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The Horror Zine’s Book of Ghost Stories is delighted to present to you original, never before seen, spine-tingling tales from Bentley LIttle, Joe R. Lansdale, Elizabeth Massie, Graham Masterton with Dawn G. Harris, Tim Waggoner, and the very best up and coming writers in the genre. Includes a foreword by Lisa Morton.

Find it HERE

Universal Studios cancels Halloween Horror Nights for 2020

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ALL HAIL THE POPCORN KING Follows Author Joe R. Lansdale’s Intriguing Life and Career

See the documentary film trailer HERE

See Editor Jeani Rector's contribution IMG_0096

All Hail the Popcorn King follows author, screenwriter, actor and director Joe R. Lansdale, writer of Bubba Ho-Tep, the Hap and Leonard series, and dozens of others. There are 50 novels and over 500 short stories to his name. He has a further 24 writer credits on IMDb.com.

Nowadays he is living in the smallish town of Nacodoches, Texas, where, he says, the 50s lasted until 1963. He is an avid fan of Texas history, and frequents local museums and libraries, where can identify landmarks and portraits for visiting friends.

As a child, his parents encouraged him to read from a young age, and he was devouring comic books before he started first grade.

From there, he really got his start through old movies and serials, pulps, radio shows. “If there’s any uniqueness to the work that I do,” he says, “it probably comes through that crossing of all these different forms of media and time and experience.”

A big breakthrough into public attention came with the story, Bubba Ho-Tep, which started as a short that he almost retracted, but which became popular and was eventually adapted into the film. It is a story of two men fighting a rampaging mummy, but, says Bruce Campbell, who played “Elvis Presley,” it really is a story of old people becoming friends in a world where they are forgotten. This Bram Stoker Award-winning film has a lot of heart, he says. “Joe and me for all our bluster are sentimental guys, I think.”

Joe’s process is unique: his wife would make lard-laden popcorn, and he claims this would give him the dreams that would lead to some of his best ideas for stories, including The Drive-In, the novel that includes the character of the Popcorn King, after whom this documentary is named.

See the entire article HERE

The internet’s scariest alternate reality game: The devil in New Jersey

by Susan Leighton

The devil is in New Jersey or at least that is what a scary new internet alternate reality game wants you to believe.

The devil has a residence and apparently, it’s in New Jersey. This past weekend, social media has been hooked on a scary new alternate reality game. We even tried it.

A mysterious post featuring a 908-area code telephone number has been making the rounds on Facebook. Random scraps of paper have been left all over various parts of the Garden State encouraging people to call it.

Most of the responses have ranged from people thinking that if you dial the digits you will get a call like in The Ring saying you have seven days to live to others cracking jokes about what could possibly happen. However, in reality, it is the beginning of a scavenger hunt of sorts.

After you call the number, you will hear a busy signal. That fades and then the next thing that happens is a man (who sounds an awful lot like Jeffrey Combs) comes on the line and asks the following eerie question, “Who is the grey man hungry for human flesh?”

This query references the notorious serial killer, Albert Fish a.k.a. “The Brooklyn Vampire.” If you aren’t familiar with his tale, it is a chilling and gruesome one. Fish, who was also known as “The Gray Man,” was a psychopath who lured unsuspecting children to their deaths and then cannibalized them. His life was made into a movie in 2007 starring Patrick Bauchau as the sadomasochistic murderer.

Once you answer correctly via text message, you will be prompted with a video link which takes you here. The film that plays is filled with ancient cartoons and footage of Valentine’s Day cards. Pay close attention to the end of the dialogue because listeners will be asked another question.

Okay, this one is tricky and took some research. It involves a man named Toby Rasputin who is a patient at the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital. He escapes the facility and then hotwires an old pick-up truck. Heading out to County Route 579, the voice asks what is the speed limit so that the fugitive can elude capture and make it to his destination undetected. 65 m.p.h. would be the answer.

Some astute players noticed that in a particular social media post, which can be found at this link, the person behind it is employed at The Basement Escape Room. Which has everyone wondering if this is an inventive advertising campaign for an upcoming virtual event?

If it is, then hats off to the marketing department at The Basement because this is inspired. Check out the following video which is a nice introduction to this haunting ARG.

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