The Witchery Podcast

Happy January you beautiful heathens! We're doing things a little differently with this episode and we're exploring the legends and myths that live on The Continent. Yes. That's right. In this episode we're chatting through The Witcher. No, we're not drunk. Yes, this is horror. Fantasy horror, but horror nonetheless. And, no there's no true crime associated with this one (apart from those awful wigs, of course). So, grab your silver swords as we look into the inspiration behind The Witcher. Learn from the best: · The Last Wish – by Andre Sapkowski · The Witcher History and Folklore · The Real Mythology Behind The Witcher · The Hidden Myths and Legends Behind “The Witcher” Series · Making the Witcher Bonus: Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman The Obscure Film Club: Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages The White Reindeer Pan's Labyrinth The Hallow

It's the most wonderful time of the year… and we're dreaming of a blood-soaked, murder filled Christmas! As the trailer for Black Christmas declared - if this film doesn't make your skin crawl, its on too tight! Yes this week we're discussing the true horror behind Black Christmas, the 1974 slasher film about a murderer on the rampage in a sorority house, at Christmas! Upon its release, Black Christmas received mixed reviews, but it has since received critical re-appraisal, with film historians noting it for being one of the earliest slasher films, and it is considered the inspiration for John Carpenter's Halloween. A novelisation was released in 1976 and it's since spawned a remake in 2006 and a further sequel in 2009. But did you know… Black Christmas is based both on a true crime story and an urban myth? Namely the urban legend ‘The Babysitter and the man upstairs', and the murders committed by Wayne Clifford Boden in the 1960s! Listen now to find out the horror behind the horror of Black Christmas! Learn from the best: Watch: Black Christmas legacy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSGdU02z00w Read: Black Christmas (the novel) by Lee Hayes Read: Be afraid be very afraid by Jan Harold Brunvand Obscure Film Club When a Stranger Calls - 1979 Happy Birthday to Me (1981) The Prowler (1981) Teketeke (2009)

This week we're exploring some South African horror and delving into The Tokoloshe. In case you didn't pick up on the accent, one of us is in fact a Saffer. Buckle in heathens, this one is a ride. We explore some of the stories around this Zulu mythological creature and some of the more… uh… interesting stories involving tokoloshes. And, of course we're all about the horror behind the horror on this podcast, so what would an episode be without something true crimey? Learn from the best: The Tokoloshe Killer: True Crime South Africa | Elifasi Msomi | True Crime with Bella Monsoon From Executed Today The Tokoloshe: Mythology and Modern Trauma The little creature with a big appetite A collection of tokoloshe stories from the Daily Sun The Obscure Film Club: Pinky Pinky: This South African horror explores real-life social horrors through a modern take on the urban myth of the nefarious bathroom monster. Reimagined as a resurrected pedophile principal who died in a fire, it's essentially a South African version of Freddy Krueger. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark: While exploring the 19th century manor, Sally accidentally stumbles across a hidden basement, where the evil little creatures lie in wait. They lure Sally to her doom with promises of being friends, when in reality, they want to rip her apart. They're ancient demons that initially fed on children's teeth, until they wanted something more substantial. They are "tooth fairies" you hope you never see. Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman. Japanese folklore is full of malevolent spirts, but few are as harrowing as Kuchisake-onna, the "slit-mouthed woman." Kuchisake-onna joined Sadako, Kayako, and other onryo (vengeful ghosts) on movie screens in 2007's Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman. Here, she's the spirit of an abusive mother who possesses other women in order to continue preying on children after death. Cry of the Banshee: Featuring Vincent Price as an evil judge who is cursed by a witch to suffer at the hands of a briefly glimpsed, devil-like sidhe –- an umbrella term for the supernatural creatures that inhabit prehistoric burial mounds across Ireland. Since the banshee is a sidhe –- the Old Irish phrase for banshee is "bean sidhe," or "woman of the mounds" -– and the creature does scream, by default, it's a banshee

A shower curtain. Blood circling a plug hole. Janet Leigh's gut wrenching (and likely, gut spilling) scream. And a killer wielding a knife, while wearing his mother's dress and a grey wig. Yes, it's just your average overnight stay at Bates Motel. A place much like the Hotel California The Eagles sang about in 1976 - You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave! This week, of course, we are talking about the seminal 1960 classic ‘Psycho', based on the original 1959 novel by Robert Bloch. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and influenced by the idea of the ‘banality of evil' – a seemingly dull and innocuous killer who is anything but - the film was expected to bomb. Instead, it marked the collapse of the strict Hays Code, and brought about the evolution of what we dub today as the “slasher” film. In short, the film was a huge hit. From Anthony Perkins's iconic performance, to the Gus Van Sant 90s remake we won't be talking about on this show, through to the three time Emmy Nominated series Bates Motel on A&E, Norman Bates and his Oedipus complex have captured the imagination of horror fans the world over for over 60 years. But did you know that the ‘fictional' Norman Bates might not be so fictional after all? Listen in to find out the true horror behind Psycho! Learn from the best 1 Watch 78/52 (documentary, 2017) 2. READ - Alfred Hitchcock & the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello 3. Watch: Ed Gein: The Real Psycho Obscure film club 1. The Birds, Alfred Hitchcock 1963 – A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people. Based on the Daphne du Maurier story. 2. Orphan (2009) - A married couple with a rocky past adopt 9-year old, Esther to fill the void created by a recently-stillborn baby. However, Esther is not quite who she seems. 3. Audition (1999) - A widower takes an offer to screen girls at a special audition, arranged for him by a friend to find him a new wife. But when he falls for the sweet and gentle Asami, he soon discovers she is not who she appears to be after all. 4. Secret Window (2004) - Mort Rainey, a writer just emerging from a painful divorce with his ex-wife, is stalked at his remote lake house by a psychotic stranger and would-be scribe who claims Rainey swiped his best story idea. But as Rainey endeavors to prove his innocence, he begins to question his own sanity. 5. The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Because Ed Gein.

Candyman. Candyman. Candyman. Candy…. That's right! For our first episode of season two, we're diving into the urban legend around the Candyman. We'll look at the short story that inspired the movie, the urban legends it pulls from, and the true crime behind it all. So, buckle in and hold tight, it's a wild ride. This week's Learn from the Best: Watch: Making Of CANDYMAN (2021) - Best Of Behind The Scenes & On Set Interviews Candyman - The Impact of Black Horror Read: Candyman: the urban legends behind the movie and why we find them irresistible The True Stories Of Murder And Lynchings That Inspired The Horror Classic ‘Candyman' The Forbidden by Clive Barker Bonus links: Viral TikTok They came in through the bathroom mirror The Obscure Film Club The Tag-Along (2015) This Taiwanese blockbuster is based on the legend of the little girl in red who follows those visiting the forest and snatches their souls away. In this case, she haunts a young professional man and his family, who have recently crossed paths with her in the woods, and slowly starts pulling them over into the spirit realm. Deathdream (1974) Canadian cult-classic Also called Dead of Night, this take on the W.W. Jacobs short story “The Monkey's Paw” is about a soldier who dies in battle but is willed back to life by the pleas of his mother. But the soldier, Andy, isn't the same when he returns, and is even aware that he is now the living dead. He requires blood to keep from decaying, and as his ghoulish behaviour persists, his family crumbles around him. Ringu (1998) Before American teens were being literally scared to death in Seattle after watching a bedevilled video tape in The Ring, a group of people were being terrorised by the original tape demon, Sadako Yamamura, in Hideo Nakata's Ringu. The pale white ghost with the long, stringy hair — and one horrible eye peeking out from behind it — crawling out from inside a TV is a defining moment in horror, and one that kicked off a whole Stateside craze of adapting whatever Japanese horror story studios could get their hands on. Finally, the threatening chain letter was brought into the modern age! The Boogeyman (1980) The bogeyman (alternately spelled “boogeyman”) is one of the most persistent urban legends of all time and seems to have a variant in nearly all cultures across the world. This 1980 supernatural horror film appropriates the bogeyman concept and modifies it to tell the tale of two sisters who are terrorised by the ghost of their mother's murdered boyfriend, who has recently escaped being imprisoned in a mirror in their house.

One, two, Freddy's coming for you… That's right kids, Freddy Kruger is clawing his way into our podcast this week, as we discover the horror behind the horror of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Since 1984, the man with a glove made of knives has been terrifying kids and adults alike, stalking the screen and many horror lovers dreams. From turning the protagonist Nancy's hair white and blending ‘Johnny Depp in a crop top' into a blood smoothie, Freddy haunted the dreams of the young teens of Elm Street, Springwood. But it was only a story right? Right….? Not entirely. Did you know that writer/director Wes Craven took inspiration for the nightmarish deaths, gruesome plot and horrific child murderer Freddy from real events? Well, you do now! Listen to episode 13 to find out more. But a word of warning… the truth is so terrifying, you may never sleep again… Learn From The Best We've got three documentaries for you this week: 1. I am Nancy (2011) 2. Never sleep again – The Nightmare on Elm Street Legacy (2010) 3. Scream Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Street (2019) Obscure Film Club 1. Slumber (2017) 2. Friday the 13th(1980) 3. The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) 4. Bad Dreams (1988) 5. Dream Demon (1988)

This episode was slightly delayed, due to one half of the Witchery Podcast being South African. With everything happening in SA at the moment, it didn't feel right to publish anything. What's changed? We need a bit of a distraction. And, we do love a haunted house/poltergeist story. So, that's right... you're all getting a follow up to our Conjuring episode! We're taking a deep dive into this 2016 supernatural horror, looking at the horror behind the horror that served as an inspiration. How much of the Enfield Poltergeist case is used in the film? Give this a listen for all the details. Learn from the best: Watch: The Enfield Poltergeist The Enfield Poltergeist doccie on BTWN Paranormal The Enfield Haunting Read: This House is Haunted: The True Story of the Enfield Poltergeist Obscure Film Club Livid (2011) The suggestion of a big treasure hidden somewhere inside Mrs Jessel's once renowned classical dance academy will become an irresistible lure to a fiendish trap for Lucie and her friends. The Changeling (1980) After the death of his wife and daughter in a car crash, a music professor staying at an old mansion is dragged into a decades-old mystery by an inexplicable presence in the mansion's attic. The Pact (2012) As a woman struggles to come to grips with her past in the wake of her mother's death and the disappearance of her sister, an unsettling presence emerges in her childhood home. Ju-On: The Grudge A mysterious and vengeful spirit marks and pursues anybody who dares enter the house in which it resides.

'Gynaecological Gothic.' That's how The New Yorker, described Rosemary's Baby on its release in 1968. Based on the horror novel by American writer Ira Levin, and directed by the now disgraced Roman Polanski, Rosemary's Baby brought the concept of the monstrous birth into the mainstream. And despite the horror trappings, the film is entirely focused on sexual politics – it is essentially, at its heart, about men conspiring and making decisions about women's bodies without their knowledge or consent. Rosemary's Baby not only inspired a host of satanic occult-based creativity in the 60s and 70s, but it also influenced a generation of youngsters to embrace the occult. It was the start of satanic panic – and film audiences lapped it up. But did you know that not only is Rosemary's Baby a cult classic… but it is the most cursed film in history? From occult murders to mysterious deaths and serious illness, Rosemary's Baby is linked to a bizarre series of events occurring before, during and after the movie was filmed. Get your Satan baby fix here, heathens! Learn From The Best Read - Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin Read - This Is No Dream Making Rosemary's Baby by James Munn Read - Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi Obscure Film Club Prevenge (2016) False Positive (2021) Possession (1981) Inside (2007) Eraserhead (1977)

After a few weeks of heavy cases, we're going in a bit of a lighter route today. We're going a bit paranormal, and bit spoopy and diving into the world of urban folklore with The Mothman Prophecies. This 2002 supernatural horror-mystery didn't really do too well at the box office, which is a shame, cause it's great (it has Richard Gere in, after all). We chat through the movie, its inspiration, and the real-life tragic events that took place in Point Pleasant in 1967. Strap in, it's a ride. Our learn from the best segment: Watch: The Mothman Legacies Read: The Mothman Prophercies, by John Keel 4 alleged mothman sightings Based on a True-Life Story, but Was That Story for Real? Silver Bridge Collapse This week's Obscure Film Club picks are all cryptid related: Obscure Film Club: Prophecy (1974) A log company's waste mutates the environment, creating a giant killer bear-monster. Alligator (1980) A baby alligator is flushed down a Chicago toilet and survives by eating discarded laboratory rats injected with growth hormones. The small reptile grows gigantic, escapes the city sewers, and goes on a rampage. Cat People (1984) A young woman's sexual awakening brings horror when she discovers her urges transform her into a monstrous black leopard. Willow Creek (2013) A man and his girlfriend camp in the woods to capture first-hand evidence of Bigfoot.

Do you like scary movies? Yes, at The Witchery Podcast we do! And so do the serial killing ‘Ghostface' duo at the centre of Wes Craven's ground-breaking slasher flick from 1996, Scream. Scream not only rejuvenated the tired slasher genre, but it paved the wave for other mid-late 90s teen horror classics, including I Know What You Did Last Summer and Final Destination. Making over $173 million at the box office, Scream put horror back on the map and created some new fans for the genre. But sometimes the love of horror can be taken too far - and even unfairly blamed for inspiring some truly abhorrent murders. This week, we're deep diving into the ‘horror behind the horror' of Scream, giving you some choice cuts of info about the film itself before exploring not one, but TWO true crime stories that are linked to the hit movie – the Gainsville ripper case that inspired Screenwriter Kevin Williamson to work on Scream, and the tragic murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart, whose killers were reportedly inspired by the franchise. Yes, two true crimes linked to one franchise. We're still stunned by that. On our Learn from the Best segment this week, check out: Scream The Inside Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s09lUFbgc-w Lost for Life : https://youtu.be/iX0BYhGRIx4 which tells the stories of juvenile killers, individuals their families' and of the families of victims of juvenile murder. A documentary on Wes Craven himself – The Directors: The Films of West Craven https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b68adSc7qA4 And in our Obscure Film Club: 1. Cherry Falls (2000) 2. The Curve (1998, also know as Dead Man's Curve) 3. Teaching Mrs Tingle 1999 4. The Final Girls (2015)

“Hell is a teenage girl” As a used to be teenage girl, can confirm. Would not recommend. Buckle up, this episode has demon possession, cannibalism, wannabe teenage rock gods, and a whooooooole lot of teenage angst. That's right, this episode we're covering Jennifer's Body. This 2009 kitschy horror wasn't exactly a box-office success when it was released, which is a shame, because it really is bloody brilliant. Thankfully, it's finally being appreciated as a cult classic 12 years later. Did you know that it was inspired by a true crime? Listen in we take a look at the horror behind the horror of Jennifer's body. But, TW, the crime is horrific. In our Learn from the Best segment: - Read: A Dead Body Lying Next to Mine — Satanic Murder, by Lisa Marie Fuqua - Read: In the Name of Satan, A True Story of Human Sacrifice, Devil Worship, and Murder, by Wensley Clarkson https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/in-the-name-of-satan - Watch: Hail Satan for some background into modern day Satanists - Extra source material: https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/crime/article39122823.html This week's Obscure Film Club picks are all dark ritualistic themed: - The Devil Rides Out (1968) - The Day Of The Beast (1995) - The Seventh Victim (1943) - The Blood On Satan's Claw (1971) - Rage (2020) Follow us on: Instagram: @thewitcherypodact Twitter: @PodcastWitchery Email us: hello@witcherypodcast.com

‘In a town like Twin Peaks, no one is innocent.' – David Lynch Like a daytime soap opera penned by H.P. Lovecraft, Twin Peaks grabbed the public's imagination. With the brutal murder of 17-year-old homecoming queen Laura Palmer as its catalyst, Twin Peaks exposed the dark, sleazy underworld of small-town life and tore the image of the American dream to shreds. But did you know that Laura Palmer's murder was based by a true story? While Special Agent Dale Cooper enjoyed his slice of Cherry Pie, the world consumed a slice of dystopian Americana, as each week they unravelled Laura Palmer's secret life. On this week's episode we look at the ‘horror behind the horror' of Twin Peaks: The murder of Hazel Drew, whose double life baffled investigators and journalists, inspired Mark Frost and David Lynch to write Twin Peaks and is still the subject of debate – and several documentaries - today. We also explore the occult mythology that inspired Twin Peaks and give you a few behind the scenes facts about the filming of the iconic series. ALSO check this out: How Nightmare on Elm Street might have influenced Twin Peaks Learn from the best: Read – The Secret Diary of Laura Palmerby Jennifer Lynch Read – Twin Peaks: The Final Dossierby Mark Frost Read – The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost Watch – Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces. A collection of unused footage from ‘Fire Walk with Me' woven into a feature film. Obscure film club The Double life of Veronique - Irène Jacobs plays doppelgängers Véronique and Weronika, two 24-year-old women from Poland and France who share a common passion for music and, despite not being aware of each other's existence, feel a strange, unexplainable connection. Inland Empire – Starring Laura Dern and Jeremy Irons. As an actress begins to adopt the persona of her character in a film, her world becomes nightmarish and surreal. Directed by David Lynch. Donnie Darko - Donnie Darko (played by a young Jake Gyllenhaal), a teenager who has problems with sleepwalking, starts to see a creepy rabbit-like creature who calls itself “Frank.” After this mysterious encounter, a lot of strange things begin to happen in Donnie's life. The Hidden – Kyle MacLachlan plays FBI Special Agent Lloyd Gallagher, whose mission is to capture a strange alien creature which inhabits the bodies of its victims and causes havoc in the city.

We're going straight for the jugular with this one and looking at one of the best goddam movies in the sub-genre: Bram Stoker's Dracula. From the tragic love story, to the beautiful costumes and oh, so much blood, it really is an operatic masterpiece. You know that it's based on the gothic vampire novel by Bram Stoker, but do you know the full story? We take a delve into what, or who, inspired this vampy tale – both the book and the film, exploring Stoker's inspiration for Dracula and the more medieval route the filmmakers drew from. It's a bloody, vampire filled, pun-laden dive into one of our favourite movies, and topics (vampires, that is). We also have our Learn from the Best segment: Read: Bram Stoker's Dracula 25 Crazy Facts Behind The Making Of Bram Stoker's Dracula Some books on Vlad (we haven't read these): https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/vlad-dracula Listen: Dictators two-parter on Vlad the Impaler Watch: Cinefix's Bram Stoker's Dracula - What's the Difference? Bloodlines: The making of Bram Stoker's Dracula Here's some vampiric films to sink your teeth into, for the Obscure Film Club: Horror of Dracula (1958) Cronos (1993) Black Sunday (1960) Vampyre (1932) The Hunger (1983) And a bonus pick: Vamp (1986)

