Show Notes
Grimmlife Collective joins us in the Crypt for Episode 10, unveiling their journey from early struggles to iconic moments at horror conventions, and their ventures into the grim side of culture across the globe. Join us as we explore their artistic process, the emotional toll of delving into true crime, and their encounters with the paranormal. We'll discuss the difficulties of covering cases like Ted Bundy, Michael's harrowing near-death encounter, and a haunting glimpse of a real apparition. Afterlife theories, ghostly experiences, the magic of movies / filming locations, eerie adventures, and more!
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Jessica Kolence – https://instagram.com/witchydame / https://grimmlifecollective.com
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Intro 01:29 – Destined Paths, How Michael & Jessica Met 03:54 – The Essence of Grimmlife Collective: The Travel Channel of Horror 05:18 – Tracing the Roots of Fear, exploring where Michael and Jessica’s fascination with fear began 09:28 – RL Stine's Mysterious Gift to Michael and Jessica 12:02 – The early days: How Grimmlife started as a blog and transitioned to YouTube 13:40 – How Jessica became an integral part of Grimmlife Collective 15:50 – You never get used to being on camera 18:45 – One-Take Wonders: The Grimmlife Filming Process and Michael’s Computer Brain 23:49 – How Michael and Jessica Collaborate on Ideas 29:05 – Jessica wasn't always Grimmlife's co-host, “the nitty gritty” 31:57 – Overcoming challenges and almost quitting: The early struggles of starting a channel 35:29 – A Full-Circle Moment, Bridging the gap of the internet and horror conventions 36:59 – From interviewing celebs at horror cons, to being first YouTubers at conventions 40:11 – Exploring dark travels and history: The grim side of culture in the U.S. and abroad 43:36 – A mysterious trip to a German town that doesn’t exist and visiting the Nosferatu (1922) filming locations 48:12 – Keeping content fresh and the challenges of recreating movie magic 53:46 – Stanley Kubrick built an exact replica of The Ahwahnee for The Shining 55:12 – Addressing Shelley Duvall Controversy and Producing a new horror film "The Forest Hills" 1:01:42 – Getting kicked out of locations 1:07:08 – The delicate balance of exploring sensitive locations and where to draw the line 1:14:46 – Discussing the emotional toll of covering cases like Ted Bundy's 1:20:09 – The complexities of covering sensitive murder cases like Ed Gein and Albert Fish 1:23:07 – Do Michael and Jessica believe in the paranormal? Insights from real experiences. 1:27:41 – Ghostly encounters and the history behind Grimmlife's ghost tours 1:32:00 – The Haunting of The Old Sorrel Weed House, Michael shows a photo of him with a real apparition 1:33:23 – Questioning the validity of ghost stories and what it takes to believe 1:36:10 – Modern ghost hunting shows and their authenticity 1:40:01 – Jessica opens up about her sensitivity to paranormal activity 1:44:05 – Michael's Near Death Experience and Insane Ghost Story 1:50:31 – Contemplating the afterlife: Theories and beliefs 1:54:45 – The Functionality of Horror - Lovecraft vs. King 1:58:32 – Michael almost became a catholic priest but was kicked out of the church 2:01:15 – Grimmlife Hits Hollywood – Moving to LA, when this became a real career 2:14:11 – LA's Impact on Grimmlife Collective 2:19:37 – Richard Ramirez causes Michael and Jessica to change their residence 2:24:03 – Identifying the moment Grimmlife's channel ascended to new heights 2:26:24 – Horror's Inner Circle, Entering the Convention Scene, and Dealing With Inner Politics of the Industry 2:30:35 – The Grimmlife Philosophy, Embracing the Dark 2:36:29 – Outro
More from Talks From The Crypt
Harold Schechter is an author, true crime historian, and professor emeritus. He has chronicled some of America’s most infamous murderers, including Ed Gein, H.H. Holmes, Albert Fish, and Belle Gunness. His books Deviant and Deranged are definitive accounts of Ed Gein and Albert Fish, and his many other works include Depraved, Fatal, The Serial Killer Files, Hell’s Princess, and Murderabilia. He is also the editor of the Library of America’s True Crime: An American Anthology and a two-time Edgar Award finalist.
Felissa Rose is an actress best known for her role as Angela Baker in the cult horror classic Sleepaway Camp. Her career in horror includes Victor Crowley, Terrifier 2, Scary Movie 6, and over 200 more credits. She is also a producer and longtime fixture of the horror convention circuit.
Scout Taylor-Compton is an actress and director best known for her roles as Laurie Strode in Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween II, as well as performances in The Runaways, April Fool’s Day, and numerous other films. She recently co-directed the upcoming horror film Last Chance Motel, and previously co-hosted Talk Scary to Me, with Danielle Harris.
Joe Begos, director of Bliss, Christmas Bloody Christmas, Jimmy and Stiggs, and more, joins us in the Crypt for a conversation about independent filmmaking, shooting on film, and carving your own path without the system behind you. Joe discusses his films, the chaos that inspires his work, his polarizing writing and visual style, and maintaining full control over his films. We get into moving to Los Angeles with nothing, skipping film school, self-funding projects, and the reality of surviving as an independent horror filmmaker. We also talk film vs digital, world-building and taking wild ideas seriously, practical effects, working with Eli Roth, and the current state of the industry. We give our thoughts on Scream 7, remakes, horror conventions, and the mindset it takes to keep making movies your way no matter what it costs.
Grimmlife Collective is a horror and true-crime travel channel hosted by Michael and Jessica Kolence, known for exploring filming locations, cemeteries, abandoned sites, and dark history locations across the world. Their work blends on-location storytelling, horror fandom, and documentary-style deep dives into the strange and macabre.