Today we’re joined by indie filmmaker and casting director David Guglielmo, who recently wrapped his latest film, Love Bomb. David shares his journey of directing a script written specifically for him by friend and screenwriter Kathy Charles. We explore the creative challenges of transforming an erotic thriller into a dark comedy with shades of Scorsese's After Hours, and how he crafted surreal, Lynchian tones to set the film apart.

David also dives into the real-world setbacks he faced on set, from revoked permits to floods, and how quick thinking and flexibility helped keep the production afloat. With insights on casting, creating a cohesive tone, and making the most of ultra-low budgets, David gives us a masterclass on indie filmmaking survival. This is David’s second time on the show so if you want more of his origin story be sure and check out Episode 11.

Flexibility on Set is Crucial:

David emphasized the importance of adaptability because he was forced to embody this to an extreme degree. When a neighbor caused their permit to be revoked, the production team had to pivot from a night shoot to a day shoot. Instead of panicking, David calmly rewrote scenes and embraced the changes, which ultimately added an interesting surreal vibe to the film. David has been on a lot of sets and faced a lot of setbacks, so his adaptability is very fluid—to the point where not only does he roll with the punches, but he also finds ways to make the setbacks work in his favor. This is like black belt-level directing. Best laid plans can come crashing down at any moment, which is why it’s critical to not only be resilient in the face of obstacles but to embrace them.

Stay Tuned In:

David noted that when directing, it’s important to remain tuned into the frequency of the project. This may sound metaphysical, but well-crafted movies have a specific frequency—whether you want to call it a tone, a spirit, or an energy, it’s foundational to the movie. As you go through the inevitable setbacks and sacrifices that come with filmmaking, it’s critical to remain tuned into that frequency because it can guide your decisions in favor of the movie. David also recommends making films that reflect your distinct sensibilities and experiences rather than chasing trends or formulas.

Invest in Crew Happiness:

Having made several ultra-low-budget films, when asked where filmmakers can afford to cut costs and where they should invest, David stresses that the well-being of the crew should never be compromised. A happy, motivated crew can make a significant difference in the film’s final outcome and your overall experience directing. The key to this is building a strong sense of camaraderie on set, which starts with transparency: letting the crew know exactly what they’re signing up for and setting realistic expectations from the jump. By doing so, you attract team members who are passionate about the project rather than just in it for the paycheck. David also believes in giving less experienced but talented crew members their first major opportunities, creating a collective enthusiasm and a willingness to go the extra mile.

Movies & Inspirations

• Love Bomb (David Guglielmo’s latest film)
• Castle Freak (remake, written by Kathy Charles)
• Jacob’s Wife
• After Hours
• Gone Girl
• The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
• Dressed to Kill
• Blow Out
• Body Double
• Death Proof
• It Follows
• Under the Silver Lake

Books

• Catching the Big Fish by David...

Cooper Roberts is an editor and director who just released his feature debut, All You Need is Blood—a delightfully gory tribute to Amblin-esque coming-of-age movies and zombie films. Cooper’s background includes experience in advertising and music videos, and most notably, he was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 for co-directing the music video for Jack White’s band, The Dead Weather, and their song “I Feel Love.”

All You Need is Blood is a movie I really want to shout from the rooftops for more people to see. It’s a love letter to childhood dreams of filmmaking and zombie movies and is full of charm and blood in equal measure. The effects are also awesome, and the movie is hilarious—I urge you to see it and tell your friends. All You Need is Blood is available to stream on the KINO app, which you can download today.

In this conversation with Cooper we dig into the 6 plus year journey of bringing AYNIB to fruition, the challenges of relying on practical effects on indie movies and why casting is one of the most important elements of directing.

80% of Directing is Casting

Cooper cited a famous quote, commonly attributed to Elia Kazan, that directing is 80% casting. For this reason, he paid close attention to the casting process and took his time finding the right people, which tremendously helped bring the characters—and therefore the film—to life. Cooper noted that casting actors who naturally embody the character makes directing them much smoother and more intuitive. Casting actors outside their usual genres can also yield surprising performances, as audiences respond well to seeing familiar faces in unexpected roles, as was the case with Mina Suvari playing a comedic role, which brought a fresh, unexpected dimension to the film.

Never underestimate good old cold outreach.

