Movie Review: American Werewolves

Last night, my husband and I decided to have a lil' impromptu home movie night. Being as we're cheap, we popped some popcorn, snuggled into bed, and brought up the Tubi app on my tablet to see what was available. Our original plan was to find a pretty bad B-level sci-fi horror to riff on ( awhile back we watched a horribly hilarious movie called Christmas Twisters, but the title card was misspelled as Christams Twisters and we still laugh about it to this day). But, Tubi has really stepped up its level of programming, especially when it comes to paranormal documentaries, and is even carrying quite a few of the Small Town Monsters selections!

As a native West Virginian, I've been following Seth Breedlove and the rest of the STMs crew almost since the beginning. I've loved their work on films featuring West Virginia favorites like the Flatwoods Monster and the Mothman...and I've (almost) forgiven them for leaving me out of the UFO feature---I swear, it felt like I was the only WV researcher NOT interviewed for that one, and I've actually seen quite a few UFOs in addition to my documentation of old UFO cases. Anyway, I digress. I try to keep up with all the new releases, and when I contributed to the 2022 Kickstarter, American Werewolves was one of the projects I was most looking forward to. 

Each STM movie is its own documentary. I've enjoyed seeing the the filmmakers' style evolve with each new production, but not just evolve. Each movie really is unique in the way it is shot and laid out. American Werewolves is a rather dark, atmospheric documentary that relies almost entirely on eyewitness accounts. There's a little folklore and history thrown in for context, but for the most part American Werewolves is a collection of stories told by the people who lived them. And these stories are absolutely terrifying.

When I think of an American werewolf, my thoughts go straight to the rougarou of the southern states. That's not really the focus of this documentary, however. Rather, the focus is on what cryptozoologists generally have come to call dogmen, a phenomenon largely associated in the case known famously as the Beast of Bray Road (Wisconsin). The dogmen of American Werewolves, however, are tales mostly from Ohio and Kentucky,  but especially an area of Tennessee known as The Land Between the Lakes. I kind of wish that the distinction between a dogman and a werewolf was explained a little more thoroughly, but to some, there really is no distinction, as we have no idea exactly what these 'dogmen' are. It's interesting to note, however, that many of the witnesses who told their stories, despite describing flesh and blood bipedal creatures with a canine head and ears, swore that they felt there was some sort of supernatural element to these beings. They weren't just animals; they were truly monsters beyond our current realm of understanding.

I don't want to give away too much of the actual stories because I really think you need to watch this film. But, I'm pleased that they mentioned a few things that research has seemed to link with these sightings, such as encounters being reported near Adena burial mounds and near sources of water. With all the Adena burial mounds that were (and the many that still are standing) in West Virginia, I'm really surprised that we don't have a ton more reports of dogmen. However, that may be a good thing, as another common thread in many of the stories shared in American Werewolves was a theme of violence. At best, the encounter left the witness with a feeling of fear and dread. At worst, people were presumed to be massacred. 

Overall, I'd definitely recommend giving this film a watch. It's a little under an hour and a half long, and is available on a variety of streaming platforms. Even a die hard skeptic who might not necessarily give much credence to eyewitness testimony alone, can still enjoy these tales for simply just being well told spooky campfire stories---in some cases, literally. American Werewolves is an interesting look at a cryptid that doesn't seem to get as much attention as some of the others in this field, but if there is any truth at all to these claims, it's definitely a phenomenon that warrants all the attention we can give it. It might just save someone from becoming the next victim of the dogman. 

Small Town Monsters Website

Small Town Monsters YouTube

Top 3 Binge-Worthy YouTube Paranormal Shows

I don't know about you, but I've turned to binge-watching as a coping mechanism to escape from what's going on in the world.  And while many are turning to Netflix's Tiger King as their binge of choice, I'm not QUITE there yet.  I'd rather spend my free time catching up on some paranormal goodies!  Since not everyone has access to popular streaming services, I wanted to instead focus on fun stuff to watch that is completely FREE.  YouTube is a great resource for free material and it was hard narrowing down a top three.  These are the shows that I'm currently watching on YouTube, but if you have any suggestions for shows or channels, please feel free to comment down below, or head on over to Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State Facebook page to share what YOU'RE watching.  Stay safe, stay indoors, stay spooky! 

1. In Search Of---In Search Of, hosted by Leonard Nimoy, is one of those iconic shows in the paranormal field that gave many investigators their first glimpse into  the world of the strange and unknown. The weekly show ran from 1977 to 1982 and luckily, ALL SIX SEASONS are available for streaming on YouTube!  Each episode is only about 23 minutes long, so it's the perfect show for binge-watching or to simply watch one or two when you have a little extra time.  As this show was a bit before my time, I'm just now getting to experience classic favorites such as the Bermuda Triangle, ancient aliens, and the search for DB Cooper.  The official YouTube channel also has the three hour-long movies that sparked the beginning of the series, as well as a few humorous extras.

2. Hellier---Planet Weird's YouTube channel has made Hellier Seasons 1 and 2 available for free!  This docu-series which starts with a quest for answers in a remote Kentucky town, leads an investigation team on a wild journey full of synchronicity and high strangeness. If you haven't watched it yet, it is definitely worth it.  Once you make it a few episodes in, you'll more than likely find yourself NEEDING to find out what happens next!

3. Doc Spot---Doc Spot is one of my top channel picks for documentaries.  Among its history, science, and other documentaries, the channel offers a huge selection of titles pertaining to UFOs, cryptids, hauntings, ESP, and other paranormal topics.  My favorites are definitely the large collection of Haunted History Of..., an older History Channel show that would devote a whole show to the history and ghost stories of a particular location.  To get you started, here's the link to the Haunted History Of playlist, beginning with The Haunted History of London.

Theresa's Travels: In Search of the Braxton County Monster (Part III)

It's finally time for the culmination of Theresa's Travels: In Search of the Braxton County Monster! Today's blog is about the whole reason we decided to take a day trip into Sutton/Flatwoods in the first place:  The world premier of Small Town Monsters' The Flatwoods Monster: A Legacy of Fear!

I have been following the Small Town Monsters crew, consisting mostly of filmmaker/producer/writer Seth Breedlove, since meeting them at the Mothman Festival last year. They make good, quality documentaries about spooky stuff, such as Mothman, the Minerva Monster, and the Boggy Creek Monster. So, when I heard that a new Flatwoods Monster film would be coming out, I was excited.

We could have just bought/rented the movie when it was released on April 7, 2018. It was/is available on Amazon and Vimeo---but what's the fun in just sitting at home watching a movie when you can travel just a short 90 minutes from home and experience the premier in an historic theater, just minutes away from where the sighting originally took place?!?

And, that's precisely what we did! We pre-ordered our tickets online, which were an absolute STEAL at $5 a piece and made plans to get to the Elk Theater in downtown Sutton a little early to get good seats.  Well, we arrived a few hours early in order to explore the town, which you've hopefully read about in Part I and Part II of my Theresa's Travels series! But anyway...

We arrived at the Elk Theater about 35 minutes before the 7pm showtime, and seats were already filling up fast. I bought my son Luke and I matching T-shirts, and Aaron stood in line for our popcorn and drinks. By the time he met me back at our seats, the place at sold out. In fact, so many people were turned away at the box office, that a special matinee showing for Sunday at 3pm had to be scheduled.

During the few minutes we had before the film got started, we got to chat with our seatmates, which was very sweet. A local man and his daughter sitting in front of us gave us the scoop on the historic theater and a little about the town of Sutton. An older couple beside them giggled at Aaron's near-miss in regards to my concession stand order. And, a dad and son all the way from New York sat beside us and we talked like we'd known each other forever. Les O'Dell, from WV's Cryptids and Strange Encounters, who we ran into at the Museum (and at several of the chairs throughout the day) had arrived at the theater the same time we did, so we got in a few more minutes of chatty-time. We also saw (and sat near) a small group that we ran into at both the museum and The Spot AND another couple who we spoke with briefly earlier, also while at the Spot!

I was fired up for the film, and after a few brief words, it began. I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet and wants to, so I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum.  However, if you have a basic understanding of the story, spoilers are a moot point, lol. The film is about the weird and wacky evening of September 12, 1952 when a group of kids playing football saw SOMETHING over the skies of Flatwoods, WV. The object appeared to either land or crash on a nearby hill, so the boys, led by brothers Freddie and Eddie May, went to investigate, stopping at the May home where they were joined by their mother, Kathleen and a 17 year old relation named Gene Lemon. The group proceeded to the Bailey Fisher farm, where they would encounter SOMETHING that would scare the bejeebus out of them, and change them, and the town of Flatwoods, forever. Over the years, that creature would be known as the Flatwoods Monster, the Braxton County Monster, and even, the Flatwoods Green-eyed Monster. Sometimes its referred to as just..."the Creature."

I really enjoyed the film. At 45 minutes long, it didn't go too in-depth about the theories as to what the creature was. However, it was an excellent overview and introduction to the case, which I think is one of the most fascinating in WV UFO lore. Unfortunately, most of the witnesses are now deceased, but Seth managed to get both Freddie and Eddie (now known as Fred and Ed) May to tell their stories, stories that are unassuming and haven't changed since the original events took place.

Also featured in the film (and who were present for the Q and A afterwards) were John Gibson, who is responsible for the popular Flatwoods Monster lanterns, paranormal investigator Dave Spinks, who tells a fascinating related tale of a similar (or same?) monster in the area, Andrew Smith, executive director of the Braxton County CVB, and a really cool lady (for the love of all that is holy, someone remind me of her name, please!) who told a chilling tale from her grandmother that seems to relate directly to the Flatwoods Monster event of of September 12.

Q and A Panel at the Elk Theater

Original interviews were enhanced with some creepy animation and a haunting score. Historical photos and audio recordings, and even some 1950s UFO movie footage gave the film a really cool, vintage vibe. The 45 minutes flew by and left me wanting more!  Luckily, the Q and A provided it.  Usually these things are boring, stuffy, and awkward, as no one really wants to get started in asking the questions. I was pleased, though, to see people jumping right in, and asking really good questions about a variety of things. Seth and the rest of the panel were not only informative, but they were fun to listen to. Everyone had a great sense of humor and was really personable---which fit perfectly into the whole atmosphere of the evening.

My only issue was with the film itself...and honestly, its NOT an issue. I understand that the filmmaker had a set vision---to tell the tale of the Flatwoods Monster and how it affected a small community. But, being someone who appreciates the bigger picture when it comes to these things, I would have loved to have seen more on what was happening throughout the state and throughout the East Coast of the country that same night as evidence suggests that our little freaky Flatwoods critter was NOT the only one of its kind to visit that night. I also realize that much of that story was the passion project of another researcher, Frank Feschino, and that certain things were left out of the film, not only to keep the narrative focused on the vision, but also to not step on any toes, legal or otherwise! If you see The Flatwoods Monster: A Legacy of Fear and YOU'RE left wanting more, you might want to read Frank's book, The Braxton County Monster.

Overall, though, this weekend was an absolute blast! I don't mean to sound too hard on the movie, because in all actuality, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was well done, entertaining, and informative. Getting to see it premier live at the Elk Theater in Sutton was icing on the cake---it makes me really sad that I didn't take the time to make it to the State Theater in Pt. Pleasant when they showed the Mothman film.  Not only did we see a great movie among a group of other fans of WV's spooky history, but we got to spend an afternoon exploring some of the awesome, off-beat attractions that have grown out of a renewed interest for this strange, yet important tale of the Flatwoods Monster. If you missed the premier, you can still see the movie. You can buy/rent a digital copy from Amazon or pick up a DVD from the Small Town Monsters website . And although the movie is no longer showing at the Elk Theater, there is still a ton of great things to do in the Sutton/Flatwoods area, for fans of monster lore, history, outdoor sports, as well as many other interests. It's also about an hour or so drive from Weston, which makes a trip to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum for a tour, an easy thing to add to any itinerary!

Make sure you visit the previous posts in the "Theresa's Travels: In Search of the Braxton County Monster" series:

Part I---Braxton County CVB/Monster Museum and The Spot Dairy Bar
Part II---Flatwoods Monster Chairs

Spooky YouTube Subscriptions, Volume 3

Volume One
Volume Two

It's a new year and time for a new installment of YouTube recommendations! And although I've said it in the previous two volumes, I seriously cannot get enough of YouTube.  With many sites, especially ones made up of content submitted by such a variety of people, you're going to have to sift through the garbage and find the gems---but there are plenty of gems to be found. YouTube is a great resource for paranormal investigators, researchers, and enthusiasts. It is a huge repository of lectures, documentaries, investigation footage, how-to videos and so much more. My goal is to help you find some of those gems without getting too deep into the muck.

1. Ancestry---This is the YouTube channel for the popular Ancestry.com. There are lots of FREE videos offering tips on using the site and genealogy research in general. Genealogy is an important part of paranormal research and can provide vital historic clues to support or debunk an alleged haunting.

2. Mysterious WV---Well researched mini-documentaries covering West Virginia's unsolved murders.

3. WV Archives and History---If you cannot make it to one of the awesome, live lectures offered by the WV State Archives, you can find it here! There is a wide array of topics covering all aspects of West Virginia history and genealogy research. There are even a few lectures devoted to paranormal topics!

4. Peter Cardwell---Do you remember the History Channel's Haunted History of... series? That is one of my all-time favorite shows, and this YouTube user has uploaded quite a few full episodes.

5. Mothership Productions---A channel featuring tons of full-length lectures from various UFO conferences.

6. ParanormalZoneTV---Web series about all things spooky and paranormal.

7. ProfParanormal---This is the official channel of parapsychologist, Lloyd Auerbach.

8. Real Ghost Stories Online---This is pretty self-explanatory!

Ghost Photo Analysis: Staircase Apparition

This photo was recently posted to a Facebook paranormal interest group to which I belong. The original poster did not post any accompanying information on the photo, and as of 16 hours after the original posting, had not returned to answer any questions or pose any type of clarification.

When I'm perusing Facebook groups, I tend not to focus too much on the ghost pictures submitted by others. Most often, its just not worth it, lol. That sounds harsh, but its true. Either there is just not enough information or photo clarity to give a good, accurate analysis....or the photo is a natural glitch. Sometimes, the photo is outright fraudulent. These I hate the most because I'm one of those who believe that people are inherently good. I don't think the majority of people posting ghost app photos and other fraudulent photos and/or information are doing so maliciously. Rather, I think people have a tendency to find something cool on the internet and want to share. Unfortunately, some are the victims of pranks by friends who realize their gullibility.

I tend to think this photo is just one of those, 'Hey, cool! Look what I found!' photos. When I first scrolled by and paused, what caught my attention was that I knew I had seen this image somewhere before. Further, while looking at the photo, it certainly didn't look like an image taken with a camera---it had that look of 'film,' like it was a still shot from a movie.  A simple reverse-image search later, and I had my answer.

This image IS a still shot, and it was probably taken directly from the documentary, The Best Ghost Cases Ever Caught on Tape, which aired as a Fox TV special in the early 2000s. This show specializes in taking film footage of alleged ghosts, and explaining or debunking them. While I highly recommend watching the whole thing, I want to bring your attention to the clip at hand. If you fast forward to 26:16, you'll see the clip in question....and the confession that it is the product of a student filmmaker! Oh, and what looks like a robot ghost is actually the mist pausing in front of the refrigerator, lol.

The Best Ghost Cases Ever Caught on Tape Documentary

February Documentary Series

Better late than never, right? I realize that we're over halfway through the month, but I have yet to share with you all February's Facebook feature---Documentaries!

As you may already know, I tried a little something new in January. Each day at 2 pm, I posted a link to a YouTube video featuring a lecture, talk, or panel concerning some aspect of the paranormal. This January Lecture Series was meant to share my love of paranormal education. I wanted to share FREE resources for paranormal information and learning by bringing talks by a variety of speakers to people who might not otherwise be able to go see them in person.

It is my goal to really amp up the education factor on my Facebook page throughout 2016 and I've been searching for some interesting, yet fun, ways to accomplish this.

Unfortunately, the Lecture Series wasn't a huge hit, lol. Links to the various lectures didn't generate much conversation or receive many LIKES. However, I managed to get a lot out of it since I personally watched each lecture I posted. Therefore, I decided to expand on this idea of monthly educational videos, courtesy of YouTube, and chose to go with the sharing of documentaries for the month of February.

I am a HUGE fan of documentaries, especially historical and paranormal. They pretty much make up the majority of my television/movie watching and there are some excellent ones available for FREE viewing online. I had hoped that the documentary medium would be more exciting for people, and so far, the February Documentary Series has done okay. Curious to see what my documentary choices have been so far...or what's in store for the rest of the month? Then join me over at Theresa's Haunted History Facebook and let me know what YOUR top paranormal documentary picks are!  Also, stay tuned for the announcement as to what MARCH has in store for the monthly educational video series...I think it'll be a unique change of pace....

Spooky Documentaries

We're well on our way to Halloween, and to get you in a spooky mood, I thought I'd share some of the paranormal-related documentaries that I've been enjoying lately! I actually haven't gotten around to too many documentaries this month since what little free time I do have is filled with cramming in as many Halloween movies as I can possibly watch, but a few little educational gems have stood out as recommend watching. Have fun and let me know if you're watching anything of interest this month!

1. Haunted History of Halloween---this is my absolute favorite Halloween documentary. Produced by the History Channel, it covers quite a bit of the history, customs, and folklore of my favorite holiday. I usually end up watching this several times in October, lol. It's available on YouTube, so you can watch it, too!

2. Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie---I am taking a Paranormal Phenomenon class at Ohio University Southern campus, under the direction of Todd Martin. This video, which chronicles the trials and triumphs of two Bigfoot researchers from Portsmouth, Ohio, was recommended as part of the course work. I found it a bit depressing and the title definitely gets it right; this is NOT your typical Bigfoot movie!

3. The Nightmare---This one is available on Netflix streaming and focuses on a group of people who all suffer from sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis, with or without the accompanying hypnagogia is one of the most terrifying things I have ever been through, so I applaud any film that attempts to get the information about this strange affliction out there to those who need it.

4. Visions of Ted Serios---Ever since I first learned of the Chicago bellhop who amazed researchers in the 1960s with his apparent ability to create 'thought photographs' on Polaroid film, I have been fascinated. I was thrilled to recently learn that there was a short film made about Ted...but then I actually FOUND the film, lol. It starts out okay, but then diverts into UFOs and gets pretty weird from there on. It's only about 20 minutes long, so its not a complete waste of time if your curiosity gets the best of you.

5. Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy---This is for the hardcore Nightmare on Elm Street fans, and is available on Netflix streaming. Just under FOUR (4!!) hours of behind the scenes interviews, history and film clips from the iconic horror flick.

*Looking for more strange and spooky documentary recommendations?*

Mothman Festival 2015 (Day 1)

Originally, I had planned on attending only ONE day's worth of Mothman Festival festivities this year, but as things worked out, I ended up spending three days in Pt. Pleasant! In order to make sure I give every event, attraction, speaker, and vendor I experienced this weekend the attention deserved, I thought it would be best to break this up into several different blog posts.  Let's start with Friday evening....

As part of the weekend kickoff, the historic State Theater in downtown Pt. Pleasant was having a FREE screening of the documentary, Eyes of the Mothman. This 2011 documentary was written and directed by Matthew J. Pellowski and runs a little over 2.5 hours. There are a LOT of great documentaries and television shows featuring the Mothman, but you're not going to find anything as thorough and as well-researched as this documentary. It really goes in depth with exploring the Native American history of the area, the border warfare between the Native Americans and the white settlers/soldiers during the 1700s, the different sightings of Mothman, the different theories of what Mothman might be, other types of flying humanoids, Indrid Cold, etc. Anything that even remotely ties in with the Mothman mythos is covered and many different experts, professors, locals, and eyewitnesses are interviewed. I definitely recommend this movie if you haven't seen it.

Anyway, before the film even started, Carrie (my HPIR buddy), her son, and I got to town early for a quick dinner. Having always wanted to try the Iron Gate Grill and being turned away  last year, we decided to give it another shot. The Iron Gate Grill has been a fixture in Pt. Pleasant for years and we were pleased to see that they weren't too busy. We were quickly seated and had our drink orders taken. The booth we were given was extremely comfortable and unique, and the decor of the restaurant was really cool. I love old buildings, and this one definitely had a great feel to it.  The staff, including our server, seemed pleasant enough. Unfortunately, our sodas took over 15 minutes to arrive, and it would be at least another 10 before our waitress made time to take our food order. When the food arrived, it wasn't horrible---but it just wasn't what I expected. I was under the impression that this was a nicer restaurant. It certainly looks classy from the outside and the prices reflect a more upscale establishment, but the food just didn't reflect that. It wasn't bad--just very bland and very simplistic. My burger didn't taste like it had any seasoning at all, and the macaroni was straight out of a box of Kraft. I've read a lot of reviews of this place and it seems that people LOVE it throughout the year, but during Mothman Festival time, they just cannot get it together. I understand that the festival is a busy, stressful time, and being one of few nice, sit-down restaurants within walking distance, its gonna get crazy. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend trying this place any time near the festival, but it might be worth it during other times of the year.

Dinner wasn't a five star experience, but we weren't going to let that bother us. We finished up and made our way to the theater. An array of baked goods (including Mothman brownies), candies and drinks were available in the lobby for purchase, and a small food truck was set up outside with some tasty-looking options. I loved the fact that the State Theater was being used to show the movie.  Way back when HPIR had its first booth at the Mothman Festival (2007) we were invited by the people who were running the theater at the time to investigate the claims of paranormal activity. Several members of the team had simultaneously seen what looked like a shadowy form cross by in front of the ladies' restroom and we were excited about the prospect of witnessing the alleged apparition of a former employee who was said to make his nightly rounds, checking out the theater floor. We also learned that the storefront adjacent to the theater was used as sort of a staging area during the recovery efforts following the Silver Bridge collapse and that bodies were temporarily stored there.

We didn't experience any ghosts the night of the documentary, but we did experience something that was pretty darn strange. There was a really good turnout for the film, but we still managed to get good seats right in the middle section, just a few rows back from the front. After awhile, a few people around us left, leaving the rows in front of us completely empty.  It was a little under 2 hours into the film when an older man came walking down the aisle to our right, threw his stuff down, including a cane and a bundle, sat down, threw his hat off, dropped the cane, picked the cane BACK up, put his hat back on, and walked back up the aisle without the cane. He came back a moment later and sat down. At that point he began furiously writing something in a notebook, despite it being pretty dark in the theater. While this is going on, I started feeling uncomfortable. I know the Mothman Festival has the potential to bring out some...different...types of folks, but this was getting to the point where I felt personally that we weren't dealing with an every-day eccentric.

When the guy violently ripped a page from his notebook, tearing the paper almost in half in the process and then walked over and thrust it at a boy sitting with his family in the next aisle over, all three of us present gave each other the LOOK. When the guy then approached the stage and leaned over it (using it as a table, I guess, but giving him an eerie appearance from behind as if he were praying at an altar) we decided we needed to leave---immediately. I don't think I can put into words what I felt---just that I felt so uncomfortable and had a nagging feeling that we had to leave or else. As we were standing outside the theater discussing what we should do (tell the staff, although they didn't seem too concerned by the guy's erratic behavior or go back in and find different seats) the guy quickly comes out of the theater and starts walking towards us. We made a hasty retreat to the car and booked it out of town!

Our night wasn't completely over yet, though. We decided to drive out to the TNT area. When we got out there, there were plenty of other people who had a similar idea, so we chose to avoid the crowds waiting to explore the igloos and come back when it wasn't so busy. The drive back was a little eerie. A crescent moon hung low on the horizon and the clouds gave it a reddish glow, almost turning it the color of blood. It was quite the backdrop as we discussed what happened in the theater to have made all of us have the same feelings and react the way we did. Did we just overreact to someone who was a little off, or did we all simultaneously pick up on something that threw up a red flag? We might just have gotten our answer the very next day...

Mothman Festival Day 2
Mothman Festival Day 3

Saturday Documentary Roundup

Last Saturday I posted about all the horror films I watched throughout the week, all of which were available through Netflix streaming.  THIS week I went in a little bit different of a direction---I focused on documentaries and non-fiction series.

1. Mystery Files: Hitler---I began with a short, 24 minute documentary by the Smithsonian Channel (available on Netflix streaming) about Adolph Hitler's earlier years.  This film focuses on the changes Hitler went through during WWI that turned him from an unambitious slacker to the anti-Semitic politician hell-bent on world domination we now know him as.  I didn't really know a lot about Hitler's involvement in WWI so this was definitely interesting and educational...but with most of these Mystery Files, there was still no real sense of...closure...maybe?  Only speculation and theories were presented in regards to the mystery of why Hitler became the most evil man in history.

2. Killer Legends---If you enjoyed the Cropsey documentary, you'll really enjoy this one as well.  It's put out by the same people, and has a similar theme.  Instead of focusing on ONE urban legend, however, in this film they tackle four popular urban myths and find REAL crimes that formed the basis of the tales.  I thought this was really well done and its probably my favorite documentary of the week. Interviews with the people who lived through the tales, plenty of newspaper accounts, and actual visits to the site were enhanced by statements made by historians, researchers, and folklore/urban legend experts, making this not only entertaining, but pretty educational as well. It was also pretty creepy...

3. Myth Hunters: The Nazis and the Book of Power---This one wasn't a documentary, per se, but part of a television series.  I chose to watch this particular episode because I've always had a fascination with the Nazi obsession with the occult.  The Book of Power in question is the Germania...a book Himmler read and based much of his ideas on genetic purity and the perfect German race on.  I was absolutely fascinated by how a stubborn Italian Count went to great lengths to make sure the Nazis didn't get what they wanted.

4. The Truth Behind: UFOS---Pretty standard UFO documentary, complete with a trip to Area 51 and much discussion on Roswell.  However, this was still pretty interesting as it delved a lot into the recent work of Moller and his UFO-like flying vehicles.

5. Mystery Files: Abraham Lincoln---Abraham Lincoln was a pretty complex guy.  This short film focuses on his early life and how it shaped his political agenda.  Lincoln's earliest years as a politician were of a stark contrast to his later years and I never realized that he sat out of politics for five years.

6. Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue---A look at the cultural history of horror movies in the United States.  Most of the American greats in horror film make an appearance in this documentary.  Probably my SECOND favorite pick of the week!

7. The Search for the Holy Grail---This was an excellent documentary as well.  Most grail documentaries focus on the Dan Brown interpretation of what the grail is.  While those theories are certainly discussed, this film tends to explore all possibilities and examines how art, literature and pop culture through the ages worked to shape the grail story...and vice versa.