The Fisch Bowl

First Time Awe In Pittsburgh

Send us a textThe door of the tunnel opened and Pittsburgh exploded into view—bridges, rivers, stadium lights—and we knew we were in for something special. Sitting with Alan Kaiser at Living Dead Weekend 2024, we traced a candid arc from a first-time love letter to the city to the craft and community that made Knight of the Creeps a cult classic with real staying power.Alan walks us through what made that set different: a sharp script, a director with focus, and scene partners who made every take count. He talks about the moment you know you’ve done good work—the kind of internal click artists rarely admit—and how that confidence fueled a run that led straight into Mama’s Family and a four-year series job. No shortcuts, just hundreds of auditions, relentless reps, and a reminder that momentum is a byproduct of consistency. Along the way, we touch on friendships that formed long after the cameras stopped, and why some stories keep finding new fans decades later.The conversation bends toward music, where Alan’s fandom lights up: vintage Van Halen, Blackfoot, Tesla, Godsmack, and especially Metallica. We dig into what longevity really looks like—touring hard, giving back to local communities, and staying generous with fans. There’s even a tease of future guests from Anthrax and a few backstage stories about meeting Frank Bello and Scott Ian, proof that the metal family tree keeps growing. We close with gratitude for the people who show up at conventions, the organizers who make them happen, and the city that welcomed us with open arms.Hit play for a grounded, funny, and inspiring hang that blends cult horror, 80s nostalgia, and the practical blueprint of a working artist. If you enjoyed this one, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves classic horror or metal, and leave a quick review to help more fans find the fishbowl.Support the show

Inside Buffalo Bill’s House

Send us a textEver wished you could walk through a legendary scene and feel the tension in the walls? We sit down with the mind behind Buffalo Bill’s House—the real Silence of the Lambs filming location—to share how a cinematic landmark became a stayable, tourable, and filmable experience for horror fans and creators alike.We dig into what the property offers: overnight stays for groups up to eight, guided tours from May through October, and on-location filming support for shorts, features, and pro content. You’ll hear stories from the community that sustains it, including visits from Brooke Smith, Ari Lehman, Kane Hodder, and Doug Bradley, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the interactive basement set. The famous well was built with Tom Savini’s special effects makeup program, giving guests a safe, screen-ready space to recreate moments and capture unforgettable photos.Along the way, we talk about the enduring pull of 80s slashers and action heavyweights—Jason, Freddy, Michael, Schwarzenegger, and Stallone—and how that era’s practical grit shaped this project’s ethos. This isn’t a gimmick house; it’s a carefully preserved film location that respects the craft while welcoming fans from around the world. Whether you want to book a night, hop on a tour, or roll cameras in an Oscar-winning environment, you’ll get a clear picture of how Buffalo Bill’s House became a living archive and a creative playground.Ready to plan your own visit or shoot? Subscribe for more conversations like this, share with a horror-loving friend, and leave a review to help others discover the show.Support the show

From Creeps To Griswolds

Send us a textA cult classic, a swapped ending, and a passport full of memories—this conversation with Jason Lively travels from campus-set horror mayhem to European misadventures with the Griswolds. We open on Night of the Creeps, where Jason recalls a set that felt like summer camp at USC’s frat row: late laughs, a tight crew, and Tom Atkins as the legend everyone rallied around. That on-set joy helps explain how a mid-80s gamble became a horror-comedy touchstone as audiences grew more fluent in genre mashups and meta humor.Then the twist: an unfinished effects reel screened to test audiences pushed the studio toward an alternate ending. Jason shares how director Fred Dekker wanted to finish what he started, and why the director’s cut—restored by Blu-ray champions like Scream Factory and Arrow Video—finally delivered the intended finale fans now consider definitive. It’s a snapshot of 80s filmmaking where practical effects, studio notes, and future home-video restorations collide. Along the way, we wink at Slither comparisons and talk about how horror ideas echo across decades without losing their charm.From there we hop continents to European Vacation. Jason steps into Rusty with a mix of nerves and excitement, only to find Chevy Chase turning the set into a playground that loosened everyone up. We unpack what it’s like to work a big studio comedy at a time when Chevy was in full stride, why different generations attach to different Vacation entries, and how the so-called “underrated” sequel still delivers big laughs. The story wraps at conventions, where Jason meets another Rusty, Ethan Embry, and the family tree of Griswolds becomes real—proof that characters can outgrow single films and live on through fans, reunions, and shared memories.If you love 80s horror, the Vacation franchise, or the behind-the-scenes choices that change movie history, this one’s for you. Follow the show, share it with a friend who quotes Tom Atkins, and leave a quick review—what’s your favorite Vacation entry and which Creeps ending do you back?Support the show

