Cinema Yūgen

Inside the Haunting: Jamie Bernadette on Paranormal Investigations

Step into a night where cameras never stop and the line between performance and terror blurs. Host Kent Hill guides you through Raymond Wallace’s dizzying found-footage chiller, Paranormal Investigations, then sits down with star Jamie Bernadette to unravel the movie’s meticulous craft, the pulse‑quickening scares, and the real-life brushes with the uncanny that shaped the film.
Between backstage confessions, haunted childhood stories, and the claustrophobic choreography of multi-camera shoots, this episode reads like a slow burn horror tale—one where every shadow, every static readout, and every whispered cue tightens the tension until the final gasp. Tune in and let the storytelling pull you into a film that is clever, grisly, and impossible to turn away from.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://youtu.be/VRVtWZDLi8k
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34791027/?ref_=nm_knf_t_4
https://www.rayolightproductions.com/hennesyhousemurders
 

From Promos to Poltergeists: The Multi‑Cam Terror of Paranormal Investigations

It’s October — the spooky season — and we take you straight into Paranormal Investigations where a reality TV crew doesn't know they’re shooting their final episode. What starts as slick promos, backstage banter, and the familiar theatrics of ghost hunting show slowly peels back into something far darker: a night of blood, shocking revelations, and razor‑sharp satire that wants you to question what’s real and what’s produced for the camera.
Join host Kent Hill and writer‑director Raymond Wallace as they unpack a film that plays like a show within a show — multi‑cam precision, character moments that make you care, and a slow‑burn dread that explodes when it must. This episode threads behind‑the‑scenes secrets, inventive scares, and the eerie charm of a movie that refuses to be just found footage. Check the links in the description and settle in — this is one haunted ride you’ll feel in your bones.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://youtu.be/VRVtWZDLi8k
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34791027/?ref_=nm_knf_t_4
https://www.rayolightproductions.com/hennesyhousemurders
 

Die-Hard in a Mansion: Inside The Handyman

From a torrentially wet first day to a 2 a.m. pool fall, this episode tears the curtain back on The Handyman — a scrappy, action-packed film that evolves from cheeky home-invasion slapstick into full-throttle, wrench-and-hammer mayhem. Hear the writer, director and the film’s grunting, boxer-short-clad hero recount broken props, improvised cameos, midnight shoots and the brutal crowbar-and-hammer kills that had test audiences gasping.
They’ll take you through the comedy-rooted rework of the script, the practical and AI-assisted effects that turned miniatures and stock footage into a Rambo-style finale, and the small-budget hustle that pushed the team to steal shots after being kicked out of an Airbnb. Tune in if you love raw behind-the-scenes stories where chaos, creativity and a stubborn hero make a movie that keeps punching — literally — until the credits roll.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37922826/
https://www.amazon.com/Handyman-Alex-T-Hwang/dp/B0CV4P233K
https://youtu.be/Qt1dm_kL2Js
 

Mojave, Marijuana and Madness: The Making of Astral Plane Drifter

When Kent Hill sits down with Mike Caravella, the conversation becomes a road trip through late-night video stores, desert skies and a low-budget dream that refused to die. From a cancer scare to COVID isolation, Mike's journey into the Mojave gave birth to Astral Plane Drifter — a ragged, hilarious and hallucinatory mashup of westerns, kung fu, and space-horror.
Listen as Mike traces the films strange inspirations, guerrilla shoots under freezing stars, midnight screenings, and the festival run that turned a homemade short into a cult-fever feature. This episode is a celebration of the messy, joyous alchemy that turns obsession, community and a little bit of weed into a midnight-movie legend.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://astralplanedrifter.com/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21328706/
https://youtu.be/pCxuxCVssV8
 

