November 17, 2025 • 29 mins
Welcome back to the studio. This is My Day of Play, where you’re taken into the real events and actions of how it happens long before the process of editing or cleaning up. The original purpose of these episodes was to give my broadcasting students something to edit, to practice with and to call their own. Then I realized that you are just as important. Share the reality of how it really went. We begin things with Navy Veterans Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson the authors of Tom Clancy Defense Protocol. Then we’ll wrap things up with Matt Dupree the author of the book Scary Little Christmas: a story of yuletide horror films 1972 to 2022. This is My Day of Play. Completely unedited in the way of meeting the wizard behind the curtain.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
They always teach us in radio one thought per break.
Why can't I have a podcast it does the same thing,
or maybe several podcasts seventeen different subjects and walks of life.
Ero dot net, rre dot net. Thank you so much
for supporting me over the years. Hey, I want to
welcome you back to the studio. This is my day
(00:20):
of play, where you're taken into the really vancing actions
of how it goes down before the process of editing
and or cleaning up. The original purpose of these episodes
was to give my broadcasting students something to edit, to
practice with, and to call their own. And then I realized, well,
wait a second, you are just as important as they are.
Why not share the reality of everything that went down.
(00:42):
We begin things with Navy veterans Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson,
the authors of Tom Clancy Defense Protocol. Then we're going
to wrap things up with mister Matt Dupree, the author
of the book Scary Little Christmas, A Story of Yule
Tide Horror Stories nineteen seventy two. Tonight eighteen twenty two.
This is my day of play, completely unedited, in the
(01:05):
way of meeting the Wizard behind the curtain. Hell on,
good morning everybody.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Hey, good morning.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
This is Jeff Wilson, one half of the Andrews and
Wilson for the interview in a minute.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Well how are you doing, mister Jeff?
Speaker 5 (01:17):
Doing great, my friend? How about yourself?
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 5 (01:20):
Oh I can't stop that obviously.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Did you say that Brian's going to be calling in?
Speaker 5 (01:27):
Yeah, he'll be calling in any second now. I just
cut off the phone with him, so ex.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Coordinating our your day.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
They they booked us, like, I don't know, eight interviews
back to back.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
It's kind of a crazy day. Did you need us
to sort of like merge a call? Do you want
me to call him and add him or what's yeah?
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Yeah, let's do that.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, okay, I'll get him on right now.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Okay, thank you, stand by? All right, I have you do?
I have Brian.
Speaker 6 (01:57):
Brian's gone all right, right, all right, you two your rock,
let's do it. We got to start it off with
with with the very simple question. Only because I've been
blessed with the opportunity to speak with many authors for
Tom Clancy, I've never had the opportunity to speak to
a duo. How do you guys collaborate in a situation
like this, especially when you're talking about Jack Ryan.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
Yeah, we have a really simple formula.
Speaker 7 (02:20):
I write all the nouns and Brian does the verbs,
and then we just merged the documents.
Speaker 5 (02:28):
So we went into this. You know, the Clancy books.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Are very exciting for us, obviously.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
But we've been an author, you know, a co author team.
Speaker 7 (02:38):
Now for a decade with the Tier one series and
Sons of Valor.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
And Shepherd's and all the other books we write.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
So by the time we attack Clancy, we sort of
have it down to a pretty fine tune machine. So
doing a co author on a Clancy was no different
for us than the other books that we do.
Speaker 6 (02:55):
I think one of the greatest things about the Tom
Clancy novels is how real it feels and the way
that you bring in situations that are presently in our world. So,
I mean, you guys have got to be pretty much
up to date with the actions of the of the planet.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (03:08):
I think as two Navy veterans who were living these
types of lives, you know, when we were active duty,
it's pretty hard to unplug, you know, in real life,
even after you you know, leave the military, active duty
military service. It's it's just in your data to stay
plugged into the geopolitical events of what's going on, and
(03:28):
those things matter to the nation and our security.
Speaker 6 (03:31):
Now, one of the things that you guys do in
the story is that you bring Katie into this in
this storyline, and they've got to work. She's got to
work together with with Jack, and I mean just just
the way that you handle the balancing of this story.
It's not too much Jacket's not too much Katie. Is
that something you do in the editing process?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
You know, we actually set out from the very beginning
to do that because we were faced with kind of
a challenge.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
You know, our first book.
Speaker 7 (03:54):
Actor Defiance in the series was a book that was
a big deal because it's.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
A fortieth n of her for Hunt, and.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
We really decided early on we want to tackle.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Our installments in this series by sort of bringing it
back to its roots of that vibe.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
That Clancy created so well with the early Jack Ryan. Well,
we can't deal with Jack now because he's the president.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 7 (04:16):
He's not like fast roping onto a submarine or anything
like that.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
And so Katie Ryan.
Speaker 7 (04:21):
Idea came to us as a way to sort of
do that analog, and so it was really fun for
us to be able to build that relationship between her
and her dad, for example, because.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
We're both you know, girl daddies as well, but also
to be able to go back.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
To the roots of she's an analyst, she's a fish
out of water, she's.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
A dog with a bone, all those things that made.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Jack Ryan so compelling in.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
The early books.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Katie affords us the opportunity to sort of revisit that.
Speaker 6 (04:48):
You know, when when Jack Ryan became president, right away,
I was thinking, how are they going to do this,
because I mean, here's here's this guy, you know that
could go undercover and.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Do his little his little thing.
Speaker 6 (04:57):
But but as president, I mean it's like, ah, man,
you every breath you take, we're watching you.
Speaker 8 (05:04):
Yeah, And I think as president of the United States,
it seems like it's the position of ultimate power, and
in some ways it is. But it's also something interesting
to explore that Jack Ryan has to fight every battle
with one arm sort of metaphorically tied behind his back,
right because Jack Ryan is the consummate moral actor. You know,
he's a boy scout, He's always do the right thing,
(05:27):
and the adversaries he's up against are going to play
by different rules. So not only can he not fast
rope into the hot AlSi like Jeff was saying, because
he's stuck in the oval office, he also has to
use tactics and methods that you know, he considers honorable.
So it's definitely a challenge for him to come out
on top and a challenge for us to write that character.
Speaker 6 (05:48):
Is going undercover in Maineland China, though, I mean, come on,
we just saw what happened this week in South Korea.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Where was he legal to protest?
Speaker 6 (05:55):
I mean, how do you go undercover in in Maineland China?
Speaker 5 (06:00):
Right? That was the cool challenge, right, Like it's it's.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
One thing to blend in.
Speaker 7 (06:05):
In Eastern Europe if you're if you're John Clark, but
how do you do that in in China?
Speaker 3 (06:10):
The one opportunity and what we seized on without any
spoilers here, was there's still this very robust corporate presence
in Beijing because the you know, the warfare of economy
is one that China understands very well, and so there
was the opportunity to get people in and out right
(06:32):
that we could have them under a knock of being
in the corporate world, and that's sort of what we
see Stoff.
