Rish Outcast 336: I Hate What You Like

Rish talks about seeing opposition to things people love (brought on by backlash to OBSESSION and TOY STORY 5) and wonders why that is. Is it human nature? Is he guilty of it himself? Will he talk about Olivia Rodrigo again?  And of course, recent American politics comes into it as well. Can we still be friends?

Note: So, this episode turned out much longer than it was supposed to (*especially* the Patreon version), because I mislabeled one of the recordings and thought it was lost, then tried to replace it with some (now-redundant) additions, only to find the lost recording after I was nearly finished editing. Sorry, but not super sorry.

You can download the file by Right-Clicking HERE.

You can support me on Patreon by clicking HERE. 

Logo by Gino "I Ate What You Like" Moretto.

Rish Outcast 334: My Friend of Misery 5

In the final segment of the novella, Brielle Montrose has moved far away from her brother...but does that mean she is also far from his supernatural associate?

I hope you have enjoyed this (lengthy) presentation. I think I know which one I plan to do next, but if you have a suggestion, feel free to put it out there.

If you want to download the episode, Right-Click HERE.

If you want to support me on Patreon, click HERE.

Logo by Gino "My Friend" Moretto.

Marshal & I Consume Some BURNT OFFERINGS

Maybe a bit overcooked in places.  In the latest Outfield Excursions episode*, Marshal and I take a look at 1976's BURNT OFFERINGS, where a family moves into an old house, one that might be haunted . . . or might actually be something worse.

The movie wasn't spectacular, kids . . . but the ending sure was.  Check out our conversation HERE!

*In actuality, this is not the latest episode--or even the second-to-latest episode.  If you support Marshal on Patreon, it turns out you can hear these episodes when they are new, not two or three months old.

Rish Outcast 333: My Friend of Misery 4

Rish presents the fourth chunk (a technical term) of his novella "My Friend of Misery."

Can Brielle Montrose convince her brother to abandon his new best pal? Or is it far too late?

If you want to download the episode, Right-Click HERE.

If you want to support me on Patreon, click HERE.

Logo by Gino "My End of Misery" Moretto.

Rish Outcast 332: You're My Obsession

Rish is head over heels for this 2026 Horror movie OBSESSION, directed by Curry Barker, which has made a ton of money and garnered a bunch of praise. And while Rish tries to skirt spoilers, here's one: he never quite manages to properly explain why the movie was so scary to him.

While we're at it, why not talk about John Collier's "The Chaser," adapted in the first season of The Twilight Zone?

Warning: TMI and thematic spoilers.

Download the file directly by Right-Clicking HERE.

Why don't you support me on Patreon HERE?  You afraid or something?

Logo by Gino "You're My Depression" Moretto.

Rish Outcast 330: My Friend of Misery 3

It's the new normal. Brielle Montrose tries to live her life, while her brother and his new "friend" are living theirs.

Afterwards, Rish opens a can of worms talking about bullies (I even considered cutting it out, since the episode was so long, but here we are) and even quotes Nietzsche.

Note: These three MFOM episodes were recorded before I realized it was a mistake to attach my microphone to the seatbelt instead of my shirt.

To download this episode, Right-Click HERE.

To support Rish on his Patreon page, click HERE.

Logo by Gino "My Fan of Misery" Moretto.

Rish Outcast 328: My Friend of Misery 2

In the second section of "My Friend of Misery," little brother Brent has a new friend, and Brielle Montrose is starting to suspect it's not a great idea to spend time with the boogeyman.

Afterward, Rish talks about who Brielle is, killing off parents in a story like this, and a ton about child actors.

To download the episode, Right-Click HERE.

To support my daft efforts on Patreon, click HERE.

Logo by Gino "My Fiend of Misery" Moretto.

My Voice on "Fallen Angel" by Campfire Radio Theater

I have been known to complain when a particular podcast makes its (according to me) irritatingly unreasonable demands on me, but one podcast I've never been unhappy to work on is Campfire Radio Theater.  John Ballentine's audio dramas are, no exaggeration, the highest-quality productions I get to be a part of.*

When an online investigative journalist is approached about a mysterious object being kept under wraps by the government, she is surprised to find something truly otherworldly, not to mention dangerous.  For her.

I voice General Randall (Character Voice 2 in my list of three), but maybe one day, I'll get to be the lead in one of these again.  Vegas odds say no, though.

Check it out HERE.

*Perhaps that's why they never come to me anymore.  There may be folks out there who can do a dozen voices and accents, instead of my usual three.

Rish Outcast 327: My Friend of Misery 1

After a very long introduction, Rish presents the first section of his novella "My Friend of Misery." Teenager Brielle Montrose hears a voice coming from her little brother Brent's room in the middle of the night. And it sure ain't Bluey.

Afterward, Rish tells (in excruciating detail) the inspiration for this story, wonders about the genders of the characters, and proposes an assignment for a Writing class.

Download the file directly by Right-Clicking HERE.

Support me on Patreon HERE!

Logo by Gino "My Fiend" Moretto.

When I See You Smile

 My buddy Jonathan Wilson*, months ago, asked me for a couple of my readings of public domain stories that he could run on his YouTube channel, and he's put another one up.

"The Dead Smile" by F. Marion Crawford tells of the evil Hugh Ockram, who, despite being dead, still manages to ruin the lives of his son Gabriel and the woman he loves.  

I really ought to see if I can find another story by him--I spent an hour on Sunday reading a story by a much higher-profile author that ended so badly I just deleted the whole thing--but in the meantime, check it out HERE.

*Is that okay to say?  Is he my buddy?  Would he lend me ten dollars in a pinch?

My Voice In "Manor Of Frights" Collection

I often mention it when I narrate or lend my voice to a story on other podcasts, but I suppose I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Emerian Rich has recently put out a collection of stories that she performed on the HorrorAddicts podcast, many of which feature my voice as well.

The collection includes (at least as far as I can tell) seventeen stories, each taking place in a room of a macabre Victorian manor, and are as follows:

Flowers in the Foyer by DW Milton
Storage by Ollie Fox
Bye, Baby Bunting by Leslie Warren

Withered Bindings by Michael Fassbender
Dinner Guests by Emerian Rich
A Green Thumb by Daphne Strasert
Turning Pages by Mark Orr

A Fresh Start by D.J. Pitsiladis
The Living Room by Amanda Leslie
Lanai by BF Vega
Cacophony by Judith Pancoast
Nightbears by Loren Rhodes
Beyond the Ensuite by Barend Nieuwstraten III (I remember reading this one and thinking, "What the devil's an ensuite?"  Oh, I was so naive in those days.  But I still don't know)
The Desiccated Heart by Sumiko Saulson
A Study in Terror by Jason Fischer
Come Find Me, Mummy by Rosetta Yorke
Missing by R.L. Merrill

Emz put these out where you can buy the whole collection in audio, and it's now up on Audible HERE.  Just pray the doors don't lock behind you.

Marshal & Rish Bury . . . The Living??

I remember watching I BURY THE LIVING! at the family cabin alone on a Sunday afternoon last fall.  It's a 1958 horror film about a man (Richard Boone) hired to work at a cemetery with a big map of all the burial plots who discovers that, when he puts a pin in a space, the person who owns that plot dies.  Or do they?

Okay, I'll be honest: until today, I had completely forgotten we had watched this movie, and had it confused with the Daisy Ridley zombie flick that came out a month back.  But not too long ago, Marshal Latham and I did an episode talking about it, and I even did a whole separate podcast episode inspired by it, talking about Stephen King's "Obits," which was also inspired by it.

Maybe you'll be inspired too.  Check it out HERE.

Rish Outcast 321: The Dark Gift Part I

Rish presents the first half of his recent carnival story, "The Dark Gift." Nobie, Eris, and Grump are enjoying the 1992 Pickle Days celebration when Nobie spins a wheel and it stops on something it wasn't supposed to.

Afterward, Rish explains the title and inspiration--making this probably the only story he's ever written due to spite.

Note: This was not intended to be split into two episodes, so it might behoove you to wait and listen to both parts together.  Or, judging by its reaction elsewhere . . . not at all.

If you want to download the episode, Right-Click HERE.

If you want to support me on Patreon, click HERE.

Logo by Gino "The Dork Gift" Moretto.

How Much Horror Is Enough?

(I covered this in my New Year's episode, but since I went to the trouble of typing it up . . .)

Well, just turning on the news is too much horror, but as far as horror movies go, this is what I watched in 2025.  I had set a goal of seeing fifty horror movies in that year (and I'll set it again for this year), so here's how I did:

 13.  Watch 50 Horror movies (149 films total)

-1.  Nosferatu (2024)*

-2.  Village of the Damned (1960)*

-3.  Children of the Damned (1964)

-4. 13 Ghosts (1960)

-5.  Hell's Trap (1989)

-6.  Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984)

-7.  Food of the Gods (1976)

-8.  The Ghost Ship (1943)

-9.  The Leopard Man (1943)*

-10.  Talk To Me (2022)*

-11.  Heart Eyes (2025)*

-12.  The Monkey (2025)

-13.  The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)

-14.  The Thing From Another World (1951)*

-15.  Squirm (1976)

-16.  Sinners* (2025)

-17.  The Conjuring  (2013)

-18. Until Dawn (2025)

-19.  Frogs (1972)

-20.  Final Destination Bloodlines* (2025)

-21.  IT! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958)

-22.  The Monster That Challenged The World (1957)

-23.  Annabelle (2014)

-24.  28 Years Later (2025)*

-25.  Fantasy Island (2020)

-26.  M3GAN 2.0

-27.  Planet of the Vampires (1965)

-28.  Daughters of Darkness (1971)

-29.  House of Whipcord (1974)

-30.  I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)

-31. Dead of Night (1945)

-32.  Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)

-33.  Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (1977)

-34.  Weapons (2025)*

35.  Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)

36.  Jaws (1975)*

37.  The Conjuring 2 (2016)

38.  Transylvania Twist (1989)

39.  Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)

