>It’s 1933. The Oklahoma Panhandle is ravaged by dust storms and droughts so insidious that its occupants are forced to shelter inside, leaving them alone with nothing but a steady, seeping film of particulate matter and their thoughts. >This tension defines the crux of “Hold Your Breath,” a psychological thriller, and the feature debut from Karrie Crouse and Will Joines. Helmed by a lead performance from the reigning scream queen and "American Horror Story" alumn, Sarah Paulson, the film, which premieres on Hulu on October 3, is perfectly positioned to offer a novel take on gothic horror, down to its muted palette and stifling, isolated atmosphere...
www.theguardian.com
>Say this for The Platform 2: it gets right to it. Without so much of a recap of its predecessor – a sci-fi horror parable that became a Netflix hit a few years back – characters are debating philosophies of law and economics inside of 10 minutes. By the 40-minute mark, a major character has already committed self-immolation. It’s remarkably fast-paced for a movie set in a series of unadorned rooms that make up an enormous vertical prison...
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Horror films that scared me as a kid/teenager: A Nightmare On Elm Street, Jaws, Poltergeist, The Shining. Films that scared me as a 20-something: Event Horizon. (I rewatched Event Horizon a few years ago and it wasn't half as scary as I remember it though!).
www.buzzfeed.com
>Since it's the beginning of October, I thought it would be helpful to share what people believe to be some of the scariest movies ever created, just in case you're looking to have a frightful night in this month...
variety.com
>Kate Siegel is happy to get very real about extraterrestrial life very quickly. When asked if she believes in aliens, she offers a specific and chilling response. >“I’m a huge sci-fi reader…Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite authors of all time,” she says. “In the world right now there’s a lot of discourse about aliens being real. The needle is turning towards, ‘Yes, aliens exist.’ It’s a matter of when and where we will contact them, and not if they exist. I imagine that aliens are here on this planet and we’ll end up realizing it’s something obvious, like an octopus or a fungi structure is actually an alien that had been here forever. I think the most terrifying realization would be that they were under our noses all the time.” >This analysis makes Siegel the perfect contributor to “V/H/S/Beyond,” the seventh chapter in the horror anthology series, and the first solely devoted to sci-fi tales...
www.independent.co.uk
>What started out as a woman thinking her house was haunted has now sparked a police investigation. >Katie Santry from Columbus, Ohio, took to TikTok earlier this week when she noticed her home office, including her laptop screen, was wrecked. Later, while attempting to put up a fence in her backyard, she and her boyfriend Brandon found a rolled-up carpet buried in the ground. Now, her videos have received millions of views on TikTok, as both Santry and the internet try to decipher her mysterious findings. >“Is there a dead body in that rug? Or is it the ghost of the rug’s past?” she questioned in one of her videos, adding: “My next-door neighbor also died in her house the day we bought this house last October.” >“That house started getting boarded up the same day this happened. So it was just a series of weird, coincidental events that, with a creative mind, could be construed as ghostly.” >Santry had enlisted help to dig up the rug in her backyard, but she later realized it was too long and received comments from TikTokers encouraging her to call law enforcement. >When the Columbus Police Department arrived at her home, they looked at the area and decided it was worth calling in an excavator to dig up the rug. However, after notifying the chief of police, it was decided that the officers could not deploy resources. It would be up to Santry to dig up the carpet herself and call them back if anything was found...
www.grimdarkmagazine.com
>Absolution is the surprise fourth volume of Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach series, which began with Annihilation and continued with Authority and Acceptance. The original trilogy was published in rapid succession ten years ago, all three volumes appearing in 2014, the same year that Adrian Collins founded Grimdark Magazine. It is thus a special treat to review this fourth volume of VanderMeer’s erstwhile trilogy in our tenth anniversary issue of Grimdark Magazine. >For the uninitiated, the Southern Reach series is a sci-fi horror centered on a mysterious coastal region known as Area X, where biological evolution has been accelerated in unexpected and terrifying ways, presumably due to extraterrestrial interference. Annihilation introduces us to an all-female team of scientists investigating Area X known only by their occupation: a biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a surveyor. These four women comprise the twelfth expedition into Area X after the successive failures of all the previous missions. The second novel, Authority, turns its attention away from Area X to focus on the Southern Reach, the shady entity responsible for organizing these expeditions into the horrific unknown. The third book, Acceptance, has a broader scope, shifting among several different perspectives and timelines to provide deeper character studies, including that of the mercurial Lowry, sole survivor of the original expedition into Area X. >Jeff VanderMeer makes a welcome return to Area X with Absolution. This fourth volume of the series is divided into three parts, each leaning heavily into the cosmic horror aspects of the story...
