Fun at Home in Lubbock for Halloween

There are tons of fun Halloween events happening in Lubbock this month, but some of us just like to relax at home. Here is a list of my favorite seasonal stories to enjoy while hiding away at home.

Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko is one of my favorite movies of all time, regardless of season or genre. I won’t ruin it by trying to explain the plot. It became a major cult classic following its VHS and DVD release. This creepy, sci-fi, mind-bending film deserves to be watched over and over again.

MAY

May is the early 2000’s Frankenstein. It stars Angella Bettis and indie movie veteran Jeremy Sisto. May is an awkward girl with vision problems and a laundry list of issues just trying to make a friend.

Dead Alive

Dead Alive is the legendary grindhouse movie from Peter Jackson. This campy movie features more custard and gore than any movie I have ever seen. It is worth a view just to see what Peter Jackson was doing before Lord of the Rings.

The Descent

The Descent is the most terrifying movie I have seen in theatres to date. I love going to horror movies and having the whole crowd screech and this movie had people clutching the friend next to them screaming like banshees. The film focuses on a group of spelunkers exploring a newly found cave system. It has the same claustrophobic terrors and alien environment that made Alien so good.

The "Saw" Series

I know the Saw franchise seems like it went on for too long – I quit going to see the new ones after Saw III or Saw IV – but when viewed in a marathon session of one a night, they weave a complex and satisfying tale. On the film-by-film basis, you can see each of the awful traps through laced fingers and scream through vicarious pain.

Favorite Books on Halloween

"Haunted" by Chuck Palahniuk

Haunted is a collection of short stories woven together through various characters sharing their stories. The setup is reminiscent of the vacation where Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein. One of the short stories caused people across the nation to faint when Palahniuk read it aloud at appearances on a book-signing tour.

Any H.P. Lovecraft Story

H.P. Lovecraft was a gothic and horror fiction writer in the early 20^th century. He is best remembered for his cabal of fictional Old Gods including Cthulu. Works include The Call of Cthulu, Herbert West – Reanimator, and At the Mountains of Madness. Many of his short stories are in the public domain and can be read freely online, through eReaders and apps. My favorite is The Colour Out of Space.

Salem’s Lot – Stephen King

One of Stephen King’s earlier novels, Salem’s Lot is one of the few that had me scared to turn the page. It is a tale of a small town slowly being invaded and turned by an evil presence.

'Community' Halloween Episodes

Dan Harmon's Community has a small but dedicated following and is known for doing incredible genre episodes. Their Halloween stories always deliver, with the ABBA-themed zombie episode standing head and shoulders above any Charlie Brown special.