Horror movies, holiday slashers, and classic monster mayhem collide in this episode of This Week in Horror History, covering December 8–14 in spooky cinema. We dig into the releases, icons, and deep cuts that shaped horror long before Christmas morning ever arrived.
This week’s watch list includes:

• Christine (1983) – John Carpenter’s sleek, icy adaptation of Stephen King’s killer-car novel. We look at how this haunted Plymouth went from a modest box office performer to a cult favorite thanks to its mood, music, and vicious metal-on-flesh set pieces.
• The Wolfman (1941) – Lon Chaney Jr.’s tragic Larry Talbot helped define the sympathetic monster and rewrote the rules for werewolf lore. We talk legacy, atmosphere, and why this frosty Universal chiller still plays perfectly on a cold December night.
• Scream 2 (1997) – Meta slashers head to college as Sidney Prescott and Ghostface return in a sequel that should’ve fizzled but absolutely works. Film theory, sequel rules, and late-’90s horror energy all collide in one of the most successful slasher follow-ups ever.
• Maniac Cop 2 (1990) – An undead cop, wild stunts, and a grimy New York that feels like a haunted maze. We spotlight why this over-the-top sequel is a cult gem for fans of action-horror hybrids.

We also roll through a birthday crawl for some horror legends: Rick Baker, Vampira, Bill Nighy, and Dee Wallace, celebrating how their work reshaped monsters, ghosts, and genre weirdos across decades.

In our “Then and Now: Meta Slashers” segment, we use Scream 2 as a jumping-off point to talk about how self-aware horror evolved—from ’90s snark to today’s nostalgia-driven, legacy-sequel era. And for your weekly recommendation, we head back to the 1950s with Tarantula (1955), a giant-spider creature feature that channels Cold War anxieties into big, creepy fun and pairs beautifully with other atomic-age monster flicks.

All that plus our sponsor Cozy Earth— 41% off with Promo Code SPOOKY ultra-comfy bedding perfect for staying warm while you binge horror history marathons in December.
If you love horror podcasts, classic monster movies, ’80s Stephen King adaptations, and meta slasher sequels, this week’s trip through the dates will fill your holiday season watchlist and keep your nights eerie all December long.

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👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
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