Topic: Filmmaking

Host Greg Carlwood introduces documentary filmmaker Jason Bermas, citing his influential early internet films such as Loose Change, Fabled Enemies, and Invisible Empire. Bermas discusses the concept of a post-truth world, noting that the term was a specific agenda item at the 2017 Bilderberg Conference. The conversation establishes the current era as one defined by technocratic takeover and the erosion of objective reality through propaganda.

South African filmmaker and anthropologist Richard Stanley joins the program to discuss his career in horror cinema and esoteric documentaries. The introduction highlights his 2019 adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's The Color Out of Space and his documentary work on Haitian voodoo and the search for the Holy Grail. Stanley's upcoming book, The Last Crusade, focuses on his decades of research into SS officer Otto Rahn.

Alan Stivelman describes the synchronistic events that led him to Juan Perez, beginning with an exercise in automatic writing for a fiction script. While promoting a previous film in Rosario, Argentina, Stivelman met Dr. Nestor Berlanda, a psychiatrist who had investigated Perez's case decades earlier. After seeing footage of an 18-year-old Perez breaking down at a UFO congress, Stivelman felt a deep connection and spent years researching the human aspect of the phenomenon.

Filmmaker Brendan Marotta joins the program to discuss his award-winning documentary, American Circumcision. The film examines the history, data, and arguments surrounding the practice of infant circumcision in the United States. Marotta explains his goal of tackling an uncomfortable social stigma to encourage informed decision-making regarding bodily autonomy.

Brendan Marotta describes how a meditation practice and research into childhood psychology led him to investigate circumcision. He recounts discovering "foreskin restoration," a process where men stretch remaining skin to regain form and function. This discovery triggered an "obsessive epiphany," prompting him to travel across the country to interview experts and activists for his film.

Carl Abrahamson provides his contact information and promotes his various projects, including his book Resonances and his work with the publisher Scarlet Imprint. He directs listeners to his Patreon and personal website for his blogging, record company, and filmmaking endeavors. Greg Carlwood praises the quality of Scarlet Imprint’s physical books in an era of throwaway digital culture.

Niles Heckman describes his transition from working as a technician on big-budget Hollywood movies and game cinematics to becoming an independent filmmaker. He characterizes the mainstream entertainment industry as a low-resonance corporate environment that underutilizes human potential. This realization led him to pursue documentary filmmaking as a vehicle for internal transformation and the exploration of occult and alchemical themes.

Greg Carlwood shares a personal story about asking filmmaker Kevin Smith for career advice during a college Q&A. Smith's response emphasized a "reasonable amount of unreasonability" and the necessity of taking major risks, such as using credit cards to fund his first movie, Clerks. Carlwood uses this as an example of the "Jack Sparrow" mindset of betting on oneself.

Massimo Mazzucco, an award-winning Italian filmmaker, joins the program to discuss his transition from commercial films to investigative documentaries. Mazzucco has produced several notable works including The New American Century, The True History of Marijuana, and September 11: The New Pearl Harbor. His research focuses on identifying patterns of deception across seemingly unrelated historical events and industries.

Filmmaker Cosima Danneritzer joins the program to discuss her documentaries focused on corporate malpractice and environmental issues. The discussion introduces the concepts of planned obsolescence and the global electronic waste crisis. Danneritzer explains her transition from aspiring Hollywood fiction creator to documentary filmmaker, driven by the reality of stories that are stranger than fiction.

Dan Fogler offers advice to those stuck in "bullshit jobs" who harbor creative passions, citing George C. Scott's late-start acting career as inspiration. He encourages people to use their current struggles as fuel for their art and points out that modern technology, like smartphone cameras, removes the barriers to entry for filmmaking. He likens making a film to birthing a baby, requiring significant endurance.