Movie Meltdown

Movie Meltdown - Episode 357 This week Bryan is joined by... well Bryan. Bryan Johnson that is. You may know him as a comic book writer, or a podcaster, or a character on Comic Book Men or maybe just as Steve-Dave. But this week we sit down to talk with Bryan about the strange way he got involved in movies, how he ended up writing and directing his own movie Vulgar, his interest in cryptids and the paranormal and eventually we round things out with his pick for this week's Sofa Theater feature - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Plus we hear Bryan's take on real world serial killers as well as his interactions with Michael Rooker over the years as well. And as we both realize we're "special" in our own way, we also mention... people would clam, Jeff Anderson, Session 9, John McNaughton, Brown's Requiem, being a contractor, the best reason to take Criminal Justice classes ever, playing silent foosball, Blue Velvet, still having a code, being a PA, Creepypasta, the room of steel, adding video technology to t

Movie Meltdown - Episode 356 This week we return to our coverage of WonderFest for a terrific interview with Kirk Thatcher. He's done so many impressive things in his career that we can't even begin to cover everything. But we certainly address a lot of interesting points in his life - whether it's almost playing the rancor monster in Return of the Jedi, or working on music videos with a very young David Fincher. From being personal assistant to Leonard Nimoy to being the punk rocker who gets shut down by Spock in Star Trek IV. Kirk has lived a fascinating life, and we get to share in some of those amazing stories. And while we try to determine precisely how many megatons, we also mention... the squid from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the Klingon dog, a Chevy engine and a Sarlacc tentacle, Rick Springfield, The VVitch, dating J. Paul Getty, Dick Smith and Rick Baker, every creature guy knows Methocel, Paradox, Chekov's earbug, Milla Jovovich, movies have become the circus again, itty bitty freakshow goats,

Movie Meltdown - Episode 355 This week we welcome two guest co-hosts, as the stars of Night of the Comet reunite to put together this special episode. Join us as we sit down with Kelli Maroney and Catherine Mary Stewart and discuss not only their classic movie, but also what it's been like to be adopted sisters all these years. Then we settle in for this week's Sofa Theater feature, the 1940 George Cukor film The Philadelphia Story. So come on all you teenage comet zombies, and listen as we mention... a dog with a fez, a time of great affluence and fun, Howard Hughes, scaled down riches, I still believe in the glamour of the business, a lyrical very beautiful take on a sci fi experience, grabbed her by the face, Rage for Fame: The Ascent of Clare Boothe Luce, so much class in our business, that failure niche, those eyelashes cracked me up, it was devastating that I couldn't - like, nobody cared, nobody cared that my life had changed forever, at least have an expression on your face, the greatest thing in the

Movie Meltdown - Episode 354 This week we welcome our special guest co-host Jackie Kashian to talk about comedy, her podcast The Dork Forest as well as this week's movie Holiday. This 1938 film directed by George Cukor may seem like just another classic era, romantic comedy. But as Jackie reveals, if you look a little deeper - you discover a commentary about money, freedom, politics, the family dynamic and accumulating wealth. As well as some great writing and unconventional performances. And while we touch on all the dorkisms from genre books to larping, we also discuss... start-up magoo, the American dream, The Heat, the flower of British manhood, Chinatown, Dennis Quaid, Shelob, I'm pretty sure this is not going to fill the hole in my heart, Midnight Run, Frank Capra, I was unfamiliar with your vaudeville training, Gail Carriger, Jake Gyllenhaal vs. Ryan Gosling, the jackass cousin couple, Paul Feig, role-playing zombies, You Can't Take It With You, The Devil Wears Prada, enormously radical, Flashman, Fear

Movie Meltdown - Episode 353 This week we are coming to you "live" from WonderFest where we sit down with director William Malone to discuss his movies Scared to Death, Parasomnia, House on Haunted Hill as well as the notorious Creature! Plus his work on Tales from the Crypt, Freddy's Nightmares and Masters of Horror. And we hear out about growing up as a monster kid, making masks and finding a way to use all that to get into filmmaking. We also talk about his obsession with Robby the Robot, creating the original Michael Myers mask and working on the H. R. Giger project that never happened. And as we both decide the world is much better off without Klaus Kinski, we also mention... Hemlock Grove, Famous Monsters, Nautilus, Pickman's Model, the Pee Wee Herman bike, an eight ball going up his shirt coming out the neck hole, the sad life of David Spade, Dominique Swain, rebooting It, Vincent Price, give me clay, making foam rubber mask, Dick Smith, moulage, phone books, Bud Westmore, it was a week of hell, Willi

Movie Meltdown - Episode 352 This week we are coming to you "live" from WonderFest as we are joined by our adopted cast member Eric Chu (conceptual designer for SyFy's retooling of Battlestar Galactica), to discuss the different approaches to building a sci fi universe. From Battlestar to Star Trek to Star Wars... just what are the differences in each of the universes? And how do the creators and the fans connect and interact with their own unique world? Plus a bonus segment on how to be a good geek father and we round things out with a wrap-up that involves Star Trek, Gilmore Girls, Beauty and the Beast and Laverne & Shirley. It kind of has to be heard to be believed. And as we order off the dim sum cart, we also discuss... loving ghosts, robots and monsters, The Manchurian Candidate, metal ribbed vases, the guy in the Daggit suit, Shields and Yarnell, Asteroids, "experienced" women, like Charlie McCarthy or Jim Henson, it engages their imagination, if you make it too perfect for them... they don't need

Movie Meltdown - Episode 351 This week we sit down to discuss our thoughts about the new movie X-Men: Apocalypse. How it ranks in this current trilogy, how it compares to the old trilogy, and just what this means for future X-Men movies. And as we're panning for movie gold, we also discuss... Kid Flash and Jesse Quick, Bryan Singer, Tom Hiddleston, the bellhop from Four Rooms, the origin of all religion, posing, Supergirl, Jennifer Lawrence, I had checked out, Spider-Man, let's think long term, the morning light, flat scenes, Olivia Munn, fancy bow and arrow shots, X-Men: Days of Future Past - The Rogue Cut, the first one, Nicholas Hoult, bird wings, comics are being ballsy, The Pell Grant of acting, James McAvoy, even more destructive is the little red head in the dorm upstairs, Michael Fassbender, Dark Phoenix, people might financially care, my favorite 90's clique of X-Men, CG effects, Rose Byrne, instead of one... you had a dozen, they just stand on that mountain for like forty-five minutes, extra dopey,

Movie Meltdown - Episode 350 This week we are joined by comedians Kyle Kinane and Joyelle Johnson to discuss movies, comedy and growing up with California envy. And while we realize that we just argue with the internet, we also discuss... freak show television, every idea has been done, Stripes, Big Trouble in Little China, Gone with the Wind, Rad, Lucas, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Signs, George Lucas, his beautiful black wife and his billions of dollars, ghosts and goblins... I love it, knocking snow off the rocker panel, VVitch, not a real fan of anything, True Crime, Easy Rider, California Games, the most lackadaisical slave owner, like a toddler, The Sixth Sense, ... also arms and legs, all the John Hughes movies, 1880's southern dickhead, through the tornado states, nubs on their face, customer service by the beach, all observational comedy has been done, Luke Skywalker... baby, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Summer School, I'm fascinated with the capabilities of human beings... whether positive or negative, R

Movie Meltdown - Episode 349 This week we sit down with Mary Ann herself - Dawn Wells! That's right, we talk with everyone's favorite castaway as we learn more about not only her years on the island but also her early days getting into the business, being a contestant in the Miss America pageant, being cast in some interesting movie roles along the way as well as her new book "What Would Mary Ann Do?... a Guide to Life". And as we ask ourselves 'why do I analyze the way I analyze life', we also talk about... Daredevil, American Horror Story, #Horror, the Professor's tennis shoes, smooth as broken glass, his swords don't even match, I bought like 43 comic books today, and cornsteak was invented, Ant-Man, the knockers from Labyrinth, don't even get me started - Clancy Brown, hey whoa guys... there's something going on, carrying swords wearing Khakis and white tennis shoes, I like corn, it's just you're driving a truck or a Studebaker, not just subtle but smooth, it's a lesson... to the world, were bringing thei

Movie Meltdown - Episode 348 This week we prepare for Civil War! Or at least a lengthy discussion of the movie Captain America: Civil War, as well as how it fits into the Marvel universe, how it compares to "Batman v Superman" and what this means for super hero movies in the future. And as we try to decide if we are the geeks of yesteryear, we also delve into... Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vulture, Watson/Bilbo, his make-up looks gorgeous, the battle for New York, The Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos, it's so shiny and wet looking, old best friend versus new best friend, Spidey sense, Black Widow, Paul Rudd or Bradley Cooper, hot Aunt May, Jennifer Lawrence, he's got the arm... he's gotta use the arm, figuring out what to get Mary Jane for her birthday, leaving marks on the shield, Agent Hand, The Thunderbolts, a nice big chunky marshmallow, Gwen Stacy v Mary Jane, Forrest Gump, Chadwick Boseman, The Kree, Back to School, The Mandarin, nomad Steve Rogers, War Machine, these are real bonds of friendship

