AAH! Two Companies Could Pay You $1,300 To Watch Horror Movies This Halloween

Ready to make some scary money?

Two companies are each offering $1,300 to a viewer willing to sit through 13 horror movies — sensing a pattern? — this Halloween season.

The promotion at DISH Network will require a fan to watch a baker's dozen of Stephen King adaptations, from The Shining to It to Misery.

The satellite TV company will equip its chosen subject with a "survival kit" consisting of a blanket, popcorn, candy and Stephen King paraphernalia. They'll also be issued a Fitbit to track their heart rate during the frightening flicks.

"Once you watch all 13 movies and log your report, we'll pay you $1,300! Spend it how you want. Just avoid a certain hotel in Colorado!" the network warned, referring to the sinister setting from The Shining.

In a separate deal, the website FinanceBuzz announced it is hiring a Horror Heart Rate Analyst to watch a compilation of high- and low-budget movies.

Flicks on the list include the 1999 found footage classic The Blair Witch Project as well as more recent titles such as Paranormal Activity, A Quiet Place, and Get Out.

This viewer also gets a Fitbit to log their heart rate during the films, jump scares and all. The website says it wants to investigate whether there is a correlation between a horror movie's budget and how "dread-inducing" it is.

"More often than not, horror movies are scary because of their story... not the budget of the production studio," FinanceBuzz said. "Some of the most spectacular slasher films and terrifying thrillers were made with chump change compared to superhero sequels and well known franchises."

The financial bonus is certainly an incentive, but if you don't get picked for either contest, remember that you can always watch these films just for the fun of it.

As Jack Torrance, the deranged caretaker of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining, once wrote: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." [Copyright 2021 NPR]