September 18, 2025 • 26 mins
We chat with co-host Tony Salvaggio on this year's Fantastic Fest, the world-renowned genre film festival that kicks off this week in Austin, Texas.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Hello, and welcome to a special edition of Castle Talk,
the show where we talk to writers and creators of
today's genre worlds. I'm your host, Jason Henderson, publisher at
castle Bridge Media, and today I'm talking to Tony Savaggio,
one of the hosts of the Castle of Horror podcast,
and he is representing the Castle of Horror podcast at
Fantastic Fest, which gets started this week. In fact, I
(00:31):
think it starts tomorrow when we're recording, and this is
our curtain raiser episode. We're going to be talking about
what Tony is going to be covering and looking forward
to as the show goes on. Welcome Tony.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Hey, I'm super stoked to be a a guest at
Fantastic Fest again because this is where I watch, you know,
thirty something to forty movies over the course of nine
days and hang out with friends and you know, sometimes
filmmakers are sometimes the filmmakers have become my friends, and
you know, there's a lot I'm not coming in this
one people from all over the world. It's definitely my
(01:05):
battery recharge, my staycation if you will, in Austin, and
it's hosted just so many.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Cool movies from all over the place.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Some of them get picked up early, some of them
are looking for distribution, and a few I've seen never
got distribution. Yeah, and you know it's also where I
raise my hand and go, okay, when this comes out
Castle orror hosts, we're gonna watch this one, like or hey, Jason,
you and I should watch this one two.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Great or whatever. You know, we'll figure that out. You know,
we've had a bunch of we've done a bunch of
episodes based off of me just waiting patiently or sometimes
impatiently for them to come out right now, So okay
for the listener. Fantastic Fests some people know, some people don't.
Fantastic Fest is a film festival devoted to how would
(01:57):
you describe it to a genre? It's a genre film festival, yes, so,
which tends to be. You know, there's a lot of
in association with the Alamo Draft House, right, yes, correct, correct?
Its headquarters at the Sothomar Alamo Draft House. All of
the screens are filled. You pick a slot, you pick
your like, there's slots you know, set out for how
(02:17):
each movie bank so like you know, about two hours,
two and a half hours, and then you can choose
if you know, depending on your badge level, you choose
one movie per slot, you're guaranteed to get any to
get something. But uh, you know, I had a Superman batch,
for example, and so I picked out my movies this
past week while we were there. You are watching, you
(02:40):
wind up watching about forty Over the course of a
Fantastic Fest, you wind up watching about forty movies in total. Yeah,
something like that, depending I mean around like it's in
between like thirty five and forty.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
There's two slots the first day, and I think around
five to six slots every other day. But then there's
also like trivia contests and podcast happening. The band Castle
Rat is playing the opening night party, There's a Dungeons
and Dragons thing happening. There's like all this other there's
these the fantastic debates. All this stuff happens, and you
(03:12):
can kind of choose your own adventure as far as
you know what you want to see, Like I tend
towards more supernatural horror and martial arts and action, but
some people, if you want you know, deeply traumatic gory stuff,
there's that, or uh, there's a huge AGFA. The American
Genre Film Archive has just all kinds of repertory stuff happening.
(03:34):
There's you know, I think there's a there's just there's
tons of things going on where you can go watch
a repertory screening.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
By the way, I've bought a number of Agfa Blu rays,
things like like I have one that's nothing but nothing
but cal horror movie trailers. It is. Yeah, oh that
was great. Yeah, because we have the Vinegar Syndrome Store
here in Denver and and that's there. They're just they're
sort of chuck full of acta coolness. But all right,
(04:03):
So before we get into what you're looking forward to
this time, can you think of anything And I'm putting
you on the spot because we didn't talk about this,
but can you think of any movies that you saw
at Fantastic Fest that later became a big deal.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Oh yeah, well, I mean there's always stuff like like
Black Phone premiered, and so there's this time there's four
secret screening and any of those could be something that
you know, we got to see. For example, we saw
Werewolf by Night on a big screen, which some people
were like, Ah, that's going to show on my on
TV soon. Why do I waste a slot? Because and
I go both ways. On the one hand, you might
(04:36):
have missed some international thing that you'll never see again
or will be harder to find. But I also like
seeing that on the big screen.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
That was really cool. So but uh, okay, So.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
There's all kinds of stuff that that's like, you know,
Taste Maker kind of stuff, or or like the remake
of Toxic Avenger just now got back, like and that
was like what two years ago or that's right, so
it's just now coming out.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah, yeah, all right, So tell me a little bit
about what you might be looking forward to this this year.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, I'm starting with you know, kind of going through
there's if people liked I start, I started with absurdity.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
I didn't get into heaviness immediately. But I'm watching first,
I'm watching from the director Rubber and you know a
lot of other cool stuff, something called the piano accident,
which a social media star has a piano accident, goes
into seclusion, and stuff happens. Basically it's kind of how
(05:37):
it's explained. But I know there's gonna be absurdity, and
so I wanted this is and you kind of this
is kind of how I plan my fantastic press, Like, oh,
there's there's another movie which I'm gonna see later called Primate,
which promises you know exactly, you know, primate attack horror.
That sounds great, but I chose I'm like, you know what,
let me start with some absurdity that sounds like a
(05:59):
really good thing to do.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
So I'm starting with with Quentin Dippy's The Piano Accident.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
I don't even know what accident is now, well that
I'm sure knowing his other work, I'm sure it's something
interesting and crazy. Right, Like when I when I look
at at the posters on the website for Western, so
I see, for instance, Blackphone Too is coming. Yeah, yeah,
that's definitely I'm I'm in because you know, we know
(06:28):
Cargill like this is this is also a thing where
I'm going.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
To support friends, right, So so you just speaking of
black Phone Too, that's a good segue, like I do
have that. I'm like, hey, my friend, you know a friend,
people I know are making these things. Let's go support them.
My friend, my other friend, Owen has Whistle, which is
you know, there's a death whistle that that is featured.
You know, that's that's the premise, right, And and so
(06:55):
you know he's he's written how you know he's in.
I think he's the screenwriter of this. So I'm like, Owen,
you know he's done cool stuff. Let's support you know,
another friend and one of my favorites. I'm so excited
they One thing they did that's really cool is to
have a they set aside a short film thing and
(07:16):
it's called Alums and Other Demons and a screenwriter that
I just really liked her work. Who we still talk online.
Maddie Doe. She did a film called A Long Walk.
She's another one dearest sister, and both of those are
just amazing, and she is.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
One of the most tac doll directors. I told her this, like,
I feel like I can reach into the screen and
touch all the fabrics and the grass and the stupid
Yes correct a totally different thing. But she has a
retelling Alotian retelling of The Sleeping Beauty as a short film.
(07:54):
But again, it's really cool to have people come back,
like there's a whole short film section, Maddie being one
of the directors and she's not gonna be there, but
we were writing back and forth. I'm like, oh, I
get to see your film, you know, and she's really
happy to launch it and I you know, that's the
kind of magic of the festival. We're all there to
love film and occasionally you just meet somebody where you're like, hey,
(08:18):
I liked what you were doing.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
That was really cool and you hit it off, you know,
my my friend, my friend Thomas and producer Eric like
they did Norwegian Ninja and.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
We end up just hanging out. What doesn't happen all
the time.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I mean, you know, people are busy and as things go,
but everybody's That's That is another thing I like about
Fantastic Best is everybody's there to hang out. As long
as you're cool, you just end up talking film and
music or whatever, you know, random.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Stuff, you know. I see that, uh Ce Sue Rode
to Road to Revenge. Oh I'm I'm stoked about that. Yeah,
so Sue for people who don't remember, uh was about
a Laplander fighting Nazis in World War two and this
and it was basically like John Wick in World War
two against Nazis and it was I just has to
(09:08):
be seen to be believed. I know nothing about so yeah,
yeah this and he's fighting Russians. Oh, here's here's one
for you, Jason. I'm looking at h It's called Reflections
and a Dead Diamond. It promises, uh, you know, there's
there's people who work on strange color. Everybody's tears and
(09:28):
let the corpses tan. But uh, it's Giallo influenced, kind
of like has a little bit of that, but it's
a retired super spy spen twilight years and lavish hotel
and French riviera be set with signs of cognit decline
and encounter with the new neighbor kindles past memories of
old flame and brutality as old line of work. But
it's prominently like I've seen some some pictures sounds like yeah.
(09:52):
And I was like, oh man, I'm seeing this movie
for me and Jason. Right, yeah, no, for sure I
will be. There better be some super saturated yellows and
reds in that movie.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I've seen some stuff. Another one that's kind of in
you know. I also went, okay, this is a Jason
and Tony film. Is a movie called Celencio from Spain,
and it's it promises a leap between the thirteen hundreds
Black Plague HIV and twenty thirty Vampire's vampires, vampire human
(10:26):
couple and you know, crossing time basically, and I've heard
it's campy and has you know, I mean anytime like
AIDS is a thing, so you have queer element to it,
and how that's impactful, like all this stuff that's rolled
into it. Again, I was like, oh, well this is
you know, because I love to come back and share
(10:47):
them with the crew as well as as our listeners. Right,
I've heard really good things. Oh I think you had
interviewed Kyrich Turner for.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Wormwood a while. Yeah, well there's a new movie. How
about this.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
It's called Beast of War where Australian soldiers in World
War Two have their their ship is sunk and they're
stuck in the water with a great white shark. And
you know, again that's a director I just every once
in a while I talked to him online or wish
him happy birthday, you know, like we just hit it off.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
So you know, great White Shark.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Attack sounded hard to pass up, right, Yes, another movie
that sounds really good I'm excited about.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Everybody came back from.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
I think it was Tiff and said, okay, you have
to see this movie obsession And it's about it's the
director is Curry Baker, and it's about a guy who
wishes that he was with somebody, wishes that this this
woman would love him.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
And of course it's it sounds like a monkey's paw
kind of wish. So but everybody said, Okay, obsession, you
gotta you gotta see this. There's you know, I'm gonna
anything metal and horror. You know, I'm going to go
to that. So if any I don't know if anybody
saw Death Gasm, but Death Gasm Too is out and uh,
(12:09):
you know, Jason Jason Lee Hodden is the director. It's
been a little while, but I'm I'm completely ready for
the medal and horror I want to in like ten years,
hasn't it Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah came out twenty fifteen.
Death Gasm, but Death Gasm Too coming back coming back
to Fantastic Fest. You know, yeah, I got a rep
(12:30):
horror and metal right like, it's just it has to be.
There's a there's a remake of a death Stalker as well.
