Fans of paranormal TV shows already know the names Amy Bruni and Adam Berry, from their stint on one of the oldest and most respected paranormal shows on TV, Ghost Hunters. But now the two have paired up for a new paranormal venture, doing some ghost hunting in private homes without the big crews tagging along. Bruni and Berry’s new show, Kindred Spirits, premieres Friday, October 21 on TLC, and the two sat down for an exclusive interview about their new show, the new direction they’re taking with paranormal investigations, and how well the pair work together due to the personal bond they’ve formed as a paranormal dream team.
Think of them as sort of the paranormal version of the Wonder Twins, if you’re old enough to remember that cartoon. (If you aren’t, Google it millennials.) But when it comes to helping families with hauntings and paranormal activity, and helping those on “the other side,” the Justice League has nothing on these two.
It’s clear Bruni and Berry have literally found kindred spirits in each other, pun intended, giving the show title a deeper meaning. And if you believe the sticker on Berry’s laptop, that means bonding as a couple of “Ghost, Bigfoot, flying saucer weirdo(s).” It’s a fair guess a lot of Ghost Hunters fans and soon-to-be Kindred Spirits fans will relate.
DP: So Amy and Adam, you guys have a new showing coming out, Kindred Spirits. Can you talk about how that came about and how did the idea for Kindred Spirits come to fruition, bringing you guys together to form a new paranormal team?
Amy Bruni: I think that for us, we met on Ghost Hunters and became really good, dear friends, and it was one of those things where when we left Ghost Hunters, we kind of always left the door open to do another TV-related project. But it would just have to be something that 1) we were really passionate about, and 2) that fit our schedules. I have my family at home and Adam has his theater company, so you know, we didn’t want to do as much travel as we did before. So schedule-wise and also just the subject matter, we really wanted to help families individually. Everything just kind of fell into place perfectly, and Kindred Spirits was born.
Adam Berry: Well, I mean, Amy said it all… When there was talk about possibly leaving Ghost Hunters because of family stuff, and when it was getting taxing to be on the road so much, we both were like, “Well I don’t want to do it without you.” And she was like “I don’t want to do it without you,” so it was the obvious thing [that if] something else came along, it would be great to do it as a team. Because I think we work well together, and I think we do get results, and it’s weird. I don’t know why, but we do.
DP: Sort of like the Wonder Twins?
Amy Bruni: Wonder Twins powers activate!
Adam Berry: Exactly!
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‘Paranormal Lockdown’ Brings The Human Element To Ghost Hunting
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DP: In Ghost Hunters, you went with a fairly large team to abandoned institutions and historical landmarks, but for Kindred Spirits, you’re focusing on doing paranormal investigations in private homes. What has been the biggest difference for you in the two types of paranormal investigations, and what was the biggest adjustment you had to make going from Ghost Hunters to Kindred Spirits?
Amy Bruni: I think for me, it’s been that these cases are so intensely personal. When we did Ghost Hunters, there was a whole team of us and a lot of times, we were in big locations where there wasn’t as much riding on the results, I guess you could say. Even though it was really awesome and I love doing the research and all that fun stuff, now we have these families and they’re looking at us for true answers, and there’s a lot more pressure to get it right. I think we knew that was coming and we’ve done that a lot off-camera, but these cases were just so intense and it was tough. There was a lot more pressure than we’re used to, a lot more work-wise, because instead of having a team of six or seven, it was just Adam and me doing everything. So I think those were the biggest adjustments for me.
Adam Berry: I agree. I think also the intimacy of the cases, it’s just the two of us in these houses, they’re normal houses that anyone can live in. So it was very challenging for us.
DP: In the first episode of Kindred Spirits, things got really personal for you, Amy, when you felt you might be coming into contact with the spirit of a little girl about the same age as your daughter. Did you expect your work on Kindred Spirits to hit so close to home, or were you kind of blindsided by how personal these paranormal cases have become now?
Amy Bruni:
“I think I got a little blindsided. I don’t know… I think everything changes once you have a child. Many of these cases, including that premiere episode, involved children. I noticed it even when I went back to Ghost Hunters after maternity leave, how differently cases affected me after becoming a mom. And I just took them so much more personally, obviously. These cases were just like that and I couldn’t help but kind of put myself in their shoes. So yeah, it was a defintely a very emotional journey for me in that respect.”
Adam Berry: And it’s not a bad thing at all, and from the other side of the spectrum, I don’t have a kid, but I consider [Amy’s daughter] a niece. When things would come up and we have to mention certain things, I was fully aware of how some new information would affect Amy that way. I was totally keyed into that, but we do have a job to do, and I think Amy did a very good job at controlling the situation. She had to deal with a lot of different things, and I can’t imagine being faced with this reality, especially in that first episode. I don’t want to spoil it, but I think she did bang-up job.
Amy Bruni: Ah, thanks, Adam!
Adam Berry: The things we had to do in conquering that kind of emotional situation… we never knew what was going to happen on the cases, really; we never had a clue. If something came out like that, we tackled it as a team. I was impressed, friend.
Amy Bruni: Ah, you’re not so bad yourself.
DP: You know, you’d almost think you guys sort of like each other.
Adam Berry: Oh God, we’re going to Disney this week.
Amy Bruni: It’s a miracle that we get along so well, really. I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else.
Watch for Part 2 of this exclusive three-part interview with Kindred Spirits‘ Amy Bruni and Adam Berry on Thursday, and Part 3 on Friday. Links will be updated here. Kindred Spirits debuts October 21 on TLC (don’t let the Destination America branding on the video below fool you, as they are both part of the Discovery channel family.) Until then, visit Amy Bruni and Adam Berry on Twitter, and let’s get #ParanormalWonderTwins trending, paranormal fans.
Update: Read Part 2 of the interview with Amy Bruni and Adam Berry here.
Looking for something different to do this Halloween season, besides the usual haunted attractions and corn mazes? Yes, it’s time to start thinking about how you’ll spend this spooky holiday, whether you need to make travel plans or grab tickets for these hot events before they sell out. Here are five great events with a Halloween or macabre theme that are perfect for celebrating this fall favorite, and worthy of traveling great distances.
It’s a Detroit Thing
Detroit boasts two of the best Halloween events ever, with the first being the notorious all-night event, Theatre Bizarre. This legendary event started as a huge, illegal party held each year on private property where city officials looked the other way until a few years ago when someone finally decided to crack down on this legendary event. The party now resides indoors at the Masonic Temple, but features a huge selection of bands, art performances, and freak show entertainment that runs all night long. A costume is mandatory.
It’s a shame the original Theatre Bizarre wasn’t allowed to continue, as it was a year-round labor of love by the property owners. They converted some real estate in one of Detroit’s many rough neighborhoods into an outdoor stage and carnival midway featuring original vintage carnival poster art by one of the owners. Legend has it the party cost about $70,000 to put on every year in its original form, and all of that cash was funneled into the production.
The original Theatre Bizarre was a thing to behold, as you can see from the slideshow below, but the party’s still rocking at the Masonic Temple and now revelers can get a little more risqué with their costumes without the freezing cold. This is definitely not a child-friendly event.
Plan Your Holiday Now With These Five Bucket List Halloween Events
Likewise, The Damned Exhibit and Masquerade is strictly for adults. Conceptual art photographer Anthony DVS organized this event, held over three evenings around Halloween. First, the VIP artist exhibition reception, with gourmet tapas and usually a little absinthe tasting. Then the grand opening night of the exhibit, with fire and aerial performances, and finally, a Masquerade Ball, with masquerade dress and mask required. Before the ball, there is an optional six-course aphrodisiac dinner.
Dancing in the Streets
Have you ever watched the film Trick ‘R Treat and wished you could find a happening Halloween street party like that? Try visiting Salem, Massachusetts, for one of the country’s biggest Halloween bashes. Yes, that Salem, where so many were burned at the stake as witches and where modern day witches ply their trade, at least for the tourist crowds.
The whole town rolls out the black carpet for revelers, but one of the big attractions is The Salem Haunted Magic Show, held at the Danvers State Mental Hospital. If that sounds like something right out of one of those paranormal shows, it’s all that, plus a little Criss Angel-type haunted magic thrown in.
Whatever You Do, Don’t Fall Asleep
If you love horror movies — and who doesn’t around Halloween — try to get tickets to the Exhumed Films 24-hour film fest in Philadelphia. Be forewarned, these tickets sell out quickly, so sign up for their newsletter to stay on top of when tickets go on sale and how you can get them.
Yes, this is a 24-hour movie marathon, and the exact films are left a mystery. The first few years, the group pretty much stuck with classics that both hard-core horror fans and casual horror lovers could like. Unfortunately, the last two years they seem to be mixing in some more obscure titles that many feel are less worthy of a Halloween film festival. Some fans have even suggested that the event is becoming targeted more to indie film and horror “hipsters.” Regardless, this is an event worth trying out for the fun and comradery of pulling a huge all-nighter with several hundred other strangers who are probably as weird as you are, if not weirder. It’s all about finding your tribe, baby, and popcorn, lots of buttery popcorn.
Let’s Do The Time Warp Again
If you want definitive proof that not all of Kentucky is as conservative as Mitch McConnell or Kim Davis, brace yourself for the ultimate Rocky Horror experience right in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. The historic Kentucky Theater does a Rocky Horror Picture Show showing every month with a live cast, but the October event is pure madness. This lush, luxurious theater packs the house every year, filling the seats with a variety of characters of all types in this very LGBT-friendly production. You can buy your own pack of props when you get there so you don’t have to bring anything with you. If you aren’t sure what to throw when, your neighbors will help.
In addition to the live performance on stage during the film, there’s quite a pre-show with costume contests and very bawdy humor. Note that this production is definitely not child-friendly, and gets very risqué with lots of scantily clad people simulating very naughty things without regard to pesky little things like gender. Who knew you could find such naughty fun in Kentucky?
Make your plans early as they are some of the hottest Halloween events anywhere and those requiring advance tickets sell out quickly.
Amy Bruni and Adam Berry are already well known to paranormal fans as investigators on one of the first and most respected ghost hunting shows, Ghost Hunters. Now they have formed their own supernatural dynamic duo to bring sinister haunts to TLC viewers with a new series, Kindred Spirits, which debuts October 21 after the season premiere of A Haunting and a Ghosts of Shepherdstown special.
While Ghost Hunters usually focuses more on landmarks and historic buildings, Bruni and Berry are getting up close and personal to try to help families with paranormal activity in their private homes this time around. They kick-off the first season of Kindred Spirits by investigating strange and disturbing events at a remote farmhouse on 34 acres in Pennsylvania. The family has very intense paranormal activity, such as smashed light fixtures and being scratched by an unseen entity. And for an extra creepy element, an apparition likes peeking out from behind a tree from the woods around their home. The family living in the rustic cabin hopes it’s deceased family members, but Bruni and Berry are skeptical.
Do you have goosebumps yet? Judging from a screener of the debut episode of Kindred Spirits, you will. The families tell their stories firsthand before any supernatural investigation starts, rather than telling stories through dramatic reenactments, such as the format of shows like A Haunting or Paranormal Witness, or movies based on real paranormal events, such as The Conjuring. But then the ghost hunting tools and the devices to talk with the dead come out.
More paranormal articles:
‘Paranormal Lockdown’ Unites ‘Paranormal State’ And ‘Ghost Adventures’ Stars In New Series
‘Paranormal Lockdown’ Brings The Human Element To Ghost Hunting
‘Haunted Case Files’ Debuts Tonight With Sinister Tales Told By Paranormal Investigators
‘Paranormal Lockdown’ Visits Hinsdale House In Scariest Episode Of The Season
There are a wide variety of approaches to paranormal shows on TV right now, including the very dramatic and sometimes over-the-top Ghost Adventures or Mountain Monsters, where Bigfoot allegedly provoked one cast member to strip naked in the woods via telepathic powers. Because if you’re Sasquatch chillin’ in the woods and you have telepathic powers, you naturally want some country, backwoods ghost hunters to strip naked, right? Kindred Spirits is nudity-free, but you’ll have to judge for yourself if that is a good or bad thing.
Anyway, on the other end of the spectrum are those low-key paranormal investigations, such as Paranormal Lockdown, on TLC’s sister channel Destination America. The latter features Nick Groff from Ghost Adventures, and Katrina Weidman from Paranormal State, who are currently filming their second season of this latest ghost hunting hit. Believe me, Groff’s approach is very different outside the presence of Zak Bagans, and Weidman is a favorite from her days on Paranormal State, bringing a refreshing human element to paranormal investigations programming.
And then there is The Dead Files, which defies categorization. It’s simply in a paranormal league of its own. Once again, you’ll have to judge for yourself whether that is a good or bad thing.
There’s a saying in the culinary world that “everything’s better with bacon.” That often applies in the film industry as well, in the form of one Kevin Bacon. But sometimes even Bacon can’t save a flawed plot with the best of intentions.
The Darkness comes out on DVD September 6, and this horror film stars Bacon as well as the fabulous Radha Mitchell as a couple who have a troubled teenage daughter and autistic son. We’re off to a fairly good start there. It’s somewhat cliched, but good talent.
I also love it when a horror film works in some historical facts to back up supernatural events, and including some past Anasazi legends also gave me hope for something really unique and scary in The Darkness. Calling up some kind of ancient evil can be one of the scariest premises in horror, but sometimes it goes a little off track. Unfortunately, The Darkness is one of those films where the train completely jumped the track.
