Black Sunday (1960), Blood and Black Lace (1964), and A Bay of Blood (1971)

There are films by certain directors that are truly iconic—classics of the genre we sometimes assume everyone has already seen. But it’s easy to forget that, right now, there are fans just beginning their journey into horror. Whether due to age or a newfound curiosity, they’re taking their first steps into the genre.

For those unfamiliar with him, we’d like to introduce one of horror’s true maestros: Mario Bava. And for those already acquainted with his work, maybe it’s time for a revisit—to once again be stunned by what he brings to the screen. If it’s been a few years, you may find yourself seeing things in a whole new way. That’s one of the beautiful things about cinema.

The three films we’ve chosen highlight important parts of Bava’s career and show how his work helped shape entire subgenres—from gothic horror to giallo to the slasher film. Whether you’re discovering him for the first time or coming back for a fresh look, these films are a perfect place to begin.

One quick correction: Edgar Wallace was a British writer, not American.

Films mentioned in this episode:

Baron Blood (1972), A Bay of Blood (1971), Black Sabbath (1963), Black Sunday (1960), Blood and Black Lace (1964), Caltiki the Immortal Monster (1959), The Church (1989), Creature with the Blue Hand (1967), Curse of the Crying Woman (1963), Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Danger: Diabolik (1968), The Day the Sky Exploded (1958), Death Walks at Midnight (1972), Death Walks in High Heels (1971), Deep Red (1975), The Demon (1982), Demons (1985), Django Kill…If You Live, Shoot! (1967), Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932), Erik the Conqueror (1961), Eyeball (1975), The Four of the Apocalypse (1975), Frankenstein ’80 (1972), Frankenstein Island (1981), Friday the 13th (1980), Friday the 13th (1981), The Giant of Marathon (1959), The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963), The Great Silence (1968), Hatchet for a Honeymoon (1970), Hercules in the Haunted World (1961), Horror of Dracula (1958), Inferno (1980), I Vampiri (1957), Knives of the Avenger (1966), Long Hair of Death (1964), Night Child (1975), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), Planet of the Vampires (1965), Psycho (1960), She (1965), Shock (1977), Suspiria (1977), Thunderball (1965), The Toolbox Murders (1978), Torso (1973), The Whip and the Body (1963), Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972)

As horror fans, it's hard enough trying to keep up with all the movies—let alone the memorabilia and collectibles—but just imagine having to live with one of us!

In this episode, we've invited our wives onto the show to share their perspectives—not just on living with a slightly obsessive fan, but on how they've come to embrace the genre themselves.

You'll hear how they became fans in their own right, and what kinds of films still give them the shivers. As you'll learn, being a horror fan has evolved into a shared experience—a communal passion that binds us together. While we might not all love the same titles, we all agree on one thing: this genre rules.

We welcome Kat AuBuchon, Jenn Glonek, and Dawn Kitley as they join us to help Discover the Horror!

Films Mentioned in this episode:

August Underground (2001), August Underground’s Mordum (2003), Cannibal Ferox (1981), Carcinoma (2014), Deadly Games aka Dial Code Santa Clause (1989), Demoniacs (1974), The Descent (2005), Flesh for Frankenstein (1973), Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971), Frankenstein (1931), Friday the 13th (1980), Funny Games (1997), The Godfather (1972), Gods of the Deep (2023), Godzilla (1954), Halloween (1978), Halloween II (1981), Halloween V: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989), Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), Hard Ticket to Hawaii (1987), High Tension (2003), Hostel (2005), Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009), Inside (2007), Longlegs (2024), Mandy (2018), Nekromantik (1988), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Psycho (1960), Oddity (2024), One Missed Call (2008), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), The Redsin Tower (2006), The Rule of Jenny Penn (2025), Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975), Scream (1996), A Serbian Film (2010), Session 9 (2001), Sleepaway Camp (1983), Society (1989), Sting of Death (1966), The Substance (2024), The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014), Terrifier (2016), Terror Firmer (1999), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), The Thing (1982), Three on a Meathook (1972), Tromeo and Juliet (1996), Two Evil Eyes (1990), Without Warning (1980), Z.A.A.T. (1971)

Hardware (1990), Death Machine (1994), and Event Horizon (1997)

The 1990s are often thought of as a decade of dread for horror fans—not because of what was on the screen, but because nothing good supposedly came out of it. Or at least, that’s the typical response. But as we continue down the path to Discover the Horror, we’re starting to realize that what we remember about the past isn’t always accurate—whether it's based on our own memories or what we were told.

When you really dig into those ten years, there's actually a lot of great stuff that came out—even just here in the U.S. And when you look beyond to international horror, it gets even better. Browse through the list and you’re bound to say, “Oh yeah, I forgot about that one.”

In this episode, we decided to tackle that decade and picked three titles that, as it turns out, share some very similar themes. And we think all three are well worth watching.

Films mentioned in this episode:

Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Batman Returns (1992), The Blair Witch Project (1999), The Boneyard (1991), Braindead (1992), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Candyman (1992), Cronos (1992), Day of the Dead (1985), Death Machine (1994), Dellamorte Dellamore (1994), The Descent (2005), Dr. Giggles (1992), Dust Devil (1992), Event Horizon (1997), Evil Dead 2 (1987), The Exorcist (1973), Faces of Death (1978), Freeway (1996), Goodfellas (1990), Godzilla (1998), Gravity (2013), Halloween (1978), Halloween H20 (1998), Hardware (1990), Hellraiser (1987), Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992), High Tension (2003), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), In the Mouth of Madness (1994), Judge Dredd (1995), Jurassic Park (1993), Lord of Illusion (1995), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994), Meet the Feebles (1989), Mimic (1997), Misery (1990), The Mummy (1999), Nightbreed (1990), Pulp Fiction (1994), The Princess Bride (1987), Reign of Fire (2002), The Resurrected (1991), Return of the Living Dead (1985), Return to Splatter Farm (2020), Ringu (1998), Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Star Wars (1977), Thelma & Louise (1991), The Thing (1982), Valentine (2001), Warning Sign (1985), Willow (1988)