He made his narrative feature debut with Here Alone, winner of the Audience Award at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, and later returned to Tribeca with Blood for Dust (2023), starring Scoot McNairy and Kit Harington. He also co-directed and produced the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary Amanda Knox. He also co-created The White Room, a Blood List script later acquired by Amblin, and co-wrote the story for Blumhouse’s Night Swim, which grew out of the 2014 short film he made with Bryce McGuire. Rod also directed and served as showrunner for Peacock’s John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise and directed on National Geographic’s Welcome to Earth with Will Smith.

His latest film, Dolly, is a beautifully shot 16mm slasher that evokes the grime and menace of early horror classics while carving out its own identity. In this episode, Rod and I talk about his path into filmmaking, the realities of getting indie films made, and the making of Dolly. Please enjoy this conversation with Rod Blackhurst.

Key Takeaways

Wear your influences openly, but metabolize and integrate them.

Rod talks about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as a major influence, and it is really clear when you see the movie, but he is careful not to recreate it in a way that feels like blatant homage. The useful principle is that inspiration works best when it is absorbed into the DNA of the film and filmmaker rather than pasted on top of it as a wink. As a result, the movie feels like it takes place in the same world as these influences instead of attempting to overtly acknowledge or recreate them, which can take viewers out of the movie.

Investor trust is built with transparency.

Rod is one of the most financially responsible filmmakers I have spoken to. His financing advice is unusually concrete. He informs investors how the equity works, how they might recoup, what the timeline is, and acknowledges the very real risk that they could lose all their money. He also shows prior accounting and distribution sheets to demonstrate his own personal track record, treating his career like a business, which it is. That mindset treats filmmaking as entrepreneurship, not just art, and it is one of the most practical pieces of advice in the conversation.

Cast the person who can give the monster a soul.

Rod found Max the Impaler through wrestling and quickly realized he had found more than a physical presence. Max’s background as a largely nonverbal performance artist made them perfect to play Dolly, the slasher, and their emotional investment transformed the character into something much richer than what was on the page. Think about David Howard Thornton and Doug Jones. A monster is not just a costume and makeup job; it comes down to the soul of the performer.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned

• Dolly
• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
• The Evil Dead
• Blood for Dust
• Snow White (1937/1938 animated film)
• The Vanishing
• High Tension
• Martyrs
• Barbarian
• Night Swim
• Undertone
• It (via the Bill Skarsgård / Pennywise discussion)
• Castle in the Sky
• The Iron Giant
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• Project Hail Mary
• Marty Supreme
• Backrooms
• Obsession
• Here Alone

Follow Rod Blackhurst at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2060444/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodblackhurst/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/rodblackhurst
• Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/rodblackhurst
• Website: https://www.rodblackhurst.com/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Choose Material That Speaks to You Personally

Jeremiah initially had little interest in adapting a video game. But when he played The Mortuary Assistant, he connected deeply to the protagonist, Rebecca Owens, a woman who hides inside her work to avoid confronting her personal demons.

That personal entry point became his entire pitch: preserve the game’s dread and atmosphere while grounding the film in emotional vulnerability. He and game creator Brian Clark bonded over shared anxieties and experiences, and it became the start of an excellent collaboration because Jeremiah was able to relate to the material on a deeply personal level.

When directing, it’s critical to put a big part of yourself into your projects, otherwise, why should you be the one to direct it?

If you can’t channel personal experience into a movie, or if the producers don’t leave room for that, it might not be the right fit for you, and that’s fine. Find the emotional core that connects to your own life or unique sensibility. Otherwise, the movie becomes just a gig. Producers can tell when your heart isn’t in it. Audiences can too. Make it personal, or don’t do it.

Make sure Everyone is Rowing in the Same Direction

The Mortuary Assistant, a very creatively unified, cohesive production as opposed to an earlier project that Jeremiah passed on where the vision kept shifting. That earlier project had producers that first wanted Blair Witch-style dread, then Herschell Gordon Lewis gore, then something akin to Black Phone. This unfocused behavior is a MASSIVE red flag, and even if you’re just starting out, you should run because you’re probably being setup to fail. Of course, not everyone is going to agree and get your vision, but if producers don’t know what they want, or you’re getting massively conflicting feedback from those you’re meant to report to, no one will win, and you as the director will get all the blame.

As Budgets Increase, Money Feels Smaller

Jim Mickle warned Kipp: “As you move up the budget ladder, it feels like you have less money.” This is a fascinating paradox but really makes sense when you think about it. More money means more department heads, larger builds, higher actor costs, bigger expectations, more moving parts, and less margin for error. More money means better production value but often less time and less freedom. We all want bigger budgets but, heed this warning going in.

De-escalation Is a Crucial Leadership Skill

Movie-making is grueling and involves long nights, early mornings, physically punishing days, little sleep, and less-than-adequate nutrition from crafty — all within a high-pressure environment. In other words, it’s a recipe for potential volatility among those involved. Things go wrong on sets, tensions run high, and having worked on as many movies as he has, Jeremiah learned that de-escalating situations is a critical skill.

A lot of would-be directors expect to take on a domineering presence where they demand full obedience from everyone on set. This attitude will have your cast and crew turning on you by day one, and your movie will suffer for it. Instead, assume a posture of humility. Take your ego out of volatile situations to relieve tension — even when the people you’re dealing with are the ones at fault.

You gain nothing by arguing or by being “right,” especially if it comes at the expense of someone else. Your goal should never be to win or assert dominance, but to keep the movie on track by stabilizing those working around you. It’s massively humbling but absolutely critical.

This doesn’t mean you tolerate blatant disrespect. But avoiding needless confrontation doesn’t make you weak; it makes you smart because you’re protecting the steadiness of your production. One bad attitude can poison a set quickly, so it’s critical to protect morale at all costs and handle conflict privately and strategically. The real leadership flex is emotional regulation.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned

• The Mortuary Assistant
• Slapface
• The Geechee Witch: A Boo Hag Story
• The Babadook
• Hereditary
• The Witch
• I Sell the Dead
• Fried Barry
• Halloween (John Carpenter)
• Dawn of the Dead (George A. Romero)
• The Last of Us
• Super Mario Bros. (film)
• Blade Runner
• Doom (film)
• The Meg
• The Autopsy of Jane Doe
• Bernie
• Re-Animator
• Gremlins 2: The New Batch
• Stranger Things
• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
• Hellraiser (referenced via Cenobites discussion)
• Nightmare Cinema
• Masters of Horror (Joe Dante episodes)
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• Gremlins 3 (discussed as greenlit)
• Hellbender
• Mother of Flies
• What Josiah Saw
• Take Shelter
• Superman (film referenced in the “three takes” anecdote)
• Mulberry Street
• Stake Land
• Cold in July
• Wendigo
• The Thing
• Big Trouble in Little China
• Jurassic Park
• Pirates of the Caribbean

Books and Resources

• The Shining (Stephen King novel)
• Cold in July (Joe R. Lansdale source material referenced)
• IFP, Independent Feature Project (community and early career filmmaking support)
• Probe lens (used for extreme close-up mortuary procedure imagery)
• Mood boards and style guides for aligning producers and creative vision

Follow Jeremiah Kipp at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0456031/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremiah.kipp/

Brandon writes, directs, produces, edits, and often handles visual effects on his own films, building ambitious genre work by keeping crews small, budgets tight, and the process intensely hands-on.

In this episode, Brandon breaks down the making of Bodycam, his found-footage feature told entirely through police body cameras. He also gets into how he’s been able to release four movies in the past six years, and shares his model for low-budget, high-impact horror filmmaking. On today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show.

Key Takeaways

Spend on the people who can solve whole categories of problems.

Rather than building a big crew, Brandon focuses on hiring a few choice highly capable collaborators who can wear multiple hats. He cites cinematographer Clayton Moore as a key example, since Clayton handled the camera system and also rolled sound during takes, which freed up money for other departments. His larger point is that on movies with this low of a budget, the trusted and dedicated people can be far more valuable than a larger headcount. Brandon’s approach is not about dismissing department but more about building a lean team around the specific needs of the movie.

Shoot in Calgary or other undiscovered production hotspots.

Brandon makes a strong case for building films in places like Calgary, where the production environment still works in an independent filmmaker’s favor. In his experience, the city offers a rare combination: people are less jaded by film shoots, locations are more attainable, and the city access can deliver real scope on screen. This all matters because production value is often less about how much money you have than how much access you can get. Brandon was able to pull off some very high production value scale on Bodycam, and it was largely due to having a very accessible production city.

Brandon was able to use large houses, full streets, city blocks, and striking urban spaces that made the film feel much bigger than its budget. In a more production-saturated city, many of those same locations may have been harder to secure, more expensive, or simply out of reach for a small indie team. Calgary gave him room to move, and the movie benefits from it in every frame.

Build a sustainable career where you can keep making things.

Brandon is candid that the traditional studio path no longer appeals to him the way it once did. At this point in his life, he would rather keep making movies he can control than spend years in meetings chasing permission and larger budgets. Brandon is in his forties, has three kids, and no longer wants to organize his career around endless travel and meetings when he can continue making movies in Alberta. The deeper meaning of this conversation is that Brandon’s system is not just a production model; it is a life model. He wants to keep directing, keep learning, and keep getting back on set without sacrificing everything else. For filmmakers, that is a valuable perspective: sustainability is part of the craft.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned

1. Bodycam
2. Puppet Man
3. Night of the Reaper
4. Superhost
5. Hardcore Henry
6. The Last of Us

Books and Resources

1. Alberta Media Fund
2. Mark Duplass

Follow Brandon Christensen at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3417134/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrandonchristensen/
3. X (Twitter): https://x.com/thebrandonc85
4. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandonchristensendirector/
5. Website: http://thebrandonchristensen.com/

Key Takeaways

The obstacle is the way.

The Bunker was born out of the darkest stretch of COVID, when Brian and his collaborators genuinely did not know when normal filmmaking would return. Rather than wait for ideal conditions, they reverse-engineered a story around what was actually possible: one actor on set at a time, a mostly empty institutional building, and remote communication like Zoom. That limitation led directly to the movie’s video-call structure and the film’s unique isolated sci-fi logic. The practical lesson is clear: when resources are limited, stop fighting the limitation and embrace it by building the premise around it.

Showing less causes more impact.

Brian knew they could not afford to show elborately concieved aliens so the film leaned into more original and frankly fascinating aspects of an alien invasion like telepathy, psychological breakdown, and mind control. That choice did more than save money; it sharpened the horror. The aliens become frightening because they invade thought, memory, and perception rather than simply appearing as creatures in frame, which has been done thousands of time before. It is a strong reminder that limitation often pushes filmmakers toward more distinctive, and sometimes more powerful, storytelling.

Attention to detail is a creative skill, not just an administrative one.

Brian’s military background sharpened his appreciation for systems, hierarchy, file naming, logistics, and precision. He connects that directly to filmmaking, where one mislabeled file or one overlooked production detail can cause disaster across departments and. His point is especially useful for younger filmmakers who romanticize spontaneity: professionalism and precision are not the enemy of creativity. They are often what allow the creative vision to survive contact with reality.

Show Notes

Movies and Shows Mentioned

1. The Bunker
2. The Black String
3. Host
4. Arrival
5. Communion
6. Fire in the Sky
7. Independence Day
8. The Nightmare
9. Room 237
10. The Shining
11. 2001: A Space Odyssey
12. Event Horizon
13. Color Out of Space
14. Re-Animator
15. From Beyond
16. The Mist
17. The Endless
18. Stranger Things
19. Stranger Things: The First Shadow
20. Final Destination
21. Oz
22. Juno
23. Night Visions

TV and Paranormal Media Mentioned

1. Sightings
2. The X-Files
3. Rescue 911
4. Discovery+ paranormal programming, including ghosts, Bigfoot, and aliens
5. Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell and George Noory

Books and Resources

1. H. P. Lovecraft’s fiction
2. Arthur Machen, cited as one of Lovecraft’s predecessors
3. The King in Yellow
4. Stephen King’s The Shining
5. Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey novel

Follow Brian Hanson at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6969909/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanson375
3. X (Twitter): https://x.com/hanson375
4. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-hanson-00689890/

So, without further ado, here is Pierre Tsigaridis.

Key Takeaways

Hook the audience up front.

Traumatika is a movie that goes for your throat at the jump. Not waiting to build up suspense or believability, this movie eventually goes to 11 but starts around 6 or 7. For newer and indie filmmakers you sometimes need to cater to the waning attention span of viewers by hooking them in the very beginning. You need to remember that you’re competing with a lot of other movies and if the viewer isn’t immediately hooked, sometimes they can move on. The implications of this may be unfortunate but doing this can make for a very impactful movie. So don’t ask permission to scare, just go for it. Foreign horror movies usually do this very well. Of course this depends on the type of movie you’re trying to make and sometimes you need a slow burn, but other times, you gotta just go for the jugular up front.

There’s no limits to the amount of hats you can wear.

Pierre wrote/produced/directed/shot/edited and even funded Traumatika. Doing this essentially makes him unstoppable as a filmmaker. His reasoning is practical: micro-budgets and fractured schedules mean you need to be able to pick up a camera and continue the movie even when people or days fall through. Being able to do all of this yourself simplifies scheduling, but can still be physically and mentally taxing, or as Pierre said, “the only thing that can stop me is my back.” Remember though, pain is temporary but cinema is forever.

Light sets allow for dark explorations.

Traumatika explores extremely dark subject matter, like REALLY DARK. Pierre was able to go there with his actors and get extremely gut-wrenching performances out of them because they trusted him and because he ran a supportive set. Pierre’s process included constant check-ins and letting actors shape choices. By setting up such an insulated and supportive set, the actors were actually able to go even deeper into the dark material as Pierre claimed that some of the most disturbing ideas were suggested by the actors. The big lesson: if you create a respectful and supportive environment and listen, actors will often take you further than you planned and they’ll feel ownership instead of pressure. Yes, we all know how Stanley Kubrick got the performance he did out of Shelly Duvall in The Shining, but despite how amazing that performance is, the method was abusive and should be forgotten. The real key to going super dark is creating a super safe space.

