News
Halloween Horror Nights Unleash More Terrifying Haunted Houses!
Halloween Horror Nights is right around the corner, and we have a bunch of updates for both parks, Hollywood and Orlando! New houses, scare zones, and themed food! Check it all out; sensory overload!
The countdown begins for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood as the destinations announce additional all-new terrifying haunted houses, including “The Exorcist: Believer,” inspired by the new Universal Pictures film from Blumhouse and Morgan Creek Entertainment, “Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count” based on the popular USA & SYFY series, and “Universal Monsters: Unmasked,” inspired by Universal’s legacy of iconic cinematic monsters.
The terror kicks off at Universal Orlando Resort on Friday, September 1, and at Universal Studios Hollywood on Thursday, September 7. Below is a sneak peek at what to expect:

The Exorcist: Believer
Inspired by Universal Pictures’ terrifying new horror film from Blumhouse and Morgan Creek Entertainment (in theaters Friday, October 13), “The Exorcist: Believer” haunted house will unleash an entirely new level of terror to Halloween Horror Nights. In this new chapter, guests will be transported to a bustling street market in Haiti, where an innocent purchase of a strange folk doll with three eyes leads to the opening of a demonic portal, the awakening of sinister spirits and the subsequent disappearance of two 12-year-old girls in the U.S. The girls are found three days later with no memory of what happened to them. After the girls begin to exhibit unsettling behavior, it soon becomes clear that only an exorcism can save them – and everyone who comes in contact with them, including unwitting guests, is suddenly at risk of losing their souls.

Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count
Inspired by the hit USA & SYFY series and cult classic films, “Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count” casts this killer doll as the star of his very own haunted house for the first time. A true sadistic killer, Chucky has been mired in the agony of disrespect he feels from his peers at not being taken seriously. Thus begins his quest to turn his haunted house into a living slaughterhouse by killing every person who enters.

Universal Monsters: Unmasked
Lurking sixty feet beneath the bustling streets of the City of Lights, the dank Catacombs of Paris house a much darker secret. . . The all-new haunted house “Universal Monsters: Unmasked” takes guests down into the infamous burial grounds where every corner and crevice overflows with millions of skeletal remains and even more sinister secrets. Deep within the Catacombs, Universal’s most notorious creatures – The Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll and his deranged alternate personality Mr. Hyde, and Dr. Jack Griffin, aka The Invisible Man – also lie in wait as they bide their time and seek vengeance against guests after the opening of the Catacombs to public visitation. These desperate and dangerous fiends have become filled with a rage toward guests navigating the twisted tunnels of their underground labyrinth home. It is here, in the darkness, where they hunt these trespassers and where the sounds of guests’ screams will go unheard.
Once again, GRAMMY® Award-winning musician, SLASH, is collaborating with Universal Studios Hollywood on an original score for the west coast version of the “Universal Monsters: Unmasked” haunted house.
Halloween Horror Nights runs select nights at Universal Orlando Resort from Friday, September 1 through Saturday, November 4, and at Universal Studios Hollywood from Thursday, September 7 through Tuesday, October 31. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com. Due to popular demand, event nights are expected to sell out and tickets should be purchased in advance.
HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT
Universal Orlando Resort reveals the complete lineup of terrifying horrors guests will face at Halloween Horror Nights 2023, including five all-new, chilling original haunted houses and five unnerving scare zones. The world’s premier Halloween event celebrates its 32nd year with a record-breaking 48 nights of immersing guests into the eeriest of experiences that could only be endured at Halloween Horror Nights – including a circus that’s spiraled into chaos, the long-awaited emergence of Halloween Horror Nights legend, Dr. Oddfellow, and a dark, resurrected story that delves into the haunting history of Universal attractions past. In the midst of the screams, guests can experience a disturbingly entertaining live show, an all-new Tribute Store, take a bite out of the horror with scary-good food and beverage, and so much more.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s lingering in the fog at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 2023:
ALL-NEW ORIGINAL HAUNTED HOUSES
Five formidable stories await to unfold in original haunted houses where willing guests will succumb to:
- A demented, late-night circus led by an evil ringmaster and notorious icon looking for human souls to fuel his dark intentions in “Dr. Oddfellow: Twisted Origins.”
- A horrific twist to a frightening yet familiar tale and the sinister battle between Fire and Ice in “Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate”
- Blood-soaked campgrounds deep in the trenches of mountains where vicious, bloodthirsty monsters have returned with a vengeance in “YETI: Campground Kills”
- Selling their souls for fame in “The Darkest Deal,” where they quickly learn a deal can be more than they bargained for
- A colonial cult looking to slaughter those who dare refuse to worship the Bloodmoon in “Bloodmoon: Dark Offerings”
FIVE UNNERVING SCARE ZONES
As the sun sets on Universal Studios Florida and ominous clouds fill the sky, Dr. Oddfellow steps out of Halloween Horror Nights past to fill the streets with hordes of taunting scareactors in five all-new scare zones where guests will:
- Come face to face with the devious legend who is promising immortality for those who dare to enter “Dr. Oddfellow’s Collection of Horror”
- Cower in fear as the signs of the zodiac come to life in “Dark Zodiac” where Dr. Oddfellow uses his power to transform the zodiac signsinto horrifying horoscope creatures
- Venture into the “Jungle of Doom: Expedition Horror” where Dr. Oddfellow’s twisted and bizarre experiments combine elements of nature and animals to create vicious jungle creatures looking to satisfy their cravings
- Attend a music festival crashed by bloodthirsty vampires let loose by Dr. Oddfellow in “Vamp ’69: Summer of Blood”
- Stumble upon Dr. Oddfellow’s crates and cages that once housed monsters of all kinds who have escaped in pursuit of chaos in “Shipyard 32: Horrors Unhinged”
NEW SPINE-CHILLING EXPERIENCES AND KILLER FOOD
- Guests can enjoy the all-new disturbingly entertaining show, “Nightmare Fuel Revenge Dream,” that features a new dreamer confronting the creature that’s been turning her dreams into nightmares.
- While shopping the latest Halloween Horror Nights merchandise and treats in an all-new Tribute Store, guests can enter a mysterious NYC Comic Book Shop and experience the “Tribute to Terror” by stepping into the pages of this original, terrifying, horror comic book.
- Guests can enjoy a drink at the Red Coconut Club as it will once again transform to the Dead Coconut Club donning a new theme and menu.
- When guests want to take a bite out of the horror, they can enjoy a monstrous menu of all-new food & beverage items, including Bloody Campground Poutine, El Pastor Torta, and Sour Apple Pie Funnel Fries, in addition to returning fan favorites like Pizza Fries.
- New this year, Peacock’s Halloween Horror Bar will feature themed libations within an ominous nightclub vibe, photo opportunities, and more.
- For those dying to experience this year’s “killer” food & beverage before the event even opens, Taste of Terror will offer guests an exclusive preview of select items that will be featured at Halloween Horror Nights select nights from August 10 through August 26. For more information and to purchase tickets to Taste of Terror, click here.
EXCLUSIVE HALLOWEEN EXPERIENCES AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO’S HOTELS
Universal Orlando hotel guests can stay near the fear and receive exclusive benefits, including Early Park Admission to the theme parks during the day and access to priority event entrance to Halloween Horror Nights at night as well as complimentary transportation to the theme parks and Universal CityWalk.
Vacation packages are available that include one-night admission to the event, Universal hotel accommodations and admission to all three of Universal Orlando’s thrilling theme parks. And for the first time ever, the fog has spread to all eight of Universal Orlando’s hotels with exclusive activations and experiences for hotel guests inspired by this year’s event, including Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort’s exclusive “Chucky’s Twisted Playground” photo illusion experience based on the USA and SYFY series, plus, the Universal Monsters Gallery of Legends lobby photo opportunities in all other hotel lobbies and more.
Additional vacation packages and discounts on hotel stays are available for the ultimate fall getaway. Guests can also purchase single-night tickets or the popular Frequent Fear and Rush of Fear Passes, plus event upgrades like Express Pass, R.I.P. Tour, and the daytime Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour. Click here for more information and to book a fall getaway.
News
Astrolatry Built a Ten-Foot Practical Penis Scorpion
A sentient severed penis grows into a ten-foot creature with spiky teeth. Genre cinema is doing fine.
Astrolatry follows Elliot, played by Ethan Daniel Corbett, who is every ingredient for quiet catastrophe assembled in one man. Socially isolated. Physically isolated. Craving dopamine and finding it in the wrong places. The romance guru pipeline, followed to its logical conclusion. Elliot does not just spiral. He loses a piece of himself, literally, and that piece does not cooperate.
Corbett described it as “a horror satire, a trippy mind-fuck roller coaster” and “a modern retelling of Maniac,” both of which are accurate and neither of which adequately prepares you. Director David Gordon is making his feature debut after shooting 14 films as a cinematographer and he is swinging for the fences.
The Creature

The effects company behind the creature has festival circuit work Corbett had already seen before signing on. He knew what they could do but he was not ready. “When I saw it in person it was kind of mind-blowing,” he said. “Everything that you see in this movie is practical. Very, very little else. It was genuinely terrifying to have a ten-foot creature coming at you with a big mouth and spiky teeth.”
A CG creature asks an actor to imagine something. A ten-foot physical creature on a set asks nothing. It just arrives. The fear on Corbett’s face in those scenes is not a performance. It is the normal reaction to a scorpion dick with sharp teeth.
Elliot

Corbett went into the character through the body. “I mainly focus on the physicality of it. Who this character is and who he is wholly. I strive in those kinds of moments as an actor.”
Gordon was explicit about the concept, the “nice guy” archetype and the overtly toxic one are the same problem, both aimed at the same object. That reading lands because Corbett does not play it as a reading. Elliot is not a symbol. He is a person.
Where It Is Going

