It's fairly well known that the role of Detective Harry Callahan was originally set to be played by Frank Sinatra, before he had to pull out as production neared. Yet when Clint Eastwood decided to accept, he had several versions of a script to choose from - and decided to put a call into someone he trusted: Don Siegel. The pair would go on to fashion a cine ... Show More
Jan 12
Almost Famous (2000) and Cellular (2004) | A box office stumble, and an underappreciated action thriller
Regular episodes of Film Stories with Simon Brew resume for 2026, with two very different films in the spotlight. First up there's Cameron Crowe's superb Almost Famous, a film he got the greenlight to make in the aftermath of Jerry Maguire's success. A hugely personal story, here ... Show More
1h 3m
Dec 24
The Romesh Ranganathan episode (Film Stories 500 celebration live from London)
To celebrate Film Stories turning 500 episodes old (and then some!), a very special live recording took place in London in November 2025. Long-time Film Stories supporter Romesh Ranganathan joined Simon Brew on stage to go through his, er, 'storied' cinema career and talk movies. ... Show More
1h 30m
Jan 2024
‘Layla’ Director Amrou Al-Kadhi and Cast on Opening Sundance, Casting Chemistry, and the Power of Subtext
Amrou Al-Kadhi is the Writer-Director of Layla, a story that explores the conflict between desire and identity. The film stars actor Bilal Hasna who plays Layla, a London drag queen, and actor Louis Greatorex, who plays Max, the love interest. The film premiered at the 2024 Sunda ... Show More
35m 32s
Nov 2024
Editing Duplass Episodic 'Penelope' & Film Industry Outside of NY & LA Feat. Celia Beasley
In this episode, GG Hawkins sits down with editor Celia Beasley to discuss her role in shaping Penelope, the new episodic series by the Duplass Brothers, now on Netflix. They explore the unique process of editing an episodic series that was shot like an indie film and edited enti ... Show More
59m 21s
Jan 2024
‘Blackfish’ Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite Turns Blacklist Script ‘I.S.S.’ Into Sci-Fi Thriller Theatrical Release
Not all award-winning filmmakers planned for a career in film when they were younger. Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite found her love of film in her thirties, and has since directed films such as Blackfish, Our Friend, and many others. She recently directed I.S.S., a high-stakes t ... Show More
45m 15s
Dec 2024
‘A Complete Unknown’ Is a Bob Dylan Movie. How Does It Feel?
Sean is joined by Chris Ryan and Mallory Rubin to dig all the way into ‘A Complete Unknown,’ James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet. They discuss, among other things, the musical performances of Chalamet and his costar Monica Barbaro, the supporting performan ... Show More
1h 29m
Sep 2018
'Think Slow, Act Fast': Joe Walker on Editing for Steve McQueen and Denis Villeneuve
Steve McQueen has made some great movies. So has Denis Villeneuve. So what do Hunger, Sicario, Shame, Blade Runner 2049, 12 Years a Slave and Arrival have in common? They were all edited by Joe Walker.
McQueen and Walker's latest collaboration, Widows, made its world premiere to ... Show More
23m 31s
Dec 2024
Nosferatu with Robert Eggers and Chris Columbus (Ep. 523)
<p class="p1">Director Robert Eggers discusses his new film, Nosferatu, with fellow Director Chris Columbus in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses shooting in the real-world castle from the original story as well as channeling his Produc ... Show More
34m 48s
Sep 2024
Greg Mottola on Used Cars
Director Greg Mottola (Superbad, Paul, and Confess, Fletch) joins Wampler and Vespe to talk about a very early outing for Steven Spielberg as producer: Used Cars. Written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, produced by Spielberg and John Milius, and directed by Zemeckis, this raunch ... Show More
1h 13m