This week for the mid-week mini review I am changing things up and doing something I haven't done before on the site. I am reviewing an episode of an old time radio show! These old time radio shows were in a similar vein to Tales from the Crypt and other horror comics of the time. They were short stories of terror, murder, and madness and were usually introduced by a crazy character similar to The Cryptkeeper. Suspense Radio however, had a milder host than many of the other horror shows of the time. Th announcer would simply introduce the title and actors and then let the work of fiction speak for itself. In many ways--depending on the type of experience you were looking for--this method was extremely effective. Suspense radio played shows that were meant to keep the audience in--you guessed it--"suspense!"
I have loved these types of radio shows since I was a little kid. But when I was younger it was hard to find recorded copies of these types of shows to listen to. Now days, thanks to the miracle of the internet, all of these shows are free to stream over multiple different audio websites. I find myself listening to them during slow times at my office job. Some are just okay and others are very entertaining. By far my favorite episode of horror radio that I've ever listened to is The House in Cypress Canyon. I have listened to it probably ten or twenty times at this point and it remains the most chilling and frightening radio episode I have ever heard.
The story begins with a young Realtor who has just got a few new houses up in Cypress Canyon, California to put up for rent. It is only a few days before Christmas and a young couple looking for a place to call home comes in and picks up the home in Cypress Canyon.
At first it seems like a normal house except for the single closet door that doesn't seem to open. But once night falls there are the strangest screams coming from somewhere near--or possibly inside--the house. The couple goes to bed and tries to forget the noises they heard. In the early hours of the morning the screams come again. This time they are sure it is in the house. The couple quickly go to investigate and the only place they can think to look is the locked closet. After getting to the closet they find blood leaking out from under the door.
The couple quickly vacates the house for the evening and gets the police to come in the morning. However, when they get there they find the blood is gone. They also find the door to the closet is open and their is nothing suspicious inside. Trying to forget anything happened the couple goes to bed again that night. And that is when the real terror begins for the young innocent couple.
This is only the beginning of their problems with the house. Because this is such an exceptional work of fiction I will not go into any further details on the plot. This is one horror radio episode that is meant to be listened to in the darkness of your own home.
This is by far the best work of radio fiction I have ever had the privilege of listening to. It does a few things differently then its siblings and cousins in the genre. The House in Cypress Canyon deals with the horror of the unknown--thus following in similar tracks to famous horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. The show never explains in great detail what horrible things are happening or why. This ambiguity makes the story seem more realistic and it hits home with the fear. This episode also takes itself very seriously and it pays off. While other shows in the same vein will purposefully shoot for campy or silly elements in their stories The House in Cypress Canyon is straight horror. Lastly, and maybe most important, the characters who are targeted in this show are innocent bystanders, a normal married couple just trying to live and enjoy life. Usually horror radio shows, comics, and even TV shows focus on the punishment of the wicked or unlawful. This episode attacks home. It doesn't matter who these people are or what they have done. They become the target of the attack and pay dearly for it.
I have loved these types of radio shows since I was a little kid. But when I was younger it was hard to find recorded copies of these types of shows to listen to. Now days, thanks to the miracle of the internet, all of these shows are free to stream over multiple different audio websites. I find myself listening to them during slow times at my office job. Some are just okay and others are very entertaining. By far my favorite episode of horror radio that I've ever listened to is The House in Cypress Canyon. I have listened to it probably ten or twenty times at this point and it remains the most chilling and frightening radio episode I have ever heard.
The story begins with a young Realtor who has just got a few new houses up in Cypress Canyon, California to put up for rent. It is only a few days before Christmas and a young couple looking for a place to call home comes in and picks up the home in Cypress Canyon.
At first it seems like a normal house except for the single closet door that doesn't seem to open. But once night falls there are the strangest screams coming from somewhere near--or possibly inside--the house. The couple goes to bed and tries to forget the noises they heard. In the early hours of the morning the screams come again. This time they are sure it is in the house. The couple quickly go to investigate and the only place they can think to look is the locked closet. After getting to the closet they find blood leaking out from under the door.
The couple quickly vacates the house for the evening and gets the police to come in the morning. However, when they get there they find the blood is gone. They also find the door to the closet is open and their is nothing suspicious inside. Trying to forget anything happened the couple goes to bed again that night. And that is when the real terror begins for the young innocent couple.
This is only the beginning of their problems with the house. Because this is such an exceptional work of fiction I will not go into any further details on the plot. This is one horror radio episode that is meant to be listened to in the darkness of your own home.
This is by far the best work of radio fiction I have ever had the privilege of listening to. It does a few things differently then its siblings and cousins in the genre. The House in Cypress Canyon deals with the horror of the unknown--thus following in similar tracks to famous horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. The show never explains in great detail what horrible things are happening or why. This ambiguity makes the story seem more realistic and it hits home with the fear. This episode also takes itself very seriously and it pays off. While other shows in the same vein will purposefully shoot for campy or silly elements in their stories The House in Cypress Canyon is straight horror. Lastly, and maybe most important, the characters who are targeted in this show are innocent bystanders, a normal married couple just trying to live and enjoy life. Usually horror radio shows, comics, and even TV shows focus on the punishment of the wicked or unlawful. This episode attacks home. It doesn't matter who these people are or what they have done. They become the target of the attack and pay dearly for it.
Summing it Up
This is an exemplary example of what horror should be. Even now as I re-listen to the episode the sound of the screams are the most spine tingling and harrowing of any horror show I have ever listened to. It always send chills up and down my back. If you have never listened to horror radio before or if you just were never interested in the campy nature of the genre then this is one of the best places to start. It is atmospheric, it is frightening, and it is the purest form of horror I know. If you enjoy movies such as The Amytiville Horror you would probably enjoy this show.
Deaths: 3
Language: 1
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 5
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 5
Deaths: 3
Language: 1
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 5
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 5
To learn more about my rating system click here.
Listen to this episode of Suspense Radio for free below!
Listen to this episode of Suspense Radio for free below!