Category Archives: Prisons

Escaping to Ireland: History Meets Paranormal

04 Friday Dec 2020

Posted by in Castles, Prisons, Travel

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I’m daydreaming of my post-COVID travel plans. One excursion that looks totally enticing is Mike Ricksecker’s Ancient Mysteries of Ireland trip next July.

Scheduled to begin July 1, 2021, this 9-day/8-night adventure offers a variety of mystical and haunted locations in Ireland. In true Irish fashion, there are a lot of castles on the itinerary.

The first stop is Blarney Castle, where one can kiss the Blarney Stone, a ritual where a person lays on her back, leans down with the assistance of castle docents to kiss the stone upside down. Back 20 years ago, my mother did it. I declined. The act supposedly confers upon the person the “gift of gab.” The person was to obtain the ability to speak eloquently. However, the “gab” implies the ability to speak unnecessarily—not really a trait I’m seeking.

Desmond Castle, Leap Castle, and The Leap image.

One stop that does hold my interest is Desmond Castle (Kinsale) where in 1747 a fire broke out killing 54 prisoners, most who were of French descent. The tower house structure is known locally as the “French Prison.” The building was donated to the town of Kinsale in 1791 and has served as a prison and poor house. There are several ghost stories attached to the building.

The oubliette discovered in the “Bloody Chapel” in Leap Castle.

Probably the most intriguing castle on the tour is Leap Castle (believed to be built circa 1250 CE, though some sources date it at 1500s). The striking feature of this castle is the discovery of the oubliette, an underground dungeon with wooden spikes. During a period of renovations in the “Bloody Chapel,” workers located human skeletal remains in the chamber. A watch dating from the mid-1800s shows that the act of impaling people was used quite recently. Tourists report two tales of hauntings: The Red Lady and ghost children Charlotte and Emily.

Jameson Distillery Midleton, Spike Island Prison, and Kindred Spirits.

The itinerary includes several favorite tour destinations like the Jameson Distillery Midleton; Spike Island Prison, once the largest prison in Ireland dubbed “Ireland’s Alcatraz”; and “Kindred Spirits” a stainless-steel monument honoring the Choctaw Nation (U.S. Native American Indian tribe). Book your tour by following the links below. This tour combines history with interesting locations that would capture any paranormal investigator’s imagination.

For more information:

https://www.hauntedjourneys.com/mike-ricksecker-s-ancient-mysteries-of-ireland

https://www.wetravel.com/trips/mike-ricksecker-s-ancient-mysteries-of-ireland-mysterious-adventures-tours-llc-cork-28046528

https://www.hauntedjourneys.com/mike-ricksecker-s-ancient-mysteries-of-ireland

Haunting of Cellblock 11 Released on DVD with Bonus Features

11 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Horror Movies, Movie Reviews, Prisons

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Haunting of Cellblock 11

Haunting of Cellblock 11

Haunting of Cellblock 11 Released on DVD with Bonus Features

Bonus features trump the ease of Video on Demand (VOD) purchases. And the Haunting of Cellblock 11 raises the stakes. Released last week, the Andrew P. Jones film includes two additional segments: the History of the Missouri State Penitentiary and a Director’s Commentary. Even though I purchased the digital copy, I have ordered the DVD just to get the bonus features.

The movie was filmed on location at the now closed Missouri State Penitentiary. Known as “the bloodiest 47 acres in America,” the prison operated from March 1836 to September 15, 2004. The prison housed male and female prisoners. Its history included riots, executions, and prison breaks. In addition, visitors have experienced unexplained paranormal phenomena. Visit the official Website, http://www.missouripentours.com/, for more information.

Also included in the DVD package is an on-going Commentary with Andrew and some of the actors. Andrew assures viewers that it is not the stuffy commentary feature other movies include. I cannot wait to view!

On a side note, this movie is NOT a “found footage” film. Found footage is a sub-genre of movie making where raw, unedited footage is assembled as the movie. Examples may be documentary films or collage films. It can be fictional or non-fictional. Basically the director uses film footage as a “found” object. Andrew did not use found footage for this movie. Further, all of the footage in the Haunting of Cellblock 11 was unique to the movie. This movie was filmed based on a script, which Andrew wrote.

I thoroughly enjoyed Haunting of Cellblock 11. It is a great horror movie. View it for what it is: an independent film shot on a low-budget. To review the movie otherwise does the film a disservice and reduces the writer’s credibility. Order your copy and make sure to watch the added features. I will!

Haunting of Cellblock 11: Success with Crowdfunding

21 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by in Famous Locations, Ghost Hunting, Media, Movies, Prisons, Radio Show

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Haunting of Cellblock 11

Haunting of Cellblock 11

Haunting of Cellblock 11: Success with Crowdfunding

Screenwriter Andrew P. Jones appeared on Archer Paranormal Radio and discussed his horror movie, Haunting of Cellblock 11. If you haven’t screened it yet, do! Great script, fabulous actors, and beautiful location. All for a fraction—deep fraction—of a major Hollywood film. Jones produced the movie on a micro-budget and utilized crowdfunding.

A studio-backed major Hollywood movie costs roughly $139 million to produce. That’s 1-3-9-MILLION. The odds of your script making it to the big screen are nil. Independent filmmakers are creatively funding their projects. For some genres, the reward is huge.

