The Gargyle Podcast - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

A few weeks ago, Adam and I podcasted about our time at CONjuration.  While CONjuration is a con for all things magical, it grew out of a love for the Harry Potter and much of the con does revolve around the Harry Potter series.  Consequently, a good portion of the conversation that Adam and I had on that podcast also revolved around Harry Potter.  In fact, we were enjoying the conversation so much that we kept talking about it even after we stopped recording.

So, we decided to prolong our conversations about Harry Potter by doing a series of podcasts on the films.  Over the next several months, Adam and I will be rewatching the films together and then podcasting about our thoughts, questions, and analyses of the films and books.

While each episode will primarily focus on the specific movie that was just watched, there will be conversations about how the movie deviates from the book, reference to information from previous movies/books, and discussions about events that take place later in the series.  These podcasts will NOT be spoiler free.  So, consider this your general spoiler warning.  But, if you've already seen/read all of Harry Potter, then hop aboard the Hogwart's Express with me and Adam as we dive into Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone!



If you enjoy this episode, be sure to keep checking back for our next episode in our Harry Potter series.  And if you love Harry Potter, or all things magical and fantasy, check out our coverage of CONjuration (year 1 - part 1, year 1 - part 2, year 2, year 3, year 4)!  And if you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to check back soon for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and YouTube.  And be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!!





Music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Monster Pod - Christmas Horror Week

If you've been following me for the past couple months, you know that I've been watching nightly horror movies since the start of September (well, mostly nightly movies...on the nights that I didn't have time for a movie, I at least watched an episode or two of shows such as Goosebumps and Tales from the Crypt) with themed weeks all leading up to Halloween.  I love Halloween and had an absolute blast watching and discussing horror movies with friends, as well as going to two awesome horror film fests!!

As much as I absolutely love Halloween, I also really love Christmas (for different reasons).  So, with a love of Halloween and Christmas, and with having watched two solid months of horror, 60 Days of Halloween turned into 60+ Days of Halloween and I watched Christmas horror movies to transition from the Halloween season to the Christmas season.

There are some pretty terrible slasher movies out there that just put the killer in a Santa suit (or stories that just so happen to take place around Christmas) and call it a Christmas horror movie.  However, when a Christmas horror movie actually has Christmas as being a central aspect of the horror, I kinda love it!  I've loved every theme that I've done this year and have loved (almost) all of the movies that I've seen for the last two and half months.  But, to me, there is something special about Christmas horror movies.  Maybe it's because I love Christmas and a good Christmas horror movie combines the fun of Halloween with the heart of Christmas.  Maybe it's because I've always loved non-traditional Christmas movies (such as Die Hard and Jurassic World).  Or maybe it's because so many classic Christmas movies (such as Home Alone and A Christmas Carol) have elements of horror.

Whatever the reason, Christmas horror movies can be a LOT of fun when they are done right!  So, join me and Lucas for a special Holiday edition of The Monster Pod as we discuss the movies I watched for Christmas Horror Week (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Krampus, A Christmas Horror Story, Christmas episodes of The Twilight Zone, Santa's Slay, Gremlins, Silent Night Bloody Night, Black Christmas, Jack Frost, and Home Alone), as well as the overall theme of Christmas horror movies!



We hope that you enjoyed our special Holiday episode of The Monster Pod and that you keep coming back for more.
The Monster Pod - horroring it up since 2015!!

If you enjoy movies, horror movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to check back soon for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow Lucas on Instagram and follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Gargyle Podcast - CONjuration 2017

From mythical creatures, to fantastical worlds, to epic journeys, to endless imagination, the fantasy genre covers such a wide spectrum of topics and interests that it's easy to understand why it is so loved by so many people.  One of the most beloved fantasy series is Harry Potter, due in part to how relatable the characters are and how real J. K. Rowling makes the fantastical elements feel!  And the love of the Harry Potter series, as well as all things magical, is a palpable experience at CONjuration Con!!



Last weekend was the fourth year of CONjuration, and it continues to get better with every single year.  I've been to all four years of CONjuration (links to coverage from previous years below) and I can honestly say that I look forward to it all year long.  Chris and Angela (the founders and headmasters of CONjuration) pour their heart and soul into the con to make sure that it is a magical time for all who attend, and it shows!  There are always so many awesome vendors, thought-provoking panels, engaging workshops, talented musicians, and every single person that I've met there has been a genuinely nice person!

So, join me and Adam as we once again discuss our time at CONjuration, as well as interviews with several vendors, guests, and attendees in which we debate such fantastical topics as what combination of animals makes for the worst possible mythical creature and whether perfection or uncertainty makes for more interesting journeys.  There is no way that my coverage of the con will fully show how awesome it is, but hopefully the podcast (below) and photos (slideshow above - photos have also been posted to Flickr and Facebook) do it justice in at least providing a snippet of how much there was to do and how great everyone there was!



If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out my coverage of the first three years of CONjuration (year 1 - part 1, year 1 - part 2, year 2, year 3).  And if you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to check back soon for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and YouTube.  And be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!!





Music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Gargyle Podcast - 60 Days of Halloween: Knoxville Horror Film Festival coverage

KHFF poster art by Adam Pernell Deal

A couple weeks ago, special guest William Mahaffey (Director of the Knoxville Horror Film Festival) joined me and Eric to talk about the Knoxville Horror Film Festival, Central Cinema, partnering with the Ijams Nature Center, and horror movies for IFC Midnight Week.  And as much as I have been loving all of the horror movies that I've been watching each week, I have been looking forward to the Knoxville Horror Film Festival ever since I was there last year!  It is such an awesome film festival filled with amazing horror movies, put together by people who very clearly know and love horror!  And this year's Knoxville Horror Film Festival certainly did NOT let us down!!

So, join me and Eric as we discuss our time at the Knoxville Horror Film Festival, the awesome movies we saw, and what it is that we think makes horror movies so enjoyable!!

If you enjoy this episode, check back soon for more Halloween movie coverage in my 60 Days of Halloween.  Next up will be my coverage of the Frightening Ass Film Festival!




If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Gargyle Podcast - 60 Days of Halloween: Anthology Week (and Halloween Favorites Week)

After two solid months of horror and Halloween movies, my 60 Days of Halloween coverage is drawing to a close.  Having just finished up Anthology Week, the last week leading up to Halloween will be comprised of some of my favorite Halloween movies.  The movies for Halloween Favorites Week won't necessarily be the scariest, or even necessarily the best, horror movies...but they are movies that I just always love to watch around Halloween (even if I've already watched them several times throughout the year).

So, join me as I discuss Trick 'r Treat, Creepshow, Cat's Eye, Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror, Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, and Tales from the Darkside for Anthology Week...along with my plans for Halloween Favorites Week!!

If you enjoy this episode, check back soon for more Halloween movie coverage in my 60 Days of Halloween.  Next up will be my coverage of the Knoxville Horror Film Festival!



If you enjoy horror, movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Gargyle Podcast - 60 Days of Halloween: Universal Monster Week

The Universal Monsters are unarguably iconic.  They have permeated cinema and pop culture ever since they first terrified audiences from the silver screen.  While horror movies have become much more graphic and special effects have become much more advanced, the tragic tales of the Universal Monsters continue to have a lasting impact on the horror genre...and no Halloween movie list would be complete without them!!

So, join me and artist Chris Goins (Black Sheep Studios, TN) as we talk at length about The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Mummy, The Wolfman, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Phantom of the Opera!!

If you enjoy this episode, check back soon for more Halloween movie coverage in my 60 Days of Halloween.  Next up will be Anthology Week!



If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Gargyle Podcast - 60 Days of Halloween: IFC Midnight Week

It's after midnight...do you know where your movies are???  They are on IFC Midnight, of course!!

If you know me even a little, you know how much I love indie cinema!!  I have so much respect and appreciation for filmmakers who pour their heart and soul into their art!!  Regardless of the quality of the movies themselves, I will always love indie cinema for the simple fact that someone pursued their passion and created something!  Thankfully, some of the best new horror movies that I have seen over the past couple years have been IFC Midnight films!!

This is an episode that I've been looking forward to for a few weeks.  In part because of the movies, but also because of special guest William Mahaffey (Director of Knoxville Horror Film Festival), who talks about Knoxville Horror Film Festival, Central Cinema, partnering with Ijams Nature Center, and horror movies...of course!

So, join me, Eric, and special guest William Mahaffey as we discuss The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), Stung (2015), A Dark Song (2016), Almost Human (2013), I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016), and The Devil's Candy (2015).

If you enjoy this episode, check back soon for more Halloween movie coverage in my 60 Days of Halloween.  Next up will be Universal Monster Week!



If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Gargyle Podcast - 60 Days of Halloween: Documentary Week

If you’ve listened to just about any of my podcasts, you know that one of the things that I love most about movies is analyzing them, especially when it comes to horror movies.  Horror movies reveal so much about humanity that just isn’t found in most other movies.  What terrifies us?  How do we overcome diversity?  Who are we when things are at their worst?  What are the horrors of humanity?  What are the horrors within ourselves?  Is the supernatural real?  These are topics that might be addressed in other styles of movies, but I feel like the horror genre allows these ideas to be discussed more fully because horror movies push boundaries and push us past mere entertainment.  So, with my love of horror movies and studying the human condition, it should be no surprise that I especially love horror documentaries.  Whether they be historical (looking more at some of the technical aspects of how a movie was made), analytical (looking more at the “why” of a movie), or human interest (focusing on people rather than film)...horror documentaries fascinate me on so many levels.

So join me as I discuss Monster Madness:  The Golden Age of the Horror Film, the Scream Queens episode of 100 Year of Horror, Best Worst Movie, Birth of the Living Dead, Vampira and Me, Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue, and The American Scream for Documentary Week!!

If you enjoy this episode, check back soon for more Halloween movie coverage in my 60 Days of Halloween.  Next up will be IFC Midnight Week!



If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Gargyle Podcast - 60 Days of Halloween: Medical Horror Week

Surgery.  Needles.  Scalpels.  Stitches.  Dental drills.  Chances are, seeing one of those words made you cringe a little.  But why?  Why does just reading a word related to medical procedures make so many people cringe?  From creating hideous monsters to reviving the dead, doctors have seemingly always been a staple of horror movies.  But what is more terrifying...the mad doctors of our imaginations, or going to the hospital for a very real medical procedure??

In this episode of my 60 Days of Halloween coverage, I'll be dissecting Cardiac Arrest (1980), Anatomy (2000), Dr. Giggles (1992), Pathology (2008), The Dentist (1996), and the first two episodes of Kingdom Hospital (2004) for Medical Horror Week!!

If you enjoy this episode,  check back soon for more Halloween movie coverage in my 60 Days of Halloween.  Up next will be Documentary Week.



If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Monster Pod - Evil Dead analysis, part 1

To us here at The Monster Pod, Evil Dead is hands down one of our all time favorite horror movies!  From the heart, to the gore, to the jump scares, to the genuine horror, to the practical effects, to the laughs, to the blood, sweat and tears that they poured into this low-budget indie horror flick...it is absolutely part of why we love horror the way we do!

Lucas and I have mentioned this episode for a while, and Eric (artist E.B. Tolbert, whose art can be found at ebtolbert.com) was finally able to join us to share some of his experiences and love for Evil Dead.  We love these movies so much that we were only able to just scratch the surface on the franchise!  So, join us for part one of our analysis of the Evil Dead franchise!  Also, a giant spider threatens our safety and a Wolverine/Power Ranger mashup fights a T-Rex...

As usual, it should be noted that this is more of an in-depth discussion of the film and not necessarily just a "review."  There are some major spoilers throughout the second section of the podcast.  So, if you have not yet seen any of the movies in the Evil Dead franchise, go watch them first and then come back to get our analysis of them!



We hope that you enjoyed part one of our analysis of the Evil Dead franchise and that you keep coming back for more.
The Monster Pod - horroring it up since 2015!!

If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to check back soon for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow Lucas on Instagram and follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Gargyle Podcast - 60 Days of Halloween: Non-Descript Week

What is it that scares you?  What is the thing that gets under your skin about horror movies?  What is the stuff of your nightmares?  The fear of the unknown is quite often worse than any monster...and in this episode of The Gargyle Podcast, I examine exactly that concept for Non-Descript Week!!

Recorded at the Cleveland Geekster, I discuss It (2017), The Thing (1982), The Stuff (1985), It's Alive (1974), and It Follows (2014) with J.R. Mounts (creator of Scairy Tales and Fried Pickle Noir - scairytalesnoir.com) and E.B. Tolbert (artist and illustrator - www.ebtolbert.com), and a few other friends who stop by for a chat.

My week of non-descript movies also included Them (2006), but it completely slipped my mind when I was discussing movies with J.R. and E.B.  Since I didn't include it in the podcast, here are a few of my thoughts... Great job building suspense!  The use of the dark and not being able to see too much of what is going on...the minimalistic music and sound effects...the close shots, preventing the audience from being able to see around corners...not seeing who/what the invaders are until the last few minutes of the movie...all of this helps to give the movie pretty consistent tension that, I think, really works!  With most movies, once the tension is broken by actual violence, the overall tone of the movie shifts and it doesn't quite regain the same initial suspense.  But, with Them, there is a good back and forth between action and suspense.  Once there is a reveal of who/what the invaders are, the movie is no longer scary.  But, in a way, once you start thinking about it, it instantly becomes terrifying.  I don't want to give away who/what they actually are...but this is definitely the kind of movie that could spark a lot of discussion!  There are certainly some flaws (a few too many "shaky cam" scenes, not quite as much character development as I would have liked to have seen, etc.), but overall I think that Them is a well-done movie with some very genuine fears.

If you enjoy this episode, check back soon for more Halloween movie coverage in my 60 Days of Halloween.  Up next will be Medical Horror Week.



If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Gargyle Podcast - 60 Days of Halloween: Giant Monster Week

Even though it is only early September, I’m already gearing up for Halloween with (mostly) nightly horror and monster movies!!  In years past, I’ve tried watching a horror movie every night of October with the intention of posting a nightly review, but I was never able to have enough time to actually get those nightly reviews out. So, this year, I’m trying something a little bit different and hopefully something that is a little bit more manageable (even though I’m not exactly off to the best start).  Rather than trying to post a movie review every night just during the month of October, I’ll be doing 60 days of Halloween with weekly podcasts for September and October!  And to give the episodes some semblance of cohesion, I’ll be doing themed weeks.  So, to get things going with my Halloween movie season, I'm starting off with Giant Monster Week!!

If you enjoy this episode, check back soon for more Halloween movie coverage in my 60 Days of Halloween.  Up next will be Non-Descript week.





If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Gargyle Podcast - Beyond the Gates review

Lucas and I already went in-depth in The Monster Pod discussing some of the psychological horror hiding just under the surface in Beyond the Gates, but I love this movie so much that I wanted to do a review of it as well.  So, if you've not yet seen Beyond the Gates, enjoy my (primarily) spoiler-free review of this fun, indie horror flick!  And if you have seen it, be sure to check out The Monster Pod for a much more detailed analysis.








The IMDB description for Beyond the Gates is:
Two estranged brothers reunite at their missing father's video store and find a VCR board game dubbed 'Beyond the Gates' that holds a connection to their father's disappearance.




 



If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

The Monster Pod - Beyond the Gates

"Do you have what it takes to go beyond the gates?!!?"  Wait...what does it even take to go beyond the gates?  I mean, obviously it just takes a vhs board game.  But, it will take much more than that if you are going to make it out alive!!  

On the surface, Beyond the Gates is a fun, indie horror flick about a vhs board game with the amazing Barbara Crampton.  However, if you dig just a little bit deeper, some very realistic psychological horror and some layered depth can be found!! 

As usual, it should be noted that this is more of an in-depth discussion of the film and not necessarily just a "review."  There are some major spoilers throughout the second section of the podcast.  So, if you have not yet seen Beyond the Gates, go watch it first and then come back to get our analysis of it!




We hope that you enjoyed our analysis of Beyond the Gates and that you keep coming back for more.
The Monster Pod - horroring it up since 2015!!

If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to check back soon for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow Lucas on Instagram and follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound and FreeMusicArchive.org

The Monster Pod - Let Me In

Aaaallll byyy myyy-seeeelf.  Don't wanna be...aaalll byyy myyyself.  Seriously, loneliness sucks.  And while there is a vampire in Let Me In, the real monster is crushing isolation, even amongst family and peers.   So, join me and Lucas as we tear into Let Me In and Let the Right One In like a swarm of cgi cats.  Please...please join us....we don't want to be alone.....

As usual, it should be noted that this is more of an in-depth discussion of the film and not necessarily just a "review."  There are some major spoilers throughout the second section of the podcast.  So, if you have not yet seen Let Me In or Let the Right One In, go watch them first and then come back to get our analysis of them!

We hope that you enjoyed our analysis of Let Me In and Let the Right One In and that you keep coming back for more.
The Monster Pod - horroring it up since 2015!!

If you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to check back soon for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow Lucas on Instagram and follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound and MusOpen.org

Prism Pop Up Gallery

The Prism Pop Up Gallery is a one-night art show featuring local artists exhibiting work that is representative of the colors of the rainbow, refracted by prisms (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).  Prism Pop Up Gallery also included live painting by local artist Susan Creswell and Tony Marz!  There was some amazing art by artist who clearly have a passion for creating!  Huge thanks and kudos to director, Lizi Campbell for putting together such a great show of awesome art!!  And, of course, a tremendous thanks to all of the artists (listed below) for their talent, creativity, and passion for art!!



From the Prism Pop Up Gallery website:
Prism Pop Up Gallery is a one day juried event showing the varieties of color in art! By collecting vibrant and striking pieces from talented artists, the gallery hopes to create an immersive experience for artists and patrons alike. All artwork will be organized by color, such that the patrons experience all of the Roy G. Biv [Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Indigo, Violet] spectrum while viewing the large selection of artist in Chattanooga!

10% of the sale of the tickets goes to Hart Gallery TN, a nonprofit organization that makes art making and selling accessible to the homeless and other nontraditional artist.  Read more about Hart Gallery's non-profit work at www.HartGalleryTN.com

100% of the proceeds of the sale of the art will be paid directly to the artist!

This is an excellent opportunity to engage with the Chattanooga art community and support local artists!

Prism Pop Up Gallery thanks you for your interest in maintaining the creative spirit of Chattanooga. 

Curator/Director: Lizi Campbell
Exhibition Adviser: Aaron Cowan
Logo Designer: Siri Alay
Jury: Janet Bradley, Aaron Cowan,  and Peggy Townsend

Artists:
Adam Kirby
Amy Dinsmore
Antony Squizzato
Claire Bloomfield
Dana Ortega
Derrick Shaffer
Jullian Walther
Kayla Cloonan
Leah Hoffman
Loren Howard
Mary Hamby
Myles Freeman
Ron Johnson
Sean Clark
Susan Creswell
Tony Marz
Yuri Ozaki

Natasha Romanova - Romanova Art

photography:  Ian Hutchison


If you enjoy art, movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music by Bensound

Chattanooga Film Festival 2017: The Devil's Candy

Once again, I was able to return to the Chattanooga Film Festival with Mass Listeria!  I love cinema in all of its forms, so the Chattanooga Film Festival is one of my favorite times of year because I spend four days being surrounded by movies and fellow film lovers!  To get a sense of why I love the Chattanooga Film Festival so much, read my post from the start of my coverage of the 2016 Chattanooga Film Festival (found here)...every word of it still holds true!

We already did an overview episode on Mass Listeria (found at masslisteriapodcast.com), but for the next several episodes of The Gargyle Podcast, I'll be providing reviews of each of the films that I saw individually.  Wrapping up my coverage of the 2017 Chattanooga Film Festival is my review of:  The Devil's Candy

I've been providing the description of the films provided in the Chattanooga Film Festival program and trailers via YouTube, when available.  The descriptions and trailers of the movies might let you know what they are about, but if you want to know what I thought of them...well, you are just going to have to give the podcast a listen.

The CFF program description for The Devil's Candy was:

When Filmmaker Sean Byrne's criminally underrated debut feature The Loved Ones was released a few years ago, we fell in love.  The film was fiercely intelligent and ferocious.  Often, when a filmmaker makes such a strong debut it's easy to worry that there could be a sophomore slump.  With the spellbinding and strangely satanic The Devil's Candy, Byrne not only didn't fall victim to any slump, he's been added to our short list of filmmakers who truly get and respect the horror genre and its audiences.  In The Devil's Candy, a struggling painter is overtaken by satanic forces after he and his family move into what they thought was their dream home in rural Texas.  Starring another CFF favorite, Ethan Embry (Empire Records, That Thing You Do) and Shiri Appleby (Roswell), The Devil's Candy is a critically acclaimed film with a metal AF soundtrack and one of the creepiest performances we've ever seen by the great Pruitt Taylor Vince.



I saw 21 feature films, short films, partial films, or live shows during the Chattanooga Film Festival!  So, be sure to check out the rest of my reviews in my CFF coverage!  And if you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

Chattanooga Film Festival 2017: Buster's Mal Heart

Once again, I was able to return to the Chattanooga Film Festival with Mass Listeria!  I love cinema in all of its forms, so the Chattanooga Film Festival is one of my favorite times of year because I spend four days being surrounded by movies and fellow film lovers!  To get a sense of why I love the Chattanooga Film Festival so much, read my post from the start of my coverage of the 2016 Chattanooga Film Festival (found here)...every word of it still holds true!

We already did an overview episode on Mass Listeria (found at masslisteriapodcast.com), but for the next several episodes of The Gargyle Podcast, I'll be providing reviews of each of the films that I saw individually.  Up next in my coverage of the 2017 Chattanooga Film Festival is:  Buster's Mal Heart

I'm providing the description of the films provided in the Chattanooga Film Festival program and trailers via YouTube, when available.  The descriptions and trailers of the movies might let you know what they are about, but if you want to know what I thought of them...well, you are just going to have to give the podcast a listen.

The CFF program description for Buster's Mal Heart was:

From her very first feature, the eerie and mysterious The Midnight Swim, filmmaker Sarah Adina Smith cast a spell on us.  At the center of Buster's Mal Heart, her brilliant follow-up, Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) stars as a mountain man on the run from authorities, surviving the winter b scavenging and breaking in to empty vacation homes.  He's plagued by recurring dreams of being lost at sea, only to find that he is the man lost at sea.  He's one man in two bodies.  This is the story of how he split in two.  Malek, whose haunting work on the hit television series Mr. Robot propelled him to stardom, is excellent here.  "Firmly in the tradition of actors like Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Shannon, or even Peter Lorre, who perform in their own transfixing rhythms, Malek is thoroughly convincing as a man at odds with himself," wrote Variety.  Breathtaking visuals and an excellent supporting cast featuring beloved veterans Lin Shay and Toby Huss and indie favorite Kate Lyn Sheil lend much to a film that is not only beautiful, it's nearly impossible to get out of your head.



I saw 21 feature films, short films, partial films, or live shows during the Chattanooga Film Festival!  So, be sure to check back soon for more of my CFF coverage!  And if you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

Chattanooga Film Festival 2017: Dayveon

Once again, I was able to return to the Chattanooga Film Festival with Mass Listeria!  I love cinema in all of its forms, so the Chattanooga Film Festival is one of my favorite times of year because I spend four days being surrounded by movies and fellow film lovers!  To get a sense of why I love the Chattanooga Film Festival so much, read my post from the start of my coverage of the 2016 Chattanooga Film Festival (found here)...every word of it still holds true!

We already did an overview episode on Mass Listeria (found at masslisteriapodcast.com), but for the next several episodes of The Gargyle Podcast, I'll be providing reviews of each of the films that I saw individually.  Up next in my coverage of the 2017 Chattanooga Film Festival is:  Dayveon

I'll be providing the description of the films provided in the Chattanooga Film Festival program and trailers via YouTube, when available.  The descriptions and trailers of the movies might let you know what they are about, but if you want to know what I thought of them...well, you are just going to have to give the podcast a listen.

The CFF program description for Dayveon was:

After his older brother's death, 13-year-old Dayveon spends sweltering summer days roaming his rural Arkansas town.  When he falls in with a local gang, he becomes drawn to the camaraderie and violence of their world.  Amman Abbasi's first feature-length film - which he wrote, directed, edited, produced and composed music for - was a long time in the making.  His earlier career prepared him for such a multifaceted role: by his early 20s, Abbasi had already become an internationally acclaimed musician, opened a restaurant, and worked extensively in the film world.  Dayveon can be traced back to Abbasi's time in high school, where he met the Renaud brothers, Brent and Craig, award-winning documentarians who would later enlist Abbasi's help for a film project that followed Chicago gangs.  During this experience, Abbai, who was increasingly interested in exploring gang affiliation from the angle of personal narratives, conceived Dayveon.  "I wanted to focus on affiliation, friendship, and the many layers of the humans within gangs," Abbasi says.

One of the aspects that I loved about Dayveon was that it was shot in 4:3 aspect ratio.  Amman Abbasi discusses his decision to use this format in an interview on nofilmschool.com, found here.




I saw 21 feature films, short films, partial films, or live shows during the Chattanooga Film Festival!  So, be sure to check back soon for more of my CFF coverage!  And if you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

Chattanooga Film Festival 2017: Hard Times

Once again, I was able to return to the Chattanooga Film Festival with Mass Listeria!  I love cinema in all of its forms, so the Chattanooga Film Festival is one of my favorite times of year because I spend four days being surrounded by movies and fellow film lovers!  To get a sense of why I love the Chattanooga Film Festival so much, read my post from the start of my coverage of the 2016 Chattanooga Film Festival (found here)...every word of it still holds true!

We already did an overview episode on Mass Listeria (found at masslisteriapodcast.com), but for the next several episodes of The Gargyle Podcast, I'll be providing reviews of each of the films that I saw individually.  Up next in my coverage of the 2017 Chattanooga Film Festival is:  Hard Times

I'll be providing the description of the films provided in the Chattanooga Film Festival program and trailers via YouTube, when available.  The descriptions and trailers of the movies might let you know what they are about, but if you want to know what I thought of them...well, you are just going to have to give the podcast a listen.

The CFF program description for Hard Times was:

No one in their right mind would deny that the ultimate human was Charles Bronson, a primal force of detached anger, burning vengeance, and near-toxic levels of masculinity.  But he had this thing about faces:  He loved to destroy them.  Across the best cinematic decades of the 20th century, Bronson ruined more faces than a busload of cross-eyed plastic surgeons on meth.  Facial annihilation was Bronson's gift and the world's curse.  In 1975, first-time director Walter Hill (The Warrior, Southern Comfort) convinced him to set aside his signature face-wrecking firearms for plain old bare knuckles, an arguably humane move that resulted in one of the icon's greatest - and most under-appreciated - action epics.  In the train yards and back alleys of Louisiana, a leather-skinned, unstoppable transient (Bronson, of course) makes a meager living by beating other hobos to a pulp in makeshift boxing matches.  James Coburn plays his flashy manager Speed, accompanied by an incredible performance by southern legend Strother Martin as the lovably self-destructive Doc Poe.  Hard Times is a massively entertaining, charmingly brutal exploration of mankind's desire to triumph at the animal level.  Packed with busted lips, shattered dreams and an impossible amount of vicious, no-rules shirtlessness, this is not only one of the best movies of the 1970s, but it's a genuine, no-bullshit, straight-up blue collar masterpiece.



I saw 21 feature films, short films, partial films, or live shows during the Chattanooga Film Festival!  So, be sure to check back soon for more of my CFF coverage!  And if you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

Chattanooga Film Festival 2017: The Hitcher

Once again, I was able to return to the Chattanooga Film Festival with Mass Listeria!  I love cinema in all of its forms, so the Chattanooga Film Festival is one of my favorite times of year because I spend four days being surrounded by movies and fellow film lovers!  To get a sense of why I love the Chattanooga Film Festival so much, read my post from the start of my coverage of the 2016 Chattanooga Film Festival (found here)...every word of it still holds true!

We already did an overview episode on Mass Listeria (found at masslisteriapodcast.com), but for the next several episodes of The Gargyle Podcast, I'll be providing reviews of each of the films that I saw individually.  Up next in my coverage of the 2017 Chattanooga Film Festival is:  The Hitcher



I'll be providing the description of the films provided in the Chattanooga Film Festival program and trailers via YouTube, when available.  The descriptions and trailers of the movies might let you know what they are about, but if you want to know what I thought of them...well, you are just going to have to give the podcast a listen.

The Hitcher was one of the secret screenings at the Chattanooga Film Festival, so there wasn't a description in the CFF program.  But, the IMDB description for The Hitcher is:

A young man who escaped the clutches of a murderous hitch-hiker is subsequently stalked by the hitcher and framed for his crimes.



I saw 21 feature films, short films, partial films, or live shows during the Chattanooga Film Festival!  So, be sure to check back soon for more of my CFF coverage!  And if you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

Chattanooga Film Festival 2017: The Award

artist Matthew Dutton, creator of the CFF awards

Once again, I was able to return to the Chattanooga Film Festival with Mass Listeria!  I love cinema in all of its forms, so the Chattanooga Film Festival is one of my favorite times of year because I spend four days being surrounded by movies and fellow film lovers!  To get a sense of why I love the Chattanooga Film Festival so much, read my post from the start of my coverage of the 2016 Chattanooga Film Festival (found here)...every word of it still holds true!

We already did an overview episode on Mass Listeria (found at masslisteriapodcast.com), but for the next several episodes of The Gargyle Podcast, I'll be providing reviews of each of the films that I saw individually.  Up next in my coverage of the 2017 Chattanooga Film Festival is:  The Award



I'll be providing the description of the films provided in the Chattanooga Film Festival program and trailers via YouTube, when available.  The descriptions and trailers of the movies might let you know what they are about, but if you want to know what I thought of them...well, you are just going to have to give the podcast a listen.

The Award played before one of the secret screening films, so there wasn't a description in the CFF program.  But, The Award is a horror short inspired by an award won at last year's CFF.  Seeing the award (made by artist Matthew Dutton), I can definitely understand why it would be the inspiration for a horror movie.  The award is a disturbing, fleshy, globulous thing with bits of hair and teeth.  There certainly aren't many (if any) other awards out there like it, which makes CFF awards something completely unique.

I saw 21 feature films, short films, partial films, or live shows during the Chattanooga Film Festival!  So, be sure to check back soon for more of my CFF coverage!  And if you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound

Chattanooga Film Festival 2017: The Void

Once again, I was able to return to the Chattanooga Film Festival with Mass Listeria!  I love cinema in all of its forms, so the Chattanooga Film Festival is one of my favorite times of year because I spend four days being surrounded by movies and fellow film lovers!  To get a sense of why I love the Chattanooga Film Festival so much, read my post from the start of my coverage of the 2016 Chattanooga Film Festival (found here)...every word of it still holds true!

We already did an overview episode on Mass Listeria (found at masslisteriapodcast.com), but for the next several episodes of The Gargyle Podcast, I'll be providing reviews of each of the films that I saw individually.  Up next in my coverage of the 2017 Chattanooga Film Festival is:  The Void



I'll be providing the description of the films provided in the Chattanooga Film Festival program and trailers via YouTube, when available.  The descriptions and trailers of the movies might let you know what they are about, but if you want to know what I thought of them...well, you are just going to have to give the podcast a listen.

The CFF program description for The Void was:

We've been following the work of filmmakers Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski since the days they were making hilarious and incredible fake movie trailers for films with titles like Laser Ghosts 2:  Return to Laser Cove as part of the Astron-6 collective.  Not long ago, they finally made the leap into feature films with the festival circuit favorites Manborg and The Editor, and thought both films worked beautifully as genre offerings, they both still traded heavily on Astron-6's comedic sensibilities.  For The Void, Gillespie and Kostanski took things deadly seriously, and the result is a creepy little flick with doomsday cults, burned-out hospitals and some of the coolest practical creature effects you're likely to see on a screen this year.  Funny enough, The Void was made largely by the same effects team behind last year's Suicide Squad, which moonlighted with this spooky skin crawler and made a far more satisfying film, in our humble opinion.



I saw 21 feature films, short films, partial films, or live shows during the Chattanooga Film Festival!  So, be sure to check back soon for more of my CFF coverage!  And if you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound