WHAT WENT WRONG

Was the fall of the Iron Curtain Bond's curtain call? Tasked with saving the super spy were a pair of nepo babies, a television actor and a Kiwi director fresh off a flop. Join Chris and Lizzie as they dive headfirst off an alpine dam into the Herculean effort to bring Bond into the 90s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Chris as he explores 007's origins, birthed from the mind of a 44 year old dilettante debut writer, the result of a bet with his nay-saying brother, at a vacation home in Jamaica affectionately named… GoldenEye. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A decade of development hell, enough writers to take down a gorilla (maybe even a Hulk), and a director dealing with daddy issues. This week, Chris and Lizzie smash into the origins of Ang Lee's Hulk, a brooding mid-aughts Marvel misfire that's just a bit misunderstood. They'll discover the Hulks that almost were (animatronic!), the Hulks that we deserved (Steve Buscemi!) and the Hulks that came t...

A plane crash puts a premature end to a precocious protagonist… on screen and off. This week Chris and David explore Richard Kelly’s cult classic debut film, Donnie Darko. Learn how a fateful meeting with Francis Ford Coppola, the undying support of Drew Barrymore, and a high school band’s cover of a Tears for Fears track secured Darko a place in cult-film history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

Jennifer Grey knew the part of Frances “Baby” Houseman was perfect for her. There was just one problem: Patrick Swayze. The stars of 1987’s ‘Dirty Dancing’ had history, and it wasn’t good. In this episode Chris and Lizzie dive into the low budget film that became a smash success despite production woes, a brand new studio backing it, and two stars who just couldn’t see eye to eye. Hosted on Acast....

Would audiences walk out? Would the animation make them sick? Was Walt Disney a madman? Such were the real musings of industry experts when Walt bet it all on Snow White, Disney’s first feature animated film. Join Chris and guest hosts Elena Crevello and Chelsea Davison (of Podstruck) as they explore how Disney redefined cinema forever with a four-quadrant hit for the ages. *NOTE: The German anima...

In this atypical episode, Chris takes you down the Walt Disney rabbit hole, setting the table for our episode on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Join us for an exploration of the childhood and early career of the man who created the House of Mouse, up until he decided to create his first animated feature-length film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Chris and special guest (and film critic) Dan Murrell get to the choppa! with a deep dive of 1987's Predator. They'll be braving snakes (venomous and Hollywood), fire ants, scorpions and traveler's diarrhea as they explore this unlikely sci-fi action classic's arduous production. Learn how Arnold hooked the crew on cigars, bested Jesse Ventura's biceps, and why Shane Black was killed fi...

Chris and Lizzie speak with the incredible, Emmy-winning Casting Director, Wendy O'Brien (Abbott Elementary, Dave, It's Always Sunny, Wyrm). Enjoy a conversation about how this role is different from what you might think, how it has changed in a post-Covid world, what it's like to work with Chris, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marilyn Monroe can’t remember her lines, Jack Lemmon can’t walk in heels, and Billy Wilder is slipping sleeping pills up his tuchus. ‘Some Like It Hot’ is a groundbreaking comedy that nearly broke writer/director Billy Wilder. Join Chris and Lizzie as they break down Billy Wilder’s struggles with Marilyn, and Marilyn’s relationships with her overbearing husband and acting coach, and find out why T...

Three decades of development hell, a dozen drafts and one very embattled director. This week, Chris and Lizzie explore the tumultuous journey of Malcolm X, Spike Lee’s unusual path to the directing chair, and how the public battle over the civil rights leader’s story nearly eclipsed the story itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week it’s Francis Ford Coppola vs Bob Evans vs everyone. Join Chris and Lizzie for part 2 as they break down the truly insane rivalries behind 1972’s The Godfather. Find out why Coppola’s team briefly turned against him, how James Caan might have beaten up a costar on screen, and why this movie has one of the most dangerous stunts we’ve ever covered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

It’s a movie about the mafia… but they couldn’t say the word mafia… because the actual mafia threatened the entire production if they didn’t remove it. This week Chris and Lizzie dive into Francis Ford Coppola’s groundbreaking 1972 film, The Godfather. Find out why Coppola and Al Pacino both almost got fired, how Robert DeNiro almost made it into part 1, and why Paramount didn’t even want to make...

