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Cult Appeal! Some of Our Favorite Sinister Sects in Horror

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A cult has been defined as “A relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.” Be it to Satan, God, or their ‘leader’ in some form, devoted to their cause with terrifying extremism. The Manson Family, Heaven’s Gate, Aum Shinrikyo are just a small listing of such groups that took their fanaticism to levels and made them infamous. So, it’s no wonder that cults are a fairly popular subject in a variety of stories and shows. With the premiere of AMERICAN HORROR STORY: CULT tonight, I thought it would be fun to go over some of the scariest and most memorable cults to assemble within the horror genre.

 

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

Image courtesy of IMDB

In this classic Roger Corman adaptation of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Vincent Price plays the cruel and sadistic Prince Prospero. Ruler of the poor lands now under siege by the virulent ‘Red Death’. But that won’t stop the Satan worshipping prince from having one Hell of a ball! Inviting his equally corrupt fellow nobles for a night of debauchery and depravity as the rest of the world dies around them. Prospero believing his dark lord to appear to him in the flesh in the guise of a red, hooded man…

 

ROSEMARY’S BABY

Image courtesy of Acidemic

If one were to look back into the seeds of fear of the Devil in Americana, most roads would lead to the massively successful ROSEMARY’S BABY. The tale of young Rosemary Woodhouse being given by her groom to a coven of Satanists so she could birth The Anti-Christ. But it’s not simply the goals of this coven that are so terrifying, but the members. The elderly and kindly Castevets. The well respected Dr. Sapirstein. They don’t parade around in robes with horns on their heads, they’re your neighbors, they’re your friends, anyone you know could be an emissary of darkness!

 

LORD OF ILLUSIONS

Image courtesy of CliveBarkerCast

Oftentimes, many join cults for the chance at power. Be it supernatural or over their peers. But what if one of these cult leaders was the real deal? Enter Nix (Played by Daniel von Bargen) from Clive Barker’s LORD OF ILLUSIONS. His pudgy appearance and balding visage a facade for hiding his true abilities in the magical arts. Real magic. Assembling a host of worshippers, each wishing to help this dark, milquetoast messiah- even if it means sacrificing a child. Eventually, Nix is overthrown and bound by his more morally obliged followers, including his apprentice, Swann. But even that’s not enough to stop the cult. Years later, Nix’s devoted followers attempt to locate his corpse, bringing him back as an even more powerful undead Lich intent on “Murdering the world.” Proving that this type of fanatical terror can outlast even its leaders.

 

DAGON

Image courtesy of BadMovies.org

Now we step into the realms of H.P. Lovecraft and one of his finest adaptors, Stuart Gordon. A take on the originally New England set THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH transported to the Spanish village of ‘Imboca’. A small fishing town that had fallen on hard times due to a lack of fish and wealth. Desperate, they turned to a sea captain who spoke of the oceanic god, Dagon. In exchange for rich harvests and gold, all the ancient sea deity demanded was human sacrifices and women… which the villagers were happy to give for such bounties. Even willing to turn, slowly and disgustingly into Dagon’s fish-like acolytes. A sad and disturbing take on how and what people would be willing to give in such times of desperation.

 

RED STATE

Image courtesy of IMDB

The horror debut of Kevin Smith, and showing that just because someone worships the angels, does not make them any less dangerous. Following ‘The Five Points Trinity Church’ led by Abin Cooper (Played by the late, great Michael Parks) and his family of homophobic and radical Christians, they’re intent on spreading the good word…. even at gun point. Even going so far as to lure gay and ‘deviant’ victims to their fortified, and heavily armed compound in order to kill them. Eventually leading to a bloody and explosive stand-off with the ATF like so many self-righteous cults before them.

 

THE VOID

Image courtesy of Youtube

Perhaps the most dangerous fanatics are those whose goals are incomprehensible and outside the boundaries of what is natural. As seems to be the case with the strange, white hooded followers of THE VOID. Armed with hunting knives and seemingly dozens in their fold, they surround the local hospital. Trapping those inside with the eldritch abominations their mad leader has conjured in the cause to defeat death. We’re not even certain what exactly they worship, except for haunting visions and horrific mutations.

 

JACKALS

Image courtesy of Youtube

Perhaps one of the scariest facets of cults is that they can draw in and brainwash a loved one. A family member. A friend. It won’t matter when they take a cult’s cause as their life’s purpose. As is the case with JACKALS. Set in 1983, and following the wealthy Powell family whose son, Justin, has been inducted into a strange and animalistic ‘family.’ Hiring a deprogrammer and taking him by force to an isolated cottage, the Powells and his girlfriend with their baby intend on bringing the real Justin back. Until Justin’s new family shows up, complete with beastly themed masks and wielding all manner of blades and weaponry stage a siege. Intent on getting their ‘brother’ back form his true family, by any means necessary.

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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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