Danses Macabre on Halloween!

The big day is here--Halloween 2022! We're going to be celebrating it with several posts both here at and our sister blog Shades of Gray. A running theme will be versions of the spooky classic "Danse Macabre", as we bring you thrilling interpretations of that great piece of music, along with exciting visuals.

If you just want to keep up with the music at Shades of Gray, click here. A post with a different version to of Danse Macabre will show up every few hours between now and when darkness falls across the land and Halloween begins in earnest!

Meanwhile, you'll also find tidbits of terror set on Halloween here, along with more versions of "Danse Macabre" sprinkled in every few hours. So join us here or at Shades of Gray whenever you need to recharge between preparing for party guests, or the waves of trick-or-treaters.

And so, here's the Tempus Quartet with an excellent rock-tinged version of "Danse Macabre" and a really cool performance video, featuring ballerina Elisa Montiel standing in for the dancing spirits.

Trying something new for Halloween!

 In September, the operator of Terror Titans decided to put his YouTube Channel to use. All he does over there is talk to the camera, so it's kinda-sorta like an audio/visual version of this blog.

On October 31, he's going to engage in the ambitious notion of uploading a video every hour, on the hour, that will see him reading a horror-themed poem, by the likes of Robert E. Howard, H.P Lovecraft, Emily Dickinson, and others!

Will he be successful? Time will tell... but the first one will go up at Midnight tonight. Join us at this link if you feel so inclined! See poems read by a guy with a face for radio and a voice for silent movies!

31 Nights of Halloween: Alone

All it takes is a minute to provide viewers with top-notch horror entertainment... as tonight's offering proves beyond a shadow of a doubt. (It can also be a cautionary tale; it's dangerous to be alone at night, this close to Halloween... because you may not actually be alone!)

Alone (2020)

Starring: Anonymous Actress

Director: Shane P. Liao

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

The only complaint I have with this film--which is not related to the excellence on the screen--is the lack of credits. Yes, it's only one minute long, but there's a bit of black at the very end where at the very least the main actress' name could have been provided. I like giving credit where credit is due... but it feels odd to say this film stars "The Sushi", because that's all the information I have from the video's YouTube description.)

31 Nights of Halloween: The Do-Gooder

The Do-Gooder (2022)
Starring: Jennifer Buckley, Xhaania Wright, William Sibley, Azaa Sharavnyam
Director: Alexander Henderson

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Two teenagers (Buckley and Wright) get drawn into an increasingly mysterious situation after witnessing a menacing old man (Sibley) abusing a young woman (Sharavnvam)

I'm at the point in my life where it's not easy for filmmakers to surprise me. I've watched hundreds upon hundreds of horror films and thrillers, and it's rare that I come across a twist I haven't seen before, or even a combination of twists.

"The Do-Gooder", though, kept me guessing until the end. The various pieces of the plot were familiar, but it became increasingly evident that they were either arranged in a very unusual way, or they were not the familiar elements I took them to be. By the time the final fade took place, I was generally happy with what had just unfolded... and I even found myself hoping there would be a sequel.

The film was not without its flaws, though. Many scenes are a little underlit, I would have liked to see some three-shots here and there, and the script is a bit flabby at points, but the strong and unexpected ending makes up for whatever technical weaknesses I feel like griping about. In the final analysis, watching "The Do-Gooder" is time well spent.

Fear-filled Phantasms by Richard Sala

 It's The Nightmare Before Halloween!

31 Nights of Halloween: I Saw It

I Saw It (2022)
Starring: Soha Sayied

Director: Michael Little

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Sometimes, a shifting shadow is just a trick of the light. Sometimes, a shifting shadow is something deadly. A woman (Sayied) will learn that her life depends on knowing one from the other.

"I Saw It" is a straight-forward little chiller, featuring that rarest of horror movie characters: One that isn't an idiot. The film further benefits from effective lighting, nice use of soundtrack music and sound, and great camerawork. The creature effects are also very nice.

This short film is also a perfect PSA for this time of year. We should all be aware that with the lengthening shadows come a higher instance of Shadow People breaking through to our world. We should all be on our guard, so we can avoid becoming victims!

31 Nights of Halloween: The Drawer

"Everything comes full circle," Stuart Hamilton said of this 31 Nights of Halloween selection -- the final chapter in the Stuart Trilogy!

The Drawer (2022)

Starring: Stuart Hamilton

Director: Stuart Hamilton

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A man (Hamilton), who just wants a quiet night at home to read a book, discovers a drawer that is a gateway to parallel universe.

The third and final installment in "The Stuart Trilogy" sees our beleaguered hero facing his greatest mystery and most dangerous challenge yet. How will he fare? Well... it will only take a couple of (fun) minutes for you to find out.

These three linked short films from by Stuart Hamilton (see the first one here, and the second one here, if you didn't watch them already) are fine viewing for the Halloween Season, because they are a neat mix of the fun and the frightening--just like the Big Night that is just five days away now!

31 Nights of Halloween: Home Video

The filmmakers and troupe of actors at Burnt Mill Road have been releasing one horror short film a day for the month of October. Some of those have been better than others, but the good ones have been very good.

