James Cullen Bressack (alias JCB) is a filmmaker full of surprises. His latest effort is one of the many anticipated flicks hitting screens at Fantastic Fest 2026. Whether he’s making a bare-bones thriller staring your favorite ‘80s icons, helping introduce the next generation of action talent, to subverting expectations with a retro-styled psychological horror, Bressack proves he’s a creative Swiss Army knife. In this retro-styled story, we follow Alex, a mentally and spiritually traumatized sibling who faces frightening uncertainty as to whether the monsters and demons he’s hiding from are real or imagined. Let’s just say when this gets real, it gets really real! We have proof this will raise…
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Interview…Composer Stephanie Economou Shines A Light For ‘Lanterns’ on HBOMax
Emotion comes in all forms, and when music is doing what it does best, it can really move you. Even the most obscure sound palette can start the water works. As DC Studios’ Lanterns is not your typical detective procedural, the sound needed to take a similarly unconventional approach. Spoiler: it was the right choice. Stephanie Economou has had her fair share of exciting projects, and ones where adventure and danger abound. The approach on this show is different from past works, and speaks more to the kind of music she loves. Herein, Stephanie dives into some ‘90s and ‘00s era guitar rock and the driving bass riffs literally propel…
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Interview…Creed Bratton and Nathan Edmondson Blaze Trails of Historical Fiction with ‘Buffalos’
If you love getting lost in a good book, one of the best publishers these days is Meridia. Think of them like respectable punk rock of the literary world, and they excel at brining fantastic and captivating yarns to the world. Moreover, the authors in their bullpen are as varied as they are experts in their field – technicians, aviators, directors, musicians, etc. Multi-hyphenates in their own right, each creative brings their profession and passion to the masses via stories about sci-fi soldiers, spies and plenty more not-so-farfetched ideas. Today, we’re happy to share our conversation with Creed Bratton and Nathan Edmondson about their Civil War era story which follows…
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Interview…Casper Kelly on the Warped and Demented Deliciousness of ‘Buddy’
As a film fan, it’s comforting to know that when a director – an auteur if you will – debuts their latest project you know exactly what you’re gonna get. Think of the greats like Jim Jarmusch, David Fincher, even John Carpenter. Today we celebrate one such individual, and when it comes to the wonderfully vivid worlds of Casper Kelly, things are guaranteed to be warped, demented and delicious. Kelly has always imagined what life is really like on the other side of the TV screen. But, once you’re through the looking glass, the sunshine and rainbows we see are actually a mudslide of panic and terror. You’ve heard of “Bayhem“,…
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Interview…Composer Aisling Brouwer on the Heart, Humanity and Historic Instruments of ‘Pompeii: Out of Time’
Aisling Brouwer is a wondrous sonic stringsmith and a truly enjoyable guest to chat with. Her compositions on Pompeii: Out of Time walk the line between documentary, true crime and dramatization yet the wand she weaves puts all the pieces together brilliantly. “Scoring Pompeii: Out of Time meant finding music for a moment we all think we already know and then discovering how much of it we didn’t. I wanted the score to hold space for both the seismic force and scale of Vesuvius, and the intimate, human choices of the people living through it. The Pompeiian Cornu sits at the heart of that search – an instrument reborn from…
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Interview…Rapper ‘Berner’ On Dedication and Work Ethic From Albums/Art to Cookies to the Big Screen
Gilbert Anthony Milam Jr., also known by his musical moniker Berner, is an American rapper and cannabis entrepreneur. He’s a Bay Area pillar and someone who is about as self-made as they come. From a young age, he had his sights set high as he literally burned his first joint to Cypress Hill. From there, Berner knew this was the life he wanted. From the streets of San Fran to collaborating with his idols on plenty of tracks across plenty of albums, Berner is a creative who is always itching to do something. So as the years went on, this would-be California king became a multi-hyphenate as an artist and…
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Interview…Reed Shannon on Creative Opportunities, Voice Work and ‘Splash City’
In Splash City, survival isn’t a theme. It’s a daily requirement. Set in the raw, unforgiving corners of San Francisco, the film dives headfirst into a city that doesn’t slow down and doesn’t forgive. This is a world where brotherhood collides with violence, ambition battles loyalty, and every choice carries a price. Against a backdrop shaped by racial injustice, economic disparity, and limited opportunity, Splash City pulses with urgency and truth. At the heart of the story are the Johnson brothers: Elijah “Slim” Johnson (Zach Sowers) and Julian “Juju” Johnson (Reed Shannon), two African-American siblings raised by a relentless single mother in a low-income apartment where simply getting through the…
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Interview…Composer Michael Wandmacher’s Unique Sound Palette and Working with Amy Lee on ‘The Seventh Turn’
It’s gotta be exciting and daunting being a composer. Many times they are asked to make a project better or give it life with some acoustic accompaniment. And it’s not often that there is a rule book or one singular path forward. Many of the brilliant people we’ve spoken with over the years have admitted to odd bouts of inspiration, dialogue with the filmmakers and many just kind of feel their way through the project. Art should evoke a desired emotion, and the best artists really hit us in the heart. Today we spoke with Michael Wandmacher about his revolutionary score to Eric D. Howell‘s supernatural short film. His work…
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[Tribeca FF Interview]…Rob Arthur’s ‘Frampton’ Is A Crowd-Pleasing Tribute To A Rare Rock Legend
Ahead of its premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival, we had a rocking good time with director Rob Arthur about Frampton. This insightful and crowd-pleasing doc about the one-and-only UK rock legend shows us the fun, fame, friendship, frailty and legacy of being Peter Frampton. The exceptional doc will screen on June 4 next month. It’s fitting that the film comes out in the same year as the 50th anniversary of Rocky. Following Peter’s ascendancy to golden god of rock in 1976 with the unparalleled live album, Peter is less an underdog but he was certainly up against the ropes following the massive success of ‘Frampton Comes Alive‘. The…
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Interview…Kirk Fox Talks Literature and Life Lessons In His Debut Novel ‘Palmdale’
It’s great when a story grabs your attention. In the case of Palmdale, Kirk Fox‘s fast-paced detective yarn, things start in a fury and never let off the gas. His novel is sharp, exciting, deep, and will surely win a lot of fans. They say that truth is stranger than fiction, so it might be hard to classify this as fiction, per se. Fox’s highly entertaining novel is a fantastic edition to the Meridia Books lineup. Also, the strength of the characters – powered by their uncommon-yet-relatable family dynamic – make this a story you didn’t know you needed in your life. And that’s worth noting because it’s written by…
