Cinema Yūgen

Cradle of Flame: Australia’s First Volcano Spectacle

In a sleepy North Queensland town, a young geology enthusiast sees a dormant mountain stir while everyone else looks the other way. When the volcano finally blows, lava, collapse and sentimental chaos sweep through an unlikely ensemble of townspeople — men’s shed legends, feuding twins, a retired science teacher and a stubborn nursing‑home resident — in a relentless old‑school disaster story with heart and humour.
Filmmaker Travis Bain invites you behind the scenes of Cradle of Flame: practical effects, legendary Aussie actors and the lush, dangerous character of Far North Queensland. The Kickstarter is live — back the film, join the journey and help unleash this eruption on screen.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://youtu.be/S_2lQ3BkQpo
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sapphirepictures/cradle-of-flame-the-fourth-feature-film-by-travis-bain
 

From Grit to Lava: Roger Ward’s Wild Stories and a New Australian Disaster Epic

Board Cinema Yugen for a crackling time with Ozploitation icon Roger Ward, who spills dirty, funny and unforgettable stories from Mad Max, Man From Hong Kong and the riotous sets of 1970s–80s Australian cinema. He remembers the rough camaraderie, on-set chaos and the fierce pride of actors who built an industry with grit, petrol and sheer nerve.
Then feel the heat as Travis Bain’s Cradle of Flame erupts: a small North Queensland town, ignored warnings, molten fury and a ragged cast of locals fighting for survival. Ward teases a flamboyant role, pledges his support, and invites listeners to back the Kickstarter—promising a movie that’s equal parts spectacle, heart and old-school practical danger.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sapphirepictures/cradle-of-flame-the-fourth-feature-film-by-travis-bain
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0GZ745LWN?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_fm_mwn_dp_T3K46Y2W4ZPJWVTRCDY4&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_fm_mwn_dp_T3K46Y2W4ZPJWVTRCDY4&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_fm_mwn_dp_T3K46Y2W4ZPJWVTRCDY4&bestFormat=true
 

The Volatile Heart of Wait list: A Love-ish Story

A glance turns into an unfixable collision: Carter and Lisa’s illicit spark blooms into a dangerous, irresistible entanglement that forces everyone around them to choose sides. In this episode Kent Hill sits down with writer/director Deborah Markowitz to unpack Wait list: A Love-ish Story — a daring indie that balances razor-sharp dialogue, slow-burning longing, and the messy cost of wanting what the world insists you shouldn’t.
Through candid conversation and behind-the-scenes revelations, Markowitz traces the film’s leap from a one-day shoot to a full feature, the creative choices that made the characters breathe, and the wrenching moments that make this story linger. Tune in for a provocative, emotional ride that asks: what do we sacrifice for love — and how do we live with what remains?
CHECK IT OUT:
https://filmthreat.com/reviews/wait-list-a-love-ish-story-review/
https://youtu.be/rAeeVKjKK_s
https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0ITK26Y7HLQ97YWUMHBMEKPU7W
 

Kamikaze Cinema: Making a Mockbuster in Six Days

When Anthony Frith signs on to make Mockbuster, he doesn’t just accept a job—he volunteers for a war. Six days, no safety net, a tiny budget and an impossible studio clock: this episode follows a filmmaker who bets everything on one chaotic, brilliant shot.
Through blown costumes, last-minute rewrites and actors pushed to the edge, the documentary becomes a survival story. From Herzog-taught confidence to the salvation of veteran hands and a editor’s magical cuts, the team fights to turn mayhem into movie magic.
Tense, funny and full of heart, this episode pulls you into the frantic rhythm of low-budget film-making and the stubborn dreamers who refuse to quit—because sometimes finishing a film is the greatest thing anyone can do.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://filmthreat.com/reviews/mockbusterthe-asylum-documentary-2026-review/
https://youtu.be/ppLs-qRgqdY
 

Single-Location Terror & a Shyamalan Twist — Behind Kat Crime

Step into a world where a quest for clicks becomes a descent into something far older and far darker. In this episode of Cinema Yugen, host Kent Hill sits down with writer-director Jerry Artukovich and star-producer Scott Hamm Duenas to unravel Kat Crime: Tales of the Occult — a taut, single-location horror about a true-crime YouTuber chasing relevance until a missing girl, a whispered secret, and a coven change everything.
Through vivid backstage stories about casting, tight-budget ingenuity, and the craft of building slow-burn dread, our guests reveal how razor-sharp writing and haunting performances turn curiosity into control — and deliver a Shyamalan-style payoff that will leave you leaning forward. Tune in for an intimate, suspenseful conversation about belief, obsession, and the price of seeking the story at any cost.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://youtu.be/Ze7UDbzS7Ys
https://filmthreat.com/reviews/kat-crime-tales-of-the-occult-horror-thriller-2026-review/
https://tubitv.com/movies/100053017/kat-crime-tales-of-the-occult
 

When Reservoir Dogs Met Resident Evil — The Story of Red Night at Skye's

G'day — Kent Hill drags listeners into the wild heart of indie cinema with Chris Grega, the gritty filmmaker behind Red Night at Skye's. From a decade-long grind and personal loss to a pandemic-forced pivot, Chris reveals how a small pawn-shop score explodes into a brutal siege, where alliances crumble, bullets tear through walls, and something far darker waits below.
They unpack the film’s wild genesis — a 16-day shoot, a trapdoor to a TARDIS-like basement lab, headline performances (including Bill Moseley), and the savage joy of mixing humor, dread, and unflinching violence. By episode’s end you’ll feel the pressure cooker of the movie itself and be left standing at the same haunting question mark that keeps the story dangerously alive.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://filmthreat.com/reviews/red-night-at-skyes-action-horror-2026-review/
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Night-Skyes-Chris-Grega/dp/B0DZ6DHMNC
https://tubitv.com/movies/100041703/red-night-at-skye-s
 

Murdercize: Neon Legwarmers, VHS Gore, and the Rise of 80s Exploitation

Step into a neon-soaked VHS dream where rival aerobics queens chase fame—and something far deadlier—through sweat, spandex, and synth. In this episode, cult filmmaker Paul Ragsdale pulls back the curtain on Murdercize, the outrageous slasher that wears its 80s obsessions as a badge of honor.
Ragsdale traces the film from dusty video-store inspirations and mafia-funded workout tapes to the challenge of writing a killer you can oddly root for. He names his influences, shares on-set stories, and explains how campy one-liners, killer needle drops, and raw passion turned a small idea into a midnight-movie revival.
Short, candid, and wildly entertaining, this interview is for anyone who loves boot-cut leotards, VHS nostalgia, and the glorious madness of indie exploitation—Murdercize is streaming on Tubi; consider this your fast-forwarded invitation.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/APFilms
https://filmthreat.com/reviews/murdercise-horror-comedy-2023-review/
https://youtu.be/XimU55yGJ6g
https://tubitv.com/en-au/movies/100009154/murdercise
 
 

Blood, Grit & Grindhouse: Behind Return to Death Park

Step into the blood-soaked world of Ken Ace Brewer, an indie horror lifer who taught himself the rules so he could gleefully break them. From Super 8 shorts made with backyard friends to a sprawling cult saga that fuses grindhouse energy with modern gore, this episode traces the crazed, creative path that birthed Return to Death Park and the hit film Death Bitch.
Listen as Brewer and host Kent Hill swap stories about influences (Carpenter and Lustig), guerrilla film-making tactics, fan-powered distribution at conventions, and the boots-on-the-ground economy of micro-budget horror. You’ll hear how a series of short films stitched together became a franchise, why pacing matters more than polish, and the surprising business smarts behind making movies that sell out theaters.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://lividmedia.org/
https://filmthreat.com/reviews/return-to-death-park-slasher-horror-2025-review/
https://youtu.be/fD-6-xI5uoA