Into the Valet: Rafal Zielinski’s Scruples with Screwballs (1983) & Co.

The Screwballs trilogy, Recruits (1986), State Park (1988) and of course Valet Girls (1987): a perfect cross-section of low-brow, direct-to-video ‘80s comedy. All directed by Rafal Zielinski, a Canadian journeyman who Dave was convinced would be thrilled to look back on his early career…

Puppet on a Shoestring: Andrew Jones talks Robert the Doll

‘There’s a new Puppet Master in town’ screams the cheeky tagline from the third Robert the Doll movie; ironically, Andrew Jones may well be the natural successor to Charles Band, and here he tells Dave about his love for Full Moon and how anonymity suits him just fine. Puppets, Nazis, a Toymaker, and the third […]

From Rowdy to Rutger: Director Peter Svatek Looks Back on his Career

A Witchboard sequel, a Roddy Piper movie and a slice of Rutger Hauer greatness. Any director with that titanic trilogy on his resume should really be better known, but the name Peter Svatek remains elusive to most genre fans. Dave caught up with the filmmaker to find out about his career, and discuss the challenges […]

The Devil in the Detail: Richard Brandes and a Decade on the Filmmaking Front Line

The name Richard Brandes may not be the first to trip off the tongue in a misty-eyed reminiscence of ’90s genre stalwarts, but perhaps that’s an oversight that needs correcting. Dave caught up with the writer, producer, director and occasional actor for a look back at the early days of his impressive career. About fifteen […]

From Swords to Schlockery: John Terlesky On His Path To The Director’s Chair

“John… John… I just sold a movie to this company, and I told ‘em I had a script, and erm… Can you write a script in two weeks?” It was the New York lilt of Jim Wynorski that guided John Terlesky into what would be his first credited screenplay, which in turn lead to his […]

It’s All Relative: C. Courtney Joyner Recalls Distant Cousins (1993)

It’s the nineties. The first wave of a futureproof new format is being developed with the Digital Versatile Disc, and VHS is enjoying consecutive record years for sales. Times are good. The video rental industry is thriving and more films are in production than ever before. However, fast-forward almost a quarter of a century, and […]

A Kind of Blue: The Sultry Noir of Midnight Blue (1997)

Picture it, if you will; the millennium is fast approaching and VHS is enjoying a record year for sales to which it will never equal again. Times are good. The video rental industry is booming, and accompanying such success is a dizzying number of good quality, medium budget, direct-to-video movies. When DVD showed its first […]