The Movie Crypt

Author Barry Hertz joins Adam and Joe to discuss his new book WELCOME TO THE FAMILY: THE EXPLOSIVE STORY BEHIND FAST & FURIOUS, THE BLOCKBUSTERS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD. Tired of commercials? Support THE MOVIE CRYPT for just $1 a month and start getting every episode commercial-free! Visit www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt to sign-up today!

Filmmaker Ryan Prows (LOWLIFE, V/H/S/94) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his latest film NIGHT PATROL which opens in theaters nationwide this Friday (1/16). Tired of commercials? Support THE MOVIE CRYPT for just $1 a month and start getting every episode commercial-free! Visit www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt to sign-up today!

Author Lowell Greenblatt (NIGHTMARE AUTOPSIS: A RETURN TO ELM STREET) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his new book about the groundbreaking slasher franchise. TIRED OF HEARING COMMERCIALS? For just $1 a month you could support THE MOVIE CRYPT and get every episode commercial free! This program only exists thanks to our audience's support so join our community today at www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt

Filmmaker Ben Leonberg (GOOD BOY) joins Adam and Joe to discuss the making of his indie darling and working with his dog "Indy" as the film's star. From starting out working in commercial production in Massachusetts… to making dozens of short films and honing his craft… to the over 400 days that it took to shoot GOOD BOY with only himself and his wife as crew… to working with his own non-professionally trained dog "Indy" and how his lead's performance was crafted in editing… to the mad dash to get the film finished after it was accepted to the South By Southwest Film Festival… to his favorite screening of the film (so far), Ben's story is quickly becoming one of legend and will serve as immense inspiration for anyone who is dreaming of making a movie but tired of waiting for permission to do so. Also, Dr. Arwen provides "Hollywood Therapy" to a single father who is juggling his love for filmmaking with his day job and the boys react to a weekend filled with senseless violence as they say farewell to 2025. Fresh off of its theatrical run, GOOD BOY is currently streaming on SHUDDER and will be getting a physical media release soon! TIRED OF THE COMMERCIALS YET? Support THE MOVIE CRYPT on Patreon for just $1 a month, keep THE MOVIE CRYPT alive and get every new episode commercial free! www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt

Filmmaker Uwe Boll (POSTAL, ALONE IN THE DARK, IN THE NAME OF THE KING, SEED, BLOODRAYNE, FIRST SHIFT, RAMPAGE) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his latest feature RUN (now available on VOD platforms). From the films that originally inspired him to become a filmmaker… to how he learned the business side of filmmaking by just doing it… to his strategy with casting and how he has been able to work with such names as Ben Kingsley, Michael Paré, J.K. Simmons, Amanda Plummer, James Russo and many more on his films even though they are produced outside of the Hollywood system… to the many ways that the death of physical media and the rise of streaming has kneecapped the way that movies used to be made… to why being an "outsider" has given him the ability to not compromise and to tackle different genres as provocatively as he feels the story requires… to the making of his latest film RUN and why he chose to tackle the worldwide immigration crisis by showing the many different perspectives on it… to the incredible experience he had working with Amanda Plummer on the film and how he rewrote the role of "Anna" to fit her natural vulnerability… to which role in POSTAL actor Zack Ward (TITUS, A CHRISTMAS STORY) actually auditioned for… to a lengthy conversation about his career long battle with critics and internet trolls that culminated in him getting in a boxing ring to go ten rounds each with 5 of his harshest critics in 2006… and how he really felt after defeating his detractors in the ring (including what the cameras DIDN'T capture between the victor and his defeated critics the very next day)… Uwe shares how he has managed to keep fighting no matter what anyone else has to say. TIRED OF HEARING COMMERCIALS? For just $1 a month you could support THE MOVIE CRYPT and get every episode commercial free! This program only exists thanks to our audience's support so join our community today and you'll have good luck in 2026! Visit www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt for more information.

Filmmaker Kurtis David Harder (INFLUENCER, STILL/BORN) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his latest film INFLUENCERS (now available). From the movies that influenced him as a kid… to how he got a taste of genre filmmaking by producing the indie darling STILL/BORN and doing horror festivals with the film… to how the first INFLUENCER came to be and the casting of Cassandra Naud… to how he has the "CW" character weaponize social media… to the making of the sequel INFLUENCERS and how he "turned things up to 11" for his second outing in the story… Kurtis takes you behind the scenes of his series which has made social media even scarier than it already is in everyday life. TIRED OF HEARING COMMERCIALS? For just $1 a month you could support THE MOVIE CRYPT and get every episode commercial free! This program only exists thanks to our audience's support so join our community today and you'll have good luck in 2026! Visit www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt for more information.

Filmmakers Paul Gandersman and Peter S. Hall (MAN FINDS TAPE) join Adam and Joe to discuss their career journey together and the making of their debut feature MAN FINDS TAPE (available in select theaters and on VOD now). From first meeting and becoming friends attending screenings and festivals in Austin, TX… to making short films together for several years… to writing their debut feature MAN FINDS TAPE in a way where they felt they could potentially just make it on their own if they couldn't find a production company willing to take it on… to handing off their screenplay to producer Dave Lawson (Rustic Films) who in turn brought on producers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (SOMETHING IN THE DIRT, THE ENDLESS, LOKI, DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN) and took the duo under their wings… to what they learned from the writing process once they were actually shooting their script… to how they put together such a terrific cast by not having tunnel vision on a "type" they envisioned for each character during the writing process… to how they adjusted their shooting strategy and pivoted whenever a hurdle interfered with their pre-production plans, Paul and Peter are a terrific example of why working with friends is the best way to work. Also, Dr. Arwen provides "Hollywood Therapy" for a listener that's interested in the process behind creating memorable movie maniacs and a surprise guest crashes the final minutes of the conversation!

Author Jay Glennie (ONE SHOT - THE MAKING OF THE DEER HUNTER, #25 TRAINSPOTTING, THE MAKING OF RAGING BULL) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the writing of his new book THE MAKING OF ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD (now available wherever books are sold). From how he got started and was able to gain access to Academy Award winning filmmakers and their various casts/crews… to writing each book on his own without a publisher on board or any kind of commission… to why he doesn't over prepare lists of questions but instead approaches each subject as a human conversation… to always writing something that is completely readable and entertaining as opposed to only creating a written documentary full of dates, locations, and trivia… to how the absolutely incredible set photography is laid out in each of his books… Jay shares how he creates his vast time capsules of timeless films. Tired of hearing commercials? Support THE MOVIE CRYPT on Patreon for just $1 a month and start getting every episode commercial free! www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt 

Filmmaker Todd Rohal (THE CATECHISM CATACLYSM, THE GUATEMALAN HANDSHAKE, UNCLE KENT 2) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his latest controversial X-rated feature FUCK MY SON (in select theaters now). From growing up on a steady diet of PEE WEE'S PLAYHOUSE, MONTY PYTHON, and the work of John Waters…  to the hurdles that come with trying to make films that don't fit with what the industry considers mainstream or commercial…  to how he slowly raised the financing for FUCK MY SON piece by piece… to why he chose to cast the incredible Robert Longstreet as "Vermina" (an elderly woman) and the careful precautions he took to shoot the film in a way where child actor Kenzie Colmery ("Bernice") was never actually exposed to any of the story's depravity… to working with the legendary FX artist Robert Kurtzman on the film's insane make-up effects… to how he has managed to bring an X-rated film to US theaters… to a comprehensive and honest conversation about filmmakers' using AI technology and why so many try to hide that they're now using the modern tool… Todd is one of the most unique voices in cinema today.

Filmmaker Babak Anvari (UNDER THE SHADOW, WOUNDS) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his latest feature HALLOW ROAD (in theaters now). From growing up in Iran and discovering his burgeoning love for cinema via unconventional means… to his journey through film school in the UK… to the making of his first feature UNDER THE SHADOW which he insisted on shooting in Jordan and in its native Farsi language… to his appreciation on finding ways to bring personal and even political stories to the audience through genre films… to the benefits of working with non-experienced actors… to how he shot HALLOW ROAD using both film and digital as well as a "volume" stage to achieve the wild visual style… to working with the incredible Rosamund Pike (GONE GIRL) and Matthew Rhys (THE AMERICANS)… to how he came up with surprising ways to utilize his talented cast in the film and even a little discussion about his developing CLOVERFIELD sequel, Babak is most definitely a rising star worth keeping your eyes on!

Filmmaker Izzy Lee (HOUSE OF ASHES) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to share her career journey and discuss the making of her debut feature film (now available on most every VOD platform). From living in Boston working every job she could while making a name for herself as a journalist covering movies, festivals, and entertainment culture… to making a whopping 27 short films- many of which made splashes at well known festivals around the world- only to still find herself without any opportunities to make a feature… to spending almost a decade pitching features to no avail… to how she made the most of the pandemic's forced hiatus by enrolling in classes and constantly working on her craft while she couldn't actually be in active production… to shooting HOUSE OF ASHES in Los Angeles with extremely limited resources while living in San Francisco… to how she discovered her film's lead Fayna Sanchez… to doing her own DYI promotion for the movie and winding up in the pages of Fangoria (a medal of honor for any genre filmmaker), Izzy's journey has been a long but inspirational road. Also, Dr. Arwen provides "Hollywood Therapy" for a filmmaker with budgetary questions, the guys reflect on Halloween 2025 and the group discusses society's morbid celebration of the Salem Witch Trials.

Legendary stuntman and actor Ken Kirzinger (FREDDY vs JASON, WRONG TURN 2, WATCHMEN, BAD MOON, X-FILES) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey. From a young Canadian man obsessed with the magic of movies who made the move to Los Angeles in the hopes of becoming a stunt performer… to heading right back to Canada where he began training with (what would become) Canada's leading stunt team… to his first job as a stuntman doubling the late Christopher Reeve in SUPERMAN III and the non-stop run of films and TV series' sets that he'd go on to work on over the next 40+ years…  to making the move up to stunt coordinating various productions and ultimately being asked to audition for "Jason" in FREDDY vs JASON… to his terrific on-set stories involving Charles Bronson, James Arness, and the hardest "suit job" he ever performed… Ken shares just a few of his incredible experiences bringing some of the world's favorite movies and TV shows to life.

Filmmaker John-Michael Powell (VIOLENT ENDS, THE SEND-OFF) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss his career journey and the making of VIOLENT ENDS (opening in theaters this Friday 10/31).  From a kid growing up in Arkansas riding his bike to the video store… to going to college in Texas and heading straight to Los Angeles after graduating… to his decision to get into editing and work his way towards directing… to the incredible amount of filmmaking knowledge he gained by being in the room "where the sausage is made"… to how his script for VIOLENT ENDS was actually written in 2011 and went through several incarnations and starts/stops before finally going before cameras… to how he chose the incredible cast that brought his characters to life on screen… to his answer to the usual final question that left Adam and Joe stunned, John-Michael offers an incredible amount of insight and inspiration in this terrific conversation. Watch Adam's 27th annual ArieScope Halloween short film HALLOWEEN HANGOVER - A STAR WARS STORY on the ArieScope YouTube channel HERE and then cure your hangover with the new season of Joe & Becca's A COUPLE OF OLD FASHIONEDS! The first two episodes of Season 2 are now available on YouTube HERE along with ALL of Season 1!

Actress and musician Jill Schoelen (POPCORN, THE STEPFATHER, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA 1989) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to share her career journey. From a 7 year old girl with alopecia who loved to sing for whoever would listen… to landing her first agent at age 10… to auditioning for the role of "Emmeline" in THE BLUE LAGOON as a teenager seven times only to not get the role… to her audition for "Sarah" in LABYRINTH alongside Jennifer Connelly and Ally Sheedy (Jill didn't get that role either)… to landing the role of "Claudette" in Joel Schumacher's D.C. CAB (1983) and then going on to star in a string of genre films like THE STEPFATHER, CURSE II, POPCORN, and WHEN A STRANGER CALLS BACK all while suffering from agoraphobia and severe anxiety… to the surprising information Fred Walton shared with her about her audition for WHEN A STRANGER CALLS BACK after the film had finished shooting… to her upcoming films RALPH'S PERFEKT CHRISTMAS and A DYING ART… and what to expect in her upcoming book of memoirs and on her upcoming album, Jill explains why you can't attach your happiness to an outcome that you can't personally control and why it's so important to just keep showing up. Want to get all of your MOVIE CRYPT episodes without ads? By supporting the show for just $1 a month you'll get every episode ad-free and downloaded right to your podcast app of choice! Keep the podcast alive by supporting it at www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt today!

Filmmaker Matt Sampere (CREEPING DEATH) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his journey bringing his debut feature film to life. From watching GODZILLA and KING KONG with his father as a child and developing an early love for monsters and genre films… to being told by teachers that it wasn't realistic to pursue a career as a filmmaker… to attending community college while playing in a band before heading to Syracuse to pursue a degree in film production… to PA'ing on David Bruckner's THE NIGHT HOUSE and making the move to Los Angeles just in time for the pandemic to turn the industry upside down and then have the WGA/SAG strikes delay most productions for an additional year… to working a variety of different positions on both film and TV projects before writing CREEPING DEATH… to making a short film version of the story during the pandemic that he would use as a calling card for helping raise the budget to make his debut feature of the same name two years later… to how personal family experiences almost unknowingly seeped into the characters he wrote for CREEPING DEATH… to how his constraints on resources actually helped turn some set pieces into something even better than what he had originally planned… to the film's world premiere at FRIGHTFEST in the UK and learning to deal with armchair critics, Matt's story is one that almost every aspiring filmmaker can relate to and draw inspiration from. Watch CREEPING DEATH on Amazon Prime and/or Screambox and get in the Halloween spirit!

Filmmakers Dennis Cahlo and Bethany Watson join Adam and Joe to discuss the making of their new series THE TROUBLE WITH TESSA (now streaming on Screambox). From meeting on a podcast and getting together romantically… to making the decision to leave previously established careers and become full time filmmakers… to making short films together before putting together a mock trailer to sell their vision for THE TROUBLE WITH TESSA… to pulling off the feat of shooting their 6 episode series with extremely limited resources, a tiny crew and only 19 days… to the casting of their fully non-union cast and the careful planning that went into making each day of filming… to working with Screambox and the pressure they put on themselves wanting to make sure that the platform's first original series was a success… to the ins and outs of co-directing and co-producing effectively as a couple… to the hurdles of working with practical effects when there is often only one take to get it right, Dennis and Bethany's accomplishment with TESSA is one that will surely inspire other filmmakers to find their own way to make big things happen. Don't forget, MOVIE CRYPT LIVE is FREE for all to enjoy next Sunday October 12th! Join us at 8am PST / 11am EST for our annual 2-hour Halloween pre-show "IT'S THE GREAT HALLOWEEN PRE-SHOW, ARWEN!" and then enjoy a LIVE episode starting at 10am PST / 1pm EST. A link will be posted on www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt about 30 minutes before the pre-show begins and remain posted until the LIVE show ends. You don't need to be a Patreon member to see the link or join in the fun for this annual FREE event!

Filmmaker Mercedes Bryce Morgan (FIXATION, SPOONFUL OF SUGAR) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss the making of her latest feature BONE LAKE (in theaters now). From first reading the sexy, violent and twist-filled script… to her thoughts on the current cultural temperature with erotica in commercial cinema… to how she approached shooting the sex and violence integral to BONE LAKE's plot… to the key in finding the right location as a character… to how she pulled off this very ambitious thrill-ride with a fresh-faced cast on a tight schedule… to the film's triumphant premiere at Fantastic fest in 2024 and how she's been dealing with the many surprises the film has in store in a time of "spoiler culture," BONE LAKE has stormed into theaters with a wave of major buzz behind it. See BONE LAKE in a theater near you!

SPECIAL EPISODE! Legendary writer/director Shane Black (LETHAL WEAPON, THE MONSTER SQUAD, KISS KISS BANG BANG, IRON MAN 3, THE NICE GUYS) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his career journey and his new feature PLAY DIRTY - now available on Amazon Prime. From his writing process… to feeling the very same "imposter syndrome" we all feel despite his many massive successes… to what goes in to creating a terrific protagonist and how he makes every character a memorable one despite the size of the role… to what it's like working with some of the greatest actors in Hollywood… to the cinema that inspired him and why many of his projects have had a Christmastime setting… to the production of PLAY DIRTY… to where the now iconic "Wolfman's got nards" line came from in his script for THE MONSTER SQUAD… to how he overcame his own demons and came roaring back, this conversation with one of the industry's most beloved giants is one that every filmmaker needs to hear. Watch PLAY DIRTY on Amazon Prime tonight!

Academy Award winning make-up FX artist Christopher Nelson (KILL BILL Vol 1 & 2, SUICIDE SQUAD 2016, HALLOWEEN 2018, HALLOWEEN KILLS, HALLOWEEN ENDS, AMERICAN HORROR STORY) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss his incredible career journey. From growing up on a healthy diet of Fangoria magazines and going to the movies as often as possible… to becoming consumed with the dream of making movies after seeing NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD on TV and then enamored with make-up FX after seeing DAWN OF THE DEAD in the theater… to a lifetime of FX work that lead him all the way to China where he worked with the great Quentin Tarantino on the KILL BILL movies… to winning Emmy Awards for his work on AMERICAN HORROR STORY… to almost walking away from working on SUICIDE SQUAD (2016) two different times before winning an Academy Award for his work on the film… to his amazing and surreal experience at the Oscars… to the pressure that came with taking the FX reigns on the beloved HALLOWEEN franchise and its highly opinionated fan base… to what it meant to see his Michael Myers mask on a banner for HALLOWEEN (2018) hanging from a sound stage at Universal Studios… to his thoughts on the current state of the industry and entertainment in general, Chris is a true giant at his craft and this candid conversation is one that every cinephile is sure to enjoy. Want to stop hearing ads? Support THE MOVIE CRYPT on Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt for just $1 a month and get every new episode, ad-free and downloaded right to your podcast app of choice with your RSS code!

Filmmakers Pierre Tsigaridis and Maxime Rancon (TWO WITCHES) join Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss their career journey and the making of their latest film TRAUMATIKA (in theaters now). From how the two randomly met at a Los Angeles club, bonded over their similar tastes in cinema and music and began working together… to how they put both TWO WITCHES and TRAUMATIKA together with their own resources rather than waiting for outside financing… to the many pivotal crew positions the duo perform themselves on their projects… to how they came up with the story and the title for TRAUMATIKA… to the challenges of crafting a film that involved child actors and why they performed and recorded the film's ending credits song themselves… Pierre and Maxime are two shining examples of how you can make big things happen if you stop waiting for someone else's permission.