Horror Shots Podcast

Loch Ness, The Cupacabra, Big Foot – all very recognizable names to those who don’t even know what those are classified as – Cryptids, they’re called cryptids – but what about a not-so-known-one, what about one with a name so fierce it strikes fear into the hearts of those who just hear a whisper of it. What about the fabled and terrifying SKUNK-APE! No…? Doesn’t strike fear and cause you to run? Huh. Nevertheless, as silly as the name is, it is a real life urban legend, and of course something with that name has to come from Florida, right? The New Hampshire skunk-ape just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Nope, It’s Florida alright, and it’s one of my favorite cryptids. I’ve been looking forward to Florida since the start of my journey, which I don’t think has been uttered by human prior to this article. Okay, okay, enough joking around. The skunk-ape is a humanoid forest/swamp dweller that resides in the vast ecosystem of the Everglades. Similar in many ways to Big Foot, his cousin, the skunk-ape

As we continue our tour on the Eerie USA, we come across some smaller states, naturally. But that doesn’t mean they’re any less deserving of a spot on our tour – Hell, some of them have the best legends and stories. Sadly though, well maybe not sadly, but for lack of a better word, we’ll use that, many of these stories have to do with hauntings or spirits. Now, I promise you I’ll do my best to find things other than those. However, Delaware isn’t one of those cases – I do have a haunting for you today, and that comes in the form of Lums Pond State Park. The park is home to the largest freshwater pond in the state, and is a gorgeous place for recreational activities such as camping, hiking, oh, and of course murder. What good ghost story doesn’t start with the demise of a poor innocent. In this instant that poor innocent was a young girl. Way back in the 1800’s a young girl ran away from home, who knows why, but she did. And it would be a decision that she would ultimately regret. The story goes that

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my travels through the Eerie USA, Connecticut is by far one of the hardest to spell. That’s not supernatural, of course, just an observation… Anywhoo, Connecticut is home to one of the creepier legends on this list with a story of a woman by the name of Hanna Cranna. Now, the name itself is dangerously close a childhood mocking rhyme, but I’ll ignore that for now. But why is it so creepy? Well, it has to do with the theory that she is a witch! Personally, I love witches, I did a whole series on the Salem Witch Trials, and the whole magic aspect has captured my attention for years now. There’s something about people having that kind of power (supposedly) that is just very off putting. Hanna’s story, however is a bit different than that of the typical witch around that time. In fact, her name wasn’t even Cranna, it was Hovey, with Cranna being a nickname picked up that stuck. It’s even the name imprinted on her tombstone. Her whole story begins when her husband wen

Much like the Arkansas stories, Colorado has a plethora of scary stories, none ofwhich seem to be too fleshed out. However, there was one place in the CentennialState that stood out amongst the rest; Riverdale road. And, no you won’t find Archieand the gang hanging out on this particular stretch of land.Stories go back decades about strange happenings going on along Riverdale Road inThornton, Colorado. People have reported everything from ghosts to demons, andeven a gate leading straight to Hell itself. It’s definitely a good ol’ family vacationingspot. Beyond the paranormal activity that occurs there, it’s also believed that a lot ofSatanic rituals and Devil worship happens along Riverdale Road.Some reports even say that there are always fresh graffiti on buildings along theroad, or even headless animals, which we all know are classic Satanic ritual fare(That… that was sarcasm). Nevertheless, it seems like Riverdale road has more thana few mysteries to investigate, and hopefully I’ll be able to decipher some

California, the place of dreams, coastline, mountains, and of course, dark spirits that lurk in the mountain ranges. It’s the perfect getaway. If you’ve never been to the Golden State, I would highly recommend it, actually. It’s the only place on tour I’ve actually been to, and I would kill to go again – but that’s not the point. The point is, there are some dark entities that stalk the Santa Lucia mountain range, and by dark, I mean quite literally. Affectionately known as the Dark Watchers, these tall and slender beings are the things of lore, but of the folk variety and the literary. With the origins of the story potentially being from the Chumash peoples, though the sources on that are thin at best, it has garnered some popularity in local legends. The most famous source comes from John Steinbeck in his collection of short stories called Flight. He makes reference to the dark figures in the stories, and later on his own son claims to have had run ins with the creatures. These are some very myste

Our next stop on the Eerie USA tour features not a specific event or location in Arkansas, but a plethora of places, as it turns out, Arkansas is really quite haunted. There were some incredibly fascinating stories, such as the story of Highway 365, which tells the tale of a young girl asking for a ride. She’s cold, and so she’s offered a jacket. The driver drops her off at home, and well, it turns even more interesting. How about the White River Monster? A giant aquatic monster that lives, and has been spotted multiple times in Newport. There have been dozens of theories on the subject, some supernatural, some a little more tame. If you’re driving through Arkansas, it’s safe to say that you’ve driven on a haunted road, or crossed a dastardly bridge. It seems that there is an disproportionate amount of haunted roads and highways in the state. From Wolf Bayou Bridge, to the Tilly Willy Bridge, there seems to be a haunting everywhere you turn. In this cast, I’m going to branch out from the usual, and cover

Being a Canadian living in a rather generic part of the country, a desert is something that holds a mystical and nearly magical aspect in my imagination. At the heart of that image sits Arizona, a state rich in native lore and culture. Through what I can only picture are large barren plains and magnificent outcroppings of red rock, lies a land full of intrigue and stories that live on throughout time. And during my research, I wasn’t wrong. Arizona has a plethora of urban legends and ghost stories to siphon through – everything from The Chupacabra, to spirits of the old gold rush haunting mines and trails, I had to eventually pick just one: The Skinwalker. Now, I did something on the Wendigo a long while back, and I thought this would be a bit too similar – then I started finding stories and firsthand accounts, and the results were far too interesting let by. The skinwalker is believed to be a Navajo shaman who, more or less, went to the dark side, something borne of pure evil and remain that w

We’re all quite familiar with the Bermuda Triangle – right? The part of the world where everything from people to planes go missing, and is full of other paranormal, or extraterrestrial reports, yeah, you know it. But did you know there is another mysterious triangle out there in the world, and it may even be in your backyard. If you live in Alaska, you’ve probably heard of it. It’s a swath of land between Anchorage, Juneau, and Barrow, and since 1988 more than 15,000 people have gone missing there – a rate that is two times the national average. There are a ton of different theories behind what’s actually causing the disappearances; from aliens to energy vortexes, to simple answers such as geography and the harsh environment. No matter the causes, thousands have disappeared in that specific triangle of land, and that in and of itself is very peculiar. The area began attracting attention in 1972 when a plane carrying political official went missing while flying over the area in October of that year.

In the first episode of season 4, I start a 50 episode series on strange and weird happenings within the USA. It will henceforth be called: The Eerie USA. I hope you enjoy the first episode... The Dead Children's Playground!Tucked away in Huntsville, Alabama lies a cemetery – Huntsville's largest in fact. It was founded in 1822, but was believed to be used as a burial ground prior to that. Over the years the cemetery has expanded, and the town around it has as well. Now, just as we all die one day and our bodies need a resting place, we are also born. That may be a weird segue, but I have my reasons!Generally kids need a place to play, grow, and have fun, right? We all remember going to the park as kids and squealing down the metal slide (you can hear it too when you read that, don’t lie), climbing on the bars, and swinging on the swings, but your playground probably wasn’t located in a cemetery, was it? Well the kids who live near Maple Hill cemetery have that option. I know many of you are thinking to yours

Last week we tackled the impending doom of our world through mostly Christian means. We went over what eschatology is, what it means, and how it could potentially affect us in the future. Well, as I mentioned, in that cast, almost every religion or culture believes in some kind of end times, but when it comes to Judaism, few can compare.Jewish eschatology has been studied and debated for centuries, and as one of the world’s oldest religions, there’s a plethora of information available. From the second Temple period, to the garden of Eden, there’s so much to talk about, I’m not even completely sure how to sum it up here. There are varying opinions on the same events depending on the specific belief system. There are texts and holy lineage to take into account as well.So what does the end of the world look like to people of the Jewish faith? You’ll just have to listen this week to find out!Our sponsor: www.morbidlybeautiful.comYouTube: Horror ShotsTwitch: www.twitch.tv/horrorshotsplaysWebsite: www.horrorshots.c

It’s no secret that throughout the course of history, maybe even since the beginning of human civilization, people have predicted the end of the world. From Y2k to 2012, the world should have ended many times over. However, we’re not just talking about the 2000’s here, it goes well beyond that, predating most of written history – in fact the first sign that people thought the world would end was discovered on a tablet etched in 2800 by the Assyrians. The Christians have their own as well. In fact they may be some of the more well known ones. Possibly the most well known would have to be the rapture. The rapture is a fairly new concept in the world of eschatology, in the sense  that it was primarily create by the American evangelical belief system. Of course, this theory is the one where all believers, living and dead, are brought to heaven to be with Jesus. Another well known Christian one is the Final Judgement, or the second coming of Christ. In this theory, Jesus comes back (again) and judges eve

Back in 1959 a group of hikers went up into the Ural Mountains to embark on an expedition, little did they know, something would happen. Something terrifying. Something unnatural. Something that was so horrible, not a single one of them survived. Of the nine hikers, all of whom were rather experienced, none made it back home, some were found in the most brutal of ways as well. Named after the group leader, Igor Dyatlov, the incident has gone down as one of the most bizarre and strangest cases of potential supernatural horror in the history of mankind. What really happened on the mountains on those blistery February days may never be known for certain. At the time, the investigation concluded that an “unknown compelling force” had caused the deaths of these people, even though most were found to have died from hypothermia. The other three however, well, they had a much more gruesome fate, which I’ll go into in more detail in the cast itself. For years, since 1959, people have wondered what just happened.&

Last week we took a gander at the mythical and legendary beast known as the dragon. We touched upon many aspects in that first part, but much of it was an introduction into the vast pool of lore available. Today I want to delve deeper into some of the specifics, like st. George and his slaying to a dragon in exotic lands and what it meant for his own mythos.Secondly, I will be looking deeper into one of the most well known dragon cultures in the world – the far East. They’re rich in dragon culture, and the most fascinating bit is the contrast between the eastern and western ideas of what a dragon is and represents. One side looks at them as monsters and devils that breath fire and terrorize. The other cherishes them for the good fortune they bring.Even further into the juxtaposition is the appearance of the dragon in the two cultures vary as well. From dinosaurs to serpents, from scaly to colourful. It’s a really fun and interesting look into what makes these creatures so important, not just in the past, but

Here’s a biggen. I’ve toyed with the idea of doing a cast on dragons, but it seemed like such a large daunting, fire-breathing task, but alas, I’ve decided to cover it no matter how large the job. I think we’re all pretty familiar with the dragon itself. It’s generally a large, sometimes winged lizard like creature that, in fantasy, breaths fire. Of course, dragons have been major players in all sorts of fantasy since the beginning of fiction, but do they have a role in actual history? Yes, we know that there’s the komodo dragon, but what about the flying and the fire breathing?Well, it comes as no surprise that almost every culture around the world has made reference to the mighty beast at some point in time, but it seems to start where most myths, legends, and spirituality started – ancient Mesopotamia. They had their own version of the dragon which appeared in various writings, such as poems, and other forms of art (sculptures, murals, etc…)Carrying on through time we have Egypt, which had a giant serpent,

In honour of the movie, Midsommar by director Ari Aster, I bring you the demon Paimon. What connection does that have to Midsommar? Well, if you saw Hereditary, then you would know that Paimon features quite prominently within that film. If you need more links, Hereditary was directed by Ari Aster. Boom, connections. Anyway, Paimon is a real demon, and not just a prop name used for plot devices, and if I remember correctly, the movie wasn’t too far off from the nature of the demon himself – of course with some artistic liberty taken.Paimon is a rather high ranking demon within Hell, and owns the domain to the West – one of only four demons to preside over the cardinal directions. When summoned, Paimon likes to have a rather grand entrance, with a chorus of men playing various instruments to announce him. If that doesn’t happen, or isn’t grand enough for him, he literally screams as loud as he can. That may not sound too special, but his roar is said to be the loudest, or one of the loudest, of any demon. Ear

