This isn’t your average scare attraction – it’s a full-blown immersive Halloween experience, packed with 7 haunts, a macabre circus under the big top, street theatre, live DJs and music, and food & drink to steady your nerves.

What to expect if you venture into The Howl

Seven distinct haunts – From twisted fairy tales to nightmarish school corridors in Howl Valley High, each maze offers its own horrors. And the experience includes a brand new haunt for 2025, so expect fresh frights.

Street theatre & roaming characters – The boundary between performance and horror blurs as actors roam the site, interacting with guests, amplifying tension, and ensuring no corner remains safe.

Live music, DJs & a twisted circus – When you need to catch your breath (or bury your fear), enjoy the show under the big top or dance through the darkness to spine-tingling beats.

Bars & street food – Fuel your courage (or fortify your resolve) between haunts with themed drinks and food offerings.

Flexible access & perks – From standard unlimited haunt passes to Fast Track and Unlimited Fast Track upgrades, there are options to tailor your experience.

Visit the website for ticket options, dates, and full attraction details: www.thehowl.co.uk
Check out the Facebook page for updates, teasers, behind-the-scenes content and community chatter: The Howl Scream Park on Facebook

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Her upcoming Lucinda Comics, set for a limited showcase at Comic Con New York in October 2025, is more than a publishing experiment. It’s the foundation of the Lucinda Universe, a creator-owned franchise designed to move fluidly across formats: comics, film, television, augmented reality, even live immersive experiences.

Skova has precedent on her side. The Serpent — distributed by Vertical Entertainment and later landing on Amazon Prime Video — defied its indie origins to secure an 84% Rotten Tomatoes rating. That result wasn’t just validation for Skova; it was a signal to distributors that she could deliver a commercially viable property outside the studio system. Now, with The Serpent 2 in development, companies like Vertical and others are watching closely.

What sets Lucinda apart from standard franchise-building is the sense of authorship. Where Marvel or DC expand through industrial pipelines, Skova’s world emerges from a single voice. In 2024, members of the Batman creative team took notice, endorsing the project for its narrative architecture and mythic potential. Later that year at Art Basel Miami, collectors highlighted Lucinda as an “investment-grade cultural asset,” citing its crossover between fine art and pop culture.

For readers, the comic will introduce Lucinda Kavski — a heroine less defined by genre than by symbolism. She is at once spy, rebel, and cultural code-bearer, designed not just to be consumed but decoded. “Lucinda is a code,” Skova notes. “She’s meant to be interpreted, and then expanded without losing her DNA.”

That dual positioning — art object and pop mythology, auteurist vision and franchise engine — is what makes Lucinda Universe notable. It’s not merely another independent comic release; it’s a test case for how far a creator-driven IP can travel in today’s entertainment economy. Where it lands — in film, streaming, or the collectible art market — remains to be seen. But one fact is clear: Gia Skova is not waiting for permission. She is rewriting the rulebook, and Lucinda Universe may be her boldest chapter yet.

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Why do we love being scared? And what is going on in our brains when we do?

In this guide, we explore the odd appeal of horror and examine how a good scare can be fun for some people, useful, and even safe.

What Happens in Your Body When You’re Scared?

Fear starts in the brain. We see something scary, and our lights go up. That’s where threats are perceived in the brain. It is to the rest of your body what a “do not enter” sign is to someone from another country who does not speak your language. Heart rate goes up. Muscles tense. Breathing gets faster. You become alert. This is known as fight-or-flight.

Heart rate goes up. Muscles tense. Breathing gets faster. You become alert. This is known as fight-or-flight.

But not really.”But when you are at a horror movie or walking through a haunted house, you’re not actually at risk. This your brain knows, though, so it lets you thrill well, without risk.

One Finnish study, for example, found that watching horror movies adds to the dose of adrenaline and dopamine (those same feel-good chemicals associated with excitement and pleasure) that courses under his skin when we share the story, in detail, with great pleasure, of the thing that scared us to death, what, in brief, we did to feel afraid. The scarier the film, the more it had an impact.

Why Does Horror Work So Well?

Horror plays with your expectations. It makes you feel unsafe when you are safe.

In movies, sound, lighting and pacing are manipulated to keep you on edge. All of a sudden, what was a creaking door, a scream was to be heard and the shadow behind the curtain. These are the tiniest little details, but they stimulate genuine responses.

In Melbourne, a filmmaker said, “We filmed a scene with just a torch and a corridor. No monster. No jump scare. But people still freaked out. The silence was what scared me the most.”

Fear is best when filled in by your imagination.

Different Kinds of Horror

Horror isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some people love slasher films. Others prefer slow-burn ghost stories. Here are a few common types:

Psychological Horror

Focuses on the mind. Think The Babadook or Hereditary. You have no idea what’s real and what’s not.

Supernatural Horror

Ghosts, demons, curses. These tales frequently evoke cultural anxieties and folklore. “As an example, there’s the Conjuring series.

Body Horror

Imagine mutations, disease, or a gruelling transformation. These are the stories that turn you against your own body. The Fly and Tusk fall here.

Found Footage

Experience becomes rape. It seems more real with a jiggling camera.

Survival Horror

Individuals fleeing danger. Zombies, killers, isolation. The Walking Dead and A Quiet Place belong in this category.

Each plays on fears in different ways. That’s what makes horror so appealing to people in general.

Is Fear Good for You?

Yes. A little bit of fear is good.

Horror is good for teaching people how to cope with anxiety. You’re terrified, but you are in control. This is partly so your brain can practice staying calm in a stressful situation.

One Chicago therapist explained, “I had a teenage client who would socialise through watching horror films. “It offered her a safe place to be afraid and feel stronger in her everyday life.”

Horror can draw people together as well. People who watch horror movies together become friends more quickly. Exchanging a jump scare or grabbing someone’s arm creates a bond.

Study finds that horror fans may be better at coping with the stresses of COVID-19 than others. People who say they are easily bored were far more likely to report a fear of horror films in the study, which was published in 2019 in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, and this line of research underscores how those differences can influence our experiences of the horror genre across our very long lives.

Why Does Horror Work So Well Online?

The internet made horror and horror content more accessible. Short films, creepypastas, and real-life stories. People can ingest horror swiftly and frequently.

Horror communities also thrive on YouTube, TikTok and Reddit. Some have more to do with telling ghost stories. Scary games are generally rated by the rest, or they react to new movies.

“I posted a two-minute horror short filmed in my garage,” said a content creator in Sydney. It racked up 1.2 million views in a week. The internet loves bite-sized horror.”

But there’s a dark side too. Some frightening material is over the top. Urban legends mix with misinformation. Fake threats become real panic. One ugly story can go viral and ruin somebody’s reputation.

Enter tools such as online reputation management services. And, in the way that horror creators construct fear by design, these tools also help clean up fear when it’s misused or harmful.

Can Horror Be Too Much?

Yes. Not everyone enjoys being scared. And some of that content does cross a line. If you don’t like being scared or horror leaves you too scared to sleep for a night or two after you watch it, this is not the genre for you.

Then there are the parents who have to monitor what their kids are watching. Horror that is adult-oriented isn’t always appropriately marked on the internet. Kids who are unable to process certain challenges can get mired in them.

How Can You Get Into Horror If You’re New?

Start slow. Don’t go right into the scariest films.

Choose a Subgenre

Choose a style that excites you. Perhaps haunted houses, thrillers with less gore.

Watch with Friends

It’s less scary with the company. And you’ll get to talk to someone after.

Try Horror Games or Podcasts

Nothing has to be visual, however. Other people like listening to horror stories or playing interactive horror games. 

Final Thoughts

In its place, sometimes, it’s excitement, intimacy and storytelling. We’ve got somewhere to be scared, and then to laugh, to breathe in terror. Not torture or trauma. This is about surprise and suspense, the thrill of the unknown. 

So if you’ve ever heard an explanation for why people love to be scared and it didn’t quite add up for you, well, it’s probably because running around in circles to the sound of synthesizers around a fluorescent tube sculpture is just about as rational as standing in front of a sentient lava lamp to ask why TV is the way it is. It reminds us we’re alive. 

As it turns out, only the bad horror movie endings stay with us. So whether you’re tucked in by a blanket or prepared to hit the play button on your next horror podcast, know you’re not alone. So fear is scary, but it’s as old as we are as a species. And it can be weirdly fun when you’re good at it.

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Rumpelstiltskin tells the story of one of the scariest childhood villains—and this time, the haunting tale gets even darker. A young woman makes a deal she comes to regret with a mysterious creature and must now save her first-born child from his evil clutches. Ayvianna plays the seductive yet deadly role of a Succubus, luring unsuspecting men to their fiery fate.

Director Andy Edwards said, “This is the second time I’ve worked with Ayvianna on a film, and as soon as I’d written the character, I knew she’d be perfect for it.”

Rumpelstiltskin will premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival on 8 March.

In St. Patrick’s Day Massacre, directed by Steve Lawson, Ayvianna plays the role of Kendra, one of a group of college friends tricked into spending the night in a creepy Irish tavern, where the corridors are stalked by a vengeful undead killer. With an obsession for cleanliness that borders on the compulsive, will Kendra’s decision to take a shower be her final mistake and summon the prowling killer?

St. Patrick’s Day Massacre is released on 10 March.

Ayvianna says, “Horror films can tap into a very raw, primal part of us as human beings—fear is one of the most visceral emotions. Horror hits parts of us that other genres cannot reach.”

Ayvianna Snow has built a reputation for her compelling performances in the horror genre and continues to cement her place as one of the most exciting talents in the UK independent horror scene.

Follow Ayvianna on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ayviannasnow/

Spotlight: https://www.spotlight.com/5817-5640-0092

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6757384/

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THE TERMINATOR and ALIENS star Michael Biehn goes up against a zombie kangaroo in the horror chiller RIPPY, the feature debut from director Ryan Coonan. Also starring Tess Haubrich (ALIEN: COVENANT), as a small town sheriff dealing with an epidemic of killing by kanga in her small town, RIPPY is a creature feature like no other – if you thought COCAINE BEAR was trouble, he’s got nothing on the seven foot tall, hopping mad killer zombieroo!

Superbly shot against an atmospheric outback setting, and mixing thrills and chills with the occasional chuckle, Coonan’s debut packs a gloriously gruesome punch in the tradition of animals run amok favourites such as RAZORBACK, ROGUE and BLACK SHEEP.

Order today: https://shorturl.at/Rlhyf

TERMS & CONDITIONS
– Open to UK participants only
– 1 (one) winner will receive 1 (one) RIPPY DVD
– The prize will be dispatched to the winner upon receipt of their contact details.
– The Editor’s decision is final and binding on the entrants. No correspondence will be entered into
– There is no cash alternative to Prizes which are subject to availability, non-transferable, non-negotiable and non-refundable. Prizes may not be sold, offered for sale or used in connection with any other competition or promotion by the Prize winner

To enter simply answer the following question.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING ANIMALS IS A MARSUPIAL?

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The movie had a successful time in the USA where it stayed in the top 40 for over three weeks in the USA on the Microsoft/XBox platform. It also has been a top seller of DVD units in the U.K.

“When a group of friends arrive at the wrong address for their annual reunion vacation, Desperate, they break into a isolated house only to later discover it belongs to psychotic killers dressed as Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”

‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Death and Porridge’ has been picked up by Encripta the distribution company who released Paranormal activity and will be released in all countries across South America.

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Be among the first to experience the ultimate Halloween event with spine-chilling food, bloodcurdling drinks, a terrifying scare maze experience, pumpkin carving, and a bespoke haunting storyline crafted by the UK’s top scare producers.

Running throughout October, this spooky event offers two experiences: a family-friendly yet still spooky session from 4 pm to 6 pm, while those seeking a more serious scare can brave the After Dark sessions from 7 pm to 10 pm, where the fear factor reaches terrifying new levels.

Part of the Hitchin Halloween Pop-Up 12 Days of Autumnal fun, this spine-tingling event promises to be a must-visit for thrill-seekers and families alike.

Nightmare at the Priory will take place from October 21st to 31st at the Priory Hotel. Tickets are now available, with limited availability for the After Dark sessions. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.nightmareatthepriory.com 

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Secret Oktober presents the origin story of Duran Duran’s latest studio album, Danse Macabre. The concert film was recorded at the Encore Theatre at Wynn, Las Vegas, October 31st, 2022. Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor, in full costume, took to the stage complete with 20-foot high skeletons, tombstones, cobwebs, coffins and ghouls, for a unique, themed set. The ultimate Halloween party ensued.

The concert film includes a parade of rarities and special covers – Duran Duran’s first live performance of ‘Secret Oktober’ since 2011, their first of ‘Love Voodoo’ since 2017, and first of ‘Nightboat’ since 2005. Covers of Siouxsie and the Banshees’ ‘Spellbound’, Cerrone’s ‘Supernature’ and The Specials’ ‘Ghost Town’ were also debuted in what has gone down in Duran Duran history as a Halloween show for the ages. The band and their audience had so much fun that they decided to put the set down in the studio, creating a worldwide annual Halloween event for all of the band’s fans to enjoy, immortalised in their latest album Danse Macabre.

Secret Oktober is available to watch via the StagePlayer+ app on Amazon Fire TV, LG, Samsung, Netgem (ISP partners include TalkTalk, Community Fibre, and others), casting to Apple TV and Roku devices, or via browser at: https://www.stageplayerplus.com/duranduran. A digital download of Danse Macabre De Luxe comes free to all fans who purchase the film.

The Secret Oktober film is directed by award-winning filmmaker Gavin Elder, who has worked and collaborated with Duran Duran for over 20 years, most recently on the band’s globally released docu-concert film, A Hollywood High.

Speaking about the Secret Oktober concert film, Duran Duran founding member and keyboardist Nick Rhodes said:

“October 31st 2022 is where our strange journey into the world of Halloween began. It was dark, we didn’t have a torch and we somehow wandered down a pathway that led us to some surprising places… First was this show in Vegas, where we reimagined some of our own songs and played them alongside appropriately themed cover versions by some of our favourite artists. Our longtime collaborator, Gavin Elder, filmed the performance and managed to capture the spirit of the project (pun intended), with all the madness, dark humour and energy it has created.

Often spontaneous ideas turn out to be the most special. Last year we released the Danse Macabre studio album and now we continue the celebration this year by streaming the Secret Oktober film, on the days leading up to our Halloween show at Madison Square Garden.”

The Secret Oktober concert film arrives amongst a wave of celebratory activity. On 31st October 2024, Duran Duran will summon all Halloween enthusiasts to show up, dress up, and celebrate All Hallows’ Eve in style for a special live show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, a major performance following their huge headline show at Latitude 2024 this summer.

To celebrate the first anniversary of the Danse Macabre album, a De Luxe version of the original is now available digitally, with CD and box set formats coming on 25th October via Tape Modern under exclusive licence to BMG. The De Luxe CD and digital editions feature three new bonus tracks – an instrumental entitled ‘Masque of the Pink Death,’ a cover of ELO’s ‘Evil Woman’ (currently on the BBC Radio 2 Playlist) and ‘New Moon (Dark Phase)’, a reimagined version of their classic song ‘New Moon On Monday’ from the Seven and The Ragged Tiger album, featuring Andy Taylor. The limited-edition, three LP vinyl box set, includes a bonus disc featuring seven new tracks, four of which are not available in any other format. The Halloween-inspired box also includes a spirit board, metal planchette, bespoke tarot cards, four art prints, and a booklet.

In each format, Danse Macabre – De Luxe contains the original collection of 13 songs, including haunting covers of Billie Eilish’s ‘Bury A Friend’, Talking Heads’ ‘Psycho Killer’ featuring Victoria De Angelis, The Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It Black,’ and The Specials’ ‘Ghost Town,’ plus new versions of Duran Duran classics from their own catalogue. Guest artists include producer, guitarist, and composer Nile Rodgers, Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin, and former Duran Duran band members Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo. Exquisitely packaged, the record features images adapted from a collection of authentic vintage séance photos that Nick Rhodes sourced at auction.

Danse Macabre will also be available in an innovative, limited-edition version KiTalbum. Duran Duran have announced an exclusive collaboration with South Korean-based media and music technology company, KiTbetter to create the Danse Macabre KiTalbum – a new format that unites the physical and digital worlds within a special mobile-based KiTplayer (available for both Android and iOS) to create a full album experience.

The Danse Macabre – De Luxe KiTalbum comes in an exclusive coffin-shaped, foiled box and includes an insert card, four exclusive photo cards in an envelope, a 22-page album booklet, a wearable button, and a customised black ball chain.  The KiTalbum unlocks the experience on the KiTplayer where, in addition to the full 16 album tracks, the stunning music videos for both ‘Black Moonlight’ and ‘Danse Macabre’, the lyric videos for ‘Psycho Killer’ and ‘Evil Woman’, documentary footage about the making of the record, song lyrics and exclusive photos are featured, together with a special VIP fan hub.

Danse Macabre has been described as “great ghoulish fun” by the Evening Standard, “an outrageous soundtrack for the witching hour” by the Daily Telegraph, “a treat” by the Daily Mirror, “Spooky fun” in The Times, “a demonic delight” by the Daily Star, with Sunday Times Culture confirming, “they’ve hit a purple patch.”

Connect with Duran Duran:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE

Follow StagePlayer+:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE

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Making Its Way Into the Horror Genre

This latest offering from Ghost Machine delves into the horror universe, where Hyde Street is the place to be for terror and the unknown. There’s not a lot of information about the specifics of Hyde Street just yet, but it’s clear from the teasers and pieces of information that have been released that it’s going to be a wild ride. The current GM creator, along with some new ones, are making their way down a street filled with twists, turns, and the unexpected experience of abject terror.

Planned for a Halloween Release Date

The Hyde Street offerings are going to be released in October, with one coming out early in the month and a one-shot (It Happened on Hyde Street: Devour) coming out right at Halloween. That will give interested readers two great, spooky experiences to consider as they learn about the world surrounding Hyde Street and the new characters that make up the universe. The creators at GM have produced a lot of popular titles, and the comics are getting a larger fan base every day. Hyde Street should be no exception to this rule, and it’s coming out at the perfect time.

Thinner, and Thinner, and Thinner

Creator Maytal Zchut knew right away that It Happened on Hyde Street: Devour was something she wanted to create because the quality themes of the piece are so strong and obsessing about weight and diet is something nearly every woman can relate to. Thinner is her favorite work, and she knew that the kind of themes that come with desperate weight loss efforts would resonate in a way that lends itself to terrifying outcomes and the goal of getting what’s wanted at all costs.

Expect More Horror Offerings From GM in the Future

The Hyde Street comics are expected to be a hit, and that means more options for horror comics from GM and its creators in the near future. As the comics continue to branch out, there’s no limit to the characters, worlds, and experiences readers can enjoy. Whether readers will have to wait until spooky season next year for more horror comics remains to be seen, but either way, it gives fans something to look forward to.

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Versatile indie horror actor Ayvianna appears as Mary, a vampire, in Bogieville– an intriguing tale set in a derelict American trailer park. Bogieville follows the story of a young couple who find themselves lured in by the sinister caretaker, ‘Crawford’. Unbeknownst to them, Crawford is the guardian of the park’s residents, a pack of blood-thirsty hillbilly vampires. The film is Directed by the renowned British filmmaker and actor Sean Cronin, who also stars as the lead vampire.

New film Derelict sees Ayvianna further flex her acting chops as Anna in Director Jonathan Zaurin’s harrowing and violent thriller of revenge and empowerment. Derelict focuses on a daughter’s revenge and the circumstances that led to the murder of her father. Soaked in the tradition of British film noir, a series of unusual characters are thrown into situations that will have repercussions beyond their imagination.

Derelict Director Jonathan Zaurin says, “Ayvianna plays a drug-addicted woman in an abusive relationship. It’s a challenging role, raw and very different for her, so it was mind-blowing to see her transform into the character without make-up and special effects—just pure dedication.”

Ayvianna says, “Both Sean and Jonathan are visionary directors, and I am thrilled to be part of this new wave of independent British talent.”

Bogieville Trailer

Derelict Trailer

FrightFest Screenings
Derelict – Screening: Sunday 25th August at Odeon Luxe, 6.15pm
Bogieville – Screening: Sunday 25th at Odeon Luxe, 9.00pm

Follow Ayvianna on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ayviannasnow/
Spotlight: https://www.spotlight.com/5817-5640-0092
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6757384/

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