Horror has always been my go-to movie genre, and I have my dad to thank (or blame) for that. He let me watch movies that were probably a little too intense for my age, but by the time I was 13, I was hooked on the likes of Jason, Michael Myers, and Freddy Krueger. Back then, I’d devour every issue of Fangoria Magazine, soaking up all the behind-the-scenes details about makeup, costumes, and special effects. I vividly remember the first movie I rented all on my own—well, with my mom there to help with the account and payment, of course—Nightmare on Elm Street. At that point, I had already seen The Exorcist and other classics, but what really drew me in was Johnny Depp’s role in it.

Nowadays, it’s harder to find horror movies that really get under your skin. Some are just plain goofy. But to celebrate Halloween, I’m on a mission to revisit some old favorites and explore the new releases.

Kicking things off is the new 2024 adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. It follows Ben Mears (played by Lewis Pullman), a writer who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot, only to discover the town is under the thrall of a dangerous vampire, Kurt Barlow. As the town slowly succumbs to vampirism, Ben finds himself caught in a deadly fight for survival.

I read the novel about a year ago and even watched the original mini-series with David Soul. The book is classic King, but the mini-series was a bit of a letdown—though there are some standout moments when the “big bad” finally shows up.

While the 2024 film nails some of the horror and vampire scares, it’s had mixed reviews for lacking the depth and tension of the original novel. Still, it’s spooky enough to keep new audiences entertained. It starts off a little campy, but by the end, I was yelling at the TV, caught up in all the unexpected action.

If I had to rate it on my personal horror scale of 1 to 5 bats (1 being "meh" and 5 being "I can’t sleep tonight"), I’d give this one a solid 4 bats!

Check back for more spooky movie reviews this month!