October Horror Movie Challenge: Death of a Unicorn (2025)

 Time for a change of pace.

Death of a Unicorn (2025)

There are movies that wear their absurdity on their sleeve, and then there are movies that gallop straight into it, horn first. Death of a Unicorn (2025) is one of those. The premise is crazy, Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega hitting a unicorn with their car and unleashing a nightmare of greed and magical revenge. The fact that it works as well as it does is thanks to the cast.

Paul Rudd is, well, Paul Rudd. He brings that mix of charm, mild panic, and solid dad-energy that makes him endlessly watchable. Jenna Ortega continues her streak as the reigning queen of genre roles, grounding the film with sharp wit and quiet vulnerability, giving us a protagonist we actually care about.

Téa Leoni, always a favorite of mine, doesn’t get the most screen time, but she brings her trademark brittle elegance to the mix. Every line lands with just the right shade of weary sharpness. And Richard E. Grant? He’s wonderfully smarmy, the kind of aristocratic villain you almost want more of. He struts (well...later) through the film with a silky menace that makes you grin even as you know he deserves everything coming to him. Even Will Poulter is great, even though you are really meant to hate his character.

The movie itself wavers between tones; part dark fantasy, part satire, part B-movie creature feature. The unicorn isn’t some gentle pastel icon; it’s something primal and dangerous, and its kin don’t take kindly to exploitation. There are moments that lean into corporate satire (pharmaceutical execs drooling over magical healing properties) and others that just revel in monster-movie chaos. When it sticks to the latter, it’s bloody fun. 

Is it perfect? No. The CGI stumbles in places, and the script sometimes feels torn between camp and sincerity. But it’s a strange, bold little film that earns its cult label by sheer commitment to its idea.

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

Death of a Unicorn feels like a mid-campaign side quest gone horribly wrong. The party (dad and daughter) accidentally slay a sacred creature. The loot (a unicorn corpse) turns out to be cursed, attracting the attention of rival NPCs (the Leopolds) who want to weaponize it. Cue the wilderness fighting back with angry spirit-beasts.

Your players will never look at unicorns the same way!

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 20
First Time Views: 18

October Horror Movie Challenge: Gods of the Deep (2023)

Tonight's move was another attack of opportunity. My wife doesn't like horror films. She has been wanting to watch some more with me this week and so we picked this one. She does like deep-sea movies, and she likes Lovecraft. So hey, maybe this one will be good. 

No. No it was not.

Gods of the Deep (2023)

I am going to give them this. They tried. Lovecraft is notoriously difficult to get right on screen. But this one is just bad.

Long story short...The Pickman Corporation sends a crew to the deep ocean. Horror ensues. 

I mean the acting is all over the place, the sets...well, I swear there was a screen door on the submarine. Maybe it was there as a joke. 

The creature was neat looking, but the sub-par CGI kinda ruined it. And really, why are the characters not freaking out more? 

Honestly, now I just want to find a good Kaiju movie to wash out the bad taste from this one.

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT/Thirteen Parsecs

Again, this is good NIGHT SHIFT and Thirteen Parsecs crossover. 

The tech is from 13P, and the setup is pure NIGHT SHIFT. It is a haunted house, except the house is the ocean floor and the ghost is a 100 foot tall abomination from beyond the stars.

Replace the ocean with space and you have my Black Star game.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 19
First Time Views: 17

October Horror Movie Challenge: Ed and Lorraine Warren Documentaries - The Conjuring Series

 It's Sunday. I am coming down from my Conjuring high, but I still wanted some more. Since I allow myself at least one night of documentaries, I am taking it tonight with some documentaries about Ed and Lorraine Warren's best-known cases.

Amityville Horror House (2021)

This one covers Ed and Lorraine's most famous case, the Amityville Horror House. Interestingly enough this one was not made into a Conjuring movie. Likely because there have been so many Amityville movies already. 

We start with Ronald DeFeo Jr. and the mass murder of his family in 1974. We spend a little bit of time with this case and DeFeo making claims of ghosts and devils in the house.  

The documentary quickly shifts to George and Kathy Lutz. This is the big Amityville story. I do love how the so-called "paranormal investigators" speak with such authority. Silly for reality, but great for games.

We go through the Lutzes' stay in the house day by day. It is rather fun going through it all. 

Oh, drinking game, every time they give you the full address, 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, Long Island, NY, drink. 

Ed and Lorraine Warren show up about 2/3's of the way through. And yes, that is Poison drummer Rikki Rockett giving us his expert opinion on the Amityville House.

The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

This is the case that also gave us Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) from last night. We now move to Brookfield, CT in 1981. This is the second documentary I have seen on this. I think I saw it on Netflix (very likely. Edited, yes.) and it was better than this one. This one, though, does have some footage of Lorraine Warren from 2005. 

It covers the possession of David, the murder by Johnson, and his trial. Of course, the involvement of the Warrens.

It's fun, but not as, dare I say, "good" as the Amityville Horror House one.

I freely admit I like Ed and Lorraine Warren. It is very, very obvious they would not have liked me; a skeptical atheist trained as a rationalist. Although I am not immune to the lure of empiricism, Warren and I would differ on what constitutes experience.  

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

While nothing for Occult D&D (as such) there two great ideas we can get from this all. First and most obviously is the haunted house. It's no exaggeration to say that Amityville is the best-known haunted house in America. 

Second is the idea of a demonic possession as a cause/reason for a crime. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 15
First Time Views: 11

October Horror Movie Challenge: Conjuring Last Rites (2025) - The Conjuring Series

 I had hoped this would happen. The last Conjuring movie became available for rent on Amazon earlier this week. So let's get to it!

Conjuring Last Rites (2025)  - Conjuring Timeline 1964, 1986

Last Rites arrives as the final chapter of the Conjuring saga (for Ed & Lorraine at least), and that weight is felt in every frame. It’s a film that knows it’s wrapping up decades of lore, and it leans into both sentiment and spectacle to try to stick the landing.

The film opens in 1964, with Ed and Lorraine (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, as steady and soulful as ever) investigating a haunting tied to an antique mirror in a curio shop. Lorraine, pregnant with their first child, experiences a devastating vision—a demon intertwined with her unborn baby. She collapses, and though Ed rushes her to the hospital, the child is stillborn. Only Lorraine’s desperate prayer revives the infant. She names her Judy.

Fast-forward to 1986. The Smurl family moves into a home in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, Jack, Janet, their four daughters, and Jack’s parents. At Heather’s confirmation, her grandfather gifts her that same mirror. From there, it’s all downhill: flickering lights, things that move on their own, whispers in the dark, and the slow unraveling of a family under siege by forces they don’t understand.

Meanwhile, the Warrens are older now; tired, retired, and quietly fraying. Ed’s heart is failing. Their lectures draw smaller crowds. And Judy (Sterling Jerins returning, all grown up) is seeing visions she can no longer ignore. When Father Gordon dies under mysterious circumstances while investigating the Smurl haunting, Judy defies her parents and sets out to confront what she’s certain is her demon.

That middle act, with Judy taking the lead, is where the movie really picks up. It’s not just another haunted house story, it’s generational horror. The sins and miracles of the parents come back to claim the child.

What follows is the most intense final act in the franchise. Lorraine realizes that the three ghosts tormenting the Smurls, a man, his wife, and her mother, are merely puppets, enslaved by the demon from that mirror. Judy becomes the true target, and when the demon possesses her, the Warrens must face not just the supernatural, but their greatest fear: losing their daughter to the very darkness they’ve spent their lives fighting.

The film’s climax mirrors (pun intended) the first scene. Judy, possessed, attempts to hang herself, echoing Lorraine’s near-death childbirth from years before. Once again, prayer and love pull her back, and together, mother and daughter channel Lorraine’s psychic gifts to destroy the mirror once and for all. The demon is banished, the Smurls find peace, and the cursed artifact joins the Warrens’ museum—where we know it’s just waiting for the next poor soul to stare too long into the glass.

It all ends with Judy’s wedding to Tony (a nice bit of light after all the darkness), and Lorraine’s final vision of the peaceful years ahead. For once, the Warrens get a moment of grace.

Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga return one last time as Ed and Lorraine with all the wear, faith, and heartbreak the roles now demand. Their chemistry still holds, and there are moments late in the film where you feel the years of fights, scars, and losses between them. If you came to this movie first, you would wonder what this was all about. There is certainly a lot of "final lap" feel about this movie. 

As I mentioned earlier, I'm a fan of these characters and actors, which makes me the target audience for this fan service.

The Future

This movie did quite well in the theatres. So well, I have a hard time believing that this will be the last one. Maybe Judy (who is a real person, mind you) will pick up the demon-hunting mantle. 

I have an idea for my wrap-up of this series tomorrow.

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

For NIGHT SHIFT:

This movie is a character-driven campaign come to life. Judy embodies that archetype perfectly, a character whose power is both blessing and burden. You could easily model her as a Theosophist or Psychic, haunted by inherited trauma, hunted by the very spirits she seeks to understand.

The mirror itself functions as a Cursed Relic, tied to a specific demon that imprints on bloodlines.

The multi-generational structure (Lorraine’s trauma → Judy’s possession) is a fantastic framework for a long-term NIGHT SHIFT campaign. The characters don’t just fight evil, they inherit it.

The exorcism and “last rites” sequence could be a full session in itself: simultaneous spiritual combat and physical rescue, with each failure raising the stakes for a possession save.

For Occult D&D:

In D&D terms, the demon would be a Bound Fiend, an entity once trapped by ritual, now reawakened through a cursed item. The mirror is the perfect anchor for a demonic spirit gone rogue.

Mirror Magic: Treat it as a magical focus that reflects the caster’s worst thoughts. Each time it’s used, there’s a chance to “call forth” the reflection’s demonic twin.

Intergenerational Curse: Perfect for a "Legacy Adventure," the descendants of past heroes confronting an evil they thought destroyed.

Final Rites: Could be written as a high-level Ritual spell, one that requires a familial bond between casters to complete.

Last Rites would make an excellent mini-campaign or one-shot finale: a family of psychic investigators confronting their own cursed inheritance.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 13
First Time Views: 11

October Horror Movie Challenge: Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) - The Conjuring Series

 Last night's Conjuring was rather fun. Here's hoping tonight's is as good. This is the third of the Conjuring films. 

Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) - Conjuring Timeline 1981

By the third Conjuring film, you’d expect the formula to start feeling very familiar: haunted family, demonic possession, big exorcism finale. But The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) takes a different angle, trading the haunted house structure for something closer to an occult detective story. It’s less about one cursed farmhouse and more about Ed and Lorraine Warren following a trail of dark magic through small towns, morgues, and courtrooms.

The film opens strong with a brutal exorcism sequence, one of the best in the series, where young David Glatzel is freed from possession only for the demon to leap into Arne Johnson. From there, we follow the Warrens as they try to prove Arne’s innocence in the first U.S. murder trial to claim “demonic possession” as a defense. Along the way, they uncover a hidden Satanic curse and a sinister occultist pulling the strings.

It’s a bold move. Instead of another “family in peril” story, this entry leans into mystery and investigation. That’s both its strength and its weakness. On the one hand, it freshens up the formula and gives Vera Farmiga’s Lorraine a lot more to do as she dives deeper into visions and psychic battles. On the other hand, the trade-off is fewer sustained scares. There are eerie moments, the waterbed sequence, the morgue encounter, but overall, it’s less terrifying than its predecessors.

What carries it, as always, are the performances. Wilson and Farmiga remain the franchise’s heart. Their relationship is the anchor in the storm, and this time their bond is tested harder than ever. Without them, the whole thing might feel like just another supernatural procedural. With them, it has warmth and weight.

In the end, The Devil Made Me Do It isn’t as tight or scary as The Conjuring or The Conjuring 2, but it’s a fascinating evolution. It opens the door for the franchise to move beyond just “scary houses” and into a broader world of occult threats. Think of it as a side quest that still matters, even if it doesn’t quite hit the natural 20 of the first two adventures.

I watched a documentary on the real case a while back. So I kinda knew what to expect here. 

Conjuring Last Rites was released as a rental earlier this week, so I am going to get to that one now.

Maybe I'll take on Insidious next. 

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

From a gamer’s perspective, this film feels like when the DM shifts the campaign from dungeon crawling to investigative play. The haunted house is behind you; now it’s about piecing together clues, following cultists, and uncovering who’s really behind the possession. The finale, with its showdown in an underground altar chamber, is pure “final dungeon” stuff, complete with cursed relics and a villain who thinks they’re untouchable.

It is a good template for occult investigation for any type of play.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 12
First Time Views: 10

October Horror Movie Challenge: The Conjuring 2 (2016) - The Conjuring Series

 After last night's disappointment, we come to the next movie, chronologically, and also a proper "main-line" sequel, 2016's Conjuring 2.

The Conjuring 2 (2016) - Conjuring Timeline 1976, 1977? (1979-1980)

I have run into my first dating controversy here. The movie and documentation online say this is taking place in 1977, but the movie's surroundings, Iron Lady Maggie on TV, and the Clash's "London Calling" put this more into 1979, but no later than 1980. It is based on The Enfield Case, which occurred between 1977 and 1979. The scenes with Ed, Lorraine, and Judy (who is still young here) take place in 1977, and they don't arrive in Enfield, London, until 1979 or so. Granted, I am only like 25 mins in, so this might all get explained to me later. Nope, an hour or so in Ed says it is 1977. 

The setup mirrors the first film: a struggling family, strange disturbances, and a spirit that won’t let go. This time, the Hodgson family is haunted by an old man who insists the house is his. Furniture moves, knocks echo through the walls, and young Janet Hodgson becomes the primary focus of the entity’s wrath. The Warrens (again, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) arrive to help, but soon realize something darker is at play. The setup mirrors the first film: a struggling family, strange disturbances, and a spirit that won’t let go. This time, the Hodgson family is haunted by an old man who insists the house is his. Furniture moves, knocks echo through the walls, and young Janet Hodgson becomes the primary focus of the entity’s wrath. The Warrens (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) arrive to help, but soon realize something darker is at play, namely our old friend Valak, the demon nun who would go on to terrify audiences in her own spinoffs, OR, if you are like me, watched first.

What makes The Conjuring 2 work is its confidence. Wan knows exactly how to stage a scare by this point, and he stretches them out like a conductor building a symphony. The “crooked man” sequence feels like something pulled straight out of a nightmare, while Valak’s appearances, especially the painting scene, are among the most iconic moments in modern horror. There is a reason these movies work so well, and this is just one of them.

But what really elevates the film is the heart. The Hodgsons are sympathetic, not just victims, and the Warrens are portrayed with warmth and sincerity. The scene of Ed singing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” to lighten the family’s spirits is pure magic; it’s the kind of character beat that makes the horror matter more because you want these people to survive. I am not sure if the real Ed and Lorraine could sing, but Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga certainly do. Patrick Wilson did a duet with Ghost's Tobias Forge covering the goth-rock "Stay" by Shakespears Sister. Vera Farmiga is also the lead in her own goth-metal band, "The Yagas."

I would like to give a special shout-out to the young Madison Wolfe in her dual roles as Janet Hodgson, who is fantastic as both the innocent Janet and the demon-possessed Janet. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are excellent as always. Wilson also shows a lot more of his comedic side, which is rather great. When Wilson (as Ed) picks up the gigantic VHS camera and puts it on his shoulder and exclaims, "Wow, it is so light!" I laughed out loud.

Valak

While this is the official introduction of the demon nun Valak, it's not my introduction.  Though let's be honest, her introduction here is top-notch. As a horror monster, she is right up there. Maybe not Dracula or Frankenstein's monster, iconic, but I like her better than Jason or Leatherface.  Credit to actress Bonnie Aarons for portraying her with such malevolence.  Yes, I want more of her, but I also don't want her to overstay her welcome.

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

From a gamer’s perspective, The Conjuring 2 is a masterclass in escalation. Start with the simple poltergeist (moving furniture, knocking sounds), then layer in possession, then reveal that it’s all a smokescreen for a greater evil pulling the strings. That’s exactly how you’d structure a multi-session horror campaign: minor encounters building to the reveal of the true Big Bad. And Valak? She’s the perfect boss monster, introduced with just enough mystery to keep the table buzzing long after the game ends.

I am now disappointed I didn't include Valac in my Left Hand Path book.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 11
First Time Views: 9

October Horror Movie Challenge: The Curse of La Llorona (2019) - The Conjuring Series

There is some debate on whether or not The Curse of La Llorona is really part of the Conjuring Universe. There are connections with characters, namely, Tony Amendola as Father Perez and much of the same production team. But it doesn't include the Warrens at all, which seems to be the defining element to be a proper Conjuring movie. But I have enjoyed tales about La Llorona in the past, so I wanted to include it. 

The Curse of La Llorona (2019) - Conjuring Timeline 1673, 1973

The highlight of this movie for me is Linda Cardellini as Anna Tate-Garcia, the case worker who uncovers the mystery of La Llorona.  

The story follows social worker Anna, who gets tangled up in the legend of La Llorona, the “Weeping Woman” cursed to wander the earth, drowning children to replace the ones she lost. Naturally, Anna’s own kids become the next target. With help from a former priest turned folk healer (Raymond Cruz), she has to protect them as the ghostly figure stalks the family through a series of dark nights and spectral encounters.

On its own terms, the movie is serviceable but forgettable. Sadly this is true for many of the La Llorona movies I have seen.  The scares are formulaic, long silences, sudden jolts, loud noises, bones cracking, and while La Llorona’s design is creepy enough, she never feels as iconic as Valak or even Annabelle. The performances are solid (Cardellini anchors the film with genuine emotion), but the script doesn’t give them much to work with beyond the usual haunted-house beats.

Where things get messy is the franchise connection. The film was marketed as part of the Conjuring universe, largely because of a cameo by Father Perez (Tony Amendola), the same priest from Annabelle (2014). But that’s it, no Warrens, no lore tie-ins, no connective tissue beyond a wink and a nod. The result is that La Llorona feels more like an afterthought than a true expansion of the world. It’s a missed opportunity: imagine if the film had really leaned into the folklore and shown us how global legends tie into the same demonic forces the Warrens fight. Instead, it plays like “Conjuring-lite.”

At the end of the day, The Curse of La Llorona is a footnote, a half-step: a film that wants to belong to the Conjuringverse but never quite earns its place. It’s not bad, exactly; it’s just uninspired. Horror fans deserved a folkloric deep dive; instead, they got a by-the-numbers spookfest with a brand-name label slapped on. The only thing that saves this is Linda Cardellini.

This was easily my least favorite so far. I'll go watch some Spanish-language La Llorona. They may not be any better, but at least I can practice my Spanish.

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

La Llorona could make a great folkloric monster. The archetype of the grief-stricken, child-stealing ghost is strong, perfect for Ravenloft or a NIGHT SHIFT. But in this film, the execution never matches the potential. It’s like the DM came up with a great monster idea but only used it for random jump scares instead of building a full scenario around it.

I get it. I have been following tales of La Llorona for decades. I wanted to use her in WitchCraft RPG buit never could get her just right. The same trouble, it seems, the filmmakers had here.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 10
First Time Views: 8

October Horror Movie Challenge: Annabelle Comes Home (2019) - The Conjuring Series

 I have to give credit to HBO Max, it has all the Conjuring movies in chronological and release order. So it has made it easy for me.  Tonight we come back to Annabelle and the Warrens.

Annabelle Comes Home (2019) - Conjuring Timeline 1972-1973

"She's in a case for a reason." Judy Warren on Annabelle.

This one picks up on a thread from Annabelle, the Warrens picking up the Annabelle doll from the nursing students.  As they drive home, we learn from Lorraine (again, the fantastic Vera Farmiga) that the doll attracts all sorts of wayward spirits. This is punctuated when Ed (the equally fantastic Patrick Wilson) is pushed out into the road in front of a moving truck by a ghost. He survives (we still have a lot more movies after all).  The scene where they bring the doll home and seal it up is genuinely creepy, but no scares, which works to the movie's favor. 

In this movie, we are joined by Mckenna Grace as Judy Warren, who might be one of the hardest-working young actresses in Hollywood. Seriously, go to her IMDB page.

So the big question here is: Annabelle has been featured in two movies already and mentioned in another (and movies I have not seen yet) what more could you possibly do with her? The answer, as it turns out, is “make her the centerpiece of a supernatural funhouse where every cursed object in the Warrens’ basement gets a chance to shine.” Sounds like a great adventure to me.

The setup is simple, and that’s what makes it work. The Warrens (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, in glorified cameos) head out of town, leaving their daughter Judy (Mckenna Grace) at home with babysitter Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman). Naturally, Annabelle gets loose, and soon every artifact in the Warrens’ collection is humming with malicious intent. Ghosts, specters, and demonic presences crawl out of the woodwork, turning the house into a siege of supernatural chaos.

Judy is the focus of this movie, showing some of her mother's gifts (she keeps seeing a dead priest), and as expected, she is the ostracized girl in school. The Warrens are not in this as much and you know what? You don't miss them even when their legacy looms large.

Aside. So far, this one has the best soundtrack of all the movies in the series.

If Annabelle (2014) was only ok, and Annabelle: Creation (2017) was genuinely creepy, then Annabelle: Comes Home lands somewhere in between, it’s less about building dread and more about delivering a “greatest hits” reel of haunted set-pieces. In that sense, it almost feels like an anthology: the Ferryman, the Hellhound, the Bride, each new apparition stealing a scene before Annabelle herself reminds us she’s still the queen of cursed dolls. Daniela's walk through the Warren's storeroom of haunted artifacts is actually is really fun. If you are a horror aficionado or a fan of the creepy and bizarre, there are plenty of recognizable items. 

As I mentioned above, the film’s secret weapon is Mckenna Grace. She gives Judy Warren a vulnerability and quiet strength that grounds the whole thing. She is really, really good. I am looking to seeing how much better she will get now that she can take on bigger roles. The supporting cast, especially Katie Sarife as the curious friend Daniela, brings warmth and humor to what could have just been a parade of jump scares. I mean they could have made Daniela the idiot friend that lets out all the ghosts, but instead you really feel for her. 

Is it the scariest entry in the Conjuring Universe? No. But it is the most fun. It’s a popcorn horror flick, a rollercoaster through the Warrens’ nightmare museum. And in a franchise that sometimes leans too heavy on grim seriousness, that lighter touch isn’t a bad thing.

The first Conjuring has been the best so far, but I like this one a lot too. 

We end with a photo of the real Warrens and a dedication to Lorraine Warren who died in 2019. Judy Warren is currently the owner of the Warren's Museum.  

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

From a gamer’s perspective, Annabelle Comes Home is basically a haunted dungeon crawl. The party (the kids) are locked in a location full of cursed relics, and each one is its own encounter. Open the wrong cabinet, fail the wrong saving throw, and you’re dealing with an entirely new monster. It’s the kind of “house of horrors” scenario every GM secretly wants to run, where the players never know what’s coming through the next door.

The occult angle is that each object has its own history, its own connection to the world of the supernatural.  In NIGHT SHIFT you would need to research them to figure out how to shut them down. 

The Warren's storeroom and office is a treasure trove of ideas.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 9
First Time Views: 7

October Horror Movie Challenge: Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

One of the best things about this particular challenge this year is I have allowed myself the freedom of going back and watching movies I have not seen in years to discuss. Many of never been in one of my previous challenges before so I get my thoughts about them down here. Case in point the 1931 Frankenstein and it's superb sequel Bride of Frankenstein from 1935. I would argue that both movies together fulfill the original promise of the Mary Shelley novel. 

 In my mind there have always been two Frankensteins. The Book version who was intelligent, but doomed, and the Movie version. Both have their place in the pantheon of Horror Icons, and I would argue that the movie version is more recognizable than the book version.

Frankenstein (1931)

I have mentioned before, I know who Boris Karlof was long before I ever knew who the President at the time was. So the 1931 Frankenstein is a solid part of my childhood and much like King Kong, one of those movie I used to love watching with my dad.

In a way Frankenstein's Monster is the poster child for all movie monsters. A title he might need to share with Dracula or Kong, but 

The movie was shocking 1931 and now almost 100 years later it still has its moments. The story is only loosely based on Mary Shelley's classic, but I would argue that even with the changes, it still manages to tell us the same story and get the all important moral of Man's (note I am not saying Human's here, I am following Shelley's lead and her words) hubris. 

The movie is engaging, and despite the slow pace common to the time, it keeps your attention. 

Back from Dracula we have Edward van Sloan (Van Helsing, and in this film Dr. Waldman) and Dwight Frye  (Renfield and in this film Fritz aka the "Igor" character). 

In this one the Monster dies, but Baron Victor ("Henry" in this movie) gets to live.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Can't keep a good monster down. If anything, this movie might be better. Why? Well it largely has to do with with Elsa Lancaster. First she plays Mary Shelley in a bit at the beginning talking to Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. This went uncredited and I was delighted when I figured it out. Then she turns and gives this amazing performance as the Bride. She doesn't have many if any lines, but her face is so emotive you know everything she wants to convey.

Also we get some really solid acting from Boris Karloff as the Monster. Again, above and beyond what he gave in the first one. You feel for him, which is what you are supposed to do.

Again, liberties with the book are taken, but these two movies should have been combined into one much longer and better tale. Similar to what we see in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) or Frankenstein: The True Story (1973). Though no movie has been a true adaptation of the book, these two (1973 and 1994) are among the closest.

Featured Monster: Flesh Golem

There is no doubt that the Flesh Golem of the Monster Manual is directly related to Frankenstein. And I will even go a step further and say it was based on Move Frankenstein more so than the Novel.

This becomes more obvious in the Ravenloft setting.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 43
First Time Views: 21

October Horror Movie Challenge: Equinox (1970)

 I was supposed to watch this one last night for a night of devils, but honestly I am run down with a cold and couldn't stay awake. 

Equinox (1970)

This one starts with David Fielding (Edward Connell) running away from something. He is then hit by a car with no driver. A year later he is still in a psychiatric ward. In flashback David tells us about his trip to visit his old professor along with his friends Jim (Frank Bonner, Herb from WKRP), Susan and Vicki. 

The movie is essentially the same plot as "Evil Dead." Group of young people go into the woods, encounters an evil tome, and all hell breaks loose. Literally.  Soon they encounter a park ranger named Asmodeus, as in THE Asmodeus.

The find Dr. Waterman's cabin in the woods, but it is destroyed. Then of all things they find a medieval castle in the distance. 

Much like "The Sentinel," this film deals with a gateway to Hell.  This time, the portal is opened when Dr. Watermann's book is read, and the demons are summoned. So yeah, like Evil Dead done by Ray Harryhausen instead of Sam Rami. 

The plot is thin, and the special effects look more like those of the 1960s than those of the 1970s (no surprise), but they are pretty much on par with what I'd expect for early 1970s pre-Exorcist.

Featured Monster: Devil

This one is obviously a devil in both form and deed and quite possibly even a good Asmodeus. This film was very popular in the midnight Drive-Inn circuit, so it is possible this flick was a possible influence on the Monster Manual, but it is more likely that both Gygax and the film's writers were drawing on the same sources popular at the time. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 13
First Time Views: 6

October Horror Movie Challenge: The Sentinel (1977)

 This movie very likely did not influence anything in the AD&D Monster Manual, but it certainly has the right vibe of the movies I would have been watching at the time and altering the printed monsters to fit my needs. Plus, this one has a solid cast. More to the point, I can't believe I have never seen this one despite my desire to watch it back then. 

The Sentinel (1977)

Alison Parker (Cristina Raines, who was a model in real life) is a model in love with her lawyer boyfriend, Michael Lerman (Chris Sarandon). He wants to get married, but she wants to live on her own for a bit. She finds a new apartment and moves in. She meets her neighbors, Charles Chazen (Burgess Meredith), Gerde (Sylvia Miles) and Sandra (Beverly D'Angelo who barely speaks in this), and encounters the blind priest Father Francis Matthew Halliran (John Carradine).  Alison has serious migraines and a history of suicide attempts, once after she caught her father in bed with two other women. 

The movie is slow to start, building up by showing us the collection of odd inhabitants living in the building. Alison has all sorts of weird visions and nightmares. We also learn from the landlady that aside from the Priest and Alison, no one else actually lives in the building. When the landlady takes her to each apartment, she learns that none of them has been lived in for years.  We later learn that all of the people in the apartment are, or were, all murderers who were killed years ago. 

We learn that Michael's previous wife killed herself. We also learn that Michael hired private detective Brenner to kill his first wife and now scare Alison, only he ends up dead in the exact same way Alison hallucinates that she killed her dead father. The film has a real "Gaslighting" feel to it, both the movie and the term, with actual supernatural overtones. 

Michael breaks into the priest's office and learns about all these priests and nuns who, in life, attempted suicide and then were given a new name. There is a list going back hundreds of years and Alison's name is next on the list, to become Sister Theresa. These names are all Sentinels, the guardians of Gates of Hell tasked by the Archangel Uriel. The only time a Sentinel can be stopped is if they kill themselves before taking over their post. So Micheal (now dead), Charles and the other lost soulstry to drive Alison to suicide. 

Father Halliran shows up at the end to help Alison and gives us a great demonstration of cleric turning.

The building is demolished and new one is put up. In Apartment 5a we see a now blind and older Alison, now Sister Theresa, standing her vigil. 

Additionally, this movie features Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, Jerry Orbach, with Tom Berenger, and a young Nana Visitor as the couple at the end.

David Caradine is barely in this, but he still shows us why he was one of the big names in horror. 

The 1970s were a great time for demonic and satanic themed horror and this one is still good example. Not the best example, but a very good one all the same. 

Featured Monster: Devil

While there are no overt devils per se in this film, I would argue that Burgess Meredith's Charles Chazen was not so much a damned soul as a devil. Not an Archduke, but certainly a higher-ranking one. I ran his name through an anagram program and created Charnazel Sech or Sharcazel Chen as possible diabolic names. 

Game Content: Sentinel

A Sentinel is a Theosophist (in NIGHT SHIFT) that has somehow lost their way. Their holy task is to keep demons and devils from escaping hell. They no longer advance as a Theosophist and now advance as either a Survivor or as a Veteran. Their task, much like the Paladins of old, is to guard one of the many gates of hell.  They position themselves near the gate to fight the demons, devils, and other lost and evil souls who might escape. 

A Sentinel works best as an NPC or PC, if they don't mind not traveling too far from the Gate of Hell they are supposed to guard.

Does this sound like Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Yeah, it does, but this movie predates that movie by 15 years, and the book even more than that (1974).  It is also similar to the idea of the Wynonna Earp. 

This shows that there are not any new ideas. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 12
First Time Views: 5

October Horror Movie Challenge: Night of the Demon (1957)

Another crossover of movies from The Classics of the Horror Film and the Monster Manual. Again, I have no proof other than supposition, but I am sure this movie had some influence on the demons of the Monster Manual. 

Night of the Demon (1957)

There is something quintessentially British about this one. Black magic, witchcraft, even a meddling American.

Despite being almost 70 years old this movie is still rather effective. The special effects, ie the demon, are a bit dated, but still looked good and great for the time. Heck, they are not really terrible for now.

It mixes up a lot of demonology and witchcraft myths, but that is also fine really. 

We get demon summoning, spells, storm-raising, a seance, and even an Indian spirit guide. A little bit of everything here.

It would have been interesting if they had embraced some of the new ideas from Gerald Gardner and the growing Wicca movement, but that connection would not be featured in movies until the 1970s.

Oh. The plot. The scientific community denounces witchcraft and black magic, so a pissed off occultist demonstrates his power by summoning a giant demon to kill key members. I suppose if it were redone today there would have been more deaths, but it still works.

Featured Monster: Demon

Again, while I can't say for certain this movie had any effect what so ever on the demons (and devils) in the Monster Manual, they are drawing from all the same sources.  The demon here looks a bit like the Nalfeshnee or Type IV demon. The demon in this movie is much larger than I expected, making close to the same size as the Nalfeshnee.  

When I was reading The Classics of the Horror Film, I saw this picture and thought it would make a great "Cat Demon." It was the ears and the nose. There was a cat demon in this movie, but it looked like a regular cat.

The movie is also a good example of a wizard in his castle with his magic books and our virtuous rogue (or, in this case, psychologist) investigating. 

Night of the Nalfeshnee

The more I think about it, the more and more I think that this movie demon was the inspiration for the Nalfeshnee's look.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 10
First Time Views: 3

October Horror Movie Challenge: Mummy Marathon

Pretty much any Hammer Horror movie has a Universal Horror predecessor.  Dracula, Frankenstein, Werewolves, and of course, the Mummy.  And all of these movies have led us to the mummy as we encounter them in fantasy RPGs.

I lined a bunch of these up so I figure tonight is as good of a night as any!

The Mummy (1932)

I have often said that I knew the names Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Lon Chaney long before I knew who the president was (Ford at the time). This movie is one of those reasons. 

Boris Karloff gave us some fantastic performances during the era of the Universal Monsters, but few were as good as his turn as Ardath Bey / Imhotep the Mummy. So good that this movie was the blueprint for every Mummy movie to follow.

It falls under the horror sub-trope of "The Immortal Beloved." Something they are always trying to shoehorn Dracula into (see "Bram Stoker's Dracula" as a prime example) but actually works best here. In this case Imhotep finds the reincarnated Ankh-es-en-Amon and tries to make her into his immortal bride. It's a formula that is repeated in the 1959 version and the 1999 versions. 

The Mummy (1959)

Not to be outdone, Hammer did their own version. Like the Universal 1932 version, this one also has a former Van Helsing in the cast. Edward van Sloan in 1932 and  Peter Cushing for the 1959 version.

This one follows the Universal one in general plot, it is actually much closer to the Universal The Mummy's Hand, The Mummy's Tomb, and The Mummy's Ghost.  The notion of the resurrected love is still there. 

In this movie the Mummy, aka Kharis, played by Christopher Lee is in love with Princess Ananka. Lee is always great, and his Dracula is still one of horror's best, but he is under-utilized here as a mummy.

The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964)

Here is good drinking game. Every time someone tells Annette Dubois (Jeanne Roland) to "stay put" or keep her from seeing something take a drink. You'll be dead by the end of the movie. 

The plot here is familiar. British Egyptologists dig up a mummy against the protests of the locals. There is a curse, and the mummy walks again. 

While my love for Hammer is never-ending, this one is rather predictable, to be honest.

Featured Monster: Mummy

The mummy of the Monster Manual is beyond a doubt influenced by these movies. Granted, the pulpy fantasy the creators of D&D were fond of and had plenty of tombs and dungeons to rob, so a mummy seems like a no-brainer.

Couple this with the Ravenloft: Masque of the Red Death which actually has Imhotep as a mummy, then the influences are are even more apparent.

Are You my Mummy?

There are a few items in these movies that resemble the AD&D Lich phylactery. The Scroll of Thoth/Life, the amulet of life. These are central to these movies, but not so much the AD&D monster mummy. They are central to the Lich though. 

I had considered doing the 1999 Brendan Fraser Mummy, but I am getting tired. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024

Viewed: 9

First Time Views: 3

October Horror Movie Challenge: Eyes of the Beholder

Tonight is a little bit of a stretch, but whatever, I can make it fit. And while I am doing it, lets make it a Drive-In Double Feature! It is a Saturday after all. 

The Trollenberg Terror / The Crawling Eye (1958)

Another older one, and one I have seen in the past, but as the MST3k version.

This one takes place on a Swiss mountain, Trollenberg, and, well, let's be honest, it's not good. It's slow and the monster is not very good.

It starts out with a mountain climber getting killed by something. We switch over to two sisters, Anne (Janet Munro) and Sarah (Jennifer Jayne) Pilgrim. Anne is psychic, which is convenient. They meet Alan Brooks (F-Troop's Forrest Tucker). Anne knows about the accident and who was killed. 

Two more climbers go up and go missing. Our psychic girl sees them in the cabin, and our heroes look for them. 

Soon they discover a group of horrid "crawling" eye creatures living in the radioactive mists.  They have psychic abilities and can detect humans with ESP.

While it is never explicitly stated they are aliens, I think there is implication that they are.

