Behind The Lens

A jam-packed and eclectic show on this episode of BEHIND THE LENS as director MARC MARRIOTT talks about his new feature, the delightful fish-out-of-water tale, TOKYO COWBOY. Then we shift gears and get serious talking with writer/director JEREMY PION-BERLIN about his new documentary FAILURE TO PROTECT which takes a look at three families whose children have been taken away from them by CPS and who are now embroiled in the child welfare system and the court system.

First up, take a listen as director MARC MARRIOTT discusses his new film TOKYO COWBOY. And let me just say right up front, going in I knew I was going to be a fan of the film thanks to a script by the fabulous Dave Boyle and Ayako Fujitani. I've been on Dave's bandwagon since the world premiere of his first feature film and were he not shooting in Japan right now, he would be joining us as well. A terrific fish out-of-water story with the melding of cultures, wonderful performances, nuanced character construction and character development, stunning locations, and a lot of heart, TOKYO COWBOY is an absolute delight.

Then we're talking about a hot-button documentary with director and editor JEREMY PION-BERLIN and his film FAILURE TO PROTECT. The film focuses on five parents whose children have been taken away from them by CPS and who are now embroiled in the child welfare system and the court system in an effort to be reunited with their children. It's an interesting multi-year look at the system from the perspective of these parents (and some of the children who are now in foster care) as well as interviews with various social workers, directors of Child Family Services, psychologists, attorneys, and even the presiding judge of the Los Angeles County Juvenile Dependency Court. An interesting conversation with Jeremy on his process in subject matter selection, families to speak with and focus on, expert interviews, and a big thing with any documentary – the editing process.

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On this episode of BEHIND THE LENS we take a look at two films that speak to redemption, finding one's self, hope, faith, and inspiration and hear from two passionate and talented filmmakers as NADINE CROCKER talks about DESPERATION ROAD while KYLE WILLIAM ROBERTS discusses WHAT RHYMES WITH REASON.

First up is my prerecorded exclusive interview with director NADINE CROCKER talking about her new film DESPERATION ROAD. A story of redemption, DESPERATION ROAD is a Southern noir thriller written by Michael Farris Smith based on his novel of the same name. Stunning cinematography and powerhouse performances by Garrett Hedlund, Willa Fitzgerald, Mel Gibson, and a breakout performance by Pyper Braun pull you deep into rural Mississippi as twists and turns make the road to redemption a desperate one for more than one person. An energetic and upbeat conversation with Nadine in which we dive deep into the minutiae of making DESPERATION ROAD lets you know what a gifted and attentive storyteller and filmmaker she is.

Then take a listen as co-writer/director/editor KYLE WILLIAM ROBERTS joins us live talking about his new film – WHAT RHYMES WITH REASON. An inspiring and hopeful film for families and teens tackling issues of grief, loss, depression, anxiety, and teen suicide that takes us on a journey with 6 friends who come together after a tragic accident and venture into the wilderness to find a legendary, and perhaps mythical, landmark. Along the way, each is buoyed by their friendship and faith as they face the darkness within themselves. Wonderful performances. Breathtaking forested locations. Shot on location in Oklahoma with 16 locations in 18 days, Kyle and I discuss everything from research and crafting the script, finding locations, taking advantage of natural light, casting an ensemble and character development, score and needledrops, the need for a family film like this in the world today, and more.

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It's an enlightening, educational, and entertaining show this week on BEHIND THE LENS thanks to director ANDY PALMER and his new film THE RE-EDUCATION OF MOLLY SINGER, and documentarian TRACY DROZ TRAGOS and her new film PLAN C!

Take a listen as we kick off the show with director ANDY PALMER who is with us live chatting about his new comedy THE RE-EDUCATION OF MOLLY SINGER! Sweet, funny, filled with some raucous collegiate hijinks, loaded with charm and terrific performances, Andy and I hit the books and dive into all of the cinematic chapters that bring THE RE-EDUCATION OF MOLLY SINGER to life. Covering everything from casting (fabulous performances from most notably Britt Robertson, Ty Simpkins, Jaime Pressly, and Nico Santos) to cinematography to editing to score and needledrops to crafting freewheeling collegiate escapades to the importance of location, color and costume, we "cram" it all in for you! And how about those "happy accidents" that often happen when working on a lo budget/no budget/micro budget film? Andy gets into those as well. An energetic effervescent joy, Andy Palmer is a filmmaker who knows his stuff and his comedy.

Then things get serious as TRACY DROZ TRAGOS joins us live, giving us an education on her new hot-button documentary, PLAN C, a look at the abortion pill now known as "Plan C" and the underground network that helps bring the medication to women in need in these politically charged and divisive times. Listen as we discuss Tracy's process, the turning point of putting down the camera and stopping the research and getting the film finished, travelling the country to meet the women who are doing the grassroots work with getting "Plan C" in the hands of the women who need it, working with her editor and culling through over 300 hours of footage, the documentary structure and decision to avoid a film of talking heads and personalize it so we get to know the women showcased in the doc, and so much more.

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This week's BEHIND THE LENS is all about action and fun thanks to our exclusive interviews with directors SCOTT WAUGH and ROBERT RODRIGUEZ as we take a look at the latest additions to two beloved franchises – EXPEND4BLES and SPY KIDS ARMAGEDDON!

