The Projection Booth

The Spirit of Halloweentown (2024) celebrates the unique Halloween festival of St. Helens, Oregon—a town that annually transforms itself in tribute to Disney’s cult-classic film Halloweentown, which was filmed there in 1998. Directed by Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb, known for their nostalgic lens in Jasper Mall, the film dives into the lives of the locals who are the heart of this Hallowee...

#Shocktober2024 wraps up with a double dose of horror and weird science, diving into The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant, a pick from Patreon donor James Brummel. No, it’s not the two-headed flick with Rosie Greer or the one from Japan—this is Bruce Dern’s wild ride as a mad scientist, melding the body of a manchild with the head of a deranged killer in the ultimate “transplant gone wrong.” Tim and...

Mike, Dr. Nicholas Schlegel, and Heather Drain bring the eerie vibe of Shocktober 2024 to new heights with a Patreon request from Kyler Fey: Bell from Hell. This sinister 1973 gem by Claudio Guerín, written by Santiago Moncada, follows John (Renaud Verley), fresh from the asylum after a stay orchestrated by his aunt, Marta (Viveca Lindfors), and her three daughters. Now he’s back—and his intention...

Get ready for a wild deep dive into the world of cult cinema preservation! Mike sits down with Jackson Cooper to uncover the incredible work of the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA). From rescuing the rarest of grindhouse gems to giving life to lost horror, sci-fi, and action films, AGFA is on a mission to save the strange and spectacular corners of film history. Together, they explore how this n...

Our #Shocktober coverage heats up with a Patreon pick from Ellis Kish: Turkey Shoot. This 1982 cult classic from writer-director Brian Trenchard-Smith throws us into a dystopian nightmare set in the “futuristic” year of 1995. Steve Railsback and Olivia Hussey star as prisoners caught in a ruthless government’s clutches, where torture is just the beginning—the real terror lies in the deadly “Turkey...

Shocktober continues with a Patreon request as we discuss the 2022 horror film Rucker which follows Leif Rucker, a seemingly ordinary long-haul trucker who has been serially killing women resembling his ex-wife for 30 years. The narrative takes a turn when Maggie, a young filmmaker making a documentary about truckers, becomes privy to Rucker's deadly secret and chooses to document his crimes. Fath...

Our coverage of the Fantastic Fest continues with a look at Heads or Fails via a discussion with film making brothers Harpo and Lenny Guit alongside composer Simon Hanes. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth 

Our coverage of the Fantastic Fest continues with Mike talking to Justin Hardy, son of director Robin Hardy, the filmmaker behind The Wicker Man. Justin discusses the film that ruined his family and the documentary he and his brother made about it. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection Booth...

Our coverage of Fantastic Fest continues with Mike talking with writer/director Toby Jones, star AJ Thompson, and producer Ben Hansen -- three of the talents behind AJ Goes to the Dog Park (2024).  It's a delightful story of local politics. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http...

Also known as Legend of Doom House, Malpertuis is a gothic horror film starring Matthew Carriere as Jan, a sailor back at his home port where he visits the estate known as Malpertuis where he encounters a group of colorful kooks including the formidable Cassavius played by Orson Welles.  Jessica Shires and Matthew Asprey Gear join Mike to discuss the film while director Harry Kumel talks about the...

On this cross-over episode with The Kulturecast, Mike joins Chris to discuss the latest work from auteur Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), a jukebox musical continuation of the Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) story where he's joined by Harley "Lee" Quinzel in a courtroom drama. That run-on sentence pretty well sums it up. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast...

Heather Drain and Jedidiah Ayres join Mike to take a gritty plunge into Monte Hellman's Cockfighter (1974), a controversial and fascinating portrait of obsession and redemption. Warren Oates stars as Frank Mansfield, a man so consumed by his quest to win the cockfighting championship that he’s taken a vow of silence until he claims victory. Set in the underbelly of the American South, this viscera...

Mike speaks with fellow-Detroiter Alan Bernstein about his feature documentary, When We Went Mad, a look at the usual gang of idiots behind the irreverent publication, Mad Magazine. A film more than a decade in the making, Bernstein wonderfully captures the importance and influence of Mad from inception to demise.   Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projectio...

As part of our coverage of Fantastic Fest, Mike spoke with writer/director Danny Villanueva Jr. about his first full-length feature narrative, What Happened to Dorothy Bell? It's a creepy found footage movie about a young person investigating their own past and their complicated relationship with their grandmother, Dorothy Bell. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/...

As part of our coverage of Fantastic Fest, Mike spoke with writer/director Sander Maran and producer Jan Andresson about their film which has been 11 years in the making, Chainsaws Were Singing, an Estonian horror comedy musical. Find out more at the official website: https://chainsawsweresinging.com/   Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513...

We conclude Czechtember 2024 with a film from Frantiscek Vlacil, Adeliheid.  Released in 1970, the film stars Petr Čepek as Viktor, a former Czech soldier turned caretaker of a confiscated German estate where he encounters the titular Adelheid (played by Emma Černá), who is being held as a prisoner. Their evolving relationship forms the core of the film, set against a backdrop of post-war displace...

Mike talks to writer/director Jon Spira about his latest film, The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee. It's a documentary about the Lee's life and career that features a great array of interviews and a fascinating visual style. Pre-order the film at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jonspira/the-life-and-deaths-of-christopher-lee Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podc...

#Czechtember2024 continues with one from Slovakian filmmaker Dusan Hanak, 322. Based on a short story by Ján Johanides, the film stars Václav Lohniský as Lauko, a man diagnosed with cancer. His ex-wife, Marta (Lucyna Winnicka), is fooling around with the young Peter (Josef Abrhám), while Lauko connects with the long-haired Vladko (Vladimír Weiser). Released in 1969, the film was banned immediately...

Mike talks with filmmaker SK Dale about his latest work, Subservience. It's the story of a family with a new robot maid who's a little more conniving then Rosie from The Jetsons. The film is now available to buy or rent digitally. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.pat...

Mike spoke with writer/director/editor/musician Zach Clark about his latest film, The Becomers (2024), an unusual science fiction film. The Becomers opens Aug 23 in NYC and Aug 30 in LA from Dark Star Pictures, expanding theatrically into September and arriving to VOD on Sep 24. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a su...

On a crossover with The Kulturecast and Midnight Viewing, Mike joins Chris Stachiw and Father Malone to discuss Tim Burton's latest film, the legacy sequel to Beetlejuice (1988). We discuss the many new characters and those who didn't return as well as what worked and what didn't. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a...

We’re kicking of Czechtember 2024 with a classic of the Czech New Wave, Jan Nemec’s Diamonds of the Night. Released in 1964, the film was a groundbreaking piece of cinema.  Based on Arnost Lustig’s semi-autobiographical novel Darkness Casts No Shadow, the film is about the escape of two boys from a train carrying them to a death camp.   Heather Drain and Rob St. Mary join Mike to discuss this harr...

Mike spoke with director Quinn Armstrong about his latest work: a trilogy of films that act as a triptych with Dead Teenagers, Wolves Against the World, and The Exorcism of St. Patrick. All three films will be available to stream by September 10, 2024. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection B...

On this special episode, Mike speaks with Vera Drew the director, star, and co-writer of the origin story of Vera Drew AKA Joker the Harlequin. Find out more at https://www.thepeoplesjoker.com/   Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth 

We conclude Art House August with a look at Jean-Pierre Melville’s Army of Shadows. Ostensibly a film about the French Resistance in World War II, the film stars Lino Ventura as Phillipe Gerbier, one of four main Resistance fighters we meet as we travel through the underworld, striking out at the German occupiers and those loyal to the Vichy government. Andrew Leavold and Samm Dieghan join Mike fo...