Fresh Air: Horror Icons

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Hear from the (surprisingly normal) filmmakers and writers behind the scariest and most shocking horror films of the last 50 years. From legendary horror greats like George Romero and Wes Craven to a new generation keeping the frights fresh.

10/29/2025

Fresh Air: Horror Icons Trailer

The filmmakers and writers begind some of the scariest and most shocking horror films of the last 50 years are... surprisingly normal. From legendary horror greats like George Romero and Wes Craven to a new generation keeping the frights fresh, meet the horror icons who have defined some of the scariest movies you've ever seen. Subscribe to Fresh Air+ to get exclusive access to this and other collections. Plus, you'll get exclusive Fresh Air+ archive episodes every Sunday, and sponsor-free listening for all available episodes. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
04/24/2025 • Fresh Air+ Only

Director Ryan Coogler

The Oscar-nominated filmmaker directed both Black Panther films, Creed, and most recently "Sinners," a vampire thriller about twins who open a juke joint in Jim Crow Mississippi.
03/30/2021 • Fresh Air+ Only

'Lovecraft Country' Creator Aims To Reclaim The Horror Genre For People Of Color

The HBO series Lovecraft Country takes the real horrors of the Black experience in the 1950s and adds to it the supernatural terrors of the horror genre. Series creator Misha Green says she sees the show — and the novel by Matt Ruff upon which it is based — as a chance to reclaim "the genre space for people of color and for people who had usually been left out of it."
08/30/2017 • Fresh Air+ Only

Remembering Horror Film Director Tobe Hooper

Hooper, who died in 2017, wrote and directed the 1974 cult classic film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which helped inspire a wave of slasher films that followed. Originally broadcast in 1988.
03/15/2017 • Fresh Air+ Only

Director Jordan Peele on Mastering Fear

The new film, Get Out, defies easy classification. Though it has funny moments, it's primarily a horror film, with racial anxiety at its center. Writer-director Jordan Peele tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross that he thinks of Get Out as a "social thriller."
07/06/2011 • Fresh Air+ Only

Horror's 'Shock Value' Redefined In The 1960s.

Rosemary's Baby, Night of the Living Dead and Targets all came out in 1968. Theater critic Jason Zinoman says the three films redefined Hollywood horror in the aftermath of the Vietnam War — and influenced the genre for the next several decades.
02/18/1999 • Fresh Air+ Only

Wes Craven Discuses His Hybrid of Horror and Satire.

Craven, one of the foremost directors of horror films, spoke to Fresh Air in 1998 upon the release of his film “Scream 2,” the sequel to his 1996 film “Scream.” Both are horror films that poke fun at the genre. His other credits included "Last House on the Left," "The Hills Have Eyes," and "Nightmare on Elm Street."
03/20/1997 • Fresh Air+ Only

David Cronenberg on Sex, Technology, and Death

Cronenberg directed the films "M. Butterfly," "The Fly," "Dead Ringers," and "Naked Lunch," all of which tell a story of sexually deviant behavior. In 1997 movie "Crash" he continues the theme, combining sex and car wrecks, and explores its place in an age of modern technology.
10/22/1990 • Fresh Air+ Only

Makeup Artist Tom Savini Brings the Dead to Life

Savini created the macabre effects for George Romero's zombie films. In 1990, directed his own movie, a remake of Romero's classic, “Night of the Living Dead.” He shares some of the secrets behind how he simulates gore on set.
10/31/1988 • Fresh Air+ Only

Director John Carpenter

Carpenter has made films in a variety of genres, but he has a special affection for horror and sci-fi. His first movie, Halloween, spawned several sequels. His 1988 film, “They Live,” is a political satire about aliens colonizing Earth.
07/18/1988 • Fresh Air+ Only

George Romero Dials Back the Blood

Romero's 1968 film, “The Night of the Living Dead,” is a classic of the horror genre. While his zombie flicks have become increasingly graphic over the years, his 1988 film, “Monkey Shines,” was more of a psychological thriller.

Trailer

Fresh Air: Horror Icons Trailer

The filmmakers and writers begind some of the scariest and most shocking horror films of the last 50 years are... surprisingly normal. From legendary horror greats like George Romero and Wes Craven to a new generation keeping the frights fresh, meet the horror icons who have defined some of the scariest movies you've ever seen. Subscribe to Fresh Air+ to get exclusive access to this and other collections. Plus, you'll get exclusive Fresh Air+ archive episodes every Sunday, and sponsor-free listening for all available episodes. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including weekly bonus episodes and curated playlists of archive interviews from Fresh Air.And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair

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Hear from the (surprisingly normal) filmmakers and writers behind the scariest and most shocking horror films of the last 50 years. From legendary horror greats like George Romero and Wes Craven to a new generation keeping the frights fresh.