The Spooky Scholars Podcast

What happens when the girls who grew up watching Final Girls… become ...women? In this episode of Spooky Scholars , we look at one of horror’s most iconic tropes through a very specific lens: perimenopause, divorce, and Gen X finally being fucking done. Drawing on Carol J. Clover’s influential work on the Final Girl, I look at Laurie Strode, Nancy Thompson, Alice, Jess, and the women who survived the horror movies of our youth and asks why they hit differently when you’re in your 40s than they did when we were teens Because maybe Nancy wasn’t a prude; maybe she was exhausted. And maybe a generation of women who grew up watching Final Girls fight monsters, get ignored, stop asking permission, and get the f*** out are finally living their own Final Girl stories. Betrayal. Gaslighting. Divorce. Perimenopause. Man-babies. Emotional labour. Existential dread. The Final Girl has been there for us this whole time and we're finally her. *This episode contains spoliers for A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Ready or Not (2019) Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026) You're Next (2011) Black Christmas (1974) Friday the 13th (1980) 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

Gentrification, racism, horror, storytelling, and the making of monsters: Candyman (2021) asks who gets to tell a story and who gets turned into the villain. In this Part 2 shadow work analysis of Candyman (2021) , I explore power, cultural appropriation, mythology, race, identity, and the uncomfortable question of what happens when we inherit (and try to profit from) someone else’s story. *This episode contains spoilers for: Candyman (1992) Candyman (2021) 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

This episode is an exploration of what happens when the horror movie you loved as a kid turns out to be about the exact trauma you're living through! Buckle up, because this episode gets personal. Before we get into the 1992 horror classic Candyman , I’m dropping the tea on my divorce, betrayal, and what it feels like when someone you trusted completely destroys the reality you thought you were living in. (Yes, we are processing our trauma through horror movies, where've you been?) But this isn’t just a story about my life. It’s a close look into why Candyman is such a powerful film about trust, belief, and the stories we use to make sense of the world. Helen Lyle begins the film believing in marriage, academia, logic, police, and respectable institutions, while dismissing folklore, oral history, and community knowledge. By the end, every assumption she has about truth and safety has been turned upside down. Because that’s what betrayal does: it doesn’t just break your heart, it breaks your entire understanding of reality. Using Jungian shadow work, horror theory, ( and a whole lot of uncomfortable honesty ), we explore how Candyman is the "whisper" and darkness we need to face, especially when we're looking away from the truth. But also, sometimes the monster isn’t always the thing we should fear the most. Sometimes the darkest horror is the story we’ve spent our whole lives trying not to hear or see. Sometimes its our own stubborness to hold onto the structures that are actually doing us more harm than good! Content warning: discussions of infidelity, divorce, betrayal, addiction, and emotional trauma. *This episode contains spoilers for: Candyman 1992 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes and extra credit reading at patreon.com/spookyscholars

In this episode I’m with author Claire Fuller. We talk about her sixth book, Hunger and Thirst , ( available now! ), where she’s finally come over to the fully dark side even though she has quite an extensive horror background. In our conversation, Claire unpacks the darker side of ambition and friendship, examining how themes of manipulation and coercion shape the story in unsettling ways. We also talk about her background with sculpture and how that made its way into Hunger and Thirst. I really enjoyed talking with Claire and I think you’ll enjoy her take on psychological horror, the horror community, and where horror might be heading next. Follow Claire Fuller on Instagram @writerclairefuller 💀💀Follow US on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

What if we thought of monsters as the self-help gurus of the goths?! In this part 2 on this premise, we explore what our favorite monsters can teach us about our shadows and how we can be better humans. I know, ewww. We get into how mummys remind us we need to stop tending to old wounds, how demons show up when we're greedy, and how the invisible man reveals the walls we build to keep people at arm's length. This is Part Two of looking closely at the shadow sides of monster lore and the very human flaws they reflect back at us. *This episode may contain spoilers for: The Invisible Man (1933) The Mummy (1999) Dawn of the Dead (1978) Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters (2013) 💀💀Follow us on Instagram ⁠@spooky.scholars⁠ and ⁠@sass.ashe⁠ 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at ⁠spookyscholars.com⁠ 🖤Full show notes at ⁠patreon.com/spookyscholars⁠

This week, I’m joined by author Dianna Gunn to talk about writing across genres, finding inspiration in tabletop gaming and fantasy worlds, and why online communities remain such an important part of the literary ecosystem. We discuss the realities of indie publishing, creative burnout, weaving trauma and healing into speculative fiction, and the surprising ways horror and fantasy often overlap. Dianna also shares how community support has shaped her career and why no writer should do it all alone. Plus learn about the latest and greatest drinking game taking the B-horror world by storm;) This episode does not contain spoilers but we discuss: Lobster Man from Mars (1989) Oculus (2013) Sharks in a Cornfield (2021) Shark Side of the Moon (2022) Follow Dianna on Bluesky and Instagram Check out her work: Choices: An Anthology of Reproductive Horror Moonshadow Rising Duology Killer Debt 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

What if we thought of monsters as the self-help gurus of the goths?! In this episode we explore what our favorite monsters can teach us about our shadows and how we can be better humans. I know, ewww. We get into how vampires reveal our fear of mortality, how werewolves reflect the struggle to control our impulses, and how we all have ghosts in our past that we just can’t let go of. This is Part One of looking closely at the shadow sides of monster lore and the very human flaws they reflect back at us. Stay tuned for Part Two, where we'll explore the lessons hidden within even more iconic monsters we all love. *This episode may contain spoilers for: We Have a Ghost (2023) 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars and @sass.ashe 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

What do classic horror icons reveal about us? In this episode, I’m with horror narrator and creator, Professor Shadow to explore the human shadow hidden inside classic monsters and those of his own creation. We talk about why horror continues to resonate across generations, how monsters embody our fears, desires, shame, rage, and loneliness, and why horror can sometimes reveal truths that everyday life tries to suppress. Plus, we talk about the monster in the room—AI (yes, that’s an em dash, bitches!)...and how it’s coming for all of us to prove beyond a “shadow” of a doubt (see what I did there?) that we are humans creating human content for other humans. *This episode contains spoilers for Cat People ( 1942)...but like, you've had time. Find Professor Shadow on YouTube or at professorshadow.com 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

What does horror allow us to feel safely that everyday life often punishes? In this episode, we explore horror as an emotional classification system that shows us how socially forbidden emotions finally get permission to exist under certain subgenres of horror: possession films, body horror, slashers and paranormal hauntings, different horror subgenres may reflect different emotional states we’re taught to suppress in real life. It’s what society tells us is appropriate to fear and how we’re supposed to react. And we rarely break to the rules or let our humanity loose…and that’s really what’s scary. 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes and online community of corpses at patreon.com/spookyscholars

How is horror handling masculinity? In this episode, I’m with horror author Eric Miller for a fascinating deep dive into masculinity, vulnerability, trauma, loneliness, and why horror may be the perfect genre for exploring all of it. Together, we dissect iconic male characters, examining the stark contrast between toxic masculinity and authentic heroism. We bring in emotionally repressed antiheroes compassionate survivors, and villains for villains’ sake. This conversation explores horror, sci-fi, fantasy (and wrestling!) and how these genres reflect and challenge our cultural ideas about what it means to “be a man.” Truly, we're exploring a poignant cultural moment where we are all seriously craving nuanced and emotionally grounded male characters in art and film to begin to show us what positive masulinity could look like going forward. This episode contains spoilers for: Shaun of the Dead (2004) Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Midsommar (2019) Weapons (2025) 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

We're back after a two month break of processing a... nightmare. In this personal, solo episode I'm sharing what I've learned about dark nights of the soul and shadow work, through the lens of horror. And you're gonna want to hear this! I share what I’ve been moving through with divorce, processing pain, and the patterns I've missed in horror movies I love. Because that’s what they do. They show us the patterns in ourselves we desperately try to avoid. In this episode, I'm sharing how I see even more how horror reflects our fears, insecurities, and survival instincts. And how, if you let it, horror will show you your own shadow work that you've been avoiding or not processing. Basically we’re getting into shadow work, personal growth, healing after heartbreak, and why horror might be one of the most honest tools we have for self-reflection. Hope you're up for it! *This episode contains spoilers for: Halloween (1978) Scream (1996) Hereditary (2018) Ready or Not (2019) Hear Ashe on the Freaky and Geeky podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7K2Qjuc9iQaWXRVtMatVs1?si=8ebd4c07fb8c470b 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Join the crew and get full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars Enjoy the show? Leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐review!

