One of my earliest memories is of watching John Carpenter's masterpiece, The Thing. I was probably five or six years old and had a habit of laying under of living room coffee table while watching TV. On this occasion, I remember pretending to be asleep because I heard my dad tell my mom that he was going to watch a really scary horror movie once I went to bed. Unable to pry me out from under the table without, "waking me," he let it play and I watched through half-lidded eyes. It was equal parts amazing and traumatic. It was a revelation.

In the 90's, I earned my degree in horror from Professor Joe Bob Briggs, watching every episode of MonsterVision on TNT. Right now, as I type this, there is a CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE pennant on the wall to my right, just out of view. I have a Stephen King Funko Pop sitting above me as a write.

So, yeah, Duskmourn: House of Horror has been on my radar since the moment it was announced. With previews only days away I wanted to look at some of the things I hope we find in the set. As a bonafide (some might even say obsessed) aficionado of 70's -90's horror, this is what I'm hoping for.

The Big Three

The horror genre in the 70's and 80's was defined by one subgenre in particular. The Slasher. As such, you can't really highlight the era without diving into these tropes, and you can't really talk about slashers without talking about the Big Three. Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Jason Voorhies. They influenced the genre for a decade and dropped about 30 sequels between them. They would be great for a suite of legendary creatures (maybe even with a Universes Beyond style Secret Lair printing in the future). Undying is a mechanic we haven't seen in a while, and it is a perfect fit for the trope of, "The villain dies but comes back stronger." If we don't get this (or something very similar) it would be a colossal flavor fail.

Weapons

Freddy has his glove, Leatherface his chainsaw, and Jason his machete. In many ways, the weapons the slashers use are as important to the movies as the character themselves. We've already seen Chainsaw as a preview, but I hope they go further. Give us an equipment that's a cursed glove, or a rusty machete.

Aliens

Alien. Predator. The Thing. Some of the most important horror movies of the time period involved threats from beyond the stars. It just so happens that we have a "Space Opera" set coming up next year, and who's to say a door to Duskmourn hasn't found its way into the blackness of space, beckoning to an organism unlike any other. I mean, Alien is already a creature subtype.

Deep Cuts

Horror is a genre that runs very deep, and horror fans love nothing so much as obscure references to their favorite films. There were a ton of great horror movies in the 70's-90's that could easily be overlooked if you only focus on the biggest films of those decades. I hope Wizards takes a deep look at the genre and we get cards that speak to the fans that have seen a movie like Pumpkinhead, Phantasm, or Lifeforce a dozen times (for... reasons). Give us an artifact card that's a tiny, flying, ball of death! Give us a maniacal doll brought to life to slay it's owner! In the words of Detective Ray Cameron, "Thrill me!"

Wink... But Not Too Much

Horror is a genre that loves to get tongue-in-cheek and wink at the camera. Yes, sometimes, you're going to see the zipper running up the back of the monster's suit. But, at the same time, horror is a genre that is fiercely protective of its tropes, and sensitive to people who make fun of them. Scream manages to get it right, mixing mockery with reverence. If Innistrad is any example, Wizards will definitely play with the comedic aspect of horror, and I hope they do lean into it. Just not too far...

The Rules

Horror movies are known for their ridged adherence to rules and tropes, exemplified in the movie Scream, and I fully expect we'll see some of these here. While some of the more ahem... risque choices won't make it, I certainly hope we'll get a "I'll Be Right Back!" style card that ends in a creature's death. We've already seen them split the party in the storyline, but what other no-nos will they get into?

The Final Girl/Final Guy

Look, I understand that Wizards isn't going to just kill off a bunch of their face characters in a random set. I don't expect to see any of the main characters die here. But, the Final Girl/Final Guy trope is one of the strongest in Modern Horror, and they need to address it in some way. Maybe have the ending come down to one character who wins and uses SPOILERS FOR THE DUSKMOURN STORY all of the shards provided by Aminatou to reset their lives? In game form, I fully expect to get some depiction of this as a creature with Indestructible.

These are just a few of the things I hope to see with Duskmourn. The set is timed perfectly, with Halloween just weeks away, and I'm excited to see what Wizards has in store for us!

You can find more of my musings on twitter@travishall456.