I work as a remote fire lookout and see under 10 people all summer, and maybe I'm a masochist, but I love reading or listening to horror stories at night. So maybe the isolation theme inspires you. I've surprisingly never read The Shining, even when I lived in a remote tiny cabin in Alaska with my best friend for a winter, hah. We're luckily both still alive.
I like sci-fi especially, but am interested in whatever. Paranormal is iffy, it just doesn't get to me unless the writing is really good.
I generally hate sex scenes- the more graphic the less I'll enjoy it, so I'd prefer that if there are any sex scenes they're very brief.
Also I'm not sure if I like splatter punk... I read Maeve Fly last summer, and the gore did absolutely nothing for me or the story. But I'm open to try again if there's better examples of it.
The last couple horror stories I've read have been flops- one was accidentally a YA, and the other was by Owl Goingback and the writing was just not great for me. I have Jurassic Park on hold at the library currently, and I'm stoked to read that. I also have Shadow Divers on hold, and although it's NF, I've heard it's horror-esque.
I did read the entire The Ring series. It's not actually horror, imo, more so suspense/mystery-- but I loved it and flew through it.
Feel free to ask any clarifying questions on my taste, and I'll add them in up here. I'm going to slowly start building up my stock for this next summer. My family really desensitized me to horror- my mom got booted from a haunted house for bringing me as a baby. And my grandma and I would watch Ju-On, Signs, The Shining, etc in her room while the guys watched the football game. So I rarely get spooked- feel free to give me any genre and intensity.
Sweetie is home from the vet, with medicine to rub on her ear (for absorption) and pills (good luck to us on that) and a shot from the vet to help things move through her better. They took blood tests also but we'll find out about them Monday.
She is sniffing at food, and walking around outside of her hiding place, so I think she's feeling a little better. Steve said she purred for them, which is very good.
A new era of the Friday the 13th franchise is about to begin, with Linda Cardellini having been officially cast as Pamela Voorhees in the Peacock streaming series Crystal Lake and the rights holders actively working on a new movie. As we sit in this space between eras, we still have the classic movies to watch over and over again. So let’s take a look at this Friday the 13th Movies Ranked list!
While this list is all in good fun, I have to admit that I found it to be surprisingly difficult to put together. That’s because the Friday the 13th franchise is my favorite of all franchises and I love every one of these films. Ranking them was like trying to rank my major internal organs. Some may work better than others, but I need them all! I struggled to decide which order to put them in, and ended up listing them based on which ones I would most like to watch at any given time. So here they are, listed from “Yes, put that movie on right now!” to “Sure, okay, let’s watch it.” Check it out, then let us know how you would rank the movies by leaving a comment below.
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART III (1982)
The Jason everyone knows is born here. This is where he gets his iconic hockey mask, and he wears it while taking out a group of youths vacationing at a cabin on the edge of Crystal Lake. Part 2 director Steve Miner returned for this one and managed to make it creepy while also packing it with gimmicks meant to be seen in 3D on the big screen – and you ever have the chance to see Friday the 13th Part III in 3D, go for it. It’s an awesome experience. Especially when you get to watch the hulking, hockey masked Jason (Richard Brooker) engage the final girl in one of the best chases of the franchise. A 13 minute sequence that goes all over the cabin property.
FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)
Directed by Sean S. Cunningham, the original Friday the 13th has achieved classic status – and yet somehow it still doesn’t get enough respect or credit for how effectively creepy it is. A low budget but well crafted production, it delivers a dark-yet-fun atmosphere, an unnerving back story, an incredible score, amazing special effects (courtesy of Tom Savini), and an unforgettable performance by Betsy Palmer. Palmer shows up late in the film as a grieving mother out to avenge her young son, who drowned at Camp Crystal Lake more than twenty years earlier because the counselors weren’t paying attention. The new counselors didn’t have anything to do with it, but they pay the price.
FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984)
A family living in a house out in the woods. A group of young people renting the house right across from them. And Jason Voorhees (Ted White this time) lurking nearby, waiting to strike. Director Joseph Zito brought a very dark atmosphere to this film, and yet it’s also a whole lot of fun, featuring some of the best, most likeable young characters in the entire series. (Plus some wild dancing from Crispin Glover.) Tom Savini believed “The Final Chapter” subtitle and returned to supply the bloodshed for Jason’s send-off. The kills are brutal, even the ones that are cut quickly, and the showiest of all is reserved for Jason himself. Jason is legitimately scary in this film, but a clever young boy named Tommy Jarvis figures out how to defeat the monster. For now.
