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Karin Malchow

Scam Examiner
Gullible suburban mother of four regularly duped in her half-century life. Exploring hoaxes and schemes as the ExSCAMiner, she attempts answering the nagging question: Should I have fallen for that? Got scam tips, email Karin at ScamExaminer@gmail.com.

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    Showing entries for Category: movies


    Scamming psychic cinema

    November 10, 9:13 AM
    by Karin Malchow, Scam Examiner
     
     
    Here are some acclaimed films with scamming psychics.  A fraudulent character discovering real powers is a common cinematic motif.  After all, the audience wants to believe.

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    Ghost (1990)
    Whoopi Goldberg won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar portraying the fake medium adjusting to real powers when Patrick Swayze's spirit invades.

     

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    Ghostbusters (1984)
    Smarmy Bill Murray is less than sincere doing psychic research before his crew saves New York City from ghosts. Special effects and music Oscar-nominated.

     

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    Family Plot (1976)
    Quirky Alfred Hitchcock entry, unfortunately his last film, with Golden Globe nominated Barbara Harris as the bogus psychic (or is she?) intersecting with a kidnapping scheme. 

     

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    Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)
    Oscar-nominated Kim Stanley concocts a kidnapping plot to attain psychic recognition solving the crime.

     

     

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    Man on the Moon (1999)
    Golden Globe winning Jim Carrey portrays comedian Andy Kaufman, including a desperate attempt to cure cancer with a psychic surgeon.

     

     

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    Pee Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
    Okay, maybe this cult classic didn't win accolades, although the "Tequila" scene was nominated for a 2008 TV Land "Best Dance Sequence You Reenacted in Your Living Room."  Pee Wee's quest includes a fortune teller revealing his beloved stolen bike resides in the Alamo's basement.  Takes a while for him to find out there isn't one.


    Topics: movies , fraud , paranormal , psychic surgery
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