I don't remember Death Stalker.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Oh man, it's you have seen You've seen the cover
to Death Stalker?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
You have not? Is it the one where he's got
the motorcycle helmet.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
No, no, no, this is a sword and sorcery like
and you know it's it's by the you know, by
uh Stephen Kostanski. So you're man Borg, the boy psych
a gore man that that h you know that Crewe
if you like, if you like what they do, this
is uh a remake and once you once you've seen
(13:09):
anybody who knows has seen the like. The VHS cover
of Deasktalker was definitely one of those you know, when
you there was always the adage of if it's got
a painted cover, probably wasn't as you wasn't maybe as
good as kind of nice.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Looking Boris vallet Hoos style cover. That's probably not actually,
but I just brought it up in it. Yes, you're
exactly right, But everyone kind of knew, and we watched
them because they were great for other reasons, but everybody
kind of knew if it's got a Boris cover, like
might be better than reason to watch those movies.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
But yes, so so if if you if you thought,
you know, if you're a man board you know, Psycha Gorman,
Frankie Frico, the Void, if those are your bag, then
you know this crew is bringing you a remake of
Deak Talker, so can't to me, you can't lose with that.
I'm also really excited that Shutter has already picked up
(14:03):
a movie called Mother of Flies.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Again. It seems to be a trend this year with
people who go into the woods to seek solace. I
don't know what it is, but it's terminal cancer. I mean,
this is gonna be tough, I think because I've had
you know, relativecy have had cancer recently. But let me
(14:27):
ask you character about the cancer thing. But do you
find yourself so you're gonna be watching like forty movies,
do you find yourself avoiding movies that might hit too
close to home or make you uncomfortable? I have.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yeah, you know, there's a lot of movies that look
pretty good, but they have a lot.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Of trauma attached to them. And this is by no
means a not to a filmmaker.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
I tend to watch those or wait a little bit,
maybe if I you know, I don't tend to program
them as much lately, which maybe I you know, part
of me wants to just go see a ton of good,
really good movies if I hear that they're great, But
I I do tend towards more supernatural horror. There's there's
one I heard was good, but it had an animal
(15:13):
cruelty element was part of you know, this person who's
exposed to that like finds out and you know, animal cruelty,
dark web kind.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Of stuff was part of it.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
And I was like, you know, I've heard good things
like as far as far as horror goes about this movie,
but it seemed hard for me to put that in
my brain. If that with you, I and it sucked
because that means I'm I'm maybe not giving enough attention
to somebody who's made something because it's hard to make
a movie, and I always feel kind of weird about skipping.
(15:43):
But again, I mean, there's so many movies to see
that it's kind of hard to catch everything.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Oh sure, I switching over it. There's a there's a
found footage movie called Shelby Oaks that we saw the
trailers for for it. Oh yeah, it's already thinking looks
very good. Oh no, that looks really great. Uh. And
there's also, uh, what promises to be really cool a
movie called Silver Screamers about Uh it's basically like a
(16:12):
geriatric horror slasher. It sounds like, so you know that's
again you get these weird like things like that, Oh
this will be this is cool, Jason, get this. There's
a movie called When We Were Live that is about
Austin's Public Access TV, which for me that was one
of the coolest things when I moved here in ninety six.
(16:33):
Was holy crap, look at these like Austin's Public Access
just had it had music, it had comedy, it had
all this, It had you know, weirder stuff. There was
an actual cult that was on it, right like all
of that stuff. But uh, the director spent years and
hours of footage and you know how cool is that? Right?
(16:54):
Like bringing it.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Back around I sound I'm super stoked about that. Yeah,
and but uh but oh but back to to Mother
of Flies. There's a It's it's done by a family
that the Adams family, which you know they do horror.
It's kind of just but they're also super cool people.
The last I first saw Hell.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Bender by them, and they're musicians. They did the music
for it. Super cool people. Uh.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
We hung out a little bit and just talk music
and everything. So Mother of Flies has been already picked
up by Shutter. Uh, so I could you know, send
new stills and stuff like that. But like I, I
just think it's cool that there is a family, uh,
hanging out making movies together, making cool movies together and
being awesome, you know, a real like they you know,
(17:45):
they did the music for their movie they did. I
just they're they're super cool and it's great. I gotta
I gotta find a slot to make sure I try
to fit that one in or or maybe we should maybe.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
We cover it. You know, it's going to be on shutter,
but I wanted to give it regardless of if I
can fit it in. I I think they deserve a
shout out because they're doing really cool stuff, you know.
I mean, there's so many movies I'm seeing. There's there's
action stuff like there's called Rota Vendetta. There's uh a
(18:18):
movie made by a stuntman called Penance Curse. There's there's
a person like there's a called Bad Haircut, which promises
some crazy thrills and and uh slashery business and uh
the person like one of the actors has been really
pushing it. I'm seeing a movie called time Man.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
That's the other thing is like before this, so so
some of the filmmakers who come in are like, hey,
where's their cool vintage stores, where's their neat you know food?
Speaker 1 (18:45):
You know, where would I get a greasy spoon like thing.
So there's a community built a fantastic fest too. We're
all answering like, hey, oh you're bringing your film. Oh well,
here's all this cool stuff in Austin as well.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Yeahidd and that's uh they're they're doing a three D
death by uh stereoscopy. Uh, there's a there's a death
you know, Greatest Kills kind of Uh. The festival that like,
you know, put you know, movie that's put together from
all these clips I have to this celebrating three D.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Oh, there's a there's a movie. This is my favorite
title of all the titles I'm looking at. It is
called If I Had Legs, I'd kick you. Oh that one.
