The How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast
A podcast that offers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the creative process of filmmaking. Hosted by A L Katz, it features interviews with actors, writers, and collaborators, discussing both successful projects and failures. The show frequently examines the Tales from the Crypt franchise, contrasting its first film Demon Knight with the problematic Bordello of Blood. Now in its fifth season, it provides insider perspectives on how movies are made and how they can go wrong.
Episodes
S5E19 Scoring For Scares with Nicholas Pike
IN THIS EPISODE We first met Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated British composer, conductor, and multi-instrumentalist NICHOLAS PIKE back during the Freddy's Nightmares days. Celebrated for his vast stylistic versatility across Hollywood feature films, television series, documentaries, and high-profile music videos, Nick is known for his innovative fusion of orchestral arrangements, electr
S5E18 How NOT To Kill Your Writing Partner
IN THIS EPISODE Creative relationships are exactly like marriages. They require the same TLC and careful nurturing if they're going to endure and be successful. Cy Voris and Ethan Reiff return for another conversation, this time about the craft of writing and how that craft works when two people are doing the crafting. Cy and Ethan have been writing (and producing what they write) super succes
S5E17 Brandon Roush Is Still Super, Man!
IN THIS EPISODE Depending on how you look at it, our friend Brandon Routh either got the best job of his life when he got cast as Superman or the worst job. That’s because Superman is an unusual character which dictates how movie and TV producers have to cast him. Playing a super hero is a lot harder than it looks especially whenn the super hero you're playing is such a genuinely super being. That
S5E16 Words Never Fail Them
IN THIS EPISODE Returning for another visit – the first of at least two conversations – are old friends Cy Voris and Ethan Reiff. Those knowledgeable about the Cryptosphere, recognize Cy and Ethan as the authors of the first Tales From The Crypt feature film “Demon Knight”. Having been part of several successful writing partnerships, I truly marvel at what Cy and Ethan have achieved. They’ve
S5E15 Why Is Comedy So Hard?
IN THIS EPISODE Though Phyllis Katz is not a blood relation – as far as I know – we do have history together. Phyllis was one of the earliest groundlings and was one of the founders of the Groundlings Improv School – the launching pad for many SNL alums and other comedy performers. I was Phyllis' student back in 1985, not too long after I moved to LA. But, as you’ll also hear, I had a strange hist
S5E14 A "Tales From The Crypt" Tribute To Tim Curry
IN THIS EPISODE One of the thrills of writing and producing HBO's iconic "Tales From The Crypt" was getting to work with people whose work we admired. One of those people was Tim Curry who courageously agreed to perform as three members of the same twisted, murderous family in the "Death Of Some Salesmen" episode. In this episode, we tell the story of Gil "seducing" Tim away from going to Carnival
S5E13 How NOT To Make A SPY Movie
IN THIS EPISODE When we say this is a 'very special episode', we ain't kidding! Produced with our sister podcast from the Costard & Touchstone family - "John Kiriakou's Dead Drop" - together we explore the subject how NOT to make a SPY movie. For starters, John and Alan will tell the story of how they met and began writing and then making podcasts together. More importantly, they'll discuss al
S5E12 Making Nice With Rita Rudner
IN THIS EPISODE I have a complicated relationship with comedian Rita Rudner. I'm a fan - have been from the first time I saw her. I was a fan when we cast Rita in the "Whirlpool" episode of "Tales From The Crypt" except, I wasn't a fan of the casting. Though, I guess, I became a fan of the casting. It's quite a story.SHOW NOTESIf you enjoy this podcast, please check out our other podcasts at Costa
S5E11 He's A One-Man Movie-Making Band
IN THIS EPISODE In this episode, Gil and I chatted with Tales From The Crypt alum John Harrison. John directed two episodes of Crypt: Easel Kill Ya with Tim Roth and The Pit with Wayne Newton which he also wrote. John wrote two of the episodes that we shot in London – Horror In The Night starring Elizabeth McGovern and The Kidnapper which starred Steve Coogan and Julia Sawalha. John came to Crypt
S5E10 The Name Game
IN THIS EPISODE I empathize with every John Smith or Robert Jones. It sucks having to share your name with others, never mind so many others. I had encountered my first Alan-Katz-who-wasn't-me in grade school. My friend Kenny Katz's dad was named Alan (Allan actually). The second Alan-Katz-Who-Wasn't-Me that I encountered was at summer camp. He was my bunkmate along with his twin brother Robert. I
S5E9 How To Make A Crypt Keeper
IN THIS EPISODE It turns out making iconic horror characters is harder and more complicated than it looks. Perfect example: The Crypt Keeper, host of HBO's Tales From The Crypt. In this episode, for the firs time ever, the FOUR people responsible for creating the Crypt Keeper sit down together to talk about the thing they all created if not together than in their turns. It really did take four dif
S5E8 Postcards From Showbiz Mountain
IN THIS EPISODE My dear friend and former agent/manager Nick Mechanic returns to talk about the current stage of movies, TV and deal-making. It's not a pretty picture, but the challenge of conquering and staying on Showbiz Mountain is part of the lure for some people. Like Nick. As we'll discuss, the most difficult part of Showbiz Mountain isn't climbing onto it in the first place, it's staying on
S5E7 A Man Called Elliot
In This Episode We pay tribute to our grood friend, the director ELLIIOT SILVERSTEIN (Cat Ballou, A Man Called Horse, The Car, Tales From The Crypt). Elliot was a consumate craftsman as a director. Beyond the craft, he also was a strong union guy who was instrumental in making the Director's Guild of America the powerhouse union it is today. Elliot takes us inside his remarkable, detail-oriented p
S5E6 World Class Actor
IN THIS EPISODE You've almost certainly seen actor Mark Ivanir's work - even if you don't recognize him. He's that prolific - and that good at disappearing into the roles he's playing. Among Mark's work: Schindler's List, Emelia Perez, 7 Days In Entebbe, Homeland, Mayor of Kingstown, Babylon Berlin and Big Mistakes. Mark's story outside his acting work is equally fasciniating. We talk about his ro
S5E5 The Importance Of Being Ernest
IN THIS EPISODE - As we've talked about in the podcast, when Universal Pictures first ordered three "Tales From The Crypt" branded feature films, Gil Adler and I were supposed to write the movie and Gil was supposed to direct the first. But Gil and I wanted to do something less conventional while the Crypt Partners and Universal wanted something more traditional - like, say, a monster movie. So, G
S5E4 Killer Klowns
IN THIS EPISODE we catch up with the special effects makeup masters the Chiodo Brothers. Way, way back in the day, Alan & Gil talked about hitchinig their collective creative wagons together. In this sit-down, two of the brothers, Stephen and Charles, join Alan & Gil for a free-ranging celebration of all things horror. But especially that place where horror and comedy co-exist like, well,
S5E3 Valkyrie
IN THIS EPISODE When it comes to producing Big Studio Tentpole Movies - the summer or Christmas blockbuster that the studio is counting on to make its year - no one was/is better than this podcast's occasional co-host GIL ADLER. After Gil and Alan parted ways and ended their decade-long creative partnership and friendship, Gil went on to become Warner Bros go-to tentpole guy. He oversaw Superman R
S5E2 Character Acting As High Art
IIN THIS EPISODE: Leading actors come and go but good character actors are eternal. Actors like our very good friend William Sadler embody a kind of character actor perfection. Bill's easygoing charm can play anywhere on the good v evil spectrum. Hell, one of Bill's best known characters is The Grim Reaper, a seemingly larger-than-life character turned endearingly neurotic (and hilarious) by Bill'
S5E1 Crypt Is Finally Screaming!
THE BLURB: In this bonus episode, we celebrate the fact that "Tales From The Crypt" at long, long last is finally streaming (on the horror platform Shudder!) and it's definitely a cause for celebration. Joining us to celebrate is our friend, the entertainment journalist (and Crypt super fan) Kristen Lopez. We'll talk about Crypt's curious journey to streaming and share other backstage stories. We'
S4E4: Best v Worst
THE BLURB: NICK MECHANIC returns to give us a LIST of his BEST V WORST - BEST FOOD in LA, best clients, WORST DEAL he ever made, best executive he worked with, WORST DAY OF HIS LIFE. If you've heard Nick in previous episodes, you know: he was both a HOLLYWOOD SUPER AGENT and a HOLLYWOOD DRUG DEALER. He spent time in prison after getting caught doing the latter. Nick really has seen the best and wo
S4E3: It's Magic?
THE BLURB: MAGICIAN WES ISELI talks about the evolution of his craft - how integrating his (now) wife NATALIE ISELI into the act kicked it to new heights. How one MAGIC TRICK beat master illusionists PENN & TELLER. How does one even become a magician? More than anything else, creating illusions is a craft. And, as for happiness? Wes has that trick covered, too!SHOW NOTES:I met Wes Iseli via po
S4E2: Colman DeKay Knows EVERYBODY!
THE BLURB: My friend COLMAN DEKAY knows everybody. And if he doesn't, he knows almost everybody. It's always been that way. The son of a publisher, Colman got used to writers like DONALD WESTLAKE, JAMES BALDWIN and NORMAN MAILER just "hanging out" at their apartment in NYC. A terrific writer himself, Colman would go on to write several episodes of TALES FROM THE CRYPT and the feature BULLETS OVER
S4E1: Field Of Dreams
THE BLURB: If ever there was a metaphorical “FIELD OF DREAMS”, it’s HOLLYWOOD. And, in order to get anywhere near that field of dreams, you’re gonna need either an AGENT, a MANAGER or a PRODUCER. Hey – what if you could get all three in one person! In this episode I chat with JEFF FIELD – the man who manages my entertainment career. As you’ll hear, “manager” describes only one
S3E5 Dirty Laundry
THE BLURB: Want top know what's really happening on any film or TV set? Don't ask the executives, they don't know anything. The director also is (or should be) oblivious. But, one thing's for certain about most every film set - it has secrets. Who's sleeping with whom? Who's got weird habits? Who needs better personal hygiene? If you want to the answers to those questions, you have to talk to eith
S3E4 Peter Iliff
THE BLURB: In this episode meet Tales From The Crypt alum, writer, director, producer and script doctor extraordinaire Peter Iliff. Peter wrote and directed Crypt's season 5 episode "Till Death Do We Part" with Kate Vernon and John Stamos. Peter will share war stories from some of his other projects including Point Break.SHOW NOTESIf you enjoy this podcast, please visit https://costardandtouchston
S3E3 It's Forbidden
THE BLURB: Among the incredibly talented directors we got to work with on Crypt (the lst included EP's Robert Zemeckis, Walter Hill and Richard Donner, William Friedkin, John Frankenheimer, Tobe Hooper, Tom Hanks and Michael J. Fox), was horror meister William Malone. Bill directed two episoides including one considered by the people making Crypt as one of its best - Skin Deep. The title of this e
S3E2 The Importance Of Being Ernest
THE BLURB: Ernest Dickerson is a great filmmaker, a great DP (director of photography/cinematographer) and a truly lovely person. We had the pleasure of working together on the first Crypt branded feature film that we put out as part of our Universal 3 picture deal. Ernest was an inspired choice. His talent and vision are a given. But, it was Ernest's love for and encyclopaedic knowledge of horror
S3E1 Crypt In London
THE BLURB: In its final season - and for various reasons, some good, some not-so-good, we produced the last season of Crypt in London. All the good reasons were really, really good: locations we couldn't get in LA, cast we couldn't get in LA, and, hey - just the pleasures of living in London on the company's dime. But the not-so-good had to do with being American fishes in English water and the co
S2E10 Is Charly Fleischer Nuts
THE BLURB: You know how you meet someone – on the set of a movie – say TALES FROM THE CRYPT PRESENTS DEMON KNIGHT, and the first thought that hits you (after “wow, he’s a nice guy”) is “Wow – that guy is smart, too!”? That’s Charlie Fleischer! Being smart – especially that smart – has a lot of the same hallmarks as being nuts. Those kinda people tend to focus with manic intensity on
S2E9 A Crypt Tribute To Billy Friedkin
THE BLURB: When Gil and Alan first suggested to their boss, Joel Silver, that Academy Award winning director William Friedkin ("The Exorcist", "French Connection", Sorcerer") direct an episode of Tales From The Crypt, Joel told them that Billy (a guy with a rep for intense behavior) would eat them alive. That didn't happen. Instead, Alan and Gil and the entire Crypt creative team embarked on one o
S2E8 Castle Of Horror
THE BLURB: After producing Crypt, Gil went on to produce several horror movies for Dark Castle Films - another Joel Silver company. The Dark Castle films began with a series of remakes of classic horror movies made by showman par excellence, William Castle. In this episode, Castle's daughter Terry Castle sits in with Gil and Alan to discuss not just her dad's iconic work but also what it was like
S1E7 How NOT To Make A Porno
THE BLURB: Caligula is one of the most notorious movies ever produced. The movie that "they" set out to make was not the movie they ultimately made. The actors had no idea that the producer - Bob Guccione - would turn the lavishly produced, boldly sexual take on Roman emperor Caligula into an outright skin flick. Included - an interview with actor Malcolm McDowell about his work on the movie and s
S2E6 Tobe Or Not Tobe
THE BLURB: We had the great pleasure of not only knowing director, screenwriter, producer Tobe Hooper, but of getting to work with him on multiple occasions. In this episode, Gil and I share some stories about those experiences and we sit down with Kim Henkel (co-writer with Tobe of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre screenplay) and cinematographer Levie Isaaks; Levie shot Spontaneos Combustion
S2E5 A Reluctant Vampire: Malcolm McDowell
THE BLURB: Malcolm McDowell is another member of the Crypt family. He acted in the episode "The Reluctant Vampire". In this episode we reminisce about working together on a fan favorite episode, and we talk some shop about working with Kubrick, shooting "If..." with Lindsey Anderson and Caligula - the textbook for how NOT to make a porno.SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like The How NOT To Make A
S2E4 Steve DeSouza, Part 2
THE BLURB: In this episode, Steve DeSouza tells more war stories from the show biz trenches - and makes a very convincing argument that Die Hard is, in fact, a better Christmas Movie than White Christmas.SHOW NOTESFor more great shows like The How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast, please visit costardandtouchstone! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2E3 Die Hard With A Vengance
THE BLURB: Steve DeSouza isn't just a good screenwriter, he's a great one. He's written some iconic action movies including the Die Hard movies, Commando, Ricochet and Hudson Hawk among many others. SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like The How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast, please visit costardandtouchstone productions! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2E2 Casting About
THE BLURB: Casting director VICTORIA BURROWS cast most of the episodes of Crypt that Gil and I produced. Casting will have a huge impact on whether or not a movie/TV show/play succeeds as intended. That makes the work of any casting director essential. With Vic, the challenge was even more challenging. She was tasked with getting movie stars to appear on a TV series back in a time when movie stars
S2E1 How To Make A Crypt Keeper
THE BLURB: World famous horror icons don't just fall from the sky fully formed. The Crypt Keeper epitomizes that. In this first ever conversation between the four co-creators (makeup special effects master KEVIN YAGHER, actor JOHN KASSIR, writer/producer A L KATZ and writer/producer/director GIL ADLER) of The Crypt Keeper, you'll hear how this iconic character evolved. SHOW NOTESIf you enjoy The H
S1E6 The Cutting Room Floor
THE BLURB: You've heard the Frankenstein's monster story, now stick around for a look at all the spare body parts that didn't make the cut (as it were). There's even MORE to the Bordello Of Blood saga!SHOW NOTESThe Cutting Room Floor is legendary in Hollywood. Whole careers have happened there. In fact, there's a whole weird history in Hollywood of scenes and actors who famously never made "the cu
S1E5 Endings Are Never Pretty
How a movie starts is really important. How it ends though – how it sends its audience out into the night – is really, really important. It was pretty much a given that a production as tortured, challenged and just plain stupid as Bordello's would stumble to its conclusion (which is exactly what it did). We headed back to LA with an unfinished movie and a future that had gone from certain to fraug
S1E3 Special Effects
THE BLURB: Nothing is more important to a horror movie than its makeup special effects. Ironically, we live and die by the quality, the craftsmanship, the authenticity and the sheer OMG-ness of how well we re-create the illusion of gore. We should have been able to pull off Bordello's special effects in our sleep. Instead, we made more idiotic choices that challenged our inexperienced crew and gua
S1E3 Welcome To Vancouver/Yankee Go Home!
THE BLURB: There's something inherently hopeful about starting a feature film or TV show. A team of strangers comes together to make something they all believe in. And then there's "Bordello Of Blood". Where a team of strangers got together - and simply got "strangeSHOW NOTES:For more great storytelling podcasts, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac
S1E2 How Not To CAST A Movie
THE BLURB: Casting, it’s been said, is ninety percent of any director’s work. Get the casting right and life is easy. Get it wrong though and even “Citizen Kane” can turn into “Plan 9 From Outer Space”. In this episode, we experience both casting highs and casting.SHOW NOTES: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E1 Fade In
THE BLURB: What happens when you make a movie that literally nobody making it wants to make? From the audience's POV, you get a mediocre horror movie from a world class horror franchise (Tales From The Crypt). From the creator's POV however you get complete and total catastrophe. How the creative team behind Crypt went from catering to their craft to surrendering to corporate cynicism. It's a deep
