Damn Dirty Geeks

To the Batcave as the Damn Dirty Geeks welcome Academy Award-winning creature creator, makeup artist, actor and director Tom Woodruff Jr. to our podcast to discuss his amazing career and his earliest influences that started him on his filmmaking journey.

Tom has amassed a huge career in high profile films with his creative partner Alec Gillis, who together created Amalgamated Dynamics Inc./studio ADI, a leader in practical creature, makeup and special effects. A very brief list of Tom's credits include: STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK, ALIEN 3, PREDATOR, JUMANJI, SPIDER-MAN (2002) and most recently BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE.

Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis own Amalgamated Dynamics Inc, one of Hollywood's top creature design, makeup and special effects studios. Tom not only makes some of your favorite movie creatures, he often performs as them in the creature suits he creates, including the Lead Alien in both ALIEN 3 and ALIEN RESURRECTION, the title creature of the original PUMPKINHEAD, and Bernie the gorilla in ZOOKEEPER. We discuss the particular challenges of suit performances in such films, and how his acting experience in these suits begins in the creature design phase bringing these aliens, apes and monsters to life on the big screen.

This episode starts off with some laughs about Tom's excellent replica of the original 1966 Batmobile from the classic TV series starring Adam West as Batman (see photos in the gallery below). The show had a huge influence on Tom's childhood and it was an early gateway into genre entertainment that we continue to remember fondly today in our careers. Tom also belongs to the ever-expanding group who credit KING KONG and PLANET OF THE APES as highly influential on his life and career -- it almost seems to be a theme of the DDG podcast, go figure.Atomic batteries to power... turbines to speed... prepare to listen now!

Actor/writer/director Tom Holland returns to continue his podcast with the Damn Dirty Geeks, this episode focusing on his highly popular 1985 twist on the vampire genre, FRIGHT NIGHT... for real!

As Holland's directorial debut, FRIGHT NIGHT acheived that rare balance of humor and horror, and it helped revitalize the vampire film genre upon its theatrical release. Holland briefly recaps a final question about PSYCHO II and its critical reception in 1983 and today, then he and the DDG move on to sink our podcast teeth into FRIGHT NIGHT.

Slated as a 'throw away' film on Columbia's schedule at the time of its production, Holland relates how he put equal effort to creating rounded, rich characters for both villains and heroes alike, as he did with PSYCHO II. Just one of the reasons why FRIGHT NIGHT still holds up well as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Holland also gives his insights into how FRIGHT NIGHT "inherited" many of the effects crew that Columbia held together after GHOSTBUSTERS, which gave his "little" vampire film massive production value and made it a huge hit for the studio.

Tom also shares the genesis of Tom Holland's Terror Time, a website serving his fan community requests for autographs and movie memorabilia from Tom's films including FRIGHT NIGHT, PSYCHO II, CHILD'S PLAY and more. Be sure to check out this great site built for genre fans and like the Terror Time Facebook page.

The DDG wrap up this episode with Tom's thoughts on the future of film entertainment, including his predictions for the great impact that 3D virtual reality could have on our current theatrical and home video industry templates.

There's plenty to feed on in part 2 of our extended episode with Tom Holland, so listen, download and subscribe now before Jerry Dandrige turns you to the dark side forever!

Special thanks to our DDG theme composer Brice Cranston for engineering this recording.

P.S. Tom Holland proved to be such a popular guest for this episode recording, that a cricket even crashed our recording studio. If you hear a few chirps in the background, just pictured Mr. Holland and the Damn Dirty Geeks chatting on some veranda during a balmy summer evening and go with it!

The full contingent of Damn Dirty Geeks -- Frank, Jack, Frank, Trish and Scott -- spent a wonderful and informative evening with writer/director Tom Holland to discuss his successful filmmaking career and his daunting task of writing the 1983 sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's innovative horror thriller PSYCHO.

PSYCHO II began as a humble, low-budget cable film but Holland's taut, suspenseful script persuaded star Anthony Perkins to reprise his role as Norman Bates, a casting coup that launched this sequel project into the publicity stratosphere -- even if its production budget didn't follow.

Holland shares his earliest experiences as a theater actor with contemporary Dustin Hoffman, a contract player at Warner Brothers in the early 1960s, and his evolution into one of Hollywood's top screenwriters of notable films including PSYCHO II, FRIGHT NIGHT and CHILD'S PLAY among many others.

The DDG will soon release our second-part podcast with Tom Holland celebrating the 30th anniversary of his witty vampire film FRIGHT NIGHT.

Special thanks to our DDG theme composer Brice Cranston for engineering this recording.

With STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS just a few months from blasting into theaters, the Damn Dirty Geeks revisit the classic, original STAR WARS trilogy in two full length podcasts.

In Part 2 of this double-episode, Frank, Jack and Scott return to discuss RETURN OF THE JEDI that capped off the Original (and at the time, the only) STAR WARS Trilogy in 1983. Comparisons and criticisms abound between JEDI's lighter tone following up EMPIRE's cliffhanger (some say unsatisfying) ending, and how Episode VI caught a bit of a bad reputation for being as much of a toy-selling product as an exciting franchise finale.

Yet the DDG also defend JEDI's important contributions to resolving the Luke/Vader conflict and creating a watershed dramatic moment in the Skywalker saga.

We wrap up by each picking our favorite scene from the OT, as well as predict how the highly popular, internet-exploding trailers for THE FORCE AWAKENS could well revive the emotional impact of the Original Trilogy to this new Sequel Trilogy in a return to the feelings about STAR WARS we grew up with a long time ago in childhoods far, far away.

Special thanks to our DDG theme composer Brice Cranston for engineering this recording.

With STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS just a few months from blasting into theaters, the Damn Dirty Geeks revisit the classic, original STAR WARS trilogy in two full length podcasts.

In Part 1 of this double-episode, Frank, Jack and Scott discuss in depth the unique clash of perfect timing and epic fantasy storytelling that launched a cinematic phenomenon in 1977. Before it was ever known as Episode IV: A NEW HOPE, the original STAR WARS captivated audiences worn down by political scandals, gas lines and dark, cynical cinema.

George Lucas’ reimagining of serial adventures like FLASH GORDON made movies fun again and audiences kept returning to theaters to enjoy the good guys battling Darth Vader and the Empire’s baddies. The perfect antidote to 1970s cynicism, STAR WARS redefined the blockbuster film concept, launched a film franchise and fantasy mythology that endures and thrives nearly four decades later, and changed Hollywood movies forever.

The Geeks get into the heart and artistry of good STAR WARS storytelling from A NEW HOPE through EMPIRE to JEDI which set both characters and audience on an exciting journey of danger, despair and triumph. We then pilot this discussion into the near future to challenge THE FORCE AWAKENS with bringing back that original STAR WARS feeling and fun again.

Which episode is considered the best by the Damn Dirty Geeks? Listen to this first part of our original STAR WARS Trilogy podcast to find out.

We will publish Part 2 of this STAR WARS original trilogy podcast discussing much more about RETURN OF THE JEDI soon, so stay tuned you Rebel scum! No, we won’t make you wait three years to hear it.

Special thanks to our DDG theme composer Brice Cranston for engineering this recording.

We're on a roll with Stephen King films after our CHRISTINE episode, so the Damn Dirty Geeks make a U-turn back into Uncle Ira's Basement for this mini-podcast about David Cronenberg's film adaptation of Stephen King's THE DEAD ZONE.

In this episode, Frank, Trish and Scott focus their psychic skills on Christopher Walken's memorable performance in this tense Cronenberg thriller which arguably is the best feature adaptation of a King novel yet.

One of King's best novels in its own right, this suspenseful tale of lost love and a terrible gift to see future events forces Johnny Smith to choose between his own destruction or the world's apocalyptic catastrophe.

Brought alive on the screen by a talented supporting cast including Herbert Lom, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerrit and Martin Sheen, the DDG argue that THE DEAD ZONE remains a riveting highlight in Walken's career and another uniquely chilling triumph in Cronenberg's career. Listen along to flash back to this gripping film and remember how King and Cronenberg reached out to chill your blood in 1983.

It's the height of geek season as Comic-Con International takes over San Diego, California, drawing tens of thousands of comics, movies and genre entertainment fans from around the world to gather for a pop culture phenomenon. Frank, Scott, Trish and Frank take a fun look at the explosion of fan conventions, the studio dominance of Comic-Con panels, and the fashion trend of cosplay creations.

The Damn Dirty Geeks discuss the pros and cons of the biggest con of them all, while also giving smaller conventions like WonderCon, Monsterpalooza , Sinister Creature Con and others their due credit as events which can offer a more personal experience for many fans who -- like us -- can easily feel overwhelmed by the massive volume of humanity that is Comic-Con.

