photo copyright Chad Calek/AGH
On January 6th, 2011, in a sudden and surprising move to both fan and executives at the A&E Network, Ryan Buell, the star and Executive Producer of the hit A&E reality series PARANORMAL STATE, announced on his personal blog that he would not be returning to the hit franchise for what would be his 6th season. Instead, Buell and PARANORMAL STATE guest-star and Award-Winning Documentary Filmmaker Chad Calek, who also starred in, executive produced and directed the A&E hit special THE GHOST PROPHECIES, would focus their time and energy on an experimental worldwide distribution plan to release Calek’s autobiographical documentary “AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER,” which due to the film’s massive Internet “buzz” and viral fanfare (Over 500,000 collective views between trailers, sneak peak and promo clips), is already one of the most anticipated independent documentaries of 2011. There’s even an AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER social network site created specifically for “hardcore AGH supporters” (www.aghnation.com) that currently has over 5,600 active registered members. Impressive when considering that the film has yet to be released.
“Paranormal State was an incredible project,” says Calek. “I’ll always be thankful to A&E and to Ryan for the opportunity to be a part of such an exciting show. But as much as I love the medium of television, there are immoveable lines drawn in the network sand that limit certain content from being aired. Because of these limits, the world has yet to see the uncensored truth behind a negative haunt. But with AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER, the viewer will finally get the chance to take a brutally honest look into one of the most horrific and stunning cases of negative paranormal activity ever documented. A case where the evidence was consistently being recorded over the course of 20 years. A case that ripped a family apart and sent them fleeing for salvation. I know this case all too well… because it was my family.”
In 2010, after two private screenings to select Hollywood insiders and the country’s top paranormal investigators alike, AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER began receiving acclaim and praise worthy of the hype, with the likes of Robb Demarest, star of SYFY’s GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL, stating that AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER was “Certain to be THE definitive paranormal movie”. Demarest then went even further on his FACEBOOK page by stating, “You will walk out with your jaw dropped and wonder where Chad Calek got the cuevos to make a documentary this personal and touching. I’ve NEVER seen anything like it and doubt I will again.” Shot over the course of 20 years and presenting the most compelling and horrific ghost evidence ever captured on film, AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER promises to deliver “a powerful, emotional and shocking documentary unlike anything you’ve ever seen,” says Buell, who executive produced the documentary. In addition, Calek and Buell have also pledged to redefine the entire movie going experience with AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER: THE TOUR – a national tour that will visit 41 notoriously haunted locations in 41 cities across the United States, in which each stop will feature a five hour “paranormal event” that concludes with the screening of AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER and a Q&A with the entire cast. But mist important to Calek, is the fact that their are only 100 tickets available at each tour stop.
“This film demands real conversation and intimacy to share ideas and thoughts. I want to connect with my fans and supporters in an intimate fashion that expresses how much I care about them and how valuable their time is to me. I’m really pleased with this aspect of the entire process,” said Calek.
“Imagine watching a film like ‘Inception’ and being able to sit down with Chris Nolan and DiCaprio after the screening to pick their brain and discuss the process of making the film. Now imagine seeing a film like ‘Friday The 13th’ in the middle of the woods at a lakeside summer camp. There’s an overall experience to be had, which our goal was to make the entire movie-going process an ‘event,’ rather than just purchasing tickets, seeing your film and being rushed out of the theater for the next group standingin line.’ said Buell. AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER: THE TOUR will be broken down into two parts, with the “summer leg” of the tour covering 16 U.S. cities, beginning on June 2nd in Long Beach, CA and wrapping up in San Antonio, TX at The Menger Hotel on June 18th, 2011. Two months later, the “fall leg” of the tour will begin on August 19th in Los Angeles, CA, and will cover 25 cities before ending in Austin, TX on September 19th.