There are vampire movies and then there are vampire movies that know exactly what kind of party they are throwing. Vampires of the Velvet Lounge firmly plants itself in the latter category, blending horror, dark comedy, and satire into a neon-soaked throwback that feels both nostalgic and very much of the moment. At the center of that chaos is Dichen Lachman, whose performance as Cora adds emotional weight, physical intensity, and an air of mystery that grounds the film’s wilder impulses.

There is something uniquely energizing about catching a filmmaker right on the edge of release. When I sat down with Bruce Wemple to talk about Capture, it came with the unexpected bonus of being one of the very first people outside his inner circle to actually see the film. Wemple laughed when that came up, explaining that the interview was only his second so far and that the press cycle was just beginning.

There is something deeply unsettling about the way Sheila McCarthy moves through The Well. Not loud. Not showy. Just steady. In Hubert Davis’s bleak, water starved eco thriller, McCarthy plays Gabrielle, the leader of a remote cult compound that offers safety at a terrifying cost. It is the kind of performance that sneaks up on you, the kind that understands power does not need to raise its voice.

Forty years later, Rad is still doing what it has always done best. It gets people out of their seats, back on their bikes, and talking about why this scrappy BMX movie refuses to fade away. What began as a modest 1986 sports film has become a genuine cult fixture, passed down through generations and rediscovered in waves.

There are a few people in this industry who quietly sharpen you just by sitting and talking with them. Lin Shaye is one of those people. This was my second time interviewing her, and once again, she reminded me why she has endured for decades. Not just as a performer, but as someone who understands story, character, and the exact moment where comedy and horror overlap.

There is something especially fun about catching an actor at a crossroads moment in their career, when they are stretching into new genres and seeing how far they can push themselves. That is exactly where Victoria Konefal finds herself with Scared to Death, a horror comedy that lets her lean into fear, humor, vulnerability, and a little bit of meta madness. Sitting down to talk with her felt less like a traditional press interview and more like two horror fans geeking out.

There are interviews where you stick to the beats, hit the runtime, and move on. Then there are interviews where you realize about ten minutes in that you could talk about movies for hours and still not scratch the surface. Talking with Rae Dawn Chong very quickly became the latter.

There is something quietly satisfying about seeing the right actor catch the right role at exactly the right moment. Not because it is flashy or loud, but because it feels earned. Watching All Saints Day, and then talking with Don Swayze about it, confirms that this film is not just another credit on a long IMDb list. It feels like a turning point.

Walking into SXSW this year, it did not take long before The Peril at Pincer Point started coming up in conversation. The black and white visuals. The off-kilter humor. The strange, deceptively simple premise that slowly unravels into something far more unhinged. You could feel the curiosity spreading from theater lobbies to sidewalk chatter, people leaning in and asking, what is that?

Some movies don’t just age. They change shape. They quietly gather history around them, waiting for the moment when people are finally ready to meet them where they are. That feels especially true of Randy and the Mob and The Accountant, two deeply personal, defiantly Southern films from Ray McKinnon that are now getting a new life thanks to meticulous restorations and their first-ever Blu-ray release.