Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 6h

Day 19: The Haunting of Pendle Hill

Woman goes searching for her missing father who vanished while investigating the Pendle Witch Trials. I was hoping for some good folk horror fun, but got wooden acting and dreadful plotting instead. Do not recommend.

💀 of 5. #31daysofhalloween

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 21h

My Vampire players are thoroughly populating the ‘90s World of Darkness music scene with fictional bands. So far we have:

The Blank Stares
The Blue Rudys (blues/ska hybrid band)
Scud Rocket
The Dead Travel Fast
Hospital Television
Wireflower
and
Dead Air Choir

Puts Baby Chorus to shame.

6

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 21h

Get home safe!

1

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 1d

Day 18: Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum

Youtubers explore a notoriously haunted asylum in order to hit their streaming goals. K-horror found footage film that's better than most entries in the genre. Creepy despite the usual "running and screaming" aspects to FF movies.

💀💀1/2 out of 5 #31daysofhalloween

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 2d

Day 17: Ouija: Origin of Evil

1960s California family meddles with things they shouldn't thanks to Parker Bros. Normally, I'd skip a movie like this, but I heard good buzz about the sequel film. Turned out to be pretty decent for a PG-13 horror flick.

💀💀1/2 out of 5. #31daysofhalloween

2

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 2d

Day 16: Blood Vessel

Adrift Allies board Nazi ghost ship. Mash-up of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Last Voyage of the Demeter." Better than I anticipated. This one is the backstory to your next Delta Green or Night's Black Agents campaign.

💀💀1/2 out of 5. #31daysofhalloween

4

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 2d

I also started rereading Hawthorne's "The House of Seven Gables" last night, so I can't deny there might be some correlation between those two events.

1

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 2d

Dreamt last night that a company produced a line of 28mm minis based on Shirley Jackson's "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" complete with angry villagers. Today is already disappointing since I really want those to be a real thing.

1 4

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 4d

Day 15: The Evil

A couple opens drug rehab facility over a gate to Hell (which happens less often than you'd expect giving the US health care system). Looks like a TV movie and it's about as scary as a commercial. The film's last 5 minutes knocks a whole 💀off the rating.

💀 of 5 #31daysofhalloween

3

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 4d

A ton of spooky stuff in PDF for a sawbuck, some of it from my fevered brow.

Goodman Games @goodmangames.bsky.social · 4d

There’s a deal on our spookiest adventures & supplements with Fanatical that you don’t want to miss!

Step into the DCC RPG Horror line at $9.99 for 26 ebooks; you are sure to find something that will make your table scream in terror!

Check it out: www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/go...

5

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 4d

If I haven't seen the movie, it counts as new to me for the purposes of the Halloween Marathon. So the original and a remake are two movies, not one.

1 1

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 4d

Sunday is first actual game session of the Vampire: The Masquerade (1e) chronicle I'm running. We had far too much fun running everyone through their Preludes. Well, most of us had fun. Kenya and Luther might disagree. I posted these on the group Pintrest board as a reminder of their actions. #vtm

5

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 4d

Day 14: Shutter (2008)

Weird photo happenings after an American couple run over a woman while in Japan. I heard good things about this one, but I failed my Research check. Turns out I should have watched the 2004 J-horror original and not the remake. Live and learn.

💀💀 of 5 #31daysofhalloween

1 1

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 6d

Are you familiar with Ravenfeast? I've played a game of it and it hits the same skirmish level Dark Ages vibe, but I do love me some SBG so I was intrigued by this other game a bit more.

1 1

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 6d

Ooh, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum sounds like my pick for tonight's spooky entertainment.

2

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 6d

And there I was with two fists full of money ready to spend. I mean, come on, they had rules for use sheep as an offensive weapon! Then they had to ruin it by using AI slop. Shitty human art is better than soulless art.

1 1

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 6d

It's like NFTs but they also destroy the environment. Tech Bro thinking at its finest.

1

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 6d

And this isn't some small boutique wargame company either, so double-shame on them.

1 2

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 6d

I got really excited this morning because I discovered a skirmish Early Medieval wargame that looks very similar play-wise to the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game. I was ready to jump onboard until I saw the art credits:

"Illustrations: Guillaume Rousselot and Midjourney AI"

OK, moving on.

3 7

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 8d

Day 13: Nomads

Doctor gains a dead anthropologist's memories of people who might not be people. Interesting premise (based on a Chelsea Quinn Yarbro novel), but less excellent execution. So '80s it features Mary Woronov and Adam Ant. Also proves California is cursed.

💀💀 of 5. #31daysofhalloween

4

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 8d

Day 12: The Blackcoat's Daughter

Unsettling happenings at a girls' boarding school over holiday break. Folks, we have a contender for best of the 2025 film marathon. Ominous from start to finish. Go into this one blind and you'll be riveted like I was.

💀💀💀💀 out of 5. #31daysofhalloween

1

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 8d

“…the author of a row of volumes labeled ‘Oldys’s Works,’ which occupy a place that must be honoured, since it is rarely touched, upon the shelves of many a substantial library.”

M.R. James throwing some top-notch literary shade there.

2

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 8d

These things aren’t going to watch themselves!

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 8d

Day 11: The Vampire Happening

American actress inherits a castle and sexy hijinx ensue. Oof! Early '70s sex comedy masquerading as a horror movie. More nudity and less laughs that a Jean Rollin vampire movie. This one might be the rock bottom of this year.

0 out of 5. #31daysofhalloween

1 2

Michael Curtis @manlymikecurtis.bsky.social · 9d

Day 10: From a Whisper to a Scream

A librarian tells the dark history of a town with 4 macabre tales. Portmanteau horror like Amicus used to make with my man, Vincent Price. A small town with dark secrets is my favorite genre, so I dug this one despite its many flaws.

💀💀1/2 of 5 #31daysofhalloween

5