Switchblade Sisters

On this week's episode we have the legendary horror actress Barbara Crampton. You may know her from a number of classic horror/thrillers; Re-Animator, Body Double, From Beyond, and many others. She sits down with April to discuss last year's best french, veterinary school, cannibal film, Raw. Barbara regales April with stories from her prolific acting career, working with Brian De Palma, and eschewing the 'Scream Queen' title. She dives deep on what it takes to motivate her as an actor. Plus, they cover Barbara's thoughts on the use of sex and nudity in horror films. Check out Barbara Crampton's work in From Beyond, Re-Animator, and most recently Beyond The Gates. And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch Raw. With April Wolfe and Barbara Crampton You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

Much like Queen Latifah's character, Cleo, April is also about to SET IT OFF...with this interview! Director Tina Mabry (Mississippi Damned, Insecure, Dear White People, Queen Sugar) is on this week's episode to discuss the 1996 bank heist classic. Tina goes in depth on her history with the film and how much Queen Latifah's character meant to her growing up. She also discusses her directing techniques for getting through emotional scenes, growing up in the south, and why her cinematographer refused a helicopter shot on her debut feature Mississippi Damned. Check out Tina Mabry's TV work on Queen Sugar, Insecure, and Dear White People. Also check out her feature Mississippi Damned And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch Set It Off. With April Wolfe and Tina Mabry You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

Resistance to this episode is futile. This week, April talks to writer, director, and actress Marianna Palka (Good Dick, Bitch, GLOW) about the undersung Star Trek film Star Trek Generations. Marianna covers what makes this particular Star Trek film so beautiful and how it has inspired her to be a better person. She also talks about her filmmaking process and how there is no reason to be unkind and frustrated on a film set. April and Marianna also dive into the work that Marianna has done to promote awareness for Huntington's disease, a disorder that runs in her family. This is a truly fascinating episode that, of course, goes boldly where no woman has gone before. Marianna Palka's Bitch is available on Google Play. And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch Star Trek Generations. With April Wolfe and Marianna Palka You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.

On this week's episode, April talks to producer, writer, and actress Lotti Pharriss Knowles about the 1978 supernatural horror, The Legacy. They discuss the hot chemistry of the leads Katharine Ross and Sam Elliott, their favorite death scenes, and, of course, cats! Plus Lotti talks about the making of her film Chastity Bites, the casting process, and her desire to produce a remake of The Legacy. Lotti Pharriss Knowles' Chastity Bites is available on Amazon Prime And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch The Legacy. With April Wolfe and Lotti Pharriss Knowles You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

Just in time for record freezing temperatures, this week April talks to Pitch Perfect 3 director Trish Sie about Bong Joon-ho's frozen feature, Snowpiercer. They discuss the amazing performance of Tilda Swinton as the authoritative Mason, the commanding directorial style of Bong Joon-ho, and the train car on the Snowpiercer they'd most like to spend time in. Trish also talks about getting her start directing the famous OK GO "treadmill video" for the song 'Here It Goes Again' and what it's like taking over an existing franchise with Pitch Perfect 3. She also shares some fascinating tidbits about the eating habits of polar bears. Trish Sie's Pitch Perfect 3 is in theaters now. And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch Snowpiercer. With April Wolfe and Trish Sie You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

On this week's episode April sits down with The Love Witch director, Anna Biller, to discuss the 1952 noir thriller, Sudden Fear. Anna confesses her love for old movies and in particular the work of Joan Crawford. The two of them dissect the masterful screenplay, written by famed female screenwriter, Lenore Coffee. Plus, Anna details what it was like collaborating with Samantha Robinson on The Love Witch. She also breaks down how much time she spent on production design, including spending months making one rug for the film. Anne Biller's The Love Witch is available on Amazon now. And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch Sudden Fear. With April Wolfe and Anna Billerl You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

On this week's episode April talks to Stranger Things and Narcos writer Jessie Nickson-Lopez about the controversial film, Rosemary's Baby. The two dive right into the complicated relationship both of them have with the film, and what makes the movie so effective. Jessie discusses how she is inspired by Roman Polanski's work, while simultaneously hating him as a person. She also shares her writing process and what it's like in the writers room. A WARNING to our listeners, April and Jessie talk in depth about sexual assault and the sexual crimes that Roman Polanski has committed. Stranger Things Season 1 and 2 are available now on Netflix. With April Wolfe and Jessie Nickson-Lopez You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

Things get steamy as April talks to actress and director Sophia Takal about the somewhat problematic Brian De Palma erotic thriller, Body Double. The two discuss how the film influenced Sophia's own work and her debut film, Always Shine. Sophia recalls her time as an actress, and the objectification that came with the audition process. They also analyze the violence against women's bodies in the film and the sexuality of Melanie Griffith's character, Holly Body. Despite its issues, April and Sophia also marvel at the craftsmanship of Brian De Palma, and how this film can be used as a template for how NOT to treat female characters. Sophia Takal's Always Shine is available on Amazon now. And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch Body Double. With April Wolfe and Sophia Takal You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

Things get spooky as April talks to director Anne Hamilton about the 2001 gothic horror film, The Others. They discuss Nicole Kidman's casting in the film, the director Alejandro Amenábar's rejection of Catholicism, and how films like these just don't exist anymore. Plus, Anne discusses what she would have done differently had she directed The Others, and what is was like working on her own gothic film, American Fable. Anne Hamilton's American Fable is available on Netflix now. And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch The Others. With April Wolfe and Anne Hamilton You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

This week is a fantastical episode of Switchblade Sisters where April sits down with director Issa Lopez to discuss the influential Guillermo Del Toro film, Pan's Labyrinth. Issa opens up about her lonesome adolescence, the death of her mother, and how these events influenced her work. She tells April about the emotional process of working with children on her most recent film, the fantasy-horror Tigers Are Not Afraid. And she also discusses the culture of witchcraft and magic in Mexico and how that pervades many Mexican artist's work. Keep an eye out for Issa López's most recent film Tigers Are Not Afraid. And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch Pan's Labyrinth. With April Wolfe and Issa Lopez You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

This week, April sits down with actress, producer, and director Heather Matarazzo (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Saved, The Princess Diaries). They talk about a movie directed by last week's guest Karyn Kusama, the 2015 film The Invitation. April and Heather discuss the effectiveness of the setting as well as the powerful performance of Tammy Blanchard. Heather also talks about what it's like navigating a corrupt Hollywood system as a woman, having her role recast two weeks before a production, and what interests her about violence committed by women in cinema. If you haven't seen it yet, you must go watch The Invitation on Netflix now. With April Wolfe and Heather Matarazzo You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

This week, April sits down with director Karyn Kusama (Girl Fight, Jennifer's Body, The Invitation) to discuss the Kathryn Bigelow vampire classic, Near Dark. The two marvel at Bigelow's mastery in crafting a vampire western, the amazing performance of Bill Paxton as the villainous Severen, and the elegant cinematography throughout the film. Plus, Karyn talks about her journey as a director from discovering Michelle Rodriguez for Girl Fight, to subverting genre expectations for Jennifer's Body. You can watch Karyn's most recent film The Invitation on Netflix. And if you haven't seen it yet, go watch Near Dark. You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

On the debut episode of Switchblade Sisters, April talks with the writer and producer of The Big Sick, Emily Gordon. Things get gruesome quickly as the two of them discuss the 2015 horror-western, Bone Tomahawk. April and Emily examine what makes the movie so good; the insane violence, the heartbreaking monologues, the beautiful cinematography. Plus, Emily talks about the making of The Big Sick and how she uses her psychology background in her writing. You can buy or rent The Big Sick today. And if you haven't yet, go watch Bone Tomahawk . With April Wolfe and Emily Gordon. You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters at @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

Our debut episode drops this Thursday! Make sure to subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts. On the upcoming premiere episode, April Wolfe (lead film critic at LA Weekly) sits down with the writer and producer of The Big Sick, Emily Gordon. The genre film Emily chooses to discuss is the 2015, horror-western, Bone Tomahawk. Emily highlights the things she loves about the film; the crazy violence, the heartbreaking monologues, the beautiful cinematography. Plus, she also discusses what challenges and joys she encountered in the making ofThe Big Sick. That's just a taste of what's to come. Some other upcoming guests include Karyn Kusama (Jennifer's Body, The Invitation) Heather Matarazzo (Welcome to the Dollhouse, The Princess Diaries) and Issa Lopez (Tigers Are Not Afraid). The first episode of Switchblade Sisters arrives this Thursday, November 9th. You can check us out on @SwitchbladePod on Twitter. Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFu