Welcome back to David’s Saturday Night Sit Back! This episode, I’m joined by Ryan Ranc—a filmmaker, writer, station manager, YouTube editor, and horror movie fanatic. As a Radio, TV, and Film student at UT Austin, Ryan has worked on independent films, written for The Daily Texan, and even directed his own horror short.
In this episode, we geek out over horror movies, pop culture, filmmaking, mental health, and the fight for our attention in the digital age. Plus, Ryan shares what it’s like to work in the film industry, his thoughts on academic competition, and why he believes Gen Z should stay offline.
🎬 What’s Inside This Episode:
(0:00) – Our )favorite horror movies and a deep dive into Barbarian (Spoiler Alert!
(7:30) – Smile, Host, Paranormal Activity, Midsommar, The Ring, and more!
(25:00) – The Haunting of Hill House, Stephen King, and the resurgence of classic monsters
(40:00) – Wolf Man, Black Mirror, and the evolution of horror
(44:15) – Ryan meets Nicolas Cage! (And has thoughts…)
(48:00) – Ryan’s experience hosting The Unscripted Podcast
(52:30) – Meeting childhood hero Parker Coppins and dream celebrity meetups
(1:02:00) – Where Ryan sees his career in five years
(1:10:45) – The dark side of crunch culture (Red Dead Redemption 2 as a case study)
(1:21:00) – The TikTok ban in the USA—is it a good or bad thing?
(1:28:30) – The pressure of academic competition—does it help or hurt students?
(1:34:00) – Ryan’s thoughts on Gen Z & social media—why he would keep his kids offline
🔥 Why You Should Listen:
- 🎥 Behind-the-scenes insights into independent filmmaking
- 😱 Deep horror movie discussions for true horror fans
- 🧠 Real talk about mental health, crunch culture, and academic pressure
- 📱 Debating social media’s impact on Gen Z and beyond
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