Horror isn’t just a genre; it’s an amalgamation of pop culture, cozy traditions, and things that go bump in the night. This year, we're taking our 31 Days of Horror across the entire cultural spectrum. We’ll be taking a look at movies that scare us, games that kept us paranoid, scary books we cozy up with under blankets, music that sets that spooky tone and seasonal food we’re craving–or strange food you’d have to tie us up and force feed us. Whether you’re looking for something truly terrifying or a cozy autumn haunt, come back every day this month for a new bite-sized review or spooky adjacent list. Depending on who you talk to or when they last saw it, there are people who will describe Doctor Who in a lot of different ways. Some will call it a low budget British sci-fi show. Some relegate it to a kids' show. Some consider it a legacy sci-fi series that is beloved not only in Britain, but all over the world. One thing to know about us here at Culture Combine - we LOVE Doctor Who. We're here for Classic Who, NuWho, and everything in between. In fact, we all regularly attend Chicago TARDIS on Black Friday weekend just to soak up the Dalek, Cyberman and Companions of it all (and it's a BLAST.) But this is Halloween, so what are we doing here? Well, since the very get-go, there's been some seriously scary things that the Doctor's had to face with his companions, and we're looking at the scariest episodes of this sci-fi classic in no particular order. There's both NuWho and Classic in this list, and they're all amazing. Don't take these lightly - some of them literally had us staying up late with the lights on just to recover. And whatever you do, don't blink. Midnight (Series 4, Episode 10) Midnight is simultaneously one of my favorite and least favorite episodes of Doctor Who. Not because it's too scary, which it kinda is as the Doctor not only faces an invisible antagonist -a fairly common trope of the series). Nor is it the confined setting that makes it a prime example of a Bottle Episode. Rather my slight disdain for the episode comes from another common plot point/cliche/whatever we're calling it this week: not listening to the smartest person in the room. The episode takes place on a heavily radiated planet with a top of the line resort. While his companion at the time Donna basks at the resort's spa, the Doctor finds himself on a shuttle tour to see a sapphire waterfall. On the trip a never truly seen entity takes over people on the tram, sending everyone into a panic as they try to survive and oust this invisible, conniving, and alluring threat. And there's the Doctor doing his damndest to get everyone through the situation...BUT NO ONE LISTENS. The mass frenzy has everyone pushing logic to the brink and while normally this would irritate me to no end, they way Russell T Davies manages to make everything make sense, even within the narrative, is astounding. My annoyance turns to fear as things seem to be at a breaking point, but of course this is an episode of Doctor Who, so everything turns out alright I guess, but nothing is as frightening as the Doctor's look of disappointment at the end of the episode. Blink (Series 3, episode 10) “Blink” is one of the most iconic episodes of the David Tennant era and introduces one of Dr Who’s most iconic villains of modern era Who. For me personally, it’s also probably the most frightening. Part of The Doctor's message to Sally Sparrow in "Blink." Via Wikipedia. The episode starts out in an unusually creepy way from most other episodes in the Tennant era. Sally Sparrow (Carey Mulligan), our main companion for the episode (despite only meeting the Doctor once, for just a moment) is exploring an abandoned and disheveled mansion at night when she comes upon a message written under the peeling wallpaper that reads “BEWARE.” As she strips apart the wallpaper, the message is a warning – for her – of the weeping angels. What follows is a slow burn of well-paced horror and complex timey-wimeyness that defines Doctor Who as a series, despite it being a “Doctor lite” episode. Sparrow is being stalked by the angels – creatures as old as the universe that feed off potential energy – “all the days you might have had, all your stolen moments.” Their greatest strength and weakness is that they exist in the abstract and turn to stone when observed. Even before I saw “Blink” for the first time, I’ve always felt unsettled by stone statues. They’re near the top of the list of things that creep me out the most, right next to porcelain dolls. What makes the angels one of the most powerful and scary villains in all the Whoverse is that they seem so common. Stone statues are literally everywhere we go, from giant effigies in big cities to tiny lawn ornaments. Despite The Doctor explaining that they’re “the most malevolent life form evolution has ever produced,” Blink slow rolls that power. They really do just creep up on our heroes at first. We learn very early that they’re responsible for The Doctor being stuck in 1969, but don’t see just how malevolent they are until midway through the episode. They’re also terribly hard to beat. How can anyone defeat an enemy that can grab you from behind before you notice, or even right in front of you should you blink? There are some fantastic moments of levity as well. Sally seeing the other video store clerk yelling at a movie saying “go to the police! Why doesn’t anyone go to the police” is a nice little meta moment for everyone who’s yelled at the obviously bad decisions characters make in pretty much any horror media. Larry Nightengale, the nerdy introverted video store clerk, provides good comic relief in his interactions with Sparrow. Since “Blink,” Doctor Who has brought the angels back multiple times and while in all of those episodes they’re still scary, their initial introduction remains one of the scariest moments in all the Whoverse. The God Complex (Series 6, episode 11) We open the episode with a policewoman named Lucy wandering the halls of a truly creepy old hotel worthy of comparison to The Overlook in The Shining. Lucy is terrified, opening doors seemingly at random. “You don’t know what’s going to be in your room until you see it. Then you realize it could never have been anything else,” she says internally while scribbling in a notebook. She adds that the moments of her “worship” are getting closer together and notes that she’s the last person left. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end in just those first two minutes of the episode, and they didn’t recede until the very end. The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and Amy and Rory Williams (Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill) end up arriving to the hotel where they’re met by several other humans and an alien. The hotel is just a façade. Our characters are rather stuck inside an automated prison with an ancient alien minotaur that feeds off the faith they’re brainwashed into developing for the creature to cope with being trapped inside their greatest fears. There’s a lot in this episode that’s downright terrifying. Plenty of jumpscares, a room full of ventriloquist dolls and a guest appearance by a weeping angel, and lots of long shots of liminal space and odd angles. But the most horrific thing about The God Complex is being forced to watch characters lose their mind and will and giving themselves over completely to the creature with a maddened smile on their faces. It’s not just about being immersed in whatever frightens you the most, but the possibility of being so terrified that you’ll give up the very essence of who you are – your core beliefs, your faith – to escape. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (Series 1, Episode 9 and 10) Let’s start with one I bet you’d find on a lot of lists - no, not Blink – The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. I watched this again with my husband back at Chicago TARDIS this past year. Aside from the very visceral fears brought about by a London under siege in a world war, and the introduction of a very impish and important character in Jack Harkness, you have the supremely terrifying phenomenon that is the empty child. This child never ceases his search for his Mummy, dressed in a schoolboy’s uniform with a gas mask secured to his face. He’s able to call on phones, come through in radio signals…and it’s terrifying. “Are you my Mummy?” This two-parter is full of twists and turns, including that there isn’t just one “empty child” and they may not be children at all. And though it’s also one of the sadder episodes, it’s also one of the episodes with the most hopeful ending, and that’s the kind of thing Doctor Who does best. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead (Series 4, Episode 8/9) A giant library the size of a planet sounds like a vacation more than a nightmare to me. Unfortunately, that's not the way it goes for the Tenth Doctor when he goes there with none other than his best companion Donna Noble (obvi) This is a very important episode in the canon of the show as a whole, as it's the first time we meet (and the first time the Doctor meets) River Song. Why is that such a big deal? Spoilers, sweetie! For the time being, the Doctor's here because of a psychic message, and on arrival finds it quite empty, having been sealed for 100 years. But there's a warning: "others are coming" River's an archaeologist leading a team who is exploring the library, but she seems almost intimately familiar with him - just one eerie thing in this episode.This is also where we meet the Vashta Nerada, an alien species that acts as a collective (kind of like the Borg) and swarms people in an instant, leaving only their empty shell of bone behind. Yet there are those who remain, and echoes of the people they used to be. It turns out that the patrons of the library have been trapped somehow?What's even happening here? The answer is a lot more complicated than you'd expect, and when microscopic aliens who can reduce you to bare bones are lurking in the darkness, it's not gonna be a good time. Wild Blue Yonder, 60th Anniversary Special (2023) It feels like just yesterday I got freaked out thoroughly by this one, and I mean thoroughly enough I had to find something pleasant to do before I went to bed after this one. This was the second of the 60th anniversary specials, after "The Star Beast" which was...ok. Still, though I daren't admit it around the fandom at the time, I was excited to see Tennant again, because he's my Doctor. And Donna? Well, icing on the cake. I love the way she challenges him, and doesn't take any shit from him, but is also kinda best friends with him. It's such a great relationship. Anyway, the Doctor and Donna get stranded on an abandoned spaceship because TARDIS malfunction. The spaceship was already giving Event Horizon vibes, but then they find an old robot moving extremely slowly around the ship and almost nothing else. No signs of life, and only some unintelligible announcements that are followed by a reconfiguration of the ship. As they're trying to figure this out, they split up. Or do they? Because soon after the pair splits, they find...other versions of themselves. These versions are not anyone's friend, and they seem to have no concept of size and shape, and therefore warp their forms into hideous long limbed versions of the Doctor and Donna. But it's not enough that they're copying their physical form - they're also stealing their thoughts. The stakes are high, and it's hard to figure out who's who (or a Not-Thing, as the dopplegangers call themselves). But the Doctor and Donna are close enough to actually work it out and even lay a trap for the Not-Things, and they figure out the secrets of the ship and the Not-Things in time to stop back by Camden Market, where we get a last goodbye to NuWho favorite Wilfred Mott. Dalek (Series 1, Episode 6) This episode hails from the very first series of "NuWho" with Christopher Eccleston, someone we still wish had a lot longer playing The Doctor. And I suppose if you can read titles, you know some of what'll happen. The Doctor and Rose go to Utah for this one, where they meet a collector of alien artifacts who has some truly interesting things in the massive bunker deep beneath the soil. But it's not just dusty phasers. It turns out, he has a live alien in captivity. Naturally, as this is one of his most prized possessions, he goes to show it off, but it doesn't go as he planned. You see, the Dalek were all destroyed in the Time War, so they're no longer a threat. Or that's what even The Doctor thought. And even though he's weakened and being held captive, you can see the horror cross the Doctor's face as he immediately tries to destroy it. Not so fast though, because he's restrained and then also held captive by our collector and his friends, so he can be invasively studied and prodded. Meanwhile, Rose gets some one on one time with one of the most terrifying enemies the Doctor has ever faced. Only she doesn't know that. She takes pity on it, but when she touches its casing, it's able to absorb her DNA, re-energize and go on a killing spree, escaping its chains, repairing itself, and causing enough damage and mayhem to force our evil collector to release the Doctor to help stop it. There's a lot of reasons this return of the Daleks is scary, but one thing that struck me is the fear in the Doctor's eyes when he realizes the Daleks aren't all dead. There's also the insane abilities of the thing, though, and the way it manipulates Rose, overpowers her and immediately carries out its prime directive: to exterminate any life form that is not Dalek. I used to laugh at Dalek in the OG series as a kid. Why would anyone fear a monster that looks like a pepper grinder with plungers attached to it? But this episode, and this series in particular, start to strike that fear in your heart - the familiar dread of a foe that even the Doctor has nightmares about. Now let's turn our attention to Classic Who and some of its scariest episodes. We've got three picks for you here, but remember, these are serialized differently and so each episode is usually several hours long. Tomb of the Cybermen - Second Doctor, 1967 This classic episode was the third to feature the Cybermen and the first to show how scary they can be. I contend that even though they may look silly here, the Cybermen are at their absolute scariest. But as with most horror, the monsters aren't always the most monstrous entity, as the Brotherhood of Logicians (seriously) have plans to use the Cybermen for their own means. The first three episodes of this four-parter are tight and tense with the fourth falling off a bit—but if you've watched Classic Who, this happens sometimes. You have some great classic characters like Roy Stewart as the mute but massive Toberman. You also have Cybermen ready to assimilate people while saying “to struggle is futile” before the Borg were even a twinkle in Maurice Hurley’s eye. Terror of the Autons - Third Doctor, 1971 I'm so terribly sorry but WHAT THE FUCK. Come for the return of the Autons, stay for the Master. This serial features everyone’s favorite plastic-come-alive aliens: the Autons. Featured in this episode are killer chairs, faceless mannequins with guns for hands, and a murderous, Chucky-sized troll doll. The story is also notable for being the very first appearance of the Master (in a commanding performance by Roger Delgado), and it introduces companion Jo Grant. Coincidentally, Roy Stewart makes an appearance here, too—though he’s no Toberman this time around. The Ark in Space - Fourth Doctor, 1975 This 1975 serial is jokingly referred to by fans as the inspiration for Alien (1979). And while the atmosphere building in “The Ark in Space” is lacking, the threat itself sounds a lot like what would be in Ridley Scott’s film: an alien gets on board a ship and lays its eggs in a sleeping crew . Tom Baker is brilliant in this, along with a great performance by Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith. And despite the effect being bubble wrap painted green, seeing the parasite take over Commander Noah’s body is effective body horror.

Screenshot: Remothered: Red Nun's Legacy I’ve been playing survival horror games for a really long time. Arguably, since the birth of the genre since I first cut my teeth on games like the Alone in the Dark series before I even started playing Resident Evil. In this time I’ve played some great survival horror, and some terrible survival horror games. (Ironically, games in the Resident Evil franchise touch on both ends of that spectrum.) I would love to say that Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy is a great survival horror game, but it’s just okay at its best, and frustrating at its worst. It’s October, so I knew I’d find myself sneaking around, hiding under couches and inside closets from bad things trying to find me and hurt me. It’s always some monster or crazy psycho. This particular flavor of aggressor is a nun, transformed into a blind, sound-reactive killer by whatever enigmatic forces power The Red Nun. Screenshot: Remothered: Red Nun's Legacy Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy is the third game in the Remothered franchise, and while it promises to finally tie up the loose ends of the trilogy, I jumped into this entry with promises that I don’t need the previous two games before I could get into this one. And while that’s mostly true, I still felt like I was dropped into the middle of a series with no idea what’s happening. Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy is a survival horror game played from a third-person perspective. You take control of Susan as she searches for her missing daughter. This search brings you to an evil residence full of nasty, mutated creatures and puzzles to solve involving statues and other unlikely keys. While there is a bit more combat in Red Nun’s Legacy, since you have the ability to use makeshift weapons to temporarily stun enemies, you’re still as helpless as ever. Run, sneak and hide as you delve deeper into the horror and uncover the truth of the Red Nun. I mean, if you care. Screenshot: Remothered: Red Nun's Legacy And that’s a lot of the problem. While Red Nun’s Legacy is a competent enough game, it did nothing to excite me or compel me to keep playing. The entire time I’m playing I couldn’t help but compare Red Nun’s Legacy to a more competent Resident Evil game. It’s like the “we have Resident Evil at home” meme. That’s not to say that Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy is a bad game. It’s just an at-times boring one that brings few original ideas to the survival horror genre. From the setting to the types of bad things you see, they have all been depicted in one way or another. That’s not to discount the game’s atmosphere and creepiness. Screenshot: Remothered: Red Nun's Legacy It is definitely a scary game, and some creative work has gone into it. The enemy design and grotesque imagery do a lot of the heavy lifting to keep things unsettling, and the sound design is great—especially when you’re listening in the dark for a blind killer that reacts to every noise you make. Gameplay-wise, there’s something a bit off about Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy, too. Moving around never feels quite as fun as it should, making the long stretches of sneaking tedious. The stealth just feels slow, and it doesn’t really add anything to the formula that other survival horror games haven’t already done. And there are few times when the tension is laid off enough to appreciate the down moments, making the pacing feel way off. I know inevitably someone’s going to love these games and hate my take on it. That’s fair. But Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy isn’t a bad game, it’s just not a good game. And mediocrity sometimes is worse for a game.

Screenshot: Ecstatica I Alone in the Dark (1992) was an incredibly important game in the evolution of survival horror. It established the look and feel of what an entire 3D horror genre would look like for the coming decade. Games like Resident Evil, Dino Crisis and more owe a lot to the inspiration of Alone in the Dark. But another game series that was important and rarely talked about is Ecstatica and its sequel, Ecstatica II. The first game launched in 1994—just two years after Alone in the Dark—while the sequel followed in 1997. I remember playing it at some point, but it's a memory that blurs into the dozens or hundreds of other games I’ve played from that era. Screenshot: Ecstatica I Ecstatica is a historically significant early entry in the survival horror genre—before the genre was even coined as such, in fact. It takes place in 928 AD in a European village named Tirich. You play as an unnamed male or female traveller who seeks shelter in the town only to discover it is overrun with all sorts of creatures. While most survival horror games have you come across a nightmare that has already mostly played out, the carnage happening in Ecstatica is still unfolding. Panicked people are trying to hide, while others are trying to fight off monsters. But the town is so absolutely crawling with creatures, any step can get you jumped by an ape-like creature or mobbed by mace-wielding goblins. Screenshot: Ecstatica I I haven’t quite played another game like Ecstatica. It’s uniquely chaotic, especially if you’re not expecting the density of encounters and puzzles. There is no slow burn. As soon as you take your first steps you’ll have something on your heels ready to strike. It’s also tonal whiplash, moving from horror to action to dark humor, sometimes within seconds. Ecstatica is also very visually unique. While older games were known for their blocky polygonal look, Ecstatica used the Ellipsoid Engine, rendering the world and characters out of ellipsoids rather than polygons—giving everything a rounded, surreal look. While it might all look bright and balloon-like at first glance, the surreal nature of the art style does a great job creating a dark atmosphere just from how wrong it all feels. Screenshot: Ecstatica I Also, Ecstatica features a complete lack of map, minimap, quest marker, quest logs or even a health bar. You can tell if your hero is nearing death purely through animations. Combat is also strange and consists of flailing your arms or whatever object is around. And despite constantly being under attack, you can ignore most enemies—if you know how to avoid them, that is. Screenshot: Ecstatica II Alongside the original, SNEG has also released Ecstatica II, the 1997 follow-up. This is my first time playing the sequel, so I was a bit bummed to learn that a lot of the charm from the first game was replaced with dark seriousness. Not to say that all joking was removed, but Ecstatica II takes a darker tone right from the start. There is also more of a coherent intro setting up the goings-on along with a health bar to let you know what your hero’s vital status is. The gameplay remains similar, though it's not as densely packed with puzzles and enemies–not to say the chaotic nature of the first game is completely removed. Don’t expect a generational shift in terms of storytelling and gameplay. It’s more of the same, just a little darker and larger. Screenshot: Ecstatica II From a gaming preservation point of view, the rerelease of Ecstatica and Ecstatica II is important. These are games that aren’t easy to get running on modern systems, even if the files are floating around the internet. Along with these releases are all sorts of options preservation nerds like me enjoy: the ability to toggle to old graphics versions—like the DOS and CD-ROM versions, as well as the modern updated graphics—on the fly. There is also full controller support that adds a bit of a modern touch without removing the tank-like controls. There’s even a “shaking legs” option which I had to look up: I guess there was a visual bug in the original release that can be reproduced by toggling that option. Purists rejoice, indeed. Screenshot: Ecstatica II I wouldn’t necessarily recommend these two releases for modern gamers. However, if you’re interested in retro oddities, it doesn’t get much odder than Ecstatica and its sequel. These are true hidden gems, and important stepping stones on the path to modern survival horror. The protag of Ecstatica had to walk (and trip on rocks–seriously something that can happen in-game) before the likes of Leon Kennedy could flip kick zombies to oblivion. Ecstatica and Ecstatica II are available on Steam today

Screenshot: Reka I’ve had my eye on Reka for a while now. Witch powers and a walking chicken-legged house is all that it took to pique my interest. It’s nice to see a game where not only can you play as a witch, but you can choose your own path: whether to be wicked or good is entirely up to you and your actions. Reka is a third-person adventure game in which you control the titular character as she seeks out the Baba Yaga to learn the ways of being a witch. There’s no combat; instead, most of the gameplay consists of completing objectives which usually revolve around gathering items, helping out (or hindering) villagers, and completing trials for your witch mentor, the Baba Yaga. Based in an alt, dream-like Slavic world, it is full of authentic Slavic folklore. There’s also a building element, but just calling it that is severely underselling it. In fact, I’d say that building your house on giant freaking chicken legs is a main selling point in Reka. Screenshot: Reka When it comes to mobile bases, I have to say that Reka has one of the best. I used to think the Cyclops in Subnautica was my favorite in-game vehicle/base, but Reka’s walking chicken house is not only fantastically delightful in concept, but it’s a pretty damn fun design project. Reka is about building an awesome house and outfitting it with all the cool stuff you discover in the world as much as it is about going out and doing witchy things. In fact, I probably spent more time building and customizing my house–and then strutting around to admire my work–than I did any other activity. There’s something intoxicating about building a house on a freakin’ kaiju. Hell, Dark Souls’ Lost Izalith would have been fixed if they just let me build on one of those demon butts. But I digress. Reka’s building isn’t perfect, but it’s certainly not the worst I’ve encountered in a video game. Camera angles can get a little claustrophobic when you’re trying to place clutter in tight corners, and piece-snapping occasionally fights you when you’re constructing multi-story, crooked towers, but the sheer freedom to build an asymmetrical gothic monstrosity makes up for the quirks. Part of the challenge is actually acquiring new structural styles–like birch, spruce, or clay–and decorative items to put in, on, and around your walking house. Screenshot: Reka This is accomplished by interacting with the world. Each time you’re done with one area, you can feed your giant bird mount and take your entire house into a new region–which will then generate a whole new set of people, buildings, items to potentially discover, tasks to accomplish, etc. While you’re out looking for clothing and cool stuff for your house, you can also harvest ingredients for food, potions, and furniture/decor/house expansions. While a normal person would pick ingredients with their bare hands like a dummy, you can command a murder of crows to flock out and gather your ingredients for you. Once you earn the blessing of the forest spirit Leshy, your crows will even knock down entire trees for timber–so long as you replant enchanted larch cones to keep the woods happy. As you progress, your witchy toolkit expands to include pine branches for smoke-cleansing haunted houses or calming beehives, indoor planters for growing herbs on the go, and a clay oven for baking everything from bread to cabbage soup. You can even scoop up stray black cats, foxes, and goats in the wild and bring them aboard to live in your chaotic bird-mansion. Screenshot: Reka Besides housebuilding, there’s an entire story and sidequests you can occupy yourself with like fulfilling local requests and completing witch trials for the Baba Yaga to advance the story. Each new map means a whole new set of points of interest and villagers you can help out–or terrorize. You might heal a family’s sick cattle and bake meals for the starving on one stop, or ruin someone’s harvest, steal their livestock, and scare the hell out of superstitious locals on the next. Beyond the villagers, you’ll commune with Slavic deities like the life goddess Siva and don the ritual Dziady mask to cross the veil and judge restless ghosts in the swamps and spruce forests. Unfortunately, once the initial folkloric charm wears off, the actual quest design starts showing its seams. Most of your errands boil down to straightforward fetch quests, and after a few procedural maps, the world begins to feel less like a living, reactive RPG and more like a scenic resource dispenser to fund your next home renovation. Overall, Reka is an okay game. While I enjoyed the base-building, everything else in Reka feels like it took a backseat to that. Between the repetitive village errands, a procedural loop that wears thin faster than it should, and lingering technical oddity that still crops up when loading dense maps or navigating terrain, the adventure outside your walls feels undercooked. Screenshot: Reka While I certainly found building the best aspect of the game, the full package still doesn’t feel quite ready for 1.0. I know there’s a point where you just have to push it out, but I don’t feel like Reka has quite made it to be the best game it could be. Perhaps through further support it’ll eventually get the polish and mechanical depth its premise deserves, but it’s more likely than not the version we have now is as deep as the cauldron gets. If you just want a cozy, atmospheric architectural sandbox where you can build a crooked dream cottage on the back of a giant chicken, Reka will scratch that itch–just don’t expect the game around your walking house to be nearly as magical as the house itself.

