The Paracast Newsletter
December 22, 2024
www.theparacast.com
Documentary Filmmakers and Paranormal Explorers Joshua Cutchin and Ryan Grulich Introduce Their True Crime Documentary, The Lady of the Lake, on The Paracast!
The Paracast is released every Sunday and available from our site, https://www.theparacast.com, your favorite podcast app, and the IRN Internet Radio Network. All episodes from 2022, 2023 and 2024 now feature better audio and fewer ads. We are also re-releasing some of our most popular classic episodes.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR THE PARACAST+ YET? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE PARACAST+ SO YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE ULTIMATE PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive bonus podcast, After The Paracast, plus a special version of The Paracast with all the ads removed, when you join The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes on your device. Episodes for subscribers to The Paracast+ are now released 24 hours earlier. Flash! Take advantage of our lowest rates ever! Act now! It's easier than ever to susbcribe! For the easiest signup ever, please visit: https://www.theparacast.plus
This Week's Episode: Gene and cohost Tim Swartz present Joshua Cutchin and Ryan Grulich, creators of a true crime documentary, The Lady of the Lake. Director, writer, and producer Ryan Grulich and producer Joshua Cutchin have unearthed the strange case of Hallie Illingworth. The Lady of the Lake follows investigator Amanda Paulson and her team as they delve into the chilling case of Hallie Illingworth, a local woman who disappeared in 1937 and was found three years later in Lake Crescent under disturbing circumstances. As Paulson’s team digs deeper, they uncover unsettling truths about Hallie’s tragic fate, revealing a history of violence and long-buried secrets. The investigation leads them beyond the mystery of Hallie’s death, unraveling a web of disturbing stories that have remained hidden for decades and uncovering a horrifying truth about the lake’s dark past and the fate of those who enter its depths. As a filmmaker, Grulich is known for such films as Foolish Mortals, a look at the fan culture surrounding Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Cutchin is the author of a number of critically-acclaimed books such as “ A Trojan Feast: The Food and Drink Offerings of Aliens, Faeries, and Sasquatch”; “ The Brimstone Deceit: An In-Depth Examination of Supernatural Scents, Otherworldly Odors, & Monstrous Miasmas ”; “ Where the Footprints End: High Strangeness and the Bigfoot Phenomenon,” Volumes I & II , with Timothy Renner; and “ Ecology of Souls: A New Mythology of Death & the Paranormal. Grulich’s site: Ryan’s website: www.ryangrulich.com. Cutchin’s website: www.joshuacutchin.com
After The Paracast — Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers: Documentary filmmakers and paranormal explorers Joshua Cutchin and Ryan Grulich, creators of a true crime documentary, The Lady of the Lake, return for further discussions with Gene and cohost Tim Swartz . On the agenda: An exploration of pop culture, with an emphasis on sci-fi and super hero stories, including the super-popular teaser trailer of the next Superman movie due to arrive in the summer of 2025. The pair also talks about the factual legends behind the Men In Black films, which have grossed billions of dollars but never enriched the originators of the legend in the UFO field. There’s also talk about various sites of paranormal events. As a filmmaker, Grulich is known for such films as Foolish Mortals, a look at the fan culture surrounding Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Cutchin is the author of a number of critically-acclaimed books such as “ A Trojan Feast: The Food and Drink Offerings of Aliens, Faeries, and Sasquatch”; “ The Brimstone Deceit: An In-Depth Examination of Supernatural Scents, Otherworldly Odors, & Monstrous Miasmas”; “ Where the Footprints End: High Strangeness and the Bigfoot Phenomenon,” Volumes I & II, with Timothy Renner; and “ Ecology of Souls: A New Mythology of Death & the Paranormal . Grulich’s site: Ryan’s website: www.ryangrulich.com. Cutchin’s website: www.joshuacutchin.com
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. And look for @theparacast on Bluesky Social, Facebook, Threads and X.
End-of-Year Status Report
By Gene Steinberg
It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed since The Paracast debuted. It all began with a casual conversation with my original cohost, David Biedny. He was a regular commentator on my original online radio show, The Tech Night Owl LIVE. His offbeat, controversial approach was so fun.
I hadn’t realized then, but he was also involved in paranormal research. When I confirmed my interest in response, I had an epiphany. So to speak. How about doing a paranormal radio show I said?
Until then, I had listened to two major shows of that nature. As a child, I had stayed up nights listening to Long John Nebel. While he focused on topics other than the paranormal, he did feature such guests as Gray Barker, Major Donald Keyhoe, Jim Moseley, Ray Palmer and Richard Shaver. Even such contactees as George Adamski and Howard Menger came on from time to time.
It couldn’t miss. In fact, my late brother, Wally, also spent a night on the show, but never returned. He later reminded me that he had a day job, a wife and a growing family and thus had more important things to deal with.
I was impressed. I never made it to Long John’s show, but I did get into radio.
Later, I regularly listened to Coast2Coast AM, especially when Art Bell was host.
That takes us to early 2006, when David and I founded The Paracast. The premiere episode was streamed on February 28, 2006. In those days it wasn’t just uploaded and posted to such podcast repositories as Apple iTunes. We actually live streamed it on a QuickTime signal, again using Apple technology. I even had a small studio setup featuring a broadcast limiter to optimize the sound. The show itself, however, was prerecorded.
I gave up on the QuickTime version when I signed up with the GCN radio network in the summer of 2010. At this point, David had left, claiming that his career as a graphic artist and technologist was hurt because of his association with a paranormal show. Yes, he later gave other reasons for his departure, but that was largely due to his sometimes World Wide Wrestling approach. Decisions of this sort had to result from a big dispute of some sort.
Over the years, I’d receive appropriately insulting emails from David until last year. He called me twice. It was quite unexpected, and his demeanor was friendly enough, but strange. In the middle of a sentence, he’d hang up. But he had a habit of doing that before, even on an episode or two of The Paracast.
Sadly, David died earlier this year.
The network affiliation seemed a dream come true. At least I could say I hosted a genuine syndicated radio show. But it came at a price. As you know, network radio and TV are filled with lots of ads. Over 25% of the running time of the show, and I received a number of complaints as a result. At the time, I felt that the added traffic from all the stations that carried The Paracast more than compensated for the loss of some listeners.
Unfortunately, it was mainly about exposure, not payments from the network. Common for smaller shows, this was a barter deal. I didn’t receive any income from the network, but they gave me time to run my own spots. That was my sole source of income. Well, until they let me set up The Paracast+, where I could offer ad-free episodes — plus a bonus extra, After The Paracast — to paid subscribers.
In the eight years after David left, his position as cohost as taken over by paranormal adventurer Chris O’Brien, who spent years exploring the Mysterious Valley, centered in the San Luis Valley of Colorado and New Mexico. In addition to fascinating Native American legends, it was a possible hotbed of paranormal activity.
Chris left the show to pursue further research, and to expand his work as a documentary filmmaker, working with such producer/directors as James Fox and Ron James.
But Chris wasn’t in the best of health. He suffered from COPD, I suspect the result of his smoking habit, and had to be hospitalized from time to time. Sadly, he died several weeks ago en route to a hospital emergency room due to the onset of breathing problems.
Now there have been some some big changes this past year on The Paracast, but they seem largely positive. With traditional terrestrial radio fading from the scene in the face of podcasts and satellite broadcasts, GCN shut down last May.
The changeover was quick. I actually quit a week before GCN folded. After trying a couple of podcast hosting services, I settled on Spreaker, a division of iHeart Radio, the largest radio network in the U.S.
If you listen to the free show, the changes are drastic. Audio quality should be better. Best of all, there are fewer ads, usually less than half as many as the allotment on GCN. They are also more conventional, lacking most of the extremist and survival pitches GCN offered. It’s a good deal.
As for The Paracast+, you still get the ad-free shows, and I have expanded the running time for After The Paracast episodes, making it even a better value for subscribers.
There’s also something new.
You see, there are some 1,000 episodes of the main show, going back nearly 19 years. They are classics, featuring many of the greats in UFO and paranormal research. Some are no longer with us, which makes what they had to say especially important.
You can still download these episodes direct from www.theparacast.com and the usual podcast repositories, such as Amazon, Apple, iHeart Radio and Spotify. But they are buried in a huge list that’s not easily searched (except on our site by the way).
So I’ve taken some of those older episodes and spruced them up. The audio quality is a bit better, with less background noise, and the ancient spots are replaced with markers for newer ads. Naturally, there are ad-free versions for The Paracast+ subscribers. It makes the subscription versions an even better value.
I re-release two Classic Episodes every week. So check ‘em out.
As to my hopes for 2025, I’m glad to say that more people are listening to The Paracast now that there are fewer ads. Indeed, I have already edited all episodes for the last three years to embed fewer ads. As older episodes are re-released as Classic, they will get the same treatment.
If you’d like me to spruce up an older episode of The Paracast that I haven’t gotten to yet, just let me know via email or via a post in The Paracast Forums.
As always, your subscriptions to The Paracast+ are welcome. To sign up, just go to www.theparacast.plus. It’s been one hell of a ride. And to each and every one of you, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and my best wishes for a great New Year.
Copyright 1999-2024 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
December 22, 2024
www.theparacast.com
Documentary Filmmakers and Paranormal Explorers Joshua Cutchin and Ryan Grulich Introduce Their True Crime Documentary, The Lady of the Lake, on The Paracast!
The Paracast is released every Sunday and available from our site, https://www.theparacast.com, your favorite podcast app, and the IRN Internet Radio Network. All episodes from 2022, 2023 and 2024 now feature better audio and fewer ads. We are also re-releasing some of our most popular classic episodes.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR THE PARACAST+ YET? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE PARACAST+ SO YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE ULTIMATE PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive bonus podcast, After The Paracast, plus a special version of The Paracast with all the ads removed, when you join The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes on your device. Episodes for subscribers to The Paracast+ are now released 24 hours earlier. Flash! Take advantage of our lowest rates ever! Act now! It's easier than ever to susbcribe! For the easiest signup ever, please visit: https://www.theparacast.plus
This Week's Episode: Gene and cohost Tim Swartz present Joshua Cutchin and Ryan Grulich, creators of a true crime documentary, The Lady of the Lake. Director, writer, and producer Ryan Grulich and producer Joshua Cutchin have unearthed the strange case of Hallie Illingworth. The Lady of the Lake follows investigator Amanda Paulson and her team as they delve into the chilling case of Hallie Illingworth, a local woman who disappeared in 1937 and was found three years later in Lake Crescent under disturbing circumstances. As Paulson’s team digs deeper, they uncover unsettling truths about Hallie’s tragic fate, revealing a history of violence and long-buried secrets. The investigation leads them beyond the mystery of Hallie’s death, unraveling a web of disturbing stories that have remained hidden for decades and uncovering a horrifying truth about the lake’s dark past and the fate of those who enter its depths. As a filmmaker, Grulich is known for such films as Foolish Mortals, a look at the fan culture surrounding Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Cutchin is the author of a number of critically-acclaimed books such as “ A Trojan Feast: The Food and Drink Offerings of Aliens, Faeries, and Sasquatch”; “ The Brimstone Deceit: An In-Depth Examination of Supernatural Scents, Otherworldly Odors, & Monstrous Miasmas ”; “ Where the Footprints End: High Strangeness and the Bigfoot Phenomenon,” Volumes I & II , with Timothy Renner; and “ Ecology of Souls: A New Mythology of Death & the Paranormal. Grulich’s site: Ryan’s website: www.ryangrulich.com. Cutchin’s website: www.joshuacutchin.com
After The Paracast — Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers: Documentary filmmakers and paranormal explorers Joshua Cutchin and Ryan Grulich, creators of a true crime documentary, The Lady of the Lake, return for further discussions with Gene and cohost Tim Swartz . On the agenda: An exploration of pop culture, with an emphasis on sci-fi and super hero stories, including the super-popular teaser trailer of the next Superman movie due to arrive in the summer of 2025. The pair also talks about the factual legends behind the Men In Black films, which have grossed billions of dollars but never enriched the originators of the legend in the UFO field. There’s also talk about various sites of paranormal events. As a filmmaker, Grulich is known for such films as Foolish Mortals, a look at the fan culture surrounding Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Cutchin is the author of a number of critically-acclaimed books such as “ A Trojan Feast: The Food and Drink Offerings of Aliens, Faeries, and Sasquatch”; “ The Brimstone Deceit: An In-Depth Examination of Supernatural Scents, Otherworldly Odors, & Monstrous Miasmas”; “ Where the Footprints End: High Strangeness and the Bigfoot Phenomenon,” Volumes I & II, with Timothy Renner; and “ Ecology of Souls: A New Mythology of Death & the Paranormal . Grulich’s site: Ryan’s website: www.ryangrulich.com. Cutchin’s website: www.joshuacutchin.com
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. And look for @theparacast on Bluesky Social, Facebook, Threads and X.
End-of-Year Status Report
By Gene Steinberg
It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed since The Paracast debuted. It all began with a casual conversation with my original cohost, David Biedny. He was a regular commentator on my original online radio show, The Tech Night Owl LIVE. His offbeat, controversial approach was so fun.
I hadn’t realized then, but he was also involved in paranormal research. When I confirmed my interest in response, I had an epiphany. So to speak. How about doing a paranormal radio show I said?
Until then, I had listened to two major shows of that nature. As a child, I had stayed up nights listening to Long John Nebel. While he focused on topics other than the paranormal, he did feature such guests as Gray Barker, Major Donald Keyhoe, Jim Moseley, Ray Palmer and Richard Shaver. Even such contactees as George Adamski and Howard Menger came on from time to time.
It couldn’t miss. In fact, my late brother, Wally, also spent a night on the show, but never returned. He later reminded me that he had a day job, a wife and a growing family and thus had more important things to deal with.
I was impressed. I never made it to Long John’s show, but I did get into radio.
Later, I regularly listened to Coast2Coast AM, especially when Art Bell was host.
That takes us to early 2006, when David and I founded The Paracast. The premiere episode was streamed on February 28, 2006. In those days it wasn’t just uploaded and posted to such podcast repositories as Apple iTunes. We actually live streamed it on a QuickTime signal, again using Apple technology. I even had a small studio setup featuring a broadcast limiter to optimize the sound. The show itself, however, was prerecorded.
I gave up on the QuickTime version when I signed up with the GCN radio network in the summer of 2010. At this point, David had left, claiming that his career as a graphic artist and technologist was hurt because of his association with a paranormal show. Yes, he later gave other reasons for his departure, but that was largely due to his sometimes World Wide Wrestling approach. Decisions of this sort had to result from a big dispute of some sort.
Over the years, I’d receive appropriately insulting emails from David until last year. He called me twice. It was quite unexpected, and his demeanor was friendly enough, but strange. In the middle of a sentence, he’d hang up. But he had a habit of doing that before, even on an episode or two of The Paracast.
Sadly, David died earlier this year.
The network affiliation seemed a dream come true. At least I could say I hosted a genuine syndicated radio show. But it came at a price. As you know, network radio and TV are filled with lots of ads. Over 25% of the running time of the show, and I received a number of complaints as a result. At the time, I felt that the added traffic from all the stations that carried The Paracast more than compensated for the loss of some listeners.
Unfortunately, it was mainly about exposure, not payments from the network. Common for smaller shows, this was a barter deal. I didn’t receive any income from the network, but they gave me time to run my own spots. That was my sole source of income. Well, until they let me set up The Paracast+, where I could offer ad-free episodes — plus a bonus extra, After The Paracast — to paid subscribers.
In the eight years after David left, his position as cohost as taken over by paranormal adventurer Chris O’Brien, who spent years exploring the Mysterious Valley, centered in the San Luis Valley of Colorado and New Mexico. In addition to fascinating Native American legends, it was a possible hotbed of paranormal activity.
Chris left the show to pursue further research, and to expand his work as a documentary filmmaker, working with such producer/directors as James Fox and Ron James.
But Chris wasn’t in the best of health. He suffered from COPD, I suspect the result of his smoking habit, and had to be hospitalized from time to time. Sadly, he died several weeks ago en route to a hospital emergency room due to the onset of breathing problems.
Now there have been some some big changes this past year on The Paracast, but they seem largely positive. With traditional terrestrial radio fading from the scene in the face of podcasts and satellite broadcasts, GCN shut down last May.
The changeover was quick. I actually quit a week before GCN folded. After trying a couple of podcast hosting services, I settled on Spreaker, a division of iHeart Radio, the largest radio network in the U.S.
If you listen to the free show, the changes are drastic. Audio quality should be better. Best of all, there are fewer ads, usually less than half as many as the allotment on GCN. They are also more conventional, lacking most of the extremist and survival pitches GCN offered. It’s a good deal.
As for The Paracast+, you still get the ad-free shows, and I have expanded the running time for After The Paracast episodes, making it even a better value for subscribers.
There’s also something new.
You see, there are some 1,000 episodes of the main show, going back nearly 19 years. They are classics, featuring many of the greats in UFO and paranormal research. Some are no longer with us, which makes what they had to say especially important.
You can still download these episodes direct from www.theparacast.com and the usual podcast repositories, such as Amazon, Apple, iHeart Radio and Spotify. But they are buried in a huge list that’s not easily searched (except on our site by the way).
So I’ve taken some of those older episodes and spruced them up. The audio quality is a bit better, with less background noise, and the ancient spots are replaced with markers for newer ads. Naturally, there are ad-free versions for The Paracast+ subscribers. It makes the subscription versions an even better value.
I re-release two Classic Episodes every week. So check ‘em out.
As to my hopes for 2025, I’m glad to say that more people are listening to The Paracast now that there are fewer ads. Indeed, I have already edited all episodes for the last three years to embed fewer ads. As older episodes are re-released as Classic, they will get the same treatment.
If you’d like me to spruce up an older episode of The Paracast that I haven’t gotten to yet, just let me know via email or via a post in The Paracast Forums.
As always, your subscriptions to The Paracast+ are welcome. To sign up, just go to www.theparacast.plus. It’s been one hell of a ride. And to each and every one of you, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and my best wishes for a great New Year.
Copyright 1999-2024 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!