31 Days of Halloween 2024 – The Complete Collection

Happy Halloween to one and all. This is the collection of the 31 essays I wrote over the 31 days in October, as mentioned in my first post on the blog earlier today. I will keep the original posts on my Medium profile, linked individually in the list below.

This was a spontaneous project I took on, and I am very pleased to have stuck with it. Though these essays are not individually all that long, they add up to well over 100 pages of analysis and autobiography. They also showcase emergent writing as I change my approach throughout the 31 essays. There is a fair amount of discovery and honing of my approach as you move down the list.

Ultimately, these are incomplete pieces. Many are just drafts and sketches of concepts. Each piece is a seed for a more significant exploration that I may eventually take on in some manner. However, don’t let their draft status chase you away. They can be quite entertaining.

The method I used to write each piece was to watch a movie, and immediately jump over to my desk to write about the movie with no pre-writing or planning. Much of what I would end up writing was the result of discovery and minor editing once I found a thread I wished to explore. Other than that, each of these was written in the span of and hour and published immediately.

Master List of Halloween Essays on Medium

1. WNUF Halloween Special (2013)
2. House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
3. The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
4. The Unbinding (2023)
5. 3 From Hell (2019)
6. Night of the Living Dead (1990)
7. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
8. Mad God (2021)
9. Candyman (1992)
10. Terrifier (2016)
11. Zombeavers (2014)
12. I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
13. Lord of Illusions (1995)
14. Fright Night (1985)
15. The Call of Cthulhu (2005)
16. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
17. Alien (1979)
18. Terrifier 2 (2022)
19. V/H/S/Beyond (2024)
20. Friday the 13th (1980)
21. It Follows (2014)
22. The House of the Devil (2009)
23. The Blob (1958)
24. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
25. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
26. Salem’s Lot (2024)
27. The Evil Dead (1981)
28. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)
29. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Werewolf (1996/1998)
30. Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
31. Halloween (1978)

31 Days of Halloween: Working Toward a Book

I have collected enough material to assemble a small book, so I will explore that route in the future. Between what I already wrote, some additional annotations, and planned illustrations, I will have plenty to keep me occupied regarding this project, even though the month is over. This will be at least a few more months of work. I don’t plan on doing much with these in November. I could use the break.

For now, though. I am just glad to have completed this project, and I hope that you enjoy the essays. Please feel free to check them out on Medium and let me know what you think.