'The Mark of the Bell Witch' Explores Folklore Behind Infamous Tennessee Legend

Small Town Monsters’ latest production, The Mark of the Bell Witch, is a deep dive into the folklore behind one of America’s most enduring legends. Drawing from a deep pool of folklorists and authors familiar with the case, this feature length documentary examines not just the reported paranormal phenomena, but the various narratives applied to them and their impact on the local community of Adams, Tennessee. Adams is the home of the Bell Witch; the tiny town wherein the Bell family’s haunted homestead once stood.

For those not familiar with the Bell Witch, it denotes a series of strange encounters which occurred in and around the town of Adams in the early part of the 19th century, focusing on the Bell family in particular. The reported phenomena are broad in the best fortean sense, from unusual animals to ghost lights to all the hallmarks of a classic haunting or poltergeist. These phenomena were reportedly extremely traumatic for the family, resulting in their lives being led astray in a variety of ways, including the untimely death of the family patriarch, John Bell. The events were chronicled in a few historical sources, but perhaps most notably, in true folkloric fashion, they were kept alive by the townsfolk themselves and their descendants.

The film is divided between historical reenactments and modern footage of the town accompanied by interviews with the aforementioned experts, with distinct cinematic styles separating the two eras. The reenactments are shot in a black and white aesthetic that would fit well in any Universal Pictures monster movie—their elements of creeping horror standing in firm contrast to the bright, daytime drone footage and onsite interviews with which fans of Small Town Monsters will already be familiar. The effect these reenactments have is to show the viewer not just the perspective of those historical figures affected by the haunting, but how the events are still perceived today. To many in the Adams area, there remain dark entities lurking in the shadows just out of sight, waiting for the opportunity to curse anyone unwise or unfortunate enough to view them.

In true Small Town Monsters fashion, no stone is left unturned—or cave left unexplored, in this case—on the journey to understanding this remarkable bit of Americana. A thorough examination of historical context is contained within the work, including the influence slave ownership had on events; something which emphasizes the thorough scholarship involved in its production. Both skeptical and paranormal explanations are entertained, all refracted and viewed through the shifting lens of folklore, the narrative elements thereof carefully extracted and examined on their own terms. This is a film for anyone who wonders not only what lies behind tales of the supernatural, but how communities are shaped by such, and perhaps on some otherworldly level, why.

The Mark of the Bell Witch is slated for release this Tuesday. For more information, visit the Small Town Monsters website here.

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