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For 18 years the Boston Underground Film Festival has delivered a cornucopia of mind blowing cinema to fans from all over New England. The fest scours the globe for the most gonzo titles across all genres: horror, science fiction, dark dramas, marital arts, doomed romance and more. This year the fest runs from March 23rd through March 27th at the Brattle Cinema in Harvard Square. This week we're bringing you the two people responsible for stitching together the lineup: Nicole McControversy and Kevin Monihan. There here to talk about the must see films of this years festival and discuss some of the challenges that go into putting together an event that embraces the stranger side of celluloid. For the complete festival lineup, schedule, ticket and pass sales, head to www.bostonunderground.org

Hey everyone we are back and we have a lot to talk about this week. Dede and I are both high on Robert Eggers' debut horror film, the arthouse treasure The Witch. The two of us rave about how it manages to make Satan a living and breathing entity to be feared once again while bemoaning the fact that the Oscars don't include a category for best performance by an animal, thus snubbing Black Philip of an honor he so richly deserves. Speaking of the Oscars, we have a few brief thoughts on last week's awards show, muse on whether #OscarsSoWhite will shame the academy to provide a more diverse list of nominees in the future and fist bump one another over the success of Mad Max: Fury Road. Also, a certain trailer for certain ladies busting ghosts debuted this week, and it's either one of the most anticipated films of the summer or it is responsible for the rape of Men's Rights Activists childhoods. Or it's both. We talk about it. Finally, we talk about some movies that we're excited for, including Michael J Epstein and Sophia Cacciola's upcoming tribute to Hammer Horror and the erotic lesbian vampire films from Jean Rollins Blood of the Tribades. The trailer came debuted this week and you can check it out right freakin' now!! (link)

Hey everyone we are back and we have a lot to talk about this week. Dede and I are both high on Robert Eggers' debut horror film, the arthouse treasure The Witch. The two of us rave about how it manages to make Satan a living and breathing entity to be feared once again while bemoaning the fact that the Oscars don't include a category for best performance by an animal, thus snubbing Black Philip of an honor he so richly deserves.  Speaking of the Oscars, we have a few brief thoughts on last week's awards show, muse on whether #OscarsSoWhite will shame the academy to provide a more diverse list of nominees in the future and fist bump one another over the success of Mad Max: Fury Road. Also, a certain trailer for certain ladies busting ghosts debuted this week, and it's either one of the most anticipated films of the summer or it is responsible for the rape of Men's Rights Activists childhoods. Or it's both. We talk about it. Finally, we talk about some movies that we're excited for, including Michael J Epstein and Sophia Cacciola's upcoming tribute to Hammer Horror and the erotic lesbian vampire films from Jean Rollins Blood of the Tribades. The trailer came debuted this week and you can check it out right freakin' now!! (link)

A quick show note: As of 1/14/2016, “Valencia” has been retitled 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE. Side note: It looks bloody awesome. This week Mike & Dede put 2015 in the rearview mirror and start looking forward with giddy excitement to their most anticipated films of 2016. The discussion turns to some of our favorite films that made festival rounds last year that promise to be real treats once they're widely available this year, along with some studio fare that looks far better than the average dreck. The discussion includes the widely anticipated period horror piece THE WITCH, the nuanced & bloody romance NINA FOREVER, Karyn Kusama's tense thriller THE INVITATION, the merc with a mouth DEADPOOL and the latest from British Maestro Ben Wheatley HIGH RISE. That's just the tip of the iceberg, so tune in and find out what else is in store this year. As always we could use your feedback, so drop us a note at our Facebook page. If you like what you hear, help us get heard by even more people and please take a minute to write a brief review of our show over on iTunes. Thanks for listening!  

While every Quentin Tarantino release feels like an event, his latest, The Hateful 8, feels like an even bigger one. Rolled out into 100 cinemas in glorious 70mm and accompanied by an overture and mid film intermission, it marked the rare occasion that a night at the movies felt like a “Big Deal.” How does Tarantino's vision of a western hold up? How does Tarantino use the Western and the era of Reconstruction to hold up a mirror to the racial tensions that still exist today? Join Dede and Mike as they talk about what worked, what didn't and what Mike is still trying to wrap his head around in the latest addition of the Film Thrills podcast. Further reading: Over on All Things Horror, we have a terrific piece up by Charlie Nash on the film's anti-heroine Daisy Domergue: "On The Hateful 8 & Misogyny: Depiction Does Not Equal Endorsement."

