The Haunted Report

Sorry for the Outage

2009-07-04T19:50:59Z

Our site was down for a few hours, which sucks, except that it happened on a holiday when traffic is usually a little lower anyways.

Just wanted to let you know that we've rectified the problem and we are good to go!

The problem was our host reconfigured some stuff which took us and a few other sites offline.

The Mansion of Terror Scream Queen Contest 2009

2009-07-03T16:35:55Z

The Mansion of Terror (a local Haunted House here in Austin, TX) (@mansionofterror on twitter) is having the first ever Austin "Scream Queen Contest". More details can be found below. Are you up for the challenge? With the media or a blogger that wants to cover it? See below for more info:
=======================
Hey Ghouls and Fiends,
The Mansion of Terror Horror Park is looking for our 2009 Scream Queen. This lovely lady will be featured on Billboards and Social Media all across Central Texas as well as our Facebook, Twitter, MySpace pages and more.

We are looking for lovely Pin Up/Suicide Girls-esque ladies who can show up at 4:00pm on July 11th and compete in three categories for our judges:

1) Best Scream
2) Best Glamor Pose
3) Best "Scared out of your Frigging Mind" Pose

If you look at the history of Horror, there has been a bevy of stunning and strong female characters in all facets of the horror genre. We want to celebrate that Horror by finding the 2009 Mansion of Terror Scream Queen. 21 and up only please. Sponsored by the lovely ladies of the Texas Rollergirls.

http://www.txrollergirls.com/

Please repost this and get it out to everyone you think should compete.

See you July 11th at our location at 4pm
The Mansion of Terror
2000 S IH 35
Round Rock, TX 78681
dneff22@gmail.com

DVD Review : Ghost House

2009-07-03T00:28:06Z

This is a DVD Review of the screener for GHOST HOUSE. Let us know what you think and check out more at www.behindthebigscreen.com and www.hauntedreport.com.

Do Ghosts like Guns?

2009-07-02T15:23:26Z

This week the Ghost Adventures Crew is heading to Tombstone, AZ for an investigation of the Bird Cage Theater, one of the most haunted buildings in the wild west. I just wanted to drop you a quick note to provide location details and an extended video preview. Tune in for the episode premiere and see what evidence the team discovers this Friday at 9 PM E/P on the Travel Channel.

Shriekfest :: Call for Films

2009-06-29T19:53:39Z

he 9th annual Shriekfest, the Los Angeles International Horror/Thriller/SciFi/Fantasy Film Festival and Screenplay competition is currently accepting submissions for it's 2009 festival to be held in October of 2009.

The festival is dedicated to screening and recognizing the works of filmmakers and screenwriters in the often forgotten genres. Superior screening facilities, parties, and panels make this a wonderful networking experience for all. Awards will be given in most categories and prizes include cash, product awards, trophies, etc.

Please see our website for more information and an entry form www.shriekfest.comAlso, check out our news page and testimonials page and see how Shriekfest has helped many filmmakers and screenwriters in the past. And if you are local to Los Angeles, be sure to sign up for our monthly networking meetings.

RIP MJ - Best Halloween Song Ever

2009-06-25T23:26:16Z

Guess what we are doing tonight?

2009-06-24T21:27:14Z

Guess what we are doing tonight? FILMING AN ALL NEW EPISODE! I don't want to give too much away but it's a classic Haunted Austin Location. Can you guess? Leave a comment on our discussion page on Facebook or on our Blog!

Making games "Life Sized"

2009-06-19T19:39:25Z

Recently we brought you a video showing a "real life" zombie shooter where you use a portable device augmented with some 3D imagery to produce a somewhat realistic game, played in real time.

My first thought was "well that's cool, but could it be better?"

After all I've seen other technologies going back a few years now where a guy rigged a backpack with a home made heads up display showing digital data overlaying real life imagery, using a laptop and video camera.

I'm thinking that today's technology is probably really close to doing the same thing but better and cheaper. Picture this:

You are wearing a pair of specially modified glasses which have ear buds attached to them. When you put on the glasses you are immersed in an "alternate" reality where you can see the world around you, but superimposed would be digital imagery.

In other words, you throw on the glasses and are immediately immersed into a zombie shooter where the real people around you are transformed digitally into zombies. Your goal is to slay them using "traditional" methods.

But what if there aren't other people around you? Simple, the game would randomly insert characters for you to interact with (and presumably kill off).

Such a game would take the gaming experience to whole new levels.

Think of it as a Wii nunchuck, combined with PS3 graphics, but then hopped up on steroids to produce a true 3D real/digital environment where your actions are monitored real-time by the portable console (using GPS) and the game adjusts play based on these actions. It could then map realistic looking characters "into" your game play via your display.

Hmm. Maybe I should patent this idea?

Connect with Ghost Hunting and Milkshakes

2009-06-18T18:34:13Z

What did you think of our first action packed episode? Want to let us know of a location that is Haunted in Texas? Want to fly us to your hometown to investigate your home? Have a good Milkshake place us?

Well then connect to us and send us your question or suggestion:
Email: ghosthunting@hauntedreport.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/pages/Ghosthunting-and-Milkshakes/45354239865?ref=ts
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ghostsandshakes
Blog: http://www.hauntedreport.com/

Zombie Games that Make You Move

2009-06-17T19:55:35Z

Werewolves - Could they be real?

2009-06-16T19:50:31Z

Continuing in the theme of "could they be real?" started with my Zombies article, and then my Vampires article, today I ask the question "Could Werewolves actually exist?" And if so, how?

This is an interesting topic to me because if you do research you will find a few differing opinions as to whether such creatures did exist and perhaps could again.

I say "did exist" because my research shows that ancient Greek's had a word for werewolves, as did Old English, Germanic and Old Norse.

Now, I'm not linguist, but to me you wouldn't think that you would find too many words for creatures, real or mythological, that span multiple cultures for many hundreds of years.

In other words, it is my belief that werewolves, or something similar, did roam the earth at one point. But do they continue to walk among us today?

If you read any modern horror stories, particularly those involving vampires, you may learn that the werewolf was actaully created as a "protector" for the vampires. They did the vampire's dirty work in addition to providing protection from various human threats.

Depending on what culture you are from, there are various ways to identify those afflicted with lycanthropy. Despite being termed a mental illness, there are traits which are supposedly common among werewolves in human form. From their physical appearance (low set ears, unibrows) to their mannerisms (the way they walk) to their apparent reaction to reverting back to human form.

Yet despite their appearance throughout the ages and cultures of the world, many still believe that Werewolves are mythical creatures that don't exist. But again I ask - if such a creature is mythological, why are there recorded sightings spanning multiple continents and hundreds of years?

Now you might say something like "werewolves are like UFOs and Sasquatch - just because they've been seen by a few questionable people doesn't make them real."

Well the same can be said for your typical religious deity. Just because you haven't seen God, doesn't mean you stop worshipping or questioning his/her existence does it?

Now I'm not pro or anti any religious belief, my point here is, just because you don't see it on a daily basis doesn't make it fantasy. It just means that Werewolves have done a good job of integrating into our society and hiding, perhaps waiting for when they can rule the world?

Today: Rare Behind the Scenes with Esp

2009-06-13T08:00:17Z

You all know I have a man crush on Eastern State Penitentiary. Well I wish I could go to this:
Saturday & Sunday, June 13th and 14th
10 am to 4 pm
$12/person

Terror Behind the Walls, one of the nation's largest and most ambitious haunted houses, takes over the cellblocks of Eastern State Penitentiary each fall.

The event has been called "perfect of Halloween" by the New York Times and ranked the "Number 1 Haunted House in America" by AOL City Guide.

On June 13th and 14th, Eastern State Penitentiary will be offering "Behind the Scenes" tours showcasing the new Terror Behind the Walls Costume and Makeup Shops.

In 2008, Eastern State Penitentiary built new costume and makeup shops in the former workshops along Cellblock 1. We now have state of the art makeup stations and storage for the 150 costumes necessary to get the event up and running every night. Meet the makeup artists and costume designers in this rare glimpse into one of America's most successful haunted houses.

All proceeds from Terror Behind the Walls support historic preservation and public programming at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site.

Update from the Great Lakes Fright Fest

2009-06-12T18:56:29Z

The 9th annual Great Lakes Fright Fest (GLFF) happened this past weekend at Totem Pole Park - a tidy, compact campground, in Petersburg, Michigan. Once again, I happily enjoyed myself.

The show was a pleasant success. Here are some bullet points:
*The number of cans of human food donated: 1,477
*The number of cans of pet food donated: 473
*The number of pounds of dry dog food donated: 1,000 (new record)
*The total number of attendees: more than 400 (new record)
*I celebrated the beginning of my 35th season of haunted-house acting. (Who cares? I do.)
*The haunted house ran from about 9:30 PM till around 12:15 AM
*As of this writing I don't know what the customer count at the haunt was, but my guess is 325
*Next year's Great Lakes Fright Fest will be a challenge, but we will all get through it safely.

The bigger picture that Fright Fest producer Kkrazy Kkaren Taylor has been attempting to project in recent years is the phrase "Haunters Against Hunger." Perhaps another way of articulating it would be something like this: Money is just fancy pieces of paper; but food will keep you alive.

At the GLFF, the attendees feed each other with outright food donations for breakfasts and lunches, and homemade potluck dishes for Saturday dinner. Attendees do even more by feeding those less fortunate by donating food items as admission to the haunted house. The haunt did not raise as many cans of human food as it did last year, but the amount of pet food that was donated took a nice jump.

No one goes hungry at Great Lakes Fright Fest because of the waterfall of food donations. It seems that every attendee brings something for the greater good.
A few more bullet points:
*The seminars on Saturday morning were actually ahead of schedule. (Unusual? Quite.)
*There were more dogs at the Fright Fest than I can remember. For the first time, there were Greyhound rescue dogs amongst us.
*The days were sunny and glorious, but the temperatures never climbed above the low 70s.
*Totem Pole Park was completely sold out for the weekend.
*The fog was thicker at The Grand Fog-off on Saturday night than ever before. The complete lack of a breeze in the early evening was instrumental for spreading a lingering fog for hundreds of yards in all directions.
*Mother Nature continued her good streak by not raining on us while the haunt was open. She did send down a few tiny sprinkles as we partied away around 1 AM. We're not mad.

Honest.
I have told you about some of the smile-inducing moments at Great Lakes Fright Fest. But the sad thing I must inform you of is that I will not be able to attend next year. Kkrazy Kkaren regretfully announced to the crowd that in 2010 both the Great Lakes Fright Fest and the Midwest Haunters Convention will take place on the same weekend. This is a choice I wish I didn't have to make, but my business commitments to MHC and the IAHA win out.
The fact that I can't attend the Fright Fest in 2010 makes me doubly grumpy because it will be their 10th anniversary. But I'm not worried for them. The Fright Fest doesn't try to be a typical haunted convention with vendor booths, haunt tours and a costume ball. Instead, it actively bills itself as a family reunion for haunters. Since there are so many home haunters (the show's target audience) in the general Detroit/Toledo area, I predict that attendance will be fine.

In just the past few years, some of the annual activities of the International Association of Haunted Attractions have taken place at MHC, rather than at the TransWorld convention. (The year 2009 is no exception.) Perhaps the Fright Fest should invite the several different associations of home haunters to attend? Home Haunters of America and Home Haunters Association are just two of them. If these organizations can be coaxed into joining up with GLFF in 2010, my opinion is that attendance could actually grow.

You should see my 2009 photographs on the GLFF's Web site by early next week.

Very truly yours,

Rex B. Hamilton

Ghost Adventures - You LIKE THIS SOIL?

2009-06-11T14:49:38Z

HAHAHA. This should be one of their funnier episodes for sure. Watch the video to learn more. The Castillo de San Marcos was built in the 1600s by Spanish settlers in St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest city in America. More than 300 years later, the fort is still defended by the spirits of soldiers and haunted by the prisoners once locked inside its walls.

Behind the Scenes - Friday the 13th JASON Reunion

2009-06-09T02:42:01Z

In this rare clip we get to see 4 of the actors who played Jason in one place at one time. Amazing. More information at www.behindthebigscreen.com along with reviews of the DVD. This is just the first 10 minutes. If you want the whole thing buy the dvd.