Episodes
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Hello Spill your guts listeners! This is your host Kevin Lane wishing you a happy Friday the 13th!
The show will be returning with our season 4 premiere on October 1 but in the mean time, we thought it might be fun to celebrate this most unlucky of days by revisiting our season 1 episode with Jason Vorhees arch nemesis, Tommy Jarvis. In Friday the 13th part 6: Jason Lives, Tommy Jarvis and Jason have the ultimate showdown and though Tommy had been played by two other actors prior to Jason Lives, Thom Mathews has become synonymous with character.
Now, Iâm going to go ahead and guess if youâre listening to Spill your guts that youâre a collector of physical media. Of course you are. You have to be. Youâre a horror fan. For our Canadian listeners, our beloved sponsor Cinema 1 is bringing back their 3-day Friday the 13th Horror Sale from September 13th to 15th. Slash the tax and take 13% off all horror movies at any of their in-store locations in Guelph, Hamilton, and London, Ontario. Or get Free Shipping within Canada on orders over $75 using the code: JASON13 exclusively at Cinema1.ca
Thank you for listening and please enjoy this return to Crystal Lake.
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Weâll be taking a couple weeks to get things ready for a very VERY big season 4. Just wait until you see what we have in store for every horror fans favourite month of year. Iâm so excited I could just burst! Like that guy in âScannersâ. What are some other movies where someone just bursts? Anyway, thank you to our amazing team and our sponsors, Audio Process and Cinema 1, for another season of sitting down with horrors best and brightest and spilling guts.
Now, letâs get into it.
For any actor, playing a major character on a tv series that not only garners tons of adoring fans but also enters into the pop culture zeitgeist and becomes a phenomenon is a major achievement. Especially when their character is a particular fan favourite and ends up in video games, comic books, made into toys and more. Then you add the element of that series enduring the test of time to become inarguably classic television.
Iâll one up that now. How about doing that twice?
Our guest in this episode has a vast filmography of dynamic and versatile roles but her performance as vampire Darla on âBuffy the Vampire Slayerâ and its spinoff series âAngelâ and as âRitaâ, the wife of everyones favourite serial killer on the Showtime sensation âDexterâ, have made her a true genre star.
In this episode we are joined by the radiant and brilliant Julie Benz!
Julie sat down to talk with me about getting her start working on the George Romero produced, Dario Argento directed segment of the film âTwo Evil Eyesâ, when she realized that Buffy was becoming an important series, the benefits of working on two shows back to back that both had stars, Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz respectively, that were also great leaders. We talk about the excitement of getting cast to work opposite a virtuosic actor like Michael C. Hall and be a part of a critical darling like Dexter but also the heartbreak and feeling of betrayal that came later when she was written off the show.
I have to say that personally I have been a longstanding fan of Julieâs being a hardcore Buffy/Angel fan and then later a âDexterâ devotee. Julie is the kind of actor and person that anyone who speaks to people about their craft as a profession dreams of having as a guest. As thoughtful as she is open and real and man, is she ever a lovely human being.
Ladies and gentleman, Julie Benz!
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Getting any film finished and released is truly a minor miracle. There are so many stages of film production where projects fall apart. From financiers backing out at the last minute to a star quitting 2 days before production is set to begin. Most films take approximately 3 years from inception to completion when they do survive the Squid Games like survival test of getting a movie done.
Our guest take has just completed his 400th film. To put it plainly, heâs unstoppable.
The Godfather of B movies, the Puppet Master and a true master at reinventing himself time and time again⊠in this episode we welcome one of Spill your guts favourite guests, Charles Band.
Now, Charlie has created a new line of films titled Pulp Noire and with it, Charlie is setting out to show fans a whole new side to Full Moon films. Surrealistic, trippy, raw, and bleak⊠and nary a diminutive creature in sight. This new line shows Charlie reinventing YET again.
The first film in the series is titled âQuadrantâ and is directed by Charlie himself (all the Pulp Noire films will be directed by Charlie who generally prefers to take the producing helm) . Itâs a typically crazy Full Moon film that involves virtual reality, monsters and Jack the Ripper. Just see it. I canât even begin to describe this gonzo head trip.
Quadrant releases on nearly all platforms as well as being available from fullmoonhorror.com on August 23
Charlie sat down with me to discuss the response to the recently released David Allen masterpiece âThe Primevalsâ, to talk about the inception of Pulp Noire and why he chose to direct all the films himself and also to share his greatest fear. Which Iâm sure you'll find is so very Charles Band appropriate.
Letâs strap on our VR helmets and be weary of the ripper as Spill your guts welcomes back the one and only Charles Band!
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Thereâs a reason we love to see our favourite monsters return time and time agin but recently its been a period of transition. Shy of the original master slasher Michael Myers, whoâs reign of terror thankfully continues, many favourites have been benched or transitioned into the world of television like everyoneâs favourite good guy doll.
So, the time was ripe to unleash some new ones.
Our guest today has been a part of crafting the way forward for two iconic horror heavies. In one as the writer of several of the franchises most adored entries and the other, a work of his own creation.
In doing so he has cemented his place as one of the contemporary masters of horror and in my estimation, one of its greatest filmmakers.
The two franchises Iâm referring to are âSawâ and âThe Collectorâ and the filmmaker is the masterful Marcus Dunstan.
I should note that the two âCollectorâ films are among my personal favourites. With taut, stylish, nail biting direction from Marcus and a pitch perfect performance by the films star, the indispensable Josh Stewart, âThe Collectorâ films have become an audience favourite so I think I can safely say weâre all rather excited for the upcoming third film (more on that later).
Marcus has a new film titled â#AMFAD All my friends are deadâ that is one of the most fun times you could have with this years crop of horror films. Equal parts terrifying, scathing and laugh out loud funny, itâs decidedly lighter brand of Marcus Dunstan film and yet also fits into his roster perfectly. Original and with a hell of an ending, well, horror fans are in for a serious ride with this one.
â#AMFADâ is in select theatres now and is available on streaming.
Marcus and I discuss the happy accident the got him his first writing gig on a Saw film (he wrote 4 of them), his commitment in creating â#AMFADâ to not sticking to the usual tropes of a film about social media obsessed characters, how âThe Collectorâ films could be so grizzly but still have heart and oh yes, some details on the 3rd film.
Alright, letâs join the terrifying and twisted world of Jigsaw and the Collector with writer/director Marcus Dunston!
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In 1978, horror legend George A. Romero created one of the most iconic films in the horror genre and a classic that defied genres altogether. His follow up to his mighty 1968 masterpiece âNight of the Living Deadâ. The film, about a small band of survivors who take shelter in a shopping mall, while the outside world falls apart at the clawing hands of the living dead, was not only an audience and critical hit, it redefined the genre and its influence cannot be underestimated.
In this special episode of Spill your guts, we celebrate the 45th anniversary of George A. Romeroâs seminal masterpiece, âDawn of the Deadâ.
Joining me to discuss the film is horror maestro and long time friend of Spill your guts, Chris Alexander. Chris is the former editor of Fangoria magazine, an author, filmmaker and all around genre spokesman. Heâs also the perfect person for me to talk with about the film.
Both Chris and I were fortunate enough to have a friendship with George and we both had our own unique conversations with him about âDawnâ and his relationship to the film.
We discuss the films inception, the happy accidents that lead to some of the films most iconic moments, the challenges George faced with the production itself, the films incredibly multifaceted and damn near perfect script and why George Romero himself had a somewhat complicated relationship with the film. This and much, much more.
Itâs difficult when discussing a film like âDawnâ not to retread when a movie has been analyzed and discussed as much as this but by taking a more holistic view of the film and because of our own relationships with the films creator, I feel even the most devout âDawnâ fans will find some ideas and insights here worth chewing on.
Okay folks, thereâs no more room in hell so letâs get down to it and return to Monroeville Mall with Chris Alexander as we look back at George A. Romeroâs âDawn of the Deadâ!
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Rising to the height of its popularity in the 80âs with franchises like âFriday the 13thâ, âA Nightmare on Elm Streetâ, âHalloweenâ and many others, the slasher genre has proven itself to be one of the most enduring sub-genres of horror.
Its popularity has of course ebbed and flowed with a resurgence in the 90âs thanks to the success of films like âScreamâ and âI know what you did last summerâ but the slasher genre has also seen more than its share of duds with filmmakers mistakingly believing that all that an audience expects from a slasher film is a killer in a mask and nubile flesh for him to dispatch.
It is the successful deconstruction of the slasher sub-genre in films like âScreamâ and the less seen but equally clever âBehind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernonâ that have allowed the slasher film to evolve past the tropes that had begun to hold it back.
One new film that embraces, innovates and captures the true spirit of the slasher film is âDeer Camp 86ââ and in this episode we are joined by three of the films stars, Jay J. Bidwell, Brian Michael Raetz and Josh Dominguez.
âDeer Camp 86ââ is available now on blu-ray and streaming but I recommend you grab the blu-ray from our friends over at Cinema 1 and listen for a discount promo code during the episode.
We sat down to talk about what makes Deer Camp 86â stand out from the slasher crowd and how the film begins and feels like one kind of film but ends up becoming something else altogether. Why steps forward in inclusiveness are vital to the future of horror. The challenges of shooting on location and building a rapport in an ensemble cast and why the director chose to use a pseudonym for his billing on the film.
So, pack your mosquito repellent and throw on your camo and letâs visit âDeer Camp 86â!
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Weâre back! And we sure missed you. We took some time to retool the show and are bigger and better than ever. We are now working on all our editing and post sound with powerhouse studio, Audio Process. Weâve put a fresh coat of paint on the show with a new logo and more diverse kinds of content that will be coming soon. Itâs sure good to be with you all again so strap in for a upgraded Spill your guts.
Our guest today is someone very special to me. A friend, an endless source of information on all things horror, endlessly funny and quirky and an inspiration. Sadly, in May, he tragically passed away at the age of 44. He and I recorded this interview around a year ago and because of different scheduling reasons, the episode had yet to drop.
My guest today is beloved genre historian, celebrated writer, creator of unique and probing special features for physical media releases and all around genre advocate as well as tremendous lover of animals.
Today I am joined by the incomparable Lee Gambin.
I'd also like to welcome another sponsor of the show, Cinema 1. Cinema 1 is my go to store for many years for all my physical media (of which I have too many and not enough). They have some of the most hard to find titles and are lovers of the genre as well as collectors themselves. Be sure to visit www.cinema1.ca to pick up the films Lee and I discuss in this episode. Create your account and use promo code "spillyourguts" to get 10% off your order.
Once again, welcome back to Kevin Lane's Spill your guts!
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Our guest today is a virtuoso of the genre having worked as either the producer, star, production manager, second unit director, or assistant director (sometimes a combination of a few of these roles) on a panoply of iconic films including several movies with the âGodfather of Goreâ Herschell Gordon Lewis, âAmerican Nightmareâ, âTerror Trainâ, âMy Bloody Valentineâ, âHumongousâ and the cult classic sequels to âProm Nightâ that turned Mary Lou into a horror anti-hero. These and many, MANY more.
We are joined by the âWizard of Goreâ himself, Ray Sager.
Ray is a master storyteller on the making of independent films. His early career began working with Herschel Gordon Lewis, who became his mentor. He also starred as Montag the Magnificent in the classic Lewis film âThe Wizard of Goreâ. Many projects later, Ray established himself as a producer during one of the most prolific eras in Canadian filmmaking. The mid 70âs to early 80âs saw an unprecedented amount of films being made due to hefty tax deductions for film investors and Ray produced a slew of them. Sometimes as many as 3 three features a year. Ray knows every trick of the trade.
Heâs one of the most dedicated producers to work in horror and generous instructor for how to avoid the many pitfalls of independent filmmaking. This episode is a must listen for our indie filmmaker listeners.
Letâs pull back the curtain and learn about the magic of horror filmmaking with celebrated producer Ray Sager!
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This episode continues our series of overlooked and underseen films. Last episode we spoke with Michael Bonini, one of the stars of the 2022 influencer-skewering (yep, thatâs a pun) â#ChadGetsTheAxe" and in this episode we are joined by the films writer and director, Travis Bible.
Travis explains how a short film version of the feature length film closed the movies financing, how to plot out a well executed jump scare and believe me, this film has some great ones, finding a fair and balanced approach to commenting on influencers and why the film has a title that gives away a rather significant plot point.
There have been many genre films that have examined the role that social media and influencers play in our current media landscape but few have tackled the subject and found why it works in horror as well as â#ChadGetsTheAxe".
There are things far more terrifying for this group of influencers then whether or not followers hit the âLikeâ button so letâs take a look with writer/director Travis Bible!
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In our continuing series of under-seen or overlooked genre films, the next two episodes will be looking at the 2022 social media slasher â#ChadGetsTheAxeâ.
Written by Travis Bible and Kemerton Hargrove and directed by Bible, #ChadGetsTheAxe is a razor-sharp, edge of your seat slasher that not only avoids the pratfalls of the overdone âinfluencer horrorâ sub-sub-genre but actually has a fresh perspective on those tropes while always remembering to honour the horror genre first with carefully constructed scares.
Itâs a funny, surprising, biting movie that you might have missed.
In this episode we will be sitting down with one of the films stars. Next episode we are joined by the films director, Travis Bible.
In #ChadGetsTheAxe, he plays Spicy Steve, one of a group of 4 social media influencers that livestream their trip to the aptly titled âDevilâs Manorâ and run afoul of a satanic cult. He can also be seen in the new horror film âFollowersâ which drops today, March 12th exclusively on Screambox.
Welcome Michael Bonini!
Michael has an impressive list of credits for a young actor. One might also notice the eclectic variety of genres and characters types that Michael has taken on. Heâs a jack of all trades actor who brings something fresh and unexpected to whoever heâs playing. From network TV favourites like âThe Blacklistâ and âNew Amsterdamâ, the Netflix hit âThe Night Agentâ to beloved King of the Bâs Charles Bandâs âBad CGI Gatorâ, Michael is always a welcome presence in whatever heâs in.
We sat down to talk about the pitch-black and meaty role he played in another under-seen thriller âHurricane Aaronâ, how â#ChadGetsTheAxeâ found the right balance of social media commentary and suspense, what keeps his character Steve from being just another influencer dickhead and how you prepare as an actor for battling a floating CGI alligator for Charles Band.
Remember to like, comment and subscribe and lets try and survive our stay at Devilâs Manor with Michael Bonini!
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This episode is a continuation of our last episode with actor Devon Sawa as we continue to discuss overlooked or under-seen genre films. As a quick recap, Devon is one of the stars of the 2020 hinterland horror âHunter Hunterâ. When the film came out the pandemic cost it the opportunity to play festivals or have a premiere and sadly, the movie didnât get nearly the attention it deserves. Itâs a smart, taught, shocking film and one hopes in time more people will discover it.
In this episode we are joined by the films writer and director, Shawn Linden.
Shawn and I discuss the major influence of dark 80âs fantasy classics such as "The Secret of NIMH" and "The Dark Crystal", the many hurdles he faced getting âHunter Hunterâ into production, how killing characters the audience expects to see save the day is effectively destabilizing and oddly not done enough and why audiences are far more comfortable seeing humans get killed on screen than non-human animals.
Letâs explore the savage and stark world of âHunter Hunterâ with filmmaker Shawn Linden!
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The holidays have come and gone and itâs a new year and weâre back at it, bringing you intimate one on one sit downs with the most exciting voices in horror.
2023 was a fantastic year for horror and 2024 doesnât look to be slowing down so though the New Year is often a time for looking forward at whatâs to come, itâs also a time for reflection. This season we will be spotlighting some of the genres great entires that you may have missed or that for a number of reasons (a global pandemic for example) didnât get attention they so deserved.
The first film weâre going to delve into is the gripping and gutting 2020 film âHunter Hunterâ by filmmaker Shawn Linden.
âHunter Hunterâ, a raw and unforgiving survival story about a family living isolated in the wilderness, who begin to think they are being stalked by a rogue wolf but soon come to find itâs something far more terrifying, is a stark and nuanced genre film. Sadly, the pandemic robbed it of the ability to have a film festival run (so important for indie films) and when the film was released in 2020, despite plenty of strong reviews from the critics, it came and went with not nearly enough notice.
