I'm Kristin. Welcome to Dark Academy Podcast, where the line between reality and the unknown blurs. Join me and our fellow academy inductees as we delve into the eerie, the unexplained, and the sinister, unraveling true crime, paranormal hauntings, cryptid lore, alien mysteries, and more. Step into the Midnight Library for horror movie reviews, related cases, and the Final Fright segment where bizarre deaths, unsettling phobias, and more exist. Descend into The Forbidden Archives, where conspiracy theories take root. There are forgotten spaces and academy lore yet to be discovered.
Welcome to the Dark Academy Summer Drive-In.
Tonight’s feature is The Lost Boys. A movie filled with neon lights, motorcycles, leather jackets, and vampires
But Santa Carla isn’t entirely fictional.
The real Santa Cruz, California, has a darker history of its own. Once called the “Murder Capital of the World,” the city was home to notorious killers including Edmund Kemper, Herbert Mullin, and John Linley Frazier.
Then we’ll step back into the movie and visit the real places where The Lost Boys was filmed, from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to the abandoned location used for Grandpa’s house. We’ll look at what locations survived the devastating 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
Our Final Fright takes us all over the Santa Cruz area to explore the myths and legends that round out the dark atmosphere of this California town: the Mystery Spot, haunted Brookdale Lodge, the mysterious Respini Mansion, the Lady in White, and the creepy lore surrounding the tunnels beneath the boardwalk.
1 Jul 2026
17 I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Hookman Urban Legend
A deadly hit-and-run. A fisherman with a hook. A killer who refuses to let the past stay buried.
Tonight at Dark Academy, we’re celebrating the Fourth of July with a ‘90s horror classic: I Know What You Did Last Summer. We revisit the coastal slasher that helped define a generation, discuss what still works, what makes us yell at the screen, and why the Hookman remains one of horror’s most recognizable killers.
Then we examine the heartbreaking true story of Tony Parsons, a charity cyclist whose fatal hit-and-run led to a cold blooded cover-up.
Next, we head to Virginia to untangle the still-mysterious Colonial Parkway Murders. Recent DNA evidence identified fisherman Alan Wade Wilmer as the killer in several cases, but lingering questions and unsolved murders continue to fuel speculation that another predator may still be part of the story.
Finally, we gather around the campfire for our Final Fright and trace the evolution of The Hookman urban legend. From 1940s Lovers’ Lane warnings to campfire tales, Hollywood slashers, and the age of AI, why has this story survived for nearly 80 years?
So grab a flashlight, stay with your friends, and whatever you do…
Don’t stop on a lonely road.
3 Jun 2026
16: The Exorcist
In this episode of Dark Academy, we gather in the Midnight Library to discuss all things Exorcist. The whole show is the Exorcist.
Join me as we journey from the ancient ruins of Iraq and the legend of the Mesopotamian demon Pazuzu to the streets of Georgetown, where a young girl’s possession would forever change the horror genre.
But the story doesn't end there.
The movie was based on real events. A real demon possession? You may ask. Yes! Or so they say. We’ll explore the claims, the exorcisms, the skeptical explanations, and the events that blurred the line between faith, fear, folklore, and reality.
Then step into the resulting American fear of the occult, demon possession, ouija boards and the rise of the Satanic Panic
Finally, we'll close with the strange and unsettling stories surrounding the production of The Exorcist itself. From mysterious fires and on-set injuries to deaths connected to the cast and crew, many came to believe the film was cursed long before audiences ever sat down to watch it.
Was Roland Doe truly possessed?
Did The Exorcist unleash a new era of fear?
And was the production really cursed?
Grab your candle and join me in the Midnight Library circle as we explore one of the darkest stories in horror history.
Topics include: The Exorcist, Roland Doe, Ronald Hunkeler, exorcisms, Pazuzu, demonology, Catholic exorcism rituals, Satanic Panic, paranormal folklore, horror history, and alleged curses.
3 May 2026
15 The Village, Folk Magic, and Flat Earth
Step into the woods… actually, don’t.
In this episode of Dark Academy, we gather in the Midnight Library to explore The Village, a film where fear isn’t just a feeling… it’s a system. A system designed to protect. To control. To keep people safe…
From “Those We Do Not Speak Of” to the quiet authority of those who claim to know what’s best, The Village forces us to ask a chilling question:
Can we trust the people who decide what we’re allowed to know?
We start with the film itself—its tension, its love story, its carefully constructed fear, and unravel the deeper horror beneath it: not monsters in the woods, but the stories we’re told to keep us in line.
Then we step beyond the screen.
Into the lies we tell children to keep them safe.
Into folklore and superstition designed to control behavior.
Into real-world beliefs that blurred the line between protection… and harm.
From childhood warnings to cultural traditions, and even true crime rooted in fear and belief, this episode explores how easily we accept what we’re told, especially when it feels like it’s for our own good.
Because sometimes the scariest thing isn’t the unknown…
…it’s trusting the wrong voice in the dark.
So the question is:
Would you rather know the truth…
or feel safe believing the lie?
Welcome back to Dark Academy.
Grab your candle.