Speaker 6 (06:38):
And you know, if you're going to talk about China,
of course that in the real world. We're also talking
about time.
Speaker 9 (06:42):
Some time permitted for recording your message. If you're satisfied
with the message, press one to listen to your message,
Press two to erase and re record, Press three.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Are you guys still there?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah, sorry about that, glad.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
I'm glad. This is one.
Speaker 9 (07:00):
To listen to your message, Press to erase and re record,
Press three.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (07:06):
It's almost like the Chinese government is trying to silence
what we're doing here talking about Jack Ryan.
Speaker 9 (07:12):
Press one to listen to your message, Press two to
erase and re record, Press three.
Speaker 5 (07:17):
I'll tell you what I think.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
I think what happened was this thing went into a
voicemail when I was merging the calls.
Speaker 9 (07:23):
Sorry I trouble your intent. Please try again later.
Speaker 8 (07:26):
Goodbye.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Let's see what happens there she goes, she just went away.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
All right, I'm sorry about that, bro.
Speaker 6 (07:35):
No, when when you when you talk about China, you've
got to include Taiwan and the way that you guys
paint this into the storyline. I mean, it's you give
us such a different angle of that storyline.
Speaker 7 (07:47):
You know, Taiwan is in the news for years now
because it is.
Speaker 10 (07:52):
Of strategic and tactical importance, and this question of will
they won't theay with China and Taiwan has been there
for for years, and what will America do is the
burning question in most of our minds, both because of
the cost in blood and treasure.
Speaker 5 (08:08):
Are we willing to do that for a partner?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And so that was something we wanted to explore here because.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
It's real world, because it's not like the nineteen forties
where it's about taking a hill.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
There are global ripple implications.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
For every single thing you do in the world now.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
And Taiwan is probably the supreme example of that.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
China could take Taiwan militarily.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
It's literally minutes from their coastline in a military sense,
and we would not stop it, But would we recapture it?
Speaker 5 (08:36):
Will we spend that blood in that money? Would they
take it? Because of all of the global.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Economic pressure that could be put on them, And so
that was a really fun thing for us to play
around with because it's something we all vote. Everyone that
served especially Navy people. We've were gained that out all
the time, not just the military, but the geopolitical implications
of it.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
So it would have been remiss.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
To sun China and not talk about Taiwan in this book.
Speaker 6 (09:02):
My father always used to tell me, He says, if
you want to know what's going on in the world,
you have to read Tom Clancy.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Do you believe that's true?
Speaker 5 (09:09):
Oh?
Speaker 8 (09:09):
I think so. I think that Tom was a barometer
of you know, geopolitical risk from the very first book,
Hunt for October. I think that's why it ended up
in the hands of the President. You saw that famous
photograph of him, you know, carrying the book in his
hands on his way to Marine one. So yes, I think.
And as as Clancy authors carrying on that legacy, it's
(09:31):
incumbent upon us to try to continue that tradition of
being the fiction with air quotes barometer of risk for
to help educate the American people. What are brave men
and women who are serving the intelligence community and on
the front lines are actually facing on a daily basis.
Speaker 6 (09:51):
Where can people go to find out more about you guys?
As a writing team, as well as the books that
you that you've put.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
Together yeah, sure, thanks for that.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Anybody can find at www dot Andrews Dashwilson dot com.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
That's our website, has all of our books, all of.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Our film and television projects on there.
Speaker 7 (10:09):
But there's also an opportunity to sign up for a newsletter.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I always hesitate to encourage people to do that because.
Speaker 5 (10:14):
I've signed up for newsletter and got spammed.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
We don't do that.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
So if you sign up for our newsletter, there's some
there's some things that people can get for doing that,
but only thing you're going to receive is information every
couple of months about things that we have going on.
So Andrews Dashwilson dot com is where to find all
of our books and everything about us.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (10:33):
Well, please come back to this show anytime in the future.
The door is always going to be open for you.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
Well, thank you, we much.
Speaker 8 (10:40):
We had a great, great time.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Yeah, we sure appreciate that. Man, it's great, great conversation.
Speaker 8 (10:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
So you guys be brilliant today.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Okay you did to say, my friend.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Please do not move. Coming up next, mister Matt Dupree,
the author of Scary Little Christmas, A History of Yule
Tide horror, films nineteen seventy two to nineteen twenty two. Hey,
we are back with my day of play. Let's get
into that talk with author Matt Dupree recording in progress and.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
Michael. Hey, sir, how are you doing very well? How
about you?
Speaker 9 (11:13):
Sue knock on wood, good.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Good er, good morning, Hey, good morning. How are you
doing today? Matt?
Speaker 11 (11:20):
So far, so great, man.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
I'll tell you what.
Speaker 6 (11:22):
You got a subject here that really has my attention
because it's scary movies inside the Christmas.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Yule Tide times.
Speaker 6 (11:27):
Who I mean, I mean because I'm sitting here looking
at the poster of Red One right now, thinking.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
I wonder if Matt will even talk about this. I
wish I could.
Speaker 12 (11:36):
I sadly did not see it yet, although I've been
chomping at the bit to see that one since I
first heard about it.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
I mean, because I love a good scare during the
holiday season. And you know the thing about it is,
people say, oh, this just started happening. That They're absolutely wrong,
aren't they. This has been going on for a very
long time.
Speaker 12 (11:52):
Oh It's been going on really since the advent of
cinema itself, which is really interesting.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Now.
Speaker 6 (12:00):
One of the things that you cover inside this book
is Silent Night, Bloody Night, and the Independent Theater here
in Charlotte, they're actually going to show this on the
big screen. I was a child when I when I
saw that poster and it says when they're going to
do it. It's like, oh my god, Matt talks about
this in his book and I get to see.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
It on the big screen.
Speaker 12 (12:18):
Oh, that's a fantastic watch that if you haven't seen
it before, you're you're in for a real treat.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
What did you pull from a movie such as that,
because I mean, isn't this the movie one of them
that really actually kind of shaped your desire for this
kind of stuff?
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (12:32):
For sure.
Speaker 12 (12:33):
You know, Silent My Bloody Night was you know, I'm
an East Coast guy and they shot that up in
Long Island, and it was really derived from a lot
of the folks that were working with Andy Warhol at
the time, and they had the opportunity to kind of
work on a low budget script.
Speaker 11 (12:50):
It was kind of designed for a low budget feature.
Speaker 12 (12:53):
And it was a lot of indie folks that that
kind of came together. They lived at the mansion where
they shot the film. Oh wow, and they put this
together with art house sensibilities, and you know, really interestingly,
it was Lloyd Kaufman of Trauma Studios fame. That was
one of his first jobs in the film industry. He
(13:13):
was an associate producer and a driver for the actors
from New York.
Speaker 11 (13:18):
City out to the set.
Speaker 12 (13:21):
So a really fascinating kind of a raid behind the scenes.
But you look at what the film is, it's really
almost like a haunted house film with art house sensibilities.
Speaker 11 (13:31):
There's not a whole heck of a lot of gore,
but it is.
Speaker 12 (13:35):
A conventional who done it kind of thing. But there's
some commentary in there too about mental health illness in
America and how psychiatric hospitals were treating and mistreating patients
over the decades, so that's kind of wrapped up in
the narrative. And it's set at Christmas time, so it's
really interesting. But you know, if you're lucky enough to
(13:58):
see it in the theater, I hope it's a film
stock print you get to see, because there's a lot
of notoriously bad prints floating around, and I think it
actually harms the film a little bit, just because it's
a little hard to see the beauty of the cinematography
for the film, but you're not going to see many
other films like this one. It was really unique to
(14:21):
that era and really stands up even fifty years later,
in my opinion.
Speaker 6 (14:26):
So for somebody who writes a book such as this
and then shares it with the rest of the world,
what does it mean to you as the author that
these independent theaters are doing exactly what you're putting on
those pages. They're putting them back out there so people
get the experience. I mean, that's got to be I mean,
you got to be a kid too right now.
Speaker 11 (14:41):
Absolutely, I couldn't be happier.
Speaker 12 (14:45):
I couldn't be more thrilled to be alive in this
era to kind of see the revival happening. My big aim,
at least one of my aims with this book particularly,
was really to memorialize how, why, and when these films
were made and get as many oral histories from the
folks that were you know, either the director, writer, actor,
(15:07):
special effects artists, to kind of relay some of these
stories because unfortunately, a lot of you know, cinematic history
artifacts and factoids get lost pretty quickly. But I started
with that fifty year spread so at least we have
some kind of history on the books, and I know,
I do know that going forward, someone will take the
(15:30):
reins and definitely write another history because there's just so
many new films in this subshinre that come out year
after year, which I'm really excited about. And I think
it's great that, you know, people are very inspired by
these films from the seventies and eighties and how it's
affecting cinema definitely in the twenty tens and even currently.
(15:53):
And I think this is a trend that we're going
to see for at least the next ten plus years.
So really really excited, and I'm I'm just incredibly humble
to have been able to write one of the histories
of this really fascinating subgenre.
Speaker 6 (16:07):
I think one of the downfalls of these slasher movies
for Christmas is the fact that it was too cold outside.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
To put them at a drive in.
Speaker 6 (16:13):
It would have been really cool to see these at
a drive in when it's really just horrible weather outside.
Speaker 11 (16:21):
I absolutely agree.
Speaker 12 (16:23):
I mean, what a better experience, right, They're really and
that's you know, that's a lot of the lore of
watching these films is kind of really getting into the
entire season.
Speaker 11 (16:34):
What I love about it is, you know, the.
Speaker 12 (16:36):
Holiday aspect aside, it is really a seasonal you know,
we have the entire month of December and even into January,
and I know there's great things like people make horror
advent calendars, so it's a film for day and all
these other really great idea. You know, it becomes a
(16:58):
new tradition onto its for this season, which I just love.
And there are so many offerings, whether it's horror comedy
or the more serious stuff or just straight up gore
or zombies.
Speaker 11 (17:11):
I mean, you name it.
Speaker 12 (17:13):
The Christmas horror subgenre is definitely going to have something
for you to enjoy.
Speaker 6 (17:18):
So do you think David Harber is the one that
kind of just brought this all back or do you
think it goes back to bad Santa where it's like, Okay,
I get it, let's have some really not so good
times with Christmas and we're gonna make it fun.
Speaker 12 (17:29):
Though I really think that, you know, there's a couple
of things in play. Definitely the revival, you know, on
one aspect, just the revival of crampis you know, this
Alpine Christmas devil and how that came into you know,
North American culture relatively recently, and we have this huge
(17:52):
studio project with Michael Doherty's Crampism twenty fifteen, and that
was a very large commercial success, like a sixty million
dollar return in the box offices.
Speaker 11 (18:05):
I think that moment.
Speaker 12 (18:06):
Forward really started to tickle big studios to think, hey,
we really need to tap into this Christmas market.
Speaker 11 (18:13):
Hallmark is very successful with.
Speaker 12 (18:16):
The TV side, what can we do from a cinematic side,
And you know, a lot of these things are low risk,
whether it's Bad Santa Violent Night. The budgets aren't incredibly high,
but the returns, as they have seen are are very welcome.
So I really think we're going to see at least
one or two studio pictures a year. Unfortunately, what I
(18:38):
heard about Red One, which I was really looking forward to,
it did kind of fizzle at the box office. I
think that's really one of the first hits that a
Christmas film of this magnitude has taken and in quite
a while. I mean, by contrast, the indie film Terrifier
three just reaped one hundred million dollars at the box
(18:59):
office and it was only made.
Speaker 11 (19:02):
For two millions.
Speaker 12 (19:03):
So I think the formula is still on effect and
still very effective.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
You know, you talk about Crampus, that's going to be
another one of those films that they're going to show
it this Independent Picture House.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
I mean, it really is.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
I mean, I just love the fact that what's in
your book is happening at this theater.
Speaker 12 (19:18):
That is just really fascinating and I just love to
hear it. I do hear from folks about this time
each year, and they get very excited with, you know,
revival screenings of some of these classics, and I couldn't
be happier to see that you have the opportunity, you know,
to see these great films in and in a theater setting.
I think that's incredibly important and just very festive.
Speaker 6 (19:41):
I love the way that you break up the book,
especially when you know the chapter I had to go
to right away with Psycho Santa Clauss because it's like, yeah,
now we're talking the dark side of the dude.
Speaker 11 (19:51):
That's right.
Speaker 12 (19:54):
You know, when putting this book together is so many
different ways to arrange it in a way. But you
know what I really start to see as I was
watching some of these films back and back and kind
of cataloging them. Is there really is kind of distinct
thematic anchors. And you know, the Psycho Santa film, I
would say is probably one of the most prevalent, most
(20:16):
prominent aspects of Christmas horror. And although I really love it,
I know there's just so many more aspects to the
subgenre that I think I really needed some illumination.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
You know.
Speaker 12 (20:29):
The other one I really love, although we don't have
many offerings is Killer Christmas Trees.
Speaker 11 (20:34):
I just think that is just so funny and just fun.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
You know.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
One of the things that you know you put focus
on in this movie is the way that you know
the writers, because we don't really put a lot of
focus on them as viewers as well as readers. So
now for a writer to sit down and do one
of these Christmas movies, I mean, is it just a
break from them when they're used to doing the love
stories or the action packed films, and all of a
sudden they go, I want to write a really kind
(21:02):
of demented Christmas story.
Speaker 11 (21:05):
Yeah, You're absolutely right. It was a key question for me.
