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7 Animated Horror Films That Would Give Kids Nightmares

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Incredibles 2 comes out in a couple weeks offering yet another family-friendly theatrical release for parents to rejoice over. But what if Hollywood animation studios gave the horror community a little love too with some creepy, stylish films?

Thankfully, there are indie filmmakers stepping outside the box to show us animation’s potential for the horror genre. Here is a devilish list of both upcoming and currently available short animated horror films that would give any kid nightmares.

La Noria (TBA 2018)

La Noria is a story about a little boy, who, after experiencing a terrible loss, comes face-to-face with some horrific, otherworldly creatures. The film’s stunningly creepy trailer will make you wish more animated studio films dared to go dark.

Carlos Baena’s passion project features jaw-dropping, atmospheric visuals and a heartfelt personal story for something truly special. Baena is leading a collaboration of international industry professionals, who have worked on films like Let the Right One In, The Orphanage, Pan’s Labyrinth, Finding Nemo, Rio, and many more. We’ll be keeping an eye out for an official release date, which is set for later this year!

Check out our previous article on La Noria for more info! Watch the teaser below, and support the project on Indiegogo:

Other Lily (2015)

Other Lily is a scary tale about a girl who suffers from sleep paralysis. Lily soon realizes the apparition that torments her at night may be more than just a figment of her imagination. The short film directed and animated by David Romero demonstrates you don’t need a big budget or crew to make one creepy animated short. The sketchy, hand-drawn animation really lends itself to the film’s charm and creep-factor.

We also covered the short film Paralys in a previous article, which showed audiences the nightmarish visions sleep paralysis sufferers may endure. Be sure to check that one out as well!

Season’s Greetings (1996)

Speaking of 2D animation, here is a throwback to the cartoons many of us grew up on as kids. Sam invaded writer/director Michael Dougherty’s mind long before his quintessential Halloween film Trick ‘r Treat. The imp made a much earlier appearance in Dougherty’s senior thesis animated film Season’s Greetings at New York University.

In the short film, Sam is out trick or treating under the guise of a normal kid in a costume, when he runs into a shadowy stranger. Hopefully Dougherty doesn’t make us wait too much longer for Trick ‘r Treat 2.

Geist (2015)

A shipwrecked sailor wakes up on the beach, and seeks shelter from the violent storm at a nearby vacant house. As the weary man takes refuge by a warm fire with the rain pouring down outside, he soon suspects he may not be alone.

I really can’t say enough about how much I absolutely love Geist by writer/directors Ben Harper, Sean Mullen, and Alex Sherwood. This poignant haunted house film is an emotional roller coaster that will give you chills in more ways than one.

Witness (2015)

A tormented man attempts to track down a mysterious killer to avenge his wife’s murder. But he’s led to a shocking discovery after closing in on his suspect.

Witness by Alexandre Berger, Christ Ibovy, and Hugo Rizzon is the type of psychological thriller you’d normally see in a live-action David Fincher film. However, the uncommon juxtaposition of animation telling a seedy revenge tale elevates the material in a more artful, dreamlike way.

Midnight Story (2016)

Riff and Alternate Studio bring us this spooky animated horror short where a young girl learns there are more frightening things than monsters in story books. Midnight Story isn’t light on subtext either, providing a deeper commentary about broken homes. The film is an intense haunted house ride that mixes impressive 2D drawings and 3D animation.

It’s definitely some of the creepier visuals you’ll find in an animated horror short. One startling moments is reminiscent of the short film Mama, which was adapted into the 2013 feature length film by IT director Andy Muschietti.

The Backwater Gospel (2011)

When the undertaker comes to town to claim a life, a belligerent holy man rallies the paranoid locals to rid themselves of a tramp. This stylish horror western directed by Bo Mathorne is brutal, bloody, and cool as all hell.

The short plays out like a Stephen King novel told in under 10 minutes. The Backwater Gospel’s graphic novel-esque visuals take the story to another level in a way live-action just can’t replicate.

Do you have any favorite horror shorts? Post them in the comments below, and tell us what you thought of these awesome films!

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News

Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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