A lab report by Lily Spellman
The lab sat quietly as the dim glow of Lily's laptop light up the corner of the reception area her desk was in, head in hands watching intently as the last scenes play on and the credits begin to roll. she sits back and stares. "wow...". the darkness and silence are suddenly split as the elevator door opens and Reel steps out holding
a king can, his sunglasses on his head and a pair of glasses on his face, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.
"I know, wow, I look so sexy," he said smirking, taking a drag off his cigarette. "what? this movie dingus..." she replied staring "lies, don't be embarrassed, it's the smokes"
"Come look at this," she says waving him over. leaning over the computer she clicks play on one of the videos. after a minute it ends. "do more" says Character, "SEE!"
shouted lily "IT'S HYPNOTIC! YOU HAVE TO WATCH!" "yep. and now I need to know about turkey lady so either finish or I get the bunny" Lily rolls her eyes and the two continue to watch, and watch, they start another episode, and another until the entire run is finished.
When they had finished the entier series, lily got up and flicked the light on, stretching and yawning as she headed across the room to the couch where Reel was already
sitting and flopped down.
"That was a ride huh?" she asked "yeah, I liked ping. reminds me of those old urban legends, accept ghost lady is justified and not a bitch" he replied, pulling a cigarette
from behind his ear lighting it "the effects were good too".
"Camerawork, sound, acting, all of it was so on point" Lily mused lost in thought "AND TURKEY LADY!" Reel Perked up "I know! she was crazy and fun, more of that."
on and on it went, just like that for an hour. each little tidbit of information poured over and each frame analyzed. the reception area was abuzz with the sounds that only follow that fabled "Great movie", the kind of energy that can not be forced, only harnassed by great Cinematic feats. for being a 2-minute long show The Horror Show had accomplished this.
no small feat.
With each episode broken into 2-minute segments, the viewer is ALWAYS left wanting more, wondering what comes next and then when the final scenes roll we are left satisfied and needing another episode. the Host has accomplished in 2 minutes what shows like tales from the crypt sometimes failed to do in 20. Welcome to the horrorshow.
a world brought to you by a seemingly unstoppable terror known only as the host, this mysterious being brings you tales of terror, each one filled to the brim with love
and respect for the genre and lore they are built on. with shorts like Ping Delving into the world of Rideshare fears, Turkey Slay exploring the aspects of online funds that may be overlooked
and La Calavera diving deep into the pain that loss has on those left behind, even years later, it is easy to see that this show is going places and heading towards being one of THE BEST horror anthologies put to screen.
each episode is shot beautifully and the sound design in on point which is jarring for an internet project, and a VERY pleasant surprise. the characters are wonderfully
cast with my personal favorite being Taylor Nicolette as Annie in Turkey slay, she is a fun, funny, cute and cuddly crazy that quickly worms her way into your heart, but hopefully not your home! Locations never feel bland or boring and the effects used are always done well. the Host himself looks like something straight out of hell and I couldn't be happier!
With a full season running in at around 30 minutes it is an easy watch and will likely have you returning, the short episode length is a plus as well for those who want
horror content in bite-sized pieces.
So far the series contains 3 Episodes, broken into 5 pieces each of 2 minutes making each episode 10 min as a whole, 30 as a series. Each episode we are greeted by our horrific host who is a blast to see! it brings me back to dimly lit rooms, flickering TVs, late nights and bad movies.
Ping, the first episode is a tale blending urban legend and new fears to make an interesting blend, technological horror? I love it.
next up we have Turkey Slay, a mind-bending story of a sweet delivery girl and the meat-eating menace shes on her way to meet. be careful who you are telling off online...
and lastly, we have La Cavalera, a haunting story told mostly through Spanish language telling of an elderly woman who may or may not be haunted by a loved one.
none of the 3 episodes connect so you can watch them in any order you feel, and with such varying genres and styles, I'm sure you'll find a favorite! I LOVE turkey slay!
To see all the spooky episodes and more head o...
at that moment the lights shut off...the laptop went dead...the castle next door went dark...the bunny yelled "FUUUUUCK!" from the now dark castle next door...
the lab was silent, this was odd. this was not supposed to be ABLE To happen, the lab is powered by a star in a pocket dimension held far below...in a drawer..were not fancy here
"Goddamnit!" lily shouted "My work! I was about to finish!", she looked over to Reel who was now asleep on the couch. getting up slowly she fumbled around in the
dark reaching for the light switch, flipping it and finding nothing changes she stomps her foot "bullshit!"
"Need a light," a voice says softly from behind. "Be careful now, you only get to ask me for ONE thing..." lily turns around and sees the grotesque face of a monstrous corpse-like fiend standing before her in a suit, holding a lantern.
"Don't fuckin do that!" she shouted grabbing the lantern "Don't be a creepy ghost dick, save that shit for the normies"
The entity looked stoic, his face unchanging aside from the smile stuck to the corner of his lips. trying its hardest to stay concealed.
"I don't recognize you, you a new ghost?" she asked.
the creature smiled a wicked grin and laughed "No! why I've ALWAYS been here"
"yeah I doubt that, me and the doc know ALL the ooky spooks that hang out here"
"and who did you think it was, moving your elevator, opening your doors, keeping the slashers and creatures docile. who do you think it is that goes bump in the night
of things that go bump in the night..."
"Romero?"
"No, it's me..."
suddenly Lilys chair slides out from under her desk skidding across the room and snagging her under her legs forcing her to sit, drawing her closer to the creature
who is now mysteriously already seated in a plush armchair.
The Host:
It’s a pleasure to be joining the lab on this haunted evening. I keep my name a secret but you can call me, The Host if you like. With the help of my writers,
producers, and crew, I’ve created Welcome To The Horror Show, the first digital horror anthology on the web.
Lily:
love it
Tell me everything you can about the short turkey Slay, how did the idea come about? how is Annie so goddamn lovable? what's the deal with (spacing on main guys name) eating like a fuckin monster
Also, follow up! Will we see Annie again? this cant be the end of her collection!
The Host Stares at lily, confused at the excitement:
Turkey Slay was written and directed by our co-executive producer/head writer Grace Murphy. Grace wanted to create a thanksgiving found footage style piece for the show and never one to pass up a good slicing of meat, I happily obliged. Our two characters Annie (Taylor Nicolette) and Josh (Matthew Evanoff) both have their passions. These passions may even be considered extremism by some, that’s for you our lovely viewer to decide. We don’t believe in happy endings on our show. Where’s the blood in that? *Evil Laugh*
We do believe in great performances and our two leads brought these characters to life. This may or may not be the last time you’ve seen Annie on the show. Not to give too much away for those who haven’t watched it yet but she may have some additional delivery stops to make before the show is through.
Thanksgiving horror is so underutilized.
Lily: it really is! and turkeys are scary bastards
The Host: FOR REAL. The whole holiday is very disturbing.
Lily: so let me ask about Ping, its a SUPER unique take on a classic urban legend, what inspired this blend of old lore and new tech
The Host: Ping was written and directed by Ryan Joseph Murphy. Neither Ryan or Grace is related but you can guess that the murphy law is always in effect with them. *Evil Laugh*
Ping was heavily influenced by Ryan’s time working as an Uber/Lyft driver for 2.5 years and the people he encountered driving around. He always thought about how ridesharing could be converted into the horror realm. Ryan is also a big fan of classic ghost stories and wanted this to feel like you were watching a mystery unfold in our chapter format. Both Ethan (Jared Wernick) and Jenna (Shannon Bengston) reflect the dangers of capitalism. Do we choose wages or people? I always choose death but then again, I’m simple *Evil Laugh*
Lily: La Calavera was a haunting tale that was given a very interesting style choice, a lot of the dialogue is not in English. I personally love this, I think we need more! what was the choice behind this? was there a choice or was it just a natural story thread
The Host: The purpose behind the show for me, The Monster, of course, is to showcase that horror is around us no matter our culture, gender or ethnicity. Fear is the universal language. How beautiful it is to hear a good scream *Evil Laugh*
La Calavera was directed by Grace Murphy and written by Martin Julio Castillo. We knew we wanted a Christmas tale for our initial launch and what better way to do that than to bring Spanish traditions in it. Martin is a fantastic writer who was able to showcase how scars of the past can affect the present. Abuela (Virginia Montero) and Alejandro (Alejandro Herrera) brought an amazing energy to the piece. If you’ve ever watched Breaking Bad, Virginia played Tuco's grandmother in the first season. It's my favorite directed episode of the season, simply because it reminds me so much of my old pals show Tales From The Crypt. It’s too bad Christmas gets ruined by their Abuelo (John Bigham), but I think he’s a monster of a guy *Evil Laugh*
Lily: the show is told in very bite-sized segments that add up to a whole piece, what drove the decision to tease the audience
The Host: Well I’ve been around for a while and while my body is decomposing, my brain hasn’t..yet *evil laugh* The bite-sized format came because, in this era of social media, not everyone has 10-15 minutes to spare to watch something online but 2-3? Far more likely. It also provides a format for the show that allows the viewer to ask, “What happens next?” We try to pack in enough suspense and terror to every chapter to keep our audience intrigued and tell a fun unique story. The most important thing is that our horror family enjoys the show or else...*Evil Laugh*
Lily: I 100% agree, I went into La Calavera sort of meh but the end of the first episode made me need more, I had to know what happened and why lol
The Host: Then we did our job correctly, YEAH!
