S3 C1-C3 DIGITAL CAMPFIRE STORIES: FEAR & TECNOLOGY

campfire story

a tale told around a fire to entertain or frighten listeners

rudimentary

only basic, and not deep or detailed

to chime in

to add one's opinion to a conversation

in the nascent days of the internet

during the early days of the internet

to confront sth

to face sth difficult directly

to contextualize sth

to place sth within its context to make it clearer

found footage video

media presented as real discovered recordings

urban legend

a modern folklore story widely circulated as true but unverified

humanoid monster

a monstrous creature resembling human form

ubiquitous

present everywhere

immensely

to an extremely large degree

allegedly

supposedly true without proof

sheer (sth)

used to emphasize how very great, important, or powerful a quality or feeling is; nothing except

in earnest

seriously and with sincere intent

hoax

a deliberate fabrication designed to deceive

well-crafted story

a narrative constructed with skill and attention to detail

suspension of disbelief

willingness to accept fictional elements as real for enjoyment

perpetual

continuing for ever in the same way

compelling

very exciting and making you want to watch or listen

to purport sth

to claim sth often without evidence

hallmark of scary storytelling

a defining feature of horror narratives

chilling

causing cold fear or dread

close in stature to sb

having a similar importance or good reputation

clear gambit

an obvious strategic move to gain advantage

ample photos

an abundant quantity of photographs

exhilarating

thrilling and intensely exciting

gory

featuring graphic violence or bloodshed

gruesome

extremely unpleasant and disturbing, often involving violence

to stomach sth

to tolerate or endure sth unpleasant or difficult

spine-tingling

very special and exciting

spooky (inf)

strange and frightening

to make a concerted effort to do sth

to make a determined and serious effort to do sth

qualm

an uncomfortable feeling when you doubt if you are doing the right thing

to relish the thrill

to deeply enjoy the excitement or fear

scaredy cat (inf)

sb who is easily frightened, a timid person

demonic possession

the state of being controlled by an evil spirit

to detract from the watching experience

to diminish or reduce the enjoyment of viewing sth

to blare (out) sth

to make an unpleasantly loud noise

hellish soundscapes

the disturbing a fear-evoking mixture of different sounds that are heard in a particular place

horror-inured

sb who has become desensitized to horror through repeated exposure

to avert one's eyes

to look away deliberately to avoid seeing sth

to haunt one's thoughts

to persistently occupy one's mind often disturbingly

plagued by mental flashes

repeatedly troubled by sudden vivid mental images

disconcerting byproduct of sth

an unsettling side effect or consequence

to demystify sth

to make sth less scary or mysterious

cult-classic

sth that gained a dedicated passionate fanbase despite lacking initial mainstream success

to tap into nostalgia

to evoke sentimental longing for the past

to draw on collective memories

to reference shared experiences

fuzzy image

a blurred or unclear visual

to cement one's place on/in

to establish a lasting presence

full-blown trend

a fully developed and widespread phenomenon

disrupted communication

interrupted or distorted communication

distorted face

facial features that are altered or deformed

cryptic message

a mysterious or puzzling message

to carve out a niche aesthetic

to create a distinct visual style that appeals to a specific audience

news anchor

a journalist who presents news on television

trademark elements

distinctive features that define or characterize sth

staple of the genre

a fundamental or essential component of the genre

corrupt

changed, altered, damaged (sometimes about digital data)

to torment sb

to cause sb severe mental or physical suffering

to drive sb into madness

to cause sb to lose mental stability

to mimic reality

to imitate real-life convincingly

entity

a being or creature, often supernatural or non-human

world-building

the process of constructing a detailed fictional universe

nostalgic ambiance

an atmosphere that evokes a yearning for the past

oversaturated genre

a genre flooded with excessive similar content

to accelerate sth

to speed up or increase the rate of sth

to lose momentum

to slow down or decline in progress or popularity

horror adjacent content

content related to or resembling horror without being purely horror

exposure

the state of being subjected to or experiencing sth repeatedly; the fact of sth being often shown or discussed

o sink into an image

to become deeply immersed in a visual

to devour sb/sth

to consume or destroy sb or sth wholly and violently

desolate

empty, with no people or nothing pleasant in it

unnerving humming of the fluorescent lights

the disturbing buzzing sound of overhead lights

to regress to childhood

to return to a childlike state

nightmare fuel

content that provokes disturbing dreams or intense fear

to loiter around

to linger or wait in a public place without clear purpose

to brim with people

to be completely filled with people

unbridled

unrestrained or uncontrolled

eerily

in a strange and frightening manner

opulence

great wealth or luxuriousness

to fall into utter decay

to deteriorate completely into ruin

in limbo

in an uncertain situation that you cannot control and in which there is no progress or improvement

on the precipice of sth

on the brink of sth

to stem from sth

to originate or arise from sth

anxiety inducing

causing feelings of worry or nervousness

to loom

to appear large and threatening or to hang overhead ominously

exodus

a mass departure of people from a place or situation

since eons

for an extremely long time

stale air

air that is old stagnant and unpleasant

to feel a pang in one's heart

to experience a sudden emotional pain

longing

a deep persistent desire or yearning

musty carpet

carpet with a stale damp moldy smell

condemned to sth

sentenced or doomed to experience sth unpleasant

crippling anxiety

severe anxiety that prevents normal functioning

transitional place

a location serving as a passage between two states or destinations

to go on a fritz (mostly US, inf)

to malfunction or stop working properly

to trend towards sth

to develop a gradual change in the direction of sth

sentient

capable of perceiving and feeling consciously

doppelgänger

a supernatural or identical double of a living person