 

"Home Video" is one of the good ones. It's another film from Burnt Mill that is bone-chilling because it is far, far too close to reality. It's not just  about the horror next door... it's about the horror that could be waiting for you just outside the window of your home.

Home Video (2022)
Starring: Greg Rosenberg and Myra Vitel

Director: Jacob Arbittier

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Tuneful Tuesday: Experiment IV

Here's a classic video and song from the great Kate Bush seems perfect for the final Tuneful Tuesday of these 31 Nights of Halloween.

By the way, I chose that particular portrait of Kate Bush, as well as to not to say too much about the nature and the horrors coming in the video for "Experiment IV", because I didn't want to spoil the experienced for those younger people who have discovered Bush's work through its use in the "Stranger Things" television show this year, and who may not have come across this masterful video and song yet.

While I have known and loved this song for decades, I don't think I'd seen this music video before coming across it while preparing this year's post line-up. While the song inspired an idea for a dark and sinister tale--like so many of Kate Bush's songs, this one sketches out a story and prompts the listener to fill in the details with his or her imagination--it wasn't the tale that unfolds in this short film set to music.

Whether it's new to you, or a return to an old favorite, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And I thank you for visiting during this Halloween Season!

Experiment IV (1986)

Starring: Kate Bush, Richard Vernon, Hugh Laurie, Dawn French, Del Palmer, and Peter Vaughan

Director: Kate Bush

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

31 Nights of Halloween: Missing

This Magana Monday offering is equal parts spooky and heartbreaking. It's something of a change-of-pace of Mr. Magana... and it's excellent! (It's also another of his films that works equally well if you view the ending as an ending-- or as the beginning of something entirely different. And it helps him keep a lock on his position as our current favorite creator of horror short films!)

Missing (2022)
Starring: Heather Clark
Director: Alex Magana
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

31 Nights of Halloween: Cartoon Cat

Cartoon Cat (2021)
Starring: Jack Satish
Director: Raghav AK
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

An armed robber (Satish) escapes police pursuit by hiding out in an apparently abandoned building. He soon comes face-to-face with a strange creature that makes him wish he had surrendered to the police.

Cartoon Cat is an urban-legend type character that (I think) has been made Open-Source by its creator. This is one of several films that have been made over the past few years featuring the character, and it's one of the best. The effects merging live action and computer animation are great, as is the story. Jack Statish is also great as the robber who comes to regret his life's choices. 

"Cartoon Cat" is equal parts action film, horror film, and comedy... and each part is equally well executed. Heck, this may well be the near-perfect Halloween short film--it's full of tricks AND treats! 

While I'm at it, I posit that Cartoon Cat entered our world in a fashion similar to the way Koko the Clown got here. (Click here to see the secret behind how an animated character crossed over from the animated universe to ours!)

31 Nights of Halloween: Selfies

On this, the 22nd Night of Halloween we bring you a two-part tale of terror, smart phones, and photo-bombing phantoms!

Selfie (2021)
Starring: Katy Ford and Rory Ross
Director: Alex Magana
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Selfie 2 (2021)

Starring: Riley Introcaso and Katy Ford

Director: Alex Magana

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

'The Hidden' is a fine horror genre mash-up from Richard Sala

The Hidden (Fantagraphics Books, 2011)
Story and Art: Richard Sala
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Strange creatures, most consisting of stitched-together body parts, have overrun the world, destroyed all civlizations and societies, and are driving humanity toward extinction. A group of survivors, keeping just ahead of the monstrous wave of horrors, are on their way to a location in the desert where they will either find salvation or doom.

There are some books and movies and comic books/graphic novels where too much talk about what's in it will spoil the enjoyment that can be gained from it. The main element of those works is the mystery at their core, and the excitement and chills readers and/or viewers derive from those come in large part from watching that mystery unfold as it's revealed piece by horrific piece.

"The Hidden" is one such work. It's a mixture of elements taken from the very foundation of the horror genre (such as divine, end-of-the-world prophecy and 19th century Gothic literature) and modern horror (such as post-Dawn of the Dead zombie tales and demonic secret societies that are manipulating the course of history and driving the world toward destruction as they gain more wealth and power), and as the plot comes together and the mystery is revealed, Sala's main sources of inspiration likewise come into focus. In the final analysis, this is a tale that mixes end-of-the-world zombie survival horror with themes from Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein, A Modern Prometeus". Along the way, Sala puts his always unique spin on the story and the material, with his artwork being simultaneously cartoony and creepy... and very, very gory at times. It is, however, always dynamic and clear and the story keeps moving swiftly towards its dark conclusion.

If you're looking for some light Halloween reading that is still spooky and dark, "The Hidden" is well worth your time. I don't think it's the best thing that Sala did--that honor is the tied books "The Chuckling Whatsit" and "Mad Night"--but if you've liked any of the works that have been reviewed at Shades of Gray, or any of the art that has been featured here at Terror Titans, this is a book you need to read.

The bad news is that the physical book is out-of-print, and those who have copies for sale are asking ridiculous prices. Fortunately, "The Hidden" can be had at ComiXology or for the Kindle as a digital download, for about 2/3rds the price of what I paid for my hard copy a few years ago -- or even free if you're a subscriber.