The New World Pictures Podcast

When the leaves start to fall, and the summer temperatures goes down, you know what that means: #Sextember! Three years in to exploring the sexploitation movies released by New World Pictures, we start #Sextember 3: Ménage a Trois with 1984's THEY'RE PLAYING WITH FIRE. Starring Sybil Danning (BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, REFORM SCHOOL GIRLS) as a college professor who seduces her student (Eric Brown, PRIVATE LESSONS, Mama's Family), but is she doing so just for the awkward sex or does she have other dubious plans with her husband (Andrew Prine, THE EVIL, GRIZZLY)? If you answered "yes," you'd be right, because this film doesn't just feature a teacher/student relationship but also murder, a mysterious killer, and many lives being wrapped up in the ongoing entertainment and beer specials at Campus Pub! The was directed by Howard Avedis, who directed the similarly-plotted movie THE TEACHER in 1974, which we discuss along with the complexities of owning a yacht and all the shellacking that is involved, the lack of locations involved in the movie, and the giallo vibes the movie gives, including an unusual voice of the killer! Also: what makes a handyman? Do you have to be smart to be a professor? And what's the place to feed your dog? THEY'RE PLAYING WITH FIRE has a place you've maybe never thought about! Enjoy the theme song, which this film has because most movies of the 1980s did, and is a sure-fire contender for a Worldie later this year! Should we record the Worldies at a Campus Pub? We'd be fools not to!  Listen as we start #Sextember 3 in style, at least until Mom and Grandma kick us out!  For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here: https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/.

We end #HAHAugust 2: Double Take with a bucket list guest: director Fritz Kiersch, one of the important directors of the second New World Pictures era, helming CHILDREN OF THE CORN to TUFF TURF, and lastly, UNDER THE BOARDWALK. This is really a 2-part interview, with this being the second half, but, since we're releasing it first, so it's actually Part 1. Trust us, it will all make sense. In this part of the interview (Part 1), we discuss UNDER THE BOARDWALK and a non-New World film Kiersch directed prior, 1987's WINNERS TAKE ALL, including why Kiersch chose UNDER THE BOARDWALK for the third film in his 3-picture deal with the studio and why WINNERS TAKE ALL isn't a New World movie (when it really feels like one). In a two film span, there was plenty of drama, with hirings, firings, and the final days of New World Pictures, for which UNDER THE BOARDWALK was a victim.  One of the final theatrical offerings New World would release, the film got buried by a lack of publicity, along with HEATHERS. With the help of Fritz, we're trying to change all that. Don't miss this terrific conversation, with Fritz explaining the casting, working with Robert King, and the production of UNDER THE BOARDWALK, and what Fritz originally intended with WINNERS TAKE ALL. We also touch briefly on TUFF TUF, but for more on that film, you'll have to wait until the second part of this conversation (really, Part 1). Again, it makes sense!  For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/. 

We continue HAHAugust 2: Double Take with an extremely underseen gem from the New World catalog, the Los Angeles set surf dramedy UNDER THE BOARDWALK, directed by Fritz Kiersch (CHILDREN OF THE CORN, TUFF TURF). Originally set to be released in 1988, New World eventually put this out at the same time as HEATHERS, the final two theatrical releases for the company.  Featuring the endless struggle between the coastal "locs" (or "lawks" as Letterboxd might have you believe) and the San Fernando Valley "Vals," the film concerns two star-crossed lovers caught between the two worlds just as the two sides meet in a local surf competition (or "compo" if you're cool). How does Allie (Danielle van Zerneck, LA BAMBA) deal with her feelings for Nick (Richard Joseph Paul, OBLIVION)? Well, not by looking after her cousin Andy (Keith Coogan, ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING), that's for sure! Helping us discuss this Shakespearean tale is our good friend and New World superfan Justin Grams, who has been with this film from the very beginning!  Listen as we go through the film's history, share our thoughts on a potential sequel, have a discussion of the slang term "whease," and a whole lot more as we give this film the attention it deserves!  Special thanks to Fritz Kiersch, writer/producer Matthew Irmas, and producer Greg Blackwell for their assistance with this episode! For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here: https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/ 