Everyone loves Chucky. Who wouldn't adore a diminutive, homicidal plastic maniac? For 33 years Chucky has been scaring the bejesus out of generations of children, teens and adults. And it looks like his reign of terror will continue for years to come (thank you Don Mancini!). But have you heard about the real life (well, as alive as a doll can be) Chucky that lives in Florida? His name is Robert… and he's a little devil. Literally. In this episode we explore the Child's Play universe – the 1988 horror classic, the films it's spawned, the possessed doll that is rumoured to have inspired the original film, and the two horrific true crime murders that may have been influenced by Chucky's antics. Grab some sage, lock all your cuddly toys and dolls in the closet, and listen to episode 5 of The Witchery Podcast. On our Learn from the Best segment, check out: Watch: The Making of Child's Play Watch: The Dollhouse Read: Robert the Doll by David Sloan And in this week's Obscure Film Club: Dolls (1987) Puppet Masters (1989) May (2002) Robert (2015)

Hands up heathens: who likes a good ghost story? We obvs do! Spooky ghost stories really are a horror staple, and none is spookier than that of The Conjuring. This 2013 ghostly classic was a box office success, sparking off an entire franchise. In the 1970s, the Perron family moves into what they think is their dream home out in the country. Almost immediately weird stuff starts happening and stuff goes seriously awry. The film is based on one of Ed and Lorraine Warren's case files. But we're all about the horror behind the horror on this podcast, and explore what really went down on the Harrisville farmhouse. We recommend reading: House of Darkness, House of Light by Andrea Perron. Correcting the Conjuring House History by Kenny Biddle. And of course, you can stay at the conjuring house: https://www.frommers.com/blogs/passportable/blog_posts/you-can-now-stay-at-the-conjuring-house-if-you-dare

Ok heathens, this week's episode is a heart-wrencher. We're looking at the ‘horror behind the horror' of the Steven Spielberg and John Landis produced horror/sci-fi anthology film, Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983). The movie was a revamp of the original 1960s tv series The Twilight Zone – but it's been burned into the public consciousness not for the movie itself, but due to the horrific on-set deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two child actors - six year old Renee Chen and seven year old Myca Le. The tragic deaths led to civil lawsuits, a huge court case, and changed the film industry for ever. Were the deaths the result of an unforeseen accident – or due to extreme risk taking and poor judgement by the film makers? Listen and decide for yourselves. We've used printed court testimony, newspaper articles, news footage and several books for our research. We're recommending the following two books: https://www.amazon.com/Outrageous-Conduct-Twilight-Zone-Case/dp/087795948X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=twilight+zone+case&qid=1618743586&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Special-Effects-Disaster-Twilight-Tragedy/dp/0684189437/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=twilight+zone+case&qid=1618743586&sr=8-4 Also check out Cursed Films on Shudder, season 1 episode 6: The Twilight Zone. This week's Obscure Film Club features: The Vault of Horror (1973) Cat's Eye (1985) Trilogy of Terror (1975) V/H/S trilogy (2012-2014) See you there, heathens.

Come with us on a spooky journey into all things possessed as we chat about the 2012 film, The Possession. The story follows Em, a young girl, who find an antique box at a yard sale. The box? It's cursed, with a dybbuk. While the story of Em might be fictional, the dybbuk box isn't. So, listen in as we go through the film and all the horror behind the horror – from the creepy stuff on set, to the rotten luck experienced in the boxes wake. The horror: religion and the monstrous on film: https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/responses/the-horror-religion-and-the-monstrous-on-film Grab some sage and listen now.

In this episode we dive into the voodoo masterpiece that is The Serpent and the Rainbow. Strap yourselves in, it's a doozy. Wes Craven's 1988 film tells the tale of an anthropologist, Dennis Allen, who travels to Haiti to investigate claims of a living zombies. Sounds spooky enough, right? Well, what's the horror behind the horror? It's based (loosely) on a true story. Also, we have our Learn from the best segment and, of course, the Obscure Film club.