John Carpenter included.

The Simpson's Treehouse of Horror, HBO's Tales From The Crypt, Mick Garris' Masters of Horror, Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. ABC's of Death. XX. V\H\S\1 thru 99... There's so much fun short-form horror out there. Anthologies rule.

October 07 - "Killer Robot Party"

Chopping Mall (1986)

Deadly Friend (1986)

From mall cops with lasers to an AI-powered zombie girlfriend, Chopping Mall & Deadly Friend deliver peak 1986 chaos. Killer robots, emotional trauma. This double feature will fry your circuits.

October 08 - "Parody Party"

Editor, The (2014)

Dude Bro Party Massacre III (2015)

These are two of the most hilarious genre parodies ever made. Both are all-killer, no-filler, crafted with skill and love. They expertly poke fun at the Giallo and Slasher genres, nailing the tropes, characters, and plots, while serving as exemplars of metafictional absurdity.

October 09 - "Wan Party"

Malignant (2021)

Dead Silence (2007)

Campy horror often winks at the audience with characters that laugh at themselves. It ruins the fun like SNL cast members breaking. I've loved Dead Silence's straight-faced tone since it came out. Thought it was a fluke until Malignant did it again. James Wan is a great director.

October 10 - "Blood and Soil and Fried Chicken"

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Poultrygeist - Night of the Chicken Dead (2006)

Frank Oz and Lloyd Kaufman are about the same age, and both are living legends. Little Shop has the best puppet effects ever on film and Poultrygeist is one of the grossest movies ever made. Super entertaining musicals.

October 11 - "Vampires from Outer Space"

Planet of the Vampires (1965)

Lifeforce (1985)

Two absolute top-tier Sci-Fi Horror flicks. Each is the B-movie pinnacle of their respective eras. Planet of the Vampires' production design is incredible and highly influential, and Lifeforce's special puppet and topless effects are unforgettable.

October 12 - "Potluck Party"

Blood Feast (1963)

Blood Diner (1987)

Blood Feast is ridiculous and ahead of its time. It's often mentioned as one of the first in the "slasher" subgenre. Blood Diner is its spiritual sequel, and like most 80's sequels leans into the camp-comedy quite a lot. These two gore flicks taste superb together!

October 13 - "Peak Franchise Party"

Nightmare on Elm Street 3, A - Dream Warriors (1987)

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

Both are my favorites, but I also strongly feel they're their series' best. I'm not sure I'm remotely objective about them though. I watched both over and over as a kid, and as an adult, it seems unlikely to me a child under 10yo could have such great taste. #FridayThe13th #ANoES

October 14 - "Inheritance Party"

House (1986)

The Kindred (1987)

Two thoroughly entertaining horror movies, House (1986) and The Kindred (1987) are a creepy mid-1980s combo, featuring captivating stories, suspenseful mysteries, and some amazing practical creature effects. Inherit the scares and unearth family secrets in these horror classics!

October 15 - "Cryptid Party"

Deep Rising (1998)

The Relic (1997)

These probably rank higher in my mind due to having originally seen them in SD, full-frame pan&scan VHS rentals from Blockbuster; the shitty presentation hiding much of their shortcomings... but I feel like I got my money's worth. Great bombastic Creature features!

October 16 - "Reanimators"

Re-Animator (1985)

Bride of Re-Animator (1990)

Jeffrey Combs' Dr. Herbert West is a horror icon of hubristic, amoral mad-science. Stuart Gordon's masterful mashup of Lovecraft and Frankenstein is a gory, dark-humor classic. Brian Yuzna administers the second dose, and it's just as potent as the first. Super fun and fantastic!

October 17 - "Snatchers of the Body Invaders"

Snatchers (2019)

Feast (2005)

Aside from both being comedic creature features with high-energy plots that are constantly escalating, this pairing doesn't really have much in common aside from the fact I wanted to re-watch both of these super fun gross-out movies!

October 18 - "Anthologies II"

Tales From The Darkside - The Movie (1990)

Chillerama (2011)

My 2nd Anthology Double:

Tales from the Darkside: The Movie has a fun framing narrative & great horror. Chillerama is hilarious and emphasizes camp & comedy more than horror. Each is unforgettable in its own way. Darkside's "Lover's Vow" & Chillerama's "Wadzilla" are standouts.

