Scream Scene Podcast

What's new, Scooby-Doo? For this month's horror adjacent movie, your deadicated hosts investigate SCOOBY-DOO ON ZOMBIE ISLAND (1998) from director Jim Stenstrum! Topics covered include: The origins of Hanna-Barbera, why his name is Scooby-Doo, and where Sarah's longheld fear of zombies originates! During the episode, Ben references an article from Chris Sims on Scooby-Doo and secular humanism, whi...

Is it Gothic? Is it... horror? It's MY WORLD DIES SCREAMING (1958, Daniels), aka TERROR IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE, the very first picture in... psychorama! Starring Gerald Mohr, Cathy O'Donnell, William Ching and John Qualen. From the origins of subliminal messaging to the Satanic Panic, we cover a lot of ground in this week's episode! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 35:04; Discussion 52:27; Ranking 1:...

A mini series adapted into a 90 minute film... what could go wrong? This week we cover THE TROLLENBERG TERROR (1958) aka THE CRAWLING EYE from director Quentin Lawrence and writer Jimmy Sangster! The film stars Forrest Tucker, Laurence Payne and Jennifer Jayne. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 35:32; Discussion 47:07; Ranking 1:12:44

It's an appeal of our number one ranked film, DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (1931, Mamoulian)!! Hear the valid critique of our top film from a Creature of the Night and our response! We specifically compare the 1931 J&H to 1958's HORROR OF DRACULA and the 1941 J&H adaptation. The '31 J&H was originally covered in episode 27. You can find the full list of ranked films at screamscenepodcast.com

This episode features a confession... I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE (1958)! This title and film comes from director Gene Fowler Jr and stars Tom Tryan and Gloria Talbott. Does this horror live up to its lurid title? Full disclosure: your deadicated hosts recorded this in advance of the U.S. Supreme Court leak about overturning Roe v. Wade. In the context of this development, we'd like to ad...

Ah hello there! Welcome, we are your deadicated hosts, here to present the first Inner Sanctum mystery film CALLING DR. DEATH (1943) from director Reginald Le Borg for our April bonus episode! This horror-adjacent film from Universal stars Lon Chaney Jr, Patricia Morison and J Carrol Naish. Plus, we give the history of the Inner Sanctum book and radio show! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 24:21; D...

For episode 250, your deadicated hosts take on THE BLOB (1958, Yeaworth) starring Steve McQueen! What is star jelly and how did it inspire the film? Why on earth is there a Burt Bacharach Blob theme song? You're telling me THE BLOB made HOW much money?! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 41:44; Discussion 54:52; Ranking 1:21:42

From director Bruno VeSota comes THE BRAIN EATERS (1958) starring Ed Nelson, Alan Factor, Cornelius Keefe and introducing Leonard Nimoy! Does this B-movie adapt a Robert Heinlein novel, or was the plagiarism charge unfounded? Will the bad sound quality impact the low-budget film's ranking? Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 17:50; Discussion 27:11; Ranking 45:47

It might be a cheap B-movie, but NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST (1958) proves to be historically notable for a few reasons -- one of which being a horror only executive produced by Roger Corman, produced by his brother Gene, and ultimately directed by Bernard Kowalski! Written by Martin Varno, NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST stars John Baer, Angela Greene, Ed Nelson, Georgianna Carter, Michael Emmet, Tyler McV...

Peter Cushing is back, baby! This time, he's starring in THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1958, Fisher), proving yet again that the best revenge is living well! The film also stars Francis Matthews, Michael Gwynn and Eunice Gayson. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 23:28; Discussion 36:26; Ranking 50:28

The exemplary black comedy ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944) gets covered for Scream Scene's horror adjacent bonus episode for March! Directed by Frank Capra, this film adapts the 1941 play of the same name from playwright Joseph Kesselring. Leaving Boris Karloff behind on Broadway, the film keeps the play's stars Josephine Hull, Jean Adair and John Alexander, replacing Karloff with Raymond Massey. And,...

Hammer Films' writer Jimmy Sangster offers a side hustle to non-Hammer producers with BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE (1958) directed by Henry Cass! But is the film as bloody as it desires? Listen to find out! The cast features Donald Wolfit, Vincent Ball and Barbara Shelley. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 11:59; Discussion 25:30; Ranking 45:37

Out of Mexico comes the sequel to 1957's EL VAMPIRO; it's EL ATAUD DEL VAMPIRO (1958) from director Fernando Méndez! Will it hold up to his previous horror? How will writers Ramón Obón and Alfredo Salazar remix classic horror tropes this time? This sequel features the same cast and crew, including Abel Salazar, Ariadna Welter and German Robles! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 14:32; Discussion 23:...

After seeing what director Edward L Cahn and his crew could accomplish with last week's film, your deadicated hosts were excited for the second half of their double feature! But does CURSE OF THE FACELESS MAN (1958) meet our expectations?? Inspired by 1932's THE MUMMY, this horror features a Roman gladiator reborn from the destruction of Pompeii! The film stars Richard Anderson, Elain Edwards, Ade...

From director Edward L. Cahn comes IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE (1958)! Marshall Thompson stars in this photo-ALIEN film about a monster from Mars! This horror sci-fi also stars Shirley Patterson, Kim Spalding, Dabbs Greer and Ann Doran, with Ray "Crash" Corrigan in his last film role in Paul Blaisdell's last original creature design. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 24:53; Discussion 35:47; Ra...

Adapted from the short story of the same name by F Marion Crawford, this week's movie is THE SCREAMING SKULL (1958, NIcol)! Starring Peggy Webber, John Hudson, Russ Conway and Alex Nicol, is this low-budget horror movie schlock or... is it good? Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 27:14; Discussion 40:46; Ranking 1:00:05

This month's horror adjacent film was chosen from a selection of shorts, and our patrons selected Buster Keaton's THE HAUNTED HOUSE (1921, Cline)! Joseph "Buster" Keaton stars in this two-reel silent comedy, and we outline his long and illustrious career. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 38:14; Discussion 40:09

Director Howard Koch brings us FRANKENSTEIN 1970, confusingly released in 1958! Boris Karloff returns to the story that turned him into a star -- but this time, as the titular doctor! The film also stars Tom Duggan, Jana Lund, Don Barry, Charlotte Austin, Mike Lane and Rudolph Anders. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 25:53; Discussion 43:48; Ranking 1:04:34

Based on the famous 1957 short story from George Langelaan comes THE FLY (1958) from director/producer Kurt Neumann! This disturbing horror stars Patricia Owens, David Hedison, Vincent Price and Herbert Marshall. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 48:16; Discussion 1:03:28; Ranking 1:35:40

Dive into the history of Japanese ghost cats with BŌREI KAIBYŌ YASHIKI (1958), also known as BLACK CAT MANSION from director Nobuo Nakagawa! This film has everything: bakeneko, kabuki AND revenge! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 26:11; Discussion 43:05; Ranking 59:22

Cemeteries, psychic powers and pins galore! This week your deadicated hosts watch I BURY THE LIVING (1958) from director Albert Band and starring Richard Boone and Theodore Bikel! This film may whiff the ending, but it's a thrilling ride all the same. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 12:15; Discussion 29:03; Ranking 56:07

Our patrons voted and we dutifully answered: this month's horror adjacent episode dives into THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932) starring Boris Karloff as the titular "Yellow Peril incarnate" character! Discussions of cultural fears, author Sax Rohmer, Orientalism and more abound in this bonus episode. Enjoy! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 1:26:54; Discussion 1:36:33

From the studio that brought teens into horror comes HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER (1958), our first meta horror movie! Written by the team Herman Cohen and Aben Kandel, the film stars Robert Harris as a Jack Pierce/Paul Blaisdel stand-in, making this meta movie practically made for fans of old school horror! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 23:19; Discussion 32:47; Ranking 47:04

Boris Karloff flexes his horror talents with THE HAUNTED STRANGLER (1958) from director Robert Day! Planned as the top half (but released as the bottom) of the double feature with FIEND WITHOUT A FACE, this old fashioned flick takes inspiration from Jack the Ripper, Jekyll and Hyde, and others. The film stars Boris Karloff, Jean Kent, Elizabeth Allan, Anthony Dawson, Tim Turner and Vera Day. Conte...

From the pulp pages of Weird Tales onto the silver screen, it's FIEND WITHOUT A FACE (1958) from producers John Croydon and Richard Gordon, and director Arthur Crabtree! This Cold War horror set in Canada has more than its fair share of surprises; one would even call it... WILD! The film stars Marshall Thompson, Kynaston Reeves, Kim Parker and Stanley Maxted. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 34:55;...