Somebody's Watching

My guest today is Berlin-based film programmer and performer Matt Cornell. This episode is dedicated to independent cinema - the films we love and the filmmakers who've made them. Matt and I took different approaches. I spoke about my Top 15 favorite independent directors (real difficult to do, would still recommend though) and Matt chose to talk about his Top 15 favorite independent films. Before that, we spoke about Matt being an honest to god kid film critic and when we first realized what a director does.

Show Notes:

Matt’s Dam Cinema

Joe Bob Briggs

Blue Velvet (1986)

Short Circuit (1986)

The Evil Dead (1981)

King Lear (1987)

Divine

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Louis Malle

Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987)

Elevator to the Gallows (1958)

Murmur of the Heart (1971)

My Dinner with Andre (1981)

The Princess Bride (1987)

Atlantic City (1980)

Jacques Tati (1975)

Playtime (1967)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Michael Haneke The Seventh Continent (1989)

The Heartbreak Kid (1972)

Ishtar (1987)

Elaine May

Jeannie Berlin

Miss May Does Not Exist book

Tsai Ming-liang

The Hole (1998)

What Time Is It There? (2001)

Celine Sciamma

Girlhood (2004)

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972)

Dardenne Brothers

Young Mothers (2025)

The Kid with a Bike (2011)

Chameleon Street (1989)

Wendell B. Harris Jr.

Barbara Loden

Wanda (1970)

Ingmar Bergman

The Magic Lantern

Wild Strawberries (1957)

Kelly Reichardt

Old Joy (2006)

David Lynch

Jonathan Demme

Something Wild (1986)

Lynne Ramsay

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Yasujiro Ozu

Tokyo Story (1953)

David Cronenberg

Crash (1996)

Dead Ringers (1988)

Vernon, Florida (1981)

Errol Morris

Richard Linklater

Before Sunrise (1995)

Todd Haynes

Safe (1995)

Agnes Varda

Deep Cover (1992)

Bill Duke

Mia Hansen-Løve

Things to Come (2016)

Lucile Hadžihalilović

Innocence (2004)

The Ice Tower (2025)

New French Extremity

Penelope Spheeris

The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)

Steven Soderbergh

Out of Sight (1998)

Mike Leigh

Secrets & Lies (1996)

Hard Truths (2024)

Coen Brothers

Miller’s Crossing (1990)

Todd Solondz

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Andrew Nette specializes in pulp fiction among many other things. He's has been living in Berlin for about a year now doing research on many different projects. I was introduced to Andrew when I read "Revolution in 35 mm: Political Violence and Resistance in Cinema from the Arthouse to the Grindhouse 1960-1990" which he co-edited with film scholar (and previous guest) Samm Deighan. We spoke about this essential book as well his Berlin film experiences and his time living in South East Asia and the „Westerners in trouble“ trope in cinema.

Show Notes:

Andrew Nette’s substack

Revolution in 35mm

Andrew Nette’s 10 favorite films of political violence

Andrew Nette’s Westerners in Trouble Letterboxd List

James Bond

Pulp Fiction

Carter Brown

The Battle of Algiers (1966)

Z (1969)

Elio Petri

A Bullet for the General (1967)

The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973)

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Youssef Chahine

Sarah Maldoror

Robert Kramer

Patty Hearst

Gilio Pontecorvo

Blood of the Condor (1969)

Raymundo Gleyzer

Abduction (1975)

Paul Schrader

Cairo Station (1958)

Maeve (1981)

On Guard (1984)

After Hours (1985)

MIFF

Born in Flames (1983)

Capitalist Realism

Wolf Berlin

Red Army Faction

The Legend of Rita (2000)

The State I Am In (2000)

Running on Empty (1988)

Black Gravel (1961)

Helmut Käutner

Oberhausen Manifesto

New German Cinema

Shore Leave (1925)

DEFA Stiftung

Solo Sunny (1980)

Rose (2026)

Saint Jack (1979)

Stars at Noon (2022)

City of Ghosts (2002)

Black Narcissus (1947)

Il Cinema Ritrovato

The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

Far East (1982)

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Film writer Heather Drain is an expert in both film and music, making her the perfect guest to talk about film soundtracks! We spoke about how she started out as an esoteric film appreciator, her love of "mutated arthouse," and we both share 10 of our favorite film soundtracks. This episode's show notes are especially long because Heather references a lot of films and music and they're all worth noting down!

