Best known for his terrifying performance as Pluto in “The Hills Have Eyes” (1977) and its sequel, Michael Berryman has worked with acclaimed filmmakers such as Wes Craven, John Hughes, and Rob Zombie throughout his long-running career. Tune in to hear all about how Michael was first discovered, stories from filming so many of his genre favorites, and a preview of his upcoming horror films.

Check out Michael Berryman’s book, “It’s all good! A Michael Berryman memoir… in my own words,” at https://www.amazon.com/Its-all-good-Michael-Berryman-ebook/dp/B0BSQZHK32

To close out 2025, we’re trying something new — an episode dedicated to looking back on all the horrific happiness of the past year. Tune in as we reflect on the most notable horror releases of 2025 (the hits and the misses), revisit some of our favorite interviews from the year, and talk about how Happy Horror Time grew and evolved throughout the year. Plus, a sneak peek at the horror films we’re looking forward to most in 2026!

It’s been 41 years since the original “Silent Night, Deadly Night” was released, so a remake was pretty much inevitable. But this installment takes quite a different approach to Santa’s slay ride. Tune in to hear us break down the new “Silent Night, Deadly Night” — from the decision to put a voice in Billy’s head, to giving him a girlfriend (and all the other subplots), and of course, whether it stacks up to the original.

As Billy in the original “Silent Night, Deadly Night,” Robert Brian Wilson dons the Santa suit, chases the naughty with an axe, and makes good on his promise to “punish” them. Tune in to hear all about playing the OG Killer Santa in this 1984 horror classic, how he felt about all the controversy back then (and when his feelings changed), and the story behind why he isn’t in the remake that just hit theaters.

Kari Keegan isn’t just one of the “Friday the 13th” final girls — her character, Jessica Kimble, is actually a direct descendant of Jason Voorhees. Talk about a terrifying family tree! Tune in to hear all about making “Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday,” what it was like filming that big climactic finale with Kane Hodder, and she sets the record straight on her supposed feud with Director Adam Marcus.

From an ill-fated cruise ship, to the streets and sewers of NYC, Jensen Daggett battled Jason Voorhees across many different settings as Rennie in “Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan.” Tune in to hear all about filming everywhere from in the water to actual Times Square, the sequence with Jason that truly scared her, and how it feels being one of the final girls in this beloved franchise.

Osgood Perkins is back with a new folk horror tale that takes a dark look at relationships, sacrifice, and drooling creatures. Tune in to hear us break down “Keeper” — from Tatiana Maslany’s effective performance, to whether the film’s explanation/reveal worked, and of course, all that chocolate cake.

Visit https://apostrophebooks.bigcartel.com/ to grab a copy of “Ripped to Shreds” (the graphic novel we mention at the beginning of this episode).

It’s a tale as old as time… well, as old as 1818 at least, since that’s when Mary Shelley’s novel was first published. And after multiple film adaptations, Guillermo del Toro is now putting his stamp on this classic monster story. Tune in as we’re joined by Philip Faiss, host of Netflix & Phil, to break down Netflix’s “Frankenstein” — from the many different layers behind this narrative, to the ways del Toro changed the source material, and of course, how Jacob Elordi can be sexy even as The Creature.

Check out Netflix & Phil on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@philoween_trends

After narrowly surviving the Abaddon Hotel in “Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire,” Elizabeth Vermilyea is back as Vanessa Shepherd in the latest installment of this indie horror franchise — “Hell House LLC: Lineage” (now streaming on Shudder). Tune in to hear all about making both “Hell House” movies, what it was like switching from found footage to the new film’s traditional narrative format, and what Elizabeth would like to see explored if the series continues.

Dee Wallace has been starring in scary movies for the last 5 decades, solidifying her status as a true horror legend. Tune in to hear all about making some of her most popular genre hits like “The Hills Have Eyes,” “The Howling,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Cujo,” “Critters,” and “The Frighteners,” what it was like working with directors Wes Craven, Steven Spielberg, and Peter Jackson, and she even teases her multiple upcoming horror films.

It’s been 4 years since Finney took on the Grabber with help from the dead via phone calls, and now we’re back with a new setting, a new set of murders, and tons of dream sequences! Tune in to hear us break down “Black Phone 2” — from the way it shifted the focus to Finney’s sister, to how it created its own set of rules for the dream world, and whether the more emotional scenes worked well or felt over-the-top.

James Jude Courtney has played Michael Myers (aka, The Shape) in more “Halloween” films than any other actor, having starred in all 3 of the recent Blumhouse films. Tune in to hear all about how he was cast and his approach to portraying this iconic horror villain, the endings that were filmed but never made it to screen, and how emotional it got working with Jamie Lee Curtis on that final battle in “Halloween Ends.”

After fans rejected the absence of Michael Myers in “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” Dwight Little came onboard to direct “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.” Tune in to hear all about making the film that brought back this horror villain, what it was like casting and working with franchise stars Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, and Donald Pleasence, his thoughts on “Halloween 5” and how he would have approached that sequel, and his work on additional horror films like “The Phantom of the Opera” (1989) and “Natty Knocks.”

Releasing this week, Andrew Grevas’ new book on the “Halloween” franchise combines essays about the various eras and timelines with 25 cast and crew interviews across the 13 films. Tune in to hear all about writing “Horror in Haddonfield: The Untold Stories of Halloween,” the conflicting accounts he received from the various writers of “Halloween 4,” how Andrew’s feelings toward the Rob Zombie films have evolved, and what he’d like to see from the franchise in the future.

You can order “Horror in Haddonfield: The Untold Stories of Halloween” here:
https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Haddonfield-Halloweens-Untold-Stories/dp/1959748300

There haven’t been many sports-related horror films, but perhaps there should be considering the dangers professional athletes face both in and out of the game. “Him” brings a culty/supernatural twist to being the GOAT. Tune in to hear us break down all the aggro behavior, all the shirtless workout scenes, the strong performances by Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers, and how well it delivered its message. Go sports! 🏈

In a special episode to kick off spooky season, we take a look back at the two film adaptations of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride — both the 2003 and 2023 releases. And what better guest to join us than Dina Spybey-Waters, who played the quirky yet compassionate maid, Emma, in “Haunted Mansion” 2003? Tune in to hear all about Dina’s experience working on the first film, how the two movies differ (and what works in each), and what we’d like to see from any future “Haunted Mansion” installments.

Marketing for “The Conjuring: Last Rites” billed it as the end of the series… but considering it had the biggest global opening ever for a horror movie, this franchise will inevitably live on. Tune in to hear us break down all the scariest moments (one in particular that made Matt jump), whether its 135-minute running time was necessary, and how it compared, in our opinion, to the other Conjuring films.

It didn’t take long for Ashley Cullins’ new book on the “Scream” franchise to become a New York Times bestseller. Kevin Williamson even referred to it as “the definitive story of Scream.” Tune in for an in-depth discussion about writing “Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror,” the many interviews Ashley landed with various cast and crew members (plus surprising additions like John Carpenter and Meryl Streep), and the overall vibe surrounding the upcoming “Scream 7.”

If anyone deserves the title of “Scream Queen,” it’s Linnea Quigley. Having starred in over 135 films (most of which are horror), she’s got a résumé stacked with countless fan favorites. Tune in to hear all about filming that iconic deer antler impalement in “Silent Night, Deadly Night” (1984), dancing nude in a graveyard in “The Return of the Living Dead” (and what happened to its proposed 2025 sequel, “Trash’s Revenge”), and of course, her famous lipstick scene in “Night of the Demons” (1988).

Remake, reimagining, reboot — all of these words could be used to describe the new “Witchboard,” which is VERY loosely based on a 1986 film of the same name and directed by Chuck Russell (Director of “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors”). Tune in to hear us break down all that witchy backstory, how it compared with the original film, and how “obsessed” the main character was with that pendulum board.