justin benson

Brennan is forced to defend filmmakers Benson & Moorhead against Nicole & Mama K in our discussion of Something in the Dirt

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are a duo who don’t wait for permission and refuse to let small budgets reign in their storytelling ambitions. Since announcing themselves as a fierce new force in independent filmmaking a decade ago with the meta-horror Resolution, the pair have released a further four films, each one a staggeringly original triumph of imagination over budgetary restraints. Spring was a low-cost Lovecraftian tale set on a gorgeous stretch of Italian coast that corkscrewed between romance and brutal body-horror. The Endless was a time-loop sci-fi head-scratcher involving a UFO cult that proved similarly spell-binding made on a similar shoestring. By 2019’s Synchronic, about a designer drug that allows users to step through time, they had A-list actors like Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan queuing up to work with them, and superhero studios keen to collaborate (they’ve since helmed episodes of Marvel’s Moon Knight and Loki). Together, they're storytellers capable of building epic worlds without requiring epic resources.

While Benson and Moorhead have enjoyed their recent excursions into the MCU, unsettling paranormal puzzles made on a dime are where they say their hearts truly lie. Which is why, when the pandemic struck and the world was thrown into lockdown, they began planning a supernatural mystery they could shoot in Benson’s apartment, star in themselves (the duo often act in their own movies) and craft almost entirely themselves. Something In The Dirt – their most compelling film to date – tells the tale of neighbours John and Levi, drawn into an unlikely friendship by unexplainable phenomenons in their apartment block. They decide to document this activity in search of fame and fortune – but can each party trust the other, as revelations about their secretive lives follow them down a rabbit hole into the unknown?

We met with Benson and Moorhead in person last summer, before Something In The Dirt’s release, while they were filming Loki season two. They told us about their writing habits and helped us decode one of the most jigsaw-like cult dramas in decades – a must-watch for fans of David Robert Mitchell’s Under The Silver Lake and films like it. This is a spoiler conversation so be sure to catch the film before tuning in – it’s available on Hulu for our listeners in America, and video on demand if you’re tuning in from the UK.

Script Apart is hosted by Al Horner and produced by Kamil Dymek. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, or email us on thescriptapartpodcast@gmail.com.

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Greetings, programs, and welcome to a very special episode of the show.  This week (and next!) Simon is on holiday, so Matthew will be joined once again by our friend Rachel Ho of Exclaim.ca, ThatShelf.com, POV Magazine, and The Globe and Mail! 

We're diving into an indie darling and a big, oscar-bait action spectacle this week.  First, Benson & Moorhead's Something in the Dirt, which is finally in release after premiering all the way back at Sundance at the beginning of 2022.  Then we move on to Emancipation, Will Smith's first big release since "the slap".  One of these is quite good, and the other not so much.  Listen to find out which!

To find streaming links to both movies, as well as our ratings and all of our other content, check out this episode's homepage at AwesomeFriday.ca

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Meanwhile, relax and enjoy your flight. 

Filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are the co-directing team behind so many films we discuss regularly on this show....  They are the team behind "The Endless", the horror-romance "Spring", "Synchronic", and their incredible feature debut: "Resolution". With a do-it-yourself approach to filmmaking, they often wear as many hats as possible on their films.  The independent spirit they put in their films parallels the spirit of almost every musical adventure Ian and Ross find themselves chasing, so we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to discuss their work with them on many levels and even more thrilled to have the opportunity to talk in detail about their newest film "Something in the Dirt" which is available VOD wherever you stream movies.  

Be sure to check out their merch and more at rustic.film

Follow them wherever you do social media: 

Twitter: @JustinHBenson | @AaronMoorhead | @DavidLawsonJr

Instagram: @AaronMoorhead | @JustinHBenson | @DavidLawsonJr | @RusticFilms

In celebration of all things Sci-Fi on this episode, be sure to check out Ian's new tunage from The Interesting Times Gang.  You can listen to "The Spirit of Science Fiction" HERE

Ian's hitting the road with METZ on the west coast, be sure to Check Kowloon Walled City's page for dates

Ross will be sharing the stage with Soul Blind in Baltimore on December 17th with his band Burial Waves, check that out if you're in the area.

If you want early access to episodes like this, or hear the extended version of this episode, head over to the Rigs of Dad Patreon Page.  Where you can hear our reviews of "Triangle of Sadness", "The Menu", "Santa Camp", "Banshees of Inersherin" and more!!  You can also hear more unedited, ad-free interviews with previous guests, patreon exclusives, and beyond! PLUS early access to other episodes...  Like my conversation with Matt Armstrong about "Bands On the Run".  You can watch every episode of THAT show for free on youtube HERE.  Catch up and catch the Flickerstick/Soul Cracker magic.

The incredibly talented David Cavalcante opened up THE tattoo shop in DC called District Tattoo Company.  Follow them wherever you socially media, reach out to the artists, and book your appointment!

Big shout out to the homies at www.shearrevival.com Take care of yourself.  Look good, smell good, and feel good.  Treat your body and neighbor's nose with love using Shear Revival!  Use the code CLEANTONE10 to get 10% off your next order!  

Head over to Age of Ruin's Instagram and dive into some of the best thrash I have ever heard.  Are you a vocalist?  Well, guess what, they are searching for a vocalist!!  Their new album is coming soon.  It's produced by Mike Schleibaum of Darkest Hour and is just a relentless and refreshing metal cleanse. And be sure to check out their new live video from [hate5six] here.

Huge loves to the incredible Sacha Dunable from Dunable Guitars.  The guys is building the absolute BEST axes in the game and I am a firm believer that EVERYONE needs to own one.  Check out www.dunableguitars.com if you need some real tone in your life.

Much love to the fine folks at Custom District Pedalboards for allowing me to pack the heaviest tones on the lightest boards.  Get yours over at www.customdistrictpedalboards.com

Do you have a ton of guitars?  Does the show not go on unless you have at least three guitars with you?  Then you need to check out Quantum Industries.  These dudes are putting out true tanks of guitar cases.  Check out https://www.quantumindustries.jp/ BE SURE to enter ROD10 for a discount on your order!!!

This week we start by reviewing Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead's sci-fi, horror, buddy comedy mashup SOMETHING IN THE DIRT (3:46), which is about two friends (Benson and Moorhead) making a documentary about paranormal phenomenon in their apartment building. We wanted to like it so much more than we actually did, and we're pretty much on the same page about our issues with it. Next, we discuss Ryan Coogler's BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER (25:15), the highly-anticipated sequel to 2018's BLACK PANTHER, which mourns and celebrates the late Chadwick Boseman, while attempting to advance with the franchise. We have some disagreement about how well it does that, but we have a spirited and spoiler-filled discussion. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Jonathan Lynn's 1992 legal comedy MY COUSIN VINNY, starring Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei! 

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