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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights Of course a law that lets consumers opt-out of privacy-hostile data processing is only going to work if the people involved are aware how their information is being used. Hence the planned framework also sets out a requirement that businesses wanting to apply ADMT must provide so-called “pre-use notices” to affected consumers — so they can decide whether to opt-out of their data being used (or not); or indeed whether to exercise their access right to get more info about the intended use of automation/AI. This too looks broadly similar to provisions in the EU’s GDPR which put transparency (and fairness) obligations on entities processing personal data — in addition to requiring a valid lawful basis for them to use personal data. Although the European regulation contains some exceptions — such as where info was not directly collected from individuals and fulfilling their right to be informed would be “unreasonably expensive” or “impossible” — which may have undermined EU lawmakers’ intent that data subjects should be kept informed. (Perhaps especially in the realm of AI — and generative AI — where large amounts of personal data have clearly been scraped off the Internet but web users have not been proactively informed about this heist of their info; see, for example, regulatory action against Clearview AI.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights This too looks broadly similar to provisions in the EU’s GDPR which put transparency (and fairness) obligations on entities processing personal data — in addition to requiring a valid lawful basis for them to use personal data. Although the European regulation contains some exceptions — such as where info was not directly collected from individuals and fulfilling their right to be informed would be “unreasonably expensive” or “impossible” — which may have undermined EU lawmakers’ intent that data subjects should be kept informed. (Perhaps especially in the realm of AI — and generative AI — where large amounts of personal data have clearly been scraped off the Internet but web users have not been proactively informed about this heist of their info; see, for example, regulatory action against Clearview AI. Or the open investigations of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.)
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights This too looks broadly similar to provisions in the EU’s GDPR which put transparency (and fairness) obligations on entities processing personal data — in addition to requiring a valid lawful basis for them to use personal data. Although the European regulation contains some exceptions — such as where info was not directly collected from individuals and fulfilling their right to be informed would be “unreasonably expensive” or “impossible” — which may have undermined EU lawmakers’ intent that data subjects should be kept informed. (Perhaps especially in the realm of AI — and generative AI — where large amounts of personal data have clearly been scraped off the Internet but web users have not been proactively informed about this heist of their info; see, for example, regulatory action against Clearview AI. Or the open investigations of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.) The proposed Californian framework also includes GDPR-esque access rights which will allow state residents to ask a business to provide them with: Details of their use of ADMT; the technology’s output with respect to them; how decisions were made (including details of any human involvement; and whether the use of ADMT was evaluated for “validity, reliability and fairness”); details of the logic of the ADMT, including “key parameters” affecting the output; and how they applied to the individual; information on the range of possible outputs; and info on how the consumer can exercise their other CCPA rights and submit a complaint about the use of ADMT.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights (Perhaps especially in the realm of AI — and generative AI — where large amounts of personal data have clearly been scraped off the Internet but web users have not been proactively informed about this heist of their info; see, for example, regulatory action against Clearview AI. Or the open investigations of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.) The proposed Californian framework also includes GDPR-esque access rights which will allow state residents to ask a business to provide them with: Details of their use of ADMT; the technology’s output with respect to them; how decisions were made (including details of any human involvement; and whether the use of ADMT was evaluated for “validity, reliability and fairness”); details of the logic of the ADMT, including “key parameters” affecting the output; and how they applied to the individual; information on the range of possible outputs; and info on how the consumer can exercise their other CCPA rights and submit a complaint about the use of ADMT. Again, the GDPR provides a broadly similar right — stipulating that data subjects must be provided with “meaningful information about the logic involved” in automated decisions that have a significant/legal effect on them.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights Or the open investigations of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.) The proposed Californian framework also includes GDPR-esque access rights which will allow state residents to ask a business to provide them with: Details of their use of ADMT; the technology’s output with respect to them; how decisions were made (including details of any human involvement; and whether the use of ADMT was evaluated for “validity, reliability and fairness”); details of the logic of the ADMT, including “key parameters” affecting the output; and how they applied to the individual; information on the range of possible outputs; and info on how the consumer can exercise their other CCPA rights and submit a complaint about the use of ADMT. Again, the GDPR provides a broadly similar right — stipulating that data subjects must be provided with “meaningful information about the logic involved” in automated decisions that have a significant/legal effect on them. But it’s still falling to European courts to interpret where the line lies when it comes to how much (or how specific the) information algorithmic platforms must hand over in response to these GDPR subject access requests (see, for example, litigation against Uber in the Netherlands where a number of drivers have been trying to get details of systems involved in flagging accounts for potential fraud).
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights Again, the GDPR provides a broadly similar right — stipulating that data subjects must be provided with “meaningful information about the logic involved” in automated decisions that have a significant/legal effect on them. But it’s still falling to European courts to interpret where the line lies when it comes to how much (or how specific the) information algorithmic platforms must hand over in response to these GDPR subject access requests (see, for example, litigation against Uber in the Netherlands where a number of drivers have been trying to get details of systems involved in flagging accounts for potential fraud). The CCPA looks to be trying to pre-empt attempts by ADMT companies to evade the transparency intent of providing consumers with access rights — by setting out, in greater detail, what information they must provide in response to these requests. And while the draft framework does include some exemptions to access rights, just three are proposed: Security, fraud prevention and safety — so, again, this looks like an attempt to limit excuses and (consequently) expand algorithmic accountability.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights But it’s still falling to European courts to interpret where the line lies when it comes to how much (or how specific the) information algorithmic platforms must hand over in response to these GDPR subject access requests (see, for example, litigation against Uber in the Netherlands where a number of drivers have been trying to get details of systems involved in flagging accounts for potential fraud). The CCPA looks to be trying to pre-empt attempts by ADMT companies to evade the transparency intent of providing consumers with access rights — by setting out, in greater detail, what information they must provide in response to these requests. And while the draft framework does include some exemptions to access rights, just three are proposed: Security, fraud prevention and safety — so, again, this looks like an attempt to limit excuses and (consequently) expand algorithmic accountability. Not every use of ADMT will be in-scope of the CCPA’s proposed rules.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights But it’s still falling to European courts to interpret where the line lies when it comes to how much (or how specific the) information algorithmic platforms must hand over in response to these GDPR subject access requests (see, for example, litigation against Uber in the Netherlands where a number of drivers have been trying to get details of systems involved in flagging accounts for potential fraud). The CCPA looks to be trying to pre-empt attempts by ADMT companies to evade the transparency intent of providing consumers with access rights — by setting out, in greater detail, what information they must provide in response to these requests. And while the draft framework does include some exemptions to access rights, just three are proposed: Security, fraud prevention and safety — so, again, this looks like an attempt to limit excuses and (consequently) expand algorithmic accountability. Not every use of ADMT will be in-scope of the CCPA’s proposed rules. The draft regulation proposes to set a threshold as follows: For a decision that produces legal or similarly significant effects concerning a consumer (e.g., decisions to provide or deny employment opportunities).
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights The CCPA looks to be trying to pre-empt attempts by ADMT companies to evade the transparency intent of providing consumers with access rights — by setting out, in greater detail, what information they must provide in response to these requests. And while the draft framework does include some exemptions to access rights, just three are proposed: Security, fraud prevention and safety — so, again, this looks like an attempt to limit excuses and (consequently) expand algorithmic accountability. Not every use of ADMT will be in-scope of the CCPA’s proposed rules. The draft regulation proposes to set a threshold as follows: For a decision that produces legal or similarly significant effects concerning a consumer (e.g., decisions to provide or deny employment opportunities). Profiling a consumer who is acting in their capacity as an employee, independent contractor, job applicant, or student. Profiling a consumer while they are in a publicly accessible place.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights The CCPA looks to be trying to pre-empt attempts by ADMT companies to evade the transparency intent of providing consumers with access rights — by setting out, in greater detail, what information they must provide in response to these requests. And while the draft framework does include some exemptions to access rights, just three are proposed: Security, fraud prevention and safety — so, again, this looks like an attempt to limit excuses and (consequently) expand algorithmic accountability. Not every use of ADMT will be in-scope of the CCPA’s proposed rules. The draft regulation proposes to set a threshold as follows: For a decision that produces legal or similarly significant effects concerning a consumer (e.g., decisions to provide or deny employment opportunities). Profiling a consumer who is acting in their capacity as an employee, independent contractor, job applicant, or student. Profiling a consumer while they are in a publicly accessible place. The Agency also says the upcoming consultation will discuss whether the rules should also apply to: profiling a consumer for behavioral advertising; profiling a consumer the business has “actual knowledge is under the age of 16” (i.e.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights And while the draft framework does include some exemptions to access rights, just three are proposed: Security, fraud prevention and safety — so, again, this looks like an attempt to limit excuses and (consequently) expand algorithmic accountability. Not every use of ADMT will be in-scope of the CCPA’s proposed rules. The draft regulation proposes to set a threshold as follows: For a decision that produces legal or similarly significant effects concerning a consumer (e.g., decisions to provide or deny employment opportunities). Profiling a consumer who is acting in their capacity as an employee, independent contractor, job applicant, or student. Profiling a consumer while they are in a publicly accessible place. The Agency also says the upcoming consultation will discuss whether the rules should also apply to: profiling a consumer for behavioral advertising; profiling a consumer the business has “actual knowledge is under the age of 16” (i.e. profiling children); and processing the personal information of consumers to train ADMT — indicating it’s not yet confirmed how much of the planned regime will apply to (and potentially limit the modus operandi of) adtech and data-scraping generative AI giants.