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES (1986)
Tasked with bringing Jason Voorhees back from the dead, writer/director Tom McLoughlin looked to the Universal Monsters era for inspiration and resurrected Jason Frankenstein-style, with a well-placed lightning bolt. Jason rises from his grave a bit rotten but stronger than ever, just in time for the re-opening of Camp Crystal Lake. As returning adversary Tommy Jarvis tries to stop Jason, McLoughlin treats the viewer to fun characters, humorous lines and situations, cool stunts, great cinematography, and a rock ‘n roll soundtrack. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (which shows the title and subtitle the other way around in the title sequence, so it’s Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI) pushes the comedy further than any of the previous movies, but it works because Jason himself (CJ Graham) is never the butt of the joke. McLoughlin found a way to bring fresh energy to the franchise while still keeping it in the woods.
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 (1981)
Friday the 13th Part 2 (not Part II, as they didn’t get fancy with the Roman numerals until later) is so good, it’s easy to overlook the fact that it’s built on a very odd decision: the one to make Jason Voorhees, the drowned child whose mother was out for vengeance in the first movie, the killer this time around. This isn’t the Jason who would become a pop culture icon. This is a backwoods fellow who wears a sack on his head (with Steve Dash being the man under the sack). But he’s also a terrifying killer who slashes his way through a new batch of counselors. Director Steve Miner did a great job of replicating the tone of the first movie, and the film features one of the best heroines in the franchise: child psychologist Ginny Fields, who comes up with a clever way of stopping Jason in his tracks.
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD (1988)
When Paramount couldn’t secure a deal with New Line Cinema to make Freddy vs. Jason, they shifted gears and made a sequel that is basically Jason vs. Carrie. You have the same set-up as The Final Chapter, partying youths in a house across from a family home, but this time the family home is occupied by a troubled girl with telekinetic abilities. Like Tommy in Jason Lives, that girl (named Tina) accidentally resurrects Jason, then has to deal with the consequences. And when it comes time for their showdown, Tina uses her telekinesis to dish out quite a beating to the hockey masked slasher. It’s pretty awesome. Kane Hodder made his Jason debut in this film, and director / FX artist John Carl Beuchler gave him a great rotten look.
FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING (1985)
After years of psychiatric treatments, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter hero Tommy Jarvis arrives at Pinehurst Halfway House… and soon a killer in a hockey mask starts picking off the staff of the halfway house, the troubled youths staying there, and people in the surrounding area. The identity of the killer is meant to be a mystery, but it’s pretty hard to miss the clues. Directed by Danny Steinmann, A New Beginning has a bad reputation, but it’s still a lot of fun. Jason (Tom Morga and Johnny Hock) may only be present in Tommy’s hallucinations, but we still get a hockey masked killer who acts just like him. The characters are ridiculous, the movie is extremely sleazy, but that’s all just part of its charm.
FREDDY VS. JASON (2003)
After a long trip through development hell, Freddy vs. Jason finally reached theatres in 2003, with director Ronny Yu bringing the concept to the screen with great style. Robert Englund reprises the role of Nightmare on Elm Street franchise dream stalker Freddy Krueger, who uses the image of Mrs. Voorhees to encourage Jason Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger) to rise from Hell and head over to his old haunt of Elm Street to commit murder and stir up fear. Fear that will allow Freddy to return to the dreams of the Elm Street kids. But when Jason overstays his welcome and claims too many victims on Elm Street, the slashers clash. Fights take place in both the dream world and at Camp Crystal Lake, and the climactic battle is a glorious bloodbath.
FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009)
Ideas from the first four Friday the 13th films were mixed together for this reboot, a collaboration between Paramount and New Line Cinema. Derek Mears plays a Jason Voorhees who is faster and more intense than ever before. He’s wearing a sack on his head when we first see him, and later in the film he acquires a hockey mask. The set-up is the same as we’ve seen multiple times: Jason slashes his way through a bunch of youths who are vacationing at a house near Crystal Lake. The movie also draws from the end of Part 2 for its most controversial element: when Jason crosses paths with a young woman who resembles his mother, he locks her up in his mine shaft lair instead of killing her. Some fans think it’s a logical extension of what we saw in Part 2, other fans hate it.
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN (1989)
The Paramount era came to an end with Jason Takes Manhattan, which underwhelmed at the box office when movie-goers saw that it didn’t really deliver on the promise of the title. Jason (Kane Hodder) spends most of the film on a cruise ship that’s on its way to Manhattan, knocking off youths who are on board for a senior trip. When they do reach their destination, Manhattan is mostly played by Vancouver alleyways. But there is a great moment where we see Jason standing in the middle of Times Square. Part VIII also disappoints with a spacey heroine who’s always tripping, since director Rob Hedden wanted to work in some Elm Street-esque elements. The movie is fun, but you can see why Paramount gave up.
JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY (1993)
The franchise moved to New Line Cinema with this installment, and director Adam Marcus set out to deliver a film that would be very different from any of its predecessors. He certainly accomplished that. Jason Goes to Hell starts off with Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) being blasted to pieces by the FBI… then spends the rest of the movie possessing people, starting with the coroner who is compelled to eat his heart. Jason’s spirit moves from body to body as he seeks out family members we never heard of before, because this movie creates its own mythology. “Through a Voorhees was he born, through a Voorhees may he be reborn, and only by the hands of a Voorhees will he die.” How can he die? By being stabbed with a magic dagger that sends him straight to Hell.
JASON X (2002)
While Freddy vs. Jason was making its way through development hell, director James Isaac decided to make another Friday the 13th sequel – one that would be set in the future to avoid causing continuity issues with the Freddy crossover. So a frozen Jason (Kane Hodder) gets blasted into space in the year 2455, and once he thaws out it’s business as usual because the ship he’s on happens to be inhabited by a bunch of youngsters. Plus some Marines, but those aren’t a problem. The cyborg causes him more trouble, but once his body gets blasted apart he just gets a new one, thanks to nanotechnology. Jason is upgraded into Uber Jason! Jason X is extremely goofy, and highly entertaining when you’re in the mood for absurdity.
Obligatory Mention: SWEET REVENGE (2025)
Now that we’ve covered the feature films, we have to mention that writer/director Mike P. Nelson’s short film Sweet Revenge was released in 2025, giving us our first official piece of live-action Friday the 13th content in sixteen years. Building off the traditional “Jason kills people on a trip to the lake” set-up, Nelson drops some wild ideas into his 15 minute short, including a heroine that returns from the dead… for some reason. Please don’t tell me “cursed lake water” is resurrecting people, because I hate that idea and feel that it takes away something special from Jason. Whatever the case, the short has its moments and a cool kill involving a boat motor. Stuntman Schuyler White did a fine job as Jason for the most part, although he doesn’t quite have the right build for the character and former Jason performer Kane Hodder would not appreciate that he’s shown holding his machete in his left hand. The biggest issue is the mask. The rights holders, possibly for copyright reasons, have decided to redesign Jason’s iconic hockey mask, which always had 31 holes before and now only has 13 holes. That could work, but so far, there’s just something off about it. The size, the texture. It doesn’t look right. There are some shots of it that look okay, but there are also shots of it that look horrible. This thing needs some tweaks done to it before we see it again. Sweet Revenge is not the triumphant return fans have been waiting for, but it was a fun way to let people know that Jason Voorhees is making a comeback.
Reading fairly speedily! Definitely fell off a little on having quite so many that are relevant to my interests as the first post, but I'm also doing really well at taking control of my TBR shelves after I got very overwhelmed by them.
If the Boot Fits by Rebekah Weatherspoon
I like Weatherspoon, I always forget that and then I read one of hers! This was a fun little Hollywood Cinderella retelling, nothing very deep, but an enjoyable winter read if you're into that kind of thing. Though really the Cinderella of it all is done within the first couple chapters and then it's just a man being very besotted and the woman being unsure if it's a good idea. Weatherspoon has such an interesting tendency to have minor characters that feel like she's setting up other romances or checking in on past romances that then don't exist--the love interest's brothers have books about them, but there are at least two other couples in the book where I was baffled to find that she hadn't written books about them nor did she seem to intend to.
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
A reread, though from long ago! Someone from work very kindly gifted me a copy, so I reread it, of course, and I really do enjoy it a lot! There's a lot of fun worldbuilding, I love it when stories have music in them intimately, and everything is allowed to be a lot messier than I feel like YA can sometimes trend to (which sounds wrong, YA is very messy as a genre, I just can't phrase it better than that right now). Anyway, this has made me want to read more Hartman, especially since I hear good things about Tess of the Road, so I'll look out for more from her!
The Djinn Waits A Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan
I think I read this after reading someone's review of it here on DW? Anyway, I can be hit or miss on books that swap back and forth between timelines (which is annoying because it's So Fucking Common), but I did like this! I think it carried it off with more grace than they sometimes can. Overall, this book wasn't centered on my loves and interests, but it was interesting, and I like reading books set in warm places during the cold of the winter. This sounds lukewarm, maybe because I read it on a day I was really sleep deprived, but I did like it a lot!
Gifts by Ursula K. LeGuin
Continuing my periodic goal to read more LeGuin! This one's a quiet story, as LeGuin is so good at, a coming of age with LeGuin's usual really solid worldbuilding. This is one where I don't have much to say, it's just a solid read! You've got to go into it remembering LeGuin doesn't care to do things at the Genre Standard (which seems obvious to say but somehow I find it strange every time even if I like it) about pacing and density of plot, but it's worth it.
Isn't It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams
Contemporary romance. It was ... fine? I appreciate when writers take a stab at a contemporary marriage of convenience, but that was really most of what it had going for it. To be fair, it might have been unfairly contrasted with the watch I'd done of Heated Rivalry just a few days before? But really it just felt like it was trying to do Jennifer Crusie, with the zany ensemble and idiosyncratic bits (and maybe Crusie in her co-writer era due to the random action plot it spawned at the end), and just got nowhere close to her charm.
At the Feet of the Sun by Victoria Goddard
I have to be in the right mood for Goddard (mostly a mood where I am willing to deal with the author having Two Special Boys Who She Loves Very Much And Everyone Loves Them And Says How Cool They Are), but I was in the right mood and I was having a stressful week and needed some self-care, so I went cozy. It was the right choice! Goddard's books, at least in this particular sub-series, are very long and incredibly indulgent, but they rarely feel long while I'm reading them. Sometimes I end up rolling my eyes when once again it gets hammered home how little self-esteem Cliopher has vs. how much other people esteem him, less because it's not realistic (I know many people this is true of) and more because even when I'm in the mood for The Author's Special Boys there are limits, but overall, it was the right book at the right moment for me. (One note from me on this series: the variable timelines and time stuff drive me NUTS. It's a useful tool for an author but it keeps disorienting me rather than bringing me deeper into the world.)
Swept Away by Beth O'Leary
I like O'Leary a lot! And I like this book a lot, I always forget that I love Survival Stories until I'm in the middle of having a heap of fun watching people problem-solve in emergency situations. Some of the family drama stuff in this one worked less well for me, but the overall concept and relationship development? A joy to me. Also, I want an AU on this vague concept in literally every fandom I"m in, thanks.
Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
I wish I could remember where I'd run across this rec. I picked it up because my library ebook service had it and I'd seen it on a list at some point. It's a YA fantasy, must have been published when Gail Carson Levine was trendy just judging from the marketing of it. It had its good points! Some interesting worldbuilding, and it really was a coming-of-age story. I kept being torn, because on one hand the heroine was fat and that's wonderful and novel, but on the other hand there was so much focus on it, and she did get starved somewhat at some point so she was Still Sturdy But Less Fat, and just overall how that whole thread was handled was uneven for me. Like, product of its time, but still. The worst aspect of this was the romance! No build-up, shortcuts with dream stuff, hard to believe for me. Like, I knew as soon as he was mentioned that he'd be the love interest, but it was done with no grace whatsoever. The whole romance could have been cut from the book and it would have been stronger for it.
Boy, With Accidental Dinosaur by Ian McDonald
This is someone's book for SURE, but it's not my book. I took it for a spin because there's a dinosaur-riding cowboy in my D&D game, so the dinosaur rodeo of it all here was a fun concept, but this was only like 30% dinosaur, and then 70% backstories for rodeo characters and explaining this dystopian late-20th-century world. If I'd known going in that the dinosaurs were a time travel thing (with Strict Rules) rather than an alternate history thing or a bioengineering thing, I might not have tried it, for some reason that made the whole thing way less fun for me. But it no doubt makes it more fun for someone!
Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown
I skimmed this one hard and frankly only finished it because I knew I was almost done with a book post and wanted to get one out. The concept was interesting to me (two people who have almost been something many times over the years end up on a road trip together hunting down their friend who might be becoming a runaway bride), but I found both the characters incredibly unlikeable, especially our narrator. I don't think I'll be reading any more from this author.
That's all for this time! Next time, maybe I finally get to the most recent Alix Harrow?
Who among us has not looked at a newly framed picture, then looked at their wall and thought, "Eh, surely I can eye-ball it this time." Hanging pictures should be an easy feat, but so often they end up uncentered or slightly crooked, causing us to add more holes the wall than intended or desired. The next time you hang pictures or artwork in your home, use one of these 10 hacks so they're level and evenly spaced on the first try.
Use a small ball as a makeshift level to hang pictures
A level is essential when hanging art—a frame that’s even slightly crooked will be an eyesore, and if you’re hanging multiple pieces in a group, it’s even more important that everything be level. If you forgot to grab your level, or you don’t have one, you can use a small ball, like a ping pong ball or a marble. Place it on top of the frame and adjust until the ball sits still, then mark it on the wall.
Use painter’s tape to accurately space two nails when hanging a picture
If your frame has two widely spaced hooks, knowing where to insert your nail, screw, or other fastener on the wall can be a mind-bending challenge. But if you have some painter’s tape on hand, it’s easy: Place a piece of tape across the back of the frame, with the top of the tape lined up with the top of the hooks. Mark the position of the hooks with a marker or pen, then remove the tape and place it on the wall at the desired height. Using a level, adjust the tape until it’s placed correctly. Then drive your nails right through the tape at the marked locations, remove the tape, and hang your picture. Here's a visual tutorial.
