This is a sad day for all comic book fans. Kevin Conroy, a voice acting legend who has been the definitive voice for Batman for over thirty years, has passed away at the age of 66. He first voiced the Caped Crusader back in 1992 in the hit animated series Batman: The Animated Series, and since then he has been the voice for the character on other DC projects such as the Justic League animated series and the Batman: Arkham video game series.

This man, his voice, was something that's been attached to me since childhood. It's his Batman that I always hear in my head whenever I'm reading a Batman comic. That's how much of an impact he had on me. I actually got a chance to see him at Wizard World a few years back and just seeing the man and hearing his voice was a once in a lifetime experience. He loved his work, and he loved his fans.

Anyone can argue who the best live action Batman is. Adam West or Michael Keaton. Christian Bale or Ben Affleck. But, for me, the truly greatest Batman was always, and shall always be, Kevin Conroy. He was my Batman. He will forever be my Batman.

"Everyone is handed adversity in life. No one's journey is easy. It's how they handle it that makes people unique."

-Kevin Conroy (1955-2022)

#rip #restinpeace #tribute #DC #voiceacting #Batman

I want to thank everyone who have participated in this year's horror themed challenges. This turnout has been very good. And I especially want to thank those who participated in my horror challenge "The Greatest Horror Story Ever Told". We got some great, spooky stories here. But as Connor MacLeod said in Highlander, "there can be only one".

It was a difficult decision, but I have chosen a winner: JourdinR for their story, "The Untold Story of Sarah Lavender".

Congratulations. I recommend everyone to get a chance to check out this spooky story:

www.theprose.com/post/521931/the-untold-story-of-sarah-lavender

And for a prize I left a generous donation to their story. Congrats again. Here's hoping for more horror stories from everyone for next year's horror themed challenges!

Happy Halloween everyone! And what better way to celebrate one of the best holidays of the year is to review a horror movie. I think it's high time that I reviewed this Halloween classic.

The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 found footage horror film directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. The story centers around three amateur film students who embark on quest to film a documentary about the Blair Witch, a local legend of a malevolent ghost that is said to haunt the Black Hills woods of Burkittsville, Maryland. The three become lost and find themselves hunted by the very being they were trying to document. They disappeared and what we the audience see is supposedly what they filmed that may clue in on their fates and the terror of the Blair Witch.

What can be said about this film that hasn't been said before? The Blair Witch Project was the film that was the grandfather of all found footage films, helping kickstart the subgenre that would lead into films such as Cloverfield, Quarantine, and of course Paranormal Activity. Obviously, it wasn't the first found footage flick ever made. Cannibal Holocaust actually had that beat by about a decade earlier. But it certainly was the one that helped cement the subgenre into existence.

Over the years people have been pretty divisive on this film. Some love it, other hate it. Some praise it as one of the greatest horror movies of all time, while others call it a shaky cam mess. So, what's my opinion on one of the foundations of found footage?

The first positive I got to give is the atmosphere. The woods can be a creepy setting and this film turns the creep factor up to eleven. There's a ton of footage during the daytime while the characters are wandering around lost and it's pretty spooky. There's a ton of footage during the night where you hear strange noises and you're not sure what that is, much like the characters themselves, and it's spooky. The biggest criticism I've heard people say against this movie is that you never see the actual Blair Witch on screen. When the cast were running out of their tents there's a moment where Heather screams, "What the fuck was that?!?", indicating that she saw something, but it isn't very clear. Originally the camera was supposed to film a brief scene where you can see a figure hovering in the air, most likely the Blair Witch. The shot wasn't clear enough and it was too dark to tell, yet the filmmakers kept it in the final production. Personally, I don't see that being a problem. It's unknown and the unknown is terrifying. Not knowing or not seeing something is far scarier than throwing something on screen. It allows your mind to play tricks on you and come up with your own imagination to what Heather may have saw. Maybe she did see something. Maybe she didn't. We'll never know, and that's what makes it scary. It's something that adds a layer of unease to the movie.

