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After almost 200 years of notoriety the time-tested legend of the Bell Witch still strikes a cord with generations of believers. As a testament to the intrigue of this piece of Americana, Big River Pictures will be releasing "Bell Witch, The Movie" in September, thrusting this unfortunate series of events back into the mainstream. And Why Not? It is, after all, one of the most famous cases of paranormal phenomenon ever recorded and a true piece colonial lore.

The legend of the Bell Witch is one of the most interesting tales passed on by our forefathers from early American folklore and for good reason. What happened to John Bell and his family was both frightening and tragic, yet the eerie nature of the occurrences still goes unexplained. To this day when people speak of the "Bell Witch" an unnerving chill runs down their spines. Was it a curse? Or was it an unsettled poltergeist from long before John Bell's arrival near the Red River?
Like most historical accounts of the supernatural, the legend itself has varying origins which must be weighed when talking about the occurrences. Luckily some historical documents remain and you can easily trace the historical timeline involved in John Bell's life.

John Bell was born in 1750 in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. A barrel maker turned farmer, he would prosper in the Carolina foothills until he would eventually find solitude in a small farming community in Adams, Tennessee in 1804. Bell and his wife Lucy made the treacherous trek to the Red River area known as the "Barron Plains" with their family of six children Jesse, Benjamin, Drewry, John Jr., Esther and Zadock. The Bells' solitude would last some 13 years before the unexplained would destroy their sanity, testing the far reaching boundaries of their faith.

In Tennessee, Bell became a respected business man and farmer and would again prosper in his new surroundings. He added three more children to his loving circle, daughter Elizabeth and sons Richard and Joel before he passed. He was also a deeply religious man and served on the Elder Council and as a Deacon at the Red River Baptist Church. This was until his excommunication from the church in January 1818. The cause of his excommunication was officially documented as committing the sin "usury" against a neighbor, but this too is up for debate. Many believers place the supernatural at the heart of this travesty.

Ironically, it was this neighbor, Katie Batts who takes center stage as the cause of John Bell's afflictions

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