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Is Twitter the New Haven for Horror Storytelling?

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Unfriend Horror Storytelling Twitter

The internet has been a viral tool in infecting the masses with information, stories, and fear since the dawn of the World Wide Web. Forums and chat rooms gave us the tools to meet new people from around the world without having to leave the comfort of our homes.

Slenderman might be one of the most notorious ghouls who got his start in 2009 in a challenge on the comedy site Something Awful. From there, images and tales of the tall man circulated and thus the legend was born.

Slenderman Something Awful

First image of Slenderman Via Youtube

Slenderman also brought the around the creepy Reddit threads NoSleep and CreepyPasta. There, original horror shorts – guaranteed to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand – are shared in one collective place. The successes of these threads have made Reddit a go-to for horror fan-fiction and unique works of literature. Some of these works have even spawned book deals, like The Trees Have Eyes.

More recently, Twitter has seemed to be the new place to find tales of horror. For example, Dear David spooked twitter users for years, keeping readers on edge with the accounts of the boy with the indented head. The popularity of the story recently landed a movie deal for Dear David’s creator.

With that being said, Horror Freak News raised the question: ‘Is Twitter the latest frontier for bleeding-edge horror storytelling?

The quick, easy, format of writing on Twitter makes it ideal for a continuous storyline. The connectivity places readers (users) smack dab in the middle of the action, with them being able to weigh in on what they are reading in real-time. Writers are able to skew the storyline according to the responses they might receive. This interaction draws in attention, like the case of Dear David, and creates a friendly bond between the two parties.

Dear David

Images of the ghost boy, ‘Dear David’ Via The13Floor

Adam Ellis, who lived with the ghostly boy, David, began documenting his cases via Twitter. As his base grew, so did his interactions with the followers. Fans analyzed, theorized, and checked-in daily, which landed him the movie deal he has today.

The Sun Vanished has followers perplexed and confused on what they are seeing unfold before their eyes.  The story began with one simple tweet on April 30: ‘Help.’

As the story developed, we saw a clip of what appeared to be CNN report. The news stated the sun had disappeared throughout the world and riots had ensued. No clips appeared online when searching for that exact CNN report but one part was factual; the reference to New England’s Dark Day.

Like a good book, TSV followers flock periodically to find out the next chapter in this interactive story. TSV went dark for 18 days after Jun 19 when an entranced woman broke into the house the twitter user was staying in. He returned July 7 with updates on the strange tale but has not tweeted since.

Life is Below is a new account gaining momentum because of its cryptic messages. Supposedly, LIB is a part of a cult that lives underground in tunnels. He seems to reply to direct messages, which gives the allusion of somebody who’s trapped and trying to gain contact with the outside world. His videos are always obscure, with a mask usually covering his identity and voice changer.

Oddly, the account was created the same day TSV stopped tweeting, June 19.

Fiction parading itself as Non-Fiction is not new. In 1938, Orson Welles caused a mini-nationwide panic after his realistic broadcast of War of the Worlds by H.G Wells.

“I think if Orson Welles had told his version of The War of the Worlds in 2017 instead of 1938, he would have used Twitter instead of the radio,” Said Manuel Bartual to New Statesman.

Bartual created a Twilight­ Zone-like story about his run in with his doppelganger while on vacation. He later admitted that the story was fiction and only wanted to tell a fun story.

Whether the tales are true is one thing but the heart racing horror stories have showed us how effective twitter can be for storytelling. Maybe we will be seeing more short stories hitting the big screen now that studios are realizing the potential behind these fables.

What do you think of twitter being used as a medium for horror story telling? Have you heard of Dear David, The Vanished Sun or Life is Below prior? Will you be tuning into to their eerie tweets? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

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Horror Movies

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks. 

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story. 

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did. 

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD. 

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind. 

The Crow
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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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News

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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