Reels of Cinema

Send us Fan Mail Aussie Xavier Coy, an award-winning writer, director, and actor for film, TV, and live theater, guests to talk about his new independent feature, the mockumentary-comedy-drama Unremarkable , available for streaming on Amazon Prime! The considerable time difference between Australia and Boston did nothing to stop this discussion about his career, his filmmaking experience, and the...

Send us Fan Mail Author Nathan Gibson guests to discuss his debut novel, the LGBT mystery/romance The Missing Heart . Among other things, the Colorado native and advocate for “queer fiction” and I talk about his creative process and the films that have inspired his writing. Read more about him and purchase his book at the links below! www.ngibsonauthor.com https://a.co/d/042hvA33 Creative Commons...

Send us Fan Mail Celebrating Pride Month with a look at two comedy-dramas, both, ironically, with a lead character named Simon. From singles clubs and wedding banquets to Ferris wheels and first kisses, these stories come straight from the heart. Plus, poll results, entertainment news, the interactive listener trivia, and listener shout-outs! Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported  — CC BY 3....

Send us Fan Mail Are pink and gold your favorite colors? Would you say that French fries and ketchup is your favorite food? How'd you like some ice cream, Doc? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you've come to the right place. Liz M., my sister-in-law, with whom for years I've been playing a Shining  quote game every chance we get, joins me to talk about the 1980 Stanley...

Send us Fan Mail Iranian filmmaker Saeid Ghasemi guests in this episode, and with his thought-provoking short film Blood Enough , he proves that there is power in cinematic storytelling, fiction and non-fiction. A semi-finalist for Best Screenplay for Live Action Short at the Oscar-qualifying Dallas International Film Festival, Blood Enough encompasses themes of internal and external moral conflic...

Send us Fan Mail What if the lead P.I. at a murder scene were a ventriloquist with a dummy as his sidekick? Writer-star-professional ventriloquist Jonathan Geffner and co-stars Deborah Twiss and Ed Altman bring their talents to the screen in an offbeat, quirky, and thoroughly entertaining spoof of the murder mystery genre in their comedy-mystery-thriller The Dummy Detective ! Sean Young (1982&apos...

Send us Fan Mail Co-directors and co-stars Adam Burke (who also wrote the screenplay) and Jud Nichols bring to the screen a story about the possibility of change in a person in their psychological drama-thriller Wet Paper Bag . From the film's official logline: To find her missing sister, a journalist infiltrates a psychedelic therapy center and uncovers a treatment far more dangerous than th...

Send us Fan Mail If student loans drag you down, don't do what Tomas Varley (played by Haulston Mann) does in writer-director-co-producer Wes Clark's dark comedy-satire-thriller How to Start a Cult in 5 Easy Steps ! Clark joins me for an eye-opening conversation about his inspiration for this story, his own filmmaking background, and his thoughts on the dos and don'ts for aspiring f...

Send us Fan Mail Actor-writer-director-stunt performer Chris Guttadaro guests for a conversation about his career in both entertainment and as a NYC firefighter. We discuss his acting credits, his upcoming projects, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from some of his films. Plus, poll results, interactive listener trivia, and listener shoutouts! Watch his indie horror films and visit his website at t...

Send us Fan Mail Award-winning writer-director Braden Barton guests for a conversation about his 2022 live action short Waltz of the Angels (HollyShorts Film Festival winner for Best Sci-Fi) and his upcoming feature The Fiddler's Stroke , currently in pre-production. We discuss his filmmaking background to date, his creative process, and the production of his work. Plus, poll results! Watch W...

Send us Fan Mail Filmmaker Devlin Blevins is joined by two actresses in his company, Marleigh Arnold and Amber Brooke, for a conversation with me about their Halloween fan films, their proof of concept Dasher Slasher , and their movie The Forsaken Few , currently in pre-production! Among other things, we discuss the inspirations for these stories and their filmmaking and acting backgrounds. Plus,...

Send us Fan Mail Producer Caitlin Weis, writer-leading actor Daniel Figueroa, and leading actor Derek Vaudry join me for a conversation about their first live action short film, the upcoming The Last Favor , a crime thriller that they promise pushes independent filmmaking to the limit! Among other things, we discuss their labor of love and passion, as well as inspirations for their original story....

Send us Fan Mail Writer-director Thom Harp joins me to talk about his family comedy-drama Home Delivery , featuring a pitch-perfect ensemble cast delivering quality dialogue about a plus-sized supermodel who, with her husband, invites her eccentric family to their home for the delivery of their first child. Old conflicts and tensions arise, battle lines are drawn, character idiosyncrasies bring on...

Send us Fan Mail What if a traumatized young man finds himself shunned by his religious community because of their twisted beliefs? And what if those who do take it upon themselves speak to him mysteriously vanish? Writer-director Matthew G. of the M.T. Grave Studio joins me to talk about his upcoming folk horror film Exiled ! Plus, poll results, the cooking segment Cinemunch, and interactive list...

Send us Fan Mail "Reach the stars, fly a fantasyyyyy, dream a dream, and what you see will beeeee, cuz rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds, and there upon a rainbow is the answer to a never-ending storyyy." And maybe even the Purple Buffalo Atreyu is hunting. And just what is Bastian's mother's name that he hollers into the rainstorm? As for Jim Henson&...

Send us Fan Mail The 98th annual Academy Awards may be over, but let's allow for one final round of predictions that was recorded before Hollywood's big night! Writer-director-producer Brendan Manning and producer Zak Tauscher, both former high school film studies students of mine, join me to continue our annual tradition started on my previous podcast, Silver Screeners, to make predicti...

Send us Fan Mail Writer-director-producer Brendan Manning and producer Zak Tauscher, both former high school film studies students of mine, join me to continue our annual tradition started on my previous podcast, Silver Screeners, to make predictions for the current Academy Award nominees! In this first of a two-parter, we look at the new category of Best Casting, as well as Live Action Short, Sou...

Send us Fan Mail Grab your Dunkin' iced coffee, or just hydrate with a sip of water from the bubblah, bang a uey, and head over to the "download" icon to hear author Daniel Dain ( A History of Boston ) and I share thoughts on two Massachusetts-set films, 1948's  Portrait of Jennie (starring the legend Joseph Cotten and the Oscar-winning Jennifer Jones) and 1982's  The Verd...

Send us Fan Mail Celebrating 50 episodes by interviewing award-winning actor-director-writer-producer Tommy Jay Dwyer, a fellow MA native who featured in topshorts.net's list of "25 Exceptional Filmmakers to Watch in 2025," about his background and career. He tells an anecdote from the set of 2010's The Social Network , speaks of his work in two Mark Wahlberg films (2010's...

Send us Fan Mail Child-rearing is no easy responsibility, but the payoffs can be immeasurable. 1989 saw two comedies, Ron Howard's Parenthood and John Hughes's Uncle Buck , depict family life in ways that are relatable, sentimental, and sometimes confusing and frustrating. But in the hands of comedy pros like John Candy, Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest,...

Send us Fan Mail Creative artists Kyle Valle and Erin Aine join me to discuss their careers as independent filmmakers. Our conversation focuses primarily on their 2024 horror-comedy ZombieCON Vol. 1 , sharing anecdotes and behind-the-scenes information about everything ranging from financing to casting to distribution to their infectious passion for storytelling. Joining them is their 10-month-old...

Send us Fan Mail Get ready for the upcoming horror movie The Weeping with my interview with its writer-director-producer Spyder Dobrofsky and leading actor Jonathan Charles! Among other things, we talk about their careers, their experiences with this production, and their vision for the film. You'll never enter the woods alone again because, as the film's tagline informs us, "You ca...

Send us Fan Mail In this second of a two-parter on a pair of 1950 films that mercilessly skewer the politics and egos in show business, Josh of The Couch Critics Podcast and I discuss All about Eve , starring a temperamental Bette Davis, a devious Anne Baxter, a patience-strained Gary Merrill, an acid-tongued George Sanders, an overly-trusting Celeste Holm, a debuting Marilyn Monroe, and the incom...

Send us Fan Mail In this first of a two-parter on a pair of 1950 films that mercilessly cast a critical eye on the seedy underbelly of show business, Josh of The Couch Critics Podcast joins me for a look at Sunset Blvd. , starring Gloria Swanson as former silent film superstar 'Norma Desmond', William Holden as struggling screenwriter 'Joe Gillis', Erich von Stroheim as Norma&a...

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode, Vinny Pacifico, world traveler/professional wrestler/professional actor/entrepreneur, joins me to discuss his multi-faceted career journey, his appearance on a Times Square billboard, his personal values, his love of Disney, and his promising acting opportunities. With roles and appearances in music videos and upcoming films and series such as Crimzon Harv...