Also, be sure to check out our review of The Ranger here!

Please RATE, REVIEW, and SHARE!

After a punk show goes wrong, Chelsea (Chloe Levine) along with her bad attitude boyfriend Garth (Granit Lahu) and their friends Jerk, Abe, and Amber (Jeremy Pope, Bubba Weiler and Amanda Grace Benitez respectively) hit the road on the run from the cops, trying to get off the grid and away from civilization. They’re in luck as Chelsea’s deceased uncle had a cabin in the nearby national park, the perfect getaway. However, the group runs into a figure from Chelsea’s past; the park’s ranger (Jeremy Holm) and shortly thereafter, Chelsea’s backstory unfolds and the blood begins to flow.

Not only is The Ranger a return in form to the 90’s slashers but it’s also a glorious revisitation to the punk horrors of the 80’s and Wexler and company capture the tone and look of the period beautifully (helped made possible by the raddest punk/producer Heather Buckley). The cast all look the part, sporting realistic gear and listening to an insane playlist including bands like Rotten U.K., Fang, The Atom Age, and at least a half-dozen more that will have you headbanging along with the characters on screen. The van they travel in is a rolling love letter to Return of The Living Dead and every frame oozes punk aesthetic. The juxtaposition of punk leather and color against the backdrop of the national park is surreal but mesmerizing and you won’t be able to look away. The parallel between this film and Green Room is sure to be made and The Ranger stands shoulder to shoulder with it as a return to punks on film.

What sets The Ranger apart from those 90’s slashers is that here the characters are actually likable. This is a family unit that, for better or worse, are in it for the long haul and it’s a unit that people familiar with the punk scene will recognize. We’ve all had friends like these. The ones that take and don’t give, the ones that boil your blood and drive you to tears but at the end of it, they’re family. Chloe Levine’s Chelsea falls into the role of defacto matriarch and not only has to deal with her friends but also has to contend with her own troubled past. She plays the part with nuance and grace and every single choice she makes is one the resonates through the film. When Holm’s ranger finally starts to turn the screws, the two collide like forces of nature. Holm is equal parts charming and terrifying. He delivers Smoky the Bear style one-liners before dispatching his prey and always through a strange half smile and steely gaze. I legitimately loved each performance from this small cast but Levine and Holm are unbelievable.

It’s an ambitious first feature for Wexler but having spent time learning from one of the greats at Glass Eye Pix, Larry Fessenden (who has a fun cameo), she discovered a lot about what to do and what not to do while making a movie and her years of careful study have paid off here. The Ranger feels right at home with those 90’s slashers and 80’s punk horrors but carves a new path for itself at the same time. One that pays careful attention to story, character, and most importantly the fun of horror. Jenn Wexler is an exciting voice in the genre and one that is desperately needed and if this is what she’s bringing to the table with her first effort, we can’t wait to see what’s next.

5 out of 5.

you can find The Ranger via their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

You can also check out the review for the doc here!

Photo courtesy of Jason Dunn and CFF

Finding the story and history of a documentary like this can be difficult. Often times we are bogged down with talking heads and file footage but Glove takes a different approach. The filmmakers weave the story of the product through different points of views and timelines and it’s a welcome departure from what you have come to expect with retrospective docs such as these. Even when the story loops back on itself it is to reveal an interesting detail or event that connected to something earlier. The historians of The Power Glove, however, are the main attraction here. Everyone involved and interviewed for the film has a genuine excitement for the product they created. It was incredible to hear stories about how it was greenlit and how the reputation about the gloves functionality came out of consumers simply not calibrating it correctly. There is something very special about seeing false history corrected right before your eyes and there’s also a sad realization that it never got to really see it’s full potential realized in the video game arena.

But even in the ashes of its failure, the phoenix of its rebirth rises. The documentary gloriously highlights how people around the world are realizing the untapped potency of the bygone peripheral by using it in art and animation, music and film production. It has gone from a misunderstood toy to a legitimate force of creativity and seeing that many people have developed a new use for the glove was truly awe-inspiring. And what would the history of The Power Glove be without a stop into perhaps its most famous appearance, the 1989 film The Wizard. The doc pays perfect homage to the relationship between the glove and the film and the director of The Wizard offers some wonderful history on how it all came to be in what is one of the true standouts of the doc.

The history of The Power Glove is covered in loving but truthful detail here and it lives with an electric enthusiastic energy for its subject matter that is positively infectious. You would be hard-pressed to find another retrospective doc like this that presents things so open and honestly. Yes, nostalgia is tricky but it takes historical accounts like The Power of Glove to ensure that we remain truthful about the things we remember.

5 out of 5.

You can keep up with the film via their website at http://thepowerofglove.com/

Our CFF coverage continues as we sat down with Andre Gower and Henry McComas to talk about their stellar documentary “Wolfman’s Got Nards”!

This is a two part interview with the second part being recorded after CFF. There is an audio snafu for the first ten minutes or so of the second half but otherwise this is a standout of our CFF coverage.

Check out our review here and for even more Monster Squad goodness, check out our interview with Andre and fellow Squad cast member Ryan Lambert from last years CFF here!

We sit down with Rebekah and David McKendry to chat about their Christmas horror anthology “All The Creatures Were Stirring” as well as their wild journey through the genre!

The film’s framing story concerns two 30 somethings spending their Christmas together in a small black box theater watching a play with short vignettes all centered around the holiday. All is not as it seems, however, as each vignette unravels a sinister Christmas tale and the show the couple is watching is anything but normal. To say much more about the plot of the film does a disservice to the individual stories suffice to say that there is a little bit of something for everyone.

The cast is made up of some of the independent genre’s best and brightest. Indie darlings like Graham Skipper (Sequence Break, The Mind’s Eye), Brea Grant (A Ghost Story, Halloween 2), Amanda Fuller (Starry Eyes, Fashionista) Morgan Peter Brown (XX, Teenage Cocktail), and a slew of other familiar faces round out a cast that feels like a highlight reel from indie genre cinema over the past 5 years (and in no way is that a bad thing). There’s also a few neat casting choices like Larry Zerner, best known as Shelly from Friday the 13th Part 3 as well as Archie Hahn from Phantom of The Paradise. Spotting folks you’ll surely recognize is part of the fun of the film.

The McKendry’s pull double duty as both a writing and directing team but they make it work almost completely. For the half-dozen or so stories that populate it, the film never seems to drag as they keep things moving at a decent clip. There are, however, a few moments where a  couple of the stories feel a little lighter than some of the others. But this is almost to be expected with an anthology like this and the other shorts more than make up for any shortcomings that those few have. They do a wonderful job of balancing pitch-black humor with genuine laughs as well as holiday cheer with heaps of the macabre. The framing story never feels forced and each tale of Christmas terror feels in place within that frame.

All The Creatures Were Stirring is sure to find a home on many people’s holiday watchlist and could easily be in rotation with the likes of Gremlins and Krampus. It has a mean streak but one that is similar to those films. The film won the audience award at CFF and it’s easy to see why. It’s fun, hilarious, dark and even oddly touching at times and doesn’t even scratch the surface of how many stories can be told. Sequel anyone?

You can follow the film via their Facebook page and be sure to give our interview with the directors a listen here.

4 out of 5.

you can also find our previous interviews with both Ted and Grady at the links provided!

The film takes place in the midst of the war of 1812 as British agent Joshua (Eamon Farren) attempts to pursuade Calvin Two Rivers (Justin Rain) and mutual lover Oak (Kaniehtiio Horn) to embolden their Mohawk people and join the fight against the Americans, a plan that Oak is not keen on seeing through. However, when Calvin attacks American troops, his actions set into motion a series of events that threaten Oak and the Mohawk tribes very way of life.

The film is an impressive accomplishment on almost every front but especially because of the stellar cast. Horn’s Oak is a tour de force of intensity and emotion. As her world begins to crumble around her and she is plagued by haunting visions, it is her ferocity that propels the story forward. And what is a heroine without her villain? Ezra Buzzington’s Hezekiah Holt is the reflection of everything we have to fear today. Racist, xenophobic, sexist and imperialistic. He is the avatar of the hate we are experiencing as a country and a haunting reminder that that hate hasn’t been very far from hand in over 200 years. We feel every wound that Oak suffers. We endure every loss with her. And, when the two forces of nature finally meet, we have an incredibly cathartic release.

The film is equally impressive for the tropes of historical films that it bucks and does away with. Gone are the epic, wide open shots of the great unknown. Farewell to the sweeping orchestral scores you’ve come to expect with films like this. Director Ted Geoghegan instead takes a decidedly retro (at least filmically speaking) approach to both the look and sound of Mohawk. Cinematographer Karim Hussain (Hobo With a Shotgun), who worked on the director’s previous feature We Are Still Here, brings a unique perspective to the carnage, choosing to keep things moving and kinetic like the action films of the 70’s. There is a lot of handheld work and quick zooms that breath new life into a tired sub-genre. The other contributing factor to this new life is the retro synth score by composer Wojciech Golczewski, also rejoining Geoghegan from his previous film. Golczewski, known for his synth-driven work, brings that sensibility to this period and in doing so creates a haunting, ethereal soundscape that is unlike anything found in a film like this before it.

Mohawk is not an easy film. It is brutal and beautiful. It is historic and familiar yet defies expectation. It is by and away one of the most wholly original films of the year. Geoghegan and Hendrix have crafted a one of a kind tale that serves as a reminder of our sins and acts as a warning to not let the same thing continue to happen again and again.

5 out of 5.

Mohawk is now available on VOD and on physical media.

The film follows skeptic and paranormal debunker professor Goodman (Andy Nyman) who, after being contacted by his long thought dead idol, embarks on three separate supernatural investigations that will test his sketicism and his sanity. The film was adapted from the stage by director Jeremy Dyson and star Andy Nyman and features incredible turns by the 3 story leads Paul Whitehouse (Alice In Wonderland), Alex Lawther (The End of The F***ing World) and, perhaps most notably, Martin Freeman (Fargo, Black Panther).

The film opens fast (maybe a little too fast) as the setup is introduced but soon settles into a rhythm once professor Goodman begins his investigation. From there, the film does a remarkable job of keeping things tense and shrouded in mystery. Each of the three stories definitely has a beginning, middle, and end but each still concludes leaving the audience gasping and also wondering what’s missing. It’s a brilliant puzzle that left me frustrated until the final moments when everything clicked into place. Director Dyson meticulously set up clues both big and small for the inevitable payoff that requires multiple viewings.

All of the moody set pieces and atmospheric dread are made possible largely in part to Ole Bratt Birkeland’s brilliant cinematography that switches effortlessly between brooding, high haunt material to a more documentary style as Goodman interviews those involved with and on the outskirts of the stories. Birkeland also isn’t afraid to face the horrors of the film head on but also makes some interesting choices on when to hold back.

The mood is furthered heightened by the score provided by composer Frank Ilfman (Big Bad Wolves). The sound of the film is equal parts reminiscent of old Hammer horror as well as something closer to the work of Joe Bishara in films like Insidious. Comparisons aside, Ilfman still manages to create something unsettling and beautiful, much like the film itself.

To say much more about Ghost Stories is giving away some of its greatest secrets. It is, however, one of 2018’s finest genre efforts and it’s labyrinthine journey is worth the reward of a wholly original ending.

4 out of 5.

Ghost Stories is available now on VOD from IFC films.

I had it pretty rough as a kid as the victim of child abuse and I found shelter in horror. The scary stuff on screen could never be as bad as what I had gone through and I found friends in monsters. These friends were nowhere more prominent than in The Monster Squad. The first time I ever rented the VHS was from our local public library and after that, I was hooked. We rented the tape weekly and I became a lifelong fan as many of our readers and listeners know. To this day, that film is perfect to me. I wanted to be in the squad. I wanted to be in the “god damn club”. And, as I would learn, so did many other monster kids just like me.

There’s a potent energy that causes a 30-year-old film to grab ahold of people like that and not let go. This is something that filmmakers Andre Gower (star of the original film) and Henry McComas knew and it was that knowledge that launched a year-long whirlwind journey to create one of the most moving, beautiful, and heartfelt documentaries in Wolfman’s Got Nards. 

The most striking thing about the doc almost off the bat is the scope. Andre, Henry, and company were not only able to secure interviews with many important players in the cast and crew but they also went on an exhaustive hunt to find fans (travelling across the country including a nationwide screening tour at Alamo Drafthouse theaters) as well as artists, genre journalists, actors and other filmmakers. Each and everyone one of those people shares in not only their love of The Monster Squad but also how the film has touched their lives and in many cases launched their careers. You would assume that the film would slouch because of the magnitude of personalities involved but it only comes out stronger for it. There isn’t a single interview that feels unneeded. Every story builds the bittersweet mythos of The Monster Squad.

Fred Dekker, the original film’s director, provides the most fascinating relationship with the film and his material is worth the price of admission alone. It’s a sad, poignant, and inevitably uplifting look about the complicated relationship artists can have with their art and how the pay off for your work can come at times you would least expect it.

There are a few missing faces that would have been interesting to hear from like Tom Noonan, who played the Frankenstein’s monster or Jason Hervey (especially since the documentary touches on some of the problematic content and language of the original film) but those omissions are minor when you consider the involvement of folks like Shane Black.

The doc moves along thanks to fan artwork that acts as chapter markers in a really fun way and it’s populated by a score that was provided by Ryan Lambert (another star of the original film) and others involved with the production. It’s things like that that prove what a love letter this documentary is. It’s not just bootstraps filmmaking. It’s family. It’s a family that makes everyone who has ever seen The Monster Squad feel a part of and the documentary ultimately does a stellar job of capturing why the film has the power that it does.

In many ways, this feels like a bookend for the legacy of The Monster Squad. It encapsulates the history of the making of the film as well as its immediate and far-reaching legacy. It sees Andre Gower behind the camera as opposed to in front of it, in many ways beginning a new chapter in his own life and it gives fans the opportunity to celebrate together. I have no doubt that we will hear more of The Monster Squad in some form or fashion, especially as new generations of kids like me and those featured in the doc see the original for the first time. But this documentary, the complete triumph that it is, is a fitting placeholder for the future.

We give this one a 5 out of 5.

Wolfman’s Got Nards is currently out at festivals and will play next at the Overlook Film Festival this weekend. Be on the lookout for our interview with Andre Gower and Henry McComas coming next week and if you’re still in the mood for more squad coverage, check out our interview with the film’s stars from last years CFF.

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and REVIEW the show on iTunes to help spread the Bigger Show word!

On today’s season premiere episode of Bigger Show, Mike sits down with filmmaker Jill Sixx (Aka Jill Gevargizian) as they discuss her hauntingly beautiful film The Stylist as well as her new film 42 Counts. Jill is an incredible talent and this was a great way to kick off the Chattanooga Film Festival 2018!

We got the opportunity to sit down and chat with Chris to learn about the festival’s history as well as what’s in store for this year!

Three words gang: Wookie. Porno. Hood.

In a rare move, Matt and Mike AUDIO REVIEW a film that everyone has been talking about! The latest installment of the Star Wars franchise, The Last Jedi!

Find out what the Bigger Show boys think of the latest in the epic saga!

On this weeks episode we welcome artist Mickey Masters who chats about his art, his style and process, and the upcoming art discussion series he’s curating with the Little Harpeth Brewing Company!

Director Vincente DiSanti’s Never Hike Alone follows Kyle (Drew Leighty), a YouTube-esque hiking channel host, as he makes his way through the wilderness of Essex County and inevitably finds himself in the long abandoned remains of camp Crystal Lake and running afoul of Jason Voorhees himself. To say much more about the plot would be doing it a disservice and at a brisk 53 minutes (a runtime that seemed to fly by) you owe it to yourself to discover the finer details on your own. What I can dote on is how pitch perfect everything about this film feels. Until the last few minutes of the runtime, Drew Leighty carries the weight of the material on his more than capable shoulders. He is a one man show (when he isn’t facing off against Jason) and he easily balances humor and humanity, fast paced action and heart pounding horror.

DiSanti himself pulls double duty as not only director but as Voorhees too. That’s an incredibly tall order but he pulls it off with ease. His turn as the killer is menacing and unstoppable and manages to add a grace and litheness to the phenom that has never really existed before. DiSanti’s Voorhees is agile and along with his signature stealthiness, creates a new and chilling combination. He also manages to breathe new life into the design of Jason from the mask to the horrible visage underneath. It was a breathtaking moment to see Jason lose his mask and I stopped to rewind those few seconds more than once.

Having great performances (and one mind blowing cameo) can take a fan film a long way but it’s what it does differently that set it apart. DiSanti doesn’t bother with trying to recreate the palette and soundscape of the F13 films that have come before. His reliance on a variety of cinematography ranging from aerial to go pro as well as thoughtful shots and set ups honestly puts this effort not only above other fan films but also above other F13 films. Sweeping landscape shots give way to breakneck action tableaus with ethereal fever dreams peppered in. I guarantee you’ve never seen anything like this in franchise offering. The same can be said of the sound design. Gone are the orchestral pieces and signature “Ki Ki Ki’s” you’ve come to expect from Friday and instead there is a modern approach with only references to those classic tropes here and there.

We have passed the longest point in the franchise’s history between sequels or installments. Rights issues have thrown Jason and Crystal Lake into legal limbo and have left fans salivating for a return to Camp Blood. Well, that return is here. Never Hike Alone is among the finest horror offerings this year, is the absolute best fan film I have ever seen and deserves to stand shoulder to shoulder with the other films in the franchise. Vincente DiSanti is a name to watch out for (as is Leighty for that matter) and I cannot wait to see what he delivers next.

The film is available to stream free right here.

5/5 barrels.

Give it a listen and let us know what Joker story you’d love to see adapted or how you would bring the Clown Prince of Crime to the big screen in a new way!

On this weeks episode, Mike and Matt chat with the brilliant Grady Hendrix about his work including the sublime My Best Friend’s Exorcism as well his upcoming Paperbacks From Hell!

Today Mike and Matt sit down with filmmaker Ryan Prows to discuss his absolutely insane film, Lowlife, that the hosts were able to check out at this years Fantasia Film Festival (Review).

It was one of their favorite’s of the fest and Ryan shares how the movie came to be, some great thoughts on process as well as what he’s got brewing next!

On this BRAND NEW episode of Bigger Show Mike is joined by new member of the Bigger Show co-host family and longtime guest, Matt “General Audience” Miles as the two discuss one of their favorite shows of all time and how they would go about rebooting the franchise!

This is all part of our salute to 25 years of “Are You Afraid of The Dark?” and you can check out our other Dark coverage from years past at the links below!

Interview with show co-creator DJ MacHale

Interview with series regular, Sardo himself, Richard Dumont

Interview with The Midnight Society’s leader, Ross Hull

The film follows April (Amanda Fuller returning to work with the director again) and her husband Eric (Ethan Embry) as they run their Austin Texas vintage clothing store. Everything seems to be picture perfect for the hip pair of entrepreneurs until April suspects Eric of cheating on her. As their relationship spirals out of control, she meets a patient wolf type in Randall (Eric Balfour) who enchants April but quickly ensnares her in his own web of shadowy misdeeds. To say much more about the plot of the film, however, would be doing a great disservice to the audience. The film uses a fractured timeline, jumping between different points of view and times, that can feel jarring up to the final moments of the film. It’s in these moments that everything becomes jaw dropping and bring all of the timeline together in a completely unexpected way.

The standout of the film are the performances. Amanda Fuller, who shined in Red, White and Blue as well as the incredible Starry Eyes is absolutely breathtaking here. She weaves through the complexity of the plot and the emotional landscape it creates with ease. Everything about her and her relationship with Embry feels real and lived in.They both fit the hip Austin mold and it doesn’t take much to think you would actually see these two behind the counter of any chic boutique. They behave and react to the challenges they find themselves in like real people and this helps us really root for them, through all their faults, when the going really gets tough (and believe me, it absolutely does). Austin itself is more than just a location in the film. It becomes a character as Rumley uses each location not just as a backdrop, but as a living breathing asset that interacts with his characters. It’s one of those films that tells you where it’s set and by the end you realize it couldn’t have taken place anywhere else.

The muted, lo-fi aesthetic that Rumley has used in the past returns here. It’s not frills cinematography with a lot of handheld work and simple shooting that puts the emphasis on the story and characters rather than being too concerned with looking cool. it’s in this that Rumley shows what kind of filmmaker he is. He is concerned with what’s important, the nitty gritty of making a good film. It’s this no frills approach that also makes the film so affecting in the end. Whereas some films and filmmakers would use clever shots or angles to soften the uncomfortable parts, Rumley makes you face them head on. It’s unvarnished and raw and works marvelously.

I really adored almost everything about this film but it’s sure to split audiences. It’s challenging but engaging. Accessible but divisive. The eventual payoff makes you work for it and when it happened, I was on my feet and pacing around the room. it’s that good. I am a week or so away from having seen the film and I have thought about it every single day since. Fashionista gets inside your head and doesn’t let go with beautifully realized characters, stark cinematography and a haunting story that will keep you thinking long after the final credits roll.

Keep up with the film via their Facebook page and the director’s website.

5/5 barrels.

review by Mike D.

We follow Kira (Rebecca Forsythe) a 20-something, professional pianist living a comfortable life in a big city, who’s pristine skin inexplicably begins flaking away, revealing the raw flesh beneath. Panicking, Kira seeks out the help of skin specialist, Dr. Crober, (Played by horror legend, Barbra Crampton) who seems oddly unconcerned with Kira’s rapidly escalating malady. Through a freak accident Kira learns that she can place new skin (read: other people’s) over her own rotting flesh to temporarily halt her necrosis. It’s an interesting riff on the traditional zombie narrative, and leads to some effective and original gore that sometimes even approaches artful. However, there’s unfortunately another, less original twist. Kira also has amnesia, and aside from some conveniently specific flashbacks, can’t remember the last few weeks of her life.

“Replace” is full of mysterious hallucinations and half-formed flashbacks, and seems to be striving for a Lynchian dreamscape; where we, like Kira, are forced to question what is real and what is only a dream or memory. Unfortunately, the pursuit of this is the film’s biggest stumbling block. Kira’s quest for answers plods along for the majority of the run time, before being abruptly explained in an avalanche of exposition. Producing a slow and rambling plot culminating in a lackluster conclusion instead of the abstract suspense that the director was attempting.

Luckily, the performances are a high-note. It’s always a pleasure to see Barbra Crampton, and she delivers the standout performance of the film. However, it is unfortunate that she is give relatively little screen time, and worse that most of her dialogue consists of finding different ways of telling Kira that she’s unable to help her. Forsythe’s own performance, while solid, is more difficult to interpret. For the majority of the film she remains as hopelessly confused as she is in the beginning, giving the actor limited options to work with.

Despite the lazy amnesia plot device and sluggish pace, the metaphor “Replace” is predicated upon is a compelling one. A woman driven to literally cannibalize other women for their beauty feels surprisingly natural when from every magazine cover photoshopped models shout “be thinner, dress better, look happier”. This concept of women being turned against women, is the emotional heart of the film, and seems to be what the creator was most interested in exploring, it’s just a shame that it isn’t more fleshed out (Pun definitely intended).

3 out of 5 barrels

Review by Matt Miles

Dead Shack is the story of Jason (Matthew Nelson-Mahood) a seemingly disadvantaged young man who has found kindred spirits in similarly disadvantaged siblings Colin (Gabriel LaBelle) and Summer (Lizzie Boys). The trio, along with the siblings dad Roger (Donavon Stinson) and new stepmom Lisa (Valerie Tian) take up residence in a secluded cabin in the woods for a weekend of relaxation and copious amounts of alcohol. Their quiet getaway is interrupted when the trio of teens stumbles upon a house in the middle of the woods that seems to be playing host to some grisly murders.

