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Horror Makes Us HappyAnne Azano (Drawn To Darkness Podcast)Sociopathy, costumes, and haunted houses!Guest bio pages: https://horrormakesushappy.com/episodes.htmlAll our other links: https://linktr.ee/horrormakesushappyIf you're seeing this, please remember to like, share, subscribe, or leave us a comment or a review!
2026-09-251h 06
Drawn to DarknessJonathan Demme's Silence of the LambsSend us Fan MailIn this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we dive into Jonathan Demme’s classic and deeply unsettling 1991 psychological horror-thriller, Silence of the Lambs. We unpack the film’s use of dread over jump scares, the power of what is left unseen, the terrifying precision of Anthony Hopkins’ performance, Jodie Foster’s Clarice navigating the male gaze in a man’s world, and why Catherine Martin deserves more credit for being a total badass. We also discuss the book, the film’s real-life serial killer inspirations, the horror of charming and sophisticated monsters, the questionable...
2026-06-231h 12Drawn to DarknessThe Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen PoeSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we celebrate one year of Drawn to Darkness by raising a glass to Edgar Allan Poe’s revenge-soaked classic, "The Cask of Amontillado", a story about wounded pride, wine snobbery, and one extremely committed masonry project. Expect talk of Poe’s tragic life, literary feuds, mysterious deaths, buried-alive panic, Freemasons, creepy crypts, and why you should never follow a frenemy to a second location. We also discuss the unsettling question the story refuses to answer: what exactly did Fortunato do? Was this revenge for a real wrong, a thousand tiny slig...
2026-06-0959 minDrawn to DarknessSteven Spielberg's Jurassic ParkSend us Fan MailIn this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we ask the important questions: Is Jurassic Park actually horror? And would not having a favourite dinosaur be a dealbreaker?We dive into Steven Spielberg’s iconic dinosaur summer blockbuster, from trembling cups of water and bloody goat legs to whatever chaos theory is, Chekov’s electric fences, and Jeff Goldblum’s unbuttoned shirt. Along the way, we unpack the film’s blend of adventure, horror, and sci-fi, discuss whether the dinosaurs were scientifically accurate (spoiler alert: no), and debate the ethics of cloning extinct...
2026-05-121h 10Drawn to DarknessMartin Scorsese's GoodfellasSend us Fan MailIn this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we dive into Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, the “glorious,” “classic” mob epic that somehow feels both iconic and unsettling.From razor-blade-sliced garlic in prison to cocaine-fuelled paranoia and helicopter chases, we unpack the rise and fall of Henry Hill, a kid who always wanted to be a gangster, and ended up a broke, bored “schnuck” in witness protection. We explore the film’s unforgettable characters (Jimmy the Gent, Tommy the loose cannon, and Karen, our MVP), iconic scenes (Funny how?), and the uneasy tension between glamour...
2026-04-281h 11Drawn to DarknessRyan Coogler's Sinners with guest Makeda PennycookeSend us Fan MailIn this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we dive into Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, a genre-bending vampire period drama set in 1930s Jim Crow Mississippi. Joined by special guest Makeda Pennycooke, life and anti-racism coach, we unpack a film that is as gorgeous as it is unsettling, layering horror, history, and music. We break down vampire lore, our favorite characters, standout performances (Michael B. Jordan playing twins), the transcendent musical moments, and the symbolism woven throughout, from religion and ancestral knowledge to systems of white supremacy, power, and assimilation.Content & Sp...
2026-04-141h 28Drawn to DarknessAmy Berg's West of Memphis with Gillian PensavalleSend us Fan MailWelcome back to Drawn to Darkness. This week, we are joined by special guest Gillian Pensavalle from True Crime Obsessed to discuss West of Memphis (2012), Amy Berg’s documentary that revisits the case of the West Memphis Three. In 1993, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were murdered and with little evidence and rising panic about satanic rituals, police quickly focused on three local teenagers: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jesse Misskelley. Despite inconsistent confessions, lack of physical evidence, and alibis, all three were convicted, and Echols was sentenced to death. We...
