Lunatics Radio Hour: The History of Horror
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.
Episodes
This week on Lunatics Radio Hour, we explore the history of masks, from prehistoric rituals and ancient Egyptian funerary masks to Roman death masks, Venetian Carnival, and the eerie plague doctor.
Sources
- National Geographic Article by A. R. Williams - World’s Oldest Masks Modeled On Early Markers Ancestors
- Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt by Salima Ikram
- A BBC article by Zaria Grovett: The lost art of the death mask&...
On the morning of February 9, 1855, residents across Devon, England awoke to a baffling sight. Strange hoof-like footprints stretched through fresh snow for miles, appearing in dozens of towns and villages. According to contemporary reports, the tracks crossed walls, rooftops, frozen rivers, and other obstacles, fueling rumors that the Devil himself had walked the countryside overnight.
Nearly 200 years later, the Devil's Footprints...
This week Abby and Alex present two original works of horror fiction.
Shadows was written by by Jon Adcock. Find more of Jon's work at https://linktr.ee/jonadcock.
Family, Like Branches was written by Marisca Pichette. You can find Marisca at www.mariscapichette.com, on Instagram @marisca_write, on Bluesky @marisca.bsky.social, and on Twitter/X @MariscaPichette.
Turn down the lights and enjoy two unsettling tales from two talented wri...
Modern UFO reports are often associated with the 20th century, but strange objects in the sky have been recorded for hundreds of years. Medieval chronicles describe unusual celestial events, mysterious lights, and unexplained phenomena that left witnesses searching for answers. Centuries later, some researchers and UFO enthusiasts have pointed to curious details in medieval and Renaissance artwork, arguing that certain paintings ap...
In the 12th century, villagers in Woolpit, England reported a strange discovery: two children with green-colored skin who appeared suddenly near the village. The children spoke an unknown language, refused most food, and seemed unable to explain where they came from. Over time, their skin color faded, and one of the children eventually learned English, sharing a story that only deepened the mystery.
In this episode, we explore the h...
Watch our footage from the Paris Catacombs HERE.
Beneath the streets of Paris lies one of the most disturbing landmarks in the world: the Paris Catacombs. In this episode, we explore the real history behind the underground tunnels that hold the remains of more than six million people. From collapsing cemeteries and overflowing mass graves to the creation of the vast ossuary beneath the city, the Catacombs tell a story of disease, de...
This week Abby is joined by Alex Goleman to read two haunting stories about grief and death.
Forgiving Amy was written by Mike Macera. Follow @mikemacera on Instagram and check out https://www.scene3.co/films
In Life and Death was written by Sam Logan. Visit samloganwrites.com and sluggerfiction.com.
Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Availabl...
From ravens and vultures to killer flocks and supernatural omens, birds have played a major role in horror for decades. In this episode of Lunatics Radio Hour, Abby sits down with Kate Rotunda to explore the history of birds in horror and why these animals continue to symbolize death, fear, and chaos across film and folklore.
Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Availab...
Why do audiences jump in horror movies? What are some of the greatest jump scares in cinema history? In this episode of Lunatics Radio Hour, Abby and Alan explore the history of the jump scare, from early suspense filmmaking and the famous “Lewton Bus” scene in Cat People to the modern era of loud, fast-paced horror shocks. We break down how jump scares evolved, why they work psychologically, and the films that helped d...
This week Abby and Alan discuss the reported haunting of the Bell Witch in Tennessee during the early 1800s. The events centered on the Bell family and centers around unexplained noises, voices, and physical disturbances. The entity, often called “Kate,” was said to target specific family members.
The case became widely known and was later documented in An Authenticated History of the Bell Witch. There are also claims th...
This week, Abby and Alan dive into the folklore behind horror’s most contagious curses, from The Ring to Smile to It Follows.
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
This week, Abby is joined by Alex Goleman for a double feature of eerie campfire tales, the kind that feel a little too real once the lights go out.
“Only The Dead” by Marisca Pichette and “Trash Talk” by Sam Logan.
Find more from the authors at mariscapichette.com and samloganwrites.com.
Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperb...
This week Abby sits down with Kate Rotunda to discuss the vast and unnerving history of mirrors.
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.
Today we are bringing you 6 hometown urban legends straight from our listeners.
Follow Madz on Instagram @madzsmiled and @sonrisalibrary. And consider supporting BeLoved Asheville.
Follow Abby on Substack: https://substack.com/@lunaticsproject
Email us at filmsaboutlunatics@gmail.com with your listener lore.
Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and...
This week Abby and Alan sit down with Dan Roberts to discuss the history of The Babysitter and The Man Upstairs urban legend and When A Stranger Calls (1979).
Follow Dan on Substack: https://substack.com/@drob91
Follow Abby on Substack: https://substack.com/@lunaticsproject
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...
Have you ever felt like someone was watching you from outside your house? It's an (overdue) honor to present this real scary story from K.L. Mill.
If you want to walk down memory lane with us, you can listen to The Man With The Axe (the very first episode of this podcast). Or watch Midnight Visitor.
Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook a...
In 1855, a bizarre incident in Toronto escalated into one of the city’s strangest riots. After a fight broke out between clowns from a visiting circus and members of a volunteer firefighting company, tensions quickly spiraled. What began as a confrontation in a brothel turned into a mob attack that ended with the circus being burned to the ground.
In this episode of the Lunatics Radio Hour, we explore the Clown Riot of 1855, t...
This week Abby sits down with Kate Rotunda to talk through her classifications of horror villains. You can read Kate's original article HERE.
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.
Before Salem, there was Connecticut.
In this episode of Lunatics Radio Hour, Abby Brenker sits down with historian Josh Hutchinson to explore the Connecticut Witch Trials, which spanned 1647 to 1697 and led to 11 executions decades before the events in Salem.
They discuss the Puritan beliefs and English laws that shaped colonial prosecutions, the role of coerced confessions and spectral evidence, and the social instability that fuele...
This week Abby and Alex present two stories for your enjoyment.
In The Light of The Wisps was written by Marisca Pichette. Follow them on Instagram @marisca_write or check out their website: www.mariscapichette.com
Airbag was written by Mike Macera. Follow Mike on Instagram and @mikemacera and check out his website: https://www.scene3.co/films
Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book H...
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