The thing that separates this film from other genre fare almost immediately are the characters. I can’t, in recent memory, think of a group of on screen personas that have been as beautifully realized as our 5 main characters. Sure, the dialog is filled with tons of fun quips and crude jokes, but it doesn’t come off hacky or cheap because you believe in the dynamic of the characters and how they play off each other. The way Roger talks to his kids and to Jason or to his new wife all feels very universal in the same way that any given episode of Roseanne does. It’s a “lived in” quality that so few ensemble casts find themselves with. They’re real lower-middle class people who respond to each other and to the outrageous situation they find themselves in authentically. 

Of course none of that could be possible without the performances to back it up either and fortunately Dead Shack is devoid of a single bad one. When going into watching a movie with several young leads, you’re never sure what kind of performances you’re going to get but it’s clear here that director Peter Ricq spent time vetting his cast and finding the best young people for the job. They play beautifully off of more seasoned performers like Stinson and Tian and when the material gets emotionally heavy, all three young leads really step up to the plate. It’s so refreshing to see so many actors that seem to have no problem balancing material that runs the gamut of emotions and depth. The script, while strong on dialog and character, is pretty straightforward zombie fare but these actors really elevate it into something special.

One of the things we look for in a zombie flick is what the gore score is like and I’m happy to say that Dead Shack is one hell of a splatter fest. There are a ton of really great gags and even some spots that subvert your expectations of where a kill or gag is going to go (another brilliant way the film works) and it really helps keep it all fresh and interesting. Aside from some digital blood here and there (one of the things I can’t help but notice) all of the viscera looks really phenomenal. And smaller, more emotionally charged, effects really shine against great performances that back them up.

Dead Shack was probably the biggest surprise out of Fantasia this year. It’s funny, gory and has more heart than I could have ever expected. Don’t get bogged down in the fact that it’s a zombie or a “kids on bikes” movie. This one is really something special and definitely stands head and shoulders above most of the movies in the sub-genre today.

You can keep up with the film via their Facebook page and be sure to catch it when it’s available for mass consumption!

4.5/5 barrels. 

Review by Mike D.

Alcohol swilling cop Lou Garou becomes the victim of some occult goings-on and is transformed into the titular badass. Along with buddy Willie and fellow cop Tina, the trio must work to get to the bottom of the darkness over their town. It’s a wild ride and by the end, you’re definitely left wanting more but could it work? Can you take a high concept, werewolf horror comedy and grow on that foundation or would it fall to pieces, doomed to repeat the same jokes? Well, I am happy to report that a sequel has arrived and that it does absolutely everything a good sequel should: it grows on the original idea, it gives us our favorite characters in new and exciting situations and introduces new ones that are just as fun and engaging, but most importantly it gives us 100% more of the lycan hero we’ve come to love.

The film picks up shortly after the first outing and finds Woodhaven in a period of change. Local eccentric businessman Swallows (Yannick Bisson) is about to unleash a new hockey stadium and brewery (Chicken Milk anyone?) and something much darker upon the residents. With the help of new mayor (played beautifully by Kevin Smith) who can possibly stand up to this evil, new and old, in Woodhaven? Enter WolfCop!

From his first scene, it’s clear that director Dean and company are holding nothing back. The blood, bullets and fur begin to fly as Lou doles out justice the only way he knows how. The design of our hero has been updated as have his methods of dispatching scumbags. If there was one complaint of the first film, it was that there was a lack of werewolf madness and that is also the biggest improvement of the sequel. The gore and gags are big and over the top and a hell of a lot of fun.

It’s also great to see our heroes having settled into their roles as well. Leo Fafard’s Lou and Amy Matysio’s Tina have great chemistry and once Jonathan Cherry’s Willie returns (we won’t spoil how here), the trio fall right back into the report that made the first film work so well, but now that they’ve had some time in their respective skins, it really pops. The sinister Swallows as well as folks like Smith’s mayor and deputy Daisy (Devery Jacobs) are all welcome additions to the already stellar lineup.

The real standout here, however, is Dean’s ability to world build. The first WolfCop got a little bogged down in mythology, especially in the third act, but Dean has grown as a filmmaker and writer and has learned the delicate balance of creating a whole world. In Another WolfCop, we get plenty of tastes of things we’ve seen before like the lizard people cult but we also get a sense that Dean is working towards bigger things for our hero. The film doesn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger but it certainly leaves you chomping at the bit for more more mythology and mayhem.

Another WolfCop is a ton of fun without reinventing the wheel. There’s more of everything that made the first film a blast and has cut out most of the problems of the first as well. If this is the trajectory of the WolfCop universe, Lou and his cohorts will be in for another over the top adventure very soon and I cannot wait.

The film premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival but you can keep up with all the updates via their facebook page as well as their website.

4.5/5 barrels.

Review by Mike D.

     The first act serves as an introduction to Haynes himself (Gleefully played by Mark Burnham) as well as his henchmen who kidnap and murder immigrants all while giving the audience a glimpse into not only a sex trade but also an organ trafficking ring. And this is just the first five minutes. Beginning your film with such deplorable violence is a risky step. However, by doing so, Prows provides a frightening reminder of just how vulnerable some people are based only on their immigration status, and also really sets up Haynes as a dangerous and sadistic criminal who’s deserving of our hate and fear. It’s challenging to watch but powerfully effective at what it attempts.

     The following three vignette, “Monsters“, “Fiends“, and “Thugs” each highlight one of the other main characters of the film, whose interweaving stories all come together for the bloody finale. “Monsters” focuses on the disgraced luchador El Monstruo (Ricardo Adam Zarate), who’s name and legacy were passed down to him by his father, and his father before him. We are never told exactly what brought about his fall from the ring, but soon it becomes apparent that when he becomes too angry, Monstruo suffers from blinding rages that he has no recollection of afterward. Monstruo’s fury is signaled by a high pitched, industrial “scream” followed by a snap cut to the post-rage fallout. Where the viewer, like El Monstruo, must attempt to piece together what transpired by the bloody an oft hilarious carnage he awakens to.

It’s a fun and surprisingly original bit, and really makes El Monstruo feel like the over the top character that he is. Monstruo, we learn, works as an enforcer for Teddy; collecting debts and guarding captives. Though he dreams of honoring his father’s legacy, he does Teddy’s dirty work to provide for his wife Kaylee, who is pregnant with the next generation of Monstruo, and who also happens to be Teddy’s adoptive daughter. And against the backdrop of El Monstruo’ s through line, we learn that the motel owner, Krystal (Nicki Micheaux),  has turned to Teddy to try and get a new kidney for her dying husband and is harboring some secrets of her own

     Delving any further into the plot here would be a disservice to Prows’ storytelling, but suffice to say it only gets better. The convergence of the stories is outstanding, and the finale is a satisfying bloodbath that also manages to be genuinely touching. The performances are all well done, and each character is likeable in a unique way. Zarate’s performance of El Monstruo in particular, is so compelling that I would happily watch a movie of just him.

     The scummy cast of criminals and the non-linear structure make for easy comparisons to films such as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. And while there certainly are some Tarantino-isms to be found, Lowlife doesn’t take too much from any one influence. The story has a nihilistic optimism that would feel out of place in most Tarantino films. Almost all of our characters want to see Haynes dead, but it’s not for justice or revenge. Instead, the motivation is protection of self or loved ones. This is not a film about bringing a man to justice for the wrongs that he’s done. This is a film about putting one sadistic son of a bitch in the ground for the bloody destruction he’ll wreak if he’s allowed to keep breathing.

Lowlife is an outstanding, exploitation infused black comedy that manages to be both brutal and uplifting. One of the standout films of the Fantasia Film Festival, be on the lookout for it and keep an eye on http://www.lowlifemovie.com for all of the future updates.

5/5 barrels.

by Matt Miles (2017)

This episode we chat with director Kevin Burke about his outstanding new documentary 24×36: A Movie About Movie Posters (review)

       Tackling the history of the movie poster is no small task and Burke, by and large, does a commendable job of taking viewers down a rich and sometimes woeful timeline. The doc kicks off with a brief history lesson from the early days of French art up through the masterful Universal horror works. Every artist profiled could easily fill their own documentary but Burke does a great job of keeping the tone light and pace quick as we are introduced to a cavalcade of names including industry visionaries like John Alvin (E.T.) and Drew Struzan (Star Wars). It’s after this that we make a brief stop in the trend that began in the 90’s and has, unfortunately, continued to this day of the “floating head” posters and the photoshop heavy pieces that studios rely so heavily on. It’s an important, albeit sad, marker on the timeline of the film poster but Burke does a fine job of getting various opinions on the matter and also not burying the graphic designers who work in that style. From here the documentary really begins to shine as we begin to explore the new wave of illustrated film posters.

        One of the most impressive qualities about the film is the sheer volume of artists that appear. Most every major contributor to the world of illustrated and collectible poster art in the past 15 years is on display here and almost all of the participants have some really wonderful insights into the modern world of poster art. Tim Doyle is one of the real standouts here as he talks about the difference between limited release posters and having a design available all the time. In mentioning that, however, it should also be said that this is where the film falters slightly as well. There is so much material to cover when it comes to this art form that the film sometimes feels a little muddled or rushed in places depending on the topic of conversation. I feel like sections like the chat with Mondo’s Rob Jones (who doesn’t seem too keen to be interviewed at all) could have been axed to make way for other spotlights like expanding on the history of some other artists/galleries like Phantom City or Grey Matter. This is a minor complaint though as what works in the doc really works.

Burke also manages to craft a beautiful love letter to the art form while also discussing the problems that the community faces. There are a couple great sections here on the struggles of licensing a film property as well as the dreaded flippers who are buying art and then reselling it for 10 times the amount that was paid. These concerns may seem niche to the casual viewer but by the end of the film, everyone can appreciate the work and struggle that goes into this kind of design.

         24×36 is one of the most stunning and accessible docs about the art form to come out in the last few years. It’s a perfect snapshot of the past and present of poster design and in some places, serves as a warning against some of the practices that could hurt the art form’s future. Burke’s film serves as a perfect primer for new fans as well as a wonderful bit of nostalgia for all of us who grew up waiting to see the next poster at our local theater.

4/5

Resolution is, at its core, a story of friendship and the lengths we go to preserve that bond. Their follow up feature Spring continues on a similar path by examining the heartbreak and perseverance of true love and now, with their brand new feature, The Endless, Benson and Moorhead (as they have affectionately become known) have continued this trajectory by examining the bonds of family and what that word really means all while doing what they do best: setting our teeth on edge and making us question our own realities through their own spin on Lovecraftian cosmic dread and horror. It also reinforces what was clear from Resolution five years earlier: this dynamic duo is playing chess with the audience, not checkers.

The Endless sees Benson and Moorhead returning in front of the camera as brothers Justin and Aaron (respectively) Smith, survivors of an alleged UFO death cult who now spend their days cleaning houses. Aaron receives a mysterious Hi-8 tape and when he and Justin play it, they discover a cryptic message about their former lives. Justin is content to leave the past where it is but after much cajoling from younger brother Aaron, the duo set out to discover the meaning behind the tape and return to their former lives one last time.

It’s at this point that the audience might have an odd sense of deja vu. Is it the filmmakers style? Is it the similar themes that are being explored? or is it that we’ve met these two brothers somewhere else before?

This signals what the writing/directing team does best throughout all of their work (even their insane segment in V/H/S/ Viral) and that’s building an incredible sense of unease and dread while also presenting us with a relatable themes such as friendship, love and family. The two conflicting forces go well together and the directors use them to their greatest effect here.

