Tune in for a discussion about two great movies with three great guests - some of whom are actors who have now moved behind the camera!
In this episode, we talk about...
Why Justin Chon decided to star in his movie, even though he didn’t initially set out to.
How Justin Chon creates a safe and open environment on set, how he works with his DPs, and other ... Show More
May 21
They Said This Movie Did Everything You’re Not Supposed To—Then The President’s Cake Won Cannes
No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with writer-director Hasan Hadi and producer Leah Chen Baker about the development, financing, production, and release journey behind The President’s Cake. The conversation traces the film from NYU and COVID-era writing sessions through the Sund ... Show More
50m 36s
May 15
Insights Into Blackmagic Design's Latest Cameras and Products Introduced at NAB 2026
Jourdan Aldredge speaks with Blackmagic Design’s Simon Westland at NAB 2026 about the company’s latest camera, live production, mobile filmmaking, DaVinci Resolve, Blackmagic Cloud, and AI workflow updates. They discuss how Blackmagic’s new products serve both high-end live produ ... Show More
27m 36s
May 14
How Specificity Makes Better Films: ‘Mile End Kicks’ and ‘I Like Movies’ Director Chandler Levack Explains
GG Hawkins talks with writer-director Chandler Levack about making I Like Movies, Mile End Kicks, and Roommates, and how Levack protects a specific filmmaking voice while moving between indie features and studio comedy. They discuss the realities of Canadian film financing, direc ... Show More
41 m
Jun 2024
‘The Bikeriders’ and the ‘Dudes Rock’ Movie Canon, Plus ‘Kinds of Kindness’
Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss ‘The Bikeriders,’ a new Jeff Nichols movie starring Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Jodie Comer (1:00). They discuss the film’s successes, its influences, and more, before building a partial canon for movies in the “dudes rock” ge ... Show More
1h 53m
Jan 2024
Introducing: Talking Pictures from TCM and Max
Our first guest on Talking Pictures is writer director Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give, It’s Complicated, The Holiday). Recorded at her home, host Ben Mankiewicz talks with Meyers about casting Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, getting script advice from Sunset Boulevard dire ... Show More
49m 40s
Jun 2024
Hollywood Is Broken. Let’s Start a Movie Studio.
With no new movies hitting the box office this weekend, Sean and Amanda are instead building their own fantasy movie studio from scratch—directors, stars, writers, IP, studio locations, and more (1:00). Later in the show, Chris Ryan joins to help explain the uniqueness of ‘In a V ... Show More
2h 5m
May 2024
Renny Harlin Talks Strangers, Nightmares, Pirates & Bruce Willis
Director Renny Harlin is a huge horror movie fan thanks to his mom, and cites Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho as his all-time favorite! Hear his take on horror flicks and movie-making in general, and how all of that shaped his take on his latest epic undertaking, “The Strangers: Chapte ... Show More
58m 4s
Oct 2023
Why We Need Sex Scenes in Movies and ‘Fair Play’
Sean and Amanda review a trio of movies—‘Fair Play’ (1:00), ‘The Royal Hotel’ (30:00), and ‘Cat Person’ (40:00)—before having a wider conversation about the current role of sex in cinema (52:00). Then, Sean is joined by ‘Fair Play’ writer-director Chloe Domont to discuss her debu ... Show More
1h 47m
May 2021
The Man From UNCLE (2015) and Phone Booth (2002)
In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films that had very, very long journeys to the big screen.
The Man From UNCLE (2015) was months away from starring Tom Cruise, and at one stage Steven Soderbergh was about to start filming too. But the project went through ... Show More
58m 41s