Halloween has always been one of our favorite times of the year on The 70’s Buzz Podcast. Over the years, Todd Wheeler and I have covered everything from childhood trick-or-treating memories and classic horror movies to creepy television shows, terrifying true crimes, and even a couple of live ghost hunts.
With more than 450 episodes in the archives, I decided to dig back through them and pick out 10 of our best Halloween-related shows. Whether you want to relive the Halloween nights of the 1970s, revisit your favorite scary movies, or hear Todd and me wandering through dark, supposedly haunted buildings, there’s something here to get you in the Halloween spirit.
Here are our Top 10 Halloween episodes, in no particular order.
1. Halloween Memories of the 70’s
October 20, 2017
This is probably our most nostalgic Halloween episode. Todd and I remember trick-or-treating in our Enid neighborhoods, wearing those cheap plastic costumes with rubber-band straps, walking crooked sidewalks beneath huge trees, and collecting everything from candy bars to popcorn balls and caramel apples. We also revisit the homemade haunted cardboard maze we built as kids and laugh about how different Halloween was back then.
2. 1978 “Halloween” the Movie!
September 11, 2018
John Carpenter’s 1978 classic is one of my all-time favorite horror movies, and Todd and I take a deep dive into what made it so frightening. We discuss Michael Myers, the unforgettable soundtrack, the suspenseful scenes, and why the movie was so effective without relying on elaborate special effects or excessive blood. One thing I’ve always loved is how much the movie’s neighborhoods remind me of growing up in Enid, Oklahoma.
3. The Exorcist: A Great 70’s Horror Movie
October 2, 2018
Few movies caused as much controversy in the seventies as The Exorcist. Todd and I revisit the 1973 horror phenomenon, its disturbing scenes, memorable music, and stories of moviegoers becoming physically sick or leaving theaters. We were too young to see it when it first came out, but we remember the publicity surrounding it. Todd also shares how his older brother and a friend reportedly laughed their way through the movie!
4. Amityville Horror
September 15, 2020
The 1979 movie The Amityville Horror was inspired by claims of paranormal activity in a Long Island home where a family had been murdered. Todd and I explore the movie, the history behind the infamous house, and the stories surrounding its supposed haunting. I also share a personal connection: I once bought a large old house in Enid for $35,000 that reminded us of the Amityville house. We even played adult hide-and-seek inside it!
5. Classic Horror Movies with Jeff Owens!
October 24, 2023
We invited our old Enid school friend Jeff Owens, host of the Classic Horrors Club Podcast, to join us for a trip through the classic monster movies we watched during the seventies. We revisit The Blob, The Birds, Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Psycho, and plenty more. We also remember Oklahoma horror host Count Gregor, old Enid movie theaters, and watching scary movies at the drive-in. There are plenty of laughs and some great behind-the-scenes movie trivia.
6. 1970s Made for TV Movies That Were Scary!
October 18, 2022
You didn’t have to visit a movie theater to get scared in the seventies. Some of the creepiest movies were shown right in our living rooms! Todd and I revisit television thrillers including Duel, The Night Stalker, Trilogy of Terror, and The Screaming Woman. Todd gives an especially memorable description of The Screaming Woman, a 1972 TV movie starring Olivia de Havilland that frightened him as a kid and still gave him a jump when he watched it again years later.
7. Scary Movie Soundtracks
October 25, 2022
Sometimes the music is scarier than the movie! In this episode, Todd and I explore the unforgettable sounds that made horror movies so effective. We play and discuss some of our favorite frightening themes, including John Carpenter’s Halloween music and Tubular Bells from The Exorcist. We even rank our favorites and reveal which scary movie soundtrack takes our top spot.
8. Halloween Murders – Listener Discretion Advised!
October 15, 2024
This is easily one of our darkest Halloween episodes. Rather than discussing fictional horror, Todd and I researched actual murders that occurred on Halloween during the seventies, including disturbing cases involving children. The stories were so upsetting that Todd admitted he couldn’t finish researching all of them. In fact, one of the stories bothered him enough that he experienced a rare nightmare, which he describes during the show. Be warned: this episode is definitely not for everyone.
9. Halloween Live 2021
October 31, 2021
Todd and I decided to turn his podcast studio into a spooky Halloween headquarters for a live broadcast. We decorated the place, set up a Ouija board and other ghost-hunting equipment, and invited listeners to join the fun on Facebook Live. One of the highlights is our story about the abandoned building in Enid that local teenagers called the insane asylum. We remember our old high school Elmo Club and the frightening initiation that involved sending a new member into the abandoned building’s basement at night!
10. Happy Halloween Live Ghost Hunt
October 31, 2023
For this Halloween special, Todd and I took the podcast on location inside a huge, dark, three-story abandoned building in downtown Enid. Armed with flashlights, microphones, and a little courage, we wandered through the empty rooms and creepy stairways while broadcasting live. We searched for spooky props, tried communicating with ghosts, and joked about what might be lurking in the darkness. It was a fun, unpredictable adventure and one of our more unusual Halloween episodes.
Ten Episodes of Halloween Fun!
These episodes represent years of Halloween memories, movie discussions, spooky stories, and adventures with Todd. Some are funny, some are nostalgic, and a few are downright creepy. But they’re all part of what made The 70’s Buzz Podcast so much fun to record.
If you’re looking for something to listen to as Halloween approaches, pull up our podcast archives and enjoy a different Halloween episode each day leading up to October 31.
And for me, revisiting these shows is about more than Halloween. It’s also a chance to hear Todd’s voice again, laugh at some of our old conversations, and remember all the fun we had making this podcast together.
Happy Halloween, Buzzheads! And remember, the seventies were The Greatest Decade Known To Man™!
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