18 Mar 2026
14 Bigfoot: What Does it Take to Believe?
Something is knocking in the woods.
In this episode of Dark Academy, we step beyond the firelight and into one of the most enduring mysteries in modern folklore, Bigfoot.
From the forests of Bluff Creek to whispered encounters deep in the wilderness, sightings of a massive, human-like creature have been reported for decades. Footprints appear overnight. Strange sounds echo through the trees. And those who claim to have seen it are left with more questions than answers.
But Bigfoot isn’t just a creature… it’s a test of belief.
Why do so many people accept something that has never been proven? What does it actually take for us to believe the unbelievable?
Tonight, we explore eyewitness accounts, famous evidence, psychological patterns of belief, and the theories that keep this legend alive—from scientific explanations to the truly unexplainable.
So grab a blanket, get close to the fire…
and listen carefully.
Because something might be listening too.
3 Feb 2026
13 Friday the 13th
Come join me by the fireplace.
In this episode, we return to Camp Crystal Lake, right in the middle of winter, to revisit Friday the 13th and unravel why this date still gives us chills.
We start with a nostalgic slasher classic: summer camp counselors, bad decisions, and a mother’s revenge. We'll dig into why this simple film still works—and why campfire stories are so popular.
From there, we step off the screen and into the fear itself.
Why does Friday the 13th feel cursed? Is it myth, history, coincidence, or something darker? We explore the origins of the superstition, from Norse mythology and biblical symbolism to the Knights Templar and the psychology behind paraskevidekatriaphobia. We examine real-world crimes associated with the date, including the haunting murder of Kitty Genovese and the ripple effects that helped create 911. We even look at disasters, defiance of superstition, and the people who dared to mock bad luck itself.
We close out with a Final Fright rooted in summer camp folklore. Ghosts in the woods, phantom cabins, porcelain dolls (absolutely not), and the real-life tragedy that may have inspired one of horror’s most iconic stories.
Is Friday the 13th truly cursed…
or do we just keep giving it reasons to be?
9 Dec 2025
12 Black Christmas and a Vampire named Wayne
Join Kristin in the Dark Academy Library as we unwrap the chilling legacy of Black Christmas. The cult classic that gave us our first final girl and killer POV just in time for the holidays. After we explore the urban legends and true crime story that influenced the movie, we'll go to another snowy location where a killer known as the Vampire Rapist prowled. Also, Christmas is the most wonderful time of year, but not for everyone. We'll discuss the fear some have in our final freight. So grab your blankets, and join me by the fire for some dark and chilling tales.
Chapters
0:00 Intro Story
4:35 Warning
5:15 Welcome
5:50 Black Christmas
8:00 Origin Story
11:01 Vampire Rapist
18:43 Final Freight - The Fear of Christmas
20:17 Farewells
28 Oct 2025
11 Origins of Halloween: Tales from the Dark Academy Clearing
Join Kristin at the Dark Academy clearing for a chilling journey through the origins of Halloween. From ancient Celtic rituals and headless horsemen to Victorian love charms and modern mischief, explore the eerie, fascinating, and sometimes deadly traditions that shaped our favorite spooky holiday. Along the way, encounter folklore, haunted histories, and strange customs that reveal how Halloween evolved into the celebration we know today. Gather ‘round the fire, grab a marshmallow, and beware… by listening, you are now an Inductee of Dark Academy.
23 Sept 2025
10 Edmond Kemper and the ISSI
Welcome to the West Wing inside Dark Academy, where tonight’s exploration takes us into the drawers of the Inanimate Souls Surveillance Initiative. Within these files, we study the Co-Ed Killer, Edmund Kemper, a man towering in stature and in horror. Was he a brilliant but broken mind seeking redemption, or simply a vessel for something darker that moved him to violence? The ISSI sought answers but found only shadows. Now it is our turn to open the file and see what looks back.
23 Sept 2025
9 Dark Academy Lore: How We Got Here (Special Episode)
Not all invitations arrive by mail. Some find you in the margins of a forgotten book, tucked inside an antique store and mysteries in whispered folklore.
In this special lore episode, I finally share how I found the Dark Academy, or how it found me? From the haunted legend of a local witch in Northeast Florida to the discovery of a mysterious note leading to a location no map dare mark.
Join me as I follow the trail that led through the portal and into the mountains surrounding the Academy’s long-abandoned halls. This is the beginning, not of its story, but of ours. I wasn’t just invited. I was summoned. WE were summoned.
23 Sept 2025
8 Before You Say I Do: Ghost Brides and Bizarre Wedding Rituals
Welcome to the Chapel of Shadows at Dark Academy. Tonight, we gather beneath the shadowed arches to honor my dear friend and former podcast cohost, Rebecca, on the eve of her wedding. But before she may pledge her vows to the world, the Academy demands a secret ceremony to avoid a fate darker than death itself.
Join me as we unearth chilling wedding lore — from jilted brides seeking revenge, to haunted bridal chambers, to corpse brides doomed to walk eternity alone. True crime tales of love turned lethal will serve as grim reminders of what happens when warnings go unheeded. And at the heart of it all, a spectral bride lingers... whispering to any Inductee brave enough to say "I do" without the Academy’s blessing.
