Good morning,
Summer is here and air travel is back in full swing—crowded flights, delays, and that one passenger who absolutely should not be sitting next to you. Horror movies really undersold how scary row 23 can be. Read on…
🩸TODAY’S TERROR — MANHOLE COVERS
New York City police are investigating a series of bizarre mysteries involving people (not humanoid turtles) caught on video emerging from the sewer system at night… Off story note: It took me a while to come up with the The Mole People image. Don’t you just love 50s horror movie artwork? Give me my flowers.
🩸RECENT HORROR NEWS
Kane Parsons Isn't Waiting for Permission Anymore
Remember when Kane Parsons was the teenager making creepy Backrooms videos on YouTube? He's now 21, his film Backrooms has crossed $250 million worldwide, and he's become one of horror's biggest success stories overnight. The lesson? Today's horror king might currently be editing videos in his bedroom.
Jason Voorhees Finally Joins Dead by Daylight
After years of fan begging, pleading, and probably sacrificing counselors at Camp Crystal Lake, Jason Voorhees is officially joining Dead by Daylight. The game's 10th-anniversary celebration also teased a major visual overhaul, new modes, and several future horror collaborations. Horror gamers are eating well.
Adrian Chiarella Becomes Horror's New Name to Watch
Australian filmmaker Adrian Chiarella is suddenly on every horror fan's radar thanks to Leviticus, his feature-film debut. The supernatural horror film premiered at Sundance, earned strong reviews, and quickly became one of the most talked-about horror releases of the summer. Critics are praising Chiarella's ability to blend genuine emotion with nightmare fuel—a combination that tends to create the next generation of horror heavyweights. If Leviticus is any indication, horror may have found its newest breakout director.
🩸 T- BONE’S TOP MOVIE PICKS — FATHER’S DAY
T-Bone has a Father’s Day gift for horror fans—movies dealing with the trials and tribulations of fathers. Enjoy
🩸NEWSWORTHY NUMBER
50%
Nearly half of Halloween fans now start shopping for spooky season before September. In other words, "Summerween" has officially become a thing, and somewhere a skeleton decoration is already judging your lack of commitment.
🩸SPOTLIGHT FILM MAKER — KANE PARSONS — BACKROOMS
Who is he?
Kane Parsons. Recently turned 21. Self-taught. And somehow already making the rest of us feel like we’ve wasted our lives doomscrolling.
If you’ve fallen down the eerie rabbit hole known as Backrooms, you’ve already met Kane Parsons — the filmmaker who turned creepy yellow hallways and internet dread into one of horror’s most unsettling modern phenomena. Starting on YouTube under the name “Kane Pixels,” Parsons created The Backrooms (Found Footage) in 2022 — a short film so unnerving it made millions of viewers suddenly distrust office carpeting.
What Makes Him Stand Out
He didn’t wait for Hollywood permission. He taught himself VFX, animation, sound design, and storytelling from his bedroom, building cinematic horror with tools like Blender and pure obsession. That DIY grind paid off in a huge way: his viral shorts caught Hollywood’s attention, leading to an A24 feature adaptation of Backrooms — making Parsons the youngest filmmaker to direct a feature for the studio.
Why We Should Care
Here’s the thing horror creators should pay attention to: Kane Parsons represents something bigger. He’s proof that terrifying audiences no longer requires a studio, a gatekeeper, or a trust fund. Sometimes all it takes is a weird idea, talent, and an unhealthy relationship with editing software. Parsons is proof the old “gate keeper” walls are coming down for innovative creators.
Why we’re watching: Parsons feels like the next evolution of horror filmmaking — internet-savvy, visually fearless, and weird in exactly the way horror needs right now. If he’s doing this at 20, imagine the nightmares he’ll give us by 30 👀
🩸HORROR IN THEATERS.
Leviticus — (June 19th) Two teens try to escape from a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most. Trailer
Rose of Nevada — (June 19th)
Scary Movie 6 — (June 5th) The Ghostface jokes are back as The Wayans Brothers once again proved horror and comedy are a potent formula, grossing over $105 mil. A franchise record for an opening weekend. Trailer
Backrooms — (May 29th) Did you read the Spotlight Film Maker section above? nuff said. Trailer
Obsession — (May 15th) The movie is back for a fifth weekend. $750,000 budget. Damn! Trailer
Coming Soon
Camp — (June 26) Gen Z coming-of-age film follows Emily, a troubled teen who takes a job as a counselor at a specialized summer camp where, she delves into witchcraft while trying to ignore a haunting voice whispering to her from the woods… Ah, sleep away camp, where every young boy dreams of losing his virginity… and sadly doesn’t.
And keep an eye out for
Evil Dead Burn — (July 10th) Trailer
Alpha — (July 10th) Set in France between the 1980s and 1990s, the film follows a mysterious blood-borne illness spreading through society… that was happening here, too.
🩸COSPLAY CORNER
While most fans recreated the shower scene for last summer’s virtual Midsummer Movie Madness screening of Psycho. Christopher created the classic scene of Marion Crane in her bra and half slip after she stole the money. When you “dress up” for Midsummer Movie Madness you can get as creative as you like. After all, there’s a cash prize at stake. Come for the movie, stay for the madness. [Midsummer Movie Madness Coming Mid-Summer 2026]
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🩸THE GRUDGE BLOG — THE ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL HORROR SCREENPLAY
It’s the second week of our new blog, Storytellers. Our little corner of the newsletter for me to share my thoughts on the state of horror.
This week it’s The Three Elements of Horror’s Most Successful Screenplays. Want to know why you like certain horror movies, or how to write a great one? Click for Blake Snyder’s successful formula.
🩸HORROR TO WATCH ON STREAMERS
What’s Worth The Watch — a mix of hidden gems, buzzy titles, comfort horror, underseen picks, and classics worth revisiting.
“The fog is calling”
Return to Silent Hill — Streaming on: Screambox, YouTube, Plex
Return to Silent Hill has arrived on streaming. Expect abandoned streets, psychological dread, and the uncomfortable feeling that you took a wrong turn somewhere around 2003 and never quite found your way home.
“The ocean chooses violence”
Kraken — Streaming on: Netflix
Kraken serves up giant-tentacle chaos for anyone who likes their creature features loud, wet, and determined to ruin a perfectly good boat trip.
Comfort Horror Pick of the Week: “Flower crowns and bad decisions”
Midsommar — Streaming on: Prime Video
Midsommar is this week's comfort horror pick. Sure, it's about grief, cults, and emotional devastation in broad daylight—but it's also peak summer horror. If you're celebrating the start of summer, why not spend it watching someone else's vacation go much, much worse? 🌞🔪
🩸FINAL SIP
Summer officially began this past weekend.
Millions of people will pack suitcases, board airplanes, book questionable hotels, and confidently tell themselves, "Nothing bad ever happens on vacation."
Horror movies have spent fifty years proving otherwise.
Travel safe. And if the rental cabin is suspiciously cheap, maybe keep driving. 🌴🔪
We read your emails and we’re ‘dying’ to hear from you. Comments, questions, a nice pat on the back. Email us at: [email protected].
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