December 05, 2019

Animated Horror

December 05, 2019/ Andy Tworek

Most people like to say that animated productions aren’t as scary as live-action films, and I have to say that this is just false.

It is important to note that everyone has their own fears, tastes and preferences when it comes to film and television, but to say that a whole genre is essentially invalid is just single-minded and rude.

The first example of scary animated films I’d like to talk about is the film, Coraline. This film honestly terrified me as a child and continues to scare many people I know well into their adult lives.

The story follows a young girl who finds a door in her family’s new apartment that leads to another world. She explores the newly discovered world and finds what looks like a magical version of her own world. She goes on to find that there are self-titled “Other Parents,” and more interesting versions of the people who live in the same apartment building as her.

Not long after she explores the new world, it quickly falls apart, with her “Other Mother” turning out to be a creature known as a Beldam, a shapeshifting entity known to eat children’s souls.

The movie ends with Coraline besting the Beldam in a scavenger hunt and setting free the souls of children the Other Mother had captured in the past.

Keep in mind that this was marketed as a children’s movie, and was made in stop motion animation. This film is just one example of an animated film that actually has some scary moments as well as a terrifying theme.

Another western animated film that was geared towards children was the film Monster House, I won’t get too much into the entire plot, but there were a few definite moments that scared the heck out of me as a child, and still creep me out to this day.

Animated horror, while present in North America, is far more popular in other countries, such as Japan who have it featured in some popular anime series. The most well known anime series would be ones like Death Note, Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, Full Metal Alchemist, Hellsing, Fate Zero, Berserk and many more. I believe the reason for this is that anime is a much more varied medium with space for creators to tell their stories. Many of the previously mentioned anime series are known more for their action and character progression. However they are still considered to be horror thanks to the haunting events that unravel in their stories.

The example I will use is the anime Berserk, originally an animated tv series produced in 1997, but more recently three films were made followed by a continuing series.

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/456833955933320857/?lp=true

The series follows a loner named Guts who ends up joining a group of mercenaries. It’s here that I should mention that the Berserk series would definitely be considered rated R. I don’t want to spoil the ending for those who are genuinely interested in watching it themselves, but just know that both the films and tv series go from 0 to 100 incredibly quick and it is haunting.

These anime are generally liked in both the east and the west, and they appeal to a wide audience, most of which are older due to the mature content.

I hope people can accept the fact that just because something isn’t live-action, that doesn’t mean it’s not scary or mature. I’d like to believe that in the future people can accept that liking these properties or styles of storytelling doesn’t mean you’re a child, and understand that nine times out of ten the shows that they’re judging aren’t just for children.

Andy Tworek

Andy Tworek is a second-year professional writing student with a passion for all things scary, abnormal and strange. Despite being a skeptic of most conspiracies and paranormal phenomena, his curiosity of the unexplained always outweighs his disbelief. Andy is an avid fan of fictional horror content. While he may not be the most investigative when it comes to real-life conspiracies, you can always be sure he’ll find the truth behind your favourite fictional monsters.

December 02, 2019

Who Controls the World?

December 02, 2019/ Adam Moore

Some of us answer to our parents, some of us to our boss at work. At the top of the command chain, there are CEOs, Prime Ministers, Presidents, Generals and so on. Are these the only kinds of power-players that exist in the world?

Some people believe that there are secretive forces at work, influencing our lives and our world in ways we don’t know about. Some of these supposed mysterious power-players include:

· Corporations

· Secret Societies

· Illegal Organizations

· Advanced Alien Overlords…

Oh, yes, we’re going there.

Corporations:

Are we being controlled by super-powerful corporations? Let’s look at the facts a little.

The American Media:

· Six corporations control more than ninety percent of all media.

· Check it out here: American Media Breakdown

Consumer Goods:

· Ten companies control almost every large food and beverage brand in the world.

· Check that out here: Food and Beverage Breakdown

If you look at other industries, such as the oil industry, you’ll find that there are some giants there too. However, they only account for about six percent of the world’s oil reserves.

· Check that out here: Big Oil

So, how much control do large corporations have on all of our lives? You’ll have to decide for yourself on this one.

Secret Societies:

Image taken from Wikipedia.org

When it comes to this category, it’s hard to know where to begin. As per usual, Wikipedia is not a bad place to begin any investigation.

· Secret Societies

Let’s focus on an infamous secret society: The Illuminati

According to an online article by “The Guardian,” a U.S. Survey in 2013 found that twenty-eight percent of people believed in the existence of the Illuminati. They’re not exactly wrong.

Indeed, historically, the Illuminati was a real group. It was founded in Bavaria on May 1, 1776, by Adam Weishaupt. Its existence was eventually banned. That’s where things get interesting.

Conspiracy theorists have developed all kinds of beliefs about the continued existence of the Illuminati and the influence they may have on our world, like the points related in this video:

· Video: The Illuminati Control the Music Industry

Once again, whether or not you believe in the possibility of a powerful secret society like The Illuminati is up to you.

Illegal Organizations:

Perhaps one of the most infamous examples of an illegal organization as a major power-player on the world stage is the Mafia. Of Italian descent, the Mafia is well known to exist in Canada, the United States, and in other countries around the world. How much influence on global affairs does it really have?

From “The Godfather,” Image taken from flickr.com

· Here’s a good explanation of the Mafia. (Britannica)

· Here’s an interview explaining their relevance today, even though some sources declare it to have been dismantled. (NPR)

So, how much sway does an illegal organization like the Mafia have on the workings of our world? Once again, it’s up to you to try to figure it out.

Advanced Alien Overlords:

If you’re looking for proof that aliens exist, you should check out some of Samantha Mason’s blog posts, which are featured here on the Fringe Files. Her stories of documented Alien encounters blur the lines between fact and fiction.

If we suppose that Aliens do exist, then why are they lurking mysteriously on Earth? One of the most obvious answers to that question might be that they are manipulating us, or that they are shaping the development of our species, or that they are possibly even in control of human civilization as a whole.

Scary? Yes. Possible? That’s up to you.

Conclusion:

Hopefully, I’ve managed to shed some light on the mysterious forces potentially controlling our world. As for any certainty on the matter, well, you’ll have to go searching for the answers yourself!

(Hah, conclusions… Conspiracy theorists don’t deal in those.)

John Ryan:

Things aren’t always what they seem. John knows this, and he’s willing to help you figure it out too. Follow this Algonquin College student’s quest to expose the lies, and seek the truth!

November 29, 2019

Ed and Lorraine Warren, The famous paranormal investigators

November 29, 2019/ Kaitlin Franks

The Conjuring movies still remains as some of the best and most successful horror franchises ever created to date. At this point, it’s pretty much just common knowledge that all of these movies are based on true stories .

Image credit: https://bookriot.com/2019/06/30/books-about-the-warrens/

The first Conjuring movie hit theatres in mid 2013 and was instantly a massive success. Since 2013, there has been a sequel based on another real life case that the Warrens investigated, as well as 2 spinoff series, Annabelle and The Nun, they even have more sequels coming. They are planned to be released later. So far, there are 7 movies in the conjuring series and another 17 films in the Amityville Horror series.

Edward Warren was a World War II United States Navy veteran and also a former police officer. He eventually became a self-taught and self-professed demonologist, author, and lecturer. His wife, Lorraine, was a clairvoyant and a light trance medium. In 1952, the Warrens founded the New England Society for Psychic Research, also known as N.E.S.P.R, which is also the oldest ghost hunting group in New England. The two of have written numerous books about the paranormal and about the cases they have investigated, which they say is over 10,000 cases during their entire career.

image credit: https://collider.com/vera-farmiga-lorraine-warren-the-conjuring-interview/

Ed Warren himself actually grew up in a haunted house from age 5 to 12. He lived in a Connecticut house, in which he experienced supernatural events. His father, who was a police officer at the time would say to him that there's a logical reason for everything that happens in this house, yet he’d never came up with any logical reasons behind the strange noises and weird things happening. His family would always hear pounding and footsteps, and he explained that they would all go to bed and just around 2 to 3 o'clock in the morning.

Ed would relate that, “many times I would hear the closet door beginning to open up. At first I'd look into that closet and see only shapeless darkness, then slowly I'd start to see a light beginning to form and it would morph into like a ball shape, sort of like a basketball and then I'd begin to see a face in that ball.” he then said what he saw was the face of an old woman.

For more information on the subject, check out these links:

Kaitlin Franks

Kaitlin is in her second year of the Professional Writing program at Algonquin. She has a deep love for all things horror, paranormal, and is also a huge fan of slasher films. If these things interest you, follow Kaitlin’s blog posts!

November 26, 2019

What Could be More Intriguing than a Haunted Lighthouse?

November 26, 2019/ Samantha Mason

When I think of haunted places, I’m usually thinking about old houses or graveyards and ruins. Then I found out there are haunted lighthouses, too! The very idea is both creepy and romantic, but where are Canada’s haunted lighthouses, and what are their stories?

The Creepy

The Gibraltar Point lighthouse in 1909. Photo from the City of Toronto Archives Fonds 1231, Item 1015b

Reports of unexplained lights from the now-closed Gibraltar Point Lighthouse are just some of the reasons the lighthouse is thought to be haunted. Stairs stained with what seems to be blood, and ghostly figures roaming the grounds are others.

Constructed in 1808 on the shores of Lake Ontario, the lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse left on the Great Lakes, and the second oldest in Canada, according to Heritage Toronto. It guided ships to Toronto’s harbour until being decommissioned in 1958. Its longevity alone should make it a remarkable landmark, but in 1815, something happened that has placed the lighthouse into the realms of the eerie.

As the story goes, the first lighthouse keeper, J.P. Radan Muller (the spelling varies depending on the source,) went missing under mysterious circumstances on January 2, 1815. He is believed to have been murdered by some soldiers stationed nearby due to an argument over his home-made beer. In one version, they pushed him from the top of the lighthouse during their altercation. Then they covered up the crime by dismembering him and burying the pieces in multiple graves.

