masters of horror

Whether it’s the endless terrors waiting around every corner in Raccoon City in the beloved Resident Evil franchise, or the fog shrouded streets of the nerve frying Silent Hill series, horror in video gaming has become one of the most popular and effective ways to scare audiences. You’re not just watching and waiting to see the grizzly fates of the characters, you’re controlling it.

And as technology has allowed gaming to become more sophisticated and immersive, it has created a relatively new stage for performers. Using technology like motion capture, characters in games are now not just voiced by actors but also performed by them. It’s exciting in gaming to watch some of the great work actors are doing.

This year Supermassive Games released The Quarry, a spiritual follow-up to their surprise 2015 hit, Until Dawn. Directed by Will Byles and written by Graham Reznick and Alex Farnham, it’s an edge of your seat ride set at a summer camp and populated by some of your favorite genre faces like Lance Henriksen, Ted Raimi, Lin Shaye and David Arquette.

It’s a total blast and is filled with great characters and performances, though, in our opinion, the character Jacob steals the show. Jacob is sort of the classic slasher jock character on the surface but it’s one of the game’s best sleight of hand tricks that he is nothing like what you expect. It’s a wonderfully nuanced performance and one of gaming’s best. The character is played by Zach Tinker.

Zach has an extensive background doing short films and in television but we weren't familiar with his work before getting into The Quarry. He enters the game and is funny and charming, and you immediately like him. Then he says or does something idiotic and you think “ah, here’s the meathead of the group,” but it’s all a very clever bit of misdirection in Zach’s performance. As you play the game further, the depth and nuisance Zach brings to this character is one of the games many pleasures. 

In short, he’s a scene stealer.

Zach and SYG host Kevin Lane chat about the challenges of working with motion capture, the many ways the pandemic almost kept this game from happening, how to love your character even if he is a dumbass, and working with genre royalty. Zach is fun and warm, but unlike his character in the game, very thoughtful and curious. If you haven’t played The Quarry, here’s your spoiler warning as Kevin and Zach do give things away. 

And if you haven’t played the game you’re missing out on one of the year’s best horror offerings. So, grab your swimsuit and mosquito repellent and let’s head off to summer camp with Zach Tinker.

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Today on Kevin Lane's Spill Your Guts, we’re talking to one of the great chameleon actors working today. 

You’ve probably heard that term before when it comes to actors like Daniel Day-Lewis, John Turturro, Sam Rockwell and maybe the most versatile of performers in show business, Gary Oldman. The chameleon actor has the uncanny ability to play both leading man or supporting actor with the same degree of immersive skill. They are usually very different in every role, because whereas some actors are hired to bring their persona to the work (think Jack Nicholson or Tom Cruise), these actors mold and sculpt all aspects of themselves to become the character they portray. Kevin first saw this actor in the groundbreaking 2004 series Battlestar Galactica, in the role of Anders. He was strong and stoic, while also raw and vulnerable. It was a balancing act few actors could have achieved.

This has continued to be the trajectory of Michael Trucco ever since. You’ve seen him on countless network series such as the male lead in Fairly Legal, reoccurring roles on shows like How I Met Your Mother, Revenge and Castle, and many more. Never the same, always at the top of his game.

In the world of horror, Michael first appeared in Wishmaster 4, in a scene stealing role as the film’s villain. But it was when he was cast in genre master Mike Flanagan’s Hush that Michael really cemented himself as a genre favorite. 

Now a regular in Flanagan’s ensemble of actors, you have got to see Michael in Midnight Mass. We're guessing you already have, because who didn’t watch it. Midnight Mass is a darkly beautiful series full of big questions and imagery that stays with you long after you’ve finished watching. Michael’s role as the town mayor Wade Scarborough, is a stunning performance. You can't stop watching Michael in this series or help but admire the transformation he makes. This guy didn’t just look and sound completely different than Michael Trucco, he felt like a completely different person.

In this conversation with host Kevin Lane, Michael discusses in detail his ongoing work with Mike Flanagan, including his role in the highly anticipated The Fall of the House of Usher. We should mention this conversation was recorded before the highly publicized removal of Frank Langella from the show. 

Kevin and Michael also talk about working with Doug Jones in the underrated monster movie The Bye Bye Man and his role in Through The Glass Darkly. They also discuss Michael's role in Kevin's 2009 horror movie Lineage, which we've added to the bonus content on our Patreon page. If you get a chance, you should really listen. It includes a very Canadian moment for Kevin as he talks about his inability to accept the idea that Michael said “yes” to the film. 

We should also mention that this conversation is a little looser then some of our other episodes. Michael and Kevin have become really great friends since their work together in 2009, so this time together was an opportunity to not only talk about his work, but also throw back a few drinks and just hang out together.

So, fix yourself your beverage of choice and let’s get into all things Michael Trucco. 

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Ted Raimi is a badass. 

We all know it. If you’re a horror fan, chances are you know and love him. For decades now, he has been one of the go to actors in the genre. He’s one of those actors who shows up in a movie and you hear a collective outcry from the audience of something like “awesome!” or “I love that guy!”

Often in supporting roles - and often scene stealing supporting roles! - Ted has become an audience favorite for his roles in films like Spider-Man 1 and 2, the classic Candyman and Wishmaster. His lead role as a serial killer in the pitch-black film Skinner, showed audiences that Ted could carry a movie and he sure as hell did. It's a mesmerizing performance.

And though Ted is always engaging in his onscreen work, it’s also the way he tirelessly champions the horror genre that makes him a great ambassador for fans. Ted wears his horror badge with great pride and knows horror inside and out. He should. Anyone who has seen Skinner knows what I’m talking about.

Ted and host Kevin Lane discuss his formative years in the Detroit genre film scene, moving out to Los Angeles and making the life changing commitment to a career as an actor, his love of old school actors and the exciting and challenging differences to creating a character for a video game which he does in the hit horror game The Quarry. And there’s a story about a police car that’s bonkers and had me equally shocked while also laughing out loud. 

You know Ted Raimi. You love Ted Raimi. Who doesn’t? 

Ladies and gentlemen, Ted Raimi.

You’re welcome.

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Captivating, Challenging and Always Entertaining, Dee Wallace Is The Grand Dame of Horror

There’s an old adage that says never meet your heroes. We’d like to make an amendment to that phrase and change it to never meet your heroes unless they work in the horror genre. Host Kevin Lane has had the great privilege to have friendships with most of his heroes in the world of horror cinema, and to work with many of these friends. And though he cherishes all of those friends and colleagues, there is no one who has made a bigger impact on his life and career than Dee Wallace.

Anyone listening to Spill Your Guts is likely a fan of Dee’s vast and astonishing body of work. From the game changing Steven Spielberg blockbuster E.T., where she plays the loveable and entirely authentic single mother of two boys who encounter you know who, to lead roles in smash hit horror films like Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes, Joe Dante’s The Howling, and Stephen Herek’s Critters.

The film that made Kevin fall for Dee (and boy did he fall hard!) was Lewis Teague’s film adaptation of Stephen King’s Cujo. In an Oscar worthy performance, Dee plays Donna Trenton, a mother who must protect her child from a rabid Saint Bernard. Almost half of the film features Dee trapped in a Ford Pinto and it is some of the most harrowing work ever put on film. It is no wonder that Stephen King himself has said that Dee’s performance is his favorite of all the performances in film or television based on a character he wrote.

And that’s just scratching the surface of Dee’s career which spans over 250 film and television roles, including work with genre legends Peter Jackson in The Frighteners, and an ongoing collaboration with Rob Zombie. However, it isn’t just Dee’s tireless work ethic and standout performances that makes her so special, it’s also a lot to do with the quality of person she is. You will never meet a more genuine, sincere, funny, caring and generous person than Dee Wallace.

Dee and Kevin discuss her early years as a girl in Kansas who dreamed of being on the stage, how she has always managed to persevere despite an inordinate amount of loss and hardship, the exhaustive and exhilarating lengths she will go to embody a character. They also discuss her healing work and the incredible impact it has had on some many people both through her speaking engagements and her books. Oh, and they also play a fun game!

Though she has played many dark characters, Dee is a bright shining light so sit back and prepare to be inspired.

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Welcome to the Spill Your Guts Halloween Special!

The Man Behind The Masks: Doug Jones Talks About What It's Like To Truly Embody A Monster

Frankenstein’s monster, the wolfman, Nosferatu (or Count Orlok to be precise) and the Phantom of the Opera. All iconic monsters of early cinema played by equally iconic actors such as Max Schreck, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney and Lon Chaney Jr. These performances have stood the test of time not only for their inspired makeup and design but because the actors portraying them found the heart in the monster. Whether it’s Karloff’s touching humanity as Doctor Frankenstein’s shunned creation or Max Schreck’s spidery skulking as one of cinema’s earliest vampires, these are the monsters that paved the way for countless monsters throughout film history.

In the current landscape of cinema monsters there is one man who casts a very, very long shadow. He has portrayed so many memorable characters that will endure that it’s hard to count. That actor is Doug Jones.

For some, Doug’s first stand out role will be as Billy Butcherson in the Halloween classic Hocus Pocus. For others, it’s Abe Sapien in Guillermo Del Toro’s hit Hellboy. For Kevin Lane, it’s his dual roles as the Faun and Pale Man in Del Toro’s dark fairy tale masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth. And it’s in Doug Jones that Del Toro found his muse.

Doug’s almost supernatural way of communicating through movement what most actors could not say in a monologue has created a celebrated ongoing collaboration between one of genre cinema’s best filmmakers and best actors. 

This episode is very special because not only do we adore Doug, but host Kevin Lane had the opportunity to sit down with Doug in person in Toronto. Listeners of Spill Your Guts may know that most of our conversations are recorded remotely. There isn't a better guest for us to have had the opportunity to speak to in the flesh!

Doug and Kevin discuss his childhood self-consciousness about his body, his early mime work and sort of meeting Christopher Walken on the set of Tim Burton’s gothic masterpiece Batman Returns, his deliciously evil role as a cannibal in Larry Fessenden’s episode of Fear Itself and his many collaborations with Del Toro, including their best picture Oscar winning film The Shape of Water.

As much as Doug has portrayed characters in many magical films, there is nothing more magical then the man himself.

Welcome to wonderous world of Doug Jones!

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Host Kevin Lane sits down with Neil Marshall, writer/director of The Decent and Dog Soldiers, in anticipation of his new movie The Lair, in wide release October 28, 2022.

When asked, SYG host Kevin Lane is often at a loss to name his pick for the scariest movie of all time. It's impossible to answer. However, he will tell you which movie affected him the most of any genre film he's seen in the last 20 years; it's the The Descent. And it's on his short list of what he believes is a film that has it all. Story. Craftsmanship. And heart.

With films like Dog soldiers, about a group of soldiers trapped in a cabin surrounded by werewolves; and, Doomsday, a loving tribute to the great work of John Carpenter; to his celebrated work on shows like ABC's Hannibal and HBO's Game of Thrones, Neil has become one of the most accomplished directors working when it comes to spectacularly suspenseful and explosive action and suspense. His work is so exhilarating, it sometimes isn’t until after the film that you realize how much heart is in there too.

Neil and Kevin talk about his formative years learning all the crafty tricks making low budget films, how one of said tricks saved a ton of time and money when executing a major moment on Game of Thrones, utilizing a wide frame to create tension and how to shoot in real darkness.

So, let’s descend into the darkness with Neil Marshall and prepare to be illuminated!

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A Chilling On Screen Presence In The Lost, Cabin Fever 2, Red White & Blue, and The Devil's Carnival Belies This Thoughtful, Creative Actor

In 2006, Kevin was invited by his friends at Anchor Bay Entertainment to attend the Toronto premiere of prolific genre writer Jack Ketchum’s new film “The Lost”. Directed by Chris Sivertson, the film is loosely based on the Pied Piper of Tucson murders. The films antagonist is an eccentric and sociopathic young man named Ray Pye. It’s a challenging character to play as the whole film rests on his shoulders and the audience has to stay with the character but is never charmed by him like they are with Hannibal Lecter or sympathetic toward him like with Noman Bates. The character is played by Marc Senter and it’s a staggering performance. Kevin said to several people after the film, “I can’t wait to see what he does next!”

From his role as the damaged and vulnerable Franki in “Red, White and Blue” to “The Scorpion” in Darren Lynn Bousman’s bonkers musical “The Devil’s Carnival”, Marc is an actor who brings something new and surprising to every role. He’s one of those actors that when they appear on screen, you see everyone in the audience sit up as they know something special is about to happen.

Marc and Kevin talk about doing your homework as an actor, using a hangover to craft a part of a performance and how deep to dig when playing a real-life psychopath. And unlike the many dark and sinister character’s Marc has played, he a lovely guy who’s open and always present.

So, put some crushed beer cans in your boots and let’s explore the mysterious mind of Marc Senter!

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It’s not easy being a leading man in a genre that is primarily known for Scream Queens and masked maniacs. But Thom Mathews is truly one of the great leading men of horror.

As Freddy in the beloved zombie classic Return of the Living Dead (Joey in its sequel) and Friday the 13th series hero Tommy Jarvis in franchise favorite Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Thom has managed the difficult balance of being both heroic and vulnerable in films that are often thought to be populated by stock characters.

Thom and I chat about his experience on Return of the Living Dead, learning comedic timing from heavyweights like James Karen and Clu Gulager; his days running around LA auditioning while rooming with pal George Clooney; making a huge rock designed to drag Jason Vorhees to the bottom of Crystal Lake NOT look like it was made of Styrofoam; and his love of being creative not just as an actor, but also building homes for the who’s who of Hollywood.

For Kevin Lane, one of the joys of hosting this show is getting to meet the icons of his childhood, and Thom is certainly one of them. He brings a ton of heart to his work and plenty of BRRRAAAIIINNNSSS. Yep, we went there.

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Horror writer Soren Narnia is a bit of a mystery. Not just because as an author and podcaster he keeps his personal life completely tucked away, but also because there’s an enigmatic quality to him as a horror writer and voice over performer that makes him so incredibly compelling to listen to.

In fact, Soren’s beloved podcast Knifepoint Horror was the reason Kevin Lane fell in love with the podcast medium to begin with. On Knifepoint, Soren writes and performs all his stories told by a single voice from a first person perspective. There’s a stripped down simplicity to the presentation of his stories that works beautifully, even if though the stories themselves are often far from simple. There’s a campfire tale quality to Soren’s writing and storytelling that elicits a reaction in the listener that reminds us of the great story tellers of our formative years. That and that Soren is a writer whose stories are so often just plain scary. They crawl into your head and have you thinking about them for days, the way most great horror stories do. 

Soren also has a wickedly dry and droll sense of humor and has you on the edge of your seat one moment and laughing out loud the next. He and host Kevin Lane talk about why he allows people to use his stories without having to pay him anything, his love of 70’s filmmaking and even do a bit of acting.

We’re also joined by another star of the narrative horror podcast world, my trusty supervising producer Jason Hill.

So, grab yourself a slice of pie and let’s get a glimpse into the wild and wicked mind of Soren Narnia.

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Steven Kostanski is one of the most exciting directors currently working in the genre. He’s one of those guys whose love and respect for genre films is absolutely infectious. He began his career like a lot of young filmmakers - rounding up his friends, grabbing a camera, a few gallons of fake blood and just shooting. But horror wasn't his first passion. He tells Kevin Lane that as a kid he was scared just going into the horror section of his local video store. His love of the movies really began with fantasy films, which you can still see the influence of in the horror films he’s made. Specifically Psycho Goreman!

The influence of iconic studios like Troma and Full Moon Entertainment (which he and Kevin geek out about a fair bit) is all over his films. Films that capture the spirit and batshit craziness of movies like “The Toxic Avenger” and the “Trancers” series. Steven’s work always demonstrates not just a filmmaker with great skill and a keen eye for the absurd, but characters you really like, so even if they are a melting, depressive “Bio Cop”, you’re rooting for them.

Steven Kostanski is a much watch horror director!

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In this episode we do something a little different. Kevin Lane finds himself on the other side of the table as it’s him who is the one being interviewed. And interviewed by one of the greatest of interviewers - a prolific filmmaker, writer, journalist and former Fangoria editor-in-chief - the great Chris Alexander.

We thought it might be informative and fun for you to get a sense of the beginnings of this show and Kevin's own personal journey into the realm of horror.

Thanks again to Chris Alexander for doing this. Chris has been a tremendous supporter of this show and I think he’s one of the greatest spokesmen for the horror genre. We’re very fortunate to have him!

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In 2009, Kevin Lane's friend, the brilliant Stuart Gordon, invited him to see his new play, a one man show playing at the Steve Allen Theater in Los Angeles called Nevermore. The star of the show, was the great character actor and star of Re-Animator, Jeffrey Combs.

Sitting in the theater, Kevin watched as Jeffrey not just captured Edgar Allan Poe, but as one critic put it “seemed to be channeling him”. It was remarkable to see Jeffrey in the role. As tortured and tragic as he was funny. But that’s the thing with Jeffrey, he’s very much that chameleon actor. We never know what we’re going to get with Jeffrey but we always know it’ll be a hell of a show.

From his iconic role as Herbert West in Re-Animator to his bravura performance as the nutty Milton Dammers in Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners, Jeffrey has become one of the most recognizable actors in the genre, something he didn’t really set out to do but has certainly earned.

Jeffrey Combs is not just one of the greatest actors working in the horror genre, but one of the greatest actors working period. His work has always excited and inspired us because as you’ll hear, Jeffrey doesn’t just play a part… he gives them life.

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In this episode of Kevin Lane's Spill Your Guts, we delve into the varied and often surprising career of one of the original queens of scream, Adrienne Barbeau. It’s a bit of a misnomer to call Adrienne a scream queen, because Adrienne prides herself on playing women in horror who aren’t victims. With iconic characters like Stevie Wayne in the The Fog and Maggie in Escape from New York for master of horror John Carpenter (and former husband, but more on that later), Adrienne has never been comfortable portraying women who run from the evil. She prefers to come at it guns a blazing as she did in the The Convent, playing tough as nails survivor Christine.

Adrienne’s early career didn’t point to a specialty in films of the macabre as she began on stage with roles like her Tony nominated role as Rizzo in the original Broadway production of Grease. Plenty of other roles on stage followed before Norman Lear choose her to star opposite Bea Arthur in the television classic Maude.

Her casting in John Carpenter’s Someone Is Watching Me, playing one of television’s first lesbian characters (played sensitively and free of the clichés that often-marred early television portrayals of gay characters) began her journey down the road of becoming an icon of horror.

And working for many of the masters of horror is another highlight of Adrienne’s body of work. From Wes Craven’s Swamp Thing (which during production, Adrienne thought was going to be a total bomb) to George Romero’s Creep Show (playing the delightfully vile Wilma) and Two Evil Eyes to Rob Zombie in his remake of Halloween, Adrienne has truly earned her role in the horror hall of fame.

Adrienne and I dig into all these films as well as the role she cherished playing on HBO’s masterful (and unbelievably canceled!) Carnivale and why she thinks every actor is deeply insecure at heart.

So, keep an eye out for those fog banks and listen in. 

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NEW bonus content! FUN SIZE Post Mortem: Ask Mick Anything — On this very SPECIAL episode of AMA, Producer Joe Russo fields your fan-submitted questions to the slab keeper himself, Mick Garris! This episode they discuss Howard Berger and Marshall Julius's new book entitled 'Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic', who of the masters of horror is best to grab a beer with, the female Cenobite in the new HELLRAISER film, and much more!

POST MORTEM WITH MICK GARRIS 

NICE GUY PRODUCTIONS 2022

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No strangers to Stuart Gordon, H. P. Lovecraft, or the Masters of Horror series, the Fried Squirms return to all 3 when they check out H. P. Lovecraft's Dreams in the Witch-House.

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Acclaimed horror director Mike Mendez may forever be known for Killers, The Convent, Big Ass Spider!, The Last Heist, and Don’t Kill It but as Clare Kramer and her co-host David Magidoff quickly learned Mendez’s legacy might be just as much about his tremendously impressive action figure collection.  Learn how he chooses which figures that make the cut, and how his film short including his Comic-Con exclusive Guillermo del Toro  action figure rose to the attention of the Shape of Water director himself.  It’s all here for the taking, or at least the listening, on Fanaddicts!

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Although we often set eyes on some masterful horror, it’s been quite awhile since we checked in with the Masters of Horror series. So this week the Fried Squirms decide to take a look in at John Carpenter’s first contribution to the series, Cigarette Burns. Norman Reedus tracking down a killer film for Udo Kier? Sign us up!

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