July 7, 2025 • 22 mins
Hey everyone. Gretchen and I have a few bonus episodes for you coming out of the Portland Horror Film Festival that happened June 12th through the 14th. It's a great festival and if you are a horror fan with a film, this festival is not to be missed. Our first bonus episode is with Karen Lam, a writer/director/producer from Vancouver, British Columbia. She debuted her film, Mrs. Chang's Perfect Teeth at the festival. Spend some time with us as we hear about how Takashi Miike is comfort viewing.
Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate.
https://www.karenlamfilms.com/
Martin and Gretchen talk movies and more at Check the Gate.
https://www.karenlamfilms.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everyone, I'm excited to announce that I've joined the
Creator Accountability Network. CAN is a nonprofit dedicated to reducing
harassment and abuse through ethical education and a system of
restorative accountability. I joined because I care about the safety
and the well being of my community members. If you
feel my behavior or content has harmed someone, please report
it to CAN, either via the reporting forum that is
(00:23):
on their website, Creator Accountability neetwork dot org, or via
their hotline at six one seven two four nine four
two five five. They'll help me make it right and
avoid repeating the mistakes in the future. CAN also needs
volunteers from our community to help their work, So if
you have any skills you think would be helpful or
(00:43):
time and desire to help, please visit the website and
find out how you can volunteer. Most importantly, get the
word out to other creators who you think would be
interested in getting credentialed. Help us build safer communities together.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
We all have multiple favorites, like what is the comfort
horror film for you?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Probably Mickey's audition is one of my favorite auditions?
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Is your you know, Kitty Kitty.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
It just felt like my favorite moment is you know
when she the phone's ringing and she's just sitting there
and then.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
You see the bag just flips.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
I love that.
Speaker 5 (01:20):
I can watch that and I think it's delicious.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I love Tacushion mcgay's films. Yes, General, Hey, Gretchen, Hi Vargin.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Hey, we are here with a special episode of the
Check the Gate Podcast. We are at the Portland Horror
Film Festival twenty twenty five at the Hollywood Theater in Portland, Oregon,
and we are speaking with our very first filmmaker who
just flew in from Vancouver, British Columbia, Karen Lamb, who's
got a film in this festival tonight. It is tonight
(01:59):
which is open, so you've got a film here. Plus
you're in post on a feature. So Karen, welcome so
much to the show.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
This is thank you for doing this. I've talked to you.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah, yeah, this is great. Do you so tell us
about you and your film please.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
I am a god.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Now I'm going to sound ancient, but I have been
around for over twenty years in this film industry, and
I will not say how many over twenty years it's
actually been. But I'm based in Vancouver, British Columbia and
I have been only I only do horror, so it's
true crimeer horror love. So as long as people die,
you know, or grewsome things happened, something has to happen.
I think that's what I've been focused on. And so
(02:41):
and this, the short film is this is its world premiere.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
So no, which is fantastic. I'm really so, I'm very excited.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
And so I flew in for this and so I'm
I think this is my second time in Portland and
I've never been in this theater.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Did you get a peek in the How many people
are here? Because the theater is pretty.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Stats now, yeah, is it?
Speaker 5 (03:02):
But is that just for the feature and they'll all go.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Away be here all day?
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yeah, they're here to see shorts. Yeah, people love to
see shorts. They see the link like feature links. But yeah,
Ethan Embrace here and they're like, oh that's great, okay,
but I also really love shorts.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Yeah I did not know that.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Now I'm a little nervous because it's you know what
I mean, it's like because I haven't shown it too.
Like we had a little a mini premiere because the
film actually won the Director's Guild of Canada b C word,
which is how I got to make it. So they
gave me, they gave me a grant, and they gave
they gave me money, they gave me facilities and services
and so that's that's and I actually had to pitch
(03:40):
to win it. So that's why there's nothing worse than
a live pitch. I will say that right now.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I understand just saying it was.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Not it was a and in fact, they gave me
pitching coaches like that's how seriously they took it.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
It's hard to sell yourself. That's great.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
What an opportunity to be able.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
To have that.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, they flew in like a pitching coach from we
did it actually on but she was there basically coaching
us throughout, so you could just see in slow motion
how badly you're doing, you know, and something is actually
it's like a play by play where you've gone wrong.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
And so it was great.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah emotion nos dive, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Sort of like this see that moment when you do
that that didn't work so that you get to but
it was. It was actually really helpful. Like you know,
you have sometimes need a little pain to get better.
So it was a painful but good experience.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
That was.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
So that's a thing that I've always wanted as a
filmmaker and myself. I've been at it now about sixteen
seventeen years. I've only made shorts myself. I haven't made
my own feature. I've worked on feature films and television
shows for other people, but I've never been inside the
room to pitch, and I don't know what that's like.
And I'm so afraid of that first opportunity where I
(04:45):
would actually get to do that because I've never seen
a professional do it, and I don't want to burn
the first bridge that I come to. And I know
that it's really an industry of knows, but.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
This was actually worse. This was in front of two
hundred people.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
Oh no, my tears.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
They bought tickets to watch me flail in front like no.
