Dark Natter

It's the end of our third season, and what better way to close out than with a discussion about a celebrated show that had an infamously terrible ending?? Errr, wait...Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Pal and movie buff Aaron joins the boys again to discuss 2024's smash hit body horror onslaught, The Substance! Tune in to find out whether Demi Moore's comeback vehicle lives up to the hype, or whether it's just a quivering fleshy mess...Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

It's another dark Christmas for the Dark Natter boys, and what better way to celebrate than with this classic Tim Burton festive fright-fest??Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

The Hall of Pain's creepy custodians tackle The Chinese Room's 2024 horror video game, Still Wakes the Deep: expect grotesque sights, grotesque amounts of swearing, and grotesquely bad Scottish accents!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Nicolas Cage has transcended acting. He is now more myth than man. But is his performance (and deeply disturbing singing) enough to earn this unpredictable but muddled supernatural thriller a place in the Hall of Pain??Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

In their restless dreams, they see that town... Silent Hill is Jon and Liam's special place, and they've been waiting there for 23 years for Jon's all-time favourite video game to be remade. Did Bloober Team defy the haters to create something that lives up to the horror and emotion of the original?? Or should you (Pyramid) head elsewhere?Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

We watched them so you don't have to. And because we're insane. In celebration of Halloween in prior years, we've slogged through some pretty patchy franchises (Halloween, Friday 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street) but this was the sloggiest of gore-drenched slogs through a cesspit of human cruelty... but are any of the TEN Saw movies actually decent? Tune in to find out!!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

The first movie catapulted Michael Keaton and Tim Burton to Batman levels of fame (see our last episode, coincidentally!) Now, a mind-melting 36 YEARS LATER, the duo team up once again, along with loads of other returning cast members and some brilliantly-cast newbies, for a long long long long overdue sequel... it's showtime!!!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Given how much of a Bat-fan Jon is, this episode feels long overdue, not to mention both Jon and Liam's love of the Clown Prince of Crime and the rest of the caped crusader's rogues' gallery! Tune in to find out which other criminal masterminds are at the top of the boys' Bat-rankings, which movies they liked best (and least), which actors they reckon best filled out the cape and cowl... and (as usual) to hear some highly questionable Bat-impersonations.Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

You knew this one was coming... the lads have been busy devouring every last morsel of FromSoftware's new Elden Ring expansion ever since its release, and having filled their bellies with this astonishingly generous banquet, they're now ready to talk about it! But did it live up to the developer's usual astonishingly high standards, or was this a course too many... and will this annoying food metaphor ever end? Find out now!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

The talented and likeable David Dastmalchian has made a career out of being a creepy weirdo, but how does he fare as the leading man in this movie about a late night chat show that goes wildly wrong when it decides to invite along a guest named Lily...? Find out what the boys made of this horror rollercoaster, and also its unexpected influences!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Liam and Jon are joined by their pal Aaron to talk about a book and movie series that's dear to their withered, black hearts: Lord Of The Rings! The usual wide-ranging chat encompasses everything from forgotten characters like Tom Bombadil to debating which regional accent best suits an orc... but will one of the greatest works of fiction ever written have what it takes to make it into the Hall of Pain?? Spoiler alert: obviously yes.Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

We're conscious we've got some new listeners in this third season who might be unfamiliar with our show, and also might be interested to find out some of the illustrious dark fiction names, franchises and experiences that have been trapped errrr we mean inducted into the Hall of Pain over the years - so here's a little bonus episode where we go back over some of the highlights, lowlights and memories as our little podcast hurtles towards its fifth birthday!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

This season has definitely gone a bit fantasy-y, and to keep the trend going Jon and Liam are discussing one of the most revered video games of all time (as well as the first instalment of its remake trilogy): Square Enix's seminal Final Fantasy VII! Find out if the lads are still moved to tears by THAT death scene, or if the shine of new materia has worn off over the years...Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

The Last Of Us video games are already safely ensconced in a delightful, mushroom-coloured suite in the Hall of Pain... but what about HBO's attempt to bring the massively popular (and divisive) games to the telly? Jon and Liam discuss what the show gets right, including THAT episode (still thinking of you, Bill and Frank...)Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Jon considers himself the world's biggest Silent Hill fan, and Liam has also been a lifelong series aficionado - so when Konami FINALLY released the first new console game in the franchise in an entire decade, the lads couldn't resist recording a special episode to revisit the fog-shrouded town.But was this (weird) new release worth the wait, or has Konami mist the mark? (Sorry.)Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Jon and Liam are massive fans of From Software's rock hard dark fantasy games, and Elden Ring is the biggest and most renowned of them all... but has the formula become too fat and bloated to fit through the doors of the Hall of Pain?? Tune in to find out what the lads made of Miyazaki's latest epic adventure!!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

The lads are dropping a new episode slightly ahead of schedule because Jon is naffing off for a bit in order to get married! Almost as horrifying as the life that awaits his long-suffering partner is this episode's topic, Chris Carter's staggeringly popular and enduring series, The X-Files... join us to find out whether Mulder & Scully can avoid the attentions of aliens, monsters and an ageing chainsmoker to sneak into the Hall of Pain!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Another revered horror franchise gets the Dark Natter treatment, and after already escaping somehow unscathed from Halloween, Friday 13th and Nightmare On Elm Street the boys thought it was time to tackle Wes Craven's self aware slasher series, Scream!! Highlights include the usual bickering over ranking the movies, and the revelation that Jon is a passionate Matthew Lillard fan...Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Released on 28th June 2024, Scarred is Jon's tenth book and first ever (dark) fantasy novel. If this voice snippet entices you to join Freya and Errick's quest, visit www.jon-richter.com for more information, or get your claws on a copy here...USA: https://shorturl.at/eGS47 UK: https://shorturl.at/bjzHT(Thanks to Kevin MacLeod for the ace background music)Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

DOOM, one of the greatest video games of all time, has already cemented its place in the Hall Of Pain... but Liam and Jon had no idea how far the ancient horror classic could still be pushed. MyHouse.WAD was a custom level released by a mysterious mapper in 2023 that at first glance appears to be nothing more than a cute rendering of a house, posted in memory of a dead friend... but like the house in the literary behemoth that inspired this ingenious creation, there is a LOT more waiting inside......Download MyHouse.WAD here: https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/134292-myhousewad/Get your claws on Jon's latest fantasy novel here: https://shorturl.at/HuYQOTrying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

The Hall Of Pain and its creepy custodians are BACK!!!!! Implausibly still alive, Jon and Liam return to shoot the sh*te about more favourite dark fiction works, kicking off with Neowhiz's weird Soulsborne Pinocchio homage, Lies Of P... find out if this grim(m?) video game was worthy of a place in the hallowed halls, or whether you can see the strings...  (Addendum/shameless plug! Seek out Jon's new fantasy novel, Scarred, at all good book retailers or via his website at www.jon-richter.com)Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT for The Prestige!!!Seriously, if you haven’t seen the movie yet, do not listen to this. In fact, do not listen to this at all. It’s our notorious, infamous, legendary LOST EPISODE, considered too shambolic even for Dark Natter. But as the show’s on hiatus, and it’s Yuletide after all, we decided to finally release it as a bit of a festive treat.Listen at your peril… and merry Christmas!!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

It's the end of another sinister series of Dark Natter! And it's also Halloween... so what better way for us to bow out with a bang than by celebrating the Springwood Slasher himself, Freddy Krueger and his Nightmare On Elm Street movies??Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

It's Jon's turn to pitch to Liam, and you know how Jon gets when he's 'into' something... his recent addiction to revolutionary 90s first person shooter Quake has led him to rediscover genre granddaddy Doom, as well as the host of other 'retro FPS' games now available as other 90s gamers get their nostalgic kicks (and shotgun blasts, and rocket-propelled grenade explosions)! But will these venerable games and their disturbing imagery still hold up well enough to earn a place in the Hall Of Pain, or are they doomed to rot in Hell...?Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

We're delighted to be joined by cyberpunk writer extraordinaire Nik Whittaker (just look at the beautiful covers of his books... immense author envy!!) to discuss Clive Barker's dark fantasy horror flop, Nightbreed (based on his 1988 novel Cabal).  Find out why this bonkers movie has amassed a cult following, learn about David Cronenberg's acting career, and encounter a mask that's creepier than any slasher villain's...Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

