Filmmaker Christian Jude Grillo’s latest project is the sci-fi/horror feature Intruder — a movie in which the First Refusal Podcast host Paul Monte is happy to be in. In this conversation that independent filmmakers and cinephiles will enjoy, we cover many aspects of moviemaking: budget, rehearsals, distribution, gear, and in Intruder’s case, lots, and lots, and lots of blood. Christian touches on his inspirations of owning a recording studio, French cinema, and The Toxic Avenger, his “odd approach” to writing, and how to turn fan conventions into grass-roots research for your project. He also tells a remarkable story of how he asked Doug Bradley (Hellraiser) and Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) to appear in his movie Deer Crossing while attending a Monster Mania convention.

Intruder is available October 24 2025 through transactional video-on-demand and advertising video-on-demand (Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum, COX, Fandango, Tubi, Plex and more).

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