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An unassuming field next to a housing estate in Stoke-on-Trent is taking centre stage in the latest alien blockbuster - and it's inspired by true events.

The new stage production, Bright Lights Over Bentilee, focuses on the event in which dozens of people on an estate in the town claimed to have witnessed bright lights in the sky and a UFO landing in the field next to their homes.

Sky News went to meet playwright and former Coronation Street star Deborah McAndrew, to discuss what happened on the 2nd of September 1967 and why she felt compelled to bring the story to life...

Remember February 2023? It was a wild time. There were cocaine-addled bears, mushroom zombies and Air Force fighters shooting sketchy, inflatable objects out of the sky left and right.

That month began with a Chinese balloon — the U.S. said it was loaded with spy equipment; Beijing claimed it was just a weather balloon blown off course — drifting across much of the contiguous United States and igniting a furor. That was before it was blowed up real good — the technical terminology — by an F-22 off the coast of South Carolina.

But February’s bizarre occurrences didn’t stop there. U.S. pilots soon shot down three more mystery objects over Alaska, Canada’s Yukon territory and Lake Huron in as many days.

None of those subsequent objects were ever recovered, with the official line indicating they were probably hobbyist or research balloons.

But one grainy image — it’s always a grainy image, isn’t it? — of the object shot down over the Yukon has now emerged, and it’s giving significant “I want to believe” vibes...

Stuart Ortiz is no stranger to the world of found footage. As part of the Vicious Brothers, he made Grave Encounters 1 and 2, which are pivotal pieces of contemporary found footage in how they both adopt genre tropes and subvert them to create something uniquely terrifying. Now, Ortiz is back with his new pseudo-documentary Strange Harvest: Occult Murder In The Inland Empire which is perhaps the best pseudo-documentary since Lake Mungo in how it builds terror, never holds back, and features two incredibly realistic lead performances that make you question whether or not the events are entirely fictional.

Ortiz frames Strange Harvest like it’s a true crime documentary you would find on Netflix or Hulu—it’s sleek, cinematic, and even features that melodramatic music always used to punch home the emotional beats. Here, we’re learning about a series of murders committed in the Inland Empire (located in Southern California) by the serial killer known as Mr. Shiny. Our main characters are Detective Joe Kirby (Peter Zizzo) and Detective Lexi Taylor (Terri Apple), partners who have been investigating the case for almost two decades.

These murders are grisly, ritualistic killings that Ortiz isn’t afraid to show. Instead of blurred images or small glimpses at crime scene photos as seen in typical true crime documentaries, here we see every gory detail. But then he doesn’t just show photos; we also see video footage of Mr. Shiny’s crimes. Ortiz crafts an elaborate puzzle of footage, whether it be interviews, archival news broadcasts, photos, or eyewitness video, to build a world that feels so lived in and real. Everything builds to a wild, cosmic conclusion that I only wish had gone a little further. To say any more would spoil the experience of watching Strange Harvest and witnessing firsthand its wild twists and turns. But let’s just say it’s a daring take on cosmic horror I’ve been waiting for...

Publisher Feardemic and developer Bit Golem has announced Dagon: Complete Edition for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch. It includes Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft and all downloadable content, including the new console-exclusive content “What the Moon Brings.” It will launch on October 10.

Here is an overview of the game, via Feardemic:

About

“I am writing this under an appreciable mental strain, since by tonight I shall be no more.”

Explore the unique works of H. P. Lovecraft via the interactive stories of Dagon: Complete Edition—an extraordinary collection depicting the horrors creeping beneath the waves, festering within delirious minds, and more.

Dagon: Complete Edition includes:

• Dagon: by H. P. Lovecraft – Step into the shoes of a former World War I ship officer and experience the story that shattered his sanity.
• Downloadable Content “The Railway Horror” – Dive into the writer’s mind and uncover what haunted his very dreams (based on Lovecraft’s actual nightmare). “The Little Glass Bottle” – Experience a treasure hunt story written by the author when he was just seven years old. “What the Moon Brings” – Enter a dream-like world and immerse yourself in cosmic horror behind the wall of sleep.

Key Features:

• 100 percent faithful adaptations of Lovecraft’s works brought to life through atmospheric voice acting.
• Hidden notes containing rare trivia about Lovecraft’s life and his impact on culture.
• A brand new, console-exclusive downloadable content “What the Moon Brings.”
• Compact stories, each suitable for one gaming session.

Delve into the eldritch horror of the unknown with Dagon: Complete Edition…

…if your mind can endure it.

Watch the announcement trailer...

"I’m always on the hunt for a promising new Metroidvania. And although Voidwrought doesn’t explicitly call itself one, I see the telltale signs. Developed by PowerSnake with publishing duties by Kwalee, it’s a stunning adventure full of Cosmic Horror. Best of all, it’s slated to release on PC and Nintendo Switch on October 24th! Or if you’re impatient, there’s a demo available now on Steam, and one headed to the eShop soon!

Here’s some reasons to get hyped now for Voidwrought:

The coming of the Red Star heralds a new age. Emerging from its cocoon, the Simulacrum is driven to collect Ichor, the blood of the gods, from the monstrosities who hoard it.

Voidwrought is a fast-paced action-platformer with tight traversal, varied abilities, and formidable boss battles. Find and equip powerful Relics and Souls to customize your playstyle. Excavate into the rubble of the Gray City to construct a shrine filled with loyal followers.

Features

• Experience smooth, satisfying movement and tight controls.
• Explore atmospheric, hand-drawn biomes, from the star-scorched Surface to the biomechanical Abandoned Expedition.
• Fight over 70 enemies and 10 formidable bosses.
• Customize your playstyle with over 30 active Relics and passive Souls.
• Expand your shrine to discover new treasures, abilities, and secrets.
• Enjoy a rich, foreboding score by Anima: Song of the Abyss and Vigil: The Longest Night composer Jouni Valjakka."

A party game turns into a supernatural nightmare in Spin the Bottle, featuring Justin Long (Barbarian) as the local authority savvy to the paranormal. Paramount has provided Bloody Disgusting with an exclusive clip today, which puts the spotlight on Justin Long.

Spin the Bottle will be available on Digital on October 4.

Watch our exclusive clip below and find the official trailer underneath.

In the film, “When a group of friends plays spin the bottle in a house marked by a brutal massacre, they unknowingly unleash an evil spirit and start dying in terrifying ways. Now, the survivors must stick together to uncover the house’s dark secrets and end the bloodshed.”

Horror TV series From, even as it enters its third season, is wildly unknown. It doesn’t help that this show that no one’s heard of—that shares writers, directors and a lot of influence with Lost—is on a streaming network that no one’s heard of. Literally everyone I’ve recommended watch this terrifying show didn’t know there even was an MGM+, let alone that it made original TV. So, yes, there’s an MGM+ (it used to be Epix, but changed its name when no one was looking or caring), and yes, there’s a Lost-ish horror show on it called From, and yes, it’s been one of the best things on TV in the last three years.

There is no better way of convincing you to watch the frightening and engrossing From than describing its opening premise:

You’re driving down a forest road when you have to suddenly hit the brakes— there’s a tree down, blocking your way. You get out of your car to look around, notice the crows in the sky, and realize there’s no way through. So you get back in, turn the car around, and drive to find another route. As you do, you pass through a tiny, one-street town. You barely notice it as you go through. Then as you carry on down the road you re-enter that tiny, one-street town. The locals look up and murmur something about it being your second time through as you drive on. Then you’re back in the town again. The friendlier locals will explain that this it, you’re here now, but you’ll probably ignore them and do a couple more loops before you give in. Then you’re warned to be inside by dark. That’s when the creatures come out...

The Halloween season is in full swing and October is right around the corner. What does that mean? Well, it means we’re about to be hit with an absolute deluge of new horror movies.

October is always loaded up on fresh frights on the small screen and big screen, and that’s why we’ve put together the ultimate Halloween Movie Guide with a spotlight on 31 NEW HORROR MOVIES releasing throughout October. 31 days… 31 new movies… it seems only right.

Dracula may be the best known fictional vampire around but Bram Stoker’s creation is far from the origin point. European folklore and stories like John Polidori’s “The Vampyre” from 1819 had long established vampires as frightening creatures, and it’s this tradition that Adrien Beau draws on for his take. He specifically adapts Aleksy Tolstoy’s novella “The Family of the Vourdalak”, which has previously received two cinematic treatments, the most memorable being as one of the stories in Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath.

In contrast to Bava’s stagey melodrama, Beau’s feature debut builds on the genre fluidity previously explored in his short films, melding historical drama with fantasy to tell a gothic vampire tale through the aesthetics of folk horror. There’s a bit of Hammer Horror in there too, and being shot on 16mm film brings a whole other aesthetic into play, so far from being a hodge-podge of ideas, Beau crafts his own vision in a beguiling and strange way...

... For all the complex themes it tackles, the film never feels overstuffed and works as a slow-burn creepy horror. The house and area surrounding are ideal locations, especially as the film mostly takes place in day-time, which offers the illusion of openness and freedom. The smallest of details add to the horror, like the sign of the vourdalak when they noisily suck on clothing – an innocuous activity that becomes disturbing when hyperfocused on. With The Vourdalak as his debut feature film, Beau marks himself as one to watch by bringing something new to a familiar horror creature.

At this moment, it's hard to disconnect the new Salem's Lot from its nearly two-year release delay, during which many feared the film would never, ahem, see the light of day. That's an unfortunate situation. On the one hand, it clearly didn't deserve to sit on the shelf for so long, caught up in the leadership change at Warner Bros. On the other, it doesn't quite live up to the expectations that inevitably built as Stephen King pressured the studio to release it.

I hope, with time, it can exist on its own terms. But my viewing experience was shaped by this context, which seemed to make the movie's virtues and failings equally glaring. I can't speak to how well it adapts its source material; I've never read King's original book, nor have I seen either of the two miniseries versions. I can only say I found the script inconsistently effective, balanced out by an often strong sense for horror image-making that should leave fans of vampire tales with enough to feel satisfied when the credits roll...

Pros

• A frightening, old-school take on vampires
• A strong sense for horror imagemaking that leaves an impression

Cons

• Storytelling dilutes focus instead of deepening the scares
• A shaky script with occasionally awkward-sounding dialogue

Horror has always been one of cinema's most versatile genres and has been blended with everything from science fiction to Western to deliver terrifying stories. Many horror movies will use a whodunit-style of mystery to keep audiences engaged, forcing them to try and guess which of the film's characters is the person behind the mask. This is a particular hallmark of slashers, which offer viewers a cast of characters who may be the killer, inviting them to try and work it out before the big reveal.

Horror and mystery go together incredibly well, especially considering the genre's natural overlap with the themes of the thriller genre. Some of the best films and franchises of all time remain popular due to their ability to craft a genuine puzzle for viewers to solve, with some being so great they're worth it just to see the big unmasking. From modern urban legends to supernatural stories inspired by HP Lovecraft, the horror genre is at its best when it leaves a lot to the imagination.

Urban Legend (1998)

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Phantoms (1998)

Candyman (1992)

Get Out (2017)

Longlegs (2024)

Scream (1996)

Sinister (2012)

In the Mouth of Madness (1995)

The Thing (1982)

"The wi-fi has been hacked at 19 UK railway stations to display a message about terror attacks.

Network Rail confirmed that the wi-fi systems at stations including London Euston, Manchester Piccadilly, Liverpool Lime Street, Birmingham New Street, Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central were affected.

People reported logging on to the wi-fi at the stations on Wednesday and being met with a screen about terror attacks in Europe.

A Network Rail spokesperson confirmed the wi-fi was still down and said: "We are currently dealing with a cyber-security incident affecting the public wi-fi at Network Rail’s managed stations."

The affected stations include:

In London, London Cannon Street, London Bridge, Charing Cross, Clapham Junction, Euston, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo

In the South East, Reading and Guildford

In the North West, Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Lime Street

In the West Midlands, Birmingham New Street

In West Yorkshire, Leeds

In the West and South West, Bristol Temple Meads

In Scotland, Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central

British Transport Police was investigating, Network Rail said.

The rail provider said it believed other organisations, not just railway stations, had also been affected..."