Clever Ghouls
Clever Ghouls: The Podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a bi-weekly show with lots of sprinkled in minisodes dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, science, education, fashion, design, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky(ish) movies we love.
Episodes
69 episodes
Tyler's Bullshit
We're back, baby! In this episode, the Ghoulies talk about the delectable death cult in The Menu, the 2022 American black comedy horror that's all about the details of some of the most delicious dishes we've ever seen. We'll discuss the (someti...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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1:05:16
They Live | Ray-Bans & Reaganomics
In this episode of Clever Ghouls, the Ghouls have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass...and they're all out of bubble gum. Join them as they discuss John Carpenter's "They Live". This movie is filled with Alien Shades and Capitalist...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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1:03:13
Reality Bites | Dystopian Predictions Come True in "They Live" | Minisode w/ Maegan
When They Live first came out, it was not particularly well received. Critics said the writing was clunky, the music was too repetitive, the acting was too melodramatic, and most ironically, the storyline was entirely too far-fetched and improb...
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Season 1
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11:07
Rocky Horror Picture Show | Rose Tints My World
On this episode, the Clever Ghouls tap-dancing across time and space to talk about The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the 1975 cult classic comedy horror musical written by Richard O’Brien and directed by Jim Sharman. We dig into topics like gender...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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46:01
Obscurity to Adoration: The History of Cult Films | Minisode w/ Maegan
Cult films, a genre characterized by their devoted fan base and unconventional appeal, have carved a unique place in the history of cinema. This minisode with Maegan digs into the fascinating and ever-evolving world of cult films; tracing their...
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Season 1
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5:25
Your Unlucky Day: The History of Friday the 13th | Minisode w/ Maegan
When it comes to bad luck, there are few superstitions as pervasive in Western culture as that of Friday the 13th. Like crossing paths with a black cat and breaking a mirror, the notion of a day that can bring misfortune is deeply embedded (eve...
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Season 1
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5:41
Midsommar [Pt 2] | Brains Be Brainin'
On Part 2 of the Midsommar epsiode, the Ghouls dig into all things brain. Join us as we take time to talk about the (mis)representation of mental illness in film, how we relate to Dani and why she felt like realistic representation, how trauma ...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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43:47
Midsommar [Pt 1] | Girl...Good For You...
On this episode, the Ghouls discuss the unsettling masterpiece that is "Midsommar." Directed by Ari Aster in 2019, this modern horror gem takes us far from the familiar jump scares and dark alleys, into the blinding daylight of a secluded Scand...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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54:01
Hereditary [Pt 2] | Hot Fires & Piano Wires
On this episode, the Clever Ghouls continue to discuss Hereditary, the 2018 psychological supernatural horror film written and directed by Ari Aster. This episode focuses on the filmmaking aspects of the movie and includes discussions surroundi...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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56:45
Hereditary [Pt 1] | Don’t Lose Your Head
On this episode, the Clever Ghouls discuss Hereditary, the 2018 psychological supernatural horror film written and directed by Ari Aster. Hereditary explores the lives of Annie, Peter, Charlie, and Steve as they navigate some suspicious activit...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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1:15:21
Annihilation | It's...Unlike Us...
In this episode, the Clever Ghouls discuss Annihilation. Released in 2018 and directed by Alex Garland, this movie took us on a mind-altering journey into the heart of "The Shimmer," an iridescent and expanding phenomenon that defies the laws o...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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1:04:41
Shaky Cam: The History of Found Footage Films | Minisode w/ Maegan
From its humble beginnings to its widespread popularity, these films have redefined horror storytelling, delivering a sense of realism and terror like no other. Found footage films have carved a unique and chilling niche in the world of cinema,...
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Season 1
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7:12
The Blair Witch Project | Where's That Fucking Map??
The Blair Witch Project, written, directed, AND edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez features the chilling tale of three student filmmakers who set out on an adventure near Burkittsville, Maryland to make a documentary about the local le...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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1:19:15
Perfect Blue (1997) | No, I'm the Real Thing...
On this episode, the Clever Ghouls discuss Perfect Blue, the 1997 horror anime film by Satoshi Kon. This movie follows a member of a Japanese idol group, Mima, who retires from music to pursue an acting career. As she becomes a victim of ...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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56:55
The Babadook | WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE NORMAL???
On this episode, the Clever Ghouls discuss Jennifer Kent’s 2014 sleeper hit The Babadook. Based on Kent’s original short film, Monster, the movie stars Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman as a mother and son. Seven years after Amelia’s (Davis) husband...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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1:50:58
Beetlejuice | It’s Showtime!
In this episode, the Clever Ghouls, Maegan & Blair, discuss Beetlejuice, the 1988 horror-comedy film written by Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson, and Warren Skaaren and directed by Tim Burton. Beetlejuice is the story of Adam and Barbara Mait...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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1:02:22
Eternal Bourgeoisie: The Bureaucracy of Life and Death in Beetlejuice | Minisode w/ Maegan
Beetlejuice is rich in its in-your-face symbolism and serves as a horror-comedy critique about the effects capitalism and consumerism have had on our lives to the extent bureaucracy follows us beyond death. It presents a whimsical a...
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Season 1
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9:51
Thank You Robot Overlords: AI & Horror | Minisode w/ Maegan
The representation of artificial intelligence in horror movies encapsulates our collective fascination and fear towards this evolving technology. Through personification, existential questions, and ethical dilemmas, these films confront us with...
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Season 1
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10:24
American Psycho | Murders & Executions Mostly
On this episode, join the Ghouls as they dig into Mary Harron’s 2000 film, American Psycho. The movie most notably stars Christian Bale and follows wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, who hides his alternate psy...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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1:14:26
Unveiling the Dark Depths: The History of Psychological Horror | Minisode w/ Maegan
Psychological horror has evolved over time, traversing the realms of literature and film to offer audiences a chilling exploration of the human brain and thoughts. From its origins in Gothic literature to its influence on German Expressionist c...
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Season 1
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7:12
Ghoul on Ghoul: The Fetishization of Women Loving Women Relationships in Film | Minisode w/ Maegan
Happy pride again, and welcome back to another minisode of Clever Ghouls. Join Maegan as she talks about the constant and problematic fetishization of women loving women relationships, some brief history of the fetishization of queer women, the...
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Season 1
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12:58
Dancing with the Devil: Ballet's History & Relationship with Horror | Minisode w/ Maegan
In this minisode, join Maegan as she goes back to her ballet roots to really dive into ballet and its history and relationship with horror, what is it about ballet that is so enchanting yet inherently terrifying, and even some psychoanalysis of...
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Season 1
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13:26
Black Swan | I Just Want To Be Perfect!
On this episode, the Clever Ghouls discuss Black Swan, the 2010 drama thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky. The film follows the story of Nina, a prima ballerina who will do whatever it takes to be perfect. Join us as we take a closer look a...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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2:03:22
Queer Loves Fear: The Relationship between the Queer Community & Horror | Minisode w/ Maegan
Horror and queerness have gone hand in hand since its origins. From the notion of “otherness” and queer monsters in the 1922 version of Nosferatu, to the era of the lesbian vampires in the 1936 Dracula’s Daughter, to more contemporary and inter...
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Season 1
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8:24
Days of Wrath: Dies Irae | Minisode w/ Blair
In this minisode, join Blair as she spends some time talking about Gregorian chants and how they’ve somehow entered into public consciousness as the quintessential DOOOOOOM sound. You know which one we’re talking about, even if you can’t quite ...
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Season 1
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6:58