Thursday, October 7, 2010

Paranormal State

The only ghost hunting series I follow with regularity would be A&E's Paranormal State. Great production value and some genuine creep moments - mostly from listening to home owners tell their tales of encounters. One in particular of a woman who claimed her sister was visited and taunted repeatedly by something evil. And her sister gave in to its demands, and committed suicide.

That's scary stuff.

The new season starts October 17th.

18 comments:

Necropolis said...

This comment is kind of null due to the reasoning, but I remember seeing an episode where something happened or the team did something (sorry, I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was) and it pissed me off because it seemed so staged or planned. Haven't watched it since. You can't really trust anything on TV, though, so any paranormal show is open to interpretation.

Rot said...

I hear you.
Don't get me wrong. I have a laundry list of complaints with all ghost hunting shows. Like the use of psychics. I have no patience with that. And the fact that while I'm watching, I'm really not believing any of it.

But I'm a sucker for production value and a ghost story. I see it more as fiction. Fun fiction.

I really can't accept that paranormal activity is so common and real that it's able to be captured on every episode of every paranormal hunting show ever made.

So in the end. I guess it's like watching that Paranormal Activity movie. Fun and scary.

Adam said...

I'm crazy interested in the paranormal and have had experiences both at home and on the job as a cop. I watch paranormal state, but much rather prefer the ghost hunters group, at least the american one. I hate the international "team." That ryan guy really irks me and I don't buy the whole psychic thing.

Sam Kadi said...

I went through a spell where I watched them all but it did seem a little too staged.

I like PS probably the best, only because nobody is wearing an Affliction T-shirt.

The one grip about PS is with the psychics, they are pretty cheesy, the woman they have on from time to time, real pasty, reddish hair was on a 'Real Vampire' show a few years ago, she claimed to be a psychic vampire then. Now apparently she is just a psychic. She did get some stuff pretty right on.

Also, Chip Coffee I think his name is, seems pretty bad but he always seems to know just a little bit too much about the location. They say that they are not given any info but I just am a little skeptical, he seems to know too much. Maybe he googles it on the way there when he gets the directions and finds some small piece of historical info and then builds a psychic story off of that. Anyway, just my two cents, I do have all the episodes on my que on netflix on demand. I usually put it on and half watch it.

Anonymous said...

Necropolis-

WORD.

Unknown said...

I agree with the both of you, but like you said Rot, there is something to a well told ghost story that resonates with me. It is like being a child again. That being said, some episodes of Paranormal State and Ghost Hunters are so full of holes that it makes pretending hard!

Rot said...

Sam, we saw that Psychic Vampire bit on an on-demand show and we always bring it up when she's on PS...ha! funny you saw it too.

And there's just no way those psychics don't google the location before they show up. The best is how lately Chip is screaming out profanities when he's channeling.

And here's one for Steve - they did an episode on the Mothman and the psychic Chip figured out the legendary Mothman as being either good or bad...he asked Ryan if he wanted to know the truth...Ryan said 'yes'.....Chip replies "He's Good."

So the Mothman is a nice guy after all.

Wow...I do NOT sound like a fan...but I really am.

crudedoodle.com said...

I saw one where Coffee was "channeling" a demon or something evil and when they asked him a question, he yelled, "F*&$ YOU!!!!!!" to the main guy.
He probably thought afterwards, "I've been dying to do that for a couple seasons now."

delores delruby said...

I love to watch Paranormal State. I agree with comments that it's very staged but the fun is in watching it for the story and the spooky factor. For fun, go to Michelle Belanger's website (the psychic vampire), www.michellebelanger.com. She takes herself way too seriously, imo. But hey, she's making a living, so I'm not judging. Speaking of Chip, there are people out in interweb-land who vehemently go after him and his credibility. It's pretty intense. I find him very entertaining.

J.P. said...

The reason I don't enjoy those shows is because they investigate with thousands of dollars of cutting edge technology and science. Yet when they encounter something "unusual", they react with the composure of a child who just had a nightmare. They throw all of the science out the window in exchange for superstition. Why not try to understand a ghost, if there really is one?

Jon Glassett said...

I'm with the consensus on this one. I watch these shows the same way I used to watch wrestling as a kid: of course it's fake but it's still kind of a good time. Plus, part of the entertainment is mocking these lunkheads as they stumble around in the dark claiming to gather evidence.

"Sumthin' just brushed my ahm, dood! Did you feel that? Theyahs a wicked cold spaht right here, I swayda gawd! Look! The EMF is goin' ballistic!"

No. Stop it. Just...stop it.

Also, why does it always have to be dark for ghosts to appear? Couldn't they just show up whenever? How come Ghost Hunters doesn't just go to a cemetery in broad daylight and record some stuff.

Oh, yeah, I forgot: cuz it's all a bunch of hooey.

Rot said...

I agree about their reactions. On all of those shows, I'm so tired of hearing "What the HELL was that?!!!"

Rot said...

Jon! You're quoting those frat boys from Ghost Adventures..HA

That's got to be the most entertaining out of the lot. The main guy is so over the top. He always challenges the ghosts and then runs for his life if there's a noise.

And I agree about the dark. To me, if you're in your house at 2pm on a quiet Sunday, and a door opens slowly, then closes...or if the floor above you is creaking from someone moving around when you're the only one home...THAT is far more terrifying than if night.

Rot said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUk9seMmCKY

Real Girl Friday said...

Listen, if you REALLY want to have a good laugh, you have to watch Most Haunted on BBC America. One gal by the name of Cat, has her hair touched nearly every episode. The "Psychic" is a ridiculous middle-aged man who is addicted to hair bleach, expensive jewelry and Hot Topic. And don't even get me started about how much they freak out over "Orbs".

In the beginning, I really liked PS because he seemed like a nice kid who genuinely wanted to help people. Same thing with the original GH crew.

The band of idiots known as International Ghost Hunters makes me want to shoot my television.

Oh well, I guess even Ghosts want their 15 minutes of fame....

Rot said...

HA...I've seen that show...the guy with the hair. Horrible.

Orbs.

So sick of orbs.


If orbs are ghosts, my family has been haunted for decades - all of our early flash photos are loaded with them.

Jack Oh' Lantern said...

Paranormal State was here in St Helens a few weeks ago...they investigated the Klondike hotel and restaraunt....it is supposed to air in October....so looking forward to it...
Pattie, I totally agree, GHI is absolutley lame....we watch the original Ghost Hunters, then stop watching the season flips to GHI.

We do watch Ghost Adventures occasionaly, but, just for humor...they crack us up

And I totally don't get it when someone ask for the ghost to do something, then, when they get a response, it's like..."what the hell was that!?"...well, dummy, you asked for it, maybe it is a response...sheesh...

Anonymous said...

I knew some of the guys from South Jersey Ghost Research, and the leader of that group knows the guys from PS. Apparently the PS guys were caught hiding full beer cans around rooms to incite "cold spots". They were caught, but I don't know whatever came of that...