Cinema Shock

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT: How a $60K Indie Film Changed Horror Forever | Class of 1999

"I'm afraid to close my eyes, I'm afraid to open them."
In the summer of 1999, a low-budget indie horror film stormed into theaters and redefined an entire genre. Conceived by two recent film school grads and shot with no stars, no studio backing, and almost no money, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT became a full-blown cultural event—and the most profitable independent film of all time.
In this episode, we trace the incredible story behind the making of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT: from its early concept during film school through its unconventional production, improvisational style, and groundbreaking marketing campaign. We unpack how it popularized the found footage format, blurred the line between fiction and reality, and tapped into a pre-digital moment when moviegoers weren’t quite sure what was real.
It was lightning in a bottle—and a turning point for horror cinema.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andrew C. | Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Yates | Caverly | Curt M. | Elton Novara | Justin V. | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

THE BOONDOCK SAINTS (1999)

"We're sorta like 7-Eleven. We're not always doing business, but we're always open."
For Gary’s pick for a movie from 1999, he went with an infamous film that’s thre true definition of a “cult film.” When THE BOONDOCK SAINTS was (barely) released in theaters, it had practically no impact at all, but months later, when the movie hit home video, it became a bonafide word-of-mouth sensation, especially among younger audiences who viewed its attempt at a Tarantino-esque crime film as the epitome of edgy cool.
While praise for the film has waned in the quarter century since, it still has a devoted fanbase, one that’s helped the film produce one sequel (so far, with more reportedly on the way).
In this episode, we’ll tell the story of how THE BOONDOCK SAINTS was made. In a fascinating story — one with a narrative adored by the trade papers while it was all going down — THE BOONDOCK SAINTS was written and directed by a bartender-turned-filmmaker who’d never written a screenplay in his life, only to become Hollywood’s golden child seemingly overnight. Troy Duffy, however, soon found that his fall from Hollywood’s graces could come as quickly as his rise.
Want to support the show?Subscribers of CinemaShock+ can enjoy an extended version of this episode, which includes bonus segments and additional content, plus get access to all episodes two days early, exclusive merchandise discounts, and more. Join now at cinemashock.net/plus.
Up Next: THE BOONDOCK SAINTS.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andrew C. | Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | Curt M. | Elton Novara | Justin V. | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson
Release Date: August 6, 1999
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

THE IRON GIANT (1999)

We’ve decided to wrap up 2024 with a look at a few films that are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. 1999 has become known as one of the best movie years of all time. While we’ve already touched on some of the biggest films of that year (THE MATRIX, FIGHT CLUB), there are a handful of films from that year that may not fit into one of our long form series, and we wanted to make sure they got their due.
So for this (short) series, each of our hosts have picked out a film from 1999 that they’d like to discuss, starting with Todd’s pick, THE IRON GIANT.
Brad Bird’s debut film has gone on to become a beloved animation classic, but its story didn’t start that way: When it debuted in 1999, the film — thanks to a practically non-existent marketing campaign from Warner Bros — came and went from theaters with most audiences totally unaware of its existence.
But in the quarter century since, it has not only managed to find an audience, but it’s gained a reputation as one of the greatest animated films of all time. In this episode, we trace its origins (which involves, we kid you not, the death of Sylvia Plath and a Pete Townshend album), all the way through its development, release, and eventual rediscovery.
We will also, as always, discuss our own thoughts and feelings on the film, its legacy, and the important lessons it has to teach us.
Want to support the show?Subscribers of CinemaShock+ can enjoy an extended version of this episode, which includes bonus segments and additional content, plus get access to all episodes two days early, exclusive merchandise discounts, and more. Join now at cinemashock.net/plus.
Up Next: THE BOONDOCK SAINTS.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andrew C. | Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | Curt M. | Elton Novara | Justin V. | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net
 

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008) | Cinema Shock Roulette

"I'm twelve. But I've been twelve for a long time."
For the latest radomly chosen Cinema Shock Roulette entry, the wheels of fate have taken us to Sweden, where we’ll explore the story behind Tomas Alfredson’s LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.
Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN was almost instantly recognized as a modern day horror classic when it was released in 2008. In this episode, we’ll walk through its entire process of how the film came to be, from its origins as a Swedish-language novel, through its development and eventual release as a film from a director not known for working within the horror genre.
This is everything you need to know about LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.
Want to support the show?Subscribers of CinemaShock+ can enjoy an extended version of this episode, which includes bonus segments and additional content, plus get access to all episodes two days early, exclusive merchandise discounts, and more. Join now at cinemashock.net/plus.
Up Next: Cinema Shock Roulette: THE IRON GIANT.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andrew C. | Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | Curt M. | Elton Novara | Justin V. | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson
Become an Associate Producer by joining CinemaShock+.
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

WILD AT HEART: David Lynch, Nicolas Cage & the Road to Cannes

After the first season of TWIN PEAKS, David Lynch turned his attention back to film — and WILD AT HEART was the result. In this episode, we track how Lynch adapted Barry Gifford’s violent romance novel, cast Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, and took the film all the way to Cannes, where it earned the festival’s top prize — and some serious backlash.
While this is our final episode in our current series covering the career of David Lynch, our journey through Lynch’s work is not over. In the coming weeks, we will be launching Fire Shock With Me, a TWIN PEAKS watch-along series where we will be working our way through Lynch’s seminal TV series in its entirety. Those episodes will be available exclusively to our $5 and up subscribers on CinemaShock+, where you’ll also find extended versions of all David Lynch episodes that include additional bonus segments. Join now at cinemashock.net/plus
Up Next: Cinema Shock Roulette: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andrew C. | Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | Curt M. | Elton Novara | Justin V. | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

TWIN PEAKS: David Lynch’s Northwest Passage to Primetime Weirdness

David Lynch’s journey to TWIN PEAKS started long before Agent Cooper ordered his first slice of cherry pie. In this episode, we dig into the origins of the landmark pilot — from Lynch’s post-BLUE VELVET career crossroads to his unlikely partnership with TV veteran Mark Frost, and how they came together to create one of the strangest, most influential shows to ever hit network television.
🎧 Want even more?CinemaShock+ subscribers get access to an extended version of this episode, featuring bonus discussion and exclusive segments. Learn more at cinemashock.net/plus.
Our Twin Peaks bonus series Fire Shock With Me is available exclusively on CinemaShock+.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

BLUE VELVET: David Lynch’s American Nightmare

After the failure of DUNE, David Lynch bounced back with BLUE VELVET—a film that redefined his career and shocked audiences with its blend of innocence and darkness.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Robert Stinson
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Interview with Max Evry, author of 'A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune - An Oral History'

For this special BONUS episode, we sat down for a chat with Max Evry, author of A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune - An Oral History, one of the most comprehensive behind-the-scenes books that we've come across, and one that was a major resource for our episode covering the making of DUNE.
In this interview, we chat with Max about all things DUNE, David Lynch, Hollywood book-to-film adapatations, and somehow, the 1993 movie SUPER MARIO BROS.
Max interviewed a lot of the folks involved in the making of DUNE (including Lynch himself!), making his insights into the film's creation wholly unique. We can't thank him enough for taking the time to sit down with us!
Follow Max Evry on X at @maxevry and Instagram at @maxevry1 and visit his website at maxevry.com.
Purchase your copy of Masterpiece in Disarray on Amazon, your local independent bookstore, or wherever else books are sold.
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

DUNE: David Lynch’s Desert Disaster

After THE ELEPHANT MAN, David Lynch took on the biggest challenge of his career: adapting DUNE. It didn’t go well. Here’s how one of the most infamous sci-fi flops came to be.
🎧 Want even more?CinemaShock+ subscribers get access to an extended version of this episode, featuring bonus discussion and exclusive segments. Learn more at cinemashock.net/plus.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Elton Novara
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

THE ELEPHANT MAN: How David Lynch Broke Into Hollywood

David Lynch’s strange road to Hollywood began here—with a haunting biopic about humanity, dignity, and monstrous cruelty. This is the story of how THE ELEPHANT MAN came to be.
🎧 Want even more?CinemaShock+ subscribers get access to an extended version of this episode, featuring bonus discussion and exclusive segments. Learn more at cinemashock.net/plus.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net