It’s finally the end of September, which means it’s time for an endless number of terrifying horror marathons. In the lead up to Halloween, networks like Freeform and streaming services like Hulu have already unveiled their spooky lineups for October. Now AMC has entered the haunting ring with their annual FearFest schedule full of genre classics.
The fun begins a day early on Monday, September 30th, with Ghost Ship, Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat and Thir13en Ghosts. Some of the main highlights for the month of October include an all-day John Carpenter marathon on Thursday, October 3rd, featuring well-known staples like Halloween, Christine, The Thing, and They Live paired with the director’s more obscure work like Vampires and the Ghosts of Mars.
The first Friday of the month (October 4th) will have an all-day A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise marathon honoring the 40th anniversary of Wes Craven‘s slasher masterpiece. Almost every film in the series, besides Freddy vs. Jason and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare will be included in the marathon. Speaking of Jason Voorhees, the following day, on Saturday, October 5th, there will be an all-day Friday the 13th marathon containing every film in the series besides the 2009 remake and the previously mentioned slasher crossover.
Other noteworthy events include multiple Final Destination and Halloween marathons throughout the month alongside a Stephen King Marathon on Saturday, October 12th and a “Fear of the 80s” marathon featuring Child’s Play, Poltergeist, and more from one of the genre’s best decades on Sunday, October 13th. However, if you’re just looking to watch a singular nightmare, AMC has you covered with films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), Candyman, The Last House on the Left, House of Wax, and The Meg throughout October. The latter of which will be an AMC Premiere Event on Thursday, October 24 at 9:30 PM EST.
A Horror Crash Course For New and Old Fans Alike
Like most years, given the more mature content featured on the network, AMC is focusing on the hard hitters of the horror genre. Especially if you’re new to the genre and want to take a deep dive, films like Halloween, Candyman and A Nightmare on Elm Street are a great place to start. If you’re looking for a frightening Halloween atmosphere, Trick ‘r Treat will get you in the holiday spirit and then some. If you want creative kills and an iconic “Final Girl”, a trip to Elm Street should be in your future. Whether it be classic slashers, campy B-movies, or underrated gems like Silver Bullet, there’s something for every kind of horror fan to enjoy.
AMC’s FrightFest is Ready to Scare You
You can view the entire AMC FrightFest schedule on their website. The entire month can be streamed on their channel-specific app as well as AMC+. Until then, you can view the trailer from A Nightmare on Elm Street below.
