The first week of December isn’t just for cozy rom-coms and twinkling lights. On this episode of This Week in Horror History, we dig into the spooky side of December 1–7, charting travel nightmares, cursed deserts, classic Universal monsters, and a knife-clawed college mascot turning school spirit into a bloodbath.

We kick things off with Turistas (2006), the mid-2000s travel horror where a dream backpacking trip in Brazil plunges into organ-harvesting terror. It’s that “don’t get on the bus” era of horror, loaded with sweaty paranoia and the ugly underside of “exotic” tourism.

From there, we head to the desert with Scalps (1983), a shoestring-budget curse shocker about archaeology students who dig on sacred land and unleash a vengeful spirit. It slipped quietly into limited December release but later clawed out a cult following on home video and streaming thanks to its gritty, regional DIY vibe.

Then we turn back the clock to House of Dracula (1945), one of Universal’s last serious monster mash-ups. Dracula, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein’s monster all converge on a tormented doctor who thinks he can “cure” them — and instead gives us a fog-drenched fever dream of capes, neck bolts, and mad science that feels tailor-made for chilly December nights.

Our Deep Cut Spotlight goes to Girls Nite Out (1982), a campus slasher originally released as The Scaremaker. A college basketball win kicks off an all-night scavenger hunt, while a killer in the school’s bear mascot costume stalks the grounds with steak knives strapped to its paws. It’s pure early-’80s slasher energy — dorm drama, campus radio, locker-room stalking — that barely made a ripple in theaters but was rescued by VHS and, eventually, a boutique Blu-ray restoration.

We also roll through a Birthday Roll for horror heavy hitters born this week — from Sean S. Cunningham and Tony Todd to genre-shaping talents behind slashers, supernatural sequels, and expressionist nightmares — and talk about how their work threads through the films we’re spotlighting.
To wrap it all up, we land on a Weekly Recommendation that fits perfectly with early December: Edward Scissorhands (1990). It’s the ultimate snowy, suburban gothic fairy tale — pastel houses, winter loneliness, and a gentle “monster” whose ice-carved sculptures make the snow fall — ideal for horror fans easing into holiday mode without losing that eerie edge.

This episode of This Week in Horror History is brought to you in part by Savorista — the spooky-friendly coffee brand serving bold, gourmet flavors in decaf and half-caf roasts so you can binge horror without wrecking your sleep. Head to Savorista.com, pick out your favorite light, medium, or dark roast, and use promo code SPOOKY at checkout to get 25% off your first order. Every purchase supports the show directly and keeps the horror history rolling.

If you love horror podcasts, physical media, and deep-cut genre history, queue this one up and let This Week in Horror History program your first December horror marathon.

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