PODCAST · tv
PhDemons
by Ben and Leslie
Two academics who study American culture make their way through the best of the worst of American horror cinema from the 1970s-1990s.
Episodes
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Episode 49: Your Racist, Murdering Family
This episode, Ben and Leslie head home for some weird family dynamics (and one of the most fun horror sequels of all time) with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) and The People Under the Stairs (1991) Hey listener, Leslie here! Ben and I are two full-time working adults who hate editing so…
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Episode 48: Elm Street's Back, Alright!
Hey listener Leslie here! We're two full-time working adults who hate editing so this episode is raw and unfiltered (not too dissimilar from our usual editing style to be honest). Are you sick of Freddy yet? There are six of these! This episode, Ben and Leslie head back for another nightmare with...
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Episode 47: Three Strikes You're Dead
Look we know the title is a tagline for one of this week's movies but it's just really good okay? This week Ben and Leslie take us all out to the ballgame with Night Game (1989) and The Catcher (1998). One of them is a great time and one of them is The Catcher!
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Episode 46: In the Movies of Madness
This week Ben and Leslie talk inexplicable 90's star Sam Neill with In the Mouth of Madness (1994) and Event Horizon (1997).
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Episode 45: Paranormal Kisses & Butterfly Activity
Hello listener Leslie here! Ben and I are full-time working people who hate editing. As a result, this episode is raw and unfiltered (not too dissimilar from our usual editing style to be honest). Some particularly egregious sound crimes on Leslie's end of the recording, we appreciate your...
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Episode 44: Spooky Kids and Space-Age Spirits
This week Ben and Leslie dive in to John Carpenter with much regret! Who let this man make movies? Village of the Damned (1995) and Ghosts of Mars (2001) are on deck and they are not The Thing we can tell you that much. Hey listener, Leslie here. Ben & I are two full-time working adults who hate...
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Episode 43: Let'er Rip!
This episode Ben and Leslie head over to Whitechapel for Jack's Back (1988 ) & The Ripper (1985) - we just can't get enough of this guy! Sure hope he doesn't turn out to be some kinda infamous serial killer or something! Hey listener, Leslie here. Ben & I are two full-time working adults who hate...
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Episode 42: The Hottest Girl You Know Is Evil
This episode Ben and Leslie dive into two Wes Craven classics: Summer of Fear (1978) and Deadly Friend (1986) where teen girls let loose and kill with abandon! It's about time! Hey listener, Leslie here. Ben and I are two full-time working adults who hate editing. This episode is raw and...
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Episode 41: What Some Stinkers
Folks this week's movies were duds and there's just no way around that. Don't skip this episode, but do feel free to skip Shockwaves (1977) and Dagon (2001). Hey listener, Leslie here. Ben & I are two full-time working adults who hate editing. This episode is raw and unfiltered, but that's not…
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Episode 40: Boy Moms & The Boys Who Kill Them
Hey listener, Leslie here! Ben and I are two full-time working adults who hate editing. This episode is raw and unfiltered (much like our usual editing style to be honest). In this episode, Ben and Leslie watch The Paperboy (1994) and In Dreams (1999). The first is a spiritual successor to the...
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Episode 39: If There Was Something Out There I'd Scream
Hello listener, Leslie here - Ben and I are full-time working people who hate editing. This episode is raw and unfiltered (not too dissimilar from our usual editing style to be honest). In this episode, Ben and Leslie tackle There's Nothing Out There (1991) and Scream (1996). The latter is a...
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Episode 38: A Nightmare on MY Street
Ben and Leslie take a trip to Elm Street with Nightmare on Elm Street and Nightmare on Elm Street 2. Once and for all answering the question that plagues all of us: fellas, is it gay to get whipped naked in a shower by Freddy? Tune in to find out!
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Episode 37: BooTube, Log on & Freak Out
Join Leslie and Ben as they gobble up the horrors the algorithm serves them on YouTube. This time it's not just the fact that they have a monopoly on video content that makes YouTube scary. Watch out that you don't get unalived!!!
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Episode 36: Crowning the Best of the Worst
In this episode, the best of the worst horror movies from the past 50 years battle it out in a bracket. Who will survive? And what will be left of Ben and Leslie's sanity by the end of it? Tune in to find out!
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Episode 35: Cannibal Friends
Ben and Leslie may be covering Unfriended, but they haven't unfriended you. So join them as they find footage from an evil crew of neo-colonialist filmmakers in Cannibal Holocaust and hack into a teen's laptop for Unfriended.
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Episode 34: Woods You Rather
Join Leslie and Ben as they ignore the classic horror advice of "Don't Go in the Woods" with the films American Gothic (1987) and The Prey (1983). After these flicks they just might be ready to swear off the woods for good. Episode features a tier list of "in the woods" horror movies.
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Episode 33: Kinski Crawling in the Schizoid Space
Join Leslie, Ben and Klaus Kinski as they explore the depths of the human psyche and the danger of being a woman. Christopher Lloyd is there too! And one of those wooden hot tubs that looks like a giant barrel.
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Episode 32: Dial M for Puppet
This week, Ben and Leslie take it all the way back to 1978 with Magic and The Manitou. Of all the movies we've watched, these are definitely two of them. There's puppets, indigenous ghosts, sad magicians, and a real sense that maybe things won't actually be okay and there is nothing good left in...
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Episode 31: Despite All My Rage, I Am Still Just a Boy in a Cage
Go boy crazy with Ben and Leslie as they tackle two films about the majesty of male friendship: The Skulls (2000) and The Covenant (2006). Does the patriarchy dominate through magic, wealth, or conspiracy? Find out on this week's episode! (spoiler alert: it's all three).
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Ep. 30: Maniacs, Fanatics, & Major League Nutzos
This week Ben and Leslie bask in the healing balm that is Maniac (1980) and Fanatic (1982). These movies are not just so bad they're good, they're actually good! Joe Spinell and Tom Savini are here to save us from our own terrible podcast idea and give us great films you gotta see.
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Episode 29: Daddy's Back So You Know The Drill
This week Ben and Leslie take it back to future with another set of remakes - The Stepfather (2009) & Slumber Party Massacre (2021). There are fake stepfathers, brooding teens, introductory courses to feminism, and shockingly no Terry O'Quinn, but we make do anyway. Listen in!
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Episode 28: Reimagining the Classics
I couldn't think of a pun for the title of this episode, but still, we invite you to join Leslie and Ben as they look at a pair of creative reimaginings of legendary monsters from the horror canon, vampires and werewolves, in Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf (1985) and Blacula (1972).
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Episode 27: Ratastrophe!
Join Leslie, Ben and special guest Jay Brandstetter of the I'm From the Internet podcast. Jay is a certified rat tickler (Purdue University) and trains Ben and Leslie in the field of rat studies as they discuss Willard (2003) and Food of the Gods (1976). Jay's Linktree
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Episode 26: A (Basket) Case of Brain Damage
Join Leslie and Ben as they damage their brains with the zany yet somehow heartfelt work of trash auteur Frank Henenlotter. This week, they watched Basket Case (1982) and Brain Damage (from their favorite year for horror movies: 1988).
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Episode 25: Slash or Pass
Ben and Leslie talk what makes a classic slasher and why Without Warning (1980) and The Final Terror (1983) just don't stack up. With this week's episode run time you could watch both of those movies, but you'll just have to trust us when we tell you that you're much better off with us.
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Episode 24: From Satan to Succubus
Join Leslie and Ben on a journey into the demon realm as they watch Fear No Evil (1981) and Def By Temptation (1990).
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Episode 23: Mommy's Alright, Daddy's Alright
This week Ben and Leslie tackle the gendered horror of domesticity with The Stepfather 3 (1992) and Season of the Witch (1973). Tune in to hear all about the thrilling conclusion of the Stepfather franchise, the threat of non-normative masculinity, and how to survive as a housewife in America...
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Episode 22: Scaly & Scary
This week Ben and Leslie are back to animal horror (who knew it was such a rich subgenre?) with Fangs (1974) and Alligator (1980). There are well-written characters, fun moments, and great practical effects. And then there's also Fangs, a movie whose Shudder summary may actually land someone in...
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Episode 21: Tag(line)! You're It!
Join Leslie and Ben as they try to figure out what makes a horror tagline tick and question the existence of this odd feature of movie marketing. When there's no more room in hell . . . the tags will walk the line.
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Episode 20: A Nightmare on OUR Street!
This week, Ben and Leslie take a trip to Elm Street with A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and A Nightmare on Elm Street II: Freddy's Revenge (1985). We talk slasher classics, dream boys who gaslight you and kill your friends, fetish outfits and the coaches who love them, and the unrelenting…
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Episode 19: Deck the Hell!
Was rushing to get this episode onto shelves for last-minute gift shoppers, so I can't think of much to write here. Please enjoy with a giant bowl of figgy pudding.
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Episode 18: Hallmark Holiday Horror
This week Ben and Leslie take a break from their busy lives in the city to head out to rural New England and find love! Wait, what? That's right, it's a Christmas departure from the horror genre to talk about two holiday tv-movie romances, Spirit of Christmas (2015) and Deck the Heart (2021).…
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Episode 17: Aaaah!.com: The Cyber Monday Mega-Episode
Log on and jack in to the matrix: Leslie and Ben cruise down the Information superhighway and launch into cyberspace with The Lawnmower Man (1992) and Brainscan (1994). These movies will introduce you to a little something called the "personal computer" which is about to revolutionize the way we...
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Episode 16: All's Fair in Love and Wish
Leslie and Ben wish they didn't have to finish the Wishmaster series, but here we are. Tune in to hear all about how "superb" Amazon viewers thought the filmmaking was, how bad the Wishmaster is at granting wishes, how horribly these movies deal with disability, and how weird it is that they…
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Episode 15: Wish You Were Fear
This week Ben and Leslie wish they were watching anything other than Wishmaster (1997) and Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (1999). They talk Wes Craven's weird porn career, discuss the differences between desires and wishes, read some truly shocking Amazon reviews, and unpack just how fast and…
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Episode 14: Sleepover! (Or Should I Say "Creepover"?)
All right, fellow teens, you know the drill. Join Leslie and Ben for a cozy night of gossip, pillow fights and murder as they watch Slumber Party Massacre (1982) and Slumber Party Massacre II (1987).
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Episode Th-Th-Th-Thirteen (Yikes!) Re-Mania: The Movies Strike Again
It's Remake Time! Nobody needed these movies, nobody wanted 'em, but they're here to break your heart on January 16th (you'll get it when you listen to the episode). The remakes in question are Hellraiser (2022) and My Bloody Valentine (2009). These are the newest movies Leslie and Ben have…
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Episode 12: Haunted Holidays
Ben and Leslie celebrate two holiday-themed movies this week: Trick or Treats (1982) and April Fool's Day (1986). They talk bad magic, worse pranks, films that are just self-aware enough to emphasize how disappointing they are, and girls named Muffy. Tune in!
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Episode 11: The Eyes Have It
This week Ben and Leslie cut up with two surgery-obsessed movies from the seventies - Scalpel (1977) and Mansion of the Doomed (1976). They talk unintentional horror, daddy daughter love, and the actual limits of eye surgery. Tune in!
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Episode 10: Haunted Mall Watch
This week Leslie and Ben are your one-stop shop for scaring and caring as they watch two movies that were hand-crafted with love but are still highly consumable horror commodities. We're gonna party like it's 1989 or '99: in other words, we're going to hang out at the mall. Chopping Mall (1986)…
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Episode 9: Prophecy, Stigmata, Yada Yada Yada
This week Leslie and Ben take us to church with two Catholic-horror films from the 90s: Stigmata (1999) and Prophecy (1995). Say your prayers, because you're about to be spooked by the holy ghost. It's a star-studded episode in which Patricia Arquette lies about her age, Christopher Walken…
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Episode 8: Scarewolves
This week Ben and Leslie howl about two werewolf movies, Silver Bullet (1985) and Hard Rock Nightmare (1988). These movies have it all: real werewolves, fake werewolves, hot young priests, over-acting, murdering your own grandfather, and both Gary Busy and Terry O'Quinn again! Tune in!
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Episode 7: Monkey See, Monkey Die
This week Ben and Leslie monkey around with Shakma (1990) and Monkey Shines (1988), two primate-focused flicks that take animal horror to some weird places. There are LARPing med students, psychosexual monkey-human relationships, someone's TV Tropes trauma, and the underlying question of the...
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Episode 6: Death by Rock and Roll
This week, Ben and Leslie bang their heads against Hard Rock Zombies (1985) and Black Roses (1988). Leslie breaks the kayfabe of the show to clarify just how bad Hard Rock Zombies is, and then the duo treats themselves for having survived it by talking about the far superior Black Roses. It's a...
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Episode 5: It's Just a Prank, Bro
This week, Leslie and Ben watch Beyond Dream's Door (1989) and Final Exam (1981). They talk college, killings, and, most of all, pranks! Faking a mass shooting and a suicide attempt are pranks, right? Tune in to find out!
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Episode 4: Kappa Gamma DIE!
This week Ben and Leslie rush to watch two sorority-themed flicks - The House on Sorority Row (1982) and Sorority House Massacre (1986). With the surprisingly refreshing choice to center their stories around women and female friendships, these movies ask tough questions like what is a prank? is…
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Episode 3: Night of the Fascist Dead
Leslie and Ben tackle two films that (maybe, kind of) critique the violence of American institutions: Maniac Cop (1988) and Uncle Sam (1996). Officer Matt Cordell (Robert Z'Dar) and Master Sergeant Sam Harper (David Fralick) enforce the prerogatives of masculine power granted to them by their...
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Episode 2: Raisin' a Hell of a Lot of Heck!
This episode is about the first two Hellraiser movies. Ben and Leslie discuss the films' exploration of desire, sexuality, pleasure and pain as well as lots of goopy practical effects.
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Episode 1: Stepfathers, Hiders, and the Suburban American Nightmare
This episode covers the films Stepfather (1987) and Hider in the House (1989). Leslie and Ben explore Masculine identities constructed and broken apart as Jerry Blake (Terry O'Quinn) and Tom Sykes (Gary Busey) try to insinuate themselves into families that look like the American suburban...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does PhDemons have?
PhDemons currently has 49 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is PhDemons about?
Two academics who study American culture make their way through the best of the worst of American horror cinema from the 1970s-1990s.
How often does PhDemons release new episodes?
PhDemons has 49 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to PhDemons?
You can listen to PhDemons on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts PhDemons?
PhDemons is created and hosted by Ben and Leslie.
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