Jesse Chapman – Beyond Beyond Belief

#45 Stay with us [S4E13]

By Jesse Chapman | January 15, 2019

The group talks about how the production pulled out all the stops on this final episode.

Chris reveals that Germany will make two new episodes of Beyond Belief for the twentieth anniversary of the original.

This is also the last chance for Chris to get all the stories correct. We will also find out who won season four and who throughout the entire season got the most stories correct.

Story 1: The Hand – In a bar called the Bloody Hand, named after a brutal murder of a woman whose only remains found were her bloody hand, a drifter finds the hand pointing at him.

Kyle doesn’t understand why the criminal doesn’t leave after the hand calls him out.
Jesse can’t get behind criminals just confessing to their crimes.
Tiffany thinks this is such an urban legend.
Chris doesn’t know if the ghostly rules apply here. Maybe it was just faulty robotics?
Maybe it was just in his head the whole time like the Tell Tale Heart.

Story 2: The Battered Doll – When a maid claims innocence after the death of her employer, one of the deceased’s prize possessions tells otherwise.

Kyle argues that Teddy Ruxpin could have recorded the murder.
Tiffany thinks the doll talking was just added in by the writers, but the rest seems true.

Story 3: Poker Justice – In the early 1900s three poker players need to win back a cheat’s earnings by using an honest poker player, but in the process, they get played themselves.

Jonathan Frakes does his classic chair maneuver, made famous in Star Trek.
Mark doesn’t think the writers could come up with this story. But maybe it’s an urban legend from pirate days.

Story 4: Above the Clouds – A girl suffers from a reoccurring nightmare in a falling elevator, only to discover she needs to go to a birthday party at the top of a building.

There’s no interesting twist here, it’s just a coincidence.
She could have had the dream after the elevator and miss-remembered the sequence of events.
The group tries to figure out what would have made this story more interesting.

Story 5: Screen Saver – A year after breaking up and moving across the country, a couple cross paths when an odd screensaver shows up on a computer.

Tiff was waiting for the screensaver to be the supernatural element, instead of just a coincidence.
This story had one of our biggest laughs.
They discuss how her apartment had way too many plants in it

The story results are revealed.

And Chris didn’t get a hundred percent. BUT the coin did!
To find out which stories are fact and which are fiction… you must listen to the podcast, or check out the full episode below or on Amazon Prime.

The season and series results are revealed.

For season four, Kyle won with a 70 percent average!
For the series:
- Coin – 51%
- Jesse – 52%
- Tiffany – 53%
- Kyle – 54%
- Mark and Chris tie at 60%

#44 Frakes and geeks [S4E12 with Samm Levine]

By Jesse Chapman | January 8, 2019

Kyle is sitting out but we have guest-host actor and podcaster Samm Levine. Samm has watched the show before, and also had a neighbor who bragged about acting in an episode of Beyond Belief.

Samm is a hardline skeptic of all things supernatural. A big believer of known skeptic James Randy and the million-dollar challenge.

Samm has appeared recently on the show Movie Trivia Schmoedown.

Story 1: Witness To Murder – A ghost hunter who captured ghosts on film meets a mysterious end.

Samm tries to unpack Chris’s belief in ghosts.
In talking about the integrity of true stories in BB, Samm tells us the actual true story of Cool Runnings.
Most people find this story too be ridiculous and very writery.

Story 2: Roulette Wheel – A down on his luck gamboling addict finds himself on a mysterious winning streak.

Samm does not believe that odds could allow this to happen. Also, the pit boss would have thrown him out way earlier.
Chris thinks there are so many gambling stories that this could have happened.

Story 3: The Phrenologist’s Head – A doctor given a Phrenologist’s Head finds a smudge on it that leads to a miraculous discovery.

Samm explains that the doctors would have figured it out eventually upon surgery…And a lawsuit.
Chris believes that something could have happened to lead the doctor down the right path.
Jesse wonders if Freud’s ghost is involved in the smudging.

Story 4: The Bridge – A hiker crosses a shaky bridge and is helped by a mysterious woman who turns out to be more than she appears.

