[HollywoodInvestigator.com] For the 23rd year in a row, the Hollywood Investigator is happy to announce the winners of its Tabloid Witch Awards horror film contest. Winning films came from Canada, France, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

A total of 292 films were entered this year, with only a little over 5% winning an award. In selecting winners, films were assessed for originality, technical mastery, acting, thematic depth, aesthetics (how well the technical aspects supported the film's story, characters, and themes), and entertainment value.

In the Tabloid Witch's first few years (beginning in 2004), we were besieged with zombie films. But lately, zombies have been far fewer (though they never seem to entirely go away). Influencers remained a popular theme. Surrealism was also popular among this year's entries. And AI debuted as a new potential monster this year.

And now these are 2026's Tabloid Witch Award winning films:

* Best Horror Feature: Ding, Dong, Die!

Three teenage girls (looking to be in their twenties) conjure a demon on Halloween night. What could go wrong? Said demon possesses one of the girls and attacks the rest. Okay, what did they expect?

Actually, it’s not that simple. Not everything is as it seems. Ding, Dong, Die! surreptitiously lays clues that will prove important at the end, springing final revelations in the style of such films as The Sixth Sense and Saw. Indeed, Ding, Dong, Die! borrows from many of horror's best films.

In the style of Halloween, the story unfolds slowly, taking time to establish the characters and their relationships. The goth girl, Lilith (Heather Lobban) bears similarities to her counterparts in both Beetlejuice and The Craft. And the demon-possessed girl, Ally (Camille Blott), seems straight out of Evil Dead in her energetic violence, blood and bile secretions, hoarse voice, and black comedy bon mots.

That said, Ding, Dong, Die! is its own thing. Lilith will not be mistaken for her goth counterparts in other films. Ally is a virgin, but quite different from Laurie Strode. The third girl, Ramona (Honor Spencer), is the cynic. She only tolerates Lilith because they're both friends with Ally.

Actually, Ramona is a bit incongruent. She mocks Lilith's beliefs, goth jewelry and black clothes, yet she herself wears a skull ring and spiderweb bracelets. So Ramona also dresses a bit goth. Since she's not, I'm guessing she's supposed to be a "heavy metal chick," but it's never stated. Either way, the film might have tried to differentiate her more clearly, or at least had Lilith remark about Ramona's jewelry when insulted by her.

But these are quibbles. Overall, Ding, Dong, Die! makes for excellent supernatural Halloween horror. The cinematography (credited to two DPs, Vasilis Glezakos and Pipardgorn Sombunnavanid) is sharp, colorful, beautiful, and effectively uses light and shadows for a spooky atmosphere. At times the music is jarring, but never overwhelming, always supporting the events on screen. Unsurprising. Composer Tommy Haynes describes his philosophy on IMDb: “Nothing is more important than supporting the narrative of the picture as a story unfolds.” Which is what film music should do.

Despite some slow periods, the editing and screen wipes mostly keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Sound design works well with the music to support on screen events. The interplay between the three actresses flows naturally, a credit to both the actresses and their director (and writer) Rui Martins.

* Best Horror Documentary: Like Michael

Although set in the fictitious town of Haddonfield, Illinois, Halloween, was shot in South Pasadena, California. The original “Loomer house” is still there. And every Halloween, Myers groupies descend on South Pasadena to visit the Loomer house, celebrating the holiday by seeking out their favorite serial killer. And he is everywhere. Or at least, his cosplay clones are everywhere.

Many fans saw Halloween upon its initial release. They grew up watching and rewatching the film every year (one woman claims to watch it several times a month). These older fans bring their kids. Others are young newbies. And some travel across the ocean to spend their Halloween in South Pasadena.

In Like Michael, Aaron Matthew Migdon records this pop culture phenomena. He captures streets full of cosplay actors dressed in Myers’s green overalls and white William Shatner mask, and wielding Myers’s classic big kitchen knife. He interviews the fans, show them at their playacting, and successfully captures the love and spirit of the Halloween season and the serial killer who made the season that much more special.

* Best Dramatic Horror Short: Not Every Death Is Celebrated

Loreto (Melannie Loza) places a broken mug before a shrine to her dead father, Rodrigo (Jorge Prieto). Enter her grieving mother, Veronica (Paty Lupercio), who accuses Loreto of murdering Rodrigo. Well, Loreta is carrying a black cat. Is she a witch?

After that strong opening hook, Not Every Death is Celebrated (aka No A Todos Los Muertos se les Festeja) cuts to a Day of the Dead celebration in Veronica’s house. Apparently in Mexico (this is a Mexican film) people celebrate their dead loved ones with shrines and parties during Day of the Dead. Thus the film's curious (to an Anglo audience) title. In the United States, the meaning of the title might more accurately be translated as Not Every Death Is Mourned.

Veronica’s party begins as a languid, cheerful event, children scampering about, guests arriving in costume, drooling over the chocolate, reminiscing (and gossiping) about Rodrigo. Veronica smiles for her guests, but tension mounts, then emotions explode, and finally the supernatural intrudes. In a big way. The final twist is shocking and unexpected, yet it is no cheat; it flows naturally from pre-established events.

The film's beautiful cinematography emphasizes warm hues that, together with soft guitar tunes, create an ambiance of serenity, belying the domestic turmoils churning beneath the facade of close familial ties. Marisol (Lupita Ibarra), Rodrigo's sister who claims psychic powers, accuses Loreto of being a witch. Veronica accuses Marisol of the same. Then a camera trick heralds the arrival of something demonic and chaos ensues, with shocking and gruesome special effects.

An excellent cast and script create characters with emotional depth. Veronica is over-the-top hysterical, but that's in keeping with her character and the drama's extreme turn of events. Dialog is terse and efficient, saying no more than needed to establish character or propel a story that is intriguing, entertaining, full of surprises and scares.

On a minor note, even the subtitles are excellent. The letters are large, distinct from background colors, and stay onscreen long enough to read. And it helps that the dialog kept to essentials and thus to a minimum of words. This seems a small thing, but it enhances enjoyment by foreign audiences who prefer to watch rather than read a film. A film is not a book.

Apart from its technical beauty and entertainment value, Not Every Death Is Celebrated carries great thematic depth, touching on issues such as domestic abuse, denial, and patricide.

Written and directed by Luis "Yayo" Angel Villa Meza.

* Best Comedic Horror Short: Are You a Human Being?

Jean-Michel (Jimmy Conchou) has trouble logging into a website. He can't get past the Captcha to prove that he's not a robot. He phones for a repair technician. But the technician can't find anything wrong with the computer. He concludes that the only possible reason Jean-Michel can't bypass the Captcha is because he is a robot.

"No one ever told you?" the technician asks.

Now Jean-Michel faces an existential crisis. What does he do? How will he tell his wife, Lucie (Alice Abraham)? "She doesn't know?" asks the technician? Apparently not.

Lucie is a perfect woman. She knows everything. She is always correct and punctual and reliable. But she lacks strong emotions. No highs or lows, as she tells her therapist. Is Lucie also a robot? Has Jean-Michel been married to a robot all along? Would that alleviate or compound his existential crisis?

The French are big on existentialism, so it's not surprising that Are You a Human Being? is a French/Swiss film. But Are You a Human Being? is also a comedy, as indicated by the bright and colorful production design, the whimsical music, and the characters' carefree mannerisms and exaggerated mugging.

AI themed horror films were plentiful this year, vilifying or cautioning against AI. (Ironically, films created by AI were even more plentiful this year.) Are You a Human Being? ends on a note that's playful and dark. An ending that's funny, in a queasy sort of way. And thought-provoking, in an existential sense.

* Best Avant-Garde Horror Film: Living Dolls

“Dolly” (Laurie Dentie) is a full-sized doll who wears traditional 1950s housewife garb while she does her housewife chores. She yearns for a perfect 1950s spouse. But when she pins a red ribbon on “Dollman” (Alfie Jameson), he not only comes to life, but flees from her assertive demands for love. Crying in despair, Dolly tracks Dollman through an old analog TV set to his “man cave” apartment, and compels him to return. Turning him into her perfect doll mate. She’s happy. He, not so much.

Living Dolls tells its tale largely through symbolism. The set design is sparse, depicting only objects related to its theme, which seems to be a woman’s obsessive search for the perfect home and spouse. Clothes and mannerisms reflect the 1950s, which is still regarded as a decade that idealized perfect, white-picket-fence family life. (Although there is no picket fence outside of a dollhouse in Living Dolls.)

