Damn Dirty Geeks

To the Batcave as the Damn Dirty Geeks welcome Academy Award-winning creature creator, makeup artist, actor and director Tom Woodruff Jr. to our podcast to discuss his amazing career and his earliest influences that started him on his filmmaking journey. Tom has amassed a huge career in high profile films with his creative partner Alec Gillis, who together created Amalgamated Dynamics Inc./studio ADI, a leader in practical creature, makeup and special effects. A very brief list of Tom's credits include: STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK, ALIEN 3, PREDATOR, JUMANJI, SPIDER-MAN (2002) and most recently BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis own Amalgamated Dynamics Inc, one of Hollywood's top creature design, makeup and special effects studios. Tom not only makes some of your favorite movie creatures, he often performs as them in the creature suits he creates, including the Lead Alien in both ALIEN 3 and ALIEN RESURRECTION, the title creature of the original PUMPKINHEAD, and Bernie t

Actor/writer/director Tom Holland returns to continue his podcast with the Damn Dirty Geeks, this episode focusing on his highly popular 1985 twist on the vampire genre, FRIGHT NIGHT... for real! As Holland's directorial debut, FRIGHT NIGHT acheived that rare balance of humor and horror, and it helped revitalize the vampire film genre upon its theatrical release. Holland briefly recaps a final question about PSYCHO II and its critical reception in 1983 and today, then he and the DDG move on to sink our podcast teeth into FRIGHT NIGHT. Slated as a 'throw away' film on Columbia's schedule at the time of its production, Holland relates how he put equal effort to creating rounded, rich characters for both villains and heroes alike, as he did with PSYCHO II. Just one of the reasons why FRIGHT NIGHT still holds up well as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. Holland also gives his insights into how FRIGHT NIGHT "inherited" many of the effects crew that Columbia held together after GHOSTBUSTERS, which gave his "littl

The full contingent of Damn Dirty Geeks -- Frank, Jack, Frank, Trish and Scott -- spent a wonderful and informative evening with writer/director Tom Holland to discuss his successful filmmaking career and his daunting task of writing the 1983 sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's innovative horror thriller PSYCHO. PSYCHO II began as a humble, low-budget cable film but Holland's taut, suspenseful script persuaded star Anthony Perkins to reprise his role as Norman Bates, a casting coup that launched this sequel project into the publicity stratosphere -- even if its production budget didn't follow. Holland shares his earliest experiences as a theater actor with contemporary Dustin Hoffman, a contract player at Warner Brothers in the early 1960s, and his evolution into one of Hollywood's top screenwriters of notable films including PSYCHO II, FRIGHT NIGHT and CHILD'S PLAY among many others. The DDG will soon release our second-part podcast with Tom Holland celebrating the 30th anniversary of his witty vampire film FRIGHT

With STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS just a few months from blasting into theaters, the Damn Dirty Geeks revisit the classic, original STAR WARS trilogy in two full length podcasts. In Part 2 of this double-episode, Frank, Jack and Scott return to discuss RETURN OF THE JEDI that capped off the Original (and at the time, the only) STAR WARS Trilogy in 1983. Comparisons and criticisms abound between JEDI's lighter tone following up EMPIRE's cliffhanger (some say unsatisfying) ending, and how Episode VI caught a bit of a bad reputation for being as much of a toy-selling product as an exciting franchise finale.  Yet the DDG also defend JEDI's important contributions to resolving the Luke/Vader conflict and creating a watershed dramatic moment in the Skywalker saga.  We wrap up by each picking our favorite scene from the OT, as well as predict how the highly popular, internet-exploding trailers for THE FORCE AWAKENS could well revive the emotional impact of the Original Trilogy to this new Sequel Trilogy in a return

With STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS just a few months from blasting into theaters, the Damn Dirty Geeks revisit the classic, original STAR WARS trilogy in two full length podcasts. In Part 1 of this double-episode, Frank, Jack and Scott discuss in depth the unique clash of perfect timing and epic fantasy storytelling that launched a cinematic phenomenon in 1977. Before it was ever known as Episode IV: A NEW HOPE, the original STAR WARS captivated audiences worn down by political scandals, gas lines and dark, cynical cinema. George Lucas’ reimagining of serial adventures like FLASH GORDON made movies fun again and audiences kept returning to theaters to enjoy the good guys battling Darth Vader and the Empire’s baddies. The perfect antidote to 1970s cynicism, STAR WARS redefined the blockbuster film concept, launched a film franchise and fantasy mythology that endures and thrives nearly four decades later, and changed Hollywood movies forever. The Geeks get into the heart and artistry of good STAR WARS storytelli

We're on a roll with Stephen King films after our CHRISTINE episode, so the Damn Dirty Geeks make a U-turn back into Uncle Ira's Basement for this mini-podcast about David Cronenberg's film adaptation of Stephen King's THE DEAD ZONE.   In this episode, Frank, Trish and Scott focus their psychic skills on Christopher Walken's memorable performance in this tense Cronenberg thriller which arguably is the best feature adaptation of a King novel yet.   One of King's best novels in its own right, this suspenseful tale of lost love and a terrible gift to see future events forces Johnny Smith to choose between his own destruction or the world's apocalyptic catastrophe.   Brought alive on the screen by a talented supporting cast including Herbert Lom, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerrit and Martin Sheen, the DDG argue that THE DEAD ZONE remains a riveting highlight in Walken's career and another uniquely chilling triumph in Cronenberg's career. Listen along to flash back to this gripping film and remember how King and Cronenber

It's the height of geek season as Comic-Con International takes over San Diego, California, drawing tens of thousands of comics, movies and genre entertainment fans from around the world to gather for a pop culture phenomenon. Frank, Scott, Trish and Frank take a fun look at the explosion of fan conventions, the studio dominance of Comic-Con panels, and the fashion trend of cosplay creations. The Damn Dirty Geeks discuss the pros and cons of the biggest con of them all, while also giving smaller conventions like WonderCon, Monsterpalooza , Sinister Creature Con and others their due credit as events which can offer a more personal experience for many fans who -- like us -- can easily feel overwhelmed by the massive volume of humanity that is Comic-Con. We also share our reactions to the STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS panel and making-of video presented at Comic-Con on Friday evening as the bona fide highlight of the 2015 San Diego event. Disney and Lucasfilm didn't share any new scenes or trailers with the thron

In this venture down into Uncle Ira's Basement of mysterious findings, Damn Dirty Geeks Frank Dietz and Frank Woodward discuss Jack Bennett's choice of film topic: John Carpenter's tense, character-driven adaptation of the Stephen King killer car novel CHRISTINE. Starring Keith Gordon and John Stockwell who invest both their roles with memorable character arcs, CHRISTINE marked a big year for King film adaptations as THE DEAD ZONE and CUJO based on his novels were also released in 1983. In this episode, Jack relates his unique predilection for seeing the last 2o minutes of many movies on cable, and how his childhood fear of horror movies led to CHRISTINE being his first full-fledged horror film viewing. Watching a murderous car freewheeling on fire to the pulse of Alan Howarth and Carpenter's synth score shot the love of horror cinema into Jack's veins, and he's been hooked ever since!

Three of our Damn Dirty Geeks -- Frank Dietz, Trish Geiger and Scott Weitz -- pay the first of many DDG tributes to the great actor Christopher Lee while discussing one of his most popular Hammer horror films, DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE, released in 1968. Filled from start to finish with lush color cinematography and surprisingly bloody violence for a G-rated film, DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE gives Christopher Lee the opportunity to give one of his most menacing, evil portrayals of cinema's favorite vampire villain. Without Van Helsing around to save the villagers, Dracula quickly gets his fill of blood from numerous victims and turns a bevy of Hammer beauties into his fallen minions until the final battle at Dracula's castle. Frank, Trish and Scott reminisce about their own memories of watching Lee as Dracula for our first times, and marvel at his impact on the role's image that previously was so strongly associated with Bela Lugosi in Universal's classic incarnation. Even in this mini-podcast whi

