#31DaysOfHorror 2021 Starts Tomorrow
It’s spooky season year round at Sketching Details, but Halloween Month October is always worth celebrating. I’ve been participating in some form of the #31DaysOfHorror challenge since I found the old IMDB message boards in high school. Someone set up an elaborate challenge where the bare minimum you could do was watch 31 horror films in 31 days during October. There were bonus points for different themes, onscreen images, completing a series, reading a book, etc. It was so much fun.
I’ve continued since then, eventually turning it into an annual celebration at Sketching Details. It even led to the completion of my first non-fiction collection #31Days: A Collection of Horror Essays, Vol. 1.
Last year was the first time I announced all my scheduled viewings in advance and I really like how it turned out. People could follow along and know when I’d be discussing the film on the site and on social media. It led to some fun interactions and great discussions.
The full calendar is now available for the event.
Theme days have returned. On Sundays, we’re celebrating horror anthologies. On Mondays, we’ll be going through the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre quadrilogy, stopping right before the 2003 remake and reboot. On Tuesdays, we’re looking at documentaries about horror. On Wednesdays, all of the films are directed by women. And on Thursdays, we’re looking at queer horror films.
Fridays and Saturdays are a bit more a mixed bag. For one thing, Halloween Kills and Guillermo del Toro’s Antlers come out. I also have more events than usual coming up.
From 7 to 10 October, I’ll be at NYCC. That means I’m watching these films while packing up for the day, and even finishing them up on the train ride into NYC before stealing some time in the press room to write, edit, and publish the reviews.
I also have the opportunity to play in a live orchestra for a show at the end of the month that techs from the 23-27 before performing on the 28-30.
I also have my horror game and short story collection Haunted coming out 25 October and have to stay on top of that.
And let’s not forget it’s haunting season and I have a full yard of decorations to build and install from the ground up and usually hop in and help some friends and families with their haunts in my spare time.
I already feel guilty that I’ll be watching Antlers on Friday night but reviewing it Saturday because of the show schedule. Believe me, I'd love a Friday and Saturday theme, too. It’s not feasible this year.
The upside here is what else can show up. Last year, there were days where two or even three articles came out because I finished things I had to write about. The new DBD patch will be reviewed at some point in October. I’ll be starting my Dragula Season 4 review series, too. I get to preview the Chucky series before it premieres on 12 October and that can also lead to a new review series. The Outer Limits season 1 wraps up at The Avocado and I have a ton of spooky books that will be reviewed when I finish them, too.
October is my favorite time of the year. Let’s celebrate together. Interact with me on social media using the hashtag #31DaysOfHorror and join in the festivities.
