Horrible Imaginings Podcast

Mass Hypnosis Episode 1: VHS Memories

ScareLa is less than a month away! That means not only is Halloween starting early, but so is Horrible Imaginings because we will have a film block at the convention! It is so exciting for us to be part of this amazing convention, and what better way to celebrate than with a friendly horror-loving conversation […] The post #159: Every Day is Halloween at ScareLA! appeared first on .

Sometimes things just happen that take you somewhere you didn't expect to go, but there you are and it is freaking awesome. Everything about what happened Sunday feels like some kind of divine providence. I finished the novel "The Complex" by notable horror author Brian Keene at 2:00 AM, found out a couple of hours […] The post #158: Kasey Lansdale’s Life Is A Musical (flying monkeys need not apply) appeared first on .

Last week, Horrible Imaginings presented a week of screenings of the new documentary Elstree 1976 at the Digital Gym Cinema here in San Diego, California. During the Saturday night screening, director Jon Spira graciously agreed to talk to the theater after the screening for a Q&A via Skype. What this meant for him was setting the alarm clock for 3:30 AM in the UK. It was an engrossing conversation, but Elstree 1976 wasn't the last film on the schedule that night and our Q&A was cut short. Partly because of this, I decided to contact Jon again on my own for a more in-depth podcast episode. What I got was one of the most involving and sincere conversations about cinema I've ever had. This could be one of the podcasts I am most proud of. Incidentally, while editing last night I heard Jon pronounce his last name and I realized that I have been mispronouncing it for a very long time. I've been saying "Spira" with the Spanish "i": "Speera." I think it is correctly pronounced with a long "i." Sorry about that, Jon! Anyway, as I was saying, this is an epic episode. As with the documentary Elstree 1976, it is more reflective and meditative, more philosophical. Listening to it again last night was an almost cathartic and intense experience. As you all know, yesterday was also the day we all found out about the ruinous mass shooting in Orlando where 50 people lost their lives. It was impossible not to have that on the back of my mind while editing this podcast, where Jon and I talk meticulously about how "every life is interesting" and how focusing on any one person in the crowd will reveal a beautifully complex and full life. The juxtaposition of these thoughts and the knowledge that 50 such lives were ruthlessly gunned down was an intoxicating emotional roller coaster. I have to dedicate this episode--one I am extremely proud of--to the people who lost their lives in Orlando yesterday. Here are some of the main things we talk about: 1: Jon's most important interview project 2: The Q&A at Digital Gym Cinema 3: Unbelievable exhuastion 4: The challenge of depicting without exploiting 5: Documentarians and their power of manipulation 6: Truth Vs. Perspective 7: In defense of "talking heads" 8: The power of the close up on a human face 9: Infantilized culture 10: The internet age of film criticism 11: Audience expectations vs. challenging audiences 12: I DO go to bat for indie horror! NOW LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE: The post #157: Documenting Lives–A Conversation with Elstree 1976 Director Jon Spira appeared first on .

Index Zero is a new dark science fiction film from Italy, and a debut feature from director Lorenzo Sportiello. As with any good genre story, Sportiello uses high-concept cinema to explore some very real problems facing Europe today--namely the refugee and immigration problems that challenge many European countries. The film also boasts an impressive world-building attention to details, oppressive dystopian atmosphere, and an immersive soundscape as we follow the refugee points of view of two characters trying to cross a border toward, not just a better life, but to actual survival. Horrible Imaginings has been invited by the San Diego Italian Film Festival to co-present a special, one-time-only screening at The Museum of Photographic Arts on June 16th. Since I will be introducing the film, I decided to contact director Lorenzo Sportiello to get some insights into his vision. He graciously agreed to join me on Skype all the way from his homecity of Rome, Italy. You never know where an interview will take you, and we get into so fascinating discussions about his refugee metaphor, independent filmmaking challenges, as well as comparing and contrasting indie filmmaking in the US vs. Europe, and the importance of the "middle class" of independent filmmaking. It was great fun for us, and I hope it will be for you, too! This will be a NON-SPOILER episode, so you can listen to it before seeing the film, and I hope it will interest you in seeking the film out! For those of you who live around San Diego, and if you catch this episode in time, I hope you will join us in 8 days at MOPA for our screening! Here are the details: Where: The Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park When: Thursday, June 16th at 7:30pm Co-Presented by San Diego Italian Film Festival and Horrible Imaginings Film Festival Tickets will be available at the door. Now listen to our conversation, and remember to follow me on Twitter @HIFFSD! Until next time! LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE: The post #156: Explore the Italian Dark SciFi Film INDEX ZERO with Director Lorenzo Sportiello (SPOILER FREE) appeared first on .

Wow, another podcast episode more focused on classic film than horror! Horror can be peripherally involved, though, as the main thrust of our conversation is censorship and The Production Code that became the means for censorship in Hollywood for over three decades. I was graciously invited to join Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando at The La Jolla Playhouse's Discovery Sunday event yesterday, following a production of their fantastic new play "Hollywood." "Hollywood" will run at The La Jolla Playhouse through June 12th, so if you listen to this early enough, you should definitely go see it! Not only is it entertaining, with some brilliant acting and some appropriately risque moments, but it is a clever look at the unsolved 1922 murder of director William Desmond Taylor through the eyes of Hollywood's censor himself--William Hays. Patrick Kerr, by the way, plays Hays almost perfectly, with gusto and the kind of charm that would have given the staunch conservative a foothold among wild 1920s Hollywood. The Discovery Conversation, though, was less about the play and more about the historical context behind and after the events portrayed in the play. We talk about the loose cannon state censorship boards of the 20s, the writing and adopting of The Production Code in 1930, the pre-code era, the actual enforcement of the Production Code in late 1934, and how it affected filmmaking thereafter. This is one of my favorite topics, so I was pretty enthusiastic despite the affects of losing my voice. Anyway, I hope you enjoy listening to our discussion as much as the audience said they did yesterday! And, more importantly, go out and find some great classic films! We talk Pre-code a lot, but we also talk about Film Noir and some other subversive films. I handed out a pamphlet of recommended pre-code films at the event. Here is the PDF to get you started! Pre-Code Guide After listening to this podcast, listen to the Cinema Junkie interview with "Hollywood" writer Joe DiPietro here: NOW LISTEN TO THE PRODUCTION CODE DISCUSSION HERE: The post #155: Censoring Hollywood: How the Motion Picture Production Code Changed Filmmaking appeared first on .

Once again, it is that time of the year where we focus on classic film in honor of the TCM Classic Film Festival, which has been hitting Hollywood, California in a big way every Spring since 2010. (Incidentally, I'm proud to say that our own Horrible Imaginings Film Festival shares its birth year with TCM […] The post #154: Exploring the Hidden Gems of the TCM Classic Film Festival with Will McKinley appeared first on .

Since the provocative promotional images first hit the internet, the new film Nina Forever has been garnering attention from the festival circuit and genre fans alike. Love, loss, grief, and the inability to move on are emotional extremes that most of us have had to deal with, and Nina Forever explores those extremes in the […] The post #153: Love, Loss, and Grief with “Nina Forever” Directors The Blaine Brothers (No Spoilers) appeared first on .

In 1973, African American director Bill Gunn was tasked with making the next Blacula. Instead, he gifted the world with the strangest rumination on identity, addiction, and religion that we are just beginning to appreciate. Starring Duane Jones, who gave a revolutionary performance in George A. Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and the magnetic […] The post #152: Not Just A Black Vampire Movie–Graveyard Shift Sisters Joins Me to Talk Ganja and Hess appeared first on .

Pablo Absento showed her atmospheric horror short film Shi at the 2015 Horrible Imaginings Film Festival, as well as film festivals all over the world, and that got the notice of none other than Fangoria. Now, all of you can watch this film and see what all the buzz is about in 8 terrifying minutes […] The post #151: Director Pablo Absento and her “Shi” appeared first on .

Horrible Imaginings is bringing one trippy anthology film to San Diego's Digital Gym Cinema in February! It's called Southbound, and it tells the connected stories of some truly unfortunate people who find themselves in the loneliest parts of the American roadscape. There are genuine feelings of mystery, dread, and weirdness throughout this film. I really […] The post #150: Graham Skipper Joins Me To Talk Southbound, An Anthology Horror appeared first on .

It has been a bit of a hiatus since our last episode while I take care of some health problems, but hopefully I can attack 2016 with regained vigor and enthusiasm. This will be the final episode of 2015, and what better way to endcap the year on a film festival podcast than with a […] The post #149: I Talk Indie Film Production with UK-Based Fume Films appeared first on .

John Skipp and Andrew Kasch, the directing duo behind the THIS MEANS WAR segment of the new Halloween celebration anthology called TALES OF HALLOWEEN, joined us for a fantastic and hilarious Q&A following our screening. It was after 1am by the time this Q&A happened, but there was no shortage of energy or thoughtfulness. And […] The post #148: Tales of Halloween Q&A with John Skipp and Andrew Kasch appeared first on .

Amazingly, it has been one month since my episode reflecting on Horrible Imaginings Film Festival. I have several episodes awaiting post production, but it's the Halloween Season and this one needed to move to the front of the line! I was invited to a live panel Halloween event at the San Diego Public Library on […] The post #147: Halloween Super Special with SoCal Horror Authors! appeared first on .

Another year has come and gone, leaving us with the best Horrible Imaginings Film Festival yet! Our new venue at The Museum of Photographic Arts was a hit, the films were top notch, the audience was incredible, and the feedback has been overwhelming. Join me in a reflection of the event, along with Cinema Junkie […] The post #146: The 6th Annual Horrible Imaginings Film Festival Wrap-Up and Reflection appeared first on .

Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2015 has come to an end, but people around the world can re-live one of our best moments in this podcast! We got Mexican filmmakers Gigi Saul Guerrero, Aaron Soto, and Mauricio Chernovetzky to join me on the stage to talk about the unique place that horror and fear have in […] The post #145: Mexican Horror Panel at Horrible Imaginings with Gigi Saul Guerrero, Aaron Soto, and Mauricio Chernovetzky appeared first on .

Three French Canadian directors behind the latest indie hit TURBO KID--Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell, and François Simard--join us for a last-second podcast conversation about their retro post-apocalyptic baby. I'm rushing this one through, because I am hoping this will get people in San Diego to the Digital Gym Cinema to see it either tonight (9/5 […] The post #144: TURBO KID’s Trio of Directors Talk Retro Action Mayhem! appeared first on .

I often say I like to use this podcast to discuss horror in art, history, literature, film, and beyond. Film tends to hog the limelight there, but today I get to talk art. Specifically, dance and performance art. Russian-born Anna Yanushkevich has been performing her curious acts in San Diego for at least as long […] The post #143 Merging the Horrific with the Beautiful: A Conversation with Performance Artist Anna Yanushkevich appeared first on .

In his book "On Writing," Stephen King compares his writing process to a type of archaeology, where he digs the story out of the Earth's clay, piece by piece, rather than meticulously planning it from the start. I have always thought that method is where he is sometimes led astray as a writer. Imagine putting […] The post #142 Rape Culture-Revenge: FELT Director and Star Discuss Their Unconventional Thriller appeared first on .

It's time for another Storytime Edition! That's right! One of my audiobook-style readings of various types of public domain stories. For today’s Storytime, I’ve chosen William Hope Hodgson’s “The Voice in the Night.” William Hope Hodgson was a British writer with a penchant for the macabre. He spent a lot of his young life on […] The post #141: Storytime Edition’s The Voice in the Night by William Hope Hodgson appeared first on .