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Medical Pet Sematary: Scientists Bring Dead Pigs Back to “Life”

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Large pig looking into camera lens

In what might be a scientific miracle or the overstepping of human ethics, scientists were able to get several dead pig’s hearts beating independently again. The pigs had died of cardiac arrest an hour before the experiment.

You may remember back in 2019 scientists from Yale were able to regain some brain function in dead pigs. The team gathered over 300 pig heads and removed their brains and pumped them with a special cocktail of chemicals for six hours. This project, called BrainEx didn’t result in the animal regaining consciousness, but the brain’s cellular function returned.

An extension of that project called OrganEx was recently used on intact dead pig bodies that had been clinically dead for an hour. A report says the animal’s heart, liver, and kidneys saw some reanimation where there wasn’t before. Cellular-repairing genes were also active. “These cells are functioning after they should not be,” Nenad Sestan, a project scientist told the Wall Street Journal.

Pigs (1973)

The machine they used on the carcasses resembled a “heart-lung machine.” They pumped a mixture of the animal’s blood and special chemicals into the bodies.

Advances in medicine have always been controversial, and this project is no different. Ethical questions have arisen as to the purpose of this experiment and what it suggests. Researchers say the primary purpose of these trials is to see if they can restore function to organs longer after death for use in future transplants. But if they can also potentially reanimate the brain, or use blockers to prevent it, what does that mean for potential human organ donors who have died?

And what if this new breakthrough could potentially revive recently deceased humans who died by drowning or heart attacks for example?

Frankenstein (1931)

Reviving humans who have died has long been a topic of supernatural horror movies. From Frankenstein to Re-Animator, bringing the body back leads to catastrophic results.

Perhaps there is no better example of the ethical question than in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. After the tragic loss of his two-year-old son, Gage, Doctor Louis Creed takes his corpse to a notoriously cursed and remote burial site in Maine. The area is known to bring the dead back to life. In his grief, Creed buries his son against the warning of his neighbor Jud who tells him, “sometimes…dead is better.”

Pet Sematary (1989)

Gage returns but is seemingly possessed by a murderous entity.

Fiction in this case is much stranger than real science. But the ethical question might be the same. Is it okay to revive humans after death in order to preserve their organs for terminally ill patients? And what if the process also restores some of the deceased’s brain function? What would they be like if they “came back”?

Thankfully OrganEx project bioethicist at Yale, Stephen Latham, says the tech is, “very far away from use in humans.”

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The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

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The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

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Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors. 

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie. 

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time. 

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.

Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Footwear for Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams doll shoes
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1994’s ‘The Crow’ Coming Back to Theaters for A New Special Engagement

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The Crow

Cinemark recently announced that they will be bringing The Crow back from the dead once again. This announcement comes just in time for the film’s 30th anniversary. Cinemark will be playing The Crow in select theaters on May 29th and 30th.

For those unaware, The Crow is a fantastic film based on the gritty graphic novel by James O’Barr. Widely considered one of the best films of the 90s, The Crow’s lifespan was cut short when Brandon Lee died of an accidental on set shooting.

The official synapsis of the film is as follows. “The modern-gothic original that entranced audiences and critics alike, The Crow tells the tale of a young musician brutally murdered alongside his beloved fiancée, only to be risen from the grave by a mysterious crow. Seeking revenge, he battles a criminal underground that must answer for its crimes. Adapted from the comic book saga of the same name, this action-packed thriller from director Alex Proyas (Dark City) features hypnotic style, dazzling visuals, and a soulful performance by the late Brandon Lee.”

The Crow

The timing of this release couldn’t be better. As a new generation of fans eagerly awaits the release of The Crow remake, they can now see the classic film in all of its glory. As much as we love Bill Skarsgard (IT), there is something timeless in Brandon Lee’s performance in the film.

This theatrical release is part of the Scream Greats series. This is a collaboration between Paramount Scares and Fangoria to bring audiences some of the best classic horror films. So far, they are doing a fantastic job.

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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