Talks From The Crypt

Latest Episodes:

#09 - Harold Schechter (True Crime Legend) Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

Explore the dark recesses of the criminal mind as true crime legend Harold Schechter joins us in the Crypt. Listen closely as we dissect the intriguing world of collecting murder memorabilia, hear never-before-released audio of Ed Gein’s voice, and unravel the psychology behind our fascination with monsters and serial killers.

In this expansive conversation, we peel back the layers on his captivating new book, 'Murderabilia: A History of Crime in 100 Objects’, get details on Harold Schechter's real-time reaction of hearing Ed Gein’s voice, and find out if this alters the psychological profile of Gein.

We also tackle the defining 'signature crimes' of each era, the media's role in glamorizing them, the horrific tales of Albert Fish, BTK, Son of Sam, John Wayne Gacy, and Harold's selection process when it comes to choosing the deranged subjects of his novels.

🎥 Subscribe on youtube.com/@TalksFromTheCrypt!

Talks From The Crypt – https://instagram.com/talksfromthecrypt / https://talksfromthecrypt.com

Harold Schechter – https://haroldschechter.com / https://facebook.com/HaroldSchechterAuthor

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Order a copy of Harold’s newest book, “Murderabilia: A History of Crime in 100 Objects” – https://haroldschechter.com/books/murderabilia

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Warning 00:28 – Introduction 01:25 – Harold & Brandon’s Bad Luck 02:08 – Murderabilia: A History of Crime in 100 Objects 05:50 – Collecting “Murderabilia” Dates Back to the 1600’s 10:11 – The Moral Issues Surrounding True Crime & Collecting Murderabilia 12:35 – Murder Ballads 15:11 – Telling a History of Murder in 100 Random Objects 16:22 – Items Harold Could Not Use In His Book 19:08 – Augusta Gein’s, Ed Gein’s Mother, Crucifix Was Gifted 22:55 – New Ed Gein Evidence, Voice Heard For the First Time 24:31 – Harold Schechter Reacts to Hearing Ed Gein’s Voice For The First Time, what he thought it would sound like, vs. what it actually sounded like 27:30 – Did hearing Gein's voice change anything in his psychological profile? 32:33 – Ed Gein Was NOT a Serial Killer, what the term means and where it came from 37:12 – Will Plainfield Ever Exhume More Bodies? 39:12 – Did Ed Gein ever dig up his mother? / HH Holmes Was Afraid That He Woulds Be Grave Robbed 40:56 – The Growing Interest In Ed Gein 42:18 – Robert Bloch (Author of Psycho) only lived 30 miles from Ed Gein When It Happened 44:25 – Albert Fish, Who He Is and Why More People Don’t Know of Him 47:41 – Albert Fish’s Insane Masochism 49:27 – How Long Albert Fish Got Away With His Crimes & How He Got Caught 54:53 – How Albert Fish Preyed & Murdered 55:58 – Harold Was In Contact With Albert Fish’s Legendary Defense Lawyer 59:41 – Harold Visited The Murder Location of Grace Budd 1:03:06 – The Psychological Function of True Crime 1:06:53 – The “Boogeyman” of Harold’s Generation / His Love For Horror / What Scared Him Growing Up 1:09:47 – Signature crimes that define each era / Living in the era of mass murderers 1:14:31 – The Difference Between Mass Murderers & Serial Killers 1:16:07 – History of Mass Murderers / Howard Unruh (The first mass shooting) 1:18:23 – How Much Media Glamorizes Crime / BTK, Son of Sam 1:23:28 – How Harold Schechter Chooses A Killer To Write About 1:27:03 – The Psychological Reason We Are Fascinated By Monsters 1:30:49 – Verifying Stories as far back as the 1800’s / HH Holmes 1:33:05 – AI / ChatGPT Taking Over The World / ChatGPT Wrote Harold A Fake True Crime Story 1:36:59 – Does a fascination in horror & true crime make us more okay with death or more scared of it? 1:42:36 – Why Harold Doesn’t Have Social Media / Go Buy Murderabilia: A History of Crime in 100 Objects 1:44:36 – Outro

#08 - Directors of The Blair Witch Project (Dan Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez) Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

Venture into the depths of the Black Hills Forest as both directors of “The Blair Witch Project”, Dan Myrick and Ed Sanchez, join us on this episode of Talks From The Crypt to uncover the secrets behind one of the world’s most influential horror films of all time.

