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2019’s Best Horror Film and TV

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It’s that time of the year again!  The time when we google which films are the best that 2019 has brought us.

First off, I hate to be “that guy,” but I might be one of the only people that didn’t like Midsommar.  Maybe I was having an off day with my horror gene.  Maybe Jupiter was in retrograde.  Whatever the reason, it just wasn’t jelling with me.

If we all can’t agree about what is the best, at least we can agree about the disappointment in the reboots; namely Jacob’s Ladder & Grudge.

While this year has been full of great mainstream horror, and I am a sucker for the underdog horror, the horror that only us horror enthusiast know about.  These rare jems tend to be at the top of my “best” list.

There have also been some great horror series this past year.  They still appear to be dropping every month or so on streaming networks.  While I haven’t had the chance to view all of them yet, the ones I saw do feel to be on the “best of horror” list.

I don’t know if it’s because I am a comic book collector since the tender and impressionable age of 13, but I love me some Superhero cinema.  Imagine my excitement for 2019 beginning the new age of Superhero horror with films like; Brightburn, Doctor Sleep and of course Glass.

These Superhero horrors finally coming to light makes sense with this day and age of super hero blockbusters reigning at the movie theaters.  I for one am not complaining, long live Stan Lee!  I don’t want any part of a “best of” list that doesn’t mention these diamonds!

Well horror friends, here is MY top 19 best scary of 2019. Did you get to see all these on the list?  As the man himself said it best, Excelsior!

Happy Horror- Glenn Packard

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19. Haunted

 IMDb rating: 4.6

Movie Synopsis:

This reality series, which comes from the producers of “The Purge” and “Lore,” provides viewers with a chilling glimpse into first-person accounts of supernatural events. People who have witnessed horrifying, peculiar or extraordinary events tell their tales, which include how the unexplained phenomena continue to haunt them. Stories include a boy who is haunted by visions of a woman hanging in his closet and sisters who grew up in a real-life house of horrors with a sadistic father who did unspeakable things.

 

18. Annabelle Comes Home

IMDb rating: 5.9

Movie Synopsis:

Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren lock the possessed doll in the artifacts room in their house. But when the doll awakens the room’s evil spirits, it soon becomes an unholy night of terror for the couple’s 10-year-old daughter, her friends and their young baby sitter.

17. Crawl

IMDb rating: 6.2

Movie Synopsis:

When a massive hurricane hits her Florida town, young Haley ignores the evacuation orders to search for her missing father, Dave. After finding him gravely injured in their family home, the two of them become trapped by the rapidly encroaching floodwaters. With the storm strengthening, Haley and Dave discover an even greater threat than the rising water level — a relentless attack from a pack of gigantic alligators.

  16. Glass

IMDb rating: 6.7

Movie Synopsis:

David Dunn tries to stay one step ahead of the law while delivering vigilante justice on the streets of Philadelphia. His special talents soon put him on a collision course with the Beast — the psychotic madman who has superhuman strength and 23 distinct personalities. Their epic showdown leads them to an encounter with the mysterious Elijah Price, the criminal mastermind who holds critical secrets for both men.

15. YOU

IMDb rating: 8.3

Movie Synopsis:

What would you do for love? For a brilliant male bookstore manager who crosses paths with an aspiring female writer, this question is put to the test. A charming yet awkward crush becomes something even more sinister when the writer becomes the manager’s obsession. Using social media and the internet, he uses every tool at his disposal to become close to her, even going so far as to remove any obstacle –including people — that stands in his way of getting to her.

14. Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark

IMDb rating: 6.2 

Movie Synopsis:

The shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large in the small town of Mill Valley for generations. It’s in a mansion that young Sarah Bellows turns her tortured life and horrible secrets into a series of scary stories. These terrifying tales soon have a way of becoming all too real for a group of unsuspecting teens who stumble upon Sarah’s spooky home.

