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PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou (TALK TO ME, RACKARACKA) join Adam and Joe to discuss their career journey and the making of their latest feature BRING HER BACK - in theaters now! From their early days filming backyard wrestling matches in Australia when they were just 11 years old… to their wildly successful “RackaRacka” Youtube channel which put them on the map… to the horror films they grew up drawing inspiration from and the hurdles they faced getting their directorial feature TALK TO ME off the ground… to the lessons they learned in working with a full crew for the first time… to the runaway success of TALK TO ME which grossed over 90 million worldwide and became A24's highest grossing film… to their brief attachment to STREET FIGHTER and their decision to prioritize making their own original material… to the making of BRING HER BACK and why working with a cat may have been their biggest on set challenge yet, the Philippou twins are two of the most energetic and exciting voices working today! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a filmmaker with post-production questions and YORKIETHON IX officially gets its dates!
Filmmaker Julia Max (THE SURRENDER) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss the making of her debut feature film. From catching the entertainment bug at a young age growing up in a family of industry professionals… to how growing up around film sets prepared her with invaluable insight on how movies are actually made… to setting her sights on acting before pivoting behind the camera as a writer/director… to making the leap from short films to features and finding the inspiration for THE SURRENDER (available on Shudder this weekend 5/23!) through her own painful loss of a family member… to how she scored the perfect location and absolutely mesmerizing cast for her trauma/horror film… to how she carefully orchestrated how and when to incorporate camera movement over the course of the film… to collaborating with every artist involved in the post-production process and remaining open minded to create the best version of her story… to must-hear advice on why pivoting on your career aspirations can ultimately open a whole new world of personal fulfillment and success… Julia's journey is one that every aspiring artist can draw inspiration from. Also, “Thundanuts” joins the ArieScope family and the group discusses working with actors who are performing vulnerable nude scenes.
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Daniel DelPurgatorio (MARSHMALLOW, TALES FROM THE BLACK FREIGHTER) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his debut feature film. From how stealing one of his Dad's VHS tapes informed his love for genre cinema… to a chance meeting at Warner Brothers that led to co-directing the WATCHMEN animated film TALES FROM THE BLACK FREIGHTER… to how his experience in animation and visual effects informed his craft in creating a wholly unique horror film like MARSHMALLOW… to the trials of shooting a low budget horror film at night with a cast that was mostly made up of kids (quick answer: NOT EASY!)… to how he built chemistry amongst his young cast… to how they came up with the grassroots marketing campaign used to great effect at festivals… to winning “Best Film” and “Best Director” at Panic Fest 2025 and more! (Warning: There are spoilers near the end…you've been warned!)
Filmmaker Eli Craig (CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL, LITTLE EVIL) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey. From growing up in a Hollywood family and wanting to get as far away from Los Angeles and the film industry as possible… to his adventures climbing mountains and shoveling snow… to making the brief decision to try out life as an actor and the advice Clint Eastwood gave him on set… to going to USC grad school and creating his own film festival to showcase his short film… to the uphill battle he faced getting his 2010 horror/comedy TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL made and why there has yet to be a sequel to the beloved film… to the reality check every filmmaker faces coming off of a run of glowing film festival responses and into the world of “mainstream” critics and distributors who simply can't afford a proper marketing strategy… to how Adam Cesare's “Clown in a Cornfield” novel first came onto his radar and how the looming WGA strike almost derailed the project… to how shooting the film in Canada afforded him the luxury of casting exactly who he wanted to cast and elevate stars like Katie Douglas to #1in the cast… Eli is a fellow cinematic traveler who's story is sure to inspire you! CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD opens in theaters this weekend (May 9th)! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for an indie filmmaker looking to avoid the dangers of “Hollywood Accounting” and losing creative control of his project, THE MOVIE CRYPT turns 12, and Arwen turns 14!
PUBLIC VERSION. The terrifying trio of filmmakers behind THE LAST VIDEO STORE (Tim Rutherford, Cody Kennedy and producer/star/video store guru Kevin Martin) join Joe to discuss the making of their VHS culture/meta slasher film. From the films that got them interested in making movies themselves… to the impact that video stores had on them growing up… to their favorite FRIDAY THE 13TH films… to making films both short and long and how it all culminated in their grand thesis THE LAST VIDEO STORE (available now on Arrow Blu-Ray and Arrow TV)… to how Kevin played a heightened version of himself and made the “Video Store Clerk” character a hero instead of a zero… to seeing their film for the first time at FantasticFest 2023 and why they believe video store culture is making a comeback, this conversation is as fun and as geeky as it gets so put it in your VCR, sit back, and enjoy! (Just remember to please be kind and rewind.)
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Mark Anthony Green (OPUS) joins Joe to discuss the making of his debut feature film. From how Mark's former career as a journalist informed the plot of OPUS (now available on VOD)… to the films that inspired him to pursue filmmaking… to the biggest learning curve he experienced transitioning from one medium to another… to the joy of collaborating with actors like John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, Murray Bartlett and Parker Posey… to being a leader and collaborator to the point of sweeping his own sets down… to working with legendary musician Nile Rogers on the music… to the film's triumphant premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival and its subsequent theatrical release… Mark's first time experience is one that every aspiring filmmaker will enjoy hearing about. PLUS Adam returns from Malta to discuss his experience shooting his latest film ASCENT, share some fun anecdotes on the production and explain why the experience made Adam feel so old.
PUBLIC VERSION. Writer/star Amanda Stern (THE INCOHERENTS, A BROOKLYN LOVE STORY) joins Joe to discuss her career journey and the making of her latest feature PERFECTLY GOOD MOMENT (available now on Tubi). From the way she approaches the mechanics of writing… to what it's like performing in an erotic story when her husband is one of the producers… to how she and director Lauren Greenhall started their collaboration… to a conversation abut the glorious, sometimes graphic work of porn-turned-music video-turned-horror director Gregory Dark… to their mutual favorite films in the erotic thriller genre… to what its like making a film in 10 days in sweltering NYC heat and how her critically acclaimed “erotic thriller with a twist” played to a crowd of older patrons on the festival circuit… Amanda shares her perspective on how to boldly succeed at independent story telling while holding on to your own unique voice.
Filmmakers Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (NOVOCAINE, THE STAKELANDER, VILLAINS, SIGNIFICANT OTHER) join Joe Lynch to discuss their career journey. From being randomly assigned as roommates at NYU… to starting their own production company… to taking on the STAKELAND franchise with their well-received sequel… to creating chemistry between two up-and-coming stars like Bill Skarsgard & Maika Monroe in VILLAINS and making an action star out of an everyman actor like Jack Quaid in their new film NOVOCAINE (in theaters March 13th)… Dan and Robert share the details of their collaborative process.
Filmmaker and MOVIE CRYPT favorite Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW 2-4, SPIRAL, ABATTOIR, REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA) returns to share yet another set of incredible stories from his various cinematic adventures over the last few years. As always, Bousman brings his unmatched level of candid honesty about his trials and tribulations and the humble perspective that has made him an absolute legend on this podcast. Starting off with the story of his film THE CELLO and how one of the greatest production experiences of his career suddenly turned south… to the making of his upcoming feature (tentatively titled THE MONSTER) and working with Dijon Hounsou (AMISTAD) and Lauren LaVera (TERRIFIER 2 & 3)… to the MUST HEAR second hour about how the three directors each wrestle with feeling responsible for anything that goes wrong on a production even when it was completely out of their hands… to how they deal with the disappointment of working on a project for years only to have it snuffed out in an instant… to how anxiety and depression have made them think they never wanted to make another film again and just what price “suffering for your art” can actually cost you over the long haul… this is yet another one of those conversations we only wish they would present students with in film school. It may only be March when this episode premieres but it is already a contender for best episode of the year. Don't miss it! To get the FULL version of every new episode support us on www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt for just $1 month!
Filmmaker Mary Dauterman (BOOGER) joins Adam and Joe to discuss the making of her debut feature film. From how her short film work prepared her for the longer haul of a feature… to how she “looked across” for her local collaborators… to the hurdles of shooting her feature on location in Brooklyn, NY… to how hard it can be to find the right title for a movie about trauma and furry creatures… to the extremely clever promotion when premiering the film at Fantasia… Mary discusses the in's and outs of this very personal film that just so happens to also have plenty of goopy body horror and be one of the more heartfelt micro-budget horror comedies to come along in a long time.
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PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A QUIET PLACE, HAUNT, 65) return to discuss their latest film HERETIC (available now) and their Iowa movie theater (The Last Picture House) with Adam, Joe, and Arwen. Having last appeared on THE MOVIE CRYPT five years ago (Episode 331), Beck and Woods have been lighting up Hollywood and captivating audiences since they last appeared on the podcast! From their process writing and directing together as a duo… to casting movie star Hugh Grant in what is now considered one of the greatest performances of his career… to creating a single location thriller where the terror is conveyed through dialogue as opposed to jump scares or violence… to working with legendary cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung (OLDBOY)… to the overwhelmingly positive response to HERETIC from critics and audiences alike and the response that those with strong religious convictions have had to HERETIC… Beck and Woods are quickly becoming one of the most successful duos in Hollywood. Also, Dr. Arwen and the guys provide “Hollywood Therapy” for a listener dealing with crushing grief and Beck and Woods discuss both the hurdles and the triumphs of opening their very own movie theater in their home town.
PUBLIC VERSION. Acclaimed filmmaker Alex Ross Perry (LISTEN UP PHILLIP, HER SMELL, CHRISTOPHER ROBIN) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his new video essay “Videoheaven” and his massive concert film GHOST: RITE HERE RITE NOW. From reminiscing about video stores… to a mutual appreciation for TROMA and school lunches… to the process behind creating three distinctive, non-linear projects… to spending well over a decade on his most personal passion project about the rise and fall of video stores… to intimately working with the enormously popular pop-metal band GHOST… to his new documentary/concert film PAVEMENTS (in theaters later this year)… this Altman-esque conversation (filled with classic MOVIE CRYPT diatribes and asides) shows just how much Alex is an ever evolving artist that is satisfying his many interests in an industry that typically just wants to box you up like a VHS clamshell.
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PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Zach Clark (THE BECOMERS, LITTLE SISTER, WHITE REINDEER) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his new Sci-Fi feature. From cutting his teeth in editing and how that impacted his directing craft… to his love and admiration for Russ Meyers and John Waters films… to his drive to go more “hard” genre and the classic films that inspired his alien invasion/body swap/love story/goo covered THE BECOMERS… to how COVID casually worked its way into the writing and shooting of the film… to comfort foods and how he deals with notes from peers… to a hint at his new project (a “castle horror” type film)… Zach is a truly inspiring voice on the indie scene.
PUBLIC VERSION. Writer and show runner Matthew Scott Kane (HYSTERIA!) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his career journey. From seeing JURASSIC PARK at a Michigan drive-in and falling in love with filmmaking at age 3… to making his first short film with friends and winning the first film festival he entered (only to find out afterwords that there was only one other submission!)… to the famous critic that recommended he try his hand at writing for television… to making the move to Los Angeles and the many assistant jobs he worked at as he honed his craft… to selling his pilot for HYSTERIA! to a major outlet only to have them back out of making it when the pandemic hit… to being down to his last cent with no agent and no hope in sight before getting a surprising phone call that changed everything for him… to his anxiety filled ZOOM pitch with over 80 people on the call… to the process of staffing up his writers' room on his first series… to the writer's strike hitting right as HYSTERIA! was finishing up shooting its first episode and having no choice but to stay on the sidelines until the strike had played out… Matthew's success has certainly not come easily and his story is all the more inspiring because of it! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a listener who is trying to move on in her career and facing the dreaded “but you don't have enough experience yet” road block while Matthew gives Adam the WHITE LION music cue that he had been waiting his whole life to see in a film or television show.
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PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Drew Hancock (COMPANION, MY DEAD EX, MR. PICKLES) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his career journey. From growing up in Nebraska where a career in Hollywood seemed impossible… to going to school for advertising and realizing he was on the wrong path… to the editing class that convinced him to switch majors and go after becoming a filmmaker… to making the move to Los Angeles and finding both his voice and his crowd through the early CHANNEL 101 days… to writing and directing for various television variety shows, award shows, and TV series like BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE, FRED: THE SHOW, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE, SUBURGATORY, MR. PICKLES, and MY DEAD EX… to writing COMPANION as a spec and getting into the hands of producer and previous MOVIE CRYPT guest J.D. Lifshitz's BoulderLight Pictures… to the director who was originally attached deciding that Drew should direct COMPANION himself… to the process of bringing his terrific thriller to life and the nervousness of being on the verge of its wide release (on IMAX screens across the US this coming weekend!)… Drew is yet another artist who's hit the point of thinking his Hollywood journey may be over only to keep pushing forward and making the dream come true. COMPANION opens in theaters this weekend!
PUBLIC VERSION. Host and co-creator of the FAKING MICHAEL podcast series Damien Shields joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss his 14 year journey investigating “the inside story of music's greatest fraud.” From an aunt mistakenly recording a Michael Jackson concert over a football game that he wanted to watch as a kid… to the moment in 2010 that he (and many other fans) first realized that three of the songs on MJ's first posthumous record “Michael” did not actually feature Michael Jackson singing on them… to his search for answers approaching various producers, collaborators, Jackson family members and powerful estate executives looking for the truth… to the decision to turn his investigation into a podcast series… to the crowd funding attempt that introduced him to a very special backer willing to contribute a major piece of forensic evidence to the project… to the interview that changed the course of the episodes he had already produced… to all that went into the technical side of producing such an impressively written, recorded and sound designed presentation… Damien explains how he went from a fan in Australia with no connections to the music industry and no formal journalism training to helping expose one of the biggest art frauds in music history through sheer determination and perseverance. All thirteen episodes of the FAKING MICHAEL podcast are currently available wherever you listen to podcasts. A must hear!
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Continued exploration of the Mechanic Street mystery (see Episode 41.), this time the looping Mechanic Street route in Bellingham, Holliston, Hopkington, Medway and Upton. Photos and contact: https://www.instagram.com/lostmassachusetts/ Sources, credits, blog, etc.: https://lostmassachusetts.com/a-lost-place/
PUBLIC VERSION. Writer/director Gil Kenan (MONSTER HOUSE, GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, SATURDAY NIGHT) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to share his incredible career journey. From how the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake changed his path from the theater to the cinema… to working with both Zemeckis AND Spielberg on creating the animated classic MONSTER HOUSE… to his fateful meeting with fellow filmmaker Jason Reitman and the incredible creative partnership that followed… to the importance of accessing truth even when working with established IPs like SNL and GHOSTBUSTERS… to surviving the “beautiful disaster” that was CITY OF EMBER and the sad truth about how IMPRACTICAL JOKERS and VICTOR CROWLEY star Brian Quinn ALMOST made it into GHOST BUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE… Gil's story is legendary! Seriously, what other filmmaker got to direct the latest adventure by the Ghostbusters AND write the definitive film on the making of Saturday Night Live all in one year?!
PUBLIC VERSON. Filmmaker Justin Harding (CARVED, MAKING MONSTERS) joins Joe in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his career journey. From honing his craft making short films and episodic television in Toronto for years… to traveling the world via the festival circuit… to why filmmaking for him is a family affair… to the challenges of working with VR technology… to how storyboarding can save the day on set… to working as a 2nd Unit Director on films for previous MOVIE CRYPT guests Eli Roth and Corin Hardy… to turning his award winning short film into his feature CARVED (now available on Hulu)…and how me made his mother's dream posthumously come true, Justin's story is full of inspiration! Also, Adam brings home two new fury family members with “Houdini” and “Raskin!”
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmakers John Thomas Kelley and Francesco Loschiavo (TALES FROM THE VOID) join Adam and Joe to discuss the making of their anthology TV series - now available on Screambox and featuring a pilot episode directed by our own Joe Lynch! From their shared love of short stories and anthology TV series leading to their collaboration on TALES FROM THE VOID… to how they mined fantastic untouched short stories from the NO SLEEP community and put the time in to tracking down the various authors all over the world to option each unique tale they were interested in… to the development process of writing and crafting each short story into a compelling episode of television… to the long process that the series endured getting off the ground and all of the setbacks the project suffered on its way from concept through production… to the lessons they learned while creating, writing, show running, and directing their first season of a television series… to bringing Joe Lynch into the fold as the director of the pilot episode… to the reactions from the series' extensive festival tour and a heartfelt and candid conversation about how filmmakers deal with on-line criticism after spending so many years and so much effort creating something that's just meant to entertain people… John and Francesco's sheer determination to bring TALES FROM THE VOID out of “the void” and on to our screens is certainly something to behold, applaud and draw inspiration from.
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PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Pascal Plante (RED ROOMS, NADIA BUTTERFLY) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his new crime/horror/mystery film. From seeing Michael Haneke's CACHE as a teenager and the other films that inspired him to become a filmmaker… to working in countless positions on dozens of short films on his way up before helming his first feature NADIA BUTTERFLY (2020)… to finding inspiration for RED ROOMS from people who obsessively follow true crime and even go so far as attending various trials… to writing the film while isolated during the pandemic… to his bold choice to only let the audience hear the gruesome crimes and witness various characters' reactions to the violence rather than actually show it on screen… to the breathtaking and highly motivated long takes that relied on camera movement and performance to tell the story in certain scenes more so than the actual editing… to creating two characters that are obsessed with a criminal trial yet writing both of them without bias or judgement… to his low tolerance for sadism in films or showing gore for the sake of gore alone… Pascal's RED ROOMS (available now on digital and Blu-ray) is one of the best crime/thrillers of the last year!
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PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker F. Javier Gutierrez (THE WAIT, BEFORE THE FALL, RINGS) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey. From the De Palma film that set him on his filmmaking path as a child… to attending the Sitges film festival first as a fan and then as a bonafide filmmaker with a short in the festival lineup… to working with Antonio Banderas as a producer on his debut feature BEFORE THE FALL… to dealing with studio pressures making RINGS (his 2017 entry in THE RING franchise)… to working with late producer Ed Pressman on a reboot of THE CROW that never came to fruition and ultimately returning to his home country to make his latest feature THE WAIT which absolutely destroyed at festivals worldwide in 2024… Gutierrez has done it all and lived to tell the tales!
PUBLIC VERSION. Writer and producer Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton (“A Comedy of Tragedies,” TERRIFIER 2) returns to discuss his new autobiography (now available wherever books are sold) with Adam, Joe, and Arwen. Having originally appeared on THE MOVIE CRYPT way back in 2016 (episode 155 - available in our Classic Crypt tier of Patreon), Steve returns 8 years later now having been part of the team behind the hit film TERRIFIER 2 and having written his hilarious, heartbreaking, and inspiring autobiography “A Comedy of Tragedies.” From the low point he found himself in that lead to him starting to write down his most painful memories… to the healing journey that his reflections lead him on and how he found a way to laugh at even the worst of times… to his exit from the TERRIFIER series and how he rebounded from such a personally devastating disappointment… to how he learned that making memories is the most important aspect of his life… to an introspective conversation about why most people are good and the world is not as divided as we may often be lead to believe it is… to the interesting reason why he chose not to be the narrator of the audio book version of his own autobiography… this extremely candid conversation between 3 long time friends (over 20 years now!) will surely lift your spirits, encourage you to keep moving forward, and remind you that things can always get better. “A Comedy of Tragedies” is available wherever books are sold but autographed copies are available through Encylopocalypse Publications here.
Actor Matthew Lillard (SCREAM, SCOOBY-DOO, THIR13EN GHOSTS, SLC PUNK!, SERIAL MOM, HACKERS, FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S, WITHOUT A PADDLE, SHE'S ALL THAT, THE DESCENDANTS, and so much more!) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope Studio for THE MOVIE CRYPT's milestone 600th episode. From the acting class in 7th grade that sparked Matthew's love of performing… to how he didn't let a learning disability or failing out of college curb his ambition or his belief in himself… to starting a theater company with friends and creating a community that would provide them with opportunities to perform… to quitting his day job the very night that he booked his first big film role (John Waters' SERIAL MOM)… to how he avoided the typical Hollywood pitfalls and personal hardships that so many young actors unfortunately find themselves falling into…to why he sees the goal of his craft as serving each story's director rather than serving himself as an actor… to auditioning for Wes Craven's SCREAM and how he looks back on his performance as “Stu” now… to why he thinks SCREAM's lasting longevity has so much to do with the film's decision to fully embrace the time period it was made in… to his experience in the director's chair for 2012's FAT KID RULES THE WORLD and the long process he went through to produce the film… to one of the best stories you'll ever hear about the making of SCOOBY-DOO and why “friends don't quit”… to the creation of his FIND FAMILIAR SPIRITS company which provides fandoms with genre themed direct-to-customer whisky (“Quest's End” and “Sandkheg's Hide” for Dungeons & Dragons fans) and tequila (“Macabre Spirits” for horror fans)… to the true value of fame, why hugs are so important, and why getting the opportunity to meet fans at conventions is an experience he can't imagine living without… Matthew is the perfect guest for this milestone episode. His message of not waiting for anyone else to give you permission to do what you love the most is right on brand with THE MOVIE CRYPT podcast's central theme of never giving up! Try Matthew's “Macabre Spirits” at www.MacabreSpirits.com! Start getting the full version of every MOVIE CRYPT episode every Monday by joining our beloved community and supporting us at www.Patreon.com/theMovieCrypt today!
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker and actress Katt Shea (POISON IVY, THE RAGE: CARRIE 2, STRIPPED TO KILL, PSYCHO III, NANCY DREW AND THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss her career journey. From putting on shows in her backyard at age twelve and realizing she could enlist other neighborhood kids and charge their parents to come watch… to becoming a working actress on films like BARBARIAN QUEEN, HOLLYWOOD HOT TUBS, THE DEVASTATOR… to learning all that she could about the filmmaking process while acting for the great Brian DePalma on SCARFACE and the legendary Anthony Perkins on PSYCHO III… to the crazy hurdles she jumped through in order to convince Roger Corman to green-light her directorial debut STRIPPED TO KILL… to how the production wound up having a bigger budget than other Concorde Pictures' films and how the overall Corman experience prepared her to solve any hurdle a shoot throws at her… to the absolutely incredible story of the dog (“Bear”) that was rescued in real life in order to play “Ruby” the rescue dog star of her 2022 film RESCUED BY RUBY… to the challenges of working on a film with a Director of Photography that only wanted to do things their own way… to accepting the job to direct THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 on merely four days notice while knowing all along that she'd have a target on her back for daring to direct a sequel to CARRIE… to what “Carrie” herself (Academy Award winner Sissy Spacek) said about the sequel once she saw it… to how time can change movies that were originally panned (like SCARFACE) and see them go on to become beloved films and part of pop culture… to the way life wound up imitating art with her 1992 film POISON IVY… to what it was like being one of the only women at the early Masters of Horror get togethers… to why she loves teaching acting so much and how age and experience can really strengthen an artist's spine… Katt's fearless 40+ year career is certainly one to be celebrated.
PUBLIC VERSION. Actress/model turned director/producer Brande Roderick (TV's BAYWATCH, STARSKY & HUTCH, HOOD OF HORROR, THE NANNY DIARIES, TV's THE SURREAL LIFE, PLAYBOY's 2001 “Playmate of the Year”) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss her career journey and the making of her debut feature film WINEVILLE - available now! From growing up in a horror loving family and the films she saw as a child that shaped her appreciation for the genre… to how the pandemic, her desire to keep working, and the availability of an amazing location served as the genesis for getting into the director's chair for WINEVILLE… to producing the film herself and having to juggle all aspects of the production while simultaneously acting and directing in it… to how she made the choice to set the film in the 70's and the challenges of pulling off a period piece with limited resources… to casting her actual son Keaton to play the role of her son in the film and working with previous MOVIE CRYPT guest Texas Battle (WRONG TURN 2)… to managing everything from children to stunts to make-up/gore FX on an ambitious 12 day shoot… to why it was so crucial to cast seasoned actors she could count on when up against such a fast shooting schedule… to the various obstacles she was hit with once filming began… to how she approached handling the film's delicate and dark themes like sexual abuse… to how her experiences working as an actress on various TV and feature film sets informed her approach behind the camera and the helpful lessons she learned along the way… to being part of the very first groundbreaking season of THE SURREAL LIFE and the start of what would become the “Celeb-Reality” genre of television… to how she prepared to compete on THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE and stories from living in the Playboy Mansion… Brande's long career has continued to expand thanks to her fearless approach to new challenges, her refusal to be stereotyped, and her willingness to step out of her comfort zone. Stream WINEVILLE wherever you rent or purchase movies digitally or get your very own autographed copy at www.WinevilleMovie.com!
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Jack Sholder (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2, THE HIDDEN, ARACHNID, WISHMASTER 2) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey. From his beginnings in entertainment as a trumpet player… to his obsession with cinema leading to his eventual career path working as an editor on such classics as THE BURNING (1981)… to becoming a feature director wrangling the “interesting” character that is Jack Palance in the cult-classic ALONE IN THE DARK (1982)… to his stories from the making of 1985's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE (the “tongue” story is a particular gem)… to his particular choice of lens sizes when crafting one of the best car chases from the 80's in THE HIDDEN (1987)… to what it was like directing the late James Earl Jones in his acclaimed HBO movie BY DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT (1990)… there's a good reason why Jack was one of the most consistent working directors in the fledgling New Line Cinema roster!
SPECIAL EPISODE. Adam and Joe say goodbye to their friend and cinematic legend Tony Todd (CANDYMAN, FINAL DESTINATION, HATCHET, PLATOON, THE CROW, and more) who passed away on November 6, 2024. Includes Tony's full original MOVIE CRYPT appearance from 2014. Watch HOLLISTON Season 1, Episode 4 "Candyman" starring Tony Todd - streaming FREE on www.ariescope.com for the next week only. Watch ADAM GREEN'S SCARY SLEEPOVER Season 2, Episode 1 "Tony Todd" FREE here: https://youtu.be/BG_W-Vm9YxQ?si=GzAhdI3_CQynLMpv Anthony Tiran Todd (December 4, 1954 - November 6, 2024)
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Austin Jennings (EIGHT EYES, THE LAST DRIVE-IN WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss his career journey and the making of his debut feature film. From how he wound up in New York and working with the gang that resurrected one of TV's most iconic hosts Joe Bob Briggs… to the rigorous process of how THE LAST DRIVE-IN is programmed and produced… to why he believes “appointment TV” still holds an important place in the modern streaming world… to the film that was the hardest to play on the show… to the decision to change the show's format from a double feature to a single film… to his transition into directing his first feature with his giallo/exploitation homage EIGHT EYES (available now on Shudder and on physical media through Vinegar Syndrome)… to the trials of shooting on 16mm and working in Serbia… to working with star Emily Sweet… to what Joe Bob thinks of his film (the answer may surprise you!)… Austin shares a peek behind the drive-in screen of Shudder's flagship show and proves that where there is a will there is a way.
PUBLIC VERSION. Actor David Howard Thornton (“Art the Clown” from the TERRIFIER series, STREAM, THE MEAN ONE) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope Studio to share his career journey. From a bullied kid growing up in Alabama who realized he had the ability to make people laugh… to becoming a teacher and quickly realizing that he got more fulfillment out of entertaining his students than actually teaching them… to going through a difficult period of hardships that ultimately pushed him to go after his dream of acting rather than playing life safe… to being the understudy for Stefán Karl Stefánsson in “The Grinch” and performing in other small roles… to the literal “flip of a coin” that saw him lose out on one role but gain the opportunity to become the now iconic “Art the Clown”… to his process of transforming into “Art” and how he comes up with many of the characters' mannerisms based on feel and only once on the actual set… to how his stage experience in theater has made him find “method acting” unnecessary for his own process in his film roles… to what it's really like on set when he's shooting such violent sequences and the kill in TERRIFIER 3 that almost made him throw up on set… to getting canned from performing a voice for a children's show halfway through the season when the producers realized that he was the same actor who played “Art the Clown” in TERRIFIER… to his ongoing prank war with Kane Hodder (“Victor Crowley”) at conventions and the incredible love that fans have shown him at appearances… to his close brush with tragedy during the making of STREAM and specific signs from the universe that have reminded him that he is indeed on the right path… David's journey to icon status is certainly one for the horror history books! TERRIFIER 3 is in theaters now! Happy Halloween! The 26th annual ArieScope Halloween short film (THE PET SITTER) is now streaming FREE on www.ariescope.com and the ArieScope YouTube channel!
PUBLIC VERSION. Screenwriter Ian McDonald (WOMAN OF THE HOUR) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope studio to discuss his career journey and the making of his new feature (WOMAN OF THE HOUR is currently in theaters and available on Netflix). From growing up in Maine as an introvert far removed from the entertainment industry… to going to college for film but pivoting to theater and attending grad school for playwriting… to writing and producing his first feature film SOME FREAKS (2016) independently… to the 8 year journey he has been on with his screenplay for WOMAN OF THE HOUR and the vast amount of research he did on the crimes of real-life serial killer Rodney Alcala… to the extra level of consideration he put into writing a story that's based on true events and his decision to tell the story in a non-linear fashion… to actress Anna Kendrick stepping into the director's chair in the 11th hour of pre-production and the terrific creative working relationship they forged making the film… to having to sit out the film's Toronto premiere due to the WGA strike and why he finds joy in mentoring young aspiring writers… Ian's career is no “overnight success” which is precisely why it's so inspiring to hear! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for an artist suffering from disenchantment, “Victor Crowley” slaughters ABC's THE GOLDBERGS, and the guys get real about aging. Watch Adam's 26th annual ArieScope Halloween short film THE PET SITTER - streaming FREE on ArieScope.com or the ArieScope YouTube channel!
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Michael Felker (THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his career journey and his directorial debut. From the films of 1999 that injected him with the filmmaking bug… to his experience at FSU and his first few assistant jobs working within the industry… to turning his gig as a “tape logger” for huge studio productions into his own version of film school… to the Production Assistant experience that changed his entire outlook on filmmaking… to his work as an editor on V/H/S VIRAL and his extensive working relationship editing films for friends of THE MOVIE CRYPT Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead (Episode 209) like THE ENDLESS, SYNCHRONIC, and SOMETHING IN THE DIRT… to the process of writing and developing his time traveling mind bender THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT (in theaters now and available On-Demand soon)… and the massive wrench that got thrown into his production at the very start of photography and the extremely creative way that he pivoted to overcome the obstacle… Michael's story is as technically fascinating as it is inspiring. Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a filmmaker who's project suddenly fell apart, the group discusses some of their unexpectedly pivotal moments at the cinema, and Michael shares why diligent pre-production and keeping the scope of a film within your available resources is so important to the success of an indie film.
"Holliston" is a horror-comedy television series that aired on FEARnet from 2012-2013. The show revolves around two down and out aspiring filmmakers, Adam and Joe, who struggle with life, career, and the opposite sex as they attempt to make it out of the small town they're trapped in and into the big time. "Holliston" is set in show creator Adam Green's actual hometown of Holliston, Massachusetts, and features various cameos from horror icons. The main cast also features Twisted Sister's Dee Snider and Dave Brockie from GWAR playing his classic alter ego "Oderus Urungus". All the pieces are there to match the interests of the S1E1 boys, but will they give it the Green-light? Listen as they deep dive the show's first episode, "The Hooker". Starring: Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Laura Ortiz, Corri English, Nick Ballard, Michele Santopietro, Dave Brockie, Dee Snider, & DeAnna Pappas www.S1E1POD.com MERCH Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1Pod
PUBLIC VERSION. Actress Lauren LaVera (TERRIFIER 2 & 3) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss her career journey and the making of TERRIFIER 3 which opens in US theaters this weekend! From growing up loving Lucille Ball and watching horror films with her family… to the movie that (ironically) made her afraid of clowns… to feeling like a bullied nerd in high school due to her intense focus on her grades… to becoming an optician selling high-end glasses before a family member's death made her reassess her safe choice of a career and fully go after acting… to why horror conventions played such a pivotal role in making fans aware of the TERRIFIER series and “Art the Clown”… to still suffering from “imposter syndrome” at appearances… to how her 20 years practicing martial arts helped prepare her not only physically but mentally for her role as “Sienna” in the TERRIFIER series… to what a huge difference having a decent budget made on the production process for TERRIFIER 3 and the grossest gore effect that she had to personally be involved with… to the many previous “final girl” characters that she draws inspiration from… to working with Mike Flanagan on his new film LIFE OF CHUCK and the fight she got into with her hotel room shower at Silver Scream Con last month… there's a good reason why Lauren is currently the reigning champ of scream queens! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a filmmaker considering abandoning his dream, Joe and Lauren debate who sweats more on set, and Lauren gives some of the best advice for not giving up that you'll hear this year.
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Allan Arkush (ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL, DEATHSPORT, CADDYSHACK II, GET CRAZY, HEROES, ALLY MCBEAL, MOONLIGHTING, DAWSON'S CREEK) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss his long and incredible career. From his humble beginnings working for the great Roger Corman and the lifelong friendship he formed with Joe Dante (GREMLINS)… to screening movies with the Jerry Garcia… to having a projectionist literally close the curtains in the middle of his test screening for 1978's DEATHSPORT… to his first major studio directing gig working with the legendary Andy Kaufman on 1981's HEARTBEEPS… to how his early years working at the Fillmore East lead to his 1983 film GET CRAZY… to making the move into directing television and music videos… to the difficult time he had making CADDYSHACK II… to his prolific success directing episodes of FAME, ST. ELSEWHERE, MOONLIGHTING, ALLY MCBEAL, HEROES, NASHVILLE, and more… Allan candidly shares some of his most amazing stories, triumphs, and struggles over the course of this riveting 2 hour conversation. Also, the group does their best to provide “Hollywood Therapy” for a filmmaker struggling with self doubt, Adam passes on “Donna” several times, and Allan attends a Christmas party to remember at Mick Jagger's house!
PUBLIC VERSION. Academy Award winning editor Bob Murawski (ARMY OF DARKNESS, SPIDER-MAN 2, THE FIRST OMEN, HURT LOCKER) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey. From his beginnings in Michigan and the connection that led to him working with Sam Raimi for decades… to how he was able to sneak in a shot from a Lucio Fulci film into one of the most famous superhero movies ever made… to transitioning from film to video editing on ARMY OF DARKNESS… to his crazy stories working with John Woo on HARD TARGET… to editing and completing Orson Welles' final film… to starting Grindhouse Releasing with the late Sage Stallone… to the nightmare of sorting through 1000's of hours of footage for HURT LOCKER (which he edited with his wife Chris) and what it was like winning an Oscar….this super-sized episode is filled with geek-tastic anecdotes and plenty of industry advice from a true hero of cinema! Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for an artist looking for advice on how to stay on track creatively and Bob even gives Joe some notes on SUITABLE FLESH! Interested in Bob's Grindhouse Releasing? Check out the official website and ALL of the amazing titles they have to offer at: www.grindhousereleasing.com
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Greg Jardin (IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss his career journey and the making of his debut feature film. From the films that inspired him to become a filmmaker and his FSU film school experience… to how his thesis film lead to him getting representation in Hollywood and what those first few years in LA were actually like for him… to how he had the tenacity to keep moving forward making short form content and promos for almost 10 years while the various feature projects he was excited about stalled out or disappeared… to how he wrote and put together his team for IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE and how he pulled off such an ambitious and confidently directed/edited film with limited time and resources… to the various artistic and technical choices he made that kept such a complicated body swapping story so easy and fun for the audience to follow… to the film's triumphant Sundance debut that garnered a HUGE Netflix sale heard ‘round the industry… Greg's incredible story is one that we know you'll find massively inspiring and IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE (available on Netflix soon) will undoubtedly blow you away!
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Adam MacDonald (BACKCOUNTRY, PYEWACKET, SLASHER) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss the making of his new feature OUT COME THE WOLVES (in theaters now). From the genesis of the “third wheel” concept and the collaborative development that became the OUT COME THE WOLVES screenplay… to the importance of having three dimensional characters in order to make the thrills actually matter… to how the film's sound design was crafted and how he used selective focus to create tension and dread… to what it was like meeting the film's wolves for the first time… to how bringing crew members that he worked with on the TV series SLASHER helped him pull off the film on a mere 16 day shoot… to how he became the voice of “John Carver” in Eli Roth's THANKSGIVING… Adam takes us deep into the woods and deep behind the scenes of his new survival thriller. Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a listener who feels like he is watching his kids grow up too fast and the two Adams geek out hard about their experiences working with wolves.
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Austin Peters (SKINCARE - in theaters now) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his career journey. From growing up with parents working in the industry and finding his own love for filmmaking… to making low budget music videos for friends' bands… to where the concept for SKINCARE came from and how the project was put together… to working with an all-star cast (Elizabeth Banks, Nathan Fillion, Lewis Pullman, and more) in his debut feature film… to the challenges of shooting “Hollywood for Hollywood”… to the art of the perfect needle drop and the importance of pre-production… Austin's debut brings a thrilling and satirical edge to manufactured beauty and the wellness industry in the City of Angels!
Filmmaker Damian Mc Carthy (ODDITY, CAVEAT) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss his career journey and the making of his new feature ODDITY. From the films that scared him and inspired him to become a storyteller of his own… to writing and directing his own short films for the last 2 decades… to how he put together his terrific first feature film (CAVEAT) which had the unfortunate timing of being released right at the height of the global pandemic… to how he buckled down and wrote three new scripts while the rest of the world was shut down and learning how to bake bread or binging TV shows… to how he crafted his screenplay for ODDITY to contain so many genuine scares in a single location setting… to how storyboarding helped him achieve such evocative frames of fear on a tight timeline… to the design of the film's signature “screaming statue”… to what it was like directing one actor playing two roles… to ODDITY's triumphant win of the “Midnighter Award” at South By South West… to the film's theatrical release (it's in theaters now!)… Damian has crafted a ghastly chiller that hits all the right notes! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a writer trying to get their screenplays in front of the right people.
PUBLIC VERSION. Writer, musician, comedian Allie Goertz (MAD MAGAZINE, EVERYTHING'S COMING UP SIMPSONS PODCAST) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope Studio to discuss her career journey and the making of her new album of NINE INCH NAILS covers “Peeled Back” (now available). From singing an original song on “Chat Roulette” about comedians she liked and finding that song suddenly being acknowledged by many of those same comedians… to how she met her co-host and started the EVERYTHING'S COMING UP SIMPSONS PODCAST… to how previous MOVIE CRYPT guest Thomas Lennon (RENO 911) helped push her be considered for the job of editor of MAD MAGAZINE… to how she discovered her love for NINE INCH NAILS and the two year process she went through bringing her album of NIN covers “Peeled Back” to life… to co-directing the music videos that accompany her album… Allie has had one of the most unique career stories we've heard yet! Also - Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a writer dealing with a case of the self-doubts, the boys debate their favorite Disney movies, and Allie shares some of her new music!
PUBLIC VERSION. Writer and Director Marcus Dunstan (FEAST, FEAST 2, SAW IV, SAW V, SAW VI, SAW 3D, THE COLLECTOR, THE COLLECTION, THE NEIGHBOR, SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK) makes his triumphant return to THE MOVIE CRYPT to discuss the making of his latest film #AMFAD: ALL MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD (in theaters and available on VOD now). From rolling with the changes that Hollywood has undergone over the last decade and surviving through the pandemic and strikes… to how he got involved with #AMFAD… to how he pulled off the film on such extremely tight resources (the initial production schedule was just 12 days!)… to how he found a way to solve some of the craziest hurdles he faced… to the film's world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival… to BREAKING NEWS about the status of a new COLLECTOR film which Marcus received just minutes before this recording… to a discussion about which films each of the guys would remake if given the chance (and who they would cast)… to why leaning on fellow filmmakers for support and encouragement is such a pivotal part of staying sane in the business… to everyone's favorite X-FILES episode and SO much more… this extremely uplifting conversation is just what you need to hear this week and the perfect example why Marcus is one of our favorite people in the known universe.
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker/actor Ward Roberts (THE NICE GUYS, DUST-UP, WESTWORLD, CHILLERAMA, LITTLE BIG TOP) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope Studio to share his career journey. From growing up in “the carnival capitol of the United States”… to making the decision to leave Indiana and chase his Hollywood dreams… to working on both sides of the screen as both an actor in film & TV and a director (DUST-UP and the Sid Haig-starring LITTLE BIG TOP)… to his memorable turn as the expletive-spewing, ocular-cavity humping older brother in Joe's CHILLERAMA segment (“Zom-B-Movie”) where he met future collaborators Bear McCreary & Richard Riehle… to the trials of being an actor in Los Angeles… to the 4 years that it took to make his new feature (the iPhone-filmed INVADERS FROM PROXIMA-B which is now available on VOD)… to directing his daughter in a scene-stealing turn… and why he continues to work with long time collaborators like fellow filmmaker Travis Betz (JOSHUA) and casting director Annie Roberts… Ward is one of the family to us.
PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Philippe Mora (THE BEAST WITHIN, MAD DOG MORGAN, HOWLING II: …YOUR SISTER IS A WEREWOLF, HOWLING III, COMMUNION) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope studio to discuss his long and incredible career. Born in France and raised in Australia, Mora's artistic journey has been so remarkable that you need to hear it to believe it! From being the godson of legendary mime performer Marcel Marceau (also known as “Bip the Clown”)… to becoming roommates with a VERY famous rock star who would wind up helping to finance his first feature film… to hiring an actual crazy person to play a crazy person in his debut feature TROUBLE IN MOLOPOLIS (1969)… to how “steak tartare” helped get him his first American directing gig… to the very famous sci-fi costumes that mistakenly showed up on the set of HOWLING II and wound up being used in the film… Mora's story is one of the most fascinating, hilarious, and inspiring that we've heard in over 11 years of this weekly podcast so far. You're going to absolutely LOVE this conversation!