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights Not every use of ADMT will be in-scope of the CCPA’s proposed rules. The draft regulation proposes to set a threshold as follows: For a decision that produces legal or similarly significant effects concerning a consumer (e.g., decisions to provide or deny employment opportunities). Profiling a consumer who is acting in their capacity as an employee, independent contractor, job applicant, or student. Profiling a consumer while they are in a publicly accessible place. The Agency also says the upcoming consultation will discuss whether the rules should also apply to: profiling a consumer for behavioral advertising; profiling a consumer the business has “actual knowledge is under the age of 16” (i.e. profiling children); and processing the personal information of consumers to train ADMT — indicating it’s not yet confirmed how much of the planned regime will apply to (and potentially limit the modus operandi of) adtech and data-scraping generative AI giants. The more expansive list of proposed thresholds would clearly make the law bite down harder on adtech giants and Big AI.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights The draft regulation proposes to set a threshold as follows: For a decision that produces legal or similarly significant effects concerning a consumer (e.g., decisions to provide or deny employment opportunities). Profiling a consumer who is acting in their capacity as an employee, independent contractor, job applicant, or student. Profiling a consumer while they are in a publicly accessible place. The Agency also says the upcoming consultation will discuss whether the rules should also apply to: profiling a consumer for behavioral advertising; profiling a consumer the business has “actual knowledge is under the age of 16” (i.e. profiling children); and processing the personal information of consumers to train ADMT — indicating it’s not yet confirmed how much of the planned regime will apply to (and potentially limit the modus operandi of) adtech and data-scraping generative AI giants. The more expansive list of proposed thresholds would clearly make the law bite down harder on adtech giants and Big AI. But, it being California, the CCPA can probably expect a lot of pushback from local giants like Meta and OpenAI, to name two.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights Profiling a consumer who is acting in their capacity as an employee, independent contractor, job applicant, or student. Profiling a consumer while they are in a publicly accessible place. The Agency also says the upcoming consultation will discuss whether the rules should also apply to: profiling a consumer for behavioral advertising; profiling a consumer the business has “actual knowledge is under the age of 16” (i.e. profiling children); and processing the personal information of consumers to train ADMT — indicating it’s not yet confirmed how much of the planned regime will apply to (and potentially limit the modus operandi of) adtech and data-scraping generative AI giants. The more expansive list of proposed thresholds would clearly make the law bite down harder on adtech giants and Big AI. But, it being California, the CCPA can probably expect a lot of pushback from local giants like Meta and OpenAI, to name two. The draft proposal marks the start of the CPPA’s rulemaking process, with the aforementioned consultation process — which will include a public component — set to kick off in the coming weeks.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights The Agency also says the upcoming consultation will discuss whether the rules should also apply to: profiling a consumer for behavioral advertising; profiling a consumer the business has “actual knowledge is under the age of 16” (i.e. profiling children); and processing the personal information of consumers to train ADMT — indicating it’s not yet confirmed how much of the planned regime will apply to (and potentially limit the modus operandi of) adtech and data-scraping generative AI giants. The more expansive list of proposed thresholds would clearly make the law bite down harder on adtech giants and Big AI. But, it being California, the CCPA can probably expect a lot of pushback from local giants like Meta and OpenAI, to name two. The draft proposal marks the start of the CPPA’s rulemaking process, with the aforementioned consultation process — which will include a public component — set to kick off in the coming weeks. So it’s still a ways off a final text.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights profiling children); and processing the personal information of consumers to train ADMT — indicating it’s not yet confirmed how much of the planned regime will apply to (and potentially limit the modus operandi of) adtech and data-scraping generative AI giants. The more expansive list of proposed thresholds would clearly make the law bite down harder on adtech giants and Big AI. But, it being California, the CCPA can probably expect a lot of pushback from local giants like Meta and OpenAI, to name two. The draft proposal marks the start of the CPPA’s rulemaking process, with the aforementioned consultation process — which will include a public component — set to kick off in the coming weeks. So it’s still a ways off a final text. A spokeswoman for the CPPA said it’s unable to comment on a possible timeline for the rulemaking but she noted this is something that will be discussed at the upcoming board meeting, on December 8.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights profiling children); and processing the personal information of consumers to train ADMT — indicating it’s not yet confirmed how much of the planned regime will apply to (and potentially limit the modus operandi of) adtech and data-scraping generative AI giants. The more expansive list of proposed thresholds would clearly make the law bite down harder on adtech giants and Big AI. But, it being California, the CCPA can probably expect a lot of pushback from local giants like Meta and OpenAI, to name two. The draft proposal marks the start of the CPPA’s rulemaking process, with the aforementioned consultation process — which will include a public component — set to kick off in the coming weeks. So it’s still a ways off a final text. A spokeswoman for the CPPA said it’s unable to comment on a possible timeline for the rulemaking but she noted this is something that will be discussed at the upcoming board meeting, on December 8. If the Agency is able to move quickly it’s possible it could have a regulation finalized in the second half of next year.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights The more expansive list of proposed thresholds would clearly make the law bite down harder on adtech giants and Big AI. But, it being California, the CCPA can probably expect a lot of pushback from local giants like Meta and OpenAI, to name two. The draft proposal marks the start of the CPPA’s rulemaking process, with the aforementioned consultation process — which will include a public component — set to kick off in the coming weeks. So it’s still a ways off a final text. A spokeswoman for the CPPA said it’s unable to comment on a possible timeline for the rulemaking but she noted this is something that will be discussed at the upcoming board meeting, on December 8. If the Agency is able to move quickly it’s possible it could have a regulation finalized in the second half of next year. Although there would obviously need to be a grace period before compliance kicks in for in-scope companies — so 2025 looks like the very earliest for a law to be up and running.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights But, it being California, the CCPA can probably expect a lot of pushback from local giants like Meta and OpenAI, to name two. The draft proposal marks the start of the CPPA’s rulemaking process, with the aforementioned consultation process — which will include a public component — set to kick off in the coming weeks. So it’s still a ways off a final text. A spokeswoman for the CPPA said it’s unable to comment on a possible timeline for the rulemaking but she noted this is something that will be discussed at the upcoming board meeting, on December 8. If the Agency is able to move quickly it’s possible it could have a regulation finalized in the second half of next year. Although there would obviously need to be a grace period before compliance kicks in for in-scope companies — so 2025 looks like the very earliest for a law to be up and running. And who knows how far developments in AI will have moved on by then.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights The draft proposal marks the start of the CPPA’s rulemaking process, with the aforementioned consultation process — which will include a public component — set to kick off in the coming weeks. So it’s still a ways off a final text. A spokeswoman for the CPPA said it’s unable to comment on a possible timeline for the rulemaking but she noted this is something that will be discussed at the upcoming board meeting, on December 8. If the Agency is able to move quickly it’s possible it could have a regulation finalized in the second half of next year. Although there would obviously need to be a grace period before compliance kicks in for in-scope companies — so 2025 looks like the very earliest for a law to be up and running. And who knows how far developments in AI will have moved on by then. * The CPPA’s proposed definition for ADMT in the draft framework is “any system, software, or process — including one derived from machine-learning, statistics, other data-processing or artificial intelligence — that processes personal information and uses computation as whole or part of a system to make or execute a decision or facilitate human decisionmaking”.
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California’s privacy watchdog eyes AI rules with opt-out and access rights So it’s still a ways off a final text. A spokeswoman for the CPPA said it’s unable to comment on a possible timeline for the rulemaking but she noted this is something that will be discussed at the upcoming board meeting, on December 8. If the Agency is able to move quickly it’s possible it could have a regulation finalized in the second half of next year. Although there would obviously need to be a grace period before compliance kicks in for in-scope companies — so 2025 looks like the very earliest for a law to be up and running. And who knows how far developments in AI will have moved on by then. * The CPPA’s proposed definition for ADMT in the draft framework is “any system, software, or process — including one derived from machine-learning, statistics, other data-processing or artificial intelligence — that processes personal information and uses computation as whole or part of a system to make or execute a decision or facilitate human decisionmaking”. Its definition also affirms “ADMT includes profiling” — which is defined as “any form of automated processing of personal information to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person and in particular to analyze or predict aspects concerning that natural person’s performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location, or movements”
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Your time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don’t have to. Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching! If there’s one thing we love here at Polygon, it’s the Halloween season. We cover horror year-round, whether it’s the best horror movies you can stream at home or the best horror movies on Netflix, and generally, we have our finger on the undead pulse of the newest and ghastliest releases in horror. We even have a list of the best horror movies of the year (ranked by scariness, of course). Even still, Halloween is an especially spooky time of year, and it warrants special attention and celebration.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Your time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don’t have to. Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching! If there’s one thing we love here at Polygon, it’s the Halloween season. We cover horror year-round, whether it’s the best horror movies you can stream at home or the best horror movies on Netflix, and generally, we have our finger on the undead pulse of the newest and ghastliest releases in horror. We even have a list of the best horror movies of the year (ranked by scariness, of course). Even still, Halloween is an especially spooky time of year, and it warrants special attention and celebration. For the past three years, Polygon has put together a Halloween countdown calendar, selecting 31 of our staff’s top horror-themed or Halloween-adjacent picks across movies and TV throughout the month of October, all available to watch at home.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Polygon’s What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching! If there’s one thing we love here at Polygon, it’s the Halloween season. We cover horror year-round, whether it’s the best horror movies you can stream at home or the best horror movies on Netflix, and generally, we have our finger on the undead pulse of the newest and ghastliest releases in horror. We even have a list of the best horror movies of the year (ranked by scariness, of course). Even still, Halloween is an especially spooky time of year, and it warrants special attention and celebration. For the past three years, Polygon has put together a Halloween countdown calendar, selecting 31 of our staff’s top horror-themed or Halloween-adjacent picks across movies and TV throughout the month of October, all available to watch at home. We’ve loved doing it, so much so that we’re bringing it back again — this time with a whole new batch of films and shows to choose from.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Stop scrolling, start watching! If there’s one thing we love here at Polygon, it’s the Halloween season. We cover horror year-round, whether it’s the best horror movies you can stream at home or the best horror movies on Netflix, and generally, we have our finger on the undead pulse of the newest and ghastliest releases in horror. We even have a list of the best horror movies of the year (ranked by scariness, of course). Even still, Halloween is an especially spooky time of year, and it warrants special attention and celebration. For the past three years, Polygon has put together a Halloween countdown calendar, selecting 31 of our staff’s top horror-themed or Halloween-adjacent picks across movies and TV throughout the month of October, all available to watch at home. We’ve loved doing it, so much so that we’re bringing it back again — this time with a whole new batch of films and shows to choose from. Every day for the month of October, we’ll add a new recommendation to this countdown and tell you where you can watch it.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch We cover horror year-round, whether it’s the best horror movies you can stream at home or the best horror movies on Netflix, and generally, we have our finger on the undead pulse of the newest and ghastliest releases in horror. We even have a list of the best horror movies of the year (ranked by scariness, of course). Even still, Halloween is an especially spooky time of year, and it warrants special attention and celebration. For the past three years, Polygon has put together a Halloween countdown calendar, selecting 31 of our staff’s top horror-themed or Halloween-adjacent picks across movies and TV throughout the month of October, all available to watch at home. We’ve loved doing it, so much so that we’re bringing it back again — this time with a whole new batch of films and shows to choose from. Every day for the month of October, we’ll add a new recommendation to this countdown and tell you where you can watch it. So curl up on the couch, dim the lights, and grab some popcorn for a terrifying and entertaining marathon of horrific delights.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch We even have a list of the best horror movies of the year (ranked by scariness, of course). Even still, Halloween is an especially spooky time of year, and it warrants special attention and celebration. For the past three years, Polygon has put together a Halloween countdown calendar, selecting 31 of our staff’s top horror-themed or Halloween-adjacent picks across movies and TV throughout the month of October, all available to watch at home. We’ve loved doing it, so much so that we’re bringing it back again — this time with a whole new batch of films and shows to choose from. Every day for the month of October, we’ll add a new recommendation to this countdown and tell you where you can watch it. So curl up on the couch, dim the lights, and grab some popcorn for a terrifying and entertaining marathon of horrific delights. Oct.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch We even have a list of the best horror movies of the year (ranked by scariness, of course). Even still, Halloween is an especially spooky time of year, and it warrants special attention and celebration. For the past three years, Polygon has put together a Halloween countdown calendar, selecting 31 of our staff’s top horror-themed or Halloween-adjacent picks across movies and TV throughout the month of October, all available to watch at home. We’ve loved doing it, so much so that we’re bringing it back again — this time with a whole new batch of films and shows to choose from. Every day for the month of October, we’ll add a new recommendation to this countdown and tell you where you can watch it. So curl up on the couch, dim the lights, and grab some popcorn for a terrifying and entertaining marathon of horrific delights. Oct. 1: Messiah of Evil Where to watch: Prime Video, Shudder, Pluto TV, Plex A undersung classic of ’70s cosmic horror, Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz’s Messiah of Evil is a surreal and nightmarish experience that more than deserves its status as a cult horror classic.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch For the past three years, Polygon has put together a Halloween countdown calendar, selecting 31 of our staff’s top horror-themed or Halloween-adjacent picks across movies and TV throughout the month of October, all available to watch at home. We’ve loved doing it, so much so that we’re bringing it back again — this time with a whole new batch of films and shows to choose from. Every day for the month of October, we’ll add a new recommendation to this countdown and tell you where you can watch it. So curl up on the couch, dim the lights, and grab some popcorn for a terrifying and entertaining marathon of horrific delights. Oct. 1: Messiah of Evil Where to watch: Prime Video, Shudder, Pluto TV, Plex A undersung classic of ’70s cosmic horror, Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz’s Messiah of Evil is a surreal and nightmarish experience that more than deserves its status as a cult horror classic. The film centers on Arletty, a young woman who journeys to the remote coastal town of Point Dume, California, to track down her missing father, a reclusive painter who is plagued by disturbing visions of an impending apocalypse.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch We’ve loved doing it, so much so that we’re bringing it back again — this time with a whole new batch of films and shows to choose from. Every day for the month of October, we’ll add a new recommendation to this countdown and tell you where you can watch it. So curl up on the couch, dim the lights, and grab some popcorn for a terrifying and entertaining marathon of horrific delights. Oct. 1: Messiah of Evil Where to watch: Prime Video, Shudder, Pluto TV, Plex A undersung classic of ’70s cosmic horror, Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz’s Messiah of Evil is a surreal and nightmarish experience that more than deserves its status as a cult horror classic. The film centers on Arletty, a young woman who journeys to the remote coastal town of Point Dume, California, to track down her missing father, a reclusive painter who is plagued by disturbing visions of an impending apocalypse. After crossing paths with an eccentric aristocrat and his groupie companions, the group bears witness to the realization of the painter’s prophecy, as the townspeople are transformed into flesh-eating ghouls and the messiah of evil makes his return to the mortal realm.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch So curl up on the couch, dim the lights, and grab some popcorn for a terrifying and entertaining marathon of horrific delights. Oct. 1: Messiah of Evil Where to watch: Prime Video, Shudder, Pluto TV, Plex A undersung classic of ’70s cosmic horror, Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz’s Messiah of Evil is a surreal and nightmarish experience that more than deserves its status as a cult horror classic. The film centers on Arletty, a young woman who journeys to the remote coastal town of Point Dume, California, to track down her missing father, a reclusive painter who is plagued by disturbing visions of an impending apocalypse. After crossing paths with an eccentric aristocrat and his groupie companions, the group bears witness to the realization of the painter’s prophecy, as the townspeople are transformed into flesh-eating ghouls and the messiah of evil makes his return to the mortal realm. At times convoluted and bizarre, Messiah of Evil is a genuinely entertaining horror thriller filled with memorable scares and chilling set-pieces.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Oct. 1: Messiah of Evil Where to watch: Prime Video, Shudder, Pluto TV, Plex A undersung classic of ’70s cosmic horror, Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz’s Messiah of Evil is a surreal and nightmarish experience that more than deserves its status as a cult horror classic. The film centers on Arletty, a young woman who journeys to the remote coastal town of Point Dume, California, to track down her missing father, a reclusive painter who is plagued by disturbing visions of an impending apocalypse. After crossing paths with an eccentric aristocrat and his groupie companions, the group bears witness to the realization of the painter’s prophecy, as the townspeople are transformed into flesh-eating ghouls and the messiah of evil makes his return to the mortal realm. At times convoluted and bizarre, Messiah of Evil is a genuinely entertaining horror thriller filled with memorable scares and chilling set-pieces. From a cross-eyed albino man gleefully devouring a field mouse whole to a unsuspecting woman watching a Western as the theater around her slowly fills with ravenous undead zombies, it’s a dreamy and frightening experience that lands somewhere between the ineffable gothic horror of H.P.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch The film centers on Arletty, a young woman who journeys to the remote coastal town of Point Dume, California, to track down her missing father, a reclusive painter who is plagued by disturbing visions of an impending apocalypse. After crossing paths with an eccentric aristocrat and his groupie companions, the group bears witness to the realization of the painter’s prophecy, as the townspeople are transformed into flesh-eating ghouls and the messiah of evil makes his return to the mortal realm. At times convoluted and bizarre, Messiah of Evil is a genuinely entertaining horror thriller filled with memorable scares and chilling set-pieces. From a cross-eyed albino man gleefully devouring a field mouse whole to a unsuspecting woman watching a Western as the theater around her slowly fills with ravenous undead zombies, it’s a dreamy and frightening experience that lands somewhere between the ineffable gothic horror of H.P. Lovecraft and the anti-consumerist allegories of George A. Romero.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch After crossing paths with an eccentric aristocrat and his groupie companions, the group bears witness to the realization of the painter’s prophecy, as the townspeople are transformed into flesh-eating ghouls and the messiah of evil makes his return to the mortal realm. At times convoluted and bizarre, Messiah of Evil is a genuinely entertaining horror thriller filled with memorable scares and chilling set-pieces. From a cross-eyed albino man gleefully devouring a field mouse whole to a unsuspecting woman watching a Western as the theater around her slowly fills with ravenous undead zombies, it’s a dreamy and frightening experience that lands somewhere between the ineffable gothic horror of H.P. Lovecraft and the anti-consumerist allegories of George A. Romero. The horrors hold up over 50 years after it was first released, and with just the right combination of inadvertent silliness and legitimate terror, Messiah of Evil is a satisfying watch and an excellent start to a month of horrors. —Toussaint Egan Oct.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch At times convoluted and bizarre, Messiah of Evil is a genuinely entertaining horror thriller filled with memorable scares and chilling set-pieces. From a cross-eyed albino man gleefully devouring a field mouse whole to a unsuspecting woman watching a Western as the theater around her slowly fills with ravenous undead zombies, it’s a dreamy and frightening experience that lands somewhere between the ineffable gothic horror of H.P. Lovecraft and the anti-consumerist allegories of George A. Romero. The horrors hold up over 50 years after it was first released, and with just the right combination of inadvertent silliness and legitimate terror, Messiah of Evil is a satisfying watch and an excellent start to a month of horrors. —Toussaint Egan Oct. 2: Ginger Snaps Where to watch: Criterion Channel, Shudder, Peacock, Vudu, Tubi, Freevee, Plex There’s a sizable hole in the monster movie canon: There just aren’t enough good werewolf movies!
