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Film Stories with Simon Brew is a podcast that looks to dig into the stories behind popular movies.From troubled productions, to rights issues, to difficulties with release to films nearly falling apart, the podcast will be looking at the stories that don't always seem apparent when watching a movie! The podcast is hosted by Simon Brew, the founder of Den Of Geek. Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Thank you!
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About actors, stories, films, and more.
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Movies have always been a shelter for non-normative people. Different lives on the screen help to dream higher or just to escape your reality. By asking LGBT older adults which was their favorite movie when they were young, this podcast will explore those magical connections that, sometimes, a straight narrative could spark on a queer kid.
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The new film from director Jake Kasdan is Red One, now playing in cinemas, and itself a massive, expensive Christmas blockbuster film. On the flip side, he started his directorial career with a microbudget indie by the name of Zero Effect back in 1998. In this special episode of Film Stories, he takes his through his work. He and Simon talk about h…
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Ah, Tombstone. The 1993 western with a cast led by Kurt Russell, and basically co-starring everyone else who wasn't in the rival project - Wyatt Earp - telling a similar story. But heck, behind the scenes, there were all sorts of problems. Examples? A director who got fired. A release date that couldn't move. A script that needed urgently hacking t…
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Paul Reiser first came on my radar, as he did for many, with 1986's Aliens. We touch on that very briefly here, as we chat independent film, The Problem With People, a bit of Diner, and the challenges of getting films made. Plus! Colm Meaney going to the wrong bar, a date set for 19 years into the future, and a whole lot more... The Problem With Pe…
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When the script for Passengers turned up on the famous Hollywood black list of the best unproduced screenplays, it seemed it'd be just a matter of time before it got made. Keanu Reeves and Reece Witherspoon were attached, a director was in place - what could go wrong? Well, a few things. And when the movie did get made? More problems weren't far be…
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None of the Hollywood studios wanted to make 2010's Kick-Ass, a comic book movie with an R-rated edge. All of them turned it down, and so the film came to life in tandem with the comics, exploding into cinemas in 2010. It would be fair to say that not everyone in the media was pleased about it, as quite a backlash bubbled up. There were problems wi…
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In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by Oscar-nominee Chris Sanders, for a conversation and his latest film and career. The latest film? The Wild Robot, a box office smash and a break in style for DreamWorks Animation. It's now in UK cinemas and we go through the journey of the movie. Plus! Gene Kelly pops up in convers…
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The Terrifier movie franchise has now led to a number one box office hit - but the story behind the first film involves short films, a crowdfunding campaign that missed its target, a shoot that went on longer than originally planned and financiers dropping out. And then there was the battle to get the film noticed in the first place. Plus, how a ti…
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2016 marked the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, and not unreasonably, Paramount Pictures wanted a movie. But far from being a straightforward production, Star Trek Beyond would go through different directors, and eventually find itself without a script just months ahead of filming. It made for a tense situation, and that's explored in this episode. …
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The film Rain Man became a huge box office hit at the end if 1988, and an Oscar-winner in 1989. Yet here was a movie that went through the hands of at least three directors who didn't make it, including Steven Spielberg, who was attached for nearly half a year. But Barry Levinson did make the film - and he was able to take advantage of a situation …
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An article published back in 1992 would spark a bidding war in Hollywood. Nothing unusual there. That article would lead to Ridley Scott, Jodie Foster and Robert Redford signing up for a big, expensive movie - a movie that never got made. And it never got made because of 1995's Outbreak. Three movies meanwhile had failed to come together in a row f…
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Headlined by James McAvoy, Speak No Evil is a taut suspence film that's the latest from director James Watkins. Previously responsible for Eden Lake and The Woman In Black, amongst others, he joins Simon for a special episode of Film Stories. They chat about Speak No Evil, and the confidence of holding tension. Plus, editing with Jon Harris, a bit …
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It's not uncommon for films to get through a director or two on their way to the screen. In this episode, that's certainly the case. American Gangster might have ended up on the slate of Ridley Scott, but he was the third or fourth name involved. At one stage, Universal was said to have spent $30m on the film in fact, with no hope of getting a sing…
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Director Anand Tucker began in the world of documentaries, before switching into dramatic features. His most recent film, The Critic, is arriving in UK cinemas with Ian McKellen in its lead, having had to change casts following the pandemic. Before that, Tucker had briefly been attached to The Golden Compass, had worked on films such as Girl With A…
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Two films looooong in the making in this episode of Film Stories: one's been made at the time of recording, one hasn't. Talk first surfaced of The Flash movie back in the 1980s, but it wasn't until 2023 that a film was finally released. By then, an under-fire Warner Bros was hoping for great things from the film, and confidence appeared to be high:…
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In conversation with producer Tommy Harper: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Mission: Impossible, Star Trek, Star Wars, Showgirls and more
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Producer Tommy Harper joins Simon for a Film Stories podcast special, to talk through a career that's taken him from not being allowed on the set of Showgirls, to producing Star Wars, Mission: Impossible and Star Trek films. Oh, and the brand new release, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It's quite a story, with the likes of JJ Abrams, Paul Verhoeven, Tim …
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Ah, The Avengers. The 1998 big screen adaptation of the much-loved TV series is a bit of an odd movie, but as Simon discusses in this episode, things weren't quite going to plan at studio level. Not that Warner Bros handled the film particularly well come release time - an infamously late decisiont to avoid a review screening soon backfired. In the…
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Keyboardist: Gail Nobles Story by: Gail Nobles ©️ 2024 Photo: Pixabay.com Hello song listeners! It's your girl Gail Nobles, and I'm about to spin you a tale that will tickle your toes and twist your mind. Once upon a time in the 1970s in a little town where the streets whispered secrets and the night aired with excitement ,there was a traveling car…
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In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, we're delighted to welcome back Paul Feig for his third appearance. This time the starting point is Feig's new film Jackpot!, that's on Prime Video now. They also talk about the already-shot A Simple Favor 2, as well as legal stuff, Naked Gun 33 1/3, and if there's any chance on this planet of getti…
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In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by actor, producer, writer and fine human being Rob Delaney. The pair talk about Delaney's role in the smash hit Deadpool And Wolverine, while also touching on a moment in a restaurant, writing, movies, and the TV hit Catastrophe. Plus they natter too about Delaney's book A Heart Tha…
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Episode 400! Crikey. And I'm thrilled to say that producer Gale Anne Hurd is helping with the celebrations, thanks to a huge chat about her life, her work, and The Terminator at 40. The first part of the episode, Simon goes through the story of The Terminator, and quite how its rights ended up so muddled going forward. But the bulk of episode 400 i…
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In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by director Lee Isaac Chung, as they discuss the brand new blockbuster movie, Twisters. Lee talks about how he got the job in the first place, and just what time contrainsts he was up against. Plus, the depth of the casting in the film, the scale of the movie, and his work with filmm…
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Sean Connery had vowed he was never going to return as James Bond after 1971's Diamonds Are Forever. Meanwhile, a man called Kevin McClory had agreed not to exercise his screen rights to the story of Thunderball until 1975. Yet the highest profile 'unofficial' Bond project would bring them both together, as Never Say Never Again did battle with the…
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In this very special episode of Film Stories, Neil Jordan is the guest, talking about his brand new memoir, Amnesiac, along with tales of his movie life. He and Simon chat about movies as varied as Angel, The Crying Game, Michael Collins, High Spirits, We're No Angels and Mona Lisa, in a far-reaching chat. Plus: Neil Jordan talks through approachin…
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Keyboardist: Gail Nobles Today's topic Let's Do It Again by the Staple Singers written by Curtis Mayfield Let's Do It Again was a soul R&B smash. It was part of the soundtrack for the Bill Cosby/Sidney Poitier film Let's Do It Again. The single reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on December 27, 1975. It spent two non-consecutive…
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Damien Chazelle first started seriously considering a film about old Hollywood back in 2009, long before he made La La Land. And even when the writer/director had channelled his energies into that film, he still had Babylon in mind: a hugely ambitious, expensive, three hour film that needed an R-rating! In the case of Everybody's Talking About Jami…
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In a very special episode of Film Stories, Baroness Beeban Kidron joins Simon for a chat about her career, her films, and her move to politics. They go from her early film Carry Greenham Home, from being one of the first British women to direct a movie with Vroom. Then a big turning point: Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, an acclaimed adaptation of …
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