Tag: Horror Movie

Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2026

Post author By Headless Bob
Post date October 3, 2026
No Comments on Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2026

Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2026

Founded in 2001 by film producers Rachel Belofsky and Ross martin, Screamfest Horror Film Festival is the largest and longest-running horror festival in the United States. Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2026 will run Tuesday, October 6th – Thursday, October 15th at the TCL Chinese 6 Theaters in Hollywood, California. The festival invites horror fans to experience twisted tales and terrifying ﬁlms on the big screen. For its 26th season, the festival has announced an exciting lineup of features and shorts from around the world.

The Features

This year’s lineup delivers an exciting slate of genre ﬁlms, featuring 8 world premieres, 6 North American premieres, 1 US premiere, and 3 West Coast premieres. Highlights include the world premieres THE CAGED, by Jeffrey Scott Collins and starring Edmund Kingsley (Capsule), Callen Carter, and Raﬃ Chapman (Vesper); GROW, by Brian Gottlieb and starring Annet Mahendru (The Americans) and Philip Tabor (Heights); WOUNDS, by Ron Krauss and starring Jack Kilmer (Palo Alto) and Paris Jackson (Swarm). The lineup also includes the Los Angeles premiere of SERENA, directed by Rob Alicea and starring Andi Matichak (Halloween), Steve Strait (The Expanse), and Ashley Murray (Riverdale), and the North American premiere of SLAY by Kyra Gardner, starring Zoey Luna (Hauntology), Aya Cash (The Boys, The Brink of War), Shawnee Smith (Saw II), Malina Pauli-Weissman (ICK).

Screamfest 2026 will launch with the World Premiere of Jeremy Weiss’ THE NIGHT DRIVER, starring Josh Lucas, David Arquette, and Alyssa Milano. This gripping, twist-ﬁlled thriller takes audiences on a terrifying journey where one fateful night on a lonely stretch of highway becomes a relentless ﬁght for survival.

Acclaimed ﬁlmmaker Michael Dougherty (Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Trick ‘r Treat, Krampus) will be in attendance for a special screening of TRICK ‘R TREAT with the brand-new 4K restoration of Michael Dougherty’s SEASON’S GREETINGS, the Screamfest 2003 Best Animated Short winner that ﬁrst unleashed the iconic burlap-masked Sam on the world. After the screening, Dougherty will join attendees for a Q&A, giving fans a chance to hear directly from the ﬁlmmaker about the making of these iconic works. As part of the celebration, 50 lucky random attendees will receive a copy of Legendary Comics’ TRICK ’R TREAT: WITCHING HOURS, featuring four brand-new stories starring Sam, and will be invited to an exclusive Screamfest Lounge signing with Michael Dougherty (creator/writer/director), Todd Casey (writer), Zach Shields (writer), Curtis Waugh (writer), El Garing (artist), and Breehn Burns (artist). The graphic novel will also be available for purchase ahead of its oﬃcial release, and all attendees will receive exclusive TRICK ’R TREAT stickers and posters.

Expanding beyond the traditional theater setting, Screamfest is also teaming up with Ovation Hollywood for a free outdoor screening of Ghostbusters (1984). The special event will invite festival attendees and the wider public to gather in Ovation Hollywood’s courtyard for an evening celebrating one of the most beloved and enduring sci-ﬁ comedies in ﬁlm history. Presented at no cost, the centerpiece screening will create a communal big-screen experience for horror and ﬁlm fans of all generations in the heart of Hollywood.

See the full lineup of features here.

The Shorts

My personal favorite parts of the festival are the shorts. Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2026 will screen over 80 short films during its run. From independent shorts, student shorts, and animated shorts, there are terrors for everyone in this year’s lineup. Here are some of the shorts I can’t wait to see:

