Tchaiko graduated from Columbia University before going on to intern for Spike Lee and Mira Nair. While assisting directors George C. Wolfe and Tom Vaughan she directed several short-form projects, including America's Shadows: HIV Risk in Black & Latino Youth. In 2012, she wrote the script called Solace, which would eventually become her feature debut. At that time, it was a semi-finalist for the Sundance Writers Lab. In 2015, the project became a recipient of the Panavision New Filmmakers Program. Solace premiered at the LA Film Festival 2018, winning Special Jury Mention Best Ensemble Cast. Tchaiko was a 2017 School of Making Thinking resident fellow where she created the VR film Shapeshifters. In between her independent projects she produces and directs commercials and branded content.

The movie that Tchaiko has chosen to discuss this week is the wonderful, wacky, goblin-y, Labyrinth. April and Tchaiko touch upon the arousing gender fluidity of David Bowie's character "Jerith." Tchaiko talks about how she strives to make "imperfect" films. She also elaborates on being inspired by nature in the writing of her next fantasy film. Plus, there's a lot of puppet talk - from the construction to the puppeteering itself. If you love Labyrinth, you will love this discussion.

You can watch the trailer for Tchaiko's feature Solace here.

If you haven't seen it yet, go watch Labyrinth.

With April Wolfe and Tchaiko Omawale.

You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters on Twitter or Facebook.

Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org.

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

This week Ricky, Alonso, and Drea survive the survivalist drama, Leave No Trace. They discuss the thematic threads that are found in all of Debra Granik's work - from Down to the Bone to Winter's Bone to Leave No Trace. Plus, they get a call from the "Who Shotline" and answer the question "What movie best represents your hometown?" You know Ricky's got things to say about Chicago! And lastly, as always, staff picks.

In news, half of Martin Scorcese's new movie The Irishman will feature a "youthified" Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, the world gets a glimpse at the Will Smith genie, and Sean Penn writes a love letter to Bradley Cooper.

Staff Picks:

Ricky - The Untouchables
Alonso - The Fabulous Allan Carr
Drea - The Edge of Seventeen

With Drea Clark, Alonso Duralde, and Ricky Carmona.

You can let us know what you think of Who Shot Ya? on Twitter or Facebook. Or email us at whoshotya@maximumfun.org

Call us on the "Who Shotline" - WSY-803-1664

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

Calling all giant-cross-necklace owners and cross-legged sitters! If you’ve been waiting for a very niche episode of The JV Club made just for you, this episode with the wonderful (Host of the podcasts "Oh No Ross & Carrie" and "Hidden Mickeys") is it.

Everyone else: never fear! There’s also plenty of whale-watching-out-for, summer camp revelations, and everyone’s favorite, pig dressage.

Hosted by Janet Varney.

Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Kansas is a born-and-raised-in-Hollywood writer and director. She wrote her first feature when she was only 15, and then went on to direct it for release at 17. The film, titled, B.C. Butcher, is a “pre-historic slasher” starring Kato Kaelin. B.C. Butcher was distributed by Troma Entertainment, and Kansas was inducted into the Troma Institute for Gifted Youth. Since then, she has directed 25 music videos for artists including Collapsing Scenery, Boyd Rice, Iggy Pop, and the Death Valley Girls. Aside from directing, Kansas also acts. She’s appeared in more than 30 projects, including the upcoming directorial debut of Glenn Danzig, and also Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. She also starred in a short film series called 'Curious Females', which premiered on Refinery29 in 2017.

The movie that Kansas has chosen to discuss on this week's episode is the 1968 freak-out fest by The Monkees called, Head. It's evident immediately that Kansas has a deep love for The Monkees and this film. She points out that The Monkees were very self aware in the film, as they comment on being "wind-up dolls" meant to distract people from the Vietnam war. She describes how her favorite films have a frenetic editing style, like Head, and also incorporate elements of "artistic non-fiction." Kansas covers some of her craziest experiences working on her own movies, like getting Kato Kaelin to appear in her film B.C. Butcher for free when she was only seventeen. Or like the time she called up Iggy Pop and asked if he'd be in a music video - and he said yes. If there's anything you should take away from this interview, it's that it never hurts to ask.

You can see B.C. Butcher streaming online.

If you haven't seen it yet, go watch Head.

With April Wolfe and Kansas Bowling.

You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters on Twitter or Facebook.

Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org.

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

This week, the original crew holds it down - April, Alonso, and Ricky. And they are tackling the new Catherine Hardwicke/Gina Rodriguez film, Miss Bala. You can rest assured that this team won't miss, Miss Bala (thank you). The gang also covers Hollywood remakes of foreign films. Plus, in our additional segment, they talk at length about their favorite music moments in movies. And, as always, staff picks.

In news, the "Ben Affleck Batman era" is over, Liam Neeson reveals a disturbing story about wanting to murder a "black bastard", and a new David Bowie biopic does not have the music rights.

Staff Picks:

Ricky - Horror Noire on Shudder
Alonso - Other People
April - Wisconsin Death Trip

With April Wolfe, Alonso Duralde, and Ricky Carmona.

You can let us know what you think of Who Shot Ya? on Twitter or Facebook. Or email us at whoshotya@maximumfun.org

Call us on the "Who Shotline" - WSY-803-1664

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

What a fascinating episode we have in store for you this week. We are so lucky to be joined by writer/director, Emma Forrest. Emma has lived a life. She started out as very young journalist in London, when at the age of 15, she wrote a lauded story on Madonna for The Sunday Times, which prompted her to leave school at 16 to become a full-time writer for the Times. In 1998, she moved into writing fiction with the publication of her novel Namedropper. From there Emma began writing screenplays, selling one to Plan B, another to Miramax, and subsequently being named by Variety as one of the "Top Ten Screenwriters to Watch in 2009." Emma, however, has taken her screenwriting into her own hands and in 2018 debuted her first feature, Untogether, at the TriBeca Film Festival. Untogether stars Jemima and Lola Kirke, Ben Mendelsohn, Jamie Dornan, and Billy Crystal, and tells the story of two sisters in the middle of their own artistic and life crises — one a recovering addict, and the other in a withering relationship she doesn’t understand but can’t let go of.

