"Sloth," a character in "The Goonies"

As a young boy one of my favorite movies was “The Goonies.”  There was only one aspect of this film I hated. This part gave me nightmares. The aspect of “The Goonies” I despised was the character of Sloth.

This freakishly deformed creature was another addition to my collection of childhood fears. It’s bizarre that later in life I would come to love horror movies and be the writer of a blog centering around the paranormal.

An illustration of the Krampus

Every Christmas, my family would receive mail order books describing customs from around the world. It was the installment about Holland that first introduced me to Krampus. According to Krampus.com, the horned demon acts as St. Nicholas’ sidekick. While St. Nick would reward the good boys and girls with treats and toys, Krampus would haul off the bad ones in his sack back to his mountain top lair. My fear increased after my older brother left me a bedside note from Krampus warning me I was about to meet the fate of being hauled away.

My brother continued his mission of terror on my psyche. One vacation, he warned me of sharp toothed hillbillies. These men were not the friendly “Larry the Cable Guy” types. The hillbillies were blood thirsty cannibals. To this day I cannot watch “The Beverly Hillbillies” without having a severe panic attack.

There is an individual who has frightened small children for countless years, Santa Claus. Weeping tots are forced onto the lap of this red suited maniac. All of this doesn’t begin to touch on his mischievous doings. Every year, he breaks into homes to steal cookies and milk. Parents allow this theft probably out of their own fears. Until someone stops this Santa Claus, his swindling with continue on.

O'Donnell

Claustrophobia is something that runs in my family. Beware if you get all of us in an elevator because there will be trouble. This fear steaming from my childhood has contributed to my fear of coffins. Of course there is the whole morbid reminder of death, but in this case, my fear is something deeper. The thought of being trapped in a cramped space for all eternity is almost too much to handle.

Another fear from my childhood is basements. To me, those places are just little harbors of evil and darkness. Besides holding piles of old junk like old wrestling action figures basements are nothing but dark corners and full of strange noises. As a kid, I would avoid venturing down to the basement at all costs.

A classic childhood fear is worrying about monsters dwelling under the bed or hiding in the closet. The culprit of these fears are generally blamed on a monster known as “The Boogeyman.” This fear at least has a common line of defense. When these fears strike, simply yank the blankets over your head. Some how this method transforms cloth sheets into shelters made out of kevlar.

"Billy Goats Gruff" Illustration

Finally, the last of my childhood fears comes from an old fairy tale. When I was young, reading “The Billy Goats Gruff” was like watching one of the “Saw” movies. The troll’s quest to stop the goats from crossing the bridge left me in horror. When I think back, I imagined the growling voice of the troll sounded something like Micky Rourke after smoking a pack of cigarettes.

To some, my childhood fears may seem foolish. Before you start passing judgments, I ask you to think back to the fears you had as a kid. It could have been clowns, monkeys or old photographs of Abraham Lincoln.

Jordan O’Donnell

Summer has officially come and it is time to pack up the kids and head out on a family vacation.  Many will be planning cruises and ventures to theme parks while others will be visiting historical landmarks around the country. If you happen to be sick of waiting in endless lines for rides or watching your children being bored to death at museums, then perhaps you should take a different approach this summer. Enjoy the season by hitting the road to visit some filming locations of the most legendary horror movies.

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This summer marks the release of the latest “Pirates of the Caribbean” starring Johnny Depp. What better way to celebrate the actor’s career than by visiting the sight of his first major role in a feature “Nightmare on Elm Street.” The house at 1419 North Genessee Road in West Hollywood, Calif., is home to one of the film’s most epic scenes. It was here where Freddy Krueger disposes of the handsome Depp by reducing him to nothing more than a fountain of blood. Unlike visiting museums or historic monuments, don’t worry about the kids sleeping through this attraction. Actually after they learn the story of Freddy Krueger, don’t plan on them sleeping for the rest of the vacation.

Just outside Pittsburgh, Penn., in Evans City, Director George A. Romero and his crew filmed the opening scenes of “Night of the Living Dead” in the town’s cemetery.  This location kicked off the zombie classic with the main character, Barbara watching her brother mutilated by one of the undead. Evans Cemetery is a potential fun photo opportunity for the entire family. Gather the brood and strike your best zombie pose. The picture will be a nice addition to a photo album already filled with boring shots of the kids crying on Santa’s lap and relatives no one has seen in years.

Simi Valley, Calif., is filled with many beautiful homes. No one would ever guess that on Roxbury Street where a sweet little home rests with a perfectly manicured lawn was the set for the frightening film, “Poltergeist.” My mother ranks this as the film that has frightened her most over the years. I, personally, cannot watch it  by myself.  Though it is said in the movie, the home itself is not actually built on an Indian burial ground, so don’t worry about bringing any evil spirits home with you. With that said, it should also be noted that there have been long standing rumors surrounding the film’s production being cursed. Fans of the film will be delighted to see the home looks just like it was portrayed, but I still would advise any photos be taken from the safety of the opposite side of the street.

The next destination proves you do not have to visit a roller coaster filled amusement park to see a place with a history cemented in projectile vomiting. At 3600 Prospect St. in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., stands “The Exorcist” house.  The site of the building alone immediately brings flashes of some of the films scariest scenes. Before venturing out to see this location, make it a theme filled day. Start off by attending church; this is partly for protection. Next, sit the whole family down for a delicious lunch of split pea soup. Those familiar with the production of “The Exorcist” will get the importance of this meal selection. Finally, make your way to the possessed house itself. I suppose since you will be near Washington you could visit other landmarks of importance, but in my opinion, The Smithsonian can wait.

The final vacation destination of the list holds a special place in my heart. The film Halloween follows the tale of Michael Myers, a psycho serial killer hellbent on killing babysitters. The film takes place in fictional Haddonfield, Ill. I’ve always loved this film and have dressed up as Michael Myers for more than one Halloween party. In the film, when Michael returns to Haddonfield, he takes refugee in his rundown childhood home. The house is actually located in Pasadena, Calif., on 1000 Mission St. Now that Michael Myers no longer occupies the residence, a far scarier resident has taken over . . . a chiropractor. The serial killer is gone but the sound of popping bones still resonates.

Summer is the time to enjoy the company of family and make memories. This year think outside of the box and don’t just go with the flow. While all the other kids will be talking about taking pictures with Micky Mouse or being dragged to the Grand Canyon, you can take pride that your children will have dramatic tales of zombies, evil spirits and maniacs dwelling in boiler rooms. Granted, you may have to pay a few therapy bills, but the memories will be worth it.

Jordan O’Donnell

"The Hands Resist Him"

A few years back, I was sucked into the world of eBay, bidding on stuff I didn’t even want. My competitive streak took hold on way too many occasions.  The thrill of the auction resulted in many punched keyboards and closets of useless junk. Nevertheless, I do get some satisfaction knowing that if I ever need five Furby dolls, a Dukes of Hazzard wristwatch or a life size cardboard cut-out of the rock band Kiss, I have those departments covered.

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EBay is a wonderland for people who love yard sale hunting. The auction website affirms the old saying “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” When bidding on items on eBay, one should approach with caution. Be mindful of giving out credit card numbers and personal information, but before locking in your bid, bidders should make sure the item on the auction block is not haunted.

In February 2000, an interesting painting went up for auction on eBay. The auction site wheels and deals all kinds of art work, but what sets this piece apart from the rest is its paranormal history.

The painting entitled “The Hands Resist Him” depicts a young boy standing next to a smaller female doll in front of a glass door. In the windows of the door, hands can be seen through the glass reaching out to the boy. The artist Bill Stoneham described the meaning behind the haunting image on his website. He said the boy is modeled after himself at a young age, and the glass door is the barrier between the reality and the dream world. The female doll is meant to be the boy’s guide into the dream world.

The paranormal events surrounding “The Hands Resist Him” began with the gallery where the painting was being displayed. Within a year of the show that featured the painting, the art gallery owner and the Los Angles Times arts critic who reviewed the piece were both dead. Stoneham suggests on his website that this may be a coincidence but leaves room for others to decide.

“The Hands Resist Him” did not resurface until years later when a couple found it behind an old brewery. According to Paranormal News Central.com, the couple hung it in the bedroom of their four-year-old daughter. Soon after, strange things began to occur. The little girl claimed to see the boy in the painting trying to escape the canvas in the middle of the night. This moved the couple to set up a camera to document any strange activity. Bizarre color changes and peculiar changes in the faces of the boy and the doll were captured on video and now can be found on YouTube.

The sinister energy surrounding the painting became too much for the couple to handle, so they put the piece up for auction on eBay. News of “the haunted painting” spread around the Internet and generated more stories of paranormal activity. Paranormal News Central reports that a college student viewed a scanned image of the painting on the eBay listing and nearly went mad. The student turned beat red and hysterically spoke in tongues. When later questioned, the student said he had never been so scared in his life and that his computer screen went white and gave off an immense heat like that of an open oven door.

Another tale Paranormal News Central cites is that of a Native American man. After viewing “The Hands Resist Him” in person, the man fell gravely ill. He performed a ritual of burning sage to rid out evil spirits. The Native American man warned the owners to keep the painting away from children and that the piece contained evil.

Other common stories related to “The Hands Resist Him” is when people attempt to print the image from the Internet the printer will either just spit out a blank image or eat endless pages of paper. My home printer has not been functioning properly for about a month, so I had little hopes to get a copy of the painting. Oddly enough, when I attempted to print “The Hands That Resist Him,” my printer worked with no problem. I may be flattering myself, but I am taking that as a sign that the boy and the little doll in the painting are fans of my blog.

The auction has since ended and the original “The Hands Resist Him” has once again disappeared. However those interested can purchase copies of the infamous painting by emailing Kim Smith at hauntedpainting@aol.com.

The treasures that can be found on eBay really are amazing, but buyers must always be mindful what they are getting themselves into. In the film “Gremlins,” the main character Billy didn’t take the rules of his new pet Gizmo seriously and look what happened. My own eBay history can be used as a warning. Every time I go into my basement, I am haunted by cardboard likenesses of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in their stage makeup growling at me.

Next time you are about to put in your bid, think twice — you may be bringing more than added clutter into your home.

Jordan O’Donnell