How did two lowly squires, an outsider king, and a network known more for sex than sorcery come together to make one of the most successful TV shows of all time? By completely botching it the first time around. This week, Chris & Lizzie brave the Hollywood game of thrones to learn what went wrong making Game of Thrones, from bad wigs and green screen White Walkers to ridiculous hats and the importance of second chances.

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Lizzie, Chris, and special guests Henry Zebrowski and Ed Larson from the 'Last Podcast on the Left' investigate the extraordinary life and untimely death of River Phoenix. We dig into Phoenix?s complicated family dynamics, his deep discomfort with fame, and the pressures that followed him. Find out how his childhood - including a stint in the Children of God cult - informed his meteoric rise as one of Hollywood?s most sensitive and sought-after performers. We also explore the troubled production of his final film 'Dark Blood', and why it took almost 20 years to be released.

Out of Frame is a bonus series that pulls back the curtain on the offscreen lives of Hollywood?s most fascinating figures?where the real stories are often stranger, darker, and more revealing than anything you see on film.

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How did 'Don?t Worry Darling' become one of Hollywood?s biggest misfires since 'Ishtar'? Chris and Lizzie investigate how Olivia Wilde?s highly anticipated sophomore film began falling apart long before it reached theaters.

From Shia LaBeouf?s hotly disputed exit and last-minute replacement with Harry Styles, to how Wilde?s personal life hijacked the press tour, the off-screen drama proved far more compelling than the movie itself. Discover what changed from the original script, why key themes were misrepresented, and how Florence Pugh?s deafening silence helped fuel a media frenzy.

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In 2000, Christopher Nolan had to believe in a world outside his own mind... even though no one seemed interested in what his imagination had wrought. Join Chris & Lizzie as they ring in the New Year with a dive into the early aughts' seminal neo-noir cult classic, Memento, and sleuth out how Nolan's breakout film was nearly forgotten. Plus, how Stephen Tobolowsky's penis snagged him the role of Sammy Jankis, the Hollywood hunk who almost took on the role of Leonard Shelby, and why Joey Pants owes Carrie-Anne Moss a lawn chair or two.

*CORRECTIONS: Editor extraordinaire Dody Dorn's name is pronounced "DOE-dee", not "Dotty" as Chris mispronounces it throughout this episode. Our apologies to Dody!

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Chris and Lizzie join Chelsea Devantez on Glamorous Trash to reveal some of their favorite moments from movies and memoirs we've covered on our shows. Find out what Barbra Streisand had to say about Lady Gaga, revisit Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor's bonkers antics on Cleopatra, and much more!

Listen to more of Chelsea's show: Glamorous Trash: A Celebrity Memoir Podcast

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Lizzie and Chris candidly reflect on James Cameron's newest tale from Pandora, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Join us for a discussion that covers story vs. special FX, the evolution and current status of the saga, whether even the great Sigourney Weaver can pull off being an underage alien, and much more.

To enjoy the full episode and all other WWW Bonus Episodes, subscribe to Special Features on Apple Podcast, or join us on Patreon at the $5 tier or above. Happy New Year!

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Would you make love to an alien? Because James Cameron wants to know. Lizzie & Chris cap a James Cameron Christmas with perhaps his most polarizing film, Avatar. From epic spats to studio subterfuge and accusations of plagiarism, the journey to Pandora (and box office glory) begs the question: was it worth a seemingly self-imposed exile to a world that doesn't exist?

*CORRECTIONS: Contrary to Lizzie's assertion, Zoe Saldaña was not in any of the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels; thus, Chris's point that she was a relative unknown stands!

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On camera it was Ripley vs. the Alien Queen? off camera it was James Cameron vs. everyone else. Mutinous crews, studio interference, and seemingly impossible creature builds were just the beginning of the chaos behind 1986?s action-packed classic 'Aliens'. This week, Chris and Lizzie uncover why no one called Ridley Scott, how Sigourney Weaver almost didn?t make the cut, and why you should never?ever?argue with James Cameron.

