Nostalgia Kinky

Holy hell, this is an absolute triumph. Made for under three grand and shot over a several-year period, The Paranormal is the incredible sole feature-length film from writer/director/star Todd Norris. Now available as an expansive special edition Blu-ray from Visual Vengeance, The Paranormal will be amongst the great archival film discoveries of the year for anyone lucky enough to experience it. It can be ordered from MVD.

Columbus, Ohio-born Todd Norris has spent much of the past couple of decades working as a cinematographer for a variety of other filmmakers. After watching his remarkable The Paranormal, I’m convinced we all blinked and missed on a major cinema talent. Shot in Kansas City with local actors, friends, and family, The Paranormal is a delightful X-Files style 70-minute SOV wonder. I was genuinely moved by how good this fun little charmer is and came away deeply impressed with Norris and his team.

Along with Norris’ sharp script and wonderfully inventive direction, this tale of a haunted movie playing at a local theater mostly benefits from its lovely winning cast, with special note going to local stage actors Lisa Winegar and especially Gina Tarantino (serious goddamn SWOON), who give tremendously infectious performances as the theater owners regretting a particular zombie film they booked. This was one-and-done screen-wise for both Winegar and Tarantino. A shame as, gee, they are so truly great here.

Playing out like an American version of Lamberto Bava’s Demons, The Paranormal also features some incredibly inventive visual effects, most remarkable for a film that literally cost nothing. One gag created with a slide projector and a balloon even creates an awesomely great jump scare.

The Paranormal caught me completely off-guard. I fell in love with this zero-budget work of love from the get-go, and this Visual Vengeance Blu-ray will be listed amongst my favorites of the year. This thing is loaded. Two excellent commentary tracks, interviews, deleted scenes, archival footage, and more blankets this hugely rewarding slip-covered collection. You even get a poster, a sticker sheet, and a Ghost Finder that’s ‘safe for viewing most entities’! This is a fittingly special release for a very special film.
A huge recommendation.
The Paranormal is one of the most fun experiences I’ve had watching a film this year.

-Jeremy Richey, June 2026-