Hear exclusive behind-the-scenes stories that turned a low-budget indie film into a global phenomenon.From its inception to the legacy it left behind, learn about the creative process that brought worldwide attention to an entirely ‘new’ subgenre of horror: found footage. Explore the threads that link "The Blair Witch Project" to other iconic films, including "Cannibal Holocaust", “Faces of Death”, “Man Bites Dog” "Paranormal Activity", and "Cloverfield".

Go beyond Blair Witch as we touch upon their inspirations from classics like “The Omen”, “Jacob’s Ladder”, “The Shining”, and “Amityville Horror”. At the end of the episode, Dan and Ed respond to the world's most controversial myths and rumors that have entangled the film for 24 years.

🎥 Make sure to subscribe to youtube.com/@TalksFromTheCrypt

Talks From The Crypt – https://instagram.com/talksfromthecrypt / https://talksfromthecrypt.com

Ed Sanchez – https://instagram.com/sanchezonthemic / https://haxan.com

Dan Myrick – https://instagram.com/dan_myrick / https://gangofrobots.com

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Teaser 00:17 – Introduction 00:58 – Dan and Eduardo's Reunion 01:51 – Discussing "The Blair Witch Project" After 24 Years 03:22 – Blair Witch's Popularity & Impact 05:27 – Trailblazing Viral Marketing: “Paranormal Activity” & ”Skinamarink” 06:53 – Internet's Early Days: Misinformation and New Standards 09:22 – Found Footage Pioneers: "Cannibal Holocaust", "Man Bites Dog", "Faces of Death" 13:01 – Coming Up With ”The Blair Witch Project” – One Idea Started It All 15:44 – The State of Collaboration in Film Industry 18:28 – Why Ed & Dan Stopped Collaborating After Blair Witch 23:07 – Dan and Ed's Individual Contributions to Blair Witch 25:32 – Future Collaborations Between Dan and Ed? 27:15 – Reflecting on Their Working Relationship 28:40 – Casting and Selling Fiction as Reality: How They Convinced the World That Heather, Mike, and Josh Were Dead & The Casting Process 32:23 – Doubts Surrounding ”The Blair Witch Project’s” Success 34:36 – The First Screening: Sundance 1999 37:15 – The Moment They Realized “The Blair Witch Project” Redefined Horror 41:09 – Selling the Blair Witch IP: Any Regrets or Creative Control? 43:00 – Satisfaction with Selling the IP to Artisan 45:15 – Blurring the Lines Between Fiction and Reality: Influence on True Crime 49:07 – Could ”The Blair Witch Project” Be Pulled Off Today? 51:50 – Thoughts on Later Found Footage Films: ”Paranormal Activity”, ”Cloverfield” 53:04 – Favorite Horror Subgenres and Films: “The Omen”, “The Shining”, ”It’s Alive”, ”Amityville Horror” 56:57 – Dan & Ed's Current Projects 1:00:37 – The Challenges of Indie Filmmaking 1:02:27 – FACT OR FICTION - Dan and Ed respond to the world's most controversial myths and rumors surrounding ”The Blair Witch Project” (Crypt Notes) 1:02:54 – Crypt Note 1 – Alternate Endings & Fate of the Characters Explained 1:04:50 – Crypt Note 1b– Insight into the Film's Original Cut: ”The Blair Witch Project” Ending Explained 1:08:41 – Crypt Note 2 – The Bundle of Sticks Contained Actual Human Teeth and Hair 1:09:26 – Crypt Note 3 – An 'Actual Witch' is Seen In The Movie 1:12:34 – Crypt Note 4 – Heather Donahue’s Mother Received sympathy Cards from people who believed her daughter was actually dead or missing 1:12:50 – Crypt Note 5 – The actors were given less and less food each day of shooting to promote discord between them on-set 1:14:20 – Crypt Note 6 – One of the cameras was bought at Circuit City and was returned after shooting wrapped 1:15:08 – Crypt Note 7 – The safety word on-set was "Taco" 1:17:50 – Crypt Note 8 – The Blair Witch Project is a snuff film, Mike and Josh lured Heather into the woods to murder her 1:18:53 – Outro

#07 - Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes) Jun 29, 2023

Show notes

Delve into the extraordinary life and career of iconic actor and author Michael Berryman, as we get into the tales and fascinating experiences that shaped his journey on this episode of Talks from the Crypt.

Follow us: Talks From The Crypt – https://instagram.com/talksfromthecrypt / https://talksfromthecrypt.com Michael Berryman – https://instagram.com/michaelberryman_official / https://michaelberryman.com

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Teaser 00:23 - Introduction 01:35 - Michael Berryman's Book – "It's All Good! A Michael Berryman Memoir...In My Own Words" 03:41 - Michael's Father's Exposure to the Atomic Bomb Dropped in Hiroshima & Nagasaki, The Effects of Nuclear Radiation 07:41 - Michael's Father, A World Renowned Neurosurgeon 09:25 - Michael's Father Ran Tests on Michael's Brain 12:10 - Michael's Time in Catholic School 14:26 - 'Dogma' Means Control 17:08 - The Lessons of Catholicism 18:48 - The Dark Side of Catholicism 22:52 - The Pain & Suffering of Hell 24:31 - Michael's First "Acting Role" as an Altar Boy, Going to Church with Hollywood Royalty at St. Marten of Tours 27:18 - Through the Eyes of the Child Michael Berryman 28:53 - The 60's Revolution - Music, Culture, and Meeting Joni Mitchell at the Troubadour 33:04 - The Military Industrial Complex - An Era of War 39:41 - Growing Up Around the War and Nuclear Bombs 44:02 - Michael's Family Involvement with Indigenous Native American Tribes, How They Saved His Grandmother's Life 49:24 - Movies At The Time That Changed Michael's Perspective - 2001: A Space Odyssey, Universal Monsters, and The Exorcist 51:21 - Michael's Experience with Real Exorcisms 52:29 - Having Nightmares 53:35 - The Psychological Satisfaction of Fear - The Origins of Haunted Houses 56:25 - Films That Influenced Michael's Acting Career 59:27 - Growing Up With the Fear of a Nuclear Holocaust, Modern Youth's Challenges, and Corporate Globalism 01:01:13 - Science Fiction Movies and Cautionary Tales 01:08:28 - Living through Hillside Strangler, Manson, Ramirez / Michael's Run-In With a Charles Manson Copycat 01:11:38 - Wes Craven’s “The Last House on The Left” Changed Horror Forever 01:12:45 - Being into Horror Throughout Life / Scaring the Babysitter 01:14:47 - Universal Monsters 01:15:34 - Hammer Remakes of Universal Monsters 01:16:02 - Blacula / Ken Foree 01:16:37 - Why Michael Loves Starring in Horror Films 01:18:00 - How the Film & Horror Industry Have Evolved Over the Years of His Acting Career 01:20:53 - Independent & International Films 01:22:52 - Michael's Start as an Actor in Hollywood 01:27:21 - Filming Doc Savage 01:28:41 - Being Cast in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest as a Lobotomy Patient 01:31:05 - Filming One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest in Salem 01:32:28 - Getting to know Jack Nicholson, Christopher Lloyd, Louise Fletcher, and Danny DeVito While Filming One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 01:33:40 - Partying with Christopher Lloyd while Filming One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 01:36:00 - Jack Nicholson Walking Off the Set of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest 01:39:20 - Running into 'Film Families' at Horror Conventions 01:41:33 - Spending Time with Real Mental Patients 01:46:43 - Louise Fletcher's (Nurse Ratched) Controversial Oscar Winning Speech 01:49:25 - Watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with Michael's Father Before His Passing 01:50:36 - Getting Cast into The Hills Have Eyes / His Reaction to Working with Wes craven & the Violent Script for His First Horror Film 01:52:03 - The Brutal and Ironic Theme of The Hills Have Eyes – Family Values 01:53:07 - Michael's Health Conditions While Filming The Hills Have Eyes 01:54:32 - Ruggero Deodato's "Cut and Run" / Staying in Good Health While Filming 01:56:54 - Talking with Fans at Horror Conventions 01:57:54 - Do Celebrities Enjoy Doing Conventions? / Robert Englund & Norman Reedus 01:59:53 - The Most important Aspect of an Actor's Life 02:01:56 - What Michael Berryman Is Up To Now 02:04:28 - Michael's Philosophy and Advice 02:09:18 - Outro

