As the clock strikes 2:22 a.m., a young woman is awakened from her peaceful sleep and thrown into a hellish memory of what happened the night before. Shrieking as her world spins out of control, and with blood everywhere, she jumps out of bed and onto the cold tile of her bathroom floor. Her screaming continues as she begins to flash back to what began as an incredibly fun night out with her girlfriends. However, as she pieces together the grisly sequence of events, she gets closer to finding out the truth. But is it now too late for her to be saved?

Miskatonic’s Reality Horror course has wrapped up, and it was a stirring couple of weeks, as we examined the development of the horror mock-documentary, the various subgenres of this hybrid form of horror (found footage, gothic documentary, uncanny realism, reality TV, mondo films etc), and the types of issues they address—including archival anxiety and compulsive documentation, post-9/11 anxieties, personal security issues, self-reflexivity, “virtual” reality and voyeurism.

[Ed. Note: This is a bit late on Fango's part, but we love Jeff and his blogs, so take your mind back about 10 days or so and get back in the Halloween spirit for a few minutes!]

Any horror fan worth his or her weight in gore considers October the true giving season. October is a month-long celebration replete with more good tidings and cheer than December could ever offer. During this time, DVD distributors fill the role of St. NIck by releasing their heavy-hitters. Both new releases and, more importantly, many never before released classics and special editions come wrapped in their cellophane-makeshift wrapping paper begging to be torn open and played with. And who really needs Christmas when you have Halloween? It's the one time a year the nation allows itself to loosen its collective necktie and even the "normals" get with the horror program. Oh what a joyous occasion it is.

Recently, a friend of mine and I decided to start once again exploring the park I’ve essentially grown up right next door to. The biggest in New York City, Pelham Bay Park, despite being decidedly non-threatening (we’ve done a ton of looking into its past without much scary success), is still an absolutely terrifying place, much like the abandoned Six Flags you're about to meet below. 

If you could see my desk, you’d run.

But it’s not just my desk, it’s every square inch of my office, piled high with stuff sent from people and places with the intent that I watch and/ or read their swag in hope that I spill some class of ink on their wares. But life is short and time is ever so fleeting and sometimes it’s really bloody difficult to keep up with the tsunami. Not that I’m complaining mind you. I do and always will love free movie stuff. But sometimes…well….really….apologies to those who have slipped through my cracks. That sounded very wrong, but you know what I mean… So allow me then to use this space once in a while to spring clean, no matter what season it actually is.

The 2010/2011 curriculum for Montreal’s Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies for youth aged 14-29 is under way, and we’ll be posting writing/reviews from the students as the year progresses. Students can take individual courses (most comprise a trio of three-hour classes on consecutive weeks) or sign up for the full curriculum, which runs weekly through May 2011. Writing work is optional, but those who complete those assignments will get their work posted here on Fango’s Miskatonic blog—great exposure for budding horror scribes!

Many consider Halloween to be one of the most fun holidays of the year. Halloween means dress-up and parties and all those sweet treats. Mother’s Day can be another enjoyable holiday, one where families get together and celebrate dear ol’ Mom. Fun times, right?