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Travel Channel’s “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” Reboot Kicks Off in June, Hosted By Bruce Campbell!

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Awe-inspiring talents, unusual objects, strange phenomena and mind-boggling feats are explored in Travel Channel’s reboot of the iconic series, “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” premiering on Sunday, June 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Hosted and executive produced by horror icon Bruce Campbell, the 10-episode, hour-long series is inspired by Robert Ripley’s obsession with the awesome and his keen eye for what keeps viewers mesmerized.

One hundred years ago, Ripley went on a quest to the farthest reaches of the globe in search of the extraordinary and unusual. Now, hosted from the famed Ripley’s Warehouse in Orlando, Florida, Campbell introduces the next generation to astonishing and one-of-a-kind stories.

Shooting this iconic series in the Ripley’s warehouse was actually unbelievable,” said Campbell. “I was blown away by the treasures that unveil a fascinating time capsule into the past and present. Fans are not going to be disappointed when they see the scope of wonderful and weird stories we reveal every week.”

In the premiere episode, Campbell shines the spotlight on six individuals who possess such uncanny ability, outrageous talent and fearlessness that they are known as “Natural Born Thrillers. Ohio native Rick Smith tosses playing cards at 92 miles per hour making them as dangerous as daggers, while Dai Andrews, “master of pain,” terrifies crowds by swallowing curved swords that can kill with the smallest wrong move. Tyler Scheuer thrills stadium crowds with a bizarre gift for balancing any object – of any size – on his chin. In Toronto, Twisty Troy, the “human pretzel,” was born with extraordinary flexibility and can run upside down, while a California couple risks their lives to walk down a thin net “aisle” strung 800 feet above a canyon – and into their marriage ceremony.

Preview the subsequent three episodes below!

Invisible Worlds” – Premieres Sunday, June 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

We rely on our vision for up to 80 percent of the information we take in, and yet there are “Invisible Worlds” around us, hidden in plain sight. Host Bruce Campbell takes us on a wild trip into the unseen where we meet Vic Invades, a New York photographer and urban explorer, who climbs skyscrapers to walk in the clouds – and capture a bird’s eye view of the city. In Louisiana, a family of stuntmen create an illusion using explosives that requires split-second timing to avert death. In California, the rock band “OK Go” films their latest music video in only 4.3 seconds, but has it slowed down 20,000 percent to make the video last over three minutes, revealing moments invisible to the naked eye. In Colorado, Michael Grab can feel vibrations within rocks, allowing him to balance the rocks in impossible towers and sculptures with “gravity glue.”

Showstoppers” – Premieres Sunday, June 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Host Bruce Campbell celebrates the “Showstoppers”  the folks who produce unbelievable spectacles through their daring skill and years of practice. The Lords of Lightning, three British lads channeling electricity through tesla coils, fling millions of volts of electricity at each other as they duel. Domino master Lily Hevish creates a thank you to her million-plus social media followers with her most difficult challenge ever  39,000 dominoes that must all fall perfectly to succeed. In California, Michael Gump is many things  father, prop manager and a man of many faces  employing his prop-making background to create over a thousand unique and fascinating facial disguises. In Illinois, we meet April Choi, a woman who uses her engineering background in fluid dynamics to master the art of whipping. In the episode she’ll attempt her most daring feat yet – wrapping herself in her own whip  while it’s set on fire.

“Forces of Nature” – Premieres Sunday, June 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Host Bruce Campbell introduces us to people “Beyond Nature” – individuals who live lives that seem unreal or accomplish feats so crazy they seem like fiction. In Boston, we meet John “Hammerhead” Ferraro, whose head doubles as a hammer. Ferraro can break wood planks and hammer nails … all with his forehead. In Texas, Luis Slayton connects with honeybees on an emotional level. He’s able to tend to his hives without even wearing a suit. In the episode, he takes his obsession even further as he completely covers his face with bees. In Mexico, Chuy the “Wolfman” and his family are some of only a handful of people on the planet who live with hypertrichosis – a condition that causes hair to grow everywhere, covering even their face. Back in America, we visit Ayanna Williams in Houston, who holds the world-record for being the woman with the longest nails on earth. With nails over 25 inches long, Williams shows us her unique and challenging daily life.

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

Reviews

“Chucky” Season 3: Episode 7 Review – The Show’s Bloodiest Episode to Date!

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Chucky Season 3 penultimate episode

Not even death can slow Chucky in “There Will Be Blood,” the penultimate episode of ChuckySeason 3. With the killer receiving a mortal blow in the last episode, Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) can now take full advantage of the White House’s bizarre supernatural purgatory, leaving him free to continue his current reign of terror as a ghost. While that spells trouble for Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur), Devon (Bjorgvin Arnarson), and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind), it makes for an outrageously satisfying bloodbath heading into next week’s finale.

“There Will Be Blood” covers a lot of ground in short order, with Charles Lee Ray confronting his maker over his failures before he can continue his current path of destruction. Lexy, Jake, and Devon continue their desperate bid to find Lexy’s sister, which means seeking answers from the afterlife. They’re in luck, considering Warren Pryce (Gil Bellows) enlists the help of parapsychologists to solve the White House’s pesky paranormal problem. Of course, Warren also has unfinished business with the surviving First Family members, including the President’s assigned body double, Randall Jenkins (Devon Sawa). Then there’s Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly), who’s feeling the immense weight of her looming execution.

Brad Dourif faces Damballa in "Chucky"

CHUCKY — “There Will Be Blood” Episode 307 — Pictured in this screengrab: (l-r) Brad Dourif as Charles Lee Ray, Chucky — (Photo by: SYFY)

Arguably, the most impressive aspect of “Chucky” is how series creator Don Mancini and his fantastic team of writers consistently swing for the fences. That constant “anything goes” spirit pervades the entire season, but especially this episode. Lexy’s new beau, Grant (Jackson Kelly), exemplifies this; he’s refreshingly quick to accept even the most outlandish concepts – namely, the White House as a paranormal hub and that his little brother’s doll happens to be inhabited by a serial killer.

But it’s also in the way that “There Will Be Blood” goes for broke in ensuring it’s the bloodiest episode of the series to date. Considering how over-the-top and grisly Chucky’s kills can be, that’s saying a lot. Mancini and crew pay tribute to The Shining in inspired ways, and that only hints at a fraction of the bloodletting in this week’s new episode.

Brad Dourif Chucky penultimate episode

CHUCKY — “There Will Be Blood” Episode 307 — Pictured in this screengrab: Brad Dourif as Charles Lee Ray — (Photo by: SYFY)

“Chucky” can get away with splattering an insane amount of blood on the small screen because it’s counterbalanced with a wry sense of humor and campy narrative turns that are just as endearing and fun as the SFX. Moreover, it’s the fantastic cast that sells it all. In an episode where Brad Dourif makes a rare appearance on screen, cutting loose and having a blast in Chucky’s incorporeal form, his mischievous turn is matched by Tiffany facing her own mortality and Nica Pierce’s (Fiona Dourif) emotionally charged confrontation with her former captor.

There’s also Devon Sawa, who amusingly continues to land in Chucky’s crosshairs no matter the character. Season 3 began with Sawa as the deeply haunted but kind President Collins, and Sawa upstages himself as the unflappably upbeat and eager-to-please doppelganger Randall Jenkins. That this episode gives Sawa plenty to do on the horror front while playing his most likable character yet on the series makes for one of the episode’s bigger surprises. 

The penultimate episode of “Chucky” Season 3 unleashes an epic bloodbath. It delivers scares, gore, and franchise fan service in spades, anchored by an appropriate scene-chewing turn by Dourif. That alone makes this episode a series highlight. But the episode also neatly ties together its characters and plot threads to pave the way for the finale. No matter how this season wraps up, it’s been an absolute pleasure watching Chucky destroy the White House from the inside.

“Chucky” Season 3: Part 2 airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on USA & SYFY.

4.5 out of 5 skulls

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