The film also had one of the best marketing gimmicks ever composed. This was one of the first films to use transmedia storytelling. What is transmedia storytelling, you ask. This is when you use multiple forms of media to tell a larger story. Before its release, The Blair Witch Project had a website that contained a ton of lore about the Blair Witch and the town of Burkittsvile. Keep in mind that this is all fabricated for the sake of good fiction, but you couldn't tell that during the late 90s. They also came up with a couple of fictional documentaries to further build on the legend of the Blair Witch. One of them, which is more relevant to what happens in the movie, is The Burkittsville Seven. This is a fictional true crime documentary about the disappearance and murders of seven children in the 1940s. According to the lore an old hermit named Rustin Parr took these children to his house in the middle of the Black Hills woods and killed them one by one. As he was doing the killings, he had one of the children face the corner of the room and ordered him not to look at him. When he was arrested, he confessed to the murders and said that a voice in his head (i.e., the Blair Witch) kept telling him to do it or else it wouldn't leave him alone.

This leads to what makes the movie work: the sense of realism. All the outside material helped heightened the lore and realism. And when you're watching the film, seeing everything play out, it all feels very real. Much of the dialogue was all improvised. Only a small percentage of the film is scripted, which makes me wonder which parts were scripted. When the actors are freaking out or cussing at each other, they really are doing that. The camera they use isn't high tech like a Hollywood camera. It's more or less your basic home video camera. It's shot with poor quality, and it looks amateurish because it was meant to look like that. These three characters aren't professionals. So, the way the movie was put together looks unprofessional, but it also looks very real.

Now some might not think this is appealing or entertaining, and I get that. However, I feel that this works in the film's favor. I feel that many found footage films seem to forget that aspect. They forgot to make them feel real. Nowadays they feel too Hollywood with all the better-quality cameras and visual effects. The Blair Witch Project had none of that, making for a much more grounded and believable experience. I wouldn't be surprised with there were some people back in 1999 who thought the film was real only to find out later that it's complete fiction.

Of course, I gotta talk about the climax and ending of the film because that's what everyone seems to remember most about it. I have to say it is arguably one of the best endings for a horror film too. Everyone who has seen this film know what I'm talking about but if you haven't seen it obviously, I'm gonna discuss the ending. So, spoiler alert. Skip ahead to the next paragraph or so if you don't want to be spoiled by the ending.

Moving forward, towards the end, one of the friends, Josh, suddenly goes missing. Both Heather and Mike are unsure what happened, as with the rest of the audience. What they do find is a piece of Josh's clothing bundled together. They open it to find the only bit of gore in this movie: blood, some teeth, and, I think, a piece of an organ but I'm not sure of what though. This is the 'shit just got real' moment of the movie. This also leads to the famous scene where Heather is talking to the camera and it's a close up shot of her eyes and that ugly ass snot bubble that's leaking from her nose.

After hearing what sounds like Josh being tortured, Heather and Mike come across a large, old, decaying house in the middle of the woods, likely the house that belonged to the aforementioned Rustin Parr. The pair go in only to find bloody handprints of children decorating the walls. Eventually they get separated with Mike getting attacked by something offscreen. Heather makes her way to the basement to find Mike standing at the corner of the room until she is attacked from behind and the camera stops filming, leading to the end credits. It's one of the most memorable and suspenseful endings to a horror film I've seen in decades.

Personally, my biggest criticism against the film are the characters. Now the actors aren't bad at all. It's just there is stuff they're characters say and do that doesn't exactly make me feel sorry for them. Much of the movie they spend time yelling at each other and blaming each other for getting lost. Now, this does make it very believable and would look like a realistic scenario that real friends would do in a situation like this. However, it makes it a little grating to sit and watch them argue and cuss at each other over and over again. Also, everything that starts happening to them is mainly their fault. One example is when the trio are lost in the woods and argue amongst themselves because their map goes missing. Then Mike reveals he kicked the map out of frustration. Not to mention after the trio encounters the stick figures in the woods, it is later revealed that Heather took on of the stick figures. Why? I'm not sure and we never see Heather take one of these figurines or see a figurine in her bag that validate what they're saying. But let's just say things escalate from bad to worse when she did this. Honestly, they did this to themselves and what happens to them is kind of their characters fault.