Time is running out. Choose wisely... or be bound forever.
22 Sept 2025
7 The Descent, Moon-Eyed People, Feral Men, Haunted Caves, and Anjekuni Lake
Welcome to the Midnight Library inside Dark Academy, where tonight’s we’re descending into the shadowy caves where creatures linger, spirits stir, and explorers never return the same, if at all.
From haunted tunnels and restless souls to a chilling disappearance in the Arctic wilds of Northern Canada.
Join me in the Library as we discuss The Descent, cave creatures, feral men, Floyd Collins, haunts of Mammoth Cave, Anjikuni Lake, and more
22 Sept 2025
6 Hollow Earth Conspiracy
Welcome to the Forbidden Archives inside Dark Academy, where tonight’s we’re exploring the whispered legends of vast hidden worlds beneath our feet, lost civilizations, subterranean cities, and ancient beings that watch from the shadows. Could there be truth to the Hollow Earth Theory? In this episode, we open THE FORBIDDEN ARCHIVES to explore historical accounts, alleged government cover-ups, and eerie journal entries that hint at something lurking below. From Admiral Byrd’s mysterious expedition to the Nazi obsession with Agartha, we follow the trails of those who dared to seek the truth and uncover the chilling reasons why their discoveries may have been buried.
Join me as we descend into the unknown. But be warned… some doors, once opened, can never be closed.
22 Sept 2025
5 Salem’s Lot, Bobby Desmond, Dudleytown, and the Casquette Girls
Welcome to the Midnight Library inside Dark Academy, where tonight’s we’re reviewing Salem’s Lot. What started as a Stephen King novel in the 70s, ended in a movie that split viewers in 2024. A movie that influenced our other topics that surround small towns consumed by something ancient and hungry. We follow the case of Bobby Desmond, a young boy who vanished without a trace in Maine. We step into Dudleytown, a so-called cursed village in Connecticut where silence is said to cling like a disease. And finally, we journey to New Orleans to face the mystery of the Casquette Girls, brides with secrets sharp as teeth, tied to the shadowed halls of the Ursuline Convent. Some stories stay buried, but others… they find their way back home with you.
Chapters
00:00 Opening story
01:52 Warning
02:41.70 Announcements
04:41 Welcome Midnight Library Circle
05:41 Salem’s Lot Review
10:17 Missing Children
11:10 Robert “Bobby” Desmond
15:27 Abandoned Towns
16:11 Dudleytown Intro
17:19 Warning
17:52 Dudleytown
24:38 Final Fright
31:04 Closing Announcements and Farewell
22 Sept 2025
4 Annabelle, Letta, and Mandy – Haunted Dolls
Welcome to the Midnight Library inside Dark Academy, where tonight’s shadows gather around dolls that refuse to stay silent. Annabelle, locked away under priestly guard (until she went on tour like she’s Taylor Swift), Letta, Australia’s “Letta Me Out” doll whose presence makes even skeptics uneasy, and Mandy, Canada’s giggling child trapped in porcelain and fabric. These aren’t toys; they are vessels, conduits for something watching from the other side. Keep your distance. More than just their eyes follow you. Sometimes they follow you home.
21 Sept 2025
3 The Ritual - When Belief Becomes Bloodshed
Welcome to the Midnight Library inside Dark Academy, where tonight’s film is a story of friendship, grief, and the horror that waits in ancient forests. The Ritual is unsettling fiction, but reality can offer its own disturbing echo.
In this episode, we step beyond the screen to uncover true cases of ritualistic murders. From killings rooted in cult belief to crimes carried out in the name of sacrifice, these stories blur the line between devotion and depravity.
Settle into your seat as we navigate the darkness where faith, fear, and violence collide. These tales are best left buried, yet demand to be told.
21 Sept 2025
2 La Llorona/Mothers Who Murder
Welcome to the Midnight Library inside Dark Academy, where tonight’s horror review is rooted in one of the most haunting and well known legend in Latin American folklore: La Llorona The Weeping Woman is doomed to wander riversides searching for her lost children. Her story has terrified generations, but it also raises darker, real-world parallels.
In this episode, we explore not only the myth but also true stories of mothers throughout history who murdered their own children. From folklore to fact, these tales reveal how grief, rage, or pure evil can twist motherhood into something monstrous.
Settle into your seat as we uncover stories best left in the shadows yet impossible to ignore.
21 Sept 2025
1 Scream Franchise/Cassie Jo Stoddart and other copycats
Welcome to the Midnight Library inside Dark Academy, where tonight’s horror review is the franchise that gave us Ghostface. It all started in 1996 with the first Scream. The movie that gave us “the rules”. The rules to survive a horror movie… and life?
But some fans related less to the protagonist and idolized the murderers. In 2006, 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart was murdered by classmates who claimed they were making their own “real-life horror movie.” We’ll cover her story and other cases where killers blamed horror films for their crimes. Some that even lead to an outcry for the film to be banned in the whole country of France.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
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