Behind The Lens

It’s another entertaining and enlightening episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to director/co-writer 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 another Asylum B-movie classic, THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT.  I know you know The Asylum, the studio responsible for the...

  Surprise!  It’s a bonus edition of BEHIND THE LENS!     So many terrific interviews of late with some very energetic and enthusiastic filmmakers, and all rather lengthy, that I can’t fit them all in on our weekly Monday show.  And because of the fun and enthusiasm of these filmmakers, I want you to hear and enjoy that enthusiasm rather than read a written feature.  So you’re getting some bonus e...

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.  But first. . .   Dances With Films has come to a close in Hollywood. Some fantastic films this year. You’ve heard some of my interviews the past couple of weeks with DWF filmmakers, and I still have a few more that you’ll be readin...

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 one hec...

Last week was all about Tribeca Film Festival 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 - the world premiere of Y...

  It's a fun week on BEHIND THE LENS as we’re talking animation and the Tribeca Film Festival!  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...

Welcome back to a new week and a new month of BEHIND THE LENS!  Glad to be back after the Memorial Day holiday.  Hope yours was fantastic!  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...

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 are...

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 very firs...

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 his kin...

  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 th...

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 ending th...

  This week 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 director ANEIL KARIA talking about HAMLET...

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 its co-writer/director OSCA...

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 beyond Oscars, this week we're looking ahead with...

I love this week’s BEHIND THE LENS (and hope you will, too), and my interview with writer/director PAUL BOYD talking about his new film SCARED TO DEATH.  But first, how about a bit of MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS and a new era of YELLOWSTONE with MARSHALS! Moving into PAUL BOYD and SCARED TO DEATH, let me say at the outset, Paul is fantastic. He knows his craft, and he knows how to tell a story. He...

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 LAST RIDE.  But first up is my exclusive interview with writer/director NASTASYA POPOV, going in-depth...

  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 of t...

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 love from Kevin.   Set over o...

This week is a fun week for me with 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 3, which now...

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.  And let me tell you, RELENTLESS is exactly what its title promises: a sustained assault of motion, impact, and withheld meaning. It begins as a home invasion and refuses to let go, barreling...

Welcome back to BEHIND THE LENS!  This past weekend was Dances With Films Film Festival 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!   I was privileged to screen a few of the fest films before t...

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. There have been a number of films over the years, especially since all of the Middle East conflicts, that address PTSD or some form of it.  Some o...

  Welcome back to another year of BEHIND THE LENS and BTLRadioShow!!  I’m excited to be back and kick off Year 12 of BTLRadioShow. I 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.     I first met Ri...