Today we are sitting down with a filmmaker who is not only a Master of Horror himself but also created the brand and the TV series. A director of some of the genre’s best adaptations and mini-series, he is a true lover of the strange and uncanny and is one of the most beloved personalities in horror.
Our guest today is the one and only, Mick Garris.
Anyone with even a passing interest in horror knows Mick from his classic mini-series adaptations of frequent collaborator Stephen King’s “The Stand” and the faithful to the text, but also controversial “Stephen King's The Shining”. And for the more devoted horror lovers, Mick Garris is pretty much royalty.
Of course, Mick is also well known for both his long white mane and his reputation for being one of the nicest people in show business (which he is) but when you look at Mick’s body of work a little more closely you will also see the side of Mick that is decidedly fierce.
This is the man that made a Psycho sequel with an unconvinced Anthony Perkins and critics who two sequels later were still ready to pounce on any filmmaker who dared to try and follow up one of Hitchcock’s most iconic films.
Who tackled one of Stephen King’s most batshit crazy stories about mother and son cat people that steal people’s essence and also share a bed. Side note, I love “Sleepwalkers”!
Who was equal parts brave and insane enough to tackle an independently made version of King’s epic “The Stand” and against all odds, absolutely nailed it and created a monster hit.
And ignored the naysayers when it came to doing a miniseries version of King’s iconic “The Shining” because both he and King felt that legendary director Stanley Kubrick had not really done justice to King’s book.
So yes, Mick is a lovely guy but don’t mistake that for someone who is meek and mild. Mick has succeeded not just on talent and awesome hair, but because he works hard and takes chances.
Mick delves into the beginnings of Master's of Horror, both the dinners and the series, the massive amount of shit he got from some fans for daring to touch “The Shining”, his beginnings interviewing his own heroes like Ray Bradbury and Rod Serling and showing a little man flesh for a change in “The Stand”.
Mick is also the host of one of the great genre podcasts “Post Mortem”, so if you’re unfamiliar with it, and I’m guessing if you're listening to SYG, you likely are, make sure to check it out and then carve out a bunch of time because you will get hooked.
Spill Your Guts is proud to present a conversation with Master of Horror Mick Garris!
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★