This week we have a look at the 2024 film Salem’s Lot.  This is Episode #444! 'Salem's Lot is a 2024 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Gary Dauberman, based on the 1975 novel by Stephen King. The film stars Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Alfre Woodard, John Benjamin Hickey, Bill Camp, Jordan Preston Carter, Nicholas Crovetti, Spencer Treat Clark, William Sadler, and Pilou Asbæk. It is the first feature film adaptation of the book, preceded by miniseries versions from 1979 and 2004. The plot centers on a writer who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot in search of inspiration, only to discover the presence of a vampire. The film was announced in 2019 and shot in 2021, with additional photography in 2022. The film's release was delayed multiple times.'Salem's Lot had its world premiere as the opening film at the Beyond Fest on September 25, 2024, and was released on Max on October 3, 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with director Jim Towns. Towns is a Pittsburgh-born / LA-based writer, filmmaker and artist. His feature films include Prometheus Triumphant, STIFF, House of Bad, End Times, Killer Ex and the upcoming The Possession of Anne (on streaming Nov. 2nd). His books include Bloodsucker City, Whiskey Stories and Braddock’s Falls; he’s currently in post on his black and white arthouse feature drama Mandromeda, and is about to shoot his next film, The Stickfighter.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Jack Dignan, director of the new film PUZZLE BOX, which will be released across digital platforms on Friday, October 11th. Jack is an award-winning writer,  director, and producer, is best known for his critically acclaimed film After She Died, about which The Australian deemed him "the new [James] Wan.”In Puzzle Box, Recovering drug addict Kait flees to a house in the woods to self-rehabilitate. Joined by her sister Olivia, who documents the process, strange things begin to happen as the house's layout begins to change, and the two find themselves trapped inside an inescapable, nightmarish puzzle box.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1960 Mario Bava-directed horror film BLACK SUNDAY, AKA THE MASK OF SATAN and other related titles.  This is Episode #443! Black Sunday (Italian: La maschera del demonio, lit. 'The mask of the demon') is a 1960 Italian gothic horror film directed by Mario Bava in his official directorial debut, and starring Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani, Arturo Dominici and Enrico Oliveri. Loosely based on Nikolai Gogol's short story "Viy", the film takes place in Moldavia and tells the story of a witch who is put to death by her brother, only to return two centuries later to seek revenge upon his descendants.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Leslie Lutz, author of the new book SWEETEST DARKNESS from Holiday House. SWEETEST DARKNESS is a supernatural horror novel in which a teenage psychic is drawn deep into the honeycomb of an abandoned hotel—and into a cat-and-mouse game with a predatory entity.  This is Dark Americana, from the crumbling Hollywood glamor of the Alvarado Hotel, to the neon-lit diner where the final showdown happens, to the shining horizon of the Chihuahuan Desert just outside town. It’s a horror set in a moody Southwestern landscape. Leslie Lutz is a young adult author whose poetry and prose have been widely published and whose debut YA thriller, FRACTURED TIDE, was voted best of 2020 by Suspense Magazine and was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard pick. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and daughter, along with three cats and two spoiled chickens.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Jason chats with co-host Tony Salvaggio to recap the 2024 Fantastic Fest genre film festival. Tony saw about 30 films in seven days and he's here to tell us what we have to look forward to over the next year.The Fantastic Fest organizers describe the fest thus:Our merry band of misfits, muckrakers, and miscreants is making it's way to Austin, TX, for an 8-day carnival of cinematic delights – Fantastic Fest is back on Sept. 19th - 26th, taking place at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar cinema.Find the film listings here: https://fantasticfest24.eventive.org/filmsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Hello and welcome to Castle Talk where we talk to writers and creators of today’s genre worlds, I’m your host Jason Henderson, PUBLISHER AT CASTLE BRIDGE MEDIA, HOME OF THE CASTLE OF HORROR ANTHOLOGY SERIES. Tonight we’re chatting with Director Patricio Valladares and Screenwriter Barry Keating of the new film INVOKING YELL. Patricio Valladares’ films have been showcased at festivals like Sitges, Fantasía, and Frightfest. In 2022, he directed three feature films, including the sequel to "Hidden in the Woods" for Germany and "Invoking Yell", acquired by Welcome Villain for release. Barry Keating has written 9 produced feature films, and has worked with genre icons such as Robert Englund (A Night On Elm Street), Ken Foree (Dawn of The Dead), Franco Nero (Die Hard 2) and the late Julian Sands (Naked Lunch) in one of his final roles.Set in 1997 in the south of Chile, INVOKING YELL is a love letter to black metal that follows a trio of metalhead twenty-something girls who venture into the woods to shoot the demo tape for their black metal band, Invoking Yell. However, things take a sinister turn as they document their disturbing and unorthodox process of recording paranormal phenomena to be used in the album’s final track.INVOKING YELL will be released on 9/20 and available via Fandango at home and AppleTV. It marks the fifth collaboration between Barry Keating and Patricio Valladares. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Shelly Bond, editor and author of Filth & Grammar: The Comic Book Editor’s Secret Handbook. Bond is Editor-at-Large and the creator, editor and curator of the BLACK CROWN and OFF REGISTER imprints, Shelly has been driven to edit + curate comic books, crush deadlines and innovate for over a quarter-century. She lives in Los Angeles.Shelly Bond and her team go through the entire process of managing the creation of a comic book: organizing oneself, pitching the concept to potential backers, writing the script, planning the layout of the book, creating the text and artwork, assembling everything, and checking that things are correct before going to print.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Jason chats with co-host Tony Salvaggio as he continues exploring the 2024 Fantastic Fest and what he has to look forward to. Fantastic FestOur merry band of misfits, muckrakers, and miscreants is making it's way to Austin, TX, for an 8-day carnival of cinematic delights – Fantastic Fest is back on Sept. 19th - 26th, taking place at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar cinema.Find the film listings here: https://fantasticfest24.eventive.org/filmsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Hello and welcome to Castle Talk where we talk to writers and creators of today’s genre worlds, I’m your host Jason Henderson, PUBLISHER AT CASTLE BRIDGE MEDIA, HOME OF THE CASTLE OF HORROR ANTHOLOGY SERIES. Tonight we’re chatting with director Michael Day whose debut feature CLAWFOOT will be available on Digital Download from September 23. In the film, Francesca Eastwood (Old, A Violent Separation) stars as an upper-class housewife, Janet, tormented by a manipulative contractor, Leo (Milo Gibson), hired to remodel her bathroom. Joining forces with her best friend, Tasha (Olivia Culpo), they turn the tables on him and ignite a twisted battle of wits with deliciously unexpected outcomes.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with with Stuart Ortiz, Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple of STRANGE HARVEST: OCCULT MURDER IN THE INLAND EMPIRE. The film is directed & written by Ortiz (Grave Encounters 1 & 2, Extraterrestrial) and follows the trail of some disturbing killings, in a hyper-realistic way, and yet even am angst this very convincing sort of faux Dateline setup, there’s the hint of a Lovecraftian tale of cosmic horror. STRANGE HARVEST: OCCULT MURDER IN THE INLAND EMPIRE will make its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024 on September 22, 2024 at 11:50 p.m. CT. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Jason chats with co-host Tony Salvaggio about the kickoff of the 2024 Fantastic Fest and what he has to look forward to. Fantastic FestOur merry band of misfits, muckrakers, and miscreants is making it's way to Austin, TX, for an 8-day carnival of cinematic delights – Fantastic Fest is back on Sept. 19th - 26th, taking place at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar cinema.Find the film listings here: https://fantasticfest24.eventive.org/filmsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Johnny Compton, author of the new book Devils Kill Devils. In the book, a woman who has always counted on the protection of a Guardian Angel has to work out why that angel would suddenly murder her husband on her wedding night. It’s a little bit horror and a little bit urban fantasy. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Libby Cudmore, whose neo-noir thriller NEGATIVE GIRL comes out this month, September 10 from Datura Books. S.A. Cosby called it "fantastic" and “…a sharp subversive exploration of the PI novel that elevates the genre while never sacrificing the thrills." Libby is a Shamus and Black Orchid award winner and author of the acclaimed novel The Big Rewind. Her Wade and Jacks stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Tough and the Anthony-nominated anthology Lawyers, Guns & Money: Crime Fiction Inspired by The Music of Warren Zevon (co-edited with Art Taylor). She is also the current co-host of the OST Party and Misbehavin' podcasts and the creator and host of the #RecordSaturday live-tween series, spinning an array of old and new vinyl in a weekly interactive conversation. About the book: Upstate New York. Former rock star, recovering addict and now private investigator, Martin Wade, and his assistant, Valerie Jacks, are hired by a young woman who wants them to deliver a warning to her overbearing father. But neither realize their new client’s father is an old bandmate of Martin’s. A man still burdened with regret at being thrown out of Martin’s group, The French Letters, almost two decades before. When their young client is found dead on a riverbank, duty, nostalgia and a lifetime of guilt find Martin and Valerie on the case, searching for the young woman’s killer. As the mystery begins to unravel, Martin struggles to hold onto his sobriety while Valerie becomes increasingly obsessed with their murdered client – finding correlation in the secrets, and the scars they’ve all tried to hide.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 2024 Tim Burton-directed film BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE.  This is Episode #442! Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a 2024 American dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. A sequel to Beetlejuice (1988) and the second film of the Beetlejuice franchise, the film stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara reprising their roles alongside new cast members Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega, and Willem Dafoe. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opened the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2024, and was theatrically released overseas on September 4, 2024, and in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures two days later. The film has received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $147 million worldwide on a $100 million budget.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with SK Dale, director of the new film SUBSERVIENCE. Dale teams up again with Megan Fox, who starred in Dale’s thriller TIL DEATH. Here, Fox plays an artificial person hired to help around the house while a man’s wife is sick in the hospital. And naturally that goes great. SUBSERVIENCE was directed by S.K. Dale (Till Death) and written by  Will Honley (Bloodline) and April Maguire (#Zombie). It stars Megan Fox (Transformers), Michele Morrone (365 Days), and Madeline Zima ("Californication"). In SUBSERVIENCE, Megan Fox stars as Alice, a lifelike artificially intelligent android, who has the ability to take care of any family and home. Looking for help with the housework, a struggling father (Michele Morrone) purchases Alice after his wife becomes sick. Alice suddenly becomes self-aware and wants everything her new family has to offer, starting with the affection of her owner – and she’ll kill to get it. XYZ Films will release SUBSERVIENCE on Digital and on Demand on September 13th, 2024.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Sarah Pinsker, author of the new book HAUNT SWEET HOME – a ghost story set in the world of reality TV and a young woman’s first real job. Sarah Pinsker is the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K Dick Award winning author of A Song For A New Day, We Are Satellites, Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea, Lost Places, and over sixty works of short fiction. Her stories have appeared in Asimov's, Strange Horizons, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Uncanny, and in numerous anthologies and year’s bests. She is also a singer/songwriter with four albums on various independent labels. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her wife and two weird dogs.ABOUT HAUNT SWEET HOME:Fixer Upper meets Ghost Adventures in the reality TV show at the center of HAUNT SWEET HOME by award-winning queer author Sarah Pinsker (on-sale Sep. 3; Tordotcom), where the crafty night-shift crew manufactures “hauntings'' to spook homeowners and capture their ratings-boosting screams. However, these staged scares unfold into an unnerving reality for the show’s aimless production assistant Mara when the lines blur between practical effects and paranormal activity—and her stumbling journey through adulthood is given an unanticipated push by an unlikely ally.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1961 horror film The Pit and the Pendulum.  This is Episode #441! The Pit and the Pendulum is a 1961 horror film directed by Roger Corman, starring Vincent Price, Barbara Steele, John Kerr, and Luana Anders. The screenplay by Richard Matheson was loosely inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's 1842 short story of the same name. Set in sixteenth-century Spain, the story is about a young Englishman who visits a foreboding castle to investigate his sister's mysterious death. After a series of horrific revelations, apparently ghostly appearances and violent deaths, the young man becomes strapped to the titular torture device by his lunatic brother-in-law during the film's climactic sequence.The film was the second title in the popular series of Poe adaptations released by American International Pictures, the first having been Corman's House of Usher released the previous year. Like House, the film features widescreen cinematography by Floyd Crosby, sets designed by art director Daniel Haller, and a film score composed by Les Baxter. A critical and box-office hit, Pit's success convinced AIP and Corman to continue adapting Poe stories for another six films, five of them starring Price. The series ended in 1964 with the release of The Tomb of Ligeia.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with P. J. Tricia Hoover, whose new book is out under her other other name, Connor Hoover, and its title is Castle of Doom, a Pick Your Own Quest Book.P. J. (Tricia) Hoover wanted to be a Jedi, but when that didn't work out, she became an electrical engineer instead. After a fifteen year bout designing computer chips for a living, P. J. started creating worlds of her own. She's the award-winning author of THE HIDDEN CODE and THE KNIFE OF OSIRIS, featuring a fourteen-year-old King Tut who's stuck in middle school. Under the Connor Hoover pseudonym, she is also the author of the popular Pick Your Own Quest series, which are interactive adventures perfect for everyone. When not writing, P. J.  loves spending time practicing kung fu, fixing things around the house, and solving Rubik's cubes. For more information about P. J. (Tricia) Hoover, please visit her website www.pjhoover.com.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1959 horror film A Bucket of Blood.  This is Episode #440! A Bucket of Blood is a 1959 American comedy horror film directed by Roger Corman. It starred Dick Miller and was set in the West Coast beatnik culture of the late 1950s. Written by Charles B. Griffith, the film, produced on a $50,000 budget, is about a dimwitted, impressionable young busboy at a Bohemian café who is acclaimed as a brilliant sculptor when he accidentally kills his landlady's cat and covers its body in clay to hide the evidence. When he is pressured to create similar work, he becomes a serial murderer.A Bucket of Blood was the first of a trio of collaborations between Corman and Griffith in the comedy genre, which include The Little Shop of Horrors (which was shot on the same sets as A Bucket of Blood) and Creature from the Haunted Sea. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the horror film The Little Shop of Horrors.  This is Episode #439! The Little Shop of Horrors is a 1960 American horror comedy film directed by Roger Corman. Written by Charles B. Griffith, the film is a farce about a florist's assistant who cultivates a plant that feeds on human blood. The film stars Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles, and Dick Miller, who had all worked for Corman on previous films. Produced under the title The Passionate People Eater, the film combines dark comedy with farce and incorporates Jewish humor and elements of spoof. The Little Shop of Horrors was shot on a budget of $28,000 (equivalent to $288,000 in 2023). Interiors were shot in two days, by utilizing sets that had been left standing from A Bucket of Blood.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the horror film Frankenstein Unbound.  This is Episode #438! Frankenstein Unbound is a 1990 science fiction horror film based on Brian Aldiss' 1973 novel of the same name, starring John Hurt, Raul Julia, Bridget Fonda, Jason Patric, and Nick Brimble. The film is co-written and directed by Roger Corman, returning to the director's chair after a hiatus of almost fifteen years. This is his final film as a director before his death in 2024.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with internationally bestselling author S.B. Caves, whose new book HONEYCOMB comes out July 9 from Datura Books. Born and raised in North London, Caves is the internationally bestselling author of A Killer Came Knocking and I Know Where She Is, which The Sun described as 'sinister, unsettling and gripping'.Honeycomb has been described as Big Brother meets Black Mirror -- suspense and intrigue arise when a burned-out pop star is recruited for an experimental reality show in which contestants are exposed to a mysterious new drug in a secluded mansion. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Robert Kiavat, Director and Writer for the new documentary The Mandela Effect Phenomenon, which comes out on digital July 9. Something mind-blowing is happening, where half the people swear reality's been altered, like they're from another timeline. Millions claim movies are different, and TV show titles, celebrities' names, logos and brands, other cultural touchstones and even the Bible are not what they once were. Is a supernatural force "Editing" history?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the horror film The Undead.  This is Episode #437!The Undead is a 1957 horror film directed by Roger Corman and starring Pamela Duncan, Allison Hayes, Richard Garland and Val Dufour. It also features Corman regulars Richard Devon, Dick Miller, Mel Welles and Bruno VeSota. The authors' original working title was The Trance of Diana Love. The film follows the story of a prostitute, Diana Love (Duncan), who is put into a hypnotic trance by psychic Quintus (Dufour), thus causing her to regress to a previous life. Hayes later starred in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958). The film was released on February 14, 1957 by American International Pictures as a double feature with Voodoo Woman.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Shane Dax Taylor, director of MURDER COMPANY which releases in select theaters, on digital and demand July 5, 2024. In the film, in the days leading up to the D-Day invasion, a group of US soldiers are given orders to smuggle a member of the French resistance behind enemy lines to assassinate a high-value Nazi target.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the horror film The Haunted Palace.  This is Episode #436!The Haunted Palace is a 1963 horror film released by American International Pictures, starring Vincent Price, Lon Chaney Jr. and Debra Paget (in her final film), in a story about a village held in the grip of a dead necromancer. The film was directed by Roger Corman and is one of his series of eight films largely based on the works of American author Edgar Allan Poe.Although marketed as "Edgar Allan Poe's The Haunted Palace", the film actually derives its plot from The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, a novella by H. P. Lovecraft. The film's title is derived from a 6-stanza poem by Poe, published in 1839 (which was later incorporated into Poe's horror short story "The Fall of the House of Usher"), and the film uses eight lines from the poem within the framing of the story.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1972 horror film Vampire Circus.  This is Episode #435 – and we have a very special guest joining us: John Logan! John has received the Tony award for his play Red and wrote the book for the Tony award-winning Moulin Rouge. As a screenwriter, he has been nominated for the Oscar three times and has received Golden Globe, BAFTA, WGA and Edgar awards. His film work includes Skyfall, Gladiator, The Aviator, Hugo, Rango, Sweeney Todd, They/Them, The Last Samurai, and Any Given Sunday. He also created the television series Penny Dreadful for Showtime. This November his musical Swept Away opens on Broadway and next year will see the release of his movie Michael, about Michael Jackson. Vampire Circus is a 1972 British horror film directed by Robert Young and starring Adrienne Corri, Thorley Walters and Anthony Higgins. It was written by Judson Kinberg, and produced by Wilbur Stark and Michael Carreras (uncredited) for Hammer Film Productions. The story concerns a traveling circus, the vampiric artists of which prey on the children of a 19th-century Serbian village.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Directors Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda of the new  horror film MIND BODY SPIRIT which is out now on VOD.  In MIND BODY SPIRIT, Anya, an aspiring yoga influencer, embarks on a ritualpractice left behind by her estranged grandmother. She documents the practice on her YouTubechannel for the world to watch, allowing her audience intimate access to her journey. But whatstarts as a spiritual self-help guide quickly evolves into something much more sinister.MIND BODY SPIRIT is a high-concept supernatural screenlife horror film that molds the ancientpractice of yoga with the modern social media landscape, all with the backdrop of a nightmarishsupernatural horror mystery that keeps audiences guessing.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

We're back! This week we have a look at the horror film Island of Terror.  This is Episode #434! Island of Terror directed by Terence Fisher, also known as Night of the Silicates, is a 1966 British horror film released by Planet Film Productions. The film was released in the United States by Universal Studios on a double bill with The Projected Man (1967). Island of Terror was filmed right after Fisher’s Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966).Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with producer-director Princeton James and lead actress April Hale of the new film QUEEN RISING which comes out on VOD June 18. In the film, struggling school teacher Madison (Hale) strikes a lucrative book deal to help solve her financial troubles. As she dives into her dark past surrounding the "College Town Slayings," she realizes it may still be a part of her present after all. QUEEN RISING is directed and produced by Princeton James. Written by Allison Chaney and Henry E. Reaves III. Produced by Emily James, Mitch Martin, and May Todd. Executive produced by Reaves III. Edited by Martin. Cinematograpy by Jordan Danelz. A Nero Studios production. An Enhanced Media production.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Carol LaHines, author of the new book The Vixen Amber Hollaway – a thrilling, feminist jailhouse confessional of women's rage and a revenge fantasy about a professor of Dante who descends into darkness after learning about her husband's affair.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Lori Brand, whose new book Bodies to Die For is out this month from Blackstone Publishing. she’s had articles published in STRONG Fitness Magazine, T-Nation, Inside Fitness Magazine, D’FYNE Fitness Magazine, and more. Bodies to Die For takes a hard look at social media, the $70 billion diet industry, and the war on women's bodies--the wars we wage with each other, and with ourselves.Popular fitness influencer Gemma has transformed herself from a Before into an After, complete with washboard abs, thriving business, and gorgeous husband. But social media can be deceiving. Offline, the cutthroat world of bikini bodybuilding may just eat her alive. That's if she's not first devoured by the secret nemesis that lurks beneath her polished surface, waiting to destroy her.Software engineer Ashley is fat and frustrated. Frustrated with failed diets. With a world that wants her to shrink. With biased doctors, online trolls, and even her own mother. Until Ashley falls in with a mysterious and radical sect of Fat Activists who are fighting back ... by any means necessary. She's never felt so alive, so full of purpose. She'll do whatever it takes to ride this high, destroy Diet Culture, and win the approval of her charismatic leader.But when Gemma's toughest rival turns up dead, and more fitness girls fall like dominoes, it's beginning to look like the body image war has gone too far.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Victoria Helen Stone, author of the new book FOLLOW HER DOWN (June 4); Victoria Helen Stone is the nom de plume for USA Today bestselling author Victoria Dahl, author of over 25 novels.In the thriller FOLLOW HER DOWN, Elise is getting her life together finally, running a bungalow hotel she owns in California, when she’s pulled into a new mystery that might connect the traumatizing loss of her sister years ago and now the murder of a married man she briefly dated. It’s a mystery that spends a lot of time thinking about the toxic waves of damage that violent crime does to those the victim leaves behind.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Nicholas Tomnay, Director/Writer for WHAT YOU WISH FOR, coming May 31 .  SYNOPSIS: Ryan, a chef with gambling problems, meets an old friend in a Latin American villa where he's been hired to cook an elaborate private meal for incoming guests. After assuming his friend's identity to take over the lucrative gig, Ryan comes to realize he may have bitten off more than he can chew.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Elka Ray, author of A FRIEND INDEED, which is new out from Blackstone Publishing.Elka has spent two decades living as an expat in Vietnam, working as a journalist, researching, copy editor and communications consultant.  Early last year, she saw a meme going around social media of a drawing of two women yielding faux-antique dress wielding shovels and the caption read: “Real friends help you hide the bodies.” And it got her thinking… “How far would I go to help my best friend?”  A FRIEND INDEED is the result.Twisty and ingenious, A FRIEND INDEED is an engrossing psychological thriller perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Ruth Ware. Shocking and fast-paced, this is a riveting tale about the power of friendship and the deadly weight of lies.

Tonight we’re chatting with  James Cullen Bressack, director/Co-Writer of DARKNESS OF MAN, which releases On Digital May 21, 2024. The film starts Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kristanna Loken, Emerson Min, Spencer Breslin with Kirk “Sticky Fingaz” Jones and Shannen Doherty.Directed By: James Cullen Bressack, Written By: Alethea Cho and James Cullen Bressack.DARKNESS OF MANRussell Hatch (Jean Claude Van Damme) is a washed up, former Interpol operative who vowed to protect the son of an informant killed years earlier in a raid gone wrong. When merciless street gangs start an all-out turf war and the kid is caught in the middle, Hatch will stop at nothing to keep him safe and fight anyone who gets in his way.Order the film at https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/darknessofman.

Tonight we’re chatting with Chandler Morrison, author of American Narcissus, which launches this month from Dead Sky Publishing.The book’s slogan is The American dream is dead, and Los Angeles is burning.The book follows a slew of generally well-to-do folks in Los Angeles. Stoned and porn-addicted surfer Baxter Kent is terrified of women and anxious to make things work with a sex robot. Acid junkie Arden Coover has a useless philosophy degree and a doomed relationship he believes might save him. His younger sister Tess is considering, or resisting, a convenient but loveless marriage to a wealthy, narcissistic novelist. Ryland Richter, an alcoholic insurance executive with too much money and too few scruples, is seeking toxic solace in the arms of a dangerously unhinged subordinate. As wildfires rage, this lost and hopeless cast makes their way through the embers of Los Angeles and beyond in a desperate search for meaning and connection in a world without a future. Chandler Morrison’s latest satire explores our search for love in all the wrong places, and what happens when we think we find it.

Tonight we’re chatting with New York Times bestselling author   J.D. Barker, author of the new thriller Behind a Closed Door. The book has been described as a cross of David Fincher’s The Game and Fifty Shades.  Book Summary: Sugar & Spice is the latest app craze taking the world by storm, but for Abby and Brendan Hollander, downloading it leads to a dangerous game of life and death. When the app assigns them a series of increasingly taboo tasks, they soon find themselves caught up in a twisted web of seduction and violence in this sexually charged dark thriller.The book, published by Simon & Schuster, is released this month and has already been optioned for a motion picture. 

Tonight we’re chatting with Nick Roth, writer and co-director of the bloody horror comedy Hanky Panky, which just came out on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Google Play, and which Kristy Puchko of Mashable recently called a "gleefully absurd avalanche of silliness," and which a random person on Letterboxd described as "an extremely dumb movie that I enjoyed immensely." We also talk about the WGA strike and getting Hollywood back to work-- and what you can do to create your own projects when you need to.

Join us for the launch of THE CASTLE OF HORROR ANTHOLOGY: REVENGE I(https://amzn.to/49QQk1F), featuring stories from authors around the globe on blood-curdling revenge. Hear the authors talk about their own tales, whether from the world of ghosts, assassins, or women getting even. Featuring stories of pulse-pounding, blood-curdling revenge from Leanna Renee Hieber, Claire Low, Dotti Enderle, Jeremiah Dylan Cook, Will McDermott, Sara Martinez, Scott Pearson, Rob Nisbet, Serena Jayne, Katya de Becerra, Carmen Gray, Michael Joseph Tharnish Roby, Charles R. Rutledge, Melanie Schubert, Heath W. Shelby, Bryan Young, Alethea Kontis and Liz Holliday.

Tonight we’re chatting Adele Parks MBE , author of the novel THE IMAGE OF YOU on which the new film THE IMAGE OF YOU is based. THE IMAGE OF YOU is in Select Theaters and available to buy on Digital May 10. THE IMAGE OF YOU Synopsis: Directed by Jeff Fisher with a screenplay by Chris Sivertson. Sasha Pieterse (PRETTY LITTLE LIARS), Parker Young (IMPOSTERS), Nestor Carbonell (THE DARK KNIGHT RISES), and Academy Award® winner Mira Sorvino (MIGHTY APHRODITE) star in this twisted tale of deception and desire based on the bestselling thriller by Adele Parks. Identical twins Anna and Zoe find their bond tested over Anna's new love, Nick. While the trusting Anna is head over heels, her skeptical sister Zoe senses a web of deceit. But as Zoe digs for the truth, they're all pulled into a dangerous game where honesty could prove fatal.

Tonight we’re chatting with Francis Galluppi, writer-director of THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY, which is released by Well Go USA in Theaters and Digital on May 10th. Synopsis: While awaiting the next fuel truck at a middle-of-nowhere Arizona rest stop, a traveling young knife salesman is thrust into a high-stakes hostage situation by the arrival of two similarly stranded bank robbers with no qualms about using cruelty—or cold, hard steel—to protect their bloodstained, ill-begotten fortune.

This week we have a look at the horror film Late Night with the Devil.  This is Episode #433! Late Night with the Devil is a 2023 supernatural horror film written, directed, and edited by Colin and Cameron Cairnes. It stars David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, and Josh Quong Tart. Incorporating elements of documentary filmmaking and found footage, the film follows the events of a late-night talk show episode aired on the night of Halloween 1977, during which the host attempts to boost ratings by inviting an allegedly possessed girl onto the show.

Tonight we’re chatting with Stefon Bristol, director of BREATHE which opens in theaters and on digital April 26, 2024.  Breathe is a heart pounding thriller set in the future featuring Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, Quvenzhané Wallis, Raúl Castillo with Common and Sam Worthington.  After Earth is left uninhabitable due to lack of oxygen, a mother Maya (Hudson) and her daughter Zora (Wallis) are forced to live underground, with short trips to the surface only made possible by a coveted state of the art oxygen suit made by Maya’s husband, Darius, whom she presumes to be dead. When a mysterious couple arrives claiming to know Darius and his fate, Maya tentatively agrees to let them into their bunker but these visitors are not who they claim to be ensuing in mother and daughter fighting for survival.

This week we have a look at the 2024 horror film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.  This is Episode #432!Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a 2024 American monster film directed by Adam Wingard, produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and the fifth film in the MonsterVerse franchise, also serving as the 38th film of the Godzilla franchise and 13th in the King Kong franchise. The film stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen. Hall, Henry, and Hottle reprise their roles from the previous film. In the film, Kong encounters more of his species in the Hollow Earth and must unite again with Godzilla to stop their tyrannical leader and his powerful, frost-breathing Titan from destroying the surface.The film received mixed reviews from critics, with many comparing it unfavorably to Godzilla Minus One, and has grossed $436 million worldwide on a $135−150 million budget, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2024.

This week we have a look at the 2022 horror film Satanic Hispanics.  This is Episode #431! This episode we're joined by special guest author David Bowles. Satanic Hispanics is a 2022 American horror anthology film written by Alejandro Méndez, Demián Rugna, Lino K. Villa and Pete Barnstrom, directed by Mike Mendez, Demián Rugna, Eduardo Sánchez, Gigi Saul Guerrero and Alejandro Brugués and starring Efren Ramirez, Greg Grunberg, Jacob Vargas, Hemky Madera, Patricia Velásquez and Jonah Ray.

This week we have a look at the 2021 horror film Jakob’s Wife.  This is Episode #430! Jakob's Wife is a 2021 American vampire horror film directed and produced by Travis Stevens from a screenplay by Stevens, Kathy Charles, and Mark Steensland. The film stars Barbara Crampton, Larry Fessenden, and Bonnie Aarons.

Tonight we’re chatting with USA Today bestselling thriller author Carter Wilson about his new book releasing April 2: THE FATHER SHE WENT TO FIND from Poisoned Pen Press.Carter Wilson is the USA Today bestselling author of eight critically acclaimed, standalone psychological thrillers. He is an ITW Thriller Award finalist, a five-time winner of the Colorado Book Award, and his works have been optioned for television and film. Carter lives outside of Boulder, Colorado. Dynamic and compelling, he now hosts his own podcast, Making It Up, interviewing authors like S.A. Cosby, Daniel Handler, Stuart Turton, Xio Axelrod, and Julie Clark to talk shop and riff an original story live. The result is a charming, authentic peek into the writing process.ABOUT THE BOOKA road trip to find closure… or a reckless chase that could turn deadly? Penny has never met anyone smarter than her. That's par for the course when you're a savant—one of less than one hundred in the world. But despite her photographic memory and super-powered intellect, there's one mystery Penny's never been able to solve: why did her father leave when she was in a coma at age seven, and where is he now? On Penny's twenty-first birthday, she receives a card in the mail from him, just as she has every year since he left. But this birthday card is different. For the first time ever, there's a return address. And a goodbye. Penny doesn't know the world beyond her mother's house and the special school she's attended since her unusual abilities revealed themselves, but the mystery of her father's disappearance becomes her new obsession. For the first time ever she decides to leave home, to break free of everything that has kept her safe, and use her gifts to answer the questions that have always eluded her. What Penny doesn't realize is she might not be able to outsmart a world far more complicated and dangerous than she'd ever imagined...

This week we have a look at the 2024 film Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.  This is Episode #429! Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a 2024 American supernatural comedy film directed by Gil Kenan from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jason Reitman. It is the sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and the fifth film in the Ghostbusters franchise. The film stars Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Celeste O'Connor, and Logan Kim reprising their roles from Afterlife, alongside Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and William Atherton reprising their characters from the earlier films. Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Emily Alyn Lind, and James Acaster also join the cast. Set two years after the events of Afterlife, the veteran Ghostbusters must join forces with their new recruits to save the world in New York City from a death-chilling god who seeks to build a spectral army.

This week we have a look at the 1983 film Cujo.  This is Episode #428! Cujo is a 1983 American horror film based on Stephen King's 1981 novel of the same name and directed by Lewis Teague. It was written by Don Carlos Dunaway and Barbara Turner (using the pen name Lauren Currier), and starring Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly and Danny Pintauro.The film follows a mother and her son who are trapped inside their car, while protecting themselves from a rabid St. Bernard.

Jason chats with Parker Adams, author of the new book The Lock Box, on-sale March 19 from Crooked Lane, about an army vet-turned-safecracker who is forcibly recruited to be part of a dangerous heist.The son of a navy helicopter pilot, Parker Adams chased great white sharks as a marine biologist before becoming a patent lawyer who litigates multimillion-dollar cases for high-tech clients. In his spare time, he writes high-stakes thrillers that feature travel and technology, including the best-selling Seth Walker series under the name Joseph Reid. A graduate of Duke University and the University of Notre Dame, he lives in San Diego with his wife and children.

This week we have a look at the 1981 film Wolfen.  This is Episode #427! Wolfen is a 1981 American crime horror film directed by Michael Wadleigh in his only directional feature film, based on Whitley Strieber's 1978 novel The Wolfen. It stars Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Gregory Hines and Edward James Olmos. The film follows a city cop who has been assigned to uncover what is behind a series of vicious murders. Originally, it is believed the murders are animal attacks until the cop discovers an indigenous legend about wolf spirits.

This week we have a look at the 1980 film Alligator. This is Episode #426! Alligator is a 1980 American independent horror film directed by Lewis Teague and written by John Sayles. It stars Robert Forster, Robin Riker and Michael V. Gazzo. It also includes an appearance by actress Sue Lyon in her last screen role. Set in Chicago, the film follows a police officer and a reptile expert who track an enormous, ravenous man-eating alligator flushed down the toilet years earlier, that is attacking residents after escaping from the city's sewers.

Tonight we’re chatting wih L. R. Jones, author of the new book THE WEDDING PARTY. (https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Party-Thriller-L-Jones/dp/1662508891/)ABOUT THE AUTHOR: L. R. Jones is a pseudonym for New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones. Her dark, edgy fiction includes the novels You Look Beautiful Tonight, The Poet, A Perfect Lie, and the Lilah Love series. Prior to publishing, Lisa owned a multistate staffing agency recognized by the Austin Business Journal and was #7 in Entrepreneur magazine’s list of growing women-owned businesses. Lisa lives in Colorado with her husband, a cat who always has something to say, and a golden retriever who’s afraid of her own bark.ABOUT THE BOOK: For a bride-to-be and her fiancé, secrets and lies make this a killer celebration in this psychological suspense thriller.Carrie and Oliver. A couple completely in love and the hosts of a wedding to remember at Colorado’s legendary Stanley Hotel. This is Carrie’s fairy tale come true. Her fiancé, Oliver, is Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome; successful; and utterly devoted to her. Now family and friends have gathered to celebrate. It’s sure to be a wild night as the drinks flow freely and the fun begins. But the morning after is murder.FBI agent Andi Castle was just supposed to be a plus-one. This should have been a calming weekend getaway from what she does best: catch killers. Instead, Andi’s on the hunt again. The hotel is on lockdown. Secrets are being unearthed. And no one is above Andi’s suspicions. But which secrets are worth killing for? Andi’s forced to find the answers fast…before someone else dies.

Tonight we’re chatting with Bobby Lugosi– whose real name is Bobby Zier and whose TikTok channel “Lugosi Theater” (LucyDogYellow2024) has gotten over 2 million likes. He’s won a special recognition Rondo award for introducing classic horror to a new generation. His TikTok also encourages others to embrace what they love. Bobby Lugosi plays Dracula at haunted houses and horror conventions and has been shown on Svengoolie three times– we talk about Lugosi, Dracula, and the power of intense interests.

Tonight we’re chatting with Matt Vesely, director of the new film Monolith which releases in theaters and on digital February 16.About MONOLITH:While trying to salvage her career, a disgraced journalist begins investigating a strange conspiracy theory. But as the trail leads uncomfortably close to home, she is left to grapple with the lies at the heart of her own story.

This week we have a look at the 1977 film Day of the Animals. This is Episode #425! Day of the Animals (re-released as Something Is Out There) is a 1977 American natural horror film directed by William Girdler, based on a story by producer Edward L. Montoro. The film reunited Girdler and Montoro with stars Christopher George and Richard Jaeckel from the previous year's Grizzly. It co-stars Lynda Day George and Leslie Nielsen.Day of the Animals tells the story of a psychosis brought on by depletion of the Earth's ozone layer, affecting all animals at high altitudes. A group of hapless hikers must survive the animal onslaught and make their way to safety, even as the psychosis turns them against each other.

Tonight we’re chatting with Director Andrew Cumming and cast members Safia Oakley-Green and Kit Young of Out of Darkness, which releases in Theaters on February 9, 2024. Per Hollywood Reporter, The film received multiple nominations at the British Independent Film Awards, including best debut director for Cumming, best breakthrough for Oakley-Green, best music for Adam Janota Bzowski, best hair and make up for Niamh Morrison, and best debut screenplay for Ruth Greenberg. Oakley-Green won the British Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performance on the night.

This week we have a look at the 1976 film Grizzly. This is Episode #424! Grizzly (also known as Killer Grizzly on U.S. television) is a 1976 American horror thriller film directed by William Girdler, about a park ranger's attempts to halt the wild rampage of an 18 ft (5.5 m) tall, 2,000 lb (910 kg) Man-eating grizzly bear that terrorizes a National Forest, having developed a taste for human flesh. However, a drunken hunting party complicates matters. It stars Christopher George, Andrew Prine and Richard Jaeckel. Widely considered a Jaws rip-off, Grizzly used many of the same plot devices as its shark predecessor, which had been a huge box office success during the previous year. The giant grizzly bear in the film was portrayed by a Kodiak bear named Teddy, who was 11 ft (3.4 m) tall.

Tonight we’re chatting with with producers Trevor Doyle and Alexa Khan of the film Aberrance by director/co-writer Baatar Batsukh, which is now having its digital release–Aberrance is the first Mongolian horror film to play US theaters. SYNOPSIS: When city dwellers Erkhmee and Selenge arrive at an old cabin deep in the Mongolian wilds, a foreboding settles over the couple. Erkhmee's seemingly keen desire to provide a safe and nurturing space for his artistic wife is at odds with the violent actions and mannerisms their quizzical neighbor observes. As the neighbor digs deeper for the reason behind this aberrant behavior, only more questions and trouble arise. We talk the film and current work on a prequel in the same bizarre world.

This week we have a look at the 1977 film Orca. This is Episode #423! Orca (also known as Orca: The Killer Whale) is a 1977 American thriller film directed by Michael Anderson and produced by Dino De Laurentiis, starring Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling and Will Sampson. The film follows a male orca tracking down and getting revenge on a fishing boat and its captain for killing the whale's pregnant mate and their unborn calf.Upon release, the film was a minor box office success, but received mostly unfavorable reception from critics and audiences alike due to its similarities to the film Jaws, released two years prior.

Tonight we’re chatting with Rami Ungar, author of the new collection HANNAH and Other Stories from BSC Publishing. The seven stories in the collection delve into ghosts, revenge, creepypasta legends, dissection, manipulation, deceit, carnivorous horses, extragalactic beings, occult summoning, and pandemics. Additionally, some characters represent the Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities. It's a genuinely shudder-inducing collection and a fun conversation.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 2023 film There's Something in the Barn. This is Episode #422! There's Something in the Barn is a 2023 Norwegian comedy horror film starring Martin Starr, Amrita Acharia, and Kiran Shah. Directed by Magnus Martens and written by Aleksander Kirkwood Brown, the film tells the story of an American family that, after moving to Norway, encounters murderous elves.The film premiered on 23 September 2023 at Fantastic Fest, and was released in Norway on 10 November 2023, to positive reviews.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

PANEL: DECEPTIONS & DEATH: TALKING THRILLERS – A live panel of thriller writers on the resilience of the thriller –Hosted by Jason Henderson, Publisher at Castle Bridge Media in celebration of the release of A FORGERY IN LYON: A FRENCH DECEPTION THRILLER (which you can find here: https://amzn.to/40l6iy1) by Janice NagourneyRecorded LIVE Monday, December 4Panelists (in alphabetical order) JENNIFER BROZEKJennifer Brozek is a wordslinger and optimist, an author and an editor, and a collector of antique occult literature. She believes the best thing about being a full-time freelance publishing industry professional is the fact that she gets to choose which 60 hours of the week she works. Visit her at Find the backerkit landing page for Jennifer’s new passion project: "Dear Penpal, Belgium 1980” at https://bit.ly/dear_penpalHer book Shadowrun: The Kilimanjaro Run is at https://books2read.com/ShadowrunTheKilimanjaroRunFind her at jenniferbrozek.com and https://linktr.ee/JenniferBrozekTEEL JAMES GLENNTeel James Glenn has killed hundreds and been killed more times--on stage and screen, as he has traveled the world for forty-plus years as a stuntman, swordmaster, storyteller, bodyguard, actor, and haunted house barker. He has published dozens of novels and his poetry and stories have been printed in over two hundred magazines including Weird Tales, Mystery, Mad, Mystery Weekly, Blazing Adventures and Sherlock Holmes Mystery. His novel A Cowboy in Carpathia: A Bob Howard Adventure won best novel 2021 in the Pulp Factory AwardLEE MURRAYLee Murray is a multi-award-winning author-editor, essayist, poet, and screenwriter from Aotearoa-New Zealand. A USA Today Bestselling author, Shirley Jackson- and five-time Bram Stoker Awards® winner, she is an NZSA Honorary Literary Fellow, a Grimshaw Sargeson Fellow, and 2023 NZSA Laura Solomon Cuba Press Prize winner. Find Lee at leemurray.info.JANICE NAGOURNEYAfter a stint working in a law firm in New York City, Janice relocated to Italy and then France, settling in Montmartre she says long before the movie Amelie made it trendy. She taught law and founded an international speaker’s bureau. The books in the series FRENCH DECEPTION grew out of her decades of living, working and traveling in France.Find her new book A FORGERY IN LYON at https://amzn.to/3Rbms97Janice can be found at https://janicenagourney.com/. BRYAN THOMAS SCHMIDTBryan Thomas Schmidt is the Hugo-nominated, #1 bestselling author of 4 thrillers, including his latest, SHORTCUT. He’s edited hundreds of novels including THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir, and is working on his 23rd anthology as editor. His short fiction includes official tie-ins to PREDATOR, ALIENS VS. PREDATOR, Decipher’s WARS, Joe Ledger, and Monster Hunter International.Find Bryan at www.bryanthomasschmidt.net. His new book Shortcut is here: https://www.amazon.com/Shortcut-Jason-Maxx-thriller-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B0CF6SSSST/ For Bryan’s editing services, go to www.topshelfediting.comSERITA D. STEVENSAn award-winning writer of books and scripts, Serita Stevens is also a forensic nurse and the author of The Book of Poisons and The Ultimate Writers Workbook For Books And Scripts. Her forensic nurse series has just been optioned for TV. She helps others with their medical, poison, and forensic questions for their stories. Find her at www.seritastevens.comSee The Unborn Witness, a short about domestic violence and proceeds go to a DV shelter at The Unborn Short- https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/the-unborn/id583046946 This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Welcome to Castle of Horror, the show dedicated to horror, movies and awesomeness. This week we have a look at the 2023 film Godzilla Minus One. This is Episode #421!Godzilla Minus One is a 2023 Japanese kaiju film directed, written, and with visual effects by Takashi Yamazaki. Produced by Toho Studios and Robot Communications and distributed by Toho, it is the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise, Toho's 33rd Godzilla film, and the fifth film in the franchise's Reiwa era. The film stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki. In the film, postwar Japan deals with the emergence of Godzilla.Godzilla Minus One had its red carpet premiere at the Shinjuku Toho Building on October 18, 2023, and was the closing film at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival. Toho released it theatrically in Japan on November 3, the same day as the first film was released throughout Japan in 1954, to celebrate the franchise's 70th anniversary. The film has grossed $35 million against its $15 million budget and received critical acclaim; American critics praised the film's visual effects, direction, story, characters, musical score and social commentary, with many comparing it favorably in opposition to recent Hollywood films.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Chad Boykin, author of The Twilight Zone Haiku newly out from Jobber House Press. The Twilight Zone Haiku explores the essence of the iconic, uncanny 1960s television show through haiku, giving us dazzling, spot-on snapshots of each episode. In seventeen syllables, Boykin captures the show’s main objective: to deliver a keen jolt of existential awareness. As you read, you find yourself marooned on an alien planet, lost in time, trapped inside a mannequin, surrounded by the debris of a nuclear attack, and always, always powerless to forces beyond your control.The Twilight Zone has long captured our national psyche—its precarious power, its hypocrisy, its hyper-focused individualism—through riveting storytelling. Boykin’s haiku conjure the trappings of each haunting plot, but more astutely, its scalpel-edged soul.Even if you have never seen a single episode of The Twilight Zone these haiku are spellbinding, incisive, and trenchant – taking you to parts unknown and beyond.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 1983 film PSYCHO II. This is Episode #420! Psycho II is a 1983 American psychological slasher film directed by Richard Franklin, written by Tom Holland, and starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Robert Loggia, and Meg Tilly. It is the first sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho and the second film in the Psycho franchise. Set 22 years after the first film, it follows Norman Bates after he is released from the mental institution and returns to the house and Bates Motel to continue a normal life. However, his troubled past continues to haunt him as someone begins to murder the people around him. Psycho II was released on June 3, 1983, and grossed $34.7 million at the box office on a budget of $5 million– so a huge hit. The film is unrelated to the 1982 novel Psycho II by Robert Bloch, which he wrote as a sequel to his original 1959 novel Psycho.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight Jason talkes to Caryn Richman, who plays a key role as a psychic who may be in over her head in the new film PUPPETMAN on Shudder. In the film, a young lady whose father is in prison for killing her mother believes that the same dark entity that led her father to kill is now stalking her and her friends. The film stars Alyson Gorske and is directed by Brandon Christensen. Caryn Richman has had a heck of a career from Broadway to soaps to sitcoms and nighttime dramas-- she’s a part of Brady history and Gidget history too-- and she's well-known for being a delight to chat with. Listen in!This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 2023 film The Last Voyage of the Demeter. This is Episode #419! Joining us this week are our very good friends The Monster Movie Happy Hour podcast: Mary Challman, Scott Chesebrough and Mary Challman. The Last Voyage of the Demeter (also known as Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter in some international markets) is a 2023 American supernatural horror film directed by André Øvredal and written by Bragi F. Schut Jr. and Zak Olkewicz. It is an adaptation of "The Captain's Log", a chapter from the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. The film stars Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, and David Dastmalchian. Its plot follows the doomed crew of the merchant ship Demeter led by Captain Elliot (Cunningham) who attempt to survive the treacherous ocean voyage from Transylvania to London while being stalked by a legendary vampire known as Dracula (Javier Botet).This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Greg Chapman, author of the collection Midnight Masquerade newly out from IFWG. Midnight Masquerade, a collection of Greg Chapman’s acclaimed and original fiction: Clown-for-hire, Harvey has the worst day of his life-- A childhood display of malice is resurrected thirty years later-- A priest finds true faith means devotion to blood and pain-- Revenge shows Emma what lies beneath her mask of fear-- A Halloween expert unleashes her own personal hell-- In these stories, you’ll discover how the masks we all wear hide our innermost fears, and how our choices can expose true horrors. Also included are Chapman’s acclaimed novellas, The Last Night of October and Vaudeville, and the short stories, Octoberville and Left on October Lane. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 1942 film I MARRIED A WITCH. This is Episode #418! I Married a Witch is a 1942 American supernatural romantic comedy film, directed by René Clair, and starring Veronica Lake as a witch whose plan for revenge goes comically awry, with Fredric March as her foil. The film also features Robert Benchley, Susan Hayward and Cecil Kellaway. The screenplay by Robert Pirosh and Marc Connelly and uncredited other writers, including Dalton Trumbo, is based on the 1941 novel The Passionate Witch by Thorne Smith, who died before he could finish it; it was completed by Norman H. Matson.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Mick Davis, director of Walden, which releases November 10, 2023. SYNOPSIS: Walden Dean is a stenographer, whose mind witnessed all types of injustices in the courtroom. After discovering he has a terminal illness, repressed anger deep within him surfaces - taking justice into his own hands in the most gruesome ways imaginable.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Nick Risher, CEO of Dark Matter TV. Nick grew up in the Hollywood studio system and has been involved in putting together films like The Demented and Netflix’s Animal Crackers, but three years ago he and TriCoast started the AVOD/Fast channel called Dark Matter TV which focuses on horror, action, and sci-fi. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 2023 film DEAR DAVID. This is Episode #417! Dear David is a 2023 American supernatural horror film directed by John McPhail, based on Adam Ellis' Twitter thread of the same name. It stars Augustus Prew as Ellis with Andrea Bang, René Escobar Jr., Cameron Nicoll, and Justin Long in supporting roles. The film is the third co-production between BuzzFeed Studios and Lionsgate Films. It follows Ellis (Prew) who is haunted by the spirit of a boy at the mercy of demons after retaliating against trolls.The film was released in theaters and to streaming and digital formats on October 13, 2023, by Lionsgate. It received mostly scathing reviews from critics, deriding its lack of originality and shock value; some reviewers preferred the original Twitter thread over the film.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with J. Andrew Deman, author of The Claremont Run: Subverting Gender in the X-Men. Deman’s book provides a data-driven deep dive into the legendary comics author’s subversion of gender norms, demonstrating how Claremont used his growing platform in his sixteen years writing Uncanny X-Men to articulate transgressive ideas about gender nonconformity, toxic masculinity, and female empowerment. Deman’s book reveals how Claremont challenged readers to see the real world differently and transformed pop culture in the process.The book releases this month from University of Texas Press.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Demián Rugna, director of When Evil Lurks (Cuando acecha la maldad), which Streams on Shudder starting Friday, October 27th.In the film, a pair of brothers, Pedro and Jimmy, try to protect their family including their mother and Pedro’s two children from a demon that possesses its victim and can spread itself, almost like a zombie virus. It’s been called “shockingly grisly” by the New York Times and “delighting in unspoken terrors by the LA Times.” This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Joe Lynch, director of the new horror thriller SUITABLE FLESH from RLJE Films in theaters and everywhere you rent movies on October 27, 2023. Based on a Story by H.P. Lovecraft, SUITABLE FLESH is directed by Joe Lynch (Mayhem, Creepshow) with screenplay by Dennis Paoli (From Beyond, Re-Animator). The film stars Heather Graham (The Hangover Boogie Nights), Judah Lewis (The Babysitter, I See You), Bruce Davison (“1923,” “Ozark”), Johnathon Schaech (Prom Night, That Thing You Do!) and Barbara Crampton (Jakob's Wife, From Beyond, Re-Animator).SYNOPSIS: Psychiatrist Elizabeth Derby becomes obsessed with helping a young patient suffering extreme personality disorder. But it leads her into dark occult danger as she tries to escape a horrific fate.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 2023 film TOTALLY KILLER. This is Episode #416! Totally Killer is a 2023 American black comedy slasher film directed by Nahnatchka Khan from a screenplay by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D'Angelo. The story follows Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) who, after her mother's friends are murdered by the Sweet 16 Killer on Halloween, travels back in time to 1987, where she pairs up with her mother to stop the young would-be-killer and return to her timeline before she is trapped in the past forever.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with movie producer Sara Risher of Chick Flick Productions. Ms. Risher was President of Production at New Line Cinema for over fifteen years, where she supervised the development and production of over 50 films, including the HOUSE PARTY, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series, John Water’s HAIRSPRAY and POLYESTER, MENACE II SOCIETY, PUMP UP THE VOLUME, THE RAPTURE, WIDE SARGASSO SEA, POISON IVY, and Michael Apted’s BLINK. She was Executive Producer of IN LOVE AND WAR, starring Sandra Bullock and Chris O’Donnell, directed by Lord Richard Attenborough and Walter Hill’s LAST MAN STANDING starring Bruce Willis. As Chairman of Production from 1995 – 2002, Ms. Risher was in charge of the corporate overview for the production department during its exciting growth under Time Warner, culminating in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Katya de Becerra, author of When Ghosts Call Us Home from Page Street Publishing this month. The publishers describe it as “Haunting of Hill House meets found-footage horror in this edge-of-your-seat thriller that explores the power of family ties and the trauma that lurks there.”This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Scott Slone, Director of MALIBU HORROR STORY. Malibu Horror Story follows a team of amateur paranormal investigators as they delve into a 10 year old unresolved case, the disappearance of four popular high school boys on graduation night. While exploring a sacred cave in the hills of Malibu California, the team encounters chilling paranormal occurrences. As they analyze footage from the missing teens' camera, they make a terrifying discovery involving an ancient curse which forces them to confront their own worst fears and unravel the sinister truth behind the boys' vanishing.ABOUT SCOTT SLONE:Scott Slone is an award-winning American Filmmaker born in Missoula, Montana and has lived in Missouri, Maryland, South Carolina and Florida before moving to Los Angeles in 2001. A year later, Scott wrote and directed his first short film entitled, Old Man Music. The film starred legendary character actor Geoffrey Lewis and went on to win multiple awards in the festival circuit. Since then, Scott has written and directed multiple short films as well as the documentary 2001: An EDM Odyssey. Malibu Horror Story is Slone's feature film debut.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 1964 film WITCHCRAFT. This is Episode #415! Witchcraft is a 1964 British horror film directed by Don Sharp and starring Lon Chaney Jr., Jack Hedley and Jill Dixon. The script was written by Harry Spalding.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with John McPhail, director of DEAR DAVID (In theaters, On Demand and Digital October 13, 2023)SYNOPSIS: Shortly after comic artist Adam (Augustus Prew) responds to Internet trolls, he begins experiencing sleep paralysis — while an empty rocking chair moves in the corner of his apartment. As he chronicles increasingly malevolent occurrences in a series of tweets, Adam begins to believe he is being haunted by the ghost of a dead child named David. Encouraged by his boss to continue the “Dear David” thread, Adam starts to lose his grip on what is online…and what is real. Based on the viral Twitter thread by BuzzFeed comic artist Adam Ellis.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Sean King O’Grady, director of The Mill, WHICH COMES TO HULU ON OCTOBER 9. In the film written by Jeffrey David Thomas and starring Lil Rel Howery, a businessman mysteriously wakes up in an open-air prison cell with only an old grist mill. Forced to work as a beast of burden, he must find a way to escape before the birth of his child.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Producers Trevor Doyle and Alexa Khan and Director / Co-Writer Baatar Batsukh of the new film Aberrance which releases on October 6 in select theaters.Aberrance is the first Mongolian horror film to play US theaters.About the film:When city dwellers Erkhmee and Selenge arrive at an old cabin deep in the Mongolian wilds, a foreboding settles over the couple. Erkhmee's seemingly keen desire to provide a safe and nurturing space for his artistic wife is at odds with the violent actions and mannerisms their quizzical neighbor observes. As the neighbor digs deeper for the reason behind this aberrant behavior, only more questions and trouble arise.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

In our final check-in from Tony Salvaggio on Fantastic Fest in Austin, Tony catches us up on the trends of the show and a whirlwind look at his viewing roster, which includes 37 movies over the week! All in all Tony took in:1. Toxic Avenger2. Sleep3. Enter The Clones of Bruce4. Found Footage Festival5. Falling Stars6. When Evil Lurks7. The Last Video Store8. Sri Asih The Warrior9. Saltburn (secret Screening)10. There’s Something in the Barn11. Cobweb12. The Sacrifice Game13. 100 Yards14. Concrete Utopia15. UFO Sweden16. Dream Scenario (Secret Screening)17. I’ll Crush Ya’ll18. #Manhole19. In My Mother’s Skin20. Baby Assassins 221. One Percenter22. The invisible Fight23. Killing Romance24. Kill25. Secret Screening 3 - Dogman26. Infested (Vermin)27. Spooktacular28. Project Silence29. Jackdaw30. Secret Screening 4 - Saw X31. The Deep Dark32. Riddle of Fire33. The Origin34. Suitable Flesh35. Totally Killer36. River (screener) 37. Visitors (Complete Edition)This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 1996 film THE CRAFT. This is Episode #414! The Craft is a 1996 American teen supernatural horror film directed by Andrew Fleming from a screenplay by Peter Filardi and Fleming and a story by Filardi. The film stars Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True. It follows four outcast teenage girls at a Los Angeles parochial high school who pursue witchcraft for their own gain and subsequently experience negative repercussions.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

We check in with Tony Salvaggio of the Castle of Horror Podcast on films he's caught at Fantastic Fest in Austin.Discussed:Discussed:There's Something in the BarnSacrifice GameUFO SwedenManholeBaby AssassinOne PercenterThe Invisble FightSaw XThe Deep DarkKilling RomanceIn My Mother's SkinRiddle of FireThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 1998 film PRACTICAL MAGIC. This is Episode #413! Special guests this episode include Jamie Bahr of the bands Danger*Cakes and Brand New Key and Adam Foshko of games Diablo and Call of Duty.Practical Magic is a 1998 American fantasy romantic drama film based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Alice Hoffman. The film was directed by Griffin Dunne and stars Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Aidan Quinn, and Goran Višnjić.Bullock and Kidman play sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, descended from a long line of witches. Raised by their aunts after their parents' death from a family curse, the sisters were taught the uses of practical magic as they grew up. As adults, Sally and Gillian must use their magic to destroy an evil spirit before it kills them.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey, whose Sandman Slim was included in Amazon’s “100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime,” and is in production as a feature film. Some of Kadrey’s other books include The Grand Dark, The Everything Box, King Bullet, and Butcher Bird. In comics, he’s written for Heavy Metal, Lucifer, and Hellblazer. On October 3rd he has a new release co-written with USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw called The Dead Take the A Train from Macmillan books. The same day will also see the release of his novella The Pale House Devil, which he discusses as well. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

We check in with Tony Salvaggio of the Castle of Horror Podcast on films he's caught at Fantastic Fest in Austin.Discussed:Toxic Avenger (2023)SleepEnter the Clones of BruceThe Found Footage FestivalFalling StarsWhen Evil LurksThe Last Video StoreCheck back with us for more reports through this week!This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re talking to Phil Foglio, co-creator of Girl Genius (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Genius) which is a comic series which has won the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story three times, has been nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist and twice for Eisner Awards, and won multiple WCCA awards. Girl Genius has the tagline of "Adventure, Romance, Mad Science!". It follows the main character Agatha Heterodyne through an alternate-history Victorian-style "steampunk" setting. although elements veer from what is usually thought of as steampunk. Kaja Foglio describes it as "gaslamp fantasy" instead to suggest its more fantastic style.Then we hear from Kenny Engelsen, lead developer at Rain Games working on Girl Genius: Adventures In Castle Heterodyne. Girl Genius™: Adventures in Castle Heterodyne is an action-adventure set in a Steampunk interpretation of old Europe. It blends comic-book visuals with a stylized 3D environment. The steampunk inspirations Rain has shown its aptitude for throughout previous games are once again on full and dazzling display. The game takes inspiration from early 3D Zelda titles, as well as classic PlayStation 2-era titles like Ratchet and Clank. It will scratch that itch for Retro-Action and also provides a variety of environmental puzzles and challenges.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 2023 film COBWEB. This is Episode #412!Cobweb is a 2023 American horror thriller film directed by Samuel Bodin in his directorial debut. Its screenplay, written by Chris Thomas Devlin, was included in the 2018 The Black List. The film stars Lizzy Caplan, Woody Norman, Cleopatra Coleman, and Antony Stark.Cobweb had a limited theatrical release in the United States by Lionsgate on July 21, 2023.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 2006 film WHEN A STRANGER CALLS. This is Episode #411!When a Stranger Calls is a 2006 American psychological horror thriller film directed by Simon West and written by Jake Wade Wall. The film stars Camilla Belle, Brian Geraghty, Katie Cassidy, Tessa Thompson and Clark Gregg. Belle plays a babysitter who starts to receive threatening phone calls from an unidentified stranger, played by both Tommy Flanagan and Lance Henriksen. It is a remake of Fred Walton's 1979 horror film of the same name, which became a cult classic for its opening 20 minutes, which this remake extends to a feature-length film.The film was theatrically released on February 3, 2006. It was panned by critics but was a moderate box office success, grossing $67.1 million worldwide on a $15 million budget.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 1993 film WHEN A STRANGER CALLS BACK. This is Episode #410!When a Stranger Calls Back is a 1993 American made-for-television psychological horror film and a sequel to the 1979 classic When a Stranger Calls which reunites stars Carol Kane and Charles Durning (reprising their roles as Jill Johnson and John Clifford, respectively) with director Fred Walton from the original film. It was originally broadcast on Showtime on April 4, 1993.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan, authors of The Handyman Method, new from Saga Press. In the book, a stay-at-home father– whether he wants to be or not– becomes obsessed with repairing what he perceives are problems with his new house, but there are supernatural forces out to destroy his sanity and his family. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Deke Moulton, author of the new middle-grade horror adventure Don't Want to Be Your Monster. Moulton is a writer currently living in the US Pacific Northwest. They are a former US Army drill sergeant and trained as an Arabic linguist during their time in service. Don't Want to Be Your Monster is their debut book. About the Book:A Junior Library Guild SelectionTwo vampire brothers must set aside their differences to solve a series of murders in this humorous and delightfully spooky novel for young readers. For fans of Too Bright to See.Adam and Victor are brothers who have the usual fights over the remote, which movie to watch and whether or not it’s morally acceptable to eat people. Well, not so much eat . . . just drink a little blood. They’re vampires, hiding in plain sight with their eclectic yet loving family.Ten-year-old Adam knows he has a better purpose in life (well, death) than just drinking blood, but fourteen-year-old Victor wants to accept his own self-image of vampirism. Everything changes when bodies start to appear all over town, and it becomes clear that a vampire hunter may be on the lookout for the family. Can Adam and Victor reconcile their differences and work together to stop the killer before it’s too late?This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Maximilian Erlenwein, director and co-writer of the new film The Dive, in theaters August 25. SYNOPSIS: A deep-sea diving trip at one of the world's most remote spots becomes a fight for survival for sisters Drew and May when a catastrophic landslide sends rocks tumbling into the sea. After being struck by the rockfall, May now lies 28 meters below the surface, trapped by debris and unable to move. With dangerously low levels of oxygen, it is up to Drew to fight for her sister’s life. She must put her own life in jeopardy and risk paying the ultimate sacrifice. But with no help in sight, time is quickly running out…Directed by Maximilian Erlenwein (Stereo), he co-wrote THE DIVE with Joachim Hedén (Breaking Surface). The film stars Louisa Krause (“Billions”) and Sophie Lowe (Medieval).This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

In this supplemental episode of Castle of Horror, reviewer Tony Salvaggio discusses the new Blu-Ray releases from Adult Swim, Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar and The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 1979 film WHEN A STRANGER CALLS. This is Episode #409! When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Fred Walton, co-written by Steve Feke, and starring Charles Durning, Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst and Tony Beckley. Its plot follows Jill Johnson, a young woman terrorized by a psychopathic killer while babysitting, the killer's subsequent stalking of another woman, and his return to torment Jill years later and also the detective trying to track him down. Rachel Roberts, Ron O'Neal, Carmen Argenziano, and Rutanya Alda appear in supporting roles. The film derives its story from the folk legend of "the babysitter and the man upstairs".This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with André Øvredal, the director of The Last Voyage of the Demeter, which premieres In Theaters August 11th. Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo—fifty unmarked wooden crates—from Carpathia to London. Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. From DreamWorks Pictures and the producers of Zodiac and Black Swan, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is directed by Norwegian horror virtuoso André Øvredal (Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark, Trollhunter), from a script by Bragi F. Schut (Escape Room), Stefan Ruzowitzky (The Counterfeiters) and Zak Olkewicz (the upcoming Bullet Train), based on the chapter “The Captain’s Log” of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The film is produced by Brad Fischer and by Oscar®-nominated producer Mike Medavoy and Arnold Messer for Phoenix Pictures and is executive produced by Matthew Hirsch.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with James Byrne, author of the new book DEADLOCK from Minotaur Books. The book is a sequel to the highly acclaimed The Gatekeeper, featuring the main character Dez Limerick, a man with a shadowy past, certain useful hard-won skills, and, if one digs deep enough, a reputation as a good man to have at your back. Now retired from his previous life, Dez is just a bloke with a winning smile, a bass guitar, and bullet wounds that paint a road map of past lives.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Tom DeNucci, director of The Collective. In THE COLLECTIVE a young recruit to a mysterious agency of assassins finds himself going rogue on his first assignment, tracking down a dangerous group of human traffickers.The Collective will be available in Theaters, On Demand and Digital on August 4, 2023.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Nathan Faudree, whose new film is SITE 13, a new film with a curious history. The Lovecraftian horror film is a found footage film in the vein of The Blair Witch Project and shows footage taken over 17 years that fuses together a story that's set over the course of those years. The film comes out ON DEMAND AND DIGITAL JULY 28, 2023.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with David Ryan Keith, director of I AM RAGE, a brand new revenge thriller that expands on his love of classic 80s and 90s action movies. The film will release on Digital and DVD August 1, 2023.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Mary Gallagher, director of the new film Holistay, new from Breaking Glass Pictures on VOD/Digital. Holistay, which lensed in Vegas, follows two couples - Finn and Branna from Ireland and Tony and Gia from New York. They do not know each other until they double book a vacation house in San Diego. Unable to reach the owners, the couples decide to all stay at the house since decent lodging is scarce that weekend. They find they all get along although one couple harbors a dark secret.“I am honored to be chosen by Breaking Glass Pictures for worldwide distribution and be able to present my work on the global stage,” said Mary Gallagher, who makes her directing debut on the film. “It is important for women filmmakers to be able to successfully tap into the horror and thriller genre and create a larger presence in this medium.”This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Jason chats with director Jim Towns, whose new film END TIMES debuts this month from The Asylum. Towns also wrote the film, and some may know him as the host of the classic-horror-focused Borgo Pass Podcast.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Recorded live, a chat with the authors of the brand-new Castle of Horror Anthology: Thinly Veiled: Saturday Mournings, which you can order here: https://amzn.to/3CMZspYThe popular THINLY VEILED collection from the Castle of Horror continues with this anthology of horror stories in the world of Saturday morning pop culture, from the Smurfs to Soul Train-- but every one of these brands is "thinly veiled."This time we feature stories from P. J. Hoover, Jeremiah Dylan Cook, Dennis K. Crosby, Alethea Kontis, Joy Preble, Steven Philip Jones, Heath W. Shelby, Tony Jones, Bryan Young, Scott Pearson, Will McDermott, and Katya de Becerra.See if you can recognize them all!This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 1960 film Peeping Tom. This is Episode #408! Peeping Tom is a 1960 British psychological horror-thriller film[3] directed by Michael Powell, written by Leo Marks, and starring Carl Boehm, Anna Massey, and Moira Shearer. The film revolves around a serial killer who murders women while using a portable film camera to record their dying expressions of terror, putting his footage together into a snuff film used for his own self pleasure. Its title derives from the expression "peeping Tom", which describes a voyeur.The film's controversial subject matter and its extremely harsh reception by critics had a severely negative impact on Powell's career as a director in the United Kingdom. However, it attracted a cult following, and in later years, it has been re-evaluated and is now widely considered a masterpiece,[4][5] and a progenitor of the contemporary slasher film. The British Film Institute named it the 78th greatest British film of all time,[6] and in 2017 a poll of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers and critics for Time Out magazine saw it ranked the 27th best British film ever.[7]The music score was written by Brian Easdale and performed by Australian pianist Gordon Watson.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Javier Castillo, whose thrillers The Snow Girl and The Soul Game have recently been released in English for the first time both from Penguin Random House.THE SNOW GIRL was the most read novel during the 2020 lockdown in Spain, and in 2023 it was released as a miniseries on Netflix, achieving great success. THE SOUL GAME (2021) marked his global consolidation as one of the masters of suspense. To date, his novels have reached more than two million readers. His sixth novel, THE CRYSTAL CUCKOO, was published in January 2023.Published in more than 60 countries and selling over two million copies worldwide, bestselling author and “the Spanish Stephen King” (ABC) Javier Castillo’s THE SNOW GIRL and THE SOUL GAME will soon be available in English language editions.Bestselling author Javier Castillo grew up in Malaga and studied business followed by a Master’s in Management at ESCP Europe. His first novel, EL DÍA QUE SE PERDIÓ LA CORDURA (2017), became a true publishing phenomenon, translated into 15 languages, and published in more than 60 countries. Rights have been acquired to produce the television series. His second novel, EL DÍA QUE SE PERDIÓ EL AMOR (2018), received both public and critical acclaim, as did TODO LO QUE SUCEDIÓ CON MIRANDA HUFF (2019).This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Tilly Bridges, a trans woman and master of comics, screenplays, teleplays and audio dramas. On June 27th, she releases BEGIN TRANSMISSION - THE TRANS ALLEGORIES OF THE MATRIX, which is the ultimate handbook for the Matrix franchise with deep dives into The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Animatrix, The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Resurrections, tracking one person's transition journey — from Thomas Anderson, to Neo, to Trinity.ABOUT TILLY BRIDGESMaking award-winning audio drama via their production company Pendant Productions since 2004, Tilly and her wife are also head writers of the 2023 Nebula Awards and are presently writing for the new Monster High animated series and the Star Trek Adventures and Fallout role-playing games. As a transgender woman, Bridges said she had always connected with the Matrix movies on a level so strongly she didn’t understand. The first time she watched the movies after coming out publicly was revelatory. “I was motivated to rewatch and take notes,” says Bridges. “My entire world turned upside down as she discovered almost frame by frame how deep and layered the allegories were within the films.” Since sharing her essays, she’s been overwhelmed with messages from people her essays have helped.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 2023 film Scream VI. This is Episode #407!Scream VI is a 2023 American slasher film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. It is the sequel to Scream (2022) and the sixth installment in the Scream film series. The plot follows a new Ghostface killer, who begins targeting the survivors of the "Woodsboro legacy murders" in New York City. Much of the cast from the 2022 film returned alongside directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett. The role of New York for this performance is in the sure hands of Montreal, Canada, home of that heart-stealing crooner Gino Vannelli. Neve Campbell did not reprise her role as Sidney Prescott due to a pay dispute, making this the first Scream film not to feature her. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $168 million worldwide, becoming the first installment in the franchise to earn over $100 million at the domestic US box office since Scream 2 (1997) and the highest-grossing Scream film in the United States and Canada.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Hello and welcome to Castle Talk where we talk to writers and creators of today’s genre worlds, I’m your host Jason Henderson, publisher at Castle Bridge Media, home of the Castle of Horror Anthology series. Tonight we’re chatting with Danielle Trussoni, best-selling author of Angelology and often-horror columnist for the New York Times. Her new book is the supernatural thriller, THE PUZZLE MASTER (Random House, on sale 6/13). Booklist recently gave THE PUZZLE MASTER a glowing review, aptly describing it as “A surefire hit… [THE PUZZLE MASTER] is an ambitious story, expertly told…. A sequel, The Puzzle Box, is in the works, and it can’t come soon enough.” Couldn’t have described it better myself!This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with LR Jones, the author of the new book You Look Beautiful Tonight– she’s also known as New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones, whose dark, edgy fiction includes the highly acclaimed novels The Poet, A Perfect Lie, and the Lilah Love series. Prior to publishing, Lisa owned a multistate staffing agency recognized by the Austin Business Journal. Lisa was listed as #7 in Entrepreneur magazine’s list of growing women-owned businesses. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a cat who always has something to say, and a golden retriever who's afraid of her own bark. For more information, visit www.lisareneejones.com.You Look Beautiful Tonight comes out June 1, 2023 from Thomas & Mercer. It follows Mia Anderson, a librarian who receives an anonymous note from a secret admirer, whose devotion ends up turning deadly.Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review: "In this devilishly twisty standalone…Jones reveals her characters' secrets and motives slowly, expertly ratcheting up the pace before an explosive conclusion. This white-knuckler is not to be missed."This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Hello and welcome to Castle Talk where we talk to writers and creators of today’s genre worlds, I’m your host Jason Henderson, publisher at Castle Bridge Media, home of the Castle of Horror Anthology series. Tonight we’re chatting with Ted Geoghan, writer and director of Brooklyn 45. The film is a real-time supernatural thriller film about a group of military veterans holding an impromptu séance in the parlor of a Brooklyn brownstone at the close of World War II. The film comes to Shudder June 8.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with David Bowles and Guadalupe Garcia McCall about their new book Secret of the Moon Conch, about a modern-day young woman and a young 16th-century Aztec warrior who each are going through their own adventures and learn they can communicate across time.David Bowles is an award-winning Mexican American author and translator from Texas. His books include The Smoking Mirror, Feathered Serpent Dark Heart of Sky, and They Call Me Güero. He has been published in the New York Times, School Library Journal, Strange Horizons, English Journal, Rattle, Translation Review, and the Journal of Children's Literature. In 2017, he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters, and in 2020, he co-founded #DignidadLiteraria, a social justice movement advocating for greater Latinx representation in publishing. Find him at davidbowles.usGuadalupe García McCall is the award-winning author of Under the Mesquite, Summer of the Mariposas, Shame the Stars, All the Stars Denied, and Echoes of Grace. She has received a Pura Belpré Author Award, a Westchester Young Adult Fiction Award, and the Tomás Rivera Mexican-American Children's Book Award, and was a finalist for the William C. Morris Award and the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, among many other accolades. She advocates for literacy and diverse books. She lives with her husband in Texas. Find her at ggmccall.com. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 2022 film Scream AKA for convenience sake, Scream 5. This is Episode #406! Scream is a 2022 American slasher film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. It is the fifth installment in the Scream film series; though billed as a relaunch of the film series, the film is a direct sequel to Scream 4 (2011). The first film in the series to not be directed by Wes Craven, following his death in 2015, the film is dedicated to Craven at the beginning of the closing credits.[5] The plot takes place twenty-five years after the original Woodsboro murders from Scream (1996), when yet another Ghostface appears and begins targeting a group of teenagers who are each somehow linked to the original killings.Scream was released in the United States on January 14, 2022, by Paramount Pictures. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised it for honoring Craven's legacy and offering thoughtful meta-commentary on horror films, with some calling it the best of the Scream sequels.[6] It was also a box-office success, grossing over $138 million against a production budget of $24 million. A sequel, Scream VI, was released in March 2023.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with artist Joan LeMay and writer Alex Pappademas, whose new book from University of Texas Press is-- really something, it’s a book of illustrated essays about the characters in and around the songs of Steely Dan, it’s called Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan. Alex Pappademas is the author of Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant—The Movies & Meaning of an Irrepressible Icon and the writer and host of the acclaimed podcast The Big Hit Show. His work has also appeared in GQ, the New York Times, and Grantland. Joan LeMay is an artist based in London and New York City(although the paintings for this book were created in Portland). Herwork appears in multiple publications and books and has been shown in museums, galleries, and public spaces internationally.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Bomani J. Story about his Feature Directorial Debut: in THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER, Vicaria is a brilliant teenager who believes death is a disease that can be cured. After the brutal and sudden murder of her brother, she embarks on a dangerous journey to bring him back to life. Inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER thematically challenges our ideas of life and death. Bomani J. Story, the film's writer and director, crafts a thrilling tale about a family that, despite the terrors of systemic pressure, will survive and be reborn again. THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER will be available in Theaters on June 9, 2023 and it will be on Demand and on Digital on June 23, 2023. It will also stream on ALLBlk and on Shudder at a later date. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 2011 film Scream 4, which appeared eleven years after the previous film in the series. This is Episode #405!Scream 4 (stylized as SCRE4M) is a 2011 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. Produced by Outerbanks Entertainment and distributed by Dimension Films, it is a sequel to Scream 3 (2000) and the fourth installment in the Scream film series. The film takes place on the fifteenth anniversary of the original Woodsboro murders from Scream (1996) and involves Sidney Prescott (Campbell) returning to the town after ten years, where Ghostface once again begins killing students from Woodsboro High. Like its predecessors, Scream 4 combines the violence of the slasher genre with elements of black comedy and "whodunit" mystery to satirize the clichés of film remakes. The film also provides commentary on the extensive usage of social media and the obsession with internet fame.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

TONIGHT we’re chatting with Robert Englund who is the focus of the new documentary HOLLYWOOD DREAMS & NIGHTMARES: THE ROBERT ENGLUND STORY on Screambox and Digital on June 6, 2023. HOLLYWOOD DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES: THE ROBERT ENGLUND STORY is co-directed by Gary Smart (Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser) and Christopher Griffiths (Pennywise: The Story of It) and co-written by Gary Smart and Neil Morris (Dark Ditties Presents ‘Mrs. Wiltshire’). The film features interviews with Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise), Nancy Englund, Eli Roth (Cabin Fever), Adam Green (Hatchet), Tony Todd (Candyman), Lance Henriksen (Aliens), Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Lin Shaye (Insidious), Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), Doug Bradley (Hellraiser) and Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood).SYNOPSIS: A classically trained actor and director, Robert Englund has become one of the most revolutionary horror icons of our generation. Throughout his career, Englund starred in many well-known movies, but shot to super-stardom with his portrayal of supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger in the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchise. This unique and intimate portrait captures the man behind the glove and features interviews with Englund and his wife Nancy, Lin Shaye, Eli Roth, Tony Todd, Heather Langenkamp and more.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

Tonight we’re chatting with Katherine Hall Page, who returns with her latest novel in the Faith Fairchild series, THE BODY IN THE WEB (William Morrow, 5/30/23)! Katherine continues the award-winning series by concocting a sprinkling of family, a hint of friendship, and a heaping of puzzling twists and turns that simmer into a fully cooked mystery—one you won’t be able to put down!Page has penned over twenty-five traditional amateur sleuth books, combining gripping and suspenseful plots. Her beloved characters, the Fairchild family, tackle real-life issues as they grow and connect with the world around them. THE BODY IN THE WEB delves into the pandemic in a way that allows readers to process what our world has gone through, while delivering a story that is both thrilling and rich in spirit. In THE BODY IN THE WEB, our novice detective Faith, is hunkered down with her family during the pandemic when a Zoom-bombing scandal sends the community into a tailspin and a dead body is discovered. Bring your appetite for a classic whodunnit… and for comfort food! Just like the other books in the series, THE BODY IN THE WEB will feature several fantastic tried and tested recipes from Faith Fairchild's kitchen.MORE ABOUT BODY IN THE WEBFaith Fairchild joins the rest of the world in lockdown mode when reality flips in March 2020. As the pandemic spreads, Faith and her family readjust to life together in Aleford, Massachusetts. Her husband, Tom, continues his sermons from Zoom; their children, Ben, who's in college, and Amy, a high school senior, are doing remote learning at home .Faith is happy to have her family under the same roof and grateful for her resilient community, friends, and neighbors in Aleford. Town halls remain lively and well-attended, despite residents joining from their living rooms. It is at one of these town halls that scandal breaks out. In the midst of a Zoom meeting, damaging images suddenly flash upon everyone’s screens. Claudia, local art teacher and Faith’s dear friend, is immediately recognized as the woman who has been targeted.When Claudia is later discovered dead, Faith, with the help of her friends, journeys deep into the dark web to unravel the threads of Claudia’s mysterious history and shocking passing. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4268760/advertisement

This week we have a look at the 2000 film Scream 3. This is Episode #404! Scream 3 is a 2000 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Ehren Kruger. It’s the third installment in the Scream film series. The film's story takes place three years after the previous film's events and follows Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who has gone into self-imposed isolation following the events of the previous two films but is drawn to Hollywood after a new Ghostface begins killing the cast of the film within a film Stab 3.

This episode of Castle Talk, Jason chats with Camille Delamarre, director of the new film Assassin Club starring Henry Golding. Delamarre is best known for his action films produced by Europacorp such as Brick Mansions with Paul Walker and The Transporter 4 with Ed Skrein. He has edited several successful films produced by Luc Besson, including Colombiana, Lock-out and Taken 2 with Liam Neeson, the second highest grossing film ever made in France. Assassin Club comes out May 16 on Digital, and on Blu-Ray and DVD on June 6.Say the producers about Assassin Club:Henry Golding (G.I Joe: Snake Eyes) stars in this highly entertaining, globe-trotting action thriller. The hunter becomes the hunted when an elite assassin (Golding) is given his final contract: to kill seven people around the world - only to discover the targets are equally skilled assassins hired to kill him. His only shot to survive is to uncover the mysterious mastermind behind the deadly plot before it's too late. Also starring Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad) with Noomi Rapace (Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan) and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park).

This week we have a look at the 1997 film Scream 2. This is Episode #403!Scream 2 is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. A sequel to Scream (1996), the film was released on December 12, 1997, by Dimension Films, as the second installment in the Scream film series. Scream 2 takes place two years after the first film and again follows the character of Sidney Prescott (Campbell), and other survivors of the Woodsboro massacre, at the fictional Windsor College in Ohio, where they are targeted by a copycat killer using the guise of Ghostface. Like its predecessor, Scream 2 combines the violence of the slasher genre with elements of comedy, satire and "whodunit" mystery while satirizing the cliché of film sequels.

CW: Non-explicit discussion of SA in a 50s filmThis week we have a look at the 1958 film Missile to the Moon. This is Episode #402! Missile to the Moon is a 1958 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film drama, produced by Marc Frederic, directed by Richard E. Cunha, that stars Richard Travis, Cathy Downs, and K. T. Stevens. The film was distributed by Astor Pictures and is a remake of an earlier Astor Pictures-distributed film, Cat-Women of the Moon (1953). Missile to the Moon was released in late 1958 as a double feature with Cunha's Frankenstein's Daughter.

This episode of Castle Talk, Jason chats with Melora Hardin, who in the new thriller CLOCK (coming from Hulu Friday April 28) plays a doctor who appears to have a solution not to childlessness but to Dianna Agron’s character Ella’s lack of interest in having children. Melora is an actor who debuted on Broadway in Chicago as Roxie, a familiar person on TV where she’s been a major part of shows like The Bold Type, The Office, Monk, nominated for an Emmy for the role of Tammy on Transparent, a dancer, and she’s a businesswoman running a really wild and vibrant wallpaper line called Storyboards.

Tonight we’re chatting with Jim Towns, author of the new book Braddock’s Falls, about a killer at a nudist resort.Jim Towns is an author, a filmmaker and a visual artist. His books include American Cryptic, Whiskey Stories and Bloodsucker City, and he's the director of feature films including House of Bad, State of Desolation, and the upcoming The Possession of Anne. His documentary projects range from biographies to martial arts series, and his work is included in the National Archives of France. He's currently in pre-production on the action film Killer Ex, and he just released his second novella, Braddock's Falls from Anxiety Press.

Tonight we’re chatting with Franklin Ritch, director and writer and lead in The Artifice Girl, which releases in Theaters, On Digital and On Demand on April 27, 2023.

This week we have a look at the 1959 film Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow. This is Episode #401! Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow is a 1959 AIP horror/comedy film. It was a sequel to their film Hot Rod Gang. American International Pictures released the film in July 1959 as a double feature with Diary of a High School Bride.The film has been regarded as a forerunner of the 1960s Beach Party films.

This week we have a look at the 1972 film Dracula A.D. 1972. This is Episode #400! We start off with thoughts and reminiscences on 400 episodes and then move on to the film.Dracula A.D. 1972 is a 1972 British horror film, directed by Alan Gibson and produced by Hammer Film Productions. It was written by Don Houghton and stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Stephanie Beacham. Unlike earlier films in Hammer's Dracula series, Dracula A.D. 1972 had a contemporary setting in an attempt to update the Dracula story for modern audiences. Dracula is brought back to life in modern London and preys on a group of young partygoers that includes the descendant of his nemesis, Van Helsing.It is the seventh Hammer film featuring Dracula, and the sixth to star Christopher Lee in the title role. It also marked the return of Peter Cushing as Van Helsing for the first time since The Brides of Dracula (1960), and was the first to feature both Lee and Cushing in their respective roles since Dracula (1958).It was followed by the last film in Hammer's Dracula series to star Christopher Lee, The Satanic Rites of Dracula, which similarly utilized a modern setting and featured most of the same central characters.

Tonight we’re chatting with Joe Bob Briggs, host of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder. Per Joe Bob’s Twitter account, Season 5 of the Last Drive-In returns on April 21. We talk about the horror community, the need for common decency, and finding common ground.

Tonight we’re chatting with Jesse Atlas, Director and Co-writer of Assassin, new from Saban films in theaters, on demand and digital March 31, 2023. The film stars Andy Allo (“Upload”), Nomzamo Mbatha (Coming 2 America), with Dominic Purcell (“DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”) and Bruce Willis (Die Hard franchise), Mustafa Shakir (“Luke Cage”). The film was written by Aaron Wolfe and Jesse Atlas and directed by Atlas in his feature film debut. CHECK OUT THE TRAILER: https://youtu.be/qiUATuIhUw8 SYNOPSIS: Bruce Willis (Glass) and Nomzamo Mbatha (Coming 2 America) star in this action-packed sci-fi thrill ride. A private military operation led by (Willis) invents futuristic microchip tech that enables the mind of an agent to inhabit the body of another person to carry out covert, deadly missions. But when an agent (Mustafa Shakir) is killed during a secret mission, his wife (Mbatha) takes his place in an attempt to bring the man responsible to Justice.

This week we have a look at the 1969 film Assignment Terror. This is Episode #399!We're joined by our friends at the Monster Movie Happy Hour podcast, historical book illustrator David Geister, historian Mary Challman, and historian/raconteur/cocktail wizard Scott Chesebrouugh Los Monstruos del Terror (translation: The Monsters of Terror), also known as Dracula vs. Frankenstein and Assignment: Terror, is a 1969 Spanish-German-Italian horror film co-directed by Tulio Demicheli and Hugo Fregonese. It is the third in a series of 12 films that Paul Naschy wrote and starred in featuring the werewolf Waldemar Daninsky, a role that was always played by Naschy. It stars Paul Naschy, Michael Rennie (his last film), Craig Hill and Karin Dor.It was filmed in early Spring, 1969. The film was first released theatrically in Germany (as Dracula vs Frankenstein) on February 24, 1970, and in Spain (as The Monsters of Terror) on August 28, 1971. The film was also shown in France and in the U.K. as Dracula vs Frankenstein. In Belgium, it was shown as Dracula and the Wolf Man vs Frankenstein. In Mexico, it was released as Operation Terror, and in Denmark it was known as Frankenstein Og Blodsugerne/ Frankenstein vs The Bloodsucker. In the 1980s, the film was released on home video in France as Reincarnator.

This week we have a look at the 1987 film Near Dark. This is Episode #398! Near Dark is a 1987 American neo-Western horror film co-written and directed by Kathryn Bigelow (in her solo directorial debut), and starring Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen and Jenette Goldstein. The plot follows a young man in a small Oklahoma town who becomes involved with a family of nomadic American vampires.

This week we have a look at the 1974 film Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter . This is Episode #397! Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter is a 1974 British swashbuckling action horror film, written and directed by Brian Clemens, produced by Clemens and Albert Fennell for Hammer Film Productions, and starring Horst Janson, John Carson, Shane Briant, and Caroline Munro. The music score was composed by Laurie Johnson, supervised by Philip Martell. Belatedly released on 7 April 1974, the film was intended as the first in a series focused on the title character and his companions. Due to the film's violence and sexual subtext, Captain Kronos was rated R in North America. This was Clemens' only film as a director.

Tonight we’re chatting with April Wright, director of Back to the Drive-In. April Wright is an award-winning filmmaker who fell in love with movies going to drive-ins and movie palaces in the Chicago area where she grew up. Other docs about the movies include “Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie” and “Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace.”In April Wright's fascinating documentary BACK TO THE DRIVE-IN, we go behind the scenes to visit eleven unique family-owned drive-ins across the country to experience their passion and determination to keep their theaters alive. It's a story of human resilience.When the pandemic hit, drive-ins were suddenly the only safe venue in town, with press coverage about how drive-ins are “back,” and how they are thriving. But this documentary goes behind the headlines to learn the truth, spending a whole night with 11 very different drive-ins in 8 states all over the country, from preparations before the customers arrive, to selling tickets, opening the snack bar, and getting the movie on screen, we discover these family-owned businesses are actually struggling to survive.This doc is about authentic drive-ins and the passionate people who run them, but more broadly it highlights questions about the future of the theatrical experience, and the challenges of many small businesses wondering whether they will survive and make it to the other side of the pandemic.

Tonight we’re chatting with Yoko Okumura, director of Unseen, which comes out on Digital and On Demand on March 7, 2023 by Paramount Home Entertainment and on MGM+ later this year. In the film, Two women form an unlikely connection when a depressed gas station clerk SAM (Purdy), receives a call from EMILY (Francis), a nearly blind woman who is running from her murderous ex in the woods. Emily must survive the ordeal with Sam being her eyes from afar using video call.

onight we’re chatting with Nancy Stohlman, who releases her latest book AFTER THE RAPTURE on March 7. Stohlman’s collection is a journey in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction that dives into the topics of Walmarts, Barbies, Kens, orgies, time-shares and clones. It’s full of doom, wisdom, absurdity and heart and packs ridiculousness, genius and meaning all at once. Perhaps the most interesting part about her upcoming release is that she wrote the entire collection before the pandemic hit in March of 2020. Electric Literature recently featured an excerpt, "I'd Like to Report Myself Not Missing" from the book and Independent Book Review even included it on their list of Books To Look Out for in Early 2023.

This week we have a look at the 1972 film Deathmaster directed by Ray Danton. This is Episode #396! Deathmaster is a strange creature, a sort of sequel to Count Yorga and Return of Count Yorga starring the star of those films, except this time Robert Quarry plays Khorda, who appears in Southern California as a cult-leader guru to a bunch of local young people.

This week on Castle Talk Jason chats with Mark Earl Burman, writer/director of Ambush, an intense, gritty Vietnam War epic. In the film, when a small outpost is ambushed, a US Army squad must take the battle below ground in a terrifying and unfamiliar mission. The film is released by Saban Films February 24 in theaters, on demand and on digital.

Tonight we’re chatting with Gabriel Bier Gislason, writer and director of the new horror film Attachment *STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON SHUDDER* FEBRUARY 9th, 2023. About the film: ATTACHMENT, the feature debut from Denmark-based writer/director Gabriel Bier Gislason, a horror romance steeped in Jewish folklore. Maja (Josephine Park, Baby Fever), a Danish has-been actress, falls in love with Leah (Ellie Kendrick, Game of Thrones, An Education), an academic from London. After Leah suffers from a mysterious seizure Maja returns with her to her childhood home. There, she meets Leah's overbearing mother, Chana (internationally acclaimed Danish actress Sofie Gråbøl, The Undoing, The Killing), a woman who could hold dark secrets.

This week we have a look at the 1977 film Suspiria directed by Ssario Argento. This is Episode #395!Suspiria (Latin: [sʊsˈpiːri.a]) is a 1977 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Dario Argento, who co-wrote the screenplay with Daria Nicolodi, partially based on Thomas De Quincey's 1845 essay Suspiria de Profundis. The film stars Jessica Harper as an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy but realizes, after a series of brutal murders, that the academy is a front for a supernatural conspiracy. It also features Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, Miguel Bosé, Alida Valli, Udo Kier, and Joan Bennett, in her final film role.The film is the first of the trilogy Argento refers to as The Three Mothers, which also comprises Inferno (1980) and The Mother of Tears (2007). Suspiria has received a positive response from critics for its visual and stylistic flair, use of vibrant colors and its score by Argento and the progressive rock band Goblin.Suspiria was nominated for two Saturn Awards: Best Supporting Actress for Bennett in 1978, and Best DVD Classic Film Release, in 2002. It is recognised as one of the most influential films in the horror genre. It served as the inspiration for a 2018 film of the same title, directed by Luca Guadagnino.

Jason chats with Kimberly G. Giarratano, author of DEATH OF A DANCING QUEEN: A Billie Levine Mystery (out Feb 14). The highly anticipated first release is new from from Datura Books, a crime fiction imprint of Angry Robot Books.Readers are in for a treat when they meet Billie Levine, a bad-ass Jewish P.I, who finds herself involved in a dangerous gang war while looking for a murder suspect. This page-turning crime novel will appeal to readers of Tana French, fans of Veronica Mars and popular true-crime podcasts.

This week we have a look at the 1973 Spanish horror film The Loreley's Grasp directed by Amando de Ossorio. This is Episode #394! The Loreley's Grasp (Spanish: Las Garras de Lorelei, lit. 'The Claws of Lorelei') is a 1973 Spanish horror film written and directed by Amando de Ossorio,[1] and starring Tony Kendall,[2] and Helga Liné.[3] The film centers on a series of horrific murders in a German town by the Rhine river perpetrated by a deadly water spirit known as the Lorelei.The film was released in theaters in the United States under the title The Swinging Monster on August 24, 1976, but most famously a few years later under the title When the Screaming Stops

Tonight we’re talking with Corey Deshon, writer and director of the new film DAUGHTER, which releases February 10 from Darkstar Pictures. The film is his directorial debut feature from his own original screenplay, and he co-produces with Paris-based OneWorld Entertainment. In the film, A young woman is kidnapped and inducted into a bizarre family as their new surrogate daughter. As she navigates through this twisted dynamic, awful secrets about the past are revealed, leading to even darker implications about the future. The film stars Casper Van Dien, Elyse Dinh, Vivien Ngô, and Ian Alexander.

Tonight we’re chatting with Christopher Golden, whose resume is just something to behold, a New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of such novels as Road of Bones, Ararat, Snowblind, and Red Hands. His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. For the Bram Stoker Awards, Golden has been nominated ten times in eight different categories, and won twice. His original novels have been published in more than fifteen languages in countries around the world. And his new book is called All Hallows, out from St. Martin’s Press.In the book– It’s Halloween night, 1984, in Coventry, Massachusetts, and two families are unraveling as the residents of Parmenter Road prepare for their annual frightening festivities. Up and down the street family secrets are being revealed, from infidelity to financial ruin; all the while, four strange children are walking door to door, merging with the neighborhood kids as they trick-or-treat, begging for protection from "The Cunning Man." With families falling apart and the neighborhood splintered by bitterness, who will save the children of Parmenter Road?

This week we have a look at the new film Legions directed by Fabian Forte. This is Episode #393!Legions (Spanish: Legiones), also known as Cosa e' Mandinga, is a 2022 Argentine supernatural horror film written and directed by Fabián Forte. It stars Germán de Silva as Antonio Poyju, a powerful sorcerer who must escape from a psychiatric hospital and find his daughter Helena (played by Lorena Vega)—who has forgotten her magical powers—in order to counter demonic forces wreaking havoc across Argentina

This week we have a look at the 1982 film Friday the 13th part III -- This is Episode #392!

Tonight we’re chatting with Roxanne Benjamin, director of There’s Something Wrong with the Children, available on digital and on demand January 17. About the film: When Margaret (Wainwright) and Ben (Gilford) take a weekend trip with longtime friends Ellie (Crew) and Thomas (Santos) and their two young children (Guiza and Mattle), Ben begins to suspect something supernatural is occurring when the kids behave strangely after disappearing into the woods overnight.DIRECTOR: Roxanne BenjaminWRITERS: T.J. Cimfel & Dave WhiteCAST: Alisha Wainwright, Zach Gilford, Amanda Crew, Carlos Santos

This week we have a look at a double-feature, the 2006 and 2019 versions of BLACK CHRISTMAS This is Episode #391!

Tonight we’re chatting about the 1970 film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Jason's guest is a writer he always loves talking to: KATHARINE COLDIRON, whose work as a film critic has appeared in Bitch, Bright Wall/Dark Room, ASAP/J, and elsewhere. She is the author of a novella, Ceremonials (Kernpunkt, 2020), and a monograph on Plan 9 from Outer Space (PS, 2021) and in 2023 the nonfiction book JUNK FILM: WHY BAD MOVIES MATTER.

Hello and welcome to Castle Talk where we talk to writers and creators of today’s genre worlds, I’m your host Jason Henderson, publisher at Castle Bridge Media, home of the Castle of Horror Anthology series. Tonight we’re chatting with Joe Begos, writer and director of CHRISTMAS BLOODY CHRISTMAS, available in Theaters and streaming simultaneously on Shudder and AMC+ on Dec. 9.About the film: It’s Christmas Eve and fiery record store owner Tori (Riley Dandy) just wants to get drunk and party, until the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and makes her night more than a little complicated. Santa Claus begins a rampant killing spree through the neon drenched snowscape against a backdrop of drugs, sex, metal and violence, ultimately forcing Tori into a blood splattered battle for survival against the ruthless heavy metal Saint Nick himself.CAST: Riley Dandy, Sam Delich, Jonah Ray Rodrigues, Dora Madison, Jeremy Gardner, with Jeff Daniel Phillips, and Abraham Benrubi

This episode of Castle Talk, Jason chats with Alison Star Locke, writer and director of The Apology, a new psychological thriller coming to Theaters, Streaming, Shudder and AMC+ on December 16. In the film, Twenty years after the disappearance of her daughter, recovering alcoholic Darlene Hagen (Anna Gunn) is preparing to host Christmas celebration with her best friend Gretchen (Janeane Garofalo). Late Christmas Eve, Darlene's estranged ex-brother-in-law, Jack (Linus Roache) arrives unannounced, and he has a secret, this isn’t too much of a spoiler because it’s what the movie’s about, he knows something about what happened to Anna Gunn’s daughter.

Join us for a LIVE chat with the authors of the brand-new Castle of Horror Anthology: Young Adult, which you can order here: https://amzn.to/3G9BsjWThe Castle of Horror Anthology returns with stories of the young-- horrible, thrilling, terrible flamin' youth at its most harrowing.Featuring stories by David Bowles, Jennifer Brody, Julian Michael Carver, Debbie Daughetee, Carmen Gray, Ammar Habib, Jess Hagemann, Leanna Renee Hieber, Sam Knight, Alethea Kontis, Mike Owsley, Scott Pearson, S.N. Rodriguez, and Bryan Young.

This week we have a look at the 2022 film Violent Night. This is Episode #390!Violent Night is a 2022 American Christmas action-comedy film starring David Harbour as Santa Claus, who fights mercenaries who have taken a wealthy family hostage in their home. It is directed by Tommy Wirkola, and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. It also stars John Leguizamo, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Edi Patterson, Cam Gigandet, Leah Brady, and Beverly D'Angelo. Violent Night had its world premiere at the New York Comic Con on October 7, 2022. Universal Pictures released the film in theaters in the United States and Canada on December 2, 2022.

This week Jason chats with Sarah Lind, star of the new horror film A Wounded Fawn which releases on Shudder on December 1. A Wounded Fawn is the latest film from celebrated writer and director Travis Stevens (Girl on the Third Floor, Jakob’s Wife). Sarah Lind plays Meredith, a local museum curator who is dipping her toe back into the dating pool, only to be targeted by a charming serial killer (Josh Ruben, Scare Me, Werewolves Within). When a fateful romantic getaway between the two becomes a tense game of cat and mouse, both must confront the madness within him.

This week we have a look at the 1969 film The Haunted House of Horror. This is Episode #389!The Haunted House of Horror, also titled Horror House and originally written as The Dark, is a 1969 British horror film directed by Michael Armstrong and starring Frankie Avalon and Jill Haworth as young adults looking for a thrill by spending the night in an old mansion in the English countryside. The film's tagline was "Behind its forbidden doors an evil secret hides!"

This week we have a look at the 1993 film The Bride with White Hair 2. This is Episode #388!The Bride with White Hair 2 is a 1993 Hong Kong film directed by David Wu. It is the sequel to The Bride with White Hair, with Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung reprising their roles as Lian Nichang and Zhuo Yihang. Although the first film is loosely based on Liang Yusheng's 1957 novel The Romance of the White-Haired Maiden, this film is almost independent of the novel except for the main characters' names.

This week we have a look at the 1993 film The Bride with White Hair. This is Episode #387!The Bride with White Hair is a 1993 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Ronny Yu, starring Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung.The film's main character, Lian Nichang, is loosely based on the protagonist of Liang Yusheng's novel Baifa Monü Zhuan, which served as source material for the 1982 film Wolf Devil Woman. However, Yu saw the film as a Romeo and Juliet story and said that the lovers' struggle against fate and their heroic duty inspired him more than the familiar trappings of most wuxia films. As such, the film departs significantly from the original source.

Jason chats with Scooter Corkle, director of the new film The Friendship Game, released on November 11, 2022 from RLJE.The Friendship Game follows a group of teens as they come across a strange object that tests their loyalties to each other and has increasingly destructive consequences the deeper into the game they go.

Jason chats with Arish Sirkissoon, writer and director of The Castle from Terror Films, on digital platforms worldwide November 11. On their wedding day Michael and Catherine break down in the middle of nowhere. They walk for several kilometres when they discover an old castle. Against her better judgement Catherine is convinced by Michael to spend the night. Once she enters the castle, she feels like something is watching her. What she discovers in the castle will change her life forever.

This episode we’re chatting with Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, author of the new book Lights, Camera, Accordion! from 1984 Publishing, a 256-page, 25-year "Weird Al" Yankovic visual retrospective Lights, Camera, Accordion! It contains over 300 color photographs (newly scanned from the original negatives) by Al's longtime drummer/photographer Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, along with a foreword by Drew Carey and an afterword by Al. Anecdotes and stories are featured throughout, organized by year, album, and tour. Schwartz has been the drummer with "Weird Al" Yankovic since 1980 and is seen and heard on all of Weird Al's albums, videos, and concert and television performances. He is also the group's archivist with an unmatched collection of photos, memorabilia, and audio & video releases from around the world. Bermuda authored the 2020 book Black & White & Weird All Over which features his black-and-white photos of Weird Al. Visit BermudaSchwartz.com and follow Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz on Facebook (BermudaSchwartz).

This week we have a look at the 1943 film Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. This is Episode #386!Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is a 1943 American horror film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. This was the first of a series of later called "monster rallies" combining characters from several film series. This film's script written by Curt Siodmak follows The Ghost of Frankenstein and The Wolf Man. The film involves Larry Talbot who is brought back to life. Seeking a way to return to his death to escape his werewolf curse, he meets with gypsy Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya) who advises him that the only way to stay dead is to confer with Dr. Frankenstein. The doctor is long dead but his equipment is in working condition, leading Talbot to seek the help of scientist Dr. Mannering (Patric Knowles) and Frankenstein descendant Baroness Elsa Frankenstein (Ilona Massey). Talbot then attempts to have his life sucked from his body and transferred into Frankenstein's monster (Bela Lugosi).Developed under the title Wolf Man Meets Frankenstein, the film was originally developed with Lon Chaney Jr. to portray both Frankenstein's Monster and the Wolf Man, an idea that was halted before production began because of the physical toll it would take on the actor. The script was filmed with the monster originally having lines of dialogue which were later removed after a studio pre-screening for the film which led to the production staff laughing at Bela Lugosi's delivery of the lines. This led to Lugosi's dialogue being removed from the final film. The film was released to what the authors of the book Universal Horrors described as "lukewarm reviews". The film led to a series of what were later described as "monster rallies" involving having name-brand monsters interact with each other in films. Universal would follow this with The House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula.

Tonight we’re chatting with writers/directors Adam Leader and Richard Oaks of the new film FEED ME. XYZ Films will release the horror film (Feed Me) on Digital and On Demand on October 27, 2022. The film will have its World Premiere on October 6th at Beyond Fest. SYNOPSIS: Following the death of his wife a broken man spirals into an abyss of night tremors and depression and finds himself in the home of a deranged cannibal who convinces him to take his own life in the most horrific way imaginable.

This week we have a look at the 1985 film The Midnight Hour. This is Episode #385!The Midnight Hour is a 1985 American made-for-television comedy horror film directed by Jack Bender and starring Shari Belafonte-Harper, LeVar Burton, Peter DeLuise, and Dedee Pfeiffer. Its plot focuses on a small New England town that becomes overrun with zombies, witches, vampires, and all the other demons of hell after a group of teenagers unlocks a centuries-old curse on Halloween.The film aired on ABC on Friday, November 1, 1985, at 9:00-11:00 pm EST. In addition to an original musical number, "Get Dead", the film's soundtrack features songs by Wilson Pickett, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, Three Dog Night, and The Smiths. The film marks Macaulay Culkin's first screen role as an uncredited trick-or-treater.

This week we have a look at the 2022 film HALLOWEEN ENDS. This is Episode #384!

Tonight we’re chatting with Jason Pargin, author of the new novel If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe: A John, Dave, and Amy Novel, this month from St Martin’s Press, this is the fourth book in Pargin’s John Dies at the End seriesJASON PARGIN is the New York Times bestselling author of the John Dies at the End series as well as the award-winning Zoey Ashe novels.He previously published under the pseudonym David Wong. His essays at Cracked.com and other outlets have been enjoyed by tens of millions of readers around the world.

This week we have a look at the 2022 special from Disney+, Werewolf by Night. This is Episode #383!Werewolf by Night is an American television special directed by Michael Giacchino and written by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name. It is the first Marvel Studios Special Presentation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films and television series of the franchise. The special was produced by Marvel Studios, and follows a secret group of monster hunters as they compete for a powerful relic while going up against a dangerous monster.

This week we have a look at the 1970 Hammer film Scars of Dracula as part of our march to Halloween. This is Episode #382!Scars of Dracula is a 1970 British horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker for Hammer Films.It stars Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, along with Dennis Waterman, Jenny Hanley, Patrick Troughton, and Michael Gwynn. Although disparaged by some critics, the film does restore a few elements of Bram Stoker's original character: the Count is introduced as an "icily charming host;" he has command over nature; and he is seen scaling the walls of his castle. It also gives Lee more to do and say than any other Hammer Dracula film except his first, 1958's Dracula.

Tony Salvaggio of the Castle of Horror Podcast is on the ground in Austin reporting on Fantastic Fest and chats with Castle of Horror host Jason on the fourth batch of new movies that Tony highly recommends: Mister OrganKids Vs. AliensTriange of SadnessHueseraDisappear CompletelyDecision to LeaveJoint Security AreaH4z4rdSmoking Causes CoughingSolomon KingBad CityFinally, some thoughts on this year's Fantastic Fest overall.

Tony Salvaggio of the Castle of Horror Podcast is on the ground in Austin reporting on Fantastic Fest and chats with Castle of Horror host Jason on the third batch of new movies that Tony highly recommends: Medusa Deluxe, Evil Eye, Project Wolf Hunting, Unidentified Objects, The Visitor from the Future, Hellraiser, and Leonor Will Never Die. Tony will be attending about 35 movies for the Castle of Horror, so we'll be checking back with him for more updates.

Tony Salvaggio of the Castle of Horror Podcast is on the ground in Austin reporting on Fantastic Fest and chats with Castle of Horror host Jason on the second batch of new movies that Tony highly recommends: Vesper, Year of the Shark, Living With Chucky, Satanic Hispanics, and Everyone Will Burn. Tony will be attending about 35 movies for the Castle of Horror, so we'll be checking back with him for more updates.

Tonight we’re chatting with Scott Friend, Director of To the Moon, which will be available on digital platforms on this month in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand from 1091 Pictures. To the Moon is written, directed, and stars Friend. The film will also have a one-night engagement special screening on Monday, September 19th at Nitehawk Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York. A dysfunctional family study by way of psychological, psychedelic thriller that plays out under the weight of addiction and takes its three leads to darkly funny lows, the film takes the trope of the uninvited house guest and turns it into a metaphor for the fallout of trauma on the relationship between a young couple.

Tonight we’re chatting with Leigh Fryling, author of the new book Surf Mystic: Dark of the Curl from Castle Bridge Media.Leigh Fryling is an itinerant teacher, actress, adventuress, mother, full time hobbit, craftswoman, singer and musician who sometimes edits, and on rare occasions writes, novels. When she’s not watching spooky movies or correcting grammar, she travels the world with her spouse Zach and tells made up stories about kind skeletons to her equally precocious daughter Rosie. Their cat Nanoof is impressed by none of this and wants treats.

This week we have a look at the classic film Son of Dracula as part of our march to Halloween. This is Episode #381!Son of Dracula is a 1943 American horror film directed by Robert Siodmak with a screenplay based on an original story by his brother Curt Siodmak. The film stars Lon Chaney, Jr., Louise Allbritton, Robert Paige, Evelyn Ankers, and Frank Craven. The film is set in the United States, where Count Alucard (Chaney Jr.) has just taken up residence. Katherine Caldwell (Allbritton), a student of the occult, becomes fascinated by Alucard and eventually marries him. Katherine begins to look and act strangely, leading her former romantic partner Frank Stanley (Paige) to suspect that something has happened to her. He gets help from Dr. Brewster (Craven) and psychologist Laszlo (J. Edward Bromberg) who come to the conclusion that Alucard is a vampire.The film is the third in Universal's Dracula film series following Dracula's Daughter (1936). The film was made under different circumstances than the previous two entries in the series with a new Chairman of the Board working at Universal and several horror sequels being made since the success of the film Son of Frankenstein (1939). The film was initially being written by Curt Siodmak who was later replaced by Eric Taylor. Filming began on January 7, 1943 and concluded on February 2. Few documents related to the film's production survive from studio files or trade reports.

Tony Salvaggio of the Castle of Horror Podcast is on the ground in Austin reporting on Fantastic Fest and chats with Jason on his first batch of movies that he highly recommends-- Smile, Blood Relatives, Venus and Shin Ultraman.

Tonight we’re chatting with Simon Stephenson, author of the new novel SOMETIMES PEOPLE DIE which comes out this month from Hanover Square Press and HarperCollins. The new novel is about a young doctor in a struggling hospital inspired by Simon’s own experience as a physician. Amid the sick patients, over-worked staff and underfunded wards, the protagonist begins to realize: too many patients are dying and a murderer may be lurking in plain sight. This novel is not only a gripping page-turner, but reads like your favorite true crime podcast. Simon interweaves real-life medical murder cases throughout the novel as the book tumults toward its shocking conclusion.Simon’s debut Set My Heart to Five was acquired by Working Title/Edgar Wright for movie adaptation.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Simon Stephenson is a physician-turned-writer, now resident in Los Angeles, California. His new novel. SOMETIMES PEOPLE DIE draws from his experiences as a medical resident. He is the author of the novel SET MY HEART TO FIVE (soon to be a Working Title film), and the memoir LET NOT THE WAVES OF THE SEA (Best First Book at Scottish Book Awards). As a screenwriter, he worked on PADDINGTON 2 and Pixar’s LUCA, and wrote Amazon’s THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy.

Tonight we’re chatting with PJ Hoover, author of the new book PROBLEM SOLVERS: 15 INNOVATIVE WOMEN ENGINEERS AND CODERS.P. J. (Tricia) Hoover wanted to be a Jedi, but when that didn’t work out, she became an electrical engineer instead. After a fifteen-year bout designing computer chips for a living, P. J. started creating worlds of her own. She’s the award-winning author of The Hidden Code, a Da Vinci Code-style young adult adventure with a kick-butt heroine, and Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life, featuring a fourteen-year-old King Tut who’s stuck in middle school.When not writing, P. J. spends time practicing kung fu, fixing things around the house, and solving Rubik’s cubes. For more information about P. J. (Tricia) Hoover, please visit her website www.pjhoover.com.Instagram and Twitter: @pj_hooverFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorPJHoover

This week we have a look at the thriller Saloum which is now available on Shudder. This is Episode #380!Saloum is a 2021 Senegalese thriller film directed by Congolese director Jean Luc Herbulot and produced by Pamela Diop. The film stars Yann Gael, Mentor Ba and Roger Sallah in the lead roles and Evelyne Ily Juhen, Bruno Henry, and Marielle Salmier in supportive roles.[4] The film revolves around the Hyenas, an elite trio of mercenaries that extract a drug dealer and his bricks of gold amidst of Guinea-Bissau's coup d'état of 2003.The film made international premiere in the Midnight Madness section at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on 30 September 2021.The film received critics acclaim and screened worldwide.Herbulot won the Award for the best director in the Next Wave section at the Fantastic Fest. and the film won the Audience Award for most popular film in the Altered States program at the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival.

Tonight we’re chatting with Christopher Hatton, writer/director of Raven’s Hollow, a horror film that features Edgar Allan which comes to Shudder on September 22.Based on the life of Edgar Allan Poe, the Latest Feature from Christopher Hatton Stars William Moseley (The Chronicles of Narnia), Melanie Zanetti (Love and Monsters), and Multi-Award-Winning Actress Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones)Raven’s Hollow is set in Autumn, 1830. West Point military Cadet Edgar Allan Poe and four other cadets on a training exercise in upstate New York come upon a man eviscerated on a bizarre wooden rack. His dying words direct them to a forgotten community, which they believe is guarding sinister secrets. Enthralled by the Innkeeper’s beautiful and mysterious daughter Charlotte and fuelled by the town resident’s refusal to speak to the murder, Poe determines to uncover the truth. Risking his life and more, Poe ultimately comes face to face with the terror that will haunt him forever.

Tonight we’re chatting with Lance Lucero, owner/operator of Warehouse 9 Productions, Ltd. A production company utilizing talent from around the world specializing in filmmaking (with real film) and comic book creation. Lance chats about his comic BOB: Non-Union Psychic and his short film The Last Resort– Lucero is also the author of a series of very useful articles on ComicCrusaders.com called “The Comics How-To.”Warehouse 9 website:https://warehouse9pro.com/The Warehouse 9 Vimeo site:https://vimeo.com/user2463860The BOB super trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIDhtwI6T70Comics How-To: https://www.comiccrusaders.com/blog/editorial/the-comics-how-to/

Join us for this live panel featuring reading and discussion on horror from the authors of two new summer horror novels:Martin Ott, author of Dream State (https://amzn.to/3PrzaNV), and Leigh Fryling ("Peyton Douglas"), author of Dark of the Curl (https://amzn.to/3K0tCZU)Castle Bridge Media is proud to host your final summer escape!This summer we've got two novels bringing thrills and chills to the beach-- one a harrowing, bleeding-edge thriller, one a fifties surf horror.Dream State by Martin Ott (8/9 in paper and Kindle) - Think Yellowjackets meets White Lotus.After an asteroid hits the moon and knocks it out of orbit, global chaos ensues when people lose the ability to sleep. We follow society’s descent into madness through the eyes of a failed zoologist, an almost-bankrupt resort owner, and an underage bartender on a Belize island resort cut off from the rest of the world. As island resources become scarce and conflict erupts, the main characters will need to overcome their demons and fatigue in order to survive."Starts as an island getaway but quickly morphs into a chaotic fever dream." -- Emily Hockaday, managing editor of Asimov’s Science Fiction and Analog Science Fiction and Fact, author of Naming the GhostSurf Mystic: Dark of the Curl by Peyton Douglas (8/23 in paper and Kindle) - Welcome back to the eternal haunted summer of Laguna Beach. The Surf Mystic series continues in this harrowing adventure. Frannie Cohn, the four-foot-ten queen of the waves and the mystic arts, returns to Laguna Beach in 1959. But between her surfer maybe-boyfriend and a broodingly handsome newcomer with a dark secret, Frannie has plenty of trouble on her hands. But when an army of murderous, bewitched wooden men begins stalking the beach, Frannie's summer gets deadly fast. "Surf Mystic is a pitch-perfect horror homage to 60s beach culture... blends surfing, soapy small-town politics, Kabbalah, and destructive demons in a page-turning alchemy that will transform your summer days. Come on in—the waves are epic!"-- David Bowles, Pura Belpre Winning and Texas Bluebonnet List AuthorReviewers/for further information:Castle Bridge Mediahttp://castlebridgemedia.com/[email protected]

Tonight we’re chatting with Neil LaBute, writer and director of House of Darkness, which releases in theaters September 9, 2022 and on Demand and Digital September 13, 2022. LaBute is the prolific director behind In the Company of Men, Nurse Betty, The Wicker Man, and much more. About House of Darkness:Written and directed by Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men, Nurse Betty, The Wicker Man, Lakeview Terrace), the film stars Justin Long (Jeepers Creepers, Accepted), Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns, Blue Crush), Gia Crovatin (I Feel Pretty) and Lucy Walters (Tesla, “Get Shorty”).Justin Long and Kate Bosworth star in this seductive thriller from director Neil LaBute (The Wicker Man). Driving home to her secluded estate after meeting at a local bar, a player out to score thinks his beautiful, mysterious date will be another casual hook-up. While getting acquainted, their flirtation turns playful, sexy and sinister. Hoping to get lucky, his luck may have just run out.

This week we have a look at the 1956 film Forbidden Planet. This is Episode #379!Forbidden Planet is a 1956 American science fiction film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, and directed by Fred M. Wilcox . It stars Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, and Leslie Nielsen. Shot in Eastmancolor and CinemaScope, it is considered one of the great science fiction films of the 1950s, a precursor of contemporary science fiction cinema. The characters and isolated setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and the plot contains certain analogues to the play, leading many to consider it a loose adaptation.Forbidden Planet pioneered several aspects of science fiction cinema. It was the first science fiction film to depict humans traveling in a faster-than-light starship of their own creation. It was also the first to be set entirely on another planet in interstellar space, far away from Earth. The Robby the Robot character is one of the first film robots that was more than just a mechanical "tin can" on legs; Robby displays a distinct personality and is an integral supporting character in the film. Outside science fiction, the film was groundbreaking as the first of any genre to use an entirely electronic musical score, courtesy of Bebe and Louis Barron.Forbidden Planet's effects team was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 29th Academy Awards. In 2013, the picture was entered into the Library of Congress' National Film Registry, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Tony Magistrale describes it as one of the best examples of early techno-horror.

Charles R. Rutledge is the author of Dracula's Return and three novels in the Griffin & Price series, written with James A. Moore. His short stories have appeared in over thirty anthologies and he has co-edited several anthologies as well. Charles owns entirely too many editions of Dracula, keeps soil from Transylvania in an envelope on his desk, and is seldom seen in daylight.

Mary Jo Pehl is a writer, comedian and commentator, published everywhere from magazines and anthologies to NPR’s All Things Considered, and she’s the author of the 2022 book DUMB DUMB DUMB: My Mother's Book Reviews which came out this past May. But a lot of us know her as one of the voices and minds behind the Peabody-Award winning Mystery Science Theater 3000, and over the last few years as a part of the comedy duo Bridget and Mary Jo on the Rifftrax video series. Their most recent release is a new riff on the 1962 cult film The Brain that Wouldn’t Die.

Tonight we’re chatting with Perry Blackshear, writer and director of When I Consume you which comes out this month from 1091 Pictures. A unique urban folktale set and filmed in Brooklyn, When I Consume You confronts the vulnerabilities that people struggle with every day through a genre lens to create a chillingly intimate indie horror nightmare.When I Consume You marks the third feature for New York-based filmmaker Perry Blackshear following his award-winning psychological horror feature debut They Look Like People and celebrated sophomore effort, the aquatic supernatural horror romance The Siren. All three of his films have been widely embraced and praised both on the festival circuit and upon release, with They Look Like People winning a Jury Honorable Mention at the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival upon its premiere. Blackshear again teams up with creative collaborators MacLeod Andrews, Evan Dumouchel, and Margaret Ying Drake for When I Consume You, who, alongside Libby Ewing, deliver a heartfelt family drama about grief and redemption.

DRACULA, THE RETURN - Tonight we’re talking with Dacre Stoker - bestselling author and also great grand nephew of Bram Stoker, and Chris McAuley who has written for the Terminator, Doctor Who and a variety of other franchises. Together they have teamed up to create the Stokerverse- a series of interconnected novels, audio dramas, tabletop and video games and now graphic novels set in Bram Stoker's universe. Their new project is DRACULA, THE RETURN from Scratch Comics (https://zoop.gg/c/draculathereturn)

Horror author Russell R. James is back with DEMON DAGGER (August 16, 2022; Flame Tree Press), a fast-paced, chilling tale of darkness and vengeance for fans of the TV series ‘Supernatural’, as well as readers who love Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Chuck Wendig. LA County Sheriff's Deputy Drew Price has a gift, or perhaps… a curse. When a demon possesses a person, Drew can see the horrific-looking demon that dwells within. This ability has made him a demon hunter, armed with the one weapon that can send these fiends back to Hell; the demon dagger. One demon named Nicobar sets its sights on punishing the hunter by taking the soul of Drew’s son, condemning the boy to life as a psychopath. DEMON DAGGER follows Drew’s attempts to save his son’s soul and then use the blade to end Nicobar’s time on Earth.Russell R. James was raised on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Dark Shadows, despite his parents' warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn't make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.After flying helicopters with the U.S. Army and a career as a technical writer, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight, including horror thrillers Dark Inspiration, Q Island, and The Playing Card Killer. He authored the Grant Coleman Adventures series starting with Cavern of the Damned and the Ranger Kathy West series starting with Claws. He resides in sunny Florida. His wife reads his work, rolls her eyes, and says "There is something seriously wrong with you."

This week we have a look at the 1990 film Predator 2. This is Episode #378!Predator 2 is a 1990 American science fiction horror action film[3] written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Peter Hall. It is the second installment of the Predator franchise, serving as a sequel to 1987's Predator, with Kevin Peter Hall reprising the title role of the Predator. Set ten years after the events of the first film, in Los Angeles, the film focuses on the Predator, a technologically advanced extraterrestrial hunter, and the efforts of a disgruntled police officer and his allies to defeat the malevolent creature.

Tonight we’re chatting with three-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author Gwendolyn Kiste, author of RELUCTANT IMMORTALS (On sale August 23; Saga Press; Trade Paperback Original), which the publisher calls a centuries-overdue literary rescue mission of two of gothic literature’s most unjustly scourged female characters; Bertha Mason and Lucy Westenra of respectively Jane Eyre and Dracula.But what if Bertha and Lucy’s stories didn’t end with these gruesome exploitations? What if they had a chance to take back the pages to confront their abusers and claim a new ending for themselves?In RELUCTANT IMMORTALS It’s 1967 and Bertha (Bee) Mason and Lucy Westenra are now undead immortals residing in Los Angeles when Dracula and Rochester make a shocking return in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. A tale of love, betrayal, and coercion brings them face-to-face with the toxic men bent on destroying their (undead) lives, not to mention Bee’s former lover Jane Eyre herself, to put an end to Rochester and Dracula’s abuse once and for all.

This episode we’re chatting with Jonathan Vanderzon, actor, and Leonard Fuica, director of the upcoming horror film, Camping Trip. The sinister thriller will be available on Digital Download from 16th August, it’s directed by directed by Leonardo and Demian Fuica and Jonathan Vanderzon Camping Trip stars Leo Zola (Leonardo Fuica), Caitlin Cameron, Hannah Forest Briand and Alex Gravenstein and is directed by Leonardo and Demian Fuica, who both make their English language feature-length directorial debuts. In the summer of 2020, two couples decide to go on a COVID era camping trip after months of being in lockdown. The freedom of nature and the company of their best friends offer the group a rare sense of normality, but though secluded, they're not alone. Nearby, during a botched drop off, two goons decide to go rogue; inadvertently, implicating the campers. What started as a fun-filled vacation quickly turns into a test of loyalty and survival. Suddenly the pandemic is the least of their worries. The film was shot during the height of the pandemic in 2020, meaning requiring strict health and safety procedures were required, but this was not the only obstacle to overcome as shooting was also forced to halt for a day when a scene sounded so real to the nearby member of the public, the police were called!

This episode we're chatting with William Brent Bell (The Boy, Brahms: The Boy II, The Devil Inside, Stay Alive), director of ORPHAN: FIRST KILL, the highly anticipated prequel of the 2009 horror classic ORPHAN. Paramount Pictures will be releasing the film in Theaters, On Digital and Streaming on Paramount+ on August 19th. SYNOPSIS: Esther’s terrifying saga continues in this thrilling prequel to the original and shocking horror hit, Orphan. After orchestrating a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility, Esther travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. Yet, an unexpected twist arises that pits her against a mother who will protect her family from the murderous “child” at any cost.

This week we have a look at the new 2022 film Prey. This is Episode #377!Prey is a 2022 American science fiction horror action film directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison, based on the Predator franchise by Jim Thomas and John Thomas. It is the fifth installment in the franchise and a prequel to the first four films. It stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kipp, Julian Black Antelope, and Dane DiLiegro. The story revolves around Naru, a skilled Comanche warrior, protecting her tribe from a highly evolved alien predator that hunts humans for sport, fighting against the wilderness and fur traders to keep her people safe.