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch From a cross-eyed albino man gleefully devouring a field mouse whole to a unsuspecting woman watching a Western as the theater around her slowly fills with ravenous undead zombies, it’s a dreamy and frightening experience that lands somewhere between the ineffable gothic horror of H.P. Lovecraft and the anti-consumerist allegories of George A. Romero. The horrors hold up over 50 years after it was first released, and with just the right combination of inadvertent silliness and legitimate terror, Messiah of Evil is a satisfying watch and an excellent start to a month of horrors. —Toussaint Egan Oct. 2: Ginger Snaps Where to watch: Criterion Channel, Shudder, Peacock, Vudu, Tubi, Freevee, Plex There’s a sizable hole in the monster movie canon: There just aren’t enough good werewolf movies! Ginger Snaps is here to fix that. And if you love Jennifer’s Body, you’re in for a bloody treat.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Lovecraft and the anti-consumerist allegories of George A. Romero. The horrors hold up over 50 years after it was first released, and with just the right combination of inadvertent silliness and legitimate terror, Messiah of Evil is a satisfying watch and an excellent start to a month of horrors. —Toussaint Egan Oct. 2: Ginger Snaps Where to watch: Criterion Channel, Shudder, Peacock, Vudu, Tubi, Freevee, Plex There’s a sizable hole in the monster movie canon: There just aren’t enough good werewolf movies! Ginger Snaps is here to fix that. And if you love Jennifer’s Body, you’re in for a bloody treat. Directed by future Orphan Black co-creator John Fawcett, Ginger Snaps is a delightfully gruesome story about two sisters. One of them has gotten her period for the first time, and is turned into a werewolf shortly after. Things get messy, fast.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch The horrors hold up over 50 years after it was first released, and with just the right combination of inadvertent silliness and legitimate terror, Messiah of Evil is a satisfying watch and an excellent start to a month of horrors. —Toussaint Egan Oct. 2: Ginger Snaps Where to watch: Criterion Channel, Shudder, Peacock, Vudu, Tubi, Freevee, Plex There’s a sizable hole in the monster movie canon: There just aren’t enough good werewolf movies! Ginger Snaps is here to fix that. And if you love Jennifer’s Body, you’re in for a bloody treat. Directed by future Orphan Black co-creator John Fawcett, Ginger Snaps is a delightfully gruesome story about two sisters. One of them has gotten her period for the first time, and is turned into a werewolf shortly after. Things get messy, fast. Ginger Snaps doesn’t just do a great job filling in the werewolf canon.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch —Toussaint Egan Oct. 2: Ginger Snaps Where to watch: Criterion Channel, Shudder, Peacock, Vudu, Tubi, Freevee, Plex There’s a sizable hole in the monster movie canon: There just aren’t enough good werewolf movies! Ginger Snaps is here to fix that. And if you love Jennifer’s Body, you’re in for a bloody treat. Directed by future Orphan Black co-creator John Fawcett, Ginger Snaps is a delightfully gruesome story about two sisters. One of them has gotten her period for the first time, and is turned into a werewolf shortly after. Things get messy, fast. Ginger Snaps doesn’t just do a great job filling in the werewolf canon. It’s a grisly body horror story placed onto an effective puberty allegory, with a compelling central sister relationship.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch —Toussaint Egan Oct. 2: Ginger Snaps Where to watch: Criterion Channel, Shudder, Peacock, Vudu, Tubi, Freevee, Plex There’s a sizable hole in the monster movie canon: There just aren’t enough good werewolf movies! Ginger Snaps is here to fix that. And if you love Jennifer’s Body, you’re in for a bloody treat. Directed by future Orphan Black co-creator John Fawcett, Ginger Snaps is a delightfully gruesome story about two sisters. One of them has gotten her period for the first time, and is turned into a werewolf shortly after. Things get messy, fast. Ginger Snaps doesn’t just do a great job filling in the werewolf canon. It’s a grisly body horror story placed onto an effective puberty allegory, with a compelling central sister relationship. If you’ve ever watched something like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and thought, This is great and surprisingly gooey, but give me stories like this about teen girls, then Ginger Snaps is for you.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Ginger Snaps is here to fix that. And if you love Jennifer’s Body, you’re in for a bloody treat. Directed by future Orphan Black co-creator John Fawcett, Ginger Snaps is a delightfully gruesome story about two sisters. One of them has gotten her period for the first time, and is turned into a werewolf shortly after. Things get messy, fast. Ginger Snaps doesn’t just do a great job filling in the werewolf canon. It’s a grisly body horror story placed onto an effective puberty allegory, with a compelling central sister relationship. If you’ve ever watched something like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and thought, This is great and surprisingly gooey, but give me stories like this about teen girls, then Ginger Snaps is for you. The movie has amassed a dedicated cult following in the years since its release. You’re next up to join the ranks — see you at the next full moon! —Pete Volk Oct.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Directed by future Orphan Black co-creator John Fawcett, Ginger Snaps is a delightfully gruesome story about two sisters. One of them has gotten her period for the first time, and is turned into a werewolf shortly after. Things get messy, fast. Ginger Snaps doesn’t just do a great job filling in the werewolf canon. It’s a grisly body horror story placed onto an effective puberty allegory, with a compelling central sister relationship. If you’ve ever watched something like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and thought, This is great and surprisingly gooey, but give me stories like this about teen girls, then Ginger Snaps is for you. The movie has amassed a dedicated cult following in the years since its release. You’re next up to join the ranks — see you at the next full moon! —Pete Volk Oct. 3: Creepshow Where to watch: Kanopy The new Creepshow home video release — presented in vibrant 4K UHD Blu-ray — is the best way to revisit this horror anthology classic.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Things get messy, fast. Ginger Snaps doesn’t just do a great job filling in the werewolf canon. It’s a grisly body horror story placed onto an effective puberty allegory, with a compelling central sister relationship. If you’ve ever watched something like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and thought, This is great and surprisingly gooey, but give me stories like this about teen girls, then Ginger Snaps is for you. The movie has amassed a dedicated cult following in the years since its release. You’re next up to join the ranks — see you at the next full moon! —Pete Volk Oct. 3: Creepshow Where to watch: Kanopy The new Creepshow home video release — presented in vibrant 4K UHD Blu-ray — is the best way to revisit this horror anthology classic. You can see individual bubbles in the foam of the ocean as it slowly drowns Ted Danson. This is why it made our list of the best Blu-rays of 2023.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch It’s a grisly body horror story placed onto an effective puberty allegory, with a compelling central sister relationship. If you’ve ever watched something like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and thought, This is great and surprisingly gooey, but give me stories like this about teen girls, then Ginger Snaps is for you. The movie has amassed a dedicated cult following in the years since its release. You’re next up to join the ranks — see you at the next full moon! —Pete Volk Oct. 3: Creepshow Where to watch: Kanopy The new Creepshow home video release — presented in vibrant 4K UHD Blu-ray — is the best way to revisit this horror anthology classic. You can see individual bubbles in the foam of the ocean as it slowly drowns Ted Danson. This is why it made our list of the best Blu-rays of 2023. But reader, while I’m one of those sickos who obsesses over video resolution and bitrate, I’ll be honest: You don’t need the fanciest version of Creepshow to enjoy its comedic chills.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch The movie has amassed a dedicated cult following in the years since its release. You’re next up to join the ranks — see you at the next full moon! —Pete Volk Oct. 3: Creepshow Where to watch: Kanopy The new Creepshow home video release — presented in vibrant 4K UHD Blu-ray — is the best way to revisit this horror anthology classic. You can see individual bubbles in the foam of the ocean as it slowly drowns Ted Danson. This is why it made our list of the best Blu-rays of 2023. But reader, while I’m one of those sickos who obsesses over video resolution and bitrate, I’ll be honest: You don’t need the fanciest version of Creepshow to enjoy its comedic chills. In fact, the most aesthetically harmonious format might be a poorly treated VHS tape that recorded the film off TBS in the mid-1990s.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch You’re next up to join the ranks — see you at the next full moon! —Pete Volk Oct. 3: Creepshow Where to watch: Kanopy The new Creepshow home video release — presented in vibrant 4K UHD Blu-ray — is the best way to revisit this horror anthology classic. You can see individual bubbles in the foam of the ocean as it slowly drowns Ted Danson. This is why it made our list of the best Blu-rays of 2023. But reader, while I’m one of those sickos who obsesses over video resolution and bitrate, I’ll be honest: You don’t need the fanciest version of Creepshow to enjoy its comedic chills. In fact, the most aesthetically harmonious format might be a poorly treated VHS tape that recorded the film off TBS in the mid-1990s. Horror anthologies have most recently been used to condense as much terror into a tiny package, like chugging a shot glass of hot sauce.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch 3: Creepshow Where to watch: Kanopy The new Creepshow home video release — presented in vibrant 4K UHD Blu-ray — is the best way to revisit this horror anthology classic. You can see individual bubbles in the foam of the ocean as it slowly drowns Ted Danson. This is why it made our list of the best Blu-rays of 2023. But reader, while I’m one of those sickos who obsesses over video resolution and bitrate, I’ll be honest: You don’t need the fanciest version of Creepshow to enjoy its comedic chills. In fact, the most aesthetically harmonious format might be a poorly treated VHS tape that recorded the film off TBS in the mid-1990s. Horror anthologies have most recently been used to condense as much terror into a tiny package, like chugging a shot glass of hot sauce. Creepshow is a throwback to a softer, more leisurely style of horror — a middle ground between the plodding tinglers of Poe and contemporary slashers.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch You can see individual bubbles in the foam of the ocean as it slowly drowns Ted Danson. This is why it made our list of the best Blu-rays of 2023. But reader, while I’m one of those sickos who obsesses over video resolution and bitrate, I’ll be honest: You don’t need the fanciest version of Creepshow to enjoy its comedic chills. In fact, the most aesthetically harmonious format might be a poorly treated VHS tape that recorded the film off TBS in the mid-1990s. Horror anthologies have most recently been used to condense as much terror into a tiny package, like chugging a shot glass of hot sauce. Creepshow is a throwback to a softer, more leisurely style of horror — a middle ground between the plodding tinglers of Poe and contemporary slashers. Plus, Stephen King performs a one-person show as a hillbilly. So like, that should be enough. —Chris Plante Oct.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch This is why it made our list of the best Blu-rays of 2023. But reader, while I’m one of those sickos who obsesses over video resolution and bitrate, I’ll be honest: You don’t need the fanciest version of Creepshow to enjoy its comedic chills. In fact, the most aesthetically harmonious format might be a poorly treated VHS tape that recorded the film off TBS in the mid-1990s. Horror anthologies have most recently been used to condense as much terror into a tiny package, like chugging a shot glass of hot sauce. Creepshow is a throwback to a softer, more leisurely style of horror — a middle ground between the plodding tinglers of Poe and contemporary slashers. Plus, Stephen King performs a one-person show as a hillbilly. So like, that should be enough. —Chris Plante Oct. 4: Pulse Where to watch: Prime Video What if technology could be used to communicate with the dead?