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Is Silver Bullet an unheard of movie?
whatculture.com
>There are some incredible monster movies that everybody will recognise, such as Alien, Predator, The Thing, and Frankenstein. Should you delve a little deeper, films like Pumpkinhead, Mimic, or Dog Soldiers may spring to mind. >The casual crowd may not have heard of those second batch of films, though any horror veteran worth their salt should be familiar with these classics. Such creature features failed to make a splash at the box office, but have since been elevated to cult status. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, it's easier than ever to spread the word on an underrated monster flick to ensure it receives the love it's owed. >And yet, there are plenty of shudder-inducing features involving aliens, zombies, or even alien zombies that remain mostly forgotten. Despite boasting astounding visuals, nightmarish gore, and scares that are bound to last a lifetime, the entries on this list never broke into the mainstream. >However, it's never too late for a movie to develop a cult following. These beast-filled films may not be universally known, but they are overflowing with so much creativity and innovation, it's only a matter of time before they become iconic... - Cub - Late Phases - Tales From The Darkside: The Movie - Waxwork - Grabbers - Silver Bullet - The Wretched - Demons - His House - Tumbbad
www.thexboxhub.com
>Play as one of Empress Eleanor’s Five Knights investigating reports of a rebellious faction and a missing royal. Will you manage to ward off the Fog? Into the Fray is a fast action-shooter in the vein of Doom and Dark Messiah. The focus is on fast, bloody combat with satisfying feedback and environmental reactivity in a dark Lovecraftian story of civil strife. Into the Fray is part of the Skautfold Series and follows Usurper and Shrouded in Sanity but can be played on its own...
www.dw.com
>Social media platforms must restrict the use of personal data for targeted advertising, to comply with the bloc's regulatory law, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on Friday. The ruling comes as a blow to social media giant Meta. >Meta collects digital data of users of its social media platform Facebook when they visit other websites and use third-party apps, which allows Meta to personalize advertising. >But under theEU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), companies are obliged to adhere to the principle of "data minimization," restricting the amount and duration of data used for advertising purposes...
gbhackers.com
>A new ransomware campaign targeting individuals and organizations in the UK and the US has been identified. >The attack, known as the “Prince Ransomware,” utilizes a phishing scam that impersonates the British postal carrier Royal Mail. >This campaign highlights the growing sophistication of cyber threats and the need for heightened vigilance among internet users...
www.forbes.com.au
>Drew Crecente last spoke to his daughter Jennifer Ann Crecente on February 14, 2006. A day later, Jennifer, a senior in high school who was in an abusive relationship, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, who was later convicted and is serving time in prison. That year, Crescente started a nonprofit in her name to prevent teen dating violence and now routinely monitors any piece of media coverage related to her. >But he was appalled when he received a Google Alert notification at 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday that somebody had created a chatbot on popular AI platform Character AI using his daughter’s yearbook photo and name. >“A grieving father should not have to find out that his dead daughter is being used to try and make money as a chatbot on some website,” he told Forbes. “It shocks the conscience, and it’s unacceptable behavior”...
lifehacker.com
>A good scary movie makes us afraid of its ghosts. A great one sees ghosts for what they are—specters of the past. That past can be horrific, filled with darkness we can never quite outrun. Ghosts can also be seductive, drawing us back to a past that we ought to have outgrown, teasing us with the idea that we can visit long-dead people and abandoned places, if only in shadow. We love ghost stories, perhaps, because we love the idea that there’s life beyond the grave, and that the past is never really gone. But the logic of story ensures that the gift of that reassurance comes with a price, and reminds us to be careful what we wish for. >With the caveat that neither The Uninvited nor The Innocents, two of the absolute best of the genre, aren't streaming anywhere, here are a handful of the best and most interesting ghost stories... - Dead of Night (1945) - Blithe Spirit (1945) - Carnival of Souls (1962) - The Haunting (1963) - Kwaidan (1964) - Kuroneko (1968) - The Stone Tape (1972) - House (1977) - The Changeling (1980) - Beetlejuice (1988) - Pet Sematary (1989) - Candyman (1992) - Ghostwatch (1992) - Beloved (1998) - The Sixth Sense (1999) - The House on Haunted Hill (1999) - The Others (2001) - Spirited Away (2001) - The Devil’s Backbone (2001) - Session 9 (2001) - A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) - Lake Mungo (2008) - The Innkeepers (2011) - The Conjuring (2013) - Personal Shopper (2016) - A Ghost Story (2017) - La Llorona (2019) - His House (2020) - I Was a Simple Man (2021) - Deadstream (2022)
