ArtRojasDesign

Moving over to Los Angeles, Zak and crew are off to investigate the Silent Movie Theater, opened in 1942 and dedicated to the silent films of Hollywood. It was originally opened by John Hampton and when he died of cancer brought on by the chemicals used in the film preservation process, it was taken over by Lawrence Austin. Sadly, he was later murdered in the theater in what appears to be a murder for hire. Zak would like to make contact with Lawrence or any other actors who’s energy is stored with the film canisters.

Zak immediately refers to the theater as a portal. And when in the storage areas, refers to the stored energy of all the actors and patrons associated with the films. As they start, audio operator Mike says he saw something in the corner and they get the word, "yes" when asked if someone was there. This is coupled with a heat signature of what they believe is someone sitting in the front row chair, the chair where Lawrence Austin would sit.

To follow up on this, they bring in psychics Michael and Marti Parry, to help make contact. Michael sits in the same chair where they filmed the heat signature and he confirms he was drawn to it. Michael then says he feels Douglas Fairbanks is close at hand and writes down something to prove it’s him. Zak then feels the need to run. Michael reveals the word "legs" as the message from the other side. Actually, it looks like "Rub Legs", but they ignore the oversight and go with Run since it fits the situation better.

While channeling Douglas, they hear noise anomalies and Marti is hard at work drawing Douglas Fairbanks. We should discount that she was about 10 feet away from Michael as he talks about Douglas. She has earphones in so clearly can’t overhear his prompts on what to draw.

As they get down to business of the investigation, Billy says he feels something on his neck. Zak pulls out the SLS and shows a stick figure on Billy’s shoulder. To Zak, this is "irrefutable proof" they have made contact and believe it to be with Lawrence Austin. Although this brings about a bit of a lull, Zak says he sees the face of someone hovering over the theater.

Billy heads to the projection room with the paranormal puck and gets "Larry" and "Memories". As he reads the newspaper article about the shooting, there is a sound which they believe is something being thrown. It not something coming off the wall, or rolling off a desk, or a noise associated with temperature change. An unseen object in thrown in an unseen direction for an unseen reason.

They return to the theater and Zak sees a ball of light follow him to his seat. We then have the sound of a squeaking seat. After searching, they find the seat in question and with the slightest touch, it makes the same sound. However, as Zak brings out the SLS camera, there is a stick figure anomaly reaching out to the same space.

To try and make contact, they go to where Lawrence was killed, but think they might be talking to John Hampton. This sends Billy upstairs to where John lived. Billy feels he gets the words, "help me" on the recorder.

The "portal" of the Silent Movie Theater is able to produce a squeaky chair, a dust particle, and the portrait of Douglas Fairbanks drawn by a woman sitting in the same room as someone calling out the name of Douglas Fairbanks. To add to this they hear something fall off a desk in the projection room and get irrefutable proof of a stick figure on a hacked up Xbox connect. Yes indeed, the Silent Movie Theater is a portal.

As least Zak didn’t say it was infested with dark energy.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Adventures – Zalud House – S13E11
• Ghost Adventures – Dumas Brothel – S13E10
• Ghost Adventures – Yost Theater and Ritz Hotel – S08E05
• Ghost Adventures – Winchester Mystery House – S12E11
• Killer Contact – The Hell-Fire Club – S01E04
• Ghost Adventures – Mackay Mansion – S13E02
• Ghost Adventures – Wolf Creek Inn – S15E13
• Ghost Adventures – Texas Horror Hotel – S10E11
• Ghost Stalkers – Wheatlands Plantation – S01E05
• Ghost Adventures – Dorothea Puente Murder House – S13E05

The next investigation brings us to New Mexico and involves two locations. The first is the Double Eagle Restaurant where a double murder is believed to have taken place. The second is the Dona Ana County Courthouse where an investigator was scratched.

The Double Eagle Restaurant is the former home of the Maes family, built in 1849. The legend states that Armando fell in love with the maid, Inez, the mother found them together and in a fit of rage, killed the both of them. I say legend, because it’s preceded with, "as far as we can tell" and "the story is". This isn’t a substantiated story.

At the other location, the Dona Ana Courthouse, investigator Alex, after attempting to provoke the spirits, was scratched on the neck. Zak, as well as the other investigators, keep saying he was "shanked", "gouged" or "violently attacked". However, the scratch is barely noticeable. There is no blood, no raised skin, no welt of any kind. It looks like a mark you would leave on yourself scratching at a bug or spider.

It’s also said, that a woman died in her cell in 1951. The officers placed her in the cell and moments later found her dead from what appears to be fright. This is another "we believe" story as they have no records to support it.

Although nothing happens during their preliminary investigation, Zak senses that something is there, so that’s good enough.

Another story from the Double Eagle Restaurant is from Naomi, who believes she spoke with an apparition about her missing daughter. It’s said that other employees never saw the woman in question.

When they interview Jody, Aaron notices that her hands are colder than the rest of her body. This coincides with a blast of energy that Zak points out. Her cold fingers are proof something was there instead of being caused by poor circulation.

For the investigation, they decide to tackle both locations at the same time. Aaron and Jay head to the Courthouse, while Billy and Zak stay at the Restaurant.

As things start, Zak feels that a nearly imperceptible blip or flicker of light is a shadow figure. This is further supported when a plastic placard, with cracks at the base, falls over. And finally, Zak feels something pass through him. These are taken as evidence of poltergeist activity. And Zak hopes they are, because they happen in a line with the mirror he strenuously claimed was a portal. If the plastic holder fell over from something as simple as gravity, like other things do, his theory would be shot.

Zak and Billy sit down in Armando’s room and try the Paranormal Puck. Oddly, they get responses for Tom and Larry, which has nothing to do with the original story. They get another response of "Memories" and "tickle" which must mean Armando is here with Inez. And because they get "See" which they interpret as "Si" they have made contact. It doesn’t matter that none of the responses make sense in the context they are going for.

The final big piece of evidence is Billy’s shirt, which is untucked and unkempt, falls down slightly and this is seen as contact from Armando.

Back at the courthouse, Aaron dares the entity to scratch him on the neck, but nothing happens. In fact, nothing happens at all at the Courthouse. The big excitement is the word "hi" over the radio waves and Aaron getting lost.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Adventures – Wolf Creek Inn – S15E13
• Paranormal Lockdown – Malvern Manor – S02E09
• Ghost Adventures – Old Gila County Jail – S16E04
• Ghost Adventures – Leslies Family Tree Restaurant – S12E07
• Ghost Adventures – Kennedy Mine – S16E03
• Ghost Adventures – Museum of the Mountain West – S15E10
• Ghost Adventures – Sacramento Tunnels – S04E23
• Ghost Adventures – Astoria Underground – S16E10
• Ghost Adventures – The Domes of Casa Grande – S12E09
• Ghost Adventures – Valentine’s Day Special – LongFellow’s Wayside Inn – S04E18

From his previous adventure at the Stone Lion Inn, in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Zak visits the Samaritan Cult House, a prison established in 1892, then used by Linda Greene and her cult following. There are claims of links between Linda and David Koresh as well as terrorist acts like the Oklahoma City bombing. There are even claims that Linda murdered her husband and mutilated his body.

Carol Hirzel is the current property manager, and while she doesn’t really visit it, she believes Linda was there around 1993 and used crystals to ward of negativity in people. As we hear more about Linda, it becomes pretty clear she was mentally unwell. She had a fear of barcodes (which will become important later) and felt you could push negativity on celebrities or soy milk, whichever was handy.

As they enter the building, it’s clear the place is a wreck. It has black mold, the ceiling is falling down, there is a massive hole in the floor and the structure is unsound. This is also something to keep in mind regarding the noises they keep hearing.

Right from the start, Zak believes the building is haunted by a demonic entity. He thinks he sees something demonic lurking under the hole in the floor and when he talks to Chris Biggs and hears about a little girl, it’s his belief that was a demonic entity pretending to be a child. So before he captures even one piece of evidence he’s convinced himself of the demonic and this is coming to him through his "third eye".

His theory of the demonic is proven further when investigator Chris pulls out two cards used by the cult. It has symbols they would use and are clearly ritualistic – according to Zak. It’s ironic these cards were so easy to find and just happened to be sitting there for this investigation.

Just as Zak gets ready to start the real investigation, he has another surprise for us, Darren Evans of ZoZo Demon House hokum fame. He’s back with another Ouija board and is ready to conjure a demonic spirit for Zak. And it should come as no surprise to anyone that using the cards they just happened to discover and placing them with the Ouija, that ZoZo should appear. All this amidst Zak and his twitching.

But there are more high jinks as ZoZo antagonizes Jay over a family secret that no one is supposed to know about. Just like in the movies, the board spells out "kill" and "get out" then goes on to spell "Jay" and part of "family" before writing the word "kidney". We’re then let in on the secret that a member of the family has kidney failure. There is also the remarkable coincidence that the symbols on the card are a J and a W and on the back is written "bladder" and "circulation". Even more astounding to believers will be the number "1119" which is written on his bar code tattoo, which is supposed to outrage Linda, and it’s his birthday. Clearly, each  of these is signs of the demonic! Or so thinks Zak.

Before we leave this formidable house of evil, a board in the massive pile of debris on the side of the room, falls down. Or in Zak’s mind, levitates and is thrown!

I think I’ll stick with the more earthly explanations.

Other Articles of Interest:

• The Zozo Phenomenon by Darren Evans – Review
• I Am Zozo – A Review
• Zozo, Darren Evans, Robert Murch and Darkness Radio – A Zozo Hoax?
• Ghost Adventures – The Zozo Demon – S10E03
• Ouija – Cardboard and Plastic Toy or Mystical Portal?
• Paranormal State – The Lurking Man – S05E09
• The Zozo Phenomenon by Darren Evans – Thoughts and Impressions
• Ghost Adventures – The Exorcist House – S08E07
• Ghost Adventures – The Haunted Museum Live – Halloween Edition
• Paranormal State, seeing the demonic in a box of Cracker Jacks

Our next outing with Zak and crew takes us to the San Fernando Valley of California and a house decorated like a side show carnival. Unfortunately, the pink neon and unique statues mute that this was the scene of a home invasion that turned double homicide in 1996.

Scott Thompson and his wife Becky have lived in the house for 6 years and have a trove of morbid antiquities, similar to Zak and his museum in Las Vegas. There is even one called Agatha which Scott says is active, but he keeps it under glass.

As Zak goes to the scene of the murder, he says there is a heavy feeling of sadness and is hit with a blast of cold air. Going with the same idea from the previous episode with Elmer, Zak doesn’t believe the couple have accepted their death because it happened too quickly.

Zak talks with two of the kids who live in the house and both describe nightmares that involve acts similar to the real events. Gracie has dreams of demonic voices calling to her from the kitchen, while Griffen has seen both his parents murdered. Considering the events and the curios of the house, it’s not surprising.

Unfortunately Zak brings in Patty Negri, the Psychic Medium we have seen before. She is quick to grab at her throat, toss herself to the floor and fidget wildly. And with her at the helm, it’s time to do a seance.

While she rambles and claims a flickering candle is evidence of spirits, we find out that Scott is wearing a military dog tag style necklace with 666 on it. Zak uses this as pathway to further his idea of demonic energy. Zak gains the support he needs when they ask, "what is the dark energy here" and get the word "killed".

With the seance over, they begin to investigate the house. In the kitchen they get a stick figure on the SLS camera. The word. "Help", comes through the spirit box and they make the connection these are the voices Gracie heard.

Things take an odd turn as the car alarm of their rented truck goes off and they rush outside. This leaves Jay alone in the attic and they conclude this is the work of the entity trying to separate them, although no harm is done to anyone.

As a final act, Zak takes the doll Agatha out of the case and asks questions. The doll doesn’t feel like answering questions, but when they ask for a name, they get "I killed". We are now moving toward the doll being the instigator of evil within the house and Zak feels the house needs a cleansing in order to protect the family.

There was certainly a tragic event here, but in reality, there is nothing out of the ordinary other than the odd decor. The dreams are caused by the real events that happened and are  brought to the fore by the abundance of creepy fixtures. It’s no different than dreams after watching a scary or intense movie. Scott’s necklace with 666 on it is no more sinister than the temperature reaching, 66.6 degrees. It’s simply a number, and depending on how you want to take it has nothing to do with the demonic and isn’t even the number suggested.

When it comes down to it, what Scott has created is no different than the museum Zak has put together. They’re both interesting, but hardly haunted. Personally, I think Scott’s house is pretty cool. I think I need a Palm Reader sign in my window.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Adventures – Ripleys Believe It or Not – S16E01
• Ghost Adventures – Zalud House – S13E11
• Ghost Adventures – Annabelle’s Curse – S15E08
• Ghost Adventures – Lizzie Borden House – S05E05
• Paranormal Cops – Meagan’s Ghost – S01E05
• Ghost Adventures – The Haunted Museum (Old Wengert Mansion) – S12E13
• Ghost Adventures – The Haunted Museum Live – Halloween Edition
• Deadly Possessions – Peggy the Doll and John Murrell’s thumb
• Ghost Adventures – Ashmore Estate – S05E01
• Ghost Adventures – Poveglia Island