"The entire horror genre was destroyed by sequels..." quoth Randy Meeks.

My second Hooptober! Last year I managed to successfully complete Cinemonster's annual challenge - only time will tell if my very own sequel ends up being a pale, uninspired rehash of the original. As with last year, there is a very light smattering of re-watches here, most of which are now fairly distant memories so should feel pretty fresh, while one I've virtually absorbed into my cells due to copious youthful viewings but which I couldn't resist adding to the list as soon as I saw this year's criteria...

As always, compiling the list was a highlight in its own right - I'm particularly self-satisfied that I've managed to squeeze in TEN (X!) titles containing x's! This year I'm reserving the right to make updates and substitutions whenever I see fit, but rest assured that all the criteria will be met, and I'll write a review (or at least something) about each of them.

The Rules, and how I'm meeting each one (see also the notes for each film):
There must be 31 films
6 countries (even taking a conservative view of a film's actual country of origin, I've hit at least 8 - see notes for details)
8 decades (all going well, I'll hit TEN (X!) decades - 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00's, 20s)
2 post apocalyptic or natural disaster related films (Knock at the Cabin; spoiler)
1 film with Robert Englund (The Mangler)
1 something is underground film (Tremors, spoiler, spoiler)
3 Satan/Devil centered films (The Pope's Exorcist; The Seventh Victim; Carnival of Sinners; The Demon (Il demonio))
1 Amicus film (The Skull, Madhouse)
The worst Dracula film (by Letterboxd rating) that you haven't seen and can access (Dracula 3000)
1 LGBTQ+ connected film (The Hunger)
5 Films from De Palma, Wes Craven, Ken Russell, Hitchcock and/or Morehead & Benson (after doing five Cronenbergs last year, it gives me a pleasing sense of symmetry to go all De Palma this time - Sisters; Phantom of the Paradise; The Fury; Dressed to Kill; Body Double)
2 Peter Cushing films (The Skull; Madhouse)
1 film based on a work of or invoking the name Bram Stoker (even though Dracula 3000 is already on the list, it seems only right to include another one here - Son of Dracula)
1 film based on a Clive Barker story (Hellraiser (2022))
1 film that was released the year that you turned 10 (Body Double)
1 Mario Bava film (The Whip & the Body)
1 film with an 'x' in the title (I'm doing TEN (X!): The Pope's Exorcist; The Boxer's Omen; Flux Gourmet; Sweet Sixteen; Doctor X; Waxworks; Mystery of the Wax Museum; House of Wax (1953); House of Wax (2005); and (assuming that "an 'x' in the title" can mean two x's!) X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes)
And 1 Tobe Hooper Film (There must ALWAYS be a Hooper film) (The Mangler)

As always, a big thanks to Cinemonster for inventing this ride and keeping it going!