Every year, for no one’s benefit but my own, I start a running list of my seasonal viewing and publish it here.

It’s thinly veiled as a public service announcement, offering up a selection of horrific options and where one might find them.

First, let’s start with the out-of-the-house, in-theater experiences (!)

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice — seen on opening night with JaxKid, after seeing the original in the theater 36 years ago. The nostalgia was high and there are a few laugh-out-loud moments, but nothing beats the original. Thanks to the Beacon Cinema for leaning into the experience!

Terrifier 3 — I jumped on the Terrifier train a couple of years ago, and ironically found myself with some time to see the third installment in the theater while away at a bucolic, New England wedding at the height of foliage season. It turns out apple cider and bodily dismemberment do mix.

Thanks to Essex Cinema for your hospitality and epic popcorn.

The First Omen — I wasn’t expecting this to be as good nor as gory as it was, but i give it four and a half out of five burning nuns.

V/H/S 94 — This might be one of my favorite franchises, and it gives new directors a great platform. They’re rarely well balanced anthologies, but some aspects always seem to stand out; this time around, the short film The Subject by Timo Tjahjanto and the fauxmercial Veggie Chopper were the highlights.

Syfy ran a marathon of the original Twilight Zone with Rod Serling recently; I turned it on expecting to watch about 15 minutes for posterity, and ended up plowing through at least a dozen episodes as the evening waned on.

Open Water 3* — I watched this for half an hour before I realized I’d already seen it. It’s not as cage-diving related as the title might suggest; still, if you’re going to binge the Open Water series, it’s not a bad ender.

A Nightmare on Elm Street* (original, Johnny Depp recipe) — I got to watch this on one of those coveted, marathon-in-a-hotel moments in life, wherein you get to watch a series of movies in between whatever event you’re attending. In this case, we saw part of Elm Street on a table tv while eating dinner, and this photo is everything:

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors* — I remember this installment more than the original, based on my age; same goes for Return of the Jedi. How earnest was the attempt to make Heather Langenkamp middle-aged.

Freddy vs. Jason* — I like the little wink at the end. All of the Freddy action was courtesy of AMC’s Fearfest, btw: the OG of All Hallows Programming.

House of Wax* — A bit of an underrated horror entree of the aughts, and a great source of content for anyone seeking proof of Paris Hilton’s real voice.

Final Destination 2 and 5** — Another franchise I love, these installments are best described as “the log truck” and “the bridge,” and follow the usual cadre of unlikely souls trying to cheat death.

A Nightmare Before Christmas* — required viewing in at least one of two relevant months, we’re out of the gate early this year due to JaxKid’s renewed fascination.

Poltergeist* — On TV as I type! This was the film that scared the poop out of me when I was a kid. It really does hold up, too.

MaXXXine — Perhaps it’s not the best of the trilogy, but Pearl and X are such bangers, that’s like saying the McChicken sucks compared to the McDouble or the Filet o’ Fish. Are they in the same echelon of quality? No. But all three are pretty damn tasty.

Coraline — I missed this one when it came out and only watched it this year at JaxKid’s recommendation, but talk about some freaky animation and buttons sewn in your eye sockets. Jeez.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones* — I got about a 1/4 of the way in before I realized I’d already seen this Paranormal installment and that it wasn’t very good. Still, it’s a great franchise.

V/H/S Beyond — Another great franchise; Beyond isn’t too far behind The Marked Ones in terms of disappointing sequels, but true to any anthology film, it has its high points.

*Denotes a rewatch