Discover the Horror

Better grab something to write with before you hit play on this one. In this extra-long episode, we dive into a variety of horror sub-genres and each pick a title that we think defines that category. Not necessarily the best film, but one that captures the essence of the sub-genre in a meaningful way. To help us take on this ridiculously huge (but fun) challenge, we've brought back Aaron Christens...

That's right . . . we made it to episode 100! Taking a nod from Fangoria Magazine from back in the day, when they would put out their annual "Bloody Best Of" issue, we're going to follow suit (in a way) by revisiting favorite moments from our previous 99. When we published our first episode back on Oct. 5th, 2021, who knew we were going to make it this far? But we can honestly say that hearing all...

Fifty years ago, a film was released that literally changed the world. Jaws transformed the way people think about going into the water and revolutionized how studios make movies, effectively creating what we now call the "summer blockbuster." Its influence is still felt five decades later, by both fans and filmmakers alike. And there's a reason for that: Jaws is just that good. In this episode, w...

The Blob (1958) & The Blob (1988) Continuing our theme of taking a deep dive into an original film and its remake, this time we're looking at a pair with exactly 30 years between them: The Blob , from 1958, and its 1988 remake. A lot had changed in those three decades, especially on the technical side, with advancements in special makeup effects definitely upping the ante on what we see on screen....

There have been many horror writers that have been important to the genre, but few have had the outsized impact of the one and only Chas. Balun. Whether it was his work in Fangoria , Gorezone , or his own magazine Deep Red , even if you didn't see his name at the head of the article, you knew it was him within a few sentences, by either by the tone of the writing, or maybe the films he was coverin...

A Taste of Evil (1971), Snowbeast (1977), This House Possessed (1981) We're back on the small screen for our fourth dive into the world of made-for-TV horror—which should tell you something: we love these things. Maybe it's nostalgia from growing up in an era when you couldn't stream whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. Or maybe it's because some of these films were just plain good —tight, cr...

Black Sunday (1960), Blood and Black Lace (1964), and A Bay of Blood (1971) There are films by certain directors that are truly iconic—classics of the genre we sometimes assume everyone has already seen. But it's easy to forget that, right now, there are fans just beginning their journey into horror. Whether due to age or a newfound curiosity, they're taking their first steps into the genre. For t...

As horror fans, it's hard enough trying to keep up with all the movies—let alone the memorabilia and collectibles—but just imagine having to live with one of us !  In this episode, we've invited our wives onto the show to share their perspectives—not just on living with a slightly obsessive fan, but on how they've come to embrace the genre themselves. You'll hear how they became fans in their own...

Hardware (1990), Death Machine (1994), and Event Horizon (1997) The 1990s are often thought of as a decade of dread for horror fans—not because of what was on the screen, but because nothing good supposedly came out of it. Or at least, that's the typical response. But as we continue down the path to Discover the Horror , we're starting to realize that what we remember about the past isn't always a...

Die, Monster, Die! (1965), Necronomicon (1993), and Gods of the Deep (2023) While Stephen King may dominate when it comes to movie adaptations of his work—good or bad—one might expect that H.P. Lovecraft, given his immense impact on the literary world, would inspire just as many films. Yet, despite his influence, far fewer movies have been made from his stories than you'd think. Perhaps it's becau...

In our search for more knowledge about the horror genre, the films we love, and the people behind them, many horror fans began their journey with reference books. Long before the internet, these books served as stepping stones, introducing fans to films they had never heard of and offering deeper insight into the people behind the movies they already knew and loved. It was like opening doors for t...

Night of the Bloody Apes (1969), Don't Go in the House (1979), Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981) In 1984, in the U.K., the Video Recording Act was passed, which required certification of all video releases by the British Board of Film Classification, aka BBFC. This all came about due to a list of video titles that a group of various religious and other social groups run by the likes of Mary W...

In the horror community, the easiest way to show you are a fan is by what you wear. The horror T-shirt has been a staple in the fandom for what seems like forever. But it wasn't always like that. To say that fans have it easy today is a slight understatement. Not only in terms of their availability, but of the selection that is out there! It is an easy way to show the public that you are a card-ca...

The Leopard Man (1943), The Seventh Victim (1943), Isle of the Dead (1945) Back in episode 23, we covered producer Val Lewton and three of his films. While Lewton only produced about a dozen films—and only a handful of them horror—his work made a huge impact on the genre. That's why we've decided to discuss three more of his films, hoping to inspire other fans to seek out not only the ones we've c...

Nosferatu (1922), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) In episode 78, we started our ongoing Twice Told Tales segment, featuring the first two versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers . In this episode, with the recent release of Robert Eggers long awaited version of Nosferatu, we're going back to the original, one of cinema's first true monsters, in F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu , then following it up with...

As 2024 comes to an end, we look in a rearview mirror filled with some amazing films, especially ones that came out this year. Filmmakers around the world wowed us with creative stories, intriguing plots and outstanding techniques. It is definitely a great time to be a horror fan. 2024 was another stellar year for us at the podcast, where we covered a wide variety of subjects, from Bigfoot to Amic...

Wake Wood (2009), The Wind (2018), Apostle (2018) Folk horror has its roots in tales of witches and paganism, stretching back centuries. In cinema, the term "folk horror" was first coined by Rod Cooper in Kine Weekly to describe the 1971 classic Blood on Satan's Claw . However, the themes that define folk horror—witchcraft, ancient rituals, and the eerie power of nature—have been present since the...

From Hell it Came (1957), The Oily Maniac (1976), Cry Wilderness (1987) It's Turkey Time once again here at the podcast! And in this one, we have 3 wonderful titles to serve up to you, each one with a different flavor to appease a variety of tastes! As we've mentioned many times before, a "turkey" is not a bad movie. It's not an intentionally made bad movie. It is a film where the creators did the...

One of the things we continue to preach on this podcast is learning about the people that are involved with the films we love. It helps you see more and understand more, about the person, as well as the final product they are involved with, whether they are an actor, makeup artist, or director. Author Joe Maddrey's recent book,  The Soul of Wes Craven , from Harker Press, does just this, digging d...

The Legend of Hell House (1973), Hausu (1977), The Abandoned (2006) In older small towns, there is usually some old house on the outskirts of town, maybe someone lives there, maybe not. But it is one that young kids dare themselves to go up to. And if you do dare to enter this dwelling, you'll find creaking boards, dust covered items from furniture to knick-knacks, and a lot of cobwebs. And any no...

Four decades on, and Fangoria is still one of the leading voices of horror culture.  But in it's heyday in the 1980s, it was the gold standard. It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that Fangoria was the most important part of horror culture at that time.  On this episode of Discover the Horror, we take a trip through Fango's history and discuss how it shaped out love of the genre, as well as spe...

The Vampire Doll (1970), Lake of Dracula (1971), and Evil of Dracula (1974). In the annals of Japanese horror cinema, this vampire trilogy from director Michio Yamamoto seems to be close to escaping into obscurity. In fact, try finding much more than a passing mention of these films in any reference books. But thanks to Arrow Video, all three of these films are at least saved from fading away in t...

Re-Animator (1985), From Beyond (1986), and Dagon (2001) Bringing the works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft to the screen is not an easy task. Much of the horror Lovecraft talked about wasn't described or explained too much, leaving it up to the reader. But when director Stuart Gordon, producer Brian Yuzna, and writer Dennis Paoli got together to adapt Lovecraft's 1922 story "Herbert West - Re-Animat...

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). We've decided to take on a little twist here, doing an on-going series that we're calling Twice Told Tales. This is where we are going to compare two films, an original and its remake. This is not to say which one is better, but to highlight the positives of both, what we feel works, and the differences between them....

Mother's Day (1980), Madman (1981), Pieces (1982), and Evil Dead Trap (1988) When you're talking about horror films with most non-horror fans, they usually are thinking about the slashers which they seem to encapsule all of that genre. But when us fans start to dig into that sub-genre, that's when the questions arise, parameters seemed like they have to set, even though plenty of the films go out...