Posted on 09/03/2004 6:55:44 PM PDT by CurlyBill
An Ypsilanti Township home is the subject of a five-part series of independent films being made by one of its former residents.
Dennis Baker, 43, grew up in the home at 9735 Woodland Court, which his family owned from 1967 until 1996. Baker, who now lives in Castle Rock, Colo., says the house tormented his family during those years.
Baker claims he and his family heard strange footsteps and witnessed a boy appearing and disappearing. Decades later, Baker is drawing from his memories to write and direct a series of movies about the house, entitled "Woodland Haunting."
"It's based on my childhood. The house we lived in was reputed for having paranormal activities in it," Baker said. "Me and my family have been telling these stories for years and years, and I finally decided to make a movie out of it."
Baker, a Web developer for IBM, became involved with filmmaking through his job. He filmed the first "Woodland Haunting" - a 25-minute film he made for fun - last year. But as the film drew praise, he decided to make more of them.
"It was a short comedy film that was almost kind of a joke," Baker said of the first film. "The only intention we had was to make people laugh. But people started asking about it and wanted a follow-up release."
That sparked plans to make the next one, which will be titled, "Woodland Haunting 2; It's Woodland Haunting 1, but Different." This film will last one hour, 20 minutes and feature a cast of 21 actors. The release date is Oct. 31.
Baker intends to make four more films, releasing a new one each year on Halloween. He will host local showings and then distribute the films on DVD.
"I don't think we have too many commercial aspirations," he said. "I'm going to be sticking this in every film festival I can get my hands on, but it will mainly be available on DVD."
Times and locations of the shows have yet to be determined.
But what about the house?
Baker said he hasn't heard anything about it since his family sold it in 1996. The current owner, Mark Byndas, moved into it in June.
While Byndas won't say the house is haunted, he said he has heard all the stories.
"I hope it's not spooked, because I just moved here," Byndas said, smiling.
Byndas said some objects have been lost - and later found exactly where he thought he left them. For now, he's chalking those incidents up to absent-mindedness.
"It's just little things, but it's weird," he said. "You know where it is, and it's gone, and you go, 'What the heck?' Then you find it there."
Dave Husketh, 43, has lived next door to the house since he was a child. He dismissed suggestions that anything paranormal has happened inside the house.
"I've lived here all my life. To my knowledge, that house is not haunted and never has been haunted," Husketh said.
Baker said he doesn't expect people to believe his stories. He just hopes people like the films.
"It's kind of based on truth, but also kind of off the wall," Baker said. "There's elements of truth in the story that are too incredible to believe."
Matthew Thompson of Ann Arbor is working with Baker to edit the films. He advises people not to worry about what is or isn't real.
"I think (Baker's) storytelling brings out the comedy in the absurd, because the stories are so farfetched," Thompson said. "I don't know how much of this he wants you to take seriously. He wants to weave it into a comic tale."
Baker, who has worked as everything from a security guard to disc jockey, said he's making the films as a hobby and just wants to enjoy the process.
"It was just fun mixing fact and fiction - both equally bizarre," he said. "The big news, now, is Ypsilanti will have its own home-grown horror movie."
Learn more about "Woodland Haunting" at www.woodlandhaunting.com, where Baker plans to post photos, stories and contests.
I think of your brother's passing, and of my mom's -- none was by assault or brutal means. Perhaps, yes, by organic means -- illness, etc. which when one reviews the larger picture -- is organic and softer. I think of the Democrats with their obsessions with "bodily" functions and contrast their own views in combatting assaults, murder and terrorism, which are none at all. Dems focus more on combatting organic diseases which lead people to their demise far more so than they focus upon "untimely" deaths by murder, and assault. Specifically, today I am thinking of Russia. I've heard absolutely NO comment on this matter from any member of the Democratic Party. No condemnation of the Islamacist murderers; nor even support for Russia, compassion and caring of the families of those who've experienced the horror. No calls to combat terrorism. Nothing. But, I'll wager we'll be hearing more about "bodily function" obsessions from the Dems as they work to combat PResident Bush's recent words on revamping health care, studies, R&D, coverage.
Dems appear not to understand "home" nor the differences between organic suffering versus deliberately caused suffering and needless death.
Are pro-abortionists today privately celebrating the murder of children in Russia? Not a word from the usual pro-abortion lobbies in re Russia, neither.
I have no doubts, and I have absolute faith -- the dearly departed in that Russia-centered assault are already inside the mansion, welcomed by those loved ones who'd gone before them. And, the calm, focused, fury inside the Mansion gathers in outrage against those who aid, abet, and perpetrated the attack.
Thank you for listening to my post; and my thoughts as of now.
I've no doubts anti-Americans, the world-over, are experiencing some troubling "visitations" at this moment.
The people in Russia are truly a God-Fearing people. For the most part.
Of course they have their liberals and socialists and Islamists. It is terrible that over 200 children have died and maybe more.
Our Democrats, the very serious ones, probably look at this as payback for doing away with Communism.
"I find that wearing a cross or invoking the Name of Jesus makes them stop bugging you."
I wish that worked for getting rid of RATs as well...
Yours, on the Dems, is probably quite right.
Absolutely. My brother lived in a house where all kinds of weird things happened - fog in the living room, apparitions of a man and a little girl. Things flying off shelves. Battery operated toys simultaneously going off in the middle of the night (just to name a few). He kept a supply of holy water and regularly went around dousing the house with it. He would invoke the name of Jesus too. It kept things under control.
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