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Rather than bore listeners with the details of their miraculous escape, Bennett and Jim share their end-of-season reflections and rankings of the entire first season of Showtime's Masters of Horror. Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

Split Picks is back to venture into dream worlds and nightmares from one of the modern master of horror's great franchises. Well, Split Picks aimed to record an episode every month this year. But things got busy, OK? So Jim Hickcox is once again in the host throne to field Split Picks' first international call. Terry Chiu (Open Doom Crescendo and Mangoshake director), and Mark Hanson of the Bay Street Video Podcast call in from Canada. Together, Split Picks heads into the Further to talk about the first two Insidious films. When Jim and Terry spoke earlier this year, Terry promised watching Insidious and Insidious 2 back-to-back was the ultimate cinematic experience. The narratives collide in ways that few franchises manage to achieve successfully. So everyone watched them as a pair and have gathered to report back to see if Terry's promises holds up. The creator of the Saw, Conjuring and Insidious franchises, plus Malignant and Dead Silence (and don't forget Aquaman and Furious 7), James Wan has earned his title as the most influential modern director of horror. With Insidious and Insidious 2, Wan follows a family that comes to realize their new house may be haunted. Along the way they encounter mysterious dream worlds, lost souls, and a team of paranormal experts who may help them escape their situation. Throughout, the crew debate Wan's standing in horror by diving deep into how his strengths — and his lesser tendencies — became so influential.

Imprint scared Showtime's censors enough to pull it from the release schedule. Even our seasoned podcasters have to admit it's pretty grim. Takashi Miike is back to his old tricks with Imprint. It's got gore, grotesqueries, and all sorts of torture. Bennett and Jim also found it far more atmospheric than your average Season 1 episode.  As with last year's look at Miike on Split Picks, our hosts admire Miike's craft while occasionally wincing at some of his more excessive decisions. Imprint has plenty of images that still surprise in 2024 and must've been utterly scandalous almost 20 years ago.  Not sure you can handle Imprint? Skip watching it and listen to Bennett and Jim's discussion instead. Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

It's an undead orgy on this fun yet frivolous episode which sees John McNaughton fill in for George Romero in the director's chair. The penultimate episode of Season 1 finds 'Masters of Horror' looking more like “Goosebumps for adults” than ever. Its title character finds himself confronting horrible truths about the ways love and lust can endure after death.  Bennett and Jim wonder what the Haeckel estate must think of this strange tale, ask which periods Jon Polito could realistically live in, and discuss McNaughton's classic 'Wild Things.' Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

"Pick Me Up" isn't just a great episode of TV, it's an underrated gem that Bennett and Jim both recommend highly to all genre fans. Michael Moriarty delivers a performance for the ages in Larry Cohen's final directorial effort, the high-concept thrill ride, 'Pick Me Up.' Moriarty is one of two roving killers who menace a bus full of passengers before trailing our final girl (The Waterboy's Fairuza Balk). One killer's a trucker who picks up passengers before dispatching them. The other's a drifter who thumbs rides to make his kills. Come for that can't-miss premise and stay for the inventive kills and one-of-a-kind acting choices. Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

An unusually sweet episode of Masters of Horror with two eccentric central performances wows your hosts. Don't let all the goop, slime, and creepy critters fool you, Lucky McKee's 'Sick Girl' is remarkably tender for an episode of 'Masters of Horror.' Angela Bettis returns from Mckee's 'May' (2001) in a superficially similar story of an eccentric loner searching for love. Here, she's an entomologist whose field of study tends to send partners packing. Bettis affects cartoon voices throughout. Some viewers may find her performance grating, but Jim and Bennett agreed it was a series highlight while also cheering the performance of Erin “Misty Mae” Brown. Will your host's survive this latest ordeal? Who knows!?!

The podcast enters a stretch of top-notch episodes with William Malone's visually distinct and genuinely creepy installment. Throughout the season, the boys have made plenty of jokes at the expense of directors like William Malone. “Really, he's a master of horror?” Like feardotcom and House on Haunted Hill, The Fair Haired Child proves that William Malone definitely deserves that distinction.  With strange flashbacks and an occult mystery plot, the episode has some of the most arresting images and performances of the whole series. Despite some Nu Metal styling and a sometimes exposition-heavy script, this is one episode that could hopefully encourage viewers to give its director's output a second look. Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em! The boys are lighting up and taking a drag on the latest episode as they discuss John Carpenter's first contribution to Masters of Horror. If you've seen one episode of Masters of Horror, it's probably this entry from the master himself, John Carpenter. It's often regarded as the best and the presence of Udo Kier in the cast goes a long way in helping establish its atmosphere. Otherwise, it's a pretty standard episode of the show. Your hosts discuss the dangers of depicting “art that kills you” and the highs and lows of its masterful director's career, and the strange angel in Udo Kier's house.  Give it a listen, if you dare. Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

John Landis' horny horror-comedy indulges many of the series' worst impulses with its tale of a seductive cryptid. Max Landis earned his first screenwriting credit with his father's entry in Masters of Horror's first season. It's an auteurist effort in the worst sense, blending plenty of misogyny into its tonal soup.  Bennett offers a hot take for the ages about the genre mashups and the boys weigh the merits of Landis' careers in both horror and comedy. Put on your hunting vests and check it out.  Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

