We’re Doing Something Much Darker: Shocktober 2017
Hey, folks! I know it’s been a rough year, and the idea of purposely indulging in more anxiety by way of horror movie sounds like the wrong prescription for 2017, but to each their own. For me, horror movies are a way to work out my issues, and confront them. It’s a safe place to get uncomfortably close to the things that keep me up at night, and work through my reactions to them.
They’re also, quite often, a hell of a lot of fun!
If you’re unfamiliar with Shocktober, it’s a list of 31 horror movies to watch throughout October. Though my wife and I have been making our own lists privately for years, in 2013, I started publishing them online, too. (Here are the list for 2013, 2014, 2015, and, uh, I guess I didn’t publish 2016 online?)
The goal isn’t to watch all 31 movies, it’s to watch as much as you can, and if you’re not familiar with horror, my list can be a guide. It’s a mixture of notable horror movies being released in theaters (or on demand) that month, great horror that was released earlier in the year, old favorites, and random junk. You’re free to mix, match, and change movies as you see fit. The list is yours.
As part of Shocktober 2017, I’ve temporarily revived my horror podcast, Til Death Do Us Part. Once upon a time, pre-child, we were recording these once a week, but that fell apart almost immediately after Jessica was born. Though our free time remains at a minimum, I’m hoping the recording of this episode — where we talk about IT, Gerald’s Game, Killing Ground, and making this year’s list —will provide some motivation to get the energy back each week.
All that said, here’s Shocktober for 2017. I’m as excited as you are.