One of the things that worried me going into this film and having been a fan of their previous work, can they be just as effective in front of the camera as they have been on the page and behind the scenes and I’m happy to say that all of my worries were almost immediately dashed. Benson and Moorhead have worked so closely together for nearly a decade that it’s not hard to believe them as brothers. The two have a natural report and some of the films finest moments are when the two riff back and forth like siblings often do. It’s also clear that they’ve learned a lot from the wonderful talent pool of actors they’ve worked with. The two bring spectacular performances that, given how much they were responsible for on the film, would have sent any other directors spiraling out of control.  It also helps that they are joined by a stellar cast including Tate Ellington (Shameless), Callie Hernandez (Graves) and stand outs James Jordan (Veronica Mars) as the scene stealing “shitty Carl” and relative newcomer Kira Powell who is absolutely haunting as Lizzy.

Just as much as the film is filled with stunning performances, it’s equally filled with set pieces that will make your pulse quicken and your hair stand on end. The duo continues to hone their skills at horror by not beating you over the head with endless gore or violence but by lulling you into false security before unleashing a barrage of dread and revulsion. What’s even more incredible, is that they are able to do this over and over again in the same film. There is a whimsical quality to this world. One where we question the nature of self and reality while also running for our lives from on unseen force. One where we are forced to face our past while wondering if the future is even guaranteed. For every practical, physical scare in the movie there is another that is existential and far more terrifying.

There is a moment that kicks off the last act of the film that realizes the sense of deja vu we were experiencing. To say anymore here would ruin the film’s best secrets, ones they have played very close to the chest during the making of the film but It’s a moment that left me breathless and made me realize just how in-depth Benson and Moorhead had become as filmmakers. They have come full circle in many ways with this film and they have grown their mythology in jaw-dropping ways but the biggest takeaway from the film is how they’ve grown as storytellers. Thoughtful, elegant, whimsical and terrifying, The Endless is emotionally mature while also being a masterclass in genre filmmaking.

The very last of our interviews from the Chattanooga Film Festival and one of the most memorable. Travis and David are responsible for helping the best independent genre films of the past 5 or 6 years make it to the big screen and it was an absolute blast chatting with them about their lives in the business, their past projects and what are sure to be their upcoming successes.

(Photo by Dustin Wooten)

But with The Void, Gillespie and Kostanski have ventured out on their own and have created their most cohesive, brutal, gory and insane effort to date.

The Void follows officer Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole) out patrolling on an otherwise uneventful night until a mysterious stranger (Evan Stern) stumbles out of the woods, bloody and disoriented. Carter takes the man to the local hospital which, after a terrible fire, is at the tail end of moving facilities and operating on a skeleton crew of nurse in training Kim (Scott Pilgrim’s Ellen Wong), the resident doctor Powell (Kenneth Welsh) and Carter’s ex-wife and head nurse Beverly (Stephanie Belding). Things go from bad to insane when a gun toting father and son (Daniel Fathers and Mike Byskov), a group of shrouded, dagger wielding cultists and a horde of Lovecraftian creepy crawlies beseech the emergency room.

The filmmakers launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2015 to help cover the costs of the incredibly ambitious practical effects of the film. They raised well over their desired goal and it is clear from the very first shot of one of the film’s gruesome denizens that every dollar made it onto the screen. As a practical effects junkie myself, I couldn’t believe how much the practical viscera and creatures really sang on screen. Everything looks like it could have easily been right at home in Carpenter’s The Thing or Gordon’s Re-Animator.  Both Gillespie and Kostanski come from an effects background and it absolutely shows here. Not just form the craftsmanship in the designs and functions but also in screen time. They strike a beautiful balance between showing you just enough and leaving wonder what you really saw in the first place. It screams 80’s creature feature sensibilities in the best way.

Also like the films of that era, The Void is populated by a cast of believable archetypes for the madness to be unleashed upon. We have the cop seeking redemption, the doctor with a dark secret, the pregnant farm girl and her caretaker, all are wonderfully realized and played 100% serious amid a tidal wave of blood and guts. The particular standout here, however, is Kenneth Welsh’s Dr. Powell, who absolutely steals the third act of the film. He’s given some considerably lengthy dialog that, under the delivery of lesser actors, could have plodded along and felt monotonous. But Welsh, however, supercharges some heavy exposition with a decidedly sinister edge.

There is a ton of world building in The Void that leaves the audience with as many questions as it answers. We get really incredible glimpses of the purpose of the cult and what lies beyond the actual void but we are left piecing together some of the why. Some may say that that method is part of the fun of the world the film creates but I, myself, would have loved to learn a little more about everything’s purpose and origin.

The Void proves that Gillespie and Kostanski are forces to be reckon with. They have a mastery over genre and a solid hold over all of the character, mood and tone work that makes for a truly compelling film. If this is any indication of what we can expect to see of them in the future, sign us up.

The Void is now available on demand and in select theaters nationwide.

One of the most exciting interviews of the Chattanooga Film Festival, Mike sits down with his film heroes Ryan Lambert and Andre Gower (aka The Monster Squad) to discuss the legacy of the film, the experience of making it, their brand new podcast and chopping down trees with Mr. T.

And be sure to check out Ryan and Andre’s show, SquadCast!

Across all of cinema today, there is a lack of female representation and it could be said that that lack is felt even more in genre cinema. Olivia Saperstein and Dre Boulet, who collectively form Bullet Cinema, are here to change that.

The opening film of this years Chattanooga Film Festival was Dave Made a Maze and it was one of the most whimsical, stunning, and inventive films we’ve seen in years. We’re lucky enough to have had the opportunity to chat with the film’s director, Bill Watterson, about everything that went into creating the world of Dave!

We chat with filmmaker Joe Lynch about his jam packed schedule at this years Chattanooga Film Festival! Not only is Joe celebrating the 15th anniversary of his film Wrong Turn 2, but he’s also bringing his podcast, The Movie Crypt, live to the event AND there will be a screening of his brand new, highly anticipated film, Mayhem! 

all hail Joe Lynch at the Chattanooga Film Festival.

Bigger Show’s new segment dives headfirst into the cruel and unusual of cinema! and for the inaugural episode, Mike and Alex tap into what may be the most unusual film ever made.

The Dragon Lives Again finds Bruce Le(ong) in Hell. Got your attention yet?

There, the martial arts master must defend the king of Hell from the “Exorcist” and his band of ruthless thugs that include: James Bond, Zatoichi, Clint Eastwood, “The Godfather” and Dracula.

This is one of the most madcap movies we’ve ever seen and although we missed it during the Chattanooga Film Festival, we were still able to track it down and give it a watch!

This is a golden age of unique voices in independent genre cinema. Some of the strongest films in the past 5 years or so have come from folks who have such a unique take and complete understanding of genre. Graham Skipper is no exception. Having cut his teeth acting in films such as Almost Human and The Mind’s Eye, Graham has stepped behind the camera to bring us a wet, psychosexual, Cronenbergian fever dream with the palette of 80’s neon arcade in his directorial debut, Sequence Break.

The film follows Oz (Chase Williamson of John Dies at The End) working a literal dead end job as an arcade cabinet repair tech. In the last days of business he is introduced to two strangers: One the beautiful Tess (Starry Eyes’ Fabianne Therese) and the other a derelict (John Dinan) who brings the shop a mysterious circuit board. Once Oz hooks the board into a cabinet, he is drawn to the bizarre game that causes him to go down a path of unrelenting mystery and madness. There is a lot to dissect with Sequence Break. It has a ton going on and could easily dissolve in its own insanity were it not for Skipper’s direction and the performances of its two leads.

Graham Skipper proves himself a competent and adept director with this first behind the camera outing and this film feels right at home next to flicks like Videodrome and Altered States. He measures out equal parts gore and viscera while balancing it with great character moments. The only thing lacking in this regard  is more explanation of the science of the world he’s created. You get little bits and snippets of great world building that unfortunately feel like they don’t get the pay off they deserve. This is a minor complaint, however, as the film’s stars immerse viewers in the world of the film. Williamson and Therese have incredible chemistry that radiates off the screen and carries them through an admittedly accelerated romance. Whereas a lesser director might focus more on Williamson’s Oz,  Skipper has done great work in giving them each their own moments to shine, creating a dynamic relationship with a great pay off.

Sequence Break also goes through great lengths to preserve the integrity of practical effects. There is one sequence in particular that has Oz under the game’s spell and the cabinet begins to undergo a, for lack of a better word, fleshy transformation. Looking around the theater you could see many viewers squirming in their seats and everyone of these moments in the film (of which there are many) provided similar reactions.

The film is a strong debut effort and proves that Skipper possess the tools to tackle features. His sophomore effort will no doubt be even stronger and I continue to look forward to what comes next from this incredible talent.

Sequence Break is currently touring the festival circuit. You can keep up with the film here to see if it will be coming to a festival near you and you hear Graham chat about the film and a ton of other stuff from our interview with him!

4 out of 5 barrels.

We chat about the world premiere of his directorial debut, Sequence Break (review), as well as a ton of the projects that have made him one of the most exciting forces in indie films today.

There are few filmmakers working today who are as unpredictable as Trent Haaga, as has written and directed several of the most jaw dropping films in recent years. Penning 2011’s Deadgirl to 2013’s Cheap Thrills, Haaga has had a knack for keeping audiences on their toes and the edge of their seats. He continues this trend as he returns to the director’s chair, after 2011’s Chop, with 68 Kill, a film the defies categorization and has Haaga’s big bloody thumbprint of his unique style squarely on it.

The film finds down on his luck Chip (played brilliantly by Matthew Gray Gubler) in the midst of a whirlwind romance with loose cannon Liza (AnnaLynne McCord). Neither has much of a job to speak of: Chip is clearing out septic tanks and Liza is sleeping with a sugar daddy to make ends meet. But Liza discovers that her benefactor has a safe full of $68,000 and hatches a plan for she and Chip to steal it all. To say things go awry is an understatement and after a healthy dose of murder and kidnapping, Chip finds himself on the run. To say much more about the plot would do the film a disservice, suffice to say Chip and his captive Violet (Alisha Boe) are on a collision course with disaster.

One of the things I appreciate about Haaga’s writing is his ability to consistently up the ante while also staying ahead of his audience. it is a difficult task to accomplish but he does it beautifully. Like Cheap Thrills before it, 68 Kill doesn’t let the audience catch it’s breath before throwing them the next curveball or gory set piece. Also, like that previous work,  Haaga injects beautiful stretches of tenderness, making us feel for most, if not all, of the characters before he sends them back into the meat grinder. He also plays with not only genre expectations but also gender roles to great effect. He takes the tired tropes that we’ve seen in action and exploitation films for years and gives them a shake. This is a wonderful skill but one that needs the talent on screen to back it up, which is never a problem here.

Having been a fan of both Gubler and McCord from several of the films of Richard Bates Jr. it was fantastic to see them in a larger capacity together. The chemistry, fucked up and unnatural as it sometimes is, sends both of them sailing through the film in a fury of bloodshed, bullets and tears. This is by and away one of Gubler’s strongest performances and it is always incredible to see the range that McCord possesses. This isn’t to say that the supporting cast isn’t equally incredible. One of the real treasures of the film is Alisha Boe as Violet. There is an instant charm and likability to her and as her backstory unravels, your heart breaks for her. She is a real standout and if this performance is any indication, she’ll be wooing audiences for a long time.
The film also features the incredible Sheila Vand as the unhinged Monica, a performance that is just as unsettling as her turn in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, but for very different reasons. And let’s not forget the seriously under appreciated Sam Eidson who has been a welcome sight in any film since his wonderful performance in Zero Charisma. His Kill character Dwayne is brutal and chilling and any lesser filmmaker would have overused his presence but Haaga has a lite touch, resulting in some of the most memorable screen time.

The only moments where the film falters are due to obvious budget constraints. A first act car chase could have used a little more get up and go and some of the digital blood effects fall flat but it doesn’t stop the movie from being a hell of a ride from start to finish. Haaga’s second outing with Snowfort Pictures (who are responsible for some of the finest independent films of the past few years) is a massive achievement of scope and genre. It is absolutely one of the finest films I’ve seen this year and is an important hallmark for a director who proves with this sophomore outing that genre film isn’t dead and that there are some wild, bloody things left to say.

5/5 Barrels

When it comes to scandal its hard to separate the fact from the fiction sometimes. But as I write this, I want to focus on the facts so let’s start:

I saw the first Jeepers Creepers film after being profoundly effected by the trailer. I made my mom drive an hour to see the film and I throughly enjoyed it. I thought the Creeper was one of the best modern monsters and I thought the whole film worked very well.

I was sexually abused by my father. It was an experience that has come back into my life at different times over the past 27 years. It aided in my self destruction and my alcoholism. My abuser died in 2014 and while it brought me some sense of peace, it also meant I would never get the answers I needed.

In 1988, while filming his movie Clownhouse, Victor Salva molested a 12 year old boy. He videotaped it and was found to have child pornography in his home. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison and only served 15 months of that sentence.

He was released and in 1995 he was hired again to make a film. This time by DISNEY. It was for the film Powder. He has continued to make films for the past 20+ years and just today, it was announced that production has begun on his third Jeepers Creepers film.

Victor Salva is a convicted pedophile. Victor Salva did an unspeakable thing and did not serve his full sentence. Victor Salva has continued to have support from members of the filmmaking community including being mostly bankrolled by Francis Ford Coppola.

My abuser is dead and I will never have to face him. Salva’s victim has to continue to watch this man, who committed a heinous act on him, flourish and thrive. He is constantly reminded of what happened to him.

These have all been facts. There’s no disputing that. But I think there is a fact that we have yet to address. We have to stop giving our support to these people. 

We can’t stop these films from getting made, true. But we can control whether or not they see a dime from the work they are allowed to continue to make. It is time to stop supporting pedophiles. It is time to stand up for the victims. It’s time to say “No More”. 

M. Night Shyamalan is a polarizing filmmaker, no doubt. He has created several modern genre masterpieces but has also created some of the most critically and commercially despised films as well. With 2015’s The Visit it appeared that he was on an upswing but it left people wondering, “can it last?”.

I am happy to say that the filmmaker continues his comeback with the first great film of 2017.

Split tells the story of Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) as she and two of her classmates are abducted by a man with 23 different personalities (James McAvoy). To say more about the film would be a disservice to some superb storytelling so I’ll stick closer to the stellar performances.

McAvoy takes what could have easily been hammy and shlocky and plays each of his alters with care and vigor. Never are any of the personalities surface level. He adds subtlety and nuance, giving each one depth and allows the audience to connect in some way with them all.

Taylor-Joy is also really incredible as the equal measures collected and terrified Casey. Her backstory is a tragic one and again could have easily been ham-fisted but is handled with care and consideration.

The real take away for me, however, was Betty Buckley’s Dr. Fletcher. Her performance is so heavy with expositional dialog that I was sure it wasn’t going to work but she handles all of it with such earnestness and she makes you totally buy the science about what the film is selling, even as it borders into “off the rails” territory towards the end.

People will no doubt be talking about the “twist” ending. I will say that you shouldn’t go in expecting a standard Shyamalan big punch out ending. He gives you a beautifully told story that is taut and heartfelt and the twist is almost an afterthought to the wonderful filmmaking of the previous 2 hours.

4.5 out of 5 Definitely get to the theater and check this one out. 

Mike and Cam are joined once again by good friend of the show Spencer Cantrell and they discuss why 2016 was bullshit and a few of the reasons it wasn’t!

Movies, TV, Music, Books! they chat about it all right here!

In this catch up episode, Mike and Cam chat about what has been happening in their lives for the last several months and they chat about some of the nerdy crap they missed while they were away!

Mike and Cam convene once again to talk some pop-culture news, namely the joy that was Captain America: Civil War, the return of John Carpenter, and, as always, a glut of trailers!

In this installment of YHST?!, Cameron views the vampire masterpiece, The Lost Boys. Did he dig the vibe? Was he a fan of the infamous sax man? Find out!

On this episode of Bigger Show’s News Review the boys are joined by Matt “General Audience” Miles and they chat about Batman v. Superman again, Batman v. Egghead and Crazy Quilt, Obama’s first date, TMNT again, Bad trailers for good movies and a whole lot more!

On this episode of Bigger Show’s News Review Mike and Cam get all up in their thoughts on Batman v Superman as well as some Spider-Man tidbits (which have since been dismissed) and the update on the Jumanji remake. Not to mention a slew of new trailers!

So to celebrate the first episode AND Alien day, the duo revisits the 2012 Ridley Scott film, Prometheus.

Mike and Cam saw this together in theaters way back in 2012 and at the time Mike wasn’t a fan to say the least, while Cam really dug it. Has that changed? Can time heal all wounds? lets check in and see in this first episode of SECOND CHANCE CINEMA!

They chat about his film, the state of the genre, creating atmosphere and tone and how exactly he gets his hair that perfect.

Robert was a lot of fun to chat with and we adored his movie. You can pick it up yourself on bluray and dvd May 17th!

The adventure continues as Simon escapes his ruined town with the help of a new friend. But the woods on the way to Castlevania hold their own surprises. Join us for a “deathly” good time on this episode!

It is time! Episode 4 sees our hero, Simon Belmont, battling his doubts and having to make a dramatic escape from his former sanctuary. The holiest and darkest of forces are at work to seal Simon’s fate, but who will emerge victorious?

Featuring Ryan Dillinger as Simon Belmont
Jeremi Morris as The Light
and, as always, Mike D as the Narrator
Written by Todd Rhombus
Directed and Engineered by Cameron Chiles

On this Bigger Show News Review, Mike and Cam chat about old man Indy, Spider-Men, MJ’s monkey, Batmen, Rob Zombie’s continued path off the deep end, Cowboymen and GhostbusterWomen!

They Also round up some of the top trailers of the past few weeks including:

Miss Peregrin’s Home For Peculiar Children

Sausage Party

The Shallows

Ben Hur

Dead 7

Holidays

On this installment of You Haven’t Seen That?!?! Mike introduces not only Cam but also Julien Baker and Ryan Davis to one of the most effective horror films of all time, Poltergeist

They check out the new ID4:Resurgence, Pee Wee’s Big Holiday, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Batman v Superman, The Jungle Book, TMNT 2, Age of Apocalypse, and Suicide Squad.

We chat Star Wars, H8ful 8, Leo in the snow, our favorites of 2015, Del Toro’s busy schedule, Twists From The Crypt, Live Simpsons and Aliens, people taking Ghostbusters wayyyyy to seriously and Hollywood running it all into the ground!

Also be sure to check for our second part to this episode where we peep a whole bunch of trailers we missed since our last show!

On this episode of You Haven’t Seen That?!?! Mike and Sound Engineer Alex sit down for Alex’s VERY FIRST ERNEST MOVIE! I know, its hard to believe but that’s what makes this episode so special.

Listen in for all of the madcap Ernest nonsense from trolls to Ertha Kitt to Miak galore!

Scaring someone is tricky business. You can startle someone with jump scares and you can gross someone out with torture porn and gore but to really scare someone takes an incredible level of skill. Further, it would seem an almost insurmountable task to scare someone in your very first film. But with the release of The Witch Robert Eggers, a first time director, does just that.

The Witch follows a devoutly religious family of 7 who have been ousted from their pilgrim community and banished into the wilderness. Once on their own, they begin life anew and if harsh conditions, scarce livestock and blighted crops weren’t bad enough, a dark force overtakes the family by first kidnapping their newborn and then slowly picking them apart.

When I say slowly, I mean it. The Witch is a slow burn in the best sense of the word. It takes its time slowly cranking up the tension and hardship of an already down on its luck brood and makes you feel every strike against them in the most visceral ways possible. The staggered pace is kept moving from some really exceptional performances by the entire cast, but the lion’s share falls onto daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Father William (Ralph Ineson). The scenes they share together are among the best but individual they are powerhouses.

Aside from a stellar cast, the film also benefits from a near perfect balance of dread and revulsion. Like The Shining or The Blair Witch Project before it, The Witch builds its dread through isolation. We know early on that there is no going back for these people. They must face the unknown, both from nature and the supernatural, by themselves. This intense dread is broken up through gruesome flashes of the titular character and all of its misdeeds against the family. There are images in this film that will likely haunt me for a very long time. Between the two types of horror, there is rarely a time to catch your breath as you creep towards the finale.

Eggers also employs the careful eye of Jarin Blaschke (whom he previously worked with on a short adaptation of The Tell-Tale Heart) to bring the real world setting of the film to life. Every shot is gorgeous and foreboding. Equal measures haunting and beautiful when paired with perfect set and light design. Even at its most gruesome, its difficult to look away from the magnificent cinematography.

We are just near the end of February and already The Witch is the horror film to beat in 2016. This real world fairy tale is the stuff of the brothers Grimm with a modern sense of exactly  it takes to get under your skin and trust me, it will.

5 out of 5 barrels

On this episode of We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Show Mike and Cam sit down with phenomenon Julien Baker to chat about her debut album.

At just 20 years old, Julien has already carved an incredible name for herself with her debut album, Sprained Ankle. Reviews and write-ups have appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Paste, Consequence of Sound, and Pitchfork and Julien has shared the stage with performers like El Vy, Wye Oak and Touche Amore.

We are thrilled and honored to sit down with Julien to discuss her current musical trajectory as well as her musical upbringing and the past, present and future of her path. Also included is a special Bigger Show Studios acoustic performance by the artist herself!

In the past ten years or so we as the viewing audience have become enamored with the rags to riches to rags to riches story, especially when it pertains to musicians.

Anvil: The Story of Anvil as well as Last Days Here and maybe to a lesser degree Metallica’s Some Kind of Monster have pulled back the curtain on an age of musical excess and have revealed the price paid by so many who made it only to fall from grace. The newest entry into this music doc sub-genre chronicles one of the most unique performers of the 1980’s, Jon Mikl Thor. Unlike its contemporaries, however, I AM THOR, while full of heart, feels more like a film from a fan than an in-depth documentary.

The film kicks off with Thor’s history, narrated by the man himself. Even early on, Jon wanted to be equal parts super hero, rockstar and adonis and how these passions fused is really the most interesting part of the film. From garage bands to nude table waiting to The Merv Griffin Show, Thor honed his persona that was not only pure metal hero but also a fair share of He-Man and sideshow (steel bending/brick bashing) thrown in the mix as well. The unfortunate thing about the film though, is very little time is spent on this early development. We get around 25 minutes of bedlam (including an honest to goodness kidnapping) before we shift focus into Thor’s decade plus comeback tour.

The unfortunately glossed over bits are that in 1987 Jon has a breakdown and leaves show business. He and his wife retire to a quaint suburban home and it would seem the rest was history…until it very suddenly isn’t. Seemingly out of nowhere Thor decides that he’s had enough of the quiet day to day and that he has to get back on the road. What follows is an hour of mishmashed comeback shows that span from 1998 to the mid 2000’s.

The problem (other than a comeback lasting well over a decade) is that its essentially the same shtick for most of the rest of the film. Jon has passion (which may border on delusions of grandeur) but through trying to manage himself he only succeeds in playing oddball venues, cycling through back up bands and running his health into the ground. One of the more poignant scenes sees Jon having just had his luggage lost before a big performance and sitting down in a Burger King to take his litany of medications. It shows a very mortal side to the god-like performer and it made me wish there was more of this in the film.

The film ends up nicely with a three show European tour where Jon discovers that Thor never died and is in fact pretty huge. It was really great to see these guys who have been on the grind for a decade finally get the pay off however because we’re never made to feel like the decade long (and preceding hour and change) has been exceptionally hard for our hero, there isn’t a huge emotional pay off.

