News

Mysterious Painting ‘The Anguished Man’ Haunted by Its Deceased Artist?

Published

9 years ago

November 11, 2014

Can an object be haunted? It’s a question that has a different answer depending on who you ask, though many stories over the years have suggested that departed souls can – and have – used inanimate objects in order to make contact with the living.

Here on iHorror we’re incredibly fascinated by stories such as those, and given the lasting popularity of our post about Robert ‘the haunted doll,’ it seems that you guys are right there with us on that. So if you’ve been hungry for more paranormal thrills and chills round these parts, we’ve got a real doozy for you tonight.

Gather round the campfire, won’t you?

The Anguished Man

The story of the so-called ‘Anguished Man’ begins some 25 years ago, when a man by the name of Sean Robinson was gifted a strange painting (above) by his grandmother. According to the story she told him, the old oil painting was made by an artist who killed himself shortly after it was complete, and he allegedly mixed his own blood in with the oils.

When Sean was given the painting by his grandmother, his wife insisted that it be kept in the cellar, as she wasn’t amused by the creepy art or the story that came along with it. But it seems the Anguished Man did not want to be relegated to the cellar, and it wasn’t long before a flood forced Sean to bring it into the house.

Almost as soon as the painting was brought up, Sean claims that life for his family started to get real strange. Mysterious cries became a regular part of their nightly routine, and everyone inside the home claimed to have caught fleeting glimpses of a black figure. On several occasions, Sean saw this figure standing at the foot of his bed, describing him as a tall, middle-aged man with undefined features.

One night, when Sean’s wife went to bed before he did, she felt someone getting into the bed beside her. Thinking it was her husband, she turned over and found herself staring into the eyes of a stranger, an experience that led her to insist that the painting be locked backed up in the cellar – and the family dog refused to go down there, once it was.

Wondering if the painting truly had some sort of spirit attached to it or if he and his family were merely imagining things, based on the story they were told about it, Sean set up cameras in an effort to document any strange activity, which recorded various noises and orbs. In order to film the painting, it was brought back into the house, and it again wasn’t long before it brought paranormal activity along with it.

Sean says he was particularly spooked when his young son told him that he was pushed down the stairs by an unseen force, as that was the moment when he realized it wasn’t just he and his wife imagining things. Thankfully, his son wasn’t hurt, though his story was the final straw: the painting was once again put down into the cellar.

More recently, this past May, Sean claims to have taken the painting to the UK’s haunted Chillingham Castle, as part of an investigation with a group of paranormal researchers. He says that twenty witnesses saw a large black figure materialize in the middle of a seance circle, and a wooden bench banged on the floor in response to questions asked of the painting.

The bench was at one point violently flipped over, and the investigators believed that one of the Castle’s restless spirits was angered by the invite they sent out to a foreign spirit: the spirit of the Anguished Man.

Despite extensive research, Sean has never been able to find out the name of the artist responsible for the painting, nor has the paranormal activity ceased. Is this mysterious artist trying to tell Sean something? Or has a totally unrelated spirit – perhaps a demon – attached itself to the art?

Your guess is as good as ours…

*If you want to read Sean’s full story, head over to paranormal website Who Forted?*

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

10 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

12 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

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A post shared by Spirit Halloween (@spirithalloween)

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

14 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

**Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes**

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.