Why Aren’t Horror Films Released During Halloween Anymore?

It seems more and more horror films aren't released around Halloween.

Listen, I am a huge horror movie fan. From classics such as The Nightmare on Elm Street and Evil Dead to today's best Insidious and It Follows. The interesting part is though, we usually got the big horror films during the month of October to get in the mood of Halloween but in the past few years we have been getting more and more horror films in other parts of the year such as spring and summer and practically nothing in October. Why is that?

Well when I was growing up October was big business for horror films, especially when I got into high school and the Saw franchise came out. Every year they came out with a film in October and made hundreds of millions of dollars, then it was the Paranormal Activity films. The thing is, people got tired of these franchises for their tired, old gags of either torture or jump scares.

Recently, a man named Jason Blumhouse, who runs Blumhouse Productions, is a genius for realizing that people want original, horror films not just in October and has made literally a boatload of money. His idea is using small budgets, great marketing and an interesting idea that will drive people to his films. It's worked, over and over again. Since he produced the first Paranormal Activity film, he has produced some of the most profitable/critically acclaimed horror films in years past. From Insidious to The Purge franchise to Oculus. Blumhouse Productions has even revived the career of M. Night Shyamalan, the director of the Sixth Sense, with films like The Visit and the upcoming Split. What makes his films also profitible is also releasing the films during the year other than October. Most of his biggest movies have been released during the summer because that is when the audiences come out in droves to see films. This man is a genius.

With this sudden surge in popularity of horror films though has definitely made October a forgettable month for big horror films and more of a month to look at potential Oscar films. It's a huge bummer. I just looked at the theater here in Bozeman and the only horror film playing is Ouija:Origin of Evil. As a horror fan I wish we could get more than one horror film during October but I guess I will have to make due. What do you think?