2009. BRAND DENIES THEM ALL. AN ERA IS COMING TO A CLOSE AT WESH 2. MICHELLE MEREDITH IS RETIRING THIS WEEK AFTER DECADES OF UNFORGETTABLE, ONE OF A KIND REPORTING. BEFORE SHE GOES, WE ARE FINALLY SAYING YES TO THE STORIES SHE HAS BEEN BEGGING OUR BOSSES TO TELL, AND SHE’S STARTING THINGS OFF ON THE SPOOKY SIDE IN THE PLAZA RIGHT OFF OF COLONIAL IS A LITTLE SHOP CALLED. ATOMIC HORROR, A SHOCKING PLACE WHERE SCARY MOVIES LIVE, THRIVE AND WHERE ANYTHING ABOUT THEM ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. THEN MCMANUS BOUGHT THE CLOWN FROM POLTERGEIST, A CHILD’S WORST NIGHTMARE, AND THE KID WENT, WHAT ARE PRETTY MUCH WILL DO IT, DO IT. THE KID. IT’S THE BRAINCHILD OF BRIAN MURPHY, WHO RECRUITED FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO HELP PUT HIS DREAM TOGETHER AFTER WORKING A DESK JOB FOR 20 YEARS. WHAT DO I LIKE MOST? I LIKE HORROR MOVIES AND BAD MOVIES AND CHEESY MOVIES AND JUST THOUGHT I WOULD SURROUND MYSELF WITH ALL OF THAT. THE SHOP IS SO SURROUNDED WITH HORROR FLICK MEMORABILIA, IT FEELS LIKE A MUSEUM, STARTING WITH THE CLASSICS DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON TO THE ZOMBIE MOVIE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. SHIFTING TO THE SLASHERS CHUCKY, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE BECAUSE THAT’S LIKE THE EDGE OF TERROR, YOU KNOW? NOW, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR CHARACTERS AND SCARY MOVIE WORLD IS GHOSTFACE FROM SCREAM, AND ANOTHER REALLY POPULAR ONE IS. ANATOMIC. HORROR HAS EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, FROM SATAN’S CHEERLEADERS, CRITTERS TO THE FUN FAN FAVORITE GHOSTBUSTERS. HORROR IS WATCHING YOUR FEARS ON THE SCREEN, WATCHING THE THINGS YOU’RE MOST SCARED OF, AND YOU’RE STILL ALL RIGHT. ONE DIRECTOR CALLED IT BOOT CAMP FOR THE PSYCHE, BOOT CAMP FOR THOSE WHO DARE TO COME FACE TO FACE WITH THEIR FEARS, COVERING ORANGE COUNTY IN ORLANDO. MICHELLE MEREDITH WESH 2 NEWS. MICHELLE NEEDS A RETIREMENT GIG AS A HORROR MOVIE SCREAM ARTIST. SANIKA. SENAIT. WE NEED AROUND HERE. I MEAN, HOW DO YOU TAKE TO GET THAT SCREEN? PERFECT, RIGHT? RIGHT ON KEY. THIS IS MY FORMAL PLEA TO ALL OF THE HIGHER UPS AND MICHELLE MEREDITH HERSELF DURING THE SEGMENT THROUGHOUT THE WEEK TO BRING HER OUT HERE. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS FOR HER. WHY THIS STORY? SHE HAS FIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO WHATEVER SHE WANTS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. THIS WAS TOP OF THE LIST AND SHE GOT A
Inside Orlando’s Atomic Horror | Michelle Meredith is retiring and picks her stories all week
Updated: 9:16 PM EDT Mar 30, 2026
In a small plaza right off Colonial Drive in Orlando, there is a little shop called Atomic Horror. It’s a place where scary movies are king. You name the horror flick and Atomic Horror has the book, doll, shirt and bobblehead available for purchase. The shop is the brainchild of Bryan Murphy. After working a desk job for 20 years, and in the throes of a midlife crisis, it hit him.”I like horror movies and bad movies, cheesy movies, and thought I would just surround myself with all that you know,” Murphy said. The shop is so chock-full of horror flick memorabilia, it feels like a museum. There are the classics like “Dracula,” “Frankenstein” and “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” Playing in one corner is the legendary zombie movie, “Night of the Living Dead.”Shifting to the slashers, the shop features items from “Chucky” and “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.””Because that’s like the edge of terror, you know,” Murphy said.Atomic Horror has everything in between, from “Satan’s Cheerleaders” and Critters, to the fun fan favorite “Ghostbusters.”Bryan even has a whole room devoted to Elvira, Mistress of Dark.Why not! The popular horror flick hostess even has her own Chia Pet.”Horror is watching your fears on the screen, and you’re still alright. One director called it boot camp for the psyche,” Murphy said.Bootcamp for those who dare to come face to face with their fears.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
In a small plaza right off Colonial Drive in Orlando, there is a little shop called Atomic Horror. It’s a place where scary movies are king. You name the horror flick and Atomic Horror has the book, doll, shirt and bobblehead available for purchase.
The shop is the brainchild of Bryan Murphy. After working a desk job for 20 years, and in the throes of a midlife crisis, it hit him.
“I like horror movies and bad movies, cheesy movies, and thought I would just surround myself with all that you know,” Murphy said.
The shop is so chock-full of horror flick memorabilia, it feels like a museum. There are the classics like “Dracula,” “Frankenstein” and “Creature from the Black Lagoon.”
Playing in one corner is the legendary zombie movie, “Night of the Living Dead.”
Shifting to the slashers, the shop features items from “Chucky” and “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.”
“Because that’s like the edge of terror, you know,” Murphy said.
Atomic Horror has everything in between, from “Satan’s Cheerleaders” and Critters, to the fun fan favorite “Ghostbusters.”
Bryan even has a whole room devoted to Elvira, Mistress of Dark.
Why not! The popular horror flick hostess even has her own Chia Pet.
“Horror is watching your fears on the screen, and you’re still alright. One director called it boot camp for the psyche,” Murphy said.
Bootcamp for those who dare to come face to face with their fears.