Movie Meltdown

Movie Meltdown - Episode 504 What better way to kick-off our October/Halloween fun than with our recent trip to Scarefest? Plus we talk with actor Thom Mathews about being part of the horror world starring in beloved films like The Return of the Living Dead and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. And as we make plans to move into The Kentucky Castle, we also bring up… Eerie, Indiana, Bruce Campbell, I got a dragon, Hollywood Boulevard, it wasn’t far from the cat house, Dee Snider, the naughty boxes, Felissa Rose, Lee Majors, Pasadena, Charlton Heston, The Lost Boys, Benny Urquidez, falling off a building, I felt it the next day it was like moving up my spine, Alex Cox, I don’t have ghosts that I know of, Gene Wilder, a successful man with a successful business, Farrah Fawcett, beating up my brother, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Kane Hodder, if you have a wheel that needs to be spun, Dan O'Bannon, orange fields, Casper, dapper and dashing, Albert Pyun, Steel, Knots Landing and who is that incredibly emaciated

Attack of the Killer Soundtrack 58 This week we're coming to you "live" from Bourbon and Beyond music festival, as we build a soundtrack from the show's musical line-up. And while we use music to mark the passage of time, we also address… The Blob, Yentl, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Tootsie, solo career, Cable’s gun, dinosaurs, they add charm and finesse to the whole thing, Just One of the Guys, I'd rather have a remake than a sequel, classic music videos, sparkly dresses, playing a baseball bat, giddy with anticipation, such a touchstone for a culture, Janeane Garofalo, that hook from the parking lot, sparkly dresses, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, an impressive sound system, The Brain That Wouldn't Die, watching those kids grow up, robots, the cultural impact of your previous band, that 2 to 3 album arc, Twilight Zone: The Movie, the foreign movie posters take a lot of liberties, explosions, when the math hits you in the face, Deadpool 2, his skinsuit could be hanging up in a basement somewhere right n

Movie Meltdown - Episode 503 This week we're coming to you "live" from Videodrome as we continue with our Atlanta adventures. We visit with the staff of this impressive video store and reminisce about the glory days of video stores as well as what it takes to keep a business like this running today. Plus we discuss this week's movie - Police Story starring Jackie Chan. And while we find out that the cow-print nightmare that was Moovies - was a real thing, we also mention… John Woo, Scandinavian Noir, James Glickenhaus, Video Update, Maggie Cheung, Netflix, the golden age of Blu Ray releases, the foot chase, Wong Kar-Wai, David Cronenberg, doing deals with Enron, John Wick, decapitating Tom Savini, 30,000 movies, it’s a lifestyle, Turtles Records and Tapes, they tell me I'm going crazy all the time, Ringo Lam, Tango and Cash, Buster Keaton, a law from British occupation, Cynthia Rothrock, Atomic Blonde, Yes, Madam, Operation Condor, Suspiria, I'm watching more old movies than ever that I haven't seen since VHS

Movie Meltdown - Episode 502  This week our Atlanta adventures continue as we talk to iZombie’s Rose McIver as well as give a general wrap-up of this year's Dragon Con. And along the way, we try to decide just how much this modern, pop-culture friendly world has affected the lives of the different generations of fans. And while we try to figure out just which one of us is the token weirdo, we also cover… A Christmas Prince, David Bowie, Scoops Ahoy, that's how you relate emotionally to the world, the journey of the relationship, an uncharted road, Dungeons & Dragons brain, straddling the generations, the most surreal thing, speak the same geek language, this gave her purpose, building a sandcrawler, David Lynch, a sweet holiday movie, of the same ilk, the world’s gotten bigger and scarier, the parade, load up the eggnog and get ready for another one guys, Jessica Harmon, being a freak, going into the tickle trunk, celebrating what makes you odd, if Liv ate Tinkerbell's brain, a white lace front wig with a

Movie Meltdown - Episode 501  This week we are coming to you "live" from Atlanta as we are lured into town to cover DragonCon. But as usual we are easily sidetracked and next thing we know - the episode ends up in Piedmont Park. And to add an even stranger twist... what happens when we meet up with a longtime listener of our show? Will one of us turn out to be a weirdo in the park... or will it just end up leading to a lot of geeky movie talk?! Only one way to find out... And as we get sucked into the ether and create a whole new mythology, we also bring up… Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, narrative arc, Peter Hyams, a fiery bus crash, a safe way to process emotions, the ravenous fickle fanbase, you’re soaking in it, and Spock shows up, the feel of 80’s horror, what is cool is like a moment in time, I just want to live in this environment, my shameful most proud moment, Land of the Dead, the seventies mavericks versus the nineties gen-X kids, War of the Worlds, aging directors, raised on these pre-packaged dre

