Movie Meltdown

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

Movie Meltdown - Episode 487 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This week the horror club meets to discuss Await Further Instructions. This 2018 movie is directed by none other than… Johnny Kevorkian. And it starts off seemingly as an awkward holiday family gathering - but quickly turns into a high-concept horror scenario that crosses over into everything from xenophobia, black goo, national pride, television devotion, religion and biomechanical invaders. And while we realize we all just want a turkey pizza, we also bring up… The Curse of La Llorona, Detective Pikachu, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Universal Monsters, The Midnight Hour, Legacies, an exercise in the concept, you watched a lot of Cronenberg, empathy, sleeveless shirts, The Twilight Zone, breathing and pulsating, Compliance, the vaccine, politics on Twitter, death machines all around, dated references, Harry Potter, toxic masculinity, the Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures, this is a metaphor that 60 years too late, follow the lead

Movie Meltdown - Episode 486 This week we kick off a new running series where we focus on sci-fi movies. Listen as discuss the 1960 Italian feature Atom Age Vampire. The poster is awesome, the trailer is amazing... but does the movie itself hold up as a science fiction classic? And while we realize we’re still just geeks digging through our uncle’s video closet, we also address… FunFlicks, The Orville, Larry Cohen, Veronica Lake, dressed up in a trench coat like she's a spy, Ursula K. Le Guin, she’s clearly wildly in love with this wooden man, I do really like mad scientists, I am always kind of defined by my worst joke, Lethal Weapon, relationship bonding, back when we kept our geekdom in the basement, humor is valuable partly because it allows us to say the things we can't say, suffering against suffering, Rod Serling, there’s a great progressive shot of her face, Star Trek: Discovery, the Los Alamos Isotopes, it's unleashed a primordial malevolence, I’m freaking right the hell out, Hiroshima bottles, your

Movie Meltdown - Episode 485 This week the Super Series wraps up a huge chapter in the Marvel cinematic universe. Join us as we try to talk through coming down off the Endgame high as well as what all of this has meant to us over the course of these last 22 movies. And while we realize we’re bringing in our own real-world anxieties, we also cover… satisfying bows, the reluctant hero, you’ve been tricked through movies, doesn’t interact much with people, you took that to the face, like a literature review, otherly anxiety, the ancient one, just how Thanos intended, pitchforks and torches, huge for a long time, it’s not just a story… it becomes more, super serum, Back to the Future 2, science and mystic having this argument, I feel like the whole world’s on the same page now, band-aids all over the universe, real-world emotional reactions and experiences that you might not have had otherwise, staying a stone, you deal with sorrow through anger, they carry so much weight with them now, a paragraph of dollar sign

Movie Meltdown - Episode 484 This week we welcome artist Winona Nelson. Winona studied classical realism and art for the entertainment industry at the Safehouse Atelier in San Francisco, then worked as a concept artist at Flagship Studios and Planet Moon Studios. She now works as a freelance in illustration, concept art, comics and fine art. Her work has been seen in gallery exhibitions in Connecticut, Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York City. As usual, the Meltdown perspective looks at how our guest was inspired and influenced by film and other media. And what we learn is Winona didn't begin the way most of our movie geek guests... her path starts a little differently... but of course still leads to crossovers into movie fandom - and eventually her own terrific art. Then Winona sits-in for this week's Sofa Theater discussion of Interview with the Vampire. The book was instrumental in her youth, so what does she think of the often maligned movie? And as we realize sometimes playing with magnets -

Movie Meltdown - Episode 483 This week we discuss sci-fi storytelling from it's early appearances and ideals to it's grander, overarching themes. And as we realize the life we are living is a cautionary tale, we also address… Sputnik, Rod Serling, Black Mirror, blast proof doors, there's always a dystopian element, THX 1138, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Fifth Element, find a way to do this fake version of what I’m so obsessed with, Fellini in outer space, Star Trek, George Clinton, Project Blue Book, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Night Stalker, that's what they were fighting against... the negative elements of space society, raised on movies and television, Metropolis, A Cure for Wellness, Shakespeare, that is the nature of the beast, Logan's Run, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, mini movies or broken up gigantic movies, we're rewriting our genetic code, getting into the mind of a Morlock, Kurt Russell, The Day the Earth Still Still, mocha-flavored people, Metallica Through the Never, Robert Zemeckis, it’s a li

Movie Meltdown - Episode 482  This week we talk with Dick Starr, an artist whose work has been featured in numerous galleries, horror and tattoo magazines, books, album covers and comics around the world. But if you look at Dick’s work, it’s very obvious that he’s a fan of movies… specifically horror. So listen as we discuss trying to make a name for yourself in the ever-changing art scene, watching gory horror movies from a very young age and - jerky. Which if you don’t know Dick, might seem like an odd tangent. But as it turns out… it ties very nicely into all the other aspects of his life. And as we reminisce about when going into a video store wasn’t for novelty purposes, we also mention… They Live, waiting to get your pictures back, Mad Magazine, Stan Lee, the frontman of the band, Halloween, the Green Goblin face, and I remember my mom not being too thrilled, that is where it got to be just too much of a risk, horror mashup art, Wes Borland, WolfCop, digital blood, Antonio Pantoja, people just end up gi

Movie Meltdown - Episode 481 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This week the Bastion Chapter of the Horror Club meets to watch a lesser-known werewolf movie. But little do they know that they’ve been duped by the old Wolf Girl bait and switch. Instead they are exposed to Tim Curry, sideshow performers, little people stripping, Grace Jones, a work-at-home scientist, Iceman and some disturbing nether regions. And as we realize there is no method to this madness, we also cover… Ash vs Evil Dead, Santa Clarita Diet, LEGOS, The Rookie, Gary Daniels, I have half of He-Man, creepy lurking in the woods, appetite for terror, Bruce Dickinson with black hair, Monster Fighters, it looks like a deformed thumb, Bob Fosse, fighting deadites, the dog was knocking on the door, Lucy Lawless, and they all come with one extra hand, they had me at werewolf, Shawn Ashmore, Magic Mike, eating flesh, the sadness of his masculinity, this movie was definitely worth a dollar, growing a dog, geeky Ozzy Osbourne, building a haunted castle,

Movie Meltdown - Episode 480 This week some previously absent members of the gang are reunited to go on adventures at The Lexington Comic & Toy Convention! So listen as we discuss seeing celebrities, buying cool stuff and just what is the right criteria for being a supervillain. And as we obviously prove that we are not infected by a smart amoeba, we also bring up… Val Kilmer, Stan against Evil, the entire Scream movie franchise, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Fightworld, The Umbrella Academy, Adam Copeland, hardcore Doctor Who fans, the surf channel on Pluto, Robert Sheehan, haphazardly slapped together, Bring ‘em Back Alive and Tales of the Gold Monkey, Jon Cryer, Elijah Wood, wants to become some kind of tree spirit, I was training him to be a tough little squirrel, Belle and the burrito, Neve Campbell, there was literally flailing, Jan-Michael Vincent, hoodie Spider-Man, Forged in Fire, Douglas Adams, everything that happens will get me to where I need to go, dude put on your big-boy britche