Horror's Least

Spooky Houses
Originally uploaded by sheiladeeisme

XXIX. Ghosts.

One need not be a chamber to be haunted,
One need not be a house;
The brain has corridors surpassing
Material place.

Far safer, of a midnight meeting
External ghost,
Than an interior confronting
That whiter host.

Far safer through an Abbey gallop,
The stones achase,
Than, moonless, one's own self encounter
In lonesome place.

Ourself, behind ourself concealed,
Should startle most;
Assassin, hid in our apartment,
Be horror's least.

The prudent carries a revolver,
He bolts the door,
O'erlooking a superior spectre
More near.

-- Emily Dickinson

It's Coming

It's coming! One of the creepiest shows on television - the new season of SyFy's Paranormal Witness begins on Wednesday, August 8th! Featuring terrific production values, this is one of the few reenactment programs that I actually enjoy (and a blessed relief from the glut of night vision/what-was/that? investigative shows out there).

www.syfy.com/paranormalwitness

Identical Twin

So I caught an episode of FX's spooky new paranormal thriller: AMERICAN HORROR STORY. It was...interesting to say the very least. While I can't say I'm entirely sold on the show, it did have its, ahem - moments. Seemingly an excuse to have random, steamy sex scenes interjected into the plot at any given moment (not to mention the use of swear words on cable TV) I couldn't help but think of another show from that used to be on television that had the exact same kind of weird imagery and bizarre story-line.

Yep - David Lynch's original twisted series: TWIN PEAKS. This is the show that made programs like AMERICAN HORROR STORY possible. The original creepy who-done-it, TWIN PEAKS is clearly an influence on FX's modern series, with many similar, supernatural parallels. It will be interesting to see in what direction this new show takes now that the supremely weird groundwork has been laid (how can they get even weirder without it seeming utterly preposterous?) But in the end, one can't help but wonder why classic shows - particularly the first season in which Lynch was directly involved - like TWIN PEAKS get the axe. A genre-defining classic, I guess only the good die young...

http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/ahs/

Bottomed Out

I had already thought the paranormal reality show craze had bottomed out with SyFy's incredibly lame 'Ghost Academy,' but now I think it definitely has with their latest ghostly offering: 'Haunted Collector.' Ranking right up there with 'Paranormal State' on A&E for boring non-evidence nonsense, 'Haunted Collector' is yet another attempt to cash in on the popularity of 'Ghost Hunters,' which itself is suffering from a noticeable lack of entertainment value (and genuine evidence). I can't believe I'm going to say this, but the three (well two for sure) over-the-top, "Dude!" guys who host 'Ghost Adventures' on the Travel channel have consistently brought genuine creepiness and impressive evidence, and the great 'Psychic Kids' on A&E is sorely missed - I hope it gets renewed for another season - because boring paranormal fluff like 'Haunted Collector' seems too contrived to hold my attention for very long.

Ghost Adventures

Be sure to check out tonight's new episode of 'Ghost Adventures' on the Travel Channel - it will be featuring Kane (Jason Voorhees) Hodder and R.A.(Leatherface) Mihailoff as guest investigators. I'm kind of a reluctant fan of this show. On the one hand they seem to get some pretty compelling evidence - using some really questionable methods - but on the other hand, it's really over-the-top in its presentation and the lead investigator is kind of a knob. See for yourself tonight. Meanwhile here's a link to the show:

http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Ghost_Adventures