Lunatics Radio Hour: The History of Horror

The Lunatics Project
  • 4.6 (65)
  • Film History
  • Updated Biweekly

Lunatics Radio Hour is a non-fiction history podcast about the history of horror and the horror of history. Each episode explores real, documented events where fear, violence, survival, and the unknown shaped human lives and cultures. The show also traces how historical events influenced film, examining how real-world horrors became the stories and images that appear on screen. Topics include dark history, psychological phenomena, folklore rooted in fact, and the historical roots of horror cinema. Most episodes focus on researched historical subjects. Occasional short fiction stories are included and clearly labeled. If you’re drawn to the darker side of history and the real events behind horror films, Lunatics Radio Hour explores where history, fear, and cinema intersect.

  1. 5d ago

    Episode 210 - The History of Atomic Horror: Part 3 - Nuclear Winter

    In the final part of our series on Atomic Horror, we look at the fear of nuclear war and the possibility of what could happen after the bombs stopped falling. During the Cold War, scientists began studying the potential global effects of a large-scale nuclear exchange, including the concept of nuclear winter, in which smoke and soot from widespread fires could block sunlight and cause severe climate changes. We look at the science behind the nuclear winter theory, the 1983 TTAPS study, and the way these ideas influenced public fears about nuclear war. We also examine films including The Day After, Threads, Dr. Strangelove, and other movies that imagined what life might look like before, during, and after a nuclear conflict. From atomic monsters to nuclear apocalypse, this final chapter of Atomic Horror looks at how horror films reflected one of the defining fears of the Cold War. Support the show on Patreon⁠. Follow us on social media @ TheLunaticsProject. Get Lunatics Merch ⁠here⁠. Join the discussion on ⁠Discord⁠. Check out Abby's book ⁠Horror Stories⁠. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. Sep 22

    Episode 209 - The History of Atomic Horror: Part 2 - Attack of The Mutants

    In Part Two of our history of atomic horror, Abby and Alan look at how filmmakers moved beyond the initial fear of nuclear weapons and began exploring the effects of radiation, mutation, and scientific experimentation. From giant insects and oversized animals to shrinking and enlarging humans, the atomic age created a new generation of monsters. We look at films including Them!, The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Amazing Colossal Man, The Fly, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, and The Hills Have Eyes, along with the continued evolution of Godzilla and other atomic monsters. We also explore Nevada’s nuclear testing sites and how the real-world landscape of atomic testing became part of American horror, from atomic tourism to films about people transformed by radiation. Listen to Part Two of our history of atomic horror and hear how nuclear anxiety continued to shape horror movies long after the first atomic monsters appeared. Support the show on Patreon. Follow us on social media @ TheLunaticsProject. Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep. Listen to The Great Atomic Power. Sources PBS article Atomic Tourism in Nevada The “True” Story Behind The Hills Have Eyes on Reynold’s by Stephen Basdeo. Mubi Article: Through the Eyes of America: Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes by Matt Carlin Science History Institute article by Judith Kaplan: Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins: These four scientists codiscovered the double-helix structure of DNA, which formed the basis for modern biotechnology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. Sep 15

    Episode 208 - The History of Atomic Horror: Part 1 - The Atomic Age

    The atomic bomb changed the world in 1945, but it also changed the way people imagined horror. In Part One of our history of Atomic Horror, Abby and Alan look at how the Manhattan Project, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear testing, and the beginning of the Atomic Age influenced science fiction and horror cinema. As the threat of nuclear destruction became part of everyday life, filmmakers began turning those fears into stories about monsters, mutations, alien invasions, and the destruction of humanity. We look at some of the films that helped establish Atomic Horror, including The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Godzilla, and The Day the Earth Stood Still. We explore how these movies reflected fears about nuclear weapons, radiation, scientific experimentation, and the possibility that humanity had created something it could no longer control. This is the beginning of the Atomic Horror story, from the development of the atomic bomb to the monsters that emerged from the nuclear age. Support the show on Patreon. Follow us on social media @ TheLunaticsProject. Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep. Sources A Nightmare on Film Street article by Kimberly Elizabeth: Oppen-Horrors or: How I Recommended 10 Atomic Horror Movies to Blow Your Mind History.com article on the Manhattan Project An Atomic Heritage Foundation article by Paul Tibbets and Curtis LeMay: Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – 1945 PBS.org article Letter from Albert Einstein to FDR, 8/2/39 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. Sep 8

    Episode 207 - The History of Divining and Dowsing Rods

    This week Abby and Alan discuss dowsing and divining rods, and how people believed a forked stick could reveal hidden water, buried treasure, minerals, or even supernatural forces. From early references to divining rods and their connections to magic and folklore to the rise of water dowsing in Europe and America, we trace how a simple forked branch became an instrument of supernatural belief. We look at the people, practices, and ideas behind dowsing rods, including rhabdomancy, the occult traditions surrounding magical wands, early modern beliefs about hidden forces, and the long-running debate over whether dowsing actually works. Along the way, we explore the folklore and history that turned an ordinary stick into a supposed supernatural tool. Follow us on social media @ TheLunaticsProject. Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. Sep 1

    Episode 206 - The History of Victorian Era Death Rituals

    Death was a major part of everyday life in the Victorian era, and people developed elaborate ways to mourn, remember, and preserve the dead. In this episode of Lunatics Radio Hour, we explore the history of Victorian funerary traditions and the social and historical circumstances that shaped them in Britain and the United States. We look at Victorian mourning customs, postmortem photography, mourning jewelry, human hair art, funeral rituals, embalming, funeral biscuits, mourning stationery, death masks, and Victorian cemeteries. We also examine how the American Civil War helped popularize embalming in the United States and how Queen Victoria's mourning for Prince Albert influenced Victorian mourning culture. Along the way, we separate historical practices from later myths, including the popular story of Victorian "tear catchers." Finally, we trace these traditions into Gothic literature and horror movies, looking at how Victorian cemeteries, mourning clothes, old photographs, preserved bodies, and memorial objects became part of the visual language of supernatural horror. Because the Victorians weren't trying to make death scary. They were trying to find ways to live with it. Follow us on social media @ TheLunaticsProject. Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep. ⁠Support the show⁠. Sources The Gettysburg Compiler: Until We Meet Again: Victorian Mourning Practices by Ziv Camri The National Museum of Funeral History: 19th Century Mourning Eat Your Sorrow With These Victorian Funeral Biscuits: Atlas Obscura  Another Atlas Obscura article: Clearing Up Myths About Victorian ‘Postmortem’ Photography Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. Aug 25

    Episode 205 - The History of Witch Bottles

    This week Abby and Alan dig into the strange history of witch bottles, a form of folk magic once used to protect from witchcraft, curses, and supernatural attacks. We explore where the practice came from, how witch bottles were made, why they were hidden in fireplaces, walls, and beneath floors, and what archaeologists have discovered centuries later. From 17th-century England to colonial America, witch bottles reveal a fascinating intersection of folklore, magic, superstition, and everyday life. We’ll also look at the objects and rituals believed to make these bottles work, and how this obscure piece of folk magic eventually found its way into the imagery and traditions of modern horror. If you’re interested in witchcraft, folk magic, occult history, supernatural folklore, haunted history, paranormal traditions, and the real history behind horror, this one is for you. Lunatics Radio Hour explores the history behind the things that scare us. Follow us on social media @ TheLunaticsProject. Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep. Support the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Aug 18

    Episode 204 - The Ultimate Horror Sequel Villain: The Scary Scuffle Sequel Part 2

    The Scary Scuffle reaches its bloody finale! In Part Two of our horror villain tournament, the remaining sequel monsters and villains face off in a series of one-on-one battles to determine who will be crowned the ultimate champion. Every matchup is judged on strength, abilities, durability, intelligence, and, of course, their overall potential to ruin your day. Abby is joined by Dan Roberts and Kate Rotunda as we break down the final matchups, argue for our picks, and decide which horror sequel villain deserves the title. Who will survive the bracket? Who will be eliminated? And who will walk away as the winner of the second-ever Scary Scuffle? Let the final fights begin.Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Aug 11

    Episode 203 - The Ultimate Horror Sequel Villain: The Scary Scuffle Sequel Part 1

    In Part One of the Scary Scuffle, we’re putting the villains of horror sequels head-to-head in a one-on-one tournament to determine who is the ultimate sequel villain. Using a bracket-style showdown, each round pits two horror icons against each other as we debate who deserves to advance and who deserves to be sent back to the franchise graveyard. Who has the best kills? Who is the most terrifying? Who has the most staying power? And, most importantly, which sequel villain would actually win in a fight? Abby and Alan are joined by Dan Roberts and Kate Rotunda for a chaotic debate covering some of horror’s most memorable sequel villains, from slashers and monsters to supernatural killers and everything in between.Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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4.6
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About

Lunatics Radio Hour is a non-fiction history podcast about the history of horror and the horror of history. Each episode explores real, documented events where fear, violence, survival, and the unknown shaped human lives and cultures. The show also traces how historical events influenced film, examining how real-world horrors became the stories and images that appear on screen. Topics include dark history, psychological phenomena, folklore rooted in fact, and the historical roots of horror cinema. Most episodes focus on researched historical subjects. Occasional short fiction stories are included and clearly labeled. If you’re drawn to the darker side of history and the real events behind horror films, Lunatics Radio Hour explores where history, fear, and cinema intersect.

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