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In this bonus episode Chris and Lizzie share their unfiltered thoughts on Rian Johnson?s ?Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery?, and discuss the surprising (and potentially mis-marketed) message of the film. Find out which stars stood out in an all-star cast - we?re looking at you Josh O?Connor & Daryl McCormack - and which were completely unnecessary. We also discuss how the impending Warner Bros./Netflix or Paramount merger will change the landscape for movies like this.

This episode DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS! Listen with caution.

*CORRECTIONS: Chris mistakenly asserts that 2019's Captain Marvel underperformed - it did not. He confused it with 2023's The Marvels.

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The Christmas classic that was never intended to be a Christmas classic! This week, Chris & Lizzie explore the many versions of Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life that we were nearly gifted, complete with adultery, murderous doppelgängers, and political intrigue. Plus, why Jimmy Stewart worried Hollywood had passed him by, the invention of a new kind of snow, and suspicions of a communist agenda.

*CORRECTIONS: Jimmy Stewart won his Oscar for The Philadelphia Story in February of 1941, the same month as he enlisted, not one year prior, as Chris incorrectly stated, and he played Macaulay "Mike" Connor, not C.K. Dexter Haven (played by Cary Grant).

Tums is calcium carbonate, not calcium chloride (which is a salt used as a de-icer).

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When 'Bad Santa' hit theaters in 2003, audiences got a filthy, chaotic Christmas classic. What they didn?t get was the movie director Terry Zwigoff or producers the Coen Brothers intended to make.

In this episode, Chris and Lizzie uncover how Bob Weinstein became the real villain of 'Bad Santa'?seizing Zwigoff?s cut, alienating the Coens, and waging war on anyone who tried to protect the film. Plus: why Billy Bob Thornton was nowhere near the first choice to play Willie, and why Zwigoff?s controversial director?s cut is the Christmas miracle you absolutely need this year.

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We are who we choose to be, and if Brad Bird hadn't chosen to be a pain in the ass, we'd never have The Iron Giant. This week, Chris & Lizzie are joined by Alex Steed of the You Are Good podcast to explore the complex history of The Iron Giant. From children's stories to profound loss, The Iron Giant's journey to our homes was one of falling apart and coming back together again.

*Please note that today's episode includes mention of suicide and domestic violence.

*CORRECTIONS: Chris mispronounces composer George Bruns' name as "Burns". The first Disney animated film to extensively use CGI was "The Great Mouse Detective" (1986).

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When the Maysles brothers showed up at Grey Gardens, they thought they were filming a quick piece on Jackie O?s quirky relatives. Instead, they uncovered Big and Little Edie Beale?an isolated mother-daughter duo living in shocking squalor, feeding raccoons in their attic, and completely frozen in time.

In the second episode of Out of Frame, Lizzie and Chris are joined by Watch What Crappens hosts Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam to unpack the wild behind-the-scenes story of the 1975 documentary ?Grey Gardens?. Discover how the film survived production chaos, what became of the Beales afterward, and how two women behind the camera ultimately saved the entire project.

Each episode of Out of Frame investigates the darker, more obscure corners of Hollywood history and shines a light on the offscreen lives of some of our favorite onscreen stars.

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There?s no 'Toy Story' without Pixar, and there?s no Pixar without? Steve Jobs. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first computer animated feature film ever, Chris and Lizzie dive into the story behind 1995?s absolutely miraculous 'Toy Story'. Find out why an early version of Woody made Disney almost pull the plug, how Tim Allen changed Buzz Lightyear, and why George Lucas let Pixar slip through his fingers for only $10M.

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Lizzie and Chris discuss Guillermo Del Toro?s newest film, ?Frankenstein? - Del Toro's approach to adapting his favorite book of all time, Jacob Elordi's last minute casting, and where it ranks in the Del Toro filmography.

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What if you got a do-over on the score of a lifetime? Would you take your shot, or walk away? Join Chris & Lizzie as they infiltrate the incredible crew behind 'Heat' and learn how Michael Mann was finally able to pull off his sprawling LA crime drama yet still ended up getting robbed?

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Michael Mann meets his match in one of the most dedicated method actors of all time: Daniel Day-Lewis. Join Chris and Lizzie as they chronicle Mann?s obsessively detail-oriented 1992 historical epic ?The Last of the Mohicans?. Find out how on-set strikes and last-minute firings caused turmoil behind the scenes, and why ?Dances with Wolves? inspired Russell Means (Chingachgook) to join the cast? but not for the reasons you might think.

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Chris, Lizzie, and David dive deep answering some of our audiences most piercing questions followed by a discussion about the relationship between creative control and financial interest in filmmaking.

For the full episode join the $5 tier subscription or above on Apple Podcasts or Patreon at Patreon.com/whatwentwrongpodcast.

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Paint your leaves yellow and orange and scatter them across the yard, because it's springtime in Pasadena and Halloween is coming to town! Chris & Lizzie plumb the depths of the real Michael Myers, how John Carpenter's career was saved by UK audiences, and why you should never show anyone your movie without music.

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When Natalie Wood drowned in 1981 she was only 43 years old. Thanks to films like ?West Side Story?, ?Rebel Without a Cause?, and ?Miracle on 34th Street? she was an icon, but she?d been out of the spotlight for almost a decade. Wood was in the midst of filming her comeback, ?Brainstorm?, when she, her co-star Christopher Walken, and her husband Robert Wagner took their yacht out for Thanksgiving weekend. What happened that night depends on who you ask? and when you ask them.

Join Chris, Lizzie, and special guest Daisy Eagan from Strange and Unexplained for the first episode of our bonus series 'Out of Frame' where we?ll investigate the darker, more obscure corners of Hollywood history. In this episode we?ll find out if Wood?s death sank her final film, or if ?Brainstorm? had something to do with her death.

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In 1999, a found footage documentary showed audiences the terrifying last days of 3 intrepid filmmakers before they disappeared forever. Thanks to the popularity of the film, their mothers received condolence calls and police offered to reopen their case - there was just one problem? they were actors and they were very much alive. ?The Blair Witch Project? shattered box office records thanks in no small part to its brilliant viral marketing campaign. But while studios made millions, its incredibly talented young stars were essentially left for dead.

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This week Chris and Lizzie dive into Wes Craven's nightmares, bask in Johnny Depp's nauseatingly green performance, and marvel at Freddy Krueger's culinary inspired makeup. Plus, how Bob Shaye's leap of faith on Elm Street gave us Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings", Wes Craven's failed attempts to make a nice movie, and the unexpected benefits of setting yourself on fire, literally and otherwise.

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Tom Cruise was thrilled to be cast in 1994?s ?Interview with the Vampire? - he'd been a fan of the books since his teens. Imagine his surprise when he found out that author Anne Rice absolutely hated him. Join Chris and Lizzie as they break down this bloodsucking behind the scenes battle of the wills! Find out why this movie took almost 20 years to make, what made Brad Pitt utterly miserable on set, and which part Cher almost played!

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As we crawl into spooky season, Lizzie pries open the caskets of vampires past. Join us for a plunge into the dark history and shimmering evolution of the vampires we all know and eternally love, from their origins in Eastern Europe to the Anne Rice renaissance and beyond.

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Who has nine lives, one Oscar, a Razzie and a check for $12-14 million? Halle Berry, and we love her for it. This week, Chris, Lizzie and Ryan Bailey (of the 'So Bad It's Good' podcast) explore a cinematic furball solidly centered in the pantheon of so bad its good greatness. They dive deep on Catwoman's origins, then throw them away just like Warner Bros. did in an effort to make a movie for... cat lovers?

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Elephants, dysentery, and cannibalism, oh my! Join Chris and Lizzie as they venture down the river in 1951?s ?The African Queen?. Find out why Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and John Huston ventured to Africa to escape HUAC, how they were terrorized by bugs, and why John may have accidentally? eaten a person.

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How did two Bobs, fresh off back-to-back flops, the studio's second choice sitcom star, and a script that changed more than Marty's future, er, present, become one of the most beloved movies of all time? Plus, Sid Sheinberg's terrible title ideas, the origins of "nuking the fridge," and how Crispin Glover girded SAG for the AI battle of the 2020s.

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What if Rob Reiner hadn?t directed ?This Is Spinal Tap?? What if the classic 1984 rockumentary had never even existed? This week Chris and Lizzie go to eleven with a behind the scenes look at why no one wanted to finance Spinal Tap, how Tom Petty served as inspiration, and why it took 36 years and a $400M lawsuit for its creators to finally get paid. In honor of ?Spinal Tap II: The End Continues?, join us on this journey behind the scenes with one of England?s loudest bands.

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Come see us live! Oct. 8th and 9th at the Caveat Theater in Manhattan! Head to cheerfulearful.com/podlifeevents.com and click on our show dates for tickets!

They say one man's dream is another man's nightmare, but what if your nightmare is the leading man of your dream? Join Chris and special guests Casey O'Brien and Mille De Chirico of "Dear Movies, I Love You" as they head down river with Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo", a Sisyphean endeavor to bring a Sisyphean endeavor to the silver screen.

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Between overly involved band members, a completely absent director, and a huge legacy for lead actor Rami Malek to live up to, ?Bohemian Rhapsody? had more than its fair share of problems. This week Lizzie and Chris dive into one of the messiest biopic productions in movie history and discover why it took so long to FINALLY fire director Bryan Singer.

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You?d be hard pressed to find someone who?s contributed to more of your nightmares than Alec Gillis. He?s behind creature designs for monsters from Predators to Xenomorphs, Graboids, to brain bugs and everything in between. Join Chris and Lizzie as they discuss his career, creatures, and his favorite James Cameron memory.

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How do you satirize a self-serious sci-fi staple? Any way you can! This week, Chris & Lizzie drop in on Paul Verhoeven's widely misunderstood anti-fascist spectacle and try to figure out how the cast of 90210 was employed to battle some of Phil Tippett's best-looking creations on Klendathu.

Come see us live! Oct. 8th and 9th at the Caveat Theater in Manhattan! Head to cheerfulearful.com/podlifeevents.com and click on our show dates for tickets!

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Join Chris as he creeps and crawls through humanity's fear of some of its most helpful planetary cohabitants: bugs, and how they have evolved as on-screen foes.

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Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & Kill Bill: Vol 2 were never intended to be two separate movies - but Quentin Tarantino?s vision proved too expansive and the production too unruly. Join Chris and Lizzie as they explore how The Bride was born, why it took 10 years for her to make it to the screen, and how a reckless car accident on set temporarily destroyed Tarantino?s complicated relationship with Uma Thurman.

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Hope is a powerful thing, and Frank Darabont hung his on Stephen King. This week, Chris and Lizzie chronicle the unlikely story of an episodic Stephen King novella, shaped by the hands of a set-dresser turned B-movie writer, and transformed into one of Hollywood's most popular films. Learn how Shawshank had to fail before it could succeed, and why most millennials saw it on TNT about nine hundred thousand times as they came of age.

*CORRECTIONS: The IMDb logline reads, "A banker convicted of uxoricide forms a friendship over a quarter century with a hardened convict, while maintaining his innocence and trying to remain hopeful through simple compassion."

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?All That Jazz? is a movie about what a brilliant jerk Bob Fosse is? and it was written and directed by Bob Fosse. Chaos ensued as the legendary choreographer attempted to confront his demons onscreen and off. Chris and Lizzie are joined by Demi Adejuyigbe as they discover just how insane Bob Fosse really was, and why Roy Scheider was not the first ?Jaws? star chosen to play Joe Gideon!

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How did a freshly minted horror maestro, one of Hollywood's most alternative leading men, and the squeaky clean Mouse House join forces to revive the water-logged pirate genre? Join Chris and Lizzie as they brave the fraught production of 2003's surprise summer smash, The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. From explosive studio meetings to actual sinking ships, learn how Disney bet it all on a live action adaptation of one of their oldest theme park attractions.

*CORRECTIONS: Tombstone was produced under the Hollywood Pictures banner, which ran parallel to Touchstone at Disney from 1989 to 2001.

The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland opened three months after Walt Disney's death, not before.

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Join Chris as he walks the plank and dives headfirst into the myth-filled world of pirates, from their state-sanctioned origins to their silver screen renditions.

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Mel Gibson shouts his way to a bigger budget, no one cares about historical accuracy, and somehow the most Scottish movie ever was filmed? in Ireland. Join Lizzie and Chris for a wild journey through Mad Mel?s sophomore directorial effort: 1995?s ?Braveheart?.

