Episodes

Buddymoon proves to be one of the best buddy films put to screen. We were thoroughly entertained as jilted at the alter David is guided on a heart-healing honeymoon by his best friend Flula. This film has plenty to offer in both lessons and aspirations. Excellent cinematography, sound, direction, pacing, and performances. After a few let-downs, Buddymoon was a welcome and fun ride. We have a lot of good to say in this episode. Buddymoon can be found on Tubi.

The trailer for Broadcast Signal Intrusion had us hooked. However, the film as a whole failed to deliver. The movie serves as a reminder that the foundations of storytelling are more important than the idea for a film. Broadcast Signal Intrusion is a convoluted, slow-moving, and at times annoying slog through a concept based on an actual event that took place in the late 80’s. There were some good points on the technical side, as well as some aspects that came across as lazy. Broadcast Signal I...

Hypochondriac was a mixed bag, mostly in favor of the good. This dive into the nightmare that those with mental illness deal with in trying to get recognized and treated does an excellent job in hitting at the societal stigmas and judgements that keep sufferers from revealing their troubles. We go long in talking about the importance of bringing the struggles of mental illness higher into the consciousness of everyone. This episode had some sound issues due to an electrical issue that was not di...

Birdemic: Shock and Terror is supposed to be a message of environmentalism, but like the shock and terror in the title it misses out on all three. James Nguyen lost his message in an almost violently slow film that tests the limits of boredom. While there are kudos for making the film he wanted, the only lessons here are what not to do. More importantly, we stick hard on the tenet of knowing the structure of a story, particularly the importance of having a plot. Birdemic: Shock and Terror can b...

The indie film All We Had gives us the directorial debut of Katie Holmes. A story about a woman fighting poverty while raising her teenage daughter, in the hope of giving her daughter a better life. Solid cinema work, great directorial debut for Katie Holmes, this adaptation suffers from the original author, and adaptation writers, not having actually lived this kind of life. The beats are there, but the connecting webs between are missing. All We Had can be found on Tubi.

We dive into the David Ryan Keith film I Am Rage. David’s first action-horror delivers as we follow Erin, a woman with a terrible past, as she gets caught up in a centuries’ old family business that is definitely hazardous to her health. I Am Rage is a departure from David’s previous films, i.e Redwood Massacre, Attack of the Herbals, Ghosts of Darkness, and for a first run it is brilliant. We talk cinematography, writing, action, direction, pacing and more. I Am Rage can be found on Tubi.

We are back! And we are diving into Love Song of William H Shaw. The third film in the FrenZee series, following Finding FrenZee and Revenge of Zoe, we rejoin our favorite characters John, Pete, and Billy. This time around John and Pete are at odds, and Billy Shaw needs to figure out how to mend the rift. Pure Indie film is what you will find here. We have a lot of good things to say, and important lessons for creatives of all levels. Jump in for this fairly spoiler-free coverage. Love Song for...

We do love a thriller, but it has to thrill. Unfortunately The Invitation does not provide any thrills. Good direction by Karyn Kusama, good cinematography, decent performances, but things fall apart with the writing. We do pick out some good lessons from this one, but once again one of those lessons is a Do Not Do. Poor writing had the film basically figured out in the first ten minutes. Also, suspension of disbelief is stretched to the limit. You can see that money was well spent on the techni...

Someone reached out, and we watched their film. The Rogue Barrens is a no-budget, short feature that delivers. Exemplifying everything about Indie film - economy of locations, making the best of available equipment, simple story, and a low-overhead of effects. One big boost is a professionally scored soundtrack. These young filmmakers are the primary reason we started this podcast, which is to inspire newcomers, beginners, and everyone else. It’s fitting that their film should inspire others in ...

Sometimes a movie hits some deep personal beats. The film Evergreen does just that, and a lot more. This excellent indie film has some rock-solid lessons on direction, writing, pacing, and more. Fantastic performances and clear, crisp storytelling brings you in to the very personal journey of a young woman’s learning experience about life and family. A must watch for technical lessons as well as solid entertainment. Evergreen can be found on Tubi.

We swing into Almost Adults, a great film about best friends evolving into being full-on grown-ups. There is a lot of great stuff here, thematically and technically. Performances are wonderful and the movie is well written. It brings you in for the ride with familiarity and perhaps nostalgia. An out of the park hit, it’s something everyone should watch not just for the technical lessons but also for a solid theme. Almost Adults can be found on Tubi.

We give tribute to the great Danny Trejo, an actor that we simply adore and who deserves a tribute for more reasons than just being in movies. We have friend Miles Trout from the Discdump Podcast joining us to pay homage to a man who is not only a spectacular example of taking control of the second act of your life, but also just a damn good guy. His movies are fantastic, making him an Indie and B movie megastar. Join us as we talk about Trejo’s films, life, and just have fun. Miles’ Links: Disc...

Deciding it was time for a horror film, we jumped in to Doctor Carver. Disappointment comes in all forms, and this film managed to pretty much deliver on all of them. We knew what we were getting into, as director Louisa Warren brought us Leprechaun Games which was just terrible. Filled with inconsistent editing, mind-numbing repetition of the moral message in the plot, lazy effects, and a ham, the lessons here are what not to do when making a film. Lots of those lessons within. Doctor Carver ca...

This week we dive into Blush. There are some differing opinions on the film’s theme, but the long and short of it is that this is unfortunately an ambitious effort that did not cross the finish line. Lessons gleaned from this movie are more what not to do than what to do. The most important lesson is no movie should have more than half a dozen storylines in it. Great actors with an unfortunate script and buck wild editing. Blush can be found on Tubi.

Not only is The Party’s Just Beginning, written and directed by Karen Gillan, is a must see on all levels. The main character copes with the suicide of her best friend, and never before has the reality and raw truth of such situations been put to screen. Masterfully written and directed, with top-level performances all throughout, this movie has not just lessons for filmmakers but also for human beings in general. We get into a raw conversation about the film’s topic, and hopefully when you watc...

We dive into Sensitivity Training, a light-hearted comedy that has some serious lessons in writing, directing, acting, overall production value. A callous woman is forced into sensitivity training sessions in order to keep her job. While some of the pitfalls are obvious, as with any similar comedy piece, the story behind her and her training coach makes for some brilliant after-film discussion. Sensitivity Training can be found on Tubi.

This week it’s another film that launched some great conversation. Runoff takes us deep into the quandary of the American farmer. Female lead Joanne Kelly runs us through some very tough moral dilemmas facing the truth of what our farmers are facing. Director and writer Kimberly Levin gives us another fantastic stew of lessons on storytelling, cinematography, and direction. This is a ‘story that needs to be told’ type of movie. Runoff can be found on Tubi.

Take This Waltz is a fantastic character-driven film. Directed and written by Sarah Polley and starring Michelle Williams, Seth Rogan, Sarah Silverman, Luke Kirby. It provoked some really terrific conversation between us, which is a really good thing. The reveal of each character’s story was artfully done. There are a lot of great lessons in this movie for everyone, from behind the scenes to being in front of the camera. It’s funny, thought-provoking, and one of the top films we’ve seen. Sarah P...

For the third time friend Hilton Ariel Ruiz is on the show. We talk about the ramping up of production for Zombie With A Shotgun 2. We chat about indie filmmaking post-COVID, how it has affected all levels from actors to writers to directors. Every level of production has been touched. Hilton is a busy man who won’t let anything slow him down. We talk about keeping up your drive, how we miss movies from the “old days,” and share a bond over Frankenhooker. A lot of things in here to gain inspirat...

A long-time favorite of Jim’s, Frankenhooker is the Citizen Kane of the Tromaverse. Straight from 1990 this comedy, billed as a horror comedy, exemplifies everything that the 80’s stood for in b-movies. Hardly a horror, Frankenhooker brings two unusual takes on main characters. One monologues more than 80% of the way through, and the female lead is absent for about the same period. Intentional or not, the movie brings an interesting slant towards female leads. There’s a reason it’s a cult classi...

This episode is the first time we’ve had to bail on a film. Fountaine and the Vengeful Nun Who Wouldn’t Die unfortunately crossed our tolerance line and we had to stop about thirty minutes in. We discuss that at length in this episode as well as why we’re sticking to our guns about violence towards women in film. We’re not saying the movie is terrible, and some people may not have the same line we have drawn, so it could be a good watch if that’s the case. But, we do have our line and we will no...

We talk with the wonderful Jennifer Hill, who played the mythical Beowulf in the great indie movie Bae Wolf. An excellent conversation about trials and rewards of acting. Jennifer gives some point-blank examples of how even dreams and passions need to take a backseat to life, but you can always pick it back up. Join us for this great conversation with a very grounded and passionate actor. Bae Wolf can be found on Tubi.

It’s the second half of our talk with the cast and crew of Bae Wolf. Amazing talents of David Axe, Stephan Jensen, Brendan Thompson, Morgan Shaley Renew, and Cleve Langdale. Part two of a two-parter, this bit covers some of the woes of indie filmmaking. Actors having to drop out, last-minute replacements, location headaches, but most importantly professionalism and the art of getting it all done. Have a seat and give a listen to these amazing talents. Bae Wolf can be found on Tubi.

We talk with the cast and crew of Bae Wolf. Amazing talents of David Axe, Stephan Jensen, Brendan Thompson, Morgan Shaley Renew, and Cleve Langdale. Part one of a two-parter, this bit covers some of the woes of indie filmmaking. Actors having to drop out, last-minute replacements, location headaches, but most importantly professionalism and the art of getting it all done. Have a seat and give a listen to these amazing talents. Bae Wolf can be found on Tubi.