From Cuckoo’s Nest To Cult Horror

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A cinematography book changed the way Michael Berryman acts—and it might change the way you watch movies. We sit down with the cult horror icon to unpack how learning the camera’s language during One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest helped him craft the precise, unsettling presence that made The Hills Have Eyes a classic.

Wes Craven saw potential and built space for it, and Michael takes us behind the dust and danger of guerrilla filmmaking: tiny budgets, big tension, and choices that turn limitations into atmosphere. We compare the raw force of the original Hills with the visual polish of the remakes, exploring where modern craft shines and where it slips, all through the lens of intent, pacing, and composition. Along the way, we trade stories about Rob Zombie’s eye for framing, his reverence for genre history, and the art of homage done right, from Peckinpah echoes to the details that make frames feel dangerous.

The conversation widens into favorite films—Soylent Green, Blade Runner—and why dystopia and horror share more than mood. It’s about worldbuilding that shapes performance, production design that pressures characters, and those quiet seconds where the frame does the scaring. Whether you’re here for filmmaking craft, cult horror history, or practical acting insights, you’ll hear a rare blend of experience and humility from someone who’s lived inside the genre’s most enduring images.

If this conversation sparks something, follow the show, leave a quick review, and share it with a friend who loves horror. Your support helps more curious listeners find the craft, the stories, and the legends behind the monsters.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:03):
Sam fish of the fish hole here.
Michael Berryman.
Michael Berriman.
I'm Sam Fresh of the Host of theFish Hall.
For clarification.
It is great to have Michaelswimming in the bowl with me
again.

(00:24):
It's been almost, I think, closeto ten years since the last time
I I marked it on the calendarwith a crayon.
Exactly, exactly.
Michael, it is a pleasure tohave you on the show again and
to be here in Pittsburgh again.
Uh the last time I think youwere here, I was technically in
college, Point Park University.

(00:46):
And I found out the last timethat you were originally a
cinematographer.

SPEAKER_00 (00:52):
Well, I I I I studied uh when I did one for
Nova Cuckoo's best, I I I have adegree in art history, so I
asked uh Milo Schorman, mydirector, I go, what do I need
to know about that thing, thecamera?
And he gave me a book oncinematography.
So I mean I never worked as one,but I I studied the science of

(01:12):
uh cinematography, which whichhelps tremendously if you're an
actor, learn that stuff.

SPEAKER_01 (01:17):
And didn't that like somehow lead into being cast uh
Wes Craven?

SPEAKER_00 (01:25):
Um Well uh uh Wes uh Wes Craven, of course, he he saw
Cuckoo's Nest and uh you know uhthere's there's uh my my
nickname was Labots, you know,Lobotomy, okay.
Well there's a different lookingguy, so maybe he could be uh uh
the Hills have eyes mutants, soit just kind of went with kind

(01:48):
of went with that, and then uhhe was great to work with and
intelligent, down to earth, andwe had no budget, and we just
went out and did you knowguerrilla filmmaking and uh
became a classic.
What did you think of theremake?
Actually, I thought uh I've I'veonly seen the first remake and
visually it it it it it's it'sit's very decent.

(02:10):
Uh there's a few things I I Iwould have changed as a direct
from a director's point of view,but overall I thought it was
pretty solid.

SPEAKER_01 (02:18):
The the part two with um the sequel for I mean
the the remake, um of course theoriginal you're in part one and
part two.
Yes the the sequel that they didum was basically like an
entirely new uh movie that waslike the military comes in and

(02:41):
it's like the small platoon orwhatever has to like fight
against the the hills members.
Right.
It has mixed reviews becausethere's like the kind of open
spot uh uh a a woman who's beenlike held hostage giving birth
or whatever.
Right.
You know, but uh it's prettygraphic, but uh I personally uh

(03:05):
thought part two was uh notbetter by the uh I really
enjoyed it.
It reminded me kind of like likethe the original House Hell Eyes
and then like the remakes kindof thing after next time.
Um nothing beats uh and seeingthe the old reminder the

(03:28):
originals.
Right.

SPEAKER_00 (03:30):
Right, I I agree.
Ours was uh a little more driny,a little more in your face.

SPEAKER_01 (03:36):
Yeah, yeah, I agree.
I agree.
And I've had uh D Wallace on myshow before actually a couple of
times.
She's a sweetie, great, greatperson out.
She was here last year,actually.

SPEAKER_00 (03:46):
And uh big but she has the uh mouth of a teamster.

SPEAKER_01 (03:51):
She's awesome.
Yeah, yeah.
And uh I mean I I know you'veworked on a ton of film, uh like
the other big one, uh bigdirector music was uh Rob Under.
Right.
Um what was it like working withRob Under the Down?

SPEAKER_00 (04:07):
Oh uh well I was not familiar with his uh music or
his film at all.
And um he's educated in thegenre, he knew what he was
doing, he's got a good sense foreyes composition to like to work
with.
I thought he could have a goodrejects.

SPEAKER_01 (04:27):
These are my friends that read.

SPEAKER_00 (04:32):
Well, the homage to Peckin Pa at the end of the
slow-mo and that's right, right,and the car and uh he has a
pretty good he he has acollection at home of a lot of
the universal uh props, which ispretty cool.
And uh he's true to the genre,which uh very much appreciated.

SPEAKER_01 (04:52):
Definitely, definitely.
I mean uh my dad actually justuh yesterday and he was like,
What is who's who's the artistthat did the clockwork horns?
And uh I had the town's robberszombie, um which was for
actually the soundtrack to theuh uh the roller ball uh remake.

(05:14):
Oh wow, the no hip hair.
Yeah, yeah, the original was waybetter, but the music video was
probably the best.
That's part about uh having thatmovie about it.
Like you know, three, three anda half minutes for the school.
Like the essential descriptionfor uh but uh what are what are

(05:36):
some of your favorite films?

SPEAKER_00 (05:41):
I have a ton, I'd say uh favorite films.
Um, uh, there's just too many tolist.

SPEAKER_01 (06:05):
So that that's one of my favorite films.
I I would actually say Swill andGreen probably spawned the the
shrine road by sci-fi.
Uh yeah, I'll give it somecredit for that.
Yeah, I mean Blade Blade Runnerwas uh the gotcha.
Well, Blade Runner's myfavorite.
Yeah, excellent film.

(06:27):
Uh got the Michael the other wayaround that gotcha.
Um got the note, we gotta wrapup.
So, Michael, thank you so much.
Good to see you again.
You too.
Pleasure having you come to swimin the bowl.
You bet.

SPEAKER_00 (06:40):
Go to the movies, get some popcorn.