Cinema Shock

"I'm afraid to close my eyes, I'm afraid to open them." In the summer of 1999, a low-budget indie horror film stormed into theaters and redefined an entire genre. Conceived by two recent film school grads and shot with no stars, no studio backing, and almost no money, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT became a full-blown cultural event—and the most profitable independent film of all time. In this episode, w...

"We're sorta like 7-Eleven. We're not always doing business, but we're always open." For Gary’s pick for a movie from 1999, he went with an infamous film that’s thre true definition of a “cult film.” When THE BOONDOCK SAINTS was (barely) released in theaters, it had practically no impact at all, but months later, when the movie hit home video, it became a bonafide word-of-mouth sensation, especial...

We’ve decided to wrap up 2024 with a look at a few films that are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. 1999 has become known as one of the best movie years of all time. While we’ve already touched on some of the biggest films of that year (THE MATRIX, FIGHT CLUB), there are a handful of films from that year that may not fit into one of our long form series, and we wanted to make sure they...

"I'm twelve. But I've been twelve for a long time." For the latest radomly chosen Cinema Shock Roulette entry, the wheels of fate have taken us to Sweden, where we’ll explore the story behind Tomas Alfredson’s LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN was almost instantly recognized as a modern day horror classic when it was released in 2008. In this e...

After the first season of TWIN PEAKS, David Lynch turned his attention back to film — and WILD AT HEART was the result. In this episode, we track how Lynch adapted Barry Gifford’s violent romance novel, cast Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, and took the film all the way to Cannes, where it earned the festival’s top prize — and some serious backlash. While this is our final episode in our current serie...

David Lynch’s journey to TWIN PEAKS started long before Agent Cooper ordered his first slice of cherry pie. In this episode, we dig into the origins of the landmark pilot — from Lynch’s post-BLUE VELVET career crossroads to his unlikely partnership with TV veteran Mark Frost, and how they came together to create one of the strangest, most influential shows to ever hit network television. 🎧 Want e...

After the failure of DUNE, David Lynch bounced back with BLUE VELVET—a film that redefined his career and shocked audiences with its blend of innocence and darkness. ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Robert Stinson Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by  Slasher Film Fes...

For this special BONUS episode, we sat down for a chat with Max Evry, author of  A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune - An Oral History , one of the most comprehensive behind-the-scenes books that we've come across, and one that was a major resource for our episode covering the making of DUNE. In this interview, we chat with Max about all things DUNE, David Lynch, Hollywood book-to-film a...

After THE ELEPHANT MAN, David Lynch took on the biggest challenge of his career: adapting DUNE. It didn’t go well. Here’s how one of the most infamous sci-fi flops came to be. 🎧 Want even more? CinemaShock+ subscribers get access to an extended version of this episode, featuring bonus discussion and exclusive segments. Learn more at cinemashock.net/plus . ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Andy Lancaster | Ben...

David Lynch’s strange road to Hollywood began here—with a haunting biopic about humanity, dignity, and monstrous cruelty. This is the story of how THE ELEPHANT MAN came to be. 🎧 Want even more? CinemaShock+ subscribers get access to an extended version of this episode, featuring bonus discussion and exclusive segments. Learn more at cinemashock.net/plus . ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Andy Lancaster | Ben...

We dive into the long, strange journey behind ERASERHEAD — from David Lynch’s early years at AFI, to the film’s near-abandonment, to its resurrection as a cult classic that redefined the midnight movie scene. 🎧 Want even more? CinemaShock+ subscribers get access to an extended version of this episode, featuring bonus discussion and exclusive segments. Learn more at cinemashock.net/plus . ASSOCIAT...

We kick off David Lynch: Between Two Worlds with a look at the origins of one of cinema’s most distinctive voices — from Lynch’s suburban upbringing and art school years to the eerie, experimental short films that laid the groundwork for ERASERHEAD and beyond. 🎧 Want even more? CinemaShock+ subscribers get access to an extended version of this episode, featuring bonus discussion and exclusive seg...

Before we close out our exploration of Midnight Movies with David Lynch’s ERASERHEAD, we’re taking a detour into the glitter-soaked, fishnet-wrapped world of what may be the most iconic midnight movie of them all: THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. It all started as a quirky stage production in a small experimental theater in London—but what followed was a pop culture explosion. ROCKY HORROR defied it...

In this standalone episode, we're discussing Richard Kelly's modern cult classic DONNIE DARKO! DONNIE DARKO's journey to the screen was one fraught with difficulties from the very beginning: Few studios were willing to take a chance on a young, unproven director, and once the film did finally get made, getting it released at all was nearly impossible, with most distributors intimidated by the unco...

For the final episode in our series David Fincher: Rules of the Game, we're taking a look at the story behind his 2007 true crime drama ZODIAC. For his follow-up to the crowd-pleasing popcorn thriller PANIC ROOM, David Fincher went in a far different direction with a meticulously researched look at the investigation into the real life Zodiac Killer murders in northern California in the late 1960s....

FIGHT CLUB had been a grueling shoot for David Fincher and, at least upon first release, had alienated both audiences and critics alike. So when it was time for Fincher to move on to his next film, he sought out something a little simpler, something that wouldn't involve the hundreds of locations that he'd dealt with on FIGHT CLUB and one that was designed as pure entertainment. A "popcorn movie."...

After back-to-back successes with SE7EN and THE GAME, David Fincher found himself at the top of Hollywood's A-list, proving that he could produce hit films without abandoning his dark sensibilites.  His next project, however, would put his reputation to the test. Although it's now considered a classic — and may very well be Fincher's most widely-seen film — when FIGHT CLUB was released in 1999, it...

After the success of SE7EN, David Fincher returned to a film that he'd started developing before deciding to prioritize the serial killer film that would put him on the map. That film was THE GAME, a twist-filled thriller that's often overlooked and underappreciated during discussions of the director's filmography, but one that still features all of the skill, cynicism, and wit that have become st...

After his disastrous experience on ALIEN 3, David Fincher retreated back into the world of music video and commercials, vowing to never again direct a feature film. That is, until a script by a young, first-time screenwriter named Andrew Kevin Walker crossed his desk. That script — about a serial killer who chooses his victims based on the Seven Deadly Sins — would prove to be the perfect canvas f...

After spending years in Development Hell, the production of ALIEN 3 finally moved forward once first-time feature director David Fincher came on board. But it wasn't smooth sailing from there. The story of ALIEN 3's production is one of a legendary disaster, one where studio interference turned the film into one that was so compromised that its director disowns it to this day. In this episode, we...

"People will say, 'There are a million ways to shoot a scene', but I don't think so. I think there're two, maybe. And the other one is wrong." — David Fincher David Fincher has a reputation for being an exacting, meticulous director, one who sees an entire film in his head and who will do whatever it takes to get that vision onscreen. While that way of working has helped him to produce a filmograp...

For our next series here on Cinema Shock, we're going to be taking a look at the films of David Fincher, including his feature film debut ALIEN3.  Since ALIEN3's history — which includes years spent in development hell, multiple directors and multiple screenwriters — is so tightly weaved into the history of the films in the franchise that preceded it, we wanted to give our listeners a chance to re...

For our next series here on Cinema Shock, we're going to be taking a look at the films of David Fincher, including his feature film debut ALIEN3.  Since ALIEN3's history — which includes years spent in development hell, multiple directors and multiple screenwriters — is so tightly weaved into the history of the films in the franchise that preceded it, we wanted to give our listeners a chance to re...

In this special bonus episode, Justin, Gary and Todd take a look at every sequel to ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA! Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by  Slasher Film Festival Strategy . This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, and Justin Bishop. For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

For the final entry in our Cinema Shock Roulette Extravaganza (but certainly not our last Cinema Shock Roulette episode), we're headed to Hong Kong to take a deep dive into the production of Tsui Hark's seminal martial arts film, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA. In this episode, we'll discuss not only the production of ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, but the history of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung on film...