Shows
Secret HandshakeSpine #74 - Den of ThievesBig Nick Fever has hit Secret Handshake! To celebrate the release of DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA, Jacob tries to convert Marten into being a Butler Boy and even makes him watch Gerard's HAS FALLEN trilogy (OLYMPUS/LONDON/ANGEL) for good measure. How does the first experiment of 2025 turn out? Tune in and find out!2025-01-161h 21
Secret HandshakeSpine #70 - The Chocolate WarOne of Marten's favorites is the focus of our 70th spine: Keith Gordon's anti-authoritarian prep school fantasy THE CHOCOLATE WAR. We pair it with three other Adam Baldwin-starring coming of age classics to highlight an underseen subgenre of American teen cinema. Crank up the Peter Gabriel, this is a weird one, folks. 2024-11-241h 13
Secret HandshakeSpine #69 - Candyman The boys say the dreaded hook killer's name five times in front of the mirror to conjure...CANDYMAN. To close out Spooky Season '24, Jacob and Marten dissect what's arguably their favorite Clive Barker adaptation, not to mention one of the scariest films of all time. 2024-10-311h 13
Secret HandshakeSpine #65 - Body DoubleWe did it Joe! We (finally) made it to the end of Season Five! To celebrate, the boys finally crack open the filmography of Jacob's favorite stylist: Brian De Palma, running down the reasons why his 1984 porno gialli is the Ultimate BDP Picture. Bring the wet wipes, this one gets sticky. 2024-07-192h 20
Secret HandshakeSpine #63 - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom MenaceStaaaaar Waaaaars! Nothin' but Staaaaaar Waaaaars! The boys celebrate the 25th birthday of one of the most divisive movies of all time, then use it as an excuse to get some feelings about the biggest franchise of all time off their chests. Bonus Content: Jacob grills Marten about his weird politics!2024-07-102h 14
Secret HandshakeSpine #58 - Judgment NightThe second film from sturdy genre workman Stephen Hopkins to enter the SH collection (following the gory glory of PREDATOR 2), Marten gets to wax lyrical about everything from Dennis Leary to bloodthirsty lions to Gene Hackman's addiction to Puerto Rican prostitutes. Don't play yourself and tune in now. 2024-04-021h 53
Secret HandshakeSpine #57 - Redemption (a/k/a Hummingbird)It's a new year and the boys are here to protect the hive. In celebration of THE BEEKEEPER, Jason Statham's latest bit of bald badassery, Jacob and Marten dive down a rabbit hole filed with headbutts, foul language, and kung fu to try and figure out what makes Statham one of our essential action stars. It's possible no one survives. 2024-01-221h 52
Secret HandshakeSpine #56 - Silent Night, Deadly NightFeliz Navidad fuckfaces! For the last episode of '23, Jacob and Marten throw one of the sleaziest slashers of all time into the canon: the nasty killer Santa body count opus, SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. Just so you know, you're all NAUGHTY on our list. 2023-12-241h 29
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #23 - Huesera: The Bone Woman (With Michelle Garza Cervera) In our latest creative conversation, Brandon speaks with writer/director Michelle Garza Cervera about one of 2023's most terrifying films: the Mexican maternity horror folk lore freak out, HUESERA: THE BONE WOMAN. 2023-02-1350 min
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - The Best Films of '22 [Feat. Brandon Streussnig] That's a wrap! The boys get together with Brandon to talk about their fave flicks of '22. 2023-01-061h 57
Secret HandshakeSpine #45 - Terminator 2: Judgement DayJacob and Marten discover that they really groove on THE WAY OF WATER and discuss the movie that started James Cameron's incessant need to improve the blockbuster for generations of movie fans. Is TERMINATOR 2 the greatest sequel of all time? Possibly. 2022-12-221h 40
Secret HandshakeSpine #44 - Once Upon a Time...In HollywoodAutobiography is the running theme of '22, so the boys read Quentin Tarantino's new book ("Cinema Speculation") and then revisited his Proustian masterpiece, ONCE UPON A TIME IN...HOLLYWOOD to try and zero in why all these old masters are looking to put themselves on screen. 2022-12-072h 06
