Its a familiar story for anyone who is fan of horror cinema: the story of a young director, with no film experience, no money, and no industry know-how, who wrangles up some friends, a camera, and some borrowed money from his community, and goes out and makes a cult classic film that catapults them to a successful career in the larger film world. But for every Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson or Tobe Hooper, there are the directors who went out and made a movie, but it ultimately led them no where. Well, sometimes those movies have a life that these filmmakers never could have imagined. In this episode, we explore the 1962 cult classic film Carnival of Souls, a gorgeously shot and eerie masterpiece, and the bright eyed director who had only previously made educational films. This movie went on to inspire everything from Night of the Living Dead, Eraserhead, and so much more, but not without first experiencing an unforseen rise to cult classic status.

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In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho introduced the world to the future of my horror. But before the genre would embrace it, it would first confront it's very origins with a boom of Gothic Horror films that would make icons out of people like Vincent Price, Barbara Steele, and Christopher Lee. Perhaps no one would have a greater impact on this era of the macabre than Roger Corman, the b-movie king whose adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe's classic works changed horror forever. Perhaps nonemoreso than his 1961 classic The Pit and the Pendulum. This week on Years of Fear, we explore the legacy of Corman, Poe, Vincent Price, and the gothic horror films of the early 1960s.

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In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho ushered in the modern era of horror filmmaking. But in order for the film to make the impact that Hitch wanted, he was going to need to overcome several massive obstacles to fulfill his vision. Whether it was the censor board, struggles with the music editing, or the very way that films were screened at the time, it was all going to be an uphill battle. Join us for the conclusion to our two-part debut episode on Psycho.

Stick around to the end to hear the announcement for our 1961 episode, which will be released on 11/13/2025.

If you want to get in touch with the show, you can reach us at yearsoffearpodcast@gmail.com