Halloween DVDs Part III: The final chapter

This has to be the most horrifying season ever for Halloween titles. Can't think of any other "holiday" that inspires such a deluge of targeted product. Classic horror doesn't get all that much attention during the year, so at least we're guaranteed good ghoulish stuff in September and October.

This DVD blog is blowing out the candles on the pumpkin after this roundup. Final words of advice: Don't go in the basement, never go back into the house for the damn cat, take a knife while camping and always remember: the bad guy is never, ever, truly dead. So don't be putting funny hats on him.

(Update: Check out the "7 Days of Halloween" series, with the witching season's best releases.)

Frostbitten is the first serious vampire movie to come out of Sweden. A festival favorite. The new girl in town takes up with a goth who gets weirdly friendly. "Under the cover of darkness, an entire month of wintry night sky, the hunt for blood and flesh begins." Directed by Anders Banke, (Genius, Sept. 25, $20)

Twisted Terror Collection binds together six horror films including three from three famed directors. This appears to be the start of a Warner Home Video "Twisted Terror" line. Remember the hoot of a remake of "The Hand" from Oliver Stone? Well, it's back from the grave (get a grip). Also, John Carpenter's TV movie "Someone's Watching Me" with Lauren Hutton; Wes Craven's "Deadly Friend" in which a teen nerd does the brain surgery. Also, "From Beyond the Grave," "Eyes of a Stranger" and Dr. Giggles. (Sept. 25, $50)

Hallowed Ground brings us another couple of hours with scream queen Jaimie Alexander (pictured), who was really good in Warner's made-for-DVD creep-out "Rest Stop." The plot sounds a lot like the bad-movie classic "The Devil's Rain": In 1896, a preacher crucifies a bunch of sinners. A century later, our heroine finds her purpose in life is to help resurrect the old do-gooder. (Genius, Oct. 9)

Murder Party sounds pretty sick. A gang of crazed edgy artists decides to murder a party-goer at midnight, in the name of performance art. Then someone breaks out a vial of truth serum as a party favor. Commence body count. Won an award at Slamdance and played SXSW. bloody-disgusting.com dug it. (Magnolia, Oct. 16)

Also, "Plasterhead" (Arts Alliance), "Wrong Turn 2: Dead End" (Fox), "Tobe Hooper's The Damned Thing" (Anchor Bay), "Buried Alive" (Weinstein/Genius), and the scariest of all, "The Paul Lynde Halloween Special" (S'More).

Check out the posts Halloween DVDs I and Halloween DVDs 2 for more horror movies.