Whenever you hit a milestone it’s time to celebrate . This is the 50 th episode of Hellbent for Horror, and I could think of no better way to celebrate that than to gather a Wretched Roundtable of listeners to talk about the state of the 50-year-old phenomena known as "modern horror." Joining me on the show are Zena Sade Dixon (the Real Queen of Horror), John Arminio , and Kevin Maher (Kevin Geeks Out), and we discuss the relevance of classic horror movies to different generations. There’s a 20-...
Aug 14, 2017•2 hr 6 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast Fangoria magazine had been a mainstay of horror fandom for 38 years, but this year they shut their doors. I remember when Fangoria started, and how fun it was to have a magazine dedicated to horror in all its facets. In this episode, I talk about Fangoria, how it came to be, and what it meant to the fans and artists in modern horror . The magazine not only had articles that are still worth looking back to, but the letters to the editor section are a lot of fun to revisit too. Join me in this loo...
Aug 07, 2017•35 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast George Romero (1940-2017) has always held a special place in my heart , so it was very saddening to hear of his passing on July 16. It is hard to say goodbye, and in this episode I talk about George and his career . It’s a eulogy, of sorts, to a maverick filmmaker out of Pittsburgh who never wavered on his vision - from Night of the Living Dead to Survival of the Dead. RIP, George. Thanks for listening. Join the Hellbent for Horror Horde on Patreon! Click here: http://bit.ly/2i3VLoe If you like ...
Jul 27, 2017•38 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast You don’t need Hollywood to make a movie when you can make one in your own backyard! Who needs a big budget when you’ve got a big imagination and some friends who are willing (or crazy enough) to get doused in fake blood? In this episode, I honor the micro-budget horror movie – the movies made with tiny amounts of funds, and huge amounts of passion. I speak from experience when I say they’re a huge amount of work. I’ll talk about some that really stand out among the pack , and you should try to ...
Jul 14, 2017•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why do we love bad movies? Well, not all bad movies, but the ones that make you laugh out loud . The ones that are so bad that they’re good. And to see one of these movies with a group of friends can be a perfect night. What about a movie marathon of these turkeys? A lot of these turkeys were intended to be horror movies, and while they’re not what they were intended to be, they’re still pretty damn entertaining. In this episode, I talk about a Horror Movie Turkey Marathon with some friends, and...
Jul 05, 2017•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast One reason I love film festivals is that they celebrate creativity. So I was honored to be asked to judge Etheria Film Night held in early June in Hollywood. Etheria Film Night is the world's most respected showcase of new horror, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, action, and thriller films made by emerging women directors. I was also able to attend, and cover, the red carpet festivities to talk to people about horror and horror movies. The event drew a large crowd with varied interests includin...
Jun 26, 2017•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Who says they don’t make good horror movies anymore? I think we’re in a good time for creative, creepy horror movies, you just need to know where to look (hint: it's usually not from the major studios). I made a list of movies released within the last four years that I liked, and there were too many to put into one episode! So, this is Part Two of good, recent horror that is worth watching. These movies get the “H4H Seal of Approval.” I’d love to hear your thoughts. To hear Part One: follow this...
Jun 19, 2017•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Can you sympathize with a monster? In some cases I think you can. It depends on the story and how well the story is told and acted. In this episode J. Blake Fichera (author of the Rondo-nominated book, "Scored To Death: Conversations with Some of Horror's Greatest Composers") returns to the show to discuss the sympathetic monster in horror movies. George Romero, Fritz Lang, Martin Scorsese, Joe Spinell, Michael Powell, and Patty Jenkins all presented monsters who were more than simply killers. W...
Jun 06, 2017•2 hr 48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Who says they don’t make good horror movies anymore? I think we’re in a good time for creative, creepy horror movies, you just need to know where to look (hint: it's usually not from the major studios). I made a list of movies released within the last four years that I liked, and there were too many to put into one episode! So, this is Part One of good, recent horror that is worth watching. These movies get the “H4H Seal of Approval.” I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for listening. Join th...
May 29, 2017•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Religion is a comfort to some, and a horror to others. Some very good horror movies focus on deeds done in the name of the Almighty . The characters in these movies hear voices, or have dreams, and they’re compelled to act in strange and horrible ways. Are they mad? Are they? These movies haunt you because there’s not an easy answer. I hope you like the episode. Thanks for listening. Join the Hellbent for Horror Horde on Patreon! Click here: http://bit.ly/2i3VLoe If you like the show, please con...
May 18, 2017•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast For some of us, just being a passive viewer isn’t enough. Some of us are compelled to create and share the love for other artists. Writer, filmmaker, journalist, and actress Heidi Honeycutt comes to Hellbent For Horror to talk about the Etheria Film Night (http://www.etheriafilmnight.com) , what it’s like to act in Troma horror movies , the state of film journalism, and all things in horror fandom. Heidi is a horror fan extraordinaire, and I hope you love the interview I did with her. Thanks for...
May 04, 2017•1 hr 26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Remakes? Sequels? Are they good? Can they be good? It depends. I prefer a remake to a sequel for a bunch of reasons. But that doesn’t mean all remakes are good movies. It depends on how the movie is remade. Some story updates really work for the time they are made, and others not so much . Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the classic example of a remake that fires on all cylinders, and really updates the story to the era. The Fly is also a very good one. I’m sure you have your own ideas on what...
Apr 28, 2017•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast A "Double Feature" that's so big, we needed TWO PODCASTS to tell it! James Hancock (host of The Wrong Reel podcast) returns for Part 2 of our collaboration between our two podcasts, where we discuss the "monsters" at the heart of the movies of Roman Polanski. Sometimes they’re literal monsters, sometimes they’re figurative, but each of these movies has at least one monster at their center. Join us as we hunt down the monsters in three lesser-known Polanski films: 'The Fearless Vampire Hunters,' ...
Apr 19, 2017•1 hr 26 min•Transcript available on Metacast We all have our guilty pleasures. I have admired John Waters as a filmmaker since I first read about him in the pages of Fangoria magazine back in 1982 . I love a maverick filmmaker who can manage to make movies outside of the system on a shoestring budget that are original, unique, and fun. The early films of John Waters fit all of those descriptions. Some horror tries to gross you out, but few do better than Waters in those early films. The influence of Herschel Gordon Lewis, William Castle, W...
Apr 06, 2017•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Notorious scares delivered on TV! Back in the early 1970's, Network TV executives started to make original movies to compete against Hollywood. They were fast, cheap and, occasionally, great! Many of these telefilms were horror movies. Some of those network TV-produced movies generated some genuine scares, and sent kids to bed to have nightmares. Not to mention that some of these movies were the starting ground for great writers, directors, and make up artists. In this episode, horror film journ...
Mar 27, 2017•2 hr 40 min•Transcript available on Metacast I’ve said before that horror is supposed to upset the apple cart. It lets us confront fears we can’t confront in any other genre. I like when good stories challenge me, and that includes a challenge to my perspective . In the last decade or so I’ve noticed many films directed and/or written by women that have shown me horror stories from different perspectives . They’ve unsettled me, and scared me in ways different from before. I LIKE this . As a reader and watcher of horror, I LIKE having somet...
Mar 17, 2017•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast What does a shark sound like as it gets closer to you? What does October 31st sound like? Or Marion Crane's last thought? When you look up a long flight of stairs in Georgetown, what do you hear? Horror Fans know. When a haunting visual and a haunting score are in perfect harmony, they have the power to enter your memory and trigger your emotions. In this episode, Author J. Blake Fichera joins us to discuss his Rondo Nominated book, "Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror's Greatest ...
Mar 07, 2017•2 hr 54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Death comes for us all. Our love of horror makes us confront death. Me? I’m not so much afraid of death as the act of dying. The fear of the pain that comes with it. In this episode, I talk about that human fear of death and dying . I talk about my own experiences with people dying, and our culture’s attitudes about death. And, of course, a couple of scary movies that help reinforce my attitudes . If you like the show, please consider supporting it on Patreon. Even a dollar an episode helps to s...
Feb 27, 2017•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Horror and Science Fiction share space on my book and movie shelves. When done right they mix together to achieve scary, imaginative results. Who can deny the power of Alien, The Terminator, or The Thing? But there are many, lesser-known films that mix sci-fi and horror. In this episode I’ll talk about some movies I like that mix the two sensibilities. What about you? Did I miss your favorite? Drop me a line and let me know. If you like the show, please consider supporting it on Patreon. Even a ...
Feb 07, 2017•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast A "Creature Double Feature" that's so big, we needed TWO PODCASTS to tell it! James Hancock (host of The Wrong Reel podcast) returns for Part 2 of our collaboration between our two podcasts, where we discuss two early giants of the horror genre, James Whale and Tod Browning. In this episode, we dive into the morbid, bizarre and provocative films of Tod Browning. If you only know him for the original Dracula , you've only scratched the surface. And if you think the most shocking film he made was ...
