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If You Love Twisty Mysteries, You Need To Watch ‘Shelter’ On Prime

Trisha Bartle — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 07:00:19 +0000

You know that feeling you get when you’re watching a twisty thriller and you’re filled with theories? Your mind is like one of those pinboards in a crime show, red yarn connecting the dots between motives and suspects and the clues no one else seems to have noticed. And the moment your theories come true, there’s the pride in being one of the few who figured it out. Or, even better, you end up with a twist so devious and sublime that you’re thrilled you never saw it coming. I’m always on the prowl for new twisty thrillers that can give me just that. With the amount of mysteries peppered throughout the first episode alone of Amazon Prime’s new series, Harlan Coben’s Shelter, there’s a chance you’ll experience both of those feelings.

As the name suggests, Harlan Coben’s Shelter is based on the YA coming-of-age suspense/thriller series of novels. It starts with teen Mickey Bolitar as he just moved to Los Angeles with his family. After a great day on the beach with his mother and father, a car accident injures his mom and kills his dad.

Mickey’s now back in his dad’s hometown, a small and mildly spooky suburb in New Jersey. Staying with his aunt, he’s just trying to fit in at a new school while navigating grief and loss. Everything seems okay. He makes a few friends–also outcasts like him–and even meets a girl named Ashley. She’s new to the school, too.

Harlan Coben’s Shelter

But when Ashley goes missing the next day, and some weird activity is happening in the neighborhood’s spooky and ominous house, Mickey and his friends need to figure out what’s going on in this town. Even with just the first episode, you’re introduced to an array of mysterious threads. What’s with the adults in town? What happened decades ago, and how does it now connect to Mickey and the rest of the teenagers just trying to make it through another year of high school? What happened to Ashley?

Here’s a quick look at the cast (You might recognize some familiar faces).

The Teen Cast of Harlan Coben’s Shelter

Harlan Coben’s Shelter

It’s this unlikely trio of misfits that first sets off to solve the mystery of their friends’ disappearances as well as the increasing list of oddities that unfold as they keep digging. In the center is Mickey Bolitar, the new kid who moves to this small New Jersey town after a personal tragedy. He’s played by Jaden Michael from Colin in Black & White (2021).

Joining Mickey on his journey is Spoon, to the right, the friendly-yet-quirky welcoming committee who’s Mickey’s first introduction to the school. He’s played by Adrian Greensmith, who you might know from Metal Lords (2022). And the pair finally get joined by Ema, the school outcast who clearly has some secrets of her own. She’s played by Abby Corrigan from Castle Rock (2019) and Homeland (2012).

If you’re in the mood to solve some mysteries alongside these teens, watch Harlan Coben’s Shelter now on Prime Video.

Everything We Know About The Missing Titanic Tourist Submarine

Chrissy Stockton — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 16:06:26 +0000

Social media has exploded with news that a tourist submarine meant to visit the wreckage of the Titanic has gone missing. A massive search operation is now underway. Here’s what we know so far:

Five people are aboard the Titan submarine. The ship departed Sunday morning at 9am and has a 4-day air supply. The location of the launch is about 900 miles east of Cape Cod and at a depth of 13,000 feet.
The submarine was supposed to return Sunday evening at 6:10pm.
There is one operator aboard the submarine and the other four passengers are called “mission specialists” by the company that owns the submarine, OceanGate Expeditions. The “mission specialists” pay $250,000 for their ticket aboard the Titan.
In a CBS report, missing OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush talked about buying parts of the submarine from Camping World.
The submarine was being tracked by the Polar Prince research ship but it lost contact with the submarine an hour and 45 minutes after it was launched. It takes about three hours to reach the Titanic wreckage and the submarine is expected to check in every 15 minutes.
The submarine holds enough oxygen to support the five missing people for 96 hours (4 days). This means the latest the submarine can be successfully rescued is Thursday morning.
Although the purpose of the trip is a tourist viewing of the Titanic wreckage, the submarine has only one small porthole window. Guests view the Titanic wreckage via computer screens.
Missing OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush tells CBS reporter David Pogue that the submarine is run using this gaming remote.
British billionaire and tourist, Hamish Harding, is reported to be among the missing. The other passengers are OceanGate’s CEO and founder, Stockton Rush, retired French Navy commander Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman Dawood.
An American reporter, David Pogue, has previously gone on the eight day Titan expedition and said that “everyone who goes aboard the Titan signs a waiver indicating they know it is an experimental vessel, ‘that has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body, and could result in physical injury, disability, emotional trauma or death.’” Six months ago David Pogue reported to CBS that the expedition seems unsafe, saying “It seems like this submersible has some elements of MacGyvery jerry-rigged-ness.”
So far, two crews from the U.S. Coast Guard have been deployed to search for the missing submarine. A Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft is also part of the search.
The U.S. Navy does not have a submarine capable of reaching the depth of the Titan.

How Likely You Are To Survive ‘Scream VI,’ Based On The Kind Of Horror Fan You Are

Trisha Bartle — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 20:05:04 +0000

As the release for Scream VI approaches (this Friday, March 10, 2023), the Scream stans are coming out of the woodwork to extol the virtues of the now decades-long meta-horror that originally gave a rebirth to the genre back in the ’90s. But with a new Scream–this one set in the Big Apple–there are new horror rules.

Since Randy Meeks isn’t around to tell you what not to do, I’ll leave that up to me: A Day One Scream Fan. Would you survive Ghostface stalking you through the streets of New York? It all comes down to where you land in the horror fandom. How many horror movies have you seen? What kind of horror fan are you? Read on to see if you’d survive Scream VI.

You’ve never seen a horror movie and are too scared to start now.

You definitely get extra points for being so precious and innocent. While that might have made you the “Final Girl” in any other horror movie franchise, it won’t let you live past the credits in Scream VI. You’ll make it far, but you lack the horror know-how to truly thwart a persistent Ghostface. RIP.

You actively hate horror and judge anyone who watches it.

You’re really good at killing one thing: Parties. Have you ever heard of the expression “Don’t yuck someone else’s yum?” That holier-than-thou attitude means you won’t be surviving the Scream universe. In fact, you’ll probably be the first to go. (And the audience will cheer.)

You’ve watched the classics but you wouldn’t consider yourself a horror aficionado.

If pressed (by a spooky and mysterious voice on the phone), you could probably answer some basic horror trivia questions. And if you found yourself in the movie, you know enough about the rules of slasher horror not to do something dumb like say, “I’ll be right back.” Your horror fandom cred is right alongside the forever Final Girl Sidney Prescott, so your success is all but assured.

You stick to your favorite genre and don’t venture past it.

You’re not scared of horror, you just like what you like. Maybe you’re a slasher fan, like Scream, or go for the psychological stuff like Identity. Though you’re not as likely to live as the final girl from the previous category, there’s still a 50-50 chance you’ll walk away unscathed. After all, the Scream universe, unlike other franchises, lets a lot more people live than just the one survivor. I’ll cross my fingers for you!

You’re a well-rounded horror fan with a load of trivia tucked away in that nerdy brain of yours.

Scream VI will need you around to tell the rest of the characters the new rules for survival. You’re the horror oracle, and your presence is a must. Well, at least for one movie. But just like Randy Meeks, you won’t last forever. [Insert cryface emoji here.] If Scream VI is your first movie, you’re good for now. If it’s your second or third, I’m sorry to say your usefulness has expired.

You delight in watching all the most hard-to-watch horror and judge anyone who doesn’t.

You’ll survive riiiight up until the end, when it’s revealed that you’re the killer. Then you’ll be decimated to the delight of everyone watching. Because only a slasher horror villain would scoff at people who call themselves “horror fans” while avoiding the most disturbing and shocking horror. The horror fandom gatekeeping is such a Billy Loomis or Mickey thing to do. Congrats on being Ghostface! I’m sure you’ll be really interesting for about 90 minutes.

Scream VI arrives in theaters Friday, March 10, 2023.

Why Horror Is So Much Scarier When It’s Located In A Big City

Chrissy Stockton — Sat, 04 Mar 2023 00:02:47 +0000

Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) are about to find out why New York City is such a scary horror movie setting in
Scream VI (2023).

Horror movies love to play on our fear of the unknown. This is why so many horror movies are set in or near an unfamiliar location: a cabin in the woods, a foreign country, out in space or on the open road. Another factor at play is isolation. At a quiet cabin in the woods, victims can be picked off one by one without anyone noticing. It’s rare for horror movies to be located someplace crowded with people like a busy store, a packed subway car or a city in general.

Scream (1996) played on these fears by contrasting the horror of a pair of teenage masked killers against the seemingly safe backdrop of a quiet California community. As the franchise evolved, we saw Ghostface stalking a college campus and a Los Angeles movie set before returning to Woodsboro. Wherever characters thought they would be safe, Ghostface found a way to target them.

Sheriff Judy’s (Marley Shelton) broad daylight death scene was an especially chilling part of Scream (2022).

One of the scariest scenes in the series happened in Scream (2022) when Sheriff Judy Hicks was stabbed in broad daylight in front of her suburban home. Surrounded by other houses and neighbors, it was shocking that no one intervened when it seems so unlikely that the attack went unnoticed by anyone. Were neighbors looking through the blinds afraid to intercede? Did they lock the doors while calling the police, hoping they wouldn’t be next?

At the end of Scream (2022) four young people, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown), Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding), and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) have survived a series of grisly Ghostface attacks in their hometown. After the film ends, the foursome decide to start over in the big city. If a sleepy town like Woodsboro is unsafe, perhaps they think New York City with its crowds and close quarters might provide safety in numbers. In New York, they are joined by consummate survivor Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere), who survived Ghostface in Scream 4 (2011).

Survivors Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding) will try their luck at escaping from Ghostface in New York City in Scream VI (2023).

From previews we already know that Ghostface finds the survivors in New York City and for some, there won’t be any safety in being surrounded by millions of people. Scream VI’s trailer shows Sam and Tara running into a bodega and begging the shoppers inside to help them as Ghostface is right on their heels. This is the part of the horror movie where the would-be victims are supposed to be safe. They’ve reached civilization. The bodega is well-lit and filled with people who are willing to help the girls. One of them even has a gun. Horror audiences have been trained to think of this moment as the end. But Ghostface, always seemingly omnipotent, quickly disposes of the helpers and returns to stalking Sam and Tara. The message is clear: there is no safety to run to, no one who can come and help, there is just Ghostface and his victims.

Another released scene shows the four Woodsboro survivors riding the subway on Halloween. Are the Ghostfaces they see costumes? Or a cleverly disguised Ghostface knowing that on Halloween he can stalk openly in his mask? This scene shows that the same crowds of people who seem like they will provide protection can also hide a killer in their midst.

What will happen to our survivors when Ghostface finds them in New York City? We’ll find out when Scream VI premieres only in theaters on March 10.

Which ‘American Horror Story’ Season Each Zodiac Should Watch

Holly Riordan — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 20:57:51 +0000

Technically, you should be watching every American Horror Story Season. But if you’re looking for one to rewatch, here is the season that fits you best based on your zodiac sign!

Aries

Season Four: Freak Show. Since you’re a beautifully unique individual, you’ll love watching such an eclectic cast of characters interact throughout the season. There’s someone for everyone to enjoy in this cast.

Taurus

Season Eight: Apocalypse. Since you’re an overthinker, you’re always worrying about little things like they’re going to bring about the end of the world. So you might as well watch this season, which is literally about the end of the world.

Gemini

Season 10: Double Feature. Since you’re a Gemini, the twins of the zodiac, you’re going to love the formula used this season. Two small stories are told back-to-back. Double the fun, double the pleasure.

Cancer

Season One: Murder House. You’re a nostalgic and sentimental sign, so you love to stick to the classics. That’s why you should watch an oldie but a goodie. The season that started it all. Murder House.

Leo

Season Three: Coven. You’re super creative, so you appreciate fun practical effects and interesting plot — and this season has it all. It’s one of the best ones in the series, so it reaches your incredibly high standards.

Virgo

Season Six: Roanoke. You’re going to love the documentary style structure of this season. It will make you feel like you’re watching a real-life documentary, which is something you spend a lot of time doing since you’re so intelligent and love to learn.

Libra

Season Five: Hotel. You’re super fashionable and dream of living a life of luxury, which is why you’re going to love this season (which features one of the most expensive sets in the whole series). Besides, you can never get enough Lady Gaga.

Scorpio

Season Eleven: NYC. You like to keep up with the times – and this is the most recent season to come out. In order to see what everyone is talking about, make sure you check it out.

Sagittarius

Season Seven: Cult. You’ll appreciate the political satire because you’re intelligent enough to understand it. The timely jokes are going to be like nothing you’ve seen before, making this season feel fresh.

Capricorn

Season Nine: 1984. You’re an old soul, so you’re going to love this slasher season. It’ll bring you back to the good old days where movies were nice and gory.

Aquarius

American Horror Stories. You don’t like to fit in with the crowd and can be a bit of a hipster, which is why you’ll love watching the spinoff series, American Horror Stories. It’s just as good, but not as many people have realized it yet.

Pisces

Season Two: Asylum. Even though you’re a soft, gentle soul, you have a dark side. You appreciate creepy content — and this is one of the creepiest seasons ever created. That’s why it’s the perfect fit for you.

‘American Horror Story’ Future Plot Ideas, From Someone Who Has Never Seen The Show

Molly Burford — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 16:37:25 +0000

American Horror Story is a TV series on FX that is about to premiere its 11th season. I have seen exactly zero of the episodes from any season but I think I have a pretty good idea about what the show entails!

Based on my expert knowledge, I have a number of storyline ideas for American Horror Story‘s future seasons that I really think would do amazingly well. Mr. Murphy, my inbox is open.

Anyway, without further ado, here are American Horror Story plot ideas for future seasons, from someone who has never seen the show.

American Horror Story: Kardashian White House

Exactly what it sounds like. President Kris. Vice President Khloe. Secretary of State Kendall (she is great at compromise if you don’t remember from her Pepsi ad). Attorney General Kim. Secretary of Transportation Kylie. Kourtney isn’t in the cabinet, she’s just sort of there making side comments and shaking a salad.

During the Jenner-Kardashian administration, every American must receive a BBL.

American Horror Story: American Podcast Idol

A quest for the next great American podcast, except it’s for podcast bros. Instead of Ryan Seacrest as the producer, it’s Joe Rogan and Andrew Tate and the mean girl from TikTok with the red hair whose name I have already forgotten.

American Horror Story: 2000s Fashion Forever

Low-rise jeans are the only option for jeans. That’s pretty much it. Scary, right?

American Horror Story: Escaping From Walmart On Black Friday

The main characters for this season will get trapped in Walmart on Black Friday and must find a way to escape. But first, they must secure a big-screen TV. Chaos ensues.

American Horror Story: Health Insurance

In order to get health insurance, the main characters will have to answer a riddle given by Jigsaw, that scary guy from the SAW franchise. It doesn’t go well and everyone had to cut their feet off.

Every Authentic American Horror Story That’s Inspired AHS (So Far)

Katee Fletcher — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 04:33:05 +0000

With Halloween on the way and American Horror Story’s season eleven release, horror fans are in their element.

Riddled with jump scares, psychological twists, and characters that haunt our dreams long after the finale, it’s clear that AHS leaves a lasting impression on its audience. While its impact is due to several factors, including a killer cast (pun intended) and edgy horror themes, it’s also due to the immense amount of thought, planning, and research that goes into every season and episode. Many may not realize the amount AHS harkens back to American history, but each season is centered around numerous allusions to real-life killers, twisted stories, and haunting historical accounts.

If you’re prepared to be even more freaked by AHS’s unsettling storylines, read on to discover every historical event (so far) that American Horror Story is based on.

Season One: Murder House

Murder House references many true crime cases throughout its episodes and even connotes the “murder house” to well-known creepy houses in the United States.

Richard Speck

The beginning of episode two, “Home Invasion,” depicts a killer stabbing two nursing students to death which is directly referencing the 1966 killer, Richard Speck. Speck was a violent mass murderer that bound, strangled, and/or stabbed eight nursing students in Chicago.

Columbine Massacre

Episode Five, “Halloween, Part Two,” directly connotes Tate with Columbine’s shooter, Eric Harris, when they depict him asking one of the victims if she “believes in God” before killing her just as Harris did. High schoolers in the series also ask Tate why he “targeted jocks” which was a goal of Harris’ massacre.

Black Dahlia Murder

Episode Nine, “Spooky Little Girl,” vividly portrays the infamous 1947 L.A. “Black Dahlia murder” of Elizabeth Short. Both in the show and in real life, Short is discovered gruesomely bisected and mutilated by a mother and daughter that originally thought she was a mannequin at first glance. Even more eerie is that this haunting case has still never been solved.

“Murder House” House Inspiration

The house depicted throughout season one takes inspiration from many famous American murder houses such as 2475 Glendower Place, Amityville manor, and the Franklin house.

2475 Glendower Place was home to Harold Perelson, a cardiologist that murdered his wife, attempted to kill his daughter, and then committed suicide. We see similar ties to the house in AHS as it’s an evil doctor’s home and also is the base for many murder-suicides. In a similar vein, the Franklin house was also owned by a doctor known as Dr. George Hodel who was known for his violence and potential link to Elizabeth Short.

Amityville manor is infamous in the United States for ongoing supernatural happenings and horrors including the 1974 case of Ronald DeFeo murdering his parents and four siblings while they slept. Rumors say the house continued to be consumed by evil for years to come, not unlike the house we know in AHS.

Season Two: Asylum

While Asylum took on many of its own unique, creepy characters, many of them were based on real life monsters such as murderer Ed Gein, Nazi Officer Josef Mengele, and many more.

Betty & Barney Hill (Kit & Alma Walker)

On September 19th, 1961, interracial couple Betty and Barney Hill reported being abducted by an alien spacecraft, thus directly inspiring the characters of Kit and Alma Walker.

Elizabeth Jane Cochran (Lana Winters)

Beloved Sarah Paulson’s character, the journalist Lana Winters, is based on a real woman named Elizabeth Cochran that worked on an undercover investigative assignment for the New York World. In 1887, she claimed to be mentally insane in order to gain entry to the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island. Similar to Winters, Cochran gained fame under the pen name “Nellie Bly” when she published her findings of patient brutality and negelect in a book titled Ten Days in a Madhouse.

Josef Mengele (Dr. Arden)

Twisted Dr. Arden from season two, was actually based on a real-life demon: SS Nazi Officer Josef Mengele. Mengele worked as a physician at Auschwitz and performed outrageous, deadly experiments on innocent people throughout the duration of the holocaust.

Ed Gein (Dr. Thredson)

Similar to Dr. Thredson’s human home decor derived from his victim’s bones and skin, real-life murderer, Ed Gein decorated his home with lampshades made from human skin and bowls made from skulls.

Briarcliff Manor Inspiration

All in all, asylums have the reputation to be a place where unsettling events take place. However, to take that a step further, the American Horror Story team decided to base the gruesome Briarcliff Manor on two eerie institutions where true horrors took place: Willowbrook State School and Rolling Hills Asylum. Known as some of the most haunted asylums in the United States, AHS pulls from their pasts including Willowbrook’s extreme patient neglect and harmful experiments and Rolling Hills’ long-lasting stories of spirits that still haunt the halls.

Season Three: Coven

Right off the bat, Coven’s premise harkens back to the Salem Witch Trials as it’s centered around the story of the last witches who remain. However, in addition to this historical background, season three also pulls inspiration from many authentic killers and creeps.

Delphine LaLaurie

It’s even more chilling to discover that the hated Delphine LaLaurie was a real 1800s New Orleans serial killer who bound and tortured a multitude of slaves in her lifetime.

Marie Laveau

In real life, Marie Laveau was a popular New Orleans herbalist and voodoo priestess commonly called the “Queen of Voodoo.”

Papa Legba

When it comes to authentic Haitian voodoo, Legba is one of the most important players of the loa as he is the first to be called so he can open the gates to the spirit world.

Axeman Killer

The sadistic axeman killer character portrayed in Coven is actually based on a real-life NOLA serial killer from the early 1900s that terrorized the community with death threats if houses didn’t play Jazz.

Season Four: Freak Show

Season four was comprised of a wide-ranging, unique cast of characters that were inspired by circus acts in famous shows throughout time. The theme itself is even derived from the hype that developed around circuses in the United States, producing notorious shows like Cirque de Soleil, P.T. Barnum’s “Greatest Show on Earth,” W.W. Cole’s Circus, and more.

Elsa Mars Inspiration

While Elsa Mars was not inspired by one specific person, her character was collectively based on the Weimer culture that sparked Cabaret performances. Between World War I and World War II, Weimer culture fostered a culture of openness through music, art, and film that attracted sex workers and those in the queer community.

Edward Mordrake Inspiration

While Edward Mordrake was not a real person, his two-faced character was brought to life from fiction writer, Charles Lotin Hildreth’s famous character written about in an article titled “The Wonders of Modern Science” published in the 1895 Boston Sunday Post.

John Wayne Gacy Jr. (Twisty the Clown)

Well known serial killer John Wayne Gacy Jr., worked as “Pogo the Clown” for many years while he was secretly tormenting and murdering 33 young boys between 1972 and 1978. After he was eventually caught, he earned the nickname “The Killer Clown,” similar to our terrifying Twisty.

Paul Bateson (Dandy Mott)

During the 1970s, a man named Paul Bateson was convicted of killing a queer man, reminiscent of Dandy Mott murdering his potential queer lover in AHS. Even sadder is that Bateson confessed to killing upwards of seven gay men during the 70s but was never sentenced for these crimes.

Chang & Eng (Bette & Dot)

In 1811, conjoined twins Chang and Eng prompted curiosity throughout the world when they were born in present-day Thailand. Known as the “original Siamese twins,” for they were born in what was previously known as the country of Siam, Chang and Eng directly prompted the creation of Bette and Dot.

Grady Stiles Jr. (Jimmy Darling)

Similar to our “freakshow” performer Jimmy, Grady Stiles Jr. reigned from a family of circus performers known as the “Lobster Family” for their congenital deformity commonly known as “Lobster Claw” syndrome. This syndrome causes ectrodactyly hands that seemingly resemble lobster claws. Even creepier is that real-life performer, Stiles, was a violent drunk that eventually murdered his daughter’s fiance in a fit of rage. In 1992, Stiles was murdered himself and he was so hated in the community that no one was even willing to be the pallbearer.

Madame Josephine Clofullia & Annie Jones (Ethel Darling)

Ethel, the “Bearded Lady,” was based on many famous bearded women throughout circus history such as Madame Josephine Clofullia in the 19th century and Barnum’s Annie Jones better known as the attraction: The Infant Esau.

Arthur Saxon (Dell Toledo)

Known as the “Iron Master,” famous strongman Arthur Saxon was born in 1878 and was highlighted as the only man to lift 371 lbs. with one arm. His awe-striking strength became a common trope in circus sideshows, thus inspiring the character of Dell Toledo.

Simon Metz (Pepper & Salty)

Commonly known by his stage name “Schiltzie,” Simon Metz was born with a condition known as microcephaly in which your head doesn’t grow at the same rate as your face. Throughout history, circus performers with this condition were deemed as “pinheads” similar to AHS characters Pepper and Salty.

Anna Haining Swan (Amazon Eve)

Inspiring AHS character, Amazon Eve, Anna Haining Swan stood at 7’11” and was labeled as the “Infant Giantess” when she was a child. After marrying the “Kentucky giant,” Martin Bates in 1871 who stood at 7’2”, they were touted by the W. W. Cole Circus as the “tallest couple on the globe.”

Stanislaus “Stanley” Berent (Paul)

Commonly known by his stage name “Sealo,” Stanislaus Berent was born with a condition called phocomelia that genetically stunted his arms. He called himself “Sealo” when he joined the circus as phocomelia literally translates to “seal arms” and later on his infamous circus story prompted the AHS character Paul.

Charles Stratton (Ma Petite)

More commonly referred to as “General Tom Thumb,” Stratton was P.T. Barnum’s first major circus attraction due to Stratton’s small stature. He toured with the circus for over four decades, joining Barnum’s sideshows at the mere age of five. Ma Petite’s character on AHS directly links back to Stratton.

Season Five: Hotel

American Horror Story’s fifth season which stars famous popstar Lady Gaga, pulls from many historical legends and authentic killers. Episode four, titled “Devil’s Night,” even features a scene where notorious murderers like Jeffrey Dahmer, Eileen Wuornos, Richard Ramirez, John Wayne Gacy, and the Zodiac Killer all gather to share dinner.

Hotel Cortez Inspiration

One of the most famous haunted hotels in American history is Los Angeles’ Cecil Hotel where many have met their fate and are rumored to still haunt the halls. In addition to Cecil Hotel, Hotel Cortez also paralleled renowned serial killer H. H. Homes’ “Murder Castle” where he tortured and killed over 25 innocent people in his lifetime.

H. H. Holmes (James March)

Commonly referred to as America’s first serial killer, H. H. Holmes confessed to 27 murders in his lifetime, however, researchers point to him committing over 200 tragic killings. One of the eeriest parts of his case was when they discovered that the house he had built included trapdoors, soundproof rooms, gas jets for asphyxiation, and his very own crematorium. This house of horrors was later deemed Holmes’ “Murder Castle,” and his notorious story led to inspire the character of James March.

The Countess Inspiration

The Countess’ character drew inspiration from real-life Countess, Elizabeth Bathory who was a Hungarian noblewoman during 1560-1614. Vampiric legends tell the tale that Elizabeth murdered many young virgins in her years to bathe in their blood in order to maintain her youthful beauty. When she was finally arrested, a number of imprisoned and dying girls were discovered on her property, and it’s noted that she tortured and/or murdered over 600 women in her lifetime.

Season Six: Roanoke

While other seasons contain various moving parts or pieces that are grounded in true people or tales, the entire sixth season of American Horror Story is rooted in the true story of the missing Roanoke colony.

In 1587, Captain John White established a settlement at Roanoke Island in present-day North Carolina with over 150 colonists before shortly returning to England to gather more supplies. Four years later, upon his return, he found the settlement in complete ruins with words carved on trees alluding to a friendly Native American tribe down the coast. Rumors circled of a massacre taking place, but the colonists were never found.

Furthermore, the AHS team pulled specific images regarding nature from authentic phenomena such as the ‘breathing earth’ seen by Shelby when she’s walking through the woods, similar to the clip below:

Season Seven: Cult

“Cult,” the seventh season of AHS is completely embedded in topical historical events such as Trump’s election and the paranoia and fear felt by many communities after the 2016 election. Through the exploration of mental health concerns such as anxiety, phobias, and more, the AHS team aimed to explore the issue of propaganda, fake news, and most importantly, how powerful figures in the United States use fear to maintain status and relevancy.

Kai Anderson Inspiration

The character of Kai Anderson is compiled by collaging aspects of a multitude of notorious cults and cult leaders throughout history. For example, Anderson refers to cult leader Jim Jones as the “Kanye of cult leaders” for convincing his 900 followers to commit suicide in Jonestown by drinking kool-aid poisoned with cyanide. Another example of Anderson’s culty collaging is when he mirrors the Heaven’s Gate cult leader Marshall Applegate in a video uploaded to the internet after Applegate convinced 39 followers to commit suicide in 1997.

