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31 Scary Story Nights: October 8th “Head Count”

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Hello readers and welcome back for another Scary Story Night!  I’m not sure where I first encountered this story.  I know I remember being entirely creeped out by it and that there was a campfire involved the night I heard it.

I’ve done some research and found some interesting variations on it, but this is the tale that I remember.  So go outside, light a campfire, and settle in for a tale simply called “Head Count”.

***Writer’s Note:  We here at iHorror are big proponents of responsible parenting.  Some of the stories in this series may be too much for your little ones.  Please read ahead and decide if your kids can handle this story!  If not, find another story for tonight or simply come back to see us tomorrow.  In other words, don’t blame me for your kids nightmares!***

Head Count as retold by Waylon Jordan

The Boy Scout troop had been hiking all day, and if the Troop Leader had been honest, he would have admitted he was lost over an hour ago.  They were somewhere in the Smoky Mountains but their maps had failed them somewhere along the way.

“All right, troops, let’s take a breather,” he called over his shoulder.  “Everyone settle down.  Mr. Jones is going to take a head count while we rest up a bit.  We aren’t far from the campsite, now.”

“You’ve been telling that lie for over an hour, now, Ralph,” Mr. Jones said as he brushed by the troop leader to go make the count.

It was just dark enough to need a flashlight as he stared down at the map.

“We have to be close,” he muttered.  He’d led this trip many times before and he couldn’t say why he had suddenly lost his way this time.

He was still staring down at the map when Jones walked up behind him.

“Twenty kids.  Just like there’s supposed to be, Ralph.”

“Good.”

Jones stared at him expectantly.  “Well?”

“Won’t be long now,” the troop leader responded, not waiting for whatever comment Jones might have.

“All right, Scouts, let’s move out!”

The boys fell in behind their leader and he continued to lead the way.  The scenery might have been familiar if it hadn’t gotten so dark.  A couple of the boys pulled their flashlights out.

“Turn those lights out, now,” the leader barked.  “You boys take turns pointing out the constellations.  You can hardly see them in the city.”

It didn’t take long before the boys ran out of constellations and Jones was just running out of patience in general.

“Where are we, Ralph?”

“Almost there.  I know I said it before, but we really are almost there,” Ralph replied.  “Can you get a head count while we’re walking?”

“Sure…sure, Ralph…” Jones turned back to count the kids, but when he returned he had a spooked look on his face.

“What is it?” the troop leader asked.

“It’s…it’s nothing, Ralph…except that I counted 21 this time.”

“We only have 20 campers, Jones.”

“I know!  But I swear it.  I counted twice and there were 21.”

Ralph called a halt to the hike and stood staring over the group.  He counted slowly to be sure, and there were indeed 21 head in the count this time.

Who was the extra?  He didn’t want to start a panic among the campers.

“Well?” Jones asked.

“There’s 21 all right.  Hold on.”

The troop leader pulled out his own flashlight and shined it through the group, counting once more.  Though none of the faces seemed out of place, there was definitely one more boy than should have been there.  The problem was, he couldn’t name which boy was out of place.

He turned back to Jones.

“Let’s keep going,”  he said.  “I’m sure it’s just a trick of the light or something…”

It wasn’t long before the troop leader found the trail he was supposed to be following all along and in less than half an hour they had arrived at their appointed campsite.

Grateful to be where they should be, the troop leader ordered the boys to start setting up their tents and asked Jones to do one last head count.  The troop leader had finished setting up his own tent by the time Jones returned.  The man was obviously agitated and his eyes were wide in terror.

“What’s wrong?” Ralph asked.

“…19…there’s only 19…”

The troop leader and his faithful chaperone ransacked the campsite and spent most of the next day looking but Matthew, the 20th camper, was never seen or heard from again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, that’ll make you think twice about hiking in the mountains, won’t it? Makes me glad I was never a Boy Scout!  Good night, readers.  Join us again tomorrow evening as we continue our countdown to Halloween with another scary story!

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‘Strange Darling’ Featuring Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald Lands Nationwide Release [Watch Clip]

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Strange Darling Kyle Gallner

‘Strange Darling,’ a standout film featuring Kyle Gallner, who is nominated for an iHorror award for his performance in ‘The Passenger,’ and Willa Fitzgerald, has been acquired for a wide theatrical release in the United States by Magenta Light Studios, a new enterprise from veteran producer Bob Yari. This announcement, brought to us by Variety, follows the film’s successful premiere at Fantastic Fest in 2023, where it was universally praised for its creative storytelling and compelling performances, achieving a perfect score of 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes from 14 reviews.

Strange Darling – Movie Clip

Directed by JT Mollner, ‘Strange Darling‘ is a thrilling narrative of a spontaneous hookup that takes an unexpected and terrifying turn. The film is notable for its innovative narrative structure and the exceptional acting of its leads. Mollner, known for his 2016 Sundance entry “Outlaws and Angels,” has once again employed 35mm for this project, cementing his reputation as a filmmaker with a distinct visual and narrative style. He is currently involved in adapting Stephen King’s novel “The Long Walk” in collaboration with director Francis Lawrence.

Bob Yari expressed his enthusiasm for the film’s upcoming release, scheduled for August 23rd, highlighting the unique qualities that make ‘Strange Darling’ a significant addition to the horror genre. “We are thrilled to be bringing nationwide theatrical audiences this unique and exceptional film with terrific performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. This second feature from talented writer-director JT Mollner is destined to become a cult classic that defies conventional storytelling,” Yari told Variety.

Variety’s review of the film from Fantastic Fest lauds Mollner’s approach, saying, “Mollner shows himself to be more forward-thinking than most of his genre peers. He’s clearly a student of the game, one who studied his forebears’ lessons with adroitness to better prepare himself to put his own mark on them.” This praise underlines Mollner’s deliberate and thoughtful engagement with the genre, promising audiences a film that is both reflective and innovative.

Strange Darling

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Sydney Sweeney’s ‘Barbarella’ Revival Forges Ahead

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Sydney Sweeney Barbarella

Sydney Sweeney has confirmed the ongoing progress of the much-anticipated reboot of Barbarella. The project, which sees Sweeney not only starring but also executive producing, aims to breathe new life into the iconic character that first captured audiences’ imaginations in the 1960s. However, amid speculation, Sweeney remains tight-lipped about the possible involvement of celebrated director Edgar Wright in the project.

During her appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Sweeney shared her enthusiasm for the project and the character of Barbarella, stating, “It is. I mean, Barbarella is just such a fun character to explore. She really just embraces her femininity and her sexuality, and I love that. She uses sex as a weapon and I think it’s such an interesting way into a sci-fi world. I’ve always wanted to do sci-fi. So we’ll see what happens.“

Sydney Sweeney confirms her Barbarella reboot is still in the works

Barbarella, originally a creation of Jean-Claude Forest for V Magazine in 1962, was transformed into a cinematic icon by Jane Fonda under the direction of Roger Vardim in 1968. Despite a sequel, Barbarella Goes Down, never seeing the light of day, the character has remained a symbol of sci-fi allure and adventurous spirit.

Over the decades, several high-profile names including Rose McGowan, Halle Berry, and Kate Beckinsale were floated as potential leads for a reboot, with directors Robert Rodriguez and Robert Luketic, and writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade previously attached to revive the franchise. Unfortunately, none of these iterations made it past the conceptual stage.

Barbarella

The film’s progress took a promising turn approximately eighteen months ago when Sony Pictures announced its decision to cast Sydney Sweeney in the titular role, a move that Sweeney herself has suggested was facilitated by her involvement in Madame Web, also under Sony’s banner. This strategic decision was aimed at fostering a beneficial relationship with the studio, specifically with the Barbarella reboot in mind.

When probed about Edgar Wright’s potential directorial role, Sweeney adeptly sidestepped, merely noting that Wright has become an acquaintance. This has left fans and industry watchers speculating about the extent of his involvement, if any, in the project.

Barbarella is known for its adventurous tales of a young woman traversing the galaxy, engaging in escapades that often incorporate elements of sexuality—a theme Sweeney seems eager to explore. Her commitment to reimagining Barbarella for a new generation, while staying true to the character’s original essence, sounds like the making of a great reboot.

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‘The First Omen’ Almost Received an NC-17 Rating

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the first omen trailer

Set for an April 5 theater release, ‘The First Omen’ carries an R-rating, a classification that was almost not achieved. Arkasha Stevenson, in her inaugural feature film directorial role, faced a formidable challenge in securing this rating for the prequel to the esteemed franchise. It seems the filmmakers had to contend with the ratings board to prevent the film from being saddled with an NC-17 rating. In a revealing conversation with Fangoria, Stevenson described the ordeal as ‘a long battle’, one not waged over traditional concerns such as gore. Instead, the crux of the controversy centered around the depiction of the female anatomy.

Stevenson’s vision for “The First Omen” delves deep into the theme of dehumanization, particularly through the lens of forced birthing. “The horror in that situation is how dehumanized that woman is”, Stevenson explains, emphasizing the significance of presenting the female body in a non-sexualized light to address themes of forced reproduction authentically. This commitment to realism nearly landed the film an NC-17 rating, sparking a prolonged negotiation with the MPA. “This has been my life for a year and a half, fighting for the shot. It’s the theme of our film. It’s the female body being violated from the inside outwards”, she states, highlighting the importance of the scene to the film’s core message.

The First Omen Movie Poster – by Creepy Duck Design

Producers David Goyer and Keith Levine supported Stevenson’s battle, encountering what they perceived as a double standard in the ratings process. Levine reveals, “We had to go back and forth with the ratings board five times. Weirdly, avoiding the NC-17 made it more intense”, pointing out how the struggle with the ratings board inadvertently intensified the final product. Goyer adds, “There is more permissiveness when dealing with male protagonists, particularly in body horror”, suggesting a gender bias in how body horror is evaluated.

The film’s bold approach to challenging viewers’ perceptions extends beyond the ratings controversy. Co-writer Tim Smith notes the intention to subvert expectations traditionally associated with The Omen franchise, aiming to surprise audiences with a fresh narrative focus. “One of the big things we were excited to do was to kind of pull the rug out from under people’s expectations”, Smith says, underscoring the creative team’s desire to explore new thematic ground.

Nell Tiger Free, known for her role in “Servant”, leads the cast of “The First Omen”, set for release by 20th Century Studios on April 5. The movie follows a young American woman dispatched to Rome for church service, where she stumbles upon a sinister force that shakes her faith to its core and reveals a chilling plot aimed at summoning evil incarnate.

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