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It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a dummy fired out of a cannon! This week, join Chris and Lizzie as they fly 'round the world to turn back time to witness Richard Donner's herculean efforts to bring the Man of Steel to the silver screen. From shady producers and flimsy financing to Marlon Brando's bagel-based bravado and a budget that flew higher than Christopher Reeve, this DC debut defied the odds in making it to theaters at all.

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1965?s The Sound of Music would eventually become known as ?The Sound of Money? but initially no one wanted to be a part of the film - especially Christopher Plummer. Join Lizzie and Chris as they discover why everyone was embarrassed to be a part of this enduring classic, how a helicopter kept knocking Julie Andrews over, and why the boat scene turned dangerous for one of the children.

Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Sailydata plans! Use code [wrong] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/wrong 

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How did a scrappy production out of the UK with little more than a dozen DV camcorders revive a decidedly dead genre and spark a renaissance with the recently departed? Join Chris and Lizzie as they explore Danny Boyle's lo-fi technically-not-a-zombie-movie-zombie-movie and learn why 100 buckets is never enough, the terror of Kiwi test screenings and why Danny Boyle couldn't wait to get Cillian Murphy shirtless.

*CORRECTIONS: The most violent news footage shown in the film's opening (executions, violence, etc.) was staged by Boyle and co., however, some early news footage of civil unrest is archival.

Naomie Harris was nominated for an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actress) for for her performance in "Moonlight", but she did not win.

The pilot at the end of the film is speaking Finnish, not American, and (faintly) says "Lähetätkö helikopterin?" which translates to "Will you send a helicopter?".

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Join Chris as he explores the evolution of zombies, from their birth in the Caribbean amidst the horrors of the Atlantic slave trade to their high-speed, globalized, modern incarnations. Endlessly adaptable and mutable to represent our evolving societal fears, zombies continue to be the monster that never dies.

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A very real fear of nuclear war drove Stanley Kubrick to create one of the greatest satirical films ever made - but it wasn?t always a comedy. Find out where the idea for 1964?s ?Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb? came from, how a rival film almost ruined its chances of success, and which major role Peter Sellers had to drop out of mid-production.  

*CORRECTIONS: Merkins were originally worn by prostitutes to hide the effects of lice, disease, or to conceal shaved genitalia.

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This week, join Chris and Lizzie as they learn how the two Midwestern mavens of the Matrix (facing diminishing box office returns), an unassuming Aussie assistant director, and mogul of mayhem Joel Silver spin Alan Moore?s decidedly English anarchist manifesto (starring a bomb-happy, building-blasting, Guy Fawkes fanatic) into a post-9/11 American studio spectacle. Plus, Natalie Portman's shaved head, practical dominoes, and James Purefoy's desperate desire for eyes.

*CORRECTIONS: Natalie Portman was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, not Best Actress, for her role in "Closer".

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Terrible timing, lack of creative direction, and straight up sabotage plagued Mariah Carey?s infamous big time flopper: 2001?s ?Glitter?. Find out why the movie was doomed from the start, how Max Beesley?s sexy marimba playing still couldn?t save it, and why Jennifer Lopez may be partially to blame!

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How did a studio on the brink, a Jewish director, and a second-rate star turn a pulpy, near-blasphemous mass market Christian book into a blockbuster for the ages? Join Chris and Lizzie as they travel back in time to a tinsel town in painful transition to learn why MGM bet it all on a remake of the costliest film of the silent era, examine Gore Vidal's controversial contributions to the script, and test Mussolini's assertion that film is the ultimate weapon.

*CORRECTIONS: Chris mispronounces both Cinecitta Studios (should be "chin-eh-cheetah") and Quo Vadis ("Vah-dis").

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Cinematographer Steven Poster and camera operator, Dave Chameides join the conversation to put us on the set of Richard Kelly's iconic film, Donnie Darko. Learn about the collaborative efforts required to understand Kelly's vision, and the technical gymnastics necessary to bring it to life.

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Wonder Woman took 75 years to make it to the big screen. Her journey was full of rewrites, reboots, and lots and lots of men. Find out how director Patty Jenkins got the job, why Superman helped Gal Gadot get the part, and who Zack Snyder turned to for help when nothing was working.

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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.

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