Dane DeLiegro did not exactly take the usual road to Hollywood, and that is what made this live conversation at the 2024 Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio so entertaining. Before becoming the Predator in Prey, he played pro basketball in Europe, spent years apprenticing under a legendary Tuscan butcher, and nearly ended up in the culinary world instead of the film business. By the time he started describing what it took to bring the Predator to life, it was clear this was not your standard actor origin story.

• Before acting, DeLiegro spent years playing professional basketball in Europe and living in Tuscany during the off-seasons, where he apprenticed under famed butcher Dario Cecchini and learned traditional Tuscan butchery.
• His path into movies started almost by accident when a stand-in job on Free Guy led people on set to realize his size and physicality made him a natural fit for creature acting.
• DeLiegro detailed the intense physical demands of playing the Predator in Prey, including mime school, martial arts and parkour training, major weight loss, and performing scenes with extremely limited vision inside the suit.

"Every morning you wake up and it's a little Predator surprise party, remembering that you're the Predator." - Dane DiLiegro

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For the past 60 years, a wisecracking alien named Paul has been held at a top-secret military base in America's UFO heartland. When he decides he's had enough of Earth, he escapes and jumps into the first vehicle he finds, a rented RV driven by two British sci-fi geeks, Graeme and Clive. With federal agents and an angry father chasing them, the two come up with a wild plan to help Paul get back to his spaceship.

Craig, Elisabeth and guest Paul Hitchcock talk about sincerity in comedy, Elisabeth's starring role, Comic Con fatigue and the movie "Paul" on this week's Matinee Heroes.

Show Notes

• 1:15

  Craig, Elisabeth and Paul Hitchcock talk alien encounters.

• 5:44

  Craig, Elisabeth and Paul discuss "Paul."

• 54:14

  Recasting

• 1:20:59

  Double Feature

• 1:27:21

  Final Thoughts

• 1:37:01

  A preview of next week's episode "Men in Black."

Private detective Philip Marlowe gives his friend Terry Lennox a ride to Mexico. But when Marlowe gets back to Los Angeles, he is pulled into the investigation of Terry's wife's death. Then comes word that Terry has died by suicide in Mexico but Marlowe isn't buying it. As he starts chasing the truth, he takes on a new case from a woman who has a surprising connection to Terry's past.

Craig, Elisabeth and Alan talk about Robert Altman's disjointed style, candle cults, the Oscars and the movie "The Long Goodbye" on this week's Matinee Heroes!

Show Notes

• 1:29

  Craig, Elisabeth and Alan talk about the 2026 Oscars.

• 11:48

  Craig, Elisabeth and Alan discuss "The Long Goodbye."

• 34:38

  Recasting

• 54:23

  Double Feature

• 59:54

  Final Thoughts

• 1:06:43

  A preview of next week's episode "Paul."

Confined to his apartment with a broken leg, a newspaper photographer passes the time by watching the lives unfolding outside his window. But what starts as idle curiosity turns into something far more dangerous when he becomes convinced he has witnessed a murder. With help from his nurse and the woman he loves, he sets out to prove it, before the suspected killer realizes he is watching.

Craig, Elisabeth and Movies that Make Us cohost Tracy Mangum talk about Voyeurism, BDE, Boysenberries and the movie "Rear Window" on this week's Matinee Heroes!

Show Notes

• 1:22

  Craig, Elisabeth and Tracy Mangum talk a recent trip to Knott's Berry Farm.

• 13:20

  Craig, Elisabeth and Tracy discuss "Rear Window."

• 52:42

  Recasting

• 1:12:52

  Double Feature

• 1:17:31

  Final Thoughts

• 1:21:17

  A preview of next week's episode "The Long Goodbye."

A Los Angeles private detective thinks he is handling a routine infidelity case, until he meets the man's real wife and realizes he was hired by an impostor. When the husband turns up dead, the case pulls him into a web of corruption, deception, and disturbing family secrets, with the wife's powerful father at the center of it all.

Craig, Elisabeth and guest Jeff Penn from Deep Cuts the game talk about private investigators, Canadian utopias, LA in the 30s and the movie "Chinatown" on this week's Matinee Heroes!

Show Notes

• 1:13

  Craig, Elisabeth and Jeff Penn talk about Jeff's podcast Deep Cuts: The Game.

• 8:56

  Craig, Elisabeth and Jeff discuss "Chinatown."

• 1:00:37

  Recasting

• 1:20:14

  Double Feature

• 1:25:25

  Final Thoughts

• 1:33:45

  A preview of next week's episode "Rear Window."

Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, arrives broke to visit his childhood friend Harry Lime, only to discover that Harry is dead. Suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, including reports of a mysterious third man at the scene, pull Holly into a growing conspiracy. As he digs deeper, he faces resistance from a British officer and falls hard for Harry's grieving lover, Anna.

Craig, Elisabeth and guest Derek McCaw talk about black markets, inept protagonists, Horror Not Hate and the movie "The Third Man" on this week's Matinee Heroes!

Show Notes

• 1:04

  Craig, Elisabeth and Derek McCaw talk the crowdfunding of Horror Not Hate and introduce Mystery March.

• 10:55

  Craig, Elisabeth and Derek discuss "The Third Man."

• 57:30

  Recasting

• 1:13:08

  Double Feature

• 1:18:12

  Final Thoughts

• 1:22:16

  A preview of next week's episode "Chinatown."

Kevin Conroy was not just the voice of Batman to a generation of fans. He was the voice. In this live conversation from the San Francisco Comic Con in 2018, he pulls back the curtain on how he landed the role, why his classical theater training made him the perfect Dark Knight, and how the emotional core of Batman shaped every performance he gave.

• Kevin Conroy explains how his classical theater training and deep understanding of Batman's trauma helped him create a version of the character that felt real, grounded, and timeless.
• Conroy shares memorable Juilliard stories, including living with Robin Williams, which reveals both the humor and the serious craft behind great performance.
• He also discusses the creative chemistry between Batman and the Joker, especially his collaboration with Mark Hamill, and how strong scene partners helped elevate the animated series into something truly special.

"I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman." - Kevin Conroy

Want more exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from the people who bring your favorite characters to life? Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favorite podcasting platform for more behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive interviews.

Sal Fragione owns a pizzeria in Brooklyn, where the Wall of Fame features only Italian celebrities. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out, argues that a business in a Black neighborhood should also honor Black icons, but Sal refuses. The wall becomes a symbol of exclusion, and as more people take sides, tensions escalate.

Craig and Elizabeth talk about racial tensions, boom box culture, the Winter Olympics and the movie "Do the Right Thing" on this week's Matinee Heroes!

Show Notes

• 1:15

  Craig and Elisabeth talk about the Winter Olympics and the smell of death. Not in that order.

• 16:05

  Craig and Elisabeth discuss "Do the Right Thing."

• 1:05:42

  Recasting

• 1:26:44

  Double Feature

• 1:28:32

  Final Thoughts

• 1:32:55

  A preview of next week's episode "The Third Man."