A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio - A Macabre Delight Just in Time For Halloween

Horror anthologies - I love them. Many who are close to my age and demographic agree that we need more such films, and that there really could never be too many. There is an attractive nature to the art of telling stories - short stories, at that - the grim tales told around a campfire, the sharing of forbidden folklore and harrowing tales passed through time and cultures, whose incarnations of terror are beheld by only the initial beholder, for once the tale is told, the creatures morph, and the horror takes on a whole new persona.

I could ramble incessantly about the joys of anthology horror, but perhaps my passionate introduction helps to establish my love for the genre. Having grown up reading pulpy horror anthology books, the ubiquitous Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and as a veteran of the “greats” in the anthology horror style - Creepshow, Tales from the Darkside, the campy and macabre delights of Tales from the Crypt; the good anthologies are many, boasting directors such as Carpenter, Hooper, Romero, and the list goes on ad nauseam.

Uncork’d Entertainment, who are rapidly becoming one of my favorite distributors, have released a new horror anthology flick, A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio. As per my usual modus operandi, I will refrain from spoilers, and merely give brief glimpses at the content of the films. However, I can ultimately sum this up quickly with brief candor. If the aforementioned books, movies, and television shows appeal to you (see paragraphs above) then you should watch this movie. Done. No need for further review.

However, in the spirit of providing meaningful content and pull quotes, I can unequivocally tell you this was one of the most enjoyable horror films I have seen this year. The stories are varied, the acting is on point, the gore is nicely done, and I even found myself startled at some of the beats in a couple of the shorts. There are shadow people, ghastly creatures dancing shadows, macabre creatures enticing children, terrifying apparitions seen from the corners of your eyes, ghostly children - all contained in a tight, 100 minute package. The cinematography is excellent, and the diverse nature of the cast as well as the stories stay interesting and are never dull. The production on the whole is remarkable, in fact.

A horror anthology is only as good as its initial introduction and wraparound tale, and Nightmare Radio sets up a scenario near and dear to this humble author’s heart: a radio station with a dj telling ghostly tales. As the macabre stories are shared, both via the DJ and his callers, we are treated to a diverse spread of horror shorts, hailing from such places as Argentina, New Zealand, and the UK. All the while, our DJ receives phone calls from a child in distress, giving a familiar edge, yet compelling us to keep the movie going, taking us to the next presentation. The stories themselves are as varied as their countries of origin, with some horror tales chilling more than others, however, I thoroughly enjoyed every tale.

This movie was a macabre delight, and as mentioned above, I was actually startled at a couple spots in a very tense short. While we have seen this type of story before, told time and again, this offering is EXACTLY what I want and enjoy in a horror anthology, and still manages to stay unique; at the end of the day, I enjoyed every bit of the movie, and that is a successful film, in my eyes. Perfect for the Autumn and Halloween seasons; add this to your Halloween watchlists, you won’t be disappointed.

A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio is available On Demand and DVD September 1, 2020.

Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/0A5XhF9YZZs

Read more within the Museum of Macabre Media on Monsters, Madness and Magic here: ‘Clownface’ Will Keep You Smiling Through The Screams