>Now that we're officially in October, horror fans are scouring all of their services to try to find the best movies that will help prepare themselves for Halloween. Between the number of horror services out there and the vastness of these libraries, many of which are underwhelming titles, it can be a bit tricky to find something a subscriber might not actually be familiar with that's worth investing time in. While a variety of services offer up a long list of classic films that are well worth revisiting, some viewers who might be newer to the genre have the opportunity to check out under-seen experiences that are bound to become classics. >It might be hard to find horror titles the horror fanatics haven't already seen, but for anyone who might skip over some lesser-known titles to just look for recognizable experiences, we've got you covered. Whether we're looking at foreign horror, movies that never earned major promotional campaigns, or earlier efforts from filmmakers who have been given exciting opportunities in recent years, we know just what you should check out this October to celebrate some off-the-radar titles that are just as effective as major releases... - The Autopsy of Jane Doe - Netflix - Creep and Creep 2 - Netflix - Drag Me to Hell - Prime Video - The Eyes of My Mother - Hulu - Hagazussa: A Heathen's Curse - Prime Video - The House of the Devil - Prime Video - I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House - Netflix - I Saw the TV Glow - Max - Immaculate - Hulu - The Invitation - Prime Video - The Killing of a Sacred Deer - Max - Mandy - Hulu - Monster Inside: America's Most Extreme Haunted House - Hulu - Paranormal Activity 3 - Max - Ready or Not - Hulu - Saint Maud - Prime Video - Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - Netflix - Trick 'r Treat - Max
www.theguardian.com
>Not counting a couple of spin-offs, this is the seventh feature in the V/H/S horror franchise, which since the first edition in 2012 have packaged together short films by different directors to tell creepy tales involving found footage or aliens (or both) as well as lots and lots of gore. Usually anything this many generations into its evolution is pretty exhausted – but this is pretty good, or at least in parts. It probably helps that Brad Miska, the producer behind the original concept, is still involved. More importantly, Miska has kept things fresh by finding new directors and writers for each edition, some of whom have gone on to make films on a bigger scale (such as Joe Swanberg, Ti West and Adam Wingard, all of whom contributed to the first V/H/S) or came aboard after having already become relatively successful just for the fun of it (Scott Derrickson). >Naturally, this latest package is a pretty mixed bag...
www.dailymail.co.uk
>An upcoming documentary is set to shed light on the mysterious tale of a Manhattan housewife and mom-of-two who claimed she was abducted by a UFO in the late 80s. >The docuseries, titled The Manhattan Alien Abduction, tells the story of Linda Napolitano, who is convinced she was abducted from her bedroom in New York on November 30, 1989. >The series attempts to uncover the true story behind the UFO communities biggest mysteries - with Napolitano, who used the pseudonym Linda Cortile initially - directly involved with the documentary's creation. >The trailer, which was recently released online, contains interviews with Napolitano recalling what happened on the night that she said changed her life, as well as archival footage from the years following the alleged extra-terrestrial experience...
www.dailyrecord.co.uk
>The late Queen dispatched her chief scientific advisor in the dead of night to investigate the latest crop circle formation, claims a new documentary. >Her Majesty is said to have sent a scientist to find out more about a new crop circle, widely said to be linked to UFOs, according to a new Prime Video film. >The King of UFOs, by UFO expert Mark Christopher Lee claims senior royals, including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip and King Charles are passionately interested in the phenomenon. >And Lee recounts how, in the late 1980s, crop circle researcher Colin Andrews was with a Japanese film crew in Wiltshire when he got word that the Queen was interested in what was happening. >Just a couple of hours later Andrews saw a Rolls Royce turn up. Lee said Andrews half expected her Majesty to get out of the car, only to find out it was actually her chief scientific advisor...
>The beach walkers and their playful dogs running in arcs on the rippled sand seemed blind to the casual alien in their midst. Anchored above the tideline, it wobbled slightly in the breeze, spiny green pods raised like medieval weapons. >“Casual aliens” are non-native species that occasionally escape from cultivation, grow for a while and then die off without establishing a population. Botanical jargon aside, the term’s otherworldly weirdness particularly suited this plant. Its thick, branching stems, jagged leaves and menacing seed cases reminded me of the man-eating specimen in Little Shop of Horrors. Though not carnivorous like the one in the musical, it could still kill. >Thornapple (Datura stramonium) is one of the most poisonous plants in Britain. It contains three potent alkaloid toxins that block the body’s neurotransmitters, causing intense nausea, delirium, coma and death. Originating in Central America but now widespread round the world, it’s part of the Solanaceae family, which includes potatoes, tomatoes and deadly nightshade. It’s relatively common in North America, where it’s known as jimsonweed...
>Google's latest flagship smartphone raises concerns about user privacy and security. It frequently transmits private user data to the tech giant before any app is installed. Moreover, the Cybernews research team has discovered that it potentially has remote management capabilities without user awareness or approval. >Cybernews researchers analyzed the new Pixel 9 Pro XL smartphone’s web traffic, focusing on what a new smartphone sends to Google. >“Every 15 minutes, Google Pixel 9 Pro XL sends a data packet to Google. The device shares location, email address, phone number, network status, and other telemetry. Even more concerning, the phone periodically attempts to download and run new code, potentially opening up security risks,” said Aras Nazarovas, a security researcher at Cybernews... >... “The amount of data transmitted and the potential for remote management casts doubt on who truly owns the device. Users may have paid for it, but the deep integration of surveillance systems in the ecosystem may leave users vulnerable to privacy violations,” Nazarovas said...
www.theguardian.com
>Wildfires are burning through the carbon budget that humans have allocated themselves to limit global heating, a study shows. >The authors said this accelerating trend was approaching – and may have already breached – a “critical temperature threshold” after which fires cause significant shifts in tree cover and carbon storage. >“Alarmingly, the latest temperature at which, globally, these impacts become pronounced is 1.34C – close to current levels of warming [above preindustrial levels],” said the UK Met Office, which led the research... >... Climatologists say the already dire situation will deteriorate until humankind, particularly in the wealthy global north, stops burning fossil fuels.
www.thecooldown.com
"A warming world combined with deforestation has made for a dire drought situation in Brazil. Latin America's largest country is enduring its most intense and widespread drought in history. What's happening? Brazil's worst drought on record has helped fuel wildfires in the Amazon rainforest. The Pantanal, a region that encompasses the world's largest tropical wetland area, in August experienced a 3,901% increase in its fires compared to August 2023, Greenpeace noted, based on reporting by the country's National Institute for Space Research. Smoke from wildfires made Sāo Paulo, one of the world's most populous cities with over 11 million residents and a metro area of 21 million, one of the top 10 most polluted major cities in the world in early September. According to Igarapé Institute authorities, over 50,000 wildfires were active in early September, per ABC News. One of the factors behind Brazil's crisis is an overheating planet that just had its 15th straight month of record-breaking global temperatures. Deforestation in the Cerrado region, an expansive tropical and subtropical biome that covers over 20% of the country, is making matters worse. Trees help hold moisture in forest soil. A study published in Nature showed a direct link between deforestation and droughts. Brazil relies on cascading moisture recycling for rainfall. CMR "describes moisture transport between two locations on the continent that involves re-evaporation cycles along the way," according to a paper published by the European Geosciences Union. This hydrological cycle is breaking down because of deforestation. "You can put this in capital letters," said Luciana Gatti, a climate researcher at the space research facility, per The Washington Post. "It will get worse and worse. We are heading toward an apocalyptical situation, and unfortunately we only wake up at the last minute"...
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I loved the old forums, and couldn't quite see the point of Facebook when it came out. I thought it was just for self-obsessed 'models' and wannabe 'celebs' when I first heard about it! I joined it eventually of course, as all my friends did and I wanted to see what it was all about. Over the years I've had a love/hate thing with FB and only check in a couple of times a week now.
I liked Reddit, it reminded me of the old forums. I like Lemmy more though. It's still got that feeling I remember back in the old forum days before everyone and his dog got online on their phones and things seemed to go downhill.
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Not lazy, I just don't see the point in posting a list. I thought it was an interesting article and the discussion about the individual films are worth reading.
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Just watched it. Enjoyable. I won't spoil the plot. One of those films that make you think.
Caveat: My standards are low. I love a lot of horror films that others eschew.
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Just watched the trailer and it looks like it might be a bit corny! Added it to my Watch List anyway. Might give it a go later tonight.
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So did I. And I enjoyed rewatching it again a few years back!
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I've never heard of this before.
Anyone seen it?
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I still remember reading this story in the book mentioned, back in the mid-80s when I was first getting into Lovecraft and Cosmic Horror. (It was the Grafton paperbacks with their wonderfully lurid covers!).
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A spokesman said they're grilling several suspects...
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Wainman's Pinnacle near Keighley. Pendle Hill in the distance. I think I even took this in early autumn!
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What do you reckon? Lens smudge? Swarm of bees? Cryptozoological flying jellyfish entity? 😁
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Totally loved Hill House. Spookiest thing I'd seen in years.
Loved Midnight Mass too.
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I watched both seasons last year and really got into it. Can't wait for the next season - I think it's out later this month?
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The Big River Watch with links to download the apps.
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Me too! 😆
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Edit: Nevermind. The Empty Man is only on Apple and Fubo and I don’t subscribe to those, nor do I want to.
I watched it on Amazon Prime recently if that's any use. (Just checked, it's still available to rent or buy).
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Well I for one welcome our new fungoid overlords...
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Doesn't look particularly chilling to me. Just looks like a regular person!
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