Lena Dunham Inspiration

Dunham’s character corresponds with Valerie Solanas, the woman who attempted to murder Andy Warhol as a part of her overall belief that women should rid the world of men. Solanas wrote her famous SCUM Manifesto in 1967, a year prior to shooting Warhol, which outlined the reasons why men are plaguing society and should be killed off.

Season Eight: Apocalypse

Season eight of American Horror Story was one that was less grounded in historical events but moreso rooted in common American fears for the future such as a virus turning us into mutant zombies or more realistically, nuclear fallout.

Due to the United States Cold War with the Soviet Union, North Korean nuclear warheads and threats, and other terrifying factors that continue to loom over America, Apocalypse imagines a reality for a communal American fear: nuclear war.

Some also say that teaser trailers for the season, like the one shown below, may be based on Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery.” The story places the audience in a dystopian future where an annual lottery is held to see which person from a small village will be stoned to death.

Survive. This is your chance. https://t.co/c0IQHhIMtG #AHSApocalypse #AHSFX pic.twitter.com/twrkm9Bxb2

— AmericanHorrorStory (@AHSFX) August 22, 2018

Season Nine: 1984

American Horror Story does an incredible job at placing us in the 80’s with their ninth season, 1984. With references from things as niche as the Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?” commercial to things as popular as Friday the 13th, this season grounds itself in a plethora of pop culture chords that scream: we’re in 1984!

However, the main historical thread that weaves its way through this season is its storyline and characters being centered around the notorious serial killer, Richard Ramirez. In AHS and in real life, Ramirez was labeled “The Night Stalker” and was considered a follower of Satan. Ramirez often targeted older women and by the time he was caught, he was convicted of 13 murders, even though many believe he committed more. The comparison between the events of this season and the authentic story is strikingly similar, not to mention Zach Villa’s resemblance to Ramirez hits a little too close for comfort.

Season Ten: Double Feature

While a double feature that includes vampires may not seem based in fact, much of season ten is actually inspired by the “Cape Cod Vampire,” Antone Charles “Tony” Costa. Costa was convicted of killing two women in 1969 although he was suspected to have murdered upwards of eight women. He was known for being an avid drug user that dismembered each victim after they were killed and left bitemarks on their neck postmortem, granting him his vampiric nickname.

The likeness between the stories begins when protagonist Harry Gardner mentions a murder in Truro where Costa’s killings took place. Another glaring similarity is between the “black pills” residents use to turn into blood-suckers and Costa’s frequent drug use. Lastly, with Costa being likened to a vampire and the season being based around blood-sucking monsters, it’s easy to see where the AHS team got their inspiration.

Season Eleven: NYC

Now it’s time for the mysterious season eleven theme to fully reveal itself so we can all discover what historical mind-fucks and eerie imagery American Horror Story has in store this October with “New York City.”

Sources:

American Horror Story Seasons, Ranked

Chrissy Stockton — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 16:25:21 +0000

Ryan Murphy’s anthology horror series American Horror Story has been a favorite of horror fans ever since it premiered with the first season, Murder House, in 2011. Fans love the anthology format — each season has a different setting and storyline — as well as actors like Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters returning to play new characters season after season. Adding to the intrigue is Murphy’s penchant for teasing out the theme of each season with clues before the name is announced as well as hinting that all of the seasons are connected in a meta universe.

Here is a ranking of every season of American Horror Story:

Coven

Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) and Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange) meet with their enemies.

Most iconic moment: Fiona’s boyfriend mass murders her enemies while Marie Laveau gets bored and texts.

The third season of American Horror Story is the most iconic in the franchise. Jessica Lange rules the world as the Supreme of a coven of witches, Fiona Goode, while her daughter, Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson), runs a secret school for young witches called Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies. Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga) is the new witch at school with classmates Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts), Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe), and Nan (Jamie Brewer). Kathy Bates also has a role as the unfortunately immortal Delphine LaLaurie. Further complicating matters is a rival coven run by Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) and a pack of werewolves intent on hunting all witches down. Stevie Nicks even made a cameo as her witchy self making this a wildly popular season of the show.

1984

Mr. Jingles was played by John Carroll Lynch.

Most iconic moment: Margaret Booth tells the story of Mr. Jingles.

The ninth season of American Horror Story was an homage to classic slasher films like Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980). A group of friends from Los Angeles head into the woods to work as camp counselors for the summer. This was the first season where Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters took a season off, and it was so good we barely noticed the absence of these AHS icons. 1984 was AHS at its best: cool characters, campy fun and bloody scares.

Murder House

Evan Peters as Tate Langdon.

Most iconic moment: Tate Langdon’s school shooter flashback.

The first season of American Horror Story is set in 2011 and follows the Harmon family, Ben (Dylan McDermott), Vivian (Connie Britton) and Violet (Taissa Farmiga), as they move from Boston to Los Angeles and end up in a murder mansion haunted by everyone who has ever died there. Almost immediately Vivian and Violet are targeted by serial killer enthusiasts who intend to reenact a famous murder that happened in the home with the new residents as the intended victims. The family then learns that another former resident, Charles Montgomery (Matt Ross) used to perform illegal abortions in the basement. They also mistakenly “hire” two ghosts of former residents as interior designers, confuse a ghost for a client (and love interest!), and get impregnated by an undead man in a rubber suit. Jessica Lange won a Primetime Emmy for her role as the Harmon’s neighbor, Constance Langdon, and the series received 17 total Emmy nominations for this season. It’s also the only season with goddess Connie Britton, another reason “Murder House” is a fan favorite.

Cult

Evan Peters as Kai Anderson.

Most iconic moment: The election night flashback.

The seventh season of American Horror Story satirized the very scary 2016 election and the rise of incel Trumpers like Evan Peters’ character du jour, Kai Anderson. Lesbian couple Ally (Sarah Paulson) and Ivy (Allison Pill) live with their son Oz in a suburb in Michigan. Following the 2016 election, sightings of scary clowns occur in town and their Asian-American neighbor Tom Chang (Tim Kang) goes missing. The couple hire Winter (Billie Lourd) as a nanny and engage with their new neighbors Meadow (Leslie Grossman) and Harrison (Billy Eichner) while a creepy cult begins taking over the town.

Asylum

A Briarcliff patient goes on a Santa-themed murder spree.

Most iconic moment: The Santa Claus killing spree.

The second season of American Horror Story is set in 1964 and takes place at the fictional Briarcliff Manor asylum. One of the scariest seasons, Asylum features a serial killer named “Bloody Face”, alien abductions, escaped Nazi war criminals and all the creepy crawlies of a 1960s dilapidated medical institution. The season received 17 Primetime Emmy nominations with James Cromwell winning Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his role as Dr. Arthur Arden.

Apocalypse

Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) and Mallory (Billie Lourd).

Most iconic moment: Mallory is revealed as the supreme.

The eighth season of American Horror Story brings together many characters from previous seasons as it tells the story of life after nuclear warheads destroy Los Angeles. A group of eclectic survivors gather at “Outpost 3” to survive nuclear winter together. After 18 months, Michael Langdon (Cody Fern) arrives to determine who from the outpost will be “saved”. Later, the witches from Coven finally figure out who the new Supreme is.

Hotel

The “addiction demon”.

Most iconic moment: The addiction demon.

The fifth season of American Horror Story centers around the Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, loosely based on the Cecil Hotel where many mysterious deaths have taken place. Lady Gaga joined the cast for this season, playing The Countess, the evil vampiric owner of the hotel. Hotel guests alive and dead are shown checking into the Hotel Cortez only to learn that checking out is much more difficult.

Double Feature

Belle Noir (Frances Conroy) and Austin Sommers (Evan Peters).

Most iconic moment: The town’s resident artists make visiting playwright Harry Gardner an offer he can’t refuse.

The tenth season of American Horror Story is split into two parts, “Red Tide” and “Death Valley”. “Red Tide” takes place in Provincetown, Massachusetts where black pills give the residents creative power and a taste for blood. “Death Valley” takes place in 1954 Albuquerque, New Mexico where a secret treaty is signed between aliens and President Dwight D. Eisenhower that allows 5,000 Americans to be abducted each year for the aliens to study.

Freak Show

Twisty the Clown was played by John Carroll Lynch.

Most iconic moment: The appearance of Twisty the Clown.

The fourth season of American Horror Story centered around one of the last Freak Shows in existence, operating in Jupiter, Florida in 1952. The show struggles to go on even after conjoined twins Bette and Dot (both played by Sarah Paulson) are brought on. The lives and backstories of the performers are shown and intertwined with murderous clown Twisty (John Carroll Lynch), undead freak Edward Mordrake (Wes Bentley) and the Freak Show’s owner Elsa Mars (Jessica Lange). The season is based on the 1932 horror classic Freaks directed by Tod Browning.

Roanoke

What’s left of Sophie (Taissa Farmiga) and Milo (Jon Bass).

Most iconic moment: Go Pros capture the gruesome death of Sophie (Taissa Farmiga) and Milo (Jon Bass) as they are impaled and burned at the stake.

The sixth season of American Horror Story follows a family, Shelby Miller (Lily Rabe), Matt (André Holland), and Matt’s sister Lee Harris (Adina Porter), who move to a remote farmhouse in North Carolina on land near the old Roanoke colony. The story is told in a faux documentary style for the fictional program My Roanoke Nightmare and recounts the family’s struggle with violent ghosts, cannibalistic neighbors and a witch played by Lady Gaga.

The Best ‘The Office’ Halloween Episodes, Ranked

Trisha Bartle — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:43:42 +0000

Whether it’s the height of spooky season or just any old day of the year, sometimes you want to partake in the creepy episodes of your favorite sitcoms. Today, we’re talking about everyone’s favorite workplace comedy set in Scranton, Pennsylvania: The Office. Over nine seasons, The Office had only six Halloween episodes, but what we do get is often some of the funniest of their respective seasons. Watch for the ridiculous costumes (like Oscar as an “informed consumer” or Jim as a “three-hole punch”) and stay for the development of all your favorite characters with a spooky backdrop. From your resident Office stan, check out my definitive ranking of the best The Office Halloween episodes. This includes the now-banned cold open from season 6–and where to watch it.

6. “Spooked” (Season 8, Episode 5)

The Office / NBC

Halloween is supposed to be fun, but this post-Michael Scott episode didn’t get the inter-office memo. It’s the beginning of Andy Bernard’s reign as boss of Dunder Mifflin Scranton, which most Office fans agree is a crash-and-burn story choice that never pays off. And with his drama with Erin in this episode, as well as trying to impress Robert California, it’s more of an unfunny slog than a madcap holiday episode.

