A long stretch of U.S. 119 lies between Sassy Trash, one of downtown Harlan’s newest stores, and Lynch’s popular tourist attraction, the Portal 31 Mine Exhibition. The approximate 30-minute drive finds both entities on opposite ends of Harlan County — one deals with coal mining history, and the other is an artistic antique and variety store. There is something, however, that the two entities have in common. Strange occurrences have been reported at each location, drawing the attention of local filmmakers Tony Felosi and Thomas Marcum. The duo, known as Double T Productions, are widely known for their research of the unknown, but they are also just recently gaining global attention for their documentation of Harlan County’s colorful history. Because both structures are historical in nature, Sassy Trash and Portal 31 Mine Exhibition have been excellent filming ground for Felosi and Marcum, who say they are drawn to the entities because of their cultural intrigue, but also because of the peculiarities reportedly taking place at each site.

“The history that can be found at Portal 31 and at Sassy Trash is incredibly vast,” said Felosi, of Wallins, who is regionally known as a historian and researcher. “At Portal 31, you have our coal mining history on display in an area of Harlan County that once was the largest coal operation in the world. And at Sassy Trash, you have a store filled with antiques and vintage items that is being ran out of one of Harlan’s older buildings that used to be a hardware store on the first floor and a funeral home parlor on the second floor. There’s definitely a lot of history with both locations, which made me and Thomas very eager to film them and tell their stories.”

Coupled with the two Harlan County destinations’ rich history is the fact that unexplained occurrences are taking place at both. Felosi said the reported bizarre encounters offer more intrigue to their filmmaking, but that promoting Harlan County’s history and the strong resiliency of its people remains their top goal with their collection of documentaries. And people throughout the world are watching. Comments left on their Amazon Prime film pages are from fans in various countries, complimenting Felosi and Marcum for not only sharing the history of a fascinating corner of Appalachia, but sharing that history with honesty and genuineness. Double T Productions is also gaining a fanbase from the paranormal community for its research in Appalachian anomalies. Their latest film, Bazaar Encounters, which chronicles the unexplained occurrences taking place at the Sassy Trash store, has almost two million view minutes with over 28,000 episodes watched on Amazon Prime since it was released earlier this summer. Ghosts of Portal 31, which is the Double T film made in Lynch, has over 1 million view minutes since it was released last year. County leaders are touting the credible work of both Felosi and Marcum, adding that their efforts have even enhanced tourism in the hills of Harlan. Double T Productions is becoming a hot ticket at conventions and special events, but Felosi is quick to say that his and Marcum’s work is done primarily to promote their home and the perseverance of its people. The fact that their documentary work about Harlan County has gained momentum this year is exceptionally inspiring to the two since 2019 is the year of Harlan County’s Bicentennial.

“We’re just two guys with a camera,” Felosi said. “We really had no idea that what we loved to do would resonate this profoundly with people throughout the world. People are drawn to Harlan County. They always have been. This place has an unexplainable effect, and Thomas and I are excited and honored that we can showcase Harlan County through a lens that portrays our home with respect and dignity. There’s many colorful stories that come out of these hills, and the opportunity to retell these stories that convey the resiliency of our mountain people is truly humbling.”

To date, Double T Production films, called the Crypto Files, include not only Sassy Trash’s Bazaar Encounters and The Ghosts of Portal 31, but also Imprisoned Spirits (about the old Harlan County jail), Benham Theater’s Specters Of The Stage, The Manzo Shepherd Story (about a heinous Harlan County murder and sensational trial in the early 1940s), The Hembree House (about a mysterious dwelling in Wallins Creek), and The Mysterious Monroe House.

Except for The Mysterious Monroe House, all films depict Harlan County history in some form and fashion, but also present is the underlying theme of unexplained occurrences. Marcum, Felosi’s film partner, said it was hard to document Harlan County history without some reference to mysterious happenings because of the folklore that is found in much of the Appalachian Mountains.

Marcum, a Pathfork man, Bigfoot researcher and founder of the Crypto Crew that investigates strange occurrences in Appalachia, has been making films for several years and has a few awards under his belt. He got to know Felosi at a local conference, and the two decided to team up and combine their talents to investigate legends and lore, and in the process, promote Harlan County history and culture in a unique way.

“There is no denying that our history is closely connected with the many mysteries coming out of these hills,” Marcum said. “Our many legends and lore are what make us unique and so appealing to others. But we’re not just about ghosts and goblins. We strive to present Harlan County history accurately as possible. In fact, we debunk many strange occurrences that we are asked to investigate. But still – it is very real that there are things in these mountains that just cannot be explained.”

