Castle of Horror Podcast

This week we have a look at the 1973 film Battle for the Planet of the Apes. This is Episode 486!  Battle for the Planet of the Apes is a 1973 American science fiction film directed by J. Lee Thompson from a screenplay by John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington, based on a story by Paul Dehn. The film is the sequel to Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and the fifth and final installment in the original Planet of the Apes film series. It stars Roddy McDowall, Claude Akins, Natalie Trundy, Severn Darden, Lew Ayres, Paul Williams, and John Huston. In the film, after conquering the oppressive humans, Caesar (McDowall) tries to keep the peace amongst the humans and apes, but uprisings endure.Battle for the Planet of the Apes was released in the United States on June 13, 1973, by 20th Century-Fox. The film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, grossing $8.8 million against a budget of nearly $2 million.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we're chatting with Aleese Lin, author of the debut novel Samantha Spük: Paranormal Wedding Planner, out right now from Saga Press / Simon & Schuster. This is a whimsi-goth contemporary romance — a spooky cozy, if you will — about Samantha "Sabby" Spük, a young woman who has spent her whole life trying to escape her family's legacy of supernatural chaos. She finally lands a normal nine-to-five at a New York accounting firm, but then her grandmother dies, leaves her a magically binding will, and suddenly Sabby is back in her dreaded hometown of Salem, Massachusetts — planning weddings for werewolves, vampires, and fae. The book is described as perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes and Netflix's Wednesday.Aleese is a 2022 Lambda Literary fellow, a Tin House workshop alumnus, and an educator living in the Boston area.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1972 film Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. This is Episode 485! Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is a 1972 American science fiction film directed by J. Lee Thompson and written by Paul Dehn. The film is the sequel to Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) and the fourth installment in the original Planet of the Apes film series It stars Roddy McDowall, Don Murray, Ricardo Montalbán, Natalie Trundy, and Hari Rhodes. In the film, set in a world that has embraced ape slavery, Caesar (McDowall), the son of the late simians Cornelius and Zira, surfaces out of hiding from the authorities and prepares for a rebellion against humanity.Conquest of the Planet of the Apes was released in the United States on June 14, 1972, by 20th Century-Fox. The film received mixed reviews from critics. It was followed by Battle for the Planet of the Apes in 1973.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1971 film ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES. This is Episode 484! Escape from the Planet of the Apes is a 1971 American science fiction film directed by Don Taylor and written by Paul Dehn. The film is the sequel to Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and the third installment in the original Planet of the Apes film series. It stars Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman, Natalie Trundy, Eric Braeden, Sal Mineo, and Ricardo Montalbán. In the film, Cornelius (McDowall) and Zira (Hunter) flee back through time to 20th-century Los Angeles, where they face fear and persecution.Escape from the Planet of the Apes was released in the United States on May 26, 1971, by 20th Century-Fox. The film received a mainly positive response from critics and is generally considered the best sequel of the original Apes series. Escape was followed by Conquest of the Planet of the Apes in 1972.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes is a 1970 American science fiction film directed by Ted Post from a screenplay by Paul Dehn, based on a story by Dehn and Mort Abrahams. The film is the sequel to Planet of the Apes (1968) and the second installment in the original Planet of the Apes film series.[3] It stars James Franciscus, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, and Linda Harrison, and features Charlton Heston in a supporting role. In the film, a second spacecraft arrives on the planet ruled by apes, carrying astronaut Brent (Franciscus), who searches and finds Taylor (Heston) only to realize the apes are not their greatest threat.Beneath the Planet of the Apes was released in the United States on May 26, 1970, by 20th Century-Fox. The film received mixed reviews from critics. It was followed by Escape from the Planet of the Apes in 1971.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with C. J. Dotson, author of the new book THESE FAMILIAR WALLS, out from St. Martin’s Press in April. THESE FAMILAR WALLS is a suburban horror novel about a woman who inherits her childhood home after her parents are murdered there, only to find it haunted by past trauma and a menacing presence, forcing her to confront dark secrets from her youth, including a troubled friendship and a mysterious fire. The story uses a dual timeline, flashing back to 1998 and forward to 2020, and is described as a chilling, twist-filled tale perfect for fans of authors like T. Kingfisher and Catriona Ward.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1968 film PLANET OF THE APES. This is Episode 482! Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science-fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a screenplay by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling, loosely based on the 1963 novel by Pierre Boulle. The film stars Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly, and Linda Harrison. In the film, an astronaut crew crash-lands on a strange planet in the distant future. Although the planet appears desolate at first, the surviving crew members stumble upon a society in which apes have evolved into creatures with human-like intelligence and speech. The apes have assumed the role of the dominant species and humans are mute primitives wearing animal skins.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1971 film Let's Scare Jessica to Death. This is Episode 481! Let's Scare Jessica to Death is a 1971 American psychological horror film co-written and directed by John Hancock in his directorial debut, and starring Zohra Lampert, Barton Heyman, Kevin O'Connor, Gretchen Corbett, and Mariclare Costello. The film depicts the nightmarish experiences of a psychologically fragile woman who comes to believe that another strange, mysterious young woman she has let into her home may actually be a vampire.This week we are joined again by our executive producer, PENNY DREADFUL/SKYFALL screenwriter John Logan, whose film MICHAEL has just come out.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 2026 film Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. This is Episode 480! Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a 2026 American comedy horror film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and written by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. It serves as a direct sequel to Ready or Not (2019), with Samara Weaving reprising her role as Grace MacCaullay. The film also stars Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, David Cronenberg, and Elijah Wood. Set immediately after the events of Ready or Not, it follows Grace as she must protect her estranged sister while being hunted by several elite families in a high-stakes ritual to claim a seat of ultimate power.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a special Second Bite look at two films which we love and deserve more attention: 1970’s Count Yorga, Vampire and its 1971 sequel The Return of Count Yorga. This is Episode 479! Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) and The Return of Count Yorga (1971), both written and directed by Bob Kelljan and starring Robert Quarry, revitalized the vampire genre by transplanting the classic Dracula formula into contemporary California. We are joined once again by Tony-award-winning, Oscar-nominated writer  John Logan, whose new film on Michael Jackson, Michael, opens in April.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

onight we’re chatting with Daniel Kraus, author of the new book PARTIALLY DEVOURED: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World. PARTIALLY DEVOURED (On sale March 10, 2026) is an examination of a horror movie classic’s importance to our history, culture, and psychology, a perfect blend of research and memoir in the vein of Quentin Tarantino's Cinema Speculation.Daniel Kraus is a New York Times bestselling writer of novels, TV, and film. His novel, Whalefall, received a front-cover review in the New York Times Book Review, won the Alex Award, was an L.A. Times Book Prize Finalist, and was a Best Book of 2023 from NPR, the New York Times, Amazon, Chicago Tribune, and more. The film adaptation, co-written by Kraus, will be released by 20th Century Studios in October 2026. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we take a look at the 1967 Hammer film Frankenstein Created Woman. This is Episode 478! Frankenstein Created Woman is a 1967 British Hammer horror film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Peter Cushing and Susan Denberg. The screenplay was written by Anthony Hinds (as John Elder). It is the fourth film in Hammer's Frankenstein series.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we continue our Valentine's Day series of films with a look at the 2009 film My Bloody Valentine 3D. This is Episode 477! My Bloody Valentine 3D is a 2009 American 3D slasher film directed and co-edited by Patrick Lussier, and written by Todd Farmer and Zane Smith. A remake of the 1981 Canadian film, it stars Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith and Kevin Tighe. The film focuses on the residents of a small town that is plagued by a serial killer in mining gear on Valentine's Day, who is believed to be the same murderer who was thought to have died a decade prior.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we continue our Valentine's Day series of films with a look at the 1981 film My Bloody Valentine. This is Episode 476! My Bloody Valentine is a 1981 Canadian slasher film directed by George Mihalka from a screenplay by John Beaird. It features an ensemble cast that includes Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, and Neil Affleck. The plot tells about a group of young adults who decide to throw a Valentine's Day party, only to incur the vengeful wrath of a maniac in mining gear who begins a killing spree.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we dive into a Valentine's Day series of films with a look at the 2025 film Heart Eyes. This is Episode 475!  Heart Eyes is a 2025 American romantic comedy slasher film directed by Josh Ruben from a screenplay by Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy. The film stars Olivia Holt as Ally McCabe and Mason Gooding as Jay Simmons, following two coworkers who find themselves targeted by the "Heart Eyes Killer"—a masked serial killer who hunts couples on Valentine's Day. When the two are mistaken for a romantic couple, they must survive the night and uncover the killer's identity.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Christina Kovac, author of the new book WATCH US FALL. Christina Kovac is a mystery author and former DC broadcast news producer with 17 years of experience managing Washington, DC newsrooms and producing crime and political stories. Her career in television journalism spanned Fox Five's Ten O'Clock News, ABC affiliate WJLA, and NBC News. She is the author of The Cutaway and lives with her family outside Washington, DC.In the book, main character Lucy is part of a small, tight-knit group of friends known as the Sweeties who live in a Georgetown row house, focused on their careers and romantic drama until one of them, Addie's, ex-boyfriend, an up-and-coming newscaster, suddenly goes missing. WATCH US FALL is out this month from Simon & Schuster.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we continue a cycle of Mario Bava films curated by special guest, three-time-Oscar nominated screenwriter John Logan, with a look at the 1966 film Kill Baby Kill!  This is Episode #474! Kill, Baby, Kill (Italian: Operazione paura, lit. 'Operation Fear') is a 1966 Italian Gothic supernatural horror film directed by Mario Bava and starring Giacomo Rossi Stuart and Erika Blanc. Written by Bava, Romano Migliorini, and Roberto Natale, the film focuses on a small European village in the early 1900s that is being terrorized by the ghost of a murderous young girl.John calls this movie "the most gothic film ever made."Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1951 film SCROOGE.  This is Episode #473! Scrooge (released as A Christmas Carol in the United States) is a 1951 British Christmas fantasy drama film and an adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843). It stars Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge, and was produced and directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, with a screenplay by Noel Langley. It also features Michael Hordern, Kathleen Harrison, George Cole, Hermione Baddeley, Mervyn Johns, Clifford Mollison, Jack Warner, Ernest Thesiger and Patrick Macnee. Peter Bull narrates portions of Charles Dickens's words at the beginning and end of the film, and appears on-screen as a businessman.Upon its initial release, the movie was largely ignored by critics, and reactions from those that did watch it were varied. Nevertheless, the movie attracted a strong following on television, and subsequent reviews have been significantly more positive, with many critics considering it one of the best adaptions of the novel, with general praise for the performances, particularly Sim's portrayal of Scrooge.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Vanessa F. Penney, author of The Witch of Willow Sound, distributed by Simon & Schuster.  The book is a Canadian best-seller, a feminist gothic tale with a tough-as-nails female protagonist who must find her elderly aunt, long suspected of being a witch.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we are joined by the Monster Movie Happy Hour Podcast for a look at Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 film FRANKENSTEIN.  This is Episode #472! Frankenstein is a 2025 American gothic drama film produced, written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The film stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as the Creature, and Mia Goth as Elizabeth, with Felix Kammerer, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Christian Convery, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz in the supporting roles. The story follows the life of Victor Frankenstein, an egotistical scientist whose experiment in creating new life results in dangerous consequences when his monstrous creation comes to life. Frankenstein had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 30, 2025. It began a limited theatrical release on October 17, 2025, with a global digital release by Netflix on November 7. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with Elordi's performance receiving acclaim.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we continue a cycle of Mario Bava films curated by special guest, three-time-Oscar nominated screenwriter John Logan, with a look at the 1965 film Planet of the Vampires.  This is Episode #471!Planet of the Vampires (Italian: Terrore nello spazio, lit. 'Terror in Space'; released in the UK as The Demon Planet) is a 1965 science fiction horror film directed and co-written by Mario Bava, produced by Fulvio Lucisano, and starring Barry Sullivan and Norma Bengell. The screenplay was based on an Italian-language science fiction short story, Renato Pestriniero's "One Night of 21 Hours.” The film follows the horrific experiences of the crew members of two giant spaceships that have crash-landed on a forbidding, unexplored planet. The disembodied inhabitants of the world possess the bodies of the crew who died during the crash, and use the animated corpses to stalk and kill the remaining survivors.The film was co-produced by Italian International Film and American International Pictures (AIP), with some financing provided by Spain's Castilla Cooperativa Cinematográfica. AIP released Planet of the Vampires as the supporting film on a double feature with Daniel Haller's Die, Monster, Die! (1965).Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with national bestselling author Christina Henry, whose first hardcover, The Place Where They Buried Your Heart (Berkley, Nov. 4), blends haunting suspense with deeply human themes.Christina is known for her dark fantasy and horror novels (Good Girls Don’t Die, The Ghost Tree, The House That Horror Built), each exploring the shadows in both supernatural forces and human hearts. Her latest is a chilling, emotionally layered haunted house story set in Chicago, where a sister must confront the darkness that claimed her brother decades earlier. And that same house may still be hungry.  The book has received praise from the New York Times, Paul Tremblay and Christopher Golden, both of whom I’ve talked to on this show.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Jeremiah Dylan Cook, author of A Mythos of Monsters and Madness which is out now. The book assembles thirteen loosely connected tales of terror from horror writer Jeremiah Dylan Cook.Jeremiah Dylan Cook is a horror writer whose work has been published by The NoSleep Podcast, Castle Bridge Media, Tales to Terrify, Ghost Orchid Press, The Lovecraft eZine, Hippocampus Press, Necronomicon Press, and Eye Contact. He won Purple Wall Stories February 2021 Writing Competition, and the Ligonier Valley Writers 2018 Flash Fiction Contest. He’s the Managing Editor of New Pulp Tales. You can follow him on X @JeremiahCook1.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we continue a cycle of Mario Bava films curated by special guest, three-time-Oscar nominated screenwriter John Logan, with a look at the 1964 film Blood and Black Lace.  This is Episode #470!Blood and Black Lace (Italian: 6 donne per l'assassino, lit. 'Six Women for the Murderer') is a 1964 giallo film directed by Mario Bava and starring Eva Bartok and Cameron Mitchell. The story concerns the brutal murders of a Roman fashion house's models, committed by a masked killer in a desperate attempt to obtain a scandal-revealing diary.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a Halloween film, the 1993 animated film The Halloween Tree. This is episode 469! The Halloween Tree is a 1993 American animated fantasy-drama television film produced by Hanna-Barbera and based on Ray Bradbury's 1972 fantasy novel of the same name. The film tells the story of a group of trick-or-treating children who learn about the origins and influences of Halloween when one of their friends is spirited away by mysterious forces. Bradbury serves as the narrator of the film, which also stars Leonard Nimoy as the children's guide, Mr. Moundshroud. Bradbury also wrote the film's Emmy Award winning screenplay. The animation of the film was produced overseas for Hanna-Barbera by Fil-Cartoons in the Philippines. The film premiered on ABC on October 2, 1993.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Brian Asman, who’s been called “a singular voice in horror fiction,” author of MAN, F*CK THIS HOUSE (AND OTHER DISASTERS) from Blackstone Publishing,  a collection of six brand-new stories of hauntings and California Weirdness. Brian Asman is a writer, actor, and director from San Diego. He’s the author of Good Dogs from Blackstone Publishing. His other books include I’m Not Even Supposed to Be Here Today, Neo Arcana, Nunchuck City, Jailbroke, Our Black Hearts Beat as One, and Return of the Living Elves. Find him on social media (@thebrianasman) or his website (www.BrianAsmanBooks.com).In the titular “Man, F*ck This House,” Sabrina Haskins and her family have just moved into their dream home. At first glance, the house is perfect. But things aren’t what they seem. Sabrina is hearing odd noises, seeing strange visions. Their neighbors are odd or absent. And Sabrina’s already-fraught relationship with her son is about to be tested in a way no parent could ever imagine. Because while the Haskins family might be the newest owners of this house, they’re far from its only residents…Join us!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we kick off a cycle of Mario Bava films curated by special guest John Logan (Penny Dreadful, Skyfall, Gladiator) with a look at the 1963 film The Whip and the Body.  This is Episode #468!  The Whip and the Body (Italian: La frusta e il corpo) is a 1963 gothic horror film directed by Mario Bava under the alias "John M. Old". The film is about Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee) who is ostracized by his father for his relationship with a servant girl and her eventual suicide. He later returns to reclaim his title and his former fiancée Nevenka (Daliah Lavi) who is now his brother's wife. Menliff is later found murdered, but the locals believe his ghost has returned to haunt the castle for revenge.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tony Salvaggio checks in to discuss the highlights of Fantastic Fest 2023, where he watched an impressive 35 movies across various genres. From horror films exploring trauma to unique international cinema, Tony breaks down standout films like "Marama," "Obsession," and the newest "Silent Night, Deadly Night." He shares insights into the current state of genre filmmaking, emphasizing the importance of independent film festivals in showcasing diverse storytelling. Hear about secret screenings, unexpected gems, and Tony's passionate take on why genre cinema remains vibrant and essential.