Ink And Horror: Building Magazines In A Digital Age

Send us a textHorror deserves ink you can hold. We sit down with art director and publisher Brian Stewart to chart a wild journey from the first death of Fangoria to launching Phantasm Media and steering Delirium with a fresh design voice. Brian shares how a single-subject magazine strategy—think George Romero, Sid Haig, Italian cinema, Linnea Quigley—creates depth you can’t get from quick-hit feeds, and why making paper in a digital world is more rebellion than nostalgia.The conversation rocks into music, where KISS served as Brian’s early compass and later creative canvas. From official poster books to tour guitar picks, he shows how rock theatrics and horror imagery fuel each other. We trade Detroit Rock City memories, swap favorite shots, and celebrate that charged moment when a bootleg screening turns a kid into a lifer. Then we map the roots of heavy metal—crowning Black Sabbath, tracing Alice Cooper’s reinventions, and tipping a hat to Rob Zombie’s showmanship—revealing the shared DNA that binds riffs, latex, and late-night double features.Center stage is a love letter to 1985. We connect the dots across Day of the Dead, Return of the Living Dead, Lifeforce, Back to the Future, Rocky IV, and Weird Science; then jump to comics with Crisis on Infinite Earths and toys with the second wave of G.I. Joe; and round it out with music sparks from S.O.D. to Dead Milkmen and Samhain’s shift toward Danzig. It’s a curated atlas of a year that rewired genre culture, the kind of deep dive only print can stitch together without losing the thread. We close with Phantasm trivia, Angus Scrimm’s towering illusion, and where to find Delirium and Phantasm’s latest work.If you love horror, metal, and the smell of fresh ink, hit play, subscribe, and share this with a friend who still files their favorites on a shelf. Leave a review to help more fans find the show and keep print’s pulse strong.Support the show

From De Palma To Die Hard

Send us a textWhat does it feel like to walk onto your first film set and see Robert De Niro, Sean Connery, and a young Kevin Costner across the room? We sit down with character actor Don Harvey for a candid tour through a career that bridges classics, cult favorites, and the small on-set details that make them stick. From The Untouchables and Creepshow 2 to Casualties of War, Don shares how early shock turned into craft, how Brian De Palma shaped his sense of cinematic tension, and why some “horror” films like Carrie live comfortably in the mainstream canon.The conversation turns kinetic when Bruce Willis enters the frame: Die Hard 2 and Hudson Hawk become a window into how action movies are built, with a hat tip to screenwriter Stephen E. de Souza. Don’s stories land where craft meets personality—like Thomas Jane shooting Vice barefoot in a three-piece suit and getting away with it because the camera rarely shows the floor. We zoom out to the power of scene partners, with vivid portraits of Liam Neeson’s generosity and Forrest Whitaker’s method intensity, and we spotlight Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai as a lean, inventive gem powered by RZA’s score.We also swap origin stories. Our host traces a lifelong movie habit back to Back to the Future Part III and the electric memory of a theater’s glow, then shares a writer’s path forged in Pittsburgh—typing every script at George Romero’s own desk. Don contrasts Michael J. Fox’s effortless charm with Sean Penn’s deep immersion on Casualties of War, revealing how set dynamics shape performances and friendships alike. We close with a friendly canon skirmish—The Godfather or Goodfellas—and an open door to keep the conversation rolling.If you love behind-the-scenes truth, actor craft, and film history that breathes, hit play, subscribe for more conversations like this, and tell us where you land: Godfather or Goodfellas? Share the show, leave a quick review, and join the debate.Support the show