Movie Meltdown - Episode 500 This week we round-out our coverage of Flyover Film Fest as we sit down and talk with director Ani Simon-Kennedy about her life as a filmmaker as well as her latest movie The Short History of the Long Road. And as we decide if we’re going to live off the grid, we also address… Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Times at the El Royale, Straight to Hell, Wes Anderson, one of the directors of the Tribeca Film Festival, Darius Khondji, shifting landscape of how people watch movies, van dwelling, wonderful memories of small theaters and renting movies at the video store, Days of Gray, gigantic corporation with social justice cause with celebrity, my most addictive vice, Mark Friedberg, tonal music, the magician's assistant, the great equalizer, how to manipulate people, Joe Strummer, saved up all my babysitting money, Fantastic Mr. Fox, a punk rock spaghetti western, Midnight in Paris, so many middlemen in the advertising industry, Cynthia Erivo, just the way she was able to think on her feet… was

Movie Meltdown - Episode 499 This week we return to our coverage of Flyover Film Fest as we talk with this week’s special guest - director Ilana Rein.  Listen as we discuss the tragedy that made her want to devote herself to filmmaking as well a healthy love of science fiction, which led to directing the documentary We Are All Cylons. Which of course will lead us talking about the trajectory of humanity and our connection to technology. And finally, we come to her most recent film, Perception - a psychological thriller with a touch of the paranormal.  And while we realize that we are all part of the world's biggest brainwashing experiment, we also mention… Amazing Grace, Booksmart, Andrei Tarkovsky, Neal Stephenson, so many scammers, being consumed by social media, on a level that we could afford, The X-Files, having an A-list star, spearheading a new genre about science fiction and reality, Star Trek, digital humanism, clairvoyant, virtual reality, I'm so glad I had that experience because I still feel like

Movie Meltdown - Episode 498 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This week's exclusive Meltdown Horror Club episode, we will be discussing the recent film The Golem directed by Yoav and Doron Paz. And as we consider dismembering just about everybody, we also cover… The Torah, Mary Shelley, The Dead Don’t Die, Halloween, gory scenes, Ex Machina, dealing with loss, persecution, blood on the pillow, magical surrealism, Solomon Kane, the neighbor lady, the beast, ancient gynecologist, Friday the 13th, reading books and playing violin, Rabbi puppet, maternalish, prayer vs. action, how do you fill the day, old forms of birth control, Jeruzalem, what’s the kid doing in the barn right now, tale as old as time, the plague, puns, fancy Japanese robots, Jim Jarmusch, supernatural, specifically studies depictions of the undead and classic literature, we have to destroy it, sheets on clotheslines, by lantern light, this just made it weird, religion, fast and loose with the rules, Yael Grobglas, the reason the internet is as s

Movie Meltdown -Episode 497  This week we are coming to you "live" from Flyover Film Fest for the opening night showing of Burning Kentucky (winner of best feature film honors at Mammoth Film Festival, Chattanooga Film Festival and Garden State Film Festival and acting awards at Mammoth and the Richmond International Film Festival). Plus we are joined by the writer and director of the film Bethany Brooke Anderson as well as one of the stars of the movie Augie Duke.  And while we finally pin down exactly what is the least glamorous place on the planet, we also bring up… Toy Story 4, Personal Shopper, sometimes we just have to pave the way for ourselves, Kalifornia, life does not stop because you're making a movie, Midsommar, really relatable, crew mutiny and a broken collarbone, resourceful, giving people an opportunity to do a job that no one else would give them to do, nobody was going to save me… besides me, impressive display, a level of taste, simultaneously hilarious and terrifying, there not be a good g

Movie Meltdown - Episode 496 This week we’re coming to you “live” from Harry Dean Stanton Fest - featuring our discussion with director Alex Cox! Listen as we discuss his early movie memories as well as stories of creating Repo Man, Sid and Nancy, Straight to Hell, hosting Moviedrome and the glory days of the L.A. punk scene.   And as we continue searching for the best burrito in America, we also address… Cisco Pike, Mysterio, Echo In The Canyon, Crawl, The Mattei Affair, Samuel L. Jackson, a dinosaur, nuclear war, an 18 year old girl on a beach, savage cowboys, Brian Wilson, the public library, the nature of making a drama, endless explaining what's going on - in Spanish, a Charles Bronson movie, A Strange Enemy, were available in the month of August of that year, I've mastered the one hand capture, they're horrible... they're an appalling pair, streaming services, Donnie Darko, pin-cushioned with arrows, people said the 70’s weren’t good - don’t believe ‘em… the 70’s were the best, sexy Kris Kristofferson,

Attack of the Killer Soundtrack 57  This week we're coming to you ”live” from this year's Forecastle music festival. Join us as we build a soundtrack from the bands playing the event. Plus we are joined by our special guest - singer/songwriter Israel Nash!  And while we are deputized to be on the lookout for unscrupulous teens, we also mention… an Australian accent, the music is everywhere, insect wings, Jennifer Carpenter, in glitter and bikini tops, a desert planet, ducks, put on your sunscreen, Beavis and Butthead, a feeling of happiness when we’re in nature, their background screen, being extra weird, Will Smith, a cop drama, unscrupulous teenagers, the cycle of every five years, whatever it was that was over here has eaten all of these, slacker punks, under a truck, goth Spider-Man, Hailee Steinfeld, not being able to love someone anymore, you get the birds, Sonic the Hedgehog, if you ever wanna feel old, John Cage, wrestling with fourteen-year-olds, Jet Ski, in the privacy of my own home, the Google uni

Movie Meltdown - Episode 495 This week we hit the road to Days of the Dead in Indianapolis - where we talk with Kathleen Turner! That's right... we sit down with the star of Body Heat, Romancing the Stone, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Prizzi's Honor, Jewel of the Nile, The Accidental Tourist, Crimes of Passion, The Man with Two Brains, The War of the Roses, Serial Mom and so many other huge films! Plus we recap a recent massive road trip from which a couple of the cast members have just returned. Featuring lots of movie/celebrity tie-ins!  And as we stay in our circle while we entertain, we also cover… Robert Zemeckis, the little kid from Dune, a witchy-woman, Carnivàle, phone service in the cemetery, Lawrence Kasdan, while I was waiting to be numb, Velveteria, the Sgt Slaughter conspiracy theory, was this a fever dream, Danny DeVito, that long drive from Amarillo to Vegas, Viva Knievel!, Judy Garland, a rock star place, when you’re twenty-two you can do that stuff, Carl Reiner, Ken Russell, when she bashed the w

Movie Meltdown - Episode 494 This week the Super Series returns from "the blip" to discuss the end of the old phase/kick off of Marvel moving forward, as we cover Spider-Man: Far from Home. And as we come to terms with the fact that we are all just living in Grendel’s world, we also bring up… the second installment in comic book movies, string of illusions, Miles Morales, What if… comics, the green mist, Silver Surfer, the new Ben, Keanu Reeves, undercut the emotional connection, The Wizard of Oz, shared universes, Black Widow, Angelina Jolie, J. Jonah Jameson, Disney Plus shows, Fury’s character, The Elementals, Adam Warlock, Doug Jones, rewatchability, Red Sparrow, PS4 Marvel's Spider-Man, Peggy Carter, the new Osborn, we’re all just livin’ in Green Acres shadow, let’s show this awkward thing, human trapped in a dog’s body, Star Wars, The Eternals, Budapest, even dead you’re the hero, she’ll haunt me for the rest of my life, James Bond, sometimes the wrong movies get the money, Happy Hogan, rich with person

Movie Meltdown - Episode 493 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This week the Meltdown Horror Club sits down to discuss Jeremy Saulnier's Green Room - a real-world horror movie starring Anton Yelchin, Patrick Stewart, Alia Shawkat and Imogen Poots. And as we start putting together our own punk band to fight evil, we also address... Blue Ruin, isolation, a theater experience, just in shock, desert island band, forgotten life-changing events, arsenal of weapons, slasher movies, cannot catch a break, been in many a band, vacuuming at seven in the morning, Nazis vs. punks, dealing with disappointment, crazy nightmare, small town, the arm scene, that actually happened, control of the situation, not playing bass, a dark version of a song you already know, it was like this feeling like we were in this haunted space, intense situation, two times too many, dogs, sitting down in a room to talk with strangers, the ticking clock, a panic attack, what they were capable of, respect, that hair cut, drug factory, scarier then a

Movie Meltdown - Episode 492 This week we sit down for an epic discussion with Sam Irvin. Sam is a director, producer, screenwriter - amongst many other jobs in the industry. Including being a published author as well as a two-time Rondo Award winner, for articles in both Scream magazine as well as Little Shoppe of Horrors magazine. He’s worked with everyone from Brian De Palma to Cassandra Peterson and has had run-ins with amazing movie stars going all the way back to his childhood. So settle in and listen to the phenomenal tales of his journey to Hollywood and all the terrific projects he’s put together.   And while we load up on lots of ketchup and plastic fangs, we also mention… programming kiddie matinees, Christopher Lee, Oblivion, William Conrad, a horror film fanzine, Hervé Villechaize, a VIP tour at Warner Brothers Studios, a big chain of movie theaters, Countess Dracula, Roger Moore, House on Haunted Hill, the creature starts to deteriorate, Famous Monsters of Filmland, Carrie, The Pit and the Pendu

Movie Meltdown - Episode 491 This week we continue our coverage from WonderFest as we are joined by our special guest - propmaker Ken Palkow. Now Ken has worked on an amazing list of projects over the years… just to name a few… the last three X-Men films, as well as Dark Phoenix. He has made weapons, gadgets, and props for Skyscraper, Night at the Museum, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Sonic the Hedgehog, Underworld: Awakening, and even the Federation phasers, alien weapons, and medical gadgets for Star Trek into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond. And not only did he work on the first Deadpool movie… Ken also created guns, swords, and most impressively Cable’s rifle for Deadpool 2. And on as far as series, you’ve seen his work on Altered Carbon, Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome, Continuum, Almost Human, Warehouse 13, The Flash, Arrow… and so much more.    And if that weren’t enough for this episode… we are also joined by our semi-annual, reluctant co-host - designer/illustrator Eric Chu.    And while we di

Movie Meltdown: Episode 490 This week we continue our “live” coverage from WonderFest as we talk with artist Daren Dochterman. Early on, Daren worked in the art department on The Abyss - when he was just 20 years old. And since then, he’s worked in the art departments of more than 75 feature film projects including - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Independence Day: Resurgence, Passengers, Star Trek Beyond, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, TRON: Legacy, Iron Man 2, Addams Family Values, Seven, The Grinch, The Chronicles of Riddick, Exorcist III, Freaked and so many others. And as we dust off our moviolas and steenbeck editing tables, we also bring up… Black Mirror, Sesame Street, Star Trek: The Animated Series, James Cameron, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Lee Unkrich, Screaming Mad George, Winona Ryder or Bella Thorne, why I was scared, redressing of locations, Ron Cobb’s designs, Wizard of Oz, he gave me a pad of tracing paper, various signage, leader of the Necromongers, all done by Letraset,

Movie Meltdown: Episode 489 This week we are coming to you “live” from the 30th annual WonderFest! Featuring our special guest - makeup artist Craig Lindberg. For more than 20 years Craig has worked in the industry on a multitude of impressive projects like The Walking Dead, Spider-Man 3, Kong: Skull Island, Boardwalk Empire, Elementary, Gotham, Shutter Island, The Greatest Showman, Power, Limitless, The Founder, The Magnificent Seven, The Deuce, War of the Worlds, The Tick and even on live productions like - Saturday Night Live. And as we realize we actually want to be physically touching the product, we also address… I bought a mummy, snakeskin jacket, monster kid, F. Murray Abraham, juggling, you like all the things, Bert Roth, you'll see more dead animals than you can shake a stick at, that was my first credit card purchase, student films, Pierce's Frankenstein, old people at a rock concert, driving to another state to buy books, cosplaying Joe Dirt, double features, nothing is wasted… unless you decide t

Attack of the Killer Soundtrack 56 This week we hang out with Sarah Shook and the Disarmers to discuss music, movies and along the way build our own awesome soundtrack. And as we realize we all just wanna lay in the back of the van and go on road trips, we also mention… dancing on the beach, very very strict conservative parents, I’m sure it was lyrical content, the movie star, movies warp you in a different way, Gorman Bechard, these little homemade speaker boxes, Werner Herzog, rolling numbers, way out of time, Interpol, no… the movie is terrible - you just fast forward to that part, I like the cover to this, What it Takes: film en douze tableaux, record collections, Frank Zappa, Sarah Shook and the Devil, hippy parents, having your own documentary, homeschooled, singing with your forehead, listen to cassette tapes, Mary Ann, the precursor to raves, the zither, Grizzly Man, Oscar loser, a different kind of Tom Cruise movie, 6x9 Jensens, it’s like trying to pick out chips in the chip aisle, head buried in th

Movie Meltdown - Episode 488 This week we discuss different character’s jobs in movies. Some of them may seem like the ideal job... while others are strange jobs that only seem to exist in the alternate universe of that particular film. Listen as we cover some of our favorites as well as ones that just seem weird.   And as we realize that we have gravitas out the wazoo, we also cover… de facto video stores, Werner Herzog, on roller skates, a whiteout blizzard, we were a parade route for lunatics, it was like this little nerd as monster, Griffin O'Neal, that's the only pedagogical, Errol Morris, fish in a bucket, mirrors booths and mics in the ceiling, it’s an ugly secret, how physically debilitating the role is with very little payoff, Damien Chazelle, they said he had a lizardy quality, annoyingly bureaucratic, processing photos, Sidney Poitier, documentaries, the nurse technician, he goes to little towns and solves their mysteries, putting a sofa in your video store, so many of my life decisions have been p