Director Dimitris Vrouvas describes his film thusly: “Living Dolls explores themes of isolation, obsession, and the human need for connection. Dolly’s pursuit of life and affection highlights the dangers of perfectionism, as her inability to accept imperfection leads her to manipulate and destroy those around her. The film touches on the haunting nature of the life, questioning what it means to be alive and the lengths one might go to in order to experience genuine human interaction, yet her actions reveal the dangers of obsessive and toxic behavior. The cycle of life, death, and rebirth is played out in a macabre and surreal way, leaving the audience to consider what it means to truly live and love.”

Dimitris is correct in saying that Living Dolls is macabre and surreal. Macabre, in that Dolly’s creepy smile and sudden fast-motion crawl from the dark evoke both J-horror and Insidious. Surreal, in the look of production designer Carolina Rodrigues’s sparse white set, whose emotional power is heightened by the camera’s wide shots. Production design and cinematography cooperate to emphasize both the emptiness of the set and of Dolly’s life. And thus her desperation to fill this void with a perfect husband’s love. Ben Casey’s music, similarly sparse and creepy, also contributes to the film’s macabre and surreal ambiance.

Overall, Living Dolls is a beautifully creepy piece of avant-garde horror.

* Best Animated Horror Film: The Hunt

Three soldiers patrol the woods in search of zombies. Or monsters. Or … well, we’re not sure what they’re up against. When a soldier is killed, a creature bursts from his body. Was it always there, or did the soldier transform into it after death? Another headless soldier goes on the attack after being decapitated.

The Hunt is an enigmatic film. The uniforms and weapons evoke the Vietnam War, but the forest resembles something from North America or Europe. There is no dialog. The soldiers never converse, so nothing is explained. The Hunt seems to portray the world-weary cynicism and gallows humor of the Vietnam conflict in another era.

As filmmaker Diogo Costa explains it: “Set in an alternate future during a never-ending war, The Hunt explores the nature of conflict and how it turns humans into soulless monsters whose sole purpose is to perpetuate that same conflict.”

The Hunt is an attractive piece of animation, its drawings comic book in style (or is the correct modern term “graphic novel”?). Either way, The Hunt is beautifully drawn, dramatically compelling, with a thought-provoking theme.

* Best Trash Horror Film: Threefold

Scarlette (Sophia Keil) is an aging Gen Z barhopper. By day she works as ... well, I'm not sure if she works at anything. She has no apparent source of income. All she ever does is hang out with her best friend, Jess (Miranda Kelly), at bars, at their apartments, and at streets, parks, and subways.

Oh, and Scarlette also practices black magic to destroy those she thinks deserve it. The results are ugly, gory, cringe-worthy, and scatological. Like when she gives a drag queen Influencer diarrhea during his (her?) live stream.

Despite that, we're drawn into Scarlette's spiritual journey down the drainhole of life. We're compelled to watch as one is compelled to watch an exceptionally gruesome accident. I even felt a bit sorry for her when she got her comeuppance (though not to the point that I regretted it), in what is a startingly effective final scene. And imaginative as to how it was achieved on such a low budget.

Threefold is why we have a trash horror award. It's not a pretty film, visually or content wise. Its production values are rough. Sound levels are uneven. The camera appears to have been mostly handheld, using whatever lighting was available at the scene. (I wouldn't be surprised if Threefold was shot on a cell phone.) "Special" make-up effects are pretty much what was being done sixty years ago. And despite its short 62 minutes, some scenes still feel overlong and self-indulgent.

Yet as often happens with trash horror, these rough elements enhance the story, lending it a gritty authenticity. I suspect Threefold was shot guerrilla style, without film permits, including the shots on the train. With Threefold, Danielle Francis evokes the sordid works of such New York trash horror sleazemeisters as Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Frankenhooker) and Tim Kincaid (Necropolis, Breeders). Her film might yet follow them to become a trash horror cult classic.

* Best Horror Music Video: Stella Tenebras

The problem with AI generated films is that its human characters look too realistic to be enjoyed as cartoon characters, yet not realistic enough to pass as real people. A discomforting gray zone that the Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori termed bukimi no tani (uncanny valley). It was 1970 and Mori was referring to robots, but bukimi no tani can as easily apply to human AI characters. And it's why AI has difficulty competing with human actors. AI is its own thing, creating its own weirdly surreal "look."

In Stella Tenebras (Latin for Star of Darkness), Mark Von Bismark puts AI's surreal quality to appropriate use, creating a Lovecraft inspired music video. Von Bismark describes his work as "a waking nightmare -- dark, oppressive, and deliberately unsettling -- where shadows conceal things that should never be seen and the boundaries between reality and nightmare begin to collapse ... [resulting in] the terrifying realization that humanity may be insignificant in the face of forces older than time."

