Scary’s Voices: Sound Bites for July 16th
Welcome back to Sound Bites where I highlight the best horror podcasts I’ve heard through the week. If you’re looking for content to haunt your earbuds, these podcasts are just what you need.
My Scream of the Week goes to:
The Night’s End Podcast
Sincere thanks to Luke Kondor (the brilliant mind behind Tales of What?! and other awesome podcasts) for suggesting I listen to The Night’s End Podcast – I did and it’s fantastic!
Blending narration and audio drama formats The Night’s End Podcast delivers chills and thrills one short story at a time. After hearing the most recent spinetingling tale (Season 2, Episode 28) “The Commuter” written by Meg Smith and narrated by Georgia Cook, I binged through past episodes and loved every minute. What I’ve enjoyed most is the variety of stories which range from quiet and mournful tales such as “Circle-Route” (written by Jamie D. Munro, narrated by James Barnett) to slasher-genre vibes as a frightening clown stalks a corn maze in “Murder Maze” (written by Jonathan Reddoch, narrated by David Martinez). The level of writing, narration, and audio effects are superb in every episode.
My favourite so far was a cosmic horror tale following a former Miskatonic University Professor who is forced to help two mysterious men search for an occult book in Season 1, Episode 7 “They Come Crawling” written by Logan Noble, narrated by James Barnett. Intense and creepy, the conclusion of this story actually made me gasp.
Another aspect of The Night’s End Podcast that makes it a must for podcast fans are the snippets of an interconnected narrative that begin each episode. In Season 1, listeners meet Jimmy Horrors, a sort of Crypt Keeper type character, who lives in a cave with unique stories hidden behind unusual doors. Starting with Season 2, Episode 2 “Blinky,” the audience and Jimmy are taken down a mysterious elevator which leads to a spooky mansion filled with ghosts who have their own tales to tell before the title story begins. You don’t have to listen to the episodes in order, but it certainly adds to the overall experience if you do.
The Night’s End Podcast is created and produced by the incredibly talented James Barnett (aka Jimmy Horrors). Each week a new episode is released, with a typical runtime of less than 30 minutes. Find the show on your favourite podcast platform or listen to them directly on their website www.nightsendpodcast.com
Shiver-Worthy Runner-Up:
Scaredy Cats
I love thinking about horror movies. From storylines to acting, set design to soundtracks, there are so many aspects that must be on point to make a film really work. So, when I found a podcast digging into all these areas on some of my favourite horror flicks, I hoped I was in for a treat. And, wow, I was delighted!
Scaredy Cats, hosted by fellow Canadian, Scaredy Sherri, goes beyond a simple movie review. In each episode, Sherri invites other film fans to talk about one specific movie, diving into why it worked, what could have been better, its impact on other pieces of cinema, as well as what it may have borrowed from other films. These conversations are not only entertaining and informative but also have that authentic feel of sitting around with friends and talking about things we love.
Two of my favourite episodes so far have been “Poltergeist” (1982) where Sherri was joined by Crystal and Jon, and “Hereditary” (2018) which included the show’s friends Chandler, Katie, and Ryan. The families and themes of these two films couldn’t be more different, which I think really shows the assortment Scaredy Cats offers. Sherri and her guests aren’t afraid to get into the deep dark trenches of grief, but they don’t hold back on being silly or touching upon more lighthearted topics either.
Since these discussions cover everything about the episode’s subject film, it’s best to be familiar with the movie before listening if you want to avoid spoilers. There are several episodes to choose from, and I’d suggest starting this show with whichever film you enjoy most. I’m sure you’ll be hooked!
Two new episodes are released each month, and if you follow Scaredy Cats on Twitter, you’ll know what movie will be featured next. The show is available on most podcast platforms, or find them via BuzzSprout www.scaredycats.buzzsprout.com
That’s a wrap for this week’s Sound Bites!
As always, thanks so much to the awesome podcast listeners and creators who have been sending me terrific recommendations. Keep them coming via the comments section below, or direct messaging on Twitter or Instagram (links below). I can’t promise I’ll enjoy every podcast you throw my way, but I’ll give everyone a fair shot.
Remember, I’m all about scary things and spooky podcasts are what I’m after. Content focused on reviewing horror movies and horror books, true paranormal encounters, facts about cryptids, true crimes, and original scary stories are exactly what I want to hear.
Can’t wait to listen to all the dark podcasts you fine fiends suggest, and I hope you’ll join me next Friday for more Sound Bites.
J.A. Sullivan
J. A. Sullivan is a horror writer and paranormal enthusiast, based in Brantford, ON, Canada. Attracted to everything non-horror folks consider strange, she’s spent years as a paranormal investigator, has an insatiable appetite for serial killer information, and would live inside a library if she could.
As curator of “Scary’s Voices” on Kendall Reviews, an article series reviewing horror podcasts, Sullivan loves listening to all things spooky. If you have a horror podcast recommendation, let her know.
On top of contributing short stories to Kendall Reviews, her fiction has appeared in Don’t Open the Door (2019), It Came From The Darkness (2020), and she acted as an assistant editor for Black Dogs, Black Tales (2020). Other spooky tales and updates on her writing journey can be found on her blog.
You can follow J. A. on Twitter @ScaryJASullivan
Check out her blog https://writingscaredblog.wordpress.com
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
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