Experts, Kaylee Fowler, Serial Killers & Murders

Because You Were Home”: The True Story Behind “The Strangers

Welcome back to Reel Horror! Today, we’re looking at the case that inspired “The Strangers”: Charles Manson and the Tate-LaBianca Murders.

Charles Manson was born on November 12^th, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Ada Kathleen Maddox, an unmarried 16-year-old. She later married William Eugene Manson, though the couple divorced in 1939. His early life was unstable: his mother was frequently absent or incarcerated, and Charles was shuffled between relatives and reform schools for much of his childhood. He spent the better part of his teens and twenties cycling in and out of prison. After the divorce, he took his stepfather’s surname due to Maddox’s neglect.

Kaylee FowlerApril 22, 2026April 21, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, NZGeekChic, Serial Killers & Murders

Sharon Tate: The Night Hollywood Lost Its Innocence

Eight months pregnant and full of promise, Sharon Tate’s life was stolen in a crime that shocked the world. More than fifty years later, the horror of Cielo Drive still refuses to fade.

She was one of Hollywood’s brightest rising stars, a breathtaking actress, a devoted wife, and a mother-to-be just weeks away from welcoming her first child. But on the night of August 8–9, 1969, Sharon Tate’s life was stolen from her in one of the most shocking and brutal crimes America has ever seen.

NZGeekChicApril 21, 2026Leave a comment

Arkham Asylum Files, Experts, OCD Vampire, Psychology

The Joker Arkham File: The Dark Psychology Behind Gotham’s Most Twisted Villain

The Joker isn’t just a criminal, he’s a walking nightmare of unpredictability. A man without fear, without remorse, and without a past that can neatly explain his madness. Step inside the Arkham File and explore the psychology behind Gotham’s most terrifying adversary.

The Arkham Asylum Files

Arkham Asylum stands as Gotham City’s monument to madness, a place built for rehabilitation but infamous for its failures, horrors, and revolving-door villains.

Some criminals leave Arkham worse than when they arrived. Others use it as a temporary resting place before their next crime spree.

OCD VampireApril 16, 2026April 11, 2026Leave a comment

Anika Luna LeFay, Experts, Goth Culture, Musicians

Review Of The Music Video Mercy By Fourth Heaven

A haunting blend of tarot symbolism, smoke, and gothic atmosphere, Fourth Heaven’s Mercy draws you into a world of mysticism and emotion. But beneath the visuals, does the story and sound truly hold its ground?

Mercy – The Music Video

The Fourth Heaven video opens with the vocalist standing still, composed, and delivering her lines with a calm presence. The visuals lean into a Victorian, bygone aesthetic, with smoke drifting around a tarot card table, creating a mystical and slightly occult atmosphere. Throughout the video, the band members appear intermittently, though mostly in static shots.

Anika Harley LeFayApril 15, 2026April 12, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, History of Torture, NZGeekChic

The Breast Ripper: Medieval Torture’s Most Disturbing Myth?

Was the Breast Ripper a real instrument of medieval punishment, or a myth born from our obsession with cruelty? The truth may be less certain, and far more disturbing, than the legend itself.

When it comes to the darker corners of medieval history, few alleged devices are as unsettling or as hotly debated as the Breast Ripper. Whether it was a genuine instrument of punishment or a gruesome piece of historical mythology, it tells us something deeply uncomfortable about how women were treated (or at least, how they were threatened) throughout the medieval and early modern periods.

NZGeekChicApril 13, 2026April 12, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, Medicality, OCD Vampire, Paraphilias

Necrophilia: Desire, Death, and the Psychology of Absolute Control

For some, fascination with death goes beyond curiosity and into something far more unsettling. This article explores the psychology, history, and meaning behind one of the most taboo paraphilias.

There are people who find beauty in death and to some of those people, beauty becomes desire and their fantasies turn into the eroticization of sexual acts with the dead. This complex sexual fantasy has a name and that name is necrophilia. It is a paraphilia focusing on the dead or in other words, corpses.

Some people believe that necrophilia solely revolves around “sick people” while others understand that it’s a delicate balance between life and death. However, this paraphilia, when taken to the extreme, exists only with non consensual practices. No amount of BDSM can save an extreme necrophiliac.

OCD VampireApril 10, 2026April 10, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, Halloween, Kaylee Fowler, Phobias, Psychology

McKamey Manor: America’s Most Controversial Horror Attraction

A bag of dog food to enter. A waiting list of 27,000 people. A $20k cash prize. But what is McKamey Manor, really? And how did it become the source for a 32-page lawsuit?

McKamey Manor is a notoriously intense survival horror-themed haunted house attraction located in Summertown, Tennessee. The founder, Russ McKamey, has been known to be an avid horror fan since childhood, and in 1989 he decided to build his very own haunt in San Diego, California. He attempted to move to Illinois and Arizona in 2014, but the backlash to his presence was so strong that he abandoned the attempt. The San Diego house closed in 2015, but two years later, McKamey moved to Summertown and reopened for business: passionate about humane animal treatment, he only asked for a 50-pound bag of dog food or a donation to animal welfare as admission.

Kaylee FowlerApril 7, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, NZGeekChic, Serial Killers & Murders

The Twitter Killer: Takahiro Shiraishi and the Predator Who Hunted the Vulnerable

He offered help to those who wanted to die—but behind the screen was something far darker. This is the story of the man who turned compassion into a weapon.

We’ve all been there : scrolling through social media late at night, feeling vulnerable, perhaps a bit lost. In 2017, nine people in Japan reached out into the digital void looking for understanding. What they found instead was Takahiro Shiraishi, a predator who weaponized compassion.

NZGeekChicApril 6, 2026April 5, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, OCD Vampire, Vampires

Before Dracula: The First Vampires of Mesopotamia

Long before Dracula, ancient Mesopotamia was filled with blood-drinking demons and restless spirits that preyed on the living. These early entities reveal the origins of the vampire myth and the fears that shaped it.

The Mesopotamian Proto-Vampires

Mesopotamian mythology offers some of the earliest examples of vampire-like beings. While the concept of the modern vampire did not yet exist, ancient Mesopotamia was filled with blood-drinking and life-draining spirits that feel strikingly familiar.

To find the earliest forms of vampire-like entities, we must go back to approximately 3000–2000 BCE, in the civilizations of Sumer, Akkad, and Babylonia. These beings were not called vampires, but they shared many of the traits associated with them.

OCD VampireApril 3, 2026April 2, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, Kaylee Fowler, Medicality, Serial Killers & Murders

The Girl Who Wasn’t a Child: The Barbora Škrlová Case and the Horror It Inspired

Welcome back to Reel Horror! Today, we’ll be discussing the Barbora Škrlová case, the basis of the 2009 movie Orphan, as well as the film’s tragic repercussions in the years that followed.

DISCLAIMER: I am neither a medical nor a mental health professional. Additionally, several details of the Škrlová case are related through hearsay and internet rumor. This article is for educational and entertainment purposes only. I have done my best to report the facts as they are and note a few places where urban legend has taken root.

Kaylee FowlerMarch 31, 2026March 30, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, Medicality, NZGeekChic

Mary Toft and the Medical Hoax That Fooled Georgian England

In 1726, an English woman stunned some of the most respected physicians of her time with a series of claims that quickly captivated and divided Georgian society. What followed was a scandalous unraveling of deception, ambition, and exploitation that left both the public and the medical world humiliated.

Grab your cuppa and settle in, lovely readers, because today we’re diving into one of history’s most bizarre medical hoaxes and trust me, you’ll want to hear this one over the garden fence.

NZGeekChicMarch 30, 2026Leave a comment

Cartomancy, Experts, Goth Culture, OCD Vampire, Paganism

A Review of A Gothic Witch’s Oracle Deck by Raven Digitalis

A few months ago, Raven Digitalis contacted Gothic Bite Magazine regarding a review of his oracle deck. We have since had the opportunity to explore it, and the following are my impressions of this distinctly gothic offering.

At First Glance: Well-Executed Packaging

At first glance, the packaging is both well-designed and protective of the deck. The artwork sits somewhere between photography and digital manipulation, depicting a woman lying down in a pose reminiscent of Sleeping Beauty.

The box itself opens like a book, revealing both the deck and its accompanying booklet. Notably, the booklet is thicker than most included with oracle decks I own. It begins with an introduction to the creators: Raven Digitalis, an accomplished occultist, and John Santerineross, the photographer and photo manipulator, who is equally accomplished in his field.

OCD VampireMarch 26, 2026March 23, 20262 Comments

Anika Luna LeFay, Experts, Musicians

Review Of My Redemption By Christine Plays Viola

Christine Plays Viola recently reached out to Gothic Bite Magazine to review their work. The following is our full review of the tracks she shared with us.

This is my written review of the music artist Christine Plays Viola and the song “My Redemption” from their upcoming album, F.I.V.E. – Fear Increases Violent Emotions. To be released in 2026. The famous Cleopatra Records label produces them. They’re an Italian dark wave/post-punk band founded in the early 90s.

Anika Harley LeFayMarch 25, 2026March 23, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, Kaylee Fowler, Psychology

The Real Story Behind The Exorcist, The Exorcism Of Roland Doe

Hello, and welcome back to Reel Horror, where we discuss the real-world inspirations behind horror films. Today, we’ll be looking at the Roland Doe case, which inspired William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel and subsequent film The Exorcist.

The Roland Doe case is one of the most-documented possession cases in American history. It entered the mind of the public in 1949, when several newspapers printed anonymous articles describing the possession and exorcism of a 14-year-old boy in Missouri, pseudonymously referred to as Roland Doe or Robbie Mannheim. It is widely believed that these articles were written by Luther Miles Schulze, the former pastor of Doe’s family. The case itself was documented in a diary by Raymond J. Bishop, a priest who was present at the exorcism. Much of the information now known comes from a book by Thomas B. Allen.

Kaylee FowlerMarch 24, 2026March 23, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, NZGeekChic, Serial Killers & Murders

The Murder Of Tara Calico

Pull up a chair, grab your tea (or something stronger), and let me tell you about a case that’s haunted amateur sleuths and investigators for over three decades.

NZGeekChicMarch 23, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, Middle Ages, OCD Vampire, Paganism

What Is A Sceadugenga From The Medieval Times?

Sceadugenga is one of those wonderfully eerie Old English words that feels like it walked straight out of a cursed forest and is meant to haunt.

What Is The Etymology Of The Word?

Sceadugenga is an Old English word, and while Anglo-Saxon was spoken roughly from 450 CE to 1150 CE, we can narrow it down!

The word sceadugenga is attested in Beowulf, which gives us the best reference point since the manuscript dates around 1000 CE, but the poem itself was likely composed earlier, in the 700 to 900 CE.

OCD VampireMarch 20, 2026March 20, 2026Leave a comment

Anika Luna LeFay, Experts, Indie Community, Musicians

Review of Post Mortem Invictus Album by Luci Ferrum

Luci Ferrum recently reached out to Gothic Bite Magazine to review her work. The following is our full review of the tracks she shared with us.

“Across the EP, themes move through emotional deadlock (“Push and Pull”), inherited trauma (“Cycle Breaker”), and mental self-mutilation demanded by others (“Custom Made”). Sonically, the record blends industrial grit, trip-hop intimacy, and cinematic tension, supported by tightly disciplined vocal performances.” — Luci Ferrum

This is written and reviewed by song with my opinion at the end of the review. Onto the review!

Anika Harley LeFayMarch 18, 2026March 15, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, Kaylee Fowler, Serial Killers & Murders

Reel Horror – The True Story Behind Ghostface

Hello and welcome to Reel Horror, where we discuss the real-world inspirations behind horror films. From true crime to paranormal happenings to mysterious, unexplained, or just plain strange phenomena, horror often finds its roots in its surroundings, and this new series is devoted to exploring where some of the most iconic films and villains find their origins.

Today, we’ll be looking at the inspiration behind Ghostface and the Scream franchise: Danny Rolling, also known as the Gainesville Ripper. Rolling was an American serial killer from Shreveport, Louisiana, who killed 5 college students in Gainesville, FL over four days in 1990.

Kaylee FowlerMarch 17, 2026March 16, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, NZGeekChic, Serial Killers & Murders

The Story Behind The Movie Badlands

Serial killers are a fascinating subject but let’s not forget about the victims they leave behind and the lesson that sometimes we must learn. Here is the story of what inspired the movie Badlands.

The American Midwest in the 1950s was supposed to be safe. White picket fences, malt shops, and the promise of prosperity defined the era’s mythology. But in the winter of 1957-58, two young people shattered that illusion in the most brutal way imaginable.

NZGeekChicMarch 16, 2026March 16, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, OCD Vampire, Paranormal

The Origin Of Friday The 13th And Its History

We know Friday the 13th and its famous killer, Jason Voorhees, but where did the reputation of Friday the 13th really start, and where does it come from?

The creepy reputation of Friday the 13th is an actual mash-up of two older superstitions that developed separately and eventually merged. Neither started out connected, but once they combined, the date became a cultural magnet for bad luck stories.

OCD VampireMarch 13, 2026March 11, 2026Leave a comment

Welcome back to Reel Horror! Today, we’re looking at the case that inspired “The Strangers”: Charles Manson and the Tate-LaBianca Murders.

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Eight months pregnant and full of promise, Sharon Tate’s life was stolen in a crime that shocked the world. More than fifty years later, the horror of Cielo Drive still refuses to fade.

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The Joker isn’t just a criminal, he’s a walking nightmare of unpredictability. A man without fear, without remorse, and without a past that can neatly explain his madness. Step inside the Arkham File and explore the psychology behind Gotham’s most terrifying adversary.

The Arkham Asylum Files

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A haunting blend of tarot symbolism, smoke, and gothic atmosphere, Fourth Heaven’s Mercy draws you into a world of mysticism and emotion. But beneath the visuals, does the story and sound truly hold its ground?

Mercy – The Music Video

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Was the Breast Ripper a real instrument of medieval punishment, or a myth born from our obsession with cruelty? The truth may be less certain, and far more disturbing, than the legend itself.

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For some, fascination with death goes beyond curiosity and into something far more unsettling. This article explores the psychology, history, and meaning behind one of the most taboo paraphilias.

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A bag of dog food to enter. A waiting list of 27,000 people. A $20k cash prize. But what is McKamey Manor, really? And how did it become the source for a 32-page lawsuit?

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He offered help to those who wanted to die—but behind the screen was something far darker. This is the story of the man who turned compassion into a weapon.

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Long before Dracula, ancient Mesopotamia was filled with blood-drinking demons and restless spirits that preyed on the living. These early entities reveal the origins of the vampire myth and the fears that shaped it.

The Mesopotamian Proto-Vampires

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Welcome back to Reel Horror! Today, we’ll be discussing the Barbora Škrlová case, the basis of the 2009 movie Orphan, as well as the film’s tragic repercussions in the years that followed.

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A few months ago, Raven Digitalis contacted Gothic Bite Magazine regarding a review of his oracle deck. We have since had the opportunity to explore it, and the following are my impressions of this distinctly gothic offering.

At First Glance: Well-Executed Packaging

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Christine Plays Viola recently reached out to Gothic Bite Magazine to review their work. The following is our full review of the tracks she shared with us.

Share this:

Hello, and welcome back to Reel Horror, where we discuss the real-world inspirations behind horror films. Today, we’ll be looking at the Roland Doe case, which inspired William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel and subsequent film The Exorcist.

Share this:

Pull up a chair, grab your tea (or something stronger), and let me tell you about a case that’s haunted amateur sleuths and investigators for over three decades.

Share this:

Sceadugenga is one of those wonderfully eerie Old English words that feels like it walked straight out of a cursed forest and is meant to haunt.

What Is The Etymology Of The Word?

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Luci Ferrum recently reached out to Gothic Bite Magazine to review her work. The following is our full review of the tracks she shared with us.

Share this:

Share this:

Serial killers are a fascinating subject but let’s not forget about the victims they leave behind and the lesson that sometimes we must learn. Here is the story of what inspired the movie Badlands.

Share this:

We know Friday the 13th and its famous killer, Jason Voorhees, but where did the reputation of Friday the 13th really start, and where does it come from?

Share this: