(The photo above is something I do on all vacations--I call it "feet on vacation" and we stand somewhere that is indicative of the place we're visiting and take a photo of our feet there. This was an autumn in West Virginia shot)
With a name like Autumnforest and a tattoo of an autumn leaf on my shoulder, you can imagine that fall is my time of year. During the summer in this godforsaken desert, I turn up the air conditioner, black out the lights in the house, and on my day off enjoy nonstop horrorfests on the TV. When it’s that hot outside, I just want it to be cold, dark, and autumnal. Sometimes, I light candles and even a fake Jack-O-Lantern and make my best friend and I cups of hot mulled cider. Yeah, pseudo-autumn is kinda pathetic, but I’ll take it over 110 degrees and blinding light.
In my desire to show you all there is in the horror genre that is "cold," "dark," and "autumnal," I've divided the movies into those categories to suit your mood. Once again, I’ve spanned the decades so there’s something for everyone.
COLD:
“30 Days of Night" (2007) Imagine vampires in Alaska when there’s 30 days of night--neverending horror.
“Ghost Story” (1981) Imagine old folks fireside tales of the golden days, a vengeful ghost, and swirling snowy scenes.
“The Blair Witch Project” (1999) Imagine being lost in the woods in autumn and not knowing exactly what was trying to terrify you.
“The Shining” (1980) Imagine being locked in a resort all winter long with only your family and your whacked out husband with an ax.
AUTUMN/HALLOWEEN:
"Night of the Scarecrow" (1995) Imagine a town with a cursed scarecrow and lots of secrets.
“Shattered Silence” (aka When Michael Calls) (1972) Imagine your childhood trick-or-treating in the early 70s, now mix that with a potentially dead boy haunting you.
Halloween (1978) Imagine a mask-wearing madman ruining your Halloween.
“Salem’s Lot” (1979) Imagine the new folks in town in the big scary house with the scary antiques business acting kind of strange and locals going missing at the same time.
“Sleepy Hollow” (1999) Imagine the Hudson Valley in autumn, a headless horseman, Jack-O-Lanterns, frightening scarecrows.
“Twilight” (2008) Imagine the Northwest with fog-shrouded woods and lush chilly places.
“The Village” (2004) Imagine a village in the middle of late autumn, icy, colors changing, and a feeling of being stalked by monsters.
DARK:
“Darkness Falls” (2003) Imagine the tooth fairy isn’t so nice, in fact, she torments you when you sleep and you must outrun her in the dark.
“The Changeling” (1980) Imagine a big dark mansion and living in it alone—or are you alone?
“The Fog” (1980) Imagine the Northwest coast, a lighthouse, a small town on the seaside, and a shipload of vengeful lepers.
The Haunting (1963) Imagine ghost research cloistered in a big scary house where it feels like nighttime all the time.
“The Howling” (1981) Imagine you saw something that scared you and you were sent to recover at quiet beautiful retreat in the woods only to find a den of werewolves.
“Jeepers Creepers” (2001) Imagine all your Halloween fears come to life on a road trip with your sibling, fighting a monster that feeds every 23 years.
“The Legend of Hell House” (1973) Imagine a team of psychics and a parapsychologist locked into a house with an evil perverse past with no incoming light from the boarded windows.
“Dead Silence” (2007) Imagine creepy ventriloquist dolls, winding roadways, dark cemeteries, and a haunted theater.
The Mothman Prophecies” (2002) Imagine being tormented by some kind of creature that can tell future tragedies.
“Phantasm” (1979) Imagine creepy music in a film that revolves around a questionable mortuary and its practices.
“Prince of Darkness” (1987) Imagine being part of a team that discovers and analyzes a strange container in the basement of a church which might contain the devil.
“Silent Hill” (1999) Imagine your nightmare never ends and you’re in a weird twilight world of darkness and scary creepy monsters, a sort of parallel universe.
“Night of the Living Dead” (1968) Imagine zombies attack and you’re forced to find refuge in a house with strangers, desperate to fight off the incoming onslaught.
I would love to hear more suggestions of what to add to the list. I’m always hoping to expand my options on my summer retreat from the heat.