by Max Gulden

It’s that time of year again. As the air becomes crisp, leaves turn color and fall. Sunlight takes on a different hue, and the days grow noticeably shorter, while the nights grow inexorably longer. Around this time every year, my movie viewing takes a predicable turn. A turn to horror!

While horror movies can be enjoyed at any time of year, there is a certain appeal to treating oneself to a horror binge in the lead up to that spookiest of holidays: Halloween. If you too enjoy making a seasonal commitment to ramp up your horror movie viewing, you have a number of excellent resources available through the Ames Public Library.

If you have not noticed yet, the library recently decided to break out a new section in the movie shelves specifically for horror films. With the arrival of this new section, browsing for horror films is easier than ever before, and you are sure find the horror films you know and love as well as many you may have overlooked.

In addition to the library’s new horror section, you should also know that the library’s streaming service Hoopla has a wide variety of newer and classic horror films conveniently grouped in their horror genre section, which currently lists over 1800 options.

Moreover, Hoopla currently provides a curated promotional carousel titled “Best of Hoopla: Horror.” The selection includes approximately 250 options chosen as the best horror offerings on the service. This carousel includes varied options including “Train to Busan,” “John Dies at the End,” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” among many others.

Another library streaming service, Kanopy, offers additional horror titles. Currently, Kanopy’s top-listed curated promotional carousal is titled “Fright Fest,” and includes just the type of horror films a genre fan might savor. Among just the first few options listed, you’ll find “Midsommar,” the 1977 version of “Suspiria,” and “10 Cloverfield Lane.” Be sure to check both streaming services if you want to have access to the widest range of options, since some titles aren’t available on both.

So, if you are in the mood for one horror film or a dozen to get you in the Halloween spirit, be sure to check out the free options available to you through the Ames Public Library.