Tag: horror

  • 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..

  • Krampus run brings thousands to Austria

    Krampus run brings thousands to Austria

    Krampus run brings thousands to Austria :

    Dateline Austria:

    Thousands of people gathered in an Austrian town Saturday for a scary tradition.

    Scores of people dressed as the evil companion of Santa Claus, known as Krampus, charged through the town’s streets after dark.

    The event known as the “Krampus Run” is based in Germanic folklore.

    Krampus punishes bad kids by beating them and putting them into a woven wicker basket on his back.

    Over 120 Krampus impersonators charged through the town’s market square.

    Some jumped the barricades to cane several of the six-thousand people in attendance.

    Little bruises are an accepted side effect of the caning attacks.

    But young children usually get away with getting their caps taken away.

    Groups from all over Austria and some neighboring countries participated in the event.

    This may be one of the highest things to do on my bucket list .. I would so LOVE to be at the Krampus run..

    I have written about Krampus plenty of times on here, just search the archives for that information.. The idea of Krampus has been with me since my childhood thanks to Russian and eastern European nuns who taught me in grade school.

    My son also knows of Krampus, but we have shielded him from the worst of it all..

    Jolly ole Saint Nick needs a rival.
    Each year, around this time, Krampus rears his head to be the rival who Santa deserves.

  • 1922 coming to Netflix (but we just don’t know when)

    1922 coming to Netflix (but we just don’t know when)

    Netflix is fast becoming (or it already has become) the best place to see scary  movies.. new series that are impeccable.. the place where creativity is flourishing lately. Thankfully somewhere, right?

    Nonetheless, the newest creation that I can’t wait to watch: 1922, a Stephen King story, starting Thomas Jane..

    This short story is based in 1922 and is narrated by the character of Wilfred. He confesses to killing his wife (Arlette) and believes he is being haunted. As the story unravels, one has to question if he is going insane or if he is telling the truth. It is a dark, terrifying, twisted read that is absolutely compelling..

    1922 was first published in 2010 .. 

    Netflix has yet to announce WHEN the show will be released for streaming.. but two central roles are filled. Thomas Jane as Wilfred…Molly Parker as Arlette. 

    Can’t wait.

  • Not a reason for the season

    Not a reason for the season

    This is no way is meant to be an insult of BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN.

    But its victory at the Halloween weekend box office clearly showcases a vacuum of scary at this week’s box office – a week that should be housing horror films and festivals of darkness. It’s Halloween weekend for God’s sake..

    The film is in its second week.. it dropped more than 40% from the opening.. but it still ended up in first place with $16 mil..

    INFERNO fell short of all expectations this weekend.. Tom Hanks flopped..  $15 mil for over 3,500 theaters!

    But BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN? Number 1? And with an awfully low count in dollars.

    Why did the big studios lump all the horror flicks into the spring and summer? This season could have used some scary movies. Instead people were stuck NETFLIXING old ones or finding the hits from yesterday in the DVD five buck bin at Walmart.

    This should have been a big weekend for something.
    Sadly we were offered nothing.

  • IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN:  Point Mystic, a thrilling new podcast, has arrived.

    IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN:  Point Mystic, a thrilling new podcast, has arrived.

    A New Podcast Featuring Appearances by Horror Bestseller Joe Hill and MTV VJ Martha Quinn Makes its Frightening October Debut. 

    The premier episode features appearances from bestselling horror novelist Joe Hill and former MTV VJ Martha Quinn cast as survivors of the flaming apocalypse depicted in Joe Hill’s New York Times Bestselling novel, The Fireman. Billed as a mix of paranormal shows such as In Search Of with short-form narrative journalism (each episode explores a different mystery), the show comes across the This American Life of the supernatural world. In the episode, Joe Hill is interviewed as one of the newly infected arriving at what will soon become Camp Wyndham. 

    Set in early May, before the events of the novel get rolling, it offers a look at what the world may have looked like just as civilization begins to break down into chaos. Martha Quinn became involved in the podcast after she was surprised to discover she was a character in Joe Hill’s new novel The Fireman. 

    “And all of a sudden I was like ‘What is going on? Somebody on Twitter said that you’re a character in Joe Hill’s book and I look up Joe Hill and saw that he is Stephen King’s son and he wrote this book and I’m a character in it and I’m like, ‘Oh my God. I am. That is so cool!’" 

    The pilot episode "The Fireman,” featuring Joe Hill and Martha Quinn, plus a bonus episode with their full interviews and the season one trailer are available now on iTunes and the show’s website, www.PointMystic.org

    Season one, episode one: “White Rabbit” debuts on Halloween, this October 31st. 

    http://ift.tt/2dSK8za

    Website: www.PointMystic.org

  • The artificial horror movie

    The artificial horror movie

    If you thought the future of AI was still to come, brace yourself for this..

    Artificial intelligence writes ‘perfect’ horror script, seeks crowdfunding

    EW reports,

    Impossible Things, an independent horror film project from Greenlight Essentials’ Jack Zhang, was reportedly produced (in part) by an augmented intelligence software tool which analyzes audience response data to help writers craft plot points that connect with viewer demand. The result is Impossible Things, a project billed by its creators as “the scariest and creepiest horror film out there.” The software co-wrote the film’s script.

    AI also helped the filmmakers target a calculated demographic by packing a “specific” trailer with key scenes and developing “perfect” plot twists for Impossible Things’ plot, which tells the story of a grieving mother who, after the death of her young daughter, succumbs to a sever case of supernaturally-induced insanity.

    ….and really… could it be much worse than some of the rubbish written and produced by Hollywood today in the horror market?

  • A dreadful day in the life of the planet Earth: France Bastille Day attack and the Day of Rage in the summer that never ends

    A dreadful day in the life of the planet Earth: France Bastille Day attack and the Day of Rage in the summer that never ends

    ​Grim news abounds.. yet another day on the planet Earth is being consumed with agony and horror..

    Yesterday, while people were celebrating Bastille Day in France, fireworks exploded overhead. Meanwhile, a 31-year-old Tunisia born male was rapidly approaching a crowd in a truck and, in a deliberate attack, mowed down people for one mile.. The results are horrific. At press time, 84 dead with more injured.. The depravity of humanity on full display.. 

    There were a few poignant images that will not escape my memory .. one of that being a photograph taken by a news agency of a bodybag covering a casulty. Next to the body bag: A toy teddy bear. It was clear that many of those who were killed were children, always children. The children get the brunt of adults’ murder sprees and terrorism all of the time. Suffer the children constantly on this planet. People who are the most innocent of all get the harshest of treatment at the hands of their fellow humans. It is repulsive beyond recognition. 

    Last night while posting news and actively communicating with people on Twitter, someone wrote to me this whole thing is “getting very serious and we worry for the future.” My response was honesty: I wrote back that I have a very uneasy feeling.. And I do.

    Despite the active terror scene in Nice France, the feeling has not gone away.

    July 15 is the date of a long planned ‘day of rage.’ Anomymous reportedly is the group that called for it—30+ cities are on the list of the ‘rage’ .. Anonymous has denounced the Dallas police murders. And it is also calling for the Day of Rage 2016 to be peaceful and non violent. But those ‘peaceful’ marches in Dallas did not become violent due to the rage of protesters, but instead the anger of one person who carried out attacks in a place he knew police would be. Similarly, the ‘day of rage’ protests set for the entire nation tonight are pre-planned and peaceful. But it takes one.


    I am worried about the Day of Rage.  

    I am worried for the world at large.

    This website began in the summer of 1998.. those who have followed since the first .com incarnation in 2001 will recall that it was glued to movie news and horror reports, but changed a bit after 9/11. I have continued to change and alter.. Perhaps at times becoming more gloomy than I should have.. But the ‘horror report’ is a mixture of fiction and reality, science and politics. It focuses on the strange and unusual, the creepy and the other-worldly. And yes, when big news happens, we pay attention. 

    I want to pay attention today to the Ghostbusters opening day. I want to simply collect reviews and post them on this site for all to read.. I want celebrity gossip and even a Bieber scandal. That would be fun.,

    But instead of all of that, today my focus is not on the meaningless. It’s on the very real and very serious dilemma that the population of the world so often finds itself in.

    Violence equals violence. There is no escaping that. 

    There is no escaping much lately, actually.

    Even movies, the typical escape, seem to be a temporary refuge in a summer of madness. The heat is on throughout the world.. The coming of the nuclear winter seems to be the only way out.

    The prayers of the good and moral on this planet are quiet.. but in large numbers, let’s hope to God they work. So far we aren’t loud enough in our quiet meditation. 

    Get loud.