also- (halloween-appropriate)

watching "the scariest places on earth" on the family channel right now. it's the funniest show.

they take a family of "average" americans and put them in a haunted house (usually in europe - scotland, romania, etc.) for one night, strap cameras on them, give them walkie talkies, and set up cameras throughout the house.

all the candles in the house/castle are pre-lit. the family has to wander the house all night looking for ghosts. they have special thermal cameras and cameras that can detect "magnetic fields", so they can record paranormal activity.

each phase of the show is bookmarked by the time - "3:43 am: the olsons are not alone". and each title is read by a creepy high voice. funny thing is, i *know* it's the voice of that short weird lady who was the church organist in "sixteen candles", but they make her talk into an echo machine that makes it sound soooo creepy.

and they all talk to each other and scream periodically when a cabinet door shuts. and then everyone screams and runs around and the cameras (which are handheld) film all over the place.

oh, and it's hilarious. they make the families open "spirit portals" - some scottish guy on a tv tells them to "gather the tools you need (matches, blood - of course - and candles) and say the incantations". then they have to close the spirit portal at the end. it's hilarious. crazy americans running around european casles at midnight with cameras strapped to their chests and screaming bloody murder.