ETCH CAST Episode 17 — Movie Club with Skinner (The Dark Backward & Unwelcome)

ETCH CAST Episode 18 — Movie Club with Jeremy Selenfriend

Philip Gelatt is joined by Morgan Galen King and special guest Jeremy Selenfriend [https://www.instagram.com/jselenfriend/], head artist of Monster in My Closet, for a conversation centered on practical effects, horror, and the craft of building something real. Jeremy shares how he got started in makeup FX and what it means to create physical transformations in an increasingly digital world. From texture and imperfection to the presence of something tangible on screen, they explore why practical effects continue to leave such a lasting impact. For this episode’s Movie Club, they dig into The Fly II and A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, breaking down creature design, body horror, and the kind of imagery that stays with you long after the credits roll. The episode wraps with what’s been keeping them inspired lately, films, art, and creative work worth adding to your queue.

ETCH CAST Episode 17 — Movie Club with Skinner (The Dark Backward & Unwelcome)

Episode 17 of ETCH CAST launches our new Movie Club format. Host Philip Gelatt is joined by Morgan Galen King and special guest Skinner — artist and the creative force behind Art Show With Captain Skinner. This episode centers on two films that inspired Skinner: The Dark Backward (1991) and Unwelcome (2023). The conversation moves through filmmaking, outsider art, creative influences, and the strange paths that shape independent work. Art Show With Captain Skinner is now streaming.⭐ Early access Mondays on Substack: https://etchstudio.substack.com [https://etchstudio.substack.com]⭐ Public episodes Fridays on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@etchfilm [https://youtube.com/@etchfilm] Subscribe, support indie film, and help us keep making strange things.

At Last I Was Afloat

Philip Gelatt [https://www.instagram.com/philipgelatt/?hl=en] is joined by Will Battersby [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0061388/] to revisit The Bleeding House [https://www.amazon.com/Bleeding-House-Alexandra-Chando/dp/B004WCSMF2], the film that started it all. They talk through the realities of making a first feature — writing and shooting under tight limitations, instinct-driven choices, and the lessons learned along the way. The conversation also includes stories from the set, from building sets by hand to production mishaps, catering chaos, and why live birds and film sets don’t mix. A reflection on process, early mistakes, and the foundation that shaped everything that followed.

The Past Is All Ahead

Episode 15 of Etch Cast looks outward. Philip Gelatt is joined by Morgan Galen King, Will Battersby, April Merl, and Belle Del Sesto for a conversation about the films and television that defined 2025 — not as critics chasing consensus, but as filmmakers focused on craft, risk, and intent. No rankings. No hot takes. Just a reflection on what lingered, what worked, what didn’t, and what these stories reveal about where film and television may be heading next.

Wherever You Go, There You Are

Episode 14 of ETCH CAST is a pause at the threshold — a moment to look back before stepping forward. Philip Gelatt is joined by Will Battersby and Morgan Galen King to reflect on Etch’s first full year as an independent creative studio: what was built, what surprised them, and how the work found its shape. They discuss released and upcoming projects including First Word on Horror, Art Show with Captain Skinner, and Cassie Workman Is Witchy AF, along with collaboration, creative challenges, momentum, and what comes next. A year-one checkpoint — and the calm before whatever comes next.