The ideas are the most devilish part. *evil laugh* We obviously want to scare but we also want to tie horror back into humanity. What’s left of it anyway *evil laugh*. In order for us to seriously consider a tale, we need to ask how is this scary and how does this say something? Gore is everywhere and while I love seeing flesh ripped apart, I need my mind stimulated as well. A good corpse is always learning they say *Evil Laugh*
Lily: Is each episode truly self-contained or is our mysterious host perhaps setting these events in motion
The Host: A VERY interesting question, *A wicked smile forms on his twisted face* I suppose you’ll have to keep watching to find out.
Lily: Do you see the series ever doing a long-form episode, perhaps a movie
The Host: The Anthology format is probably the greatest horror mechanism ever made. It’s been around longer than me and if you’ve seen me, you know that’s a LONG time *evil laugh* The great thing about anthologies is that it allows for us to play in any sandbox or with any communication device. We can do podcasts, narrations, movies, long-form or short-form content. The biggest thing is distribution. We want every grave girl and boy to able to watch our content *evil laugh*
Lily: Are there plans for a second season and when might we see it?
The Host: There are very many plans for a second season. Before I was quarantined to my casket, with a bottle of gin for good measure. *evil laugh* Grace and I were discussing ideas for new episodes and what themes we wanted to explore. We currently have full-length cuts of our first three episodes that we will be premiering on the festival circuit (when that happens is anyone’s guess). In the meantime, we are potentially looking at other avenues to entertain and we hope to have some new stuff out to our horror family soon.
Lily: so what now? you eat me? you possess me? you possess me and make me eat myself?
The Host: what? ew...no..thats jus...My final word is that media and in turn horror is changing very rapidly. Even though I’m dead, I can see times are a-changing. We’ve seen horror evolve from classic monsters, slashers, found footage, torture porn and now more introspective. I love horror no matter the format or genre. It’s the only place a face like mine can get any love *evil laugh* The biggest thing I will say is that horror is the ultimate genre. Fans of comedies and dramas can’t debate like horror fans. We are passionate and in love with our fandom. I want to give a shoutout to both my girlfriend Samantha and my partner Grace. These two women have impacted me so much and I couldn’t have created this show without them. A big thank you as well to our cast and crew who were incredible to work with. I’m also a huge supporter of indie horror and have been trying my best to discover more of it and promote it as much as I can. Besides, what’s a ghoul to do trapped in a casket for months? *evil laugh* Want to also say thank you lovely Lily for having me in the lab. You are a joy and a pleasure to have in the horror community.
Suddenly the lights shot back on with a blinding light, the laptop whirred on and began to furiously retype the missing article, the Host and his comfy looking chair were gone. and lily was left sitting in the middle of the room by herself, reel still passed out on the couch.
she looked around not sure if she was just tired of this had really happened.
was there really some great evil working behind the scenes at the castle. is the lab really safe? or had she just made a powerful ally? time will tell.
stay tuned to Lily's lab for more and check out the links below for more horrorshow.
The Horroshow can be seen at :instagram.com/yourhorrorshow
The host can be found at: @Yourhorrorshow
And as always, tune in next time for some more insanity here at the lab! Stay safe, wash your damn hands and stay spooky! xox -Lily
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