Video Monsters

Filmmaker George Popov returns to the podcast to talk about his SIDEWORLD documentary series, which takes a look into the myths and folklore behind some of the most terrifyingly beautiful places on earth. The discussion mostly focuses on the first entry, HAUNTED FORESTS OF ENGLAND, but he also gives us some insight into the newest entry, TERRORS OF THE SEA, and a little sneak peek at the next entr...

We’re bidding a fond farewell to our Australian cinema series and riding off into the sunset with a brutal, beautiful Outback western that deconstructs the romantic mythmaking of the genre and delivers a sparse, unflinching, and heartbreaking portrayal of the sudden inevitability of violence, the hubris of trying to tame an “uncivilized” land, and the tenuous bonds of honor and brotherhood. Oh, an...

Do you want to build a fortress? Come on, it’s not a game. These armed men have come for us, they’ve taken us, and trapped us in a cave. We used to be sweet children, and now we’re not. I wish we didn’t have to fight. Do you want to build a fortress? We really need to build a fortress (and make some traps!) Yes, that’s right. So put on your Santa mask, fill up the aquarium, and make a torch out of...

Come along as we turn the page on the first of our three-part trek into the weird, wild, and wonderful world of Australian cinema as we discuss the heartwarming story of two siblings and an Aborigine boy stranded in the Outback on a journey of self-discovery into the dark heart of mankind, the casual cruelty of civilized society, our inability or unwillingness to communicate due to internalized pr...

The Video Monsters are back at it again as its time for another AUSsome episode of our Popcorn Punchout: Video Rack Attack Bracket to determine which three films we will be discussing for our Australian theme!!  The films in the Skull of Decisions this time range from AUStere to emotionally exhAUSting to ridiculAUS.  So pack a picnic, hop on your BMX bike, and watch out for were-marsupials as we d...

Our musicals theme comes to its climactic conclusion as we discuss double-talking politicians, fame-hungry exploitation journalism, a mustachioed leading man torn between what's legal and what's right, and a kind-hearted madam fighting for the working woman.  So slip into something more comfortable, do a little sidestep, and meet us down at the Chicken Ranch as we bring you our analysis of THE BES...

We are blasting through our musicals theme like a cannon firing an apple as we discuss a futuristic version of a timeless tale of biblical proportions.  So put on your BIM mark, keep an eye out for an actual vampire, and join us in a golden ghost Cadillac in the sky because hey hey hey, Video Monsters are on the way with our analysis of The Apple (1980)!! If you enjoy this episode, come join the V...

We are kicking off our musicals theme with one of the greatest musicals ever involving a green puppet and Frank Oz!!...though, you probably shouldn't let your young children watch this one, unless you want them to have a lasting fear of plants and dentists.  So park your motocycle, grab your pruning shears, and meet us somewhere that's green as we get to the root of our analysis for LITTLE SHOP OF...

The hills are alive with the sound of Video Monsters as its time for another Popcorn Punchout: Video Rack Attack Bracket to determine which three films we will be discussing for our Musicals theme!!  While the love of musicals (in some form or fashion) is shared by all of us here at Video Monsters, this might be our most contentious Popcorn Punchout yet...truly putting the "attack" in the Video Ra...

Our in-depth Chattanooga Film Festival coverage continues as Nathan is joined by Shane Spiegel and Justin Reager (writers/directors) to discuss their short film 7 MINUTES IN HELL!!  What starts out as a simple make-out game in an abandoned house quickly turns into a hellscape of visceral sights and sounds, which only pale in comparison to coming of age sexual awkwardness and being trapped in a clo...

Our in-depth Chattanooga Film Festival coverage continues as Nathan and Eric are joined by an honorary Video Monster and fellow Film Freak, Kyle Kuchta (writer/director), to discuss his short film THE WOODSMAN.  This short film tells the story of a Christmas tree salesman trying to get every last tree sold out of his lot on Christmas Eve - a seemingly simple task that carries with it a heavy weigh...

Our in-depth Chattanooga Film Festival coverage continues as Nathan is joined by Elise Finnerty (writer/director/actress) and Estelle Girard Parks (producer/actress) to discuss their film THE ONES YOU DIDN'T BURN.  This film follows two siblings trying to find themselves while coping with the loss of their father - a process that is both aided and hindered by the managers of the family farm that h...

Our in-depth Chattanooga Film Festival coverage continues as Nathan is joined by Douglas Wicker (writer/director) to discuss his short film WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHERS?  This tightly packed short addresses childhood trauma and the generational impact that it has, while also introducing mythical folk monsters shrouded in mystery.  The themes and folklore that are introduced are not only fully reali...

