Retro Cinema: ‘Silver Bullet’

Retro Cinema: ‘Silver Bullet’

How can you go wrong when you mix Stephen King, Gary Busey, and one of the Coreys? Trick question… You can’t go wrong. Plus if you add in a few werewolves, and some campy gore, you’ve got a big bundle of 80s horror known as “Silver Bullet.”

Corey Haim plays Marty, a boy stuck in a wheelchair that’s been dubbed the Silver Bullet. The story is narrated by his older sister, Jane (Megan Follows), reminiscing about the past. But in the present the story’s set in, she pretty much feels that he’s a pain in the butt. That starts to change and they find themselves coming together when people in their small town are turning up not only dead, but ripped to pieces. And the murders are metaphorically ripping the town apart as well.

When Marty’s best friend becomes the latest victim, the townsfolk seek some vigilante justice and want to hunt down whoever — or whatever — is killing people, despite pleas from the local sheriff. Of course, they go out hunting it at night. During a full moon.

Do I really need to tell you how that’s going to end? Yeah.

When Uncle Red (Busey) comes to visit Marty and Jane, that’s when things get really interesting. After Uncle Red builds Marty a supercharged motorized wheelchair and gives him some fireworks, Marty sneaks out in the middle the night to go set them off. Little does he know, this will bring him face to face with the beast that is terrorizing his town. During this late-night confrontation, Marty injures the werewolf, putting out an eye. It escapes, so Marty and Jane go on a hunt around town to find out who has a telltale injured eye. And suffice it to say, it is not the person they expected.

Unfortunately, the werewolf knows that they know, so they have to rely on Uncle Red to protect them when the beast comes to attack the only ones who know his identity.

The movie is based on Stephen King’s short story, “Cycle of the Werewolf.” Many King adaptations tend to turn into more campy fun than horror when they hit the screen, and this film follows that trend. That doesn’t mean it isn’t good… I mean, this is a classic 80s horror film that’s a lot of fun. And I’ve always been really partial to werewolves, but don’t expect any fancy transformation scenes in this one. In fact, I think the werewolf sort of looks like a teddy bear — I’m guessing that wasn’t exactly the effect they were going for.

Of course, there’s a bittersweet element to it now in light of Haim’s early demise, and the living train wreck that Busey has become. This is a pre-“Lost Boys” Haim, before Hollywood tore him apart. And Busey is in his prime here. The film is family-friendly if you’re looking for a film for kids that still appeals to adults.

Although you might have to explain Busey’s line that he’s more nervous “then a virgin on prom night.”

Retro Cinema is a new column that reviews a different retro horror film every Monday. Subscribe at the top of the page for updates on new film reviews, interviews and horror news.

 

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‘Ghost Adventures’ Debuts New Paranormal Investigation Tech In Vicksburg Episode

‘Ghost Adventures’ Debuts New Paranormal Investigation Tech In Vicksburg Episode

The Ghost Adventures team traveled to Vicksburg, Mississippi, on Saturday night to do some paranormal investigating in multiple locations in the first of a two-part episode featuring this historic southern city. As always, Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, Billy Tolley, and Jay Wasley discovered plenty of paranormal evidence of hauntings in two locations during the first installment of this Ghost Adventures episode, but they also broke some new ground in the paranormal investigation field with a completely new investigative technique.

Instead of simply relying on devices that can allow spirits to channel their energy into communicating, Ghost Adventures went a step further and used paranormal technology to create their own “vortex” of energy in the hope it would add more energy that spirits could manipulate. And judging from the results, that’s exactly what some spirits in Vicksburg did, and they did it on camera.

If you haven’t seen the most recent episode of Ghost Adventures in Vicksburg, suffice it to say that spoilers follow.

While there are plenty of historic southern cities that people think of when they think of hauntings and ghost tours, such as New Orleans, Savannah, and Charleston, South Carolina, many may not be aware of the bloody history of Vicksburg, in the context of the Civil War. Vicksburg sits at the southern tip of the great Mississippi Delta and was considered a crucial location strategically during the Civil War. Many battles were fought there and many lives were lost.

In the first of two Ghost Adventures episodes filmed there, paranormal investigators Zak, Aaron, Billy, and Jay investigated an abandoned building that used to be the Elks Lodge, and the abandoned Kuhn Memorial Hospital. They were also joined at the Elks Lodge by their tech guru/gadget creator, Bill Chappell, who set up several tech devices in a circle to create the energy vortex, as well as instruments to document much more data than most paranormal teams gather with any of the current equipment available. This included readings for such things as humidity and barometric pressure, which showed significant changes that coincided with a poltergeist-type event.

While Zak was leading the investigation, a huge 4 x 4 board in the background fell over on camera. Sure, boards can fall over, but what was most compelling about the evidence was a close-up, slow-motion shot that showed the board not only falling over but twisting as it fell in a manner that didn’t seem entirely natural. Ghost Adventures also captured a pretty clear EVP when they first entered the building, so there was some major paranormal activity at that location.

Aaron and Jay locked down in Kuhn Memorial Hospital for this Ghost Adventures investigation, but it’s debatable as to how much of the activity there was paranormal or more of a human persuasion. As Aaron did a thermal scan of the building in the darkness, he later saw a very bright red figure that appeared to be human at the far end of the hallway. As pointed out at that moment in the Ghost Adventures episode, the presence of human intruders on the site can be just as menacing — if not more so — than anything that is possibly paranormal, depending on their motivation and mindset. That mindset may still be a mystery, as Aaron and Jay did not run into whoever has been squatting at the old hospital, but they did find the remains of some of their bodily functions in plastic bags.

Now that’s scary.

This episode of Ghost Adventures proved that human beings can be far scarier than the paranormal, presuming the pile of excrement wasn’t of an otherworldly nature. Either that or ghosts can poop. Take your pick.

Ghost Adventures airs Saturday nights on the Travel Channel, and the second part of the Vicksburg investigation airs on Saturday, October 21.

10 Most Haunted Buildings in the USA to Visit for Halloween

10 Most Haunted Buildings in the USA to Visit for Halloween

Many of us look for a good haunting all year round, but October is the month everyone is looking for a good scare. Whether you’re an armchair ghost hunter of a hardcore paranormal investigator, there’s no better time that October and Halloween season for planning a stay to any of these seven creepy locations. These are the seven of the most haunted locations in the United States.

Moundsville Penitentiary, West Virginia – This famous haunted build was in use for over 100 years and held some of the country’s move violent people. There were lots of deaths from hangings to the electric chair and even murder by other prisoners. Now during the tours many people have heard and even seen things.

Lemp Mansion, St. Louis, Missouri – While this building is currently a great Inn and Restaurant it’s past isn’t so pretty. Many members of the Lemp family committed suicide ore died here. Since then the guest have seen people or heard things in rooms that should have been empty. The Inn has embraced this and offers weekly ghost tours.

The Lalaurie Mansion, New Orleans, Louisiana – This building has an interesting but gruesome story. Madame Marie Lalaurie loved having guests who would came and dine and party all night with her, but upstairs she had a dark secret that was revealed one night after local authorities responded to a house fire. The local police found the bodies of several horribly mutilated slaves in her attic. When the locals found out they stormed her house causing her to flee the country. To this day people swear they hear the screams of the slaves from the attic.

Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – This is a gothic-style prison that was opened in 1829. The cells are made of stone and encouraged no human contact. Al Capone spent a year here. The prison was closed on 1971 and since then it’s rumored the spirits of past prisoners have taken over the building. They offer daily tours and even turn the building into the country scariest haunted house in the fall!

RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, California – While this ocean liner is currently retired it did sail the seas from 1936 to 1967 and carried every from Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn to Dwight D Eisenhower. In 1939 the ship was stripped of any luxury items and given a second life as a war ship during WWII. At the end of the war the luxury was added back for many more years of luxury sailing. This ship has since been open for tours and many have seen the ghosts of a sailor who was crushed to death by a ship door and a crewmate who was murdered on board. Want to read more? Ghosts of the Queen Mary (Haunted America)

Winchester House, San Jose, California – Otherwise known as the Winchester Mystery House, this house was built by Sarah Winchester after losing both her husband and daughter and inheriting the Winchester Rifle fortune. She started building this Rambling Victorian Mansion when some demanding spirits told her too. Supposedly the spirits directed the building of the house, every nook and cranny, every hidden passage, each of the 160 rooms, and 47 fireplaces. You can now tour the 24,000-square foot home the spirits built.

Lizzy Borden Bed and Breakfast, Falls River, Massachusetts – This is the house Lizzy Borden’s parents were found bludgeoned to death in. The prime suspect in the case was their youngest daughter Elizabeth Borden and this case became one of the first to unfold in the media. While she was acquitted due to lack of physical evidence, no one believed her to be innocent. This house is now believed to be haunted by her parent’s spirits. You can now visit the museum and bed and breakfast and even stay in one of the haunted rooms. Read more: The History and Haunting of Lizzie Borden

The Myrtle Plantation, Baton Rouge, Louisiana – The legend of Chloe the slave girl is famous and has made this house one of America’s most haunted buildings. You can read the accounts of the slave girl who haunts the place and even see picture on their website!

The New York State Capital, Albany, New York – This building is rumored to be haunted by the night watchman who died in a fire in 1911. There is also the ghost of an artist that has been seen and several others.

Carnton Mansion, Franklin, Tennessee – This building was used as a hospital during the Civil War and many soldiers died here. They were then buried in a mass grave. Since then many have seen ghost of civil war soldier walking around the building.

Have you visited any of these locations? Did you see or hear any of the spirits believed to haunted the buildings?Save

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‘Kindred Spirits’: A Cautionary Tale For Aspiring Paranormal Investigators [Spoilers]

‘Kindred Spirits’: A Cautionary Tale For Aspiring Paranormal Investigators [Spoilers]

For fans of Amy Bruni and Adam Berry’s paranormal TV show Kindred Spirits, the media preview of this week’s episode reveals a whole new side of paranormal investigating — or, to be more precise, the potential consequences of paranormal investigating and the ethical responsibilities for those communicating with spirits of the deceased.

Intrigued? Well, read on, but beware of mild spoilers ahead for this Friday’s episode of Kindred Spirits,”The Executioner.”

‘Kindred Spirits’ Sees The ‘Needle’ And The Damage Done

Many of the fans of shows like Kindred Spirits as well as other paranormal investigative programs dream of getting to investigate a haunted location themselves like Bruni and Berry. Unfortunately, the house Bruni and Berry investigate this week has been having an increase in paranormal activity since the resident brought in his friends to help do some investigating. The owner fell down some steps and feels he was pushed and that whatever is haunting his house is something “demonic.”

This doesn’t seem too far-fetched when Adam and Amy discover that the house was built and owned by Edwin Davis, who was the first executioner for New York State and the inventor of the electric chair. Yikes, right?

Bruni And Berry Chase The Executioner Who Built The House

Without giving away any big spoilers for Friday night, suffice it to say that the fact that this house was built by the real executioner who invented the electric chair is pretty scary in itself, but for fans of Kindred Spirits, this episode takes a huge twist that no one will see coming.

Having said that, although this location is potentially haunted by the ghost of one very scary man, don’t fret too much over the safety of Bruni and Berry — rest assured that neither will be the ghost being hunted in future episodes of Kindred Spirits, as they make it out alive and well — or at least physically alive and well, anyway, but maybe not so much emotionally, particularly Berry.

Do Paranormal Investigators Have Ethical Obligations To The Dead?

Kindred Spirits, as well as other shows like Paranormal Lockdown, are known for a more subdued, serious, approach to paranormal investigations over some other high-action, high-drama paranormal shows, as well as really digging into the human elements of the history of the locations they investigate. Kindred Spirits fans have likely already emptied a few tissue boxes during previous episodes for the families and residents in these haunted houses who find some peace after Bruni and Berry do their investigations.


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While the peace of mind of the owner is certainly a concern in “The Executioner,” Bruni and Berry themselves struggle to find some peace of mind after encountering the spirits haunting this house on Friday’s episode of Kindred Spirits. And, unfortunately, they use this experience to caution viewers of the possible consequences that may arise when inexperienced paranormal investigators come into a home with an antagonistic approach to the spirits still lurking there.

They say treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. Friday night on Kindred Spirits, that saying extends to both the living and the dead. Kindred Spirits airs Friday nights on TLC at 9 pm ET.

Can Thomas House and its church turn a paranormal skeptic into a believer? You betcha!

Can Thomas House and its church turn a paranormal skeptic into a believer? You betcha!

While fascinated with the paranormal since watching Leonard Nimoy hosting In Search of… (Yeah, I’m old) I have always considered myself a skeptic. Even though I have had many strange, possibly paranormal experiences in nursing, and specifically in hospice doing private duty night shift, I kept telling myself there was some kind of logical, rational explanation… I just hadn’t figured it out yet.

I was definitely a Scully but really wanted to be a Mulder. And then I joined a paranormal investigation of Thomas House during a Ghost Hunt Weekends event. Nothing will turn a paranormal skeptic into a believer quicker than hearing that first disembodied voice live for the very first time. Or hearing a possible Class A EVP when you do your playback.

But we’ll come back to that in a bit.

Thomas House’s History Lends itself to Hauntings and Paranormal Activity

Thomas House has a crazy history from being a hotel to housing a strange cult, plus a murder (or at least one that is known) with the body buried on the property. It was featured in a classic episode of the paranormal series Ghost Hunters, where the whistling ghost very audibly made himself known to the TAPS team so clearly, even Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes couldn’t believe it.


Ghost Hunters (TAPS) [VO] – S08E04 – Dead… by Spider392

Take Me to (the Haunted) Church

After watching this Ghost Hunters episode while we enjoyed a dinner of southern cooking by our hosts, we split up into groups to do some ghost hunting not only the house but also in the church across the street where a preacher allegedly hung himself. Because many town records have been lost, there is no way to verify this, but the church was hoppin’ the night I was there and yielded much of the evidence obtained by me in the form of EVPs. Plus EMF meters were going wild, which is pretty compelling since there is no electric in the church.

Chad Morin, the owner of Ghost Hunt Weekends, had also captured video earlier of orbs that hovered then split into three different orbs in the video — as a diehard “orbs are bullshit because they are dust or insects” skeptic, that one was just a bit hard to explain.

Unlike other areas in the house, I heard live disembodied voices in the church while listening live for EVPs, as did other attendees and members of the Ghost Hunt Weekends crew. The first EVP audio sample has a low growl at the end, which is a bit hard to hear in the clip.

The next EVP sample has a response to the question, but it is whispered so softly it’s unintelligible.

Then there are several growls while we were in the church, some hard to hear and some quite clear (the first and fourth are clearest):

 

A Class A EVP in Thomas House?

In Thomas House itself, I did some investigating before the official start of the event, and while I was in a sitting room dubbed the “funeral room” as it had been used for that in the past and even has some curtains from a funeral home, I experimented with my spirit box and didn’t think I had gotten any responses, but in the EVP below, it sounds like “Kevin” was trying to communicate with me.

But the most compelling EVP I captured during the Thomas House paranormal investigation is either contamination or a full sentence, class A EVP. Full disclosure: this was done before the event started and there were people in the hotel who could have been talking. But the EVP is a direct response to my question, and I heard no chatter before or after the response in the audio, and don’t recall hearing any of this exchange while I was recording and listening live. So judge for yourself:

The skeptic in me wants to think it was contamination, but that was pretty compelling.

I also stayed up after everyone else went to bed, sitting in the TV room alone in the dark, which gave me a healthy new respect for paranormal investigators. You know how you laugh at them when they are scared and you’re like, “Pfft. There are people nearby and nothing will hurt you.” Yeah…. remember that when you are the last one still up at 4:30 am sitting in the dark alone (ALL lights out as we had the whole hotel) in the sitting room where the deceased lady of the house frequents, as manifested in audio and full apparition by previous investigators, and after you have been hearing shit all night with your own ears.

That’s when shit gets real, y’all.

PS. I took my nifty new full spectrum video camera but neglected to explore the settings to turn the audio on. DUH. Next time…