Episode 132 - Morbid Pleasures: Inside the Grand Guignol with David Gregory

Discover the Horror Podcast · Oct 7, 2026 · 1h 23m

From 1897 until 1962, the Grand Guignol Theatre in Paris staged scenes of violence—decapitations, slashings, rape, eye-gouging, and plenty of bloodletting—all in full view of audiences who paid to witness such acts of depravity. The crowds attending the small theatre ranged from ordinary people to royalty from around the world. The film world soon followed, bringing the blood-soaked theatre's themes and images of violence to the silver screen. It reminds us that there has long been an audience for this type of "entertainment."

Now, Severin Films is releasing a new box set called Morbid…