Hypnogoria

We have reached the 1980s in our history of Halloween, and in this chapter we look at the first half of that decade, discovering Halloween TV specials galore from well-loved shows, various movie Tricks and Treats, the return of Michael Myers, and the rise of Elvira!

In this chapter of Halloween history, we uncover the origins of haunted attractions - from magic lantern show and ghost trains to haunted rides and home haunts. Discover the secrets of phantasmagoria and spook shows, how scares raised money for charities, and the evolution of modern day Halloween attractions.

As a prelude to our Halloween history episodes this year, we delve into the world of 1980s radio and unearth a Halloween special from the scarifying Canadian show Nightfall! In this seasonal episode we hear a dramatization of a strange tale from Robert Aickman about a couple who unwisely choose to take a break in a small village on All Hallows Eve...

We take a spoiler-free look at new Netflix release I Came By, a dark thriller from Babak Anvari, director of Under the Shadow (2016) and Wounds (2019).

It is the end of an era, and in this chapter we look at The Cat Creeps, She-Wolf of London, The Brute Man, plus the final case for Rathbone's Holmes - Terror by Night. Plus we learn how in the summer of 1946, Universal decided there would be no more horror movies made...

In this chapter we learn of an ill-fated attempt to create a new generation of horror stars, drawn from villains who had previously appeared in the Sherlock Holmes films. Hence Rondo Hatton's Creeper returns in House of Horrors, while Gale Sondergaard appears in The Spider Woman Strikes Back. Plus there was another case for the great detective in Terror by Night.

In this chapter we look at the last stand of the Universal monsters, the chapter of the saga where the Count, the Frankenstein Monster, and the Wolf Man meet up at the House of Dracula (1945)!

In this chapter we continue our journey through the fright flicks from Universal released in 1945, looking at two new cases for Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes - The Woman in Green and Pursuit to Algiers, plus the final two Inner Sanctum Mysteries movies with Lon Chaney Jnr. makes a Strange Confession and tangling with The Pillow of Death!

1945 was to be another year packed with fright flicks from Universal! With new cases for Sherlock Holmes, further Inner Sanctum Mysteries to torment Lon Chaney Jnr, and the return of famous (and not so famous) monsters... But were these chillers getting too cheap and creaky?