His imagery does indeed evoke several of Lovecraft's stories about men who discover the ruins of advanced prehistoric civilizations. The buildings' gargantuan sizes, the occult symbols, the black and white and shades of gray, all contribute to Stella Tenebras's atmosphere of oppressive fatalism and cosmic horror.

But I suspect that Lovecraft isn't the only influence. Stella Tenebras is for the band Mater Tenebrarum (Latin for Mother of Darkness), which was the name of one of Three Sisters in Dario Argento's Inferno. And so Argento's supernatural horror trilogy is likely another influence (though it's highly ironic that a director famous for his use of bright, vibrant, primary colors should influence a gloomy black & white production).

As for the music, Von Bismark describes its genre as "crushing gothic doom," which his images do a nice job of aesthetically supporting and complementing.

* Honorable Mention

The Honorable Mention prizes, like the "Best ... Film" prizes, are shared by the film's writer and director.

Honorable Mentions are kept few in number, so winning one is a rare honor.

* Amira

Amira (Aroa Haren Varela) is fortunate to have found a place at a finishing school for orphans, one that trains its wards in classical music. Her teacher (Ruth Diaz) stresses that it's important for them to master their craft, lest they be expelled. Yet Amira wants to leave the orphanage and visit the big city she's only heard about. Little does she know what really awaits outside.

We don't initially know when Amira is set, but we seem to be in an earlier period. Perhaps around 1900 or even a century earlier. In some ways the setting evokes La Residencia (aka The House That Screamed), another Spanish period piece with a similar academic setting. We have the same stifling atmosphere amid gentile decor. Unlike La Residencia, there is no slasher afoot and no abuse or violence among the girls. Instead, the threat is more surreal and otherworldly.

Amira is a beautifully photographed film. Like Not Every Death Is Celebrated, the cinematography emphasizes dim lighting and golden-brown hues, lulling us with a misleading warmth during its slow burn story. The soft focus is both comforting and vaguely claustrophobia, making things harder to see. Which is perhaps intentionally frustrating when a student fails to perform well on stage and dies in unexplained fashion. The audience remains hidden in darkness. The camera's angles and closeups show us the student's bizarre death, but not by whom or how it was brought about.

Despite not being wholly original, Amira's ending is shockingly unexpected. (I could cite Amira's obvious influence, but that would spoil its ending, so I won't.) Production values are excellent across the board, including the actors, production design, and makeup and visual effects. A first rate effort, and highly entertaining.

* The Awake

Mike (Gary Anthony Stennette) is unnerved to discover that his tattoos have disappeared overnight. His mother doesn't even remember him having tattoos. Then he wakes up. It was all a dream. Only now he finds himself in bed beside a stranger who claims to be his wife (Mari Cielo Pajares). Then things turn still weirder.

In Fox TV's Werewolf, Alamo Joe said, "When the world is not as our minds believe, then we are living in a nightmare." That's one of the best definitions of horror that I've ever heard.

The Awake exemplifies that conceit. The Awake is also what I call "minimalist horror." Quiet, creepy horror. It doesn't rely on gore or monsters. When Mike discovers that his tattoos are just gone, he is frightened. It seems a small thing, but think about it. If your reality had mysteriously changed, if you looked up and your bedroom wall was missing, or the familiar building outside your window had become a train station overnight, you'd be terrified too.

Apart from its intriguing premise, The Awake's execution is excellent. Production values are slick. The stark, modernist production design supports the story's minimalism. Editing is similarly sparse, without padding, moving the story at a brisk pace. Stennette's performance strikes the right balance between a man trying to remain calm and rationale, while suppressing a rising panic as his reality crumbles.

The result is a film that's both entertaining and Twilight Zone scary.

* Let's Fall Apart

Jerry (Darren O'Brien) doesn't get much sleep. He keeps dreaming of a mysterious temptress who seduces him at night. Then a woman (Lily Magdesyan) approaches him at an all night diner in the middle of a desert. This time it's real. Is she a witch, a succubus, the woman of his dreams? Will she be his destruction or salvation? Or both?

Let's Fall Apart's greatest strength is not its story, but its surrealist mood. Its visuals are hazy, grainy, slightly blurry. Colors are off. Let's Fall Apart looks to have been shot on 16mm (or even Super 8mm) film stock that was unsuited to the filming location's light temperature. The aesthetic impact of these elements is reinforced by dissolves, color distortions, solarizations, and creepy imagery (e.g., tarantulas and ... worms?) And the sound, the music and dialog, is slightly muffled and disembodied, to the extent that the film uses subtitles.

Thus, both visuals and sound contribute to a surrealism that supports the story's conceit of a succubus that stalks a man in his dreams. Of course, it's possible that Let's Fall Apart was shot on video, and its visuals given a "film look" in post-production. If so, well done. Either way, credit Vaughn Jelks III for the cinematography.

The film ends leaving one with a conflicted mood of hopeful fatalism. As of a man rushing to his destruction, but expecting to enjoy it.

* We'll Be Right Back

David (Liam Wietlisbach) is watching late night TV, when an oddly old-fashioned, black & white commercial comes on. Tired and sleepy, he turns off the set. Which turns itself back on. Apparently insistent that he watch the commercial, featuring a traditional 1950s homemaker (Valeria Hongler) demonstrating a new kitchen knife. Who then tells David to kill himself.

Stylistically, We'll Be Right Back exudes a sort of retro surrealism. Although David is a modern man, his room has the sort of wood paneling that Americans associate with the 1970s. The commercial evokes the 1950s. Weirdly demonic events, both on David's TV and in his room, are connected by a sort of dream logic. The kind of logic that one feels but cannot explain.

Liminal space has been described as space that has a familiar, cheerful past, but which now feels uncanny. If there's also liminal music, it would describe the big band music on that TV commercial. You realize it's supposed to sound happy and peppy, like the housewife, but it fails to inspire joy. Nor does it help that it's played at a slower speed than intended. Not so slow that you can be sure it's the wrong speed, but slow enough to deepen the pitch, dragging the music like a dying animal. And so repetitive. Like it will play for eternity. The muzak they play in Hell.

Using 1950s iconography to creepy effect is nothing new. Nor are the supernatural events in We'll Be Right Back especially original. The film's strengths lies in its execution. Production values are good, including the editing, which is nicely measured. It takes time when needed to set the mood and build suspense, while simultaneously maintaining a brisk pace that avoids padding or boredom. A slow burn that's lean and fast-paced.

* Additional Winners

Every year we see some bad actors, some mediocre actors, and some talented actors who do a professional job. Among the latter are those few who leave an impression. Who go beyond the job and create a character that lingers in our minds. This last quality is often the crucial difference between the winners and the merely talented.

Another consideration is aesthetics. Many films are technically slick. They are nicely lit, the sound clearly recorded. But if a film's technical choices also aesthetically support its story, characters, and themes, then so much the better.

Of the three lead female roles Ding, Dong, Die!, Lilith is the most mysterious. And not just because she's Goth. Lilith travels the widest character arc. She's full of surprises. Initially snarky and deeply into the occult, she later denies any belief and reveals herself to be empathetic and vulnerable. Then she peels another layer and reveals herself to be more evil than anyone imagined. Then another layer is peeled and she reveals a past pain which explains her evil, and once more we sympathize. We last see Lilith once again displaying snarky self-satisfaction, before she experiences a sudden fearful realization.

Our sympathies toward Lilith might fluctuate with her changing character revelations, but she is always interesting, compelling us to wonder and watch.

Heather Lobban wins for Best Dramatic Actress.

Ring Ring is a challenging film. Every time I watch it, I discover new and subtle clues that explain what I just saw, but I'm still left mystified.

The film opens with Lorenz looking to buy a -- I guess you'd call it a spirit phone? -- from a thrift store clerk. He plans to communicate with his dead mother. He does so that night. But things take an unexpected twist. Actually, several unexpected twists.

I still don't get it. But Ring Ring leaves me feeling intrigued rather than frustrated.

Part of the reason is Erwin Janke's compelling turn as Lorenz. Awkward and stiff, he nevertheless exudes a quiet determination and emotional depth that hooks our interest in his supernatural quest. We feel drawn to follow his tale even as events turns weird and shatter our understanding of his reality.

Erwin Janke wins for Best Dramatic Actor.

Although Ring Ring is a dramatic film, it has its moments of comic relief. Most notable is the humor injected by Ophelia, the abrasive clerk who sells the spirit phone to Lornez.

Ophelia is a psychic who reads auras. She is a deeply spiritual person who pivots from testily snapping her fingers at Lorenz, to softly acknowledging his "recent loss," to crudely berating a customer for touching her precious antique merchandise, then back to addressing Lorenz in comforting tones.

As Ophelia, Eleisha Rae Kennedy strikes an unforgettable, scene-stealing presence.

Eliesha Rae Kennedy wins for Best Comedic Actress.

(Ring Ring is also the first film in the Tabloid Witch's 23 year history of scoring a win in both the Dramatic and Comedic acting categories.)

In Are You a Human Being? Jimmy Conchou perfectly conveys Jean-Michel's befuddlement upon discovering that, all his life, he's been a robot. His demeanor reflects his timid uncertainty in approaching his wife with this news. And then his startling emotional (or emotionless?) transformation by film's end.

The new Jean-Michel bears a confidant stance, speaking in a soft, yet boldly matter-of-fact manner. He has accepted himself as is, and his role a poet for the inevitable future of his kind.

He also retains a bit of our sympathy, which makes us queasily complicit in his darkly satirical final act.

Jimmy Conchou wins for Best Comedic Actor.

Warm golden hues create a sense of serenity that belies the domestic turmoils behind the happy facade at a Day of the Dead party. A smoothly gliding camera reinforces this sense of familial calm among the happy guests.

A flashback is told in black & white as the frame adjusts to a square, narrowing to focus our attention on a secret about to be revealed. Direct overhead shots emphasize key dramatic moments, such as when Loreto pushes the poisoned coffee cup toward her father. Back in the present, a rotating frame heralds the arrival of a demonic presence.

Not Every Death Is Celebrated is among the most beautifully photographed films in this year's entries. It's also full of arresting compositions and creative camera moves. But it's more than a purely visual delight; it all aesthetically supports the film's supernatural story, unstable characters, and themes of family turmoil.

Steve X wins for Best Cinematography.

Ring Ring is a supernatural journey. I'm still not sure of whose; that of Lorenz, his mother, or possibly both? The film opens with low, soothing, muffled sounds that suddenly louden and clarify as Ophelia snaps Lorenz out of his reverie. Sound levels continue to fluctuate throughout the film, as does the background music.

Lorenz has his own theme music, which fades in and out amid various background music, mostly oldies played on distant, sometimes staticy radios. Ominous otherworldly noises herald the supernatural. We hear the distorted voice of a ghost, the suddenly jarring clamor of a phone or an accident, and an equally jarring return to soothing sounds in safer conditions.

Ring Ring's dynamic use of sound supports the events on screen, helping to instill humor, suspense, fear, shock, and mystery, until culminating in a final moment of poignancy during the end credits.

Daniel Hernandez & Adrian Ramirez Leon win for Best Sound Design.

Jason (Michael Zuccola) is plagued by surreal, techo-colored visions of chotonic horror. Believing that these creatures are pursuing him, he escapes to the home of his brother, Michael (Rosario Corso), whose wife, Beth (Katrina Chamberlain), declares Jason to be a junkie. She wants to call the cops. Michael assures Beth that Jason is only sick. Then Beth tosses Jason's talisman out the door -- the talisman that Jason insisted was keeping them safe -- and we learn the truth about Jason's dark visions.

He's Sick offers no deep themes or originality, just pure entertainment. A breathless thrill ride, hurtling its horrors at a lightning pace. We only catch glimpses of the monsters in Jason's imaginings and when they appear. Surreal images of demonic semi-humans, maimed victims, bloody worms, and assorted Luciferian detritus. It's all very Hellraiser.

It's said that audiences are more frightened by what they don't see but imagine, than by whatever a filmmaker can show them. Others dispute this notion. The quick cut editing in He's Sick strikes a neat balance. We see enough of the underworld to frighten us, but not long enough to get a good look. Our imaginations are sparked by glimpses, forcing us to fill in the blanks with our own fears. All in the context of a fast pace that never slackens or bores.

Jimmy Rudolph wins for Best Editing.

In Living Dolls, both Dolly's home and Dollman's "man cave" feature sparse, minimalist decor that establish the film's surrealism. These sets also support the theme of Dolly's desperate desire to fill that void with a husband's love, and of Dollman's retreat into a dark empty bachelor pad, preferring that to being smothered with Dolly's affections.

In pursuing these goals, the production design nicely cooperates with the cinematography's wide shots (which exposes the set's wide empty spaces), and the film's sparsely creepy music.

Carolina Rodrigues wins for Best Production Design.