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #22 - Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (With John Hyams)For Part II of his set of UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING retrospective interview mini-series, Brandon talks to writer/director John Hyams about how he came to helm this subversive, ultra-violent, game-changing action movie cult classic. 2022-12-021h 07
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #21 - Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (With Scott Adkins)In the first of a two-part Bonus Features mini-series, Brandon celebrates the 10th anniversary of the release of UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING by interviewing both the star and director of the bone-crushing, ultra arty fourth installment in the UniSol series. First up: DTV legend Scott Adkins talks about how DAY OF RECKONING is still one of his favorite films he's ever done. 2022-11-3050 min
Secret HandshakeSpine #43 - Streets of FireTonight is what it means to be young. The boys looks back on the filmography of Walter Hill and wonder aloud if he's one of the finest action cinema storytellers who ever lived.2022-11-231h 47
Secret HandshakeSpine #42 - In the Bedroom Todd Field is back, baby. To celebrate the writer/director's first movie in 16 years - the Cate Blanchett classical music cancel culture drama TÁR - the boys look back on his entire filmography through the lens of where it all began: with the Bergmanesque New England domestic tragedy, IN THE BEDROOM.2022-11-092h 09
Secret HandshakeSpine #41 - Tales From the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight Heeeeeeyyyyy Kiddies, it's the sinister start to Season Four! This week, the boils dig up the Cryptkeeper's first frightmare feature: Demon Knight! Will they survive this twisted treat? Or will this be their last Halloween? Find out in this ghoulish gab session. Cue Cryptkeeper Cackle!2022-10-311h 35
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - David Gordon Green's HALLOWEEN TrilogyEvil dies tonight! David Gordon Green brings home his HALLOWEEN trilogy with HALLOWEEN ENDS, and the boys decide to go long on how all three of these films fit together to create a somewhat coherent whole (and if HALLOWEEN KILLS gets any better on repeat viewing). Plus, we debate the merits of newly minted Tiger Beat sensation Corey Cunningham.2022-10-202h 11
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - The Hellraiser Franchise Spooky Season is upon us, and so is a new Hellraiser movie. To celebrate both, Jacob and Marten dive into the problematic franchise and the work of it's notorious creator, Clive Barker. Stay tuned, we have such sights to show you.2022-10-141h 38
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #20 - Fantastic Fest 2022 (With Brett Arnold)We're headed back into the film fest breach with New York Critic and New Flesh/Roger & Me podcast host Brett Arnold, breaking down some of the biggest releases from the Fall season. Decision to Leave! Bones & All! Banshees of Inisherin! They're all discussed on our big FF recap episode. 2022-10-121h 13
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #19 - The TERRIFIER Films (with Writer/Director Damien Leone)Jacob and Marten break down the indie cult TERRIFIER slasher trilogy before psychotic mass murderer Art the Clown and his creator Damien Leone stop by to talk about the nuts and bolts of sawing beautiful brunettes in half.2022-10-071h 01
Secret HandshakeSpine #40 - HeatThe Season Three finale sees the boys discussing possibly the most formative movie of their lives, Michael Mann's HEAT, and how the writer/director's new sequel novel, HEAT 2, plays like a Greatest Hits record for his entire career. 2022-09-301h 58
Secret HandshakeSpine #39 - FletchIn celebration of Greg Mottola's CONFESS, FLETCH, the boys revisit Chevy Chase's '80s noir comedy classics so that they can compare notes and see how Jon Hamm's latest iteration of the character stacks up to both the SNL vet, and author Gregory Mcdonald's original dime store vision.2022-09-211h 31
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - Kevin Smith's Clerks Trilogy Cody's back with the boys just in time to talk about the formative '90s nerd slacker comedy of Kevin Smith. Take a ride with them back to the Quick Stop and hang with Dante and Randall to cover the CLERKS trilogy and how those movies (along with Smith's other cinema) have aged over the years. 2022-09-141h 28
Secret HandshakeSpine #38 - Out For JusticeThe boys take you to the bank (the BLOOD BANK!) with Steven Seagal's run all night Brooklyn scumbag showcase as they explore the early awesome years of the aikido master's cinematic career. And really, they just wanna know: anybody seen Ritchie? Eyyyyyy! 2022-09-071h 47
Secret HandshakeMini-Series - Summer Camp Sundown (Part IV: Meatballs 4, Bloody Murder, Indian Summer)Sorry kids, Summer's over! In this final installment of SH's summer camp cinema mini-series, the boys jump on jet skis with Corey Feldman, dodge a faux Jason's chainsaw, and finally reflect on their childhood's with a forgotten '90s adult melodrama. The sun has set and it's time for Fall, so let's bring this kooky movie vacation to a close. 2022-08-311h 12
Secret HandshakeMini-Series - Summer Camp Sundown (Part III: Meatballs 3, Cheerleader Camp, Summer Camp Girls)Part three of the boys' summer camp cinema series sees them taking a summer job at Mean Gene's rowdy lakeside bar in MEATBALLS III, stalking bloody pom poms in CHEERLEADER CAMP, and finally diving headfirst into hardcore porn with Gary Graver's SUMMER CAMP GIRLS. Make sure to bring your jimmy hats, because this episode is very, very horny. 2022-08-261h 19
Secret HandshakeMini-Series - Summer Camp Sundown (Part II: Meatballs 2, Madman, Oddballs)Was that a *LISP*? The boys pile back into the school bus and head back to camp for part two of their farewell to summer hijinks, covering three more entries into the horniest teen canon: MEATBALLS 2, MADMAN, and ODDBALLS! 2022-08-171h 05
Secret HandshakeMini-Series - Summer Camp Sundown (Part I: Meatballs, The Burning, Little Darlings)In another SH mini-series, the boys say farewell to summer with a four part tribute to the MEATBALLS movies, starting the Bill Murray starring comedy classic. In true Handshake fashion, one film was not enough, so they paired it with the '81 bloodbath THE BURNING, and the undervalued coming of age cabin classic, LITTLE DARLINGS.2022-08-091h 18
Secret HandshakeSpine #37 - Predator 2Get to tha Choppah! To celebrate the release of PREY, the boys run through the entire PREDATOR series, including the sweaty, nasty LA psycho cop future noir that is PREDATOR 2. Your move, Pussyfaces. 2022-08-052h 04
Secret HandshakeSpine #36 - 47 Meters Down: UncagedLive every week like it's Shark Week. The boys throw another marathon and blast through a bevy of great white attacks in order to celebrate the glory that is shark movies. At the top of their list: Johannes Roberts' underwater descent into albino shark madness 47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED. 2022-07-291h 31
Secret HandshakeSpine #35 - Night of the JugglerThe boys head back to the Big Apple to explore four more entries into the NYC Grime canon, including the unwoke, perverse, smash 'em up opus that is NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER (1980).2022-07-191h 40
Secret HandshakeMini-Series: Too Old to Die Young (Volume Four)The boys bring it home with the fourth and final installment of their mini-series tribute to Nic Refn's magnum streaming opus, TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG, but not before tossing in some analysis of it's spiritual prequel, THE NEON DEMON, for good measure. 2022-07-152h 07
Secret HandshakeMini-Series: Too Old to Die Young (Volume Three)Volumes 6 + 7 of TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG try Marten's patience, while Jacob argues it's where Nic Refn's epic act of prog rock cinema really starts to congeal into something all its own. As an added bonus: Refn's doom metal Viking opus, VALHALLA RISING. 2022-07-061h 16
Secret HandshakeMini-Series: Too Old to Die Young (Volume Two)Jacob and Marten continue down the lost highway of TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG with Volumes 4 + 5, hunting pedophiles and, eventually, rape porn peddlers as Viggo enlists Marten in his quest to cleanse the planet of sex pests. Also up for discussion: Nicolas Winding Refn's stone masterwork of chase film fetishism, DRIVE (2011). 2022-06-291h 52
Secret HandshakeMini-Series: Too Old to Die Young (Volume One)The boys take a break from their usual Season Three shenanigans to deliver a four part, in-depth dissection of Nicolas Winding Refn's thirteen-hour dronecore L.A. crime opus, TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG. Also up under the SH microscope: Refn's breakout work: the Tom Hardy prion brawl picture, BRONSON (2008). 2022-06-212h 07
Secret HandshakeSpine #34 - Videodrome Death to Videodrome. Long live the New Flesh. This week, the boys dig into one of their all time favorite filmmakers: David Cronenberg. Does his latest sci-fi transmission, CRIMES OF THE FUTURE, fit in with the rest of his body of work? Find out. 2022-06-101h 44
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - Top Gun: Maverick (Feat. Tom Cruise)We're feeling the need...the need for speed! Jacob and Marten hop into the cockpit of Tom Cruise's highly anticipated legacy sequel, TOP GUN: MAVERICK, and dissect the career of one of our all time finest movie stars. 2022-05-311h 54
Secret HandshakeSpine #33 - The BoogensMarten really gets one for him, as he and Jacob discuss the charms of low budget monster movie-making, starting with everybody's favorite indescribable turtle beastie in THE BOOGENS. 2022-05-251h 08
Secret HandshakeSpine #32 - NemesisJacob and Marten tool up and get their body parts replaced with cybernetic organisms before getting down and dirty with NEMESIS and the filmography of trash action maven Albert Pyun. Is it better to be more human than human when watching these movies? You bet your ass it does. 2022-05-181h 33
Secret HandshakeSpine #31 - Friday the 13th (Feat. Brandon Streussnig) You're doomed...you're all doomed! Brandon's back on the pod with the fellas, talking everybody's favorite murderous mama's boy: Jason Voorhees. In celebration of the special stalker's birthday, Secret Handshake presents the drunkest conversation ever had about Friday the 13th flicks. 2022-05-111h 58
Secret HandshakeSpine #30 - Face/Off Marten and Jacob celebrate the mind melting Summer of '97, particularly the fact that CON AIR and FACE/OFF - two of the most insane studio action films of all time - were released within weeks of one another. Plus, the boys dive into the meta Nic Cage nonsense that is THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT. 2022-05-051h 15
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #18 - Gaspar Noé (Writer/Director: Vortex, Lux Aeterna)The godfather of New French Extreme cinema joins Jacob to talk death, Dario Argento, philosophy, and his movies VORTEX and LUX AETERNA.2022-05-0339 min
Secret HandshakeSpine #29 - The Northman HAAAAAAAARK! The boys do their research and dive into the filmography of Robert Eggers, including his latest: the über-bloody viking revenge saga, THE NORTHMAN.2022-04-261h 39
Secret HandshakeSpine #28 - Martyrs (And The New French Extremity) The official start of Season 3 sees Jacob and Marten attempting to tackle Pascal Laugier's MARTYRS and the films of the New French Extremity, making themselves super bummed, scared and grossed out in the process. 2022-04-202h 09
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - Ambulance (Feat. Michael Bay)The boys demonstrate just how hard they're ready to ride or die for Michael Bay's brand of gonzo action cinema, breaking down his entire filmography before discussing his latest: the coked up drone bank robbery roller-coaster, AMBULANCE.2022-04-132h 08
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - The Blade Trilogy (Feat. Michael Morbius)The doctor is in (sort of)! As they attempt to duck watching Jared Leto's MORBIUS, the boys revisit Wesley Snipes' iconic day-walking vampire hunter, Blade. Oh yeah, they do get to Leto's bloodsucker, eventually, albeit begrudgingly. 2022-04-051h 33
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #17 - Brandon Streussnig (The Undisputed Franchise)Secret Handshake and Fango contributor Brandon Streussnig joins the boys to talk about the DTV ass-whippin' extravaganza that is the UNDISPUTED franchise, and how much they all love Scott Adkins. 2022-03-291h 13
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - Ti West's XWhile the boys continue to work out the Season 3 deets, they check out X at SXSW and then go on a bender of Ti West's peculiar brand of horror cinema. 2022-03-222h 00
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - The Batman (Feat. Robert Pattinson)We're in-between seasons, but that didn't stop the boys from bingeing a whole bunch of RPattz and then talking about his turn taking on the cape and cowl in Matt Reeves' THE BATMAN. In this Bonus Episode, we become vengeance!2022-03-082h 23
Secret HandshakeDealbreakers #4 - John Wick (Feat. Simon Abrams)Will somebody, please, get these boys some guns. Jacob and Marten square off against SH regular Simon Abrams, who unloads a full clip into the JOHN WICK franchise. But does he nuke the boys' minds? Tool up and find out.2022-03-011h 31
Secret HandshakeSpine #27 - The Texas Chain Saw MassacreFor the Season 2 finale, Jacob and Marten boil down nine Texas Chain Saw films (including the latest Netflix entry) to their disreputable essence and then shoot them directly into the main vein. Who will survive and what will be left of them? 2022-02-222h 08
Secret HandshakeSpine #26 - Leviathan Set the diving depth for schlock! For Spine #26, Jacob and Marten travel back to '89 and dissect the underwater horror boom that arrived in response to James Cameron's THE ABYSS. The brilliant filmic foam produced by this saltwater wave? George P. Cosmatos' goopy, mean creature feature, LEVIATHAN. 2022-02-151h 40
Secret HandshakeSpine #25 - JackassThe boys throw on some rocket skates and decide to jump the LA river with the greatest mondo stuntmen who ever lived. It's our JACKASS episode!2022-02-081h 35
Secret HandshakeSpine #24 - Urban Cowboy A "one for us" rabbit hole episode of the highest order, Jacob recommends the oeuvre of James Bridges to Marten, and much beer swilling, bull-riding, and fist-fighting occurs because of it. It's the mechanical bull extravaganza, URBAN COWBOY!2022-02-012h 04
Secret HandshakeDealbreakers #3 - TenetFor our latest barrage of bad takes, Cody thinks Chris Nolan's high-minded action movie COVID bomb is "dumb", causing Jacob and Marten to clutch their pearls. 2022-01-281h 04
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #16 - Simon Abrams (Shawscope Vol. 1)To celebrate the release of Arrow Films' massive Kung Fu cinema blu-ray set, Jacob and Marten invite NY Times writer, regular SH contributor, film programmer, and author of the Shawscope liner notes Simon Abrams to walk them through five classics the set contains. 2022-01-191h 22
Secret HandshakeSpine #23 - ScreamWhat's your favorite scary movie? Jacob and Marten go long on their love for Wes Craven, wrestle with their feelings about the SCREAM franchise as a whole, and then tackle the latest installment in the murderous trials and tribulations of Sidney Prescott, Gail Weathers, Deputy Dewey, and Ghostface. 2022-01-172h 12
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #15 - Casey Taylor (Boogie Nights)To go along with out massive MAGNOLIA episode, Jacob invited Defector, Vox, and Passion of the Weiss writer Casey Taylor on to talk about the magic of PTA's Valley porn epic, BOOGIE NIGHTS. Oh, yeah, Jacob and Casey are real life brothers, too, but we'll get to that in a minute. 2022-01-101h 11
Secret HandshakeSpine #22 - MagnoliaTo celebrate one of their favorite directors, Jacob and Marten commit almost three hours to Paul Thomas Anderson's operatic San Fernando Valley melodrama, MAGNOLIA. But why is Marten so resistant to the auteur's BIG emotions? Find out now. 2022-01-052h 43
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - Top 10 of 2021And that's a wrap on Secret Handshake's first year of existence. But what were the boys' favorite films of 2021? Jacob and Marten compare notes on the modern movies they watched in-between ingesting every cult classic under the sun.2022-01-031h 48
Secret HandshakeSpine #21 - Hooper For the final episode of 2021, Jacob and Marten wax on about the ultimate movie bromance: Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham. But why is the life of a Hollywood stuntman so thrilling? Crack some cold Coors and find out. 2021-12-212h 06
Secret HandshakeSpine #20 - The KindredOur 20th spine number sees wild tentacle abortion monsters being added to the Secret Handshake canon, as Jacob and Marten explore the slimy wonders of THE KINDRED, as well as the rest of Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carpenter's low budget horror output.2021-12-082h 05
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #14 - Liam O'Donnell (Deja Vu) Our brother in action (and aliens) Liam O'Donnell returns to talk Tony Scott, specifically his undervalued sci-fi Denzel Washington thrill ride, DEJA VU.2021-12-031h 16
Secret HandshakeSpine #19 - True Romance Y'all musta thought it was White Boy Day, huh? Cody's back in town for Thanksgiving and we're talkin' Tony Scott! The master of '90s disaster gets the Secret Handshake treatment as we dive into his timeless Tarantino collaboration, TRUE ROMANCE. 2021-12-011h 27
Secret HandshakeSpine #18 - King of New York Room service motherfuckers! This week, Jacob and Marten head to Abel Ferrara's grimy vision of New York City to watch Chris Walken battle cops and rival gangs as the iconic Frank Black. Get the shower ready, this is real gutter cinema.2021-11-231h 51
Secret HandshakeDealbreakers #2 - The Shawshank Redemption In the second installment of the Bad Opinions Podcast, Marten attempts to justify why he hates the seminal Stephen King prison picture. Cody and Jacob disagree.2021-11-151h 11
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - The Exhumed Films 24-Hour Horror Marathon XIV (Featuring Simon Abrams)The boys travel to beautiful Phoenixville, Pennsylvania and experience 25 hours of 35mm horror madness. With Special Guest Simon Abrams! 2021-11-101h 55
Secret HandshakeDealbreakers #1 - Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN IIThe antithesis of "Secret Handshake", "Dealbreakers" covers the movies opinions your friends hold that make you rethink your entire relationship. Kicking it off: Jacob says Zombie's slasher sequel is a masterwork. Cody and Marten do not concur.2021-10-311h 07
Secret HandshakeSpine #17 - Ride LonesomeThis week, Marten assigns Jacob a ton of homework as they explore the Ranown Cycle of Westerns that saw Budd Boetticher, Randolph Scott and Burt Kennedy churning out some of the best matinee gunfighter fare in the history of cinema. 2021-10-252h 03
Secret HandshakeSpine #16 - The CrowThis week, Cody returns to the pod and brings out the inner Goth teenager in both Jacob and Marten by making them revisit '90s supernatural revenge staple THE CROW.2021-10-1858 min
Secret HandshakeSpine #15 - Midnight Mass An early audible in Season Two sees Jacob and Marten tackling MIDNIGHT MASS and the terrifying film career of Mike Flanagan. Is this the best Stephen King adaptation (that's not actually based on a King novel?). Find out in super-sized Spine #15. 2021-10-112h 20
Secret HandshakeSpine #14 - Shakedown The start of a new Secret Handshake: Jacob and Marten usher in the series' second season with SHAKEDOWN, James Glickenhaus' ultraviolent NYC Grime two-handed buddy cop action extravaganza. Grab your Uzi, this one goes off the rails.2021-10-041h 44
Secret HandshakeSpine #13 - The Astrologer For the season finale, Jacob, Cody and Marten go long on Craig Denney's tough-to-see masterpiece of DIY outsider art. Psychedelia and Moody Blues tunes abound. 2021-09-291h 50
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #13 - Matthew Robbins (Director, The Legend of Billie Jean)In this installment, Jacob sits down with Matthew Robbins, director of THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN, about his work on that movie, as well as writing SUGARLAND EXPRESS for Steven Spielberg and even crafting the fantasy epic DRAGONSLAYER for Paramount Pictures.2021-08-271h 08
Secret HandshakeSpine #12 - The Legend of Billie JeanFair is fair! Jacob, Marten and Cody tackle the very best teen movie in existence and dissect how it might also be the very first #metoo movie ever. Helen Slater. Christian Slater. Keith Gordon. Fire up your motor scooters, we're headed to Texas!(Programming Note: this episode was originally recorded as "Spine #7" before we called an audible and did THE EMPTY MAN with David Prior at the last minute. Please excuse the odd mis-numbering in the intro.)2021-08-231h 54
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #12 - Rowdy Herrington (Writer/Director, Road House)Bonus Features are back baby! This week, Jacob talks to Rowdy Herrington, the writer/director of ROAD HOUSE, STRIKING DISTANCE and JACK'S BACK (among many others), about what it's like to be a blue collar Pittsburgh working boy who went Hollywood. Come for the Patrick Swayze stories, stay for Rowdy explaining why he loves working with James Spader so much. 2021-07-191h 24
Secret HandshakeSpine #11 - Point Break The boys took a few months off due to "life complications", but are back with one of the best action movies ever made: Kathryn Bigelow's mystical, violent, and utterly brilliant 1991 surfer/bank robber opus, POINT BREAK. 2021-07-061h 46
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #11 - Robert Harmon (Director, The Hitcher) This week, Jacob chats with Robert Harmon, director of the road horror all-timer THE HITCHER ('86), about everything from working with Charles Napier to Rutger Hauer to Jean-Claude Van Damme. Take a listen and remember: your mother always told you to never pick up strangers.2021-04-201h 02
Secret HandshakeSpine #10 - The Hitcher Jacob, Marten and Cody pick up Rutger Hauer and are subsequently terrorized by this stone classic of vehicular horror. Buckle up for two hours of deep dive analysis, Robert Harmon love, and bonus Vin Diesel trivia. 2021-03-222h 01
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #10 - Bobby Miller (Writer/Director The Cleanse/Critters Attack!)This week, Jacob shoots the shit with Bobby Miller, writer/director of THE CLEANSE and CRITTERS ATTACK! about the FRIDAY THE 13TH series. More specifically, they break down why JASON LIVES might be the very best entry in the franchise. Catch a machete to the face with these two dorks.2021-03-2155 min
Secret HandshakeSpine #9 - Killer Party Spine #9 is all about slasher movies, as Marten introduces Jacob and Cody to one of his deep cut dead teenager favorites. But is the body count high enough to warrant Face Melter status? Find out over the next 100 minutes.2021-03-151h 45
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #9 - Dan Fraga (Exhumed Films) This week, Jacob talks to Dan Fraga, master film curator and wild man emcee from the Philly/NJ collective Exhumed Films. The two take a stroll down memory lane while exploring the group's quarter century history of bringing rare, weird horror/exploitation celluloid to the most devoted cinema freaks.2021-03-121h 21
Secret HandshakeSpine #8 - Battle Royale For the eighth spine number in the Secret Handshake collection, Marten, Jacob and Cody choose their own weapons and duel to the death over Battle Royale: Kinji Fukasaku's extreme cinema classic that's still infamous to this day. Get ready for a bonkers verbal throw down that shows no mercy. 2021-03-081h 37
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #8 - Writer/Director David Prior (The Empty Man)For this very special edition of Bonus Features, Jacob and Marten talk to David Prior, the writer/director behind last year's criminally underseen horror picture THE EMPTY MAN. Over the course of our lengthy chat, David dives into his career as a special features pioneer during the the early days of DVD, and just what happened to his future cult classic at Disney/Fox.2021-03-041h 45
Secret HandshakeSpine #7 - The Empty ManJacob, Marten and Cody begin the back half of Season One by tossing out a programming curve ball: 2020's deathdrone epic, THE EMPTY MAN. But does David Prior's mishandled supernatural mystery already belong in the pantheon of great underseen art? Or did Fox and Disney do the right thing burying this idiosyncratic oddity? The boys hash it out. 2021-03-011h 20
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #7 - A Conversation With Blake Howard (One Heat Minute)This week, Jacob shoots the shit with Blake Howard - founder of One Heat Minute Productions, about all things Michael Mann (up to and including how BLACKHAT is a remake of MANHUNTER). Because who else but the man who spoke to the Mann himself? 2021-02-121h 13
Secret HandshakeBonus Episode - Sundance '21Jacob and Marten beamed a bunch of fest movies into their eyeballs and then spit out as many opinions as they could muster in a little over 100 minutes. What were some of their favorites from the fest? What did they hate? Is fest hype still a thing in the all-digital era? Find out now!2021-02-091h 48
Secret HandshakeSpine #6 - Manhunter The midway point of Season One brings a super stylish serial killer thriller from Michael Mann. But is this the best Hannibal Lecter adaptation to ever make it to the big screen screen? Jacob, Marten and Cody investigate.2021-02-081h 53
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #6 - A Conversation With Liam O'Donnell (Part II)In the second installment of our lengthy chat with the mastermind behind the SKYLINE series, Liam fills us in on what it took to make his wild space opera, SKYLINES, on another shoestring budget, and why James Cameron is one of his ultimate heroes.2021-02-061h 36
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #5 - A Conversation With Liam O'Donnell (Part I)Jacob sits down Liam O'Donnell, the mastermind of the SKYLINE series (and writer/director of BEYOND SKYLINE), to talk working with Frank Grillo, Iko Uwais, kaiju, and why BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA is his personal Secret Handshake Film.2021-02-051h 32
Secret HandshakeSpine #5 - The Last Dragon For Spine #5, Cody picks Berry Gordy and Michael Schultz's Motown-funded Blaxploitation martial arts epic. If you don't dig it, you can kiss our Converses.2021-02-011h 36
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #4 - A Conversation With Max Booth IIIThis week, we speak with Max Booth III, author of TOUCH THE NIGHT and THE NIGHTLY DISEASE, Editor of indie horror press Perpetual Motion Machine, and Executive Producer/Screenwriter of the upcoming film WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING. Over the course of our lengthy discussion, we cover indie horror, what it's like to make a feature film during a global pandemic, and why David Fincher's ZODIAC (2007) is his all-time favorite film. 2021-01-291h 34
Secret HandshakeSpine #4 - Cutter's WaySpine Four in the Secret Handshake Collection is Ivan Passer's bleak, melancholy LA neo noir, featuring a career best turn from John Heard and Jeff Bridges quietly adding another rogue to his eclectic gallery. But can something this sad also be a Certified Facemelter? Let's find out. 2021-01-251h 39
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #3 - Brian Saur (New Beverly Cinema's Pure Cinema Podcast)For our action cinema showcase, Jacob recruits Brian Saur (Just the Discs, The New Beverly's Pure Cinema Podcast, Rupert Pupkin Speaks) to pair five pictures with John Woo and Jean-Claude Van Damme's HARD TARGET ('93). Say goodbye to your sanity.2021-01-2252 min
Secret HandshakeSpine #3 - Hard TargetFor Spine #3, Marten selects John Woo and Jean-Claude Van Damme's total scorcher of an American pairing, as Lance Henriksen hunts homeless humans and Wilford Brimley spits indecipherable Cajun gibberish. A POO-POO TAN!2021-01-181h 43
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #2 - Six-String Samurai Filmmaker Lance MungiaFor our second round of bonus features, we speak with Lance Mungia, the writer/director/producer and all-around creative force behind hipster martial arts classic, SIX-STRING SAMURAI (1998). In fifty short minutes, you get a crash course on how an intensely personal vision got made on a shoestring budget during the '90s. So, turn on your favorite swing music and kick back, Lance is about to get bloody.2021-01-1555 min
Secret HandshakeSpine #2 - Six-String Samurai For the second spine in the SH collection, Cody selects Lance Mungia's DIY post-apocalyptic action freakout, starring Hong Kong stuntman Jeffrey Falcon as a blade-wielding Buddy Holly. But will Buddy become the King of Lost Vegas? More importantly: will Six-String Samurai be deemed a Certified Facemelter? Let's get swinging. 2021-01-111h 25
Bonus FeaturesBonus Features #1 - A Conversation With Joe R. LansdaleFor their first in-depth chat, Jacob and Marten spend some time on Zoom with Joe R. Lansdale (BUBBA HO-TEP, COLD IN JULY), covering everything from his prolific career as a horror author, to his time producing a HAP & LEONARD series for Sundance TV.2021-01-081h 24
Secret HandshakeSpine #1 - Rolling Thunder For the inaugural episode of Secret Handshake, Jacob picks John Flynn and Paul Schrader's total ripper of a 'Namsploitation revenge picture. Starring: Billy Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, and Linda Haynes, ROLLING THUNDER is one of the ultimate slices of savage Texas genre cinema. But is it a Certified Facemelter? Stay tuned.2020-12-071h 17