SHOCKtober: 284-257

Now, dear reader, we are getting down to the nitties AND the gritties. It's a good thing I finally have some candy corns at hand, they are giving me the necessary power to type out all these fine films that received two votes each. 

284. Evilspeak -- 1981, Eric Weston

283. Evil Dead Rise -- 2023, Lee Cronin

282. Dumplings -- 2004, Fruit Chan

281. Donnie Darko -- 2001, Richard Kelly

280. Deliverance -- 1972, John Boorman

279. Dead Silence -- 2007, James Wan

278. Dead Ringers -- 1988, David Cronenberg

277. Dead of Night -- 1945, Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, and Robert Hamer

276. Dead Alive (aka Braindead) -- 1992, Peter Jackson

275. Cure -- 1997, Kiyoshi Kurosawa

274. Creepshow 2 -- 1987, Michael Gornick

273. Creature from the Black Lagoon -- 1954, Jack Arnold

272. Climax -- 2018, Gaspar Noé

271. The City of the Dead (aka Horror Hotel) -- 1960, John Llewellyn Moxey

270. Child's Play -- 1988, Tom Holland

269. Child's Play 2 -- 1990, John Lafia

268. Censor -- 2021, Prano Bailey-Bond

267. Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror -- 1981, Andrea Bianchi

266. Brain Damage -- 1988, Frank Henenlotter

265. Battle Royale -- 2000, Kinji Fukasaku

264. Bad Ronald -- 1974, Buzz Kulik

263. Color Out of Space -- 2019, Richard Stanley

And with that we bid farewell to the couples and make way for the throuples. That's right, each of the following films received three votes!

  

262. Wolfen -- 1981, Michael Wadleigh

261. White Zombie -- 1932, Victor Halperin

260. Wes Craven's New Nightmare -- 1994, Wes Craven

259. Vampyr -- 1932, Carl Theodor Dreyer

258. Tucker and Dale vs Evil -- 2010, Eli Craig

257. They Live -- 1988, John Carpenter

• Be sure to pair up Dumplings (or even the short version of it from Three...Extremes) with The Substance for a grand ol' time. Or just watch Dumplings because Bai Ling is so good in it. Or just watch The Substance because Demi Moore is so good in it. Look, just do whatever you want okay!!!
• I'll say it: Creepshow 2 is really underrated, and I'm not just saying that because of "The Raft!" The whole thing is really entertaining--I think the issue is mostly that the "comic book" elements and overall style aren't nearly as strong as they are in the first film. Additionally, the cast isn't as strong by a long shot (though please, it's got George Kennedy and Dorothy Lamour?? And Lois Chiles?? so there). But come on, it's a lot of fun and its appearance today is filling me with love for it. Of course "The Raft" is beloved by everyone. But "Thanks for the ride, lady!" is iconic, and the first segment? YES it's problematic as heck but at least while watching it "oh my god, that's the gruff detective from Mindhunter as the Native dude??" and then you can go on for a while about how Mindhunter was so good and canceled way too soon. Follow me for more lifestyle tips!
• A reader on Vampyr: "Few movies really truly feel dreamlike as in 'like a dream' but everything in Vampyr has that foggy, barely present feeling you get when trying to remember a dream the following morning, only to have it slip away as your brain more fully awakens."
• Oh, Burial Ground. I do so love love love Italian zombie movies, even when they occasionally break my psyche. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about!
• A reader on Child's Play 2 (though they're all aces, this one is my personal fave of the Chucky saga!): "Grace Zabriskie, Beth Grant, Jenny Agutter, AND Emily Valentine?? This one is all about the ladies. Kyle is so cool and iconic and I would kill to have her as my older pseudo-sister. Everything about the climax in the toy factory is sheer perfection." 
• What did you do to celebrate the recent birthday of Wes Craven's New Nightmare? Did you...watch Wes Craven's New Nightmare? I just hope that at least you didn't forget to send her a card. Or AT LEAST at least a text.