The gang got more than they bargained for when they explored this legend (Picture: Getty Images / Reuters)
A core memory for cartoon fans was unlocked this week when they were reminded of one particularly creepy episode of Scooby Doo.
The gang was transported to the Black Hills during a Halloween special that parodied none other than The Blair Witch Project.
The hit horror film was released in 1999, horrifying viewers and reigniting the found footage genre.
Due to its popularity, Cartoon Network decided to pay homage to the cultural phenomenon in a truly bizarre episode that many fans seem to have suppressed in their memory.
The episode, which aired on Halloween in 1999, featured found footage segments with the animated characters edited in.
The gang headed into the infamous woods pursued by a spooky monster, imitating a number of famous scenes from the film including a sinister scene where they wake up to find a spooky arrangement of objects outside of their tents.
The episode was brought back into the spotlight this week by Buzzfeed’s Maya Ogilini after reviewing the special in all its weird and wonderful glory.
The full episode has been uploaded to YouTube, with many viewers in the comments mindblown by the bizarre parody.
‘I can’t explain how scary this concept is to me,’ one user wrote.
‘I remember watching this as a little kid and it scaring me so much. But now as an adult, the idea that THIS could be the last time we see the gang freaks me out in a different way.’
Another added: ‘There’s something so off about seeing these characters shout at each other, it’s like there’s something seriously wrong and something they were never prepared for.
The episode has been labelled more terrifying than the 1999 film itself (Picture: Moviestore / REX / Shutterstock)
‘Still makes me shiver, 2 times more scary than the actual Blair Witch project.’
A third commented: ‘I was 4 when this came out, and I still remember it, specifically the scene where they’re all making fun of Shaggy around the van and them running around the woods.
‘Looking back, this was so creative and really creepy how we saw the characters fighting and panicking like real human beings.
‘This is one of the coolest parodies I’ve ever seen! Props to the team that worked on this!’
Mystery solved – the episode did exist, and it truly is terrifying.
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The episode did exist, and it truly is terrifying.