It has been one hell of a month, one filled with movie screenings, conventions, lectures, and so much more. I know I am sheer exhausted by the time the month is over, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Wait… actually, I’d like to have even more time to see more movies, go to more different spooky and Halloween themed events, as well as spending more time with my other horror friends and family. With all the crap going on in the world, these are the things where you can sit back and still see the beauty in the world, even when it’s covered in spiderwebs and has fog encircling it! There are times when I start to lose hope for humanity, but then I have a passionate conversation about an old black and white movie that they have just seen. Or even just two complete strangers talking about movies together as they wait in line for a film. It not only still shows me the power of film, but it seems that more and more people are “getting it”.

This month, I made a trip out to Chicago’s Music Box Theatre 4 different times, to see 8 different features on the big screen, as well as vending at this year’s Music Box of Horrors. I know I’ve said it here many times before, but when I was going to the Music Box in the 90s and having maybe a half-dozen or so in the theater to see some classic or obscure horror film, only now to have to wait in line to go see films like The Innocents or even Horror of Dracula, just thrills the shit out of me. Even if people hadn’t seen the films before (which I’m very envious of you getting to watch it for the first time!), the fact that they are still willing to give it a try and see it the way films were meant to be seen, again… gives me such joy to see how the horror genre fans have come in the last 30 years.

Watching Horror of Dracula on the big screen early this week, with a damn near full house, with an incredible looking print, was really an amazing experience. Back in 1994, I had gone to a Fanex Convention in Baltimore, that was having a Hammer themed show. On Saturday night, they were going to screen this film in an old theater, and I got to go. Unfortunately, it was so packed when we got there, I had to sit in the very first row, all the way to the right. By the time the movie was over, my neck hurt worse than if I had spent some alone time with Dracula himself. As cool as it was, it doesn’t compare to what I was able to see on Wednesday. So, thank you Hammer for doing all the hard work to make this look as good as it did, close to 70 years later, and for saving it for future generations to come. And to the Music Box Theatre and their continuing excellent programming to keep us horror fans overjoyed with what they are bringing to the big screen.

There was a little bit of a bummer at the first part of the month, since this was the first October in 25 years, that we didn’t make a stop in Strongsville, Ohio for a Cinema Wasteland show. I’ve already said my thoughts on this show before, and I still agree with Pam and Ken’s decisions, and hope they are enjoying a less stressful October. But again, even with that show gone, the friendships that we made there in that quarter of a century will live on as long as we do. While there are other shows like it, there will never be another Cinema Wasteland. I’m honored to have been there to experience each and every show they ran. But here’s a lesson to fans out there… if you like an event like that, and you really want to see it continue, you have to support it. That doesn’t mean going to it once every 5 years. Just saying.

2026 was the 5th year that my partner-in-crime Aaron Christensen, aka Dr. AC, and I presented our 4 Terror Tuesday library lectures at the Sulzer Library. Every year, we promise to start getting our work together early, and it seems we are always scrambling to get it done. But I have to say, not only do we both learn something new about what we’re going to discuss, but to have an audience each week that are truly engaged in what we are presenting, it makes all the work and stress more than worth it. Thanks to Eric Anderson at Sulzer’s for having us back each year, and especially to my good friend and colleague, Aaron. If you were to tell me 6 years ago that I was going to get up in front of some strangers and talk about movies, it would have just terrified me. But thanks to Aaron’s support, it is something I really do look forward to, as well as just enjoy the hell out of.

So hopefully you are getting to spend this day watching some great flicks, passing out candy, taking your own youngsters out to get some trick-r-treating in, and anything else you can do to squeeze a little bit more enjoyment of October! But here’s the thing… Just because it will soon be November, and that other holiday will be everywhere we turn to, it doesn’t mean we still can’t continue our little horror happenings and get-togethers. Start your little movie club where you can talk about the latest film you’ve seen or give and get recommendations from others. Or support someone that is doing different events, such as John McDevitt and Super-Horror-Rama. The whole point is to keep the fandom alive and building. Hook up with friends for a movie screening, maybe arriving early to chat about the films, or stay late to discuss what you just watched. Get those exchanges of thoughts and opinions, because that where you can grow as a fan.

Okay… enough preaching. Enjoy the day! See you on the other side!