For Dark Natter's 50th anniversary (thankfully in episodes, not years) we thought we'd attempt an unprecedented four-person discussion about a never-before-touched subject: professional wrestling, and specifically the incredible career and storytelling of legendary grappler The Undertaker!!  Liam and Jon are joined by the Brothers Of Destruction, Haydn Kilyan and podcast debutant Jack Kilyan, for an episode as chaotic as you'd expect when Haydn's had a few cans before recording starts.  Expect heated discussion, childish humour, enthusiastic nostalgia and Liam inexplicably challenging the Undertaker to a fight.Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Join us and guest Rob Yates, long-time pal of Jon Richter and walking horror library, to discuss one of the greatest movies of all time: Jaws.  Will the first film's brilliance secure it a place in our illustrious Hall Of Pain, or will the abject crapness of the sequels prove too much to overcome??  Join us for fun, fins and fishfood... we're gonna need a bigger podcast.Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

After a couple of glowing recommendations, including from today's guest Mr James, host of the Right In The Schoolies Podcast and fellow dark fiction enthusiast, Jon embarked on a quest to get hold of this elusive movie...  When he finally did, he found that its reputation and mysterious aura were thoroughly deserved, and that its ending was even darker than he expected.  Tune in to find out why Lake Mungo is almost certainly the best horror movie you've never seen.Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Liam's back to pitch a classic British TV series, which started as a vehicle for Roald Dahl's sinister short stories... but are these tales twisted enough to secure a place in the Hall Of Pain?Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

In this episode, Jon is joined by science fiction author, comic genius and movie encyclopaedia Matt Adcock, author of the brilliant novel Complete Darkness!  Matt is pitching Hardware, a brilliant and underrated gem which Jon hadn't even heard of before Matt's recommendation... but will its robotic techno-horror be enough to secure it a place in the Hall Of Pain?Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Listen to an extract from Jon's latest book, psychological techno-thriller The Warden... if it's up your (dark) alley, head to www.jon-richter.com for more information, or to Amazon to get your claws on a copy at https://amzn.to/3pClPqFTrying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Long-time friend of the show (and even longer-time friend of Jon and Liam!) Haydn Kilyan is back to explore another subject close to his black, shrivelled heart: the disturbing, sinister fiction of Disney Studios!  Join us for a whistle-stop tour of the darkest depths of Disney's output over the years, including Pleasure Island, the pink elephant parade and the brutal murder of a harmless firefly.Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

In this episode Jon is joined for the first time ever by an EXISTING resident of the Hall Of Pain, namely fantastic dark fiction writer Mark Tilbury!  Tune in for a wide-ranging chat encompassing writing, the ills of capitalism, the paranormal, and the brilliant occult fiction of S.E. England.Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Originally scripted as a western (!?), that's about the only genre that isn't encompassed in John Carpenter's bonkers action adventure/martial arts/horror/comedy masterpiece - so when the lightning's crashing and the thunder's rolling and the rain's comin' down in sheets thick as lead, you just listen to the old Porkchop Express and do what Jack Burton always says: listen to Dark Natter, particularly this episode where Jon and Liam chat about Jon's favourite movie of all time!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Jon is honoured to be joined by ace horror writer Brian O'Gorman, whose works include the fantastically creepy (in every sense) Dawn Of The Spiders, to talk about George A. Romero and his Living Dead movies.  Zombies are such a staple of modern culture that it's incredible to remember a time before they existed in their current shambling, flesh-munching form, so the impact and influence of these films is impossible to overstate... tune in to find out if they're shuffling and groaning their way into the Hall Of Pain!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

It's a video gaming double-header as we probe the darkness lurking inside Playdead's brilliant pair of eerie puzzle platformers, Limbo and Inside... but listeners beware, Liam is in a FOUL mood.Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

In this episode Jon welcomes bestselling cyberpunk writer (and jolly nice chap) Matthew A Goodwin to the show, where they'll be delving into the disturbing mind of none other than Doctor Hannibal Lecter (or is it Lecktor?)...  Tune in to see if the psychotic psychiatrist can help them catch Buffalo Bill (if they even remember to mention him) and, more importantly, whether he earns a place in the Hall Of Pain... Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Following the recent episodes covering Berserk and Preacher, Liam and Jon thought they'd go for a hat-trick of depraved, disgusting works by trawling through the blood, guts and poo-infested subterranean depths of The Binding Of Isaac!  This is a video game that features a sobbing child fighting the demons in his own mind by firing his tears at them; the fact that Jon has sunk over 200 hours into playing it probably says a lot about him...Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

