What do radioactive fallout, cannibal rats, and a flying turtle have in common?

In this episode, Adam explores the dark origins of Japan’s most iconic monsters. From the real-life 1954 Lucky Dragon incident - sometimes called the “third atomic bombing” - to the scrapped rat-horror film that accidentally gave birth to Gamera, it’s a wild ride through film, folklore, and Cold War fear. Plus: just how big could a real kaiju actually get?

Topics include:

• Godzilla’s link to post-war trauma and Shinto beliefs

• The Lucky Dragon #5 nuclear disaster

• How a failed giant rat movie led to Gamera

• Could a real giant monster actually exist?

A monster-sized mix of pop culture, science, and the strange stories we tell in the dark. Movies mentioned: Gojira (1954) Godzilla (1956) King Kong (1933) Godzilla Raids AgainKing Kong Vs. Godzilla Rodan Mothra Them! Tarantula The Day the Earth Stood Still It Came from Beneath the Sea Beast from 20,000 Fathoms Gamera (1965) Giant Horde Beast Nezura (unmade)

Is The Conjuring: Last Rites a true story? What really happened to the Smurl family - and how involved were Ed and Lorraine Warren? What's the real story of Annabelle the Doll? And what happened to Annabelle's handler in July? 

Visit https://magicalmystery.media for show notes (or to send a message).

==========

For our "lost episodes" archive, check out MAGICAL MYSTERY RADIO: INANE RAMBLINGS FROM THE FRINGE.

Content warning: The first segment covers real-life on-air suicides and may be distressing to some listeners.

This week, Adam shares a strange and tragic mix of stories: disturbing on-air deaths (one which anticipated Paddy Chayefsky's Network by two years); the real-life pain behind Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's creation of Superman; and a buried Michael Myers (Halloween) backstory from 1979. 

- The tragic story of Christine Chubbuck, the Sarasota news reporter who took her life on-air in 1974.

- Budd Dwyer, a Pennsylvania politician who died during a press conference in 1987.

- How both events shaped the conversation around broadcast delay.

- The unplanned early 2000s event that was the final straw for the FCC.

- The truth behind the meme that says Jerry Siegel’s father was shot.

- How Siegel & Schuster created Superman: from pulp zines to the character’s evolution in Action Comics #1.

- Influences ranging from Gladiator by Philip Wylie to John Carter of Mars, Zorro, and even early Jewish mysticism (Kal-El, Jor-El).

- The heartbreaking legal fight that left Superman’s creators broke – despite creating the most iconic superhero of all time.

- The 1979 novelization of Halloween, long out of print, included a mythic backstory tying Michael Myers to Enda, a cursed Celtic killer.

- How the novel’s folk horror take differs from John Carpenter’s minimalist vision.

- Why this supernatural twist was buried – and why it might have made more sense than the later convoluted Halloween sequels.

Show notes at https://magicalmystery.media

Adam explores some of film’s most infamous curses - from Poltergeist and its real skeletons to the eerie disappearance of the man who may have invented cinema before Edison. Also: a FLESH EATERS resurrection, some Hollywood lore, and the show’s evolving format.

Movies mentioned: FLESH EATERS, POLTERGEIST, THE FIRST FILM (Roundhay Garden Scene/Accordian Player/Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge), THE OMEN, ROSEMARY'S BABY, THE EXORCIST, CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE, DRAG ME TO HELL, CURSE OF THE DEMON, CURSE OF THE MAN WHO SEES UFOS

In this week’s episode of Magical Mystery Media, Adam takes you on a strange journey through pop culture, folklore, and forgotten history – starting with the new film Weapons and ending with the real-life boy who inspired The Exorcist.

Visit magicalmystery.media for show notes (or to send a message).

For archived episodes of Magical Mystery Radio going back to 2016, search "Magical Mystery Radio: Inane Ramblings from the Fringe."

Adam shares memories of working with Troma Films in 1980s NYC, reflects on THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, and solves two internet mysteries: the real origin of the famous time-travel ad that inspired SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED and the photo that inspired SEVERANCE by way of the eerie Backrooms phenomenon.

Visit magicalmystery.media for show notes (or to send a message).

For archived episodes of Magical Mystery Radio going back to 2016, search "Magical Mystery Radio: Inane Ramblings from the Fringe."

Adam reveals two chilling true stories he chose not to cover in his upcoming Shadow Play series: the disturbing case of Ed Gein, and the mysterious death of Elisa Lam.

First, the strange case of Elisa Lam, a Canadian student whose bizarre behavior on hotel security footage went viral before she was tragically found dead in a rooftop water tank - eerily echoing plot details from the horror film Dark Water. Adam recounts his personal visit to the infamous Cecil Hotel in L.A. and reflects on the strange coincidences and conspiracy theories that continue to swirl around the case.

Then, a look at the true story of Ed Gein, the real-life killer who inspired Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs. Adam shares what made him walk away from scripting the episode - despite the uncanny parallels to Norman Bates and his infamous "mother."

Content warning: Discussion includes graphic details of true crime, mental illness, and disturbing real-world events.

Visit magicalmystery.media

Contact: [email protected]

Coming soon: Rosemary's Baby  The Exorcist The Omen And a whole lot more.

Just a little update on the newest iteration of this show... lumbering and shuffling your way soon!

What if a dream could kill you?

We revisit Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and the real-life sleep phenomena that inspired it. We explore how Freddy Krueger emerged from Craven’s own childhood fears and reports of mysterious deaths among Hmong refugees.

We also get into the strange science of sleep paralysis, the folklore of the “Old Hag,” the phenomenon of the Hat Man, and the viral mystery of This Man, a face reported in dreams around the world.

Shownotes