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Fantasia 2020: ‘The Oak Room’ is a Nuanced, Layered Thriller

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The Oak Room

A guy walks into a bar. What follows is a rural neo-noir that stacks its stories like winning cards on a table, each tale trumping the last. The Oak Room is the latest from the fine folks over at Black Fawn Films, decidedly more of a subdued thriller than their usual horror fare, but it shows a level of maturity and restraint that speaks to the team’s evolving range. Directed by Cody Calahan (Antisocial, Let Her Out) and written by Peter Genoway, The Oak Room is a deep study in storytelling with a hard-hitting finish. 

During a raging snowstorm, a drifter returns home to the blue-collar bar located in the remote Canadian town where he was born. When he offers to settle an old debt with a grizzled bartender by telling him a story, the night’s events quickly spin into a dark tale of mistaken identities, double-crosses and shocking violence.

So, that guy walks into a bar, who tells the story of a guy who walks into a bar, who tells a story — it’s like a barfly’s Inception, with equally dreamlike qualities the deeper you go. Jeff Maher’s cinematography moves with just the right energy, sidling up to the bar in times of casual conversation and drifting through dreamscapes as memories unfold. The camera keeps the flow moving, which is of the utmost importance in a film that focuses mainly on two men talking. Though the characters vary, that’s really the heart of the film; an open dialogue that uses interruptions and sidetracks to play with the pacing. 

The lighting is cold, delicate and precise. The music (by Steph Copeland) prompts the audience, shifting between homespun tunes that feel right at home in their dimly-lit settings and a haunting, moody score that soars over the proceedings, an unknown witness in the events that unfold. Serene, but with a dull edge that keeps you engaged. 

The bar set serves double-duty, but you could never tell. Changes to the set decoration, lighting, layout, and camerawork are distinct in each location. Consistently, Black Fawn’s roster of behind-the-camera talent proves to be impressive; they know how to work together, and they know how to build a cohesive final product. Every element finds the melody and builds a perfect harmony. 

Based on a play of the same name (also written by Genoway), The Oak Room carries a theatrical sensibility in its structure. The dialogue, the pacing, it all feels like it’s being run in one go on a stage. Because essentially, that’s what they did. Running long takes — up to 15 minutes at a time — the actors chew through their lines and keep the pace moving at a consistent clip as they lay it all down. The film was even shot chronologically. It orchestrates tension that ebbs and flows, ever building to the weighted, dramatic climax. 

Peter Outerbridge (Saw VI) and RJ Mitte (Breaking Bad) carry the film with sarcastic banter that we continually circle back to. In the actual Oak Room, Ari Millen (Orphan Black) and Martin Roach (Cube Zero) pull their fair share of the weight with their snarling square-off. Each performance is nuanced, yet open; there’s a lot of tension boiling under the surface of the casual dialogue. 

The main story studies loss and the relationship between father and son. These themes — this unspoken hurt — anchors the film, but it’s easy to get caught up in the spinning yarn. Though there’s a slow build and a fair bit of meandering, each layer of story leads you a bit further down the road, creeping closer to its payoff.

The Oak Room is clever and beautifully made, with engrossing and inventive storytelling that stands out in a bar crowded with cookie-cutter thrillers. If you’re looking for a unique story with creative execution, then settle in and grab a drink.


The Oak Room is playing as part of Fantasia 2020, which has gone digital so you can watch from the safety and comfort of your own home. Check it out next on Monday August 31 at 11:30PM EST.

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America’s Most Haunted House Isn’t in Amityville

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Ghostwatcherz

There is a haunted house in Bridgeport, Connecticut that doesn’t get the attention the one in Amityville does, but in 1974 it caused a media stir that captivated the country, and nobody ever talks about it, not even genre movie folks.

By the end of this story, you–like the many witnesses in 1974–will wonder what’s real and what isn’t.

What did happened inside this tiny house in the middle of the block on Lindley Street?

www.iamnotastalker.com

The Conjuring

Before we get to that, let’s talk about the recent upswing in ghost story cinema and celebrity paranormal investigations, starting with James Wan’s Conjuring universe (a fourth film is currently in the works).

The Conjuring franchise has given us some great scares over the last decade. These “based-on-a-true-story” earmarks on haunted America, and across the pond, have re-invigorated the poltergeist pop culture phenomena that was so popular in the 70s.

Based on the real-life case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring cinematic universe started with the Perron family in Rhode Island.