Speaker 12 (21:09):
I was always fascinated of just what was the motivation
behind setting the story, especially a horror story during the
holidays and I would say, you know, a bulk, if not,
maybe like ninety percent plus of the writers said, you know,
there's so much kind of comfort and familiality of the
(21:31):
holiday season that audiences immediately react to and kind of
can appreciate and feel good about. But when you introduce
these darker themes, it really has an emotional tie and
impact to their psyche and kind of viewing experience.
Speaker 11 (21:47):
And I thought, you know what, that you're absolutely right.
Speaker 12 (21:50):
We have so many kind of standby emotions for the season,
most of them positive, and it just amplifies, you know,
just how hard durable it would be for something you know,
violent or really sad to happen during the holidays. So
I think, you know, it's a great construct. And most
of the writers did tell me.
Speaker 11 (22:12):
That they are huge fans of Christmas.
Speaker 12 (22:15):
There was not many mean spirited folks that are like, hey,
I despise the holidays and I want to make an
anti Christmas film kind of thing. There were a few,
but they were definitely in the minority.
Speaker 6 (22:26):
Now, being the author of this, I mean, did you
have to have an emotional rescue? And the reason being
is because I mean, some of these are pretty darn
dark and it's like, Okay, so you did the research,
you went in and found the real true story.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
How did you how did you get back up on
your feet again?
Speaker 11 (22:40):
That's a great question, you know.
Speaker 12 (22:41):
I think the one thing that I that I really
had to keep in mind was when you're watching so
much of this content back back, you can definitely become
not only desensitized, which can kind of alter your optic,
but you can also become jaded with, you know, the
productions that just didn't have enough money for you know,
(23:02):
certain production value and stuff, and you can really start
to take.
Speaker 11 (23:06):
A more.
Speaker 12 (23:08):
Critical eye and kind of a dismissive perspective. I really
had to watch myself because after.
Speaker 11 (23:16):
You watch you know, ninety seven Psycho Santa.
Speaker 12 (23:19):
Films, and a lot of them are just, you know,
more run of the mill. I really didn't want to
discredit anyone's work, so I did notice I would have
to take some pauses and maybe work on a chapter
that had totally different subject matter to kind of refresh
my own optic on that.
Speaker 6 (23:38):
So one of the things that I always tell people
when I talk about this book is I go, yes,
it does include zombie stories. I mean, but I've never
heard of a zombie movie until your book.
Speaker 11 (23:48):
Yeah, I was really surprised.
Speaker 12 (23:50):
That was one of the you know, I would say
big surprises for me is just how many zombie Christmas
theme films there were. You know, whether there were feature
films or shorts, there were a lot. There was probably
more shorts than features, but a lot of folks took
a stab at that particular niche of the subgenre.
Speaker 11 (24:10):
And you know, zombie films aren't cheap.
Speaker 12 (24:14):
There's a lot of extras, there's a lot of special
makeup effects, there's a lot of visual effects. So I
really give credit to the folks that kind of jumped
into that headfirst and really tried their best. And you know,
there are a couple shorts out there that are absolutely brilliant.
They're kind of horror comedy or horror, you know, Christmas
(24:36):
horror zomb comms, I think is what the filmmakers viewed
them as. And I thought they were incredibly creative and
really fun and really tapped that pop culture obsession with
zombies that we had not too long ago.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
You talk with an author for a Tom Clancy book,
they'll tell you, yeah, it took me about forty five
days to put this book together. No, it took you
twenty five years. What happened in those twenty five years?
Speaker 11 (25:01):
You know this?
Speaker 12 (25:03):
You know, my genesis for for for writing this book
really was born out of you know, I grew up
in a time where we didn't have the hundreds of
Christmas horror.
Speaker 11 (25:13):
Movies to kind of you know, pick through.
Speaker 12 (25:15):
But each year it was traditioned to watch as many
that were available. And you know, I carry that tradition
on and on and as a young adult and you know,
filmmaker and film student, I often thought to myself, wouldn't
it be great to have some kind of literary companion
for this time of year where you know, you could
refresh your memory of you know, the filmmakers how they
(25:39):
made this stuff from a filmmaking perspective, but also have
you know, a catalog of films just to peruse through
and make a new viewing list or share with friends
or you know, come up with a viewing party kind
of triple feature or something. So you know, it's a
little cliche, but it was kind of like, hey, this
(26:00):
this is the book I would want to you know,
as I'm sitting drinking eggnog under the tree, you know,
would want to read, and you know, at the time,
there was no Christmas horror book out there like this,
and the publisher was, you know, quite interested and agreed that.
Speaker 11 (26:19):
It would it would fit.
Speaker 12 (26:21):
And I really, you know, started in earnest and it
took probably a good eighteen months of writing and watching
and rewatching films and interviewing to complete the manuscript.
Speaker 11 (26:35):
But I did write every single day, which is one
of the few times.
Speaker 12 (26:38):
I can tell you that, and that was hard. It
was during the pandemic. It was kind of therapeutic in
a way to kind of write during.
Speaker 11 (26:46):
That stressful time.
Speaker 12 (26:47):
But it's probably one of the few times that I
actually wrote and contributed to a single manuscript every single
day for almost two years.
Speaker 6 (26:57):
Boy, you know, it's so funny being on this side
of the pandemic because I continue talking with musicians and
authors and stuff like that while it was happening, and
they were freaking pissed off as what they were because
they didn't know what they were going to do, and
then we're on this side of it. Everybody's but man,
that was the greatest time in my life. I'm going
we why didn't I have this positive energy when we
were in the pandemic.
Speaker 12 (27:15):
You're absolutely right. You know, I'm working on a new book. Well,
actually I just finished a new book, so it's a
post pandemic manuscript. And I'll tell you it was very
different this time around talking to folks and trying to
get schedules, and maybe the level of enthusiasm to talk
to an author was down a little.
Speaker 11 (27:35):
Bit now that everyone's back to work.
Speaker 12 (27:38):
But you know, looking back at the process of writing
this one, I do really appreciate having that opportunity to
speak to so many people that were kind of captive
audiences home during the pandemic, and I think we were
all kind of in the same boat, nervous, trying to
focus on something else and bring some positive activity, and
(28:01):
you know, talking about their their previous works is a
pretty positive thing, so all in all, and I mean,
despite the pandemic being incredibly stressful and awful, I really
think looking back on it, that literary experience was probably
one of the few shining lights of positivity that I
had in that period.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Where can people go to find out more about you?
Speaker 11 (28:23):
Matt Well?
Speaker 12 (28:25):
I have my website and I do admit it's going
to get tuned up here in just a little bit,
but Matthewdupai dot com it's got some, you know, various
offerings of not only Christmas Hard, just hardor in general
my different appearances. If folks like a personalized copy of
the book, it's definitely available through the site. And I
(28:46):
think I've got just about everything, you know, bio wise
and kind of previous writing stuff on the site. But
otherwise the books available just about anywhere where books are sold,
which is fantastic.
