In this episode of Horror Heals, Corey and Kendall dive into a conversation with Zak from Death Comes Lifting – a one-of-a-kind gym that combines horror, punk rock, and heavy metal with fitness and mental wellness. Zak’s mission? To create a judgment-free space where horror fans, metalheads, and self-proclaimed misfits can feel comfortable, get fit, and take charge of their mental health. From sharing stories of transformations to the reasons behind his fitness journey, Zak explains how physical wellness impacts mental wellness and why Death Comes Lifting has become a safe haven for the 'Lifting Dead Army' – his community of horror-loving gym members.

Death Comes Lifting is Where Horror Meets Health

Death Comes Lifting's Mission: Death Comes Lifting is a multimedia health & wellness universe that creates original clothing, content, podcasts, playlists, monsters, music, motivation, workouts, and weirdness in order to foster & serve a community in which physical, mental, and spiritual well-being can Lift alongside the the strange & deranged. We are Fitness For The Misfits. Welcome to The Lifting Dead Army.

“Death Comes Lifting: The Gym Built for Horror Fans – You Can’t Skip This!”

• Zak shares the origins of Death Comes Lifting, starting from its humble beginnings as a clothing brand for horror cons to its evolution into a fully functional gym.
• Discover how Zak’s journey to fitness grew out of his love for horror culture and his desire to help others, especially those who never felt at home in traditional fitness spaces.

“Why Horror and Fitness Go Hand-in-Hand – Don’t Miss This Perspective!”

• Zak explains his philosophy: taking care of your physical health has a powerful impact on mental wellness, and vice versa.
• We explore how he’s challenging the stereotype that horror fans don’t care about health – in fact, he’s showing that you can embrace the macabre and still be physically and mentally strong.

“A Horror Gym Community Unlike Any Other: The Lifting Dead Army”

• Zak’s 'Lifting Dead Army' isn’t just about lifting weights – it’s about lifting spirits. He shares stories of members who’ve transformed, including a friend who lost 100 pounds and reclaimed his health.
• For Zak, success isn’t just opening a gym; it’s creating a community where horror fans can support one another, get healthier, and feel like they belong.

“Breaking the Stigma: Fitness for Horror Fans is Hardcore – And Here’s Why You’ll Love It”

• Zak discusses the stigma surrounding fitness and horror fans, the stereotypes of “douchebag gym bros,” and why he’s dedicated to showing his community that fitness can be for everyone.
• Hear how he brings humor, horror culture, and authenticity to fitness, proving that being healthy doesn’t mean giving up on the things you love – it just means finding a balance that works for you.

“Virtual Training with a Twist: The ‘Lifting Dead Army’ Goes Digital!”

• Learn how Zak turned the challenges of the pandemic into an opportunity to connect with his community through virtual fitness classes on Patreon.
• His online platform features yoga, workout videos, and more – all infused with Zak’s unique humor and horror-themed style – so horror fans worldwide can join in.

“Horror as Therapy – Escaping Real Life Through the Dark”

• Zak shares how horror was an escape from a tough childhood and how he’s now helping others use horror as a way to process trauma, build resilience, and tackle real-world struggles.
• Corey and Kendall discuss why horror can be therapeutic, helping fans deal with darkness in healthy ways. Horror movies provide a safe, fictional world to confront real fears and anxieties – a sentiment Zak embodies in his work.

“Who’s Your Favorite Final Person?”

• In a nod to horror tradition, Corey asks Zak his favorite final character. Spoiler alert: Zak’s answer dives into Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the raw intensity of Marilyn Burns' character, Sally. He also explains why movies like Devil’s Rejects left a lasting impact on him, sparking an early love for horror that’s fueled his journey to where he is today.

If you’re a horror fan who’s felt like the gym wasn’t a place for you, Zak’s got news: you CAN be healthy, strong, and still love the darkest parts of horror. You’ll leave this episode inspired to see fitness in a new light and perhaps even to join the ranks of the 'Lifting Dead Army.'

