A new Split Tooth podcast about independent filmmaking where Aaron Bartuska interviews various DIY filmmakers about what keeps them creating.

Make More Movies: An Independent Film Podcast

Split Picks

Join a filmmaker (and sometimes film teacher) and a film teacher (and sometimes filmmaker) as they venture into the dark heart of their own befuddled relationship to culture, the youth, the internet, friendship, love, hate, time, space and, of course: *m*o*v*i*e*s*. Come hear what we see.

CINESTHESIA: BOOK ONE

Robert Delany and Bennett Glace join host Craig Wright to discuss a pair of later Stan Brakhage works that rarely receive the attention of earlier landmarks such as Mothlight (1963) or Window Water Baby Moving (1959). These films, one painted on film exploring the psychic effects of television (Delicacies of Molten Horror Synapse, 1990), the other shot on 16mm and produced shortly before Brakhage underwent surgery for bladder cancer (Commingled Containers, 1996), allow for discussions about how experimental cinema is taught in university settings and how to approach films that essentially challenge their viewers to unlearn everything they know about film viewing. Listen in and find out how these films demonstrate the range of this one-of-a-kind artist.

Split Picks: Stan Brakhage's 'Commingled Containers' vs. 'Delicacies of Molten Horror Synapse'

Arthouse Drive-In

Arthouse Drive-In Ep. 8: 'News From Home'

Are we all in a movie right now? Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One follows director William Greaves as he leads a cast and crew through a bewildering Central Park film production. They shoot take after take of the same odd scene, with constant interruptions from pedestrians and police officers, while Greaves' crew record their theories on what exactly is going on with their director. In doing so, William Greaves created a completely original film that cannot be recreated.

Robert and T discuss the trials and tribulations faced by Greaves throughout his career, and work through the one-of-a-kind structure he helped foster in Symbiopsychotaxiplasm. The further our hosts move into Greaves' experimental masterpiece, the more questions they have. Pull into the drive-in to hear all about it!

AHDI Season 1

Arthouse Drive-In Ep. 9: 'Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 1' (1968)

In the first two-part Split Picks, Robert Delany, Bennett Glace, and host Craig Wright take a deep look at two Martin Scorsese films that share little on the surface. The first, The King of Comedy (1982), features a Scorsese/Robert De Niro pairing that follows a wannabe comedian who takes a chance encounter with his hero to the ultimate extreme. The upcoming second episode focuses on Silence (2016), the third religious epic of Scorsese's career. Though 1980s comedians and 17th Century Christian missionaries in Japan share few similarities, Rob, Bennett, and Craig explore the filmmaker's traits that appear across his body of work and link these films with those of his mob epics.

Split Picks: Scorsese Pt. 1: 'The King of Comedy'

In the second Split Picks devoted to Martin Scorsese, Bennett Glace, Robert Delany, and Craig Wright conclude their talk about the director's career with a deep look at his 2016 film Silence. Based on Shusaku Endo's 1966 novel about Catholic missionaries attempting to spread their religion to Japan, Scorsese's third religious epic follows Fathers Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Garupe (Adam Driver) who enter the country to track down their old teacher, Ferreiro (Liam Neeson), who is rumored to have renounced his religion.

Listen to the concluding episode to find out how Silence relates to their prior talk about The King of Comedy, how Scorsese's adaptation stands up to Masahiro Shinoda's adaptation, and hear who Bennett accuses of Scorsese apostasy.

Split Picks: Scorsese Pt. 2: 'Silence'

Split picks kicks off a special series devoted to four iconic American horror directors by examining two should-be-classic Hooper films. 

Bennett Glace and Jim Hickcox help Craig kick off a special new series for October Horror about the four most iconic American horror directors, or Mount Rushgore, if you will. We begin with Tobe Hooper, best known as the director of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and as the director Steven Spielberg replaced on Poltergeist. Jim and Bennett are bringing some of their favorite Hooper films to the Split Picks arena with Lifeforce (1985) and Spontaneous Combustion (1990).

Together they discuss a vampiric melodrama about a naked space lady who wreaks havoc on Earth, and they make the case for Brad Dourif and his explosive performance being among horror's finest. Together, they argue why Tobe Hooper belongs in the pantheon of American horror directors for more than just Texas Chain Saw.

Split Picks: Tobe Hooper's 'Lifeforce' vs. 'Spontaneous Combustion'

Split Tooth Media's October Horror series returns Monday, Oct. 4. All month we will have essays about some of our favorite horror films all the way from the House of the Devil to the shores of Party Beach. 

This year Split Picks will examine the works of four canonical American horror directors — John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and George A. Romero. Tune in every Friday for new episodes about some should-be-classic films. 

Let's get spooky, once again.

October Horror 2021 Trailer

Split Picks concludes its series on the American horror greats with two early films by George A. Romero. Each week in October, Split Picks has dedicated an episode to the four titans of American horror directors — Tobe Hooper; John Carpenter; Wes Craven — and for the final episode, we turn to the Zombie Father Of The Dead, George A. Romero. Bennett Glace returns for his third horror episode and Snow Lietta makes her podcast debut in this matchup of two early Romero films: 1973's Season of the Witch (aka Jack's Wife, or the perplexing Hungry Wives) and his mid-career masterpiece, Martin (1978). We also take a short detour to The Amusement Park, Romero's newly released posthumous film.

Join us as we close out the series and learn a bit about Pennsylvania's finest, what witchcraft in the modern day looks like, and whether Martin truly is a vampire.

October Horror

Split Picks: George A. Romero's 'Season of the Witch' Vs. 'Martin'

What's that on the air? Did you hear the baying moan of something almost human in the distance? Did you catch the scent of woodsmoke and viscera, dancing on the wind? It's time again for all that you most fear to rise up in your path. But hold fast — fear is the mind killer. Or so we heard somewhere. Didn't somebody say that? Was it Shakespeare? Kierkegaard? Dick Van Patten? Well, no matter who said it, we live it, bud. Join the Cinesthesia Boys as they get real messy and gross to no functional purpose whatsoever. Trick or treat, you kings of New England, you absolute brick outhouses!!!

Join a filmmaker (and sometimes film teacher) and a film teacher (and sometimes filmmaker) as they venture into the dark heart of their own befuddled relationship to culture, the youth, the internet, friendship, love, hate, time, space and, of course: *m*o*v*i*e*s*. Come hear what we see.

CINESTHESIA is produced by Iguanodonald Studios and distributed by Split Tooth Media. Music for CINESTHESIA is generously provided by the greatest bands that have ever been, The Coctails, Soft Healer, and Misters Presidents.

THE CINESTHESIA PODCAST

DEAD MEN TALK: The Cinesthesia 2021 Halloween Special

To celebrate Split Tooth Media's fourth birthday, Split Picks looks at the evolution of late-career Jim Jarmusch. Robert Delany, a devout Jarmusch fan, brings The Limits of Control (2009) to the Split Picks arena, while Bennett Glace, a skeptic who once rated Down By Law a measly two stars, leads a reevaluation of the star-studded zombie comedy The Dead Don't Die (2017). The conversation centers on how Jarmusch's films have changed through the years and how his peculiarities differentiate his modern films from his classic early works. 

So sing happy birthday to Split Tooth and listen up as we talk about the highs and lows of one of America's finest independent filmmakers. Thank you for reading, listening, and following Split Tooth over these first four years!

Split Picks: Jim Jarmusch's 'Limits of Control' Vs. 'The Dead Don't Die'

Split Picks chose to focus on Italian horror directors for this year's October Horror series mainly because of their penchant for convincing practical gore effects. That's where Lucio Fulci comes in. Known as the "Godfather of Gore," Fulci's films relish every drop of blood, pierced eyeball and regurgitated organ. Fulci is best known for his films Zombie, The Beyond, and the Gates of Hell trilogy — City of the Living Dead, The Beyond, The House By The Cemetery.  His work extends across decades and genres, but horror is where he crafted his most unforgettable moments.

With Frankie Vanaria leading the portion on 1981's The House By The Cemetery and Bennett Glace taking us through the depths of Fulci's mind for 1990's Cat In The Brain, Split Picks looks at two films from the director that operate in different frames of mind. Cemetery follows a family in Massachusetts as they uncover secrets buried in their house. Cat In The Brain stars Fulci as a version of himself in which the awful images from his films have begun to haunt him — but can a career in horror actually make someone a murderer?

In addition to the highs and lows of Fulci's style, Bennett, Craig, and Frankie also discuss bad haircuts and dubbing, Cat In The Brain's confusing reputation, and Bennett reveals a years-long prank he pulled on another podcast — and missed the opportunity to monetize.

Split Picks: Lucio Fulci's 'The House By The Cemetery' Vs. 'Cat In The Brain'

To ring in the holidays, Snow Lietta hosts a special new series on Christmas horror films. Up first is a look at two contemporary films about demon Santas. 

An old-world Santa emerging from an ancient mountain grave. An Americanized Krampus summoned by lost hope. Who will win in this Christmas monster match-up? Snow Lietta is joined by filmmaker and Cinesthesia host Jim Hickcox to discuss 'Krampus' (2015) and 'Rare Exports' (2010) in this creepy Christmas podcast. Season’s Bleedings!

With Adam Scott, Toni Collette, and David Koechner, 'Krampus' follows a young boy (Emjay Anthony) who has lost his faith in Christmas. In doing so, he summons the evil Krampus, his minions, and a blizzard like no other. With an awkward dynamic between in-laws, the family has to find a way to keep Krampus away or suffer his consequences.

In 'Rare Exports,' a mining project in Finland uncovers a Christmas miracle — a creature appearing to be the real Santa Claus. But soon, a young farm boy, Pietari (Omni Tommila), and his father (Jorma Tommila) face off against an army of elves aiming to revive Santa to his full-powered glory.

'Krampus' Vs 'Rare Exports': Snow's Season's Bleedings

Split Picks finds the holiday spirit with a look at two episodes from the BBC's A Ghost Story For Christmas tradition.

No one would actually take something from a grave with an ominous warning written on it and then proceed to put said item in their mouth, right? Split Picks is back to give a definitive answer: no. But as author M.R. James and the BBC would have you believe, there is at least one person who would risk it all in the name of disbelieving superstition. Though ghosts and Christmas time may conjure images of A Christmas Carol, in the 1960s and 1970s, the BBC aired a yearly ghost story, often adapted from James stories at the holidays. With Bennett Glace and special guest, director of Mickey Dogface, Zach Fleming, they discuss the classic A Ghost Story For Christmas entires Whistle And I'll Come To You (1968) and The Treasure of Abbot Thomas (1974).

In Whistle, a growling professor on holiday finds some souvenirs come with risks. It also proves that horror is sometimes at its most effective when at its simplest and most elemental. In Abbot Thomas, a clergyman and his student seek the hidden treasure from an alchemist who left behind clues about his alleged fortune. Once discovered, the clergyman meets the goopiest entity in the BBC ghost canon.

Are the M.R. James original stories superior to their adaptations? Did the series reboot in the 2010s live up to the originals? Will Bennett's streak of saying "Lynchian" in every episode finally come to an end?

Split Picks: 'Whistle And I'll Come To You' Vs. 'The Treasure of Abbot Thomas'

It’s not Stuart Gordon’s best Lovecraft adaptation, but Masters of Horror’s sophomore efforts gives your favorite sophomoric podcasters plenty to discuss.

It’s time for a trip to ye olde Rhode Island on the latest (Pod)Casters of Horror as Bennett and Jim discuss the first of Stuart Gordon’s episodes, an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's The Dreams in the Witch House. Walter (Ezra Godden) begins having horrible dreams of a witch and a rat-faced man. Give it a listen to hear Bennett’s thoughts on the difference between hitting yourself in the head versus hitting your head on something and much, much more. 

Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

(pod)Casters of Horror

(pod)Casters of Horror: 'Dreams In The Witch House' (Stuart Gordon) Ep. 2

Tobe Hooper has done it again. On the latest (Pod)Casters of Horror, Bennett and Jim argue that Dance of the Dead is a late-career triumph.

Masters of Horror doesn’t have the best reputation and perhaps no episode has attracted more derision than Tobe Hooper’s post-apocalyptic Dance of the Dead. Among the most nü-metal pieces of media ever created, Dance of the Dead follows a post-nuclear war town with drugged-up teenagers looking for thrills. Featuring Robert Englund as a twisted night club emcee, it’s the first episode of the series to truly feel like a nightmare that you can’t see on network TV.

Unsurprisingly, Bennett and Jim find plenty to love in the episode. They sing the praises of Robert Englund’s go-for-broke performance, the scuzzy mise-en-scene, and Hooper’s total disinterest in narrative. It’s another late-career triumph from one of the best to ever do it. 

Listen for yourself.

(pod)Casters of Horror: 'Dance of the Dead' (Tobe Hooper) Ep. 3

Yowza! Put the kids to bed before you check out the latest (pod)Casters of Horror. Dario Argento keeps it spooky and sexy in his underrated installment

Steven Weber (Dracula: Dead and Loving It) gets in way over his head during Dario Argento’s Jenifer. After saving a young girl's life, he finds she has a unique appetite that puts everyone around her in danger. 

With queasy sexuality and relentless momentum, the giallo master proves that his mid-aughts are just as interesting as any period in his career. All that’s missing is an appearance from Asia Argento!

Listen to the conversation before you check out the episode for yourself.

Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

(pod)Casters of Horror: 'Jenifer' (Dario Argento) Ep. 4

It’s an undead orgy on this fun yet frivolous episode which sees John McNaughton fill in for George Romero in the director’s chair. The penultimate episode of Season 1 finds 'Masters of Horror' looking more like “Goosebumps for adults” than ever. Its title character finds himself confronting horrible truths about the ways love and lust can endure after death. 

Bennett and Jim wonder what the Haeckel estate must think of this strange tale, ask which periods Jon Polito could realistically live in, and discuss McNaughton’s classic 'Wild Things.' 

Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

(pod)Casters of Horror: 'Haeckel's Tale' (John McNaughton) Ep. 12

Imprint scared Showtime’s censors enough to pull it from the release schedule. Even our seasoned podcasters have to admit it’s pretty grim.

Takashi Miike is back to his old tricks with Imprint. It’s got gore, grotesqueries, and all sorts of torture. Bennett and Jim also found it far more atmospheric than your average Season 1 episode. 

As with last year’s look at Miike on Split Picks, our hosts admire Miike’s craft while occasionally wincing at some of his more excessive decisions. Imprint has plenty of images that still surprise in 2024 and must’ve been utterly scandalous almost 20 years ago. 

Not sure you can handle Imprint? Skip watching it and listen to Bennett and Jim’s discussion instead.

Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

(pod)Casters of Horror: 'Imprint' (Takashi Miike) Ep. 13

Rather than bore listeners with the details of their miraculous escape, Bennett and Jim share their end-of-season reflections and rankings of the entire first season of Showtime's Masters of Horror. 

Created by Mick Garris, Masters of Horror was a two-season series on Showtime that challenged genre legends to create an hour-long horror film. Follow along as Bennett and Jim are forced to spend no more than 20 minutes discussing each episode from the first season of the series or face a room full of poisonous gas.

(pod)Casters of Horror: Wrapup and Rankings of Season 1

Split Picks is back to venture into dream worlds and nightmares from one of the modern master of horror's great franchises.

Well, Split Picks aimed to record an episode every month this year. But things got busy, OK? So Jim Hickcox is once again in the host throne to field Split Picks' first international call. 

Terry Chiu (Open Doom Crescendo and Mangoshake director), and Mark Hanson of the Bay Street Video Podcast call in from Canada. Together, Split Picks heads into the Further to talk about the first two Insidious films. When Jim and Terry spoke earlier this year, Terry promised watching Insidious and Insidious 2 back-to-back was the ultimate cinematic experience. The narratives collide in ways that few franchises manage to achieve successfully. So everyone watched them as a pair and have gathered to report back to see if Terry's promises holds up. 

The creator of the Saw, Conjuring and Insidious franchises, plus Malignant and Dead Silence (and don't forget Aquaman and Furious 7), James Wan has earned his title as the most influential modern director of horror. With Insidious and Insidious 2, Wan follows a family that comes to realize their new house may be haunted. Along the way they encounter mysterious dream worlds, lost souls, and a team of paranormal experts who may help them escape their situation. 

Throughout, the crew debate Wan's standing in horror by diving deep into how his strengths — and his lesser tendencies — became so influential.

Split Picks: James Wan's 'Insidious' Vs. 'Insidious: Chapter 2'

Split Picks reemerges to sift through two classic SOV horrors from director Gary P. Cohen. A mysterious tape left in a small town video store's dropbox leads to the shop's owner becoming immersed in an underground ring of homemade murder tapes in Gary P. Cohen's Video Violence (1987). The town's love for violence only grows more outlandish in the 1988 sequel, Video Violence 2. The chief killers, Howard and Eli, invade the airwaves with pirate broadcasts that show submitted tapes of gruesome killings from their most loyal viewers.

Vincent Albarano and Aaron Bartuska make their Split Picks debuts to talk about all things Cohen and shot-on-video horror. Albarano is the author of Aesthetic Deviations, A Critical View of American Shot-On-Video horror, 1984-1994. Bartuska, a filmmaker (watch The Yardley Boys) and film teacher, recently spoke with Cohen for a career-spanning interview. With host Craig Wright, they spend some time with the hosts of the Howard and Eli Show and their gruesome tape collection.

Split Picks: Gary P. Cohen's 'Video Violence' Vs. 'Video Violence 2'

Frank Henenlotter is no stranger to capturing misfits, oddballs, and mutated figures on film, but he always manages to find the humanity in each of them. His unique avant-gutter exploitation cinema has resulted in memorable characters and brutal moments, but he embraces the deadly and unpredictable sides that his creations offer.

Duane and Belial, the once-conjoined twins who shocked Times Square in Basket Case (1982), are back in Basket Case 2 (1990). They find a new home in a mansion of misfits, but the press is after them and closing in. Bad Biology (2008) follows a woman with seven clitori and an insatiable — sometimes murderous — sex drive, and has mutant babies moments after the act; her path collides with a man who has an uncontrollable, brain-controlling, drug-addled penis. This is a genuine weird film for those seeking something they've never seen before — or could even imagine exists.

Our host Jim Hickcox is joined by filmmakers and film teachers Steve Collins and film Spencer Parsons.

Maybe don't listen to this episode at work...

Split Picks: Frank Henenlotter's 'Basket Case 2' Vs. 'Bad Biology'

From The Norwegian Drillbit Massacre through Oslo Terror, Xposure Video's debut release collects Møller's films together for the first time.

At age 15, Jon Christian Møller and some friends created a shot-on-video splatter film about a power-tool-wielding zombie's murder spree called The Norwegian Drillbit Massacre (1988). The short is full of stomach-busting practical effects and a firecracker-loaded climax. It has since become his best known film, but over a prolific two-year stretch, Møller and his friends made three short films — Drillbit, Cannibal Massacre, and I Hate You (Kill or Die) — and one feature film, The Oslo Terror. These films are exercises in homemade gore effects, stolen soundtracks, and stunts that are more extreme than they probably needed to be.

For the first time, these four films are available together on DVD as Videogore: The films of J.C. Møller through Xposure Video, the new label founded by C.B. Cobb and Split Tooth's Vincent Albarano. Craig Wright, Aaron Bartuska, and Albarano team up for another October Horror Split Picks episode to discuss these Norwegian splatter films, and, more specifically, Albarano's direct role in bringing these films to a new audience. As Albarano describes, these are "four jaw droppingly sick dispatches so vile they only could have been made by jovial adolescents."

Listen to hear the origin story behind Xposure Video, the common threads running through each of J.C. Møller's films, and what it took to track down and release these films.

Split Picks: Videogore: The Films of J.C. Moller

A new podcast from Split Tooth Media about independent filmmakers where Aaron Bartuska interviews various DIY filmmakers about what keeps them creating. In this episode, we dive deep into Avalon Fast's career, covering topics like what happens after your film sees festival success and why warm weather is overrated.

If you were to stumble upon Avalon Fast’s website knowing nothing about the filmmaker, the first things you would see are her name and credentials, a picture of her on set with her friends, and the words “GIRL HORROR” in boldface font. There’s perhaps no better thesis statement for Fast’s body of work than that initial welcome. This past weekend, her sophomore feature CAMP (2025) screened as the centerpiece film at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. The festival is known for defying audience expectation, but you’d think it safe to surmise that all of the films screening in their lineup would at the very least fall within the general confines of the horror genre. When I spoke to Fast a few weeks before the screening, she seemed uncertain how her film would be received in regard to its supposed genre — despite the bold proclamation on her homepage. “I’m curious to see if the world will define CAMP that way," Fast said. "It definitely seems like that’s where it’s been programmed. CAMP is fantasy. It’s genre. Is it horror? I don’t know.” She feels the same about Honeycomb (2022), her debut feature and her most widely seen work. The film, a DIY surrealist dreamscape about a group of girls who take to the woods to start their own society, premiered at the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival and was quickly pigeonholed in a similar way. The majority of Fast’s short films also tend to lean toward the macabre, but the complex themes they explore make them hard to classify as run-of-the-mill genre fare. She has embraced the label, but that doesn’t mean she won’t challenge it. “I like stories that are dark in that way. I think I’m just naturally attracted to that. Why? That’s something that I’m asking myself every time I make a movie.”

Be sure to read Aaron's full career overview of Fast's work: https://www.splittoothmedia.com/avalon-fast/

Hosted and produced by Aaron Bartuska
Music by Will DiNola

Make More Movies

Make More Movies: Avalon Fast (Ep. 1)

Make More Movies is a podcast where Aaron Bartuska asks DIY filmmakers what keeps them creating. This episode is with guest Anthony Leroy.  

Anthony Leroy turned 30 earlier this year. In a post commemorating this milestone while simultaneously promoting his newest film, the filmmaker said that he had never really felt sure of himself as an artist until the past year. Now that he has found his voice, the decade ahead looks promising. “I’m ready for every challenge, every hiccup and I feel so honoured to be able to make tasty trash,” he wrote on Letterboxd. This particular brand of tasty trash also happens to be consistent. Since December 2023, Leroy has released five short horror films — four of which were shot on video in that same span of time. I came across one of Leroy’s shorts toward the end of last year and was shocked to discover just how productive Leroy had been in a 12-month span: not only had he made an entire SOV trilogy following the same murderous antagonist, he had also released an impressive high-concept horror short that achieved widespread praise and popularity on YouTube. When I checked up on his progress only a week later, he had already announced BUM (2025), an ambitious new found-footage film that would clock in as his longest project to date. The guy showed no signs of slowing down.

Read Aaron's written profile of Leroy and his work here: 
https://www.splittoothmedia.com/anthony-leroy/

Make More Movies: Anthony Leroy (Ep. 2)

Aidan Cronin explores the things that confuse him. Like so many artists, he is on the often frustrating but sometimes freeing journey for answers to what very well could be unanswerable questions. Unlike a lot of artists, he doesn’t restrict himself to just one medium. He explores these questions through poetry — as seen in the stanza above and the ones throughout this piece, ripped directly from the 2023 archives of his notes app. He recently began exploring through painting, although most of his acrylic work has yet to be seen by the public. His main vehicle for artistic exploration over the past eight years has been film. As for the things that confuse him? Well, in his own words, Cronin seeks to “examine the cyclical banality of our continued existence.” Listen to our conversation here, and read my full profile on Cronin's work at Split Tooth Media.

Make More Movies is a new podcast from Split Tooth Media about independent filmmakers where Aaron Bartuska interviews various DIY filmmakers about what keeps them creating.

Be sure to read Aaron's full career overview of Cronin's work: 
https://www.splittoothmedia.com/aidan-cronin/

Hosted and produced by Aaron Bartuska
Music by Will DiNola

Make More Movies: Aidan Cronin (Ep. 3)

What is a bad movie? When does the fun start? How did David Cronenberg make a room full of nineteen-year-olds cry? Who *really* killed Abraham Lincoln? Why do birds suddenly appear every time Tippi Hedren is near? The Cinesthesia Boys answer virtually none of these questions, in any way, at all. Who are the Cinesthesia Boys? They're Jim Hickcox and Jason Michelitch! That was an easy one. 

Join a filmmaker(and sometimes film teacher) and a film teacher (and sometimes filmmaker) as they venture into the dark heart of their own befuddled relationship to culture, the youth, the internet, friendship, love, hate, time, space and, of course: *m*o*v*i*e*s*

CINESTHESIA is produced by Iguanodonald Studios and distributed by Split Tooth Media. Music for Cinesthesia is generously provided by the greatest bands that have ever been, The Coctails and Soft Healer.

CINESTHESIA

"Tommy Wiseau's Lincoln" — CINESTHESIA Chapter 1

Time travel, mouths covered in plastic, fish-based revenge and another drive-by Cronenberg mention. Join the Cinesthesia Boys, Jim Cine and Jason Sthesia, as they get more talking done about bad movies, ironic appreciation, which Nolan brother is Mama Nolan's favorite and the ideal iteration of Jaws V: Sharks Hold a Grudge. It's another certified classic fresh from the presses (we call our mouths "presses" because we press them against each other, when we kiss!)!!

Join a filmmaker (and sometimes film teacher) and a film teacher (and sometimes filmmaker) as they venture into the dark heart of their own befuddled relationship to culture, the youth, the internet, friendship, love, hate, time, space and, of course: *m*o*v*i*e*s*. Come hear what we see.

CINESTHESIA is produced by Iguanodonald Studios and distributed by Split Tooth Media. Music for Cinesthesia is generously provided by the greatest bands that have ever been, The Coctails, Soft Healer and Misters Presidents.

Cinesthesia

"Kill Me With Your Fish" — CINESTHESIA Chapter 2

Stephen's attempt to take back his novel from Stanley Kubrick, this miniseries doesn't really work at all because it is a cranky argument instead of a movie, but it is an interesting argument to talk about for a minute. The boys discuss good actors being ill-used and rain down spite upon Mick Garris.

Join a filmmaker (and sometimes film teacher) and a film teacher (and sometimes filmmaker) as they venture into the dark heart of their own befuddled relationship to culture, the youth, the internet, friendship, love, hate, time, space and, of course: *m*o*v*i*e*s*. Come hear what we see.

Hell to the King

Hell To The King 26: 'Stephen King's The Shining' (1997)— Cinesthesia

The Boys have been missing in action — wandering through the submerged depths of spacetime, the dead zones of material consciousness — but they ride the bathyscaphe up through the cracks in reality's sidewalk and surface with brain bubbles full of hot takes on Cyborgs and Spielbergs. Welcome back to Cinesthesia. Get your surfboards ready: This tide is only rising. Coming Feb. 24: HALLOWEEN HANGOVER!

Join a filmmaker (and sometimes film teacher) and a film teacher (and sometimes filmmaker) as they venture into the dark heart of their own befuddled relationship to culture, the youth, the internet, friendship, love, hate, time, space and, of course: *m*o*v*i*e*s*. Come hear what we see.

CINESTHESIA is produced by Iguanodonald Studios and distributed by Split Tooth Media. Music for Cinesthesia is generously provided by the greatest bands that have ever been, The Coctails and Soft Healer.

"Much Love, The Sloppy Justice Robots" — Cinesthesia Chapter 3

They just can't stop! Jim and Jason could talk about literally anything they want, but their brains are permanently trapped in the world of tricks and treats. This week, The Boys take a scattershot look at the convoluted history of one Michael "Halloween is my middle name" Halloween Myers, the once and future king of slashers, who is also maybe a puppet of Celtic witchcraft and an absentee father? Carve those pumpkins, kids, it's time for a Halloween Hangover.

NEXT EPISODE: More Halloween Hangover!!! Part 2 of [??!?] WHEN WILL THE MADNESS STOP P P PPP

Join a filmmaker (and sometimes film teacher) and a film teacher (and sometimes filmmaker) as they venture into the dark heart of their own befuddled relationship to culture, the youth, the internet, friendship, love, hate, time, space and, of course: *m*o*v*i*e*s* Twitter: @cinesthesiapod

"Michael Myers Sheds a Tear" — Cinesthesia Chapter 4

With their heads still swimming in pumpkin guts, The Boys try to cure their Halloween Hangover by plunging into the films of William "The Exorcist" Blatty. Will Jim and Jason find salvation in his particular and peculiar brand of (very) Catholic pulp-existentialist horror? Find out as The Boys discuss The Ninth Configuration (1980), also known as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane," also known as "The Actual Exorcist II," also known as the funniest movie ever made about the fear of dying alone in outer space after discovering there is no god. TAKE US TO CHURCH!

"The Passion of Cpl. Klinger" — Cinesthesia Chapter 5

This time it's personal. Jason Thesia digs into Jim Cine's deep dark past to answer the question on the burning tip of everyone's tongue. Wait, do we all have one collective tongue? Is this a Jungian thing? Do we have a Jung Tongue? Weird. Anyway, the burning question: what the hell is up with Jim? Why is he *like that*? You know what I mean. Don't pretend you haven't asked yourself the same thing. But we're all gonna get to the bottom of it together, in this Special Origin Story Episode of Cinesthesia. The Jim Knight Begins! 

Featuring drive-by namechecks of avant-garde filmmakers, 1980s downtown jazz musicians, film scholars Scott MacDonald and Ray Carney, and a brief discussion of whether Jackie Brown is the only good Quentin Tarantino film (spoiler: yes). PLUS, bonus Halloween Hangover content. This one is chock full of nuts!!!!

"Clark Gable Telling Errol Flynn a Poop Joke" — CINESTHESIA Chapter Eight

It’s goodbye for real this time as the boys discuss the controversial animated film that began life as a script by Jacques Tati. American critics generally welcomed Sylvain Chomet’s The Illusionist in 2010. Based on a script by Tati and featuring his likeness, the film earned an Academy Award nomination, several Annie Award nominations and, best of all, a Golden Globe nomination. Purists and members of Tati’s family were decidedly less fond of the film. Jonathan Rosenbaum and Roger Ebert both received emails from one of Tati’s grandchildren calling The Illusionist an affront to his legacy and “a sabotage” of his original script. Tune in to this week’s Reel Rap to hear Shane and Bennett discuss that legacy, wonder aloud about that original script and express mixed feelings about Chomet’s film.

Season 7: Jacques Tati

Reel Rap: Tati and 'The Illusionist' (2010)

The Reel Rap boys are howling into the mics this time around as they discuss Mike Nichols’ baffling 'Wolf.' I know what you’re thinking, “Jack Nicholson going wolf-mode?” That’s gotta be good!” Think again, buddy!

Sometimes a movie’s cast, crew, and premise are just too good to be true. That’s definitely the case with 1994’s Wolf. The film not only promises lycanthropic, Tex Avery antics from Jack Nicholson and James Spader, but features a Michelle Pfeiffer performance, an Ennio Morricone score, sets from Academy Award winner Bo Welch, and uncredited rewrites from the one and only Elaine May. Somehow, all these great chefs cook up a pretty dismal pot of bisque. Instead of subjecting yourself to Wolf, listen to Shane and Bennett discuss Jack Nicholson’s lackadaisical run, Rick Baker’s worst stab at creature effects, and the several eras of James Spader’s career.

October Horror 2020

Reel Rap: Mike Nichols' 'Wolf' (1994)

Join Rob and T as they plunge into the world of arthouse cinema and peel back the layers of the avant-garde onion. In the inaugural episode of Split Tooth Media's newest podcast, Robert Delany guides his geologist cousin, T, into the world of cinema beginning with Chris Marker's dystopian, sci-fi masterpiece, La Jetée (1962). Rob covers the history of the film and Marker's career. T provides a quick summary of the post-WWIII still-image classic and gives his first impressions of art films. Pull up to the Arthouse Drive-In, park your car, and settle in as Rob and T peel back the layers of the avant-garde onion. 

New episodes will be released every Monday. Next up: Richard Williams' 'The Thief and the Cobbler: Recobbled Cut.'

Season 1

Arthouse Drive-In Ep. 1: 'La Jetée'

SPLIT PICKS returns to examine two films that find the Coen Brothers at their cruelest and their most compassionate 

When two writers selected two separate Coen Brothers films to write about within in a matter of days of each other, the coincidence made for the perfect reason to resurrect Split Picks, the first podcast series Split Tooth Media produced.

Looking at two wildly different Coen Brothers films, the dark romantic comedy Intolerable Cruelty (2003) and the fictional folk music biopic Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), host Craig Wright, film scholar Frankie Vanaria, and filmmaker Steve Collins discuss how the Coens work with genre, how they weave film and music together, and whether they are at their strongest in comedies or dramas — or if there's a distinction between the two at all.

Head to www.splittoothmedia.com to read Steve's and Frankie's essays about "Inside Llewyn Davis" and "Intolerable Cruelty."

Split Picks: The Coen Brothers' 'Intolerable Cruelty' vs. 'Inside Llewyn Davis'

Spooky season might be over, but we're bringing it back for Orson Welles' interpretation of a Shakespeare classic. In this episode of Arthouse Drive-In focusing on MacBeth (1948) by Orson Welles, Robert and T are joined by their first guest, the one and only Matt Cohen, a horror connoisseur from Robert’s grad school days at NYU. Matt uses his extensive knowledge on all things Orson Welles to offset T’s initial skepticism, while Robert sits on the sidelines eating popcorn.

Robert dives into the history of one of the most famous American artists of all time, and explores how a production on a shoe-string budget managed to create a technical masterpiece. Matt details Welles’ obsession with the classics and describes how he was able to put his distinct signature on an already famous piece of English literature. T describes why Welles comes off as a bit of an arrogant blowhard, but is open to learning more about the man and his style.

If you learned about Shakespeare and MacBeth in school and feel like watching this adaptation would be a waste of time, you’re in for a treat, bucko! Welles went off script while incubating this Shakespearean egg into a free-range, theatre-to-theater, cinematic chicken. Pull up, park your car, and get comfy for this next installment of our avant-garde journey.

Arthouse Drive-In Ep. 4: Orson Welles' 'Macbeth'

Split Tooth Media is an independent publication based in Portland, Oregon, that still believes in long-form journalism and in-depth podcasts about music and film. Home of "Split Picks," a head-to-head showdown series about the career trajectories of filmmakers and musicians, created by Craig Wright; Jim Hickcox and Jason Michelitch's film criticism series "Cinesthesia;" and Rob Delany and 'T' Trimble's guide to exploring the world of art cinema with "Arthouse Drive-In."

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