I like the underdog story. I think we all do. That’s why Anvil worked so well and in a lot of ways I AM THOR does too. But the lack of a “make it or break it” angle just makes this feel like the special features of a concert DVD, which is in no way a bad thing. If you’ve ever been a fan of Thor or that era of metal, its a straight forward look at the god of thunder who’s still out there grinding away and we’re made to believe for better, rather than worse.

3 out of 5 Barrels

On this episode of Bigger Show, Mike and Cam sit down with their friend, Quinten Thornton to discuss the new restaurant/venue, The Block.

Its a one of a kind establishment providing not only house made everything but locally sourced food and entertainment!

We also announce our brand new, monthly screening series (that will be held at The Block), “Bigger Show Cult Cast”!

It was a hell of a time and we hope you’ll share this one around and please, if you’re local, come out and support this one of a kind establishment!

This was a hell of a great chat and Wes and Ronnie were very gracious with their time as they tell us the ins and outs of the F13 process from its original incarnation, to teaming up with the minds behind the series to what surprises lie in wait when YOU get your hands on the game!

This one is for gamers, fans of the series or really any horror fans at all! Listen, like and spread the love with this one!

In celebration of all things Friday the 13th, Cam sits down for his first ever viewing of the original classic, Friday the 13th!

Did he dig it? Was he correct about the plot? Can he resist the short shorts of Kevin Bacon? the answers the these and more await you!

Over the past decade or so it seems that every big horror news item pertains to some remake, reboot, rehash of cult and classic genre names and figureheads. Its happened to Freddy. Its happened to Leatherface. Hell, it even happened to the Leprechaun. Now its happening to one of the most beloved franchises of all time, Evil Dead.

Of course we had the 2013 Fede Alvarez reboot of the franchise and were teased with winks and nods to the original throughout (including a special cameo at the end of the credits) but it took the combined efforts of Sam Raimi, Rob Tappert and Bruce Campbell to resurrect the franchise fully. I had my doubts upon the initial announcement. I mean when has a reboot after this much time been any good? Could they possibly capture the same magic of their original trilogy? Could Ash still kick ass, take names and flub spells? The first trailer for the series pointed to yes but I needed to be sure. Now, after a special sneak peek screening of the first episode I can say yes. Evil Dead is back and its here to swallow your souls.

The series picks up 30 years after Ash’s fateful night in the cabin and our hero still finds himself as stock boy at the local Value Store. Things aren’t great for Ash. He’s living in a trailer park,  he’s shaking up with whoever he can and oh
yeah, he’s outrunning an oncoming wave of evil that has found him again after 30 years. Armed with shotgun, chainsaw and necronomicon, Ash is forced to face his demons again now with new comers Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) who will aid him on his quest to put an end to things once and for all.

First and foremost, Bruce is in top form as Ash. He’s slimmed down, toned up and its like no time at all has passed from the final moments of Army of Darkness. He still has the swagger and oafishness, heroics and cowardice. Its all still there and its a blast to watch. The pokes at his age and position in life are fun, I just found myself wishing they’d cut back a little on some of the cruder material. Being on Starz it feels like some of this may have been studio mandated but we’ll see.

The new cast of characters are just as fun as Ash. Pablo is great in the sidekick position but even in this first episode shows signs that he’s not going to just sit back or cower behind Ash the whole time. The same can mostly be said about Kelly as well although I fear that they may be trying to “damsel in distress” her when she is clearly a gal who can take care of herself. This runs in line with the secondary story of the show involving state police officer Amanda Fisher (Jill Marie Jones) who has an early run in with the deadites and is now on the search for answers. She and Kelly (along with the mysterious character played by Lucy Lawless) have the potential to be some great horror heroines that are sorely needed in this universe. Ash is great but he needs a cast of female characters who can stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

Having Sam Raimi back in the directors chair to do the pilot was an incredible thing. The weird angles, the pov’s, the extreme close ups, the gross out gags. Its all still there. The deadites look better than ever and I can’t help but wonder if they have some of the ferocity and sadistic tendencies of the Fede Alvarez demons or if this is just my own wishful thinking. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the episodes flow as they change directors but as of right now, it looks and feels like classic Evil Dead.

There aren’t a whole not of negatives here and any of the issues I had can be summed up to it being the premiere episode and can’t really be judged until we see more. As of earlier today the show was picked up for a second season, days ahead of its proper premiere and I can see why. It’s the the almost unheard of occurrence of a properties original creatives coming back to breathe life into it after decades and it being a total success. Ash Vs Evil Dead is truly lightning in a bloody bottle.

As you may have noticed we’ve been a little slow to post lately but it is for the best reasons possible. We simply have a HUGE backlog of material and have a TON of upcoming interviews and themed shows planned.

We can’t give away all of those secrets yet but we recently released a new banner that has some hints and we also made the announcement that our Halloween programming would carry over into November as well!

So be on the lookout for:
-Several new “You Haven’t Seen That?!?!” episodes

-Interviews with horror folks past and present

-Our Wes Craven Retrospective

-New “You Haven’t Heard That?!?!” episodes

And the big announcement we’re very excited to share is that Cameron and I will be traveling up to Lexington Kentucky to the Gun Media offices to chat with the creative team behind the new Friday the 13th video game!

We are super excited and can’t wait to chat with them about this one of a kind gaming experience and hopefully we’ll be able to get our eyes on some of the behind the scenes magic!

Well that’s it for now. As always, please listen and share the episodes and be sure to rate and review on itunes. We are also always accepting donations to our paypal at biggershowcast@gmail.com and those donations help us do things like this upcoming Friday the 13th interview!

They chat about the film, practical vs digital, growing up in the video store and a whole lot more. Ted was super gracious with his time and we couldn’t be happier with this chat.

And PLEASE check out his film which is now available in stores on blu-ray and dvd!

The film follows Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) a budding young writer who dreams of bigger things but is under the watch of her loving yet over protective architecture mogul father. Their lives are changed forever when Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) comes to Mr. Cushing seeking funds for a project that would save his family estate and simultaneously steals the heart of young Edith. Before long (and after some considerable misfortune) Edith finds herself entwined with Sir Thomas, his domineering sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) and their crumbling and ominous estate.

Every aspect of the film oozes legitimacy and care. Every costume, every piece of set decoration (in the three story house built specifically for the film), it all feels handpicked and carefully curated. The same is true of the cast. Mia Wasikowska’s Edith feels like Pan’s Labyrinth‘s Ofelia all grown up. She’s equal measures confident and whimsical, strong and love sick. Her relationship with both Thomas and Dr. McMichael (Charlie Hunannam) are the stuff of every good romance. Hiddleston and Chastain are the two standouts though. Hiddleston’s Thomas is filled with charm and love but the darkness lingering under the surface keeps your eyes glued to the screen. Chastain’s Lucille could easily have been a raving, scene chewing, icicle but she brings to the role such care an nuance that you find yourself pitying her even at her absolute worst.

Del Toro also continues his love of the things that go bump in the night with the spirits of the film. From black crumbling specters to blood red nightmares, the ghosts of the film are equal parts suit and makeup and CGI augmentation. I have heard some say that they were put off by the look of the phantoms and in the early trailer I too found myself finding them hard to believe but seeing them on screen was a completely different story. They, like the films human characters, are ghastly and pitiful. There is a moment late in the film where a new spirit arrives and the look of it harkens back to Santi, the spectral soothsayer of The Devil’s Backbone and its in that moment that you realize Del Toro has built a universe in which all of his monsters live side by side. Its that look of broken porcelain skin, amber eyes and ethereal drifting blood that you find the shared, beautiful universe he’s created.

I cannot say enough good things about the film and fully agree with the assertion that it is a masterpiece from a master of both genre and defying genre. Early reviews of the film out of Fantastic Fest in Austin have said that it is dark and beautiful but in no way a horror movie and to this I wholeheartedly disagree. Del Toro does again what he has done perfectly in the past: He gives you a transcendent story and then injects wonderful stings of horror throughout. Is it a non-stop splatterfest from start to finish? No.  It is, however, the thing that Del Toro does expertly; horror with heart.

(5 out of 5 barrels)

On this weeks episode we sat down with Mark Patton the start of A Nightmare on Elm Street part 2 to discuss his career, his lengthy absence from show business and his return!

We also discuss his upcoming documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street which talks about the film, the rampant homophobia in Hollywood at the time and how it has effected Marks life and the lives of others in this honest portrayal of a moment in time.

Once you’ve listened to the episode, please head over to Mark’s Kickstarter which currently has 9 days left and consider giving to them. The film is shot, they are just working on securing rights for fair usage of the Nightmare material.

This is an important documentary and a hell of an interview.

Mike has a chat with Jason Howden, the metal mind behind the incredibly fun and insanely gory “Deathgasm”!

They chat about the film, practical and digital fx, Peter Jackson, and all sorts of filmmaking mayhem! This is one interview you have to listen to and one film you CANNOT MISS!

Catch our interview of the film tomorrow as well as the film in limited theatrical release and VOD!

In this third installment of Todd’s masterpiece, Simon discovers the identities of his mysterious companions, and learns of the holy mission before him. But is he ready?

With:

Jonathon Gower as the “Last Time…” Guy

Ryan Dillinger as Simon Belmont

Mike D as the Narrator

Kara Kemp as Sister Ruby

and Cameron Chiles as Father Frances

Mike and Alex head onto the open sea to watch the movie with a whole week dedicated to it, Jaws!

Mike and Cam are joined by John Orman to discuss Bigger Show’s namesake and the films that followed!

This week we pay tribute to our name sake with our Jaws retrospective! We look at all the films, have a You Haven’t Seen That, and even revisit the NES game!

Also be on the lookout for our Jaws contest coming at the end of the week!

We here at Bigger Show are huge fans of Wes Craven. When his passing was announced it left us feeling the void that comes when someone you admire is cut down before their time. Wes’ illness was a private matter, making his passing even more shocking.

We wanted to pay tribute to the man who has given us so much over the years so as part of our annual month long tribute to all things horror and Halloween, we will be having a Wes Craven retrospective week next month.

We asked you, the fans of Wes and listeners of our show, to pick out the 10 movies from Wes’ filmography that you wanted us to cover and the results are in!

These are the ten films that we’ll be covering either through the retrospective episode, You Haven’t Seen That?!?!, or one of our new segments: Second Chance Cinema and VS. We’ll also be asking guests, filmmakers, writers and fans to cover some of the films we won’t have a chance to.

We can’t wait to record this tribute to Wes and we can’t wait to hear your favorite Craven memories too.

On this weeks episode of the news review Mike and Cam are joined by John Orman and they chat about Krampus, The Hallow, Rhonda Rousey, Jamie Foxx, Danny Boyle, Chris Nolan, Hellboy, Star Wars and more!

Mike and Cam are joined by Sound Engineer Alex and they dive head first into a female driven LXG reboot, Shaft coming back, James Bond’s beginnings, Godzilla’s angry actor, Toy Story 4: Back to The Well, qualifications of directing a Star War, More Pirates, The Rock in everything, Zorro in the wasteland, Jonny Quest, Scooby Doo on the big screen, What F4 should have been and a few new trailers!

Listen! Love! Rate and Review and Share!

On this weeks news review Mike and Cam are joined by Crank Sinatra and they chat about all sorts of whacky shit like a fresh prince reboot, gene wilder coming out of retirement, He-man in Kindergarten Cop 2 and Billy Zane as a spidey villain!

Get this and all the madness on this weeks news review!

Not surprisingly, lots of video games happen in and around congested areas with lots of buildings and such. Here’s a smattering of those thumpin OSTs, including selections from Street Fighter 2010, Battletoads, Final Fight 3, and so many more! Thanks as always to ruiner9 and WiiGuy309 for the tracks!

Cam, Mike, Sound Engineer Alex and Ja Boi Rudy Coogen chat about all of the big announcements from Comic Con this year as well as some recent developments on this weeks new review!

Go, Go! What more motivation do you need?! We took the best of both the Sega and SNES Power Ranger tracks to create this monster-sized mix! IT’S MORPHIN TIME!

On this Bigger Show News Review, Mike and Cam chat about Han Solo’s Solo, Elektra, Darth Vader’s big screen return, South Parks never ending seasons, new Ghostbusters goodness, Goosebumps, Iron Giant and a ton more (including a tangent on Dick Tracy).

What’s this? Todd Rhombus has finally offered a second helping for one of his *ahem* brilliant scripts?

Join Mike, Cam, and a swell cast of voice-actors as they continue to chronicle the adventures of a young Simon Belmont.

With:
Mike Dobrzelecki as the Narrator
Jonathon Gower as The Previously On… Guy
Kara Kemp as The Cloaked Lady (Ruth)
and Cameron Chiles as the Old Man

Ready to get as ripped as Bill “Mad Dog” Rizer and Lance “Scorpion” Bean? Grab your Spread Shot because it’s time to attack aggresively!

This mix does what Nintendon’t!

TRACKLIST:
Sega Logo/ /Comix Zone/ /Howard Drossin

Battle Field/ /Golden Axe/ /Tohru Nakabayashi, You Takada

Configuration/ // /Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine/ /Masanori Hikichi, Masayuki Nagao, David Javelosa

You Get (Stage 4- Aquese)/ /Zero Wing/ /Tatsuya Uemura, Toshiaki Tomisawa, Masahiro Yuge

Incan Ruins/ /Adventures of Mighty Max/ /Matt Furniss

Mighty Gals 2/ /Battle Mania/ /Fumito Tamayama, Yasuyuki Hamada, Youko Suzuki, Shigenori Masuko

Episode 2, Page 1-2/ /Comix Zone/ /Howard Drossin

Gain Ground/ / You Takada, Katsuhiro Hayashi

Castle Gates/ /Golden Axe II/ /Naofumi Hataya

Opening Theme/ /Decap Attack/ /Fumito Tamayama Hiroto Kanno

Boss Theme 2/ /Decap Attack/ /Fumito Tamayama Hiroto Kanno

Bond Theme/ /James Bond 007/ /Matt Furniss

Hard Road/ /Super Hang-On/ /Katsuhiro Hayashi, Koichi Namiki, Sachio Ogawa

Beyond the Peace (Stage Select)/ /Thunder Force III/ /Toshiharu Yamanishi, Tomomi Ootani (Tomomi Ohtani)

The Clone Wars/ /X-Men 2 – Clone Wars/ /Kurt Harland

Stage 5/ /Splatterhouse III/ /Eiko Kaneda (Milky Eiko)

Boreworm Boss (Embryo Boss)/ /Splatterhouse III/ /Eiko Kaneda (Milky Eiko)

Stage Completed/ /Splatterhouse III/ /Eiko Kaneda (Milky Eiko)

Ending (Jennifer + David Dead)/ /Splatterhouse III/ /Eiko Kaneda (Milky Eiko)

Unknown Track 7/ /Last Battle/ /Unknown??

Ending 3/ /Zero Wing/ /Tatsuya Uemura, Toshiaki Tomisawa, Masahiro Yuge

Finished/ /Super Hang-On/ /Katsuhiro Hayashi, Koichi Namiki, Sachio Ogawa

Mike and Cam are joined by returning champions Matt “General Audience” Miles and Uncanny Valley’s own James Mangrum to discuss the past, present, and future of one of the most iconoclastic franchises in action cinema. Four men enter, and uh four men leave!

On this non-traditional YHST, Mike gets Cam’s thoughts on a newer release – IT FOLLOWS. Did Cam agree that it achieves “instant classic” status in the genre, or was he left confused by the hype, naked, and on a roof? Find out here!

Its a brand new segment here on Bigger Show as Sound Engineer Alex asks Mike and Cam, “You haven’t heard that?!?!”.

On the first episode Alex and Mike listen to Death Cab’s Plans, which Mike has never heard.

Let us know what you think of this new segment and what you think of this album!

Mike and Cam are joined by Sound Engineer Alex and they chat about Aquaman, The Punisher, Sam Jackson, Sister Act, X-Files (or was it X-men?) and Big Trouble in Little China (not Night on Bald Mountain).

It’s been twenty years since Shang Tsung exclaimed “IT HAS BEGUN”, so we asked actor/choreographer Robin Shou to recount his experience on what is probably the best video game to movie adaptation ever made, Mortal Kombat!

Continuing our Mortal Kombat week, Mike sat down with Sound Engineer Alex for his first time watching the greatest video game adaptation ever. Not that that is saying a whole lot, but we here at Bigger Show are big fans of this one!

Continuing our celebration of all things MK, Cam and Mike sit down to commentate one of the most confusing sequels of all time.

MK: Annihilation is a hell of a ride and Mike and Cam experience it all for you!

Cam is in the drivers seat this week as Mike as somehow never seen the sci-fi classic, Blade Runner!

Does it blow is mind? Is he, in fact, a replicant? Find out the answers to these and many other questions you didn’t ask on this installment of “You Haven’t Seen That?!?!”

With tracks from all three Megaman X titles, it’s time to grab your upgrades from Dr. Light and get DOWN!

On this weeks Bigger Show News Review, Mike and Cam chat about the return to Twin Peaks, Black and white Mad Max, Jonny Quest, Stephen King’s IT, The Gallows, Cooties, and DOPE and a bunch more!

Pizza time! Okay, well maybe after you earn it.

TRACKLIST:

Opening/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ / Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Staff Roll/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Choose your Turtle/ /TMNT 2 Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Introduction/ /Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ /Keizo Nakamura

Streets/ /Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ /Keizo Nakamura

Fire!!/ /TMNT 2/ /Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Scene 1: Let’s Go Turtles/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Sewer 1/ /Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ /Keizo Nakamura

Scene 2: Move Out/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Sewers/ /TMNT 2/ /Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Boss/ /Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ /Keizo Nakamura

Boss Beaten/ /Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ /Keizo Nakamura

Skate On!/ /TMNT 2/ /Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Scene 3: Bridge of Danger/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Sewer 2/ /Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ /Keizo Nakamura

Industrial District/ /TMNT 2/ /Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Scene 4: City of Half Shell/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Building/ /Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ /Keizo Nakamura

Scene 7-2: Break Down/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Boss/ /TMNT 2/ /Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Winter’s Here/ /TMNT 2/ /Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Save the Dam!/ /Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ /Keizo Nakamura

Scene 6: Mechanical Walkin’/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Technodrome/ /TMNT 2/ /Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Shogun/ /TMNT 2/ /Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Scene 5-1: Double Trouble/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Brain Teaser (Krang)/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Shredder Twins/ /TMNT 2/ /Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Final Battle (Super Shredder)/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Way to go Turtles!/ /TMNT 2/ /Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Credits/ /TMNT 2/ /Mutsuhiko Izumi, Miki Higashino, Kozo Nakamura, Yasuhiko Manno

Cast/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Staff Roll/ /TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project/ /Kozo Nakamura, Tomoya Tomita, Yuichi Sakakura

Way to go!/ /Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ /Keizo Nakamura

On this special episode of We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Show, Mike and Cam sit down with cast and crew of their film “Die, Develkok, Die!” in this sneak preview of the commentary from the film.

be sure to check it out and be sure to get your FREE copy of the film here! bundles.bittorrent.com/bundles/develkok

It’s an NES free-for-all! Get crackin’ to the sounds of Bionic Commando, Mighty Final Fight, and so much more! Thanks to ruiner9 and Wiiguy

TRACKLIST

Enemy Base Theme/ /Bionic Commando/ /Harumi Fujita

Title Screen/ /Planet X/ /Godzilla: Monster of Monsters/ /Masatomo Miyamoto

Zones 2 & 4: Broken Freeway/ /Rollergames/ /Atsushi Fujio, Shigemasa Matsuo, Norio Hanzawa, Katsuhiko Suzuki

Waterfall (Stage 3)/ /Contra/ /H. Maezawa, K. Sada, Club Kukeiha

USA – Factory/ /Double Dragon III/ /Inoue, Nozaki, Hirarin, Kame

Building/ /Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ /Keizo Nakamura

Highjump/ /Skate or Die!/ /Rob Hubbard

Repair Laboratory/ /RoboCop 3/ /Jeroen Tel

Mission Confirmation Theme/ /Bionic Commando/ /Harumi Fujita

Stage 3/ /Legendary Wings/ /Manami Matsumae, Tamayo Kawamoto

Area 3/ /Blaster Master/ /Naoki Kodaka, Marumo

Mushroom Forest/ /Little Nemo/ /Junko Tamiya

Riverside (Round 2)/ /Mighty Final Fight/ / Setsuo Yamamoto, Yuko Takehara

Motion of the Ninja/ /Ninja Gaiden II/ / Ryuichi Nitta, Mayuko Okamura

In-Game Tune 1/ /Rad Racer/ /Nobuo Uematsu

Base Boss/ /Contra/ /H. Maezawa, K. Sada, Club Kukeiha

Victory/ /Contra/ /H. Maezawa, K. Sada, Club Kukeiha

BGM 2/ /Wolverine/ /Geoff Follin

Transylvania/ /DuckTales/ /Hiroshige Tonomura

BGM #09/ /Medarot 2/ /Iku Mizutani, Kinuyo Yamashita

Stage 2: Terminal Walkway/ /Freedom Force/ /Naoki Kodaka

Outside/ /Fester’s Quest/ /Naoki Kodaka

Minions of Evil [Boss Battle]”/Ninja Gaiden II/ Ryuichi Nitta, Mayuko Okamura

Finale/ /Faxanadu/ /Jun Chikuma

Forest of Elrond/ /Wizards & Warriors/ /David Wise

Spirit Of Adventure/ /Erik the Viking/ /Neil Baldwin

Staff Roll Theme/ /Bionic Commando/ /Harumi Fujita

Stage 2/ /Legendary Wings/ /Manami Matsumae, Tamayo Kawamoto

Objective Complete Theme/ /Bionic Commando/ /Harumi Fujita

Gripes and Hype! It’s our weekly news round-up with special guest, Matt “General Audience” Miles! In this episode, Cam hits his head on the couch.

On this final episode from the Chattanooga Film Festival, Mike is joined by Cory Keelen (of Chatt’s own Vitamin Geek Podcast) as they sit down to co-present this once in a lifetime interview with the one and only, the immortal, Joe Bob Briggs!

There wasn’t a night growing up that I wasn’t parked in front of the TV set on Saturday nights to watch “Monstervision” hosted by Joe Bob Briggs where he would dole out encyclopedic knowledge of previously unheard of horror, exploitation and generally oddball films.

Joe Bob has an incredible history and even though we only had a short time with him, it was a ton of fantastic information.

This is one for the true blue film fans and all of you Monstervision kids.

On this weeks news wrap up we chat about the silencing of Silent Hills, what we think is going on in Batman: Arkham Knight, the reptilian Jonny Depp in the Black Mass trailer, an animated spidey movie, bogus TMNT 2 news, a Daredevil drinking game and the big one this week Jared Leto as the Jugga- er Joker!

Be sure to tune in and spread it around! Also, if you listen to the show, even once, be sure to head over to iTunes and rate and review the show!

On this weeks episode we sat down with Jeremy Gardner (Director and Star of The Battery) and Christian Stella (DP of The Battery) and we chat about the perils and triumphs of independent filmmaking as well as their new film (which they co-directed AND won the Chattanooga Film Festival), Tex Montana Will Survive.

Sometimes the music from a single game is so bangin, you gotta make a mix of nothing-but. There’s plenty of great fusion-y tracks on this one, but the real highlight here is the crunch and chug of some of the heaviest VGM out there. Prepare thyself!

On this news wrap up its all about the TRAILERS!

We chat about:
-Batman vs Superman
-Star Wars: The Force Awakens
-Jurassic World
-Fantastic 4
-Ant-Man
-Star Wars Battlefront

And we also chat about the glory of John Stamos and the Wonder Woman upheaval! AND DAREDEVILLLLLL!

We caught up with actor Pat Healy at the 2015 Chattanooga Film Festival to give us what ended up being one of Bigger Show’s best interviews to date. Whole lot of great insight on this one, including Pat’s growth as an artist and working as an actor over the past few decades.

We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Show heads down to the Chattanooga Film Festival!

On this first fest interview, Bigger Show sits down with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, the duo responsible for some of the most talked about horror flicks of the past few years, including the brain buster “Resolution”, an insane segment in the last VHS film entitled “Bonestorm”, and the lovecraftian romance “Spring”!

It was a hell of a chat, chock full of never before heard morsels. If you weren’t a fan of theirs before, you will be now!

Put on your grey and purple sneakers, because it’s our first Super Nintendo throwdown! Battletoads! Earthworm Jim! U.N. Squardon! And moooooore!

On this weeks Bigger Show News Review Mike and Cam chat about a live action Mulan, X-Files’ Return, The Walking Dead and Fearing Them, Spectre, Maggie, Southpaw and Batman!

Tune in, spread it around!

The road to Boro Fondo continues as we welcome Josephine Moore, John Corlew and Krista Glover, collectively known as Wildfront! We talk beginnings, transitions, and, of course, The Secret. This episode also marks the premiere of a remix of the Wildfront song “Noose” by John’s other project She Lin Wolf!

Listen up and spread it around!

Subscribe/review here: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bigge…id948731176?mt=2

Let the Belmont clan lead you through a hair-raisin’, heart-pumpin’ good time! Special thanks to ruiner9 for the stereo tracks.

Tracks include:
Prelude (Intro)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Introduction (Castle Gate)/ /Castlevania/ /Kinuyo Yamashita/Satoe Terashima

Vampire Killer (Courtyard)/ /Castlevania/ /Kinuyo Yamashita/Satoe Terashima

The Silence of The Daylight/ /Castlevania II/ / Kenichi Matsubara

Stalker (Armory)/ /Castlevania/ /Kinuyo Yamashita/Satoe Terashima

Out of Time (Upper Terrace)/ /Castlevania/ /Kinuyo Yamashita, Satoe Terashima

Unknown Track/ /Castlevania Legends/ /Kaoru Okada, Youichi Iwata

Heart of Fire (Prisonhold)/ /Castlevania/ /Kinuyo Yamashita, Satoe Terashima

Wicked Child (Upper Yard)/ /Castlevania/ /Kinuyo Yamashita, Satoe Terashima

Last Boss (Last Boss BGM)/ /Castlevania II/ /Kenichi Matsubara

Stage Clear/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto,Hidenori Maezawa

Bloody Tears (Street – Day)/ /Castlevania II/ /Kenichi Matsubara

Mad Forest (Block-3)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Monster Dance (Night BGM)/ /Castlevania II/ /Kenichi Matsubara

Aquarius (Block-6)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi,Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Stream (Block-6)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Unknown Track/ /Castlevania Legends/ /Kaoru Okada, Youichi Iwata

Demon Seed (Block-7)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Pressure (Block-A)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

All Clear/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Beginning (Block-1)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Revenge [Stage 4 BGM]/ /Castlevania Adventure/ /Shigeru Fukutake, Norio Hanzawa, Hidehiro Funauchi

Dwelling of Doom (Mansion B)/ /Castlevania II/ /Kenichi Matsubara

Unknown Track/ /Castlevania Legends/ /Kaoru Okada, Youichi Iwata

Riddle (Block-9)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Deja Vu (Vampire Killer)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Overture (Dracula’s Room)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Black Night (Final Battle)/ /Castlevania/ /Kinuyo Yamashita/Satoe Terashima

Big Battle 1 (Dracula’s 2nd)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Big Battle 2 (Dracula’s 3rd)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

Victory/ /Castlevania/ /Kinuyo Yamashita/Satoe Terashima

Voyager (Ending)/ /Castlevania/ /Kinuyo Yamashita, Satoe Terashima

Flashback (Staff Roll)/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

A Requiem (Ending)/ /Castlevania II/ /Kenichi Matsubara

Evergreen/ /Castlevania III/ /Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto, Hidenori Maezawa

On this news review, Cam and Mike discuss the wasted potential of Pixels, a double dose of Jason Voorhees, all that Crimson Peaks hype, teen vamp, whole lotta batman and joker, some bat girl and our constant Rob Zombie disappointment.

Give it a listen and be sure to rate and review us on iTunes and spread it around if you like it!

The Bigger Show boys kick off the road to Boro Fondo (for the uninitiated check out episode 28) with local band Lavender Town who will be playing this years festival!

Give it a listen and be sure to check back for more bands leading up to the 3 day music fest!

On this news roundup, Mike and Cam chat about Zoolander, Frozen, Star Wars, Nirvana, Adi Shankar, Ghostbusters, Dumbo, Daredevil and Tomorrowland!

Give it a listen and be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter and if you listen to the show, please take 30 seconds to rate and review us on iTunes!

Sound Engineer Alex rejoins YHST to peep (for his first time) the 1984 horror classic, A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Check out Alex’s hilarious synopsis and his thoughts on the film and also be sure to check out our Nightmare retrospective shows from last year!

And whatever you do…Don’t fall asleep.

On this installment of the Bigger Show News Review, Mike and Cam talk post Oscars predictions as well as Alien 5, Power Rangers, Pee-Wee, Lady Gaga, Donald for Spider-Man and a whole lot more!

On this installment of “You Haven’t Seen That?!?!” Mike marvels at the fact that Cam, a major SNL nerd, has never seen Wayne’s World.

Give it a listen to find out how this happened and whether or not Cam dug it!

Mike and Cam welcome back previous Oscars Special guests, Kate Neff and Tala Hobballah, to discuss this years nominees!

Tune in to hear what our panel thinks and be sure to tune into the show this Sunday, 2/22!

Mike and Cam are visited by filmmaker Ronald Short (Billi and Theodore) to chat about his career thus far as well as his upcoming web series, “Weekend Plans” (Premiering February 19th).

In an amazing, decades-long feat of cultural ignorance, Cam somehow avoided viewing a classic just slightly older than he, GHOSTBUSTERS. Will the special effects disappoint? Will the comedy fall flat? Will he, indeed, be afraid of no ghosts?! Find out here.

Mike and Cam catch up on the latest in pop-culture news. Ant Man: Uhhhh Godzilla: Blegh Birdman: Yes Whiplash: YES

Director/Co-writer Warren Smythe and Producer Chris Ranker of the film Juicy Mooshu stop by Bigger Show Central to chat about their indie flick that took three years and literal blood, sweat and tears to complete!

this is a hell of an interview and we’re so excited to share it with all of you!

Mike and Cam are joined by Spencer Cantrell and Producer Ashley Gaskin to discuss the high highs and low lows of 2014.

Mike enacts some holiday justice by introducing Cam to the seminal retelling of A Christmas Carol, Scrooged. Did Cam find the true meaning of Christmas in this 1988 gem, or will he remain a grumpy unbeliever?

Mike and Cam catch up on news after a short break. Yeah, we’re excited about the new Star Wars. No, we don’t have a problem with the cross-hilt lightsaber.

(SPOILERS!) Cam and fellow drummers Shon McFall, Kate Neff, and Quinten Thornton sit down for a chat about Damien Chazelle’s new film, Whiplash, as well as formal musical instruction, negative vs. positive reenforcement, and some neuroscience courtesy of Quinten.

Scott and James of Uncanny Valley Productions stop by to talk masks (of course) but also the horror genre and Baby’s Day Out?

Mike and Cam dive headfirst into a movie that is truly horrific… but in all the wrong ways. Grab yer popcorn and snuggies and cuddle up with the Bigger Show boys as they take on an Elm Street stroll.

This week the Bigger Show Boys pay tribute to the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and discuss the whole series with their good friends Matt Miles and Carroll Moore!

Give it a listen and spread it around!

This week the Bigger Show Boys pay tribute to the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and discuss the whole series with their good friends Matt Miles and Carroll Moore!

Give it a listen and spread it around!

Todd Rhombus has sent Bigger Show another script, and this one’s… well, it’s dang monstrous. Witness (with your ears) Todd’s *ahem* unique interpretation of the origins of Count Dracula and the Belmont clan. Thanks to Jonathon Gower, Ryan Dillinger, Carroll Moore, Jennifer Grissom, and Dalton Reeves for lending their vocal talents.

Guitarist/Drummer Spencer Seim waxes nostalgic with a breathless Cam about the chiptune elements of Hella and the inception of VGM cover godfathers, The Advantage. Photo by Gregory Perez.

Mike, Cam and Producer Ashley take the show on the road and visit the boys over at Death Yard Haunted Attraction!

It was a really great time and co-owner Carroll Moore and Makeup Supervisor Matt Scott had a lot of really cool tid bits to share with us!

Give it a listen and head over to our Facebook page for your chance to win a pair of tickets to the haunt!

Mike and Cam have a sit down with Ben Wilkinson (aka Ben Slack, Ben Kaboom, Cringey) and discuss his incredible music career, the local scene and his new project VAMPTONES!

Its an awesome conversation and we had a blast with our buddy Ben!

On this very special Bigger Show, Mike and Cam interview the writer/director of WolfCop, Lowell Dean! Plus, a rousing game of “Wolf or Cop?”

Welcome to a brand new Bigger Show segment we like to call “YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THAT?!?!” in which we invite Engineer Alex (and others) to sit down and watch a movie that Mike and Cam (and everyone) have seen a hundred times over.

With the sequel just days away, our first installment takes a look at Sin City!

On this weeks totally tubular podcast, Mike and Cam welcome returning guest Phillip “Shredder” Maloney as well as newbie, filmmaker Frank Hasenmueller to discuss everyone’s favorite heroes on a half-shell, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

We chat about the live action film series, up through the newest installment and get all sorts of Nostalgic in Venture Studio.

Mike and Cam chat with film-makers Kory Caldwell and Keaton Slánský about The Player’s Score! – a documentary about the cultural impact of video game music. It’s a grand ole time discussing the trials of crowd-funding, how to handle nay-sayers, and a rousing game of “VGM or BS?”

Matt Scott drops by Kitchen Studio to discuss his experience with Mike D on the set of Chopping Block over the Summer of 2014. It’s a bloody rotten, down ‘n dirty look at the challenges of effects on a budget, dealing with producers, and the satisfaction of a job well done. Check out Matt and Mike’s work atwww.youtube.com/watch?v=ayXiC1cpj8Q

David Stansberry dropped by the new Kitchen Studio and what started as a conversation about gourmet popcorn turned into the unveiling of plans for a drive-in theater for the Murfreesboro area and what might be the largest collection of arcade games under the sun. We say “SQUEEEE” to all of the above.

On this weeks episode Mike and Cam are joined by Kara Kemp and Jonathon Gower to discuss their upcoming, one of a kind, stage show “Kittens on The Keys”.

Bigger Show turns one year old! and they celebrate by chatting comic con news with their buds Phillip Maloney and Alex Cunningham!

Mike and Cam welcome paper artist Charles Clary to the show to discuss his art, his passions and his collections! Nerdy times were had!

Cam and producer Mallory Burns get awkward with local rocknrollers, The Acorn People.

Our man in the field Phillip Maloney joins us back in Venture Studios after a wild time at Bonnaroo. Listen to find out how you too can treat each day like its your sandwich.

Mike and Cam welcome electronic musician BAAST! (aka Russell White) to the show to talk about his music, visual art, and the pronunciation of his band’s name!

Mike and Cam welcome back to the show Nashville hip hop artist Brandon Brains as well as his producer The Amazing Parker as they discuss Brandon’s new album Snakehands!