Just because you are paranoid, does not mean that what you are thinking is not true. There are several people who think they are being followed, or tested on, and when everything is said and done, they were correct, but none of their friends or family believed them until it was too late. It is sad for those people, since they were right all along, but with all of their stories leading up to their last seconds, it seemed too outlandish for everyone to believe. Yes, there are the other people that believe something is coming to get them as well, but nothing ever happens to them, but how are you to know if you are a friend, what to believe and what to pass off as someone just being out of their mind?

David is a film archivist and pleased with his job. With his great coworker Claire at his side, he is able to get everything done, quickly and correctly. But David has a life away from his job and a new son that is his foundation. With his wife Alice, the two are living the dream in their new house, but Alice has been working extra late at nights and is starting to drive David crazy. Not being able to prove that she is not having an affair and not even wanting to think about it, David sees her at a party with another man who seems to be a little bit too touchy with her and begs for her to come home early and be with him.

At work David has uncovered an old murder investigation that took place in his house many years ago. Wanting to share the information with his wife could make them change their minds about living there, but Alice will not give up her time to listen to him. Going out late with one of her clients, David follows his wife and confirms his suspicion of her cheating on him. Not saying a word and walking away, David heads home to gather his thoughts, but has to stop at the public toilets when getting sick. Hearing someone outside of the stall, David is frightened out of his mind and tries to cool down, but when he reaches the entrance, he sees his wife being thrown into the canal. Thinking he imagined the heinous act; Alice does not come home the next day and David is forced to call the police to help find her.

The Canal follows David and his son Billy as they are trying to get by when wife and mother Alice vanishes. Although David had witnessed what happened to her, he keeps quiet towards the police and lets them do their jobs. When her body is recovered from the canal, David fears that someone much more sinister murdered his wife and becomes obsessed with a story of murder that took place in his house many years prior. Watching the footage from a murder investigation and making it his own, David is convinced that there is a stranger or ghost roaming his halls, but being as outlandish as it seems, David is not willing to let the cops in on what he knows just yet. With his son’s wellbeing being his number one priority, David has to prove his innocence by passing on his films and proving that there is someone other than himself responsible for the terrible act that took place in the canal.

This movie plays on sights and sounds more than it plays with conventional scares. When David starts to see things in the old films that were taken around his house, he decides to make his own to prove that someone still there. Although he sees what is happening, nobody else seems to see it, but that does not stop him from feeling that he and his son's life are in danger. With plenty of jump cuts in the films, you never really get to see the full story unwrapping in them, but the movie itself does make sure that you get to see the memories of it. I enjoyed watching as David falls into madness over the way his life is going, and how he was unable to depend on his friends or family to see what he does, so that he could prove that he did nothing wrong. Stay Scared.

It is easy to forget to look to sky every once in a while. Even when things seem to be getting out of control, you know what will always be there… the sky. With all of the wonder around us, it is easy to forget the things that are right above our heads even if we think that it is crumbling all around us. Besides, you never know what you might catch a glimpse of, some birds flying by, an airplane landing, a Space X rocket reentering the atmosphere or even a UFO, because dang it, it is a big sky.
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After seeing something in the night sky that he cannot not explain, Jed Logan returns to the scene of the crime, but this time he is ready to prove what he saw was real. Seeing a UFO off in the distance, Jed is curious if there can some sort of answer behind it but is more concerned with proving that it is real. With nothing else out of the ordinary in the night sky showing itself, Jed loads his story to the internet to see what others think about his experience.

As the week continues to move on, Jed is starting to get into the research end of what has been happening in his little town. With a map of UFO sightings lit up on his Google Maps, Jed sees that there are plenty of reports around him, and even a few a bit further north of Montauk. Hearing something about the Montauk projects online, Jed decides to try and do a little bit more digging as to why this may be a UFO hotspot in the North East, but starts to get some hard ‘facts’ from someone else on the internet that knows more of the history than anyone is willing to talk about.

With his internet connection up to speed, Jed speaks with the Conspiracy Theorist and finds out some things about the old military base at Camp Hero. With this now being a National Park, Jed thinks very little about this, but it is brought to light by his new friend that there were plenty of strange experiments taking place there in the late 70s and 80s. With a quick warning from his new internet friend to stay safe, Jed signs off the internet and decides to take his investigation one step further. Heading to Camp Hero for the weekend, Jed is looking to try and find some cold hard facts about what might have taken place there in the past and what, if anything that is has to do with the UFO he saw a week ago, but that might not be the only thing he finds.

I have been waiting a while to see this movie show up on my viewing queue and after finally seeing it, I am glad I did. As far as putting a new spin on the found footage genre, there is not much new, but the story really came through loud and clear. The drive to find out what was behind the UFO sighting was really what kept the story moving forward, along with a look at Camp Hero Park during the day and a more terrifying look during the night. With a camera, a computer, an Unidentified Flying Object, a mystery, a state park, some abandoned buildings, plenty of ‘keep out’ signs and a walk with night vision that will prove the experts wrong, this is a good found footage movie that will keep you wanting to know more, that is until the truth is revealed. Stay Scared.

​Trying to get away from your everyday life with your friends can be one of the greatest escapes you will ever have. Getting out of your everyday element and off the scope of the world can be frightening for many people, but when you are with your friends, you know you will be okay. Being able to do this trip more than once, you know when it is okay to laugh, when it is okay to cry and when it is okay to joke around without getting in trouble. And if trouble somehow finds you during your adventure, you know that your friends will always have your back, no matter what.

On his birthday, Justin has received his new, most favorite toy ever, a video camera. Wanting to record everything he sees seems like a good escape for him, but now he gets to take it on vacation with his friends. Saying that he is going to be filming a documentary on their excursion, Justin is happy behind the camera and wants to get everyone’s story, even if he is not listening. Getting picked up by his best friend Kirk, the group is ready for their next adventure, a party up at Kirk’s cottage. But the group has one terrible problem in front of them, they do not have any beer.

Knowing of a place to get a good discount on their adult beverages, Kirk takes a back road through a trailer park and although everyone else in the car thinks he is lost, he finds his destination. Pulling into what seems to be an abandoned town, Justin and Kirk are able to get the beer, but get frightened when the old timer running the store says that if they continue on the road, they will be killed. Gathering the girls up and getting back on the road, the group feels like they are in the clear, but when a skinned corpse is found on the side of the mountain road, they start to think differently. Kirk’s girlfriend Amanda is loving the adventure and dancing outside of the car since there is nobody around, but she is mistaken as a RV flies by, almost hitting her. Kirk is not able to leave it alone and chases down the RV to get the license plate number, but little does he know these locals are not to be trifled with. 

Crowsnest follows a group of friends as they are looking to have a great weekend getaway at Kirk’s cabin. But when they have to go out of their way to get their adult beverages for this adventure, they wind up getting stalked by an RV with a very different destination. As the group tries to get back to the main road, the RV starts to chase them and will do anything in its power to knock them off of the road. Wanting to stay ahead of their stalkers, one of the girls gets sick and gets side swiped by the RV resulting in her death. Wanting to find help, everyone starts to hike to the highest point they can find to get a signal on their cell phone to call for help, but the driver of the RV does not care about roads and will find them at all costs. Even with a killer chasing after them, personal issues come out between the couples and lives will be forever changed while on their expedition. 

Talk about a driving horror flick. Yeah, I said it. This to me feels like a modern-day Duel, but on the back roads and with someone actually behind the wheel of the RV that is looking to kill. All of the actors in this movie do a great job convincing you that they are frightened and want to go home, and with only one camera to show everything that is happening, it makes it just that much better. With plenty of jokes and lighthearted banter leading up to getting their beer, this movie does not take its foot of the accelerator when the hunt starts. I really enjoyed how this movie played out in the end, with all of the emotions coming to light while the group is looking for help and my favorite saying, ‘You’re dead to me,’ was spoken in rage. Stay Scared.

