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The Witches of Pendle Hill Lancashire – The UK Blair Witch?

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The Blair Witch Project (1999) to some was no more than a few youngsters running around the woods at night while filming each other, screaming and blowing nose bubbles on camera.

But to me (someone who has an overactive imagination) it was much more. Yes it was low budget and yes you didn’t get to see everything that you wanted to but, you have to put yourself in their shoes and think what it would be like to have the events that took place happen to you. Read more here

Heather - The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Heather from The Blair Witch Project (1999) looking a bit worse for wear. Credit DigitalSpy.com

The recent release of Blair Witch (2016) wasn’t much different and I have read other critics name it a carbon copy of the first movie.

They are mere fools. The sequel follows James Donahue the now, all grown up brother of Heather (snot bubble from the first movie) desperate to find the truth of what happened to his beloved sister. Its not a huge story line, but it didn’t need to be, as what this movie offered was a chance to follow James on his journey of discovery and try and piece together the evidence.

Who, or what is the the Blair Witch? When the same occurrences start to appear to James as they did to his sister, it wasn’t because the director was using the same old scares tactics, but it was to tell us that James was on the right tracks.

I don’t want to spoil it too much for you but you get a glimpse of the witch and it is a scary as fuck.

But if you think the one witch mofo is scary how about twelve of them?  The UK is home to some of the richest witching history the world has to offer, so it didn’t take long when I decided to see what creepy shit we had closer to home.  Ladies and Gents I give your the Witches of Pendle Hill.

Sighting of a Witch at Pendle Hill

Sighting of a Witch at Pendle Hill. Credit to Mirror.co.uk

The Witches of Pendle Hill were mostly from of two families the Demdike and Chattox and were believed to be competing against one and other for the profits brought in by healing, begging and extortion. During the 17th century they were trialled for the murder of ten people using witch craft. Ten of the witches were hung and two died in prison before the trial.

Witch Hanging

This was one of the best documented witch trials of the 17th century and the stories have therefore been told through the generations. The witches stories have left such a mark on the Pendle villages that to this day some locals do not like to talk about it.

For years now the Pendle woods at the base of the hills have been a number one destination for Halloween and many will sit on the hill at night hoping to encounter the spirits of the dead.

They held televised seance where the medium claims he did contact one of the very witches and was told that she and the others witches with her did not appreciate the media crews presents.

grave encounters

Credit: Grave Encounters

This started to sound like to story of a movie to me so I decided to dig a little deeper. I found countless statement from people that have experienced ungodly encounters linked to the coven.

Reports of people being visited, struck and even strangled by hands that were not there. Unfortunately I at iHorror was not the first to see a story in the cases and the BBC beat me to the punch. Damn, im sure I could have squeezed some budget out of the editor for a field trip! 

Here’s the Documentary, Enjoy. Oh, and if you are wondering why I didn’t mention  Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000), its because I would rather pretend it didn’t happen.

Have you been to the Pendle hills and do you have any stories to share? Comment below.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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