One of the most acclaimed Masters of Horror installments, Joe Dante's political satire takes Jim and Bennett back to the 2004 election Jim and Bennett are reporting for duty on the latest (pod)Casters of Horror to discuss Joe Dante's acclaimed entry in Masters of Horror's first season.  Slain servicemen rise from the grave in Homecoming to cast their ballots against an unnamed (and poorly imitated) George W. Bush. Your hosts discuss Small Soldiers, their memories of Bush-era America, and much more. Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

Series maestro Mick Garris tries his hand at writing and directing in this series lowlight. Bennett and Jim don't break from consensus here Gangs of New York's Henry Thomas appears in Mick Garris' high-concept romance as a food scientist with a psychic connection to a mysterious woman. With an abysmal soundtrack and a “you're probably wondering how I got here” framing device, Chocolate doesn't offer much to recommend.  Jim and Bennett try their best to see the best in Chocolate. If nothing else, they agree that Matt Frewer is having fun. Save yourself half an hour. Skip watching Chocolate and listen to (Pod)Casters of Horror instead.  Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

Yowza! Put the kids to bed before you check out the latest (pod)Casters of Horror. Dario Argento keeps it spooky and sexy in his underrated installment Steven Weber (Dracula: Dead and Loving It) gets in way over his head during Dario Argento's Jenifer. After saving a young girl's life, he finds she has a unique appetite that puts everyone around her in danger. With queasy sexuality and relentless momentum, the giallo master proves that his mid-aughts are just as interesting as any period in his career. All that's missing is an appearance from Asia Argento! Listen to the conversation before you check out the episode for yourself. Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

Tobe Hooper has done it again. On the latest (Pod)Casters of Horror, Bennett and Jim argue that Dance of the Dead is a late-career triumph. Masters of Horror doesn't have the best reputation and perhaps no episode has attracted more derision than Tobe Hooper's post-apocalyptic Dance of the Dead. Among the most nü-metal pieces of media ever created, Dance of the Dead follows a post-nuclear war town with drugged-up teenagers looking for thrills. Featuring Robert Englund as a twisted night club emcee, it's the first episode of the series to truly feel like a nightmare that you can't see on network TV. Unsurprisingly, Bennett and Jim find plenty to love in the episode. They sing the praises of Robert Englund's go-for-broke performance, the scuzzy mise-en-scene, and Hooper's total disinterest in narrative. It's another late-career triumph from one of the best to ever do it.  Listen for yourself.

It's not Stuart Gordon's best Lovecraft adaptation, but Masters of Horror's sophomore efforts gives your favorite sophomoric podcasters plenty to discuss. It's time for a trip to ye olde Rhode Island on the latest (Pod)Casters of Horror as Bennett and Jim discuss the first of Stuart Gordon's episodes, an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's The Dreams in the Witch House. Walter (Ezra Godden) begins having horrible dreams of a witch and a rat-faced man. Give it a listen to hear Bennett's thoughts on the difference between hitting yourself in the head versus hitting your head on something and much, much more. Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

Bennett and Jim tackle Don Coscarelli's series premiere, a trip through familiar genre territory The first episode of Masters of Horror reflects the predicament Bennett and Jim find themselves in. Bree Turner stars as a woman who takes an ill-fated trip down the titular pass. She encounters a backwoods murderer whose whole shtick is a touch too familiar. Don Coscarelli directed the first four 'Phantasm' films, 'Bubba Ho-Tep,' and 'John Dies at the End,' among others. With only 20 minutes on the clock, the duo discuss topics that include survivalism, horror comics, and indie rock. Will they find the brevity to power them through to the next episode (Stuart Gordon's Dreams In The Witch House), or will the time constraint prove too challenging to succeed? Find the whole series here: https://www.splittoothmedia.com/podcasters-of-horror/

Bennett Glace and Jim Hickcox are podcasting for their lives this Halloween season by talking through every episode of Season 1 of Showtime's 'Masters of Horror.' Jim and Bennett made a near-fatal mistake when they took a drive down a winding mountain pass. The pair barely survived an accident and they may soon wish they hadn't. Jigsaw himself has a challenge for them: record podcast episodes for each episode in 'Masters of Horror' Season 1. The catch? They can't talk for more than 20 minutes or the room will fill with poison gas. Will the pair make it through all 13 episodes of the series without betraying Jigsaw's unconscionable constraints of brevity?  Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Check out the introduction to (Pod)Casters of Horror and stay tuned for discussions of underrated work from site-favorite filmmakers like Tobe Hooper, Stuart Gordon, and Larry Cohen, and horror icons such as John Carpenter and Dario Argento.

Split Picks finds the holiday spirit with a look at two episodes from the BBC's A Ghost Story For Christmas tradition. No one would actually take something from a grave with an ominous warning written on it and then proceed to put said item in their mouth, right? Split Picks is back to give a definitive answer: no. But as author M.R. James and the BBC would have you believe, there is at least one person who would risk it all in the name of disbelieving superstition. Though ghosts and Christmas time may conjure images of A Christmas Carol, in the 1960s and 1970s, the BBC aired a yearly ghost story, often adapted from James stories at the holidays. With Bennett Glace and special guest, director of Mickey Dogface, Zach Fleming, they discuss the classic A Ghost Story For Christmas entires Whistle And I'll Come To You (1968) and The Treasure of Abbot Thomas (1974). In Whistle, a growling professor on holiday finds some souvenirs come with risks. It also proves that horror is sometimes at its most effective when at its simplest and most elemental. In Abbot Thomas, a clergyman and his student seek the hidden treasure from an alchemist who left behind clues about his alleged fortune. Once discovered, the clergyman meets the goopiest entity in the BBC ghost canon. Are the M.R. James original stories superior to their adaptations? Did the series reboot in the 2010s live up to the originals? Will Bennett's streak of saying "Lynchian" in every episode finally come to an end?

Snow Lietta's special creepy Christmas podcast continues with Roberta Findlay's 1988 cult favorite 'Prime Evil.' Catholic satanists? Undercover nuns? A female director in the '80s?! Siblings Jason Michelitch & Snow Lietta discuss Roberta Findlay's Prime Evil (1988) in this creepy Christmas podcast.

To ring in the holidays, Snow Lietta hosts a special new series on Christmas horror films. Up first is a look at two contemporary films about demon Santas. An old-world Santa emerging from an ancient mountain grave. An Americanized Krampus summoned by lost hope. Who will win in this Christmas monster match-up? Snow Lietta is joined by filmmaker and Cinesthesia host Jim Hickcox to discuss 'Krampus' (2015) and 'Rare Exports' (2010) in this creepy Christmas podcast. Season's Bleedings! With Adam Scott, Toni Collette, and David Koechner, 'Krampus' follows a young boy (Emjay Anthony) who has lost his faith in Christmas. In doing so, he summons the evil Krampus, his minions, and a blizzard like no other. With an awkward dynamic between in-laws, the family has to find a way to keep Krampus away or suffer his consequences. In 'Rare Exports,' a mining project in Finland uncovers a Christmas miracle — a creature appearing to be the real Santa Claus. But soon, a young farm boy, Pietari (Omni Tommila), and his father (Jorma Tommila) face off against an army of elves aiming to revive Santa to his full-powered glory.

Tripping through the witching hour, stumbling out of the pre-dawn aura, Jim and Jason wandered into the yard at Split Tooth headquarters. Chocolate smeared across their faces, staring into the middle distance, they started talking. And they wouldn't stop. They said something about aging and death, desire and pain. And Cronenberg. They chewed through our landline and they sealed our cell phones inside rotting pumpkins. Please, call animal control. Tell them it's Cinesthesia. They'll know what to do. Join a filmmaker (and sometimes film teacher) and a film teacher (and sometimes filmmaker) as they venture into the dark heart of their own befuddled relationship to culture, the youth, the internet, friendship, love, hate, time, space and, of course: *m*o*v*i*e*s*. Come hear what we see.

To close out the series on Japanese Horror, Spit Picks looks at a director known for testing the limits of violence on film.Takashi Miike is best known for three things: He is prolific, versatile, and is no stranger to using extreme gore. With 115 directorial credits listed on his IMDb page (at time of publishing), he has made films in just about every genre imaginable. But from blood-soaked epics like Ichi The Killer and 13 Assassins to a glut of Yakuza films, and even a death-centric musical comedy in The Happiness of the Katakuris, Miike's films are never shy to show off fountains of gore with no sense of shyness. But through them all, Miike always injects his unique style, no matter the genre. With Bennett Glace and Jim Hickcox, Split Picks finishes its special series on Japanese Horror by comparing Miike's masterwork to one of his most extreme depictions of violence — an almost hour-long school shooting. With Audition, Miike follows a widowed man, Shigeharu (Ryo Ishibashi), after his friend suggests they set up a film audition to help him find a new wife. When he meets Asami (Eihi Shiina), they quickly fall in love, but everyone around Shigeharu tells him to notice the red flags, which he gleefully overlooks, until he finds himself in a scenario that ranks among the most infamous torture scenes on film. It's a testament to Audition that, in an era when most successful Asian films were remade by Americans, still no one has remade this tale of revenge. Lesson of the Evil finds a popular and handsome teacher on a path to violence against his own students. With a code of morals that makes sense to only him, he tries to stop his students from cheating on tests and uncovers various scandals in the school. As his background comes into focus, he doubles down on what he learned during his time in the United States and. with the assistance of a talking shotgun, he decides to solve his problems in the worst way possible. The pairing of films provides some fascinating contrasts in tone, and some striking similarities in their overall structure. In this episode, the gang discusses how Audition bends time, if Lesson of the Evil crosses the limits of acceptable violence on film, and how As The Gods Will might be the spiritual sequel to Lesson of the Evil that makes black humor work in a similarly morbid scenario.

Split Picks looks at an absolute masterwork of horror and a later haunted romance from Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Split Picks continues its special October series on Japanese Horror with a look at two films from Kiyoshi Kurosawa. After a string of seemingly unrelated murders with undeniable similarities, Detective Takabe begins to link the odd details of the killings together. It leads him to Mamiya, a man who claims to have no memory, no idea who he is, or even what he looks like. He speaks almost exclusively in question, and his nonchalance proves to be the entrance to his unique form of hypnosis. In 2016's Daguerrotype, Jean is hired to help Stephane operate a daguerreotype, an obsolete form of photography that requires subjects to remain motionless for hours to capture the image. Jean falls in love with Stephane's daughter, Marie, but their romance raises questions of whether Marie is actually alive. Together, we get a look at what many deem to be Kurosawa's masterpiece, and a later film that features many of the hallmarks of his style. Bennett, Craig, and Lucille also weigh in on if they believe in ghosts, what it means to ask questions, and whether great art truly does equate to immortality.

What happens when a US studio remakes a Japanese film with the original director still behind the camera? After an extended talk about Takashi Shimizu's 2002 breakout film, Ju-On: The Grudge, the Split Picks crew — Bennett Glace, Jim Hickcox, Frankie Vanaria and host Craig Wright — picks up with The Grudge franchise making its way to the US. After the US remake of Ringu (as The Ring) became a global sensation, The Grudge was tapped as the next film up and confirmed that J-horror was ready for primetime. Shimizu was asked to direct the remake, and he said he would do so only if he could bring his ghosts with him in Kayako (Takako Fuji) and Toshio (Yuya Ozeki). But with Sarah Michelle Gellar in the lead role and a brief Bill Pullman appearance as Americans abroad, the film is fundamentally different from the suburban Japanese original. Through the episode they debate whether the remake is stronger than the original Ju-On: The Grudge — or if the trailer is stronger than the film itself. Namely, they talk about how the US remake softens most of the previous version's best scares, and wonder if Americans are truly as unintelligent as studios would like to believe. In 2020 director Nicolas Pesce revived the franchise with The Grudge, a film set in the same universe that is not a direct sequel or remake. It is also an American work produced by Sam Raimi, and it asks what happens if the curse could spread to a different location. The discussion follows what happens when the original creator loses control of a franchise, and whether the films were too slow to evolve their brand of horror. Also in the episode: Jim hypothesizes what it might be like to take his short horror film Slow Creep from a short to an international big-budget adaptation; Bennett swears the 2020 Grudge is the finest offering of the series. Frankie enjoys none of the Grudges. Craig reveals which film put him to sleep. Who tests ramen packaging that way? And how exactly does the WWE predict the state of horror and culture at large? Tune in to find out!

For this year's Split Picks horror series, we look at some of the finest horror films and director's that Japan has to offer. Each year for October Horror, Split Picks takes a virtual field trip to a different country to find some of the best horror films and directors from around the world. In 2021 we started at home and looked at what we determined to be the Mt. Rushmore of American horror with Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and George A. Romero. Last year we put on our black gloves and fell in with the Italian greats — Dario Argento, Sergio Martino, Lucio Fulci — to talk all things giallo. This year we are talking about Japan and some of their famous ghosts, grudges, and gothic imagery. Obviously, Japan has a huge cultural history with horror films that dates back to the dawn of the medium. We are not covering the history of Japanese horror in this series, and will instead focus on a few signature works from select directors. For this series we are going to be looking at a mix of classic and lesser-heralded films from some of Japan's greatest horror filmmakers. This is only a quick survey of what Japan has to offer, and we picked three filmmakers for a combination of styles that complement each other, hint at the country's vast film history, and also how their particular styles of horror compare to the rest of the world. With that in mind, we decided to kick off this series with Takashi Shimizu and his world-famous series 'The Grudge.' In this first episode we will be looking at his first theatrical version of 'Ju-On: The Grudge.' Then we will discuss the 2004 American remake, which he also directed, and contrast it with the 2020 US sequel, also simply called 'The Grudge,' and directed by Nicholas Pesce. Featuring Split Picks regulars Bennett Glace, Jim Hickcox, and Frankie Vanaria, the series begins here and will run through most of the month! Listen to hear all about The Grudge and how it developed from two initial short films into an international sensation.

Ahead of Things We Like's premiere, director Adi Jahic joins Split Picks to discuss his debut feature and an underseen classic from a beloved character actor. Writer-director Adi Jahic spoke with Split Tooth back in February about his excellent debut film,Things We Like, which he also edited and features him on screen in a crucial second act role. Early in the conversation, Jahic noted that he's rarely inspired by films in the traditional sense, never watching anything while at work on a project or making conscious homage. He credits Tom Noonan's What Happened Was..., however, with convincing him to set out on directing a feature-length film of his own. Jahic describes the 1994 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner as, like the best features, “saying a short film's worth of things every 10 minutes.” Things We Like premieres next week at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival. In anticipation of the May 17 screening, Jahic joined associate film editor Bennett Glace to discuss how both his film and Noonan's present viewers with unexpected emotional turns, the benefits of the occasional mishap on set, and more.

