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INTERVIEW: Robert Englund talks ‘True Terror’ on the Travel Channel

Published

4 years ago

March 17, 2020

**This interview with Robert Englund for True Terror includes light spoilers. Readers beware.

“You’re all my children now,” Robert Englund growled into the phone to a group of reporters who’d gathered to chat with the legendary actor about True Terror, a new show he’s hosting on the Travel Channel.

The series, which premieres on Wednesday, October 18, 2020 at 10 pm EST, digs deep into strange and reportedly true stories from the history of the U.S. with Englund hosting and narrating reenactments involving everything from a dragon sighting in 19th century Arizona to a blood drinking religious cult and a particularly macabre ghost story surrounding the invention of the telephone.

The actor couldn’t be prouder of the series and he told us it was the sort of “comfort food” aspect of the show that initially drew him to True Terror.

“It’s sort of equal parts Rod Serling Twilight Zone with some of the aspects of that great Robert Stack series, Unsolved Mysteries, you know, and then just a dash of Dateline,” he explained. “I like the comfort food aspect that it has this structure and this formula that we know. And it’s something you can tune into and learn something dark from the sort of underbelly of the American psyche.”

Further, it was the fact that all of the stories included in the series began as newspaper articles that really piqued Englund’s interest.

It’s one thing when you’re told a story by your brother’s cousin’s best friend from high school and quite another when you read the same story in your local newspaper. This adds a layer of reality to the stories, no matter how crazy they may seem, but also a level of genuine terror and unease at times even for the show’s host.

Englund pointed to a particular story that took place during one of several smallpox epidemics from the nation’s history.

“I had no idea that there was some scam between coroners and the guys that drove the charity wagons to the cemetery, coffin makers…and the last buck stopping with the gravedigger,” he said. “That, in fact people were literally being buried alive for profit!”

Stories like this, of course, often become inflated and conflated with others, leading to urban legends that we tell to this very day.

We’re all familiar with tales of the sasquatch, aka Bigfoot, but did you know one of our most famous presidents once had an encounter?

That doesn’t mean that the sources for these tales aren’t fascinating all on their own, however. The actor and host admits, for instance, that when he first saw that they would be doing a segment that involved sasquatch, his thoughts first turned to sitting in a drive-in theater on a double date watching The Legend of Boggy Creek.

He knew, of course, that there is a long history of sightings and that they date back to indigenous population in the U.S., but he wasn’t sure just what kind of story they would be telling on the show.

“When I saw the title to that segment, I thought, ‘Uh oh, here we go,'” Englund said. “And then, when we did our segment–and not only was it published in newspapers, but we actually have a president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, as one of our sources.”

Throughout True Terror‘s six themed episodes, there are a variety of chilling tales to experience and quite naturally the conversation turned to Englund’s own experiences with the strange and inexplicable during which he recounted a story that his mother related to him.

Describing her as a chain-smoking, martini-drinking liberal who once worked on the Adlai Stevenson campaign in the 1950s in California, his mother, apparently, often told a story that occurred during a horrible flood in the 30s in Los Angeles.

She was living in a sorority house at the time, and she and her sorority sisters had stayed up late listening to the radio and the reports of flooding. When the rest of her friends retired for the evening, she stayed up to wash out the coffee cups and clean up the kitchen when there was suddenly a knocking at the front door.

His mother opened the door to find one of her sorority sisters standing there soaking wet. She brought her inside and made her a cup of coffee and they sat and talked while the girl rested before telling Englund’s mother she intended to go up to a local boarding house to stay with a friend.

The next day, the police showed up to inform them they’d found the body of their classmate.

“But, they had found it like 36 hours before, which would have been about, you know, 12 to 15 hours before my mother made a cup of coffee for her,” Englund said. “And my mother said she went back and found the coffee cup, and it had lipstick on it.”

As True Terror goes, that would make one hell of a segment. Alas it was never covered in the newspapers.

Robert Englund thinks H.H. Holmes would make a fascinating topic for season two of True Terror and we couldn’t agree more!

There is one story, however, that Englund would very much like to see covered if/when season two of the series should come to fruition, and it all centers on the Chicago World’s Fair in the 1890s and the rise of serial killer H.H. Holmes.

The actor has recently become fascinated with the story after reading Erik Larson’s book, The Devil in the White City.

“[He] exploited the growth of the fair and the growth in the population in Chicago and the country girls coming to town for the fair,” the actor said. “And, you know, there’s some estimates that he may have killed up to 200 people. I’m not sure–I don’t know. But, they never found all the bodies.”

Holmes would definitely be a fascinating story to tell alongside stories of unnatural killers, ghosts, and the occasional psychic visions of True Terror.

The series premieres tomorrow night at 10 pm EST on the Travel Channel. Check your local listings for more airing information and prepare yourself for True Terror with Robert Englund!

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“Mickey Vs. Winnie”: A Horrific Clash of Icons from Director Glenn Douglas Packard and iHorror

Published

45 mins ago

May 1, 2024

Anthony Pernicka

iHorror is diving deep into film production with a chilling new project that’s sure to redefine your childhood memories. We’re thrilled to introduce ‘Mickey vs. Winnie,’ a groundbreaking horror slasher directed by Glenn Douglas Packard. This isn’t just any horror slasher; it’s a visceral showdown between twisted versions of childhood favorites Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh. ‘Mickey vs. Winnie’ brings together the now-public-domain characters from A. A. Milne’s ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ books and Mickey Mouse from the 1920s ‘Steamboat Willie’ cartoon in a VS battle like never before seen.