Lucio Fulci is often remembered as the “Godfather of Gore” or the director of ruptured eyes, melting flesh, and apocalyptic endings. But my guest today says we don’t really know the real Fulci, and there’s so much more to this important figure in horror. Matt Rogerson has written extensively on Fulci’s relationship to faith in his new book Fulci’s Inferno: Fulci's Inferno: Faith in the Films of a Horror and Giallo Auteur. And in this episode we explore how Catholic imagery, spiritual crisis, and Dantean architecture shape films like The Beyond , City of the Living Dead , Zombi 2 and more. Listen if you want to understand why Fulci’s horror feels less like shock and more like a horrific revelation. *This episode contains spoilers for: Don’t Torture a Duckling …but as Matt says, you’ve had since 1972… Find Matt @bavalamp and @1428publishing on Instagram 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

In this episode we’re with Canadian historical fiction author, Cinda Gault. Cinda schools us on incredible Canadian women of history we all should know more about and how she is remedying that with her fiction. We also discuss the roots of the horror genre, slaying vampires, 18th century final girls, Canadian abortion law, and Cinda's own incredible work in the feminist movement in the 1970s. Cinda brings a deep reverence for women’s stories, and through her historical fiction, she continues to illuminate the voices that history tried to hush, but that refuse to stay silent. This episode is spoiler free! Follow Cinda on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/6170707.Cinda_Gault 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

Are we ( already ) letting AI replace us? In this episode, I explore the growing cultural shift toward AI companionship, AI relationships, and emotional automation. Artificial intelligence is increasingly over-stepping into our world and now, even into roles once reserved for real human intimacy and connection. But this episode isn’t just about digital horror or even AI ethics or even the future of technology. It’s about language and how we’re using computer and robot terminology to describe human emotions and behavior: We “process” grief. We “download” information. We “optimize” relationships. We talk about burnout as "a system crash" and treat heartbreak like "corrupted data" to "file away" as a lesson for the future. In the end I’m really wondering: as automation expands beyond labor and into love, what does that mean for human connection, empathy, and identity? Are we building machines to act more human, or are we training ourselves to feel less? *This episode contains MAJOR spoilers for: Companion (2025) M3GAN 2.0 (2025) 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

Let's explore liminality, trauma, and coming-of-age horror through the lens of my newest project as part of Darkest Margins , curated and edited by our guest, Matt Rogerson. We get into more of what to expect from a much-needed contribution to horror scholarship and a little of what Matt went through to bring this project to the horror community. We'll then talk about Matt's own contribution to the project where he analyzes adolescence and generational representation to uncover why horror treats youth more honestly than mainstream teen films (ahem, John Hughes, your homophobia is showing!). *May contain spoilers for" Don't Torture a Duckling (1972) Demonia (1990) Darkest Margins: 24 Essays on Liminality and Liminal Spaces in the Horror Genre *Curated and Edited by Matt Rogerson, with a Foreword by Dr Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, DARKEST MARGINS is a collection of twenty four essays from leading and up-and-coming genre writers exploring expressions of liminality and liminal spaces in the horror genre, across cinema, literature, television, art and video games. Taking in the anthropological, psychological and architectural liminality, and accompanied by four stunning pieces of original artwork, the assembled academic and engaging essays undertake what has not been done on this scale before: to explore, map, analyze and discuss those rites of passage, states of ambiguity or disorientation and physical waypoints in a wide variety of works across more than a century of horror media. Get a copy: https://www.thebrokenbinding.co.uk/product-page/darkest-margins-24-essays-on-liminality-and-liminal-spaces-in-the-horror-genre Follow Matt @bavalamp and @1428publishing 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