#06 - Scott Michaels (Dearly Departed) May 11, 2023

Show notes

Step into the shadowy underbelly of Hollywood’s golden era with Scott Michaels, the mastermind behind “Dearly Departed Tours”, "The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter", and “FindADeath.com”.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro 00:38 - Scott's First Exposure to Tragical History 04:22 - Celebrity Deaths 08:54 - Never Before Seen Photos of the Charles Manson / LaBianca Murders 10:14 - People Send Scott Random Items 12:16 - Immersed in Murder - Jack the Ripper, Kray Twins, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, and Jeffrey Dahmer 14:32 - Jeffrey Dahmer 17:24 - People Who Identify With Serial Killers / The Manson Girls 19:09 - John Wayne Gacy 21:33 - The World Made Charles Manson The Boogeyman 22:38 - Graveline Tours – Janice Joplin, The Menendez House, Auntie Em’s Suicide 25:39 - Starline Tours – LA Celebrity Tours 28:05 - Celebrity Graves (Forest Lawn Cemetery, Westwood Cemetery) – Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Natalie Wood, Truman Capote, Rodney Dangerfield, Farrah Fawcett, Hugh Hefner 30:30 - Judy Garland Exhumed 31:46 - Vandalizing Celebrity Graves 33:25 - Celebrities With Unmarked Graves 33:57 - Starting FindADeath.com 37:07 - Princess Diana's Fatal Car Accident 40:37 - Car Accidents Can Happen Any Time 41:04 - Jayne Mansfield's Death By "Cranial Avulsion" 45:07 - Hollywood Babylon – Kenneth Anger, James Dean is a Male Prostitute, Jean Harlow, Marie Prevost Eaten By Dog 46:17 - Scott Owns The Car Jayne Mansfield Died In 51:08 - The Beginning of Dearly Departed 52:59 - The Menendez Brothers 55:39 - LA's Dark History 57:11 - How Scott Found Stops, Routes, and Stories For Dearly Departed 58:36 - Dearly Departed's Helter Skelter Tour 59:42 - Virginia Graham and Ronnie Howard Exposed the Manson Family, Susan Atkins' "Death List" 1:03:49 - Albert Dekker's Insane Suicide Story 1:05:36 - Anthony Bourdain Went on Scott's Tour 1:07:04 - Tour Stops That Are Too Disturbing For People 1:08:39 - Dearly Departed Vol 1 & 2 – Karen Carpenter Funeral Home, Black Dahlia Locations, Paul Walker Crash Location 1:09:14 - The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter 1:12:39 - Scott's "Haunted" Collection – Carrie Fisher's Cigarette, Door of the Room "Divine" Died In, Elizabeth Morgan's Wicker Settee, Mae West's Teeth, a Tile of the Ambassador Hotel where Bobby Kennedy Was Assassinated, Sharon Tate's Fireplace 1:15:50 - Scott Brings In and Gifts Pieces of His Collection – Sharon Tate's Fireplace, A Piece of the Titanic, and a Tile from the Pool Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones Drowned in 1:19:40 - Haunted Items Bring Paranormal Encounters 1:20:58 - Owning a Painting Sent By John Wayne Gacy 1:23:33 - Helter Skelter, Charles Manson, Tate/LaBianca Murders – What Happened? 1:27:11 - The Manson Family 1:28:39 - The Motives of the Tate / LaBianca Murders – Dennis Wilson, Terry Melcher, Charles Manson, Tex Watson, and the Beach Boys Stolen Manson Song 1:36:42 - Remembering When "Helter Skelter" Happened 1:37:51 - Richard Ramirez, The Night Stalker 1:38:17 - LaBiancas & Shorty Shay Murdered 1:39:41 - Wojciech Frykowski May Have Provoked the Murders 1:41:11 - The Album Charles Manson Made In Jail 1:41:49 - Helter Skelter's Impact on Scott's Life 1:42:37 - Scott's Involvement in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood" 1:44:51 - Working With Quentin Tarantino 1:49:09 - Finding the Hidden Details of Helter Skelter 1:51:59 - Did William Garretson Hear the Murders? 1:56:15 - Does Scott Miss Doing the Dearly Departed Tours? 1:57:59 - Private Tours of Dearly Departed 1:59:03 - A Victim-Oriented Approach 2:01:25 - Scott's YouTube Channel – Going to the Bedroom Where Marvin Gaye Was Killed and Interviewing the Man Who Embalmed Marilyn Monroe 2:03:36 - Outro

#05 - Rick West (Midsummer Scream) Dec 18, 2022

Show notes

"The smell of rotting bodies was so strong and so bad that I literally started gagging."

Brandon Lea sits down with co-founder and creative director of Midsummer Scream, Rick West. Midsummer Scream is the world's largest Halloween and Horror convention, featuring over 350 vendors, panels from horror movie and haunted attraction legends, live entertainment, and a 100,000 square-foot space where multiple haunted houses and attractions are set up specifically for the attendees of Midsummer Scream.

Join us as we discuss the Southern California horror and halloween culture, the scariest horror movies we've ever seen, Knott's Scary Farm, Disneyland urban legends, some of the best and scariest haunted attractions around the world, and of course, Midsummer Scream. In this episode, viewers can also learn how they can kickstart their own horror / halloween community in their city.

Be sure to subscribe to our channel on Youtube, and to check out the Talks from the Crypt website for more information on the most gruesome horror podcast in the world!

Talks From The Crypt – IG: @talksfromthecrypt / talksfromthecrypt.com

Midsummer Scream – IG: @midsummerscream / midsummerscream.org

Rick West – IG: @rickwest999

Copyright Disclaimer Under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

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CHAPTERS:

00:00:00 – Intro 00:01:27 – The Origins of the Southern California Horror / Halloween Community 00:03:55 – Fascination With Fear 00:08:17 – Knott's Scary Farm Started It All 00:12:39 – Independent Haunts in the 70's 00:14:17 – Has the Spirit of Horror / Halloween Diminished Over Time? 00:17:49 – Rick's Industry Evolution 00:18:56 – Being a Disney Cast Member / Disneyland Urban Legends 00:20:57 – Theme Park Adventures (TPA) 00:25:02 – Pandemic's Impact on Horror / Halloween 00:28:10 – Where Independent Haunts Get It Right 00:29:27 – Favorite / Scariest Haunts Around The World 00:34:00 – What Can Haunts Do To Become Less Formulaic 00:36:11 – Planning Midsummer Scream and Hall Of Shadows 00:43:55 – How Midsummer Scream Started 00:48:09 – Vendors & Attractions – Midsummer Scream 00:51:06 – Hall Of Shadows & Midsummer Estates – Midsummer Scream 00:59:08 – Planning Midsummer Scream 2023 01:00:05 – Monster Kids with Kirk Hammett, Sara Karloff, Lynne Lugosi Sparks, & Ron Chaney 01:06:06 – Becoming Friends With the Monster Kids 01:09:25 – The Community Provided in Midsummer Scream 01:10:56 – Hall Of Shadows Continues to Get Better 01:12:03 – Halloween in July – Midsummer Scream 01:13:16 – Halloween in December – Season's Screamings & Hall Of "Yuletide Spirits" 01:14:50 – Actions Listeners Can Take to Kick Start Their Own Horror / Halloween Community 01:17:02 – Outro

#04 - MurderCo. (Tim Gough of Black Market Escape Rooms Inc.) Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

"When you were growing up, did you imagine you would be selling peoples' organs on the black market?"

This episode, Brandon discusses the magic behind the R-Rated, extreme horror escape room MurderCo., with owner & creative director Tim Gough. Learn about the amazing characters and their back stories, state-of-the-art technology, superstitions, and the one-of-a-kind experience at MurderCo, which Haunting.net called "The Scariest Escape Room on Earth". Be sure to subscribe to our channel on Youtube, and to check out the Talks from the Crypt website for more information on the best horror podcast on the planet!

Talks From The Crypt – @talksfromthecrypt / talksfromthecrypt.com

Black Market Escape Rooms – IG: @blackmarketescaperooms / bmerinc.com

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro 00:47 What is MurderCo? 02:31 Tim's Background 05:08 Going Extreme / R-Ratings 07:11 Why Upland, CA? 07:55 No 2 Shows Are The Same 09:43 Escape Rooms 11:46 Hostel 12:25 California's Right to Die Act 14:08 The Black Market 15:52 Cheers / Superstitions 17:38 The Crow / Brandon Lee's Death 18:29 The Guns at MurderCo. Are Real 18:54 Are Actors Okay With The Violence? 19:58 Pre-Show / Intake Room / Security Guard / Victim #1 21:19 MurderCo.'s Lobby 22:13 Choose Your Killer (MurderCo. Artist) 22:47 Killer (Artist) "Strengths" & "Fear Styles" 23:36 The Stories of MurderCo.'s Artists (Killers) 24:03 ARTIST 1 - OBLIVIAN 26:08 The Impact of a Good Story 26:56 ARTIST 2 - JUGGERNAUT 28:08 ARTIST 3 - SIDESHOW 29:26 ARTIST 4 - MANEATER 31:29 NEW ARTIST ANNOUNCEMENT - Apex: Blood Trials 33:13 The First Time Brandon Went to MurderCo. 34:15 The Legalities of Extreme Attractions 34:49 The Ingredients That Make MurderCo. Real 35:50 Is MurderCo. Intended to Scare or Entertain? 36:12 Harvest / Pure Evil (Extra MurderCo. Attractions) 40:19 Staff & Actors 44:01 Horror Movies 46:59 Dolby Sponsorship / NAMM Show 49:48 Horror / Halloween Convention Culture (Monsterpalooza) 52:00 Doing What You Love 52:44 How to Become a Member of MurderCo. 53:41 Outro

#03 – Transworld 2022, Lemp Mansion, Ghosts, Horror Movies, + More Apr 30, 2022

Show notes

Brandon sits down in the Crypt with Jason Egan (Saw / Blair Witch Escape Room) and Joey Simpson (Kissing Candice) to recap Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show 2022 and talk about their fears, horror movies, ghosts, haunted houses, and the infamous Lemp Mansion.

#02 – Jason Egan (Fright Dome / Official Saw & Blair Witch Escape Room) Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

A pioneer in the haunted house and escape room industry, Jason Egan is the owner of the Official Saw Escape Room, Escape Blair Witch, and Fright Dome. He stopped by The Crypt to talk about:
- His start in haunted houses
- Why Fright Dome ended
- How he started the world’s only official Saw / Blair Witch Escape Rooms
- Trailer Haunts
- Working with Lionsgate
- Halloween Kills
- Rob Zombie’s Halloween remakes
- The SYFY Chucky TV series
- Working with Sid Haig, David Copperfield, Bill Moseley, Danielle Harris, and George A. Romero
- The future of horror
- + More!

#01 – Introduction Oct 31, 2021

Show notes

Talks From The Crypt is an all new horror and true crime podcast where we will be talking about all of the topics and subtopics this genre brings. Whether we’re admiring manufactured horror, like horror movies and maybe haunted attractions, or we’re talking about the horrors we face in real life, like true crime and the paranormal – here is where we will be covering it all. This is a one stop shop for horror fans to keep up to date on news, get to know their favorite horror icons, and engage in discussions in movies, debates, ghost stories, and true crime.

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