Hey there, you spooky ghouls and goblins! We have finally reached the best time of the year: Fall! Not only does the weather, usually, get cooler but it is the perfect excuse to devour all things creepy and crawly. This year, I have decided to chronicle my Halloween adventures and share them with you! Hopefully, I’ll be able to put some spooktacular things on your radar. I am going to try to read 13 books and watch all of the creepy movies and tv shows I can get my grubby hands on. Now, I don’t think this has to be said but just to cover my ass: I am NOT a movie critic or professional book reviewer. I just want to share my opinion and feelings about my favorite genre, horror. Let’s get started! This week, I was able to read one book, watch 2 movies, and watch one tv show.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Rating: 3.5/5
Before I get started on this review, I just wanted to give you some context. This year, I have made a resolution to finish every book I have started. You see, I’m really good at not finishing things so I wanted to try my hand at actually finishing a book! Wow, a concept! I started this book back in mid-September, but I was soooo not in the mood to read. Which is why I didn’t finish this book until the beginning of October. With that being said, let’s get into my actual thoughts about this book. Spoiler free, of course.
This book is set in 1950s Mexico, where we are following debutante Noemí who has received a very strange letter from her distressed cousin, Catalina. You see, newlywed Catalina has moved out to the middle of nowhere with her new man, but married life isn’t as cracked up as it seems to be. She claims that she is hearing voices and seeing things in her new home, High Place. She also thinks she may be getting poisoned by her new family. With that information, obviously Noemí decides to pay her dear cousin a visit and get to the bottom of this mysterious letter. Upon her arrival, Noemí is immediately concerned about her cousin. Things are definitely not what they seem to be at High Place.
Now, I will not lie to you; this book is a little boring. I don’t know if that is just because I read this during a reading slump or what, but I had such a hard time staying interested. That being said, this book is still very creepy. The atmosphere of High Place is weird, the family is weird, everything is weird. I enjoyed the creepy and weird elements this book had, but it just wasn’t enough to keep my attention. When it comes to Noemí, I really enjoyed her character. She’s young and still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, which I can relate to. I loved following her and trying to figure out the mystery of High Place. I gave this book a 3.5/5 because I thought it had some great elements. We have a creepy house and a creepy family, but also, we have dreams playing a strong role in the story. I really want to reread this book without taking so long to finish it. I want to give this story the chance it deserves. Overall, I think this is an excellent choice for anyone looking into a slow burn, creepy house story.
Scare Me (2020)
Rating: 3/5
This 2020 Shudder original film stars writer/director Josh Ruben and Aya Cash swapping scary stories in a cabin during a power outage. Now, this was an interesting movie to kick off spooky season and I still don’t really know how I feel about it. This film was more of a commentary on horror than a horror movie. The characters were very aware of the tropes, the storytelling and the types of writers that pervade the horror genre. It was a fun way to explore a genre that I absolutely love. I loved how the stories were told in this film, they were able to morph imagination with reality in a really unique way. However, this movie really dragged. I mean it isn’t the longest horror movie I have seen, but I was definitely counting down the minutes until it was over. I ended up rating this film a 3/5 because it was such a unique take on horror commentary. The characters were a bit much at times and it felt a little long, but the way the stories were told really saved this movie. I recommend this if you are looking for something unique and goofy.
The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020)
Rating: 1/5
This sequel follows the first Babysitter film two years later. We are watching Cole try to cope with his experiences in the first film, while everyone tries to convince him it didn’t happen. When he finds out that his parents are planning on taking him to a psychiatric high school (are those actually real?), he decides to ditch school with his crush and go to a party on a houseboat for the weekend. Once he arrives, he realizes that all of the people he defeated 2 years ago have come back from the depths of Hell and they want revenge.
Oof, did I absolutely despise this film! Wow! What a dumpster fire. Okay, let’s back up. So the first film, I actually really liked. I wasn’t expecting to like The Babysitter because it had some actors in it that I thought were kinda annoying. However, I didn’t mind them! I thought it was a fun, quirky movie about a Satanist blood cult. What a fun time! Now, Killer Queen is a different story.
I hated everyone in this movie. They were all so annoying and no one was funny. I don’t think I laughed once! This movie’s plot was simple, basically the exact same thing as the first one, but the way the story was told was so messy. I mean, they tried to do these “flashbacks” for the people that came back from Hell to show why they were a part of this Satanist blood cult. But those were so poorly done, I didn’t know what they were about. I mean I couldn’t tell if it was from the past (like before the first film) or if it was their experiences in Hell. I was confused. Honestly, I don’t understand why people like this film because I was losing brain cells watching it. I can only hope that the rest of October will only go up from here. I rated this a 1/5. I would give it 0 stars if I could. Cole’s 3-piece suit that he wore deserves negative stars.
Halloween Wars
This show is a freaking must! If you love cooking competitions and Halloween, you need to watch Halloween Wars. This Food Network show is about 6 teams composed of a pumpkin carver, surger artist, and cake artist competing for $50,000. Each episode they have to combine their skills to create a horrific Halloween masterpiece. This show is so entertaining to watch! I love the drama, the creations, and the spooky vibes. I highly recommend this show if you want to watch some amazing creations come to life!
Well, this was definitely a very interesting start to October. I can’t wait to dive into some more spooky shit! I hope that y’all have a spooktacular month and for God’s sake please don’t watch The Babysitter: Killer Queen. Save yourself!
PRESSED 