The Walter Paisley Movie House

Part two of my chat with the great Michael J Weldon continues as it left off, with me acting like a complete fanboy, because I totally am! Michael tells me about founding the magazine and running a record store in prime era NYC. He tells me about what types of movies are even too tasteless for him, how watching everything being sent to him eventually became wearing, and the joys of Devo. Getting to finally spend time with him was a true delight.

If you don't have the Psychotronic Video Guide, what are you waiting for? Hit up my friend Elysia at Irvington Vinyl and Books and see if she can scrounge up a used copy for you. Support one of the last independent book stores in Indiana.

Find out more about what Michael is up to, check out his store in Augusta, GA here:

Psychotronic Augusta

Psychotronic Magazine founder and all around cool guy, Michael J. Weldon has long been a wishlist guest for me and I finally got him! Michael joins me to talk about seeing The Cramps at a house party in 1978, watching b-horror movies as a kid, opening Psychotronic Video, and being one of the first vendors outside of Seattle to carry movies from Something Weird Video. (Now led by previous podcast guest, Lisa Petrucci.) We talk about the joys of nudie cuties, music, and I learn of the existence of an Orgy of the Dead paperback book. Michael is an encyclopedia of all the things we love and he's happy to share it with us all.

If you don't have the Psychotronic Video Guide, what are you waiting for? Hit up my friend Elysia at Irvington Vinyl and Books and see if she can scrounge up a used copy for you. Support one of the last independent book stores in Indiana.

Find out more about what Michael is up to, check out his store in Augusta, GA here:

Psychotronic Augusta

It's the one and only Brue Vilanch! One of the most prolific and versatile comedy writers of his or any generation joins me to talk about his incredible career that began over five decades ago and is still going strong today. Bruce talks about his youth in Patterson, NJ, the joy of seeing his first Broadway show, writing for some of the most iconic voices of the times, and being the go to person when a joke needs to be punched up. He tells me about meeting Bette Midler, which led to their decades long working relationship and personal friendship. And of course, we talk about The Paul Lynde Halloween Special and the notorious, yet legendary, Star Wars Holiday Special. It was a true treat to get to talk to him and I am thrilled to finally share it with all of you!

Find more about Bruce here:

Bruce!: My Adventures in the Skin Trade and Other Essays

If you would prefer to support one of the last truly independent bookstores in Indiana, you can order directly from Irvington Vinyl and Books, or from Bookshop.org which will support the store, as well.

You can also follow Bruce on Facebook.

I am back after a bit of an unplanned hiatus! (Sorry, gang. I started a new job and it has been an adjustment for me.) Today, Steve Stoliar and I continue our conversation picking up with him telling me how he got the job with Groucho. He tells me about his time in the house, his struggles with Erin Flemming, and his joys at meeting legends of old Hollywood. He also tells me about his life after Groucho, his freindships with Dick Cavett and Woody Allen, and his work as a writer and voiceover artist.

Find out more about Steve, and even order an autographed copy of his books here.

If you would prefer to support one of the last truly independent bookstores in Indiana, you can order directly from Irvington Vinyl and Books, or from Bookshop.org which will support the store, as well.

Steve Stoliar is a man of many talents. He's a gifted mimic, voiceover artist, writer, and pop culture historian. At the age of 19, he was hired on as an assistant to the legendary Groucho Marx. Soon, he was working as the comedian's principal archivist and friend, spending evenings with the likes of Mae West, S.J. Perlman, and Zeppo. His book, Raised Eyebrows, My Years Inside Groucho's House, details his time with Groucho and is a compelling read.

In this episode, we tlak about Steve's youth in St. Louis, moving to Los Angeles at a young age, being terrified by The Shaggy Dog, and all things Marx Brothers. We also talk about the joys of discovering old things like movies and books.

Find out more about Steve, and even order an autographed copy of his books here.

If you would prefer to support one of the last truly independent bookstores in Indiana, you can order directly from Irvington Vinyl and Books, or from Bookshop.org which will support the store, as well.

In this Very Special Episode I was asked to join the fun at the Days of the Dead Indianapolis Film Fest. Sadly, I was not able to get in as many interviews with filmmakers as I had hoped, because of computer issues (Which is also why this episode is getting out so late.), but I did get to talk to a couple of great folks. William Boothman is a Texas based filmmaker who has been hard at work on the episodic paranormal parody, Ghost Trippers. He and I talk about his Texas roots and how he got started. I also spent a good amount of time with Sean Haitz, writer and director of the new festival hit, Cannibal Comedian. He tells me about his early days of making movies with his friends all the way to where he is now. We also comisserate on the horrors of open mics, the joys of actors who give their all, and his upcoming projects.

Big thanks to the Days of the Dead Convention for inviting me in. I look forward to next year.

Find more about William and Sean here:

Ghost Trippers

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Cannibal Comedian

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My conversation with Greg continues with more talk of being a jobbing actor, auditioning, and the pros and cons of typecasting. We also talk Brian Bostworth's choke holds, John Lithgow's prowess at playing bad guys, and hanging out in the mountains with Stallone. Of course, we get into It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia but more importantly, we talk Hunter. 

Find out more about Greg here:

Official Website

IMDB

Gregory Scott Cummins is a self-described blue collar actor who has been working in movies and television since the late 1980's. In today's episode we talk about his parent's careers with media mogul Howard Hughes, his youth in Orinda, CA, his sports career, and much more. Greg tells me about his experiences on the sets of the cult classics, Hack-O-Lantern, Dead End City, and Action USA. I finally find out what Hy Pyke was like as a person, and I was not disappointed. Greg also tells me about working with William Smith, Cameron Mitchell, and the legendary Robert Z'Dar.

Find out more about Greg here:

Official Website

IMDB

John D. Hancock has directed everything from critically acclaimed theatrical productions, to award winning films, to made-for-TV movies, to producing his own movies in LaPorte, IN. His Academy Award nominated movies, Sticky My Fingers... Fleet My Feet and Bang the Drum Slowly both showcased his ability to ground the action in the reality of the film while humanizing even the vilest of characters. His 1971 cult classic horror pic, Let's Scare Jessica to Death continues to pull in new fans from all over the globe.

John talks to me about his life, his work in Off Broadway theaters in NYC, his stint in Hollywood, and why he came back to Indiana. We talk about how music and directing relate to one another. He tells me stories about Charles Durning, Tyne Daly, and Michael Moriarty. We talk about him being fired from Jaws 2 only to be brought in to take over on final production of Wolfen. We commiserate on the many pitfalls of widowhood and how directing his late wife, Dorothy Tristan, in her last, deeply autobiographical film, which she also wrote, The Looking Glass, helped them both come to terms with the inevitable.

Find out more about John and his Indiana-based production company here:

Filmacres

Michael Francis Dailey is a young filmmaker who recently won the Audience Choice Award for his short movie, How Was Your Summer? at the Phantoscope High School Film Festival. He joins me to talk about his influences, his process, and his plans for the future. (It's not often that I get to talk Kurosawa with an 18 year old, so this was an especially satisfying conversation for me.) Check out Michael's photography and movies here. You can also follow him and his filmmaking progress on Instagram.