2026-03-311h 23Drawn to DarknessChatroom: Bedguard with Josiah FurcinittiSend us Fan MailIn this bonus “Chatroom” episode of Drawn To Darkness, I (Annie) chat with horror author Josiah Furcinitti to discuss his chilling short story Bedguard, featured in the anthology Lies Beyond, a horror anthology exploring death, fear, and the unknown. In Bedguard, Anna is at first only worried about the growing distance between herself and her husband David. But when he starts suffering from terrifying nightmares, seeing mysterious scratches on his body, and falling violently out of bed, Anna realises too late that something unspeakable is targeting them. Listen to me read Bedgu...
2026-03-2450 minDrawn to DarknessSugarcane by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily KassieSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss the National Geographic documentary Sugarcane, which investigates the legacy of St. Joseph’s Mission residential school in Canada. Prompted by the discovery of unmarked graves at former school sites, the film follows members of the Williams Lake First Nation, including Julian Brave Noisecat and his father Ed, as they search for truth about what happened to children forced to attend the school. Through survivor testimony, archival material, and difficult conversations within families and communities, the documentary reveals the profound and ongoing consequences of the residential school system, where In...
2026-03-171h 06Drawn to DarknessMexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno GarciaSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we descend into Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s 2020 bestselling novel set in 1950s Mexico. When glamorous socialite Noemí Taboada receives a disturbing letter from her cousin Catalina, who claims she’s being poisoned in her new husband’s remote mountain mansion, she travels to High Place to investigate. There she finds a crumbling English manor transplanted into the Mexican countryside, steeped in decay, silence, and red flags. Catalina is wasting away under the watchful eye of her sinister husband Virgil, his ancient patriarch Howard, and the sanctimonious housekeeper Florence. The house r...
2026-03-031h 13Drawn to DarknessCaptive Audience: A Real American Horror StorySend us Fan MailIn this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we pivot back to true crime with Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, a three-part docuseries about the kidnapping of Steven Stayner and the traumatic ripple effect. We’ll discuss Steven’s story, how he was abducted at age seven while walking home from school and held captive for seven years by Kenneth Parnell. What makes the story even more unsettling is how “normal” his life appeared from the outside. Steven attended school, played sport, and yet could not free himself from his abuser until Parnell...
2026-02-171h 06Drawn to DarknessTrainwreck: Poop CruiseSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we dive into Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, Netflix’s lowbrow, sensational documentary about the 2013 Carnival Triumph disaster, when an engine room fire left more than 4,200 passengers and crew stranded in the Gulf of Mexico with no power, no air conditioning, no refrigeration, and, most importantly, no functioning toilets.We begin with discussion about losing power during floods, blizzards, hurricanes, and honeymoons gone wrong, but end up discussing human behaviour under extreme stress. As we discuss the "characters", we unpack how quickly civility can erode when basic systems fail, why so...
2026-02-101h 05Drawn to DarknessHereditary by Ari AsterSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we tackle Hereditary, Ari Aster’s devastating 2018 debut and one of the films most often credited with launching a new era of “elevated horror.” After the death of her estranged mother, miniature artist Annie Graham struggles to process her complicated grief. When her daughter Charlie dies in a shocking accident, the family fractures under the weight of blame, guilt, and unbearable loss. What begins as a family drama about grief, resentment, and inheritance curdles into something far darker as supernatural events occur and Annie Graham and her family discover that their...
2026-01-271h 14Drawn to DarknessAileen: Queen of the Serial Killers by Emily TurnerSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers, Emily Turner’s documentary about Aileen Wuornos, a rare, hands-on female serial killer whose life is steeped in trauma, exploitation, and state violence. We discuss our views on the death penalty and then unpack whether Aileen’s childhood abandonment, sexual abuse, homelessness, and years of sex work made her into a "monster”. We discuss nature vs nurture, the deeper horror of the targeting of sex workers; misogynistic and homophobic rhetoric, and the way prosecutors, cops, lawyers, and her “adoptive” mother profited from Aileen's st...
2026-01-131h 05Drawn to DarknessGuillermo Del Toro's FrankensteinSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss Guillermo del Toro’s gorgeous and gothic adaptation of Frankenstein, an epic, operatic exploration of creation, obsession, abandonment, and the horror of living after being rejected by the world. We discuss our own life goals and the hollowness that can follow achieving your greatest ambition, before diving into this reimagining of Mary Shelley’s ground-breaking novel. We unpack the cinematic devices, symbolism, use of light and colour, as well as each character and what motivates them. We explore themes of immortality as a curse, intergenerational trauma, scientific overreach, colon...
