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Years of Fear is a horror history podcast that explores the movies that shaped horror, the people that made them, and the culture that made them possible. Each episode centers on the most important horror films of every year, beginning in 1960 with the first true Slasher film and all the way through the modern era.
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There are few things more immediately associated with horror cinema than gruesome images of blood and gore. But it wasn't always like this. For the first 60 years of the film genre, there was very little gore to be found on screen at all. But this all changed in 1963 with a movie that painted the genre blood red forever, Blood Feast! In this episode of Years of Fear, we are exploring the relationship of gore and horror going all the way back to the late 19th century in France, the movie that introduced the idea of gore to cinema, and the man who had only previously directed sleazy sexploitation films who changed horror forever. If you want to get in touch with us, you can email the show at yearsoffearpodcast@gmail.com, or on Instagram at @Yearsoffear
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. If you want to get in touch with us, you can email the show at yearsoffearpodcast@gmail.com, or on Instagram at @Yearsoffear
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. If you want to get in touch with the show, you can reach us at yearsoffearpodcast@gmail.com
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
In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock released Psycho, a bold new sort of horror film that shocked audience's with it's sequences of murder and depravity, including a shower stabbing sequence that is firmly in the canon of iconic film moments. But where did this cinematic burst of bloodlust come from? In part 1 of our debut episode of Years of Fear, we explore the evolution of the first 60+ years of onscreen violence and death that lead up to Janet Leigh's iconic death sequence. We also explore the film's director, his early career, and the artistic dead end that made Psycho possible. Join us for the beginning of our journey of the first four years of 1960s Horror Cinema. Correction: contrary to what we say at the end of the episode, you can reach us via email at yearsoffearpodcast@gmail.com
From the creator of Toxic Schlock comes "Years of Fear: A History of Horror", a horror history podcast that explores the movies that shaped horror, the people that made them, and the culture that made them possible. Every episode explores the most important horror film of the year, beginning in 1960 with Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. This preview clip of the show's debut episode, which premieres on 10/23/2025, sets the table for the beginning of the world's entry into a new world of fear. Follow us on Instagram
We wrap up our final mini series with an exploration of the South Korean monster movie modern classic THE HOST! We explore the controversial events that inspired the film, and the cultural influences that director Bong Joon-Ho mirrored in the fim. We're then joined by friend of the show Jesse Akman to discuss Korean cinema, Bong Joon-Ho, and all things the HOST. Stick around after the episode to hear the final words from host Michael Kent as Toxic Schlock comes to a close and discusses future horror related projects.
Our Monster Movie series enters the golden age of practical FX with an exploration of David Cronenberg's 1986 classic THE FLY! We covered Cronenberg's early career in our episode on THE BROOD during our Body Horror series, and now we follow it up with a deep dive into his incredible run of Scanners, Videodrome, and the Dead Zone, leading to his botched attempt at TOTAL RECALL, and the tragedy that made his work on The Fly possible. We're then joined by returning guest Sam Sutherland (155 Podcast) to discuss Cronenberg, Canadian horror, practical FX, and the many allegorical readings of the Fly! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
Our Monster Movie series continues with a deep dive on the king of all monsters GODZILLA! We explore the slew of tragic historical events that led to the inception of the 1954 Kaiju classic GOJIRA, the early life of director Ishiro Honda, and the cultural impact left in the film's wake. We're then joined by Winston Ward of the fantastic magazine and podcast INFINITE WORLDS to discuss the history, evolution, and legacy of one of cinema's most iconic creations. Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
In a very special bonus Monster Movie episode, John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats) returns to the show to discuss 50s b-movies, the evolution and perception of Monster Movies, MST3K, and his film pick, the 1958 gem THE CRAWLING EYE. As we discuss in the intro, since this was a last minute addition to our Monster Movie series, this episode skips our usual historical/cultural background section and jumps straight to our deep dive into all things CRAWLING EYE! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
Our special Halloween bonus episode has come around once more, and Michael is again joined by his wife Sam, but this time around, they do a ranking of the Halloween franchise!! Its not as bad as they make it sound in the episode, and most of the Halloween movies have some great moments, but its also a series with some absolute absurdity in between them. Where do Rob Zombie's remake films rank in the series? What about Halloween Kills? Only one way to find out! Evil Dies Tonight! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
We kick off our final Toxic Schlock mini series on Monster movies by going back to where it all started: FRANKENSTEIN! We explore the early life of author Mary Shelly and the road to the creation of her debut novel, and how it ended up in 1931 as the most iconic horror film of all time. We're then joined by the hosts of Horror Vanguard to discuss Shelley, Boris Karloff, and the politics (and many adaptations) of Frankenstein! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
