#cenosprite

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY 

I’ve spent most of my week trying to watch as many Valentines Horror films as possible that I haven’t seen, utilising lists form my favourite horror sites (Bloody Disgusting & Fangoria) as well as recommendations from my favourite horror creator Blue Ghosts on Tik Tok. I’ll talk about these in my Diary post at the end of the week but before I head out tonight for my date with my honey, I thought I’d make my own list of top 5 freaky movies  to watch before you get freaky. 

I have limited myself to films that are horror and not just weird non horror movies, although if you would like a recommendation for a hardcore freaky deaky film I will direct you to my beloved Crash (1996). No one does it like Cronenberg and no one writes weird shit like Ballard. If you love psychosexual themes, soft pornography, subversive fethishes and car crashes (?) that is the film for you. 

The Girlies that get it will get it. 

Anyway, here’s my real list xoxo

Lisa Frankenstein (2024) 

Written by Diablo Cody of Jennifer’s Body fame, this is a lose retelling of Frankenstein. In fact, it is more inspired by than a retelling. 

We follow Lisa Swallows as she reassembles the creature who is the reanimated body from her favourite grave. This film is so funny and heartwarming and just a complete romp. It was ranked my second favourite new release of last year and I must have watched it 3 times the week it came out. Once alone, once with my partner and once with my flatmates. 

The 80s setting makes the film so much fun to look at, the soundtrack is amazing, and the costuming is perfect. Kathryn Newton does a great job as the lead and is serving Chappell Roan the whole film while Cole Sprouse is so much less irritating when he can’t speak. 

The Film follows a classic 80s rom com formula, will the girl fall in love with the dutiful best friend corpse? Or will she overlook him and miss the love she deserves? 

Big ups as well for celebrating female sexuality, we need more Hitachi wand truther scenes in mainstream media. 

(Also, if this film doesn’t make you fall in love with the song Strange by Galaxie 500 you are wrong) 

Bride of Chucky (1998) 

Aside from this being the best chucky film and a true example of a couple that match each other’s freak, if you are a bisexual lady like me who is dating a golden retriever, you get the little treat of looking at Jennifer Tilly for a good 30 mins. (You’re welcome) 

Bride of Chucky follows Tiffany as she resurrects her boyfriend Charles (Chucky) a serial killer whose spirit was transferred to a toy doll. They embark on a quest to replace their bodies after they both become dolls and have some freaky doll sex. 

The costumes in this film are perfect, Tilly looks phenomenal, and Tiffany is THE perfect gal for Chucky. 

This film marks a turn to a campier tone for the franchise and a double bill of this and seed of Chucky would not be a bad plan for Valentine’s day. 

Companion (2025) 

This is a NEW entry for this list and is still out in theatres, so I’d recommend going while you can. 

I’d like to say much more than I will about this film because I think going in blind is a good way to go, but I will be producing content about this as it relates to a subject I specialised in at university. 

This film follows Iris who is going on a trip with her boyfriend to a billionaire’ s cabin with his friends. When the Billionaire, Sergey, dies, secrets begin to unravel. 

Without giving away any oof the twists this film was the funniest horror film I have seen in a long time and has a little something for everyone on Valentine’s day, revenge, love, laughs, and kooky kills. 

The Queerness of the film is what made this really stand out to me in terms of how it relates to my research in the area, and I think that although we see a lot of these relationships sour, it still manages to tell a romantic story. 

Jack Quaid does an amazing job, and I am hoping to see him in more horror, Sophie Thatcher is easily Scream Queen material and seeing Harvey Guillén outside of WWDITS has solidified to me what a phenomenal comedic actor this man is, Bruce Campbell level of potential. 

(if you watch it, I need more people to talk about the Goo Goo dolls of it all because it was possibly the most insane part of the film) 

The Love Witch (2016) 

This film is such a feast for the eyes and really does its research with the way it handles the occult. 

The Love Witch follows widowed witch Elaine as she seduces and casts spells on men to make them fall in love with her. 

This film is so high femme and does such a good job of evoking the 1960s early 70’s style films that it is easily visually the most appropriate valentine’s film. 

I think this is a definite must watch for anyone needing to feel empowered or vindicated this Valentine’s Day. Elaine is sexy and powerful and treats men as disposable even though she is obsessed with love. And she is actually so real for that. 

Crack this on and order a baby blue eyeshadow. I promise it will change your life. 

Dracula (1992) 

I have to be so for real right now guys, I am NOT normal about this film or Gary Oldman and I may in fact be forcing my partner to let me curl their beautiful Shoulder length hair for our date tonight. 

This is THE cinematic retelling of Dracula. It is sexy, it is bloody, it is weird. With peace and love to Lugosi and Lee , Gary understood that Drac needed to be sexy and that vampires ARE sexy. Coppola said he wanted the film to feel like an “erotic dream” and if that’s not the vibe you’re trying to curate tonight then I don’t wanna know you. 

Winona Ryder and Gary Oldman really put their whole pussy’s into every kiss, every intimate scene and it gives me such BI panic. 

If your significant other wouldn’t cross oceans of time to find you then they aren’t the one babe I am so sorry. 

I’m hoping at some point to start making tik-toks about horror movies since I watch a lot and used to write about horror for a site when I was younger but I haven’t got round to filming yet .

I thought it would be fun if i had a little diary on here and my spacehey just talking about my thoughts on what I watched each week.

I watch pretty much any horror film regardless of quality and year of release so hopefully these will be pretty diverse.

I will try my best to be vague as possible but for certain releases I will have to put mild spoiler warnings.

My letterboxd is @cenosprite also if you are interested

The Conjuring (2013), The Conjuring 2 (2016) & The Conjuring : The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

My partner and I watched the mainline Conjuring films to prep for the new Conjuring coming out in September.

I think I had seen only the first one when I was a teen so the second and third instalments were brand new to me.

These films are fun watches but nothing to write home about, the second one was my favourite out of the 3 and The Devil made me do it was definitely the weakest.

The concept of utilising the Warren’s cases as a basis for the franchise is very smart but for some reason there is a refusal to use their strongest and most famous cases in the mainline franchise. We get an Annabelle spin off but we don’t SEE the Warrens work the Annabelle case and we see glimpses of Amityville but no Amityville film ? This to me is why the second was the most successful it’s a recognisable case which demonstrates the strength of the concept while the third is a weak case that doesn’t translate well to film.

I am *hoping* we get a stronger case in Last Rites, but with the trend in religious horror we may get more literal possession like The Devil Made Me Do It and less fun creatures, which would be a shame.

Insidious 1- 4(2010,2013,2015,2018)

Again this was prep for the sixth instalment coming out in 2026.

The films are not great to begin with, but, like most of the Waniverse, are fun enough to be watchable. That being said there is a SHARP decline in quality in the 3rd film.

It’s like the series has an identity crisis when it loses the lambert family and also has to do time skips to bring back the in universe character that knows about the astral plane. I know i have another 1 to watch, and I hear they are an improvement , but my hopes are not high.

Presence (2025) *Spoilers* (If you don’t read and are planning on seeing this blind I do want to TW this film for SA)

The marketing for this film was all over the place.

Firstly, it is barely a horror and more of a family drama with a supernatural gimmick.

The POV element was cool , it was giving Hitchcock but not as stylish and the fact all of the shots were done in one take is very impressive.

The writing of this was messy. There were plots that led no where and a horrible incel monologue and SA scene which was horrible to watch. Our hand was also held with the twist which honestly just makes it feel like the writers think we are dumb.

I maintain that if you have a SA scene in your movie on screen then that is some freak shit and I don’t Fuck with you xoxo SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS NOT TO BE USED AS A MOVIE GOTCHA.

Companion (2025) * Spoilers* (If you don’t read please go watch this movie )

This was the Secret Horror Screening this month at Cineworld and i am so STOKED about it.

As a girly who write a third of her Dissertation on the use of sex and robotics in literature this was EVERYTHING to me.

The film was so funny and it did its research!! We got both hetero and queer couples utilising robots which is so good to see. We got AI sentience , we got a DV revenge story AND my favourite trope (shout out Jeanette Winterson) Queer bots forsaking their programming for love.

Peeping Tom (1960)

Now this is how you do POV in horror!

Such a classic, I LOVE LOVE LOVE psychosexual horror and I am so glad Michael Powell got his flowers for this.

The camera as a phallic allegory, the challenging of 1960s British sexual repression *Chef’s Kiss*

Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971)

Love the story of this and the fx were cool and goopy!

Unfortunately there is an explicit grape scene that was of the time but still unneeded and uncomfortable.

The nods to Witchfinder General were very cool and i am glad they pushed for 18th century instead of victorian it definitely feels way more effective for the story.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2018)

This was fun enough. It definitely follows many of the predictable class commentary that is everywhere at the moment.

It did have some funny moments and was poking fun at a lot of GenZ trends which will make this age badly.

Ultimately it was a laugh and funny if for nothing else, for Pete Davidson declaring his fuckability with his whole pussy while looking like the chicken little duck.

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey & Winnie the Pooh : Blood and Honey 2

Like 4 Poohniverse films are being released this year so we decided to watch these in preparation.

I don’t think I need to explain how truly bad the first film is after it winning 5 razzies but… its BAD.

I am posting this far later than I Intended because my neurological condition took me out for most of the week but here’s what I watched last week and Happy Valentine’s Day. 

Insidious the Red Door (2023)

This was my favourite of the whole franchise. 

Being back with the lamberts was such a good return to form and exploring the aftermath of the events of the second film and the effect this had on their family , particularly Dalton and Josh’s relationship gave the story the grounding that we needed. 

While I can understand that after the events of the second film they were scrambling to try and figure out a way for the story to continue without the Lamberts it really did lose a lot of cohesion and made me care way less. 

This was such a great directorial debut for Patrick Wilson and the effects in this were insane. All the deceased that Dalton and Josh saw were so well done and the lighting of Dalton when he is possessed gave me chills and was so effective. 

Final Destination 2-5 

We had seen the first in the series recently so started at 2 so I could get a refresher and so my partner could finish the series. 

Final Destination 2 (2003)

This was about the same for me as the first one. The characters were fun enough and the kills were interesting but it wasn’t really anything to write home about. 

Final Destination 3 (2006)

This is the best in the series in my opinion. 

The mass casualty event being the rollercoaster is possibly one of the best set ups for the formula, the cast was great with Mary Elizabeth Winstead easily being the best focal character of the series and the kills were some of the best in the franchise. 

The tanning bed scene will forever go down as one of the best kills in history and the double coffin transition was DIABOLICAL. I cannot hear love rollercoaster without thinking of this scene. 

The Final Destination (2009)

As soon as we started this one my partner turned to me and said ‘was this released in 3D’ and that’s possibly one of the most damning things about what is easily the worst installment. 

While the set up for this film wasn’t the worst, each kill is tainted by its awful PS1 style effects that are jimmied in just to exploit the 3D cinema craze of the late 2000’s and the change of the way death carries out the kills. 

Firstly, the director in an interview stated he chose to work on this film due to the 3D element and that he really wanted to utilise the technology in a way that didn’t feel gimmicky. I’m sorry David, but as soon as you film a man getting squished through a fence and turning into gummy looking N64 gore sticks, you failed. 

Secondly what was interesting and subversive about death being this Karmic force and the kills being products of a series of accidents resulting in a sort of Rube Goldberg Machine, is taken away as soon as we see an invisible force unscrewing nuts and bolts out of objects and moving things like some sort of shite poltergeist. 

Final Destination 5 (2011)

This one is an improvement on the previous, but we are still a victim of Polter-death and the 3D gimmick. 

This is the film in the franchise that makes it most clear that this concept started off as a script for a possible X files episode with its focus on investigation and trying better to understand death. 

The twist was amazing and such a good way to round out the series. 

I am excited for Bloodlines and loved the trailer, but it will be a shame to ruin such a perfect ending. 

Psycho (1960)

This is part of my research watching for some content about POV horror. 

Psycho is such a classic and still holds up so well today. I remember watching this in my early teens, stealing it from my Mum’s Hitchcock collection and losing my mind at the killer reveal. 

There isn’t a lot to be said that hasn’t already been said a million times, If you haven’t seen it, fix that. 

In terms of POV horror, the POV shots in this are an interesting story telling device. While obviously horror cinema in this period was very subversive with all the censorship laws, to some extent the POV of violent acts is a commentary on voyeurism and the act of the audience seeking out violent cinema. However, the main function I believe in psycho is to intentionally limit the information the audience has access to. By BECOMING the killer through POV we lose access to any of their features and therefore only know their identity through the observations of the other characters. While in later slasher films we see the Shape or Freddy and know who the culprit is from the get-go, Psycho leads us to believe in the truth presented because we cannot verify ourselves, making the twist even more effective. 

Rear Window (1954) 

Another Hitchcock for POV mini project. 

I don’t know where Alfred keeps finding all these baddies but, Grace Kelly was fucking beautiful. 

Another absolute classic utilising POV as a story device. We get all the information at the same time in the same way as Jeff, which means we draw the same conclusions. We are complicit in his investigation and feel the same sense of accomplishment when our conclusions are proven right. 

Obviously, the viewing of neighbours and the commentary on their lives speaks to voyeurism and encourages us to interrogate our observations. Like Peeping Tom which I watched in the previous Horror Diary, the main character is a photographer which informs a lot of the shots we see and also helps to expand upon the commentary of observation and Scopophilia. 

Again , Nothing I can say will ever be new, Hitchcock is the GOAT and you just need to see it and trust that I’m right.