Everyone Wants A Good Scary Movie!
As you can see, these guys are in quite a rush to read my “Horror A -Z” list for Shocktober 2026, so let’s bite down on the letters “D, E and F”, beginning with these hungry zombies!
“Dawn Of The Dead”
This 1978 zombie shocker not only has a terrific poster, but it’s the sequel to George Romero’s seminal 1968 classic “Night Of The Living Dead”.
As society collapses under an escalating zombie epidemic, two members of a Philadelphia SWAT team, Peter Washington (Ken Foree) and Roger DeMarco (Scott Reiniger), flee the city with a traffic reporter, Francine “Fran” Parker (Gaylen Ross), and her TV executive boyfriend, Stephen Andrews (David Emge).
Flying a stolen news helicopter, the group lands on the roof of the Monroeville Mall, outside of Pittsburgh, and decides to make it their fortress. They systematically clear the mall of its zombie inhabitants, blocking the entrances with tractor-trailers to seal themselves in. For a time, they enjoy their new lives, indulging in all the consumer goods the mall has to offer.
Here is the trailer:
This is the ferocious horror classic, featuring landmark gore effects by Tom Savini, and Director George Romero delivers some spot on social commentary tory along with lots of great shocks.
Romero had to be creative, given his low budget. According to IMDB.com:
“The outdoor scene where hunters, emergency crew and soldiers are shooting at zombies was done using local volunteers. Several local hunters arrived on-scene with their own weapons, the local National Guard division showed up in full gear, and local emergency crew (police, fire and ambulance) were present, all voluntarily.”
“Dawn Of The Dead” is a terrific continuation of his original film. See where this franchise began with my in-depth look at “Night Of The Living Dead” here:
Next up, my favorite “head turner” in all of cinema:
Time To Spin Your Head Around For the Greatest Horror Film Of All Time – “The Exorcist”!
The letter “E” is covered by one of the greatest achievements in cinema, and the scariest film of all time, thanks to brilliant Director William Friedkin!
It all began with one of the creepiest and most iconic images on a movie poster – hinting at what was ahead once you entered THAT house…this movie was a phenomenon when it was released, for good reason!
In 1973, “The Exorcist” shocked American moviegoers with its intense horror. It was based on a novel that was also phenomenon, and tells the story of 12-year old Regan, a quiet girl who begins to show some strange symptoms. The film creates a sense of dread over the first hour that then turns shocking – then never lets up for the rest of the movie!
Here is the original trailer, which does a great job of setting up the horror without giving too much of it away:
If you haven’t seen this iconic horror film yet – I am about to share some of those shocking moments from the film…understand?
Ok, then let’s have young Regan greet you as you enter – oh don’t worry, she doesn’t have to move much – just her head:
That is just one of the many shocking moments from this movie!
Director William Friedkin made “The Exorcist” in 1973, just two years after he won the Oscar for Best Picture for “The French Connection”…he was a Director at the top of his game, and this film actually caused audience members to faint – that’s right, the media was having a field day with stories of audience members fainting or running out of the theater in shock!
“The Exorcist” was nominated for Best Picture of 1973 – and was a box office sensation. Ellyn Burstyn and Max Von Sydow star in the film, but the real star was a young girl who made a stunning movie debut:
Introducing Linda Blair!
Linda Blair was perfect as the young, angelic Regan – what she goes through in this film is unbelievable!
“The Exorcist” is for me the scariest film of all time and this is the month to watch it again!
Director William Friedkiin made so many great films…including this riveting thriller that was overlooked when released but is now considered a classic slice of cinema:
See the trailer and an in-depth look at the film here:
Finally, the letter “F” is covered by one of horror cinema’s greatest Directors:
“The Fog”
On the eve of Antonio Bay’s 100th anniversary, a series of strange occurrences signals that something is wrong. An old sailor’s tale tells of a shipwreck that occurred a century ago involving a ship of lepers led by a man named Blake.
The town’s founders, seeking gold, purposefully led the ship to crash on the rocks. Now, the victims’ ghosts return from their watery grave, concealed within an eerie, luminous fog, to seek revenge on the descendants of those who murdered them.
Here is the trailer:
The film has a terrific cast:
- Adrienne Barbeau as Stevie Wayne, a late-night radio DJ.
- Jamie Lee Curtis as Elizabeth Solley, a hitchhiker caught up in the horror.
- Janet Leigh as Kathy Williams, the town’s mayor and one of the founders’ descendants.
- Tom Atkins as Nick Castle, a local resident who works to save the town.
- Hal Holbrook as Father Malone, who uncovers the truth about the town’s history.
- John Houseman as Machen, who tells the legend in the film’s opening
This was Carpenter’s followup to “Halloween”, his 1978 classic shocker.
See more about how influential “Halloween” has been to horror cinema by clicking on my story here:
I will hit all the letters of the horror alphabet this month, and I shared how it all began here:
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Categories: 70's Cinema, Academy Awards, Action Films, Cult Movies, Exploitation films, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Halloween, Hollywood, Horror films, Independent Cinema, Movies, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities
Hi John, I haven’t seen any of these. I don’t think I have the stomach for the exorcist.
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I always enjoy your ‘shocktober’ posts, John, and as usual you chose many great examples.
Shared on Twitter. Best wishes, Pete.
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