08 Sunday Mar 2015
Posted in In the News, Radio Show
≈ Comments Off on Archer Paranormal Radio on Hiatus
Archer Paranormal Investigations.
Archer Paranormal Radio is on hiatus. The API Gals are working on a few exciting projects and are re-tooling the show to better serve our fans. Look for some HUGE news in the next few weeks.
The API Gals LOVE our fans. It is because of you that we are able to grow. Many, many thanks!!
27 Friday Feb 2015
Posted in Breaking the News, Castles, Ghost Stories, In the News, Photography, Urban Legends
≈ Comments Off on Hampton Court Palace “Ghost” Is Great Trickery
Hampton Court “Ghost”
Hampton Court Palace “Ghost” Is Great Trickery
The Internet was abuzz this week and not just with renegade llamas. Twelve-year-old schoolgirl Holly Hampsheir was touring Hampton Court Palace with her cousin Brook McGee. With her smartphone, Holly snapped a picture of her cousin’s backside and low and behold a ghost appeared. The girls claim that they did not immediately notice the ghost until they reviewed the pictures. News of a possible image of the Dame Sybil Penn, a.k.a. The Grey Lady, quickly spread. Unfortunately, the picture is a fake.
Hampton Court Palace is plagued with sadness. Anne Boleyn resided at the palace before her beheading in 1536. Another wife of King Henry VIII Jane Seymour died weeks after childbirth at the palace in 1537. Another wife Catherine Howard was imprisoned at the palace prior to her beheading in 1542. All three supposedly haunt the palace. Hampton Court has a lot of reasons for activity.
The latest claim involves Dame Sybil Penn. Dame Sybil was a servant to four Tudor monarchs. She lived at Hampton Court. She died in the late 1500s from smallpox. Rumors of her haunting began shortly after her tomb was disturbed around 1829. However, no one has ever taken a picture of Dame Sybil, or any of King Henry VIII’s former wives, until now.
The image is a fake. Although a “photography expert” was consulted and claimed not to find tampering, the image has several tale-tell signs. First, the image is too colorful. The “ghost” appears in the center of the image. Noticeably, the spirit looks elongated. Further, the figure is either hovering or incredibly tall. Finally, there is simply too much hair. Never has a piece of evidence been so clear. Nor has there been any evidence of this type found at Hampton Court. This is just too good to be true.
See for yourself and feel free to comment.
Update: Seems another true expert on photography Mick West debunked this image as a panorama glitch in the iPhone. Please read his incredibly interesting article Debunked: Hampton Court Ghost Photo [iPhone Panorama Glitch]. Huge thanks to Mick for clarifying!
13 Friday Feb 2015
Posted in Architecture, Contests, Horror Movies, Hotels & Motels, In the News
Tags
contest, grand heritage hotel group, Hedge Maze, mairim dallaryan standing, Stanley Hotel, The Shining
Winning design for the hedge maze at the Stanley Hotel.
And the Winner Is…
The Stanley Hotel gets a hedge maze. New York architect Mairim Dallaryan Standing’s hedge maze design was selected over 300+ entries. The hedge maze will be installed this spring to coincide with the annual Stanley Film Festival, April 30-May 3.
A hedge maze was a prominent feature in the 1980 movie The Shining. However, one never existed at the Stanley Hotel, inspiration for the fictional Overlook Hotel. Tourists repeatedly inquired on the location of the fictional hedge.
After 20 years of requests, the Grand Heritage Hotel Group announced the contest last November. Entries totaled 329 from 40 states and 32 countries. A 7-member panel selected the winner last week. The contest was a huge hit!
Standing wins 2 airline tickets, accommodations, and 2 all-access passes for the film festival. Book your tickets and experience the thrill of a large-scale maze.
09 Monday Feb 2015
Posted in Architecture, Breaking the News, Funeral Homes, In the News, Museums, Reality TV
≈ Comments Off on Zaffis May Purchase Former Funeral Home for Museum
John Zaffis outside former McBride Funeral Home (Scott Stafford)
Zaffis May Purchase Former Funeral Home for Museum
Last year at Scarefest, John Zaffis told me that he might purchase a former funeral home and relocate his museum of all things haunted. Seems Zaffis may have identified the perfect location: the former McBride Funeral Home. Zaffis claims the building has the proper “creepy edge” required to draw in visitors.
According to an article in The Berkshire Eagle Newspaper (Adams, Massachusetts), Zaffis toured the vacant building with an architect and the town building inspector. But don’t plan a visit anytime soon. If Zaffis does make an offer, it will be several months before the museum would be operational.
Offered at $79,000, the funeral home consists of two separate buildings connected by a common entryway. Both buildings feature a large meeting room on the first floor. An apartment is on the second floor of one building. Zoning has already been changed from residential to commercial. Zaffis doesn’t anticipate a large-scale renovation. In fact, he states that the buildings are almost ideal for what he has envisioned.
Zaffis’ plans include utilizing one meeting room for paranormal lectures. The other large meeting room would house 20 of his largest items with a rotating exhibit of smaller pieces. He would stay in the apartment while in town. The additional upstairs space would be used for storage.
Zaffis started the Paranormal and Demonology Research Society of New England in 1998. He starred in the paranormal hit TV show The Haunted Collector. In addition, Zaffis appears at paranormal conferences throughout the year.
Zaffis spotted the abandoned funeral home and felt it was creepy enough to house a paranormal collection. If realized, the museum would be open on Fridays and Saturdays by appointment only. Zaffis’ collection is extensive and large. A collection fit for a funeral home!
