News

This article uses the current names of the filmmakers and actors, which may not be the names that appear in the credits of the films.

Jane Schoenbrun is one of the most exciting voices in the new queer cinema scene. Their films I Saw the TV Glow and We're All Going to the World's Fair depict the search for identity through the lens of horror — but for viewers still scratching their heads over these works of art, a third film may be illuminating: the experimental documentary A Self-Induced Hallucination, which explores the Slender Man phenomenon.

I Saw the TV Glow and We're All Going to the World's Fair both feature young, alienated protagonists whose immersion in their favorite media may lead to self-discovery, or sever them from reality. These powerful fictions take on a new dimension alongside Jane Schoenbrun's documentary A Self-Induced Hallucination, a montage of YouTube videos related to...

Morgan Geyser, who, at the age of 12, was involved in the brutal stabbing of her classmate to impress the mythical internet figure “Slender Man,” has been granted release from a psychiatric facility after serving several years in treatment. A Wisconsin judge ruled on Thursday, January 9, 2025, that the 22-year-old should be discharged from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute following testimony…

Source...

Morgan Geyser, who nearly stabbed her classmate Payton Leutner to death when she was 12, will be released from Winnebago Mental Health Institute after seven years. The Wisconsin resident, now 22 years old, was sentenced to 40 years in a mental institution in 2018 after pleading guilty to attempted murder for the 2014 attack she carried out with friend Anissa Weier.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren ordered Geyser’s release from the psychiatric hospital on Thursday, Jan. 9. He acknowledged the incident, in which Leutner was stabbed 19 times, as being a “brutal, terrible offense.” Geyser and Weier,...

There are tons of titles to binge on the horror streamer, but our expert has picked out seven can’t-miss series.

Spooky season may be over, but that’s never the case at Shudder. This Friday, Nov. 15, the horror streamer will premiere the first two episodes of “The Creep Tapes,” a miniseries continuation of the acclaimed found footage franchise starring Mark Duplass. The six-episode series will continue releasing new episodes through Dec. 13, but if you’re looking to continue the tricks and treats during your subscription, there are plenty of other great shows to check out, from supernatural thrillers to drag competitions.

Beat the Christmas creep and check out the best series currently available to stream on Shudder!

7-Day Free Trial $6.99+ / month amazon.com Top 7 Series Streaming Right Now on Shudder:

No. 7: Queer for Fear

No. 6: Channel Zero

No. 5: The Terror

No. 4: Trickster

No. 3: The Last Drive-In

No.

On October 28, 2000, kids all across America tuned into the Nickelodeon Snick programming block to watch a new horror movie called "Cry Baby Lane." As bowls of microwaved popcorn flowed over, living room lights went down, and children gathered in front of the television, no one could have predicted that everyone watching would become a part of history. Directed by Peter Lauer, "Cry Baby Lane" is about two brothers — the feeble Andrew (Jase Blankfort) and massive jerk Carl (Trey Rogers) — who love hearing ghost stories from the undertaker, Mr. Bennett (Frank Langella).

One night, the undertaker tells the story of a local farmer whose wife gave birth to conjoined twins (the movie uses the insensitive term "Siamese twins" because it was the year 2000), with one of the babies being noticeably evil. The farmer kept the twins locked up in an attic and away from the public eye before they eventually got sick and died together.

The 2020 horror may have a hard-to-decipher twist ending, but with The Empty Man explained the deeper layers of its ambiguous finale, vague plot, and the real Tulpa meaning all become clear. The Empty Man was originally shot in 2017 but shelved for a few years when distributor 20th Century Studios was worried the adaptation of Cullen Bunn's 2014 graphic novel would potentially confuse audiences. Sure enough, when The Empty Man did arrive in October 2020 most reviewers dismissed the intriguing psychological horror as a convoluted yet paradoxically over-familiar facsimile of The Bye Bye Man, Slender Man, and numerous (supposedly) similar genre efforts.

However, The Empty Man became a cult hit, especially when it arrived on Hulu. In David Prior's subversive horror movie, a group of friends goes hiking, whereupon one of them stumbles (quite literally) across a bizarre, misshapen skeleton in a cave. Soon after, all the groups members kill one...

When Jane Schoenbrun was in high school, they spent hours devouring Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Schoenbrun watched Sarah Michelle Gellar play Buffy, who over the course of seven seasons, figures out who she really is — a powerful woman chosen to fight evil forces. And Schoenbrun imagined how they might fit into the show. They saw themselves in everyone, from the wacky pal Xander to the broody vampire Angel to Willow and Tara, a pair of witches in love — gender be damned.

“If you’d told me I could press a button and become a cool,...

Morgan Geyser, the Wisconsin woman who nearly stabbed her friend to death to please the online fictional character Slender Man when she was 12, was denied release from a psychiatric hospital Thursday, April 11, The New York Times reports.

A Wisconsin judge ruled that Geyser, now 21, will have to remain at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute despite some doctors saying they believed she was ready to be released under certain conditions. But other medical experts argued against her release, while the Waukesha County assistant district attorney and members of the victim’s...

We're All Going to the World's Fair is Jane Schoenbrun's debut horror feature and is centered around a teenage girl losing her grip on reality when a role-playing horror game online turns out to be more real than she anticipated. The movie perfectly captures what growing up in the rise of the internet age felt like, exploring how easy it is to get lost in the darkest places of the digital world. Schoenbrun previously worked on a documentary film about the Slender Man legend, and her knowledge of how creepypastas defined a generation is reflected in We're All Going to the World's Fair's attempt to craft a personal, deeply immersive experience.

We're Going the World's Fair is a gem of a horror movie, taking viewers on a trip to the darkest corners of the internet. Directed by Jane Schoenbrun in her horror feature debut, the film follows Casey,...

If you’ve noticed that Jacob Elordi is looking a little skinnier lately, you’re not seeing things.

The 26-year-old Euphoria and The Kissing Booth actor confirmed his weight loss while being interviewed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night (October 23) in New York City.

While beginning the interview, Jimmy noted, “You told me before the show that you’re very, very skinny right now because you’re preparing for another role.”

Keep reading to find out more…

Jacob replied, “Yeah, I’m a little bit light so I was concerned about wearing, you know, such baggy clothes. But yeah, I’ve lost a decent amount of weight to play a prisoner of war. So I’m a little bit concerned because I think I look like – I’ve seen a few photos on the internet of me as Slender Man.”

If you didn’t know, Jacob...

The Jester is a horror film directed by Colin Krawchuk, who also co-wrote the film with Michael Sheffield. The horror film follows the story of two estranged sisters who are terrorized on Halloween night by a malevolent entity named the Jester alongside the people of their town. The Jester stars Lelia Symington, Sam Lukowski, Matt Servitto, Dan DeLuca, and Ken Arnold. So, if you loved The Jester here are some similar movies you could watch next.

It (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Warner Bros.

Synopsis: The horror thriller “It”, directed by Andrés Muschietti (“Mama”), is based on the hugely popular Stephen King novel of the same name, which has been terrifying readers for decades. When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids is faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder...

Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, Elevator Game follows a group of recent high school graduates who host an online series that debunks urban legends. However, when the entertainers hit a snag about what subject matter to cover for their next session, their new intern, Ryan [Gino Anania], suggests playing the "Elevator Game." The rules are simple. Participants ride the elevator in a specific sequence in hopes of unlocking a gateway to another dimension. But beware! If the 5th Floor Woman enters, do not look at her or talk to her.

Lead actor Anania and producer Stefan Brunner recently spoke to Cbr about urban legends, grounding the characters, creating suspense, and what makes the 5th Floor Woman so terrifying.

Cbr: How aware were you of the actual Elevator Game and its origins before the script came your way?

Stefan Brunner: I wasn't. The script that Travis Seppala...

A killer showroom dummy ends up as little more than a gimmick in Micheal Bafaro’s film, which fails to engage emotionally or psychologically

As well as its obvious inspiration, It Follows, Micheal Bafaro’s aspiring urban-myth horror is unfortunately reminiscent of the shortlived UK gameshow Touch the Truck. After being shadowed by a leering mannequin that eventually slaughters all who see it, student Frankie (Kelly Bastard) and friends belatedly realise that the only way to stop it teleporting around merrily is never to take their eyes off it. Sleep is no longer an option.

In fact, we are nearly two-thirds in to Don’t Look Away when the rules are disclosed; until then, the mannequin’s modus operandi is not clear. “It moves without moving. One minute it’s there, the next …” Opening with brutal authority with an intro in which the dummy is liberated from the back of a...

Don’t Look Away is a horror thriller film directed by Michael Bafaro, he also worked on the screenplay with Michael Mitton. The horror film follows the story of Frankie, a young woman who finds out that ever since she laid her eyes on a killer mannequin, it shows up wherever she goes and kills her friends. So, if you loved Don’t Look Away here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Annabelle Credit – Warner Bros.

Synopsis: Before The Conjuring, there was Annabelle. Capable of unspeakable evil, the actual Annabelle doll exists locked up in an occult museum in Connecticut — visited only by a priest who blesses her twice a month. In this supernatural thriller from producer James Wan, Annabelle’s story begins before the evil was unleashed. John Form (Ward Horton — The Wolf of Wall Street) has found the perfect gift for his expectant wife, Mia (Annabelle Wallis — X Men: First Class) — a beautiful,...

Prepare to enter the unsettling world of a horrifying attack in “20/20: The Wicked.” This special two-hour episode of “20/20” delves into the chilling account of the violent assault on Payton Leutner, a 12-year-old girl who survived a brutal stabbing by her two friends, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The episode is set to air on Friday, September 1, from 9:01 Pm to 11:00 Pm Edt on ABC.

What Happened to Payton Leutner, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier?

The episode will shed light on the harrowing event that took place. In a disturbing twist, Geyser and Weier stabbed their friend Payton Leutner 19 times and left her for dead in a wooded area. Astonishingly, the attackers were only 12 years old at the time. They claimed that they committed the violent act in a misguided attempt to gain the approval of the fictional character Slender Man.

Leutner managed to crawl...

When we talk about the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise, we often only talk about the original 1990s slasher and its sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Both films have been upgraded to 4K Ultra HD, but they’re not the only two films in the saga.

Direct-to-video installment I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer was released in 2006, and Sony is giving the sequel its Blu-ray debut on September 26, 2023.

Special Features include…

Audio commentary by director Sylvain White The Making of I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer Trailer

In the 2006 sequel, “A group of small town teens kill a fellow friend in a 4th of July prank. They all band together and decide to take their secret to the grave. Little do they know that they really will be taking their secret quite literally to the grave as...

There are few character actors around with the uncanny ability to play monstrous creatures quite like Javier Botet. The horror movie icon has embodied so many iconic monsters from a Xenomorph in Alien: Covenant to the Slender Man in Slender Man. Now, he's playing Dracula with The Last Voyage of the Demeter under director André Øvredal. Ahead of the film's release, Øvredal spoke with Collider's Perri Nemiroff about Botet and how he always manages to leave the director in awe.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a supernatural horror film directed by André Øvredal from a screenplay by Bragi F. Schut Jr. and Zak Olkewicz. The film is based on a chapter titled “The Captain’s Log” from the 1897 book Dracula by Bram Stoker. The Lost Voyage of the Demeter follows the crew of a merchant ship named Demeter as Dracula picks them apart one by one.

The supernatural horror film stars Corey Hawkins (BlacKkKlansman) as Clemens, Javier Botet (Slender Man) as Conde Dracula, Aisling Franciosi (God’s Creatures) as Anna, Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) as Captain Eliot, and David Dastmalchian (The Boogeyman) as Wojchek.

Credit – Universal Pictures

While the critics are not actually loving the film, The Last Voyage of the Demeter could be a worthwhile watch for all the Dracula and gothic horror fans out there. So let’s find what the critics are actually saying about the supernatural horror film.

Director André Øvredal wanted a new feel for his interpretation of Count Dracula, making him more animalistic and feral. The make-up for Dracula in "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" resembles Count Orlok from the 1922 film "Nosferatu," and is very different from previous suave and sophisticated versions of the character. Javier Botet, who plays Dracula in the film, is fully covered in intricate latex make-up for hours before filming.

Dracula returns! The Last Voyage of the Demeter starJavier Botet is the next in a long line of actors to don Count Dracula’s varied and ever-evolving make-up. Bela Lugosi brought the character to life in the first talkie to feature the undead Transylvanian back in 1931, but director André Øvredal wanted a new feel for his film’s interpretation of the iconic, mass-murdering monster.

Øvredal said in a new featurette, courtesy of Universal Pictures:

“I wanted our Dracula to feel different — more animalistic,...

The countdown that started back in June over on Blue Isle Studios’ official site for Slender: The Arrival has revealed that the game is getting a big update for its 10th anniversary. Not only has the game received a visual upgrade, but Blue Isle has announced a brand-new title in S: The Lost Chapters!

Set for an October release, Slender: The Arrival gets a graphical overhaul with Unreal Engine 5.2. Every shadow, every material, every model and every encounter with the mysterious Slender Man will be rendered in stunning detail. This new update not only enhances the graphics but also elevates the overall gameplay experience. You can see from the screenshot comparisons just what the update entails.

Of course, the other big news is the announcement of S: The Lost Chapters, which can currently be wishlisted on Steam. Details on the game’s story have yet to be revealed, but per...

Way back in 2005, it was announced that Paul W.S. Anderson – following the success of his video game adaptations Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil – had signed on to direct a film adaptation of the Castlevania video game franchise. That project ended up being stuck in development hell, and as years passed Anderson decided to produce the film rather than direct it. At first, he passed the helm over to Sylvain White (Slender Man). Then in 2009, James Wan (Saw) signed on to direct. Wan wasn’t involved with Castlevania for a long time… but in a recent Instagram post, he revealed that he was involved long enough to contact Nicolas Cage about playing Dracula!

Wan mentioned our near miss with a Castlevania movie starring Cage as Dracula after watching Cage play Dracula in this year’s horror comedy Renfield:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James Wan (@creepypuppet...

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since Slender: The Arrival landed for PCs and consoles. Now, it appears that Blue Isle Studios’ jump scare machine is getting ready to go again later this summer.

A new update to the official site for Slender: The Arrival has brought us a countdown timer, which currently stands at 34 days. That would put the countdown at July 27th for a reveal of, well, something. Adding to the mystery is a new 14-second teaser, which you can see below. The teaser is appropriately cryptic, since Slenderman is nowhere to be found. Instead, we get a rather sickly individual at the base of the stairs who doesn’t move. Creepy.

As for just what the reveal will be is anyone’s guess. Is Blue Isle planning a new entry in the series, or a remake that gives the 2013 game a fresh coat of paint?...

Each season of American Horror Story has covered one or more horror themes, but there are still many that the series hasn’t picked but are perfect for it. Since its premiere in 2011, American Horror Story has become one of the biggest TV shows in the genre thanks to its quality, the performances of its cast, and the different stories it has told, picking a main horror theme for each season and adding more horror and sci-fi elements to each one in order to better create the desired effect on the audience.

Although each season is conceived to be a self-contained miniseries, the references to other seasons and the appearance of characters in different seasons have made way for an American Horror Story connected universe, which has also led to the repetition of a couple of themes. Vampires (though different types of them), killer clowns, and aliens are some of...

Supernatural officially became the longest-running horror television series of all time, but not every episode of the series can be the best. The series aired its 15th and final season in 2020. Given the longevity of the series, it's a given there would be some episodes that are much worse than others. After more than 300 episodes of television, some are just going to hit with an audience better than others as Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) travel the United States on hunting trips for supernatural creatures.

The worst episodes of Supernatural tend to fall into a few different categories. Some of them focus on characters fans aren't interested in getting to know better. Others don't contribute to the mythology or the main characters significantly. Some of them are just boring, which is a shame in a show like Supernatural which strived to keep the audience on the edge of...

A platter of sliders kept from acting out with little American flag toothpicks, tiny portions of fries peppered with flakey salt, and an embarrassingly unimpressive selection of reds—it’s the tailgate party at the monster house, and America itself is on the menu. It’s getting harder and harder to campaign for any one of the Roy kids when the passing of their cult leader has done nothing to stop their genetic toxicity from making marionettes out of them. While I’m not particularly concerned that the end of Succession may be approaching a Game Of Thrones fate, I’m not deluding myself with the expectation of a classic “good vs. bad” showdown. The sooner you come to terms with the fact that the show that you love unconditionally bears no note of morality, the better.

Spoilers Ahead

Where Do Shiv And Tom Stand?

Tom made the bed, and...

The nightmarish and surreal bit of Internet folklore about a never-ending maze of empty fluorescent hallways known as the Backrooms is getting a proper film adaptation. A collaboration between four different production companies including A24, the film will be the feature-length product of 17-year-old Youtuber Kane Parsons. Roberto Patino, the showrunner of HBO Max's "Dmz" and a writer and executive producer of HBO's "Westworld," will pen the script. Shawn Levy's 21 Laps Entertainment, the production company behind "Stranger Things," as well as James Wan's Atomic Monster, which most recently produced "M3GAN," are also on board to finance the project. In addition, Chernin Entertainment, which has historically produced for 20th Century Fox but is currently working with Netflix on releases like "Fear Street," is signed on.

Known by his channel name "Kane Pixels," Parsons piqued the interest of horror aficionados with his short film "The Backrooms (Found Footage...

Pablo Picasso is often credited with having said that good artists borrow and great artists steal. Obviously, the Spanish painter wasn’t referring to plagiarism, but instead insinuating that ideas grow when they inspire other artists to make them their own. After all, all art is part of a larger cultural ouroboros – an ever-growing creature that perpetually eats its own tail.

The fun part of this infinite cycle of influences comes when we try to identify pivotal moments in culture that appear to have been “stolen” from repeatedly. And when it comes to the horror genre, there is one specific work of literature that had a hand in everything from the rise of Found Footage to the success of recent horror phenomena like the Backrooms creepypasta and even Kyle Edward Ball’s Skinamarink. Naturally, I’m referring to Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves, an experimental novel that you...

This list contains descriptions of graphic violence and suicide.

One of the recent horror flicks from this month include The Sleep Experiment, an adaptation of the infamous Russian Sleep Experiment, a post-World War myth that continues dominating creepypasta forums. The film’s release just goes on to show how the creepypasta culture continues impressing horror aficionados with terrifying entities like Slender Man and Jeff the Killer turning into integral pop culture figures.

And with the release of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities this Halloween, interest in short-form horror has only increased. Revisiting some of the most spine-chilling creepypastas is a must for audiences that are eager to explore bite-sized horror tales further.

Robert The Doll

Much like the Annabelle doll or Chucky from every Child's Play movie, Robert the Doll was a powerful entity disguised as a children's doll. When a young boy named Robert (later adopting the...

With the film now considered a cult classic, writer/director David Prior opens up about a potential The Empty Man 4K physical release. Based on the Boom! Studios graphic novel of the same name, the film revolved around a former detective whose investigation into the disappearance of a friend's daughter leads down a dark rabbit hole involving the titular legend and its followers. James Badge Dale led the cast of The Empty Man alongside Marin Ireland, Get Out's Stephen Root, Ron Canada, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's Robert Aramayo.

While speaking exclusively with Screen Rant to discuss his work in Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, David Prior was asked about the chances for a 4K physical release of The Empty Man. The writer/director shared the sentiment of many to see it get such a release, namely as he used his...

Halloween may be over, but there’s one spooky figure you still need to keep an eye out for: the Hat Man.

Since the late 2000s, people have shared their stories of a strange vision that sounds remarkably consistent from one account to the next. It’s the tall silhouette of a man in a brimmed hat, a presence that tends to appear when you’re in bed at night, somewhere between sleep and consciousness.

“What I saw gripped me immediately with fear and dread,” writes Timothy M. Brown Jr.

Plenty of video games feature their own lore and legends, but fanmade Creepypastas expand the scope of horror games and even unassuming titles with tales that often bring their hauntings home to the real world. Video games are full of unsettling occurrences and anything from creepy characters to jarring glitches can cause players to concoct ghost stories disturbing enough to become the stuff of internet legend. Aside from scary horror games, even the most innocent of titles can produce Creepypastas that are the stuff of outright nightmare fuel, treating players with plenty of content to keep them wide awake this Halloween.

Like many urban myths and legends, Creepypastas tend to be word-of-mouth-style stories written to read as though they could have happened in real life. These horrific tales are typically short, making them easy for readers to copy, paste, and share across different forum sites and discussion threads. Some popular...

The everyday lives of some of the most famous urban legends are given a hilarious spin in Sarah Andersen's newest comic collection Cryptid Club. Cryptids are among the most fascinating urban legends to exist in modern folklore. They consist of some of the creepiest creatures that bring heavy meaning behind them or have people question what could be out there that they don't know about. Some of the most famous cryptids include Bigfoot, Mothman, the Loch Ness Monster, the Kraken and even modern creations like Slender Man and Sirenhead. These creations are so popular that there have even been movies made about them, but one comic creator has taken these spooky beings and given them a hilarious twist.

Sarah Andersen is an online content creator that's best known for her comics. Her most famous work is Sarah's Scribbles, which she continues to make to this day. It's a semi-autobigraphical...

Buyers pounce in Italy, France, Benelux, Eastern Europe, South Korea.

Grandave International president Tamara Nagahiro has announced in TIFF a raft of territory sales on thriller Righteous Thieves following the North American deal with Gravitas Ventures.

Deals have closed with Daro for Eastern Europe, Africa, and France, Eagle Pictures for Italy, Premiere TV for Benelux, and Bucket Studios for South Korea.

Anthony Nardolillo (7th & Union) directed the film from a screenplay by Michael Corcoran about the head of a secret organisation who assembles a crew to steal back artwork plundered during the Second World War from a modern-day billionaire Neo-Nazi oligarch.

The internet comes with its own urban legends, and the scary ones are known as “creepypastas,” horror stories transformed and embedded through repetition. Among their most infamous characters is Slender Man, a tall, thin, faceless figure who menaces children (in 2014, two Wisconsin girls stabbed their friend to appease him). More recently, a hoax claimed that kids could be harmed by viewing a grotesque creature called Momo — which was really just a sculpture by Japanese artist Keisuke Aiso, who destroyed the piece after it went viral.

The latest spooky apparition is...

Whether rooted in true stories or passed down as cautionary tales, some folklore never leaves. Sometimes it becomes twisted into modern myths that still invoke fear today, or into some really unsettling horror movies. Today, genres like folk horror are more present on the big screen, with hit horror films like Midsommar and The Witch.

While the former is based on both Scandanavian and German rituals and folklore, The Witch is inspired by pagan folklore and the Salem Witch Trials. From modern terrors like Slender Man to old tales of The Hookman, horror movies have been bringing these scary stories to life for decades.

This review for “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair” was originally published April 15, 2022.

I was an early child of the internet, but my online life was tame. As a kid, I stuck to the wholesome worlds of Neopets and Club Penguin. Even when I signed up for Tumblr as a teenager (pre-porn ban), I mostly used the site to connect with other Broadway nerds. Watching the Slender Man web series “Marble Hornets” alone in my bedroom was about as dark as I went.

So “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair,” Jane Schoenbrun’s debut feature about creepypasta culture and teenage loneliness, feels a bit like looking at an alternate version of myself. What internet rabbit holes might I have fallen down if I’d had meaner parents or worse social skills?

The film makes for a fascinating study of online indoctrination, as its protagonist blurs the line between...

There’s nothing that parents of small children love more than giving kids unfettered access to phones and iPads — then freaking out over what kinds of age-inappropriate content they may be seeing on such devices. Case in point: the recent panic over Huggy Wuggy, a character from a video game franchise who is the subject of hysterical reports posted in police and mom Facebook groups.

According to multiple local news outlets, YouTube and TikTok are replete with videos featuring a character named Huggy Wuggy, a horrifying blue creature with razor-sharp...

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to watch a gameplay preview of Tango Gameworks’ Ghostwire: Tokyo. When someone asked me what I thought about the game, I said something along the lines of “I really liked it. It’s kind of like one of those PS2 games that didn’t go over well at launch but everyone ends up loving years later.” I’m fairly sure they didn’t quite know what to make of that reaction.

Yet, after playing through the final version of Ghostwire: Tokyo, I still find myself sticking pretty close to that initial impression. Ghostwire: Tokyo is the kind of game that just feels destined to become a cult classic.

There is a degree to which Ghostwire‘s presumed cult status is the result of its flaws. The game’s pacing is unusual and uneven, its story really falters in the home stretch, and the game’s combat is…...

Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos sent a lengthy missive to the entire company following the mounting controversy around a new original special from comic Dave Chappelle.