Show Notes

Movies and Shows Mentioned

1. Traumatika
2. The Grudge (Japanese version)
3. The Ring (Japanese and American versions referenced)
4. Scream
5. Halloween
6. The Exorcist
7. Evil Dead
8. Nosferatu
9. The Descent
10. The Lord of the Rings
11. Castle Freak
12. Pulse (also referenced by its original title Kairo)
13. A Tale of Two Sisters
14. Mulholland Drive
15. Lost Highway
16. Inland Empire
17. Twin Peaks
18. Twin Peaks: The Return
19. Maniac (1980)
20. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
21. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Follow Pierre Tsigaridis at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8705238/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pierretsiga/
3. X (Twitter): https://x.com/PTsigaridis
4. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pierre.tsigaridis/

Show Notes

Movies and TV Mentioned

1. The Black Phone 2
2. The Black Phone
3. Sinister
4. V/H/S 85
5. Smile
6. The Witch
7. The Lighthouse
8. Shadow Crawler (Short)

People & Artists Mentioned

1. Christopher Young
2. Tangerine Dream
3. Vangelis
4. Cliff Martinez
5. Mark Korven (including his “Apprehension Engine”)
6. Throbbing Gristle
7. Chris Carter (Throbbing Gristle member referenced in gear discussion)
8. Ulver (band whose music is used in the Sinister tapes discussion)
9. Scott Derrickson
10. Joe Hill
11. Adam Hendricks
12. Lou Ford (editor)
13. Luciano (sound designer)
14. Marina Moore (string player)
15. Robert Eggers

Gear and Music Tech Mentioned

1. Prophet synthesizer, including Prophet-5 and Prophet-10
2. John Carpenter style synth
3. Crystallizer pedal recreation from Dirt Monger Instruments
4. Logic Pro X
5. Canter reel (used to create drone textures)
6. Dulcimer (used in experimentation)
7. Atmos and surround mixing formats, including 5.1

Physical Media

1. Waxwork Records vinyl release for The Black Phone 2 soundtrack

Key Takeaways

Start early and let tone guide the whole production.

Atticus began writing tonal score pieces before the script was even finished. That let production carry his music into the shoot, so the score could help dictate direction. A lot of those early pieces ended up in the final film because they already lived inside the world of the story—and inside the director’s head.

This is why Atticus recommends avoiding temp tracks: they can be a trap, tying you to a specific (often derivative) sound instead of pushing you toward something new. Working this far upstream also allows for a more holistic approach to scoring the film. The tone and feeling of Black Phone 2 is one of the things that made it so distinctive, and a big reason is that the score was completely original rather than shaped by temp music.

Merge score and sound design for unified texture.

Atticus describes a constant collaboration with the sound designer and mixer so elements like static, wind, and snowy ambience could interlock with the music instead of competing with it. The goal was one cohesive system—where sound design and score feel like the same organism. As a result, the movie has a very strong sense of surrealism that makes you feel like you’re in a very beautiful nightmare.

Protect what’s working.

Atticus told a story about a final music cue that had to be shortened to fit the edit. When he tried to cut it down, he realized it damaged the overall effect, so he fought to keep the full cue intact—and won. As a result, the scene works beautifully. Whether it’s a music cue or any other element, sometimes something is perfect as-is and it’s the surrounding pieces that need to be reshaped to support it. When something is working, protect it.

Follow Atticus Derrickson at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12279894/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atticusderrickson
3. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ZAQG5e9sxTTkxKjr5OcLs?si=bT32GgkJTpKHqThqabqT1A

In this episode, Whitney and I geek out about all things horror, including our favorite gateway horror, what’s shocked each of us recently, and why body horror resonates as strongly as it does in today’s culture. On today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show, please give it up for Whitney Moore.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned

1. The Smashing Machine
2. Bring Her Back
3. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
4. Evil Dead Rise
5. The Monkey
6. The Blackcoat’s Daughter
7. I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
8. Poltergeist
9. Child’s Play
10. Scream (franchise)
11. It (new entry referenced via trailers)
12. Five Nights at Freddy’s
13. Are You Afraid of the Dark? (series)
14. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
15. The Goonies
16. The Addams Family (animated films referenced)
17. Hotel Transylvania (franchise referenced)
18. Zootopia
19. Fallout (series)
20. Twin Peaks (series)
21. Lost Highway
22. Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
23. The Ugly Stepsister
24. 28 Years Later
25. Bone Temple
26. May (2002)
27. Valentine
28. Heart Eyes
29. Natural Born Killers
30. Ready or Not
31. Abigail
32. M3GAN
33. M3GAN 2.0
34. Drag Me to Hell
35. Send Help
36. Primate
37. Chimp Crazy (docuseries)
38. Tiger King (docuseries)
39. The Cove (documentary)
40. Flipper (referenced via dolphin trainer context)
41. Jaws
42. Plan 9 from Outer Space

Books and Resources

1. Carl Jung and “shadow work” (discussed as a framework for horror and self-understanding)
2. David Lynch book on Transcendental Meditation

Follow Whitney Moore at:

1. Website: https://www.gimmemoore.com/
2. What’sGood, Whitney’s newsletter: https://www.gimmemoore.com/join
3. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3179972/
4. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneysmoore/
5. X (Twitter): https://x.com/tweetneymoore
6. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mooreofwhitney/

No Me Sigas is Blumhouse's first original Spanish-language horror film, a Mexican supernatural thriller that follows Carla, an aspiring influencer, who fakes hauntings in her apartment for viral fame, only to accidentally summon a real malevolent entity that blurs the line between staged content and genuine terror. The film blends narrative filmmaking with a found footage–style mixed media approach, including social media footage, security cams, and iPhone footage, among more. No Me Sigas is now streaming exclusively on Hulu.

In this episode, Eduardo and Ximena talk about their approach to analog horror and modern found footage, as well as their extensive and fascinating process for paranormal research, which included attending live witchcraft rituals.

On today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show, here, without further ado, are Eduardo Lecuona and Ximena García Lecuona.

Key Takeaways

Research isn’t just facts—it’s proximity.

Ximena didn’t just watch videos and read books about the paranormal. She went to rituals, talked with real witches, met shamans, and witnessed a ceremony involving a possessed doll. That lived exposure helped her build lore with details that feel internalized instead of invented. When your film touches a subculture or belief system, respectful proximity (conversations, observation, participation when appropriate) often yields better story texture than Wikipedia.

Scares are designed three times: pre-pro, production, and post.

The team literally named their scares in the shot list (“closet scare,” “phone scare”), and on set they gave those moments extra priority and extra time. But in the edit, they realized everything could change, as sound and music can entirely reshape how a scare lands. As a horror filmmaker, scares are one of the most important elements to get right, so you should take extra care to plan them out as thoroughly as possible.

In matters of the occult, set culture matters.

The filmmakers both come from spiritual families and, as a result, did lengthy protection rituals before shooting in famously haunted buildings in Mexico City. Regardless of anyone’s personal beliefs, this kind of practice can unify a crew psychologically by reinforcing the idea that “we’re protected, we’re intentional, we’re respectful.”

Spirituality and the supernatural can be highly charged subject matter, and crew members will likely have a mixture of beliefs. It’s important to establish rituals of care—spiritual, practical, or both—whether denominational or not. Managing spiritual morale can be just as important as managing physical well-being.

Show Notes

Movies and Shows Mentioned

1. Paranormal Caught on Camera
2. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
3. The Blair Witch Project
4. Paranormal Activity
5. Cannibal Holocaust
6. Man Finds Tape
7. Dream Eater
8. Shelby Oaks
9. Annabelle
10. Chucky
11. The Conjuring
12. Ninja Scroll
13. Paprika
14. Akira
15. Perfect Blue
16. Grave of the Fireflies
17. Mexican influencer Carlos Na, referenced as a real-world inspiration point for paranormal faking

Follow Eduardo Lecuona at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5280326/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pollolec/

Follow Ximena García Lecuona at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8581206/
2. Instagram: https://instagram.com/ximenena_/
3. X (Twitter): https://x.com/xime_lecuona

Here, without further ado, are Kevin Lewis and Oliver Trevena.

Key Takeaways

Relentlessness is a producing skill, not a personality trait. Misdirection went through consistent bouts of turbulence. Funding gaps, broken promises, Murphy’s Law persisted all the way up to roughly five days before shooting. Oliver was told by multiple people to forget about the project and let it go, but he didn’t. The takeaway is that persistence isn’t just motivational jargon, it’s a core production competency. If the producer stops pushing, the movie collapses. Misdirection took years to get off the ground, and the film only exists because Oliver and Kevin refused to let it die. Many people think movies are bought and sold based on the market itself, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes beating a movie into production through sheer will and force is the only path forward.

Speed unlocks instinct. Shooting in fifteen nights removed hesitation. With no time to overthink, decisions became intuitive and committed. That urgency created momentum and helped performances and directorial choices feel alive rather than labored. It’s always ideal to have more time, but there’s creativity in limitations, and some casts and crews work better under pressure.

Prep is freedom: obsess early so you can adapt fast later. Thrillers demand airtight logic. Kevin mapped character movement, information reveals, and physical continuity in advance so nothing unraveled under pressure. Thorough prep made the fast pace possible. Kevin calls himself a “big prepper”—months of notes, multiple contingency plans (A/B/C/D), then recalibrating once they were on set. He also describes basically hermitting in his hotel room instead of socializing because every hour on set equals money. The lesson isn’t to “be rigid”—it’s the opposite: deep prep lets you pivot without breaking story logic when the location or constraints change. As Churchill said, plans can be useless but the act of planning can be priceless.

Show Notes

Movies and Projects Mentioned

1. Misdirection
2. Paradox Effect
3. John Wick
4. Wick Is Pain (John Wick documentary)
5. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
6. Drive
7. Werewolves

Follow Kevin Lewis at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0507425/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinlewisofficial

Follow Oliver Trevena at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3165541/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivertrevena/
3. Website: ollywoodmedia.com

Stuart’s most recent feature is Strange Harvest, a true-crime–styled, found footage film he wrote and directed.

Strange harvest is a serial-killer faux documentary that effectively weaponizes the aesthetics of Netflix true-crime docs by luring you into a false reality with a familiar documentary style then turning up the horror with deeply unsettling imagery that looks and most importantly, feels very real.

It’s certainly one of the most unflinching and innovative found footage movies in recent years and has earned plenty of special praise for its naturalistic performances, grisly practical effects and overall dread.

In this conversation, Stuart and I get into his career history, the making of Strange Harvest and how to execute modern found footage with high impact and a low budget, on today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show.

Without further ado, here is Strange Harvest Director, Stuart Ortiz.

Key Takeaways

Embrace CGI strategically as a problem solver. A lot of purist horror cinephiles grumble at the use of CGI, and I agree that it shouldn’t be overused—but it also shouldn’t be avoided, because it can solve colossal problems. The pool scene is a perfect case study: filling an Olympic-sized pool would have required roughly 35,000 gallons of water, which was both budget-killing and ethically questionable during a drought. Instead, Stuart used VFX to build the water and environment, and it wasn’t even all that expensive. Use CGI where it’s the cleanest solution to a real-world constraint, and save practical effects for what sells the tactile reality.

Indie budgeting is often about where you don’t spend. Stuart minimized spending on a large crew, expensive cameras, and elaborate lighting because the format called for rough, archival-style imagery and on-the-fly filmmaking. Instead, he spent heavily where failure would be fatal: special FX makeup, which made up about 15–20% of the budget. He knew horror audiences would be especially scrutinizing when it came to effects (and he was right), so he spent disproportionately in that area—and it clearly paid off. Budgeting a movie can be complicated, but Strange Harvest proves that it’s important to spend where you’ll get the highest return on your investment.

Wear more hats than you’re used to. Stuart states that it’s unrealistic for directors to “just” direct nowadays, especially on micro-budgets. Strange Harvest exists largely because Stuart didn’t just direct—he also wrote, edited, and produced the film. On top of that, much of the crew wore multiple hats across the board, which is ultimately how the movie was able to get made. It may not be glamorous, but it’s how movies actually get finished.

Show Notes

Movies and Shows Mentioned

1. Strange Harvest
2. Grave Encounters
3. Lake Mungo
4. The Poughkeepsie Tapes
5. Tiger King
6. The Blair Witch Project
7. Ghostbusters
8. Ghostbusters 2
9. True Detective Season 1
10. The Wall (Pink Floyd film)
11. The Ritual
12. Hellraiser (newer entry referenced via makeup artist credits)
13. The Dark Knight (referenced via production design work)
14. The Vault
15. The Black Phone (mask design reference)
16. Heart Eyes (mask design reference)

Podcasts

1. My Favorite Murder

Follow Stuart Ortiz at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3425513/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuart_ortiz
3. X (Twitter): https://x.com/StuartLOrtiz
4. Website: https://stuartortiz.com/

Key Takeaways

Take what your actors give you.

Paul and Peter discuss a situation where their actors came to a character meeting so well prepared that they as directors were able to sit back and let the actors figure out all of the backstory themselves. The actors braistormed without their involvement for about an hour and did a ton of heavy lifting. More egotistical directors would have stepped in and asserted themselves but Paul and Peter had the good sense to realize that their actors were locked into their characters to such a high degree and they let them drive. When this happens it’s magic, but so many people ruin it by being precious. This is a two part lesson, one, hire actors who can also be collaborators and 2, when they start figuring things out on their own, give them ownership and get the fuck out of their way.

Target personal fears, over generic scares.

Peter and Paul mentioned a term I’d never heard before, trypophobia which is an intense, irrational fear or disgust triggered by looking at clusters of small holes, bumps, or intricate, repetitive patterns. They integrated this fear and unease into their body horror effects and even though I didn’t have this phobia before, I think I might it after watching this movie. There’s something very effective about tapping into irrational and obscure fears because they’re more common than you think. Human beings have all kinds of evolutionary neurosis that you can explore and exploit as a filmmaker to give your movies a surgical level of unease. This is a fascinating and fertile ground to harvest and worth studying.

Tone and vibe over exposition.

The movie has a masterfully constructed tone of dread that is very singular to Man Finds Tape. Constructing a frequency for your movie that’s this sharp and affecting is one of the most challenging aspects of filmmaking, and it’s on full display here. Peter and Paul discussed how when they were editing the movie, they focused more on the feeling the movie would evoke, rather than getting bogged down in plot specifics or exposition. Ultimately, your audience will reflect on how the movie made them feel instead of what the plot revealed. David Lynch is a master of doing this; evoking feeling without having much concern for exposition.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned

1. Man Finds Tape
2. Lake Mungo
3. The Blair Witch Project
4. V/H/S
5. Shelby Oaks
6. Dream Eater
7. Strange Harvest
8. 28 Years Later
9. Something in the Dirt
10. Psycho
11. The Shining
12. Harry and the Hendersons
13. Best in Show
14. This Is Spinal Tap
15. Ninja Scroll

Books and Resources

1. Junji Ito
2. H. P. Lovecraft
3. Tim Ehl’s liminal videos on Instagram
4. South by Southwest documentary reference: Capturing Bigfoot

Follow Peter Hall at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4296678/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterhallhuman
3. X (Twitter): https://x.com/PeterHallHuman

Follow Paul Gandersman at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2821596/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulgandersman/
3. X (Twitter): https://x.com/Paul_Gandersman

In this episode, Ben tells us the whole story behind Good Boy, from humble beginnings to box office breakout. He also gets into the details behind shooting horror from a dog’s point of view, the critical importance of sound design in horror, and the practical lessons he learned while shooting more than four hundred days with his dog Indie.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Ben Leonberg.

Limitations can be a feature, not a bug

Ben’s process making Good Boy was a masterclass in embracing creative limitations. From directing a dog who couldn’t take cues, to shooting without a traditional crew, all while working within a $70,000 budget, Ben built the film around his constraints instead of fighting them. He followed the classic Robert Rodriguez rule: write the movie around what you already have. In Ben’s case, that meant a dog and an old cabin.

He and his wife shot most of the movie themselves, structuring the entire production around their available resources. The mindset of designing a film around what you can uniquely do is a powerful model for indie filmmakers. In Ben’s case, those constraints led to a strikingly original idea: a horror movie told entirely from the perspective of a dog. That single choice shaped every creative decision; camera height, lensing, blocking, editing, sound, and pacing. What began as a limitation became the film’s identity.

Sound is vital for horror

As we’ve covered many times, in horror, sound goes a long way, and Jennifer Kent, Director of The Babadook, even says it’s just as important as your visuals. In Good Boy, which had minimal traditional exposition or visual cues, sound became essential—not just for scares, but for tone, tension, and atmosphere. Composer Sam Boutilier went so far as to build a custom instrument to create the film’s signature eerie, otherworldly tones that had never been heard before. For horror filmmakers working with limited budgets, sound design isn’t just a finishing touch but an opportunity to elevate the entire film.

A long production timeline can be an advantage

The film was shot over three years, across more than 400 shoot days. With such a small team and total control over gear and scheduling, Ben was able to work slowly and deliberately, testing ideas, reshooting scenes, refining edits, and evolving the movie over the course of years. In most productions, time is the scarcest and most expensive resource. But when you own the entire timeline, time becomes your biggest asset because it gives you the space to problem-solve creatively, discover better choices, and polish your film beyond the limits of its budget.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned

1. Good Boy
2. Poltergeist
3. The Shining
4. Psycho
5. Jaws
6. Raiders of the Lost Ark
7. Duel
8. Drag Me to Hell
9. The Innocents
10. Smile
11. One Bedroom
12. In a Violent Nature
13. 101 Dalmatians

Follow Ben Leonberg at:

1. IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3828044/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_leonberg/
3. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-leonberg-ab797556/
4. Website: https://www.benleonberg.com/

In this conversation, Brandon walks through the making of Night of the Reaper, his latest film, which is a nostalgic 80’s style slasher with very heavy Halloween vibes. Brandon also gets into how to consistently make films with limited resources, why he takes on editing and VFX himself, and how to achieve compelling period production design on a budget.

Key Takeaways

Design period detail around what exists.

To create an authentic 1980s vibe without a big period budget, Brandon’s team scouted unchanged locations, bought used furniture and TVs, and leaned on production people who could find pockets of the past. When money is limited, good location scouting and clever prop reuse do most of the heavy lifting.

Wearing many hats saves money and shapes the film.

Brandon edits and does VFX on his films because it keeps the money on screen and lets him really control everything from tone to pacing. This equation means lower overhead and a highly personal imprint on every frame, but be cautious because it also makes criticism sting even more because much more of the work has been done by you. So if you take on multiple roles, expect both the creative control and the emotional cost.

Make the movie you can actually make.

Brandon survived multiple financing setbacks by refusing to let the project die. When previous investors walked, he scaled down the project according to the money that existed. The result was a finished film rather than a stalled ambition. Practical lesson: prioritize completion over perfection because careers are contingent on forward momentum and experience. His repeated, practical advice to creators: do not overcomplicate your first projects. Shoot small, fail quietly, learn fast. The path deepens by doing, not by waiting for the perfect package or deal.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned

• Night of the Reaper
• Superhost
• Puppet Man
• Stillborn
• It Stains the Sands Red
• VFW
• Bliss
• Jimmy and STIGs
• Christmas Bloody Christmas
• House of the Devil
• Stranger Things
• When a Stranger Calls
• Scream
• Rosemary’s Baby
• Donnie Darko
• Pulp Fiction
• Avengers: Infinity War
• Weapons

Follow Brandon Christensen at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3417134/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrandonchristensen/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/thebrandonc85
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandonchristensendirector/
• Website: http://thebrandonchristensen.com/

Movies Mentioned

• Get Out
• Psycho
• Carrie
• Friday the 13th (franchise)
• Sharknado
• The Exorcist
• Hereditary
• Contagion
• The Evil Dead
• An American Werewolf in London
• The Fly
• Weapons

Books and Stories

• Grimm’s Fairy Tales (Brothers Grimm)

Follow Marc Malmdorf Andersen at:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-malmdorf-andersen-b2a67826a/
• Website: https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/persons/mana%40cas.au.dk
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ndersen.bsky.social

Follow Mathias Clasen at:

• Website: https://www.au.dk/en/mc@cc.au.dk
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mathiasclasen
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/mathiasclasen

Follow Recreational Fear Lab at:

• Website: fear.au.dk
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/recfearlab

When their original project lost funding, they rebuilt it from scratch, turning their setbacks into a creative advantage and crafting an intimate, atmospheric story about dreams, dread, and an unraveling relationship.

The movie may be called Dream Eater, but the filmmakers’ story is a dream come true; powered by positive word of mouth and support from the online horror community, Dream Eater found a passionate audience and ultimately caught the attention of Eli Roth, who acquired the film and released it under his new horror production banner, The Horror Section.

I really loved this interview, I connected with the filmmakers personally and found them to be very cool and inspiring because this story is very much in line with those of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity in terms of the ingenuity and tenacity among filmmakers who adapt and adapt and don’t take no for an answer and get their movies made regardless of anything and ultimately is what this podcast is about.

Key Takeaways

Transmutation: Turn limitations into opportunity and never submit to defeat.

The creators of Dream Eater originally had a larger-scale, higher-budget project in motion — until the funding fell through. Rather than throw their hands up and walk away, they went back to the drawing board and scaled their concept into something they could afford to shoot. Casting actors was out of reach due to the demanding conditions, so they cast themselves.

There’s a massive lesson here in adaptability: as a filmmaker, you have to play the hand you’re dealt and make the movie you can make when you can make it. Hopefully, the next one has a bigger budget — but regardless of what you’re working with, the movie you can make now will be way better than no movie at all.

Micro crews need macro output.

An eight-person team meant every crew member wore multiple hats. When hiring for crew, it’s common for crew members to expect to stay in their lanes — and that’s completely understandable particularly in the context of union filmmaking. But on a micro-budget production, the mindset of “that’s not really my job” can be radioactive. Your crew needs to be down for the chaos you’re about to unleash.

But of course, be fair and be reasonable; pay what you can — either in cash or points — but take the time to find a crew that’s truly in it with you and willing to wear multiple hats. But here’s the caveat, as the filmmaker, you must always be the hardest-working person on set.

Find your audience where they already are.

The Dream Eater team built buzz through festivals and the online horror community, most notably TikTok’s HorrorTok — a vibrant ecosystem of horror influencers and fans. Thanks to a few key TikTok creators, buzz about the film went viral, which got the attention of Eli Roth.

When promoting a film, it’s essential to know, understand, and ideally befriend the horror community. HorrorTok played a major role in the success of Dream Eater, and it’s a reminder that one of the most effective ways to support your art is by authentically engaging with the people who love the genre as much as you do. Understanding marketing is crucial — but connection is everything.

Show Notes

Movies and Works Mentioned

• Dream Eater
• Asleep (original concept)
• The Nightmare (Rodney Ascher documentary)
• Dagon
• In the Mouth of Madness
• The Blair Witch Project
• Evil Dead
• Phantasm
• The Exorcist
• Jaws
• Psycho
• Spun
• The Pest

Books and Myth Sources

• H. P. Lovecraft stories including The Dreams in the Witch House, The Outsider, and At the Mountains of Madness

Festivals, Communities, and People

• H. P. Lovecraft Festival (Portland, OR)
• Found-footage festivals in San Francisco
• TikTok’s Horror Talk community
• Influencers including “Uncle Chuck” and others who championed the film
• Peter Kuplowsky and TIFF Midnight Madness (mentioned as festival reference)
• Eli Roth (acquired the film)
• Beyond Fest (Egyptian Theatre screening)

Follow Jay Drakulic at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6599086/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaydrakulic/

Follow Mallory Drumm at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6896430/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mallorydrumm/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallory-drumm-5a961745/

Follow Alex Lee Williams at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4296484/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richdammrich/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-lee-williams-81723027/

In this episode, Bill unpacks why 2025 has been another landmark year for the genre, unpacks the state of horror journalism and details what programming and inclusion efforts look like when aiming to build a healthier horror community.

On today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show, here, without further ado, is William Earl.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned

• Sinners
• Weapons
• Bring Her Back
• Final Destination: Bloodlines
• The Monkey
• Paranormal Activity
• Insidious
• Megan
• The Black Phone 2
• Jimmy and STIGs
• House of the Devil
• Final Destination franchise

Books and Reading

• King Sorrow by Joe Hill
• Horror Impact Report

Follow William Earl at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12009925/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/BeautifulBill
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wearl/

Joe is one of the most adaptive and irrepressible filmmakers I’ve ever met—he’s worked across multiple budget tiers and has delivered a consistent stream of bold and unique horror films throughout his career.

What Joe has proven to me—film after film—is that there’s no excuse not to make movies, and no excuse for them not to be good. Jimmy & Stiggs was shot entirely in his apartment, on a shoestring budget, and stars Joe himself. But despite its humble production origins, the film is propulsive, fun, fully unique, looks fantastic and was edited beautifully by former guest Josh Ethier. The film holds its own next to splatter classics like Evil Dead, Dead Alive, and Bad Taste, all while staying true to Joe’s gonzo, neon-soaked style. In this conversation, Joe walks us through the insane 4 year journey of making Jimmy & Stiggs, his process, influences, alien creature design and the chain of events that led to Eli Roth picking up the film. He also offers his blunt, no-BS advice to emerging filmmakers.

Key Takeaways

Imitate before you Innovate

Joe describes his early films, like Almost Human and The Mind’s Eye, as exercises in emulating his inspirations like John Carpenter and Cronenberg. It wasn’t until Bliss that he felt like he’d really found his voice, but to get there, he had to imitate the masters that came before him. Once he found his voice, he fully committed to making movies only he could make.

Make movies only you can make

Joe has one of the most defined directorial signatures in horror today—every one of his films is instantly recognizable as his. This commitment to personal vision has allowed him to carve out a cinematic identity that stands apart from the increasingly homogenized landscape of genre filmmaking. Developing a body of work that is unmistakably your own is a high watermark for any filmmaker and a path to building a sustainable, meaningful career.

Make your fucking movie

If you look at Joe’s career, one thing is clear—he does not stop making movies. Jimmy & Stiggs was born during COVID, between greenlit projects, when the industry was on pause. Instead of waiting around, Joe did the classic indie move: he took inventory of what he had access to—his apartment, a camera, a few close collaborators—and made a movie, casting himself in the lead.

Joe’s irrepressibility is something to study. He seems physically incapable of not making movies—and he’ll sacrifice his apartment, personal finances, and whatever else it takes to get the job done. This is the kind of relentless drive that indie filmmaking demands. Joe is also well aware of how the system works. Agents often discourage small projects because there’s no commission in it for them. But Bliss and Jimmy & Stiggs—two of his lowest-budget films—were made outside of that system, on his own terms, and ended up being some his most talked-about work. For filmmakers being told to wait their turn, Joe’s message is simple: don’t. Make your fucking movie. Even if it sucks, it’s better than having no movie at all.

Jimmy & Stiggs is now streaming on VOD.

Show Notes

Movies:

• Bliss
• VFW
• Christmas Bloody Christmas
• The Mind’s Eye
• Almost Human
• Jimmy & Stiggs
• Evil Dead
• Dead Alive / Braindead
• Bad Taste
• Communion
• Predator
• Street Trash
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• Natural Born Killers
• JFK
• Nixon
• King of New York
• The Addiction
• A Dangerous Game
• The Ritual
• Hellraiser (2022 remake)
• American Movie

TV Shows:

• Unsolved Mysteries
• Sightings
• The X-Files

Directors Referenced:

• Oliver Stone
• Abel Ferrara
• Gaspar Noé
• Sam Raimi
• Peter Jackson
• David Bruckner

Follow Joe Begos at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3976308/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joebegos/

Screaming and Conjuring is a must-read for horror fans. Spanning the era from Scream to The Conjuring—with a final chapter capturing everything that’s happened since—it’s the closest thing we have to a definitive historical textbook on contemporary horror. At over 500 pages, it’s surprisingly fast-paced, mapping the genre’s waves, franchises, and creative crosscurrents to show why horror keeps coming back—and why it matters now more than ever.

In this conversation, Clark unpacks horror’s recent banner year, explores the genre’s resilience, and traces the movements that shaped it over decades.

On today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show, here—without further ado—is Clark Collis.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned

• The Monkey
• Sinners
• Weapons
• 28 Years Later
• Final Destination: Bloodlines
• The Conjuring
• Immaculate
• The First Omen
• Abigail
• Shaun of the Dead
• Grindhouse
• Jimmy and Stiggs
• Barbarian
• Long Legs
• The Mummy
• The Sixth Sense
• The Blair Witch Project
• Stir of Echoes
• Stigmata
• Ravenous
• End of Days
• Resident Evil and 28 Days Later
• Saw

Books and Resources

• Nightmare Movies by Kim Newman, recommended reading for earlier periods of horror history
• The Zombies That Ate Pittsburgh

Follow Clark Collis at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6020968/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarkcollis
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/ClarkCollis
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clark-collis-98878840/

In this conversation, Scott and Anthony share how they built the show’s unique tone, why fourth-wall breaking was the key to unlocking Beetlejuice onstage, and how endless iteration in workshops and previews sharpened the comedy and emotional beats. They also discuss the responsibility of protecting and adapting iconic properties.

Here are Scott Brown and Anthony King.

Show Notes

Stage & Film Projects Mentioned

Beetlejuice the Musical

Beetlejuice Jr.

Gutenberg the Musical

Beetlejuice

Lost Boys (musical in development)

Death Becomes Her (musical adaptation referenced)

Hamilton (filmed stage production mentioned as preservation model)

Stranger Things stage production

Movies & Shows Referenced

Deadpool (comparison for Beetlejuice’s tone)

Rick and Morty

South Park

People Mentioned

Tim Burton (original film director)

Michael McDowell (original Beetlejuice screenwriter)

Eddie Perfect (songwriter, performing Beetlejuice in Australia)

Alex Brightman (actor, Beetlejuice on Broadway)

Follow Scott Brown at:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/9scott9
• Website: https://www.scottbrownwritesthings.com/
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4447552/

Follow Anthony King at:

• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1511524/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theanthonyking/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theanthonyking/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-king-4738a594/

Our goal with The Howl is to catch listeners up with all of the horror news they might have missed from the past month in a fun, conversational format. If you want a quick-read version of The Howl sent straight to your inbox every month, sign up for my newsletter at nicktaylor.com/thehowl.

We’re easing back into doing this on a regular basis and wanted to focus this conversation mostly on industry insight which Joe is particularly dialed into as you’ll see. Please enjoy this month’s Howl podcast.

So without further ado, here’s me, Nick Taylor, with Adam Cruz and Joe Russo on this month’s segment of The Howl.

SHOW NOTES

Movies Mentioned:

Amityville Horror (1979 and 2005 remake)

Lights Out

Companion

Weapons

Contracted

Nightmare Cinema

The Conjuring series

Annabelle Comes Home

Salem’s Lot (new version)

Poltergeist (TV development)

Alien: Earth

Obsession (Curry Barker)

Strange Darling

The Long Walk

The Ring (Japanese and US versions)

Barbarian

Weapons

Blair Witch (upcoming Lionsgate iteration)

Magic (remake)

Good Boy

The Presence

M3GAN and M3GAN 2.0

The Lost Boys

An American Werewolf in London

The Undertone

Talk to Me

F1

Together

Longlegs

TV Shows Mentioned:

The Conjuring (upcoming HBO Max series)

Stranger Things

The First Shadow (Stranger Things play)

Resources Mentioned:

Beyond Fest

Colors of the Dark Podcast

The Innocence Project

Follow Adam Cruz at:

• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/murdermemes_
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@murdermemes_
• Store: www.murdermemes.shop

Follow Nick Taylor at:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicktaylorhorrorshow/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nicktaylorhorrorshow
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Nicktaylorhorrorshow
• Website: www.nicktaylor.com

Follow Joe Russo at:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerussogram
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/joerussotweets
• Website: https://joerussofilm.com/
• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2349665/

Recognized by Variety as a Hollywood Deal Maker, Joshua also serves as an adjunct lecturer in Entertainment Business Law at The Los Angeles Film School.

A lifelong horror fan with a collection of VHS, DVDs, and Blu-rays, Josh brings deep genre knowledge to his legal practice, helping creators navigate contract pitfalls, IP disputes, distribution hurdles, and budget constraints. Since founding Lastine Entertainment Law in 2021, he has been dedicated to empowering artists and safeguarding their creative rights while bridging the worlds of horror fandom and Hollywood deal-making.

In this conversation, Josh breaks down the legal and contractual realities that every filmmaker needs to understand, from optioning IP and attaching talent to navigating distribution deals and protecting your rights. He also shares practical advice on unions, strikes, and why legal literacy is one of the most empowering tools a creative can have.

On today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show, here, without further ado, is Joshua Lastine.

Key Takeaways

Build your legal relationship early.

Joshua’s first counsel is simple. Do not wait for a contract to land in your inbox. Grab coffee with an entertainment lawyer, establish rapport, and get them looped in before deals apply pressure. He even outlines a smart starter plan for indies: raise an initial 25K for a line producer, budget, legal, and accounting, so chain of title and financing agreements are set before momentum stalls.

Know your money lanes.

He breaks down the big buckets: equity, debt, tax credits, and crowdfunding. Debt requires careful counsel. Equity means real finance docs and a clean LLC structure. Crowdfunding can be powerful when paired with creative perks, like the Eli Roth “we will kill you on screen” idea that trades access for cash.

Investors buy more than ROI.

For many backers, the value is experience and access: a set visit, a cameo for a family member, festival credentials. Pitch decks and sizzles matter, but so do relationships, attachments, and a clear sense of your project’s look and tone in seconds. Package visually and socially, not just financially.

Product placement is real money.

Joshua points to Smile weaving Voss Water into its story as a character beat, likely putting real cash onto the screen. He and Nick also cite Weapons using Liquid Death cans in a 7-Eleven fight scene. The takeaway: brands can offset costs or boost perceived scale if you integrate them thoughtfully and on-brand.

Keep chain of title airtight.

Lawyers can’t help if ownership is murky. Joshua stresses that rights must flow cleanly from screenplay to delivery, or distributors and E&O carriers will balk. This is the “heavy lifting” that protects your sale, your investors, and your future library value.

Use AI and templates with judgment.

For tiny, low-risk projects, basic templates or AI can help you start. The moment budgets rise, name talent appears, or you touch debt and distribution, you need a lawyer shepherding the paperwork and negotiating terms. That is the difference between scrappy and exposed.

Understand franchise rights before you touch legacy IP.

He flags how messy rights can be. A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th remain tangled. Chucky and Child’s Play split across different rightsholders, which is how we got the Aubrey Plaza reboot while the Mancini-led “Chucky” continues elsewhere. Do not assume public familiarity equals available rights.

The market is hungry for horror, but taste still matters.

Joshua and Nick call out the current wave: PVOD windows are the new Friday night, Smile and Smile 2 did numbers, and fandom can lift scrappy indies to theaters. Not every film will be for every viewer, but well-crafted, fan-forward work travels.

Pitch like a pro.

In 2025, you need a sizzle that communicates look, feel, and vibe instantly, plus a deck, attachments, and a clear plan to reach your audience. You are not just selling a script. You are selling probability of execution and a credible route to eyeballs.

Career durability is strategic.

Joshua’s role model stance is “boots on the ground” counsel who keeps the train on the tracks while clients grow. Filmmakers should mirror that mindset: keep learning, keep relationships warm, and build a repeatable process that survives tight cycles and shifting distribution norms.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned

• Abraham’s Boys
• Immaculate
• The Exorcist
• Smile
• Smile 2
• Weapons
• A Nightmare on Elm Street
• Friday the 13th
• Child’s Play (2019 reboot noted with Aubrey Plaza) / Chucky universe
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation
• Killer Joe
• A Time to Kill
• Evil Dead
• Evil Dead II
• Army of Darkness
• Cabin in the Woods
• Suspiria (Guadagnino remake referenced)
• It (1990, Tim Curry)
• Jurassic Park
• Scream
• Leprechaun
• War of the Worlds (remake referenced)
• Thor
• The Black Phone 2
• Agonist (short)
• REM (short)

Books & Resources

• Making Movies by Sidney Lumet
• Story by Robert McKee
• Save the Cat by Blake Snyder

Follow Joshua Lastine at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8524601/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-r-lastine-b3632b42/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lastinelaw/
• Website: https://lastineentertainmentlaw.com/

Boaz directed Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington, Safe starring Jason Statham, Max, Uptown Girls, A Price Above Rubies, Death in Love and his indie horror mystery Boarding School among many others.

Beyond directing, as a writer, his credits include The Rookie, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and Now You See Me. He is also the executive producer and writer for the noir Apple TV+ series Lady in the Lake, and was executive producer of Hostel and Hostel 2 as one of the founding members of Raw Nerve alongside Eli Roth.

As impressive as this intro is, it still reflects only a small portion of Boaz’s prolific, extensive, and diverse body of work.

In this conversation, Boaz discusses his career as well as his evolution as a filmmaker, the challenges of working within and outside the Hollywood system, and why his favorite films are guided less by career strategy and more by creative curiosity. He also discusses how the key to rewarding work in cinema is chasing meaning, not validation.

This was a pretty awesome conversation that I was very honored to have with Boaz. Big thanks to my friend Scott Rose for putting us in touch. Without further ado, strap in, and get ready for this conversation with writer, director, and producer Boaz Yakin.

Key Takeaways

Learn Script Analysis

Boaz sold his first script at 19, but he didn’t just stumble into success or a superior storytelling ability — he was steeped in story from an early age. Growing up in a theatrical household and attending Stella Adler’s famed script analysis classes during high school gave him a formidable foundation in character, psychology, and subtext. This background trained him to understand the deeper currents beneath the text, a skill that directly influenced his ability to write sellable screenplays at such a young age and launch his career before he could even buy a drink.

This education also proved invaluable for Boaz as a director. Stella Adler taught that actors — and by extension, writers and directors — must understand every facet of a character’s environment: their culture, their religion, the tone of the scene and even the weather. These contextual details inform performance and behavior and are the difference between movies and cinema.

For filmmakers, building full character and environmental context informs every decision on set. The key lesson here is the importance of foundational education because learning the principles of story and writing can pay long-term dividends.

Open Heart / Thick Skin

One of the most revealing points Boaz made was about the emotional toll of directing. Filmmakers are constantly having to say no to other creative collaborators — costume designers, cinematographers, actors — in order to preserve the vision of the film. Balancing that responsibility while also keeping your team inspired and not demoralized requires not only leadership, but emotional stamina and clarity of purpose.

Boaz notes that many successful directors tend to have narcissistic tendencies, which buffer them from the guilt or sensitivity that might get in the way of making tough decisions — but this can harm your work just as much as being a pushover. Being empathetic makes you a better artist and can help your work resonate with more people. What Boaz teaches us here is that in addition to being emotionally resilient, directors must be emotionally intelligent. It’s a balance you must learn.

Questions, Not Answers

Boaz expresses a deep discomfort with the notion of cinema as a medium for delivering clean messages or moral conclusions. He’s more drawn to the ambiguity of human experience — the gray areas where identity, emotion, and ideology collide without resolution.

When discussing his film Boarding School, Boaz emphasized that it wasn’t designed to convey a tidy moral or heroic arc. Instead, it was structured to explore unsettling territory — gender identity, family trauma, and psychological inheritance — without offering a clear-cut explanation or resolution. This reinforces his view that film should open up difficult questions rather than provide narrative comfort.

Boaz praises films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Eyes Without a Face, not because they deliver messages, but for how they immerse viewers in mood, tone, and unease. He favors directors like Mario Bava and early Dario Argento, who constructed dreamlike, expressionist horror worlds that evoke emotion and dread without spelling things out. Boaz’s appreciation for these filmmakers is tied directly to their ability to leave room for interpretation and disorientation — and for questions.

For Boaz, real filmmaking — particularly in horror — still carries the capacity to push boundaries and leave the audience with discomfort and ambiguity. He believes that when filmmakers use the medium to explore rather than resolve, they not only reflect the true complexity of life but also respect the intelligence of their audience.

Show Notes

Movies Discussed

• Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
• Eyes Without a Face (1960)
• Psycho (1960)
• Night of the Living Dead (1968)
• Dawn of the Dead (1978)
• Day of the Dead (1985)
• Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
• The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
• The Hostel series (2005, 2007)
• Boarding School (2018)
• Cemetery Man (Dellamorte Dellamore, 1994)
• Black Sabbath (1963)
• Black Sunday (1960)
• Blood and Black Lace (1964)
• Zombie (1979)
• The Beyond (1981)
• World War Z (2013)
• Now You See Me (2013)
• Fresh (1994)
• Remember the Titans (2000)
• A Price Above Rubies (1998)
• Aviva (2020)

Books & Writing

• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Follow Boaz Yakin at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0945026/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boazyakinofficial/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/boaz_yakin

Jim has built a career on doing things his own way — often by learning things the hard way, but always with heart, vision, and grit.

In this episode, Jim dives deep into the evolution of his career — from his early days making guerrilla style films to becoming a Netflix show runner. He discusses how he learned to navigate the TV industry, the painful transition from indie DIY to studio systems, and how the business has transformed for filmmakers over the last 20 years. He also gets into his longstanding mentorship with Larry Fessenden and much more on this very special episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show.

Key Takeaways

Set the Date — Make a Movie.

Human psychology is complicated, but sometimes it’s very simple. Just the act of picking a shoot date can mean everything. The moment you schedule a day to film something, your mind orients toward a tangible goal and the idea of filmmaking stops being a vague “someday” idea and becomes real, scheduled, and tangible. In 2005, Jim and his longtime collaborator set a hard deadline by which they’d start shooting something—even if it was just the two of them filming in a kitchen. That commitment led to Mulberry Street, a gritty, ultra-DIY feature shot in their own neighborhood with friends and minimal gear. It may not have been perfect—but it was finished. And it launched Jim. Sometimes, all you need to launch a career is a simple commitment in your Google Calendar.

Find Your Fessenden.

Larry Fessenden—who’s been on this show in one of my all-time favorite episodes—is a prolific creator and mentor. Jim credits him as a key figure in his career and someone he reached out to early on for advice. That connection evolved into a long-standing creative partnership: Larry went on to produce several of Jim’s films and helped him navigate both the craft of filmmaking and the maze of Hollywood. More than just a collaborator, Larry became a guiding presence—part mentor, part indie godfather—who shaped Jim’s growth as a filmmaker. Every filmmaker stands to benefit from a relationship like that. So reach out to that filmmaker you really admire because you never know what may happen.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race.

After four indie features, Jim transitioned to television gradually — starting with Hap and Leonard (which nearly crushed him) before eventually helming Netflix’s Sweet Tooth. That slow progression helped him adapt to larger crews, higher stakes, and network politics without losing his creative voice or burning out. Each project taught him how to scale. Jim warns against trying to move too fast.

In the Nat Geo documentary Jaws at 50, Spielberg talks openly about the PTSD he experienced from making Jaws. For years afterward, he’d visit the Universal lot and climb into the actual Orca boat and cry—literally to cry out the trauma he’d been carrying from the experience. He even had nightmares for half a decade. And while the grueling experience of making Jaws turned him into Spielberg, that level of pressure would have destroyed most filmmakers right out of the gate.

Careers should—and often do—progress at the pace of what you can mentally, emotionally and technically handle. Many people enter this industry dreaming of running a big set right out of the gate—but chances are, you’re not ready. You grow into those roles with experience. So embrace the process. Push yourself a little further with each project, but give yourself the time and space to evolve.

Show Notes

Movies Discussed

• Mulberry Street
• Stake Land
• We Are What We Are
• Cold in July
• In the Shadow of the Moon
• Blackout (Larry Fessenden)
• The Orphanage (remake attempt)
• Terrifier
• Talk to Me
• CODA
• Ted Lasso
• Jaws (and related documentary)

TV & Streaming

• Hap and Leonard (Sundance/AMC)
• Sweet Tooth (Netflix)
• Arrow (CW)
• Stranger Things (Netflix)

Books & Resources

• Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez
• Joseph Campbell's Hero’s Journey

Follow Jim Mickle at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0585344/:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickle_jim/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/Mickle_Jim
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Jim-Mickle-100067127643543/

The film explores the lives of Van Helsing’s sons, reframing familiar gothic mythologies through a new lens and examining the cost of obsession, legacy, and belief systems passed from parent to child. Abraham’s Boys blends Western aesthetics, intimate drama, and horror mythology to create something quietly powerful — and wholly its own. Available to rent on VOD and coming soon to Shudder.

In this episode, Natasha dives deep into the making of the film — from crafting a new visual language with her longtime DP Julia Swain, to working with horses and period locations, to adapting well-known material without undermining its origins. She also discusses the unpredictable nature of building a directing career, the importance of collaboration, and what it means to make films that ask questions instead of offering easy answers.

On today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show, here — without further ado — is Natasha Kermani.

Key Takeaways

LA is the New LA.

While many productions chase tax incentives out of state or overseas, Natasha shot Abraham’s Boys in California—and reaped the benefits. An experienced LA crew made traditionally tricky elements—horses, children, and stunts—run smoothly. Her stunt coordinator even lived nearby on a ranch, with a horse-wrangler wife ready to step in. Local crews weren’t learning on the job; they brought deep expertise, period-accurate resources, and an efficient workflow that protected high-risk days. In a time when LA has been nearly abandoned for cheaper pastures, the city’s seasoned talent pool has become a niche advantage for those who stay.

Test, Test, Test — Early and with Your Actual Actors.

Natasha didn’t just test lenses in a vacuum—she brought one of her lead actresses in costume for full camera tests. Seeing the lead actor’s face under various lighting setups, with period wardrobe and the chosen LUTs, gave a true preview of the film’s look. The process revealed not just what worked, but what didn’t, allowing for informed, confident decisions before day one of shooting. Testing with real elements—actors, costumes, lighting—ensures you’re dialing in the visuals of your movie, not a theoretical version of it.

Prioritize Mental Health and Self-Kindness.

Natasha reminds filmmakers that this industry is uniquely high-stakes, unpredictable, and expensive—and that sustaining creativity under those conditions is exhausting. Her advice: extend the same grace to yourself that you show others. Hustle culture can make rest feel like indulgence, but in a business this volatile, breaks and self-care aren’t luxuries—they’re survival tools. Replenishing your energy isn’t stepping back from your career; it’s what allows you to keep pushing it forward.

Show Notes

Movies Discussed

• Abraham’s Boys
• Imitation Girl
• Lucky
• V/H/S/85
• Dracula (1931)
• Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
• Annabelle: Creation
• Deadwood
• Bosch

Books & Stories

• 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
• Dracula by Bram Stoker

People & Resources

• Joe Hill (author)
• Julia Swain (DP)
• Jessie Rowland (AD)
• Dalton Simmons (stunt coordinator)
• Tim Wu (producer)
• Travis Tips (DP of Imitation Girl)

Locations

• Big Sky Movie Ranch (Simi Valley, CA)
• Monrovia, CA

Follow Natasha Kermani at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2992403/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natakerm/?hl=en

In this conversation, Jamie walks through his background as a magician and theater artist and the deep historical roots of magic in live performance. He also shares the rigorous process of designing for large-scale theater, how ancient illusionist traditions can be used to create state-of-the-art spectacle and explains why the most rewarding magic is built on precision, surprise, and storytelling.

This is the third in a series of conversations I’ve had with the multiple creative forces behind Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which I cannot recommend highly enough. Seriously if you’re in the New York or London area, this show is an absolute must. It completely blew me away and defied what I thought was possible to do on a stage.

This was a really fascinating and fun conversation and if you enjoy it I recommend also checking out my conversation with Jamie’s partner on the show, Chris Fisher and the writer of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Kate Trefry. Please enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Jamie Harrison.

Show Notes

Movies & TV:

• Stranger Things (Netflix)
• Stranger Things: The First Shadow (West End & Broadway)
• Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things the First Shadow (Documentary)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• Jaws (1975)

Books & Writing:

• Magic in Mind (the book Jamie mentioned)
• Danse Macabre by Stephen King
• The Secret Out, or One Thousand Tricks Explained

Follow Jamie Harrison at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm17220143/
• Website: https://www.voxmotus.co.uk/

His latest project is Skillhouse, which he wrote and directed. Skillhouse is a critique on influencer culture with brutal, practical-effects-driven set pieces by Steve Johnson. There was one sequence in Skillhouse that was so brutal the DP actually passed out. True story. Josh gets into this, his career history, advice for writers and aspiring filmmakers, and the background behind his very exciting new project, Darren and Josh Make a Movie, a podcast-docuseries hybrid that gives audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the process of making an indie horror film from concept to completion, which he co-hosts with Darren Lynn Bousman. This was an extra special and extra fun episode. I loved chatting with Josh and hope to do so again real soon. Please enjoy Josh Stolberg.

Key Takeaways

Spec scripts represent your purest voice.

Josh broke into horror by writing a Piranha spec script in four weeks and remember, he wasn’t hired to do this. He pleaded with the rights holder to let him try, and the resulting script jumpstarted his horror career. He put his time and effort on the line and that gamble paid off. This taught him that writing for yourself — not a paycheck — produces your most authentic and personal work. A lot of would-be writers and filmmakers refuse to write spec scripts, which in some scenarios makes sense, but if you’re just starting out, specs are your bread and butter. They not only force you to hone your craft, they can open doors and introduce the world to your voice. Note your first few will likely suck — Josh’s first few apparently did — but he often pulls characters, scenes, or details from failed projects to give them new life in new ones. So the beauty of a bad script is they aren't failures, they’re raw material. Keep everything, you’ll use it later.

Keep multiple irons in the fire.

There’s a creative dichotomy that focus is critical, but you never know which project will hit so therefore, it’s important to keep multiple projects moving forward at the same time. Josh juggles dozens of projects at various stages — from ideas to early drafts to ones in active development — he rotates between them based on energy and momentum. His “creative journal” method helps him track where to put his time without burning out or stalling, and he has an organized database of his projects that lets him navigate which to focus on. When one project stalls, he pivots to another — keeping the creativity and productivity flowing while avoiding burnout.

Know your audience — but don’t just give them what they ask for.

After receiving intense backlash for his Jigsaw script, Josh learned the hard way how passionate (and vocal) Saw fans are. But when it came time for Saw X, he embraced that feedback and turned around a script for the second-best Saw movie since the original. Fans wanted more Jigsaw, so he gave them what they wanted, BUT instead of over-indulging in fan service, he also found ways to surprise the audience. The goal is balance: fan service with subversion. It’s a magical combination and led to the rabid popularity of Saw X, which made over $110 million and gained the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of the entire franchise.

Show Notes

Movies Discussed

• Saw X
• Spiral
• Jigsaw
• Piranha 3D
• Skill House
• Repo! The Genetic Opera
• Halloween
• Barbarian
• Talk to Me
• Terrifier
• Cannibal Holocaust
• Apocalypse Now
• Avatar: The Last Airbender
• Conception
• Good Luck Chuck
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show

TV Shows

• Parker Lewis Can't Lose
• Dexter
• Sabrina: The Animated Series
• Avatar: The Last Airbender

Books & Screenwriting Resources

• On Writing by Stephen King
• The Black List (annual industry screenplay survey)
• Halloween (original screenplay by John Carpenter and Debra Hill)

Projects & Platforms

• Darren & Josh Make a Movie (on YouTube and Spotify)
• Skillhouse trailer
• Article about the DP passing out on Skillhouse

Follow Josh Stolberg at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831457/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshstolberg/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/joshstolberg
• Website: https://www.joshstolberg.com/

With a background in stage magic and major productions like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Back to the Future: The Musical, Chris brings a magician’s eye and a director’s instinct to theatrical illusion, redefining what’s possible on stage. In this episode, he talks about training actors in sleight-of-hand, designing horror sequences for a live audience, and why Stranger Things: The First Shadow might be the most ambitious stage show ever produced.

Key Takeaways

Live theater is the new special effects.

In a world dominated by CGI and AI, Fisher believes true spectacle now lies in what you can do right in front of an audience. With Stranger Things: The First Shadow, the goal was to create jaw-dropping effects — in real time, with no digital help. That meant gasps in the theater, not in post-production. The live setting becomes its own kind of magic.

Treat actors like magicians.

To pull off illusions, Fisher and his team had to train the cast in principles of stage magic: misdirection, sleight of hand, and controlled attention. Especially lead actor Louis McCartney, who had to master complex tricks — like bleeding on cue — all while acting. Fisher runs “magic boot camps” during rehearsals, teaching performers how to make illusions look natural and narrative-driven.

Horror is harder on stage — but more powerful.

Crafting fear in theater demands balance. Go too far and it becomes laughable; not far enough, and it’s ineffective. Fisher focused on building suspense through precise timing, lighting, and sound — even dissecting jump scares frame by frame. His team embraced the “Jaws effect”: show just enough to unsettle, then deliver a brief, unforgettable payoff.

Make every department part of the illusion.

From lighting and sound to costumes and props, each scare in the show is a feat of cross-departmental coordination. A single effect — like a character’s fall or a monster’s entrance — often requires perfect timing across half a dozen teams. According to Fisher, true stage magic only works when everyone is completely in sync.

Sometimes, the simplest things are hardest.

The most challenging illusion? A nosebleed. Recreating Eleven’s signature moment live took months of testing — and eventually relied on sleight-of-hand and costume tricks. The goal was to make it visible to every seat in the house, not just the front row. More often than not, storytelling dictated technique.

Push past what’s been done.

To elevate the show beyond existing stage spectacles, Fisher and his team studied the most advanced illusion shows in Las Vegas — then set out to beat them. With encouragement from producers and the Duffer Brothers, they constantly pushed for bigger, scarier, and more innovative moments. Multiple illusion labs and workshops allowed them to invent new methods just for this production.

Blood is a storytelling tool.

After early previews, one note became universal: “More blood.” From subtle nosebleeds to geysers of gore, Fisher and his team used blood effects to amplify horror and tragedy. These weren’t just shocks — they were emotional beats, tied to character and story. That meant making blood visible from every seat and learning how it read under different lights and costumes.

Collaboration is the ultimate special effect.

No single department could have pulled this off alone. Fisher credits the leadership of producers Sonia Friedman and directors Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin for fostering an environment where every creative team — from illusion to engineering to design — worked in tandem toward a shared vision. Weekly meetings, shared breakthroughs, and constant iteration made the impossible possible.

Show Notes

Movies & Shows

• Stranger Things: The First Shadow (West End, Broadway)
• Stranger Things (Netflix)
• Jaws
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• Back to the Future: The Musical
• Titus Andronicus (Stage Production)

Books & Media

• The First Shadow Documentary (Netflix, Behind-the-scenes)
• Magic Sets (Chris Fisher & Jamie Harrison, childhood influences)

Techniques & References

• The Jaws Effect (suspense over spectacle)
• Sleight of hand & misdirection training
• Practical blood FX on stage
• Multi-department stage illusions
• “Scary Patty” sequence
• “Black void” design
• Spider puppetry and staging
• Gantry fall stunt

Follow Chris Fisher at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm17220142/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theatreillusion/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/theatreillusion
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.fisher.77312/

Her latest venture takes the franchise into uncharted territory: the stage. Kate wrote Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a theatrical prequel set in 1959 Hawkins that blends psychological horror with jaw-dropping effects.

The First Shadow is one of the most incredible theater experiences I’ve ever had — its a mind-blowing fusion of stagecraft, horror, and storytelling that feels like witnessing real magic unfold in real time. So if you’re in New York City or London’s West End, run — don’t walk. This show absolutely blew me away.