With few industry connections, Cooper turned to IMDb Pro to cold-email indie producers. Out of a hundred emails, he connected with several promising candidates and eventually found a committed team. A lot of would-be filmmakers wait to be discovered or think it’s the responsibility of an agent or manager to get their movies moving forward, but it’s all on you. Even if you don’t have representation, just reach out to people. Cold outreach might seem daunting, but when executed well, it can be highly effective in finding partners and funding resources.

Build a ‘Brain Trust’ for Script Feedback

While writing the script for All You Need is Blood, Cooper sought to create his own ‘brain trust’ of script consultants and friends for feedback during the writing process, which he modeled after Pixar. Although he didn’t take all the notes, he found the input invaluable, as even a "bad" note could highlight a weak spot in the story. He noted Stephen King’s advice from On Writing—if multiple people give similar feedback on a section, it’s worth reevaluating. It is very easy to fall in love with your own voice and be blind to glaring issues in your script because you’re just too close to it to be objective. This is why it’s crucial to have trusted advisors and confidantes who can help you mold your projects. For more on Brain Trusts, I highly recommend Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull, which outlines how Pixar was founded and how they operate to this day with a large emphasis on storytelling. Also, shoutout to script consultant Carson Reeves—Cooper and I both worked with him, and I can tell you he’s great. Check out Carson at https://scriptshadow.net.

Movies Mentioned:

• Dead Alive (Braindead)
• Toy Story 3
• Toy Story 4
• American...

Today, we’re celebrating a special milestone—the 10th anniversary of The Babadook— with director, Jennifer Kent. The Babadook was Jennifer’s feature debut and has since become an iconic classic and one of the GOATs of horror.

Jennifer has been recognized for her ability to craft horror with heart, making audiences not only tremble but also reflect deeply on the emotional struggles at the core of her stories. Her follow-up film, The Nightingale, is a brutal yet emotionally resonant tale of revenge set in 1820s Tasmania. And Jennifer also wrote and directed The Murmuring for Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities anthology series on Netflix. The episode starred The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln and reunited her with Babadook star Essie Davis.

The Babadook is back in theaters starting today, through Sunday, September 22nd so be sure to check your local listings and catch it on the big screen!

This episode feels like years of film school in 45 minutes as Jen offers a wealth of insights and lessons and I can honestly say, this is my favorite interview I’ve ever done of the Nick Taylor Horror Show and definitely the most insightful.

We dive into Jennifer’s journey, from her early career as an actress to transitioning into filmmaking under the mentorship of Lars von Trier as well as her creative process, how she approaches working with actors, and how she brings terrifying visions to life through practical effects, meticulous sets and sound design. We’ll also discuss what makes The Babadook so enduring, the power of horror as a storytelling tool and much much more.

There are three big topics we did not cover in this interview because Jennifer has spoken at length about them in previous interviews so I will cover these really quickly up front.

Number One: The Babadook as a Queer Icon. A Netflix glitch mistakenly categorized The Babadook under the LGBTQ+ genre causing an outpouring of memes parodying the error. But, what began as an online joke morphed into something meaningful for the queer community as powerful metaphors emerged. In The Babadook, the monster symbolizes repressed emotions and trauma and many in the queer community saw parallels between this and the experience of repressing one’s identity. The film's message of embracing and living with one's inner "monster" instead of destroying it is also seen as a metaphor for self-acceptance. Furthermore, The Babadook can be seen as a "destroyer of families," which parallels and parodies certain rhetoric about queerness being a threat to traditional family structures and in one scene the Babadook literally emerges from a closet.

Number Two, the possibility of a Babadook Sequel: Jennifer has been very clear that there will never ever be a sequel to The Babadook. She made sure to retain the rights to any sequels and said she will never allow one to be made. To her, The Babadook is a film that stands alone, and a sequel would destroy its integrity.

Number Three: Did Amelia Write the Babadook book?: This topic has been speculated by fans and even raised on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs. It's revealed that Amelia used to write children's books, so it would make sense that she created the Babadook book as a form of coping with her trauma. Jennifer has said that this was intended but never said outright which allows for multiple interpretations. I personally think she did write the book.

Alright, before we get to the interview, I owe a huge thank you to the team at IFC, specifically Danielle Freiberg and Rob Scheer for their support in making this happen. I've wanted to chat with Jen since I started this podcast and this interview was a treat and an honor and I thank you both truly. Without further ado, here is Jennifer Kent, Director of The...