With how big Social Media has gotten over the years, there has been a massive push to keep it somewhat safe for all of its users. While sites allow questionable material to be flagged as inappropriate or offensive, there is a review process that it needs to go through to determine if it should be removed or not. Watching over the past couple of years as some things get taken down and other stuff is allowed to stay, there does not seem to be much rhyme or reason to it, for it is all in the eyes of the reviewer. It does not seem to be an easy job, to say if something is free speech or not appropriate for anyone to see, but some poor soul is forced to make the decision and for that, they must be commended. 
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Trying to leave the house for her first day of work, Mila is stopped by Ethan before she can get into the car. Wanting to make sure that this is what Mila really wants to do, she comes clean about needing the money, since Ethan has been laid up by a broken leg. Wishing her luck on her first day, he makes sure to put it out there that if she does not like it, she can come straight home. Knowing that there is always that opportunity to leave, Mila says goodbye and makes her way to her new place of employment. 

Arriving at the office and finding out that she has parked in a permit only parking spot, Mila is surprised that the security guard is willing to give her a pass on her first day. Getting into the office and seeing that it is far off of the campus, Mila is shown around by Leon who is more than happy to have her on such short notice. Arriving at the vacant desk, Mila is given her quick rundown of what needs to be done as the new content moderator and put to work. With only having to watch fifteen seconds of ‘Flagged’ videos, Mila thinks that the job is going to be easy, but as the day moves on, she starts to see disturbing content that is leaving her more than a little rattled. But there is a new series of videos that appear on her screen and one after the other brings a hooded figure closer to home… or the quiet office.

Wow, one thing that this horror short does, is make me not want to be the person that chooses the fate of a video online, appropriate or not. It is easy to see that the videos that are flagged for this company are pretty disturbing, even though you only get to see a select few. The troubling footage the Mila watches obviously is not for the faint of heart, but I must admit, that she knew what to do when the camera turned to her desk, she was just not fast enough. With a new job, some missing employees, plenty of obscene videos, a hooded figure, an axe and a thirst for internet fame, this horror short might make you think twice about taking out your frustrations online, or maybe just second guess about posting that video that will make the masses question your intent. Stay Scared.

Watch ‘Flagged’ on Hulu. 

There are some places, that even though they are not officially off limits, the unspoken rule is that they are. While these places may seem fun and exciting to go and visit or explore, there is a reason why nobody else has done it before. It may be in our best interests to avoid these places, as there have been things that may have happened there before our time, and things will probably happen there long after we are gone. Not wanting to become part of the legacy of an off-limits area may not be a bad thing if you think about it, why would you want to be a statistic when you can live out a long life?
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Running at full speed on the beach, Aubrey is far ahead of her pursuer, but takes a stumble when the man chasing her is finally able to catch up. Rolling over on her back to see her man Cal, anxiously waiting to kiss her, Aubrey is not willing to just do his bidding, no matter how silly it may be. Getting back up and racing back to the car, Aubrey notices that she has lost her necklace somewhere on the beach. Taking a couple of minutes to try and find it, Cal accepts defeat and offers to come back in the morning with a metal detector to hopefully find the gift, along with any other precious metals that have been lost along the water’s edge.

Knowing that her grandmother would be upset if she lost her gift, Aubrey takes a walk back by the water to see if she can find the necklace on her own, but she quickly finds out that she is not alone. Turning around to see an old woman standing behind her, Aubrey asks if she has seen anything, but the old woman has something else on her mind. Warning the young woman that she should not be on the beach, the woman vanishes before Cal is able to see her. With the day winding down, the two retreat to the car, but before they leave, Cal has to take care of some personal business. Waiting patiently in the car, Aubrey is approached by the same old woman who has something for the visitor, but little does Aubrey know what horrors await in the woman’s hand.

You might want to chalk this horror short up to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or maybe you will never look at those ‘Enter at Your Own Risk’ signs the same again, either way, this is one creepy little story. With a young couple enjoying the day at the beach, it is easy to see that they are not focused on everything that is going on around them, they might have even missed the sign that appeared to be covered by a bush. The old woman’s warning should have been something for Aubrey to worry about, but when the woman was no longer there, she seemed to put it in the rearview, which should never be done when a crazy person may be lurking around. With a run on the beach, some crashing waves, a missing necklace, a crazy woman in a white dress, a heeded warning, a truck and a need to have someone put out their hand with their eyes closed, this horror short will have you thinking twice about where you go to relax. Stay Scared.

Watch ‘The Dunes’ on Hulu. 

It can be easy to put your future in someone else’s hands when things start to get too hard. While you may think that going to a Fortune Teller is a good thing, most of the time the direction that they point you toward is something that you would do on your own. With vague accounts of your past and mostly fishing to try and prove their worth, it can be said that most of these people are fake, but if you are willing to believe that they have the power to see into the past and your future, you might find yourself handing over your cold hard cash on a weekly basis to see what the future may have in store for you.
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Arriving home while talking to a friend on the phone, the woman sees something on her counter that was not there before. A fortune telling box with the name Zultan printed on the top, that looks like it could have been picked up at a flea market. Hoping that her friend did not pay too much for this silly gift, the woman tries to find an out of the way place to put it when she accidentally turns it on. With a vague reading that she has been going through some trouble in her relationships, the Zultan is shut off and covered up for the night as the woman gets ready for bed.

With her nighttime clothes on, the woman finishes up her routine, but notices that the light in her bedroom is buzzing louder than usual. When the light unexpectedly turns off, the woman looks around to try and find out what might have caused it, but finding nothing, she figures that the power must have gone out. Walking out into the main room, the woman hears some strange sounds coming from the kitchen and heads in to investigate. Finding a cup that has fallen off of the counter, she turns her attention to the fuse box to get the power turned back on in her home but finds out that she is not alone.

This is a fun little horror short that makes you question if there might be something sinister behind those little Fortune Teller machines. While most people believe that they are just used to entertain friends and family, there just might be a spirit waiting to show you, that they know much more than you are willing to give them credit for. I liked how the woman instantly discounted the Zultan box as a hoax, since that is what most of us would do, and how the spirit waiting to be unleashed in the house is so hungry for something more. With a discount fortune teller box, a vague prediction of one’s future, some creepy light up eyes, a power outage, a fallen cup and something that goes bump in the night, this is one of those stories that will make you question if you really want to know where fortunes are told from; a pre-printed card or something otherworldly. Stay Scared.

See ‘Fortune’s Favor’ at Sassy Mare Films’ website.

With all of the new technology at our fingertips, it has become so easy to get too accustomed to it. Of course, I am talking about our voice assistants who are able to run our entire homes if wired up correctly. While it could be a chore to have to walk to a room to turn on a light or turn off the television with our fingers, now all we have to do is ask our assistant to do it for us. What a time to be alive, and well, not have to get out of our seats, unless, of course we need to use the bathroom.
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Getting ready to turn in for the night, a young man has his Google assistant turn off the television.  Getting up to put his water glass away, he hears his assistant say ‘Turn on Upstairs Lights’. Knowing that he did not ask his assistant to do this, he asks it to turn them back off. Watching as the lights turn off, the man notices something or someone lurking around the corner. Needing to know what he saw; the man grabs his fireplace poker and quietly walks up the stairs.

Trying to find out who might be hiding upstairs, the man calls out for the mystery guest to show themselves, but no one is willing to come forward. While searching to make sure that his house is empty, the assistant is told to ‘Play Music’ and is happy to do so. Walking back downstairs to the blaring music, the man unplugs his assistant, but that is not the end of his nightly torment. With his assistant turning on the Laundry Room Lights, the man is forced to see if there is someone messing with him, but once again finds nothing. Turning back to the living room, the man sees a hooded stranger standing in his way. Trying to activate his assistant to get the lights to turn back on so he can see the intruder’s face, the man is shocked when his assistant is not on the same page as he is.

First things first here, if you have a Google assistant set up in your house when you watch this short, it will go nuts and turn your lights on and off, be warned! I must admit that I have not really bought into all of these assistants things as of yet, but when I do, I will need to ensure that my house is not haunted, because as this horror short shows you, anyone with a voice can control them. It was pretty entertaining to see what might happen if your assistant is not really under your control, as whenever someone says, ‘Hey Google’, the device will do whatever it is told and wind up driving you mad. With a malfunctioning voice assistant, lights turning on and off, some music, a fireplace poker, a stranger in the dark and a ghost in the machine, this horror short will make you think twice about hooking up a voice assistant, even if you are looking for a way to make a life a little bit easier. Stay Scared.
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Watch ‘Okay Google’ on YouTube.