Behind The Lens

This week we're doing a bit of travelling on BEHIND THE LENS as we journey to BELFAST with editor UNA NI DHONGHAILE and then on to SPAGHETTI JUNCTION with writer/director KIRBY McCLURE. First up, take a listen to our exclusive interview with UNA NI DHONGHAILE, editor of what I believe is the Best Picture of the Year – BELFAST, as she talks about the editing process, working with Kenneth Branagh, adjusting film speed to create tableau effects, laying in the basic sound edit along with the visual edit, and more. Una's unbridled enthusiasm and passion for this film are beyond infectious. Her attention to detail and her collaborative process with "fellow magpie" Branagh is evident in the final product. BELFAST soars and Una's work is just one of the reasons. And then, we welcome writer/director KIRBY McCLURE who talks about his new film SPAGHETTI JUNCTION. The story of a disabled teenager in America's deep south who encounters a "traveler" from the stars, this indie gem

It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas on BehIND THE LENS as CHRISTINE WEATHERUP joins us live to talk about her latest film SEE YOU NEXT CHRISTMAS, plus our exclusive interview with KEVIN DURAND talking DANGEROUS! First up, things take a "dangerous" turn with our exclusive interview with actor KEVIN DURAND talking about his new film, the action thriller DANGEROUS! Directed by David Hackl with script by Christopher Borrelli, DANGEROUS is the story of ex-con and reformed sociopath Dylan Forrester (Scott Eastwood) who is trying to quietly serve out his parole — with the help of a steady supply of antidepressants and his eccentric psychiatrist (Mel Gibson). But when his brother dies under mysterious circumstances, Dylan breaks parole and, with a dogged FBI agent (Famke Janssen) on his trail, goes to uncover the truth. A band of heavily armed mercenaries led by Cole (Kevin Durand) wants something Dylan's brother was hiding, and Dylan will need all his guile and tactical skills to surviv

It's a rad #BTLRadioShow this week as we take a step back in time to the "awesome" 80s - those days of big and bigger hair, ruched puffy satin, high waisted jeans, Tom Cruise in his underwear, and Top 40 needledrop heavy John Hughes movies filling the movie screens - with LATER DAYS thanks to our special guests, co-writers/co-directors BRAD RIDDELL and SANFORD STERNSHEIN as well as actor MAJANDRA DELFINO. A coming-of-age tale of a 40-year-old stay-at-home dad who wants to throw a 40th birthday surprise party for his workaholic attorney wife and decides to toss an 80's themed prom bash, inviting everyone they knew - and didn't know - in high school. The problem is that his wife didn't want any kind of party and the glory days of high school were his, not hers. Adding insult to injury, he produces an old ruched satin dress of hers that he had altered to now fit her that she must wear. Ouch. Take a listen to all the fun and laughter about bringing the 80s to life, from Brad and Sa

It's a fun show this week as we get in the Halloween spirit with JOCELYN RISH as we look at GRAVE INTENTIONS, then examine the "horror" and biting edge of filmmaking and film festivals with MARSHALL COOK and his rapier-witted comedy FILM FEST, and you'll hear about a new non-fiction book on the way from Jocelyn called BATTLE OF THE BUTTS (Seriously! Kids are gonna love it.). First up today, take a listen to our prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director and book author JOCELYN RISH talking about the horror anthology GRAVE INTENTIONS as well as her upcoming new book BATTLE OF THE BUTTS. It takes a talented and creative person to put together an anthology like GRAVE INTENTIONS AND research and write a book about animal butts, but Jocelyn does just that. Lighthearted and passionate, both shine through in this candid and fun-filled interview as we go from BUTTS to Madame Josephine who introduces the 5 horror shorts in GRAVE INTENTIONS. A global group of shorts, there is a sentimenta

Diving into some darker elements this week on #BTLRadioShow as we take a look at riveting and thought-provoking film THE SUBJECT with our special guest director LANIE ZIPOY, and the coming-of-age thriller WHAT BREAKS THE ICE with writer/director REBECCA ESKREIS. First up, take a listen to our prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director REBECCA ESKREIS who talks about new film WHAT BREAKS THE ICE. A coming of age thriller where two girls enjoying a carefree summer vacation in an idyllic small town, suddenly have their best-laid plans go awry with fatal results. Rebecca goes in-depth about the story and its genesis, her cinematographic design and tone, sound design and the importance of ambient sound in this story, scoring, montage, and more! Then director LANIE ZIPOY joins us talking about her riveting directorial feature debut – THE SUBJECT. Timely, topical. A thought-provoking nail-biter with a myriad of themes to unpack, each as powerful as the next. A white documentary filmmaker gains acclaim f

On this week's episode of BEHIND THE LENS we take a look at two films – one steeped in the past and the other, set in present-day but affected by a past centuries old. Take a listen as POTSY PONCIROLI talks OLD HENRY and MILES DOLEAC talks DEMIGOD. First up, my prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director POTSY PONCIROLI talking about his new film, OLD HENRY. Set in 1906, this is the story of an old farmer who has seen better days, days long buried. But what happens when Henry gives aid to an injured man and a gun-toting posse shows up at his door? Patient and pot-boiling, this is a film you should see and interview you should hear! Listen as Potsy talks about the story, casting, the importance of location and how it influenced the script and story, production design including build-out to the 100-year old house used as Henry's farm and accompanying period set-dress, cinematography and working with John Matysiak, Jamie Kirkpatrick's editing and finding the right build of tension, worki

We're digging into the darkness with this episode of #BTLRadioShow as we take a look at two riveting thrillers - THROUGH THE GLASS DARKLY and IMPLANTED - thanks to our two live guests, LAUREN FASH and FABIEN DUFILS. First up we welcome LAUREN FASH, who makes her feature directorial debut with THROUGH THE GLASS DARKLY, a pot-boiling thriller that delves into the darkness of the mind and the heart with the drama, prejudice, and corruption within a small Georgia town when two young girls go missing. Take a listen as Lauren goes in-depth on the story, themes, casting, powerhouse performances from Robyn Lively and Shanola Hampton, location, cinematography, and all things "the making of". Then writer/director FABIEN DUFILS is onboard to talk about his fascinating sci-fi psychological thriller IMPLANTED, the story of a woman who has a nanochip with artificial intelligence implanted in her body designed to aid in the body's well being and prevention of illness and disease. But what happens whe

We've got some drama, some action, and some laughs for you in this episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to our special guests SIMON PHILLIPS talking SURVIVE THE GAME (and more!) and first-time feature director RYAN LACEN talking ALL THE WORLD IS SLEEPING. Kicking off the show is none other than SIMON PHILLIPS! Regular listeners already heard me rave about Simon earlier this year when director Paul Tanter was on the show and we dove into their dark comedy STEALING CHAPLIN. Well, now we've got Simon joining us live talking about his latest film, the action-thriller SURVIVE THE GAME in which he costars with Bruce Willis, Chad Michael Murray, and longtime "General Hospital" favorite Sean Kanan! Ssssh! Don’t tell anyone, but Simon and Sean are THE reasons to see SURVIVE THE GAME. And talk about fun-filled and insightful!! Listen as Simon and I talk about SURVIVE THE GAME, shooting in Puerto Rico in February 2021 (and the film is releasing less than 8 months later!) and the safety protocols in pl

This episode of #BTLRadioShow goes "ape" with musicals, mayhem, and monkeyshines as we talk about EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE in our exclusive interview with MAX HARWOOD and LAUREN PATEL, along with welcoming acclaimed documentarian ALEX M. AZMI and GABI SKOLLAR, Director of The Gibbon Center, to talk about their film THE CENTER: GIBBONS AND GUARDIANS. First up you'll hear our exclusive interview with two of the brightest new stars on the horizon, MAX HARWOOD and LAUREN PATEL, as they talk about their fabulous new musical EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE. Fun-filled and fantastic, Max and Lauren are like a breath of fresh air on the cinematic canvas – as is their film. Candid and enthusiastic, you'll fall in love with these young talents who make their feature film debuts with ETAJ! EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE is streaming on Amazon Prime! But then a real treat as we welcome ALEX M. AZMI live to talk about his latest documentary THE CENTER: GIBBONS AND GUARDIANS.

This week on BEHIND THE LENS, a reflection on 9/11 and the Victim's Compensation Fund and Special Master Ken Feinberg with our prerecorded exclusive interview with director SARA COLANGELO talking about WORTH, and then a shift to something lighter as writer/director JON SHERMAN is live talking about his new film THEY/THEM/US. First up this week is a surprise non-scheduled prerecorded exclusive interview with director SARA COLANGELO talking in-depth about one of the complex issues surrounding the attacks of 9/11, the Victim Compensation Fund, now brought to the big screen with the narrative film WORTH. Written by Max Borenstein and adapted from Special Master attorney Ken Feinberg's memoirs, WORTH is a film that's more than worth your time and your compassion. Already known for her exemplary storytelling with the acclaimed Little Accidents and The Kindergarten Teacher, with WORTH, Colangelo ups the ante to deliver a powerful and compelling cinematic telling of this chapter in the history of 9/11

This is a very special edition of BEHIND THE LENS as we not only welcome back director/editor NICK FITURI SCOWN to the show, but we reflect on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 as seen through the eyes of comedy and laughter with TOO SOON: COMEDY AFTER 9/11, Nick's debut documentary feature which he co-directed with comedy journalist Julie Seabaugh. Nick also served as the film's editor. An in-depth interesting conversation. For those of us alive in September 2001, we remember the event and the aftermath; the shock, the horror, the confusion, the pain, the sorrow. In the blink of an eye, our world changed. Life seemingly came to a stop. And so did the laughter. We were frozen, wondering when life would resume as it was. As we now know, life never went back to what it was, but what did finally return was the communal experience of laughter. Comedy is cathartic. For so many of us, through laughter, and specifically comedy and comedians and late-night talk show hosts, we almost got "permission"

This week on BEHIND THE LENS we take a look at two films, both of which speak to the heart of Americana and humanity – THE COLONY and SAVING PARADISE thanks to SEBASTIAN ROCHE and JAY SILVERMAN, respectively. Kicking off this episode is our prerecorded exclusive interview with SEBASTIAN ROCHE talking about his new film, THE COLONY. Probably best known for his role as the villainous Jerry Jacks on "General Hospital" or his decades of recurring characters on the big and small screens, including Reichminister Hausmann in "The Man in the High Castle", Balthazar in "Supernatural", Mikael in "Vampire Diaries" or most recently as Sheriff Wagy in the acclaimed "Big Sky", with THE COLONY, get ready to see Sebastian in a new light. Set in the distant future, female astronaut Blake is shipwrecked on the long-decimated Earth, and along with a small colony of survivors, is forced to determine the fate of the planet and humanity. Sebastian plays Blake's father, a tie

Happiness, joy, and a bit of whimsy take over BEHIND THE LENS today as we look at two very special films with some very special filmmakers – CRYPTOZOO and our exclusive interview with DASH SHAW and JANE SAMBORSKI, and WELCOME TO HAPPINESS with writer/director/composer OLIVER THOMPSON. First up, is my exclusive interview with writer/director DASH SHAW and animation director JANE SAMBORSKI, the incredible team behind the breathtaking, allegorical, kaleidoscopic, psychedelic, animated delight – CRYPTOZOO. A fantastical tale that follows cryptozookeepers through a richly-drawn hallucinatory world as they seek out the mythical Baku, a dream-eating hybrid creature that looks much like a pig and baby elephant swirling in bubbles, CRYPTOZOO raises thought-provoking discussion as the keepers/conservationists begin to wonder if they should display wondrous creatures like the Baku in a zoo or hide them and keep them safe from harm. With the military also seeking out the Baku for nefarious purposes, while wanting to kil

It's an action-packed show this week as we go from the adventure and action of cruising the Amazon and our chat with JUNGLE CRUISE VFX Supervisor LUKE MILLAR, to fun-filled conversation with stuntman-turned-director JOSH TESSIER talking hard-core mafioso battles with Russians, Italians, good cops, bad cops, and an informant caught in the middle and bringing it all to life with his feature directorial debut OVERRUN. First up, take a listen to our prerecorded exclusive interview with LUKE MILLAR, Weta Digital's VFX Supervisor, talking about JUNGLE CRUISE! Although several VFX houses contributed to the film, it fell to WETA to handle some of the trickier and most important key effects of the film, among them, creating the beautiful jaguar Proxima as well as those dangerous whitewater rapids and hungry hungry piranhas! Luke and I dive in head-first talking about the technological wonders of Weta and the magic of Disney in bringing the JUNGLE CRUISE to life and some of the visual challenges faced and h

It's an interesting mix of films we're talking about on this episode of BTL Radio Show thanks to our special guest producer JESSICA DEVANEY who is back with us to talk about her latest film, the Netflix documentary PRAY AWAY. And we've got our exclusive interview with stuntman/stunt coordinator turned director PETER "DRAGO" TIEMANN talking about his feature directorial debut THE STAIRS! Kicking off today's show is our exclusive interview with PETER "DRAGO" TIEMANN. Stuntman/Stunt Coordinator, Drago now makes his writing/directing feature narrative debut with the edge-of-your-seat thriller, THE STAIRS. Take a listen as Peter and I delve into the story of THE STAIRS and "the making of" from story to characters to casting to editing and pacing to action to cinematography to practical effects (a man on fire) to sound to working with a colorist to collaboration to character drive vs action driven and more. Knowledgeable, articulate, and so much fun, take a listen

It's a wild episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to our special guests KATHRYN O'SULLIVAN and PAUL AWAD as we talk about their new film A SAVAGE NATURE, plus our exclusive interview with writer/director NICK BARTON talking about the legendary Dalton Gang with his film DEATH ALLEY! First up is our exclusive interview with writer/director NICK BARTON as we talk about his latest film – DEATH ALLEY! You've heard of Jesse James, Belle Starr, the James-Younger gang? But what about the Dalton Gang? While so often glossed over in the history books, the Daltons tried to pull off the impossible on October 5, 1892 – rob two banks in the same town. Only Emmett Dalton lived to tell about that day. This is the Daltons' story of their final 48 hours before their demise in Coffeyville. Take a listen as Nick pulls out his cinematic six-shooter going in-depth on the appeal of the Western, the Daltons' story, story construct, challenges of working with horses/actors/pyrotechnics/gunfights, developing a v

Miss this episode of BEHIND THE LENS live? Time to catch up with all of this week's fun thanks to writer/director HARRY GREENBERGER talking HERE AFTER, plus our exclusive interview with CHRISTOPHER SHOWERMAN talking about his new thriller, DOUBLE BLIND! First up, take a listen to our exclusive interview with the wonderful Christopher Showerman talking about his new film, DOUBLE BLIND. A noirish thriller written and directed by Thomas D. Moser, DOUBLE BLIND stars Chris along with Jennifer Jarrett, Charles Mitchell, Katharine Phillips Moser, and Madeline Moser. A cat and mouse game of survival that touches on big pharma and science, family, and survival, Chris dives deep into the "making of" as not only does he head up this small ensemble, he is a boots-on-the-ground producer; plus, he's a helluva lot of fun. From acting to producing to developing the onscreen relationships to storytelling and what the future may hold for him, we cover it all, including one of the funniest anecdotes you wi

This week on BEHIND THE LENS it's a blend of crime and Christmas as we take a look at DOWNEAST with our exclusive interview with GREG FINLEY and JOE RAFFA, and then we put on some ho-ho-ho holiday cheer with COREY MOSS and WHITE ELEPHANT. First up, you'll hear our exclusive interview with actor/producer GREG FINLEY and writer/director JOE RAFFA talking about DOWNEAST. A character-driven crime thriller set and shot in Maine, DOWNEAST is a real potboiler that while immersing us in the seacoast life of Portland, steeps us in the elements of the darker underbelly of mob madness and murder and the ambiguity that creates within everyone. Listen as Joe and Greg talk about the story and Greg's hometown inspiration for this tale, the importance of authenticity with the people and the places, capturing all the shades of grey and the ambiguities of life not only through story and dialogue, but with imagery and the visual tonal bandwidth, shooting during a Portland winter, the wonderful community and loc

It's my favorite week of the year, folks! SHARK WEEK! And "moviesharkd" is kicking off the week with all kinds of sharks starting with MARTIN WILSON talking GREAT WHITE. Then SASHA COLLINGTON joins us live talking her new film LOVE TYPE D and all those sharks swimming around the dating pool! Opening this Friday in limited release theatres across the US, plus available On Demand and Digital, is GREAT WHITE. Can't kick off Shark Week without a new shark movie and GREAT WHITE is one helluva shark tale!! It is killer!! Guaranteed to bite into you with tension, excitement, adventure, and a killer shark, take a listen to our exclusive interview with director MARTIN WILSON as we dive deep into the making of GREAT WHITE. From shooting in the beautiful waters off the coast of Northern Queensland Australia to Tony O'Loughlan's exquisite cinematography, to finding and casting a perfect ensemble, to Lawrie Silverstein's editing and finding that ever-increasing tension in the air, in t

This week on #BTLRadioShow we're going from the Great Depression with 12 MIGHTY ORPHANS and writer/director TY ROBERTS to Chinatown in Los Angeles with screenwriter CHRIS JOHNSON and BAD DETECTIVES. Joining us live this week at the midpoint of the show is executive producer and screenwriter CHRIS JOHNSON talking about his new film – and first feature – BAD DETECTIVES, a thriller mystery about two former friends who inherit their grandfathers' detective agency in the Chinatown area of Los Angeles. Now forced to "tolerate" each other, the two set out on their first case – proving their grandfathers were murdered. Take a listen as Chris talks about the inspiration for this culturally diverse story that incorporates elements of the beloved film noir genre, a diverse group of characters and actors, efficiency and effectiveness of production design and locations, his collaborative relationship with director Presley Paras, development of the project and bringing it to life, and more. But first