Podcasts Steven Benedict

Robert Altman's best films capture cultures in transition. Nashville marked the moment politics and celebrity intermingled to create space for Donald Trump. The post Nashville appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Like many other cult classics, the French thriller Diva was almost still born. Rejected by the French critics and public, it only got a second lease of life in the US. The post Diva appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Orson Welles' debut feature is now a quarter of a century old. Have we been taking its greatness for granted or is it time for reappraisal? The post Citizen Kane appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Guillermo del Toro says he is "in love with monsters." In Pan's Labyrinth, set in the Spanish Civil War, he uses them to navigate history and the world. The post Pan’s Labyrinth appeared first on Steven Benedict.

In adapting Peter Moffat's original BBC series, how did Steven Zaillian and Richard Price turn it from a legal thriller into a social drama? The post The Night Of appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Science-fiction sometimes predicts the future. Released a decade ago, Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men grows more prophetic as the years go by. The post 221. Children of Men appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Adapted from Paolo Lin's non-fiction novel, director Fernando Meirelles cast non-actors to capture life, death and everything in-between in Rio's favelas. The post 220. City of God appeared first on Steven Benedict.

With its progressive attitude toward gender and sexuality, is Alan J Pakula's 1971 film more a character study than it is a psychological thriller? The post Klute appeared first on Steven Benedict.

An unknown author, a director not known for action, and only one actor fluent in the language. How did this film succeed? The post 218. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon appeared first on Steven Benedict.

What makes for a great scene? Performance? Conflict? Dialogue? Visuals? Music? Combine them and you have atomic weight. The post 217. Great Scenes – Part Three appeared first on Steven Benedict.

What makes for a great scene? Performance? Conflict? Dialogue? Visuals? Music? Combine them and you have atomic weight. The post Great Scenes – Part Two appeared first on Steven Benedict.

What makes for a great scene? Performance? Conflict? Dialogue? Visuals? Music? Combine them and you have atomic weight. The post 215. Great Scenes – Part One appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Like the novel on which it is based, Revolutionary Road so honestly probed its subject audiences stayed away. Their loss. It is Sam Mendes' best film. The post Revolutionary Road appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Orson Welles was one of cinema's true geniuses but was he correct in claiming that two things cinema couldn't honestly depict were prayer and sex? The post Cinema Sex appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Beauty, Gangster, Hustle, Psycho, Sniper. With so many films using "American" in their title, is the appellation losing its significance? The post 212. American … What? appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Chodleros De Laclos’ novel has inspired plays, operas, ballets and several films. But none can match the debauched panache of Stephen Frears’ interpretation. The post Dangerous Liaisons appeared first on Steven Benedict.

If writers are told to write from experience, is Charlie Kaufman's adaptation of Susan Orlean's non-fiction book not really Kaufman's autobiography? The post 210. Adaptation. appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Thirty-five years old, Spielberg's classic was inspired by more than just the Saturday matinee serials he watched as a child. The post Raiders of the Lost Ark appeared first on Steven Benedict.

William Friedkin's Oscar-winner may be a gritty thriller but it owes an enormous debt to a classic of 19th century American literature. The post The French Connection appeared first on Steven Benedict.

"Show me the money." "Shut up, you had me at hello." For such a quotable film, Jerry Maguire's most important line is "Fewer clients. Less money." The post Jerry Maguire appeared first on Steven Benedict.