Viddy Well Podcast

It’s time to spread your legs and get weird because Aaron talks with Sam Fox & Lara Repko about their short-form horror-comedy, Open Wide! The short was featured as a part of Fantastic Fest’s Shorts Fuse programming this year, a shorts block that seeks to find “the scary in the unsettling everyday.” It marks another stylish slice of kooky, nightmarish comedy that shines a stark light on a squirm-inducing relationship dynamic and makes the absolute most out of their single-location setting. All of its separate pieces stack up to a fascinatingly funny, entertainingly squirmy whole that will crawl its way right into your heart and take a big ole bite out of it. Join Aaron as he chats with Sam & Lara about the film, its origins & production, the impact of David Lynch, and much much more!

Aaron and Rob return with more seasonal cinema fun!  On this episode, the two discuss Anthony Minghella's 1999 psychological thriller, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Bring your tanning oil so you don't get burned because it's another sun-soaked summer in Italy — but this time full of deception and murder and identity crises. Pop some corn and kick back as we talk about this complicated Tom Ripley fella and what the heck he's all about. 

Grab some peanuts or Cracker Jacks and join Aaron & Rob as they kick of season 7 of the podcast with more "Four Seasons of Film Fun!"  For this year’s Spring entry, they round the bases on the 1992 period sports dramedy A League Of Their Own, directed by Penny Marshall and starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, Jon Lovitz, and Bill Pullman. Based around true events, the film is a charmingly bittersweet look at women taking on a more active role with society during WWII, and in many ways, being able to make choices on their own for the first time. 

Join Aaron has he briefly discusses the 10 (but really 14) films that he thought were the best that 2024 had to offer. Intro (0:18) Number 10 (1:32) Number 9 (3:06)  Number 8 (4:57) Number 7 (6:24) Number 6 (8:42)  Number 5 (11:01)  Number 4 (14:06)  Number 3 (15:45)  Number 2 (18:16)  Number 1 (21:42)  Outro (24:39)  For a full list of 2024 films, check out the Letterboxd link below!: https://letterboxd.com/viddy_well/list/2024-films/

Join Aaron as he talks about 21 more films from 2024 that he feels are some of the better offerings.    Smile 2 (1:33) Azrael (4:33) A Complete Unknown (8:12) The Apprentice (13:32) Conclave (16:38) Evil Does Not Exist (19:40) Wild Robot (22:56) Casa Bonita Mi Amor (26:51) Red Rooms (29:19) Didi (31:27) Cuckoo (33:02) A Real Pain (36:07) Allen Sunshine (39:05) Queer (40:14) La Chimera (43:35) Nosferatu (46:47) Nickel Boys (47:32) The Brutalist (50:53) Anora (54:18) A Different Man (56:42) The Substance (58:41)

Aaron had the pleasure of talking with Harley Chamandy on his quietly profound and beautifully meditative feature film debut, Allen Sunshine, which received the 2024 Werner Herzog Film Prize. Listen in as the two chat about the film & its production, hope as the new punk-rock sentiment, hanging out with Werner Herzog, and arthouse cinema.  You can check out Allen Sunshine right now anywhere films are available on dedmand, and you can follow Harley via the links below:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harleychamandy/?hl=en Website: https://www.harleychamandyfilm.com/ For more about Harley's work, check out the links below:  Podcasts: https://www.viddy-well.com/podcast/tag/Harley+Chamandy  Where It's Beautiful When It Rains review: https://www.viddy-well.com/reviews/where-its-beautiful-when-it-rains The Maids Will Come On Monday review: https://www.viddy-well.com/reviews/the-maids-will-come-on-monday  

Join Aaron & guest host Rob Chenoweth as they close out this year's "Four Seasons Of Film" series by diving into the snowdrifts of Sergio Corbucci's cold-blooded late-60s western: The Great Silence. With chilling seasonal vibes and a bleak ending that's numbingly frigid, this winter western totally embraces its icy nature and paints the white snow spaghetti-sauce red. Boltered by beautiful cinematography, a killer score from Ennio Morricone, and a memorably menacing performance from Klaus Kinski as the loathsome Loco, the film offers a fascinating revisionist take on the western that sets it apart from the rest.

On this latest installment of "Happy Home Invastion For The Holidays!," Aaron talks about irresponsible pet owners by having a midnight snack outta Joe Dante's 1984 Christmastime classic that famously contrasts the cheery lightness of the holiday season with devilish monsters and family-friendly horror: Gremlins!  Written by Chris Columbus, and produced (alongside Warner Bros.) by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, Gremlins is a deliciously cheesy casserole with holiday dressing, and a true testament to why people should just follow the rules sometimes.  Even after 40 years, the film remains a pitch-perfect blend of black comedy, horror, and family-friendly fun that continues to stand the test of time. Check out the links below for more!:  Five Fun Facts About Gremlins: https://www.viddy-well.com/top-5/fun-facts-about-gremlins Gremlins Drinking Game: https://www.viddy-well.com/drinking-games/gremlins Other "Happy Home Invasion For The Holidays!" episodes: https://www.viddy-well.com/podcast/tag/Happy+Home+Invasion+For+The+Holidays  

Aaron and a very special guest were able to attend an early screening of Robert Eggers' Nosferatu remake on Friday the 13th and lived to the tell the tale! Built in that rigorous period-accurate detail that’s become Eggers’ signature hallmark and embodied by a stellar cast, this retelling gives more depth to its cast of characters and drives a stake right into the dark heart of the gothic romance that beats at its core. On this episode, we discuss the history of this century-old story, the differences between its main iterations, and share thoughts on Eggers' version.  Intro  (0:20)  History of Nosferatu & its adaptations (4:04)  Eggers' Nosferatu (10:41)  Guest Discussion (19:15) Check out the links below for more!:  The Northman review: https://www.viddy-well.com/reviews/the-northman The Lighthouse review: https://www.viddy-well.com/reviews/the-lighthouse Historical Accuracies Of The VVitch Pt 1: https://www.viddy-well.com/articles/the-historical-accuracies-of-the-witch-part1 Historical Accuracies Of The VVitch Pt 2: https://www.viddy-well.com/articles/the-historical-accuracies-of-the-witch-part2 Historical Accuracies Of The VVitch Pt 3: https://www.viddy-well.com/articles/the-historical-accuracies-of-the-witch-part3 Historical Accuracies Of The VVitch Pt 4: https://www.viddy-well.com/articles/the-historical-accuracies-of-the-witch-part4

Grab your blade or battle axe, and join Aaron & guest host Chris Wolford as they go "berserker" and pillage the plot of Robert Eggers’ third feature-length film, The Northman. This epically sweeping Nordic revenge saga combines Viking mythology with Viking reality, culminating in a volcanic eruption of red-hot Viking vengeance and a valkyrie wail.  Hypnotic, hallucinatory, stunningly Shakespearean, and utterly badass, the film takes Eggers’ unique true-to-period aesthetic to expensive new heights and channels the likes of Conan The Barbarian, Aguirre The Wrath Of God, Hamlet, MacBeth, and Andrei Rublev into a satisfying Viking quest for that great mead hall in the sky.  This is one bloodletting you won't wanna miss out on! The Northman review: https://www.viddy-well.com/reviews/the-northman The Lighthouse review: https://www.viddy-well.com/reviews/the-lighthouse Historical Accuracies Of The VVitch Pt. 1: https://www.viddy-well.com/articles/the-historical-accuracies-of-the-witch-part1 Historical Accuracies Of The VVitch Pt. 2: https://www.viddy-well.com/articles/the-historical-accuracies-of-the-witch-part2  Historical Accuracies Of The VVitch Pt. 3: https://www.viddy-well.com/articles/the-historical-accuracies-of-the-witch-part3  Historical Accuracies Of The VVitch Pt. 4: https://www.viddy-well.com/articles/the-historical-accuracies-of-the-witch-part4   

This ain’t no trick, kiddos, we’ve got a double dose of Four Seasons for Film: Fall this year! Join Aaron and Rob as they stick around Haddonfield, Illinois for another brush in with PURE EVIL! as they discuss Halloween II. Picking up right off the heels of its predecessor, the film marks another slow-burn slasher with a simple premise and a solid atmosphere, but it comes boasting a higher body count and a few memorably brutal kills — plus, McGuffin Myers and hospital horror. It's gonna be another killer time, so don't miss out!

For the Fall entry of this year's Four Seasons Of Film, Aaron and Rob brush shoulders with PURE EVIL! as they slice and dice John Carpenter's iconic seasonal slasher, Halloween! Since that fateful night when a young Mikey Myers carved up his older sister like a jack-o'-lantern, the streets of Haddonfield, Illinois were never the same, and in the year 1978, Myers is all grown up and returns to the streets of his hometown to stalk some unsuspecting babysitters and indulge in the Halloween spirit by committing all kinds of heinous tricks. It might be terror for its young characters, but it is sure is a cinematic treat we like to have every October. Grab a fistful of candy and come BOOgie with us!

Nine years before the Wayans Bros. used the title for their spoof franchise, Daniel Erickson laid claim to it in his early-90s indie horror hangout comedy set on Halloween, Scary Movie, starring a young John Hawkes giving a fantastically committed performance that oozes Courage The Cowardly Dog vibes (well before that was a thing). Shot near Austin, Texas, it's not exactly on the same caliber as 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but it fully captures that Texas feeling and has a lot of Tobe Hooper lurking within its DNA. Aaron had the opportunity to see an anniversary screening of the film in the same theater it originally premiered in back in ‘91 with the writer/director, Daniel Erickson, in attendance, and captured the conversation for your listening pleasure — but be warned: “ABANDON HOPE, ALL Y’ALL WHO ENTER HERE!"

Join Aaron as he talks about 19 films from 2024 that he feels are the best the year has to offer (so far).  Intro (0:00 - 1:20) Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces (1:21) Longlegs (4:07) Civil War (7:42)  Snack Shack (11:33) Blink Twice (13:23) The Bikeriders (15:22) Alien Romulus (17:41) Problemista (19:52) Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (20:41) Rebel Ridge (23:21) Furiosa (26:00) The Last Stop In Yuma County (29:01) Strange Darling (31:50) Dune: Part Two (33:30 ) Sasquatch Sunset (35:56) Stopmotion (38:09 ) She Is Conann (40:48) Challengers (43:12) I Saw The TV Glow (44:55) 

Join Aaron as he catches up with New Orleans writer/direct Joe Badon and talks about his lastest feature film extravaganza, The Wheel Of Heaven. The film marks another unfettered kaleidoscopic blast of wacky strange cinema from the indie auteur, whose boundless creativity continues to work wonders on a small budget. The two talk about the film, its production, "choose your own adventure" books, surrealism within modern cinema, and much much more!  For more by Joe, check out the links below:  Socials:  -IG: https://www.instagram.com/joebadonart/ -Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/joebadonart Reviews & Interviews:  -https://www.viddy-well.com/reviews/tag/Joe+Badon   -https://www.viddy-well.com/podcast/tag/Joe+Badon

Tensions are running high — and so is the heat! There's a demonic pooch named Harvey whose constant barking is driving a serial murderer to target young brunettes, which is setting the Big Apple on fire with paranoia. That's right, the boys are back with another "Four Seasons Of Film" entry, and for this scorching summer installment, Aaron and Rob discuss Spike Lee's 1999 film, Summer Of Sam. It's a real killer episode that you won't wanna miss, so beat that summer heat in some ice-cold AC with the two as they dissect the film! 

Get ready for some martial arts madness because we’re about to enter the Q&A for the latest documentary from David Gregory Enter The Clones Of Bruce. The film is deep-tissue karate chop that investigates the death of an icon (Bruce Lee), the creation of one of cinema’s most specific sub-genres (Bruceploitation), and the myriad of figures who’s star rose as part of that movement. 

Sasquatch Sunset is a bold and beautiful film loaded with absurd comedy and quiet poignancy that revels in its feral nature, but also boasts a surprisingly tender humanity. Like the mythical creature it's named after, the film is a rarity, a one-of-kind experience that you don't get every day (or possibly ever again) — but it's the type of swing-for-the-fences project that we'd love to see more of, especially with a theater with a packed house.  We were fortunate enough to secure tickets to this magical and majestic lil indie, which we absolutely adored, and the screening was made all the more entertaining and charming because co-director and star Nathan Zellner & composers The Octopus Project dropped by to answer audience questions and tell anecdotes from the film's production.  Caution: You're entering spoiler territory. Proceed at your own risk.

Lousy Carter is a scrappy little indie with sharp dialogue, funny performances, playful editing, and bowling alley funerals about a failed animator-turned-lit-professor “teaching” The Great Gatsby who goes a little Nabokov after receiving the news that he has six months left to live. Featuring a solid ensemble cast and a wonderful lead performance from David Krumholtz is an enjoyably meandering, comedically sour journey that with have you smitten by its curmudgeonly charms.  We had the pleasure of checking out a screening with writer/director Bob Byington and actress Luxy Banner in attendance, which we recorded for your listening pleasure.     Caution: You're entering spoiler territory. Proceed at your own risk.

When there's no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the earth — and humanity's ineptitude will rein supreme!  We had the gory delight of checking out the 1989 film The Dead Next Door, written and directed by a then 19-year-old J.R. Bookwalter, at one of the Alamo Drafthouse's Terror Tuesday screenings, which was made all the more entertaining because the filmmaker was in attendance! Essentially a large-scale home movie with really impressive effects and an admirable scope given its budget and the filmmakers age, The Dead Next Door is a horror comedy of errors that relishes in humankind's ineptitude and uses their folly as an excuse to load up the picture with as many creative low-budget effects as possible. It’s got charm — and lots of guts! Caution: You're entering spoiler territory. Proceed at your own risk.