Set in the 1920s, the plot kicks off with a disturbing narrative about two convicts who escape into a cursed forest, only to be swallowed by its dark essence. Fast forward a hundred years, and the story picks up with a group of thrill-seeking friends whose nature getaway goes horribly wrong. They accidentally venture into the same cursed woods, finding themselves face-to-face with the now monstrous versions of Mickey and Winnie. What follows is a night filled with terror, as these beloved characters mutate into horrifying adversaries, unleashing a frenzy of violence and bloodshed.

Glenn Douglas Packard, an Emmy-nominated choreographer turned filmmaker known for his work on “Pitchfork,” brings a unique creative vision to this film. Packard describes “Mickey vs. Winnie” as a tribute to horror fans’ love for iconic crossovers, which often remain just a fantasy due to licensing restrictions. “Our film celebrates the thrill of combining legendary characters in unexpected ways, serving up a nightmarish yet exhilarating cinematic experience,” says Packard.

Produced by Packard and his creative partner Rachel Carter under the Untouchables Entertainment banner, and our very own Anthony Pernicka, founder of iHorror, “Mickey vs. Winnie” promises to deliver an entirely new take on these iconic figures. “Forget what you know about Mickey and Winnie,” Pernicka enthuses. “Our film portrays these characters not as mere masked figures but as transformed, live-action horrors that merge innocence with malevolence. The intense scenes crafted for this movie will change how you see these characters forever.”

Currently underway in Michigan, the production of “Mickey vs. Winnie” is a testament to pushing the boundaries of the horror genre. As iHorror ventures into producing our own films, we’re excited to share this thrilling, terrifying journey with you, our loyal audience. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to transform the familiar into the frightful in ways you’ve never imagined.

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Movies

Mike Flanagan Comes Aboard To Assist in Completion of ‘Shelby Oaks’

Published

4 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Timothy Rawles

If you have been following Chris Stuckmann on YouTube you are aware of the struggles he has had getting his horror movie Shelby Oaks finished. But there’s good news about the project today. Director Mike Flanagan (Ouija: Origin Of Evil, Doctor Sleep and The Haunting) is backing the film as a co-executive producer which might bring it much closer to being released. Flanagan is a part of the collective Intrepid Pictures which also includes Trevor Macy and Melinda Nishioka.

Stuckmann is a YouTube movie critic who’s been on the platform for over a decade. He came under some scrutiny for announcing on his channel two years ago that he would no longer be reviewing films negatively. However contrary to that statement, he did a non-review essay of the panned Madame Web recently saying, that studios strong-arm directors to make films just for the sake of keeping failing franchises alive. It seemed like a critique disguised as a discussion video.

But Stuckmann has his own movie to worry about. In one of Kickstarter’s most successful campaigns, he managed to raise over $1 million for his debut feature film Shelby Oaks which now sits in post-production.

Hopefully, with Flanagan and Intrepid’s help, the road to Shelby Oak’s completion is reaching its end.

“It’s been inspiring to watch Chris working toward his dreams over the past few years, and the tenacity and DIY spirit he displayed while bringing Shelby Oaks to life reminded me so much of my own journey over a decade ago,” Flanagan told Deadline. “It’s been an honor to walk a few steps with him on his path, and to offer support for Chris’ vision for his ambitious, unique movie. I can’t wait to see where he goes from here.”

Stuckmann says Intrepid Pictures has inspired him for years and, “it’s a dream come true to work with Mike and Trevor on my first feature.”

Producer Aaron B. Koontz of Paper Street Pictures has been working with Stuckmann since the beginning is also excited about the collaboration.

“For a film that had such a hard time getting going, it’s remarkable the doors that then opened to us,” said Koontz. “The success of our Kickstarter followed by the on-going leadership and guidance from Mike, Trevor, and Melinda is beyond anything I could have hoped for.”

Deadline describes the plot of Shelby Oaks as follows:

“A combination of documentary, found footage, and traditional film footage styles, Shelby Oaks centers on Mia’s (Camille Sullivan) frantic search for her sister, Riley, (Sarah Durn) who ominously disappeared in the last tape of her “Paranormal Paranoids” investigative series. As Mia’s obsession grows, she begins to suspect that the imaginary demon from Riley’s childhood may have been real.”

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Movies

New ‘MaXXXine’ Image is Pure 80s Costume Core

Published

8 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Timothy Rawles

A24 has unveiled a captivating new image of Mia Goth in her role as the titular character in “MaXXXine”. This release comes approximately a year and a half after the previous installment in Ti West’s expansive horror saga, which covers more than seven decades.

MaXXXine Official Trailer

His latest continues the story arc of freckle-faced aspiring starlet Maxine Minx from the first film X which took place in Texas in 1979. With stars in her eyes and blood on her hands, Maxine moves into a new decade and a new city, Hollywood, in pursuit of an acting career, “But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.”

The photo below is the latest snapshot released from the film and shows Maxine in full Thunderdome drag amid a crowd of teased hair and rebellious 80s fashion.

MaXXXine is set to open in theaters on July 5.