Christopher Myers lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for lists and rankings in all categories

Christopher Myers - Lists at Ranker

In the beginning, Ripley and the gang team up against a survivor, unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality. 

No One Can Hear You Scream

Alien Franchise

Almost all movie franchises have bad installments. Star Wars has the prequels… and arguably sequel trilogy. Batman has Batman and Robin. Friday the 13th has… several.&nbsp;But despite having eight feature films under its belt and counting, the Alien franchise hasn't produced any films that are truly terrible. There are a few weak entries, sure, but comparatively these are all decent films at worst. At the very least, every single film has some kind of redeeming quality. Even the naked cash grabs do a decent enough job.Despite the odds, the franchise spawned by the quintessential space survival horror film Alien has survived. While none of the subsequent films have lived up to the lofty standards set by Alien and the immediate sequel Aliens, they are all decent films in their own right. While some of the films did plenty to enrage fans, it is hard to find any film franchise which hasn't.This list demonstrates all the reasons that even the worst Alien movies are better than most films. Yes, even Alien vs. Predator: Requiem.**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**

15 Reasons Why Even The Worst 'Alien' Movie Is Still Better Than Most Movies

Film

Christopher Myers

Entertainment

Horror is a very divisive genre. What&#39;s scary to one person can be silly to the next. Furthermore, many horror films are created with the intent to disturb the audience. Not everybody is into that, and sometimes you think you&#39;re down for anything, only to see some stuff that really messes you up.

These films deliberately cross lines, and that can be a dangerous game. As strange as it may sound, there is a right way and a wrong way to portray a guy&#39;s skull getting bashed in.

These are some of the most divisive horror films out there - people either love them or hate them. If you thought the film was a masterpiece, vote it up. If you thought it was a hot piece of trash, vote it down.

15 Love-Em-Or-Hate-Em Horror Movies That Split Audiences Down The Middle

15 Divisive Horror Movies People Either Love Or Hate

Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon has a weird history with censorship. At certain times, it allowed some of the most subversive&nbsp;adult humor of any children&#39;s network in history. At other times,&nbsp;it hemmed and hawed even over vanilla fare. Nickelodeon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.awn.com/animationworld/when-cartoons-were-cartoony-john-kricfalusi-presents" target="_blank">fired</a>&nbsp;Ren &amp; Stimpy&nbsp;creator John Kricfalusi, even though they allowed the show to exist in the first place. Rocko working as a phone-sex operator is okay, but Norbert saying &quot;shut up&quot; is too far. And let&#39;s not forget the episode of Invader Zim where Zim harvests children&#39;s organs. In short, the standards over the years have been... wacky.

This list details the most controversial episodes of Nickelodeon shows, many of which were either edited or <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/banned-cartoon-episodes/luke-y-thompson" target="_blank">banned</a> altogether.

The 13 Most Controversial Episodes Of Nickelodeon Shows

TV Episode

Nickelodeon TV Show Episodes That Caused Controversy

Rankings, theories, behind-the-scenes stories, and fun facts about the adventures of Indiana Jones, the archaeologist who can find anything—except the inner-strength to conquer his own fear of snakes.

X Never, Ever Marks the Spot

Indiana Jones Franchise

An archaeologist who spends his days dodging elaborate ancient booby traps and punching bad guys is obviously more Flash Gordon than David Attenborough. But despite the action movie explosions and supernatural activity, there&#39;s a substantial amount of historical accuracy in <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-indiana-jones-movies-series/ranker-film?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Indiana Jones movies</a>. These little tidbits add believability to what are ultimately works of fiction (with plenty of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/indiana-jones-fan-theories/grayson-titan" target="_blank">fan theories</a> to go along with the fiction).

The hard part is discerning fact from fiction. For example, historical details in Raiders of the Lost Ark are placed next to the fictional Staff of Ra. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull decided to throw aliens into the mix. Some of the believable bits are really fabrications, and some of the actual factual parts are pretty unbelievable.

This list tries to clear that all up by featuring&nbsp;the biggest true stories in the Indy franchise.

13 Historical Details The 'Indiana Jones' Franchise Actually Got Totally Right

General

Accurate Historical Details In The Indiana Jones Movies

Everyone has experienced the strange sense of loss that comes with having a beloved movie ruined by a sequel. It hurts. These aren&#39;t just ordinary bad or depressing movie sequels. These are sequels that wipe&nbsp;out some crucial aspect of the previous&nbsp;movies. These are&nbsp;films that walk you right up to the existential void by rendering everything you watched in the original meaningless. They erase happy endings or drop retcon bombs that undo <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/tv-shows-that-dont-explain-major-plot-points/zack-howe?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">major plot points</a>. They change the way you view the original&nbsp;and not in a good way.

