Nick Groff Investigates… The Curse of La Llorona and childhood fears!

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Nick Groff is one of the most respected names in television and beyond when it comes to the paranormal. He has had incredible experiences in some of the most haunted locations in the world. As a friend to Arrow in the Head, we’ve shared some very exciting experiences with Nick including a couple of wild and spooky moments that we’ve managed to capture on camera. Thus, we’ve decided to work with the television host and producer extraordinaire so he can share his knowledge and insight on all things that go bump in the night. With this bi-monthly column, we plan to delve into everything from urban legends to ghostly apparitions, to his take on some of the coolest genre flicks ever. This is Nick Groff Investigates…!

THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA and other childhood fears

It was 2011. The air was crisp and created a chill that could easily send shivers down your spine. Or perhaps I was simply caught up in the nightmarish world that Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights created. One of my favorite mazes that night, and one that still creeps me out, was based on the legend of La Llorona. If you are unaware of this story, it’s a Mexican folk tale about “The Weeping Woman,” a ghost who will go after children who misbehave. According to the legend, when a beautiful woman finds that her husband has been unfaithful, she drowns their children out of spite and rage. Realizing what she had done, she took her own life only to haunt those who believe in her story.

HHN was the first time I had really heard of La Llorona, but there are many that grow up with this disturbing tale. However, this past weekend, movie fans were introduced to her courtesy of THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA. While the reviews weren’t all kind, it certainly didn’t hinder audiences from checking out the spooky ghost story. And while I personally enjoyed the film, it wasn’t exactly what I would have wanted in this particular story. In fact, I think I was more disturbed by the actual maze itself. For example, in one room you crossed a bridge, when you looked down into the water below there were children’s bodies floating in the river. It was a horrifying image, especially considering the “dead bodies” in mazes such as this generally don’t look real. Yet just the thought of someone doing this to their own young ones is horrendous.

Bad reviews didn't seem to plague THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA – you can check out my interview with the cast here. The film hit the number one spot on the box office this opening weekend with an estimated $26,505,000 on a reported 9 million budget. So it’s safe to say that we will be hearing a whole lot more about this mysterious legend in movies – I’m sure the sequel will be greenlit this week – and perhaps other versions of this vengeful bride. Either way, this got me thinking about the legends we all grow up with. Living in Utah in my younger years, we had a few notorious haunts that were worth visiting. This included a creepy story of a bride to be killed at Memory Grove. There was also a terribly spooky place just up a small hill in Magna, Utah that we used to call “Cemetery Hill,” it goes by the non-threatening name of Pleasant Green Cemetery.

Nick and I discussed this haunted urban legend, and while he isn’t quite as familiar with La Llorona as those who have grown up with her, I asked him about his own experience with places and things that scared him as a child. While his childhood frights didn’t involve a woman crying and leading the young ones to trouble or death, Nick certainly knows a thing or two about childhood fears. Here is Nick’s take on La Llorona and the frights that haunt us in our youth.

In Mexican folklore, La Llorona (pronounced [la ?o.??o.na], "The Weeping Woman") is the ghost of a woman who drowned her children and now cries while looking for them in the river, often causing misfortune to those who are near or hear her. There is no credible source or evidence to the events that inspired the tale/legend of La Llorona. – Wikipedia

“One of the creepiest stories I was told as a kid was when I slept over my grandparents house and my aunt Missy told me about a doll they had in the house that would walk around when everyone falls asleep. Scared the shit out of me! The doll was super creepy too, which made it worse.

Urban legends and creepy stories have always been a part of this world. The Curse of La Llorona has been a scary story since childhood. You have to wonder where these stories are adapted from and if some are true. All legends start somewhere and typically become a bigger story.

I did not know much about The Curse of La Llorona but learned more as this legend has gotten bigger overtime. Especially since the movie just came out in theaters. I’m curious to look into where the legend started from and see if some truth falls within. 

Everyone loves a good campfire story and that’s why people still seek them out today. Fear is a big part in this reality. The journey into a good horror story or legend always gets people excited and wanting more. Some stories become reality so be careful for what you wish for and always check under your bed before you fall asleep…”