The Conjuring: Last RitesDirector: Michael ChavesCast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy.Warner Brothers3.5/5 Something has to be said for a good viral campaign. In the months leading up to the premiere of The Conjuring: Last Rites, paranormal investigator Dan Rivera died while on tour with the Annabelle […]
Author: Brian Baker
Revenants of Ottawa’s past walled in at Bytown Museum
It’s a late August afternoon at Ottawa’s Bytown Museum and staff member Armand is outside manning the lemonade stand. The landmark is buzzing with activity as visitors stroll along the locks off Canal Lane, and the sun beats down on a divot of history carved out by thousands of Irish […]
Review: Freaky Folklore thrills with global cryptids, if sometimes light on depth
If there’s one thing I’ve often beefed about in North American paranormal books, it’s the lack of representation from around the world. Yes, I get it. Geographically, we all want to know about Canada or the United States. But what about what scares us from outside North America? We live […]
Review: Weapons conjures Baba Yaga for a sinister spin on small-town thriller
WeaponsDirector: Zach CreggerCast: Julia Garner, Josh Brolin and Amy Madigan.Warner Brothers5/5 The horror genre has firmly settled into the witchcraft trend — and Baba Yaga would approve. With hits like Hereditary and The Witch cementing their place in the genre’s pantheon, it’s no surprise that Weapons can also stake a […]
Nova Scotia author Vernon Oickle unveils chilling new collection of ghost stories
Out of all the types of books Nova Scotian writer Vernon Oickle has penned, the paranormal ones fascinate him the most. “It allows you to meet so many people who have these experiences and you get the chance to talk to them,” he said during an August Zoom conversation. “It’s […]
Pickering oddities shop grows horror and paranormal community
There’s excitement afoot inside the shared space of ALC Art & Oddities Parlour and Ex Mortis Books. On this particular day, an entity dubbed Victor has knocked over a candelabra. Veronica Vandersteenen, the owner of Ex Mortis, suspects that the alleged spirit might be an attachment to one of the […]
Sasquatch sightings and interdimensional theories explored in Kawarthas
Sasquatch investigator Mike Paterson held onto two photos of his quarry for three and a half years. Why? Partly because of the criticism he expected from detractors eager to label him a hoaxer, and partly because he believed his investigations had led to communication with Sasquatch. “Now it’s going to […]
Paranormal Contact team finds truth (and coffee) in Nova Scotia hauntings
Many fresh ideas are brewed at the Tim Hortons in New Minas, Nova Scotia. It’s where Maritime Haunting producer, director and jack of all trades Jeff DeEll does his best work, especially when it comes to all things paranormal. During the filming of the King’s Theatre episode of Maritime Haunting […]
Haunted history draws investigators to Whitby’s Lynde House
As the last gasps of daylight filtered through the fabric of the window curtains, paranormal investigator Rachel Cross of the Paranormal Seekers called across the children’s room to whatever might be there, asking it to touch the REM pod. “Can you make that device go off for us again, please?” […]
Mark Snow’s X-Files theme helped spark my lifelong love of the paranormal
When I was in Grade 9, Darlene Brownell asked me if I watched The X-Files. It was one of those lazy first days for us freshmen. We were all from different feeder schools, still getting used to each other. I think it was English class, and our teacher, Miss Madill, […]
