*Edited Halloween 2025* - I technically finished the challenge, having watched more than 31, but in the spirit of it, I technically failed because I didn't hit all the requirements. Life gets in the way, lol. After the last few films I watch tonight, I will edit the list so it's only what I actually watched. Then it's back to the History of Horror lists.

Here we go again for the 5th year - I am still working Zach Long's History of Horror challenge, so there will be crossover, but I will not be double-dipping categories here, so all categories will be fully finished. (I didn't finish last year, so this year we finish.) Unless I can't, all watches aside from Oz are first watches.

The Twelfth of Hooptober: Diary of a Madman
People, from the birthplace of Tobe Hooper, this is Hooptober 12.

This year we said goodbye to Sly Stone, David Johansen, Gene Hackman, Angie Stone, Rickey Henderson, Theo Huxtable, Michael Madsen, Tom Lehrer, Zod, Peter David, Chuck Mangione, Brent Hinds, Marianne Faithfull, Roy Ayers, Richard Chamberlain, Jerry Eisenberg, Norm, Brian Wilson, Lalo Schifrin, Flaco Jiménez, Sylvester Turner, Iceman, Cobra, El Topo, Big George, Steve Benson, Bob Uecker, Jim Shooter, Wings, Harris Yulin, Tony Todd, Junior Bridgeman & Q.

'You could not write my story. They couldn't have invented me.' - Ozzy Osbourne

'Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you’ve got to go deeper. Down deep, the fish are more powerful and more pure. They’re huge and abstract. And they’re very beautiful.' - David Lynch

Welcome to year 12. Thank you to everyone that has been a part of this for any number of cycles. There is a lot going on in the world and I hope that everyone is OK.

Year 2 back in Austin TX. I'm going to do some guest programming in October if you're around, and my own Curse of Hooptober is alive and well.

For those that have questions (Who, Why, WTF etc...), there are answers HERE

Thanks again to Slappy McGee for helping me out the last seven(!) years. Much appreciated.

A note: Apparently there is a character limit on these things and I bumped in to it last year. I am working on a workaround so no one gets left off this year.

OK, here we go:
I will begin as I did the last eleven(!) years: I would like to do 31 horror films in October, but that doesn't seem possible at the moment so I will start my 31 on September 15th.

I WILL REVIEW THEM ALL (I really mean that🤞). Those of you not new to the LB block know that horror is near and dear to my heart.

-I challenge anyone to do the same and use the TAG Hooptober12 so we can read each others stuff.

-If you are going to do it, list your link to YOUR list in the comments and i will add it to the intro to help others find your list. ( Hoop-tober index is HERE, 2.O HERE, 3.O HERE, 4.O HERE, 5.O HERE, 6.O HERE, 7.O HERE, 8.O HERE, 9.O HERE, 10.O HERE 11.O HERE)

QUICK EASY RULES:

There must be 31 horror films
6 countries (other than Italy or US) - COMPLETE
9 decades - 1 short

5 Zombie Films - COMPLETE
3 cult or conspiracy horror films - COMPLETE
1 film from a Black director with a Black lead - Missed
1 film from a Mexican or Central American director- COMPLETE
1 Canadian film - COMPLETE
1 Russian or former Russian state film - Missed
The most popular film from the 1940s that you haven't seen and can access.. - Complete
2 Post Apocalyptic horror films - Missed
1 Film with dreams or a dream as part of the plot - COMPLETE
1 The animals are pissed at us film - COMPLETE
1 Silent film - COMPLETE
4 based on Novels - COMPLETE
Any film from THIS list that you haven't seen. - COMPLETE
1 Ernesto Gastaldi written film - COMPLETE
1 film from 1932 - COMPLETE
I have never made a specific film a part of this before, but WIZARD of OZ ('39) - Missed

And 1 Tobe Hooper Film (There must ALWAYS be a Hooper film) - COMPLETE

***FOR THOSE THAT LIKE TO DO EXTRA WORK: WATCH Burn Witch Burn, German Chainsaw Massacre & Trick or Treat. - Missed

-review them all.(eek)

Clearly one film can satisfy multiple criteria. Viewing and reviewing will begin at 12:01am cst on Sept 15th.

Now let's do that voodoo that we do so well.