Overall, I can see why The Blair Witch Project is regarded as one of the most memorable horror films to come out of the past two decades. Now I wouldn't say that the film scared me during my first viewing. Creeped out, sure. But I personally didn't find it scary. And sure, what doesn't scare me will probably scare others and vice versa. However, over the years I have developed a deep respect for this film. It did set the groundwork for other found footage films. It had the best marketing ploy. And it was competently well put together with what they had. And it grossed over $200 million worldwide on a $60,000 budget. So, I can definitely see why this film is highly praised and highly regarded as one of the best horror films made. I would definitely recommend giving it a watch some time just for the experience. Just make sure you don't knock over any rock piles or take any stick figurines.

Positives:

-The atmosphere

-The unknown

-The realism

-The climax

Negatives:

-The characters

Final Grade: B

So those are my thoughts on The Blair Witch Project. Have you seen it? What were your thoughts on it? Love it? Hate it? Please be kind, leave a like and comment, and have a fun and safe Halloween!

Best Quote:

Heather Donahue: "I'm scared to close my eyes; I'm scared to open them."

#harrysituationreviews #film #opinion #horror #supernatural #ghost #witch #foundfootage

"I prayed he would burn in hell, but in my heart, I knew hell would not want him."

-Dr. Samuel Loomis, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

Halloween Ends is the conclusion to David Gordon Green's and Danny McBride's "H40" trilogy and features the return of Laurie Strode (reprised by Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael Myers (reprised by James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle). The story takes place four years after the night Michael Myers, the Shape, returned to Haddenfield and continued his killing spree. Laurie Strode and her granddaughter try the best they can to move forward despite losing friends and loved ones. But Michael is restless. After years of hiding, he dons his mask and arms his kitchen knife once more to feed is relentless bloodlust. Now Laurie seeks to confront him and put an end to this nightmare once and for all. Evil dies tonight.

I have absolutely been loving these new Halloween movies. They're the best that the franchise has to offer since the original, and they've helped spark a resurgence in slasher movies and sequels (for better or worse). And both David Gordon Green and Danny McBride have done a great job with both entries as these movies serve as a love letter to the Halloween franchise. They've also proven themselves to work great in the horror genre, so much so that I hope to see more horror projects from them. I heard that director David Gordon Green has plans for a new trilogy for the Exorcist franchise. If they're as entertaining as his Halloween trilogy, I'll definitely check them out.

So, does this final chapter in Laurie's and Michael's saga the epic conclusion the fans have been waiting for? Let's talk about it.

The first positive has to go to Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. She is outstanding. I don't think the character of Laurie Strode could have been played by anyone other than her, and she has delivered a masterful performance throughout this trilogy. Her character arc has been great. In the beginning she's been paranoid and obsessed that Michael Myers would one day return to kill her once more. Now she's embracing life and telling her story of survival as a means to cope with the trauma. It's a much more lighthearted and inspiring way to deal with survivor's guilt versus the self-destructive and nihilist take that Rob Zombie gave us in his version of Halloween II. That doesn't mean she hasn't stopped thinking about Michael Myers, as when he returns, she's definitely ready for their final confrontation. And she still blames herself, believing that she may have brought this evil into Haddenfield.

Speaking of the final fight between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers was a treat. I loved how brutal and physical it got between them. Both were determined to finish the other off. It's the fight fans have been waiting for and it was spectacular.

The kills were just as great too. It's bloody. It's gory. It's creative. It's exactly what you want in a Halloween movie.

Unfortunately, this is where all my positives end. The truth is this isn't a very good movie. The biggest issue with this movie is its story. That synapsis I gave above is kind of a lie. Unfortunately, this is going to lead into spoilers because it's hard to talk about the core issue without spoiling anything. If you don't want spoilers, please skip ahead to my final thoughts on Halloween Ends.

Alright, let's talk spoilers. There's a ton of focus on this new character Corey Cunningham (played by Rohan Campbell). The film opens with Corey babysitting until things go wrong when he accidentally kills his charge. While he wasn't sent to prison the whole town despises him, viewing him as bad as Michael Myers. He later encounters Michael Myers and assists him in some murders until he decides to become the new Michael Myers. It's an interesting idea. It's reminiscent to the ending of Halloween 4 where Jamie Lloyd, the daughter of Laurie Strode of that timeline, looks like she'll become the next Michael Myers.

The problem is that I feel the story just isn't structured very well. On one hand you have Laurie and Allyson living their lives, the next you have Allyson dating Corey, and then you have Corey growing darker as he suddenly has a need to kill. Credit where credit is due the film does make you feel sorry for Corey in the beginning, having become a pariah in Haddenfield. But then it focuses on him too much and detracts from the other characters, especially Michael. I'm not interested in his story. And I don't think his story fits in this film. I get what they were trying to go with, but I don't think it fits with a Halloween movie. At least, this Halloween movie anyway.

This leads to the other issue: the lack of Michael Myers. Michael isn't in the film for very long. I get what they were trying to pull off with Corey, but we all came to see Michael do his thing. Instead, we're just slowly watching Corey develop into a copycat killer. However, when Michael is onscreen it's a huge treat. I just wished there was more screen time for him.

Overall, Halloween Ends wasn't exactly the epic conclusion I was hoping for. While this movie wasn't a huge spectacle as its first two predecessors, I do find it interesting that it tries to be introspective. Whether it succeeds or if anyone else sees that is anyone's guess. I will say that I'd still watch this over Halloween Resurrection and Rob Zombie's Halloween II. While it is a disappointing conclusion to this trilogy, there are still a few moments that I enjoyed because it reminds me why I love this franchise.

Now the question remains: does this make it the final Halloween movie? Yeah right. I don't think so. This trilogy has proven to be incredibly successful at the box office. I seriously doubt this is the last we'll see of Michael Myers. Just because this is the last film to feature Michael and Laurie that doesn't make it the end of the franchise. And honestly, I don't want the franchise to end. If anything, this trilogy is a love letter to the franchise as a whole, and it shows why Michael Myers is such an icon in the horror genre. The character is the definitive boogeyman in our reality just as he was the boogeyman in his franchise. That's going to live on forever.

With that out of the way I want to thank director David Gordon Green and Danny McBride for sharing their story to a franchise they love. Thank you Jamie Lee Curtis for returning to your iconic role as Laurie Strode, the original scream queen. Thank you Jason Blum and Blumhouse Productions for producing these films. Thank you to all the cast and crew for giving us new scares in a beloved franchise. And thank you John Carpenter for giving us, in my opinion, the best slasher villain in all of horror.

I do hope we get to see Michael Myers in future films. Maybe a crossover film with Leatherface where to two slashers fight each other, like with Freddy vs Jason. One can only hope. As the film stated evil never dies, it just takes on a new shape.

Positives:

-Jamie Lee Curtis

-The Kills

-Laurie Strode and Michael Myers final fight

Negatives:

-The story

-Lack of Michael Myers

Final Grade: C

Now that I've seen the whole Halloween franchise, I think this is my ranking for each film from best to worst. Again, this is just my personal opinion. If you disagree with my ranking fill free to comment.

Halloween

Halloween (2018)

Halloween II

Halloween Kills

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

Halloween H20

Halloween Ends

Rob Zombie's Halloween

Halloween 3: Season of the Witch

Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (both original and director's cut)

Halloween Resurrection

Rob Zombie's Halloween II

So those are my thoughts on Halloween Ends. Have you seen it? What were your thoughts on it? What is your favorite Halloween movie? Please be kind, leave a like and comment, and check out more reviews here on Prose.

Best Quote:

Laurie Strode: "Evil doesn't die. It just takes a new shape."

#harrysituationreviews #film #opinion #horror #slasher #sequel #MichaelMyers #Halloween

The box. You opened it. We came.

Hellraiser (2022) is a new supernatural horror reboot released on Hulu. It is the eleventh installment of the Hellraiser franchise, serving as a new adaptation Clive Barker's The Hellbound Heart. The story follows a young woman struggling with addiction who finds an unusual puzzle box known as the Lament Configuration. As she unlocks the secrets of the box, she discovers the horrifying truth that it is a beacon to summon a group of sadistic interdimensional beings known as the Cenobites and their leader, the notorious Pinhead (this time played by Jamie Clayton).

I actually enjoy some of the Hellraiser films, my favorites being the first two installments. And the character of Pinhead (along with actor Doug Bradley) has become such an icon in the horror genre, taking his place in the horror Hall-of-Fame along with Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers. So, when I heard that a new Hellraiser was going to be released I certainly had my doubts. I mean, just look back on the long, failed history of horror remakes/reboots. But I was willing to give it a chance. So, does this movie have such sights to show us? Or will its suffering be legendary even in Hell?

For the positives, the performances are pretty good. Everyone does a solid good job. The one I definitely want to give a shout out to is Jamie Clayton as Pinhead. She wasn't necessarily a standout, but she did a very good job. The thing everyone loves about the character of Pinhead is that he's a horror villain who talks like Freddy Krueger. But unlike Freddy, who tends to make jokes, he speaks like he's a morbid philosopher. I feel that Jamie Clayton nailed that aspect in her portrayal.

BTW, if anyone's got an issue with this new Pinhead being played by a woman, keep in mind that in Clive Barker's novella, The Hellbound Heart, Pinhead is described as androgynous. So basically, this version of Pinhead is more accurate to the novella than Doug Bradley's Pinhead.

I really like new designs for each of the Cenobites too. Instead of just leather outfits and sharp objects imbedded into their heads, each Cenobite looks to have had layers of flesh removed from their bodies. We got one that's missing pieces of their jaw, one that's had their throat spread apart, and of course you got my boy the Chatterer. They all look really cool, and it shows that becoming a Cenobite is an extremely painful process.

Of course, the franchise wouldn't be where it's at with the amount of blood and gore, and this film gets pretty bloody. I mean, what do you expect from a horror franchise where people have hooks and chains tearing at their flesh? It looks pretty good. Not too much on CGI but more focus on practical effects and gore, something I've always enjoyed more in a horror movie.

I also really like how they added new layers to the mythos of the franchise. In this remake, the Lament Configuration changes forms every time someone solves the puzzle, and it also cuts them with a small blade. The one who is cut by the blade is then offered as a sacrifice to the Cenobites and their god Leviathan. Solving the full puzzle will grant you your greatest desire. New stuff like this I feel has been completely missing from the Hellraiser franchise, save for Hellraiser: Judgement. Honestly, it's nice to get some clarification and new content on how the Lament Configuration works and why the Cenobites are connected to it.

Now for the negatives. While the Cenobites are cool, the characters are not. There isn't much characterization for them aside from the main protagonist Riley (played by Odessa A'zion) but mainly you look at this cast and you see them nothing but fodder for the Cenobites. You don't even feel bad when one by one they get slaughtered, you're just waiting for it to happen because you want to see the Cenobites.

And one last criticism I do have is something I've noticed watching the later Hellraiser movies. It seems to be lacking that human element. Let me explain further. For those unfamiliar with the franchise the Cenobites aren't necessarily evil. Hell, they weren't even the main antagonists in the first two films. They were just there. The antagonists were Frank Cotton, his mistress Julia, and then later Dr. Channard in Hellraiser II. It's that later in the sequel movies the Cenobites are portrayed as demons when the reality they are neutral, hence why Pinhead described themselves as, "demons to some, angels to others."

The first two films were about exploring human desire and questioning how far one would go to get what they want. Desire is a driving force. It's what gets the characters in those movies to attempt to complete the puzzle, and it is desire that summons the Cenobites. The later movies in the franchise, including this one, all lack that desire. They became too focused on showing off Pinhead and the other Cenobites and forgot that the human characters, the human spirit, is what helped made the first two stand out from other horror movies.

Overall, this new Hellraiser is far better than most of the sequels in the franchise and almost on par with the original. I would definitely recommend this film to all fans of Hellraiser, and to any fans of horror like me. But mostly I would recommend checking out the first two films because they're just masterpieces on their own.

Positives:

-Solid performances

-Jamie Clayton as Pinhead

-Cool new Cenobite looks

-Gory as hell (no pun intended)

-New Hellraiser mythos

Negatives:

-Little characterization

-Missing that human element

Final Grade: B

So those are my thoughts on Hellraiser (2022). Have you seen it? What were your thoughts on it? Please be kind, leave a like and comment, and check out more reviews here on Prose... or WE'LL TEAR YOUR SOUL APART!

