Scream Scene Podcast

Dracula is... coming to America! Warn the housewives and use that white picket fence for making stakes -- it's THE RETURN OF DRACULA (1958) from director Paul Landres! The film stars Frances Lederer, Norma Eberhardt and John Wengraf with music by Gerald Fried. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 15:47; Discussion 25:38; Ranking 39:45

Surely the bottom half of the double feature with HORROR OF DRACULA has to be good...right? Let's see what director Will Cowan has in store with THE THING THAT COULDN'T DIE (1958)! The film stars William Reynolds, Andra Martin, Jeffrey Stone and Carolyn Kearney. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 16:46; Discussion 33:13; Ranking 52:06

Merry Christmas! Our horror adjacent episode this month is on Paul Leni's 1928 adaptation of THE MAN WHO LAUGHS! We look at the relationship this film has with THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, plus some back story on author Victor Hugo. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 52:12; Discussion 1:02:27

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing return to Scream Scene with DRACULA aka HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) directed by Terence Fisher! This declarative and colourful thrill ride also stars Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh and John Van Eyssen. Described by a contemporary critic as "The best horror ever made," how will this Dracula adaptation fare on The List?? Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 4...

Channeling his inner Roger Corman and Ed Wood comes Ronnie Ashcroft with THE ASTOUNDING SHE-MONSTER (1958), the film he (likely) wrote, produced and directed! With a badass poster from Albert Kallis, what could go wrong with this horror sci-fi b-movie?? The film stars Robert Clarke, Kenne Duncan, Marilyn Harvey, Jeanne Tatum, Shirley Kilpatrick and Ewing Brown. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 17:3...

It moves! It breathes! It kills! It's WOMANEATER (1958) from director Charles Saunders! This low-budget UK horror stars George Coulouris, Vera Day and a woman-eating tree -- but you won't find Paul Blaisdell in the credits. Listen to learn how Saunders blends exploitation and horror in this truly missable film! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 11:45; Discussion 21:36; Ranking 44:29

A legend is in our midst... it's the first film from director/producer William Castle! With a screenplay from Robb White, just what is in store in 1958's MACABRE? William Prince, Jacqueline Scott, Christine White and Philip Tonge star in this adaptation of the 1951 novel THE MARBLE FOREST from Theo Durrant. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 27:27; Discussion 47:40; Ranking 1:09:46

This month's horror adjacent episode is on Fritz Lang's M (1931) starring Peter Lorre! The history of Lang and his collaborator Thea von Harbou is long and intricate, so buckle up for a wild ride! Plus, your deadicated hosts dabble in true crime with coverage of serial killer Peter Kürten, the Vampire of Düsseldorf. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 1:10:21; Discussion 1:20:53

This week, your deadicated hosts cover an Ed Wood picture not made by Ed Wood... it's THE BRIDE AND THE BEAST (1958) from director Adrian Weiss, his one and only film! This wild and weird flick stars Charlotte Austin, Lance Fuller, and Steve Calvert as the beast in a suit from Ray "Crash" Corrigan. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 15:15; Discussion 32:06; Ranking 46:58

From the unknown depths of... Spain?? comes GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN (1958), directed by Richard Cunha and starring wrestler Buddy Baer as the titular giant with makeup from Jack Pierce! The film also stars Ed Kemmer, Sally Fraser, Morris Ankrum and Bob Steele, with minor infringement on Charles Schulz with a character named Charlie Brown. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 11:20; Discussion 30:31; Ran...

Director Nobua Nakagawa returns with KAIDAN KASANE-GA-FUCHI (1957), translated as GHOST STORY OF KASANE SWAMP! Based on a story from rakugoka Encho Sanyutei, this horror delivers exactly what you want, and more! The film stars Tetsuro Tamba, Katsuko Wakasugi, Takashi Wada, Noriko Kitazawa and Kikuko Hanaoka. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 13:18; Discussion 25:56; Ranking 39:53

We travel back in time to watch KYUKETSU-GA (1956) from Japanese director Nobuo Nakagawa! Moths? Vampires?! Werewolves?!! Just what is in store in this adaptation of Seishi Yokomizo's Kosuke Kindaichi detective stories? The film stars Ryō Ikebe as the detective Kindaichi, with Asami Kuji, Eijirō Tōno and Kyoko Anzai in supporting roles. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 18:28; Discussion 33:58; Rank...