Just ask Collins at her Sassy Trash store, and Sturgill at Portal 31. They swear up and down that they’ve heard and seen things that cannot be explained. That’s why they contacted Felosi and Marcum. Interviews resulted into site investigations, investigations resulted in film projects, and the released films on Amazon Prime have resulted in people throughout the world wanting to learn more about Harlan County and coming to the area to visit. Sturgill said he has had many visitors come to the tourist attraction because of watching Double T’s Ghosts Of Portal 31.

“When weird things started happening, I knew I needed to get Tony and Thomas up here,” Sturgill said. “I wanted them because I knew they were professional, respectable, no-nonsense men, and were not just about the hype. They really do set out to debunk everything, so when they become convinced that there is something unexplained going on, you better believe there is!”

Some of the “weird things” experienced by Sturgill at Portal 31 include peculiar noises heard underground. On his first day working at the underground mine exhibition tour, Sturgill said he noticed abnormal occurrences almost from the get-go. He said he often hears a motor roaring through the mine when all machinery is turned off. One time, a tourist even reported a mystifying occurrence.

“This man had been sitting in the back (of the tram) by himself during a tour when he felt someone grab him,” Sturgill said. “Several others have seen things underground here, too, that we just simply can’t explain.”

Collins, at Sassy Trash, knows that unexplained feeling all too well. Some of her merchandise on the showroom floor often move, and upstairs in what used to be the funeral parlor, she often hears loud, dragging noises.

“I know this is an old building, and you will hear a lot of noises in old buildings, but this is different than anything I’ve ever heard here before. It’s very distinct. It catches your attention. You just know that something is present.”

Collins said while the disturbances unnerved her at first, she was now “at peace” with the unexplained happenings at her store. And instead of keeping patrons away, it has made her store more popular. Since Double T’s film of her store, Bazaar Encounters, was released earlier this summer, the interest in Sassy Trash has steadily increased. And at Portal 31 in Lynch, Sturgill said the number of people coming to the tourist attraction just because of Felosi’s and Marcum’s Ghosts Of Portal 31 film also continues to increase. Proof of the value in the paranormal when it comes to tourism can be seen in the Tri-Cities of East Tennessee, where a ghost-hunting team there is placing their area on a global map. The group Paranormal Technology In Tennessee, based out of Jonesborough, Tenn., gained national attention with their appearances on The Travel Channel’s The Haunting. A group spokesperson told the media about their efforts that they tried to promote Jonesborough in everything they did, and that utilizing paranormal research to convey an area’s history was a successful approach in tourism marketing.

Harlan County Judge-Executive Dan Mosley said he was pleased with the attention that Double T Productions was bringing to Harlan County through the film crew’s series of documentaries.

“This is another element of our growing tourism industry,” Mosley said. “I hope it continues to bring folks to Harlan County to enjoy all we have to offer.”

While Felosi and Marcum say their intentions are not to land a television show, they do hope, however, to expand their film business. Marcum said they are wanting to grow in terms of added technology inventory so that their productions will continue to improve in production value. Double T’s current project is filming Bigfoot — The Legend Is Real in Harlan County.

“Our ultimate goal is to tell Harlan County’s story, as well as more stories that are not necessarily widely known,” Marcum said. “We also seek answers to so many of the mysteries that are out there. By combining these two efforts – searching for the truth while sharing our history – we feel we have a unique approach in making both goals happen.”

Felosi and Marcum will be making an appearance at the Bubba Fest Comic Con this Saturday at the Knoxville Convention Center among celebrities such as Chuck Norris, Richard Petty, Lee Majors and Vic Mignogna. Chris Lewis, producer of the Bubba Fest Con, said it was Felosi’s and Marcum’s “dedication and passion” that most stood out to him and warranted an invitation as con participants.

“So many people have amazing ideas, but they just give up on them,” Lewis said. “These guys keep working and pushing their projects no matter who said they couldn’t. I admire them for that. Also, the fact that their projects are based on real events and real encounters, and that their nerves are steely enough to keep going, that impresses me, too. I take a lot of pride in the fact that I was born and raised in Harlan County, and anytime I can put a spotlight on our hometown, I’m going to jump at the opportunity. I’m pleased beyond measure that, through Tony and Thomas, Harlan County will be represented well at Bubba Fest this year.”

For more information about Double T Production’s Crypto Files films, log on to their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheCryptoFiles/