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‘Nightmare Soup’ Is A Clever ‘Scary Stories’ For Nostalgic Adults

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Written by Patti Pauley

As a loyal fan from the age of seven of  Alvin Shwartz’s Scary Stories trilogy of books, that I happened to fall into courtesy of my second grade library book fair,  it’s almost blasphemy to even think anything could come close to the nostalgic feel those tales of terror and revised urban legends those paperbacks bring us. Well, Author Jake Tri and partner illustrator Andy Sciakzo have hit all the right fuzzies with their book Nightmare Soup. To put it simply for 90’s kids everywhere- if Are You Afraid of the Dark and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark had a twisted relationship, with an occasional appearance of Tales From the Crypt trying to hop in the bed, the beautiful result you would get is Nightmare Soup.

 

nightmare soup

 

Not to say this collection of tales isn’t for young horror readers as well. As a matter of fact, my two kids ages seven and twelve, who HATE to read, fought over who’s turn it was to peruse the 30 tales of frights and were enthralled at the mind-warping illustrations that takes your imagination right into the segments you’re reading.

 

While the illustrations and layout of the tales do indeed seem to be heavily inspired by Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, the Nightmare Soup stories themselves hold their own kind of magic that completely separates them into their own entity of nightmarish illusions that I feel many young and older horror readers will cherish for years to come.

 

As I sat reading these two-three page tales of horror, while the stories themselves are unique, my horror movie mind horn was blowing harder than the cheap Vegas hooker down the street. Many of the little stories inside the book for me personally, seem to give nod to a few classic horror films and TV shows. A good example would be the very first piece of nightmare fuel in the book entitled “I Hate Clowns”. The short throws a reminiscent smell towards Eli Roth’s Clown, while another segment titled “Woman in the Window”, felt like something off an Unsolved Mysteries program. And you’re correct when assuming I read that passage in Robert Stack’s voice.

 

 

 

Just like the novella’s inspiration “Scary Stories”, the book doesn’t just limit itself to creepy passages. There’s a few funny as hell tales in there that will most likely make you laugh out loud; so be wary if you’re reading in public to avoid the awkward WTF stare. Passages such as “Mr. Wilson” and “The Troll” are definitely one-of-kind, truly funny stories with of course a horror touch, that serve as a breath of fresh air that is much-needed after getting the MASSIVE skeevies from tales such as the intertwined stories of the “The Fly” and “The Tongue” . I’m not kidding, you may want to take a shower after reading those two gems.

 

I absolutely encourage any horror lover to pick up this book up for your household coffee table and literally just leave it there. You, and if you have kids, are going to want to pick it up multiple times to revisit these future nostalgic tales for the next generation. So it’s best to just keep it off the bookshelf. If you’re interested in investing in your own copy, visit Nightmare Soup’s website by clicking here to pick up this little treasure trove of horror delight.

 

Just stay away from eating any seed-bearing fruit while you’re reading this book. Trust me. You’ll thank me later.

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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

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Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

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