In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films with very different levels of studio expectation.
Much was resting on RoboCop 2 being a huge success, but it didn't bode well when it got its final director just days before filming began. And the studio was very hands on.
Drop Dead Gorgeous was a much lower-budget project, with a writer and dir ... Show More
Jul 22
Carlito's Way, a film it took ten attempts to make
Brian De Palma's 1993 movie Carlito's Way was not a box office success. De Palma managed to predict the critical reaction to the film, reacted to studio notes saying it was too long by making it longer, and had to retool the finale action sequence very late in the day. Even getti ... Show More
59m 3s
Jul 13
Dances With Wolves (1990), plus its three different cuts...
Kevin Costner gambled hard on making a three hour western, a third of which wasn't in the English language. He turned down roles in The Hunt For Red October and Presumed Innocent to take the risk of making Dances With Wolves. And while history tells it as a masterstroke, in the m ... Show More
59m 39s
Jul 7
Howard The Duck (1986) and the first Marvel movie, plus Terri White
I hear you, folks! Do more Marvel films? Gotcha! Let's go back to 1986, and Howard The Duck, the stunning-ish George Lucas-produced film of the subversive comic book character. Howard The Duck would become notable on its release, but its production alone would have been worth the ... Show More
1h 22m
Jun 2019
The Best Movies of 2019 So Far. Plus, ‘Yesterday’ Deletes the Beatles. | The Big Picture
In this double episode, Sean and Amanda review ‘Yesterday,’ a movie that delivered in Beatles nostalgia but came up short in plot payoff (1:00). Then, Adam Nayman calls in from Toronto to share his top five movies of a slow year so far (42:50).
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda D ... Show More
1h 35m
Sep 2022
The ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Fiasco
It’s the movie event of the fall, but not in a good way. Sean and Amanda break down all things ‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ Olivia Wilde’s controversy-racked new thriller, and talk about the most scandalous productions in movie history (2:00). Then, Sean is joined by Brett Morgen, dire ... Show More
1h 33m
Oct 2018
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Jim and A.Ron saw Bad Times at the El Royale and give it mixed reviews. Writer/Director Drew Goddard throws a lot of slow, character and dialog driven set pieces at the audience, mixed up and out of order, until finishing the movie with a spasm of violence and action. Jim enjoyed ... Show More
18m 6s
May 2023
‘Fast X’ and the Desecration of Movies. Plus: Paul Schrader!
What a double feature. Sean and Amanda discuss ‘Fast X’ and the troubles of the franchise (1:00), before making the hard pivot to Paul Schrader’s ‘Master Gardener’ (40:00). Then, Sean is joined by Schrader to discuss the film, his long career as a writer and director, the state o ... Show More
1h 29m
Jun 2019
Why 'Dark Phoenix' Flopped and 'Late Night' Works, Plus Joe Talbot on 'The Last Black Man in San Francisco' | The Big Picture
We go over Mindy Kaling’s feature screenwriting debut, ‘Late Night, before reviewing the box office flop of ‘Dark Phoenix,’ the most recent and final release of this generation of the X-Men franchise (1:00). Then, ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ director Joe Talbot joins to ... Show More
1h 28m
Aug 2024
Movie News Roundup: Draft update, Bond, Bourne, Apple struggles & more
<p>Time to take some time away from reviews to discuss some movie news, rumors and RUMBLINGS, beginning with some news that could affect both James Bond and Bourne fans, we take a look at Apple's recent struggles in the content space, and round it out looking ahead to some upcomi ... Show More
41m 13s