By far, this is the wackiest, uber-geekiest Damn Dirty Geeks podcast episode ever, thanks in part to our special guest Sultan Saeed Al Darmaki, whose own geek cred is extensive as you'll find out when he joins in singing "deep cuts" from Saturday morning cartoon theme songs with the DDG team! Not only do we revisit classic TV animation including JOHNNY QUEST with other Hanna Barbera and Japanese anime series, this episode also expands into geek discussions of PLANET OF THE APES, comedic comparisons of THE ODD COUPLE in its various forms, and the 1966 BATMAN series starring Adam West. Sultan, founder of Dark Dunes Productions, served as executive producer of the upcoming horror film HARBINGER DOWN directed by StudioADI's Alec Gillis, director of the upcoming horror comedy KIDS VS. MONSTERS, and produced the upcoming fantasy feature film YAMASONG; MARCH OF THE HOLLOWS featuring the voices of Abigail Breslin, Nathan Fillion, Malcolm McDowell, Peter Weller and George Takei. Now, thanks to his appearance on DDG, S

The Damn Dirty Geeks drop into Uncle Ira's Basement for another mini-podcast episode as Frank Dietz and Frank Woodward put their normal-sized heads together to discuss Universal's 1955 sci-fi classic THIS ISLAND EARTH, a fun iconic film with Metalunans, Mutants and interocitors. Starring Jeff Morrow, Faith Domergue, Rex Reason and a pre-GILLGANS ISLAND Russell Johnson, this Technicolor adventure with bulbous brained aliens exploded across movie screens with a unique plot twist for 1950s science fiction films as the inhabitants of Metaluna seek help from humans on Earth -- at least, that's how it starts! What follows is a pinwheeling ride across the galaxy to a battle ravaged planet as a somewhat kooky cautionary tale about the excesses and apocalyptic cost of war, not to mention giant brain-headed aliens wearing futuristic pant suits. Frank and Frank have a blast revisiting this classic yet somewhat campy sci-fi treasure, discussing the design crossover connection between THIS ISLAND EARTH and THE CREATURE FR

Delving into Uncle Ira's Basement once again, Frank Dietz and Frank Woodward also take a trip back in history to examine and enjoy fond memories of EXCALIBUR, John Boorman's 1981 glorious, violent, sexy vision of the King Arthur legends. Starring Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicol Willamson and a round table of upcoming film stars including Gabriel Byrne, Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart, EXCALIBUR imagines the tale of Arthur's Camelot as a bloody, down-in-the-dirt fantasy epic that forever raised the bar of expectations on the Sword and Sorcery film genre. Woodward and Dietz relate seeing the film in 1981 as a highlight of their young moviegoing lives and libidos in its "Brian Blessed-level of acting" style during the new age of cable television. EXCALIBUR still holds a strong spell on audiences imaginations, and Boorman's armor-clad epic is very worth viewing today so check it out. One day, a King will come, and the Sword will rise... again!

This episode was a bit delayed by technical issues we're still having with iTunes (hang in there, subscribers!), but we're rolling with this new installment of Uncle Ira's Basement in which Frank, Frank and Jack discuss the recent release of news-grabbing movie trailers -- leading off with the blockbusting debut of the second teaser for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. Our Damn Dirty Geeks trio also unspool their thoughts on the unfortunate timing of the BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE trailer leak and official release, an expanded trailer look at the dino-sized action in JURASSIC WORLD, the dynamic desert battles exploding in MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, and the AVENGERS enter the AGE OF ULTRON.

Finally, the Damn Dirty Geeks can reveal our newest podcast feature: Uncle Ira's Basement, a series of mini-podcast episodes -- oh, you might call them Seed Pods -- in which the Geeks discuss movies, TV and genre topics we love, hate or are indifferent to in short 10-minute shows. In this debut Uncle Ira's Basement episode, resident DDG hosts Frank Dietz and Frank Woodward revisit the 1970 cult horror film TROG, directed by Hammer horror veteran Freddie Francis, starring Joan Crawford and Michael Gough. Watch for more new installments of Uncle Ira's Basement coming soon, and be sure to subscribe to the Damn Dirty Geeks on iTunes. Please leave your review of our show to share with other genre entertainment fans!