Use toothpaste to help you mark the spots where hooks or nails need to go
An alternative to the painter’s tape method is to use some toothpaste (or any gooey, sticky stuff that will wash off your wall easily). Mark the hooks on the back of the frame with a gob of toothpaste, check that it's level and at the desired height on your wall, then press the frame against the wall. The toothpaste will mark the precise spot where you need to drive your nails to hang the frame. Insert your fasteners, clean everything up, and hang that picture in the perfect spot. Here's a visual tutorial.
Make this quick DIY tool to mark the spot for a hook or nail when hanging a picture
If you have spare cardboard (a cereal box will do) and a pin or thumbtack, you can make a little DIY tool that will make marking the spot for a hook or nail easy. Cut out a rectangle of cardboard, then cut a tab at the bottom that’s narrow enough to fit through the hook on the back of the frame. Slide the tab through, and push a pin or tack through from the back. Then push the picture into the wall at the right spot, and the pin will create a tiny hole where your hook or nail needs to be. Here's a visual tutorial.
Use string to guide a hook onto a nail when hanging a picture
Got the nail in the wall, but can’t seem to catch the hook on the picture frame? Get a piece of string and loop it around the nail, then adjust so the ends are even. Take both ends together and run them through the hook, then pull the string tight as you bring the frame toward the wall. The string will guide the hook right onto the nail, no guesswork required. Here's a visual tutorial.
Use a fork to guide wire onto a nail when hanging a picture
If your frame uses a wire across the back to catch a nail or hook in the wall, you know that sometimes you question your own perception of reality as you repeatedly fail to catch the hook on the wire. There’s an easy hack: Grab a fork from the kitchen and place it on the nail or hook in the wall so it leans outward. Then hook the wire onto the stem of the fork and slide the frame down, letting the fork guide the wire down. When it’s hooked, remove the fork and admire your work. (And wash the fork, probably.) Here's a visual tutorial.
Hang pictures with Monkey Hooks if you don't want to use any tools
Hanging art on drywall and dread all the mess and trouble of drilling or nailing? Skip it by using Monkey Hooks instead. These are self-drilling pieces of wire—you just poke them through the wall with a tiny bit of elbow grease—that spin around and provide strong, secure hooks that can hold up to 50 pounds of weight, all without a single tool. Here's a visual tutorial.
Make this paper template when you're hanging multiple pictures in one area
If you’re going to be hanging multiple frames on the wall, grab some paper and create a template first. You can use wrapping paper, butcher paper or any kind of paper you have lying around or can get your hands on cheap (you can also use cardboard if that’s what you have on hand). Lay your frames out on the paper and trace them carefully. Then use the toothpaste or cardboard/nail hacks described above to mark where the nails need to be placed. Hang the template on the wall (ensuring it’s level), hammer in your nails, remove the template, and hang your frames. Here's a visual tutorial.
Use an envelope to catch dust when drilling to hang a picture
If you’re going to drill or nail into your walls to hang pictures, you’re going to get a lot of annoying dust all over the place, unless you use a very simple hack: Tape an envelope to the wall underneath where you’ll be drilling. It will catch all that dust and save you the extra step of vacuuming afterward. If you don’t have any envelopes (or tape), some Post-it Notes will do in a pinch—just fold one in half and stick it to the wall under the spot where you’ll be drilling, and it will catch that dust. You can combine more than one Post-it if you need to. Here's a visual tutorial.
Use your own saliva to mark the spot where you need to hang a picture
If all else fails, and you need to hang a framed picture but you are short on time or patience, there’s a simple solution: Lick the back of your finger, curl it over the hanging hook on the back of the frame, and place it against the wall at the desired height (typically around 57-60 inches from the floor). Your own saliva will leave a faint, temporary mark on the wall where you can confidently place your hook without fuss or delay.
It's cold, it's rainy, and a flock of wood pigeons has descended on the back garden. Let's do this week's open thread.
Today's open thread concept came to me when I was thinking about how frequently I reread books (there are certain books within my line of sight right now that I'm pretty sure I have probably reread several hundred times), and how rarely in comparison I rewatch films or TV shows. I definitely rewatched stuff a lot more when I was a teenager — this was the 1990s, when video rental shops were still a thing, and my friends and I used to have sleepovers almost every weekend, where we'd borrow three or four movies and fall asleep in someone's living room while watching them. We had a rotating series of favourites that we'd watch again and again — the first Matrix film and The Fifth Element were firm favourites, as were a bunch of the classic 1990s slasher films, plus the usual suspects among 1990s teen romantic comedies, The Craft, etc. My sister and I also used to rent and watch the same films over and over again.
But other than a couple of Buffy and Angel rewatches at various points in the past twenty years, and Matthias and I occasionally rewatching previously viewed films as part of our New Year's Eve themed movie nights (e.g. all three LotR films), rewatching is definitely less common for me than rereading. I assume this is because it's much more of a timesuck — in general I read much more quickly than I can watch a film or a TV show, and I have more control over how much I read in a single sitting, whereas viewing is dictated by the lenghth of the film or the TV episode.