After addressing top leadership in a Friday memo, Sarandos sent an email on Monday to all staff — some of whom have increasingly expressed outrage over jokes about the trans community in Chappelle’s “The Closer,” and have scheduled a walkout protest as a response.

“We know that a number of you have been left angry, disappointed and hurt by our decision to put Dave Chappelle’s latest special on Netflix,” Sarandos wrote in an email obtained by Variety.

“With ‘The Closer,’ we understand that the concern is not about offensive-to-some content but titles which could increase real world harm Last year, we heard similar concerns about 365 Days and violence against women. While some employees disagree, we have a strong belief that content on screen doesn...

On the surface, from its pure and simple, monster-in-the-woods logline, Slapface might sound like another Blair Witch, Slender Man-esque urban legend chiller waiting to happen. Lots of creeping, twig-snapping tension, mysterious whispers in the forest, and a plethora of halloween mask-lead visuals that you might assume will eventually play out like any other cheap Blumhouse clone. It’s a solemn surprise then that the reality is anything but.

Slapface, after all, isn’t the monster, but a highly sinister game, played by two recently-orphaned brothers, struggling to make ends-meet, now on their own in a secluded house on the margins of society. The older Tom (Mike Manning), has turned to drinking to feed his grief, while the much younger Lucas (Girl Meets World’s August Maturo), struggles with loneliness, spending his days wandering the woods, trying (and failing) to escape local bullies.

The only way the boys can connect it seems,...

Have you seen The Empty Man? For a while there, Fox was probably hoping you would. Probably when it acquired the rights to the graphic novel from Boom! Studios. Probably when it gambled millions of dollars on David Prior’s big-screen horror debut. Probably before it knew that The Empty Man would be the last film to accidentally feature the original 20th Century Fox logo. Probably way before some very particular world events affected the global theatrical release schedule as we knew it.

Probably before all of that.

Have you seen The Empty Man? Prior and the former executive vice president of production at Fox, Mark Roybal, really wanted you to. The pair knew they were embarking on delivering a unique and ambitious horror movie, and Roybal was its studio champion – instrumental to getting that important initial greenlight. But during the final week of production when filming had to be halted due to bad weather,...

Billed as a spinoff of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's widely beloved American Horror Story, American Horror Stories (plural!) is dropping episodes exclusively on FX on Hulu starting July 15. Unlike the original FX series which typically featured season-long plots with a new story every season, American Horror Stories will instead release hour-long, self-contained episodes every Thursday. It'll still be an anthology, but it'll be more similar to something like The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. However, according to an ad spotlighting a character called "Rubber Woman," the first two episodes of the spinoff will be connected.

American Horror Stories will still feel familiar to long-time fans of the creepy original series. According to one of Murphy's tweets, these episodes will dive into "horror myths, legends, and lore." Based on teasers for the series, this new addition to the AHS universe could include creatures such as the Deer Woman from...

We're less than a month away from the July 15 premiere of American Horror Stories on FX on Hulu, and the teaser trailers have already set our minds ablaze with theories. On June 15, the official American Horror Story Instagram account posted the teaser alongside the caption, "More horror than you can handle." This might be a cheeky nod to how unlike the original show, whose story spans entire seasons, American Horror Stories will feature 16 hour-long stand-alone episodes. The newest "rubber woman" teaser from June 23 has us thinking we might need to sleep with the lights on for this one.

Thanks to Ryan Murphy, we already know that the AHS spinoff will delve into horror myths, legends, and lore. The teasers hint at what some of these could potentially be, including the Deer Woman from Native American mythology, the Jorogumo from Japanese folklore, and Slender Man. Imagery from previous seasons, like a blood moon,...

The internet has been full of horror-themed legends for years, copied and pasted in forums and on social media feeds with such tenacity that they occasionally get turned into a feature film (Slender Man). These Creepypastas (like the unhinged character Jeff the Killer) aren't real but often based on real crimes, assembled by imaginative storytellers keen on entertaining teens.

Related: 10 Movies Inspired By Urban Legends

The stories range from the supernatural to the utterly gruesome, and can often focus on uncomfortable topics like suicide and murder. They seemed to reach their peak in 2018, when a film made out of their most famous monster "Slender Man" was released to little buzz. Was it the final nail in the coffin of the internet fandom? Along with his equally popular peer Jeff The Killer, here are the Creepypastas that don't seem to hold the same sick fascination they once did.

All good things must come to an end and so, with the release of its final story expansion, one of the most exciting and innovative video games in recent memory performs its final encore, takes its bow and brings a spectacular show to a close. So, with the long-teased Awe expansion now available on digital storefronts, was it worth sticking around for?

Awe (informally known as the Alan Wake Expansion) was anticipated as Dlc made specifically for long-time fans of Remedy Entertainment. Those who have waited years for another dose of the developer’s 2010 cult hit Alan Wake would finally see the prolific author return in a crossover with Remedy’s biggest triumph to date, Control. Well, the results are in and anyone hoping for either a substantial continuation of the Alan Wake story or some closure on the loose threads at the end of Jesse Faden’s story is going to be pretty disappointed.

A rideshare with a giggly geek driver who may be a serial killer. The staggering-through-the-ink-black-woods-with-nothing-but-a-flashlight look and mood of “The Blair Witch Project.” A mystic schlock demon like Candyman, the Slender Man, or the spectral figures from “The Strangers.” A Victrola in the middle of the road, cranking an ancient warbly ditty à la “The Shining.” A cabin full of snowy TV screens out of the “Poltergeist” showroom. Memories of suicide, filicide, and a rape where the victim was blamed…

Each of these elements, ably handled, might exude a concrete scary resonance. But what are they all doing in the same horror movie? You could say that Michael Nader, the writer-director of “The Toll,” jams them together in an original way, striking just the right note of disquieting genre mashup to keep the audience pleasingly off balance. Or you could say that he’s cooked up a low-budget casserole out...

Alex Proyas.

Alex Proyas is building his own film studio in Sydney which will be home to his productions as well as those from other filmmakers.

The Gods of Egypt, Knowing and I, Robot director says the facility will serve as a think-tank for developing new technology and new ways to make films.

The sound-proofed studio will also function as a resource to foster next-wave auteurs through mentoring and workshops.

Providing regular updates on construction to followers of his YouTube channel Mystery Clock Cinema, he likens the facility to a permanent, virtual sets studio.

“As the technology becomes ever more affordable, the time is right to build something like this,” he says. “It’s not a huge space but it’s cleverly designed so you can do amazing stuff here.

“The crew numbers can be much reduced and the production can be streamlined to an astonishing degree.

“I’ve always enjoyed shooting,...

Payton Leutner sleeps with a pair of broken scissors under the pillow next to her, "just in case." Now 17, the Wisconsin girl who was stabbed five years ago by two fellow 12-year-olds, who insisted they only attacked Payton to please Slender Man, sat down this month to speak out publicly for the first time about the traumatic events that shined a big, scary light on the all-too-real consequences of what can happen when impressionable—or unstable—minds come into contact with a fictional story that's taken on a life of its own. Because, obviously, there is no Slender Man—at least, not in the form Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier thought "he"...

Payton Leutner, a 17-year-old Wisconsin girl, made the news five years ago when she was stabbed to near-death by her former best friends, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier. The 12-year-olds were having a sleepover when Leutner’s friends got her out of the house and lured her into a wooded park in Milwaukee. Leutner believed they […]

The post ‘Slender Man’ Victim Payton Leutner Speaks Out For First Time 5 Years After The Attack appeared first on uInterview.

“I’ve been asked before if I feel guilty. You know, that’s a contract between me and Mom and Dad. You got a problem with me, you can take it up with Mom and Dad. ‘Cause I’m just doin’ my job.”

Is there any profession that could require that defense, and still be a good idea? Doubtful. But even if there is, it’s definitely not “Terrifying Middle-Aged Clown Hired by Parents to Scare Naughty Children.”

You may have heard of the gentleman who gives Michael Beach Nichols’ documentary, “Wrinkles the Clown,” its name. And if you aren’t familiar with Wrinkles, you might know of the many imitators he’s inspired, from that time your oldest relatives forwarded you Facebook stories about how clowns were terrorizing suburban neighborhoods across America.

Also Read: Joaquin Phoenix's 'Joker' Is 'Brooding,' 'Fearless,' 'Divisive,' Critics Say

To tell the truth,...