Reviews

Perfect short story podcast, dealing equally with adaptations and original stories. Sweet sound production, and the voice acting is on point.

Stays very true to its Lovecraftian roots, I like that you can tell what influences the writer had for each story even without reading the podcast description. I'm not usually one for sci-fi horror, but each episode is objectively well-written and well-acted. The series definitely grows on you with each episode

If you’re looking for a podcast to time travel back to your days as a kid wandering the horror movie shelves at your local video VHS rental store, this is for you. Nothing has scratched that itch since they closed the video stores down. Give it a shot.

Gray Matter has easily become my favorite podcast to listen to. It’s so easy to get lost in the stories. From the script writing, to the acting, to the sound effects and editing, this podcast is very well done. It’s reminiscent of Goosebumps or Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark but with a more mature twist. Jonathan’s retelling of classic stories, along with his own writings, are clever and will incite a little bit of the good kind of uncomfortable feeling in you. His R.L. Stine way of introducing you into each episode will transcend you back to the 90s with a catchy theme song to follow. Personally, the psychological episodes such as All You Faithful or Jackrabbit etc. are the true hits. But if you are more of a monster mash kind of person then you will not go wrong with Chrysalis or Lock the Door. All in all, Jonathan and Jeff AKA Word Search Media Productions is doing something right. I look forward to what seeing what else these VHS tapes have in store.

Amazing stories

Anthology horror is my jam. I think Jonathan and the gang do an amazing job with their show. Can’t wait for more episodes.

It’s so ridiculously 80’s cosmic sci fi horror. I love it. Only wish it was weekly instead of monthly!

If you’re looking for a podcast to time travel back to your days as a kid wandering the horror movie shelves at your local video VHS rental store, this is for you.

It was the pictures of the VHS sleeves on the podcast’s main website, which drew me to this show. They made me feel nostalgic about my teenage self, wandering around the video store, looking at the bottom shelf of the horror section, where all the weirdest movies lived. This whole show had a nostalgic, old-fashioned feel about it, reminiscent of classic tv lore such as “Night Gallery” or “The Twilight Zone” or “Tales of the Unexpected.” The show consists of seven short stories, half acted, half narrated, some self-penned by the creator, some loosely adapted from works by Gogol, Ambrose Bierce and HG Wells. I’m not sure I would call them “horror”, but they were certainly weird, like the kinds you might find in the tv shows named above. The stories were all more sophisticated than the artwork on the mock VHS sleeves would have you believe. They were deeper, more personal, more poignant than I expected. “Room to Grow in” for instance dealt with feelings of agoraphobia and the need to feel sheltered; and “Jackrabbit” – which was my favourite – dealt with the futility of life and pre-destination. I’m really looking forward to the next instalment.

I went into this podcast without any expectations. Gray Matter gave me the nostalgic feel of when I was a kid walking down to Family Video or Blockbuster. The podcast production values are top notch and the voice acting is excellent. The narrator really seems to put his heart into each episode/video tape and it really shows. Each episode is creepy and disturbing. I will definitely be tuning into each one and highly recommend it!