The Horror Heals Podcast

Send us Fan Mail

Can a horror movie become part of your wellness routine? For artist Heather Wagner, it already has.

Living with an arthritis-like condition affecting her hands, Heather discovered that creating art while watching horror films became much more than a hobby. Sculpting twisted trees, haunted cemeteries and her signature "soulmate" ghosts helps keep her hands moving, quiets her mind and turns creativity into a form of healing.

Heather also takes us back to where it all began: Saturday mornings watching The Munsters, The Addams Family and The Twilight Zone with her dad, discovering Stephen King as a kid and falling in love with the nostalgia that still makes horror feel like home decades later.

This is a conversation about creativity, family memories and the surprising ways horror continues to comfort us long after the credits roll.

If you're in New England, you can also see Heather's work during the Lowell Folk Festival weekend at Hive Public Market. Check out the festival schedule here.

About Heather Wagner

Heather Wagner is a New England artist whose handcrafted wire sculptures, haunted cemetery scenes and whimsical ghost creations celebrate her lifelong love of classic horror. Drawing inspiration from vintage monster movies, Halloween and gothic storytelling, she creates one-of-a-kind pieces that blend spooky charm with heartfelt meaning. Her work regularly appears at horror markets, oddities events and festivals throughout New England.

Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. 

Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.

If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.

You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.

Horror Heals is produced by Mosaic Multimedia LLC.

Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.

Send us Fan Mail

When we launched Horror Heals, there was one guest we knew we had to have: Adrienne King.

Best known as Alice Hardy, the original final girl from Friday the 13th, Adrienne gave horror one of its most unforgettable survivors. But her most remarkable story happened after the cameras stopped rolling.

Following the film's release, Adrienne endured years of trauma after being stalked, leading her to step away from acting and disappear from the horror community for decades. When she finally attended her first horror convention, everything changed. The fans she thought had forgotten her became the community that helped her heal.

Today, Adrienne has become a source of hope for countless people navigating trauma, grief and life's darkest moments.

This conversation was one of our very first episodes, and after nearly two years of Horror Heals, we wanted to revisit it. We've remixed and tightened the interview to focus on the heart of Adrienne's journey and the reason this podcast exists.

You'll also hear why Alice Hardy has always been Kendall's favorite final person and why the Friday the 13th family became part of our own found family after Kendall's DNA reunion changed our lives forever.

If you've never listened to Horror Heals, this is the perfect place to begin. And if you've been with us from the start, thank you for helping make this community what it is.

About Adrienne King

Adrienne King is an actor, artist and advocate best known for portraying Alice Hardy in the original Friday the 13th. Through convention appearances, artwork and countless one-on-one conversations with fans, she continues to remind people that surviving is only the beginning. Healing is the chapter that follows.

Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. 

Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.

If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.

You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.

Horror Heals is produced by Mosaic Multimedia LLC.

Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.

Send us Fan Mail

What if the thing that scares us most isn't lurking in the shadows?

Filmmaker Shal Ngo joins Corey and Kendall for a conversation that starts with horror movies and ends somewhere much deeper. They explore why fear can be healing, how horror creates space for empathy, and why understanding the monster might tell us more about ourselves than the monster ever could.

Shal discusses making Control Freak, balancing practical effects with psychological dread, and building stories around anxiety, identity, and the pressure to hold everything together. The conversation wanders through The Shining, The Thing, Midsommar, horror conventions, childhood fears, and the strange comfort of sharing scary stories with strangers.

Along the way, they ask a bigger question: in a world that often feels overwhelming, can horror help us find our humanity instead of losing it?

Plus, Shal reveals his favorite final person in horror, shares an incredible hidden detail about The Thing that many fans have never noticed, and previews the terrifying ideas already taking shape for his next films.

Guest Bio

Shal Ngo is a writer and filmmaker whose work blends psychological storytelling, striking visual style, and deeply human themes. His horror feature Control Freak explores anxiety, identity, and body horror through the story of a woman whose seemingly perfect life begins to unravel. His work pushes genre storytelling into emotionally rich territory, proving that the best horror lingers long after the credits roll.

Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. 

Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.

If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.

You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.

Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.

Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.

Send us Fan Mail

Happy 100th Birthday, Mel Brooks!

To celebrate one of the greatest storytellers of all time, we're opening up the Horror Heals vault and sharing one of Corey's favorite interviews.

Long before Horror Heals, Corey had the chance to spend an hour with the legendary Mel Brooks. While the conversation covers Mel's remarkable career, horror fans know his impact goes far beyond comedy. From the timeless Young Frankenstein to producing David Cronenberg's The Fly through Brooksfilms, Mel helped shape horror history while reminding us that fear and laughter often go hand in hand.

Whether you've loved Mel for decades or you're discovering his work for the first time, we hope you'll enjoy this conversation with a man whose influence spans generations of filmmakers, comedians, and horror fans alike.

Happy 100th, Mel. Thanks for everything.

#MelBrooks #YoungFrankenstein #TheFly #HorrorHeals #HorrorComedy #ClassicHorror #UniversalMonsters #HorrorPodcast #MovieLegends #Brooksfilms

Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. 

Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.

If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.

You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.

Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.

Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.

Send us Fan Mail

Doug Jones has spent four decades bringing some of the most unforgettable characters in film and television to life. From Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy to Hocus Pocus, The Shape of Water, and Star Trek: Discovery, his performances have helped define modern fantasy and horror.

But who is the man beneath the makeup?

This week on Horror Heals, Corey sits down with Doug Jones and filmmaker Derek Maki, executive producer of the upcoming documentary Get Me Doug Jones, which celebrates Doug's remarkable career and the kindness that has made him beloved by fans and fellow actors alike.

Doug shares the origin of the famous "Doug Hug," memories from The Shape of Water, working with Guillermo del Toro, becoming Saru on Star Trek: Discovery, and why conventions remain one of the most rewarding parts of his career. Derek explains why he felt compelled to make a documentary about a performer many consider the Lon Chaney of our time and reveals some of the incredible voices participating in the film.

Along the way, we talk about horror fandom, imposter syndrome, screen-used props, favorite final people, and why sometimes the people behind the monsters are the ones who leave the biggest impression.

You'll also hear about the Kickstarter campaign helping bring Get Me Doug Jones to theaters and some of the amazing rewards available to supporters.

About Doug Jones

Doug Jones is an Emmy-nominated actor whose credits include The Shape of Water, Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Hocus Pocus, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Star Trek: Discovery. Known for his extraordinary physical performances and emotional depth, he has become one of the most respected actors in genre entertainment.

About Derek Maki

Derek Maki is an award-winning actor, director, and producer. His film Instant Dads earned numerous accolades, and he currently serves as executive producer of Get Me Doug Jones, a documentary chronicling the life and career of one of genre cinema's most beloved performers. Derek has worked alongside Doug Jones for nearly two decades, managing convention appearances and helping connect Doug with fans around the world.

Learn more and support the documentary at GetMeDougJones.com, and support the Kickstarter! 

Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. 

Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.

If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.

You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.

Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.

Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.

Send us Fan Mail

What if the hardest people to face aren't the monsters? They're family.

This week on Horror Heals, Kendall sits down with actor, writer, and producer Rae Jones to celebrate Soul Sisters, a Halloween-set horror short that proves family reunions can be every bit as terrifying as the darkest haunted house.

The film follows three estranged sisters who come together hoping to reconnect, exchange gifts, and put the past behind them. Instead, old wounds reopen, trust is tested, and long-buried trauma collides with dark humor and horror in ways that feel both unsettling and surprisingly relatable.

The conversation quickly becomes personal. Kendall shares how his own adoption journey and relationships with half-siblings unexpectedly mirrored some of the emotions at the heart of Soul Sisters, leading to a thoughtful discussion about fractured families, giving people grace, and the stories we inherit from the people who raised us and the people we find later in life.

It's also a celebration of independent horror and the incredible women bringing fresh voices to the genre.

Rae Jones is an actor, writer, and producer passionate about telling character-driven horror stories that blend emotion, humor, and suspense.

She stars alongside Kamaria Williams, actor, filmmaker, and Horror Heals alum whose previous appearance quickly became one of our favorite conversations about representation, creativity, and finding community through horror. Kamaria continues to champion diverse voices both in front of and behind the camera.

Rounding out the trio is Amber Watson, whose performance helps ground the film's emotional core while navigating the complicated dynamics of sisters trying to reconnect after years apart.

Along the way, Kendall and Rae celebrate practical effects, haunted attractions, horror dates, final girls, and why scary movies have a unique ability to help us process grief, trauma, and the complicated relationships that shape who we become.

Because every family has secrets. Some are just a little deadlier than others.

Is horror good for mental wellness?

Of corpse it is.

In this episode:

• The inspiration behind Soul Sisters
• Three sisters, one Halloween, and a reunion gone terribly wrong
• Family trauma, half-siblings, and found family
• Why horror and comedy belong together
• Independent filmmaking and women in horror
• Horror as catharsis, connection, and community
• Why the monsters we fear most sometimes share our last name

Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. 

Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.

If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.

You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.

Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.

Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.

Send us Fan Mail

Let's do the Time Warp.

This week, Corey speaks with filmmaker Linus O'Brien, director of Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror and son of Richard O'Brien, for a conversation that feels like hanging out in the lobby after a midnight screening.

They talk about Tim Curry's impossible-to-replicate charisma, the magic of Frank-N-Furter, growing up around Rocky Horror, and how a movie that was never supposed to become a phenomenon somehow found millions of people who desperately needed it.

For Corey and Kendall, Rocky Horror isn't just a favorite movie. It's part of their story. Their first Halloween together involved weeks of building screen-accurate Eddie and Frank-N-Furter costumes, homemade makeup, a leather jacket sacrificed in the name of authenticity, and a second- and third-place finish at a midnight screening costume contest. More than twenty years later, they still have a Rocky Horror display in their TV room.

Because that's what Rocky does. It stays with you.

Whether you discovered it in a theater, at a convention, through friends who handed you a bag of props, or by sneaking a VHS tape when nobody was looking, Rocky Horror has always been about finding your people and celebrating what makes you different.

And because audience participation is mandatory, there may be a little surprise waiting in this episode that we think the Rocky faithful will appreciate. So grab your fishnets, your toast, your newspapers, and maybe a squirt gun. It's astounding.

Of corpse it is.

Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. 

Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.

If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.

You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.

Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.

Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.

Send us Fan Mail

In part two of our conversation with Spooky Kisses, the discussion shifts from haunted attractions and horror conventions to something even more interesting: the people who make these communities feel like home.

We talk about why horror fans are some of the most loyal and passionate people you'll ever meet, the friendships that form inside haunt casts, and why so many scare actors describe their haunted attraction family as exactly that, a family.

Along the way, we discuss iconic haunts like Pennhurst Asylum, Haunted Overload, Field of Screams, and The Darkness, plus Terrifier, The Ring, horror conventions, creepy wells, grave robbers, chainsaw scares, and the surprising number of nurses and healthcare professionals who spend their free time terrifying strangers.

Spooky Kisses also shares her plans for the future of her show, her dream of bringing celebrities through haunted attractions, and why she believes horror can appeal to far more than just die-hard haunt fans.

Most importantly, we explore one of the themes that keeps coming up on Horror Heals: sometimes the people who feel like outsiders everywhere else find acceptance, belonging, and community through horror.

Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. 

Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.

If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.

You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.

Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.

Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when horror fans sit down and just start talking?

In part one of our conversation with Spooky Kisses, we go everywhere, haunted attractions, horror conventions, scare acting, creepy abandoned places, terrifying childhood memories of secretly watching The Exorcist, and why horror fans always seem to find each other.

We talk about iconic haunts like Pennhurst Asylum, Haunted Overload, and The Darkness, plus Corey’s old journalism days working with haunted attractions in St. Louis.

There’s also a surprising amount of conversation about Terrifier 3, creepy wells from The Ring, grave robbers in Pennsylvania, and one unforgettable family photo with Kane Hodder.

But underneath all the horror nerding out, this episode also gets into something bigger: why horror spaces can feel so welcoming to outsiders, weird kids, healthcare workers, neurodivergent people, and anyone looking for a place to belong.

Because sometimes haunted houses and horror conventions really do become a second family.

Part 2 next week! 

Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. 

Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.

If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.

You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.

Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.

Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when the internet stops feeling like entertainment and starts feeling like a nightmare?

On this episode of Horror Heals, Corey and Kendall talk with filmmaker Zack Ogle about his unsettling indie horror film It Needs Eyes, a story about isolation, disturbing online imagery, unreliable reality, and the strange emotional pull of internet rabbit holes.

Zack discusses how growing up online shaped the film, from creepy internet lore and disturbing viral videos to the way social media and AI are changing how we process fear, truth, and human connection. The conversation also explores horror as emotional release, the psychology of ambiguous endings, found footage influences, and why horror audiences often seek out stories that make them deeply uncomfortable.

Corey and Kendall also talk with Zack about taking the film on a grassroots national theater tour instead of relying on the traditional festival-to-streaming path, creating a more personal connection between filmmakers and horror fans across the country.

If you’ve ever gone down a late-night internet rabbit hole, watched something you immediately regretted, or found comfort in horror’s ability to externalize anxiety, this episode will probably hit close to home.

It Needs Eyes is currently touring theaters nationwide.

Horror Heals asks: Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is. 

Zack Ogle Bio

Zack Ogle is an indie filmmaker, writer, and director whose work blends psychological horror, surreal imagery, and internet-age anxiety into deeply unsettling cinematic experiences. He is the co-creator and director of It Needs Eyes, an award-winning horror thriller that premiered on the festival circuit before launching a grassroots national theater tour.

Inspired by internet folklore, found footage horror, online subcultures, and the emotional realities of growing up chronically online, Zack’s filmmaking explores fear, identity, obsession, and the blurry line between reality and perception. His work often combines experimental visuals, dream logic, and emotionally grounded characters to create horror that feels both intimate and deeply unnerving.

In addition to directing, Zack is passionate about independent film distribution and building direct connections with horror audiences through live screenings, Q&As, and community-driven events. 

Thank you for listening to Horror Heals. 

Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.

If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.

You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.

Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.

Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.