PopHorror Let's Get Scared
A new 12-episode horror series, The Dead Hour, released by Terror Films, which I liken to The Twilight Zone meets Tales From The Crypt meets Elvira, is now available on streaming platforms like Tubi, Amazon, and Kings of Horror as of May 12th. I highly recommend checking this creepy little horror anthology out ASAP!
Each episode was unique and well done, lasting roughly 17 to 22 minutes — just long enough to get your blood curdling, but short enough to leave you wanting more. Some standouts from The Dead Hour include “Donor,” an episode about a man who donates various organs to be able to financially support his wife and new baby. Another standout is ‘Frightfest’, which brings us all the nostalgia of a classic cinema experience, and all the sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat fun only the campiest of horror can bring.
‘Gross Anatomy,’ another episode, depicts student doctors being hunted by the corpses they’re meant to be performing their practices on. ‘Cougar’ was absolutely brilliant (and relatable)! In total, there are 12 episodes and 3 seasons of The Dead Hour. All episodes are introduced by a mysterious and macabre-loving radio announcer, DJ Raven, (Melissa Holder – Poet 2015) who is as twisted as she is beautiful.
We created our setup, a delightful yet twisted radio DJ in a dark booth late at night telling her audience creepy tales. We would start each episode with her opening setup monologue and then we’d jump into the story as it plays out on screen. For over a year we would come up with hundreds of short story ideas before finally narrowing it down to the dozen or so that we wanted to do first.
Creators Daniel B. Iske and Scott Coleman (both wrote and directed Fields of the Dead, 2021) were excited to work with various actors with an array of talent, as each episode has a different cast, bringing different energies to each episode. The episodes are not fluff pieces either, each one is rooted in their commentaries on current world issues, detailing and exploring the fact that monsters indeed, live within us, and walk among us.
I was pleasantly surprised by The Dead Hour, as sometimes disappointment only follows when anticipating a new horror release, but this one is not to be missed. Some episodes border strongly on the cheesy side, and I apologize, but not in a good B-movie kind of way. Those moments are tolerable, however, and few and far between. I am a big fan of horror hosts, and The Dark Hour definitely harkens back to the era of radio and television where terror was invited, and fans would stay up at night anticipating; It’s that build-up that raises the tension.
The Dead Hour is the kind of anthology you can throw on while making breakfast and getting ready to start your day or binge-watch at night with a loved one and a bowl of popcorn. Easy, fun, plain old horror, wrapped up in a small little box for your viewing pleasure.
Watch the official trailer below:
