Everything Coming to Turner Classic Movies This October! Plus Recommendations!
With the advent of new technology, more and more people are cutting the cord and replacing standard over the air cable with a myriad of internet based subscription services. As with any new technology implementations, there are tons of people who like to do things the old fashioned way. I am one of those folks who have old fashioned cable, well Hulu Live TV but the idea still applied, the main reason is so I can watch old fashioned movies on the Turner Classic Movies channel. I am a horror fanatic but more so I am a movie fanatic and TCM is a fantastic channel which plays classic movies all day, commercial free and uncut. Like many networks they have an extensive horror lineup with classics films from the past 20 years, many of which they include commentary and detailed movie information from Ben Mankiewicz and various other hosts. Think of it as a classy Last Drive-In type of feel.
In this article I will highlight 10 must see films as well as including the schedule for all 86 films showing this month. I understand that many folks have cut the cord completely and may not have TCM so I will also include where to find the film streaming, you know, like the young people do. Enjoy and please note all times are Eastern.
Thursday October 3rd 9:45pm – Horror Hotel
Over the years TCM has shown this film multiple times and always as the US title, Horror Hotel, and not the name it’s more commonly known as, City of the Dead. From 1960, this Christopher Lee lead film follows a group of students investigating the disappearance of one of their classmates in the mysterious town of Whitewood on candlemas eve. Dark, macabre and haunting, Horror Hotel is a somewhat overlooked classic horror film that is just absolutely beautiful in stunning black and white. Also streaming on Prime and Tubi.
Friday October 4th 8:00pm – Godzilla (1954)
Every year TCM has their monster of the month where they play tons of films from that specific monster. This year's monster is Godzilla and over the course of the month they will be showing an astonishing 17 Godzilla movies! The first Friday of the month opens with the 1954 classic Godzilla. This was the start of the franchise and one of the most iconic monsters of all time. If you’ve never seen this gem, now is the time to check it out and because it’s the monster of the month you will certainly get an extensive education from the various TCM hosts over the course of the month. This classic is only available on VOD.
Friday October 4th 9:30pm – Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, well it may be debatable with this film. Also known as ‘American Godzilla’ this film is exactly that, the original Godzilla film, dubbed into English with an American actor crudely edited in and all the political messaging and anti-nuclear stuff edited out. TCM is showing this film as a double header with the aforementioned Godzilla and it will be interesting to find out about the behind the scenes info of how this movie came into existence. The late 90’s and early 2000’s saw a great deal of American studios making scene for scene recreations of Japanese horror films with American actors wedged into Japanese folklore but few remember that trend started here, in 1956. This film is also only available on VOD services.
Thursday, October 17th 8:00pm – The Uninvited (1944)
So, for those not familiar TCM has this strange programming schedule. Whereas most cable stations program for prime time, 8pm - 12am, TCM’s daily schedule is from 8pm to 6am the next day with each movie in their broadcast day following a similar theme. The 6 films showing from Thursday night October 17th through the early morning hours of Friday October 18th are probably the greatest supernatural/ghost stories ever told in horror history and it all starts with the underrated The Uninvited. To some, this is considered the first haunted house movie and introduces many elements of the haunted house movie still present in horror today. Following the story of a young couple who purchase a new house that just so happens to be haunted. Check this one out to see what many consider the origin of the haunted house sub-genre. Unfortunately, this one is not streaming anywhere.
Thursday, October 17th 10:00pm – The Haunting (1963)
It seems only right that you would follow the first haunted house movie with probably the most notable. The 1963 classic The Haunting is an absolute masterpiece in horror. Part ghostly, haunted house film and part psychological horror since you're never truly certain if the supernatural is really happening or if it’s all in the main character’s mind. This film has been remade, re-adapted and mimicked a countless number of times, so take this opportunity to catch the original in all of its glory. Cord cutters can find this one on VOD, but let’s be honest, any self respecting horror fan should own a copy of this movie. If you don't already, buy it ASAP. Check out Holly-Mae’s rundown on the book and the adaptations HERE.
Thursday, October 17th 12:00am – The Fog (1980)
This is why I love TCM. First you get The Uninvited, then The Haunting and at midnight they start playing The Fog? Amazing scheduling! Directed by the amazing John Carpenter, The Fog is one of the most iconic horror movies of all time Following the story of the sleepy town of Antonio Bay on one fateful night where a mysterious fog of pirate ghosts come to fulfill an ancient pirate death curse. The best part of all is the whole film is essentially narrated by Adrienne Barbeau, the radio host for KAB of Antonio Bay, and her late night radio broadcast from high atop the town lighthouse. An amazing supernatural horror flick with no frills and no filler that holds up nearly 40 years later. This one is available on VOD platforms and even though I own a copy, I’ll still be watching it as part of this amazing supernatural mini-marathon on TCM for full effect.
Friday, October 18th 1:45am – Poltergeist (1982)
I’m going to try to not plagiarize myself considering I wrote a lengthy article about Poltergeist recently but here goes. The classic tale of the standard american family haunted by various apparitions in their suburban home is part of the allure of Poltergeist. Prior to this film, ghosts really only inhabited dusty old manors and whenever they did haunt a family it was in some forgotten farm house out in the country somewhere. This film on the other hand was placed right in the middle of 1980’s suburbia which certainly terrified audiences to imagine that this could be their house, in their cul-de-sac which may or may not have been built on an ancient Indian burial ground. Much like many films on this list, it’s only available on VOD, but also like many films on this list, this is one you should own.
Friday, October 18th 3:45am – Kuroneko
Just when you think it couldn’t get any better, TCM plays Kuroneko at 3:45 in the morning. When we talk about The Uninvited being the progenitor of haunted house movies, and Godzilla, King of Monsters being the original case of American filmmakers ripping off Japanese films makers, Kuroneko is the original Japanese ghost story which influenced all those late 90’s films the Americans ripped off. It’s almost as if we’ve come full circle here. Following the story of a mother and her daughter who are raped and killed by samurai who they then haunt from the grave, seeking revenge. Kuroneko was ahead of its time indeed! With heavy subject matter and gruesome murders, no one in 1968 was ready for this film. Foreign horror is sometimes less accessible than American or Canadian horror, especially the older stuff but Kuroneko is an absolute masterpiece that you should watch ASAP. Available on VOD but will be much better viewed 7 hours into a ghost marathon on TCM at 4 o’clock in the morning.
Friday, October 18th 5:30am – The Phantom Carriage
So I just mentioned that older foreign horror is often inaccessible, lets go ahead and add silent to that equation. From 1921 and in my opinion the best silent horror film this side of Nosferatu, The Phantom Carriage follows Swedish folklore that says the last person to die on New Year’s Eve has to drive death’s carriage and collect souls for everyone who died the following year. Extremely influential, most notably to Ingmar Bergman for The Seventh Seal and later to Stanley Kubrick in The Shining. When it comes to silent horror, there’s a short list, if this one is not on your shortlist, add it. This one is public domain so it can be found all over the internet with varying degrees of quality. Personally if I don’t stay up all night to watch this at 5:30am I’ll catch it playing again on TCM on October 20th.
Friday, October 25th 3:00am - The Hunger
Quick, what’s the best time of day to watch a 1980’s erotic vampire movie with David Bowie? Well 3 o’clock in the morning of course! Especially when it’s wedged between Night of the Living Dead and Nosferatu, TCM really knows how to pick em! Following the story of a love triangle between a sleep scientist and two vampires, The Hunger is probably one of the sexiest horror movies of all time all the while being beautiful and completely non-exploitative. When I make these types of lists I tend to lean on the films that fall into the obscure and underrated category as opposed to more well known films. While TCM’s 2019 certainly has a lot of films in that category, The Hunger is certainly the most unique. Also streaming on VOD, The Hunger is an absolute must watch.
