Blake and Karen interview Jeffrey Reddick, a Hollywood screenwriter, producer, and director (perhaps best known for penning Final Destination) about his recent horror film Dead Awake which combines fictional elements with the real-world phenomena of sleep paralysis. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/po...
Sep 26, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 170
Karen and Blake interview David Shango from the Seneca Nation Museum (in Salamanca, NY) about the legends and monsters of the Seneca people. This is the first part of some dedicated focus on Native American lore which we plan to cover over the next few months. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Sep 24, 2018•52 min•Ep. 169
Blake Smith and Jeb Card (Spooky Archaeology) discuss CryptidCon 2018 and Blake’s continuing research into the Kelly-Hopkinsville Goblins Case. (See MonsterTalk’s 3 part previous coverage: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) Additional notes later this week. Please check back. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Sep 12, 2018•57 min•Ep. 168
When did full moons become required in werewolf lore? Could the beast of Gevaudan have been a Hyena? Why does silver have such power in folklore? Can silver coins preserve milk? In episode 167 of MonsterTalk, Karen and Blake discuss further discoveries about werewolf lore. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Sep 04, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 167
Glamis Castle has secrets—and one of them is monstrous. Mike Dash (Spring Heeled Jack) joins us to talk about his research into the dark folklore around this ancient, beautiful household. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Aug 29, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 166
Blake and Karen are joined again by Hayley Stevens (The Spooktator Podcast) to talk about haunted jails and prisons. Hayley previously appeared on MonsterTalk in episode # 36 to discuss lake monster mysteries. Read the episode notes. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Aug 24, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 165
Karen and Blake discuss the early history of Men in Black lore going back to some primary sources. Stories of mysterious strangers questioning and intimidating (and confounding) UFO investigators have a strange, continuously evolving history. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Jul 31, 2018•59 min•Ep. 164
MonsterTalk host Blake Smith looks back at the career and impact of radio-host Art Bell who passed away on April 13, 2018 at the age of 72. Bell’s influential radio show Coast to Coast AM (still being produced today with George Noory at the microphone) was the launching pad for thousands of stories of the bizarre, the mysterious and the conspiratorial. Was he simply an entertainer? Was he harmful to the American radio listener? Some thoughts on the cultural impact of this titan of the night. Rea...
Jul 25, 2018•36 min•Ep. 163
On a hot Summer day it’s nice to cool off and contemplate the hairy, horned winter monster of the Alps known as The Krampus. In MonsterTalk # 162, Blake interviews Al Ridenour, author of The Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas. Al is also the host of the folklore and pop-culture podcast Bone & Sickle. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Jul 17, 2018•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 162
Archaeologist and author Jeb Card joins Blake Smith to discuss his new book Spooky Archaeology. The book is about many weird, spooky topics which are tied to the field of archaeology—but this episode spends a lot of time talking about the unusual connection between H. P. Lovecraft and the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb. Warning: Some of the language in this episode may not be suitable for children. Listener discretion is advised. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://w...
Jul 12, 2018•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 161
Does a giant prehistoric shark lurk deep in the waters of the ocean, surviving against all odds to surprise us by occasionally biting a giant whale in half? No. But these animals did once exist and we don’t need to pretend they’re still alive to be blown away by their stunning biological features. We talk with Dr. Craig McClain about the amazing animal we call Megalodon. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Jun 27, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 160
We interview Professor Neil Gemmell (@ProfGemmell) who is currently conducting eDNA research into various lake monsters of Scotland, especially Nessie and Morag. His lab at the University of Otago in New Zealand is hoping to find a lot of new information about the life within these cold, deep lakes using cutting edge techniques for gathering DNA from the waters at various depths. Neil was inspired to this research from reading MT alum Darren Naish’s book Hunting Monsters, which is now available ...
Jun 20, 2018•36 min•Ep. 159
In this episode of MonsterTalk, we present part two of Blake’s interview with screenwriter Richard Hatem about his work adapting John Keel’s The Mothman Prophecies for the 2002 motion picture. If you missed Part I last week, listen to it first. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Jun 06, 2018•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 158
In this episode of MonsterTalk, Blake interviews screenwriter Richard Hatem about his work adapting John Keel’s The Mothman Prophecies for the 2002 motion picture. This wide-ranging discussion is broken into two parts. Part two will air next week, but Patreon supporters will have early access through http://patreon.com/monstertalk. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
May 30, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 157
The history of magic and science converged in the explosive life of Jack Parsons. By day he was a pioneer in the field of rocket propulsion whose work helped win WWII. By night he performed magic rituals and hoped to invoke powers which would change the world. Researcher Jerry Drake joins us to tell the astonishing story of Jack Parsons, a man whose short life seemed to intersect with some of the most intriguing figures in pop-culture, religion and science, but whose career contributions seemed ...
May 23, 2018•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 156
Since the late 1990s people have been reporting strange incidents and injuries when touring the graveyard known as the Greyfriars Kirkyard. Some call it The Mackenzie Poltergeist, but whatever you call it it’s been the claimed cause of numerous injuries and scary stories. In this episode we interview City of the Dead tour-guide Fred Fogarty. We discuss the history of the site, some of the stories, and how one might do deeper research into this mystery. Note: Fred will be appearing at the Hawaii ...
May 16, 2018•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 155
Allison Jornlin is a paranormal researcher and host of The Otherside podcast. She’s been diligently researching the recent (2017–present) Chicago Mothman sightings as popularized on Lon Strickler’s Phantoms and Monsters website and book. You can find all of Allison’s on-site video recordings from her Mothman research on YouTube. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
May 01, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 154
We’re getting our minds in the gutter this week but hopefully won’t leave you drained as we climb into the nooks and crevices of Yale University’s gargoyles and grotesques with photographer and author Mathew Duman, author of An Education in the Grotesque: The Gargoyles of Yale University. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Apr 18, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 153
In the new movie Rampage, a giant mutant crocodile joins up with a giant ape and a giant wolf to destroy Chicago. But this is not the first giant croc to hit the big screen. Lake Placid (1999) and Alligator (1980) are just two of the many horror films that pit giant crocodilians against puny humans. The fossil record tells us that giant crocs did once roam the earth, but are they still out there today? Join us as we talk with Dr. Paul Willis about crocodiles, alligators and the facts and myths s...
Mar 28, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 152
In this episode of MonsterTalk, we complete our discussion about Western Esotericism with John L. Crow. In this final part we talk about the life of occultist Aleister Crowley, a man some called The Wickedest Man on Earth. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Mar 14, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 151
In this episode of MonsterTalk, we continue our discussion about Western Esotericism with John L. Crow. In part two, we talk about the origins of Theosophy, the nature of secret and occult societies in this era, and the groundwork that led to the rise of magical orders in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Theosophy figures into the modern Western conception of Tulpas, which we discussed in episode 86, and also Slenderman. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.sprea...
Feb 28, 2018•52 min•Ep. 150
The Winchester Mystery House is a sprawling Victorian mansion in San Jose, California. It is a famous piece of American architectural history, yet nearly every story commonly told about its mysterious history is likely untrue. In this episode of MonsterTalk, we are joined by Colin Dickey, author of the fantastic book Ghostland to discuss the case of the Winchester house and some of the other fascinating places he covers in his fascinating work. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this p...
Feb 14, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 149
The 19th century saw the rise of a variety of secret and secretive movements. Free Masons, Spiritualists, Theosophy and Esoteric Orders give rise to a variety of mystic-themed groups whose influence lurks under the mainstream themes of the 19th century. In this episode of MonsterTalk, we talk with religious studies scholar John Crow about the birth of these movements and how they influenced 19th (and 20th) century thought. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.sp...
Jan 30, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 148
In this episode of MonsterTalk, we return to discussion of the Ultraterrestrial Hypothesis (UTH) and what seems to be its growing influence in paranormal circles. It’s been used to explain UFOs, mothman, bigfoot, fairies, dogman, ghosts and many other phenomena which defy scientific demonstrability. Now it crops up again in a new film event titled Alien Intrusion which turned out to be a stealth evangelical creationist film which suggests that aliens and UFOs are actually demonic. We are joined ...
Jan 17, 2018•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 147
In this episode of MonsterTalk, we creep narratively into the swamps of South Carolina as we talk of the strange lizard man who is alleged to live in the swamps outside Bishopville. Lyle Blackburn leads our expedition as he recounts the story as told in his book Lizard Man: The True Story of the Bishopville Monster. Lyle previously joined us for episode 106: What The Fouke? The Beast of Boggy Creek. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monst...
Jan 03, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 146
For the Annual MonsterTalk Christmas Special, Blake Smith reads The Open Window by H. H. Munro (Saki). READ episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Dec 24, 2017•12 min
MonsterTalk interviews Seth Shostak, chief astronomer for the SETI Institute, and host of their podcast and radio show, Big Picture Science. Our interview questions come from Facebook listeners, and we also comment on recent news regarding secret US government UFO research. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Dec 20, 2017•59 min•Ep. 145
In this episode of MonsterTalk, we welcome back alum Don Prothero (Episode 22, Episode 43, Episode 68) and first time guest Timothy Callahan to discuss their new book: UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens: What Science Says. From an introduction to the scientific method, to the often overlooked explanations behind many undying legends of the UFO field, the two authors dive deep into the conspiracies, misconceptions, hoaxes and religions that have emerged from the field of UFOlogy. Read the episode notes...
Dec 06, 2017•59 min•Ep. 144
MonsterTalk continues its series on Magic with Part II of its coverage of Grimoires. We continue our interview with researcher Jerry Drake, and focus on the view of magic books in various magical traditions of Western Europe. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Nov 29, 2017•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 143
In this episode MonsterTalk continues its special series on Magic as it examines the history of Grimoires in Western culture. State Department Archivist Jerry Drake, PhD, discusses the history of magic books, magic writing and how it fits into the history of science. This is the first of a two-part interview. Read the episode notes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Nov 22, 2017•50 min•Ep. 142
