PODCAST · tv
Hellbent for Horror
by S. A. Bradley
S.A. Bradley is here to remind you why you used to love horror movies...and you secretly still do!Hellbent for Horror combines horror history, personal observations, common themes, and cultural trends to tell a story with each episode. We talk about all things horror. The door swings wide here, and all types of horror are welcome. Each episode covers some aspect of the genre, with lots of viewing or reading suggestions for you to check out. We'll discuss horror movies, books, and comics, as well as how horror relates to our lives, why we like it, and what makes it one of the most diverse and beautiful storytelling styles we have.
Episodes
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Episode 134: What's so Funny?
Horror comedies have been around since the early days of cinema, and they've always been a mixed bag. Almost always, horror takes a backseat in boring parodies. But a new breed of imaginative movies is changing how horror and humor mix in one film. Gorier, wilder, and unafraid to be absurd, these...
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Episode 133: My Lost Year
Hello everyone! Hellbent for Horror is back from the dead, with fresh grave soil still underneath the fingernails. This episode is a reconnection to you all, hopefully a resurrection, after a "lost year." I'll give some explanations, and some good news, too! As always, thanks for listening!
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Episode 132: Rise From the Ashes- Izzy Lee and Her 'House of Ashes'
Izzy Lee is a take-no-prisoners indie filmmaker whose 20-plus genre short films garnered praise from Fangoria, Dread Central, the A.V. Club, and EW.com. And then came the pandemic. However Izzy Lee rose from the ashes and came back tougher than ever, with her first published novella (I Can See…
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Episode 131: Twenty-Five from 2024- The Year in Horror
Although 2024 has passed, so many horror films were released that I am still playing catch-up to see them all! You might have loved some and hated others, but there's no denying that the horror genre flourished in 2024 and continues to be one of our most diverse storytelling styles. From...
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Episode 130: All the Haunted Seasons Be Ours: Folk Horror and Ghost Stories with Kier-La Janisse and Sean Hogan
It's time for more Horror for the Holidays, and this year, we have double the chills and thrills to celebrate! First, the tradition of telling ghost stories for Christmas gets a new annual series from Severin Films called The Haunted Season, and the first episode streams on Shudder through...
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Episode 129: Hellbent for Hong Kong: CAT III films with Ryan Smith- PART TWO
Welcome to PART TWO of our dive into Hong Kong CAT III films, the classification of the most outrageous, transgressive, explicit, and violent films. These films, made by a group of wild and unpredictable filmmakers, thrived from 1988 until the British Handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. Hong...
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Episode 128: Hellbent for Hong Kong: CAT III films with Ryan Smith- PART ONE
The UK created the Video Nasties list. The MPAA created NC-17. And Hong Kong had CATEGORY III films. It is probably the least widely known classification of outrageous, transgressive, explicit, and violent films. From 1988 to the British Handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the government…
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Episode 127: The Three Doors of Death (How to Surprise Horror Fans Who've Seen It All)
Happy Halloween! Hellbent for Horror returns from the dead (and grateful to be here) to start more conversations. I've missed you all! The best-kept secret of long-term horror fans may be that we don't necessarily watch merely to be scared. What captivates us is the element of surprise. If you...
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Episode 126: A Brief History of Failure
Like it or not, failure is a part of creation, invention, and art. Sometimes, failure forces improvisation that creates something amazing; other times, not so much. So, I wanted to look at failure in horror: how some filmmakers overcame major setbacks and Acts of God, but also look at the movies...
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Episode 125: Embracing the Darkness: Del Howison and Dark Delicacies
Join me as I talk with Del Howison, the co-owner of Dark Delicacies, the world-renowned book and collectibles store in Burbank dedicated to horror and fantasy that celebrates 30 years as America's home of horror (and is the oldest horror bookstore in Los Angeles.) Del discusses his career as an...
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Episode 124-We're All Wasted: The Ongoing Saga of Cinema Wasteland
For the last 25 years, Cinema Wasteland has been a Mecca for horror movie maniacs. The legendary convention draws cineastes in and turns them into repeat visitors, "Wastelanders." As CW reaches its Silver Anniversary, many Wastelanders ask," How long will this go on?" Join me as I discuss Cinema...
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Episode 123: The Killer Elite- Part Two
The 96th Academy Awards Ceremony is upon us, but we fans know that the only award that matters is if you recommend a horror movie to your friends and they love it! In reality, 2023 was such a good year for horror movies that I needed two episodes to cover my favorites! Join me as we celebrate…
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Episode 122: The Killer Elite- Part One
The 96th Academy Awards Ceremony is in a few weeks, but the annual outrage over the lack of horror movie nominations is in full swing. We fans know that the only award that matters is if you recommend a horror movie to your friends. In reality, 2023 was a damn good year for horror movies, with...
