Category Archives: Books

The Bye Bye Man: First Horror Film of 2017

04 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Books, Colleges & Universities, Conspiracy Theories, Demonic Possession, Ghost Stories, Horror Movies, Movie Reviews, Movies, Ouija Boards, Paranormal, Uncategorized, Universities, Urban Legends

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byebyemanposter

Movie Poster.

The Bye Bye Man: First Horror Film of 2017

Tagline: Don’t think it; don’t say it.

Time to blame the Ouija Board. Again. The Bye Bye Man (2017) debuts on Friday the 13th, January 2017. It is the first horror movie of 2017 (Amityville: The Awakening was moved from January 6 until June). The trailer portrays a menacing creature who is a cross between Candyman and Slender Man, two contrived characters to seem like an urban legend. The Bye Bye Man media package wants viewers to believe this is based on a true story. That would be a stretch.

byebyemanbook

Republished book cover.

Robert Damon Schneck published The President’s Vampire: Strange-But-True Tales of the United States of America, a collection of short tales, in 2005. It has been republished as The Bye Bye Man: And Other Strange-But-True Tales coinciding with the movie. The movie builds off of the short story “The Bridge to Body Island,” set in the 1990s when three college students move into a house and discover a cursed Ouija Board. Of course they begin to experiment with the board and eek out the story of an abandoned blind albino boy born in rural Louisiana and left on the stoop of an orphanage. The boy, ultimately known as “The Bye Bye Man,” escapes the orphanage traveling vagabond style leaving corpses in his wake. He pines for a “friend” and begins sewing eyes and a tongue together. The creature sets the “friend” down so it may identify the next victim. The doll whistles when a victim is found. The urban legend stops shortly after this and the movie presumably picks up the tale.

The trailer and brief write-ups describe the plot as a mesh of Ouija Board antics, tied to a creature who comes when his name is called or thought (hence the Candyman reference), photobombing pictures like Slender Man, and then leading to possession. Originally rated R, the movie is PG-13. The production budget is $6 million, making it a low-budget movie, but certainly not fatal for a horror movie. Stay tuned for my review after opening weekend. In the meantime…don’t think his name, nor dare say it.

The Bye Bye Man

Kim stands in front of the train.

The Stanley Hotel Hedge Maze Winner Announced Tomorrow

02 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by in Architecture, Books, Breaking the News, Horror Movies, In the News, Movies

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The Shining (1980) movie poster

The Shining (1980) movie poster

The Stanley Hotel Hedge Maze Winner Announced Tomorrow

In celebration of 20 years of ownership of the Stanley Hotel, Stephen King’s inspiration for his spine chilling novel The Shining, the Grand Heritage Hotel Group held a contest: design a hedge maze. Tomorrow at 5:30 MST the winner will be announced.

A hedge maze was a key feature in The Shining (1980) movie directed by Stanley Kubrick. However, a hedge maze did not exist at the hotel. The movie was not filmed at the hotel but instead in England. Hedge mazes are incredibly popular. This maze will be constructed with 1,600-2,000 Alpine Currant bushes. It will be installed on the front lawn and will remain a permanent fixture on the grounds.

The contest generated nearly 400 entries from 40 odd countries. Originally set to unveil the winner today, the panel had to postpone the vote due to inclement weather. Stay tuned for an announcement.

Own Mister Babadook, the Pop-Up Book

16 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by in Books, Movies

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Mister Babadook

Mister Babadook

Own Mister Babadook, the Pop-Up Book

The horror movie The Babadook is premised on a children’s pop-up book. The movie is the best horror movie of 2014. Read my review. This blog is about owning the pop-up book. The book will be fashioned after the production version and autographed by Jennifer Kent, writer/director. It’s costly; however, there’s a huge part of me who wants to buy it.

As a former Youth Services Librarian, I adore pop-up books. They are very popular. And one that is incredibly sinister takes the cake!

Just as the movie was crowd funded, so will the book. Jennifer Kent wrote the story and Alex Juhasz illustrated the nightmarish images. The U.S. price is $80, which includes shipping. Pre-order sales were set at 2,000. To date, 3,019 books have been ordered. The book will take 5 months to produce. Time is of the essence. Only 34 days remain. Go to http://thebabadook.com/ for more information.

Christmas is coming. It will make the perfect gift.

Inside Mister Babadook

Inside Mister Babadook

Missing: A Haunted House or 2 or 3 or …

15 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by in Books, Breaking the News, Ghost Hunting, Haunted Houses, In the News, Reviews

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Nova House

Nova House

Missing: A Haunted House or 2 or 3 or …

Self-proclaimed “Artivist” Seph Lawless, a pseudonym, has pulled the wool over the paranormal community’s eyes this month. Surprisingly, mainstream media took the bait and fell for it too. Most of the “haunted” houses Lawless photographed and published in his recent book 13: An American Horror Story (Artivist Publishing) are made up. False. Non-existent. “Take that, all you American paranormal suckers!” Seems the joke’s on us, my friends.

  1. Nova House, Youngstown, Ohio.

“Nova House Mystery” posted on Friday, November 7th, https://thehauntedlibrarian.com/2014/11/07/nova-house-mystery/, discusses the made-up story about a house in Youngstown, Ohio. Lawless claims that Benjamin Albright accidently shot and killed his son. Bereft with grief, Albright supposedly turned the gun on his wife and then himself. This tragic murder/suicide supposedly occurred in 1958. Problem is no one named Benjamin Albright died in Ohio in 1958. Nor was this person the father of a boy dying in 1958. Research pays off!

Since posting this blog, I received numerous comments and emails from people from the area who had never heard this story. Some even did some legwork and visited archives only to leave empty handed.

  1. Cater House Estates, Buffalo, New York.

Lawless penned a brief blurb for this photograph claiming that Sheriff Donald Caters shot himself to death in this house. In 1968 the home went into foreclosure and has been vacant since.

Several people have called this story false. Further, I cannot locate any information substantiating this story. Another piece of fiction.

  1. Oliver Family Mansion, Chester, Pennsylvania.

Lawless claims that the Oliver family went missing in 1898 and was never heard from again.

Nothing turned up on this story. Zilch.

  1. Milan Mansion, Milan, Ohio.

Lawless states that a known witch lived in this house and is possibly buried underneath the front door.

Again, I cannot locate any information supporting this story. Further, it is easy to prove with radar. However, the address for this home, like the others, is not available.

  1. Hooley Haunted Mansion, Texas.

Again, I located an electronic bulletin board asking for any information since no one has ever heard of this. My, my, my.

By now, I’m exhausted and disgusted at this juvenile attempt to fool the paranormal community.

I did not pay $99 for the book to see whether Lawless has a tightly drafted clause stating that the stories are for entertainment purposes only. However, he has portrayed these stories as true, when in fact, they are not. This is false advertising. Lawless is attempting to deceive readers and the media. This must stop. Poking fun at the paranormal community is abhorrent. Taking advantage of believers by misrepresenting the truth in order for financial gain is unlawful. The paranormal community should stand up and boycott this interloper. We should also ask those who regurgitated his press release if they actually viewed the book and conducted a little research. Just a little research would have caused a journalist to pause.

Shame on you, all you copy-and-paste “writers”! Do some research next time.

Field Notes from a Ghost Mine

11 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by in Authors, Books, Ghost Hunting, Reviews, SyFy Channel

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Patrick HT Doyle

Patrick HT Doyle

Paranormal Field Notes Benefit All Investigators

Field notes are invaluable. They capture moments when the memory fails. Field books contain notes, drawings, and working hypotheses. Patrick H.T. Doyle’s Ghosts from the Ground Up: Field Notes of a Ghost Miner interweaves observation, reflection, and visual imagery and comes up with an entertaining paranormal read.

Oregon’s Crescent Mine has long been believed to be haunted. Located outside Sumpter, Oregon, the entire area has reported activity. This town ceased to thrive when the gold mining dried up. The town’s population is under 300 people; moreover, tourism is the main, possibly only, economic activity.

Ghost Mine debuted on SyFy on January 16, 3013. For two seasons (18 episodes), Doyle, along with investigator Kristen Luman, searched for answers deep within the mine, while a group of burley miners searched for gold. Doyle and Luman respected the miners and their boundaries. The investigation uncovered a lot of fascinating evidence and data. Unfortunately, SyFy opted not to renew the series for a third season. Instead, Doyle penned his book.

This book is a journey. Doyle views investigations like a science experiment. Peppered throughout are definitions and explanations and very few conclusions. But that’s not the point. Doyle’s writing is reminiscent of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, also developed from traveling field notes. Doyle offers up unanswered questions, and his commentary is humble and honest. The vagabond lifestyle ended decades ago; however, readers still yearn for an armchair adventure. This one involves the paranormal. Doyle’s book is a great gift for anyone interested in the paranormal. Add this one to your para collection!

Talking About Haunted Dalton

04 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by in Books, Ghost Hunting, Ghost Tours, Hotels & Motels, Live Paranormal, Radio Show

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Hotel Dalton

Hotel Dalton

Tonight the API Gals are talking about their upcoming trip to Dalton, Georgia. My favorite stop will be the Landmark Building, formerly the Hotel Dalton.

Tune in tonight at 7 pm EST on http://www.liveparanormal.com.

Postcard for Hotel Dalton

Postcard for Hotel Dalton

Sarchie’s Deliver Us from Evil Thrills

18 Friday Jul 2014

Posted by in Authors, Books, Demonic Possession, Devil, Media, Movies, Paranormal, Pet Peeves, Religion

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Ralph Sarchie

Ralph Sarchie

Sarchie’s Deliver Us from Evil Thrills

Demonic possession cases are rare. However, every—and I mean EVERY—paranormal investigator needs to know how to distinguish between them and mental illness. Ralph Sarchie’s Deliver Us from Evil teaches the reader to do just that.

Ralph Sarchie is a veteran NYPD police officer. He is also a paranormal investigator trained by Ed and Lorraine Warren. A devout Catholic, Sarchie along with co-writer Lisa Collier Cool interweave fascinating case studies with practical advice. My copy is flagged throughout. This book dives right into an unbelievable case. The authors then step back and provide Sarchie’s backstory. The common thread linking the chapters is God. Sarchie’s a firm—and I mean firm—believer in God and the power of prayer. And I agree!

Beware the Night

Originally published as Beware the Night.

Some of the more salient points are: The psychic hours are between 9 pm and 6 am. Human spirits aren’t subject to exorcism. Inanimate objects cannot be possessed. Prayer works! However, Sarchie goes in depth with orders and stages and terminology. Hint: Read the book.

[Note: I would be remiss not to point out the one glaring typo: Super Bowl is two (2) words. This is a pet peeve of mine.]

The problem is that people don’t believe in the Devil. Even some of the clergy don’t believe a Devil exists. Sarchie makes a credible argument that an Unholy Trinity exists and is waging war against the Holy Trinity. His Unholy Trinity consists of Satan, Lucifer, and the Antichrist. Combined they are feeding off of innocent and uneducated souls. Only the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, can save them. Sarchie should know; he has assisted on countless exorcisms. He works in concert with the Catholic Church.

While reading the book, I was reminded of the movie The Conjuring. I can hear Ed Warren’s voice advising Sarchie in many of the cases. Shoot, even John Zaffis make a couple appearances. This book shows why it is important for paranormal investigators to help their clients. It reminds us that somewhere along the way we will encounter a case that is beyond our capabilities. We cannot handle it alone. We should refer those few cases to the professional exorcists. Do not attempt! Unfortunately, there will be the few who will not heed my advice. The Devil and his minions do exist, my friends. It is only through God that they are controlled and casted back to Hell.

Deliver Us from Evil

Deliver Us from Evil

Patrick Doyle Interview

22 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by in Authors, Books, Famous People, Ghost Hunting, Media, Paranormal, Radio Show

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Patrick Doyle

Patrick Doyle

The Archer Paranormal Investigations Gals interview Patrick Doyle. Patrick shares stories, insights, and a preview of his new book Ghosts from the Ground Up, this Thursday (June 26th) at 7 pm EST. Tune in to http://www.liveparanormal.com and find out why we absolutely ADORE patrick!

Patrick Doyle

Ghosts from the Ground Up.

Jaws is 39 years old

20 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by in Books, Famous Locations, In the News, Movies

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Jaws (1975)

Jaws (1975)

Today is the anniversary of the 1975 debut of the movie Jaws. By far one of my top 5 favorite movies of all times, this film defined the summer blockbuster. The theme song is hypnotic! The slasher parts were minimized for maximum appeal. There’s not much more I can add to the online commentaries. Instead, I urge you to dig out your DVD, sit back, and enjoy what is duunna duunna, du du dun.

Larry Flaxman LIVE with the API Gals

10 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Authors, Books, Famous People, Ghost Hunting, Live Paranormal, Paranormal, Radio Show

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Larry Flaxman

Larry Flaxman

This week on Archer Paranormal Radio at 7 pm EST:

The API Gals chat with Larry Flaxman, bestselling author and all-around cool guy! Tune in as we talk about all things paranormal with one of the leading authors/researchers in the field.

Tune in to Archer Paranormal Radio every Thursday evening at 7 pm EST on www.liveparanormal.com. Subscribe to our YouTube.com channel: Archer Paranormal. Follow us on Twitter: @JMSpear, @HauntedLib, and @MagnoliaPsychic. Check out The Haunted Librarian, www.thehauntedlibrarian.com.