Discover the Horror Podcast

Even the Wind is Afraid (1968), Darker Than Night (1975), and Poison for the Fairies (1986)
Mexican Director Carlos Enrique Taboada may not be the best known name to American horror fans, but he has made some films which are considered classics of the Mexican horror world. Which is why we decided to tackle 3 of this films in this episode. These films are fascinating as they are modern stories but wrapped in a gothic blanket.
This episode is a little different for us, as we didn't pick films that we necessarily loved.  In fact, many of these films were first time watches for us. When on your path of Discovering the Horror, you might stumble across a new name or film that you've never heard of. And as we always preach, even if you don't put them into any personal top ten lists, there is usually something in there worthy of your attention. That's the fun part of the journey, to always be seeking out new things.
Join us as we discuss 3 titles that may not get much attention in the United State, that we feel are worth your attention, and as we into films from a country not especially know for horror in the 70s and 80s. 
Films mentioned in this episode:
Alucarda (1977), The Blood of Nostradamus (1962), Cronos (1992), The Curse of Nostradamus (1961), Darker Than Night (1975), Destroyer of Monsters (1962), Even the Wind is Afraid (1968), Genii of Darkness (1962), The Hell of Frankenstein (1960), Poison for the Fairies (1986), Rapini (1975), El Vampiro (1957), The Witch's Mirror (1962)

Horror films are a unique genre because they can have a profound effect on the viewer. They can literally change lives, leaving such a strong impression that something shifts in the psyche. Whether it makes someone afraid to go in the water, uneasy around bugs, frightened by Frankenstein's creature, or just generally on edge, these films can have a lasting impact.
They are meant to scare us, but for some, they remain harmless entertainment. For others, certain films reach much deeper, lingering in the mind long after the credits roll. And yet, we keep coming back for more.
Do these films help us confront our fears? Do they help us overcome them? Can they serve as a way to process real-world trauma, something made easier to face when it exists within the safe boundaries of a movie?
Join us for this episode as we explore the films that have had a lasting impact on us, along with others that have left a powerful mark on audiences.
Movies mentioned in this episode:
The Blob (1958), Bring Her Back (2025), Cannibal Ferox (1981), Cannibal Holocaust (1980), Day of the Dead (1985), The Deep House (2021), The Exorcist (1973), Faces of Death (1978), Frankenstein (1931), Friday the 13th (1980), Guinea Pig (1981), Gravity (2013), Halloween (1978), Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), Hereditary (2018), Infested (2023), Irreversible (2002), Jaws (1977), King Kong (2005), Last House on the Left (1972), Marathon Man (1976), Mondo Magic (1975), Nekromantik (1988), Night of the Lepus (1972), Night of the Living Dead (1968), Old Boy (2003), The Omen (1976), Open Water (2003), The Orphanage (2007), Paranormal Activity (2007), Pet Sematary 91989), Piranha (1978), Psycho (1960), Relic (2020), Requiem for a Dream (2000), Ringu (1998), Scream (1996), A Serbian Film (2010), Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Trouble Every Day (2001)

It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955), The Monster that Challenged the World (1957), and The Giant Gila Monster (1959)
There is something special about this decade, one that gave us so many sci-fi / horror films, with plenty of incredible monsters, whether they came from outer space, or right here from our backyard. And thanks to atomic energy, those monsters tended to be big ones! In fact... GIANT ONES! Just imagine a creature, from bugs to animals, and I'm sure someone in the 1950s made a movie about them- one where they were bigger and angrier!
In this episode, we take a look at three different examples, each using a different method to bring its humongous beast to life, from stop-motion animation, to practical mechanical effects, to the good old-fashioned approach of using a real creature with undersized sets. No matter how they did it, all of these films deliver some damn fine entertainment. So grab the popcorn, crank up your rock 'n' roll, and sit back for some fun!
Movies mentioned in this episode:
13 Ghosts (1960), Aliens (1986), The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), Attack of the Puppet People (1958), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Clash of the Titans (1981), Conquest of Space (1955), Creature with the Atom Brain (1955), Cult of the Cobra (1955), Curse of the Undead (1959), Dazed and Confused (1993), Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974), Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), The Giant Claw (1957), The Giant Gila Monster (1959), Gila! (2012), The Green Berets (1968), Gremlins 2 (1984), Fantastic Voyage (1966), The Fly (1958), Frankenstein 1970 (1958), Horror at Party Beach (1964), The Howling (1981), It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), The Killer Shrews (1959), The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959), The Monster that Challenged the World (1957), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Mr. Sardonicus (1961), The Spider (1958), Tarantula (1955), Teenage Zombies (1959), Them! (1954), Thing from Another World (1951), This Island Earth (1955), This Stuff'll Kill Ya! (1971), The Time Machine (1960), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Tormented (1960), The Vampire (1957), War of the Colossal Beast (1958), The Werewolf (1956), Zombies of Mora Tau (1957)

House of Usher (1960), The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), and The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
In the beginning of his career as a producer / director Roger Corman was known for cranking out cheap and fast black and white pictures that always made money. He worked in all genres, but it was mainly the horror and sci-fi pictures in the mid to late '60s he was known for. All that changed in 1960, when he convinced AIP to let him adapt a story from Edgar Allan Poe, but in color, with a bigger budget, and longer shooting schedule. That started a new phase of Corman's career, which also made an even bigger star of Vincent Price.
In this episode, we take a deep dive into three of these Poe adaptations, and not necessarily looking in the faithfulness of them, but in their production, the incredible casts, the look, the style, as well as the feel of them. They really do get better each and every time you watch them. Hopefully after listening to this episode, you'll decide to either venture down this dark path for the first time, or take a revisit to admire the doom and gloom they all have.
Films mentioned in this episode:
The Big Bird Cage (1972), Black Sunday (1960), Chinatown (1974), City of the Dead (1960), Countess Dracula (1971), Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011), Death Race 2000 (1975), Don't Look Now (1973), Duel (1971), Five Guns West (1955), The Fly (1958), Gunslinger (1956), The Haunted Palace (1963), Horror Hospital (1973), House on Haunted Hill (1959), House of Usher (1960), House of Wax (1953), Humanoids from the Deep (1980), Intruder (1962), It Conquered the World (1956), The Legend of Hell House (1973), Little Shop of Horrors (1960), Masque of the Red Death (1964), Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954), Naked Paradise (1957), Not of this Earth (1957), Pit Stop (1969), Piranha (1978), The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), Premature Burial (1962), Psycho (1960), The Raven (1963), Return of the Fly (1959), Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979), The Seventh Seal (1957), Swamp Women (1956), Tales of Terror (1962), The Terror (1963), The Tingler (1959), Trilogy of Terror (1975), The Wasp Women (1959)

In My Skin (2002), Inside (2007), and Martyrs (2008)
While the French aren't widely known for their horror films, when they do enter the genre, it's often something special. A perfect example is Georges Franju's Eyes Without a Face (1960). With its stark realism and dark themes, it established a tone of discomfort and unease that still feels powerful today.
In the early 2000s, a new wave of younger filmmakers took that sense of unease and pushed it much further, deliberately testing the limits of what audiences could tolerate. These films were often graphic, sometimes over-the-top, and frequently dealt with disturbing subject matter that lingered even when the violence or gore wasn't shown onscreen. Often, it wasn't what you saw that was hardest to watch, but the subject itself and the way it was presented.
In this episode, we take on three titles that demonstrate the range of this movement, from deeply subversive and uncomfortable subject matter to films that push gore to extreme levels, while still challenging the viewer intellectually and emotionally. These are films that don't just shock in the moment, they can leave you unsettled for days after they end. That's powerful filmmaking.
Films mentioned in this episode:
Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001), Calvaire (2004), Dark Touch (2013), Diabolique (1955), Eyes Without A Face (1960), Frontier(s) (2007), Get Out (2017), High Tension (2003), The Horde (2009), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), In My Skin (2002), Inside (2007), Irreversible (2002), I Stand Alone (1998), Martyrs (2008), The Phantom of Liberty (1974), Raw (2016), Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom (1975), Scream (1996), The Shining (1980), The Tall Man (2012), Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), Them (2006), Trouble Every Day (2001)