J.R. Robertson detailed in 1908 in Landmarks of Toronto, that keeper George Durnan found remains he believed were Radan Muller’s, and that he reburied them. The new gravesite was unmarked, so the truth may never be known. The last keeper, DeeDee Dodds, said she never met any ghosts, but that the lighthouse could reflect oddly in the moonlight, and odd noises from wind and pigeons might make it seem haunted.

Ghosts or pigeons, the legend persists.

The Romantic

“Canada’s first lighthouse inn, this famous site and popular tourist destination is known to be haunted by its original keeper, William MacDonald, who is often seen roaming the halls of the inn. Ablaze phantom ships have also been seen at a distance off the coast. Legend has it that one is a pirate ship whose sailors are ill-fated to sail the seas forevermore.”

West Point Lighthouse in 1890, Photograph courtesy Library and Archives Canada

This is how Google’s Street View describes West Point Lighthouse on Prince Edward Island. It is on several “top 10” lists for the spookiest or most haunted places in Canada, including one from Google and another from Reader’s Digest.

Since 1984, Carol Livingston, the great-granddaughter of MacDonald, has run the lighthouse as an inn. Visitors to the inn, along with staff and even Livingston herself, have reported shenanigans with the lights at the lighthouse-inn. They turn on and off by themselves, even when no one is inside the building. Livingston and at least one guest have also reported seeing a man with a beard in the room that used to be the keeper’s quarters.

Unlike Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, there are no mysterious disappearances to account for the unusual activity at this lighthouse. Instead, Livingston believes that “Lighthouse Willie” and the only other keeper, Benjamin MacIsaac, are responsible. She thinks they come to check up on the place and, as lightkeepers, they play with the lights to make their presence known. Whether old keepers or other ghosts, the eerie visitors seem harmless, and the inn doesn’t lack for guests.

Maybe the old lighthouse-inn really is haunted, or perhaps it’s good PR. Either way, it seems West Point Lighthouse will remain on Canada’s spooky lists.

If you want to know more, I direct you to the following articles:

Sam M.

Sam M. has a love for all forms of speculative fiction across all media. Possessed of natural curiosity, Sam enjoys learning and new experiences. Each new piece of knowledge or endeavour adds to who she is and how she sees the world. She is a firm believer that some of the most amazing experiences and events could even be in your backyard (figuratively, if not literally).

November 22, 2019

Japanese Horror VS American Horror

November 22, 2019/ Andy Tworek

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/513551163739767902/?lp=true

https://horrornews.net/83449/film-review-grudge-2004/

East vs. West, America against Japan. Who has the scarier supernatural beings?

Before we can make a choice we should look at some comparisons, and I think the best place to start would be with a film that both American and Japanese studios have produced. The film I decided to examine is The Grudge (USA), or Ju-On: The Grudge (Japan).

Most supernatural beings in American films are one of two things: they’re either a ghost/spirit haunting a person, place or thing, or they’re a demon that is doing something in a very similar manner.

Supernatural beings in Japanese films are often very similar in nature, however Japanese creatures are much more terrifying and tend to offer more in the way of scares. This would explain why so many American companies like to copy Japanese titles like Ju-On: The Grudge and Ringu.

In both Grudge films, Japanese and American respectively, there are plenty of scary moments… but the American version just feels like a pale imitation to the original. As I mentioned earlier there is a reason that the American film just doesn’t achieve the same impact as the original, and I attribute this to a simple difference in culture. In an American horror film, a character dies in a traumatic experience and then continues to haunt the place of their demise until they can be set free to pass on to the afterlife.

In a Japanese film such as Ju-On: The Grudge, it’s a bit more complicated because it’s not just a haunting; it is a curse. The curse spreads like a disease — a character dies and curses the spot of their death. When a person stays around for a period of time, the curse sticks to them. The person is worn down and followed by the being who set the curse until they are also killed, spreading the curse to the place of their death.

The American Grudge film tries to capture this curse in its plot but then becomes convoluted and misses what made its predecessor so terrifying.

The other big difference is in the endings of Japanese and American horror movies. In the past, a majority of American horror films would have triumphant endings where the protagonists would win and the evil would be defeated, making sequels less likely.

Meanwhile, Japanese films would feature much more nihilistic endings, with their protagonists perishing while the evil persists onward and making the idea of a sequel much more reasonable.

In more recent years American films have started to adopt these sombre endings, which seemed to have started with films like The Grudge and The Ring (another American film which was based on a Japanese film called Ringu.) This has spilled out into other horror films, including The Conjuring, Cabin in the Woods, Hereditary, Midsommar and many more.

The American film industry certainly isn’t a stranger to horror movies having vague endings. For them, it seems like less of a storytelling device and a realistic ending and more of a way to market sequels.

When looking at these films, or ones like them, there is really only one question that needs to be asked: which do you prefer? At the end of the day, it all comes down to your opinion. If you want to form your own perception, I’d suggest simply sitting down and watching the movies for yourself. Everyone is different and every movie is different as well. The only person who can tell you what type of movies you enjoy is you.