13 Epic Horror Dates to add to Your Calendar
There’s a lot of horror films out there and for even the most modest of horror fans, it’s hard to decide which films to choose on any given day. However, there are some films that handily drop you a dates that act as handy book marks for viewing. Whilst there are plenty of films set around your more common seasonal events, for our dark little list, we wanted to pull out some of the lesser known dates you can add into your calendars. So, here are 13 Epic Horror Dates to add to Your Calendar.
March 23rd – Jeepers Creepers (2001)
The Creeper is a mysterious creatures that feeds on humanity, harvesting body parts to sustain itself for its long hibernation. This ancient creature spends most of it’s days sleeping, awaking in the spring once every 23 years for 23 days to snack on unsuspected folks. So why not celebrate the horror franchise on a date in spring. How about March 23rd?
Aprils 21st – The Fog (1980)
If your looking to celebrate horror during the early spring months, April 21st is the perfect date to fill in your calendar with a supernatural John Carpenter classic. The Fog tells the tale of the small coastal town of Antoni Bay and the specters of a sank clipper ship that appear on the date of their deaths to grasp cold revenge on the townsfolk. That date is April 21st. This atmospheric chiller will surely be a new favorite date for your to commemorate with friends and family. Or, if your brave enough, alone in the dark with the heating turned way down!
May 8th (Mayday) – The Wicker Man (1973)
Robin Hardy’s 1973 cult horror film, The Wicker Man, is the ultimate occult chiller sure to set your summer on fire. The film follows Sergeant Howie on the small Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the report of a missing child. But things take an insidious turn when the town folk turn on Howie, determined to sacrifice him as part of their Mayday celebrations. So as the temperate climbs and the BBQ’s start to come out, take a little note of May 8th, as the perfect date to burn something.
13th May – Final Destination (2000)
If you’re looking for something shocking to lead you into summer, then the supernatural thriller Final Destination could just be the thing you need. In the dark film, a group of students leave an airplane that goes on to crash, just after one of them experiences a powerful vision about the accident. But, after the plane crash, strange accidents happen to the survivors, as Death, or Fate, hunts them down. Flight 180 exploded, killing 287 people on Saturday, 13th May 2000, so why not tempt fate yourself and add this one to the calendar.
May 28th – IT (1990)
Based on Stephen King’s novel, IT, Director Tommy Lee Wallace created an amazing TV minis series that brought to life Pennywise the Dancing clown, an otherworldly entity that feeds on young children. Fighting to destroy Pennywise are the Losers, a group of misfit kids looking to destroy the creature at all costs. However, things do not go to plan, as the creature know as IT, returns 27 years later, and the Loser must return to face the creature once more. Each of the loser receive a phone call on May 28th 1990. So places those dates and dance a jig cos that the day you’ll be watching this classic King film from now on! Don’t you want it?
20th June (Summer Solstice) – Midsommar (2019)
From Hereditary writer-director Ari Aster, Midsommar is a disturbing, enthralling trip into uncomfortable folk horror. The film sees American tourist attending the Midsommar, a secretive festival that only takes place once every 90 years, which culminates on the Summer Solstice. This summer soaked horror will truly play on your mind, as the psychological horror of the film slowly chips away at your sanity. So, why not treat yourself to a little date on the 20th June, with this disturbing little summer thrill.
July 3rd – Return of the Living Dead (1985)
Dan O’Bannon horror comedy Return of the Living Dead brought us a different type of undead ghoul, in particularly, the pseudo-science created zombie hungry for human brains. The events of RotLD take place years after Night of the Living Dead, making this a semi sequel to George Romero’s original zombie film. O’Bannon even gave the film a firm date in history July 3rd 1984. It’s a red letter date that deserves to be remembered.
July 4th – The Shining (1980)
Independence Day commemorates the Declaration of Independence of the United States, on July 4th, 1776. However, if you wanted to add a Horror slant on this day, you could look towards the work of Stanley Kubrick and his 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining. The atmospheric horror film drops recovering alcoholic Jack Torrence into a haunted hotel that is determined to murder everyone inside. The film ends with Jack freezing to death and his family driving away safely. Just before the credits crawl, we pan into a paradoxical picture of Jack celebrating July 4th a good two decades before he is even born. Creepy stuff, but a great date to remember this classic horror film.
July 8th – Jaws (1975)
Stephen Spielberg’s debut directorial treat Jaws was the film responsible for creating the summer blockbuster movie. So I see no way better to celebrate this than by popping on the shark thriller on a key date in the film. Police Chief Martin Brody and oceanographer Matt Hooper survive the shark attack and manage to blow the killer great white into bloody pieces, with these events taking place on July 8th. So, when summer comes round this year, don’t forget to catch this killer film.
August 29th – The Terminator (1984)
Whilst we are celebrating the darker side of life, why not celebrate the end of humanity, in late August, with the shocking James Cameron film The Terminator. The film follows a Sarah Conner, a young waitress who suddenly find’s herself fighting for her life against a relentless cyborg determined to kill her and her future son. In the original timeline, Skynet became self-aware on August 4th, 1997, and Judgment Day ensued on August 29th, launching nuclear weapons across the world and wiping out most of the world. Whilst 1997 came and went without any chaotic AI destroying the world, the August date should be firmly etched into your mind. It’s certainly a date to remember. I’m not saying it’s the best date to celebrate still being alive, but what day is?
October 30th – The Crow (1994)
If your looking for a precursor to celebrating Halloween, look no further than the 1994 horror, The Crow. Based on the comic book of the same name, the crow follows recently deceased Eric Draven, resurrected on the day of his death on October 30th, Devils Night, to get revenge on the gangsters that brutally murdered him and his fiancée. Filled with gothic imagery, graphic violence and thrilling action, The Crow is the perfect film to ease yourself into your Halloween celebrations.
December 12th – 12 Monkeys (1995)
Leading up to December 25th, You might be sick of the same old Christmas movies, but Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys is here to save the day! The film thrusts pandemic survivor James Cole into the past to help stop the end of the world. As it is with many time-travelling films, the interference from the future is what causes the resulting disaster. Here in 12 Monkeys, things fall part on Thursday 12th December 1996, when a young Cole witnesses his future self fatally shot in an airport, which results in a crazed Doctor releasing a virus that goes on to kills 5 billion people. So whilst Nans nibbling on some Christmas chow, remember December 12th as a date with something a little less festive.
December 15th – The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
Another film to catch, before the holiday celebration kick off, is the is a 2002 American supernatural horror-mystery film The Mothman Prophecies. Based on real life events that took place between November 1966 and December 1967 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, the film follows the investigation of a local phenomenon known as The Mothman. In the film, John Klein, a reporter who is researching the legend of the Mothman, is drawn into the strange events surrounding the local legend, ending in a real life tragedy that saw 46 people lose their lives.
On December 15, 1967, the local Silver Bridge collapsed under the weight of rush-hour traffic, with a heavy loss of life. In the film, the strange Mothman is ultimately responsible for this disaster. Whilst it might be a slightly morbid end to this list, make December 15th a firm date in your movie calendar, not as a celebration of Horror, but as a way of honoring those who have passed.
—-
Shout out to Horror Fans Wizard of Grog and Doctor Gallows for their contribution to this list. Also, check out Doctor Gallows epic list of dates on Reddit.
Other Articles
21st Century Scream Queens
A look at the next generation of scream queens destined to go down in horror history.
Horror Films Based on Folklore and Mythology Around the World
Looking at the scariest tales from around the world.
The Fallout Collection: Top 10 Films of Nuclear Devastation
Top 10 Nuclear War Films the show the stark realities of a world after fallout
Movie Reviews
Hellbound : Hellraiser 2
Don’t Hesitate!
The Green Inferno
What’s Eating You?
Other Posts Like This
21st Century Scream Queens
A look at the next generation of scream queens destined to go down in horror history.
The 10 Most Infamous Houses in Horror
Step Inside the Nightmare! Here’s a terrifying list of houses from horror films sure to creep you out
Top 20 Horror Goth Characters in Film
Looking at the subculture and influences on film and beyond with our top twenty gothic characters
10 Deleted Horror Scenes That Have Never Been Released
Looking at 10 scenes that you may never get to see!
“Hello Horror Fans – Did you pay attention little Goblins? I hope you Calendars are 13 entries heavier today? Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below, or on social media. Until next time…
Keep Rotten”