Suppose that was a tough one. And I don't know
if I'm gonna fit it in. I'm gonna try to
fit it into a press screening, but it is actually
coming out. But everybody said that was great. Yeah, And
I mean that's the tough part. There were described as
(19:33):
a dark comedy and it features a sap rocky so
Rose Byrne, isn't it if Rien Christian Slater. That's a
major cast.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
And but it's coming out, and so that's again sometimes
as much as I want.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
To see the newest, coolest thing and and be.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
The first or or talk about it with friends, sometimes
you go, I that's coming out soon. Let me take
a chance on this film I've never seen has a
tiny but from somewhere it.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Might not come out anytime, It might not come out,
or who knows, it might be a year or two. Right,
And and that's the embarrassment of riches. That is fantastic best.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Yeah, I should send you my my uh my schedule
just so.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
I mean there's a movie about it. We're gonna check
back in a couple of days.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, once I've seen some stuff, hopefully once
I've seen some some secret screenings and I can kind
of spill the beans about it. You know, a lot
of these why we do this is I'm kind of
going inside and seeing you know, some of these have embargos.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Until after the after you watch the movie. So uh
but you know, there's there's all kinds of there's some
you know, dark fantasy, uh all, there's just there's there's
a move Haunted Heist, which I'm like the way you
had me at Horror and hes I can do that.
There's also there's an animation uh animation fest, which is cool.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Yeah, there's a Oh my friends, do I mean if
you wanted to come and see all the shorts as
well and curated shorts and they put some shorts in
front of.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Movies and give. It's so cool too because a lot
of a lot of the filmmakers who do the shorts
have the uh, if they have the ability, they will
come and intro their their shorts before a movie. That's
that I should also mention there's a documentary seventy five
minute documentary about Max Fleischer which just sounds incredible called uh,
(21:27):
it's called Year one the work. I'm sorry, it's the
work of Max Fleischer. And actually it says commissioned by
Golden Horn in a partnership with Tim Leak, who's you know,
the founder of the draft House.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So yeah, I should have seen that, but I'm trying
to like, again, I had to make your choices along
the way.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
There is one showing on Sunday, I know, and if
you're up against it, if you're in something else then
you'll have to catch it when it's at the alibum,
which it will be.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
So yeah, yeah, but you know that's the that's the
double edged sword of the programming, because the programming team
spends a lot, you know, and they've got to figure out, well,
these you know, these three theaters are showing this one,
uh and for the big ones, like okay, we're gonna
have four theaters showing this screening and this other one
has one screen, you know, like and then you know
(22:16):
how many people can fit in, how many badges have
we sold, how many It's it's not an easy to
program thing.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
And no, I can't imagine it's a lot of films
running for a week and or or a week and
a half whatever it is. So yeah, no, it's extremely challenging.
All right, well we should call it there. But I
am so excited. You're gonna you're going into this sort
of tunnel of cinematic love, and you're stuck there for like, like,
(22:43):
you know, a week and a few days, and I
can't We'll check in in a couple days and see
how things are going. But this has been really great,
and I'll be sure that this that this runs so
that people can hear it on the day that the
fest begins. That's awesome. Yeah. I start with the p
Anto accident and Eciton Dara, which got added, and I
(23:04):
was like, well there's some action. I'm gonna you know,
like here we go. This is my first day.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
I think one of my like no offense to any
of the horror stuff, but one of my Wednesday of
next week starts with CC two Deak Stalker, a movie
called Night Patrol, a secret street screening, and then death
by stereoscopy. So like that's a full day of I
don't want to hype it to myself, it jinx it.
But that's one of those who're like, oh that sounds like,
(23:34):
you know, to me, that was a tony day. Who
knows what the secret screening will be, but but roll
the dice.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
But yeah, yeah, like, uh and thanks, you know, thanks again,
and thanks to anybody. You know, I always say, ay,
you can go, Like I think I've.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Left the link to the Fantastic Fest uh schedule, so
if anybody asks questions like what do you think about this,
like let's let's we'll talk, like we'll I'll answer questions
everything like that. And then also uh, you know, keep
We're gonna be talking a couple more times throughout the
week so I can fill you in, fill everybody in
on what they should be looking for. Uh, sometimes things
(24:08):
get sold during the fest, so you're already like, hey,
let me watch Shutter for Mother of Flies. Uh, you
know I'm gonna be watching for that. And you know,
Obsession is gonna probably get you know there, and deaf
Gasm is too, is uh you know gonna come out.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Black Phone two of course. Oh by the way, Brider
re Animator was one of the was one of the restorations.
Oh and Chocolate, I'm so bummed. I'm gonna miss chocolate.
If anybody has seen that about a girl who can
watch martial arts and then reproduce like become martial Arts
fantastic film. Ah, I wish, I need I need to,
I need to split myself to watch all these amazing youth.
(24:47):
So yeah, thanks thanks again. And uh, you know, I'm
if anybody, I if anybody is a fan of the
podcast and you're you're actually coming to the fest, let's
let's hang out. That's in between fests, in between movies,
is you know, can be pretty magic excellent? Yeah, and
people can come to the Facebook page for the Castle
(25:07):
of Horror podcast and talk about what they're watching. I
think that's a really great idea.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Oh, by the way, Jason, here's another one for you.
I'm seeing I hope it's pronounced Marama and it looks
to be it's a Maori woman from New Zealand travels
to England. But it's got all it looks like it
period costumes and everything like that. So eighteen so you
know again.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
This is a film for New Zealand said in England.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Period costumes. Let's go, right. But but I I saw
that again, I'm like, oh that's another. That's another.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Hey, Jason, let me tell you about it when we talk. No,
for sure? Cool? Well, thanks, all right, I'm hoping. I'm
I'm ready to immerse myself in cinema and I'll catch
you next time. I catch you. Goodluck, my friend. I'll
talk to you when you first poke your head up.
