Thrill

It’s getting pretty close to Halloween, isn’t it? Then (and I whole-heartedly agree with this), it’s the perfect time to sit down and creep yourself out. And what better way to do it than to read about horrible things done in the past to our fellow man. Here, you will find the stories of some

And the Oscar goes to…somebody else. What could be a better demonstration of acting chops than to smile graciously into the camera when that special envelope is torn apart and another’s name is announced? James Stewart was so modest about the Best Actor award he won for The Philadelphia Story that the statuette was displayed

Most of us know the drill with witchcraft accusations. Take a community ravaged by drought, sickness, or religious conflict, add some disenfranchised residents searching for a scapegoat, and the spotlight usually falls on a woman who is already seen as a blight on society. Elderly, unpopular, or poor women were common targets. Of course, most

What is it about feral children that both fascinate and horrify us? On the one hand, we think of the fictional Tarzan of the jungle living high up in the forest’s canopy, swinging gracefully on vines from tree to tree. He is happy living in isolation with animals. When Tarzan is in trouble, he calls

Legends of mythical monsters and creatures have sent chills down spines for hundreds of years. So intertwined have these stories become with everyday life that tragic incidents are sometimes blamed on these legendary creatures. For instance, the deaths of nine skiers on Dyatlov Pass were, for a long time, thought to be the handiwork of

Dozens of Stephen King’s short stories and novels have been adapted into film and television, and it seems every one has its own love affair with the rest of King’s work. The various King adaptations are packed with easter eggs and references to other titles, and it’s no surprise—King constantly does the same in the

Their names ring out like something between a punchline and a primetime memorial: Joanie Loves Chachi. After MASH. Joey. TV spinoffs are seldom a good idea and typically end up in the small-screen scrap heap. There are, however, some exceptions. A select few TV shows have parlayed a previously introduced character into a successful standalone

History slowly and inevitably decays into mystery. As time passes, we lose knowledge and culture to the invisible realm of the forgotten. The more we dig into history and the more we uncover, the more we realize how much we’ve already lost. Much of the evidence for lost ancient technologies and artifacts suggest that our

Some people drink regularly, and others don’t, but just about everyone has a story about going out and getting loaded with friends, either at a party or at the bar, and of the wild things you did and the crazy things you said. Hopefully, you made it home in one piece, and if you didn’t,

A lot of media tend to view news and history through the lens of countries and their big, powerful cities. Though that makes sense from the standpoint of simplicity, too often, it leaves out the ground-level turmoil that boils up in small towns and villages. We know about the Boston Tea Party, but what about

Have you ever woken up to feel an eery presence in your bedroom? Do you believe that you’ve been abducted by aliens or visited by a withered old crone or a humanoid cat figure during the night? Is it normal for you to wake up unable to move, speak, or breathe? If you answered “yes”

Even more than most artists, musicians can be a fickle bunch. Whether out of rivalry, jealousy, entitlement, or insecurity, famous musicians tend to drum up a lot of drama. As long as there have been popular musicians, they’ve been quick to throw shade at each other and their works. Many of the most famous musical

Plants and animals all over the world have spent their entire evolutionary life span developing toxins and poisons that keep them safe. Plants refusing to be eaten produce poisons to keep animals away. Fish and fauna alike bite, spit, or ooze toxic chemicals that either keep them safe from predators or make them more efficient

It’s not called “show fun”; it’s called “show business.” Movies are made to make money. It doesn’t matter if you’re Michael Bay, churning out explosion porn year after year, or Charlie Kaufman, making convoluted meta-narratives about yourself making movies; every director has to eat. Producers find ways to cut costs that help to increase the

History is littered with amazing discoveries, whether accidental or as the result of a thorough search. With each discovery, a little puzzle piece of ancient history, or even modern history, slots into place and gives us a little more insight into how things used to work and a world long forgotten. Related: 10 Strange Archaeological

With COVID-19 restrictions finally starting to ease up around the world, many people are now making travel plans to shake off the dust that has accumulated over the course of spending nearly two years indoors. These eager travelers will be greeted in many places by friendly local business owners who have been desperately awaiting the

Just since the year 2000, when the original X-Men movie premiered, there have been well over 100 live-action movies and television series that featured comic-book-inspired superheroes. Then there are the countless animated movies and television series since then. And yet, the opposite is not true. Very few of these shows have impacted the comics, and

During the 19th century, anatomists and surgeons needed an ever-increasing amount of bodies to advance their research in the study of human anatomy, and, as a result, the dead body trade boomed. Individuals turned to body snatching (digging up graves to extract the body) and selling them to make a neat profit—these people became known

Life is full of everyday coincidences that seem to mean nothing. However, a closer look at the murky world of true crime throws up several baffling similarities and eerie connections between the cases. Coincidence or something else? You decide. Related: 10 of the Most Bizarre Crimes From Around the World 10 Suzy Lamplugh and Steve

Within the first 20 minutes of a horror movie, nothing hits the spot better than immediately needing to lunge for that light switch in the living room. This 20-minute time frame is what will either set the tone or make you check your watch as you head into the meat of the story. On this

Celebrities are just like us. Sometimes they like to have a night in with some popcorn. Sometimes they like to dress up and go out and have a nice dinner with their significant others. Sometimes they are kept awake at night with sleep paralysis, frozen by the whispers of demons and spirits that inhabit their

As far as free speech goes, May 10, 1933, was one of Western Civilization’s saddest, most frightening days. That’s the date the newly-empowered Nazi Party led a wholesale literary immolation—participated in by university students and broadcast on radio stations throughout Germany—at Bebelplatz, the square of the Berlin Opera House. Some 25,000 volumes of books deemed

Throughout history, people have held a special fascination for haunted paintings. There is just something about certain artworks that naturally lend themselves to speculation of the supernatural. The eyes that seem to follow you or the inexplicable feeling that the subject could jump out at any minute and claim you as their next victim. “The

One could be forgiven for believing that every crime is a Machiavellian scheme acted out by masterminds or a twist-laden story that turns out to be a tragic miscarriage of justice by an evil state perpetrated against “the little guy.” Thanks, Netflix. The truth is that most crimes are quite simple, both in the action

Horror and thriller films “have legs,” as they say in the Hollywood film industry, meaning that they have long-lasting appeal. Not surprisingly, the true stories on which many such movies are based also have legs, intriguing generations of moviegoers long after the actual crimes that inspired them have been solved. These 10 cinematic chillers and

Humans are sometimes known for their resilience and ability to survive horrendous situations. Some people may call it a miracle or divine intervention, but we may never know what enables some people to triumph when faced with life-draining accidents or intentional acts of violence and pain. It makes us wonder what we might be capable

As the Halloween season approaches, several images come to our minds: witches, monsters, haunted houses, horror movies, a full moon, and overflowing amounts of candy. It is that time of year where we indulge in all things macabre and spooky. And now you can add another unexpected activity to your October fright-filled festivities—Ballet! How many

We tend to think of history as a book that has been written. So to find out anything, all you have to do is look up the facts, and you can find what you want to learn. But to the frustration of historians, history is riddled with mysteries. Some of the things that are unknown

The Great Lakes, inhabiting over 152,800 square kilometers (95,000 square miles) and filled with 27.3 quadrillion liters (6 quadrillion gallons) of water (no, really!), collectively make up the largest body of fresh water on earth. More than 170 species of fish (and perhaps one Loch-Ness-like creature) lurk beneath the surface, and its waters have claimed

Movies fail when they create villains with thin or nonexistent motivations and justifications. Bad guys who are just bad for the sake of badness tend to suck the drama and tension right out of stories. But there’s a problem on the reverse side, too; sometimes villains are created a little too sympathetic and reasonable, and