PUBLIC VERSION. Adam Roberts (Screenland Armour Theater, PANIC FEST) joins Joe to discuss the ins and outs of running a movie theater and programming one of the best genre film festivals in the world. From his transition from H&R Block to programming blockbusters at his very own theater in Kansa City… to how he picks which films to program at his theater and the origins of PANIC FEST… to the business side of running a cinema in 2025… to the art of a quality grilled cheese sandwich (available at the Screenland Armour) and what’s in store for this year’s Panic Fest, Adam pulls back the theater curtain on one of our culture’s most celebrated pastimes… the theatrical experience!

PUBLIC VERSION. Writer/star Amanda Stern (THE INCOHERENTS, A BROOKLYN LOVE STORY) joins Joe to discuss her career journey and the making of her latest feature PERFECTLY GOOD MOMENT (available now on Tubi). From the way she approaches the mechanics of writing… to what it’s like performing in an erotic story when her husband is one of the producers… to how she and director Lauren Greenhall started their collaboration… to a conversation abut the glorious, sometimes graphic work of porn-turned-music video-turned-horror director Gregory Dark… to their mutual favorite films in the erotic thriller genre… to what its like making a film in 10 days in sweltering NYC heat and how her critically acclaimed “erotic thriller with a twist” played to a crowd of older patrons on the festival circuit… Amanda shares her perspective on how to boldly succeed at independent story telling while holding on to your own unique voice.

Filmmakers Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (NOVOCAINE, THE STAKELANDER, VILLAINS, SIGNIFICANT OTHER) join Joe Lynch to discuss their career journey. From being randomly assigned as roommates at NYU… to starting their own production company… to taking on the STAKELAND franchise with their well-received sequel… to creating chemistry between two up-and-coming stars like Bill Skarsgard & Maika Monroe in VILLAINS and making an action star out of an everyman actor like Jack Quaid in their new film NOVOCAINE (in theaters March 13th)… Dan and Robert share the details of their collaborative process.

Filmmaker and MOVIE CRYPT favorite Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW 2-4, SPIRAL, ABATTOIR, REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA) returns to share yet another set of incredible stories from his various cinematic adventures over the last few years. As always, Bousman brings his unmatched level of candid honesty about his trials and tribulations and the humble perspective that has made him an absolute legend on this podcast. Starting off with the story of his film THE CELLO and how one of the greatest production experiences of his career suddenly turned south… to the making of his upcoming feature (tentatively titled THE MONSTER) and working with Dijon Hounsou (AMISTAD) and Lauren LaVera (TERRIFIER 2 & 3)… to the MUST HEAR second hour about how the three directors each wrestle with feeling responsible for anything that goes wrong on a production even when it was completely out of their hands… to how they deal with the disappointment of working on a project for years only to have it snuffed out in an instant… to how anxiety and depression have made them think they never wanted to make another film again and just what price “suffering for your art” can actually cost you over the long haul… this is yet another one of those conversations we only wish they would present students with in film school. 

It may only be March when this episode premieres but it is already a contender for best episode of the year. Don’t miss it!

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Filmmaker Mary Dauterman (BOOGER) joins Adam and Joe to discuss the making of her debut feature film. From how her short film work prepared her for the longer haul of a feature… to how she “looked across” for her local collaborators… to the hurdles of shooting her feature on location in Brooklyn, NY… to how hard it can be to find the right title for a movie about trauma and furry creatures… to the extremely clever promotion when premiering the film at Fantasia… Mary discusses the in’s and outs of this very personal film that just so happens to also have plenty of goopy body horror and be one of the more heartfelt micro-budget horror comedies to come along in a long time.

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A QUIET PLACE, HAUNT, 65) return to discuss their latest film HERETIC (available now) and their Iowa movie theater (The Last Picture House) with Adam, Joe, and Arwen. Having last appeared on THE MOVIE CRYPT five years ago (Episode 331), Beck and Woods have been lighting up Hollywood and captivating audiences since they last appeared on the podcast! From their process writing and directing together as a duo… to casting movie star Hugh Grant in what is now considered one of the greatest performances of his career… to creating a single location thriller where the terror is conveyed through dialogue as opposed to jump scares or violence… to working with legendary cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung (OLDBOY)… to the overwhelmingly positive response to HERETIC from critics and audiences alike and the response that those with strong religious convictions have had to HERETIC… Beck and Woods are quickly becoming one of the most successful duos in Hollywood. 

Also, Dr. Arwen and the guys provide “Hollywood Therapy” for a listener dealing with crushing grief and Beck and Woods discuss both the hurdles and the triumphs of opening their very own movie theater in their home town. 

PUBLIC VERSION. Acclaimed filmmaker Alex Ross Perry (LISTEN UP PHILLIP, HER SMELL, CHRISTOPHER ROBIN) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his new video essay “Videoheaven” and his massive concert film GHOST: RITE HERE RITE NOW. From reminiscing about video stores… to a mutual appreciation for TROMA and school lunches… to the process behind creating three distinctive, non-linear projects… to spending well over a decade on his most personal passion project about the rise and fall of video stores… to intimately working with the enormously popular pop-metal band GHOST… to his new documentary/concert film PAVEMENTS (in theaters later this year)… this Altman-esque conversation (filled with classic MOVIE CRYPT diatribes and asides) shows just how much Alex is an ever evolving artist that is satisfying his many interests in an industry that typically just wants to box you up like a VHS clamshell.

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Zach Clark (THE BECOMERS, LITTLE SISTER, WHITE REINDEER) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his new Sci-Fi feature. From cutting his teeth in editing and how that impacted his directing craft… to his love and admiration for Russ Meyers and John Waters films… to his drive to go more “hard” genre and the classic films that inspired his alien invasion/body swap/love story/goo covered THE BECOMERS… to how COVID casually worked its way into the writing and shooting of the film… to comfort foods and how he deals with notes from peers… to a hint at his new project (a “castle horror” type film)… Zach is a truly inspiring voice on the indie scene.

PUBLIC VERSION. Writer and show runner Matthew Scott Kane (HYSTERIA!) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his career journey. From seeing JURASSIC PARK at a Michigan drive-in and falling in love with filmmaking at age 3… to making his first short film with friends and winning the first film festival he entered (only to find out afterwords that there was only one other submission!)… to the famous critic that recommended he try his hand at writing for television… to making the move to Los Angeles and the many assistant jobs he worked at as he honed his craft… to selling his pilot for HYSTERIA! to a major outlet only to have them back out of making it when the pandemic hit… to being down to his last cent with no agent and no hope in sight before getting a surprising phone call that changed everything for him… to his anxiety filled ZOOM pitch with over 80 people on the call… to the process of staffing up his writers’ room on his first series… to the writer’s strike hitting right as HYSTERIA! was finishing up shooting its first episode and having no choice but to stay on the sidelines until the strike had played out… Matthew’s success has certainly not come easily and his story is all the more inspiring because of it!

Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a listener who is trying to move on in her career and facing the dreaded “but you don’t have enough experience yet” road block while Matthew gives Adam the WHITE LION music cue that he had been waiting his whole life to see in a film or television show.

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Drew Hancock (COMPANION, MY DEAD EX, MR. PICKLES) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his career journey. From growing up in Nebraska where a career in Hollywood seemed impossible… to going to school for advertising and realizing he was on the wrong path… to the editing class that convinced him to switch majors and go after becoming a filmmaker… to making the move to Los Angeles and finding both his voice and his crowd through the early CHANNEL 101 days… to writing and directing for various television variety shows, award shows, and TV series like BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE, FRED: THE SHOW, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE, SUBURGATORY, MR. PICKLES, and MY DEAD EX… to writing COMPANION as a spec and getting into the hands of producer and previous MOVIE CRYPT guest J.D. Lifshitz’s BoulderLight Pictures… to the director who was originally attached deciding that Drew should direct COMPANION himself… to the process of bringing his terrific thriller to life and the nervousness of being on the verge of its wide release (on IMAX screens across the US this coming weekend!)… Drew is yet another artist who’s hit the point of thinking his Hollywood journey may be over only to keep pushing forward and making the dream come true.

COMPANION opens in theaters this weekend!