Viddy Well Podcast

The Fantastic Golem Affairs is the latest effort from the filmmaking duo Burnin' Percebes, Juan González and Nando Martínez. With a retro chic look that's beautifully captured on super 16mm film, it's a certifiably cuckoo comedy full of absurdist humor, magical realism, Spanish swagger, ceramic figures, and falling pianos. The film had its US premiere at this year's festival, and we're excited to...

Forget the format wars! The Last Video Store is a VHS battleground set in a basement video store where the physical media is so physical, it can kill. Directed by Cody Kennedy & Tim Rutherford, and featuring an entertaining and charismatic performance from Kevin Martin, the film is a kooky Canuxploitation horror comedy with extra cheese and a dollop of heart. It had   its world premiere on day 2 o...

Aaron had the pleasure of chatting with writer/director Sam Fox, producer Desiree Staples, and actor/producer Vincent Stalba for their short film Fck'n Nuts , which screened in Fantastic Fest's Short Fuse section, a shorts block that delivers "cutting-edge horror that will make you ponder the uncanny." Fck'n Nuts review : https://www.viddy-well.com/reviews/fckn-nuts-ff23   Sam Fox IG: https://www....

Strange Darling is the latest film from JT Mollner, and we had the pleasure of catching its world premiere at Fantastic Fest. This film is an absolute treat that challenges the viewer's perceptions, as well as the traditional linear storytelling conventions. It's a raw, rollicking rollercoaster ride full of excellent performances, gorgeous cinematography, and a stellar score. Put this one on your...

The Adams family, the filmmakers behind Hellbender , is back with another homegrown horror that's sewn up with care. Their latest, Where The Devil Roams , is a period slasher about a family of murderous carnies that's full of they hip stylish swagger they've become known for. It's full-on rot 'n roll, baby, and we're here for it! We'll continue to follow this dark and weird filmmaking family anywh...

Fantastic Fest kicked off this year's festival with the world premiere of Macon Blair's The Toxic Avenger . This is a studio reimagining of the 1984 Troma cult classic that is totally true to its vibe but also moves in its own direction. The film is a great homage with a fresh twist that's wonderfully wacky, extremely gory, and absolutely hysterical. If you're anything like us, you will be delight...

We were able to catch an early screening of the ferociously funny teen sex satire,  Bottoms , with a Q&A from director, co-writer, and executive producer Emma Seligman, along with producers Max Handelman and Alison Small. This flick is a lot of gloriously over-the-top fun, and we think you should definitely check it out, especially if you love films like Heathers or the teen comedies of the 90s. ...

Step up to the plate, this one's sure to be  a home run! Aaron and Rob are back for more seasonal fun with the warmly nostalgic summer vibes of 1993's The Sandlot, written, directed and narrated by David Mickey Evans. The pair discuss the seasonal aspects of the film, as well as the bits they love so much about it, with some divergent topics include baseball memories, a 90s pitch for Richard Linkl...

We were fortunate enough to catch an early screening of Talk To Me, a lil indie horror that's made big waves since it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, with a Q&A from the filmmakers, Danny & Michael Philippou. It's a creepy-fun flick that is sure to give audiences as supernatural buzz when it releases on 7/28, and the Q&A gives some nice background to the film's production and journey.  Fo...

We're now halfway through the year, and there's a lot more film ground to cover! Join Aaron as he runs through another list of 2023 films and talks briefly about each one.  Full List:  Intro (0:19) The Year Between (1:07) Hunger (2:14) Hypnotic (3:13)   Inside (5:30) White Men Can't Jump (6:40) The Super Mario Bros (8:30) Champions (10:33) Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (12:10) Shazam: Fury...

Join Aaron and Rob for more seasonal fun as they kick off the second iteration of "The Four Seasons Of Film" series! This go around, the selections are much more carefree, light, and fun, and our first selection, John Hughes seminal mid-80s flick Ferris Bueller's Day Off, is the perfect embodiment of that! Don't call in sick with this one because it's going to be a very sprited time! 

Franklin Ritch delivers a stunning debut  The Artifice Girl , a small, intimate indie that asks BIG questions about the future of AI and continually finds exciting, thought-provoking, and startlingly human results. Imagine Shane Carruth making a hybrid of Ex Machina and The Social Network with the narrative structure of Steve Jobs , and you're in the ballpark. The Q&A with writer-director-editor-s...

Join Aaron and Logan Arney as they discuss Ari Aster's latest, the hilariously hellish Beau Is Afraid . This title is no understatment... Beau is afraid of everything , and he's consumed by the guilt of an unlived life, one which is pervasively paranoid and crippled by anxiety. This distinctive, deranged, and uncompromising delusional fantasy spews its creator's internal sickness — no matter how s...

We're already over a quarter of the way through the year, and there's a lot of film ground to cover! Join Aaron as he runs through his list of 2023 films and talks a bit about each one.  Full List:  -The Drop (2:05) -Quasi (3:24) -You People (5:35) -House Party (6:54)   -Ghosted (7:58) -Knock At The Cabin (11:04) -The Outwaters (12:22) -Cocaine Bear (14:07) -65 (16:55) -The Pope's Exorcist (19:46)...

We were fortunate enough to catch Mickey Reece's Country Gold on its pre-release roadshow in Austin, Texas, where the Oklahoma filmmaker fielded audience questions after the screening. We had the privilege of checking out the film at last year's Fantastic Fest, and we loved it so much, we had to run out and see it again. Easily one of the funniest films you'll likely see this year, you can check o...

Join Aaron and guest host Logan Arney as they kick off season five of the podcast by discussing Kyle Edward Ball's debut feature, Skinamarink. Made on a shoe-string budget this experimental no-wave nightmare effectively taps into a primal childhood fear and takes audiences on a slow-burning and feverish trip through a nostalgia graveyard.  You can experience this strange atmospheric fright right n...

Join us as Aaron closes the books on season 4 of the podcast by discussing the ten films he loved most from last year! For more end-of-year goodness, check out the links below:  https://www.viddy-well.com/top-10/films-of-2022 https://www.viddy-well.com/top-5/film-scores-of-2022 https://www.viddy-well.com/top-5/unsung-films-2022 https://www.viddy-well.com/top-5/most-disappointing-films-2022

Aaron and Rob close out this year's Four Seasons series with Ang Lee's 1997 icy existential period family drama, The Ice Storm. If you're feeling cold, it's not just the weather; this frigid flick has the genuine capacity to chill you to the bone. It doesn't get much more wintery than this. 

Join author and IUPUI Professor Edward E. Curtis IV, alongside Sally Howell, as they discuss Arab Indianapolis: A Hidden History, which we caught at the Kan-Kan Cinema and Braserie. The film explores the Arabic roots within Indianapolis and reveals a new chapter in the diverse history of central Indiana. It explores the first Arabic-speaking neighborhood in Indianapolis, the service of Arab Americ...

While visiting family and friends in Indiana, Aaron had the pleasure of speaking with Kan-Kan Cinema's owner Ed Battista and Director of Operations Abby Specht about their theater, its unique name, and its journey to becoming such a vital pillar of its community, amongst other things. Pop some popcorn and pull up a seat because we're gonna geek about cinema and the criminally underrated area that...

Experimental artist, composer, and sound designer VAAAL joins Aaron to discuss the sonic sorcery and all around badassery of his score for Travis Stevens' A Wounded Fawn, which ranks amongst the year's very best. You can stream VAAAL's soundtrack anywhere you listen to music, and you can also check out the film right now via Shudder!  A Wounded Fawn review: https://www.viddy-well.com/reviews/a-wou...

On this year's installment of Happy Home Invasion For The Holidays, Aaron is joined with his brother, Blake, to talk about Bob Clark's 1974 proto-slasher, Black Christmas. Recorded in their parents' new house with a creaky attic and plagued by creepy crank calls, what could possibly go wrong?!  For more:  -Five Fun Facts About Black Christmas: https://www.viddy-well.com/top-5/fun-facts-black-chris...

Aaron and Rob are back for the Autumn installment of the Four Series Of Film podcast series! This time they're talking about a film that is absolutely Fall AF: Todd Haynes' 2002 film, Far From Heaven. Join them as they peel back the sanguine veneer of this beautifully rendered 50s melodrama and discuss its many layers and themes. 

Ho ho ho, and merry Christmas, Viddy Well listeners! We invite you to slip into that holiday spirit with this conversation with Janeen & Michael Damian, the husband and wife filmmaking team behind Falling For Christmas starring Lindsay Lohan. It's a Christmastime meets Overboard mashup full of evergreen sap and Christmas camp that is sure to have you decking the Hallmark halls this holdiay season....

Join Aaron as he counts down his ten favorite films from this year's Fantastic Fest. Which amazing film will earn the right to call itself "Best in Fest"?! You'll have to listen to find out!  For more FF22 coverage, check out the links below: Fantastic Fest articles Fantastic Fest reviews