Coffins, Skeletons, and Little Plastic Spiders

Wishing You a Happy Halloween

My dearest Weirdlings,

To put it lightly, this has been a rough year. Every day has carried weirdness and anxiety — pandemics and wildfires, murder hornets and hurricanes to just name a few.

Yet in the face of such real world horrors, at least we can take comfort from fictional ones — scary movies, unsettling TV shows, terrifying games, and weird lore. We can wrap ourselves in the delight of good storytelling, welcome in the controllable scares, and maybe exorcise some of our frustrations along with way.

Halloween may not look like it has in past years. No costume parties, no trick or treating. Nevertheless, the joy of this great holiday does not have to be lost.

I can still decorate my home with coffins, skeletons, and little plastic spiders. I can still haul a great orange gourd into my home, scoop out its guts, and carve out the face of Mr. Jack o’ Lantern. I can curl up with thick blanket and switch on a eerie movie.

May you, too, find plenty of creeps and delight this All Hallow’s Eve.

Movies

Blumhouse Announces First Ever Virtual Event “BlumFest” (Bloody Disgusting)

Airing on October 29, the one-day virtual festival will feature behind the scenes panels for several forthcoming Blumehouse features, including Halloween Kills.

Scientific Study Determines Sinister Is the Scariest Movie Ever (IGN)

After measuring the resting heart rates of 50 subjects, scientists determine Sinister to be the scariest movie of all time.

Games

What’s A Game That Really Scared You? (Kotaku)

Members of the Kotaku team relate their most frightening gaming moments, including a few horror game classics and some surprises.

The Last Of Us Remastered Now Loads Extremely Fast On PS4 (GameSpot)

If you haven’t played The Last of Us yet, then I recommend jumping in. It’s one of my all-time favorite games, presenting an emotionally compelling depiction of the post-apocalypse. Fast loading times just add some more icing on the cake.

Lore

13 Bizarre Mythical Monsters to Haunt Your Halloween (Live Science)

Every culture around the world has its own legends for why you should fear the dark, from phantoms to skinless beasts to Finfolk.

Literature

10 of the Best Supernatural Books For Halloween (Book Riot)

Ghosts, witches, vampires, necromancers, and secret societies — all for your reading pleasure.

Short of the Week

“The Sleepover,” directed by Chris Cullari, is a horror comedy with plenty of meta sprinkled on top. A humorous call back to ‘80s slasher classics.