04 Wednesday Feb 2015
Posted in Breaking the News, Crimes, In the News, Ouija Boards
≈ Comments Off on Ouija Board “Predicts” Fire: Arson Charges Filed
Tags
arson, dog killer, katrina livingston, margaret carroll, northern echo newspaper, ouija board, paul carroll
Katrina Livingston
Ouija Board “Predicts” Fire: Arson Charges Filed
Ouija boards are not toys. Here’s another glowing example.
Dateline Leadgate, Consett, County Durham, England where Margaret Carroll (age 60) and Katrina Livingston (age 37) are suspected of setting fire to their home stemming from a Ouija board session. The mother and daughter were attempting to communicate with their dead Bedlington terrier. The dog was savagely killed and dismembered on Christmas Eve by Margaret’s current husband, Paul Carroll (age 51), after a similar Ouija board session.
Paul Carroll dog killer
Paul Carroll asserts that the December 24th session was spurned by black magic. Paul admits to playing with the Ouija board. He further stated that the dog became possessed. Afterward he killed and dismembered the innocent dog. Foolishly, Paul attempted to flush the parts down the sewer drain. The resulting clog alerted local police to the crime. Paul was arrest for the unnecessary suffering of an animal; he awaits sentencing.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, RSPCA, removed the remaining dogs from the residence. The family has lived there for less than a year. However, they appear to be frequent Ouija board enthusiasts.
Margaret Carroll
Last weekend, Margaret and Katrina toyed with the Ouija board. Katrina told a neighbor that the board predicted their imminent deaths. The following day, Saturday, January 31st, the attached bungalow was engulfed in flames; mother and daughter were found unconscious in the garden.
Neighbors are mad. The bungalow destroyed. Police skeptical.
According to the Northern Echo newspaper, Margaret and Katrina were hospitalized following the fire. Katrina was arrested shortly after her release and charged with suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. She was remanded into police custody and will appear in court on February 18th. Presumably, Margaret will face similar charges once released.
Destroyed Bungalow
Credits: Images from the Northern Echo newspaper.
02 Monday Feb 2015
Posted in Architecture, Books, Breaking the News, Horror Movies, In the News, Movies
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.
28 Wednesday Jan 2015
Posted in Breaking the News, In the News, Movies
McCarthy Confirmed
As if reading my mind, or my blog, Paul Feig tweeted the following yesterday:
Feig Tweet
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Melissa McCarthy is confirmed as having already signed onto the reboot. The remaining ladies, Kristin Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon, are in negotiations. Excitement is brewing.
26 Monday Jan 2015
Posted in Breaking the News, In the News, Movies
Ghostbusters Reboot
Ghostbusters Reboot
Director Paul Feig proclaimed last October that he is in fact directing the latest installment in the Ghostbuster franchise. The Heat writer Katie Dippold will pen the script. Look for a younger and “hipper” all-female cast. Shooting will be in New York City. Feig assures fans that he is not creating a parody of the original but plans to update the immensely popular franchise.
It’s official. I’m making a new Ghostbusters & writing it with @katiedippold & yes, it will star hilarious women. That’s who I’m gonna call.
Speculation has started on who these hilarious women will be. Recent reports, via leaked emails, have Melissa McCarthy and Gillian Anderson as the front-runners. Australian actress Rebel Wilson has already spoken with Feig. All we know is that it will be an all-female busting team. Ahh, a breath of fresh air!
23 Friday Jan 2015
Posted in Breaking the News, In the News, Live Paranormal
≈ Comments Off on Breaking the News Tonight at 9 pm EST
Join me as I discuss the latest paranormal news with Wes Forsythe on Paranormal I-Con. The segment, “Breaking the News,” squeezes all things paranormal into 30 minutes. Tonight on http://www.liveparanormal.com at 9 pm EST.
05 Friday Dec 2014
Posted in Breaking the News, In the News, Movies, Reviews
≈ Comments Off on The Babadook: The Best Horror Film of 2014 that You’ve Never Seen
The Babadook
The Babadook: The Best Horror Film of 2014 that You’ve Never Seen
Mister Babadook is a pop-up book discovered in Amelia’s house six years after her husband, Oskar, died en route to the hospital. The day Oskar died was the day their son, Samuel, was born. Amelia still grieves. And Samuel is odd. Only the neighbor, Mrs. Roach, seems to like him—including Amelia.
Samuel believes in monsters. He creates primitive weapons to keep them at bay. After reading Mister Babadook, however, Samuel fears this new bogeyman has taken over the family home. The Babadook is this year’s best horror film.
This highly anticipated horror movie started as a short film, Monster. Through online campaign funding, the movie was extended to full-length. It debuted at Sundance Film Festival in January 2014. Currently in limited American release, it can be rented through various video on demand services.
More of a psychological thriller, The Babadook follows grief-stricken Amelia, played by Essie Davis, as she becomes possessed by this shadow figured bogeyman. Davis shines. Equally impressive is Noah Wiseman’s portrayal as 6 year old Samuel. Samuel seeks to protect his mother.
The film is very Hitchcockian, although the official website likens it more to Polanski. Both were great directors in this genre. Writer/Director Jennifer Kent employs minimalistic camera techniques and little background music. Absent are the cheap horror tactics of slasher films. And this is appreciated! Furthermore, the ending is more realistic than recent horror films, thus setting up the potential for sequels. The Babadook will be a franchise worth watching. Every horror film aficionado must see this film. Every budding horror film writer should take notes and see that there is more to horror films than graphic violence. Horror movies can have a plot and great actors.
Jennifer Kent has created one wicked creature. The Babadook creature is more than a children’s book. He can be anywhere. The pop-up book is simply sinister. Fans can purchase a high-quality version of the book for $80 at www.thebabadook.com.
The Babadook
The Haunted Librarian 
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