This week’s episode is all about the giants that once walked the Earth – the Nephilim, and boy did I open up a massive can of worms with this one. It seems that nobody can 100% agree on just what they were, or where they came from. Theories range from fallen angels, to angel offspring – to bloody aliens that created the human race. It’s been a pretty crazy trip, however the only aspect that is agreed upon is that these creatures were literal giants, massive beings that towered over man in early biblical times. Goliath, from David and Goliath was believed to be a descendant of one as well, giving credence to the angel involvement theory.One article I came across made it seem like the author was dead certain that not only did they exist as a sort of supernatural being, and that they weren’t borne of angels, but that they were in fact of the Earth and preceded man only to create them as we know it. That’s maybe my favourite theory for the boldness of claim if nothing else. It was also believed, though not by the

The lusty, alluring, sexy succubus is a legend as old as demonology itself, with some records even accounting that Lilith, the mother of demons was, in turn, a succubus herself. The story goes, or at least part of the story, is that the succubus is a demon that take the guise of a sensual female in order to seduce men and steal their essence, or soul, or ultimately to just cause disease of the mind, body, or just death.The legend, as I said, dates back to the earliest days of demonology, however various religions and cultures around the world have their own take on the concept as well, from Egypt to Rome, this lust demon makes her rounds. Of course, with any ancient entity, it has been reproduced in various forms of popular culture from Supernatural, to Lost Girl, each with their own unique take on the demon. Which brings up an interesting point; with not a lot of information available on the topic, a lot is left up for interpretation.This cast may be a little bit different in terms of tone – there will still

For every fan of any genre, there’s something special that happens during the year, often several times. It’s a time where fans can go out and meet their favourite stars and characters; it’s a time where communities come together; it’s a time where everybody can geek out and not be afraid to be themselves. That special thing is the convention, and horror is known for its convention power, and no more so than Fresh Kills Con.Earlier this year I was lucky enough to interview Jesse from Fresh Kills Con, which is in its very first year of conning. While many horror conventions are massive multi-day affairs that can get a little claustrophobic and impersonal, Fresh Kills Con strives to do the opposite. Located in a very intimate venue, Fresh Kills aims to provide you with a very personal environment where the celebrity guests and vendors will be able to interact with fans on a level other than a simple handshake after standing in line. More than anything, Fresh Kills wants to give you an experience you’ll remember

In this cast I'll be going over some deals with the Devil, as well as what's involved! As early as the 1400’s, it’s believed that people have been making deals with the Devil. Yes, as farfetched as it may sound, people have been known to sign away their immortal soul to the first of the fallen – or one of his cohorts. Of course, in this instance I’m talking about Faust, maybe the most famous individual to sell his soul. But how many others has there been, and did it all start with Faust, or where there others before him?If we’re going to start with Faust, there needs to be a little bit of back-story. While the figure has been featured in numerous fictional tales (including a comic-book villain), he was in fact based on a real person with the name Johann Faust who was a chemist and bit of a swindler in the fifteenth century. Peers and scholars around the time of Johann’s existence claim he dabbled in magick, science, and social engineering, but it wasn’t until after his death that an unknown biographer claimed

Ever since 1973 North America, and most of the western world became a little obsessed with The Exorcist, a film depicting a young girl who’s body and mind are taken over by a demon. It’s a simple, yet terrifying premise, and the film left people reeling in fear and disgust – Hell, even today with all the horror options we have, still holds up and is recognized as not only one of the best horror films of all time, but one of the best movies ever made. A true masterclass in film making.Nevertheless, I’m not here to talk about the movie itself (that’s why we have the rest of the lovely Morbidly Beautiful website), but rather the real life events that inspire such films. Of course the film was based off a novel released in 1971, and that story was based off a 1949 event in which a young man was believed to have been possessed, and ultimately exorcised with success.The of course we have one of the more famous rites in recent history in that of Anneliese Michell, who again, had a movie made about her. Things didn’t