Death Comes Lifitng on Instagram

Hey Zach, welcome to Horror Heals. Thanks for having me guys. This is great. Absolutely. Absolutely. So how does our theme of horror movies and horror culture helping our mental wellness resonate with you personally? What I've made it my mission to do was to make the horror nerds and the heavy metal nerds of the world, my friends and where I belong, make them healthier, whether that's physically or mentally. And really there's no difference if you make one better, the other better. So.

That's kind of what I mission here at Defqon's lifting fitness for the health and wellness, So yeah, in every way. Can you give us a little bit of a background just like on the history of the gym? The gym itself has been open just about six months. So the gym's pretty new. It's been going great. on wood. It's been great because we have a lot of great loyal supporters and I'm very, very thankful for that. But the brand itself, Defqon's lifting.

I've had it for about seven years and it started as just a clothing line. I took it to like horror cons and set up wherever I could set up and did a lot of online stuff. We still do a lot of social media promo and I stream classes and it was just me kind of punk rock and the brand online. I found myself in the fitness industry and with not a lot, nowhere to be represented, nowhere for our people, our horror people.

our metal people and punks and stuff like that to have a comfortable space to be fit and you were getting the gym or where stuff they wanted to wear that was actually cool. So I decided that it was my job to make that. here we are. Awesome. What kind of questions and feedback did you get back in the day about how fitness ties into work? I got a lot of people that were just straight up confused as to what I was doing at all.

There's that there was it was funny to to be set up at like horror conventions since this is more of a horror focus podcast I guess we should lean into that I always got a kick out of everything you see it'll work convention all the people all the movies all the costumes and not Some people saw me as the scariest thing there because they thought I was gonna make them do sit-ups or something people like you know void me like the

So I always got a kick out of that. You know, I think that's, I think that worked in my favor ultimately is because it is so like different and niche and confusing. And it's like, I don't ever want it to be in your face. Like this is a fitness company here is Jason with a barbell or something like, it's kind of like, it's kind of like, have to look at it deeper and people are like, wait, this is like a gym or like, what is this or something? You know? So that's kind of how I lure them in.

you know, talk to him about it. And I think I sell them on it based on, know, just who I am as a person and what, what we stand for as a, as a company. And I'm very happy to have got a lot of our fellow horror film nerds and, and folk involved in a healthier, better spot. And that's means more to me than any sort of monetary success or opening a gym is that you change people's lives for the better. And that's why, that's why I'm in this business to begin with. So I just happened to get lucky.

got to combine my interests, you know, which is fitness, your stuff. Just they don't do this. it. Can you think of a transformation you've helped somebody make and like what, that was like, what that experience was like? Actually, the one that pops in my head is a, is perfect for this because there's a local convention in Pittsburgh called Rue Realm. it's a, it's a smaller show. You probably, probably never heard of it as more local. but they're all my friends and great people that run it.

Shout out to horror realm. If anyone ever, checks it out, it's, it's really great. They have a really good lineup every year. And one of my friends who I met through that show, his name's Adam. He works that show and we've been training together for like six years and he's lost like a hundred pounds. He comes to, he comes to our Muay Thai classes and box and do all kinds of crazy shit. And he's a,

You know, he's a bit, he's a big whore nerd dude. And while I love the guy, but he's in such, he's gotten so much healthier and gotten in such better shape. if it's a, if it's this much of my influence that I am very happy about that. So that's a real time. I just worked out with him this morning actually. So he's very crushed my head. Yeah. Love that. what have you noticed over the six years? Like how has his, mental situation evolved? man. So with you,

If you, I think it's true for anyone. If you take care of your physical, this meat suit we're stuck in, I think your mind will respond in a healthier way. You know, if you treat your body like shit, if you give it shit to eat, shit to run on, well, it's going to respond like shit. If you're going to be depressed, you're going to feel all this junk food and processed food is, I love it just as much as anybody. Don't get me wrong. I'm not a brute. I have my cheat days and I eat crap.

