Happy New Year! The perfect way to end the year is with director John-Michael, or JM, Powell, and his genre thriller, VIOLENT ENDS (2025). In this episode, JM and I discuss the astonishingly moody cinematography -- the deer scene and a shootout will stay with you way after the film; his journey through film school and a grant that made this film possible, and his steady and sure approach to indie filmmaking.And let me add: VIOLENT ENDS is a perfect New Year's Eve film. Let the shootouts remain on the screen, grab a bottle of Champagne, and welcome in the New Year with filmmaker JM Powell.In this episode, JM and I talk about:the incredible moody setting of VIOLENT ENDS and how setting portends to great filmmaking;how he got his start in filmmaking;whether you should go to film school;the story behind his first feature, THE SEND-OFF (2022);why he loves the Calgary International Film Festival;how he managed fatherhood and his advice for people having kids in the indie film space;the grant that made VIOLENT ENDS possible and his views on using film to shoot it (which was made impossible by a very mundane reason!);what people should expect to watch with VIOLENT ENDS;the moody cinematography, including whether the deer was real and more about the insane shootout scene near the end;how to handle both fantastic and negative reviews as a filmmaker;the vote of great actors on a particular project;what's next for him.JM's Indie Film Highlights: THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY (2023) dir. by Francis Galluppi; TOUCH ME (2025) dir. by Addison HeimannMemorable Quotes:"There's so many movies that take place in New York, but the good movies feel specific to that writer and that filmmaker.""I went to school in Dallas Fort Worth, so I think a lot of the people aspire to do like commercial work in Dallas.""I'm very much that personality where I'm...give me a problem and I'll figure out how to solve it.""Anywhere you can find yourself where you are orbiting and brushing up against story because story is everything.""You can create your own AFI community on YouTube.""In some ways, I think, micro budget, independent distribution is obsolete.""What matters to me more than shooting on film is capturing a good story.""I don't think most people are consuming film criticism. I think most film criticism, especially for cinephiles now lives on like Letterboxd...Rotten Tomatoes obviously, too, is a valuable asset. But these platforms cater to clickbait headlines and taglines that for better or worse...that has influenced our cinema discourse and our film criticism."Links:Follow JM On InstagramWatch VIOLENT ENDSSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

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