Switchblade Sisters

This week we are joined by the prolific, multiple Obie Award-winning actor, Elizabeth Marvel. She’s on the show to discuss 2017’s cuckoo zombie/murderer/demon-possession film, The Wailing. Elizabeth initially talks about how this film inspired her latest role as a demon on Hulu’s Marvel show Helstrom. But she also goes on to elaborate on the details of her creative process. She discusses how she approaches acting as a “visual medium,” which is why she always speaks to the DP on set. She also talks about loving to shoot on location because she “wants chaos.” Elizabeth did so much research on The Wailing and she is such a wealth of information on the craft of acting. She has a phenomenal story about working in a cramped townhouse with Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler in The Meyerowitz Stories. And she reveals that the Coen Brothers called people she knew before working with her to make sure she wasn’t an asshole.

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You can watch Helstrom on Hulu starting October 16.

If you haven’t seen The Wailing yet – you simply must!

With April Wolfe and Elizabeth Marvel.

This week we are joined by the incredibly talented writer Mary Laws. You may know Mary from writing the screenplay for Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon or from her work on the show Succession. But most recently Mary has created and executive produced the new Hulu anthology series Monsterland. In this episode, Mary joins guest host Katie Walsh to discuss Roman Polanski’s Repulsion. She and Katie do not stray away from the controversy surrounding Polanski, and both of them try to tackle and reconcile with the fact that they both find this movie hugely inspirational. Mary reveals how this very film motivated her to move away from the normal three-act structure. She also elaborates on why she loves working in the horror genre and how it allows for more creative freedom. Plus, Mary also covers her stint as a writer on HBO’s Succession and the differences between writing for theater and film.

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You can watch Monsterland on Hulu now.

If you haven’t seen Repulsion yet – it’s very good.

And if you want to listen to our Rosemary’s Baby episode, click HERE.

With Katie Walsh and Mary Laws.

It is the return of one of our all-time favorite guests; writer, actor, director, and ‘Reading Glasses’ host, Brea Grant. She’s on the show this week to talk about 2002’s May, a movie described by April Wolfe as a spiritual prequel to Brea’s latest film, 12 Hour Shift. Brea discusses expediting the exposition in her film, Lucky, and how she pitched it by describing one specific scene; a wife wakes up to find a murderer in her house. She wakes her husband who says, “Of course he’s here, that’s the man that tries to kill us everyday.”

May and 12 Hour Shift also happen to share the same lead actress, Angela Bettis. Brea describes what a dream she was to work with, and how she even helped the crew wrap the set on the final night of shooting. Brea talks about the expressiveness of the human face, and how one DP on the set of Heroes showed her how much her face takes up the screen, changing her acting forever. And lastly, Brea describes how David Arquette brought a donkey to set to raise spirits, and it did just that!

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You can watch 12 Hour Shift on October 2nd.

If you haven’t seen May yet – it’s great!

With April Wolfe and Brea Grant.

This week’s episode is a real treat because we get to talk to the wonderful and exuberant Rachel True. She has chosen a movie that really blew our hair back; Sally Potter’s fantastical romance, Orlando. Rachel begins the episode by detailing her journey to see this movie in the early ’90s by taking a bus across Los Angeles. Rachel goes on to elaborate on the difficulty of being a black female actor and the limited roles she gets offered. She also talks about how she was often forced to utilize a “hood” accent when auditioning, and how that may have lost her a part in Clueless. And lastly, Rachel opens up about her experience working on The Craft, and why she fights to get the same respect as the other members of the cast.

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You can purchase Rachel’s True Heart Intuitive Tarot, Guidebook and Deck right HERE.

If you haven’t seen Orlando yet – it’s great!

With April Wolfe and Rachel True.

This week we are joined by the wonderful director, Rachel Lee Goldenberg, to discuss the “perfect film,” Thelma & Louise. Her movie choice is actually a direct inspiration for her latest movie, HBO Max’s Unpregnant. That film stars Haley Lu Richardson as a teenage girl who needs to get across state lines to get an abortion, and the only person she can turn to for help is her weird ex-best friend. In this episode, Rachel elaborates on the joy of working with Haley Lu, and how she would sometimes get so deep into character that she would get lost. Rachel explains her storyboarding process by quoting the great Werner Herzog: “Storyboards are for cowards.” Plus, Rachel describes her time making films for the Roger Corman-Esque studio ‘The Asylum,’ and how it honed her ability to come up with big ideas on a small budget.