Horror movies consist of 4% of the overall motion picture market share. However, they are the second most profitable genre. Documentary films are statistically the most profitable, but they are also the cheapest films to produce. The average documentary costs $2.6 million, and most are made far below that figure. So, for major genres, horror movies are the best genre. I’m not surprised. There are loads of statistics on why we love horror movies. But that’s another blog.

Back to Jones. He was able to raise enough money and create a production schedule based on a very small production budget. That’s encouraging to all the other independent filmmakers out there. Inevitably, Jones turned to crowdfunding to raise some of the money.

Crowdfunding started in 2007. In 2012, $2.7 billion dollars was raised through crowdfunding (www.gogetfunding.com). Films/Performing Arts comprise nearly 12% of the money raised in campaigns. For a small contribution, movie fans can buy in on a film. Although the most successful campaigns attempt to raise a few thousand dollars, with $7,000 the best target, some independent films have been able to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to Fundable.com, the average campaign lasts 9 weeks, 24-35 years olds are more likely to contribute, and males donate more than females. Thirty percent of the total is raised within the first week. The critical factor driving success is social media outlets. The more people who see the post, blog, tweet, the more money contributed. Important. Re-read that one again. In order for a crowdfunding campaign to succeed, the campaign has to utilize as many social media outlets as possible.

Independent filmmakers like Andrew don’t need the blessing of major studios to produce horror movies. Instead, Jones and others can work with micro-budgets and establish crowdfunding campaigns inviting horror movie fans to own a piece of the film. I like that. Less Hollywood control equates to less formulaic movies and more people entering the industry. Shoot. I may even buy a piece myself.

Dee Wallace, Haunting of Cellblock 11

Dee Wallace, Haunting of Cellblock 11

Tune in Thursday, March 20th

16 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by in Artists, Books, Disasters, Famous Locations, Farms, Ghost Hunting, Live Paranormal, Media, Paranormal, Prisons, Radio Show

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Laundry at the Atlanta Prison Farm

Laundry at the Atlanta Prison Farm

This week on the Archer Paranormal Radio:

1. Abandoned in the ATL: The Atlanta Prison Farm. Is it haunted?

2. In the News: Conspiracy theories and lost airplanes. The latest on Flight MH 370.

3. There are a ton of paranormal books out there. What are the API Gals reading and what do they recommend?

Tune in to Archer Paranormal Radio every Thursday evening at 7 pm EST on www.liveparanormal.com.

 

Abandoned GA: Atlanta Prison Farm

04 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by in Famous Locations, Farms, Ghost Hunting, Orbs, Prisons

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Atlanta Prison Farm Graffiti

Atlanta Prison Farm Graffiti

Abandoned Atlanta: Old Atlanta Prison Farm

In the Metro-Atlanta area sits approximately 400 acres of abandoned land. The Old Atlanta Prison Farm (APF) operated as a correctional facility from 1945-1995. The APF was a 700+-bed detention facility housing minor criminals with the potential for vocational training. The area included a large main building with a smaller administration building. The land was used for agricultural purposes. At its peak, the APF housed 1,000 inmates. The working farm ran a dairy, raised livestock, and canned vegetables. There was also a commissary and barber shop on the grounds.

In 1940, a bumper crop of 7,000 bushels of corn was harvested. Further, Superintendent H.H. Gibson is pictured calling the hogs and stating: “…this year 12,954 pounds of fresh pork have been consumed and 44,609 pounds have been sold to packing houses, while 240 pigs are being fattened on kitchen waste and corn.” Every able-bodied incarcerated person was required to work on the terraced farm and pasture land. Operations ceased in 1995.

Atlanta Prison Farm Crop

Atlanta Prison Farm Crop

Superintendent H.H. Gibson

Superintendent H.H. Gibson

 

Today the predicament is that the land is owned by the City of Atlanta (Fulton County); however, the acreage is situated in DeKalb County. Apparently, neither governmental entity wants to take ownership. When a fire broke out in 2009, it was reported that the DeKalb Fire Department refused to respond and let the fire rage until it burnt itself out.

With any abandoned property, the rumors and half-truths run rampant. According to an Atlanta Journal Constitution article an elephant named Maud and Willie B., an early gorilla, both from the Atlanta Zoo are buried on the property. There is an unsubstantiated claim that an unnamed giraffe is also buried on the property.

Plans for a possible green space have stalled. And that’s unfortunate. If realized, the green space total more than Piedmont Park (189 acres), Grant Park (131 acres), and Centennial Olympic Park (21 acres) combined!

Investigation: The weather was extremely cooperative the day I visited. There were other people walking through the buildings as well. It seems to be a popular place for photo shoots. Limiting our time to the two main buildings, we were able to capture some orbs down in the back hallway where individual cells are. My Ghost Radar was extremely active in the main entrance and stairwell. I collected 25 words. And the radar detected over 240 signals!

The best part of the investigation had nothing to do with the paranormal. Some of the graffiti is stunning. Some humorous. Most juvenile. Delve deep to find the true gems—and maybe the homeless man sleeping on one of the metal bunks.

Visits: The Old Atlanta Prison Farm is located on Key Road SE. Depending on your point of entry, two large spooky trees sit by a dirt road. This is the road that leads to the main buildings. I recommend going during the daytime since there is a great deal of debris on the ground.

 

Atlanta Prison Farm Orb

Atlanta Prison Farm Orb