Jan 25, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Don’t let THEM in! Or are you the one they’re trying to keep out? The Us vs. Them mentality is a backdrop for some really good horror stories. Frankenstein being a great example. The Monster is the outsider, but yet you sympathize with him. In these conflicts, horror is uniquely suited to tell some great stories, and give different results . What makes THEM...them? How easily can WE become THEM? “Civilized” society is a tough path to tread. In this episode I talk about Horror and the outsider . ...
Jan 21, 2017•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Everyone is a fan of something, right? Some people become obsessed with things. Most of the time, these obsessions are harmless fun for people. Sometimes our obsessions involve more than just us, and sometimes these obsessions are inconvenient to people around us. And then there are the obsessions that endanger people around us . And then there are obsessions that lead to cruel power over people. Obsessions at the extreme can be horrifying. In this episode I talk about obsessions put to film . F...
Jan 12, 2017•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast We help the Grim Reaper finish off 2016 in style. Join four members of "The Algonquin Round Table of Horror" as they discuss the high points and the low points of horror movies in 2016. Jon Kitley, Gregg Olheiser, Bryan Martinez and Damien Glonek give their opinions about all things horror-related, new trends snd old films you might have missed the first time around. Let's start 2017 off with a scream! Thanks for listening. Join the Hellbent for Horror Horde! Click here: http://bit.ly/2i3VLoe If...
Jan 01, 2017•2 hr 32 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you think about it, the imagery around Christmas is really kind of freaky. A big man in a red suit can get into your house while you’re sleeping. And you leave food out for him! Ancient tales about the Santa-type characters tell very scary figures who hunt for children during the long nights around the Winter Solstice. You’d think with all this material that there would be a lot of great Christmas horror movies. You’d be wrong then. But there are some movies that have dealt with all the image...
Dec 24, 2016•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast It seems that when a movie with dark themes is marketed for mainstream appeal that the “horror” description goes out the window in favor of "suspense," "mystery," or “thriller.” There are lots of movies that are billed as “thrillers,” which are, in my opinion, horror movies, telling horror stories at their cores . This is even more the case with movies that get nominated for Best Picture. In this episode I make a case to categorize two Ocscar winners as Horror movies. I think that both Clint Eas...
Dec 13, 2016•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast The 1990’s was a tough time for American horror movies. But, while the Drive-Ins died and horror movies disappeared from the movie theaters, there was one safe haven left for the horror fan: The Independent Video Store. The time of the "Mom and Pop" video store, before the big studios realized the goldmine of it, was a great time to be a movie fan. The stores reflected their communities, and were a place for fans to congregate and trade movie tips and ideas. However, the 1990's weren't just a to...
Dec 02, 2016•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast The gates have been stormed at the H4H compound! And the result is our first Wretched Round Table , a discussion between four listeners and myself! Listen in as Dan Strauss, Doug Lipski, Kris Zimmerman, and Timothy Gruscinski share their passions and their stories around the "First Kiss" and more. We talk about horror in movies and in culture, and our own personal connection to the art form. This show has always been about starting conversations around horror and I'm honored that I was able to s...
Nov 23, 2016•2 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this month of Thanksgiving when, in America, we feast... I’m thinking about things that feast on us. The fear of being eaten is primal, and dates back to our caveman days when we were on the menu for all the big predators. And it’s been a mainstay of horror for ages. The Blob, The Fly (both the original and the David Cronenberg remake ), and countless other movies and books deal with the primal fear of being eaten by an unknown monster. So, in this episode I talk about some movies and books t...
Nov 15, 2016•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Some horrors are all too real, and we’re powerless to stop them. Being bested by a one-celled organism can really put a person in his or her place. In this episode I talk about REAL body horror , specifically the horror of outbreaks of illness. Epidemics. Pandemics. They’ve been the topic of good and bad horror alike. I’m fascinated by the microscopic world, and that these tiny creatures outnumber me, you, all of us. They were here before us, and they’ll be here long after we’re gone. It’s their...
Nov 06, 2016•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast What are you dressing up as for Halloween? I have some ideas... This month I went to the Sinister Creature Con in Sacramento, CA . This convention focuses on the technicians behind the shock effects, and it’s filled with artists demonstrating their work and their passion for everyone to see. This Convention is the brainchild of Tim Meunier , who also runs the Sacramento horror film festival. I had a great weekend at the con and at the amazing after-parties that featured make up effects from some...
Oct 28, 2016•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
