Spook-Inducing Halloween Websites

The first things that may come to mind when Halloween is mentioned are trick-or-treating and watching scary movies; a more intimate possibility, however, are three extremely creepy and well made websites, available year-round.

The first is JKCinema.com, the creators of The Urban Legends Series: Fact or Fiction? Beginning with Episode 1, this Flash-animated work of art tells of some of the most notorious urban myths and chilling tales of our time. The first episode touches on such stories as "Rollercoaster," the popular song by the Ohio Players; the tune was rumored to have the scream of a murdered woman in the background. Also in this first installment are examples of creepy subliminal messages embedded in magazine ads, soft drink logos, and Disney cartoons (this section is more humorous than scary.)

The success of this first episode spawned several (well-made) sequels; the Ghosts episode, in particular, is especially scary. It guides us through a series of what are apparently ghost photos and videos. Among the famous ghost photos are "The Boothill Ghost," taken in Tombstone, Arizona; "The Madonna of Bachelor's Grove," a transparent woman seated on a gravestone; "The Brown Lady," a legendary photo taken at Raynham Hall in England; and "Mother in the Backseat," a well-documented photo of a man sitting in his car, accompanied by what appears to be a shadowy figure of a woman in the backseat. Even if you're skeptical, these photos can definitely evoke chills.

Other segments in Ghosts show ghost videos; ITC, or Instrumental TransCommunication; and EVP, or Electronic Voice Phenomena. Again, what makes this presentation effective is its clever use of eerie music, unsettling sound effects, and spine-tingling vignettes. A bit of trivia: one of the short melodies used on the soundtrack resembles the opening theme of Tales From the Crypt.

A later episode in the series is entitled Origins; this installment purports to tell the sordid tales behind some popular products, movie logos, and holiday traditions. I hate to say this, but I personally researched a few of them, and conclusively proved them false. Just so I won't spoil it for you, I'll leave out which legends I looked up, and let you decide for yourself.

Yet another great paranormal site that makes for fun Halloween viewing is SlightlyWarped.com, which features a "Ghastly Ghost Gallery"; it consists of a series of great ghost photos and videos. Their motto is "No Orbs, No Mist, No Baloney!" Among their fantastic photo collection is the "Corroboree Rock Phantom," a supposed apparition of an Aborigine tribesman; "Lord Combermere," a former governor of Barbados who was killed in an accident; and a terrifying photo taken at "The Amityville Horror House" in Amityville, NY. Complementing each photo is a bit of background and history on the apparent haunting. Included in this series are some clips from shows such as Unsolved Mysteries, which provide extra entertainment.

While you, personally, may have no belief in ghosts or the supernatural, it is nearly always fun to watch and read things of this sort on Halloween. Just as movies such as John Carpenter's Halloween and Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street may be farfetched, this doesn't make them any less fun to watch. JKCinema.com, in particular, has presentations that resemble mini-movies, perfect for the "horror film" crowd.

Finally, one last site that you may want to peruse is Paranormal.About.com, maintained by author and paranormal researcher Stephen Wagner. This site features articles and media on a number of paranormal phenomena, including ghosts, UFOs, Bigfoot, El Chupacabra, and The Bermuda Triangle. Some of the ghost photos and videos can be found on the above sites as well.

What makes Paranormal.About.com stand out from the others are the numerous terrifying vignettes submitted by users. Each month, Wagner compiles his favorites among the hundreds of first-person narratives, and publishes them on the site. According to his description, the readers swear that these tales are true. A favorite of mine is entitled "Lurking Hooded Being," in which a girl from Redmond, WA, describes a mysterious figure that haunts her older sister's house. Again, whether you believe them or not, many of them make excellent Halloween campfire stories. If you're willing to suspend your disbelief, they can be quite enthralling.

So this Halloween, in addition to your normal, run-of-the-mill ghostly fun, stop by these great websites, and share them with your friends. They just might make you want to double-check your locked doors and clutch your crucifix before sleep.