In this episode of The Dark Mind Podcast, Vincent Midgard sits down with filmmaker Jethro Waters to discuss his surreal southern gothic feature Gunfighter Paradise.​They explore the film’s collision of religion, grief, guns, greed, and dark humor, and how Waters sees it as an expression of the American psychosis.​Waters breaks down how his upbringing in the rural South, his father’s background as a Vietnam veteran and gunsmith, and his own experience with competitive speed shooting shaped the emotional and visual language of the film.​The conversation also dives into surrealism, David Lynch comparisons, cinematic rhythm, visual authenticity, and why Waters wanted the violence in the film to feel sincere rather than stylized.​They discuss Confederate reenactors, the film’s cable installer character, Renato Casaro’s hand-painted poster, and the role dark comedy plays in carrying dread without undercutting trauma.​Beyond Gunfighter Paradise, Waters talks about his upcoming documentary on Vietnam veterans and PTSD, his work as a colorist on Desperate Souls, Dark City, and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy, his music video background, and the literary influences that feed his scripts.​He also reflects on teaching cinematography at UNCSA, the realities of independent filmmaking, his war against motion smoothing, and the creative life he has built outside the studio.JETHRO WATERSOfficial Websitehttps://www.jethrowaters.comGunfighter Paradise Official Film Sitehttps://www.gunfightermovie.comIMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm9135866/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/jethrowaters/BUY TICKETS TO GUNFIGHTER PARADISE IN THEATERSAMC Theatreshttps://www.amctheatres.com/movies/gunfighter-paradise-83099Fandangohttps://www.fandango.com/gunfighter-paradise-2024-244731/movie-overviewRequest a Screening Near You (Gathr)https://gathr.com/films/gunfighter-paradiseSTREAM OR BUY F11 AND BE THEREApple TVhttps://tv.apple.com/us/movie/f11-and-be-there/umc.cmc.3il2kfqnoe5d4zwc3urnk5tqmAmazon Prime Videohttps://www.amazon.com/F11-Be-There/dp/B08FBHCKQBOVIDhttps://www.ovid.tvKanopy (Free with library card)https://www.kanopy.comPBShttps://www.pbs.org/video/f11-and-be-there-7gjtfc/SUPPORT THE DARK MIND PODCASTPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast