DVD Reviews

Paranormal State: The Complete Season Two – DVD Review

By June L. Feb 13, 2009, 14:45 GMT

Last season I thought Paranormal State was an interesting if somewhat amateurish show about real investigations into the supernatural by a group of college kids from Pennsylvania State.

This season the show has matured, and rather than feeling as if viewers are being treated to college kids’s home movies, there is a seriousness concerning production values and more attention to outcomes and how people will be affected by their findings. In a market where a show of this nature will either be believed or torn apart for the “truth,” Paranormal State manages the fine balancing act of being serious yet entertaining.Paranormal State has gone well beyond the urban myths of most supernatural investigation shows. The team members are looking at events that cannot be explained by those who are suffering either physical or mental distress as a result. In some cases the investigation leads to more questions than answers, but the team is there to give those that are “haunted” some sort of positive action if not a complete resolution for their problems. Using all types of resources to test phenomena and to give assistance to the victims Ryan Buell and his team are “good guys.” They never take the situation lightly or treat the victims with anything but respect. That is not to say the show is without humor. There are funny moments, interactions among the team members, or as a way to break up the tension after a particularly harrowing moment. Whether one believes in spirits or that we have the abilities to identify phenomena, or is totally skeptical of anything outside the realm of solid proof, the show is still fun and oftentimes thought provoking.Ranging in topics from possible spirit induced murder fantasies to some type of malevolent creature inhabiting remote ranchland, there are things that confound normal investigations. Ryan Buell and his team set out to locate and identify these manifestations of the spirit world, or at least discover if they are human in origin. Sometimes the complexities of the human psyche create problems within a person’s mind that seem to be coming from the outside. Buell and his team are aware of such, and are careful to investigate for that possibility as well as something more extra-corporeal. Each case is treated with solemnity and thorough investigation, using the best in research skills as well as gadgets. The creepiest thing in the world are the instances of EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) recordings!Paranormal State Season Two is presented on two discs containing twelve episodes. The running time complete is four hours and 46 minutes. There are some nice specials included with the season. There is a Behind the Scenes featurette that demonstrates some of the preparatory work the team must do before the show is filmed. The second featurette is Up Close and Personal With athe Members of PRS (Paranormal Research Society.) In this special audiences meet the team members and hear a little of their stories as to what makes them interested in this search and identify type work. Additional footage not in the episodes is included as well. Paranormal State is eerie, revelatory, chilling and good fun. Beware, it can be addictive! Paranormal State: The Complete Season Two is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.

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John ZaffisMay 3rd, 2009 - 20:35:27

You've got to be kidding me. Their clients treated with utmost respect? When the clients aren't (clearly) actors, they're (clearly) either mentally ill or disadvantaged people being taken advantage of in order to squeeze out a good story, even if it means faking the entire thing. The only reality on this show is the exploitation that takes place.

The cast (particularly the ridiculously self-righteous Ryan Buell) is unlikeable, the stories play out like cliched horror film plots, they use obviously fake 'equipment', there's undeniably weird religious undertones being forced down viewer's throats, and the 'guest/expert paranormal investigators' are defrocked/unordained priests and people who've been outed as faking hauntings as early as the 70's (Lorraine Warren? Amityville Horror?). Give me a break.

If you're interested in reading about details on how Ryan Buell and company faked an entire episode (narrated entirely by one their 'clients') and managed to anger an entire town with their arrogance, check out www.whofortedblog.com and search for 'paranormal state'. You'll get lots of interesting tidbits about this 'reality' show.

Save your money on this DVD set. You'd be better off grabbing some friends and visiting the local cemetery at midnight. Chances are good that your friends have personalities (something the PS crew lacks well into the negatives, and who knows, you might actually experience some real paranormal phenomena. God knows you won't find it here.

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Paranormal State: The Complete Season Two – DVD Review

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