What about you? Do you return to longform audiovisual media for repeat viewings? Has this changed over time? Is this different to your approach to rereading books?
The Best Horror Literature and the Worst (horrorlitreddit_feed) wrote2026-02-1304:24 pm
I used to read lots in my teens and for some reason I stopped. Anyways, now in my late 30s I've started again.
I wanted to share the author who got me sucked back into reading.
where name is Johanna Van Veen from the Netherlands.
The book I read that sucked me in was Blood on Her Tongue
I love gothic horror and this is just that! Also if you like authors that do not shy away from detailed scenes of gore, this is for you. Also a lot of her work is like this.
I am professional artist and this book also inspired me to make art and start writing again too!
Anyways, what was the book or author that inspired you to get back into reading? Also who else love Johanna's writing?
The combination of director Steven Spielberg and UFOs has previously brought us Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and War of the Worlds. (Not to mention Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.) This year, Spielberg returns to the subject matter with his latest event film, Disclosure Day, which is set to reach theatres on June 12th – and even though we haven’t seen much from the movie yet, promotional material has already stirred up speculation that this could be a secret follow-up of sorts to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
The Facts
The official press release for Disclosure Day reads:
Universal Pictures is proud to release a new original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars SAG winner and Oscar® nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown), Oscar® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Kingsman franchise), Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters, The Perfect Couple) and two-time Oscar® nominee Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Rustin).
Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide. Koepp also wrote the script for 2025’s Jurassic World Rebirth.
Disclosure Day is produced by five-time Academy Award® nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger (The Fabelmans, West Side Story) and by Spielberg for Amblin Entertainment. The executive producers are Adam Somner and Chris Brigham.
The Speculation
Whether it’s connected to his previous alien stories or not, Spielberg revisiting the concept of UFOs and alien visitations (without the involvement of Indiana Jones this time) is already enough to get fans excited. In a way, it provides book-ends for his career; Close Encounters of the Third Kind was one of his early feature films, and Disclosure Day could be the last time (or one of the last times) the 79-year-old filmmaker deals with these ideas – unless he’s planning to go on an alien movie streak and we haven’t heard about it yet.
But there’s one shot in the teasers we’ve seen that has fans wondering if this story is directly connected to Close Encounters: it’s a shot of a UFO, which looks eerily similar to the spacecraft seen in Spielberg’s 1977 hit.
Dozens of people saw the UFOs in Close Encounters, but the film focused on just a few of them. Ordinary people witnessing extraordinary, live-changing events. The ending seemed to indicate that the entire world was about to know about our alien visitors – and Disclosure Day is the follow-up to that idea, digging into what it would be like if the world did become aware that aliens exist. Not only flying around in UFOs, but also, from the looks of it, hiding amongst us. Spielberg’s story could acknowledge that the events of Close Encounters set humanity on the path toward disclosure, and now Disclosure Day is showing us the consequences.
Close Encounters captured the awe of first contact. Disclosure Day looks to examine the curiosity, fear, and existential questions that would follow. Thinking aliens exist and wanting to see the proof firsthand is one thing. Knowing for sure that they exist? That’s when things can get really creepy.
Of course, the stories could be entirely separate and Spielberg just liked the UFO design in Close Encounters of the Third Kind so much that he decided to bring it back. But for now, fans are having fun imagining Disclosure Day as a secret sequel, an idea that turns the movie into more than just another a sci-fi thriller. It could be a continuation of a story that has fascinated them for nearly 50 years.
My second Festivid was the same kind of immensely fun experience as the first one! Not only did I really enjoy my assignment, but I watched (and loved!) some new movies, and ended up creating a whole four treats for fellow Festividders. That kind of creativity is pure dopamine!
My vids this year span the spectrum of F/F love and grief, action ladies, Zhu Yilong in blue hair (+ aliens??), intergenerational bonding over BL manga and fanworks, and one of my favorite shows of the past couple of years: the utterly engrossing Korean cooking competition Culinary Class Wars.
The shortest vid I made is 1:30, and the longest is 4:27 (my longest vid ever!). I used sources from China, Japan and South Korea, and music by artists from Denmark, Iceland, Japan and South Korea. (And in the process I learned how to upload two sets of subtitles to YouTube - the lyrics both translated into English, and in the original language.)
A quick list of the fandoms & ratings:
유령 | Phantom (2023) - 2x F/F 负负得正 | Land of Broken Hearts (2024) - M/F メタモルフォーゼの縁側 | BL Metamorphosis (2021) - Gen 흑백요리사: 요리 계급 전쟁 | Culinary Class Wars (TV) - Gen
All vids are available on YouTube, Proton Drive, and MEGA!
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The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 isn’t trying to win you over with just flashy specs, though it has plenty of those. It’s currently on sale (see more President’s Day sale here) for $489.99 on Amazon (down from $579.99), which also happens to be its lowest tracked price to date, according to price trackers.
This particular bundle includes some solid extras: two batteries, a flip screen hood, a leather case, a grip kit, and even a pocket printer to turn your favorite captures into prints. What you’re really getting, though, is a rugged, compact camera that delivers impressive 4K video, stable footage, and solid low-light performance—all in a body that’s waterproof, durable, and lightweight enough to clip onto your shirt or bike.
While Insta360 advertises 8K recording at 30fps, most people will likely stick to its excellent 4K modes, which go up to 120fps for smooth slow motion. It also offers a log profile (I-Log) for anyone who wants to color grade their footage later. The 2.5-inch flip-up screen is a standout—bigger than what you get on front-facing GoPro or DJI screens—making framing easier whether you're filming yourself or setting up a shot. The flip mechanism can be a bit clunky if you're constantly switching angles, but it doubles as a mount or even a POV bite grip in a pinch. Unlike its rivals, it doesn’t have built-in storage, so a microSD card (up to 1TB supported, sold separately) is a must-have from day one.
In daily use, the Ace Pro 2 delivers. The footage is sharp, the stabilization keeps things steady, and the built-in mics offer better-than-expected audio. There’s Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C 3.0, and solid app integration for both iOS and Android, making edits and uploads quick. Battery life is solid, and the included extras in this Flash Print Bundle add good value. It’s not leagues ahead of the GoPro Hero 13 or DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, but it brings enough to the table—like the larger flip screen, smart mounting system, and polished app experience—to make it worth considering. If you’re in the market for a flagship action cam and prefer editing clean 4K footage over fiddling with massive 8K files, this is a smart pickup at its current price.
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Ring isn't having the week it probably thought it would have. The Amazon-owned company aired an ad on Super Bowl Sunday for "Search Party," its new feature that turns a neighborhood's collective Ring cameras into one network, with the goal of locating lost dogs. Viewers, however, saw this as a major privacy violation—it doesn't take much to imagine using this type of surveillance tech to locate people, not pets.
The backlash wasn't just isolated to the ad, however. The controversy reignited criticisms of the company's partnership with Flock Safety, a security company that sells security cameras that track vehicles, notably for license plate recognition. But the partnership with Ring wasn't about tracking vehicles: Instead, Flock Safety's role was to make it easier for law enforcement agencies that use Flock Safety software to request Ring camera footage from users. Agencies could put in a request to an area where a crime supposedly took place, and Ring users would be notified about the request. They didn't have to agree to share footage, however.
Law enforcement could already request footage from Ring users, through the platform's existing "Community Requests" feature. But this partnership would let agencies make these requests directly through Flock Safety's software. If a user submitted footage following a request, Ring said that data would be "securely packaged" by Flock Safety and share to the agency through FlockOS or Flock Nova.
Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety
That partnership is officially over. On Friday, Ring published a blog post announcing the end of its relationship with Flock Safety. The company said, after a review, the integration "would require significantly more time and resources than anticipated." As such, both parties have agree to cancel the partnership.
Importantly, Ring says that since the integration never actually launched, no user footage was ever sent to Flock Safety—despite the company announcing the partnership four months ago. Social media influencers had spread the false claim that Flock Safety was seeding Ring footage directly to law enforcement agencies, such as ICE. While those claims are inaccurate, they were likely fueled by reporting from 404 Media that ICE has been able to access Flock Safety's data in its investigations. Had Ring's partnership with Flock Safety gone ahead, there would be legitimate cause to believe that agencies like ICE could tap into the footage Ring users had shared—even if those users were under the impression they were only sharing footage with local agencies to solve specific cases.
While privacy advocates will likely celebrate this news, the cancelled partnership has no effect on Community Requests. Law enforcement agencies will still be able to request footage from Ring users, and those users will still have a say in whether or not they send that footage. Ring sees the feature as an objective good, allowing users to voluntarily share footage that could help law enforcement solve important cases. In its announcement on Friday, Ring cited the December 2025 Brown University shooting, in which seven users shared 168 video clips with law enforcement. According to Ring, one of those videos assisted police in identifying the suspect's car, which, in turn, solved the case.
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The Sony HT-Z9F is down to $419.99 on Woot, a steep drop from its original price of $899.99. At this price, it becomes a far more accessible way to upgrade your TV audio without committing to a full AV receiver and multi-speaker setup. The deal is available for the next 16 days or until it sells out, whichever happens first. Prime members receive free standard shipping, while non-Prime customers pay $6. That said, shipping is not available to Alaska, Hawaii, APO addresses, or PO Boxes, and the purchase includes a 90-day Woot limited warranty. Discover more President's Day Sale deals and the best Tech deals during the early President's Day Sale here.
