Behind The Lens

It's another entertaining and enlightening episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to co-writer/director ANTHONY FRITH and his documentary MOCKBUSTER. Now, MOCKBUSTER isn't your typical documentary. This is a documentary directed by Anthony Frith concurrently with his directing of an Asylum Studios B-movie classic, THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT. I know you know The Asylum, the studio responsible f...

Another fun week on BEHIND THE LENS! Another terrific film and filmmaker! That's right! This week, it's all about THE GET OUT with director/co-writer DERRICK BORTE. What a fun ride! Wow! I laughed. I was entertained. I love the story. I love the third-act twist. The cast, led by Russell Crowe, is phenomenal. The production values are top-notch. Of course, how could they not be with Brend...

It's another week of BEHIND THE LENS shining a spotlight on DANCES WITH FILMS and a couple of the wonderful films and filmmakers in this year's festival, namely HEKLA and w/d MICHAEL GLOVER SMITH and THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGG and w/d DOUGLAS BREMNER. First up – MICHAEL GLOVER SMITH and HEKLA! HEKLA is a comedy/drama about the emotional cost of pursuing a creative life. Set over...

Last week was all about Tribeca Film Festival on BEHIND THE LENS and some wonderful animated short films that had their premieres there. This week it's all about Dances With Films, which starts this week on June 18 and runs through June 28 at the TCL Chinese Theatre complex in Hollywood. And there are some great films for you to look forward to seeing, starting with the opening night film – t...

It's all about animation and Tribeca Film Festival this week on BEHIND THE LENS! And not just any animation, but world premiere animation shorts – DEAR UPSTAIRS NEIGHBORS and ROAR, both animated gems led by filmmakers with a Pixar pedigree – animation editor SARAH AFFLECK and writer/director JESSE WEGLEIN, respectively. First up, we're gonna roar with writer/director/editor/dp/and songwr...

Welcome back to a new week and a new month of BEHIND THE LENS! I've got a terrific show for you today, thanks to actor and producer KATIE CASSIDY and director JON KEEYES talking all things SPEED DEMON! And what a film it is! A runaway train. A demon named Asmodeus. A nun called upon to perform an exorcism. On paper, it sounds like the kind of high-concept supernatural action-horror mash-up th...

This week on BEHIND THE LENS, we turn our attention to the Miami art world and first-time feature director JING AI NG with her film FORGE. I thoroughly enjoyed this film from a story perspective and from a directorial and production perspective. As I've been seeing in quite a few films of late from first-time feature directors, once again, production values are high, but story and character a...

What a terrific show I've got for you this week on BEHIND THE LENS as I get to introduce you to a wonderful British filmmaker, writer/director JOHN MICHAEL KENNEDY, who makes his narrative feature directorial debut with the mystery thriller, AN ENEMY WITHIN. Not only is this John's narrative feature directorial debut, but as I found out, this interview that you are about to hear was his...

I'm very excited about this week's BEHIND THE LENS because I get to talk about RENNY HARLIN and his new film DEEP WATER! After 33 years of chatting with Renny and talking about his films, he truly is not only one of my favorite filmmakers, but one of my favorite people. His intelligence, his skill, his dedication to the craft of moviemaking and storytelling, his directorial vision, and h...

As promised, this week on BEHIND THE LENS is all about director DAVID MACKENZIE and his new explosive film, FUZE. Directed by David Mackenzie and written by Ben Hopkins, FUZE boasts an amazing cast – Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Saffron Hocking, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Elham Ehsas, and Sam Worthington. Executed with razor-sharp precision, FUZE is a tightly coiled, high-wire heist thriller that unfol...

This week on BEHIND THE LENS, it's all about tension and terror, blood and brutality with writer/director ANTON SIGURDSSON's psychological thriller/mystery, REFUGE. Four estranged friends reunite on a fishing trip, but a missing child and a desperate father's accusation turn the reunion into a deadly reckoning. Brutal, bloody…..lots of duct tape involved. Terror-filled. A twisted en...

This week on BEHIND THE LENS it's all about "To See or Not To See", and after hearing today's exclusive interviews with BEN WHEATLEY discussing NORMAL and ANEIL KARIA talking all things HAMLET, I think you'll agree that the answer will easily be – Must See. Both of these films are fresh and fantastic, from story to performances to production values. First up today is direc...

As promised, this week on BEHIND THE LENS we're talking about the religious-themed, historical drama A GREAT AWAKENING. Brought to us by director/co-writer Joshua Enck and those terrific folks at Sight & Sound, A GREAT AWAKENING tells the true story of an unlikely friendship between Reverend George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin that resulted in one of the most defining moments in Ameri...

Sorry that I missed all of you last week with BEHIND THE LENS, but I had no voice. And you all know how catastrophic that is when I cannot talk and sound worse than a Budweiser bullfrog. So my apologies. But it's a new week, and I've got a working voice and working internet, so let's take a look at a film and filmmaker that just blew me away – OUR HERO, BALTHAZAR and co-writer/direc...

It's post-Oscar Monday on BEHIND THE LENS and most of Hollywood is probably still recuperating from a night of celebration. Some big winners last evening, notably ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, SINNERS, and KPOP DEMON HUNTERS, and you'll hear me talk about the evening with the good, the bad, and, to borrow from Sigourney Weaver, the adorable. But on #BTLRadioShow, we're looking ahead wit...

I love this week's BEHIND THE LENS, and my interview with writer/director PAUL BOYD talking about his new film SCARED TO DEATH. In this exclusive conversation, Paul dives deep into the making of his horror-comedy SCARED TO DEATH, a self-described "love letter to horror movies" that blends satire, absurdity, and genuine genre reverence. We explore the film's genesis and how the...

It's a jam-packed show this week on BEHIND THE LENS with two fantastic films and two equally fantastic filmmakers, both of whom are enthusiastic, energetic, and excited about filmmaking. You'll be hearing from writer/director CINQUE LEE in the second half of the show, talking about his new film, the survival thriller LAST RIDE. But first up is my exclusive interview with writer/director...

Welcome back to another week of BEHIND THE LENS! This week, we're taking a look at WORLDBREAKER, an apocalyptic, action-oriented, sci-fi, creature feature with a dad and daughter dynamic that is told from the perspective of a young teenage girl, directed by BRAD ANDERSON. Described as a pulse-pounding sci-fi action thriller about survival, sacrifice, and a young woman's fight to step out...

I'm very excited about this week's BEHIND THE LENS and my special guest, director KEVIN LEWIS. This marks Kevin's third appearance on #BTLRadioShow, following the brilliantly bonkers WILLY'S WONDERLAND and PIG HILL. Still, this time we're talking about his new film MISDIRECTION, which, in many respects, is a big departure from the horror films you've come to know and...

This is a fun week for me on BEHIND THE LENS, given the two films that we're talking about and the two filmmakers I'm speaking with. It's a great way to kick off my 44th year as a film critic (although I was published with reviews going back 5 years before that)! Today you'll hear from one of my all-time favorite directors, RENNY HARLIN, as we talk about THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER...

Welcome back to another week of BEHIND THE LENS! I'm excited about today's show and my exclusive interview with my special guest, director/writer/editor TOM BOTCHII, talking about his new film RELENTLESS. RELENTLESS starts as a seemingly straightforward home invasion robbery but quickly becomes a sustained chase between two men—Teddy, a homeless drifter, and Jun, a successful businessman...

Welcome back to BEHIND THE LENS! This past weekend was Dances With Films NY and from all accounts, it was a blast. You all know how much I love to champion indie films, which makes DWF one of my fave fests. And how lucky are we to not only have DWF in Los Angeles later in the year, but also an abbreviated version in NY! First up, let's take a look and a listen at STOP TIME and my exclusive in...

We're looking at another emotional film this week on BEHIND THE LENS as I chat with writer/director and actor STEVEN GRAYHM in this exclusive interview about his latest film, SHEEPDOG, one of the most important and powerful films you will see this year. SHEEPDOG is the story of decorated U.S. Army combat veteran Calvin Cole, who is court-ordered into treatment and into the care of a VA trauma...

Welcome back to another year of BEHIND THE LENS and BTLRadioShow!! I'm excited to be back and kick off Year 12 of #BTLRadioShow and am beyond thrilled to start the new year with a very special guest and talk about the absolute 'Must See' film of 2026. And that guest is none other than my friend of 40+ years – director RIC ROMAN WAUGH – and that film is GREENLAND 2: MIGRATION. Action...

It's the last BEHIND THE LENS for 2025! And this week, we shine a light on producer, director, writer, and actor RYAN FRANCIS and his latest film, SPEED TRAIN. I have had the pleasure of knowing Ryan for more than two decades. I reviewed his first directorial short film and multiple feature films thereafter, and interviewed him. And over the years, he has moved from being an actor in front of...