Director Sam Levinson discusses his new film, Malcolm & Marie, with fellow director Derek Cianfrance in a spoiler-filled virtual Q&A. The film takes place as Malcolm returns home with his girlfriend Marie following a celebratory movie premiere. Their evening soon takes a turn as revelations about their relationships begin to surface, testing the stre ... Show More
Sep 30
The Brink of War with Michael Russell Gunn and Rawson Marshall Thurber (Ep. 622)
Director Michael Russell Gunn discusses his new film, The Brink of War, with fellow Director Rawson Marshall Thurber in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses using transcripts from the real event as reference for the film, utilizing the authen ... Show More
31m 55s
Sep 25
Teenage Wasteland with Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss and Alice Gu (Ep. 621)
Directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss discuss their new film, Teenage Wasteland, with fellow Director Alice Gu in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they discuss poring through 500 hours of archival footage to find the film’s heart, recreating the sch ... Show More
33m 29s
Aug 28
Coyote vs. Acme with Dave Green, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Ep. 620)
Director Dave Green discuss his new film, Coyote vs. Acme, with fellow Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses the story behind the film’s distribution, his on-set tactics for shooting a mixed live a ... Show More
36m 4s
Nov 2022
How to Direct a Movie, With Sam Esmail
‘Mr. Robot’ creator and filmmaker Sam Esmail returns to the show for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of movies and how he made his forthcoming 2023 film, ‘Leave the World Behind,’ from conception to completion.
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Sam Esma ... Show More
1h 52m
Feb 2020
Introducing the Movie Director Game, With Sam Esmail | The Big Picture
Movies have the February blues, so we enlisted a friend of the show to liven things up. 'Mr. Robot' creator and movie fanatic Sam Esmail joins Sean and Amanda and comes bearing a new game to play that reveals a lot about their favorite directors, personal taste, and how they view ... Show More
2h 2m
Jul 2025
Creative Affair with Celine Song & Eva Victor
Topics covered include: Martini celebrations, hydration regimens, learning the true meaning of the word ‘release,’ feeling visible but not seen, the special privacy of making a debut film, bringing your whole humanity to the words on a page, sharing an editor with Terrence Malick ... Show More
53m 34s
Jul 2022
The Black Phone (2021) with director Scott Derrickson (spoilers)
This episode contains spoilers.
In a Film Stories special episode, director Scott Derrickson joins Simon to chat about his new film, The Black Phone. They talk about adapting and changing the source short story, one or two moments within the film itself, right through to oversee ... Show More
28m 47s
Nov 2020
Mailbag Special: 25 Movies You Should Stream Now
Sean and Amanda dive back into the mailbag to answer an array of questions about under-the-radar 2020 movies you can watch now on VOD and streaming, the prolonged closure of movie theaters around the country, and the book adaptation they've always wanted to see on the big screen, ... Show More
1h 38m