It was a It was for the Director's Guild of
Canada BC division and they had an emerging one and
I'm an established director, so they had an established one
and I think they had three finalists in each one
basically pitching, but people had bought seats and there was
it was full.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
What does that look like? So when you're pitching, what
does it look like, are you talking about your script?
Are you doing like a synopsis?
Speaker 4 (05:24):
What are your joint?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
You?
Speaker 5 (05:26):
You're So the thing is who are you?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Why are you?
Speaker 5 (05:29):
And what is the project? And why why this program?
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Why are why should they give you the seventy five
thousand to make this film? Right?
Speaker 5 (05:36):
So that is the that's the thing.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
But all you really see is this giant like super Trooper,
you know, abb a moment thing where it's just this
light on you and I uh. And another thing is that,
you know a lot of the filmmakers use pitch decks
and they use visuals, and I stupidly decided that it's
just going to be me, me in a piece of paper.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
So well, I.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Just think of the us.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
You got the I did get the But I think
that it's almost like my chance to practice stand up.
You know, no one can cane me off. I had
eight minutes, eight minutes to do this pitch.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
And then that's it.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I have pitched smaller like basically, I've pitched to the studios.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
So I have done that, and that was its own
special horror.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
But the live audience went I didn't read the fine
print when I applied to the program.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
I didn't see the live pitch.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
My producer actually said, hey, you know you're going to
be pitching right, And I thought it's gonna be zoom.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
It's fine, I can zoom.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
And then she's like, oh, I thought you were fine
with this.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
She says, oh, you're in the finalists, right, and I
said great, and she said, oh you're so you're gonna
you know, you're pitching right. It's like yeah, yeah, yeah,
the room right, Like it's fine. She goes, no, the stadium,
and I was like, oh, stadium what stadium?
Speaker 5 (06:41):
It was literally like it was rafters and I think
there was one hundred and fifty.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Two peers or was it like a standard audience that
was here.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
So like basically other directors, other like basically guild members.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Hateful, very painful because everybody's.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Just watching you like ha ha.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
So yeah there was that, and so you have Yeah,
it was it was. It was a thing, and so
they it was quite an event. And so this year, luckily,
it was felt very nice. I could show the film
and not be pitching. I could watch other people floundering
and being in their support corner.
Speaker 5 (07:14):
So it's it's enjoyable.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Nice, that's exciting. I think that's really exciting, as nerve
wracking as it was in the moment, I think that's
really cool. And I'll tell you, I think it's really
cool because in the States, we don't have anything like that, unfortunately,
no opportunity for anything like that.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I mean, there are grants available for local filmmakers.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
And geniuses and geniuses, right, you have the genius.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Away in this gay yeah, genius.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
They don't love horror, though.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
It was a miracle that I got through mine because
my industry also does not love horror. So I went
at it from a more I mean, so my pitch
was basically that I am essentially Wednesday Adams and my
parents are the Chinese version of Gomez and Marchesire. So
it became I had to make it really personal as
as things go, and it was a personal likes it
(08:03):
is a personal script despite it being horror. But I
think that for the most part, even in the Canadian landscape,
genre is not a beloved thing.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
Why is it? Why are we? Why are we not beloved?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Is there? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Is there?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
I think that there's there's still a lot of stigma
attached to it. M And honestly, I mean, I feel
like horror doesn't get its day. Yeah, I would love
to hear about your film.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Oh, I think you should tell our audience, Okay, talk
about it.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
It's it's about a young immigrant woman who you think
is maybe being trafficked, and she ends up working at
this foot massage parlor. And what she notices that is
that everyone is getting ahead and she's not getting ahead.
But she has these wretched teeth because she's straight off
the she's straight off the farm, you know, and she's
from And I did direct it in Mandarin and in Cantonese,
(08:52):
and I only speak Cantonese, so that is really awesome
when you're directing in something that.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
You don't actually speak anyway.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
In the in the story, she basically finds out there
is a secret and every to everyone's perfect teeth, and
she has to go down that rabbit hole in order
to get her basically the Canadian dream and her perfect teeth.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
So I'm enough to have judged this film, selected it
for this podcast, for this film festival.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Thank you, I was part of my list.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
I actually have liged you for Shorts Gone Wild, so
I was I was impressed.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
To see you get in the first night. Oh, my god. Yeah,
so oh very cool.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
So I don't know how it all actually works.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
So we have as as judges, we have like a
like a small like we have like a long list
we have to kind of go through as like cinematography.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
Like acting diversity.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
We go through a list and then we have like
a subcategories we break down for like what kind of
genre film it is, and then we talk about like
we have a little section of like where we put
this film, like specifically, if it has like more interesting
or like more more fun feels to it, it.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Gets put into the shorts gun wild category.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
And I was like, oh, I liked, I liked how
I remember as you're talking about him, like, oh yes, Now, honestly,
I watch hundreds, yes, yes, hundreds of films. This one
and Portland are HP love Craft. So oftentimes they kind of.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
Yes like they become one.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
They become one.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
And we'll have like crossover films that get submitted for
both film festivals, and I'll be like, didn't I see.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
This fun DejaVu?