Amira is a film with a monster. But because we only see his face at the end of the film, revealing it to you now would be a spoiler. Luckily, throughout most of the film, the monster wears a mask. (Well, you would too if you looked like him.) But know that he's hideous, in that cosmically queasy, Lovecraftian sense.

And the manner in which he punishes music students who fail to perform Schubert to his high standards also leaves an unsettlingly gory mess.

Arturo Balseiro & Aliona Zazo win for Best Make-Up Effects.

A young woman (Florencia Chadwick) is spending a quiet Halloween night alone, watching horror movies and eating candy. She hates being interrupted by trick-or-treaters. When a witch (Vanesa Perez Prieto) rings her doorbell, seeking treats, she mockingly throws candy at the witch.

She might have been more polite had she known it was a real witch on her doorstep.

There's little original about Trick or Treat: A Halloween Story. The notion of tricks being played on shoddy treaters is an old idea. Its strength lies in the telling. Production values are excellent. Sets are colorfully lit with gorgeous nighttime blues and Halloween oranges. Editing is brisk, moving the story at a quick pace.

The witch is sensuously creepy. (That is, if you're into witches.) It was a good choice to have her mutely croaking for candy rather than speaking clearly. And what pretty young woman spends Halloween night alone, watching movies and stuffing her face with candy, reminding herself to buy more tomorrow? How does she stay so thin?

Well, she won't be thin after the witch's curse. Her comeuppance is a visual treat, courtesy of Mariano Ayeredi.

Mariano Ayeredi wins for Best Visual Effects.

The music in Ding, Dong, Die! alternates from quietly atmospheric, to tensely mounting suspense, to loudly shocking, to fast-paced thrills.

But the Tabloid Witch has traditionally reserved this award not for the best music, but for music that is best at aesthetically supporting the characters, story and themes on screen.

Tommy Haynes's score does that. Unsurprising, as he describes his film composer's philosophy on IMDB as if cribbed from our notes: "Nothing is more important than supporting the narrative of the picture as a story unfolds." (Not that he did crib our notes; only that great minds think alike.)

Tommy Hynes wins for Best Music Soundtrack.

* The Final Tally

* Best Horror Feature Film ........................... Rui Martins (Ding, Dong, Die!)

* Best Horror Documentary .......................... Aaron Matthew Migdon (Like Michael)

* Best Dramatic Horror Short Film ................ Luis "Yayo" Angel Villa Meza (Not Every Death Is Celebrated)

* Best Comedic Horror Short Film ................ Matthieu Moerlen (Are You a Human Being?)

* Best Animated Horror Film ........................ Diogo Costa (The Hunt)

* Best Avant-Garde Horror Film ................... Dimitris Vrouvas & Carolina Rodrigues (Living Dolls)

* Best Trash Horror Film .............................. Danielle Francis (Threefold)

* Best Horror Music Video ........................... Mark Von Bismark (Stella Tenebras)

* Best Dramatic Actress .............................. Heather Lobban (Ding, Dong, Die!)

* Best Dramatic Actor .................................. Erwin Janke (Ring Ring)

* Best Comedic Actress ............................... Eleisha Rae Kennedy (Ring Ring)

* Best Comedic Actor .................................. Jimmy Conchou (Are You a Human Being?)

* Best Cinematography ................................ Steve ??? (Not Every Death Is Celebrated)

* Best Sound Design .................................... Daniel Hernandez & Adrian Ramirez Leon (Ring RIng)

* Best Editing ................................................ Jimmy Rudolph (He's Sick)

* Best Production Design .............................. Carolina Rodrigues (Living Dolls)

* Best Make-Up Effects ................................ Arturo Balseiro, Aliona Zazo (Amira)

* Best Visual Effects ..................................... Mariano Ayeredi (Trick or Treat: A Halloween Story)

* Best Music Soundtrack .............................. Tommy Hynes (Ding, Dong, Die!)

* Honorable Mention ..................................... Javier Yanez Sanz & Sadrac Gonzalez-Perellon (Amira)

* Honorable Mention ..................................... MC Pajares (The Awake)

* Honorable Mention ..................................... Jeremy Perry (Let's Fall Apart)

* Honorable Mention ..................................... Lorena De Maddalena (We'll Be Right Back)

2026 TABLOID WITCH AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

* Best Horror Feature: Ding, Dong, Die!

* Best Horror Documentary: Like Michael

* Honorable Mention