Show Notes:

Heather Drain’s linktree

Heather Drain’s Substack

Heather Drain’s video essay Psycho in 1980s Music Videos Heather Drain’s old blog

Laura Branigan - Gloria

Blondie – Rapture

Keith Crocker Maniac (1980)

Joe Spinell Forbidden Zone (1980)

Timothy Carey

Harlan Ellison

Danny Peary – Cult Movies 3

Cafe Flesh (1982)

Stephen Sayadian

Something Weird Video

Film Threat Video Magazine

Lydia Lunch

Richard Kern

Jörg Buttgereit

The Go-Go’s

Richard Baylor

Saturn’s Core

The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

Cryptfinder on YouTube

Amanda Reyes’ Bluesky

Anthony Perkins

CosmicVinyl on YouTube

Charles Rocket

Supertramp

Tenebrae (1982)

The Lost Boys (1987)

The Call Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Dracula (1973)

Switchblade Symphony

Christopher Lee

The Psychedelic Furs

Pretty in Pink (1986)

OMD

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

The Last Days of Disco (1998)

Boogie Nights (1997)

The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle (1980)

Sex Pistols

Almost Famous (2000)

Cameron Crowe

Lester Bangs

Head (1968)

The Monkees

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

Morvern Callar (2002)

Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)

Mandy (2018)

Lost Highway (1997)

Blue Velvet (1986)

Demons (1985)

Claudio Simonetti

Lamberto Bava Crumb (1994)

Subspecies (1991)

Nosferatu (1922)

Full Moon Features Hole

Singles (1992)

Scorpio Rising (1963)

Invocation of My Demon Brother

Kenneth Anger

Der Fan (1982)

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Riz Ortolani

Men Behind the Sun (1988)

Ebola Syndrome (1996)

Anthony Wong

Times Square (1980)

Kat Ellinger

Robin Johnson

200 Motels (1971)

Frank Zappa

The GTOs

John Cale

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Shock Treatment (1981)

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

Blood Diner (1987)

Cowpunk

Purple Rain (1984)

Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)

24 Hour Party People (2002)

Trainspotting (1996)

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My guest today is scenic artist, filmmaker, and writer Michael Lee Nirenberg, who wrote the book Cinematic Immunity, an oral history told from the perspective of New York film crews, from the 50s to the 2000s. When I came across this book I knew I had to get it right away, it's exciting to learn film history from a completely different perspective! We spoke about how Michael got into the film crew business, the wild days of New York filmmaking, what crews had to say about the likes of Sidney Lumet and William Friedkin, and a whole lot more!

Show Notes:

CinematicImmunity: An Oral History of New York Filmmaking As Told by the Crews That Got the Shot / Michael Lee Nirenberg

Micheal Lee Nirenberg’s instagram

Michael Lee Nirenberg’s IMDB

Frankenhooker (1990)

Back Issues: The Hustler Mag Story (2014)

Richard Koszarski

On the Waterfront (1954)

Boris Kaufman

The Out of Towners (1970)

The Incident (1967)

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Michael Lee Nirenberg’s book Earth A.D.

The Godfather (1972)

The Exorcist (1973)

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Max’s Kansas City

After Hours (1985)

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Amos Poe

Sidney Lumet

William Friedkin

Network (1976)

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

12 Angry Men (1957)

Spike Lee

Randy Jurgensen

Three Days of the Condor (1975)

The French Connection (1971)

Maniac Cop (1988)

Law & Order

Trading Places (1983)

John Landis

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

Twilight Zone Accident

Paul Reubens

Malcolm X (1992)

All That Jazz (1979)

Bob Fosse Mariska Hargitay

Ice-T

My Mom Jayne (2025)

I Love Boosters (2026)

Backrooms (2026)

The Sopranos (1999-2007)

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

The Wrestler (2008)

The Knick (2014-2015)

Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014)

Girls (2012-2017)

Please Give (2010)

The Seven-Ups (1973)

Mad Men (2007-2015)

Too Much (2025)

Taxi Driver (1976)

Death Wish 3 (1985)

John Waters

Desperate Living (1977)

Vincent Peranio

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Kate Hagen is a film writer, screenwriter, producer, and the senior vice president of The Black List. Kate is a cinephile with great taste, and I don't just say that because a lot of what she likes - I like. This episode, we get into many of Kate's interests: the importance of video stores, the representation of fat women on screen, sex scenes in cinema, and more!

Show Notes:

Kate’s website

Kate’s Letterboxd

The Black List

The Last Great Video Store Spreadsheet Fat Girls On Film Letterboxd Essay

Kate Hagen’s Playboy Article „On Sex, Cinema and the Female Gaze“

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Addams Family Values (1993)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Pretty in Pink (1986)

Showgirls (1995)

Angelica Jade Bastién

Fresh Horses (1988)

Vidiots

Babycakes (1989)

Zuckerbaby (1985)

Euphoria (2019-2026)

The Whale (2022)

Joan Didion Crash (1996)

Secretary (2002)

Cocaine: One Man’s Seduction (1983)

Lincoln (2012)

Spotlight (2015)

Leonard Maltin

Jane Campion

Anora (2024)

Sinners (2025)

One Battle After Another (2025)

Babygirl (2024)

Industry (2020-2027)

We Kill For Love (2023)

Take This Waltz (2011)

Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

In the Cut (2003)

In the Realm of the Senses (1976)

Damage (1992)

Dead Ringers (1988)

Lovely & Amazing (2001)

Nicole Holofcener

Bound (1996)

Border (2018)

Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)

Crimes of Passion (1984)

Wild Things (1998)

Candyman (1992)

Shortbus (2006)

Body Heat (1981)

9 Songs (2004)

A Walk on the Moon (1999)

After Dark, My Sweet (1990)

Don’t Look Now (1973)

The Last Seduction (1994)

Desert Hearts (1985)

The Sheltering Sky (1990)

The Hunger (1983)

Bug (2006)

Lust, Caution (2007)

The Handmaiden (2016)

Breaking the Waves (1996)

Romance (1999)

Faces of Death (2026)

Cinematographe

Terms of Endearment (1983)

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I live in Berlin, and something very cool is happening here right now - the film collective Zelluloid42 has been programming film events that this town has sorely needed. In the spirit of the German "Bahnhofskino" (a grindhouse cinema located in or next to a train station, very popular in the 70s and 80s), Zelluloid42 gleefully shows exploitation, horror, and other wonderfully strange obscurities in 16mm & 35mm. I spoke with two collective members, Audrey and Tarek, about their work, German attitudes towards their own film heritage, what's next for them, and a whole lot more!

Show Notes:

Zelluloid 42⁠

⁠Zelluloid 42 Instagram⁠

Tarek’s Letterboxd

Audrey’s Letterboxd

Filmrauschpalast Cinema

The Evil Dead (1981)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Vampyros Lesbos (1971)

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972)

Zeughauskino

Douglas Sirk

Lumiere Film Festival in Lyon

Il Cinema Ritrovato Vinegar Syndrome

Samm Deighan’s Patreon

BFI

Duck, You Sucker! (1971)

Der Fan (1982)

Deutsche Kinemathek

Weimar Republic

Yorck Kinogruppe

Cineville

Z-inema

Moviemento

b-ware! Ladenkino

City Kino Wedding

The Devil in Miss Jones (1974)

SO36

Videodrom Videostore

Man Behind the Sun (1988)

Water Power (1977)

Mondo Film

Jörg Buttgereit

Combat Shock (1984)

Buddy Giovinazzo

Muscle Distribution

Vigilante (1982)

William Lustig

Pink Film

Beyond Hypothermia (1996)

The Killer (1989)

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Dr. Lamb (1992)

Biggi (1980)

Female Trouble (1974)

Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973)

Nightmare USA

Lisa, Lisa (1977)

The Last House on Dead End Street (1973)

Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971)

The Beyond (1981)

The Image (1975)

Meiko Kaji

Hisasayu Sato

A Woman’s Torment (1977)

Through the Looking Glass (1976)

Jamie Gillis

L.A. Plays Itself (1972)

Golden Age of Porn

Kommkino

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This episode is dedicated to the inimitable stand-up comedian and actress Janeane Garofalo. My guest Vibe Kiil and I chat about her influence on comedy, why she was such a fixture of the 90s, our favorite Garofalo roles, and more. Heather Mooney forever!

**Apologies for the wonky sound on my end**

Show Notes:

Vibe Kiil’s Website

Vibe Kiil’s Instagram

Reality Bites (1994)

Daria (1997-2002)

The Ben Stiller Show (1992-1995)

Marc Maron

The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998)

Saturday Night Live

Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)

Suspicious (1995 short film)

Wonderland (2003)

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

24 (2001-2010)

I Shot Andy Warhol (1996)

The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)

The MatchMaker (1997)

Mystery Men (1999)

Ween

Housekeeping (2001)

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

The Independent (2000)

Jerry Stiller Alan Cumming

A Bread Factory, Part One (2018)

Feel This Book Roseanne Interview

HBO Half Hour Special

Indie Outing with Elliot Smith

Janeane Garofalo Never Sold Out. What a Relief.

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Film academic Marion Biet came on the podcast to talk about long-term films (aka longitudinal films) with me since it's her expertise - making her one of the first to analyze this type of film within an academic framework. Long-term films are films that capture a long passage of time, the most prominent example of this is Michael Apted's Up Series which I refer to a lot during our conversation. We spoke about international long-term films, the ethical dimensions of these films, and their socio-political potential.

