Freelance editor, anthologist, and reviewer Paula Guran was senior editor for Prime Books for seven years. Previously, she edited the Juno fantasy imprint from its small press inception through its incarnation as an imprint of Pocket Books. In addition to the annual Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror series, she’s edited many other anthologies. The supernatural, surreal, and the all-too real. Tales of the dark have always fascinated us, and in The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror: Volume Two (October 19, PYR), editor Paula Guran has selected 30 modern authors (20 of those women) to carry on the disquieting traditions of the past while inventing imaginative new ways to unsettle us. Volume two begins with a COVID-19-based tale by Victor LaValle, who was commissioned (along with 28 others) by the New York Times to “write new short stories inspired by the moment.” Along with LaVelle’s story Recognition, this year’s collection includes six stories set in a dystopian future, three tales around the human genetic code, and horrific tales of the supernatural. “It wasn’t until after I started assembling this volume that I realized how often homes, houses, and other domiciles played important roles in many of the selected stories,” said Guran. “Considering most of us have been home more than usual lately, this is… interesting.”

Castle of Horror Podcast

Castle Talk: Paul Guran, editor of The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror

This week we have a special crossover episode with our good friends at the Borgo Pass Podcast, a look at the 1977 BBC film Count Dracula.

Count Dracula (1977) with special guests the Borgo Pass Podcast (Podcast/Discussion)

Jason chats with writer Tony Salvaggio about two new music documentaries that premiered at this year's Fantastic Fest: This is GWAR and Who Killed the KLF?

Castle Talk: New "This is GWAR" and "Who Killed the KLF?" defy the usual music doc tropes

Tonight we’re chatting with Derek Presley, writer/director & Jason Starne, producer of Whitetail, releasing this month. Synopsis: Whitetail follows a broken family consisting of a father, an uncle and the son as they embark on a weekend hunting trip out in West Texas. The mother has recently died of an overdose and the trio hope to get away from it all by being out in nature and hunting. Instead they find a mysterious man shot in the stomach and clutching onto a backpack full of money. This film is a southern gothic thriller, drama and survival film. All taking place over one day and one night in the brush land of Texas.

Castle Talk: Derek Presley, writer/director & Jason Starne, producer of WHITETAIL

This week we have yet another Cat People movie—Cat People 1982 from director Paul Schrader, Cat People is a 1982 American erotic horror film directed by Paul Schrader and starring Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard, and Annette O'Toole. It is a remake of the 1942 RKO film of the same name. Giorgio Moroder composed the film's score, including the theme song, which features lyrics and vocals by David Bowie. Wilbur Stark and Jerry Bruckheimer served as executive producers.

Cat People 1982 (Podcast/Discussion)

In this special episode, Tony Salvaggio recaps the highs of the Austin's premiere genre film festival, Fantastic Fest. Films discussed are:CANNON ARM AND THE ARCADE QUESTBINGO HELL (Theater 5 Main House)BLACK PHONEFREAKS OUTTHE BLACK PHONE (Theater 5 Main House)LAST OF THE WOLVESIKÉ BOYSHELLBENDERTHE EXORCISM OF GODBEYOND THE INFINITE 2 MINUTESCOP SECRETSALOUMLET THE WRONG ONE INMAD GODFOUND FOOTAGE PHENOMENONWOODLANDS DARK DAYS BEWITCHEDTHE TRIPKING CARGLASS HOUSEDIGITAL VIDEO EDITING WITH ADOBE PREMIERE PRO: THE REAL-WORLD GUIDE TO SET UP AND WORKFLOWFor more, visit https://fantasticfest.com/films/features

Fantastic Fest Recap with Tony Salvaggio

This week we wrap up our look at the Candyman films with the 1999 film Candyman: Day of the Dead. Candyman: Day of the Dead is a 1999 American supernatural slasher film directed by Turi Meyer and starring Tony Todd and Donna D'Errico. It is the third installment in the Candyman series,[1] and a direct sequel to the 1995 film Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh. Its plot follows Caroline, the daughter of Annie Tarrant and a descendant of the Candyman, the powerful spirit of the murdered son of a slave who kills those who invoked him, who finds herself targeted by him on the eve of the Day of the Dead.

Candyman: Day of the Dead (Podcast/Discussion)

Tonight I can’t tell you how great it is to talk again to Joe Bob Briggs. The Shudder Original Halloween special Joe Bob’s Halloween Hoedown will premiere Friday, October 8 with special guests from the upcoming Halloween franchise installment, Halloween Kills: director David Gordon Green and producer/Blumhouse CEO and founder Jason Blum, as announced today during Blumhouse’s second annual BlumFest celebration. Joe Bob’s Halloween Hoedown premieres live on the Shudder TV feed at 9pm ET/8c on October 8. Fans can also watch on demand on Shudder and within the Shudder offering in the AMC+ bundle on Sunday, October 10.

Castle Talk: Joe Bob Briggs on Community, Horror, and his 2021 Halloween Hoedown

Tonight we’re chatting with Caitlin Starling, author of The Death of Jane Lawrence, out this October from St Martin’s Press.Caitlin Starling is a Bram Stoker-nominated author of the Luminous Dead and people have been liking the book to Mexican Gothic and Guillermo Del Tor’s Crimson Peak.

Castle Talk: Caitlin Starling on The Death of Jane Lawrence

Tonight we’re chatting with Elle Callahan, director of the thriller/horror film WITCH HUNT, which will be released by Momentum Pictures Theaters, On Demand and Digital on October 1, 2021.In the film, a teenager grapples with the fact that her family is part of an intricate network that helps persecuted magical witches flee across as the US government persecutes and hunts them down.

Castle Talk: Elle Callahan on the Tense, Political WITCH HUNT

This week we continue a look at the Candyman films with the 1995 film Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh.

Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (Podcast/Discussion)

In this episode of Castle Talk, Tony Salvaggio chats with Co-writer/director Eric McEver (directorial debut), Quinn Lord (Netflix’s “Firefly Lane,” Trick ‘r Treat), Ronak Gandhi (You are Here, Age of Summer) and Christina Higa (Am I OK?) of the new film Ike Boys.This from-the-heart love letter to Anime, Tokusatsu, and being uncool in high school while trying to prevent an apocalypse, debuts at Fantastic Fest on Sunday, September 26th. In addition to hitting home for anyone who grew up liking things that weren't cool at the time, Ike Boys also has a lot to say about cultural expectations and assumptions, and the shared bond we can feel through the love of pop culture (and a possible tie to the original 1954 Godzilla film is revealed.) Joins us as we talk about all of these things as well as the awesome ending track by actress/composer Christina Higa.

Castle Talk: The Ike Boys Team on the Joy and Heroism of Fandom

**Stick around after the show for a special musical treat-- Jamie Bahr's piano rendition of Helen's Theme by Phillip Glass from CANDYMAN.**This week we continue a look at the Candyman films with the 1992 film CANDYMAN. Candyman is a 1992 American gothic supernatural horror film, written and directed by Bernard Rose and starring Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons and Vanessa E. Williams. Based on Clive Barker's short story "The Forbidden", the film follows a Chicago graduate student completing a thesis on urban legends and folklore, which leads her to the legend of the "Candyman", the ghost of an artist and the son of a slave who was murdered in the late 19th century for his relationship with the daughter of a wealthy white man.

Candyman (1992) - Podcast/Discussion

Tonight we’re chatting with Rose Williams, star of The Power, which is releasing from RLJE on VOD, Digital HD and DVD on September 21, 2021.LOS ANGELES, (Aug. 19, 2021) – RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, has picked up select rights to the horror film, THE POWER from Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural. RLJE Films will release THE POWER on VOD, Digital HD, and DVD on September 21, 2021. Written and directed by BAFTA-nominated director Corinna Faith, and featuring an original score by Gazelle Twin and Max de Wardener, THE POWER stars Rose Williams (“Sanditon,” “Reign,” “Medici”), Charlie Carrick (Abandoned: Angelique's Isle, “Reign”), Gbemisola Ikumelo (“Roadkill,” The Last Tree), Theo Barklem-Biggs (“The First Team,” The Forgotten Battle), Emma Rigby (“Prisoners Wives,” Endless Love), and Shakira Rahman. RLJE Films will release THE POWER on DVD for an SRP of $27.97. London, 1974. In THE POWER, as Britain prepares for electrical blackouts to sweep across the country, trainee nurse Val arrives for her first day at the crumbling East London Royal Infirmary. With most of the patients and staff evacuated to another hospital, Val must work the night shift in the empty building. Within these walls lies a deadly secret, forcing Val to face her own traumatic past in order to confront the malevolent power that’s intent on destroying everything around her.

Castle Talk: Rose Williams, star of new 1974 haunted-hospital horror The Power releasing 9/21

Tonight we’re chatting with Chris Beyrooty and Connor Martin, directors and writers of Shelter in Place, releasing on digital September 14, 2021.Directed and Written by Chris Beyrooty and Connor Martin, SHELTER IN PLACE stars Brendan Hines (The Tick, Lie to Me), Tatjana Marjanovic (Great White, Purgatory), Kevin Daniels (Atypical, Modern Family, The Big Leap), Ola Kaminska (The Madness Within), and Jey Reynolds.SYNOPSIS: A honeymooning couple gets stranded at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and learns that there is more to fear than just cabin fever.

Castle Talk: Chris Beyrooty and Connor Martin, dirs/writers of Shelter in Place, releasing on digital September 14, 2021

On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/castleofhorrorpodcast, a panel show on horror movies, vampire movies, and all around awesomeness. Hosted by Jason Henderson, one of the writers for Bungie’s Destiny 2 and creator of the HarperTeen novel series Alex Van Helsing; Featuring Drew Edwards, creator of Halloween Man; Tony Salvaggio, lead singer of the band Deserts of Mars, lead guitarist of the band Rise from Fire, and co-creator of Clockwerx from Humanoids; attorney Julia Guzman of Guzman Immigration of Denver; and Jamie Bahr, lead singer and upright bassist of the rock and roll band Danger*Cakes.

hubhopper

Castle of Horror Podcast

hubhopper