We also share our reactions to the STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS panel and making-of video presented at Comic-Con on Friday evening as the bona fide highlight of the 2015 San Diego event. Disney and Lucasfilm didn't share any new scenes or trailers with the throng in Hall H, but wowed audiences nonetheless with a spectacular making-of reel that showed off even more of Episode VII's practical sets and effects. Saga veteran actors Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford joined their co-stars to further tantalize STAR WARS fans with their own enthusiasm for the film releasing this December.

The cons are definitely on, and the Damn Dirty Geeks encourage everyone to attend conventions when and where they can for a unique group and individual fan experience. Be sure to look for the DDG when we attend and appear at conventions, too!

In this venture down into Uncle Ira's Basement of mysterious findings, Damn Dirty Geeks Frank Dietz and Frank Woodward discuss Jack Bennett's choice of film topic: John Carpenter's tense, character-driven adaptation of the Stephen King killer car novel CHRISTINE.

Starring Keith Gordon and John Stockwell who invest both their roles with memorable character arcs, CHRISTINE marked a big year for King film adaptations as THE DEAD ZONE and CUJO based on his novels were also released in 1983.

In this episode, Jack relates his unique predilection for seeing the last 2o minutes of many movies on cable, and how his childhood fear of horror movies led to CHRISTINE being his first full-fledged horror film viewing.

Watching a murderous car freewheeling on fire to the pulse of Alan Howarth and Carpenter's synth score shot the love of horror cinema into Jack's veins, and he's been hooked ever since!

Three of our Damn Dirty Geeks -- Frank Dietz, Trish Geiger and Scott Weitz -- pay the first of many DDG tributes to the great actor Christopher Lee while discussing one of his most popular Hammer horror films, DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE, released in 1968.

Filled from start to finish with lush color cinematography and surprisingly bloody violence for a G-rated film, DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE gives Christopher Lee the opportunity to give one of his most menacing, evil portrayals of cinema's favorite vampire villain. Without Van Helsing around to save the villagers, Dracula quickly gets his fill of blood from numerous victims and turns a bevy of Hammer beauties into his fallen minions until the final battle at Dracula's castle.

Frank, Trish and Scott reminisce about their own memories of watching Lee as Dracula for our first times, and marvel at his impact on the role's image that previously was so strongly associated with Bela Lugosi in Universal's classic incarnation. Even in this mini-podcast which runs double the normal length of Uncle Ira's Basement episodes, the Geeks talk at length about this film's honored place in the Hammer horror canon and Dracula series, and director Freddie Francis' use of religious imagery (and ample bosoms) to step up Dracula's danger and evil power. While the promotional poster for this film was very much tongue-and-fang-in-cheek, DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE is still a great example of Christopher Lee's power and talent as an actor and a horror icon.

By far, this is the wackiest, uber-geekiest Damn Dirty Geeks podcast episode ever, thanks in part to our special guest Sultan Saeed Al Darmaki, whose own geek cred is extensive as you'll find out when he joins in singing "deep cuts" from Saturday morning cartoon theme songs with the DDG team! Not only do we revisit classic TV animation including JOHNNY QUEST with other Hanna Barbera and Japanese anime series, this episode also expands into geek discussions of PLANET OF THE APES, comedic comparisons of THE ODD COUPLE in its various forms, and the 1966 BATMAN series starring Adam West.

Sultan, founder of Dark Dunes Productions, served as executive producer of the upcoming horror film HARBINGER DOWN directed by StudioADI's Alec Gillis, director of the upcoming horror comedy KIDS VS. MONSTERS, and produced the upcoming fantasy feature film YAMASONG; MARCH OF THE HOLLOWS featuring the voices of Abigail Breslin, Nathan Fillion, Malcolm McDowell, Peter Weller and George Takei. Now, thanks to his appearance on DDG, Sultan can add to his credits a wonderful duet with our Frank Woodward singing "Suddenly" from XANADU which has to be heard to be believed.

Though we're releasing this "Episode 005" out of chronological order in recording dates, this show marked the DDG podcast debut of our own Trish Geiger who dove right into the geek deep end with the rest of us. This delay is partly due to the massive amount of audio mixing it took to present this very cast-crowded episode, but the results are worth the wait! So activate your supergeek powers and join this wild ride through Saturday morning cartoons and pop culture entertainment, won't you?

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