In addition to discussing her newest film, Emma has chosen to talk about Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now. Emma describes how she feels so connected to this film - having seen it at an inappropriately young age and also being burdened by the feelings of premonitions. She and April admire all the incredibly unique aspects of the film - the writing, editing, cinematography, and even the performances of the leads Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie. Emma even notes the similarities between Don't Look Now and her own film, Untogether, in how both movies take place in cities that seem to know the fates of the protagonists before the characters do. Emma also opens up about the difficulties of working on her newest release, in particular having to direct her ex-husband Ben Mendelsohn while they were going through a divorce, and how that emotion on set powered many of the performances in the film.

You can see Untogether in select theaters and streaming on February 8th.

If you haven't seen it yet, go watch Don't Look Now.

With April Wolfe and Emma Forrest.

You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters on Twitter or Facebook.

Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org.

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

We've got a hot new episode of 'Who Shot Ya?' right out of the oven. Drea Clark is back in the studio to discuss the Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly two-hander, Stan & Ollie. The crew dissects the film and discusses the representation of filmmaking in movies. They also touch upon the theme of mixing business and friendship. The gang answers a question from the "Who Shot Line" that is perfectly tailored to April - "Which genre film performances have been overlooked?" And, as always, we've got staff picks.

In news, the Wu-Tang Clan is making a supernatural thriller called Angel of Dust, the Michael Jackson estate denounces the new revealing documentary Leaving Neverland, and the "Dark Universe" is dead.

Staff Picks:

Ricky - Ricky - Keepers of the Magic on Hulu
Alonso - Good pick: The Kid Who Would Be King. Bad pick: Serenity
Drea - Everything Beautiful Is Far Away
April - The Day of the Jackal

With April Wolfe, Drea Clark, Alonso Duralde, and Ricky Carmona.

You can let us know what you think of Who Shot Ya? on Twitter or Facebook. Or email us at whoshotya@maximumfun.org

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Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

This week we are graced by the presence of the wonderful writer/director, DeMane Davis (Lift, 'Queen Sugar', 'How to Get Away with Murder'). She's on the program this week to discuss The Wiz. She and April begin the conversation by fawning over the performance of the one and only Diana Ross as Dorothy. They also cover the technical prowess of director Sidney Lumet, and why he considers this film somewhat of a failure. The conversation then turns towards DeMane's work as a TV director. They go in depth on what a day on set actually looks like. DeMane tells a story about a time when the producers of her feature Lift brought on another editor. But she also stresses that the most important thing is getting your work out in to the world. And lastly, DeMane emphasizes the lessons she learned from The Wiz about believing in yourself, and that when you are comfortable and confident in the work that you're doing, that's when you become really dangerous.

You can see DeMane's episode of How to Get Away with Murder on February 14.

If you haven't seen it yet, go watch The Wiz.

With April Wolfe and DeMane Davis.

You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters on Twitter or Facebook.

Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org.

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

Look Mom! A new 'Who Shot Ya?'! This week the crew is joined by the delectable Jared Logan ('Best Week Ever', 'I Love the 2000s') and they're talking about the new Shyamalan joint, Glass. The gang vents their frustration over having to watch Unbreakable, Split, and Glass in order to prepare for this week's episode. They also dissect the work of M. Night Shyamalan and the traps he seems to frequently fall in to. They analyze the Oscar nominations and determine whether the Academy listened to any of their recommendations. And lastly, as always, staff picks.

In news, Ja Rule is also a victim of the Fyre Festival, Leslie Jones is not happy with the new Ghostbusters, and several major theater chains will not screen Roma.

Staff Picks:

Ricky - Baskin
Alonso - Go Tell It on the Mountain
Jared - Wild Tales
April - Picnic at Hanging Rock

With April Wolfe, Jared Logan, Alonso Duralde, and Ricky Carmona.

You can let us know what you think of Who Shot Ya? at @WhoShotYaPod on Twitter. Or email us at whoshotya@maximumfun.org

Call us on the "Who Shotline" - WSY-803-1664

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.

This week we have the amazing writer/director Vicky Jewson (Lady Godiva, Born of War) on the program. Her new film, Close, stars Noomi Rapace as a counter-terrorism expert and bodyguard tasked to protect a wealthy heiress. It's a gritty, intimate action film, and that's why the movie Vicky has chosen to discuss is so apt. This week Vicky will be discussing 2002's, The Bourne Identity. Vicky elaborates on the influence this film had on her, and how the Bourne series has had a huge influence on the current iterations of the Bond movies. Vicky goes in depth on mapping out action sequences and working with stunt coordinators to achieve a spontaneous feel in her film. She also talks about working with Noomi Rapace, and why it was difficult for her to call "cut." Vicky and April also go behind the scenes of The Bourne Identity and outline Doug Liman's career trajectory from indie films to directing an unorthodox blockbuster action film.

You can see Close on Netflix.

If you haven't seen it yet, go watch The Bourne Identity.

With April Wolfe and Vicky Jewson.

You can let us know what you think of Switchblade Sisters on Twitter or Facebook.

Or email us at switchbladesisters@maximumfun.org.

Produced by Casey O'Brien and Laura Swisher for MaximumFun.org.