The Paracast — the Gold Standard of Paranormal Radio — is also broadcast weekly on IRN Internet Radio Network

This Week's Episode — September 29: Gene and cohost Tim Swartz present James Reich, a novelist, essayist, and journalist, and ecopsychologist. He is the author of The Moth for the Star (7.13 Books, September 2023), The Song My Enemies Sing, Soft Invasions, Mistah Kurtz! A Prelude to Heart of Darkness (Anti-Oedipus Press), I, Judas, and Bombshell (Counterpoint/Soft Skull). On the agenda is his psychoanalytic monograph, Wilhelm Reich Versus The Flying Saucers. And, no, they are not related. Also on the agenda: How James first discovered the flying saucer mystery and the controversial work of Wilhelm Reich. There is also a discussion of how the classic 1951 sci-fi film, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and its allusions to a Christ-like figure in the person of its protagonist, Klaatu, which greatly influenced Reich. James and his work have been published and commissioned by Literary Hub, SPIN Magazine, Brooklyn Rail, CrimeReads, Salon, Huffington Post, National Book Review, Vol.1 Brooklyn, The Rumpus, International Times, Sensitive Skin Magazine, Entropy, Fiction Advocate, The Weeklings, The Nervous Breakdown, Heavy Feather Review, Poet Republik, Largehearted Boy, Sleeping Fish / Calamari Press, Shelf Awareness, Full Stop, and others. Most recently, James has co-written a screenplay for a film in pre-production, and is working on freelance writing, editing, and book design projects. His second science fiction novel, Skinship, was due to be published in 2024 by Anti-Oedipus Press. His website: www.jamesreichbooks.com

Coming October 6: Gene and cohost Tim Swartz present film makeup artist and creature maker William Munns. He has been fascinated all his life with cryptozoology, and in particular, Bigfoot, because of his work in films and with real apes. The most famous single piece of filmed material purported to be a Bigfoot is the Patterson-Gimlin film taken in 1967, and in the last 40 years, there has been an ongoing and still unresolved debate about whether the female figure seen in the film is a real primate of unknown species, or an ordinary human being wearing a fur suit. William put his research into a 2014 book called “ When Roger Met Patty,” which details his analysis of the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film, addressing the question of hoax or fraud from the perspective of a professional makeup and creature effects designer, as well as the perspective of a vintage filmmaker. He started as a movie makeup artist when he was 20, and quickly gravitated toward the “creature” side of the field, doing prosthetics, masks, and makeup effects. William perfected doing film makeup and creatures were exacting in their nature, the kind of skills necessary for very realistic figures. He chose to expand his artistic range by applying the ultra-realistic techniques of film prosthetic work to the scientific discipline of reconstructing prehistoric creatures from fossil records, as well as exploring a new form of wildlife art, whereby living creatures were recreated with the highest museum taxidermy quality appearance, but without having to rely upon the skin, hide, fur or other remains of a dead animal to make the figure.

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After The Paracast: Available exclusively to Paracast+ subscribers on October 6th: Film makeup artist and creature maker William Munns returns to talk in more detail with Gene and cohost Tim Swartz about his 2014 book, “ When Roger Met Patty,” which details his analysis of the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film, addressing the question of hoax or fraud from the perspective of a professional makeup and creature effects designer, as well as the perspective of a vintage filmmaker. There will also be a discussion on the possible sources of Bigfoot appearances and, also, the techniques of creating ape costumes for films and TV shows. William began his professional life as a movie makeup artist when he was 20, and quickly gravitated toward the “creature” side of the field, doing prosthetics, masks, and makeup effects. He perfected doing film makeup and creatures were exacting in their nature, the kind of skills necessary for very realistic figures. He chose to expand his artistic range by applying the ultra-realistic techniques of film prosthetic work to the scientific discipline of reconstructing prehistoric creatures from fossil records, as well as exploring a new form of wildlife art, whereby living creatures were recreated with the highest museum taxidermy quality appearance, but without having to rely upon the skin, hide, fur or other remains of a dead animal to make the figure.