Untitled

Joining The Kulturecast, this time to discuss one of the most disturbing films I've ever seen! THE VVITCH (2015) written and directed by Robert Eggers.

Another TWILIGHT ZONE adventure! Thank you NIGHT OF THE LIVING PODCAST!

Honored to join the NIGHT OF THE LIVING PODCAST crew to cover one of the most somber episodes of the original THE TWILIGHT ZONE series: "Death's Head Revisited" (Season 3, Episode 9), which follows a former SS officer returning to the ruins of Dachau, only to be confronted by the ghosts of his past atrocities. We explore the episode's powerful themes of guilt, justice, and the inescapable weight of history.

Delighted to join Chris Lazarus Stachiw host of the KULTUREKAST PODCAST along with screenwriter Richard Hatem to discuss one of the best movies ever set in the southwest, SICARIO (2015). It was directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Taylor Sheridan in his (produced) screenwriting debut and features Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin. It's a shocking and riveting story enhanced by so many great performances, but especially BdT as the "Ghost of Medellín."

Delighted to join the THE KULTURECAST podcast to go (back) to college, specifically Harvard Law circa 1970s with the movie, THE PAPER CHASE. Starring Timothy Bottoms playing a Midwestern first year law school student enrolled at Harvard Law who runs into one of the true titans of cinematic academia, Professor Kingsfield. Talked with host Chris and his father legenday attorney Mark Stachiw, Esq. about law school horror stories, the reality of the film, and whether the ends justify the academic means.

Delighted to join THE KULTURECAST Podcast to discuss HELL OR HIGH WATER (2016), directed by David Mackenzie and written by Taylor Sheridan. Following the production and release of SICARIO, this was Sheridan’s next produced screenplay. Features Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, and Gil Birmingham, and follows two brothers robbing banks to save their family ranch while Texas Rangers pursue them across a declining oil landscape. Brutal. Bridges anchors the film with a measured performance, while Birmingham--later Thomas Rainwater in YELLOWSTONE--provides a quiet moral counterweight. Although set in West Texas, the film was shot primarily in eastern New Mexico, including Clovis, Portales, and Tucumcari. It received four Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Bridges), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. The landscape functions as an active presence--bleak and parches yet unmistakably alive. The relationship between Bridges and Rainwater is heartbreaking. The bank robbery scene is probably the most memorable.

Again joined the 20 years and running vulnerablel podcast NIGHT OF THE LIVING PODCAST with hosts Freddy Morris and Joe Juvland as they delve into the haunting realm of THE TWILIGHT ZOE to explore the gripping Season 3 episode "The Shelter."

Delighted to join the POST-APOCALYPTIA PODCAST to discuss the classic novel ALAS, BABYLON. It is one of the foundational texts of the genre, and its influence is clearly visible in more modern tales such as THE WALKING DEAD, THE LAST OF US, PLURIBUS, JERICHO, and many others.

Another True Crime mystery with the team at THE MISSING PODCAST from the CRAWLSPACE NETWORK. This time Dr. Sarah Schiffecker and I joined the hosts to examine the case of missing USAF General William Neil McCasland of Albuquerque, NM. The general had an amazing career, including an MIT PhD and a long series of major security and advanced defense projects for the military. What happened to him?

Legendary Texas author Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan the Barbarian, was a fascinating and tragic figure. He also engaged in a voluminous correspondence with H.P. Lovecraft on the topic of civilized versus uncivilized nations and life. I very much enjoyed joining the host of THE CIMMERIAN SCHOLAR to discuss the question of what is "barbarian" versus what is "civilized"? #conanthebarbarian

Honored to be a guest on the venerable NIGHT OF THE LIVING PODCAST. Show description: "Step into the eerie world of The Twilight Zone in this podcast episode, where hosts Freddy Morris and Joe Juvland are joined by Professor David D. Perlmutter, Ph.D—author of BLOGWARS and POLICING THE MEDIA. Together, they explore the haunting Season 3 premiere, "Two," a post-apocalyptic tale featuring Charles Bronson and Elizabeth Montgomery as the last two survivors of a devastating war. Professor Perlmutter sheds light on the cultural anxieties of the early 1960s that shaped this story, unpacking the themes of isolation, survival, and the fragile hope of human connection that define this classic episode."

Delighted to join the KUKTURECAST PODCAST to discuss BUGONIA, an Oscar nominated movie starring Emma Stone with Jess Plemons, that surely features one of the strangest and most disturbing plots ever. It's mostly a masterpiece, but it has some weird gaps, especially in its alleged science, that make you wonder what the actual intentions of the filmmakers are. Which is perfectly acceptable! Overall an incredible experience.

Fantastic adventure on the True Crime CRAWLSPACE PODCAST looking at one the oldest murders where we have pretty clear forensic evidence from the crime scene or nearby. Ötzi, the 5300 year-old ice mummy found in a fantastic state of reservation in the Tyrolean Alps. The well preserved state of his body and a great deal of clothing and equipment gives us an amazing portrait of life so long ago and possible clues on how and even why he may have been killed. Terrific to join with our local AustriaCollege of Media & Communication, Texas Tech UniversityTech University professor Dr. Sarah Schiffecker. #otzi #truecrime

Very much enjoyed being part of a continuing look at the terrific Apple series PLURIBUS. Now we turn to Episode #2 "Pirate Lady." Showrunner Vince Gilligan (BREAKING BAD, BETTER CALL SAUL) has definitely struck platinum and plutonium again. An amazing series, so well written with every technical aspect from lighting to props to music as perfection. Rhea Seahorn is a phenomenon as the main protagonist. She has that physicality of great acting not just with her voice, but her face and her body that finds a blend of absurdist humor and horror. Reminds me of Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Lombard. The series raises so many questions about the idea of a benevolent dystopia or a terrifying utopia.

Honored to join host, Karl Mamer, and Ms. Julie Brennan on the CONSPIRACY SKEPTIC PODCAST to talk about the most disturbing and wild conspiracy movies of 2025: BUGONIA. All around amazing Oscar-worthy performances and cinematography...but some inexplicable decisions in a supposedly pro science movie.

I am delighted to have been a guest on the KULTUREKAST podcast to discuss the 2017 German-Italian-Austrian film THE MAN FROM THE ICE, directed by Felix Randau and starring Jürgen Vogel. In North America, it was released as ICEMAN. The film is a speculative reconstruction inspired by Ötzi, the more than 5,300-year-old mummy discovered in the Ötztal Alps in 1991. Evidence indicates that Ötzi died from an arrow wound to the left shoulder and also suffered a severe head injury, making it clear that he was murdered and may have been involved in violent conflict before his death. One of the film’s most distinctive features is its use of a reconstructed prehistoric Alpine language, presented without subtitles in the original version. I was joined by KULTUREKAST host Chris Stachiw and screenwriter Richard Hatem, known for THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES and other film and television work. It was an excellent discussion.

Delight to join host Chris Statchiw on the KULTURECAST podcast to talk about an under appreciated movie directed by the late Tony Scott. DÉJÀ VU stars Denzel Washington. It's a time travel movie that mixes not completely impossible science with spirituality.