Switchblade Sisters

This week we are joined by the incredibly talented writer Mary Laws. You may know Mary from writing the screenplay for Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon or from her work on the show Succession. But most recently Mary has created and executive produced the new Hulu anthology series Monsterland. In this episode, Mary joins guest host Katie Walsh to discuss Roman Polanski’s Repulsion. She and Katie do not stray away from the controversy surrounding Polanski, and both of them try to tackle and reconcile with the fact that they both find this movie hugely inspirational. Mary reveals how this very film motivated her to move away from the normal three-act structure. She also elaborates on why she loves working in the horror genre and how it allows for more creative freedom. Plus, Mary also covers her stint as a writer on HBO’s Succession and the differences between writing for theater and film.Please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can watch Mon

It is the return of one of our all-time favorite guests; writer, actor, director, and ‘Reading Glasses’ host, Brea Grant. She’s on the show this week to talk about 2002’s May, a movie described by April Wolfe as a spiritual prequel to Brea’s latest film, 12 Hour Shift. Brea discusses expediting the exposition in her film, Lucky, and how she pitched it by describing one specific scene; a wife wakes up to find a murderer in her house. She wakes her husband who says, “Of course he’s here, that’s the man that tries to kill us everyday.”May and 12 Hour Shift also happen to share the same lead actress, Angela Bettis. Brea describes what a dream she was to work with, and how she even helped the crew wrap the set on the final night of shooting. Brea talks about the expressiveness of the human face, and how one DP on the set of Heroes showed her how much her face takes up the screen, changing her acting forever. And lastly, Brea describes how David Arquette brought a donkey to set to raise spirits, and it did just tha

This week’s episode is a real treat because we get to talk to the wonderful and exuberant Rachel True. She has chosen a movie that really blew our hair back; Sally Potter’s fantastical romance, Orlando. Rachel begins the episode by detailing her journey to see this movie in the early ’90s by taking a bus across Los Angeles. Rachel goes on to elaborate on the difficulty of being a black female actor and the limited roles she gets offered. She also talks about how she was often forced to utilize a “hood” accent when auditioning, and how that may have lost her a part in Clueless. And lastly, Rachel opens up about her experience working on The Craft, and why she fights to get the same respect as the other members of the cast.Please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can purchase Rachel’s True Heart Intuitive Tarot, Guidebook and Deck right HERE.If you haven’t seen Orlando yet – it’s great!With April Wolfe and Rachel True.

This week we are joined by the wonderful director, Rachel Lee Goldenberg, to discuss the “perfect film,” Thelma & Louise. Her movie choice is actually a direct inspiration for her latest movie, HBO Max’s Unpregnant. That film stars Haley Lu Richardson as a teenage girl who needs to get across state lines to get an abortion, and the only person she can turn to for help is her weird ex-best friend. In this episode, Rachel elaborates on the joy of working with Haley Lu, and how she would sometimes get so deep into character that she would get lost. Rachel explains her storyboarding process by quoting the great Werner Herzog: “Storyboards are for cowards.” Plus, Rachel describes her time making films for the Roger Corman-Esque studio ‘The Asylum,’ and how it honed her ability to come up with big ideas on a small budget.Please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can watch Unpregnant on HBO Max now.If you haven’t seen Thelma & Louise yet – it’s

We are joined by a truly magnetic and unique voice in filmmaking, director/writer/actor Isabel Sandoval. She calls in from New York to discuss the film noir classic, Double Indemnity. Isabel has so much to cover on the craft of filmmaking. She discusses the power of the human face as a tool for storytelling, and why it so often leaves dialogue superfluous. She and April dissect Isabel’s latest film, Lingua Franca, and why all of her film’s center around women. Isabel also reveals her feelings on the current state of Filipino cinema, and why she wants to stay away from her films being labeled “poverty porn.” And lastly, Isabel shares her ultimate goal for her career; for her films to be considered their own film genre.Please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can watch Lingua Franca on Netflix now.If you haven’t seen Double Indemnity yet – it’s great!With April Wolfe and Isabel Sandoval.

We are joined by the wonderful director Emily Hagins (Coin Heist, Scare Package) to discuss the classic Robert Rodriguez film, The Faculty. Emily reveals that this particular film was a huge inspiration for her as it was shot in her hometown of Austin, Texas. She talks about the similarities between writing comedy and horror and how the two genres mix well together. And she and April discuss the way writing dialogue for teenage characters has changed in recent years.Please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can watch Coin Heist on Netflix now.If you haven’t seen The Faculty yet, it’s great!With April Wolfe and Emily Hagins.

