Hello, my fiends! I’m clearly a big fan of Shudder, so to pay homage to their annual Halfway to Halloween April celebration, I’ve scoured the internet to find nine horror recommendations to tide you over until the smells of pumpkin, cider, and debauchery fill the air. And, we’re going multimedia, baby. I’ve carved a YouTube series, nostalgic shows, and even a podcast or two, so without further aBOO (I’m so sorry), let’s get into it.

Childhood Chills

Okay, let’s face it. Those of us born in the 90s were subject to some absolutely insane horror shows for “children.” (Just watch the Are You Afraid of the Dark? episode “The Tale of the Renegade Virus” and then we’ll talk). The good news is, I don’t think so many of us would be the horror diehards we are without the likes of Eerie, Indiana, So Weird, The Zack Files, Strange Days at Blake Holsey High, and Big Wolf on Campus. If some of these shows only sound like a vague fever dream, you aren’t crazy. You just needed someone with an inhuman amount of pop culture knowledge to remind you of them.

Eerie, Indiana

Eerie, Indiana sadly only lasted for one season, and most of us probably caught it on Saturday morning reruns on Fox Kids. It starred Omri Katz, aka Max Dennison from Hocus Pocus, and it’s basically The X Files for children. Highlights include a mother who makes her sons sleep in tupperware containers to keep them forever young, a girl who can make her sketches come to life, and a meta episode where our leading character gets stuck on the set of Eerie, Indiana. Honestly, this show alone should explain who I am as a person.

Eerie, Indiana is available to stream on The Roku Channel and IMDb TV.

So Weird

I feel like So Weird is definitely the most memorable/most popular show on this list. Disney put all of their best DCOM stars forward, along with Mackenzie Phillips and our queen, Cara DeLizia, aka Fi Phillips, on this one. Fi runs a paranormal phenomenon website (because it’s 1999, so of course she does) while she’s on the road with her badass, rockstar mom. We even get two queens for the price of one when Alexz Johnson replaces Cara DeLizia (Instant Star, anyone?). So Weird is in the vein of the horror DCOMs Disney used to give us back in the late 90s/early 00s like Don’t Look Under the Bed, Can of Worms, and Under Wraps. Also, the theme song is BITCHIN’.

So Weird is available to stream on Disney+. If you don’t want to support Disney right now, you can find all of the episodes on YouTube.

The Zack Files

The Zack Files is probably the silliest entry on this list, but I still loved it, so we’re including it, fam. It’s based off the book series of the same name, and it follows our lead character, Zack, as the paranormal wreaks havoc on his school and personal life. Like most Canadian shows in the early aughts, it stars Jake Epstein (aka Craig Manning from Degrassi: The Next Generation), Michael Seater (aka Michael Ray from Degrassi: The Next Generation, Derek Venturi from Life with Derek, and Lucas Randall from Strange Days at Blake Holsey High), and Robert Clark (aka Vaughn Pearson from Strange Days at Blake Holsey High). The episode I remember most involves Zack losing one of his socks in the dryer, and he discovers an alternate universe, which explains why we lose socks in the dryer. And yes, I’m serious.

The Zack Files is available to watch on YouTube.

Strange Days at Blake Holsey High

Fortunately for us, the Canadians loved weird children’s horror shows, so we have yet another entry on this list from our neighbors to the north in Strange Days at Blake Holsey High. This show is like Buffy the Vampire Slayer lite and centers around a group of students and their beloved science professor who are dealing with the repercussions of their high school being built on a series of wormholes/supernatural portals. I’m going to leave you to IMDb the members of this cast because you will absolutely turn your head and say, “Wait, they’re off something,” to every single person….including everyone’s favorite Noah Reid, aka Patrick Brewer from Schitt’s Creek.

The only downside to Strange Days at Blake Holsey High is that it’s a little hard to track down. For some reason, all the Discovery Kids shows (what’s up, Saddle Club and Darcy’s Wild Life?) of yesteryear aren’t streaming in their entirety on any platform. However, you can catch the first season and bits and pieces to whet your whistle over on YouTube.

Big Wolf on Campus

I will always have a place in my heart for Big Wolf on Campus because I’m pretty sure I watched every single episode every single time it ran. Tommy Dawkins (aka Brandon Quinn, who if you occasionally pretend to be a good, Christian wine mom like me, will know as Ronnie from Sweet Magnolias) gets turned into a werewolf and begins defending his town from a group of ghouls. Think Teen Wolf meets Charmed.

The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula

(Because the Boulets deserve better than an alliterated section title)

Y’ALL. I started watching Dragula when Austin’s own Louisianna Purchase was a contestant on season three, and I’m honestly upset I didn’t watch it before then. I’m telling you now, get ready to be obsessed. With the pillars of Filth, Horror, and Glamour, and an extremely inclusive cast, Dragula embodies everything you’ll ever need in a drag competition.

Seasons 2-4 of Dragula are streaming on Shudder, along with the Resurrection special. (Watch seasons 2-3, then Resurrection, then 4. It’ll make sense later.) They’re in the process of remastering the first season, but you can currently catch all of the episodes on YouTube.

Recommended movies: Hellraiser (Shudder and Prime) and The Exorcist (Netflix) - There are TONS of references throughout the seasons, so get ready to binge on all your horror favorites.

Creepy Conspiracies

I never thought I’d be a YouTube girl, but the pandemic has absolutely changed me. If you couldn’t tell by the big ol’ behemoth on analog horror, I’ve been trying to keep my finger on the pulse of YouTube horror series, and boy howdy, do I have a good one for you.

This series contains flashing lights and sudden, loud noises, so viewer discretion is advised.

Color me fascinated by the idea of alternate timelines and history, and The Monument Mythos gives you both. Imagine a world where James Dean didn’t die in 1955 and became President in 1968. Also, imagine a world where all of our national monuments were actually used to disguise Eldritch horrors and ancient oddities. Alex Kansas’s series is absolutely brilliant. It completely rewrites our history in an extremely compelling and engaging way. I recommend binging this one immediately.

Recommended movies: The Conspiracy (Tubi) and Primer

Lurking Listens

I’m an absolute FIEND for podcasts, and I currently subscribe to around 15 (In my defense, I write for a living and recreationally, so I keep ‘em streaming, baby). Fortunately for you, I’m going to share three of my podcasts, two of which bring the spoopy year-round.

Memory Static - Cry Baby Lane

My friend Bailey graciously invited me on to their podcast, Memory Static, to discuss the “lost” Nickelodeon film, Cry Baby Lane, with one of the WILDEST plots of a horror movie I’ve ever seen. It’s, uh, *check’s notes*, for children, so there are absolutely horrific bits in there. You can watch the movie in its entirety over on YouTube, and check out this episode of Memory Static, as well as episodes with the founders of Hyperreal Film Club (big love to Jenni, Tanner, and David for letting me do all the crazy pieces they let me do) and other amazing guests, wherever you get your podcasts!

Bleeders DIEgest

Bleeders DIEgest is the most recent addition to my podcast roundup, and I’m obsessed. Each episode unveils another terrifying tale akin to something you’d see in Creepshow or Tales from the Crypt. We also have the pleasure of hearing an intro a la Rod Sterling’s in The Twilight Zone as a teaser of what’s to come. As fond as I am of my bluetooth speakers, definitely pop in your earbuds for this one because it has fully-immerse audio and one hell of a guest voice lineup including Bonnie Aarons, Katie Cassidy, Jocelin Donahue, and Sara Paxton, to name a few. Each episode comes with a mature content warning up front, and I suggest taking it to heart.

Recommended movies: Twilight Zone: The Movie, Creepshow, Creepshow 2 (Prime and Shudder), and Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (HBO Max)

The Boulet Brothers’ Creatures of the Night

My love for The Boulet Brothers runs deep, so it should be a given that their podcast is on this list. Every episode has a “Creature Feature Movie Review” and “Haunting of History” story, so you not only get news about The Boulet Brothers and Dragula, but you essentially get three podcasts for the price of one. What. A. Deal! I’m telling you - Listen to the pod and watch Dragula. Don’t ask questions.

Recommended movies: X, Scream (2022 - Paramount+), and House of Wax (1953) - These are some of the most recent ones on “Creature Feature Movie Review,” but there are PLENTY others.

Six-Six-Six Months to Halloween: A Spooky Smörgåsbord