Screen Crusades

Screen Crusades

SCREEN CRUSADES features in-depth interviews with the coolest talent in film and TV. Hosted by Ryan J. Downey, who has reported on pop culture for MTV News, MSNBC, MovieWeb, Marvel, and more. Downey is also the host of The Disc Dive, presented by Knotfest, and the podcasts PopCurse, Speak N’ Destroy, and No-Prize From God. He is based in Southern California.

Episodes

January 4, 2023 15 mins
Patrick Bateman meets Cabin in the Woods? A WOUNDED FAWN stars Sarah Lind and Josh Ruben join Knotfest’s Ryan J. Downey to talk about the new hallucinogenic horror film from writer/director Travis Stevens (Jakob’s Wife, Girl on the Third Floor). The art world, misogyny, narcissism, a serial killer; RogerEbert.com described A Wounded Fawn as ‘70s grindhouse cinema crossed with Dario Argento, combined with Francisco Goya. Watch it ad...
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Ryan J. Downey spoke with the young cast of Netflix's latest title METAL LORDS - Jaeden Martell (It), Adrian Greensmith, and Isis Hainsworth - to find out what it was like working with Tom Morello and D.B. Weiss.
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Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello and Game Of Thrones co-creator D.B. Weiss tell Ryan J. Downey about METAL LORDS, about three teenage misfits who enter a battle of the bands. Weiss wrote and Morello served as the executive music producer.
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COUNT D tells Ryan J. Downey all about his new TV series, METAL AND MONSTERS. The first episode of the longtime Rob Zombie bassist’s GibsonTV show reunites Don Dokken with Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund. Downey and the Count talk about their love of Freddy and horror, the origin behind the show, and more.
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Is a new type of marital sex enough motivation for a middle-aged dad to lose 50 lbs? Writer/director George A. Tramountanas stars in Win a Trip to Browntown! He talks to Ryan J. Downey on the latest episode of Knotfest's Screen Crusades about comic books, Kevin Smith, micro-budget filmmaking, balancing raunchy comedy with heart, and actually losing 50 lbs in three months.
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THE SEED skewers social media influencers with body horror, gore, and a practical creature. Ryan J. Downey talks to Lucy Martin, Sophie Vavasseur, and Chelsea Edge about the blend of comedy and commentary in THE SEED. Writer/director Sam Walker’s Shudder Original Film is the story of a weekend getaway at a remote luxury villa interrupted when a meteor crash lands into the swimming pool.
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March 4, 2022 32 mins
VAMPIRES EVERYWHERE! singer Michael Vampire talks THE LOST BOYS with Ryan J. Downey. Directed by the late Joel Schumacher, the 1987 classic stars Jason Patric, Keifer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, and the late Corey Haim. Plenty of Knotfest friendly bands draw inspiration from it. In fact, Vampires Everywhere! is the name of a comic book seen in the movie.
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HELLBENDER is the work of a teenage model, her sister, and their parents. Ryan J. Downey talks to the (actual) Adams family about the witchy horror flick’s creation. John Adams, Toby Poser, Zelda Adams, and Lulu Adams are “the family that preys together” (The New York Times), acting collectively as the writers, directors, producers, and stars of a series of films produced from their Catskills compound. John, Toby, and Zelda talk wi...
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February 22, 2021 62 mins
Jordan Graham discusses how he handled the writing, directing, editing, composing, cinematography, set design and more on 2021's most buzzed about and acclaimed horror film, Sator, on the latest episode of KNOTFEST's Screen Crusades with Ryan J Downey. 0:00 - Doing more with less 5:45 - Early filmmaker influences 12:45 - The critical reception to Sator 15:30 - The music of Sator 22:07 - Blurring fact and fiction with found footag...
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February 22, 2021 34 mins
The director shares what it was like to work with his mentor and why a film like The Exorcist merits such a comprehensive examination like the Shudder documentary, 'Leap of Faith'. Philippe's most recent feature length project, Leap of Faith, takes an in-depth look at the genesis and execution of one of cinema's most enduring entires directly from the man that directed it, William Friedkin. During his conversation with Downey, t...
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November 11, 2020 31 mins
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November 5, 2020 13 mins
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October 22, 2020 22 mins
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October 8, 2020 19 mins
The Cleansing Hour writer/director Damien LeVeck joins Screen Crusades to talk about avoiding or subverting demonic possession tropes; his fascination with the supernatural and esoteric; the challenges involved in setting a horror film in a single location; and what The Cleansing Hour has in common with The Little Mermaid.
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September 18, 2020 44 mins
Knotfest Presents: Alive Cast Q&A w/ Ryan J. Downey featuring Angus Macfadyen, Thomas Cocquerel & Camille Stopps. Knotfest.com Exclusive Premiere Screening Now - Sept 24th
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September 9, 2020 46 mins
NIAMH WILSON (Saw III & V, Degrassi) joins SCREEN CRUSADES to talk about Shudder's original film 'Random Acts Of Violence', the new horror flick written/directed by Jay Baruchel (This is the End, How to Train Your Dragon, Tropic Thunder), who also co-stars. Niamh talks about growing up in showbiz, working with Baruchel, the comic book source material, Degrassi fandom, what she’s listening to, and much more.
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