October 1, 2026
Auteur Almanac: October
Month 10 of Auteur Almanac: A Curation of Atmospheric, Alluring Assemblage Art
Welcome to Auteur Almanac, a new monthly series in which I will explore a unique dark theme curated through a gothic lens. Each installment will serve as a guide to the season, featuring these four categories:
- Visual Vault: A Moodboard
- The Midnight Marquee: A Movie Watchlist
- Ambient Accords: Fragrance Notes
- The Grim Advent: Curated Dates
Now that I live in Mexico, I now realize that growing up in the Northeast gave me an unfair advantage when it comes to October. There is absolutely nothing on earth that matches the vibe of a Tri-State autumn. My favorite part about October is how the nostalgia of 2000s Halloween gets me every single year. There is nothing quite like remembering the Monstober marathons, eating Pillsbury seasonal cookies, and driving around suburbs to watch houses covered in those cheap purple and orange lights. As much as I love diving into those cozy childhood traditions, I still need a few good scares that make Halloween feel a little nostalgic but also scary. Naturally, I wanted to make this monthly curation a tribute to those suburban frights. I can’t believe it’s already October!
Happy Halloween! 🎃🕸️🍂
Visual Vault
The Midnight Marquee
Halloween (1978) - dir. John Carpenter
Synopsis: Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween Night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.
Thoughts: Of course to start off October there is no other perfect watch than that of the original Halloween. It was the first ever horror movie I saw (shown to me by my dad) and has resonated with me ever since. It is the ultimate atmospheric film for the fall season and the absolute undisputed king of “neighborhood legends.” It is the utmost important on this list if you haven’t seen anything else and have been meaning to check this out. What makes John Carpenter’s masterpiece so terrifying is the fact that Michael Myers is hiding in the totally normal, mundane daylight of a quiet suburban street. Those shots of him just standing behind a bush or sitting in a parked car while the autumn leaves blow across the sidewalk are permanently etched into my brain. It completely reinvented how we look at neighborhoods and suburbia. It’s an airtight, slow-burn exercise in pure suspense that demands to be watched every single October.
WNUF Halloween Special (2013) - dir. Chris LaMartina
Synopsis: A local TV personality leads a team of supernatural investigators, including an exorcist, into the darkest corners of a supposedly haunted house.
Thoughts: If you want absolute pure, concentrated 1980s Halloween nostalgia, this is a masterpiece. It's framed entirely as a lost VHS recording of a local TV station's live news broadcast from a haunted house on Halloween night in 1987 (complete with fake, era-accurate commercials). The commitment to the bit is incredible. It perfectly captures that cozy, slightly tacky local television vibe before everything inevitably goes horribly wrong.
The Midnight Hour (1985) - dir. Jack Bender
Synopsis: Phil, Melissa, Mitch, Mary, and Vinnie are high school friends, who unwittingly raise the dead on Halloween night. Once the dead have returned, Pitchford Cove will never be the same again....or will it?
Thoughts: This made-for-TV gem is the epitome of a "monster-mashed nightmare." It is a glorious, neon-soaked 80s Halloween party put on film. You’ve got high schoolers accidentally raising the dead, vampires, zombies, witches, a killer soundtrack, and even a random musical dance number. It balances a genuine spooky autumn atmosphere with that fun, campy, retro horror vibe that feels like a vintage Halloween decoration come to life. If you’ve missed out on this one, it’s a total hidden treasure that deserves a permanent spot on your October watchlist.
Trick ‘r Treat (2007) - dir. Michael Dougherty
Synopsis: Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: an everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank, and a bitter old recluse receives an uninvited guest.
Thoughts: In recent years, anthology horror has been on the rise (especially with franchises like V/H/S) but I feel like this Dougherty masterpiece remains the most vital. This has rightfully become a modern Halloween tradition. It weaves together multiple stories in a single town on Halloween night, all overseen by Sam; the ultimate, tiny manifestation of the holiday's ancient rules. I love how heavily it respects the folklore and traditions of the night (like never blowing out a jack-o'-lantern before midnight). The atmosphere is thick with fog, glowing pumpkins, and crisp autumn leaves and to me, it is the perfect love letter to October 31st.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - dir. Tommy Lee Wallace
Synopsis: After a terrified toy salesman is mysteriously attacked and brought to the hospital, clutching the year’s most popular Halloween mask, Dr. Daniel Challis sets out to investigate the strange events and finds himself thrust into a nightmarish conspiracy.
Thoughts: Now, I do have Halloween on this list already but don’t expect to see two of the same plot on here. Halloween III is notorious for being the only installment in the franchise to not have Michael Myers in it. However, don’t let that deter you. Although I do agree it could have been its own standalone film, the original plot and storyline make it perfect for Halloween night. This installment drops the slasher angle to give us a corporate warlock plotting a mass human sacrifice of children using cursed Silver Shamrock masks and ancient Stonehenge dust. It is weird, bleak, beautifully shot, and features one of the greatest, most infectious synth scores John Carpenter ever composed.
Haunt (2019) - dir. Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Synopsis: On Halloween, a group of friends encounter an extreme haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears. The night turns deadly as they come to the horrifying realisation that some nightmares are real.
Thoughts: I feel like this one flies under the radar a bit, but it is a vicious, brutal, and incredibly effective modern slasher. I found this movie last year and it absolutely blew me away. The setup of a group of friends finding an "extreme" underground haunted house attraction on Halloween night is fantastic, but once they realize the performers are wearing masks because they are actual monsters, the tension never lets up. The set designs inside the haunt are incredibly creative, claustrophobic, and deeply unsettling. It takes the classic childhood fun of going to a neighborhood haunted house and twists it into a relentless, high-stakes survival nightmare. (+ if you are looking for another movie with this vibe, check out Hell Fest from 2018!)
Ambient Accords
The Grim Advent
I pulled together a few dates for October that feel right for the season or simply just stand out to me. If any of these intrigue you, it’s the perfect excuse to get a little autumn horror marathon going.
Monthly Celebrations
Breast Cancer Awareness MonthDomestic Violence Awareness MonthAdopt a Shelter Dog MonthSarcastic MonthNational Pizza MonthNational Popcorn Poppin’ MonthCookie MonthNational Vegetarian MonthDaily Celebrations
1: International Coffee Day1: National Homemade Cookies Day1: Pumpkin Spice Day2: World Smile Day3: Virus Appreciation Day3: World Card Making Day4: World Taco Day4: Oktoberfest ends in Germany11: It’s My Party Day12: Indigenous People Day13: International Skeptics Day13: National M&M Day14: National Dessert Day14: National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day16: World Food Day17: Sweetest Day19: Evaluate Your Life Day20: International Chefs Day21: Pumpkin Cheesecake Day25: Howl at the Moon Night25: International Artist Day25: Mother-In-Law Day25: Punk for a Day Day26: National Pumpkin Day27: Black Cat Day28: Plush Animal Lover’s Day 29: National Cat Day29: National Frankenstein Day30: Frankenstein Friday30: Haunted Refrigerator Night30: National Candy Corn Night30: Mischief Night31: Carve a Pumpkin Day31: Increase Your Psychic Powers Day31: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!