Episodes

Another Cult Classic, the 1978 Piranha. It can be fun under the right circumstances, but the lessons from this film are based on its failure to follow them. Characters need to be interesting. The A, B, C stories need to line up. Dialogue has to serve a purpose, even on a rudimentary level. Piranha has none of this, so you can see firsthand what a movie that lacks all of the basics looks like. Still, it’s a good background film or a time burner. Surprising, with names like Joe Dante and Roger Cor...

Another random find, and a fun/funny one at that. Save Yourselves is a great indie film that places a ‘modern’ couple, who spend their time buried in their phones and laptops, in an end-of-world scenario. An indictment of modern social media lifestyle and screen dependency, this humorous survival against aliens story has the most fantastic lessons of character development we have seen in some time. Save Yourselves can be found on Hulu.

We talk with Alisdair Cook, who wrote the book that one of the main characters from Redwood Massacre: Annihilation wrote. Sounds strange, but it’s wonderful. This is a fantastic example of taking something from a film and giving it its own life. We talk about writing the book and some juicy bits of upcoming projects in the Redwood Massacre universe. Alisdair’s book, Redwood Massacre: The Untold Story, can be found on Amazon. And while you’re at it, check our episodes on Redwood Massacre, Redwood...

It was fun then, and it’s still fun now. The 1988 Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a cult classic. For good reason. This horror-comedy brings clowns to the screen in a hilariously unique fashion. Pure B-movie fun this movie has some fantastic lessons on bringing the ridiculous to life. You won’t find Oscar performances here, or an award winning story, but you will find some of the best practical effects from 1988. And, Little Klown. Little Klown don’t f$%! around. Killer Klowns from Outer Space...

It’s not an interview, it’s a great discussion between four cinephiles. Join us as we talk with two fantastic women, Julia Marchese and Teri Gamble. Co-hosts of The Horror Movie Survival Guide, actors, movie lovers, and Julia directed the incredible documentary Out of Print. What makes all of this writing, directing, producing, filmmaking in general, is the love of film by people. In this episode, we have just that. Check out Julia’s stuff here:linktr.ee/juliacmarchese Check out Teri’s stuff her...

We found this excellent gem from 2010 and had to talk about it. Uncle Brian, written and directed by Nick McAnulty, is a gritty look at real life with a cornucopia of messed up people. The writing, direction, and acting have magnificent lessons for all. This is the kind of film Hollywood would not have the balls to do, but Nick did. Uncle Brian can be found on Amazon Video.

We visit Mystery Alaska, one of only two films by television producer and writer David E. Kelley. Set with an A-film budget, Mystery Alaska fell sharply into B-movie treatment, and fell even lower. This fun, feel good film has a lot of lessons on fast pacing, quick dialog, and building characters without mounds of unnecessary backstory. Mystery Alaska can be found on Amazon Video, iTunes, and DVD.

This was a great find. Scare Me, released in October of 2020, directed and written by Josh Ruben, was a delightful watch. The movie itself hits on so many things about writing, story crafting, and collaboration it is its own bundle of lessons. This indie film is a fantastic example of small cast, single location, and some old-school techniques for delivering an entertaining story with full-fledged characters. This is a must see for all creatives, this is another master-class of filmmaking and wr...

When we first covered Redwood Massacre: Annihilation it was a pre-release screener. We could only do a light surface analysis, but now we do a full dive into this excellent horror film. Written and directed by David Ryan Keith, we jump ten years after the first film and pick up on Burlap’s reign of terror. Starring Danielle Harris, Damien Puckler, Gary Casper, Tevy Poe, and Jon Campling, this fun flick gives us great examples of direction, cinematography, acting, and the best damn killer of all ...

We end the year covering the works of an amazing B-movie director and producer. The works of William Castle are overshadowed only by his outrageous PR stunts. Castle set the bar for marketing B horror films, had a rivalry with Alfred Hitchcock, adored Vincent Price, and was a prolific movie maker. Join us as we talk about this amazing man, his fantastic films, and how his life and his body of work are a masterclass for any creative. William Castle’s movies can be found on iTunes, Tubi, Amazon Vi...

What better way to celebrate the holiday than a Christmas Slasher film? All Through the House is a wonderful little Santa-slasher that gives us some great, bloody fun. It also suffers from an irrelevant storyline that nearly takes the fun out of watching, which we get into with some detail. All Through the House can be found on Amazon Video.

Gentlemen Broncos is a marvelous, heavily underrated film by Jared Hess that we’ve mentioned several times on previous episodes. Now we finally give it the dissection it deserves. This incredible soft-spoken film has so many terrific lessons on filmmaking, character development, story, and the all important soundtrack selection. This is a must-see movie, and one you should own. Gentlemen Broncos can be found on iTunes and Prime Video.

It’s not a great movie, but it is an important one. We dissect Dolemite, a Rudy Ray Moore film that has earnest heart and a fixed place in history. This 1975 film has inspired many filmmakers and is an important historic voice on Black cinema. Join us in the wayback machine to visit 1975’s indie film about a streetwise pimp. You can find Dolemite on Amazon Video.

We get to talk to director Sylas Dall and star Mary Madaline Roe of They Reach. Another fantastic and fun interview. We get into some great talk about filmmaking, the artistry behind giving the audience a visual feel, and how Mary Madaline handled her first go on a banana-seat bike. Two great people involved in a great film. Join us for some fun, and for a look into a very passionate project. They Reach can be found on iTunes, Fandango, Vudu, Google Play, Amazon Video

They Reach is a fantastic first feature by Sylas Dall. A retro horror in the vein of E.T., Goonies, Monster Squad, this movie hits all the marks. With fantastic young stars, superb direction, and a wonderfully fun and creepy story, this is another movie that has lessons on doing everything right. They Reach can be found on iTunes, Fandango, Vudu, Google Play, Amazon Video

We finally get to Cockneys vs Zombies, a wonderfully fun film by Matthias Hoene. Aside from all of the fun of joining some East Enders dealing with a zombie outbreak, there are some spectacular lessons to glean from this movie. It’s a fast-paced ride of laughs and a masterclass all at the same time. Cockneys vs Zombies can be found on Amazon Video and iTunes.

Story is everything, and Invasion Planet Earth is deeply lacking in that department. From a misleading logline to a rambling, almost indecipherable plot, this ambitious indie film falls flat on so many levels. But, with every failure comes lessons, and there are quite a few lessons to be had here. Not everything was terrible, but when story execution fails, nothing else can save a movie. Invasion Planet Earth can be found on Amazon Video.

Set in the Afghanistan versus Russia war in the early 80’s, The Beast is a fast-moving film about a Russian tank on the run from Afghan rebels. Starring Jason Patric, it delivers some compelling food for thought as well as some fast-paced storytelling. We talk about how the story itself can be the main character, and some nearly forgotten choices in writing. The Beast can be found on Amazon Video.

We’ve talked to Ryan Kruger, and now we do a spoiler-free dissection of his amazing film Fried Barry. This thing has been killing it at festivals around the world, and for good reason. Not scheduled for public release until January 2021, we talk about the technical brilliance that Ryan has brought and why you need to see this movie. This is a future Criterion Collection nominee. Fried Barry is showing at festivals around the world. Also check out FriedBarry.com for information.

We are graced with returning guest Tucky Williams as we talk about Dagger Kiss: Enchanted Forest, her latest venture to make it to Amazon. Even though she was sick and chose to go through with the interview, Tucky brings her grace and poise in top form. We talk again about making films, the struggles indie filmmakers run into, and some overall fun. You can find Dagger Kiss: Enchanted Forest on Amazon Video.

Join us as we cover Dagger Kiss: Enchanted Forest, the film conclusion to the Dagger Kiss series by Tucky Williams. A clever combination of fantasy and modern settings, this film takes us on a very human journey of the heart. It proves that even with a very limited budget a production can deliver some surprising emotion and layered story. You can find Dagger Kiss: Enchanted Forest on Amazon Video.

BURLAP LIVES! A masterful sequel, Redwood Massacre: Annihilation brings back Burlap, the best slasher-killer to hit the scene in a good long while. We go about this episode differently, we don’t dissect the entire film so that you can enjoy all of the moments unspoiled. We do dive deep into the technical mastery that David Ryan Keith brings to all of his work. We love this sequel and hope you will listen and watch or buy the movie. Redwood Massacre: Annihilation will be out October 20, 2020 and ...

We have David Ryan Keith returning to the show to talk to us about the upcoming Redwood Massacre: Annihilation, which hits VOD/DVD on October 20. It is our best talk yet. David confirmed that the killer in the film was named after the nickname that Jim gave him during our rundown of the first Redwood Massacre. Join us as we celebrate the christening of Burlap, and some fantastic tales of post production woes. Redwood Massacre: Annihilation will be out October 20, 2020 at Wal Mart and other outle...

For the first time we have some disagreement on the merits of a film. Manborg is an ambitious effort that has a lot of plusses, but for Jim there are some heavy minuses. Dubbed a “green screen” movie, where the backgrounds and sets are entirely green screen, this micro-budget film is worth a look so you can judge for yourselves. Manborg can be found on Amazon Video.