Reelz Channel ups the real fear factor of Halloween programming

Note: This post is sponsored by REELZ; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are our own.

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We are only just a few days away from Halloween, but the fear is far from finished this season. This is especially the case over at Reelz Channel, where they are still in the throes of their unique 13 Nights of Reelz Scary programming. But what is making this particular slate of October content notable is that Reelz is kicking up the real fear factor by exploring freaky facts behind favorite movies and popular scary stories.

For instance, last night on the network, our skin was crawling with their true crime shows that built the tension leading up to "The Silence of the Lambs." Before Dr. Lecter started licking his lips over chianti and fava beans (and a little human liver), the programming block kicked off with an episode of "Murder Made Me Famous," about the gruesome works of serial killer Ted Bundy. Following that was "Behind the Screams," a docu-series that connected the dots between Bundy and how it inspired the character of Buffalo Bill in "Lambs." The 1991 Jodi Foster/Anthony Hopkins classic then rolled, and was followed by a behind-the-scenes documentary about the film, featuring cast and crew interviews.

See what they did there? Build the tension using real (and horrific) scary stories, then lead into a great Hollywood flick. Although the programming is not strictly paranormal-themed, the "Behind the Screams" episodes detailing the disturbing lives of Ed Gein and John Wayne Gacy are darkly compelling -- as are the effects the killers had on the entertainment industry.

But there is actually quite a lot in the paranormal pop culture realm to scare the pants off you. Tonight at 8 p.m. ET, a "Behind the Screams" episode titled "Witches Among Us" explores the haunting tale of the Perron family, who you'll remember from "The Conjuring." This installment adds a level of creepiness to the movie with the first-hand accounts you may not know about. Also tonight is the story behind a different case of Ed and Lorraine Warren: "The Amityville Horror Murders." The doc takes a critical look at the murders and the supposed hauntings to determine whether the reports were true or not. There are also "Behind the Screams" entries this week focusing on the "true story" accounts of some of the most famous paranormal movies, "The Exorcist" and "Fire in the Sky."

Even if you don't end up tuning, or setting your DVR, into the 13 Nights of Reelz Scary, check out their site for pretty cool/creepy supplemental content. One of the things I really got into was a gallery of exorcisms depicted in art, from 1300 to 1900. They also include a breakdown, and listing, of the Latin exorcism ritual.

And if you need a little appetizer to get you ready for some scary programming, check out the YouTube vid of supposedly real footage from hauntings and poltergeist activity.

I won't say any of it's legit, but it is worth sticking around to watch the whole thing. Though the one beginning at the 1:28 mark is the best, in my opinion.

-Aaron Sagers

'Ghost' Picture Taken at Infamous LA Hotel

Photo courtesy of ABC7 Los Angeles

The local Los Angeles station, KABC-TV 7, reported on Monday that a Riverside resident with a penchant for scary movies captured what he thinks may be a ghost at the infamous Hotel Cecil. Koston Alderete took the photo which shows a ghostly figure outside a fourth floor window. But what made him randomly take a pic of a hotel window? He claims, "When I looked at that window, it just looked kind of creepy to me, and then I showed my friend, and he kind of freaked out. It just creeps me out still."

Why is the Hotel Cecil so infamous? It has ties to some notorious crimes including the fact that "The Black Dahlia," Elizabeth Short and "The Night Stalker," Richard Ramirez once lived there for a brief time. It has been reported that Short may have been in the hotel right before her brutal murder.

Also, in the 1950s and 60s, the hotel used to draw in people who sadly were down on their luck and wanted to end their lives. The Cecil had the unfortunate reputation as a place where people would kill themselves by jumping out upper-floor windows and has earned a spot on the LA "Hotel Horrors and Main Street Vice" tour. What is the mysterious pull of the Cecil? Or is it just a coincidence?

Last year's discover of Elisa Lam, a missing tourist found dead in a rooftop water tank, has been compared to the 2005 film, "Dark Water" and has been said to read like a real-life "American Horror Story." The Black Dahlia murder was also an inspiration for the 2012 film, "The Black Dahlia Haunting." So could this photo be of one of the souls who took their lives or of one of the murder victims with tied to the hotel? There's certainly a lot of violent death surrounding the establishment. We recommended doing your own research on the Cecil and its dark, paranormally-charged past...and present.

-Larissa Mrykalo