Best Quote:

Riley: "I've done enough."

Pinhead: "Enough... is a myth."

#harrysituationreviews #film #opinion #horror #supernatural #cenobites #Hellraiser #remake #reboot #Hulu

I'm always in favor of talking and learning about people's beliefs and philosophies. It's a great way to learn about one and other, and hopefully understand each other a little better. I've asked these questions before, and I've received some interesting answers. So here are a series of questions. Fill free to answer.

1) Do you believe that an atheist like me deserves to burn in Hell? How do you feel about the concept of Hell? Do you believe that a person can only go to Heaven if they do good deeds or have to accept Christ as their savior? If you believe that a person that is not a Christian or doesn’t accept Jesus Christ as their lord and savior automatically goes to Hell to pay for their sins, then do you believe that Anne Frank is burning in Hell right now? What about Gandhi? Do you believe that Jeffery Dahmer, America’s most notorious serial killer, is in Heaven now after he converted to Christianity during his prison sentence?

2) How do you feel about homosexuality and same sex marriage? If you're against them both, without referencing the Bible, what’s your reason? If you're supportive of both, do other Christians you know feel the same? If not, why do you still hang out with them? Have any friends or family members who are gay/lesbian? And how many of them consider you a friend?

3) How old would you say the Earth is? If you say it's 6000 years, what’s your solid evidence that suggests that (again, without referencing the Bible)? What about evolution? Do you believe/support that too? If you disagree, what's your evidence against it (again, without referencing the Bible)? If agree, why do you feel some Christians won't accept scientific evidence? If they can accept that a Creator made the whole universe, can’t they make room for accepting the fact that both Earth and the universe are billions of years old?

4) According to the Bible, God has committed numerous acts of violence against humanity, from the Great Flood to the 10 Plagues of Egypt. So why is God still considered the "good guy"? Is God still the "good guy" if he watches children get beaten, get raped, or slowly die of cancer, and does nothing about it? What about the Devil? He technically punishes bad people for their sins. Why is he labeled the bad guy?

5) How do you feel knowing that there are Christian extremists out there right now that promote violence, bigotry, ignorance, and intolerance? How do you feel about televangelists who scam and rob money from their followers? How do you feel about Church groups that try to cover up sexual abuse? How did you feel when right-wing Christian extremists stormed the Capital Building on January 6th? If all these actions that these people who identify themselves as "Christians" make you upset, why do you still hold onto your faith?

Thank you for your time.

#Christianity #atheism #questions

Four minutes in and I knew I had made a colossal mistake. I wondered too far off the trail and found myself deeper into the woodlands, where the thick Cypress trees towered over me, blocking out the sun. Realizing this I made an attempt to turn back, but then the hairs of my body started to stand and I had an uneasy suspicion that someone — or rather something — was stalking me. From the brush lingered a large dog-like creature with a heavy coat of blackish grey hair, baring its sharp canines at me with contempt. But what horrified me the most, a sight I'll never forget until the day I die, was then this creature drew closer it hoisted itself up, and this beast, this large dog-like animal, was then standing on its hind legs, almost like a man.

#werewolf #horror #flashfiction

Halloween draws near

A time of joy and some fear

And ghosts and ghouls cheer

#Halloween #haiku #HappyHalloween

October, the month of screams, spooks, and scares, is upon us. You know what that means. In case you are new and are unsure allow me to explain: it also means a whole month of theme challenges created by yours truly. Yes, this is the sixth annual series of theme challenges I like to call the Rainbow of Terror. Some of you are probably wondering why I call this the Rainbow of Terror. Whenever I create these challenges I attach them to a portal (horror, poetry, fantasy, etc.), and these portals have a different color to them. Blue for poetry, purple for fiction, pink for LGBT, and the like. Thus this makes a rainbow. And since the main theme of each challenge is about Halloween and horror (which is my favorite genre), it has become a Rainbow of Terror.

