Scary’s Voices: Sound Bites for August 6th
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 Witchery Podcast
Lots of us are huge horror movie fans. We can spout off filmography lists for actors and directors, identify films from clips of theme songs, and some of us can even recite dialogue from our favourite scenes. But how much do you know about the horrors behind the movies you love? Tune in to The Witchery Podcast to find the space where fictional terrors meet true-life horrors.
Hosted by Jess Coombs from South Africa and Eliza Power from the UK, this show takes a deep dive into real events that have inspired the creepiest film moments, digs into allegations of cursed sets, and uncovers the unsettling truths about humanity concealed in our beloved genre. Each episode focuses on one specific movie, delivers a brief plot synopsis, and then explores the story behind the story.
When I saw the first episode of The Witchery Podcast was covering The Serpent and the Rainbow, I had a feeling I had found something special, and I was right. From discussing the foundations of Voodoo to real substances which can turn people into living zombies, as well as Wes Craven’s disturbing party experience while scouting locations in Haiti, the hosts delivered an incredibly informative and entertaining episode.
I’ve listened to quite a few other episodes as well, and this show just keeps getting better and better. I particularly enjoyed Episode 11: Rosemary’s Baby and Episode 12: The Conjuring 2 which covers subjects such as sexual politics and the true story of the Enfield Poltergeist. Besides presenting a wonderful conversation, the hosts also provide recommended book and film titles at the end of each episode which expands on the themes and subjects they’ve touched upon.
Episodes vary in length but generally run between 1 to 1.5 hours. You can listen to The Witchery Podcast on most platforms or directly on their website https://www.witcherypodcast.com/
Shiver-Worthy Runner-Up:
The Horror Booth
For a different sort of look behind cinematic horrors, you should check out The Horror Booth podcast hosted by actress Emily Booth. Her experience on film sets and as a TV presenter gives Emily a unique perspective into our favourite genre.
This is a new podcast with only four episodes out at the moment, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the first three and have the newest queued up and ready for listening. The first episode starts with a bang as the Twisted Twins, Jen and Sylvia Soska, join Emily to talk about their filmography, taboos surrounding body modification, and all things body horror. In the second episode, The Horror Booth welcomes Barbara Crampton, Danielle Harris, Tiffany Shepis, and Kate Davies to an insightful discussion on balancing motherhood and working in horror. And if you love the Indie Horror Scene, be sure to listen to episode 3 for a fun and engaging interview with director Jake West.
In the newest episode, listeners will hear from Alan Jones, Paul McEvoy, Greg Day, and Ian Rattray about their experience of running the UK’s horror festival “FrightFest” and I’m sure it’ll be a blast.
So far, The Horror Booth episodes have runtimes between 1 to 1.5 hours. You can find the show on a few platforms, with links to all of them on BuzzSprout
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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