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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃

@filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social
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Cinephile, former pop-culture journalist and critic, writer, podcasts guest, filmmaker, and college instructor My original Filmnerdness 101 page: @filmnerdness101.bsky.social My main page: @raysidman.bsky.social Letterboxd: boxd.it/lLVfr #fn101

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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 20h
The final installment of the perfect Nightmare on Elm Street trilogy is Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994). This is atavistic Freddy. And it’s Craven’s meta-horror warm-up before he tackles Scream a few years later. This film is notably underrated.
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Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
A demonic force has chosen Freddy Krueger as its portal to the real world. Can Heather Langenkamp play the part of Nancy one last time and trap the evil trying to enter our world?
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 21h
The second title in the perfect NoES trilogy is A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). This is peak Freddy: still scary and has some snark, but isn’t yet the constant punster clown of later entries. Co-written by Wes Craven and directed by Chuck Russell, Dream Warriors rules! #noes3
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A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
A psychiatrist, familiar with the knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger, helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
My favorite horror movie is A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). And it has been awhile since I binged The (or at least My) Perfect Nightmare on Elm Street Trilogy. Today’s a good day for that, methinks. The first film is one of the scariest movies ever made. 🖤🎥 #nowwatching #Nightmareonelmstreet
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A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. A cop's daughter, Nancy Thompson, traces the cause to child molester Fred Krueger, wh...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Choosing randomly from my horror watch list, I’m going with The Alchemist Cookbook (2016). Going in blind.
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The Alchemist Cookbook (2016)
Self-made chemist Sean, a recluse living in an old trailer in the woods, suffers from pill-popping delusions of fortune. When his manic attempts at cracking the ancient secret of alchemy go awry he un...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Horror Feature #3 of the evening is Azrael (2024). Samara Weaving always gives incredible performances. First-time watch.
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Azrael (2024)
In a world where no one speaks, a devout female hunts down a young woman who has escaped her imprisonment. Recaptured by its ruthless leaders, Azrael is due to be sacrificed to pacify an ancient evil ...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Friday horror movie night Feature #2 is The Car (1977). Another first-time watch (I think). I’ve heard it has some impressive setpieces.
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The Car (1977)
The Utah community of Santa Ynez is being terrorized by a mysterious black coupe that appears out of nowhere and begins running people down. After the car kills off the town sheriff, Captain Wade Pare...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I know nothing about Anything for Jackson (2020) except that it’s horror and it was recommended to me by a friend. #Nowwatching
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Anything for Jackson (2020)
A bereaved Satanist couple kidnap a pregnant woman so they can use an ancient spellbook to put their dead grandson's spirit into her unborn child, but they end up summoning more than they bargained fo...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Alright, folks, I need to get off the socials for tonight. (Though, seriously, it’s not you, it’s me.) But before I go, here’s the docket for the rest of my evening: - Lord of Misrule (2023) - Session 9 (2001) Both are first-time watches and have been on my list for awhile. Take care, friends!
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
So The Return of Doctor X (1939) is not a sequel to Doctor X nor connected to it at all except in name. Mmkay. Plus, it’s Humphrey Bogart’s sole horror role. I do love me some Bogey. First-time watch.
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The Return of Doctor X (1939)
When news reporter Walter Garrett arrives at the hotel room of bombshell actress Angela Merrova to conduct an interview, he finds her dead from multiple stab wounds. He returns with the police to find...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I’ve heard of but am not familiar with two-strip Technicolor, which Doctor X (1932) was filmed in. But I’m nerdy enough to be looking forward to seeing what it looks like and deep diving into what it is. And, hey, it has Fay Wray, which is cool. This is another first-time watch.
