Ben Mangelsdorf | Scary Studies

Ben Mangelsdorf is a writer living in Boulder, Colorado. He enjoys horror films, writing poetry, and the Beach Boys.

Scary Movies

The Ritual Movie Explained: Nature as a Villain

(Warning: this article contains spoilers. Many of them. Read ahead at your own risk.) The Ritual, even on its surface, is an unusual ...

By Ben MangelsdorfSeptember 22, 20220

Horror TV

X-Files Monsterpedia: The Flukeman is Half-Worm, Half-Man Terror

What is it that makes the X-Files Flukeman such an enduring character? Through the legendary “Monster of the Week” episodes of the series, ...

By Ben MangelsdorfAugust 31, 20220

Horror TV

Treehouse Tropes: Take on Death with Simpson’s Reaper Madness

On the surface, the Simpsons “Reaper Madness” segment isn’t actually all that noteworthy. Sure, it helped kick off season 15, something that definitely ...

By Ben MangelsdorfAugust 26, 20220

Scary Stories

The Loathsome Lambton Worm of England: All About the Myth

Dig deep enough in the annals of English folklore and you’re bound to come across the story of the loathsome Lambton Worm. With ...

By Ben MangelsdorfJuly 31, 20220

Scary Movies

Conjuring 3 Explained: Demons in the Court Room

Released in 2021, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (or, more simply, just The Conjuring 3) is an undeniably controversial film. ...

By Ben MangelsdorfJune 30, 20220

Scary Movies

Ed and Lorraine Warren, Frauds or Truth Seekers? An Examination

Are Ed and Lorraine Warren frauds? That’s a question that any hardcore fan of The Conjuring has asked themselves. The landmark horror film ...

By Ben MangelsdorfJune 29, 20220

Horror TV

Horror, Jackass, and the Eternal Comedy of Pain

Much like horror, Jackass attracts a very specific audience. The franchise has earned its infamy by way of stunts ranging from the scatological ...

By Ben MangelsdorfMay 31, 20220

Scary Movies

The Shining Bear Suit and Kubrick’s Endless Conspiracies

The Shining is a film infamous for its puzzles. Rather than sticking to the plan laid out in Stephen King’s 1977 novel, Stanley ...

By Ben MangelsdorfMay 8, 20221

Horror TV

Treehouse Tropes: Mind Control and Evil Hair in “Hell Toupee”

“Treehouse of Horror” loves to introduce unexpected elements into The Simpsons. The Halloween-themed series of episodes always takes the most familiar aspects of ...

By Ben MangelsdorfApril 29, 20220

Scary Movies

The Wolf House Explained: A Hallucinatory Dive into Chile’s Dark Past

Despite its reputation among outsiders for tired tropes and repeated story lines, horror is constantly reinventing itself. For every new iteration of Scream ...

By Ben MangelsdorfApril 21, 20220