pop culture
Pop culture for horror junkies; all about the famous films, creepypasta tales, trends and tropes that bled from the fringes of fright into the macabre mainstream.
The Tragic and Twisted Life and Times of Nica Pierce
This year is a big year for the Chucky franchise. In November, the franchise will celebrate 35 years, while the season premiere of the TV series is on the horizon. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the film, Curse of Chucky, which was released during a big milestone year for the franchise, and was also the the sixth film in the franchise. Curse followed 1998's Bride and 2004's Seed, and after those two instilled loads of humor into the franchise, Curse brought it back to straight horror.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Horror
Villainess Review: Janice Perry (Tales from the Darkside)
Who remembers Tales from the Darkside? This series was one of a vast number of horror/suspense anthology shows that had been the rage since (as early as) the mid-to-late 1950s. In a way, we have the film, Creepshow, to thank for this, as Tales from the Darkside was meant to be an answer of sorts to that film, which was a big hit. I myself remember this show and Monsters (both developed by Richard P. Rubinstein) airing in reruns back-to-back as a kid, though the former came first; airing for four seasons between 1984 and 1988 following their 1983 pilot, "Trick or Treat." The show also spawned a movie that came out in 1990, which featured a cast that included Christian Slater, Rae Dawn Chong, and Deborah Harry (among others).
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Horror
Merit, Ahmed, and Mariam - Part Three
Merit, Ahmed, and Mariam - Part Three The First Encounter We return to our story where we left off at that astonishing moment when the television transmission changed, and Ahmed found himself watching the anchor presenting the program—it was none other than Merit. She addressed him in a calm yet penetrating voice: "You must divorce your wife, Mariam, and devote yourself to me alone. I am your first love, from long ago." It was not just words; it was a direct threat. "You know very well that you are Honfer Hotep, scribe of Amun, overseer of goods, and a nobleman of the Eighteenth Dynasty in the New Kingdom. And I am Merit, your wife, and a singer of the god Amun. We were together during the reign of King Ay, and I never accepted your marriage to another. I have been searching for you since your death until I found you again." Searching for the Truth Merit displayed on the screen ancient murals and inscriptions depicting them together, drawn on the walls of their old tomb. She revealed details of their marriage during the reign of King Ay, who ascended the throne after King Tutankhamun. Before disappearing, she sternly told him: "Think carefully about what I told you, or I will have to take action. I will wait for you tomorrow at the same time." Ahmed remained stunned, unable to utter a word, afraid that Mariam might notice what was happening. After his wife fell asleep, he rushed to his old black suitcase, took out his grandfather’s books, and started flipping through the pages of history. The more he read, the more he realized that everything Merit had said was true. His mind raced, and he asked himself: "How do I escape this dilemma?! She will return tomorrow night, and she has threatened to take action!" Fear and Hesitation The next morning, Ahmed did not go to work. When Mariam asked him why, he claimed he had stomach cramps. She left for work while Ahmed stayed behind, thinking of a solution. He considered reporting the statue he had found in his suitcase to the Antiquities Authority, but he quickly realized that this would land him in serious trouble. How would he explain possessing this statue? Where did he get it from? Which archaeological site had he excavated? So many questions made him abandon the idea. The Second Confrontation Mariam returned from work, evening fell, and the time for his next encounter with Merit approached. After dinner, the couple sat in front of the television for a while. Then Mariam excused herself to sleep, while Ahmed claimed he had slept too much during the day and would stay up a little longer. At midnight, the television transmission was interrupted again, and Merit appeared, immediately asking him: "What have you decided, my dear husband? I am Merit, your first love." Ahmed responded angrily: "I don’t know you! I was never married to you in the past or in the present!" The Shocking Truth At that moment, Mariam was asleep, but she heard Ahmed speaking anxiously. She quietly crept behind him, wanting to know whether he was talking to himself or to someone else. She was shocked to see that the television resumed its normal broadcast the moment she arrived. She asked him worriedly: "Who were you talking to? And why were you yelling?" Ahmed looked at her in silence, then decided to tell her everything. "You need to know the truth because you are my wife and my life partner." Mariam sat down, listening intently as Ahmed recounted everything that had happened. When he reached the moment of his confrontation with Merit, Mariam interrupted him: "I saw a woman dangling from the ceiling of the room..." Ahmed’s eyes widened in shock: "How did you know?!" Mariam continued: "She approached me on campus and spoke to me in the laboratory... Everything that happened to you, happened to me too." Then she looked at him seriously and asked: "Have you ever seen me and Merit at the same time?" Ahmed remained silent, his mind reeling under the weight of the revelation. "How do you know all these details that I never told you?" he asked, bewildered. Mariam smiled a mysterious smile and said: "Because I am Mariam... and I am also Merit, your wife from ages past." She left him in his astonishment, while the question hung in the air: Is there truly such a thing as reincarnation?
By Ali Sadeek Ahmedabout a year ago in Horror
Merit, Ahmed, and Maryam
Ahmed married Maryam, his friend and university classmate. They spent a beautiful honeymoon together, and upon returning home, Ahmed's parents visited them to congratulate the newlyweds. It was customary in their village for parents to bring all their children's belongings that had been left behind, in addition to gifts for both the bride and groom. When his parents arrived, Maryam warmly welcomed them. As they opened the packages, Ahmed was delighted to see that his parents had gathered all his old belongings, which had remained stored away due to his previous lack of a permanent home. During his university years, he had lived in a dormitory, and during vacations, he stayed in temporary accommodations. Everyone had long forgotten Ahmed’s past experiences—those strange occurrences in his old room that had driven him to leave for Cairo and settle there. However, as they unpacked, an old black suitcase appeared, filled with books that had remained untouched. Excited, Ahmed handed the suitcase to Maryam, asking her to set it aside so they could organize its contents later. The first two days passed happily with family. On the third day, Ahmed bid his parents farewell as they returned to their village. That evening, curiosity got the best of Maryam. She hurried to open the suitcase, eager to see if it contained any old letters from past relationships. She wanted to find them first and hide them if necessary. However, when she opened the suitcase, she was met with an unexpected surprise—a small pharaonic statue that closely resembled her, accompanied by a dark red-black agate ring. Stunned, Maryam turned to Ahmed and asked, "Did you send my picture to an artist in your hometown to have this statue made for me as a gift without my knowledge?" At that moment, Ahmed was equally shocked. Memories of his past came flooding back, reminding him of the eerie experiences that had led him to leave his old home. This marked the beginning of their troubles—hallucinations, illusions, and a deep fear of the unknown. The night after opening the suitcase, Maryam placed the small statue inside a glass cabinet that held various collectibles. However, the next day, she noticed something strange—the statue had moved from its original spot. She thought she might have misremembered where she had placed it and dismissed the thought. She chose not to mention it to Ahmed, fearing he might mock her. Maryam was unaware of the history behind this statue or its significance. She simply believed Ahmed had commissioned it for her as a thoughtful gift. That night passed uneventfully. However, later, when Ahmed woke up to use the bathroom, he was startled to see a full-sized image of Merit—a woman from his past—etched onto the bathroom wall. He slammed the door shut and hurried back to Maryam, making an excuse about the water being cut off. By morning, when Maryam entered the bathroom, she found nothing unusual and reassured Ahmed that the water was running fine. She didn't see what he had seen. When he asked if everything seemed normal, she casually confirmed, mentioning that all the toiletries and perfumes were in place. Ahmed rubbed his eyes, convincing himself that he had imagined the whole thing. Ahmed and Maryam both left for work. Ahmed, who worked in a laboratory at the university's science faculty, was used to conducting experiments in a controlled environment. Everything had always functioned as expected—until that day. As he resumed his work after his wedding leave, he noticed something inexplicable. Each time he tried to mix chemical compounds, the reaction would occur before he even initiated it. Bewildered, he wondered if he had absentmindedly performed the experiment without realizing it. This happened repeatedly, in various ways. Sometimes, a solution would disappear entirely. Other times, its volume would increase or decrease inexplicably. In some cases, unexpected additives caused unpleasant odors or small, harmless explosions. Concerned, his supervisor patted him on the shoulder and said, "We trust you, Ahmed, but perhaps you need some rest. The wedding must have exhausted you." Ahmed was baffled. He had not anticipated such disturbances following him to work. That evening, as he and Maryam returned home together, she went to prepare dinner. When she opened the china cabinet to retrieve some tableware, she saw something terrifying—the pharaonic statue was smiling at her, winking with one eye while keeping the other open. Terrified, she screamed for Ahmed to come and see what had happened. When he arrived, however, the statue appeared unchanged. He saw nothing unusual. Maryam insisted that she had seen it move, but Ahmed reassured her, saying, "This statue is carved from alabaster, which creates an illusion depending on how