THE TRICK (Directed by Fitch/Baker) – When Rita, a tired waitress eager to clock off, asks a mysterious Man in Black to finish his drink and go, she becomes the unwilling participant in a sinister show that blurs the line between illusion and reality. What begins as a simple card trick spirals into something truly uncanny and by last orders, no one is quite who they seemed.
COMPOST (Directed by Jennifer Lumbroso) – Months after the disappearance of his father, Leonard, 11 years old, discovers a living entity in the compost at the back of the garden. He secretly forms a bond with this thing, which is soon discovered by his little sister. Both start to believe it’s their father. When their mother protests against this idea, Léonard begins to have doubts about her.
NO VOLVERE (Directed by Jan Bross) – A lonely ventriloquist is served divorce papers at the showroom bar where he works. Things take a strange turn when he tries to remedy the situation with his puppet, Luis.
MIMIC (Directed by J. Mendoza) – A little girl with echolalia is left home alone at night with her mother, whom she no longer recognizes.
STUD MUFIN (Directed by
Jed Keith Woods) – A dark comedy-horror exploring the perils of toxic masculinity and the male gaze…

See the full lineup of shorts here.

Beyond the Films

Adding to this year’s lineup of exciting initiatives, Screamfest is partnering with ScareScore, an innovative app that measures moviegoers’ real-time biometric reactions and transforms them into a personalized score that fans can share, compare, and compete with. Available across most festival features, ScareScore offers audiences an entirely new way to experience horror and, for the ﬁrst time, one ﬁlm will receive an award for generating the festival’s highest biometric scare response, determined not by what audiences say, but by how their bodies actually react.

As part of this year’s Screamfest Horror Film Festival, Yulissa Morales and Ahbra Perry are spearheading two dedicated Industry Days designed to bring the genre community of Los Angeles together beyond the screenings. Taking place October 7th and 8th, the programming will bring ﬁlmmakers, executives, producers, distributors, and other industry voices together for candid conversations about the business and craft of horror, alongside mentorship opportunities and networking events.

Drawing on Morales and Perry’s extensive backgrounds across genre ﬁlmmaking, acquisitions, sales, distribution, programming, and live events, the Industry Days are designed to be both useful and fun, creating a space for emerging and established ﬁlmmakers to connect directly with the people shaping the genre and for the horror community to talk openly about where the business is headed. Programming highlights include an in-depth panel with writer-director-producer Chris Marrs Piliero and Bill Vergos, Head of Digital Film Distribution at Magenta Light Studios, exploring how to successfully navigate packaging, ﬁnancing, distribution, and marketing for independent ﬁlms. The discussion draws directly from the journey of Piliero’s APPOFENIACS, which celebrated its West Coast premiere at Screamfest 2025 ahead of its October 2, 2026 theatrical release.

Attend Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2026

Dates: Tuesday, October 6th – Thursday, October 15th, 2026

Location: TCL Chinese 6 Theaters, 6801 Hollywood, Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

Festival Badges: Full Festival Badges are $300, All Movie Badges are $200, Weekend of Scream Badges are $125, and Single-Day Saturday or Sunday Screening Passes are $50. Purchase your badges here.

Single-Screening Tickets: Tickets are $16 per film block. To order your ticket, select your movie from the Film Guide and click on “Order Tickets” on the film’s page.

Schedule: View the full festival calendar here.

Film Guide: View the list of all Features and Shorts here.

Social Media: Learn more on Screamfest’s official Facebook & Instagram.

I hope to see you there!

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin

October 19, 2026 No Comments

Halloween night is fast-approaching, and if you haven’t gotten your pumpkin already, it is time to think about going out to get one. Big or small, orange or white, and

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I spy with my little eye: a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt! Games and activities liven up parties by sparking conversations and creating fun challenges for friends. A scavenger hunt is

13 Halloween Movies

October 17, 2026 No Comments

While horror movies abound each spooky season, nothing gets me truly in the mood for frightening fun like movies set directly on the holiday. Here are my top 13 Halloween

Tags 100 Days of Halloween, Film Festival, Horror Movie, Screamfest

Entertainment Music

Horror Movie Night Playlist

Post author By Headless Bob
Post date August 31, 2026
No Comments on Horror Movie Night Playlist

Horror Movie Night Playlist

Grab some popcorn and enjoy this Horror Movie Playlist. I have collected thirteen l tie-in songs to classic horror and sci-fi films that are sure to add some groove to your horror movie night. From alternative to rap to psychedelic 60’s rock, there is something for everyone in this eerily eclectic playlist.