One thing that some horror writers and horror directors don’t seem to understand is that even though you’re dealing with supernatural principles, those fantastical elements still have to make sense. Even in a world where otherworldly events are occurring, they should form some kind of logic. Many of the supernatural elements in The Darkness don’t make sense, and the method of calling up this ancient evil is just too simplistic. Other things were confusing, such as the whole turning on the tap water schtick. Did I miss something that made that logical? Were they thirsty because they were desert-dwelling demons? I don’t get it.
Being logical and believable also applies to characters, and The Darkness does a fairly decent job in that regard, thanks to the talents of the cast, although there’s a pretty big flaw in logic in the alternate ending. But I’ll get to that alternate ending in a moment.
You have to care about the characters, and the teenage daughter was kind of annoying rather than sympathetic with her medical issue that came up during his troubled time in this family’s life. Also, mom likes to hit the bottle, and dear old dad has a history of fooling around in The Darkness. While these flaws might be nothing terribly new, I found it pretty appalling that his boss was hiring fresh meat for more affairs, even though Bacon was trying to be the good guy and fly straight.
Seriously, what is this nonsense? I don’t expect everyone to be perfect, and flawed characters make great tension, but a boss that actually hires people for his employees to have affairs with and encourages it? Oh, please.
Anyway, this film has some great ideas and great actors, but it just doesn’t feel fully fleshed out with those ideas in The Darkness. For some people, that may not bother them in the slightest. For pickier horror fans, that thin plot just won’t fly.
As for The Darkness DVD itself, the Blu-ray has a beautiful high definition picture, and the opening sequences feature some beautiful southwestern scenery at the Grand Canyon. For extras, there’s not a whole lot of added features with this package, so you’ll have to settle for a bunch of deleted scenes that do help explain a few plot elements and developments.
The other special feature and arguably the best part of this DVD packaging of The Darkness is the alternate ending. While I suspect that it wasn’t a fully-polished final edit, being an alternate version, I would definitely argue that the alternate ending would have been the better choice. Although I do take issue with a plot flaw in this alternate ending when the Native American woman helping the family makes a decision not to reveal some key information. Nope, I’m not buying that.
Like many horror fans, I love Kevin Bacon. Stir of Echoes is one of my favorite horror films, and I am a child of the 80s. Likewise, Radha Mitchell has definitely earned her chops in horror, with Silent Hill and Pitch Black. However, hardcore horror fans with high standards had better pass. If you aren’t so picky, see it before picking up The Darkness on DVD.
It pains me to say this, but even though they say everything’s better with Bacon, a turd sandwich is still a turd sandwich, even with Bacon on top.
This week on Paranormal Lockdown, investigators Nick Groff and Katrina Weidman visited the Hinsdale House in upstate New York, which had been the site of a house exorcism back in the 70s, courtesy of Ed and Lorraine Warren of The Amityville Horror and The Conjuring fame. This episode may not have featured some of the more compelling video evidence previously captured in Paranormal Lockdown‘s rookie season, but this was definitely the creepiest episode so far, with the property creating a setting that was part Amityville Horror in the house and part Blair Witch Project in the woods.
Hinsdale House sits near Indian burial grounds, but it was also the site where a man murdered his own brother, a young boy was killed in a buzz saw accident, and allegedly, a young woman had been hung from a tree in the woods nearby over hundred years ago, although no one knows which tree it was or if the story is true.
In each episode of Paranormal Lockdown, Groff and Weidman spend 72 hours locked down at an allegedly haunted location, trying to capture evidence of the paranormal.
Paranormal Lockdown Day 1
As soon as they entered Hinsdale House, Weidman felt a heavy presence in the room and said she couldn’t breathe. Groff soon reported a choking sensation, as well, while they were touring the house during the day with spiritualist and medium, Tim Shaw. Mr. Shaw warned the pair not to sleep in an upstairs bedroom he called “Mary’s room,” and he claimed it was pretty much the one place in all of his years of doing paranormal investigations he really didn’t want to enter, much less sleep in. Even as he was discussing the room with Weidman and Groff, he had to step out because he was feeling nauseated.
Weidman has known Shaw for a while and said that it wasn’t like him to express such strong negative feelings, but she felt they were dealing with something very serious at Hinsdale House after hearing tales of people being scratched and noting an abundance of flies in Mary’s room.
“There’s something powerful, something demonic, and I think it’s a lot more than we think it is right now.”
Groff and Weidman also met with religious demonologist Tony Spera who is Lorraine Warren’s son-in-law. Spera called Warren on the phone, and she said that she remembered when she investigated Hinsdale House, commenting that she couldn’t live there. When it came to Mary’s room, Warren said the room had “choked her,” echoing the same words as Groff.
The Paranormal Lockdown investigators started recording for EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) and got a clear “yes” when they asked if the presence in the house wanted them to leave. Then Weidman, Groff, and Spera also went out into the woods during the daylight to talk about what entities might be lurking in the woods around the property and to visit the site where the man killed his brother. Groff said he felt that the woods might be what drove the energy inside the house, and whatever is manifesting inside the house might originate in the forest around it.
“The forest is extremely haunted… I’m not gonna pitch a tent here, that’s for sure.”
For their first night in the Hinsdale House, Groff and Weidman split up, with Weidman setting up in the basement by herself, and Groff upstairs in Mary’s room. Almost immediately, Weidman heard heavy breathing that was audible on camera. There were some other strange noises through the night, plus additional EVP’s asking “Where’s Nick?” and saying “Get out.” Then Groff was scratched in a room that Weidman had called him into because she felt a tingly sensation, like holding your hand in front of a TV set.
Poor Groff was afraid to go to sleep in Mary’s room after that and finally pulled his cot just outside into the hallway so he could grab about three hours of sleep for the next day’s investigation.
Paranormal Lockdown Day 2
Katrina Weidman expressed concern for Groff’s determination to find out what was happening in Mary’s room, and she was afriad he was opening himself up to something really dark. Then the pair went out into the woods during the daylight to try to find a tree that could’ve been used for an alleged hanging of a young woman over a hundred years ago. When they found a tree that appeared to be old enough and sturdy enough to have been a hanging tree, they tried an EVP session, and when Weidman asked if this area was “forbidden,” they had an EVP that said, “Yes it is.” They wisely decided it was time to leave.
Groff and Weidman spent that night of Paranormal Lockdown out in the woods, where Groff swore he heard some kind of Gregorian-type chanting in the distance, although Weidman could not hear it, and it wasn’t audible on camera. A previous resident had reported hearing similar chanting in the woods.
However, they both heard the howling coyotes nearby that were coming closer, so the pair wisely high-tailed it back to the house. Even if you don’t believe in anything paranormal, that would be scary.
Paranormal Lockdown Day 3
Nick Groff and Katrina Weidman went back in the woods for their final day of Paranormal Lockdown in the daylight — good call — and noted that there was a section of woods that was dead with little vegetation, in stark contrast to the lush green surrounding it.
For their last night In Hinsdale House, Groff and Weidman decided to go all out with Nick staying in Mary’s room, with Katrina going back into the woods to try to direct or drive whatever spirits are there into the house toward Mary’s room. Groff became very agitated and restless for no apparent reason as he was lying on the bed alone in the house. Meanwhile, Weidman was out in the woods with a flashlight, which was very Blair Witch-like, encouraging whatever entities might be present to go into the house and make knocking noises.
Cut to Groff hearing three loud knocks and jumping up from the bed in a video segment where it appeared the blanket might have been dragged with Nick by his foot, but he claimed he felt like something was pulling him back as he jumped up. Did the blanket simply catch on Groff’s shoe, or was something paranormal going on? Groff clearly didn’t think it was his imagination.
“This house has come alive.”
Weidman was hearing footsteps out in the woods while Groff claimed to hear footsteps in the house, but his mental state was clearly becoming more agitated and confused as the evening went on, whether from sleep deprivation or something paranormal.
However, Groff captured an EVP that can’t be explained by sleep deprivation. When doing a playback on his tape recorder, he heard a voice say “There’s no heaven.” Weidman also noted that Groff seemed very different from his normal self when she returned to the house, particularly his eyes looked different to her. He did seem considerably more wide-eyed than normal, but was it just some sort of adrenaline rush or something caused by an entity?
While many episodes of Paranormal Lockdown have excelled at really bringing in the human element of the stories surrounding the places investigated, the Hinsdale House investigation was hands-down the scariest episode of this new series so far. What makes things even scarier is that some strange phenomena continued even after Groff and Weidman left Hinsdale House, with Groff being woken up in his home at 3 a.m. many nights due to nightmares. He said he kept having nightmares about a woman warning him about Hinsdale House.
Weidman also reported that the owner of the house was capturing EVP’s of voices asking for Nick many weeks after they had left. Groff did a spiritual cleansing with sage to get rid of the entity and protect his family, for now at least — only time will tell if it’s gone for good.
Paranormal Lockdown airs Friday nights on Destination America.
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