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‘American Dad’ Goes Full Blown Horror In New Episode

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Creepypasta has long since grown from murmurs and memes on the internet to mainstream popular culture the last several years. Slenderman is a household name and some creepypasta tales are set to be adapted to the big screen. And last night with the latest episode of American Dad, a similar format has been used for one extremely clever horror comedy!

Image via AmericanDad.Fandom

The originally FOX and now TBS Animated sit-com from Seth McFarlene essentially follows Stan Smith, an All-American CIA agent and his quirky family. The show has since shifted to a more absurdist, if surrealist comedy most prominently featuring Roger The Alien’s numerous character personas as plot points, and the weirdness has only strengthens the series. Last night’s episode entitled ‘Rabbit Ears’ felt like something from The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. Stan finds an old school big TV set for the dump and decides to install it in the basement despite his family’s disinterest and attention focused on Roger who’s latest persona is a baby. He manages to find a show to watch after fiddling with the ‘rabbit ears’ of the television, an old 1960’s late night variety show called Nighthawks Hideaway hosted by a charming socialite named Alistair Covax (Voiced by Chris Pine).

Image via AmericanDad.Fandom

Stan soon becomes obsessed with the show, which features Covax having politically incorrect conversations with guests, drinking, and listening to smooth jazz. The same episode plays repeatedly with minor shifts and differences with every viewing such as different people playing the same characters. When Stan seeks information from TV Guide headquarters, they tell him the show has never existed and the only other person who knows about it is Stan’s neighbor, Tuttle. Only for Tuttle to disappear and show up on Nighthawks Hideout! Stan’s investigation leads to him going through projected static and into the TV show itself. Only to discover, to his horror, he now cannot leave!

Image via AmericanDad.Fandom

The episode plays like many Creepypastas and SCP Foundation entries about similar accursed cases of media that can absorb its viewers. In the episode itself, the horror of Nighthawks Hideout and its sinister hot are played all but completely straight. Despite his smooth exterior, Covax is a menacing monster with no origin and only motivated to keep his show on track. Anyone who tries to escape, he disposes of during the commercial break. Including an unfortunate Back To The Future fan voiced by Fred Savage in a cameo. And worst yet, with every repeat of the episode, the people stuck inside like Stan and Tuttle lose more and more of their memory! It’s a story with a genuinely creepy hook that on its own could stand as a good horror story. Of course, with Stan and Tuttle as the protagonists, it handles the job of balancing the horror to the comedy by having the horror treated deadly serious and simply having them react in funny ways.

This is an episode well worth checking out if you’re looking for some animated weirdness. It’s also kind of ironic considering one of the most popular creepypasta sub-genres is ‘cursed/lost episodes’ of popular shows. Looks like American Dad beat them to the punch on their own show!

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Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

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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.

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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

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lizzie borden house

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.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

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.”

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.

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

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28 years later

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.

28 Days Later

The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.

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