In today's episode, Jon welcomes book influencer, terrifying superfan and all-round ace human, Donna Morfett!  In true Annie Wilkes style, Donna is pitching the books of the brilliant Mark Tilbury for a place in the hallowed halls of the Hall Of Pain, although she assures us this isn't purely because she wants to lock Mark in an inescapable dungeon forever...Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

In this week's episode, Liam and Jon plumb previously un-sunk-to depths of depravity as they accompany Preacher on his quest to confront God himself!!  Avoid if you're easily offended, as Jesse Custer's misadventures are soaked in the darkest of dark humour...Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

In this episode, Jon discusses the wealth of brilliant children's dark fiction that's lurking out there (both nostalgic favourites and some more contemporary stuff) with special guest and extremely talented author of Peter Green and the Unliving Academy, Angelina Allsop!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Jon and Liam's love of the Dark Souls games has led them to explore some of the franchise's biggest influences... thus they embarked down the blood-smeared, corpse-strewn path towards Berserk.  Having gorged themselves on the 1997 anime as well as more recent offerings and a bit of the iconic manga, the boys are now fully-fledged fans of Guts, Griffith and their band of mercenary miscreants... but is it enough to secure them a place in the Hall of Pain?Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

In this episode, Jon welcomes the immensely talented, genre-hopping, award-winning writer Isobel Blackthorn to talk about her own dark fiction, as well as her love of the celebrated and sadly-missed author Iain Banks.  Fans of his incredible work, from the harrowing Wasp Factory to his universe-spanning Culture novels, should find plenty to gorge themselves upon!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Jon and Liam rekindle their love affair with From Software's 'Souls' games, this time celebrating Bluepoint's inspired remake of the game that started it all, Demon's Souls.  Join the lads for a light-hearted romp through crumbling castles, mouldy mineshafts and stinking swamps... just do yourself a favour and DON'T TRUST PATCHES.Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

In our first show of 2021, Jon is joined by awesome and intimidatingly cool cyberpunk author Anna Mocikat to discuss the anime masterpiece Ghost In The Shell, as well as its sequel (but not so much the rubbish live action version...) as well as Anna's own brilliant novels.  The discussion will lead us deep into the perils of AI and human augmentation, the nature of consciousness, and encompass a tentative prod of the real-life Skynet...Don't forget to check out the following websites for book news as well as updates on Neo Cyberpunk, an upcoming cyberpunk fiction anthology!www.jon-richter.comwww.annamocikat.comwww.cyberpunkday.comTrying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Liam's back for this year's festive, err, festivities, joining Jon for a special episode about one of our favourite Christmas movies: Gremlins!!  Tune in to hear us discuss this comedy horror classic and its utterly mad sequel, as well as revealing Liam's favourite Christmas tune.  Ho ho ho!!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

With Liam's stint in vampire rehab showing no sign of ending, Jon has roped in another guest for this show!  Dark Natter is honoured to welcome returning visitor Ryan Hamann for another in-depth dissection, this time about Naughty Dog's wildly successful, heart-wrenchingly moving and brutally violent PlayStation exclusive fungal zombie franchise, The Last Of Us.  But can the controversial sequel live up to the quality of the first game?  There's mushroom for debate... (sorry.)Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

Liam's taking a well-earned break to recover from his addiction to human blood, so in this episode Jon is joined by unreasonably talented fellow dark fiction writer Jacob Steven Mohr to talk about John Carpenter's iconic, gore-splattered masterpiece The Thing!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!

A year on from the show's 2019 Halloween extravaganza, where Jon and Liam sat through all eleven movies featuring the hulking, invincible slasher Michael Myers, they thought this time they'd go one better!So, to celebrate Friday 13th, the disturbing duo have ploughed through all TWELVE of the Jason movies, and are ready to share their findings with you... expect laughs, surprises, gore, and another horror icon popping in to steal the show!Trying this new fangled Fan Mail feature: use this link to send us a message! If it's nice (or horrible but funny) we'll read it out on the show!