5. “Employee Transfer” (Season 5, Episode 6)

The Office / NBC

Here’s another one where the Halloween aspect of the episode is only for the cold open–although you can still catch this on Peacock or in reruns, unlike “Koi Pond” below. All we get in this is a look at a handful of costumes. We have Kelly teetering on insanely high high heels as Carrie Bradshaw and Andy as a “kitty cat” in a Broadway-inspired Cats costume. The best though is three people wearing the exact same Joker costume (the Heath Ledger variety) with Creed, Kevin, and Dwight. While this is a great episode for the emotional road trip send-off for Holly, the ultra-short Halloween section is pretty forgettable.

4. “Koi Pond” (Season 6, Episode 8)

The Office / NBC

Okay, the Halloween aspect to this episode is only in the cold open, but hey, it still counts. The only problem is that if you go back and watch the episode on Peacock, it won’t be there. In this segment, the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin is hosting a kids’ haunted ride in the warehouse. It isn’t the the “dick in a box” costume Michael’s wearing that made this segment get banned. Rather, it’s Michael Scott pretending to hang himself during the climax of the ride. NBC has since removed it from reruns and their Peacock subscription service, but you can find the clip on their official YouTube page if you want to see it. For its elusiveness–and Jim’s “Facebook” costume–this The Office Halloween episode gets a higher spot on the list. Thanks for the peak Office cringe.

3. “Here Comes Treble” (Season 9, Episode 5)

The Office / NBC

The last season of The Office was a great send-off to a beloved show, and their final Halloween episode’s included in that. While it does feature a fighting Pam and Jim (no thanks), it has some great character development for Dwight as he realizes he may need help from Nellie. And speaking of series newcomer Nellie, she has what can be considered the best costume of any Office Halloween episode: HR Toby. And this is made even funnier by Toby’s horned-up reaction to a woman dressed as him. This episode is proof that they could still write gems even after Steve Carell left the show.

2. “Halloween” (Season 2, Episode 5)

The Office / NBC

The very first Halloween episode of The Office is a classic. It has the lightly cringy feeling of the early seasons of the show with the romantic tension between Jim and Pam that hasn’t yet boiled over. The drama is less about Halloween itself, and instead about Michael having to fire someone by the end of the day. With Halloween being an incidental backdrop rather than a plot point, this episode just misses the top spot for best Office Halloween episode.

1. “Costume Contest” (Season 7, Episode 6)

The Office / NBC

The Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch is holding a costume contest for Halloween, if they can avoid the drama between Michael and Daryl. This is the Halloween episode from when The Office had really hit its stride. We get some of the best costumes overall of any episode (especially Gabe as Lady Gaga). Plus, this is the only episode where Jim comes fully dressed in an actual Halloween costume–and his reasons are adorable. There’s the right balance of cringe, hopefulness, and comedy that makes this show a must-watch so many years later.

Scare Your Friends With This ‘Smile’ Inspired Snap Lens

Holly Riordan — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 14:55:36 +0000

Smile is a new Paramount Pictures film that has critics raving, calling it “terrifying” and “scary as hell.” In order to prepare for this horrifying film, a new face mapping SMILE lens is available on Snapchat and a branded effect is available on TikTok. There’s also a SMILE pop up lens on Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram that you can use in your videos to scare your family and friends. Here are a few ideas on how to use these spooky lenses to play pranks–or simply give your loved ones a good laugh!

Scare your friends with a pop up lens.

YouTube / Paramount Pictures

If you want to scare your friends over Snapchat, then use the pop-up lens. It’ll make a character pop up behind you and say, “It’s smiling at me.” You can either do a creepy smile along with the character or mouth the words, “It’s smiling at me,” like you’re scared for your life. Either way, your friends will never look at smiling the same way again.

Jump-scare everyone with a seemingly normal video.

Smile is a psychological horror movie filled with deep, mind-bending scares, but there are also some good old-fashioned jump-scares thrown into the mix. Copy this trendy horror movie trope by making a perfectly normal video showing off your hairstyle or outfit–then use the lens without warning! Smile with the face mapping smile lens, or use the popup lens and pan over until the character is in frame.

Send a text ahead of time to increase the tension.

YouTube / Paramount Pictures

Send your friends a few messages over social media first to prep them for the prank. Act like you’re scared because you feel like someone is watching you. Then send them a video of yourself with the woman staring over your shoulder. Once they realize it’s a joke and you were only messing with them, you can tell them that you’ll make it up to them by inviting them to see the film with you soon!

**Scare your friends and family with footage of themselves.**

If you want to scare your family and friends in person, all you have to do is walk up to them with a lens ready on your phone. Ask them to close their eyes and place the camera in front of them (in selfie mode so they can get a good look at themselves). Then ask them to smile wide. When they open their eyes and come face-to-face with a lens distorting their face (or a creepy woman standing behind them), they’re going to be terrified!

List out all the different things that make you smile.

YouTube / Paramount Pictures

In the film, the smiling characters wear bright, pastel colors. Meanwhile, the main character who is struggling to stay alive wears darker shades. This creates a stark contrast between the protagonist and everyone around her. Draw inspiration from this cinematic technique by using the right color palette to make your videos even more intense. All you have to do is wear bright colors while you’re recording in order to make it seem like this is a fun, cheery video. In the end, it will make it that much scarier.

Instead of playing a prank, poke fun at yourself.

If you aren’t a big prankster, you can still use the face mapping lens to poke fun at yourself. Start the video off with a phrase that sounds super serious like, “I swear I’m done chasing after him” or “I would never binge-watch that series without you.” Then smile in order to show that what you’re saying clearly isn’t true. This is a fun way to use the filter to get a laugh and a scare at the same time.