In this episode, Kate gets into her career history, including her ten-year struggle in Hollywood after which she was making snowcones before landing the writing gig of a lifetime on Stranger Things. She also dives into her collaborative process with the Duffer Brothers and the extremely challenging, grueling, and fascinating experience of adapting Stranger Things to the stage.

On today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show, here — without further ado — is Kate Trefry.

Key Takeaways

Ignorance is bliss.

Despite having written for Stranger Things for over five years, Kate had never written a play before — and that turned out to be an advantage. Unburdened by the typical constraints of stagecraft, she approached The First Shadow like she would an episode or film: big set pieces, impossible visuals, cinematic pacing. Instead of limiting her vision, the creative team encouraged it — telling her to write whatever she wanted and leave it to them to figure out how to make it work live. The result is a show that doesn’t just adapt Stranger Things for the stage — it redefines what live theatre can do.

There is no writing, only rewriting.

Throughout the development of The First Shadow, Trefry wrote hundreds of drafts. During the workshop and preview process, she sat with live audiences, watching for moments when people shifted, coughed, or lost focus — then made adjustments accordingly. Kate believes the magic starts to happen around draft six — when emotion, structure, and theme finally begin to align. Her process always involves discovery through multiple rewrites, often transforming scenes completely from their original form. For her, the key is getting to the end of your first draft as quickly as possible — so you can start rewriting. And then rewrite again. And again.

Authenticity opens doors.

Kate’s path to Stranger Things began not with a polished pitch, but with brutal, unfiltered honesty. After years grinding in Hollywood, she took a call with the Duffer Brothers and told them point-blank that “Hollywood is a cesspool” and “writing is a nightmare” — not exactly go-to lines for landing a job. But to her surprise, they loved her candor. That authenticity — combined with clear talent — landed her in the Stranger Things writers’ room the following week. The takeaway: showing up as your real self, especially in an industry full of rehearsed personalities, can resonate more than trying to be what you think others want.

Show Notes

Movies Discussed

• Stranger Things (Netflix)
• Stranger Things: The First Shadow (West End & Broadway)
• Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things The First Shadow (Documentary)
• Game of Thrones
• The Shining
• Harry Potter
• Lord of the Rings

Books & Projects

• Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
• Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey
• Dragons Love Tacos
• 
  

Follow Kate Trefry at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4418668/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/kaaaaaatetrefry?lang=en

Marc shot the film in just nine days. In this episode, he shares how he crafted a highly effective, technically simple film on a tight budget and schedule without compromising quality. He also offers insights on where to invest your resources when working within budget constraints.

I’ll say there are some SLIGHT spoilers in this interview - I recommend watching Bark first but if you haven’t it won’t necessarily ruin the experience for you, but you should still try to see it anyway.

Show Notes

Movies Discussed

• Bark
• Pathology
• Buried
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Crank
• The Blair Witch Project
• Tremors

Directors & Filmmakers Referenced

• Robert Rodriguez
• Lex Fridman
• Tim Ferriss
• Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor
• Marc’s DP: Peter (longtime collaborator)

Topics Covered

• How Marc discovered Bark via an online script forum
• The story’s emotional and visual roots in a real-life animal abuse incident
• The creative constraints and opportunities of a one-location movie
• Using long lenses and color desaturation to reflect the main character’s mental state
• Filming in the Black Forest with a micro-crew of 12 people
• Shooting 25 pages of dialogue in a single day
• Crafting immersive sound design and environmental texture in post
• Writing a behind-the-scenes book: Making Bark: A Filmmaker’s Journey
• Working with SAG actors, sound teams, and editors who elevate low-budget filmmaking
• Building your career through commercials and staying agile

Books & Projects

• Making Bark: A Filmmaker’s Journey by Marc Schölermann (available on Amazon)

Where to Watch

• Bark is now streaming on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and other major VOD platforms

Follow Marc Schölermann at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0774340/?ref_=nmbio_ov_bk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcschoelermann/?hl=en
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/therealschoeli?lang=en
• Website: https://www.marcschoelermann.com/

Shannon Eric Denton is a veteran writer, artist, and transmedia creator with a career that cuts across comics, animation, television, and gaming. He’s worked with major studios including Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., Disney, Marvel, DC Comics, and Riot Games. Shannon is also the co-founder of Monster Forge Productions, alongside horror legend Steve Niles, where they specialize in developing monster-centric IP for film, TV, games, and merchandise.

Joining him is David Hartman — an Emmy-nominated director, illustrator, and producer with over 25 years in the animation and horror industries. In addition to directing Phantasm: Ravager, the final chapter in Don Coscarelli’s iconic franchise, David has worked as a visual effects supervisor and animator on cult favorites like Bubba Ho-Tep and John Dies at the End. His background also includes extensive work in animation as a showrunner, storyboard artist, and Spectrum Award-winning illustrator.

In addition to their individual accomplishments, Shannon and David have teamed up on several projects, most notably through their work with Titan Comics. Their graphic novel Kraken blends supernatural horror with historical adventure. Their upcoming title Spectors, set for release in May 2026, continues this trajectory — a supernatural adventure featuring a team of eccentric heroes battling monsters and cults, combining pulpy thrills with cinematic visuals.

Together, Shannon and David bring a wealth of experience in genre storytelling, and today they’re here to talk monsters, collaboration, and navigating the creative process across mediums.

FEATURED PROJECTS

NEW GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Kraken (Titan Comics, Sept. 2025)

- A pulp adventure set in the 1930s that follows a transformed explorer back from the sea, determined to stop a supernatural apocalypse. Think The Shadow or The Rocketeer—but with monsters.

• Spectres

- Starts in the 1930s and leaps to present day, following a monster-hunting team through a time-hopping, lore-rich narrative.

NOW ON KICKSTARTER

• Return of the Monsters

- A passion project from Monster Forge Productions, this is a reimagining of classic monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Creature, brought to life in premium comic form.

- Back it on Kickstarter

MOVIES, SHOWS & COMICS DISCUSSED

• Indiana Jones
• Return of the Living Dead
• Evil Dead
• The Goon (Eric Powell)
• Tales from the Crypt
• House of Secrets, The Unexpected, and other 70s–80s horror comics
• Mad Magazine, Cracked, Crazy
• Transformers: Prime (David Hartman directed)
• Phantasm: Ravager (David Hartman directed)
• Bubba Ho-Tep
• Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas (Netflix animated series)
• Rob Zombie music videos & concept art

Follow Shannon Eric Denton at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003015/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonericdenton/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/ShannonDenton
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonericdenton/
• Website: https://shannondenton.com/

Follow David Hartman at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0366935/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidhartmanart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artofdavidhartman/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sideshowmonkey/
• Website: https://www.sideshowmonkey.com/

Robin Block is rewriting the playbook for how genre stories get made. As the founder of CreatorVC, he’s behind the wildly successful In Search of Darkness documentary series, Aliens Expanded, and In Search of the Last Action Heroes—all funded and shaped by passionate fans. Now, with his new venture ScreamSeed, Robin is building the future of horror development: a platform that brings creators and fans together to incubate new IP and make bold, independent horror without waiting for Hollywood permission. In this episode, Robin shares how to build your own lane in horror, why fan-led development is the future, how to pitch projects that actually get made, and why practical effects and passion will always win over algorithms.

We also do an inordinate amount of geeking out about horror along the way and Robin makes a bunch of great deep cut recommendations so get your pencils ready. Or your notetaking apps because nobody owns pencils any more. I’m personally very psyched by what Robin is building. He is truly a man of the fans and is working towards a production infrastructure in which the fans get to rally their energy towards real projects which is not only exceptionally exciting, but echoes a new wave of the future.

Now, for your listening pleasure, please enjoy this episode with Robin Block.

Show Notes

Resources & Links:

• In Search of Darkness: 1995–1999 available for pre-order until June 9 at 80sHorrorDoc.com
• Aliens Expanded and all CreatorVC projects – creatorvc.com
• ScreamSeed horror incubator – screamseed.com

Movies & Projects Discussed

• In Search of Darkness (I, II, III, 1990–94, 1995–99)
• In Search of Tomorrow
• In Search of the Last Action Heroes
• Aliens Expanded
• The Thing Expanded (in development)
• Late Night with the Devil
• Heretic
• Shelby Oaks
• The Shining
• The Thing
• Aliens
• The Evil Dead
• Talk to Me
• Skinamarink
• The Pope’s Exorcist
• The Boogeyman
• Terrifier 2

Directors & Filmmakers Referenced

• David Weiner
• John Carpenter
• James Cameron
• Guillermo del Toro
• Damien Leone
• Parker Finn
• Ari Aster
• Philippou Brothers
• Mike Flanagan
• Rob Bottin
• Frank Darabont
• Sigourney Weaver
• Eli Roth

Follow Robin Block at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1602716/?ref_=fn_all_nme_1
• X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/robinblock
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rob.Block
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinblock1/
• Website: https://www.creatorvc.com/

Show Notes

Movies Discussed

• The Mummy (1932)
• The Architects of Fear (The Outer Limits, 1963)
• Carrie
• Horror Express
• Don’t Look Now
• Nosferatu (2022)
• Beau Is Afraid
• Magnolia
• Silence of the Lambs
• Se7en
• Terrifier 2
• Barbarian
• Companion
• Heart Eyes
• The Stuff
• Dr. Strangelove
• Videodrome
• The Fly
• The Exorcist
• Cell (Stephen King)
• Hereditary

Directors & Filmmakers Referenced

• Kurt Sayenga
• Quentin Tarantino
• Rob Zombie
• Greg Nicotero
• Edgar Wright
• Eli Roth
• David Lynch
• Mario Bava
• Dario Argento
• Lucio Fulci
• Takashi Miike
• Nicolas Roeg
• Ari Aster
• Paul Thomas Anderson
• David Cronenberg
• Stephen King
• Robert Eggers
• Jordan Peele
• David Dastmalchian

Music Referenced

• The Misfits
• The Cramps
• Gun Club
• Fugazi
• Minor Threat

Follow Kurt Sayenga at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1012131/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hermeneuticcircle/
• Website: https://www.kurtsayenga.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-sayenga-57961a8/

Mike and Nic share how the movie originated as a 3 AM idea, the journey from script to screen, and how they secured funding and distribution in a competitive indie film market. They also get into guerrilla filmmaking tactics, crafting a compelling pitch package, boosting production value with amazing locations and handling on-set crises. Please enjoy this conversation with Nic Neary and Mike Capes.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned:

• Jurassic Park (1993)
• Ghostbusters (1984)
• The Goonies (1985)
• Indiana Jones franchise
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
• Jaws (1975)
• Airplane! (1980)
• The Naked Gun (1988)
• Gremlins (1984)
• Super Troopers (2001)
• Speed (1994)
• Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
• Ghostbusters II (1989)
• Terrifier (2016)
• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
• Teen Wolf

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Mike & Nic.

You Have Got to Stand Out.

The film industry is oversaturated with scripts, projects, and ideas—pitching something uniquely is essential. The Invisible Raptor team understood that a script alone wouldn't grab attention, so they built a compelling pitch package with costumes, action figures, a movie poster, and a humorous pitch video. These tangible assets made the project feel real to investors, giving it momentum before it was even funded. A script isn’t always enough—filmmakers should create visual, physical, or digital materials to showcase their vision, commitment and enthusiasm.

Write the Movie You Want—Then Find a Way to Make It Happen

Conventional wisdom tells indie filmmakers to write “contained, low-budget” scripts—but the Invisible Raptor team ignored that advice. They wrote a film with a dinosaur theme park, elaborate effects, and car chases, then figured out how to make it work through resourcefulness, networking, and persistence. Finding an affordable dinosaur amusement park seemed impossible—until a chance conversation with John Stamos led them to the perfect location. Discovery Cube Science Center in Anaheim, where Stamos’ sister worked, had everything they needed—including a giant animatronic dinosaur that pooped, which fit the script perfectly.

By piecing together multiple assets through favors the team gave the movie a much bigger scope than its budget should have allowed. Don’t let financial limitations stifle your creativity—write the best version of your story, then problem-solve to bring it to life.

Hire for Energy

Filmmaking is grueling, especially on an indie production where long hours and tight budgets push everyone to their limits. The Invisible Raptor team knew that keeping morale high was just as important as hitting their shots. A positive, energized set prevented burnout and kept the production moving forward, even when challenges arose. They understood that even one toxic crew member can derail everything. That’s why they were selective in hiring—not just bringing on trusted friends, but choosing people who truly supported the vision. Negativity spreads faster than positivity, so keeping the right energy on set meant keeping the right people around.

Follow Mike Capes at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2142138/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lordmikecapes/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/themikecapes
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.capes/

Follow Nic Neary at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6543591/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nachoneary/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/TheNickNeary/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickneary/

From Texas Chainsaw Massacre to forgotten gems like Help Me, I’m Possessed, David’s work breaks down the evolution of horror, how societal chaos like the Vietnam War shaped the genre, and what makes 1974 a landmark year for the genre. We also discuss his upcoming book on 70s horror and the enduring impact of directors like Tobe Hooper. Whether you're a die-hard horror fan or a filmmaker looking for historical inspiration, this episode is a treasure trove of insights into horror’s rich legacy.

Show Notes

Movies Discussed

• Texas Chainsaw Massacre
• Help Me, I’m Possessed
• It’s Alive
• Deranged
• Black Christmas
• Flesh for Frankenstein
• Blood for Dracula
• Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires
• Cannibal Holocaust
• The Friday the 13th franchise
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise (including Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III and Texas Chainsaw 3D)
• Exorcist-inspired films (The Sexorcist, Legacy of Satan)
• 70s exploitation films (Vampyros Lesbos, Blood Splattered Bride)
• Mother of Tears (2007)
• Dark Glasses (2022)
• Longlegs (2024)
• The Substance (2024)
• Strange Darling (2024)
• Evil Dead Rise (2023)
• Heretic (2024)
• Terrifier 3 (Upcoming)
• Barbarian (2022)
• Renfield (2023)
• Jason X (2001)
• The Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf (1985)
• Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Directors & Filmmakers Referenced

• Tobe Hooper
• Andy Warhol
• Paul Morrissey
• Herschell Gordon Lewis
• Dario Argento

Books & Projects

• David’s upcoming book on 70s horror
• The Dybbuk (classic Judaic horror)

Music Referenced

• The Misfits
• Bauhaus
• The Damned
• Japanese noise music

Platforms & Newsletters

• David Katznelson’s Substack: The Signal from David Katznelson

Follow David Katznelson at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10775975/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oakiedog/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/oakiedog
• Substack: https://oakiedog.substack.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-katznelson-3a1601/

Today Adam shares the emotional and artistic journey behind his latest film, Memoir of a Snail—a deeply personal, darkly whimsical tale about a young girl named Grace and her struggles with isolation and self-discovery.

Memoir of a Snail—is nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards and as much as I loved Flow and The Wild Robot, I’d love to see this movie take home the gold. One thing that struck me when I was watching this is that AI doesn’t stand a chance against work like this—the work is painstakingly personal, soulful, and filled with human touch and it’s authentic movies like these that we need to rally behind.

I cannot say enough good things about this movie, it made me laugh, it made me cry and I found it both entertaining and deeply moving. So all of you Academy voters, make sure to see it before the big day.

In today’s episode, Adam reveals the meticulous process behind crafting his stop-motion films, the challenges of writing deeply human stories, and why he insists on using entirely practical techniques in an age of CGI.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Adam Elliot.

1. Celebrate Imperfections

Adam’s aesthetic stems from a physiological tremor that makes drawing straight lines difficult for him. By embracing his imperfections, he’s developed a signature style he calls “chunky wonky.” He encourages artists to celebrate their flaws, both in themselves and their work, as it adds authenticity and charm.

2. Embrace Originality by Looking Inward

Adam emphasized the importance of creating work that is uniquely your own. Drawing inspiration from his family, personal history, and everyday people, he crafts deeply human stories. For emerging filmmakers, he advises focusing less on homage and more on introspection to find your unique voice.

For filmmakers searching for their own voice, Adam suggests taking a step back from external influences. Instead of asking, “What kind of films do I want to make?” he advises asking, “What stories do only I have to tell?” He believes that everyone has unique experiences that can be shaped into compelling narratives—whether it’s an unusual upbringing, a family quirk, or an unforgettable encounter.

At the heart of originality is authenticity. Audiences connect most with stories that feel honest and deeply personal. Adam’s advice: don’t chase trends or worry about what’s marketable—dig into your own life and embrace the details that make you, you.

3. Art Takes Time

Adam’s writing process is unconventional—he starts with the details first, such as small quirks and objects (e.g., John Denver music, guinea pigs), and then pieces together the story and structure later. He went through 16 drafts of the script over three years, emphasizing the importance of patience, meticulous research, and revision. Memoir of a Snail took eight years to complete due to Adam’s dedication to every stage of production—from scriptwriting to crafting the characters and sets. His meticulous attention to detail is a reminder that meaningful work often requires patience and persistence, but the results can be amazing.

4. Balancing Comedy and Tragedy Engages Audiences

Adam’s films strike a delicate balance between humor and heartbreak, ensuring that audiences experience an emotional journey without being overwhelmed by darkness. He believes that life itself is a mix of light and dark, and his goal as a filmmaker is to capture that contrast in an authentic way. If a film leans too bleak, it risks leaving audiences emotionally drained; if it’s too light, it may lack depth and resonance. But when comedy and tragedy are carefully intertwined, they enhance each other—making the sad moments hit harder and the comedic ones feel like a welcome relief.

Adam believes that without darkness, light has no meaning, and vice versa. His characters face real struggles, yet he never leaves the audience completely lost in despair. There’s always a moment of levity, a touch of human absurdity, or a small triumph that keeps the emotional weight from becoming overwhelming.

Don’t be afraid to mix tones. Comedy doesn’t dilute drama—it can strengthen it. If you take your audience on a journey through life’s darkest moments, give them reasons to smile along the way. This balance not only makes a film more engaging but also ensures its emotional impact lingers long after the credits roll.

Show Notes

Films Discussed

• Memoir of a Snail
• Mary and Max
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Coraline
• Thelma
• Beetlejuice 2

Filmmakers Referenced

• Guillermo del Toro (Pinocchio)
• Wes Anderson (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs)
• Tim Burton (The Corpse Bride, Beetlejuice)
• David Lynch
• Peter Greenaway

Follow Adam Elliot at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0254178/
• X (Tweeter): https://x.com/AdamElliot2
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adam_elliot_clay/
• Website: https://www.adamelliot.au/

Elric’s new feature ‘The Dead Thing’ launches on Shudder today! I got to see it at an advanced screening and I urge you to check it out on Shudder because it’s excellent and beautifully crafted.

In today’s episode, Elric and I dive deep into the making of the Dead Thing including his innovative financing strategy, the challenges of directing an indie, the importance of casting, and navigating post-production hurdles. Please give it up for Elric Kane.

Key Takeaways

Budget Wisely & Plan for Post & Deliverables

A common and generally positive ethic of filmmaking is to put every dollar on screen but many indie filmmakers make the mistake of spending their entire budget on the shoot, only to realize too late that post can be just as expensive and time-consuming. Elric stresses that without a proper plan for editing, sound design, color correction, and deliverables, filmmakers risk delaying their release or running out of money before the film is finished. Furthermore deliverables—like legal clearances, contracts, paperwork and permissions—can take months to finalize and often cost more than expected. Budget accordingly.

Cast Well, Direct Less

According to Elric, a director’s best tool is strong casting. No amount of great cinematography, effects, or editing can save a film thats been miscast. Elric emphasizes that the best performances come from actors who already embody the role, rather than ones who need to be excessively directed. The right actors make directing easier and more organic, allowing the filmmaker to focus on the bigger picture.

Elric hired casting director and friend of the show, David Guglielmo, who not only found great actors but also helped with industry connections and even stepped into somewhat of a producer role. A strong cast carries the movie, and a good casting director can open doors you can’t and they are worth every penny.

Consider Network Financing

Instead of relying on crowdfunding platforms or searching for a few large investors, Elric took a different approach—he asked multiple people in his network for smaller investments, typically in $5,000 increments. This approach helped him and his team raise nearly the entire budget in two months.

His advice for anyone hesitant to ask for money is to start by asking the person you least want to ask. Once you’ve crossed that mental hurdle, every ask after that becomes easier. $5,000 investments can add up very quickly - and it’s not that you need to replicate this exact strategy but it’s important to think creatively about how to finance your movie.

Be Relentless About What Matters Most

Filmmaking requires a lot of sacrifices, but not all of them are created equal. Elric believes that certain scenes are non-negotiable because they define the essence of the film. Throughout the production of The Dead Thing, he had to fight to keep crucial moments in the film, even when time constraints forced other compromises. His philosophy is to figure out what the life force of the film itself is and make sure you get it in the can. Knowing what is essential and protecting it at all costs is what separates great directors from those who let production pressures dilute their film. Elric quoted the Cohen brothers who called the director the immune system of the movie. They said everything's coming in to fuck it up and destroy you, but you are the immune system keeping all the good stuff and the bad stuff out.

Show Notes

Movies Discussed

• Cure (1997)
• Pulse (2001)
• Retribution (2006)
• Morvern Callar (2002)
• Lost Highway (1997)
• Crimes of the Future (2022)
• Repulsion (1965)
• Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
• The Tenant (1976)
• The Shining (1980)
• Don’t Look Now (1973)
• Bad Timing (1980)
• Pulp Fiction (1994)
• Reservoir Dogs (1992)
• Body Double (1984)
• Snake Eyes (1998)
• Femme Fatale (2002)
• Friday the 13th series
• Cockfighter (1974)

Follow Elric Kane at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1645790/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elrickane/
• Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/elrickane

In this episode, Josh gets into his career history, editing process, collaborations with filmmakers like Joe Begos and Osgood Perkins and the story behind the recently released Companion, which is one of my favorite horror movies in a long time. This is a really insightful conversation that I really enjoyed and think you will as well. Please welcome, Josh Ethier!

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Josh

Look for the Note Behind the Note

Audience feedback can be a double-edged sword—sometimes useful, sometimes misleading. Josh learned early on from Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator) that feedback isn’t about taking every note literally but understanding the note behind the note which requires deeper analysis.

For instance, on Companion, early test screenings showed that one character was getting lower audience scores. Instead of softening the character, they leaned into the audience’s dislike and committed to it—embracing the audience’s reaction rather than trying to cater to feedback. As a result, the character actually scored higher in later tests.

Editing is a “Four-Month Conversation” Between Director and Editor

The relationship between an editor and a director is one of the most intimate creative partnerships in filmmaking. Josh emphasizes that the strongest director-editor teams are built on genuine relationships, which is why socializing and getting to know each other outside of the work is just as important as the technical process.

The best collaborations happen when an editor and director truly understand each other’s creative DNA—the movies that inspire them, their sense of humor, their artistic instincts, and how they think about storytelling. The editing room isn’t just where cuts are made; it’s where creative risks are taken, where directors feel safe enough to experiment, and where an editor helps guide them toward their best possible work.

The more an editor and director understand each other, the better they can anticipate each other’s needs, develop a shorthand, challenge each other in the right ways, and ultimately make the movie stronger.

Immerse Yourself in Quality

Josh believes that editors—and all filmmakers—should obsessively watch and absorb great films. But instead of overanalyzing or attempting to reverse-engineer their greatness, the key is exposure. Some films are great because they have an innate rhythm, a unique DNA that can’t simply be replicated. Rather than trying to deconstruct and apply a formula, internalize their essence. Understand what great filmmaking feels like, so when it comes time to shape your own work, you instinctively recognize when something is working—and when it’s not. This is also a common piece of creative advice given by Rick Rubin, and I highly recommend his book The Creative Act.

SHOW NOTES

Movies Discussed

• Companion (2024)
• Almost Human (2013)
• Contracted (2013)
• Gretel & Hansel (2020)
• We Are Still Here (2015)
• First Blood (1982)
• Jaws (1975)
• Seven (1995)
• Looper (2012)

Books & Resources

• In the Blink of an Eye – Walter Murch
• The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film – Michael Ondaatje
• Easy Riders, Raging Bulls – Peter Biskind
• The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (Documentary)
• Every Frame a Painting (YouTube Series by Tony Zhou)
• The Rough Cut (Podcast by Matt Feury)
• Steve Hullfish’s Art of the Cut (Book & Podcast)
• Fangoria (Josh’s article on editing Companion)
• Letterboxd (where Josh actively logs & reviews films)

Follow Josh Ethier at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3991275/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshethier/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/josh_ethier
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshethier/

Steven also shares his compelling origin story, which included living in his car in Los Angeles before going on to direct multiple action features and collaborating with legends like Bruce Willis, Nicolas Cage, and Sylvester Stallone. This episode was a real blast and is packed with advice and insights for all you horror filmmakers out there. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Steven C. Miller, director of Werewolves.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Steven C. Miller

Get a rallyer

One of the standout perks Steven shared about working with Frank Grillo is that Frank is a natural rallyer on set. He possesses an authoritative and trusted presence that helps elevate the cast and crew, motivating them to back Steven’s decisions and rise to the challenges of production. Having someone like this on set is invaluable. On any film shoot, there will be moments when morale dips, fatigue sets in, or tensions arise. A rallyer—someone who can inspire and energize the team—can make all the difference.

However, this kind of relationship hinges on trust. Frank Grillo has been on a lot of sets, worked with a lot of directors and has a pretty sharp bullshit detector. During Werewolves, Frank would ask Steven pointed questions, and because Steven always had solid answers, Frank trusted him. This mutual respect allowed Frank to step into a quarterback-like role on set, helping to unify and inspire the team. As a filmmaker, seek out cast members who possess this quality—but understand that it’s your responsibility to earn their trust and respect first.

Keep it moving

Steven’s action-oriented directorial style thrives on momentum. Anyone will tell you that filmmaking is largely waiting around, but Steven counters this with a fast-paced, dynamic approach. By minimizing downtime, he keeps actors engaged, energized, and ready to deliver their best, especially during action-heavy scenes. This efficiency comes from Steven’s deep understanding of set logistics, a skill he honed through hands-on experience in his early days. His ability to streamline production and avoid stagnation creates an environment where both creativity and productivity flourish. Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez has expressed similar ideas, highlighting that actors appreciate the pace, and it allows productions to run more smoothly and on schedule and budget.

Say yes

Steven has directed an impressive number of films, and if you look at his IMDB page, he seems to constantly be working. This is a testament to his “say yes to everything” philosophy. He believes that filmmakers should view every project as a learning opportunity, regardless of whether it’s a passion project. Rather than being overly selective, Steven advocates for gaining as much experience as possible by consistently working and completing projects. This mindset is especially important in an industry where opportunities are scarce. While some directors, like Quentin Tarantino, can afford to be hyper-selective about their filmography, Steven stresses that this is the exception, not the rule. For most filmmakers, success comes from viewing the craft as a career, where consistency and experience are key. By saying yes, Steven not only became a better and more reliable filmmaker but also built relationships and gained opportunities to work with legends like Nicolas Cage, Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, and Aaron Eckhart. His willingness to tackle all kinds of projects and have a track record of profitability ultimately led him to direct his ultimate dream project, Werewolves.

Show Notes

Movies Discussed

• Werewolves
• Automaton Transfusion
• Dog Soldiers
• The Howling
• American Werewolf in London
• Ginger Snaps
• Late Phases
• Underworld
• Silver Bullet
• Bad Moon

Misc Resources:

• American Cinematographer Magazine
• Panavision Stores

Follow Steven C. Miller at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1921345/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevencmiller/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/stevencmiller
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevencmiller/

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Brian and Adam:

Take Breaks.

Early drafts of their script didn’t work—there was a disconnect between the concept of paralysis and the main character’s emotional journey. Rather than forcing a solution, they decided to put the project aside for a while and focus on other things. When they returned to the script with fresh perspectives, they were able to see the story’s missing elements more clearly and reapproach it with renewed energy.

The takeaway here is don't be afraid to pause: when creativity stalls, putting your project down for a short period can provide the mental clarity and distance needed to spot problems and find solutions. Even if you're not directly working on a project, your brain will subconsciously work on a solution in the background. Patience leads to stronger work: Rushing to force solutions can lead to uninspired results. Instead, embrace the process and trust that time away can lead to breakthroughs.

Write a Scalable Script.

Brian and Adam intentionally crafted a story that could be produced at varying budget levels, making it adaptable for different production scenarios. This strategy proved invaluable when pitching the project. Whether it became a $1M indie film shot in a handful of locations or a larger studio-backed production with expanded scope, the story’s essence and emotional core remained intact and gave them the flexibility to pitch to a wide array of producers.

They compared their approach to Beck and Woods who wrote A Quiet Place. When pitching A Quiet Place, Beck and Woods famously intended to shoot their high-concept horror story for $75,000 in their hometown if it didn’t sell. By ensuring their script could be executed with minimal resources, the Don’t Move team gave themselves the flexibility to proceed regardless of the budgetary constraints. For Don't Move, the scalability made the film an easier sell to partners, such as producer Sam Raimi and Netflix, while also leaving room for creative adjustments based on the final budget.

Safety First.

One of the most critical lessons the directors learned from Sam Raimi was the importance of prioritizing safety on set. Raimi repeatedly emphasized that it was their responsibility as directors to ensure the well-being of every cast and crew member, whether during stunt work or handling environmental hazards like shooting scenes on a 200-foot cliff or filming complex car stunts. No shot or sequence is worth compromising the safety of cast or crew, and it’s the directors’ job to uphold this standard at all times.

This commitment to safety extended beyond stunts. Through their leadership, the directors fostered an environment where every crew member felt valued and secure, which in turn contributed to a more collaborative and focused set. By prioritizing safety, they set the tone for a productive and respectful creative process.

Show Notes

Movies Discussed:

• Gravity
• The Vanishing (1988)
• Barbarian
• Smile

Follow Brian Netto at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1826621/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nettworxx/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.netto.9/

Follow Adam Schindler at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2040169/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adampatrickschindler/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adam.schindler30/

David also dives into the real-world setbacks he faced on set, from revoked permits to floods, and how quick thinking and flexibility helped keep the production afloat. With insights on casting, creating a cohesive tone, and making the most of ultra-low budgets, David gives us a masterclass on indie filmmaking survival. This is David’s second time on the show so if you want more of his origin story be sure and check out Episode 11.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with David Guglielmo.

Flexibility on Set is Crucial:

David emphasized the importance of adaptability because he was forced to embody this to an extreme degree. When a neighbor caused their permit to be revoked, the production team had to pivot from a night shoot to a day shoot. Instead of panicking, David calmly rewrote scenes and embraced the changes, which ultimately added an interesting surreal vibe to the film. David has been on a lot of sets and faced a lot of setbacks, so his adaptability is very fluid—to the point where not only does he roll with the punches, but he also finds ways to make the setbacks work in his favor. This is like black belt-level directing. Best laid plans can come crashing down at any moment, which is why it’s critical to not only be resilient in the face of obstacles but to embrace them.

Stay Tuned In:

David noted that when directing, it’s important to remain tuned into the frequency of the project. This may sound metaphysical, but well-crafted movies have a specific frequency—whether you want to call it a tone, a spirit, or an energy, it’s foundational to the movie. As you go through the inevitable setbacks and sacrifices that come with filmmaking, it’s critical to remain tuned into that frequency because it can guide your decisions in favor of the movie. David also recommends making films that reflect your distinct sensibilities and experiences rather than chasing trends or formulas.

Invest in Crew Happiness:

Having made several ultra-low-budget films, when asked where filmmakers can afford to cut costs and where they should invest, David stresses that the well-being of the crew should never be compromised. A happy, motivated crew can make a significant difference in the film’s final outcome and your overall experience directing. The key to this is building a strong sense of camaraderie on set, which starts with transparency: letting the crew know exactly what they’re signing up for and setting realistic expectations from the jump. By doing so, you attract team members who are passionate about the project rather than just in it for the paycheck. David also believes in giving less experienced but talented crew members their first major opportunities, creating a collective enthusiasm and a willingness to go the extra mile.

Show Notes

Movies & Inspirations

• Love Bomb (David Guglielmo’s latest film)
• Castle Freak (remake, written by Kathy Charles)
• Jacob’s Wife
• After Hours
• Gone Girl
• The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
• Dressed to Kill
• Blow Out
• Body Double
• Death Proof
• It Follows
• Under the Silver Lake

Books

• Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch

Follow David Guglielmo at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0961027/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidaguglielmo/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/DavidAGuglielmo

All You Need is Blood is a movie I really want to shout from the rooftops for more people to see. It’s a love letter to childhood dreams of filmmaking and zombie movies and is full of charm and blood in equal measure. The effects are also awesome, and the movie is hilarious—I urge you to see it and tell your friends. All You Need is Blood is available to stream on the KINO app, which you can download today.

In this conversation with Cooper we dig into the 6 plus year journey of bringing AYNIB to fruition, the challenges of relying on practical effects on indie movies and why casting is one of the most important elements of directing.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Cooper Roberts.

80% of Directing is Casting

Cooper cited a famous quote, commonly attributed to Elia Kazan, that directing is 80% casting. For this reason, he paid close attention to the casting process and took his time finding the right people, which tremendously helped bring the characters—and therefore the film—to life. Cooper noted that casting actors who naturally embody the character makes directing them much smoother and more intuitive. Casting actors outside their usual genres can also yield surprising performances, as audiences respond well to seeing familiar faces in unexpected roles, as was the case with Mina Suvari playing a comedic role, which brought a fresh, unexpected dimension to the film.

Never underestimate good old cold outreach.

With few industry connections, Cooper turned to IMDb Pro to cold-email indie producers. Out of a hundred emails, he connected with several promising candidates and eventually found a committed team. A lot of would-be filmmakers wait to be discovered or think it’s the responsibility of an agent or manager to get their movies moving forward, but it’s all on you. Even if you don’t have representation, just reach out to people. Cold outreach might seem daunting, but when executed well, it can be highly effective in finding partners and funding resources.

Build a ‘Brain Trust’ for Script Feedback

While writing the script for All You Need is Blood, Cooper sought to create his own ‘brain trust’ of script consultants and friends for feedback during the writing process, which he modeled after Pixar. Although he didn’t take all the notes, he found the input invaluable, as even a "bad" note could highlight a weak spot in the story. He noted Stephen King’s advice from On Writing—if multiple people give similar feedback on a section, it’s worth reevaluating. It is very easy to fall in love with your own voice and be blind to glaring issues in your script because you’re just too close to it to be objective. This is why it’s crucial to have trusted advisors and confidantes who can help you mold your projects. For more on Brain Trusts, I highly recommend Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull, which outlines how Pixar was founded and how they operate to this day with a large emphasis on storytelling. Also, shoutout to script consultant Carson Reeves—Cooper and I both worked with him, and I can tell you he’s great. Check out Carson at https://scriptshadow.net.

Show Notes

Movies Mentioned:

• Dead Alive (Braindead)
• Toy Story 3
• Toy Story 4
• American Beauty
• Loser
• Coco
• The Babadook
• Kill Bill
• Django Unchained
• Terrifier (1, 2, and 3)

Books:

• On Writing by Stephen King
• The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
• Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

Follow Cooper Roberts at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2843533/

Jennifer has been recognized for her ability to craft horror with heart, making audiences not only tremble but also reflect deeply on the emotional struggles at the core of her stories. Her follow-up film, The Nightingale, is a brutal yet emotionally resonant tale of revenge set in 1820s Tasmania. And Jennifer also wrote and directed The Murmuring for Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities anthology series on Netflix. The episode starred The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln and reunited her with Babadook star Essie Davis.

The Babadook is back in theaters starting today, through Sunday, September 22nd so be sure to check your local listings and catch it on the big screen!

This episode feels like years of film school in 45 minutes as Jen offers a wealth of insights and lessons and I can honestly say, this is my favorite interview I’ve ever done of the Nick Taylor Horror Show and definitely the most insightful.

We dive into Jennifer’s journey, from her early career as an actress to transitioning into filmmaking under the mentorship of Lars von Trier as well as her creative process, how she approaches working with actors, and how she brings terrifying visions to life through practical effects, meticulous sets and sound design. We’ll also discuss what makes The Babadook so enduring, the power of horror as a storytelling tool and much much more.

There are three big topics we did not cover in this interview because Jennifer has spoken at length about them in previous interviews so I will cover these really quickly up front.

Number One: The Babadook as a Queer Icon. A Netflix glitch mistakenly categorized The Babadook under the LGBTQ+ genre causing an outpouring of memes parodying the error. But, what began as an online joke morphed into something meaningful for the queer community as powerful metaphors emerged. In The Babadook, the monster symbolizes repressed emotions and trauma and many in the queer community saw parallels between this and the experience of repressing one’s identity. The film's message of embracing and living with one's inner "monster" instead of destroying it is also seen as a metaphor for self-acceptance. Furthermore, The Babadook can be seen as a "destroyer of families," which parallels and parodies certain rhetoric about queerness being a threat to traditional family structures and in one scene the Babadook literally emerges from a closet.

Number Two, the possibility of a Babadook Sequel: Jennifer has been very clear that there will never ever be a sequel to The Babadook. She made sure to retain the rights to any sequels and said she will never allow one to be made. To her, The Babadook is a film that stands alone, and a sequel would destroy its integrity.

Number Three: Did Amelia Write the Babadook book?: This topic has been speculated by fans and even raised on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs. It's revealed that Amelia used to write children's books, so it would make sense that she created the Babadook book as a form of coping with her trauma. Jennifer has said that this was intended but never said outright which allows for multiple interpretations. I personally think she did write the book.

Alright, before we get to the interview, I owe a huge thank you to the team at IFC, specifically Danielle Freiberg and Rob Scheer for their support in making this happen. I've wanted to chat with Jen since I started this podcast and this interview was a treat and an honor and I thank you both truly. Without further ado, here is Jennifer Kent, Director of The Babadook.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Jennifer:

Balancing Fear and Beauty: Horror doesn’t have to be purely bleak or nihilistic. Jennifer believes in blending horror with elements of beauty by finding light even in the darkest moments. In her conversation with Clive Barker, he emphasized that horror and beauty must coexist and that without beauty, horror feels incomplete. Jennifer echoes this sentiment, believing that horror with heart creates something far more powerful. While there’s a place for nihilistic horror, the combination of fear and emotional depth can elevate the genre into something extraordinary, where similar to chocolate and peanut butter the combination is greater than the sum of its parts.

Be stubborn. Perhaps the most important lesson Jennifer learned from working with Lars Von Trier is the need to stubbornly maintain control over the elements that matter most. This allows your films to have a singularity and can be the defining factor between having a distinct directorial signature or not.

That doesn't mean you should be intentionally difficult, but you must resist outside forces that try to sway or distract your vision. Jennifer has seen firsthand how systems can systematically wear down a director, diluting a film until it becomes unrecognizable from the original vision—homogenized and lifeless. As a filmmaker, you must fight tooth and nail for your vision, because in any creative pursuit, there will always be forces trying to destroy it.

Don’t underestimate sound. Jennifer highlighted the immense role that sound design plays in creating fear and tension in a film, especially in horror. For The Babadook, she spent as much time perfecting the sound as she did with the picture, emphasizing that sound makes up at least 50% of a horror film’s effectiveness. She worked closely with her sound designer to craft unique, unsettling sounds that amplified the psychological terror in the film with subtle effectiveness. Instead of relying heavily on music or jump-scare cues, Jennifer opted for sparse, carefully designed soundscapes that intensified the unease, often blending naturally into the environment. Jennifer recommends filmmakers experiment with sound to build tension and avoid signaling scares too early. Sound should evoke emotion and fear just as much as the visuals, making it an integral part of the storytelling process.

The Babadook is back in theaters starting today, Thursday, September 19th, through Sunday, September 22nd. Be sure to check your local listings and catch it on the big screen!

Show Notes:

Movies

• The Babadook
• Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
• Cannibal Holocaust
• Beetlejuice
• The Tenant (Polanski)
• Rec
• Ordet (Carl Dreyer)
• Fall of the House of Usher (French silent film)
• Roman Polanski’s Horror Trilogy

Directors & Inspirations

• Clive Barker
• Mario Bava
• Dario Argento
• German Expressionism

Books & Resources

• American Cinematographer Magazine (Babadook article)

Follow Jennifer Kent at:

• IMBd: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0448768/

Our goal with The Howl is to catch listeners up with all of the horror news they may have missed from the past month in a fun, conversational format. If you want a quick-read version of The Howl sent directly to your inbox every month, then sign up for my monthly newsletter at nicktaylor.com/thehowl.

So to recap, The Howl is all about catching you up on what's happening in horror, delivering some solid movie recommendations, and hopefully entertaining you at the same time. These episodes also have a video component, so feel free to check us out at The Nick Taylor Horror Show YouTube channel as well.

So without further ado, here is me, Nick Taylor in conversation with Adam Cruz on a new monthly segment we're calling The Howl.

SHOW NOTES

Movies Discussed:

• Beetlejuice
• You Should Have Left (2020)
• Jennifer's Body
• Vivarium
• Alien: Romulus
• Predator vs Alien
• Evil Dead (Remake)
• Prometheus
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
• Wolf Creek
• Hell of a Summer (Upcoming)
• Cuckoo
• The Babadook
• Shaun of the Dead
• Deliverance (New Lee Daniels film)
• Red Dragon
• Manhunter
• Hannibal (2001)

TV Shows:

• Stranger Things
• Hannibal

Books:

• The Shining by Stephen King
• Pet Sematary by Stephen King
• The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Directors:

• Zoe Kravitz (Mentioned for directorial debut)
• Lee Daniels
• Fede Alvarez (Alien: Romulus, Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
• Mick Garris (The Shining TV adaptation)

Follow Adam Cruz at: