PUMPKINROT.COM: The Blog: television

Saturday, December 14, 2024

The Seal Of Delcite

It was fun having children walk across a creepy Thaumaturgic Triangle on Halloween night.

"Fun."

They were unaware that their souls were being offered to the First Witch in her throne (as the mere act of passing over the Seal was all that was required for such a Dark Contract). We braced for an angry parent accusing us of chalking a Satanic symbol on the porch, but thankfully no one seemed to mind (or maybe they didn't notice).

We called it the Seal of Delcite as a nod to the Curse of Delcite mentioned in my personal favorite episode of the old AMAZING STORIES series. The Curse of Delcite was supposed to be a spell to inflict hiccups on its target, but things don't go as planned and the antagonist (Christopher Lloyd) ends up losing his head (read more about it here).

I've mentioned it before a long time ago (old blog post here), but I always found that a backstory (even one that isn't shared with anyone) really aids the creative process. And it helps make a Haunt more logical to the viewer.

Click here for a short video.

Friday, April 12, 2024

Ghostwatch

Currently streaming on Shudder, Ghostwatch is a British mockumentary that in a ton of ways influenced a whole range of modern horror film tropes. Paranormal Activity, The Blair Witch Project, and every single ghost hunting series ever seem to have drawn inspiration from this old classic from 1992. The best part is that the hosts of the show were actual real-life television news personalities, so for anyone who missed the credits (and this apparently happened on a large scale), people became convinced that this was a real event unfolding on live TV - on Halloween night no less.

This was pure gold, with a really involved and interesting tale. As we learned the slowly unfolding (and very disturbing) backstory of this bizarre haunting, we marveled at how something from '92 could have been so ahead of its time.

There are no good trailers for this gem and that's probably a good thing.

Ghostwatch gets my highest recommendation.

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

In Search Of UFOs

Leonard Nimoy's voice and that spooky music were made for each other. This show was one of the formative ones for me. Lots of great nightmare fuel, presented in a serious fashion where a young mind like mine was being told "Son, this awful stuff is real [and probably under your bed]."

Click below...

Friday, August 26, 2022

Trailer: GHOSTOBER 2022: Urban Legend

"Urban Legend" is an all-new anthology series, under the creative guidance of Eli Roth, that showcases classic urban legends as you’ve never seen them before. The series will premiere Friday, October 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+. Based on widely shared “true” stories that happened to a friend of a friend … of a friend, each episode of "Urban Legend" is a mini-horror film cinematically crafted to deliver a hyper-suspenseful and tension-fueled experience. Featuring lurking psychopaths, murderous mysteries, creepy creatures, and twisting tales, these disturbing legends prey on our most deeply embedded fears to shock and terrify. (Eight one-hour episodes)

Click below...

Thanks, Wren!