It’s a 3.1-channel soundbar, meaning it has left, right, and center speakers built in, plus a wireless subwoofer. That dedicated center channel is especially helpful for dialogue—it keeps voices clear and easy to follow, even during action scenes or loud background scores (meaning you do not need to ride the volume during conversations, then scramble to lower it when explosions hit). And then, there’s the wireless sub, which adds weight to action movies and bass-heavy playlists. It is not room-shaking, but it gives enough low-end punch to feel cinematic in a living room setting.
Sony markets the HT-Z9F as Dolby Atmos-enabled, but it does not have upward-firing drivers or rear satellite speakers. Instead, it relies on Sony’s S-Force Pro Front Surround and Vertical Surround Engine to simulate height and surround effects. That processing does create a wider sound field than basic stereo, but everything still feels anchored to the front of the room. Overhead effects lack the distinct placement you would get from true Atmos speakers bouncing sound off the ceiling. If you are upgrading from built-in TV speakers, the improvement will be obvious. But if you expect a fully immersive surround with objects flying above and behind you, this will not deliver that experience.
As for its connectivity, you get two full HDMI inputs that handle all major audio formats, plus HDMI ARC for TV connection. You also get Bluetooth, wifi, and built-in Chromecast for streaming music directly from your phone or apps. The design looks premium and feels sturdy, which helps it blend into a midrange or high-end setup. The tradeoff is limited sound customization. There are preset EQ modes, but no detailed treble or bass adjustments. At $419.99, the HT-Z9F makes sense for someone who values clear dialogue and solid bass, with wide-format support. Those chasing a true Atmos surround setup with discrete height channels may want to look elsewhere.
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If you have matching concerns – e.g. you absolutely do not want to match with another participant – please contact me at extrapenguin at gmx dot com during sign-ups (before the deadline above) and state whether you do not want to create for the person, do not want that person to create for you, or both.
The Best Horror Literature and the Worst (horrorlitreddit_feed) wrote2026-02-1303:43 pm
So I've seen this book recommended quite a few times, and recently someone said it was an inspiration for SOMA, one of my favorite games so I thought I'd give the novel a shot. Long story short, it didn't appeal to me at all, but I know it's a well liked novel by many so I'm curious to hear what other people who read it think. (I also really enjoyed Blindsight by the same author, so that just adds to the disappointment.)
I have two main gripes with the novel:
Firstly, the story feels disjointed. It starts out fine and honestly interesting with the explorations of how humans change physically and psychologically from being under the kind of pressure the rifters are (claustrophobia and agoraphobia at the same time, having to get along with mentally disturbed people you can't get away from and so on). I really wish that would have been the limit of the novel's scope because there'd be enough in there to explore both horror- and sci fi-wise.
Then we get the Behemoth lifeform that, although it has been alluded to a little here and there, felt like it came almost from nowhere near the end of the novel. Almost like that part of the story was an afterthought that had to be crammed in before publishing the novel. I feel like it would have worked much better if it had been more obviously integrated in the story from the beginning rather than "the rifters are behaving differently at the end of the novel compared to the first chapters, turns out that was because of some parasite".
There weren't enough breadcrumbs from that subplot for me to start feeling any kind of tension and dread like you would if you sense that something is terribly wrong. If I recall correctly, before Yves Scanlon was quarantined the only (subtle) signs were that some fish grew big and had brittle bones. There is of course the changes in Gerry Fischer as well, but I interpreted those as mainly being caused by sensory/social deprivation.
And on top of that the smartgel/rogue AI plot that also literally became a thing in the last third or even quarter of the relatively short novel.
Secondly, this novel was TRIGGERING for a CSA survivor like myself and I'm surprised no one's mentioned that in their recommendations. Not only was Lenie Clarke raped multiple times - that's basically her whole personality. She has no interests, no hobbies, and even though she's pretty much "the" main character I couldn't tell you anything about her as a person. Just about everything she does or says loops back to the abuse somehow, and I counted at least three different occasions where the men of the story's first thought when meeting her was about having sex with her. That's literally all there is to her.
Add to that Gerry Fischer, who is an unrepentant pedophile who also wants to have sex with/rape Lenie because "she looks like a child". To make matters worse, he is being painted as perhaps not a good person but as a "guardian angel" for Lenie. A pedophile as a guardian angel for someone who's been raped as a child? I probably don't have to write an essay about why that is problematic and incredibly triggering.
So yeah, I guess those are the two reasons I personally didn't enjoy Starfish. I do realize that some of my criticism probably falls flat if you consider Starfish a part of a series rather than a standalone novel (I would assume the subplots are explored more in the following novels), but since I have no interest in reading the other books in the series I have to base my opinion on the first one only.
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horrorlitreddit_feed) wrote2026-02-13 04:29 pm
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