The Blair Witch Project is a found footage documentary style film telling the story of Heather, Michael and Joshua who travel to Burkittsville, Maryland to make a documentary on the legend of the Blair Witch. The film follows the trio as they hike into the woods in search of different locations to film and as night falls they find themselves lost. Trying to make it back to their car they soon realize they might not be alone and that the local legend might not be a legend at all. I enjoyed the found footage style of the movie. I thought it added to the tension in the atmosphere.
Blog
Available as both an ebook and eaudiobook on eMediaLibrary (Libby).
The Conjuring (Rated R) tells the story of Ed and Lorraine Warrens investigation into the paranormal activity happening at the Perron's, recently moved into, farmhouse. Throughout their investigation they find out that there are spirits that are causing the family harm and learn that there is something terrible that haunts them.
The Conjuring, available for checkout on DVD, is also available to watch on Netflix, you can check out a Roku with Netflix.
Also available as an ebook on Hoopla.
Based off of the book of the same name by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House is a horror drama series that came out on Netflix. The series tells the story of the Crain siblings and their life after they have left Hill House and how the house continues to impact the family years after they thought they escaped. The show is told in present day with flashbacks to describe what the family had gone through all those years ago at Hill House.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs is available as an ebook and eaudiobook on eMediaLibrary.
Locke and Key is a Netflix show based on a comic book series. Following a family tragedy, the Locke's move across the country to their father's family home, Key House. Strange things begin to happen, and the house starts to reveal its mysteries to the family. The Locke children start to learn more and more about their father's past and possibly why he ran far away from his Ancestral home. A little bit of adventure, a little bit of mystery, and a dash of fun.
What a great show! It was one of those shows we started and then couldn't stop watching- binge worthy for sure! The library also has the graphic novels the show is based on. I haven't read them myself, but if they are half as good as the show, you won't be disappointed!
Check out a Roku with Netflix to get caught up. The new season released October 22nd.
How do you get out of a situation handcuffed to a dead body? What happens when the key is nowhere to be found? Where do you go when you're in the middle of nowhere, have no suitable clothes, and it is freezing outside?!
In Till Death (Rated R), Emma played by Megan Fox, tries to escape the cold grip of her dead husband (WHO IS HANDCUFFED TO HER!). Her husband Mark, played by Eoin Macken, commits suicide in front of her. However, before his death Mark made sure Emma could not get free, call for help, or walk outside without freezing to death. The story gets more deranged when Emma discovers Mark invited a psychotic man from Emma's past to this horror!
This movie is a horror, thriller, but has its funny moments.
If you're in the mood for a Halloween story, I recommend reading The House by the Cemetery by John Everson. It's the story of an abandoned house near the Midlothian turnpike by Bachelor's Grove, IL. Over many decades, teenagers have vandalized the old cemetery and have broken into the abandoned house to perform satanic rituals. Many residents in the area believed that there is a ghost of a witch that haunts the abandoned house. A young entrepreneur sees this as a business opportunity to create a haunted house (from an actual haunted house) for Halloween's month of October. He employs a carpenter, named Mike, to fix up the house. Mike soon discovers two trespassers who are eager to help him fix up the house. Many people are excited and are drawn to the house but many disappear. After the house is fixed and decorated for the haunted house, the ghosts are awakened. A few customers disappear during the haunted nights and the witch gets stronger as it gets closer to Halloween.
Check out the ebook or listen to the eaudio on Overdrive.
Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) have decided to leave the small, isolated town of "Perfection" for greener pastures. Unfortunately, they are a little too late. There's something under the ground, and it's killing people one by one. Now they are trapped. This comedy-horror film will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Tremors (1990, PG-13) also stars Michael Gross and Reba McEntire. This film is available on DVD in the Binge Box "Funny and Scary Collection" along with Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Cabin in the Woods, and What We Do in the Shadows.
Filmed on a very low budget The Blair Witch Project (1999, R) does a superb job of creating an eerie atmosphere without expensive special effects. The viewer is led to believe that the movie is actually footage from a documentary that three film students created when they ventured into the Maryland woods to document the local Blair Witch legend. This home-video quality film is all that was recovered. After watching the film read this interesting article, "The Blair Witch Project at 20: Why it can't be replicated."
The movie is available on dvd or as a part of a Halloween binge box called "The Footage Found Collection" which also includes Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield, V/H/S, Creep, The Visit, and As Above, So Below.
Imagine you hear a noise in a completely dark room. You think there very well might be a big crazy guy with a large knife ready to pounce right in front of you. Would you turn on the light?
That's the creepy tense feeling of Bird Box (2014). No crazy guy with a knife, but some strange abstract entities that cause people and animals that see them to go insane, kill others around them, and kill themselves.
This is the story of Malorie and her children as they try to find safety blindfolded and in a blindfolded world. Taking off the blindfold outside could mean madness and death. The book starts a few years into the ongoing horror then alternates flashbacks and current action.
Cassandra Campbell narrates with a calm but serious voice. You will want to hear the whole book by Josh Malerman in one sitting (about 9 hours). Visit Overdrive to read or listen to the book today.