THE QUESTION isn't did you see The Force Awakens, but how many times did you see the long awaited JJ Abrams continuation of the Star Wars saga? Jim McDonough (Manicorn) and I sit down to talk all things Star Wars and TFA brought us back to those giddy days of childhood, where the Force was strong with every kid that wanted to grow up to be a Jedi. As a fair warning, we are going to spoil the hell out of TFA, so if you haven't seen it yet, wait before listening. Jim and I talk how TFA goes straight for the nostalgia for the OT while setting up four great new characters, why Kylo Ren might be the most intriguing villain in the whole Saga, how many ways Rey kicks ass and what it means to be able to bring our kids to a Star Wars movie that doesn't suck. Hope you enjoy the show and have a great holiday!

Holy cow where have we been? Well that doesn't matter but what does is we have a pair of terrific interviews up with TALES OF HALLOWEEN masterminds Axelle Carolyn & Mike Mendez. ToH is a fantastic new anthology film that weaves ten tales of Halloween from some of the best indie horror directors working today including Darren Lynn Boussman, Paul Solet, Dave Parker and More. We spoke with Carolyn & Mendez on how the film came together, the benefits of working with close friends and why the film puts the emphasis on the funny, "trick" aspect of the holiday. 

Join Mike this week as he discusses the short comedic horror film RECIPE with its lovely and charming (and super patient) director OLIVIA SAPPERSTEIN. RECIPE is a terrific little short that packs a punch or three in a brief five minutes. If you've ever stepped foot inside a gym, you'll immediately recognize the protagonist-the person who counts every calorie and bead of sweat and treats any sweet or savory indulgence as the bitter enemy. Taking the phrase "you are what you eat" to a whole new level, RECIPE examines the obsession with fitness, beauty and double standards women face every day. 

Coming out of the 2015 Boston Underground Film Festival, there might no have been a more controversial a film than Patrick Kennelly's Excess Flesh. Exploring body dysmorphia, the cyclical nature of abusive relationships, psychosis and the way Los Angeles serves as a breeding ground for dangerous and unrealistic standards of beauty, the film is anchored by it's leading lady Bethany Orr and the intensity she brings to her role as Jill. As an apartment recluse, Jill feeds her paranoia and selfloathing one spoonful of decadent mac and cheese slathered with BBQ chips at a time.   Both Kennelly and Orr sat down to talk with Dede Crimmins and I this past week to discuss the genesis of the film, what it means to create horror rooted in reality and why those who say "beautiful" people can't claim to have body issues can get stuffed. For more on Excess Flesh, read Dede's incisive review at ALL THINGS HORROR: "Excess Flesh Rips Your Heart Through Your Stomach And Makes You Watch".   If you dug this week's episode, please do us a HUGE favor and leave us a positive review on iTunes. It takes two minutes and helps us to be discovered by more listeners. 

I knew I was going to love Jim McDonough from the moment he started singing the praises of Fozzie Bear and his unique brand of humor. Hailing from the mean streets of the South Shore of Massachusetts, Jim sat down with me at our local Panera Bread (the mean streets of Hingham aren't that mean) to talk about his latest short film MANICORN. While I could try to describe Manicorn to you, somehow coming up with the words to detail the side effects of mixing cold medicines and the altering effects on the Universe and time/space continuum, you're better off checking out the short for yourself. You can find the public link to the film here.  This week's episode of Film Thrills offers a crash course in the garage band style of filmmaking as McDonough talks about using anything and everything he has on hand in order to make shorts films on the cheap. Taking advantage of everything from dimestore masks bought for a nickel to lax enforcement of child labor laws, McDonough brings a unique brand of mayhem to the table. From our debate over what set of anatomy determines a manicorn to the influence of 70's and 80's pop culture on his films, we enjoyed a kickass chat. This was one of the looser, more fun interviews we've had the chance to conduct, and here's hoping Jim comes back to join us more often for future episodes. 

