Dark Horror Tales

  HitchCon announces the third annual International Alfred Hitchcock Conference — HitchCon ‘23 — October 7 & 8, 2023. For the first time, the conference will take place both online and live at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York.  

  This week’s must-read horror book is THE ONLY ONE LEFT . Written by Riley Sager, this novel was published in June 2023 and has already found its way at the top of the Bestsellers list for Horror Suspense. 

  PLOT SUMMARY: A group of high school students on a trip are attacked by what they assume is a zombie. High School can be challenging and a contest to see who can emerge as the most popular student. High School is also about people not getting along with each other and then tormenting and insulting them until graduation.

  Think of the scariest movie ever made and you are bound to think of THE EXORCIST. 

  Kana was mesmerized by the glove that was being fitted around her left arm. Kuro had cleaned it and then uttered chants while stitching it up with red threads. Then he had beckoned her and put it on for her while muttering more chants.

  Plot: An outcast in high school makes her bullies pay after they pull a mean prank on her at prom. You will know her name. That is what the tagline of the movie states. The thing is, it seems that everyone at her high school, knows her name. How else will they write mean things like, "Carrie White eats Sh*t". Or, "Carrie White is in Hell." And so on. Carrie is adapted from a novel written by Stephen King. This novel propelled the author to fame and so it's no doubt that CARRIE has become a cult figure in horror. Carrie is the ultimate revenge story. But it is also about the questionable mental health, especially where Carrie's mother Margaret is concerned. CARRIE Movie Plot Margaret is on her bed, screaming. There's blood on the sheets. She feels a movement, lifts up her gown and sees a baby. She thinks it's a test and picks up a pair of scissors. No, not to cut the umbilical cord but to stab her daughter. Something stops her and Margaret picks

  This week’s HORROR BOOK OF THE WEEK is Haunted: Perron Manor. If you enjoy reading haunted house stories, you will enjoy this book by Lee Mountford . 

  PLOT SUMMARY: When Deco turns into a vampire, his brother Matt is faced with the difficulty of saving him especially when a vampire hunter comes into town. Over the years there has been such an influx of vampire movies that it became monotonous. There were vampire movies and then there were their sequels. While some movies were about the slaying of vampires in a brutal and gory manner, there were others that focused on the eternal love the vampires would share because of their long life.

  A tale as old as time… That’s the tagline for the latest fairytale to be re-imagined into a horror movie. 

  Kuro was surprised when the trio walked in and his one eye sparkled gold when Toshihiro handed him the arm of the Kappa.

  Plot: John Marshall has never believed in werewolves until unexplained murders in his hometown causes him to reconsider his beliefs. We've read stories on werewolves, watched movies with werewolves in them and learned about the legend. But should we hear about a crime taken place where the suspect is thought to be a werewolf, would you believe it? Quite possibly not. It's one thing to be fascinated by the legend, and another thing to actually believe that on a full moon night, werewolves come out. So when we watch a character exhibit those ideals on screen, he becomes instantly relatable. But we are also watching a movie, and it is fiction. And a mystery. Anything can happen in a movie, right? The Wolf of Snow Hollow has an awesome twist. It challenges our beliefs and keeps us guessing who the killer is. All is revealed in the climax and it is shocking. Who would have thought that the killer is the one everyone least suspected. Every clue points to an attack by a wolf. But

  This week’s recommended HORROR BOOK is the gripping HEAD LIKE A HOLE . Written by Andrew Van Wey , this book was published in October 2022 by Greywood Bay.

  PLOT SUMMARY: Charlie's pyrokinetic abilities cause her family to do whatever it takes to protect her from people who are after her. There have been several movies in the past that have touched upon subjects of people who have special powers. These movies usually begin with how the hero obtained those powers, learns how to wield them, comes across a villain who either wants to steal those powers or can be defeated by them, and then ultimately the hero learns that they are now have a responsibility to look after others who don't have powers like them.

  Following the success of THE NUN in 2018, the ninth installment in THE CONJURING universe is here.  Titled THE NUN II, the sequel to the highest-grossing movie in the franchise, the movie will see the return of Sister Irene as she finds herself facing the demon VALAK all over again. 

  They ran through the forest, ducking under branches and moving through the thickets.

  Plot: In the second season, Boyd finds his hands full with a busload of people, broken friendships, and a potential weapon against the creatures who come out at night.  If there is one horror TV show that needs a horror fan’s attention, it has to be FROM.  Last season, FROM kept the viewers hooked with its pulsing mystery, relatable characters, and gripping storyline. Each episode left you wanting more. We learn about this town from the Matthews family who find themselves trapped with only strangers to rely on to survive every night.  A forest surrounds the town and it is from there that the creatures emerge every night to rip apart flesh of any human they find. Luckily, Boyd had found talismans that ward off these creatures.  The first season ends with Boyd and Sara undertaking a journey that takes them deeper into the forest only for them to get separated. Boyd finds himself trapped between walls.  Outside, in the town, Tabitha is digging tunnels when Jim receives a message on

  Plot: True crime writer Ellison moves into a new house with his family and discovers disturbing videos in his attic. When the movie Sinister was released in 2012, it was an instant box office hit and received positive reviews from both the audience and critics. It was in 2020, that a study showed audience members had a spiked heart rate when watching the movie. So is the movie really all that scary? Yes. Yes, it is. It can also be slightly disturbing as well but thankfully we are spared from the gore by the focus being on the actor's reaction. The movie is truly well made and deserves its name on the top scariest Horror movies of all time. SINISTER Plot scariest The movie begins with a clip from a Super 8 film of a family with sacks on their heads, hands tied behind their backs and nooses around their necks. Grim music plays before the family of four is lifted off their feet and they are hung. In the next scene, we meet Ellison, a true crime writer who is moving into a new hou

  This week’s HORROR BOOK OF THE WEEK is THE SILENT PATIENT . Written by Alex Michaelides, the book was published in 2019 by Celadon Books. The book is still on the bestsellers list for Murder Thrillers and Psychological Thrillers.