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch In fact, the most aesthetically harmonious format might be a poorly treated VHS tape that recorded the film off TBS in the mid-1990s. Horror anthologies have most recently been used to condense as much terror into a tiny package, like chugging a shot glass of hot sauce. Creepshow is a throwback to a softer, more leisurely style of horror — a middle ground between the plodding tinglers of Poe and contemporary slashers. Plus, Stephen King performs a one-person show as a hillbilly. So like, that should be enough. —Chris Plante Oct. 4: Pulse Where to watch: Prime Video What if technology could be used to communicate with the dead? It’s an idea that dates as far back as the spiritualism movement of the late 19th century, and one that takes on a frightening and fascinating dimension in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s post-Y2K horror-thriller Pulse.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Horror anthologies have most recently been used to condense as much terror into a tiny package, like chugging a shot glass of hot sauce. Creepshow is a throwback to a softer, more leisurely style of horror — a middle ground between the plodding tinglers of Poe and contemporary slashers. Plus, Stephen King performs a one-person show as a hillbilly. So like, that should be enough. —Chris Plante Oct. 4: Pulse Where to watch: Prime Video What if technology could be used to communicate with the dead? It’s an idea that dates as far back as the spiritualism movement of the late 19th century, and one that takes on a frightening and fascinating dimension in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s post-Y2K horror-thriller Pulse. Alternating between two storylines, Kurosawa’s film follows a group of young adults and university students as a rash of inexplicable disappearances and suicides occurs around Tokyo.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Creepshow is a throwback to a softer, more leisurely style of horror — a middle ground between the plodding tinglers of Poe and contemporary slashers. Plus, Stephen King performs a one-person show as a hillbilly. So like, that should be enough. —Chris Plante Oct. 4: Pulse Where to watch: Prime Video What if technology could be used to communicate with the dead? It’s an idea that dates as far back as the spiritualism movement of the late 19th century, and one that takes on a frightening and fascinating dimension in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s post-Y2K horror-thriller Pulse. Alternating between two storylines, Kurosawa’s film follows a group of young adults and university students as a rash of inexplicable disappearances and suicides occurs around Tokyo. As the protagonists investigate further, they slowly uncover a shocking revelation: The souls of the dead are spilling over into the mortal world and ensnaring their unsuspecting prey through the very infrastructure of the internet.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Plus, Stephen King performs a one-person show as a hillbilly. So like, that should be enough. —Chris Plante Oct. 4: Pulse Where to watch: Prime Video What if technology could be used to communicate with the dead? It’s an idea that dates as far back as the spiritualism movement of the late 19th century, and one that takes on a frightening and fascinating dimension in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s post-Y2K horror-thriller Pulse. Alternating between two storylines, Kurosawa’s film follows a group of young adults and university students as a rash of inexplicable disappearances and suicides occurs around Tokyo. As the protagonists investigate further, they slowly uncover a shocking revelation: The souls of the dead are spilling over into the mortal world and ensnaring their unsuspecting prey through the very infrastructure of the internet. By the time they realize this, however, it’s too late; the unearthly contagion has taken on a life of its own, and the only way to survive is cling to what few connections they have left.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch 4: Pulse Where to watch: Prime Video What if technology could be used to communicate with the dead? It’s an idea that dates as far back as the spiritualism movement of the late 19th century, and one that takes on a frightening and fascinating dimension in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s post-Y2K horror-thriller Pulse. Alternating between two storylines, Kurosawa’s film follows a group of young adults and university students as a rash of inexplicable disappearances and suicides occurs around Tokyo. As the protagonists investigate further, they slowly uncover a shocking revelation: The souls of the dead are spilling over into the mortal world and ensnaring their unsuspecting prey through the very infrastructure of the internet. By the time they realize this, however, it’s too late; the unearthly contagion has taken on a life of its own, and the only way to survive is cling to what few connections they have left. Produced after Kurosawa’s Cure (which we featured on last year’s Halloween calendar), Pulse is widely celebrated as one of the foundational texts in the canon of J-horror cinema, alongside Hideo Nakata’s Ring and Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on: The Curse.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Alternating between two storylines, Kurosawa’s film follows a group of young adults and university students as a rash of inexplicable disappearances and suicides occurs around Tokyo. As the protagonists investigate further, they slowly uncover a shocking revelation: The souls of the dead are spilling over into the mortal world and ensnaring their unsuspecting prey through the very infrastructure of the internet. By the time they realize this, however, it’s too late; the unearthly contagion has taken on a life of its own, and the only way to survive is cling to what few connections they have left. Produced after Kurosawa’s Cure (which we featured on last year’s Halloween calendar), Pulse is widely celebrated as one of the foundational texts in the canon of J-horror cinema, alongside Hideo Nakata’s Ring and Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on: The Curse. Eerie and methodical, Kurosawa’s film is a nihilistic meditation on technology and human relationships that presages an advent of loneliness in a world growing more and more “connected” with each passing day.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch As the protagonists investigate further, they slowly uncover a shocking revelation: The souls of the dead are spilling over into the mortal world and ensnaring their unsuspecting prey through the very infrastructure of the internet. By the time they realize this, however, it’s too late; the unearthly contagion has taken on a life of its own, and the only way to survive is cling to what few connections they have left. Produced after Kurosawa’s Cure (which we featured on last year’s Halloween calendar), Pulse is widely celebrated as one of the foundational texts in the canon of J-horror cinema, alongside Hideo Nakata’s Ring and Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on: The Curse. Eerie and methodical, Kurosawa’s film is a nihilistic meditation on technology and human relationships that presages an advent of loneliness in a world growing more and more “connected” with each passing day. Rife with imagery that will stay with you long after it’s over, Pulse is a tremendous and terrifying movie worth experiencing.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch By the time they realize this, however, it’s too late; the unearthly contagion has taken on a life of its own, and the only way to survive is cling to what few connections they have left. Produced after Kurosawa’s Cure (which we featured on last year’s Halloween calendar), Pulse is widely celebrated as one of the foundational texts in the canon of J-horror cinema, alongside Hideo Nakata’s Ring and Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on: The Curse. Eerie and methodical, Kurosawa’s film is a nihilistic meditation on technology and human relationships that presages an advent of loneliness in a world growing more and more “connected” with each passing day. Rife with imagery that will stay with you long after it’s over, Pulse is a tremendous and terrifying movie worth experiencing. —TE Oct.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch By the time they realize this, however, it’s too late; the unearthly contagion has taken on a life of its own, and the only way to survive is cling to what few connections they have left. Produced after Kurosawa’s Cure (which we featured on last year’s Halloween calendar), Pulse is widely celebrated as one of the foundational texts in the canon of J-horror cinema, alongside Hideo Nakata’s Ring and Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on: The Curse. Eerie and methodical, Kurosawa’s film is a nihilistic meditation on technology and human relationships that presages an advent of loneliness in a world growing more and more “connected” with each passing day. Rife with imagery that will stay with you long after it’s over, Pulse is a tremendous and terrifying movie worth experiencing. —TE Oct. 5: Apostle Where to watch: Netflix Don’t confuse Gareth Edwards (director of The Creator and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) with Gareth Evans, director of the Raid movies.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Produced after Kurosawa’s Cure (which we featured on last year’s Halloween calendar), Pulse is widely celebrated as one of the foundational texts in the canon of J-horror cinema, alongside Hideo Nakata’s Ring and Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on: The Curse. Eerie and methodical, Kurosawa’s film is a nihilistic meditation on technology and human relationships that presages an advent of loneliness in a world growing more and more “connected” with each passing day. Rife with imagery that will stay with you long after it’s over, Pulse is a tremendous and terrifying movie worth experiencing. —TE Oct. 5: Apostle Where to watch: Netflix Don’t confuse Gareth Edwards (director of The Creator and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) with Gareth Evans, director of the Raid movies. If you do, you may sit down to the Netflix-exclusive Apostle expecting expansive, detail-driven science fiction, and be unpleasantly surprised when you get a grimy, extremely gory period piece that goes to startling extremes.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Eerie and methodical, Kurosawa’s film is a nihilistic meditation on technology and human relationships that presages an advent of loneliness in a world growing more and more “connected” with each passing day. Rife with imagery that will stay with you long after it’s over, Pulse is a tremendous and terrifying movie worth experiencing. —TE Oct. 5: Apostle Where to watch: Netflix Don’t confuse Gareth Edwards (director of The Creator and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) with Gareth Evans, director of the Raid movies. If you do, you may sit down to the Netflix-exclusive Apostle expecting expansive, detail-driven science fiction, and be unpleasantly surprised when you get a grimy, extremely gory period piece that goes to startling extremes. Evans’ mesmerizing Apostle deliberately starts in roughly the same place as the classic 1973 suspense thriller The Wicker Man, with a lone man heading to a remote Welsh island after getting a letter suggesting his sister is being held against her will there by a dangerous cult.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Rife with imagery that will stay with you long after it’s over, Pulse is a tremendous and terrifying movie worth experiencing. —TE Oct. 5: Apostle Where to watch: Netflix Don’t confuse Gareth Edwards (director of The Creator and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) with Gareth Evans, director of the Raid movies. If you do, you may sit down to the Netflix-exclusive Apostle expecting expansive, detail-driven science fiction, and be unpleasantly surprised when you get a grimy, extremely gory period piece that goes to startling extremes. Evans’ mesmerizing Apostle deliberately starts in roughly the same place as the classic 1973 suspense thriller The Wicker Man, with a lone man heading to a remote Welsh island after getting a letter suggesting his sister is being held against her will there by a dangerous cult. Worming his way into the community by pretending to be a convert, Thomas (Dan Stevens, even more feral and intense than he is in The Guest or Beauty and the Beast) inevitably discovers a lot of nasty work going on on the island.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch —TE Oct. 5: Apostle Where to watch: Netflix Don’t confuse Gareth Edwards (director of The Creator and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) with Gareth Evans, director of the Raid movies. If you do, you may sit down to the Netflix-exclusive Apostle expecting expansive, detail-driven science fiction, and be unpleasantly surprised when you get a grimy, extremely gory period piece that goes to startling extremes. Evans’ mesmerizing Apostle deliberately starts in roughly the same place as the classic 1973 suspense thriller The Wicker Man, with a lone man heading to a remote Welsh island after getting a letter suggesting his sister is being held against her will there by a dangerous cult. Worming his way into the community by pretending to be a convert, Thomas (Dan Stevens, even more feral and intense than he is in The Guest or Beauty and the Beast) inevitably discovers a lot of nasty work going on on the island. Evans charts his own course with Apostle, veering far from the Wicker Man mold and into much bloodier territory.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch If you do, you may sit down to the Netflix-exclusive Apostle expecting expansive, detail-driven science fiction, and be unpleasantly surprised when you get a grimy, extremely gory period piece that goes to startling extremes. Evans’ mesmerizing Apostle deliberately starts in roughly the same place as the classic 1973 suspense thriller The Wicker Man, with a lone man heading to a remote Welsh island after getting a letter suggesting his sister is being held against her will there by a dangerous cult. Worming his way into the community by pretending to be a convert, Thomas (Dan Stevens, even more feral and intense than he is in The Guest or Beauty and the Beast) inevitably discovers a lot of nasty work going on on the island. Evans charts his own course with Apostle, veering far from the Wicker Man mold and into much bloodier territory. But he takes advantage of some of the same ideas: the ominous isolation of the island, the close-knit secrecy of its community, the predatory ideas that have flourished there under charismatic leadership.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Evans’ mesmerizing Apostle deliberately starts in roughly the same place as the classic 1973 suspense thriller The Wicker Man, with a lone man heading to a remote Welsh island after getting a letter suggesting his sister is being held against her will there by a dangerous cult. Worming his way into the community by pretending to be a convert, Thomas (Dan Stevens, even more feral and intense than he is in The Guest or Beauty and the Beast) inevitably discovers a lot of nasty work going on on the island. Evans charts his own course with Apostle, veering far from the Wicker Man mold and into much bloodier territory. But he takes advantage of some of the same ideas: the ominous isolation of the island, the close-knit secrecy of its community, the predatory ideas that have flourished there under charismatic leadership. Stevens is particularly terrific in this movie, lunging from one scene to the next like a humanoid wolf who can barely contain his bloodlust. (Thomas has plenty of closely held secrets of his own.)
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Worming his way into the community by pretending to be a convert, Thomas (Dan Stevens, even more feral and intense than he is in The Guest or Beauty and the Beast) inevitably discovers a lot of nasty work going on on the island. Evans charts his own course with Apostle, veering far from the Wicker Man mold and into much bloodier territory. But he takes advantage of some of the same ideas: the ominous isolation of the island, the close-knit secrecy of its community, the predatory ideas that have flourished there under charismatic leadership. Stevens is particularly terrific in this movie, lunging from one scene to the next like a humanoid wolf who can barely contain his bloodlust. (Thomas has plenty of closely held secrets of his own.) And Evans’ commitment to violent mayhem gives this one some memorable moments that are likely to haunt you later, in the dark. —Tasha Robinson Oct.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Worming his way into the community by pretending to be a convert, Thomas (Dan Stevens, even more feral and intense than he is in The Guest or Beauty and the Beast) inevitably discovers a lot of nasty work going on on the island. Evans charts his own course with Apostle, veering far from the Wicker Man mold and into much bloodier territory. But he takes advantage of some of the same ideas: the ominous isolation of the island, the close-knit secrecy of its community, the predatory ideas that have flourished there under charismatic leadership. Stevens is particularly terrific in this movie, lunging from one scene to the next like a humanoid wolf who can barely contain his bloodlust. (Thomas has plenty of closely held secrets of his own.) And Evans’ commitment to violent mayhem gives this one some memorable moments that are likely to haunt you later, in the dark. —Tasha Robinson Oct. 6: Dracula 2000 Where to watch: Max With the scars of nu-metal having healed and Olivia Rodrigo’s Paramore-infused pop tracks having gone full “vampire,” now is the time to give Gerard Butler’s half-bare-chest take on Dracula the respect it’s due.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch But he takes advantage of some of the same ideas: the ominous isolation of the island, the close-knit secrecy of its community, the predatory ideas that have flourished there under charismatic leadership. Stevens is particularly terrific in this movie, lunging from one scene to the next like a humanoid wolf who can barely contain his bloodlust. (Thomas has plenty of closely held secrets of his own.) And Evans’ commitment to violent mayhem gives this one some memorable moments that are likely to haunt you later, in the dark. —Tasha Robinson Oct. 6: Dracula 2000 Where to watch: Max With the scars of nu-metal having healed and Olivia Rodrigo’s Paramore-infused pop tracks having gone full “vampire,” now is the time to give Gerard Butler’s half-bare-chest take on Dracula the respect it’s due. Maybe the most Dimension Films movie to ever bear the Dimension Films studio logo (close second: The Faculty), Dracula 2000 finds a group of thieves — including of-the-moment faces like Omar Epps, Jennifer Esposito, and Shane West!
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Stevens is particularly terrific in this movie, lunging from one scene to the next like a humanoid wolf who can barely contain his bloodlust. (Thomas has plenty of closely held secrets of his own.) And Evans’ commitment to violent mayhem gives this one some memorable moments that are likely to haunt you later, in the dark. —Tasha Robinson Oct. 6: Dracula 2000 Where to watch: Max With the scars of nu-metal having healed and Olivia Rodrigo’s Paramore-infused pop tracks having gone full “vampire,” now is the time to give Gerard Butler’s half-bare-chest take on Dracula the respect it’s due. Maybe the most Dimension Films movie to ever bear the Dimension Films studio logo (close second: The Faculty), Dracula 2000 finds a group of thieves — including of-the-moment faces like Omar Epps, Jennifer Esposito, and Shane West! — transporting a stolen silver coffin from London to New Orleans. They think there’s treasure inside.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch (Thomas has plenty of closely held secrets of his own.) And Evans’ commitment to violent mayhem gives this one some memorable moments that are likely to haunt you later, in the dark. —Tasha Robinson Oct. 6: Dracula 2000 Where to watch: Max With the scars of nu-metal having healed and Olivia Rodrigo’s Paramore-infused pop tracks having gone full “vampire,” now is the time to give Gerard Butler’s half-bare-chest take on Dracula the respect it’s due. Maybe the most Dimension Films movie to ever bear the Dimension Films studio logo (close second: The Faculty), Dracula 2000 finds a group of thieves — including of-the-moment faces like Omar Epps, Jennifer Esposito, and Shane West! — transporting a stolen silver coffin from London to New Orleans. They think there’s treasure inside. Are they idiots? Absolutely. And when they find Dracula instead of gold doubloons or whatever, they unleash hell.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch And Evans’ commitment to violent mayhem gives this one some memorable moments that are likely to haunt you later, in the dark. —Tasha Robinson Oct. 6: Dracula 2000 Where to watch: Max With the scars of nu-metal having healed and Olivia Rodrigo’s Paramore-infused pop tracks having gone full “vampire,” now is the time to give Gerard Butler’s half-bare-chest take on Dracula the respect it’s due. Maybe the most Dimension Films movie to ever bear the Dimension Films studio logo (close second: The Faculty), Dracula 2000 finds a group of thieves — including of-the-moment faces like Omar Epps, Jennifer Esposito, and Shane West! — transporting a stolen silver coffin from London to New Orleans. They think there’s treasure inside. Are they idiots? Absolutely. And when they find Dracula instead of gold doubloons or whatever, they unleash hell. Overacted, canted-angled, seven-string-guitar-plucking HELL.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch —Tasha Robinson Oct. 6: Dracula 2000 Where to watch: Max With the scars of nu-metal having healed and Olivia Rodrigo’s Paramore-infused pop tracks having gone full “vampire,” now is the time to give Gerard Butler’s half-bare-chest take on Dracula the respect it’s due. Maybe the most Dimension Films movie to ever bear the Dimension Films studio logo (close second: The Faculty), Dracula 2000 finds a group of thieves — including of-the-moment faces like Omar Epps, Jennifer Esposito, and Shane West! — transporting a stolen silver coffin from London to New Orleans. They think there’s treasure inside. Are they idiots? Absolutely. And when they find Dracula instead of gold doubloons or whatever, they unleash hell. Overacted, canted-angled, seven-string-guitar-plucking HELL. Luckily, as Dracula hunts down local college student Mary Van Helsing (Justine Waddell), with whom he already shares a psychic connection, Mary’s dad’s new vampire-hunter assistant Simon (young Jonny Lee Miller!)
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Maybe the most Dimension Films movie to ever bear the Dimension Films studio logo (close second: The Faculty), Dracula 2000 finds a group of thieves — including of-the-moment faces like Omar Epps, Jennifer Esposito, and Shane West! — transporting a stolen silver coffin from London to New Orleans. They think there’s treasure inside. Are they idiots? Absolutely. And when they find Dracula instead of gold doubloons or whatever, they unleash hell. Overacted, canted-angled, seven-string-guitar-plucking HELL. Luckily, as Dracula hunts down local college student Mary Van Helsing (Justine Waddell), with whom he already shares a psychic connection, Mary’s dad’s new vampire-hunter assistant Simon (young Jonny Lee Miller!) is on his tail.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Maybe the most Dimension Films movie to ever bear the Dimension Films studio logo (close second: The Faculty), Dracula 2000 finds a group of thieves — including of-the-moment faces like Omar Epps, Jennifer Esposito, and Shane West! — transporting a stolen silver coffin from London to New Orleans. They think there’s treasure inside. Are they idiots? Absolutely. And when they find Dracula instead of gold doubloons or whatever, they unleash hell. Overacted, canted-angled, seven-string-guitar-plucking HELL. Luckily, as Dracula hunts down local college student Mary Van Helsing (Justine Waddell), with whom he already shares a psychic connection, Mary’s dad’s new vampire-hunter assistant Simon (young Jonny Lee Miller!) is on his tail. Butler, never more a heartthrob, plays Dracula in a mesmerizing, baroque manner; think Nicolas Cage doing Dracula if this year’s Renfield was emo turn-of-the-millennium trash.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch — transporting a stolen silver coffin from London to New Orleans. They think there’s treasure inside. Are they idiots? Absolutely. And when they find Dracula instead of gold doubloons or whatever, they unleash hell. Overacted, canted-angled, seven-string-guitar-plucking HELL. Luckily, as Dracula hunts down local college student Mary Van Helsing (Justine Waddell), with whom he already shares a psychic connection, Mary’s dad’s new vampire-hunter assistant Simon (young Jonny Lee Miller!) is on his tail. Butler, never more a heartthrob, plays Dracula in a mesmerizing, baroque manner; think Nicolas Cage doing Dracula if this year’s Renfield was emo turn-of-the-millennium trash. And he’s constantly biting unsuspecting B-list actors to add to his army of hot people, who fight the heroes in multiple obligatory scenes of wire-fu.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch — transporting a stolen silver coffin from London to New Orleans. They think there’s treasure inside. Are they idiots? Absolutely. And when they find Dracula instead of gold doubloons or whatever, they unleash hell. Overacted, canted-angled, seven-string-guitar-plucking HELL. Luckily, as Dracula hunts down local college student Mary Van Helsing (Justine Waddell), with whom he already shares a psychic connection, Mary’s dad’s new vampire-hunter assistant Simon (young Jonny Lee Miller!) is on his tail. Butler, never more a heartthrob, plays Dracula in a mesmerizing, baroque manner; think Nicolas Cage doing Dracula if this year’s Renfield was emo turn-of-the-millennium trash. And he’s constantly biting unsuspecting B-list actors to add to his army of hot people, who fight the heroes in multiple obligatory scenes of wire-fu. Writer-director Patrick Lussier cuts it all up like it’s the video for “Freak on a Leash,” and, well, objectively, it’s quite unlike most horror movies you can watch today!
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Overacted, canted-angled, seven-string-guitar-plucking HELL. Luckily, as Dracula hunts down local college student Mary Van Helsing (Justine Waddell), with whom he already shares a psychic connection, Mary’s dad’s new vampire-hunter assistant Simon (young Jonny Lee Miller!) is on his tail. Butler, never more a heartthrob, plays Dracula in a mesmerizing, baroque manner; think Nicolas Cage doing Dracula if this year’s Renfield was emo turn-of-the-millennium trash. And he’s constantly biting unsuspecting B-list actors to add to his army of hot people, who fight the heroes in multiple obligatory scenes of wire-fu. Writer-director Patrick Lussier cuts it all up like it’s the video for “Freak on a Leash,” and, well, objectively, it’s quite unlike most horror movies you can watch today! Enjoyment of Dracula 2000 may vary depending on a tolerance for Hot Topic goofs, but if you don’t catch up with it, you can’t enjoy Lussier’s sequel, Dracula II: Ascension, starring Jason Scott Lee as a martial-arts-fighting priest who kicks Dracula’s ass!
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch is on his tail. Butler, never more a heartthrob, plays Dracula in a mesmerizing, baroque manner; think Nicolas Cage doing Dracula if this year’s Renfield was emo turn-of-the-millennium trash. And he’s constantly biting unsuspecting B-list actors to add to his army of hot people, who fight the heroes in multiple obligatory scenes of wire-fu. Writer-director Patrick Lussier cuts it all up like it’s the video for “Freak on a Leash,” and, well, objectively, it’s quite unlike most horror movies you can watch today! Enjoyment of Dracula 2000 may vary depending on a tolerance for Hot Topic goofs, but if you don’t catch up with it, you can’t enjoy Lussier’s sequel, Dracula II: Ascension, starring Jason Scott Lee as a martial-arts-fighting priest who kicks Dracula’s ass! —Matt Patches Oct.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Butler, never more a heartthrob, plays Dracula in a mesmerizing, baroque manner; think Nicolas Cage doing Dracula if this year’s Renfield was emo turn-of-the-millennium trash. And he’s constantly biting unsuspecting B-list actors to add to his army of hot people, who fight the heroes in multiple obligatory scenes of wire-fu. Writer-director Patrick Lussier cuts it all up like it’s the video for “Freak on a Leash,” and, well, objectively, it’s quite unlike most horror movies you can watch today! Enjoyment of Dracula 2000 may vary depending on a tolerance for Hot Topic goofs, but if you don’t catch up with it, you can’t enjoy Lussier’s sequel, Dracula II: Ascension, starring Jason Scott Lee as a martial-arts-fighting priest who kicks Dracula’s ass! —Matt Patches Oct. 7: Prince of Darkness Where to watch: Peacock There aren’t enough movies about the end of the world.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch And he’s constantly biting unsuspecting B-list actors to add to his army of hot people, who fight the heroes in multiple obligatory scenes of wire-fu. Writer-director Patrick Lussier cuts it all up like it’s the video for “Freak on a Leash,” and, well, objectively, it’s quite unlike most horror movies you can watch today! Enjoyment of Dracula 2000 may vary depending on a tolerance for Hot Topic goofs, but if you don’t catch up with it, you can’t enjoy Lussier’s sequel, Dracula II: Ascension, starring Jason Scott Lee as a martial-arts-fighting priest who kicks Dracula’s ass! —Matt Patches Oct. 7: Prince of Darkness Where to watch: Peacock There aren’t enough movies about the end of the world. Sure, there are plenty of movies about preventing catastrophe at that scale, but rarely do they have the follow-through to truly get existentially terrifying.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Writer-director Patrick Lussier cuts it all up like it’s the video for “Freak on a Leash,” and, well, objectively, it’s quite unlike most horror movies you can watch today! Enjoyment of Dracula 2000 may vary depending on a tolerance for Hot Topic goofs, but if you don’t catch up with it, you can’t enjoy Lussier’s sequel, Dracula II: Ascension, starring Jason Scott Lee as a martial-arts-fighting priest who kicks Dracula’s ass! —Matt Patches Oct. 7: Prince of Darkness Where to watch: Peacock There aren’t enough movies about the end of the world. Sure, there are plenty of movies about preventing catastrophe at that scale, but rarely do they have the follow-through to truly get existentially terrifying. Thankfully, John Carpenter is no coward, and he made three movies about different kinds of apocalypses.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Writer-director Patrick Lussier cuts it all up like it’s the video for “Freak on a Leash,” and, well, objectively, it’s quite unlike most horror movies you can watch today! Enjoyment of Dracula 2000 may vary depending on a tolerance for Hot Topic goofs, but if you don’t catch up with it, you can’t enjoy Lussier’s sequel, Dracula II: Ascension, starring Jason Scott Lee as a martial-arts-fighting priest who kicks Dracula’s ass! —Matt Patches Oct. 7: Prince of Darkness Where to watch: Peacock There aren’t enough movies about the end of the world. Sure, there are plenty of movies about preventing catastrophe at that scale, but rarely do they have the follow-through to truly get existentially terrifying. Thankfully, John Carpenter is no coward, and he made three movies about different kinds of apocalypses. But while The Thing is the best known, and In the Mouth of Madness is the zaniest, Prince of Darkness might be the scariest of the trilogy.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Enjoyment of Dracula 2000 may vary depending on a tolerance for Hot Topic goofs, but if you don’t catch up with it, you can’t enjoy Lussier’s sequel, Dracula II: Ascension, starring Jason Scott Lee as a martial-arts-fighting priest who kicks Dracula’s ass! —Matt Patches Oct. 7: Prince of Darkness Where to watch: Peacock There aren’t enough movies about the end of the world. Sure, there are plenty of movies about preventing catastrophe at that scale, but rarely do they have the follow-through to truly get existentially terrifying. Thankfully, John Carpenter is no coward, and he made three movies about different kinds of apocalypses. But while The Thing is the best known, and In the Mouth of Madness is the zaniest, Prince of Darkness might be the scariest of the trilogy. Prince of Darkness follows a group of college researchers who are sent to study a strange canister found in the basement of a church.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch —Matt Patches Oct. 7: Prince of Darkness Where to watch: Peacock There aren’t enough movies about the end of the world. Sure, there are plenty of movies about preventing catastrophe at that scale, but rarely do they have the follow-through to truly get existentially terrifying. Thankfully, John Carpenter is no coward, and he made three movies about different kinds of apocalypses. But while The Thing is the best known, and In the Mouth of Madness is the zaniest, Prince of Darkness might be the scariest of the trilogy. Prince of Darkness follows a group of college researchers who are sent to study a strange canister found in the basement of a church. The canister is filled with some kind of liquid that defies science, and when it starts to get released, a strange evil seems to come into the world with it. This is Carpenter at his most ambitious. While most of this movie is set in just one building, all manner of horror makes its way inside.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Sure, there are plenty of movies about preventing catastrophe at that scale, but rarely do they have the follow-through to truly get existentially terrifying. Thankfully, John Carpenter is no coward, and he made three movies about different kinds of apocalypses. But while The Thing is the best known, and In the Mouth of Madness is the zaniest, Prince of Darkness might be the scariest of the trilogy. Prince of Darkness follows a group of college researchers who are sent to study a strange canister found in the basement of a church. The canister is filled with some kind of liquid that defies science, and when it starts to get released, a strange evil seems to come into the world with it. This is Carpenter at his most ambitious. While most of this movie is set in just one building, all manner of horror makes its way inside. There are people made of bugs, horrific zombies, an extradimensional Satan, and things even worse to behold.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Thankfully, John Carpenter is no coward, and he made three movies about different kinds of apocalypses. But while The Thing is the best known, and In the Mouth of Madness is the zaniest, Prince of Darkness might be the scariest of the trilogy. Prince of Darkness follows a group of college researchers who are sent to study a strange canister found in the basement of a church. The canister is filled with some kind of liquid that defies science, and when it starts to get released, a strange evil seems to come into the world with it. This is Carpenter at his most ambitious. While most of this movie is set in just one building, all manner of horror makes its way inside. There are people made of bugs, horrific zombies, an extradimensional Satan, and things even worse to behold. The entire movie is an onslaught of creepy, skin-crawling images, all built out of a unique mythology about the relationship between good and evil that underpins the world.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch But while The Thing is the best known, and In the Mouth of Madness is the zaniest, Prince of Darkness might be the scariest of the trilogy. Prince of Darkness follows a group of college researchers who are sent to study a strange canister found in the basement of a church. The canister is filled with some kind of liquid that defies science, and when it starts to get released, a strange evil seems to come into the world with it. This is Carpenter at his most ambitious. While most of this movie is set in just one building, all manner of horror makes its way inside. There are people made of bugs, horrific zombies, an extradimensional Satan, and things even worse to behold. The entire movie is an onslaught of creepy, skin-crawling images, all built out of a unique mythology about the relationship between good and evil that underpins the world. And, most importantly, after this parade of horrors seems to come to an end, Carpenter saves Prince of Darkness’ biggest, weirdest, most dreadful scare for last.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Prince of Darkness follows a group of college researchers who are sent to study a strange canister found in the basement of a church. The canister is filled with some kind of liquid that defies science, and when it starts to get released, a strange evil seems to come into the world with it. This is Carpenter at his most ambitious. While most of this movie is set in just one building, all manner of horror makes its way inside. There are people made of bugs, horrific zombies, an extradimensional Satan, and things even worse to behold. The entire movie is an onslaught of creepy, skin-crawling images, all built out of a unique mythology about the relationship between good and evil that underpins the world. And, most importantly, after this parade of horrors seems to come to an end, Carpenter saves Prince of Darkness’ biggest, weirdest, most dreadful scare for last. —Austen Goslin Oct.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Prince of Darkness follows a group of college researchers who are sent to study a strange canister found in the basement of a church. The canister is filled with some kind of liquid that defies science, and when it starts to get released, a strange evil seems to come into the world with it. This is Carpenter at his most ambitious. While most of this movie is set in just one building, all manner of horror makes its way inside. There are people made of bugs, horrific zombies, an extradimensional Satan, and things even worse to behold. The entire movie is an onslaught of creepy, skin-crawling images, all built out of a unique mythology about the relationship between good and evil that underpins the world. And, most importantly, after this parade of horrors seems to come to an end, Carpenter saves Prince of Darkness’ biggest, weirdest, most dreadful scare for last. —Austen Goslin Oct. 8: Gravity Falls - Northwest Mansion Mystery Where to watch: Hulu, Disney Plus (season 2, episode 10) The more time that has passed since Gravity Falls concluded, the more miraculous it feels in hindsight.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch This is Carpenter at his most ambitious. While most of this movie is set in just one building, all manner of horror makes its way inside. There are people made of bugs, horrific zombies, an extradimensional Satan, and things even worse to behold. The entire movie is an onslaught of creepy, skin-crawling images, all built out of a unique mythology about the relationship between good and evil that underpins the world. And, most importantly, after this parade of horrors seems to come to an end, Carpenter saves Prince of Darkness’ biggest, weirdest, most dreadful scare for last. —Austen Goslin Oct. 8: Gravity Falls - Northwest Mansion Mystery Where to watch: Hulu, Disney Plus (season 2, episode 10) The more time that has passed since Gravity Falls concluded, the more miraculous it feels in hindsight. Alex Hirsch’s paranormal comedy show about 12-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel, who solve supernatural mysteries in their great-uncle’s home in rural Oregon, is the perfect entry point for young horror-loving audiences.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch There are people made of bugs, horrific zombies, an extradimensional Satan, and things even worse to behold. The entire movie is an onslaught of creepy, skin-crawling images, all built out of a unique mythology about the relationship between good and evil that underpins the world. And, most importantly, after this parade of horrors seems to come to an end, Carpenter saves Prince of Darkness’ biggest, weirdest, most dreadful scare for last. —Austen Goslin Oct. 8: Gravity Falls - Northwest Mansion Mystery Where to watch: Hulu, Disney Plus (season 2, episode 10) The more time that has passed since Gravity Falls concluded, the more miraculous it feels in hindsight. Alex Hirsch’s paranormal comedy show about 12-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel, who solve supernatural mysteries in their great-uncle’s home in rural Oregon, is the perfect entry point for young horror-loving audiences. It’s a pastiche of The X-Files, Twin Peaks, and Adventure Time all rolled into one, with the freewheeling, funloving spirit of a summer vacation.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch And, most importantly, after this parade of horrors seems to come to an end, Carpenter saves Prince of Darkness’ biggest, weirdest, most dreadful scare for last. —Austen Goslin Oct. 8: Gravity Falls - Northwest Mansion Mystery Where to watch: Hulu, Disney Plus (season 2, episode 10) The more time that has passed since Gravity Falls concluded, the more miraculous it feels in hindsight. Alex Hirsch’s paranormal comedy show about 12-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel, who solve supernatural mysteries in their great-uncle’s home in rural Oregon, is the perfect entry point for young horror-loving audiences. It’s a pastiche of The X-Files, Twin Peaks, and Adventure Time all rolled into one, with the freewheeling, funloving spirit of a summer vacation. There’s tons of fantastic episodes to choose from, but if you’re looking for an especially spooky one to get in the Halloween spirit, you can’t go wrong with “Northwest Mansion Mystery.” A ghost has taken up residence in the mansion estate of the wealthiest family in Gravity Falls on the eve of their annual party, and Dipper has been enlisted to exorcize it.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Alex Hirsch’s paranormal comedy show about 12-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel, who solve supernatural mysteries in their great-uncle’s home in rural Oregon, is the perfect entry point for young horror-loving audiences. It’s a pastiche of The X-Files, Twin Peaks, and Adventure Time all rolled into one, with the freewheeling, funloving spirit of a summer vacation. There’s tons of fantastic episodes to choose from, but if you’re looking for an especially spooky one to get in the Halloween spirit, you can’t go wrong with “Northwest Mansion Mystery.” A ghost has taken up residence in the mansion estate of the wealthiest family in Gravity Falls on the eve of their annual party, and Dipper has been enlisted to exorcize it. Upon arriving at the mansion, Dipper and popular girl Pacifica Northwest uncover a dark family secret that’s been buried for generations, one that threatens to not only tarnish the family’s reputation, but engulf the entire town.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch It’s a pastiche of The X-Files, Twin Peaks, and Adventure Time all rolled into one, with the freewheeling, funloving spirit of a summer vacation. There’s tons of fantastic episodes to choose from, but if you’re looking for an especially spooky one to get in the Halloween spirit, you can’t go wrong with “Northwest Mansion Mystery.” A ghost has taken up residence in the mansion estate of the wealthiest family in Gravity Falls on the eve of their annual party, and Dipper has been enlisted to exorcize it. Upon arriving at the mansion, Dipper and popular girl Pacifica Northwest uncover a dark family secret that’s been buried for generations, one that threatens to not only tarnish the family’s reputation, but engulf the entire town. For a series ostensibly aimed at young children, it’s kind of wild just how scary “Northwest Mansion Mystery” gets, with taxidermy animals bleeding from their mouths, flaming skeletal lumberjacks, and hapless partygoers being petrified into screaming wooden statues.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch There’s tons of fantastic episodes to choose from, but if you’re looking for an especially spooky one to get in the Halloween spirit, you can’t go wrong with “Northwest Mansion Mystery.” A ghost has taken up residence in the mansion estate of the wealthiest family in Gravity Falls on the eve of their annual party, and Dipper has been enlisted to exorcize it. Upon arriving at the mansion, Dipper and popular girl Pacifica Northwest uncover a dark family secret that’s been buried for generations, one that threatens to not only tarnish the family’s reputation, but engulf the entire town. For a series ostensibly aimed at young children, it’s kind of wild just how scary “Northwest Mansion Mystery” gets, with taxidermy animals bleeding from their mouths, flaming skeletal lumberjacks, and hapless partygoers being petrified into screaming wooden statues. It’s a blast, and a solid stand-alone episode to introduce new audiences to the all the spooky (and “spoopy”) delights Gravity Falls has to offer.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch Upon arriving at the mansion, Dipper and popular girl Pacifica Northwest uncover a dark family secret that’s been buried for generations, one that threatens to not only tarnish the family’s reputation, but engulf the entire town. For a series ostensibly aimed at young children, it’s kind of wild just how scary “Northwest Mansion Mystery” gets, with taxidermy animals bleeding from their mouths, flaming skeletal lumberjacks, and hapless partygoers being petrified into screaming wooden statues. It’s a blast, and a solid stand-alone episode to introduce new audiences to the all the spooky (and “spoopy”) delights Gravity Falls has to offer. —TE Oct. 9: The Scooby-Doo Project Where to watch: YouTube Scooby-Doo got extremely dark for a few years in the early 2000s, which also happened to be the best years of the series since its heyday in the 1970s.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch For a series ostensibly aimed at young children, it’s kind of wild just how scary “Northwest Mansion Mystery” gets, with taxidermy animals bleeding from their mouths, flaming skeletal lumberjacks, and hapless partygoers being petrified into screaming wooden statues. It’s a blast, and a solid stand-alone episode to introduce new audiences to the all the spooky (and “spoopy”) delights Gravity Falls has to offer. —TE Oct. 9: The Scooby-Doo Project Where to watch: YouTube Scooby-Doo got extremely dark for a few years in the early 2000s, which also happened to be the best years of the series since its heyday in the 1970s. But while movies like The Witch’s Ghost and Zombie Island are absolutely excellent (and still hold up), among the most interesting hidden gems of the series is The Scooby-Doo Project. Like its name implies, this was a parody of The Blair Witch Project that stars the Mystery Inc. gang.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch It’s a blast, and a solid stand-alone episode to introduce new audiences to the all the spooky (and “spoopy”) delights Gravity Falls has to offer. —TE Oct. 9: The Scooby-Doo Project Where to watch: YouTube Scooby-Doo got extremely dark for a few years in the early 2000s, which also happened to be the best years of the series since its heyday in the 1970s. But while movies like The Witch’s Ghost and Zombie Island are absolutely excellent (and still hold up), among the most interesting hidden gems of the series is The Scooby-Doo Project. Like its name implies, this was a parody of The Blair Witch Project that stars the Mystery Inc. gang. Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne set off in the Mystery Machine to the remote woods of Casper County.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch It’s a blast, and a solid stand-alone episode to introduce new audiences to the all the spooky (and “spoopy”) delights Gravity Falls has to offer. —TE Oct. 9: The Scooby-Doo Project Where to watch: YouTube Scooby-Doo got extremely dark for a few years in the early 2000s, which also happened to be the best years of the series since its heyday in the 1970s. But while movies like The Witch’s Ghost and Zombie Island are absolutely excellent (and still hold up), among the most interesting hidden gems of the series is The Scooby-Doo Project. Like its name implies, this was a parody of The Blair Witch Project that stars the Mystery Inc. gang. Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne set off in the Mystery Machine to the remote woods of Casper County. The movie is filmed in the same documentary style that The Blair Witch Project made iconic, and mostly inserts the gang into live-action locations like real woods or a real town where they interview locals.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch —TE Oct. 9: The Scooby-Doo Project Where to watch: YouTube Scooby-Doo got extremely dark for a few years in the early 2000s, which also happened to be the best years of the series since its heyday in the 1970s. But while movies like The Witch’s Ghost and Zombie Island are absolutely excellent (and still hold up), among the most interesting hidden gems of the series is The Scooby-Doo Project. Like its name implies, this was a parody of The Blair Witch Project that stars the Mystery Inc. gang. Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne set off in the Mystery Machine to the remote woods of Casper County. The movie is filmed in the same documentary style that The Blair Witch Project made iconic, and mostly inserts the gang into live-action locations like real woods or a real town where they interview locals. The project was originally created as a bumper to bookend segments of a 1999 Scooby-Doo marathon (just a few months after the movie it was based on was released), but after Cartoon Network saw what the creators put together, it wisely decided to re-air the short segments end-to-end as a movie.
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The Halloween Countdown: 31 days of horror to watch But while movies like The Witch’s Ghost and Zombie Island are absolutely excellent (and still hold up), among the most interesting hidden gems of the series is The Scooby-Doo Project. Like its name implies, this was a parody of The Blair Witch Project that stars the Mystery Inc. gang. Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne set off in the Mystery Machine to the remote woods of Casper County. The movie is filmed in the same documentary style that The Blair Witch Project made iconic, and mostly inserts the gang into live-action locations like real woods or a real town where they interview locals. The project was originally created as a bumper to bookend segments of a 1999 Scooby-Doo marathon (just a few months after the movie it was based on was released), but after Cartoon Network saw what the creators put together, it wisely decided to re-air the short segments end-to-end as a movie. The Scooby-Doo Project not only stands alongside the original Blair Witch as an impressive and loving parody, but also as a similarly unnerving found-footage horror movie.