In Film We Trust

Author of Psychedelic Cults and Outlaw Churches, Mike Marinacci joins the show this week to discuss Pierre Sogol's, unfinished, and officially unreleased documentary, Aquarius Rising. Aquarius Rising charted the counterculture scene - communes, psychedelics - of California circa 1967, filmed very much in a home video style, with the director often inserting himself into the documentary. But who exactly is Sogol? Most know that 'Pierre' Sogol' is a pseudonym, but luckily Mike drops the details who exactly this enigmatic director is. And because this film is technically unfinished, and somewhat scattershot, we use Aquarius Rising, more as a jumping off point, to discuss the lineage, influences and and the disparate figures that popped up in the counterculture of the 60s, and its lasting effect on the larger culture. You can find the full documentary at PsychedelicSangha.org, and you can find Mike on Instagram at: @PsychedelicCults

IFWT is finally covering The Sultan of Sexploitation, Russ Meyer! And if that wasn't groovy enough, writer and connoisseur of all things cult, Heather Drain is here to discuss Meyer's bodacious, buxom and badass movie from 1975, SUPERVIXENS. Supervixen's concerns the accidental sexploits of gas station worker Clint, who after being falsely accused of killing his girlfriend, hits the two-lane blacktop and finds himself in a series of sexual escapades, often to the ire of the men he encounters, primarily, corrupt cop Harry Sledge, played by the fantastically menacing Charles Napier. And being a Meyer film, Heather and myself couldn't help share more than a few laughs, dive into the background of Meyer himself and discuss an assortment of periphery topics tangibly linked to the man himself. You can find Heather Drain at:heatherdrain.comInstagram: @MondoHeatherX: @MondoHeatherYoutube: MondoHeatherDrain

This week I'm joined by author Scott West and Rif of the upcoming podcast Rocket Ships, Ray Guns & Rock n Roll, to discuss Alex Cox's incendiary debut, and truly punk film Repo Man. One part conspiracy thriller, one part Sci-Fi mystery and 100% cult classic, Repo Man would catapult Emelio Estevez in leading man territory alongside certified greats such as Harry Dean Stanton. With a soundtrack featuring punk greats such as Circle Jerks and Black Flag, and an original space age surf score by The Plugz, Repo Man wears its punk-rock credentials well, and myself, Scott and Rif try and decipher the meaning behind some of the themes and elements the film brings up, and may have accidently stepped into a conspiracy ourselves.

It's a pleasure to welcome director Joshua Erkman onto the podcast, who, after a lifetime toiling away in the industry, has finally released his feature-length debut, A Desert - a film that exists somewhere between Hitchcock's Psycho and the abstract nightmares of David Lynch. When a middle-aged photographer heads to the desert, sans mobile phone, to attempt to recapture a sense of the wildness that informed his prior work. Unlucky for him, he gets what he wanted in the form of the Manson-like Renny and Nymphet Susie-Q, who light the fuse for the chaos that ensues.This was genuinely one of my favourite first time watches of 2025, so i'm pleased i got to sit-down with Joshua, who runs thru the pre-production, the themes, the characters and so much more involved in this desert-noir. And for those who may have not seen this, there is major spoilers from about the mid-way mark, but we try not do touch on every plot element, to keeps things fresh for those of you who haven't. A Desert is currently available on physical, and is also streaming on Shudder.

Punk icon Harley Flanagan has persevered through hell to tell his story of addiction, madness and redemption. As founder of hardcore band the Cro-Mags, he's toured the world and entertained the masses. But behind the mayhem, lies a human story of abuse, neglect and kicking against the pricks. As a child born into a world of counterculture legends as Allen Ginsberg and Andy Warhol, Harley was determined to carve his own path. First as a pre-teen drummer in The Stimulators then as leader of the pioneering hardcore band Cro-Mags. But what is the truth between these sign-posts? The trials, tragedy's and triumphs that lay beneath? Well, lucky for us, Harley is in the guest seat, to discuss his life story with us. A life that is a contradictory story of violence, creativity and beauty.

This week I'm joined by Welsh filmmaker and guest film programmer at London's only grindhouse-exclusive picturehouse, The Nickel Cinema, Craig Williams, to discuss Paul Morrissey's near-lost punk artifact Madame Wang's. Centered on a story of of an East German agent who is sent to the United States, not only to search for Jane Fonda, but to wait for the Communist takeover. Along the way he bumps into an eclectic mix of society's throwaways, who teach him the what it is to be an American. Morrissey's film, like his previous Flesh, Trash and Heat films with Andy Warhol, never strays from that street level poetics, and even though Morrissey himself never lived the lives he portrays, he never condemns - this duality is a topic we definitely discuss. You can find Craig Williams on Instagram at @Mondodraig, and you can find The Nickel Cinema at @The NickelCinema.

