Deadmonton’s own Paranormal Investigation Group, ‘Entity Seeker’

This is a bit outdated as I wrote it for the Grant MacEwan student newspaper much earlier this year and it was never printed. Entity Seeker still hosts paranormal investigation workshops and tours on a regular basis and I think it’s an interesting thing for people to explore, so please, read on.

Local Paranormal Investigation Group Sets up Shop at Alex Taylor Elementary –

By Lacey Paige

Do ghosts exist, if so, in what form? Do humans have the ability to see them? How can we sense them? I’m sure if you’ve tuned into OLN’s or Discovery Channel’s paranormal programming (such as A Haunting or Creepy Canada), these questions have crossed your mind.

An Edmonton-based paranormal investigation group known as “Entity Seeker” is breaking down the boundaries between the living world and the spiritual world with it’s local ghost hunting tours and workshops.

The group aims to provide an educational experience that incorporates knowledge of both the external (environmental) elements as well as the internal (spiritual) of the paranormal experience to participants.

The group was started ten years ago, but co-founder Morgan Knudsen said that her own personal history of paranormal investigation started in 1922 when her great, great grandfather began what is known to be the very first Canadian group of spirit seekers.

Knudsen alongside business partner Stephanie Wertz started the group with intentions of learning more about themselves and the spiritual world—a mutual fascination since as far back as they can remember.

“It started as an external journey, where we wanted to find out what was out there and we realized that we’re all the same—spirits, the living… it’s all one thing,” Knudsen said. “We’ve sort of developed this into a group where we want to help people and at the same time, get into the education aspect and teach what we’ve learned and learn from others as we go along.”

Knudsen said that although she has seen group members come and go over the years, those who are truly in it for the right reasons are generally there to stay. The group currently consists of Knudsen and her mother Cathy, Stephanie Weir, Matt Spearin and Doug Bewick.

“It’s something that you have to respect,” Knudsen said, “people fluctuate and that’s part of growth. You do it for the joy of doing it and if you’re really in it for the right reasons, people stay.”

The group set up shop at the Alex Taylor Elementary school at 9321 Jasper Ave on Feb. 11^th and 25^th to take a second run at investigating one of the city’s most notoriously haunted historical sites, after some successful first-time findings.

“The last tour [at Alex Taylor] was very interesting. We had been talking about EMF (Electronic Magnetic Field)… we have meters [to read] that,” Knudsen explained. “The meter spiked when we were going down this one stairwell. This was a great learning opportunity, we were actually able to measure out the field and bring in couple other [EMF]metres. We had everyone keep distance but watch closely. We were able to watch this pocket of EMF just [disappear]. It was quite interesting.”

Not only does the Alex Taylor have a history of surviving several serious fires, but there are also rumours of several people having died mysterious deaths at the same entranceway of the building.

“Honestly when we came here we were expecting it to be a rather turmulous haunting and it’s turned out to be the exact opposite, one of the main reasons being [that] E4C that has come in,” Knudsen said.

The E4C is a school lunch program that is devoted to the nutritional and dietary needs of low-income children in Edmonton.  The organization works in the Alex Taylor to prepare meals that consist of meals that meet one-third of a child’s daily nutritional requirements, and sees to it that these meals are making it out to the schools of children in need.

“Absolutely positive energy from this group,” Knudsen said. “They have worked so hard to make sure that the energy here is uplifting and positive and happy. The spirit activity here reflects that. We really credit a lot of the energy that’s here now to them.”

Entity Seeker’s ghost hunting workshops consist of lectures on how to tap into one’s inner self, while achieving a balance that will allow people to accept any natural interaction with paranormal entities that may be present in a “haunted” environment. The group emphasizes the point that “hauntings” aren’t as eerie as general knowledge of the subject makes them out to seem.

“We’ve investigated everything from bars to residential areas. There’s been so much,” Knudsen said. “Every case is different, you don’t get reruns, every one is [different]. For the most part, spirits that we’ve encountered are just looking for balance. They’re very much imbalanced and they want that out of the people they are interacting with. “

The group has also investigated in other Edmonton historical landmarks such as mining tunnels under the Shaw Conference Centre, an abandoned section of Victoria School and a Strathcona bar, the Globe. They do regular tours along riverside paths in the Riverdale neighbourhood during Spring through Summer months, and have also investigated various locations throughout Alberta and Vancouver.

Visit Entity Seeker online for more information.

DEDFEST RETURNS – BIGGER AND BADDER THAN EVER!

