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.

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This week on Lunatics Radio Hour, we're exploring the history of horror sequels. It might seem like an unusual topic, but sequels have played a major role in the development of the horror genre. Horror has embraced sequels and franchises more successfully than almost any other genre, creating some of the most recognizable characters in film history and filling the genre's archives with long-running series.

In this episode, we trace the evolution of horror sequels from the Universal monster films of the 1930s through the slasher boom of the 1980s and into the modern era. We discuss why horror became the genre most closely associated with franchises and how sequels helped shape the industry.

We're also kicking off the Second Scary Scuffle, our head-to-head tournament that pits horror's greatest sequel monsters and villains against one another to determine the ultimate champion. Listen in as we examine the history behind horror sequels and begin the battle to crown the greatest horror sequel character of all time.

Sources

• Fangoria article by Will Jones: How The Horror Genre Created The World of Legacy Sequels
• Den of Geek article by David Crow and Joe George: The 31 Best Horror Franchises of All Times, Ranked
• Entertainment Weekly article by Steven Thrash: The 20 best horror sequels of all time
• Forbes article by Mark Hughes: Top 10 Most Successful Horror Sequels of All Time

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.

Watch Voices Carry for free on Tubi now!

Consider joining our Patreon for bonus episodes, spooky literature and deep dives into horror and history. Click here to learn more.

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Join the conversation on Discord. Support us on Patreon.

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This week on Lunatics Radio Hour we're talking through the fascinating history of horror taglines. We get into the history of film marketing, the evolution of taglines and some of the most iconic of all time.

Sources

• 10 Greatest Horror Movie Taglines, Ranked Collider Article by Chris Williams
• Fangoria article by Justin Lockwood: How Much Shock Can You Stand? Top Horror Taglines Across The Decades
• An article from the Museum of The Moving Image on The Silent Film Era

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.

Watch Voices Carry for free on Tubi now!

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In this episode of Lunatics Radio Hour, we explore the history of the Final Girl, one of horror’s most recognizable character archetypes. From early examples in horror literature and film to the rise of the slasher genre in the 1970s and 1980s, we examine how the trope developed and why it became so important to horror storytelling.

We discuss the academic origins of the term, the characteristics traditionally associated with the Final Girl, and how characters like Laurie Strode, Nancy Thompson, and Sidney Prescott helped define and evolve the role. We also look at how modern horror films have challenged, expanded, and reinterpreted the trope for new audiences.

Join us as we trace the history of the Final Girl and her lasting impact on horror cinema.

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Sources

• Men, Women, and Chain Saws by Carol J Clover (1992)
• Fandom article: Halloween Flips The Final Girl Trope on Its Head by Kim Taylor-Foster
• In Session Film article by Codie Allen: The Scream Queen’s Legacy: Janet Leigh and the Evolution of Horror
• Dread Central article by Mary Beth McAndrews: Jess’s Choice: How ‘Black Christmas’ (1974) Responsibly Addresses Abortion and Bodily Autonomy

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.

Watch Voices Carry for free on Tubi now!

Consider joining our Patreon for bonus episodes, spooky literature and deep dives into horror and history. Click here to learn more.

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Join the conversation on Discord. Support us on Patreon.

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In this episode of Lunatics Radio Hour, we explore the folklore behind masks, from ancient legends and seasonal traditions to the myths that gave rise to some of horror's most unforgettable imagery.

Discover how masks have been used to ward off evil spirits, conceal identities, represent supernatural beings, and blur the line between the human and the unknown. Then, we trace how these age-old beliefs found new life in horror, inspiring some of the genre's most iconic masked villains.

Join us as we uncover the folklore that continues to shape horror to this day.

Sources

• The-noh.com article: Introducing the world of noh masks
• A Minneapolis Institute of Art article on African Masks and Masquerade
• Thorn and Vine article: Krampus in The Alps
• A paper from Shorehaven Behavioral Health: The Curious and Fascinating Psychology of Wearing Masks
• The Wikipedia entry on the False Face Society

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.

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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
• An Art and Object article by Effie Jackson: The History of Venetian Masks
• National Geographic Article by Erin Blakemore: Why plague doctors wore those strange beaked masks

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.

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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 remain one of history's most enduring unsolved mysteries.

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.

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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 writers.

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.

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