Spectral Shadows

SS may not be Pulitzer-worthy, but it was fun to watch. Surely, any sane person would laugh at some of the stuff here-or would they? SS takes on various supernatural-themed topics, with interviewees weighing in with their opinions. The show takes a mostly light approach to some of these topics but it was all kept entertaining. If you're one of those people who hate anything paranormal related then this is probably not going to work for you. For what it is and what it was meant to be it is pretty good. Especially for people like me who can't get enough of this stuff. I look forward to more episodes being released.

I like to catch these types of documentary series as much as I can and this one is OK. It's all put together nice enough with some good topics and your normal interview subjects giving their 2 cents about the topics. The topics range from the paranormal to Bigfoot and Japanese horror movies and even H. P. Lovecraft. There are some interesting ideas and parallels but if you've seen one of these you have seen them all. There is really not much difference between this paranormal documentary and the next except maybe it is a little slicker with how it is all edited together. Good but not the best there is.

I swear I've seen about 30 of these same shows before with a wide range of production values. This one is kind of fun and even decently captivating at times due to some of the flamboyant guests and some interesting story layers within the episodes. I found the idea that some of the guests are just regular people giving their opinions a good one. It adds some unpolished depth to the topics. If you are reading this, then there is a good chance you've seen lots of other shows like this, and it is more of the same with a couple of fresh ideas and topics. The real plus side is Spectral Shadows often goes into multiple stories within stories. Histories and such. Standout episodes for me were the ones on Japanese horror and Cryptids.

Some of this stuff has been covered by larger studio shows, but there is some good here. Interesting characters/experts that range from the average person to the extravagant. I did enjoy what I call the onion effect, which is that each episode starts off about one thing and ends up being about a bunch of other stuff as well. It's a lot like Mysteries at the Museum but with supernatural and unexplained stuff. Ghosts and things like that. The JHorror episode was pretty good. If anything the show is good at sparking interest in a topic and letting the viewer go on to do their own investigating. Decent show. Not great but not horrible.

I don't care how weird this show gets. Scientific, spiritual, or completely like a pretzel doesn't matter to me. It is fun, and there is some cool information and theories about all aspects of the paranormal or the human condition in general. This show covers a wide range from Bigfoot to Krepids to the psychology of horror movies and Lovecraft, and even Jeffrey Combs! It's a fun niche show that felt tailor made for people like me.

The "expert" speakers are equally great. I love listening to Francesca speak, and Jon Hues casting some doubts on things. But Emmett Connery was the best addition to this kind of show I can think of. He is like a Leprechaun who has had his gold stolen. Eccentric, hyper, and often funny to watch. I think it was a gamble having a character like him as an "expert" but to me it paid off.

Spectral Shadows is not going to be for everyone. Die hard evidence mongers may not like it. Or, maybe they will. Who knows. But I liked it. A lot. I hope they continue the series.