40.  The Dungeonmaster (1984)

41.  Kill, Baby, Kill (1966)

42.  Ants/It Happened At Lakewood Manor (1977)

43.  Annabelle Creation (2017)

44.  The Savage Bees (1976)

45.  Terror Out Of The Sky (1978)

46.  The Bees (1978)

47.  Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973)

48.  Black Phone 2 (2025)*

49.  The Cabin In The Woods (2011)*

50.  Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982)

51.  The Nun (2018)

52.  The Woman In The Yard (2025)

53. Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010)

54. The Birds (1963)*

55.  Five Nights At Freddy’s (2023)

56.  Willy’s Wonderland (2021)

57.  Jaws 2 (1978)

58.  The Curse of La Llorona (2019)

59.  Anaconda (2025)

60.  The Incubus (1982)  

(*Denotes particularly good, underline denotes seen before)

How did you do last year? If you watched more than twenty horror films, between you and me, you have a problem.

Marshal & I Visit A Planet of Vampires

Years ago, I tried to watch Mario Bava's 1965 film PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, but only made it a few minutes in before losing consciousness.  Years later, while visiting my friend in Germany, I tried it again, and maybe it was jetlag, but I fell asleep once again.

Here we are today (well, last year, actually), and I am attempting to watch it a third time, this time for Marshal Latham's "Outfield Excursions" podcast.  Can I stay awake?  Is the movie good?  And was there any influence on Ridley Scott's ALIEN, the way the folks say?  Find out HERE.

Podcast That Dares 65: The Birds

Happy Halloween, kids!  What, it's not Halloween where you are?

For an extra-long treat (rather than a trick), Rish presents Daphne du Maurier's 1952 story "The Birds," about an English village beset by flocks of avian killers almost as sick of humanity as you are. Apparently, they once made a film of it.

Note: This very nearly was split into two episodes, and only the promise of the greatest holiday of the year kept them stuck together.

Note 2: You're welcome.

If you want to download the episode, Right-Click HERE.

If you want to support me on Patreon, click HERE.

Logo by Gino "The Nerds" Moretto.

Come On A Grand(ish) Tour With Me

A couple of years ago, I told my niece about a local ghost tour they do in town every Halloween season, thinking it would be fun to go to it.  But then I read the press release, in which the guide actually said--surely to appease the religious fanatics--that it was all in fun and that he doesn't actually believe in ghosts, so there's no chance of anything scary ever happening on one of his tours.

Well, that really pissed me off (and we decided not to go).  Heck, it still does.

And about a year or so back, after getting hired to work in a building they say is haunted*, I decided to write a story about it.  That tale, "The Grand Tour," tells of Savannah, whose new boyfriend works nights in October hosting a ghost tour in town, but when she shows interest in going, Dorian tells her not to come, that there's no ghosts, and it's all pretty boring, actually.  So, she goes in costume, to satisfy her curiosity.

I published three stories in a row after Big got me the cover art back, and this is probably the best of the three.  BUT IT'S NOT SCARY, AND GHOSTS DON'T ACTUALLY EXIST, SO DON'T YOU DARE BUY IT!  Otherwise, you could check it out here.

Oh, and I met the ghost tourguide earlier this year, but didn't think to tell him his spiel had inspired a story.  I also didn't call him a buttplug either, so there's that.

*I looked and listened for ghosts quite a bit in the first days of working there, but that has gone way down in recent months.  I probably only pause and listen to something strange or wonder what is causing that shadow five or six times a week, maybe even less.

Rish Outcast 316: Door Number Three 2

 ...and the story continues. Here I present the 2025 portion of the story "Door Number Three," written after considering the original ending unsatisfying/unsatisfactory.

Afterward, I'm including the original second half of the first episode, where I talk about what I would do differently if I wrote the tale now (ultimately redundant, since I went ahead and did it). Sorry(ish).

If you wish to download the episode, Right-Click HERE.

If you wish to support me on Patreon, click HERE.

Logo by Gino "Door Number Pee" Moretto.

Rish Outcast 315: Door Number Three 1

Rish shares a story from many years ago about a babysitter that discovers a new door in the hallway. It was meant to be a single episode, way back in March or April . . . but then it mutated.

Just like your sister-in-law.

Remember, you can download the file by Right-Clicking HERE.

Don't forget, you can support my Patreon by clicking HERE.

Logo by Gino "Dork Number Three" Moretto.

Rish Tries To Mine His Manners

I know I said the last time would be the last time, and the time before that (Never again, is what you swore, the time before), but I ended up doing another narration for the Tales To Terrify podcast. Seth Williams, the editor, asked me to read another story, and as literally no other podcast wants me to do them anymore, I accepted, and even followed the inane directions I was criticized for ignoring the last two times.

But don't worry, I doubt they'll ask me to do it again.

This time, the story was "What's Mine Is Yours, What's Yours Is Mined" by L.T. Williams. It's a dreamlike--almost nonsensical--short tale of the owner of an English coal mine who discovers the world and people around him changing into some kind of bleak industrial hellscape. It's the kind of morality play you used to see on "The Twilight Zone," even though I don't quite understand it. But that's okay--I'm not an audiobook narrator, but I do play one on TV.

Check it out HERE.