Show Notes:

Marion Biet’s Uni Website

Marion's Film L'usine, c'est particulier quand même (2017)

Marion’s book Dokumentwerden

Up Film Series

Children from Golzow (1961-2007)

Helena Trestikova

DEFA

Rene (2008)

The Bend Episode – Tony (The Up Series)

Neil Hughes from The Up Series

7 Up South Africa (1992)

7 Up Japan (1992)

Born in the USSR (1991-)

21 Up New Generation (2014-)

Born To Be Different (2003-)

Daldongne 33 Up (2020)

Before Trilogy (1995-2013)

Boyhood (2014)

Over the Years (2015)

Michael Apted

Katka (2010)

dafilms.com

Anny (2020)

Private Universe (2012)

Quest (2017)

Profiles of Farmers: Daily Life (2005)

Cow (2021)

Minding the Gap (2018)

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I spoke with culture writer Soraya Roberts about the hyper-literate, captivating Queen of Gen X cool Winona Ryder. We spoke about Winona's incredible run from the late 80s to the late 90s, her tricky transition into more adult roles, the meta quality of her current work, and more.

Show Notes:

Soraya’s Website

Soraya’s Bluesky

Soraya’s article on Winona

Defector

Winona in the Criterion Closet

Mojo Nixon video Dr. Katz Professional Therapist – Episode with Winona Ryder

Tavi Gavinson interviewing Winona Ryder

Lucas (1986)

Beetlejuice (1988)

Heathers (1989)

Mermaids (1990)

Greer Garson Random Harvest (1942)

Timothy Leary

Square Dance (1987)

Jason Robards Jane Alexander

1969 (1988)

Reality Bites (1994)

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990)

Holden Caulfield

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

The Age of Innocence (1993)

The Crucible (1996)

Little Women (2019)

The Iceman (2012)

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Girl, Interrupted (1999)

Susanna Kaysen

American Pie (1999)

Autumn in New York (2000)

Night on Earth (1991)

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

Black Swan (2010)

Gen X

My So-Called Life

Janeane Garofalo

The Winona Book

Great Balls of Fire! (1989)

Cher – The Shoop Shoop Song

Mr. Robot

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I took the opportunity during my third time at Sitges Film Festival to chat with some fine people who came to this gargantuan annual celebration of horror. You'll hear from film professor Alison Peirse and film journalist Daniela Urzola who were on Sitges juries (different juries, there are quite a few at this fest), genre filmmakers Arianne Hinz and Avalon Fast as well as film programmers Sabina Pujol and Sara Neidorf, who is also the co-director of Final Girls Berlin with me.

I hope this gives you a glimpse of what being at the largest genre film festival in the world is like and that it motivates you to go in the future!

Show Notes:Alison Pierse’s Website

Alison Pierse’s Instagram

Doing Women’s Global Horror Film History

Daniela Urzola’s Instagram

Daniela Urzola’s Letterboxd

Arianne Hinz’s Website

Arianne Hinz’s Instagram

Avalon Fast’s Website

Avalon Fast’s Instagram

Sabina Pujol’s Instagram

B-Retina Film Festival

Filmets

Cryptshow Fest

Sara Neidorf’s Website

Sara Neidorf’s Instagram

Mellowdeath Bandcamp

Weapons (2025)

The Monkey (2025)

Barbarian (2022)

House of Psychotic Women

Kier-La Janisse

1000 Women in Horror (2025)

Zodiac Killer Project (2025)

Catherine Grant

Beyond Clueless (2014)

Doing Women’s Film History

The ‘Burbs (1989)

Piranha (1978)

The Fog (1980)

Nancy Loomis

Joe Dante

Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)

Melies D’Or

Film Madrid Festival

CAMP (2025)

Fucktoys(2025)

Queens of the Dead (2025)

Alice Maio Mackay

Vera Drew

Jane Schoenbrun

Woman in Fan

The Plague (2025)

Arianne Hinz’s new film Marionettes

System Crasher (2019)

E.T. the Extraterrestrial (1982)

Rabbit Trap (2025)

Tornado (2025)

Lesbian Space Princess (2024)

Honeycomb (2022)

Slamdance Festival

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

American Beauty (1999)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Anything That Moves (2025)

Lucid (2025)

Mother of Flies (2025)

Hellbender (2021)

Castration Movie I (2024)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Fuck My Son! (2025)

Alpha (2025)

Buffet Infinity (2025)

Dead Lover (2025)

Frauen Film Festival

Jennifer Reeder

Toby Poser

Sadie Lune

Porn Film Festival Berlin

Miranda July – All Fours

Dollhouse (2025)

Touch Me (2025)

Gregg Araki

But Film Festival

The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan (2025)

Seeds (1968)

Fleshpot on 42nd Street (1972)

The Python Hunt (2025)

Occupy Cannes! (2025)

Mag Mag (2025)

Mary Harron

I Shot Andy Warhol (1996)

American Psycho (2000)

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