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It’s just about the most wonderful time of year! Not only is spooky season just around the corner as October will be here just before we know it, but that brings with it a whole host of on screen entertainment for horror fans to enjoy. Namely, the folks at AMC have officially announced the return of FearFest. The annual block of programming has been taking over the network for more than 15 years now, and that tradition is set to continue in 2024 beginning October 1, taking us right through the end of the month to celebrate Halloween in style.
Spooky season is right around the corner and your fave fears are coming back. 🎃😱
Get ready for #FearFest all October long only on AMC. pic.twitter.com/ExmsRHj2HB
— AMC TV (@AMC_TV) August 20, 2024
AMC released a brief teaser, which you can check out above, teeing up this year’s festivities. While, as of this writing, we don’t have a full lineup, what has been revealed is already tantalizing. Films highlighted include Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Freddy vs. Jason, Halloween, Creepshow, Poltergeist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, The Thing, An American Werewolf in London and The Shining. Many of those are staples of the event in years past and, even if nothing else were included, it’s a damn fine list. Rest assured, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The 2023 edition of AMC’s FearFest included a whopping 700 hours of programming.
One benefit of FearFest in the modern era is that viewers don’t necessarily have to have cable to get in on the shenanigans. There is a streaming option in AMC+. Beyond that, since AMC owns Shudder, they utilize the horror-focused streaming service as an outlet to extend the programming to subscribers there. So there’s no real need to lament no longer being a cable subscriber in the streaming era. AMC has adapted to modern times pretty well in this regard.
FearFest is a tradition that dates back to 2008 and it has been going strong ever since. Much has changed since then but horror is popular as ever and AMC makes use of that fact every single year. While most of these movies can regularly be viewed on-demand, there is something nice about just turning on AMC during the month of October and seeing what’s playing at that specific time. It can create something of a communal experience, knowing that others are watching that same movie at that same time. It’s relatively rare these days, making this whole thing still feel just a little bit special, in my humble opinion.
Look for FearFest programming on AMC and AMC+ beginning October 1. For more, take a look at our list of 13 movies to check out on Shudder right now.