Astrolatry is heading to the Frontières Buyers Showcase at Cannes on May 16-17. “To be able to get into that kind of room on David’s first feature is incredible,” Corbett said. “To be in front of buyers and to showcase the film and potentially get distribution through that.” Frontières is the correct room. It is full of people who understand that the most extreme premise, executed with precision, is not a punchline. It is an argument.
News
ShoStak Opens the Door for Filmmakers to Build and Own Their Stories
A new player is stepping into the space, but ShoStak is making one thing clear right away.
It is not trying to be the next Netflix. It is not chasing TikTok.
“Cinema does not need another platform. It needs a new model.”
That idea sits at the core of what ShoStak is building. Not just a place to watch content, but a system where creators and audiences connect in a way that feels very different from what we are used to.

The First 150 Competition Is Already Underway
ShoStak is kicking things off with its First 150 Competition, giving filmmakers a chance to present their story worlds and compete for the opportunity to move into production.
Projects are introduced as series concepts or pilots, then advance through multiple stages. Audience voting plays a role, but it is only part of the process.
Selections are ultimately shaped by a mix of audience engagement, creative execution, and overall project readiness. It is not just about popularity. It is about building something that can actually move forward.
For creators, it is a rare chance to get in front of both an audience and a structured development path at the same time.
One Platform, Built Around a New Model
Everything now lives under ShoStak.tv, where both creators and audiences come together.
Creators can sign up, develop their projects, and begin building their audience. Viewers can discover new series, follow story worlds, and engage with projects as they evolve.
ShoStak describes this as a cinematic ecosystem. Stories are not treated as disposable content designed to spike and disappear. They are built to grow over time.
And that growth happens in public.

Ownership Without Losing Structure
One of ShoStak’s core ideas is giving creators more control over what they build.
Filmmakers are positioned to:
- Retain ownership of their intellectual property
- Build direct relationships with their audience
- Grow projects based on real engagement
At the same time, this is not a free-for-all.
There is still structure. Projects are evaluated, developed, and refined through a process that blends audience input with creative and strategic decision-making.
Instead of removing the system entirely, ShoStak is reshaping how creators move through it.
Development Happens in Public
This is where things start to separate from the traditional model.
Instead of developing behind closed doors, ShoStak allows projects to evolve in front of an audience.
Creators introduce their ideas, build a following, and expand their worlds over time. As engagement grows, so does the project.
It is less about waiting for approval and more about proving momentum.
Over time, that turns the platform into something larger than a development program. It becomes an open ecosystem where creators and audiences push stories forward together.

More Than Just Testing Ideas
Micro-series are a big part of ShoStak’s approach, but they are not just a testing ground.
They can be the final product.
The format allows creators to:
- Tell complete stories in shorter form
- Build long-term story worlds
- Expand into larger projects when it makes sense
It is not about proving an idea and moving on. It is about giving that idea room to grow in whatever direction fits.
Why This Matters for Horror
Horror has always thrived outside the system.
Some of the most memorable films in the genre came from creators taking risks, working with limited resources, and finding their audience without waiting for permission.
ShoStak’s model fits naturally into that mindset.
It gives horror creators a space to:
- Build original story worlds
- Connect directly with fans
- Grow projects without losing control
And with early content like Civilian and Liminal already rolling out, it is clear the platform is aiming for more than just quick-hit content.
A Different Path Forward
ShoStak is not trying to compete by doing the same thing better.
It is trying to change how stories are created, developed, and sustained.
By combining creator ownership, audience engagement, and a structured development path, it offers something that feels closer to a creative ecosystem than a traditional platform.
Whether it works long-term is still unknown.
But for filmmakers looking for a new way in, it is opening a door that has been closed for a long time.
News
The Clayface Teaser Just Made October Feel Very Far Away
Clayface is a character whose face changes. Or rather, he is a man whose body can transform into whatever is required in the moment. He primarily uses this skill to land acting jobs and murder people. Fun Guy.
Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, an actor whose face gets destroyed in a gangster attack. Naomi Ackie is the scientist who hands him something that fixes the problem by making it considerably worse. Bandages. Blood. Then a face that begins to melt. You know where this ends.
Who Made This

The director is James Watkins, who made Speak No Evil in 2024 and before that Eden Lake, which is one of the more quietly devastating horror films of the last twenty years. Watkins does not make comfortable films. He makes films that stay in the room with you after you leave the theater and this one is about a DC villain whose body does not hold its shape anymore.
The script is from Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini. Flanagan built the language of prestige horror television with The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass before moving back into features with The Life of Chuck. He writes characters who are being destroyed from the inside and the outside simultaneously.
The October Play

Clayface opens October 23, which puts it squarely in Halloween season and makes it the first DC film that actually belongs there. The project is likely rated R. The trailer confirms why.
There is a face melting off.
Watch the teaser. Then clear your calendar for October 23.
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