In this episode, filmmaker Alex Domenici joins us to discuss his horror short Never Let You Go.

The film follows a woman whose abusive ex-boyfriend reaches from beyond the grave to bind them together through an occult ritual.

Alex shares how he invested most of his life savings into the production, building elaborate sets and shooting in real caves outside Los Angeles.

We explore the film's themes of trauma, supernatural horror, and what it means to be trapped by the past both physically and spiritually.

Alex discusses his 20-year journey in filmmaking and why this is the first film he's truly proud of.

He opens up about working with top-tier sound designers at Sony Studios, the challenges of practical effects, and the emotional toll of bringing psychological horror to life.

We also dive into his other films including Call from Kelly, The Clapper, and Arts and Crafts.

Alex talks about imposter syndrome, manifestation, and the pressure of betting everything on a single project.

The film premiered at Screamfest at the TCL Chinese Theatre before being released on ALTER's YouTube channel in January 2026.

This is a raw, honest conversation about independent horror filmmaking, creative obsession, and refusing to compromise your vision.

ALEX DOMENICI

Instagram (Personal):
https://www.instagram.com/alex__domenici/

Instagram (Never Let You Go Film):
https://www.instagram.com/neverletyougo_film/

YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@AlexDomenici

IMDb:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7503436/

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-domenici-127314109

Email:
adomenici50@gmail.com

WATCH ALEX DOMENICI'S FILMS

Never Let You Go (2024) - FREE on ALTER YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh0nBbt3qKk

Call from Kelly (2023) - FREE on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROzjqNHe8oQ

The Clapper (2019) - FREE on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9lclBwaFa8

Arts & Crafts (2016) - Available on Alex's YouTube Channel

SUPPORT THE DARK MIND PODCAST

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

Jon Cohn returns to The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss his latest novel, The Creed Falls Massacres, a genre-bending collision of 80s slasher horror and cosmic body horror.

Seventeen years after the Camp Creed massacre, final girl Jamie Campbell faces a town divided over whether she is a hero or a murderer.

When a meteor crashes on the anniversary of the killings and the Silver Fox killer returns, Jamie and her daughter Claire must survive both a personal vendetta and a town-wide plague of mutated monsters.

Jon and Vincent explore post-truth societies, multi-generational trauma, the horror of doubt, and what happens when communities weaponize skepticism against survivors.

The conversation dives into Jon's inspiration from the failed promise of the 2018 Halloween trilogy, his Freddy vs Jason approach to blending horror subgenres, and why he considers this cosmic plague story pure horror rather than science fiction.

They also discuss influencer culture horror in Slashtag, the death of long-form content, TikTok as a special circle of hell, and why doom scrolling might be the scariest thing we face today.

Jon Cohn is an award-winning horror author and board game designer whose work includes The Island Mother, Slashtag, Kill Beth, and collaborations with Eli Roth on the Thanksgiving board game.

Buy The Creed Falls Massacres, leave a review, and join the conversation about final girls, false narratives, and quantum nightmares.

Jon Cohn - Author Website & Social Media

Official Website
https://www.joncohnauthor.com

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/joncohnauthor

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/joncohnauthor

TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@joncohnauthor

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21703052.Jon_Cohn

Buy Jon Cohn's Books

The Creed Falls Massacres - Bookshop.org
https://bookshop.org/a/91271/9781959798897

Barnes & Noble - Jon Cohn Author Page
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Jon+Cohn

Amazon - Search for Jon Cohn books
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Jon+Cohn+author

Support The Dark Mind Podcast

Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

Radar DeBoard joins The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss his visceral novella Everything But the Skin, published by Uncomfortably Dark.

Set in the cursed town of Shallow Root, the story follows a young girl named Sophia who finds herself psychically connected to an ancient evil hunting children.

We explore how Radar blends body horror with supernatural elements to create what he calls comfort horror steeped in splatterpunk violence.

Radar shares the origin of the infamous flagpole scene that sparked the entire book and discusses writing children in extreme horror without reducing them to symbols.

We dive into themes of generational trauma, community denial, and the terrifying ways people ignore evil to preserve their comfortable lives.

The conversation touches on his working class upbringing and how economic anxiety and inequality thread through all his work.

Radar opens up about his writing process, creating morally gray monsters readers almost cannot blame, and his approach to implication versus explicit violence.

We discuss his other projects including Drowning in the Drink, a grief horror novella based on his aunt's struggle with alcoholism, and A Year Spent in Horror, a collection of 365 micro horror stories.

Radar reflects on being active in the indie horror community, where he draws the line in extreme content, and how becoming a new parent has changed his perspective on writing about children.

Available now on Amazon and Godless.

RADAR DEBOARD - AUTHOR LINKS

Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Radar-DeBoard/author/B0937GYFP8

Barnes & Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Radar%20DeBoard%22

Godless (Everything But the Skin):
https://godless.com/products/everything-but-the-skin-by-radar-deboard

Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/radardeboard

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/radardeboard/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/WriterRadarDeBoard/

Publisher - Uncomfortably Dark:
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com

Support The Dark Mind Podcast
https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

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