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This Ultimate Collection set will allow you access to things that go bump in the night for hours on end....
A&E / 2006-2011 / 1956 Minutes / Unrated / Street Date: September 18, 2012
In addition to juggling classes and social lives, the supernatural sleuths of the Paranormal Research Society (PRS) of Penn State University investigate everything from poltergeists to hauntings in an attempt to uncover the truth behind frightening real-life mysteries. Sought by clients ranging from the Catholic Church to ordinary families, the PRS, aided by psychologists, psychics, priests, and demonologists, helps terrified people find solutions to their paranormal problems.
Ryan Buell started PRS when he was a freshman at Penn State back in the fall of 2001. He claims to have had frightening supernatural encounters when he was a child for a number of years. Since no one listened to him, he tried to learn about the supernatural himself, thus, began his trek into this debatable field. Buell is not the most charismatic guy, and his low monotone voice can grate. Yet it’s Buell’s sober conviction and good people skills that give this show its drive.
And where Sci-Fi channel’s hugely successful Ghost Hunters are all teched out to record evidence of a ghost first and foremost, A&E’s reality show Paranormal State seems primarily interested in resolving traumatized folks who are pleading for help. Both shows are jazzed up in post-production with swelling dissident musical chords and quick-cut editing for obvious entertainment purposes. But its Paranormal State that is more affecting because the people are frequently older, frightened, and…tired. Frequently, they just want the spiritual thing to leave, plain and simple.
Paranormal State: The Ultimate Collection - an extensively huge 13-DVD compilation - isn’t perfect, and some episodes are near-laughable, but if you're of the millions who turns to shows like this one for simple, engaging investigation of a potential world beyond, you'll of course find engaging value. Folks who frown on or dismiss the paranormal will likely find many more faults with this show, but the variety of stories and the freshness, compassion and openness of the young investigators driven to help terrified folks in Paranormal State often makes for some intriguing couch-potato time.