Jesse thinks the woman had her mom’s name in her subconscious and projected onto the woman.
Samm thinks it’s a single-source story where the woman miss remembered the events. points to Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink.

Story 5: The Cigar Box – A girl buys an antique, which turns out to belong to a neighbor.

This segment stars Campbell Lane, who does VO for the second half of BB.
Jesse thinks there are one too many coincidences.
Samm walks through how it could have happened – he was just a bitter old man who died after being denied his antique box by a little girl.

Friend of the podcast, Misty Stinnett (who has a new podcast Go Help Yourself) shares some self-help tips. But some are fact and some are fiction.

The story results are revealed.

Samm tells us a story of when he “met” Jonathan Frakes.
To find out which stories are fact and which are fiction… you must listen to the podcast, or check out the full episode below or on Amazon Prime.

#43 A good first draft [S4E11 with Jonathan Kite]

By Jesse Chapman | January 1, 2019

Kyle is out, but joining us is the comedian, actor, and writer Jonathan Kite. Who has a new movie out – All The Creatures Are Stirring.

Jonathan is familiar with the show, but hasn’t seen it until now.

Jonathan talks about Nightmare on Elm Street’s origins, and how he’s seen a ghost in a girlfriend’s video.

Story 1: The Mystery Of Douglas Hibbard – A man, sick with the cold, checks into a motel and mysteriously stashes something in a safe.

Tiffany feels like it’s an urban legend.
Maybe the clerk just messed up the timing of events.

Story 2: Wheelchair Man – A criminal with psychic abilities gives up his cronies after being pushed out of a heist.

Jesse doesn’t understand why a criminal would help the cops.
Jonathan doesn’t believe cops would give up a witness.
Tiffany just thinks burglars are dumb.

Story 3: The Vigil – A comatose woman about to be taken off life support finds a way to communicate with her boyfriend.

Everyone agrees it was a very forgettable story. But maybe that means it’s true?
Jesse thinks the boyfriend believed it enough, but it was just a coincidence.
Maybe it’s too fact to be fact?

Story 4: The Mandarin’s Bowl – After a family trip to China town, a young boy is revealed to be the reincarnation of an old pottery master.

Jonathan doesn’t understand why the master and student don’t ask more questions. Their reunion is very short.
Everyone agrees the parents would have freaked out more.
Tiffany thinks the most ridiculous stories are fact.

Story 5: Ghost Writer – A cruel man hires a ghostwriter who accidentally records a confession of a horrible crime.

Chris felt it was very similar to Batman Returns.
Chris pitches the boring theory. So boring that it’s fact.
Jonathan thinks it’s a good first draft but then it falls apart.

This week we call up a listener and have him play a game in which he needs to decide if our news headlines are real or made up.

The story results are revealed.

To find out which stories are fact and which are fiction… you must listen to the podcast, or check out the full episode below or on Amazon Prime.

#42 Futzing with the wrong drivers [S4E10]

By Jesse Chapman | December 25, 2018

Jesse pitches his Beyond Beliefe App which would randomize BB stories from all four seasons. This way you would get a fresh mix bag of stories each time.

This leads to a discussion of each host’s voting strategy and meta-game.

Story 1: Moonstruck Beach – An aspiring writer moves to a secluded town and finds herself the target of a dangerous man.

How can a ghost use printers and why wouldn’t the printer immediately warn her.
If it was true wouldn’t moonstruck beach be an actual book?
Tiffany wonders how many people need to die for this woman to get a best selling book?

Story 2: Healing Hands – A nurse caring for a dying patient, witnesses a strange visitor.

Jesse hates single-source stories.
Chris believes it, according to the ghostly rules.
Mark talks about how lazy he is.

Story 3: Aspen Sunny Side – A group of friends mountain biking get a bad feeling when one doesn’t return.

Most people have bad feelings all the time, so this could definitely have happened.
Kyle thinks it was accidental astral projection.
Tiffany wonders why no one just uses a phone.
Jesse found this story very complicated. None of the character actions make sense.

Story 4: Night Walker – A scammer is approached by his neighbor to scam her husband only to discover she isn’t exactly human.

Vampires? Everyone agrees this is just nuts.
Since there was another true vampire story on BB, could this one be true?
Kyle dives into the Vampire Rules and doesn’t know if she could hide her fangs.

Story 5: Hot Car – a couple, framed by a mysterious woman, get karmic retribution after being released from jail.

Did the woman confess to easily?
It’s a coincidence-based story, so the group believes it.

Friends of the podcast Max Labella and Ashley Walker join the studio and listen to audience-submitted stories.

The story results are revealed.

To find out which stories are fact and which are fiction… you must listen to the podcast, or check out the full episode below or on Amazon Prime.

#B06 Our original unaired pilot

By Jesse Chapman | December 13, 2018

Beyond Beyond Belief unaired pilot

This week we’re bringing you a special bonus episode: our original unaired pilot. No one outside of the five of us has ever heard this before. And in fact, we hadn’t even listened to it in over a year. So, we gathered around the campfire (living room) and marveled at our genius (inexperience). Take a listen with us and be sure to stick around until the end in which we have a post-mortem discussion about the original pilot, noting fun observations and easter eggs for long-time listeners.

#B05 Chris, Claire, & Max watch the scariest Beyond Belief story

By Jesse Chapman | December 5, 2018

Chris has gone rogue and started his own podcast: Highbrow Reviews. With some pretty spectacular co-hosts, I might add: Claire Berger and Max La Bella, both previous Beyond Beyond Belief guests. In this new podcast, Chris and his co-hosts get high and review things… movies, TV shows, video games, and a whole lot more. We’d love it if you’d show him some Beyond Belief love and take a listen. Unlike our show it doesn’t need to be listened to in any specific order—actually, does our show? Probably not—so subscribe, listen, and let us know what you think! A brand new episode is up right now and every Wednesday.

#39 Car trouble [S4E7]

By Jesse Chapman | October 23, 2018

This is the season 4 mid-season break…and Jesse has karaoke voice.

Story 1: The Wreath – A detective investigating a hit and run case gets a break when another accident mysteriously occurs.

It’s very believable that city officials could get confused with their paperwork.
This could be a case of the complicated theory.
The parents of the deceased child were a bit too “handsy” given the scenario.

Story 2: Terror Night – A mysterious pipe leak leads to a life-changing event.

Chris just thinks this is about crappy apartments.
There’s been a running theme in season 4 –near death astral projection to save one’s own life.
Jesse thinks the “thanks” is too writery.

Story 3: Tants – An artist who’s inspired by an old woman at the park, makes a shocking discovery when she paints her.

No one thought this story would be named Tants. Which are actually pants with a table built into them…from The Regular Show.
No one saw the initial twist coming.
There is no way this story is fiction. The writers couldn’t make this story up.

Story 4: The Candidate – A politician’s conscience gets the best of him during a political debate.

Kyle would believe this it was from an older time.
Tiff points out that if it’s the spirit of Abraham Lincoln why didn’t he step in earlier?

Story 5: The Ring – A hairdresser having an affair with a client’s husband enacts a nasty plan to get what she wants.

Tiffany believes that people do crazy things for money.
No one understands why the ring is cursed.

Part 7 of our Ouija experience:

On this week’s installment Mark, Jesse, and Kyle finally use the Ouija and dive into the spirit word…

The story results are revealed.

To find out which stories are fact and which are fiction… you must listen to the podcast, or check out the full episode below or on Amazon Prime.

#38 Black belt ghost [S4E6 with Jamie Gaul & Joe Dolce]

By Jesse Chapman | October 16, 2018

This episode we welcome two guest hosts: comedian Jamie Gaul from Upright Citizens Brigade and friend-of-the-podcast Joe Dolce. Regarding the world of supernatural, Joe is a skeptic while Jamie is a “boo-liever.” That’s not actually said in the show. I just thought of that right now.

Story 1: The Dorm – A girl in college finds that her dorm protects her in mysterious ways.

Tiff doesn’t understand why the girl didn’t inform the mom that her daughter’s spirit helped her.
Jamie doesn’t understand why the mom came back to the dorm at all.
No one understands why a woman can’t just defend herself. Nope, she has to be possessed.
Chris has never heard of a ghost giving someone a superhuman skill.

Story 2: The Child Artist – A child with an antique chalkboard scribbles a strange message.

Chris thinks the mom projected her ideas onto the chalkboard.
Jesse thought (hoped?) the mom was just sleeping with the neighbor.
Chris remembers his grandma telling a similar story.

Story 3: The Weatherman – A weatherman’s tries to boost ratings in a way that comes back to haunt him.

Jesse can see it being told, but not it actually happening.
Jamie thinks this all checks out.
Chris thinks, yet again, that he would have heard of this story.

Story 4: Sit-Down Comedian – A comedian who bullies his manager gets karmic retribution after a freak accident.

Tiffany thinks it ties up way too nicely.
No one believes that the manager would give up a profession as a successful comedian.

Story 5: Room 245 – A woman staying at a hotel with her sick mother stumbles into one of the strangest conspiracies ever.

Chris thinks that if this is fact, this is the craziest story Beyond Belief has ever told.
Jesse thinks maybe the woman just mixed up which hotel she was staying at. Jamie thinks maybe the woman just murdered her mother?
Tiffany thinks this could be an urban legend.

Part 6 of our Ouija experience:

On this week’s episode Mark, Jesse, and Kyle finally use set up the Ouija board and begin to reach out to spirits…

The story results are revealed.

Chris gets a surprising score. Joe gets an even more surprising score.
To find out which stories are fact and which are fiction… you must listen to the podcast, or check out the full episode below or on Amazon Prime.

#B04 Uncut interview with modern sage, Ian Sneed

By Jesse Chapman | October 11, 2018

On this week’s episode, we interviewed modern sage Ian Sneed and asked: what are some tips and tricks for conducting a Oujia board night? Those of you who listened to the interview were probably as shocked to discover as we were that Ian believes there is no such thing as a safe Ouija board experience. The full interview was fascinating and went into much more detail that what we were not able to include on Tuesday, but based on the positive response we’re releasing the full, uncut interview for you to listen to. The full interview goes into much more detail on Ian’s background, and offers some additional interesting details on his methods and approach. Enjoy!

#37 Critical hit [S4E5]

By Jesse Chapman | October 9, 2018

The group compares Don Lafontaine and Campbell Lane’s voice over work on the show.

Story 1: House Of Shadows – A house sitter finds a strange video on the TV that seems to be coming from inside the house.

Everyone agrees this one was really creepy.
Tiffany feels it’s too trope’y.
They debate why the murder went to Europe.

Story 2: One Hand In The Till – A son desperate for money, gets a mysterious visit from his dad.

They agree there are too many Beyond Belief’y elements going on.
Jesse likes that it’s a fable of good vs. evil.
Kyle thinks maybe the dad just had a premonition.

Story 3: Teasdale’s Motor Car – A car enthusiast finally gets his dream car, but it comes with a catch…

Kyle thinks maybe the car was possessed.
Chris decides to go the opposite of what he’d usually vote
Mark thinks the writers just like to write car stories

Story 4: The Vision – A man tries to stop a bus, after having a vision of an accident.

Mark points out the writers probably just watched the movie Speed.
Most agree there are a ton of stories like this in the world.
They point out the unnecessary boss/secretary subplot.

Story 5: The Grave – A conspiring wife is tormented by guilt over her late husband.

Chris thinks maybe a ghost could kill grass.
Jesse doesn’t understand why the husband’s warning couldn’t have been more interesting.

Part 5 of our Ouija experience:

On this week’s episode, we interviewed modern sage Ian Sneed and asked: what are some tips and tricks for conducting a Oujia board night?

The story results are revealed.

To find out which stories are fact and which are fiction… you must listen to the podcast, or check out the full episode below or on Amazon Prime.