horror news | Nightmare Nostalgia

It’s beginning to smell a lot like FEARFEST.

It’s the most wonderful time of year again, and AMC is in full swing with their chainsaws, machetes, and kitchen knives, bringing their annual FEARFEST to our horror-loving eyeballs. Starting September 27th, the annual horror-thon kicks off and runs throughout October, leading up to Halloween night.

And THANK LOOMIS we actually get the 1981 version of HALLOWEEN II this year. It’s not a valid Halloween lineup without it!

Everyone is waiting for the full schedule, but AMC online already has half the schedule completely available for those interested. I’ll keep updating this as the rest of the schedule releases!

Saturday, September 27th

11:00am The Lost Boys

1:00pm Beetlejuice

9:00pm The Lost Boys

11:00pm They Live

Sunday, September 28th

1:00am Pet Sematary

3:00am The Dead Zone

5:30am The Crazies

8:00am Final Destination

10:00am Final Destination 2

12:00pm Final Destination 3

2:00pm The Final Destination

4:00pm Final Destination 5

6:00pmThe Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

7:08pm The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

8:16pm Ride With Norman Reedus S7 E3

9:19pm The Final Destination

11:19pm Final Destination 5

Monday, September 29th

1:19am The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

6:30am Se7en

9:30am House of Wax

12:00pm The Green Mile

4:00pm Independence Day

7:00pm Signs

9:30pm 28 Days Later

Tuesday September 30th

6:15am 1408

8:45am Independence Day

11:45am Signs

2:15pm The Exorcist

5:00pm The Shining

8:30pm Misery

10:59pm Creepshow

Wednesday October 1st

6:00am Body Snatchers

8:00am They Live

10:00am Pumpkinhead

12:00pm Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

2:00pm Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

4:00pm Halloween

6:00pm Halloween II

8:00pm Halloween III: Season of the Witch

10:00pm The Return of the Living Dead

Thursday October 2nd

12:00am Night of the Living Dead

6:00am Prince of Darkness

8:30am Thirteen Ghosts

10:30am House of Wax

1:00pm Final Destination 3

3:00pm Trick ‘r Treat

5:00pm Friday the 13th

7:00pm Jeepers Creepers

9:00pm Jeepers Creepers 2

11:15pm The Final Destination

Friday October 3rd

6:00am Carrie

8:15am Graveyard Shift

10:15am Misery

12:45pm Christine

2:45pm Carrie

5:00pm It

8:00pm Pet Sematary

10:00pm Pet Sematary Two

Saturday October 4th

12:00am Gremlins

2:30am Fright Night

5:00am Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

7:00am Friday the 13th — A New Beginning

9:00am Friday the 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives

11:00am Friday the 13th Part VII — The New Blood

1:00pm Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

3:00pm Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

5:00pm Friday the 13th

7:00pm Friday the 13th, Part 2

9:00pm Friday the 13th Part 3

11:00pm Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

Sunday October 5th

1:00am Friday the 13th — A New Beginning

3:00am Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare

5:00am A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

7:00am A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

9:15am A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

11:30am A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge

1:30pm A Nightmare on Elm Street

3:45pm Freddy vs. Jason

6:00pm The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

7:25pmThe Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

8:50pm The Conjuring

Monday October 6th

6:00am

Invasion of the Neptune Men

6:15am Hellboy

8:15am Stigmata

10:30am House on Haunted Hill

12:30pm The Cabin in the Woods

2:30pm House of Wax

5:00pm Ghost Ship

7:00pm Thirteen Ghosts

9:00pm Jeepers Creepers

11:00pm Cabin Fever

Tuesday October 7th

1:00am Piranha 3D

6:00am Eight Legged Freaks

8:30am Leprechaun

10:30am Pumpkinhead

12:30pm The Thing

3:00pm Pet Sematary

5:00pm Lake Placid

7:00pm Tremors

9:00pm Child’s Play

11:00pm Cujo

Wednesday October 8th

1:00am Anaconda

6:00am The People Under the Stairs

8:30am Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare

10:30am Wes Craven’s New Nightmare

1:00pm Candyman

3:00pm Friday the 13th

5:00pm A Nightmare on Elm Street

7:55pm Freddy vs. Jason

10:50pm Jason X

Thursday October 9th

6:00am War of the Colossal Beast

6:15am The Exorcist

9:00am Poltergeist

11:30am Stephen King’s It S1 E1

1:45pm Stephen King’s It S1 E2

4:00pm Christine

6:00pm It

9:00pm The Conjuring

11:30pm Insidious: The Last Key

Friday October 10th

2:15am Voodoo Woman

2:30am Violent Midnight

2:45am Corridors of Blood

6:00am The Creation of the Humanoids

6:15am Corridors of Blood

6:30am Violent Midnight

6:45am A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

9:00am A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

11:00am Halloween III: Season of the Witch

1:00pm Halloween

3:00pm Halloween II

5:00pm Halloween

7:30pm Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

9:30pm Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

11:30pm Tales From the Darkside: The Movie

Saturday October 11th

1:30am Killer Klowns From Outer Space

3:30am The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

5:30am The Cabin in the Woods

7:30am Scream 4

10:00am Final Destination

12:00pm Final Destination 2

2:00pm Final Destination 3

4:00pm The Final Destination

6:00pm Final Destination 5

8:00pm Final Destination

10:00pm Trick ‘r Treat

Sunday, October 12

3:00am They Live

5:00am Fright Night

7:30am A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge

9:30am Poltergeist

12:00pm Silver Bullet

2:00pm Christine

4:00pm The Lost Boys

6:00pm The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

S3 E6

7:16pm The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

8:32pm Friday the 13th