Horror isn’t just a genre; it’s an amalgamation of pop culture, cozy traditions, and things that go bump in the night. This year, we're taking our 31 Days of Horror across the entire cultural spectrum. We’ll be taking a look at movies that scare us, games that kept us paranoid, scary books we cozy up with under blankets, music that sets that spooky tone and seasonal food we’re craving–or strange food you’d have to tie us up and force feed us. Whether you’re looking for something truly terrifying or a cozy autumn haunt, come back every day this month for a new bite-sized review or spooky adjacent list. Animation often gets relegated to kids' stuff. And sometimes, it is kid's stuff. The real problem isn't that this art form reaches all ages, it's that it's criminally underappreciated for what it can do, and what it is. But if you grew up in the '80s or '90s, you were around for a golden age of animation, from Primetime shows like the Simpsons to classics like Looney Tunes, and to the gamut of Saturday Morning stuff from there on out, like Animaniacs, Gargoyles, GI Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... the list goes on. Animation doesn't get its due for lots of reasons, but it's held a special place in our lives forever, and there's some great Halloween content out there from animation favorites "adult" and otherwise. Let's dive in. It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown streams exclusively on Apple TV. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - Classics got that way for a reason, and possibly one of the most famous holiday specials of all time is none other than "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Snoopy and the gang were already dominating newspaper funny pages (look it up, younglings) This brainchild of Charles Schulz first debuted on CBS in October of 1966, making this its sixtieth anniversary. It aired in Canada first, but came to the US just in time for Halloween. It was voiced by real child actors, and it had such an effect on people that it caused people to actually send candy to the studio and Charles Schulz because they felt so bad that Charlie Brown kept getting rocks. This is also where we get things like the football gag, which first appeared here, and Snoopy on two legs instead of all fours. Also, it was just enough scary to stick with me as a little kid, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. It's a lot of things - a great story, an incredible piece of art, and an indelible memory for anyone who's grown up with it this past 60 years. image via reddit. American Dad From an old classic to a newer wave of animation hits, we get American Dad. This show was a Super Bowl premiere and focuses on Stan Smith, a CIA agent and his very assorted family members, which even include an actual alien from outer space and a tumor. Seth McFarlane has long been loved for his humor, and there's some really classic Halloween bits he's pulled off with this show over the years. We loved Rabbit Ears, which sees Stan find an old fashioned TV, fall into an alternate universe that's creepy and strange, live as a baby, and ultimately discover nothing is real as it seems. There's also The Best Little Horror House in Langley Hills, where Stan takes making the best haunted house way too far, even pulling in real body parts and real serial killers to make the splash that never really takes shape. Or does it? There's also Clearview Motel and Witches of Langley Falls, but we'll leave those to you and your streaming services later. Rick and Morty. Rick and Morty If you're looking for the bizarre, gross and supernatural it's always gonna be Rick and Morty that do it to the extreme. But it manages nuance, emotional depth and intellectual humor too, and that's what makes it special. Just stop saying Pickle Rick! all the time, ok? The Fear Hole's a great horror pick - as anyone who's ever been to a Denny's out in the middle of nowhere knows, trouble can lurk there. In this case, it's a hole in the men's restroom that leads to a pit where you have to confront your deepest fears. The hole consumes fear, so it stays alive based on how freaked out it can make you. Naturally Morty and Rick have very different journeys here, but it touches on some really deep stuff, and leaves you wondering. Meanwhile, Night Family is an incredibly creepy episode, where Beth accidentally discover's Rick has a "night person" that he programmed to do stuff for him while he's asleep. It's a monkey's paw sort of situation - of course everyone wants one, and they get one. But it's not as straightforward as all that, and after all the time the night family spends being relegated to mundane and arduous tasks, they become resentful, angry and rebellious. From there, it's a war. A very creepy, don't go to sleep sort of war. Via the GI Joe Fandom Wiki GI Joe - Nightmare Assault GI Joe was a show that was can't miss for a lot of us growing up, and it was hard to imagine GI Joe as anything but the victor. But when Doctor Mindbender creates a device to let him go into "the Joes" dreams, he ruins their focus and mental alertness and risks their ability to fight off Cobra. You get a real mix of truly terrifying/depressing things and some silly things, like Leatherneck quipping "Look Cross Country, nobody punches my buddy except me!" at the same time you're hearing this conversation between Lifeline and Low-Light: "I've read your medical files. You have nightmares. How do you stand having them every night of your life?" "You make do. You have no choice." That's dark for Saturday Mornings. https://garfield.fandom.com/wiki/Garfield%27s_Halloween_Adventure Garfield's Halloween Adventure We talked about this a little bit before, but it's worth talking about more. This one was originally aired on October 30th of 1985. I was a little young for ...well, everything, but that's part of why this stuck with me. Before I could read well, I'd still look at the comics in the newspaper, and so at 3 years old, Garfield was already a favorite. I'm not sure if I saw it the first year it aired or not, but I do remember the plot from the perspective of a very young kid. Binky the Clown tells Garfield about trick or treating, where he can get a lot of candy, and being that he's a cat who loves to eat, he's into it. He recruits Odie to go with him trick-or-treating, so they do, but when trick or treating they keep meeting actual ghosts instead of kids dressed in scary costumes. They run into an actual set of pirate ghosts, which I remember as terrifying (probably because I was between the ages of 3 and 5) and they trap him in the house with them. This features one of the best moments between Odie and Garfield ever, when we get to see that the two are really best friends disguised as enemies, when Odie saves Garfield's life. It's better the less I say. See if you can track it down. Treehouse of Horror: All of Them Whatever you think you did pretty well, The Simpsons probably already did it, and likely did it better. It's just a fact of life. The Simpsons didn't make just one Halloween special that re-airs over and over, they made a habit of creating amazing, funny, spooky tales for every single season. And it's not just a regular episode in some pumpkin attire. No. These are often scary, often gruesome, often referential pieces that are among some of the best things out there in the animated world. You think you all figured out scary versions of your name being a thing? Nope, Treehouse did that in the credits. Treehouse of Horror is often brilliant and while there's a whole article on it already in our 31 days, it deserves top honors in any animated Halloween special article, too. We will not be taking questions at this time.