Joined in this episode by author, friend, and returning guest, Kimberly Pinzon, to critically examine how sexual assault is portrayed in horror films and why these depictions are so often shaped by male directors. She's got some stuff to say! We specifically look at rape revenge horror and question who has the authority to tell these stories and whether “artistic freedom” is being used to justify gendered harm on screen. We explore how horror cinema repeatedly centers female suffering, the power dynamics behind these creative choices, and more reasons why representation behind the camera matters. Our hope is that this conversation furthers the the case for more women directors in horror and greater accountability in how trauma is depicted in film. Content note: discussion of violent sexual assault and gender-based harm. *This episode contains spoilers for: Last House on the Left (1974, 2009) I Spit on Your Grave (2010) Promising Young Woman (2020) Deliverance (1972) Revenge (2017) Follow Kimberly Pinzon @modernmonstress (IG and TikTok) Check out Final Girl Redux and other books on Goodreads. 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

They’re calling 2026 the year we go back to analog. And in this first episode of Season 6, I’m joined by authors Wendy Dalrymple and Grace Reynolds, the editors behind a new anthology of nostalgia horror that digs into our first precious memories of the genre we all love. We explore how modern horror has embraced nostalgia through shows like Stranger Things , the rise of horror remakes, and our collective obsession with reboots, and retro media. Plus we learn more about the global experiences of growing up with horror that maybe wasn't all Halloween and Blockbuster through Wendy and Grace's new anthology project, Poisoned Soup for the Macabre, Depraved, and Insane. This conversation unpacks the emotional pull of nostalgia, how and why horror is the perfect genre to examine who we used to be. So if the past has been calling lately, this episode might explain why. Grab your copy! Poisoned Soup for the Macabre, Depraved, and Insane More from Wendy > wendydalrymple.com Wendy on Instagram @wendydalrymplewrites Grace on Instagram @gravereynolds 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars

A nightmare team collab episode that unpacks modern masculinity in lad/bro holiday horror, all by random selection with Horror Roulette Pod. During the month of Movember we watched a film that examines how traditional ideas of masculinity are challenged, and sometimes reinforced, when men seek escape, connection, and meaning. This episode is a mash up of scholarly analysis with random fun and a new podcast friendship. Join Spooky Scholars host, Ashe Woodward and guests Nellie and Anthony from Horror Roulette pod for a very special 1-hour episode to last you the rest of the year!! This episode contains MAJOR spoilers for: The Ritual (2017) Hereditary (2018) Companion (2025) 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars Enjoy the show? Trade ya for a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐review!

Mometu is carving out a rare space in the (FREE) streaming world: a platform that refuses to let algorithms decide what audiences see. In this episode, president of Mometu , Bryan Louzil, joins me to discuss the philosophy behind hand-picking films, the challenges of curation in an automated landscape, and why horror and horror lovers especially benefit from a human touch. Plus, learn more about how Mometu is also hands on in the indie film space, supporting new filmmakers and literally funding the future of film on their platform. For listeners curious about the future of streaming (especially with this week's Netflix-Warner Bros. fiasco!). This one will give you hope that there are still some film companies that actually like films! 💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars Enjoy the show? Trade ya for a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐review!

To celebrate our 100th episode, we’re diving straight into my newest writing project: an exploration of the Flatliners universe and how its gothic architecture, liminal spaces, and resurrection imagery mirror the film’s trauma narrative and each character’s desperate push toward restoration and rebirth. And because it’s episode 100, we’re turning that lens on ourselves too. We look at our own restoration arc: where the show started, how it’s evolved, and where Spooky Scholars is heading in 2026 as we dig even deeper into horror analysis, film theory, and the dark academia vibes you’ve all been a part of creating with us. *This episode may contain spoilers for: Flatliners (2022) Flatliners (2017) 💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars 💀💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at spookyscholars.com 🖤Full show notes at patreon.com/spookyscholars Enjoying the show? Trade ya for a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐review! Wanna share private thoughts? Eww, but ok. Get in touch via email at ✉️ thespooks@spookyscholars.com