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I'm a big fan of horror films, and this is one slasher flick I continually come back to because of how good it is. You're Next (2011, Rated R) centers on an estranged family who gathers for a reunion, only to come under attack by a group of masked strangers. With their cell phone reception jammed, the family must work together to come out of this alive. While the film is gory, it also contains dark humor among the dysfunctional family members. There is a twist I didn't see coming, which makes the film stand out from the usual home invasion flicks. With great writing and acting, this tense and thrilling movie should definitely be on your watchlist. 

The Conjuring (Rated R) tells the story of Ed and Lorraine Warrens investigation into the paranormal activity happening at the Perron's, recently moved into, farmhouse. Throughout their investigation they find out that there are spirits that are causing the family harm and learn that there is something terrible that haunts them. 

The Conjuring, available for checkout on DVD, is also available to watch on Netflix, you can check out a Roku with Netflix.

I love a good thriller with lots of edge of your seat suspense. This movie "Till Death" does not disappoint. Emma (Meagan Fox) is having trouble in her marriage to her husband, Mark (Eoin Macken). They are celebrating their 10th Anniversary and Mark has a few surprises for his wife. Mark whisks a blindfolded Emma away, to their lake house, in the winter, to celebrate a very romantic evening he has planned. Everything changes the next morning as Mark continues to keep surprising his wife. I highly recommend this thriller. It was so good. Lots of twists and turns.

It Devours! is a standalone novel from the creators of the popular fiction podcast Welcome to Night Vale. The story follows two main characters - Nilanjana, a scientist, and Darryl, a member of the Joyous Congregation of the Smiling God - as they seek to discover the truth behind the rumblings in the desert. It Devours! blends science fiction, mystery, horror, and even a little (highly bureaucratic) romance to create a totally original narrative stuffed with quirky characters, clever dialog, and a compelling storyline. Familiarity with the Welcome to Night Vale podcast will enrich the story for readers, but is by no means a requirement to enjoy this book.

Also available as an ebook on Hoopla.

Based off of the book of the same name by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House is a horror drama series that came out on Netflix. The series tells the story of the Crain siblings and their life after they have left Hill House and how the house continues to impact the family years after they thought they escaped. The show is told in present day with flashbacks to describe what the family had gone through all those years ago at Hill House.

Jacob is nearly sixteen and virtually friendless with little direction in his life when a sudden traumatic event changes everything. He embarks on an adventure to a mysterious island to try to find answers to his family's past. This young adult novel, which includes unusual period photos, sets an eerie tone that will give you goosebumps.

Locke and Key is a Netflix show based on a comic book series. Following a family tragedy, the Locke's move across the country to their father's family home, Key House. Strange things begin to happen, and the house starts to reveal its mysteries to the family. The Locke children start to learn more and more about their father's past and possibly why he ran far away from his Ancestral home. A little bit of adventure, a little bit of mystery, and a dash of fun.

What a great show! It was one of those shows we started and then couldn't stop watching- binge worthy for sure!  The library also has the graphic novels the show is based on. I haven't read them myself, but if they are half as good as the show, you won't be disappointed! 

Check out a Roku with Netflix to get caught up. The new season released October 22nd.

How do you get out of a situation handcuffed to a dead body? What happens when the key is nowhere to be found? Where do you go when you're in the middle of nowhere, have no suitable clothes, and it is freezing outside?!

In Till Death (Rated R), Emma played by Megan Fox, tries to escape the cold grip of her dead husband (WHO IS HANDCUFFED TO HER!). Her husband Mark, played by Eoin Macken, commits suicide in front of her. However, before his death Mark made sure Emma could not get free, call for help, or walk outside without freezing to death. The story gets more deranged when Emma discovers Mark invited a psychotic man from Emma's past to this horror!

This movie is a horror, thriller, but has its funny moments.

If you're in the mood for a Halloween story, I recommend reading The House by the Cemetery by John Everson. It's the story of an abandoned house near the Midlothian turnpike by Bachelor's Grove, IL. Over many decades, teenagers have vandalized the old cemetery and have broken into the abandoned house to perform satanic rituals. Many residents in the area believed that there is a ghost of a witch that haunts the abandoned house. A young entrepreneur sees this as a business opportunity to create a haunted house (from an actual haunted house) for Halloween's month of October. He employs a carpenter, named Mike, to fix up the house. Mike soon discovers two trespassers who are eager to help him fix up the house. Many people are excited and are drawn to the house but many disappear. After the house is fixed and decorated for the haunted house, the ghosts are awakened. A few customers disappear during the haunted nights and the witch gets stronger as it gets closer to Halloween.