you look at it." Maryam calmed down somewhat, but Ahmed knew better. The strange incidents at work were proof that something unnatural was occurring. He began to suspect that Merit—his past tormentor—had followed him from his village to Cairo. The next day at the lab, Ahmed experienced the most shocking encounter yet. Merit fully materialized before him—not as a mere vision, but as a shadowy figure only he could see. She began speaking to him, commanding him, but he dared not respond, fearing his colleagues would think he had lost his mind. Sometimes, she laughed at him. Other times, she raged. She appeared in different places—sometimes right before his eyes, other times hovering near the ceiling. The constant hauntings drove Ahmed to the brink of insanity, eventually forcing him to leave his job. The worst came when he returned home. As Maryam changed out of her work clothes, she asked Ahmed to retrieve some plates from the kitchen. Moments later, he was shocked to see Maryam already there, dressed in her home clothes and arranging the plates. Confused, he asked, "How did you change so quickly?" She didn't respond. Suspicious, he rushed to the bedroom—only to find the real Maryam still in the process of changing. Panicked, he ran back to the kitchen, but the second "Maryam" had vanished. That night, as Maryam went to bed, Ahmed sat in front of the television, trying to make sense of everything. Suddenly, the TV screen flickered, and the channel changed on its own. To his horror, the news anchor presenting the program transformed into Merit. She stared directly at him through the screen and spoke: "Divorce your wife and devote yourself to me. I have always been your true love—from a time long before this one. I will never leave you." To be continued…
By Ali Sadeek Ahmedabout a year ago in Horror
Mysterious Fisherman (A Tale of Mystery and Myth)
The story goes I was newly married, and a year had passed since my wedding. As per our traditions, my wife moved to her parents’ house shortly before her due date to receive care and assistance during her pregnancy. Our village was surrounded by sprawling farmlands, and my wife, like me, was no stranger to this environment. Her parents’ house was nestled among their fields, about three kilometers from my own home. One day, I decided to visit her to check on her and offer my help if needed. I dressed in my best clothes, wore polished shoes, and applied my finest cologne before setting off. The path to her parents’ house cut through fields and alongside irrigation canals. It was the season of the “winter dam,” when the water levels drop, making it easier to catch fish. Along the way, I passed a large ancient stone etched with strange inscriptions. The stone, as I’d heard from elders, was a remnant of a long-gone pharaonic temple. Stories circulated about a spirit said to inhabit the stone—a spirit that appeared and vanished without causing harm. As I continued walking, I reached a canal and spotted a man fishing. His face was turned downward toward the water, and I couldn’t make out his features. I didn’t think much of it and went on my way to my in-laws’ house. After spending some time with my wife and her family, I started my journey back home, retracing the same path. When I reached the same canal, I was surprised to see the same man still fishing in the exact spot. This time, he called out to me, saying: “These fish are like spirits! I can’t catch them alone. Would you help me?” I replied, baffled: “Are you out of your mind? Do you expect me, dressed as I am, to jump into the canal and fish with you?” I left him and continued walking toward the ancient stone. As I approached the stone, the very same man appeared beside it. He looked at me and called me by name. Then he said: “Look over there!” I turned my gaze, and to my shock, I saw the fisherman I had left at the canal. He was stretching taller and taller until his height surpassed the palm trees, pointing at me with an outstretched hand. Frozen in fear, I turned back to the man by the stone, only to find he had vanished. All that remained was a piece of cloth from his clothing lying on the stone. Terrified, I ran home and recounted what had happened to my family. My father, familiar with the tales of the stone, warned me: “If you had joined him in fishing, he would have stripped you of your clothes and disappeared. Spirits often take such forms to trick the unwary.” Some time later, I returned to the spot to look for the stone, but it was gone. I was told that during my absence, a stranger had appeared at the site. He stood by the stone, muttering incomprehensible chants. Witnesses thought he was uncovering a treasure. Instead, he mounted the stone as if it were a horse and soared into the sky. To this day, people still talk about the ancient stone, but its mystery remains unsolved.
By Ali Sadeek Ahmedabout a year ago in Horror
Creepy Kids in Cinema
When are you going to have a baby? Women hear this question more often, but it’s also a question posed to newly married men. Just don’t forget that the family member, friend, or co-worker with that question on their lips won’t have to raise your bundle of joy. Before you commit to parenthood, take a look at the potential for disaster. These horror films demonstrate why the reality of parenthood doesn’t always match the expectations of first-time parents.
By E.J. V'Kantyabout a year ago in Horror
Top 10 Must-Watch Horror Movies on Shudder for True Horror Fans
Shudder is the go-to streaming platform for all the bone-chilling frights and spine-tingling suspense that one can handle. Curated specifically with the horror aficionado in mind, Shudder streamlines anything from psychological thrillers to slasher gorefests. Here, we dive into the top 10 horror movies on Shudder that you absolutely must watch.
By soman Goswamiabout a year ago in Horror
The Real Story of Grandpa’s the Spirit, Parts 1 and 2
Mateja Klaric posted an invitation for participants in a writers’ group on LinkedIn to share anecdotes about the oddest things that have occurred to them. Well, I’ve seen a great deal of unusual things, but this has to be the only one that delves into the area of the paranormal. At the time it occurred, I accepted what I saw as a ghost; today, as a somewhat more skeptical adult, I maintain that I have no explanation for what I witnessed. In any case, it remains a really unique memory. Here’s the story:
By QuirkTalesabout a year ago in Horror
The Legend under the White Veil
The Whisper on the Wind The air felt heavy and damp, thick with the earthy scent of river mud and rotting leaves. Little Miguel held tightly to his abuela’s hand, his small heart racing. “Abuela,” he said softly, barely louder than the rustling noises made by unseen creatures in the underbrush, “I hear crying.” His abuela, a woman whose face told the stories of many generations, squeezed his hand more firmly. Her normally warm, crinkled eyes were wide and dark, reflecting the sliver of moon hanging low in the night sky. “Hush, mijo,” she whispered in a low, urgent voice. “It’s just the wind.” But it wasn’t the wind. The sound was sharp and haunting, a sorrowful wail that seemed to slink over the water, sending chills down Miguel’s spine. It was a sound full of deep, inconsolable sadness, a grief so overwhelming it felt like a physical pain. Then, through the swirling mist of the river, a figure started to emerge. Tall and dressed in white, it glided unnaturally along the riverbank. The crying grew louder as it came closer, a desperate, echoing call. Miguel buried his face in his abuela's skirt, trembling. He didn’t need to see the face hidden beneath the shadow of the white veil; he already knew. Everyone in the village recognized the sound. It was the noise that haunted the outskirts of their town, the noise that kept children indoors after dark. It was the cry of La Llorona. And tonight, she was closer than ever.
By Ashraf Almamloukabout a year ago in Horror
