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The 2024 Spooky Roundup : 1A What scares you the most? Is it something creepy and crawly? Something that slithers?

Maybe it's the dark, or the end of the world, or, even worse, a bad report card.

We all have things that scare us. And movies are good at making us experiencing those things in a safe way. But why do we even want to do it in the first place? We discuss what we like about being scared.

And later...

Vampires have been a pop culture staple for decades — as movie monsters and as metaphors for our deepest desires. And whether your favorite vampires are Nosferatu and Dracula, or Louis and Lestat, they all have a few bloody things in common.

We get into why the vampire myth prevails and how the vampire genre is changing, during our Spooky Roundup.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

1A

The 2024 Spooky Roundup

The 2024 Spooky Roundup

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Halloween decorations are seen on display during the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

Halloween decorations are seen on display during the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

What scares you the most? Is it something creepy and crawly? Something that slithers?

Maybe it's the dark, or the end of the world, or, even worse, a bad report card.

We all have things that scare us. And movies are good at making us experiencing those things in a safe way. But why do we even want to do it in the first place? What is it about being scared that we seek out?

And later...

Vampires have been a pop culture staple for decades — as movie monsters and as metaphors for our deepest desires. And whether your favorite vampires are Nosferatu and Dracula, or Louis and Lestat, they all have a few bloody things in common.

We get into why the vampire myth prevails and how the vampire genre is changing, during our Spooky Roundup.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.