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In a thrilling development for genre fans, Academy Award nominee Paul Giamatti is set to lead the upcoming mystery-horror feature Boutique. The project marks a high-profile reunion for Giamatti and writer-director Jim Gavin, the creative force behind the cult-favorite AMC series Lodge 49. Set to begin production in the UK this summer, the film marks Gavin’s feature directorial debut and promises to blend eerie atmosphere with a dark, conspiratorial edge. Giamatti stars as Calvin, an American tourist who travels to a remote English seaside town to walk in the footsteps of his favorite reclusive author. However, his literary pilgrimage takes a nightmarish turn as he uncovers a murderous secret society that has permeated every corner of the coastal community. Giamatti, fresh off his acclaimed, award-winning turn in The Holdovers, expressed immense enthusiasm for the script, describing it as "scary, funny, bizarre, and strangely moving." The production sees Giamatti and Dan Carey...

The history of horror is often told through a masculine lens, focused on the "Masters of Horror" and the slashers that haunt our dreams. But a new documentary directed by Donna Davies is set to shift that perspective, revealing that women haven't just been the victims on screen; they’ve been the architects behind the camera since the dawn of cinema. Timed perfectly for Women’s History Month, this groundbreaking film explores how women pioneers have revolutionized the genre from 1895 to the present day. Based on the extensive research and book by renowned film critic and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, the documentary promises a deep dive into the indelible mark women have left on horror's evolution. Rather than viewing women as a recent addition to the genre, the film traces a lineage of creators, directors, and actors who have been pushing boundaries for over a century. The project is helmed by Davies, a Halifax-based filmmaker who has become a definitive voice in ...

Thank you for listening to the F ollowing Films Podcast , your go-to source for in-depth interviews with today’s most exciting filmmakers and performers. In today’s episode, we’re joined by the legendary Doug Jones to discuss his latest film, Operation Taco Garry’s — a wildly absurd sci-fi comedy that blends alien invasions, outrageous humor, and a taco joint at the center of a cosmic conspiracy. Operation Taco Garry’s follows two brothers who accidentally uncover an intergalactic plot hidden inside Taco Gary’s. What starts as a wrong-turn road trip quickly turns into a fight to save Earth. This off-the-wall alien invasion comedy stars Simon Rex, Dustin Milligan, Brenda Song, Jason Biggs, and Doug Jones in a cast packed with comedic talent. Known for his transformative performances and iconic creature roles, Doug Jones brings his signature physicality and creativity to this unique sci-fi adventure. In this exclusive interview, we explore: What attracted Doug Jones to Operation ...

When people talk about the "Chaos Cinema" era of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s career, they usually point to Double Team, but if you really want to see what happens when a legendary Hong Kong director is given a Hollywood budget and a bag of fever dreams, you have to look at the 1998 masterpiece of absurdity that is Knock Off. Directed by Tsui Hark, the visionary behind Once Upon a Time in China, this movie isn’t just an action flick; it’s a sensory assault where the camera doesn't just record the action, it stalks it, zooms through it, and occasionally behaves like it’s being piloted by a caffeinated hummingbird. Van Damme plays Marcus Ray, a high-society salesman in Hong Kong specializing in "knock-offs" like fake designer jeans and sneakers, joined by his partner Tommy Hendricks, played by Rob Schneider in a performance that is aggressively and unapologetically Rob Schneider. The plot involves the Russian Mafia, the CIA, micro-explosives hidden in the buttons of co...

Blue Sunshine (1977), written and directed by Jeff Lieberman, occupies a strange and unforgettable corner of 1970s horror cinema. Neither a conventional slasher nor a supernatural shocker, it is a paranoid conspiracy thriller disguised as a grindhouse exploitation film. Its central image—otherwise ordinary people suddenly going violently insane and losing their hair in clumps, might sound absurd on paper. Yet the film transforms that pulpy premise into something genuinely unsettling and, at times, eerily plausible. At first glance, Blue Sunshine seems to fit right in with the low-budget horror of its era, coming out around the same time as heavy hitters like Halloween and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. But Lieberman’s film actually predates the slasher boom. It feels closer in spirit to paranoid thrillers like the '78 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers or the political distrust found in The Parallax View. Rather than centering on a masked killer, the movie builds dread around ...

If you want to understand the exact moment that high fantasy on the big screen transitioned from campy fairy tales into something visceral, blood-soaked, and operatic, you have to look at John Boorman’s 1981 masterpiece, Excalibur. Long before Peter Jackson brought a literalist grit to Middle-earth, Boorman was out in the Irish countryside capturing a version of the Arthurian legend that feels less like a history lesson and more like a collective fever dream. It is a film that exists in a state of constant, shimmering intensity, where every suit of armor glows with an otherworldly chrome and every forest seems to be breathing. It is easily one of the most beautiful and deeply strange movies ever made, and it remains the definitive cinematic take on the rise and fall of Camelot. The story follows the entire arc of the legend, starting with the brutal, rain-slicked nights of Uther Pendragon and ending with the misty departure to Avalon. What makes Boorman’s approach so unique is that he ...

Welcome to the Following Films Podcast! I’m your host, Chris Maynard. Today, we are diving into a massive double-feature cinematic event. Releasing simultaneously on Digital today, February 20, 2026, are One Mile: Chapter One and One Mile: Chapter Two. This is a unique, two-part saga from director Adam Davidson that prioritizes grit and tension, designed to be experienced as a complete journey. In Chapter One, Ryan Phillippe stars as a former special forces operative attempting to reconnect with his teenage daughter (played by Amélie Hoeferle) during a college road trip. When an unexpected detour puts them in the sights of a secretive, off-the-grid community, the trip devolves into a desperate fight for survival. The narrative deepens in Chapter Two, as he is forced back to a remote island when that same violent community abducts his daughter in an act of revenge. It’s a relentless hunt where the emotional stakes are just as heavy as the physical ones. We have two vital perspectives on...

Welcome to another episode of the Following Films Podcast. Today, we are exploring a project that is equal parts hilarious, bizarre, and incredibly poignant: the animated feature film MARS. This film marks the final project from the legendary cult comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U’Know, serving as a bittersweet and brilliant capstone to the legacy of the late, beloved Trevor Moore. Joining me to discuss the Herculean effort required to bring this vision to the big screen is the film’s director and producer, Sevan Najarian. He has been a vital force in the alternative media landscape for years, and in this episode, we trace his fascinating career path, from his early days getting into the director’s chair for animation to his involvement with the irreverent and influential world of Channel Zero. We also dive deep into the "scrappy" and often painstaking labor of love that was the production of MARS. Conceptualized over a decade ago, the film follows Kyle, a man who enters a con...

  Welcome to the Following Films Podcast, I’m your host, Chris Maynard. I’m sitting down with Matt Johnson and Jay MCarrol to talk about Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. If you’ve followed their journey from the early web series days to the cult-hit TV show, you know the drill: two guys, zero songs, and a delusional obsession with booking a gig at the Rivoli in Toronto. This time around, the stakes are hilariously high, we’re talking skydiving into the Skydome, accidental time travel fueled by a discontinued bottle of Orbitz soda, and a DIY mission to 2008 that is as heartfelt as it is ridiculous. It’s a brilliant mix of guerrilla filmmaking and high-concept adventure that you have to see to believe, so make sure to check your local listings for showtimes. Before we jump in, if you enjoy this conversation, please remember to leave a review and subscribe, it really helps the show grow. I hope you enjoy the show.