Ben Mangelsdorf Scary Studies

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

Scary Stories

Texas Urban Legends: Creepy Cryptids, Murderous Vendettas, and More

Horror media and urban legends have a bit of a symbiotic relationship. Some truly classic films have been based on urban legends, and ...

By Ben MangelsdorfMarch 6, 20230

Scary Movies

Hints and Hooks: What Makes a Classic Horror Movie Trailer Classic?

What is it that makes classic horror movie trailers great? Well, that’s a difficult question to answer. You want it to be scary, ...

By Ben MangelsdorfJanuary 23, 20230

Scary Movies

Videodrome Explained: In the Future, What Happens to Our Bodies?

Videodrome may just be the quintessential Cronenberg film. With a dark plot that traces a slowly unraveling conspiracy, stomach-churning practical effects, and themes ...

By Ben MangelsdorfDecember 16, 20220

Scary Creatures

The Story of Mr. Widemouth, a Creepypasta That Toys with Nostalgia

The best horror often finds us unsure of what’s real, questioning everything – and that’s certainly true of the Mr Widemouth creepypasta. A ...

By Ben MangelsdorfOctober 19, 20221

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, 20221

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