Scream Screen 2021: Week 1 (10/1-10/7)

10.1: Halloween (2007)

Trav’s pick

Rating: What is the perfect Halloween candy pairing for this Rob Zombie remake of the John Carpenter classic?

Jess: Take 5. It’s a new take on an old classic, and there is a lot going on, but I don’t hate it.

Trav: Twizzlers. I originally hated this movie, but it grew on me and lately it’s become one of my favorite entries in the series…much like Twizzlers have with me.

10.2: Among Friends (2012)

Jess’s pick

Rating: What party game is the best pairing for this Danielle Harris directed flick?

Jess: Monopoly, mostly cuz everyone is being an ass.

Trav: Mario Party, ’cause this game makes you realize how shitty your friends really are.

10.3: Frankenhooker (1990)

Trav’s pick

Rating: For this Troma special, we ask: what is the perfect power tool pairing?

Jess: Well, we all know I love a power drill. And “drill” does seem to be the operative word…

Trav: I recommend the tool that seemed to be missing on screen yet is very crucial to the story: The buzz saw.

10.4: Bait (2012)

Jess’s pick

Rating: What grocery shopping trip staple pairs perfectly with this Australian shark attack thriller?

Jess: Pasta sauce, but something spicy like arrabiatta, because it is pretty standard but still has a little kick

Trav: Milk and bread, ’cause if there’s anything I’ve learned from extreme weather events it’s that you gotta stock up on those two for whatever reason.

10.5: Maniac Cop (1988) [The Last Drive-In version]

Trav’s pick

Rating: For our first TLDI rewatch of the month – one filled with TLDI legends and featuring guest Bruce Campbell – we will be pairing this killer cop thriller with another TLDI guest.

Jess: I think the frantic passion of Maniac Cop can only be paired properly with recurring guest Chris Jericho.

Trav: Maniac Cop is a movie that hits all the typical slasher beats, but has a pleasant quirkiness that makes it feel unique and genuine. So I’ll go with Clint Howard, the most down to earth and honest guest on the show so far.

10.6: V/H/S/94

Neutral/joint pick – anticipated new release

Rating: What beloved childhood VHS are you pairing with this newly released anthology horror?

Jess: Probably my Muppet Babies tape because I remember it actually not working at one point after watching it so much, and this is one of the V/H/S series that I will come back to over and over again.

Trav: Gotta go with the old school Dragon Ball Z VHS tapes from back in the day. Each set’s spines combined into a nice image from the series. All very nostalgic, just like this movie was for me.

10.7: Cry_Wolf (2005)

Jess’s pick

Rating: In honor of JBJ getting shot through the heart, what dad rock anthem pairs perfectly with this mid-aughts slasher?

Jess: I’m going with Don’t Stop Believing. Is it good? I don’t really know. But much like every radio station has decided with the Journey single, this movie is a classic for me.

Trav: I’m choosing AC/DC’s You Shook Me All Night because most of their songs sound the same, what with the guitar riffs and all. Much like slashers from the 2000’s were all kinda the same, what with the Jared Padalecki and all.

Scream Screen 2021: An Introduction

For the past several years we, like most horror fans, have acknowledged as October the holy month it is and watch a horror movie (or more) a night. While some fans will create their dream lineup ahead of time, we choose to instead go night by night, taking turns on who gets to pick the move for the night. No one gets a veto unless it is for a valid reason (e.g. when I was in grad school with a paper deadline and we couldn’t realistically follow a subbed movie).

Each year we keep track of our picks and find some arbitrary rating system. One year it was emojis, another it was gifs. One year we each wrote a single sentence review of each night’s movie. We have titled this practice our annual Scream Screen.

We’ve decided to track our schedule publicly this year, just to share with you – our dear community. We will post each Friday in October (plus a final post on or around 11/1).

Our arbitrary rating system? Our perfect pairing for a movie. It’ll be something different for each: drinks, snacks, another movie, mindless hobbies, or whatever other oddity comes to mind. For example:

9.25: Scream (1996)

Jess’s Pick

What true crime coverage media pairs perfectly with this Wes Craven staple?

Jess: Bailey Sarian for sure. There’s no way that Billy and Stu wouldn’t want all the coverage they can get, especially in unexpected spaces like Beau-Tube.

Trav: Evil Genius, cause I’m sure the docuseries on Stu and Billy would be just as weird