Looks Creepy Cool: Horror Stories & the People Behind the Fear

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Deep in the Scottish Highlands, there’s a mountain where hikers claim they’ve heard footsteps following behind them… even when nobody is there.

Tonight inside the Library of Shadows, enter a cinematic horror story inspired by the Scottish legend of The Grey Man of Ben MacDhui — a mysterious entity said to haunt the fog-covered peaks of Scotland’s Cairngorm Mountains.

Fog.
Footsteps.

Breathing in the dark.
And something hidden inside the mountain.

🎙️ Storytelling, atmosphere, and horror from inside the House.

Enter the House.

Follow the Fear®.

If you’re an author with a story to tell submit it at lookscreepycool.com for consideration inside the House.

And if there’s a legend you think belongs here, leave it in the comments below. 

The House is always listening.

Your next scare is waiting! Explore Haunted House FearFest online through October 31, 2026. Film tickets start at $4, with a $35 film festival pass. Discover horror games separately in the Basement.

Get tickets and explore: https://www.hauntedhousefearfest.com

👉 If it looks creepy, it must be cool. Follow Haunted House FearFest & the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast.

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This is the story behind Haunted House FearFest.

In this episode, I’m sharing how my love for horror started—from watching films like The People Under the Stairs to finding comfort in fear during difficult moments growing up—and how that eventually led me to build an immersive horror festival from the ground up.

I talk about:

• Why horror has always felt like a form of escape and control
• What I learned working in corporate media and why I decided to build something of my own
• The idea behind the “House” and how each room represents a different experience with fear
• Why indie horror creators deserve a space to be seen

Haunted House FearFest isn’t just a festival—it’s a curated world built around fear, storytelling, and discovery.

If it looks creepy… it must be cool.
 Follow the Fear. The House is Waiting.

Your next scare is waiting! Explore Haunted House FearFest online through October 31, 2026. Film tickets start at $4, with a $35 film festival pass. Discover horror games separately in the Basement.

Get tickets and explore: https://www.hauntedhousefearfest.com

👉 If it looks creepy, it must be cool. Follow Haunted House FearFest & the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast.

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Step inside the House… if you dare.

In this episode of the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast, we enter the Library of Shadows to uncover one of Japan’s most unsettling urban legends — Kuchisake-onna, the woman who asks a simple question… twice.

A masked figure approaches you in the dark.

“Am I beautiful?”

What happens next depends on your answer.

Blending atmospheric storytelling with cinematic horror, this episode brings the legend of Kuchisake-onna to life — a spirit said to haunt quiet streets, hiding something far more terrifying beneath her mask.

Listen closely… and choose your answer wisely.

—

🩸 Have a story to tell?

Submit your horror story for consideration at:
👉 https://lookscreepycool.com

🕯️ Have a legend you think belongs inside the House?

Leave it in the comments — the House is always listening.

—

🎧 Listen to the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast on  and all major podcast platforms.

If it looks creepy… it must be cool.
Follow the fear.
The House is waiting.

Your next scare is waiting! Explore Haunted House FearFest online through October 31, 2026. Film tickets start at $4, with a $35 film festival pass. Discover horror games separately in the Basement.

Get tickets and explore: https://www.hauntedhousefearfest.com

👉 If it looks creepy, it must be cool. Follow Haunted House FearFest & the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

Elaine — a psychological horror story by emerging horror storyteller Ruby Aguilar Ortega

After her husband’s death, Elaine returns to a secluded estate where she has long lived as a ghost within her own family.

But something has changed.

Her memories feel fractured.
Her presence feels distant.

As those around her try to understand what’s happening, a deeper question begins to surface:

was Elaine ever truly who they believed her to be?

This episode explores psychological horror, identity, memory, and emotional realism through immersive storytelling.

🎙️ Follow the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast for more horror stories, folklore, and emerging voices

Follow the Fear.

Your next scare is waiting! Explore Haunted House FearFest online through October 31, 2026. Film tickets start at $4, with a $35 film festival pass. Discover horror games separately in the Basement.

Get tickets and explore: https://www.hauntedhousefearfest.com

👉 If it looks creepy, it must be cool. Follow Haunted House FearFest & the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

Horror podcast host Jay Rowlings joins me inside the House to talk about Beneath the Light, the first horror films that stayed with us, and why some fears never really leave.

Your next scare is waiting! Explore Haunted House FearFest online through October 31, 2026. Film tickets start at $4, with a $35 film festival pass. Discover horror games separately in the Basement.

Get tickets and explore: https://www.hauntedhousefearfest.com

👉 If it looks creepy, it must be cool. Follow Haunted House FearFest & the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

Hell Dive — 2025 winner of Best Video Game of the Year and the Grim Reaper Award at Haunted House FearFest — is a claustrophobic deep-sea horror experience from developer Thomas-Bo Huusmann of Teacup Games. In this episode, host Renee Huff steps into the depths with Thomas-Bo to explore how the game was created, the emotional cost of game development, and the lessons learned from high-stakes industry challenges.

Hell Dive places players aboard an abandoned deep-sea colony where oxygen is scarce, horrors lurk in the dark, and every corridor holds a secret. Thomas-Bo shares the inspirations behind the game’s atmosphere, the complexities of underwater horror, and a deeply personal story about a past contractual mistake that led to a devastating financial loss — and ultimately reshaped his career.

A conversation about fear, failure, and resilience beneath the surface.

If it looks creepy… it must be cool.  Follow the Fear. The House is Waiting…

Your next scare is waiting! Explore Haunted House FearFest online through October 31, 2026. Film tickets start at $4, with a $35 film festival pass. Discover horror games separately in the Basement.

Get tickets and explore: https://www.hauntedhousefearfest.com

👉 If it looks creepy, it must be cool. Follow Haunted House FearFest & the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast.

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In this episode of the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast, host Renee  welcomes filmmakers Jessica and Barrett Burgin, the creative duo behind the folk-horror short The Angel, featured at the 2025 Haunted House FearFest and now winners of Best Cinematography and Best Paranormal Short for The Angel

Set against the blood-red stone of Southern Utah, The Angel follows two plural wives who receive a mysterious and unsettling visitation — blurring the boundaries between faith, folklore, and fear. With haunting performances and an otherworldly atmosphere, the film taps into ancestral belief systems, buried history, and the terror of being chosen.

Jessica and Barrett discuss the film’s inspiration, the storytelling power of place, the challenges and joys of co-directing as a married couple, and the unforgettable experience of working with iconic actor Doug Jones (The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy).

If it looks creepy… it must be cool.

Your next scare is waiting! Explore Haunted House FearFest online through October 31, 2026. Film tickets start at $4, with a $35 film festival pass. Discover horror games separately in the Basement.

Get tickets and explore: https://www.hauntedhousefearfest.com

👉 If it looks creepy, it must be cool. Follow Haunted House FearFest & the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast, host Renee sits down with Finnish game developer Uki Eiri (CoAction) to explore her atmospheric vampire story Sucks To Be In The Sticks, featured in this year’s Creepy Cool Showcase at the 2025 Haunted House FearFest Film & Video Game Festival

In the game, you play as 19-year-old Ilo, whose life is thrown into chaos after becoming a vampire. While others survive on human energy, Ilo can only live on blood — and drinking it pulls you into strangers’ deepest grief, memories, and hidden fears through emotional, story-rich mini-games. It’s a dark fantasy where the supernatural bleeds into the personal, set against a small-town, post-Soviet backdrop full of loss, identity, and eerie beauty.

Uki and Renee wander room by room through the Haunted House to uncover the inspirations, themes, and emotional truths behind this haunting demo.

If it looks creepy… it must be cool.

Your next scare is waiting! Explore Haunted House FearFest online through October 31, 2026. Film tickets start at $4, with a $35 film festival pass. Discover horror games separately in the Basement.

Get tickets and explore: https://www.hauntedhousefearfest.com

👉 If it looks creepy, it must be cool. Follow Haunted House FearFest & the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

Director Max Kaplan steps inside the Haunted House to talk about his horror short film LOOKER, winner of Best Editing at the 2025 Haunted House FearFest Festival.

LOOKER follows Anna — a young woman cursed to melt away whenever no one is looking at her. As she fights to stay seen, the film blends body horror, psychological terror, and emotional vulnerability into one unforgettable short.

Max shares the inspiration behind LOOKER, the editing choices that became the film’s secret weapon, and his journey as a rising filmmaker.

If it looks creepy… it must be cool.

Your next scare is waiting! Explore Haunted House FearFest online through October 31, 2026. Film tickets start at $4, with a $35 film festival pass. Discover horror games separately in the Basement.

Get tickets and explore: https://www.hauntedhousefearfest.com

👉 If it looks creepy, it must be cool. Follow Haunted House FearFest & the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of the Looks Creepy Cool horror podcast, host Renee speaks with Dan Lester, creator of the survival-horror game Deadly Footprints and founder of Monkeys Might Puke.

They explore the psychology of fear in gaming — what makes players panic, why chase scenes get your heart racing, and how sound and pacing transform tension into terror. Dan shares his creative process, the challenges of indie game development, and the delicate balance between fear, fun, and player control.

Listeners will discover how real emotions drive gameplay, how survival instincts influence design, and why horror games tap into our most primal reactions.

If you love survival horror, game design, and the thrill of fear in interactive storytelling, this episode will pull you right into the chase.

Steam Page  - https://store.steampowered.com/app/702130/Deadly_Footprints/?l=english&curator_clanid=34823852

Your next scare is waiting! Explore Haunted House FearFest online through October 31, 2026. Film tickets start at $4, with a $35 film festival pass. Discover horror games separately in the Basement.

Get tickets and explore: https://www.hauntedhousefearfest.com

👉 If it looks creepy, it must be cool. Follow Haunted House FearFest & the Looks Creepy Cool Podcast.