Split Picks

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'

Bennett and Jim reenter the Split Picks arena to stand up for two of Craven's oft-forgotten horror films. With Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter in the books, Split Picks shifts to Wes Craven and his three horror epoch-shifting films, his greatest successes and shortcomings as a director, and two films with plots far too complex to explain here. But in their talk of Incubi and a channel-surfing mass murderer who failed to land a franchise, Jim, Bennett, and Craig venture deep into what makes Craven's films unique, influential, and so ripe for studio interference.

This week's matchup pits Deadly Blessing (1981) against Shocker (1989).

In Deadly Blessing, a small religious community tries to keep all outsiders, technology, and the dreaded incubus away from their farmlands. Shocker finds Craven attempting to make a killer so scary that Freddy Krueger would have to be retired. Do either succeed? Listen to Split Picks to find out which film reins supreme.

Split Picks October Horror

Split Picks: Wes Craven's 'Deadly Friend' Vs. 'Shocker'

Split Picks continues its look into the four American titans of horror. After discussing Tobe Hooper last week, John Carpenter takes his turn in the spotlight. Filmmaker Steve Collins and actor John Merriman join Craig to talk about Carpenter in the '90s. Steve brings In The Mouth of Madness (1994); John brings John Carpenter's Vampires (1998).

They talk about Carpenter's attraction to distilled evil on film, how the lovably average working man powers his films, and how his simplistic soundtracks power his films. John, Steve, and Craig pick their ideal spinoff-films from characters introduced in In The Mouth of Madness on their way into the heart of Hobb's End. On Vampires, they break down the pairing of James Woods and Daniel Baldwin as vampire-hunting stars, they contemplate a few of its miscalculations, and how the film is the closest we have to a Carpenter Western film.

Split Picks Horror

Split Picks: John Carpenter's 'In The Mouth of Madness' Vs. 'Vampires'

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'

Clint Eastwood has cut an iconic on-screen figure for longer than almost anyone. The lean, sneering Western star made his name in front of the camera on TV’s Rawhide, and as The Man With No Name for Sergio Leone. His second career as a director, often directing himself, has made Eastwood an icon twice over and seen him helm more bonafide classics than almost anyone.

On the latest episode of Split Picks, Eastwood enthusiasts Bennett Glace and Michael Glover Smith discuss probably the two least-seen of Clint Eastwood’s many directorial triumphs: Bronco Billy (1980) and Honkytonk Man (1982).

Both films star Eastwood as struggling artists and send him out on the road alongside a makeshift family. Bronco Billy’s title character, William McCoy, serves as “head ramrod” for an old-fashioned Wild West Show fallen on hard times. McCoy and the film only ever briefly lose their unflappable sense of optimism as they tour the Western states and play to thinning crowds. Honkytonk Man puts a more pessimistic spin on similar material. Eastwood plays Red Stovall, an alcoholic, tubercular country musician with one last chance to be somebody. He hits the road with his nephew (Eastwood’s son, Kyle) to try out for the Grand Ole Opry before it's too late.

The discussion touches on films from throughout Eastwood’s long career as well as subjects including the Razzies, and, of course, the director’s infamous speech at the Republican National Convention.

Split Picks: Clint Eastwood's 'Bronco Billy' Vs. 'Honkytonk Man'

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 is back with two of David Lynch's most diametrically opposed films:Wild At Heart (1990) and Lost Highway (1997). What links these films together is author Barry Gifford, who wrote the source novel for Wild at Heart and co-wrote the Lost Highway screenplay with Lynch.

Cinesthesia's Jim Hickcox steps in to host the show and brings along... his Cinesthesia co-host Jason Michelitch. They’re joined by special guest Rob Christopher, whose film Roy’s World: Barry Gifford’s Chicago (2020) is screening at Portland, Oregon's Hollywood Theatre on Saturday, July 9. Together they parse through Lynchian dream logic, Gifford’s childhood in Chicago, and where Gifford's influence shows throughout later Lynch masterworks like Mulholland Drive (2001).

Find out more about Roy's world at www.roysworldfilm.com.

Split Picks: David Lynch's 'Wild At Heart' Vs. 'Lost Highway' with Rob Christopher

Split Picks wrestles with an all-time great concert film from Neil Young and a comedy with a complicated history. When he's not behind the camera, director Bernard Shakey spends his time as a Canadian-born rock 'n' roll star who goes by the name Neil Young. Split Picks returns to look at two films directed by Shakey, with Breanna McCann stopping by for the first time, and Bennett Glace returning for yet another episode. They discuss all things Neil Young, Crazy Horse, and the passion projects Young directed as his alter-ego.

Rust Never Sleeps (1979) stands tall among the finest concert films ever made. With a stage full of comically oversized props set by Roadeyes, Young begins solo and runs through the highs of his career before Crazy Horse joins him to debut some classic songs. Each shot of the film is near-iconic and its setlist will fulfill any Young fan's requests.

Taking cues from Japanese horror films, The Wizard of Oz, and Jerry Lewis, Human Highway follows a small group of workers at an auto shop and diner who all have dreams of getting out, or at least winning the local talent show at the nuclear power plant. It just so happens to be the last day on Earth. Human Highway flopped when it came out, but a vastly improved director's cut has given it new life.

Listen to the episode to see which film reigns supreme, and why after all this Bennett's biggest question is why didn't Neil Young star in more comedies?

Split Picks: Bernard Shakey's 'Rust Never Sleeps' Vs. 'Human Highway'

Following last year's series talking about the American titans of horror — Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and George A. Romero — Split Picks centers in on another country renowned for its horror films: Italy. First up is Dario Argento, a master of giallo, gore, and guts. Argento has directed some of the most iconic films, scenes and shots in all of horror. His most famous works include Suspiria, Deep Red, Inferno, and Tenebre. With Bennett Glace and Steve Collins, Split Picks wrestles with Argento's 1992 film The Stendhal Syndrome, arguably his last great film and one full of controversy. 

[Editor's note: This episode discusses graphic sexual assault and violence presented in the film.]

In the starring role is Dario's daughter Asia Argento, who plays detective Anna Manni in pursuit of a serial rapist and murderer loose in the city. But she begins to experience Stendhal Syndrome as she interacts with artwork in museums, which draws her in to paintings, all while the suspect she is chasing begins to hunt her.

This is the first of a two-part episode, with Pt. 2 about Argento's The Phantom Of The Opera arriving tomorrow.

Italian Horror 2022

Split Picks: Dario Argento Pt. 1: 'The Stendhal Syndrome' (1992)

Following last year's series talking about the American titans of horror — Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and George A. Romero — Split Picks centers in on another country renowned for its horror films: Italy. Here is the second episode discussing Dario Argento, a master of giallo, gore, and guts. With Bennett Glace and Steve Collins, Split Picks voyages into the caves to talk about Argento's 1998 adaptation of The Phantom Of The Opera with his daughter Asia again in the starring role. Popular opinion says this is the point where Argento's career took a pivot for the worst, but Bennett Glace argues that it stands tall with Argento's best films. 

Argento has directed some of the most iconic films, scenes and shots in all of horror. His most famous works include Suspiria, Deep Red, Inferno, and Tenebre. His later works are often disregarded as a director past his prime, but almost all of his films have moments worth revisiting. Listen as Split Picks talks about rats, strange romantic chemistry, and what constitutes a bad film.

Split Picks: Dario Argento Pt. 2: 'The Phantom Of The Opera' (1998)

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'

Split Picks' Italian horror series wraps up with a classic Martino giallo and a controversial cannibal film.

The finale of Split Picks' Italian horror series has arrived, and it closes out with one of our favorite horror directors: Sergio Martino. Martino is another jack-of-all-trades who has worked across genres and in various roles behind the scenes. But his greatest imprint will always be for his stunning work in horror, and his gialli rank among the best of the genre. Jim Hickcox brings his favorite of Martino's gialli, 1971's The Strange Vice Of Mrs. Wardh, starring Edwige Fenech. The classic, twist-filled film offers the perfect opportunity to explore Martino's signature style.

Bennett Glace wanted to stray from gialli and chose arguably Martino's most controversial film, 1978'sThe Mountain of the Cannibal God (a.k.a The Slave of the Cannibal God). It stars Ursula Andress (Dr. No) and Stacey Keach as they search for a missing person in a jungle that local lore says is still home to a lost group of cannibals. The Split Picks crew balance the things that make the film worth watching with its undeniably troublesome aspects. They discuss the odd trend of Italian cannibal films, whether Martino's technical proficiency makes Cannibal God feel more cruel than the rougher found footage approach used in other more famous cannibal films, and what it means when a movie breaks all the acceptable barriers of horror.

Split Picks Italy

Split Picks: Sergio Martino's 'The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh' Vs. 'Mountain Of The Cannibal God'

Split Picks gets into the yuletide spirit with an episode devoted to Bob Clark's holiday horror classic 'Black Christmas.'

One of the finest horror films America has ever produced (and not just in Canada!), Bob Clark's Black Christmas (1974) was his first timeless holiday classic. Released during the same year as Deathdream, his Vietnam-era reimagining of The Monkey's Paw, Black Christmas capped off his early run of horror films before journeying into more family friendly holiday favorites (A Christmas Story, 1983) and raunchy mainstream comedy (Porky's, 1981). The film, set in a sorority house being stalked by a disturbed killer as Christmas break begins, remains as stylistically daring, socially progressive, and chilling as ever.

But Clark's film is only the beginning for Split Picks! Craig is joined by Bennett Glace, Jim Hickcox, and Snow Lietta to discuss not only the 1974 original, but 2006's Black Xmas and 2019's Black Christmas. Over the course of this two-part episode, they break down what sets the original apart — not only from its remakes, but from most other horror films in general — and how the later films warp and repurpose the original film's ideas and characters to fit their respective eras. Check back later this week for part two!

Split Picks: 'Black Christmas' (Bob Clark, 1974)

What's a classic horror movie without an inferior remake or two? After discussing Bob Clark's immortal Black Christmas (1974), Bennett Glace, Jim Hickcox, and Snow Lietta join Craig to talk through both the 2006 and 2019 remakes/adaptations. Whereas Glen Morgan's 2006 version elevates the story's most gruesome elements to unnecessary extremes, Sophia Takal's 2019 adaptation approaches the source material as a vehicle for a political message intended for a younger audience. Both films were hindered by studio interference but still manage to produce memorable moments.

The discussion touches on how sequels and remakes both honor and warp minor details from the source material into something completely different. It also contextualizes the eras of horror in which they were made, with the 2006 version appearing in the midst of the mid-aughts boom of darker remakes, and 2019's being made as a commentary during the unfolding #MeToo Movement. It asks whether the films would have been stronger under their own separate titles, and how stripping away the subtlety that makes the original so strong changes the mood of the films.

Split Picks: The Black Christmas Remakes (2006 Vs. 2019)

Ahead of Things We Like’s premiere, director Adi Jahic joins Split Picks to discuss his debut feature and an underseen classic from a beloved character actor.

Writer-director Adi Jahic spoke with Split Tooth back in February about his excellent debut film,Things We Like, which he also edited and features him on screen in a crucial second act role. Early in the conversation, Jahic noted that he’s rarely inspired by films in the traditional sense, never watching anything while at work on a project or making conscious homage. He credits Tom Noonan’s What Happened Was..., however, with convincing him to set out on directing a feature-length film of his own. Jahic describes the 1994 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner as, like the best features, “saying a short film’s worth of things every 10 minutes.” 

Things We Like premieres next week at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival. In anticipation of the May 17 screening, Jahic joined associate film editor Bennett Glace to discuss how both his film and Noonan’s present viewers with unexpected emotional turns, the benefits of the occasional mishap on set, and more.

Split Picks: 'What Happened Was...' Vs. 'Things We Like' with Adi Jahic

For this year's Split Picks horror series, we look at some of the finest horror films and director's that Japan has to offer.

Each year for October Horror, Split Picks takes a virtual field trip to a different country to find some of the best horror films and directors from around the world. In 2021 we started at home and looked at what we determined to be the Mt. Rushmore of American horror with Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and George A. Romero. Last year we put on our black gloves and fell in with the Italian greats — Dario Argento, Sergio Martino, Lucio Fulci — to talk all things giallo.

This year we are talking about Japan and some of their famous ghosts, grudges, and gothic imagery. Obviously, Japan has a huge cultural history with horror films that dates back to the dawn of the medium. We are not covering the history of Japanese horror in this series, and will instead focus on a few signature works from select directors.

For this series we are going to be looking at a mix of classic and lesser-heralded films from some of Japan’s greatest horror filmmakers. This is only a quick survey of what Japan has to offer, and we picked three filmmakers for a combination of styles that complement each other, hint at the country’s vast film history, and also how their particular styles of horror compare to the rest of the world. With that in mind, we decided to kick off this series with Takashi Shimizu and his world-famous series 'The Grudge.' In this first episode we will be looking at his first theatrical version of 'Ju-On: The Grudge.'  Then we will discuss the 2004 American remake, which he also directed, and contrast it with the 2020 US sequel, also simply called 'The Grudge,' and directed by Nicholas Pesce.

Featuring Split Picks regulars Bennett Glace, Jim Hickcox, and Frankie Vanaria, the series begins here and will run through most of the month! Listen to hear all about The Grudge and how it developed from two initial short films into an international sensation.

Split Picks: Japanese Horror

Split Picks: 'Ju-On: The Grudge' (Takashi Shimizu, 2002)

What happens when a US studio remakes a Japanese film with the original director still behind the camera?

After an extended talk about Takashi Shimizu's 2002 breakout film, Ju-On: The Grudge, the Split Picks crew — Bennett Glace, Jim Hickcox, Frankie Vanaria and host Craig Wright — picks up with The Grudge franchise making its way to the US. After the US remake of Ringu (as The Ring) became a global sensation, The Grudge was tapped as the next film up and confirmed that J-horror was ready for primetime.

Shimizu was asked to direct the remake, and he said he would do so only if he could bring his ghosts with him in Kayako (Takako Fuji) and Toshio (Yuya Ozeki). But with Sarah Michelle Gellar in the lead role and a brief Bill Pullman appearance as Americans abroad, the film is fundamentally different from the suburban Japanese original. Through the episode they debate whether the remake is stronger than the original Ju-On: The Grudge — or if the trailer is stronger than the film itself. Namely, they talk about how the US remake softens most of the previous version's best scares, and wonder if Americans are truly as unintelligent as studios would like to believe.

In 2020 director Nicolas Pesce revived the franchise with The Grudge, a film set in the same universe that is not a direct sequel or remake. It is also an American work produced by Sam Raimi, and it asks what happens if the curse could spread to a different location. The discussion follows what happens when the original creator loses control of a franchise, and whether the films were too slow to evolve their brand of horror.

Also in the episode: Jim hypothesizes what it might be like to take his short horror film Slow Creep from a short to an international big-budget adaptation; Bennett swears the 2020 Grudge is the finest offering of the series. Frankie enjoys none of the Grudges. Craig reveals which film put him to sleep. Who tests ramen packaging that way? And how exactly does the WWE predict the state of horror and culture at large? Tune in to find out!

Split Picks: 'The Grudge' Goes America (2004 Vs. 2020)

Split Picks looks at an absolute masterwork of horror and a later haunted romance from Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

Split Picks continues its special October series on Japanese Horror with a look at two films from Kiyoshi Kurosawa. After a string of seemingly unrelated murders with undeniable similarities, Detective Takabe begins to link the odd details of the killings together. It leads him to Mamiya, a man who claims to have no memory, no idea who he is, or even what he looks like. He speaks almost exclusively in question, and his nonchalance proves to be the entrance to his unique form of hypnosis.

In 2016's Daguerrotype, Jean is hired to help Stephane operate a daguerreotype, an obsolete form of photography that requires subjects to remain motionless for hours to capture the image. Jean falls in love with Stephane's daughter, Marie, but their romance raises questions of whether Marie is actually alive.

Together, we get a look at what many deem to be Kurosawa's masterpiece, and a later film that features many of the hallmarks of his style. Bennett, Craig, and Lucille also weigh in on if they believe in ghosts, what it means to ask questions, and whether great art truly does equate to immortality.

Japanese Horror

Split Picks: Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 'Cure' (1997) Vs. 'Daguerrotype' (2016)

To close out the series on Japanese Horror, Spit Picks looks at a director known for testing the limits of violence on film.Takashi Miike is best known for three things: He is prolific, versatile, and is no stranger to using extreme gore. With 115 directorial credits listed on his IMDb page (at time of publishing), he has made films in just about every genre imaginable. But from blood-soaked epics like Ichi The Killer and 13 Assassins to a glut of Yakuza films, and even a death-centric musical comedy in The Happiness of the Katakuris, Miike's films are never shy to show off fountains of gore with no sense of shyness. But through them all, Miike always injects his unique style, no matter the genre.

With Bennett Glace and Jim Hickcox, Split Picks finishes its special series on Japanese Horror by comparing Miike's masterwork to one of his most extreme depictions of violence — an almost hour-long school shooting. With Audition, Miike follows a widowed man, Shigeharu (Ryo Ishibashi), after his friend suggests they set up a film audition to help him find a new wife. When he meets Asami (Eihi Shiina), they quickly fall in love, but everyone around Shigeharu tells him to notice the red flags, which he gleefully overlooks, until he finds himself in a scenario that ranks among the most infamous torture scenes on film. It's a testament to Audition that, in an era when most successful Asian films were remade by Americans, still no one has remade this tale of revenge.

Lesson of the Evil finds a popular and handsome teacher on a path to violence against his own students. With a code of morals that makes sense to only him, he tries to stop his students from cheating on tests and uncovers various scandals in the school. As his background comes into focus, he doubles down on what he learned during his time in the United States and. with the assistance of a talking shotgun, he decides to solve his problems in the worst way possible.

The pairing of films provides some fascinating contrasts in tone, and some striking similarities in their overall structure. In this episode, the gang discusses how Audition bends time, if Lesson of the Evil crosses the limits of acceptable violence on film, and how As The Gods Will might be the spiritual sequel to Lesson of the Evil that makes black humor work in a similarly morbid scenario.

Split Picks: Takashi Miike's 'Audition' Vs. 'Lesson of the Evil'

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'

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."