HMSG Interview Lotfy Nathan - “The Carpenter’s Son”

We got to chat with LOTFY NATHAN, the director of the new film THE CARPENTER’S SON (2025). This film features a stellar cast lead by Nic Cage and FKA Twigs!

We hope you enjoy our conversation and get a chance to check out this new take on an ancient tale!

Watch The Carpenter’s Son Trailer Here!

About our Guest: Egyptian born, London raised, British-American writer-director. Lotfy Nathan's first film, the documentary "12 O'Clock Boys", earned him the HBO Emerging Artist Award, and was selected in over 50 international festivals, including SXSW, Sundance LA, Lincoln Center, Viennale, Hot Docs, London and Copenhagen. "12 O'Clock Boys" was subsequently distributed in the United States by Oscilloscope, then purchased by Showtime and Amazon, and optioned by Will Smith's company, Overbrook Entertainment to adapt it into a drama. 

In 2015, Lotfy was a recipient of the Creative Capital and participated in a Cinereach Foundation director's residency. He had previously been a recipient of the Garrett Scott Fund, the Peter Reed Foundation, the Grainger Marburg Fund, and the IFP Fellowship. His narrative feature film debut, "Harka", for which he participated in the Sundance Film Institute's Writing Workshop, world premiered in official selection at Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2022, winning the best performance award for his lead actor Adam Bessa.

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The Blackcoat's Daughter - "You Smell Pretty"

We are finally covering some of Osgood Perkins early work in celebration of his new film KEEPER coming out this month! This week we feel a chill in the air as we get into THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER (2015). 

This story of loss followed by more loss is a doozy! Just what this contemplative time of year calls for! 

We hope you enjoy digging into the depths of this fresh episode!

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The Toxic Avenger - "I Also Like to Scream"

The hero we need has arrived right on time! THE TOXIC AVENGER (2023) from Macon Blair & the folks at TROMA was one of our most highly anticipated films of the year and it did not disappoint.

Grounded performances from an all star cast combined with genuine punk rock spirit create an incendiary production.

We hope you enjoy this explosive new episode!

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HMSG Interview Sarah Nicklin - "The Monster Squad"

We have another great Spooky Season Treat! We got to chat with SARAH NICKLIN one of the stars of the new V/H/S HALLOWEEN (2025) horror anthology about her incredible career and a gateway horror classic THE MONSTER SQUAD (1987)!

We hope you enjoy this delightful conversation as much as we did! And be sure to Watch V/H/S Halloween! Streaming Now on Shudder & AMC+

Follow Sarah Nicklin Here!

Check out Sarah Nicklin’s IMDB Here!

Watch the V/H/S Halloween Trailer here!

Check out V/H/S Halloween IMDB here!

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Trick or Treat - "Your Cage is Shaking Loose"

Our Halloween themed party ends with TRICK OR TREAT (1986). A cautionary tale about following your heroes to the pits of hell & the power of rock-n-roll. Starring Marc Price as a nerd who wants revenge with cameos from rock legends Ozzy Osbourne & Gene Simmons this one rocks hard!

We hope you have a very Happy Halloween & enjoy this fresh episode!

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Tales of Halloween - "Whoa Dude, Monster Up!"

More tricks & a whole bunch of treats await you in this spooky season anthology - TALES OF HALLOWEEN (2015). We discuss 10 titillating tales that take place on All Hallows' Eve. This film is jam-packed with cameos from horror royalty and nods to the genre we love! 

We hope you enjoy digging into this episode as much as you enjoyed trick-or-treating at the house that gave out full size candy bars!

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We are so excited to celebrate spooky season with our friends, Becky D'Anna & Jon Laubinger, as they launch their new show - DIRECTOR'S TAKE: A SONY PICTURES PODCAST! We got to chat with them about one of their favorite films of this last year, Steven Soderbergh's, PRESENCE (2024). 

Be sure to check out their New Podcast! 

Director’s Take brings today’s most acclaimed filmmakers into conversation with the films that shaped them. Each episode spotlights a director exploring a work they didn’t make—but deeply admire—revealing how these stories continue to inspire new generations of artists and audiences. With fresh perspectives and cultural context, Director’s Take reintroduces landmark titles as works worth rediscovering.

Becky D’Anna has worked in the film industry for over two decades. She contributed to event marketing campaigns ranging from the X-Men franchise at Twentieth Century Fox to the Spider-Man franchise at Sony Pictures. Becky most recently worked on the third-party partnership campaigns for the Oscar-winning animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Sony Picture’s highest grossing film in its history, Spider-Man: No Way Home. When not at Sony, Becky loves sharing her film knowledge by writing and podcasting about her favorite movies, TV shows, and filmmakers. In addition, Becky is a guest instructor on film history and appreciation. She most recently taught a 6-hour lecture on the films of Ingmar Bergman at UC Riverside as part of their two week "Contemporary Approaches to Filmmaking" program, and was a guest panelist on the “Horror and the Inevitable Remake" panel at San Diego Comic Con 2022.

Website: https://beckydanna.com/

Jonathan Laubinger is an avid movie lover and podcaster. He created, hosted, edited, and produced the Film Baby Film podcast, which primarily focused on deep-dive episodes of beloved art house film classics. Jonathan has also appeared on several other podcasts including WrongReel, Criterion Reflections, and others. He has appeared on multiple game shows, winning almost $90,000. For his day job, he is an executive at a start-up in the specialty insurance industry. Jonathan is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and has his JD/MBA from Boston College. 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6H16LiwpgrEPQ8uhHE3FRU?si=5hilMRDWQHioGht6V29gVQ&nd=1&dlsi=7dd3dcf875154dd4
• Apple Podcasts:
• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zach-cregger-adaptation/id1840753945?i=1000729183843
• Amazon Music / Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/08c227b8-ce1f-4817-9241-b11defb40a4c/directors-take
• Pandora - https://pandora.app.link/Qs77bumo4Wb
• TuneIn - http://tun.in/pxVVW

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Bad Apples - "Pumpkin Palooza"

We have another film set on Halloween night for your spooky season listening pleasure - BAD APPLES (2018)! 🍎 🍏 A couple moves to a new city after a tragic loss and get more than they bargained for in their new home. This film stars friends of the podcast Brea Grant & Graham Skipper in the leads! An extra treat for us, no tricks! 

We hope you enjoy carving into this fresh episode! 🎃 

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Night of the Demons - "All Alone in Wonderland"

It's officially Spooky Season and we are celebrating with movies set on Halloween ALL MONTH LONG! This week we tackle the cult classic NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988). A couple of girls want to throw an epic party at a haunted mansion, but some uninvited guests from the demon realm crash the fun! 

We hope you enjoy all the fresh spooky fun this week!

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The Monkey - “Everything is an Accident”

We conclude our Stephen King Birthday Month Celebration with a lot of laughs & tons of gore with Osgood Perkins adaptation of THE MONKEY (2024). This one was a treat - filled with delightful character performances and philosophical life lessons!

Have you seen this one? 

We hope you enjoy this episode & then go out dancing!

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