News

HAUNTED HISTORY – Eastern State Penitentiary

Published

3 years ago

December 4, 2020

Eastern State Penitentiary is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is considered one of the most haunted prisons in the world. The prison first opened in 1829 and operated until 1971. It was designed to hold 253 inmates in solitary confinement for the entirety of their sentence.

Once the prisoner entered, a hood was placed over their head as a guard led them to their cell. They were locked inside for the entire day, fed through a slot in the door, permitted only a half hour of exercise and only allowed out of their cell once every two weeks to bathe at which time they were again hooded so they could not catch a glimpse of another inmate. Each cell was built with vaulted cleanings and skylights that allowed “God’s light” into the cell along with a toilet, running water, heat, and a Bible.

The two most well-known inmates were bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton and “Scarface” Al Capone.

Eastern State Penitentiary aka Hell on Earth

The prison practiced the “sound of silence,” meaning that the inmates were not allowed to speak, sing, or hum. Prisoners who did not follow the silence rule might find themselves gagged with a metal tongue clamp which included chaining their tongues to their wrists. If they struggled against the chains, this would cause the tongue to tear. This rule caused many prisoners to go insane.

Along with silence came cruel punishments. These included:

The water bath – where inmates were dunked in a bath of ice-cold water and hung from a wall for the night.
There was also the mad chair that was inside a pit called “The hole,” an underground cellblock beneath cellblock 14 where there was no light and inmates were strapped tightly to a chair, restricting any movement for days with periods of starvation. Some prisoners, once removed from the restraints, were permanently crippled. This was for the worst behaved prisoners, these sometimes-lasted weeks.

Women were also inside the prison; they were in cellblock two for 100 years until 1923 when the last female prisoner was brought inside.

Eastern State Penitentiary

Al Capone was an inmate here from 1929 to 1930, serving 8 months for carrying a concealed weapon. He was housed in Cellblock 8 before being transferred to Alcatraz. He had the nicest cell of the whole prison. Capone was allowed to have furnishings which included lamps, paintings, and a cabinet radio.

He often complained that he was haunted by the ghost of James Clark, one of the victims from the St. Valentine’s day Massacre in Chicago. Capone did not fire the shot that killed Clark, but did order the shooting.

Executions were not done at this prison, but multiple murders took place including Two guards who were murdered along with many inmates over the years. Hundreds of inmates died of old age or disease.

On April 3, 1945, a major escape took place carried out by twelve inmates. Over the course of a year, they managed to dig a tunnel – undiscovered – that extended 97 feet under the prison wall. Renovations that had taken place during the 1930s led to the discovery of another 30 incomplete tunnels.

Many ghost stories have been heard from this prison as far back as the 1940s.

Visitors have reported seeing the ghost of Joseph Taylor who murdered an inmate named Michael Duran to death in 1884. After he carried out this murder, it is reported he quietly entered his cell and went to sleep. His ghost is reported to wander the halls to this day.

Another ghostly encounter was witnessed by a Locksmith. He was doing restoration work in Cellblock 4, trying to remove a 140-year-old lock from a cell door when a massive force overcame him and he was unable to move. It is believed once this lock was removed, a gateway opened that allowed spirits caught behind the door to escape. The locksmith states that faces appeared on the cell wall and swirled towards him.

Charles Dickens visited Eastern State Penitentiary in the 1840s, he said he found the living conditions of the inmates appalling. He described them as being “buried alive” and wrote about the phycological torture the inmates suffered.

The solitary confinement system eventually collapsed due to overcrowding in 1913. Afterwards it was operated as a congregate prison until it closed in 1970. It then housed inmates after a riot in another prison in Pennsylvania, officially closing in 1971. This prison was made a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and opened its doors for public tours in 1994. This location is now open as a museum and for tours

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Related Topics:Eastern State Penitentiary Paranormal

News

A24 Creating New Action Thriller “Onslaught” From ‘The Guest’ & ‘You’re Next’ Duo

Published

11 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Cameron McFarland

It’s always nice to see a reunion in the world of horror. Following a competitive bidding war, A24 has secured the rights to the new action thriller film Onslaught. Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs. Kong) will be directing the film. He will be joined by his longtime creative partner Simon Barret (You’re Next) as the scriptwriter.

For those unaware, Wingard and Barret made a name for themselves while working together on films such as You’re Next and The Guest. The two creatives are card carrying horror royalty. The pair have worked on films such as V/H/S, Blair Witch, The ABC’s of Death, and A Horrible Way to Die.

An exclusive article of out Deadline gives us the limited information we have on the topic. Although we don’t have much to go on, Deadline does offer the following information.

“Plot details are being kept under wraps but the film is in the vein of Wingard and Barrett’s cult classics like The Guest and You’re Next. Lyrical Media and A24 will co-finance. A24 will handle worldwide releasing. Principal photography will begin in Fall 2024.”

A24 will be producing the film alongside Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett for Ryder Picture Company, Alexander Black for Lyrical Media, Wingard and Jeremy Platt for Breakaway Civilization, and Simon Barret.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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News

Director Louis Leterrier Creating New Sci-Fi Horror Film “11817”

Published

12 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Cameron McFarland

According to an article from Deadline, Louis Leterrier (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) is about to shake things up with his new Sci-Fi horror film 11817. Leterrier is set to produce and direct the new Movie. 11817 is penned by the glorious Mathew Robinson (The Invention of Lying).

Rocket Science will be taking the film to Cannes in search of a buyer. While we don’t know much about what the film looks like, Deadline offers the following plot synopsis.

“The film watches as inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life or death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who — or what — is keeping them trapped…”

“Directing projects where the audience gets behind the characters has always been my focus. However complex, flawed, heroic, we identify with them as we live through their journey,” said Leterrier. “It’s what excites me about 11817‘s wholly original concept and the family at the heart of our story. This is an experience that movie audiences won’t forget.”

Leterrier has made a name for himself in the past for working on beloved franchises. His portfolio includes gems such as Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk, Clash of The Titans, and The Transporter. He is currently attached to create the final Fast and the Furious film. However, it will be interesting to see what Leterrier can do working with some darker subject material.

That’s all the information we have for you at this time. As always, make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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Lists

New to Netflix (U.S.) This Month [May 2024]

Published

14 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Timothy Rawles

atlas movie Netflix starring Jennifer Lopez

Another month means fresh additions to Netflix. Although there aren’t many new horror titles this month, there are still some notable movies well worth your time. For instance, you can watch Karen Black try to land a 747 jet in Airport 1979, or Casper Van Dien kill giant insects in Paul Verhoeven’s bloody sci-fi opus Starship Troopers.

We are looking forward to the Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action movie Atlas. But let us know what you are going to watch. And if we have missed something, put it in the comments.

May 1:

Airport

A blizzard, a bomb, and a stowaway help create the perfect storm for the manager of a Midwestern airport and a pilot with a messy personal life.

Airport ’75

^{Airport ’75}

When a Boeing 747 loses its pilots in a midair collision, a member of the cabin crew must take control with radio help from a flight instructor.

Airport ’77

A luxury 747 packed with VIPs and priceless art goes down in the Bermuda Triangle after being hijacked by thieves — and time for a rescue is running out.

Jumanji

Two siblings discover an enchanted board game that opens a door to a magical world — and unwittingly release a man who’s been trapped inside for years.

Hellboy

^Hellboy

A half-demon paranormal investigator questions his defense of humans when a dismembered sorceress rejoins the living to wreak brutal vengeance.

Starship Troopers

When fire-spitting, brain-sucking bugs attack Earth and obliterate Buenos Aires, an infantry unit heads to the aliens’ planet for a showdown.

May 9

Bodkin

^Bodkin

A ragtag crew of podcasters sets out to investigate mysterious disappearances from decades earlier in a charming Irish town with dark, dreadful secrets.

May 15

The Clovehitch Killer

^{The Clovehitch Killer}

A teenager’s picture-perfect family is torn apart when he uncovers unnerving evidence of a serial killer close to home.

May 16

Upgrade

After a violent mugging leaves him paralyzed, a man receives a computer chip implant that allows him to control his body — and get his revenge.

Monster

_Monster

After being abducted and taken to a desolate house, a girl sets out to rescue her friend and escape from their malicious kidnapper.

May 24

Atlas

^Atlas

A brilliant counterterrorism analyst with a deep distrust of AI discovers it might be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory

The Camp Cretaceous gang come together to unravel a mystery when they discover a global conspiracy that brings danger to dinosaurs — and to themselves.

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