Supporting Characters

James Laczkowski James Laczkowski

Episode 9: Kier-La Janisse

Bill speaks to writer/film programmer Kier-La Janisse about her many contributions to film culture, from her Cannibal Culture fanzine and Cinemuerte film festival to co-founding venues like the Blue Sunshine Psychotronic Film Centre, schools like The Miskatonic Institute Of Horror Studies and her small-press publishing company with fellow writer Paul Corupe, Spectacular Optical Publications. We talk about the origins of her books A VIOLENT PROFESSIONAL - THE FILMS OF LUCIANO ROSSI and the acclaimed HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN, and her experiences in documentary film, whether as a co-producer, an interviewee or as the subject. Other topics covered include movie parties, bootleg collecting, the peculiar boasts of Rico Boido, programming for the Alamo Drafthouse, objectifying Richard Stanley (and subsequently apologizing for it), “elevated horror”, the Bloodshots 48-hour horror movie challenge, the economic realities of a life in film culture and details about some of her upcoming projects. It’s likely the time you’ll hear the names Manny Farber, Jorg Buttgereit AND David Cassidy mentioned within the same conversation.

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James Laczkowski James Laczkowski

Episode 8: Mike White

Bill speaks to writer/podcaster Mike White about his various projects and pursuits in the world of film culture, from WHO DO YOU THINK YOU’RE FOOLING? and Super Happy Fun to Cashiers du Cinemart and The Projection Booth. They also discuss film festivals, bootleg culture of the early 2000s, adult films, Bruce Campbell, underappreciated filmmakers, Mike’s documentary appearances, unhelpful publicists, Greydon Clark, film theory, pranking the IMDB and much more.

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James Laczkowski James Laczkowski

Episode 7: Daniel Griffith

Bill talks to documentary filmmaker Daniel Griffith of Ballyhoo Motion Pictures. Griffith explains how his independently-made documentary on film producer K. Gordon Murray opened the door to an ongoing career producing DVD/Blu-Ray supplements (for companies like Synapse Films, VCI Entertainment and Shout Factory) and documentary features on subjects like John Carpenter’s DARK STAR, Florida filmmaker William Grefe, Charles Band’s Empire International Pictures, and teenagers making Super 8 genre movies in the 1970s. 

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James Laczkowski James Laczkowski

Episode 6: Eric Bresler

Bill talks to film programmer and PhilaMOCA curator Eric Bresler. They have a conversation about his wide variety of projects, including his Video Pirates found-footage comedy shorts, the documentary OTAKU UNITE!, the Cinedelphia Film Festival and his work at PhilaMOCA. Other topics discussed include Philadelphia film culture and exhibition, tape trading, Eric’s admiration for the band Sparks, TLA Video, Pia Zadora, Eraserhood Forever (including this year’s headliner), visits from both South Philly gangsters and David Lynch to PhilaMOCA, Brian Schmidt’s, THE INCREDIBLE ADVENTURE OF JOJO (AND HIS ANNOYING LITTLE SISTER), and the especially shady casting process for an independent film.

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James Laczkowski James Laczkowski

Episode 5: J.A. Kerswell

Bill welcomes author J.A. Kerswell onto the show. Kerswell’s love for slasher movies inspired him to create the first website devoted to them (Hysteria Lives!), write a book (Teenage Wasteland, aka The Slasher Movie Book), co-host a podcast (The Hysteria Continues), and appear on the bonus features of numerous DVD/Blu-Ray releases for labels like Vinegar Syndrome, Arrow Films and 88 Films.  In addition to discussing these endeavors in detail, other topics include growing up in the era of Video Nasties, arthouse/horror hybrids, responding to criticisms, nostalgia among horror fans, and how to prevent one’s passion projects from devolving into drudgery.

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James Laczkowski James Laczkowski

Episode 4: Travis Crawford

Bill speaks to writer/film programmer Travis Crawford about his writing career, underground genre film and music publications, glossier magazines like Fangoria and Film Comment, books like 1001 Films To See Before You Die, and websites like The Calvert Journal. They also discuss Crawford’s popular Danger After Dark festival series, his work with Artsploitation Films, Danny Peary’s Cult Movies, Dario Argento, the depressing state of foreign film distribution, his ill-advised visit to Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum with an iconic horror film director, and more.

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James Laczkowski James Laczkowski

Episode 3: Heather Drain

Bill speaks with Heather Drain about her path as a writer from childhood capsule reviews of B-movies in crayon to writing professionally for people like Video Watchdog and Dangerous Minds, the influence of Baxter Phillips' book Cut: The Unseen Cinema, the work of filmmaker Stephen Sayadian, her involvement with The Projection Booth podcast, David Schmoeller's CRAWLSPACE, peers she admires, early music videos, adult cinema, Lester Bangs, and details about a few of the upcoming projects she has in the works

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James Laczkowski James Laczkowski

Episode 2: Samm Deighan

Bill speaks with writer Samm Deighan about an adolescence informed by Eurocult bootleg tapes, Exhumed Films marathons, James O'Neill's Terror On Tape and THE LAST UNICORN. They discuss the extensive filmmaker/genre overviews of her Satanic Pandemonium site, the origins of her new Daughters Of Darkness podcast and upcoming book on World War II cult cinema, her René Cardona Jr.-inspired death wish, Arrow Films, fellow genre film writers that she admires, the state of horror film culture today and much more!

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James Laczkowski James Laczkowski

Episode 1: Daniel Bird

Bill speaks with writer and film scholar Daniel Bird about Andrzej Zulawski, ‘Eyeball’ magazine, the influence of Pete Tombs, THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, HARD TO BE A GOD, and the future of film.

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