Mid-South Paranormal Convention

The Mid-South Paranormal Convention is the brainchild of the Louisville Ghost Hunters Society, and it takes place July 21st-23rd in Louisville, Kentucky. Guests slated to appear include medium Chip Coffey, "Scream Queen" Brinke Stevens, Bigfoot researcher/author Joedy Cook, as well as several paranormal investigators. I wish I could go since it sounds really cool, and if you want to go, you can find more info here:

http://msp.louisvilleghs.com/midsouth/2017/home.html

Tickets are $50 for a one-day pass or $65 for a weekend pass, and the convention will take place at the Ramada Plaza at 9700 Bluegrass Parkway. If you're planning on going and would like to write a guest post about it, please let me know (at crystalsmithconnelly@yahoo.com). : )

Signs Your House Might Be Haunted

Have you had some strange experiences in your home and are worried your house might be haunted? Well, Destination America wants to help you figure it out, so here are seven signs that your house might be haunted:


http://www.destinationamerica.com/thehauntist/7-signs-your-house-might-be-haunted/

Going to Hollywood

I'm taking a short break from the blog so I can go to L.A. for a few days to take part in a celebration of female playwrights. My short play "Playing Doctor" is being performed at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood as part of 2Cents Theatre's Acting Out INK Fest...it's about Zeus trying to get a job as an OB/GYN, and if you're in L.A., you can see it March 17th at 6:30 p.m. or March 18th at 3:30 p.m. I was lucky enough to be a part of this event in 2014, and I'm so excited to be included again this year! : ) If you want day, weekend, or VIP passes, you can buy tickets here:

https://www.plays411.com/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=4626

Or if you just want to see my play (and the three others in that block), you can buy them thirty minutes before showtime at the Hudson Theatre (6539 Santa Monica Blvd.).

For more info, check out the 2Cents Theatre website:

http://www.2centstheatre.com/

Movie Spotlight: The Monster

The Monster is a 2016 movie starring Zoe Kazan, Scott Speedman, Ella Ballentine, Aaron Douglas, Christine Ebadi, and Chris Webb. Kathy (Zoe Kazan), and her 10-year-old daughter, Lizzy (Ella Ballentine), are involved in a car accident during a late-night trip to see Lizzy's father. Stuck in the middle of nowhere with a dead car and no way to get help, they must try to survive a terrifying monster that isn't planning on letting them live.

I enjoyed The Monster, and Zoe Kazan and Ella Ballentine gave impressive performances as a troubled mother and resilient daughter. In many horror movies, the monster looks fake and ridiculous, but The Monster's villain looks pretty realistic. If you're interested in seeing a high-quality horror movie with great performances, give The Monster a chance. : )

My rating: 7/10

Movie Spotlight: Ouija: Origin of Evil

Ouija: Origin of Evil is a 2016 movie starring Elizabeth Reaser, Annalise Basso, Lulu Wilson, Parker Mack, and Henry Thomas. It's a prequel to 2014's Ouija (my review: http://paranormalcrystal.blogspot.com/2015/03/movie-spotlight-ouija.html). In Los Angeles in the late 1960s, widow/pretend medium Alice (Elizabeth Reaser) stages seances with the help of  her two daughters (Annalise Basso and Lulu Wilson), and when she decides to incorporate a Ouija board, of course things go horribly wrong. Using a Ouija board is never a good idea, which Alice finds out when her youngest daughter ends up getting possessed.

Ouija: Origin of Evil is creepy, full of great performances, and better than its predecessor. Lulu Wilson is the standout as possessed daughter Doris; I was already a fan from her days on The Millers (where she proved to be a great comedic actress), and in this movie, she shows that she can master the horror genre as well. If you're in the mood for an entertaining, well-made horror movie, check out Ouija: Origin of Evil (even if you didn't like the first one). : )

My rating: 8/10