Speaker 2 (10:30):
But I remember flagging this one because I remember like
the teeth part standing out to me because I have
a horror phobia of like teeth horror like teeth trauma
freaks me out.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yes, I think that when I showed it to a
conventional audience, because showing it in front of my director's
guild brethren and sistern, I don't know how that actually works.
The fellows, they're not all horror fixidos. And there were
a few departures as soon as the.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
The of the dental instruments started. It happens, right, So.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Someone actually said oh god and left, And I felt
like that was an accomplished.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
That is I've said, that's like that's a pad in
your back.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Yeah, not to our audience, but you know, to to
I found it.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
I find it quite amusing. So it is.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
And and the personal part of it is that my
late father and I had actually talked about this story
because it was actually, strangely enough, based on a real
life thing where there was this Chinese dentist. And this
is embarrassing because you know, anything that affects my community,
I feel like where it is a personal shame there.
But he had been practicing dentistry just in his basement,
(11:38):
oh boy. And so he had over twelve hundred patients
that had he had practiced dental work on and he
did not actually have a license, and so the BBC
Dental Association, you know, the College of Dentists, he said,
this is a problem. And he was basically shoving all
the all the records into his car as he's running soft.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
Footed out of his home. Very embarrassing. So I asked
my mom, that's.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
So, this is where the genesis of it was. And
I asked my mom, like, why would people go to
someone's basement to get their teeth done? You know, that's sketchy,
I mean right, it's like, I mean, it's bad enough
going to your dentist's office.
Speaker 5 (12:18):
But for my mom said that in the.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Old country, this is what you just did for like,
you know, the dentist was also like someone's uncle that
was just trusted and you would just go there and they.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
Feel more safe. And also, you know, my.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
People are a little cheap, so also you get to
get a good deal, good deal, and so it is
a combination of trust, like this man has done everybody's
teeth and also he gives it way cheaper than you
would get from a regular dentist. And so that's where
the story started.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
So I wanted to.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Play with this idea of just like you know, coming
to this new country and then actually finding that dentist
to do your teeth.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
Yeah, just wow.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
I'll have to show you this film, my film Freeway.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Well, I'm going to hopefully catch it tonight. Oh yeah.
At some point I'm.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Hoping to get away from the oh yes and actually
like watch things. Yes, yes, yes, I mean oftentimes I
get to watch things as a judge, but not get
to see them on the big screen.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And I haven't seen it proper because the when this
film screen, they use some old like an older version
of it, and so it was kind of like bumpier,
and so I like to see it actually with an audience.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
What about the selection I got to see?
Speaker 5 (13:30):
Was that more modernly?
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Okay, so I think you saw sick better, but there
was a like a bumpier version, and I was like,
that isn't quite like. I mean, now it's really raw
and now it doesn't very uncomfortable. So it's one thing
to do gentle horror, but then there's another thing to
do with raw gentle horror, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah, So we're going to try to ask of every
filmmaker that we have come and let's talk about your
favorite horror film, What inspires you, what makes you? I mean,
we all have multiple favorite It's like, what is that
comfort horror film for you?
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Probably Mickey's Audition is one of my.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
Favorite auditions, you.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Know it Just my favorite moment is you know when
she the phone's ringing and she's just sitting there and then.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
You see the bag just flips.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I love that.
Speaker 5 (14:22):
I can watch that and I I think it's delicious.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
I love Takushion Mkay's films in general, just I love
his vibe, his general like the way he presents horror
in a I don't know, it almost feels like like
a like a textural way.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Have you do you know?
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I haven't seen The Killer, And isn't that a film
that you've got coming up for Gwenn and Gretchen?
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Yes, so yeah, I have.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
I produce.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
The way the opening credits scene is done is like
your ejaculation films out the words eachy the Killer, Yeah,
it's this, it's the body.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
Horror of it all I love.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
I mean, I love the like the slit mouth aspects,
but no, like with the Audition, though I recently got
to see that on the big screen, I had never
seen the big.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Screen and I saw it.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
We have another historical theater outside of the port, outside
of the lovely Hollywood Theater, which is called the Clinton
Street Theater, and I got to see it.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
There.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
They were doing like a Japanese horror film, Nights and
whatnot and man Alive that film.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Everybody was kind of like you could hear the audience
go and some.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
People have got up and left, and I had forgotten
like how this might affect other people because like for
me and like I'm like, oh, this.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Is this is just the tip of the iceberg. Was
actually meet Gay's films, Yes.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
And you know, like the yes, the presenting of what
the food, you know what I mean, like all of
that I'm trying to.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
See, though it is like the most prolific because it's
one of those those images that you can't kind of
look away from because your your mind automatically goes to,
like what is happening in this?
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Yes. I love the fact that because to me, what
I love about his filmmaking is how simple everything is. Yes,
the simplicity of there's almost like a heartachey almost to
the level of model.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
There's a yearning.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Yes, And I think with her her yearning was that
she wanted to be loved.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
And I mean, like I mean.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
As women, this is like all we we all want this.
Everybody wants yes, everyone wants to be loved and accepted.
But I think she wants her level of devotion to
be accepted. And I think that was like what she's
impressing upon our our main character there in that film.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
Oh boy, the kit Kit kid is like.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
The most like like she's sawing off feet in the
audience weave and where spoilers alert.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Yes, spoilers spoilers and if you notice the I use
the same butcher apron.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Yes you do, Yes, you do.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Wow, that's my little notch. I like to bring back
the things that I love wherever possible.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
So yeah, because so I also talk to us about
unfortunately without Martin being here, but.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
You said you have a film and posts. Are you
okay to talk about it?
Speaker 5 (17:15):
I am indeed here, but I please, yes, tell us
about it.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
My film is a nineteen seventies armageddon apocalyptic dark comedy
road trip with the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
So it's my first sort.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Of comedy, dark comedy sort of road trip. But it
is called Armageddon Road and we said it's actually shot.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
We shot a feature.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
It's a feature. Oh, so I am just in the
midst of it feels like forever.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
But it's funny because I shot armagedon Road first and
then Missus Chang's Perfect Teeth in the same year, and
then basically and I've been in posts since then, so
I have Wow, this is light and I haven't seen
light for a long time, so I've been in.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
The very dark relation. Yes, come to the.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Exactly and so hopefully you know again, we should be
done at the end.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
Of the month.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I'm are you going to submit it for Portland Horror
next year?
Speaker 5 (18:08):
Well, now that I see it, how could I not
pol this is awesome.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
If you would have me, I would absolutely yes, please submit.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
I always loved it and uh yeah, And so the
the film is dark comedy, but it also is biblical
and it is the end of the world and it
has like so it's a little bit more of philosophical
but it's it's about I guess, you know, does man
have the choice.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
To make their own choices or is it God's will?
Speaker 3 (18:35):
And we are also going to do the Bible and
it's oh and it has Willie Ames from eight is
enough in age as the Pale Writer.
Speaker 5 (18:43):
I met him in ceramics class.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
We just see and I just did an episode on
Pale Writer and the High Plane Strifter.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Okay, well my pale Writers not that, but this is
this if you can picture it our nineteen seventies, yeah, trab, but.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
Now I love it.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
And he's he's the pale Rider. But yes, and so
it's a it's a it's a road trip comedy.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
And I met him in seras class. That's I was
making pottery.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
And I didn't know who he was, you know what
I mean, And I feel like but then I was like,
he looks very familiar. And then I was like, it's
Tommy for me. It is enough, right, like it's just
like it just dawned on me. It's you know.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
I literally and then you completely flattered that you.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Well, you know, once we'd started making pots together, then
we became friends. You know, but his pots are much
better mine or his are beautiful, and mine looked like
lump and sort of like vulva, you know, like it's
just like just.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
Fall caved in volva. It's not great what I do.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
But we we became friends, and so then when I
would if we were still giving away ashtrays, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Well, I mean they're they're changeholders.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
Now, yes, right, there's that stick your finger in this.
Sorry I didn't do that. That's not here.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
They are here.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
It is for you here. But yes it's a So
that's so that's on the on the up and coming.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
So oh good.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
But I love to again, I've never been.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
I didn't realize this was I mean, I love Portland, yeah,
but I've not been here since twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
So oh wow. The landscape has changed.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
The landscape has changed.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
And well, I mean we've been through what one pandemic
and we've things have just shifted a lot.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
You know, we had a population boom and that has
also affected us quite a bit.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
But yeah, beyond did you have a population boom?
Speaker 5 (20:26):
Definitely, and not a bust, like not enough people died?
Is that right? It wasn't enough apocalypse? Correct, that's what happened.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
But you know, we had a little road warrior scenario
with our like of riots and I'm sure it was
all over the news for a minute.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
And what the Vancouver has its own sheriff riots.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
That's good.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
So we also have ten cities, so we feel you
like we also are.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
Well, you're kind of a sister city. Honestly.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
Yeah, when I get here, I feel like I'm at home.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
I've been to Vancouver a few times. I've been to
the Brishard Gardens.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Butchard Gardens, and that is Victoria. Yes, sorry, my bad,
it's a problem at all that.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Yes, yes, but I've been to like I've been to
Vancouver and also Victoria, victor Boria. Sorry, yes, and Montreal, yes,
other side of the other side of the country.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
Yes, lovely Portland is our sister city. Yes, I swear
to God. We we come here and we're like did
we leave?
Speaker 3 (21:18):
You know, like that's what it feels like. You have
the same food phobias I have, so I feel like
we are allergic to the same foods.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
We're good no gluten, no, no, why why would we?
Speaker 5 (21:29):
But you also enjoy your craft beer.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
There is yeah, every like I I really enjoy this place.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
This feels like so I'm glad you're having fun. Thank you,
thank you, thank you for joining us. I'm sorry my
partner had to go.
Speaker 5 (21:40):
I totally get it.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
And yeah, I was late. Train thing train things.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
I feel you exactly it was nice to meet you.
Thank you for talking to us about your film.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
Oh, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
The Check the Gate podcast is hosted by Martin Vavra
and Gretchen Brooks. The show is directed, produced and edited
by Martin Vava. Produced by Galaxy Sailor Productions twenty twenty five.
