Following Films Podcast

Following Films

Interviews with some of the most unique voices in independent film and popular culture. Think of it as a weekly film recommendation for something a bit off the beaten path. Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/followingfilms/subscribe

  1. vor 4 Std.

    James Kniest on The Devil's Mouth and Tess & The Details Cover of Scattered by Green Day

    On today's episode, I'm chatting with cinematographer James Kniest about his work on the upcoming Amazon original film, The Devil's Mouth. The setup is classic survival horror: a group of college friends on a Thailand trip end up trapped in submerged caves. There's a dangerous predator in the water with them, and all their ugly personal baggage and past conflicts start bubbling up while they try not to die. What makes or breaks a movie like this usually comes down to how real that claustrophobia feels, so James and I talk about what it actually takes to shoot in dark, wet, cramped spaces without it looking like a soundstage. Before we get to that interview, I want to talk about a fantastic new track from the San Francisco punk band Tess & The Details. They just released a cover of Green Day's "Scattered," which is featured on a new Green Day tribute compilation out from Coffin Curse Records and Punk Rock Radar. Even better, all the proceeds from the compilation go straight to no-kill animal shelters. Rather than just doing a carbon copy of the original Nimrod track, they completely made it their own. Frontwoman Tess Stevens directed the music video as a bit of a love letter to the Bay Area, shooting at places like an old BART station payphone and the legendary San Francisco venue Bottom of the Hill, which is unfortunately closing down at the end of 2026. I'm going to play a quick snippet of the song right now, and then I'll play the full track at the very end of the episode after the interview. Ok lets get into my conversation with James. In addition to The Devil’s Mouth, we chat about our shared love of music, the current state of the film industry, and what it was like working with Mike Flanagan. The Devil's Mouth will be available to stream on Amazon Prime on 7/29. I hope you enjoy the show

    James Kniest on The Devil's Mouth and Tess & The Details Cover of Scattered by Green Day
  2. vor 4 Tagen

    Double Danger on EVIL DEAD BURN and How to Win a Free Copy of OBSESSION

    Hey everyone, welcome back to the Following Films Podcast. Before we get into today’s show, do me a quick favor: if you’re enjoying what we're doing here, take two seconds to leave us a review, hit that subscribe button, and send this episode to a friend who loves movies. It really helps us out and keeps the lights on. This week’s episode is brought to you by the folks at Universal Pictures Home Video to celebrate their release of Obsession. They’ve been kind enough to give us a copy to pass along to one of you. If you want to get your hands on it, we're running a quick giveaway. Just send an email over to editor@followingfilms.com with the subject line "I want Obsession" and tell us why you should win. Just make sure you include your full name and your mailing address in the body of the email so we know where to send it if your name gets drawn. Today, we're talking with Double Danger, the French musical duo who handled the score for Evil Dead Burn. The movie just hit theaters, and if you’re a physical media collector, the soundtrack is actually getting a vinyl release this September. If you haven't caught the trailer yet, the plot centers on Alice, played by Souheila Yacoub. She’s a young widow trying to process the death of her abusive husband, Will. She goes to stay with her former in-laws for a memorial, which already sounds like a nightmare on its own, but then things go completely off the rails. They come across the Necronomicon, unleash the usual Deadite chaos, and Alice has to hunt down a Kandarian dagger to burn the whole family house to the ground just to stop the spread. It takes a lot of those classic, messy Evil Dead tropes and grounds them in a pretty dark family dynamic. We talked with Double Danger about how they approached scoring that specific brand of chaos, how they landed on the sound for this entry, and what it was like working in such an iconic horror universe. Here is our conversation with Double Danger.

    Double Danger on EVIL DEAD BURN and How to Win a Free Copy of OBSESSION
  3. 17. Juli

    Lillian Carrier and Lauren Meyering on Horsegirls Plus an Obsession Giveaway

    Before we get into things, this week’s episode is brought to you by the folks at Universal Pictures Home Video to celebrate their release of Obsession. They’ve been kind enough to give us a copy to pass along to one of you. If you want to get your hands on it, we're running a quick giveaway. Just send an email over to editor@followingfilms.com with the subject line "I want Obsession" and tell us why you should win. Just make sure you include your full name and your mailing address in the body of the email so we know where to send it if your name gets drawn. As for today's show, we have a really interesting one for you. If you’re looking for something new to check out at the cinema, you're in luck, because the movie we're talking about actually hits theaters today, July 17th. It's called Horsegirls, and it centers on a 22-year-old woman named Margarita who is trying to figure out her own independence while dealing with her mother’s illness returning. What makes the dynamic so fascinating is that Margarita has autism, and she finds her outlet and a sense of control through the world of hobbyhorsing. Yes, we are talking about competitive stick-horse riding. It’s a subculture that a lot of people might dismiss or find odd at first glance, but the film uses it to look at some messy, complicated family dynamics and what it actually takes to prove you can stand on your own two feet. To break it all down, we are chatting with the filmmakers themselves, Lillian Carrier and Lauren Meyering. They join the show today to talk about bringing this specific world to life, avoiding the usual Hollywood clichés about neurodiversity, and getting into the real, sometimes uncomfortable friction between parents and adult children. It’s a great conversation, and I think you’re going to get a lot out of it. Before we jump into the interview, do me another quick favor: if you're enjoying the podcast, take a second to hit subscribe, leave us a review on whatever platform you're listening on, and share this episode with a friend who loves indie cinema. It really helps the show grow. All right, let’s get into my conversation with Lillian Carrier and Lauren Meyering.

    Lillian Carrier and Lauren Meyering on Horsegirls Plus an Obsession Giveaway
  4. 18. Juni

    Mark O'Brien on The Voices of our Mother

    Welcome to the Following Films Podcast. I’m Chris Maynard. This Friday, a chilling new nightmare arrives on Shudder, and it explores the dark, complicated, and sometimes supernatural bonds of family. The film is TheVoices of our Mother, and it follows Harriet Scaflen after the death of her 95-year-old mother. When Harriet suffers an unexplainable health scare, her four estranged children return to the ancestral family home to care for her. But as old animosities and long-buried secrets come to light, they quickly realize their mother’s illness is anything but medical. There is a supernatural evil awoken inside her—one seeking revenge on her own children just to survive. Joining me today to discuss this tense, 93-minute psychological horror film is its writer, director, and co-star, Mark O'Brien. You know Mark from his incredible work in front of the camera on shows like Perry Mason, Your Honor, and Halt and Catch Fire, as well as his recent role opposite Simu Liu in Peacock's The Copenhagen Test. But he is also one of the most exciting filmmaking voices in modern horror. His debut feature, The Righteous, was ranked one of the top 100 horror movies of 2022 by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is back behind the camera with this incredible cast, including Sheila McCarthy and Georgina Reilly. We’re going to talk about building tension, balancing family drama with supernatural terror, and bringing this eerie vision to life. Before we dive into the interview, if you enjoy the show, please take a quick moment to support us by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform and telling a friend about the episode. Word of mouth means everything to an independent show like ours. Now, let's welcome Mark O'Brien to the Following Films Podcast.

    Mark O'Brien on The Voices of our Mother
  5. 13. Juni

    Robyn Symon on Queen of Shock.

    Welcome to the show! Today, we’re stepping into the high-stakes world of underground competition with a look at the upcoming Spanish-language thriller, Queen of Shock. Written and directed by Emmy-winning documentarian and former PBS producer Robyn Symon, this feature is set to make its world premiere next month at Dances With Films in Los Angeles. Shot entirely in Mexico with a local cast and crew, the film takes a fascinating piece of Mexican culture and pushes it to a cinematic extreme. The story centers on the real-world game that is a test of endurance where people voluntarily shock themselves with electricity. In Queen of Shock, this tradition is reimagined as a brutal, viral underground circuit. We follow a struggling single mother who is forced into these escalating electrical matches in a desperate bid to save her kidnapped daughter. Joining us on the podcast is Robyn Symon to discuss: The process of adapting a real cultural tradition into genre cinema. The technical challenges of creating intense underground competition sequences. Her experience directing a Spanish-language feature in Mexico. The creative leap from documentary filmmaking into the world of narrative thrillers. It’s a gripping conversation about a film that explores the intersection of survival and viral sensation. Support the Show: If you enjoy these conversations, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. It’s the best way to help more film lovers find the show!

    Robyn Symon on Queen of Shock.
  6. 11. Juni

    Jean-Philippe Bernier on Carolina Caroline

    Welcome to The Following Films Podcast. I’m your host, Chris Maynard. Before we get into today’s conversation, I have a quick three-second favor to ask. If you love discovering the stories behind your favorite movies, please subscribe right now. While you're there, leave us a quick review, it helps other cinephiles find the show, and if you hear something you love today, tell a friend about us! Word of mouth is how we grow, and we appreciate every single one of you. Today, we are exploring a gorgeous new indie road movie that just hit theaters on June 5th. It’s called Carolina Caroline, and joining us is the man responsible for its stunning, emotionally raw look—cinematographer Jean-Philippe Bernier. This film is a beautiful contradiction. It draws heavy inspiration from classic 1970s Americana and grit-and-grain crime cinema, yet it maintains this deeply intimate, contemporary emotional perspective. Jean-Philippe teamed up with director Adam Rehmeier for the third time to craft a visual language that feels like an "endless summer"—that reckless, fleeting feeling where you think the sun will never go down... until reality hits you hard. In this episode, Jean-Philippe is taking us behind the scenes of how they built that grounded road-movie aesthetic. We talk about why embracing raw imperfections actually made the story feel more authentic, and how they visually balanced the tenderness of a romance with the high stakes of a crime thriller. It is a fantastic conversation for film lovers and filmmakers alike. So, grab your popcorn, settle in, and let’s welcome Jean-Philippe Bernier to The Following Films Podcast!

    Jean-Philippe Bernier on Carolina Caroline

Info

Interviews with some of the most unique voices in independent film and popular culture. Think of it as a weekly film recommendation for something a bit off the beaten path. Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/followingfilms/subscribe

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