Amanda Norman
Adverts
Advertise Here
"Take This Lollipop:" Interactive Horror Ap Tops 5 Million Hits
OH MY GOD!
Fancy being stalked on Facebook by a psycho madman who stalks you, your friends, family and nothing can stop him?
With Halloween just around the corner, Take This Lollipop is going to FREAK YOU OUT!
(Oct 22) A week before Halloween, the Facebook horror application Take This Lollipop (the brainchild of director Jason Zada and starring actor Bill Oberst Jr.) has topped 5 million unique hits to become the most-watched interactive horror project in web history.
Take This Lollipop offers users who connect via their Facebook account the experience of entering the lair of a disturbing cyber-stalker (played by Oberst) who peruses their friends list, pictures and location in a frightening demonstration of internet privacy concerns. The interactive video has the look and feel of a big-budget horror film. Take This Lollipop, and Oberst’s performance in it, have been compared to the original SAW in fan comments online.
Director Jason Zada, who shot the project with Oberst at the abandoned Linda Vista Hospital in LA (a popular and reputedly haunted LA horror film location) said in interviews on Friday for that it was all in scary fun. "I’m a huge fan of horror and Halloween…I felt it was a great opportunity to focus on Halloween and mix it with the underlying fear of privacy that we have nowadays with Facebook and other social networking sites," Zada said. "I’ve had this idea in my head for awhile and the talent came together at just the right time…from the perfect collaboration with my developer, Jason Nickel, to the ideal actor."
As for Oberst, being the most visible horror actor on the web just before Halloween has led to both professional interest and personal satisfaction. "I’m getting e-mails from all over the world," he said "and the reviews are fun to read (one said I looked like ‘a malnourished Daniel Craig.’) My dad was happy to see me mentioned in Forbes and The New York Times….but most fun of all, kids have been posting great vids of themselves ‘taking the lollipop’ on YouTube. But I can’t take any credit for the performance. Jason Zada is a truly great director. If my performance creeps folks out the credit for that should go to Jason and his team. This was his vision. I’m just happy to have played a small part in it."
As of press time Take This Lollipop.com was approaching a million Facebook "likes" in addition to over 5 million unique URL hits. Oberst will next be seen as the leader of a desert cult in director Jourdan McClure‘s feature film CHILDREN OF SORROW and has just been attached as lead to horror screenwriter Cheryl Compton’s script EVIL’S TOY, in which a young woman obsessed with a Ouija Board unwittingly releases a demon via the world of social networking.
TAKE THIS LOLLIPOP
Official Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xBA0mpWuuo
Official Site: www.takethislollipop.com
Scream Horror Magazine
Scream Horror magazine launches this October (2010) and promises to be one of the best UK magazines devoted to horror movies and more.
I asked Scream Horror’s editor, Richard Cooper what his inspiration is for creating the magazine and what him and his team hope to achieve from it.
‘As a horror fan I want to create a magazine I would be excited to read myself and something that takes the horror genre seriously. I also want the chance to give horror the exposure it so rightly deserves on your every day shop shelf plus I have a real burning desire along with all our team of talented writers to educate the masses.’
For further information including where to purchase, visit their website at http://www.screamhorror.com
Amanda’s Horror Ramble – Haunting
A Haunting?
![DSC_9208-black-web_595[1]](http://blog.amandanorman.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DSC_9208blackweb_5951.jpg "DSC_9208-black-web_595[1]")
Friday night just gone, I finished late after working on some horror portraits for Kev (@oneoff666) and retired to my pit, when all of a sudden I felt the intense feeling of being watched. It was so severe that my mind started racing even though I kept telling myself to shut up. I had visions of a demon just pulling the quilt off me or suddenly appearing. I felt cold drafts blow across my face and arm and I was working myself up that much, that I had to put the ‘Proms on BBC’ on the TV just to calm me down. I eventually fell asleep (with the TV on), but I was freaked out.
Could it be the portraits of Kev with his black eyes that scared me?
Perhaps it’s some entity that has entered into my room via the astral plane to watch me and play tricks with my mind.
I believe in ‘Astral Projection’ simply because of my own experiences. I thoroughly believe that our bodies are simply a shell that house our spirit and that this spirit can in some cases live on.
When I has a child I used to love lying face down on my bed and sinking through the mattress and bed springs and lying on the hard and dusty floor. The dust would tickle my nostrils as my mother would never hoover beneath the beds. I don’t know how long I would stay under the bed for, but it was totally relaxing and peaceful until I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and with a blink of an eye, it felt like I was being sucked up fast to my body above the bed.
I’ve also on the odd occasion sensed and seen spirits out of the corner of my eyes as an adult.
Years ago, my daughter had an imaginary friend called ‘Kenny’ and I would often see a black shadow run so quick, that when I turned my head, it had gone. I just sensed that this was her imaginary friend, ‘Kenny’ who was about 5 yrs old. He’s not around anymore.
Then there was an experience in the local cemetery when again I felt a strong sensation of being watched, but this time it was moving towards me and fast. I turned around and I can only describe what appeared to be a heat shimmer race past. Weird eh?
Don’t get me wrong, this kind of thing only happens rarely and I wouldn’t like it to happen all the time.
Horror Portraits of Kev
Yet another soul is mine!
Kev otherwise known as @oneoff666 (twitter) contacted me requesting a horror portrait and the photograph below is a clear favourite amongst many of you.
![DSC_9250-zombie-web_595[1]](http://blog.amandanorman.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DSC_9250zombieweb_59511.jpg "DSC_9250-zombie-web_595[1]")
All in all, I had a choice of four poses to manipulate and at Kev’s request, I whitened the eyes on some of them as he likes the ‘zombie’ look. Personally, I don’t think you can beat the black eyed look, but each to their own. The other photographs can be seen in the ‘Portrait’s gallery by clicking here.
I don’t think you will believe me, but when Kev arrived, he was quite nervous, but he soon got into the spirit of things. It was good fun and I enjoyed meeting him.
For £55, you can have your very own horror portrait. You will receive an A2 print of your favourite pose and then you can terrify your friends and family when they come to visit. Contact me for details.
Testimonial from Kev
When l arrived I was very nervous of about what l was getting myself into! When l was greeted by Amanda everything changed!!
She made me feel at ease and explained everything in full! She asked me to relax and try and get into character and NOT a ‘bugs bunny’ one at that, LOL! She helped and advised with posing, posture, expression and she even described the different types of photography styles she was doing!!
THIS IS A MUST FOR ANYONE! A GREAT GIFT FOR A FREIND OR MEMBER OF THE FAMILY…………..THANKS AMANDA