https://unsplash.com/@geppi?utm_source=wix-media-manager&utm_medium=referral I’ve given up on hating some things. I’m not saying I love DWTS, but I definitely look forward to it, despite the gripes I still very much have. And…I still think the themes are weird - like, couldn’t we just have like, an Italian Night, a Night at the Movies or like, Broadway night? Super Bowl? It’s esoteric again, like, what EXACTLY counts? Lots of people were in the Super Bowl. Are we only going most memorable? Is football included? Well, the answer to the football question is YES. They make that clear right away, what with all the mesh jersey shirts and NFL trophies and stuff. It’s not my thing, but it’ll be cute for an episode. Now the elephant in the room is, me being behind meant I was spoilered on some stuff ahead of time, including that this episode has caused a huge controversy and a pro suspension - and a LOT of discourse you can’t avoid unless you were actually sequestered. I didn’t watch any of the performances ahead of time though, despite really having been looking forward to Julia Stiles reclaiming her Julliard audition piece from Save the Last Dance. While I wasn’t looking, they added a fourth judge. There’s a weird guy on our judges table. A weird guy with white hair. Who is this guy? Evidently he’s Joe Buck, and PLEASE WATCH NFL. YOU LOVE NFL. REMEMBER NFL. IT’S NFL SEASON. I mean, I love a good tailgate as much as the next person who doesn’t really care about football too much but like, we get it, we need to be watching football. I guess this show reminds me of when a company would sponsor the entire Great Pumpkin special on TV. Take that for what you will. Let’s go do some Super Bowll related dancing! Maura - Tango - Only Girl in the World - Rihanna Sometimes I hate the little packages they play before the dancing, sometimes I don’t. I thought Maura’s story about loving Rihanna so much and meeting her only to wipe snot on her jacket was genuine and hilarious, so good job, B-Roll shootin’ people. Injury stuff is no fun so it stinks that her neck is giving her issues. And that she has tango this week because if any dance would hurt your neck for sure it’s tango, what with all the snapping your head to the side and such. This was sharp though, with no sign of a problem, and though her frame dropped sometimes, from my perspective, though it’s not perfect, she’s killing it. Also: What a costume! Of course we throw to our new guest judge first. Joe Buck has some sort of announcer job at the NFL? I dunno. I would’ve looked it up but it’s not really important other than he’s the NFL guy in the room making sure NFL YOU MUST NFL. I don’t mind the guy. He’s nice enough, if sorta C-suite fake clever, but it just feels like an obligation move instead of an exciting one. Could be me. Back to Maura’s dance! Bruno calls it supremely elegant and precise, and I think that’s a good assessment. Carrie says some of the movements could be more punctuated, and I saw that. Derek notes a great top line, but that the neck went too far back. He asks for more attack, more fire, and more energy. We’re about to get the scores, when no we didn’t. That is, in fact, a reason to take a shot in the DWTS drinking game I recently heard about, so bottoms up if you’re playing. This will not go well. We get 8 from Carrie, 8 from Derek, 9 from Joe who’s probably there to pass out good marks like candy, and an 8 from Bruno. Wait how does the math work with 4 judges and audience stuff? I need a visual. Jackson Olson - Salsa - Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars See, I think Jackson caught some of the brunt of the Guillermo phenomenon, because I feel like he has so much pressure on him because Guillermo continues to get past. He’s a solid mid pack person constantly placed below a bottom pack person, and there’s at least one time he shouldn’t have been in danger.. That does make me mad, and it does make me like the show less. Meanwhile, in the package, Jackson’s not instilling confidence, and this is his really busy week, because they’re doing Banana Bowl while he’s doing this. And they lost their game. I’m gonna hope for a win for him here. There are a lot of backup dancers and a lot of gold going on. This fits him well and plays to his strength. His cheese is more refined, like an indulgent raclette instead of some spray cheese. This plays to his strengths. OMG, the cheese is more refined here. Like a good Gouda or something. Complicated lifts. Cool. Ok. He still isn’t the best, but he’s certainly improving, and those lifts are killer. I love how good he felt about it at the end. He was pumped. Alfonso immediately after I said that “Oh you hyped on that one” He did. Bruno calls it footloose, fancy free and invites him to join a boy band. And I mean, i agree. He also said he’s improved incredibly, though notes under arm passes need work. He’s taking the coaching well, and Bruno’s giving it in a nice way. Carrie notes that his confidence kicked in and says he was “kicking ass” before asking “can we say that?” You just did. She says he’s gonna need to fine tune a few things, and then she makes a weird gesture the audience goes nuts for. Derek notes there was lots of content and that he committed and owned it, and had a “bowl glow’ - which, do you get a glow when your team loses Derek? Joe’s a big fan of baseball, naturally. Loves what the Bananas do. He mentions this was in Jackson’s wheelhouse, and Ok, I agree there. Now we’re getting an ensemble dance, to Beyonce’s Bootylicious. Weird choice of song for her on Super Bowl night, but what the hell do I know. Britt Stewart makes an appearance, and I’m trying to think why I’ve heard things about her lately. Is this part of the rumors from this episode? I don’t know. I’m pretty far behind. Again with Julianne’s outfit. I can’t. Someone in wardrobe hates her. I even did the research. It’s Balenciaga? It really really just is too weird. Back to Jackson’s scores. 8, 8, 8, 7 from Bruno - who reminds him to smooth the links. I mean, this is great. He did good. Amber Glenn - Samba - Mi Gente - J Balvin They went down on the leaderboard last week. That upside down split went viral though. I mean, she’s a figure skater, that’s a classic. This entire ‘package’ is weird and awkward though. The set is a full on jungle, and her costume is amazing. As she starts the dance I’m not so sure of her connection with her partner, but once the backup dancers get going, she goes wild. I love this for her, and it feels like she’s really connecting with him well by midway through. She’s got some great footwork too. It all works, including hair and makeup and wardrobe. Seriously, who in wardrobe hates Julianne though? Carrie tells Amber she ate that samba, and while she presents it as awkwardly as a boomer presents these sorts of slang terms, I don’t disagree. She points out the towel section in particular and I can’t disagree. Great samba roll, great scarf section. No notes. Derek said she was out the gate confident and fierce, and echoes the praise on the samba roll. Joe says “that was hot” and “Am I allowed to say this?” and like…ok. Bruno gives us “in it on it like a car bonnet” which…I mean, ok. He tells her she was like a hammer on anything, and that she’s playing with it, then tells her to do that in every dance. I love Bruno. I think he’s a really fair, really positive, fun judge. We get the scores, 8, 9, 9, 8 in order. I’m a little surprised Bruno didn’t go 9, but he’s tougher than people assume he’ll be. Now we get a big ol’ ad for a Michael Jackson doc. This show definitely has bloatware, and even though I might check that out, it’s still annoying. Tyler - Jazz - The Time - Black Eyed Peas Tyler has a bedazzled hammer. I don’t know this song by Black Eyed Peas, and I don’t know much of anything right now. Tyler is still awkward, but he can do lifts really well - and honestly, I’m impressed. Power he has. The song choice is so weird, and he’s throwing her like a football. Shawna’s outshining him a little, but I also think he’s being choreographed as a background piece on purpose. There’s a lot of things that The Time is the song. I don’t know this one. Yeah, he’s still awkward. But he can do lifts really well. Song choice is so weird. He’s really getting some air when he’s tossing her, but she’s still outshining him. I think they’re choreographing him in the background on purpose because he is so behind the others, and hoping people don’t notice. Also, it seems like weak dancers dance for less time - has anyone noticed that or am I crazy? Derek throws Tyler a comparison to Swayze and gives him an A for effort. He tells him it was fun to watch but that it’s still not enough, and honestly, he’s right. Joe, being Mr. NFL, is proud of him. Calls him a big dude, and tells him he’s surprising him. I think he kinda has the feeling everyone has that this may be one of his last weeks. Bruno also throws out a Dirty Dancing comparison and I did see that in the swag, and gives him his flowers for listening to what was said and improving his timing. He mentions the lines and adds in a nod to Gene Kelly , and says he appreciates the hard work. It feels conciliatory. Carrie says that the dance was exciting and mentions the lifts right away - and I agree, the lifts were great. She says he’s becoming a dancer and had good spatial awareness. Julianne gets to ask weird questions. The judges give 8s and 7s in equal measure. Tyler gives a sports interview to send us out. Connor - Samba - Hips Don’t Lie - Shakira It’s weird to note when certain people play the super bowl because Shakira should’ve beenw ay bck but was 2020? I mean i get it, you kinda gotta hit superstar status. It’s just a time warp. Back to scoring and how good dancers go home. I think that’s palpable this season. I blame the show for being blatant. Fringe pants. Kinda a fun reveal. Oh his footwork in the beginning was kinda great. I’m getting some seriousness. That’s good. Looks a little tired. Cool twirling section. Solo work not great. Joe: fun relatable Bruno: those pants job at the car wash with that. Lol. upstairs downstairs. Relation with rylee great. Hides multitude of sins, not the correct hip foot action, there’s work to do. He’s the hard judge. Carrie: threw a lot of content, good humor, no bounce action. She gets booed but she’s right on that. Timing off again. Wasn’t her best. Derek: Love the goat. Your performance, joy and energy good. Technique not great. Timing, weight transference. Keep working on it, we’ll see you next week. He was not confident, she thought he did great cuz it was really hard 6, 6, 7, 6 They don’t seem to want him to go, but they voted him lowest. That’s fair though. Julia - Jazz - Jenny from the Block - Jennifer Lopez Wait, Julia Stiles did Hustlers with J-Lo? I had no idea, which seems a huge oversight on my radar from that era for both Julia and J-Lo. We all have blind spots. And she’s finally enjoying dancing. These are good good things. Meanwhile, because I’m writing this from long after it aired (I’m sorry I got so behind, we had all the Halloween content to bring you!). I knew that Julia Stiles took back the Save the Last Dance dance ahead of time because it was pretty unavoidable in the media afterwards. I didn’t realize that that hadn’t been revealed before the broadcast IRL. That’s kinda cool. Ezra says that there’s rules they’re breaking with this one, but it’s worth it for a chance at a do-over, and I think everyone and the network execs agree with you, based on the amount of coverage it got. It is, however, interesting knowing what I know now about the episode and its rule-following controversy. I digress because in reality I was slack-jawed most of the time. She really gave it everything, and made it look really good. I had down “This is millennial pandering. I don’t care if it breaks the rules, that was amazing.” The song choice worked, the routine worked, I just love this. Alfonso bought it heart and soul too, and that’s why I love him. Bruno said that Julia “got in the groove brilliantly” and had a hidden talent for hip hop. To be fair, she really sealed the deal with the hip-hop section. “It’s a tribute to your own hit” Bruno said, and praised her interpretation and how she played the character. Carrie says: Wrong movie, but we just got served. I appreciate the enthusiasm? She said it’s “so good, so wonderful, that confidence and grit” and I think that was exciting. Even in the movie, doing that routine as much as she is or isn’t, she had serious face and the stakes were high, so it’s something else to see her as herself actually enjoy dancing and be great at it. It’s just feel-good. Derek goes in for a hug and tells Julia “we were all waiting for that!” and I think, yeah, we were. She killed it. That was epic. Joe - Oh yes, Joe’s here. I forgot. He said it’s not easy to dance to J-Lo - and mentions watching rehearsals when she was in the Super Bowl and how fast everyone moved. He says “You could’ve been on stage with her.” And he’s not wrong. I mean, in this case, I feel like he’s drawing from experience and that’s a real compliment. Show over. Wrap it up. And that’s how Julia felt too: “I’ve been wanting to do that for 25 years” - DRINK! Because they’re making us wait through a break. This is a party foul, you can’t do that to us with Julia! I hates you, commercials! 8, 8, 9, 8 are the eventual scores. I feel like one of the judges who are regularly on the show owed Julia a 9 here. That wasn’t just “redoing it” that was “doing the thing and doing it one better.” I do have a horse in the game, y’see. Tatyana - Salsa - Squabble Up - Kendrick Lamar The 6 hurt her feelings last week. I bet. Because on top of her presence in my childhood TV watching, I love her. She seems so sweet and sincere. She mentions in the leadup package that she loves Kendrick, and that salsa is something she grew up with in her family. This sets high expectations for me, and I hope we see it. I’m rooting for her. Again, the dress is stunning. I’m nervous! But for nothing, because Tatyana owns the floor when she walks out on it. She looks natural, sexy, and is giving all the attitude. Most of what I wrote in my notes was “Oh hello. GIRL. OH MY GOD.” Is it possible this was even better than Julia Stiles? But she’s my super biased favorite. Alfonso was into it. Carrie saw the improvement but said it was a little internalized still. I saw NONE of that. Derek said he loves watching her, but that it was too laid back for a sa- and I really wanted him to stop talking and ruining it here. He also tells her to finish steps and close her feet. I swear Alfonso is mad about this and in the moment so am I. Getting emotional this week. Bruno states the most obvious thing he could and calls her a “sexy mama” which, OF COURSE, WE HAVE EYES. He says she’s simmering under the skin, and challenges her to bring an Angela Bassett, Tina Turner energy to the rest of her time here. I think he’s seeing greatnes in her. I do too. If they score her too low I will flip a table. Tatyana scores: 7, 7, 8, 7. I feel like it’s a little low. Julianne can’t count. This is her first 8? Oh my god I can’t stand Julianne as host. It’s actually awkward. I feel bad because again, I’m sure she’s perfectly nice but I cannot in any way vibe with her. It’s awkward and off-putting and seriously, the outfits. Guillermo and Witney I am not in fact entertained anymore by the Guillermo of it all. Let’s see what happens. Bad Bunny. And ok, naturally. I hope he makes it fun. Again, I don’t think he’s a bad person but at this point we should’ve actually been off this. Again, a huge set piece is in place as we get this thing going. And: he actually danced in this. A decent amount. Sadly I think it ends here but that’s the worst part. This was the one week he probably really shouldn’t go and he’s probably going to. The problem with him being essentially Miss Congeniality is that you’ve done him a disservice, too, for exactly this reason. He’s been around too long, and we’re feeling that exhaustion/frustration with it already, so the pressure is on to send him home. He’s actually improving and it finally shows this week, but if they keep him, the gimmick won’t work anymore. Forget all of that though because he’s a person who was genuinely trying reduced down to entertainment value, and that’s a genuine gripe. It’s kind of why I don’t like his “character” on his own show, either, because it seems like he’s viewed through a lens of condescension. I don’t like feeling like I should pity a person in any show. Derek says, blah blah blah, you should headline the Super Bowl. What a surprise he would say something like that! Big gestures and exclamations about how entertaining and clever he is and how much swag he has. It’s pandering, and that’s even more annoying because this week there was dancing to critique. Joe: Oh good, someone who knows less about dancing but will still pander for the network. He says that “all 3 of you are getting better.” and honestly though you could call it a gimmick I’ve loved the journey of increasingly pregnant pro working with a really novice dancer and I think Guillermo genuinely feels a lot of affection for Witney. She seems like she respects him, too. He says that Guillermo took the notes and pulled out a Bruno impression on top of it. Ok, well, I underestimated Joe Buck here. He had more intelligent things to say than Derek in this case and that’s kinda bothersome. Bruno says they had plenty of movement, lots of steps, and he could feel the burn. He also said there was plenty to think about. Like why set up a perfectly nice guy to keep winning when it’s not fair only to eliminate him when he’s finally taken the step up. Why’d we script this part of the competition like that? I at least feel a slight implication of this in his comments. Carrie loves to try the new slang, and it’s sorta fun to watch it be incomprehensible. She says “Witney can do it all. She says Guillermo brought the goods and called her out, and he did a good job. He gets a mix of sixes and fives, and as I said, this isn’t fun anymore. Jenna DeWan - Pasa Doble - Bad Romance - Lady Gaga If there’s anything to cheer me up it’s Lady Gaga. The dresses are impeccable for this, and Gaga always hits, so I’m hoping the music works too. And immediately, I feel wrong about that because while Jenna is doing fierce things, I feel like the pasa doble and Bad Romance may be sorta whackadoo. I feel distracted by that. I also feel like this is a little cheesy. There was a lot of complicated stuff at the end that was really well executed. I’m right in the middle on this. She’s really good, but this wasn’t really lighting any fires in me. Joe Buck has no idea what a pasa doble is, but assumes she crushed it, and can’t often tell who the pro is. Bruno calls her “incandescent, brilliant start to finish” and praises her power and Spanish lines. He says it’s a beautiful expression of Spain. I guess the song didn’t freak him out any. Carrie says it was the first touchdown of the night, and that she was in the zone and had great artistry. Derek said it had power, precision and was a championship performance. Ok, well I wasn’t on the same hype train these folks all got on, but it wasn’t bad either. We get a group dance with the NFL time, sparkly footballs…and I can’t remember anything after sparkly footballs, because I just…want that. The judges confer and they give her 9s all around. Harry Shum Jr - Samba -Yeah - Usher Harry is very into Usher, it’s cute. They want to push him to the limit and that’d be fun to see. I think he’s gonna pull this off just fine. They gave him a sort of weird outfit, but he’s pulling attitude anyway. I like the ensemble thing with all the backup this episode. I feel like he leans a little too Broadway all the time and it doesn’t entirely feel like samba to me. But it’s good. Going to the judges - Bruno says he’s leader of the pack in this and played it beautifully. He says it felt like an event, and that it was spectacular freestyle but it’s not a samba. Well, yeah…He says no heel leads, you’re overclipping it, and it should be a samba. That’s not really on him though… Carrie agrees with Bruno, and says it was a great halftime show but not a samba, and that he needs more content in his dances (I honestly thought he’s always had a lot of content -he’s just good at it.) She tells him to challenge himself more, and then the words: “And there was a lift.” It went silent when she said it, and I think it’s because it was a harsh delivery (remember, this is from before the controversy - my notes only looked at what was happening in the episode with no outside context. “A lift?” Harry’s pro says. She also says she thought it was if the partner did it. It’s like a live challenge in baseball, but this isn’t normal for this show. Carrie actually takes out the book and reads it. Honestly it felt really harsh. The pro didn’t seem like she was being awful by asking, she just seems genuinely stunned they’re basically scoring down for a lift in this “samba not samba” situation - and at least according to what I wrote in my notes, there were several other sambas with lifts. “She was too aggressive about that” - that’s what I wrote in my notes, not knowing what the situation would turn out to be. Bruno and Derek shoot some looks, and another pro in the background looks absolutely pissed. They cut over to Derek, who’s not got a lot of time, and he says it was a fantastic performance but he agrees on the promenade run criticism and heel leads, but that he’s an amazing performer. Joe looks like he just walked into the room while his parents were arguing and honestly, this has taken the entire vibe of the show down entirely. No one seems sure what to do. He gives it a “great, effortless, awesome” and they make some weird cuts as dancers walk back. There’s still obvious commotion no matter how they cut it. By the time they get to the scores, most of the pros and a decent handful of the stars are shooting some looks, and they’re cutting in close to Harry to avoid it. 8, 8, 9, 8. So this won’t send him home, I don’t think. I think he’s probably safe no matter what. Man, this whole show took a turn. We cut away to a feature by The Pack Drumline and they’ve been pretty cool the whole night. They’re legit. We’re gonna need the commercial break. Ezra - Salsa - Hot in Here - Nelly Ezra is a nerd. He’s just an Olympian nerd. So when he says he didn’t go to parties, I believe him, as a fellow nerd. It’s a really vulnerable moment, and I just relate to his dork soul. He has a kind of cool costume, but it is a bit dorky, and therefore adorable. He manages to get out on the floor with swag, which is harder for dorks than most folks. He has nice hips, and shows off that he did in fact bedazzle his prosthetic, which is fantastic. Ballroom is one of those places you wear glitter and sequins like a badge of honor and he gets it. It goes well enough, but I’m not sure it was standout for him. Alfonso is going to throw it to the judges, but he’s looking kind of shellshocked from what happened last time. Carrie goes first and you can feel the air leave the room, but she’s nice enough. Derek says he genuinely gets lost in Ezra’s performances and that he commands the stage and is in control. Joe was proud of the song choice, and that it was bright and light, and calls Ezra the “easiest guy to root for.” Bruno says that it wasn’t hot, it was smoldering (But you know, say this by yelling it and stretching out the end for effect). He says there was good balance, good partner work, and that he hit the right accents. He praises hip action and smooth rotations, and has that genuine bemusement that he doesn’t know how he does it. 9 from Carrie (ok, i get it) , 9 Derek, Joe 9, Bruno 9 Now I’m feeling a little like we’re getting pandered to here, too. Time for the reveals: Safe Couples are Julia and Ezra, Maura and Mark, Jackson and Emma, Harry and Jenna, ,Amber and Pasha. Next safe are Ezra and Daniella, Jenna and Val, Tatyana and Jan, Connor and Rylee. Our bottom two are Guillermo and Tyler. For once, somehow, it’s how I figured it would be, only this version of Guillermo doesn’t feel like the one that goes home. Sadly, this is that version, and we say farewell to Witney and Guillermo. I have a feeling they’ll be great friends still, and she’ll have it a little easier not continuing on in the competition when increasingly pregnant. Let’s hit our Hates and Greats and we’ll call it a night: Hates: The Guillermo of It All : One of my initial reasons for hating the show was that I thought it hung on to bad dancers just because “ratings” and “likeability” and that it not only damages the show’s credibility but also turns into bad situations after all the “feel good” moments. And, well…yeah. The Network of It All: They really don’t hide that they’re there to get eyes on all the other things the network is doing. Every week there’s something else they’re pushing. This week it was the NFL. Rules: What are the rules? How much do we adhere to them? If we’re going to pull out the actual book, that kind of thing might need to be established. Song Choice: Sometimes the song really hurts the dancer. I don’t think Lady Gaga worked well tonight, as an example, but there’s at least two a week that are like that. Choreo: So, this one I think is on the pros. Because I think your pro is the one responsible for the choreo? And some dancers seem to choreograph the star out, or put them in the back in ways that I understand if you’re aware that their skill level is below yours and you’re dancing in your skill category - then sure, push the weaker link to the back, show off the strong side. But the stars are the stars of the show, so putting them in the background doesn’t help. Also, apparently choreographers breaking the rules can cause a lot of problems, but that’s not on the dancer, either. Greats: Save the Last Dance: I’m so glad they put that in there. It was the elephant in the room, Juilliard was kinda weird about it and had to quasi-apologize for being weird, and it’s nice to see her step above it and put it out there again for everyone in defiance of the criticism. She did great, and that was worth watching the whole season just to see for someone who’s been a fan of hers the whole time. Rooting for You: Some of my struggle is that I don’t know when it’s a soft competition or an intense one. It seems like both at times. But it’s also a joy to be rooting for so many people. Usually even in “cozy” competition like the Great British Bake-Off the ranking is clear. But here: I really do want everyone to have a good time, get better at dancing, and have a really cool breakthrough moment. Alfonso: I really like Alfonso Ribiero in this role. I was so very wrong before. The Spectacle: I love the glitzy costumes, I love the fog machines, confetti, theme nights, and sequins. I love the stupidly elaborate set pieces. It’s fun to know you’re watching something so many other people are, and it’s fun to get in the conversations (as long as you remember it’s just for fun, and it’s just a show…) each week. I am getting to know the cheese. Normally, that’d be it, but let’s address: Get it? Because, the lift? The Controversy: Ok, reading my notes without bias to what happened next, I thought Carrie Ann was rather harsh in a way she usually isn’t to anyone, and it felt a little targeted. I was surprised that Jenn (Val’s wife) said anything in response, but not because she shouldn’t have. Based on my notes for this article, at least two other couples did a samba, and there were lifts, so if she didn’t mention it then, then why mention it there? I could be wrong on some part of this, but I can’t find where I am. Should Val have said what he said? No. Do I know everything that went on there? Also no. It certainly seems like some things need addressing behind the scenes further than just between Val and Carrie Ann, though, that too. I wonder how the rest of the season goes from here. See you then! I’m gonna catch up, I swear!

https://unsplash.com/@zulfugarkarimov?utm_source=wix-media-manager&utm_medium=referral Horror isn’t just a genre; it’s an amalgamation of pop culture, cozy traditions, and things that go bump in the night. This year, we're taking our 31 Days of Horror across the entire cultural spectrum. We’ll be taking a look at movies that scare us, games that kept us paranoid, scary books we cozy up with under blankets, music that sets that spooky tone and seasonal food we’re craving–or strange food you’d have to tie us up and force feed us. Whether you’re looking for something truly terrifying or a cozy autumn haunt, come back every day this month for a new bite-sized review or spooky adjacent list. I love short form horror. Whether it’s short video games, stories or YouTube videos. I think the short format is a great way to foster creative ideas. Here are a few short horror YouTube videos that are either new to me or aren’t featured heavily on other similar lists. Remain Calm (The Lewis Brothers) A brand-new viral horror-comedy starring Doug Jones, Pauly Shore and Nick Swardson features a monster that only attacks if you show fear. I never thought I’d be recommending a video with Pauly Shore and Nick Swardson in it, but they do a surprisingly great job portraying a pair of hapless convenience store workers caught up in what is essentially an SCP containment breach. Oh, and Doug Jones is always fantastic. My House Walk-Through (PiroPito) Unsettling and disturbingly surreal. The narrator gives a tour of their grandparents’ house after a typhoon. The narrator frames the scenes as mundane, but it’s something out of nightmares. The Chair (that’s a bad idea) A chair is brought into a house and bizarre events occur. Is it psychological, or is the chair a cursed object? Time loops, paranoia and more in this Curry Barker short horror film. Butterscotch (Alexander Deeds) A fun and somewhat cathartic short about comeuppance. Laboratory Conditions (DUST / ALTER) A laboratory set up to do shady experiments to measure the human soul is interrupted by a physician looking for an elderly patient that was taken from his room. Minnie Driver and Marisa Tomei star. Mimic (The Noctuary) This clever, terrifying short is a fantastic execution of a familiar idea.

Horror isn’t just a genre; it’s an amalgamation of pop culture, cozy traditions, and things that go bump in the night. This year, we're taking our 31 Days of Horror across the entire cultural spectrum. We’ll be taking a look at movies that scare us, games that kept us paranoid, scary books we cozy up with under blankets, music that sets that spooky tone and seasonal food we’re craving–or strange food you’d have to tie us up and force feed us. Whether you’re looking for something truly terrifying or a cozy autumn haunt, come back every day this month for a new bite-sized review or spooky adjacent list. Freddie Mercury probably said it best: “Who wants to live forever?” Okay, I’m being facetious. But when contemplating eternity, I feel a deep existential despair. To experience eternity, to live forever. It’s enticing in its way. But truly forever can be a prison, and a nightmare unto itself. When horror is discussed, it’s often in terms of monsters and slashers: the creature in the dark or the killer stalking you in the woods. The final snap at the end of a rope. These terrify us because of the finality. But what if there was no end? The human mind is like a finite vessel: it can be filled up. Eternity is too large to grasp. The infinite can only be discovered through finite terms. Given enough time, survival and eternal life might turn into a punishing nightmare. To help kickstart your descent into the horrible different types of eternities, I’m looking at 9 stories that have their own take on what forever can mean. Part I: The Cosmic Weight Douglas Adams insisted that space is large, but even then we’re considering it on the scale of the solar system or a Galaxy. And even these distances pale in comparison to true infinity. These stories establish the argument that infinite space and time inevitability strip away humanity "The Immortal" by Jorge Luis Borges "To be immortal is commonplace; except for man, all creatures are immortal, for they are ignorant of death; what is divine, terrible, incomprehensible, is to know that one is immortal." Borges is not a horror author–more of a philosopher and a scholar. That’s what makes his works so acutely terrifying to me: a mind that is capable of vast thought, still struggling under the weight of forever. “The Immortal” is about a man who seeks out physical immortality, and gets it, only to discover its terrible price: infinite time renders every action, thought and achievement meaningless, leaving existence a stagnant, featureless blur. It’s a great story that allows you, the reader, to come to these realizations along with its protagonist. "The Aleph" by Jorge Luis Borges "I saw all the mirrors on earth and none of them reflected me." Borges uses himself as a main character in this story of seeing into infinity. Instead of infinite time, he ponders infinite space—and the devastating effect it can have on those who perceive it. The true horror here is the sheer, crushing weight of infinite information collapsing onto a human mind that is simply unable to process it all. "The Last Question" by Isaac Asimov "Matter and energy had ended and with it, space and time. Even AC existed only for the sake of the one last question that it had never answered..." “Can entropy be reversed?” is the question asked in this classic Asimov short story. It tracks the terrifying inevitability of a dying universe. Even a supercomputer that spans galaxies and exists for trillions of years can only answer “insufficient data for meaningful answer” as humanity watches the stars slowly fade and die. Part II: The Architecture of Infinity Eternity is represented here by an actual place. In both of these stories. Borges’ LIbrary of Babel is first introduced by the philosophical Borges, but then that abstract location is the setting of Peck’s short story–with a few tweaks to make the bleak reality of forever linger in your mind. "The Library of Babel" by Jorge Luis Borges "For every sensible line of straightforward statement, there are leagues of senseless cacophonies, verbal jumbles and incoherences." Here, eternity is represented through physical space and infinite information. Borges describes an endless library containing every possible combination of letters. The sheer, unfathomable volume of meaningless data crushes the human spirit in this short story, which serves as a dark allegory for humanity’s quest for knowledge and truth. There can never truly be an end to the search, and those who try to touch the edges of infinity will either die trying, or be driven to absolute madness. "A Short Stay in Hell" by Steven L. Peck "Hell is not a place of fire and brimstone. It is a place of endless, mind-numbing repetition." This is a direct, terrifying successor to the Library of Babel. It takes Borges' abstract dread and grounds it with rules, forcing a relatable human protagonist to actually walk those endless halls. To escape this vision of hell, he must find the exact book containing his life's story within a mind-bendingly vast, almost infinite collection. When the actual number of books is finally revealed, the figure is so massive as to be completely meaningless. Peck doesn’t leave readers with a satisfying conclusion, driving home the ultimate horror: the quest for absolute truth far exceeds our mortal ability to endure it. Part III: The Prison of Consciousness This is where the concept plummets into pure horror, both psychological and physical, included some body horror thrown in for fun. Eternity is no longer just a setting; it becomes an active, hostile force. "The Jaunt" by Stephen King "It is the ultimate sensory deprivation... You are left only with your thoughts, in a space where time does not exist." We’ve all had that debate about Star Trek transporters—you know the one I’m talking about. But what if you remove the philosophical debate about who is coming out the other side, and instead focus on what exists between those two points? In “The Jaunt,” King explores the terror of pure, bodiless consciousness. The story is framed as a father recounting the history of teleportation to his family right before they take their first “jaunt,” assuring them that the process is perfectly safe. But this being a Stephen King story, you know it’s anything but. "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison "Hate. Let me tell you how much I've come to hate you since I began to live." What if you take the supercomputer from Asimov’s story and made it an insane malevolent entity that hated humanity? Ellison created a nightmare story where the last humans are forced to live forever, only to suffer for all of humanity’s transgressions. Being kept alive by an omnipotent, hateful AI that can alter your body and mind to prolong suffering is a type of hell that makes nightmares. Also adapted into a point-and-click adventure game that is just as miserable to play as the poor humans that have to endure the malicious AM. "Divided by Infinity" by Robert Charles Wilson "I don't die. I just become.... Increasingly.... Unlikely" Wilson takes the thought experiment of “quantum immortality” and lets it play out to its bleakest conclusion. It turns out, surviving every deadly scenario creates a world full of strange probabilities and branching realities. The idea is that consciousness, like energy, cannot be destroyed. Instead, the universe simply won’t let the protagonist die, forcing him to survive into increasingly alien and terrifying versions of reality. Not to mention, surviving forever ultimately means outlasting everyone you have ever known or loved. Part IV: The Catharsis This story is a complete palate cleanser. Here, Weir (known for Project Hail Mary, The Martian) looks at infinity and reframes it entirely. "The Egg" by Andy Weir "Every time you victimized someone, you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself." This is a story I originally read on a message board years ago. It randomly popped into my head recently, and I was delighted to discover the author was Andy Weir—long before he was stranding astronauts on Mars or sending them on desperate interstellar survival missions in Project Hail Mary, which are works I’ve come to absolutely adore. After all the existential dread we've just waded through, this story asks a different question: what if infinity wasn’t a hellish prison, but a sort of gestational period? I don’t want to spoil too much, but it's the perfect, beautiful palate cleanser to end our descent into forever.

Ok, hang with me for a moment. When I started hate watching Dancing with the Stars I never said I could keep up with it. I mean, there’s a new episode once a week, and I can’t just binge it in one day either. Not only that, but you have to look at the TV the entire time so you don’t miss anything. This is very different than the TV I keep on for noise while I do things like edit articles and not do laundry. Well, I can do laundry and watch it. But that’s not the point. Anyway, let’s catch up, because I have one goal, and that is staying unspoiled from both Julia Stiles’ Save the Last Dance routine and her Heath Ledger tribute and seeing as this is me writing about Mariah Carey week when we just finished Dedication week - we have a problem. In case you’re like me and not doing your laundry and watching every Tuesday, let’s review. Mariah Carey week was a weird theme. At least, that’s what I thought until I really thought about it. Turns out Mariah Carey surrounded me in my youth, and I’d just forgotten what an entire vibe she was/is. I really wish she would’ve showed up though, other than in a video. That’s a bummer. And honestly, how did they not have the budget for that? Is someone going to do All I Want For Christmas (Is You?) Would that start a riot? I do love the sparkly jeans on the performers at the curtain drop. I think we’re gonna be in a glittery cotton candy world most of the night, and honestly, as a pit orchestra nerd, I love me some elaborate sets. They even changed the logo for tonight to add a Mariah Carey butterfly. And since you didn’t ask, let me tell you: this was the moment that made me remember I know almost EVERY Mariah Carey song that was ever on the radio a lot. So do most of the olds my age. This was the point at which I also became proud of being alive at the time Mariah Carey was inescapable for more than Christmas songs. We need to remind everyone about Mariah. Teach the children. This is why this exists. As to some immediate hates: I still really dislike Julianne Hough as a host. It’s not that I dislike her. I’m sure she’s great. I just… she’s either awkward or overly hosty, and I can’t get into it. I’ve flipped my entire opinion of Alfonso Ribeiro on this show, meanwhile. I’d listen to him narrate a documentary, and not only do his dance chops turn out to have been as awesome as I suspected when I first saw him Carlton on Fresh Prince, it turns out he really bonded with the DWTS community when he was on the show (back when I wasn’t watching it at all) I still feel like it’s weird Mariah didn’t come to her theme night. Let’s talk performances: Ciara Miller - Jazz - “Emotion” We’re doing the high school romance thing. They’re preying on us millennials here and it feels like pandering. Is it working? A little bit. I feel like they were a little stiff though. The lifts were cool. Derek liked it but didn’t love it, Bruno praised a good storyline but didn’t seem super convinced about the rest and Carrie thought it was clean, polished and the best dance so far. I have in my notes “I agree here” but in retrospect I might disagree a little. They mentioned last week’s Tyler controversy (which seems so small in comparison to ALL THE CONTROVERSY I CAN’T YET MENTION CUZ I AM BEHIND) They got all 7s, and I think that was appropriate. Ezra Frech - Rumba - "Anytime You Need a Friend" This was a very smooth rumba, and I though there was good emotion in it. It seemed a little rocky here and there. Overall it was really good but not his best. Bruno said he had a lot of charisma, and I think that’s just the default for Ezra. He also mentioned his good frame, and I think that’s a key point to make. Carrie said he was sexy and did a lot of great landings. If you think about the difficulty there I think that makes it even more impressive. Derek said he was sophisticated and had great weight transfers. It’s almost like an Olympian would pay close attention to form. Straight 8’s. I’m happy for him because I think he’s truly great, but the first 8s of the season didn’t go to the best of what he does, I don’t think. Still, I’m not a dance judge, and rumba’s supposed to be pretty hard. Harry Shum Jr. - Tango - "It’s Like That" The real flex of this entire episode is Harry Shum’s, and that’s because he was IN THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR THAT? Do you even know how cool you’d have to be to be in a Mariah Carey music video? 9 year old me would tell you: the coolest. Does this make it unfair? I guess not unless he tangoed in the OG video. I guess, according to the whole PR package before the dance, he was working a lot. His entrance didn’t seem super great, but if I’m looking at my “in show” notes, I said his frame was “fine” and the solo “wasn’t bad” which considering past weeks and my praise for him, does not compare. He did do some really athletic stuff towards the end. Carrie thought it was “masterful” and I always disagree with her. But at least she seems nicer than last time? Derek says he was “sharp, powerful, precise” and ok, maybe I just didn’t like this one for some other, enigmatic reason. Bruno says it was a “red hot tango” and does that engine rev voice thing he does that excites or annoys all the people who until that moment had been kind of asleep since two commercial breaks ago. Jenna DeWan - Rumba - “My All” Ok, so because I’m aware I’m behind and aware that Jenna DeWan is at the heart of the actual BIG controversy surrounding DWTS right now, I’m just going to give you what I wrote when this episode aired. “I think Carrie was going hard on her last week (Yacht Rock week, so you know where I was at when writing this). If anyone can help though it’s Val, and this dance will lend itself to it.” “Pretty costume. Really pretty solo entrance. Maybe she is a little hard on attacks? But she did some great soft things here too. She’s really good though regardless. Her frame is gorgeous and she’s so elegant.” Derek gave it a standing O, interjecting “There she is!” I thought she’d been there before, but he thought she was seeing feeling and good figures. Bruno praises her artistry - and I really agree with him most times. He also mentions how good her balance was. Carrie praised her for being vulnerable, taking their notes, and said she was in, and so happy for her. I thought this was a really nice moment between them. Tyler Cameron - Foxtrot - "Beautiful" Had a feeling this would be hard for him, and as he entered, I think I did see that he was still pretty awkward, but had a nice frame. Bruno said it was “proper, on time and an incredible improvement.” He might be leaning a little too nice, but it did seem proper and on time. Carrie said his mom would be proud, and Derek said great frame (see?) and that there was much improvement and it was a great partnership. He gets straight 7s. First time for them. That’s nice. It’s at this point they tease a surprise guest judge for Super Bowl week. I don’t know who it is yet, two weeks after Super Bowl Week. I’m not good at this. Maura Higgins - Waltz - "If It’s Over" This was pretty and floaty, and Maura held a really great frame. Carrie called it “beautiful” and Derek was happy that it was “no tricks, gimmicks - pure ballroom.” I agree. Ballroom is beautiful on its own, but that’s not really what we’re doing here, is it? Bruno called the pair’s musicality “out of this world” and said Maura was “light” and “gorgeous” and I don’t disagree. There’s a 9! And two 8’s. So, yeah, that was pretty excellent. Guillermo - Samba - "Obsessed" For some reason I thought they’d give him Fantasy, and I was waiting to be mad about it, both for him, and for Mariah. They didn’t though, so I was wrong. There are SO MANY GIMMICKS HERE. They don’t even choreograph him much. And OK, he’s super charming and that’s awesome and part of it is a popularity contest but that’s part of what I hate. And given all that, I couldn’t enjoy this. Derek first points out it’s not a samba, and here’s my surprised face. Bruno calls it a shamble not a samba, and says it was “something.” That’s pretty harsh for him. Maybe he’s sick of the gimmick thing too. Carrie says he’s dimming his light. The pair’s on the defensive though and already talks about how bright his light shines. Listen, he’s a fantastic, sweet man. He’s doing a lot, and I think he tries, but at this point I don’t think it’s even fair to him, nor really to the competition for him to keep being here. 4, 4, 5. Somehow he’ll stay though. This part kinda pisses me off. Jackson Olson - Waltz - "Without You" It’s his birthday! I forgot about his little controversy, which was him complaining about Guillermo still being on. Was it kinda mean? Yeah, but we saw in the socials or something they were hugging and past it, so let’s let bygones be bygones. He’s going to need to be elegant and slow here but he’s prone to being cheesy, so I dunno. He gets off to a good start and doesn’t seem cheesy, but he gets a little funky/shaky. Bruno says he can see him in the music for the first time, Carrie says he was really “tapping” and Derek said there were some great moments but also some frame issues. Seems fair. And he gets straight 7s for it. Tatyana Ali - Jazz - "Fantasy" Ok, Tatyana got Fantasy. That’s amazing. And she’s so motivated, and silly. She mentions here that Mariah Carey was every little girl’s dream best friend and I’m gonna tell you she’s right. I was there. She was. I LOVE HER OUTFIT. One of the lifts in this routine got scary for a moment. And while I want to be super into it, I’m more into her character than the dance. Alfonso says there was a little Janet (Jackson) in there and I see it too. Carrie says she’s a great storyteller, but needs to hit moves a little harder. Derek says she’s blossoming but needs more impact, and Bruno says it’s cheeky but nice, and to push harder. Honestly, I’m in lock step with all the judges here, but I love her and I hope to see her go far. Two 6’s and a 7, which might be a little harsh. That or I’m just really rooting for her. Connor - Rumba - "Touch my Body" So, it’s a rumba, and Connor’s gotta be sexy. And he gives golden retriever energy and I’m concerned. He’s trying really hard so I’m rooting for him. (Oh no, I’m rooting for everyone.) I’m not sure the choreo suited him that well. He did do a good job at not taking it silly. I really think choreo hurt him most here, and that’s not on him. Derek sees him stepping into being a leading man, Bruno says he “went for it” and mentions foot placement, and Carrie says he was good but had a “dead hand” and in his committment lost the steps. He gets two 6’s and a 7, which I think is ok here. Julia Stiles - Waltz - "Vision of Love" This is a great song, and I really feel like she’s having fun even at the start. For someone who has frowny study face a lot of the time because she’s working so hard to get it perfect, this is a great thing. She looks incredibly graceful and has good footwork. Bruno says she had wonderful movement but got a little “hoppy” which I saw, but eh. Carrie says this was a breakthrough and welcomes her to the game. This strikes me as a little cutting, but whatever. Derek said she had gorgeous arms and tells her to breathe through. She gets straight 7s and I think she deserved at least one 8. Amber Glenn - Rumba - "Hero" I had “not technically bad” as my first note here. I also have “I hate this song choice for rumba” as my second note. The cover thing strikes again. She’s really muscular and capable of a lot. Carrie calls her powerful and “divine in movement”, Derek tells her to put her shoulders down, and Bruno says she was stretched to the limit but never lost the flow. She gets two 7s and an 8, and I think I was too hard on her. The End: In the end, Ciara and Brandon are eliminated, which…again, I think should’ve been Guillermo. The audience loves him, but I almost feel like it’s condescending that they keep keeping him. I don’t think it’s better for the show. So let’s hit the Hates and Greats: Greats: Alfonso Ribiero. I was wrong. He understands dance, the show, and is a fabulous host. The dancing (except Guillermo) - I love watching people truly improve. It’s really cool. The themes: Am I coming around to themes? Am I having FUN with themes? I mean, I love a good theme in other things. Maybe I just had to surrender to the dork side. Hates: The Guillermo thing. I don’t think it’s nice to keep someone around because they’re “funny” or “entertaining” in a contest. It’s obvious they’re giving him something to do and he’s not participating. The popularity contest: See above, really, but also, you can’t make people vote a certain way, that’s not cool. I just really dislike situations where someone gets sent home that’s really got potential in favor of someone people “like.” Cover band strikes again - I mean, I just…can’t sometimes. Maybe this is why Mariah didn’t show, guys. And that wraps it up for now. Until I immediately catch up so I can finally dish about what happened recently on DWTS. Does this mean I’m officially a fan?

Horror isn’t just a genre; it’s an amalgamation of pop culture, cozy traditions, and things that go bump in the night. This year, we're taking our 31 Days of Horror across the entire cultural spectrum. We’ll be taking a look at movies that scare us, games that kept us paranoid, scary books we cozy up with under blankets, music that sets that spooky tone and seasonal food we’re craving–or strange food you’d have to tie us up and force feed us. Whether you’re looking for something truly terrifying or a cozy autumn haunt, come back every day this month for a new bite-sized review or spooky adjacent list. Sometimes you just want to sit down and watch a normal, run of the mill horror movie that is easy to follow with plenty of standard issue scares coming at you at a steady clip and totally not a batshit insane trip into a fantastical Japanese countryside where a supernatural house devours a pack of schoolgirls one by one in the most absurd and inventive way. And by sometimes I mean not today be cause we're talking about House (1977). I first became aware of this beautiful monstrosity of a film the way I imagine most Americans did, through it's inclusion into the Criterion Collection. I know I had heard rumblings of the film for years, but was never able to acquire a copy even in those wild west Internet days. So the moment it was released on the boutique label I immediately purchased it and let it wildness wash over me and let me tell you, it's WILD. The story is pretty bare bones and archetypal as all get out in that post-modern sort of way. A young girl know for her beauty and aptly named Gorgeous becomes disillusioned with her widowed father who has just remarried. Instead of vacationing with them, Gorgeous opts to visit her Aunt in the countryside with a group of her schoolgirl friends; all with names as descriptive as Gorgeous' - Prof, Melody, Kung Fu, Mac, Sweet, and Fantasy. What follows is a dream like if not lysergic journey into another world. Gorgeous' aunt's house is of the supernatural sorts with way more that you could even image. Carnivorous pianos, floating head, butt bites, ghosts, demons and more descend on the schoolgirls and it's all done in the most genuinely hallucinatory fashion. I know this film is not for everyone, and quiet honestly in a month where I've recommend some pretty out there films, this is at the top of the list. It's a comedy, a horror show, a stream of consciousness dream as told through cartoonish logic. An obscene odd anime brought to life to illicit as much emotions as possible. So if you looking for something uproariously strange, House is there for you! ] Would it have been funny if I did a mishmash dual post about House (1977) and House (1985)? probably not but that could make for a random double features. Anyway go watch House (1977) for free on Tubi.

Screenshot: Dungeon Inn I’ve played a lot of management games in my time, but Dungeon Inn is something different. Rather than being a pure management game, it’s really a turn-based strategy/puzzle game hybrid in cozy management game clothing. Okay, that metaphor is a bit unwieldy, but the truth is Dungeon Inn has a bit of an identity issue. Dungeon Inn has a few tags attached to it: resource management, simulation, and the like. I’d argue that this game is more a turn-based strategy game than any sim or resource manager. You’re not running an inn like you would in a Tycoon game. A lot of what you’re doing is positioning items to control the flow of patrons from two opposing factions so they meet up and battle as little as possible. The primary goal is to make money, but there are other objectives you have to achieve in order to progress the story. Screenshot: Dungeon Inn You play as entrepreneurial Sara. With her sights set on gold, she signs a contract with a dragon to open a tavern at the mouth of a newly appeared dungeon. Bringing her two feline companions along for the ride—Butter and Bami—Sara has to ensure she keeps her draconic landlord paid while lining her own pockets with gold from passing adventurers. The catch is that your clientele consists of two fiercely rival factions: the Seaside Guild and the Mountain Guild. Your ultimate goal is to cater to both sides simultaneously without letting them cross paths in front of your inn, keeping your double-dealing a complete secret. While I enjoyed Dungeon Inn’s art style, that’s about the only aspect of the game that actually feels "cozy." The characters are genuinely cute, which makes the long, dialogue-heavy story sections feel a bit more tolerable. But only just. There’s a surprising amount of text here, though I wouldn’t call Dungeon Inn a narrative-based game—rather, it's a game with a narrative that occasionally interrupts the action between sections. Screenshot: Dungeon Inn Again, the core of Dungeon Inn is essentially a turn-based puzzle/strategy game masquerading as a management sim. Your goal is to manage the traffic between two lanes while minimizing contact in the middle. You use limited action points—represented by wisps that do your bidding—to place objects that will slow down or speed up the flow of foot traffic. You might put up an energy drink kiosk to accelerate one side, while laying down a game of chance to delay the other. These objects function more like limited-time power-ups than actual buildings or permanent fixtures. Once you lock in your plan, you hit “execute” to see it all play out. If groups from opposing sides meet in front of your dungeon, a fight breaks out, forcing you to choose which side to covertly help. Various variables keep things moving—like VIP guests seeking special treatment, or unexpected events that alter how many wisps you have available for the turn. Screenshot: Dungeon Inn While Dungeon Inn might be advertising to the cozy crowd, I think it’s looking for its audience in the wrong place. Not that a cozy art style inherently turns away puzzle and strategy buffs—they just might not know that’s what this game actually is based on its marketing. And while it’s a decent enough game, I don’t even think the strategy crowd will flock to it. The tactical mechanics, while clever in the early stages, eventually fall into a repetitive loop that lacks the deep, evolving complexity hardcore tacticians crave. It leaves Dungeon Inn stranded in a strange middle ground: a bit too stressful to be a relaxing sim, and too rigid to be a deeply satisfying strategy game. It’s a charming experiment with a great premise, but ultimately, it struggles to seat both of its target audiences at the same table.

Horror isn’t just a genre; it’s an amalgamation of pop culture, cozy traditions, and things that go bump in the night. This year, we're taking our 31 Days of Horror across the entire cultural spectrum. We’ll be taking a look at movies that scare us, games that kept us paranoid, scary books we cozy up with under blankets, music that sets that spooky tone and seasonal food we’re craving–or strange food you’d have to tie us up and force feed us. Whether you’re looking for something truly terrifying or a cozy autumn haunt, come back every day this month for a new bite-sized review or spooky adjacent list. Screenshot: Penumbra: Overture I originally got Penumbra: Overture in a Humble Bundle or some other bundle of DRM-free games. It wasn’t on my Steam account, just an .exe. Somehow, this made the game feel forbidden. Or haunted, like those creepypasta games that are possessed. It helped that a lot of Penumbra: Overture was somewhat novel – it includes a lot of tactile, physics-based style gameplay. Instead of pressing a button to open a drawer, you have to “grasp” the handle with your cursor, and pull the drawer back. This isn’t the first game I played like this, but it was the first game to have this gameplay and be incredibly compelling, cementing this environmental interaction as something special. Screenshot: Penumbra: Overture Penumbra: Overture is old enough now to have that retro, low-res feel, and even though I played it when it was new, it still somehow felt forbidden. Like I stumbled across a haunted, old game that I shouldn’t perceive. The premise is this: you play as Phillip, who receives a letter from his estranged father who was presumed dead for years. Curiosity gets the best of Phillip, and he tracks the clues left by his father to an uncharted freezing wasteland off the coast of Greenland. After trekking through the snow and beginning to freeze to death, he’s forced to find shelter in an abandoned mine. Trapped inside, Phillip goes from looking for answers to trying to survive his new ordeal. Screenshot: Penumbra: Overture What makes this setup so uniquely suffocating is how Penumbra:Overture traps the player in a double-layered prison. Philip isn't simply stuck in a terrifying basement; he is buried beneath a collapsed mine, which is itself swallowed by an uninhabited, sub-zero arctic wasteland. Even if he could miraculously force the heavy metal hatch open, he would only freeze to death on the surface. The game then cruelly perverts the one lifeline it offers: a fractured voice on a shortwave radio calling himself "Red." In most games, a voice on the comms provides comfort and a tether to humanity. Red does the exact opposite. Erratic, unhinged, and deeply unreliable, his broadcasts serve less as companionship and more as a crackling, real-time demonstration of what prolonged isolation in this facility does to the human mind. You are not just physically trapped; you are psychologically stranded. Screenshot: Penumbra: Overture While being dumped into an underground facility where something bad happened is a well-worn trope in video games, what sets Penumbra: Overture apart is its execution and an atmosphere that absolutely fosters dread. I’ve always been a fan of the “something terrible happened before you got here” style of horror, and Overture does it really well. The mystery, and the horrors, are slowly revealed as you make your way through the complex. The game manages to convey crushing isolation as Phillip works out a solution to the in-over-his-head problem he gets himself into. By that measure, you could argue that Penumbra: Overture laid a lot of the mechanical and atmospheric groundwork for Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Screenshot: Penumbra: Overture Those physical interactions were possible due to Frictional Games’ proprietary HPL engine—which is named after H.P. Lovecraft. This engine was designed from the ground up to support advanced physics interactions. This physical connection to the game world is not just immersive, it puts you into direct contact with the environment. It makes every action feel deliberate, weighty—and therefore more real. It also destroyed traditional survival horror tropes by making the puzzles and solutions more grounded in reality. For instance, early in the game, there is a path hidden behind a bookcase. In Resident Evil, you would have to find the right object or key to get the bookcase to move. In Overture, you physically just pull the bookcase out of the way. Simple, but elegant and mechanically satisfying. Screenshot: Penumbra: Overture It signals right away that Penumbra: Overture isn’t just a traditional survival horror. While there are lock-and-key moments, the tactile gameplay gives an extra edge in horror. Ever see a movie where the protagonist fumbles with their keys while a monster approaches? Penumbra: Overture introduced this exact panic into the game by making objects have to be manually manipulated. Penumbra: Overture does have combat, but it's clumsy. It’s this clumsiness that ironically pushed Penumbra and other Frictional games toward non-violence. While games of the era like Resident Evil 4 (released just two years prior) emphasized action, Overture was the opposite. The clunky combat made running, hiding, and using the environment (like physically blocking doors) a viable and sometimes preferred option. You weren’t an action hero here: you were barely surviving this survival horror. Screenshot: Penumbra: Overture While Penumbra: Overture is technically an “Episode 1,” it didn’t really get its full planned three-part trilogy. The story wrapped up in Penumbra: Black Plague, and Penumbra: Requiem was a puzzle-focused expansion, not really a full third game. Though some prefer the sequel—and it is a bit more refined, with the combat removed—I still have a soft spot for Overture. It’s a game that genuinely scared me, and stuck with me for all of these years. It laid the groundwork for Frictional Games’ outstanding catalog, including the Amnesia games and my personal favorite of theirs: Soma.