10:32pm The Crazies

Monday October 13

6:00am Creepshow

9:00am Child’s Play

11:00am Halloween III: Season of the Witch

1:00pm Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

3:00pm Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

5:00pm Halloween

7:00pm Halloween II

9:00pm Scream 4

11:30pm Final Destination 5

Tuesday October 14th

6:00am Fright Night

8:30am Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare

10:30am A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

12:30pm A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

2:45pm A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

5:00pm A Nightmare on Elm Street

7:15pm A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge

9:15pm Wes Craven’s New Nightmare

11:45pm The People Under the Stairs

Wednesday, October 15th

6:15am Invasion of the Neptune Men

6:30am The Dead Zone

9:00am Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

11:00am The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

1:00pm Ghost Ship

3:00pm Trick ‘r Treat

5:00pm Jeepers Creepers

7:00pm I Know What You Did Last Summer

9:15pm House of Wax

11:45pm 1408

Thursday October 16th

6:00am The Possession

8:00am The Shining

11:30am Carrie

1:45pm The Omen

4:15pm The Omen

6:45pm Carrie

9:00pm The Crazies

11:30pm 28 Days Later

Friday October 17th

6:00am Candyman

8:00am Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

10:00am

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

12:00pm Friday the 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives

2:00pm Friday the 13th Part VII — The New Blood

4:00pm Freddy vs. Jason

6:15pm Friday the 13th

8:15pm Friday the 13th, Part 2

10:15pm Friday the 13th – Part III

Wednesday, October 22

4:30 pm: Jeepers Creepers
6:30 pm: Halloween (2007)
9 pm: Ghost Ship
11 pm: Friday the 13th (2009)

Thursday October 23rd

6 pm: Trick ‘r Treat
8 pm: I Know What You Did Last Summer
10:15 pm: Scream 4

Friday October 24th

11:30 am: The Exorcist
2:15 pm: The Shining
5:45 pm: Poltergeist
8:15 pm: The Conjuring
10:45 pm: The Omen (2006)
1:15 am: Insidious: The Last Key

Saturday, October 25

11:30 am: The Exorcist
2:15 pm: The Shining
5:45 pm: Poltergeist
8:15 pm: The Conjuring
10:45 pm: The Omen (2006)
1:15 am: Insidious: The Last Key

Sunday, October 26

11 am: Final Destination (2000)
1 pm: Final Destination 2
3 pm: Final Destination 3
5 pm: The Final Destination (2009)
7 pm: Final Destination 5

Monday, October 27

7 pm: Thir13en Ghosts
9 pm: House of Wax (2005)
11:30 pm: Ghost Ship

Tuesday, October 28

6 pm: Final Destination 5
8 pm: Final Destination (2000)
10: pm: Trick ‘r Treat

Wednesday, October 29

7 pm: Poltergeist
9:30 pm: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
11:45 pm: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge

Thursday, October 30

2 pm: Halloween III: Season of the Witch
4 pm: Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
6 pm: Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
8 pm: ; Halloween (2007)
10:30 pm: Halloween (1978)
12:30 am: Halloween II (1981)
2:30 am: Halloween III: Season of the Witch
4:30 am: Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

Friday, October 31 HALLOWEEN

6:30 am: Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
8:30 am: Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
10:30 am: Halloween (1978)
12:30 pm: Halloween II (1981)
2:30 pm: Halloween III: Season of the Witch
4:30 pm: Halloween (2007)
7 pm: Halloween (1978)
9 pm: Halloween II (1981)
11 pm: Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
1 am: Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
3 am: Halloween (1978)

HAPPY BINGING NUGGETS!

I’m almost certain that I hold the record on the horror blog Internet for writing the most pieces about HALLOWEEN 4– Dwight Little actually agrees with me– and it’s a crown I wear with pride as the Queen of Vincent Drug. To my surprise, however, I’ve never thrown in this little doozy of a retailer promo, which is another kryptonite of mine featuring THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS in all its glory.

In case you’re unfamiliar, a retailer promo is an early release of a VHS tape sent to video store owners that will ultimately either sway them to stock the shelves with said movie or give it a hard pass. In addition, some of these screeners would be sent to the media for review. Hard to imagine a time when critics would have to actually wait on the postman to deliver physical media as opposed to a screener email that can be obtained in under 60 seconds, eh?

Can we also appreciate this standee that was seen in Mom and Pop video shops? I covet thee so hard.

That being said, I don’t think HALLOWEEN 4 was ever going to be a hard sell to horror movie fans, but that, of course, never stops the PR machine from pimping the sequel for home video release like it was one of its top hookers on Broadway St. Hell, they were so confident in their success on the video rental market, they couldn’t even bother to spell Freddy’s Nightmares right when talking about television promo partnerships.

That’s a big dick move there, Mikey.

The street date for HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS landed on May 18th, 1989, just a few weeks after THEY LIVE and CHILD’S PLAY hit the shelves and five days before PUMPKINHEAD was added to the VHS horror movie rentals of ’89. 1988 was a HUGE year for horror movies-you can check my top 15 here-so therefore the Summer months following were a banger for us at the video rental stores.

I mean, they never had to oversell me. I’m the proud mom of two copies, while three others over the past 30 years have been laid to rest from being played to death.

Anyway, enjoy something that brings me a lot of personal joy and fuzziness. Huge shout-out to Tripsy Trailers for uploading this treasure for the rest of us!