Kynan Dias is an actor and award-winning screenwriter, born in Honolulu and raised in Las Vegas. Inspired at an early age by great American playwrights such as Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and Edward Albee, Kynan taught himself to write feature-length screenplays as a 14-year-old high school student. He earned a B.A. in film from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he pursued acting, screenwriting, and directing. Later, Kynan earned his MFA in screenwriting from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he developed a love for writing TV sitcoms that were further nurtured during his time studying improv comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade.
As a writer, Kynan’s films tend to live within the thin space between the humorous and the tragic, in sarcastic dramas and in comedies that hurt. As an actor, he is often hired to cry in comedies. With Lester Ryan Clark, Kynan co-hosts a series of film history podcasts on the TruStory.FM network that are meticulously researched yet lean heavily on improvised comedy.
Teaching at UNLV FILM since 2008, Kynan has developed a wide variety of courses in film production, directing, acting, screenwriting, and film studies, being especially proud of building classes such as Women in Comedy and Queer Cinema. His research interests include animation history, studio system economics, queer coding in classic film, and foregrounding previously unsung collaborators within major film authors’ historiographies.
On this episode: A sounder of cops – “Parentheticals” – Oh. You’re here early. – Now Hiring: Professional Phantom: Must have own cape. – “headlights” – for hack of a letter word….and more!
Guest host Andy Nelson joins the panel with a trio of horror films that turn belief itself into a source of terror. From cursed villages to hostile gods, we explore what happens when your grandmother’s bedtime stories aren’t just true—they’re angry.
On this episode: Wong Kar Wai? Because we love you. – You can’t have too many Waymonds! – From laser nipples to lawnmower legs – Is Spielberg the Zhang Yimou of the US?…and more!
On this episode: We ALL verse jump down here! – Clay pots, cream cheese, no cows! – the birds and the bees (and the rocks) – Talk to the hand! … and more!
On this BONUS episode, we pulled up to Hell’s Last Drive-In (trademark pending) to catch Constantine from 2005, and honestly? We had a lot more fun than we expected.
Some horror films twist; these three commit identity theft halfway through. Chelsea Stardust joins us to dig into Ghostwatch, Barbarian, and Strange Darling—movies that pull the rug so hard you’ll hit the floor laughing and screaming.
Scattered, smothered and covered, and make it Christmas! – What’s YOUR villain origin story? – Pigeons are born, not made – The VILLAIN’S Journey? …and more!
Our minute begins with a meeting, and it ends with some eating! * In the future, meetings will be shorter * You need that balance, that little bit of half n’ half * These show notes are borked!…and more!
On this episode: Deirdre came in like a WRECKING BALL! * If you die in the Alphaverse, do you die for real? * How did we get to NIPPLE LASERS? * Verse jumping is a helluva drug….and more!
On this episode: Shake your haymaker! * Memory montage! * Red Leather, Yellow Plaid * Michiko is everywhere all at once! * Is that JOY in the mirror?! ….and more!