Episode recorded: August 10th, 2025

Jay and his co-editor Jessie Hymowitz invited Ali Khamseh, a Hammer Horror movie fan from Iran, and talked about three movies of his choice: the underappreciated Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), and two Hammer Horror movies with the great Christopher Lee (The Devil Rides Out and The Gorgon). We talked about the unexpected genre materials from Iran, how Kerry Conran's tragic flop predicted both the blockbuster & low-budget filmmaking trends of the 2020s, the historical context of the old Hammer Horror movies, and the magic of stop-motion animation.

Movies that we will be (mostly) discussing:

Please follow Ali here (note: 88 in Ali's usernames meant the Persian calendar year of 1388 when he made his first email account):

His YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJOSmbfG5-nW79Q7I3OyyTw

His 2nd YouTube channel (AK88): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP37QXeEcOQ5vJpQKgnph1w

His Letterboxd account: https://letterboxd.com/AKhamseh88/

His Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/akhamseh88/

His own podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/akhamseh88/

Audio Editor: Jay Whang & Jessie Hymowitz

Into and Outro music: Scorpions sting by Celeste3

https://celest3.bandcamp.com/track/scorpions-sting

And please help her out: https://ko-fi.com/pupceleste

If you have questions, suggestions, or interested to be on the show, let Jay know: [email protected]

Episode recorded: July 19th, 2025 (07/19/2025)

Meredith Nudo is back along with another rotating co-host Alex Beige. We are going to discuss Cory Finley's directorial feature debut Thoroughbreds (2017) and how it is compatible with the overall style of, as Meredith argues, Satoshi Kon's psychological thriller classic Perfect Blue (1997). We're also discussing the challenges of adapting plays into feature films (with Alex Beige, the actual playwright, giving their two cents onto this subject), the filmography of Brian De Palma, the use of ambiguities in movies, and Jay's own ideas of animated adaptation of theatrical plays. And we still miss the late Anton Yelchin.

And also, check out the play Let. Her. Rip..

Movies that we will be (mostly) discussing:

Into and Outro music: Scorpions sting by Celeste3

https://celest3.bandcamp.com/track/scorpions-sting

And please help her out: https://ko-fi.com/pupceleste

If you have questions, suggestions, or interested to be on the show, let Jay know: [email protected]

Episode recorded: June 14th, 2025 (06/14/2025)

This is where me and my new co-host Madzy Williams will be talking about the adult-only, French-language anthropomorphic animal puppet movie about the notorious Marquis during the French revolution and it has a talking peepee. And we discuss how I could turn that into a cut-out animated show made for late-night television audiences.

But here are a few things I would like to share.

One, Meredith will be back next month. We will be talking about a movie that she has mentioned in the end of the first episode.

Two, the composer of this podcast’s intro and outro music, Pupceleste, is soon moving out and need some money. I would like you all to donate some to her moving expenses. Her ko-fi link address is: https://www.ko-fi.com/pupceleste.

Three, there are protests going on around the world. And we recorded this during the NoKing protest on June the 14th. If you are still planning to go outside and participate in local demonstrations, here are my advice: Have your mask up, have your goggles on, bring a water bottle, carry some extra cash, don’t take photos of protestors, have your phone airplane mode on, and write down emergency contact and legal counsel numbers on your arm. Stay safe wherever you are.

Finally, this will be a very special episode in a way that it’s perhaps our first NSFW episode. We will be talking about the lowest of the lows in the history and it will contain some triggering subjects.

To list most of CONTENT WARNINGS: the mention of both actual and alleged sex offenders – such as the Marquis de Sade, Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby, Justin Roiland, and John Kricfalusi, sexual assaults, rape jokes, coprophilia, fascism, furries, a talking penis, and live-action remake of Disney animated movies.

And also, this podcast is not sponsored by Raytheon.

Movies that we mainly talk about in this episode (and spoilers ahead):

I would like to give a shout out to French YouTuber Nicolas Delage for spending 4 years to make a video on this movie and meeting with people behind it. His video was very helpful for my research.

https://youtu.be/GRsNPytxMdg

And also, my birthday is coming up. (Yup, I am a Cancer baby!) I would like to receive some gifts form you all listeners. https://throne.com/designergaze

If you have questions, suggestions, or interested to be on the show, let Jay know: [email protected]

Episode recorded: May 12th, 2025 (05/12/2025)

Meredith is still on the break. We will get another episode out once she is available.

Filmmaker, film critic, and video essayist Scout Tafoya came to talk about Anthony Mann, his post-revolution France film noir thriller Reign of Terror (1949), Mann and his cinematographer John Alton's long-lasting influences in filmmaking and visual arts, anti-authoritarian and post-colonial politics of Cartoon Saloon's Wolfwalkers (2020), Lorenzo Mattotti's artworks and his cinematic contributions, including his haunting segment in animation anthology Fear(s) of the Dark (2007) and feature directorial debut (that never received a US distribution) The Bears' Famous Invasion in Sicily (La famosa invasione degli orsi in Sicilia) (2019), which is about Sicilians picking bears over men as their ruling class.

Movies that we will mostly be talking about:

Check out Scout Tafoya's video essay works (especially The Unloved), buy his books, and support him on Patreon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVC5BTH8/?tag=wwwrogerebe0e-20

https://www.patreon.com/honorszombie/shop/black-book-anthony-mann-reader-970432

https://www.patreon.com/c/honorszombie/home

https://www.rogerebert.com/features/the-history-of-the-unloved

Scout Tafoya's bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/honorszombie.bsky.social

Jay Whang's bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/jaywhangdoesstuff.com

Meredith Nudo's bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/meredithnudo.bsky.social

If you have questions, suggestions, or interested to be on the show, let Jay know: [email protected]

Episode recorded: April 27th, 2025 (04/27/2025)

Meredith couldn't be here to record, so I brought in a last-minute guest to fill her role. We talked about Luc Besson's space adventure masterpiece and his tribute to Valérian et Laureline comic book series, which he grew up reading as a teen boy in France. From there on, we talked about Bruce Willis and how much he was the lightning in a bottle and why the world needs more colorful sci-fi adventures stories in any medium.

Follow us on our social media:

Jay Whang - https://bsky.app/profile/jaywhangdoesstuff.com

Meredith Nudo - https://bsky.app/profile/meredithnudo.bsky.social

Brandyn Buchanan - https://bsky.app/profile/brandyn.bsky.social

Ending music: Scorpion sting by Celest3 - https://celest3.bandcamp.com/track/scorpions-sting

If you have questions, suggestions, or interested to be on the show, let Jay know: [email protected]

Jay and Meredith talk about one danskjävlar Lars von Trier challenging another Danish scum Jørgen Leth to redo the latter's live-action short film The Perfect Human five times based on the former's restrictions. And one of those five obstructions (and one of five main inspirations behind this podcast) is remaking the short into a "cartoon" in spite of their hatred of animation. We will talk extensively on the art of rotoscope animation, working around the limitations, medium hierarchy, Dogme 95, one of few good things continental Europe has given to the world, and how much of a scum both Von Trier and Leth are.

Recorded in January 30th, 2025 (01/30/2025)

Follow us on our social media:

Jay Whang - https://bsky.app/profile/jaywhangdoesstuff.com

Meredith Nudo - https://bsky.app/profile/meredithnudo.bsky.social

Ending music: Scorpion sting by Celest3 - https://celest3.bandcamp.com/track/scorpions-sting

Here is my Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/designergaze/

If you have questions, suggestions, or interested to be on the show, let Jay know: [email protected]

Movies that we will talk about/mention in this podcast (and possible spoilers ahead) - not in chronological order: