Cinema Yūgen

From Serpico to Snake Plissken: Matthew Pejkovic’s Cinematic Journey

Turn down the lights and lean in: this episode follows Matthew Pejkovic from VHS rentals and a life-changing late-night screening of Serpico to the founding of Matt’s Movie Reviews, where two decades of obsession with film became a public calling. Through vivid anecdotes — interviewing icons like Kurt Russell and Robin Williams, defending indie cinema, and railing against algorithm-driven studios — Matthew reveals how passion, risk, and curiosity keep movies alive.
Join a storyteller who treats films as modern mythology: hear the spark that ignited a career, the backstage junket moments, the love of weird cult classics, and a hopeful belief that the next cinematic revolution will come from unexpected places. This is a conversation for people who don’t just watch movies — they live them.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://mattsmoviereviews.net/#gsc.tab=0
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq_LLiCjmHyAuk0SnKfjWlw
 

23 Years Later: Uwe Boll Storms Back — Return to Zombie Island

When the critics boxed him in and the industry looked away, Uwe Boll refused to stay down. This episode tracks a filmmaker who fought through scorn, chaos and near-impossible shoots to mount a comeback: 23 YEARS LATER: Return to Zombie Island, he’s returning to a fractured battlefield of flesh and memory. Through anecdotes of on-set mayhem, cult screenings and the reckless joy of making movies, we follow Boll’s stubborn, combustible arc from pariah to provocateur.
Listen as fans, cast and the director himself assemble a blueprint for revival—using crowdfunding, loyalty and old-school grit to remake the rules. Short, sharp and cinematic, this episode is your front-row seat to a creative rebirth, a battle for legacy, and an invitation to join the mission on Indiegogo.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/natalieboll/23-years-later--return-to-zombie-island#:~:text=23%20Years%20Later%3A%20Return%20to%20Zombie%20Island%20is%20the%20unofficial,This%20is%20not%20nostalgia.
https://bollfilms.com/23yearslater
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093051/
https://bollfilms.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/UweBollRaw
 

Viking Samurai: From Stockbroker to On‑Screen Warrior

In this episode, meet David Kurzhal — the Viking Samurai — as he recounts a life that leapt from the trading floor to the dojo and finally onto the silver screen. We travel through sweat-soaked training rooms and retro video store dreams to the set of Bloodstorm, where discipline, scars and flying kicks collide with Hollywood legends.
Along the way he shares unlikely friendships, near-mythic fight stories, and the stubborn creed that shaped him: earn your strength. It’s a candid, pulse‑pounding conversation about legacy, nostalgia and the cost of surviving in a world that’s moved on from practical stunts — but still craves real danger and real heart.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://www.youtube.com/@VikingSamurai
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6411183/
https://www.instagram.com/realvikingsamurai/?hl=en
 

From Laptop to Bunker: Matthew Warner’s DIY Sci‑Fi Revolution

When the world ends, one man wakes—and the truth claws its way back through the cracks of his mind. In this episode, Matthew Warner, a rare breed of one‑man studio, takes us from a 5,000‑word horror seed to a chilling animated film made in a basement with a laptop, mo-cap suit and boundless imagination. As the Cryonic Pharaoh’s fractured reality unfolds—murdered companions, erased memories, and the question of what lurks in the bunker—Warner guides listeners through the eerie story and the surprising, hands‑on process that brought it to life.
Listen in for a storyteller’s journey that mixes DIY filmmaking, cutting‑edge tools like Unreal Engine and meta-human animation, and the creative grit that turns limited resources into unforgettable atmosphere. This is a conversation about creativity under constraint, the rise of new tools, and a haunting sci‑fi tale that proves one visionary can change the game.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://youtu.be/vL5H2D2j5Sg
https://www.youtube.com/@MatthewWarnerVA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtU_Sncqogg
 
 

Grease, Grit & Gallantry: Inside Chris Black’s Sword-and-Sorcery World

Step into a dimly lit set where kilts flare, baby oil gleams and a Scottish warrior carries more than a sword — he carries stories. In this episode, Chris Black takes us from the rugged origins of Slave and the Sorcerer to the fevered rewrites and raw prep that turned him into a mythic presence on screen, sharing the funny, terrifying and tender moments behind the action.
Through offbeat anecdotes, on-set chaos, and quiet reflections on loss and the creative “zone,” the host and guest spin a cinematic yarn that moves from slapstick to soul. Come for the bravado and the slow-motion chest wash; stay for the humane heart of a performer who blends myth, muscle and storytelling into every take.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13268661/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26245454/
https://youtu.be/NXHNZV-IhCo
https://www.hexstudios.shop/product-page/the-slave-and-the-sorcerer
 
 

Outrun the Doubt — Inside Andrew David Barker’s Fierce Indie Filmmaking

On this episode of Cinema Yugen, Andrew David Barker steps into the light: a filmmaker who crafts characters and atmospheres that linger long after the credits. From the haunting micro‑budget horror House on Lidderman Street to the upcoming The Wilding and Improper Bastards, Barker’s creative life is a series of bold, surprising turns — a blend of grit, humour and cinematic imagination.
Join Kent Hill for a warm, unguarded conversation that moves from voice‑over memories and Clint Eastwood’s single‑take ethic to the ritual of writing fast, outrunning doubt, and the intoxicating zone when a movie comes alive on the page. Pour a tea or a pint and listen as Barker lays bare the messy, joyous alchemy of making films — the failures, the slow burns, and the moments that make it all worth it.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4443532/
https://andrewdavidbarker.substack.com/
https://www.amazon.in/stores/Andrew-David-Barker/author/B00GLUD3UW?ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
 

Bow to the Goddess: Dawna Lee Heising's Hollywood Odyssey

Step into a life lived on set and in the spotlight: an actress who rose from ghost roles on towering sci‑fi stages to a crown of hundreds of awards, martial‑arts mastery, and a hard‑won living‑legend status. This episode follows Dawna Lee Heising as she recounts midnight shoots on Blade Runner, a snake dance that nearly changed her fate, and the patient, stubborn craft that led her back to the screen.
Through candid anecdotes about indie reinvention, a Cannes premiere derailed by COVID, surprise music‑video moments, and the rehearsals that keep her hungry for more, Dawna's story becomes a portrait of resilience and reinvention. Listen as she teases a possible international adventure, a mysterious new casting, and the quiet, relentless work behind a lifetime of performances.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://dawnaleeheisingofficial.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dawnaleeheising/?hl=en
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3148014/
 

Hard Redemption: Lou Ferrigno & Jino Kang Locked In

The doors get Hulk‑smashed and the lights go out: a one‑location siege turns a school into a war zone where a teen marked for death must survive the fight. Tune in as legend Lou Ferrigno and martial‑arts master Jino Kang relive fists, bullets, and a brutal choreography of survival that refuses to feel fake — this is raw, believable combat and old‑school grit. Hard Redemption. 
Join our guests for a behind‑the‑scenes ride filled with stories about last‑minute locations, pandemic‑era hustle, the cast’s real‑deal skills, and the sparks that made Hard Redemption sing. Short, sharp, and unforgettable — step inside the chaos and listen to how redemption is forged under fire.
CHECK IT OUT:
https://filmthreat.com/reviews/hard-redemption-action-thriller-2026-review/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35889957/
https://youtu.be/JzNrIFaX5ho
https://www.facebook.com/JinoKangFilms/