2025-12-301h 23Drawn to DarknessA Christmas Carol by Charles DickensSend us Fan MailIn this Christmas special of Drawn To Darkness, we swap favourite festive films (from Die Hard and It’s a Wonderful Life to The Muppet Christmas Carol and Scrooged) before diving into Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. We’ll discuss the plot and characters (Scrooge, Marley, the three spirits, Fezziwig, Tiny Tim, Fred), unpack life in Victorian London with its filth, disease, child labour, workhouses, debtor’s prisons and ghost-obsessed spiritualism, and trace how Dickens wrote this “ghostly little book” as a sledgehammer blow against capitalism, greed and cruelty. Along the way we’ll call out Di...
2025-12-161h 15Drawn to DarknessThe Tuskegee Syphilis Study (via You’re Wrong About)Send us Fan MailIn this episode we unpack the history and ethics of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932–1972), guided by Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall’s reporting in You’re Wrong About. We recount how U.S. Public Health Service researchers recruited 600 Black men in Macon County, Alabama under the promise of treatment for “bad blood,” then withheld effective care, even after penicillin became a simple cure, so they could watch the disease progress. We explore why the study was “bad science” as well as immoral; the racist assumptions baked into its design (e.g., claims that syphilis affec...
2025-12-091h 03Drawn to DarknessGrey Gardens by the Maysles brothersSend us Fan MailWelcome back to Drawn to Darkness, the podcast where we deep dive into our favourite horror and true crime. In this episode, we head deep into the peeling wallpaper, raccoon-infested attic, rotting walls and shingles, and extraordinary psychology of Grey Gardens, the 1975 direct-cinema documentary that follows Big Edie and Little Edie Beale, two formerly glamorous socialites now living in overwhelming decay and filth in their once-grand Hamptons estate. We unpack the house as gothic horror, Little Edie’s charm, yearning, and self-loathing (as well as her fabulous head scarves), Big Edie’s pride in he...
2025-11-251h 01Drawn to DarknessStranger Things: Season 4Send us Fan MailIn this extra-long deep dive, we unpack the entire “epic” and “metal” Stranger Things Season 4. This season is a tonal shift from goosebumps to true horror. We’ll explore Vecna/Henry Creel/001, Max’s near-death escape thanks to Kate Bush, as well as the way the show blends horror, sci-fi, action, and 80s nostalgia. We discuss each character’s best moments and arc, as well as our favourite scenes, the Russian prison plotline, Eddie’s heroism, our hopes and dreams for Season 5, and the show’s major themes: grief, depression, friendship, shame and sacrifice.
2025-11-181h 47Drawn to DarknessWes Craven's ScreamSend us Fan MailDo you like scary movies? We do! In this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we discuss Wes Craven’s Scream, the self-aware slasher that revived the genre and was a gateway to loving horror movies for so many of us.From Drew Barrymore’s unforgettable 12-minute opener to the Woodsboro house party, we explore how the film subverted horror tropes, dissect Sydney Prescott’s role as trauma survivor and feminist final girl icon, and argue why Matthew Lillard’s Stu might just be the MVP of the movie.Expect nostalgia...
2025-10-281h 10Drawn to DarknessRosemary's Baby with Mia FarrowSend us Fan MailThis week, we discuss Rosemary’s Baby, the 1968 horror classic that turned pregnancy into psychological nightmare fuel. We unpack gaslighting husbands, demonic covens, and the claustrophobia of a New York apartment with a high incidence of unfortunate happenings. Rosemary and her husband Guy move into a grand old New York apartment, despite eerie warnings and a mysteriously blocked closet and when they meet their eccentric neighbours, things turn sinister. We'll discuss topics such as the film’s sound design, use of colour (yellow), 1960s gender politics, and reveal how Rosemary’s Baby captures both s...
2025-10-211h 12Drawn to DarknessThe Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins GilmanSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s gothic gut-punch, The Yellow Wallpaper—a claustrophobic descent into isolation, medical misogyny, and one very cursed interior design choice. Expect talk of gaslighting physicians, barred windows, nailed-down beds, and that unforgettable last line.Spoiler and Content Warning:We cover the full plot of The Yellow Wallpaper. If you’ve never read it, pause here and come back after. Content include post-partum depression, gaslighting, horrible horror husbands, confinement, suicidal ideation, racism and eugenics, and a descent into madness....
2025-10-1451 minDrawn to DarknessCatch and Kill by Ronan FarrowSend us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow, the explosive exposé that revealed how Harvey Weinstein and a network of enablers in Hollywood, politics, and media silenced victims of sexual assault for decades. Farrow’s investigation was blocked by NBC, he was stalked by private investigators, and threatened with legal intimidation, but ultimately published in The New Yorker, sparking the global reckoning we now know as the #MeToo movement.We unpack the book’s chilling revelations, from Weinstein’s predatory patterns, to the role of lawyers, executives, and journal...
2025-09-301h 15Drawn to DarknessUnknown Number - The High School Catfish by Skye BorgmanSend us Fan MailIn this “around the water cooler special,” we break from our usual schedule to talk about the Netflix documentary Unknown Number, a story so shocking it has everyone buzzing, so we just had to talk about it too!The case begins in 2020 in tiny Beal City, Michigan, where 12-year-olds Owen and Lauren were the town’s golden couple. But their sweet small-town romance turned into a nightmare when they became the targets of a relentless campaign of vile and anonymous text messages. What started as cruel taunts to break them up escala...
2025-09-2358 minDrawn to DarknessThe Sixth Sense by M. Night ShyamalanSend us Fan MailDo your friends roll their eyes when you bring up your favorite ghost movie? Do you instantly know the significance of a red balloon? We’re here for you. Welcome back to Drawn to Darkness, where we deep dive into our favourite horror and true crime.In this episode, though decades have passed, Annie finally makes Caroline sit down for M. Night Shyamalan’s 1999 classic, The Sixth Sense, the movie that made “I see dead people” an instant cultural touchstone. We talk creepy dolls, inattentive parents, and claustrophobic closets. Expect tangents about 19...
2025-09-161h 09Drawn to DarknessThe Act: Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the murder of Dee Dee BlanchardSend us Fan MailThis week we dive into The Act, Hulu’s dramatization of the harrowing true story of Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Though many of us would fake sick for the occasional day off, this takes it to the next level. It’s a case of Munchausen’s by proxy, blurred lines between victim and perpetrator, and the disturbing question of how far someone will go for sympathy and control.Spoiler & Trigger WarningPhysical, emotional, and medical child abuseReferences to sex, BDSM, and needlesDisturbing dental procedures and feeding tubesO...
2025-09-071h 01Drawn to DarknessCarrie by Stephen KingSend us Fan MailDo your friends think you’re weird because you like horror and true crime? Then join us on Drawn to Darkness.In this episode, we discuss Carrie, Stephen King's infamous debut novel—and the one that almost didn’t make it out of the trash can. That is, until Tabitha King fished it out and told her husband to keep going. Good thing she did. Without Carrie, we might not have had Pennywise, Annie Wilkes, or even Stranger Things.We unpack the horror and tragedy of Carrie White: a teleki...
2025-09-021h 14Drawn to DarknessHeaven's Gate - The Cult of CultsSend us Fan Mail“This cult has everything.” – Caroline, channeling Stefon from SNL, before we unpack the many strange and disturbing facets of the four-part docuseries Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults, and one of America’s most infamous mass suicides. This cult mixes a strange blend of UFO mythology, musical theatre and the apocalypse. Starting with a light-hearted chat about what kinds of cults we might actually fall for (spoiler: cats, lots of TV, introvert-friendly, and insomnia-curing ones), we'll explore how a desire for belonging, meaning, and transcendence can be exploited by supposedly charismatic leaders like Marsha...
2025-08-2057 minDrawn to DarknessSteven Spielberg's JawsSend us Fan MailWould you have gone back for a bigger boat? Then join us on Drawn to Darkness for our summer special. This week we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the movie that made people afraid to step into the ocean—and sometimes even a pool or a bath. That’s right, we’re diving into Jaws, Steven Spielberg’s 1975 man-versus-monster masterpiece.Spoiler & Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of implied dog death (though we have a theory that Pippit lived), on-screen gore, severed limbs, and the death of a child...
2025-08-121h 19Drawn to DarknessMike Flanagan's Midnight MassSend us Fan MailWelcome back to Drawn to Darkness. In this episode, we take on Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass, a seven-episode horror drama that’s equal parts theological meditation and vampire apocalypse. Set in a dying island town with economic and emotional wounds, the show explores what happens when miracles start to occur—at a terrible cost.We dive deep into the show’s literary devices, biblical allusions, long monologues, and that slow burn of dread. We also fangirl over gorgeous Riley and hate-watch Bev Keen’s every move. This episode also asks some bigge...
2025-08-051h 28Drawn to DarknessTom McCarthy's SpotlightSend us Fan MailThis week on Drawn to Darkness, we take on a film that’s less ghost story, more gut punch: the 2015 Oscar-winning film Spotlight, based on the Boston Globe investigation that exposed widespread child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church—and the systems that kept it hidden.We talk about the horror that doesn’t wear a mask or carry a chainsaw, but instead wears vestments and smiles from the pulpit. This is a conversation about truth, trauma, intergenerational trauma, and the power—and limits—of journalism. Don’t expect jump scares, but do expec...
2025-07-2357 minDrawn to DarknessGhosts in the Burbs by Liz SowerSend us Fan MailDo your friends think you’re weird because you find slasher films relaxing and can drift off into a dreamless sleep after a serial killer documentary? We're here for you. Welcome back to Drawn to Darkness, the podcast where we deep dive on our favourite horror and true crime. In this episode, we’re discussing Ghosts in the Burbs, Liz Sauer’s delightfully creepy podcast that reads like Real Housewives meets The Exorcist and Poltergeist—with a little Pinterest board, Joanna Gaines envy on the side.Liz interviews neighbors in the New Engl...
2025-07-0952 minDrawn to DarknessThe Fox Hollow MurdersSend us Fan MailCould you live in a house where dozens of people were murdered? What if it came with an indoor pool? And mannequins? In this episode, we unravel the deeply disturbing true crime docuseries The Fox Hollow Murders, revisiting the case of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister. With 10,000 bones scattered among his forested property, and a current homeowner named Rob Graves (yep, really). I mean, who buys a murder mansion? We explore the ethics of true crime storytelling, and the unnerving interview that left us both speechless (hi, Mark Goodyear). It's a chi...
2025-06-2546 minDrawn to DarknessIt Follows by David Robert MitchellSend us Fan MailDo you still check the backseat before driving? Are you worried the call is coming from inside the house? Welcome back to Drawn to Darkness, the podcast where we explore our obsessions with horror and true crime. This week, we dissect It Follows—David Robert Mitchell’s dreamy, dread-drenched indie horror film about a sexually transmitted curse that never stops walking… slowly… toward you. We dive into horror tropes, uncomfortable symbolism, the ethics of passing on the curse, and whether being beautiful makes you safer—or just a more convenient carrier. We break down its a...
2025-06-1139 minDrawn to DarknessPenpal by Dathan AuerbachSend us Fan MailDo your friends think you’re weird because you like horror and true crime? Then join us on Drawn to Darkness. In our debut episode, we dive into the horror novel Penpal by Dathan Auerbach–a harrowing cult classic that started as a Reddit creepypasta and has since haunted readers worldwide. Warning: this one’s not for the faint-hearted—and yes, we will discuss spoilers! Penpal is a story about childhood innocence, fractured memories, and the terrifying consequences of being noticed by the wrong person. What begins as an elementary school penpal project quickly...
2025-06-1138 minDrawn to DarknessSweet Bobby - My Catfishing NightmareSend us Fan MailDo your friends think you're weird because you’re obsessed with true crime? Or because you want to talk about how horrifying online dating really is? Then you’re in the right place. Welcome back to Drawn to Darkness, where horror and true crime get cosy. In this episode, we go deep into Sweet Bobby, a jaw-dropping catfishing documentary that’s so twisted it feels like fiction—except it’s not.Kirat’s story is every online dater’s worst nightmare: what starts as a promising online relationship with a doctor named Bobby tu...
2025-06-1136 min