In the early 20th century, HP Lovecraft revolutionized horror literature by bringing horror to a cosmic level of despair and incorporating a philosophical level of pessimism to mankind's place in uncaring universe. This concept has been expanded and developed in recent decades, with authors like Thomas Ligotti and Eugene Thacker helping bring cosmic horror into mainstream pop culture like True Detective and Jay-Z music videos. In a special between season episode, we are joined by Tomas Lindberg of Swedish Death Metal icons At The Gates to discuss Lovecraft, cosmic horror, pessimist philosophy, and their influence on the upcoming At The Gates album "The Nightmare of Being" Stick around after the interview to hear the announcement of our upcoming listener's choice mini series, where you can vote for what you want us to cover in our next mini series! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
In 1693, the infamous Salem Witch Trials ended in nineteen innocent people being executed. Although this is the most famous case of witch killings in America, the decades before showed New England being gripped by Witchcraft with hysteria, with accounts of alleged demonic possessions and subsequent executions, setting a precedent for the Salem controversies that followed. We end our series on Satan in horror with an exploration of the cases of Elizabeth Knapp and Goody Ann Glover, where religious paranoia gripped entire communities. We are then joined by Meredith Graves (Kickstarter Music, ex-Perfect Pussy/MTV News) to discuss Robert Egger's modern classic film The VVitch. We discuss the film's profound historical authenticity, magick and witchcraft in contemporary culture, the failings of a puritan patriarchal culture and how it fails eldest daughters, the wide cultural impact of the film, and much much more. The conversation with Meredith begins at 19:30 Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
The 1980s was an era defined by fear of Satan and the Occult, with a prevailing sentiment that we were all surrounded by an evil cabal of devil worshippers. Regardless of the fact that this was fiction, it shaped culture for years to come. In 2009, Ti West released the film THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, where we see what it would like if these evil cults were real. In today's episode of Toxic Schlock we explore what led to the Satanic Panic, and how it shaped an era. We're then joined by Scott Hicks of NC punk band Totally Slow to discuss Ti West's film, and its approach to 1980s aesthetics, nostalgia, and cinema. Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
Our series on Satan in Horror rolls on with an exploration of the iconic 1976 classic THE OMEN! We dive into the rise of doomsday conspiracy theories in the early 1970s, and how this speculation completely changed the landscape of both mainstream religion and pop culture forever. We're then joined by returning guest Chris Colohan to discuss The Omen, it's iconic soundtrack, the self written mythology of a cursed production, how it compares to it's predecessors like ROSEMARY'S BABY and THE EXORCIST, and its cultural footprint on horror! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
Raise those horns and invert those crosses, because we're kicking off our series on SATAN in Horror with an exploration of the 1968 all-time classic film ROSEMARY'S BABY. We dig into the early history of the devil in pop culture, the original novel's author Ira Levin, b-movie director William Castle's bid to make an adaptation, and director Roman Polanski's traumatic early life experiences. After that, we're joined by Ivotres Littles to discuss the film, it's incredible performances, it's place as the origin of high brow horror, its impact on the wave of blasphemous horror films to follow and much more! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
We bring our slasher series to a close with a deep dive into the film that redefined and resurrected the genre, Wes Craven's 1996 blockbuster "SCREAM". We explore the career of Craven, his continuous impact on the genre for 3 decades in a row, and the path to his 90s masterpiece . We're then joined by Tom Breihan (Stereogum, Av Club) to discuss the film's stacked cast, the John Hughes-esque writing of Kevin Williamson, the sad state of slasher cinema in the early 1990s, and how SCREAM's meta horror approach redefined the genre for a new generation. Stick around after the interview, where we'll reveal our new mini season! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
Pack your sleeping bag, because this week we are going to Camp Crystal Lake for a deep dive into the most iconic Slasher film series of all time: FRIDAY THE 13TH! We explore the film's original HALLOWEEN knock off origins, Shaun Cunningham's early career with Wes Craven, the invention of Jason, Tom Savini's FX, and it's impact on the Slasher genre. After that, Inge Johansson (Gatuplan, ex-Against Me/Totalt Java Morker/ The International Noise Conspiracy) returns to the show to discuss the best Friday film: The Final Chapter, and we answer the immortal question "hey ted, where the hell's the corkscrew?" Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
We continue our Slasher series with a deep dive into one of the best and most important horror films of all time THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. We kick it off by exploring the early life of director Tobe Hooper, the real life inspirations behind the film, and the shoestring budget under which it was created. We're then joined by Sam Sutherland (155, Extremely Online, Junior Battles) to discuss the film, what sets it apart from other slasher films, traumatic movie experiences, the film's unique soundtrack, the intense creation of the film, and much more! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook
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