Now that doesn&#39;t mean these are all bad films. Some of them are actually really good. Others make you want to scream, &quot;Why did you make this abomination, you money-grubbing monsters!?&quot; In either case, they all commit at least one cardinal sin of sequels: They all sully the memory of their predecessor. Vote up the worst offenders.

Sequels That Were Bummers And Negated The First Movie

Sequels That Wiped Out Goodwill From The Previous Movies In The Series

Media Money

Apparently, cash doesn&#39;t rule everything around us... at least not when it comes to these actors who gave up huge paychecks. Perhaps you&#39;ve turned down a few bucks here or there to avoid a distasteful job - like&nbsp;telling your buddy no&nbsp;when he offers you a fiver to take his turn cleaning out the Chipotle restroom - but that&#39;s nothing compared to the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/actors-who-took-paycheck-roles/anncasano" target="_blank">serious paydays</a> these celebrities turned down.

We&#39;re talking Heath Ledger&#39;s Joker-setting-fire-to-a-mountain-of-money kind of cash. Speaking of which, Christian Bale turned down&nbsp;Batman 4,&nbsp;despite the potential payout. Now that sends a message.

So here are the most costly examples of saying no in show business, from ABBA to ZZ Top. Some did it for their integrity, some&nbsp;did it for their art, and ZZ Top did it for their beards.

Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts Of Money

Person

Great horror movies do more than just scare audiences. They tell complex stories with thoughtful costumes, set dressing, background action, etc., making them fun to rewatch and analyze again and again. 

Horror Details & Easter Eggs

Horror movies simply love to&nbsp;sprinkle&nbsp;in <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/get-out-small-poignant-details/jamaal-armstrong/" target="_blank">foreshadowing</a>, especially when there is a twist <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/confusing-horror-movie-endings-explained/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">ending</a>. The goal is to paint a complete portrait with little details that can only really be seen upon a second viewing of the film. Often, however, this technique is botched and the ending is telegraphed to the audience in advance. This list encapsulates some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/obvious-spoilers-you-missed-the-first-time/pierce-nahigyan" target="_blank">most obvious examples</a> and&nbsp;moments where the&nbsp;savvy audience member can see the ending a mile away. We love these moments because, let&#39;s be honest, it feels great to turn to your friend at the end of the film and say, &quot;I called it!&quot;

Spoilers will abound in this list. We are literally giving away horror movie endings. If you haven&#39;t seen one of these films and don&#39;t want it ruined, skip that one. With that warning aside, let&#39;s get to it.

Little Details In Horror Movies That Should’ve Made The Endings Obvious

Horror Movies Details That Should’ve Made The Endings Obvious

From 1861 to 1865, The Union faced secessionists in 11 Southern states grouped together as the Confederacy and waged war against America. It was the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history.

North vs. South

Battle of Gettysburg

As dawn broke over Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on July 1, 1863, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Gettysburg" target="_blank">the fate of the United States</a> teetered on a razor&#39;s edge. The Confederate Army of Virginia, commanded by General <a href="https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-robertlee/" target="_blank">Robert E. Lee</a>, had just won a massive victory at Chancellorsville, Virginia, and was now marching through Union territory. The Union Army of the Potomac was the only thing standing&nbsp;between Lee and the Union capital, Washington, DC. Commanding the Union forces&nbsp;was newly promoted General George Meade, who replaced General Joseph Hooker after his defeat at Chancellorsville.

The Confederate cause was <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-gettysburg" target="_blank">on the brink of success</a>. A victory in Union territory would leave DC exposed and had the potential to cause France and Great Britain to recognize the Confederacy internationally. These factors, combined with strengthening sentiment in the North to end the conflict, could ultimately force&nbsp;Abraham Lincoln to concede the independence of the Confederate States. It seemed that, with a single victory, the South could win the conflict.

On that sunny, summer morning, Meade was attempting to keep his troops&nbsp;between Lee and the capital. He sent his cavalry, led by&nbsp;General John Buford, ahead to scout. Meanwhile, Lee&#39;s troops, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/gett/learn/historyculture/confederate-commanders-at-gettysburg.htm" target="_blank">organized into three corps</a>, were attempting to meet at South Mountain, where they would be in a strong position to either defend or attack. The three corps&nbsp;were led by&nbsp;General Richard S. Ewell,&nbsp;General A.P. Hill, and General James Longstreet. The Confederate Cavalry was led by General J.E.B. Stuart, and had gone on a raid behind the Union troops. The two opposing forces&nbsp;would meet at Gettysburg, where over three days of intense battle, history would be made.

