The 1990’s was a tough time for American horror movies.

But, while the Drive-Ins died and horror movies disappeared from the movie theaters, there was one safe haven left for the horror fan: The Independent Video Store.

The gates have been stormed at the H4H compound!

And the result is our first Wretched Round Table, a discussion between four listeners and myself! Listen in as Dan Strauss, Doug Lipski, Kris Zimmerman, and Timothy Gruscinski share their passions and their stories around the "First Kiss" and more.

I’m thinking about things that feast on us.

The fear of being eaten is primal, and dates back to our caveman days when we were on the menu for all the big predators.

Being bested by a one-celled organism can really put a person in his or her place. In this episode I talk about REAL body horror, specifically the horror of outbreaks of illness. Epidemics. Pandemics.

What are you dressing up as for Halloween? I have some ideas...

This month I went to the Sinister Creature Con in Sacramento, CA. This convention focuses on the technicians behind the shock effects, and it’s filled with artists demonstrating their work and their passion for everyone to see.

Have you gotten your Halloween scare yet?

In this episode, I give a selection of movies to watch for this Halloween season.

My Halloween celebration has a soundtrack.

And, along with all the standards, I collect “non-traditional” horror songs; ones that induce dread, or shock, maybe even fear.

My biggest thrill doing this podcast is getting to talk to people about this stuff. I really want to start conversations with you...and now I get to! Recently, an H4H listener named Bradley J. Kornish started an email conversation with me. I decided it would be fun to do a phone interview with another passionate horror fan!

Movies last a couple of hours, but you spend significant time with a book. Reading is a direct upload of words that transition into your own images that go right to your brain. It can be powerful. And horror books let you live with the scare and the thrill for days!

In this special edition of Hellbent for Horror I review the new movie Blair Witch 2016, directed by Alex Wingard.

In this episode, I talk about John Carpenter’s contributions to great movies and great art, and those two times that not only altered the course of horror films, but also altered his career and his legacy.

Why is Silence of the Lambs billed as a “psychological thriller,” and not a horror film? It looks and acts like a horror movie. Or is it that when movies hit it big with the general culture that we can’t label them horror movies? I think there are lots of examples of movies billed as “thrillers,” or “suspense,” or even “drama” that are actually horror movies, and in this podcast I begin calling some out.

Horror stories are supposed to upset the apple cart.

Great stories captivate us. Some narratives are timeless. Some comment on the times in which they’re born. And some stories are timeless because their meanings change with time. Stories can be great in themselves, but sometimes they resonate with something we experienced, our times, our culture, our politics. And sometimes, that isn’t pretty at all.

Recently I traveled to Iceland, and I spoke with and interviewed several Icelanders about their native horror folklore and legends.

Continuing with the horror and music theme, I’m focusing this episode on Heavy Metal music.

This hugely popular music bears the brunt of accusations of satanic imagery and messages.