The Song List

From “Ghostbusters” to “The Blob”, some horror theme songs have gained nearly as much notoriety as the film they accompanied. We really need to bring back giving horror and sci-fi releases official tie-in songs. We are missing out on so many outlandish songs – who wouldn’t want a rock ballad themed to MEGAN 2.0? While not all of these songs are official (like DJ Jazzy Jeff’s “A Nightmare on My Street”), all these songs bring back fond memories of some weird and wonderful horror and sci-fi hits. This fun lineup is a perfect backdrop to get in the mood for an evening of frightful flicks.

Playlist Song Explanations

1. Killer Klowns - The Dickies

Grab your cotton candy ray guns and popcorn bazookas! Let’s start this playlist with the high-energy theme from 1988’s Killer Klowns from Outer Space. The Dickies frontman, Leonard Phillips, was not able to see the film before its release, so he wrote the song & lyrics based solely on the title. Miraculously, the song is a perfect fit with the cult-classic film, embodying the fun, whimsy, and dark humor of the film’s clown-like aliens as they terrorize a small town.

To learn more about the backstory and legacy of this track, I recommend this 2023 Dread Central article by Rachel Reeves.

2. The Green Slime - Richard Delvy

While 1968’s The Green Slime is often considered one of the worst sci-fi films of all time, its title track is a psychedelic ear worm. How can you not enjoy the over-the-top vocal presentation and silly lyrics?

What can it be, what’s the reason?
Is this the end of all the breathin’?
Is it something in your head?
Will you believe it when you’re dead?
GREEN SLIME! GREEN SLIME! GREEN SLIME! GREEN SLIME!

Just have fun and dance along. You know I always like to have a bit of a sense of humor with these playlists.

3. The Blob - The Five Blobs

Ten years before The Green Slime underwhelmed audiences, the OG gelatinous alien monster crept, leapt, glid, and slid onto the big screen in 1958’s The Blob. With a bouncy rhythm and beach vibes, the title track warns us to “Beware of the Blob”.

Written by Burt Bacharach and Mack David, this became Bacharach’s first major hit as a composer. “The Five Blobs” were a group of studio musicians lead by Bernie Knee (often credited as “Bernie Nee”). Knee’s voice was overdubbed five times for the iconic vocals but he was not officially credited by the studio.

4. A Nightmare on My Street - DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Fresh Prince

Released in 1988, “A Nightmare on My Street” is an un-official ode to the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. While it was considered for inclusion on the franchise’s fourth film, the producers ultimately decided against it. New Line Cinema actually sued the record label for copyright infringement. This resulted in a disclaimer being added to all releases of the song, stating that it was not authorized, licensed, or affiliated with the Nightmare on Elm Street films.

Despite all that, the song is a humorous and catchy love letter to the most fearsome horror icon, Freddy Kreuger.

5. Addams Groove - MC Hammer

While everyone knows how to snap their fingers to the iconic Addams Family theme song, MC Hammer’s theme to 1991’s The Addams Family, is less well-known. The track was recorded for the film and included on MC Hammer’s 1991 album, Too Legit to Quit. Despite becoming a top-10 hit in the U.S., the song won a Golden Raspberry Award for “Worst Original Song” in 1992.

The song does not fare well outside of the 90’s – and its Raspberry win suggests it did not do too well back then either! However, this still brings some variety to a horror movie night playlist with something you don’t hear very often.

6. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker, Jr.

Alright, I have subjected you to a few outlandish songs, so as we near the halfway point to our list, I am including a familiar favorite. Ghostbusters by Ray Parker, Jr. is a staple on every Halloween playlist. Made for the 1984 comedy-horror Ghostbusters, the song spent three weeks in the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 list in the U.S. The song was even nominated for an Oscar in the “Best Original Song” category.

Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman took the helm for filming the official music video. The video features clips from the movie, the Ghostbusters themselves (Bill Murry, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson) dancing through Times Square, and celebrity cameos including Chevy Chase, John Candy, Danny DiVito, and many more. It is as zany and enjoyable as the song itself!