Husband and Wife team Michael J Epstein and Sophia Cacciola are longtime fixtures of the Boston art and music communities. Playing together in diverse projects Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, Space Balloons, The Michael J Epstein Memorial Library and Darling Pet Munkee, the pair always look for new creative challenges lest the fear of stagnation set in. After directing a number of music video projects and short films, the partners turned their attention to TEN,  unique lulls audiences in with the appearance of a standard  slasher film before pulling the rug out and defying easy categorization. With a comprised completely of women, including a number of stalwarts in the local burlesque and performance art community, and taking full advantage of its location shoot at a sprawling, gothic mansion, TEN offers a unique experience for the adventurous viewer. The film makes its DVD and VOD release April 24th. The pair followed up their feature debut with MAGNETIC, which makes its world premiere at the Boston Underground Film Festival this Sunday March 29th at the Brattle Theater. Set in a post apocalyptic future, it focuses on a lonely woman with the Herculean and depressing task of informing families their loved ones are no longer. While it sounds simple on the surface, the duo promise a post modern experience where music and mood are instrumental to one's appreciation of the film.  Michael and Sophia joined Mike to discuss how they broke in to filmmaking from music, the allure of pushing boundaries and telling nonconformist stories, and the benefits of making art with the person you love.  Find out more about Michael and Sophia's music and film projects here.  As always, we appreciate your feedback. Please feel free to leave us a review here or on iTunes. 

After two weeks of blizzards that leaves the city of Boston buried under snow and ice over six feet deep, a house bound and stir crazy Mike called on Dede & Charlie to talk him down from the ledge in order to talk movies. Charlie survived the dreaded "Sundance Flu" in order to report back from the fest. We talk about some of the event's most highly talked about films including Witch, Tangerine and the new Kurt Cobain retrospective Montage of Heck.  Dede sat in as a panelist for the Boston area sci-fi/genre convention Arisia. She may be the only person on earth well schooled enough to talk about both The Muppets and Seven in the same day.  Up next we talk about the S&M movie you SHOULD see this Valentine's day: Peter Strickland's The Duke of Burgundy.  We wrap things up with a few Netflix picks for these cold as balls days where it makes no sense to leave the comfortable confines of your living room.  00:00-02:11 INTRO 02:11-22:08 Sundance 2015 22:09-33:00 Arisia Convention 33:01-56:30 The Duke of Burgundy mild spoilers from 46:00-50:10 56:31-1:10:01 Staff Netflix picks/wrap up As always we encourage your feedback. Please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review or join and comment on our Facebook Page.

This week's episode brings you an interview with the duo behind two of the best independent horror releases in recent memory. SPRING is due out March 20th from Drafthouse Films and we talked to Aaron and Justin about crafting believable dialogue, creating unique monsters and the pitfalls and triumphs of low budget filmmaking.  00:00-05:25 INTRO 05:26-07:34 SPRING trailer 07:35-41:26 Interview with Justin Benson & Aaron Morehead (Spring, Resolution, VHS Viral Bonesaw segment) LIGHT SPOILER ALERT 17:30-26:30 41:27-42:40 Show notes 42:41-46:43 Ada  (4 and a half years old) talks about Ghostbusters and Pee Wee's Big Adventure 

The crew is back to discuss Ana Lily Amapour's debut feature A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT. 

A recent article published by the New Republic titled "What Its Says About You If You Enjoy Horror Movies" sent ripples of anger through the horror community. Citing 30 year old research and a pair of films that fall under the fantasy and biblical epic categories, author Alice Robb made some egregious assumptions about horror fans. One of the most striking and tone deaf arguments of the article was the assumption that women either don't enjoy or lack the strong constitution for horror movies. We sat down with head Horror Honey KAT, Boston filmmaker IZZY LEE, Day of The Woman's BJ-COANGELO & our own DEDE CRIMMINS to discuss this article and what it means to them to be a horror fan/journalist/filmmaker.   For your reading enjoyment, we present links to the original article along with several refutations: The New Republic "What It Says About You If You Enjoy Horror Movies" The Horror Honeys "To Know Horror Fans Is To Love Them" Day of the Woman "ThisIs What It Really Says If You Like Horror Movies" All Things Horror "A Refutation Of The New Republics Ill-Informed and Inaccurate Anti-Horror Article"

In our second episode of the FILM THRILLS PODCAST Mike interviews Leigh Whannel (Saw, Insidious) about his new black comedy THE MULE and Paul Solet (Grace) about his new supernatural horror film DARK SUMMER. 

Hello Everyone and welcome to the debute episode of FILM THRILLS, your source for the best and brightest in independent horror, sci-fi, dark thrillers, cult and exploitation films and brought to you by the crew at All Things Horror In this episode Mike, Dede, Charlie and Andrea take a look at the state of theatrical horror by the end of 2014, discuss why VOD has become the best source for the most exciting current genre films and reveal what films we're most excited about heading in to 2015. We'll talk about The Tribe, The Duke of Burgundy, Spring, It Follows, Crimson Peak along with many more.