Entertainment
Internet Meme Takes On Disturbing Life Of Its Own In Max True Crime Documentary
By Robert Scucci
| Published
They say that you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet because there is so much misinformation floating around out there, but sometimes we can’t help ourselves. For as long as humanity has had the ability to tell stories, folklore and tall tales have been forms of entertainment that mirror our own lives as a means to make sense of our existence and whatever existential quandaries we face on a daily basis. 2016’s Beware the Slenderman, an HBO original streaming on Max, aims to unpack just how modern folklore birthed through the internet has real-life consequences when fiction is regarded as fact, and how grave the consequences can be when a mythological creature like the Slender Man takes on a life of its own despite the fact that it has always been a work of fiction.
Beware the Slenderman goes into the creation of the Slender Man, the mythology surrounding him, and the harrowing incident known as the Slender Man Stabbing that took place in Wisconsin back in 2014 when two girls, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, stabbed their friend, Payton “Bella” Leutner, 19 times to appease the fictional character who allegedly influenced their behavior.
Slender Man Started As A Photoshop Contest
The Slender Man’s origin can be tracked down to the Something Awful forums in 2009, when Eric Knudsen entered the paranormal Photoshop contest that inspired him to create the creature. Beware the Slenderman explains that the creature – a tall and skinny, faceless and tentacled man in a suit – became so popular because online users started writing their own folklore about the being that reflected their own fears and anxieties in ways similar to traditional folk stories.
As the Slender Man’s popularity began to grow, so did the imaginations of Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, who became obsessed with the Slender Man, which led to their attempted murder of Bella. Feeling as if she were under the Slender Man’s spell, Morgan Geyser became increasingly paranoid, and claims she was instructed by the Slender Man to kill Bella before meeting him at his home, Slender Mansion.
Where Were Their Parents?
Geyser and Wesier’s parents are interviewed extensively in Beware the Slenderman, and their primary concern is how to handle supervising the online activity of their other children after the stabbing took place. Growing concerned over the amount of screen time their kids are required to have through iPads and other devices for their studies, they wonder what else they could do outside of supervising their children 24/7. But as the documentary goes deeper into Morgan Geyser’s psyche at the time of the murder, we learn that she was suffering from auditory visual and auditory hallucinations that she didn’t tell her parents – who are by all accounts active and attentive parents – about.
Revealing Interrogations
Though there are no first-hand accounts from Bella (who thankfully survived) in Beware the Slenderman, we learn through interrogation footage how Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier reacted to the crime they had just committed shortly after they were apprehended. Given the severity of their crimes, they were both tired as adults, but not without a lengthy legal battle to determine how mentally fit each girl was at the time of the stabbing.
Beware the Slenderman provides a unique look at how sometimes internet memes and urban legends can get out of hand and have real life consequences. What I appreciated most is how the Slender Man Stabbing was framed as an isolated incident without placing blame on the Slender Man’s creator, Eric Knudsen. While there’s no clear-cut answer on how the stabbing itself could have been prevented given the course of events that Beware the Slenderman tries to make sense of, it still serves as a cautionary tale about just how quickly truth can become stranger than a collaborative work of fiction.
You can stream Beware the Slenderman on Max.
Entertainment
Mike Flanagans Carrie gets its first trailer ahead of Oct. release
Horror’s favorite It girl is getting her television series debut, with the first trailer now out for Mike Flanagan’s (The Haunting of Hill House) adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie.
The eight-episode miniseries follows Carrie White as she endures bullying at school and abuse at home from her fanatically religious mother, Margaret — all while discovering she has telekinetic powers. As the trailer shows, Flanagan’s version drags King’s 1974 novel into the present day, trading its original setting for a story steeped in social media and viral humiliation. The 2013 film adaptation made a similar leap into modern times, so here’s hoping this take sticks the landing.
It’s worth noting that technically, this isn’t Carrie‘s first trip to TV. A 2002 television movie, directed by David Carson and written by Hannibal‘s Bryan Fuller, starred Angela Bettis (Girl, Interrupted) in the title role — though Flanagan’s series marks the story’s first full episodic adaptation.
Summer H. Howell leads the new cast as Carrie White, alongside Samantha Sloyan as Margaret, Siena Agudong as Sue Snell, and Matthew Lillard as Principal Grayle, with Alison Thornton, Thalia Dudek, Amber Midthunder, Josie Totah, Arthur Conti, and Joel Oulette rounding out the ensemble. Flanagan serves as writer, showrunner, and director on four of the eight episodes.
Carrie premieres on Prime Video October 7.
Entertainment
Ryan Gosling to star in MCUs Ghost Rider film
After years of rumors and on-again, off-again flirtation between Ryan Gosling (Project Hail Mary, Barbie) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s now confirmed: the actor will play Johnny Blaze, aka Ghost Rider, in an upcoming film.
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For those unfamiliar with the character, Ghost Rider is the demonic alter ego of stuntman Johnny Blaze, who strikes a deal to sell his soul to the demon Mephisto in order to save his father’s life. Blaze’s soul is then bonded to Zarathos, the Spirit of Vengeance, transforming him into a leather-jacketed, motorcycle-riding, flame-skulled avenger. Thus, Blaze is forced to punish the wicked and evil whenever Mephisto needs him to.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige introduced Gosling to a packed Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con to roaring applause. The titular film will be directed by Shawn Levy, who previously helmed Deadpool & Wolverine, and is slated for release in 2028. It marks the first film adaptation of the supernatural antihero since 2007’s Ghost Rider, starring Nicolas Cage, and its 2012 sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
Mashable Top Stories
On the television side, Gabriel Luna played the Robbie Reyes variant of Ghost Rider in the fourth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. That appearance was meant to lead into a solo spin-off slated for 2020, but a “creative impasse” in late 2019 led to the project’s cancellation.
Gosling and Levy are already collaborators. The two are currently working together on Star Wars: Starfighter, due out in May 2027, and reportedly spent downtime on that set trading ideas for a Ghost Rider film.
Alongside the reveal of Gosling at Hall H, Feige also announced Black Panther III as a part of the MCU’s 2028 slate. The film will star David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus, Industry) as the titular Black Panther, aka T’Challa II. The last we saw of T’Challa II was his introduction as a small boy in Wakanda Forever, revealed to be the son of Chadwick Bosman’s T’Challa with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o).
Not much is known about the plot for Ghost Rider, but given the character’s ties to Mephisto, it won’t be a surprise to see Sacha Baron Cohen reprise the role from Ironheart.
Entertainment
Get lifetime ad blocking for up to 9 devices for $11
TL;DR: Protect up to nine devices with the AdGuard Family Plan Lifetime Subscription for $11 (reg. $169.99) through July 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
It doesn’t matter if your household has two devices or 20, keeping everyone’s online activity protected can quickly become complicated. The AdGuard Family Plan simplifies things by covering up to nine devices with a single lifetime subscription. Through July 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT, new users can get it for $11 (reg. $169.99).
The Family Plan is designed specifically for households rather than individual users. In addition to blocking intrusive ads across supported devices, it helps reduce online tracking, warns about phishing sites, and adds another layer of protection against malware. That means fewer distractions while browsing and more peace of mind when the whole family is online.
Mashable Deals
One great feature is the parental controls. Parents can restrict access to inappropriate or adult content while still giving kids access to the sites and apps they know and love. Combined with privacy protection that helps hide browsing activity from trackers, the plan focuses on creating a safer online experience for everyone using the family’s devices.
The Family Plan works across desktop and mobile platforms, making it easy to protect laptops, phones, and tablets under a single subscription. Since it’s a lifetime plan, you won’t have to worry about monthly renewals or annual subscription costs after the initial purchase.
This offer is available to new users only, it covers up to nine devices, and you have to redeem your code within 30 days of purchase.
Mashable Deals
If you’re looking for an easy way to protect multiple devices without juggling separate subscriptions, the AdGuard Family Plan Lifetime Subscription is price-dropped to $11 (reg. $169.99) through July 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
MLB Best Bets for Sunday's Rockies vs. Brewers, Yankees vs. Phillies
Yankees place Cody Bellinger (hamstring) on IR, recall Spencer Jones
