Make Your Own Damn Podcast

"The first stage is hallucinatory. The second stage is glandular. The third stage is .... AHHHHH." Body Melt is one of Australia's most bizarre genre films of the 1990s, perhaps ever. What do you get when you cross David Cronenberg, Troma, and the books of Edward Lee? Whatever you're picturing right now looks a lot like Body Melt.

How have we done this show about DIY filmmaking and independent horror movies without doing an episode on a George A. Romero movie? No idea. We bring in Pennsylvania writer/director Mike Lombardo to get to the bottom of it, as we discuss the lesser seen vampire film MARTN. 

2023 is officially history. Hear Jeff Burk and Lucas Mangum spit on its grave.

Jeff Burk and Lucas Mangum discuss the underrated 2008 horror movie THE CHILDREN. Have you seen this? What did you think?

Quite possibly the most problematic film ever made, Goodbye Uncle Tom is nonetheless a part of outsider filmmaking history and demands discussion. We took care to handle this discussion as responsibly as we could, given the content of the film and its troubled production.

In the late 1980s, filmmaker Dean Alioto took to the woods of Connecticut with a troop of improv actors and his camera to shoot a microbudget SF horror movie. A pioneering work utilizing the found footage technique, UFO Abduction turned out to be a lot more than that. The film has circulated heavily in UFO circles as evidence of extraterrestrial activity, even after the Alioto himself acknowledged...

Killer Klowns from Outer Space is over 35 years old and holds up brilliantly. Often named as a movie that's "so bad, it's good," we strongly disagree; this movie is smarter than a lot of people give it credit for. Great practical FX, a wicked sense of humor, and underlying social statements abound in this cult classic.

With one foot in Strangeville and one foot in Tromaville, we take a look at the 2009 feature from cult author/filmmaker/comic creator Kevin Strange. Together, we attempt to piece together the connections between it and Strange's other work and ogle some seriously impressive practical effects. Like what we do here? Want us to do more of it? Consider becoming a patron .

On today's episode, Jeff and Lucas discuss SLEEPAWAY CAMP II: UNHAPPY CAMPERS. Jeff is unhappy that Lucas made him watch it. Lucas is unhappy that Jeff doesn't like slasher movies. Plus, connectivity issues, the evolution of the slasher film, and 90s crime thrillers. 

This week, Jeff and Lucas discuss 2019's DEATH OF A VLOGGER. What's this hidden gem all about? Like a lot of underrated films, it's both of and ahead of its time. Our hosts dig into the nitty gritty details of this found footage creepshow. 

Jeff watched THE BEAR and rewatched all the SAW movies. Lucas watched PSYCHED BY THE 4D WITCH and DR. STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. They're both probably done with the MCU for the time being, but they're here for a Hasbro cinematic universe, only if it involves Ouija boards and Furby. Head to our Patreon for early access to weekly episodes: Patreon

Jeff and Lucas recap the shenanigans of Killer Con Weekend! Big shoutout to the new wave of extreme horror and splatterpunk.               

During the pandemic, Benson and Moorehead made perhaps the best movie about the pandemic without directly talking about it. Cosmic horror, relatable characters, and tragedy abound in this low-budget nightmare.

Sharks have been a staple of cinema since  Jaws frightened a generation of swimmers way back in the summer of 1975, but few know just the extent of their involvement like author, poet, and marine biologist Susan Snyder. Jeff Burk and Lucas Mangum brought her on the show to discuss the depth and breadth of this subgenre and why it matters. 

Mad God is a nightmare captured on celluloid. From the mind of special FX artist Phil Tippet, the film follows an unnamed "assassin" as they descend into hell and encounter all sorts of hideous monstrosities. A passion project in every sense, Mad God is the ideal entry point for genre fans curious about true arthouse cinema.

Troma movies are objectively not for children, but that didn't stop a children's cartoon based on The Toxic Avenger from airing in the early 1990s. Essentially, a series of 30-minute toy commercials, the show was part of a wave of R-rated franchises rebranding themselves to sell toys to kids. The result is... not great. We dove into the movie version, which is a handful of episodes mashed together...

In 2010, first-time director Srđan Spasojević unleashed his debut feature onto the world.  A Serbian Film has been accused of going too far and has even inspired some to call for the filmmaker's arrest, but just how extreme is it? And more importantly, is it any good? Jeff and Lucas give you the lowdown on this notorious slice of extreme DIY cinema.

Acclaimed author Judith Sonnet joins us to discuss movies that feel like Richard Laymon novels.               

Color Me Blood Red is the third film in cult director H.G. Lewis' "Blood Trilogy," which began with Blood Feast and continued with 2,000 Maniacs. How does it measure up to the others in the series? In Lewis' oeuvre, overall?  Jeff and Lucas examine this well-loved cult classic. We all know blood doesn't look like it does in these movies, and guess what? So did Lewis! It's an aesthetic. How much wa...

To horror fans who think "they don't make em like they used to," we point to the DIY, shot-on-digital gore flick Septic. Made over the course of five years and featuring some truly impressive special effects, Septic is 82 minutes of gratuitous violence and nasty sex. Because she pointed this flick out to us, we had splatterpunk and extreme horror author Judith Sonnet jump on board to discuss this...

The Scary of Sixty-First: Lucas loves it, but Jeff has some strong opinions about its writer/director Dasha Nekrasova. The 92nd episode of Make Your Own Damn Podcast discusses separating art from the artist, Rosemary's Baby and Repulsion, Eyes Wide Shut, anime girls, conspiracies, and the current push to make the Republican Party appeal to young voters. Weirdly enough, all of that is relevant to t...

After Terror Firmer, it seems Lloyd and company aimed to up the ante in the offensive content department with  Citizen Toxie . If so, this begs the question: did they succeed? And is there a point? We wrestle with this in our latest episode.

In Stuart Gordon's catalog of H.P. Lovecraft adaptations,  Castle Freak  doesn't get the love and attention that others (most notably  Re-Animator ,  From Beyond ) do. Does that mean it isn't any good? Join us as they explore this mid-90s, straight-to-VHS splatter film, produced and distributed by independent pioneers Full Moon Features. Plus, we discuss the 2020 remake, Gordon's legacy as a creat...

Previously a Patreon-exclusive, here's Jeff and Lucas talking about the Academy Award-winning EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE.

Jeff and Lucas sit down to talk about one of the most creative movies in recent years. Dave Made a Maze examines creativity itself while crafting something truly unique. Plus, it's got a wrestler in it, so Lucas gets to do a fun sidebar on Lucha Underground. We're switching to a biweekly recording schedule for the foreseeable future, but we still plan to post weekly content of some kind. Check us...