scary

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Here Are the 10 Best Horror Movies Ever

Be prepared to scream (or at least hide under the covers)

(Newser) - In between those Halloween calisthenics of jumping up from the sofa to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, you might want to squeeze in a horror flick or two to get into the holiday spirit. Time Out has some recommendations, thanks to its writers and "horror experts" who compiled a...

Two Scientific Words Explain Fascination With Horror

'Predator inspection' serves an evolutionary purpose, according to 'Scientific American'

(Newser) - Halloween season is in full swing, with people subjecting themselves to haunted houses, scary movies, and ghoulish costumes. And why? Not to take all the fun out of the festivities, but two researchers in Scientific American have two words to explain this fascination with—and even embrace of—horror: predator...

'No-Boo' Necklace at Horror Attraction Gets Booed

Preview of the 50th anniversary edition of Knott's Scary Farm was met with cheers, too

(Newser) - Each fall, California theme park Knott's Berry Farm transforms into Knott's Scary Farm for its beloved Halloween event. It's so beloved that hundreds of people attended a live preview of the event last week in Buena Park, though not all fans were happy with what they saw....

'Terrifying' Doll Gets Spotify Ad Banned

Even 'Havana' couldn't keep a UK watchdog group from banning it

(Newser) - Spotify's latest ad features a catchy popular pop tune and "a medley of horror film tropes" in the lead-up to its final tagline, per NPR : "Killer songs you can't resist." But it's just that horror theme, along with what Billboard calls a "terrifying...

Mystery Solved: Neighbor Left 'Creepy' Porcelain Dolls

Police say woman meant it as a 'goodwill' gesture, though families were rattled

(Newser) - Glassy-eyed porcelain dolls have long played important roles in the creepiest of American horror stories. Which is why at least eight families in San Clemente, Calif., got exceedingly freaked out when someone started leaving such dolls on their front steps—dolls that resemble actual girls about the age of 10...

What Makes Music Scary?
 What Makes Music Scary? 
Jun 13, 2012 4:54 PM CDT

What Makes Music Scary?

An evolutionary biologist thinks it's nonlinear noises

(Newser) - Why exactly does the Jaws theme send a chill down our spine? What makes Darth Vader's entrance music so unsettling? In short, why does certain music freak us out? Evolutionary biologist Daniel Blumstein thinks he has the answer. Blumstein hit on the idea while observing baby marmots, who would...

Wes Craven Picks Top 10 Horror Flicks

Selected by a man who knows what's scary

(Newser) - Need some suggestions for a scary movie to watch this weekend? None other than the horror master himself, Wes Craven, offers up his 10 favorites in the Daily Beast :
  1. Don't Look Now (1973): A "pretty moving work of art as well" as a horror film, this movie is a
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Parental Angst Is Real Star of 'Evil-Kiddie' Movies

(Newser) - Murderous children have haunted movies since the 1950s—but why, Jonah Weiner wonders on Slate. “The biggest reason for this is the most obvious,” Weiner notes. “What’s creepier than a 4-foot-tall killer in Spongebob pajamas?” But the personification of evil in a child reveals deeper-seated anxieties....

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