But if that is all you eat, you know, that is, is poisoning you. So you're going to, mind is going to have an effect on that and it's not going to be happy. So you're not going to be happy. And when you start taking care of yourself, you feel better in every way. So that is, and something I always try to bring to the forefront is a lot of us are into horror because maybe we've had some trauma or we've had some

fucked up lives or a hard childhood. And this kind of helps this saved us in a lot of ways. grew up watching horror movies to like, you know, escape the realities of life sometimes. And we're prone to depression and mental illness. And if we can just take the low hanging fruit steps of eating right, walking, moving, stretching, you don't have to conquer the world. You don't have to do this crazy workout program, but just like really basic stuff to take care of yourself.

Really what I wanted to get across with Defqon's lifting and into like into the music world and movies and everything is, is not lame to take care of yourself. It's not lame to be healthy. Like there's something cool about like, you know, smoking cigarettes and drinking Jack Daniel's and eating fried chicken and not giving a fuck. Like I get it. That's great. That's, that is cool, but it's also going to make you feel terrible. And it does in working out healthy and eating healthy.

doesn't have to be for douchebag jaw. know, that's not right. It's not for every, it's not for them exclusively. Like we can do that too and feel the benefits and still be weird and still be cool and still be in all the shit you're into. And you don't have to be embarrassed because you're healthy and because you choose to be fit. think that is like a stupid stigma that just kind of gets forced upon a lot of the crowd. And I, you know, and I just kind of stand against that. That's what want Defqon's lifting to do.

I agree with you and I tell you that even was an issue this week. I'm at work, I'm an HR person, I'm talking about fitness and wellness all the time and goals that we have within our company. And employees feel pretty openly eager to tease me about being quasi vegetarian. And you know, I feel like haven't we evolved past some of this stigma?

It's shocking sometimes when I see people still teasing me about not eating red meat and not, you know, my joke is that I don't eat anything with four legs. That's pretty much the way I live my life. It's weird when I have to defend that constantly. And I think honestly, it says, it says way more about them than you and maybe what you stand for.

And how you live and they, they see you feeling good and looking good. And they're secretly maybe a little jealous and a little resentful that they can't do that, but they can do that. They just aren't. So they projected back on you. And that happens to me all the time, but I clearly don't care. Yeah. Let people know that, you know, it's all right. And actually it's, it is cool and it is fun and you can do it in a balanced, healthy way. It doesn't have to suck. And I think a lot of us grew up.

hating fitness, having a bad relationship with it because we were fat nerds or something, which I, I will, I was, and I will always be in here a fat nerd. So I get it. hated gym class. I hated sports. I was terrible at them all. I was out of shape as kid and basically a teenager too. And I had a really negative relationship with it all. So I was there too. Like, fuck that. I'm going to read comic books and you know, eat chocolate and drink beer and just, you know, freak.

Forget about all this shit. And then you wonder why you don't, aren't happy and don't feel good. I found fitness luckily. And I just, I liked it so much better than like playing sports or I just felt a different relationship with it. I love yoga. I just found that and it just kind of led me to being where I'm at. think if more people give it a chance, especially if we can help, if we can help show them a little bit in a way, if we can get their foot in a door.

to a healthier lifestyle where they wouldn't go before without it having the Texas chainsaw massacre on the front or something. Then work here is done. What was that aha moment for you that like, okay, I'm not happy because I'm putting crap in and not putting crap out. I just have always struggled with it. I think just being overweight and then I

I had an eating disorder as a young dude. I was like, I ended up being anorexic for a minute just because I was going from one end of the spectrum to the other. And I, still to this day struggle with balance. It is a, is a constant, just had a negative relationship with everything. I just got to the point where I was very, very unhealthy and very like facing like serious consequences for that. You know, like when you're an, when you're anorexic and you have medical professionals telling you like, yo, you can like die.

Or you're going to have to go to a site board or something like that. And you're kind of forced to take some shit a little more seriously and me being the, you know, the heavy metal kid I was in AM. I still, and still have a problem with authority and I never wanted to listen to anybody ever tell me what to do. So I really try not to tell anybody what to do. at this pace, trainer, I'm not going to tell you how to, I'm just going to lead by example. And that's all I do.

So I said, you know, I'm not going to listen to you, but I'm going to figure it out for myself. So I figured it out for myself and I learned basic nutrition stuff. learned that you can, you can eat, you can eat a lot of healthy food and look good and not get that, not just develop basic knowledge of nutrition and weight training. And I, I just gave it a try. You know, I had no other choice. I just really did it. And I was led that path somehow, some way, whoever is controlling this Cosmo universe led me here. I really loved it.

I decided, if it worked for me, I'm pretty sure I can help some other people out. It kind of became my career and I never saw it being a thing. I have a joke. Like I always say, you know how they vote you in high school and like the yearbook, like I would have been voted the least likely to own a gym. And here, here we go. We're here for a reason. I just, most of it. So Zach, mean, I'm so glad you found your niche because.

Just going back a little bit earlier to something you said, like you're very familiar with the war conventions and you know what it's like, like that community, they come out of their shells. That's home for them. That's family reunions for them. A traditional gym probably just doesn't have that same vibe at all. And so now you've created something, a physical space, but also a virtual space for people to, you know, like as you said, the misfits can, you know, can get healthy. So can you talk a little bit about what you offer virtually? man. that is like the ultimate like.

gift and blessing that I didn't see this brand doing when I, when I started it really, just be kind of, it kind of became this natural wholesome community that I'm just so proud of. And I'm so proud of the people in it. And that's what I'm most proud of anything is that we are that space for people to feel safe and to, and to be healthy and encouraged in a way that feels good to them. That's authentic. And I just wanted to make some cool ass t-shirts and to begin with, you know, and it became.

This whole meaningful thing, of course, that was probably the subconscious thought behind it the whole time, because I am one of those people that go to a metal show or go to a horror convention and I feel at home. I feel comfortable. feel like I'm with my family. So to take that and put it into a space like this has been a tremendous blessing to be able to do. And how it started was really during the pandemic when I didn't

Nobody had a job and I was a trainer at gym. So gyms were like one of the last things to open back up. So I was like, what am I going to do? I have this t-shirt brand. I have this fitness brand. have a little bit of a platform. I'm going to start streaming some videos. And, know, we had like a subscription service. We still have it. It's on Patreon. I still stream classes every day. So talk about mental health. was a time that mental health is a crisis now, but then was like s-

That was pretty bad, you know, and everybody needed to take care of themselves and keep their minds productive. So one of the things that helps me to this day is, a yoga practice. So I stream yoga videos, I stream workout videos, stuff you can do around your house to like, you know, in a fun, funny, engaging, entertaining way, I hope I did. And that's what really caught on and started to build the community that we now affectionately call the lifting dead army.

It just grew from there and it grew on our virtual platform where we still put out training and our video content and all this kind of fun stuff for people all over the world that aren't in Pittsburgh that can't come to our gym. And our gym is just kind of the natural next step of that. So we have classes here. We have personal training. It's just an open gym. If you just want to come in, do your thing. It's a little merch store and it's just a, it's a really good vibe and it's a really.

solid crew of friends and family that come here that really, really make the place special. So I would all to the people that come to support and come to hang out. don't see, I don't see many people going to plan a fitness just to hang out and just to, just to see the people, you know what I mean? People come here and people were on our subscription page to do that. I couldn't have planned for that. couldn't, I couldn't have, you know, can't buy that shit. That is a.

That's awesome. Kudos for making lemonade out of lemons because that's one of the positive things that came out of the pandemic, right? Yeah, man. You know, with all due respect to anybody that, you know, lost people during that time or it was a tough time for, but I have to, I have to look back and say that the pandemic was one of the best things that's ever happened in this business. So you have to, and that's a lesson I continue to try to take with me and bring to other people is even

What's your worst problem right now? Well, your trauma is a blessing. It's a gift and you're put in this position for a reason. So make the most out of it, use it. And ultimately it's like, we do this to be in service to others and help others. That's what we want to make this world a better place. So just be cool and, you know, look at everything as a, as a blessing, even when it seems like it's the opposite because you can turn it around and

You know, look at us now. It's pretty, you know, just as I talk about it, I don't often sit back and reflect, but when I'm forced to, it's pretty crazy. thanks. What's the origin of the company name? Death comes ripping is my favorite Misfits song. So that, that, that game. I thought the Misfits were a, a good representation of horror metal, punk, and lifting culture because all those dudes are jacked.

And all those dudes are in great shape. I that was a good band to pay tribute to and they're one of my absolute favorite bands. have a misfits tattoo. So I have not gotten sued by Glenn Danza yet. if you do see him, make sure you spell my name right. So I can blast it all over the internet and get more famous. Please do that. I wanted to call the company Deadlift at first and just make it like simple, just Deadlift. And that was already taken and I'm glad it was because Defqumslifting has been the coolest name. I'm very

Very proud of the name too, I think it's all patients. It's definitely a statement that I didn't, I didn't really anticipate like having death in your business name when you're doing like visual things and like, you know, filing with the IRS and people are like, yeah, I'm like, yeah, you know, that's me. you've given us a little, a little taste already, but, what was young Zach rocking out to and what was he watching on VHS?

Young, young Zach, I have either the best parents or the worst parents and I can't decide because they really let me watch whatever the hell I wanted to when I was a kid. And for some reason, I don't know what it is, but I always was attracted to the most extreme, crazy, dark, weird. Like I wanted nothing to do with anything normal. went like straight for like, with the first movie I really ever remember watching is Evil Dead 2.

Cause I just, I remember that I saw the skull with like the real eyes that followed you on VHS. I just was super attracted to that. asked my mom if we could like rent it or get it. And she was like, yeah, why not? What's wrong? Yeah, for sure. You can, you're five. Why? What could go wrong? Of course. I absolutely loved it. And I still to this day, it's like, I mean, would be defined. When you're that.

And it's that, it's that like gruesome and explosive and over the top and that like slapstick level, like comedy. It's like basically like the three stooges. like cracked up. loved that movie as a kid. It's like one of the most fun kids movies ever. So I love that. I love Kiss the band. We're all zombie and. Barely Manson and Alice Cooper and Slipknot and Cannibal Corpse and you know, the progression goes on. And I, I watched everything.

My dad took me to the movie theaters to see all kinds of, all kinds of horror movies. I, you know, the list goes on all the classics. love all that stuff that I still, I still do. don't have enough time in the day to watch movies anymore too much, but I tried, I can. And when I do it's, I love the old classic horror movies. hadn't really thought about Evil Dead 2 was like an introductory movie for kids, but yeah, I totally see how it is. Cause you hit the nail on the head with the three stooges thing. mean.

Yeah, there's a little bit of nudity in it, but it's almost like comical nudity, you know, and the violence and stuff is like ridiculously funny, you know, and the, you know, the amounts of blood in there and stuff like that. like, this is so farcical. When you're that young, it's like, is funny. was like, it's like the perfect age when you're like not quite aware of what's going on, but you're, know, it's, it was perfect. So yeah, all the new parents out there, make sure you show your kids evil.

when they're between five. Yeah. Three can pack. Yeah. You know, see, and I don't know if it's just because it's makes sense for like kid, but I see tons of kids dressed like Chucky, you know, at the horror Collins, but I've seen a couple of ashes. There was, think it was a monster mania kind of couple of years ago. There was a kid couldn't been more than three years old. His dad had him dressed up as I'm kind of not remember the character name, but you remember the, the rock and roll horror would be a trick or treat. Yeah.

the singer, like the crazy, you know, satanic singer, whatever. I mean, it was like the perfect costume. He would stop and do the pose. The other thing it was, mean. I like it. It's dressed as Sam from the other trick or treat. I always think that's so adorable. Like the little, Halloween walking around. I love that movie too. Trick or treat spin. Favorite of mine recently. For like five minutes, I was kind of like.

man, should like these young kids be at Horicons and dressed up and what's all this stuff? And it's like, got over that so quickly. like, no, these are like the best parents. know, it's a very wholesome, wholesome time. I appreciate it going to all those cons and concerts and haunted houses as a kid, you know, it has no negative effect on you in any way whatsoever. Right guys? It's worth buying. People like to talk about how violence and blah, blah, blah. like, you know, we've been watching that stuff for decades.

You know, helps you deal with the real shit too. think. Absolutely. Sure. Yeah. And escape for a little bit for a minute or two, you know, absolutely. And entertaining fun, completely on board. Obviously we say that all the time. I'm like, bring on the demons. I love it. How do them in real life because they're, they're there. Yeah, man. What about you guys? What are some of your favorite movies? Like exorcist is very near the top for both of us. Like it's hard for me to say like what my favorite is cause it'll fluctuate, you know, depending, but like

Like the ones that I can watch like three, four times a year, like exorcist, silence of the lambs, the shining evil dead, evil dead, home and I love exorcist three and Halloween three. know they're not the most like they're, very divisive, but I'd look at both of those so much. mean, you know, Tom Atkins is the king. was on my podcast. He's the man. He lives like not too far away from us. Yeah. We have in the back, we have a big sign poster of Tom Atkins. He's the coolest.

I love Halloween threes. You have Halloween threes season of the lift. Yeah. And all those movies you just talked about, they get that weird like, we can include the original Halloween in there too, right? Like the shine, the home exorcist, like not only are those some of the best horror movies ever, they're just some of the best movies ever in any genre period. like you can't, nobody can even argue that, you know, so those are like the transcend genre.

They're like almost too good to be considered horror movies by the prudes that want to call them like psychological thrillers. You know, the, dialogue, the character development, the music, the cinematography. mean, you sort of just like, you know, I just thought of the fog, everything Carpenter does is amazing, but yeah. And that's why they're so rewatchable because they're just that, but like they just, they, they need to be appreciated by, you know, by scholars and other people like this. It's not just, you know, like

Don't dismiss horror just because you think it's all like serial killers and flashers and all that kind of stuff. mean, there's some amazing films out there. Yeah, absolutely. And those are some, recommend the people that aren't horror fans all the time, like off the bat that you can appreciate just if you appreciate art and film philosophy, anything, especially the Shining. Shining is just like so, so good. We love it. Yeah. We go every day and take something new away from that every day.

Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I mean, with just the recent passing of Shelley Duvall, like obviously that's been, you know, like back in the forefront of people's minds, but it's like, you know, just seeing those images and stuff. And it's just like, my gosh, what an amazing movie. This is ridiculous. She's the coolest in that movie too. She's yeah. Rest in peace, Shelley Duvall. Yeah, no kidding. Absolutely. Fortunately now we're getting our niece who's about to turn 16 into, or, she was, you know, it was a little kid, she's like, she couldn't go like

If she was at like six flags when they were doing like, you know, their Halloween nights or whatever, like she had to be out of there by the time it's like dusk came because she could not be around the people that were like jumping out with chainsaws and stuff. We've got a great photo of her. She dressed herself as Pennywise from it because she's so terrified of Pennywise for some reason she wants to dress up. Hey man, that's what's angry or fierce just in body. Exactly. Yeah. I love that. She sounds like a cool chick.

He is going to be our Gen Z correspondent for the podcast. we that as we get older for sure. last question that we ask all of our guests is, who is your favorite final person in a horror movie? Marilyn burns, Texas chainsaw massacre. Sally. I think, I think she fucking kills it to the next level of kill it. And if anybody knows it's my favorite, that's

Why were the shirts my favorite work? If I have to pick a favorite horror movie, the original Texas chainsaw master is it. But that's changed over time and that, that developed like a little later in life that grown up. always would say that too, but the more I watched Texas chainsaw, the more I, I appreciate it. And knowing what happened behind the scenes of that movie and like the hell she went through, like that find those final scenes of filming, like the dinner scene and jumping out the windows and screaming her head off.

running into the back of the truck and getting chased with it. She's so good. She's so good. And she's so hot. Sorry, but she is. And she's just like the coolest ever. Yeah. I love, I love her. think. Yeah. She has to be number one. I can't even think of a close second. I guess, can we count Tom Atkins in season of the witch as the final, as a final person? Yeah. Yeah. might, yeah, he might end up being the final person.

We never know. It's the last channel. I asked him personally, I was like, so at the end of Halloween three, did you save the world or not? And he said, hell yeah, I did. So he saved the I came from Tom Atkins himself. He's got the final word. Going back to Chainsaw real quick. I think what's so masterful about Chainsaw is that it was so ridiculously low budget.

And when people talk about that movie after they've seen it, they're like, God, it's so gory and violent. It's not, it's what it does to your mind. don't see almost anything happen. It's what you're, what it does to your imagination. Yeah. I love the deranged humor in it too. Like that just, that just speaks to me. think that movie is so funny. So weird. Like favorite line in the movie is when the cook, the dad runs up to the house and goes, look what your brother did to the door.

Yes. And also got to give a shout out though to chainsaw two. I love that Toby Hooper was able to like just totally do a 180 and it's, that's a classic too. And you know, that one does deliver on the gore for sure. You see somebody's face cut off. You know.

solid influence of mine. always take what he puts out. Yeah, I mean, and I hope he's, you know, got another, you know, future classic in the works. His movies stick to you like glue. I mean, they don't, they don't leave your head. Like there's just, I remember seeing, I used to do movie reviews. So I remember seeing Devil's Rejects at a press screening. And as I left, like, yeah, what a piece of crap. And then I just kept thinking about it, thinking about it, thinking about it. like, no, that movie is fucking brilliant.

Okay. I think he says that that's his favorite of his movies or at least his favorite experience he had making it such a light tribute to the seventies war, you know, for sure that the gritty stuff and the soundtrack is great. He put together an amazing cast, know, Jeffrey Lewis is great in that and Priscilla Barnes and you know, Brian Polsan gets his head shot off and it's so good.

And I haven't seen it in a long time and I feel like it's calling for a rewatch. Even like spoiler alert, but like the last scene with the free bird when everyone's getting shot out, it's like the coolest shit ever. And like, love how Rob Zombie plays, like picks a song that like the movie feels like it makes that like the epic like last. I like that. That's a Rob Zombie thing. It works really well on Halloween too for Knights of Whitesat. Definitely. Definitely. Yeah. I just, you know,

let's pour one out for Sid Haig. mean, like, wow. mean that, mean that Captain Spalding has become an iconic character, you know, in such a short amount of time. And I mean, I see so many Captain Spalding's at PorterCon. know, it's. Yeah. And I hope.

I think that adds to the legacy of Captain Spaulding and it's just how cool he was as a person and just how he with fans and just like, just how he portrayed that character is, yeah, it'll never go away. least I have. And I didn't know this until I talked to Dave Hagen who runs Monster Mania, but Sid met his wife at Monster Mania. Really? Yeah. Horror. Grow in horror family, you know. So go, go to Horror Cons.

Get in good shape. Meet your future partner. Do it. can all. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. My coworker who does not watch horror movies at all, but she went to a monster mania and it's like, I think she got it. Like she got what was going on with like, okay, okay. I get the vibe of the horror community now just by being there. So everybody should go to one. And that's like the, the one thing you hear from people that aren't in the horror, if you bring them to a horror convention or they're not.

metal music and you take them to a metal or a punk show is the number one thing you hear is everybody's actually so nice. Yeah. so I'm from St. Louis originally. That's where a lot of my family still lives and they do a big Haunter's convention there annually. And, just watch some of the YouTube videos of like people walking through and it's like, all right, I'm flying back to St. Louis and I'm taking my mom to a Haunter's convention. she get. You know, do it, man. That'd be, that sounds fun.

St. Louis is cool. I've been there a few times. So I'm, you know, setting up for shows, passing through dude for sure. Well, Zach, we love what you do. Keep doing it. Thanks for coming on and sharing. you guys rock man. Anytime. This is a great vibe. So keep doing what you're It's important for the horror community to do cool shit and have podcasts and help crazy businesses and people like me get the word out there. So I really just appreciate the opportunity, man. What you do is, is important. So thanks.