By the time the dust settled on the fourth day, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-battle-of-gettysburg-ended-today-1863-2017-7" target="_blank">11,000 men had perished</a>, 29,000 were wounded, and 10,000 were missing. However, the Union troops remained, and the Confederate troops were retreating back to Virginia. How did Meade&#39;s Army of the Potomac manage to win this crucial victory over a Confederate force&nbsp;led by one of the most brilliant generals in American history?

Why Did The South Lose Gettysburg, The Most Decisive Battle Of The Civil War?

Why Did The South Lose The Battle Of Gettysburg?

Places/Travel

A fire smolders under what&#39;s left of Centralia, PA, the inspiration for the 2006&nbsp;movie version of Silent Hill. The network of anthracite coal mines caught fire in 1962, and the Pennsylvania mine fire <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/burning-town-of-centralia-pennsylvania/rachel-souerbry?ref=search" target="_blank">still burns</a> to this day. All attempts to put out the fire failed, and eventually the town had to be abandoned altogether. What remains is a barren no-man&#39;s-land&nbsp;where few dare to tread.

Centralia, PA, hasn&#39;t always been a <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/real-life-silent-hill/jacob-shelton?ref=search" target="_blank">fiery hellscape</a>, however. Long before the Centralia mine fire started, the land was an untamed wasteland. In only a couple hundred years, this corner of Pennsylvania has gone from wilderness, to mining boomtown, to eerie ghost town. The Centralia mine fire history itself is replete with conspiracies, government cover-ups, and intense legal battles.

In 1749, Native Americans <a href="https://www.centraliapa.org/history-centralia-pa-before-1962/" target="_blank">sold the land</a>, and that&#39;s where the story of Centralia begins. In addition to a variety of name changes, the land itself changed hands several times, from early settlers to Robert Morris (who signed&nbsp;the Declaration of Independence) to Stephen Girard, who bought the land at auction in 1830 with the understanding that there were coal deposits present. Finally, the&nbsp;Locust Mountain Coal and Iron Company bought the land in 1842 and began development.

Why Centralia, PA, The Real-Life Silent Hill, Has Been On Fire For Over 50 Years

Why Centralia Has Been On Fire For Over 50 Years

In-depth looks at some wacky, underrated, or vile horror you may have missed or dismissed.

Horror to Revisit

Peering through our fingers at the spookiest, scariest, goriest movies beloved by loyal fans.

Cult Classic Horror Movies

Puppet Master Franchise

If you&#39;re old enough to remember video stores, you may recall the Puppet Master films that perpetually graced the horror aisles in the 1990s. Perhaps, attracted by the colorful covers and novel premise, you even rented an entry or two. Yet even if you have seen a few of these films, you probably don&#39;t remember quite how full-on weird they are.

In horror, there is scary, there is creepy, and then there is inexplicably bizarre. The Puppet Master franchise falls squarely into the third category.

As <a href="http://www.pophorror.com/all-hail-full-moon-pictures-an-interview-with-charles-band/" target="_blank">Full Moon&#39;s flagship series</a>, Puppet Master was&nbsp;practically guaranteed sequels right out of the gate. No one, however, could have predicted that it would put out <a href="https://www.fandango.com/movie-news/the-longest-running-horror-franchises-751853" target="_blank">more films</a> than any other horror franchise in history - at a whopping 13 (and counting). Over the many years since Puppet Master first premiered in 1989, audiences have laughed, cursed, and stared at their screens in utter befuddlement.

The chronology of the films is largely random, with sequels, prequels, alternate timelines, and even a non-canonical Christmas special. Dates don&#39;t align, and some films feel like complete non-sequiturs. The puppets themselves are equally random. Their morality is determined by whoever is acting Puppet Master, allowing them to behave as heroes, antiheroes, or villains, depending on the film. New puppets show up randomly with little regard to continuity. The puppets&#39; abilities are bizarre, their appearances even more so.

Despite these flaws - or partly because of them - the series has amassed a dedicated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/horror-cult-classic-puppet-master-889354" target="_blank">cult following</a>. These are the moments of unadulterated weirdness that created that following.

The ‘Puppet Master’ Franchise Is Way Weirder Than We Remembered

Korean War

Though it is sometimes overlooked in a cursory&nbsp;Western study of military history, the Korean War was a serious engagement that cost tens of thousands of US lives as well as hundreds of thousands of Korean lives. It is a big reason <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/why-is-korea-divided-into-north-and-south/christopher-myers" target="_blank">why North and South Korea became two countries</a> in the first place. So how did the US&nbsp;end up fighting in&nbsp; another conflict&nbsp;less than five&nbsp;years after the devastation of WWII? What started the Korean War?

The causes of the Korean War &mdash;&nbsp;which began in 1950 &mdash;&nbsp;are complex, and the aftermath was critical. In fact, the altercations&nbsp;didn&#39;t end; it just went cold:&nbsp;The&nbsp;armistice that both countries signed after three years of fighting was effectively only a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.&nbsp;Today, the zone between North and South Korea remains&nbsp;the most heavily guarded border in the world.

What Was The Korean War All About?

Lists about the backstories and persistent legends that surround the many mythical figures that watch you as you walk alone in the woods at night.

Creepy Creatures of Ill Repute

Graveyard Shift

Stories about mythical headless men have been told for centuries.&nbsp;By most legends, these humanoid creatures are incredibly buff, and&nbsp;go by many names, such as Akephaloi, Sternophthalmoi,&nbsp;and Blemmyes.&nbsp;Tales of these headless beings first appeared in Ancient Greece, but were later repeated by the Romans, French, and English empires over a period of centuries. The exact physiognomy of the headless men varies based on accounts (some say they have faces on their chests, whereas others claim their eyes are located in their shoulders), but all the descriptions are remarkably similar, despite coming from vastly disparate locations. Legends&nbsp;of the headless men paint a picture of a strange species of&nbsp;cryptid&nbsp;that&nbsp;dwells in undeveloped corners of the world.&nbsp;Here's what history tells us about the mythic headless men.

Stories And Urban Legends About The Mythic Headless Men

Lists about the 2010 animated series that follows a boy named Jake, his magical dog Finn, and their friends and neighbors in the colorful post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo.

Adventure Time

Animated Characters

There are plenty of great <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/insane-fan-theories-about-adventure-time/jordan-love" target="_blank">Adventure Time fan theories</a>, but few are more titillating than the supposed lesbian relationship between Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum&nbsp;and Marceline Abadeer the Vampire Queen. They&nbsp;could very easily join the list of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/secretly-gay-disney-villains/katherine-ripley" target="_blank">gay cartoon stars</a>, according to some fans, and it wouldn't be much of a surprise if they did.&nbsp;Princess Bubblegum and Marceline's&nbsp;relationship, also referred to as Bubbline,&nbsp;has a lot of evidence suggesting that is so much more than a mere platonic bond. And while there is no shortage of Adventure Time LGBTQ subtext, there are times when&nbsp;it seems downright obvious that the two are gay. It would be more than refreshing if they were able to acknowledge their love unequivocally, once and for all.

Evidence That Princess Bubblegum And Marceline From Adventure Time Are More Than Just Friends

Evidence Princess Bubblegum And Marceline Are Actually a Couple

Lists for horror-hounds who get their kicks by having paid professionals scare the bejesus out of them until they literally beg for mercy.

Chills & Thrills

Fall is the Halloween season, and as the weather turns the monsters and madmen come out to play. Each year thousands of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/extreme-scary-haunted-houses-attractions/juliet-bennett-rylah" target="_blank">haunted attractions</a>, like <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/six-flags-fright-fest-haunted-houses/adventureman" target="_blank">Six Flags Fright Fest</a> and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/universal-studios-halloween-horror-nights-haunted-houses/adventureman" target="_blank">Universal&#39;s Halloween Horror Nights</a>,&nbsp;open their doors to the screaming public. Walking down narrow corridors in dim light waiting for something horrible to pop out and scare you is a Halloween tradition too important to miss. So why settle for anything less than the best creepy Halloween events the world has to offer? After all, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/haunters-documentary-extreme-haunted-houses/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">many who work these attractions</a>&nbsp;for your entertainment have practically dedicated their lives to doing so.

These <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/13-chilling-real-life-haunted-house-stories/wavy-gravey" target="_blank">haunted houses</a> are the scariest in the world, ones that warrant travel just to see. Some of them are open year-round, others vanish like mist once the last autumn leaf falls. They showcase ghosts, ghouls, psychopaths, and serial killers. Instead of merely watching horror movies this Halloween, become a part of one. That is, if you&#39;re brave enough.

The Best Haunted Attractions Around The World

The 14 Best Haunted Attractions Around the World

Lists about punishments, penalties, systemic harm, and execution methods used then, now, here, and all around the world.

Crime & Punishment

Weird History

The most horrendous&nbsp;conditions in human life have been created by other humans. We maim, torture, and humiliate individuals to penalize them for their actions with&nbsp;callous indifference to their suffering, or&nbsp;in some cases, with&nbsp;the&nbsp;intent to cause as much pain as possible.

The purpose of punishment is arguable: some believe&nbsp;human beings punish criminals&nbsp;to reduce crime through deterrence or maybe&nbsp;to rehabilitate offenders. Some think it&#39;s&nbsp;to rid criminals from society in efforts to protect the public, but undoubtedly there have been punishments intended to cause pain to the condemned.

There are cases, both ancient and modern, of men and women&nbsp;burned, drowned, and torn apart all with the intention of punishing&nbsp;them for their real&nbsp;and, in some cases, suspected crimes in the most painful manner.&nbsp;

14 Deliberately Evil Historical Punishments Designed To Be More Painful Than Death

14 Horrifically Evil Punishments Throughout History Worth Than Death

Lists of fascinating facts and lesser-known details about the lives of people whose names you learned in History class (or should have).

Down in History

History

If you've ever played the video game <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nioh-PlayStation-4/dp/B01MRKF099?th=1?&amp;tag=rankercom-20" target="_blank">Nioh</a>, you might have noticed a tall, ax-wielding, black samurai named <a href="https://nowloading.co/p/yasuke-the-real-life-story-of-the-black-samurai-from-nioh/4199717" target="_blank">Yasuke</a>. Maybe&nbsp;you're a fan of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/full-list-of-afro-samurai-episodes/reference" target="_blank">Afro Samurai</a> anime. Perhaps you're a Hollywood insider all about <a href="http://deadline.com/2017/03/lionsgate-taps-highlander-creator-gregory-widen-to-script-film-on-first-black-samurai-1202049635/" target="_blank">Lionsgate's Black Samurai&nbsp;film</a>, which was announced in spring 2017.&nbsp;All of these projects&nbsp;are based on a real person. Yasuke was an&nbsp;African samurai who&nbsp;arrived in Japan with Jesuits during the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/hardcore-miyamoto-musashi-list/christopher-myers" target="_blank">Sengoku period</a>&nbsp;(the Yasuke Nioh character's massive ax is a fabrication, alas).&nbsp;During his short stay in the annals of Japanese history, Yasuke rose from slave to vassal&nbsp;to sword bearer. The (maybe) former African slave samurai arrived on Japanese shores in 1579, and only appears in recorded history until 1582. In that small window, he made a huge impression on a very important figure in Japanese history:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-famous-daimyos/reference" target="_blank">daimyō</a> (warlord)&nbsp;Oda Nobunaga, whom&nbsp;he served in various capacities.&nbsp;Yasuke was one of few foreigners officially designated a samurai, and he fought in a few&nbsp;major battles, which ought&nbsp;to earn him a spot on the list of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/awesome-samurai-stories/justin-andress" target="_blank">awesome samurai</a>.

The Remarkable Tale Of Yasuke, An African Captive Who Became The First Foreign Samurai

The Remarkable Tale Of Yasuke, An African Slave Who Became The First Foreign Samurai

Japan

History is rich with accounts of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-famous-samurais/reference" target="_blank">famous samurai</a>, as well as samurai accomplishing <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/awesome-samurai-stories/justin-andress" target="_blank">incredible feats</a> with their warrior mastery. One of the greatest samurai of all time, however, would most likely be&nbsp;Musashi&nbsp;Miyamoto&nbsp;(1584 &ndash;1645), if for no other reason than that he was never defeated. These true&nbsp;Musashi&nbsp;Miyamoto stories illustrate,&nbsp;beyond a doubt, that he epitomized&nbsp;the&nbsp;lifestyle of an unparalleled samurai.

Musashi &ndash; known as Miyamoto Musashi to English speakers &ndash; never commanded armies, though he did fight in several&nbsp;battles. His claim to fame was his perfect dueling record. The legendary swordsman traveled Japan for years challenging&nbsp;and defeating&nbsp;every opponent he encountered. After dueling&nbsp;all of Japan&#39;s most-skilled swordsmen, he wrote a&nbsp;book on the discipline of swordsmanship: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Book-Five-Rings-Classic-Strategy/dp/0879511532?&amp;tag=rankercom-20" target="_blank">A Book of Five Rings</a>. Musashi&#39;s legend lives on through his writings, the tales of his life, and the school of kenjutsu &ndash; or swordsmanship &ndash;&nbsp;he founded.