Celebrate Halloween early with this teen slasher film based on the books by beloved author R.L. Stine. This is the first installment of a trilogy that follows a group of teens who are terrorized by an evil ancient spirit that has plagued their town for centuries. At first, Deena Johnson doesn't believe in the town witch; that is until her ex-girlfriend Sam accidentally disturbs the witch's grave following a car crash. The witch is furious and will stop at nothing until she gets revenge, no matter how brutal. The film does a great job honoring its source material and has an impressive, committed cast. If you're looking for horror/suspense mixed with 90's nostalgia, then this one's for you.

You can watch Fear Street Part 1: 1994 (2021, Rated R) on Netflix with one of our Rokus.

If you like stories about a haunted house then you will probably enjoy Home Before Dark (2020) by Riley Sager. This is the story of a Victorian estate in Vermont which the Holt family moves into to fix up. Baneberry Hall was built by William Garson in the mid 1800s. He lived there with his family and then a few other generations of the Garson's did also. William's daughter Indigo kills herself in 1889 which begins all the hauntings in the house. Many families and people come and go over the years with a number of murders and suicides that happen in the house. The Holt family is not disturbed by this history and move in . Not much has changed over the years. Over a decade of antiques and personal items are left from previous families. The Holt family suddenly leaves in a panic 3 weeks later to never return. The father Ewan Holt, writes a book about the haunted house and their families' experiences and makes lots of money from the book. 25 years later he dies and his daughter, Maggie inherits the money and the house. She can't remember her personal experiences from when she lived there those 3 weeks when she was a child and goes to the house to fix it up to sell. She always felt that the book was fictional and that her dad made most of the stories up. The past catches up with her and she finally resolves the mysteries of the house.

Check out the ebook or listen to the eaudio on Overdrive.

Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) have decided to leave the small, isolated town of "Perfection" for greener pastures. Unfortunately, they are a little too late. There's something under the ground, and it's killing people one by one. Now they are trapped. This comedy-horror film will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Tremors (1990, PG-13) also stars Michael Gross and Reba McEntire. This film is available on DVD in the Binge Box "Funny and Scary Collection" along with Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Cabin in the Woods, and What We Do in the Shadows.

Filmed on a very low budget The Blair Witch Project (1999, R) does a superb job of creating an eerie atmosphere without expensive special effects. The viewer is led to believe that the movie is actually footage from a documentary that three film students created when they ventured into the Maryland woods to document the local Blair Witch legend. This home-video quality film is all that was recovered. After watching the film read this interesting article, "The Blair Witch Project at 20: Why it can't be replicated." 

The movie is available on dvd or as a part of a Halloween binge box called "The Footage Found Collection" which also includes Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield, V/H/S, Creep, The Visit, and As Above, So Below.

Imagine you hear a noise in a completely dark room. You think there very well might be a big crazy guy with a large knife ready to pounce right in front of you. Would you turn on the light?

That's the creepy tense feeling of Bird Box (2014). No crazy guy with a knife, but some strange abstract entities that cause people and animals that see them to go insane, kill others around them, and kill themselves.

This is the story of Malorie and her children as they try to find safety blindfolded and in a blindfolded world. Taking off the blindfold outside could mean madness and death. The book starts a few years into the ongoing horror then alternates flashbacks and current action.

Cassandra Campbell narrates with a calm but serious voice. You will want to hear the whole book by Josh Malerman in one sitting (about 9 hours). Visit Overdrive to read or listen to the book today.

I was prepared for this to be a really dumb movie, and I was not disappointed. It was quite enjoyable! If you, like I, love bad b-rated horror movies, then this is a must see. It's the age-old tale of a priest's journey to China to find deeper spirituality after a devastating family tragedy. The twist, however, is that he is blessed with an ancient ability that allows him to turn into a dinosaur.

This movie checks all the boxes for a low budget horror movie for me: bad acting ✔, cheap visual effects ✔, Christian ninjas ✔, and lots of laughs. The VelociPastor (2018) is a sincere parody that is genuinely funny.

Watch it on Hoopla today!