The Film-Flam Man Podcast with Mat Bradley-Tschirgi

We interview Jacqueline Vong (co-founder of Playology International) about her work on the 40th anniversary of the beloved 1980s Canadian animated series The Raccoons. There are albums, t-shirts, and Blu-rays of The Raccoons coming out over the coming months, so they’ll be something for every fan to enjoy! Among other things, we talk about her career as a merchandising licensing expert, why The Raccoons still holds up as an animated series thanks to its ecological themes, and what Raccoons merchandise she enjoyed as a child. Follow Playology International on Instagram. Follow The Raccoons 40th Anniversary on Instagram. Visit The Raccoons 40th Anniversary on YouTube. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview composer Haim Mazar (Scary Movie, Gray Matter) about his career as a composer in the entertainment industry including his most recent work on his latest feature, the hit film Scary Movie. A soft reboot of the long-running horror spoof film franchise, Scary Movie is the 6th flick to date. Notably, it’s the first one with the Wayans’ involvement since Scary Movie 2 way back in 2001. Among other things, we discuss Haim’s early years in his high school band, what it was like for him composing music for the independent feature Gray Matter while being filmed for the reality series Project Greenlight: A New Generation, and the challenges of balancing humor and horror for the score of Scary Movie. Follow Haim Mazar on Instagram. Follow Scary Movie on Instagram. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview writer Bill Oakley (Space: 1972, The Simpsons) on his new Audible Original Space: 1972 starring Natasha Lyonne (Scary Movie 2, Slums of Beverly Hills) , a sequel to the hit Audible Original Space: 1969. A rare combo of alt-history, comedy, and sci-fi, Space: 1972 is bound to entertain fans of humor, the space race, and vintage pop culture alike.Among other things, we discuss what makes the character of Richard Nixon such a fun voice for a narrator, what 1970s fast food chain should be brought back from the dead, and how the pandemic affected the recording process of Space: 1969. Buy Space: 1972 on Audible. Buy Space: 1969 on Audible. Follow Bill Oakley on Instagram. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview writer and director Courtney Hoskins about her upcoming feature film debut Alienation. Among other things, we discuss how her work as a front-end developer at Twitter inspired the screenplay, what was the first movie she watched involving aliens, and why ufology speaks to the human spirit. Support Alienation’s Seed & Spark campaign here.Visit the Alienation Constellation of Support here.Follow Alienation on Instagram here. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview writer and pop culture podcaster Frank Santopadre (Fun for All Ages, Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast) about his writing and podcasting career.Among other things, we discuss his early TV writing career on such quirky cable favorites as Commander USA’s Groovie Movies and The Billy Martin Celebrity Roast, how challenging it can be doing a podcast as a solo host, and what sweet breakfast cereals create even sweeter memories. Listen to Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast with Frank Santopadre on Spotify. Listen to Fun for All Ages with Frank Santopadre on Spotify. Support Fun for All Ages with Franksantopadre on Patreon. Follow Frank Santopadre on Instagram.The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview author Samuel Garza Bernstein (Roddy McDowall: An Actor’s Life from How Green Was My Valley to Lassie to Planet of the Apes) about his latest celebrity biography on prolific actor Roddy McDowall. Filled with fun anecdotes capturing the sweep of a storied career, this is one book you won’t want to miss.Roddy McDowall: An Actor’s Life is available in hardcover and on Kindle.Purchase Roddy McDowall: An Actor’s Life here.Among other things, we discuss Roddy’s transitioning from a child to an adult actor, some of his overlooked roles, and why the original five Planet of the Apes films still hold up all these decades later. Follow Samuel Garza Bernstein on Instagram.Follow Kensington Books on Instagram.The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp.Thanks to the author for a review copy of the book. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview author Steve Starkey (Breaking and Entering: The Education of a Film Producer) about his latest nonfiction book On the Set of Forrest Gump.Packed with photos of both memorable scenes from Forrest Gump and candid behind the scenes moments, On the Set of Forrest Gump features plenty of remembrances on what a challenging shoot the film was and exactly what movie magic happened on the set. On the Set of Forrest Gump is available in hardcover and on Kindle. Purchase On the Set of Forrest Gump here.Among other things, we discuss his early career editing making of specials on Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom, why he became a second-unit director on the set of Forrest Gump, and what it was like eating at a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant. Follow Steve Starkey on Instagram. Follow University Press of Kentucky on Instagram. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad. Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp.Thanks to University Press of Kentucky for a review copy of the book. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview author Brian Raftery (Hannibal Lecter: A Life, Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up The Big Screen) about his latest nonfiction book Hannibal Lecter: A Life. A taut look at fiction’s favorite cannibal, Raftery’s book covers not just the original Thomas Harris novels (Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Hannibal Rising), but also the films of the same name and the TV series Hannibal.Hannibal Lecter: A Life is available in hardcover, on Kindle, and on Audible. Purchase it here. Among other things, we discuss why a little Hannibal Lecter goes a long way, why Ridley Scott’s (Black Rain, G.I. Jane) Hannibal is worth of a reappraisal, and what some of his favorite action movies of the 1980s are. Follow Brian Raftery on Instagram.The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad. Listen to his music Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview director Ian Nathan (Aliens Expanded, The Thing Expanded) about the new Aliens Expanded 40th Anniversary Edition that's available until April 29th. Featuring over 15 hours of bonus material and available on digital and Blu-ray, this is one massive behind-the-scenes package Aliens fans won't want to miss out on. Pre-order it here at my affiliate link: Aliens Expanded 40th Anniversary EditionAmong other things, we discuss why Aliens is influential to so many movies and video games all these decades later, what The Thing has in common with Aliens, and speculate on how James Cameron kept his head on straight while writing screenplays for Aliens and Rambo: First Blood Part II at the same time. Learn more about Aliens Expanded and The Thing Expanded on Instagram. Follow Ian Nathan on Instagram. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad. Listen to his music on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview director Salvatore Sclafani (Dutch III: International Gangster, Katie’s Story) about his latest horror feature The Hermit starring Lou Ferrigno (The Adventures of Hercules, The Incredible Hulk), and Malina Weissman (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Supergirl). Among other things, we discuss why horror is such an iconic genre, how comedy and horror are actually quite similar, and what might have attracted Lou Ferrigno to his first horror role ever playing the titular character in The Hermit. Rent or purchase The Hermit on Prime Video and other fine digital platforms. A physical media release is coming soon. Learn more about The Hermit on Instagram. Follow Salvatore Sclafani on Instagram to learn about his latest films. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad. Listen to his music on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview director David Weiner about his latest documentary In Search of Darkness 1995-1999: Journey Back Into Iconic ‘90s Horror. We also discuss his next documentary in the works, In Search of Darkness ‘70s which looks at horror films from the 1970s. Purchase In Search of Darkness 1995-1999 here. Take a survey on In Search of Darkness ‘70s to share your thoughts on their latest project here. For more info on David’s films, see his social media links here. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad; you can check out his music over on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview director Linus O’Brien about his new documentary Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, his memories of watching the original London stage productions of The Rocky Horror Show in London as a child, and why the Rocky Horror fandom is still so strong over five decades. Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror is getting a theatrical rerelease from Magenta Light Studios in the US starting with screenings in New York on April 24, 2026 and Los Angeles on May 1, 2026 featuring exclusive live Q&A’s with Linus O’Brien and special guests to be announced. A wider rerelease is rolling out in the US on May 8th. For more information, visit the Instagram accounts of Linus O’Brien and Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast with Mat Bradley-Tschirgi is by Tom Shad; you can listen to his music over on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview writer and producer James Kahn about why he started his new substack The Jedi Medic, writing movie novelizations for Return of the Jedi and Poltergeist, what it what like writing and producing for Melrose Place and Star Trek: Voyager, and the challenges of writing historical fiction for his latest novel Matamoros. You can watch James Kahn’s short films, listen to his music, and see him share his sorta weird life stories over on his YouTube channel James Kahn Entertainments. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast with Mat Bradley-Tschirgi is by Tom Shad; you can listen to his music over on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview director and producer Marcie Hume all about her new feature documentary Corey Feldman vs. the World.Corey Feldman vs. the World is available to rent and purchase on Apple TV. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad; you can check out his music over on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview director, writer, and producer Uwe Boll on the new film he’s crowdfunding 23 Years Later: Return to Zombie Island.You can contribute to the Indiegogo campaign for 23 Years Later: Return to Zombie Island here.We also cover earlier films from his career including Amoklauf, Heart of America, Far Cry, and Run. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad; you can listen out his music over on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

We interview author and journalist Nathan Rabin about his latest book The Fractured Mirror: Nathan Rabin’s Happy Place’s Definitive Guide to American Movies About Filmmaking.You can purchase The Fractured Mirror along with his other books at his online shop. The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad; you can check out his music over on Bandcamp. Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the The Film-Flam Man Podcast with Mat Bradley-Tschirgi. After introducing the concept of the show (a monthly podcast featuring interviews focused on filmmakers that sometimes dabbles into video games), we launch into an interview with Richard O’Brien, the creator of The Rocky Horror Show.Buy my books on Amazon!Subscribe to The FIlm-Flam Man substack!The theme music for The Film-Flam Man is by Tom Shad; you can check out his music over on Bandcamp.The logo for The Film-Flam Man is by Isa Johans. See her art on Instagram! Get full access to The Film-Flam Man at matwbt.substack.com/subscribe