13. One Cut Of The Dead

IMDb rating: 7.7

Movie Synopsis:

Things go badly for a hack director and film crew shooting a low budget zombie film in an abandoned WWII Japanese facility when they are attacked by real zombies.

 

12. Godzilla: King of Monsters

IMDb rating: 6.1 

Movie Synopsis:

Members of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species-thought to be mere myths-rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.

11. Marianne

IMDb rating: 7.5

Movie Synopsis:

A famous horror writer who is lured back to her hometown discovers that the evil spirit who plagues her dreams is now wreaking havoc in the real world.

 

10. Escape Room

 

IMDb rating: 4.2

Movie Synopsis:

Six adventurous strangers travel to a mysterious building to experience the escape room — a game where players compete to solve a series of puzzles to win $10,000. What starts out as seemingly innocent fun soon turns into a living nightmare as the four men and two women discover each room is an elaborate trap that’s part of a sadistic game of life or death.

9. US

IMDb rating: 6.9

Movie Synopsis:

Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, Adelaide grows increasingly concerned that something bad is going to happen. Her worst fears soon become a reality when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilsons into a fight for survival. When the masks come off, the family is horrified to learn that each attacker takes the appearance of one of them.

8. The Perfection

IMDb rating: 6.1

Movie Synopsis:

A troubled musical prodigy and a new star pupil embark down a sinister path.

7. Haunt

IMDb rating: 6.3

Movie Synopsis:

On Halloween, a group of friends encounter an extreme haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears. The night turns deadly as they come to the horrifying realization that some nightmares are real.

 

6. Ready or Not

IMDb rating: 6.9

Movie Synopsis:

Grace couldn’t be happier after she marries the man of her dreams at his family’s luxurious estate. There’s just one catch — she must now hide from midnight until dawn while her new in-laws hunt her down with guns, crossbows and other weapons. As Grace desperately tries to survive the night, she soon finds a way to turn the tables on her not-so-lovable relatives.

5. Black Summer

IMDb rating: 6.3

Movie Synopsis:

Set in the “Z Nation” universe, this series follows a crack team of special forces as it fights for hope in the darkest hours of the zombie apocalypse.

4. Brightburn

 

IMDb rating: 6.2

Movie Synopsis:

After a difficult struggle with fertility, Tori Breyer’s dreams of motherhood come true with the arrival of a mysterious baby boy. Brandon appears to be everything Tori and her husband, Kyle, ever wanted — bright, talented and curious about the world. But as Brandon nears puberty, powerful darkness manifests within him, and Tori becomes consumed by terrible doubts about her son. Once Brandon begins to act on his twisted urges, those closest to him find themselves in grave danger.

3. IT: Chapter 2

IMDb rating: 6.7

Movie Synopsis:

Defeated by members of the Losers’ Club, the evil clown Pennywise returns 27 years later to terrorize the town of Derry, Maine, once again. Now adults, the childhood friends have long since gone their separate ways. But when people start disappearing, Mike Hanlon calls the others home for one final stand. Damaged by scars from the past, the united Losers must conquer their deepest fears to destroy the shape-shifting Pennywise — now more powerful than ever.

2. Belzebuth

 

IMDb rating: 6

Movie Synopsis:

After losing his family in an extremely tragic way, Detective Ritter must investigate a massacre at a school perpetrated by a student

1. Doctor Sleep

IMDb rating: 7.5

Movie Synopsis:

Struggling with alcoholism, Dan Torrance remains traumatized by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child. His hope for a peaceful existence soon becomes shattered when he meets Abra, a teen who shares his extrasensory gift of the “shine.” Together, they form an unlikely alliance to battle the True Knot, a cult whose members try to feed off the shine of innocents to become immortal.

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Honorable mention:

In Search of Darkness: A Journey into Iconic ’80s Horror

I highly recommend anybody that grew up in the 80’s or loves 80’s horror to watch this, so inspiring.

 

Read what my friend Brianna Spieldenner thinks are the best horror poster’s of 2019 here!

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Movies

‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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