Something for everyone, a comedy episode tonight! Damn Dirty Geeks -- Frank Dietz, Trish Geiger, Jack Bennett and Scott Weitz -- welcome the prolific comedy actors Brian Howe and Alison Martin, fresh off launching their hilarious project The Audio Adventurebook of Big Dan Frater Volume 1.The Geeks discuss our collective origins, influences and favorites as comedy fans, plus Alison and Brian's work on the films of Larry Blamire including THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN and DARK AND STORMY NIGHT, along with Frank and Trish's mockumentary A ZOMBIE NEXT DOOR. Now, from the minds of Blamire and Howe comes the comic audio adventures of Big Dan Frater (Brian Howe) and his cohorts Dutch 'the Swede' Anacrombie (Dan Conroy) and Millie Healey (Alison Martin), as this trio of hapless heroes tackle terrors and rescue the citizens of New Garden Hope City! If you enjoy the comedy of Monty Python, Steve Martin, Edgar Wright films and more, you'll dig this comedy-centric episode with the Damn Dirty Geeks.With our talented pro

In our special podcast celebrating the first PLANET OF THE APES DAY, comedian and lifelong APES movie fan Dana Gould joins Frank, Jack, Trish and Scott to discuss the entertainment legacy and personal connections to the entire APES franchise, including the new generation of films RISE and DAWN. In short, the Damn Dirty Geeks GO APE at last! Our podcast primates evaluate the evolution of the classic APES films, including the importance of Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall in the series, and how the newer films' blend of actors and CG have changed the future of the franchise. Collectively, we also link specific and fond memories of our first time seeing the APES films, and note how Taylor's mysterious leap into the far future influenced our lives as fans, professionals and Damn Dirty Geeks, of course. These are the films that inspired the very name of our podcast, so be sure to subscribe to us in iTunes and leave your reviews of this special episode along with our entire collection of episodes.

In our fourth podcast, the Damn Dirty Geeks reveal their inmost selves unto the audience. With help from returning guest Mallory O'Meara and special guest makeup effects artist Frank Ippolito, the gang recalls their humble nerd beginnings and how they blossomed into hyphenates in the entertainment biz. We reflect on our collective geek origins as inspired by Romero zombies, Mexican horror movies, classic radio dramas, werewolves and movie effects magazines, just to name a few. Plus Episode #004 celebrates the reunion of the Hot Dog Stand, the joys of audiobooks, the sound of balloons and other audible gems!

Our third podcast episode finds the Damn Dirty Geeks growling and howling under the full moon as we get under the skin of werewolf movies and mythology -- recorded on Lon Chaney Jr.'s birthday no less! Frank, Jack, Frank and Scott are joined by special guest Mallory O'Meara, who dives right into the deep end of Damn Dirty Geekdom with great insights on our discussion of Universal's classic monster movie THE WOLF MAN, AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, THE HOWLING, THE CURSE OF THE WERWOLF and more. Episode #003 also delves into werewolf and horror fiction with Angela Carter's story THE COMPANY OF WOLVES later adapted into a unique werewolf film of the same name. Mallory also digs into the supersitions of the past to shed some moonlight on varying myths about lycanthropy, vampirism and the undead. It's our most monstrous episode yet! And we promise that Damn Dirty Geek member Trish Geiger WILL finally be heard in an upcoming episode, so subscribe and keep listening for Trish's long-awaited debut.

In our second podcast episode, the Damn Dirty Geeks close out our year-end recap exploring the highlights and dangerous shadows of 2014's most notable TV terrors and dramas. Frank, Jack, Frank and Scott retrace the path of THE WALKING DEAD to Terminus and beyond, revisit MAD MEN's landing on the PLANET OF THE APES, cradk down on BREAKING BAD'S finale, play a round of HBO's deadly GAME OF THRONES and much more!

Frank, Jack, Frank and Scott launch the Damn Dirty Geeks podcast with our review of 2014's big-budget genre film events like GODZILLA and its Kaiju-sized expectations, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY's box office blast, and DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES' evolutionary impact on the feature franchise.