Old School Photos That Are A Little Too Close To Creepy For Comfort

Horror has evolved a lot over time. In the 1920s, monster films took the world by storm and people had to leave theaters. Over time, Hollywood has shifted into psychological horror, gore, and slasher films. But no fantasy horror can compare to when a real-life photo gives you the creeps.

The Jason mask is scary, but not as scary as a smiling executioner mask. In fact, after you check out these photos, you'll agree that we should immediately stop taking pictures in creepy masks. We need to save the souls of future generations. These strange, disturbing, and terrifying photos are too much to handle.

This Mickey Mouse Club Meeting Looks Like Orientation Day For A Cult

Photo credit: rikroll666 / Reddit
Photo credit: rikroll666 / Reddit

Deep down, I know that behind all those Mickey Mouse masks are innocent little kids just trying to enjoy a lifetime of singing and dancing. But on the surface, I'm scared that they've all gathered together to plan the perfect way to sing us all to death.

Plus, they can't all be innocent. There are so many kids at this meeting that there is a good chance at least one or two are psychopaths.

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The Grenade Might Be A Toy, But I'd Still Run Away From This Kid

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Photo credit: abicab / Reddit
Photo credit: abicab / Reddit
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If this photo was taken in the 1940s, I'd be a little more concerned that the grenade in this little boy's hand is real. Thankfully, the photo was taken in the 1960s, so I'm confident that I won't have my lower body blasted off.

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But even though we know we're safe, I'd still suggest running as far away as possible cause he's got a menacing look in his eyes. It's better not to take any chances.

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Nothing About These Doctors Looks Helpful

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Photo credit; myster_mayo_man / Reddit
Photo credit; myster_mayo_man / Reddit
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There are so many possibilities as to where this could be and what these doctors specialize in, and none of them have a happy ending. My money is on this being a psychological testing ward with soundproofed rooms so no one can hear you scream.

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On the other hand, maybe they're all chiropractors just waiting for their next client with back pain to come in so they can make him feel like his old self again.

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When You're Young, You Don't Realize That Barney Was Straight Up Terrifying

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Photo credit: Myspacecutie69 / Reddit
Photo credit: Myspacecutie69 / Reddit
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It's always fun to look back at your younger self and wonder why on earth you weren't more scared of the 8-foot-tall purple dinosaur with a camel toe. Don't forget about the fact that there's probably a sad, middle-aged man in that suit.

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As kids, we don't know any better, so I'm blaming the parents for this terrifying photo. Keep reading to see what Halloween used to be like in the 1800s.

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Are These Creepy Clowns Supposed To Be Making Her Feel Better?

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Photo credit: bsurfn2day / Reddit
Photo credit: bsurfn2day / Reddit
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It's bad enough that this poor little girl was stuck in the hospital over Christmas. Then the hospital staff had to go and do her dirty by bringing in the creepiest clowns possible to "cheer her up."

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It's even worse because she hasn't noticed the clowns yet. Next time, the hospital staff should just leave the giant, oversized clown masks in their haunted basement and stick to bringing in the guy with presents.

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This Easter Bunny Wants To Kill You And Steal All Your Chocolate Eggs

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Photo credit: fxfxfx / Reddit
Photo credit: fxfxfx / Reddit
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Speaking of creepy costumes, why are Easter Bunny meet and greets still a thing? I've never seen an Easter Bunny that didn't look like it was plotting to kill me. I think the issue is that Easter Bunnies are too lifelike, and don't try to look like a cartoon.

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Other life-size costumes like Daisy Duck or Minnie Mouse might also be real animals, but they originated as cartoons. That way they don't just look like a normal animal who fell into a radioactive swamp and grew in size.

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There Was Zero Creativity In Early Halloween Costumes

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Photo credit: merciJean1127 / Reddit
Photo credit: merciJean1127 / Reddit
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I'm going to start by saying not only is this creepy, but it's also lazy. Are these kids really trying to pass this off as a Halloween costume?

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They're just wearing their regular clothes and put a cloth over their face with an eye and mouth hole. This is what I look like wearing a skiing mask.

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These Vintage Masks Were Supposed To Reduce The Appearance Of Wrinkles

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Photo credit: spacesuccubus / Reddit
Photo credit: spacesuccubus / Reddit
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Early 20th-century beauty products were downright weird. These leather masks were supposed to help reduce the presence of wrinkles, but all it does it scare the living daylights out of everyone around you.

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Other terrifying 20th-century beauty products include a wire you wear around your face to define your cheekbones, and a head-cage the produces soft vibrations on your skin. Science and technology in the beauty industry have had their own glow-up.

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Walt Disney Redesigned Mickey And Minnie After Seeing How Creepy They Were In Real Life

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Photo credit: Kingkunta87 / Reddit
Photo credit: Kingkunta87 / Reddit
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Walt Disney has done a lot for the world, like blessing us with Disneyland and the soundtrack to Mary Poppins, but choosing to redesign Mickey and Minnie is the most important of them all.

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After Walt saw what Mickey and Minnie from his cartoon looked like in a life-size costume, he quickly scratched the idea to make their features more cartoon-like. Sometimes the greatest accomplishments go unnoticed.

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They Didn't Need To Add A Toothy Grin To This Executioners Mask, But They Did

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Photo credit: FullClockworkOddessy / Reddit
Photo credit: FullClockworkOddessy / Reddit
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This executioner's mask from the 1800s is just so unnecessary on so many levels. First of all, why did the executioner really need a mask? It's not like they are going to get snitched on since the person they're looking at is about to die.

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On top of that, why did they think adding a lopsided grin was appropriate? Nothing makes sense, and I'm scared. The photo coming up is from the 1980s but has an element of timeless terror.

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Discarded Wax Mannequins Are A Little Too Lifelike For Comfort

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Photo credit: wickinked / Reddit
Photo credit: wickinked / Reddit
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These wax mannequins were tossed after becoming damaged in a building fire. Is it just me, or do they look like real humans? They may have just had a very skilled wax figure artist craft them this well, or they could be zombies back from the dead to avenge their death.

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Let's at least show some respect and get the guy on the right some clothes just in case they are a zombie.

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Photos Remembering Father Are Equal Parts Creepy And Sad

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Photo credit: IsProbablyLying4 / Reddit
Photo credit: IsProbablyLying4 / Reddit
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Having a photo taken to honor a loved one who died from war or illness was not uncommon in the 20th-century. This widow and son are standing with the military coat of a husband and father lost to war.

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Personal photos weren't common at the time, so if you wanted to capture a memory with a loved one, it had to be done professionally. This woman obviously just wanted to make sure her son never forgot his father, but it ends up looking spooky.

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On His Way To Steal Your Girl

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Photo credit: WhereAreTheAliens / Reddit
Photo credit: WhereAreTheAliens / Reddit
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Don't mind this guy. He's just casually rolling right into your nightmares. I mean, when has a bicycle built for two ever been anything but wholesome. There's nothing to worry about though because he's brought his sweet, innocent daughter along to break the ice.

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If she makes you nervous too, don't fret. You can tell by their slightly deflated balloon that they're not here to haunt you. They're here to party. What can go wrong?

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M.J. Knew How To Get Into Character

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Photo credit: Reporter_at_large / Reddit
Photo credit: Reporter_at_large / Reddit
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This is a behind the scenes look at the late, great Michael Jackson in makeup for his transformation into a zombie in his music video for "Thriller." Even though most of us have seen the legendary music video numerous times, it never stops being creepy.

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I can almost hear the door creeks, the thunder, and the howling dogs from the music video thanks to this piercing look from M.J.

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What Was Michelin Originally Thinking?

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Photo credit: newmoneyblownmoney / Reddit
Photo credit: newmoneyblownmoney / Reddit
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If you didn't know if these two were supposed to be the original Michelin Man mascots, you'd think they were some sort of demon Teletubby from another planet. In reality, they're just the very first, very creepy, version of their mascot Bibelobis.

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Over time, Bibelobis lost the weird glasses, tire pump, and slimmed down to a healthy size and stopped terrifying kids. The next two photos prove why you shouldn't mess with Russia, even in your nightmares.

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I Don't Know What's Going On Here, But I Know That I Don't Like It

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Photo credit: Science_Killed_God / Reddit
Photo credit: Science_Killed_God / Reddit
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You don't even need context to know that something weird is happening in the small, Slavic village. I'd be cautious of any time I see a crowd of kids running at you while holding a body on a stake.

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In reality, these kids are carrying a likeness, not a body, of the Slavic goddess Morana. Morana is the bringer of winter and death, and many rural villages still burn effigies of her today.

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The Russian Tactic To Win WW2 Was To Scare Everyone Into Defeat

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Photo credit: notbob1959 / Reddit
Photo credit: notbob1959 / Reddit
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A crown of kids burning the ancient goddess of death sounds like sunshine and rainbows in comparison to this group of Russian school girls practicing a gas mask drill. Gas mask drills were standard across all of Europe in the 1930s and 1940s, but there is something extra creepy about these Russian girls.

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Maybe it's the fact that Eastern Europe proved to be nearly invincible during WW2. All these girls definitely grew up to be strict babushkas.

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She's Absolutely Playing The Creepiest Song Possible

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Photo credit: Nymah / Reddit
Photo credit: Nymah / Reddit
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Is it just me, or have all these photos proven that humans have always had a sick and twisted sense of humor? Someone actually spent the time and money to pose as a doll with a terrifying mask up at a piano and take a photo of it. And they did all this when pictures were a rarity.

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The only difference between them and us is that now we have iPhones and can take unlimited amounts of creepy photos.

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Ventriloquism Should Never Be That Lifelike

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Photo credit: GuidoZ / Reddit
Photo credit: GuidoZ / Reddit
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I'm not trying to write the rules of ventriloquism, but I think there are some basic ground rules that everyone should follow. First, the dummy shouldn't wear clown makeup. I think that's a given.

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Second, the dummy should have a smaller head and more cartoon-like face than the ventriloquist. It almost looks like half of his face was burnt off, but they just kept on performing. Third, people should just give up ventriloquism because no matter what you do, it's creepy.

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Somehow, This Makes Me Even More Scared Of Pennywise

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Photo credit: deathatdusk / Reddit
Photo credit: deathatdusk / Reddit
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The terrifying thing about Stephen King's It was that the clown would become your biggest fear. Even though Pennywise could shapeshift, his very average clown costume was the scariest because it was too ordinary.

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As a kid, you imagine a demon clown to look menacing. But if Pennywise wanted to, he could have bought this clown suit at the local party store. This behind the scenes photo of Tim Curry smoking on the set of It makes him even more normal, and even more scary.