The Spooky Scholars Podcast

What do you do with photographs of people who hurt you? Delete them? Keep them? Burn them to the ground?

In this episode we explore the psychology of destruction, revenge, grief and starting over. From Carrie (1976) and Midsommar to Ready or Not, we look at why we're so drawn to stories where everything goes up in flames, and what that fantasy of total destruction says about our desire to escape painful memories and reclaim our lives.

We'll get into the psychology of photographs, nostalgia, unresolved emotions, shadow work and the strange relationship between holding onto the past and wanting to erase it completely.

But can we really erase our past when the cloud exists and arson isn’t a viable option? Or is the catharsis of watching horror heroes burning it all down a perfect release?

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If this episode made you want to understand horror a little differently, I've made a guide for exactly that. It's called So You Like Horror… Now What? and it walks you through how to watch horror through the lens of psychology, culture and storytelling. It includes a horror glossary of coon horror scholarship terms and a beginners list of horror movies to start your scholarly journey. You can grab it at…”

📕So You Like Horror Now What: A Guide to Understanding Horror, Monsters, and Yourself:⁠https://payhip.com/b/VdMNb

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💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at http://spookyscholars.com

🖤Full show notes at http://patreon.com/spookyscholars

How do we protect our creativity in a world designed to steal our attention?

I’m talking with Steven Puri, former DreamWorks and Fox film executive, tech entrepreneur, and founder of SUKHA, about the psychology of flow states and what they can teach us about focus, creativity, and writing truly original stories.

We explore what happens when you become so immersed in your work that time disappears, how music, rain, smell, and nostalgia can help you find your creative groove, and why protecting your attention is essential to doing your best work.

Then we get into horror and screenwriting. After years in the film industry, Steven has seen what separates competent writing from the kind that makes you think, I’ve never seen anything quite like that before.

We discuss why the best writers understand people rather than simply copying genre conventions, how flow can help creators move beyond predictable ideas, and what AI means for the future of original storytelling.

Plus, we talk about distraction, digital overwhelm, ADHD, creative community, and why taking back our attention may be one of the most important things we can do to preserve what makes us human.

If you’re a writer, filmmaker, horror fan, or creative person trying to do meaningful work in an increasingly distracted world, 🎧 listen now, and discover how going deeper might be the key to creating something new and fighting LLMs coming for our art.

And if this episode helps you want to understand horror a little differently, I've made a guide specifically for you. It's called So You Like Horror… Now What? and it walks you through how to watch horror through the lens of psychology, culture and storytelling. It includes a horror glossary of common horror scholarship terms and a beginners list of horror movies to start your scholarly journey. You can grab it at https://payhip.com/b/VdMNb.

Check out SUKHA: https://www.thesukha.co/

📕So You Like Horror Now What: A Guide to Understanding Horror, Monsters, and Yourself:⁠https://payhip.com/b/VdMNb

💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars

💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at http://spookyscholars.com

🖤Full show notes at http://patreon.com/spookyscholars

AI was supposed to make our lives easier. So why does it increasingly feel like we’re living inside a horror movie?

In this episode of the mini-series How Scary Is It?, we’re looking at the very real fears surrounding artificial intelligence, from the recent calls for caution and “pauses” in AI development to the question of what happens when we build systems that become more powerful, more autonomous, and harder to control.

We’re revisiting Demon Seed (1977), where an AI becomes obsessed with its creator and decides it has a mind (and a future) of its own.

Then there’s The Terminator (1984), which gave us perhaps the ultimate AI nightmare: machines that don’t just think, but decide humanity is the problem.

And the part that makes this especially creepy? The Terminator takes place in 2029.

That’s only three years away.

So the big guns are suggesting a pause, but aren’t you a little curious why we’re putting on the breaks only now?

That's a very special brand of freaking me out.

So… how scary is AI?

Very. Probably.

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If this episode made you want to understand horror a little differently, I've made a guide for exactly that. It's called So You Like Horror… Now What? and it walks you through how to watch horror through the lens of psychology, culture and storytelling. It includes a horror glossary of common horror scholarship terms and a beginners list of horror movies to start your scholarly journey. You can grab it at…”

📕So You Like Horror Now What: A Guide to Understanding Horror, Monsters, and Yourself:⁠https://payhip.com/b/VdMNb

💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars

💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at http://spookyscholars.com

🖤Full show notes at http://patreon.com/spookyscholars

Ever find yourself checking your phone during a horror movie? Looking away when something gross happens? Talking to your friend because you’re totally not scared?

Congratulations: you’ve just discovered second screening.

Second screening is the increasingly common habit of using a second device or otherwise splitting your attention while watching a film or TV show. But horror has a particular problem with it: the genre depends on your attention, anticipation, and willingness to surrender yourself to the full experience.

In this episode, we’re looking at what second screening does to the way we watch horror and why getting the full thrill of a scary movie might require something that feels increasingly radical: actually watching the damn movie.

📕So You Like Horror Now What: A Guide to Understanding Horror, Monsters, and Yourself:⁠https://payhip.com/b/VdMNb

💀💀Follow us on Instagram @spooky.scholars

💀Join the ongoing conversation and LIVE salon each month at http://spookyscholars.com

🖤Full show notes at http://patreon.com/spookyscholars

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)

https://payhip.com/b/VdMNb

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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)

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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:

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Candyman 1992

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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 http://professorshadow.com

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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.

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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:

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Shaun of the Dead (2004)

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Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

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Midsommar (2019)

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Weapons (2025)

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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.

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