This week’s episode is an utter delight. We are joined by director and actor Lily Mariye to discuss Anthony Minghella’s Truly, Madly, Deeply. Both the guest and this movie could be described similarly; delightful, thoughtful, and inspiring. Lily talks about the process of casting and how she gets emotional when an actor perfectly delivers the material. She even gives April a little acting lesson and teaches her not to luxuriate in her emotions, but rather move between them and let them crash into one another. Lily elaborates on her directing strategy of taking ideas from anyone on set, even the craft services person. And lastly, she explains the deeper meaning of why she always wears lipstick when directing.Please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can watch Model Minority on VOD now.And if you haven’t seen Truly, Madly, Deeply yet, you simply must!With April Wolfe and Lily Mariye.

This week we have the joy of discussing a true classic film with a phenomenally talented writer and director. We are joined by the co-writer of the Jenny Slate film Obvious Child and the writer/director of the recently released Yes, God, Yes, Karen Maine. She’s on the show to discuss Jan de Bont’s perfect film, Twister. Karen elaborates on her particular attachment to this film and how it is tied to her Iowa roots. She also talks about her new film Yes, God, Yes starring Stranger Things’ Natalie Dyer and the inspiration behind her story about a young Catholic Schoolgirl navigating her sexual awakening at a religious retreat. Not only that, but Karen also discusses her admiration for Helen Hunt’s perfectly quaffed 90’s hair. And, she talks mad shit about Jan de Bont, but in the most loving way possible.Please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can watch Yes, God, Yes on VOD now.And if you haven’t seen Twister yet, then you are a pervert.With Apri

This is a special episode because one of our guests is an actual baby. The other guest is her mother; actor, writer, and director Alice Lowe. You may recognize Alice from her acting work in any number of things; Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers (which she co-wrote), Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, Hot Fuzz, The IT Crowd, and many others. But she’s also a director, and wrote, directed, and starred in 2016’s Prevenge. She’s on the show today, calling in from London, to talk about the undersung 1984 fantasy, The Company of Wolves. She and April discuss making independent films and not limiting your imagination just because you’re doing things differently. They chat about the writer Angela Carter and utilizing dream logic. Plus, Alice hammers home the importance of not eliminating the tragic elements from fairy tales.Please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can watch Alice most recently in Dark Encounter on Prime.Or check out her feature Prevenge on Shudder.I

Calling in from a hotel in Greece, we have the phenomenally talented actor and director Romola Garai on the show this week. She’s chosen to discuss Ali Abbasi’s 2018 troll romance, Border. Romola opens up about the creative process and how every actor is striving to be truly seen by a director. She chats about the difficulty she had finding the perfect house for her new film Amulet, and how she wishes she’d started looking for it the moment she began writing the script. She and April also talk at length about the unusual, yet beautiful, sex scene between the trolls in Border, and how it could have been silly in another director’s hands.Please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can watch Amulet on VOD now.If you haven’t seen Border, you simply must.With April Wolfe and Romola Garai.

We have two wonderful guests today, both from HBO’s excellent show, Room 104 – executive producer & director Sydney Fleischmann, and executive producer, writer, director, & president of Duplass Brothers Productions, Mel Eslyn. They join April to discuss Tim Burton’s, Beetlejuice. Both Mel and Sydney chat about writing dark material and keeping it rooted in character. They discuss the creative fulfillment that comes with being a producer. Plus, they also chat about their show, Room 104, and how it has allowed them to exercise their personal creative fantasies.Please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can watch Room 104 on HBO.If you haven’t seen Beetlejuice, then you are an odd person.With April Wolfe, Mel Eslyn, and Sydney Fleischmann

We have the wonderful actor Sheila Vand on the program today to talk about Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 bizarro nightmare, Possession. Sheila and April really dig into the process of acting, being in touch with your emotions, and infusing your performance with real-life experiences. Sheila also talks about improvising a key moment in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. And she elaborates on the necessity for directors to have an open line of communication with their actors. This is such a funny, heartfelt, and fascinating interview with a truly talented artist.Please join us for a live watch along of The Apple on Saturday, July 25th at 2:00 pm PT. You can find all the info right here.Also, please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can watch The Rental on VOD on July 24th.If you haven’t seen Possession, you simply must!With April Wolfe and Sheila Vand

We recorded this episode back in February and have been anxiously waiting to release it since. On this week’s episode, we had the good fortune to talk with one of the greatest directors of the 21st century, Kelly Reichardt. She is on to discuss the obscure 1967 French film, Pillaged. She also discusses her newest film, First Cow. Kelly takes April through the adaptation process and explains how she made First Cow a unique story from the novel. She also chats about making westerns and utilizing the tropes of the genre. Kelly is a true master of cinema, but she’s also genuinely hilarious. This is one of our most entertaining episodes and one you should not miss.Please consider financially supporting our show by becoming a Maximum Fun member at Maximumfun.org/joinYou can watch First Cow on VOD now.If you haven’t seen Pillaged, you can watch this crappy version on YouTube.With April Wolfe and Kelly Reichardt

This week we are so lucky to be joined by the groundbreaking and phenomenal director, Gina Prince-Bythewood. You may know her from any one of her wonderful films – Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees, and Beyond the Lights. She’s on the show to discuss Tony Scott’s Man on Fire. During the discussion Gina reveals that she has a “No Asshole” policy for working with people on set. She even details how she goes about determining an individual’s “asshole status” ahead of time. Gina talks about the importance of casting and how that is 70% of directing. She discusses her working relationship with her longtime editor Terilyn A. Shropshire, and how it is so unique and special for there to be a black female director and editor team like that. Lastly, she discusses the importance of Patty Jenkins’ success with Wonder Woman, and how that opened up the doors for her to make her new action/fantasy film The Old Guard.You can watch The Old Guard on Netflix on July 10th.If you haven’t seen Man on Fire…get on it!AN

We have another amazing Australian director calling in this week. Natalie Erika James is on the program to talk about Park Chan-wook’s vampire classic, Thirst. She also discusses her newest film, the Sundance hit, Relic. Natalie reveals that after production wrapped, she was surprised to learn from her actors that she was a demanding director when it came to performances. She talks about how she created the sensation of being trapped in her film Relic. And she elaborates on the importance of realistic reactions in horror films.You can watch Relic on VOD on July 3rd.If you haven’t seen Thirst…get on it!AND, if you want to check out April’s Staff Pick – watch Lee Kyoung-mi’s The Truth BeneathWith April Wolfe and Natalie Erika James

We have the wonderful director of the new neo-noir Stray Dolls on the program, Sonejuhi Sinha. She’s calling in from New York to talk about a very Los Angeles movie – Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive. Sonejuhi talks all about subverting the typical noir leading man with a female protagonist of color. She discusses creating a “mysterious city” for her film to take place in, much like the movie Drive. Plus, she elaborates on her obsession with motels. And she reveals why she sets a timer to write for 90 minutes.You can watch Stray Dolls on VOD now.If you haven’t seen Drive…get on it!AND, if you want to check out April’s Staff Pick – watch Alice Winocour’s DisorderWith April Wolfe and Sonejuhi Sinha

We have the legendary director Catherine Hardwicke on the show this week. In light of her upcoming Quibi show Don’t Look Deeper, she has decided to discuss the “near future” film Gattaca. Catherine talks about her start in the film industry as a production designer and how that influenced her directing career. She elaborates on the techniques she used with Twilight and Thirteen to get the actors comfortable with one another. Plus, she reveals the minor regrets she has with a few of her films.You can watch Don’t Look Deeper on Quibi this summer.If you haven’t seen Gattaca…it’s quite goodAND, if you want to check out April’s Staff Pick – watch Kristina Buozyte’s Vanishing WavesWith April Wolfe and Catherine Hardwicke

We have another fantastic director calling in, all the way from Australia. This week we’ve got Babyteeth director Shannon Murphy on to discuss Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers. Shannon talks about the use of music in Korine’s film and how she used music when directing Killing Eve. She discusses motivating her actors to take interesting risks in their performances. She also chats about casting Ben Mendelsohn against type. And she reveals how she obsessively stalked a band until they gave her the rights to their song.You can watch Babyteeth on VOD June 19th.If you haven’t seen Spring Breakers…check it out!AND, if you want to check out April’s Staff Pick – watch Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really HereWith April Wolfe and Shannon Murphy

A tender, hilarious, thoughtful, and illuminating conversation with transgender actress Zoey Luna. She’s on the show to talk about Kristen Stewart’s recent nautical sci-fi film, Underwater. Zoey compares her own struggles in dealing with her mother, her abuser, and having to suppress her emotions to move forward, with the struggle of Kristen Stewart’s character in the film. Zoey also discusses how she made herself cry on the set of the upcoming The Craft remake (it was by watching a scene from The Fox and the Hound). And she reveals why she doesn’t like other people doing her hair. Zoey is a star. You will know that as soon as you hear her. Also, she says she’s a star in the episode.You can watch Pose now to catch some of Zoey’s work.If you haven’t seen Underwater…it’s really good!AND, if you want to check out April’s Staff Pick – watch Claire Denis’ High LifeWith April Wolfe and Zoey Luna

A fun and adventurous episode with the delightful writer and actor Hannah Bos. She’s on the show to discuss the pivotal 1980’s comedy, Adventures in Babysitting. Hannah and April both declare their love for Elisabeth Shue while dissecting the outdated humor of the film. Hannah also talks about her new movie Driveways, co-written with Paul Thureen. She elaborates on the process of getting the film made, working with director Andrew Ahn, and the generosity of the late great Brian Dennehy.You can watch Driveways on VOD now.If you haven’t seen Adventures in Babysitting…it’s great!AND, if you want to check out April’s Staff Pick – watch Debra Granik’s Winter’s BoneWith April Wolfe and Hannah Bos