Article by Suzanne Philips

Photos copyright Doug Carnahan/St. Mary’s Paracon

Photo copyright Doug Carnahan

April 18th – 20th will find Paranormal enthusiasts taking over the historic city of Virginia City, Nevada.  The notoriously haunted city will play host to the Annual St. Mary’s Paracon, which will feature speakers, vendors, Paranormal investigations and much more.

The yearly event features tours and investigations at both the old St. Mary’s Hospital (now the St. Mary’s Art Center) and the Washoe Club, made famous on the popular Travel Channel show “Ghost Adventures”.  Speakers will include author Janice Oberding, “Paranormal Paparazzi” star Scott Gruenwald and many others.  Vendors selling Paranormal equipment, books and more will be at the event so that guests can stock up during their weekend.

Doug Carnahan. Photo copyright Doug Carnahan.

CFM spoke with Director and Host Doug Carnahan about what guests can expect at this year’s event.

” The wonderful thing about the Saint Mary’s ParaCon is it has grown bigger and better every year.” says Carnahan.  “Besides bringing new speakers and special guests each year we have brought in some great entertainment to kick off our Friday night Meet and Greet at the world renown Washoe Saloon. We have DJ-Kos joining with some amazing music and video show. We have also added a 2^nd investigation to this year’s list of activities.

Washoe Club

“For the 1^st time we will be investigating the very haunted Washoe Millionaires Club upstairs from the saloon. This is an exciting addition to the Saint Mary’s ParaCon. Saturday will be full of great speaker, special guests, vendors and an afterhours investigation of the Old Saint Mary’s Hospital with is always very exciting. ”

Is this event something that only seasoned Paranormal investigators would enjoy, or can newbies find things for them as well?

“We have a lot of people who are seasoned investigators who join us every year for the ParaCon, but we all encourage people who are new to the field and want to learn and know more to join us. Everyone can learn something new at these events. There is no better place for newbies to come and learn from seasoned and professionals within the field.”

St. Mary’s Hospital Virginia City, NV

Why did Doug Carnahan decide to direct and host this annual event?

“I have been involved in the paranormal field well over 30 years, long before it was considered “Cool”. I was thrown head first into the world of the unknown as a result of being physically attacked from an entity resulting in an extreme haunting. Over the years since I have encountered thousands of people with thousands of questions about the paranormal. I thought it would be wonderful if we could bring all these people together and learn from each other’s experiences in the field. I noticed that there were events popping up but mainly on the East Coast and the South, but not so much on the West Coast. The key for me was to find the right location and environment to be able to put on such an event, when I came across the Old Saint Mary’s Hospital and the town of Virginia City, NV I know it was a perfect fit for an event like this. I started the Saint Mary’s ParaCon 4 years ago and have been going strong ever since. I have also taken on a directing and hosting a 2^nd ParaCon at the renowned “Preston Castle” in Ione, CA. This Sept 2014 will also be a 4^th Annual event for that location. So to put it in a nut shell I saw a need and filled it!”

To get your tickets to attend and find out more about the schedule and speakers for this year’s event, visit http://www.saintmarysparacon.com/

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Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr give fans a sneak peek into the everyday lives of their favorite stars and has become the epicenter of the pop culture universe. But do celebrities ever regret sharing an image or tweeting those 140 characters? We think so!  From Amanda Bynes’ combative Twitter rants, to Chris Brown’s always inappropriate Instagram posts, plus a few naked selfies that we cannot unsee…“Worst Thing I Ever Posted” counts down the most sensational photos and tweets ever to hit the world wide web.

Find out which star accidentally confessed to her crime after posting on her Twitter account! Counted down by E! News’ Ali Fedotowsky, “#RichKids of Beverly Hills’”star, EJ Johnson, DJ Pauly D and a variety of hilarious comedians, this comical special is sure to make you think before you post!

All of this and more, when “Worst Thing I Ever Posted” premieres Wednesday, April 2nd at 8:00pm ET/PT only on E!

Cast and fans come together to celebrate beloved show.

Article and Photos by Annika Ahmed

Photo copyright Annika Ahmed

Rejoice, Marshmallows! “Veronica Mars” is back!

Paleyfest 2014 kicked off on March 13 with the long-awaited “Veronica Mars reunion, which coincidentally coincided with the premiere of the Kickstarter funded “Veronica Mars” movie, in theatres on March 14.

The panel started off with a screening of the documentary, “By The Fans: The Making of the Veronica Mars Movie” which was part behind the scenes look at the filming of the movie and part love letter to the fans who made the whole thing possible. Afterwards, show creator Rob Thomas and members of the cast (Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni, Ryan Hansen, Chris Lowell, Francis Capra, Percy Daggs III, and Tina Majorino) took questions from panel moderator HitFix’s Alan Sepinwall and the audience.

Copyright Annika Ahmed

Here are a few things we learned about the show and it’s cast during the Q & A:

1.Tina Majorino still thinks about her character, Cindy “Mac” Mackenzie.

When the cast was asked whether they wonder where their characters would be now, Tina Majorino replied that when faced with computer problems in her daily life, she often laments her lack of computer savvy and exclaims, “Mac could’ve done this!”
2. At one point, Francis Capra was afraid he might have been Lilly Kane’s killer.

Copyright Annika Ahmed

For much of the first season, the cast had no idea who the killer of Veronica’s best friend was, leaving each cast member to come up with their own theories. Francis Capra, who played Eli “Weevil” Navarro, leader of Neptune’s PCH motorcycle gang and one of Lilly Kane’s many secret lovers, thought at one point that it might have been him.
3. Chemistry was the deciding factor in the creation of LoVe.

According to Rob Thomas, there were originally no plans to have Veronica Mars and bad boy Logan Echolls enter into a romantic entanglement. However, when the chemistry between Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring became glaringly obvious, the writers decided to create what has become the most epic of relationships.

Copyright Annika Ahmed

4. Harry Hamlin turned down a movie role to film the season one finale of Veronica Mars.

Harry Hamlin, who portrayed Aaron Echolls, was one of the many guest stars who appeared on a handful of episodes during the first season of Veronica Mars. However, as Rob Thomas related, this placed the show in a precarious situation: The guest actors could become busy with other projects at any time, thus ending their involvement with Veronica Mars. Which is exactly what almost happened when Hamlin was offered a movie role that would have him filming in Australia the same month that Veronica Mars would be filming their season finale. That is, the episode where Aaron Echolls is revealed as the killer/lover of Lilly Kane.

However, as luck would have it, Hamlin decided to turn the movie down, thus freeing him up to film that explosive season finale.
5. Rob Thomas wanted to bring back Duncan Kane and his daughter, Lilly for a post credits sequence but couldn’t due to time and budget constraints.

When an audience member asked why Duncan Kane, Veronica’s first boyfriend, wasn’t brought back for the movie, Rob Thomas shared that considering how his character left the show (kidnapping his infant child from his dead girlfriend’s parents and running away to Mexico), bringing him back to just show up at the 10 year high school reunion wouldn’t have made much sense. He went on to add that he originally planned to shoot a post credits sequence, showing what Duncan was currently up to, but due to and lack of time and money, he was unable to do so.

Fans in attendance at the Paleyfest event had a wonderful evening supporting one of their favorite shows.

Photo copyright Destination America

Appalachia is a region known for its rough terrain, rich history, and distinct local flavor, but the age-old recipe for brewing moonshine isn’t the only secret hiding in these hills. Destination America’s breakout hit series MOUNTAIN MONSTERS is back, following a team of expert hunters and trappers as they defend their mountain brethren from mysterious monsters that have spawned countless sightings in the Appalachian wilderness for generations. Legendary local beasts like the Hellhound, Yahoo, Fire Dragon, and Hogzilla aren’t just old wives tales, and the Appalachian Investigators of Mysterious Sightings (AIMS) is in hot pursuit to prove it. As native sons of West Virginia, AIMS and their leader John “Trapper” Tice have spent their entire lives navigating the backcountry, surviving off the land, and practicing do-it-yourself resourcefulness in a region where time stands still. Putting a lifetime of training to the test, the AIMS team investigates, tracks, and attempts to trap these evasive creatures in 14 all-new episodes. The second season of MOUNTAIN MONSTERS premieres Friday, April 4 at 10/9c on Destination America.

“America is as much about its open oceans and expansive prairies as it is about its valley nooks and mountain crannies, like the ones that are home to Appalachia’s elusive MOUNTAIN MONSTERS,” said Marc Etkind, general manager of Destination America. “Finding these mysterious creatures is serious business, but with their rough-and-tumble sensibility and brotherly love for the mountain community, Trapper and the AIMS team are perfectly suited for seeking out these dark corners of the backcountry and reinstating peace in the ongoing battle between man and monster.”

The first season of MOUNTAIN MONSTERS was Destination America’s Best Series Ever among all key demos in delivery and earned the network’sBest Original Series Debut among P2+ and HH in delivery. Viewers can catch up on the first season starting Friday, March 21 at 9/8c and 10/9c withMountain Monsters: Uncaged, offering a look back at AIMS’ earlier adventures with new footage and behind the scenes extras.

New for the second season, Destination America indulges viewers’ monster cravings with its Mountain Monsters: Behind the Hunt after show exclusively on DestinationAmerica.com. Go behind the scenes of each episode with Trapper and the gang as they answer questions about the monsters, their most terrifying moments on the hunt, and what goes on when the cameras aren’t rolling.

The first two episodes are:

·         Kentucky Hellhound of Pike County
Premieres Friday, April 4 at 10/9c
Decades of folklore and eyewitness encounters collide as AIMS travels to Pike County to investigate the Kentucky Hellhound. First spotted in 1939 in the western heart of Hatfield and McCoy territory, and originally written off as the delusion of backwoods moonshiners, this enormous 500-pound canine predator is in fact alive and well, menacing the local farming community. AIMS must act fast to capture the creature in a huge bamboo cage trap before the cornstalks are harvested and the Hellhound migrates for the winter season.

·         Grafton Monster of Taylor County
Premieres Friday, April 11 at 10/9c
After obtaining a video of a strange and gigantic creature, AIMS travels east to Grafton, W.V., to investigate the Grafton Monster. This tiny town, once an epicenter of early American railroad transit, has been terrorized since the 1960s by a horrifying creature known to the locals as “The Headless Horror.” Standing almost ten-feet tall and tipping the scales at more than half a ton, this beast carries its head just above its chest and has a reputation for intimidation that spans the hollers of Taylor County.  The mountain investigators have their hands full as they witness this predator’s vicious nature firsthand and construct their largest trap to date.

Other monsters featured include the Yahoo of Nicholas County (WV), Werewolf of Webster County (WV), Fire Dragon of Pocahontas County (WV),Sheepsquatch of Boone County (WV), Shadow Creature of Braxton County (WV), Hogzilla of Hocking Hills (OH), Death Cat of Cherokee County (GA), Bear Beast of Raleigh County (WV), Snallygaster of Preston County (WV), Cave Creature of Greenbrier County (WV), and Bloodless Howlerof Harrison County (WV).

Last year, comic-book legend, John Byrne set out “to explore strange new worlds” within the Star Trek universe, using a unique technique, the photonovel. The resulting Star Trek Annual 2013, which is completely sold out through Diamond and headed for a second printing, was a creative success due to this distinctive storytelling device. This May, Byrne will continue his quest “to seek out new life and new civilizations” using the photonovel format to produce an ongoing bi-monthly series, Star Trek: New Visions.

“What John does on these photonovel stories is nothing short of amazing,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Office/Editor-in-Chief. “He’s moved far beyond photo-manipulation and montage to constructing his own set pieces, uniforms, and characters. Much more than just comic stories, these tales are the closest thing to Original Series-era ‘lost episodes’ that the world will ever see.”

Each issue of this all-new series will be an extra-length affair. New Visions begins by going through the looking glass to tell the story of what happened after the classic “Mirror, Mirror” episode of the original series. In issue #1, “The Mirror, Cracked,” the crew of the Starship: Enterprisediscovers two strangers in their midst, and things take a turn when they learn that one of them has made a pact with one of James Kirk’s oldest foes.

Star Trek: New Visions #1, a 48-page, full-color, $7.99 comic book, debuts in May 2014.