We are kicking off HAHAugust 2: Double Take with 1982's "a guy in a dress is always funny" comedy, JIMMY THE KID starring Gary Coleman (ON THE RIGHT TRACK, DIFF'RENT STROKES), Paul Le Mat (AMERICAN GRAFFITI, PUPPET MASTER), Cleavon Little (BLAZING SADDLES, FLETCH LIVES) and Dee Wallace (ET, THE HOWLING).  To say they're the stars without also mentioning Pat Morita, Ruth Gordon, Don Adams and Fay Hauser is a big disingenuous as everyone in this movie has almost the same amount of screen time.  The lone exception is Gary Coleman who, for being the lead, is missing from a large portion of the movie. Based on the Donald E. Westlake novel of the same name, JIMMY THE KID follows a bumbling gang of small-time crooks who kidnap the son of a wealthy couple who are surprisingly pretty casual about the whole situation.  The plan goes horribly wrong for no other reason than everyone in this movie is an idiot.  JIMMY THE KID is part Get Smart (thanks to Don Adams essentially acting like the private investigator version of Maxwell Smart) and part wacky comedy where a car chase takes up 30 minutes of it's short 80 minute run time.  We talk about Dee Wallace getting snubbed from the movie poster, VW Vanagons, Pat Morita doing his absolute with a nothing role, and why this movie is so important in the history of New World Pictures.  Plus, Ryan does a dramatic reading that we hope gets the attention of the powers that be at Audible.  You listening, Audible?   For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/ 

We continue our series on exploitation filmmaker Jack Hill with special guest Odie Henderson, columnist for the Boston Globe and author of Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras.  In this episode, we move out from Jack's New World era to his AIP era with 1973's COFFY and 1974's FOXY BROWN, two of Hill's biggest hits. They were also big hits for star Pam Grier, who had already worked with Hill in his New World films, but was now playing the titular character in both films. In COFFY, Grier plays a woman seeking revenge on the drug dealers that got her sisters addicted to drugs, while FOXY BROWN is about, well, a lot of things, including infiltrating a prostitution ring run by Grier's BIG DOLL HOUSE co-star Kathryn Loder. Expect a wide-ranging conversation that covers New World, blaxploitation films, even Indiana Jones! Which film was Jack's favorite? How did Jack nearly lose the opportunity to direct FOXY BROWN? Was COFFY written for Pam or someone else? We dive in deep, with the help of Odie's infinite expertise, and provide the answers! (Please note, this was recorded before the tragic passing of TRUCK TURNER director - and Corman Graduate - Jonathan Kaplan. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.) To buy Odie's book, head here. For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/ 

A lot has happened over #SciFiJuly Presents: Dystopian Summer 2: Dystopian HARDER. For one, we celebrated our 150th New World Pictures title with ESCAPE 2000 aka TURKEY SHOOT and now we close out the month with an interview with the film's director, Brian Trenchard-Smith, who returns to the show! We get into the beginnings of Brian's career and what he learned in his early days before becoming one of the finest exploitation directors ever! We discuss Brian's time directing episodes of Silk Stalkings and also the reasons it's not easy to bring American actors to Australia before diving into ESCAPE 2000 aka TURKEY SHOOT and the difficulty of the production following the suddenly decreased budget and how Brian navigated it, why the financial problems happened, and how it ended up at New World Pictures in 1983! This is a filmmaking master class you will not want to miss! Thanks again to Brian for another incredible interview! For more about Brian, head to his website and buy his book! You won't be sorry! To hear us talking some more to Brian about DEAD-END DRIVE-IN, go here. For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/    

We celebrate the end of #SciFiJuly Presents: Dystopian Summer 2: Dystopian HARDER and our 150th New World Pictures title with director Brian Trenchard-Smith's ozploitation classic ESCAPE 2000. Or, as it was originally titled, TURKEY SHOOT. Joining us for this episode is returning guest and Cannon Film Guide author Austin Trunick! How does this compare to a Cannon movie? Austin will explain! Austin also gets a front row seat as we reveal the lost first 10 pages of the script! Truly a gem of the New World catalogue, TURKEY SHOOT was released in Australia and the United Kingdom before being picked up by New World and unleashed on the world as ESCAPE 2000. Originally set for a larger budget, the disappearing funds called for cuts to the script which meant that the film's 10-page opening, which set up the backstory of Paul (Steve Railsback) and Chris (Olivia Hussey), as well as the dystopian society in which the movie takes place, had to be abandoned. BUT NOT ANYMORE! We have a copy of the script and will reveal all! Do not miss this celebration of exploitation, of the most dangerous game, and of New World! Thanks so much for listening, we're ready for 150 more! For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/ 

