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31 Scary Story Nights: October 31 “The Strange Story of Jack O’ Lantern”

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Well, readers, it seems we’ve finally made it to Halloween night.  We’ve had ghost stories and campfire stories and urban legends galore this month, and here it is, our final tale.  I wavered a lot but finally decided that tonight’s tale would be one of those special to Halloween itself.  It’s The Strange Story of Jack O’ Lantern and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do!

So, one last time, let’s dim the lights, gather around, and enjoy our last Scary Story Night of 2017.

***Writer’s Note:  We here at iHorror are big proponents of responsible parenting.  Some of the stories in this series may be too much for your little ones.  Please read ahead and decide if your kids can handle this story!  If not, find another story for tonight or simply come back to see us tomorrow.  In other words, don’t blame me for your kids nightmares!***

The Strange Story of Jack O’ Lantern as retold by Waylon Jordan

Stingy Jack was the laziest, drunkest, no good layabout in his entire village.  He was constantly playing practical jokes on his neighbors and more than one had caught him stealing pies from windowsills and eggs from their coops.  To Jack it was all good-natured fun, but more than one person had begun using his name as a curse.

One night as Jack stumbled from the pub, he came face to face with the Devil himself.

“Stingy Jack, your time has come.  Tonight you die and it’s hell for you!”

Jack never missed a beat.

“Sure and I’d love to go with you, Satan…can I call you Satan? But how can you take a man without allowing him one more drink?”

“Well, I suppose…,” the Devil replied watching Jack dig around in his pockets.  “What are you looking for?”

“I’ll be damned,” Jack said, throwing the Devil a wink.  “but it seems I’ve spent my last coin.  You wouldn’t happen to have some money would you?”

“I don’t make a habit of carrying money, no,” Satan boomed at Jack, obviously becoming impatient.

Jack began to wail and lament aloud about how he’d soon be leaving the earth without a final drink.  How would his fellow Irishmen respect him in the afterlife?  It went on for so long that the Devil finally interrupted.

“I have no coin, but I can change myself into a coin and after you use me to pay for your drink I’ll change back.”

“THAT, my good Satan, is an ideal proposition!” Jack exclaimed and clapped his hands as the Devil became a shiny silver coin on the ground.

Jack quickly snatched up the coin and dropped it into his pouch  which happened to be marked with a holy cross!

“I’ve got you now, Satan, old boy,” Jack cackled.  “And I’ll never let you out!”

Jack could feel the Devil kicking about inside his pouch and it made him cackle all the more.  Before long, he heard a tiny, though menacing voice from inside his pouch.

“Let me out of here, Jack, or so help me!”

“Let you out?  Why would I do that when you want to take me to hell?  I tell you what, Satan.  I’ll let you out of this pouch on one condition.  You guarantee that I’ll never be allowed into hell and I”ll set you free!”

The pouch ceased moving about and finally the voice from inside said, “Deal…”

With that, Jack turned the pouch over and tossed the coin to the ground.  Immediately, the Devil stood before him and grinned.  “You’ve no idea what you’ve done, Stingy Jack, but one day you will!”

With that, he was gone in a puff of smoke.

Ten years passed, and though Jack had meant to mend his ways, it never came to be.  One night he stumbled drunk from the pub as he had so many times before and was hit by a horse drawn cart, dying instantly.

In the blink of an eye, he stood before the Pearly Gates, and Saint Peter scoffed.

“You’ll never be allowed in here, Stingy Jack.  I’m afraid it’s hell for you.”

In a flash of light, Jack stood before the Gates of Hell.

“Well, well, well,” Satan laughed.  “Jack!  Finally dead?”

“That I am, Satan.  That I am!  And Heaven tossed me out on my own ear,” Jack smiled.

“That is a problem, Jack.  Heaven won’t have you and I gave my word you’d never enter these Gates.  I suppose it’s Limbo for you.”

“Limbo?”

“Aye, Jack, the great grey void.  A vast landscape of…nothing.”

It was the Devil’s turn to laugh as Jack suddenly realized what he’d done, turning and staring into the grey space of Limbo that touches the earth, but not enough for Jack to ever truly interact.  He would be cut off from everything he’d ever loved.

“Don’t fear, Jack, I’ve got a light for you,” Satan called and he scooped up a burning ember from the flames of Hell and tossed it to where Jack stood.  “The light will never die, Jack.  Not like you!”

And with that Satan, Hell, and all the rest disappeared.  Jack knew he couldn’t pick up that ember so he pulled up a large turnip and carved it out.  He scooped up the ember and carried his light forth into the grey.

They say to this day, on Halloween night, when the veil between our world and the land of the Dead is at its very thinnest you can spy poor old Jack still wandering in the darkness searching for other lost souls like him.  So carve your pumpkins and light them this evening so that Jack won’t feel quite so alone!

Well, that does it.  Another Halloween night in the books.  I hope you’ve enjoyed this series of stories and that you’ve shared them with your friends and families.  Who knows, next year, we might just turn up again for another 31 Scary Story Nights!  Happy Halloween!

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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