Hypnogoria

1943 was another bumper year for Universal, with a new Phantom of the Opera, Lon Chaney Jnr. taking on the cloak of the Count in Son of Dracula, and a new franchise launching with Captive Wild Woman. Even the adventures of Holmes and Watson were taking an eerie turn...

1942 continues to be a bumper year for Universal, with Kharis rising from the grave once more in the shape of Lon Chaney Jnr. in The Mummy's Tomb, delivering old dark house thrills in Night Monster with Bela Lugosi, and pitting two titans of terror against one another in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man! Plus the great detective Sherlock Holmes, as played by Basil Rathbone, begins a long running se...

In this chapter we see Universal riding high on the success of The Wolf Man , and launching a record-breaking number of horror movies in 1942, including a new addition to the Frankenstein saga with their newly crowned king of horror, Lon Chaney Jnr. donning the famous square skull and neck bolts!

It is 1978, and this is the night he came home! In this chapter we look at John Carpenter's classic Hallowe'en , uncover its origins, explore its connections with the holiday and learn how it brought horror back to Hallowe'en night!   Find more the rest of the Origins of Halloween podcast series, plus other ghoulish goodies, here !

As a prelude to the next chapter of our Origins of Hallowe'en series, we delve into the world of spooky spoken word records from the '60s and '70s, discovering a world of scary stories and haunted vinyl! We hear Famous Monsters Speak! (1963), visit A Graveyard of Ghosts (1974) with Vincent Price, and experience Halloween Horrors (1977)!

In this episode we have a double dose of terror from Adam Nevill! First we look at the new movie version of his novel No One Gets Out Alive which is currently scaring the pants of people on Netflix, and then have a review of his tenth novel, a tale of folk horror entitled Cunning Folk! The book is available for preorder, along lots of other goodies, at Adam's website

In this second exploration of the ghosts of MR James, we uncover strange childhood inspirations, identify recurring types of spectres in his tales, and uncover the good doctor's own view on ghosts.

This week we begin a two part investigation into the ghost stories of MR James, and try to uncover what inspired and influenced the creation of his classic tales of the supernatural.

In this final (honest) episode of our brains in jars season we look at a pair of movies featured chaotic cerebellums causing carnage! First from 1986 we have Canadian horror The Brain , and then from that golden age of sci-fi monster movies, the 1950s, we have the legendary Fiend Without a Face !

Continuing our brains-in-jars mini season, we look at two low budget schlockfests - The Brain from Planet Arous from 1957 and The Brain That Wouldn't Die from 1962!

In this show we take a look at the three big screen adaptations of the novel  Donovan's Brain  by Curt Siodmak -  The Lady and the Monster  (1944),  Donovan's Brain  (1953), and  The Brain  (1962) - three movies, from three different decades, and three very different versions of the story! 

Thanks to my arch enemy Mr Real Life getting in the way, it's another trip to the Archives of Abominable Audio this week... But on the upside, we've unearthed a macabre tale from Roald Dahl!

In a new mini series, we take a look at Donovan's Brain by Curt Siodmak, first published in 1942 in the pages of legendary pulp magazine Black Mask. In this first episode we hear the celebrated 1944 radio version produced by the Suspense Radio show, and starring Orson Welles!

In this chapter we look at one of the most seminal horror movies ever made - The Wolf Man (1941). Starring Lon Chaney Jnr., Evelyn Ankers, Claude Rains, Bela Lugosi, and Maria Ouspenskaya, this is the movie that redefined werewolves for ever!

In this chapter we look at a landmark year for Universal horror - 1941 - the year that brought us the first appearances of Lon Chaney Jnr. , Evelyn Ankers and the men the monsters feared... Abbott & Costello!  In this show, we discuss  Man-Made Monster ,  Horror Island ,  The Black Ca t with Basil Rathbone and Bela Lugosi, and  Hold That Ghost !

1940 was a year for returning horror stars and brand new sequels! In this podcast we look at Black Friday starring Karloff and Lugosi, and  The House of Seven Gables with Vincent Price. Plus, meet new monster Kharis in The Mummy's Hand, and hook up with The Invisible Woman!   

In this episode we look at the first movies in the second wave of Universal horror - ghostly revenge in The House of Fear, medieval murders in The Tower of London, and more mad science mayhem in The Invisible Man Returns!

In this chapter we discover the story behind Son of Frankenstein (1939)! This movie gave us one of the most remarkable resurrections in film history, not just reviving the Universal Frankenstein saga, but also spawning a new era of horror movies!

A fresh chapter of Universal Horror history! In this episode we examine what happened during the great horror hiatus and how the horror film was resurrected once more!

In this special we uncover the saga of Black Beth, a character who first appeared in legendary 1980s horror comic Scream! We learn of her surprising origins, and take a look at her resurrection by Rebellion and the brand new adventures chronicled by writer Alec Worley and artist DaNi, including the latest hot-off-the-press one shot special The Devils of Al-Kadesh

While Mr Jim is laid low with a throat infection, we have the strange tale of a curious clock, that just might be a portal to Hell itself!

In a little T Rex tangent I couldn't fit into the Damnation Alley saga, we exploring the culty connections between dread dino Satanus in Judge Dredd, Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park and Westworld, time tourism, 2000 AD's Flesh, T Rex hunting, and Ray Bradbury!

We continue to trace the various science fiction vehicles inspired by Roger Zelazny's Damnation Alley. We learn how both Zelazny's story and the Adventure 2000 toys turned up in a classic Judge Dredd tale in 2000 AD, plus look at some futuristic toys from the same ear - the Xploratrons from Corgi - who also had connections to the galaxy's greatest comic too!

In the first of a two part trip to the 'Orrible 'Ouse of Terrible Old Tat we trace a strange family tree spawned by Hell Tanner's ride in Roger Zelazny's Damnation Alley, and see how the movie version's Land Master influenced a successful line of sci-fi toy vehicles from Matchbox - the Adventure 2000 range.

Unearthed from the archives, the unaired pilot for a 1940s horror radio series - Mystery House, hosted by and starring Bela Lugosi. In this sole surviving episode, with guest star John Carradine, brings us the tale of The Thirsty Dead!