We are coming in hot (think wearing leather pants in the desert hot) for #SCI-FI-JULY Presents: Dystopian Summer 2: Dystopian HARDER.  This week, we talk about WHEELS OF FIRE, a nearly New World movie directed by the famous/infamous Cirio H Santiago and starring Gary Watkins (Hunter), Laura Banks (Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan) and Lynda Wiesmeier (Avenging Angel).   If you haven't seen WHEELS OF FIRE you should know it's very different from the grossly overlooked action/musical, STREETS OF FIRE, starring Michael Pare and Diane Lane.  WHEELS OF FIRE blends everything you loved about MAD MAX and THE ROAD WARRIOR with a pinch of Lucio Fulci’s CONQUEST and a heavy dollop of STRYKER.   WHEELS OF FIRE takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where shirts are optional, cars blow up at the slightest provocation and some people are trying to build a spaceship to reach a newly discovered planet.  Trace and his sister, Arlie, find themselves on a crash course of bad decisions that puts them in harm's way at every turn.  Sadly, Arlie gets the worst of it and Trace lacks any sense of urgency to save her.  Instead, he and his handy flamethrower blazes across the sandy abyss getting into fights with everyone he meets until he meets Stinger, a young, leather-strapped ingénue with a pet eagle that sounds like a hawk.  As you might imagine, one of us is not happy about this.  Each of us gives our own Letterboxd description for WHEELS OF FIRE and we spend an inordinate amount of time talking about the Baldwin brothers.  More specifically, the brothers that aren't named 'Alec'.  Can you name 12 movies off the top of your head starring Stephen Baldwin?  We couldn’t either.  For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/

Producer and former New World Pictures Senior Vice President of Production Jeff Schechtman joins us to talk about his career at New World, starting with 1978's PIRANHA and into the post-Roger Corman era where he also producer 1984's BODY ROCK! From starting out as an Assistant to the Producers on projects like TRUCK TURNER, BLACK BELT JONES, and ENTER THE DRAGON for Fred Weintraub's company to getting his own projects (literally) off the ground, Jeff has a variety of stories from his time in the industry! Straddling between tow eras of New World's history, Jeff eventually went on to New Line and helped produce 1993's KILLING ZOE! We discuss it all here! We also discuss a wide variety of New World titles from his time as a New World executive, so get ready for a wide-ranging discussion about New World's history! Now a podcaster himself, Jeff has 3 podcasts you can check out: Talk Cocktail,  California Sun, and Who What Why. Check out his work by clicking on the name of each podcast! For more about the New World Pictures Podcast, including previous episodes, t-shirts, mugs, sweatshirts, other merch and more, head here: https://newworldpicturespodcast.com/ For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/

We close out #JuneBOOM with 1981's FIRECRACKER, advertised by New World to be "the first erotic martial arts thriller." How true is this statement? And is the film erotic enough in the way that middle aged folks would like? We examine with the help of Get Me Another Podcast co-host Chris Iannacone, who also watched New World's TNT JACKSON, a movie that has the exact same plot and was also directed by Cirio Santiago. How much does lead Jillian Kesner know about the martial arts? We get into it in our first research rumble! We also discuss the difficulties of running a small business, even if that business is the drug trade! And we had to discuss the incredible jackets worn by actor Darby Hinton, and we give it the respect it deserves! Hinton also appeared in another New World movie, BLACK OAK CONSPIRACY, but do any of us remember it?  More importantly, will Jillian Kesner ever remember to try and find her sister? After all, that is why she travels to the Philippines in the movie and ends up in a battle to the death! Isn't it? Plus, with over 40 years of reviews, what did AI think of it? And is it, gulp, right? Enjoy this trip back to New World's early action days, and find out if you're tough enough for all that erotic fighting! For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/ 

