The Hip Pocket #306 - Scott Derrickson

We did not originally intend to take a mid-season break.

The truth is, this migration from Substack to Ghost has been way more demanding than I expected because there are so many parts to it. I was publishing this podcast directly from Substack, which was convenient, but then moving everything became more difficult because I had to find a new host for the podcast and then fix all of the connected links to everything and re-embed all the episodes in the various articles here… it was kind of crazy.

But we’re done with that now and we’re back online and so we’re going to lean into the spooky season vibe with these next few episodes. What better way to celebrate than with the director of the #1 horror film in the country right now?

After all, today’s guest been a quiet supporter of this newsletter since it started, and I have deeply appreciated all the support, public or otherwise. I knew I wanted to have him on the show, and we finally got a date lined up. He sent us his three titles, and we immediately knew it was going to be a wild conversation. I would expect nothing less. After all, he’s always struck me as someone who takes film seriously, and who loves the conversations about movies as much as he enjoys watching the movies themselves.

This thing is loose and shaggy from the start, and we dive deep into all five of the movies featured on this episode, which is why it’s one of the longest episodes we’ve already done. Hopefully you enjoy listening to it as much as we all enjoyed recording it.

SCOTT DERRICKSON is a writer/director/producer whose latest film The Black Phone 2 opened last weekend at #1. His breakthrough film, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, was in 2005, and his movie Sinister is often cited as one of the scariest films of the 2000s. He works frequently with our guest from earlier this season, C. Robert Cargill, and their partnership includes films like Doctor Strange, The Gorge, and the first Black Phone.

Scott made his picks quickly and confidently, and why not? He picked three great, totemic movies, films that feel like they were inevitable additions to this list. First up is Martin Scorsese’s amazing breakthrough classic, Taxi Driver, and I love that we’re publishing this one right now. I just watched Rebecca Miller’s fantastic new documentary series Mr. Scorsese, and I cannot recommend it more strongly. It digs in to his entire career, dispelling myths (including a few that I repeat during this episode) and clarifying relationships, and it’s a dream for fans of his work. We jumped forward ten years for Scott’s next pick, Michael Mann’s bad-vibes masterpiece Manhunter, the film that introduced Hannibal Lec(k)ter to the big screen. Finally, we wrapped up Scott’s picks with David Fincher’s Se7en, a film that I could talk about every episode.

That’s a rough trio of movies, so Craig’s response film almost feels reactionary. However, the more we talked about it, the more Paddington 2 felt like an entirely appropriate and thematically perfect pairing with the movies Scott wanted to discuss.

Finally, this week’s Hip Pocket Hall of Fame entry is a movie that’s just as demanding and stylistically daring as the three films Scott chose, William Friedkin’s brilliant Sorcerer.

While you’re at it, why don’t you wish Aundria a hearty congratulations, as she’s getting married this weekend. One of the best things about doing this show is the way it’s brought Aundria, Craig, and me together. I love these two, and I love doing this with them. We are so happy for her and her delightful husband.

Support The Hip Pocket over at Patreon, where we’re neck-deep in recording a full season of bonus episodes!

Support The Hip Pocket on BlueSky!

The Hip Pocket is hosted by Drew McWeeny and Aundria Parker.
Craig Ceravolo is the show’s bandleader and producer.
It is a Formerly Dangerous Production.