Behind the Slate

The late Agnès Varda is the darling of Filmstagram Bros and Letterboxd Girlies - everyone’s favorite cat-loving feminist grandma. But what was she really like? Join host Aaron Strand as he discusses the incredible story behind Varda’s most commercially successful film ‘Vagabond’. After the screening he is joined by renowned french film scholar and personal friend of the Agnès Varda, Dr. Richard Ne...

Today we dive into a film that is as disturbing as it is relatable and bizarre as it is unforgettable: ‘Possession’ from 1981. We explore the chaotic brilliance of Andrzej Żuławski, his turbulent career, and how his personal life shaped this visceral descent into madness, identity, and emotional collapse. Recorded live at Cine in Athens, GA on 10-09-25, this episode captures the raw energy of the...

Today we watch one of the greatest war films ever made and the zenith of Italian neo-realism, Gillo Pontecorvo's 'The Battle of Algiers'. I discuss Pontecorvo's incredible backstory of fighting against the fascists in the Italian resistance and the unlikely journey that led him to creating this film with the victorious National Liberation Front of Algeria. After the film we are joined by @itsgothd...

Today we’re diving into Stanley Kubrick's final film, the Christmas classic ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ (1999) - a misunderstood masterpiece that is incredibly prescient of the 21st century we are currently living in. I discuss Kubrick's upbringing and the myths, misconceptions, and misinformation that surrounds his reputation. All this plus an audience discussion after the film, and lobby interviews with Pe...

Today we’re diving into George Lucas’ debut film, ‘THX 1138’ (1971) - which I argue is one of the most influential films of all time. We talk about the early life of director George Lucas and how he went from underground race-car driver to wannabe experimental filmmaker. We dive into his USC-nerd-friends “The Dirty Dozen” and how a budding bromance with Francis Ford Coppola led to one of the most...

Join host Aaron Strand live at Ciné in Athens, GA as he presents Ishiro Honda's 1954 film 'Gojira'. This podcast features a history intro about the film and a special Q&A with legendary stills photographer, Murray Close, who shot many of the iconic images from the film. Come see us for our next live show in Atlanta, GA on September 25th where we will be screening George Lucas' film 'THX-1138'....

Join host Aaron Strand live at the historic Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, GA as he presents Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 film 'Harakiri'. This podcast features a history intro about the film and a special Q&A with legendary stills photographer, Murray Close, who shot many of the iconic images from the film. Come see us for our next live show in Athens, GA on August 7th where we will be screening Ishiro...

Join host Aaron Strand live at the historic Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, GA as he presents Bruce Robinson's 1987 film 'Withnail and I'. This podcast features a history intro about the film and a special Q&A with legendary stills photographer, Murray Close, who shot many of the iconic images from the film. Come see us for our next live show, July 24th where we will be screening Masaki Kobayashi's...

Join host Aaron Strand live at the historic Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, GA as he presents Walter Hills's 1979 film 'The Warriors'. This podcast features a history intro about the film and a post-film audience discussion! Come see us for our next live show, July 24th where we will be screening Masaki Kobayashi's 'Harakiri' Tickets here Email us: behindtheslatepod@gmail.com Instagram: @behindtheslatep...

Join host Aaron Strand live at the historic Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, GA as he presents Agnes Varda's 1962 film 'Cleo from 5 to 7'. Before the screening we hosted the OFFICIAL Agnes Varda lookalike competition (you can check out the video on our Instagram and Tiktok). So this podcast is featuring the-post film audience discussion! Come see us for our next live show, March 27th where we will be scr...

Join host Aaron Strand live at the historic Tara Theatre in Atlanta, GA introducing Akira Kurosawa's 1963 film 'High and Low' as part of Videodrome's KUROSAWA NOIR screening series. Come see us for our next Behind the Slate live show, March 27th where we will be screening Walter Hill's 1979 film 'The Warriors' Tickets here Email us: behindtheslatepod@gmail.com Instagram: @behindtheslatepod TikTok:...

Aaron is joined by one of the most influential independent filmmakers in the world, Andrew Callaghan - creator of 'All Gas No Breaks', 'Channel 5', and director of the new documentary 'Dear Kelly'. Andrew shares what it was like creating his new film, and how his innovative self-distribution strategy led to a $100k opening weekend and over 30,000 week 1 downloads, making it one of the most success...

IN 1 WEEK CRASH ZOOM WILL BE MOVING EXCLUSIVELY TO OUR OWN PODCAST FEED. SUBSCRIBE NOW TO NEVER MISS AN EPISODE. Apple Podcasts Spotify Sammie is on vacation so we are inviting a special guest to the show, Evelyn Lorena. Evelyn is an actress and filmmaker who's most recent short film 'Gabriela' qualified for the 2025 Academy Awards. She takes through her film development, the health issues she suf...

HAPPY NEW YEAR! IN 2 WEEKS CRASH ZOOM WILL BE MOVING EXCLUSIVELY TO OUR OWN PODCAST FEED. SUBSCRIBE NOW TO NEVER MISS AN EPISODE. Apple Podcasts Spotify On today's very special episode we look back on the crazy year in film in television that was 2024. You can check out Sammie's work: Rough Draft Atlanta Sammie on Substack You can check out Aaron's work: @strandedonstage @withdrawalfilm Email us:...

IN 2 WEEKS CRASH ZOOM WILL BE MOVING EXCLUSIVELY TO OUR OWN PODCAST FEED. SUBSCRIBE NOW TO NEVER MISS AN EPISODE. Apple Podcasts Spotify Welcome to Crash Zoom, a new podcast from Behind the Slate. Join entertainment journalist Sammie Purcell and filmmaker Aaron Strand as they explore the world of film and entertainment and how big picture changes affect the life and work of independent artists. On...

IN 3 WEEKS CRASH ZOOM WILL BE MOVING EXCLUSIVELY TO OUR OWN PODCAST FEED. SUBSCRIBE NOW TO NEVER MISS AN EPISODE. Apple Podcasts Spotify Welcome to Crash Zoom, a new podcast from Behind the Slate. Join entertainment journalist Sammie Purcell and filmmaker Aaron Strand as they explore the world of film and entertainment and how big picture changes affect the life and work of independent artists. On...

Join host Aaron Strand live at the historic Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, GA as he presents Sergio Leone's 1967 film 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly'. Aaron gives an opening monologue giving a brief historical background of the filmmaker. After the screening, we open up the conversation for a lively audience discussion! Come see us for our next live show, January 23rd where we will be screening Agnes...

Welcome to Crash Zoom, a new podcast from Behind the Slate. Join entertainment journalist Sammie Purcell and filmmaker Aaron Strand as they explore the world of film and entertainment and how big picture changes affect the life and work of independent artists. On this episode we discuss: Brand Focused Content with Sugar23 and Fifth Season ( Deadline ) Legal Battle over AI Voice Over ( Puck ) Ben M...

Welcome to Crash Zoom, a new podcast from Behind the Slate. Join entertainment journalist Sammie Purcell and filmmaker Aaron Strand as they explore the world of film and entertainment and how big picture changes affect the life and work of independent artists. On this episode we discuss: AI training on Hollywood ( The Atlantic ) Wicked Cellphone Vids ( Variety ) David Ehrlich review of 'Wicked' (...

Welcome to Crash Zoom, a new podcast from Behind the Slate. Join entertainment journalist Sammie Purcell and filmmaker Aaron Strand as they explore the world of film and entertainment and how big picture changes affect the life and work of independent artists. On this episode we discuss: A newly discovered Spec Script ( The Hollywood Reporter ) WBD's outsourced 'Capability Center' ( Puck ) Sebasti...

Welcome to Crash Zoom, a new podcast from Behind the Slate. Join entertainment journalist Sammie Purcell and filmmaker Aaron Strand as they explore the world of film and entertainment and how big picture changes affect the life and work of independent artists. On this episode we discuss: CW Layoffs ( Deadline ) Recent layoffs at the Academy film Archive ( Indiewire ) Trump Era M & A ( The Holl...

Welcome to Crash Zoom, a new podcast from Behind the Slate. Join entertainment journalist Sammie Purcell and filmmaker Aaron Strand as they explore the world of film and entertainment and how big picture changes affect the life and work of independent artists. On this debut episode we discuss: An AI disclaimer at the end of 'Heretic' (From an article in Variety ) A recent study about an untapped I...

Join host Aaron Strand live at the historic Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, GA as he presents Sergio Leone's 1967 film 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly'. Aaron gives an opening monologue giving a brief historical background of the filmmaker. After the screening, we open up the conversation for a lively audience discussion! Come see us for our next live show, November 20th where we will be screening John...

Host Aaron Strand discusses the problems facing indie film makers and the American film industry as a whole. Email us: behindtheslatepod@gmail.com Instagram: @behindtheslatepod TikTok: @behindtheslatepod YouTube: @behindtheslatepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bon...

Join host Aaron Strand live at the historic Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, GA as he presents Bob Rafelson's 1970 film 'Five Easy Pieces'. Aaron gives an opening monologue giving a brief historical background of the filmmaker. After the screening, we open up the conversation for a lively audience discussion! If you would like to join us for future live events, please visit plazaatlanta.com for tickets!...