Mad Max on Water: The Wild Birth of Waterworld

When a fearless young writer pitched a daring idea — “Mad Max on water” — no one expected the epic that followed. In this episode Kent Hill sits down with Peter Rader, the screenwriter whose audacious debut became Waterworld: the practical-stunt spectacle that weathered critic storms, inspired theme-park spectacles, and now gleams in a definitive 4K restoration.
Rader walks us through the mythic drafts, the strange beats that stuck (yes, even the infamous opening), and the scrapped fantasy flourishes that could have made the world even stranger — from Poseidon-like villains to mutated henchmen. Alongside Daniel Griffith’s documentary, the conversation finally peels back the tabloid myths and reveals the creative heart of a production that was as ambitious as it was turbulent.
This is a Hollywood Cinderella story told from the inside: naiveté, audacity, and the stubborn persistence of storytelling that transformed a polarizing flop into a beloved, enduring cult classic.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://themovieisle.com/2023/07/10/4k-uhd-review-arrow-videos-waterworld-limited-edition/
https://www.peterrader.com/
https://youtu.be/oEp382HIisE
https://youtu.be/e0fXanrJOnk
https://youtu.be/-GQZMdNtHNU
 

Riverbend Resurrected: The Lost 35mm Premiere

In this episode we ride alongside a rediscovered film and the people who refused to let it die: Riverbend, a daring 1989 drama about three Black Vietnam veterans who confront a racist sheriff and reclaim their town. From the thrill of finding untouched 35mm prints in a forgotten vault to the intimate memories of cast and crew, the conversation unfolds like a detective story and a love letter to overlooked Black cinema.
Listen as actors recall the camaraderie, the losses, and the bold vision behind a movie that vanished for 35 years only to return with renewed urgency in today’s climate. Between restoration notes, festival anecdotes, and the promise of a Juneteenth Blu-ray release, this episode invites you to witness a cultural resurrection and a film that resonates now more than ever.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/riverbend-10-14-25/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNWkO5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFQSGtNZzlEV2plZFhvOG9IAR4eITHcW5BtR6Qkcfa-Sz4J1qHNdjxnkOcEtB9323lKwgEKksxzLU_rcqBVyQ_aem_K_09LH9g2TpV7gAbuIHwcg
https://shop.reelblack.com/products/riverbend-blu-ray-pre-order-limited-edition
https://youtu.be/ejcnpEDSvpE
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOpKqWiDvKn/
 

Explosions, Intrigue and Intensity: Inside President Down

Join Kent Hill and special guests as they peel back the curtain on President Down, a lean, high-energy Asylum original that punches far above its budget. With director Nick Lyon’s theater-like block shooting and a cast led by G. Anthony Joseph and Lorenzo Lamas, the film stitches together intense ensemble set pieces, surprising twists, and a chilling premise about technology, control, and vulnerability at the highest level.
Through candid on-set stories, casting revelations, and reflections on crafting tension with limited resources—plus a look at how practical effects, set rentals, and clever VFX bring Air Force One-like scale to life—this episode reads like a behind-the-scenes mini-thriller. Tune in to hear why President Down feels like a lost 90s mid-range action gem, and discover the moments that make it a memorable, character-driven ride.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://youtu.be/_FUuwyFCMe8
https://tubitv.com/movies/100044520/president-down
https://filmthreat.com/reviews/president-down-action-review/
 
 

Silver Screamers: Golden Years, Bloody Scenes, Big Screen Dreams

When filmmaker Sean Cisterna adapts a creepy short and assembles an unlikely crew, eight retirees answer the call — drawn by curiosity, camaraderie and the promise of free snacks. What begins as a cheeky invitation to play with fake blood becomes a transformative adventure that rekindles purpose, sparks new friendships and proves creativity has no age limit.
Silver Screamers weaves on-set chaos with tender interviews, revealing personal histories, laughter between takes and the quiet longing behind each participant’s smile. By the final screening the group isn’t just proud of the film they made — they’re already asking, "When’s the next one?"
CHECK IT OUT:
https://youtu.be/DpT0fO2svr8
https://mythicproductions.ca/project/silver-screamers/
https://www.facebook.com/silverscreamersdoc#
https://filmthreat.com/reviews/silver-screamers-horror-drama-review/