From Cuckoo’s Nest To Cult Horror

A cinematography book changed the way Michael Berryman acts—and it might change the way you watch movies. We sit down with the cult horror icon to unpack how learning the camera’s language during One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest helped him craft the precise, unsettling presence that made The Hills Have Eyes a classic.

Wes Craven saw potential and built space for it, and Michael takes us behind the dust and danger of guerrilla filmmaking: tiny budgets, big tension, and choices that turn limitations into atmosphere. We compare the raw force of the original Hills with the visual polish of the remakes, exploring where modern craft shines and where it slips, all through the lens of intent, pacing, and composition. Along the way, we trade stories about Rob Zombie’s eye for framing, his reverence for genre history, and the art of homage done right, from Peckinpah echoes to the details that make frames feel dangerous.

The conversation widens into favorite films—Soylent Green, Blade Runner—and why dystopia and horror share more than mood. It’s about worldbuilding that shapes performance, production design that pressures characters, and those quiet seconds where the frame does the scaring. Whether you’re here for filmmaking craft, cult horror history, or practical acting insights, you’ll hear a rare blend of experience and humility from someone who’s lived inside the genre’s most enduring images.

If this conversation sparks something, follow the show, leave a quick review, and share it with a friend who loves horror. Your support helps more curious listeners find the craft, the stories, and the legends behind the monsters.

Chapters

• 0:03 Reintroducing Michael Berryman
• 0:46 Studying Cinematography As An Actor
• 1:17 From Cuckoo’s Nest To Wes Craven
• 2:00 Judging The Hills Have Eyes Remakes
• 3:38 Working With Rob Zombie
• 5:14 Favorite Films And Sci Fi Influences
• 6:30 Quick Wrap And Final Sign Off

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:03

Sam fish of the fish hole here. Michael Berryman. Michael Berriman. I'm Sam Fresh of the Host of the Fish Hall. For clarification. It is great to have Michael swimming in the bowl with me again. It's been almost, I think, close to ten years since the last time I I marked it on the calendar with a crayon. Exactly, exactly. Michael, it is a pleasure to have you on the show again and to be here in Pittsburgh again. Uh the last time I think you were here, I was technically in college, Point Park University. And I found out the last time that you were originally a cinematographer.

SPEAKER_00: 0:52

Well, I I I I studied uh when I did one for Nova Cuckoo's best, I I I have a degree in art history, so I asked uh Milo Schorman, my director, I go, what do I need to know about that thing, the camera? And he gave me a book on cinematography. So I mean I never worked as one, but I I studied the science of uh cinematography, which which helps tremendously if you're an actor, learn that stuff.

SPEAKER_01: 1:17

And didn't that like somehow lead into being cast uh Wes Craven?

SPEAKER_00: 1:25

Um Well uh uh Wes uh Wes Craven, of course, he he saw Cuckoo's Nest and uh you know uh there's there's uh my my nickname was Labots, you know, Lobotomy, okay. Well there's a different looking guy, so maybe he could be uh uh the Hills have eyes mutants, so it just kind of went with kind of went with that, and then uh he was great to work with and intelligent, down to earth, and we had no budget, and we just went out and did you know guerrilla filmmaking and uh became a classic. What did you think of the remake? Actually, I thought uh I've I've only seen the first remake and visually it it it it it's it's it's very decent. Uh there's a few things I I I would have changed as a direct from a director's point of view, but overall I thought it was pretty solid.

SPEAKER_01: 2:18

The the part two with um the sequel for I mean the the remake, um of course the original you're in part one and part two. Yes the the sequel that they did um was basically like an entirely new uh movie that was like the military comes in and it's like the small platoon or whatever has to like fight against the the hills members. Right. It has mixed reviews because there's like the kind of open spot uh uh a a woman who's been like held hostage giving birth or whatever. Right. You know, but uh it's pretty graphic, but uh I personally uh thought part two was uh not better by the uh I really enjoyed it. It reminded me kind of like like the the original House Hell Eyes and then like the remakes kind of thing after next time. Um nothing beats uh and seeing the the old reminder the originals. Right.

SPEAKER_00: 3:30

Right, I I agree. Ours was uh a little more driny, a little more in your face.

SPEAKER_01: 3:36

Yeah, yeah, I agree. I agree. And I've had uh D Wallace on my show before actually a couple of times. She's a sweetie, great, great person out. She was here last year, actually.

SPEAKER_00: 3:46

And uh big but she has the uh mouth of a teamster.

SPEAKER_01: 3:51

She's awesome. Yeah, yeah. And uh I mean I I know you've worked on a ton of film, uh like the other big one, uh big director music was uh Rob Under. Right. Um what was it like working with Rob Under the Down?

SPEAKER_00: 4:07

Oh uh well I was not familiar with his uh music or his film at all. And um he's educated in the genre, he knew what he was doing, he's got a good sense for eyes composition to like to work with. I thought he could have a good rejects.

SPEAKER_01: 4:27

These are my friends that read.

SPEAKER_00: 4:32

Well, the homage to Peckin Pa at the end of the slow-mo and that's right, right, and the car and uh he has a pretty good he he has a collection at home of a lot of the universal uh props, which is pretty cool. And uh he's true to the genre, which uh very much appreciated.

SPEAKER_01: 4:52

Definitely, definitely. I mean uh my dad actually just uh yesterday and he was like, What is who's who's the artist that did the clockwork horns? And uh I had the town's robbers zombie, um which was for actually the soundtrack to the uh uh the roller ball uh remake. Oh wow, the no hip hair. Yeah, yeah, the original was way better, but the music video was probably the best. That's part about uh having that movie about it. Like you know, three, three and a half minutes for the school. Like the essential description for uh but uh what are what are some of your favorite films?

SPEAKER_00: 5:41

I have a ton, I'd say uh favorite films. Um, uh, there's just too many to list.

SPEAKER_01: 6:05

So that that's one of my favorite films. I I would actually say Swill and Green probably spawned the the shrine road by sci-fi. Uh yeah, I'll give it some credit for that. Yeah, I mean Blade Blade Runner was uh the gotcha. Well, Blade Runner's my favorite. Yeah, excellent film. Uh got the Michael the other way around that gotcha. Um got the note, we gotta wrap up. So, Michael, thank you so much. Good to see you again. You too. Pleasure having you come to swim in the bowl. You bet.

SPEAKER_00: 6:40

Go to the movies, get some popcorn.