SINISTER Intentions

Caution. Children at play. I had overlooked the 2012 movie SINISTER. There was some blurring in my mind between this film and the other one-word titled, similarly themed INSIDIOUS. And, too, I dislike Ethan Hawke, so I skipped it. The sequel opening in theaters this summer also failed to catch my eye—at first. Credit Bughuul…

Da Vinci’s Dracula

To the writer’s credit, the word “vampire” is never mentioned in reference to this incarnation of Vlad Tepes, despite his overwhelmingly more well-known literary counterpart who shares his name. I found out there was this show called DA VINCI’S DEMONS. It had totally slipped under my radar, not that I would have been watching it…

Light ‘em up!

Did Mary Clues receive a nocturnal visitation from the Devil or was her bizarre death an early case of Spontaneous Human Combustion? The Wick Effect took the starch out of Spontaneous Human Combustion for me. Whereas before documented cases of supposed SHC seriously creeped me out—the idea that a person can just burst into flame…

The Anguished Man

Although you may have read that The Anguished Man, supposedly one of the world’s most haunted paintings, is for sale, apparently that’s not the case. Unfortunately, you’ll have to spend your nickels and dimes on another piece of possessed artwork. I think I smell a rat. And I mean that in the best possible way.…

Tutankhamen’s Magical Meteorite Medallion

Geologists have determined the scarab on King Tut’s brooch was made from meteor glass formed 28 million years ago in the Saharan Desert. My fascination with ancient Egypt goes back as far as my love of the Undead—which is to say it’s lifelong. I must have seen some documentary special on Egypt before I was…

Dracula’s OTHER Hometown

Bram Stoker found inspiration for his famous Gothic villain in an unlikely place — a sunny seaside Yorkshire village. I just finished covering the upcoming Dracula tour happening in Romania this October (dractours.com) and lamenting that I won’t be able to tag along. Might as well do a write-up of that OTHER tourist hotspot for…

A Voyage to Draculaland

The Haunted Halloween Horror Vampire Vacation for travelers of all ages. This brings to mind that Matchbox 20 song, wherein the lead singer complains about the “real world” being such a hassle. I feel that way every day, and usually in regards to money. Right now, I’m lamenting my lack of sufficient funds to take…

Here come the Men in Black . . . cloaks?

There’s no doubt in my mind that when it comes to the matter of the Men in Black, there is a direct connection between these menacing characters and a wealth of other supernatural phenomena. Okay, here’s a primer for those not already familiar with the supernatural theory of the Men in Black/UFO connection. (As opposed…

The REAL reason DARK SHADOWS got cancelled

If you’re a fan of DARK SHADOWS—and all self-respecting vampire marks should be—you’ve been offered a myriad of reasons why the series, a pop culture phenomenon perhaps more beloved today than when it aired for six years in the late 60s and early 70s, came to an end. Why didn’t the show last? Why isn’t…