Halloween Sci-Fi Horror Fest
The annual October Horror Fest at the Konkoly house took an unexpected detour for 2020. In years past, the film festival leading up to Halloween has taken a familiar path. We slowly raise our anxiety levels over 31 days with classic slasher films like HALLOWEEN or SCREAM (we steer clear of the gratuitous stuff…no SAW); supernatural creep shows like HEREDITARY, THE CONJURING or THE SHINING; suspense on par with ESCAPE ROOM, US or new INVISIBLE MAN. There’s no list. The movies ideas flow throughout each day, until we settle down on the couch and argue intensely for several minutes. Happens every time!
To avoid the inevitable “debate,” our daughter created a schedule and handed it out in late September. Six movies a week. Some newer releases we haven’t seen, but mostly the “classics.” She even threw the old CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON into the mix. Son of Svengoolie would have been proud…Berwyn! (Chicagoland shoutout!).
Halfway through October Horror Fest, I quietly negotiated the screening of SPUTNIK, a Russian film that looked promising. The trailer looked good, and l swore to the crew that we could shut it down and switch back to the list if it didn’t meet expectations. I also promised to watch the assigned movie, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID THE SUMMER BEFORE LAST SUMMER BEFORE LAST SUMMER, later that evening. It was worth the sacrifice.
Not only did SPUTNIK live up to expectations, it sparked a shift in Horror Fest. A HORROR SCI-FI splinter list of additional movies to watch in October. My hope is that some of these will make the core OCTOBER HORROR FEST list next year. Not that I need an excuse to watch any of these over and over again.
In no particular order. Click the titles for the IMDB (movie database) page, which tells you exactly where (streaming service) to find these gems.
Somehow, this movie gets better every time I watch it. Its sequel, ALIENS, is another masterpiece. The rest of the sequel franchise is spotty, but the prequel line, starting with PROMETHEUS. As a reader, if you want to dig deep into the world of Alien, I highly recommend the newly published ALIEN TRILOGY.
A Sci-Fi horror classic. What did the ship Event Horizon bring back from beyond?
A Russian film with subtitles. Well done all around, with one twist after another. The 1980’s Soviet Union backdrop is perfectly executed.
What can I say about this classic that hasn’t already been said? A thoughtful, tense and downright frightening movie. Plus Kurt Russell in one of his best roles.
Like what you're reading?
If you're enjoying this article, why not join the DSF community for more awesome content? You'll get to be notified whenever a new top 10 list, or any other articles of interest goes up on our site. It's free to sign up and you'
ll also get recommendations for new releases and discounted ebooks from our expert editorial team, from bestsellers to hidden gems.
The 1956 version kept me checking under the bed for weeks when I saw it as an elementary schooler. The latest version is equally as terrifying.
I’m not the biggest fan of “lost footage” movies, but this one had me yelling at the screen…in a good way. Truly one of the most uniquely disturbing films I had seen in a while.
This movie alone has convinced me that it’s not a good idea for us to be bringing deep space samples of anything back to earth.
A perfectly suspenseful, slow-burn (pun intended) until the shocking end. A must see.
Great race-against-the-clock premise. Vin Diesel. The ultimate “wrong place at the wrong time” horror film.
Space-Energy vampires. Need I say more? This movie is fast paced, fun and quiet frightening. Gets a little crazy at the end, but why not?
Steven Konkoly is the USA Today bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas.
His canon of THRILLERS includes: the FRACTURED STATE trilogy, a “24-style,” near future conspiracy series set in the southwest United States; the BLACK FLAGGED books, a gritty, no-holds barred covert operations and espionage saga; and the ALEX FLETCHER books, a tense, thriller epic, chronicling the aftermath of an inconceivable attack on the United States. He recently released HOT ZONE, the first book in a thriller series chronicling the events surrounding a bioweapons attack against the United States.
You can contact Steven directly by email or through his blog.