Bits
Hello, and welcome to a special edition of Castle Talk,
the show where we talk to writers and creators of
today's genre worlds. I'm your host, Jason Henderson, publisher at
castle Bridge Media, and today I'm talking to Tony Savaggio,
one of the hosts of the Castle of Horror podcast,
and he is representing the Castle of Horror podcast at
Fantastic Fest, which gets started this week. In fact, I
(00:31):
think it starts tomorrow when we're recording, and this is
our curtain raiser episode. We're going to be talking about
what Tony is going to be covering and looking forward
to as the show goes on. Welcome Tony.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Hey, I'm super stoked to be a a guest at
Fantastic Fest again because this is where I watch, you know,
thirty something to forty movies over the course of nine
days and hang out with friends and you know, sometimes
filmmakers are sometimes the filmmakers have become my friends, and
you know, there's a lot I'm not coming in this
one people from all over the world. It's definitely my
(01:05):
battery recharge, my staycation if you will, in Austin, and
it's hosted just so many.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Cool movies from all over the place.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Some of them get picked up early, some of them
are looking for distribution, and a few I've seen never
got distribution. Yeah, and you know it's also where I
raise my hand and go, okay, when this comes out
Castle orror hosts, we're gonna watch this one, like or hey, Jason,
you and I should watch this one two.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Great or whatever. You know, we'll figure that out. You know,
we've had a bunch of we've done a bunch of
episodes based off of me just waiting patiently or sometimes
impatiently for them to come out right now, So okay
for the listener. Fantastic Fests some people know, some people don't.
Fantastic Fest is a film festival devoted to how would
(01:57):
you describe it to a genre? It's a genre film festival, yes, so,
which tends to be. You know, there's a lot of
in association with the Alamo Draft House, right, yes, correct, correct?
Its headquarters at the Sothomar Alamo Draft House. All of
the screens are filled. You pick a slot, you pick
your like, there's slots you know, set out for how
(02:17):
each movie bank so like you know, about two hours,
two and a half hours, and then you can choose
if you know, depending on your badge level, you choose
one movie per slot, you're guaranteed to get any to
get something. But uh, you know, I had a Superman batch,
for example, and so I picked out my movies this
past week while we were there. You are watching, you
(02:40):
wind up watching about forty Over the course of a
Fantastic Fest, you wind up watching about forty movies in total. Yeah,
something like that, depending I mean around like it's in
between like thirty five and forty.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
There's two slots the first day, and I think around
five to six slots every other day. But then there's
also like trivia contests and podcast happening. The band Castle
Rat is playing the opening night party, There's a Dungeons
and Dragons thing happening. There's like all this other there's
these the fantastic debates. All this stuff happens, and you
(03:12):
can kind of choose your own adventure as far as
you know what you want to see, Like I tend
towards more supernatural horror and martial arts and action, but
some people, if you want you know, deeply traumatic gory stuff,
there's that, or uh, there's a huge AGFA. The American
Genre Film Archive has just all kinds of repertory stuff happening.
(03:34):
There's you know, I think there's a there's just there's
tons of things going on where you can go watch
a repertory screening.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
By the way, I've bought a number of Agfa Blu rays,
things like like I have one that's nothing but nothing
but cal horror movie trailers. It is. Yeah, oh that
was great. Yeah, because we have the Vinegar Syndrome Store
here in Denver and and that's there. They're just they're
sort of chuck full of acta coolness. But all right,
(04:03):
So before we get into what you're looking forward to
this time, can you think of anything And I'm putting
you on the spot because we didn't talk about this,
but can you think of any movies that you saw
at Fantastic Fest that later became a big deal.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Oh yeah, well, I mean there's always stuff like like
Black Phone premiered, and so there's this time there's four
secret screening and any of those could be something that
you know, we got to see. For example, we saw
Werewolf by Night on a big screen, which some people
were like, Ah, that's going to show on my on
TV soon. Why do I waste a slot? Because and
I go both ways. On the one hand, you might
(04:36):
have missed some international thing that you'll never see again
or will be harder to find. But I also like
seeing that on the big screen.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
That was really cool. So but uh, okay, So.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
There's all kinds of stuff that that's like, you know,
Taste Maker kind of stuff, or or like the remake
of Toxic Avenger just now got back, like and that
was like what two years ago or that's right, so
it's just now coming out.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah, yeah, all right, So tell me a little bit
about what you might be looking forward to this this year.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, I'm starting with you know, kind of going through
there's if people liked I start, I started with absurdity.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
I didn't get into heaviness immediately. But I'm watching first,
I'm watching from the director Rubber and you know a
lot of other cool stuff, something called the piano accident,
which a social media star has a piano accident, goes
into seclusion, and stuff happens. Basically it's kind of how
(05:37):
it's explained. But I know there's gonna be absurdity, and
so I wanted this is and you kind of this
is kind of how I plan my fantastic press, Like, oh,
there's there's another movie which I'm gonna see later called Primate,
which promises you know exactly, you know, primate attack horror.
That sounds great, but I chose I'm like, you know what,
let me start with some absurdity that sounds like a
(05:59):
really good thing to do.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
So I'm starting with with Quentin Dippy's The Piano Accident.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
I don't even know what accident is now, well that
I'm sure knowing his other work, I'm sure it's something
interesting and crazy. Right, Like when I when I look
at at the posters on the website for Western, so
I see, for instance, Blackphone Too is coming. Yeah, yeah,
that's definitely I'm I'm in because you know, we know
(06:28):
Cargill like this is this is also a thing where
I'm going.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
To support friends, right, So so you just speaking of
black Phone Too, that's a good segue, like I do
have that. I'm like, hey, my friend, you know a friend,
people I know are making these things. Let's go support them.
