5 TWISTED HORROR MOVIES TO GIVE YOU NIGHTMARES

FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009)

Most fans of Jason will enjoy this latest instalment featuring the frightening character himself looking fiercer and more volatile than ever. The movie itself follows a fairly generic slasher plot, however many horror fans are looking for that guilty pleasure, right?

The film includes an exceptionally creepy opening scene which immediately compels the viewer to watch more.

The story is seen by many as a remake of the original movie however it incorporates many elements from some of the previous films in the series, especially the first four.

Friday the 13th is the twelfth movie in the Friday the Thirteenth franchise. Including this movie, Jason has killed 167 victims so far in the series.

A new instalment (which will be the 13th in the series) is currently slated to be released in November 2015.

THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE (2009)

Two girls setting out to party in Germany end up with a broken down car in the middle of nowhere. Searching for someone who can help, they unwittingly stumble onto a mad doctor’s front porch who greets them warmly and allows them to use his phone to call for help.

Of course, it doesn’t take long for the situation to deteriorate and the girls realise that they have fallen as victims into the bizarre plans Dr Heiter has been planning long before he found and trapped his “guinea pigs”.

With an unusual premise and a strong performance from Dieter Laser who plays the mad doctor hellbent on creating his grotesque masterpiece, this movie is a refreshing example of the body-horror sub genre thanks to an unusual and frightening story with some stomach churning scenes, and Dieter’s amazing performance as a formidable villain.

WRONG TURN (2003)

From it’s bloody first scene until the very end, this relentless slasher film is a must see for any fans of the genre.

The basic story follows the misfortune plight of six young adults who find themselves trapped in the woods of West Virginia which is inhabited by a group of grossly disfigured, cannibalistic mountain men who will stop at nothing to capture and eat their prey.

Featuring plenty of gory scenes and a high paced thriller plot, Wrong Turn will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Wrong Turn has been followed up by five sequels, the latest one being Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort, which was released in cinemas in August and should be available on DVD by October 2014.

JU-ON: THE GRUDGE (2002)

This Japanese original, which was also later made into an American remake, is creepier than a demented clown stalking you through a dark alleyway at night.

Listen to that tune as soon as the movie starts, that mix of melancholy and horror, it suits the theme of the movie so perfectly. Ju-on: The Grudge is deliciously creepy.

It tells the story of a very haunted house where something really bad happened, and a curse was left behind. It never forgives, and it never forgets.

Any person who enters the house comes in contact with the grudge, and what follows, is part of an horrific tale of ghostly revenge from beyond the grave.

FREAKS (1932)

Directed by Tod Browning, Freaks has most characters played by real sideshow performers who had real deformities.

Considered by authorising bodies as “too shocking”, it was banned in many countries for years before becoming a cult classic in more recent years for it’s campy plot and cast of real sideshow performers.

It is difficult to determine the true genre of this film however if you watch it until it’s nightmarish end then you’ll most likely agree horror is the closest match.

THE HAUNTED RAILWAY TUNNEL OF DEATH

Redbank Range Railway Tunnel is located near the village of Picton, in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

This locally-famous tunnel is owned by NSW Environment and Heritage and is historically significant for several reasons. It was the first railway tunnel to be used by the New South Wales Railways, having been in operation from February 1867 until 1919.

It’s remaining structure also provides historical evidence of the Great Southern Railway. And during World War II, the tunnel was used for defence storage purposes.
Both before and after WWII the tunnel was also used for mushroom farming, however this business was abandoned after fungus grew in the spawn.
Known by the locals as The Mushroom Tunnel, this spooky place also has a dark past and has been widely reported to be haunted.

In 1916 an unfortunate tragedy occurred. Emily Bollard, a middle aged woman who lived near the tunnel, set out to visit her brother who lived on a farmstead on the other side of the hill.
Emily had forgotten to check the railway timetable on this particular day, and halfway through the tunnel she was struck by an oncoming train. Killed instantly, Emily’s body was carried on the front of the train until it reached Picton station.

Emily Bollard’s Headstone

Since this tragic event, many paranormal activities have been reported here. Regular tourists visit the tunnel on ghost tours and others come in groups of their own or even some who dare to visit alone.
Visitors reports seeing lights in the tunnel, as well as dark shifting shadows. Many claim to have seen the figure of a woman wearing white walking through the tunnel or suddenly appearing before them.

NEXT on Spooky Lifestyle: 5 TWISTED HORROR MOVIES TO GIVE YOU NIGHTMARES

THE HORRORS OF THE HOIA FOREST

The Hoia Baciu Forest is a Transylvanian forest situated to the west of the city of Cluj-Napoca in Romania.

Hoia Forest is a regular recreational destination by day, but within the twisted, bizarrely shaped trees of this forest are many secrets and mysteries, of which the science field does not yet fully understand.

It is commonly believed by both locals and visitors that there is a strange presence within the forest, and many visitors experiencing the creepy feeling of being watched.

Visitors to the forest often report intense levels of anxiety, strange rashes, vomiting and even unexplained burns and scratches. Even many of the trees display unexplained scorch marks.

Hoia Forest is well known for it’s apparent paranormal and unexplained activities. Strange orbs of light at night are frequently reported in and around the forest.

Some unfortunate folk have even ventured into the forest, never to be seen again.

Check out this website for more information on one of the world’s strangest places:

http://www.hoiabaciuforest.com

NEXT on Spooky Lifestyle: THE HAUNTED RAILWAY TUNNEL OF DEATH

THE CURSE OF THE PHARAOHS: When the Mummy’s Tomb is Disturbed

For thousands of years many have believed in The Curse of the Pharaohs. It is a long standing superstition which implies that if anyone, whether thief or archaeologist (or anyone in between), disturbs the tomb of a deceased person, a curse may be placed upon the intruders resulting in deadly consequences.

Howard Carter was born in London in 1874, and went on to become an archaeologist and Egyptologist. He became famous for his excavations in The Valley of the Kings, where many ancient tombs and buried treasure lay.

In 1922, Howard Carter and a group of his excavators found the entrance to a tomb in what was about to become a major event in history.
The entry was sealed up, but Carter was able to peer through a crevice he created by chiselling through the wall and he saw many golden treasures hidden inside.
As he was peering in, Lord Carnarvon asked Carter, “can you see anything?”
To this Howard Carter replied with what subsequently became his most famous words ever. “Yes, wonderful things.”
This was the beginning of the end for Carter and those that disturbed the tomb.

At around the same time that the tomb was being opened, a messenger had been sent on an errand to Carter’s house. Upon reaching the home, he found the bird cage was occupied by a cobra, which coincidentally was the symbol of the Egyptian monarchy.
The canary which belonged to Howard Carter had died in the snake’s mouth and this was the first of a string of deaths to come.

The first mysterious death was of Lord Carnovon, who was the chief financial backer on many of Howard Carter’s excavations. He was present at the opening of King Tutankhamen’s tomb.
He died on 5 April 1923 in a Cairo hotel after receiving a mosquito bite the month before which had become severely infected.

There were other mysterious deaths which were linked to the opening of King Tut’s tomb however out of the 58 present at the opening, only 8 died mysteriously. Howard Carter himself died from lymphoma in 1939.

Although the media would have obviously stirred these stories into a frenzy, you still might want to tread very carefully if you ever do visit the tombs in The Valley of the Kings, and let the dead rest in peace…

NEXT on Spooky Lifestyle: THE HORRORS OF HOIA FOREST

CREW MEMBERS VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE: The Mystery of the Mary Celeste

The Mary Celeste was a merchant brigantine of British origin, having been built in 1860. The ship was made famous for being discovered in the Atlantic Ocean on 5 December 1872, with it’s entire crew nowhere to be found, and it’s cargo virtually untouched.

Mary Celeste was found abandoned, but was in seaworthy condition and still under sail, heading toward the Strait of Gibraltar (a narrow straight connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea).
The passengers onboard it’s voyage had included the captain, his wife and daughter, as well as 7 crewmen. All 9 of them were not found aboard the ship and were never seen or heard from again.

The 33-metre long brigantine was said by some to be “cursed” from it’s early beginnings long before it was discovered derelict in 1872 with no apparent explanation.
The ship’s first captain, Robert McLellan, contracted pneumonia just 9 days after taking command. He died at the very beginning of her maiden voyage, and was the first of three captains to die aboard this mysterious ship.

In 1885 Mary Celeste’s last captain and owner, G. C. Parker, deliberately wrecked the ship in the Caribbean Sea in a failed attempt to commit insurance fraud.

It wasn’t until 9 August 2001 that the unfound remains of the shipwreck were discovered by divers.

Watch this short video outlining the fate of the Mary Celeste:

NEXT on Spooky Lifestyle: THE CURSE OF THE PHARAOHS: When the Mummy,’s Tomb is Disturbed