October 19 - "Hilarious Horror"

Hell Baby (2012)

Zombeavers (2014)

Many great comedies are also horror movies. The surreal & supernatural aspects of horror is a fun creative space for comedic minds to play in. Hell Baby features comedians clearly having fun & it's hilarious! Zombeavers isn't as genius, but it's a great title/premise/portmanteau!

October 20 - "After Hours Party"

Creep (2004)

Graveyard Shift (1990)

Staying up late is part of the horror experience for me. Creepy shit tends to happen in the darkness and solitude of the late-night. Both of these two visceral creature features have continuously escalating mysteries, and plots where shit really hits the fan in the after-hours.

October 21 - "Family Matters"

Serial Mom (1994)

Meet the Applegates (1990)

Serial Mom (1994) is my favorite of John Waters' films. It's a fantastic send-up of American media & the idealized nuclear family. Meet the Applegates (1990) plays in the same satirical realm. If John Waters has seen it, I'd bet he's a big fan. These two are a perfect combo!

October 22 - "JC's Apocalypse Party"

Prince of Darkness (1987)

In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

John Carpenter delves into quantum physics and ancient evil and then introduces us to the old gods, blurring the line between reality and fiction. This double feature is a mind-bending journey into apocalyptic meta-madness! Both films are unique takes on modern cosmic horror!

October 23 - "Hennenlotter Party"

Basket Case 3 - The Progeny (1991)

Frankenhooker (1990)

Frank Hennenlotter rules. He's a weirdo with a timeless left-libertarian anarchic energy. His characters, effects, and plots are very cartoony and these are two of his most fun movies. Not strictly necessary but probably best to watch Basket Case 1&2 first. Double-double-feature!

October 24 - "Post Apocalyptic Techno Party"

Hardware (1990)

Mindwarp (1992)

Hardware (1990) & Mindwarp (1991) are both super entertaining early 90's science fiction flicks. I love their creative fusions of cyberpunk & horror, gritty post-apocalyptic dystopian atmospheres, killer casts, and female protagonists. I can't recommend these two enough! ☢️☢️☢️☢️

October 25 - "Stuart Gordon, Above and Beyond"

Space Truckers (1996)

From Beyond (1986)

Stuart Gordon is a legend. Visually and tonally his work feels like Heavy Metal magazine brought to life. Despite working with lower-budgets, his movies always have excellent production quality and fantastic casts! The beauteous @barbaracrampton is in both of these classics. 🚀👾

October 26 - "Goop Party"

The Blob (1988)

The Stuff (1985)

The Blob is among the top 3 of 80s horror remakes of 50s Sci-Fi. The Stuff is an original satire, and my favorite of Larry Cohen's flicks. The Military Industrial Complex & Religion, Corporations & Consumerism, are the targets of these quintessentially 1980s goo-based classics.

October 27 - "TV Party"

Stay Tuned (1992)

TerrorVision (1986)

Stay Tuned is like deranged high-concept Disney(think Honey I Shrunk The Kids, but not for kids, or Pleasantville with less to say). Terror Vision would be perfect if it had Elvira instead of her analog. Nevertheless, these supernatural satellite dish movies are a fantastic pair.

October 28 - "A Night with the Living Dead"

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Return of the Living Dead (1985)

The one that started it all. Followed by the one that turns the ridiculous elements up to 11: They're not just re-animated, they're spry; you can't kill them, because every part has a mind of its own; they're not just hungry for flesh, they want fresh brains! Best zombie movies.

October 29 - "Exceptional Extraterrestrials"

Top of the Food Chain (1999)

Mars Attacks! (1996)

Top of the Food Chain (1999) and Mars Attacks! (1996) are genre parodies filled with gags. I tend to prefer the sci-fi side of horror, but I also favor character-driven farce over the referential humor of Scary Movie. Both of these movies are wonderfully wacky. I love them.

October 30 - "Spooky Encounters of the Third Kind"

Poltergeist III (1988)

The Exorcist III (1990)

Exorcist and Poltergeist are two of the greatest spookshow movies ever made. While I still think the first entries are the best in their series, both of these third installments are quite good, fresh, and stand on their own. You needn't have seen prior entries to appreciate them!

October 31 - "Halloween Party"

Murder Party (2007)

Killer Party (1986)

Murder Party is a Bloody demented art-school Breakfast Club. Killer Party is strange as hell 80's Horror fun featuring a haunted house in my hometown of Toronto. The intro sequence(s) make it feel like a mashup of sketch comedy and anthology. Happy Halloween!