It Came from Outer Space (1953)

It has been years since I have seen this one. Decades really. But what does it have? Yes, you know it, giant eye monsters. 

The monsters here are a little benevolent, but still alien.  They look more like giant jellyfish with one central eye; so not totally dissimilar to beholders.

They are able to assume human shape, or at least the appearance of a human, and can act like someone they have encountered. 

This is more sci-fi with some horror elements, as were many of the sci-fi movies from the 1950s. 

The movie proceeds to deal with the aliens, who are more benign than most, with them leaving Earth saying that they will be back one day.

Featured Monster: Beholder

Ok. We know that the Beholder began as a bit of joke; as in "Eye of the Beholder" and was the creation of Terry Kuntz. The Eye monsters here make for a passible, if weak, Beholders. Or as the kids say, "When you order your Beholders off of Wish.com" 

But what can we get from these movies to help our games?

A bit, to be honest. There was an obvious need or at least a want for eye monsters and alien ones at that. In both movies, the eye monsters have some advanced psychic abilities and are clearly "alien."

Game Ideas

Beholders are woefully under utalized in D&D in my mind. They are a "boss monster" but rarely are they given much more to do. Beholders should be at the center of a vast network of lackeys, spies, assassins and other disposable mooks for their own, often alien, ends.

Xanathar is a good example of this, but even Xanathar is relatable. I mean REALLY alien. 

I also think beholders should have psionic powers as opposed to magic. I have always liked the idea that beholders and mind flayers are two great alien species who have been at war with each for millennia. 

These movies might not be great, but they are full of ideas. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 6
First Time Views: 3

October Horror Movie Challenge: The Gorgon (1964)

 This movie might be one of the best convergence of movies from my youth, Greek Myth, and monsters from the Monster Manual. Tonight's feature is 1964's The Gorgon from Hammer Films.

The Gorgon (1964)

Ok what does this movie have? Well, Christopher Lee (as a good guy!), Peter Cushing (as a bad guy! sort of), the "Hammer Hamlet"" pre-Doctor Who Patrick Troughton, Barbara Shelley, an angry mob, a monster, basically it hits all the notes. But does it is hit them right?

The plot features a bunch of seemingly random murders. The odd thing is that the murder victims are all turned to stone. Peter Cushing is out local doctor covering up for the murders, but we don't see why till the very end. 

Lee is the friend of a family where one brother is blamed for the murders, his father is later turned to stone while investigating, and the last brother comes to investigate and falls in love with Barbara Shelley's Carla.

We learn through various sources that the spirit of "Megeara" one of the last Gorgon sisters haunts this small village in Germany. The three Gorgons were named Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. Megeara must have sounded better to them.

Turns out Megeara's spirit is living on in Carla and every full moon she is released again on the world. 

Believe it or not, I have never seen this movie till tonight. 

There are a TON of liberties taken with the ancient Greek myth, but honestly that is fine. I am more annoyed they went with Megeara instead of Stheno or Euryale.

Featured Monster: Medusa

I think it is a bit obvious that the art in the Monster Manual was very inspired by this movie.

There is even some evidence that the Medusa of D&D is also based on this movie to a degree. Not the spirit or the coming out at the full moon, but the general behavior.

The great thing about this movie? It takes a classical mythology monster and gives it a solid horror feel to it in the special Hammer way. If you want a good working template on how to add horror to your games, this is a good place to start.

Of course, and this is an old gripe of mine, why is the monster called a Medusa and not a Gorgon? More to the point why is there also a bull-like creature called a Gorgon in the MM?

There is a "Gorgon" in a 1607 Bestiary by Edward Topsell titled "The Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes." Note, the link here is to the revised and combined Beasts, Insects, and Serpents and is over 1000 pages. 

That looks like our bull-Gorgon sure enough. I am sure that this is creature Gygax had in mind. And he said as much [1][2][3].

Two monsters for the price of one? No. I'll keep this one for the Medusa. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 3
First Time Views: 3

October Horror Movie Challenge: Beber de tu Sangre (2020)

 Let's get started!  My first movie of this 2023 October Challenge with a First Time Watch. My plan for this year was to watch nothing but Spanish-language movies this year to improve my Spanish.  I still might, but tonight's choice has me rethinking this. First, my grasp of Spanish is good and getting better, but not where I wanted it to be.  Secondly, tonight's movie was a bit dull.

Beber de tu Sangre (2020)

Beber de tu Sangre, or "Drink Your Blood" and called "Violent Delights" in English is a Mexican movie about vampires. I had pretty high expectations here for my first. Many of the movies from Mexico I have really enjoyed. This one also could be a stand-in for "Best Gratuitous Nudity." 

The plot, at least as far as I can tell is "What if you took the two couples from the first few minutes of The Hunger were given their own movie. Well...not exactly but the vibe is right.  Our couples are  Lizeth and Javier (human) and Alani and Gabriel (vampire).  These are not your typical vampires though as Alani wants a baby.

There is a weird sexual dynamic between the four with plenty of gratuitous nudity and sex, some weird vampire-like stuff. 

I can't tell if they wanted to do "The Hunger" or "The Last Lovers Left Alive" sort of avant-garde vampire movie or what they were looking for. 

Still, the worst part here is that the plot is all over the place, and in the end it goes nowhere.

Ah well. Still, I am going to get to some more Spanish movies this year for sure.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2023
Viewed: 1
First Time Views: 1