The show is filmed and recorded at the Propulsion Zone
Studio in downtown Portland, Oregon. Special thanks to Adam Carpinelli
and Aleandro Barragon. This content is cancredentialed, which means you
(22:20):
can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on
their hotline at six one seven two four nine four
two five five or on their website at Creator Accountabilitynetwork
dot org
Hey everyone, I'm excited to announce that I've joined the
Creator Accountability Network. CAN is a nonprofit dedicated to reducing
harassment and abuse through ethical education and a system of
restorative accountability. I joined because I care about the safety
and the well being of my community members. If you
feel my behavior or content has harmed someone, please report
it to CAN, either via the reporting forum that is
(00:23):
on their website, Creator Accountability neetwork dot org, or via
their hotline at six one seven two four nine four
two five five. They'll help me make it right and
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you have any skills you think would be helpful or
(00:43):
time and desire to help, please visit the website and
find out how you can volunteer. Most importantly, get the
word out to other creators who you think would be
interested in getting credentialed. Help us build safer communities together.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
We all have multiple favorites, like what is the comfort
horror film for you?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Probably Mickey's audition is one of my favorite auditions?
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Is your you know, Kitty Kitty.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
It just felt like my favorite moment is you know
when she the phone's ringing and she's just sitting there
and then.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
You see the bag just flips.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
I love that.
Speaker 5 (01:20):
I can watch that and I think it's delicious.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I love Tacushion mcgay's films. Yes, General, Hey, Gretchen, Hi Vargin.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Hey, we are here with a special episode of the
Check the Gate Podcast. We are at the Portland Horror
Film Festival twenty twenty five at the Hollywood Theater in Portland, Oregon,
and we are speaking with our very first filmmaker who
just flew in from Vancouver, British Columbia, Karen Lamb, who's
got a film in this festival tonight. It is tonight
(01:59):
which is open, so you've got a film here. Plus
you're in post on a feature. So Karen, welcome so
much to the show.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
This is thank you for doing this. I've talked to you.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah, yeah, this is great. Do you so tell us
about you and your film please.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
I am a god.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Now I'm going to sound ancient, but I have been
around for over twenty years in this film industry, and
I will not say how many over twenty years it's
actually been. But I'm based in Vancouver, British Columbia and
I have been only I only do horror, so it's
true crimeer horror love. So as long as people die,
you know, or grewsome things happened, something has to happen.
I think that's what I've been focused on. And so
(02:41):
and this, the short film is this is its world premiere.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
So no, which is fantastic. I'm really so, I'm very excited.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
And so I flew in for this and so I'm
I think this is my second time in Portland and
I've never been in this theater.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Did you get a peek in the How many people
are here? Because the theater is pretty.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Stats now, yeah, is it?
Speaker 5 (03:02):
But is that just for the feature and they'll all go.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Away be here all day?
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yeah, they're here to see shorts. Yeah, people love to
see shorts. They see the link like feature links. But yeah,
Ethan Embrace here and they're like, oh that's great, okay,
but I also really love shorts.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Yeah I did not know that.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Now I'm a little nervous because it's you know what
I mean, it's like because I haven't shown it too.
Like we had a little a mini premiere because the
film actually won the Director's Guild of Canada b C word,
which is how I got to make it. So they
gave me, they gave me a grant, and they gave
they gave me money, they gave me facilities and services
and so that's that's and I actually had to pitch
(03:40):
to win it. So that's why there's nothing worse than
a live pitch. I will say that right now.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I understand just saying it was.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Not it was a and in fact, they gave me
pitching coaches like that's how seriously they took it.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
It's hard to sell yourself. That's great.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
What an opportunity to be able.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
To have that.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, they flew in like a pitching coach from we
did it actually on but she was there basically coaching
us throughout, so you could just see in slow motion
how badly you're doing, you know, and something is actually
it's like a play by play where you've gone wrong.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
And so it was great.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah emotion nos dive, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Sort of like this see that moment when you do
that that didn't work so that you get to but
it was. It was actually really helpful. Like you know,
you have sometimes need a little pain to get better.
So it was a painful but good experience.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
That was.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
So that's a thing that I've always wanted as a
filmmaker and myself. I've been at it now about sixteen
seventeen years. I've only made shorts myself. I haven't made
my own feature. I've worked on feature films and television
shows for other people, but I've never been inside the
room to pitch, and I don't know what that's like.
And I'm so afraid of that first opportunity where I
(04:45):
would actually get to do that because I've never seen
a professional do it, and I don't want to burn
the first bridge that I come to. And I know
that it's really an industry of knows, but.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
This was actually worse. This was in front of two
hundred people.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
Oh no, my tears.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
They bought tickets to watch me flail in front like no.
It was a It was for the Director's Guild of
Canada BC division and they had an emerging one and
I'm an established director, so they had an established one
and I think they had three finalists in each one
basically pitching, but people had bought seats and there was
it was full.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
What does that look like? So when you're pitching, what
does it look like, are you talking about your script?
Are you doing like a synopsis?
Speaker 4 (05:24):
What are your joint?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
You?