Movie Meltdown - Episode 347 This week we'll be talking with our very special guest... writer/director Mick Garris. He's had quite an interesting run in Hollywood, and we get his take on how it all came together... and his thoughts on what are some pretty fascinating experiences. And as we realize there was no light at the end of the tunnel, we also discuss... Son of Kong, Richard Matheson, Steven Spielberg, a 460 page script shows up on your doorstep, identifying with the monster more then the hero, Tower Records, Green Room, Ray Bradbury, a good book can make for a bad movie, Fangoria, it's gotta be good drama first before it's good horror, that's the thing about writing... it costs you nothing but time, The Invitation, a voracious reader, Stephen King, you either have the fire or you don't, Critters 2, Cinémafantastique, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hollywood horror, I knew it wasn't real, but it was like fascinating, it was my introduction to something other then the mundane, fiction as a release, the line b

Movie Meltdown - Episode 346 This week we are joined by our special guest co-host comedian Jessimae Peluso, as we crash a wedding, look things up on Google and talk movies. And eventually we round things out by discussing this week's Sofa Theater feature: Hush. The 2016 movie about a deaf author alone in the woods being hunted by a deranged masked killer. And as we think of six new domains to claim just during this episode, we also mention... a study on working out, Oculus, living on a shoestring budget, horror Kick-Ass, The Innkeepers, a dyslexic moment, John Carpenter's The Thing, being predatory, Brainscan, Gerald's Game, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor movies, Carrie, The Last House on the Left, sucks to be you Room 128, Milla Jovovich, cinematic compositions, nerd gym shoes, did you get frustrated, Marlee Matlin, a jacked-up methhead pony tail with half my face looking like I just got punched, genius dogs, A Clockwork Orange, I do do, Syracuse, #Methamphetamines, the damsels in distress, The Host, Bloodsu

Movie Meltdown - Episode 345 This week we recap some recent viewings, before we discuss the Kubrick-inspired, scheming action comedy - Moonwalkers starring Ron Perlman and Rupert Grint. And while we decide just where we fall on the spectrum of the conspiracy, we also mention... Eye in the Sky, Zootopia, Creed, falling asleep to Forensic Files, Knight of Cups, Scandal, a natural physicality, Jessica Chastain, Robert Plant mixed with Kylo Ren, flying jellyfish, evil memory foam, Cronos, Better Call Saul, drug use applied to PTSD, mismatched libidos, you can't get momentum 'cause there's no springs, Interstellar, I never tire of watching Ron Perlman beat the hell out of people, not becoming romantically involved, Aaron Paul get teary-eyed, the special girls who love Beauty and the Beast, Fargo, a lot of coke, City of Lost Children, blowing people's heads off... but my nachos were great. Spoiler Alert: Full spoilers for the 2015 film Moonwalkers, so you better watch it before you listen. Oh yeah, and there's a ra

Movie Meltdown - Episode 344 This week we are joined by our special guest co-host Jenna Busch to discuss Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. You'll know Jenna from her amazing list of geek-oriented accomplishments. She is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Legion of Leia and has hosted and written for sites like Nerdist, ComingSoon.net, IGN, AOL, Huffington Post and more. She co-hosted Cocktails With Stan with the legendary Stan Lee and has appeared on Attack of the Show, Fresh Ink, Tabletop with Wil Wheaton, in the documentary She Makes Comics, on NPR and Al Jazeera America, and has covered film/TV/gaming/comics for years. And this episode we talk about her experience in the "geek scene" overall as well as sinking our teeth into Zack Snyder's latest superhero entry. And while we nostalgically reminisce about our first death threats, we also discuss... Gamergate, collateral damage, Euclidean geometry, having a little fun with Jimmy Olsen, Sucker Punch, Hawkgirl, I love comics, Gal Gadot fighting a Balrog, The

Movie Meltdown - Episode 343 This week we hang out at the bastion, discuss some things we've seen lately and then we take it upon ourselves to sit down to watch Avalanche Sharks. Thankfully we stumble upon an amazing "second screen experience" that almost makes the whole movie worthwhile. And as we fall down a rabbit hole full of titles of "other" movies, we also discuss... Negasonic Teenage Warhead, American Horror Story, the Mystic Seer devil, He Never Died, Emma Roberts, Clancy Brown, Daredevil, he likes him some Famke Janssen, Attack of the Killer Doughnuts, Deadpool, Leonardo DiCaprio v Lady Gaga, Shakespeare with no tentacles... no rocket ships, I'm a button masher... through and through, in a Robitussin coma, Eric from True Blood's brother, also known as... stupid, I'm pretty sure I could fit one hand around her throat, I'm gonna keep hammering at this until someone makes me a useful superhero, hey... you wanna be in a movie?, having a subscription to Solider of Fortune magazine, dino ice demon ghost

Attack of the Killer Soundtrack - Episode 37 It's an 80's movie dance party - co-hosted by TIFFANY!! That's right... The Meltdown Gang hangs out at the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention - with none other then 80's international pop sensation Tiffany!! So join us as we discuss some of our favorites costumes from the day as well as build our own 80's soundtrack of songs from movies, and of course Tiffany joins in and picks a few of her favorite songs as well. And we couldn't talk with Tiffany and not ask her about her crossing over into acting - in particular, her lead role in Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. More specifically, just how real was that fight with Debbie Gibson?! And listen as we try explaining to Lucy what the Power Rangers were/are... even though we think she was in fact ON the show!And as we try to decide if there are actually recent MySpace stories, we also mention... denim jackets in Indonesia, the A.D. had to place the extras, who would have know it would have worked out, the titular song, touring

Attack of the Killer Soundtrack - Episode 36 This week we sit down with singer, songwriter, composer, arranger, producer, experimental artist and all-around musical prodigy - Emily Wells. In addition to her extensive collection of solo work over the years, you may also know Emily from her contributions to the "Stoker" soundtrack. So we talk with her about working with director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) as well as collaborating with the film's composer Clint Mansell. And as we continue to be foolish and daring, we also discuss... Vivaldi, Johnny Carson, 80's pop culture, The Criterion Collection, inhabiting the character, Richard Brautigan, pretty sheltered, a very clear idea of what he wants, a Suzuki program, India Stoker, think in landscape, Bach, a nerdy kid, Jay Z, in a way... it was a gift, a total wonderful kook, he carves the space out for you and you get to fill it for yourself, it struck some sort of a chord in me, Bushwick, Tarantino, all that teenage stuff, Chopin, express an idea that is a song, Mi

Movie Meltdown - Episode 342 This week we welcome our special guest co-hosts comedians Laura Sanders and Michael Meyers as we discuss the new movie - 10 Cloverfield Lane. And as we discuss the time-honored tradition of having lemons thrown at you, we also mention... Gravity, a world of survivalists, JJ Abrams, I don't like ointment, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, I've never seen so much hate in someone's eyes... directed at me, Satan in the elevator, you're bein' mean, either way you're dead, the anxiety never ends, oh man... Fred needs us, Justin Long, some dinosaurs no aliens, John McClane, puzzles and teen magazines, defensive positions when watching scary movies, Dan Trachtenberg, bitches love ice cream, I started to use some choice words towards her, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Room, he reaches out his little tentacle, I work better under pressure, murder guy... a pool of acid... a giant explosion, Death Proof, John Goodman, she needs to love the alien for himself, that dead girl's T-Shirt, she's a MacGyver, a

Attack of the Killer Soundtrack - Episode 35 This week we welcome our special guest co-host J. Mitchell to discuss some of his favorite songs from different soundtracks over the years as well as the process of putting together the latest album "Lonesome No More" with his band Nellie Pearl. Plus as we decide just which members of the band are from Planet Zuton, we also mention... Kickstarter, canoeing down the Colorado River, The Huffington Post, an old historic theater, getting into the The B-52s, I'm done... my life's work is complete, Plenty of Fish, Barry Gibb's internet feed, pizza by the slice, a Gibson firebird, The Last Waltz, the gourd-banjo pickin' rooster, we're not really even friends man, that album came with 3-D glasses, they are of the same species, mushroom tea and Alice in Wonderland, she hurt my feelings, a flatscreen, the whole band is a bunch of weirdos, Sean Penn, drank an entire bottle of wine onstage, people that were upset with me, Evan Rachel Wood, walked back up the Pacific coast, a

Movie Meltdown - Episode 341 It's time for the 8th annual Oscar Meltdown! This week, we announce the winners of "The Foilers" while in the midst of our usual Oscar shenanigans. And while we eat our weight in bacon, we also discuss... Oscar wardrobe, the ability to have symbolic thought, Disney lawyers, watching Chopped, a Tiger Beat villain, Junkie XL, I'm so sad by how much drugs and sex I have, Netflix and Adam Sandler, very third grade, Adam Driver, he looked like the meat, pinkeye, downloading a series into your brain, Le Matos, Johnny Depp IS a questionable decision, I feel like the fat has solidified in my gastrointestinal tract, Silver Surfer is bad-ass, give her a few years of press junkets, Happy Feet, bargain basement tights, oral sex and murder, druids... cool, The Walk, Terminator Genisys, The Hours, Kingsman, Rose Byrne, suck him into that hole, The Hulk, I sing that song to myself, how is more icing a bad thing?, white dog hair, Katy Perry, Han Solo, ctrl alt Depp, complete CG overkill, finding