Astonishing Legends

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Hosting Horror with Joe Bob Briggs Dec 10, 2018

Show notes

The Horror Movie genre, like any other genre of cinema, has its classics and its forgotten, its masterpieces, and its failures. But while the highbrow, serious films enjoy praise or at least critical analysis from the intellectual set, lowbrow horror offerings are often ignored by the academic-minded critics and in many cases even despised. Not so from our guest tonight, pop-culture icon, author, performer, and movie reviewer, Joe Bob Briggs. Joe Bob (John Irving Bloom) has made a name and a storied career for himself, starting first as a newspaper journalist and then finding himself adopting the persona of "Joe Bob Briggs." Joe Bob is a Texas "good ol' boy" who watches B-grade (and much lower) horror movies with you and as your "Horror Host," has a lot of funny and thought-provoking things to say about them, as well as commenting on what they reveal about our culture. What Joe Bob has taught us, is that watching even the most schlocky of shock cinema doesn't have to be a guilty pleasure, because even films below the grade of A can also reflect who we are as a society, and like it or not, have their place. Joe Bob Briggs is the movie critic for the rest of us.
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The Sallie House – Ghost in the Machine Part 4 Nov 19, 2018

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What we'd heard is that witnessing a single paranormal event can change one's life. What we know now is that this is true and often it happens when you're least expecting it. It also doesn't matter if the experiencer receives validation from others of their encounter because they don't need anyone to tell them what they experienced. On the other hand, we'd all like to share our stories with like-minded individuals, partly to gain some comfort in thinking that we've not gone insane and also to learn more about what happened to us. In that regard, tonight, in the final installment of our series on the Sallie House, we'll hear from our last two interviewees. First, Dr. Sean Daley, a professor of anthropology who has done extensive paranormal investigations at the Sallie House will discuss the overwhelming evidence he and his team have collected there. Next, we'll also hear from Taylor Pickman, whose parents Tony and Debra were on the receiving end of the most intense activity while living there. It appears that the house isn't done with them yet. Our experience at the Sallie House has been a milestone for us on this podcast, and whatever your feelings about this story, we hope that you'll continue this journey of exploration and understanding with us, with minds a little more open to the possibility of the impossible.
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The Sallie House – Ghost in the Machine Part 3 Nov 12, 2018

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When it comes to the Paranormal and Supernatural, everyone wants proof. And yet, not everyone can seem to agree on what would constitute this proof. So what about evidence that might lead to proving the existence of a spirit world? Well, not everyone can seem to agree on what is considered actual evidence either. Since the invention of technologies like photography, and audio & video recording, there have been many purported instances of these recording capabilities capturing occurrences of a spectral world interacting with our own. For many, this is still not enough. We certainly didn't expect to get any evidence ourselves when we visited the Sallie House on July 20, 2018. But now that we've captured something that at least could be considered anomalous with our audio recorder, we want to know exactly what it is and how it got there. While we may never get a definitive answer as to what that sound is we captured, what we know is how hearing it made us feel. We've also received a wide range of responses from listeners who have told us how hearing it themselves has affected them. Some have perceived within the audio file a sense of rage, frustration, and sadness, and some merely regard it as random static. Those perceptions have spurred their own emotional responses, ranging from fear and queasiness to even anger because some listeners can't accept it as anything but noise. In some ways, it doesn't matter to us what that audio may be or if there are no words in it because a message was felt, loud and clear.
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The Sallie House – Ghost in the Machine Part 2 Oct 31, 2018

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Belief is a very personal thing. Challenging beliefs can lead to war amongst nations or a war within one's self. Having to reconsider what we believe about our spirituality or lack thereof, can be a very disquieting exercise but often a fruitful one as it leads to growth. But what obligation does the believer have to convince the non-believer of their story? Does it matter if the believer doesn't care what you think? In a way, our egos and skepticism protect us from feeling the discomfort when considering the impossible, because if the impossible is possible and we're not in control of our world, then who, or what is? If an experience like what you might find at the Sallie House can change your beliefs and thus change who you are as a person, how would you handle it? If one day you're challenged to stand up for your beliefs, what will you do then?
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The Sallie House – Ghost in the Machine Part 1 Oct 29, 2018

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Houses are supposed to be warm and inviting, friendly, a place where we can feel safe in their presence, just like people are supposed to be. But as much as we would like to hope all people are shining examples of those qualities, we know all too well some people are not, and it is the same with houses. Houses can have personalities, just like people, and sometimes those personalities are a spirit of joy and sometimes those personalities house a spirit of darkness and mystery. And then there are unique houses, like the one in Atchison, Kansas which has had so much reported supernatural activity within it, that it has become notorious for being the most haunted house in the most haunted town in Kansas. But is it the house itself or what passes through it and keeps returning that gives it its character? The house in question is known as the Sallie House, getting its name from the spirit of an eponymous little girl that is said to dwell there. Sometimes it is thought that Sallie plays harmless pranks on visitors and sometimes, something more sinister than pranks. While we may not know what goes on in the spirit realm, what seems to be true is that once you experience the spirit of a place, you can feel drawn to return, and in turn, that spirit may want to revisit you.
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Mysterious Deaths along the 37th Parallel Oct 21, 2018

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Most of the encounters with Bigfoot that you hear about seem benign, frightening to be sure, but more awkward and penumbral than violent. However, as we'll soon learn, that's not always the case. Our guest tonight is UFO and Paranormal Field Investigator Chuck Zukowski. For the past 30 years, Chuck has been researching and investigating a wide range of phenomena within the realm of the paranormal, everything from UFO evidence & abductions, to animal mutilations, ghosts, and of course, Bigfoot. Utilizing his background as a former Reserve Deputy Sheriff with the El Paso County, Colorado Sheriff’s Department, "Chuck approaches every investigation from a skeptical point of view looking for any known possibility before claiming otherwise. He also implements new and innovative field experiments from time to time to enhance his investigations looking for new evidence." Having appeared on numerous radio and television programs to discuss his findings, Chuck has cataloged an astounding variety of experiences. But apropos of the Spooky Season, you're going to hear about a few that are so terrifying you may never go back into the woods again.
GRAPHIC VIOLENCE PORTRAYED. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED.
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Yokai Horrors of Japan Oct 15, 2018

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The folkloric traditions of Japan are as rich and vibrant as the country itself, and this is especially true with their pantheon of supernatural characters collectively known as Yokai. The word Yokai in Japanese comprises two concepts: "Yo," meaning: bewitching; attractive; calamity; and "kai," meaning "a mystery, wonder or specter; apparitions; something mysterious or suspicious." There are so many types of Yokai, each with their own unique personalities, functions, and behaviors that it's assured both of those concepts are well-represented. Some Yokai are merely mischievous pranksters and can bring good fortune to those that encounter them. Others will surely bring a most gruesome death. Join us tonight as we speak with illustrator and author Matthew Meyer, creator of Yokai.com, as we explore the endlessly fascinating world of some of Japan's most popular and terrifying mythical creatures. But don't let your guard down too much, because as it's often said, there is some truth to the origin of most myths and deadly spirits know no borders.
GRAPHIC VIOLENCE PORTRAYED. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED.
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The Grim Reaper Oct 07, 2018

Show notes

When you hear the name, "The Grim Reaper," a very familiar image probably pops into your head. With the black robe and cowl, skeletal face and hands or the visage of a dour corpse, a threatening scythe, and hourglass at its last sands, this is the image the modern, western person thinks of when we personify death. But where did this visual come from? How do we know what death looks like? And since death has always been with us, isn't this image as old as that finality itself? One might think so, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Surely since there have been humans, we have wondered what becomes of us once we die, where do we go when we shuffle off this mortal coil, and how do we get there? What we have found is that yes, we have always created myths and put a face on death in order to help comprehend such an abstract and mysterious concept, but that face has morphed through the ages and varies by culture. In the ancient western world, the concept of a Grim Reaper was more of a psychopomp, a guide that takes the freshly departed to their place in the afterlife. But since we have doubts nowadays when it comes to a more universally accepted idea of an afterlife, perhaps the notion of a ghastly specter that merely extinguishes our spark when our time has come is more relatable. And he's just a mythic character, right? A cartoon? Well not if you ask some folks who claimed to have seen him and lived to tell about it. Whatever the truth, in one sense, in the end, it doesn't matter if you believe at the moment of death that we are whisked away to another realm or it's just "lights out." As the saying goes, whether king or pauper, a Grim Reaper comes for us all.
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The Black Monk of Pontefract Part 3 Sep 24, 2018

Show notes

You might not believe in ghosts, but it would be difficult to ignore all the furtive and orchestrated actions that were going on throughout the years at 30 East Drive, which continue to this day. Certainly, in some famous poltergeist cases, incidents could have been manipulated to gain attention for the prankster. However, unless you're contending that pre-teens have somehow gained Hollywood Special Effects level skills in every case, then some of the more bizarre and baffling examples of poltergeist activity would be worthy of investigation. Then what exactly, are the defining factors between a run-of-the-mill poltergeist and other types of spirit activity? Is a poltergeist more paranormal than supernatural? What are the rules? There are theories that poltergeist activity may be a physical manifestation of intensely directed energy emanating from people, mostly youth. As "fringe" as that may seem, then in some cases it might possibly be explained by science one day, that is, if enough scientists would be willing to endure the ridicule and ensuing damage to their reputations from their peers. However, the strange activity at 30 East Drive seems much more than that, not only because it continued long after the Pritchards left the house, but also because this energy appears to have a personality behind it, and there are indications that there's more than one spectral personality residing around the property. Whatever you think The Black Monk or "Fred" is, whether disembodied spirits or mischievous kids, this "Mr. Nobody" might not be anybody, but it sure seems like it's something.
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The Black Monk of Pontefract Part 2 Sep 17, 2018

Show notes

Poltergeists are all fun & games, that is until they try to strangle you. The actions of whatever force was interacting with the Pritchard family at 30 East Drive in Pontefract, England had seemed playful in a way, albeit disturbing and churlish at times. It seemed there was a primary personality that was the source of the mischief they were experiencing and so consistent were its stunts that the family became familiar with this presence they called "Fred." However, no one really knows what someone or something is capable of until it gets angry. The family saw another side to Fred, or The Black Monk, when it violently attacked the daughter Diane Pritchard on the stairs, leaving red marks on her throat. But was this the doings of their ol' gadfly pal Fred, or something much more sinister? Join us tonight as we examine this escalation of poltergeist activity at the house and try to analyze this darker, malevolent nature of the Black Monk.
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