Gentry Austin, co-host of the sexploitation podcast The Sin Syndicate podcast is joining the podcast to discuss the Annie Belle starring Laure a.k.a Forever Emmanuelle Forever. Laure, is a 'Emmanuelle-adjacent' softcore film that waxes on liberation, religion and emancipation from life's shackles - so it is no mere T&A film, which makes it ripe for the IFWT deepdive. And much of this is thanks to the participation of Emmanuelle Arsan, the writer of the original Emmanuelle book that spawned franchises in France and Italy. Also, Gentry not only brings us this film due to pure fandom, as he is currently working on the biography of star Annie Belle.You can find the Sin Syndicate podcast on Instagram at :@thesinsyndicatepod

Writer and contributor to TheFightCity.com, Andrew Rihn joins the podcast for the first time, as he brings IFWT Humphrey Bogart's last ever film 'The Harder They Fall'. Adapted from a novel by controversial writer Budd Shulberg - controversial for reasons we definitely discuss in this episode, as we dive into the real life scenes behind this fictional film. A film about a down-on-his-luck reporter who is tempted by a crooked fight promoted who believes that Toro 'The Wild Man of the Andes' Moreno, might just be their next big meal ticket in the shady world of boxing. You can find Andrew Rihn on X at @RihnAndrewand on Instagram at @a.rihn

Amazingly this is the podcast's first dive into the works of Quentin Tarantino - and we're starting right at the beginning with his explosive 1992 debut Reservoir Dogs . A Heist film that doesn't show the heist. Filled with expletives and pop-culture references, Reservoir Dogs would encapsulate the work Tarantino would go on to make. And lucky for you and I, Phillip Duke, host of the Making Tarantino podcast is here to wax lyrical, trade stories and decipher where Reservoir Dogs sits in his filmography. You can find Making Tarantino on X @MakingTarantino and Instagram @makingtarantinothepodcast

friend of the podcast Rolo Tony (@PoorOldRoloTony) is back, and this time he's here to conclude our series diving into the works of New York auteur Larry Fessenden. For the finale we're wrapping up in style, with a creature feature double-feature! In discussion are Fessenden's hitherto films, 2019's modern retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Depraved, and the Wolf Man story of Blackout. We get into the themes, the politics, the elements that ran through Fessenden's work, including certain complimentary elements between both Depraved and Blackout, and we even riff on Fessenden's future monster mash film!

*This ep contains NO MAJOR SPOILERS*We kick of 2026 welcoming Nottingham-based director Derry Shillitto on the podcast - a young filmmaker who has just released his debut feature film The Correction Unit. After spending his formative years with a plethora of jobs in the film industry - costume design and music video production for the likes of Sleaford Mods, being but a couple - Derry has finally dropped a feature film. The Correction Unit takes place in a tangible near-future where an AI institute promises to reform a group of juvenile offenders into the best and most productive versions of themselves. Straddling the line between Roget Corman low-budget ingenuity and class polemics akin to Ken Loach and The Angry Young Men, The Correction Unit showcases the young talent of a crop of up-and-comers and first timers, alongside the voicing talent of global star Bella Ramsey, who returned to her Nottingham roots to feature in Shillito's warning call to society - with heavy doses of action, of course. Because this film is new as of this recording and upload, we veer away from major spoilers and instead contextualise the film within the world it takes place, the themes that run through it and the importance of working class representation in the arts, which has sadly halved in the UK since the 1970s. So if you've seen the film already, great!, I hope this episode can act as a companion, and if you haven't make sure to check out The Correction Unit which is currently streaming on Prime.

2025 is coming to a close and so, as is tradition, it’s time we looked at a Christmas film. But because we’re all a bunch of misery grouches with no festive cheer whatsoever, it’s only right that we check out the film that can thaw even the stoniest of hearts: A Christmas Carol.With Wayne (not so) unfortunately unavailable for this one, our good friend Phil from Flixology 101 steps into the host chair, joined of course by IFWT stalwarts Matt Rotman and Scott West, with Liam arriving a bit later to complete the quirky quartet.A distinctly British film with a distinctly American actor in the lead, it’s one of many adaptations of the Dickens classic, and the chaps are here to talk about why it’s among the very best.Pour a big glass of your favourite drink, settle into your comfiest chair and prepare for a visit from the spirits of podcast past, present and yet to come. Merry Christmas everyone.

Time to get in an explosively festive mood with the Shane Black written, Tony Scott directed, Bruce Willis starring...The Last Boy Scout. With a tempestuous production that left all involved looking for the exit, the films stature as an exemplifier of the 90s has only grown. So join Liam and Phil as we give you details on the fall-outs, the bust-ups and bruised egos as we explore Tony Scott's sun-kissed action noir, The Last Boy Scout. Make sure to check out Flixology101.com, for musings on all your cult favourites.

It’s been a long time since we talked about a Nicolas Cage film and we’re righting that wrong today by diving deep into the warped and beautiful insanity of Mandy. A love story, a revenge tale, a psychedelic trip. It’s all of these things and more, and with friend and previous guest Carmelita Valdez McKoy joining us, you know you’re going to be in a truly wild ride. We’ll chat about the setting, the characters, the stunning cinematography, the mood and atmosphere, the fascinating psychological dynamics as well as giving our thoughts on director Panos Cosmatos’ debut feature Beyond The Black Rainbow.Knock back some hard liquor and pick up the most impractical weapons you can find, because when In Film We Trust go down to the woods, your sure of a big surprise.

*Lords of Chaos is erroneously referred to as Jonas Akerlund's directorial debut in this episode. Famed music video director Jonas Akerlund, turns his hand at feature length filmmaking with his directorial debut Lords of Chaos. Adapted from the controversial book of the same name, Akerlund's film charts the foundation of 'True Norwegian Black Metal' via Euronymous' pioneering band Mayhem, that would cross paths with the ever problematic Varg Vikerness. But Mayhem was a band like no other; whereas metal bands of the past had cultivated a dark and sinister image, Mayhem walked the walk - murders, church burnings and an image burned in perpetual infamy. So

We’re rounding off our trilogy of shot on video movies from our good friend Charles Pinion. We’ve dealt with Twisted Issues, we’ve visited Red Spirit Lake, and today We Await the legendary Spirit Dive as we examine… well, We Await. A story of cannibal cults, mystical crystals and mind-altering green goo. It’s a trip that’s quite literally out of this world. Charles is here to tell us of the film’s conception, production and behind the scenes titbits. It’s the perfect way to wrap this trilogy up, as well as tease our next collaboration with Mr. Pinion. Watch this space folks!Get some of that good green goo in ya, and let’s go for a drive. A spirit drive.

It's Halloween! Which means we're all entitled to a good scare. Wayne is M.I.A, lost to the darkness of the forest, so our good friend, and official stand-in, Phil of Flixology 101 is sitting in the co-host chair alongside Liam. And Lucky for us we have a whole host of contributors (listed below) giving us their opinions on the cultural phenomenon that is The Blair Witch project. Cannibal Holocaust and The Mcpherson Tape both used found-footage to tell their story, but it was 1999's The Blair Witch Project that solidified the genre as a mainstay in the horror world, going on to major box office success that would breed generations of imitators. But while our feature presentation may be a dive into The Blair Witch Project, this is a Halloween special, after all, and given that that our co-host is from the United States, we have a lot of fun divulging in our Halloween stories growing up, and the differences each country has in regards to the rituals. Contributors include:Author Dan Epstein (@dockfidrych, Instagram)Author Scott West @ScottMWest, X)Ben Vargas and Nix of Cinema Shitshow ( @bensower, @NixEclips, @CinemaShitshow, X}Nikolai Adams (@filmizon, X)Shane Day ( @ShaneDa60900314, X)Marianne (@spiritedcretin, X)Matt Rotman (@bonkersasscin, X)Tim of Ghoulan Globin Theater (@GandgTheater, X)

Michael Reeves might not be a household name, with only 3 films in his severely truncated career. But the movies he directed demonstrated a real mastery of the cinematic art, and today we’re here to shed some light on his work by taking a deep dive into his final film: Witchfinder General.Detailing the heavily fictionalised account of one of the UK’s most infamous figures, Matthew Hopkins, a man for whom the task of witch finding was merely a shortcut to fame, fortune and unquestionable power, it stands today as on one of the ‘Unholy Trilogy’ of folk horror films, alongside The Wicker Man and The Blood On Satan’s Claw.Join us as we discuss this British classic, as well as chatting a little about Reeve’s other films. Sharpen the knives and light up the pyres, we’ve got some witches to find.

Our pal Rolo Tony is back as we continue our dive into the works of Larry Fessenden, and for today's episode we're taking a look at easily Fessenden's most divisive film to date - the direct-to-Chiller, creature feature Beneath. Taking a relative battering by the critics of the time, and an equally poor audience reception, does Beneath deserve another look at? Does it retain Fessenden themes and concerns, which made his name in Underground USA horror landscape? Stay tuned as we dissect this film.

The Bigfoot journey continues here at In Film We Trust as we welcome back Scott West, Phil DeGlass and Matt Rotman. Last week we travelled to upstate New York in search of a Yeti, now we’re in Northern California in search of the big hairy one himself: Bigfoot. Night Of The Demon impressed very few people back in the day, so we’re here to see whether or not its worthy of reappraisal. Is it cheap, exploitative trash or a work of unsung genius? There’s only 1 way to find out. Pack up the Econoline Van and lets get rolling!