Hypnogoria
Welcome to Hypnogoria, Britain's longest running horror podcast! Coming to you from the Great Library of Dreams, Mr Jim Moon invites you to take a comfy armchair by the fireside to talk of all things weird and wonderful. Here we discuss strange cinema and spooky television, explore weird fiction and delve into the mysteries of folklore. Plus we also regularly gather by the fireside to hear readings of some classic tales of the strange and the macabre.
Episodes
HYPNOGORIA 310 - One Season Wonders Part III
In the next chapter in our series on sci-fi shows that didn't last a single season, we have déjà vu with another show about an invisible man that tanked - the Gemini Man, and take a very short trip with The Fantastic Journey whose characters, and whose ratings too, disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle!
HYPNOGORIA 309 - One Season Wonders Part II
In this episode we discover why a second return to the Planet of Apes, as a cartoon TV series, vanished too quickly, and examine the strange case of The Invisible Man (1975) in which David McCallum wasn't seen in more ways than one!
HYPNOGORIA 308 - One Season Wonders Part I
A new mini series we take a look at a string of sci-fi shows from the 1970s and 1980s that everyone remembers, yet lasted only for one season or less! And we start off our exploration of these one season wonders with the ill-fated Planet of the Apes TV series!
HYPNOGORIA 307 - Sick Flicks Volume 1
We take a look at a brand new book from Mike Bracken, the Horror Geek - Sick Flicks Volume I - an essential guide to all the splatter that matters!
HYPNOGORIA 306 - Piccolo Explorer Book of Mysteries Part II
In the second part of our look back at the Piccolo Explorer Book of Mysteries, we discover what this 1980s children's book series had to say about sea mysteries, fabulous beasts, ghosts, and even devils and demons!
HYPNOGORIA 305 - Piccolo Explorer Book of Mysteries Part I
In this show we travel back to the 1980s to look at a set of books all on things weird and wonderful - the Piccolo Explorer Book of Mysteries!
HYPNOGORIA 304 - Rituals Unlimited Part IX
In this show Mr Jim has a look at the new novel of pagan terror from Adam LG Nevill - Monumental! A story of life and death in the wilderness where recreation becomes survival!
HYPNOGORIA 303 - Your Turn
Some one on social media asked "What's the creepiest thing you've experienced that you genuinely cannot explain?" and Mr Jim examines the strange tales and ghostly experiences that followed...
MICROGORIA 135 - A Rainy Day by The Fireside
A little chat from the fireside which includes details of forthcoming shows and some much needed good news!
HYPNOGORIA 302 - Winter Horrors Part V
Spring is almost here, but there's still time for one last helping of winter horrors! In this chapter we look at two movies that draw on the legend of the Wendigo - Ravenous (1999) and Wendigo (2001), and look at two different adaptations of the same wintry vampire novel - Let the Right One In (2008) and Let Me In (2010)
HYPNOGORIA 301 - It: Welcome to Derry
In this chapter we take a spoiler-free look at the first season of It: Welcome to Derry, the new television series that is set in 1962, before the events of It Chapter One (2017) and It Chapter Two.
MICROGORIA 134 - Nightmare Abbey
In this little episode Mr Jim explores Nightmare Abbey, an on-going series of books delivering ghostly and macabre short tales, some old but most new, from the brightest and best in the field!
HYPNOGORIA 300 - Winter Horrors Part IV
We start the New Year with another round-up of fine frights for winter nights - featuring vampires in the arctic circle, a Universal monster out in the snow, kidnappers getting more than they bargained for in a wintery cabin, and a tense psycho-chiller from the King of horror!
HYPNOGORIA 299 - The Black Lady of Bradley Woods
In a special New Year's episode, Mr Jim Moon investigates the legend of a ghost who reported walks on New Year's Day - the Black Lady of Bradley Woods. In this show we trace the history of this Lincolnshire haunting, and discover how the folklore has changed and evolved over the years.
HYPNOGORIA 298 - A Christmas Treasury
For our Christmas special this year Mr Jim Moon invites you to take a seat by the fire for a selection of seasonal readings from the festive bookshelf!
MICROGORIA 133 - A Christmas Ghost Story by Kim Newman
In this surprise bonus episode, we review a chilling tale for dark days and long nights, a novel of season shocks - A Christmas Ghost Story by Kim Newman!
MICROGORIA 132 - Opening the Box of Delights
In this surprise bonus podcast, we take a look at the new third edition of Opening the Box of Delights just published by Herne Books - a new expanded edition of the book by Dr Philip W. Errington all about John Masefield's Christmas classic!
HYPNOGORIA 297 - The Ice House
In this podcast we present our annual commentary for the BBC's A Ghost Story for Christmas series, and this year we have reached the last episode of the original run, The Ice House written by John Bowen, which was first shown on Christmas Day night 1978.
HYPNOGORIA 296 - Gaming with The Box of Delights
In this festive special, we take a look at The Box of Delights - The Roleplaying Game from ACE Gamebooks, by Jonathan Green and Tony Hough. We trace its beginnings back to the gamebook, 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas (2019) and the following roleplaying game 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas before exploring roleplaying in the winter wonderland of John Masefield's Christmas
MICROGORIA 131 - The Festive Fireside
In this little chat from the fireside, Mr Jim gives us a little update on his battle with lung cancer but more importantly reveals what's coming up on all our various shows for the festive season!
HYPNOGORIA 295 - Winter Horrors Part III
In a last helping of winter horrors before Yuletide, we have a variety of movies featuring snowy werewolves, ancient temples in the ice, encounters with yetis, and killer snowmen!
HYPNOGORIA 294 - Winter Horrors Part II
We continue our selections of fine frights for winter nights, rounding up more interesting winter horror movies! This time we have films featuring assorted trolls, isolated artic bases, Scandinavian slashers, and a visit to the Overlook Hotel
HYPNOGORIA 293 - Winter Horrors Part I
For November we begin a new mini series, looking at horror movie suitable for winter viewing! In this first episode we have some classic wintry terrors from the 1950s, the 1970s and the 1980s, discover how zombies fare in the snow, look an early movie from Osgood Perkins, and defrost an obscure 1980s monster movie!
HYPNOGORIA 292 - The History of Halloween Part XVI
In this chapter we discover what was happening in the mid 1990s on Halloween night, and look at the only big scream outing for Caspar the Friendly Ghost, low budget horror Jack-O, the return of Angela in Night of the Demons 3, and even a movie based on the Monster Mash!
HYPNOGORIA 291 - Scarred for Life Volume Three
In this show we look at the final book of the Scarred For Life series - Volume Three is a massive 740 page tour through the dark side of 1980s pop culture. It covers comics, movies, books, videos, and games, plus features a stealthy book-within-a-book on nuclear anxiety and cold war terrors!
MICROGORIA 130 - Leaving DC
In this little show, we review a little microbudget horror from 2012 - Leaving DC. This creepy found footage movie is the video diary of a man who has left the big city to live in a lovely house in the country... But there's something in the woods round his new home...
HYPNOGORIA 290 - Nightmares of Nosferatu Part XIII
We conclude our deep dive into the layers of history and folklore in the Robert Eggers version of Nosferatu, discovering the secrets of Count Orlok and the various pacts and deals that bind the characters together.
HYPNOGORIA 289 - Nightmares of Nosferatu Part XII
In this chapter we uncover how historical accounts of vampires and ancient folklore gave us a reimagined and reanimated Orlok in the new Nosferatu (2024).
HYPNOGORIA 288 - Nightmares of Nosferatu Part XI
The Nightmares of Nosferatu returns to examine the new Robert Eggers incarnation. In this chapter we chart the development of the movie and the long road it took to the screen, and the magic that went into its making!
MICROGORIA 129 - Autumn Update
A little update on my on-going battles with lung cancer, but this time I have some good news to share!
HYPNOGORIA 287 - Spawn of The Gill-Man Part IV
In a surprise new chapter, we take a look at a new addition to the Black Lagoon extended family tree - the 2024 movie Monster Island AKA Orang Ikan, a tale of men versus aquatic humanoid monsters set in World War II!
MICROGORIA 128 - A Fireside Update
A little chat from the fireside in which Mr Jim updates you all on his battle with the dreaded cancer! Spoilers - it's going well ;)
HYPNOGORIA SUMMER SPECIAL 15 - It Came From Beyond the Chiller Cabinet Part III
In the final part of our history of the Great Ice Lolly Wars, we look at the 1980s, with icy snack tie-ins to the likes of Star Trek The Motion Picture, Superman The Movie, and of course the original Star Wars trilogy, but also discover how yogurts turned into monsters!
HYPNOGORIA SUMMER SPECIAL 14 - It Came From Beyond the Chiller Cabinet Part II
Continuing our history of assorted geeky, freaky, and galactic ice lollies of the 1970s, we discover sci-fi ties-ins to the likes of Space 1999 and the Bionic lolly plus famous monsters Dracula, King Kong and the Daleks getting their own frozen snacks!
HYPNOGORIA SUMMER SPECIAL 13 - It Came From Beyond the Chiller Cabinet Part I
For our summer special season this year, we take at look back at the days with ice lollies and frozen snacks went all freaky, geeky, and intergalactic! In this first chapter we discover how ice lollies could get you into Moon Fleet, fighting Daleks with Doctor Who, encountering Red Devils and Jelly Terrors, plus adventuring with a host of Gerry Anderson characters!
HYPNOGORIA 287 - The Corman Poe Cycle Part VIII - Tomb of Ligeia
In this show we look at the final Poe adaptation done by Roger Corman, The Tomb of Ligeia, starring Vincent Prince and Elizabeth Shepherd and scripted by Robert Towne who would go on to pen classics such as Chinatown!
HYPNOGORIA 286 - The Chime of the Bluebells
In the UK at this time of the year the woodlands are awash with a carpet of bluebells. However as beloved as these wild flowers are, they have a lot of folklore surrounding them, and links to faeries, the dead, witches and the Devil himself!
MICROGORIA 127 - Very Important News
I have some serious news and it ain't great...
HYPNOGORIA 285 - Remembering the Ghostly Books of Aidan Chambers
This week, the great children's author Aidan Chambers sadly passed away. And this show we take a fond look back on the ghostly books he penned and the various anthologies of spooky stories he edited.
HYPNOGORIA 284 - Stone Age Horrors
Did you know Oliver Stone had made a horror film? No? Did you know he'd made TWO horror movies before he directed Salvador (1986)? Well, step this way and discover his first two movies - Seizure (1974) starring Jonathan Frid, Hervé Villechaize and Martine Beswick, and The Hand (1981) starring Sir Michael Caine!
HYPNOGORIA 283 - The Corman Poe Cycle Part VII
In this chapter we examine the movie often hailed as the greatest Roger Corman ever made - Masque of the Red Death (1964) - starring Vincent Price, Hazel Court, and Jane Asher, plus cinematography from future legendary director Nicolas Roeg.
HYPNOGORIA 282 - The Corman Poe Cycle Part VI
In this chapter we learn how Roger Corman made the very first movie adaptation of a HP Lovecraft story - The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, starring Vincent Price and Lon Chaney Jnr. - but when it hit cinemas, it had become Edgar Allen Poe's The Haunted Palace! (And yes, they even spelled Poe's middle name wrong!)
HYPNOGORIA 281 - The Corman Poe Cycle Part V
In this chapter we have the next two Poe movies from Roger Corman, which each took a different direction. Tales of Terror (1962) was an anthology film featuring three different Poe stories, plus guest stars Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone. While The Raven (1963) was a comedy horror tale of feuding sorcerers which saw Vincent Price plotting magical skulduggery with Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff and a y
HYPNOGORIA 280 - Nightmares of Nosferatu Part X
We take a look at the little known other remake of Nosferatu that surfaced last year, directed by David Lee Fisher and starring Doug Jones as Graf Orlock!
HYPNOGORIA 279 - The Return of the Wolf Man
We take a look at the latest incarnation of Universal werewolvery in Wolf Man (2025) written and directed by Leigh Whannell! Previous chapters in this series can be found here - The Wolf at the Door: a Werewolf History
HYPNOGORIA 277 - The Ideas Are Fish
The second part of my tribute to the late great David Lynch, in which we uncover Lynchian theories on life, art, film making and the importance of fishing...
HYPNOGORIA 277 - The Woodpeckers Are Not What They Seem
The first part of a tribute to the late great David Lynch, in which Mr Jim attempts to unravel the mysteries of a man who was a film maker, a painter, a writer, a musician, a weatherman, and a friend to woodpeckers...
HYPNOGORIA 276 - The Corman Poe Cycle Part IV
In a new chapter of this retrospective on the late great Roger Corman's cycle of Poe movie, we look at his third adaptation, The Premature Burial, which starred Ray Milland rather than Vincent Price and very nearly wasn't made by AIP at all.
MICROGORIA 126 - New Year by the Fireside
A cosy chat from the fireside and a happy New Year to all you out there in Listenerland!
DOOR 24 - Everybody's Waitin' for the Man with the Bag
Behind Door 24 we have A Christmas Horror Story and Krampus, Christmas horror films becoming a new annual tradition, and coming right up to date with Art the Clown getting festive in Terrifier 3
DOOR 23 - Silent Nights
Behind Door 23 we trapped by a hooded maniac in ATM and look at the surprising resurrection of the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise, the loose remake Silent Night
DOOR 22 - You'd Better Watch Out…
Behind Door 22 we have a pair of movies from 2010 which both draw on the dark folklore of Father Christmas, with St Nicholas on the rampage in Sint from the Netherlands, while Finland resurrects an ancient Lapland Yuletide terrors in Rare Exports
HYPNOGORIA 275 - Stigma
This year we have reached 1977, and the penultimate episode in the original run, and the last episode directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark. In a departure from the usual format Stigma brings us a brand new tale written especially for the screen by Clive Exton, a dark tale of mysterious megaliths and ancient evils.
DOOR 21 - I'll Be Home For Christmas
Behind Door 21 we have troubling getting home for Christmas in P2 (2007), trouble in the home in French shocker Inside (2007), and a less than happy New Year with The Children (2008)
DOOR 20 - Driving Home for Christmas
Behind Door 20 we learn why you should never take the scenic route when driving home for Christmas with Dead End (2003) and Wind Chill (2007), and also take a splattery ride on Santa's Slay (2005)
DOOR 19 - The Naughty List
Behind Door 19 we venture into the dark underworld of straight to video, where many terrible festive flicks lurk… Welcome t o the Christmas Horror Naughty List!
DOOR 18 - Unwelcome Gifts and Christmas Nightmares
Behind Door 18 we find Mickey Rooney as an evil toymaker in Silent Night, Deadly Part 5, wish Jack Skellington a merry Christmas and discover a nativity in black in Spain's Day of the Beast
DOOR 17 - Sweet Christmas! Are They Still Making These?
Behind Door 17 we find the stranger end of the Silent Night, Deadly Night series with Part 3: You Better Watch Out with Bill Moseley as a robo-zombie Ricky, and Brian Yuzna's bizarre witchcraft body horror Part 4: Initiation starring Maud Adams!
DOOR 16 - Not Reindeer Games, Deadly Games!
Behind Door 16 we have some seasonal shark nonsense from Jaws: The Revenge and the little seen but very entertaining Deadly Games (1989), a French Christmas horror that possibly inspired Home Alone
DOOR 15 - You've Been Very, Very Naughty!
Behind Door 15 - it's Garbage Day! Yes, we experience the incredibly inept brilliance of Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2
DOOR 14 - Slay Rides
Behind Door 14 we find the most infamous Christmas horror movie of them all, 1984's Santa slasher flick, Silent Night, Deadly Night!
DOOR 13 - Do Not Open Until Christmas
Behind Door 13 we discover two little known Christmas fright flick - The Dorm that Dripped Blood AKA Pranks, and a rare British Santa slasher Don't Open Until Christmas. Warning - may also contain Gremlins too!
DOOR 12 - Toyland Terrors and the Chimes of Midnight
Behind Door 12 we find John Waters's favourite holiday movie Christmas Evil plus two New Year horrors - Terror Train and New Year's Evil
DOOR 11 - To All A Good Night
Behind Door 11 have an early Santa Slasher To All a Goodnight (1980) and the most unfestive Night Train Murders (1975)
DOOR 10 - May All Your Christmases be Black
Behind Door 10 is perhaps the most important Yuletide horror of them all, Bob Clark's Black Christmas (1974)
DOOR 09 - All is Neither Calm nor Bright
Behind Door 09 we visit the little seen early slasher mystery Silent Night Bloody Night from 1971, and learn The Legend of Hell House (1973)
DOOR 08 - All Through The House
Behind Door 8 is the Amicus movie Tales From the Crypt (1972), and in particular one scarifying seasonal tale from the legendary EC Comics, All Through House which sees Joan Collins menaced by a psychotic Santa!
DOOR 07 - Look Who's Coming For Christmas
Behind Door 7 of the Christmas Advent Calendar we discover the dark festive fable Whoever Slew Auntie Roo (1971)
DOOR 06 - A Pair of Christmas Crackers
Door 6 in the Christmas Horror Advent Calendar reveals Finnish folk horror The White Reindeer (1952) and a little known fright-filled Christmas movie from Hammer - Cash on Demand (1961) starring Peter Cushing!
DOOR 05 - Christmas Parties And Unwelcome Guests
Door 5 in the Christmas Horror Advent Calendar opens, looking at seminal slices of festive fear - Dead of Night from Ealing Studios (1945) and macabre noir Beware My Lovely (1952)
DOOR 04 - Christmas with the Cat People
Door 04 of the Christmas Horror Advent Calendar open revealing classic Val Lewton chiller - Curse of the Cat People!
DOOR 03 - Devil Dolls and Nightmares in Wax
Door 3 of the Christmas Horror Advent Calendar opens, and we look at early Yuletide horrors The Mystery in the Wax Museum and The Devil-Doll
DOOR 02 - Carols, Coaches and Demons
Door 2 of the Christmas Horror advent calendar opens!, looking at assort silent festive frights!
Door 01 - Welcome to the History of Christmas Horror
In this special advent calendar, every day we will be tracing the history of the Christmas horror film, from silent terrors to present day festive frights!
HYPNOGORIA 274 - The Box of Delights 40th Anniversary Celebration
In a special episode, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first screening of The Box of Delights TV series, the classic BBC adaption of John Masefield's novel that first aired back in 1984. We take a look at the new revised and expanded edition of the book Opening the Box of Delights by Dr Philip W. Errington, and report on the wonderful remastered Blu-ray edition of the series, which includ
HYPNOGORIA 273 - The Corman Poe Cycle Part III
In this chapter we learn how Roger Corman and Richard Matheson devised a second cinematic foray in the world of Edgar Allan Poe, this time plunging horror icons Vincent Price and Barbara Steele in the the nightmares of The Pit and Pendulum (1961).
HYPNOGORIA 272 - The Origins of Halloween Part XV
In this chapter we explore Hallowe'en in the mid-nineties, and chart the rise of The Crow, Angela returns from Hell in Night of the Demons 2, go trick or treating with Richie, Eddie and a cattle prod, and suffer Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.
HYPNOGORIA 271 - The Origins of Halloween Part XIV
In this chapter we look at what was a bumper year for Hallowe'en - with 1993 delivering classics such Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas, Disney's Hocus Pocus, a film of Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree, and the first publication of Roger Zelazny's classic novel A Night in Lonesome October
HYPNOGORIA 270 - The Corman Poe Cycle Part II
In this episode we detail how Roger Corman made his first adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe, The House of Usher, starring Vincent Price, and the impact it had when unleashed upon the world in 1960!
HYPNOGORIA 269 - The Corman Poe Cycle Part I
A new horror history series begins - devoted to the cycle of Edgar Allan Poe films directed by Roger Corman for AIP back in the 1960s. In this first chapter, we explore the origins of this series of classic movies, tracing the road that led to the House of Usher!
