Books

‘Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl’ Authors Jeff Szpirglas and Aaron Lupton: The Horror News Network Interview

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One of the hottest collectibles in recent years for fans of horror films have been the numerous limited edition re-issues of classic horror film soundtracks with new cover art and deluxe packaging.  This trend also sent many fans back to their local record stores and ebay in search of some of  their favorite films that were immortalized on black plastic.

Two fellow fans (and journalists for Rue Morgue), Jeff Szpirglas and Aaron Lupton, decided to take it one step further and have just released a gorgeous book dedicated to the subject and it is clear that there is much to learn about the previously undocumented world of horror vinyl.  In this exclusive interview, HNN speaks to Szpirglas and Lupton about their new book, which is bound to keep you spinning through numerous undiscovered gems and old favorites. read more

Frank Frazetta’s ‘Egyptian Queen’ Painting Sells for $5.4 Million; Sets New World Record For Heritage Auctions

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Frank Frazetta’s 1969 fantasy painting entitled Egyptian Queen sold for $5.4 million on Thursday May 16th at a public auction of vintage comic books and comic art held by Heritage Auctions in Chicago, Illinois, setting a new record for any piece of comic-related art.

The Egyptian Queen originally appeared as the cover for Eerie #23 (1969) and the artist subsequently reprinted the painting as a poster and print (and it has been hanging on comic shop walls and dorm rooms ever since).  The painting’s price beat Frazetta’s previous record holder, the $1.79 million dollar painting, Death Dealer 6, 1990, which was sold by Heritage in May of 2018. read more

LetterPress Publications Debuts with Stephen King’s ‘Revival: The Deluxe Special Edition’

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Regardless of whatever e-tailers might want you to think about the digital future of storytelling, book collecting is alive and more luxurious than ever thanks to small book publishers and limited run special edition publications. Horror novels in particular are known to get special treatment over the years, and this week’s announcement means another publisher will join the hallowed tradition of bringing high quality editions of popular texts to collectors’ bookshelves. LetterPress Publications announced they will enter the world of deluxe special editions with Stephen King’s Revival: The Deluxe Special Edition. read more

‘Ghost Adventures’ Zak Bagans Purchases Rocking Chair from Famous Warren’s Case

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Ghost Adventures‘ Zak Bagans has a reputation for acquiring famous haunted objects for his Las Vegas museum, including the infamous Dybbuk Box, Jack Kevorkian’s van, and pieces of the since destroyed “Demon House”.

According to Newsweek, Bagan’s latest find is “The Devil’s Rocking Chair”, straight from Ed and Lorraine Warren’s famous “The Devil in Connecticut” case.  Bagans stated that the investigation was “…not only terrifying but also historic … it is the first time a court case’s defense team sought to prove a murderer innocent by way of demonic possession.”  Bagans also claimed that the case will be “…the basis for Conjuring 3, set to premiere next year”. read more

‘Scary Stories’ Director Cody Meirick: The Horror News Network Interview

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2019 is shaping up to be quite a year for Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book series.  Not only is the much loved (and maligned) series from the 1980’s being adapted into a major motion picture by producer Guillermo del Toro and director André Øvredal, but months before the adaptation’s release (August 9), fans will be able to learn the real “story” through Cody Meirick’s documentary, Scary Stories.

Horror News Network got a chance to speak to Meirick about his new film and his love of the source material in this exclusive interview. read more

James Wan & Gary Dauberman to Bring Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot’ to the Big Screen

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James Wan and Gary Dauberman- the creative team behind numerous entries in The Conjuring cinematic universe- are setting their sights on world of vampires. Their latest project involves bringing Stephen King’s 1975 classic novel, Salem’s Lot to the silver screen. The Hollywood Reporter says that Wan will produce the film and Dauberman will serve as screenwriter and executive producer.

Wan and Dauberman first collaborated in 2014 on the first The Conjuring spinoff, Annabelle. Wan produced the film and Dauberman wrote the script. This arrangement continued with Annabelle: Creation and The Nun; and now Dauberman will also direct the upcoming Annabelle Comes Home. There is currently no director announced for Salem’s Lot.  read more

Inside Ed and Lorraine Warren’s Occult Museum: A Horror News Network Pictorial

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The death of beloved paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren has all of us here at Horror News Network reminiscing about our favorite encounters with her and Ed throughout the years. Seeing as HNN’s headquarters is located in the Warrens’ home state of Connecticut, Ed and Lorraine directly impacted all of our lives, and we’re excited to be able to share some fascinating tidbits with our readers. HNN staff member Nick Banks and I were fortunate enough to visit The Warren’s Occult Museum on a couple occasions with our wives. It is no longer open to the public, so we’re even more grateful to have had the opportunity.  The museum houses the infamous Annabelle doll which was featured in numerous The Conjuring movies since 2013, but it also contains lesser known artifacts such as a Satanic idol taken from the woods of Connecticut and a shadow doll which attacks the dreams of unsuspecting victims. Not everything in the museum is haunted, however, as many of Ed’s original paintings and articles about the famous ghost busting couple are prominently displayed throughout its hallowed walls. read more

HNN Staff Members Remember Lorraine Warren

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Monroe is a small town in the southern part of Connecticut, about an hour and a half from the most famous city in the world: New York.  Unlike the cosmopolitan confines of NYC, Monroe looks like many New England towns, with plenty of woods and pastures and a number of strip malls that contain pizza shops, antique stores, and barber shops.

I moved to Monroe in 1978 as a seven year old, and today I live about a mile from the border.  One constant in my life over all of these years is the one thing that put the small bucolic town of Monroe on the map: the presence of our very own world-famous ghost hunters, Ed and Lorraine Warren. read more

Trailblazing Paranormal Investigator Lorraine Warren Dies at 92

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For real life ghost story aficionados-and since 2013, even big screen supernatural movie buffs- no individuals are more prominent than Ed and Lorraine Warren. The duo founded N.E.S.P.R., the New England Society for Psychic Research in 1952 and were involved in some of the most famous cases of hauntings of all time, including the infamous Amityville house, the Enfield poltergeist, and the Annabelle doll. They’ve been famously portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in a series of The Conjuring movies and spinoffs, which have only increased their presence worldwide over the past six years. Ed passed away on August 23rd, 2006, and Lorraine continued to help people around the world with the assistance of her son-in-law, Tony Spera. It is with heavy hearts that we report that an era has come to an end today, as Lorraine Warren has passed away at the age of 92. read more

Netflix to Debut ‘The Witcher’ Series in Q4 of 2019

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It has been a long time coming, but it appears that Netflix’s television series based on the Polish fantasy-drama book series The Witcher will premiere on the streaming series very soon.  Ted Sarandso, the Chief Content Officer for Netflix, announced on a recent investor call that the series, which began principal production last Halloween in Hungary, will debut in Q4 of 2019.

After nearly two years of updates, fans of The Witcher can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Netflix originally announced production back in May of 2017, which would see an English-language adaptation of author Andrzej Sapkowski’s popular books.  Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Blood Creek) will be the main star, with the rest of the cast revealed back in October of 2018.  Surprisingly, most of the information regarding this project has been leaked by executive producer, writer and show-runner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich.  Hissrich, who came aboard in December 2017, revealed that she enlisted the assistance of Sapkowksi, and later tweeted in April 2018 that the first season would be 8 episodes long and would be filmed mostly in Central Europe.  It was also recently reported that principal photography was moved last month to Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands. read more