A special gathering of the podcast (Jason, Drew, Julia and Jamie) discusses the 1956 film Rodan LIVE at the 2022 AnimeFest in Dallas. Rodan (Japanese: 空の大怪獣 ラドン, Hepburn: Sora no Daikaijū Radon, lit. 'Giant Monster of the Sky Rodan') is a 1956 Japanese kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it was Toho's first kaiju film to be shot in color, and is one of several giant monster films that found an audience outside Japan. The film stars Kenji Sahara and Yumi Shirakawa. In the United States, it was released in 1957 as Rodan! The Flying Monster!

Tonight we’re chatting with two guests from the new film Allegoria coming to Shudder on August 2, 2022. In the film, a group of artist's lives become unwittingly entangled as their obsessions and insecurities manifest monsters, demons and death.Spider One is the writer/director of Allegoria; Krsy Fox plays Brody, a young actress who is grappling with a demonic evil weaseling its way into her life.

This episode of Castle Talk, Jason chats with Andrew Traucki, writer/director of The Reef: Stalked from RLJE Films and Shudder, in theaters and streaming on Shudder July 29.Written and directed by Traucki (Black Water: Abyss), the film stars Teressa Liane (“The Vampire Diaries”), Ann Truong (“Cowboy Bebop”), Saskia Archer (Boshack), Kate Lister ("Clickbait”) and Tim Ross (“Rock Island Mysteries”).In The Reef: Stalked , in an effort to heal after witnessing her sister’s horrific murder, Nic travels to a tropical resort with her friends for a kayaking and diving adventure. Only hours into their expedition, the women are stalked and then attacked by a great white shark. To survive they will need to band together and Nic will have to overcome her post-traumatic stress, face her fears and slay the monster.

Jason chats with writer and pop culture columnist Chris Buse, author of the novel "The Neon Graveyard” and now “the Neon Devil" (https://amzn.to/3zmihzG). Jason called the first book, "The Neon Graveyard," "like an LA Confidential with demons."About the book: Heading the largest independent production and distribution company in Hollywood, Idalis Troy is determined to continue the crusade for global media domination her father started – albeit on her terms. But, to succeed, Idalis must face the East Coast boys club of old money and the predators ruling the entertainment industry in 1999.Navigating her ambitious plans for an aggressive expansion of her empire and her budding relationship with her girlfriend, Idalis takes her executive team to Paris to salvage what is left of a man's failed dream. But, in the city of light, a group of deadly conspirators tracks her every move, coming for her head.To save her colleagues and herself, Idalis must not only outwit her lethal pursuers but figure out why she is haunted by a former child star – wife of Uncle Joe, the king of children's entertainment – an actress who died two decades earlier but who might be an immortal, and more frighteningly, a god hungering for the worship of humanity.

This week we have a look at the 1999 film House on Haunted Hill. This is Episode #376!House on Haunted Hill is a 1999 American supernatural horror film directed by William Malone and starring Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, Bridgette Wilson, Peter Gallagher, and Chris Kattan. The plot follows a group of strangers who are invited to a party at an abandoned insane asylum, where they are offered $1 million each by an amusement park mogul if they are able to survive the night. Produced by Robert Zemeckis and Joel Silver, it is a remake of the 1959 film of the same title directed by William Castle, and features special effects by famed make-up artists Gregory Nicotero and Dick Smith.House on Haunted Hill marked the producing debut of Dark Castle Entertainment, a production company that went on to produce numerous other horror films, including additional remakes. House on Haunted Hill premiered on Halloween weekend in 1999. In the tradition of William Castle's theater gimmicks, Warner Bros. supplied promotional scratch cards to cinemas showing the film, offering ticket buyers a chance to win a money prize, similar to the movie's characters. The film received middling reviews from major critics, but was a commercial success, opening number one at the box office and grossing $41 million domestically.

Tonight we’re chatting with Rachel Pulliam , who is is the creator of Sole Twin Audios, an audio drama company she started last year. Her tagline, "Stories created solely with the vintage soul in mind" would seem to indicate she only produces recreations from Old Time Radio series. However, the 'vintage soul' is a more a vibe captured within every episode she releases - regardless of the series.The new production Turn of the Screw can be found here: https://sonicsociety.org/sonic-summerstock-playhouse-13-2asole-twin-audios-the-turn-of-the-screw/

JOIN THE AUTHORS FOR A DISCUSSION OF THINLY VEILED 80S HORRORCastle Bridge Media is proud to announce your summer escape into the past-- Castle of Horror Anthology Volume 5: Thinly Veiled : the 80s (https://amzn.to/3ONQEED), a collection of horror stories each patterned after famous TV movies and TV, July 12 in paperback and Kindle.The popular THINLY VEILED collection from the Castle of Horror continues with this anthology of horror stories in the world of 80s pop culture-- from movies like ROBOCOP and THE KEEP to shows like THE FACTS OF LIFE and MORK AND MINDY-- but every one of these brands is "thinly veiled." See if you can recognize them all!Find the book here: (https://amzn.to/3ONQEED)Featuring stories from In Churl Yo, Jason Henderson, Dennis Crosby, Jeremiah Cook, Alethea Kontis,Charles Rutledge, Rob Nisbet, Katya de Becerra, Henry Herz, Heath Shelby,Jim Towns, Will McDermott, Bryan Young, and John Pritchard.Release information:Castle of Horror Anthology Volume 5: Thinly Veiled: the 80sJuly 12, 2022Castle Bridge MediaPaperback and KindleReviewers/for further information:Castle Bridge Mediahttp://castlebridgemedia.com/[email protected]

Jason is joined by members of the team behind the comic team-up Halloween Man Meets Latex Avenger: Coffee House on Haunted Hill: Drew Edwards, Dan Price and Paulo J. Hernandez. Check out their Indiegogo at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/halloween-man-meets-the-latex-avenger#/ .Ringo Awards nominee Drew Edwards (Lucy Chaplin, Survivor) is teaming up with Dan Price (Bigfoot Knows Karate) on writing duties to bring their creations together in an extraordinary single issue. The duo is joined by the talented Paulo J. Hernandez on pencils and the amazing April Guadiana on colors/letters, in what is bound to be the quirkiest crowdfunded comic of the year.

Tonight we’re chatting with Christopher Farnsworth—he’s the author of REUNION and seven other novels, including FLASHMOB, which was named one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of the Year, KILLFILE, and THE PRESIDENT’S VAMPIRE series. He has also written a novella with mega-selling author James Patterson, and worked as a screenwriter and journalist. He has twice been a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards, and his books have been translated into ten languages and published in more than a dozen countries, and optioned for film and TV.ABOUT REUNION (A girl detective. A boy genius. A warrior princess. A young magician. Four young people with extraordinary gifts.For years, they solved mysteries, caught crooks, and slayed monsters. They were secret heroes, keeping an idyllic small town in the middle of America safe from the things that lurked in the dark.Then, the year of their high school graduation, the darkness came for them.During what the media called “New Year’s Evil,” a demonic force rose to turn their hometown into a literal Hell on Earth.They gathered to stop it. They fought. And they won.The rest of the world never discovered the truth behind the disaster. For 20 years, the four tried living like normal people.Now their past is coming back to haunt them.The darkness is gathering once more. They’re summoned back to their hometown to face it, along with everything else they left behind.Last time, they saved the world. This time, they’ll have to do something much harder.They’ll have to save each other.For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Victoria Schwab, REUNION is the story of what happens when the good guys grow up.Find the book here: https://amzn.to/3AiOBnW

This week we have a look at the 1996 film The Frighteners. This is Episode #375!The Frighteners is a 1996 supernatural comedy horror film directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with Fran Walsh. The film stars Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Dee Wallace Stone, Jeffrey Combs, R. Lee Ermey and Jake Busey. The Frighteners tells the story of Frank Bannister (Fox), an architect who practices necromancy, developing psychic abilities allowing him to see, hear, and communicate with ghosts after his wife's murder. He initially uses his new abilities to befriend ghosts, whom he sends to haunt people so that he can charge them handsome fees for "exorcising" the ghosts. However, the spirit of a mass murderer appears able to attack the living and the dead, posing as the ghost of the Grim Reaper, prompting Frank to investigate the supernatural presence.

This week we have a look at the 2006 film Gamera the Brave. This is Episode #374!Gamera the Brave (小さき勇者たち〜ガメラ〜, Chiisaki Yūsha-tachi Gamera, lit. 'Little Hero: Gamera-'), is a 2006 Japanese kaiju film directed by Ryuta Tasaki, written by Yukari Tatsui, and produced by Kadokawa Daiei Studio. It is the 12th entry in the Gamera film series, and serves as the second reboot of the franchise, with the first being Gamera: Guardian of the Universe in 1995. It is also the first entry in the series to be produced by Kadokawa Daiei Studio after the company purchased a percentage of the remaining assets of Daiei Film, the original studio that was responsible for making the Gamera films.Gamera the Brave stars Ryo Tomioka, Kanji Tsuda, Kaho, and Susumu Terajima, and features Toshinori Sasaki as Toto, the son of the fictional giant turtle monster Gamera. The film was released theatrically in Japan on April 29, 2006, and was distributed by Shochiku.

Tonight we’re chatting with Faye Snowden, author of the new book A Killing Rain, brand new from Flame Tree Press.About the Book:After former homicide Raven Burns returns to Byrd’s Landing, Louisiana to begin a new life, she soon finds herself trapped by the old one when her nephew is kidnapped by a ruthless serial killer, and her foster brother becomes the main suspect. To make matters worse, she is being pursued by two men— one who wants to redeem her soul for the murder Raven felt she had no choice but to commit, and another who wants to lock her away forever.

Tonight we’re chatting with Erica Friedman, author of By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga. It’s been called “the untold story of lesbian love in Japanese anime and comics.”About the AuthorErica Friedman is the founder of Yuricon community, and was the first publisher of Yuri manga in English, with ALC Publishing. She holds a Masters Degree in Library Science and a B.A. in Comparative Literature, and is a full-time researcher for a Fortune 100 company. She has lectured at dozens of conventions and presented at film festivals, notably the San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. She has participated in an academic lecture series at MIT, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Harvard University, Kanagawa University, and others. She has edited manga for JManga, Seven Seas and Udon Entertainment, most recently Riyoko Ikeda's epic historical classic, The Rose of Versailles. Erica has written about Yuri for Japanese literary journal Eureka, Animerica magazine, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Dark Horse, and contributed to Forbes, Slate, Huffington Post, Hooded Utilitarian, The Mary Sue, Anime Herald, and Anime News Network online. She has written news and event reports, interviews Yuri creators and reviews Yuri anime, manga and related media on her blog Okazu since 2002 and is the author of By Your Side: The First 100 Year of Yuri Anime and Manga, coming out in June 2022 from Journey Press.

Tonight we’re chatting with Ava Reid, author of JUNIPER & THORN (on sale June 21 from Harper Voyager), a gothic horror retelling of the Grimm Brothers fairytale “The Juniper Tree” and follows a young witch as she seeks to escape her abusive wizard father in Oblya, a city based on Victorian-era Odessa, Ukraine. Reid expertly weaves themes of femininity, desire, oppression, and progress into the dark fantasy of JUNIPER & THORN. Marlinchen and her sisters are the last true witches in the terrifying city of Oblya, where magic has given way to industry. Though their tyrannical, xenophobic father keeps them sequestered from the outside world, they sneak out at night to explore the city, where Marlinchen meets a dancer who captures her heart. As Marlinchen’s feelings deepen for Sevas, the threat of her father’s rage and magic grows; at the same time, a monster begins leaving dead bodies in its wake. Marlinchen must draw upon her magic to keep her city safe and find her place within it. It’s a haunting horror fantasy tale with a layered, complex heroine – amid gruesome twists and turns, Reid crafts Marlinchen’s story with compassion, exploring her trauma and building her tender romance with Sevas. And just as she did in her debut, Reid examines nationalism through the lens of magic and fantasy, combining her Ukrainian heritage and academic background to craft the city of Oblya, based on the port city of Odessa in Ukraine, and explore what it means for a city to develop and progress. JUNIPER & THORN has already been described as “darkly enchanting” in a starred Publishers Weekly review. A full list of content warnings is available here. I can’t wait for you to dive in and hope you’ll consider covering in June.Ava Reid was born in Manhattan and raised right across the Hudson River in Hoboken, but currently lives in Palo Alto. She has a degree in political science from Barnard College, focusing on religion and ethnonationalism.

This week to celebrate Father's Day we have a look at the 1967 film SON OF GODZILLA. This is Episode #373!Son of Godzilla (怪獣島の決戦 ゴジラの息子, Kaijū Shima no Kessen: Gojira no Musuko, lit. Monster Island's Decisive Battle: Godzilla's Son) is a 1967 Japanese kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda, with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa, under the supervision of Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the eighth film in the Godzilla franchise. It stars Tadao Takashima, Akira Kubo, Akihiko Hirata, and Beverly Maeda, with Hiroshi Sekita, Seiji Onaka, and Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla, and Marchan the Dwarf as Minilla.Son of Godzilla received a theatrical release in Japan on December 16, 1967, and was released directly to television in the United States in 1969 through the Walter Reade Organization.

This week we have a look at the 1963 film ATRAGON. This is Episode #372! Atragon (海底軍艦, Kaitei Gunkan, lit. 'The Undersea Warship') is a 1963 Japanese tokusatsu science fiction film produced and distributed by Toho. It is based on The Undersea Warship: A Fantastic Tale of Island Adventure by Shunrō Oshikawa and The Undersea Kingdom by Shigeru Komatsuzaki. The film is directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya and stars Jun Tazaki, Tadao Takashima, Yōko Fujiyama, Yū Fujiki, and Ken Uehara.The film was released in Japan on December 22, 1963, and in the United States in 1965 via American International Pictures. A two-episode anime OVA titled Super Atragon, based on the same novels, was produced by Phoenix Entertainment in 1995. 

This episode Jason chats with Jim Mahoney, writer and lead of GATLOPP. XYZ Films will release the supernatural comedy GATLOPP on Demand and Digital June 23, 2022. Check out the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht4vidrbk2AThe film stars Jim Mahoney (Klaus), Emmy Raver-Lampman ("The Umbrella Academy"), Jon Bass (Baywatch), Sarunas J. Jackson ("Insecure"), and Shelley Hennig ("Teen Wolf”).In GATLOPP, a group of old friends reunites for a nostalgic evening of fun and games after a decade apart. After one too many, they decide to play a drinking game, but it’s quickly revealed that this game comes with supernatural stakes. Mischief leads to mayhem, and the group realizes that if they can’t come together to win the game by sunrise, they will be forced to play for eternity - in hell.GATLOPP was written by Jim Mahoney (Klaus) and directed by Alberto Belli ("The House of Flowers").

This week Jason chats James Byrne that is perfect for fans of Reacher on Prime Video!The Gatekeeper (releasing June 7th 2022) The gatekeeper of the title is Desmond Aloysius Limerick—aka Dez—a retired mercenary. When the California hotel Dez is staying in is attacked with ruthless precision by a team of highly-skilled mercenaries—out to kidnap the legal counsel of a military contractor—Dez is a one-man spanner in the works, foiling the attempt. Having saved Petra Alexandris from the kidnappers, he sticks around to help her with another corporate problem and the two fall down a rabbit hole so full of adventure (think military coups), intrigue, and nonstop action it’s worthy of Bourne, Reacher, or Orphan X. James Byrne is the pseudonym for an author who has worked for more than twenty years as a journalist and in politics.

This week we have a look at the 1997 film The Night Flier. This is Episode #371!The Night Flier (also known as Stephen King's The Night Flier) is a 1997 American horror film based on the 1988 short story of the same title[3] by Stephen King.[4] It was directed by Mark Pavia and starred Miguel Ferrer and Julie Entwisle.[5]

Jason chats wiith Julia Lynn Rubin whose new book PRIMAL ANIMALS is just out from Wednesday Books/Macmillan.About the book:Midsommar meets "Yellowjackets" in this new YA horror novel where a girl gets sucked into a secret society at an elite summer program, with deadly consequences.Protect the girlsArlee Gold is anxious about spending the summer at the college prep Camp Rockaway—the same camp her mother attended years ago, which her mother insists will help give Arlee a “fresh start” after her struggles the past year; that it will “change her life.” Little does Arlee know that once she steps foot on the manicured grounds, this will prove to be true in horrifying ways.Even though the girls in her cabin are awesome—and she’s developing a major crush on the girl who sleeps in the bunk above her—the other campers seem to be wary of Arlee, unwilling to talk to her or be near her, which only ramps up her paranoia. When she’s tapped to join a strange secret society, Arlee thinks this will be her shot at fitting in...until her new "sisters" ask her to do the unthinkable, putting her life, and the life of her new crush, in perilous danger.Author Bio:JULIA LYNN RUBIN received her MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from The New School in 2017. A lover of film, psychology, and literature, Julia has been writing creatively since first grade, and her short stories have appeared in publications such as the North American Review. She currently lives in Brooklyn, where she is freelancing while working on her next book. Julia is the author of Burro Hills and Trouble Girls.

Tonight we’re chatting with Leanna Renee Hieber about her upcoming contemporary Gothic romance novel, Ghosts of the Forbidden: Glazier’s Gap Book 1, which will be released just in time for spooky season on October 11. The cover—and a special vintage-style “stepback” cover—were revealed this week at fantasybookcafe.com. Hieber’s work includes the timeslip novellas in the Time Immemorial trilogy; the futuristic, paranormal novellas in the Dark Nest Chronicles, beginning with her Prism Award–winning space opera novella Dark Nest; and the Gothic gaslamp fantasy books in the Strangely Beautiful, Eterna Files, and Spectral City series. (Plus she has written a couple of essays on Gothic fiction here, “Penny Dreadful’s Betrayal and the Complexity of Feminism in the Gothic Tradition” and “The Gothic as a Canary in Fear’s Coal Mine.”)Check out the cover reveal here: https://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2022/05/cover-reveal-for-ghosts-of-the-forbidden-by-leanna-renee-hieber/Find the book and pre-order at Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3Ny53ny

Tonight we’re chatting with Fernando González Gómez, co-director of The Passenger or La Pasajera, in Theaters June 3, 2022 and On Demand and DVD June 28, 2022. The film had its World Premiere at the 2021 Sitges Film Festival in which it was nominated for the Audience Award.THE PASSENGER (original title: La Pasajera) stars Ramiro Blas (“La Fuga”), Cecilia Suárez (“The House of Flowers”), Paula Gallego (“Cuéntame”) and Cristina Alcázar (Cachorro). The film was co-directed by Raúl Cerezo (feature film debut) and Fernando González Gómez (Zombie World 2) based on a screenplay written by Luis Sánchez-Polack (Como Caido Del Cielo).SYNOPSIS: A group of strangers sharing a ride have their trip interrupted when the driver hits a woman hiking in the dark of night. They decide to help her, but quickly learn that something is wrong and that they shouldn’t have let her in at all.

Tonight we’re chatting with Neal E. Fischer, author of Being Patrick Swayze: Essential Teachings from the Master of the Mullet. Find it here: https://amzn.to/3MMwpq7Neal E. Fischer is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and pop culture fanatic. Neal cut his teeth as a musician and performer on stage before ultimately transitioning behind the scenes. Neal's credits include the award-winning documentary 10 Mountains 10 Years, narrated by Anne Hathaway; #WhoKilledHeather, an innovative branded web series; and many short films and features screened at festivals around the world. Neal also directs commercials for brands such as Dunkin' Donuts, Wisconsin Lottery, and Cars.com, the latter of which was shortlisted for awards at Cannes Lions.You can hear Neal's bad impressions and obscure movie references each week on Triviality, a pub-trivia style podcast recorded under the watchful eye of its patron saint of podcasting, Patrick Swayze, whose poster proudly hangs in the studio. He lives in Chicago, IL.

This week we have a look at the 1984 film FIRESTARTER. This is Episode #370!Firestarter is a 1984 American science fiction horror-thriller film based on Stephen King's 1980 novel of the same name.[4] The plot concerns a girl who develops pyrokinesis and the secret government agency known as The Shop which seeks to control her. The film was directed by Mark L. Lester, and stars David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Martin Sheen and George C. Scott. Firestarter was shot in and around Wilmington, Chimney Rock, and Lake Lure, North Carolina.A miniseries follow-up to the film, Firestarter: Rekindled, was released in 2002 on the Sci-Fi Channel and a remake feature film produced by Blumhouse Productions was released on May 13, 2022.

This week we have a look at the 2022 film FIRESTARTER. This is Episode #369! Firestarter is a 2022 American science fiction horror film directed by Keith Thomas, from a screenplay by Scott Teems, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. It is a remake of the 1984 film adaptation of the same name. The film stars Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes, and Gloria Reuben. It is produced by Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman under their Blumhouse Productions and Weed Road Pictures banners, respectively, alongside BoulderLight Pictures and Angry Adam Pictures.

This week in honor of Mother’s Day, we’re discussing the 1976 film Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby. This is Episode #368!Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby (also known as Rosemary's Baby Part II) is a 1976 American made-for-television horror film and a sequel to Roman Polanski's 1968 film Rosemary's Baby starring Stephen McHattie, Oscar-Winning Actor Patty Duke, George Maharis, Oscar-Winning Actor Ruth Gordon, Oscar-Winning Actor Broderick Crawford, and Oscar-Winning Actor Ray Milland. The film premiered as the ABC Friday Night Movie on October 29, 1976.

This week we take a look at the 1988 film The Blob.This is Episode #367!The Blob is a 1988 American science fiction horror film co-written and directed by Chuck Russell. A remake of the 1958 film of the same name, it stars Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Paul McCrane, Art LaFleur, Robert Axelrod, Joe Seneca, Del Close and Candy Clark. The plot follows an acidic, amoeba-like organism that crashes down to Earth in a military satellite, which devours and dissolves anything in its path as it grows.Filmed in Abbeville, Louisiana, The Blob was theatrically released in August 1988 by Tri-Star Pictures and was a box office failure, grossing $8.2 million against its budget of approximately $10 million. Though it received a mixed response from critics, the film has since accrued a cult following.

Tonight we’re chatting with Russell Owen, writer and director of Shepherd, in theaters May 6 and on Demand and Digital May 10th. In the film, a young Scottish an takes a job as a shepherd on a desolate island following the death of his wife, where he is haunted by loneliness, guilt, and increasingly nightmarish and haunting visions.

Tonight we’re chatting with Keoni Waxman, writer/director of The Ravine, which is released in theaters and on demand and digital from Cinedigm on May 6. The film stars Eric Dane (“Euphoria"), Teri Polo (Meet the Parents), Peter Facinelli (The Vanished), Byron Mann (The Big Short), Leslie Uggams (Deadpool) and Kyle Lowder (“Days of Our Live”).In THE RAVINE, when an unspeakable crime rocks a peaceful community, family and friends are left to wonder if they overlooked the murderer among them or if there might be more to the story. Inspired by true events, this haunting thriller stars Eric Dane, Teri Polo, Peter Facinelli, and Leslie Uggams.

Tonight we’re chatting with Chris Cullari and Jennifer Raite, directors of the new film THE AVIARY which Premieres April 29 In Theaters and Digital and On Demand From Saban Films — The film follows two women (Malin Akerman and Lorenza Izzo) on the run from an oppressive and controlling cult led by Seth (Chris Messina), and the lingering hold it has on them despite the distance they so desperately try to put between themselves and the desert facility they used to occupy.

This week we have a special Easter Episode with a look at the 1972 film Night of the Lepus.This is Episode #366! Night of the Lepus (also known as Rabbits) is a 1972 American science fiction horror film directed by William F. Claxton and produced by A. C. Lyles. Based upon Russell Braddon's 1964 science fiction novel The Year of the Angry Rabbit, the plot concerns an infestation of mutated rabbits.The film was the first science fiction work for producer Lyles and for director Claxton, both of whom came from Western film backgrounds. Character actors from Westerns the pair had worked on were brought in to star, including Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, Rory Calhoun and DeForest Kelley. Shot in Arizona, Night used domestic rabbits filmed against miniature models and actors dressed in rabbit costumes for the attack scenes.

Tonight we’re chatting with Kiah Roache-Turner, director of Wyrmwood: Apocalypse, out in digital in the US April 14. Directed by Kiah Roache-Turner and produced by Tristan Roache-Turner, and co-written by the two, the film is a sequel to the 2015 breakout hit Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead, and it follows the character Rhys as he realizes the life he's been living in a zombie-infested wasteland has been a lie, and instead of helping to find a cure for the virus he's been helping a mad man destroy lives — but after he captures a mysterious half-human half-zombie he may actually be able to save his world for real.

This week we continue our retrospective on The Fly films with the 1986 David Cronenberg film The Fly.This is Episode #365!The Fly is a 1986 American science fiction-horror film directed and co-written by David Cronenberg. Produced by Brooksfilms and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the film stars Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis and John Getz. Loosely based on George Langelaan's 1957 short story of the same name and the 1958 film of the same name, The Fly tells of an eccentric scientist who, after one of his experiments goes wrong, slowly turns into a fly-hybrid creature. The score was composed by Howard Shore and the make-up effects were created by Chris Walas, along with makeup artist Stephan Dupuis.The Fly was released on August 15, 1986, to massive acclaim by critics and audiences, with praise mainly regarding the special effects and Goldblum's performance. It grossed $60.6 million at the box office against its nine-million-dollar budget, becoming the largest commercial success of Cronenberg's career. Walas and Dupuis' work on the film resulted in their winning an Academy Award for Best Makeup, the only Oscar won by a film directed by Cronenberg. A sequel, directed by Walas, was released in 1989.

This week we continue a retrospective on The Fly films with 1965’s Curse of the Fly. This is Episode #364! Curse of the Fly is a 1965 American horror science-fiction film and sequel to Return of the Fly (1959), it is the third installment in The Fly film series. It was released in 1965, and unlike the other films in the series was produced in the United Kingdom. The film was directed by Don Sharp and the screenplay was written by Harry Spalding.

This episode of Castle Talk, Jason chats with Kate Dolan, writer and director of the new horror film You Are Not My Mother, releasing March 25 in theaters and on VOD. You Are Not My Mother marks the feature debut from Dublin-based filmmaker Dolan, 2022 Dublin Film Festival Discovery Award recipient and Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) Rising Star nominee. Say the producers about the film: It’s the week before Halloween. Char’s bedridden mother, Angela, has mysteriously gone missing. All that remains is her abandoned car parked in the middle of a field. When Angela returns home to their North Dublin estate the following evening without explanation, it becomes clear to Char and her grandmother, Rita, that something is amiss. She might look and sound the same, but Angela’s behavior has become increasingly erratic and frightening, as if she has been replaced by a malevolent force. As Halloween approaches, a night steeped in ancient Irish myth and legend, Char must unearth the dark secrets of her family in order to uncover the truth behind her mother's disappearance and save her, even if it means potentially losing her forever.

This week we continue a retrospective on The Fly films with 1959’s Return of the Fly. This is Episode #363! Return of the Fly is a 1959 American horror science-fiction film and sequel to The Fly (1958), it is the second installment in The Fly film series. It was released in 1959 as a double feature with The Alligator People. It was directed by Edward Bernds. Unlike the previous film, Return of the Fly was shot in black and white.Vincent Price was the only returning cast member from the original. It was intended that Herbert Marshall reprise his role as the police inspector, but due to illness he was replaced by John SuttonThe film was followed by a second sequel, Curse of the Fly (1965).

This week kick off a retrospective on The Fly films with 1958’s The Fly. This is Episode #362!The Fly is a 1958 American science fiction horror film and the first installment in The Fly film series. Produced and directed by Kurt Neumann and starring David Hedison, Patricia Owens, Vincent Price, and Herbert Marshall. The screenplay by James Clavell was based on the 1957 short story of the same name by George Langelaan.The film tells the story of a scientist who is transformed into a grotesque creature after a common house fly enters unseen into a molecular transporter with which he is experimenting, resulting in his atoms being combined with those of the insect, which produces a human–fly hybrid. The film was released in CinemaScope with color by Deluxe by 20th Century Fox. It was followed by two black-and-white sequels, Return of the Fly (1959) and Curse of the Fly (1965). The original film was remade in 1986 by director David Cronenberg.

Tonight we’re chatting with Alejandro Hidalgo, director and co-writer of THE EXORCISM OF GOD, in Theaters, on Demand and Digital on March 11th.THE EXORCISM OF GOD is directed by Alejandro Hidalgo (The House at the End of Time) from a script by Santiago Fernández Calvete (Sangre Vurdalak) and Hidalgo. The film stars Joseph Marcell ("The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"), María Gabriela de Faría ("The Moodys", "Deadly Class"), Will Beinbrink (It Chapter Two, "Dark"), Hector Kotsifakis ("Malverde: El Santo Patrón"), and Irán Castillo ("SOS Me estoy enamorando").Saban Films will release the horror film THE EXORCISM OF GOD in Theaters, on Demand and Digital on March 11th.

Tonight we’re chatting with Mickey Keating, Director and Writer of Offseason, In Select Theaters, On Demand and Digital March 11, 2022.Upon receiving a mysterious letter that her mother’s grave site has been vandalized, Marie quickly returns to the isolated offshore island where her late mother is buried. When she arrives, she discovers that the island is closing for the offseason with the bridges raised until Spring, leaving her stranded. One strange interaction with the local townspeople after another, Marie soon realizes that something is not quite right in this small town. She must unveil the mystery behind her mother’s troubled past in order to make it out alive.TRAILER:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPtKRTlnWNAStarring: Jocelin Donahue, Joe Swanberg, Richard Brake, Melora Walters, Jeremy GardnerDirected and Written By:Mickey Keating

This week we continue our series on Foggy terrors with the 1972 British film Tower of Evil AKA Beyond the Fog. This is Episode #361!Tower of Evil, also known by the titles Horror on Snape Island and Beyond the Fog in the United States and Horror of Snape Island in Canada, is a 1972 British horror film.

Tonight we’re chatting with Guadalupe Garcia McCall on her new book The Keeper from HarperCollins.Inspired by a terrifying true story, acclaimed author Guadalupe Garcia McCall creates a twisty tale about a boy desperately trying to survive in a new town with a secret past.James always knew moving from Texas to Oregon was going to be horrible.. But no sooner have he and his family arrived in their "perfect" new home in their "perfect" new town than he starts getting mysterious letters from someone called the Keeper. Someone who claims to be watching him. Someone who is looking for “young blood.”Born and raised in Eagle Pass, Texas, Guadalupe García McCall is the award-winning author of many young adult novels and children’s poetry. Guadalupe received the Prestigious Pura Belpre Award, a Westchester Young Adult Fiction Award, the Tomás Rivera Mexican-American Children’s Book Award, and was a finalist for the William C. Morris Award and the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, among many other accolades. She is currently an Assistant Professor of English at George Fox University and lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest. She is an advocate for literacy, diverse books, and Own Voices.

Tonight we’re chatting with Rio Youers, author of the new book NO SECOND CHANCES., out from HarperCollins this month.New York Times best-selling author, Joe Hill, called Youers’ latest book, Lola on Fire, “…a novel that rivals Killing Eve in intensity and atmosphere.” NO SECOND CHANCES features the same “blinding speed” (New York Times Book Review on Lola on Fire) as his previous novel and follows a down-and-out actor suspected of killing his wife, a wannabe starlet new to the L.A. scene, and the vengeful drug dealer they both dare to cross. Desperate love, vengeance, and the precarious pursuit of fame are all at play in this wild ride. Fans of thrilling plots and psychological suspense should buckle up. ABOUT RIO YOUERSRio Youers is the critically acclaimed author of Lola on Fire, Westlake Soul, and Halcyon. His 2017 thriller, The Forgotten Girl, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel. He is the writer of Sleeping Beauties, a comic book series based on the bestselling novel by Stephen King and Owen King. Rio lives in Ontario, Canada, with his wife and their two children.

Tonight we’re chatting with Matt Serafini, the author of the new book Scared to Death from Encyclopocalypse, and what’s fascinating here is that this book is a novelization for a movie that came out in 1980.Hailed as "one of the best new voices in genre fiction" by horror grandmaster Brian Keene, Matt Serafini's books include RITES OF EXTINCTION, FERAL, and UNDER THE BLADE, which Fangoria called "one of the best slasher films you'll ever read." His short fiction has appeared in numerous anthology collections and he is a screenwriter with his work making its way through the various stages of the long and arduous development process. His nonfiction has appeared in the pages of Fangoria and HorrorHound. Find him at mattserafini.com and on Twitter at @Mattfini.

This week we continue our series on Foggy terrors with the 2005 remake The Fog. This is Episode #360!

Tonight we’re chatting with Ricky Bates, writer and director of King Knight, in Select Theaters, On Demand & Digital Feb. 17th. About the Film:Thorn (CRIMINAL MINDS’ Matthew Gray Gubler) and Willow appear to have it all as the revered high priest and priestess of a coven of new age witches. But a secret from Thorn’s past throws their lives into turmoil and sends them on a trippy, hilarious journey.Starring: Matthew Gray Gubler, Angela Sarafyan, Andy Milonakis, Kate Comer, Johnny Pemberton, Josh Fadem, Nelson Franklin, Emily Chang, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Swati Kapila, Shane Brady, AnnaLynne McCord, Alice Glass, with Barbara Crampton, and Ray Wise playing MerlinDirected and Written By:Richard Bates, Jr.

This week we kick off a series on Foggy terrors with John Carpenter’s 1980 film The Fog. This is Episode #359!

Tonight we’re chatting with Barbara Crampton about the new film she features heavily in, Alone with You, which comes to theaters February 4 and On Demand, Digital and DVD - February 8, 2022.About the film: Alone With YouStarring:Emily Bennett, Emma Myles, Dora Madison and Barbara CramptonCo-Written and Co-Directed by: Emily Bennett & Justin BrooksAs a young woman painstakingly prepares a romantic homecoming for her girlfriend, their apartment begins to feel more like a tomb when voices, shadows, and hallucinations reveal a truth she has been unwilling to face.

This week we continue a series of Abominable Snowman movies with a special film that acts as sort of a companion to the British The Abominable Snowman, we’re talking about the 1958 film The Trollenberg Terror AKA The Crawling Eye. This is Episode #358!

Jason talks to Michael Gingold, author of Ad Nauseam: Newsprint Nightmares from the '70s and '80s, a year-by-year deep dive into the Gingold archive, with more than 700 ads. Within its pages you'll see rare alternate art for film franchises such as Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Child’s Play, Jaws, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Exorcist. You'll also revel in oddities including Invasion of the Blood Farmers, Psycho from Texas, Dracula Blows His Cool, Zombie Island Massacre, Twitch of the Death Nerve, and many more.Gingold also provides personal recollections and commentary, and unearths vintage reviews to reveal what critics of the time were saying about these films.

Tonight we’re chatting with Gracie Gillam, the title character of SUPERHOST, which comes out on VOD, Digital HD, DVD and Blu-ray February 1, 2022. In SUPERHOST, Teddy and Claire are travel vloggers who run a channel called “SUPERHOST” where they travel and share their experiences in and around vacation homes, and until recently, had become successful doing it. With a dwindling subscriber count, they find the perfect opportunity to create content that people want to see when they meet Rebecca, the host of their most recent trip. Slowly they start to realize that something isn’t right with Rebecca, and as they investigate it further, they unlock a horrifying truth. She doesn’t just want a great review, she wants something far worse.

Tonight we’re chatting with Matt Glass and Jordan Wayne Long, directors of Ghosts of the Ozarks, which premieres In Select Theaters, On Demand and Digital February 3. The film stars Tim Blake Nelson, David Arquette, Angela Bettis, Thomas Hobson, Phil Norris and Tara Perry. About the film: In post-Civil War Arkansas, a young doctor is mysteriously summoned to a remote town in the Ozarks only to discover that the utopian paradise is filled with secrets and surrounded by a menacing, supernatural presence.

In our episode on Embrace of the Vampire (1995), Tony schools Jason on his choices of film.From the episode "Embrace of the Vampire: The Sexy Vampire Retrospective."

This week we continue a series of Abominable Snowman movies with Abominable (2006). This is Episode #356! Abominable is a 2006 American monster film, directed and written by Ryan Schifrin. Starring Matt McCoy, Jeffrey Combs, Lance Henriksen, Rex Linn, Dee Wallace, Phil Morris, Paul Gleason and Haley Joel. The film follows paraplegic widower Preston Rogers (McCoy) as he moves back into the remote cabin where he and his now-deceased wife once lived. Preston quickly realizes that a sadistic Sasquatch is stalking the woods around the cabin, but nobody believes him.

Tonight we’re chatting with Edoardo Vitaletti, writer and director of THE LAST THING MARY SAW, his feature length film debut, a Shudder Original Film premiering exclusively on Shudder Thursday, January 20.THE LAST THING MARY SAW stars Stefanie Scott (INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3), Isabelle Fuhrman (THE NOVICE, ORPHAN), and Rory Culkin (LORDS OF CHAOS, SCREAM 4) and has been a hit on the festival circuit leading up to its hotly anticipated launch on the platform. It follows the story of Mary, a young woman living in Southold, New York, in the year 1843. Mary finds herself in a loving relationship with Eleanor, her family's young maid, and what first begins as a story of religious punishment turns into something much more dark and wicked.

Tonight we have a special conversation with author Katharine Coldiron on the subject of bad film and The Valley of the Dolls, a film that has divided audiences since its debut—is it bad or do we even know what that word means?Katharine Coldiron is the author of Ceremonials and a recent book from PS Publishing on Plan 9 from Outer Space. Her work on film has appeared in many online journals and routinely appears for free on Twitter. Valley of the Dolls is a 1967 film directed by Mark Robson that follows three women in the entertainment industry.

This week we continue a series of Abominable Snowman movies with Snowbeast (1977). This is Episode #355! Snowbeast is a 1977 American made-for-television horror film starring Bo Svenson, Yvette Mimieux, Robert Logan and Clint Walker. It was directed by Herb Wallerstein from a teleplay written by Joseph Stefano (who wrote the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 thriller Psycho). The film originally premiered as the NBC Thursday Night Movie on NBC on April 28, 1977. This was the #1-rated television program in the USA the week of its release.

Tonight we’re talking to Lawrence Fowler, writer director of Jack in the Box: Awakening, a new film that follows on Fowler’s film Jack in the Box, releasing Jan 18, 2022 (VOD, Digital HD & DVD) in the U.S. In the new film, terminally ill heiress Olga Marsdale acquires a mysterious gothic box containing a captured demon - Jack. The powerful entity within makes a deadly deal with Olga and her devoted son Edgar - deliver six victims to Jack and Olga will live.Lawrence Fowler is a multi-award winning Welsh Film Director and Writer. Working alongside his producing partner Geoff, Fowler Media Limited was born to produce genre feature films and TV projects for world-wide audiences. His 2020 film 'The Jack in the Box' earned a Best Feature Award at the British Horror Film Festival and held its premiere at prestigious Leicester Square.

This week kick off a series of Abominable Snowman movies discuss The Abominable Snowman (film). This is Episode #354! The Abominable Snowman (US title: The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas) is a 1957 British fantasy-horror film directed by Val Guest and written by Nigel Kneale, based on his own BBC television play The Creature. Produced by Hammer Films, the plot follows the exploits of British scientist Dr. John Rollason (Peter Cushing), who joins an American expedition, led by glory-seeker Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker), to search the Himalayas for the legendary Yeti. Maureen Connell, Richard Wattis and Arnold Marle appear in supporting roles.

Tonight we’re chatting with writer and pop culture columnist Chris Buse, author of the novel "The Neon Graveyard," available on Amazon. The book spans sixty years of American history and popular culture and several genres, featuring a group of modern-day devil hunters. In the book, his heroine Idalis Troy must reclaim her identity, and perhaps her soul, as she comes face to face with the Fallen One.

Tonight we’re chatting with Sean Nichols Lynch, writer and director of Red Snow (Out 12/28). In the film, a struggling vampire romance novelist must defend herself against real-life vampires during Christmas in Lake Tahoe.SYNOPSIS:When an injured bat transforms into a handsome vampire, struggling horror novelist Olivia Romo hides him in her garage to protect him from a vampire hunter. Besotted by the creature, she feeds him animal blood, but any chance of romance is soon thwarted when a gang of fellow bloodsuckers invade her home in search of their missing friend.Release Date: December 28, 2021 (DVD, VOD, & Digital)

This week have a special Christmas Episode to discuss Jaws: The Revenge. This is Episode #353!

Tonight we’re chatting Tonight we’re chatting with Michel Aronovitz, author of the new book collection of stories called Dancing with Tombstones. This new book from critically acclaimed genre author Michael Aronovitz collects some of his greatest stories that celebrate the beauty of the darkness in the world.•In the section titled GIRLS, you'll learn "How Bria Died," and will also meet "The Sculptor" in the story that inspired Aronovitz's full-length serial killer novel of the same name.•In the section featuring PSYCHOS, you'll feel the chill of the Anti-Christ in "Quest for Sadness," and fall prey to the most frightening circus creature on the face of the earth in "The Exterminator."•In TOOLS & TECH, you'll find out the dark secret of "The Tool Shed," and will also experience the full-length ghost-novella, "Toll Booth."•And finally, in MARTYRS & SACRIFICIAL LAMBS you'll experience hell on earth in "The Echo," and unwittingly release the darkest force of the forest in "The Falcon."With Dancing with Tombstones, the author of Alice Walks and The Sculptor deliciously thrusts us down the twisted avenues deep inside the haunt of our most secret repressions.

Today we’re chatting with Cory Choy, director of the new film ESME MY LOVE, a psychological thriller starring Stacey Weckstein as Hannah and Audrey Grace Marshall as Esme.Synopsis: When Hannah notices the symptoms of a terminal and painful illness in her aloof daughter, Esme, she decides to take her on a trip to their abandoned family farm in a desperate attempt to connect before they have to say goodbye…See the trailer at: www.esmemylove.com.

Tonight we’re chatting with Katharine Coldiron, who’s just published the book Plan 9 from Outer Space from Electric Dreamhouse Press. Her work as a book critic has appeared in the Washington Post, the Guardian, NPR, and elsewhere; her work as a film critic has appeared in Bitch, Bright Wall/Dark Room, and Video Librarian. She earned an MA in creative writing from California State University, Northridge, and a BA in film studies and philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. Find her at kcoldiron.com.

This week, we are joined by a special guest from the Monster Movie Happy Hour to discuss GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE. This is Episode #352!

This week the gang is hosted by Drew Edwards and joined by the ever-eloquent Professor David Bowles to discuss the 1983 film SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES.

Jason is joined by Tony Salvaggio to chat with Lars Nilsen, author of Warped and Faded: Weird Wednesday and the Birth of the American Genre Film Archive, about the book, the phenomenon of the Alamo Drafthouse, and programming one of the weirdest and most fondly recalled repertory series ever.

Today we’re chatting with Zin E Rocklyn, author of Flowers for the Sea which just came out in paperback from Tordorcom.Zin E. Rocklyn is a contributor to Bram Stoker-nominated and This is Horror Award-winning Nox Pareidolia, Kaiju Rising II: Reign of Monsters, Brigands: A Blackguards Anthology, and Forever Vacancy anthologies and Weird Luck Tales No. 7 zine. Their story "Summer Skin" in the Bram Stoker-nominated anthology Sycorax's Daughters received an honorable mention for Ellen Datlow's Best Horror of the Year, Volume Ten. Zin contributed the nonfiction essay “My Genre Makes a Monster of Me” to Uncanny Magazine’s Hugo Award-winning Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction. Their short story "The Night Sun" and flash fiction "teatime" were published on Tor.com. Flowers for the Sea is their debut novella. Zin is a 2017 VONA and 2018 Viable Paradise graduate as well as a 2022 Clarion West candidate. You can find them on Twitter @intelligentwat.In FLOWERS FOR THE SEA, survivors from a flooded kingdom struggle alone on an ark. Resources are scant, and ravenous beasts circle…and their fangs are sharp. Rocklyn centers the story on Iraxi, a refugee that is ostracized, despised, and a commoner who refused a prince. Iraxi is also pregnant with a child that might be more than human, and her fate may be darker and more powerful than she can imagine.

On the release date of the bloody new vampire novella BLOODSUCKER CITY by Jim Towns from Castle Bridge Media.Join our select list of vampire experts and writers as they chat about the remarkable resilience of the vampire in media. Not only does everyone have a favorite but they tend to fight for it, from regal old-world romancers like Bela Lugosi's Dracula to the seething predator of Stoker's original, to femme fatale vampires like Carmilla, to sparkly lovers like Twilight's Edward. Where do YOU come down?Panelists:Jim Towns, director and author, American CrypticChristopher Farnsworth, author, The President's VampireLeanna Renne Hieber, author, Strangely BeautifulCharles R. Rutledge, author, Dracula's RevengeModerated by Jason Henderson, writer, Sword of Dracula

This week, after a number of special episodes and supplementals we are back with the regular cast for our official 350th episode. And this episode is HALLOWEEN KILLS.

Freelance editor, anthologist, and reviewer Paula Guran was senior editor for Prime Books for seven years. Previously, she edited the Juno fantasy imprint from its small press inception through its incarnation as an imprint of Pocket Books. In addition to the annual Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror series, she’s edited many other anthologies. The supernatural, surreal, and the all-too real. Tales of the dark have always fascinated us, and in The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror: Volume Two (October 19, PYR), editor Paula Guran has selected 30 modern authors (20 of those women) to carry on the disquieting traditions of the past while inventing imaginative new ways to unsettle us. Volume two begins with a COVID-19-based tale by Victor LaValle, who was commissioned (along with 28 others) by the New York Times to “write new short stories inspired by the moment.” Along with LaVelle’s story Recognition, this year’s collection includes six stories set in a dystopian future, three tales around the human genetic code, and horrific tales of the supernatural. “It wasn’t until after I started assembling this volume that I realized how often homes, houses, and other domiciles played important roles in many of the selected stories,” said Guran. “Considering most of us have been home more than usual lately, this is… interesting.”

This week we have a special crossover episode with our good friends at the Borgo Pass Podcast, a look at the 1977 BBC film Count Dracula.

Jason chats with writer Tony Salvaggio about two new music documentaries that premiered at this year's Fantastic Fest: This is GWAR and Who Killed the KLF?

Tonight we’re chatting with Derek Presley, writer/director & Jason Starne, producer of Whitetail, releasing this month. Synopsis: Whitetail follows a broken family consisting of a father, an uncle and the son as they embark on a weekend hunting trip out in West Texas. The mother has recently died of an overdose and the trio hope to get away from it all by being out in nature and hunting. Instead they find a mysterious man shot in the stomach and clutching onto a backpack full of money. This film is a southern gothic thriller, drama and survival film. All taking place over one day and one night in the brush land of Texas.

This week we have yet another Cat People movie—Cat People 1982 from director Paul Schrader, Cat People is a 1982 American erotic horror film directed by Paul Schrader and starring Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard, and Annette O'Toole. It is a remake of the 1942 RKO film of the same name. Giorgio Moroder composed the film's score, including the theme song, which features lyrics and vocals by David Bowie. Wilbur Stark and Jerry Bruckheimer served as executive producers.

In this special episode, Tony Salvaggio recaps the highs of the Austin's premiere genre film festival, Fantastic Fest. Films discussed are:CANNON ARM AND THE ARCADE QUESTBINGO HELL (Theater 5 Main House)BLACK PHONEFREAKS OUTTHE BLACK PHONE (Theater 5 Main House)LAST OF THE WOLVESIKÉ BOYSHELLBENDERTHE EXORCISM OF GODBEYOND THE INFINITE 2 MINUTESCOP SECRETSALOUMLET THE WRONG ONE INMAD GODFOUND FOOTAGE PHENOMENONWOODLANDS DARK DAYS BEWITCHEDTHE TRIPKING CARGLASS HOUSEDIGITAL VIDEO EDITING WITH ADOBE PREMIERE PRO: THE REAL-WORLD GUIDE TO SET UP AND WORKFLOWFor more, visit https://fantasticfest.com/films/features

This week we wrap up our look at the Candyman films with the 1999 film Candyman: Day of the Dead. Candyman: Day of the Dead is a 1999 American supernatural slasher film directed by Turi Meyer and starring Tony Todd and Donna D'Errico. It is the third installment in the Candyman series,[1] and a direct sequel to the 1995 film Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh. Its plot follows Caroline, the daughter of Annie Tarrant and a descendant of the Candyman, the powerful spirit of the murdered son of a slave who kills those who invoked him, who finds herself targeted by him on the eve of the Day of the Dead.

Tonight I can’t tell you how great it is to talk again to Joe Bob Briggs. The Shudder Original Halloween special Joe Bob’s Halloween Hoedown will premiere Friday, October 8 with special guests from the upcoming Halloween franchise installment, Halloween Kills: director David Gordon Green and producer/Blumhouse CEO and founder Jason Blum, as announced today during Blumhouse’s second annual BlumFest celebration. Joe Bob’s Halloween Hoedown premieres live on the Shudder TV feed at 9pm ET/8c on October 8. Fans can also watch on demand on Shudder and within the Shudder offering in the AMC+ bundle on Sunday, October 10.

Tonight we’re chatting with Caitlin Starling, author of The Death of Jane Lawrence, out this October from St Martin’s Press.Caitlin Starling is a Bram Stoker-nominated author of the Luminous Dead and people have been liking the book to Mexican Gothic and Guillermo Del Tor’s Crimson Peak.

Tonight we’re chatting with Elle Callahan, director of the thriller/horror film WITCH HUNT, which will be released by Momentum Pictures Theaters, On Demand and Digital on October 1, 2021.In the film, a teenager grapples with the fact that her family is part of an intricate network that helps persecuted magical witches flee across as the US government persecutes and hunts them down.

This week we continue a look at the Candyman films with the 1995 film Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh.

In this episode of Castle Talk, Tony Salvaggio chats with Co-writer/director Eric McEver (directorial debut), Quinn Lord (Netflix’s “Firefly Lane,” Trick ‘r Treat), Ronak Gandhi (You are Here, Age of Summer) and Christina Higa (Am I OK?) of the new film Ike Boys.This from-the-heart love letter to Anime, Tokusatsu, and being uncool in high school while trying to prevent an apocalypse, debuts at Fantastic Fest on Sunday, September 26th. In addition to hitting home for anyone who grew up liking things that weren't cool at the time, Ike Boys also has a lot to say about cultural expectations and assumptions, and the shared bond we can feel through the love of pop culture (and a possible tie to the original 1954 Godzilla film is revealed.) Joins us as we talk about all of these things as well as the awesome ending track by actress/composer Christina Higa.

**Stick around after the show for a special musical treat-- Jamie Bahr's piano rendition of Helen's Theme by Phillip Glass from CANDYMAN.**This week we continue a look at the Candyman films with the 1992 film CANDYMAN. Candyman is a 1992 American gothic supernatural horror film, written and directed by Bernard Rose and starring Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons and Vanessa E. Williams. Based on Clive Barker's short story "The Forbidden", the film follows a Chicago graduate student completing a thesis on urban legends and folklore, which leads her to the legend of the "Candyman", the ghost of an artist and the son of a slave who was murdered in the late 19th century for his relationship with the daughter of a wealthy white man.

Tonight we’re chatting with Rose Williams, star of The Power, which is releasing from RLJE on VOD, Digital HD and DVD on September 21, 2021.LOS ANGELES, (Aug. 19, 2021) – RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, has picked up select rights to the horror film, THE POWER from Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural. RLJE Films will release THE POWER on VOD, Digital HD, and DVD on September 21, 2021. Written and directed by BAFTA-nominated director Corinna Faith, and featuring an original score by Gazelle Twin and Max de Wardener, THE POWER stars Rose Williams (“Sanditon,” “Reign,” “Medici”), Charlie Carrick (Abandoned: Angelique's Isle, “Reign”), Gbemisola Ikumelo (“Roadkill,” The Last Tree), Theo Barklem-Biggs (“The First Team,” The Forgotten Battle), Emma Rigby (“Prisoners Wives,” Endless Love), and Shakira Rahman. RLJE Films will release THE POWER on DVD for an SRP of $27.97. London, 1974. In THE POWER, as Britain prepares for electrical blackouts to sweep across the country, trainee nurse Val arrives for her first day at the crumbling East London Royal Infirmary. With most of the patients and staff evacuated to another hospital, Val must work the night shift in the empty building. Within these walls lies a deadly secret, forcing Val to face her own traumatic past in order to confront the malevolent power that’s intent on destroying everything around her.

Tonight we’re chatting with Chris Beyrooty and Connor Martin, directors and writers of Shelter in Place, releasing on digital September 14, 2021.Directed and Written by Chris Beyrooty and Connor Martin, SHELTER IN PLACE stars Brendan Hines (The Tick, Lie to Me), Tatjana Marjanovic (Great White, Purgatory), Kevin Daniels (Atypical, Modern Family, The Big Leap), Ola Kaminska (The Madness Within), and Jey Reynolds.SYNOPSIS: A honeymooning couple gets stranded at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and learns that there is more to fear than just cabin fever.

This week we kick off a look at the Candyman films with the 2021 film CANDYMAN. And this week we have a special guest! Lead Singer, slap bassist for Austin's Rockabilly Riot Grrrl band, Danger*Cakes, and upright bassist for the Queergrass/Americana outfit, Brand New Key, Jamie Bahr is also the Executive Director of the non-profit organization, Girls Rock Austin, empowering girls, trans and non-binary youth through music education and mentorship.

Tonight we’re chatting with Michael J. Ahern, Brandon Perras-Sanchez, Ryan Miller, and Wayne Gonsalves, creators of the new film Death Drop Gorgeous, releasing from Dark Star Pictures in theaters and on demand and digital September 10.Death Drop Gorgeous, an ode to John Waters and Wicked Queer festival hit, premieres this month on demand and digital from Dark Star Pictures. About the film: A dejected bartender and an aging drag queen fight to survive the eccentric and hostile nightlife of a corrupt city, as a masked maniac slaughters young gay men and drains them of blood. An ode to the wicked work of John Waters, festival fave Death Drop Gorgeous - Seattle Queer, Chicago Horror, Wicked Queer, VideoScream and over 20 more festivals worldwide – features divine work by directors Michael J. Ahern, Christopher Dalpe, Brandon Perras-Sanchez, and a superlative cast headed by Wayne Gonsalves, Payton St. James, Brandon Perras-Sanchez, and Christopher Dalpe.

Tonight we’re chatting with Stephen R Bissette, historian and critic, who writes a series of essays included in the new Blu-Ray box set from Arrow, Cold War Creatures: Four Films from Sam Katzman. Bissette is also a well-known comic artist whose work has graced so many great works from DC’s 80s Swamp Thing revival to independent, Eisner-nominated fare like Taboo.Katzman was a prolific studio exec that produced hundreds of films starting in the early 1930s and concluding in 1972, gaining great notoriety for his ability to turn a sizable profit on a minuscule budget. Arrow has compiled four of Katzman's monster movies from the 1950s in one glorious collection and loaded them up with special features including an 80-page collector’s art book featuring reproduction stills and artwork from each film and new writing by historian and critic, Stephen R. Bissette. The four films include Creature with the Atom Brain, The Werewolf, The Zombies of Mora Tau, and The Giant Claw.

This week we continue a retrospective of films from famed producer Val Lewton with the 1944 film The Curse of the Cat People.The Curse of the Cat People is a 1944 American psychological fantasy thriller film[1][2][3] directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise, produced by Val Lewton, and starring Simone Simon, Kent Smith, and Jane Randolph. Its plot follows Amy, a young girl who befriends the ghost of her father's deceased first wife, Irena, a Serbian fashion designer who descended from a race of people who could transform into cats. The film, which marks Wise's first directing credit, is a sequel to Cat People (1942) and has many of the same characters. However, it is only tangentially related to its predecessor. This is Castle of Horror Episode 347.

Tonight we’re chatting with Tera Cuskaden, Managing Editor at Crazy Maple Studio for KISS and Scream apps. She explains how Scream brings scary reading to new readers who avoid traditional book-reading apps.Tera is a RITA award-winning editor who started working in publishing in 2004 as a reviewer and proofreader. Tera has edited many New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and is the first editor to hit the New York Times bestseller list with a digital-only title. She spent nine years with Samhain Publishing as Senior Editor and Art Department Coordinator before moving to Entangled Publishing as an Editorial Director. Tera is now the Managing Editor at Crazy Maple Studio for KISS and Scream, where she continues her work with bestselling authors and finding fresh new voices to bring to the romance, thriller, suspense, and horror genres. Tera holds a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from Indiana University.

Tonight we’re chatting with Patricia Gomez Zlatar, co-writer of SLAXX, which arrives from RLJE Films on VOD, Digital HD, and DVD on September 7, 2021. In SLAXX, a possessed pair of jeans is brought to life to punish the unscrupulous practices of a trendy clothing company. Shipped to the company’s flagship store, the killer jeans proceed to wreak carnage on staff who are locked in overnight to set up the new collection. SLAXX is “stylish, sharp, and not to be overlooked” (Pajiba.com) and “just good, bloody, fun” (Flickering Myth). Check out the trailer: https://youtu.be/0lwxhrKJi6s Bonus features on the DVD include:● The Story Behind SLAXX● The Pants Are Alive● Producing A Killer Pants Movie● Call In The Death Consultant● Casting SLAXX● Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery

This week we kick off a retrospective of films produced by famed producer Val Lewton with the 1942 film from director Jaques Tourneur, Cat People. This is Castle of Horror Episode 346.

This week we have a standalone episode, a look at Maxi Contenti’s new film THE LAST MATINEE. Maxi Contenti is also the director of the video for the Castle of Horror Podcast's theme music, "Send More Gasoline" by Tony Salvaggio and Deserts of Mars. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gDuCRF4ODQ)This is Castle of Horror Episode 345.

Tonight we’re chatting with Maxi Contenti, director of THE LAST MATINEE, coming to VOD, Digital and DVD on August 24, 2021. The Castle of Horror Podcast has a connection to Contenti, in fact-- he's the director of the video for SEND MORE GASOLINE from castmember Tony Salvaggio's band Deserts of Mars (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gDuCRF4ODQ).Directed by Maxi Contenti (Muñeco viviente V, Neptunia) from a script by Manuel Facal (High Five, Fiesta Nibiru) and Contenti, THE LAST MATINEE stars Luciana Grasso (El Secreto de Julia), Ricardo Islas (El Que No Corre Vuela, Bailiwick), Julieta Spinelli, Franco Duran and Pedro Duarte. SYNOPSIS: The audience attending the last showing of a horror film in a small downtown cinema are terrorized by a murderer who begins to pick them off, one by one. The only person to notice that something strange is going on is the projectionist’s daughter.Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/fqKYjeiKq7A

Tonight we’re chatting with Drew Edwards and Brian Crowley, writer and artist/inker of the Aerobicide Lucy Chaplin Science Starlet Crossover “Revenge of the Creeping Dread.”Drew Edwards (Story/Script/ Creator of Dr. Lucy Chaplin) is an award-winning comic book writer, horror film historian, music journalist, rock promoter, and showman extraordinaire; these are all guises of the creative force known as Drew Edwards. Best known as the writer and creator of the long-running underground comic book series, Halloween Man, thousands tune in each week to hear him as a cast member of the horror movie podcast, Castle of Horror. Known as “Howlin’” Drew Edwards to many musicians, he’s helped bridge the horror and comic culture worlds with Austin’s legendary music scene with Halloween Man Productions annual “Punk vs. Rockabilly” showcase during SXSW, now in its tenth year, and as a contributing writer for Rockabilly Online. Drew currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, musician/activist, Jamie Bahr, and a pair of loveable bunnies. Brian Crowley (Artist/Inker) a design leader and illustration professional currently working with Fortune 500 companies and multiple agency clients specializing in organizational agile transformation. He lives in Portage Park with his wife Stacey. He’s the creator of the webcomic “Hamster Rage” and has drawn and written numerous other comics.

This week we say Sayonara for the Summer with the 1978 film Sensuous Vampires AKA Vampire Hookers. This is Castle of Horror Episode 344.

Tonight we’re chatting with Grady Hendrix, author of the new book The Final Girl Support Group. Hendrix is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter. His new book The Final Girl Support Group” is being adapted as a forthcoming series, his previous, the New York Times Best Selling novel The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, was optioned for series adaptation by Amazon Studios following a ten buyer bidding war. There’s a lot more, he’s the author of the Bram Stoker Award-winning nonfiction book, Paperbacks from Hell, a history of the horror paperback boom of the ’70s and ’80s. I know few authors who are as literate on their own genre, it’s truly humbling.

This week we continue our Summer 2021 Satanic Panic series with the 1976 film To the Devil a Daughter, sometimes called CHILD OF SATAN.To the Devil...a Daughter is a 1976 British-West German horror film directed by Peter Sykes, produced by Hammer Film Productions and Terra Filmkunst, and starring Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman, Nastassja Kinski and Denholm Elliott. It is based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley. It was the final Hammer production to feature Christopher Lee until The Resident in 2011. On home videocassette the film was released with the alternate title Child of Satan. This is Castle of Horror Episode 343.

This week we continue our Summer 2021 Satanic Panic series with the 1978 film Summer of Fear AKA Stranger in Our House directed by Wes Craven.Stranger in Our House is a 1978 American television horror film directed by Wes Craven and starring Linda Blair, Lee Purcell, Jeremy Slate, Jeff McCracken, and Jeff East. It is based on the 1976 novel Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan. The film premiered on NBC on October 31, 1978, and subsequently received theatrical releases in Europe under the title Summer of Fear.This is Castle of Horror Episode 342.

This episode Jason chats with Martin Wilson, director of GREAT WHITE, in Theaters, On Demand and Digital - July 16, 2021. In GREAT WHITE, a blissful tourist trip turns into a nightmare when five seaplane passengers are stranded miles from shore. In a desperate bid for survival, the group try to make it to land before they either run out of supplies or are taken by a menacing terror lurking just beneath the surface.The film is written by Michael Boughen, and stars Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko, Tatjana Marjanovic and Kimie Tsukakoshi.

This week we continue our Summer 2021 Satanic Panic series with the 1957 film Night of the demon, AKA Curse of the Demon. Night of the Demon (a.k.a. Curse of the Demon) is a 1957 British horror film, produced by Hal E. Chester and Frank Bevis,[1] directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacGinnis. It is adapted from the M. R. James story "Casting the Runes" (1911).The film's storyline concerns an American psychologist who travels to England to investigate a satanic cult suspected in more than one death.This is Castle of Horror Episode 341.

Tonight we’re chatting with Craig Moss, director of the new film Let Us In, a family sci-fi thriller on Digital and On Demand July 2.LET US IN stars Makenzie Moss (“The Unicorn,” Do You Believe?), Sadie Stanley (The Sleepover, “Dead To Me”), Mackenzie Ziegler (20.6 million TikTok followers, “Dance Moms”), Siena Agudong (Upside-Down Magic, Alex & Me), O’Neill Monahan (“The Middle.” “General Hospital”) and Tobin Bell (Saw franchise). The film was directed by Craig Moss (Bad Ass, Bad Ass 2) who co-wrote the film alongside Joe Callero, making his feature screenwriting debut. SYNOPSIS: A spirited twelve-year-old girl and her best friend start investigating the sudden disappearances of several missing teens in their small town. Realizing there might be something deeper happening, Emily and Christopher might be up against forces they can't even imagine.

This week we continue our Summer 2021 Satanic Panic series with the 1970 film Crowhaven Farm. Crowhaven Farm is a 1970 American made-for-television supernatural horror film directed by Walter Grauman and starring Hope Lange, Paul Burke and John Carradine. It originally aired as the ABC Movie of the Week on November 24, 1970. This is Castle of Horror Episode 340.

This week we kick off our Summer 2021 Satanic Panic series with the 1986 film Witchboard. This is Castle of Horror Episode 339.Witchboard is a 1986 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Kevin S. Tenney in his directorial debut, and starring Tawny Kitaen, Stephen Nichols, and Todd Allen. The plot centers on a student who becomes entranced into using her friend's Ouija board alone after it was accidentally left behind at her party, where she becomes terrorized by an evil spirit.

Castle Bridge Media presents a Zoom panel on the new Castle of Horror Anthology book, Thinly Veiled: the 70s (https://amzn.to/3xpqKya). Enter a very strange wing of the Castle of Horror-- a wing of reflections of the familiar. Specifically: reflections of the 1970s, from TV sitcoms like THE ODD COUPLE to films like HALLOWEEN and THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR. But every one of them-- from the mismatched roommate bachelors to the bus-traveling pop star family-- are all "thinly veiled" and sent into a horror story of their own. See if you can recognize them all! Featuring stories from Jason Henderson, In Churl Yo, Henry Herz, Alethea Kontis, Scott Pearson, Madeline Ashby, John Pritchard, James A Moore, Rob Nisbet, Dennis K. Crosby, Heath W. Shelby, Jeremiah Dylan Cook, Tony Jones, Bryan Young, and Charles R. Rutledge. Hosted by editor Jason Henderson.

This week we have a one-off episode with the 1961 film The Snake Woman. This is Castle of Horror Episode 338.The Snake Woman (a.k.a. The Terror of the Snake Woman) is a low budget black-and-white 1961 British horror film produced by George Fowler and directed by Sidney J. Furie. It stars Susan Travers and John McCarthy.[1] The film was shown on a double bill in the UK with several movies, including re-releases of The Split (a.k.a. The Manster) (1959) and The Vikings (1958), and as the second feature on a double bill with Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961) in the US. The film is set in a small English village at the turn of the 20th century. It tells the story of Atheris (Susan Travers), a young woman who has the power to transform from human to cobra, and the Scotland Yard detective (John McCarthy) sent to investigate a series of deaths, unusual because all the victims died after being bitten by snakes that are not native to the UK.

Tonight we’re chatting with Ava Reid about her book The Wolf and the Woodsman, which comes out this June from HarperVoyager/Harpercollins in audio and hardback, as well as ebook. The book follows a young pagan woman with hidden powers and a one-eyed captain of the Woodsmen as they form an unlikely alliance to thwart a tyrant.Publisher’s Weekly said, “Reid’s fast-paced debut examines religious freedom through the lens of myth and magic. … The convincing enemies-to-lovers romance, fascinating religion-based magic system, and thoughtful examination of zealotry make this a notable debut.”Taken from the myths and legends of her Jewish and Hungarian heritage, and weaving that with diverse cultural magic, Reid sets Évike and Gáspár on a dark, powerful journey that is full of tradition and yet feels entirely unique. When soldiers arrive from the Holy Order of Woodsmen to claim a girl to sacrifice to the king, Évike is betrayed by her fellow villagers and surrendered. But when Évike and the Woodsman’s captain are attacked en route, they form a tenuous pact, forcing them both to decide whose side they are on, and what they are willing to give up for a nation that never cared for them at all.In the vein of Naomi Novik’s New York Times bestseller Spinning Silver and Katherine Arden’s national bestseller The Bear and the Nightingale, Ava Reid’s unforgettable debut, THE WOLF AND THE WOODSMAN (on sale 6/8/21) follows a young pagan woman with hidden powers and a one-eyed captain of the Woodsmen as they form an unlikely alliance to thwart a tyrant.

Jason chats with Kevin Tenney, director of the 1986 cult film Witchboard which comes to the ARROW platform, available to subscribers in the US, Canada and the United Kingdom.Witchboard is a 1986 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Kevin S. Tenney in his directorial debut, and starring Tawny Kitaen, Stephen Nichols, and Todd Allen. The plot centers on a student who becomes entranced into using her friend's Ouija board alone after it was accidentally left behind at her party, where she becomes terrorized by an evil spirit.

Tonight we’re chatting with Damian Mc Carthy, whose new film Caveat premieres on Shudder on June 3.A stunningly creepy and atmospheric thriller rich with dread and supernatural intrigue, CAVEAT is the feature debut for Irish filmmaker Damian Mc Carthy following a string of award-winning shorts. Set in a decrepit house on a remote island, and filmed in the picturesque countryside of Cork, Ireland, the film follows an amnesiac man tasked with watching over a troubled young woman - but the walls of the house hold more secrets than you can imagine, and the film continues to twist and turn until the very last moment. The feature debut from Irish writer/director Damian Mc Carthy, Caveat stars Ben Caplan (Band of Brothers, Call the Midwife), Jonathan French (A Soldier's Voice), and Leila Sykes (Missing Something).Caveat is produced by Justin Hyne of HyneSight Films. Mc Carthy wrote, directed, and served as the film’s editor. Cinematography by Kieran Fitzgerald and music by Richard G. Mitchell. Caveat will stream exclusively to Shudder on June 3 in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as via the Shudder offering within the AMC+ bundle where available.Check out the Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoOkSYrf8ew&feature=youtu.be

This week we continue our retrospective on what we're calling gaslight movies with the 2016 film The Girl on the Train. This is Castle of Horror Episode 337.We're joined by Leigh Fryling, the voice of the Night of the Book Man audiobook from Castle Bridge Media.

Tonight we’re chatting with Leigh Fryling, who recently published an essay in Medium called called A Taste For Blood- How life in my 30’s changed my love of the Horror Genre- maybe forever.Leigh Fryling is the voice behind the audio version of Jason's book NIGHT OF THE BOOK MAN.Leigh Fryling would be right at home as a hobbit of the Shire, but since she lives in this reality she makes do with being an adventuress, itenerant teacher, musician and writer. When she isn't busy running a high school drama program or browbeating teenagers into graduating, she can be found having dance parties in the kitchen with her daughter Rosie and husband Zach. In her spare time she watches horror movies, plays all forms of games, and crochets a mean shawl, when she isn't planning her next adventure.

Tonight we’re chatting Christopher Sequeira, editor of Cthulhu Deep Down Under Volume 3.The book collects Lovecraftian Tales with an Australian bent. In the story that first established the monstrous cosmic terrors of his Mythos writer H. P. Lovecraft said “We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity…” Which makes it all the more fitting that the adepts of Lovecraft’s vision writing today would choose to unveil ever-evolving and terrible fears besetting those that live on the largest island on the planet, and force the protagonists of some startling new horror fiction tales in this book to face, indeed, not placidity, but their own black seas of infinity…and madness.Again, some of the greatest scribes of the weird and startling from the land down under bring you brand new stories in the Lovecraftian genre, taking you from the realms of contemporary Australian cities, to the blood-soaked, post-colonial past (touching the powerful original cultures of the land), and even hinting at the disturbing future of Terra Australis.You will fear a sunburnt country.Tales of terror by Alan Baxter, David Conyers, Julie Ditrich, Jason Fischer, Steve Kilbey, Steven Paulsen, Steve Proposch, Alf Simpson, Cat Sparks, Maurice Xanthos. Introduction by Cat Rambo and Afterword by Jack Dann.Christopher Sequeira is a writer and editor who specialises in short prose and comic-book scripts for the mystery, horror, science fiction and super-hero genres. He has also written scripts for flagship superhero comic-books, such as Justice League Adventures for DC Entertainment, and Iron Man and X-Men stories for Marvel Entertainment. His Sherlock Holmes: Dark Detective graphic novel with Dave Elsey and Philip Cornell is published by Caliber Entertainment, and an authorised revamp of Dr Fu Manchu with long-time friend and collaborator W. Chew Chan is in the works. He has edited (or co-edited with Bryce Stevens and Steve Proposch) the award-nominated anthologies Cthulhu Deep Down Under (three volumes) and Cthulhu Land of the Long White Cloud (both for IFWG Publishing); Sherlock Holmes: The Australian Casebook (Echo / Bonnier); and at time of writing the forthcoming H.G. Wells’s War of the Worlds: Battleground Australia (Clan Destine Press), and the creator-jam-graphic novel SuperAustralians (for IFWG Publishing and Black House Comics). The blurb: Find more about the book—and sign up for the newsletter of the publisher—at https://ifwgaustralia.com/title-cthulhu-deep-down-under-volume-3/

This week we continue our retrospective on what we're calling gaslight movies with Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte. This is Castle of Horror Episode 336.

Tonight we’re chatting with Matt Mercer and Mike Testin, the writer/director team behind Dementia Part II, a new horror film about Matt Mercer’s character Wendell, a parolee who takes a handyman job working for an old woman whose tasks get more and more dark and bizarre. But the backstory of this film is just as compelling: the film was conceived and shot in just five weeks-- on a dare.Dark Star Pictures and Bloody Disgusting will release the midnight horror film DEMENTIA PART II in theaters on May 21, 2021, and on VOD, Digital HD and DVD on June 1, 2021.

Tonight we’re chatting with Pam Pho of the D4EO Literary Agency about writers on social media.Pam began her career as a literary assistant to an agent in 2012. In her first two years as an agent, Pam brokered 24 deals, with publishers such as Knopf, Scholastic, NAL, ACE, Grand Central, and others. She joined D4EO in June 2014, where she continues to build her list.She has a passion for genre fiction as well as children's literature.

Tonight we’re chatting with Juliana Savia Clayton, who writes young adult novels and picture books and does a lot of editing, and also tweets under the name @kidlit_writer. Her website is http://First-chapters.com. Recently she posted an essay that Jason wanted to talk about: Querying 101: A Guide To Following Absolutely Every Absolute Rule At The Same Time (In An Industry With No Absolutes).

Tonight we’re chatting with Neil Marshall, whose film The Reckoning comes to Shudder on May 13.Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, announced that THE RECKONING will be available to stream on the platform starting on May 13, 2021. The film made its world premiere at the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival.In THE RECKONING, after losing her husband during the Great Plague, Grace Haverstock (Kirk) is unjustly accused of being a witch and placed in the custody of England’s most ruthless witch-hunter, Judge Moorcroft (Pertwee). Forced to endure physical and emotional torture while steadfastly maintaining her innocence, Grace must face her own inner demons as the Devil himself starts to work his way into her mind.THE RECKONING stars Charlotte Kirk (Ocean’s Eight, Vice, How To Be Single), Joe Anderson (Across The Universe, The Crazies), Steven Waddington (The Imitation Game, “The Tudors”) and Sean Pertwee (Dog Soldiers, Equilibrium). The film was directed by Neil Marshall (The Descent, Dog Soldiers, Doomsday), who co-wrote the film alongside Kirk, (making her feature screenwriting debut), and Edward Evers-Swindell (Dark Signal).

This week we kick off a Gaslight Retrospective with the 1944 film GASLIGHT. This is Castle of Horror Episode 335.Gaslight is a 1944 American psychological thriller film directed by George Cukor and starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotten, and 18-year-old Angela Lansbury in an Oscar-nominated screen debut (Best Supporting Actress). The film is adapted from Patrick Hamilton's play Gas Light (1938), about a woman whose husband slowly manipulates her into believing that she is going insane.The 1944 version is a remake of the 1940 British film of the same name directed by Thorold Dickinson. Cukor's version had a larger scale and budget than the earlier film, and lends a different feel to the material. To avoid confusion with the first film, Cukor's version was originally titled The Murder in Thornton Square in the UK.[3] The film features numerous deviations from the original stage play, though the central drama remains that of a husband trying to drive his wife insane in order to distract her from his criminal activities.Gaslight was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay, winning two for Best Actress for Ingrid Bergman and Best Production Design. In 2019, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Tonight we’re chatting with Ryan Kruger, director of Fried Barry, which comes to Shudder on May 7th.The film marks the feature debut for director Ryan Kruger following a string of celebrated shorts (including the original Fried Barry short that inspired this feature) and an award-winning career directing music videos in South Africa. In FRIED BARRY, an alien abducts a deadbeat and takes his body for a spin around the darker side of Cape Town. Fried Barry follows the story of a drug-addled degenerate who, after yet another bender, gets abducted by aliens. Barry takes a backseat as his alien visitor assumes control of his body and takes it for a joyride through Cape Town. What follows is an onslaught of drugs, sex and violence as Barry’s alien tourist enters the weird and wonderful world of humankind. The feature directorial debut from award-winning music video director Ryan Kruger and starring newcomer Gary Green, the genre pushing, acid-washed, sci-fi horror has been praised by critics and embraced by fans around the world. The film, which is a feature adaptation of Kruger’s acclaimed experimental short by the same name, is produced by James C. Williamson and Kruger and executive produced by Nicolai Fuglsig (12 Strong). Williamson shares a story credit with Kruger who serves as both writer and director. The expansive cast is led by Green alongside Bianka Hartenstein, Sean Cameron Michael (Shooter, Blood Drive), Chanelle de Jager (The Widow, Outlander), Joey Cramer (Flight of the Navigator) and Jonathan Pienaar (Blood Diamond, Roots). Fried Barry world premiered at the 2020 Cinequest Film Festival and went on to screen at celebrated festivals such as the prestigious Sitges International Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival, Grimmfest, and Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival, where it was awarded Best Actor.

Tonight we’re chatting with Katharine Coldiron, who’s just published a piece of criticism called Intentionally Disposable Art: The Teen Agers Films in the film crit site Vague Visages. Katharine Coldiron is the author of the 2020 book Ceremonials and a forthcoming piece on Plan 9 from Outer Space. Her work as a book critic has appeared in the Washington Post, the Guardian, NPR, and elsewhere; her work as a film critic has appeared in Bitch, Bright Wall/Dark Room, and Video Librarian. She earned an MA in creative writing from California State University, Northridge, and a BA in film studies and philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. Find her at kcoldiron.com. So your subject is the teenagers series which you take a deep look at but it's also really a sort of focal point around which you spin this series of thoughts about the accidental permanence of art. .Find the article here: https://vaguevisages.com/2021/04/27/intentionally-disposable-art-the-teen-agers-films/

Jason chats with Halloween Man creator Drew Edwards on the Indiegogo to support Terry parr, creator of the comic Aerobicide with the Aerobicide/Lucy Chaplin Science Starlet Crossover. Find the indiegogo here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/aerobicide-lucy-chaplin-science-starlet-crossover#/Says Drew:Everybody knows the last year has been filled with unprecedented challenges. It felt like Covid-19 changed the world overnight and we all were just in a rush to keep up with those changes. Some of us were hit harder than others. Terry Parr is a father, husband, and comic creator. I’ve been proud to call Terry a friend and creative partner for the better part of two decades. He is extremely talented, imaginative, and a wizard with a pencil. He is like a brother to me. So, of course, when he got sick, I knew I had to help him. Like so many, Terry was hit with high medical bills after contracting Covid-19. Thankfully a solution presented itself in the form of an indie comics crossover between my own Lucy Chaplin: Science Starlet and Terry’s Aerobicide. Based on a story originating from myself and Terry, I have gathered a talented creative team to bring this tale to life. This comic has it all, bodacious babes, pop culture references, gallows humor, and of course PUNK ROCK ZOMBIES! Best of all, proceeds from this crowdfund will be going to help the Parr family cover Terry’s medical bills.

This week we are back with the 1949 film Mighty Joe Young. This is Castle of Horror Episode 334. Mighty Joe Young is a 1949 American black and white fantasy film distributed by RKO Radio Pictures and produced by the same creative team responsible for King Kong (1933). Produced by Merian C. Cooper, who wrote the story, and Ruth Rose, who wrote the screenplay, the film was directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and stars Robert Armstrong (who appears in both films), Terry Moore, and Ben Johnson in his first credited screen role. Animation effects were handled by Ray Harryhausen, Pete Peterson and Marcel Delgado.[3][4]Mighty Joe Young tells the story of a young woman, Jill Young, living on her father's ranch in Africa, who has raised the title character, a large gorilla, from an infant and years later brings him to Hollywood seeking her fortune in order to save the family homestead.

Tonight we’re chatting with John Berardo, director and co-writer of the new film Initiation, which releases in theaters, on demand and on digital May 7. Check out the trailer: https://youtu.be/fI0fttWFkiQ In INITIATION, during a university’s pledge week, the carefree partying turns deadly serious when a star athlete is found impaled in his dorm. The murder ignites a spree of sinister social-media messages, sweeping the students and police into a race against time to uncover the truth behind the school’s dark secrets…and the horrifying meaning of a recurring symbol: a single exclamation mark.Directed by John Berardo (The Labyrinth), he co-wrote the film with Brian Frager (A Persistent Illusion) and Lindsay LaVanchy (“Scream: The TV Series”). LaVanchy also co-stars in the INITIATION along with Jon Huertas (“This Is Us”), Isabella Gomez (“Head of the Class,” “One Day at a Time”), Froy Gutierrez (“Teen Wolf”), Gattlin Griffith (Green Lantern), Patrick Walker (“The Resident”), Bart Johnson (“High School Musical 3: Senior Year”), Shireen Lai, Kent Faulcon (Selma) with Yancy Butler (Kick-Ass 2) and Lochlyn Munro (“Riverdale”).

This time we're talking about Vampire the Masquerade: WALK AMONG US by Genevieve Gornichec, Cassandra Khaw, and Caitlin Starling. Due out May 4, Walk Among Us is a collection of three horror novellas set in “Vampire: The Masquerade's World of Darkness,” a massively popular role-playing game (RPG). Walk Among Us is the next frightening read for those superfans or fans of Anne Rice, True Blood, Twilight, or Buffy.- In Gornichec's “A Sheep Among Wolves,” depression and radicalization go hand-in-hand as a young woman finds companionship in the darkness- In Khaw's “Fine Print,” an arrogant tech bro learns the importance of reading the fine print in the contract for immortality- In Starling's “The Land of Milk and Honey,” ideals and ethics bump heads with appetite on a blood farm

Tonight we’re chatting with Chris Baugh, director of Boys from County Hell, new to Shudder streaming service, described as a rowdy irish vampire horror-comedy. Strange events unfold in Six Mile Hill – a sleepy Irish town that claims to have been traveled by the famed author Bram Stoker – when construction on a new road disrupts the alleged grave of Abhartach, a legendary Irish vampire said to have inspired Dracula. Deadly and sinister forces terrorize the work crew led by Francie Moffat and his son Eugene, a free-spirited young man who prefers pints to pickaxes, and they're forced to fight to survive the night while exposing the true horror that resides in the town’s local myth. Starring Jack Rowan (Peaky Blinders), Nigel O’Neill (The Bookshop), Louisa Harland (Derry Girls), Fra Fee (Animals, the upcoming Hawkeye series) and John Lynch (The Terror, The Banishing) and Michael Hough (the upcoming Chapelwaite series), and written and directed by Chris Baugh (Bad Day for the Cut).BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL is produced by Brendan Mullin of Six Mile Hill Productions and Yvonne Donohoe for Blinder Films, and executive produced by Katie Holly for Blinder Films, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Rian Cahill for Automatik, and Lesley McKimm for Screen Ireland. The film is a co-production between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and was supported by Endeavor Content, Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen, and Egg Post Production.Check out the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vssvkhvq6O0&authuser=0

Tonight we’re chatting with debut author Mia P. Manansala about her culinary cozy mystery, ARSENIC AND ADOBO, which launches May 4 with Berkley. Mia Manansala is the winner of the 2018 Hugh Holton Award, the 2018 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, the 2017 William F. Deeck - Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers, and the 2016 Mystery Writers of America/Helen McCloy Scholarship. She's also a 2017 Pitch Wars alum and 2018-2020 mentor. Drawing from her own Filipino heritage, Mia introduces readers to Lila Macapagal, a young woman who is stuck working in her Tita Rosie’s Filipino restaurant after enduring a streak of the worst clichés life has to offer. But Lila’s bad luck just continues when an ex-boyfriend who has been posting horrible reviews online about her tita’s cooking suddenly drops dead in the middle of the restaurant. After becoming the prime suspect in the case, Lila must take it upon herself to find the real killer—and hopefully save the future of her family’s restaurant as well.

This week we are back with the 1975 film Terror of Mechagodzilla. This is Castle of Horror Episode 333.

Jason chats with Ryan Spindell, writer and director of the horror anthology THE MORTUARY COLLECTION, for which Clancy Brown just won a Chainsaw Award from Fangoria. THE MORTUARY COLLECTION is now out on VOD, VOD, Digital HD, DVD and Blu-ray on April 20, 2021.

Tonight we’re chatting with Rebecca Fraser, author of the new collection Coralesque and Other Tales to Disturb and Distract Rebecca Fraser is an Australian author who writes genre-mashing fiction for both children and adults. Her short stories, flash fiction, and poetry have appeared in numerous award-winning anthologies, magazines, and journals, and her first novel Curtis Creed and the Lore of the Ocean was released in 2018 (also with IFWG Publishing Australia). Coralesque and Other Tales to Disturb and Distract is her first collection. Rebecca holds an MA in Creative Writing, and a Certificate of Publishing (Copy Editing & Proofreading). To provide her muse with life’s essentials, Rebecca copywrites and edits in a freelance capacity, and operates StoryCraft Creative Writing Workshops for aspiring authors of every age and ability. However, her true passion is storytelling. Say g’day at writingandmoonlighting.com on Facebook @writingandmoonlighting or Twitter and Instagram @becksmuse CORALESQUEA surfer who becomes horrifyingly one with the sea. A new mother’s devastating search for belonging. A stone gargoyle with a violent history. A fisher boy who discovers the real cost of forbidden love. A farmer whose delight at drought-breaking rain quickly turns to terror. A hedonistic rock star who manifests double trouble. A young girl’s chilling sacrifice for justice. A dirty ex-cop with a dirtier secret. An unscrupulous mayor’s solution to rid her city of the homeless…These are just some of the characters you’ll meet in this collection of dark offerings.From the harsh terrain of the Outback, to the depths of the Pacific Ocean, the wilds of Tasmania, dystopian futures, enchanted lands, and the familiarity of suburbia, Coralesque and Other Tales to Disturb and Distract takes readers on a journey into unsettling, unforgiving, and unforgettable territory. Find the publisher’s page here: https://ifwgaustralia.com/title-coralesque-and-other-tales-to-disturb-and-distract/The publishers at IFWG would like you to know that if you would like to enter a drawing for a free print (or mobi/epub) copy tonight’s book, all you need to do is subscribe to the IFWG newsletter and fill out details for the drawing – just go to ifwgaustralia.com/treasures.

This week we are back with the 1933 film SON OF KONG. This is Castle of Horror Episode 332.

Tonight we’re chatting with Kathryn Hore, author of the new thriller The Wildcard.Kathryn is a Melbourne writer of speculative and thriller fiction with a taste for blending dark genres in twisting ways. Her short fiction has been published in several anthologies and magazines, including Aurealis and Midnight Echo. When not writing, she works in archives, libraries and records management, and has a couple of small children to keep her busy. The Wildcard is her debut novel. THE WILDCARD Jem doesn’t do risk. He doesn’t play games with chance. At least not until his ex-girlfriend shows up on his doorstop in tears and tricks him into signing for an impossible debt.Thrust into an underworld of card players who bet anything they can think of – favours, information, secrets, even coffee – Jem has to figure his way out of a debt he doesn’t understand, in a world where the rules are twisting, complex and never explained. Relying only on a woman who plays life like she plays a game of poker, and drawn to a young man who offers temptations Jem’s not sure he can trust, there is only one thing he is clear on: the consequences of losing in this crowd. Because the last guy to owe a debt like his was just found floating face down in the ocean, and if Jem doesn’t sort this out fast, he could be next. Find the book at the IFWG site: https://ifwgaustralia.com/title-the-wildcard/

This week we are back with the 2016 film SHIN GODZILLA. This is Castle of Horror Episode 331.

Piper Mejia is an advocate for New Zealand writers and liter¬ature.¬ Her¬ short ¬fiction ¬has ¬been¬ published ¬in ¬a¬ range¬ of¬ magazines ¬and ¬anthologies, ¬including ¬Room Enough for Two, which¬ appeared¬ in¬ the¬ Sir¬ Julius¬ Vogel¬ Award-winning¬ anthology¬ Te Korero Ahi Ka¬(2018).¬ A ¬collection -of ¬her ¬original¬ short ¬stories,¬ The Better Sister,¬ was ¬published¬ by ¬Breach ¬in¬ 2020.¬ In¬ addition¬ to¬ writing,¬ Piper¬ is ¬a ¬founding ¬member¬ of¬ Young¬NZWriters ¬–¬a ¬non-profit ¬organization ¬dedicated ¬to¬ providing¬ writing¬ and¬ publishing¬ opportunities¬ for¬ young¬ writers. ¬As ¬a ¬child, ¬Piper ¬stayed ¬up ¬late ¬ laughing¬ at ¬horror¬ films.¬ As¬ an¬ adult¬ she¬ has¬ never¬ lost¬ her¬ love¬ for¬ science¬ fiction¬ and¬ horror,¬ two¬ genres¬ that¬ continues¬ to¬ ask¬ the¬ question “What if...” The blurb: Nobody likes you when you're the ugly new kid. A hoodie and a new foster home won't hide the creeping dread that you are dangerous. So, when you're offered the chance to meet a grandfather you never knew, you jump on a plane to the bush-covered mountains of New Zealand. Slate longs for a home when he finds himself living among an ancient race masquerading as travelling performers. Dispossessed and disillusioned, Slate fears being trapped in a life hiding from the world; one his own father had to run from.However, the decision to stay or leave is taken from him when he is held captive by hunters on the trail of the ultimate game trophy. Tortured and alone Slate fears that the only way to escape is to become the monster he never wanted to be. The publishers at IFWG would like you to know that if you would like to enter a drawing for a free print (or mobi/epub) copy tonight’s book, all you need to do is subscribe to the IFWG newsletter and fill out details for the drawing – just go to ifwgaustralia.com/treasures.

This week we are BACK with the 2021 film GODZILLA VS. KONG. This is Castle of Horror Episode 330.

Tonight we’re chatting Sebastian Fitzek, author of the new book The Package.Sebastian Fitzek is Germany's most successful author of psychological thrillers. His books have been sold 11 million copies, been translated into more than twenty-four languages, and are the basis for international cinema adaptations and theater adaptations. Fitzek was the first German author to be awarded the European Prize for Criminal Literature. He lives with his family in Berlin.THE PACKAGE is a new psychological thriller from Sebastian Fitzek releasing in the U.S. on February 4, 2021. Sebastian is one of Germany’s most successful authors of psychological thrillers whose books have sold 11 million copies, and have been translated into more than 24 languages.

Tonight we’re chatting with Emily B Martin, author of Floodpath, brand new from HarperVoyager.Martin’s eco-fantasy (cli-fi) novels, which are accessible to adult and YA readers alike, are “an exciting take on the fantasy genre with its mix of Wild West and a tempered glass court” (-Jeff Wheeler.) In FLOODPATH, Martin’s worldbuilding expands to incorporate new characters, new countries, and new intrigue. The epic fantasy adventure begun in Sunshield races to its thrilling conclusion in FLOODPATH, an imaginative finale in which the fate of four extraordinary young people—and their nations—will be decided.

Drew Edwards takes the reins and the cast is joined by frequent guest Jamie Bahr, Chairman of Girls Rock Austin, to discuss a foundational classic kaiju film-- the original Mothra.

Tonight we’re chatting with David Bowles is an award-winning Mexican-American author and translator from south Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. To his two dozen books, he's just added the space opera THE BLUE-SPANGLED BLUE from Castle Bridge Media, as well as just this week, a translation of THE IMMORTAL BOY by Francisco Montana Ibanez. We talk at length about BIPOC SF and the responsibilities of the author.THE BLUE-SPANGLED BLUEJitsu. Once the center of human expansion into distant space, this world was isolated for the better part of a century, a theocratic government rising to fill the void left by its former corporate owners. Now, as Jitsu begins to open itself to the rest of humanity, Brando D’Angelo di Makomo accepts a teaching position on the arid planet. He finds himself drawn to controversial architect Tenshi Koroma and her religious reform movement. As he learns more about Tenshi's faith—The Path—Brando decides to accept its tenets, to shatter his identity and rebuild himself so that he can be worthy of a soul. But the dogmatic struggles on Jitsu are a mask for the machinations of a diabolical mind, and the professor’s life will be forever altered by the cruelty of Tenshi’s enemies. In the aftermath, Brando will find a deadly new Way along The Path. And his steps will echo throughout history.

Tonight we’re chatting with Jack Dann, author of the alternate-Venice-fantasy book SHADOWS IN THE STONE from IFWG. SHADOWS IN THE STONEThe author of The Age #1 bestselling novel The Memory Cathedral returns to Renaissance Italy with a transcendent vision of the ultimate battle between good and evil.In Shadows in the Stone Jack Dann creates a fully-realized, living, breathing universe, a universe where the Vatican is in Venice, Jehovah is really a lesser god known as the Demiurge, and the magus John Dee’s experiments with angels are true and repeatable. Here you’ll discover a nun who has the expertise and agility of a Ninja warrior, the reincarnated snake goddess known as the Daughter of Light, the famed Florentine magician Pico Della Mirandola, a young magus who is part stone, the Knights Templar of the Crimson Cross, the sapphire tablet: the most secret of the Dead Sea scrolls, and a 15th Century dirigible kept aloft by imprisoned souls. Here you’ll find wild adventure and Machiavellian subtlety, treason and heroism, love and carnality, joy and loss, magic, machines, the cosmic machinations of angels, demons, gods, and half-gods; and the absolutely breathtaking vistas that are their battle grounds.New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson has compared Shadows in the Stonewith Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, calling it “such a complete world that Italian history no longer seems comprehensible without [Dann’s] cosmic battle of spiritual entities behind and within every historical actor and event.”Join Jack Dann’s protagonists—Louisa Morgan and Lucian Ben-Hananiah—and the fellowship of The Dark Companions in their apocalyptic battle against the Demiurge—described in the forbidden Gnostic texts as the demon god Yaldabaoth… and known to us as Jehovah.ABOUT THE AUTHORJack Dann has written or edited over seventy-five books, including the inter- national bestsellers The Memory Cathedral, The Rebel, The Silent, Bad Medicine, and The Man Who Melted. His work has been compared to Jorge Luis Borges, Roald Dahl, Lewis Carroll, Castaneda, Ray Bradbury, J. G. Ballard, Mark Twain, and Philip K. Dick. Library Journal called Dann “...a true poet who can create pictures with a few perfect words,” Best Sellers said that “Jack Dann is a mind-warlock whose magicks will confound, disorient, shock, and delight,” and bestselling author Morgan Llwelyn called his novel The Memory Cathedral “a book to cherish, a validation of the novelist’s art and fully worthy of its extraordinary subject. I can only say Bravo!”Jack is a recipient of the Nebula Award, the World Fantasy Award (twice), the Australian Aurealis Award (three times), the Chronos Award, the Darrell Award for Best Mid-South Novel, the Ditmar Award (five times), the Peter McNamara Achievement Award and also the Peter McNamara Convenors’ Award for Excellence, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Premios Gilgames de Narrativa Fantastica award. He has also been honored by the Mark Twain Society (Esteemed Knight). He is the co-editor, with Janeen Webb, of Dreaming Down-Under, which won the World Fantasy Award, and the editor of the sequel Dreaming Again. He is the managing director of PS Australia, and his latest anthology Dreaming in the Dark is the first volume in the new line: it won the World Fantasy Award in 2017. Dr. Dann is also an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in the School of Communication and Arts at the University of Queensland.

In Don’t Look Back, Caitlin Kramer, a woman of faith overcoming a tragic past, is one of several people who witness Douglas Helton, a well-liked public figure being assaulted in a park and don't intervene. When Douglas dies and the witnesses are "outed" to the public, they begin to die mysteriously. The public is largely unsympathetic, and think they're being stalked by a person out for revenge. And there are several possible suspects; from the victim's family and friends... to the dogged detective who's taken a strong interest in the case. But Caitlin, determined to seek redemption by solving Douglas' murder, see signs, and experiences eerie events that lead her to believe that something far more insidious is after them... maybe the victim's restless spirit, or even karma itself. But whether the threat is human or supernatural, it's very real. And Caitlin's faith, strength and resolve will be tested as she fights to unravel this mystery before she becomes the final victim. Jeffrey Reddick started in the entertainment industry with an internship at New Line Cinema at age 19, where he worked for 11 years and shot to horror fame with the creation of the Final Destination franchise. As a writer and producer Jeffrey has worked in features and TV. His first network job was as a story editor for the NBC series, Midnight Texas. He has written on two upcoming Netflix series; one of which is a spinoff of famed Japanese comic book Usagi Yojimbo. Jeffrey’s feature directorial debut, the mystery/thriller Don’t Look Back, is available On Demand.

Tonight we’re chatting with Joe Braidwood, Joe Braidwood, co-founder and chief operating officer at Scener, a watch party platform that synchronizes streaming entertainment with video chat. This week they announced today a partnership with HBO Max® to host an exclusive fan screening of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Featuring a live video discussion with Snyder himself, fans can grab their virtual seats today for the 4pm PDT / 7pm EDT March 18 watch party by heading to snydercut.scener.com.Fans Joining the “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” Watch Party Will Enjoy: •A Live Video Chat Hosted by Zack Snyder: Fans can hear from the director himself as he introduces the film and chats live throughout the viewing in a moderated discussion with fans and a list of VIP invited guests.•Synchronized Playback for a High-Quality Co-Watching Experience: Scener synchronizes the streaming movie with the live chat features to enable an even more immersive viewing experience for desktop users where fans can share real-time reactions. •A Virtual Destination to Build Community with Fans: Attendees can make connections and build community with other like-minded Scener users to come back and stream other DC and HBO Max content in the future.

Tonight we’re chatting with Ellen Datlow and Kaaron Warren, authors of Tool Tales: Microfiction Inspired By Antique Tools. Multi-award winning creators Ellen Datlow and Kaaron Warren teamed up on Facebook a few years ago when Ellen posted photos of antique tools and Kaaron wrote microfiction pieces to accompany them, without either of them knowing what the tools were for.The publishers at IFWG would like you to know that if you would like to enter a drawing for a free print (or mobi/epub) copy tonight’s book, all you need to do is subscribe to the IFWG newsletter and fill out details for the drawing – just go to ifwgaustralia.com/treasures. About the authors:Shirley Jackson award-winner Kaaron Warren published her first short story in 1993 and has had fiction in print every year since. She was recently given the Peter McNamara Lifetime Achievement Award and was Guest of Honour at World Fantasy 2018, Stokercon 2019 and Geysercon 2019. Kaaron was a Fellow at the Museum for Australian Democracy, where she researched prime ministers, artists and serial killers. She’s judged the World Fantasy Awards and the Shirley Jackson Awards.She has published five multi-award winning novels (Slights, Walking the Tree, Mistification, The Grief Hole and Tide of Stone) and seven short story collections, including the multi-award winning Through Splintered Walls. She has won the ACT Writers and Publishers Award four times and twice been awarded the Canberra Critics Circle Award for Fiction. Her most recent novella, Into Bones Like Oil (Meerkat Press), was shortlisted for a Shirley Jackson Award and the Bram Stoker Award, winning the Aurealis Award.Ellen Datlow has been editing sf/f/h short fiction for four decades. She was fiction editor of OMNI Magazine and SCIFICTION and currently acquires short stories and novellas for Tor.com and Nightfire. She has edited many anthologies for adults, young adults, and children, including The Best Horror of the Year series and Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories, Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles, and the reprint anthologies Edited By and Body Shocks. She’s won multiple Locus, Hugo, Stoker, International Horror Guild, Shirley Jackson, and World Fantasy Awards plus the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for “outstanding contribution to the genre” and was honored with the Life Achievement Award given by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.She runs the Fantastic Fiction at KGB reading series in the east village, NYC, with Matthew Kressel.

Tonight we’re chatting with New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones, whose new book The Poet comes out March 9, 2021 from Entangled Publishing. THE POET follows Samantha Jazz, the lead detective on the case of a violent serial killer dubbed "The Poet," named as such for the poems he leaves with the bodies of his victims.

Tonight we’re chatting with Cary Lenehan, author of the new book Gathering of the Strands. The publishers at IFWG would like you to know that if you would like to enter a drawing for a free print (or mobi/epub) copy tonight’s book, all you need to do is subscribe to the IFWG newsletter and fill out details for the drawing – just go to ifwgaustralia.com/treasures. Find the book here: https://ifwgaustralia.com/title-gathering-the-strands/Gathering the Strands starts to bring together the story of adversaries struggling over the distant and artificial world of Vhast towards what looks to be resolution. The inhabitants of Mousehole, instead of reacting to what is happening around them, begin to strike out and shape their own future as they travel around The Land.Following on from Intimations of Evil, Engaging Evil, Clearing the Web, and Scouring the Land, the Princess, and her wife the mage, the Cat, the priest, the ghazi, and the growing number of people that they are bringing together, strike out both in lightning raids and in mobilised armies, against their foe. Now they are being reacted to instead of hitting out blindly at unfathomed foes.Gathering the Strands is the fifth book of a series that sees magic as a scientific experiment as good struggles with evil in a world made by an alien race for their own ends. Aside from amazing fantasy world building, he mentioned that he has done a lot of work on plants, foods, and the like in his world building efforts. His Patreon is also extensive with material that he passes on that doesn’t get a show in his booksAbout the AuthorCary J. Lenehan is a former trades assistant, soldier, public servant, cab driver, truck driver, game designer, fishmonger, horticulturalist and university tutor—among other things. His hobbies include collecting and reading books (the non-fiction are Dewey decimalised), Tasmanian native plants (particularly the edible ones), medieval re-creation and gaming. Over the years he has taught people how to use everything from shortswords to rocket launchers. He met his wife at an SF Convention while cosplaying and they have not looked back. He was born in Sydney before marrying and moving to the Snowy Mountains where they started their family. They moved to Tasmania for the warmer winters and are not likely to ever leave it. Looking out of the window beside Cary’s computer is a sweeping view of Mount Wellington/Kunanyi and its range.Cary has a Patreon page where he wants to expand his world of Vhast in all sorts of directions. You might want to consider helping him: Cary Lenehan’s Patreon PageCary’s web site: www.caryjlenehan.com

Tonight we’re chatting with Jacob Johnston, writer/director of Dreamcatcher, which comes out March 5 in theaters, on Digital and On Demand. DREAMCATCHERSamuel Goldwyn Films will release the horror / thriller film, DREAMCATCHER In Theaters, On Digital and On Demand March 5, 2021. WATCH THE TRAILER: https://youtu.be/kXMQYF57I6s SYNOPSIS: Dylan, known to his fans as DJ Dreamcatcher, is on the brink of global stardom. Everything changes the night of Cataclysm, an underground music festival, where two estranged sisters and their friends meet Dylan. After a drug fueled gruesome event, things begin to spiral into a 48-hour whirlwind of violence and mayhem.

Tonight we’re chatting with Laszlo Tamasfi, publisher of a new translation of Dracula’s Death, a 1924 book with a very strange history.The first motion picture to ever feature the character of Dracula was Dracula's Death, a Hungarian silent film made in 1921. It was not based on Bram Stoker's novel, but rather it was an original story about a young woman, who encounters the famous vampire during her stay at a mental asylum.The movie, just like so many others from the silent film era, is considered lost. Luckily, a prose adaptation was published in 1924, which has survived in its entirety. We present an English translation of this novelization, with stunning new illustrations by Jozsef Svab. This publication also features The Devil Flew Away, a comprehensive essay on the history of Dracula's Death."

This week we have a very special Castle Talk, a panel of middle grade adventure writers talking about the challenges of making your book exciting while juggling content issues like violence. It's a wild, wide-ranging conversation featuring:- Ben Gartner, author of the middle grade time travel adventure series The Eye of Ra. His second book, Sol Invictus, just released in February.- Adam Perry, the author of The Magicians of Elephant County and The Thieving Collectors of Fine Children’s Books- Sam Subity, whose debut middle grade fantasy The Last Shadow Warrior releases in May from Scholastic- Jason Henderson, whose next book in the Young Captain Nemo series, The Serpent's Nest, releases in March

This week we have a very special crossover episode with the monster movie happy hour with the 1983 film the House of long Shadows. This is Castle of Horror Episode 329.On the show are Ringo-nominated writer and creator of indy comic Halloween Man Drew Edwards, tech director at Rooster Teeth, Deserts of Mars front man Tony Salvaggio, and as always, we have color commentary from attorney Julia Guzman. Joining us from the Monster Movie Happy Hour are historical book illustrator David Geister, historian and self-proclaimed farm mama Mary Challman, and historian/raconteur/cocktail wizard Scott Chesebrouugh. Hosted by your humble usher Jason Henderson.

This week we have a very special conversation, a look at plans for the Young Captain Nemo animated trilogy from the team of professionals working on the project! Chatting are:- Saahil Bhargava of Rainshine Entertainment- https://www.linkedin.com/in/saahil-bhargava/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1462144376- Marlene Sharp, Head of IP Strategy and Acquisitions, Kinsane - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlenesharp/- Jeffrey Reddick, Screenwriter/Producer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-reddick-moviemaker/Twitter & Insta: @JeffreyaReddick - AhLoong, COO, Animasia Studio - https://animasia-studio.com/- Jason Henderson, Writer, Castle Bridge Media - http://castlebridgemedia.com Thanks to Rainshine EntertainmentWebsite - www.Rainshine.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/RainshineEntertainment/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/35556Read Variety's coverage on Young Captain Nemo: https://variety.com/2021/film/asia/rainshine-animasia-young-captain-nemo-movie-trio-jeffrey-reddick-1234900373/

Tonight we’re chatting with Mike P Nelson, director of Wrong Turn, which comes out on VOD/Digital/DVD/Blu-ray on February 23. WRONG TURN stars the ensemble cast of Charlotte Vega (The Lodgers), Adain Bradley (“Riverdale”), Bill Sage (American Psycho), Emma Dumont (“The Gifted”), Dylan McTee (“Rosewell, New Mexico”) and Matthew Modine (“Stranger Things”). The film is directed by Mike P. Nelson (The Domestics) and written by Alan B. McElroy (Wrong Turn).

Tonight we’re chatting with Rio Youers, author of the new book Lola on Fire, which releases 2/16 from William Morrow. People have called the book a mix of Killing Eve, John Wick and Kill Bill. About the book:Brody Ellis is short on luck and even shorter on cash to buy the medication his sister Molly needs. Desperate, he robs a convenience store, but on the way out, he bumps into a young woman and loses his wallet. Just when he expects the cops to arrive, the phone rings. It’s Blair Mayo—the woman he bumped into—and she’s got the missing billfold. Brody will get it back, but only if he does her a favor: steal her late mother’s diamonds from her wicked stepmom. But when he gets to the house, he finds a gruesome crime scene—and a security camera. Brody knows he’s been framed. Back home, the terrified young man gets another call. The police won’t get the incriminating video footage, Blair says. Instead, her daddy, the notorious mobster Jimmy Latzo, will exact his own kind of revenge. Brody and Molly realize that they’ve become pawns in a mysterious game—one that involves a notorious enforcer named Lola Bear who brutally crossed paths with Jimmy Latzo twenty-six years before. . . a ghost from the past who is intimately connected to their lives. About the author:Rio Youers is the British Fantasy and Sunburst Award–nominated author of Westlake Soul and Halcyon. His 2017 thriller, The Forgotten Girl, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel. He is the writer of Sleeping Beauties, a comic book series based on the bestselling novel by Stephen King and Owen King. Rio lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife and their two children.

Tonight we’re chatting with Barbara Howe, author of The Wordsmith, which releases worldwide on February 15, 2021 from IFWG.The publishers at IFWG would like you to know that if you would like to enter a drawing for a free print (or mobi/epub) copy tonight’s book, all you need to do is subscribe to the IFWG newsletter and fill out details for the drawing – just go to ifwgaustralia.com/treasures. THE WORDSMITH by Barbara HoweIrene van Gelder’s drudge job is killing her, but how can she earn a living as an air witch when her own guild calls her a fraud?The Fire Warlock doesn’t ask for her credentials, but with tensions rising between the Fire and Air Guilds, proving her value to him is not a safe move. With the White Duchess and her son intent on revenge, what defenses can a failure as an air witch muster? All she has is words. Will that be enough to save herself, and Frankland?For more, see https://ifwgaustralia.com/title-the-wordsmith/.About Barbara Howe:Her bio:Barbara Howe lives on the third rock from the sun, while her imagination travels the universe and beyond.Born in the US (North Carolina), she spent most of her adult life in New Jersey, working in the software industry, on projects ranging from low-level kernel ports to multi-million-dollar financial applications. She moved to New Zealand in 2009, gained dual citizenship, and now works as a software developer in the movie industry. She lives in Wellington, in a house overflowing with books and jigsaw puzzles, and wishes she had more time to spend universe hopping.

This week we continue a retrospective on the Alien films with the 1958 film It! The Terror from Beyond Space. This is Episode 328.It! The Terror from Beyond Space is an independently made 1958 American science fiction horror film, produced by Robert Kent, directed by Edward L. Cahn, that stars Marshall Thompson, Shawn Smith (Shirley Patterson), and Kim Spalding.[1] The film was distributed by United Artists as a double feature with Curse of the Faceless Man.[2]The story involves Earth's second mission to Mars to discover the fate of the Challenge 141 and its crew. Only a single survivor is found still alive from that crashed spaceship. The survivor, the expedition's former commander, claims that his crew were killed by a hostile Martian life form. No one from the rescue ship believes him until the creature, now a stowaway, begins hunting the crew on their return trip to Earth.The film's premise has been cited as an inspiration for screenwriter Dan O'Bannon's screenplay for Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien.[2]

Tonight we’re chatting with Kaaron Warren, author of the book Slights, which is a re-release from IFWG coming out now.The publishers at IFWG would like you to know that if you would like to enter a drawing for a free print (or mobi/epub) copy tonight’s book, all you need to do is subscribe to the IFWG newsletter and fill out details for the drawing – just go to ifwgaustralia.com/treasures. When Stevie Searle almost dies in the accident that kills her mother, she doesn’t see a shining path or a golden light.Instead, she sees everyone she’s ever slighted, waiting to take a piece of her in a cold, dark room. The person whose place she took in the queue, the schoolmate she cheated off, the bus driver she didn’t pay? All waiting. All wanting to take their revenge when she finally crosses over.Stevie is fascinated by the dark room so she sends herself there again.And again.And Again.About Kaaron Warren Shirley Jackson award-winner Kaaron Warren published her first short story in 1993 and has had fiction in print every year since. She was recently given the Peter McNamara Lifetime Achievement Award and was Guest of Honour at World Fantasy 2018, Stokercon 2019 and Geysercon 2019. Kaaron was a Fellow at the Museum for Australian Democracy, where she researched prime ministers, artists and serial killers. She’s judged the World Fantasy Awards and the Shirley Jackson Awards.She has published five multi-award winning novels (Slights, Walking the Tree, Mistification, The Grief Hole and Tide of Stone) and seven short story collections, including the multi-award winning Through Splintered Walls. She has won the ACT Writers and Publishers Award four times and twice been awarded the Canberra Critics Circle Award for Fiction. Her most recent novella, Into Bones Like Oil (Meerkat Press), was shortlisted for a Shirley Jackson Award and the Bram Stoker Award, winning the Aurealis Award.

Tonight we’re talking to Jordan Graham, director of SATOR, which comes out from 1091 Pictures on February 9. It's a haunting and atmospheric indie horror shockingly inspired by true events, and compellingly dives into the relationship of fact and fiction, and you can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e_Ij0S-sBw&feature=youtu.be

This week we continue a retrospective on the Alien films with the 1986 film ALIENS. This is Episode 327.Aliens is a 1986 American science fiction action film written and directed by James Cameron. It is the sequel to the 1979 science fiction horror film Alien, and the second film in the Alien franchise. Set in the far future, the film stars Sigourney Weaver as Lieutenant Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of an alien attack on her ship. When communications are lost with a human colony on the moon on which her crew first encountered the alien creatures, Ripley agrees to return to the site with a troop of colonial marines to investigate. Aliens features Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, and Carrie Henn in supporting roles.Despite the success of Alien, its sequel took years to develop; it was delayed by lawsuits over profits from the first film, a lack of enthusiasm from 20th Century Fox, and repeated changes in management. Based on his scripts for The Terminator (1984) and Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Cameron was hired to write a story for Aliens in 1983. The project stalled again until new Fox executive Lawrence Gordon advocated a sequel. Relatively inexperienced, Cameron wanted to direct the film and was given the role based on his success directing The Terminator. On an approximately $18.5 million budget, Aliens began principal photography in September 1985. Like its development, filming was tumultuous and rife with conflicts between Cameron and the British crew at Pinewood Studios over their work habits and Cameron's relative inexperience. James Horner composed the film's score. The difficult shoot also affected Horner, who was given little time to record the music.Aliens was released on July 18, 1986, to critical acclaim. It was well-received for its action, but some reviewers were critical of the intensity of some scenes. Weaver's performance received consistent praise; other members of the cast were positively received, including Bill Paxton and Jenette Goldstein (who played colonial marines). The film received a number of awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for Weaver at a time when the science-fiction genre was generally overlooked. The film earned $131.1–183.3 million during its theatrical run, one of the highest-grossing films of 1986 worldwide.Since its release, Aliens is now considered to be among the greatest films of the 1980s; one of the best science-fiction or action films ever made, and one of the best sequels ever made. It has been called equal to (or better than) Alien. Aliens is credited with expanding the franchise's scope with additions to the series' lore and factions such as the colonial marines; these led to its appearance in other media, such as comic books and video games, and the development of the Alien vs. Predator franchise. With its impact on popular culture and fan following, Aliens has inspired a variety of merchandise which includes video games, comic books, board games, clothing, music, books, toys, and collectibles. The film was followed by two direct sequels – Alien 3 (1992) and Alien Resurrection (1997), both critically panned but financially successful – and crossover films in the Aliens vs. Predator franchise. The Alien series has prequels to Alien (Prometheus and Alien: Covenant), and a fifth sequel was in development in 2020.

Tonight we’re chatting with Venero Armanno, author of the new book The Crying Forest, brand new from IFWG.The publishers at IFWG would like you to know that if you would like to enter a drawing for a free print (or mobi/epub) copy tonight’s book, all you need to do is subscribe to the IFWG newsletter and fill out details for the drawing – just go to ifwgaustralia.com/treasures. Agata Rosso, a once-mighty yet now prematurely aged European witch, believes that the special gifts in a young girl named Lía Munro can restore youth and vitality both to herself and her bedridden husband. She sets a deadly plan in motion to capture and use Lía—but will the girl have enough power to protect herself, plus the father she loves so much?Armano was born in Brisbane to Sicilian migrant parents. He is the author of two books of short stories and nine critically acclaimed novels.His book Firehead was shortlisted in the 1999 Queensland Premiers Literary Award for Best Novel of the Year and The Volcano won that award in 2002. The Volcano was also shortlisted for the Courier Mail Best Book of the Year. Also a trained screenwriter, Veny teaches creative writing at University of Queensland.

Tonight we’re chatting with Amanda Dewees, author of the new gothic horror collection THE RATHBURN LEGACY AND OTHER STORIES. Atlanta author Amanda DeWees received her PhD in English from the University of Georgia and wrote her dissertation on 19th-century vampire literature—the perfect training, although she didn’t know it at the time, for writing Victorian gothic romance novels. Her books include With This Curse, winner of the 2015 Daphne du Maurier Award in historical mystery/suspense, and the Sybil Ingram Victorian Mysteries series. Her other passions include costuming, movies, and the elegant deployment of apostrophes.Award-winning author Amanda DeWees is known for her tales of mystery, suspense, romance, and the supernatural, often in Victorian settings. Now, for the first time, fifteen of her short stories are gathered in one collection—including all seven stories and novelettes featuring Sybil Ingram, Victorian actress, spirit medium, and sleuth. Also included are four stories never before published! Here are a few of the tales inside:—A Victorian woman photographer finds an unconventional way to save a man who is possessed by a malicious spirit (“The Rathburn Legacy”).—While pursuing her hobby of taking gravestone rubbings, a gentle spinster encounters the uncanny (“The Woman Who Loved Dogs”).—On the night of a mysterious butterfly phenomenon, a high school senior tries to rescue a little girl and make big choices about the future (“On Shadowed Wings”).—A medium who senses emotion through fabric seeks the cause of two poisonings that prevented a wedding (“The Deadly Dress”).—Sybil Ingram and her husband, Roderick Brooke, solve mysteries involving a haunted violin, a gang of women criminals, a pair of children who may be possessed by malicious spirits, and more.With an introduction by horror/suspense author Charles R. Rutledge, this collection also features author notes on all the stories. From the charming to the chilling, the tales included here are all unique and unforgettable.“An enjoyable blend of Austen, Dickens and Mrs. Gaskell – Gothic with a light touch, packed with family curses, mysterious paintings and romantic chills, plus more adventures of the indefatigable psychic, Sybil Ingram.” John Linwood Grant, author of The Assassin’s Coin“A delightful, oft eerie, romantic, and decidedly splendid set of stories which pay homage to many classic Gothic traditions...offering fresh perspectives and heroines to wholeheartedly cheer for.” – Leanna Renee Hieber, award-winning and bestselling author of the Strangely Beautiful and Spectral City series“I love this collection of stories. Amanda DeWees sends shivers down your spine, tugs your heartstrings, and creates heroes to die for. She will keep you guessing who done it while turning pages late into the night.” —Raven Hart, author of The Vampire’s Seduction“While you will find a great deal of wit, charm, and romance [here]…Amanda DeWees knows her way around a horror yarn and she has a few surprises waiting for you.” —Charles R. Rutledge, horror/suspense author

This week we kick off a retrospective on the Alien films with the 1979 film ALIEN. Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Dan O'Bannon. It follows the crew of the commercial space tug Nostromo, who encounter the eponymous Alien, an aggressive and deadly extraterrestrial set loose on the ship. The film stars Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Yaphet Kotto. The many many awards it earned and the success of Alien spawned a media franchise of films, novels, comic books, video games, and toys. It also launched Weaver's acting career, providing her with her first lead role. The story of her character's encounters with the Alien creatures became the thematic and narrative core of the sequels Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien Resurrection (1997).[20] A crossover with the Predator franchise produced the Alien vs. Predator films, which includes Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). A prequel series includes Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), both directed by Scott.This is Episode 326.

Tonight we’re chatting with Russell Kirkpatrick (based in Canberra, Australia) author of the new book Silent Sorrow from IFWG Publishing International, arriving Feb 1.This is the first of several interviews on books coming from IFWG International. The publishers at IFWG would like you to know that if you would like to enter a drawing for a free print (or mobi/epub) copy tonight’s book, Silent Sorrow, all you need to do is subscribe to the IFWG newsletter and fill out details for the drawing – just go to ifwgaustralia.com/treasures.About the book: Silent Sorrow (The Book of Remezov) Brilliant and ambitious, Remezov is already recognised as the best earthquake predictor in the business. He travels to the ancient city of Hanemark to be received into the powerful Guild of Geographers, the youngest inductee in decades.On the way he finds a dead scientist’s diary, warning of an imminent invasion. Nonsense, of course—except the diary explains otherwise puzzling occurrences. Does he surrender it to the Guild, risking accusations he killed the scientist and stole the diary—all for an invasion that may never come—or does he keep it and use it to make his name? He has to decide soon, because he’s being hunted by something leaving a trail of mutilated bodies across the city.The lizards are coming…Russell Kirkpatrick (born 1961, Christchurch, New Zealand) is a geography lecturer, cartographer and a novelist. He holds a PhD in geography from the University of Canterbury, and lectured at the University of Waikato in Hamilton until 2014. He is currently living and writing in Australia, and moonlights as a sessional lecturer at the University of Canberra. He has worked on seven atlas projects, including the New Zealand Historical Atlas (1998), and authored the Contemporary Atlas of New Zealand (1999/2004). He also wrote and was photographer for a book about New Zealand waterfalls - Walk to Waterfalls (2011). He has written two fantasy trilogies, Fire of Heaven and Husk. Across the Face of the World was the biggest selling debut fantasy in the United States in 2008. He won the Julius Vogel award in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

This week we have a standalone episode on Paul Verhoeven’s classic 1987 film ROBOCOP-- a film that also marked the first date between hosts Jason & Julia.This is Episode 325.

Tonight we’re chatting with Damien LeVeck, writer/Director of The Cleansing Hour, which RLJE will release on VOD, Digital HD and DVD on January 19th. In THE CLEANSING HOUR, Max and Drew run a popular webcast that streams “live exorcisms” watched by millions across the globe. In reality, the exorcisms are just elaborately staged hoaxes performed by paid actors. But their fortunes take a turn when one of the actors becomes possessed by an actual demon and takes the crew hostage. In front of a rapidly growing audience, the demon subjects the crew to a series of violent challenges, threatening to expose the dark secrets they’ve been hiding from each other unless they come clean and reveal they’re impostors before the show is over.WATCH THE TRAILER: https://youtu.be/YXhZEqyv00g

This week we continue our retrospective on the Waxwork movies with Waxwork II: Lost in Time. This is Episode 324.

Tonight we’re chatting with Steven Kostanski, writer and director of the Horror/Comedy PG: PSYCHO GOREMAN, which RLJE Films will release in Theaters, On Demand and Digital on January 22, 2021.Written and directed by Steven Kostanski (The Void, The Divide, Father’s Day), PG: PSYCHO GOREMAN stars Matthew Ninaber (Transference), Nita-Josee Hanna (Books of Blood, 4teen), Owen Myre (“NOS4A2”, Alternate Ground), Adam Brooks (The Return Father’s Day) and Steven Vlahos (“Alien House”, The Apprentice). In the film, Siblings Mimi and Luke unwittingly resurrect an ancient alien overlord who was entombed on Earth millions of years ago after a failed attempt to destroy the universe. They nickname the evil creature Psycho Goreman (or PG for short) and use the magical amulet they discovered to force him to obey their childish whims. It isn’t long before PG’s reappearance draws the attention of intergalactic friends and foes from across the cosmos and a rogues’ gallery of alien combatants converges in small-town suburbia to battle for the fate of the galaxy.

This week we kick off a retrospective on the Waxwork movies. Waxwork is a 1988 American comedy horror film written and directed by Anthony Hickox in his directorial film debut and starring Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, Michelle Johnson, David Warner, Dana Ashbrook, and Patrick Macnee. It is partially inspired by the 1924 German silent film Waxworks.This is Episode 323.

This week we continue a retrospective we call Dead Writers Writing with the 1970 film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (Italian: L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo) is a 1970 giallo film directed by Dario Argento, in his directorial debut. The film has been credited with popularizing the Italian giallo genre.[3] It is the first installment in the Animal Trilogy, and was followed by The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971) and Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1972).The film was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe award for best motion picture in 1971. Upon its release the film was a huge box office hit, grossing 1,650,000,000 Italian lira (roughly about $1 million US), twice the production cost of $500,000. The film was also a success outside of Italy, gaining €1,366,884 admissions in Spain.This is Episode 322.Endorsements this week:Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (on Netflix)Beyond Tomorrow (1940 fantasy film)All the Colors of Giallo (documentary)The Castle of Horror Podcast Book of Great HorrorMike McPadden's book box set, which bazillion Points is selling and for which all proceeds go to the late McPadden's familyA lookout for the upcoming audiobook of Night of the Book Man read by Leigh Fryling

This week we continue our retrospective we call Dead Writers Writing with the 1970 film Web of the Spider. Web of the Spider (Italian: Nella stretta morsa del ragno) is a 1971 horror film directed by Antonio Margheriti. The film is about the writer Alan Foster (Anthony Franciosa) who accepts a bet from Edgar Allan Poe (Klaus Kinski) and his friend Thomas Blackwood (Enrico Osterman) to stay a night in Blackwood's castle. At the castle, Foster meets Blackwood's sister Elisabeth (Michèle Mercier) and Julia (Karin Field). Foster has sex with Elisabeth and wakes up to find that she was stabbed by someone whose body vanishes, allowing Foster to realize the house is possessed by ghosts.Web of the Spider is a color remake of Margheriti's earlier film Castle of Blood.This is Episode 321.

Tonight we’re chatting with Shawn Linden, director of Hunter Hunter a new thriller/horror/suspense film to be released by IFC Midnight in select Theaters, On Digital and On Demand on December 18, 2020. HUNTER HUNTER stars Devon Sawa (Final Destination, Idle Hands), Nick Stahl (Bully, Disturbing Behavior), Camille Sullivan ("The Man in the High Castle") and Summer Howell (Curse of Chucky). The film was directed and written by Shawn Linden (The Good Lie, Nobody). HUNTER HUNTER follows a family living in the remote wilderness earning a living as fur trappers. Joseph Mersault (Devon Sawa), his wife Anne (Camille Sullivan), and their daughter Renée (Summer H. Howell) struggle to make ends meet and think their traps are being hunted by the return of a rogue wolf. Determined to catch the predator in the act, Joseph leaves his family behind to track the wolf. Anne and Renée grow increasingly anxious during Joseph’s prolonged absence and struggle to survive without him. When they hear a strange noise outside their cabin, Anne hopes it is Joseph but instead finds a man named Lou (Nick Stahl), who has been severely injured and left for dead. The longer Lou stays and Joseph is away, the more paranoid Anne becomes, and the idea of a mysterious predator in the woods slowly becomes a threat much closer to home.Hunter Hunter is released theatrically in select locations, on Digital and On-Demand on December 18th 2020 by IFC Midnight.

Tonight we’re chatting with Liam O’Donnell, director of Skylines (In Select Theaters, On Digital and VOD December 18, 2020.) SKYLINES is the third installment of the Skyline franchise and stars Lindsey Morgan (“The 100,” Inside Game), Jonathan Howard (Thor: The Dark World, Godzilla: King of the Monsters), Rhona Mitra (Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Doomsday), Alexander Siddig (“Gotham,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”) and James Cosmo (Braveheart, “Game of Thrones”). The film was directed and written by Liam O'Donnell (Portals, Beyond Skyline).SYNOPSIS: When a virus threatens to turn earth-dwelling friendly alien hybrids against humans, Captain Rose Corley (Lindsey Morgan) must lead a team of elite soldiers on a mission to the alien’s world in order to save what's left of humanity.

Tonight we’re chatting with John Suits, Director of BREACH starring Cody Kearsley and Bruce Willis. Bruce Willis stars in the action-packed, Sci-fi thriller. Fleeing a devastating plague on Earth, an interstellar ark comes under attack from new threat; a shape-shifting alien force intent on slaughtering what is left of humanity. Breach comes to Theaters, On Demand and Digital on December 18, 2020.

Tonight we’re chatting with David Bowles, an award-winning author and translator from south Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. To his two dozen books, he'll soon be adding the space opera THE PATH, coming in 2021 from Castle Bridge Media. This is a special conversation in which Jason asks David about a conversation that recently ran wild on book Twitter-- about the "Canon," those works traditionally taught in school, and whether, why and how to rethink it.

This week we kick off a retrospective we call Dead Writers Writing with the 1964 film Castle of Blood. This is Episode 320.

Tonight we’re chatting with Trey Tucker, who stars in the new movie What Lies Below.In What Lies Below, Liberty (Ema Horvath), a socially awkward 16-year-old, returns from two months at camp to a blindsided introduction of her Mother’s fiancé, John Smith (Trey Tucker), whose charm, intelligence, and beauty paint the picture of a man too perfect to be human. See What Lies Below On - Demand and Digital on December 4, 2020.

This week we continue our retrospective we call Creepy School with the 1982 film The House on Sorority Row.The House on Sorority Row (also known as House of Evil in the United Kingdom) is a 1982 American slasher film written and directed by Mark Rosman, produced by John G. Clark, and starring Eileen Davidson and Kathryn McNeil. The plot follows a group of sorority sisters being stalked and murdered during their graduation party after they conceal a fatal prank against their house mother. The film was shot on location in Pikesville, Maryland in the summer months of 1980, with additional photography taking place in Los Angeles.The House on Sorority Row was named one of the greatest slasher films of all time by Complex in 2017. A remake, titled Sorority Row, was released in 2009.This is Episode 319.

This week we kick off a retrospective we call Creepy School with the 1978 film The Initiation of Sarah. The Initiation of Sarah is a 1978 American made-for-television supernatural horror film directed by Robert Day. It first aired on ABC on February 6, 1978 and starred Kay Lenz as a shy, withdrawn young woman who discovers that she has psychic powers after joining a sorority. This is Episode 318.

Tonight we’re chatting with David Raboy, writer and director of the Giant, available from Vertical Entertainment on Demand November 13, 2020. The GIANT- On her graduation night, Charlotte learns her first love has returned to her small Georgia town for the first time since vanishing the year before, in the midst of an awful trauma in her life.But on that night, a girl her age is found dead – and then another.Something terrible has arisen in this place, and as her final summer speeds towards a nightmarish conclusion, Charlotte gets the unshakeable feeling that somehow it is coming for her – in ways more troubling than she could ever know.

This week we wrap up a series of 1930s horror films with Mad Love, directed by Karl Freund and starring Peter Lorre, Frances Drake, and Colin Clive, and directed by Karl Freund in 1935. This is mainline Episode 317.

Tonight we’re chatting with Alastair Orr, director of the thriller/action/horror film, TRIGGERED which releases On Digital and On Demand November 6, 2020. TRIGGERED stars Sean Cameron Michael (“Black Sails,” The Mummy), Liesl Ahlers (Friend Request, Daylight) and Reine Swart (The Lullaby, Detour). The film was directed by Alastair Orr (House on Willow Street, Indigenous) and written by David D. Jones, making his feature screenwriting debut.SYNOPSIS: Nine friends, all harboring a dark secret, go camping in the woods. After a wild night of partying, they wake up with SUICIDE BOMBS strapped to their chests, all with varying times on their countdown clocks. They decide to work out how to disarm the bombs or find help - until they discover they can 'take' one another's time by killing each other.

Tonight we’re chatting with Erin Sanders (Zoe 101, Six Degrees of Separation) whose new movie THE CALL comes out on October 30th. From the creator of Final Destination, Lin Shaye and Tobin Bell star in this terrifying tale of death from the fall of 1987. After a tragic accident, a group of small town friends must survive the night in the home of a sinister couple. One by one, their worst nightmares quickly become reality as they enter the realm of THE CALL. Four Friends. One Phone Call. 60 Seconds. Stay Alive.Hosted by Jason Henderson, writer of the 1950s surfer girl horror book Night of the Book Man under the name Peyton Douglas.

Tonight we’re chatting with Lance Jones who runs Gwandanaland Comics, which publishes new reprint paperbacks of classic public domain comics and magazines, from super-heroes to the first, now public-domain issues of Famous Monsters Magazine.

Tonight we’re chatting with Adrienne Biddle, producer of The Dark and the Wicked, which releases November 6. Biddle is a founder with writer/director Bryan Bertino of Unbroken Pictures. The Dark and The Wicked follows two siblings who are summoned back to the family farm to await the inevitability of their father's death. What initially appears to be a timeless ritual of loss and remembrance turns out to be something very different. RLJE Films will release the horror film THE DARK AND THE WICKED In Theaters, On Digital and On Demand November 6, 2020.

This week we have a one-off Halloween episode, a look at the 2019 film Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. For those counting at home this is mainline Episode 316.

This week we continue a series of 1930s horror films with the 1932 film The Mummy. For those counting at home this is mainline Episode 315.This episode is a special event because we're also celebrating the one year anniversary of the creation of our good friends the Monster Movie Happy Hour Podcast and so with us tonight are 2/3 of the Monster Movie Happy Hour: historian, raconteur and cocktail wizard Scott Chesebrough and artist David Geister .

In a special episode in honor of the 20th Anniversary of Drew Edwards' comic hero HALLOWEEN MAN, the gang discusses Sam Raimi's 1990 DARKMAN.Hosted by Drew Ewards, featuring musician/activist Jamie Bahr, writer David Bowles, and animator/musician Tony Salvaggio.

Jason chats with Hadrien Royo about the audio series Crypto-Z, which you can find on any podcast app. Hadrien is an award-winning filmmaker, who has helped independent features come to life and get prestigious festival runs. He is the producer and director of Crypto-Z, an audio drama podcast and the founder of euphonie™, a creative agency dedicated to developing original stories across media channels and helping their creator reach their audience where they are now.He is also a professor in the prestigious graduate film program of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts where he also graduated.

A panel on Gothic Horror on the occasion of the release of Castle of Horror Anthology Vol. 4: Women Running from Houses (https://amzn.to/3dqyvv1) , a collection of Gothic-themed horror stories, in paperback and Kindle.The panel features In Churl Yo, Michael Aronovitz, Amanda Dewees, John Ohno, Charles R. Rutledge, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, Jim Towns, Jeremiah Dylan Cook, Rob Nisbet, Leanna Renee Hieber, Sam Knight, Henry Herz, Alethea Kontis and Scott Pearson, hosted by editor Jason Henderson.The authors talk about their own stories as well as their recommendations:The Castle of Horror Anthology Vol 4: Women Running from HousesCastle of Otranto (Walpole)Rebecca (Du Maurier)Jane Eyre (Bronte)Gothic Tales of Terror (Haining)Paperbacks from HellSomeone in the House (Michaels)Order Women Running from Houses at https://amzn.to/3dqyvv1Visit Castle Bridge Media at http://castlebridgemedia.com

Tonight we’re chatting with Kamal Khan who joins the cast of The Haunting of Bly Manor, the sequel series to The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix. The Haunting of Bly Manor premieres October 9. The Haunting of Bly Manor is a follow-up to the American anthology supernatural horror drama web television series The Haunting of Hill House, created and directed by Mike Flanagan for Netflix, and will be loosely based on the 1898 horror novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

Tonight we’re chatting with Ausma Zehanat Khan holds a Ph.D. in international human rights law with a specialization in military intervention and war crimes in the Balkans. She is a former adjunct law professor and Editor-in-Chief of Muslim Girl magazine, the first magazine targeted to young Muslim women in North America. She is also the award-winning author of The Unquiet Dead and The Bloodprint, the first book in The Khorasan Archives. A British-born Canadian, Khan now lives in Colorado with her husband.

Tonight we’re chatting with Paula Guran, editor of the Simon & Schuster's October 20 release The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror.

This week we kick off a series of 1930s horror films with the 1932 film Doctor X. For those counting at home this is mainline Episode 314.

This episode we’re chatting with Darren Lynn Bousman, director of the new movie DEATH OF ME coming to theaters, On Demand and Digital on October 2, 2020.Vacationing on an island off the coast of Thailand, Christine (Maggie Q) and Neil Oliver (Luke Hemsworth) awake hungover and with no memory of the previous night. They find footage on Neil’s camera, and watch, horrified, as Neil appears to murder Christine. With twenty-four hours until the next ferry and a typhoon threatening the island, Christine and Neil attempt to reconstruct the night’s events—and are snared in a web of mystery, black magic, and murder.

This week we wrap up our Ed Wood retrospective with the 1957 film Night of the Ghouls. (Episode 313)

Jason is joined by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and X-Files artist Greg Scott to talk about Batman-- more specifically, the Batman seen in the trailer for Matt Reeves' 2021 film The Batman. Is Batman just Death Wish now, a fascist vision of violence, fun for adults and abandoning the principles of the past? Or is it too early to tell?

For this Hangout Episode--m one of the unstructured talks we have between the mainline episodes-- Tony, Jason and Drew talk about the 1986 Hong Kong supernatural adventure film "The Seventh Curse" based on the Dr. Yuen novel series from Ni Kuang.

This week we continue our Ed Wood retrospective with the 1955 film Bride of the Monster. (Episode 312.)

This episode we’re chatting with JH Moncrieff, whose book City of Ghosts won the 2018 Kindle Book Review Award for Best Horror/Suspense. She won Harlequin's international search for “the next Gillian Flynn” and her horror book Monsters in Our Wake was a TOP Amazon horror bestseller. But a lot of people know her as the resident writer/commentator on the True Crime Network show Cruise Ship Killers.

This episode we’re chatting with Simon Stephenson, whose book SET MY HEART TO FIVE debuts from HarperCollins this September. Set My Heart to Five is on tap for adaptation by Edgar Wright, the director behind Baby Driver and the upcoming Last Night in Soho (set for an April 2021 release). The book is set in the year 2054, and follows a human-esque bot named Jared as he slowly becomes sentient and sets out to find his family (i.e. the programmer who created him).

This week we kick off an Ed Wood retrospective with the director’s most famous work, Plan 9 from Outer Space.(Episode 311)

Jason joins Director/Writer Will Wernick, who also directed ESCAPE ROOM, to talk about his new film NO ESCAPE. The story here is: a social media star travels with his friends to Moscow to capture new content for his successful VLOG. Always pushing the limits and catering to a growing audience, he and his friends enter a cold world of mystery, excess and danger. As the line between real life and social media is blurred, the group must fight to escape, and survive. NO ESCAPE releases Sept 18 theaters and VOD.

For this hangout episode, Jason, Drew and Tony discuss the 1955 Mike Hammer film Kiss Me Deadly, which not only exemplifies great noir but shocks and surprises from beginning to end. Special thanks to the great audio commentary on the Kiss Me Deadly Criterion disc by by film noir specialists Alain Silver and James Ursini and excerpts from The Long Haul of A. I. Bezzerides, a 2005 documentary on the Kiss Me Deadly screenwriter.

This week we continue our Night Stalker retrospective with the 1973 telefilm THE NIGHT STRANGLER.(Episode 310)

For this week's hangout episode-- our first of the 2020 Fall Season-- we discuss the 1977 sf film Planet of Dinosaurs, which meshes amazing stop-motion dinosaur effects with dubious acting and amazing 70s fashions.

This episode we’re talking to Glen Zipper and Elaine Mongeon, authors of the new SF book Devastation Class from HarperCollins. Zipper is known for creating the wildly popular Netflix series Dogs and producing such films as the Academy Award ® winning Undefeated and the critically acclaimed Showbiz Kids directed by Alex Winter (Bill & Ted Face The Music), currently streaming on HBO, and Elaine Mongeon is an associate producer on notable films and series such as Magic Mike XXL and Red Oaks and the director of cult short horror films for Warner Bros. and Hulu. DEVASTATION CLASS (HarperCollins/Blink, Hardcover, $18.99, September 8, 2020) is the story of seven young cadets on a futuristic starship who have to seize control of the ship to fight off a new attack from an alien enemy the earth had thought it had already defeated.Interviewed by Jason Henderson, author of the new 1950s surf horror book Surf Mystic: Night of The Book Man by his alter ego Peyton Douglas.

This week we kick off our Fall 2020 Season with The Night Stalker, the original 1972 movie that introduced the character of Carl Kolchak.(Episode 309.)

This episode we’re talking to Leanna Renee Hieber whose new book A Summoning of Souls comes from Kensington/ Rebel Base Books… At the dawn of the twentieth century, New York City houses both the living and the dead. And when it comes to crimes of an otherworldly nature, it falls to the psychics and spirits of the city’s finest secret agency—The Ghost Precinct—to serve justice beyond the earthly realm.

This episode we’re talking to Julius Berg, co-writer and director of The Owners, in theaters and on demand Sep 4, 2020. The film stars Maisie Williams, Sylvester McCoy, Jake Curran, Ian Kenny, Andrew Ellis, Rita Tushingham. In the film, a group of friends think they found the perfect easy score - an empty house with a safe full of cash. But when the elderly couple that lives there comes home early the tables are suddenly turned. As a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues the would-be thieves are left to fight to save themselves from a nightmare they could never have imagined.

Jason chats with Chris Mooney, author of the new thriller Blood World, in which a cop must investigate an illegal trade in enhanced blood that renders those receiving a transfusion younger and healthier. We talk a lot about the craft of writing.

Jason is joined by Julia to chat with the Rifftrax comedy team of Bridget & Mary Jo-- Bridget Nelson and Mary Jo Pehl-- on their new feature-length riff of the late-50s monster movie Frankenstein's Daughter (Astor, 1958.).

Castle Bridge Media presents a live panel on Mid-Century Gothic Horror Films featuring leading voices in horror fiction and commentary. From Britain's Hammer Horror (home of Christopher Lee's Dracula and Peter Cushing's Frankenstein) to Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe movies starring Vincent Price, to standalone works of genius like The Innocents, we'll explore our favorites and the most important words of the genre. Castle Bridge Media organizes this panel in celebration of the release of Bruce Wright's Nightwalkers: Gothic Horror Movies: The Revised Edition (Castle Bridge, August 4).Moderated by Jason Henderson, Co-Publisher of Castle Bridge Media, author of The Book Man and Young Captain NemoPanelists:Grady Hendrix New York Times Bestselling author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying VampiresMark Jordan Legan, NPR Film Historian/Commentator & Host of the "Film Freaks Forever" PodcastDanielle Trussoni, New York Times Columnist and New York Times Bestselling author of The AncestorBruce Wright, author of Nightwalkers: Gothic Horror Movies

Jason chats about the Shudder miniseries Cursed Films with the miniseries' director / Writer / Editor Jay Cheel and writer Mitch Horowitz (As a Man Thinketh), who provides much of the commentary on the series. They ta;l about the films the series covers, with an episode each for The Exorcist, The Omen, Poltergeist, The Crow and The Twilight Zone.

Jason chats with many-time New York Times Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson on two brand-new projects-- "Stake," a new novel about a cynic and a believer investigating a man who may be a vampire hunter-- or may just be a serial killer-- and "Monsters, Movies and Mayhem," a brand-new anthology of movie-inspired monster stories from top writers which Publisher's Weekly calls "fun and nostalgia-filled... horror fans won’t want to put this down." Along the way Anderson also reveals some of his secrets for getting more writing done, including learning to dictate your novels.

This episode we’re talking to Daniel Kraus, author of The Living Dead from Tor. Kraus is a New York Times bestselling author. With Guillermo del Toro, he co-authored The Shape of Water, based on the same idea the two created for the Oscar-winning film. Also with del Toro, Kraus co-authored Trollhunters, which was adapted into the Emmy-winning Netflix series. Kraus’s The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch was named one of Entertainment Weekly‘s Top 10 Books of the Year, and he has won two Odyssey Awards (for both Rotters and Scowler) and has been a Library Guild selection, YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Bram Stoker finalist, and more.His new books is The Living Dead, a posthumous collaboration with legendary filmmaker George A. Romero. Kraus’s work has been translated into over 25 languages. He lives with his wife in Chicago. Visit him at danielkraus.com.

This episode we’re talking to Danny Wolf, director of the documentary series Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time. We talk about Danny's experience interviewing the stars of movies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Rock & Roll High School, Dawn of the Dead, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, and more.

This week we’re wrapping up this summer’s SATANIC PANIC series with the 1975 horror film DEVIL’S RAIN.

This week we take on the 1988 classic Child's Play, discussing its themes and wondering why the first film in a horror series tends to have the purest themes.

This episode Jason talks to Jeffrey A. Brown, writer and director of The Beach House, which comes to AMC’s horror streaming service Shudder July 9th (US/Canada/UK/Ireland).

In this episode Tony Salvaggio talks to Writer/Director Gavin Rothery about his soon to be released Sci-Fi thriller Archive. Gavin fill us in on the development of the film, his influences, and what it is like to transition from being an artist and production designer to being the writer and director on his first feature film.

Jason chats with futurist Cory Doctorow on the re-branding of the Disney attraction Splash Mountain away from the problematic 1946 film Song of the South and towards The Princess and the Frog.

We discuss the 1957 film Blood of Dracula, a female variation on I Was a Teenage Werewolf.

We’re talking to David Bowles, author of the new series 13th Street, launching in July from HarperCollins. David describes it as a sort of Latinx Stranger Things for kids ages 5-9 from HarperCollins the new HarperChapters imprint.

This week we continue our Satanic Panic Summer Series with the 1973 film Satan's School for Girls. Satan's School for Girls is a 1973 American made-for-television horror film directed by David Lowell Rich, and produced by Aaron Spelling. The film has been named as one of the most memorable television movies of the 1970s.This week's endorsements:•Endorsements: oDrewSecond Season of Doom PatroloTonyThis is Not a Story About Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-not-a-story-about/id1506800406)Overcooked (game)oJuliaDefending JacoboJasonThe Silent Patient (by Alex MichaelidesZombo.com

This special episode we invite you to listen in to a very special gathering-- Jason Henderson invites the authors of the Castle of Horror Anthology Volume 3 in to talk about their stories of "Summer Lovin'" horror. The Castle of Horror Anthology Volume 3 (available in Kindle and paperback) is the third collection of horror stories to be put out under the Castle of Horror brand. This go-around, the theme is summer! If you're headed to the beach in reality or in your dreams, watch out for our collection of ghostly gothic tales, deadly toys, time warps, wasp women and other sun-drenched terrors.The collection features stories from David Bowles, Jo Whittemore, Sam Knight, Michael Aronovitz, Alethea Kontis, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, Leanna Renee Hieber, John Peel, P.J. Hoover, Drew Wolle, David P. Geister, Jason Henderson, In Churl Yo, and Rob Nisbet.

This week we continue our Satanic Panic Summer Series with the 1982 TV film Mazes and Monsters directed by Steven Hillard Stern. Mazes and Monsters (also known as Rona Jaffe's Mazes and Monsters) is a 1982 American made-for-television drama film directed by Steven Hilliard Stern about a group of college students and their interest in a fictitious role-playing game (RPG) of the same name.The movie starred a 26-year-old Tom Hanks in his first leading film role.

Jason chats with Adrianna Gober, a writer and musician based outside of Philadelphia, PA. She is a lifelong horror fan and still can't quite believe she got lucky enough to spin that into a career. She currently serves as Director of Programming for Midnight Movie Society, an extreme horror/cult SVOD service from Rue Morgue and MVD Entertainment Group.

This week we kick off a Satanic Panic Summer Series with the remarkable 1975 film Race with the Devil directed by Jack Starrett. (This is Episode 305)Endorsements: •TonyoMystery of Chessboxing•JuliaoKing of Staten Island•DrewoGirls Rock AuctionoPen America Fellowship: Pen.org•JasonoJune 22 Castle of Horror Anthology Summer Lovin Event—page at Castle of Horror Page (https://www.facebook.com/events/256518529096052/)oHigh School USA (1983)'s many, many posters

This episode we discuss, in a very unstructured way befitting out "Hangout" Episodes, the strange 1987 monster movie Demon of Paradise, about a mysterious creature terrorizing Hawaii (really the Philippines), with more subplots than you can shake a stick at, including organized crime, modeling, and dynamite smuggling.This week's endorsements: Tony: Dark Future (1994)Drew: Ringo Awards—Ringoawards.com - Calling all fans to nominate Drew Edwards for Best Writer and Halloween Man for Best Hero in honor of Halloween Man’s 20th anniversary!Absolute Carnage (Marvel Comics)Jason: Creepshow Season 1 NEW on DVD, plus June 22 - Live Castle of Horror Anthology Launch Event with the Authors of the new Anthology! https://www.facebook.com/events/256518529096052/

Jason talks to author/filmmaker Jim Towns about his new book from Anubis Press, American Cryptic – True Stories of the Strange and Uncanny by Author Jim Towns. This book is available now in paperpack and on Kindle.American Cryptic is an open-minded cynic’s take on the uncanny and sometimes frightening things that border our accepted reality. Through thirteen stories and essays, author and filmmaker Jim Towns examines several legends native to his own roots in Western Pennsylvania, and recalls some of his own unexplainable experiences as well. From folk tales of Native American giants buried under great earth mounds, to a haunted asylum, to a phantom trolley passenger, this work seeks not only to present the reader with new and fascinating supernatural tales, but also to deconstruct why our culture is so fascinated by their telling and re-telling. Find the book here: https://amzn.to/2UqP6qg

This week we continue our series on Edgar Allan Poe movies with the 1964 film The Tomb of Ligeia(This is Episode 304)The Tomb of Ligeia is a 1964 British horror film directed by Roger Corman. Starring Vincent Price and Elizabeth Shepherd, it tells of a man haunted by the spirit of his dead wife and her effect on his second marriage. The screenplay by Robert Towne was based upon the short story "Ligeia" by American author Edgar Allan Poe and was the last in his series of films loosely based on the works of Poe. Tomb of Ligeia was filmed at Castle Acre Priory and other locations with a mostly English cast.Endorsements this week:•JuliaoJust Mercy on Amazon•TonyoWhat We Do in the Shadows (FX Series)oTurboGrafx-16 Mini home video game consoleoSelf-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker•DrewoPen America Fellowship: Pen.orgoRingo Awards—Ringoawards.com - Calling all fans to nominate Drew Edwards for Best Writer and Halloween Man for Best Hero in honor of Halloween Man’s 20th anniversary!oAbsolute Carnage (Marvel Comics)•JasonoJason’s Video World of the Book Man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgSpZD9DwFgoThe Book Man https://amzn.to/2SaF6jM

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEADWe discuss the new Amazon Original The Vast of Night, a delightful film about a pair of teens-- one a switchboard operator and the other the local deejay-- investigating what might be the appearance of aliens in a small town when all eyes are on the high school basketball game.

Welcome to Castle of Horror, the show dedicated to horror, movies and awesomeness. This week we continue our series on Edgar Allan Poe movies with the House of Usher (1960) (This is Episode 303)House of Usher (also known as The Fall of the House of Usher and The Mysterious House of Usher) is a 1960 American horror film directed by Roger Corman and written by Richard Matheson from the 1839 short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe. The film was the first of eight Corman/Poe feature films and stars Vincent Price, Myrna Fahey, Mark Damon and Harry Ellerbe.In 2005, the film was listed with the United States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Versions exist on DVD with running times between 76 and 80 minutes.

This episode we’re talking to Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott, the directors of BECKY (debuting June 5), a new revenge thriller about a teen girl, Lulu Wilson, who faces off against a gang of neo-Nazis led by an unusually villainous Kevin James. You guys have called it an “ultra-violent Home Alone”

This episode we’re talking to the creative minds behind the Adapt or Perish podcast, a bi-weekly podcast that examines adaptations of all kinds, whether stage to screen, book to television, comic to blockbuster, or movie to musical and back again. Our guests are Arielle Lipshaw (dramaturg, director, voiceover artist, and knitting enthusiast) and Jeremy Latour (filmmaker and media geek). You can find their show wherever you find your podcasts and at https://www.adaptorperishcast.com/.

This Hangout the gang is joined by Jamie Bahr, Executive Director of Girls Rock Austin, to talk about the 2019 film Ready or Not. Join us for this fascinating, deep and funny discussion.The gang had the following Endorsements this week: JamieGirls Rock Austin (Empowerment Through Music) and Operation Lunch Box: https://www.girlsrockaustin.org/Tony36 Chambers https://cinema.36chambers.com/Chattanooga Film Festival https://www.chattfilmfest.org/The Platform https://www.netflix.com/title/81128579?source=35The Belko Experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Belko_ExperimentDrewScooby Doo Mystery IncRingo Awards (http://ringoawards.com/): Nominate Halloween Man in its 20th Year: Drew Edwards for Best Writer, Halloween Man for best Hero)Jason:The Book Man Virtual Launch Party - June 2 https://www.facebook.com/events/910026256124728/

This episode we’re talking to Angie Hodapp about her new book Query Craft, the Writer-in-the-Know Guide to Getting Your Manuscript Requested.Angie Hodapp is the Director of Literary Development at Nelson Literary Agency. She holds a BA in English and secondary education and an MA in English and communication development. A graduate of the Publishing Institute at the University of Denver, she has worked in professional writing, editing, and education for more than twenty years. A frequent presenter at writing conferences and events, she loves helping writers improve their craft and learn about the ever-changing world of publishing.

This week we kick off a series on Edgar Allan Poe movies with Roger Corman's 1964 Masque of the Red Death starring Vincent Price.

This episode we’re talking to Director and Writer David Holroyd, whose new film The Haunted (May 22 on demand) is about a young caregiver in an isolated house who finds her elderly charge’s house may be haunted by a vengeful spirit.

We discuss the very strange-- or strangely historied-- film Isle of the Fishmen, which eventually came to the US as Screamers, belying what an odd adventure movie it really is. Plus: a meditation on time vampires and empathy.

In this episode recorded by the Monster Movie Happy Hour (http://www.monstermoviehappyhour.com/), Peyton Douglas AKA Jason Henderson discusses his new book The Book Man, due June 2. We talk about all the things that go into this book that P.J. Hoover called "a delicious retro treat wrapped into a perfectly crafted horror novel" -- the California surf craze, Gidget, demons, and mid-century pop culture.

This episode Jason talks to Scott Kenemore, whose new book Lake of Darkness explores the dark corners of WWI-era Chicago, when a detective hunts for a serial killer who preys on African-American twin children.

This week we wrap up a series on John Carpenter movies with Carpenter’s In The Mouth of Madness. (Episode 301)•Tony:oAnimal CrossingoMr. Vampire new release Blue-RayoBox set for Flash Gordon UK•JuliaoJust Like Heaven•Drew: oExtreme Ghostbusters on HuluoBritish TV Series SpacedoNominate Drew and Halloween Man for Best Writer and Best Hero for the Ringo Awards•Jason: oCastle of Horror Anthology Volume 3: Summer Lovin’ coming June 22oJason's upcoming interview with the Monster Movie Happy Hour about his June 2 book "The Book Man"

Jason chats with Leslie Lutz, who calls on her extensive scuba-diving knowledge to write a taut thriller that calls to mind the mysteries of Lost-- but with a killer resolution.

This hangout episode we discuss Antrum, a movie that is several layers of movie-- a supposedly lost 70s horror film, a presentation of a version of that film that has been manipulated and spliced with demonic curses and symbols, and finally a mockumentary about the film. Jason and Drew discuss whether any of that works with the help of guest, Pura Belpre-winning author David Bowles.

This episode we’re talking to Ramsey Campbell, who the Oxford Companion to English Literature describes as Britain’s most respected living horror writer. His new book from Flame Tree Press is The Wise Friend.

This episode we’re talking to Robert Nairne, who stars in the new film The Jack in the Box. The Jack in the Box, Tues May 5, VOD Digital and DVDWhen a museum is donated a vintage Jack-In-The-Box, it’s not long before staff member Casey starts to think that the creepy clown doll inside has a life of its own. As he discovers his colleagues are dying, one by one, Casey realizes it's up to him to find a way to end the nightmare or become another victim of the box's curse. Jack In The Box is a heart stopping horror that will fuel your fear of clowns.

For our 300th episode, the team tackles John Carpenter's The Thing-- its relevance and its enduring legacy. We also take a moment to reflect on the meaning of 300 episodes of the Castle of Horror.Endorsements: •Drew:oDark Corner Reviews the Thing 1982 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ApK2snPMwMoHoward Hawks’ The Thing from Another World (1951)oBlood Quantum on ShudderoThe Ringo Awards – please nominate Halloween Man for best hero, Drew Edwards for writer, on Halloween Man’s 20th anniversary! (http://ringoawards.com/)•Tony: oMST3K on Shout! Factory•Jason: ohttps://bestsimilar.com/movies/52388-my-blood-runs-coldoJason’s new surf-party-and-demons book The Book Man coming June 2, pre-order now: https://amzn.to/2KBikgP (Episode 300)

Jason chats with Issa Lopez, director of the stunning magical-realist film Tigers Are Not Afraid. Coming to DVD/BD on May 5, 2020

On this hangout episode we discuss the extraordinarily strange film The Dragon Lives Again (1977), in which Bruce Lee cleans up purgatory with the help of Popeye and Caine from Kung Fu, and faces off against a criminal gang mad up of James Bond, Clint Eastwood, the Exorcist, Emmanuelle and more.

We discuss John Carpenter's 1987 horror film Prince of Darkness-- which has us divided but definitely intrigued.Our endorsements this week:•Drew:oDark Corners Film Reviews (esp Devil’s Wedding Night) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYprCFdSTckoExtreme Ghostbusters animated series on HuluoSaturday Morning CartoonsoThe Ringo Awards – please nominate Halloween Man for best hero, Drew Edwards for writer, on Halloween Man’s 20th anniversary! (http://ringoawards.com/)•Julia:oRyan George and the Pitch Meetings (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Eydbls2PAE)•Tony: oBandcamp is having a Friday 5/1 discount day: https://desertsofmars.bandcamp.com/ and https://risefromfire.bandcamp.com/oKorean zombie show Kingdom on NetflixoOne Cut of the Dead on Shudder•Jason: oHasmukh on NetflixoJason’s new surf-party-and-demons book The Book Man coming June 2 (pre-order now!): https://amzn.to/2KBikgP

In this Hangout Episode we discuss the bizarre 1966 (US 1970) film War of the Gargantuas.

We’re talking to Grady Hendrix about his new book The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires.

This episode the Castle gang are joined by the cast of the Monster Movie Happy Hour Podcast (Dave Geister, Scott Chesebrough, and Mary Challman) to talk about one of the most beloved remakes of all time, the 1978 INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.Afterwards we made the following endorsements:Mary Challman: The Last Days (film), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (film)Dave Geister: the work of Ramsey Campbell (author)Tony Salvaggio: The Platform (Netflix series), Virally Affected: Bands Of The Heavy Underground from RiffRelevant, which markets bands and merch during the current crisisScott Chesebrough: Hellraisers: The Life and Inebriated Times of Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris & Oliver Reed (book)Julia Guzman: Broadway Shows on YouTube in support of BroadwayCares.org and other causesDrew Edwards: Cursed Films on Shudder, the Ringo Awards for comics, and nominating Halloween Man on its 20th AnniversaryJasonHenderson: the fiction of Ray Russell, Mad Magazine's 1978 parody of Invasion..., and Jason's Castle Talk interviews with Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson and Joe Bob Briggs(Episode 298)

Jason chats with Cassandra Peterson, the actress and branding expert behind the unforgettable Mistress of the Dark, Elvira. As she puts the final touches on her upcoming autobiography, Cassandra talks about the creation of the character, the headaches of writing a movie commentary show, and reminisces about Vincent Price and fellow Groundling comedian Phil Hartman.

In this week's hangout episode we're discussing the 1965 kaiju film Frankenstein Conquers the World. NOTE: What is a Hangout Episode? That just means we approach the films in a less structured fashion, and we're more likely to hit more oddball films. Join us!

This episode we're chatting with Joe Bob Briggs, who host Jason first read when Joe Bob was the Drive-In movie critic for the Dallas Times Herald. Briggs is the author of books such as Joe Bob Goes to the Drive In and Profoundly Disturbing, and is now host of The Last Drive-In on Shudder, which returns this month.

This week we continue our series on anthology films with the 1985 film Cat’s Eye. (Episode 297)

This is a Hangout Episode, where we are much less structured than the mainline weekend episode. That means we follow less of an outline, keep the conversation less on track, and we can wander very far afield. This time we're discussing Monster Dog (1984) starring Alice Cooper, but we also discuss the Alamo Drafthouse's online efforts, Filipino horror Demon in Paradise, and Jason's rib recipe.

This episode we’re talking with Danielle Trussoni, the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of the Angelology series whose new book The Ancestor (reviewed Tuesday at the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/books/review/the-ancestor-danielle-trussoni.html), which called it "as creepy as you might expect from an author who also writes the Book Review’s horror column.") is a gothic thriller about a New York woman who receives a letter that informs her she has inherited a title and a castle in Italy. But for a book that starts out following what seems to be a gothic thriller of the old school, it winds up going places that twist and subvert the genre. One spoiler that the publisher is comfortable giving away is that the lead-inherits-a-castle story moves gradually, terrifyingly into a Michael Crichton-like scientific deep dive into crypto-zoology, the study of unknown creatures.

This episode we discuss the 1980 anthology film The Monster Club from famed Amicus Anthology producer Milton Subotsky. The film stars a cast of familiar horror names: Vincent Price, John Carradine, Anita Ekberg, Donald Pleasance, Richard Johnson, Simon Ward, and Stuart Whitman.

This episode, continuing our remembrance of director Stuart Gordon, we discuss Gordon's 1986 film From Beyond, based on the HP Lovecraft story and starring two of the stars of Gordon's 1985 film Re-Animator, Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton.

This episode we’re talking with Chris Vander Kaay, one of the authors of Spoiler Alert!: The Badass Book of Movie Plots: Why We All Love Hollywood Cliches by Chris Kathleen Vander Kaay, Kathleen Killian Fernandez, and Steven EspinozaCelebrate Hollywood film-making in all its formulaic and predictable glory. Spoiler Alert! takes 38 mainstream movie genres, from 'Teen Sex Comedy' and 'Buddy Action Comedy' to 'Film Noir Detective Thriller' and 'Alien Invasion Thriller', and through detailed illustrations reveals what makes them so hilariously recognizable – the plots, the key lines of dialogue, the essential visuals, the crucial characters, and even the indispensable props!

This episode we’re talking Menna van Praag, author of the new book The Sisters Grimm from HarperVoyager. In the book, four girls all about to turn 18, Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet and Bea, all are blessed with elemental powers and are preparing to return to the dimension they came from to face their demon father. We talk about the author's process and the demands of urban fantasy.

We continue our discussion of famous horror anthologies with a look at the 1987 film Creepshow 2, featuring three stories by Stephen King: Old Chief Wood'nhead, The Raft, and The Hitch-hiker. (Episode 295)

In a special "hangout" episode, Tony, Drew and Jason discuss the amazing Stuart Gordon/ Lovecraft classic Dagon.

In Churl Yo's Isonation (due out April 1 from Castle Bridge Media) is an adventure that takes place in a world where social distancing has given way to total social isolation-- where people live in hermetically sealed apartments and rely on drones for all deliveries, and VR for all socialization. Yo, a writer in Seattle, talks about how his story suddenly became a prescient look at the future.

A chat with director Neasa Hardiman on her new film Sea Fever (due out April 10) starring Hermione Corfield (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman), about a fishing trawler that discovers a mysterious, virus-like creature that threatens the entire crew.

This episode we’re talking to James Rollins, author of the new book The Last Odyssey, due out from William Morrow/HarperCollins on March 24. The Last Odyssey is the 15th thriller in the Sigma Force series about "scientists with guns" solving thrilling mysteries around the world.

Lorcan Finnegan is the director of Vivarium, a very strange, almost Twilight Zone-like movie starring Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots as a young couple unable to escape the neighborhood where they went looking for a starter home.

This week we kick off a round of anthology films with the 1983’s The Twilight Zone: the Movie.(Episode 294)

In an episode from the show's distant past, we talk DRACULA AKA HORROR OF DRACULA, the Hammer vampire film starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Hosted by the creators of the Alex Van Helsing book series (Jason Henderson), indy comic Halloween Man (Drew Edwards), and manga Psy-comm (Tony Salvaggio), and attorney Julia Guzman. We'll cap it off with a look at vampires and pop culture, and of course Q&A from the audience!

This episode we’re chatting with KB Wagers, author of the new book A PALE LIGHT IN THE BLACK, it’s a SF book about the crew of a ship called Zuma’s Ghost, who are members of the Near Earth Orbital Guard—essentially the Coast Guard of Space. We talk about military sf, plotting your writing, and getting work done on deadline during the time of pandemic.

SPECIAL STUCK INSIDE ENCORE!We continue our Sexy Vampire Retrospective with the 1995 vampire movie EMBRACE OF THE VAMPIRE, directed by Anne Goursaud. The film stars Alyssa Milano as Charlotte, a chaste girl who is haunted by a vampire played by Martin Kemp, bassist of 80s New Wave band Spandau Ballet.

This episode we’re chatting with J. Suzanne Frank, author of the new book When Fire Loves Water Part 1 The Siren. The book comes out on Water Day, 3/22/20 -- and you can get the first three chapters free at jsuzannefrank.com.  J. Suzanne Frank is formerly a lot of things: among them, a journalist, a freelance writer, an editor, and a writing teacher. Her passion for history has taken her to Egypt, Greece, Israel and throughout Europe. But she's always returned to Texas, where generations of her family roots are. She's also always returned to the water. While she hasn't managed (yet) to become a mermaid, it was her #3 childhood goal. Visit her at jsuzannefrank.com.

This episode we’re chatting with Katherine Hall Page, author of the new book The Body in the Wake, the 25th Faith Fairchild Mystery, from William Morrow/HarperCollins.

A look at the frightening new remake of The Invisible Man. (Episode 293)

This week we wrap up our series on Dinosaurs with the 1993 Stephen Spielberg film Jurassic Park. (Episode 292)

This episode we’re chatting with Theresa Mercado, curator of the Scream Screen film series in Denver. They’re in the middle of their fifteenth run for four Fridays at the Sie FilmCenter with a new series, "Hell On Wheels", which began February 7 at 9:30pm at the Sie FilmCenter, featuring some of the best terror on two, four, and ten wheels! Psychomania! Crash! Sorcerer! Next up Feb 28 is Dead End Drive-In (1986) w/ director Brian Trenchard-Smith in person. Previous series include: "Treasury of Terror: A Decade of Horror Anthologies", "The Psychosexual Films of David Cronenberg," "Journey Into a Damaged Brain," "The Horror Films of John Carpenter," "When Animals Attack!", "The Giallo Films of Dario Argento", "The Films of the New French Extremity", "The Non-Zom Films Of George A. Romero", "As Seen On TV!", "Beyond Elm Street: A Tribute To Wes Craven", "The Truth Is Out There!", "Welcome To The Funhouse: A Birthday Slash-ebration of Tobe Hooper", "Christmas In July", and "Petrified Woods". Scream Screen is a four-time "Best of Denver" winner! Including 2019's "Best Live Music With A Horror Movie." We chat about the challenges of programming a theater series in the day of streaming.  

This week we continue our series on Dinosaurs with the 1977 film The People that Time Forgot.

This episode we’re chatting with Daniel Kraus, author of Bent Heavens, a new novel from Henry Holt/Macmillan Books. Bent Heavens tells a harrowing story about a pair of teens who capture an alien creature and begin to take out terrible revenge for one of the teens' father's abduction. It's a book that asks tough questions about grief, paranoia, and torture.  Hosted by Jason Henderson, author of Quest for the Nautilus, due in March from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan.

This week we continue our series on Dinosaurs with the 1975 film The Land that Time Forgot. The film is based upon the 1918 novel The Land That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The screenplay was written by Michael Moorcock and James Cawthorn and directed by Kevin Connor. The cast included Doug McClure, John McEnery, Keith Barron, Susan Penhaligon, Anthony Ainley and Declan Mulholland. (Episode 290)

This week we kick off a new series on Dinosaurs with the 1969 film The Valley of Gwangi. The film is a 1969 American western fantasy film, produced by Charles H. Schneer and Ray Harryhausen, directed by Jim O'Connolly, written by William Bast,[1] and starring James Franciscus, Richard Carlson, and Gila Golan. Creature stop-motion effects were by Harryhausen, the last dinosaur-themed film that he animated. (Episode 289)

This episode we’re chatting with Simon Cox, the writer, Director and producer of Invasion Planet Earth, a new film about a doctor who leads a group of patients at the clinic where he works in their journey to escape a massive alien invasion. The film comes out February 4, 2020 (VOD & Digital HD On Leading Digital Platforms & DVD).

This week we continue our Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde retrospective with 1971 film Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde by Director Roy Ward Baker. (Episode 288)

This week we continue our Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde retrospective with 1971 film Dr. Jekyll y el Hombre Lobo (Dr. Jekyll and the Wolfman), also known as Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf, a 1971 Spanish horror film, the sixth in the series, about the werewolf Count Waldemar Daninsky, played by Paul Naschy.

This week we kick off a Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde retrospective with the 1931 film Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde starring Frederic March.

In this interview: Trapped in the 80s is the brand new “Pick Your Own Quest” book from Connor Hoover, who’s released a whole slew of interactive books aimed at kids, including Escape from Minecraft and King Tut’s Adventure. This time you, the reader, take a wrong turn and find yourself stuck in the pre-digital, pre-Internet, pre-cell phone world of the 1980s.  Connor lives in Austin, Texas and has a video game machine with 410 retro video games including Ms. Pac-Man, Frogger, and Connor’s personal favorite Q*bert. You can find out more about Connor at www.connorhoover.com.

This week we have a special holiday episode discussing the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special,which Lucasfilm has tried to bury from the beginning. What lessons can be learned from a show that makes one mystifying misstep after another? Hosted by Jason Henderson, writer of the upcoming Young Captain Nemo: Quest for the Nautilus, with attorney Julia Guzman of Guzman Immigration of Denver. 

Hangout episodes are less-structured episodes that come during breaks between our main, structured episodes. In each one we choose two movies to discuss in free-wheeling conversations. This episode, Tony Salvaggio, tech director at Rooster Teeth, chose low-budget, surprisingly engaging SF movie Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965) and writer Jason Henderson chose the grimy, trashy, thrilling Spanish horror The House That Screamed (1969). Along the way we also touch on how picking on bad movies is less fun than enjoying hidden treasures, and what we think of the 1980 Golden Turkey Awards. (Episode 284)

This episode we’re chatting about the new Dark Shadows Audiobooks of classic Dark Shadows novels from Paperback classics. We’re talking to Kathryn Leigh Scott, a novelist, nonfiction writer, and of course actress who played Maggie on Dark Shadows and now reads the classic gothic Dark Shadows novels of the 60s. Then we talk to Steve Smith, publisher of the new Paperback Classics imprint of Oasis Audio, who is heading up the effort to bring lost classics like the Dark Shadows book series and vintage Flash Gordon adventures to audio.

This episode we’re chatting with Tara Westwood, who stars in Sony’s new reboot of THE GRUDGE. The film will release in theaters on January 3rd and is a new take on the 2004 film of the same name which itself was based on the 2002 Japanese original Ju-on. The film-- which Westwood calls "a simulquel"-- is directed by Nicolas Pesce and produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Taka Ichise.

This week we bring our 2019 season to an end with the holiday-themed Dutch film Saint, about a murderous St. Nick raining terror on modern-day Amsterdam. (Episode 283)

This week we’re chatting with Adam Egypt Mortimer, director and co-writer of Daniel Isn’t Real, which is about a Troubled college freshman Luke (Miles Robbins) suffers a violent family trauma and resurrects his childhood imaginary friend Daniel (Patrick Schwarzenegger) to help him cope. Charismatic and full of manic energy, Daniel helps Luke to achieve his dreams, before pushing him to the very edge of sanity and into a desperate struggle for control of his mind -- and his soul. The film also features Mary Stuart Masterson as Luke’s mom, who suffers from mental illness and Sasha Lane as Luke’s new artist girlfriend . Samuel Goldwyn Films will release the horror/thriller DANIEL ISN’T REAL in theaters, on digital and on demand December 6, 2019.

This week we continue our Stephen King retrospective with a look at the 1987 film A Return to Salem’s Lot directed by Larry Cohen. (Episode 282)

This episode we’re chatting with Mary SanGiovanni about her new book Beyond the Gate from Kensington Books. Ms. SanGiovanni is the Bram Stoker-nominated author of the Kathy Ryan novels Beyond the Door and Inside the Asylum, and numerous other novels, novellas and short stories. BEYOND THE GATE stars her character occult security consultant Kathy Ryan, who has been called to look into the disappearance of scientists who have discovered a portal to another world, and the mysterious Dead City in the world on the other side.

Actress Nicole Tompkins talks about her role in Antrum, a remarkable horror film that opens with a documentary telling us we're about to see a lost, cursed film from the 70s about a brother and sister who go into the woods to perform a ritual to rest the spirit of their beloved, recently dead dog. 

For our two-hundred-and-eighty-first movie review episode we have a special experiment. With regular castmates Drew and Julia out for the Thanksgiving holiday, Tony and Jason relive their days in Austin with a gabfest about a double feature of two films each selected by the other from their recommendations from Amazon Prime's algorithm. Tony's selection was the 1966 monster-sf-bondian spy mashup Terror Beneath the Sea starring Sonny Chiba, and Jason's is the 1970 groovy-coeds-summoning-witches movie Mark of the Witch. (Episode 281)

This week we’re chatting with Cory Doctorow about a topic that just fascinated Doctorow—enough that he wrote the amazing novella The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow—and fascinated host Jason Henderson: the Walt Disney World attraction Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. We talk about futurism, the optimism of the past, and whether forgotten midcentury fears are a match for modern fears of climate collapse.

This week we continue our Stephen King retrospective with a look at the 2004 miniseries Salem’s Lot starring Rob Lowe, Andre Braugher  and Rutger Hauer.

This week we’re chatting with Leanna Renee Hieber whose new book A Sanctuary of Spirits comes from Kensington/ Rebel Base Books. An enthusiastic public speaker about the history of the Gothic novel, she loves nothing more than a good ghost story and a finely tailored corset, wandering graveyards and adventuring around New York City. Find Leanna at Twitter @leannarenee and Facebook.com/lrhieber. More information as well as free reads, author resources, links to her art and Etsy store and more can be found at leannareneehieber.com.

This week we’re chatting with Roger Corman, because Friday November 15 premieres a new series from Shout Factory TV Cult-tastic: Tales From The Trenches with Roger and Julie Corman. Heralded as “the Pope of Pop Cinema,” Roger and Julie Corman pull back the curtain on the Cormans' lifetime of innovative genre filmmaking in this never-before-seen docu-series. The Cormans open up about their iconic pool of collaborators such as James Cameron, Joe Dante, Penelope Spheeris, Pam Grier and more, as well as their notoriously bare-bones production philosophy that created some of film’s most memorable special FX sequences in science-fiction, fantasy and other cult favorites.

This week we continue our Stephen King retrospective with DOCTOR SLEEP, directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Ewan MacGregor as Danny Torrance, the boy who escaped the Overlook Hotel at the end of The Shining.  

Tonight we’re chatting with Frank Sabatella, writer and director of THE SHED. The Shed is a new movie in which bullied young man Stan (Warren) and his best friend Dommer (Kostro) discover a murderous vampire living in Stan’s shed. Seeing the bloodshed and destruction the monster is capable of, Stan knows he has to find a way to destroy it - but Dommer has a much more sinister plan in mind. It’s directed by Frank Sabatella and stars Jay Jay Warren (“Bosch”), Cody Kostro (“City on a Hill”), Sofia Happonen (Woman of a Certain Age), Frank Whaley (Pulp Fiction), Siobhan Fallon Hogan (Men in Black) and Timothy Bottoms (The Last Picture Show).  THE SHED comes to theaters and VOD and Digital HD on Nov. 15, 2019.

This week we return to the world of Stephen King with the 1997 miniseries written by King based on his own novel, The Shining directed by Mick Garris and starring Steven Weber and Rebcca De Mornay.

This week have a Halloween episode with the anthology film Tales of Halloween, a 2015 American horror comedy film anthology consisting of ten mildly interlocking segments, each revolving around the Halloween. It was directed by Neil Marshall, Darren Lynn Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Lucky McKee, Andrew Kasch, Paul Solet, John Skipp, Adam Gierasch, Jace Anderson, Mike Mendez, Ryan Schifrin, and Dave Parker.

PARADISE HILLS is Spanish fashion creative and photographer Alice Waddington’s feature debut, in which Emma Roberts plays a girl who wakes up on an isolated island in a facility run by the sinister Duchess played by Milla Jovovich, to whom high-class families send their daughters to become perfect versions of themselves. Director Alice Waddington chats about the film. Samuel Goldwyn Films will release the fantasy/sci-fi/thriller PARADISE HILLS in theaters October 25, 2019 and on digital and on demand November 1, 2019.

This week have a request from regular podmate Tony Salvaggio: we’re discussing the 1986 independently made American revenge action-fantasy film The Wraith. The movie stars Charlie Sheen in the story of a young man who comes back from the dead as a supernatural out to finish off the the drag racing gang that murdered him. Does God make cars? Apparently, because this guy comes back with a souped up Dodge with special powers.

Drew Edwards is writer of the long running underground comic series Halloween Man and winner of the 2018 BEST OF AUSTIN AWARD from the Austin Chronicle. He's launching a new arc of the ongoing Halloween Man series starting this month with Issue #18, a set of stand-alones called Halloween Man: Ugly America. The arc is a satirical look that calls to mind the famed Swamp Thing series American Gothic, in which Halloween Man brushes up against angry citizens out to summon demons and an issue on school shootings. Meanwhile, Edwards will be kicking off a year of celebrating Halloween Man's 20th Anniversary with a "Halloween Man: Road to 20 Years Kickoff Party" in Austin at Flamingo Cantina, evening October 19, benefiting Girls Rock Austin and Out Youth.

Dracula is a 1973 British television film adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula written by Richard Matheson and directed by Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis, with Jack Palance in the title role. It was the second collaboration for Curtis and Palance after the 1968 TV film The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Andy Martin is the author of Reacher Said Nothing: Lee Child and the Making of Make Me.  He writes for The Independent and The New York Times and teaches at the University of Cambridge. His nonfiction book on surfing, Walking on Water, is a cult classic.  His new book is With Child: Lee Child and the Readers of Jack Reacher. 

Santo vs. las Mujeres Vampiro (also known as Samson vs. the Vampire Women) is a 1962 horror film starring the wrestling superhero Santo. A lot of you may know it because it was also a 1995 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. It was brought to the US by one K Gordon Murray, who was responsible for a lot of kids matinee material in the 60s.  COOL BONUS: This week we're joined by Jen and Dawn of the amazing Women in Caskets Podcast!

This week we have a standalone episode inspired by our recent discussion of Friday the 13th, the 1945 film AND THEN THERE WERE NONE based on the play and novel by Agatha Christie.

Bridget Jones Nelson is a writer and comedian known for her work on Mystery Science Theater 3000 and for the past several years as half of the RiffTrax audio commentary team Bridget & Mary Jo, where she and comedian Mary Jo Pehl riff on features, industrial shorts, often with an eye on the social lives and mores of the United States in the mid-century. Her new short is VACATION DAYS, a 1947 entry into a series about and called TEEN-AGERS.

This week we return to the Stephen King Retrospective: we’re talking about IT Chapter 2 directed by Andy Muschietti. We talk about the meaning of it all, compare this version with the 1990 Tim Curry vehicle, and more. Let us know what you think on our Facebook page!

PJ Hoover is the prolific writer of the new book from CBAY, The Hidden Code. Eleven years ago, Hannah Hawkins' parents disappeared while traveling abroad. Presumed dead, Hannah and her uncle are shocked when a letter from her mom arrives right after Hannah's sixteenth birthday. By piecing together cryptic hints from the note and other clues left behind, Hannah realizes her parents disappeared while trying to find the mysterious Code of Enoch, an artifact they believed could hold the key to curing disease—or creating it. Hannah's parents had been determined to destroy the Code, no matter the cost. Now with the help of her uncle, her best friend, and another cute but not entirely trustworthy guy, Hannah sets out to discover what happened to her parents and if the Code of Enoch is real.

Patrick C. Greene is a lifelong horror fan who lives in the mountains of western North Carolina. He launched his Ember Hollow series with Red Harvest and is currently working on the third novel in the series. He is also the author of the novels Progeny and The Crimson Calling, as well as numerous short stories featured in collections and anthologies. GRIM HARVEST from Kensington Books is the gripping second installment of Greene’s Haunted Hollow Chronicles, continuing a year from where the first book left off. Faced with a monster desperate for revenge and out for blood, this town might just realize the killer is one of them.  Set in a fictional town loosely based on Asheville, NC, this chilling return to a town cursed by a dark and twisted evil will have you scrambling for the lights.

Brandy Herr is the co-owner of Spooky Spectacle, a convention featuring horror, paranormal, sci-fi, cosplay, fantasy, etc. Spooky Spectacle 2019 will be held September 14 and 15 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. This event will feature Ken Sagoes from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 & 4, the Giant Green Goblin Head from Stephen King's Maximum Overdrive (making its first ever Texas appearance!), as well as a Pet Sematary reunion with Dale Midkiff and Miko Hughes.

3 From Hell is the long-awaited followup to the crime film The Devil’s Rejects, itself a sequel to the nightmarishly bloody and phosphorescent House of 1000 Corpses. 3 From Hell follows the remaining members of the Firefly family as they run from the law and try to make sense of their future. The film debuts on September 16 in select theaters from Fathom Events, and comes to DVD and Blu-Ray on October 15. We talk about media commentary in 3 From Hell and the value of a director's vision. Hosted by Jason Henderson, editor of this Summer's Castle of Horror Anthology: Volume 1 and author of the upcoming Young Captain Nemo: Quest for the Nautilus.

This week we have a special edition of our Godzilla series in honor of this week’s Death Battle episode, for which our own Tony Salvaggio is on the writing team; we’re talking about the 2002 film GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA, part of the Godzilla Millennium series from Toho.

This week we have a special look at the 1980 movie Friday the 13th directed Sean S Cunningham. Along the way we try to discern how the movie might have appeared in 1980, and similarities and differences between this and its next of kin, the original Halloween.

Grady Hendrix is a popular horror author of such books as My Best Friend’s Exorcism and the amazing nonfiction look at vintage horror, Paperbacks from Hell. He’s the writer of the new movie SATANIC PANIC starring Hayley Griffith (“The Loudest Voice”, “The Mysteries of Laura”), Ruby Modine (“Shameless”, Happy Death Day franchise) and Rebecca Romijn (X-Men franchise, “Star Trek: Discovery”), directed by up-and-coming director Chelsea Stardust (“Into The Dark”, Seeing Green). In SATANIC PANIC, pizza delivery girl Sam finds herself in an upscale neighborhood where a group of classic Satanists decide she will make the perfect sacrifice. The film comes out September 6.

This week we have a special look at the 1976 haunted house movie Burnt Offerings from director Dan Curtis, starring Oliver Reed, Karen Black and Bette Davis. This movie about a family renting a house that begins to work a dark influence on them was an inspiration for The Shining and The Amityville Horror.

At this year's AnimeFest in Dallas, the Castle of Horror team discusses The Ring versus The Grudge (AKA Sadako vs. Kayako) before a live audience. The Ring vs. The Grudge is a 2016 Japanese supernatural horror film directed by Kōji Shiraishi. It is a crossover of the Ju-on and the Ring series. Hosted by Drew Edwards, creator of the comic Halloween Man; on the panel are author and professor David Bowles; educator and musician Jamie Bahr, Executive Director of Girls Rock Austin; and professional comic book historian Kevin Garcia.

  Jason talks to Robert Patrick about his role in TONE-DEAF and advice for young actors. TONE-DEAF is written and directed by Richard Bates, Jr. (Trash Fire, Suburban Gothic), and stars Robert Patrick ("Scorpion," Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and Amanda Crew ("Silicon Valley," The Age of Adaline), about a young woman who rents an ornate country house to get away for the weekend only to discover that the eccentric widower Harvey is less eccentric than he is angry and homicidal. Running through the whole thing is a very sharp wit and a lot of 4th-wall monologuing from Robert Patrick as Harvey, a man losing a grip on his sanity and eager to share his many thoughts about what’s wrong with young people today. Hosted by Jason Henderson, editor of this Summer’s Castle of Horror Anthology Volume 1, available now.

This week as the weather grows colder we turn to gothic horror with the 1960 film Brides of Dracula directed by Terence Fisher-- one of the most important gothic horror films of all time. 

This week wrap up our retrospective on Godzilla (for now) with the old-school Godzilla movie Godzilla versus Mechagodzilla (1974).

DALE BERAN's new book IT CAME FROM SOMETHING AWFUL, How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump Into Office (All Points Books/Macmillan) is here and it explores the toxicity of the online culture that bred the alt-right and wonder what could have gone differently. We chat about the origins of online trolls and why it's difficult for everyone else to understand the culture. Hosted by Jason Henderson, author of Young Captain Nemo from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan Children’s Books.

This week we look at The Return of Godzilla, also known as Godzilla 1984 or, in the US, as Godzilla 1985, complete with a serious, at times poetic performance from Raymond Burr reprising his role from the original 1956 American release of 1954's Godzilla. Also, a few words on Once Upon a Time in America and The Haunting of Sharon Tate.

This week in the Godzilla Retrospective, Godzilla meets the strange, visor-wearing, buzz-saw bellied cyborg monster Gigan! Plus, cockroach aliens.

This week we continue our retrospective on Godzilla with 1973 movie Godzilla versus Megalon. It's a controversial film for its use of stock footage and the clear "backdoor pilot" introduction of giant robot Jet Jaguar, but we have a lot of fun discussing it.

We continue our Godzilla retrospective with Monster Zero, in which Godzilla is hauled to another planet to face King Ghidorah, the three-headed monster introduced in the previous film. 

We kick off a new summer retrospective on Godzilla movies with Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)-- discussing what people get wrong about Godzilla and why we love these movies. (Encore Re-post 06-28-19)

This week we continue our retrospective on Godzilla with 1964 movie Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster. We discuss how absolutely bonkers the 60s Godzilla movies were. Join us!

Head Count is a horror film from Elle Callahan that premiered at last year’s Los Angeles Film Festival, where the pic won a special jury prize for actor Ashleigh Morghan. It hits theaters and digital on June 14 and we're lucky enough to talk to Ashleigh, who talks about how she approaches her craft. Hosted by host Jason Henderson, editor of this Summer's Castle of Horror Anthology featuring fiction from David Bowles, Dark Shadows' Lara Parker, Kevin J Anderson, Leanna Renee Hieber and more.

Aminah Mae Safi is the author of the new novel Tell Me How You Really Feel, which comes out this month and which Bustle already called "the queer hate-to-love story you've been needing in your life." Tell Me How you Really Feel is her second novel after 2018's Not the Girls You're Looking For. Safi was the winner of the We Need Diverse Books short story contest, and that story appears in the anthology Fresh Ink. We talk about writing gay romances for teens, the importance of representation and process.

Boy, is The Cleaning Lady disturbing-- the story of a lovesick woman who befriends her badly-scarred cleaning lady, only to become the object of her new friend's dangerous obsessions. Jason chats with Alexis Kendra, who co-writes and stars, and Jim Nelson, Executive Producer, on playing obsession and the slow burn.

We wrap up our discussion of the Bloodthirsty Trilogy with the amazing 1974 film Evil of Dracula, a perfect mesh of Britain's Hammer and Japanese folklore.  Plus: Be sure and pre-order The Castle of Horror Anthology, Volume 1, coming in July!

We continue our series of 1970s vampire horror with Lake of Dracula (1971) and then spend a special segment on a spoiler-filled discussion of Avengers: Endgame. Also: don't forget to order the Castle of Horror Anthology today!

We kick off a brand-new retrospective on the Bloodthirsty Trilogy, a tryptic of supernatural horror films from Japanese director Michio Yamamoto. This week: The Vampire Doll, about a girl who goes looking for her missing brother at a spooky mansion haunted by a murderous vampire ghost.

We discuss the 1968 science fiction film The Green Slime directed by Kinji Fukasaku, which was shot in Japan with a Japanese director and film crew, but with the non-Japanese starring cast of Robert Horton, Richard Jaeckel and Luciana Paluzzi. After destroying a huge asteroid that was on a rapid collision course with Earth, a group of astronauts discover they have accidentally returned to their space station with an alien slime creature that feeds on radiation and can reproduce rapidly from its own blood.

David Gregory has made documentaries about a slew of films and filmmakers, most notably 2014’s terrific LOST SOULS, which detailed director Richard Stanley's travails on his big screen adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau. Now his subject is Dark Shadows, which starred Canadian actor Jonathan Frid as vampire Barnabas Collins and inspired the 2012 film of the same name. The film features interviews with cast members like Lara Parker, John Karlen and David Selby, famous fans like Whoopi Goldberg, partners of producer Dan Curtis like Barbara Steele, and is narrated by Deadwood’s Ian McShane.

Charles Rutledge is the author of Dracula's Revenge: A Jennifer Grail/Carter Decamp Novella that mashes up hard-case-style crime with gothic horror.  Rutledge is the coauthor of three books in the Griffin and Price Crime/Horror series, Blind Shadows, Congregations of the Dead, and A Hell Within, all written with James A. Moore. We talk about the rebirth of novellas and gothic, and how to keep writing consistently.

Mike McBeardo McPadden is the author of TEEN MOVIE HELL: A Crucible of Coming-of-Age Comedies from Animal House to Zapped!, an extensive look at the pre-internet era of teen comedies. We talk about why there's no longer such a thing as a teen sex comedy, and why some people think Ferris Bueller is the worst.

The Haunting of Sharon Tate directed by Daniel Farrands is a new movie  that tells a fictionalized story of the final days of actress Sharon Tate and her friends, including  celebrity stylist Jay Sebring and coffee heiress Abigail Folger. Jason chats with Jonathan Bennett and Lydia Hearst, who play famous stylist Jay Sebring and coffee heiress Abigail Folger. 

This week we wrap up our retrospective of movies featuring Jules Verne’s immortal creation Captain Nemo with the 2003 steampunk literary mashup The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

We continue looking at famous Nemos with the 1978 Irwin Allen SF adventure The Amazing Captain Nemo AKA The Return of Captain Nemo, starring Jose Ferrer and Burgess Meredith.

We discuss the UK 1969 film Captain Nemo and the Underwater City, starring Robert Ryan and Chuck Connors.

Travis Stevens talks about his writing and directing debut, GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR, which premieres in March at South by Southwest.

Eyal Kless is a classical violinist who currently teaches violin in the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University, and performs with the Israel Haydn String Quartet, which he founded. He calls in from a visit to Stuttgart to discuss his new post-apocalyptic book The Lost Puzzler, a rich vision about the search for a boy who can unlock any puzzle.

In anticipation of the release of Young Captain Nemo by Jason Henderson, we kick off a new retrospective on movies featuring Jules Verne's immortal Captain Nemo with the 1961 film Mysterious Island, featuring the amazing special effects of Ray Harryhausen.

This week we continue our HELLRAISER series, with the  1988 film HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II, produced by Clive Barker and directed by Tony Randel.

We continue our 2019 retrospective on evil children with the 1993 film THE GOOD SON, about a child very like the one seen in THE BAD SEED—in this case Henry played by Macaulay Culkin.

Kelly Meding’s STRAY MOON from Harper Voyager is a follow-up to her book Stray Magic which about one Shiloh Harrison and her team of Paranormal Marshals who are once again put between upholding the law and doing what is right. Werewolves are going missing and it’s up to Shiloh to help. We talk about dark fantasy, paranormal, and Meding's writing process.

Daniel Farrands chats about his new film THE AMITYVILLE MURDERS, which tells the story of Ronald "Butch" DeFeo, who one sleepy day in 1974 murdered his entire family in Amityville, Long Island.  We talk about the pluses and minuses of life in that analog era and the horrors that can hide in a house. Farrands also shares news on his other priod piece, the upcoming THE HAUNTING OF SHARON TATE.

St. Agatha is a brand-new psychological horror film (but don't worry, it gets intense and sometimes gory) about a young con woman (Sabrina Kern) in the 1950s who, finding herself broke and pregnant, joins a convent only to find herself trapped by an evil Mother Superior (Carolyn Hennessy.) It's an amazingly powerful performance from both, and we chat with director Darren Lynn Bousman on bringing this dark, pulse-pounding tale to life.

We kick off our 2019 retrospective on evil children with The Bad Seed, about Rhoda, a pig-tailed, murderous child psychopath.

This week we wrap up our retrospective dedicated to the films of Bela Lugosi, this time with Lugosi’s performance as a character that David Skal called “Dracula in all but name,” vampire Armand Tesla in the 1943 Columbia picture THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE.

The Raven is a 1935 American horror film starring Boris Karloff and Béla Lugosi. The picture revolves around Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, featuring Lugosi as a Poe-obsessed mad surgeon with a torture chamber in his basement and Karloff as a fugitive murderer desperately on the run from the police.

Our Lugosi series takes a turn towards a movie that teams Universal's Dracula against "Frankenstein," Boris Karloff. But it's so much more-- this lean film tells the story of two men facing off in a strange castle, where memories of wartime atrocities lay over a human chess game between them.

Mari Mancusi's The Camelot Code: The Once and Future Geek is a fast-paced middle grade adventure from Disney Hyperion, in which an adolescent King Arthur comes to the 21st Century and decides he doesn't go back. We chat about how the book came to be, the long process of publishing, and how to make the sometimes-adult Arthurian legends work in a family adventure.

This week we continue our retrospective dedicated to the films of Bela Lugosi, this time with Lugosi’s mysterious performance in the 1932 Universal film Murders in the Rue Morgue. Murders in the Rue Morgue is a 1932 American pre-Code horror film, very loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue". Bela Lugosi, one year after his performance as Dracula, portrays a lunatic scientist who abducts women and injects them with blood from his ill-tempered caged ape. Although not a hit at the time, the film is generally well-regarded by critics and is considered a cult classic.

Tonight we’re chatting with Anthony Rotolo, the creator of the TV Terror Podcast. TV TERROR is the show devoted to horror, thriller, and suspense programming from the movie-for-the-week golden age and beyond.

Leanna Renee Hieber is back to discuss her new book THE SPECTRAL CITY, from Kensington's new Science Fiction / Fantasy imprint Rebel Base Books. It's the beginning of a new series featuring a group of young lady psychics and mediums, and their ghostly best friends, as The Ghost Precinct solves weird and unsettling crime in 1899 New York City. We discuss ghosts, history and where to write in New York.

Bram Stoker Award-nominated author James Hornor Jacobs is the author of THE SEA DREAMS IT IS THE SKY. The story features a strong female lead, a powerful LGBTQ protagonist, a horrifyingly gripping plot, and a culturally-sensitive perspective as John worked directly with South American readers to shed light on aspects of distinct South American cultures and history. We talk about Jacob's process in creating this gripping story.

In 2015, Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie launched the Limetown podcast, about an NPR-style reporter investigating the mass disappearance at a corporate town in Tennessee. On the iTunes homepage, the podcast went to the #1 US slot—topping This American Life and Serial. With its cult following, Season two is now here, along with a TV adaptation with Facebook Watch in production, with Jessica Biel confirmed to produce and star. Now Simon & Schuster has released LIMETOWN: The Prequel, by Cote Smith, Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie. The book is goes back in time to tell the stories of both Lia’s adolescence and her Uncle Emile’s—and how his strange psychological condition entangled their family in mysterious and dangerous research. This exhilarating, completely original prequel takes readers back to the beginning and opens a whole new dimension of the Limetown universe. The LIMETOWN prequel is an addictive entry point for a new audience, and an explosive new layer of the story for existing fans of the podcast. We chat about the creation of this and every version of Limetown.

This week we kick off a retrospective dedicated to the films of Bela Lugosi, beginning with Lugosi’s iconic star turn in the 1931 Dracula.

We chat with Duncan Skiles, director of THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER, which opens in theaters and VOD on November 16. The film tells the story of a boy from an apparently happy family who suspects his dad (Dylan McDermott) might be Clovehitch, an infamous serial killer that was never caught. 

In Monster Party, which comes out on November 2, three young thieves plan to rob a dinner party at a fancy Malibu mansion, only to discover that the dinner guests are all serial killers with no intention of letting them leave. Jason chats with writer/director Chris von Hoffmann. 

We discuss George Pal's War of the Worlds, a technicolor wonder even today and the first movie adaptation of HG Wells' immortal story.

In the first of two Halloween episodes, we discuss the 1976 Paul Lynde Halloween Special. 

Jason chats with Drew Edwards, writer of the long running indie comic Halloween Man and COMING Oct. 24th from Comixology and Sugar Skull Media, the all-new two issue mini-series Halloween Man: Hallowtide.

We complete our 2018 Halloween Retrospective with the brand-new reboot movie Halloween.

In Killer Kate! Which comes out in theaters and VOD on October 26, soon-to-be-bride Angie invites her estranged sister Kate to her bachelorette party held at a remote house booked on a home-sharing app. The women are unaware that by booking this house, they’re walking into a trap set in motion by a disturbed family of amateur killers who are out for blood to right a cosmic wrong. They soon become unwitting participants in a savage and often ridiculous life-or-death struggle that pits family against family, and past against present. The trailer is up and it’s extremely exciting, and its director is Elliot Feld, making his directorial debut. He says the family-versus-family thriller film was inspired by many of the low budget flicks of the 1970’s & 1980’s.

Jordi O'Dael is one of the co-founders of Aberrant Theatre, a brand-new horror-centric theatre company, and the director of The Ghost Light Anthology - Aberrant's first major Toronto production. A life-long horror fan with years of experience both on stage and behind the scenes, they co-founded Aberrant earlier this year as a way of bringing horror to the stage through the lens of social responsibility. Find the theater at https://www.facebook.com/AberrantTheatre/, get tickets at https://ghost-light-anthology-2018.brownpapertickets.com/.

We continue our Halloween Retrospective, focusing on the strangest continuity of the Halloween franchise, with Halloween: The Curse of Michael Meyers AKA Halloween 6 or Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers. The movie features the screen debut of Paul Rudd-- who gives a truly odd performance as the obsessed Tommy Doyle--  and the final screen performance of Donald Pleasence, who once again portrays the equally-obsessed Sam Loomis. We are barreling towards this month’s release of the 2018 reboot Halloween, which we'll have an episode on later this month.

Amy Lukavics is the author of Daughters unto Devils, The Women in the Walls, The Ravenous and now NIGHTINGALE from Harlequin Teen, new out now in hardback. NIGHTINGALE is a bout a teenage girl and budding writer in 1951 who chafes at the demands of her family until she finds herself committed to an asylum, where she suspects something evil and otherworldly is going on. 

We continue our countdown to the Halloween reboot with the second part of the continuity-crazed "Thorn Trilogy" of the original series: Halloween 5, which continues the strange psychic connection between Michael Meyers and his young niece.

Jason chats with reliable tough-guy-and-villain actor Michael Ironside on his new film Knuckleball, in which Ironside plays a grandfather taking care of his grandson during a visit. After Ironside imparts some wisdom, the visit takes a deadly turn when the grandfather suddenly dies, leaving the boy to fend off a dangerous attacker in a movie nicknamed "an R-Rated Home Alone."

This week we kick off a return to our Halloween Retrospective with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers. In anticipation of the 2018 reboot which we'll be covering when it comes out, we're doing the deepest cut in Halloween continuity-- the so-called "Thorn Trilogy" of Halloween 4, 5 and 6. Join us!

Christian Parkes and Grant Moninger are the founders of Beyond Fest - the highest-attended genre film festival in the country - running in Los Angeles from Wednesday, September 26 to Tuesday, October 9th. We talk about the Cronenberg Retrospective they're hosting which is bringing in luminaries such as Debbie Harry and Jennifer Jason Leigh, Halloween Day featuring the new film plus a free tattoo, and more. 

This week we jump straight to the brand-new reboot of The Predator from director Shane Black, who had a role in the 1987 original. 

This week we have the first part of a two-part Predator retrospective with the John McTiernan’s 1987 film Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Next week we'll be back with the Shane Black's 2018 The Predator.

We chat with Boaz Yakin, director of Now You See Me, on his new thriller Boarding School. From the producers of American Honey and Freak Show, Boarding School was written and directed by Boaz Yakin(Now You See Me, Remember the Titans) and stars Will Patton (Halloween, Armageddon), Samantha Mathis (The Punisher, American Psycho), Luke Prael (Eighth Grade),Sterling Jerins (The Conjuring, World War Z) and Nadia Alexander (Blame, Netflix's "Seven Seconds").

The Castle of Horror Podcast returns to AnimeFest in Dallas with another live podcast! This year we're tackling The Empire of Corpses, Wit Studio's steampunk take on zombies and the Frankenstein myth! Is this film a sci-fi epic or just another tired excuse in mash-up fiction? NOTE-- This Episode has a lot of noise because the ballroom we recorded was right next to a live concert in the next room, so we apologize for the sound. 

Jason talks to Tom Defalco, writer of Spider-Girl: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 (new in trade paperback from Marvel) on the popularity of his story of a female super-hero "fifteen years in the future." We also talk about different formats and attempts to get new readers into comics, such as when Spider-girl successfully sold for years in a special manga-sized format just for schools.

We continue our look at 50s teen horror with 1957's I Was A Teenage Werewolf. This movie is best known for its makeup effects, but at its heart is a surprisingly dark and sadistic performance by Whit Bissell as the narcissistic Professor Frankenstein, who will lie, cheat, steal and murder to build a man from teenager parts.

In observance of the release of the new Blu-Ray release of The Changeling on Tuesday, August 7, we present our classic episode on The Changeling. NOTE: this is an older episode, before we upgraded our recording, so you may expect some pops and hisses. Thank you!

We spin off the Atomic Age Horror Retrospective with a Summer retrospective on Teenage Horror of the Mid-century, starting with I Was a Teenage Werewolf, the 1957 horror classic starring Michael Landon as a troubled teenager, Yvonne Lime and Whit Bissell. 

Jennifer Ziegler talks about REVENGE OF THE TEACHER'S PETS, the latest in her very funny, engaging series about the misadventures of a set of Texas Triplets, in this fourth book entering the seventh grade. We talk about letters from fans, writing the wrong thing to get to the right thing, and juggling narrative voices.

Tiki Culture was all about creating a frozen-in-time, idyllic wonder that bore curious resemblance to the World War II Pacific Theater. The crucial work of the 20th century to understand Tiki is The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, which explored soldiers' return home while haunted by the pain of the ugliest and most mesmerizing moments of the war. We discuss this key film with an eye towards Tiki Culture. 

LUKE SPARKE is the writer and director of  OCCUPATION, in theaters and on VOD and Digital HD on July 20, 2018. In Occupation, the inhabitants of a small town in Australia realize they must band together for a chance to strike back at an massive alien invasion. The film features a really big cast including Dan Ewing (“Home and Away,” “Power Rangers R.P.M.”), the always amazing Temuera Morrison (Aquaman, Green Lantern), Stephany Jacobsen (Alex Cross, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”), and a heck of a lot more. We talk about making great indy movies and juggling characters. 

Professors Guadalupe Garcia McCall and David Bowles discuss their new translation of McCall's book Summer of the Mariposas-- a magical Mexican American retelling of The Odyssey about four sisters traveling from Texas through Mexico. 

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956) stands as a film in dialogue with 1951's The Day the Earth Stood Still with two main points: aliens are not to be trusted and monuments look amazing when being blown up. 

We discuss the deeply weird Cobra Woman, a South Seas adventure featuring evil twin Maria Montezes, cobra dancing, and a mute Lon Chaney, Jr.  

Another WolfCop, new in DVD, is a Canadian horror comedy film written and directed by Lowell Dean, who also directed the 2014 film WolfCop as well as the zombie thriller 13 Eerie (2013) and the post-apocalypse action film SuperGrid (2018).. The Wolfcop series is an irreverent horror comedy about a cop in a depressed town who becomes a werewolf but retains his identity as a police officer.

We augment the Atom Age Horror Retrospective with a strange, deeply problematic expedition movie from 1960 by adventure/disaster maestro Irwin Allen: The Lost World, about an expedition to a plateau where cannibals and dinosaurs played by lizards with glued-on fins roam.

Paul Tremblay's new book is a terrifying home invasion story about a small family under attack from four strangely polite, very scary people. We talk about the home invasion genre and how evil can sometimes sound so darn nice right up until the worst moments. 

We discuss the 1958 film The Blob, often cited as the film debut of Steve McQueen.

Tiki Culture was marked by a desire to explore lost worlds, particularly of Polynesia, but always from the comfort of your own home. This urge to explore found its voice in music but also in film. Voodoo Island (1957) is a prime example of the fascination/exploration/exploitation of the South Seas. We talk about this odd feature starring Boris Karloff and others like it.

We talk to Halloween Man creator Drew Edwards on his new special from Sugar Skull Media, Lucy Chaplin: Science Starlet, and about creating a new heroine who has garnered surprising attention.

We take on the best giant lizard movie ever to be filmed around Lake Dallas, 1959's The Giant Gila Monster. Along the way we talk about small towns and the roles people play within them, and how films like this one can help understand the need for vaccinations. Also, a few thoughts on Godzilla 1985.

This week we introduce California Tiki, a new podcast on America’s fascination with Tiki, that odd culture that made everyone suddenly put on Hawaiian shirts and start downing rum drinks. Tiki Culture was everywhere from the 40s to the 70s, and the reasons why are surprising, often involving exorcising America’s wartime demons. We start out with a look at Beach Party, the 1963 film that kicked off the beach movie trend and also introduced the pairing of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.  But at the center of the film is Robert Cummings, who plays a scientist yearning for a simpler life– a key element of Tiki.

David Bowles, professor at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, talks about his sweeping new book of Myths of Mexico: Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky. 

We look at giant-bug movie Tarantula, which actually has a lot to say about small towns and the real fear of radioactivity. Plus we discuss whether there ever can be something "so bad it's good."

Welcome to the new home of the California Tiki Podcast!  Hosts Adam Foshko and Jason Henderson will be discussing Tiki Culture in the runup to the release of our new book California Tiki from the History Press. What is California Tiki? After World War II, suburbs proliferated around California cities as returning soldiers traded in their uniforms for business suits. After-hours leisure activities took on an island-themed sensuality that bloomed from a new fascination with Polynesia and Hawaii. Movies and television shows filmed in Malibu and Burbank urged viewers to escape everyday life with the likes of Gidget and Hawaiian Eye. Restaurants like Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic's sprang up to answer the demand for wild cocktails and even wilder décor. The culture--a strange hodgepodge of idols, torches, lush greenery and colorful drinks--beckoned men and women to lose themselves in exotic music and surf tunes. Authors Jason Henderson and Adam Foshko explore the state's midcentury fascination with all things Tiki.

Gary Rhodes talks about his new book culled from thousands of primary sources and long-unseen illustrations, The Birth of the American Horror Film. The book  explores the influence of horror-themed literature, theatre and visual culture in America, and how that context established a foundation for films produced between 1895 and 1915. Exhaustively researched, bridging scholarship on Horror Studies and Early Cinema, The Birth of the American Horror Film is the first major study dedicated to this vital but often overlooked subject. 

We look at a film that set the vocabulary for paranoid film from its release in 1956 to today: the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers starring Kevin McCarthy.

We cover the paranoid SF movie with the strange name, I Married a Monster from Outer Space-- a movie rife with subtext about homophobia, gender roles, and the claustrophobia of small-town America. 

We kick off our new series on Atom Age Horrors, from Big Bugs to Teenage Monsters, with Them!, a well-made, high-budget-for-its-time 1954 story about giant ants threatening America.  Then we have a spoiler-filled discussion of Avengers: Infinity War, because we've been aching to compare notes.

Jason and Drew chat with Larry Blamire, creator of affectionate, keen parodies like The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, The Lost Skeleton Returns Again and Dark and Stormy Night, among others. 

We chat with Cutter Wood, author of Love and Death in the Sunshine State: The Story of a Crime from Algonquin Books. A gripping piece of creative nonfiction in the tradition of Capote's In Cold Blood, Wood's book tells the story not just of the murder and its three suspects but of his own journey in telling the story. We chat about nonfiction, true crime, and writing.

We talk about Larry Blamire's knowing ode to 1950s low-budget sci-fi films like Plan 9 From Outer Space, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. We ask, what is this movie? Is it camp (deliberately bad) or parody (good, observing the bad?) 

RS Belcher is known for the urban-legends-based horror novel The Brotherhood of the Wheel, which has been optioned for TV and compared by The Wall Street Journal to Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. Belcher's new book is The Night Dahlia, new from Tor, a noir fantasy about Laytham Ballard, a modern mage hired to find the missing daughter of a faery mob boss. To find Caern Ankou, Ballard will have to confront old enemies, former friends and allies, and a grisly cold case that has haunted him for years. We chat far and wide about noir, writing, and daring prose.