What happens when Tom Cruise’s unstoppable force meets Stanley Kubrick’s immovable object? Tune in as Lizzie & Chris uncover the secrets of the reclusive auteur’s thirteenth and final film, a production so difficult it (likely) ended a marriage, dispatched its director and may have sent not one, but two Kubrick collaborators deeper into the embrace of a truly secretive society. Hosted on Acast...

Storyboard artist Warren Drummond (Shaft, A Beautiful Mind, Nightcrawler, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) has worked with some of the greatest filmmakers of our time, from John Singleton to Denzel Washington and Ron Howard. In this Below the Line interview, Warren illuminates the world of storyboarding, his journey into film, the transition from analog to digital, and more. Hosted on Acast. See ac...

How did a tennis pro, a theater nerd, and a TV actor redefine the action genre? Because they had nothing left to lose. This week, Chris and Lizzie dive deep into 1988’s quintessential Christmas film: from Bruce’s receding hairline and an unfinished script to Rickman’s inability to hold a gun and Joel Silver’s desire to just blow shit up, this production had more problems than a McClane marriage. H...

More Gremlins, more problems! But that didn’t stop Joe Dante and Steven Spielberg from adding an endless stream of critters to the deranged 1984 Christmas classic. Busted puppets caused massive delays and pushed creature master Chris Walas to his limits, but it could’ve been worse - they could’ve used… live monkeys?! Find out why parents were furious about the film, how it helped change the MPAA r...

Blue screens! Tennis balls! Directions from George Lucas! What are three things that make an actor’s job harder? Chris and Lizzie conclude their Menace coverage with a crunch at ILM, the public shaming of Jar Jar Binks and why George may have lost a lot more than $50 million in his divorce. Plus, how no one saw it coming… except for Weird Al. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

Jedi! Lightsabers! Taxes? This week, Chris tests Lizzie’s midi-chlorians (and patience) with George Lucas’ polarizing return to Star Wars. Was Lucas a victim of his own success, or were we all victims of his divorce? Plus, how Michael Jackson and Denzel Washington were nearly canon, and more! CORRECTIONS: *Doctor Dolittle was release in 1967, not 1976, as Chris mistakenly stated. Hosted on Acast....

How did the 4th (or maybe 5th) version of ‘A Star is Born’ take almost 20 years to make… and why did it almost star Russell Crowe and Beyoncé?! This week Lizzie and Chris break down Bradley Cooper’s 2018 directorial debut, and discover why Lady Gaga was initially a tough sell. Find out how everyone from Jamie Foxx to Metallica had a hand in this Oscar nominated film’s journey to the screen. ...

The only thing worse than being a character in a Sam Raimi movie? Acting in one. This week, Chris and Lizzie unearth the grueling, injury-laden production of The Evil Dead. Discover the importance of such amenities as running water, toilets, and electricity; and the pain of removing fake blood with hot coffee. Plus, how Raimi couldn’t have done it without a veritable village, including a couple of...

Paul Rudd was almost murdered, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were wasted, and El Niño threatened to rain out production - that’s just the beginning of what went wrong on Clueless (1995). Find out how Alicia Silverstone and Brittany Murphy got cast, and why one studio almost changed it to be more about… the guys? As if! It took writer/director Amy Heckerling years to get her vision to the screen, but...

Tombstone' shot first and 'Wyatt Earp' died. In Part 2 of our coverage, Chris & Lizzie endure the explosive arrival of replacement director George P. Cosmatos, revisit Kurt Russell's last-minute rewrites, and try to answer the impossible question: does a better version of this movie exist? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saddle up and skin that smokewagon, because Kevin Costner's about to shut your movie down. In Part 1 of our coverage on 'Tombstone', Chris & Lizzie dissect the film's Hollywood duel with rival 'Wyatt Earp', Kurt Russell's hardball, and how writer/director Kevin Jarre assembled one of the greatest cast and crews of all time, only to listen to none of them. Manscaped - head to manscaped.com and...

How did Shakespeare in Love beat one of the greatest war movies of all time for Best Picture at the 1999 Oscars? It’s simple: Harvey Weinstein. But Saving Private Ryan was just one of many massive snubs in this comedy of errors. Learn how producer and original director Ed Zwick's dreams were dashed, why Julia Roberts dropped out last minute, and why Gwyneth Paltrow didn't want to star across(ed) h...