This was the year I went to Italy, at least from my couch. Half the 2024 lineup is giallo: glossy Italian murder mysteries where the killer wears black gloves, the witness is a gorgeous woman nobody believes, and the blood is so bright it looks like nail polish. Mario Bava started it, and Dario Argento ran with it, and I watched five of them. The rest of the list kept the red coming, with a hotel elevator that pours it, a mask company with a very dark Halloween plan, a prequel to a movie I already reviewed, and a summer camp I’m still mad about. Ten movies, three perfect 10s, and one 1. I saw red in every sense.
THIS YEAR’S SELECTIONS
THE EVIL EYE
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH
HALLOWEEN 6: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS
8/10
Mario Bava • 1963
BLOOD AND BLACK LACE
9/10
Mario Bava • 1964
9/10
Tommy Lee Wallace • 1982
3/10
Joe Chappell • 1995
THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE
APARTMENT 7A
8/10
Dario Argento • 1970
THE SHINING
10/10
Stanley Kubrick • 1980
5/10
Natalie Erika James • 2024
SLEEPAWAY CAMP
1/10
Robert Hiltzik • 1983
DEEP RED
10/10
Dario Argento • 1975
DEATH WALKS AT MIDNIGHT
10/10
Luciano Ercoli • 1972
THE SEEING RED AWARDS
Ten movies came in, 8 are leaving with a trophy, and no lineup has ever used more fake blood. Some winners earned it with a perfect score, some with great hair and one with a zero I’ll be explaining for years. These are the official Seeing Red Awards, handed out in the Overlook’s gold ballroom. Take the stairs.
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The Shining, Deep Red, and Death Walks at Midnight.
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The Evil Eye
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Sleepaway Camp
Chopping Mall is off the hook.
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The Silver Shamrock jingle, Halloween III: Season of the Witch
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Minnie and Roman Castevet, Apartment 7A
Back-to-Back Champions
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Valentina, Death Walks at Midnight
Glamorous Italian model in 1972 - minus the metal glove.
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Michael Myers joining a cult, Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers.
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Deep Red
FINAL RANKINGS
1
9
10
3
4
5
6
7
10
8
5
3
1
DEATH WALKS AT MIDNIGHT
2
8
10
9
9
8
10
THE SHINING
DEEP RED
BLOOD AND BLACK LACE
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH
THE EVIL EYE
THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE
APARTMENT 7A
HALLOWEEN 6: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MEYERS
SLEEPAWAY CAMP
Best to Worst
KEEP WATCHING
One year was never going to be enough. There is plenty more Horror-Thon to explore. Zombies, Michael Myers, demonic house cats, and more B-horror movies than you knew existed.