Entertainment Weekly

Lorraine Warren & Vera Farmiga. Photo by Michael Tackett

Although Mr. Warren died in 2006, Lorraine served as a consultant to The Conjuring. She maintained before her death in 2019 that she didn’t allow the filmmakers to take too much creative license. She asserted everything you see on screen is actually how it happened.

The sequel, Conjuring 2 moved to Britain and documented the famous Enfield haunting. That case involved two young sisters who were tormented by a ghost that threw things, spoke by way of possession and was just an overall supernatural baddie. Cops, priests and social workers went on record to confirm the reports. Lorraine also helped with that case.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., the Lutz family was battling their own demons on a now-famous lot in Amityville. Again, the Warrens were on hand to assist.

966 Lindley Street

But there is another chilling tale that the Warrens were involved in that nobody talks about. It took place in Bridgeport at 966 Lindley Street in 1974 and it caused such a media circus the neighborhood would go on lock-down.

Reporters, witnesses, and other professionals would go on record saying they saw furniture move without provocation, hovering refrigerators, and physical attacks.

In the book “The World’s Most Haunted House,” writer Bill Hall takes a deep-dive into this case. What’s staggering is not only the bizarre happenings that took place, but they were so well documented by so many trusted sources.

Respected Witnesses Document Their Experiences

Firefighters and law enforcement agents have gone on record to say they witnessed everything from chairs moving on their own, crucifixes being ejected from their wall anchors, and knives being thrown by an invisible force. The activity seemed to center around a little girl.

Gerard and Laura Goodin lived in the small bungalow when they adopted their young daughter Marcia in 1968. It wasn’t long before strange things began to happen in the house–little things that people usually ignore. Still, the activity was strong enough to captivate the family.

People said when Marcia was around the events would intensify but even when she was gone things could get crazy.

The Goodin’s were subject to a loud rhythmic pounding in their walls, the source could never be located. Items would disappear from where they were left, only to be found in another spot in the house. Doors would slam. Police investigated the incidents but even they were perplexed after finding nothing.

The Media Frenzy

In 1974 the property was a hotbed of activity not only from the poltergeist but media attention. The Warrens were called in as was the American Society for Psychical Research and the Psychical Research Foundation.

Police were on hand 24 hours a day and interviewed the family. At that time there were reports of TVs being pushed from their stands, window blinds snapping up and down and shelves falling off the walls.

The public frenzy had started too. Onlookers would crowd the street in front of the haunted house to see if they could witness something for themselves. One citizen even tried to burn the house down. The entire street had to eventually be cordoned off.

At this time the entity reportedly showed itself. According to Hall’s book, it “resembled a large, cohesive assemblage of smoky yellowish-white ‘gauzy’ mist.”

The Cat Talks

Not only were there physical manipulations there were also audio phenomena. People reported hearing Sam the family cat say weird things like “Jingle Bells,” and “Bye Bye.” Outside plastic garden swans reportedly made frightening noises too.

The website Damned Connecticut also wrote about this story. In their comments section one person, Nelson P., claims to have worked in City Hall in 1974 in the records room of the Bridgepoint Police Department. They had this to say:

“…we gained a copy of a written report by an officer who was present when the paranormal s*it hit the fan on Lindley St. The most chilling account was when in his writing ‘and the cat said to the officer “How’s your brother Bill doing?, and the officer looked down and replied “My brother’s dead.” The cat then scowled “I know” swearing repeatedly at the officer then ran off. Other visual events in the report include a levitating refrigerator and an armchair that flipped over and could not be lifted back into place by the officers. One officer who witnessed it all took an immediate leave of absence having been that shaken by the experience. I today firmly believe these events took place in the home.”

Newspaper clipping of haunted house in Connecticut

A Hoax?

Levitating Frigidaires and creepy cats aside, the whole thing came to an abrupt halt when a police officer allegedly saw Marcia try to tip over a television set with her foot when she thought no one was looking.

After questioning, Marcia eventually admitted to doing everything in the house on her own and the case was closed; deemed a hoax. Or was it?

Although her parents disputed the claim, Marcia was quick to admit her part in the “haunting.” But questions remained about how she could be in two places at once.

How respected witnesses saw things happen when Marcia wasn’t even in the house and why things continued to happen even after her confession.

The case was eventually forgotten and regarded as fraud.

Bill Hall’s book “The World’s Most Haunted House,” is the quintessential story about the Lindley haunting. His book includes unprecedented interviews from firefighters and other reputable witnesses who were there. They speak about their experiences and what they saw.

It’s been reported that Marcia, the girl behind the haunting, died in 2015 at the age of 51.

Still Standing

The house still stands in the same spot it did over 40 years ago and looks the same as it did back then. You can visit it personally. You can also type it into Google Maps.

But instead of bothering the current residents keep a safe distance away if you decide to go.

Haunted house in Connecticut?

Whatever you believe, this haunted house case was definitely one for the history books if only for the attention it got from the public and the details professional eyewitnesses documented as it happened.

This story has been updated. It was originally posted in March 2020. 

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Paranormal Games: Red Door, Yellow Door

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Red Door Yellow Door

Let’s play a game: Red Door, Yellow Door

Also Known As Doors Of The Mind

Spooky games that border on the paranormal are a mainstay at slumber parties around the world. From light as a feather, stiff as a board… Doors of the Mind

to the classic Ouija board, we’ve all played at least one, but there are others out there, perhaps less well known, and one of the spookiest is Red Door, Yellow Door. Doors of the Mind

What is Red Door Yellow Door?

Sometimes this paranormal game is called Doors of the Mind or Black Door, White Door, and well, any other combination of colors, you can think of.

Red Door, Yellow Door takes two to play.  However, it’s perfect for a late-night audience of scared teens, so it’s no surprise that it’s made a resurgence in recent years.

The Game Rules

The rules are simple, but the outcome could be dire, or so the urban legends claim.

One player is the guide, and the other is the subject.

  • The guide sits on the floor, cross-legged with a pillow in their lap.
  • The subject will then lie on the ground with their head in the guide’s lap and their hands raised in the air.
  • The guide should, at this point, begin to massage the subject’s temples in a circular motion chanting, “Red Door, Yellow Door, any other color door” over and over again, joined by any witnesses to the game. Doors of the Mind
  • As the subject slips into the trance, they will find themselves in a room in their mind and at that point, they should lower their arms to the floor signaling the guide and any witnesses to stop chanting.

The game has officially begun.

At this point, the person acting as the guide will begin to ask questions to the subject in order to get them to describe the room.

Any witnesses should be silent so that there is no sound except for the voice of the guide and the voice of the subject answering the guide’s question.

red door yellow door game

The instructor might ask what colors the doors to the room are, how they feel about the doors, and instruct them to go through varying doors into other rooms.

The subject is encouraged to answer all questions honestly until the guide decides to end the game, but there are some warnings and signs of danger to keep in mind.

Dangers To Keep In Mind Doors of the Mind

According to Scary for Kids:

  1. If you encounter people in the room, it may be best not to interact with them. They may be evil and try to trick you.
  2. If you find yourself in a room full of clocks, leave immediately. Clocks can trap you.
  3. You can go wherever you want, but it is safer to go up than down.
  4. Light things and light colors tend to be better than dark things and dark colors.
  5. If you should find yourself trapped in a room, you must try to wake up. If you don’t, you might be trapped forever.
  6. If you die in the game, you will supposedly die in real life.
  7. If you encounter a man in a suit who makes you uncomfortable, end the game immediately.
  8. If the guide is having a hard time waking the subject from the trance, they should shake them roughly to bring them into wakefulness.

Sounds creepy, right?!

The whole point of the Red Door, Yellow Door, seemingly, is to explore the inner workings of your own mind and to also understand that there are also dark sides to everyone.

Some of the things you might encounter inside the game may be those very things about yourself that you don’t wish to face.

Have you ever played Red Door, Yellow Door or any variation of this spooky game? Let us know in the comments!

 

This article has been updated. it was originally posted in February 2020.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme Rumored to Appear as a Ghost in ‘Beetlejuice 2’

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Beetlejuice

During The Hot Mic Podcast, the crew spoke about Jenna Ortega in talks to play Lydia’s daughter. Well, it turns out that the guys on Hot Mic also heard that an aging action star is set to play a ghost in the sequel as well. Over on Arrow in the Head, the direction of the aging action star immediately took the shape of Jean-Claude Van Damme. However, there are options out there that may point to other action stars like Sylvester Stallone. To be honest we would be totally fine with either of these guys coming to the world of Beetlejuice and playing a ghost.

The synopsis for Beetlejuice went like this:

After Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck haunting their country residence, unable to leave the house. When the unbearable Deetzes (Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones) and teen daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) buy the home, the Maitlands attempt to scare them away without success. Their efforts attract Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), a rambunctious spirit whose “help” quickly becomes dangerous for the Maitlands and innocent Lydia.

We can’t wait to find out if this bit of info is true. So far, we know that Jenna Ortega has been in talks to play Lydia’s daughter in the Tim Burton directd sequel. It will also see a return of Michael Keaton.

We will be sure to keep you updated on future Beetlejuice sequel updates.

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