Paranormal Witness

Paranormal Witness has been sort of a guilty pleasure for me. It mostly avoids the heights of skepticism reserved for those reality paranormal investigation shows and tops the lameness of those found footage shows that are based on an idea but are usually poorly executed. That being said, this up coming season Paranormal Witness, of which I review two episodes, is both great and horrible.

The first episode of the show is a called “The Long Island Terror” in which the family of a deceased fireman try to start over by remodeling and moving into a new home. Friends of the family come and help the renovation and discover strange signs and disturbing materials in the basement of the house. Unfortunately because they disturbed the findings they inadvertently unleashed some bad spirits.

I’m a skeptic, big time, when it comes to all things paranormal. Usually when you watch these types of programs that offer up eyewitness accounts and portray them with re-enactments, it all pretty much depends on the delivery of the witness testimony and how well the re-enactments are put together. Too bad that both cases her are absolutely unbelievable.

The retelling of this unbelievable tale that sounds dreamt up in Hollywood comes off as either a completely fabricated lie or the effects of people so easily jarred they can make themselves believe anything is happening, or a mixture of both.

The story has classic horror movie blunder; camera set-ups that don’t record but capture strange images, the family decides to tough it out rather then move, despite the horrifying events taking place family members still leave each other on their own for long stretches of time. Even the big moment where you discover just how horrible of a threat this evil spirit is you can’t help but just shake your head and dismiss the accounts of The Long Island Terror. It’s pretty horribly done.

The second episode is one titled “The Lost Boy”. This episode was absolutely awesome. Unlike The Long Island Terror, the people who the story is based on are very believable. Do they make a lot of the same classic horror movie mistakes that make their testimony hard to believe at times? Yes, but the re-enactment and event recaps are compellingly done.

A couple move into an old Victorian home and soon find out that the place is haunted by the spirit of a little boy who likes to tap on things, run around the house, take things and put them in different spots. Kid stuff. Is he the only spirit?

What makes this episode so great is the depth in which we learn about both the couple; unable to have children of their own, their beliefs in the spirit world, their relationship to one another, as well as the background on the ghosts, including a moment when an outsider begins to notice the spirit as well.

The re-enactment is cleverly done placing horrifying images and moments in the right spots and casting believable actors as the couple who, despite not looking exactly like the couple, draw you in with their performances to make you forget you’re watching a re-enactment. Good stuff.

Paranormal Witness has been on for more then awhile now and despite the first episode being so bad I can see why, with the second episode, the show has lasted. Living in a family that eats this paranormal stuff up, from their reactions, they loved it, and I’m sure if you love the reality ghost genre of television shows, you will too. Enjoy.