Tag: Haunted House

When Ancestral Beasts Come A Wanting…. Things Are Certainly Cold in the Forest

Ancestral Beasts turns a remote family home into a breeding ground for trauma, giant insects and buried secrets. Morgan Holmstrom anchors this unsettling Indigenous horror story about isolation and inherited pain.

Ancestral Beasts Movie Poster
Screening at Fantasia Film Festival 2026 on July 28, 2026 at the Salle J.A. De Sève

In the movie Ancestral Beasts, either Auntie (Gail Maurice) must have been a shaman for the Red River Métis tribe, or Elyse Poitras’ demons (Morgan Holmstrom) have found the means to literally manifest. She has Indigenous roots, and after telling her sister Nikki (Darla Contois) that she needs her own space, the decision to “go home” comes easily. However, her trepidation grows when folks living nearby try to help. As for her cousins, they try to rekindle what was lost when the two sisters decided life elsewhere was better. Apparently, it wasn’t.

When their family home exists off the beaten path, I knew what came next would basically be a terror-haunting-the-cabin-in-the-woods scenario. As for what exists there, it’s almost easy to tell! No, what’s in the basement isn’t a Deadite, but that was my first thought. Instead, what’s presented is more like an ancient covenant, along with something else involving giant insects!

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Borley Rectory The Awakening – A Terrifying Legend Reimagined

Borley Rectory: The Awakening reimagines England’s most haunted house with gothic flair, terrifying twists, and a chilling tale of spirits and family secrets.

Borley Rectory The AwakeningAvailable now on Digital in the USA and on Digital & DVD in the UK

Although the film Borley Rectory The Awakening changes a few of the events leading up to the first spectral sightings, this film is wonderfully gothic. It’s like a Hammer Film—with all its rich colour design and lavish costumes—mixed into a cocktail of delights that Charles Dickens might have penned in The Pickwick Papers. That’s a drink I’d serve up and sip till dawn! Here, this tale explores what may have occurred when the Bull family first took up residency.

Before that, I must inform readers that I know a fair bit about the true-life account. Reverend Harry Bull asked to build this residence. Prior to its construction, there was only Borley Church; no monastery or convent existed before the clergy house. Only local folklore existed, and that included carriaged deiven by headless drivers. As for what happened at the rectory, I suspect some of the spirits from the much older church followed Harry home! In the film, this old man (Julian Glover) leaves the property to his son Henry (Corneille Dion Williams), who is following in his father’s footsteps.

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When Pranking is a Ghost Game, How is That Fair to the Victims?

Ghost Game (2024) Movie PosterNow available to stream/rent on VOD

The ominous tone that exists in the movie Ghost Game is enough to make me think twice about squatting in a haunted house! That’s never good; and in a film directed by Jill Gevargizian and written by Adam Cesare, perhaps it’s best to hope content creators Laura (Kia Dorsey) and Adrian (Sam Lukowski) get their just deserts! They believe spooking new homeowners is funny, and when their boss, Mr. Wattley (Aidan Hughes) likes the idea to include demonic possession (it’s a ratings winner), that’s a sign for disaster.

The reason is that these podcasters don’t realise the history of the house they’re “infesting” will endanger everyone, themselves included. To pile their shenanigans on top is guaranteed to cause things to go south fast, and when they don’t care about the lives they’re affecting, that’s disheartening. Although the story really pulled me into the drama, this film is one of those rare instances where you’ll either like these protagonists or hate them.

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Haunted Victoria’s 2021 Event Schedule (Updating)

Tis the season to be scary, and people want to get out to enjoy Halloween in 2021. The previous year didn’t happen due to a certain virus, but this year, as restrictions are in place in Haunted Victoria, BC.

nullTis the season to be scary, and people want to get out to enjoy Halloween in 2021. The previous year didn’t happen due to a certain virus, but this year, as restrictions are in place in Haunted Victoria, BC, some operations are fit to resume and others are offering different options. In addition to Discover the Past’s Ghostly Walks going digital, the family friendly Galey Farms Festival of Fear takes place outdoors.

The following is an updating list of events confirmed to be taking place in Greater Victoria. More will be added as information is posted onine or passed on through word of mouth.

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Guess Who’s Knocking? Annabelle Comes Home

The film ends up being carnival ride of terror that’s more chuckle-worthy than nightmarish. Annabelle deserves better.

Annabelle Movie PosterSpoiler Alert

The Conjuring spinoff Annabelle Comes Home has the feel of a been there, done that before vibe. It also marks Gary Dauberman, writer of the franchise, directorial debut. While he can nicely up some creepy set pieces, the notion of knowing how to scare the socks off of people needs a lesson by living at Chillingham Castle for a month.

When the doll briefly seen in the main series gets a spinoff to explain her origins and we all know it’s possessed by a demonic entity, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) have their work cut out for them. Sadly, that means tracking this porcelain work down and convincing the latest owners it’s best to let them have it so they can protect humanity from it. Wait a minute, isn’t that what Zak Bagans of Ghost Adventures fame want to do too?

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Ouija: Origin of Evil is a Better Treat for Fans of this Franchise

The game is hardly over with the prequel Ouija: Origin of Evil. A few more tales can be spelled out but just how long interest remains depends on the desire of players wanting to toy with fate.

ouija_two_xxlg-jpegThe game is hardly over with the prequel Ouija: Origin of Evil. A few more tales can be spelled out but just how long interest remains depends on the desire of players wanting to toy with fate.

This latest movie is better than the first (I reviewed it here) mostly because of the setting. The late 60’s was a time where plenty of geopolitical terrors were lurking about. The aspects of historical rife made it so; the ongoing Vietnam War was on the minds of some politicians, the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 began the year. The end of this decade was rife with uncertainty as the future looked grim.

People were looking for answers; some turned to spirit contact for messages in what the future may hold. Alice Zander (Elizabeth Reaser) offered her skills as a medium (when she really had none) to give solace to those concerned about the world at large. Most of her clients wanted council because of the passing of a loved one. However, most of her séances were faked. The deception is known by her daughters Doris (effectively played with creepy finesse by Lulu Wilson), the youngest, and Paulina “Lina” (Annalise Basso), the eldest as they sometimes help mom out. However, when the Hasbro game is introduced and Alice decides to use it in her own game of deception, the supernatural forces lurking in her home are awakened!

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