When Tim Burton's first film, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, proved a surprise hit for Warner Bros, the studio was keen to get a second picture off him. Yet Burton wasn't enamoured with the scripts he was being offered - until an unusual one landed on his desk. Just lacking a bit of an ending. Enter: Beetlejuice.
Rye Lane was a much smaller production, a directori ... Show More
Mar 20
In conversation with Christopher Miller and Phil Lord | Project Hail Mary, Rocky IV, Geostorm 2 and more
In person, Simon got to meet - after years of interviewing them remotely - writers/producers/directors Christopher Miller and Phil Lord. Chaos absolutely ensued. In this Film Stories special, they talk about Project Hail Mary, the second best Rocky film, choosing to do a project ... Show More
35m 52s
Mar 16
The Postman (1997) and Wag The Dog (1997) | Two films. The same weekend. Very different reputations
At the end of 1997, Kevin Costner's second film as director - The Postman - made its way into cinemas, at the end of a difficult year for Warner Bros. The $80m, three hour movie would be savaged by critics, and fail to find an audience - but there was quite the story behind the f ... Show More
1h 13m
Jun 2024
Garden State (with Zach Braff)
<p>A bereft budget! Malfunctioning motorcycles! Two dogs looking for love in all the wrong places! This week, Chris & Lizzie speak with the writer/director/star of Garden State, Zach Braff, on how he made 2004’s little indie that could, Danny DeVito’s unlikely role in getting ... Show More
1h 8m
Aug 2021
‘Dune,’ ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and the Best Trailers of 2021
Sean and Amanda talk about the buzzy new ‘Spider-Man’ trailer, as well as some hotly anticipated awards-season films, including ‘The Power of the Dog’ and ‘Spencer’ (0:31). Then they dig into the mailbag to answer listener questions about ‘Dune,’ their dream biopics, and the HBO ... Show More
1h 52m
Jun 2019
#ReleaseTheSnyderCut, Dylan and Scorsese’s Netflix Deep Fake, and Jim Jarmusch on ‘The Dead Don’t Die’ | The Big Picture
We dive deep on ‘The Snyder Cut’—the unreleased director’s cut of ‘Justice League’—and the activism surrounding it from DCEU fans, before reviewing the Netflix Bob Dylan mockumentary ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’ (1:00). Then, indie film pioneer Jim Jarmusch joins the show to discuss h ... Show More
1h 14m
Dec 2021
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with Shane Black
As the writer of movies like Lethal Weapon, The Nice Guys, The Long Kiss Goodnight and Iron Man 3, Shane Black is a true screenwriting auteur, known for his scripts' pulse-racing action, quippy dialogue and genre-skewing surprises. At the heart of his stories are usually two odd- ... Show More
1h 18m
Oct 2019
Danny Elfman: from Boingo to Beetlejuice
Danny Elfman's origin story is as fascinating as his music. We discuss his incredible success with Oingo Boingo, as well as his long-time collaboration with director Tim Burton. We explore the origin of his European "Doom-pah" sound, his humor, and his very first films with Burto ... Show More
47m 41s