Today, Dead Head Regi presents five books and five films perfect for the spooky season. 

BOOKS

The Changeling - Victor LaValle

You may already know what a changeling is, but even attempting to explain this book will spoil it. It’s best you go in blind and just enjoy the ride. 

Wonderland - Jennifer Hillier

If you’re a slasher or thriller fan, this is the book for you. With rollercoaster-like pacing, you follow the new deputy police chief as she enters a theme park world where bodies drop and the killer may be around every corner. 

The Luminous Dead - Caitlin Starling

The Descent in book form. With only two characters to keep track of, the claustrophobic setting is sure to get under your skin in ways you won’t anticipate.

Sumikowa - Tara A. Devlin

A new but certainly standout addition to my Halloween reads. Tara weaves an incredible anthology that’s all linked to one mysterious apartment complex.

Into the Miso Soup - Ryu Murakami

A short but intense story all about a foreign man who pays a Japanese youth to give him a tour of the city. When this book pivots, it pivots so hard it’ll leave you with whiplash. 

MOVIES

They’re Watching (2016)

What happens when a writer from Spongebob and a writer from The Angry Beavers team up and create a horror movie? Doina. And also a HGTV-like reality show that runs on doina. I love this movie so much I kick off each Halloween season with it, eagerly anticipating the CGI chaos that reigns supreme during the final minutes. 

Perfect Blue (1997)

When a pop singer decides to switch over to acting, her whole reality is turned upside-down in this animated Hitchcockian suspense film. Satoshi Kon left us too soon, but his works leave impressions that last a lifetime. 

Butterfly Kisses (2018)

Butterfly Kisses is a mockumentary that snuck up then smothered me with its implications. You can see the obsession take hold of the mockumentary subject and work its way into his very being as he tries to convince the world that what he saw is real.

Audition (1999)

When rom coms go bad. This adaptation from Ryu Murakami fleshes out the ending of the novel more fully and really lets you know she means what she says. 

Scooby Doo on Zombie Island (1998)

One of the best soundtracks on a Scooby movie ever as the gang explores a haunted Louisiana plantation. Need I say more?

By Regi Caldart

Twitter: @IgnatiaStrigha

A great selection from Regi! If you’ve read or watched any of these, or have your own recommendations, please let us know.