Ever since the Egyptians, humans have been evolving toward haunted house attractions. The level of sophistication in the scares and gore effects continues to rise over time, but the purpose remains the same: to scare the pants off you.
AI Summary
# Summary
This episode dives deep into the fascinating history and business of haunted house attractions, tracing them from ancient Egypt and medieval times all the way to today's multi-billion dollar industry. Josh and Chuck explore how these attractions evolved from stage effects and dark carnival rides into the elaborate experiences we see today, then venture into the surprisingly complex world of running a successful haunted house—complete with insights about safety regulations, customer flow management, and creative scares. But things take a wild turn when they discuss the extreme haunted houses like McKamey Manor, where the experience becomes so intense and physically demanding that it raises serious questions about where entertainment crosses the line into something far darker.
American Horror Story
2011
★ 8.1
"I posted something on our Facebook page a day because of that new clown and American horror story. — Chuck discussing the scary clown character Twisty from American Horror Story's freak show season."
— Chuck
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1931
NR
1h 36m
★ 7.2
"You would come across like some sort of tableau of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. — Josh explaining how Victorian-era wax museums featured scary scenes including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."
— Josh
Friday the 13th
1980
1h 35m
★ 6.4
"Friday the 13th, that's like Hallmark horror, but it's just different. It's a slasher movie. — Josh contrasting slasher films like Friday the 13th with supernatural horror films."
— Josh
Haunted Mansion
2023
PG-13
2h 3m
★ 6.4
"The haunted mansion that was first built in 1969 at Disneyland. — Josh discussing the history of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion as the first permanent haunted house attraction."
— Josh
Hell House
2001
1h 25m
★ 6.2
"There's a documentary called Hell House on these things, I think, from like 2002. — Josh referencing the documentary Hell House about church-run scare attractions."
— Josh
Hellraiser
1987
1h 34m
★ 6.9
"You know who did do it well, was the first couple Hellraisers. They used medical instruments to really... — Josh praising the original Hellraiser films for using medical instruments effectively in horror."
— Josh
"It's the haunted attraction version of, I don't even know what they're, I don't watch any of them. Hostel. — Josh comparing extreme haunted houses to torture-horror films like Hostel."
— Josh
The Conjuring
2013
1h 52m
★ 7.5
"Conjuring was okay. It was okay. — Josh discussing horror movies and comparing The Conjuring to other ghost stories."
— Josh
The House of the Devil
2009
1h 35m
★ 6.3
"He's not just trying to outgore you or shock you. He tries to build genuine suspense and dread. — Chuck praising director Ti West's approach to horror in House of the Devil."
— Chuck
The Innkeepers
2011
1h 41m
★ 5.4
"The Innkeepers and House of the Devil. I think so. Because both of those were good movies. — Josh discussing The Innkeepers as a slow-burn horror film with genuine suspense."
— Josh
The Karate Kid
1984
2h 7m
★ 7.2
"Your ode to the Karate Kid was beautiful. I got goosebumps along with Chuck. — Listener email praising the hosts' previous episode about The Karate Kid and its emotional impact."
The Karate Kid Part II
1986
1h 53m
★ 6.3
"After all the other films that attempt to be a part of the franchise or a travesty, two is incredibly good. — Listener recommending The Karate Kid Part II as a quality sequel worth watching."
The Woman in Black
2012
1h 35m
★ 6.1
"It's called Either the Lady in Black or Woman in Black, and it stars a grown-up Harry Potter. — Chuck recommending The Woman in Black as a genuinely frightening ghost story to Josh."
— Chuck
Top Gun
1986
1h 50m
★ 7.1
"It's like, oh, she's got the same name as that lady from Top Gun. — Josh mentioning actress Kelly McGillis was also in Top Gun."
— Josh
Wolf Creek
2005
1h 39m
★ 6.2
"Did you ever see Wolf Creek? No. It's set in the Australian outback. — Josh recommending Wolf Creek as a psychological thriller set in the Australian outback."
— Josh
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