Lunatics Radio Hour: The History of Horror
Lunatics Radio Hour is a non-fiction history podcast about the history of horror and the horror of history. Each episode explores real, documented events where fear, violence, survival, and the unknown shaped human lives and cultures. The show also traces how historical events influenced film, examining how real-world horrors became the stories and images that appear on screen.
Topics include dark history, psychological phenomena, folklore rooted in fact, and the historical roots of horror cinema. Most episodes focus on researched historical subjects. Occasional short fiction stories are included and clearly labeled.
If you’re drawn to the darker side of history and the real events behind horror films, Lunatics Radio Hour explores where history, fear, and cinema intersect.
Lunatics Radio Hour: The History of Horror
Episode 157 - Berkey Family Vacation 1988
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Written by Jacob Steven Mohr.
Starring Denali Bartell, Sarak Luke and Mike Macera.
Direction and sound design by Abby Brenker (with the help of Alan Kudan.)
Sound engineering and mixing by Alan Kudan.
Enjoy your Summer!
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Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep.
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Lunatics Radio Hour podcast. I am Abby Brenker sitting here with Alan Kudan.
Speaker 2Hello.
Speaker 1And we are kicking off summer. It's Memorial Day weekend and we have a very exciting topic.
Speaker 3Sorry, why I don't know if this is like a surprise or what why is there a big cassette that just says play me Huh?
Speaker 1I don't know, I didn't notice that. You didn't know. It's not yours, it's no? I guess we should play it.
Speaker 4On September 1st 1991, five minutes of unexplained footage aired on Gordon Ohio station WTUV1, beginning at 1.15 am and concluding at 1.20 am. Investigations into the origins of the mysterious broadcast launched two days after the original air date, but the source of the footage remains undetermined. Today all copies of the original footage have been destroyed. Only this audio remains.
Speaker 2Is it recording?
Speaker 3Is the little red light on.
Speaker 2Where.
Speaker 3Right there, you've got it, bodhi.
Speaker 2Okay, okay, everybody stand in front.
Speaker 3Where do you want me baby?
Speaker 2Beside me, silly and daddy.
Speaker 3Right here. Hold the sign on the right side so the camera can see it.
Speaker 2Everybody ready?
Speaker 3Okay, Three, two one Bon voyage, bon voyage.
Speaker 4Flight 449,. This is your pilot speaking. We've reached our cruising altitude of 30,000 feet, looking at clear skies all the way to California.
Speaker 2Big old air jetliner don't carry me too far away.
Speaker 3You're going to run the battery down.
Speaker 2We brought extras.
Speaker 3Oh, did we now.
Speaker 2We brought extras. You heard the?
Speaker 3little lady Loads of extras. Oh, did we now we brought extras. You heard the little lady Loads of extras.
Speaker 2Big old air gel, I know.
Speaker 3Cause it's here that I gotta stay. We're here. We're here. Hold on, let Daddy get the door open all the way.
Speaker 2Which one's my room? Any one that you want, sweetheart, just put your stuff on the bed. This one, this one.
Speaker 3The little lady picks true A bed fit for a princess.
Speaker 2A mermaid.
Speaker 3How could anybody possibly forget? Does the mermaid princess want to get buried in the sand? Is it on?
Speaker 2Look at the red light, Mommy.
Beach Day Gone Wrong
Speaker 3Can you move? Go on, try, nope, stop. Are you really trying? I think you're turning into a butterfly under there. Anybody who's not trapped under a ton of sand, I'll race you to the water. Try not to drown your father. Whoa, whoa slow down. Whatcha doing, Mommy? Sunbathing, maybe napping? Where's your father Swimming? What you looking at?
Speaker 2You look pretty.
Speaker 3I look pretty. Sure Means a lot from the mermaid princess. What about your father? Does he look pretty?
Speaker 2I don't see him Right there. That's not daddy.
Speaker 3Right there in the, isn't that? Joseph, joseph, holy shit.
Speaker 2Mommy, what's going on?
Speaker 3Joe, can you hear me? What's wrong with Daddy Bodhi? Honey, turn that thing off. What's wrong with him? Go get my purse. We need to find a phone. Why does he look like that? Jesus Christ, will you point that thing somewhere else? How's your pizza? Hmm, I'm sorry for yelling, it's alright. And I'm sorry for cursing. Mommy was just scared, that's all.
Speaker 2Was Daddy scared too?
Speaker 3Everybody gets scared sometimes. Bodhi, are you asleep? Bodhi, she's asleep.
Speaker 2Mommy and Daddy are talking.
Speaker 3Talk to me. Just tell me what happened. You owe me that. You scared your daughter half to death. Well, you look like. Well, I'm not going to say what you look like. You've got a mirror. You go on and tell me what you look like now. Well, I'm not going to say what you look like. You've got a mirror. You go on and tell me what you look like now. What? You're not going to talk, you're just going to stare at me. Fine, whatever, I'm going to bed.
Frightening Conclusion
Speaker 2It's going to be all right. Go on. I told her it wasn't daddy. I told her it wasn't Daddy. I told her this is the porch. I don't know what time it is. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't Not with them. Did you hear that? Can you hear them? They look like Mommy and Daddy, but it's not them, not anymore. They're trying to find me. Look at their hands, look at their fingers. That's how. Did you hear that? They're right outside the other side of the door. I can hear them. They know I'm here. They're just waiting. I don't know what they want. It's cold out here. We'll wait. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I stayed up. I want to go down to the water. Let's go down. It's the water. Is this here? Does that castle stay here? Let's go down to the water.
Speaker 1This has been an unabridged radio play adapted from the script by Jacob Stephen Moore, berkey Family Vacation 1988. The production stars Denali Bertel as Bodhi, sarah Luke as Chloe and Mike Massera as Joseph. Sound design by Abby Brinker, with additional help and mixing from Alan Kudan. We hope you all have enjoyed this radio drama. It was incredibly fun for us all to put it together for you, and a very huge and heartfelt thank you to the writer, jacob Stephen Moore, for sending this to us and trusting us to bring it to life on this podcast. As always. Thank you so much for being here and remember as you splash around in oceans and lakes this summer. Sometimes there's more beneath the surface than you realize.