Speaker 5 (05:26):
You're So the thing is who are you?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Why are you?
Speaker 5 (05:29):
And what is the project? And why why this program?
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Why are why should they give you the seventy five
thousand to make this film? Right?
Speaker 5 (05:36):
So that is the that's the thing.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
But all you really see is this giant like super Trooper,
you know, abb a moment thing where it's just this
light on you and I uh. And another thing is that,
you know a lot of the filmmakers use pitch decks
and they use visuals, and I stupidly decided that it's
just going to be me, me in a piece of paper.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
So well, I.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Just think of the us.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
You got the I did get the But I think
that it's almost like my chance to practice stand up.
You know, no one can cane me off. I had
eight minutes, eight minutes to do this pitch.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
And then that's it.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I have pitched smaller like basically, I've pitched to the studios.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
So I have done that, and that was its own
special horror.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
But the live audience went I didn't read the fine
print when I applied to the program.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
I didn't see the live pitch.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
My producer actually said, hey, you know you're going to
be pitching right, And I thought it's gonna be zoom.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
It's fine, I can zoom.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
And then she's like, oh, I thought you were fine
with this.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
She says, oh, you're in the finalists, right, and I
said great, and she said, oh you're so you're gonna
you know, you're pitching right. It's like yeah, yeah, yeah,
the room right, Like it's fine. She goes, no, the stadium,
and I was like, oh, stadium what stadium?
Speaker 5 (06:41):
It was literally like it was rafters and I think
there was one hundred and fifty.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Two peers or was it like a standard audience that
was here.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
So like basically other directors, other like basically guild members.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Hateful, very painful because everybody's.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Just watching you like ha ha.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
So yeah there was that, and so you have Yeah,
it was it was. It was a thing, and so
they it was quite an event. And so this year, luckily,
it was felt very nice. I could show the film
and not be pitching. I could watch other people floundering
and being in their support corner.
Speaker 5 (07:14):
So it's it's enjoyable.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Nice, that's exciting. I think that's really exciting, as nerve
wracking as it was in the moment, I think that's
really cool. And I'll tell you, I think it's really
cool because in the States, we don't have anything like that, unfortunately,
no opportunity for anything like that.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I mean, there are grants available for local filmmakers.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
And geniuses and geniuses, right, you have the genius.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Away in this gay yeah, genius.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
They don't love horror, though.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
It was a miracle that I got through mine because
my industry also does not love horror. So I went
at it from a more I mean, so my pitch
was basically that I am essentially Wednesday Adams and my
parents are the Chinese version of Gomez and Marchesire. So
it became I had to make it really personal as
as things go, and it was a personal likes it
(08:03):
is a personal script despite it being horror. But I
think that for the most part, even in the Canadian landscape,
genre is not a beloved thing.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
Why is it? Why are we? Why are we not beloved?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Is there? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Is there?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
I think that there's there's still a lot of stigma
attached to it. M And honestly, I mean, I feel
like horror doesn't get its day. Yeah, I would love
to hear about your film.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Oh, I think you should tell our audience, Okay, talk
about it.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
It's it's about a young immigrant woman who you think
is maybe being trafficked, and she ends up working at
this foot massage parlor. And what she notices that is
that everyone is getting ahead and she's not getting ahead.
But she has these wretched teeth because she's straight off
the she's straight off the farm, you know, and she's
from And I did direct it in Mandarin and in Cantonese,
(08:52):
and I only speak Cantonese, so that is really awesome
when you're directing in something that.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
You don't actually speak anyway.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
In the in the story, she basically finds out there
is a secret and every to everyone's perfect teeth, and
she has to go down that rabbit hole in order
to get her basically the Canadian dream and her perfect teeth.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
So I'm enough to have judged this film, selected it
for this podcast, for this film festival.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Thank you, I was part of my list.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
I actually have liged you for Shorts Gone Wild, so
I was I was impressed.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
To see you get in the first night. Oh, my god. Yeah,
so oh very cool.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
So I don't know how it all actually works.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
So we have as as judges, we have like a
like a small like we have like a long list
we have to kind of go through as like cinematography.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
Like acting diversity.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
We go through a list and then we have like
a subcategories we break down for like what kind of
genre film it is, and then we talk about like
we have a little section of like where we put
this film, like specifically, if it has like more interesting
or like more more fun feels to it, it.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Gets put into the shorts gun wild category.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
And I was like, oh, I liked, I liked how
I remember as you're talking about him, like, oh yes, Now, honestly,
I watch hundreds, yes, yes, hundreds of films. This one
and Portland are HP love Craft. So oftentimes they kind of.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
Yes like they become one.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
They become one.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
And we'll have like crossover films that get submitted for
both film festivals, and I'll be like, didn't I see.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
This fun DejaVu?
Speaker 2 (10:30):
But I remember flagging this one because I remember like
the teeth part standing out to me because I have
a horror phobia of like teeth horror like teeth trauma
freaks me out.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yes, I think that when I showed it to a
conventional audience, because showing it in front of my director's
guild brethren and sistern, I don't know how that actually works.
