#which is 80s religion-based horror

[izel-scribbles]

the people have spoken. meet beatrice everyone

she's my daughter btw. don't mind the blood, it's not hers

[cipheramnesia]

For me, horror derived from any of the christian-based religions is about on the same level as the middle of the 80s slasher franchises are for the average non-horror movie fans. There's a kind of inevitable reliance on formula, easy to follow staging and imagery and metaphor. The dialog is rote and dripping with tropes, and it is exceedingly common that the characters all come from a position of relative privilege (white and middle class - although some versions will mix it up with poor or working class white people).

The one thing that this type of horror, especially the catholic version, lacks by comparison to the cheap thrills of the slasher genre is that it seems to be unable to recognize itself in the same way as the slasher. It is a level of absolute sincerity which would be delightful were it not that it is so vastly inflated that it escapes the bounds of sincerity into inflated pompousity. More often than not each entry of demonic possesion, evil priests, scary parishioners inevitably strides into the narrative aloof and certain that it alone is a visionary new approach that will wring unbeknownst terror from the innocent minds of the audience.

There is I suppose an inevitable arrogance that comes along with the idea that your audience automatically perceives your antagonistic forces as the most evil in all the world. It's inevitably hubris, with few such movies getting down in the muck as even the most uncompelling slasher might. And fewer still, if any, going so far as to engage with their own subtext, to play around in the genre itself in a manner that requires love and humor and of course a willingness to recognize the flaws where we find them.

Comfortable familiarity sometimes errs on the side of conformity and boredom, but it doesn't have to.

[midnight-pomegranates]

This blog serves as a screen and lore dump for my OC in FFXIV, Prei Valentyne, a mad woman turned nightkin. To read her story, I suggest starting at the beginning.

I'm a bit obsessed with gpose so I go where the muse takes me. ♡

Feel free to ask anything, except for WCIF questions. I prefer those to be sent through DM. This blog will forever be a WIP. ♡

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Name: Prei Valentyne Age: Late 80s Race: Viera (Veena) Gender: Female Nameday: 7th Sun, 2nd Umbral Moon Birthplace: Royal City of Rabanastre

Family: Reia Valentyne (MIA)

Other Relationships: -Oflant Vauxciveur, Manservant (Retainer) -Podling, Kidragora -Mummy's Little Monster, Morbol Seedling For more about Prei, keep reading!

Key Notes: -The Echo manifests as psychometric abilities (the ability to gain psychic readings through touching objects or people) that trigger seizures. Because of this, Prei wears gloves 24/7 to avoid touching things with her bare hands. -'Baked Popoto' is her favorite meal. She feasts once or twice a month on this delicacy, which is farmed and prepared by her manservant Oflant. Her choice meal tends to be made of those who will not be missed and sourced from the prison on Aleport. While the meat is a bonus, it's the aether she's after.

-The Kidragora, Podling, is a little creature who follows Prei around as it has grown dependent upon her to feed it and take care of it. Prei has been known to go on a tirade about Podling's whining and screaming, though the kidragora itself is mute and doesn't understand a thing she is saying. It is rather fond of looking at random things that catch its attention, especially when Prei is yelling at it. -Mummy's Little Monster is a morbol seedling snatched from the swamps of the Tangle in Mor Dhona. It may not be illegal (yet) to have one, but the living plant species are known for eating anything and everything while growing so large as to be a danger to persons and creatures that should cross its path. Prei, in the meantime, has found that it serves as an effective way to dispose of the experiments and 'leftovers' that cannot otherwise be destroyed by regular means. That it will eventually outgrow its home and become a danger to everyone is of no matter to Prei.

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Minors DNI

SFW / NSFW (Horror-related scenes and imagery)

Note from Eleanora: Prei is an antagonistic character. She is abrasive, rude, and can be difficult to interact with as she single-minded and focused on her goals. As a villain-lite character, she possesses very few redeemable qualities and I don't expect her to be liked IC. Just please understand that her actions, comments, and behavior are not a reflection of me, her player, and are purely written as a means to tell her story. In addition, neither Prei nor myself will use RP as a veil to discriminate real-life persons or to disparage others based on sex, gender, orientation, religion, skintone, race, etc.; nor will I as her writer do so in real or in this blog.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤCOMMON TAGS

This Blog oc: prei valentyne - screenshots prei lore - writing, OC lore prei aesthetic - aesthetic tag gallery - a collection of every screenshot

The Community xivstories - reblogged stories screens and writing xivgposers - reblogged screenshots and visuals

Fandoms ffxiv

[hellsbellschime]

Expand your worldview, I'm begging you. Muslims aren't terrorists. Islam is not a religion based on "terror". For your own ignorance learn to differentiate what the media and your friends ignorantly and hatefully impart to you and actually talk to other Muslims. Hate is a disease. There was a father who buried his headless son's corpse just recently. I can share videos with you. That isn't terror. Palestinians want to live and here you are with your rhetoric that we are terrorists. If you can leave your ego behind understand that the horror Israel inflicted on Palestine for 80 years is Terror. This should be so simple but you are so wicked.

Since you have been dive-bombing my inbox and literally won't leave me alone despite the fact that I've blocked you six times already, congratulations, I've answered one of your asks despite the fact that you have been sending me truly vile abuse and making claims of shit that I literally did not say and literally do not believe. I responded to this already, and if that response makes me wicked or racist or ignorant or stupid or deserving of literal death as you have already wished upon me, then there's nothing I can do about that. If you want to "out me to the fandom" as you threatened, there's nothing I can do about that either. But if you're going to do it, then just do it and stop harassing me about it. I literally have Muslim family members, I have discussed Palestine with them, and I believe that Palestinians deserve the same human rights that every single person on this planet deserves. Israel has been using terrorist acts to subjugate Palestine for decades, which I have already said. But Hamas does not represent all Palestinians or all Muslims, so the fact that you are trying to equate them when I have ONLY criticized Hamas frankly says a lot more about you than it says about me. This is the only response you're getting no matter how many times you work around my blocking you, so keep screaming abuse into the void accusing me of shit that I didn't say or believe. Or just go find someone else who hates me and talk shit about me with them instead, because I really do not need to be harassed about views that I literally do not hold.

[readingsofthedamned]

FAITH Characters and Dark Side of the 80s

One of the main themes that is central to FAITH: The Unholy Trinity is highlighting the clash between common rose-tinted recollections of the time period that are nostalgic and almost positive to look back on, while simultaneously opening a window into the realities of what that era as actually like and all the negative ideas that existed at the time.

For example, the game's primary focus is on the Satanic Panic of the 80s. It sprinkles in common themes that we tend to laugh about now in association with the 80s, like deviant teenage behavior, the hippie movement, and rock music being linked to Satanic Practices. Yet the games go a step further and dive deeper, reminding us that, while we see this as silly and senseless now, there was a true horror to these beliefs at the time, and not just the idea of demons. The game is blunt in reminding us what the consequences for anything that went against the "religiously moral" norm was. Deviant behavior (like Amy's teenage rebellion, her mother's mental illness, or John's compromised mental stability) or anything seen as not inherently moral according to the religions that dominated the period could be grounds for involuntary committal to either a religious institution or a psychiatric institution, and it goes on to show us just how both of those establishments could be incredibly cruel with their methods, such as Michael being held in a basement for 12 months, Amy's forced exorcism, and the use of isolation rooms, sensory deprivation tanks, and shock therapies on John that were commonplace in the 80s.

For all intents and purposes, the game is intentionally vague about its storyline, letting the notes and the implications of John's flashbacks carefully ride the line between reality and delusion. This is likely to allow for open interpretation among the player base. Yet, undoubtedly, one of the most terrifying aspects of the game is this: as much as it makes jabs at the 80s, it remains frighteningly accurate in its depictions of how human suffering and conflict was handled. It offers a terrifying glimpse into the lives of some truly tragic characters and goes out of its way to show us how they would fare as the product of the darker side of what most people recant as being a nostalgic period.

This idea is one of the main motivating factors in my characterizations. We've all seen those glamorized, idealized ads of people who were "products of the 80s" - or rather, "products of the 80s that people have idealized through their nostalgia." But FAITH isn't focused on those tropes. It's focused on the idea of its characters being products of all the negative factors associated with the time period. Their lives hold up a mirror to that common belief that the 80s was this wild, better time and reveals the tragic truth and the dark side to all those idealized views. And so, I've funneled that into my characterizations.

Lisa, for example, struggles with self-image issues and an eating disorder as a result of the heavy push of unattainable, toxic beauty standards. Historically speaking, marketing has swung towards shaming men and women for not having the ideal "beach body" type. This was compounded by the fact that Lisa was bullied for years over her appearance to the point where she had a panic attack and developed depression because no one intervened. Instead, the religious institutions she attended as a child only enforced this idea by saying the reason for her body was that she could not resist the sin of gluttony which worsened her self-image.

Amy's family was deeply entwined in the Catholic religious community while her father was a hardcore military man (presumably serving in multiple wars and conflicts.) It's known that her mother was pregnant with her twin brothers at some point but miscarried them. In Catholic communities, miscarriages were seen as a failing on the mother's part, often viewed with the same level of scorn as elective abortions. We know that we suffered some trauma and continued to believe that the boys were alive for six years until her death. In that time, she developed an unspecified mental illness that involved her delusions. Her situation likely caused her to be ostracized from the community, and without her husband to support her, she spiraled. With her fixation on the twins, it's likely that Amy was neglected by her, leading to a lot of resentment and rebellion, which only caused Cindy to become more volatile. When Amy got a job at an abortion clinic, she probably became outright hostile due to it triggering her trauma related to the miscarriage. When her father came home, he was likely a hardened, domineering military type that thought he could use harsh discipline to wrangle his daughter. This controlling environment led to Amy lashing out. And of course, Amy refusing to respect their controlling rules broke one of the Ten Commandments in Catholicism; a violation of the puritanical morals dominating the time period. That led to the call to the priests and the botched exorcism.

These are just two examples of my interpretations of the characters, their tragedies, and their underlying motivations. Eventually, I hope to explore more themes that were very common but are very rarely talked about pertaining to how people were affected by the darker things to come out of the 80s. I have thoughts for each and every character that I write into these stories.

[starrlikesbooks]

Hey Castor, i'm trying to find a book to buy for my roommate for his bday. He likes fantasy and sci fi, and i only ever read more grounded, english-lit type stories so i'm totally lost. But then i thought, "hey! My longtime mutual Castor will surely know what's up." Have you got any recs? Preferably something from the last year, so he's not likely to already own it. Sincerely, world's biggest Don't Touch That Dial fan.

Hello best friend anon! I'm not sure what kind of vibe you're going for/what type of SFF your roommate leans towards, so here's a variety of vibes

The list got long, so here's a read more!

Cozy/Domestic

Kaiju Preservation Society (Domestic Sci-Fi 100%! Kaiju like Godzilla are kinda real and their gigantic interdimensional creatures most of the characters study like secret zoologistis. Except the MC. They lift boxes.) 🌈friendly

Legends & Lattes* (I know little about this book beyond sapphic fantasy running a coffee shop. If he likes cozy fantasy and is in bookish spaces, h knows about this. If not, but he seems like he’d dig it, he’ll love that you go it for him!) 🌈

We Could Be Heroes (Slightly older, but not well known. Very down to earth superhero/supervillain friendship where tone of them saw their mind powers and was like oh geez um I guess I’m supposed to rob a bank? and the other saw their super speed and went sweet I’m gonna get all the delivery tips) 🌈ish

Even Though I Knew the End (Magical noir. I’m counting this as domestic because a lot of the plot revolves around the MC’s partner and their shared life, as well as her motivations towards keeping her brother save and thriving. This would also fit under “mystery” though) 🌈

Weird and/or Unhinged

The Atlas Six* (Underground government picks taps someone to join per each division, but 5 of them are 100% gonna die) 🌈

Anything by Jason Pargin (AKA JDATE or Zoey Ashe*. JDATE books can be read as standalones and the newest one is about a gamified kids toy that’s demanding human body parts so a cult can summon something to end the world)

City of Nightmares (Gotham atmosphere, if you fall asleep you might turn into your literal nightmare. MC’s sister turned into a giant spider and ate her father, MC is both afraid of everything and willing to threaten people with violence in order to get what she wants, which is, namely, not in terrifying positions like being kicked out onto the street) 🌈friendly

Hell Followed With Us (If he’s horror leaning, and/or into trans people embracing the monstrous and destroying evangelical cults! Though if he is and he spends time in bookish spaces, he may already know of/have read this one) 🌈

The Sky is Yours (Not a new book, but not one ever talked about so probably safe. Basically a Jetsons future, except they can’t use most of their cool technology or thrive because they’ve been being tormented by dragons for like 80 years that won’t stop burning their city down. This one is also kinda satire styled.)

Mystery

Self Portrait With Nothing (Magical portraits, lost mothers, off beat and kinda weirdly emotional while also having a bit of a mystery plot. Extra points if he’s into The Raven Cycle or The Dreamer Trilogy at all.) 🌈friendly

The Library of the Dead* (Edinburgh based urban fantasy with an amateur detective tapping into the occult. Also, ghosts!)

The Bruising of Qilwa (A novella about immigration/xenophobia and a also mysterious, fatal illness that may be murder.) 🌈friendly

Witness of the Dead* (Came out about a year and a half ago. This is a mystery set against politics in a steampunk fantasy world, and is sure to be a bit dense in spots. It's a companion novel to The Goblin Emperor) 🌈

Questy

Last Exit (Plays out like the end of an epic. Former friends from college have to reunite and cross world again as darkness slips out and they try to reach their long lost leader, left to the other side.)🌈

Soulswift (A little older, but not by much. Girl gets semi possessed by the god of another culture’s religion AKA the Lilith figure in her own religion that she’s a nun in. Forced allyship & forced proximity leading to a lot of cultural understanding and romance, on the way to make sure she doesn’t actually die.)

Lost in the Moment and Found (In a series of novellas, but works as a standalone. Girl finds a door to the place lost things go, and enjoys adventure- but things aren’t as they seem. Big content warning for grooming & attempted SA!)

The Stardust Thief* (A thief, a Djinn, and a prince have to go on a quest for a legendary magical lamp! Based on 1001 Nights.)

Gay!

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance (Treaty based marriage with an assassination plot ramping up the tension. Big big content warning for SA and PTSD!)

A Marvellous Light (Murder mystery with magic and forced allyship/coworkers to lovers between a magician and a regular Londoner who accidentally got the job.)

Light From Uncommon Stars (This could also passably go under the Weird category, but it’s just so inherently queer it needed to be here. Women takes souls of violin prodigies to win back hr own soul. The other main character a formerly homeless transwoman sex worker who suffered abuse, and the teacher’s love interest is an alien with kids including an AI daughter, who’s super into running her donut shop. It’s also very diaspora and Asian centric!)

*have not read yet

[timmy-wizard]

it's october and you know that means watching horror movies with my horror obsessed roommate. they loooove horror movies and watch them all the time so it's very exciting for them. im wondering does anyone have good horror movie suggestions SPECIFically that are kind of like. not super scary but are interesting and engaging to watch? i don't want to sound like a lame ass but i don't like psychologically scarring myself because i just find it makes my already poor coping skills even worse for the weeks following, so i prefer movies that have some sort of layer of non-immersion if that makes sense? i looved chucky (ok i think it was called "child's play" but like it's chucky to me.) because it has that like 70s or 80s or whatever pacing that makes it quite a bit less scary, plus the layer of comedy. i liked babadook quite a bit because it was clearly allegorical and mostly based on suspense and not danger if that makes sense. i also tend to like movies that center around possession or exorcism, i find they tend to be very investigative which is engaging to me and they usually arent very violent in that most of the danger is sort of fantastical if that makes sense? so not as gratuitous. also as someone with a pinch of religious trauma i often find their interplay with like, the "mythology" (?) of the kind of religion i was raised with as almost like a pop culture reference point rather than a reality (which it was framed as in my life as a child) to be kind of intriguing and cathartic if that makes sense? but for that same reason i find the religious horror to be affective because those were fears that i had drilled into me so a movie that dips into that really hard might be a little too much for me

it's at this point in the post that im remembering that those sites where you can read movie's rating/content warnings exist so cancel this post and just tell me your fave horror movies actually and i can make the call on if ill like it myself sooooo oops yeah

tldr; im boring and have no taste or style help

[n1ghtcrwler]

Hi there buddy, my name is Athena. I'm coming to say hi, see how you're doing and this is a chance to ramble about your wips. How many ocs do you have, how many have been through a lot and do you keep everything tracked and organised with tables and stuff?

Howdy! I'm doing alright in general, think I might be coming down with a cold. How are you?

I have a lot of OCs. I usually narrow down counts based on how often they show up; so, in Tall Tales, which is an extended series of interconnected short stories, I don't usually count a character as a recurring character unless they appear in more than a bonded pair of stories (like, if one story is mostly just a set up for another, and a character appears in both but not any others, I don't consider them recurring), and I only include recurring characters. But that's still at least 30 recurring characters just in Tall Tales, and then there's Glory Days which has a cast of around a dozen and the children's book I'm finishing up and Serpents...

So it's a lot.

Characters in Tall Tales are living through a paranormal horror/urban fantasy, so a little over half of them end up going through a lot. And the ones that do, they go through a LOT. The climax of Glory Days is basically one bad day most of the characters share and there's one rough event that happens before that, but really, only like two of them go through much trouble outside of those. The characters of Serpents are not accustomed to trouble and that's like 80% of their problem in the story.

How I keep track of everything varies, but I don't use tables. For Tall Tales I have The Timeline, a roughly 30-page document that outlines all the important events that define the story (mostly in a 50-year span, with outliers as far back as a couple thousand years) and gives a brief overview of the rules of the world and the main characters. For Glory Days, I have a one-page outline that basically just gives me the framework for the story at large. When I was doing my webcomic, I kept everything organized with a private wiki in which I had entries for every religion, nation, storyline, major character, and other bits of important information. I actually want to get back to that story at some point, I did not do it justice when it went on indefinite hiatus so I could focus on Tall Tales. But everything else is in my head, really.

[thecreaturecodex]

Astral Dreadnought

Image © Wizards of the Coast

[The astral dreadnought has been floating around since the AD&D Manual of the Planes, where it was the cover creature (and promptly got ripped off to be the design for the cacodemon from Doom.]  The 3e version was cool looking, but very weak (3.0 monsters tended to be not great at dealing with high CRs), so I used one once in a high school game and never bothered to do so again. They’ve gotten a bit of cachet lately--an astral dreadnought appears in Critical Role, and one is returned to point of place on the cover of Mordenkainen’s Multiverse of Monsters. I like the 5e version tying them to the titans, and the idea that they are the portals to an extraplanar prison. I don’t like them being dumb, though. In Planescape, they were smarter than the average human, but inscrutable, which is a mode I prefer.]

Astral Dreadnought CR 21 CN Outsider (extraplanar) This immense horror is vaguely humanoid from the waist up. Its head is enormous, with a single eye set over a slavering maw, and a crown of horns rising from its surface. It has two arms, each of which ends in a lobster-like claw. Its lower body is a serpentine tail, trailing away into the seemingly infinite distance.

The astral dreadnoughts are relics from the war between the Titans, living jailers and executioners of those that would dare intrude upon the astral plane. Anything they swallow is imprisoned forever in a demiplane accessible only through their gullets. As astral dreadnoughts are immortal unless slain, and ravenously attack travelers they come across, these demiplanes are filled with the treasures of untold millennia. Some may even contain the descendants of those that survived being swallowed, although such creatures would require magical means of sustenance. Astral dreadnoughts seem to ignore any demodands they come across in their endless patrols. Although they are intelligent, astral dreadnoughts have no interest in communicating with creatures other than titans.

In combat, an astral dreadnought focuses on enemies traveling through astral projection above other foes. It can sever the silver cord of an astral traveler with a single lucky blow, killing that creature instantly. They attempt to swallow creatures they cannot immediately kill in this fashion, using their antimagic eyes to prevent enemies from fighting back with magic. Astral dreadnoughts prefer to fight with tooth and claw, relying only on their spell-like abilities if surrounded or facing foes it cannot seem to damage. Astral dreadnoughts are solitary at all times. If two astral dreadnoughts cross paths, they fight to the death, and such clashes are legendary for both their ferocity and rarity.

Astral Dreadnought         CR 21 XP 409,600 CN Colossal outsider (chaos, extraplanar) Init +7; Senses darkvision 120 ft., Perception +32 Aura frightful presence (5d6 rounds, 200 ft., Will DC 30) Defense AC 37, touch 12, flat-footed 34 (-8 size, +3 Dex, +25 natural, +7 insight) hp 385 (22d10+264) Fort +19, Ref +18, Will +20 DR 20/magic; Immune disease, exhaustion, fatigue, mind-influencing effects, paralysis, petrifaction, poison, stunning; SR 32 Defensive Abilities legendary resistance, protective insight Offense Speed 15 ft., fly 80 ft. (perfect) Melee 2 claws +28 (4d8+14), bite +28 (4d10+21 plus grab) Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft. Special Attacks antimagic cone, donjon visit, powerful blows (bite), sever silver cord, swallow whole (special) Spell-like Abilities CL 21st, concentration +30 3/day—telekinetic storm (DC 28) Statistics Str 38, Dex 17, Con 35, Int 15, Wis 24, Cha 28 Base Atk +22; CMB +44 (+48 grapple and sunder); CMD 57 (59 vs. sunder) Feats Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Flyby Attack, Greater Sunder, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical Skills Fly +28, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (arcana, planes, religion) +27, Perception +32, Sense Motive +32, Stealth +12 Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal (cannot speak) SQ astral form Ecology Environment Astral Plane Organization solitary Treasure triple standard Special Abilities Antimagic Cone (Su) An astral dreadnought projects an area of antimagic, as per the antimagic field spell, in a 150-foot cone. At the start of each of its turns, the dreadnought determines what direction, if any, the cone is pointing. The cone does not function if the astral dreadnought is blinded. Astral Form (Ex) An astral dreadnought cannot leave the Astral Plane either willingly or unwillingly. It cannot be banished or otherwise transported from the plane by any means. Donjon Visit (Su) As a swift action, an astral dreadnought can force a creature within 60 feet to succeed a DC 30 Will save or be transported to the demiplane connected to the astral dreadnought’s stomach. At the end of its next turn, the creature returns to the space it left, or the nearest unoccupied space. This is a teleportation effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Legendary Resistance (Ex) Three times a day when an astral dreadnought fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. Protective Insight (Ex) An astral dreadnought receives an insight bonus to its AC equal to its Wisdom modifier. It only loses this bonus if helpless. Sever Silver Cord (Ex) If an astral dreadnought rolls a natural 20 and confirms the critical hit against a creature traveling with an astral body, such as through an astral projection spell, it severs the silver cord, killing that creature instantly. Swallow Whole (Su) A creature swallowed by an astral dreadnought is transported to a demiplane. A creature can only enter this demiplane through this ability or through a wish spell, but can leave by a plane shift, gate or similar effect. The demiplane takes the form of a stony chamber 1000 feet in diameter with a ceiling 100 feet high. From within the demiplane, the astral dreadnought cannot be harmed. If an astral dreadnought is slain, its demiplane is destroyed, and all of its contents appear around its corpse unharmed in the Astral Plane. An astral dreadnought cannot use its swallow whole ability in the area of a dimensional lock spell, or while under an effect that blocks planar travel.

[a-supernatural-writer]

I Know What You Want

Summary: Winnie has been with David for a year now, and David is ready to pop the question of turning her into a vampire. David's plan is quickly thrown out the window once Winnie reveals a secret of her own.

Word Count: 2,249

Warnings: Mentions of death, mentions of distaste’s towards religion, negative influences of religion (not meant to harm a certain religion, just based off of personal and friends stories of religion being used in a negative sense)

Notes: This fic does touch on religion. This is not meant to offend anyone within that religion, this is just based off of negative personal experiences with it. I have been told on multiple occasions that I should go to church to repent for my ‘sins’ of liking men and women, and other things about my life. People that I know, have had negative pasts with religious schools and have expressed those experiences with me (they are older and went to school over decades and decades ago). I’ve heard some horror stories and I’m very briefly touching upon them here.

Also, I would definitely like to know if you guys maybe wanted more parts of this? I might do a part two, I’m not sure that’s kind of up to you guys.

David x FemOC

Coins and crumpled up cash were thrown into the empty and open violin case that laid on the concrete floor of the boardwalk. On the side of the violin case was a small gold plate with ‘Winnie Greenaway’ engraved on it. A small crowd of people watched as a girl with bleach blonde short hair that was styled into two french braids with bangs played her violin beautifully. Her eyes were closed as she swayed gently to the music she created.

She wore an outfit that anyone looking at her would guess she went to some sort of pristine school. It almost resembled a school uniform, but of course there were some elements that were different. She wore a white long sleeved button up with a black tie that was loose around her neck, a short black pleated skirt with sheer black tights with black platform loafers. A vintage oversized jacket was worn on top of her shirt, it had patches of blue and gray different patterned fabric with eyes embroidered into the fabric. To top everything off, she had a small silver cross necklace and three rings on her ring finger, one blue, one milky white and the last a light topaz.

The people that threw cash Winnie’s way either gave it as they walked by or decided to stay to watch her. Either way, she was grateful for the support, no matter how small the money was or how long people stayed to enjoy it.

Winnie never would’ve guessed that some people in Santa Carla would enjoy her talents. After all, the 80’s were sex, drugs and rock and roll. Violin was the last thing she thought people would listen to, but she was glad she was wrong about her assumptions.

Winnie’s black and white cat laid next to her violin case, occasionally jumping in to try and catch the coins that were thrown in. The cat wore a navy blue collar with a name tag that read ‘BB’ which was short for her actual name; Bluebell.

As she played her last note, she opened her warm brown eyes, smiling as she saw just how big of a crowd she accumulated.

Her gaze softened when her eyes landed on her partner, the love of her life; David. She knew that David couldn’t make it for her entire performance, she knew he couldn't be there when she started playing an hour before sundown.

After all, she wouldn’t want her vampire to burn to a crisp in the sunlight. Winnie knew David was a vampire, and has known for almost a year. It happened one night when she accidentally interrupted the group’s feeding only a few weeks into dating him.

It didn’t really surprise her. She knew about the existence of creatures of the supernatural and David wasn’t exactly discrete at hiding it either.

But apparently it upset David with the way she found out, but he was happy nonetheless that it didn’t scare her away.

In Winnie’s eyes, David was still David, he needed to feed to survive and as far as she was concerned, the people that he fed on weren't exactly the cream of the crop and she was fine with that.

Playing one last final note, Winnie smiled, happy that she had very little to no screw ups. It made her heart sore when the crowd around her clapped and cheered, obviously having enjoyed the performance and throwing more money her way in support.

She thanked everyone in the crowd and started picking up her things, the crowd slowly walking away as she did so.

“Beautiful as always, Winnie.” David said with a smile, taking the violin from Winnie’s hands as she started putting all the money she earned in a cloth bag.

Winnie giggled, tying up the bag and picking up BB, “Thank you, love.” She called him by his nickname and gave him a quick peck on his cheek.

She knew if David could blush, he would. He practically purred at the action and packed Winnie's violin back in its case and carried it for his partner.

BB heard David’s purr and meowed at the vampire, causing him to chuckle and pet the feline. BB loved David and the little cat had David’s heart in the bag. Winnie remembered when David was completely against the cat, the two hated each other in the beginning but soon enough, they got used to each other and became an inseparable pair.

“Dinner? My treat?” Winnie asked as the two walked back to David’s bike. She earned enough money to pay for a relatively nice dinner for the both of them since they didn’t get to do it often.

David shook his head and wrapped an arm around Winnie’s waist, pulling her close, “I got something planned for us.”

Winnie raised a brow, “Oh, really?”

David chuckled, “Yes, really. Just me and you, kitten.”

Winnie couldn’t believe it when she saw it, but there it was. A good drive away from the boardwalk was the town's cemetery that was placed on top of a small hill. At the top of the hill was where David took her, and what waited for them was probably one of the most romantic things David had ever done.

A blanket laid out, with food from her favorite Italian place was set up in boxes, and a small bouquet of bluebells on top of it. One of the things that stood out the most was a bejeweled bottle of wine, but Winnie knew that it wasn’t wine per say.

“Oh, David.” Winnie cooed as he led her to the blanket. From stories of his past, David was surprisingly a romantic. Before the two of them dated, she knew about his past lover from before he was a vampire and how much he cherished her. Of course David moved on, but his romantic tendencies didn’t.

They sat down on the blanket, and for a moment, Winnie couldn’t help but admire the view. The moon shone brightly down on them, the No cut grass swaying with the wind and she could see the ocean form their spot. She could also see the large number of graves on the hill and her head turned to the side, looking out into the distance where a special grave sat and it was one she knew very well.

BB hopped out of her owner's arms and sat on the edge of the blanket, looking out, similarly to what her owner was doing.

“Hey,” David grabbed Winnie’s hand gently and gave it a squeeze, “You okay?”

Winnie turned her head and with a small smile, she nodded, “Just… this is beautiful David.” She leaned in, pressing her lips against David’s.

The two cuddled up together, David’s arms wrapped around Winnnie as she laid her head on his chest. Their food was absolutely delicious and they spent their time enjoying every little bit of it.

Winnie giggled, watching BB jump around them, chasing whatever insects flew by her, “This is perfect.” Winnie whispered.

David smiled, agreeing with her, closing his eyes for a brief moment, enjoying the moment of silence between them. It was peaceful, and having alone time was something David treasured very much.

There was only more thing that would make this night truly perfect, “Winnie.”

“Hmm.”

David sat up, guiding Winnie with him and grasping her chin softly to look at him, “There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Yes?” Winnie questioned.

David suddenly got a little nervous. What if Winnie said no? What if she denied his offer? With a shaky breath, David finally spoke, “Would you like to spend an eternity with me forever… as a vampire?”

Winnie blinked at his question and stayed silent. She wanted to say yes to his question, but she couldn’t. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be a vampire, far from it, but she physically could not.

Winnie frowned and pulled herself away from his touch. She stood up and starred at the ocean once again.

David’s heart sank, “Winnie?”

Winnie looked down at the bottle and it finally clicked. That’s why David brought the bottle of his sires blood. To turn her. With a sigh, she held her hand out to David, “I want you to see something before I give you an answer.”

Hesitating, David got up and took hold of Winnie’s hand, letting her drag him to whatever she needed to show him.

BB even followed, meowing along the way and catching up to walk beside her owner. “Promise me that you won’t freak out when I show you?” Winnie asked him suddenly as they made their way down the hill.

David furrowed his brow, “What? Winnie what’s going on? Is everything okay between us?”

Winnie suddenly felt terrible. She realized she was being very vague about this, “Everything is perfect. More than perfect, I just… this is something I’ve been keeping from you and it's time you should know.”

David was even more confused about the situation. Before he could ask even more, Winnie halted and gestured with her head to go towards the grave that was facing away from them, “That’s what I want to show you.”

David glanced at Winnie, let go of her hand and walked to the grave. Of course, he didn’t know the significance of showing him someone’s grave. What importance did it have between them? What did it have to do with Winnie? The words on the grave answered his question, and very quickly, he had a whole new list of questions.

Written on the grave was the words ‘Winnie Greenaway. Born September 18th, 1933. Died December 23rd, 1952.’

“I’m a corpse, David.” Winnie stated.

David stared at her. He knew just as well as her that there were creatures beyond himself, but never in his time of living did he think that he would ever come in contact with the literal living dead, one that was his girlfriend for that matter.

“How?” David asked in disbelief. There was no evidence towards it. He never even noticed. How could he not?

Winnie’s eyes softened in sadness at his question, “Let’s just say a witch accidentally resurrected me. The only thing is, no beating heart, and even though food tastes delicious, it will never satisfy the taste of human flesh. I’m fully dead, David. Have been for over thirty years.”

David walked back to her, standing in front of Winnie and placing his hand on her chest where her heart was. His eyes widened. He never noticed it; there was no heartbeat. How did that get past him? “How did you die?”

Winnie chuckled a little, “Cutting right to the chase huh?”

“Sorry.” David apologized quickly, pulling his hand away, realizing how insensitive the question might have been.

Winnie shook her head, “It’s okay… I was nineteen, obviously. My parents sent me to catholic school, hoping that I would become religious like them. I was baptized of course and well, at times I felt like I was living in pure hell. Which is ironic when you think about it. A couple days before Christmas, some psycho from an asylum a town over broke out and he had a distaste for the church. He had a gun and well…”

Winnie loosened her tie even more and unbuttoned the first couple buttons of her shirt to reveal the skin over her heart. It was smooth, but after a second, the skin rippled and morphed, a blood red circle appearing and sinking deep into her skin, creating a hole, “He shot me through the heart. I died instantly.”

David traced his fingers along the bullet wound, “Does it hurt?”

She hummed, “A little. If you were to dig a finger into it, hell yes. But, that witch who resurrected me, gave me the ability to cover it up. Thankfully.”

David’s fingers trailed up from her wound and up her neck, cupping her cheek, “You can't die?” He whispered to her.

Winnie looked deep into his beautiful icy blue eyes, “No. Can’t grow old.”

With those words, David roughly placed his lips on Winnie’s, and pulled her close with his arm around her waist. Winnie muffled out a gasp, not expecting for the reaction she was getting.

“Mm, David, wait.” Winnie pulled away a little, “You’re okay with this? I can’t become a vampire since I’m technically already a living dead girl.”

David chuckled, “You said it yourself; you can’t die cause you’re already dead and you can’t grow old. Being a vampire is nice, but it's the idea of spending all eternity together; never growing old is what I wanted. If you do too?”

Winnie smiled and flung her arms around David’s neck, pulling him back down for another kiss. An eternity with David was exactly what she wanted.

“So…. You’re basically a zombie that feeds on human flesh?” Paul asked, hanging upside down on the couch in the cave.

Winnie giggled from her spot in David’s lap while he was sitting in his wheelchair, “Yes.”

Dwayne raised a brow, exchanging a look with the rest of the group and then shrugged. It was pretty cool to him.

Marko grinned from ear to ear, “Sick man.”

Winnie laughed even more when each of them asked more and more questions about the life of being a ‘zombie’ or even making a few jokes here and there.

She just wondered how they would react to there being a whole underground world of the undead?

[theparanormalperiodical]

French Nuns And Newspaper Clippings: The Real Stories That Inspired The Exorcist (1973)

The year is 1632.

We are in a remote commune in Northern France. The situation is bleak: an outbreak of plague has started snatching lives again, and King Louis XIII is ordering the walls around Loudon to be torn down. The locals are more divided than ever.

But things are about to get worse.

Way worse.

The local nuns are beginning to act strange.

It started when one young nun claimed she had a vision of a dead priest. Suddenly, all 17 clergywomen are reporting similar visions. They then begin cussing, shouting, and displaying more and more aggressive behaviour.

17th century nuns do not act like this.

Oh no, this was something unholy. This was demonic possession.

331 years later, this little-known historic tale would feature as one of the main inspirations behind horror’s most iconic movie.

Yep, the film that still gives you nightmares of young girls walking down stairs crustacean-style is based on a true story. But it’s worse than that. It’s based on two tales of alleged possession, several real-life people, and a demon many still worship today.

*nopes the f*ck out*

Let’s Talk About The Exorcist

Let me just clarify something: the exorcist is not the creepy, possessed ‘lil girl. An exorcist is a person that performs exorcisms - so here, it’s the priests.

The Exorcist was originally a book written by William Peter Blatty. Adapted to a film series (and a TV show) starting 2 years later, they both shared a close plotline. Well, to begin with, anyway.

A statue of a demon is found in an archaeological dig of northern Iraq. The discovery unleashes a mysterious spirit/demon/god called Pazuzu. On the other side of the world, a young girl begins exhibiting strange behaviour. Regan, a typical 12-year-old American girl, refuses to eat or sleep and becomes aggressive. All the while, strange things happen around the house.

The doctors provide no answers to her behaviour, so the mother of the supposedly-ill child turns to religion instead. She finds help in the form of a priest who is experiencing a crisis of faith and consequently doesn’t believe this is demonic possession. But a couple chats with the girl convinces him that yep, she’s bunged up with a demon. So, he asks the bishop if he can perform an exorcism. A priest fresh off that dig in Iraq is shipped over and they get to work. During the final exorcism, one of the priests opts to save the possessed girl by asking the demon to possess them instead. The possessed priest chucks himself out of the window and as he falls to his death, regains his faith in God.

The Exorcist is one of the most famous horror films - if not, the most iconic - of all time, from the traumatic FX makeup of a possessed Regan to sequences ‘80s America wasn’t ready for.

But The Exorcist was not a stand alone film. Contrary to popular belief, what followed was 4 (soon to be 5) sequels ‘n’ prequels that unravelled a deep, dramatic plotline. There’s a reason we don’t hear about them.

In the following films we see the aftermath of Regan’s exorcism and emerging doubts about whether she was in fact really possessed. Political and theological themes rise to the surface, looking deeper at the priests that conducted the exorcism rather than the victim. At the same time we take part in an archeological dig, meet a serial killer, and get a front row seat to a battle during WW2.

It’s a wild ride. But this ride is brimming with reality.

Blatty directly cited inspiration from a number of sources, most famously the 1949 demonic possession of Roland Doe that he first heard when studying at Georgetown University. But he has also claimed that many of the characters who navigated the possession of Regan were based on real people.

Take Father Merrin, the exorcist leading the exorcism: he was based on a British archaeologist that excavated the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls (ancient manuscripts written in Hebrew) had been found.

But the nature of the exorcism that filled out a majority of the film were informed by the work for Father William S Bowdern, a Jesuit priest who exorcised Roland Doe himself.

However, it wasn’t just the mortals that were inspired by real, historic figures.

Pazuzu Is An Actual Worshipped Demon

Without Pazuzu, there would be no possession. Without Pazuzu, there would be no exorcism, nor the need for an exorcist.

We only see the demon in flashes - but these moments inherit a history that takes us back as far as 3500BC. Pazuzu was an ancient Mesopotamian or Assyro-Babylonian god that was the king of the demons of the wind. He brought storms and drought, and although recognised as an evil spirit, he also drove away other evil spirits. He strives to protect us from plagues and misfortunes, and his rival, Lamashtu, causes harm to mother and baby during childbirth.

He is known as both a demon and a god, but in The Exorcist is recognised more as the former.

We do catch a couple glimpses of Pazuzu, but we only see his face clearly when he begins to take over young Regan. The pasty white face and blood red eyes don’t fit ancient lore: Pazuzu is traditionally depicted as having the head of a lion, the body of a human, the talons of an eagle, a pair of wings, a scorpion’s tail, and a ‘serpentine penis’ (I can’t work out if this is the penis of a snake or a penis that looks like a snake and like I don’t wanna know k).

The Exorcism Of Roland Doe

It’s one of the most famous cases of possession - and we don’t even know who the victim actually was.

In 1949, American newspapers began to pick up on the story of an exorcism in Maryland. A teenage boy was at the centre of mysterious poltergeist activity after the death of his spiritualist aunt. She was the one that first introduced him to an ouija board.

After typical paranormal activity took place, priests were summoned to exorcism him. During these exorcisms, furniture began to move by itself, the boy began to attack priests with rogue bedsprings, he began to speak in an unknown voice, the mattress he lay on began to shake, and words like “evil” and “hell” began to appear in scratches upon his body.

It was a very similar state to the one Regan was in during The Exorcist.

Roland Doe (a pseudonym, obviously) to this day has remained anonymous, and - if alive - he would be 86 years old.

Despite this being the most known case of alleged possession - rivalling only that of Anneliese Michel - it has received a large dose of skepticism and debunking. The supposed location of the exorcism and some personal details of Roland Doe have been contested. Plus, many believe Doe was actually a spoiled, attention-seeking bully who simply repeated Latin phrases heard at school in order to create some elaborate prank.

Regardless of whether it was real or not, it is a landmark moment in paranormal history.

And 300 years before a 14 year old lutheran began to growl Latin at his family members, a group of women began to show similar signs of a haunting.

The Possessed Affair Of Loudon And Aix-en-Provence

I’ve already introduced you to the possessed nuns of Loudon. But it turns out The Exorcist also took inspiration in another French convent: Aix-en-Provence.

The nuns of Loudon pinned their possession on the demon Asmodai and gave a number of different answers as to who summoned it. Some claimed it was either a priest named Peter or Zabulon (a biblical figure). But a week after this, a man named Urbain Grandier who had amassed a lot of power and a strained reputation in the community was considered the culprit.

Soon after the nuns first exhibited strange behaviour, they were hidden away and the symptoms stopped.

The accusations levelled against Grandier were clearly inspired by political motives as he had publicly attacked the cardinal’s work and the taking down of the wall. But locals say he would appear at random in the convent with no one sure as to how he got inside. It was even claimed that he had made a pact with the devil - from which a physical contract was supposedly uncovered - and that he had attended witch’s sabbat.

The priest was executed for sorcery and given ‘the boot’ (a method of torture).

Loudon and Aix-en-Provence are considered cases that fit in well with wider witch trials taking place across western Europe in the 17th century. The possession of the Ursuline nuns of Aix-en-Provence were similar to that of Loudon - but were just a tad more mental.

20 years before Grandier was convicted, a young woman, Madeleine de Demandolx, confessed to the superior of the convent that she had been intimate with the local priest. She was sent away to Aix-en-Provence to get some distance but soon began to do some rather out-of-character things.

She would have convulsions and soon the other nuns began to do the same. It appeared to be contagious.

But things got hella weird when the nuns gathered together in a holy cave that Mary Magdalene was meant to have once lived in (Sainte-Baume) to be exorcised. Instead of just shaking, they all tried to outdo each other in symptoms of possession.

Once would cuss fervently; another would speak in a deep, demonic voice.

A political story soon unravelled full of accusations, executions, and even Madeleine being released from jail at 77 for her alleged witchcraft.

So - are you ever going to watch The Exorcist after this?

(Me neither.)

If you liked this post, go on and let me know with a like ‘n’ a reblog. And if you want to hear somethin’ spooky every Saturday, go on and hit follow!

[sheep-goat-child]

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to all of my new followers:

(pls be sure to read my carrd (especially before following me) if the information i provided below is way too much for you)

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hi there! im sheepy! i am a 21-year-old auDHD wiccan demigirl lesbian who is an artist, animator and future graphic designer!! i mainly draw anime-esque anthropomorphic animals and fandom-based art.

speaking of, lets look at my hyperfixations/special interests below:

- cookie run + cookie run kingdom *

- animal crossing

- fnaf (currently obsessed with/lh)*

- sanrio *

- care bears *

- pastel goth fashion *

- denpa games, anime, and music*

- webkinz *

- littlest pet shop *

- pop, rock, metal, and more music genres *

- when they cry (higurashi, umineko and ciconia) *

- anime, manga, and visual novels *

- show by rock!! *

- horror (depends on the kind of horror tho =P)

- pokémon

- cartoons

- rilakkuma

- tokidoki

- gloomy bear

- kidcore *

- pastels *

- vaporwave *

- 80s retro *

- holidays (e.g. halloween & christmas)

- and much more!

(*= main fixations)

(please note that i can be very critical of some of my interests)

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before you follow: i wont always respond to dms (from here, discord, instagram, etc.) right away due to personal life, not knowing how to respond properly (e.g. sending a "yeah" would make me not know how to respond properly) and just me being busy constantly. please dont feel like you did something wrong. i really do appreciate your concern tho; please be sure to use tone indicators when interacting with me; if i accidentally follow/interact with someone problematic, please let me know by dming me or tagging me in callout posts, dont block me even if we arent mutuals (will result in me blocking you back lol); i sometimes have a tendency to accidentally like, attempt to retweet/reblog stuff, and/or follow you, i apologize in advance, im just really shy and awkward sometimes; i sometimes make spelling/grammatical errors, and sometimes will add an extra space (without knowing right away) when i type (which i edit usually unless its twitter)

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do not interact with me if youre: a MAP/pedo, homophobic, transphobic, a terf, a truscum, a tr*mp supporter, anti-BLM/anti-ACAB, islamophobic, racist, ableist, sexist/misogynistic, a bigoted religious person, a toxic person, an art thief/tracer, a proshipper/anti-anti, a nsfw/smut fic blog, ddlg/abdl/age-play/pet-play/kink/other variants, anti agere/anti cglre/anti petre/think agere/cglre/petre are sexual, mcyt/dmsp/etc. (mutuals/people i follow are exempt, but please know that you’re on thin ice right now/srs), a zionist, or a bad person in general (there's more to add but theyre listed in my carrd)

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my discomforts:

- religion (specifically christianity and it’s variants)

- eye contact

- spiders

- bugs (except for butterflies, praying mantises and ladybugs)

- cows mooing

- really loud noises

(catch call is sheepy dont look)

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heres what i draw:

got any questions? don’t hesitate to ask via my ask inbox and/or dms! many thanks and have an amazing day!! 💙

oh! and quick reminder: if you follow any of my side blogs or my art blog, i will follow back as @sheep-goat-child (my main blog)

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blog tags:

#art by op

#art goals (alternate "art by others" tag)

#friend art

#mutual's art

#sheep goat bleats stuff

#sheep goat draws stuff*

#sheep goat listens to stuff

#sheep goat replies to peeps

#sheep goat answers stuff

#sheep goat submits your stuff

#sheep goats favorite fashion trends

#sheep goats favorite aesthetics

#sheep goats favorite music

#sheep goat plays games

#sheep goat bleats out story times

#funny stuff

#wholesome stuff

#fav

(* tag is mainly used on my art blog and my fnaf au blog)

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game ids:

cookie run ovenbreak: XHGMV8338

cookie run kingdom: MQJKM6416 (palaceofmacarons; Pure Vanilla Server)

fnaf ar: CC171E3E271F2083

animal crossing pocket camp: 8883 8683 678

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other social media platforms:

instagram: @sheep.goat_child13

fnaf au instagram: @fazbearpokerpizzagalore

twitter: @sheepg0atchild

art twitter: @sheepgoatart

fnaf au twitter: @FNAF_FPPGAU (inactive)

cohost: @sheep-goat-child (basically it's the same handle as my tumblr handle haha)

ko-fi: sheepgoatchild

discord: sheepgoat_child

fnaf au discord server:

my discord server (mutuals only!):

tumblr: youre here lol

art blog: @sheep-goat-art

fnaf au blog: @fazbear-poker-pizza-galore

doodle stash blog: @sheepysdoodlestash (16+ recommended)

(* account is under construction)

enjoy your stay, and thanks for reading my pinned/carrd! 💕

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[the-velveteen-victorian]

Elle can you explain what goth is? Google is really inconsistent and I’m having such a difficult time understanding it. When did you find out you were goth?

Definitely! This is a long response just so you are prepared. =) Goth is a music-based subculture. You are correct… Google is not a good resource for discovering what goth is. Unfortunately, a lot of “goth” guide books aren’t either (I know one of them features a lot of emo bands?). First off, let’s just get out of the way what goth is not. Goth is not emo or metal. Avenged Sevenfold, My Chemical Romance, and Pantera are not goth. Goth is not white supremacy. Yes, those of us with naturally pale skin sometimes strive to keep our skin tones light, but goth is a home to people of all skin/hair/eye colors. Anyone who says you can only be a pale, white person is disgusting. Goth is not associated with any religion, philosophy, political inclination, or specific belief system. There are Christian, Hindu, Atheist, New Age, Shinto, Muslim, Republican, Democrat, Green Party, pineapple on pizza, no pineapple on pizza goths. You get my point. =)

Wearing goth fashion does not make someone goth, no matter how great the outfit may be. I (and most goths, elder and younger) define goth as someone who has an intense interest and passion for goth music. That’s it. Sure, most of us will gravitate toward darker aesthetics and like to wear the fashion when we can, but it is absolutely NOT a requirement. That is what google gets so wrong. One of the goth ladies I know spends 80% of her time in scrubs. She loves her job as a nurse practitioner and she has to have a more conservative look while she is working. She can’t wear the fashion more often than a couple times a month. She listens to goth music every day and is super knowledgeable about it. Is she goth? Yes. Conversely, I know a lot of teenagers who are trying to figure out who they are (which is TOTALLY FINE). They actually do a really great job of diy-ing goth looks, but they do not listen to goth music at all. Most of them listen to metal, emo, or country music. Do I consider them goth? No. But I do not judge them for it. Music is about what speaks to you and goth is in no way superior to any other musical taste.

With the rise of “pastel goth” and fashion trends on tumblr/social media, I think a lot of people get misled. This is why it is so important to have some level of contact with the actual goth community. Covid showed us that it is possible to do this online! We can attend online goth nights, get the set lists and analyze goth club music trends from our homes, and have zoom dance sessions! I really love the flexibility and versatility that the pandemic revealed to the goth community… because a lot of goths don’t live in cities with a big goth scene.

How did I discover I was goth? By beautiful accident. =) I was 15, and I struggled to have any level of autonomy or self-expression at all. I grew up in a conservative family (Christian/religious) cult. That rabbit hole runs deep and is a separate story for another time. The point is that I had very limited contact with the outside world apart from my private school, church, and Christian-group violin lessons. However! I received a nano ipod from an extended family member for Christmas one year. I copied a bunch of CD’s from Christian acquaintances at my church and filled the ipod up with the generic contemporary Christian and overstimulating broadway musicals endemic to the culture around me… it was all I had. Then, one day I discovered a goth band. I had no idea they were a goth band. I was obsessed with their sound. I can’t remember which platform I found them on, but I remember I did not have a video with it… so I’m thinking I was on the itunes store. I had chills and for the first time every something felt “right” in the music world for me.

Goth music begets more goth music… Itunes recommended other bands like the one I had found. I only had the money to buy a few albums over the course of a year, but I would retitle the songs and albums as Christian or Disney compilations so that my parents would never suspect what I was listening to (they regularly went through my ipod to make sure I wasn’t listening to anything worldly). One day, I was listening to some of my goth music with another confirmed atheist at my private Christian school and he was like, “OMG I had no idea you were a goth!” I was super confused and was all like, “No, I’m not. I don’t even know what that is…” This guy was a metalhead, but he had a ton of goth friends and he gave me my first thorough education on everything goth. I was 15 at the time, and it was not until nearly 4 years later that I would escape my family and truly come to integrate in the goth community.

Long story short, I started out with the music with no clue about the fashion. I think I was very fortunate in that because it gave me time to develop my musical preferences and tastes without feeling pressured to fit into a tiny little box. Later, when I was free, I did develop a goth wardrobe and (of course) decorated my house in a dark romantic/Victorian style…. But I never felt like those things were vital to who I was as a goth. I’m really thankful for that.

Please understand, that I do not want to erase the incredible goth fashion magicians out there or diminish the hard work someone may put into their personal look or aesthetic. The goth aesthetic is the heartbeat behind the unparalleled, transcendent feeling I have in a goth club or just in my own bedroom. It definitely adds to the experience. All I am saying is that those things alone do not a goth make. I also grew up obsessed with (gothic) Victorian literature... it took me awhile to put 2 and 2 together for that one too lol.

My controversial opinion here is that I do believe that some level of gatekeeping is necessary to keeping goth alive today. Unfortunately, it is an endangered species as subcultures go… this is not because there are not any goths. It is because the mainstream has appropriated it and defined it as fashion ONLY, which then confuses people who go to the surface level of the internet to get answers… which then creates a whole following that erases what goth truly is.

However, I need to explain that when most people refer to gatekeeping, they are talking about bullying. I am defining gatekeeping as providing a definition for the heart of the goth movement and sticking to it. Bullying is never acceptable. Ever. The example I employ a lot utilizes musical genre as an example. Let’s say you put on a Carnifex t-shirt and wear it a lot. But…. You don’t listen to metal because it just is not your sound. You don’t talk to other people about metal music, seek out the aesthetic, have more than 2 songs on your phone with metal music, or (want) to attend metal events. Are you a metalhead? No, of course not. But are you inferior to metalheads because you choose to listen to classical and hip-hop music? No, of course not. Another example: Let’s say you don’t like coffee. You don’t regularly drink it, read about it, or have an interest in it. Are you a coffee enthusiast? No, of course not. Are you inferior to those who do drink coffee? No, of course not. But it would be ridiculous to feel pressured to fit the mold of a coffee enthusiast, right?

It is never wrong to define what something is and to stick to your guns on it as long as you do not cross over into elitist territory, thinking you are better than everyone else. That is the point I want to get across here. Goth fashion does own my heart, but I also sometimes dress in dark academia, cottagecore, dark mori, and even in 80’s retrofuturistic styles when the mood strikes me. It does not change my involvement in the goth community or erase my love for goth music.

Lastly, a question I get a lot (and I have addressed this in previous posts) is, “I am obsessed with goth music… I have a wide knowledge base that I have spent great amounts of time developing and it is my life… but I also like Lil Peep, Lady Gaga, ‘gothic’ metal, and Lana Del Rey. Am I still goth?” The answer is YES. Of course you are! Loving goth music and being obsessed doesn’t mean you can’t like other things. Anyone in the goth community who tells you have to ONLY listen to goth music is full of crap. Eighty percent of my ipod is goth music… I am lucky to have thousands of songs. (And by the way, if you cannot afford a lot of goth music, you are not less goth than the rest of us. Listening for free is just as valid.) The other twenty percent is classical and synthwave/cybersynth/retrowave/darkly inclined/spacewave/video game sountrack/cyberpunk-inspired stuff. Am I any less of a goth for also being obsessed with the retrowave community or for listening to bands that are darkly inclined but not quite goth? No, of course not. Also, you can be darkly inclined without being goth, and that is just as beautiful. =) My husband is darkly inclined and likes some goth music, but he is more involved in the horror community. He is no less valid and freaking awesome than I am.

I hope this makes sense! This is a subject I feel passionate about. Just to recap, the pillars of fashion, gothic literature, and general aesthetics are valid in the goth scene and contribute greatly to the structural integrity of the whole. However, the soul of goth is in the music. I have hearing loss myself and have a couple of friends who are completely deaf who also agree that the music is the soul of goth. The way they engage is by reading the lyrics and even going to goth clubs when they can to dance and feel the beat. =) I think that is beautiful and so amazing. Hearing disabilities do not disqualify you from the goth scene- anyone who says they do is garbage.  

Here are a couple of videos explaining a bit about what goth music actually is. Let me know if you would like more resources! Angela Benedict did a video where she answered the question, “Can you be goth and not like the music?” Her answer is also no. She is a great youtuber to watch because she was there for the 90’s goth scene! It is so fun to hear her stories and learn about the elder goth generations. <3

Goth music is not just goth rock… there are SOOOOO many subgenres under the massive umbrella that is goth. It is a big universe to explore. =) If you would like a list of some of my favorite goth bands AND goth adjacent bands, then I can do a separate post for that- just ask! Thank you for tolerating my info-dumping. =) <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKDo_j0O-hA&t=116s – Accumortis on goth music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGj3CuAeW1w – Angela Benedict on goth music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg3HwuFlGeU&t=587s – Angela Benedict on defining goth

[letterboxd]

How I Letterboxd #9: Julie Collette.

Christmas movie lover Julie Collette tells Jack Moulton all about her seasonal movie habits, the best big screen Santa Claus of all time, disability visibility in festive films, and some of the weirder holiday picks.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: when Letterboxd members turn to the Neverending Christmas List to help plan their Christmas movie viewing. Arrange it by highest rated, arrange it by newest release, or by popularity—any which way, there’s something for everyone, from corny TCM romances to obscure seasonal horrors.

Created six years ago by Canadian member Julie Collette, the list runs to more than 4,300 titles, and contains the word ‘Christmas’ 1,837 times at last count. Julie and her husband are die-hard Letterboxd fans, having allegedly used the platform every day for the past nine years. She’s logged every film she’s seen in theaters since 1996.

A message from John McClane in ‘Die Hard’ (1988).

What inspired your Neverending Christmas List? Can you please explain the minimum requirement for eligibility? My husband had told me about a list on Letterboxd of Every Horror Film Made from 1895–Present and that gave me the idea to start the neverending Christmas list. My eligibility rules are not strict at all. It can be a film that centers on or around Christmas time. Even New Year’s counts in my book—as long as there’s a moment in the film that has a Christmas song, a Christmas scene, or Christmas decorations. Die Hard is definitely a Christmas film. First of all, it takes place on Christmas Eve at an office Christmas party. There’s that great note that John McClane sends to Hans Gruber on a dead guy’s shirt: “Now I have a machine gun, ho-ho-ho.” Now that’s Christmas! There are a couple of titles that test my relaxed requirements. Examples would be Psycho—there are a few Christmas decorations at the beginning [and Bryan Fuller agrees]—and the documentary Beauty Day by Canadian director Jay Cheel, which has Christmas lights at the end.

And what percentage of the films have you seen? As of right now, I've watched 20 percent—that’s 882 of the 4,322 films on the list. I’ve got a lot of homework to do. Here’s a few hidden gems I recommend: Mon oncle Antoine, Holiday Affair, Remember the Night, Olivia, On the Twelfth Day…, Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas and One Christmas, which is Katherine Hepburn’s last role.

David Bowie and Bing Crosby sing ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ in ‘Bing Crosby’s Merrie Old Christmas’ (1977).

When does your Christmas movie viewing season start? I usually start mid-November to try to keep up with the TV rom-coms because they start to air even before Hallowe’en. This year on Hallowe’en night we rewatched The Night of the Hunter and I had forgotten that there was a sequence that was set at Christmas time. It was a perfect segue between Hallowe’en and Christmas, so I started November 1st. As far as how I pick what to watch, I go through my list and randomly pick some. I try to watch as many first-time watches and mix up the genres. But the closer I get to Christmas, the more I want to watch my favorites—for the most part I go with the flow. Christmas Day is usually a day of family time, but I try to sneak in one favorite if I can.

What was the first Christmas film that got you into all of this? I’ve always loved Christmas and growing up I watched the yearly airings of vintage Christmas cartoons and A Muppet Family Christmas. When Home Alone came out it was an instant obsession, then Home Alone 2: Lost in New York was just as good. Even now it’s our yearly tradition for my husband and I to watch the Home Alones while we decorate the Christmas tree.

If not Home Alone, what is your all-time favorite Christmas film? It’s a Wonderful Life is up there for me. Partly because growing up I watched it every Christmas Eve and kind of forced my dad to watch it with me. I think he secretly didn’t mind. As a kid, I didn’t dwell on the sad parts of the story, I just wanted to go to that candy shop and run in Bedford Falls like George in that beautiful thick fake snow. Now as an adult, I appreciate the story about a small town coming together to support a man at his lowest of lows more. Jimmy Stewart is amazing as George Bailey and we can all see ourselves at some point in his journey in the film. The chemistry and comedic timing between Stewart and Donna Reed is one of the best. Every time they sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’, I always get a bit misty-eyed.

メリークリスマス Japanese style, in ‘Tokyo Godfathers’ (2003).

What have you noticed about the ways in which Christmas films have changed over the years? In classic Christmas storytelling, there are a lot more religion-centered ones like The Bishop’s Wife and It’s a Wonderful Life. The ’80s and ’90s were about the blockbusters that the whole family could enjoy; Batman Returns, Home Alone, and The Santa Clause. The last twenty years have brought us a lot of different movies, but I do find that the start of the 2000s had a better crop of Christmas movies; Love Actually, Elf, Tokyo Godfathers, Far from Heaven, Bridget Jones’s Diary, About a Boy and so many more. The last decade has been saturated by the rom-coms of Hallmark, Lifetime and their imitators, but from the last five years, a few stand out that could be destined to become Christmas classics: Carol, Little Women and The Night Before.

The best, most rewatched Christmas stories tend to be remade. Do you have a classic Christmas story that you always love, no matter who’s telling it? Hands down Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. From my favorite—Scrooge—to The Muppet Christmas Carol, to Scrooged. Growing up, I had the book of Mickey’s Christmas Carol and I loved the cartoon adaptation. I love to see the different actors’ excitement and elation at the end when Scrooge wakes up on Christmas Day. My ultimate favorite is Alistair Sim in 1951’s Scrooge. He’s so jubilant asking the maid what day it is and wishing himself Merry Christmas in the mirror. It’s a bit darker than others. When I was a kid, the intro with Jacob Marley and the build-up of the chains scared me, but I couldn’t stop watching. Patrick Stewart’s Ebenezer [in the 1999 TV movie] is also great for his relief that he survived the journey through time. What an actor! An honorable mention to The Shop Around the Corner, In the Good Old Summertime and You’ve Got Mail, which are all based on [the 1937 Hungarian play Parfumerie by Miklós László].

A Christmas Treat in ‘Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square’ (2020).

Treat Williams stars in not one but two of this season’s films (who knew he could sing?!). Which actors bring that special spark to festive films for you? Yes, and boy can he sing! Another actor who can sing and puts me straight in the Christmas mood is Bing Crosby. Those classic songs in White Christmas and Holiday Inn are favorites of mine. Jimmy Stewart is an obvious one. He has that charm that’s perfect for Christmas movies, especially in The Shop Around the Corner.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure on the list? Why do we love cheesy movies so much?! Every year I watch TCM’s Classic Christmas marathon [but I also watch] the Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas rom-coms. For me, I love them partly because there’s always a happy ending. I love to see all the decorations and all the cute small towns—some I wish existed so I could visit them because they’re so darn cute! Another reason I love them is the nostalgia, as some of the better ones star TV actors from the ’90s and ’00s like Candice Cameron Bure, Lacey Chabert, Jonathan Bennett, Adrian Grenier, Mario Lopez, Alicia Witt, Alison Sweeney and so many others.

One of the other great Christmas-themed lists on Letterboxd is the one about Christmas movie posters with white heterosexual couples wearing red and green—though many members pride themselves on having seen none of them. I like those movies because I can zone out and enjoy the predictable Christmas ride. However, like other Letterboxd members, I know that these aren’t Oscar-caliber films—though some are better than others! I’m glad that the powers that make these movies are starting to be more inclusive with more POC and LGTBQ+ characters. As a wheelchair user with a physical disability, I was happy to see that Lifetime has an upcoming one called Christmas Ever After, starring Ali Stroker.

Ali Stroker finds love in ‘Christmas Ever After’ (2020).

Indeed, our Make the Yuletide Gay list is an attempt to highlight queer festive films, but the pickings have been slim. Yes, very slim. There’s been queer characters in Christmas films but it’s your stereotypical gay friend or something like that. This year I feel there’s a shift in the air to be more inclusive. My favorites this year so far have been the star-filled lesbi-rom-com Happiest Season, The Christmas House—featuring a landmark first gay couple in a Hallmark festive film, Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square and Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey—with Ricky Martin! I’m looking forward to checking out A New York Christmas Wedding, The Christmas Setup and Dashing in December.

What is the scariest Christmas film that your horror-loving husband has made you watch? The best one is Black Christmas. I love that it’s female-centered and ahead of its time in their portrayals. The killer’s POV really gets me into it and still to this day puts me on edge, so much so that an ornament fell off our tree while watching it this year and it freaked me out!

Also, should we be watching The Nightmare Before Christmas on Hallowe’en or on Christmas? I watch The Nightmare Before Christmas on both holidays so you get the best of both worlds—the ghoulishness of Hallowe’en and the merriment of Christmas!

What other films on your list show Christmas in an unusual light? The first weird one that popped to mind is The Star Wars Holiday Special. That was weird! Also, from what I’ve watched I would say Eyes Wide Shut, The Ref and 3 Godfathers are not your usual Christmas films. I do have quite a few on the list I have to watch that seem weird and unusual like Elves, Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

[Editor’s note: Previous How I Letterboxd interviewee Dave Vis urges you not to watch Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny under any circumstances.]

Which actor is the quintessential Santa Claus? For me, it’s the Santa in Miracle on 34th Street, played by Edmund Gwenn. He truly embodied the part in the way he plays Kris Kringle. The gentleness and innocence he shows throughout the film is magical. It’s no wonder he won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his performance.

Gunn Wållgren in ‘Fanny and Alexander’ (1982).

Of course, so many films in the Christmas canon are American films. What are some of the best Christmas films from around the world? This question makes me realize I haven’t watched enough Christmas movies from around the world. With that being said here’s a few; A Christmas Tale from France, A Child’s Christmas in Wales from the UK, Tokyo Godfathers from Japan and Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander from Sweden. Mon oncle Antoine is a great Canadian film set in a small mining village during Christmas. It reminded me of the stories my mom and grandma talked about their Christmas traditions in their small village.

Are there any overrated classics you want to protest? I didn’t watch A Christmas Story growing up, so when I finally did watch it as an adult, I didn’t connect with it. The iconic scenes are funny and all, but it’s just okay. Now I’ll be on my hubby’s naughty list!

Does the film marathon continue through that purgatory week between Christmas and New Year? Do you have any film-related traditions to ring in the New Year? It does continue during that week to a certain extent. Some years after Christmas I’m done and what I haven’t watched goes to the following year but other years I can watch a few more and not feel overwhelmed. On New Year’s we have no traditions per se, but this year we might do a Tarantino marathon.

Christmas season is also synonymous with awards season. You keep track of a lot of Academy Awards history. How are you feeling about the awards season this year? First off, like many others, I haven’t even set foot in a theater this year and that is sad. I hope that the theater-going experience is not irreparably damaged. One good thing that came from the pandemic is film festivals streamed online and we were fortunate to watch some great titles from TIFF from the comfort of our home in September. I saw Nomadland, and it’s going to be a frontrunner for many of the main categories. I hope Regina King’s One Night in Miami gets some love. Miranda July’s Kajillionaire script is so unique—Evan Rachel Wood and Richard Jenkins should be contenders. I haven’t watched a lot of docs yet but Boys State stands out. I’m also eager to see First Cow, Minari, Ammonite, The Truffle Hunters, Soul, Mank, The Father and Promising Young Woman.

This Christmas is going to be weird for a lot of people. What’s one film you’d recommend for a guaranteed happiness injection? Weird indeed. If I have to pick just one it would be John Favreau’s Elf. Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf instantly brings a smile to my face. You can feel his joy for Christmas from start to finish. From the classic claymation, to New York City at Christmas, to eating all that sugar, to that hilarious scene with Peter Dinklage—it’s Christmas gold!

And finally, are there some other Letterboxd members you recommend we follow? Emily, Flurryheaven, Guyzo997, Peter Spencer, Michael Dean, Brent Vanhomwegen, Ara Hiddleston and also some more Christmas lists.

[aion-rsa]

The 20 Best Horror Movies on Netflix UK – Scary Films to Watch Right Now

https://ift.tt/2RE5emn

Netflix is an ever-changing, constantly growing treasure trove of hidden gems and secret delights (here’s everything new on Netflix UK this month). Sometimes, a teeny bit too secret though.

Who hasn’t sat down to watch a horror movie and found themselves scrolling endlessly, either not being able to find something they’re in the mood for, or not really knowing what half the titles are, or if they’re any good?

We’ve scoured the full current catalogue available to watch in the UK now and picked out the best scary movies. It’s a mix of classic and new, and a range of slashers, horror-coms, mumblegore, monster movies and more to hopefully scratch that itch with ease.

We’ll keep this updated as and when titles drop in and out of the service.

Hereditary (2018)

If you haven’t seen this slice of trauma, the feature debut of Ari Aster, you probably should. If you have seen it, you probably won’t want to again. Toni Collette stars as a woman whose controlling mother has just passed away setting of a series of horrible events. Aster says the film was partly inspired by his own sense of his family being cursed – this a movie absolutely drenched in grief and pain with astonishing performances all round. It’s tough going, but it’s a masterpiece. Read our review.

The Platform (2019)

This existential Spanish horror made a splash at the start of lockdown with it’s tale of prisoner trapped in an enormous vertical prison with a platform at it’s centre which delivers food to the inmate floor by floor starting at the top, so that each floor only gets what the floor above has left over. It’s political, allegorical, it’s clever and it’s very violent.

The Endless (2017)

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s gorgeous sci-fi horror stars the two as brother who escaped from a cult ten years ago and are drawn back in in search of answers when a strange videotape arrives. This is their third movie after Resolution and Spring and the two are only growing in strength as directors – The Endless is rammed with indelible imagery and deeply unsettling moments within a plot that is a joy to unpick.

What Keeps You Alive (2018)

Couple Jackie and Jules head to a remote woodland cabin to celebrate their first wedding anniversary but things go bad… Ok this sounds like the most generic slasher in the world but trust us it’s not. Twists hit early on (that we’d hate to spoil) and the tension ramps up fast in a very effective cat and mouse chase with a female bent. This comes from Colin Minihan who made Grave Encounters – this isn’t similar but both have a disorientating sense of place. Read our review.

Orphan (2009)

Released during the heyday of Dark Castle’s mid-budget horror splurge, Orphan is one of those genre films with an absolutely ludicrous (and therefore thoroughly enjoyable) twist, which we will not spoil for you. Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga star as a couple mourning the loss of their baby, who decided to adopt a little Russian girl called Esther from the local orphanage. Things quickly start to go very, very wrong as the pair start to suspect that wee Esther – who insists on dressing like a spooky doll – isn’t all she appears to be. Check out our review.

Insidious (2010)

The many sequels may have yielded diminishing returns but the first of this franchise, about a couple (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) whose comatose son appeared to be trapped in another realm by a evil spirit, is a very effective chiller. Horror genius James Wan directs, and the first half of this movie at least is pretty much guaranteed to make you jump out of your skin.

Annihilation (2018)

An all star cast including Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tessa Thompson, plus the quality direction of Alex Garland wasn’t enough to secure this horror sci-fi based on Jeff Vandermeer’s novel a theatrical release in the UK. Nevermind, that just means you can watch it for free on Netflix. Portman joins a crew of women exploring the mysterious Area X where he husband ventured some time before and came back changed. It’s a weird, unfamiliar landscape of beautiful flora and terrifying fauna defying explanation until the strange, indelible finale (not sure what it means? Have a read of this explainer). And you can check out our review, too if you like.

Daybreakers (2009)

You’ll get a little bit of everything with this Spierig Brothers curio. It was the film that really got the directing team noticed and it’s not hard to see why. Set in a dystopian world where basically everyone has been turned into a vampire, one corporation thinks it’d be a bloody (sorry) good idea to track down all the surviving humans and…well, basically milk them. Ethan Hawke stars as a vampire haematologist who starts to think there might be another way for this story to go after he’s collared by a former vampire (Willem Dafoe), who can cure everyone. (Living) dead good. Check out our review.

The Bar (2017)

Slightly bonkers Spanish horror thriller which sees a bunch of strangers stuck in a busy Madrid cafe when snipers begin shooting anyone who tries to leave. Confusion and personality clashes abound in this economical single location chiller with a dark sense of human as the inhabitants slowly discover what’s going on, who’s responsible and try to work out if and how they will survive.

Read more

TV

Netflix UK: What’s New in April 2020?

By Kirsten Howard

TV

21 underappreciated films to watch on Netflix UK

By Paul Bradshaw and 2 others

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s love/hate letter to the horror genre felt like something of a game changer when it finally arrived (it was shelved for several years because of financial issue with original distributor MGM). Chris Hemsworth and Haley Bennett star in a double layer story about ordinary kids vacationing in a woodland cabin, with Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins as very particular kinds of bureaucrats up to something in the background. No spoilers, just watch. Here’s our review.

Cargo (2017)

Martin Freeman stars in this Netflix original developed from a short directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke. Set in the Australian outback, Freeman is a father trying to find someone to protect his child in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. More wistful and emotional than that sounds on paper, there’s a fascinating subplot about an Aboriginal girl mourning her father and the final set piece is unforgettable. Check out our review.

Lifeforce (1985)

A Cannon Films classic directed by late Texas Chain Saw legend Tobe Hooper, people are still discovering the ’80s madness that is Lifeforce. Originally entitled Space Vampires, it’s exactly what you’d expect, and so much more. Nude, energy sucking bat creatures are brought back to Earth after an interstellar mission finds a gaggle of them lying dormant in Halley’s Comet, and it all goes very badly for the planet. You can expect a scenery-chewing Patrick Stewart to pop up in between the tits and gore. Not literally! Although, sometimes literally.

Creep (2014)

No, not the one set on the tube, this ‘mumblegore’ horror is far weirder than that. Director Patrice Brice plays Aaron, a videographer hired by Mark Duplass’s Josef to make a video for his kid to watch after he’s died of a terminal illness. Or does he? Playing on the power of politeness and the awkwardness of male relationships this is a highly original, itchily uncomfortable watch. Creep 2 is also on Netflix, and also good!

Read more

TV

17 of the best TV series on Netflix UK

By Louisa Mellor

TV

Underappreciated comedy movies on Netflix UK to watch now

By Mark Harrison and 1 other

Hush (2016)

Another smart sensory-based horror, this time from Oculus and Doctor Sleep man Mike Flanagan. This home invasioner sees deaf writer Maddie (Kate Siegel) attacked in her woodland retreat by a masked stranger. He uses her inability to hear to sneak around and terrorise her, but she has tricks of her own up her sleeve. Check out our review.

The Invitation (2015)

Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body, Destroyer) just keeps knocking it out of the park (and she’s recently been attached to a Dracula movie from Blumhouse Productions), and with The Invitation she continued to secure her place as one of the best directors around. Here, Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and his girlfriend go to a party held by his formerly suicidal ex-wife, and discover that she seems to be happier than she ever was, but Will starts to suspect that rather than healthily coping with her mental illness, she may well have joined a doomsday cult instead, and be planning to kill them all. Paranoia and tension are at the max in this bad boy. Here’s our review.

Little Evil (2017)

Comedy horror from Eli Craig who made the wonderful Tucker and Dale Vs Evil. This time he’s playing on creepy kid tropes, particular those from The Omen movies. Adam Scott plays a man who discovers his new wife’s (Evangeline Lilly) son might actually be the anti-christ. And because it’s Eli Craig, of course it’s funny and very good natured as well as playing with the genre.

Gerald’s Game (2017)

Another Mike Flanagan offering here – what can we say? he’s damn good! – as Jessie (a spectacular Carla Guigino) and her husband Gerald drive to a remote house to try and spice up their marriage with a bit of gentle BDSM. One problem: Jessie is not into it. At all. Two problems: Gerald carks it, leaving her tied up with only her cunning to help her free herself from her prone, handcuffed predicament. Three problems: a mythical, supernatural killer may be in the house. Stephen King, you’ve done it again. Read our review.

Ravenous (2017)

Unusual Canadian zombie movie (in French) which sees remaining stragglers after an outbreak of the infected band together in disparate groups travelling to find other survivors. Ravenous sets up its infected as worshipping a sort of new religion of found items (chairs, TVs etc.) making comment on the zombification of society. It’s also funny and quite scary, so there’s that.

Veronica (2017)

Loosely based on a true story, Veronica is set in Madrid in 1991 and follows a young woman who messes with a Ouija board who thinks she’s accidentally summoned an evil spirit. Director by Paco Plaza, one of the two directors behind [REC], the movie gained minor notoriety when it first landed on Netflix because of a few viewers finding it overly scary. It’s true there are some seriously creepy bits (but you’ll be fine!).

The Perfection (2018)

Get Out‘s Allison Williams and Dear White People‘s Logan Browning star in this twisty, trashy but nonetheless enjoyable tale of two musical prodigies hothoused at a mysterious academy. It’s lurid and lavish (and it’s got some fairly dodgy sexual politics, we’d warn you) but great lead performances and a tricksy three act structure that keeps you guessing, make this an entertaining and unusual Friday night pick. Read our review.

Want more horror? Here’s our list of 81 genuinely creepy horror movies. Here are some horror movies it’s safe to watch with your kids. And here are some underappreciated Scream-inspired horror movies of the 90s.

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from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/33vglD3

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Bad Moon on the rise

Overcoming his church’s bizarre reputation and his own criminal record, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon has cemented ties with the Bush administration, while his disciples have even gained government funding.

By John Gorenfeld       September 24, 2003

Last December, at his three-day God and World Peace event, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon drew a notable slate of political figures, from Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., to Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., and, perhaps most notably, James Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, who offered some respectful opening remarks to Moon’s Unification Church faithful. Moon followed, and called for all religions to come together in support of the Bush plan for faith-based initiatives.

Coming from Moon that made perfect sense, because he already believes all religions will come together – under him. “The separation between religion and politics,” he has observed on many occasions, “is what Satan likes most.” His gospel: Jesus failed because he never attained worldly power. Moon will succeed, he says, by purifying our sex-corrupted culture, and that includes cleaning up gays (“dung-eating dogs,” as he calls them) and American women (“a line of prostitutes”). Jews had better repent, too. (Moon claims that the Holocaust was payback for the crucifixion of Christ: “Through the principle of indemnity, Hitler killed 6 million Jews.”) His solution is a world theocracy that will enforce proper sexual habits in order to bring about heaven on earth.

What sort of proper sexual habits? According to Moon, in order to restore blood purity, very specific practices are prescribed. Sex before marriage is out of the question, and when sexual consummation does happen, it must adhere to very specific instructions. First, a photograph of Moon must be nearby, so that everything occurs under the reverend’s watchful eye. After two nights of woman-on-top sex, the couple reverse positions, whereupon the man, according to Moon, restores dominion over Eve, via the proper missionary position. Then, according to the instructions attributed to the U.C.’s American Blessed Family Department, “after the act of love, both spouses should wipe their sexual areas with the Holy Handkerchief” – referring to the church-supplied washcloth – which must “be kept individually labeled and should never be laundered or mixed up.”

Incredibly, it now appears that under the new priorities of the budding Faith Based Initiative, the federal government has given Moon disciples its imprimatur – and funding.

Last summer, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gave a $475,280 grant to fund Free Teens USA, an after-school celibacy club in urban New Jersey. Free Teens USA, like other Moon civic organizations, claims it has no ties to the Unification Church. But according to documents obtained by Salon under the Freedom of Information Act, the director and chief finance officer of the Free Teens USA club, as well as others listed on the group’s board of directors, are former or present high-ranking Unification Church officials who omitted those leadership roles from their applications for the federal grant.

The small success of Free Teens’ government funding is just a small indication of the remarkable transformation of the billionaire Moon. A man who once inspired considerable public horror in the 1970s when his church faced a congressional inquiry and battled accusations of coercive recruitment and mind control, not to mention his own criminal conviction for tax fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice, now goes about his business generally unnoticed. (The Unification Church would not return calls for this story.) Along the way, he has been able to gain acceptance by the most powerful people in the country, surely with the help of his media mini-empire – including the UPI wire service and the right-wing newspapers Tiempos del Mundo, in South America, and the Washington Times, which he runs at losses well into the tens of millions every year. His exorbitant spending on politicians, largely conservative, hasn’t hurt either; his Washington Times foundation gave $1 million to the George H.W. Bush presidential library and has paid the former president untold amounts in speaking fees.

And Moon has also made impressive headway into the current Bush White House. Other administration officials have attended Moon events, including then-incoming Attorney General John Ashcroft, who attended Moon’s Inaugural Prayer Luncheon for Unity and Renewal, just before George W. Bush took office. And perhaps more important, other former and current members of his Unification faithful have ascended to high levels of the Bush administration.

There are many other signs suggesting the Unification Church keeps close tabs on Free Teens USA as providential work for Moon. In a remarkable 2000 sermon titled “God’s Tylenol”, Tyler Hendricks, president of Moon’s Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, praises the group, along with other Moon nonprofits, as helping to treat the “three headaches of God.” For headaches No. 1 and 2 (“the disunity of Christianity” and “the scourge of Communism,” respectively) Hendricks claims Moon brought God “Tylenol” in the form of his charitable, confusingly named organizations. For headache No. 3 – youthful immorality – Hendricks says that Moon prescribed the medicine of the Pure Love Alliance, Free Teens USA, and two other groups. Indeed, he said, alumni of the seminary that’s uniting Christianity are, even now, “on the frontline for the relief of God’s third headache, the decline of youth morality and the family.”

In its grant application to the Department of Health, Free Teens identifies Martin Porter as the group’s central figure. Porter – who has a Ph.D. and an MBA from Century University, a correspondence school that was in California until it fled the state in the late ’80s to avoid new regulations – discloses that he was CEO of the “Tongil Trading Company” in Toronto from 1977 to 1983. But Porter was also Moon’s chief lieutenant in Canada from 1977 to 1983, and his face appeared throughout Toronto on promotional posters that called him “Moon’s Man in Canada,” according to published church history. (Tongil, a Korean word for “unification,” sold ginseng tea and vases, and it was also affiliated with Moon’s fleet of tuna fishing boats.) ...

Read more:  https://www.salon.com/2003/09/24/moon_6/