Ben and Leslie

PhDemons

Tv EN ↓ 49 episodes

Two academics who study American culture make their way through the best of the worst of American horror cinema from the 1970s-1990s.

Author

Ben and Leslie

Category

Tv

Podcast website

podcasters.spotify.com

Latest episode

Dec 2, 2025

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Episodes

Episode 49: Your Racist, Murdering Family 02.12.2025

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 this episode is raw and unfiltered for now (not too dissimilar from our usual editing style to be honest).

Episode 48: Elm Street's Back, Alright! 02.12.2025

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 Nightmare on Elm Street V: The Dream Child (1989) and Freddy's Dead: the Final Nightmare (1991...

Episode 47: Three Strikes You're Dead 02.12.2025

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 !

Episode 46: In the Movies of Madness 02.12.2025

This week Ben and Leslie talk inexplicable 90's star Sam Neill with In the Mouth of Madness (1994) and Event Horizon (1997).

Episode 45: Paranormal Kisses & Butterfly Activity 02.12.2025

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 patience. In this episode, Ben and Leslie are back to modernity and back to found footage with Butterfly...

Episode 44: Spooky Kids and Space-Age Spirits 07.11.2025

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 editing. This episode is raw and unfiltered, not too dissimilar from our usual editing style to be...

Episode 43: Let'er Rip! 07.11.2025

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 editing. This episode is raw and unfiltered (not too dissimilar from our usual editing style t...

Episode 42: The Hottest Girl You Know Is Evil 07.11.2025

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 unfiltered, not too dissimilar from our usual editing style to be honest.

Episode 41: What Some Stinkers 07.11.2025

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 too dissimilar from our usual editing style to be honest.

Episode 40: Boy Moms & The Boys Who Kill Them 07.11.2025

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 Stepfather while the second takes Trick or Treats (1982) crossdressing to new heights.

Episode 39: If There Was Something Out There I'd Scream 07.11.2025

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 classic, well-loved piece of horror history and the former is a movie we also watched.

Episode 38: A Nightmare on MY Street 01.06.2024

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!

Episode 37: BooTube, Log on & Freak Out 25.04.2024

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!!!

Episode 36: Crowning the Best of the Worst 15.02.2024

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!

Episode 35: Cannibal Friends 02.01.2024

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.

Episode 34: Woods You Rather 05.12.2023

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.

Episode 33: Kinski Crawling in the Schizoid Space 30.10.2023

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.

Episode 32: Dial M for Puppet 21.10.2023

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 the world. Oh well! Listen now.

Episode 31: Despite All My Rage, I Am Still Just a Boy in a Cage 17.09.2023

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).

Ep. 30: Maniacs, Fanatics, & Major League Nutzos 30.08.2023

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.

Episode 29: Daddy's Back So You Know The Drill 18.06.2023

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!

Episode 28: Reimagining the Classics 12.06.2023

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).

Episode 27: Ratastrophe! 04.06.2023

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

Episode 26: A (Basket) Case of Brain Damage 16.04.2023

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).

Episode 25: Slash or Pass 02.04.2023

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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