Scary’s Voices – Sound Bites
Week Ending 26th March 2021
Welcome to back 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:
Pint O’ Comics
Pint O’ Comics is a podcast I’ve enjoyed for a long time. Started by John “Ganache” Amenta and Lloyd “The Manster” Green, this show discusses TV shows, movies, comics, gaming, and general geekdom. They’ve expanded their team through the years, and invite regular guests, but have always maintained a terrific listening experience with great banter and a perfect mix of nostalgia and current pop culture trends.
Horror fans should check out the episode “Batteries and Buttons (Mom and Dad)” where Ganache, Manster, and friends of the show Scary Larry, Sean, and Mike dive into the 2018 movie Mom and Dad starring Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair. If you haven’t seen this film before, you should watch it before listening as the discussion treads in spoiler territory (plus, it’s a great movie). Before getting into the film, the guys “Gauge their Cage” by talking about the highs and lows of the actor’s career and wrap up the episode by rating the movie using Lance Henriksen instead of stars.
By scrolling through their other episode titles, you’ll have plenty to choose from, like the top 10 albums of the 80’s, games of “Pick Your Poison,” discussions on pro-wrestling fandom, and lots of movie reviews (many are horror flicks, but they include other genres as well). Whichever you choose, you’re in for a fun time.
Episodes range in length from 1.5 to 2 hours, and content is added each week. Pint O’ Comics is available on most podcast platforms, as well as on YouTube which includes closed captioning. Find all the links and a whole lot more on their website www.pintocomics.com
Shiver-Worthy Runners-Up:
Staring Into the Abyss
Talking about books is one of my favourite things and while there are a lot of podcasts in this arena Staring Into the Abyss has an edge that sets them apart. Hosts Richard Gerlach, Michael Patrick Hicks, and Matt Brandenburg not only review specific books, but also dissect the workings of horror subgenres and tackle short stories.
In a recent episode titled “The Rifle” the hosts and their guest Jeremy Robert Johnson discuss Jack Ketchum’s short story of the same name. It’s a fantastic story and the guys dig into what makes it work, the fears of parenthood, and other books and movies (like We Need to Talk About Kevin) which deal with similar themes. Other past episodes cover books ranging from well-established writers to new authors and include both mainstream and independently published materials.
New episodes drop every Thursday, with runtimes ranging from 1.5 to 2 hours, and all include a segment where the hosts talk about their latest reads and recommendations. Staring Into the Abyss is available on most podcast platforms, on YouTube with closed captioning, and you can find all the links on their website www.staringintotheabyss.libsyn.com
The Battersea Poltergeist by BBC Radio 4
My last recommendation of the week was suggested by my Twitter friend @MediumAtomic, and if you love paranormal encounters, you need to listen to The Battersea Poltergeist from BBC Radio 4.
Journalist and host Danny Robins re-examines the disturbing incidents of the Battersea Poltergeist which took place in South London in the 1950s. Using case notes from the original paranormal investigator Harold Chibbett, this 8-episode series presents dramatic re-enactments of activity experienced by the Hitchings Family, plus includes real interview segments with Shirley Hitchings who seemed to be the centre of the poltergeist activity when she was only 15 years old. Robins also talks about the case with experts Ciaran O’Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow.
Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, The Battersea Poltergeist is a fantastic series sure to have you second guessing every bump you hear in the night. All 8 episodes run just under an hour each and are available now on most streaming platforms. You should also check out the additional sound clips and photo gallery on the BBC’s website The Story Of The Battersea Poltergeist
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 you’ll join me next Friday for a special spotlight post on Scary’s Voices.
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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