7. Transylvania 6-5000 - Paul Chiten

While 1985’s Tranyslvania 6-5000 was critically panned, the film will always hold a special place in my heart. Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis are such a fantastic paring in every movie they appear in together, and this film has delightful twists on classic monsters from vampires to Frankenstein’s monster to the wolfman.

The film’s title is a play on Glenn Miller’s classic big band arrangement “Pennsylvania 6-5000”, but the theme song leans into its 80’s time period. From an electric guitar solo to pounding synth drums, this song fully embodies the 1980’s and the popcorn horror flicks of the era.

8. Pet Sematary - Ramones

I don’t wanna be buried in a pet sematary
I don’t want to live my life again

Written for the 1989 Stephen King adaptation Pet Sematary, this song of the same name became one of the Ramones’ biggest radio hits. It is quite catchy and encapsulates the themes of both film and novel.

According to the song’s Wikipedia page, Stephen King, a Ramones fan, invited the band to his home one time when they were playing in the area. On that visit he gave Dee Dee Ramone a copy of his novel Pet Sematary and about one hour later Dee Dee had written the lyrics to this song. It has since become a horror playlist favorite, with a multitude of covers.

9. Fright Night Theme - J. Geils Band

People say I’m crazy and I make no sense

Relatable lyrics.

The 1980’s were really a golden age of horror rock themes. The next installment on this list comes from 1985’s Fright Night. The song was written by Joe Lamont and performed by J. Geils Band – best known for their hits “Centerfold” and “Love Stinks”. This was the band’s last single; they broke up shortly after filming the music video. It is quite the shame because I bet they could have made a lot more horror rock hits.

10. Mad Monster Party - Halloween Party Animals

Let’s slow things down with this enchanting theme to 1967’s Mad Monster Party. This lesser-known stop-motion animation from Rankin/Bass Productions (creators of holiday classics such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman) pays homage to the classic monsters of the 30’s and 40’s. Count Dracula, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Invisible Man, and a slew of other royalty-free versions of fan favorite monsters make appearances in this family-friendly musical horror.

Ethel Ennis’ smooth and sultry vocals make this theme a perfect ballad to snuggle close to that special spooky someone on the couch.

11. They Are the Monsters - Rob Zombie

To bridge the gap between the 60’s and 2020’s, this next song is from a modern remake of a classic tv show: Rob Zombie’s 2022 The Munsters. Written by Rob Zombie and Zeuss, and performed by Rob Zombie, this song was nominated for a Hollywood Music in Media Award in the category “Original Song – Streamed Film (No Theatrical Release)”.

The song introduces the odd characters of The Munster family – who are “creepy, coo-coo, and a little insane”. It has a fun and psychedelic sound.

12. New Year's Evil - ShAdOw

Time to rock out with the title track to 1980’s New Year’s Evil. The producers of the film sent out a call for original song submissions, with a piece written by Roxanne Seeman and Eddie del Barrio being ultimately chosen. The Seattle rock band Shadow was approached to record the track.

To get an authentic sound, the producers had the band perform the song live for a scene in the film, recording the song without overdubbing. That means that if a mistake was made – the whole thing had to be performed and recorded again. The result was an electrifying heavy metal classic that can be heard three times throughout the film – the opening & closing credits and in the scene where the band is playing it live on stage.

You really can’t find a better horror-themed New Year’s Eve song (at least of the time of writing this piece).

13. Sadako vs. Kayako: The Curse of Syananana - Seikima-II

All good things must come to an end, but this Horror Movie Night Playlist saves the best for last. This epic anthem was made for 2016’s Sadako vs. Kayako, in which Sadako from The Ring and Kayako from Ju-On face off in the ultimate J-Horror battle.

“Noroi no Shananana” (translated to “The Curse of Syananana”) is performed by the Japanese heavy metal band Sikima-II. The lyrics describe each of the cursed women and their signature attacks – but ultimately, either way you are not making it out of this battle alive. Get up and dance to this energetic and electrifying finale.

Death! Death!
Death has chosen you
Death! Death!
Death is all around you
Inescapable fate
What will be will be
Undeniable curse, it’s no fantasy
It’s your turn, your reality