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Linus O’Brien, director of STRANGE JOURNEY: THE STORY OF ROCKY HORROR in Theaters on September 26. The documentary is written by Avner Shiloah, and Produced by Adam Gibbs, Garret Price, Avner Shiloah, Linus O'Brien. Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror is a joyful and wild ride through the tale of the cultural juggernaut that is The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which began as a 1973 musical stage production and became a 1975 film with Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Charles Gray, and more, with a historic following. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 2001 film From Hell.  This is Episode #467! From Hell is a 2001 mystery horror thriller film directed by the Hughes Brothers and written by Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias and based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell about the Jack the Ripper murders. The film stars Johnny Depp as Frederick Abberline, the lead investigator of the murders, and Heather Graham as Mary Kelly, a prostitute targeted by the Ripper. Other cast members include Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Richardson and Jason Flemyng. From Hell was theatrically released in the United States on October 19, 2001, by 20th Century Fox. The film grossed over $74 million worldwide.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tony Salvaggio reports live from Fantastic Fest 2025, sharing exciting insights on standout films like the atmospheric "The Ice Tower," the intense Indonesian martial arts film "Ikatan Dara," the Euro-spy pastiche "Reflections in a Dead Diamond," and more. Join Jason Henderson as Tony breaks down the festival's medieval-themed highlights and must-see genre cinema.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

We chat with co-host Tony Salvaggio on this year's Fantastic Fest, the world-renowned genre film festival that kicks off this week in Austin, Texas.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1972 film The Legend of Boggy Creek.  This is Episode #466! And it's a special episode as we're joined by our friends from the Monster Movie Happy Hour!The Legend of Boggy Creek is a 1972 American docudrama horror film about the "Fouke Monster", a Bigfoot-like cryptid reportedly seen in and around Fouke, Arkansas, since the 1940s. The film combines staged interviews with local residents who claim to have encountered the creature, along with reenactments of these encounters. Director and producer Charles B. Pierce, an advertising salesman, secured funding from a local trucking company and hired local high school students to help complete the film. Made on a budget of $160,000, the film was released theatrically on August 8, 1972.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Drew Edwards. Drew is the writer/creator of Halloween Man, a new trade paperback collection out later this month from Red 5 Comics distributed by Simon & Schuster. He is a Best Writer Ringo nominee, Austin Chronicle "Best of Austin" award winner, and a member of the Pen America Fellowship. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Scream of the Wolf is a 1974 American made-for-television horror-thriller film starring Peter Graves and Clint Walker and directed by Dan Curtis with a script by Richard Matheson (for context this is a year after he did Legend of Hell House and the same year that he and Dan Curtis would do Dracula with Jack Palance. It originally aired as the ABC Movie of the Week on January 16, 1974.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1972 TV film MOON OF THE WOLF.  This is Episode #464! Moon of the Wolf is an American TV movie broadcast on September 26, 1972 on ABC Movie of the Week. It stars David Janssen, Barbara Rush, Geoffrey Lewis and Bradford Dillman, with a script by Alvin Sapinsley (based on Leslie H. Whitten's novel of the same name). The film was directed by Daniel Petrie and filmed on location in Burnside, Louisiana. All of the downtown footage was from Clinton, Louisiana.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with director Chuck Russell, whose new film Witchboard which is out August 15  and is a re-imagining of the 1986 classic. The new film stars  Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez, Melanie Jarnson, Charlie Tahan, Antonia Desplat, and Jamie Campbell Bower. Russell is a horror veteran, having directed  the films A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), "the highest grossing independent film ever made" at that time, The Blob (1988), which was itself a re-imagining of a film made 30 years before that, The Mask (1994), Eraser (1996), and The Scorpion King (2002).Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1970 Hammer Dracula film TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA.  This is Episode #463! Taste the Blood of Dracula is a 1970 British supernatural horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions. Directed by Peter Sasdy from a script by Anthony Hinds, it is the fifth installment in Hammer's Dracula series, and the fourth to star Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, the titular vampire. The film also features Geoffrey Keen and Gwen Watford.Taste the Blood of Dracula was followed by Scars of Dracula, also released in 1970.Once more we are joined by a very special guest. This writer received the Tony award for his play Red and wrote the book for the Tony award-winning Moulin Rouge. As a screenwriter, he has been nominated for the Oscar three times and has received Golden Globe, BAFTA, WGA and Edgar awards. His film work includes Skyfall, Gladiator, The Aviator, Hugo, Rango, Sweeney Todd, They/Them, The Last Samurai, and Any Given Sunday. He also created the television series Penny Dreadful for Showtime.  next year will see the release of his movie Michael, about Michael Jackson. We are joined tonight by JOHN LOGAN.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

ANTHOLOGY SERIES. Tonight we’re chatting with T. D. Severin, whose novel DEADLY VISION has just been released by Penmore Press. The book is a medical thriller that peole are comparing to Michael Crichton and Dean KoontzDeadly Vision is a high-concept medical thriller that follows Dr. Taylor Abrahms, a pioneering surgeon and researcher in the field of Medical Virtual Reality. Abrahms leads the Virtual Heart Project (VHP), a revolutionary initiative that fuses virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and microsurgery to transform cardiac care. The technology allows doctors to perform intricate, life-saving surgeries inside a virtual recreation of a patient’s heart. However, as the project gains media attention during a heated presidential election, it becomes a political flashpoint. Abrahms faces relentless attacks from political operatives, established medical professionals threatened by new technology, and even murder, as those connected to the VHP are targeted one by one. The story is not only a fast-paced thriller but also explores themes of innovation, resistance to change in medicine, and the personal cost of pursuing groundbreaking science in a hostile environment.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1968 Hammer Dracula film DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE.  This is Episode #462! Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is a 1968 British supernatural horror film directed by Freddie Francis and produced by Hammer Film Productions. It is the fourth entry in Hammer's Dracula series, and the third to feature Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, the titular vampire. The film stars Rupert Davies as a clergyman who exorcises Dracula's castle, and in doing so, unwittingly resurrects the Count back from the dead. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave also stars Veronica Carlson, Barry Andrews, Barbara Ewing, Ewan Hooper, and Michael Ripper. It was followed by Taste the Blood of Dracula in 1970.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Christopher Micklos, author TICK TOWN, which comes out this month from Castle Bridge Media.In the book, “When a northern Wisconsin tourist town becomes the feeding ground for a band of giant, mutant ticks, a young reporter, her cop ex-boyfriend, and a veteran newspaperman must track down and destroy the queen tick and her nest before the monsters overrun and slaughter the entire town.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Illustrator Clint Langley and writer Chris McAuley about SHADOWS OF THE STOKERVERSE, a new illustrated story book launched on Kickstarter and soon to come out from Scratch Comics.  After the hugely successful launch of the comic book series "Dracula The Return: Cult Of The White Worm" Scratch Comics and the equally successful launch of the Stokerverse Role Playing Game released by Nightfall Games, which featured the stunning artwork of 2000ad comic art legend Clint Langley (ABC Warriors, Slaine, WarHammer 4000), ideas started to flow between Chris McAuley, Clint Langley and team to find an exciting way to expand the Stokerverse beyond Dracula himself.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1963 Hammer film KISS OF THE VAMPIRE.  This is Episode #461! KISS OF THE VAMPIRE (also known as KISS OF EVIL on American television) is a 1963 British vampire film directed by Don Sharp and starring Edward de Souza and Jennifer Daniel. It was written by producer Anthony Hinds (as John Elder) and made by Hammer Film Productions.It was Sharp's first movie for Hammer. He went on to make two more non-vampire films for the company, The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964), and Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966). He also made Witchcraft (1964) with Lon Chaney, a film we’ve covered.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Join our panel on writing, reading, and getting out there with Urban Fantasy, or what we call "Fantasy Without Elves." In honor of the release of TUNNELS OF BUDA (https://amzn.to/4mNSWFs) by Don Sawyer. Panelists:Tricia Copeland -Critically acclaimed and Award-Winning author, Tricia Copeland has been acknowledged as an Award Winners in two separate book categories for the prestigious 2024 Global Book Awards– acclaimed novel, To Be A Fae Queen which is the first book in her Realm Chronicles series was the recipient of the Gold Award in the Teen and Young Adult Action/Adventure category. In addition, Tricia also received the Silver Award in the Teen and Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Category for her stand-alone novel, Azreya, Aztec Priestess. Mark Morton - Noted Canadian non-fiction author and long-time CBC columnist Mark Morton has a debut as a novelist with The Headmasters, from Shadowpaw Press; he has DEEP experience in nonfiction as well, Cupboard Love: A Dictionary of Culinary Curiosities (was nominated for a Julia Child Award Don Sawyer He has authored over 12 books in several genres, including two Canadian bestsellers, his new book is THE TUNNELS OF BUDA which launches TODAY Mickey Mikkelson is the founder of Creative Edge Publicity. Since founding Creative Edge, Mickey has signed some of the top talents in the literary industry, including multiple award-winning authors, New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, and successful indie authors.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Mark Stevens, author of the new thriller novel NO LIE LASTS FOREVER out in June from Thomas & Mercer, who call NO LIE LASTS FOREVER “Zodiac with a terrifying twist, in a taut thriller from author Mark Stevens about a reformed serial killer and the disgraced journalist he coaxes into finding the imposter trading on his name.” Stevens’s book The Fireballer (Lake Union, 2023) was named Best Baseball Novel by Twin Bill Literary Magazine and named one of Best Baseball Books of the Year by Spitball Magazine, and his books Buried by the Roan, Trapline, and Lake of Fire were all finalists for the Colorado Book Award (2012, 2015, and 2016, respectively). Trapline won the Colorado Book Award in 2016 and also received the best genre fiction award from Colorado Authors League.  In September 2016, Stevens was named Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Writer of the Year, and again in 2023. Stevens hosts a regular podcast for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and has served as president of the Rocky Mountain chapter for Mystery Writers of America. And like me he lives in Colorado.CONNECT WITH MARK STEVENS ONLINEOfficial Website: WriterMarkStevens.com Facebook: /writermarkstevens X : @writerstevens Instagram: @mark54stevens TikTok: @mark54stevensBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Producer Craig Perry (Final Destination franchise, American Pie franchise) about the smash hit FINAL FESTINATION: BLOODLINES.Craig Perry is the longtime producer behind the Final Destination franchise, having shepherded the series since its inception in 2000 and playing a pivotal role in shaping its enduring legacy. His vision and stewardship have been instrumental in creating and sustaining the FD franchise, including the latest installment, Final Destination: Bloodlines. But he’s also so many other things: a songwriter, singer, producer, just relentlessly creative. We have a great conversation about what goes into this resilient series.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 1966 Hammer film DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS.  This is Episode #460! Dracula: Prince of Darkness is a 1966 British gothic supernatural horror film directed by Terence Fisher. The film was produced by Hammer Film Productions, and is the third entry in Hammer's Dracula series, as well as the second to feature Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, the titular vampire. It also stars Andrew Keir, Francis Matthews, and Barbara Shelley.The film was photographed in Techniscope by Michael Reed, designed by Bernard Robinson and scored by James Bernard.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

This week we have a look at the 2025 film COMPANION.  This is Episode #459!Castle of Horror is a Feedspot Top 100 Horror Show: see https://podcast.feedspot.com/horror_podcasts/. Companion is a 2025 American science fiction thriller film starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid as a couple on a weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin, which unravels into chaos after a revelation that one of the guests is a companion robot. The film is written and directed by Drew Hancock. Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, and Rupert Friend also appear in supporting roles.Companion was released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on January 31, 2025. The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $36.7 million against a budget of $10 million.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Nick Roth, writer and co-director of the bloody horror comedy Hanky Panky, which just came out on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Google Play, and which Kristy Puchko of Mashable recently called a "gleefully absurd avalanche of silliness," and which a random person on Letterboxd described as "an extremely dumb movie that I enjoyed immensely." We also talk about the WGA strike and getting Hollywood back to work-- and what you can do to create your own projects when you need to.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.

Tonight we’re chatting with Nimrod May  - Creator, Bruno Zarka - CRO, and Rob Kutner - Head writer, the creative minds behind God’s Gang, the groundbreaking animated YouTube series that’s captivating audiences worldwide with its unique blend of humor, action, and interfaith harmony. This series follows a team of martial arts superheroes from Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Hindu backgrounds as they embark on thrilling adventures while promoting themes of unity, friendship, and understanding.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.