Episodes

This is a first for the show. We found This World Won’t Break and thought its story of artistic struggle would reach all creatives. We could not finish this movie. We made it thirty minutes in and had to call it quits. This episode deals with Slow Burn movies and we talk about some that either started with a slow burn or held the slow burn pace all of the way through, and why those worked. We are not saying this movie is bad, it just did not present anything interesting enough to keep sitting th...

We dive into The Station Agent. This 2003 piece of brilliance stars Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale, and is directed by Tom McCarthy. McCarthy’s first foray into directing shows the born talent of this filmmaker. A human story about three very different people going through some rough moments in life who come together, fall apart, and come together again. One of our all-time favorites, this film has powerful lessons in writing, dialogue, humanizing characters, direction, actin...

David Hyde Pierce gives us a dinner party like no other. This movie, with a brilliantly misleading trailer, gives surprises, humor, and a lot of WTF moments. Dive into this weird as hell dinner party with us as we talk about masterful editing, subtle comedic performances, and how fun this flick is. There are a lot of hat-tips to older films. This is a film you will want to watch twice just to be sure you caught everything. David Hyde Pierce’s physical comedy moves this over the edge. The Perfect...

Who doesn’t love crazy clowns that kill? Terrifier gives us the return of Art the Clown, a silent but thoroughly enjoyable psychopath. Terrifier breaks conventions with some surprising moves, all of which elevate this film into the upper hierarchy of horror. Only in an Indie film will you find such bold moves to balk at standard horror beats. Super simple story pillars set the scene for a massive rebuilding of conventional foundations for horror stories. This movie is as fun as it is brutally go...

After a lot of packing and unpacking, Kyle Hester returns to the show to talk about his projects, pandemic, state of indie film, and future YouTube projects. Listen and catch up on the status of Preacher 6, Zombie with a Shotgun 2, and future plans for The Coop. We are very lucky to know so many positive, energetic people in indie film and Kyle is no exception. If you are in indie film, this is a must listen. Check Kyles links on link treelinktr.ee/KyleHesterwww.preachersix.com See Kyle in:The B...

Released in 2016, 2018 in the US, this UK version of The Lighthouse is spectacularly subtle and soul-wrenching. Sticking to old-school storytelling, combined with brilliant acting, direction, and technical precision, we are thrust into the hellish 1801 storm that spawned this tale. The performances are fantastic, made razor-sharp by the clever pacing of the story. This film is a splendid example of using the tried and true aspects of filmmaking and story crafting to produce an engaging and subve...

We talk once again with Hilton Ariel Ruiz. Creator of Zombie with a Shotgun, Klanz Rules, director of several excellent documentaries, this man is an unbridled force in indie film. We talk about how this past year has affected him, his Patreon page to get the sequel to Zombie with a Shotgun into production, and nerd out over cameras and, yes folks, Frankenhooker. That’s a real movie people, trust us. Very inspirational talk with a very inspirational man. Check the links below to see Hilton’s wor...

Returning to the show are Pete Marcy, Joe Marcy, Chris Marcy, and Adam Anderson of Failureboys Productions. We talk about the re-release of Firefly and some excellent behind the scenes stories. Talented filmmakers and just great guys in general, we have a lot of fun talking filmmaking, festivals, and more. Come listen to these wonderful guests get gritty on how indie film can be taxing on the spirit. Catch Firefly and Attack of the Tattie Bogle on Amazon Video.

We dive into the UK film Eat Locals. Jam packed with big names, this vampire horror/comedy delivers on a great many levels. We had a lot of fun watching it the first time, and just as much fun watching it for the episode. A fairly low budget is maximized with a large single location, vampire effects that are done when needed and not overplayed, and a take on vampires that is fresh but familiar. We talk about the benefits of having a group of actors who have a long history of working together, an...

It’s a new release of an older film. Firefly hails from 2005, from our friends at Failureboys Productions. This version has been remastered in 5.1 surround, and it’s fantastic. This is a solid wrap-around plot that comes together magnificently towards the end. There are a lot of layers here, and a lot of character building. When it was over we both felt good for having watched it. Pete Marcy shows that early on he had a solid style and grasp on storytelling. Direction in this movie is just one g...

It’s been a long time on the list, but we finally get to The Toxic Avenger. A foundation cult-classic with a loyal following, this movie birthed the Tromaverse. A solid B-movie, there are great lessons on simplified story, creating a unique hook, and some examples of what was acceptable in film 30 years ago that would not work well today. With differing opinions on its merits, we have a great conversation with some interesting tangents. The Toxic Avenger can be found on YouTube.

It’s another random find in the sea of films, but a well-liked find. It’s Absentia, a film written and directed by Mike Flanagan, who you may know as the director of Doctor Sleep. There are a lot of great things in here we talk about. A straight-up horror, it is a little before its time. We have loudly exclaimed our disdain for jump-scare reliant films, but this 2011 movie takes jump-scares in a different direction. There are some story issues, which we cover, but overall this is a great set of ...

Another long-time on the list favorite, Rubber proves that the most ridiculous, obscure hook can work and work well. Years ago we thought this would be a laughable junk film for bad-movie-night, but we were wrong. This movie is fun, beautifully shot, excellent practical effects, and a masterclass of lessons for everyone. We have a lot of fun talking about this film and its lessons. It’s a killer tire, people. Listen to this episode. Watch this movie. Now. Rubber can be found on Tubi.

We have for the first time a script doctor on the show. Terry McFadden is a long-working script doctor who has worked as a script analyst for production companies and studios since 1998. A genuinely wonderful man, Terry talks about the important aspects of scripts for features and television, what he looks for, and has some great advice on where stories commonly fall short in script form. We loved listening to him and look forward to a future chat. This is a must for all writers. Terry’s links a...

A Norwegian film that has long been on our list, Trollhunter is a great movie with surprising special effects. The recent release of the English dubbed version made it possible to watch and review for the show. Troll lore is taken to a new height, and the lessons of simple story mixed with little-used folklore make for some great lessons. We even get into some local folklore, though it’s not about trolls. Trollhunter English dubbed version can be found on Tubi. The original Trollhunter can be fo...

How can you pass up something called Bunnyman Grindhouse Edition? We couldn’t. A re-release of Bunnyman, this indie horror has had a Grindhouse treatment. The original Bunnyman looked to be a fun ride, but the re-edit of it to make this version transitioned from fun to perplexing, then to distracting. The core story is still a fun backwoods killer romp, and there are some lessons we each point out. Not the least of which is if you have characters in a terrible situation, have them actually do so...

Folks! This is a wonderful, jam-packed episode. We have Eric Schumacher, Nathan Campbell, Bradford Trojan, Marty Ketola, Clif Campbell, and Geoff Notkin, all from Revenge of Zoe! This was such an amazing talk, with some truly wonderful and fantastic people. We laugh, we cry, we pray for Nathan as his connection warbles. Join us for this odyssey into creative brilliance, nerd-dom, and some solid lessons for creatives. Also make sure you check the links below to see what these giants of indie film...

Revenge of Zoe is a micro-budget film from 2018 that is a must see. A self-proclaimed “Nerd Comedy” that pays tribute to the 80s nerd films, this movie takes us on a fun ride through the lives of two comic store owners, an alcohol and drug addled writer, and imaginary or hallucinatory friends as they navigate the ominous task of writing a sequel to a successful comic adaptation. This movie proves you don’t need big budgets to make a fun, relatable film. Great performances, not the last of which ...

With Dani not fully recovered, Jim speaks with director/producer Michael Matteo Rossi, who’s film Chase we covered last week. Jim and Michael talk about the movie, the pandemic, the importance of using social media a platform for encouragement, and so much more. Listen to this fantastic talk with a truly wonderful man, and be sure to check the links below. Links to Michael’s presence and films: facebook.com/michaelmatteorossi instagram.com/michaelmatteorossi twitter.com/michaelmatteoro https://w...

Chase was brought to our attention by its director, Michael Matteo Rossi. We’re glad for it. Starring Damien Puckler, yes indeed, we follow a hit man who is torn between two lives. A low-budget indie film, Chase brings some excellent emotional struggle as well as great overall lessons on filmmaking. Rossi shot this in just 18 days, commendable if not amazing. Chase can be found on Amazon Video.

Our daughter Lily sits in for Dani, who is out sick, to talk about Space Captain: Captain of Space. This sci-fi comedy is a wonderful salute to the throwback serials of the 1930’s, like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. It doesn’t stop there, the connections and spoofs span decades of sci-fi schlock movies as well. Starting out as a multi-media play, and later turned into a feature, this movie is fun for everyone. Solid performances, loads of puns and one-liners, it excels in lessons of making the m...

One of Jim’s all-time favorites, Lost in Translation. Filmmaker Sophia Coppola blows the lid off of traditional filmmaking with this brilliant movie. Beautifully shot and paced this movie brings attention to lessons of tone, characters, and the art of drawing in the audience to share in the emotional state of the story, and the power and art of editing. Another must see film that is coming up on 20 years old. Lost in Translation can be found on Amazon Video and iTunes.

We all know it, and we finally made it down the list to Chopping Mall. This standard 80’s horror film has some mixed lessons, to-do’s and not-to-do’s. We have rampant Casio music, character naming issues, but it’s all forgiven for exploding heads and some wicked remote control robots that just tear it up. Also, this is one of the finest accidental documentaries on mall life in the 80’s. Yeah, that’s right. Chopping Mall can be found on Amazon Video.

This movie is ridiculous in a fantastic way. Zombeavers gives us an old-fashioned animals gone wild situation mixed with our favorite genre; Zombies. There is no mistaking that this is a campy film, riddled with bad puns, obnoxious characters, stuffed beaver zombies, and it does it all gloriously. Another technically sound film, Zombeavers brings it and delivers with fun. Excellent lessons on effects budget placement, and leaning in to the goofiness of the story for maximum results and enjoyment...