Cinema Shock

Our journey through the making of LOST HIGHWAY continues.
With cameras finally rolling, David Lynch and his collaborators pushed deeper into the surreal and the subconscious — crafting a film defined by haunting sound design, elliptical editing, and an atmosphere of pure dread. But the road ahead wasn’t easy.
In this episode, we follow the production through its rocky release and trace how LOST HIGHWAY, once a commercial disappointment, found new life as a cult classic that would reshape the next phase of Lynch’s career.
🎧 Want even more?CinemaShock+ subscribers get access to an extended version of this episode, featuring bonus discussion and exclusive segments. Learn more at cinemashock.net/plus.
CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Andy Lancaster | MagicBloat | Jvance325 | Nate Izod | Elton Novara | Robert Stinson | Nathan Kelley | asotirov | Jackson_Baker | Interzone78 | Lucy Lawson | courtland ashley | LillymckY | Spacemonkey73 | KDurden | Robert
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

We continue David Lynch: Between Two Worlds with a journey into the nightmarish echo chamber of LOST HIGHWAY — a film that fractures time, identity, and genre into something both terrifying and seductive.
Released in 1997, LOST HIGHWAY marked a turning point for Lynch: a return to darker, more experimental storytelling after TWIN PEAKS and FIRE WALK WITH ME alienated mainstream audiences. With a pulsing industrial score, a story co-written by WILD AT HEART novelist Barry Gifford, and one of the creepiest villains ever put to screen, Lynch delivered a noir-horror hybrid that confused critics but inspired a new generation of filmmakers and fans.
In this episode, we begin our deep dive into the making of the film. We explore how Lynch’s growing disillusionment with Hollywood, a surprising creative partnership with Barry Gifford, and a growing interest in identity and psychological fragmentation laid the groundwork for what would become one of the director’s most enigmatic films. From the film’s origins through its complex casting choices, this is the story of how LOST HIGHWAY began.
🎧 Want even more?CinemaShock+ subscribers get access to an extended version of this episode, featuring bonus discussion and exclusive segments. Learn more at cinemashock.net/plus.
CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Andy Lancaster | MagicBloat | Jvance325 | Nate Izod | Elton Novara | Robert Stinson | Nathan Kelley | asotirov | Jackson_Baker | Interzone78 | Lucy Lawson | courtland ashley | LillymckY | Spacemonkey73 | KDurden | Robert
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

In the conclusion of our two-part deep dive into TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, we trace the turbulent production, Cannes premiere, and long road to reevaluation that has led some to now call it David Lynch’s greatest work.
This episode covers the shoot itself — from on-set tension and cut scenes to the mysterious ‘Missing Pieces’ — as well as the hostile reception the film received upon release and how its legacy has shifted dramatically in the decades since.
Along the way, we explore how FIRE WALK WITH ME reframed the world of Twin Peaks, restored Laura Palmer’s voice, and laid the groundwork for everything Lynch would explore next.
🎧 Want to support the show?Subscribers of CinemaShock+ get access to:• Extended episodes with bonus content• Early access to episodes• Exclusive merch discounts• And other surprises behind the curtain
Join now at cinemashock.net/plus
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Yates | Caverly | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | Jvance325 | KDurden | LillymckY | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | Nathan Kelley | Nate Izod | Robert Stinson | Spacemonkey73
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

We’re kicking off our new series, David Lynch: Between Two Worlds, where we explore the dream logic, fractured identities, and spiritual mysteries of Lynch’s later career — beginning with his polarizing Twin Peaks prequel, FIRE WALK WITH ME.
In this first of our two-part deep dive, we explore how Lynch returned to Twin Peaks after its cancellation — and how his original vision for a Twin Peaks movie evolved into something far darker and more personal.
We’ll track the story from the series’ troubled end through the film’s early development, the departure of co-creator Mark Frost, the decision to center Laura Palmer’s final days, and the winding, often surreal path the script took.
We also dive into Lynch’s inspiration, his collaboration with new and returning cast members, and the emotional weight of revisiting the trauma at the heart of the original series — this time from Laura’s perspective.
🎧 Want to support the show?Subscribers of CinemaShock+ get access to:• Extended episodes with bonus content• Early access to episodes• Exclusive merch discounts• And other surprises behind the curtain
Join now at cinemashock.net/plus
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Yates | Caverly | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | Jvance325 | KDurden | LillymckY | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | Nathan Kelley | Nate Izod | Robert Stinson | Spacemonkey73
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Originally released in 2023, we’re re-publishing this episode to celebrate the 50th anniversary of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW — the longest-running continuous theatrical release of all time and one of the most iconic cult films in cinema history.
What began as a fringe stage production in a tiny experimental theater space in London evolved into a global phenomenon — complete with costumes, callbacks, and midnight screenings that are still going strong half a century later.
In this episode, we trace ROCKY HORROR’s full journey: from its origins on the London stage to its ill-fated original release, its rise through the midnight movie circuit, and its ultimate legacy as a defining piece of cult cinema.
Whether you’ve done the Time Warp a thousand times or you’re just discovering it, this is the story behind THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW.
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

“Memories are meant to fade. They're designed that way for a reason.”
In the second half of our STRANGE DAYS deep dive, we pick up with the music—both on screen and behind the scenes—that gives the film its pulse. We explore how a soundtrack packed with industrial rock helps build the film’s atmosphere, and how composer Graeme Revell stepped in at the eleventh hour to pull it all together.
Then we dig into the film’s release, its disastrous box office performance, and the confused marketing campaign that helped sink it. We look at how critics received it at the time and how STRANGE DAYS slowly earned a second life as a cult classic in the years that followed.
Finally, we reflect on the film’s legacy—how it predicted everything from reality TV and social media to police body cams and memory-as-entertainment. We talk about what it gets right, what still makes us uncomfortable, and why it might just be Kathryn Bigelow’s most visionary film.
This is STRANGE DAYS, Part 2: the downfall, the rediscovery, and the relevance that still hits hard thirty years later.
🎧 Want to support the show?Subscribers of CinemaShock+ get access to:• Extended episodes with bonus content• Early access to episodes• Exclusive merch discounts• And other surprises behind the curtain
Join now at cinemashock.net/plus
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Yates | Caverly | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Hunter D Mackenzie | Jackson_Baker | LillymckY | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson | Spacemonkey73
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

“This is your life. Right here. Right now.”
Before it became one of the most underrated sci-fi films of the 1990s, STRANGE DAYS was just a few scribbles in a notebook. In Part 1 of our deep dive, we trace the film’s journey from James Cameron’s original 1985 concept through its years in development and the real-world chaos that helped inspire Kathryn Bigelow’s vision of a crumbling millennium.
We explore how Cameron and Bigelow collaborated with screenwriter Jay Cocks to shape the film’s story, how Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett were cast, and how Bigelow brought the gritty streets of Los Angeles to life—shooting almost entirely on location and inventing new camera rigs to create groundbreaking first-person POV sequences. We’ll take you all the way through the final days of production, including the now-legendary New Year’s Eve shoot involving 10,000 extras, 50 cops, and at least a few rave casualties.
This is Strange Days, Part 1: the story of how a bold, unclassifiable, and wildly ahead-of-its-time film came to be.
🎧 Want to support the show?Subscribers of CinemaShock+ get access to:• Extended episodes with bonus content• Early access to episodes• Exclusive merch discounts• And other surprises behind the curtain
Join now at cinemashock.net/plus
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Yates | Caverly | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Hunter D Mackenzie | Jackson_Baker | LillymckY | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson | Spacemonkey73
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

They did it again! The boys saw Fantastic Four this weekend and they're giving their Spoiler Free thoughts! (There will be spoilers at the end, but we'll give you a heads up). Do you like us reviewing new films? Let us know! We can do this more often if the demand is there.
Want to support the show?Subscribers of CinemaShock+ can enjoy an extended version of this episode, which includes bonus segments and additional content, plus get access to all episodes two days early, exclusive merchandise discounts, and more. Join now at cinemashock.net/plus.
 

In the second half of our deep dive into Mamoru Oshii’s GHOST IN THE SHELL, we pick up with the film’s release and the surprising reception that followed. Despite high expectations, GHOST IN THE SHELL underperformed at the box office, but quickly found a second life on home video, where it became a breakout hit in the West and helped bring anime into the cultural mainstream.
We share our own thoughts on the film, from its unforgettable visuals to its haunting score, and dig into the philosophical questions it raises about technology, consciousness, and identity. Finally, we explore the movie’s enduring legacy—not just in its own ever-expanding franchise, but in the countless films and creators it inspired.
Join us as we wrap up our exploration of a landmark work that forever changed how the world saw animation—and what animation could say.
Want to support the show?Subscribers of CinemaShock+ can enjoy an extended version of this episode, which includes bonus segments and additional content, plus get access to all episodes two days early, exclusive merchandise discounts, and more. Join now at cinemashock.net/plus.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Yates | Caverly | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Hunter D Mackenzie | Jackson_Baker | LillymckY | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson | Spacemonkey73
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

For the next film in our Virtual Insanity series, we’re headed to the land of the rising sun to uncover the story behind one of the most iconic animes ever made: Mamoru Oshii’s GHOST IN THE SHELL.
In this episode, we trace the origins of the cyberpunk classic, starting with Masamune Shirow’s original manga and following the career of visionary director Mamoru Oshii up through his groundbreaking work on GHOST IN THE SHELL. We dig into the film’s production process—from its innovative animation techniques to the challenges of bringing such a complex story to the screen—and look at how it was marketed ahead of release. Along the way, we explore how anime began to make waves beyond Japan’s borders, and how landmark films like AKIRA helped pave the way for a global audience hungry for ambitious, adult animation.
Join us as we set the stage for a film that forever changed the conversation about technology, identity, and what it means to be alive.
Want to support the show?Subscribers of CinemaShock+ can enjoy an extended version of this episode, which includes bonus segments and additional content, plus get access to all episodes two days early, exclusive merchandise discounts, and more. Join now at cinemashock.net/plus.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Yates | Caverly | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Hunter D Mackenzie | Jackson_Baker | LillymckY | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson | Spacemonkey73
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net