Wow I miss this show. I remember talking to my brother about this one over coffee. I do admit you can't help but be amused watching it from the comfort of a sofa but when you are in one of the scariest places on earth well that's another story. What I liked about this show is also gives a history of the place and the interviews of locals and owners. The highlight in most episodes is when a family is given the challenge of an overnight stay at a reputed haunted place like Chillingham Castle or a disused sanatorium in one of the islands of Venice and the reactions of the participants looked very real. One night may be more than enough to cure a skeptic. It is fitting Linda Blair be the host and Zelda Rubinstein be the narrator one must not forget it's other commentator host Allan Robson. This British DJ puts a chilly twist to his warnings when a family camps in for the night. He makes it clear that this is no picnic. Whether you believe it or not Scariest Places on Earth is entertaining.
25 Reviews
Zelda Voice
coltonzimmermancz3 July 2022
Scared out of their wits.
windbase28 October 2003
I normally don't write in, but I worked on Scariest Places, and these people were truely scared out of their wits. The hard part was taping what they were scared of - hence most of the footage is of them just screaming - but a couple of them got so scared they pee'd their pants. Imagination, maybe. But these people were not faking. They saw something, and yes, they were scared.
Weirdly riveting
cudkey11 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Host Linda Blair, in a black Spandex catsuit, strolls through a faux-Giger industrial set making spooky faces and trying to introduce paranormal pieces with an occultic solemnity. Narrator Zelda Rubinstein peppers the stories with melodramatic soundbites in an insistently insinuating tone. Cue Halloween music, and throw in some demonic intimations. Don't forget the grain filters, EMF meters, graveyard lighting and shaky body cams.
There are a lot of good family freak-outs on offer. At Charleville Castle, after enduring innumerable noises, chills, dark passages, doors slamming, "pictures dropping", etc., Susan Ulrich has a complete meltdown and refuses to go on. Ditto Jen Ordonez at Lucedio Monastery - it all ended in tears, and Mom spazzed out at one point as well. I can't count the number of times throughout the series that a story ends with "(So-and-so) refuses to talk about it", as though everyone's permanently psychically scarred. And I laughed out loud when psychic Joyce Morgan told a traumatized girl to go and sit with her husband because "He's a grounding rod." At the Goldfield Hotel, a woman simply walked into an empty room, then walked back out, crying and saying, "That was so bad." Geez.
Not saying that the show is predominantly phony - in fact, I think some of it is probably quite real. But even if it were 100% contrived, I would still like the way it's put together. It has the feel of a dark, gritty 70s exploitation chiller. Also, the dire gravity with which everything is treated is endearing.
There are a lot of good family freak-outs on offer. At Charleville Castle, after enduring innumerable noises, chills, dark passages, doors slamming, "pictures dropping", etc., Susan Ulrich has a complete meltdown and refuses to go on. Ditto Jen Ordonez at Lucedio Monastery - it all ended in tears, and Mom spazzed out at one point as well. I can't count the number of times throughout the series that a story ends with "(So-and-so) refuses to talk about it", as though everyone's permanently psychically scarred. And I laughed out loud when psychic Joyce Morgan told a traumatized girl to go and sit with her husband because "He's a grounding rod." At the Goldfield Hotel, a woman simply walked into an empty room, then walked back out, crying and saying, "That was so bad." Geez.
Not saying that the show is predominantly phony - in fact, I think some of it is probably quite real. But even if it were 100% contrived, I would still like the way it's put together. It has the feel of a dark, gritty 70s exploitation chiller. Also, the dire gravity with which everything is treated is endearing.
So Bad it's Funny
donbro6211 June 2008
It's too bad the show was canceled. Unintended or not, it was one of the funniest shows on TV. The real hoots came when the participants got "tough" by yelling and threatening the "ghosts." Where did they find these people; cast-offs from the other inane "reality" shows perhaps. It's an interesting concept though the manufactured scares are as laughable as the occasional false bravado. The show takes full advantage of the confusion between being startled and frightened. At least Linda Blair still looks good. Ah well, at least SciFi kept those buffoons on Ghost Hunters, who on a good day are at least as scared and funny, especially that guy who has a phobia list longer than Tony Shaloub's 'Monk' character, though he's not afraid of "ghosts." Too funny.
Meth. Not even once!
the_wolf_imdb9 April 2014
Sorry guys. I know it is very hard to make a decent scary show if all you have is a couple of photos with a flash blips on dust particles, but this is unwatchable. The fundamental problem is that the editor is on meth. I mean A LOT of meth. The cuts are usually faster than one second, sometimes many cuts in less than a second! It has the dynamics of music video or a couple of movie previews mixed together.
One thing is to observe "paranormal investigators" who are usually very ugly fat white people with as weak flashlights as possible and with some devices that are supposed to measure something. It is an interesting psychological study: The leader shows them a texture on the wood saying "you can see a demon face here" - and they start to scream. Well, in Rorschach test you can see all the crap you could possibly imagine! This actually has some qualities of, say, home video or of a very cheap horror flick like Paranormal Activity.
But the editing fueled by a lot of meth makes this mixture of random scenes, previews, insane cuts and who knows what else really really unwatchable. Maybe if you adjust your mental speed with some massive load of stimulants you can actually keep with ultra fast edits.
It is really a shame. More capable filmmakers with better scripts and drug free editor could actually take the same stories and make them at least watchable. Unfortunately many stories are explained very poorly and have no conclusion at all. In the end all you can see is a epileptic freakshow of ultra fast edits. Horrible!
One thing is to observe "paranormal investigators" who are usually very ugly fat white people with as weak flashlights as possible and with some devices that are supposed to measure something. It is an interesting psychological study: The leader shows them a texture on the wood saying "you can see a demon face here" - and they start to scream. Well, in Rorschach test you can see all the crap you could possibly imagine! This actually has some qualities of, say, home video or of a very cheap horror flick like Paranormal Activity.
But the editing fueled by a lot of meth makes this mixture of random scenes, previews, insane cuts and who knows what else really really unwatchable. Maybe if you adjust your mental speed with some massive load of stimulants you can actually keep with ultra fast edits.
It is really a shame. More capable filmmakers with better scripts and drug free editor could actually take the same stories and make them at least watchable. Unfortunately many stories are explained very poorly and have no conclusion at all. In the end all you can see is a epileptic freakshow of ultra fast edits. Horrible!
Ok one tape is available when will the rest be ?
adrian2umortal16 February 2003
OK so Blair Witch Mania is running wild in the late 1990s. You have a successfull Indie Movie making millions at both Art House and Main Stream Movie Houses around the globe. So now how do you top this madness off ? By making a tv show based on the concepted storyline, only this time use real people instead of actors and real locations that are haunted. Fox Family Channel debuted this series with a Halloween Special that eventually went on to churn out several episodes. Scariest Places was hosted by Linda Blair of The Exorcist 1 and 2. The narrator was Zelda Rubenstien of the Poltergiest Trilogy. This show covered several American locations and European locations as well. Most of the European locations were located in The United Kingdom including Chillingham Castle which became a fan favorite location of the show. Fox TV dared and paid 2 families of 5 people to go and determine if Chillingham was indeed haunted. Well as it turned out "YES" this Castle was indeed very haunted ! Both families failed to complete the challenge because one or more family members were just too plain scared to finish what they started. This show was great in it's initial run but was at the same time being ripped off by a copy cat show called FEAR. This Mtv show had the same storyline challenge only with a financial incentive of $10'000.00 to the surviving team members. FEAR and Scariest Places garnered a small following of fans both abroad and on the internet. Fox Family Channel by the turn of the century was bought out by ABC TV who is in turn owned by Disney. Disney being family friendly canned this show in 2001. There were a few designated replays of the show on Family Channel but that was just to finish out the obligations to the creators of the show. Today this shows' video tapes sits in the vault somewhere at Family Channel Studios collecting dust and waiting to be released on DVD uncut uncensored and unedited. But knowing Michael Eisner and Disney that ain't never going to happen.
Scariest Places on Earth is Phoniest on TV
nickhowes4918 June 2011
I think I can give you some serious insight on this ridiculous show. A friend of mine, a prolific author of books on ghosts, himself featured on this old show early-on (still accessible, for example, on YouTube) said he was called by producers complaining that they couldn't get anybody to return their calls. The show was very popular and they wanted to continue. He told them "no reputable ghost hunter will talk to you because you lie about everything." The show intermixed local experts with hired actors and passed them all off as authentic then twisted the facts to make it fit their agenda. The story about haunted Alton, IL, as one example, claims that limestone from the original old Confederate prison cannibalized for use throughout the community is responsible for the hauntings. No one has ever suggested such a connection! Why not stick with the facts? How about the occasional apparent dazed homeless person in rags wandering the parking lot around the prison ruins asking a passerby "where am I?" then disappearing. That's pretty cool. The agenda, of course, is the usual Hollywood agenda -- not "is it factual" but "does it make a good story for TV?" Anyway, that's why this show folded and is only seen in occasional reruns. By the way, they should have emphasized the narrator was Poltergeist's Zelda Rubernstein -- I always thought it was some kid who was trying to sound "spooky" which only made it amusing.
Limp Biscut
rajaspencer9 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Watched the Rose hall episode with interest as I am an author and Babalawo (with Wanaldo) of Orisha worship and IFA (roughly on par with a Catholic Arch Bishop).Orisha worship & IFA you may know is the mother religion of Voodoo (Voodum), Santeria, Palo, Macumba etc. I trained in Cuba.
The Babalawo is the high priest and specializes in divination throughout our religion, we are trained specifically for this. Herein lies mistake number one: Your Voodoo priestess is not on the same level as a Babalawo, so if indeed this "priest" named King was or is a real Babalawo and not a prop, he should have been directing the ceremonies, not her. Rank is important in Orisha worship and this trickles down to its various forms. Mistake number two was trying to expunge the "witch" rather than respectfully ask her for her help. Here, they tried to confront her and throw her out of her property! "Priest"King called his ancestors to protect him and then had what we call a "Tambor" where an Orisha would take control or "mount" him.....(Babalawo's can not be mounted). While many of these are shams, let's assume it was real (extremely doubtful).. of course then he could not be a high priest.....anyway.even if he was mounted he is not in control ...the Orisha is. What they had here, was a combo of them trying to use: The Dead, The Ancestors and The Orishas....None of which we control. The Dead protect us, The Ancestors guide us and The Orishas are how we obtain Ashe (Nature's energy) All but 3 of the 201 immortal Orishas represent Nature and have a natural element that the respective Orisha.can manipulate and guard (not to be confused with each Orisha BEING the element as they are not).
Any Babalawo or serious student of our faith knows that 1) The light is stronger than the darkness and defeats it with the right tools. 2) That when working with spirits it is important to find out what the spirit wants,and how to appease them and give them peace.This is done through divination. The Babalawo is the expert in divination not the Santero/ Santera/ or priest or priestess. He is a priest of Orunmila, the Orisha of divination (one of the three Orishas that do not have a Natural element (the two others are Eshu and Eleggua). The Babalwo has unique equipment to divine with that lesser rank is are prohibited from. In fact of the 256 Odu or signs possible, lesser ranks are prohibited from "reading" certain Odu. Once the Odu is discovered it then becomes a matter of how knowledgeable the Babalawo is. Think of him as the consular who reads the diagnosis and prescribes the medicine.
Let us hope that in the future they will do a better job of obtaining qualified experts. Indeed there are many scams with our religion and with all religions, yet we get enough bad press as it is. Movies like The Believers are loosely based on our religion and show the smoke and mirrors because the film has made a poor choice of "expert" consultants. In that case Ms. Gonzalas - Whippler. She is a successful author but gives second hand accounts as she has little more than a toe in our religion. Orisha worship has followers of around 150 million, only fools take it lightly.
Very Truly Yours, Charles Spencer King (Awo Ogbe Sa)and Author of Nature's Ancient Religion
The Babalawo is the high priest and specializes in divination throughout our religion, we are trained specifically for this. Herein lies mistake number one: Your Voodoo priestess is not on the same level as a Babalawo, so if indeed this "priest" named King was or is a real Babalawo and not a prop, he should have been directing the ceremonies, not her. Rank is important in Orisha worship and this trickles down to its various forms. Mistake number two was trying to expunge the "witch" rather than respectfully ask her for her help. Here, they tried to confront her and throw her out of her property! "Priest"King called his ancestors to protect him and then had what we call a "Tambor" where an Orisha would take control or "mount" him.....(Babalawo's can not be mounted). While many of these are shams, let's assume it was real (extremely doubtful).. of course then he could not be a high priest.....anyway.even if he was mounted he is not in control ...the Orisha is. What they had here, was a combo of them trying to use: The Dead, The Ancestors and The Orishas....None of which we control. The Dead protect us, The Ancestors guide us and The Orishas are how we obtain Ashe (Nature's energy) All but 3 of the 201 immortal Orishas represent Nature and have a natural element that the respective Orisha.can manipulate and guard (not to be confused with each Orisha BEING the element as they are not).
Any Babalawo or serious student of our faith knows that 1) The light is stronger than the darkness and defeats it with the right tools. 2) That when working with spirits it is important to find out what the spirit wants,and how to appease them and give them peace.This is done through divination. The Babalawo is the expert in divination not the Santero/ Santera/ or priest or priestess. He is a priest of Orunmila, the Orisha of divination (one of the three Orishas that do not have a Natural element (the two others are Eshu and Eleggua). The Babalwo has unique equipment to divine with that lesser rank is are prohibited from. In fact of the 256 Odu or signs possible, lesser ranks are prohibited from "reading" certain Odu. Once the Odu is discovered it then becomes a matter of how knowledgeable the Babalawo is. Think of him as the consular who reads the diagnosis and prescribes the medicine.
Let us hope that in the future they will do a better job of obtaining qualified experts. Indeed there are many scams with our religion and with all religions, yet we get enough bad press as it is. Movies like The Believers are loosely based on our religion and show the smoke and mirrors because the film has made a poor choice of "expert" consultants. In that case Ms. Gonzalas - Whippler. She is a successful author but gives second hand accounts as she has little more than a toe in our religion. Orisha worship has followers of around 150 million, only fools take it lightly.
Very Truly Yours, Charles Spencer King (Awo Ogbe Sa)and Author of Nature's Ancient Religion
Scariest Show On Television
Thor200021 April 2001
In recent years we have lost Unsolved Mysteries, Sightings, Haunted Lives, Paranormal Borderline and several more good shows which discussed true ghost stories. Hosted by Linda Blair and narrated by the creepy voice of Zelda Rubenstein, this show is definitely going to give you nightmares with its shaky angles, out of focus shots and provoking images as it goes in search of ghosts through some of the most haunted houses and edifices on the earth, and takes families to some of the most frightening places in the world to find spirits more unnerving than anything in the movies. Even if you don't believe in such things, this is the show for you.
Could this show be MORE of a set up???
Jothos21 January 2009
This show could be cool, if they didn't add the over dramatization, and the made up BS of the staff, and people that are running this show? I mean I just watched it for the first time, and these 2 brothers went into a dungeon room in this castle, and the door closed by itself behind them, and would not open. They talked to the "ghosts" and said they are not here to disturb them, and asked if they could be let out, and the door amazingly opened. Omg, and we witnessed all of this. Lucky us! How "incredible". And they looked after the door opened, and the door had no lock on it. Wow. Gimme a break. That's something straight out of a lame Hollywood thriller. I do believe in ghosts and all that, but they don't have to add all this crap. just let people go in, and whatever happens happens. don't make up stupid stuff just to try and keep an audience.
totally fake!
dchichester17 October 2008
while the show is rather creepy, at least two of the episodes use the same exact castle but give completely different back stories and say that it is in different towns the episodes are "Blood countess" and "Castle Transylvania" correct me if i'm wrong.
also just a side note the architecture looks more Western European than Slavic.
i do not doubt the creepiness of the castle but my suspicion is that the show rented the castle and filmed several episodes there and edited the back story. also for these two they use the exact same clips of the surrounding area and the local villagers. the castle is big enough that they could have limited the participants to only a few areas and those areas differ from show to show. i figured this out because i looked up Dracula's castle and it looked totally different and the castle in "Blood Countess" is no more than a ruin
also just a side note the architecture looks more Western European than Slavic.
i do not doubt the creepiness of the castle but my suspicion is that the show rented the castle and filmed several episodes there and edited the back story. also for these two they use the exact same clips of the surrounding area and the local villagers. the castle is big enough that they could have limited the participants to only a few areas and those areas differ from show to show. i figured this out because i looked up Dracula's castle and it looked totally different and the castle in "Blood Countess" is no more than a ruin
Fun, Entertaining Spookfest.
drownsoda9027 September 2006
"Scariest Places On Earth" is a fun little spookfest television show that's been running for about five years now, on and off. Each episode features usually one to three segments on some supposedly haunted, extremely creepy locations. In each segment, we are given the grim history of the haunted location, and one family or group of people goes to visit the haunted area at night, and see what they can experience, and if the place is really haunted. Well, scary stuff happens on every episode, so it has me questioning whether or not it could be rigged, but nonetheless, these creepy locations and the disturbing history behind them are good enough to be featured on television. I have to admit though, I'm pretty sure a lot of events that occur are staged. Besides that though, this show is pretty scary. I remember watching this back when it first aired in 2001, and it scared the hell out of me.
Hosted by legendary horror actress Linda Blair ("The Exorcist", "Hell Night") and narrated by Zelda Rubenstein (in her creepy, raspy voice), "Scariest Places On Earth" is an all-around fun and scary television show that is worth watching solely for the creepy locations that are displayed and the history behind them. Everything from haunted castles, prisons, old houses, asylums, college campuses, amusement parks, catacombs, and many more creepy locations are featured on the show, and each of the segments are very well done. It's too bad they haven't continued the show on much anymore, I'm glad that ABC Family makes it part of their "13 Nights of Halloween" special, but I wish that it was still a regular show. One thing is for sure though, this show has done a good job at rounding up some genuinely scary places. 8/10.
Hosted by legendary horror actress Linda Blair ("The Exorcist", "Hell Night") and narrated by Zelda Rubenstein (in her creepy, raspy voice), "Scariest Places On Earth" is an all-around fun and scary television show that is worth watching solely for the creepy locations that are displayed and the history behind them. Everything from haunted castles, prisons, old houses, asylums, college campuses, amusement parks, catacombs, and many more creepy locations are featured on the show, and each of the segments are very well done. It's too bad they haven't continued the show on much anymore, I'm glad that ABC Family makes it part of their "13 Nights of Halloween" special, but I wish that it was still a regular show. One thing is for sure though, this show has done a good job at rounding up some genuinely scary places. 8/10.
SCARY!!!!!!!
spikelovesbuffy20024 August 2002
Now i have watched alot of episodes of this and it is really scary the stuff you see in it just scared the hell out of you they visit the most freakey places like castles from the 1800's haunted houses places that were built over graveyards watch this show if your dare cause this show is really scary!
Love this show.
cipolliniclan13 November 2003
This is one of the best shows(and the scariest shows) that have ever been on TV. I must say, the first episode I saw with the Jersey Devil, the possessed prison and the castle,scared the mess out of me.
Since then I was addicted. The best episode in my opinion was "Return to Chillingham". Damn, I coulden't even sleep that night.
ABC has since taken over the once great FOX Family and gotten rid of the show. In it's place is a buch of crap,such as "Switched",and reruns of "Full House". They diden't even do the 13 days of halloween this year. I don't use the word hate to often,but I really ,truley hate ABC.They destroyed what was once the finest show and channel on television.
As far as SPOE is concerned,I don't care at all what everyone else says,this show was the BEST,and knowone can tell me otherwise.
Since then I was addicted. The best episode in my opinion was "Return to Chillingham". Damn, I coulden't even sleep that night.
ABC has since taken over the once great FOX Family and gotten rid of the show. In it's place is a buch of crap,such as "Switched",and reruns of "Full House". They diden't even do the 13 days of halloween this year. I don't use the word hate to often,but I really ,truley hate ABC.They destroyed what was once the finest show and channel on television.
As far as SPOE is concerned,I don't care at all what everyone else says,this show was the BEST,and knowone can tell me otherwise.
Silliest places on earth! (Very slight spoiler)
NC-writer10 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
After reading other reviews of this, I thought it would be a terrific spine-tingling compilation of scary stories...but rather than producing chills, it produced gales of laughter from me and my husband. The back-stories of all these "haunted" places are very intriguing, and some of the footage is interesting, but the people who do the investigating are obviously hamming it up for the cameras, the special effects are obviously staged, and they try to use lighting to make things look spooky, but with hilarious results--such as having people point flashlights up from their chins, a la Blair Witch. It's so obviously staged that one scene (VERY SLIGHT SPOILER) shows a girl entering a spooky tunnel from the back, and her cap is black. When it shows her from the front, pointing the light up from her chin, her hat is suddenly white. Back and forth it goes, with her hat changing colors. Many scenes of the "investigators" have the camera bobbling around as people scream, and you have absolutely no idea what they're screaming at. Often the narrator says that a person goes into a room all alone, yet there is a camera following them around, so clearly they're not alone. And why is it that all of the "investigators" are students? Because their screaming is louder and shriller than adults? The funniest thing, though, is the voice-overs by Zelda Rubinstein, the delightful little woman from Poltergeist and Picket Fences. Her voice is decidedly spooky alright, but because this video is so funny already, her "narration of impending doom" makes things even more amusing. I'd say that if you're in the market for a good frightening video, you'd be better off renting Thirteen Ghosts--or if you have access to older movies, check out Helter Skelter, In Cold Blood (with Robert Blake), or even Aliens. While "Scariest Places on Earth" is mildly interesting, the main entertainment is in how funny it is--unfortunately it's not the least bit scary.
What??!
jamsesthegreat4 November 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I always find myself amused and frustrated with shows that claim to demonstrate "physical proof" of things paranormal. This show is no exception.
The reason this show (and others like it) were discontinued rather quickly is simple: Eventually, they all end up following the same pattern. ...a pattern more based on group hysteria and myth than scientific fact.
First, a completely untrained group of people (usually a family - which has its own set of predetermined emotional interrelationships) is given equipment that has never been scientifically proved to detect ghosts/spirits/etc. ...and they are sent through an empty building for an evening, looking for "proof" of what the show's producers have already promised them they would find.
Add a few mice, a bat, the wind, and the extremely powerful sociological tendency towards group hysteria in situations like that and you have a show that could never hope to be viewed as credible by the scientific community.
This show, and others like it, are the ultimate flee circus. They promise to show the audience proof that the world's scariest places are actually haunted. What they end up "proving" is how easily we can succumb to a scary story and a dark room. The camera is never pointed at the ghost. We never SEE anything abnormal. ...and we find ourselves confused at the end of each episode as to WHAT REALLY happened.
...all we're left with is a broken promise and an hour of scared people jumping at every sound in the night. Over and over and over and over again...
I don't see how any thinking people could call this show, or others like it, scientific by any stretch of their overactive imaginations.
The reason this show (and others like it) were discontinued rather quickly is simple: Eventually, they all end up following the same pattern. ...a pattern more based on group hysteria and myth than scientific fact.
First, a completely untrained group of people (usually a family - which has its own set of predetermined emotional interrelationships) is given equipment that has never been scientifically proved to detect ghosts/spirits/etc. ...and they are sent through an empty building for an evening, looking for "proof" of what the show's producers have already promised them they would find.
Add a few mice, a bat, the wind, and the extremely powerful sociological tendency towards group hysteria in situations like that and you have a show that could never hope to be viewed as credible by the scientific community.
This show, and others like it, are the ultimate flee circus. They promise to show the audience proof that the world's scariest places are actually haunted. What they end up "proving" is how easily we can succumb to a scary story and a dark room. The camera is never pointed at the ghost. We never SEE anything abnormal. ...and we find ourselves confused at the end of each episode as to WHAT REALLY happened.
...all we're left with is a broken promise and an hour of scared people jumping at every sound in the night. Over and over and over and over again...
I don't see how any thinking people could call this show, or others like it, scientific by any stretch of their overactive imaginations.
questionable, fake with no critical evaluation.
shank2104 April 2002
I have seen some episodes of this series.
Most of the episodes are questionable and based on second hand eyewitness accounts and there is absolutely no attempt to get a balancing neutral/critical opinion. It is the paranormal equivalent of Von Daniken.
I noted a particularly laughable episode on "ghosts of the colosseum" where a pyshcic with a lenghth of string comes to the conclusion that he "can feel" a ghost somewhere in the dungeons and finally "it" leads him to a street (somewhere else) where "it" was apparently buried. I mean who the hell is this guy and how do you know it is true? Then there are a whole bunch of "paranormal investigators" with infrared scanners and electromagnetic detectors claiming they see ghosts and presences everywhere and we just have to take their word for it.
There are pics caught on cam of people running scared when they "felt" the presence of a spirit. These people have been already hyped up by being told the place is haunted and there is a ghost waiting for them somewhere. There is no effort to go back and analyse what happened or interview the people involved. All the episodes follow this pattern: shallow and full of tricks.
Most of the episodes are questionable and based on second hand eyewitness accounts and there is absolutely no attempt to get a balancing neutral/critical opinion. It is the paranormal equivalent of Von Daniken.
I noted a particularly laughable episode on "ghosts of the colosseum" where a pyshcic with a lenghth of string comes to the conclusion that he "can feel" a ghost somewhere in the dungeons and finally "it" leads him to a street (somewhere else) where "it" was apparently buried. I mean who the hell is this guy and how do you know it is true? Then there are a whole bunch of "paranormal investigators" with infrared scanners and electromagnetic detectors claiming they see ghosts and presences everywhere and we just have to take their word for it.
There are pics caught on cam of people running scared when they "felt" the presence of a spirit. These people have been already hyped up by being told the place is haunted and there is a ghost waiting for them somewhere. There is no effort to go back and analyse what happened or interview the people involved. All the episodes follow this pattern: shallow and full of tricks.
Its real
oboe_maiden16 July 2004
Okay I would just like to verify that it is NOT fake! I LIVE in Athens Ohio one of the places featured and it is all real. Every story is real. It may look like it isn't real, but it is. Many people that live in these places can definitely verify that these are real. Maybe in other places it isn't but I know that at least in Athens its all 100% Grade A real! I would recommend this because its really awesome and scary. Well at least it was for me since I live in the town, but anyone can get creeped out by these. My favorite was the scariest the one in the torture chamber in England...that was scary! So I think that if one can get this TV series you should definitely watch it. It really is enjoyable!
American Rubbish
Paddywelshman22 February 2004
I caught this show on the reruns and could not believe what I was seeing. Being involved in film and a part-time paranormal investigator I found this show an insult. An insult to any serious Paranormal Investigator and an insult to anybody with an IQ over 20.
Knowing how television is made I could see all the old tricks prop masters have used over the years. Stupid face cameras with lights on them shinning directly into the victims faces, so their eyes cannot adjust to the darkness.(An old trick)
The adding of a Newcastle radio DJ who cries "Murder, death, evil!" and passes himself off a informative person. He is there to wind up the families, g them up for the night ahead and plant the seed of fear.
Cheap editing is the only thing stopping the viewing audience not seeing the crew banging and pushing things over.
It promised much and delivered very little. Check out Most Haunted it is much slicker and probably has half the budget.
This puts the field of Paranormal Investigation into game show mode. A crying shame. Wonder weather it was worth those two priests saving young Linda Blair in the Exorcist. I think not!
Knowing how television is made I could see all the old tricks prop masters have used over the years. Stupid face cameras with lights on them shinning directly into the victims faces, so their eyes cannot adjust to the darkness.(An old trick)
The adding of a Newcastle radio DJ who cries "Murder, death, evil!" and passes himself off a informative person. He is there to wind up the families, g them up for the night ahead and plant the seed of fear.
Cheap editing is the only thing stopping the viewing audience not seeing the crew banging and pushing things over.
It promised much and delivered very little. Check out Most Haunted it is much slicker and probably has half the budget.
This puts the field of Paranormal Investigation into game show mode. A crying shame. Wonder weather it was worth those two priests saving young Linda Blair in the Exorcist. I think not!
What a crock of werewolf scat
helpless_dancer26 October 2001
New title folks: "Most Pathetic Places on Earth". Seldom have I been this bored and found a show so tiring and tedious. The episode I saw had a family of 5 spending the night in Dracula's Castle [clearly a back lot set]: if the vampire has to live forever putting up with this crap I have real pity for him. Nobody with an I.Q. higher than 3 would believe this was anything but a very badly acted play which used only 3 sentences throughout, repeated to the point of extreme nausea. The most aggravating part was being forced to continually look up these peoples nostrils. Couldn't they find a different camera angle every now and then? Speaking of cameras, I hated the part where these folks would "find" a new room, and be filmed entering it. Gimme a break. Outside the place looked huge, but when the intrepid voyagers got inside they couldn't seem to get past the same 3 or 4 obviously staged rooms where ghastly crimes were committed in bygone days. Gimme another break. All this to again "find" a gold medallion which appeared to have come off the sale table at Woolworth's on a slow night. At the end the show's host, some cornball Irish actor with the delivery of Boris Karloff on Qualudes, swaggers out and tells the family what grave danger they were in but because they were so brave and mouthed some little pissant Satanic chant that all would be well. Another break, please! I will damn well not watch any more of the 13 Days of Halloween because I suspect this was the high point. By the way, Linda Blair is still the same 2 bit actress she was in The Exorcist.
I think we need America's finest to participate in the show
cativera_usmc22 October 2005
I think a good idea for the show the scariest places on earth,would be to have some individuals that have been places and seen some weird stuff.I think that with the publicity of the military that some Marines should be put on the show.The military is supposed to be brave ,well let's let them try and prove it.Some Marines like myself and my friends watching this show.My friends and my self have been to Iraq,i personally think we would do better than the individuals that are on this show.We have recently seen the episode from the castle ,the people just seemed like they were faking a lot of stuff,but maybe not,I would like to find out for myself.
Lame rip-off of MTV's Fear
zofa1 May 2001
The locations, the cameras, the scares, even the show's tag line involving the word "dare" -- total rip of MTV's Fear.
The only original thought this show has is to use a host - Linda Blair. And she's cool.
Oh.. and the other thing different from Fear. This show stages stuff. (as they admit to in the credits).
I guess if your jonzing for Fear and it's not on, this show's not a bad way to waste some time.
The only original thought this show has is to use a host - Linda Blair. And she's cool.
Oh.. and the other thing different from Fear. This show stages stuff. (as they admit to in the credits).
I guess if your jonzing for Fear and it's not on, this show's not a bad way to waste some time.
Ghosts or Demons?
ArdithK26 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I have watched the movie and a few episodes and I can tell you that I enjoyed seeing heathens make total fools of themselves.
I am a total believer in the supernatural. I have experienced first hand the manifestations in my childhood and now as a minister.
I can tell you this, that what I witnessed was arrogance at it's best.
Further examination of these "episodes" proved to be rather amusing that you would use witchcraft to cast out demonic spirits and the "cleansing" by casting spells and invoking things you shouldn't even be doing in the first place.
Some of the families involved had no clue that they were instructed to perform incantations to "purify" themselves.
This is a blatant misuse of authority on the part of those running the show. Even bring in a witch to offer "protection" from these spirits. That's a joke! They are on the same side of the equation.
Though I found the whole thing quite intriguing, I sat awe-struck at the stupidity of these "experts" running the show and wonder what poor soul was left vulnerable to these "things" following them home.
Why not traumatize the young person further by "making them" endure demonic attack, all in the name of "thrill seeking".
I am so ashamed that this show puts souls in jeopardy for kicks.
There are NO SUCH THINGS AS GHOSTS! According to the Bible, they are demons and fallen angels, they do have power and they ARE PURE EVIL and what total fools we are to think we can "command them" to leave their dwelling. Without the power of Jesus Name, there is NO DELIVERANCE OF DEMONS, whether in people or in locations.
But, using witchcraft to cast the devil out is probably the stupidest thing I saw on this show. Using divining rods is STILL DIVINATION and demons get off on that! Horrible display of human stupidity if you ask me.
I am a total believer in the supernatural. I have experienced first hand the manifestations in my childhood and now as a minister.
I can tell you this, that what I witnessed was arrogance at it's best.
Further examination of these "episodes" proved to be rather amusing that you would use witchcraft to cast out demonic spirits and the "cleansing" by casting spells and invoking things you shouldn't even be doing in the first place.
Some of the families involved had no clue that they were instructed to perform incantations to "purify" themselves.
This is a blatant misuse of authority on the part of those running the show. Even bring in a witch to offer "protection" from these spirits. That's a joke! They are on the same side of the equation.
Though I found the whole thing quite intriguing, I sat awe-struck at the stupidity of these "experts" running the show and wonder what poor soul was left vulnerable to these "things" following them home.
Why not traumatize the young person further by "making them" endure demonic attack, all in the name of "thrill seeking".
I am so ashamed that this show puts souls in jeopardy for kicks.
There are NO SUCH THINGS AS GHOSTS! According to the Bible, they are demons and fallen angels, they do have power and they ARE PURE EVIL and what total fools we are to think we can "command them" to leave their dwelling. Without the power of Jesus Name, there is NO DELIVERANCE OF DEMONS, whether in people or in locations.
But, using witchcraft to cast the devil out is probably the stupidest thing I saw on this show. Using divining rods is STILL DIVINATION and demons get off on that! Horrible display of human stupidity if you ask me.
Watch If You Dare!!!
Lho332337027 July 2001
My mother watches this show every Friday and Saturday. They show you people trapped in haunted houses. It is funny when they start screaming bloody murder. Than it's up to a relative or cop or whoever to save the day. If you think you are brave watch this show. They always scream I think it is like that movie The Blair Witch Project.
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