A Letter to The Haxans: My Favorite Ghoulish Duo

There was something enchanting, maybe even witchy, about the first time I heard The Haxans. It was as though I stepped into a haunted house, but where glam met spooky, where horror met rock, and where every track felt like Halloween came early and never left.

I guess you can say it was fate. I was in my car listening to a random playlist Spotify recommended when “Dirty Magic” came on. That haunting, catchy tune stopped me in my tracks. It was love at first listen. I needed to know who this band was. And from that moment on, I was hooked.

But they’re more than just a band. They’re a mood. They're a spell cast in an autumn shadow. 

Ash Costello, with her commanding presence and bold vocals, gives voice to the beautifully weird sentiments that often cross my mind. And Matt Montgomery, aka Count D., brings the mystery and musical wizardry, wrapping every song in electric darkness and heapings of pumpkin spice.

The Haxans make it fun to be different. They don’t shy away from the strange or the spooky. They celebrate it. Their music makes you want to dance in a cemetery, laugh in the dark, and wear black as a badge of honor. They welcome the misfits and Halloween-forever crowd. 

Their songs are catchy spells; pop-infused, goth rock anthems that live in your bones. “Slick Black Coffin,” “Lights Out,” “Young Blood” — each track is a love letter to the night. “Fall Into You,” not just my favorite song by The Haxans, but my favorite song - period, is hauntingly romantic and addictive. 

And their aesthetics? From skulls to glitter, from eerie elegance to playful fright, their style is a match for anyone who lives for October vibes year-round.

So, here’s to The Haxans: the soundtrack to my spooky soul. Thank you for being unapologetically weird, beautifully dark, and ridiculously fun. You didn’t just make music. I found a piece of myself in your world. And I’ll keep dancing in the night for however long your music is playing.

Forever Halloween, 

Tara Adams 🧡🖤

Cognetti Dishes on New Hell House LLC Movie; Departure from Found Footage

Photo: Haunt Hunters App 

by Tara Adams

LEHIGHTON, PA – The new and possibly final Hell House LLC movie will be shown in 500 to 600 theaters across the country for one week before it streams, Stephen Cognetti, writer and director of the horror franchise said in a recent question and answer session with fans.

“So if you want to see it in a theater, make it that week. Don't have any plans that week,” Cognetti joked. “Don't be like, ‘Oh, I'm on a Disney cruise.”

The new installment, Hell House LLC: Lineage, will hit theaters on Aug. 20, but which theaters will be showing haven't yet been revealed. Cognetti said he hopes a theater in his hometown of Scranton, Pa., will show the movie.

Cognetti spoke to fans during a Halfway to Halloween event at Waldorf Estate of Fear in Lehighton, Pa., a haunted attraction where the first three Hell House LLC movies were largely filmed. 

The latest movie is a departure from the first four installments, because it is the first in the series that isn't shot in found-footage style. 

Cognetti said some Hell House fans are having a hard time with the change.

“I have seen a surprising amount of Reddit threads calling me an asshole,” Cognetti said. “And, I'm like ok, at least they're talking about me. That's good. You want people to know your film. So, they're talking about Hell House, so that was cool. But people are not happy about this.” 

He said he understands their concerns and explained in-depth the reason Lineage is not a found footage film. 

“I get it, because I am a lover of found footage myself “ Cognetti said. “So, I know people who love Hell House love it because of found footage. And I get it. I think found footage is such a unique way to tell scary stories.” 

The reason for the change, however, was that the story he wanted to tell in Lineage, including history-wise, wasn't a good fit for found footage-style. Found footage would appear forced, he said. 

While there are a few found footage moments in Lineage, he said the film would “suffer” if it had been shot entirely as a found footage movie. 

“When I started penciling out what the story was going to be for lineage, I knew it was going to be worse off as a found footage film,” Cognetti said. “It was going to be forced. It was going to be forced to have cameras and characters having dumb reasons for why they're recording stuff.”

Cognetti said the scares in Lineage are better through old-fashioned storytelling.

“I realized, ‘Oh, the scares are playing so much better and the story, what I want to tell, is actually going to be better because I'm not telling a story that's justified by someone holding a camera videotaping someone,’” Cognetti said. “It's just a very organic, third-person perspective, fly on the wall traditional storytelling. And it's better off for it. The scares are there. It does have a couple of found footage moments that are fun.” 

Marcel Aube, an administrator of the more than 2,700-member Facebook group, Hell House Fanatics, said a recent group poll showed that 99 percent of fans who participated in the poll are receptive to the change to traditional storytelling, as long as the story is good. 

“I do think it's scary,” Cognetti said. “If you like Hell House for the story, you're gonna love this. If you like Hell House for the scares, you're gonna love this. If you like Hell House for found footage, you're going to be, like, meh, this sucks. Why did I ever come. Why did you tell me to cancel my Disney cruise?”

Cognetti said, however, he thinks fans will fully understand the departure from found footage once they see the film. 

“I really think it will be better served. When you see it, you'll be, like. Ah, this was the right move. I hope “ he said. “I just think it's going to be a lot of fun. I wish I could tell you more. I wish we were doing this when, like, a trailer had been released, so you could see. It looks awesome.”

Cognetti encouraged fans to get to theaters when the movie is released. He said the movie's sound is impressive.

“Seeing it in theaters is really important, because I just, actually, two days ago, I wrapped up the 5.1 sound design with the mixer … It's like you're going to be enveloped in this film. It's going to hit you from all angles. You're going to be inside the locations where we want to be. It's really, really well done.” 

Cognetti also told Hell House fans that Lineage is considered the last Hell House LLC movie - for now. He left open the possibility that it could return years down the road. 

Photo: Haunt Hunters App

20 Years of Fear: Waldorf Estate of Fear Adding New Haunt, Changing Others

Photo: Haunt Hunters App

by Tara Adams

LEHIGHTON, Pa. – Waldorf Estate of Fear is expanding its arsenal of terror this fall with a new, interactive haunted attraction. 

Grimville Slaughterhouse will be the Lehighton, Pa., haunt's fourth attraction, joining The Waldorf Hotel, Terror in the Corn, and Infection, Owner Angie Moyer said.

The new attraction is coming as Waldorf celebrates “20 Years of Fear.” Grimville's sinister main antagonist will play a large part in generating that fear.

“We put a serial killer on the loose at Waldorf,” Moyer said.

Haunt fans will become part of the action in Grimville Slaughterhouse, as they try to rescue others and save themselves from the killer.

“Your goal is to try to save them and get out,” Moyer said. “Can you escape the serial killer?”

Grimville Slaughterhouse will incorporate escape room features into the experience, and haunt actors will approach guests as they try to survive, ratcheting up the anxiety, Moyer said. 

Photo: Haunt Hunters App

In addition to the new haunt, Moyer said The Waldorf Hotel and Terror in the Corn will see changes and upgrades. Infection, which is another interactive attraction at Waldorf Estate of Fear, is being redone.

“When you own a haunted house, you make changes every year,” Moyer said. “You have to spice it up.” 

Once the changes are in place, it's the actors who bring the scares to life, she said. Whether the reactions from guests are screams or laughs, it's all part of the experience. 

“We're here to entertain,” Moyer said. “All I'm trying to do is give people a good time.” 

Waldorf Estate of Fear, in which the first three Hell House LLC horror movies were largely filmed, attracts movie fans from across the country who want a deeper engagement with the eerie site that tormented the movies’ characters, terrifying viewers. 

And area residents have a unique tourist destination close to home where they can enjoy a fall night of scares, sit around a fire, eat, and shop horror-related vendors without the travel costs.

“You don't have to travel far to go to a good haunted house,” Moyer said. 

Waldorf Estate of Fear kicks off the fall season on Sept. 27, 2025, and runs on weekends through Nov.1, 2025.

For more information about the haunt and upcoming offseason events, visit https://www.waldorfestateoffear.com/. 

Photo: Haunt Hunters App 

Springtime Screams: Hell House to Host Halfway to Halloween

Photo courtesy of Waldorf Estate of Fear

by Tara Adams

LEHIGHTON,  Pa. - Spring might be in the air, but fear is in bloom at a haunted attraction in eastern Pennsylvania, which served as the set of an unsettling found-footage horror movie franchise. 

And in a few days, fans of haunted houses, horror flicks, and the paranormal will get a taste of all three at Waldorf Estate of Fear's Third Annual Halfway to Halloween celebration. 

The Lehighton attraction, which many paranormal investigators believe is haunted by multiple spirits, is hosting the event, Halfway to Halloween: The Lake of Fire Edition, on Saturday, May 3, 2025. The event is named after the third movie in the Hell House LLC franchise.

“You are in a haunted house that has paranormal activity, you are in the dark, and there are actors scaring you,” Waldorf Owner Angie Moyer said of Escape Hell House, one of the events Halfway to Halloween attendees will experience. 

Guests might even run into the creepy Hell House clowns. 

Photo: Haunt Hunters App 

Moyer said the 180-year-old Waldorf, known as the Abaddon Hotel in the Hell House LLC movies, is a draw for fans of the films. Many fans travel from all over to see the property.

“People are coming just because it's Hell House,” Moyer said. “It has brought people in.”

The event's lineup includes a lights-on, behind-the-scenes tour of Waldorf led by movie cast members; an outside set tour; the Escape Hell House experience; dinner; and a showing of Hell House LLC: Lake of Fire. A late night paranormal investigation will follow the movie.

Stephen Cognetti, writer and director of the Hell House LLC movies, will be on hand for a question and answer session with attendees.

The eeriness of the Waldorf property made it a good match for the films, Cognetti said.

“When I was first given a tour of the Waldorf by Angie, I knew immediately that it was the perfect fit for my script,” Cognetti said. “It had so many creepy nooks, halls and doors to play out every scare and even come up with new ones while exploring. I absolutely love coming back to the Abaddon every year.”

There are four movies in the series, and a fifth Hell House LLC film, Hell House LLC: Lineage, will be out later this year. Lineage also is the first in the series that wasn't shot found-footage style and is said to be the last Hell House LLC film. 

The premise of the first Hell House LLC movie, released in 2015, revolves around the opening of a new haunted house attraction that goes terribly wrong. Each additional movie delves deeper into the story of the Hell House universe. 

Photo: Haunt Hunters App

Halfway to Halloween attendees interested in exploring the haunted side of the property may purchase tickets for the paranormal investigation, which will begin after the Lake of Fire showing. 

The Waldorf property was built on farmland in the mid-1800s, and paranormal investigators believe spirits of some of the original residents remain at the site, based on names that have come up during investigations. Some spirits, however, are only there temporarily, Moyer said. 

“There are several spirits that live at the Waldorf,” Moyer said. “There are spirits that are just passing through.” 

The types of hauntings include intelligent spirits, mimics, shadow people, and residual activity. Moyer and other investigators believe that the energy created from the haunted attraction - the screams, scares, and laughs - have stirred up the paranormal activity.

“They're attracted to the energy,” she said.

While none of the entities appear to be demonic, the activity is notable enough that it will be featured in an upcoming television series called “24 Hours in Hell,” Moyer said.

The series is in post-production, and producers have been in discussions with Terror Films about distribution, she said. 

“They seem very interested in unleashing it and keeping Hell House alive,” Moyer said. “It doesn't have to end with Lineage.” 

The TV series focuses on the experiences and research-based scientific findings of a team of investigators who spend 24 hours inside the property. Not all of the investigators make it through the 24 hours, according to the Waldorf Estate of Fear website. 

“It's very cool. It's not just ghost hunting,” Moyer said. “They're trying to scientifically prove that there's something out there.” 

Limited tickets to Halfway to Halloween remain. For more information on the event or to buy tickets, please visit https://www.waldorfestateoffear.com/. 

Photo courtesy of Waldorf Estate of Fear 

Brighton Opens Doors to East Coast Haunters

Clifton, NJ (Haunt Hunters App) - The temperature read 80 degrees in Clifton, New Jersey on a hot Thursday night April 24, 2025. However, the atmosphere was like a electric October night during the Halloween season as the haunted attraction Brighton Asylum opened their doors to entertain and educate haunt enthusiasts from around the country with a behind the scenes tour. 

The Haunt Tour was part of Transworlds East Coast Haunters Convention that included a second stop at the Fright Factory in Philadelphia, PA.

"The feedback we have received has been overwhelming," says Brighton Asylum owner Rich Gonci, which offers three different attractions in Subculture, the Bleeding Grounds and Brighton Asylum. "We are extremely grateful to Transworld and to everyone who came out to see our show."

For more information Brighton Asylum 

Linda Blair Headlines Chiller Theatre Spring 2025

Parsippany, NJ -- (Haunt Hunters App) - Linda Blair will headline the famous Chiller Theatre at the Hilton in Parsippany from April 27-29, 2025. The horror icon played Regan MacNeil at age 14 in what is considered one of the scariest horror movies of all time.

Chiller Theatre is a popular annual meet and greet event that unites scores of celebrities with thousands of their fans for handshakes, autographs and selfies.

Chiller vendors sell all kinds of toys and memorabilia."This is the biggest show of the year for me," said Jeff Ananson, who has been been a vendor at the show with his business partner for 31 years. "So many unique one-of-a-kind items here and there is a lot of foot traffic for three days. This is the best show of the year."

Launched in 1991, the 3-day event was created by producer Kevin Clement and has mostly narrowed its focus to the celebrity exposition, although, there is always a costume contest and model art contest on Saturday. The big lure is the expansive list of notable guests, which range from film legends to one-hit wonders and bit players from big shows.

For sports fans, the lineup includes actor Frank Jasper from "Vision Quest" who played the "Shute."

The cast of ‘What's Happening,” including "Raj" and "Dwayne," will be on hand along with Saturday Night Fever (1977) star Donna Pescow, who played "Annette," and who acted alongside John Travolta.

Chiller in the past has also featured cast reunions from classic TV shows such as "The Brady Bunch," "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Warriors."

For More Information and Tickets visit Chiller Theatre

Haunt tour will be first to see upgrades at Field of Screams

Field of Screams Haunted Hayride 

By Tara Adams

MOUNTVILLE, Pa. -- Haunt enthusiasts attending East Coast Haunters Convention's Friday Tour on April 25th will get a first look at changes to several attractions at the nationally-recognized Field of Screams in Mountville, Pa.

Field of Screams Co-owner Jim Schopf said in a recent livestream interview with TransWorld's Kris Zahrobsky that changes include new scenes and upgrades in its four haunted attractions. 

TransWorld operates East Coast Haunters Convention. 

Schopf made the announcement from one of the new scenes - an elaborate  study in Den of Darkness. The study had been a morgue, which is no longer recognizable because of the overhaul, he said.

Den of Darkness and Frightmare Asylum will be fully operational during the tour. Participants will also take part in a lights-on walk through of Nocturnal Wasteland and sections of the Haunted Hayride, which will not be running. 

The tour group is "going to see what no one else has seen yet," Schopf said of changes to the hayride.

Tour members will be able to take pictures in any area that isn't live, he said.

Field of Screams Frightmare Asylum 

The Friday Tour also includes a stop at Hersheypark, where participants will have exclusive access to rides, dinner, a behind-the-scenes haunted house tour, and a walk-through of one of the houses featured in the park's annual Halloween event, Dark Nights. 

“We're thrilled to have East Coast coming up this way,” Chris Brown, Hersheypark’s director of planning and design, said during the livestream. “We're still newbies, but we're loving it.”

Dark Nights opened in 2022 and includes five haunted houses, three scare zones, and character-themed dining. 

Dark Nights at Hersheypark 

Schopf also will be part of an hour-long seminar at the East Coast Haunters Convention on Saturday, April 26, in Oaks, Pa., with Randy Bates of Bates Motel and Patrick Barberry of Legends of the Fog. The seminar, called "Hayrides of Horror," will discuss important aspects necessary to operating hayrides. 

"Hayrides are challenging ... but they're very rewarding for customers,” Schopf said. “They're one of the hardest types of haunts to do. There's a lot to consider when doing a hayride."

Haunt fans who can't make the convention's Friday night tour will be able to see the changes made to Den of Darkness and Frightmare Asylum the following weekend at Field of Screams’ Halfway to Halloween. 

Halfway to Halloween will feature a new event - a music festival. Five bands are part of the festival, which will begin at 1:30 p.m.: Y2KIDS, Renegade Radio, MXP, Fade to Black: A Tribute to Metallica, and The Future Legends, which hails from Nashville, Tenn.

For more information, visit:

East Coast Haunters Convention https://eastcoasthauntersconvention.com/

Field of Screams https://fieldofscreams.com/

Dark Nights at Hersheypark

https://www.hersheypark.com/things-to-do/dark-nights.