This Week in Horror History | New Year Horror — Kwaidan, Witchboard & One Missed Call (Dec 29–Jan 4)

This Week in Horror History | New Year Horror — Kwaidan, Witchboard & One Missed Call (Dec 29–Jan 4)

Author: Henrique Couto | Scary Stories & Horror Expert December 30, 2025 Duration: 22:53
New Year’s horror, horror movie history, and messages from the other side—welcome to This Week in Horror History, the weekly horror podcast where we track what happened on these dates across film, books, and cult classics.In this episode, Henrique Couto follows a haunting thread that runs straight through the holiday: a phone that calls from the future, a killer hiding in the power grid, a cursed ghost anthology, and the original “new year, new monster” that’s been chasing us since 1818.This week in horror history (Dec 29–Jan 4):
  • Dec 29, 1964 — Kwaidan premieres in Tokyo, Japan: a gorgeous Japanese ghost anthology that feels like a curse you can’t look away from.
  • Dec 29, 1993 — Ghost in the Machine is released: serial killer + electricity + early internet panic = a surprisingly fun tech-haunting nightmare.
  • Jan 1, 1818 — Frankenstein is published: Mary Shelley’s warning label for ambition, still echoing through modern horror.
  • Jan 4, 2008 — One Missed Call opens in North America: a remake built on dread you can’t silence—because the voicemail is already there.
Horror birthdays this week: Barbara Steele, Eliza Dushku, Anthony Hopkins, Shelley Hennig, and Jaden Martell.

Where to watch / read (U.S., this week — availability changes fast):
  • Kwaidan — HBO Max
  • Ghost in the Machine — Rent: Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube
  • Witchboard — Free w/ ads: Tubi (plus Roku Channel and other ad-supported options); also available via subscriptions on select platforms
  • One Missed Call (2008) — Tubi, Apple TV
  • Frankenstein — Read free via Project Gutenberg / Archive.org
Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Savorista Coffee — premium half-calf and decaf blends. Grab yours at Savorista.com and use promo code SPOOKY for 25% off at checkout (and you support the podcast with every purchase).If you love horror movie history, spooky trivia, and date-driven deep dives, follow This Week in Horror History on the Weekly Spooky feed and ring in the new year the only proper way: with the lights low and the dread turned up.

🎧 LISTEN NOW and subscribe for spine-tingling horror stories every week!

🎉 Unlock exclusive bonus episodes and support the show on Patreon!
👉 WeeklySpooky.com/Join

📬 Contact Us / Submit Your Horror Story!

🎵 Music by Ray Mattis 👉 Check out Ray’s incredible work here !
👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com

Henrique Couto has spent years digging into the shadows, and in Weekly Spooky: Horror Stories & Scary Tales, he turns that expertise into a regular dose of dread. This isn't just a seasonal treat; it's a year-round exploration of the unsettling, released every Monday and Wednesday. You'll hear original tales woven from classic threads-the whisper of an urban legend, the creak of a haunted house floorboard, the grim history of a cursed object. Familiar monsters like vampires and werewolves get fresh, chilling life, while cryptids lurk in the margins of modern myths. Each story is crafted for a mature audience, blending dark humor with genuinely cinematic sound design that pulls you right into the scene, all leading to those satisfying, often shocking, twist endings. While the podcast naturally excels during the spooky season with special deep dives, the commitment to weekly frights means the atmosphere is always ripe for a scare, whether the subject is pure fiction, dramatic re-tellings, or tales ripped from true crime's darkest corners. Settle in for a journey where the familiar becomes frightening again, narrated by a guide who truly understands the mechanics of a good, lasting chill.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Weekly Spooky: Horror Stories & Scary Tales
Podcast Episodes