Seasonal Treasures
Here Lies E. Coli: Dead Bodies Aren’t the Only Gross Things Hiding Under Cemeteries
by Maledicta | Jun 5, 2019 | Categories: Halloween 365.
Throughout human history, people have set aside special final resting places for their dead. But as population density (including deceased cemetery residents) increased, the byproducts of decomposition were concentrated in such quantities that it became a...
World Goth Day: Celebrating the Joys of Melancholia
by Maledicta | Jun 5, 2019 | Categories: Halloween 365. Tags: Bauhaus, melancholy, Poe, Tim Burton, and World Goth Day.
I recently started a new job, so that’s my excuse for overlooking the observance of World Goth Day on May 22nd. Heaven forbid I should miss an opportunity to celebrate the only holiday devoted to those of us who are pale, morbid, and favor the color...
Update: “America’s Creepiest Motel” Stars in Its Own Horror Movie!
by Maledicta | May 23, 2019 | Categories: Macabre Amusements, Maledicta's Movie Corner, and Video. Tags: cemetery, clown motel, clowns, ghosts, haunted motel, horror film, and nevada.
Yes, it’s true! Last year I posted an article about the Clown Motel in Tonopah, Nevada, when it was named the “scariest motel in America.” Now I’m happy to report that this terrifying haunted landmark is about to be the subject of its own horror movie,...
But Where are the Sexy Nurses? 25 Creepy Old-Timey Halloween Costume Photos
by Maledicta | May 23, 2019 | Categories: Costumes & Couture and Halloween 365. Tags: homemade costumes, old school Halloween, and vintage costumes.
Before Halloween became a cultural phenomenon, it was a simpler affair. Halloween used to be a homemade holiday. For instance, no one debated the merits of giving out “Fun Size” vs “Full Size” candy bars. Halloween treats were usually simple...
Book Review – Johannes Cabal the Necromancer
by Maledicta | May 22, 2019 | Categories: Books and Macabre Amusements. Tags: carnival, Johannes Cabal, Jonathan L Howard, necromancer, necromancy, Satan, and vampire.
“He smiled with all the warmth of a dollhouse oven.” ― Jonathan L. Howard, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer As the proprietress of a Halloween Lifestyle website, you probably would expect horror to be my favorite literary genre – and you’d be right. You would also be...
The “Ghostbusters Ruling” – Can a House Be Declared Legally Haunted?
by Maledicta | May 5, 2019 | Categories: Haunted Homemaking and Oddities and Curiosities. Tags: Ackley House, Ghostbusters Ruling, Helen Ackley, Nyack, poltergeist, and Stambovsky v Ackley.
This beautiful Victorian-style home looks nothing short of idyllic, perched right on the Hudson River in Nyack, New York. Yet it hides a bizarre secret – the dwelling boasts five bedrooms, three bathrooms and three poltergeists. Yes, this picturesque home...
Rediscovering Obscure Horror Films of the 1970s
by Maledicta | May 5, 2019 | Categories: Macabre Amusements, Maledicta's Movie Corner, and Video. Tags: 1970s, asphyx, blind dead, blood on satan's claw, devil's rain, frightmare, horror films, and horror movies.
The 1970s was one of the finest decades in cinema history, and the horror genre was no exception. Everyone is familiar with the classics from that era –The Exorcist, The Omen, Halloween, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, Dawn of the Dead, and...
You’re Toast! Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Getting Burned at the Stake
by Maledicta | May 5, 2019 | Categories: Halloween 365. Tags: auto da fe, burning, inquisition, stake, and witchcraft.
Hey Torquemada, whaddaya say? I just got back from the auto-da-fé! Auto-da-fé, what’s an auto-da-fé? It’s what you oughtn’t to do but you do anyway! – Mel Brooks, History of the World Part I “The Inquisition” The...
Witches Get Stitches: A Look Inside the Witch Hunter’s Handbook
by Maledicta | Apr 22, 2019 | Categories: Halloween 365. Tags: dunking, witch finders, witch hunters, witch mark, and witches.
Throughout history, witch hunters have relied upon a number of bizarre and often astonishingly cruel ways of identifying witches and testing them to make absolutely sure (more or less) that they were dealing with an actual minion of Satan. One of the main...
Why Horror Hosts Need to Come Back from the Dead
by Maledicta | Apr 22, 2019 | Categories: Macabre Amusements and Video. Tags: elvira, Horror hosts, joe bob briggs, svengoolie, and TV.
If you’re a fan of horror movies, it’s a great time to be alive – thanks in part to the Internet. With the availability of streaming services and digital downloads, we now have 24/7 access to obscure and rare titles that back in the day we had to track down at...