S.A. Bradley is here to remind you why you used to love horror movies...and you secretly still do!
Hellbent for Horror combines horror history, personal observ...
Episode 131: Twenty-Five from 2024- The Year in Horror
Although 2024 has passed, so many horror films were released that I am still playing catch-up to see them all! You might have loved some and hated others, but there's no denying that the horror genre flourished in 2024 and continues to be one of our most diverse storytelling styles. From traditional Gothic stories to deconstructed slashers to experimental monster movies to international versions of demons, there was something for every type of horror fan! Join me as I examine twenty-five horror films to give my view of the "state of the horror union" for 2024. I'll discuss some of my favorites and the trends I noticed, and I'll also cover the movies that, for better or worse, influenced the constant evolution of the world's greatest genre! I hope you enjoy the show! Movies discussed: Late Night With the Devil Immaculate The First Omen Heretic Strange Darling Cuckoo The Shout (1978) A Quiet Place Day One Nosferatu Maxxine Vice Squad (1982) Angel (1983) Terrifier 3 Oddity Daddy’s Head Starve Acre The Haunting of Julia (1977) Exhuma Stopmotion MadS I Saw the TV Glow The Coffee Table In a Violent Nature Caddo Lake Things Will Be Different Sleep Longlegs Azrael The Substance
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Episode 130: All the Haunted Seasons Be Ours: Folk Horror and Ghost Stories with Kier-La Janisse and Sean Hogan
It's time for more Horror for the Holidays, and this year, we have double the chills and thrills to celebrate! First, the tradition of telling ghost stories for Christmas gets a new annual series from Severin Films called The Haunted Season, and the first episode streams on Shudder through December, with a new film every Christmas season! My guests are acclaimed author, producer, and filmmaker Kier-La Janisse (Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror, House of Psychotic Women), the show's creator and executive producer, and director Sean Hogan (The Devil’s Business, England's Screaming), who wrote and directed this year's offering, To Fire You Come at Last. And if that isn't enough, Kier-La and Severin recently released the much-anticipated box set, ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS: A COMPENDIUM OF FOLK HORROR VOLUME TWO, containing 24 films representing 18 countries! Join Kier-La, Sean, and me as we talk about the intersection of folk horror, folklore, ghost stories, diverse traditions and myths worldwide, the movies they inspire, and at least a dozen horror obsessions! I hope you enjoy the show! Movies/shows/books discussed: KING KONG (1933) HORROR EXPRESS (1972) …AND THEN IT HAPPENED (1972) APACHES (1977) ABC MOVIES OF THE WEEK (1969-1975) BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW (1971) BOWERY BOYS, DEAD-END KIDS (1946-1958) DEAD OF NIGHT: THE EXORCISM (1972) EDGE OF THE KNIFE (2019) A GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS (BBC) INITIAL RUN: 1971-1978 HARDY BOYS, NANCY DREW MYSTERIES (1977-1979) TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST (2023) WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED: A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR (2021) PAPER MAN (1971) PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987) QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (1967) RITES OF MAY (1976) LEGEND OF HILLBILLY JOHN (1972) STALLS OF BARCHESTER (1971) WHISTLE AND I’LL COME TO YOU (1968) THE SIGNALMAN (1976) STIGMA (1977) THE TRACTATE MIDDOTH (2013) THE BODY SNATCHER (1945) THE HALLOW (2015) SCOOBY DOO WORKS OF STEPHEN KING WORKS OF V.C. ANDREWS FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND FANGORIA FANTASTIC FEST-ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE NIGEL KNEALE
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Episode 129: Hellbent for Hong Kong: CAT III films with Ryan Smith- PART TWO
Welcome to PART TWO of our dive into Hong Kong CAT III films, the classification of the most outrageous, transgressive, explicit, and violent films. These films, made by a group of wild and unpredictable filmmakers, thrived from 1988 until the British Handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. Hong Kong audiences loved these extremely unhinged movies, and their reputation spread across the globe! Join my guest Ryan Smith of legendary Dreamhaven Books in Minneapolis, Minnesota, one of the premiere experts on CAT III films, for this look at some of the heavy hitters of CAT III! I hope you enjoy the show! Movies Discussed: BROTHER OF DARKNESS (1994) UNDERGROUND BANKER (1994) NAKED KILLER (1992) SEX AND ZEN (1991) THE ETERNAL EVIL OF ASIA (1995)
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Episode 128: Hellbent for Hong Kong: CAT III films with Ryan Smith- PART ONE
The UK created the Video Nasties list. The MPAA created NC-17. And Hong Kong had CATEGORY III films. It is probably the least widely known classification of outrageous, transgressive, explicit, and violent films. From 1988 to the British Handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the government tried to tame a group of wild and unpredictable filmmakers. Instead of killing business, the new rating created a thriving industry for extremely popular and extremely unhinged movies! Join my guest Ryan Smith of legendary Dreamhaven Books in Minneapolis, Minnesota, one of the premiere experts on CAT III films, for this two-part dive into the heavy hitters of CAT III! I hope you enjoy the show! Movies Discussed: Men Behind the Sun (1988) The Untold Story (1993) Taxi Hunter (1993) Ebola Syndrome (1996) Dr. Lamb (1992) Run and Kill (1993) Red to Kill (1994)
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Episode 127: The Three Doors of Death (How to Surprise Horror Fans Who've Seen It All)
Happy Halloween! Hellbent for Horror returns from the dead (and grateful to be here) to start more conversations. I’ve missed you all! The best-kept secret of long-term horror fans may be that we don’t necessarily watch merely to be scared. What captivates us is the element of surprise. If you can't scare us, surprise us. How do you surprise horror fans who have seen it all? Join me as I give my opinion on how filmmakers and studios can meet horror fans’ expectations and make movies they will love! Enter the” three doors of death” if you dare! I hope you enjoy the show! Movies and stories covered: Snakes on a Plane (2006) Talk To Me (2022) The Séance- Short story by Ronal Kayser (1936) I Walked With a Zombie (1943) Night of the Living Dead (1968) 28 Days Later (2002) Dawn of the Dead (2004) Near Dark (1987) The Lost Boys (1987) Rebel Without a Cause (1955) And Then There Were None-novel by Agatha Christie (1939) Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971) Black Sunday (1960) Blood and Black Lace (1964) Halloween (1978) Friday the 13th (1980) Going To Pieces: The Rise And Fall of The Slasher Film (2006) Graduation Day (1981) Un Chien Andalou (1929) The Blair Witch Project (1999) Scream (1995) The Last Broadcast (1998) Cannibal Holocaust (1980) David Holzman’s Diary (1967) Bonnie and Clyde (1967) Skinamarink (2022) The Yellow Wallpaper short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)
S.A. Bradley is here to remind you why you used to love horror movies...and you secretly still do!
Hellbent for Horror combines horror history, personal observations, common themes, and cultural trends to tell a story with each episode. We talk about all things horror. The door swings wide here, and all types of horror are welcome. Each episode covers some aspect of the genre, with lots of viewing or reading suggestions for you to check out.
We'll discuss horror movies, books, and comics, as well as how horror relates to our lives, why we like it, and what makes it one of the most diverse and beautiful storytelling styles we have.
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