Our in-depth Chattanooga Film Festival coverage continues as Nathan is joined by Joe Badon (writer/director) to discuss his short film THE BLOOD OF THE DINOSAURS.  This bizarre existential not-for-children's show will have you questioning - how young is too young to be screaming into the void of our infinitesimal existence??  So grab a handful of candy and watch out for meteors as we drill into TH...

Our in-depth Chattanooga Film Festival coverage continues as Nathan and Eric are joined by Ted Schaefer (director/co-writer), Patrick Lawler (co-writer), & Annie Parisse (actress) to discuss GIVING BIRTH TO A BUTTERFLY.  This delightfully heartwarming tale of self-discovery and self-acceptance is presented in a very grounded way that makes the characters and the story seem so genuinely re...

Hi, I'm calling to tell you that you've won a very special prize in tonight's episode of...wait...don't hang up!!... I just want to let you know that our in-depth coverage of the Chattanooga Film Festival is moving full-steam ahead as Nathan is joined by Sam Rudykoff (writer/director) and Mark Delottinville (producer) to discuss their short film CRUISE!!  This darkly comedic peek behind the curtai...

Our in-depth Chattanooga Film Festival coverage continues as Nathan is joined by Daniel Slottje (writer, director, actor) to discuss his short film THE ROTTING OF CASEY CULPEPPER.  This film tells a story of sickness, pain, and restoration on a deeply emotional level.  It is a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever battled an illness in either themselves or a loved one.  So light a cand...

Nathan and Eric were thrilled to sit down with Writer/Director/Editor/Star, Shane Brady (DOCTOR SLEEP, BALLERS, THE ENDLESS), and Executive Producer, Emily Zercher, for a lengthy and surprisingly emotional chat about their film, BREATHING HAPPY, which recently had its world premiere at the 2022 Chattanooga Film Festival. The film is a hallucinatory, Christmas Carol-esque odyssey through the mind o...

Brace yourselves for the third and final part of the Video Monsters Chattanooga Film Fest Extravaganza (at least, the end of the general coverage trilogy...still several interviews on their way!) as Nathan, Eric, and Dan tackle the remaining feature films that played at this year’s fest. So grab some coffee...or a milkshake if you prefer, call in your coven, and beware of leeches when you meet us...

Strap in for Part 2 of the Video Monsters Chattanooga Film Festival Extravaganza as Nathan, Eric, and Dan dig into this year’s live events and marathon their way through a massive mountain of short films! So grab your ice cream cone, get ready for some folks to A your Qs, and watch out for Godzilla as you prepare yourselves for shorts. So many shorts. Because we’ve got shorts in every color in Par...

Our coverage of the 2022 Chattanooga Film Festival is so sprawling and comprehensive that it took us an entire trilogy of episodes to contain it all...and that's just the general episodes, not covering the upcoming interviews!! So buckle up for Part 1 of the Video Monsters Chattanooga Film Festival Extravaganza, where Nathan, Eric, and Dan discuss the first half of this year’s feature film lineup!...

Our JUNEiversal Monsters series appropriately concludes with a discussion of the last of the original classic Universal Monsters, THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954)! The timeless story of a lonely humanoid Devonian who is forced to fight back against a group of home invaders who harass and persecute him simply because he’s different. Nathan, Eric, and Dan dive into the film to discuss why t...

Our Juniversal Monsters series continues with our review of a film that features what is simultaneously the most and least monstrous of all the Universal Monsters. We’re talking, of course, about James Whale’s THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933), which is notably the film where the monster is nothing more than a man with a thirst for power and a desire to be seen. It stands out just as much for its nihilisti...

It’s alive! Our Juniversal Monsters series is ALIVE!!! And there was simply no better film to bring this theme to life than James Whale’s electrifying masterpiece, THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935). Nathan, Eric, and Dan discuss the wild tonal shifts it takes from the first film, why Dr. Pretorious is one of cinema’s most exquisite creations, the perfect opening tribute to Mary Shelley, the unparal...

June belongs to the monsters! But, not the Video Monsters… the Universal Monsters! Or shall we say, the Juniversal Monsters! This month we’re tackling some of the most beloved, iconic, and influential horror films of all time and, as usual, we’re using our patented Video Rack Attack Bracket technology to determine which three films in the classic Universal Monsters canon we’ll be reviewing this mo...