Horror Report

Tag: horror

  • The piano man strikes at 3am: A nightmare set to music of the mind

    The piano man strikes at 3am: A nightmare set to music of the mind

    The witching hour has struck again.. The dream that turns into a nightmare.. just in time for 3am to show its ugly Face on the clock..

    Let me explain.. for those who haven’t read this site for any bit before this post, you may not realize that I have a theory that most bad dreams and nightmares occur at or around 3am. At least mine.. and I have find some concurrence with others on the topic..

    Last night it happened to me again.

    Before I progress to the nightmare, I have to first say this. A few months ago, a reader sent me a message that I should listen to calming YouTube sleep hypnosis or music on earbuds at night. After trying it, it was surprising that actually the result ended up with NO DREAMS at all..

    Last night I was just dead tired..I conked out early and, for the most part, has pleasant night visions.. I recall things got strange though. At one point, the dream turned odd when I was watching SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Chris Farley was on — he wasn’t dead in nightmare.. but very well alive and well-aged with time. The show opened and suddenly I heard the Bruce Springsteen song BORN TO RUN play loud. Suddenly, out of no where, I heard a lower octave G chord play on a piano. I turned in my house, saw my black piano –that I have in real life– and I saw keys being held down. I backed up, and saw the keys move.. I backed up more and before I realized it was shrieking in fear in real life. I had woken up, scared and in a cold sweat…looking at the clock on my phone, and seeing 3am.

    I actually could not fall back to sleep. Instead I went to the computer and turned on Coast to Coast AM, all the while researching what exactly piano dreams mean.

    The experts on these matters hold a piano dream to be in good light. Success is coming! Business is going to be good! If a piano plays!? Harmony..

    But my piano dreamed was different than this harmonious affair the dream experts talked about. Instead, a dreadful deep note played and all I could do was sense a surrounding spirit of fear overcome me.

    Then the real thoughts came in.. while in deep sleep, unless you are one of the few and proud who learned to master your own dream, you really don’t distinguish fiction from reality. That dream, for the moments you are in it, is real. Quite real as a matter of fact.This is how the piano dream feltfor me.. And how I know nightmares often feel for you.  

    But I pondered… who was hunting me in my dream? What dead spirit? What deceased family member? And if one would actually try to make contact, that would be a beautiful thing! I would love the chance! And no one who I know who died had any grudge against me, just love. So the conclusion would have to be made that this entity is evil. It is not of my family. Not a friend. But a possession of some other sort.

    It is unwanted and uninvited. But somehow stepped in my dream without warning ..

    I didn’t want it to be there. It just showed up.. and payed the song of doom. Or at least a note of dread.

    My question for you–you can answer in your own head–is this: Have you ever had a dream like this? One where an unspeakable force toys with you? And .. how real did it seem?

    Mine seemed real.

    Either the dread is something internal and deeply traumatic..or I am being hunted by a night stalker with no face or being..

    Maybe the night stalker is the emotional roller coaster of the day’s toils.. Maybe it’s the fear of the night …

    I will document this dream and move on.Hoping to never have it again.

    UNLESS…the sprit decides to show its face. If only I can master the dream and ask the meaning, then perhaps I can master reality and figure out the meaning of that as well…

    Happy dreaming, all.

  • The piano man strikes at 3am: A nightmare set to music of the mind

    The piano man strikes at 3am: A nightmare set to music of the mind

    The witching hour has struck again.. The dream that turns into a nightmare.. just in time for 3am to show its ugly Face on the clock..

    Let me explain.. for those who haven’t read this site for any bit before this post, you may not realize that I have a theory that most bad dreams and nightmares occur at or around 3am. At least mine.. and I have find some concurrence with others on the topic..

    Last night it happened to me again.

    Before I progress to the nightmare, I have to first say this. A few months ago, a reader sent me a message that I should listen to calming YouTube sleep hypnosis or music on earbuds at night. After trying it, it was surprising that actually the result ended up with NO DREAMS at all..

    Last night I was just dead tired..I conked out early and, for the most part, has pleasant night visions.. I recall things got strange though. At one point, the dream turned odd when I was watching SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Chris Farley was on — he wasn’t dead in nightmare.. but very well alive and well-aged with time. The show opened and suddenly I heard the Bruce Springsteen song BORN TO RUN play loud. Suddenly, out of no where, I heard a lower octave G chord play on a piano. I turned in my house, saw my black piano –that I have in real life– and I saw keys being held down. I backed up, and saw the keys move.. I backed up more and before I realized it was shrieking in fear in real life. I had woken up, scared and in a cold sweat…looking at the clock on my phone, and seeing 3am.

    I actually could not fall back to sleep. Instead I went to the computer and turned on Coast to Coast AM, all the while researching what exactly piano dreams mean.

    The experts on these matters hold a piano dream to be in good light. Success is coming! Business is going to be good! If a piano plays!? Harmony..

    But my piano dreamed was different than this harmonious affair the dream experts talked about. Instead, a dreadful deep note played and all I could do was sense a surrounding spirit of fear overcome me.

    Then the real thoughts came in.. while in deep sleep, unless you are one of the few and proud who learned to master your own dream, you really don’t distinguish fiction from reality. That dream, for the moments you are in it, is real. Quite real as a matter of fact.This is how the piano dream feltfor me.. And how I know nightmares often feel for you.  

    But I pondered… who was hunting me in my dream? What dead spirit? What deceased family member? And if one would actually try to make contact, that would be a beautiful thing! I would love the chance! And no one who I know who died had any grudge against me, just love. So the conclusion would have to be made that this entity is evil. It is not of my family. Not a friend. But a possession of some other sort.

    It is unwanted and uninvited. But somehow stepped in my dream without warning ..

    I didn’t want it to be there. It just showed up.. and payed the song of doom. Or at least a note of dread.

    My question for you–you can answer in your own head–is this: Have you ever had a dream like this? One where an unspeakable force toys with you? And .. how real did it seem?

    Mine seemed real.

    Either the dread is something internal and deeply traumatic..or I am being hunted by a night stalker with no face or being..

    Maybe the night stalker is the emotional roller coaster of the day’s toils.. Maybe it’s the fear of the night …

    I will document this dream and move on.Hoping to never have it again.

    UNLESS…the sprit decides to show its face. If only I can master the dream and ask the meaning, then perhaps I can master reality and figure out the meaning of that as well…

    Happy dreaming, all.

  • ‘GET OUT’ gets 100% on Rotten Tomatoes!

    ‘GET OUT’ gets 100% on Rotten Tomatoes!

    It’s mostly unheard of.. not only do horror films get hit bad by reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes, but movies rarely score above 90%.

    The horror film based on racism called GET OUT is scaring 100% positive reviews with movie critics on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences who went to see it are giving it a high 81%..

    The plot: The story of African American photographer Chris (played by Daniel Kaluuya), who goes to meet his white girlfriend’s (Allison Williams) parents for the weekend, is filled with uncomfortable moments on multiple levels…

    The movie is obvious political and social commentary.. It’s in your face. But many horror films in the past since the dawn movie making have successfully been exactly that.. DON’T THINK FOR A SECOND THAT NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD did not have political overtones.. or Rosemary’s Baby.. or even FRIDAY THE 13TH.. Each film had their array of hidden agendas or obscure messages silently in the background of the crazy killer in a ski mask or the zombie invasion..

    GET OUT goes all out there. In your face.

    Just a few reviews from ROTTEN TOMS:

    AS far as theater counts:

    Get Out Universal 2,781
    Rock Dog Lionsgate/Summit 2,077
    Collide Open Road Films 2,045

    The BATMAN lego movie is expected to continues its dominance..

  • A great response to my post about FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S

    A great response to my post about FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S

    A great response to my post about FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S:

    Yesterday I posted a piece of my mind about the horror game series FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S..I questioned how young was too young for a child to play..where the fascination came from.. I recalled my own childhood and my own appreciation of certain pop culture horror icons…
    And I got a great response as a result on the linked Tumblr site.

    The post, in full, below:

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    blockquote>

    Mmmm. I usually don’t like to comment on tumblr too much but. I’m pretty sure before this so called “youtube channel” started playing it, there was a ton of kids who were into it when the second game came out. What you’re dealing with here isn’t blood and the “horror story” in FNAF. It’s more of the 5-6 year olds who make the fandom of FNAF. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve played all the FNAF games and I love the storyline (which is aimed at teens mostly), but I choose to play the games and not get caught in the cancerous fandom. I’m guessing kids like to be…edgy??? It’s the same thing with Undertale. And especially when Creepypastas were super popular, kids loved it and drawing gorey fanart for it. The vast majority of the influence is from the internet though. I’m not too sure if what I said helped? I can’t really give an answer to what age is appropriate to show horror to kids, because the internet has already thrown kids into a mess of fandoms.

    That last part especially makes sense it me.. the internet is throwing kids into a mess of fandoms. I don’t think I could have summarized it better myself.. it’s true and accurate..

    Everyone has a channel..youtube killed the video star and everyone has a voice. And a game controller..

    Kids do like to be edgy. My own son, now just shy of age 6 by a day, is trying to already be his own person. He is developing his own character.. he is interested in scary things, he’ll even listen to some moments of paranormal radio that I listen to before getting bored at all the old people talking and talking and talking. But FFAF? That is allowing him to go against the grain and be his own edgy little self.

    Good post .. I am happily linking it..

    Would love to continue to hear thoughts on this matter.. Comment below or email me at bryan@horrorreport.com any time..

  • A great response to my post about FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S

    A great response to my post about FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S

    A great response to my post about FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S:

    Yesterday I posted a piece of my mind about the horror game series FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S..I questioned how young was too young for a child to play..where the fascination came from.. I recalled my own childhood and my own appreciation of certain pop culture horror icons…
    And I got a great response as a result on the linked Tumblr site.

    The post, in full, below:

    <

    blockquote>

    Mmmm. I usually don’t like to comment on tumblr too much but. I’m pretty sure before this so called “youtube channel” started playing it, there was a ton of kids who were into it when the second game came out. What you’re dealing with here isn’t blood and the “horror story” in FNAF. It’s more of the 5-6 year olds who make the fandom of FNAF. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve played all the FNAF games and I love the storyline (which is aimed at teens mostly), but I choose to play the games and not get caught in the cancerous fandom. I’m guessing kids like to be…edgy??? It’s the same thing with Undertale. And especially when Creepypastas were super popular, kids loved it and drawing gorey fanart for it. The vast majority of the influence is from the internet though. I’m not too sure if what I said helped? I can’t really give an answer to what age is appropriate to show horror to kids, because the internet has already thrown kids into a mess of fandoms.

    That last part especially makes sense it me.. the internet is throwing kids into a mess of fandoms. I don’t think I could have summarized it better myself.. it’s true and accurate..

    Everyone has a channel..youtube killed the video star and everyone has a voice. And a game controller..

    Kids do like to be edgy. My own son, now just shy of age 6 by a day, is trying to already be his own person. He is developing his own character.. he is interested in scary things, he’ll even listen to some moments of paranormal radio that I listen to before getting bored at all the old people talking and talking and talking. But FFAF? That is allowing him to go against the grain and be his own edgy little self.

    Good post .. I am happily linking it..

    Would love to continue to hear thoughts on this matter.. Comment below or email me at bryan@horrorreport.com any time..

  • Clive Barker Will Develop $300,000 Horror Movie With Winner of Upcoming Contest

    Clive Barker Will Develop $300,000 Horror Movie With Winner of Upcoming Contest

    Clive Barker Will Develop $300,000 Horror Movie With Winner of Upcoming Contest :


    From Feb. 13 to March 17, filmmakers can head projectgreenlight.com to upload a pitch (one to three minutes) of an original horror film concept. Ten semi-finalists will be selected and voted on by the public as well as a judging panel. The winner of the audience vote will advance, along with four chosen by the judges. Those five finalists will receive funding to shoot a short scene to show off their chops.

    In June, the finalists will be invited to the second annual Shudder Labs, a creative retreat where they will receive more guidance on how to enhance their scenes. Then one winner will be selected to develop their film with Barker serving as executive producer.

    Such a good idea.. Inventive.
    And it continues to help in the modern rebirth of horror..
    Will be watching ..

  • Freddy fans getting their wish: Robert Englund is coming back

    Freddy fans getting their wish: Robert Englund is coming back

    Just for one documentary .. not a work of fiction, but a culmination of Englund’s entire life as Freddy Krueger..

    EW had the exclusive story.. Highlights:

    Directed by Mike Kerz, the film finds Englund recalling his years playing Elm Street villain Freddy Krueger and paying tribute to filmmaker Wes Craven while makeup effects artist Robert Kurtzman transforms the actor into the feared dream-stalker. The film will also track Englund as he meets fans and Freddy and is interviewed in full makeup by horror host Svengoolie.

    x x x 

    “Nightmares in the Makeup Chair is my love letter to the Nightmare on Elm Streetseries and to practical makeup,” says Englund in a statement. “I’ve always been in awe of the multi-talented makeup effects artists. From sketching to sculpting, they realize the design. Then to the fine precision of the molding and the manufacturing of the makeup appliances which are nearly paper thin. And then, the application process where I sit in the makeup chair and I become their living canvas as they glue me in and paint the appliances. This documentary not only captures their talent, but I think it might inspire a new generation of practical effects artists. I was happy to become Freddy once again to share the makeup process with the fans.”

    The swan song of the 20th century will be complete now with Fred appearing in the Fedora one last time..
    DOCU STYLE..

    But … what fans may fear: This is probably Englund saying by to fans in Freddy garb to drop the news that he is never coming back again..

  • RINGS around the past

    RINGS around the past

    Recently I was able to view the movie the RING with a few people.. one of those in the viewing party was someone born slightly before the original movie came out..  She had no idea what was scary about a VHS cassette tape. Probably didn’t even understand what a VHS tape even was. And even with the creepy nature of the movie the RING, and then visually appealing horror symbolism and dark colors presented in the film, the movie ended up not being very scary for her. 

    I realized then.. 13 years has really moved out society along quickly. 

    The things that were scary in the 90s were lampooned in the early 2000s by SCARY MOVIE.. the creepy gore films of the mid 2000s are old news. The new horror is visceral. It’s real. Gone are the campy films of teenage sex but here are the new modern days of birth defects, mental illness, war, and poverty. They are the themes of horror – the scary movies are just elements of the real fear of society.

    I say all of this because there is a new movie coming out this year called RINGS. You can view it here:

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p17DJbPRLc0?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=540&h=304]

    You are looking at that right. It’s a sequel. Sequel-ish.. 

    The description:

    A new chapter in the beloved RING horror franchise. A young woman becomes worried about her boyfriend when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a mysterious videotape said to kill the watcher seven days after he has viewed it. She sacrifices herself to save her boyfriend and in doing so makes a horrifying discovery: there is a “movie within the movie” that no one has ever seen before

    I am going to give this a chance.. It will be interesting to see how a video tape themed horror film will be changed and made modern for the new century.. A part of me actually thinks the original movie presents a problem for getting an audience in the new age. Kids of today, seriously, just don’t like the original RING. And that dislike and scorn because of the late 20th century technology in the RING could cause people to turn away from this movie just as easily.

    Or .. they can pander to the modern age and made things really, really tech-centric. And then.. insult the 30 somethings like me who loved the RING when it originally came out.

  • The ‘spirit’ of Christmas: Stop listening to adults. Santa, and Krampus, are real

    The ‘spirit’ of Christmas: Stop listening to adults. Santa, and Krampus, are real

    It’s amazing to consider just how paranormal and creepy a time Christmas actually is! Even a song features the words ‘scary ghost stories and tales of the glory of Chrsitmases long long ago’!
    Let me first begin this way. On Christmas, ever since childhood, I felt magic. I felt like a thing veil between here and somewhere else was lifted. As I matured into adulthood, that same feeling persisted each December 24. Something strange and magical seemingly is felt in the air that night.. 

    Chrsitmases of long long ago aren’t the same as they are now. The peaceful imagery of Santa Claus is relatively new. The older image of Krampus has had some staying power over the centuries.. banned for some time, a resurgence has just occcured for the devilish beast. 


    Some even say, long ago, that Santa traveled with Krampus. Kids who were good got gifts.. those bad? The wrath of Krampus..

    It wasn’t just Krampus, either, that hit on Christmas..

    Here is some good information about ther breasts from a website that wraps things up pretty good in a bow of knowledge: 

    What is even more terrifying is that Krampus is hardly alone in his duties to punish the wicked come Christmas time. There is the legend of Frau Perchta, another Germanic wild spirit that appears during the holidays to punish bad boys and girls during the Twelve Days of Christmas by tearing out their insides and replacing them with garbage. Then comes the Icelandic Jólakötturinn, the Yule Cat. This cat is supposed to come and get naughty boys and girls who did not finish all their chores by the coming of Yule. Those who finish their chores are gifted with new clothes while those that do not, are given nothing and the Yule Cat will come in the night, scratching at the door and coming up from under the icy floors to eat those who received nothing for being lazy. From France comes Hans Trapp, a man who was said to actually exist at one point in history. Trapp was a horrid human being, a crazy Satan worshipper who butchered and killed children until he was struck by lightning and is now forced forever to visit children on Christmas, dressed as a scarecrow to remind them to be good…or else (Mental Floss, 2015)

    …and did you know? Caroling in Romania has was used to perform sex prevention? >Some feared in those times that conceiving on Christmas would lead you to having a beast baby. So ….singers would interrupt the Romanian houses for rocking without even knocking..


    These are the amazing truths of Christmas.. 

    I shared this story before, but I will agai for good measure. When I was younger in Catholic grade school, some funny Russian nuns who were in charge of the place had a yearly ritual. Along with religious singing and ceremony, the kids also aligned the shoes in hallways .. we were ushered back into our classrooms and we heard a bell ring. Of course it was just Tarzan the janitor, but what we didn’t know didn’t hurt us.  The bell signified that Santa stopped by .. if our shoes had candy? It was good. If not? ….Krampus time. He was not named. But the tradition goes back to one from Eastern Europe where, if you got something other than candy, your soul was about to be sucked out by the demonic Christmas figure. Good luck.

    There are dark times at Christmas.. our modern life has turned it into a celebration of light.. but the light only comes after the darkness. I think Halloween begins the darkness.. and it is a continuation of bleak and bland until December 25, or so around that date, when the sun’s angle begins to change and the ‘light of the world’ takes on a new meaning.

    Just about everything we do has pagan roots in some respect.. 


    # # #

    This year, when I read the news accounts recently of the boy. who died in Santa’s arms, I grew very emotional. It was immensely sad to hear the man who played Santa his entire adult life describe having a child, filled with joy and love, pass away in his arms.

    To that boy, Santa was real.. Santa came to him before death and gave him a reason to have lived.. and a purpose in dying. The story still makes me very emotional..

    But it also confirms something I have long believed personally. Santa Claus IS REAL. 

    There are tons of reasons I would argue for the reality of Santa.. (And Krampus while I am at it) .. but one of the best reasons to think and consider the reality of the two historical figures: Alternative universes. If a multi-verse that endlessly exists, that just about any reality may be possible.  The timeline we are on gives us a Trump presidency and war torn world. But another may fully be inhabited by Santa and elves, Krampus and devils.. Yes indeed.. in a certain sense, just about every possibility could exist. So Santa equally could be very real. And if timelines can bleed into ours, then why isn’t it at least possible to think that Santa’s sleigh could ride over our houses …

    So … when my son, now 5, stops believing in Santa, I will be the only one in the household who STILL believes.  I do so to keep the magic of Christmas alive.. and because, as explained above, I think there is a very good chance that the fabric of time and space gets thin around this time of year, from Hallow’s Eve to the Yule Log tidings, so …why not. Why not believe ?


    The comfort that the birth of Christ brought the world saved it from darkness. The light from that historical event — if it occurred — is believed to have happened around the world. 

    There is magic in this season. Those who could scoff at my Santa belief don’t look at their own with any critical zeal. Only others..

    So … why not all of them!

    # # # 

    To the boy who died in Sata’s arms, there is no doubt .. Santa Claus was real for that entire boy’s life…until his untimely and sad death. 

    Bring the magic into the season again.. in honor of the nameless and faceless children across this planet who need that miracle.. who need that love.. who need that magic.  Do good deeds that go unnoticed. And do them because this is the season to do them. Make someone’s wishes come true.. bring light into someone’s darkness. Use your words for love instead of hate. And look up to the moon on Christmas Eve and watch for Sata’s weigh…. if you hear the clanging f bells, prepare for your visit with Krampus. It could get messy.

    I believe.

    If you wonder why Christmas doesn’t feel the same as it did when you were younger, it is because you got lost in reality. You lost the magic.. and you lost your life to the mundane nature of things. You can change it. 

    And should, before it’s too late.

  • The story of Nathan on REDDIT that still creeps me out 

    The story of Nathan on REDDIT that still creeps me out 

    From congenitaldisease:

    In 2014, a man called Nathan posted on Reddit that somebody was messaging him from his girlfriend, Emily’s, Facebook account. However, Emily had been dead for two years. At first, he assumed it was a glitch but then Emily began to tag herself in photos. He even received a message which read: “ust [sic] let me walk.” This message disturbed Nathan the most due to the fact that Emily’s legs had been severed in the car accident which killed her. He soon turned Emily’s Facebook page into a memorial page hoping that the messages would stop but instead, they continued and even more alarming, he received a photograph of himself taken from behind the door. He claims nobody was in the house at the time.

    This may be the season for jolly elves.. but it’s cold and dark enough to include paranormal tales..

    This particular creepypasta always stuck with me.. the idea of the electronic world being inhabited by a ghost. And then….the ‘no one was on the house’ card played when a photo of the user ends up being sent..

    This one is meant to be read in the dark..