Cinema Shock

Cinema Shock

The stories behind your favorite cult & genre films, and the people who make them.

  1. LOST HIGHWAY Pt 1: The Road to Madness | David Lynch: Between Two Worlds

    24 OCT

    LOST HIGHWAY Pt 1: The Road to Madness | David Lynch: Between Two Worlds

    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

    1h 31m
  2. TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, Pt 2: From Pariah to Masterpiece | David Lynch: Between Two Worlds

    17 OCT

    TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, Pt 2: From Pariah to Masterpiece | David Lynch: Between Two Worlds

    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

    1h 23m
  3. TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, Pt 1: How Lynch Reclaimed Twin Peaks | David Lynch: Between Two Worlds

    10 OCT

    TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, Pt 1: How Lynch Reclaimed Twin Peaks | David Lynch: Between Two Worlds

    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

    1h 30m
  4. STRANGE DAYS Pt 2: The Future No One Was Ready For | Virtual Insanity

    8 AUG

    STRANGE DAYS Pt 2: The Future No One Was Ready For | Virtual Insanity

    “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

    1h 12m
  5. STRANGE DAYS Pt 1: Kathryn Bigelow and The End of the Millennium | Virtual Insanity

    1 AUG

    STRANGE DAYS Pt 1: Kathryn Bigelow and The End of the Millennium | Virtual Insanity

    “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

    1h 9m
  6. GHOST IN THE SHELL Pt 2: From Cult Hit to Global Influence | Virtual Insanity

    25 JUL

    GHOST IN THE SHELL Pt 2: From Cult Hit to Global Influence | Virtual Insanity

    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

    1h 17m

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The stories behind your favorite cult & genre films, and the people who make them.

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