NEW format! NEW show! NEW start!
If you're here for strange stories about film and television, welcome!
If you're looking for our old conspiracy and paranormal shows, please check out the archives at MAGICAL MYSTERY RADIO: INANE RAMBLINGS FROM THE FRINGE.
THE STORIES WE TELL IN THE DARK is a discussion of the dark and unusual in media. Topics include cinema deep cuts, fringe documentaries, weird behind-the-scenes stories, and forgotten lore.
SHADOWPLAY is an upcoming series of story-driven episodes about cinema’s bizarre and hidden histories.
FILM ON THE FRINGE was a limited series exploring modern cult classics and genre favorites and their connections to magic and mystery.
Host Adam Charles is a screenwriter, teacher, software developer, and lifelong film obsessive.
Content warning: The first segment covers real-life on-air suicides and may be distressing to some listeners.
This week, Adam shares a strange and tragic mix of stories: disturbing on-air deaths (one…
Adam explores some of film’s most infamous curses - from Poltergeist and its real skeletons to the eerie disappearance of the man who may have invented cinema before Edison. Also: a FLESH EATERS resu…
In this week’s episode of Magical Mystery Media, Adam takes you on a strange journey through pop culture, folklore, and forgotten history – starting with the new film Weapons and ending with the real…
Adam shares memories of working with Troma Films in 1980s NYC, reflects on THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, and solves two internet mysteries: the real origin of the famous time-travel ad that inspired …
Adam reveals two chilling true stories he chose not to cover in his upcoming Shadow Play series: the disturbing case of Ed Gein, and the mysterious death of Elisa Lam.
First, the strange case of Elis…
What if a dream could kill you?
We revisit Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and the real-life sleep phenomena that inspired it. We explore how Freddy Krueger emerged from Craven’s own ch…
Blade Runner is more than a sci-fi classic — it’s a meditation on memory, identity, and empathy. We explore Philip K. Dick’s 2-3-74 mystical VALIS experience, the meaning of the Voight-Kampff test, a…
From vodou to viral spores, zombies have always evolved with us. In this week’s episode of Film on the Fringe, we uncover the real roots of the undead—myth, science, and metaphor.
🧟 Highlights & Ref…Dr. Atom takes you behind the scenes of JURASSIC PARK—literally. After a personal story of working alongside the filmmakers, we explore the science of cloning dinosaurs, the truth behind amber-trappe…
Gremlins on the wing, goblins in the woods, and strange little beings at your window. From WWII aviation lore to Spielberg’s unmade alien siege story, this episode traces the evolution of mischievous…
Venture into the murky space between psychological manipulation and the supernatural. Today, we’re talking about The Quiet Ones (2014), a Hammer Films horror throwback inspired by one of the stranges…
Let's explore The War of the Worlds — the iconic novel by H.G. Wells and the countless interpretations, adaptations, and conspiracy theories it inspired.
We discuss:
Let's dissect The Conjuring 2 and the real-life case that inspired it—the infamous Enfield Poltergeist. Was it a genuine supernatural event or an elaborate hoax that spiraled out of control? Join me …
Enter the eerie world of artificial intelligence—from the sleek and unsettling Ex Machina to real-life AI developments that feel ripped straight from science fiction. We’ll explore the rapid evolutio…
Explore the wild world of werewolves, from the cult classic Ginger Snaps to real-life sightings of “dog men.” We’ll discover the folklore behind our moon-dappled friends, look at how pop culture mold…
We discuss cancel culture, the masons, breakaway civilizations, secret moon colonies... and one fascinating, mythical "lost" film from the 80s that ties it all together!
We review the documentary CALLING ALL EARTHLINGS. And then we do it one better by actually covering the material that should have been in the movie. This is the story of George Van Tassel, eccentric…
Is an advanced race of tall, albino-like extraterrestrials from Arcturus living on the Nevada test range? Has our government struck a deal with the aliens to obtain advanced military technology? Take…
We discuss several recent "documentaries" occupying the twilight zone between fantasy and reality. Are these films omens? Augurs of a dark future?
Are we moving into a new dark age of superstition? I…
Is it real - or not?
It has become increasingly difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. We live in a time of "fake news" and "deepfakes", under a constant barrage of disinformation and pro…