Shows
Twitch of the Death NerveEros + Massacre Episode 10: The Battle of Algiers with Andrew NetteAndrew Nette, my co-editor on Revolution in 35mm, joined me for this rather intense episode about Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers (1966). We talk a lot about the film’s powerful impact, the Algerian struggle for independence from French colonial occupation, the cost and effectiveness of violence, Pontecorvo’s time in the Italian resistance during WWII, his career more broadly, and the use of The Battle of Algiers as a training tool for political radicals.
We also discuss films made around the same time that addressed the war, particularly Youssef Chahine’s incredible Jamila, The Algerian (1958). In additi...2024-10-211h 41Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 58: The Sweetest Taboo ft. Erica SchultzOur dear friend Erica Schultz is back on the show — coincidentally right around Mother’s Day — to talk about her book, The Sweetest Taboo: An Unapologetic Guide To Child Kills In Film (which you can still buy through that link if you haven’t ordered it yet, though get on it because it’s selling like hot cakes). We talk about how the book came to be, what it was like to watch A THOUSAND movies where kids get killed on screen, the parameters of the book (no true crime!), and the ins and outs of self-publishing.
We also for...2024-05-171h 10Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Preview: (Staten) Island of Lost SoulsWhat force on earth could compel us to the suburbs of New Jersey and Staten Island to watch movies? Learn more by following us on Patreon to unlock this full episode and instantly access our entire back catalogue of bonus episodes, video essays, written essays, and several of Samm’s ongoing solo podcasts. Support Twitch of the Death Nerve and help us keep the show ad free and on the airwaves forever!
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2024-05-1103 minTwitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 57: Soccermomsploitation ft. Rob WeychertWe’ve gotten a lot of requests to do an episode on the great Stalked By My Doctor series, starring the absolute king Eric Roberts, and we finally delivered. Lifetime Channel thriller enthusiast Rob Weychert joined Charles and Samm to talk about this wild trend in made for TV movies and we honestly had the best time. We discuss everything from historical origins for this subgenre, how these films should be seen as modern day exploitation movies, the ins and outs of stalking, the career of mastermind director Doug Campbell, and much more. There’s even a special surprise segm...2024-05-061h 10Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 56: Return of the Texas Psychorama ft. Jon Dzwonar & Erica SchultzThe latest Death Nerve is here, and it’s a real throwback! Acting as a spiritual successor to our Texas Psychorama episode from a couple years back, Death Nerve founding member and true dyed in the wool freakshow Jon Dzwonar is back with a fiendish 6 movie marathon! Unfortunately, Samm got stuck in the hospital visiting her catatonic friend Patrick, so she’s sitting this one out. Don’t worry, friends, Patrick still lives, and Samm will be back on Death Nerve next week.
Also featured on this episode is Erica Shultz, host of the Unsung Horrors podcast and au...2024-04-221h 09Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Preview: The Pleasure Principle SuperhighwayIn this episode, Samm gives an impassioned argument for why you should watch as many Kenji Misumi movies as possible and Charles dons a tinfoil hat to explore the connection between the death drive and ’00s disaster movies. What the hell does that mean? Learn more by following us on Patreon to unlock this full episode and instantly access our entire back catalogue of bonus episodes, video essays, written essays, and several of Samm’s ongoing solo podcasts. Support Twitch of the Death Nerve and help us keep the show ad free and on the airwaves forever!
The p...2024-04-1803 minTwitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Preview: Immaculate X Benedetta: The Nun EmpireHow am I supposed to relate to a character who has CGI blood coursing through their veins? Find out the answer to this question for the ages by following us on Patreon to unlock this full episode and instantly access our entire back catalogue of bonus episodes, video essays, written essays, and several of Samm’s ongoing solo podcasts. Support Twitch of the Death Nerve and help us keep the show ad free and on the airwaves forever!
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2024-04-1006 minTwitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 55: Spice World ft. Mike WhiteDune has been one of Samm’s favorite books since childhood and Charles has become similarly obsessed (maybe even more so), so it was inevitable that we were going to do cover it at some point, because… the spice must flow. For this episode — which covers everything from Herbert’s first few books to David Lynch’s adaptation and the two Villeneuve films — we knew we had to get Mike White as our co-host. Most of you are already familiar with his work as the relentlessly prolific host of The Projection Booth, where he’s already done several Dune-related episodes, but...2024-04-061h 11Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 54: The Salò Episode ft. Annie Rose MalametFrom the inception of Twitch of the Death Nerve, an episode on Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) seemed inevitable. It’s a film that has had an incredible influence on Samm’s life, plus we got to see it on 35mm recently at a sold out screening in NYC. Luckily we found the perfect guest, Annie Rose Malamet, who shares Samm’s deep love of and admiration for the Marquis de Sade. Many of you are already familiar with Annie’s work, especially her wonderful podcast Girls, Guts & Giallo, but please follow her on Patreon if...2024-03-171h 13Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Preview: Let My Puppets HugFollow us on Patreon to unlock this full episode and instantly access our entire back catalogue of bonus episodes, video essays, written essays, and several of Samm’s ongoing solo podcasts. Support Twitch of the Death Nerve and help us keep the show ad free and on the airwaves forever!
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2024-02-0904 minTwitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 53: Patrick Tam & the Hong Kong New Wave ft. Bobby RodriguezFor this episode, we’re diving in to the Hong Kong New Wave through the work of underrated auteur Patrick Tam. Dear Death Nerve friend Bobby Rodriguez joins to help break down the history of political turmoil in Hong Kong in the ’60s as it relates to the birth of the New Wave. We talk about its origins in television, how the Hong Kong New Wave is different from other arthouse movements, and how it reimagines popular and cult genre tropes. We also share our love for Tam’s Love Massacre (1981) and My Heart is That Eternal Rose (1989) and talk a...2024-02-071h 03Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Preview: 2023 Was All BadFollow us on Patreon to unlock this full episode and instantly access our entire back catalogue of bonus episodes, video essays, written essays, and several of Samm’s ongoing solo podcasts. Support Twitch of the Death Nerve and help us keep the show ad free and on the airwaves forever!
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2024-01-1002 minTwitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 52: 2023 Wasn’t All BadHappy New Year! Charles and Samm had a lot of fun talking through their respective favorite films of the year: this includes both their top 10 films watched for the first time, but a few runners up and a run through of some Letterboxd stats like top actors and top directors. As a result this episode is all over the place in terms of geography, genre, and decade (though we frequently return to Japan), but it was an incredible year of new-to-us movies. May 2024 be as rewarding!
What were your favorite new films and first time watches from...2024-01-081h 19Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Preview: A Kaiju Christmas MiracleFollow us on Patreon to unlock this full episode and instantly access our entire back catalogue of bonus episodes, video essays, written essays, and several of Samm’s ongoing solo podcasts. Support Twitch of the Death Nerve and help us keep the show ad free and on the airwaves forever! And have a happy holidays!!!
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2023-12-2406 minTwitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Preview: Questions Part DeuxFollow us on Patreon to unlock this full episode and instantly access our entire back catalogue of bonus episodes, video essays, written essays, and several of Samm’s ongoing solo podcasts. Support Twitch of the Death Nerve and help us keep the show ad free and on the airwaves forever!
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2023-11-2304 minTwitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 51: Questions? Questions!We’ve been wanting to do a Death Nerve Q&A episode for awhile and we got so many great questions from social media, the Patreon, and our Discord. We got to talk about everything from rape revenge movies to dream blu-ray releases, favorite books, under-seen films of the 1940s, Stalked By My Doctor, why Samm dislikes New Hollywood, Stalked By My Doctor, and so much more. If you don’t hear your question answered in this episode, check out the upcoming bonus episode in the Patreon, which features part two of our discussion. And thanks again for all the...2023-11-221h 23Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 50: Horrorthon 2023That’s another Halloween season and another Exhumed Films 24-hour Horrorthon in the books. This year’s Horrorthon was particularly delightful, because so many of our friends and listeners were in attendance. Harry, Dan, and Jesse from Exhumed Films had a packed lineup this year and we break it down, film by film, in the latest Death Nerve episode. Charles and I both got COVID at Horrorthon, which is why this episode is a little late — also fair warning because we sound pretty delirious in the episode, though I suppose that’s to be expected for every Horrorthon episode…
This...2023-11-081h 50Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 49: Slasher SeasonThis Halloween, Charles and Samm dive into one of the best cozy horror subgenres — the slasher film. This episode breezes through 10 of our favorite underrated slasher movies, with some probably predictable choices and others that are more niche. We also talk about what exactly constitutes the slasher genre and how it intersects with and differs from other subgenres like the serial killer thriller, Hicksploitation, home invasion film, etc. And speaking of home invasions, keep an ear out for our first ever surprise guest on a Death Nerve episode.
Happy Halloween and thanks as always for supporting the sh...2023-10-171h 15Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Preview: Asperger Auteur Theory ft. Bill AckermanFollow us on Patreon to unlock this full episode and instantly access our entire back catalogue of bonus episodes, video essays, written essays, and several of Samm’s ongoing solo podcasts. Support Twitch of the Death Nerve and help us keep the show ad free and on the airwaves forever!
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2023-10-0602 minTwitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 48: Are You There God? It’s Me, Jamie Gillis – ft. Shawn PorterThe latest Twitch of the Death Nerve episode celebrates one of America’s greatest heroes — hardcore icon Jamie Gillis. Charles and Samm are joined by gentleman pervert Shawn Porter to discuss Jamie’s incredible career, the Golden Age of Porn, Radley Metzger, Water Power, Gerard Damiano, woods porn, quaaludes, kink, and so much more.
Shawn runs the incredible body modification archive Sacred Debris, an important resource that document the history of tattooing, piercing, other body mods, and focuses on a lot of folks in the queer and leather communities, of which Shawn is also part. Really the perfec...2023-07-231h 17Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 47: Exfest 2023 ft. Ian GallowayEvery year in early summer for over a decade now, Exhumed Films holds their annual 35mm exploitation movie marathon, Exfest. We covered this event on the show last year and we’re back to talk about 12+ hours of exploitation cinema. To discuss this year’s marathon, which was held on June 10th at the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, PA, Charles and Samm were joined by Ian Galloway, owner of beloved Philly record store Beautiful World. We recorded first thing the next morning, so we sound pretty deranged, but we had the time of our lives. This year might truly be t...2023-07-011h 16Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 46: Shot on Video with Michael & BrewceOur latest episode is about shot-on-video (SOV) horror, as well as all things regional and very, very low budget. Divisive, underground, and often mind-melting, SOV horror movies exist in a world unto themselves and outside the bounds of good taste. Joining us to discuss a slew of no-budget oddities are Philly-based filmmakers Michael DiFrancesco and Brewce Longo. Mike D recently joined us on our sword and sorcery episode, and Brewce has been long time comrade and friend of the show.
If you enjoy the episode, definitely check out our guests’ two recent SOV films: the satanic metalhead ac...2023-06-161h 09Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE BONUS EPISODE UNLOCKED: A Marxist, a historian, and a film producer walk into a bar…Usually these Patreon-only bonus Happy Hour episodes exist behind a paywall, but we decided to unlock this one to the general public because it’s just so much dang “fun.” Charles Smith III, who was the guest on our previous episode covering the ongoing WGA strike, hangs back for the Happy Hour to drink some cheap whiskey and discuss the tribulations of independent filmmaking, his work as a producer and professor, and what it was like to study under director Peter Medak in film school. But the real heart of the episode is rousing political discussion about work and hierar...2023-06-0556 minTwitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 45: ChatGPT Wars — The Writers Strike Back ft. Charles Smith IIIFor this episode, Charles and Samm are joined by our friend Charles Smith III, a local producer, director, film teacher, and proud union member. We discuss the ongoing writers strike, why it’s so important, what the core demands are, and larger issues related to strikes and class war within the entertainment industry. We briefly talk about a few films centered on strikes, because of course I had to bring up Gian Maria Volonté, and Mao has something of a cameo as well.
You can find Charles Smith lecturing about film production at Rowan University, Drexel University, and...2023-05-271h 03Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 44: Cauldron Stirrings with Jesse and BrianWe’re baaaack with a really fun, somewhat raucous conversation with Jesse Nelson and Brian Izzi from Cauldron Films. Charles and Samm gush about their recent fancy pants edition of The City of the Living Dead, and chat with them about some of their other great releases like Contraband and American Rickshaw, what it’s like to run a boutique blu-ray label, genie movies, Italians in Florida, and other insanity. We also dip into Jesse’s background with Exhumed Films and his long-time, beloved movie retail site Diabolik DVD.
Thanks as always for supporting the show. Pretty please...2023-05-081h 08Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 43: Sword and Sorcery Spectacular ft. Michael DiFrancescoFor the latest Twitch of the Death Nerve, Charles and Samm were joined by one of the best people on the planet, Michael DiFrancesco, to talk about one of the best subgenres on the planet, sword and sorcery movies. We set out on an epic journey from the origins of the subgenre in Greek myth, pulp literature, and Italian sword and sandal films, through to a discussion of our favorite ’80s sword and sorcery films. We talk about everything from Albert Pyun and Conan the Barbarian through to the GOAT, Conquest, to the insanity of She, and so many mo...2023-04-181h 24Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 42: THAI POSTER BLISS! FT. PHIL JABLONFor this episode, Charles and Samm were joined by dear friend Phil Jablon, an author, photographer, and researcher who first made a name for himself photographing and documenting historic movie theaters in Thailand. He also collects and sells Thai movie posters — enabling our growing addiction to them — and we talked to him about everything from life in Thailand, his journey exploring old theaters and preserving movie posters, to some of our favorite Thai films.
You can find Phil (and lots of Thai posters) on Instagram at @thai_poster_bliss. His first book, Thailand’s Movie Theatres: Relics, Ruins...2023-03-241h 18Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 41: Kennedy’s Shattered Head ft. Robert SkvarlaOne of our favorite people, Robert Skvarla, is back on the show to discuss a particularly popular American conspiracy: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Charles and Samm ask Rob a million questions about the murky facts surrounding the murder and dive into a few JFK movies, namely: New Hollywood classic The Parallax View (1974), spaghetti western The Price of Power (1969), and French crime thriller I as in Icarus (1979). Enter our smoke filled room, as we discuss the best exploding head not in the Scanners franchise.
Find Rob at @RobertSkvarla on Twitter and read his essay in...2023-03-071h 28Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 40: A Valentine’s Day Necrophilia Special ft. AngelWe’re getting romantic in true Death Nerve fashion this Valentine’s Day — with a discussion of three juicy necrophilia films that run the gamut from gore fest to indie teen romance to Hong Kong thriller. Charles and Samm are joined by dear friend Angel, a New Jersey/Philadelphia based performer and model with an unusual penchant for all things macabre. In addition to loving Valentine’s Day and creating an upcoming zine on romantic necrophilia movies, they’re holding a similarly themed, virtual necrophilia marathon on February 18 at 10 am with Quality Violent Cinema.
You can find Angel on T...2023-02-131h 05Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 39: Polish Folk Horror ft. Matt KowalskiWe’re diving into some of the Twitch crew’s favorite subjects with the latest Twitch of the Death Nerve episode: political resistance, folk horror, and Polish cinema. Historian and pal Matt Kowalski joined Charles and Samm for a lengthy discussion of Andrzej Żuławski’s The Devil (1972) and Marek Piestrak’s She-Wolf (1983). Both films are set during key historical periods in Polish history and make use of horror genre and especially folk horror tropes. We give a little historical primer and unpack how both directors use these themes to critique parallel events in communist Poland in the ’70s and ’80s. Al...2023-01-301h 29Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 38: Best of 2022 Listicle Clickbait Bullshit EditionWe’re baaaaaaack! Charles and Samm took a much needed break in December to relax, regroup, and plan some exciting episodes for the next few months with more wonderful guests. And despite the title of this episode, we also spent a lot of time thinking about our favorite films of 2022; not necessarily new releases, but films that were new to us. So without further ado, here we are, complaining about year end lists and then presenting our own.
Episode drinking game: take a shot every time Charles declares he’s not a mathematician. Take a sip of your...2023-01-171h 20Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 37: THE MAN WHO STOLE THE SUNFor the latest episode of Twitch of the Death Nerve, Charles and Samm are joined by dear friend Eric Bresler, who runs beloved local venue PhilaMOCA and the Philly chapter of the Psychotronic Film Club. We pick his brain about the visionary film, art, and music programming at PhilaMOCA, and the ins and outs of the Psychotronic Film Club. Eric has encyclopedic knowledge of Japanese film, music, and pop culture, so we also take a deep dive into Kazuhiko Hasegawa’s little seen The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979).
The film stars pop icon Kenji Sawada as a...2022-12-021h 15Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 36: IN CONVERSATION WITH VINEGAR SYNDROMEA lot of cult movie fans look forward to November, primarily because of the Vinegar Syndrome Black Friday sale — so what better time for Twitch of the Death Nerve to celebrate one of the best blu-ray and film restoration companies.
Recently, Charles and Samm took a little vacation up to Connecticut, mostly to go to Vinegar Syndrome’s headquarters and the Archive, their retail store. While we were there, we had a chance to sit down with Justin Laliberty, Director of Operations for Vinegar Syndrome sister company OCN, and Brandon Upson, a long-time film restoration expert for Vine...2022-11-171h 30Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 35: EXHUMED FILMS 24-HOUR HORRORTHON 2022Last year, Twitch of the Death Nerve had a great time covering Exhumed Films 24-hour Horrorthon, the best annual Philadelphia-area event. So here we are again, tired but still alive after a weekend of 15 movies (and trailers and cartoons) across about 26 hours. October 22nd was the 15th Horrorthon and a celebration of 25 years of Exhumed Films — basically Christmas for the cult cinema obsessed. People come from all over the country to attend and it’s almost always a sold-out event.
Charles and Samm were joined by lovely friend Josh Christensen, a Philly actor and fellow movie nerd. He s...2022-10-272h 13Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE BONUS EPISODE UNLOCKED: I HAVE NO MOUTH, BUT I MUST PODCASTHappy Halloween friends! We are vibing so hard this season, between horror movie marathons and pumpkin carving and candy binges, Twitch of the Death Nerve is a little off schedule. So as a seasonal treat, we’ve decided to unlock one of our bonus “happy hour” episodes, which are usually Patreon exclusives. These are looser, more free wheeling discussions that touch on everything from pop culture and new releases, to our latest gripes.
This episode is a somewhat chaotic celebration of everyone’s favorite season. It runs the gamut from Pumpkinhead to Harlan Ellison. We argue about recent t...2022-10-2157 minTwitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 34: BLOODY PIT OF HORRORFriends, it is OCTOBER. And the Twitch of the Death Nerve crew is here to party, mostly by discussing everyone’s favorite Italian gothic horror exploitation movie about torturing people in a castle, The Bloody Pit of Horror (1965). A group of models shooting material for a horror novel stumble across a castle owned by tortured actor Travis (Mickey Hargitay), who has become obsessed with the legend of a medieval torturer: the Crimson Executioner.
In addition to discussing our shared love of this film, Charles, Jon, and Samm cover: the Italian gothic subgenre and how Bloody Pit marks th...2022-10-061h 15Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 33: CRUISINGTwitch of the Death Nerve is back with the show’s single most requested episode: William Friedkin’s controversial queer serial killer masterpiece, Cruising (1980). Charles, Jon, and Samm have wanted to talk about this film before the podcast officially began and — out of sheer excitement — the episode is a doozy. Of course we dive elbow deep into Cruising, the various controversies surrounding it, and our abiding love for the film. But we also discuss queer leather culture, ’70s New York, William Friedkin’s career more generally, the “bag murders” case that inspired the film, and much more. We also attempt to answer...2022-09-221h 32Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 32: DR. LAMBIt’s been almost exactly a year, but the time is finally nigh to return to one of our favorite topics here at Twitch of the Death Nerve: Hong Kong CAT-III films. In the latest episode, Charles, Jon, and Samm discuss Danny Lee and Billy Tang’s horror masterpiece, Dr. Lamb (1992), which has recently had a long overdue restoration and blu-ray release. The film stars Simon Yam as a disturbed young taxi driver (based on a real-life serial killer) who can’t resist slaughtering his female fares when it rains.
Dr. Lamb is really one of the greate...2022-09-081h 26Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 31: A CRYPTID TRIPTYCHAre you yeti to party? We certainly are in the latest Twitch of the Death Nerve episode, which has a slightly different format: Charles and Samm are joined by Rob Skvarla, who is filling in for Jon this week. Some of you might remember Rob as Samm’s co-host on goth podcast Evil Eye. Rob is also a brilliant writer, researcher, and has a wild Twitter account where he discusses conspiracy theories, cryptids, the evils of the CIA, and so much more. We knew we had to get him on the show to talk about all those things.
...2022-08-251h 26Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 30: MATANGOThe very first Twitch of the Death Nerve episode of 2022 was on a Godzilla movie, but we just had to include what you could call a kaiju-adjacent episode before the year was out. Charles, Jon, and Samm just love Ishirō Honda so much, which brings us to our latest discussion of Honda’s underrated and underseen Matango (1963). Though Honda is beloved for creating the Godzilla series and directing many of its best films, he also made other, eerier kinds of creature features.
We talk about how much we love him, his career more broadly, as well as som...2022-08-121h 13Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 29: BAY OF BLOODThe latest Twitch of the Death Nerve episode marks a number of occasions for Charles, Jon, and Samm: it’s the one-year anniversary of our podcast and it’s just a few days away from Samm and Mario Bava’s birthdays (both on July 31st). For this episode, we talk more broadly about Bava’s incredible career and do a deep dive on Bay of Blood (1971), the film with a thousand titles.
This wildly influential post-giallo, proto-slasher is kind of an outlier in Bava’s career, so we contrast it with some of his other films and discuss how...2022-07-281h 20Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 28: BILLY JACK
Twitch of the Death Nerve are back from a brief hiatus! For this episode, which just happened to be recorded on the 4th of July, Samm INSISTED on doing a deep dive into Billy Jack. We cover the many hours of cinema writer, director, and star Tom Laughlin devoted to the character over four films: The Born Losers (1967), Billy Jack (1971), The Trial of Billy Jack (1974), and Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977).
Charles and Jon may not love the series as much as Samm (it could be hard to compete), but we still manage to talk about everything from liberal vengeance...2022-07-151h 12Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE BONUS EPISODE: HAPPY HOUR 4 UNLOCKEDThanks to the last episode dropping early and then COVID laying one of us low, Twitch of the Death Nerve has gotten slightly off schedule. To tide you over, we decided to unlock one of our bonus “happy hour” episodes, which are usually Patreon exclusives. These are looser, more free wheeling discussions that touch on everything from pop culture and new releases, to our latest gripes.
For this particular episode, we’re over the moon to discuss one of our favorite directors, David Cronenberg. We talk about his career in general, touching on our favorite and least favori...2022-07-081h 09Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 27: THE EX-FEST SPECIALAfter a two year hiatus (thank you COVID), Exhumed Films’ 12-hour exploitation movie marathon known as eX-fest — one of the best annual events in the Philadelphia area — made its grand return last weekend. Previously held at the now defunct International House in Philly, ex-fest part X moved to the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, PA. In this episode, Charles, Jon, and Samm discuss the ins and outs of eX-fest and go over the lineup of 7 movies, which included a 70s heist hang out movie, a reactionary rape revenge film, as well as Hong Kong action, a low budget South African martia...2022-06-181h 41Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 26: THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOROn the last Twitch of the Death Nerve episode, we covered sociopathic teenagers bombing Hong Kong, so we decided to lighten things up this time around with a discussion of systemic racism, fighting back against white supremacy, and overthrowing the state. Charles, Jon, and Samm dive into the Black power classic, The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973), and two radical related films, Top of the Heap (1972) and Melvin Van Peebles’ iconic Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971). Our discussion includes the difference between these films and more traditional Blaxploitation, the legacy of the Black Panthers, the FBI’s flagrant racism...2022-06-091h 25Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 25: DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS OF THE FIRST KINDCharles, Jon, and Samm have really been on a tear lately discussing some brutal films with radical political themes. Theoretically, we should stop for a minute and do a “fun” episode, but the current state of the world is making this difficult. Between the formula shortage and abortion rights likely being overturned in the US to the barrage of tragic (and thoroughly preventable) mass shootings, it is impossible to think about fun.
Thus for the latest episode of Twitch of the Death Nerve, we are basking in nihilism with Tsui Hark’s little seen 1980 film, Dangerous Encounter – 1st Kind...2022-05-261h 11Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 24: CANNIBAL FEROXWe hope you’re hungry, because the new Twitch of the Death Nerve episode is a real feast for the senses. Charles, Jon, and Samm discuss one of the most notorious cult movie subgenres — Italian cannibal films — particularly focusing on Cannibal Ferox and Cannibal Holocaust. The questions we try to answer in this episode include: Who actually likes these films? (Spoiler: we do!) Which one is the real GOAT of the genre? Why is Giovanni Lombardo Radice so wonderful? Why is Umberto Lenzi so unappreciated? Who are the real cannibals?
Thanks as always for supporting the show! Pretty...2022-05-121h 25Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 23: CITY OF THE DEADJust in time for Walpurgisnacht, the latest Twitch of the Death Nerve is all about one of our favorite topics: witchcraft. In this episode, Charles, Jon, and Samm focus on the underrated British-American classic, City of the Dead (1960), better known to American audiences as Horror Hotel. In order to write a research paper, a young college student travels to an eerie New England town known for its history of witch burning. But she gets far more than she bargained for when it seems that witchcraft might be alive and well.
We talk at length about City of...2022-04-281h 23Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 22: ZERO WOMAN: RED HANDCUFFSSince Twitch of the Death Nerve first became a possibility, we have been waiting for this glorious moment… OUR FIRST (but certainly not last) PINKY VIOLENCE EPISODE!!!! Sharpen your switchblades, rev your motorcycles, and get ready for an intense discussion of one of our favorite things in the entire world. This episode, Charles, Jon, and Samm dive into the Japanese pinky violence subgenre by way of one of its outliers, the nasty, nihilistic Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs (1974). We talk about girl gangs, anarchism, Japan in the 70s, defiant nudity, rape revenge films, exploitation cinema, and, of course, the divine tr...2022-04-141h 22Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 21: SANTO MANIA!Twitch of the Death Nerve really went off script for this latest episode, where Charles, Jon, and Samm discuss Mexican legend El Santo. One of the world’s greatest pop culture heroes, Santo made 50 films in addition to his celebrated wrestling career (and run of comic books, etc), so we decided to celebrate his life in a broader sense, rather than focusing on one particular film. We do share our mutual love of Santo and Blue Demon Vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man (1973), and if we have any particular focus to the episode, it’s the amazing horror films he m...2022-03-311h 35Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 20: DIABOLIQUEThe latest episode of Twitch of the Death Nerve is devoted to French filmmaker Henri-Georges Clouzot and his masterpiece of suspense, Les diaboliques (1955). A landmark of crime and suspense cinema, it ushered in a new type of murder mystery. Charles, Jon, and Samm talk about their love for that film and so much more: Clouzot’s career, why Diabolique is so important and influential, the difference between the whodunnit and the whydunnit, the brilliant writing team of Boileau et Narcejac, related suspense films like Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1957), and the weird ’50s wave of mainstream movies about killing your spouse — among ot...2022-03-171h 17Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 19: CALIGULAThe latest Twitch of the Death Nerve episode tackles one of the most notorious sexually transgressive epics: Tinto Brass’s Caligula (1979). Charles, Jon, and Samm discuss the absolute wildness of the movie and its complicated, disastrous production history. We also dive into so many of our favorite topics: ancient Rome, the Golden Age of porn and hardcore sex in movies, critiques of absolute power, eroticism in ’70s Italian arthouse cinema, nihilism, anti-erotic sex scenes, Malcolm McDowell, decapitation machines, orgies, and so on. We also discuss the strange subgenre of Caligula-sploitation and the recent Severin Films set.
Thanks as a...2022-03-031h 15Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 18: TEXAS PSYCHORAMA SPECIALEarlier this month, the Twitch of the Death Nerve gang took a Texas vacation. Charles, Jon, and Samm ate a lot of tacos, went to the movies, and explored Austin. This trip was primarily for Jon’s birthday, which means there was also a weekend-long movie marathon. The Unsung Horrors Podcast served as our gracious host and kindly allowed us to use their recording equipment, so we had a lengthy chat about film programming and movie marathons. We also discussed the movies we watched, which was truly a wild lineup curated by Jon, including Hong Kong action, CAT-III, Indonesian ma...2022-02-171h 53Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 17: MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINEIn the latest Twitch of the Death Nerve episode, Charles, Jon, and Samm discuss Jimmy Wang Yu’s epic kung fu revenge masterpiece, Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976). The episode also gives a general overview of the great Wang Yu’s career, why he’s so important to martial arts cinema, and his history as a real life street fighter. We also talk about the wild array of Hong Kong movies (and international co-productions) featuring one-armed warriors and so much more — it’s really an episode to lose your head over (sorry/not sorry).
Thanks as always for suppor...2022-02-031h 26Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 16: THE CANDY SNATCHERSIn the latest Twitch of the Death Nerve episode Charles, Jon, and Samm take a deep dive into ’70s American exploitation cinema with this look at Guerdon Trueblood’s nasty classic, The Candy Snatchers (1973). We discuss how much we love the film — especially the mute child Sean, the real star of the show — but we talk more broadly about the history of American exploitation cinema and its golden age in the ’70s. Charles asks us why the hell anyone wants to watch these movies. We also discuss Tiffany Bolling’s wonderful career and share some of our related favorites.
Thanks...2022-01-201h 21Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 15: GODZILLA VS HEDORAHHappy New Year, friends! Charles, Jon, and Samm are back with an episode on everyone’s favorite guy: Godzilla. We nerd out about one of the wildest Godzilla films, Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971), which includes everything from a fight against pollution, psychedelic mod dance sequences, an alien blob monster, and much more. We also take a broader look at the wonderful Showa era films, the original classic Godzilla series running from 1954 to 1975.
Thanks as always for supporting the show! Pretty please rate, review, and share! You can also find us on Apple and Spotify and please follow us on...2022-01-061h 12Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 14: THE TWELVE DAYS OF PSYCHOTRONIC CHRISTMAS, PART 2For Christmas Eve eve, Charles, Jon, and Samm are like the Three Wiseman of cult cinema podcasting — delivering the gift of part two of our 12 Days of Psychotronic Christmas episode (which is hopefully more entertaining than frankincense and myrrh). We talk about everything from samurai swords and home invasion movies to time travel and German expressionism. Let us know what you think of our Christmas movie list and we hope you have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!!!
Thanks as always for supporting the show! Pretty please rate, review, and share! You can also find us...2021-12-241h 23Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 13: THE TWELVE DAYS OF PSYCHOTRONIC CHRISTMAS, PART 1Happy Winter Solstice! Charles, Jon, and Samm have a special treat cooked up this Christmas season — a festive, two-part holiday episode of Twitch of the Death Nerve! There’s no way we could pick just one favorite Christmas film, so we’re discussing enough psychotronic holiday movies to get you through all twelve days of Christmas. This includes some expected classics, wild surprises, childhood favorites, and more. Pour yourself a heavily spiked glass of eggnog and join us!
Part two will follow in a few days and we hope you all have a HAPPPPPY HOLIDAAAAAAYS! Thanks as always...2021-12-211h 13Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 12: THE GREAT SILENCEOn the latest episode of Twitch of the Death Nerve, Charles, Jon, and Samm dive into a particularly beloved cult movie topic — the spaghetti western. We focus on one of the absolute masterpieces of the subgenre, Sergio Corbucci’s The Great Silence (1968), where two bounty hunters (Klaus Kinski and Jean-Louis Trintignant) face off in the snowy wilderness. The discussion also includes how this is a perfect western for the winter season, why it is particularly bleak, plus director Sergio Corbucci’s career more broadly and his unique approach to the genre.
Thanks as always for supporting the show...2021-12-091h 27Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 11: FACES OF DEATHHappy Thanksgiving from Charles, Jon, and Samm! If you’re not already feeling nauseated from all that stuffing you just ate, this latest Twitch of the Death Nerve episode will surely raise your gorge! We took a deep dive into Faces of Death (1978) and the notorious mondo movie subgenre. Like National Geographic gone wrong, these brutal shockumentaries include everything from erotic encounters and death rituals to bizarre travelogues, tragic accidents, fictionalized cult rituals, and much more. In what is surely our most shocking episode yet, we discuss everything from the first mondo movie — Mondo cane (1962) — onward, including mondo sex movies...2021-11-251h 33Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 10: EXHUMED FILMS 24-HOUR HORRORTHON SPECIALBeloved Philadelphia-based cinema collective Exhumed Films have an annual Halloween event, Horrorthon, where they screen 24+ hours of horror movies — an all secret lineup mostly on 35mm. Two years ago they held the “last” Horrorthon, because the venue they were using closed and then of course the pandemic happened. Charles, Jon, and Samm all love Horrorthon and have been to most of them — it’s been going strong for about 15 years now — so the return of Horrorthon after a solemn pause last year was cause for celebration.
So last weekend, we strapped in on Saturday, November 26th for a surprise l...2021-11-142h 09Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 9: The TinglerHappy Halloween! In honor of everyone’s favorite holiday, Charles, Jon, and Samm present a special Halloween episode. This is a celebration of the glorious director William Castle and his partnership with best-human-ever Vincent Price — one of our most fun episodes yet. We talk about The Tingler (1959), Castle and his madcap marketing schemes, Price and all his glory (and Samm’s Price-themed kitchen), movie gimmicks, and so much more. Really this episode is an ultimate paean to Halloween.
Thanks to everyone for the support for our show. It would be a nice treat (for us) this Halloween if you...2021-10-301h 15Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 8: ENCOUNTER OF THE SPOOKY KINDCharles, Jon, and Samm are back to share their love for Sammo Hung with this episode all about his groundbreaking horror comedy, Encounter of the Spooky Kind (1980). Sammo stars as an unwitting villager and kung fu adept who becomes targeted by a local sorcerer and has to battle zombies, ghosts, hopping vampires, and more. The episode also covers haunted attractions, kung fu horror more broadly, ensuing jiangshi films like the Mr. Vampire series and Haunted Cop Shop, and some of our other favorite Hong Kong ghost comedies.
Thanks to everyone for the support for our show. Please...2021-10-211h 24Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 7: FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMANSpooky season is officially upon us, so Charles, Jon, and Samm are back to talk about one of their favorite Halloween pleasures: the lush and atmospheric expanse of Hammer horror. This episode focuses specifically on the Frankenstein series — which launched Hammer’s foray into iconic genre cinema in 1957 — in particular the wild fourth entry, Frankenstein Created Woman (1967). The great Peter Cushing stars as the Baron, once again returning from death with a new experiment: to merge the soul of a wrongly executed man with the body of his lover, a disfigured girl who will emerge from Dr. Frankenstein’s operatin...2021-10-071h 26Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 6: THE UNTOLD STORYNot for the faint of heart, this episode is all about one of Charles, Jon, and Samm’s favorite films — Herman Yau’s The Untold Story (1993). Based on the true story of a massacre at the Eight Immortals Restaurant, this is the grim tale of Wong Chi-hang (Anthony Wong), who murdered an entire family, took over their restaurant, and served them up to the customers. Rated “category III” for its use of explicit violence, the episode also explores how category III (or CAT III) is more of a genre than just a rating system, its use of extreme violence and jarrin...2021-09-231h 31Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 5: ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13Charles, Jon, and Samm are back this week to discuss genre icon John Carpenter. The episode particularly focuses on his debut film, Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), which he wrote, directed, edited, and scored. They discuss everything from Carpenter’s use of classic western tropes to depictions of gang violence, an ice cream truck visit gone wrong, the way the film handles issues of racism and sexism, the appearance of a proto-Snake Plissken, one of the coolest female characters of all time, and much more.
Thanks to everyone for the support for our new show. Please subscribe, rate, and re...2021-09-091h 14Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 4: ANIMALS ATTACK!Twitch of the Death Nerve is doing something a little different for episode four. Instead of taking a deep dive into a single film, Charles, Jon, and Samm discuss their favorite animals attack movies, ranging all over the subgenre from killer orcas and baby-eating alligators to cuddly bunnies and cheetahs racing down the highway. This sprawling beast of an episode includes a rough top ten list of the all-time greatest psychotronic animals attack films plus lots of honorable mentions (and some real-life stories of animals attacking…).
Thanks to everyone for the support for our new show. Please su...2021-08-261h 39Twitch of the Death NerveTWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE EPISODE 3: A WOMAN’S TORMENTEpisode three of Twitch of the Death Nerve is a real scorcher. Charles, Jon, and Samm discuss Roberta Findlay’s hardcore horror classic, A WOMAN’S TORMENT (1977). When a disturbed young woman flees to an isolated beach house, she descends into madness, sex, and violence. Director Roberta Findlay was one of the few women making exploitation and porn films in the ’70s and this episode explores her complex career, the ins and outs of A WOMAN’S TORMENT, and dives into other examples of hardcore horror.
Thanks to everyone for the early support for our new show. Please s...2021-08-121h 07Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 2: Shogun AssassinWelcome to episode two of Twitch of the Death Nerve! This time around, Charles, Jon, and Samm discuss one of the holy grails of psychotronic cinema, Shogun Assassin (1980). When the Shogun’s assassin is framed by a rival clan and his wife is murdered, he and his young son have to go on the road fighting ninjas, cutting off heads, and chilling in a tricked out baby cart. The episode also goes into the glorious Lone Wolf and Cub series that Shogun Assassin is cut from, chanbara or samurai films, and our favorite Japanese sword fighting stars, among other th...2021-08-051h 32Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve Episode 1: The Gates of HellEpisode one of Twitch of the Death Nerve is all about a movie that changed our lives: Lucio Fulci’s The Gates of Hell aka City of the Living Dead. Charles, Jon & Samm talk about everything from the title discrepancies and intestine puking to the majesty of Christopher George and his big Daddy energy.
The post Twitch of the Death Nerve Episode 1: The Gates of Hell appeared first on Cinepunx.
2021-07-301h 39Twitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve: Episode ZeroWelcome to episode zero of Twitch of the Death Nerve. Charles, Jon, and Samm introduce themselves and the podcast and share what they think psychotronic cinema is all about — and what to expect from the show.
The post Twitch of the Death Nerve: Episode Zero appeared first on Cinepunx.
2021-07-3012 minTwitch of the Death NerveTwitch of the Death Nerve: Gates of Hell trailerGet ready for episode one of Twitch of the Death Nerve, a film podcast all about a movie that changed all our lives—Fulci’s Gates of Hell aka City of the Living Dead!
The post Twitch of the Death Nerve: Gates of Hell trailer appeared first on Cinepunx.
2021-07-2902 min