Deadmonton, Hellberta’s only annual Horror/Alt/Cult film festival has returned and is bigger and badder than ever!

The 2011 line-up begins this coming Thursday, Aug. 25th, at the newly revamped Metro Cinema in the timelessly awesome environment of the Garneau theatre. Featuring an array of titles–ranging from the over-the-top Asian Action/Thriller, Bangkok Knockout, Norwegian Fantasy/Comedy, TrollHunter, to one of the most anticipated Horror sequels of the year (one that I’m particularly stoked about), Laid to Rest 2: Chrome Skull–this year’s selection seems to have a little something special for cinema fans of every sort.

And what would DEDfest be without paying homage to a cult classic? Day three of the festival marks a very special 30th anniversary screening of John Carpenter’s 1981 Adventure/Crime/Thriller, featuring none other than one of the most bad ass film stars of all time, Kurt Russell (the Beard!), Escape from New York. (Seriously though? who doesn’t Love Kurt Russell?!)

As most genre-junkies would have picked up on by now, the much-loved Horror anthology is making a mad return–throwing back to the best days of the these scary screen gems when titles such as Romero/King’s collaborative effort, Creepshow (1982), and the 1960′s EC comic-inspired anthologies from Amicus Productions, Tales from the Crypt (1972) and the Vault of Horror (1973), prevailed.

Although DEDfest organizer Derek Clayton was unable to land the Theatre Bizarre (a flick that we horror hounds are so eager to get our blood- drenched paws on), he was able to score another one of 2011′s eagerly awaited anthologies, Chillerama–featuring segments from 2001 Maniacs director Tim Sullivan, Victor Crowley creator Adam Green, as well as Adam Rifkin (Detroit Rock City) and Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2: Dead End). Chillerama looks as though it’s got a lot of gore, grue and guttural giggles to offer attendees, and should be the perfect movie to crack a few beers and cheers your buddies to every time something ultra sleazy takes place on screen.

2011 marks the fullest film schedule that the four-year running festival has seen yet, a good sign that indicates the solidity of one of the coolest events we have going here. DEDfest has risen from the mainstream crud that seems to overpower the film scene as of late, and you can double-tap as your little heart desires but this festival ain’t going nowhere anytime soon! This shit just won’t stay dead!…because sometimes DED is better!

As per usual, the festival will feature movie mayhem, delicious brews, awesome horror merch from the t-shirt guru himself, Jon Morgan, and of course the insane (and perhaps slightly alcoholic-induced) antics of Derek Clayton and Kevin Martin (The Lobby DVD Shop at 10815 82 Ave).

The full schedule is as follows:

THURSDAY -

TrollHunter – 7:00 p.m.

Burke & Hare – 9:00 p.m.

FRIDAY -

Monster Brawl – 7:00 p.m.

Laid to Rest 2: Chrome Skull – 9:00 p.m.

Escape from New York – 11:00 p.m.

SATURDAY -

Super – 1:00 p.m.

Yakuza Weapon – 3:00 p.m.

Millennium Bug – 7:00 p.m.

Chillerama – 9:00 p.m.

Fright Night – 11:00 p.m.

SUNDAY -

Deadball – 1:00 p.m.

Bangkok Knockout – 3:00 p.m.

Saint (SINT) – 7:00 p.m.

The Woman – 9:00 p.m.

Full-day passes are currently available at The Lobby DVD Shop and will also be available at the door along with tickets to each individual film. Check out the official DEDFest website for more details.

‘Carrie the Musical’ Rises from the Ashes of the ’80s

Horror and theatre are, in my opinion, two art forms that deserve the utmost appreciation. So it goes without saying that the two combined could possibly be the greatest spectating experience of a life time for fans of the two.

Sissy Spacek in the Brian De Palma directed 1976 screen adaptation of Stephen King's novel, 'Carrie'

Evil Dead: the Musical made it’s first appearance in August of 2003 in the back room of a small bar in Toronto. From there on out, the production became an instant cult  hit, like the movie franchise on which it is based. In 2006 it made its off-Broadway debut in New York City. The show successfully broke out into countries around the world–from Calgary to Tokyo. Although many theatre productions are based on movies, Evil Dead was the first to be based on a whole series. It’s also probably the only production that has optional “splatter zone” seating.

Just a few years later, founding father of Troma Entertainment Lloyd Kaufman’s ‘Toxic Avenger’ was first featured in a New Brunswick, New Jersey playhouse before its official release on October 10, 2008, under the direction of John Rando. It has since been a feature stage production in New York, Toronto, Calgary and Seoul.

These two horror cult favourites aren’t the only ones to have appeared in theatrical stage production form, although they are evidently the only ones to have surfaced over the past few years.

To add to that list is the ‘Carrie the Musical’. Stephen King’s tale of Carrie White, the petite high school misfit with a penchant for using her telekinetic powers to exact revenge on those who have bullied her, was originally scripted for the stage by Lawrence D. Cohen (writer of the script for the 1976 film adaptation) in 1984. Although the play was initially scheduled to hit Broadway in 1986, funding wasn’t available so it was put on the back burner until 1987 when it finally received enough money to grace audiences. However, for various reasons, that anticipated Broadway debut didn’t happen, and the Stratford-upon-Avon theatre in England was the first stage that the production hit, in February of 1988.

Over the past two decades, Carrie the Musical has gained a tremendous following, from both mainstream audiences and fans of the novel/original movie.

Rumours of a new ‘Carrie’ stage production have been circulating throughout the past few years, and today Fangoria web did the good deed of informing horror hounds that the revamped version is set to hit New York’s Lucille Lortel theatre on January 31, 2012. It is said to be a modernized take of the original production.

The anticipation is beginning to stir.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more information.

Going Back to the Bloody Beginning of ‘Wrong Turn’

Upon perusing the internet for my daily overdose of horror news, I came across news of a third sequel to the ‘Wrong Turn’ franchise titled, ‘Wrong Turn 4: The Bloody Beginning’. I was a big fan of the first movie–Eliza Dushku is my hero and Jeremy Sisto has definitely had his awesome screen moments–and enjoyed the first sequel tremendously… but let’s be honest: the third one was downright AWFUL (IMO). It seems as though this is the inevitable fate of “new-school” horror franchises.

…Although, thinking back to Wes Craven’s ‘Scream’ franchise, the fourth instalment kicked the crap out of it’s direct predecessor. Perhaps the fourth time is now the charm?

The latest addition to the ‘Wrong Turn’ franchise takes place in an abandoned hospital in the deep woods of West Virginia. The previous movies have given us a pretty lurid idea of what kind of sick, cannibalistic inbreds are lurking around those woods. This time around, a group of skiers trapped in a snow storm seek shelter in the hospital and fall victim to the ruthless torture and fatal violence that the hungry-for-human backwood-creeps have become notorious for.

Bloody-Disgusting released a splendidly gory, “age-restricted” teaser trailer of Wrong Turn 4, which is directed by the man behind the hideous hybrid of a beast known as ‘Sharktopus’, Declan O’Brien.

Get a load of the gruesome eye candy RIGHT HERE.

DEDFEST Presents Peter Jackson’s DEAD ALIVE!

Zombie babies, lawn-mower gore, and an ear in your custard? What more could an admirer of all things disgusting possibly dream of?!

Well fellow Deadmonton deviants, it’s that time again. My good friends and messiahs of the local horror scene Derek Clayton and Kevin Martin (the Lobby DVD Shop) will be screening Peter Jackson’s mondo gross-out flick DEAD ALIVE (AKA ‘Braindead’) for the June 2011 edition of DEDfest monthly…on gorious 35 mm, of course!

If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Peter Jackson in pre-Lord of the Rings movie-making action, go out and rent yourself copies of Dead Alive and Bad Taste…ASAP! Or better yet, if you’re in the Edmonton area, come out to the screening on Friday, June 10 at the Metro theatre.

Here is a synopsis for you poor, sick souls who haven’t seen it:

Lionel wants more than anything to lead a normal life, free of the overbearing restraints that his crazy, batty old mum inflicts upon him. He meets a beautiful senorita named Paquita at the local super market and they later hook up for their first date–a trip to the zoo. Lionel’s mum, being the wicked witch that she is, spies on the two and while not being aware of her surroundings, gets bitten by a Sumatran rat monkey.

Soon after, Mum grows very ill and Lionel begins to notice that she isn’t quite the same…she’s rotting.

From there, the zombie madness ensues… And that is all I will say. Below is a trailer.

As per usual, tickets for the screening of DEAD ALIVE at the Metro theatre are available for 10 bones at the Lobby DVD Shop, 10815 82 (Whyte) Ave, or if you come early enough you might be able to grab some at the door. The movie starts at 9:00 p.m. and beer will be available, as well as awesome horror merchandise, compliments to the wonderful Jon Morgan.

For more information on this and future screenings, navigate to the official DEDFEST website.

Breaking Glass Pictures to Celebrate ‘The Anniversary at Shallow Creek’

The fine folks at Breaking Glass Pictures will be celebrating ‘The Anniversary at Shallow Creek’ with a July release date.

Director Jon D. Wagner's 'The Anniversary of Shallow Creek' to be released by Breaking Glass Pictures July 5th, 2011

The film by director Jon D. Wagner stars former professional baseball player Jon D. Wagner and his wife Brianna Lee Johnson (also producers of the film) as Sam and Paige–two med school students who decide to escape the stress of higher education by taking a trip to the mountains. What begins intentionally as a romantic getaway quickly turns into a crazy weekend of partying when four of the couple’s friends decide to tag along for the journey and ruin their sexy plans.

A mountain lodge in the woods that the group travels to was the scene of a grotesque murder just one year before–the killer was never captured. The good times end when the twenty-somethings realize that they are being stalked by a killer with a sniper rifle.

The body count rises and the remaining members of the group get a horrific glimpse of the grim fate that is about to consume them.

In the vein of ‘Wrong Turn 2: Dead End’, the group is forced to put their survival skills to the test, all the while testing the strength of their relationships with one another.

BG Pics describes Wagner’s film as “a slick homage to horror classics and a clever update of the genre that never leads exactly where the audience suspects”.

The DVD, which is set to be released on July 5, will include a behind-the-scenes featurette, and interviews and audio commentary with actors, the director and producers.

Lacey P.’s Top 20 Favourite Fright Films

I’ve been wanting to share my ‘Top 20 Favourite Fright Films of all time’ with you Absolute Cinephiliacs for quite some time now. To be completely honest, I had a terribly difficult time narrowing them down. As a true lover of the horror genre, I admire even the worst of the genre entries because even behind the movies that are actually so bad that they’re actually…well…BAD, there is always the glimmer of horror movie-making-magic, and the strenuous efforts of the director and his/her cast and crew.

I can’t honestly be the one to judge how difficult of a process bringing an idea from just that, an idea, to a full-blown motion picture on the big screen is. But I’ve met aspiring filmmakers, I’ve become good friends and acquaintances with some of them, and just by having a simple conversation about filmmaking with them I have a pretty solid idea of how much work goes into the whole sha-bang. I once had the honour of minimally lending a hand with the sound on a good friend of mine’s movie set, and I honestly witnessed the hairs on this guy’s head turn silver within a few hours. People were stressed, time was wearing thin and we were losing precious daylight–which I’ve learned as a beginner photographer conflicts with all aspects of shooting an image.

I DIGRESS. What I’m saying is that I have a heap of respect for filmmakers of every kind. It’s an endeavour that I would one day like to take on as one of my own. When I review movies I like to be as fair as possible (and fairness is a key principle of GOOD journalism, something I picked up on in J-school). I make a point of weighing the pro and cons of every movie I review–and including a bit of both sides in what I write.

I always enjoy perusing genre web sites for random people’s lists of favourites. So I sat down one night recently and attempted to make a list of my top 10 all-time favourite horror movies. That ‘Top 10′ list quickly grew into a ‘Top 20′. And for your creepy online cinephile-stalking pleasure, here is my list… Be aware, the order in which the titles appear may vary:

20) Ringu (Hideo Nakata, 1998)

19) Haute Tension (Alexandre Aja, 2003)

18) REC (Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza, 2007)

17) Scanners (David Cronenberg, 1981)

16) Child’s Play 2 (John Lafia, 1990)

15) C.H.U.D. (Douglas Cheek, 1984)

14) Halloween (John Carpenter, 1979)

13) House of 1000 Corpses (Rob Zombie, 2003)

12) Splatter University (Richard W. Haines, 1984)

11) Bad Taste/Dead Alive (Peter Jackson, 1987, 1992)

10) The Evil Dead (Sam Raimi, 1981)

9) Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (Tobe Hooper, 1986)

8 ) Creepshow (George A. Romero, 1982)

7) Demons (Lamberto Bava, 1985)

6) House by the Cemetery (Lucio Fulci, 1981)

5) Friday the 13th (Sean S. Cunningham, 1980)

4) A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven, 1984)

3) The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)

2) The Burning (Tony Maylam, 1981)

1) Black Christmas (Bob Clark, 1974)