Unfortunately, due to an error of Prose's side I cannot seem to load more portals when I try to create a challenge, so my portal choices are sort of limit. So sadly there won't be any challenges for portals such as Paranormal, Gaming, History, Six Word Story, and the like. Which is a shame since my Guess Boo challenges seem to be extremely popular each year. I've tried informing Prose and IT about this months ago but nothing has been done about it. However, I won't let a technical error stop my creativeness. There are 11 terrifying challenges that I believe you might enjoy, as well as send shivers up your spines.

I understand that horror isn't everybody's cup of tea. Hell, some of you probably don't even like Halloween for personal reasons. But the purpose of these challenges isn't so much to celebrate Halloween (although they kinda are). It is to inspire creativity. So you don't need to be a fan of horror or Halloween to participate in these challenges. You just need to have imagination. And you just need to give it a shot. I especially extend a hand out to all newcomers on Prose in participating in each of these challenges. This is a good way to get others to recognize your writing talents and to become part of this extraordinary community.

All challenges will end on October 28. Enter one, enter two, or enter in all of these fantastic and ghoulish horror/Halloween theme challenges. If you have any questions about these challenges or what I may be looking for in these challenges, please feel free to send a message and ask me any time. And, of course, don't forget to tag me.

Good luck, write on, and scare away. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

HORROR

Title: The Greatest Horror Story Ever Told

Description: Give me the best horror story you can come up with. No word count or length restrictions for this. The one that scares me the most wins and gets a prize!

Word Count: Unlimited

Link: www.theprose.com/challenge/13452

FICTION

Title: Horror Prompt

Description: Try to come up with a prompt or a synopsis for a horror story you wish to tell. This can be for a future novel, a movie, a show, a video game, a one shot or campaign for a table-top role-playing game, etc. Two to four paragraphs, if you please.

Word Count: 15-250

Link: www.theprose.com/challenge/13451

POETRY

Title: Poems of the Fall

Description: This is for those that aren't a fan of the horror genre. Halloween is set in fall, probably my favorite time of the year. So instead of writing a spooky poem, see if you can write a poem about fall. Write about what you love about this time of year.

Word Count: 25-250

Link: www.theprose.com/challenge/13450

FANTASY

Title: Fairy Tale Terrors

Description: Rewrite a popular fairy tale but make it much more darker and twisted than the original.

Word Count: 15-1500

Link: www.theprose.com/challenge/13449

SCIENCE FICTION

Title: The Science of Madness

Description: Write about a mad scientist whose latest experiment either goes horribly right or horribly wrong (depending on how the scientist sees it).

Word Count: 15-1500

Link: www.theprose.com/challenge/13448

LGBT

Title: A True Rainbow of Terror

Description: Write a horror story/poem with LGBT themes.

Word Count: 15-1500

Link: www.theprose.com/challenge/13447

ROMANCE

Title: Tear My Heart Out

Description: Instead of a traditional horror, write about someone falling in love with a monster and/or vice versa. The monster in question is your choice. A vampire, a werewolf, Frankenstein's monster, a grotesque alien, a serial killer, whatever you can come up with. Tell me if it ends happily or horribly. You are free to write in any style you so choose. If you want to turn it into erotica that's you're choice. Just make sure to add a content warning.

Word Count: 50-5000

Link: www.theprose.com/challenge/13446

NONFICTION

Title: True Terror

Description: What's a ghost story or urban legend you may have heard about growing up in your community?

Word Count: 15-1000

Link: www.theprose.com/challenge/13445

HAIKU

Title: Haiku-ween

Description: See if you can write a haiku or two about Halloween.

Word Count: 15-25

Link: www.theprose.com/challenge/13444

REVIEW

Title: Do you like scary movies?

Description: Are you a fan of scary movies? If yes, what's your favorite scary movie and why? Got more than one favorite scary movie, make a list. If you don't like scary movies, what genre do you prefer then?

Word Count: 15-150

Link: www.theprose.com/challenge/13443

JOURNAL

Title: The Last Entry of the Last Person on Earth

Description: Imagine yourself as the last person on Earth (or so you believe). Humanity has been devastated by a cataclysmic event, such as a deadly plague, an alien invasion, the rise of a new dominate species, whatever you can think of. What would your last journal entry be?

Word Count: 100-1000

Link: www.theprose.com/challenge/13442

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