"Don't You Want To Become a Cult Leader?" Creepypastas and other storytelling trends
Or how TikTok figured out that I like extremely creepy shit
It’s Only a Story. It’s Only a Story…right?!
TW / CW: depersonalization, dissociation mention; COVID-19 mention
It’s no secret that I love a good Creepypasta. Just like VampireFreaks’ role-play groups and 2010s Tumblr were formative to my coming of age, so were creepypastas. During my middle-school years, I would stay up late at night reading whatever creepypasta I came across online. Slender Man, The Russian Sleep Experiment, Candle Cove, Ted the Caver, the SCP Foundation, and so many more stories have become modern urban legends shared on forums, wiki sites, and Reddit. We even saw four separate creepypastas each be adapted into six-episode seasons in the horror anthology series Channel Zero on Syfy.
Recently, I came across a creepy ass video on my TikTok’s “For You Page.” The algorithm of the app is very accurate in learning what content I like to view. So naturally, it’s learned that I respond well to horror-related posts.
One of these recent posts comes from a user named where_is_the_sky. In the video, it presents the first-person perspective of someone looking over the rail and down a winding staircase passage. A door from several flights below is slammed open. And something begins to impossibly run up the stairs while making growling noises. The person recording quickly tries to open a locked door, before running up another flight and successfully opening one up to temporary safety. It’s absolutely chilling and the videos don’t stop there. From there, the anonymous person treads across an empty, fog-covered city, recording their attempts to outrun and outsmart the thing chasing them. And to add the terror, another account has popped up. Whatever is watching and pursuing where_is_the_sky is responding to their videos, taunting them.
I love videos like this! And it’s so fascinating seeing these new TikTok horror trends pop-up. Whether it’s a someone posting how they think ghosts or malevolent beings are in their homes. Or nightmarecore videos using audio from Mind Control Made Easy by Carey Burtt that asks, “Don’t you want to become a cult leader? Since the death of God there’s been a vacancy open.” Or (Trigger Warning) the weird glitch TikToks with audio that supposedly could potentially trigger depersonalizations/dissociation in some listeners. Even my friend Andrew is taking part in creating mini horror stories that arc across multiple posts.
Stumbling across these TikToks made me start thinking about how online storytelling has evolved thanks to the found footage genre’s influence and the constant popularity of creepypastas. As an editor, I absolutely love picking apart different storytelling methods and why they work or don’t. I love noting the influences and how they harken back to other movies, TV shows, and books.
This genre is so fascinating because, like those early 00s chain emails or urban legends, they tend to tap into that fear within our minds of “what if this is real?” And all by using sounds, shadow work, digital manipulations, and more. These TikToks, creepypastas, found footage "based on real events” stories prey on our fear that our sense of normality can be disrupted, glitched, turned into nightmares in an instant. And to be completely honest, COVID-19 has shown us that.
I recently watched The Blair Witch Project for the first time. I know, I know! I had held off for a while until Wes convinced me to watch it for our 31 Nights of Horror. I was surprised by how effective the scares were. I’m someone who is absolutely not an outdoorsy person. Being lost in the woods at night is definitely a fear of mine. And this movie honed in on that. I loved it! I also loved that we never really see the “witch” but she’s there. The trio in the movie feels it. And we, the audience, feel it too.
I bring up The Blair Witch Project because, while it’s not the first found footage flick, it definitely revamped the genre, grandfathering REC, the Paranormal Activity franchise, Lake Mungo, As Above So Below, and many more. where_is_the_sky’s videos definitely reminded me of The Blair Witch Project and filled me the same sense of curiosity and dread.
When I first started learning about Slender Man, the stories that accompanied those photos of the tall, thin, thing with tentacles extending from it chilled me. And living near the woods in Missouri did not help my paranoia that maybe good ol’ Slendy was camouflaging with the trees.
While the fear of the unknown can play so deliciously on the mind, I find that digital picture edits and art thrill me more. Folks sharing long Twitter threads about haunted happenings, TikTokers’ posts, or creepypasta creations are incredibly methods of horror storytelling. But it is their use of visuals and writing that make them effective. I especially admire how meticulously It’s what fuels nightmares. It’s not so easy to accomplish. This storytelling method allows us, the viewer, to interact more directly with the storyteller. We are able to be drawn into the horror too.
Adam Ellis’ months-long “Dear David” captivated Twitter as he detailed the ghost child haunting his apartment. In where_is_the_sky’s posts, they usually reply to a few comments with just “I’m sorry.” It’s short, simple, and incredibly eerie. And Twitter user @gr3gory88 (Greg) went viral in 2018 for his incredibly scary threads detailing the strange and horrifying occurrences in and outside their house, which previously belonged to their deceased grandfather. Greg rejoined Twitter in July 2018 and in October posted their first thread about the house. His tweets, supported by pictures and videos, detailing his experiences continued until January 2019 when he last tweeted: “I'm not sure when I'll tweet again. I need to take a break and get my head together. But I'll be back. I have to go back. I won't let it happen again.” His account has been inactive ever since.
Trevor Henderson, aka slimyswampghost across social, has created many incredibly creepy entities such as Siren Head, Long Horse, and (my personal favorite) The Man With the Upside-Down Face. Like Slender Man and where_is_the_sky’s videos, Henderson’s posts of his creations are micro-fiction pieces. Weaving a chilling narrative that these creatures are around us, but they always have been.
It’s incredible to trace the influence and connections of found footage to email chain urban legends, creepypastas, Twitter threads, and TikToks. Technology’s advancements have bred new ground for creatives to showcase their artistic and writing talents. And the ones I referenced are just the tip of the iceberg. Social media has introduced me to so many other talented people.
And all I can say is that I just can’t wait to see what other scary shit y’all come up with next.
Though I can’t help to wonder about what happened to Greg…
One Good Scare — Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
You know those movies that you watched way too young? The ones that you end up believing might’ve been a fever dream or that you made them up? Brian De Palm’s Phantom of the Paradise is one of those movies for me. It’s also one of the movies I grew up watching with my mom, so it holds lots of sentimental value.
Phantom of the Paradise is a wildly fabulous rock opera and horror comedy. It combines elements from Phantom of the Opera, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Faust to create one hell of a ride. Pun very much intended.
Winslow Leach (William Finley) is a singer/songwriter who, through a series of unfortunate events, has his music stolen and becomes disfigured in an accident. Swan (Paul Williams) is the record producer behind Winslow’s misfortunes. He is set to open up a new concert hall, The Paradise, and deems Winslow’s compositions perfect for opening night. Manipulated by Swan, Winslow, now a masked and costumed Phantom, unwittingly enters a faustian bargain with the producer, to create — you guessed it! — a cantata based on Faust. Swan, himself, sold his soul long ago for fame and immortality. Phoenix (Jessica Harper of Suspiria) is a young and beautiful singer who becomes Winslow’s muse after a chance encounter. But like him, she is manipulated and seduced by Swan who offers her the stardom she’s always wanted.
Paul Williams not only acted, provided Winslow’s singing voice, but also wrote all of the music and lyrics for the movie. Which are bangers, by the way. His “Hell of It” which plays over the end credits is the best song on that album.
Overall, Phantom of the Paradise is wild, lots of fun, though of course, not without some problematic aspects. It’s become a cult classic despite it bombing at the box office when it originally premiered in 1974. And for me, it was another movie I bonded over with my mom. Plus, the aesthetics? The stylization of the movie? The songs! Of course, baby Shelly liked it. It’s a cornerstone to how I am now, if you will.
If you’re never seen it, I really urge you to take a step and walk into the Paradise...
New Year, New Horror
I’m so glad that 2021 is on the horizon. Don’t get me wrong, we’re still not out of this whole shitstorm, so please keep wearing your masks and washing your hands. But I am excited for the slate of new horror movies that were pushed back because of the pandemic.
So here’s a couple of the new movies I’m looking forward to in the new year:
Antlers — Based on Nick Antosca’s short story, “The Quiet Boy.”
Morbius — Come on, you knew I would be hype for this!
Spiral: From The Book of Saw — I quite like the Saw franchise, so I’m excited to see what they do for this one.
Resident Evil — Ah yes, yet another reboot! But I’m still going to watch.
Candyman — I just can feel it that Nia DaCosta has knocked this sequel out of the park. Plus Yahya Abdul-Mateen is an incredible actor.
and lastly, Halloween Kills — This is a no brainer. Y’all know I loved the 2018 one and I’m so excited to see these next two sequels that have been cooked up.
As always, stay safe out there and keep being your lovely creepy selves!
I’ll catch y’all in the new year!
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