Lights, Camera, Cutchin. (or, "Four Big Announcements")

You may have noticed how, with the exception of yesterday's posts, things have been relatively... quiet... around here. There's a reason for that. First, some of the things I've been dedicating my attention to take time. Second, I usually refrain from announcing things until they've passed the point of no return, so to speak. For all my belief in the weird, I, above all, believe in the power to jinx myself.

Having said that, I have four announcements (and one lil' 'maybe' teaser) for y'all. First things first: you can watch a documentary I helped produce—today!

I am proud to say that Ryan Grulich's The Lady of the Lake released December 17, 2024, on all your favorite digital and on-demand platforms, including Amazon Prime. As producer, I had the pleasure of getting to know Ryan well over the course of the past several years. I can't emphasize this enough—this isn't your run-of-the-mill true crime or paranormal doc. Ryan and I talked with Jimmy Church about the film last night, the first of many interviews in the coming future, as well as an interview dropping in an upcoming issue of Fortean Times.

It's an appropriate outlet, because I am firmly of the opinion that it is a Fortean documentary through and through, in the sense that you get about two-thirds of the way into it and ask yourself, "Wait... what the heck am I watching?" To that end, you'll notice some familiar faces for those of you involved in the paranormal, folks beyond the usual ghost-hunter types. (No, not me. Not yet, at least.) Although it starts with the discovery of Hallie Illingworth's remains in Lake Crescent in July 1940, it quickly pivots into waters I find most interesting... the deep, archetypal currents that seem to underpin paranormal manifestations.

Amanda Paulson stars in 'The Lady of the Lake'

That's Announcement Number One. Announcement Number Two is that Ryan and I are deep in pre-production on a documentary that approaches the UFO mystery from a more holistic, inclusive perspective. I think it's important that, as we all move towards greater acceptance of the topic, people are aware of the possible plurality of causes behind UFOs. Any visitor here will know that I think that—as strange as 'aliens' would be—whatever the UFOs represent might be even stranger than 'little green scientists.' To that end, our series will explore more esoteric speculation around the phenomenon, hopefully reasserting how bizarre these experiences can truly become.

So... um, where are we? I'm losing track. Ah, Announcement Number Three.

I and numerous colleagues will be featured in the new series Cosmosis: UFOs & A New Reality. It's dropping December 30, 2024 on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. It was put together by my friends Jay Christopher King, Kelly Chase, and the complete roster of those involved leaves me just as excited as the rest of you to see the final product: Diana Walsh Pasulka, Jeffrey Kripal, Michael Masters, Whitley Strieber, James Madden, Iya Whitely, Stephen Finley, Mario Woods, Daniel Elizondo, James Iandoli, Greg Bishop, Robin Lassiter, Jay Christopher King, Kelly Chase, and—for some reason—a goofy tuba player from Denver, North Carolina, in way over his head. These are the voices I love hearing from on this topic.

Here's the trailer!

Finally (and this may be burying the lede for some of you), I'm wrapping up work on a new book, Fourth Wall Phantoms. Mat Festa's incredible cover art is being wrapped up as we speak, and I don't quite feel comfortable sharing his work-in-progress yet. In lieu of that, I'll post a generic stock photo and (what I believe will be) the finalized synopsis:

What if stories were more than just stories? What if fictions came to life? What would that say about our greatest mysteries? What would that say about you?

From the author of Ecology of Souls comes a fresh perspective on fact, fiction, and the paranormal.

_____________________________

Few of us ever expect to encounter flying saucers, monsters, or ghosts in our lifetime. Yet those who do inevitably face an unsettling realization: that reality is far stranger than we’ve been led to believe.

As shocking as these revelations might seem, they pale in comparison to an even more controversial phenomenon lurking in the shadows: encounters with fictional characters made real. Over the centuries, countless individuals have reported coming face-to-face with characters and creatures seemingly ripped from our collective imagination—everything from literary heroes to mythical beasts, even comic book superheroes.

What at first seems like a rarity soon reveals itself as a pervasive aspect of the paranormal writ large. UFOs mimic elements of pulp depictions. Cryptids emerge from folklore and fiction. Urban legends materialize as authentic ghostly phenomena. Evidence abounds for those willing to listen with open minds… and confront the impossible.

In Fourth Wall Phantoms, acclaimed paranormal author Joshua Cutchin dares to explore one of the few remaining taboos of High Strangeness: the permeable “fourth wall” separating fiction from reality. Through a mix of both celebrated cases and rare or never-before-published accounts, Cutchin invites readers to venture beyond the page in a search for truth in the unlikeliest of places: the crossroads of the paranormal, the imaginary, and the real.

I am in love with this project. It represents another step on my journey of reconciliation in this bizarre landscape. Now, on the other side of it, I'm less sure what is real and what is fiction—indeed, what that distinction even means. It's unstable ground, to be sure, and I am equally excited to retreat to more reliable positions in the future. But my understanding of the phenomenon would be so much poorer had I not undertaken this enormous, challenging book. I cannot wait to share it with everyone, hopefully this coming spring (God willing).

Finally, the teaser. These projects are probably not the last time in the near future that my ugly mug will grace your screens. That's all I can say for now, so I will only add that I am deeply excited, encouraged, and humbled by some of the opportunities presenting themselves to me here, at the end of the year.

Be well. Hug your loved ones. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a joyous New Year to you all.