SeñorScary.com

Every year I look forward to January, primarily because it's my time to catch up physically, psychologically and even spiritually after the hustle & bustle that stretches from September through December. I've been updating the Halloween site with my 2019 photos and haven't really covered my Halloween shenanigans from 2019. My dear friend Britta Peterson (right) and her husband Glen Simon were in a house selling/buying frenzy so as the Scream Team we decided to have Eerie Elegance do a takeover of my yard haunt! We chose a revival of the 2015 Day of the Dead display, our greatest collaboration to date, which features large colorful tombstones, 300 flickering candles, ghostly projected figures, and a full animatronic skeleton band playing and telling a story! Many of the larger tombstones we used in 2015 had been lost, so Britta recreated them from scratch. We also remade a large portion of the candles, each hand wired & soldered. She is a very talented, tenac

Underwater is a solid if unremarkable entry in aquatic #horror that ultimately reveals a glorious creature worth the deep dive. The pace is steady, production design is admirable & the cast is leagues above the paper thin story that has nothing to say. Fun but forgettable. Harpoon is a nasty thriller that dares to dissect a thrupple composed of really awful caricatures & feels like an indictment of aimless youth. I didn't buy these people as friends & the dark humor wasn't as funny as it thought it was. But there's a splattering of occasional gore & whiplash reveals to keep things lively. Little Monsters is the feel good zombie movie we've been waiting for. Lupita Nyong'o is the charismatic wonder at the center of this very funny, clever & even touching film that transcends the gimmicky set up. The Dead Center manages an intriguing setup but keeps the story underdeveloped relying on performances & plot to move t

The Grudge  has a promising director, solid cast & interesting structure but it’s still soggy schlock that lacks clear rules, dimensional characters or compelling storytelling. It sadly meanders towards a stopping point with little suspense & predictable scares. In Fabric weaves a hypnotic tale about a haunted dress that sways brazenly between Giallo horror & humour. It’s oddly satirical, sensually twisted & visually bewitching. A love letter to the devilish films of the 60s/70s, albeit with whispered British wit & style to burn. Girl On The Third Floor succeeds at disrupting haunted house tropes, with style, humor & buckets of goop. But the plot fails to gel with an underdeveloped story & unclear rules. The quirky casting keeps you engaged but ultimately the film loses all its marbles by the end.

That's a wrap on 2019 and another wealth of horror movies have left their mark. The mash-up genre trend continues as well as the odes to the memorable if not great films of the late 70s & 80s. New indie voices continue to dominate the VOD home market as film distribution bypass the erratic theatrical runs in favor of streaming. This is definitely a victory for horror & genre fans as we are getting to see a great variety of films. Below is a list of my favorite movies for 2019, as well as a list of honorable mentions that must be seen. 1. The Lighthouse - Madness & monsters overcome two isolated men is this masterpiece. 2. In Fabric - A haunted dress arthouse horror with humor & style to burn. 3. Daniel Isn’t Real - Old-school & disturbing horror show with a serious agenda. 4. Doctor Sleep - An inspired Shining sequel that furthers the story with great new evils. 5. Tigers Are Not Afraid - Deeply moving & ghostly fantasy that is

My prediction: 2020 is going to be a frightfest.