Below is the entire TCM schedule and if you happen to not have cable or TCM is not available in your area, you can use this to build a watch list of horror classics. Some runners up for inclusion in this article include. Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages, Dracula AD 1972, Sugar Hill and The Cat People. It’s also worth noting that Turner Classic Movies will be playing Ghoulies which is amazing on so many levels. A movie about little monsters that come out of the toilet? A classic indeed! I cannot wait for the historical analysis by Ben Mankiewicz on this one. Full schedule below, enjoy and happy Halloween.
Thursday, October 3rd
8:00pm – Bell Book and Candle
9:45pm – Horror Hotel
11:15pm – The Devil’s Own (1966)
Friday, October 4th
1:00am – Suspiria (1977)
2:45am – Night of Dark Shadows
4:30am – Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages
8:00pm – Godzilla (1954)
9:30pm – Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
11:00pm – Godzilla Raids Again
12:30am – Mothra vs. Godzilla
Saturday, October 5th
2:15am – Mothra
4:00am – The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1977)
Thursday, October 10th
8:00pm – The Black Cat (1934)
9:15pm – Curse of the Demon
10:45pm – The Seventh Victim
12:15am – The Devil’s Bride
Friday, October 11th
2:00am – The Blood on Satan’s Claw
3:45am – Dracula A.D. 1972
5:30am – Eye of the Devil
8:00pm – Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
9:45pm – Invasion of Astro-Monster
11:30pm – Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Saturday, October 12th
1:00am – Son of Godzilla
2:45am – Destroy All Monsters
4:30am – Ghoulies
Sunday, October 13th
12:00pm – The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
Thursday, October 17th
8:00pm – The Uninvited (1944)
10:00pm – The Haunting (1963)
12:00am – The Fog (1980)
Friday, October 18th
1:45am – Poltergeist (1982)
3:45am – Kuroneko
5:30am – The Phantom Carriage
8:00pm – All Monsters Attack
9:30pm – Godzilla vs. Hedorah
11:15pm – Godzilla vs. Gigan
Saturday, October 19th
1:00am – Rodan
2:30am – Sugar Hill (1974)
4:15am – Blacula
2:00pm – White Zombie
Sunday, October 20th
3:45pm – The Nanny
12:00am – The Phantom Carriage
Thursday, October 24th
1:00pm – Jason and the Argonauts
6:00pm – Clash of the Titans (1981)
8:00pm – Horror of Dracula
9:30pm – The Gorgon
11:15pm – The Plague of the Zombies
Friday, October 25th
1:00am – Night of the Living Dead (1968)
3:00am – The Hunger
4:45am – Nosferatu (1922)
8:00pm – Godzilla vs. Megalon
9:30pm – Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
12:30am – The War of the Gargantuas
Sunday, October 27th
6:00am – King Kong (1933)
8:00am – The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
1:30pm – A Kiss Before Dying
3:30pm – Cape Fear (1962)
5:30pm – Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Monday, October 28th
3:30am – Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell
Tuesday, October 29th
3:00pm – The Seventh Victim
4:15pm – The Night Visitor
6:00pm – Dead Ringer (1964)
Wednesday, October 30th
8:00pm – Mad Love (1935)
9:15pm – The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
10:30pm – Cat People (1942)
11:45pm – I Walked With A Zombie
Thursday, October 31st
1:00am – The Walking Dead (1936)
2:15am – Mark of the Vampire
3:30am – Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
4:45am – A Bucket of Blood
6:45am – Freaks (1932)
8:00am – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)
9:45am – The Bat (1959)
11:15am – House on Haunted Hill (1958)
1:00pm – From Beyond the Grave
2:45pm – Black Sabbath (1963)
4:30pm – Chamber of Horrors
6:15pm – House of Wax (1953)
8:00pm – Bride of Frankenstein
9:30pm – The Devil-Doll
11:00pm – House of Usher
12:30am – Pit and the Pendulum
Friday, November 1st
2:00am – The Haunted Palace (1963)
3:45am – Die, Monster, Die!
5:15am – The Curse of Frankenstein
6:45am – Dracula, Prince of Darkness
11:15pm – Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
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