What's a classic horror movie without an inferior remake or two? After discussing Bob Clark's immortal Black Christmas (1974), Bennett Glace, Jim Hickcox, and Snow Lietta join Craig to talk through both the 2006 and 2019 remakes/adaptations. Whereas Glen Morgan's 2006 version elevates the story's most gruesome elements to unnecessary extremes, Sophia Takal's 2019 adaptation approaches the source material as a vehicle for a political message intended for a younger audience. Both films were hindered by studio interference but still manage to produce memorable moments. The discussion touches on how sequels and remakes both honor and warp minor details from the source material into something completely different. It also contextualizes the eras of horror in which they were made, with the 2006 version appearing in the midst of the mid-aughts boom of darker remakes, and 2019's being made as a commentary during the unfolding #MeToo Movement. It asks whether the films would have been stronger under their own separate titles, and how stripping away the subtlety that makes the original so strong changes the mood of the films.

Split Picks gets into the yuletide spirit with an episode devoted to Bob Clark's holiday horror classic 'Black Christmas.' One of the finest horror films America has ever produced (and not just in Canada!), Bob Clark's Black Christmas (1974) was his first timeless holiday classic. Released during the same year as Deathdream, his Vietnam-era reimagining of The Monkey's Paw, Black Christmas capped off his early run of horror films before journeying into more family friendly holiday favorites (A Christmas Story, 1983) and raunchy mainstream comedy (Porky's, 1981). The film, set in a sorority house being stalked by a disturbed killer as Christmas break begins, remains as stylistically daring, socially progressive, and chilling as ever. But Clark's film is only the beginning for Split Picks! Craig is joined by Bennett Glace, Jim Hickcox, and Snow Lietta to discuss not only the 1974 original, but 2006's Black Xmas and 2019's Black Christmas. Over the course of this two-part episode, they break down what sets the original apart — not only from its remakes, but from most other horror films in general — and how the later films warp and repurpose the original film's ideas and characters to fit their respective eras. Check back later this week for part two!

Jim and Jason slept for nine months so that they could stay up all night getting born again in a baptism of blood... a Bay of Blood, that is, along with Baron Blood, Blood and Black Lace, and more. That's right, the boys got Bava'd! All month, Split Tooth has brought you podcasts about the greats of Italian horror, and they saved the best for last. Come wander through the kick-lighted mist-world of the originator, Mario Bava — the Godfather of Giallo, the Svengali of Slashers, the Big Kahuna of Bonzo Kill Thrills. From the high gothic terror of Black Sunday to the surreal dread comedy of Lisa and the Devil, the Cinesthesia Boys give you a radically incoherent survey of the master's career that finally dares to ask the question: WHY DOES HE HAVE HIS LOLLIPOP??? Come along with us. The door is purple.

Split Picks' Italian horror series wraps up with a classic Martino giallo and a controversial cannibal film. The finale of Split Picks' Italian horror series has arrived, and it closes out with one of our favorite horror directors: Sergio Martino. Martino is another jack-of-all-trades who has worked across genres and in various roles behind the scenes. But his greatest imprint will always be for his stunning work in horror, and his gialli rank among the best of the genre. Jim Hickcox brings his favorite of Martino's gialli, 1971's The Strange Vice Of Mrs. Wardh, starring Edwige Fenech. The classic, twist-filled film offers the perfect opportunity to explore Martino's signature style. Bennett Glace wanted to stray from gialli and chose arguably Martino's most controversial film, 1978'sThe Mountain of the Cannibal God (a.k.a The Slave of the Cannibal God). It stars Ursula Andress (Dr. No) and Stacey Keach as they search for a missing person in a jungle that local lore says is still home to a lost group of cannibals. The Split Picks crew balance the things that make the film worth watching with its undeniably troublesome aspects. They discuss the odd trend of Italian cannibal films, whether Martino's technical proficiency makes Cannibal God feel more cruel than the rougher found footage approach used in other more famous cannibal films, and what it means when a movie breaks all the acceptable barriers of horror.

Split Picks chose to focus on Italian horror directors for this year's October Horror series mainly because of their penchant for convincing practical gore effects. That's where Lucio Fulci comes in. Known as the "Godfather of Gore," Fulci's films relish every drop of blood, pierced eyeball and regurgitated organ. Fulci is best known for his films Zombie, The Beyond, and the Gates of Hell trilogy — City of the Living Dead, The Beyond, The House By The Cemetery. His work extends across decades and genres, but horror is where he crafted his most unforgettable moments. With Frankie Vanaria leading the portion on 1981's The House By The Cemetery and Bennett Glace taking us through the depths of Fulci's mind for 1990's Cat In The Brain, Split Picks looks at two films from the director that operate in different frames of mind. Cemetery follows a family in Massachusetts as they uncover secrets buried in their house. Cat In The Brain stars Fulci as a version of himself in which the awful images from his films have begun to haunt him — but can a career in horror actually make someone a murderer? In addition to the highs and lows of Fulci's style, Bennett, Craig, and Frankie also discuss bad haircuts and dubbing, Cat In The Brain's confusing reputation, and Bennett reveals a years-long prank he pulled on another podcast — and missed the opportunity to monetize.

Following last year's series talking about the American titans of horror — Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and George A. Romero — Split Picks centers in on another country renowned for its horror films: Italy. First up is Dario Argento, a master of giallo, gore, and guts. Argento has directed some of the most iconic films, scenes and shots in all of horror. His most famous works include Suspiria, Deep Red, Inferno, and Tenebre. With Bennett Glace and Steve Collins, Split Picks wrestles with Argento's 1992 film The Stendhal Syndrome, arguably his last great film and one full of controversy. [Editor's note: This episode discusses graphic sexual assault and violence presented in the film.] In the starring role is Dario's daughter Asia Argento, who plays detective Anna Manni in pursuit of a serial rapist and murderer loose in the city. But she begins to experience Stendhal Syndrome as she interacts with artwork in museums, which draws her in to paintings, all while the suspect she is chasing begins to hunt her. This is the first of a two-part episode, with Pt. 2 about Argento's The Phantom Of The Opera arriving tomorrow.

Following last year's series talking about the American titans of horror — Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and George A. Romero — Split Picks centers in on another country renowned for its horror films: Italy. Here is the second episode discussing Dario Argento, a master of giallo, gore, and guts. With Bennett Glace and Steve Collins, Split Picks voyages into the caves to talk about Argento's 1998 adaptation of The Phantom Of The Opera with his daughter Asia again in the starring role. Popular opinion says this is the point where Argento's career took a pivot for the worst, but Bennett Glace argues that it stands tall with Argento's best films. Argento has directed some of the most iconic films, scenes and shots in all of horror. His most famous works include Suspiria, Deep Red, Inferno, and Tenebre. His later works are often disregarded as a director past his prime, but almost all of his films have moments worth revisiting. Listen as Split Picks talks about rats, strange romantic chemistry, and what constitutes a bad film.

Split Picks wrestles with an all-time great concert film from Neil Young and a comedy with a complicated history. When he's not behind the camera, director Bernard Shakey spends his time as a Canadian-born rock 'n' roll star who goes by the name Neil Young. Split Picks returns to look at two films directed by Shakey, with Breanna McCann stopping by for the first time, and Bennett Glace returning for yet another episode. They discuss all things Neil Young, Crazy Horse, and the passion projects Young directed as his alter-ego. Rust Never Sleeps (1979) stands tall among the finest concert films ever made. With a stage full of comically oversized props set by Roadeyes, Young begins solo and runs through the highs of his career before Crazy Horse joins him to debut some classic songs. Each shot of the film is near-iconic and its setlist will fulfill any Young fan's requests. Taking cues from Japanese horror films, The Wizard of Oz, and Jerry Lewis, Human Highway follows a small group of workers at an auto shop and diner who all have dreams of getting out, or at least winning the local talent show at the nuclear power plant. It just so happens to be the last day on Earth. Human Highway flopped when it came out, but a vastly improved director's cut has given it new life. Listen to the episode to see which film reigns supreme, and why after all this Bennett's biggest question is why didn't Neil Young star in more comedies?

Split Picks is back with two of David Lynch's most diametrically opposed films:Wild At Heart (1990) and Lost Highway (1997). What links these films together is author Barry Gifford, who wrote the source novel for Wild at Heart and co-wrote the Lost Highway screenplay with Lynch. Cinesthesia's Jim Hickcox steps in to host the show and brings along... his Cinesthesia co-host Jason Michelitch. They're joined by special guest Rob Christopher, whose film Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago (2020) is screening at Portland, Oregon's Hollywood Theatre on Saturday, July 9. Together they parse through Lynchian dream logic, Gifford's childhood in Chicago, and where Gifford's influence shows throughout later Lynch masterworks like Mulholland Drive (2001). Find out more about Roy's world at www.roysworldfilm.com.

Hark! Could it be? The long-lost Cinesthesia New Years '21 episode has been located! Jim's and Jason's return finds them belatedly ringing in 2022 (and Book TWO) in spectral fashion. Just in time for the holidays, Jim and Jason settle down in front the hearth to roast their chestnuts, toast some champagne, and boast with chutzpah. As 2021 comes to a close, Cinesthesia is the only podcast with the cheese to chat about the reason for the season. That's right, we're talking about ghosts. Are they spirits of the dead? Glitches in reality? Quantum entanglement of souls across spacetime? Undigested bits of beef? Blots of mustard? This episode is all gravy, baby. Come sit by the fire and listen, and ring in the future with us. Every day is a new year if you want it to be. Join a filmmaker (and sometimes film teacher) and a film teacher (and sometimes filmmaker) as they venture into the dark heart of their own befuddled relationship to culture, the youth, the internet, friendship, love, hate, time, space and, of course: *m*o*v*i*e*s*. Come hear what we see. CINESTHESIA is produced by Iguanodonald Studios and distributed by Split Tooth Media. Music for CINESTHESIA is generously provided by the greatest bands that have ever been, The Coctails, Soft Healer, and Misters Presidents.

To celebrate Split Tooth Media's fourth birthday, Split Picks looks at the evolution of late-career Jim Jarmusch. Robert Delany, a devout Jarmusch fan, brings The Limits of Control (2009) to the Split Picks arena, while Bennett Glace, a skeptic who once rated Down By Law a measly two stars, leads a reevaluation of the star-studded zombie comedy The Dead Don't Die (2017). The conversation centers on how Jarmusch's films have changed through the years and how his peculiarities differentiate his modern films from his classic early works. So sing happy birthday to Split Tooth and listen up as we talk about the highs and lows of one of America's finest independent filmmakers. Thank you for reading, listening, and following Split Tooth over these first four years!

Clint Eastwood has cut an iconic on-screen figure for longer than almost anyone. The lean, sneering Western star made his name in front of the camera on TV's Rawhide, and as The Man With No Name for Sergio Leone. His second career as a director, often directing himself, has made Eastwood an icon twice over and seen him helm more bonafide classics than almost anyone. On the latest episode of Split Picks, Eastwood enthusiasts Bennett Glace and Michael Glover Smith discuss probably the two least-seen of Clint Eastwood's many directorial triumphs: Bronco Billy (1980) and Honkytonk Man (1982). Both films star Eastwood as struggling artists and send him out on the road alongside a makeshift family. Bronco Billy's title character, William McCoy, serves as “head ramrod” for an old-fashioned Wild West Show fallen on hard times. McCoy and the film only ever briefly lose their unflappable sense of optimism as they tour the Western states and play to thinning crowds. Honkytonk Man puts a more pessimistic spin on similar material. Eastwood plays Red Stovall, an alcoholic, tubercular country musician with one last chance to be somebody. He hits the road with his nephew (Eastwood's son, Kyle) to try out for the Grand Ole Opry before it's too late. The discussion touches on films from throughout Eastwood's long career as well as subjects including the Razzies, and, of course, the director's infamous speech at the Republican National Convention.

Split Picks concludes its series on the American horror greats with two early films by George A. Romero. Each week in October, Split Picks has dedicated an episode to the four titans of American horror directors — Tobe Hooper; John Carpenter; Wes Craven — and for the final episode, we turn to the Zombie Father Of The Dead, George A. Romero. Bennett Glace returns for his third horror episode and Snow Lietta makes her podcast debut in this matchup of two early Romero films: 1973's Season of the Witch (aka Jack's Wife, or the perplexing Hungry Wives) and his mid-career masterpiece, Martin (1978). We also take a short detour to The Amusement Park, Romero's newly released posthumous film. Join us as we close out the series and learn a bit about Pennsylvania's finest, what witchcraft in the modern day looks like, and whether Martin truly is a vampire.

What's that on the air? Did you hear the baying moan of something almost human in the distance? Did you catch the scent of woodsmoke and viscera, dancing on the wind? It's time again for all that you most fear to rise up in your path. But hold fast — fear is the mind killer. Or so we heard somewhere. Didn't somebody say that? Was it Shakespeare? Kierkegaard? Dick Van Patten? Well, no matter who said it, we live it, bud. Join the Cinesthesia Boys as they get real messy and gross to no functional purpose whatsoever. Trick or treat, you kings of New England, you absolute brick outhouses!!! Join a filmmaker (and sometimes film teacher) and a film teacher (and sometimes filmmaker) as they venture into the dark heart of their own befuddled relationship to culture, the youth, the internet, friendship, love, hate, time, space and, of course: *m*o*v*i*e*s*. Come hear what we see. CINESTHESIA is produced by Iguanodonald Studios and distributed by Split Tooth Media. Music for CINESTHESIA is generously provided by the greatest bands that have ever been, The Coctails, Soft Healer, and Misters Presidents.

Bennett and Jim reenter the Split Picks arena to stand up for two of Craven's oft-forgotten horror films. With Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter in the books, Split Picks shifts to Wes Craven and his three horror epoch-shifting films, his greatest successes and shortcomings as a director, and two films with plots far too complex to explain here. But in their talk of Incubi and a channel-surfing mass murderer who failed to land a franchise, Jim, Bennett, and Craig venture deep into what makes Craven's films unique, influential, and so ripe for studio interference. This week's matchup pits Deadly Blessing (1981) against Shocker (1989). In Deadly Blessing, a small religious community tries to keep all outsiders, technology, and the dreaded incubus away from their farmlands. Shocker finds Craven attempting to make a killer so scary that Freddy Krueger would have to be retired. Do either succeed? Listen to Split Picks to find out which film reins supreme.

Split Picks continues its look into the four American titans of horror. After discussing Tobe Hooper last week, John Carpenter takes his turn in the spotlight. Filmmaker Steve Collins and actor John Merriman join Craig to talk about Carpenter in the '90s. Steve brings In The Mouth of Madness (1994); John brings John Carpenter's Vampires (1998). They talk about Carpenter's attraction to distilled evil on film, how the lovably average working man powers his films, and how his simplistic soundtracks power his films. John, Steve, and Craig pick their ideal spinoff-films from characters introduced in In The Mouth of Madness on their way into the heart of Hobb's End. On Vampires, they break down the pairing of James Woods and Daniel Baldwin as vampire-hunting stars, they contemplate a few of its miscalculations, and how the film is the closest we have to a Carpenter Western film.

Split picks kicks off a special series devoted to four iconic American horror directors by examining two should-be-classic Hooper films. Bennett Glace and Jim Hickcox help Craig kick off a special new series for October Horror about the four most iconic American horror directors, or Mount Rushgore, if you will. We begin with Tobe Hooper, best known as the director of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and as the director Steven Spielberg replaced on Poltergeist. Jim and Bennett are bringing some of their favorite Hooper films to the Split Picks arena with Lifeforce (1985) and Spontaneous Combustion (1990). Together they discuss a vampiric melodrama about a naked space lady who wreaks havoc on Earth, and they make the case for Brad Dourif and his explosive performance being among horror's finest. Together, they argue why Tobe Hooper belongs in the pantheon of American horror directors for more than just Texas Chain Saw.

Split Tooth Media's October Horror series returns Monday, Oct. 4. All month we will have essays about some of our favorite horror films all the way from the House of the Devil to the shores of Party Beach. This year Split Picks will examine the works of four canonical American horror directors — John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and George A. Romero. Tune in every Friday for new episodes about some should-be-classic films. Let's get spooky, once again.

Ninety-one-year-old Clint Eastwood gets back on the horse in 'Cry Macho.' Bennett Glace and filmmaker/critic/teacher Michael Glover Smith, director of the upcoming film Relative, couldn't help but commemorate the occasion with a special episode of Split Picks. They discuss Eastwood's 39th directorial effort, his hit-and-miss critical reputation, and their own relationships with one of American cinema's greatest artists.

Arthouse Drive-In: 'Son of the White Mare' (1976) by Split Tooth Media

Actor Joshua Burge joins Craig and Bennett for a talk about Buster Keaton's career and legacy, 'Cops' and 'The Cook.' Following their recent interview together, Split Toother Bennett Glace and actor/musician Joshua Burge join Craig Wright to discuss a mutual favorite actor and director, Buster Keaton. One of the all-time great comedians, Keaton redefined what it means to construct a visual gag. Here they compare The Cook (1918), an early Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle collaboration, with Cops (1920), a classic Keaton-directed short film. They contrast Buster's work as Arbuckle's sidekick with his game-changing style in front of and behind the camera, and put his films in conversation with his rival Charlie Chaplin's. They also venture into Buster's life, career, and evolving legacy and, of course, why spaghetti is such a compelling film prop.

When Jim Cine and Jason Sthesia aren’t discussing movies, they’re usually exchanging voicemails. They’re now releasing mini episodes from their private vault while on a short hiatus. Sometimes, when it’s been a long day on the farm, the boys are tired and the dogs is worn. They done meant to have a chitter-chatter about the pictures, but it just took too long to get the sheep into Sheepshead Bay and the the old bay into the stable, and everyone feels like they haven’t slept since the blue M&Ms stepped in for the tan ones. It’s days like these when we throw out all the plans and take a little dip back into the archive. There’s a secret hotline that the boys can call when they want to leave each other messages, and with their permission we can rifle through the thoughts they’ve left there for each other and watch the sausage meat getting ground up to pack into the pig intestines of future installments.

In the second Split Picks devoted to Martin Scorsese, Bennett Glace, Robert Delany, and Craig Wright conclude their talk about the director's career with a deep look at his 2016 film Silence. Based on Shusaku Endo's 1966 novel about Catholic missionaries attempting to spread their religion to Japan, Scorsese's third religious epic follows Fathers Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Garupe (Adam Driver) who enter the country to track down their old teacher, Ferreiro (Liam Neeson), who is rumored to have renounced his religion. Listen to the concluding episode to find out how Silence relates to their prior talk about The King of Comedy, how Scorsese's adaptation stands up to Masahiro Shinoda's adaptation, and hear who Bennett accuses of Scorsese apostasy.

In the first two-part Split Picks, Robert Delany, Bennett Glace, and host Craig Wright take a deep look at two Martin Scorsese films that share little on the surface. The first, The King of Comedy (1982), features a Scorsese/Robert De Niro pairing that follows a wannabe comedian who takes a chance encounter with his hero to the ultimate extreme. The upcoming second episode focuses on Silence (2016), the third religious epic of Scorsese's career. Though 1980s comedians and 17th Century Christian missionaries in Japan share few similarities, Rob, Bennett, and Craig explore the filmmaker's traits that appear across his body of work and link these films with those of his mob epics.

In the Season One finale, Robert and T tackle one of the defining films of the American Independent Film Movement. It’s that time of the year! Welcome to the Season One finale of Arthouse Drive-In. Robert and T end their first run of episodes by exploring a masterpiece: John Cassavetes' Faces (1968). Faces follows a married couple on the rocks who seek comfort and excitement in the arms of other lovers, but they are constantly plagued by the complicated nature of their own emotions. Robert and T discuss the emotional turbulence that Cassavetes creates throughout each scene, and how the film helped usher in a new era of narrative art filmmaking in America. It's always sad to say goodbye, so instead, Arthouse Drive-In will just say, "See you later." The show will return for Season Two bigger and better than ever. Stay tuned, and thanks for listening!

Are we all in a movie right now? Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One follows director William Greaves as he leads a cast and crew through a bewildering Central Park film production. They shoot take after take of the same odd scene, with constant interruptions from pedestrians and police officers, while Greaves' crew record their theories on what exactly is going on with their director. In doing so, William Greaves created a completely original film that cannot be recreated. Robert and T discuss the trials and tribulations faced by Greaves throughout his career, and work through the one-of-a-kind structure he helped foster in Symbiopsychotaxiplasm. The further our hosts move into Greaves' experimental masterpiece, the more questions they have. Pull into the drive-in to hear all about it!