For the Weekend Warriors, Weirdos & Whackjobs - Issue #112
Circling back
We’re hoping you survived all the “Circling back” this week that, 3 weeks ago, felt like it would never actually have to come. As we all blink ourselves out of the post-holiday fugue state, we’re finding our footing with writing again.
This week!
Kennedy and Justin are behind the mic, swapping tales from across the pond. High Spirits, Volume 5 drifts from the alleged horrors of Borley Rectory into the very earthly realities of squatty potties, questionable psychics, and the eternal comforts of pasta. We talk hauntings, belief, and bodily functions with equal seriousness, and absolutely none at all. Enjoy.
Paid subscribers got their hands on Found Footage: Silver Plume. In Justin’s latest piece, a mysterious VHS takes us from a high school reunion to something else entirely. Sometimes, found footage isn’t just about jump scares; it’s about context, dread, and special interests. From rural Saskatchewan memories of The Blair Witch Project to an unsettling tape discovered in an exorcist’s archive, this one’s for the true weirdos.
In everyone’s inbox was An OSINT Lesson in Grief. Kennedy takes you through the loss of her grandmother to discover something important about the tricky nature of people. While these ones are never easy to write, they feel the best to have you enjoy. Thank you for all the positive feedback and words of kindness.
What Kennedy Recommends
Documentary | Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (Netflix)
Way back in Issue #44, I recommended Law&Crime’s podcast, “The Rise and Fall of Ruby Franke.” This story captivated me with its dystopian themes of family influencing, children living on the internet, and the fact that I had become somewhat familiar with Ruby Franke in the years before her abuse came to light.
Through podcasts and documentaries, we’ve continued to learn what there is to know about the Franke family, while Ruby’s literal partner in crime has stayed a relatively obscure part of the story. In this new documentary, we learn more about Jodi Hildebrandt, a therapist, life coach, and founder of the ConneXions counselling program. Once influential in parts of the Utah family-counseling and online parenting world, she worked closely with Ruby Franke. In 2023, authorities arrested both women and charged them with aggravated child abuse after one of Franke’s children escaped Jodi’s home.
If you have the stomach for mentions of child abuse, this documentary does a decent job exploring what happens at the intersection of religious control and unchecked esteem.
And that’s that on that, folks.
Until next time, take care.
Your Bullshit Hunting Crew