Halloween // Current

Pennhurst: A Modern Ruin

Pennhurst, a school for the mentally ill and disabled, was closed in 1986 due to... more

LarzNero
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3 days ago
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1 comment

El Ka Bong - A Halloween Show to Remember

Hey everyone! This video is a little late to say the least. On Halloween, El Ka... more

elkabong
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4 days ago
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Sexy Hatbobbuz and Mrs Thatcher at Schism Woking

A fun night at Schism with buz bob and hat, a magical tale of rock Halloween and dildos

1978jamesb
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4 days ago
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Dead « Random Thoughts of a Zombie

“You know we shouldn’t be doing this.” “I haven’t agreed to anything yet.... more

remanns
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4 days ago
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Kasabian 50 Cent Pulp Fiction iPhone

Today we've got two guys in awesome iPhone costumes just in time for Halloween, a... more

Current_Virals
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25 days ago
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2 comments

We Love Our Balls: Ladderball

Ladderball is an alternative lawn sport where participants can drink and play with... more

cinemama24
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16 days ago
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Suicide Prevention Groups Target 'The Office'

Mental health groups are upset by the Halloween episode of The Office, in which... more

sk8r408
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16 days ago
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3 comments

FAILING*ENGLISH Episode 003

Phillies Fan FAIL, Halloween Plans, scary movies, crazy midwest kids build a Ferris... more

failingenglish
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16 days ago
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Star Wars Cantina Band performs in the Mission, SF on Halloween

A group of us dressed up as the Star Wars Cantina Band, entourage, and groupies to bar... more

karenoffereins
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18 days ago
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2 comments

Kim Kardashian Sexes Up Halloween

Here are some pics of Kim Kardashian and the klan doing slutty on Halloween, except... more

radhakrish
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18 days ago
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2 comments

What did you go as for halloween?

this is mine for saturday!

tallmansam
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19 days ago
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Game Developer Creates Paper Model of His Head for Halloween

Game developer Eric Testroete wanted to be creative this Halloween when selecting his... more

MrKLM
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19 days ago
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1 comment

Purple Teletubby wanted by Canadian Police

A man dressed as the Purple Teletubby is wanted by Police in London, Ontario for a... more

LowShred
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19 days ago
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Zombies invade Kirkwood in 7th annual parade

Chants of “brains,” blood-stained clothes and torn limbs were seen and heard... more

sk8bs55
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19 days ago
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Paris's Halloween Phone Drama

Paris Hilton's charming boyfriend, Doug Reinhardt allegedly threw her cell phone out... more

jwheat22
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20 days ago
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110caffè costretto a chiudere dalle forze dell'ordine

Halloween senza scherzi per il 110 caffè che sabato è stato costretto a chiudere... more

radiophonicapuntocom
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20 days ago
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Jesus Goes to the Dark Carnival: Hell House Gets a Makeover?

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/religiousright/1976/jesus_goes_to_the_dark_carnival%3A_hell_house_gets_a_makeover

A demon guides you through the shadows. The bodies of teenagers are strewn about like broken dolls in the mangled remains of a car, bottles of Jim Beam tellingly scattered about the wreckage. A young woman sits steeped in her own blood, surrounded by what looks like modern medical equipment in a women’s clinic but dying from a “botched abortion” anyway. Finally, an angry voice from a glowing figure shrouded in white orders you off into hell, a basement room where scenes, the likes of which Clive Barker dared not dream, swirl out of the dry ice. Male S&M Demons whip teenage girls who cry out in pain and despair.

These are maybe not the kinds of things you’d expect to see on a crisp fall evening at your local evangelical church. Still, in the 1990s, tens of thousands witnessed these scenes at church sponsored attractions known as “Hell Houses.” Born out of anxiety over the allegedly satanic meanings of Halloween and the desire to convert souls, evangelical churches created these “Christian Haunted Houses” to convince children and adolescents of the reality of the last judgment and damnation. Instead of unquiet spirits, vampires, and chainsaw-wielding madmen, the vengeful ghosts of the culture wars haunted these Houses.

Abundant Life Christian Center in Colorado created one of the first, most successful, and most controversial Hell Houses. Attempting to be as edgy as possible, Abundant Life actually used animal intestines to represent an aborted fetus in the stock “women’s clinic” scene. Gruesome effects such as these proved successful enough to allow Abundant Life to package and franchise their effort, creating a 280-page guide explaining how other evangelical churches could create their own Christian horror show. Hell houses spread throughout the Southern and Western United States garnering lots of attention and claiming plenty of converts. In 2001, filmmaker George Ratliff took notice of the phenomenon in his wonderfully rendered documentary Hell House.

In the last decade, a new version of the Hell House, a softer and gentler version, has appeared known as “Judgement House” (yes, always judgement with two ‘e’s). Judgement House, which specifically presents itself as a remodeled Hell House, points out that Hell Houses tend to deal with “socially controversial issues such as homosexuality, date rape, and suicide.” In contrast, Judgement House claims to avoid such topics preferring, according to its FAQ section, to “show participants the consequences of choosing the gift of eternal salvation… as well as experiencing a small part of the separation from God in hell that is the consequence of rejecting that same gift.”

Although the Judgement House scripts do make a conscious effort to avoid the language of the culture wars, the symbols are still present and powerful. One of their scripts entitled “Home of the Brave, Land of the Free” tells a story of conversion against the backdrop of the Iraq War. An online preview of the script suggests that the narrative marries jingoism with true piety, portraying the heroes of the script, Corey and Kevin, as “living their dream of defending the country they love,” having gone to Iraq to “love and serve Jesus Christ, the Hero of all mankind.”http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/religiousright/1976/jesus_goes_to_the_dark_ca... more