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You can watch Unpregnant on HBO Max now.

If you haven’t seen Thelma & Louise yet – it’s great!

With April Wolfe and Rachel Lee Goldenberg.

We are joined by a truly magnetic and unique voice in filmmaking, director/writer/actor Isabel Sandoval. She calls in from New York to discuss the film noir classic, Double Indemnity. Isabel has so much to cover on the craft of filmmaking. She discusses the power of the human face as a tool for storytelling, and why it so often leaves dialogue superfluous. She and April dissect Isabel’s latest film, Lingua Franca, and why all of her film’s center around women. Isabel also reveals her feelings on the current state of Filipino cinema, and why she wants to stay away from her films being labeled “poverty porn.” And lastly, Isabel shares her ultimate goal for her career; for her films to be considered their own film genre.

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You can watch Lingua Franca on Netflix now.

If you haven’t seen Double Indemnity yet – it’s great!

With April Wolfe and Isabel Sandoval.

We are joined by the wonderful director Emily Hagins (Coin Heist, Scare Package) to discuss the classic Robert Rodriguez film, The Faculty. Emily reveals that this particular film was a huge inspiration for her as it was shot in her hometown of Austin, Texas. She talks about the similarities between writing comedy and horror and how the two genres mix well together. And she and April discuss the way writing dialogue for teenage characters has changed in recent years.

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You can watch Coin Heist on Netflix now.

If you haven’t seen The Faculty yet, it’s great!

With April Wolfe and Emily Hagins.

This week’s episode is an utter delight. We are joined by director and actor Lily Mariye to discuss Anthony Minghella’s Truly, Madly, Deeply. Both the guest and this movie could be described similarly; delightful, thoughtful, and inspiring. Lily talks about the process of casting and how she gets emotional when an actor perfectly delivers the material. She even gives April a little acting lesson and teaches her not to luxuriate in her emotions, but rather move between them and let them crash into one another. Lily elaborates on her directing strategy of taking ideas from anyone on set, even the craft services person. And lastly, she explains the deeper meaning of why she always wears lipstick when directing.

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You can watch Model Minority on VOD now.

And if you haven’t seen Truly, Madly, Deeply yet, you simply must!

With April Wolfe and Lily Mariye.

This week we have the joy of discussing a true classic film with a phenomenally talented writer and director. We are joined by the co-writer of the Jenny Slate film Obvious Child and the writer/director of the recently released Yes, God, Yes, Karen Maine. She’s on the show to discuss Jan de Bont’s perfect film, Twister. Karen elaborates on her particular attachment to this film and how it is tied to her Iowa roots. She also talks about her new film Yes, God, Yes starring Stranger Things’ Natalie Dyer and the inspiration behind her story about a young Catholic Schoolgirl navigating her sexual awakening at a religious retreat. Not only that, but Karen also discusses her admiration for Helen Hunt’s perfectly quaffed 90’s hair. And, she talks mad shit about Jan de Bont, but in the most loving way possible.

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You can watch Yes, God, Yes on VOD now.

And if you haven’t seen Twister yet, then you are a pervert.

With April Wolfe and Karen Maine.

This is a special episode because one of our guests is an actual baby. The other guest is her mother; actor, writer, and director Alice Lowe. You may recognize Alice from her acting work in any number of things; Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers (which she co-wrote), Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, Hot Fuzz, The IT Crowd, and many others. But she’s also a director, and wrote, directed, and starred in 2016’s Prevenge. She’s on the show today, calling in from London, to talk about the undersung 1984 fantasy, The Company of Wolves. She and April discuss making independent films and not limiting your imagination just because you’re doing things differently. They chat about the writer Angela Carter and utilizing dream logic. Plus, Alice hammers home the importance of not eliminating the tragic elements from fairy tales.

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You can watch Alice most recently in Dark Encounter on Prime.

Or check out her feature Prevenge on Shudder.

If you haven’t seen The Company of Wolves, you simply must.

With April Wolfe and Alice Lowe.