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Doctor X (1932)
A wisecracking New York reporter intrudes on a research scientist's quest to unmask The Moon Killer.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Thanks to all of you who make this page what it is! I’m humbled at having reached 200 followers, and I don’t take that for granted. My prior Filmnerndess 101 page amassed just over 60 followers in its 11 months, and this page has more than 200 in less than 5 months. Thank you all for your support! 🙏
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
If you’ve not yet experienced the horror that is Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010), I give it my highest possible recommendation, and have since before its official release when I reviewed it as a professional pop-culture critic. From the director of Mandy, this film is stunning and unforgettable. 🖤
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Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)
Deep within the mysterious Arboria Institute, a disturbed and beautiful girl is held captive by a doctor in search of inner peace. Her mind controlled by a sinister technology. Silently, she waits for...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Starting this evening with FTW Mad Love (1935), helmed by The Mummy director Karl Freund and starring Peter Lorre, I have high expectations.
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Mad Love (1935)
An insane surgeon's obsession with an actress leads him to replace her wounded pianist husband's hands with those of a knife-throwing murderer.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The Crow (the original) is returning to theaters for Halloween weekend this year. I AM SO THERE. 🖤
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Just saw that The Deadly Spawn (1983) is getting the 4K treatment from Synapse Films on November 10.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
It’s a fact: I’ve never seen Vampyres (1974), though it’s been on my list since college. As a fervent lover of folk horror, I’m looking forward to this.
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Vampyres (1974)
A duo of bisexual female vampires prey on passing motorists, whom they seduce and murder in the English countryside.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Here’s my lo-fi ranking of the films in the Leprechaun franchise: 1) Leprechaun 3 2) Leprechaun 3) Leprechaun in Space 4) Leprechaun in the Hood 5) Leprechaun Returns 6) Leprechaun 2 7) Leprechaun Back 2 tha Hood 8) Leprechaun Origins
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
It ends tonight. Another Leprechaun entry sans Warwick Davis. I expect this (so far) final film in the franchise to go out with a whimper. That said, I am watching Leprechaun Returns (2018), and I’ll give it a fair shake.
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Leprechaun Returns (2018)
A group of unwitting sorority sisters accidentally awaken the serial-killing Leprechaun after they build a sorority house on his hunting grounds.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Oh my freaking gawds. Look at this behemoth. This looks AMAZING. 🖤
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
A Leprechaun movie without Warwick Davis? I’m watching Leprechaun: Origins (2014) under protest. But I’m watching it.
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Leprechaun: Origins (2014)
Two young couples backpacking through Ireland discover that one of Ireland's most famous legends is a terrifying reality.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
This is a bit of a project, and I love it. I don’t have the original “Butt-O-Ween” (1995) VHS. However, I do have the 10-DVD Mike Judge Collection gold box that has all 7 of these episodes on 6 different discs. So, I’m cycling through the discs to watch the eps in their original Butt-O-Ween order.🖤
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Beavis and Butt-Head: Butt-O-Ween (1995)
When Beavis and Butt-Head are watching a horror film, two kids show up at their door to do trick or treat. Butt-Head takes their candies and slams the door in their faces. Later Beavis eats all of the...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
The quest to watch this franchise continues with the first-time watch Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood (2003). I do love Warwick Davis in this role.
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Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood (2003)
When Emily Woodrow and her friends happen on a treasure chest full of gold coins, they fail to to heed the warnings of a wise old psychic who had foretold that they would encounter trouble with a very...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
A horror-comedy set in 1986, and it’s an Aussie film? Penny Lane Is Dead (2025) sounds like perfection to me.
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Penny Lane Is Dead (2025)
Set in 1986, during a scorching Aussie summer, three best friends' celebration at a beach house turns into a blood-soaked fight for survival when a prank goes horribly wrong.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Today’s first-time watch is Leprechaun 5, a.k.a. Leprechaun in the Hood (2000). Ice-T has top billing after franchise star Warwick Davis, so I’m already in. The opening scene goes full-blown spoof with the Afro jokes, which seems atonal for a film in this series but is humorous.
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Leprechaun in the Hood (2000)
When Butch, Postmaster P, and Stray Bullet loot the local hip-hop mogul's studio to fund their demo album, the threesome unwittingly ends up with the secret of Mack Daddy's success: a magical flute. T...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I had no idea that Brian Trenchard-Smith helmed two Leprechaun films, but here we are. First-time watch Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996) will hopefully be as enjoyable as the third entry (also a BTS movie), which so far is my favorite in this series.
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Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996)
On a planet in a distant galaxy, a power hungry Leprechaun, holds a beautiful alien princess hostage in order to marry her for her royal title. With her title and his beloved gold, he'll be able to ru...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The second of tonight’s FTW features is Bad Ben (2016), which is apparently the first in a series of several films. Hopefully, that’s a good sign.
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Bad Ben (2016)
Tom Riley thought he was getting the deal of a lifetime when he bought a house below market value at a Sheriff's sale. He invested every penny he had with the plan of flipping the home for a profit. O...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
First of tonight’s pair of first-time watches is Burn, Witch, Burn (1962), a.k.a. Night of the Eagle. An AIP movie, perhaps it was filmed on the same set as The Terror, since that classic came out the following year.
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Night of the Eagle (1962)
A college professor who discovers that his wife has been practicing black magic for years forces her to stop but soon learns the true power of the occult.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Stand and Deliver (1988) is back in theaters this weekend? YESSS!
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Stand and Deliver (1988)
Jaime Escalante is a mathematics teacher in a school in a hispanic neighbourhood. Convinced that his students have potential, he adopts unconventional teaching methods to try and turn gang members and...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Having watched 4 horror titles since midnight last night, I’m taking a break to watch my favorite western, Tombstone (1993). Val Kilmer should’ve won an Oscar, but he wasn’t even nominated. Total robbery. I’m still pissed about it. Regardless, amazing film.
Photo of the DVD of Tombstone - The Director’s Cut
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The Brian Trenchard-Smith directing this entry gives me hope that Leprechaun 3 (1995) will be to my liking. I’m a longtime fan of BTS films. On top of that, one element I’ve really enjoyed a lot in this series is Warwick Davis chewing scenery like it’s corned beef and cabbage.
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Leprechaun 3 (1995)
It was a normal night in Las Vegas, Nevada, all the lights were flashing brightly, until a man with one hand, one eye, and one leg walks into a pawn shop with a statue of a hideous looking Leprechaun....
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Taking a moment (or an hour or so) to watch the documentary Screaming in High Heels: The Rise & Fall of the Scream Queen Era (2011). It’s fun and insightful and includes interviews with many key filmmakers and stars from this cinematic era. (Full disclosure: A friend was the editor on this project.)
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Screaming in High Heels: The Rise & Fall of the Scream Queen Era (2011)
Three girls living in Los Angeles, CA in the 1980s found cult fame when they "accidentally" transitioned from models to B-movie actresses, coinciding with the major direct-to-video horror film boom of...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
So, I’m moving on to first-time watch Leprechaun 2 (1994). I’ve been told many times over the years that the first Leprechaun is the best of the series. Shit.
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Leprechaun 2 (1994)
A thousand years ago, the Leprechaun left a bloody trail when he ripped through the countryside in search of his stolen gold. Now he's back in the big city using all of his deadly tricks to snare the ...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Here’s the deal. I’ve never actually seen a Leprechaun movie. (Really.) I’ve seen bits and pieces of the first two, but that’s it. So, I’m kicking off this 31DoH with Leprechaun (1993), a.k.a. “The One with the Actor Who Later Married an Actor Who Guest Starred in an Episode of Freddy’s Nightmares.”
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Leprechaun (1993)
A demonic leprechaun terrorizes a group of young people whom he believes stole his gold.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Closer to midnight, and it’s time for The Gate (1987). I’ve been a fan since a long time ago. This is solid gateway horror, and just fun. It stars a young Stephen Dorff. The SFX, in particular, are impressive.
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The Gate (1987)
Three young children accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard. What follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the three kids struggle to o...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Haven’t seen Pontypool (2008)? Dude.
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Pontypool (2008)
When disc jockey Grant Mazzy reports to his basement radio station in the Canadian town of Pontypool, he thinks it's just another day at work. But when he hears reports of a virus that turns people in...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Counting down to midnight and the kickoff of October and 31 Days of Horror with Near Dark (1987). Lance Henriksen. Bill Paxton. Jenette Goldstein. Tim Thomerson. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. The best vampire movie of 1987. (Yeah, I said it. And I’ve guested on a podcast ep discussing exactly that.)
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Near Dark (1987)
A farm boy reluctantly becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets turns out to be part of a band of vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
One more day til it all starts again! 🖤
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
31 DAYS OF HORROR 2026 This October, I’m changing up my approach to 31DoH. Typically, I aim for mostly rewatches with roughly 1/3 of the titles being first-time watches. But since I launched Filmnerdness 101, my watch list has exploded. So, this year, I’m sticking almost exclusively to FTWs. 🎃🔪👻🎥🤘🖤
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I’m watching an episode of Freddy’s Nightmares where there’s a singles bar called Ball ‘n Chain. I feel that’s sending a mixed message.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
3 more days … I’ve seen and heard a lot about the Blind Dead movies recently, so I’m revisiting the first one — and maybe two — tonight. So, up now is Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972). Whatever else you say about these films, you cannot knock the design of the blind dead themselves. So well done.
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Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972)
In 13th century Berzano, a legion of knights known as the Templar were executed for conducting black magic rituals and committing human sacrifices in a quest for eternal life. 700 years later, they ri...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Stand against censorship. Stand with the American Library Association and so many others for Banned Books Week, which is October 4-10 this year!
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Call this a palate cleanser. I’m a fan of the first two Harold & Kumar films, and it’s been a hot minute since I last saw Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008).
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Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)
Having satisfied their urge for White Castle, Harold and Kumar jump on a plane to catch up with Harold's love interest, who's headed for the Netherlands. But the pair must change their plans when Kuma...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
You know, it’s a local brick-and-mortar coffee shop morning for me and my current leisure-reading book. ☕️
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Now watching Freddy’s Nightmares on Tubi.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Halloween season warmup viewing continues with the horror anthology movie Trick ‘r Treat (2007). I recall reviewing this one back in my days as a pop-culture journalist and critic. It’s a lot of fun. #trickrtreat
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Trick 'r Treat (2007)
Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: an everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers ...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I just finished the annual ritual of decorating my place for Halloween. Now that The Best Season of the Year is officially underway here at Casa FN101, it’s time to warm up for 31 Days of Horror by rewatching Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982). Five more days til Halloween season! 🎃👻🖤🎥
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Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
After a terrified toy salesman is mysteriously attacked and brought to the hospital, clutching the year's most popular Halloween mask, Dr. Daniel Challis sets out to investigate the strange events and...
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Now seated for Resident Evil!
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
If you like dark synth and densely atmospheric modern horror, I give my highest possible recommendation to Come True (2020). I regularly spin the soundtrack/score for background music. Pilotpriest, the composer, is a moniker used by the film’s writer-director. Here’s a taste.
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Electric Youth - Modern Fears (Pilotpriest Come True Version) | Official Video
YouTube video by SonySoundtracksVEVO
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year is Class of Nuke ‘Em High (1986), which I’ve not seen in at least 30 years. We here at Filmnerdness 101 worship at many altars, including that of Lloyd Kaufman and Troma. Time for a rewatch.
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Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986)
The pupils at a high school next to a nuclear power plant start acting and looking strange after buying contaminated drugs from a plant worker.
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Filmnerdness 101 with Ray Sidman 🎃 @filmnerdness101ray.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Yup.
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