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The Haunted Traveler: Haunted Salem

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Happy September everyone! I swear I walked outside this morning and it smelled like pumpkin spice. It’s supposed to be 90 degrees next week but I cannot be convinced. Summer is dead, here comes autumn! And to celebrate the coming fall, the Hocus Pocus Spirit Halloween collection and the start of pumpkin everything we are traveling to….Haunted Salem.

When you think haunted history, one of the first places that pop into most people’s minds is Salem, MA. With a dark and devastating history and the highest concentration of practicing witches in the country, it seems only natural for spirits to stick around. Or maybe they stay for the insane fall foliage, who knows. But walk with me under the falling leaves and let’s tour the most haunted places in The Witch City.

The Witch House

Haunted Salem

Image courtesy of Streets of Salem

The last remaining building from the actual Salem Witch Trials, this house was owned by Judge Jonathon Corwin who bought the house in 1675. He would later have a huge hand in the deaths of 19 innocent people.

Widely considered to be one of the most haunted places in Salem, patrons experience cold spots, disembodied voices and people who feel they have been touched. Guided and self-guided tours are available for a price range of $4.25-10.25. Children under 6 are free.

The Hawthorne Hotel

Haunted Salem

Image courtesy of Haunted Rooms

This hotel was built in the early 1900’s in Salem and named after famous writer Nathaniel Hawthorne who lived in haunted Salem as a boy. It was built on land that used to be an old apple orchard owned by Bridget Bishop, the very first person to be executed during the Witch Trials.

The most common activity in the hotel is phantom smells. Patrons will smell fresh apples when no apples are to be found. Mists, disembodied sounds, and poltergeist activities are also experienced. It is said that rooms 612 and 325 are the highest in activity.

Turner’s Seafood (formerly The Lyceum) was also build on the same orchard property and has its own activity as well as a full body apparition.

Gallows Hill

Haunted Salem

Image courtesy of LatinAmericanStudies

Now a sports field, this patch of land was the execution spot for the 19 individuals wrongly accused of witchcraft. Eighteen were hanged and one pressed by heavy rocks on the hill. It is no surprise that their tragic deaths have laid an energy imprint on the land.

Anomalous pictures, EMF readings, videos and audio recordings have been captured there in the past and continue to show up to investigators who investigate in haunted Salem.

The Joshua Ward House

Haunted Salem

Image courtesy of MyDomaine

Build in the mid to late 1700’s, this house is still attributed to the witch trials by the land it rests on. Built on land owned by Sheriff George Corwin who used sadistic methods to interrogate accused witches during the trial, he would use those methods to kill Giles Corey, the only man to die during the trials and the only to die by stoning.

Sheriff Corwin was buried in the land beneath the house but later moved to a cemetery. It is said that Corwin and Corey both haunt the residence along with the spirit of a woman. Visitors to the home get heavy feelings of unease when there. Although often caused by high EMF readings in the home, one can’t rule out something possibly paranormal.

Danvers State Hospital

Haunted Salem

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Although technically in Danvers, MA, it rests only 8-10 miles from the heart of haunted Salem. This gothic –style hospital rests atop Hathorne Hill. So named after the owner of the land, Jonathon Hathorne. Judge Hathorne was the man who interviewed Bridget Bishop during her trial.

Bishop  : I am no witch

Hathorne : Why if you have not wrote in the book, yet tell me how far you have gone?

Bishop  : I have no familiarity with the devil.

Hathorne : How is it then, that your appearance doth hurt these?

Bishop  : I am innocent.

Hathorne : Why you seem to act witchcraft before us by the motion of your body which seems to have influence upon the afflicted.

Bishop  : I know nothing of it. I am innocent to a witch. I know not what a witch is.

Hathorne : How do you know then that you are not a witch?

Bishop  : I do not know what you say.

Hathorne : How can you know, you are no witch, and yet not know what a witch is?

Bishop  : I am clear…

–Records of Salem witchcraft, copied from the original documents by Woodward, William Eliot, 1864

Not a great man to be sure. He is the great-great-grandfather to Nathaniel Hawthorne who perhaps changed the spelling of his name to distance himself of his family’s dark past.

Danvers State Hospital was a psychiatric hospital built in 1874. As often happens in these old “lunatic asylums” the treatment was barbaric and deadly. In 2006, many of the buildings were demolished when a residential company bought the property, despite a lawsuit started by the residents of Danvers.

After a fire that could be seen all the way to Boston destroyed the residential company’s structures and damaged what was left of the original building, only outer shells remain at this time. The property has since been sold again and is awaiting further renovations.

Some honorable mentions include In a Pig’s Eye, The Bunghole Liquors, the historical cemeteries and Wicked Good Books. Haunted Salem is a gorgeous, historical town with beautiful foliage, wacky residents and a dark past. I highly recommend to each one of you to visit this town in your lifetime.

What location do you want us to travel to next? Let us know in the comments! And check out last month when we traveled to London to walk the streets of White Chapel, climb the stairs of the Tower of London and have a pint in the haunted pubs.

A big thanks to Haunted Rooms for providing some of the information for this post.

(Featured image courtesy of InWanderlust)

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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