Episodes

  • Leatherface vs. The Shape, with Pinckney Benedict

    Leatherface vs. The Shape, with Pinckney Benedict
    Oct 7 2022
    Pinckney Benedict and I debate Leatherface vs. The Shape, as well as their films, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) vs. Halloween (1978). We end up analyzing, contrasting, and praising more than fighting, but we make progress nonetheless. The YouTube version has full video, including scenes from the films and Pinckney in his monstrous form, which is … Continue reading Leatherface vs. The Shape, with Pinckney Benedict
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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • The Four Schools of Monster Studies

    The Four Schools of Monster Studies
    Sep 30 2022
    There is one tradition of including or rendering monsters in tales, but there is a second tradition of directly analyzing and studying monsters. In this episode, I lay out what I consider to be the four distinct schools of studying and analyzing monsters, from ancient times to modern academia. The Monster Professor: a show in … Continue reading The Four Schools of Monster Studies
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    44 mins
  • Obscure Horror Movie Influences

    Obscure Horror Movie Influences
    Sep 16 2022
    From Jason in a hockey mask to a recent Ghostbuster, with plenty of weirdness in between, I discuss retro-horror movie influences that are so obscure some of the films’ own directors might not even be fully aware of them. Here is the list of movies discussed: The Monster Professor: a show in which we discuss … Continue reading Obscure Horror Movie Influences
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    34 mins
  • The Riddle of the Hydra

    The Riddle of the Hydra
    Sep 2 2022
    The many-headed monster of Classical mythology holds a secret that is revealed in the fuller story of Herakles, and it might still be relevant today. The Monster Professor: a show in which we discuss and explore monsters in literature, myth, film, games, theater, folklore, culture, and beyond. Podcast host: Josh Woods, author, editor, professor, and … Continue reading The Riddle of the Hydra
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    29 mins
  • Shapeshifters and Ghost Investigations with John Kachuba

    Shapeshifters and Ghost Investigations with John Kachuba
    Nov 12 2021
    From prehistory and ancient myth to modern-day reports of real encounters, shapeshifters and ghosts surround us, so I dig into them with John Kachuba, author of several ghosthunting guides as well as the recent book Shapeshifters: A History (University of Chicago Press). Find more on John Kachuba here: http://johnkachuba.com The Monster Professor: a show in … Continue reading Shapeshifters and Ghost Investigations with John Kachuba
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    59 mins
  • Halloween 1978

    Halloween 1978
    Oct 30 2021
    As a last-minute Halloween treat, I discuss the utter brilliance of the original 1978 film Halloween.
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    38 mins
  • Halloween Watch 2021

    Halloween Watch 2021
    Oct 15 2021
    It’s time again to discuss (or more accurately, ramble on about) awesome horror and Halloween films I’ve (re)watched recently. Spoiler warning in full effect for the following: Joe Bob’s Last Drive-In ShowTourist TrapBlack ChristmasElijah Wood projects: Mandy, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, The Greasy Strangler, I Don’t Feel at Home in this World … Continue reading Halloween Watch 2021
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    46 mins
  • Serial Killers in Greek Myth with Debbie Felton

    Serial Killers in Greek Myth with Debbie Felton
    Oct 8 2021
    Were serial killers lurking in the shadows of Classical mythology? To find out, we dig into Theseus’ gantlet of villains, the sphynx, Medea, and more, with Classics professor Debbie Felton, author of Monsters and Monarchs: Serial Killers in Classical Myth and History. Debbie Felton’s site: https://www.umass.edu/classics/member/debbie-felton The Monster Professor: a show in which we discuss … Continue reading Serial Killers in Greek Myth with Debbie Felton
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    1 hr and 8 mins