A blog dedicated to horror & cult films, literature, & culture
I previously published a post about woman-directed horror and cult films five years ago. Since that time, there appears to have been a significant surge in women directing horror and … Continue reading (More) Horror Films Directed by Women
“Power, I said! Power to walk into the gold vaults of the nations, into the secrets of kings, into the holy of holies, power to make multitudes run, squealing in … Continue reading The Invisible Man (1933)
When I say 2025 was a rough year for me, I mean it in a very real way. I was terminated unexpectedly from my last job in March after a … Continue reading Top 10 Horror Movies of 2025
“I keep telling you, this isn’t a few birds. These are gulls, crows, swifts–” – Tippi Hedren, The Birds (1963) It felt like a good time for a throwback horror … Continue reading The Birds (1963)
“I bid you welcome, oh nameless and numbered ones. Tonight, we are going to play 31. What is 31, pray tell? Ah, ha ha, well, 31 is war. And as … Continue reading Halloween Spotlight: 31 (2016)
“You never loved me. You just loved how much I loved you. I gave you everything! You gave it all away” – Jennifer Lawrence, Mother! (2017) September 2017. Athens, Ohio. … Continue reading Mother! (2017)
To no one’s surprise, I did not have a good time in high school. I graduated with my Master of Arts degree seven years ago, and I still wake up … Continue reading High School Horror Movies
Hello all, It’s been a while. My professional life was abruptly overturned in March, and everything else followed. I have been putting pieces together, trying new ventures, and reevaluating everything … Continue reading Still Here
This May Day, it’s finally time to dive into one of the most influential folk horror films of all time: The Wicker Man (1973) by Robin Hardy. The Wicker Man … Continue reading The Wicker Man (1973)
One sub-genre of horror we all love, but rarely turn the spotlight on, is game-play horror. Game-play horror happens when the conflict and violence of a horror film stem from … Continue reading Best Game-Play Horror
A term I had somehow never encountered before began appearing to me over and over throughout the past few weeks: Valloween. The idea is pretty straightforward: Valentine’s Day, but make … Continue reading Valloween
My fellow midwesterners may agree…we are in the midst of a brutal winter. I love a night in with a horror movie, hot cider, and a gentle snowfall, but those … Continue reading Winter Horror Films
Wow. I think we can all agree that 2024 was a great year for horror. This was a hard list to rank, but I think I got my picks close … Continue reading My Top 10 Horror Movies of 2024
“I expect it’s Christmas. Always upsets me. Auntie…Auntie, don’t you ever wish that you weren’t…what we are?” – Kim Novak, Bell, Book and Candle (1958) October 13th, 2024. It was … Continue reading Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, it’s about time I shared a few of the many literary works of horror by Native American authors I have enjoyed. Each story … Continue reading Native American Horror Fiction
“Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make” – Bela Lugosi, Dracula (1931) This Halloween, I wanted to put the spotlight on a classic that inspires horror … Continue reading Halloween Spotlight: Dracula (1931)
Hello all, I am finally about to wrap up my second short story for publication. Like most of the fiction I write, this one started with a question. The idea … Continue reading Teeth
After seeing the way Longlegs shook the world this past summer, I began considering other crime thrillers that have reached over into horror. Crime thrillers are driven by a crime … Continue reading Terrifying Crime Thrillers
“We have come very far, enduring many hardships. But at last, we’ve found a place where we can be safe, together. At the other end of the ocean…Mum had put … Continue reading Marrowbone (2017)
Folk horror is one of my favorite sub-genres. Whether you are familiar with it or not, the same question springs to mind: what is folk horror, exactly? Folk horror essentially … Continue reading Folk Horror Films
If I asked you to name five horror movie posters from memory, you would likely be able to do so easily. Horror movie posters introduce us to the stories that … Continue reading 15 Iconic Horror Movie Posters
“I’ve done bad things. I’m bad” – Sheila Vand, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) I wanted to mark Women’s History Month with a horror film created by … Continue reading A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
As horror fans, we know what we are signing up for. Regardless, even the most seasoned audiences have limits. Horror does not typically make me squeamish (I am partial to … Continue reading Grossest Horror Films I Will (Probably) Never Watch Again
“You saw Madeline and you see me. We are dying, Mr. Winthrop. As you saw her today, she is and will remain. Believe me, sir, I bear you no malice. … Continue reading House of Usher (1960)
Life circumstances have pushed back the post for The House of Usher (1960) and any Valentine’s Day post I came up with. To finally get things going for 2024, I … Continue reading Gnawing at Wool
Here’s the thing: it has been an exhausting year, and I wanted to take it easy for the holidays. Instead of working on a new holiday post, I decided to … Continue reading Happy (Spooky) Holidays
“And here I am knocking myself out to make a living as a horror hostess, when I’m actually descended from, like, a major metaphysical celebrity! All I have to do … Continue reading Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
So…I just turned 30! I expected to be freaking out about my 20s being over, but I have been looking forward to this birthday for months. I am ready to … Continue reading My Top 30 Horror/Cult Films
“Come! We fly!” – Bette Midler, Hocus Pocus (1993) By Night‘s featured Halloween film is on the gentler side this year with a Disney classic: Hocus Pocus (1993). Like myself, … Continue reading Halloween Spotlight: Hocus Pocus (1993)
It’s almost Halloween, and we are in the season of monsters. In past blog posts, I have celebrated monster movies through sharing my favorite vampire movies and my favorite zombie … Continue reading My Top 5 Favorite Werewolf Films
“Stay close to the candles. The staircase…can be treacherous” – Cloris Leachman, Young Frankenstein (1974) Horror-comedies have a special place in my heart. They recognize that horror and comedy share … Continue reading By Night’s 100th Blog Post: Young Frankenstein (1974)
“Feed me.” – Levi Stubbs, Little Shop of Horrors (1986) My journey to Little Shop of Horrors was a memorable one. It began in 2010 with the release of a … Continue reading Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
“She hesitated at the corner of the verandah. Her curiosity was intense: she had not forgot all her animosity toward her father for bringing her to this godforsaken place. Yet … Continue reading The Elementals
“There are seven deadly sins, captain. Gluttony…greed…sloth, wrath, pride, lust, and envy. Seven. You can expect five more of these” – Morgan Freeman, Se7en (1995) As a film lover and … Continue reading Se7en (1995)
It is officially my least favorite time of year: summer. Despite the heat, humidity, sweat, high utility bills…summer is the perfect setting to revisit a favorite subgenre of horror. We … Continue reading Cabin-in-the-Woods Horror Films
In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, I wanted to turn the spotlight to an indispensable entity of horror: Asian horror cinema. Asian horror films and thrillers … Continue reading Asian Horror Films & Thrillers
“You still wake up sometimes, don’t you? Wake up in the dark and hear the screaming of the lambs. Yes. And you think if you save poor Catherine, you could … Continue reading The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
I have recently gotten into acting. With this new pursuit comes potential agency representation and casting opportunities. I learned from my (amazing) acting coach that a common practice in auditioning … Continue reading Horror Movie Monologues
“ ‘I love you with all of my heart. Till death do us part’ ” – Megan Fox, Till Death (2021) When it’s time for romantic Valentine’s Day movies, it’s … Continue reading Till Death (2021)
“I thought you were good, Paul, but you’re not good. You’re just another lying, old dirty birdie, and I don’t think I better be around you for a while. And … Continue reading Misery (1990)
2022 brought us a thrilling amount of horror films. Even better, most of them were originals. I compiled a list of the notable 2022 horror films I watched this year, … Continue reading Horror Films of 2022 – Ranked
“Two lives left. I think I’ll save one for next Christmas” – Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman Returns (1992) No matter how you enjoy the season, the holidays should be a time … Continue reading Batman Returns (1992)
“There seems no reason for any of it, does there? But what if I could give it back to you? Pluck out the pain and give you another life…one you … Continue reading Interview with the Vampire (1994)
“I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey” – Charles Gray, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) October 2016. Circleville, Ohio. We parked in a … Continue reading Halloween Spotlight: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
As many of you may know by now, I have decided to complete a project I have contemplated since before I began this blog. I am converting several film posts … Continue reading By Night Anthology
“They’re coming to get you, Barbara,” — Russell Streiner, Night of the Living Dead (1968) Horror films, I would argue more so than any other genre films, remain known over … Continue reading Night of the Living Dead (1968)
“His name was Jason” – Betsy Palmer, Friday the 13th (1980) Horror films of the 1980s remain iconic and continue to inspire fans and creators globally. One film that started … Continue reading Friday the 13th (1980)
We’re in the middle of summer, and it’s only going to get hotter before we finally enter our beloved autumn. One of my favorite summer activities is reading horror novels … Continue reading Summer Horror Novels
catharsis (kuh-thaar-suhs): the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions I am so angry. If you have had access to any United States news outlets … Continue reading Catharsis
It’s Pride Month, and it’s time to highlight the historical impact of the LGBTQ+ community in the world of horror. There are so many horror films by and about LGBTQ+ … Continue reading 10 LGBTQ+ Horror Novels
By Night 