Since 2011, Crystal Lake Tours has given Friday the 13th fans the unique opportunity to visit the filming locations from the original 1980 movie. More than 80% of the scenes featured in the series’ first entry were shot at Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in Hardwick, New Jersey—a 380+ acre Scout camp that’s been around since 1927. However, the property is privately owned and only open to visitors on official tour dates. Even still, those tours have been known to sell out in as little as eight seconds.

Among the events the camp has hosted over the years include guided tours, canoeing on the lake, cast reunions, and movie screenings. They’ve also, on occasion, offered a VIP experience, which allows guests to spend the night in one of the cabins. This is all in addition to the various souvenirs they have available—assuming, of course, that you’d be in the market for an “I Survived Crystal Lake” sticker or a jar of sand taken from the beach area where Mrs. Voorhees was decapitated.

Yes, You Can Actually Visit Camp Crystal Lake From ‘Friday the 13th.’ Here’s How.

Past tours have welcomed such stars as Adrienne King (Alice Hardy in Friday the 13th), Jeannine Taylor (Marcie Cunningham), Ari Lehman (the first Jason), makeup effects artist Tom Savini, and composer Harry Manfredini (who came up with the iconic theme music). The camp’s 2019 reunion event made history by hosting the largest gathering of the original film’s cast and crew since 1980.

Each tour supports restoration and maintenance projects at No-Be-Bo-Sco as well as youth camping programs throughout Northern New Jersey. But be warned: they aren’t too cheap. As of right now, the remaining tickets for 2026 will cost you between $159 and $169—and they’re going quick. You can check out the upcoming event listings on the official Crystal Lake Tours website by clicking right here.

The post You Can Visit the Real Camp Crystal Lake From ‘Friday the 13th,’ but There’s a Catch appeared first on VICE.

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William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel The Exorcist—later adapted into the 1973 William Friedkin film of the same name—was inspired by the story of Roland Doe. Blatty had heard about Doe—who’d evidently undergone several exorcisms—from one of his professors at Georgetown University. In 1949, the 14-year-old Doe claimed to have heard knocking and scratching sounds coming from inside his bedroom walls. But that would only be the beginning of his supposed paranormal experiences.

After visiting Doe in March 1949, Reverend Luther Schulze reported that chairs would move while Doe was sitting in them and that the boy’s bed would shake whenever he was in it. Schulze also wrote that the family’s floors were “scarred from the sliding of heavy furniture,” and remembered a picture of Jesus shaking when Roe was nearby. 20 exorcisms were eventually conducted on Roe throughout the course of three months, with Doe traveling from Maryland to St. Louis for further treatment. William Bowdern, a Jesuit priest who performed those rituals, noted in his diary that Roe once entered a trance-like state in the presence of 14 witnesses.

The Disturbing True Story of the Boy Who Inspired ‘The Exorcist’

“On one evening the word ‘Louis’ was written on the boy’s ribs in deep red [scratches],” Bowdern recalled. “Next, when there was some question of the time of departure, the word ‘Saturday’ was written plainly on the boy’s hip,” he continued. “As to the length of time the mother and boy should stay in St. Louis, another message was printed on the boy’s chest, ‘3 ½ weeks.’ The printing always appeared without any motion on the part of the boy’s hands.”

Following his trip to St. Louis, Doe was said to have finally had the demon cast out of his body. In the process, he allegedly “broke into a violent tantrum of screaming, cursing, and voicing of Latin phrases.” Although there’s been much debate as to the validity of the story and what became of the boy in question, Skeptical Inquirer positively identified him as Ronald Edwin Hunkeler in 2021. It turns out Hunkeler went on to become a NASA engineer and even contributed to the Apollo missions.

According to a former acquaintance, Hunkeler often worried that his NASA colleagues would discover he was the inspiration for Blatty’s book. Hunkeler died from a stroke in 2020, a month shy of his 86th birthday.

The post The Boy Behind ‘The Exorcist’ Became a NASA Engineer, and His Story Is Fascinating appeared first on VICE.

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Although a priest was brought in to bless the set of The Conjuring 2 before filming began, it apparently didn’t prevent one of the production’s creepier behind-the-scenes incidents. According to Patrick Wilson, who played Ed Warren in the movie, a crew member captured footage of a soundstage curtain at Warner Bros. Studios that seemingly came to life while he was working nearby. This was reportedly while the unidentified person was painting after shooting had wrapped for the day.

“It was a huge curtain that went from the floor to the ceiling, which was just sort of waving violently and there was no door open or no fan on; no nothing,” Wilson explained. “One of the painters went behind it and couldn’t figure out where the movement was coming from,” he continued, adding that the unexplained episode lasted for about a minute.

‘The Conjuring 2’ Set Was Blessed by a Priest, but IT DIDN’T PREVENT THIS INCIDENT FROM OCCURRING

Wilson went on to say, “That was a very, very odd occurrence because nothing else was moving around it and nothing else was blowing. You didn’t even hear any air, but you watched these curtains sort of violently going. It was pretty trippy.” He also claimed that he’d been sent the video at one point. Director James Wan confirmed its existence in an interview from around that same time, but so far, it doesn’t appear to have been made public.

Despite clearly believing that something paranormal happened that evening, Wilson revealed that working on horror movies didn’t bother him. While he admitted that he finds ghost stories fascinating, he insisted that he isn’t actually scared by them. “If spirits are out there I don’t think that they’re bad,” said Wilson. “I feel sorry for more of them, I guess. That’s curious to me.”

The post The Creepiest Thing About ‘The Conjuring 2’ Might Be What Happened Behind the Scenes appeared first on VICE.

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There’s something so comforting about watching a Christmas classic on television that makes the holiday season feel official. This year, Disney is bringing back a little piece of holiday nostalgia that millennials and Gen X viewers might remember fondly.

Mickey’s Christmas Carol, Disney’s beloved 1983 animated adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novella, is returning to ABC on November 25 as part of The Wonderful World of Disney holiday lineup. It marks the special’s first broadcast on the network since 2003, making this a particularly exciting moment for anyone who grew up watching Mickey Mouse and friends bring a little Christmas magic into their living rooms.

The half-hour special reimagines Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with some of Disney’s most recognizable characters. Scrooge McDuck plays Ebenezer Scrooge, Mickey Mouse plays his underpaid clerk Bob Cratchit, and Goofy appears as the ghost of Jacob Marley. Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, and Jiminy Cricket also join the festivities, transforming the familiar Victorian ghost story into a distinctly Disney affair.

Directed by Burny Mattinson, the film was a major moment for the mouse house, marking Mickey’s return to theatrical animation after a three-decade absence. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, cementing its rightful place in Disney animation history.

‘Mickey’s Christmas Carol’ Is Returning to ABC After 23 Years, and Fans Won’t Want to Miss It

There’s a reason that people still talk about the short decades later. Mickey’s Christmas Carol captures the spirit of Dickens’ story without losing the charm of the characters audiences already know and love.

It introduces younger audiences to a literary classic without sacrificing the darker elements that make Dickens’ original story compelling. From the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come to Scrooge’s lonely, miserly existence, the special doesn’t shy away from the story’s more haunting moments, even through the familiar faces of Disney characters.

For years, the short has remained available to audiences through home video and streaming, but there’s something undeniably nostalgic about its return to broadcast television. Before streaming services made holiday movie marathons available at the click of a button, catching a seasonal favorite on network television was an event in itself. You watched when it aired, gathered around the television, and let the familiar story become part of your holiday traditions. Now a new generation can experience that same tradition.

How To Watch Mickey’s Christmas carol

Mickey’s Christmas Carol airs Wednesday, November 25, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, kicking off the network’s holiday programming. While you’re prepping all your Thanksgiving favorites, don’t forget to add a little Christmas magic. It’s a bit sacrilegious, like putting your tree up before December 1st, but who is going to argue against Mickey Mouse?

The post Disney Is Bringing Back a Beloved Christmas Classic to ABC for the First Time in 23 Years appeared first on VICE.

In 1977, Mel Brooks directed and starred in High Anxiety, an homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s films. Brooks plays Dr. Richard Thorndyke, who’s framed for murder after he discovers that the institute he works for has been exaggerating the illnesses of their wealthy patients in order to cheat their families out of money.

During one scene, Thorndyke calls up his patient’s daughter (played by Madeline Kahn) and an assassin tries to strangle him in the process. Listening to this on the other end of the line, Kahn’s character mistakenly thinks she’s receiving an obscene phone call:

Less than a year later, John Carpenter’s Halloween premiered in theaters. Toward the end of the movie, Michael Myers strangles Lynda Van Der Klok (P.J. Soles) with a phone cord as she attempts to call Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). Laurie, much like Kahn in High Anxiety, initially suspects a dirty prank by a friend.

You can take a look at the sequence for yourself right here:

While we can’t say for sure whether Carpenter was inspired by Brooks’s movie, it’s worth pointing out that Carpenter is a Hitchcock fan and paid homage to the iconic director in Halloween. For example, Dr. Sam Loomis’s name is clearly a reference to John Gavin’s character from Psycho. Oh, and the original Loomis’s girlfriend, Marion Crane? She was, of course, portrayed by Janet Leigh, who was Jamie Lee Curtis’s mother.

Is that proof that Carpenter borrowed the strangulation sequence from Brooks? No, but it’s pretty coincidental. Given Carpenter’s appreciation for Hitchcock, you’d think he would’ve checked out Brooks’s movie prior to beginning production on Halloween. Carpenter and co-writer Debra Hill reportedly cranked out the Halloween script in a very short time, and the final shooting draft was dated April 10, 1978; High Anxiety had been released just four months earlier.

The post Did Mel Brooks Accidentally Inspire One of the Most Disturbing Scenes in ‘Halloween’? appeared first on VICE.

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Before Child’s Play director Tom Holland settled on Brad Dourif as Chucky’s voice, he gave Arrested Development actress Jessica Walter the chance to play the part. “I thought Jessica was absolutely brilliant in Play Misty for Me, and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be interesting to try a woman’s voice behind Chucky? Let’s see how that works,’” Holland told the New York Post following Walter’s death in 2021. 

“So I had her in, and she voiced him, and she was terrific,” Holland continued. “But when I looked at it in a preview situation, it just didn’t work with the character, because the doll was obviously a boy.” According to screenwriter Don Mancini, Holland was inspired to try for a female Chucky as he knew the voice of the demon Pazuzu in The Exorcist was performed by a woman (Mercedes McCambridge).

Holland said that McCambridge made him realize it could be done, but McCambridge was tougher than Walter, who didn’t have the same “masculine, [mean] presence.” Ultimately, Holland explained that Walter was “too feminine and too much a sweet, sweet lady to make this foul-mouthed male character believable. She was just too damn nice!” Test audiences agreed, and Dourif ended up voicing Chucky.

As for whether a director’s cut featuring Walter is possible in the future, Holland doesn’t seem to think so. If he’s to be believed, the original audio tracks are long gone. However, Mancini claims otherwise. As he tells it, they’ve been locked up in a vault somewhere as “a public service”—in his opinion, Walter’s performance “didn’t work at all.”

The post Chucky Was Almost Voiced by a Famous Sitcom Actress. Here’s Why It Didn’t Happen. appeared first on VICE.

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At least seven people are known to have portrayed Michael Myers in John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween. Will Sandin played young Michael, but the hand shown stabbing his sister, Judith, at the beginning belongs to co-writer Debra Hill. Nick Castle then played adult Michael for most of the film. However, an animal trainer stepped in for the scene in which Michael strangles a dog, editor Tommy Lee Wallace appeared as Michael during the closet sequence, and stuntman James Winburn stood in for Castle when Michael falls off the balcony at the end.

As for the face you see when Michael gets unmasked by Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), that was an actor named Tony Moran. According to Castle, Carpenter and Hill chose Moran for that brief segment because he had an “angelic” look that contrasted well with the character’s evil behavior. Moran was sleeping on a friend’s couch at the time and had landed very few acting gigs leading up to that. His iconic turn as one of cinema’s greatest horror villains earned the up-and-coming performer a whopping $250.

The Actor Behind Michael Myers’ Unmasked Face in ‘Halloween’ Was a Sitcom Star’s Brother

And it was through Moran’s agent, whom he shared with his sister, Erin, that he got the opportunity to interview for the part. If the name Erin Moran isn’t ringing any bells, it might help to know she played Joanie Cunningham on the hit 1970s sitcom Happy Days. That’s right, the sassy but lovable younger sister of Richie Cunningham, sometimes referred to as “Shortcake,” was the real-life sibling of Carpenter’s personification of evil:

Tony and Erin’s brother, John, is also an actor, and had an uncredited role on Happy Days in the Season 3 episode “Football Frolics.” Neither Tony nor John went on to have the kind of success that Erin did, though. In fact, Tony didn’t get cast in another movie until 30 years after Halloween. He’s since popped up in a few horror films, including 2018’s Death House, written by Texas Chain Saw Massacre star Gunnar Hansen.

Following Erin’s death in 2017, Tony told The Sun on Sunday that Erin, who’d gotten less work in her later years, was “a tortured soul,” and that Hollywood “chewed her up and spat her out.”

The post The Surprising Connection Between ‘Halloween’s Michael Myers and ‘Happy Days’ appeared first on VICE.

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The third and final entry in the Dune film trilogy is slated for release on December 18, and of course it’ll have yet another accompanying popcorn bucket. You may remember the first one looked like a Fleshlight brought over from a hell dimension, depicting a sandworm with a large, gaping, frilly mouth that a theatergoer was expected to reach deep within to pull out popcorn, as if they were reaching into a walrus’s bearded mouth.

It was disturbing, to put it mildly, and that’s exactly why it became a viral hit.

The popcorn bucket for ‘DUNE 2’.

(via: @3CFilmss) pic.twitter.com/FzNZjGJiTC

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 26, 2024

Now, logically, the only way to top the first popcorn bucket’s success is to do it again, but more: instead of one sandworm, now you and a friend can both fist a sandworm at the same time with the double-mouthed Dune: Part Three popcorn bucket.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, AMC is doubling down on the pervy smash hit popcorn bucket with two main options: a Sandworm Thumper container featuring a single sandworm turgidly towering over a Thumper, the in-universe device that summons a sandworm.

A new ‘DUNE: PART 3’ popcorn bucket has been revealed that includes a working thumper device.

(via: @AMCTheatres) pic.twitter.com/4xmU6VgR6t

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 29, 2026

The New ‘Dune’ Popcorn Bucket Has Two Mouths. Do With That What You Will.

And then there’s the Double Sandworm collectible: two stubby but thick sandworms popping out of the ground, each mouth pointed at different angles so, conceivably, two theatergoers can easily reach in from their respective seats.

The popcorn bucket arms race has been raging for a while now, and it’s hard to tell if they’re only getting more innovative, dumber, worse, or some foul combination of all three. Just a few weeks ago, we all bore witness to the majesty and agony that was the Street Fighter Guille hair popcorn bucket, which brought in a whole new realm of innovation in that it had a chin strap so you could wear the bucket on your head as you grab fistfuls of popcorn from the tippy top of your preposterously tall bleach blonde military-style plastic flattop.

The excessive stupidity of it all is why these things sell like hotcakes, often going for anywhere between 25 and 50 bucks, and then significantly more on eBay. So if you and your friend/partner want to double-fist some sandworm mouths while watching Dune: Part Three, you better act fast.

The post The New ‘Dune: Part Three’ Popcorn Bucket Is Somehow Even More NSFW Than the Original appeared first on VICE.

Last night, my boyfriend and I were working our way through Season 1 of the science-fiction horror show From when I had a confusing realization: Despite being one of the most anxious individuals on this planet, I somehow love horror shows and films.

Of course, that thought only further disturbed me, because how could I possibly get enjoyment from watching such a morbid series? I mean, most horror films involve torturous scenes and horrific traumas for the characters. Certainly, if I witnessed these scenarios in real life, I’d be running to the bathroom to puke, not snacking on Sour Patch Kids in bed, loading the next episode or movie.

Why, then, do so many of us get such an addictive rush from consuming such content? To better understand myself and the common love of horror, I decided to explore the psychology behind it. Here’s why some people love scary movies and shows.

1. They Can Maintain a Sense of Control

According to Vinay Saranga, MD, child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist and founder of Saranga Comprehensive Psychiatry, scary movies allow us to experience fear in a controlled environment.

“In other words, when we watch a scary movie, we still get the adrenaline rush and that feeling of being on the edge of our seats, yet deep down we know that despite the feelings we are really safe sitting in a movie theater or at home on the couch,” he continues. 

That’s much different from experiencing fear something in our own lives that could potentially manifest in our reality.

2. They’re Drawn to Suspense

For some scary movie lovers, it’s more about the suspense than the actual horror of it all.

“I think the other thing that is intriguing for people about scary movies is the suspense, trying to figure out what comes next and if there will be some big twist that no one saw coming,” Saranga says.

That edge-of-your-seat feeling, while in the comfort of your own home next to your partner or loved ones, can add a healthy dose of entertaintment and even excitement to your otherwise mundane routine.

3. They Enjoy the Adrenaline Rush

According to Saranga, some horror film connoisseurs are drawn to the adrenaline of it all. You know the rush you get when you’re on a rollercoaster or—for a more extreme example—skydiving? Many people experience that same rush while watching a scary movie.

“They enjoy the sensations that come when stress hormones are released, and they feel alert or full of energy,” Saranga says.

4. It’s Simply Human Nature

Instead of judging yourself for your horror film addiction, understand that it often boils down to human wiring.

“People have a sense of curiosity and are drawn to the unknown, the unusual, mysterious things, anything that is potentially threatening or even dangerous,” Saranga adds.

5. It Allows Them to Explore the Dark Sides of Human Behavior

According to Saranga, horror and fear let us explore the darkness that lurks in many humans—but is often repressed and controlled, of course.

“Violence and death are disturbing and uncomfortable subjects, but there is often a bit of curiosity around them,” Saranga says. “This is a way to learn more about these topics without actually experiencing them for ourselves.”

The post 5 Reasons Why Watching Horror Movies Feels So Good (Even When You’re Terrified) appeared first on VICE.