I *almost* didn't wanna do it this year 😬 I've already grossly failed my Criterion Challenge, I always gripe that these aren't Halloween-centric watches, just vague horror, and even when the categories came out, I was slightly disinterested.
BUT! I've done 5 already. How can I stop now? I'm in it for life baby! I'm a Hooptober Lifer! There is horror to watch and I'll make it work damnit!
On top of Cinemonster's rules, I tacked on a few fun personal additions to the challenge:
-Pull from your watchlist when you can (following in the steps of Mike Dimo's Letterboxd Watchlist Summer)
-Pull from your physical collection / Vinegar Syndrome backlog when you can
-Make it a Halloween-centric horror film…
I *almost* didn't wanna do it this year 😬 I've already grossly failed my Criterion Challenge, I always gripe that these aren't Halloween-centric watches, just vague horror, and even when the categories came out, I was slightly disinterested.
BUT! I've done 5 already. How can I stop now? I'm in it for life baby! I'm a Hooptober Lifer! There is horror to watch and I'll make it work damnit!
On top of Cinemonster's rules, I tacked on a few fun personal additions to the challenge:
-Pull from your watchlist when you can (following in the steps of Mike Dimo's Letterboxd Watchlist Summer)
-Pull from your physical collection / Vinegar Syndrome backlog when you can
-Make it a Halloween-centric horror film when you can - this one was key!
and damnit, I did!
I've got 16 films from my watchlist
9 films from the personal physical collection
and 5 Halloween-based horror films on the list (1 thanks to the Extra Credit!)
Bless it!
It goes like this:
31 horror films in October, but not really, cause Halloween essentially starts.... now - so I will start my 31 on Sunday, August 31 (starting in August this year - lol), and like last year, I'm giving a whole new meaning to Sunday SCARIES. It's Spooktober my babies!
Review them all.
-I challenge anyone to do the same and use the tag hooptober12 so we can read each other's stuff.
QUICK EASY RULES:
There must be 31 horror films
6 countries (other than Italy or US)
9 decades
5 zombie films (this was capitalized in Cine's list, what if he meant ROB Zombie films!? haha)
3 cult or conspiracy horror films
1 film from a black director with a black lead
1 film from a Mexican or Central American director
1 Canadian film
1 former Soviet state film (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan)
The most popular film from the 1940s that you haven't seen and can access
2 post apocalyptic horror films
1 film with dreams or a dream as part of the plot
1 the animals are pissed at us film
1 silent film
4 based on novels
Any film from THIS list that you haven't seen
1 Ernesto Gastaldi written film
1 film from 1932
Wizard of Oz ('39) (for some reason...)
And 1 Tobe Hooper Film (There must ALWAYS be a Hooper film)
Extra Credit: Burn Witch Burn, German Chainsaw Massacre & Trick or Treat (1986)
Clearly one film can satisfy multiple criteria. (Each film's criteria in the notes.)
It's August 29th, so I can't think of a better time than now to wish you and yours a very Happy Halloween!!
STARTED: 08/31/2025
COMPLETED: 11/22/2025
