MEET THE TEAM
|
Connor EyzaguirreI started Filmgazm with my good friend Caleb Leger back in 2014. We began it as a film and TV show review site, eventually dropping TV shows and focusing solely on films. I started the podcast in 2018 and learned as I went along. I met Austin Johnson that same year and he became my partner on The Filmgazm Podcast. I’m from Maryland originally, but I’ve lived in Texas for about nine years. I’m an avid movie geek and I make it my personal mission to watch everything I can get my hands on. I graduated from Texas State University (Go Bobcats!) in 2017 with a Bachelor's in English, and am currently enrolled in grad school for History. In addition to Filmgazm, I’ve also written and self-published three horror novels on Amazon, Consequence, Devil’s Blood, and Meadowsweet. When it comes down to it, I just love stories. I love telling them and I love watching them.
|
|
Caleb LegerMy love for horror started at a very young age. I have fond memories of devouring any copy I could of Goosebumps. Always making a beeline for the horror section at my local video store. Watching the Goosebumps show and Are You Afraid of the Dark? I was never scared. Just fascinated. Well, that’s a lie. There were the times I snuck a scarier than usual episode of Tales from the Crypt and my dad thinking I would be fine watching Child’s Play because it was on TV. Other than that, I couldn’t get enough of it. To this day, horror is still the genre nearest and dearest to my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I love superheroes, action, and comedies. But, I will always support and defend horror, first and foremost. And I don’t just watch them, I love to know how they are made. I even went to film school where I learned the art of filmmaking; eventually earning my Bachelor’s degree. Currently, I am in the Navy and write for the site in the free time I have. I also proudly sport a sleeve tattoo of various horror characters on my right arm. And when people ask what would my future kids think? Well, it will be a good way to introduce them to the macabre world of the horror genre.
|
|
Austin JohnsonMy name is Austin Johnson, and I spend a lot of my time here on Earth consuming films. I live in San Antonio with my beautiful girlfriend and daughter. I work at a grocery store to make ends meet, but my true passion is film and here on Filmgazm, I get to explore what exactly I love about them most. Connor is one of my very best friends and his knowledge for this stuff is admirable. He let me join the team in 2018 and I haven’t looked back. I mainly look back on things that have already happened in the film industry, trying to make sure people remember what has come before us. There is always going to be more to watch, which excites me because we will never run out of things to talk about.
|
|
Josh AllredIt all started with Freddy Krueger. That guy fucked my dreams up until I was a teenager. As I was growing up, the fear of monsters, madmen, and those dark corners of fiction and in my imagination started to become a source of joy. I joined the citizens of Tromaville to root on The Toxic Avenger. I stayed up late to hang with Joe Bob on MonsterVision to have my knowledge expanded. And spent many nights on the couch with friends watching Jason, Michael, and Victor Crowley tear through the stupid, horny, and drunk victims in their films. I went to college, earning two Bachelor’s degrees, and learned more about the art form I had come to love as a kid and further my knowledge on the genre that’s nearest and dearest to my heart: Horror. I defend it against all others and maintain its validity and importance any chance I can. You won’t hear me talk about Oscar buzz or anything else coming from the Academy. I am a punk rock kid at heart and will always seek out a movie that is challenging and not the norm. I can talk artsy fartsy about some of the great directors like Hitchcock and Truffaut just as easily as Lloyd Kaufman or Herschel Gordon Lewis. To me, they are all on the same playing field; it’s just a matter of what they use on their canvas. I’m still staying up late to watch movies any chance I can because there’s just something about watching a horror flick in the dead of night that will never get old to me.
|
|
Julie CervantesGrowing up in a religious home, I was told to “shield my eyes” from whatever could be considered “evil.” As a child, I was sheltered from the cinematic world of horror and thrillers. Thanks to my grandma’s cable channels, the first thriller I ever saw on TV was Snakes on a Plane (2006). My elder brother exposed me to Alien vs. Predator (2004), because he thought it was badass. Because of that movie, the Alien franchise has become my all-time favorite sci-fi story to this day. My exposure to horror films has been slow, but I’m loving every bit of it. Being an artist, I appreciate everything about filmmakers and their ability to move audiences with creative stories and visuals. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of North Texas to enhance my drawing and painting skills. But going to art school has done more for me than just teaching me a few drawing tips. Its taught me to keep an open mind, even when things don’t make sense. With that, I’m ready to invite all the “evil” and interesting movies I can get.
|
|
Juwan CarterThere are only a few things in life that bring me true joy. For the better part of my life, movies have been at the top of that list. As a kid, I wrote many screenplays about anything and everything happening around me. They were all bad.
These days, whenever I'm in the mood to sit down and stream a movie (which is more often than what I should be comfortable with), the Comedy section is usually the first I'm drawn to browsing through. It always was that way growing up as well. Any time it was my turn to pick out the VHS to rent for family movie nights, I'd head straight for the Comedy wall of our local Blockbuster. I like to think these opportunities to get lost in laughs helped me cope with some of the issues I encountered as the 'problem child' I was. In the solitude of my current everyday life, I enjoy writing music and learning my way around photo and video editing software. However, I believe laughter is better when you have someone to share it with, and I am glad I get to do that with my fellow Filmgazm friends over some of my favorite films. |
|
Andrew BachmannEver since I was a kid I’ve enjoyed comedy. Not in some deep meaningful way, I just liked to laugh. I quickly learned that I could make others laugh, whether it was with me or at me. Either was fine. Being a part of Filmgazm means I get to laugh while making others laugh along with other things I enjoy like editing and producing. When I’m not working, I’m usually just at home relaxing with my dog, Grizzly.
|