Speaker 6 (29:00):
Well, you got to come back to this show anytime
in the future. The door is always going to be
open for you.
Speaker 11 (29:04):
Oh, I really appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Will you be brilliant today? Okay, sir you two I
ro you have a great one. Thank you. Are we
in theater number two
They always teach us in radio one thought per break.
Why can't I have a podcast it does the same thing,
or maybe several podcasts seventeen different subjects and walks of life.
Ero dot net, rre dot net. Thank you so much
for supporting me over the years. Hey, I want to
welcome you back to the studio. This is my day
(00:20):
of play, where you're taken into the really vancing actions
of how it goes down before the process of editing
and or cleaning up. The original purpose of these episodes
was to give my broadcasting students something to edit, to
practice with, and to call their own. And then I realized, well,
wait a second, you are just as important as they are.
Why not share the reality of everything that went down.
(00:42):
We begin things with Navy veterans Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson,
the authors of Tom Clancy Defense Protocol. Then we're going
to wrap things up with mister Matt Dupree, the author
of the book Scary Little Christmas, A Story of Yule
Tide Horror Stories nineteen seventy two. Tonight eighteen twenty two.
This is my day of play, completely unedited, in the
(01:05):
way of meeting the Wizard behind the curtain. Hell on,
good morning everybody.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Hey, good morning.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
This is Jeff Wilson, one half of the Andrews and
Wilson for the interview in a minute.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Well how are you doing, mister Jeff?
Speaker 5 (01:17):
Doing great, my friend? How about yourself?
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 5 (01:20):
Oh I can't stop that obviously.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Did you say that Brian's going to be calling in?
Speaker 5 (01:27):
Yeah, he'll be calling in any second now. I just
cut off the phone with him, so ex.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Coordinating our your day.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
They they booked us, like, I don't know, eight interviews
back to back.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
It's kind of a crazy day. Did you need us
to sort of like merge a call? Do you want
me to call him and add him or what's yeah?
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Yeah, let's do that.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, okay, I'll get him on right now.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Okay, thank you, stand by? All right, I have you do?
I have Brian.
Speaker 6 (01:57):
Brian's gone all right, right, all right, you two your rock,
let's do it. We got to start it off with
with with the very simple question. Only because I've been
blessed with the opportunity to speak with many authors for
Tom Clancy, I've never had the opportunity to speak to
a duo. How do you guys collaborate in a situation
like this, especially when you're talking about Jack Ryan.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
Yeah, we have a really simple formula.
Speaker 7 (02:20):
I write all the nouns and Brian does the verbs,
and then we just merged the documents.
Speaker 5 (02:28):
So we went into this. You know, the Clancy books.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Are very exciting for us, obviously.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
But we've been an author, you know, a co author team.
Speaker 7 (02:38):
Now for a decade with the Tier one series and
Sons of Valor.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
And Shepherd's and all the other books we write.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
So by the time we attack Clancy, we sort of
have it down to a pretty fine tune machine. So
doing a co author on a Clancy was no different
for us than the other books that we do.
Speaker 6 (02:55):
I think one of the greatest things about the Tom
Clancy novels is how real it feels and the way
that you bring in situations that are presently in our world. So,
I mean, you guys have got to be pretty much
up to date with the actions of the of the planet.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (03:08):
I think as two Navy veterans who were living these
types of lives, you know, when we were active duty,
it's pretty hard to unplug, you know, in real life,
even after you you know, leave the military, active duty
military service. It's it's just in your data to stay
plugged into the geopolitical events of what's going on, and
(03:28):
those things matter to the nation and our security.
Speaker 6 (03:31):
Now, one of the things that you guys do in
the story is that you bring Katie into this in
this storyline, and they've got to work. She's got to
work together with with Jack, and I mean just just
the way that you handle the balancing of this story.
It's not too much Jacket's not too much Katie. Is
that something you do in the editing process?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
You know, we actually set out from the very beginning
to do that because we were faced with kind of
a challenge.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
You know, our first book.
Speaker 7 (03:54):
Actor Defiance in the series was a book that was
a big deal because it's.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
A fortieth n of her for Hunt, and.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
We really decided early on we want to tackle.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Our installments in this series by sort of bringing it
back to its roots of that vibe.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
That Clancy created so well with the early Jack Ryan. Well,
we can't deal with Jack now because he's the president.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 7 (04:16):
He's not like fast roping onto a submarine or anything
like that.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
And so Katie Ryan.
Speaker 7 (04:21):
Idea came to us as a way to sort of
do that analog, and so it was really fun for
us to be able to build that relationship between her
and her dad, for example, because.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
We're both you know, girl daddies as well, but also
to be able to go back.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
To the roots of she's an analyst, she's a fish
out of water, she's.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
A dog with a bone, all those things that made.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Jack Ryan so compelling in.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
The early books.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Katie affords us the opportunity to sort of revisit that.
Speaker 6 (04:48):
You know, when when Jack Ryan became president, right away,
I was thinking, how are they going to do this,
because I mean, here's here's this guy, you know that
could go undercover and.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Do his little his little thing.
Speaker 6 (04:57):
But but as president, I mean it's like, ah, man,
you every breath you take, we're watching you.
Speaker 8 (05:04):
Yeah, And I think as president of the United States,
it seems like it's the position of ultimate power, and
in some ways it is. But it's also something interesting
to explore that Jack Ryan has to fight every battle
with one arm sort of metaphorically tied behind his back,
right because Jack Ryan is the consummate moral actor. You know,
he's a boy scout, He's always do the right thing,
(05:27):
and the adversaries he's up against are going to play
by different rules. So not only can he not fast
rope into the hot AlSi like Jeff was saying, because
he's stuck in the oval office, he also has to
use tactics and methods that you know, he considers honorable.
So it's definitely a challenge for him to come out
on top and a challenge for us to write that character.
Speaker 6 (05:48):
Is going undercover in Maineland China, though, I mean, come on,
we just saw what happened this week in South Korea.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Where was he legal to protest?
Speaker 6 (05:55):
I mean, how do you go undercover in in Maineland China?
Speaker 5 (06:00):
Right? That was the cool challenge, right, Like it's it's.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
One thing to blend in.
Speaker 7 (06:05):
In Eastern Europe if you're if you're John Clark, but
how do you do that in in China?
Speaker 3 (06:10):
The one opportunity and what we seized on without any
spoilers here, was there's still this very robust corporate presence
in Beijing because the you know, the warfare of economy
is one that China understands very well, and so there
was the opportunity to get people in and out right
(06:32):
that we could have them under a knock of being
in the corporate world, and that's sort of what we
see Stoff.
Speaker 6 (06:38):
And you know, if you're going to talk about China,
of course that in the real world. We're also talking
about time.
Speaker 9 (06:42):
Some time permitted for recording your message. If you're satisfied
with the message, press one to listen to your message,
Press two to erase and re record, Press three.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Are you guys still there?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah, sorry about that, glad.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
I'm glad. This is one.
Speaker 9 (07:00):
To listen to your message, Press to erase and re record,
Press three.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (07:06):
It's almost like the Chinese government is trying to silence
what we're doing here talking about Jack Ryan.
Speaker 9 (07:12):
Press one to listen to your message, Press two to
erase and re record, Press three.
Speaker 5 (07:17):
I'll tell you what I think.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
I think what happened was this thing went into a
voicemail when I was merging the calls.
Speaker 9 (07:23):
Sorry I trouble your intent. Please try again later.
Speaker 8 (07:26):
Goodbye.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Let's see what happens there she goes, she just went away.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
All right, I'm sorry about that, bro.
Speaker 6 (07:35):
No, when when you when you talk about China, you've
got to include Taiwan and the way that you guys
paint this into the storyline. I mean, it's you give
us such a different angle of that storyline.
Speaker 7 (07:47):
You know, Taiwan is in the news for years now
because it is.
Speaker 10 (07:52):
Of strategic and tactical importance, and this question of will
they won't theay with China and Taiwan has been there
for for years, and what will America do is the
burning question in most of our minds, both because of
the cost in blood and treasure.
Speaker 5 (08:08):
Are we willing to do that for a partner?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And so that was something we wanted to explore here because.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
It's real world, because it's not like the nineteen forties
where it's about taking a hill.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
There are global ripple implications.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
For every single thing you do in the world now.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
And Taiwan is probably the supreme example of that.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
China could take Taiwan militarily.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
It's literally minutes from their coastline in a military sense,
and we would not stop it, But would we recapture it?
Speaker 5 (08:36):
Will we spend that blood in that money? Would they
take it? Because of all of the global.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Economic pressure that could be put on them, And so
that was a really fun thing for us to play
around with because it's something we all vote. Everyone that
served especially Navy people. We've were gained that out all
the time, not just the military, but the geopolitical implications
of it.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
So it would have been remiss.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
To sun China and not talk about Taiwan in this book.
Speaker 6 (09:02):
My father always used to tell me, He says, if
you want to know what's going on in the world,
you have to read Tom Clancy.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Do you believe that's true?
Speaker 5 (09:09):
Oh?
Speaker 8 (09:09):
I think so. I think that Tom was a barometer
of you know, geopolitical risk from the very first book,
Hunt for October. I think that's why it ended up
in the hands of the President. You saw that famous
photograph of him, you know, carrying the book in his
hands on his way to Marine one. So yes, I think.
And as as Clancy authors carrying on that legacy, it's
(09:31):
incumbent upon us to try to continue that tradition of
being the fiction with air quotes barometer of risk for
to help educate the American people. What are brave men
and women who are serving the intelligence community and on
the front lines are actually facing on a daily basis.
Speaker 6 (09:51):
Where can people go to find out more about you guys?
As a writing team, as well as the books that
you that you've put.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
Together yeah, sure, thanks for that.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Anybody can find at www dot Andrews Dashwilson dot com.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
That's our website, has all of our books, all of.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Our film and television projects on there.
Speaker 7 (10:09):
But there's also an opportunity to sign up for a newsletter.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I always hesitate to encourage people to do that because.
Speaker 5 (10:14):
I've signed up for newsletter and got spammed.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
We don't do that.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
So if you sign up for our newsletter, there's some
there's some things that people can get for doing that,
but only thing you're going to receive is information every
couple of months about things that we have going on.
So Andrews Dashwilson dot com is where to find all
of our books and everything about us.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (10:33):
Well, please come back to this show anytime in the future.
The door is always going to be open for you.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
Well, thank you, we much.
Speaker 8 (10:40):
We had a great, great time.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Yeah, we sure appreciate that. Man, it's great, great conversation.
Speaker 8 (10:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
So you guys be brilliant today.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Okay you did to say, my friend.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Please do not move. Coming up next, mister Matt Dupree,
the author of Scary Little Christmas, A History of Yule
Tide horror, films nineteen seventy two to nineteen twenty two. Hey,
we are back with my day of play. Let's get
into that talk with author Matt Dupree recording in progress and.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
Michael. Hey, sir, how are you doing very well? How
about you?
Speaker 9 (11:13):
Sue knock on wood, good.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Good er, good morning, Hey, good morning. How are you
doing today? Matt?
Speaker 11 (11:20):
So far, so great, man.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
I'll tell you what.
Speaker 6 (11:22):
You got a subject here that really has my attention
because it's scary movies inside the Christmas.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Yule Tide times.
Speaker 6 (11:27):
Who I mean, I mean because I'm sitting here looking
at the poster of Red One right now, thinking.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
I wonder if Matt will even talk about this. I
wish I could.
Speaker 12 (11:36):
I sadly did not see it yet, although I've been
chomping at the bit to see that one since I
first heard about it.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
I mean, because I love a good scare during the
holiday season. And you know the thing about it is,
people say, oh, this just started happening. That They're absolutely wrong,
aren't they. This has been going on for a very
long time.
Speaker 12 (11:52):
Oh It's been going on really since the advent of
cinema itself, which is really interesting.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Now.
Speaker 6 (12:00):
One of the things that you cover inside this book
is Silent Night, Bloody Night, and the Independent Theater here
in Charlotte, they're actually going to show this on the
big screen. I was a child when I when I
saw that poster and it says when they're going to
do it. It's like, oh my god, Matt talks about
this in his book and I get to see.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
It on the big screen.
Speaker 12 (12:18):
Oh, that's a fantastic watch that if you haven't seen
it before, you're you're in for a real treat.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
What did you pull from a movie such as that,
because I mean, isn't this the movie one of them
that really actually kind of shaped your desire for this
kind of stuff?
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (12:32):
For sure.
Speaker 12 (12:33):
You know, Silent My Bloody Night was you know, I'm
an East Coast guy and they shot that up in
Long Island, and it was really derived from a lot
of the folks that were working with Andy Warhol at
the time, and they had the opportunity to kind of
work on a low budget script.
Speaker 11 (12:50):
It was kind of designed for a low budget feature.
Speaker 12 (12:53):
And it was a lot of indie folks that that
kind of came together. They lived at the mansion where
they shot the film. Oh wow, and they put this
together with art house sensibilities, and you know, really interestingly,
it was Lloyd Kaufman of Trauma Studios fame. That was
one of his first jobs in the film industry. He
(13:13):
was an associate producer and a driver for the actors
from New York.
Speaker 11 (13:18):
City out to the set.
Speaker 12 (13:21):
So a really fascinating kind of a raid behind the scenes.
But you look at what the film is, it's really
almost like a haunted house film with art house sensibilities.
Speaker 11 (13:31):
There's not a whole heck of a lot of gore,
but it is.
Speaker 12 (13:35):
A conventional who done it kind of thing. But there's
some commentary in there too about mental health illness in
America and how psychiatric hospitals were treating and mistreating patients
over the decades, so that's kind of wrapped up in
the narrative. And it's set at Christmas time, so it's
really interesting. But you know, if you're lucky enough to
(13:58):
see it in the theater, I hope it's a film
stock print you get to see, because there's a lot
of notoriously bad prints floating around, and I think it
actually harms the film a little bit, just because it's
a little hard to see the beauty of the cinematography
for the film, but you're not going to see many
other films like this one. It was really unique to
(14:21):
that era and really stands up even fifty years later,
in my opinion.
Speaker 6 (14:26):
So for somebody who writes a book such as this
and then shares it with the rest of the world,
what does it mean to you as the author that
these independent theaters are doing exactly what you're putting on
those pages. They're putting them back out there so people
get the experience. I mean, that's got to be I mean,
you got to be a kid too right now.
Speaker 11 (14:41):
Absolutely, I couldn't be happier.
Speaker 12 (14:45):
I couldn't be more thrilled to be alive in this
era to kind of see the revival happening. My big aim,
at least one of my aims with this book particularly,
was really to memorialize how, why, and when these films
were made and get as many oral histories from the
folks that were you know, either the director, writer, actor,
(15:07):
special effects artists, to kind of relay some of these
stories because unfortunately, a lot of you know, cinematic history
artifacts and factoids get lost pretty quickly. But I started
with that fifty year spread so at least we have
some kind of history on the books, and I know,
I do know that going forward, someone will take the
(15:30):
reins and definitely write another history because there's just so
many new films in this subshinre that come out year
after year, which I'm really excited about. And I think
it's great that, you know, people are very inspired by
these films from the seventies and eighties and how it's
affecting cinema definitely in the twenty tens and even currently.
(15:53):
And I think this is a trend that we're going
to see for at least the next ten plus years.
So really really excited, and I'm I'm just incredibly humble
to have been able to write one of the histories
of this really fascinating subgenre.
Speaker 6 (16:07):
I think one of the downfalls of these slasher movies
for Christmas is the fact that it was too cold outside.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
To put them at a drive in.
Speaker 6 (16:13):
It would have been really cool to see these at
a drive in when it's really just horrible weather outside.
Speaker 11 (16:21):
I absolutely agree.
Speaker 12 (16:23):
I mean, what a better experience, right, They're really and
that's you know, that's a lot of the lore of
watching these films is kind of really getting into the
entire season.
Speaker 11 (16:34):
What I love about it is, you know, the.
Speaker 12 (16:36):
Holiday aspect aside, it is really a seasonal you know,
we have the entire month of December and even into January,
and I know there's great things like people make horror
advent calendars, so it's a film for day and all
these other really great idea. You know, it becomes a
(16:58):
new tradition onto its for this season, which I just love.
And there are so many offerings, whether it's horror comedy
or the more serious stuff or just straight up gore
or zombies.
Speaker 11 (17:11):
I mean, you name it.
Speaker 12 (17:13):
The Christmas horror subgenre is definitely going to have something
for you to enjoy.
Speaker 6 (17:18):
So do you think David Harber is the one that
kind of just brought this all back or do you
think it goes back to bad Santa where it's like, Okay,
I get it, let's have some really not so good
times with Christmas and we're gonna make it fun.
Speaker 12 (17:29):
Though I really think that, you know, there's a couple
of things in play. Definitely the revival, you know, on
one aspect, just the revival of crampis you know, this
Alpine Christmas devil and how that came into you know,
North American culture relatively recently, and we have this huge
(17:52):
studio project with Michael Doherty's Crampism twenty fifteen, and that
was a very large commercial success, like a sixty million
dollar return in the box offices.
Speaker 11 (18:05):
I think that moment.
Speaker 12 (18:06):
Forward really started to tickle big studios to think, hey,
we really need to tap into this Christmas market.
Speaker 11 (18:13):
Hallmark is very successful with.
Speaker 12 (18:16):
The TV side, what can we do from a cinematic side,
And you know, a lot of these things are low risk,
whether it's Bad Santa Violent Night. The budgets aren't incredibly high,
but the returns, as they have seen are are very welcome.
So I really think we're going to see at least
one or two studio pictures a year. Unfortunately, what I
(18:38):
heard about Red One, which I was really looking forward to,
it did kind of fizzle at the box office. I
think that's really one of the first hits that a
Christmas film of this magnitude has taken and in quite
a while. I mean, by contrast, the indie film Terrifier
three just reaped one hundred million dollars at the box
(18:59):
office and it was only made.
Speaker 11 (19:02):
For two millions.
Speaker 12 (19:03):
So I think the formula is still on effect and
still very effective.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
You know, you talk about Crampus, that's going to be
another one of those films that they're going to show
it this Independent Picture House.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
I mean, it really is.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
I mean, I just love the fact that what's in
your book is happening at this theater.
Speaker 12 (19:18):
That is just really fascinating and I just love to
hear it. I do hear from folks about this time
each year, and they get very excited with, you know,
revival screenings of some of these classics, and I couldn't
be happier to see that you have the opportunity, you know,
to see these great films in and in a theater setting.
I think that's incredibly important and just very festive.
Speaker 6 (19:41):
I love the way that you break up the book,
especially when you know the chapter I had to go
to right away with Psycho Santa Clauss because it's like, yeah,
now we're talking the dark side of the dude.
Speaker 11 (19:51):
That's right.
Speaker 12 (19:54):
You know, when putting this book together is so many
different ways to arrange it in a way. But you
know what I really start to see as I was
watching some of these films back and back and kind
of cataloging them. Is there really is kind of distinct
thematic anchors. And you know, the Psycho Santa film, I
would say is probably one of the most prevalent, most
(20:16):
prominent aspects of Christmas horror. And although I really love it,
I know there's just so many more aspects to the
subgenre that I think I really needed some illumination.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
You know.
Speaker 12 (20:29):
The other one I really love, although we don't have
many offerings is Killer Christmas Trees.
Speaker 11 (20:34):
I just think that is just so funny and just fun.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
You know.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
One of the things that you know you put focus
on in this movie is the way that you know
the writers, because we don't really put a lot of
focus on them as viewers as well as readers. So
now for a writer to sit down and do one
of these Christmas movies, I mean, is it just a
break from them when they're used to doing the love
stories or the action packed films, and all of a
sudden they go, I want to write a really kind
(21:02):
of demented Christmas story.
Speaker 11 (21:05):
Yeah, You're absolutely right. It was a key question for me.
Speaker 12 (21:09):
I was always fascinated of just what was the motivation
behind setting the story, especially a horror story during the
holidays and I would say, you know, a bulk, if not,
maybe like ninety percent plus of the writers said, you know,
there's so much kind of comfort and familiality of the
(21:31):
holiday season that audiences immediately react to and kind of
can appreciate and feel good about. But when you introduce
these darker themes, it really has an emotional tie and
impact to their psyche and kind of viewing experience.
Speaker 11 (21:47):
And I thought, you know what, that you're absolutely right.
Speaker 12 (21:50):
We have so many kind of standby emotions for the season,
most of them positive, and it just amplifies, you know,
just how hard durable it would be for something you know,
violent or really sad to happen during the holidays. So
I think, you know, it's a great construct. And most
of the writers did tell me.
Speaker 11 (22:12):
That they are huge fans of Christmas.
Speaker 12 (22:15):
There was not many mean spirited folks that are like, hey,
I despise the holidays and I want to make an
anti Christmas film kind of thing. There were a few,
but they were definitely in the minority.
Speaker 6 (22:26):
Now, being the author of this, I mean, did you
have to have an emotional rescue? And the reason being
is because I mean, some of these are pretty darn
dark and it's like, Okay, so you did the research,
you went in and found the real true story.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
How did you how did you get back up on
your feet again?
Speaker 11 (22:40):
That's a great question, you know.
Speaker 12 (22:41):
I think the one thing that I that I really
had to keep in mind was when you're watching so
much of this content back back, you can definitely become
not only desensitized, which can kind of alter your optic,
but you can also become jaded with, you know, the
productions that just didn't have enough money for you know,
(23:02):
certain production value and stuff, and you can really start
to take.
Speaker 11 (23:06):
A more.
Speaker 12 (23:08):
Critical eye and kind of a dismissive perspective. I really
had to watch myself because after.
Speaker 11 (23:16):
You watch you know, ninety seven Psycho Santa.
Speaker 12 (23:19):
Films, and a lot of them are just, you know,
more run of the mill. I really didn't want to
discredit anyone's work, so I did notice I would have
to take some pauses and maybe work on a chapter
that had totally different subject matter to kind of refresh
my own optic on that.
Speaker 6 (23:38):
So one of the things that I always tell people
when I talk about this book is I go, yes,
it does include zombie stories. I mean, but I've never
heard of a zombie movie until your book.
Speaker 11 (23:48):
Yeah, I was really surprised.
Speaker 12 (23:50):
That was one of the you know, I would say
big surprises for me is just how many zombie Christmas
theme films there were. You know, whether there were feature
films or shorts, there were a lot. There was probably
more shorts than features, but a lot of folks took
a stab at that particular niche of the subgenre.
Speaker 11 (24:10):
And you know, zombie films aren't cheap.
Speaker 12 (24:14):
There's a lot of extras, there's a lot of special
makeup effects, there's a lot of visual effects. So I
really give credit to the folks that kind of jumped
into that headfirst and really tried their best. And you know,
there are a couple shorts out there that are absolutely brilliant.
They're kind of horror comedy or horror, you know, Christmas
(24:36):
horror zomb comms, I think is what the filmmakers viewed
them as. And I thought they were incredibly creative and
really fun and really tapped that pop culture obsession with
zombies that we had not too long ago.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
You talk with an author for a Tom Clancy book,
they'll tell you, yeah, it took me about forty five
days to put this book together. No, it took you
twenty five years. What happened in those twenty five years?
Speaker 11 (25:01):
You know this?
Speaker 12 (25:03):
You know, my genesis for for for writing this book
really was born out of you know, I grew up
in a time where we didn't have the hundreds of
Christmas horror.
Speaker 11 (25:13):
Movies to kind of you know, pick through.
Speaker 12 (25:15):
But each year it was traditioned to watch as many
that were available. And you know, I carry that tradition
on and on and as a young adult and you know,
filmmaker and film student, I often thought to myself, wouldn't
it be great to have some kind of literary companion
for this time of year where you know, you could
refresh your memory of you know, the filmmakers how they
(25:39):
made this stuff from a filmmaking perspective, but also have
you know, a catalog of films just to peruse through
and make a new viewing list or share with friends
or you know, come up with a viewing party kind
of triple feature or something. So you know, it's a
little cliche, but it was kind of like, hey, this
(26:00):
this is the book I would want to you know,
as I'm sitting drinking eggnog under the tree, you know,
would want to read, and you know, at the time,
there was no Christmas horror book out there like this,
and the publisher was, you know, quite interested and agreed that.
Speaker 11 (26:19):
It would it would fit.
Speaker 12 (26:21):
And I really, you know, started in earnest and it
took probably a good eighteen months of writing and watching
and rewatching films and interviewing to complete the manuscript.
Speaker 11 (26:35):
But I did write every single day, which is one
of the few times.
Speaker 12 (26:38):
I can tell you that, and that was hard. It
was during the pandemic. It was kind of therapeutic in
a way to kind of write during.
Speaker 11 (26:46):
That stressful time.
Speaker 12 (26:47):
But it's probably one of the few times that I
actually wrote and contributed to a single manuscript every single
day for almost two years.
Speaker 6 (26:57):
Boy, you know, it's so funny being on this side
of the pandemic because I continue talking with musicians and
authors and stuff like that while it was happening, and
they were freaking pissed off as what they were because
they didn't know what they were going to do, and
then we're on this side of it. Everybody's but man,
that was the greatest time in my life. I'm going
we why didn't I have this positive energy when we
were in the pandemic.
Speaker 12 (27:15):
You're absolutely right. You know, I'm working on a new book. Well,
actually I just finished a new book, so it's a
post pandemic manuscript. And I'll tell you it was very
different this time around talking to folks and trying to
get schedules, and maybe the level of enthusiasm to talk
to an author was down a little.
Speaker 11 (27:35):
Bit now that everyone's back to work.
Speaker 12 (27:38):
But you know, looking back at the process of writing
this one, I do really appreciate having that opportunity to
speak to so many people that were kind of captive
audiences home during the pandemic, and I think we were
all kind of in the same boat, nervous, trying to
focus on something else and bring some positive activity, and
(28:01):
you know, talking about their their previous works is a
pretty positive thing, so all in all, and I mean,
despite the pandemic being incredibly stressful and awful, I really
think looking back on it, that literary experience was probably
one of the few shining lights of positivity that I
had in that period.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Where can people go to find out more about you?
Speaker 11 (28:23):
Matt Well?
Speaker 12 (28:25):
I have my website and I do admit it's going
to get tuned up here in just a little bit,
but Matthewdupai dot com it's got some, you know, various
offerings of not only Christmas Hard, just hardor in general
my different appearances. If folks like a personalized copy of
the book, it's definitely available through the site. And I
(28:46):
think I've got just about everything, you know, bio wise
and kind of previous writing stuff on the site. But
otherwise the books available just about anywhere where books are sold,
which is fantastic.
Speaker 6 (29:00):
Well, you got to come back to this show anytime
in the future. The door is always going to be
open for you.
Speaker 11 (29:04):
Oh, I really appreciate that.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Will you be brilliant today? Okay, sir you two I
ro you have a great one. Thank you. Are we
in theater number two
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