The Insanely Violent Life Of The Greatest Samurai Of All Time

The Story of Miyamoto Musashi, The Undefeated Two-Sword Samurai

Lists about the Catholic church, its policies, and its millions of loyal believers all over the world.

Take Me to Church

Catholicism

The <a href="https://www.litpress.org/Products/GetSample/B8311" target="_blank">Second Vatican Council</a>, known also as Vatican II, was the 21st ecumenical council, and it was called for by Pope John XXIII in 1959. The Council itself began in 1962 and lasted until 1965. This event reworked Catholic practices&nbsp;and dramatically changed the relationship of the Catholic Church to the world. The impact of Vatican II on the Catholic Church is immeasurable and continues to manifest in new and unexpected ways to this very day.The Catholic Church before Vatican II was seen by some as an archaic institution – with some <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/most-unforgivable-things-the-catholic-church-has-done/lea-rose-emery?utm_expid=16418821-310.smDnXTH_QT6V93qtvQFoXw.0&amp;utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F" target="_blank">lamentable past actions</a> –&nbsp;more intent on preserving itself than being a source of salvation in the world. The Council sought to change that perception and modernize the Church to better become an active player in the contemporary world. The changes made at the Council continue to shape the Catholic Church, its practices, and its one billion followers.

Vatican II Radically Transformed The Catholic Church Forever

How Vatican II Radically Transformed The Catholic Church Forever

First comes death, then comes the autopsy, embalming, a funeral, burial, decomposition, and who knows what else? Join us on the whirlwind journey of the next chapter!

After Life

Have you ever wondered what really happens during a cremation? How does a crematorium even work? Well, wonder no more! Here is a step-by-step explanation of the cremation process, where you can&nbsp;indulge in your <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/morticians-on-dead-bodies/christopher-shultz" target="_blank">morbid and practical curiosity</a> about&nbsp;everything that goes on inside the walls of a crematorium.

Perhaps this will even help you decide what you would prefer to do with <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/how-do-bodies-decompose/robert-f-mason" target="_blank">your own mortal vessel</a>. Cremation takes up far less land&nbsp;than traditional burials do, and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/what-happens-when-you-donate-your-body-to-science/kellen-perry" target="_blank">human taxidermy</a> is still frowned upon, making cremation an ever popular option. In the end, remains all have to go somewhere.

If nothing else, cremation is a really interesting&nbsp;process,&nbsp;though not quite as interesting as a <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/norse-funeral-facts/richard-rowe" target="_blank">Viking funeral.</a>

What Actually Happens To A Body In A Crematorium

What Actually Happens In A Crematorium?

Don't know how you do the voodoo that you do.

Dark Magic

Haitian <a href="https://people.howstuffworks.com/voodoo.htm" target="_blank">Voodoo</a> (or&nbsp;Voodou) is a <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/voodoo-religion-beliefs/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">religion</a> unlike any other. And while zombies are not necessarily a mainstay of Haitian&nbsp;Voodoo, many practitioners believe that&nbsp;(like many other <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/real-life-voodoo-curses/lyra-radford" target="_blank">Voodoo stories</a>)&nbsp;these tales of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/real-zombies/christopher-shultz" target="_blank">zombies</a> are real - and there&#39;s even&nbsp;evidence to suggest that there is some truth to the Haitian zombie mythology.

The history of zombies existing in Haiti began when the first slaves were brought over from Africa by French colonialists. The origins of these zombies began as a&nbsp;manifestation of the anxieties brought on by slavery, and over generations have&nbsp;evolved into something much more. Here is the truth behind&nbsp;Haitian zombies -&nbsp;without all the sensationalism often found in movies.

The Truth Behind Haitian Voodoo Zombie Practices

The Real Story Behind The Voodoo Zombie Mythology Of Haiti

Lists about life in the Empire of Japan from 1939, at which point it was already at odds with China, to the aftermath of the devastation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki post-1945. 

WWII Japan

Lists about social, medical, scientific, and questionable experiments by humans on willing participants, unwitting victims, and even innocent animals.

Let's Just See What Happens

WWII

In World War II, Japan created a top-secret project named <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/7236099/Human-bones-could-reveal-truth-of-Japans-Unit-731-experiments.html" target="_blank">Unit 731</a>. Officially called the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the Kwantung Army, Unit 731 carried out&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/most-brutal-human-experiments/philgibbons" target="_blank">human experiments</a>&nbsp;on unwilling subjects.

<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/japanese-wwii-war-crimes/mel-judson" target="_blank">Japan committed many horrors</a> throughout WWII, but arguably the most gruesome acts occurred in Unit 731. Located in the Pingfang district of what is now China, most of the test subjects for Unit 731 were Chinese.

By the end of WWII, as surrender became imminent, the Japanese involved with Unit 731&nbsp;attempted to destroy all evidence of the acts they committed. Unlike their German counterparts, the scientists running Unit 731 were never punished for their human experimentation. It would be&nbsp;many years before witnesses started speaking out about the unit, and only now does the public understand what really went on there.&nbsp;

The Horrifying And Lethal Experiments Of Unit 731

Fact and fiction from the deepest, darkest, dankest corners of the World Wide Web.

Dark Memes & Internet Things

Red rooms are said to be some of the most&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/deep-web-scary-stories/christopher-shultz" target="_blank">horrific places on the deep web</a>. In a red room,&nbsp;you can reportedly view a livestream of someone being tormented&nbsp;and murdered, and some have even claimed&nbsp;that viewers can participate in these livestreams by&nbsp;exchanging cryptocurrencies for specific acts of violence. These two elements distinguish a &quot;true&quot; red room from snuff films that are sometimes uploaded to the deep web.

Despite all the gossip surrounding them, one crucial question remains: Are red rooms real or are they merely an urban legend? In this list, we&#39;ll explore the history of red rooms and whether or not they actually exist.

Do Online 'Red Rooms' Really Exist?

The History of Online Red Rooms: Do They Really Exist?

In the winter of 1939, while much of the world was involved in WWII, Finnish sniper <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4">Simo Hayha</a> was fighting the Winter War. This lesser-known conflict occurred when the Soviet Union successfully invaded Finland after entering&nbsp;a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany. However, the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/badass-skiing-finnish-warrior-facts-wwii/aaron-edwards">Finnish soldiers of the Winter War</a>&nbsp;did not go quietly into the night in the face of overwhelming Soviet numbers.&nbsp;While they ultimately lost the war,&nbsp;the Finns had ferocious soldiers who fought tooth and nail for their country.One of the most famous snipers&nbsp;in history emerged during the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/a-list-of-all-winter-war-battles/reference">battles of the Winter War</a>. Simo Hayha&nbsp;mercilessly exacted a heavy toll against all Soviet forces he caught in his&nbsp;crosshairs. In fact, if his alleged kill count - 505 - is proven, it would be the most sniper kills&nbsp;in any major war.&nbsp;Read on to discover fascinating facts, stories, and feats of the one of the most effective sniper of all time.&nbsp;

11 Insane Facts About Simo Hayha, The Deadliest Sniper In World History

11 Insane Facts About Deadly Sniper Simo Hayha

Nostalgia

Dim the lights and gather &#39;round, because here we have the best of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scary-Stories-Treasury-Alvin-Schwartz/dp/0060263415/ref=pd_sim_14_5?tag=rankercom2570271-20" target="_blank">Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark</a>. These are stories you might remember from your childhood, stories that left an indelible mark upon your young psyche as you read them by flashlight, underneath the covers. Packed to the brim with horror, one can hardly believe that these were written for children. Apparently, kids were made of hardier stock back then.

Kids have long had to endure horrors as part of the growing-up process. The classic game of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-bloody-mary-history-legend/lyra-radford">Bloody Mary</a> is but one example. Even as infants, kids are subjected to some pretty <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-nursery-rhymes/christopher-shultz">horrific nursery rhymes</a>. Telling <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/creepiest-urban-legends/dukeharten">urban legends</a> is a sandlot pastime that goes back generations. Plus, in the modern age, there are&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-talking-toys/lyra-radford">talking dolls</a> that amount to pure nightmare-fuel. Telling scary stories, though, will always have an important place in the world of childhood. Perhaps they prepare us for the real-world&nbsp;horrors of adult life.

What makes these the scariest stories for kids? Well, the book&#39;s haunting illustrations by Stephen Gammell certainly play their part, so much so that a reprint had to&nbsp;replace&nbsp;them with more &quot;child-friendly&quot; fare. Thanks to the power of the Internet, however, we can still enjoy the scariest children&#39;s stories as they were meant to be experienced: how we experienced them, recoiling in horror at the images shown in low light as we tried our best to scare the pee out of our best friends. Vote up the ones that left their mark in the dark recesses of your mind.

The Scariest Stories From Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark

Eerie true tales of people and places being haunted by g-g-g-ghoooosts!!!

Real Hauntings & Ghost Stories

While there is no shortage of ghost stories about spectral children or a wailing woman in white, this collection of ghosts with the scariest origin stories stands out as the creepiest of the bunch. What's more, these gruesome and macabre tales - especially the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-orphanage-ghost-stories/elle-tharp">paranormal stories about children</a> - are all the more frightening in that they are largely true.It is said that ghosts are often created when a person's life ends in a state of extreme fear or pain - like ones from tales of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/plantation-ghost-stories/amber-fua">plantation hauntings</a>. If that's true, then it should come as no surprise that the events chronicled here led to hauntings. And while some <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/presidential-ghost-stories/amandasedlakhevener">iconic ghost tales</a> are more interesting than terrifying, these are some of the scariest ghost stories you will ever come across.

17 Notorious Ghosts And Their Intensely Horrific Origin Stories

17 Famous Ghosts With The Most Horrific Origin Stories

The annals of Wikipedia are full of some seriously creepy stuff. As&nbsp;the makeshift source for&nbsp;all human knowledge, Wikipedia has plenty of&nbsp;tales of the weird, macabre, and unexplained. If Wikipedia were a house, this would be the creepy attic that everyone thinks is haunted. Excluding the unverified, poorly sourced, and completely made up, these are the creepiest pages that Wikipedia has to offer.Perhaps what makes all these stories so scary is that the events really occurred. Here, we are visiting some seriously dark corners of the human psyche. Some of the events will shock you. Some even cross over into the supernatural realm, or at least raise the question, could the supernatural be real?&nbsp;You can judge for yourself, thanks to the great sourcing structure of Wikipedia.Reading on, you might encounter some facts that <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/things-you-wish-you-were-better-at/lauren-slocum?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">you wish you</a> hadn't learned. You've been warned.

H. H. Holmes

The Creepiest Wikipedia Pages

The 19 Creepiest Wikipedia Pages in Internet History

Fun facts and insane true stories from behind the scenes of some of history's most beloved and infamous thrillers and chillers.

Horror Movies in the Making

The Blair Witch Project

Some crazy stuff happened behind the scenes during the making of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/blair-witch-book-shadows/jodi-smith" target="_blank">The Blair Witch Project</a>. The hit&nbsp;film, which made &quot;found footage&quot; mainstream, was created in a way that no big-budget movie could accomplish. Saying the acting style was &quot;method&quot; is an understatement. The cast was thrown into the woods and terrorized for days on end in order to create the realistic aspects of the film. Half-starved and sleep-deprived, they gave great performances to drive the film. Fans might remember a few of these tidbits, but for those of you who are new to the film, some of these facts about how The Blair&nbsp;Witch Project was filmed might surprise you.

Still, there&#39;s plenty of&nbsp;Blair Witch Project trivia that even the biggest fans might have missed, like the fact that Heather Donohue and Joshua Leonard had a <a href="http://theweek.com/articles/531473/blair-witch-project-oral-history-part-2">tense relationship</a> in real life - their fighting got so bad the directors decided to pull Josh out first instead of Mike, as was initially planned. Read on for more Blair Witch Project <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/hook-behind-the-scenes/genevieve-carlton?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">behind the scenes stories</a>.

15 Awesome Facts About the Original Blair Witch Project

Crazy Things You Didn't Know About The Original Blair Witch Project

Lists about ways people around the world and throughout history have altered their own appearances in the quest for physical beauty.

Hey, Good Lookin'

Many people know &quot;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coneheads">The Coneheads</a>&quot;&nbsp;as a family of aliens whose antics were documented on Saturday Night Live,&nbsp;but there&#39;s more truth to those sketches than you might have imagined. Were coneheads real? Many anthropological digs have uncovered human skeletons with elongated skulls -&nbsp;but they weren&#39;t born that way. They underwent a body modification called &quot;skull elongation.&quot; These real coneheads have been found all around the globe, coming from&nbsp;many different civilizations.

The custom of skull elongation involved binding the skulls of infants with wood or fabric. As they grew, the cranium would become elongated and appear cone-like. This <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_cranial_deformation">artificial cranial deformation</a> is also known as head flattening or head binding. It has been practiced for thousands of years, and that history is the basis for these conehead people facts.

Some people&nbsp;believe&nbsp;that these conehead remains are actually a separate species&nbsp;or even extraterrestrials. While that is certainly something to consider, the practice of skull elongation is well-documented. Why someone would intentionally deform a child&#39;s skull in this manner is another question.

What is the purpose of this ritual, and how did it come to be practiced by so many different cultures? Can it really explain all the instances of this deformity that have been discovered? The true origins of the practice remain&nbsp;an enigma&nbsp;to this day, but these ancient conehead facts help unravel some of the mysteries.

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