In our continuing series on exploitation filmmaker Jack Hill, director Elijah Drenner (THAT GUY DICK MILLER, AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE) joins us to discuss Jack's women-in-prison films he made for Roger Corman's New World Pictures: THE BIG DOLL HOUSE and THE BIG BIRD CAGE. With 20 years of experience making featurettes and extras for Blu-rays and DVDs (including the one included on THE BIG DOLL HOSE disc), Elijah has an unique perspective into these films and Jack's career, having been able to interview him several times for various releases of Hill's films. Elijah talks about his love for Jack's films, as well as what he thinks is the perfect women-in-prison film, and the difficulty of trying to get the story behind the story of the films we all love. This episode is not only a celebration of Jack Hill's career, but also of the importance of these behind-the-scenes extras and the context they bring to film history. As physical media lovers ourselves, it was a joy to talk to Elijah about his work and career, and the man we are trying to learn about through this chronological dive into his filmography, Jack Hill.  For more about Elijah's films and career, visit his website here. For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/ 

We're kicking off #JuneBOOM with a cap gun as we bravely tackle 1985’s STAND ALONE, a movie that dares to ask: what if DEATH WISH had a smaller budget, barely any action, and Charles Durning hanging around a diner for 90 minutes?   STAND ALONE stars Charles Durning as Louis Thibadeau (a name you will hear repeated too many times in this film) as a former WW2 veteran who won't back down from violent drug dealers that look to take over his neighborhood.  If your definition of "not backing down" is willingly putting yourself in harm's way with little-to-no plan, then STAND ALONE is right up your alley.  Along the way, we meet Louis's longtime friend and attorney, Cathryn, played by Pam Grier, and Detective Isgrow, a well-meaning but otherwise lazy cop played by fan-favorite, James Keach from LOVE LETTERS.  We are joined for this episode by Ryan Verrill, host of The Disc Connected podcast and the Executive Director of Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network.  Together, we try to make sense of Cathryn's (Pam Grier) fashion choices, Mrs. Whitehead's (Lu Leonard) solo neighborhood watch program and Durning’s impressive refusal to run under any circumstances.  We also get into hard hitting discussions about proper home wiring, the proper way to break into a house in Los Angeles and the glory days of the Toyota Tercel which was a pretty sweet car if we're being honest.  Finally, we introduce a new podcast, The Map-Cast, where we talk about locations of things in the world.  Coming soon.  For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/ 

One of the biggest inflection points for New World Pictures was when Roger Corman bought a former lumberyard and turned it into a studio to shoot BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, which jumpstarted many careers from James Cameron to this week's guest, editor Daniel Gross! Daniel may have started with New World on BATTLE, but he went on to work on New World films like TUFF TURF, SORCERESS and HIGHPOINT while also editing trailers and promotional materials for the company after Corman sold it. He also edited the New World films THE ANNIHILATORS, PRETTY SMART, and UNDER THE BOARDWALK! We discuss Daniel's long career, which also dipped into Cannon Films, worked with legendary genre directors Greydon Clark and Larry Cohen, and edited SPACED INVADERS! This interview discusses a wide range of New World films from two different eras, and Daniel is a hilarious guest with great stories so you don't want to miss this! To watch Daniel's "music video" for Tuff Turf, head here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8aZNZSV41U. For more about the New World Pictures Podcast, including previous episodes, t-shirts, mugs, sweatshirts, other merch and more, head here: https://newworldpicturespodcast.com/ For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/  

We close out Marc’s Miserable Marvelous May 3: Très Misérables with an audio commentary that lets us revisit 1990's THE DEATH OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK, the third and final of the INCREDIBLE HULK TV movies produced by New World. Directed by and starring Bill Bixby, we once again see David Banner attempting to rid himself of the Hulk monster within him (played, as always, by Lou Ferrigno), only this time, he won't have another Marvel character to help him out! We dig in to the behind-the-scenes stories of the film, the production history, and the potential throuple of David Banner and some new friends! We get into the potential 4th HULK film that never was as well as a SHE-HULK movie that never came to be that would have changed the game (and the character's history), especially for certain volleyball stars! To watch along to this commentary, head to this link, as, so far, the current rights holder has not allowed this movie to enter the streaming age. Hey, you could hunt down the DVD too! https://archive.org/details/the-death-of-the-incredible-hulk For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/ 

For our second episode in the "Corman Graduates: Jack Hill" series, we talk with director, writer and cinematography, Elle Schneider (THE FOOD THAT BUILT AMERICA, PLEDGE NIGHT: AN INTERVIEW WITH ROGER CORMAN, BLISS BLUE, THAT GUY DICK MILLER), about Jack Hill's MONDO KEYHOLE and PIT STOP.  In addition to being friends with Dick Miller and interviewing Jack Hill and Roger Corman on multiple occasions, she is a huge fan of PIT STOP.  She brings an technical perspective on both of the films that you won't find anywhere else. First, we talk about MONDO KEYHOLE.  We discuss the history and legal challenges with making "Nudie Cuties" and "Roughies" films during the 1960s and how that impacted the distribution of MONDO KEYHOLE.  We talk about how Jack Hill got involved with movie, the unique approach he took to casting and filming the movie and the fact that it had to play in adult theaters upon it's initial release. Next, we dive into fan favorite, PIT STOP - one of Jack Hill's most impressive films.  We talk about the struggle the movie faced trying to get an audience in an era when black and white films were going out of vogue in the drive-in circuit.  We share mutual appreciation for Sid Haig's emotional performance - one that is unique to his filmography.  Finally, we discuss the filming approach by cinematographer, Austin McKinney and the unfortunate rift with Jack Hill.  We even talk a tiny bit about Sorceress. Elle shares stories about Roger Corman including his ambitions to be a studio director and the decision to step away to start New World Pictures. We also spend a little time talking about serial killers, the fallout between Jack Hill and Austin McKinney, and movies with the best scenes featuring Dune Buggies.  Why Dune Buggies?  Because Dune Buggies are awesome. We want to generously thank Elle for being on the podcast and sharing her perspectives on these films.  You can check out her website at http://elleschneider.com and look for her next documentary about educational films.  Maybe she'll cover For Safety's Sake: In the Neighborhood?  Probably not. For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/ 

We continue Marc’s Miserable Marvelous May 3: Très Misérables with your friendly, neighborhood wall crawler himself, Spider-Man, in SPIDER-MAN: THE VENOM SAGA! Culled from episodes of the Spider-Man Animated series from the 1990s made by Marvel, which was, at the time, owned by New World!   But how will they squeeze the whole story of Spider-Man finding his black suit, realizing the danger, letting it connect with Eddie Brock and face off with his new archenemy Venom in under an hour? We'll tell you!  Is there something wrong with Spider-Man mentally? We discuss! Who wrote the theme song? We reveal! Who is the reporter scooping the Daily Bugle? We speculate! Who has the better business plan, Kingpin or Alistair Smythe? We compare! How much more of this is Marc going to have to take? As much as we say, he's a prisoner for the month! It's not our fault he hates Marvel! For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/ 

Our annual tradition of talking Marvel movies and properties created by New World while it owned Marvel returns and two thirds of us are happy about it. We start Marc's Miserable Marvelous May 3: Tres Miserable with THE INCREDIBLE HULK RETURNS which brought back Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno for what would be a trilogy of TV movies, most of which would attempt to spin off a different Marvel character from it. This sees Dr. David Banner come across an old friend, Donald Blake who can summon Thor by yelling "Odin!" which we all know to be Thor's father, but does Dr. Banner? We discuss! We also discuss Banner's brand-new Malibu digs, his new work set-up and question why he is always on the run, while also diving into the competitive world of racquetball and Cajun accents. Does this movie have Cajun accents? We discuss! Where did THE INCREDIBLE HULK RETURNS land on the Nielsen ratings? We discuss! Which play did Lou Ferrigno do in preparation for this movie?  We speculate! Along for the ride is our good friend, writer and performer Peter Fluet, who you will remember from Episode 33: Star Crystal! Do him a favor and listen to that episode so it can get into our Top Ten! Peter explains his love of the original TV show and how devastated he was when it was canceled in the early 80's. We've got a whole lot to talk about including how miserable Marc is! Hint: it's a lot! For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/   

As we close out #VAMPril 2: Double Suck, we have a special interview with a movie that truly delighted us during the first VAMPril, and that's 1989's TEEN VAMP. Released on VHS by New World Video, this curio stars Beau Bishop as Murphy Gilcrease, a nerdy teen in the 1950s who becomes a vampire, which may sound a bit like TEEN WOLF, but don't worry, it's not, because this time it's about a vampire. Once we saw this little gem, we knew we needed to know more about it and we finally have because the movie's star George "Beau" Bishop agreed to tell us all about it! Beau tells us about his acting career in the 1980s including cereal commercials, a stint on Diff'rent Strokes, and a Judas Priest video before we dive into TEEN VAMP: the audition, the wild set conditions, the missed love connections, and the many deer heads that went into the making of the film! Don't miss this rare opportunity to get a peek into this underseen film! To learn more, check out Beau's article about the making of the film here: https://georgebishopjr.com/i-was-a-teenage-vampire/.  Then buy his book here: https://georgebishopjr.com/the-night-of-the-comet/. For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/

#VAMPril 2: Double Suck continues as we explore the dark and mysterious graveyard of vampire films produced by New World Pictures.  This week, we are joined by the always hilarious Tommy Bechtold as we discuss 1989's BEVERLY HILLS VAMP starring Eddie Deezen (WAR GAMES), Britt Ekland (MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN) and Tim Conway Jr. (KFI, AM 640).  Imagine, if. you will, a film that mixes the comedy/action of BEVERLY HILLS COP with the artistic allure of Grace Jones in VAMP.  Keep imagining because this movie doesn't come close.  Directed by genre workhorse Fred Olen Ray (a man who seemingly directed every VHS tape your parents warned you about), this cinematic oddity follows a group of hapless Midwestern dudes who come to Los Angeles to break into Hollywood and stumble into a brothel full of vampires—because of course they do.  Hilarity ensues as they try and find their way out of a vampire's spell and into a movie that would, today, be shot in Bulgaria over Los Angeles. We attempt to make sense of this movie as the only available copies are missing a few key ingredients including 1) foul language, 2) nudity and 3) ambient audio.  What do we mean by "ambient audio"?  It's the little things we take for granted when we watch a movie.  Things like footsteps, car noises, or the sound of a door opening or closing.  Ambient noises is just scratching the surface.  BEVERLY HILLS VAMP is filled with wild choices, wilder characters and abnormally horny dudes.  If there is such a thing.  For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/ 

We're unveiling a new series on the podcast: Corman Graduates, where we chronologically discuss the filmography of a director who went through "the Roger Corman school of filmmaking" and we're starting with Jack Hill, director of films like TEH BIG DOLL HOUSE and COFFY. Joining us for this first episode is writer, film historian, and filmmaker Calum Waddell, who literally wrote the book on Jack Hill with 2009's Jack Hill: The Exploitation and Blaxploitation Master, Film By Film. We start at the very beginning of Hill's career with "The Host," his student film at UCLA, and his entry into the world of Roger Corman with his work on 1962's THE WASP WOMAN and 1963's THE TERROR before getting his first feature-length assignment, 1966's BLOOD BATH aka TRACK OF THE VAMPIRE, which saw Hill try to create a film around footage from a film shot in Yugoslavia that Corman had invested in.  Corman eventually hands it to Stephanie Rothman, another Corman graduate, who took Hill's film about an obsessed artist who murders his models into a vampire film (at Corman's request, of course). Did we like the film? We discuss! We then talk about what Jack Hill felt was his true directorial debut, 1967's SPIDER BABY, which Hill did away from Corman and took some time before it reached theaters and then was mostly forgotten until Quentin Tarantino stepped in the 1990s when he re-released Hill's 1975 film SWITCHBLADE SISTERS on his now-defunct Rolling Thunder Pictures label. We'll discuss the incredible performances - including Sid Haig and Lon Chaney Jr. - and why the film was so prophetic to the horror films that followed it. Don't miss this look into the beginnings of Jack Hill's career with the keen insight and first-hand knowledge of another exploitation expert, Calum Waddell. To buy some of Calum's books (which we highly suggest you do), head here: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/calum-waddell_1660/. For more about the New World Pictures Podcast, including previous episodes, t-shirts, mugs, sweatshirts, other merch and more, head here: https://newworldpicturespodcast.com/. For all the shows in Someone’s Favorite Productions Podcast Network, head here:  https://www.someonesfavoriteproductions.com/