The fellows, they're not all horror fixidos. And there were
a few departures as soon as the.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
The of the dental instruments started. It happens, right, So.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Someone actually said oh god and left, And I felt
like that was an accomplished.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
That is I've said, that's like that's a pad in
your back.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Yeah, not to our audience, but you know, to to
I found it.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
I find it quite amusing. So it is.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
And and the personal part of it is that my
late father and I had actually talked about this story
because it was actually, strangely enough, based on a real
life thing where there was this Chinese dentist. And this
is embarrassing because you know, anything that affects my community,
I feel like where it is a personal shame there.
But he had been practicing dentistry just in his basement,
(11:38):
oh boy. And so he had over twelve hundred patients
that had he had practiced dental work on and he
did not actually have a license, and so the BBC
Dental Association, you know, the College of Dentists, he said,
this is a problem. And he was basically shoving all
the all the records into his car as he's running soft.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
Footed out of his home. Very embarrassing. So I asked
my mom, that's.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
So, this is where the genesis of it was. And
I asked my mom, like, why would people go to
someone's basement to get their teeth done? You know, that's sketchy,
I mean right, it's like, I mean, it's bad enough
going to your dentist's office.
Speaker 5 (12:18):
But for my mom said that in the.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Old country, this is what you just did for like,
you know, the dentist was also like someone's uncle that
was just trusted and you would just go there and they.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
Feel more safe. And also, you know, my.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
People are a little cheap, so also you get to
get a good deal, good deal, and so it is
a combination of trust, like this man has done everybody's
teeth and also he gives it way cheaper than you
would get from a regular dentist. And so that's where
the story started.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
So I wanted to.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Play with this idea of just like you know, coming
to this new country and then actually finding that dentist
to do your teeth.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
Yeah, just wow.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
I'll have to show you this film, my film Freeway.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Well, I'm going to hopefully catch it tonight. Oh yeah.
At some point I'm.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Hoping to get away from the oh yes and actually
like watch things. Yes, yes, yes, I mean oftentimes I
get to watch things as a judge, but not get
to see them on the big screen.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And I haven't seen it proper because the when this
film screen, they use some old like an older version
of it, and so it was kind of like bumpier,
and so I like to see it actually with an audience.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
What about the selection I got to see?
Speaker 5 (13:30):
Was that more modernly?
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Okay, so I think you saw sick better, but there
was a like a bumpier version, and I was like,
that isn't quite like. I mean, now it's really raw
and now it doesn't very uncomfortable. So it's one thing
to do gentle horror, but then there's another thing to
do with raw gentle horror, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah, So we're going to try to ask of every
filmmaker that we have come and let's talk about your
favorite horror film, What inspires you, what makes you? I mean,
we all have multiple favorite It's like, what is that
comfort horror film for you?
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Probably Mickey's Audition is one of my.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
Favorite auditions, you.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Know it Just my favorite moment is you know when
she the phone's ringing and she's just sitting there and then.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
You see the bag just flips.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I love that.
Speaker 5 (14:22):
I can watch that and I I think it's delicious.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
I love Takushion Mkay's films in general, just I love
his vibe, his general like the way he presents horror
in a I don't know, it almost feels like like
a like a textural way.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Have you do you know?
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I haven't seen The Killer, And isn't that a film
that you've got coming up for Gwenn and Gretchen?
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Yes, so yeah, I have.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
I produce.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
The way the opening credits scene is done is like
your ejaculation films out the words eachy the Killer, Yeah,
it's this, it's the body.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
Horror of it all I love.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
I mean, I love the like the slit mouth aspects,
but no, like with the Audition, though I recently got
to see that on the big screen, I had never
seen the big.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Screen and I saw it.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
We have another historical theater outside of the port, outside
of the lovely Hollywood Theater, which is called the Clinton
Street Theater, and I got to see it.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
There.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
They were doing like a Japanese horror film, Nights and
whatnot and man Alive that film.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Everybody was kind of like you could hear the audience
go and some.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
People have got up and left, and I had forgotten
like how this might affect other people because like for
me and like I'm like, oh, this.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Is this is just the tip of the iceberg. Was
actually meet Gay's films, Yes.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
And you know, like the yes, the presenting of what
the food, you know what I mean, like all of
that I'm trying to.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
See, though it is like the most prolific because it's
one of those those images that you can't kind of
look away from because your your mind automatically goes to,
like what is happening in this?
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Yes. I love the fact that because to me, what
I love about his filmmaking is how simple everything is. Yes,
the simplicity of there's almost like a heartachey almost to
the level of model.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
There's a yearning.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Yes, And I think with her her yearning was that
she wanted to be loved.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
And I mean, like I mean.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
As women, this is like all we we all want this.
Everybody wants yes, everyone wants to be loved and accepted.
But I think she wants her level of devotion to
be accepted. And I think that was like what she's
impressing upon our our main character there in that film.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
Oh boy, the kit Kit kid is like.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
The most like like she's sawing off feet in the
audience weave and where spoilers alert.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Yes, spoilers spoilers and if you notice the I use
the same butcher apron.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Yes you do, Yes, you do.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Wow, that's my little notch. I like to bring back
the things that I love wherever possible.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
So yeah, because so I also talk to us about
unfortunately without Martin being here, but.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
You said you have a film and posts. Are you
okay to talk about it?
Speaker 5 (17:15):
I am indeed here, but I please, yes, tell us
about it.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
My film is a nineteen seventies armageddon apocalyptic dark comedy
road trip with the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
So it's my first sort.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Of comedy, dark comedy sort of road trip. But it
is called Armageddon Road and we said it's actually shot.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
We shot a feature.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
It's a feature. Oh, so I am just in the
midst of it feels like forever.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
But it's funny because I shot armagedon Road first and
then Missus Chang's Perfect Teeth in the same year, and
then basically and I've been in posts since then, so
I have Wow, this is light and I haven't seen
light for a long time, so I've been in.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
The very dark relation. Yes, come to the.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Exactly and so hopefully you know again, we should be
done at the end.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
Of the month.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I'm are you going to submit it for Portland Horror
next year?
Speaker 5 (18:08):
Well, now that I see it, how could I not
pol this is awesome.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
If you would have me, I would absolutely yes, please submit.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
I always loved it and uh yeah, And so the
the film is dark comedy, but it also is biblical
and it is the end of the world and it
has like so it's a little bit more of philosophical
but it's it's about I guess, you know, does man
have the choice.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
To make their own choices or is it God's will?
Speaker 3 (18:35):
And we are also going to do the Bible and
it's oh and it has Willie Ames from eight is
enough in age as the Pale Writer.
Speaker 5 (18:43):
I met him in ceramics class.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
We just see and I just did an episode on
Pale Writer and the High Plane Strifter.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Okay, well my pale Writers not that, but this is
this if you can picture it our nineteen seventies, yeah, trab, but.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
Now I love it.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
And he's he's the pale Rider. But yes, and so
it's a it's a it's a road trip comedy.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
And I met him in seras class. That's I was
making pottery.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
And I didn't know who he was, you know what
I mean, And I feel like but then I was like,
he looks very familiar. And then I was like, it's
Tommy for me. It is enough, right, like it's just
like it just dawned on me. It's you know.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
I literally and then you completely flattered that you.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Well, you know, once we'd started making pots together, then
we became friends. You know, but his pots are much
better mine or his are beautiful, and mine looked like
lump and sort of like vulva, you know, like it's
just like just.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
Fall caved in volva. It's not great what I do.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
But we we became friends, and so then when I
would if we were still giving away ashtrays, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Well, I mean they're they're changeholders.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
Now, yes, right, there's that stick your finger in this.
Sorry I didn't do that. That's not here.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
They are here.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
It is for you here. But yes it's a So
that's so that's on the on the up and coming.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
So oh good.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
But I love to again, I've never been.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
I didn't realize this was I mean, I love Portland, yeah,
but I've not been here since twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
So oh wow. The landscape has changed.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
The landscape has changed.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
And well, I mean we've been through what one pandemic
and we've things have just shifted a lot.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
You know, we had a population boom and that has
also affected us quite a bit.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
But yeah, beyond did you have a population boom?
Speaker 5 (20:26):
Definitely, and not a bust, like not enough people died?
Is that right? It wasn't enough apocalypse? Correct, that's what happened.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
But you know, we had a little road warrior scenario
with our like of riots and I'm sure it was
all over the news for a minute.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
And what the Vancouver has its own sheriff riots.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
That's good.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
So we also have ten cities, so we feel you
like we also are.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
Well, you're kind of a sister city. Honestly.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
Yeah, when I get here, I feel like I'm at home.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
I've been to Vancouver a few times. I've been to
the Brishard Gardens.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Butchard Gardens, and that is Victoria. Yes, sorry, my bad,
it's a problem at all that.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Yes, yes, but I've been to like I've been to
Vancouver and also Victoria, victor Boria. Sorry, yes, and Montreal, yes,
other side of the other side of the country.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
Yes, lovely Portland is our sister city. Yes, I swear
to God. We we come here and we're like did
we leave?
Speaker 3 (21:18):
You know, like that's what it feels like. You have
the same food phobias I have, so I feel like
we are allergic to the same foods.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
We're good no gluten, no, no, why why would we?
Speaker 5 (21:29):
But you also enjoy your craft beer.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
There is yeah, every like I I really enjoy this place.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
This feels like so I'm glad you're having fun. Thank you,
thank you, thank you for joining us. I'm sorry my
partner had to go.
Speaker 5 (21:40):
I totally get it.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
And yeah, I was late. Train thing train things.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
I feel you exactly it was nice to meet you.
Thank you for talking to us about your film.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
Oh, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
The Check the Gate podcast is hosted by Martin Vavra
and Gretchen Brooks. The show is directed, produced and edited
by Martin Vava. Produced by Galaxy Sailor Productions twenty twenty five.
The show is filmed and recorded at the Propulsion Zone
Studio in downtown Portland, Oregon. Special thanks to Adam Carpinelli
and Aleandro Barragon. This content is cancredentialed, which means you
(22:20):
can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on
their hotline at six one seven two four nine four
two five five or on their website at Creator Accountabilitynetwork
dot org
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