Hypnogoria

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this final chapter, we look at the heyday of the H certificate, see which movies got the dreaded H, chart the fortunes of horror movies during World War II, and discover how and why the H was replaced with the X certificate in 1951.

In this episode we delve into film censorship in the 1930s, look at the controversies over the new horror talkies, discover why some films were banned, and chart the development of the H certificate!

We begin tracing the history of the infamous H Certificate issued by the British Board of Film Censors - H for Horrific! In this opening chapter, we look at the birth of movie censorship and uncover the often surprising things that caused controversy in the the early days of film!

In this episode we look at a sequel to one of my favourite nonfiction volumes of recent years. Yes, Scarred For Life Volume Two - Television in the 1980s is here!

In this podcast we take a look at an old favourite tome - an anthology of horror tales for children assembled by the legendary Ramsey Campbell himself, and featuring tales from masters of the macabre such as Robert Bloch, Richard Matheson and Brian Lumley! Kid's stuff it ain't!

In this rare radio appearance, we learn why you should never take medical advice from Bela Lugosi! A classic tale guaranteed to keep you in... Suspense!

The first phase of our history of Universal horror draws to close with the great Horror Hiatus of the 1930s - the strange period of cinema history where Hollywood stopped making horror movies! We examine the causes behind it all, untangle the history of horror censorship, and investigate the alleged ban on horror films in the UK in 1930s! 

In this chapter we look at the last movies of the first Universal horror cycle. Firstly The Raven, another Poe inspired movie pairing Karloff and Lugosi, then proto science-fiction horror in The Invisible Ray, and finally meet Dracula's Daughter!

In this chapter we have real life reanimation experiments in Life Returns, unravel the Mystery of Edwin Drood, and meet the Werewolf of London and the Bride of Frankenstein!

The mid 1930s brings madness and mysteries galore! Universal explore the Secret of the Blue Room and The Secret of the Chateau, and introduce us to The Invisible Man and The Man Who Reclaimed His Head! Plus Karloff and Lugosi team up for the first time in another Poe adaption The Black Cat!