Editorials
Here is Every Horror Movie Coming Out in October
October is a pretty big month for us horror fans because of Halloween. We have our “31 Days of Horror” marathons, our horror challenges, and many more ways to celebrate the month. It is essentially gives all of us a reason to parade our fandom in front of everyone and it’s awesome. You would think that October would be filled with tons of horror releases, and usually you would be right. Unfortunately October of 2016 only has nine horror movies seeing the light of day.* Only one of them is a major studio release. What gives, studios?
*I only included films that were seeing some form of theatrical release. Films going straight-to-DVD were not included.
October 7th
The Greasy Strangler
Do you have a taste for the distasteful? Then The Greasy Strangler (review) may be for you! The film follows a father and son who compete for the love of the same woman while an oily serial killer stalks the streets. I’m hard-pressed to recommend the film unless you’re under the influence of alcohol and surrounded by a bunch of like-minded folk, but it does have its funny moments.
Phantasm: Remastered
Don Coscarelli’s classic supernatural horror film gets the 4K treatment with Phantasm: Remastered. If you’re too young to have caught it on the big screen in 1979, now’s your chance!
Phantasm: Ravager
The fifth and final installment of the much-beloved Phantasm franchise (to everyone except me, apparently) finally sees a release this month. After some positive festival buzz, fans are more excited than ever. Will Reggie Bannister be able to defeat the Tall Man and rescue his old pal Mike? You’ll find out soon enough!
Under the Shadow
It would be a disservice to call Under the Shadow the Iranian Babadook, and that’s mostly because it’s a much better film (read my review). Set in 1988 Tehran, Babak Anvari’s supernatural spook-fest follows a mother and daughter during the Iran-Iraq War as they are haunted by a djinn that they believe was brought to them by an unexploded missile.
October 11th
Shin Godzilla
The 31st Godzilla film (and 29th Toho production) reboots the franchise once again, reimagining Godzilla’s origins as he emerges in modern Japan for the first time. Reviews have been mostly positive so far, so be sure to check this one out next week.
October 14th
Jack Goes Home
Thomas Dekker’s directorial debut features a star-studded cast (Rory Culkin, Britt Robertson, Lin Shaye, Daveigh Chase, Natasha Lyonne and Nicki Reed are all in the film). In the film, Jack (Culkin) returns to his hometown to help nurse his mother (Shaye) back to health after his father dies in a car crash. I wasn’t crazy about the film, but it is nice to see Dekker move behind the camera. It also features a powerfully unhinged performance from Shaye, which is reason enough to see the Jack Goes Home.
October 21st
Ouija: Origin of Evil
When it was announced that Universal Pictures would be making a sequel to one of 2014’s worst films, audiences were understandably skeptical. Then it was announced that Oculus and Absentia director Mike Flanagan would be directing and co-writing the film, interest was piqued. If anyone can improve upon the original, it’s Flanagan (though the bar isn’t exactly set very high). The film is set 50 years prior to the original and follows a young girl who gets possessed by a malevolent spirit after she finds a Ouija board.
Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween
As dumb as it is, Boo! A Madea Halloween does contain horror elements. Plus, you’ve got to give the film some credit for those two undeniably hilarious posters. The film sees Madea (Perry) looking after her great-niece (Diamond White) while fending off killers, poltergeists and zombies.
October 28th
The Windmill
The only horror film to be released on Halloween weekend isn’t even getting a wide release here in the states (it actually hits VOD services three days before it’s limited theatrical release). It’s pretty depressing. On the bright side, it’s apparently pretty good. The film tells the story of a group of tourists whose bus breaks down near a windmill where a Devil-worshipping miller supposedly ground human bones instead of grains.
Which horror movie are you most looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments below!
Editorials
‘The Real Ghostbusters’: 10 Must-Watch Episodes from the Classic Series Now Streaming
No conversation about cartoons based on live-action movies is ever complete without mentioning The Real Ghostbusters.
This animated continuation is, warts and all, a notable example of turning a hit movie into a hit series. And although the new target demographic skewed a little younger, even kids-at-heart could partake in the further adventures of Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore and Egon Spengler.
For a good part of its run, the show required fans to wait at least a week for more Ghostbustin’. That’s torture for a kiddo. Luckily, though, the entire series, or at least most of it, is now available for streaming.
So, as you revisit The Real Ghostbusters on Tubi—for now it’s just the first five seasons there—use this guide to help prioritize some must-see episodes.
The Boogieman Cometh

“The Boogieman Cometh” (Season 1)
Season One’s “The Boogieman Cometh” is a classic episode featuring one of the show’s more iconic villains. It’s hard to forget the unique character design used for the Boogieman (whose creepy voice was provided by Ray and Slimer’s actor, Frank Welker). In this story, Egon is reunited with that bump-in-the-night entity who haunted his own childhood, all while trying to keep him away from his latest targets: the brother and sister claiming to have the Boogieman in their closet. Although the Ghostbusters do save the day here, the Boogieman eventually returns (“The Bogeyman Is Back“). That same episode also features the love-’em-or-hate-’em Junior Ghostbusters.
Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream

“Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” (Season 1)
You could say the namesake of “Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” had good intentions for putting mankind to sleep for the next few centuries—he wanted to end war and keep everyone dreaming. Sounds nice until you remember that whole free will business. But when it seems like the Ghostbusters have lost to their latest foe, the last one standing, Winston, gains a sudden ally. Janine’s dream of becoming a Ghostbuster is manifested, and she helps put this rogue spirit to bed.
When Halloween Was Forever

“When Halloween Was Forever” (Season 1)
Before the show’s execs capitalized on Slimer’s popularity by making him the focus of later episodes, early stories like “When Halloween Was Forever” better utilized that gooey ghost. Here, the spirit of Halloween itself, Samhain, hopes to make the holiday a permanent thing by stopping time. And who does the embodiment of All Hallows’ Eve use in his nefarious plot? Slimer, of course. Thankfully, the lil’ green bud knows where he really belongs, and Samhain is banished (at least until Season 3’s “Halloween II 1/2“).
Night Game

“Night Game” (Season 2)
Because Season Two was rather long, in comparison to other seasons, it accumulated quite a few solid episodes. One of the most beloved, though, is that ultimate good-versus-evil story, “Night Game“. Winston gets to shine here as he participates in a battle that was 500 years in the making. Except this time, the fighting is done on the baseball field. The other-dimensional settings in The Real Ghostbusters are always great, but the one here is particularly memorable.
Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin

“Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” (Season 2)
Not all ghosts and whatnot were bad in The Real Ghostbusters. As “Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” showed, some were actually benevolent. Sadly, it took a lot of convincing, and one very heroic act, for Peter and the others to see past this goblin’s grotesque appearance. The heroes find more than one shapeshifter at a sideshow carnival in the Poconos; a sinister Class-4er called the Metamorph does a swell job of menacing the Ghostbusters before they finally realize Drool’s not their culprit. The good guys indeed win here, but that victory is a bittersweet one.
The Collect Call of Cathulhu

“The Collect Call of Cathulhu” (Season 2)
While “The Collect Call of Cathulhu” does misspell “Cthulhu” in the title (probably to avoid legal issues), it is clearly the Old One in this Lovecraft-inspired episode. The story kicks off with the Necronomicon being stolen by the deity’s modern-day cult, who then raise their ancient god at Coney Island. From there, the Ghostbusters’ typical methods don’t work on the big guy, so they seek advice from an old issue of Weird Tales (or “Wierd Tales”, as it’s spelled on screen). That build-up to the finale comes with a decent amount of dread before the Ghostbusters, as well as a scholar named Alice, face off with one of the show’s most powerful entities.
Knock, Knock

“Knock, Knock” (Season 2)
A number of Real Ghostbusters episodes could be reworked into big-screen features, but perhaps “Knock, Knock” is the most hopeful. It helps that this story feels in step with the first two movies. Here, some ignorant construction workers accidentally uncover and open an ancient door in the subway. What’s behind said door is none other than those unspeakable evils that only the Ghostbusters can quell. A good deal of the imagery here is prime for adaptation.
The Grundel

“The Grundel” (Season 3)
One of the darker episodes, which was written by the prominent J. Michael Straczynski, is “The Grundel“. Here, a boy is being influenced by the titular entity, a type of ghost who ultimately turns his targets into new Grundels. The episode does have something of an after-school special quality to it, but that doesn’t take away from the eerier moments. For more Grundel lore, be sure to check out the episode “Grundelesque” from the sequel series, Extreme Ghostbusters.
Standing Room Only

“Standing Room Only” (Season 4)
It’s no secret that The Real Ghostbusters experienced multiple changes after the second season. Out of all of them, though, retooling the show so that Slimer would get more of the spotlight is maybe the most egregious. Thankfully, Season Four (the first to be called Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters) didn’t completely obey that new directive; episodes like “Standing Room Only” felt more like the old days. The focus here was on the well-being of the city and its people, rather than on the series’ green mascot (or the Junior Ghostbusters). In the episode, Peter’s new ghost attractor isn’t to blame for the ensuing chaos; the ghost-eating Mee-Krah is what’s really imperiling everyone. And the Ghostbusters must dish out everything they have to avoid a doomsday situation.
The Halloween Door

“The Halloween Door” (Season 5)
While many fans will skip the later seasons in their rewatches, episodes like “The Halloween Door” are still worth checking out. This colorful helping of Halloween pandemonium premiered on primetime, so the animation is better than usual. And save for a random musical moment, it’s an enjoyable event. Here, a group of anti-Halloweeners tries to cancel the holiday, but they only end up making things worse by unleashing a baddie named Boogaloo.
The first five seasons of The Real Ghostbusters are available on Tubi, starting on July 15.
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