The Movie Crypt

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.

Filmmaker Michael Chaves (THE CONJURING: LAST RITES, THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MAE ME DO IT, THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA, THE NUN 2) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his career journey and closing the casket on the Warren saga. From his beginnings in the commercial arena… to working with Nickelodeon on a short lived digital series… to how he met James Wan and was “conjured” into taking the baton of THE CONJURING universe… to working with Billie Eilish on the “Bury A Friend” music video… to the moral responsibility that comes with telling stories based on true/mythological events and actual people and much more! If you’re hankering for “How’d they do that” anecdotes from the last two CONJURING films, this is your episode! THE CONJURING: LAST RITES is in theaters now!

Producer Oren Koules (SAW 1-10, TWO AND A HALF MEN, DEAD SILENCE, RUN RONNIE RUN, SET IT OFF) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his new feature TRUST (in theaters now). From setting up at least half a dozen projects at studios only to have them never get made… to trying his hand at being a studio executive himself… to surrounding himself with talented professionals and learning how to produce on the job… to just how close SAW came to either never being released or being released directly to home video… to the incredible story of the testing scores that changed SAW’s fate… to his experience shepherding the franchise for over 20 years now… to how his obligations to TWO AND A HALF MEN and making annual SAW films left him with a long stretch of time when he didn’t have time to work on anything else… to the casting and producing of TRUST… to how he picks the projects he produces… to his thoughts on horror/comedies, why slasher films aren’t his thing, and why he disagrees with SAW being labeled “torture porn”… this conversation is Producing 101 for anyone looking to become a producer but not being sure what steps to take.

Special BONUS mini-episode! Filmmaker and actor Macon Blair (GREEN ROOM, OPPENHEIMER, I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE, MURDER PARTY) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his new film THE TOXIC AVENGER (in theaters today)! Recorded during the second day of YORKIETHON IX, in this conversation Macon discusses how he got involved in the Legendary-produced remake of Troma’s seminal cinematic masterpiece… working with the great Peter Dinklage… the long road to its UN-RATED release into theaters and much more! It’s a short blast of Toxic goodness to get you hyped to see THE TOXIC AVENGER, out in theaters RIGHT NOW!!! GO SEE IT AND SUPPORT INDIE HORROR!

Actress and filmmaker Sarah Nicklin (THE BLACK MASS, POPEYE THE SLAYER MAN, SPLATTER DISCO, EXHUMED) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss her career journey. From how her young fandom for HOME IMPROVEMENT’s Jonathan Taylor Thomas lead her to want to become an actress… to watching John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN and William Friedkin’s THE EXORCIST as her first ever horror movies… to going to college at Emerson in Boston and launching her career in New England through whatever auditions she could find out about… to her discipline in always trying to better her craft despite having over 100 films and TV shows under her belt at this point in her career… to how she decompresses after finishing each role and more, Sarah’s path is a perfect example of how never giving up can lead to continuing to work, work, work! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a listener looking for life hacks to improve their imperfect process. See Sarah in V/H/S HALLOWEEN coming this October!

Actor/Filmmaker Peter Cilella (RESOLUTION, THE ENDLESS) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss his career journey and the making of his feature directorial debut DESCENDENT (in theaters now as well as SVOD). From his struggles doing various jobs while getting his acting career off the ground… to writing and directing his own short films… to how working with Rustic Films (Benson/Moorhead & Lawson’s production company) “set him up for success” with making his first feature DESCENDENT… to the writing of his deeply personal script during the pandemic… to how the project briefly got derailed for a full year and almost never happened… to how he created instant chemistry between his leads (Ross Marquand and Sarah Bolger)… to working with the Russells on the film’s alien FX and much more! Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a patient looking to understand how to best support the films and the filmmakers who’s work he enjoys and the boys reveal the final total raised in YORKIETHON IX!

In THE MOVIE CRYPT’s annual Yorkiethon round up Adam recaps the weekend long charity benefit and replays the full interviews with director Chuck Russell (WITCHBOARD, THE MASK, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3) and actress Kate Siegel (HUSH, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, LIFE OF CHUCK). Yorkiethon IX was the most successful Yorkiethon yet with over 50 guests and $42,000.00 raised for Save A Yorkie Rescue! That’s A LOT of dogs who will be saved! Thank you to everyone who watched the 3-day LIVE marathon, thank you to everyone who donated, and thank you to Bloody-Disgusting for sponsoring this year’s event and being such terrific partners with us!

Film editor Glenn Garland (THE DEVIL’S REJECTS, HALLOWEEN 2007, IT: WELCOME TO DERRY, POKER FACE) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss his career journey. From growing up with parents who didn’t understand why he would possibly want to work in the entertainment industry… to finding personal peace and joy in the edit suite as opposed to enduring the chaos of being on-set… to why as an editor it can be easier to separate yourself from the overall production process and just focus on the story being told… to starting out working as a dialogue editor for the late Roger Corman on ultra low budget films (even though he didn’t know anything about cutting dialogue)… to why he has enduring affection for THE FANTASTIC FOUR (1994)… to making the transition from cutting on film to cutting digitally… to how he first wound up working with Rob Zombie on THE DEVIL’S REJECTS and the incredible working relationship they’ve had ever since… to stories from working on RZ’s HALLOWEEN (2007) and HALLOWEEN II (2009)… this is a fantastic conversation that brings you beyond the set and into the dark room where it all comes together.

Filmmaker James DeMonaco (THE PURGE franchise, THIS IS THE NIGHT) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his new feature THE HOME (in theaters now). From growing up in Staten Island with no viable connections to the film industry… to teaching himself how to write scripts armed with only a copy of Syd Field’s book SCREENPLAY… to briefly attending NYU film school where he made a friend with a means to securing some financing… to making his first independent film RED which lead to a student Academy Award… to how his script for JACK (co-written with Gary Nadeau) lead to an industry bidding war… to working with cinematic icon Francis Ford Coppola and the brilliant Robin Williams on the project… to writing films like THE NEGOTIATOR, the remake of ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 and SKINWALKERS before getting the opportunity to direct his screenplay for LITTLE NEW YORK… to creating the worldwide blockbuster franchise THE PURGE and why he and his producing partner Sébastien K. Lemercier have continued to shaped the franchise through five (soon to be SIX) films… to how visiting family members in elder care facilities lead to the idea for THE HOME… to the casting of SNL alum Pete Davidson and the great John Glover in leading roles of the film… to what it was like shooting a film with a cast of elderly people during the tail end of COVID…to learning that every writer needs a “Mad Hungarian” and tons of other anecdotes he’s learned throughout his career… this honest conversation about the path of becoming a filmmaker is one that every artist can benefit from.

Visionary director Joseph Kahn (DETENTION, BODIED, TORQUE) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss his incredible career journey and the making of his new film ICK (in theaters now). From learning how to speak the language of cinema in the 80’s thanks to Spielberg films and MTV… to how a fake company name and a briefcase led to him becoming one of the greatest music video directors in history working with artists like TAYLOR SWIFT, KORN, MUSE, BRITNEY SPEARS, PUBLIC ENEMY, ROB ZOMBIE, and more… to the trials of making his first feature TORQUE and his creative redemption with DETENTION and BODIED… to how he’s broken down filmmaking into “science” and “language” and his theory of “5th Dimensional edits”… to the making of his new movie ICK and why it’s all still “a struggle”, whether its a Taylor Swift video or his latest feature film… this amazing, no f’s given conversation with one of the signature visual voices in pop-culture has been a long time coming! Don’t miss a minute of YORKIETHON 9 happening THIS coming weekend (July 25th - 27th)! THE MOVIE CRYPT’s 9th annual live marathon to benefit Save A Yorkie Rescue can be watched FREE on www.ariescope.com or www.bloody-disgusting.com!

Filmmakers Aaron B Koontz (SCARE PACKAGE, THE PALE DOOR) and Luke Boyce (REVEALER) join Adam and Joe to discuss their experience show running SyFy’s new series REVIVAL (also available on Peacock). From what it was like adapting Tim Seeley’s epic graphic novel for the small screen… to what it was like shooting Canada for America… to balancing horror, comedy and topical elements that have become almost prophetic these days… to giving the zombie sub-genre a fresh coat of decayed paint… to getting real time reactions to the show while they’re still finishing the last few episodes of the season… this is an amazing conversation that takes you behind the television curtain. Also, Arwen celebrates a huge accomplishment with her Silent Auction for this year’s YORKIETHON (July 25th - 27th) and the group discusses the state of the Seeley comic everyone wants to adapt, HACK/SLASH.

Filmmaker, actress, comedian, and talk show host Aisha Tyler (CRIMINAL MINDS, ARCHER, WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?, AXIS) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope Studio to discuss her career journey. From her start as a stand-up comedian and talk show host… to why certain comedians have been able to survive cancel culture… to the joy of working on WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? and her love and respect for the incredibly talented cast she gets to work with… to how she shot her debut feature AXIS in just 7 days (!) and the big creative swings she took with the project… to the moment she started creating her own path, saying “yes” to new experiences, and pursuing the creative outlets that SHE wanted to pursue… to her desire as an artist to explore human nature and the choices we make no matter what the genre… to her work directing music videos for bands like CLUTCH and SILVERSUN PICKUPS… to the upcoming world premiere of her new film I HOPE WE CAN STILL BE FRIENDS at Ireland’s prestigious Galway Film Fleadh… Aisha is truly a Jack of all trades and this is one of the most enjoyable conversations you’ll hear all year! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for an author struggling with a proposition from a loved one and the boys announce what this year’s LIVE script reading will be for YORKIETHON IX! Don’t miss a single minute of THE MOVIE CRYPT’s annual live benefit for Save A Yorkie Rescue featuring 3 days of celebrity guest, live film commentaries, music, comedy, Arwen’s Silent Auction and more July 25th - 27th. YORKIETHON IX is FREE to watch and enjoy on www.ariescope.com!

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaking collective Dirty Shot Clean (director Max Tzannes, writer David San Miguel and DP/Editor Jacob Souza) join Adam and Joe to discuss their career journey together and the making of their new hilarious/horrific genre bending film FOUND FOOTAGE: THE MAKING OF THE PATTERSON PROJECT (out now in theaters and on VOD). From how the team first met and came together making short form content… to the making of their first found footage project (ET TU) and why that film is actually coming out AFTER their second film (THE PATTERSON PROJECT)… to bringing Radio Silence (SCREAM 2022, READY OR NOT) on board to help shepard the film… to how they fill in each other’s blind spots when making a film together… to how the legendary Bigfoot wound up rearing its head into the story… to working with “Chainsaw” himself and former Movie Crypt guest Dean Cameron (who also produces)… to the art of embracing the chaos and more, FOUND FOOTAGE is both a subversive comment on indie filmmaking and a hilariously scary rollercoaster to boot! Don’t miss YORKIETHON IX streaming LIVE and FREE on www.ariescope.com July 25th-27th! For more information keep listening to THE MOVIE CRYPT.

FULL VERSION. Filmmaker Doug Roos (BAKEMONO) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss his international career journey and shooting his latest film in Japan. From seeing ALIENS at age 6 and falling in love with genre cinema… to his fascination with making his own monsters and starting out with nothing but clear plastic bags and a flashlight… to making his first short film at 12 years old and why 1993’s CARNOSAUR was such an inspiration to him… to making films in China before relocating to Japan where he has been living for the last 7 years… to being told “it’s too expensive to shoot a movie in Japan” and accepting the statement as a challenge… to learning about the dark side of Tokyo from actor friends and conceiving the idea for BAKEMONO… to how he made the incredible creature effects himself on an extremely limited budget and why he chose to tell the story of BAKEMONO in a “non-linear” structure… to why he waited to crowd fund the film until he already had footage to show the world… to the hurdles of promoting his film through his own efforts and positive word of mouth alone, Doug is an inspiration for anyone out there who is tired of waiting for permission and ready to make their own movie happen. Pick up your own Blu-Ray copy of BAKEMONO here: https://www.allpracticalfx.com/ OR get the fully loaded version (special features, more nudity, more gore) here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/new-monster-film-bakemono-no-cgi-horror-movie#/ Don’t miss YORKIETHON IX - The Movie Crypt’s 9th annual LIVE charity event for Save A Yorkie Rescue - happening July 25th - 27th! With non-stop special guests, live film commentaries, a live script reading, “Arwen’s Silent Auction,” and more YORKIETHON is always the podcast event of the year! Watch FREE on ArieScope.com all weekend long!

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Sean Byrne (THE LOVED ONES, THE DEVIL’S CANDY) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his latest feature DANGEROUS ANIMALS - in theaters now! From his fateful decision to walk away from becoming a lawyer and pursue filmmaking instead… to why he is attracted to stories about humans hunting other humans… to what made him respond to Nick Lepard’s script for DANGEROUS ANIMALS and why it was important to him to not demonize sharks… to why solid preparation and collaboration is the key to making the best film possible… to how he put the incredible cast together for DANGEROUS ANIMALS and how physically difficult making the film was on all involved… to the choice to shoot most of the film on the open ocean and the close call his team had with a real shark during filming… to how he has been able to score such incredible needle drops for each of his films so far… to why making a horror film requires an understanding of how to execute genres far beyond just horror… to where he drew the line on THE DEVIL’S CANDY before the film actually risked becoming TOO dark… to great advice on how to set character’s voices apart in a screenplay and why it’s been 10 years since his last feature, Sean is one of our favorite filmmakers working today and this conversation is just fantastic! Mark your calendars for YORKIETHON IX coming July 25th - 27th! Stay tuned to ArieScope.com and patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt for more details!

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Austin Snell (THEY CALL HER DEATH) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss his micro-budget western throwback - now available on Shudder. From the scene in TEMPLE OF DOOM that changed his life… to balancing a day job with making films… to how movies like EVIL DEAD and EL MARIACHI influenced his drive to make a “no-fi flick”… to the role that the pandemic played in pushing him to round up his friends and family and shoot his love letter to Leone, Corbucci, and Fulci on 16mm for a meager budget of $40,000… to his decision to not just write and direct but also produce, DP, edit, and score THEY CALL HER DEATH… to the impression that the film has made at festivals and during its roadshow release across the country… to the art of a good snap zoom… Austin’s story will inspire you to grab a camera, gather up some friends and start shooting immediately!  Don’t miss YORKIETHON IX happening LIVE July 25th - 27th! Stay tuned to ArieScope.com and patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt for more details over the coming weeks!

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (CAPTAIN MARVEL, HALF NELSON, SUGAR, IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, BILLIONS, MASTERS OF THE AIR) join Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss their career journey and the making of their latest film FREAKY TALES. From their fateful meeting during college in NY to the realization that they worked best as a team… to completing film school only to find themselves working as production assistants nowhere near the actual action on set… to the making of HALF NELSON and how the film opened Hollywood’s doors for them… to their experiences directing various television series and the billion dollar success of 2019’s CAPTAIN MARVEL… to the making of FREAKY TALES (available in a special edition “Late Night” release from Lionsgate this week!) and the careful choices they made on everything from the story’s Oakland location, the time period, the fractured timeline, the music, and the detailed set design… to how they cast the amazing (and incredibly in demand) Pedro Pascal and secured a needle drop from the almighty METALLICA for their modestly budgeted film.. to the truth about the “imposter syndrome” almost every director faces and their thoughts on FREAKY TALES theatrical release…Anna and Ryan are two of the busiest and most exciting filmmakers working today! Don’t miss THE MOVIE CRYPT’s 9th annual YORKIETHON coming up July 25th - 27th! A full weekend of LIVE conversations with celebrity guests, live music, live comedy, live film commentaries, a live script reading, Arwen’s Silent Auction, and SO MUCH MORE - all to benefit our friends at Save A Yorkie Rescue and help save dogs that have been abandoned or abused. For more details visit www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt or www.ArieScope.com!