My friend, my other friend, Owen has Whistle, which is
you know, there's a death whistle that that is featured.
You know, that's that's the premise, right, And and so
(06:55):
you know he's he's written how you know he's in.
I think he's the screenwriter of this. So I'm like, Owen,
you know he's done cool stuff. Let's support you know,
another friend and one of my favorites. I'm so excited
they One thing they did that's really cool is to
have a they set aside a short film thing and
(07:16):
it's called Alums and Other Demons and a screenwriter that
I just really liked her work. Who we still talk online.
Maddie Doe. She did a film called A Long Walk.
She's another one dearest sister, and both of those are
just amazing, and she is.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
One of the most tac doll directors. I told her this, like,
I feel like I can reach into the screen and
touch all the fabrics and the grass and the stupid
Yes correct a totally different thing. But she has a
retelling Alotian retelling of The Sleeping Beauty as a short film.
(07:54):
But again, it's really cool to have people come back,
like there's a whole short film section, Maddie being one
of the directors and she's not gonna be there, but
we were writing back and forth. I'm like, oh, I
get to see your film, you know, and she's really
happy to launch it and I you know, that's the
kind of magic of the festival. We're all there to
love film and occasionally you just meet somebody where you're like, hey,
(08:18):
I liked what you were doing.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
That was really cool and you hit it off, you know,
my my friend, my friend Thomas and producer Eric like
they did Norwegian Ninja and.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
We end up just hanging out. What doesn't happen all
the time.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I mean, you know, people are busy and as things go,
but everybody's That's That is another thing I like about
Fantastic Best is everybody's there to hang out. As long
as you're cool, you just end up talking film and
music or whatever, you know, random.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Stuff, you know. I see that, uh Ce Sue Rode
to Road to Revenge. Oh I'm I'm stoked about that. Yeah,
so Sue for people who don't remember, uh was about
a Laplander fighting Nazis in World War two and this
and it was basically like John Wick in World War
two against Nazis and it was I just has to
(09:08):
be seen to be believed. I know nothing about so yeah,
yeah this and he's fighting Russians. Oh, here's here's one
for you, Jason. I'm looking at h It's called Reflections
and a Dead Diamond. It promises, uh, you know, there's
there's people who work on strange color. Everybody's tears and
(09:28):
let the corpses tan. But uh, it's Giallo influenced, kind
of like has a little bit of that, but it's
a retired super spy spen twilight years and lavish hotel
and French riviera be set with signs of cognit decline
and encounter with the new neighbor kindles past memories of
old flame and brutality as old line of work. But
it's prominently like I've seen some some pictures sounds like yeah.
(09:52):
And I was like, oh man, I'm seeing this movie
for me and Jason. Right, yeah, no, for sure I
will be. There better be some super saturated yellows and
reds in that movie.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I've seen some stuff. Another one that's kind of in
you know. I also went, okay, this is a Jason
and Tony film. Is a movie called Celencio from Spain,
and it's it promises a leap between the thirteen hundreds
Black Plague HIV and twenty thirty Vampire's vampires, vampire human
(10:26):
couple and you know, crossing time basically, and I've heard
it's campy and has you know, I mean anytime like
AIDS is a thing, so you have queer element to it,
and how that's impactful, like all this stuff that's rolled
into it. Again, I was like, oh, well this is
you know, because I love to come back and share
(10:47):
them with the crew as well as as our listeners. Right,
I've heard really good things. Oh I think you had
interviewed Kyrich Turner for.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Wormwood a while. Yeah, well there's a new movie. How
about this.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
It's called Beast of War where Australian soldiers in World
War Two have their their ship is sunk and they're
stuck in the water with a great white shark. And
you know, again that's a director I just every once
in a while I talked to him online or wish
him happy birthday, you know, like we just hit it off.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
So you know, great White Shark.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Attack sounded hard to pass up, right, Yes, another movie
that sounds really good I'm excited about.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Everybody came back from.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
I think it was Tiff and said, okay, you have
to see this movie obsession And it's about it's the
director is Curry Baker, and it's about a guy who
wishes that he was with somebody, wishes that this this
woman would love him.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
And of course it's it sounds like a monkey's paw
kind of wish. So but everybody said, Okay, obsession, you
gotta you gotta see this. There's you know, I'm gonna
anything metal and horror. You know, I'm going to go
to that. So if any I don't know if anybody
saw Death Gasm, but Death Gasm Too is out and uh,
(12:09):
you know, Jason Jason Lee Hodden is the director. It's
been a little while, but I'm I'm completely ready for
the medal and horror I want to in like ten years,
hasn't it Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah came out twenty fifteen.
Death Gasm, but Death Gasm Too coming back coming back
to Fantastic Fest. You know, yeah, I got a rep
(12:30):
horror and metal right like, it's just it has to be.
There's a there's a remake of a death Stalker as well.
I don't remember Death Stalker.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Oh man, it's you have seen You've seen the cover
to Death Stalker?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
You have not? Is it the one where he's got
the motorcycle helmet.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
No, no, no, this is a sword and sorcery like
and you know it's it's by the you know, by
uh Stephen Kostanski. So you're man Borg, the boy psych
a gore man that that h you know that Crewe
if you like, if you like what they do, this
is uh a remake and once you once you've seen
(13:09):
anybody who knows has seen the like. The VHS cover
of Deasktalker was definitely one of those you know, when
you there was always the adage of if it's got
a painted cover, probably wasn't as you wasn't maybe as
good as kind of nice.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Looking Boris vallet Hoos style cover. That's probably not actually,
but I just brought it up in it. Yes, you're
exactly right, But everyone kind of knew, and we watched
them because they were great for other reasons, but everybody
kind of knew if it's got a Boris cover, like
might be better than reason to watch those movies.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
But yes, so so if if you if you thought,
you know, if you're a man board you know, Psycha Gorman,
Frankie Frico, the Void, if those are your bag, then
you know this crew is bringing you a remake of
Deak Talker, so can't to me, you can't lose with that.
I'm also really excited that Shutter has already picked up
(14:03):
a movie called Mother of Flies.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Again. It seems to be a trend this year with
people who go into the woods to seek solace. I
don't know what it is, but it's terminal cancer. I mean,
this is gonna be tough, I think because I've had
you know, relativecy have had cancer recently. But let me
(14:27):
ask you character about the cancer thing. But do you
find yourself so you're gonna be watching like forty movies,
do you find yourself avoiding movies that might hit too
close to home or make you uncomfortable? I have.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yeah, you know, there's a lot of movies that look
pretty good, but they have a lot.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Of trauma attached to them. And this is by no
means a not to a filmmaker.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
I tend to watch those or wait a little bit,
maybe if I you know, I don't tend to program
them as much lately, which maybe I you know, part
of me wants to just go see a ton of good,
really good movies if I hear that they're great, But
I I do tend towards more supernatural horror. There's there's
one I heard was good, but it had an animal
(15:13):
cruelty element was part of you know, this person who's
exposed to that like finds out and you know, animal cruelty,
dark web kind.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Of stuff was part of it.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
And I was like, you know, I've heard good things
like as far as far as horror goes about this movie,
but it seemed hard for me to put that in
my brain. If that with you, I and it sucked
because that means I'm I'm maybe not giving enough attention
to somebody who's made something because it's hard to make
a movie, and I always feel kind of weird about skipping.
(15:43):
But again, I mean, there's so many movies to see
that it's kind of hard to catch everything.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Oh sure, I switching over it. There's a there's a
found footage movie called Shelby Oaks that we saw the
trailers for for it. Oh yeah, it's already thinking looks
very good. Oh no, that looks really great. Uh. And
there's also, uh, what promises to be really cool a
movie called Silver Screamers about Uh it's basically like a
(16:12):
geriatric horror slasher. It sounds like, so you know that's
again you get these weird like things like that, Oh
this will be this is cool, Jason, get this. There's
a movie called When We Were Live that is about
Austin's Public Access TV, which for me that was one
of the coolest things when I moved here in ninety six.
(16:33):
Was holy crap, look at these like Austin's Public Access
just had it had music, it had comedy, it had
all this, It had you know, weirder stuff. There was
an actual cult that was on it, right like all
of that stuff. But uh, the director spent years and
hours of footage and you know how cool is that? Right?
(16:54):
Like bringing it.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Back around I sound I'm super stoked about that. Yeah,
and but uh but oh but back to to Mother
of Flies. There's a It's it's done by a family
that the Adams family, which you know they do horror.
It's kind of just but they're also super cool people.
The last I first saw Hell.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Bender by them, and they're musicians. They did the music
for it. Super cool people. Uh.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
We hung out a little bit and just talk music
and everything. So Mother of Flies has been already picked
up by Shutter. Uh, so I could you know, send
new stills and stuff like that. But like I, I
just think it's cool that there is a family, uh,
hanging out making movies together, making cool movies together and
being awesome, you know, a real like they you know,
(17:45):
they did the music for their movie they did. I
just they're they're super cool and it's great. I gotta
I gotta find a slot to make sure I try
to fit that one in or or maybe we should maybe.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
We cover it. You know, it's going to be on shutter,
but I wanted to give it regardless of if I
can fit it in. I I think they deserve a
shout out because they're doing really cool stuff, you know.
I mean, there's so many movies I'm seeing. There's there's
action stuff like there's called Rota Vendetta. There's uh a
(18:18):
movie made by a stuntman called Penance Curse. There's there's
a person like there's a called Bad Haircut, which promises
some crazy thrills and and uh slashery business and uh
the person like one of the actors has been really
pushing it. I'm seeing a movie called time Man.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
That's the other thing is like before this, so so
some of the filmmakers who come in are like, hey,
where's their cool vintage stores, where's their neat you know food?
Speaker 1 (18:45):
You know, where would I get a greasy spoon like thing.
So there's a community built a fantastic fest too. We're
all answering like, hey, oh you're bringing your film. Oh well,
here's all this cool stuff in Austin as well.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Yeahidd and that's uh they're they're doing a three D
death by uh stereoscopy. Uh, there's a there's a death
you know, Greatest Kills kind of Uh. The festival that like,
you know, put you know, movie that's put together from
all these clips I have to this celebrating three D.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Oh, there's a there's a movie. This is my favorite
title of all the titles I'm looking at. It is
called If I Had Legs, I'd kick you. Oh that one.
Suppose that was a tough one. And I don't know
if I'm gonna fit it in. I'm gonna try to
fit it into a press screening, but it is actually
coming out. But everybody said that was great. Yeah, And
I mean that's the tough part. There were described as
(19:33):
a dark comedy and it features a sap rocky so
Rose Byrne, isn't it if Rien Christian Slater. That's a
major cast.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
And but it's coming out, and so that's again sometimes
as much as I want.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
To see the newest, coolest thing and and be.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
The first or or talk about it with friends, sometimes
you go, I that's coming out soon. Let me take
a chance on this film I've never seen has a
tiny but from somewhere it.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Might not come out anytime, It might not come out,
or who knows, it might be a year or two. Right,
And and that's the embarrassment of riches. That is fantastic best.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Yeah, I should send you my my uh my schedule
just so.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
I mean there's a movie about it. We're gonna check
back in a couple of days.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, once I've seen some stuff, hopefully once
I've seen some some secret screenings and I can kind
of spill the beans about it. You know, a lot
of these why we do this is I'm kind of
going inside and seeing you know, some of these have embargos.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Until after the after you watch the movie. So uh
but you know, there's there's all kinds of there's some
you know, dark fantasy, uh all, there's just there's there's
a move Haunted Heist, which I'm like the way you
had me at Horror and hes I can do that.
There's also there's an animation uh animation fest, which is cool.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Yeah, there's a Oh my friends, do I mean if
you wanted to come and see all the shorts as
well and curated shorts and they put some shorts in
front of.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Movies and give. It's so cool too because a lot
of a lot of the filmmakers who do the shorts
have the uh, if they have the ability, they will
come and intro their their shorts before a movie. That's
that I should also mention there's a documentary seventy five
minute documentary about Max Fleischer which just sounds incredible called uh,
(21:27):
it's called Year one the work. I'm sorry, it's the
work of Max Fleischer. And actually it says commissioned by
Golden Horn in a partnership with Tim Leak, who's you know,
the founder of the draft House.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So yeah, I should have seen that, but I'm trying
to like, again, I had to make your choices along
the way.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
There is one showing on Sunday, I know, and if
you're up against it, if you're in something else then
you'll have to catch it when it's at the alibum,
which it will be.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
So yeah, yeah, but you know that's the that's the
double edged sword of the programming, because the programming team
spends a lot, you know, and they've got to figure out, well,
these you know, these three theaters are showing this one,
uh and for the big ones, like okay, we're gonna
have four theaters showing this screening and this other one
has one screen, you know, like and then you know
(22:16):
how many people can fit in, how many badges have
we sold, how many It's it's not an easy to
program thing.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
And no, I can't imagine it's a lot of films
running for a week and or or a week and
a half whatever it is. So yeah, no, it's extremely challenging.
All right, well we should call it there. But I
am so excited. You're gonna you're going into this sort
of tunnel of cinematic love, and you're stuck there for like, like,
(22:43):
you know, a week and a few days, and I
can't We'll check in in a couple days and see
how things are going. But this has been really great,
and I'll be sure that this that this runs so
that people can hear it on the day that the
fest begins. That's awesome. Yeah. I start with the p
Anto accident and Eciton Dara, which got added, and I
(23:04):
was like, well there's some action. I'm gonna you know,
like here we go. This is my first day.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
I think one of my like no offense to any
of the horror stuff, but one of my Wednesday of
next week starts with CC two Deak Stalker, a movie
called Night Patrol, a secret street screening, and then death
by stereoscopy. So like that's a full day of I
don't want to hype it to myself, it jinx it.
But that's one of those who're like, oh that sounds like,
(23:34):
you know, to me, that was a tony day. Who
knows what the secret screening will be, but but roll
the dice.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
But yeah, yeah, like, uh and thanks, you know, thanks again,
and thanks to anybody. You know, I always say, ay,
you can go, Like I think I've.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Left the link to the Fantastic Fest uh schedule, so
if anybody asks questions like what do you think about this,
like let's let's we'll talk, like we'll I'll answer questions
everything like that. And then also uh, you know, keep
We're gonna be talking a couple more times throughout the
week so I can fill you in, fill everybody in
on what they should be looking for. Uh, sometimes things
(24:08):
get sold during the fest, so you're already like, hey,
let me watch Shutter for Mother of Flies. Uh, you
know I'm gonna be watching for that. And you know,
Obsession is gonna probably get you know there, and deaf
Gasm is too, is uh you know gonna come out.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Black Phone two of course. Oh by the way, Brider
re Animator was one of the was one of the restorations.
Oh and Chocolate, I'm so bummed. I'm gonna miss chocolate.
If anybody has seen that about a girl who can
watch martial arts and then reproduce like become martial Arts
fantastic film. Ah, I wish, I need I need to,
I need to split myself to watch all these amazing youth.
(24:47):
So yeah, thanks thanks again. And uh, you know, I'm
if anybody, I if anybody is a fan of the
podcast and you're you're actually coming to the fest, let's
let's hang out. That's in between fests, in between movies,
is you know, can be pretty magic excellent? Yeah, and
people can come to the Facebook page for the Castle
(25:07):
of Horror podcast and talk about what they're watching. I
think that's a really great idea.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Oh, by the way, Jason, here's another one for you.
I'm seeing I hope it's pronounced Marama and it looks
to be it's a Maori woman from New Zealand travels
to England. But it's got all it looks like it
period costumes and everything like that. So eighteen so you
know again.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
This is a film for New Zealand said in England.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Period costumes. Let's go, right. But but I I saw
that again, I'm like, oh that's another. That's another.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Hey, Jason, let me tell you about it when we talk. No,
for sure? Cool? Well, thanks, all right, I'm hoping. I'm
I'm ready to immerse myself in cinema and I'll catch
you next time. I catch you. Goodluck, my friend. I'll
talk to you when you first poke your head up.
Bits
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CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.