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Episode 121: A Christmas Ghost Story- A View From a Hill
It's Time for our annual Christmas Ghost Story! We return to the Grandfather of the modern ghost story, M.R. James. Join me as I read his classic short story, A View From a Hill, and find out what a "Borgia Box" is! Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope you enjoy the show! Story: A View From a Hill...
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Episode 120: Lost Films and Crazy Movies You Never Saw with Roxanne Guarino
Horror movie collectors live to find those rare movies that eluded us. These are the movies that are so obscure and bizarre that it becomes a quest to see them and pass them on to other fans. Join our guest, Roxanne Guarino (Cinema Insomnia with Mr. Lobo), author of the new zine The Craziest…
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Episode 119-Death or Glory: SOV Horror (Tape Two)
Welcome to "Tape Two" of S.O.V. (shot on video) movies that prove that Horror is the Punk Rock of Cinema! For decades, fans made movies without Hollywood, money, or distribution deals. Following the DIY ethos, regional horror movies sprung up everywhere and told crazy, original, and personal...
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Episode 118-Death or Glory: S.O.V. Horror (Tape One)
Horror is the Punk Rock of Cinema, and S.O.V. (shot on video) movies prove it! For decades, fans made movies without Hollywood, money, or distribution deals. Following the DIY ethos, regional horror movies sprung up everywhere and told crazy, original, and personal stories and created a…
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Episode 117- Casting the Runes: Halloween 2023
Happy Halloween! Join me as I talk about all of the little annual "rituals" I do around Halloween, including books, movies, decorations, old memories of Samhains gone by, and new "ritual bits" added this year! I hope you enjoy the show! Books Discussed: Ghost Story -Peter Straub Books of Blood-...
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Episode 116- Empathy for the Devil: William Friedkin
Legendary Filmmaker William Friedkin died on August 7th, 2023, a few months before the 50th Anniversary of THE EXORCIST. As his legend would dictate, Friedkin was a bit of a demon himself to those who worked with him and opposed him. "Hurricane Billy" would do anything for a shot, even at the…
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Episode 115- Seasons in the Abyss- Part One
Three years of the pandemic is enough. We stared into the abyss, and it changed us. And horror movies got us through. Horror movies also told us the scary and ugly truth about how monstrous we were. As we spent our Seasons in the Abyss, here are some trends I noticed... and NO ZOMBIE MOVIES...
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Episode 114- The Grinch Who Ate Christmas
Here's my Postmortem on the 2022 Christmas Holiday Season, where I discuss Killer Santas, Trolls, Yule Logs, and the death of "The War on Christmas!" Movies Discussed: IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983) TROLL (2022) CHRISTMAS, BLOODY CHRISTMAS (2022) THE MEAN ONE (2022) VIOLENT...
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Episode 113: A Christmas Ghost Story- Casting the Runes
Happiest of Holidays to you! Just in time for Christmas Eve is the Hellbent for Horror Annual Christmas Ghost Story! Keeping the old British tradition going, I've been reading ghost stories for Christmas over the last few years. Because Christmas and horror go together like cookies and milk and...
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Episode 112: Does Humor Belong in Horror? Guest Vincent V. Cava
Join acclaimed horror author Vince V. Cava (CREEPYPASTA, JUST A LITTLE TERRIBLE) as we look at how comedy and horror work together (or not). We discuss Bizarro horror, Creepypasta, crazy Anime, and "the Amazon Smut Illuminati." This is a pre-recorded live podcast from the FAN EXPO-SAN FRANCISCO...
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Episode 111- I Remember Halloween
It's no surprise that I love Halloween and that I love decorating my place into a haunted House for Trick-or-Treaters to enjoy. But there is a specific history behind my love of Halloween, and in this episode, I'm going to "open a vein" and give you more insight into what makes me believe that...
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Episode 110- The Director That Ate Pittsburgh- A Visit to the George A. Romero Archives
Every town has ghosts and the late George Romero is Pittsburgh's beloved boogeyman! Romero still looms large there, and I was honored to visit the George A. Romero Archival Collection (1962-2017) at the Hillman Library at the University of Pittsburgh. Horror Studies Collection Coordinator Ben…
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Episode 109- Ernesto and James: Portrait of a Killer Collection
Freddy's glove! Jason's machete! Jigsaw's mask! Leatherface's Chainsaw! Like any religion, horror and sci-fi movies can be such a spiritual experience for fans that props and costumes can become holy relics. Join my guests, James Azrael and Ernesto Avina, partners, and curators of The Horror &...
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Episode 108- He Was a TV Horror Host- Creature Features Legend John Stanley
Before the MCU became mainstream and before horror films won Oscars, Horror Hosts helped create the Monster Kid Culture and legitimize fandom and genre conventions. My guest, John Stanley, was not only the legendary host of Creature Features on KTVU-2 from 1979-1984, but also a novelist, film...
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Episode 107- Monstrous Music and Battle Hymns
Music and Horror are kindred spirits. And many of us love it when music and horror meet in the shadows of our imaginations. Join my guests, the hosts of the excellent DISCOVER THE HORROR PODCAST as we look at how we were attracted to the dark side of music, our influences, and how many different...
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Episode 106- Christmas Ghost Stories- 2021
Just when you thought all the festivities were over... There's one more gift under the horror tree for you! Keeping the old British tradition going, I've been reading ghost stories for Christmas over the last few years. Because Christmas and horror go together like cookies and milk and Santa! So,...
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Episode 105- Esprit de Obstacle Corpse with Hope Madden and George Wolf
Passion makes us do crazy things. For many lifelong horror fans, the love of the genre is so intense that being a spectator is no longer enough. These fans are compelled to have their creative voices heard. Some paint, others start podcasts, or they write articles and books. And then there are…
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Episode 104- Uncanny Traveler: Algernon Blackwood's Weird Fiction-with Scarlett Amaris
Skinwalkers! Psychic Vampires! Desert Gods! Cat People! Pagan Sex Beasts! Sentient Forests! Witchcraft! Ancient lands that Feed on humans! Mountain and Snow Goddesses! The Weird Fiction of the 19th and 20th Centuries paved the way for modern horror and science fiction, and one of the greatest...
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Episode 103- The Mad Love of Jay Michaels and Phoenix FearCon
For some of us, going a little crazy is just the time when life starts getting fun. Madness? Mania? Fanaticism? Call it what you like. I call it passion, and I am drawn to people who need to create something out of their mad love. The creation might seem crazy to the average person, but to those…
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Episode 102- Kat Ellinger & The Deep Woods of Folk Horror
The woods are nature at its most feral. The deep, dark forest is the original home of the boogeyman, long before there were dark closets and basements and that space under your bed. The Folk Horror subgenre has gained a new audience as more young filmmakers exploit the fine line between the…
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Episode 101- The Devil Made Them Do It- Hot Summer Nights at the Skyline Drive-In
Summer isn't over yet! And neither is my discussion of the passion of fandom and how it makes us do crazy things for what we love! In this episode, I talk with Joe Gaudin and Matt Masters, the owners of the Skyline Drive-in in Shelbyville, Indiana about how they took a dying drive-in and turned…
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Episode 100- Summer Nights and Dark Delights, Or, How Fandom Saved Your Soul
This is the "official" 100th episode of Hellbent for Horror! In this episode, I want to discuss PASSION, the driving force behind creativity, and the mad devotion to movies, art, and pop culture we call fandom. Fandom can make us seem crazy, but that mad passion can change lives, and I discuss…
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Episode 099- Season of the Witches- The Spinsters of Horror
Bela Lugosi got it right all those years ago when he said that it was women who truly love horror. My guests, The Spinsters of Horror, prove it with every episode of I Spit on Your Podcast, one of the sharpest, passionate, and fun shows around. Join us in a deep-dive geek conversation as we…
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Episode 098- Travel Prepared to Survive
Deserts are the natural world at its most supernatural. They are dangerous and merciless reminders that everything, including civilization, is temporary. Deserts remind us that we are one worldwide crisis away from entropy. A perfect location for horror movies! Join me as I discuss desert horror...
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Episode 097- Christmas Ghost Story 2020: The Derelict
Just when you thought all the celebration is over, H4H finds one last present hidden under the sofa! The Annual (although late) Christmas Ghost Story! Actually, it's more like it got kicked under the sofa by the amazing amount of chaos that this past year brought. This year we are offering you...
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Episode 096- Horror Double Feature- Part Two: Filmmakers Mike Watt and Amy Lynn Best
Halloween is NEVER over! H4H decided to keep the bone dance going for a few more days to raise our spirits! We survived the weirdness of Halloween 2020 and now we're in the final stretches of the Year the Wouldn't Die. H4H is doing a Horror Double Feature with two podcasts of extended…
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Episode 095- Horror Double Feature -Part One: The Unholy Three ft. Jon Kitley, Bryan Martinez, and S.A. Bradley
Halloween is a state of mind. We survived the weirdness of Halloween 2020 and now we're in the final stretches of the Year the Wouldn't Die. I think we all deserve a little more Halloween this year, so H4H is doing a Horror Double Feature with two podcasts of extended conversations with horror...
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Episode 094- The Two-Headed Monster of Horror and Science Fiction with Lisa Gorski
In the world of genre and fandom, the universal currency is passion. Fans of different genres normally would not mix, but there are areas of overlap, LIKE a GENRE VENN DIAGRAM. Join me and H4H producer, Lisa Gorski, as we discuss the overlap between two of the most passionate fandoms, HORROR AND...
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Episode 093- Again, Volatile Substance: Caligari Goes to the Oscars
2020 is the 100-year anniversary of 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari', the German Expressionism film that created the visual and thematic template for the modern horror movie. And I think it is very fitting that three films up for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year were horror films in...
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Episode 092-Death by Convenience: Part Two
Welcome to Part Two of my post-mortem on 2010-2019, the Decade of Dread! Was 2010 to 2019 an embarrassment of riches, or just an embarrassment? The honest answer is…BOTH. This is my deep dive into "the State of Horror" as we move towards a new decade and brace ourselves as we walk into the...
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Episode 091-Death by Convenience: Part One
It's a month into 2020 and the "terrible teens" are due for a post-mortem! There were huge changes in the world of entertainment in the years 2010 to 2019 and the horror genre was right in the middle of it all. The advent of streaming services and the popularizing of "binge-watching" changed the...
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Episode 090- Christmas Ghost Stories- 2019
Hello, my friends! Happy Holidays! I hope you got what you wanted for Christmas and Hanukkah! And...here's one last present that I was hiding behind the sofa! Last year I did a traditional Christmas ghost story reading. This is a tradition that harkens back to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol…
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Episode 089-Blood & Flesh & Obsession: Unearthing the Cult of Al Adamson
'Horror Film Director Found Slain, Buried Under Floor', screamed the August 1995 headline in The Los Angeles Times. From the 60s to the 80s, producer/director Al Adamson made cheap, crazy and effective exploitation films, like SATAN'S SADISTS and DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN for the drive-in market....
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Episode 088- Home of "DEPRAVED": The Larry Fessenden Interview
Great horror stories, like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, have universal appeal and artists can reinterpret them to reflect the anxieties of every generation. And on Friday, September 13th, legendary Independent Horror Auteur Larry Fessenden releases Depraved, his newest vision of the Frankenstein...
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Episode 087- Dinosaur Horror! Double Feature
Welcome to PART ONE of a podcast double-feature with the I Know Dino Podcast! Dragons! The xenomorph from Alien! The shark from Jaws! These monsters are descendants of real creatures that walked the earth- the dinosaur. Horror movies have used the dinosaur as a source for monsters since the…
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Hellbent for Horrible Questions: Sarah K. Reimers
The 6th Annual Etheria Film Night will be held on Saturday, June 29th at the legendary Egyptian Theatre, and H4H is celebrating with a series of interviews with the filmmakers! Etheria Film Night is the world's most prestigious showcase of new short genre (horror, science-fiction, fantasy…
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Episode 086- Horror Pride
Horror is an emotion first and a setting later. It's the only genre that is directly named after an emotion, and that gives horror a universal appeal. It also makes each person's experience and interpretation personal. We close out June, Pride Month, with a celebration of the contributions the...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
S.A. Bradley is here to remind you why you used to love horror movies...and you secretly still do!Hellbent for Horror combines horror history, personal observations, common themes, and cultural trends to tell a story with each episode. We talk about all things horror. The door swings wide here, and all types of horror are welcome. Each episode covers some aspect of the genre, with lots of viewing or reading suggestions for you to check out. We'll discuss horror movies, books, and comics, as well as how horror relates to our lives, why we like it, and what makes it one of the most diverse and beautiful storytelling styles we have.
HOSTED BY
S. A. Bradley
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Hellbent for Horror have?
Hellbent for Horror currently has 148 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Hellbent for Horror about?
S.A. Bradley is here to remind you why you used to love horror movies...and you secretly still do!Hellbent for Horror combines horror history, personal observations, common themes, and cultural trends to tell a story with each episode. We talk about all things horror. The door swings wide here, and...
How often does Hellbent for Horror release new episodes?
Hellbent for Horror publishes regularly with 148 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Hellbent for Horror?
You can listen to Hellbent for Horror on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Hellbent for Horror?
Hellbent for Horror is created and hosted by S. A. Bradley.
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