As the leaves in the mountains start to turn beautiful oranges and yellows and the air grows a little crisper, it's time to make a cup of cider and put on a good scary movie—or a super cheesy one. This October, I will be watching 31 horror movies, including rewatching some old favorites and discovering new frights. This last post concludes my journey and covers all the films included in our 3rd annual Dread Through The Decades program.

The Phantom of The Opera, dir. Rupert Julian (1925)

Our DRead Through The Decades program began on the Saturday before Halloween. It was preceded by our annual costume contest. The costume contest was a tradition back during the original run of the theatre and we brought it back for a new generation starting last year. It was a great time and I was surprised by the amount of kids that stayed after for our first movie. The Phantom Of The Opera was covered earlier this month but this is the original silent version. It was my favorite of the "new to me" movies that played that day and was engaging for all ages despite being a silent movie.

The Most Dangerous Game, dir. Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack (1932)

Based on the Richard Connell story of the same name released in 1924, The Most Dangerous Game is more thriller than horror but helped to make the day more diverse in tone. I didn't manage to get my hands on the Criterion Collection's restored version and I think I would have enjoyed it if the quality of the picture and dialogue were better. It's another classic I can check off my list and reference in future lectures and events.

The Uninvited, dir. Lewis Allen (1944)

I did manage to grab a Criterion version of this 1940s hidden gem and the quality, as I have come to expect from the distributor, was amazing. It was a classic haunted house story and since I had no other movies that focused on true ghosts and ghouls it was a nice switch of pace from more human monsters. I would compare it to The Innocents from 1961 directed by Jack Clayton.

A Bucket of Blood, dir. Roger Corman (1959)

When I realized I didn't have a horror comedy in the mix, I knew exactly which movie I would add. Roger Corman is a staple of the genre despite horror comedies being more popular in the 30s and 40s before making a wider return in the 80s. This movie bridges that gap and provides a more light-hearted movie sandwiched between more intense pictures.

Night of The Living Dead, dir. George A. Romero (1968)

I presented Night of The Living Dead as part of our very first Dread Through The Decades. I skipped it our second year but decided to bring back this fan-favorite classic and I would like to continue to show it for future events due to its importance in the horror genre. In one of his few roles, Duane Jones does an amazing job as our main character Ben, and the ending still has a heavy impact on audiences new and old.

The Night Evelyn Came Out of The Grave, dir. Emilio P. Miraglia (1971)

We closed our journey through every decade The Lincoln Theatre was originally open with our only foreign film of the night. Since I studied Italian film in college, specifically Spaghetti Westerns and Giallo, I was eager to rewatch this one on the big screen. It was the most adult-themed film of the night but those that stuck around for the rest of the night seemed to be fascinated by the interesting plot and visuals in comparison with the American and British films that were played the rest of the day.