I think itâs one of the best genre films of the last decade and deserved much much better.
With a stellar cast and taught lean direction, the film is equal parts terrifying survival story and intimate character work.
In this episode, I am joined by one of the stars of the film and one of the genres most beloved leading men. In our next episode, we will be talking with the films director, Shawn Linden.
Our guest today has been acting since he was a child and over the years, has become a horror household name having starred in films such as âIdle Handsâ, âFinal Destinationâ, âBlack Fridayâ and the series starring everyones favourite Good Guy âChuckyâ.
When I started this show I had a list of people I knew I wanted to talk to. People that have made major contributions to the genre. Weâve been fortunate enough to get to speak with most of those people but this actor was always right at the top of the list.
In todayâs episode, we are joined by Devon Sawa.
Now most listeners of the show will be aware that our guests are generally joining us remotely but I had the great pleasure to sit down with Devon in person. We first me while he was attending the awesome horror convention âFrightmare in the Fallsâ in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and at a later date we recorded our talk in a restaurant so you will hear a bit more background than usual.
Devon is a lovely guy. Warm and open and generous with his stories and insights.
We discussed the ups and downs of a being a teen heartthrob, why he veered away from genre films for a while, how starring in Eminemâs iconic music video âStanâ helped redefine him as an actor and why a show about a murderous doll is so important.
So lets get ready to sit down with the man who had the best battle with his own possessed hand since Bruce Campbell, thwarted deaths plan and been killed by Chucky more then anybody⊠welcome horrorâs leading man, Devon Sawa!
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Happy holidays from all of us here at SYG!
The winter solstice is upon and itâs one of the darkest times of the year. So as you're enjoying the lights on your Christmas tree and lighting your Christmas candles, just remember that though the holidays are a time for joy and cheer, it has a much darker history than that. This, our annual Christmas special, will be our final episode for the holidays but weâll be back in a few weeks with more discussions with some of the luminaries of darkness.
Everyone has their favorite Christmas movie classics but perhaps the gold standard is Frank Capraâs âItâs a Wonderful Lifeâ. Featuring Jimmy Stewart learning that every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings, it was only a matter of time before some master of the macabre took a stab at the setup for a horror film.
And boy are we lucky that that particular filmmaker happened to by our guest today, Tyler MacIntyre with his new film âItâs a Wonderful Knifeâ.
If you donât love the title already you deserve to be boiled in your own Christmas pudding.
With a genre cast to die for, a razor-sharp script by Michael Kennedy (who wrote the genre hit âFreakyâ) and a Christmas killer sure to join the ranks of the great Christmas slashers, âItâs a Wonderful Knifeâ has all the ingredients to become a Christmas horror fans tradition.
Tyler and I sat down to discuss the importance of inclusivity in modern horror, some tips of the trade for pursuing a career in filmmaking that are sure to be of great help for our aspiring filmmaker listeners, what he took from Hallmark when creating his own Christmas tale and how the film nods to âItâs a Wonderful Lifeâ in some very sly ways. We also discuss the creation of Justin Longâs insane and wonderfully bizarre villain.
âItâs a Wonderful Knifeâ is available on Shudder, AMC+ and anywhere you rent your movies.
Okay, letâs sharpen our candy canes and get our wings with Tyler MacIntyre!
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Itâs the most wonderful time of the year! Santa is checking lists twice and all us horror fans are revisiting our favorite Christmas horror films. Black Christmas, Silent Night Deadly Night, Christmas Evil, Gremlins, Rare Exports, Krampus⊠the list goes on and on. Here at Spill Your Guts, our Christmas gift to you is two back to back episodes with the filmmakers of what are sure to become new Christmas horror classics.
In this episode, we are sitting down with director Jenn Wexler to talk about her new film âThe Sacrifice Gameâ.
Set in the 70âs, the film is a love letter to not just classic Christmas horror but an atmospheric home invasion story with wicked supernatural flares. Itâs also a thoughtful and sensitive look at finding friendship and connection.
Jenn and I sat down to talk about her inspirations, how she fell in love with the Christmas horror genre, the undying influence of Buffy Summers and why this movie had to be set on Christmas and in the 70âs.
âThe Sacrifice Gameâ is available now on Shudder.
So, pour yourself some Eggnog and sit down by the Christmas tree and letâs explore some festive madness with director Jenn Wexler!
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Our guest today has one of the most diverse bodies of work of any director weâve had on the show. He has worked in multiple genres throughout his decades long career and proven himself to be a filmmaker who kills in any genre space he works in.
Having come up in the business along industry friends such as Martin Scorsese and Sydney Pollack, he is part of cinema history as one of the filmmakers creating distinct and memorable work with a style that is unquestionably his own.
However, it is a film regarded as one of the best adaptations of Stephen Kingâs most beloved books that has made him an icon of horror
In this episode we will be joined by filmmaker Lewis Teague.
Often regarded by his peers and fans alike as âunderratedâ, Lewis first made a name for himself in the genre with the cult classic âAlligatorâ. Better than anyone thought an Alligator living in the sewerâs movie had any right to be, and featuring a bravura performance by lead actor Robert Forster, âAlligatorâ has gone on to become a favorite of horror fans.
Lewisâ 1983 adaptation of Stephen Kingâs âCujoâ is considered by many, including King himself, as one of the ultimate King adaptations. With unbearably taught direction, nerve frying cinematography by legendary cinematographer Jan De Bont and a career best performance by genre royalty Dee Wallace, âCujoâ remains untouched in the canon of Stephen King movies.
With a great dry sense of humour and uncanny style for storytelling, Lewis shared with me his youth as a bit of a trouble maker before winding up in the military, finding his way in the hay-day of Hollywood auteurs, his ups and downs in show business and his enjoyment in teaching in his later life.
So, letâs strap into a Ford Pinto and prepare to have our adrenal glands blown with Lewis Teague!
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Now you may or may not be listening to this on October 31st⊠this may be part of your long queue of spooky Halloween listening or maybe itâs November 2nd and youâve just recovered from your Halloween bash but whatever the case may be, HAPPY HAPPY HALLOWEEN ghouls and ghosts!
Our episode today is a something very different from our regularly scheduled programming. We will NOT be sitting down with a director or actor of one of your favorite films but instead, weâre doing the thing that Halloween lends itself to best. We will be in the company of two master horror story tellers to have our spines tingled and our gooses bumped.
Our next episode will feature one of horror heaviest hitting directors and we have a big one coming up near the end of November that has been months in the making.
Now, light some candles and make sure your phone has reception (I miss the days where the killer could just cut the phone line) and letâs get ready to be terrified!
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Welcome to the season 3 premiere of Spill Your Guts! Iâm your host, Kevin Lane.
Weâve be on hiatus for a couple months while I was attending film festivals near and far and sitting down with some of the genres best to share with all of you in this new season. And if I may so myself, itâs sure to be some of our best episodes yet. Some upcoming things to look out for our episodes on the great Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal where we watched some terrifying and crazy new movies and had the opportunity to sit down with the filmmakers and do the SYG thing. We also have a special episode coming up on filmmaker and Stop Motion animation legend David Allen whoâs Magnum opus âThe Primevalsâ is finally completed and seeing the light of day after 30 years. Itâs an amazing story about one of the genres great unsung heroes.
I should also point out some changes you will notice about the show. We will now be dropping new episodes every other week as opposed to weekly to allow ourselves a little more time to produce each episode. The seasons will be a little longer to make up for it though so youâll still get just as much SYG. Also, we will be dropping more bonus episode and surprise guests.
In this episode I am joined by one one of the genres great composers. A composer who has a sound and feel like none other and has brought us equal parts wonder and terror with his score for classics like Re-Animator, Trancers, From Beyond, Ghoulies, Puppet Master and the Pit and the Pendulum. And thatâs just a small selection from the list of classic movies that have been scored by the one and only, Richard Band.
Richard is a true virtuoso! His music has a signature and a life to it that immediately ups the ante of any film privileged enough to have him on board as the composer.
Well, thatâs it, now itâs time to get into it. Oh and just one more thing⊠we have something very exciting brewing for you all for Halloween.
HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH and letâs spill some guts!
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This is our 40th episode of Spill your guts and the final episode of season 2. We will be taking a few weeks to recharge our batteries and prepare season 3. Also, weâll be catching up with folks and checking out some new movies at the amazing Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal this week and next week so weâll be taking you with us. Thanks to my incredibly hard-working team for a fantastic season and to all of you for sitting down with us. Much more guts to be spilled in season 3 and once again, thank you for joining us.
Our guest today is one of the genres great showmen. His films are whacky, funny, boundary pushing, musically charged, sexual, gruesome, occasionally satirical but never mean spirited but most of all, a hell of a lot of fun. There is no one else like him and no other films like his.
Today we are joined by the hilarious, thoughtful and wonderful⊠Richard Elfman.
Richard is very much an auteur. His 1980 cult classic âForbidden Zoneâ is an upside-down topsy-turvy musical adventure of madness. It is basically impossible to classify. Not really a horror film, nor musical, nor fantasy⊠itâs a Richard Elfman film and that means youâre in for a good time. With masterful scores by his brother and frequent collaborator, the legendary Danny Elfman, Richard has a filmography of impossible to classify movies that all carry his distinct signature as filmmaker.
Richardâs films also have a strong DIY quality that speaks to his determination to get his films made the way he wants to make them. I can only imagine what a pitch meeting with studio execs for âAliens, clowns & geeksâ would be like. Actually, that would be awesome. Iâd love to be in that meeting.
Richard discusses his approach to filmmaking including the joys of bringing your family and friends onboard, his two personas, finding his tribe as the director of San Francisco transvestite performance group âThe Cockettesâ and founding the beloved âMystics Knights of the Oingo Boingoâ.
As an added bit of awesomeness, Richard has provided us with musical tracks by Danny Elfman, Ego Plum and Radioactive Chicken Heads from his new film âBloody Bridgetâ. âBloody Bridgetâ is absolutely insane and a total blast. See it with an audience if you can and keep an eye out for a kick ass performance by Richardâs wife Anastasia Elfman in the titular role.
Letâs take a trip into the forbidden so with the maestro of madness, Richard Elfman!
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One of the most iconic production companies in the history of horror, Hammerâs productions and various sequels and spin-offs of Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman and the mummy are not just beloved by generations of genre fans but have endured just as the Universal Studios monster films have and become a lauded part of cinema history.
And Hammer didnât just do classic monsters! Some of their original films such as âThe Devil Rides Outâ and âCaptain Kronos: Vampire Hunterâ showed that Hammer wasnât afraid to step outside their formula.
Hammer also provided career-making roles for several of the genres most beloved stars with Christopher Leeâs towering take on Dracula and Peter Cushingâs often scene-stealing performances as Doctor Frankenstein and Van Helsing.
The studio also had its share of dynamic leading ladies with legends such as Ingrid Pitt, Stephanie Beacham and Barbara Shelley. And thatâs barely scratching the surface.
Our guest in this episode is one of Hammerâs great leading ladies. And a Bond Girl. And a Scream Queen.
Today we are joined by the radiant and brilliant, Caroline Munro.
Caroline was one of few actors to be signed to a contract by Hammer, something that wasnât really a practice for the studio but they knew what they had with Caroline. An actor whose beauty is matched by her chops, her presence and her character.
Caroline discusses her approach to the acting process, what she learned by working off screen legends such as Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Richard Widmark, the insecurity that is possessed by almost all actors and stealing scenes at the Cannes Film Festival with the great Joe Spinell.
Letâs bare our fangs and get ready to dance on a Sunday with Caroline Munro!
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This is part 2 of our conversation with legendary indie filmmaker Larry Fessenden. If you havenât heard part 1, you should probably check it out before you listen to this episode. It will give some of the themes and references more context.
In this episode, Larry delves into his filmography as well as why he has a strong attraction to the mythology of the Wendigo, why itâs important for filmmakers not to be afraid to ask big questions, making the classic monsters your own and the one and only Cookie Puss.
Larry is a brave storyteller and he doesnât mince words. Expect a frank and open conversation.
Without further delay, part 2 of our sit-down with one of the masters of mythology, Larry Fessenden!
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