PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Austin Snell (THEY CALL HER DEATH) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss his micro-budget western throwback - now available on Shudder. From the scene in TEMPLE OF DOOM that changed his life… to balancing a day job with making films… to how movies like EVIL DEAD and EL MARIACHI influenced his drive to make a “no-fi flick”… to the role that the pandemic played in pushing him to round up his friends and family and shoot his love letter to Leone, Corbucci, and Fulci on 16mm for a meager budget of $40,000… to his decision to not just write and direct but also produce, DP, edit, and score THEY CALL HER DEATH… to the impression that the film has made at festivals and during its roadshow release across the country… to the art of a good snap zoom… Austin’s story will inspire you to grab a camera, gather up some friends and start shooting immediately! 

Don’t miss YORKIETHON IX happening LIVE July 25th - 27th! Stay tuned to ArieScope.com and patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt for more details over the coming weeks!

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (CAPTAIN MARVEL, HALF NELSON, SUGAR, IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, BILLIONS, MASTERS OF THE AIR) join Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss their career journey and the making of their latest film FREAKY TALES. From their fateful meeting during college in NY to the realization that they worked best as a team… to completing film school only to find themselves working as production assistants nowhere near the actual action on set… to the making of HALF NELSON and how the film opened Hollywood’s doors for them… to their experiences directing various television series and the billion dollar success of 2019’s CAPTAIN MARVEL… to the making of FREAKY TALES (available in a special edition “Late Night” release from Lionsgate this week!) and the careful choices they made on everything from the story’s Oakland location, the time period, the fractured timeline, the music, and the detailed set design… to how they cast the amazing (and incredibly in demand) Pedro Pascal and secured a needle drop from the almighty METALLICA for their modestly budgeted film.. to the truth about the “imposter syndrome” almost every director faces and their thoughts on FREAKY TALES theatrical release…Anna and Ryan are two of the busiest and most exciting filmmakers working today!

Don’t miss THE MOVIE CRYPT’s 9th annual YORKIETHON coming up July 25th - 27th! A full weekend of LIVE conversations with celebrity guests, live music, live comedy, live film commentaries, a live script reading, Arwen’s Silent Auction, and SO MUCH MORE - all to benefit our friends at Save A Yorkie Rescue and help save dogs that have been abandoned or abused. For more details visit www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt or www.ArieScope.com!

With brand new episodes of THE MOVIE CRYPT dropping every single Monday we know that not everyone can always listen to every single episode. So in case you missed it at the start of this week's new episode (Ep 625), here's the first announcement for our 9th annual YORKIETHON to benefit Save A Yorkie Rescue!

Save the dates (July 25th - 27th) and stay tuned for more information coming soon including where to watch the free LIVE marathon, the unveiling of this year's official poster, links for donations and "Arwen's Silent Auction," guest hints, what never produced movie we'll be doing a live script reading of this year, and MORE!

Let's save them all in YORKIETHON 9!

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou (TALK TO ME, RACKARACKA) join Adam and Joe to discuss their career journey and the making of their latest feature BRING HER BACK - in theaters now! From their early days filming backyard wrestling matches in Australia when they were just 11 years old… to their wildly successful “RackaRacka” Youtube channel which put them on the map… to the horror films they grew up drawing inspiration from and the hurdles they faced getting their directorial feature TALK TO ME off the ground… to the lessons they learned in working with a full crew for the first time… to the runaway success of TALK TO ME which grossed over 90 million worldwide and became A24’s highest grossing film… to their brief attachment to STREET FIGHTER and their decision to prioritize making their own original material… to the making of BRING HER BACK and why working with a cat may have been their biggest on set challenge yet, the Philippou twins are two of the most energetic and exciting voices working today!

Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a filmmaker with post-production questions and YORKIETHON IX officially gets its dates!

Filmmaker Julia Max (THE SURRENDER) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss the making of her debut feature film. From catching the entertainment bug at a young age growing up in a family of industry professionals… to how growing up around film sets prepared her with invaluable insight on how movies are actually made… to setting her sights on acting before pivoting behind the camera as a writer/director… to making the leap from short films to features and finding the inspiration for THE SURRENDER (available on Shudder this weekend 5/23!) through her own painful loss of a family member… to how she scored the perfect location and absolutely mesmerizing cast for her trauma/horror film… to how she carefully orchestrated how and when to incorporate camera movement over the course of the film…  to collaborating with every artist involved in the post-production process and remaining open minded to create the best version of her story… to must-hear advice on why pivoting on your career aspirations can ultimately open a whole new world of personal fulfillment and success… Julia’s journey is one that every aspiring artist can draw inspiration from.

Also, “Thundanuts” joins the ArieScope family and the group discusses working with actors who are performing vulnerable nude scenes.

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Daniel DelPurgatorio (MARSHMALLOW, TALES FROM THE BLACK FREIGHTER) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his debut feature film. From how stealing one of his Dad’s VHS tapes informed his love for genre cinema… to a chance meeting at Warner Brothers that led to co-directing the WATCHMEN animated film TALES FROM THE BLACK FREIGHTER… to how his experience in animation and visual effects informed his craft in creating a wholly unique horror film like MARSHMALLOW… to the trials of shooting a low budget horror film at night with a cast that was mostly made up of kids (quick answer: NOT EASY!)… to how he built chemistry amongst his young cast… to how they came up with the grassroots marketing campaign used to great effect at festivals… to winning “Best Film” and “Best Director” at Panic Fest 2025 and more! (Warning: There are spoilers near the end…you’ve been warned!)

Filmmaker Eli Craig (CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL, LITTLE EVIL) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey. From growing up in a Hollywood family and wanting to get as far away from Los Angeles and the film industry as possible… to his adventures climbing mountains and shoveling snow… to making the brief decision to try out life as an actor and the advice Clint Eastwood gave him on set… to going to USC grad school and creating his own film festival to showcase his short film… to the uphill battle he faced getting his 2010 horror/comedy TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL made and why there has yet to be a sequel to the beloved film… to the reality check every filmmaker faces coming off of a run of glowing film festival responses and into the world of “mainstream” critics and distributors who simply can’t afford a proper marketing strategy… to how Adam Cesare’s “Clown in a Cornfield” novel first came onto his radar and how the looming WGA strike almost derailed the project… to how shooting the film in Canada afforded him the luxury of casting exactly who he wanted to cast and elevate stars like Katie Douglas to #1in the cast… Eli is a fellow cinematic traveler who’s story is sure to inspire you! CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD opens in theaters this weekend (May 9th)!

Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for an indie filmmaker looking to avoid the dangers of “Hollywood Accounting” and losing creative control of his project, THE MOVIE CRYPT turns 12, and Arwen turns 14! 

PUBLIC VERSION. The terrifying trio of filmmakers behind THE LAST VIDEO STORE (Tim Rutherford, Cody Kennedy and producer/star/video store guru Kevin Martin) join Joe to discuss the making of their VHS culture/meta slasher film. From the films that got them interested in making movies themselves… to the impact that video stores had on them growing up… to their favorite FRIDAY THE 13TH films… to making films both short and long and how it all culminated in their grand thesis THE LAST VIDEO STORE (available now on Arrow Blu-Ray and Arrow TV)… to how Kevin played a heightened version of himself and made the “Video Store Clerk” character a hero instead of a zero… to seeing their film for the first time at FantasticFest 2023 and why they believe video store culture is making a comeback, this conversation is as fun and as geeky as it gets so put it in your VCR, sit back, and enjoy! (Just remember to please be kind and rewind.)

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Mark Anthony Green (OPUS) joins Joe to discuss the making of his debut feature film. From how Mark’s former career as a journalist informed the plot of OPUS (now available on VOD)… to the films that inspired him to pursue filmmaking… to the biggest learning curve he experienced transitioning from one medium to another… to the joy of collaborating with actors like John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, Murray Bartlett and Parker Posey… to being a leader and collaborator to the point of sweeping his own sets down… to working with legendary musician Nile Rogers on the music… to the film’s triumphant premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and its subsequent theatrical release… Mark’s first time experience is one that every aspiring filmmaker will enjoy hearing about. 

PLUS Adam returns from Malta to discuss his experience shooting his latest film ASCENT, share some fun anecdotes on the production and explain why the experience made Adam feel so old. 

PUBLIC VERSION. Criterion Collection producer Curtis Tsui (RUMBLE FISH, GODZILLA VS BIOLANTE, many others) joins Joe to discuss his 20 year long career creating amazing special edition releases of some of the most notable films of all time. From how he first found his love for cinema while in school to become a doctor… to how he got the gig as a producer at Criterion decades ago… to what it takes to create some of the great features included with each release… to the importance of establishing a relationship with filmmakers… to the art of a great commentary track… to shooting in the Kubrick house for BARRY LYNDON… to the most challenging title he has worked on and the film he’s most proud to have contributed to… to the viral sensation known as “The Criterion Closet” and how it became a go-to stop for working artists… if you were ever interested in the process of making a title in the Criterion Collection (or just want to hear Curtis and Joe geek out for 2 hours), this conversation is a must listen!