THE SALLIE HOUSE

...The SALLIE HOUSE : .Directors: Iain Trimble and Scott Unruh. Produced by Scott Unruh. DVD RELEASE: 2008 Atchison Media Services. I have just finished up my 2nd viewing of this fim tonight, in preperation to a live radio interview on {BEYOND THE EDGE RADIO / DARK PLAINS PARANORMAL NETWORK} that Robbie Thomas will be on as the featured guest, and that I plan to call into the show as well, having just put his interview with Tara - our Editor up on the site this week. I would like to Personally thank Robbie for getting / sending us a review copy of the DVD - which in turn Tara used as a basis for the Q & A part of the Robbie Thomas interview.

..We start this film at the late hours of the evening at the home of a Dr. Charles Finney, circa 1906, during a feirce summer thunderstorm. There is a frantic pounding at the front door of 508 2nd street in the small rural town of Atchison, Kansas which is home to a Dr. Charles Finney. As the door slowly opens.. a panic-stricken mother standing outside franticly calls out for his assistance for her daughter that she is carrying limply in her arms.

..The sickly child, about 7 years old, is placed upon an operating table within the Dr.'s house. He decides to operate immediately - no choice in the matter. As the Dr. is prepping the surgical tools for use, he accidently knocks over the only glass bottle of CHLOROFORM at hand {which, remember, this is the 1900's. "CHLOROFORM" was a liquid, applied to a cloth that when it's fumes are inhaled would anethestise a patient}. He regretfully decides that HE MUST OPERATE ON THE CHILD FULLY AWAKE. The Dr. instructs the mother to restrain her child down upon the table as the scaple gently, deeply pierces into the child's abdomen. Her screams are heard throughout the house...

..Now... that in my book is a great tale to base a ghost story on. Take that "supposedly true" story, run with it some more and turn it into a story about a child haunting the house, and those many families that choose to live there. Yes, the house actually exists and was lived in by a Charles Finny {whose Father lived next door at 510 2nd street}. Was Dr. Finney a Murder? Is Sallie the child's name of spirit activity that seems to run threw and outside this very house? Did this tragic naght in Kansas actually happen? Well... let's try to find out.

..Fast forward in history to present day and the House's current residents. This is a Documentary which focuses on the experiences of the Pickman's - A husband and wife and a newborn with a bad rental lease in a new home that attacks the husband {Tony} quite viciously at times in 1992-93 by an unseen force. Lights turn on / off, pictures hang upside down... all the usual stuff is happening in the house around and to them personally. They {the Pickman's} both claim they wanted, and tried themselves, to find answers to what is basicly "poltergiest" like activity - but now turning into personal attacks drawing first blood on Tony - by seeking and using the services and advise of Psychics and Shamans. Well, that's not working as Tony still is getting psysically attacked... scratches and whelts appearing outta nowhere on his body, arms, back, etc. And of course, actually "moving outta the house" is never viewed as a rationial idea.

..Of course we know that stuff doesn't work - YOU NEED A -FILM CREW- TO EXPEL AND DOCUMENT PARANORMAL PHEMONON... Wow, doesn't everyone know that by now?? What am I doing this for - I gotta grab the 'ole Kodak 8mm outta the closet and start shooting!! Network television "fixes" everything...

..The damn thing is... while watching this DVD, I slowly started remembering... I actually grew up watching the weekly episodes of "SIGHTINGS" to see how bad Tony was gonna get it this week! My jaw literally dropped - I remembered seeing the shows every week and being amazed, and quite scared at the same time as well. There were -8- broadcasts of this event known as THE SALLIE HOUSE, count 'em... -8- shows that Sighting's did on this one paranormal story investigation. Tony would sit there, in a chair or at the kitchen table, get mauled, the film crew would pack up, then we would tune back in next week to see him get scraped again!! The Pickmans endured these hijinks for 30 months... 2 1/2 years of gettin' whooped. Unbelievable...

..Robbie Thomas / PSYCHIC, and his paranormal investigative partner Michael Esposito / E.V.P. - VIDEO, are invited down to Atchison, Kansas - leaving the great white north being in the search for a paranormal adventure in Smallville. Here, I believe... that both sides have to be heard and considered storywise: The Pickman's retelling of the paranormal personal experiences and accounts, the testimonials of neighbors, the homeowner himself {a former police officer, along with his partner's personal witnessing of experiences}, numerous psychics in and out of the house, and the documentation of these events by a Television Network Series - THESE ARE THE "STORYTELLERS". The Sallie House has become a local "TOURIST ATTRACTION" because of these stories with actual trollies bringing you right to the front door..

..Now.. Robbie & Mike go into the Sallie House {and invite other paranormal investigators / psychics / teams to join them in their procedures - that's really cool guys!} lead by Robbie's psychic sensitivity, locating "hotspots" to research throughout the house. They dodge bricks being thrown at them from something stirring up trouble in the basement, with Mike alongside collecting those E.V.P's which are even backed up on video. Even a "psychically tuned in" dog does a run through of the house - a dog that seems to be more a lot more accurate than a {K-2} freaks out in an area Robbie deemed fought with tension.. THESE ARE THE "INVESTIGATORS".

..Robbie & Mike do what we all know as a basic paranormal investigation, but I just {personally can't tell in my gut while I watch this DVD} what Robbie was experiencing -personally- except for "my ears are cold" and "my hair is standing on end". I wish they {the filmmakers} let him {Robbie Thomas } elaborate more at the actual house, as opposed to "reflecting upon" the experience at a studio soundboard. Mike got low-level E.V.P.'s... I always have a hard time hearing anything... The homeowner and Police Officer partner's story, and their means to prove what were experiencing were kinda cool. Gotta trust the law..right?? A videotaping of a sean'ce by Mike leads to a someone getting attacked, and he seems quite personally shocked in the retelling of the account.

..No firm conclusions are announced at the end of this film solidly within regards to stating that the place is "Haunted", but as to having some type of presence existing intermittently there in some areas both inside and outside the "Sallie House". No, I was not reminded, nor did this seem like another "AMITYVILLE" story. It was nothing like that at all. At times... I believe that the film focuses way too much on sensationalizing the Pickman's story {which I personally do not want to give too much away - I found it interesting...} as opposed to seeing a deeper reference as to if a tragic operation that went bad actually happened - was this urban legend or fact, and exactly what / how {past or present} was inflicting such harm to a person's being. At around an hour long, my attention was kept the whole time, surprisingly. Extras on the DVD include the Trailer and a Robbie Thomas promo.

..Wanna learn more about THE SALLIE HOUSE? Read -Tara's- interview with Robbie Thomas... LINK BELOW!

....Recommended -

..D V D Reviewed by Tara Ciampa - EDITOR - VISIONSMAGAZINEONLINE.com

..If you would casually walk by the Sallie House, located at 508 North Second Street, Atchison, Kansas, you wouldn't take a second glance at it because it is a modest little 3 bedroom house and nothing about it seems out of the ordinary. However, if you are aware of the legend you would be drawn to the home and naturally you may want to go inside, or you may be like some of the people that were interviewed in the film who were too frightened by the legend to even go inside of the house.

..The legend dates back to 1906. According to this folklore, Dr. Charles Finney operated on a young child named Sallie without using anesthetic. It was supposedly an emergency situation but ended in the death of little Sallie. This traumatic ordeal is portrayed right at the beginning of the film and I thought it was the perfect beginning to the film because it shows the story behind this residence and it's what draw people there in the first place to investigate and some people go there on tours just to check it out.

..The film does a nice job showing us the types of malicious and unusual activity that has historically taken place in this home. Back in December 31, 1992 Tony and Debra Pickman and their newborn moved into the home unware of the legend surrounding this home. The couple is interviewed in the film and they describe all the eerie and malicious activity they endured while living there. Tony was the main target of the attacks in the home and we learn much about this and see an attack that was filmed as well.

..One of the more interesting parts of this film is when they bring in Psychic Robbie Thomas (of Canada). Robbie has a reputation as a criminal profiler and remote viewer. He is the perfect person to bring into the home and investigate exactly what kind of activity he senses. Robbie does pick up activity but nothing even remotely malicious. While in the basement has has an experience with children grabbing hold of his finger and comes up with some names which when compared to the history of the home, matches up to some names recorded in history. He also picks up activity in a closey upstairs and I won't reveal his findings and spoil the story for you. They even bring in a spirit sensitive dog who will not set foot in the exact area Robbie has deemed as having heavy activity. His findings are backed by EVPs that are captured by Michael Esposito. These are quite interesting to listen to. I personally can't get enough of EVPs. I am glad they decided to include those in the film.

..Overall, the film was enjoyable and fascinating and I do recommend it to anyone interested in the paranormal. Robbie's findings put a new twist on the legend and I won't reveal what he does come up with.

..I give this film 4 skulls! .....Very Recommended -

Tara/VISIONS "Robbie Thomas" Interview : http://visionsmagazineonline.com/rthomas/index.htm

DVD OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.thesalliehousemovie.com/

"SALLIE HOUSE" OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.thesalliehouse.com/

"ROBBIE THOMAS" OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.robbiethomas.net/

..OUR ADVICE TO THE FILMMAKERS would be to burn the original camera negative asap so no further contamination to the viewing public will occur. If your eyesight and hearing is impaired, you won't be adversely affected as the rest of us.

..GOOD ATTEMPT, and maybe - possibly entertaining to some, but not most. I got through it without gouging my eyes out, yet have a sense of dizziness due to the film's stupidity level.

..RECOMMENDED. Sat through it with no feelings of nausea and dare I say it, I was entertained!

..VERY RECOMMENDED. Finally we have what can be called an actual film. Both entertaining and accurate in detail. Recommended HIGHLY by Visionsmagazineonline.com

..FILMMAKING PERFECTION. Worthy of the archival process. Own it in your own film library. No questions asked.

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