Village Video Store: Staff Selects

Today’s episode features director and writer Brandon Bassham (The Slashening, Bring On The Damned!). Brandon and I talk about working with Lloyd Kaufman and the legendary Troma Films in New Jersey as well as our mutual love of the Exhumed Films Horrorthon.Brandon’s Staff Selects harken back to his own days of working in a video store and have a particularly spooky feel to them, making them perfect for this year’s Halloween season. We talk about jump scares, committed acting performances in horror, genre satires and parody, grime, filth, and the magic of Paul Williams.You can follow Brandon on Instagram and stream his new film Bring On The Damned! on the Troma Now streaming service.Stay spooky! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagevideostore.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is voice actor Billy Bob Thompson (Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!). Billy Bob is a long-time friend of mine from Philadelphia who shares my love of movie marathons and was one of the creators of our extremely brief movie marathon show, Day Wasters.Billy Bob’s Staff Selects got us talking about screwball comedy and its intersection with horror, serious acting performances in insane movies, great theatrical experiences, 90s action sleaze, shot-on-video gold, and puppets.Follow Billy Bob’s new 16mm exhibition project CINEMILITIA. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagevideostore.substack.com/subscribe

This is big: The Village Video Store podcast now has a theme song! And that theme song was created by this week’s guest, Joe Moore. Joe and I became friends doing comedy in Philadelphia over a decade ago and have bonded over our love of movie marathons and special theatrical experiences.Joe’s Staff Selects are all in celebration of the Halloween season and got us talking about horror auteurs, blue-collar characters, movies to fall asleep to, destroying the bourgeoisie, little freaky monsters, and the existential questions that come from zombie movies over… and over… and over again.Joe wrote an entire novelty Halloween song album called “The Mummy Forgot the Chips!” by Joe Moore’s Explodin’ Halloween Garage, which you can listen to and buy on Bandcamp. Support Joe! It’s a great time, guaranteed! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagevideostore.substack.com/subscribe

This episode features my long-time Philadelphia friend, comedian and television producer Rob Baniewicz. We talk all about our love of the movie marathon and try to calculate how many hours we’ve actually spent sitting next to each other in a movie theater.Rob’s Staff Selects got us talking about existential dread, state violence against its own citizens, effective documentary techniques, shot-on-video masterpieces, still getting surprised by twists in movies, and the unexplored world of Tubi originals.Please consider subscribing to The Village Video Store substack and rating/reviewing the podcast on Apple podcasts. Thanks for coming to the village. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagevideostore.substack.com/subscribe

This episode brings back former guest and my spookiest of friends Kait Thompson. We officially kick off the spooky season (starts the day after Labor Day) and reminisce about Halloween childhood memories and our favorite things about fall.We then do a rundown of the Letterboxd horror movie challenge called Hooptober and offer up over SIXTY horror movie recommendations to help fill the challenge’s many different categories. You can find a full list of all the movies that we recommended on this Letterboxd list.Stay spooky always! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagevideostore.substack.com/subscribe

This episode features actress, comedian, and host of Dirty Laundry on Dropout, Lily Du. Lily and I spent many a month together in airports while traveling for UCB’s Touring Company.Her Staff Selects got us chatting about all the BIG topics: memory, forgiveness, aging, the inevitability of death, artistic collaboration, and power dynamics in relationships. Also, do we have the podcast’s first (good-natured) disagreement?! You’ll have to listen to find out!You can subscribe to Dropout to watch Dirty Laundry. Do it! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagevideostore.substack.com/subscribe

This episode features writer and comedian Tao Yang of CollegeHumor and Dropout fame. We reminisce about performing improv together in New York City and then discuss his Staff Selects, which cover topics such as movie spectacles, cross-cultural comedy, disturbing anti-erotic horror, watching inappropriate movies on airplanes, and the most powerful martial art known to man: gun kata. Please consider rating and reviewing the podcast on Apple Podcasts. It’s the simplest way to support the ultimate dream of opening a brick and mortar video store! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagevideostore.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s episode features writer, actor, and wholesome pornographer Ryan Creamer, one of the architects of Dropout’s popular game show Game Changer. Ryan’s film selection for his Staff Selects shelf live up to his wholesome reputation and get us talking about epic sports movie moments, the line between film fiction and real life events, connecting with comedians as a teenager, the friendship of young men dealing with toxic masculinity, sneaky non-rom-coms, and quaint UK villages. Check out Game Changer on Dropout here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagevideostore.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s episode of the podcast features improviser and dungeon master extraordinaire, Andrew Stanton. He increases the “meaty muscle quotient” of this podcast by 500% with his staff selects, leading to an in-depth conversation of the greatest action movie star to ever exist.Please like, rate, and review The Village Video Store Podcast on Apple Podcasts and consider subscribing to the Substack. Any money I make from the Substack goes directly to opening a brick and mortar video store.Thank you for coming to the village. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagevideostore.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s episode features television writer, improviser, and Shaun T enthusiast Corin Wells. Make sure to check out the most recent show she worked on, Kevin, on Amazon. Corin’s Staff Selects got us chatting about brutal martial arts violence, the cultural power of music in film, childhood fantasies and magical realism, beautiful billowing fabrics, religious horror, and how falling in love with a movie character when you are young can dictate your entire love life. Don’t do this, listeners. You can follow Corin on Instagram @charity_corin. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagevideostore.substack.com/subscribe