Your deadicated hosts cover your favourite family! For our fifth horror adjacent episode, it's THE ADDAMS FAMILY (1991, Sonnenfeld)! From Charles Addams beginnings to the bonkers behind-the-scenes production, it's everything you've ever wanted to know about this Halloween classic. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 1:03:33; Discussion 1:09:21

Only the most horrific nightmares lie in NIGHT OF THE DEMON (1957)! We meet our old friend and director Jacques Tourneur as he returns to horror in force alongside stars Dana Andrews, Niall MacGinnis and Peggy Cummins! Plus, what M. R. James is known for and how much of his short story "Casting the Runes" makes it into this adaptation... Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 40:07; Discussion 56:12; Ran...

Finally, just what we ordered... more teens! We cover the second half of AIP's teen-inspired double feature with BLOOD OF DRACULA (1957)! Director Herbert Strock takes us to an all-girls boarding school where a creature lurks at night... Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 7:32; Discussion 20:03; Ranking 42:14

I have a confession to make... I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN (1957)! From director Herbert Strock, we get the followup to I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF, starring Whit Bissell, Phyllis Coates, Robert Burton and Gary Conway. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 23:28; Discussion 40:36; Ranking 54:33

Inspired by the Mummy movies from Universal, Alfredo Salazar pens the Mexican horror film LA MOMIA AZTECA (1957) directed by Rafael Portillo! The film stars Ramón Gay, Rosa Arenas, Crox Alvarado and Jorge Mondragón. Can you take a Mummy movie outside of a pulpy, colonial context? Are there genre ties between horror and classic serials? Just what are Aztec mummies? We answer all these questions and...

It's a title we've seen before, but this movie is not the same... it's EL VAMPIRO (1957) from director Fernando Méndez and starring Abel Salazar, Germán Robles, Ariadne Welter and Carmen Montejo! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 9:03; Discussion 21:15; Ranking 34:44

What's real and what's just in your head? This month's horror adjacent episode features the prestige Victorian thriller GASLIGHT (1944) from director George Cukor, starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten! Plus, discussion of how pervasive the term "gaslighting" has become, and whether the film is a good or bad portrayal of an abusive relationship -- spoiler alert: it's both! Conte...

Your dedicated hosts travel to Mexico for LADRÓN DE CADÁVERES (1957), written and directed by Fernando Méndez! The film stars Columba Domínguez, Crox Alvarado, Wolf Ruvinskis and Carlos Riquelme. What do you get when you mix luchadores, mad scientists and King Kong? A pretty dope movie, that's what! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 20:56; Discussion 35:25; Ranking 41:57

AIP and Anglo-Amalgamated films were confronted with Hammer Films' success. Their response was CAT GIRL (1957)! From director Alfred Shaughnessy and writer Lou Rusoff, this old fashioned CAT PEOPLE remake stars Barbara Shelley as the titular cat. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 20:23; Discussion 31:36; Ranking 48:45

Val Guest and Nigel Kneale return with THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN (1957)! Starring Peter Cushing and Forrest Tucker, will this Yeti movie make slogging through all the previous Yeti movies worth it? Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 27:34; Discussion 39:07; Ranking 1:03:14

FROM HELL IT CAME (1957, Milner) to terrorize a Polynesian island and the American doctors living there! But, are we sure they don't deserve it? Your deadicated hosts suffer through this B horror that stars Tod Andrews, Tina Carver, Linda Watkins, John McNamara, Gregg Palmer and many, many others, and features a creature from Paul Blaisdell. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 12:26; Discussion 22:07;...

On this month's horror adjacent episode, your deadicated hosts take on Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder's YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974)! What makes this spoof work? Does it age well? How do we deal with its... sexual politics? All this and more in August's bonus episode! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 1:11:49; Discussion 1:24:21

She's baaaaaack -- from the dead! This 1957 b-movie BACK FROM THE DEAD is directed by Charles Warren and stars Peggie Castle, Marsha Hunt, Arthur Franz and Don Haggerty. What will your hosts think of this female-led horror? Does it deserve to remain in obscurity? Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 19:45; Discussion 43:24; Ranking 57:38