Thursday, October 26, 2017

12 More Episodes of Shock Waves You Should Listen To

by Patrick Bromley
It's an October tradition!

For the last four years, I've been publishing lists of some of my picks for essential episodes of Shock Waves (formerly Killer POV), still my favorite of all the podcasts I listen to every week. Hosts Rebekah McKendry, Ryan Turek, Rob Galluzzo, and Elric Kane (a former guest on F This Movie!) are the dream team of horror podcasters: articulate and educated, passionate and endlessly entertaining. I know everyone has their favorite host, because it's in our nature to pick a favorite. I bring this up not to get you to name your favorite in the comments (you really don't need to...unless it's Elric, as he needs that kind of constant reassurance and ego stroking), but rather to say that my favorite is "all of them."

This past year -- the first full year of the show as Shock Waves -- saw a few changes for the podcast. First, nearly everyone (save for Ryan Turek) has changed day jobs, especially with Blumhouse.com (a site for which Rebekah and Rob both worked) no longer a going concern. Rebekah completed her PhD, making her "DR. McKendry." There was also a period in which they experimented with the format, breaking the show up over the course of two episodes: the first covering the host-only discussion and the second devoted to the guest interview. I respect that they continue to tinker and improve the podcast, but I'll also admit that I'm really glad they moved back to the longer episodes released only once a week. I think it flows better and I think it gets listeners to check out some interviews and voices they might have just skipped if released a la carte.
One of the few good things I've ever done in my time running this site is turn a number of listeners on to Shock Waves, which feels good because there is satisfaction in turning people on to good things. So as long as it continues to get a few new people to tune in to Shock Waves, I'll keep publishing these lists. Obviously, there are way more than 12 episodes of Shock Waves you ought to hear. Every time I publish one of these lists, it's immediately met with "But what about...?" because, well, it's a list and it's the internet. Even the hosts themselves have expressed surprise at the episodes I choose to include in the past, saying that they might not be their own favorites but that it's always fascinating to see what resonates and with whom. The shows I picked are very personal to me, because Shock Waves is very personal to me. Every week, it feels like hanging out with friends, talking about my favorite subject with some of my favorite people. They get me to check out movies I've never seen and make me want to revisit the ones I have. I love this show, and here are 12 episodes that demonstrate why.
Episode 70: New Nightmares with Heather Langenkamp - Yes, I know I'm working backwards here and naming their most recent episode first. Deal with it. Though Rebekah McKendry had to sit this one out for medical reasons, the three boys conduct an incredible interview with Langenkamp, who has worked in horror for more than 30 years, first in front of the camera as a movie star and now behind the scenes as part of makeup effects. She is so smart and honest and practical about her own experiences and the state of modern horror (and moviemaking in general); like so many of the best Shock Waves interviews, we really get to know the person behind the art and it makes us like both the person and the art even more than we already did. A Nightmare on Elm Street is my favorite horror movie, Nancy Thompson is my favorite final girl, Shock Waves is my favorite podcast, and this is one of my favorite episodes they've ever done.
Episode 63: Our Tribute to Tobe Hooper - It will surprise absolutely no one that I included this episode. The Shock Waves crew did a lovely tribute to George Romero this year as well, but my love and sadness over the loss of Tobe Hooper makes this essential listening as far as I'm concerned. The guest is screenwriter Jared Rivet, whose first produced feature Jackals was released around the same time this episode dropped (it's available on VOD, DVD and Blu-ray and totally worth checking out), and who knew Tobe on a personal level. They had worked together on a number projects that went unproduced, meaning Jared got to know TH as both a colleague and as a friend. Plus, after making headlines just a few weeks prior when director John Leonetti plainly stated on the podcast that it was Steven Spielberg who directed Poltergeist, Shock Waves gives Rivet the opportunity to walk back those claims a bit and share his own opinions on the controversy based on what he knew. His insight into Tobe as a creator and as a person is invaluable, especially in the wake of his passing when I needed to hear those that knew him confirm what I thought of him as a good and incredibly talented man. I miss Tobe Hooper every day, but episodes like this make it a little more bearable.
Episode 60: Day of the Woman with B.J. Colangelo - This incredible conversation is with horror journalist (and moderator of the Shock Waves FB group) BJ Colangelo, who has written some of the best and most essential pieces I've ever read on the subject of rape revenge films. As a survivor of sexual assault herself -- an experience she has chosen to be very candid and honest about -- Colangelo speaks not just about the rape revenge genre but all of horror with a specific perspective that is insightful and inspiring. I also appreciate that Colangelo is always quick to point out that she can speak only for herself and her own experiences, acknowledging that it would be unfair and dishonest to suggest how others "should" respond to these films or to horror in general. That this show is able to tackle questions like "what is transgressive?" and "what really scares us and why?" is exactly why Shock Waves stands head and shoulders above every other horror podcast. BJ is incredible, and so is this episode.

Episode 52: Celebrating 5 Years of Scream Factory - It's basically a given at this point that I'll include a Scream Factory episode on this list every year, because their conversations are so lively and fun and full of fascinating behind-the-scenes information about how these special edition Blu-rays of horror movies we love come together. Shock Waves has always been great about getting the owners of these labels on, be it Twilight Time or Synapse or Severin or Vestron or Blue Underground (in the Killer POV days), but the friendship and chemistry the hosts have with Jeff Nelson and Cliff MacMillan is special. The relationship between Scream Factory and this podcast goes back years and you can hear it in their conversations.
Episode 49: The Unsung Exploits of Jim Kunz - I was not terribly familiar with Jim Kunz prior to this episode, but I defy anyone to come away from this conversation and not adore him. A filmmaker and producer of tons of DVD and Blu-ray bonus features, Kunz's stories about teaching himself how to be a one-man operation and working with everyone from Elvira to Code Red's Bill Olson (!!) are fascinating. His work ethic is tireless and he devotes himself to this stuff not for money, but because he genuinely loves the genre. I'm a sucker for this kind of behind-the-scenes talk about how special edition discs come together (as evidenced by some of my other picks on this list), but what I really enjoyed about this particular episode was Kunz himself.
Episode 44: Double Features with Scott Reynolds and Daniel Budnik - Only Rob and Ryan are in studio for this episode (though Elric chimes in with a pre-recorded message) that focuses on double features, with guests Scott Reynolds (a writer for Dexter, as well as Netflix's Jessica Jones and Iron Fist) and Daniel Budnik of Bleeding Skull. I'll admit that a big part of the reason I love this episode is because it speaks directly to my love of programming different movies to play together, whether it's as a double feature or in one of my "24 Hours of Movies" columns. I love thinking about how different films interact with one another, so all of this talk about double feature both real (out in L.A., these are not uncommon; hell, the New Beverly alone plays a double bill every single night) and hypothetical hits me right in the fandom.
Episode 43: Building the Perfect Horror Anthology - This episode features the return of screenwriter and producer Darin Scott, one of the creative forces behind the great anthology Tales from the Hood. That makes him the perfect guest to talk horror anthologies, but what makes this episode so much fun is that the gang doesn't just share their favorite omnibus films (sorry...portmanteau films), but instead construct their own ideal anthologies out of segments from existing movies. Once again, the Shock Waves crew combine both passion for the genre and a deep knowledge of some of the more obscure corners (you better believe I went and sought out 1977's Dead of Night after listening to this show, and everything they say about "Bobby" is true) to make for the single best horror podcast there is.
Episode 42: The Great Don Coscarelli - Since the Killer POV days, director Don Coscarelli has been near the top (if not the top) of the list of dream guests. His appearance does not disappoint. Both a brilliant, visionary filmmaker and one of the nicest human beings alive, Coscarelli's soft-spoken sweetness and humility towards his own achievements in the genre makes him an utterly charming interview. I'm always impressed by the hosts' ability to be total fans of their guests while not just fanning out in interviews, always managing to ask really interesting questions -- and, more importantly, questions we (and the guests) haven't already heard a dozen times before. They're such pros.

Episode 39: How Do You Consume Horror?- In addition to having one of my favorite "what have you been watching?" segments that features discussions of Valentine and The Whip and the Body and contains one of my favorite moments in the history of the podcast when Bekah mentions watching an Italian giallo called In the Folds of the Flesh, to which co-host Ryan Turek quietly responds practically off-mic "Bekah, staying on brand...," this episode has a great interview with Mark Ward of RLJ Entertainment. Ward was at Anchor Bay during the Golden Age of DVD horror in the early 2000s and talks about the various incarnations of home video formats; he's also a huge horror fan and really feels like one of us, so the conversation is both interesting and highly relatable as a lifelong horror lover and collector. The reason Shock Waves is my favorite podcast is because it totally understands what being a devoted fan of horror feels like, never judging for being the "wrong" kind of fan but also exploring the word in ways that go way beyond liking this movie or that movie. Loving horror is a way of life, and this episode is a celebration of that idea.
Episode 35: Kong is King - I remember this being something of a polarizing episode when it was first released, with a number of comments in the Shock Waves Fan Club Facebook group that complained about director Jackie Kong's self-promotion during her interview. I mean, ok, whatever. I love the fact that Jackie Kong came on, first because it pays off the "Kong is king" meme that Elric has been saying for years and because she's not someone who does a lot of interviews or press, so getting to hear her in this kind of long-form interview is a real treat. She talks about making her early cult films (The Being, Night Patrol, Blood Diner) and has some amazing stories about Marlon Brando. Kong was a singular voice in the genre, and listening to this conversation made me realize how much I missed that voice all these years. As for her "self-promotion," if she's not going to promote herself, who is?
Episode 32: A Silent Night, Deadly Night Family Reunion Christmas Special - Here's an episode that belongs on this list just for being a total coup, bringing together the stars of the first two Silent Night, Deadly Night films: Robert Brian Wilson and, even more impressively, Eric Freeman, the star of Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 who was completely off the grid for decades. They talk about their careers and what it was like to be part of such low-budget, controversial and totally crazy movies. Just hearing one of them interviewed would have been a ton of fun, but Shock Waves' masterstroke is in getting them both on together. There's a kind of understanding between the two actors that the only person in the world who can really understand what it was like to be in one of these movies is each other.
Episode 25: Going Beyond the Gates with Jackson Stewart - Yes, this one is a totally personal choice because I love Jackson Stewart and consider him a friend. I also love his first feature, Beyond the Gates, which I may have mentioned once or twice or 50 times on this site. He gets to talk about writing a script for Supernatural and his early days working for Stuart Gordon. What's so cool about this episode, though, is that Jackson is has also been friends with the hosts for many years, meaning there's something really cool and special about them having him on as a guest to talk about a feature film he made that's getting released through IFC Midnight and eventually a Blu-ray from Scream Factory. They're proud of their friend. And while I'm miles away from the indie horror community out in L.A., Shock Waves has always done a good job of opening up that community and making us all feel a part of it, which means we all get to be proud of Jackson, too.

3 comments:

  1. I knew Heather would be there. I like your choices. I remember them all well. Anyone not listening to this podcast is missing out
    Horror Movie love for Horror Movie lovers.

    When world's collide almost blew my mind when Elric and Patrick were on the same podcast together

    Mindblowen

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  2. I started tuning in to Shock Waves after Patrick posted last year's article about the podcast. It's now my second favorite crew to tune in to every week. Great chemistry between the group. You can tell they all get along behind the scenes. And, every time you think you have a favorite host, whenever one is missing, your initial reaction is always "I wish so and so were here." A great podcast for fans of horror and even movies and podcasts in general; they know their stuff.

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  3. Great article on this great podcast Patrick - I'm trying to do more reading (ugh, I know) during my work commutes so I'm having trouble keeping up with even my most favourites - couple here I've missed that I'll move to the top of the queue!

    I hesitate to bring this up because I feel kind of bad about where the conversation went last year, but I wanted to comment on how great an addition to the original Killer POV gang Ryan Turek is. I'd compare the situation to the Beatles - (a) because they're that fucking good and (b) when Ringo joined some people were like who's this Ringo guy but it didn't take long before it was like oh he's awesome and he's undoubtedly a fucking Beatle.

    The show is better than ever!

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