Courtesy: Timeless Media Group
Everybody loves a good scare, right? Okay, maybe not everybody. But there are lots of people out there that do enjoy a good scare. For those that do, there are lots of choices out there that offer said scares both in the realm of movies and television. It could be argued that there are so many options in fact that it becomes difficult to decide which options deserve the watch and which ones don’t stand an ahem* ghost of a chance. Yes, that awful pun was fully intended. One piece that anyone wanting a good scare should check out is Timeless Media’s upcoming box set A Haunting Season 7. A Haunting Season 7 will be released on DVD next Tuesday, April 14th. This season of A Haunting was especially a surprise for many of the series’ fans considering the fact that Season Six only lasted a total of four episodes. That short run left a lot of people wondering if Season Six would be the end for the cult favorite paranormal series. And then late last year, fans were pleasantly surprised when Season 7 premiered. Season 7 consisted of sixteen episodes that offer some of the series’ best stories to date. They are stories that should A Haunting not be picked up for an eighth season, make for a good ending for the series. And should it in fact be renewed, audiences will enjoy these episodes just as much if not more while they wait for said season’s premiere. Regardless of what the future may or may not hold for A Haunting, it can definitely be said of Season 7 that its episodes are at the heart of its success. The work of the re-enactors is just as important to note in regards to the enjoyment of A Haunting Season 7. For the most part the re-enactments that make up this season are relatively entertaining. And of course what paranormal show would be complete without its special effects. The special effects used in this season actually prove to be relatively respectable. Together with the work of the re-enactors, they help make the stories presented across the set’s four discs entertainment in their own right. Together with the stories themselves, all three elements together make the seventh season of A Haunting a great collection for any of the series’ fans and for anyone looking for a good scare in general.
The seventh season of Destination America’s A Haunting may or may not be the last for the series. That is because at the time of this review’s posting, there is no word on whether or not the series has been renewed for an eighth season. If it isn’t picked up for another season, audiences will agree that this season is a good way for the series to finish off. If there is however an eighth season, Season 7 will still prove to be just as valuable for fans as they wait for Season 8’s premiere. The main reason that Season 7 proves to be so entertaining is its episode selection. The episodes chosen for this season are some of the best that the series has offered to date. Season 7’s lead disc proves this all by itself. Disc one presents a story of a house haunted by its former owner and an evil spirit that has kept the spirit of the original owner there in the disc’s opener “Demon’s Revenge.” “The Shadowman” is an aptly titled story. That is because it presents the story of two brothers that were terrorized by a shadow figure. The figure in question has been attracted to the home because of the anger exuded by their father. His anger is the result of his PTSD as he is a military veteran. “Demon Unearthed” presents the story of a man trying to cover up his infidelity even in death even if it means scaring a family out of its dream home. And in the disc’s final episode, a couple moves into a home that is haunted by the spirit of a former slave master. The man, whose name was Hal, does not want the couple there. And it leads to a showdown with Hal that leads to an unexpected ending. This is all just on the set’s first disc. The set’s second disc is highlighted by the story of a family haunted by the angry spirit of a woman murdered by her husband in “Ghost Fury.” Much like the story of “Evil never Dies,” the closer to disc one, “Ghost Fury” doesn’t have the ending some might expect, either. Not to give away too much, but sometimes those that are haunted don’t always come out on top. It’s especially interesting to note that in so many of the stories, the wives/girlfriends are the ones being haunted while the husbands/boyfriends don’t believe the women. It’s a sidebar. But an interesting one nonetheless. For all of the tales of terror offered up in Season 7, there is also a heartbreaking story in Disc three’s “Trapped in Terror.” This episode tells the story of a little girl who was murdered by a man after he had lost a poker game and murdered two other men. This is actually a story with a happy ending. The ending won’t be given away. But anyone not moved even slightly by the story simply has no heart. For those looking for something unlike the typical haunted house story, there is Disc four’s “Curse of the Mummy.” This story plays out like something right out of a really bad 1970s B-movie. A young man looks at a mummy in a museum one day and is subsequently haunted by the god/spirit that protected her even though he hadn’t done anything to the mummy. It all leads to a showdown between a priest and the being after it possesses the young man. Yes, it seems corny. But it’s so corny that it’s actually entertaining. And it’s one more way in which the episodes culled for this collection prove it to be so enjoyable for anyone that has any interest in the paranormal. The episodes not noted here are just as worth the watch, too. The combination of those episodes with the ones noted here shows clearly why Season 7’s episodes lie at the center of its success and enjoyment and why it deserves at least one more season.
The episodes that make up the body of A Haunting Season 7 show collectively that the series has definitely gotten its second wind and in turn that it deserves at least another chance by the heads at Destination America. They also show why fans of the series will undoubtedly enjoy this season especially if they weren’t able to catch them in their original broadcast. As intriguing as this season’s episodes prove to be in the long run, they would not be as impactful as they are without their companion re-enactments. That is the second important element to note of these episodes. The re-enactments used to help tell Season 7’s stories are relatively impressive. This is the case especially when they are compared to the re-enactments used in previous seasons of A Haunting and when compared to the re-enactments used in other paranormal series currently on television. Perhaps the only exception to that rule would be the gentleman playing the boys’ father in “The Shadowman.” He clearly tries a little too hard in his role. That aside, the work of the other actors this season overall does its own share to make the presented stories completely gripping and engaging and that much more enjoyable for fans of the show. It also helps once more prove the case why this series deserves at least another series, should the heads at Destination America be considering its fate.
The stories presented in the seventh season of A Haunting coupled with their re-enactments make for plenty of reason for the series’ fans to pick up its seventh season. It also proves again why it is deserving of at least one more season. The same can be said of the special effects used in this season’s stories. That is the last element of this season to note. Just as with the re-enactments in whole, there is no denying the comparison of these episodes’ special effects to those used in both other series’ re-enactments and to this series’ own previous seasons. The lighting and makeup used for the actors portraying the spirits. And rather than just have them appear with some over-the-top fade effect, those behind the cameras opted instead to actually have some of them come in as if they were living people. It’s nice to not have that unnecessary, over-the-top special effects used in that case. Even in the case of say the dark energies, those charged with handling the show’s special effects did a relatively respectable job. Believe it or not, there are those that can’t even handle a task such as crafting a shadow person properly whether for television or movies. It’s surprising yet true. Thankfully that wasn’t the case here. Whether for these noted special effects or for any of the season’s others, the special effects work in direct tandem with the work of the actors to make these episodes entirely worth the watch by any fan of A Haunting and by paranormal enthusiasts in general. It is also more proof of why this series deserves one more season at the very least.
So much can be said in regards to what makes A Haunting Season 7 one of the series’ best seasons to date. The stories that make up this season run the gamut. It boasts a solid mix of terror-filled tales, heart wrenching stories of lives lost too soon, and even some more extraordinary tales across its sixteen total episodes and four discs. The work of the stories’ re-enactors helps to illustrate just what makes each story so frightening, moving, and outrageous. The tasteful use of special effects across this season’s episodes adds even more enjoyment to the whole. All three elements together show without a doubt why both the series’ long-time fans will enjoy this box set and why having gotten its second wind, it deserves at least one more season whether on Destination or another network. It will be available on DVD next Tuesday, April 14th. More information on A Haunting is available online at:
Website: http://www.destinationamerica.com/tv-shows/a-haunting/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AHauntingTVShow
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