First up, take a listen to my exclusive interview with director SCOTT WAUGH talking all things EXPEND4BLES! A lot of talking about the action, martial arts, stunt work, and explosions…lots of explosions… not to mention the fun of the franchise and this latest addition. And how about an inverted motorcycle jump atop an "aircraft carrier"? A real wow moment to be sure. And yes folks, EXPEND4BLES really is a rock 'em, shock 'em, blow 'em all to hell thrill ride!

Then it's all about family fun as in this exclusive interview with director/editor/cinematographer/co-writer ROBERT RODRIGUEZ talking about his new film, SPY KIDS ARMAGEDDON. A film for families made by a family, Robert talks about working with his son Racer Max in writing the script and developing its themes while his son Rebel does the music on the film (as he did with "We Can Be Heroes"), and all of the Rodriguez kids worked on developing the actual video game which is at the center of the film, not to mention kicked in ideas for the costuming. (And yes! You can buy the video game.) It's a real family affair of fun and adventure!

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We're jumping into Fall with this episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to two very special guests – BRYAN RUBY and ROBERT MANN – talking about some of my favorite things, baseball, music, and a new horror movie just in time for Halloween!

Batting first this week is professional ballplayer turned country singer/songwriter, BRYAN RUBY talking about his new single "Centerfield", his music career, baseball, his personal trajectory as the first professional baseball player to come out as gay in 2021, and his non-profit Proud To Be In Baseball. A fun-filled, energetic, and interesting conversation.

Also knocking it out of the park with a perfect film to kick off the month of Halloween is writer/director/editor ROBERT MANN who also joins us live talking about his creepy, bloody, and chilling new film R BNB, just perfect for that tingly Fall feeling! One watch of this film and you'll think twice about checking into a BNB! Listen as we find out all the secrets to making R BNB as frightening as it is.

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The joys of live broadcasting played out on BEHIND THE LENS this week as we had to shift gears and deviate from our planned show celebrating South African filmmaking with live guests out of TIFF and "go global" with some exclusive prerecorded interviews with production designer GRANT ARMSTRONG talking MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 and filmmaking brothers THOMAS & CHARLES GUARD talking DEAD SHOT.

Shot on location, Grant Armstrong did extensive location scouting for MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 on the island of Corfu and not only found multiple locations that service the story beautifully but had to build one key set piece and "marry it" with the actual locations. In this exclusive interview with Grant, he talks about his search for the perfect locations including the top of a mountain, the color palette, finding specific locations that include the village and town square where a good portion of the film takes place, the town fountain, and a 2000-year-old olive tree, not to mention a magical hillside wedding set.

Then we head to the UK to speak with filmmakers THOMAS GUARD and CHARLES GUARD about their latest film DEAD SHOT. Best known for their freshman feature "The Uninvited", DEAD SHOT is as far away from that as one can get as the brothers adapt Ronan Bennett's book "Road to Balcombe Street", taking us into 1975 UK during the heat of The Troubles. Interestingly, with this adaptation, the film shies away from The Troubles itself and instead focuses on how individuals are affected and the cycle of violence that permeates and propels the situation.

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It's a "high stakes" episode of BTL Radio Show thanks to filmmakers MICHEAL BAFARO and MICHAEL MITTON (aka THE MICHAELS) talking their new horror film DON'T LOOK AWAY. Plus, my exclusive interview with director NIMROD ANTAL talking RETRIBUTION.

First up take a listen to my exclusive interview with director NIMROD ANTAL talking about the high-octane white-knuckler RETRIBUTION starring Liam Neeson. This is classic Neeson and Nimrod takes us along for the ride – literally. An interesting conversation discussing the logistics and thematics of the making of RETRIBUTION and the magic of Liam Neeson.

Standout in RETRIBUTION is the cinematography of Flavio Martinez Labiano and together with Nimrod, the pair craft some textured visual grammar to deliver powerful visual and emotional tonal bandwidth. And calling on editor Steve Mirkovich, the tension of RETRIBUTION is ratcheted up beyond the thrills and chills of an edge-of-your-seat E-ticket ride. Nimrod and I cover it all and more in this in-depth interview.

And then we are joined live by MICHEAL BAFARO and MICHAEL MITTON (aka THE MICHAELS) to talk about their new chiller thriller DON'T LOOK AWAY. What a fabulous and fun filmmaking duo! Criminals, killer mannequins, and bloodshed, Oh My!

A refreshing entry into the horror genre, The Michaels and I dive deep into the "making of" DON'T LOOK AWAY discussing collaboration, the genesis of this story, casting, cinematography, color palette, sound design and score, not to mention the challenges of a sometimes uncooperative mannequin!

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From comic books to fairy tales, and both laced with a bit of horror, take a listen to this episode of BEHIND THE LENS as we're joined live by writer/director RAY SPIVEY talking about his new film STORAGE LOCKER, as well as writer/director MAX GOLD talking about his latest, BELLE.

First up this week, RAY SPIVEY joins us talking about STORAGE LOCKER. What happens when comic books, the supernatural, and witchcraft collide? That's the crux of STORAGE LOCKER when comic book collector Packer Stanley falls for two beautiful sisters who run a massive underground storage facility. As a wannabe-witch sister resurrects her dead father in the form of a demonic boy, she uses him to eliminate certain members of a secret society of rarities collectors. Enmeshed in this "plot" is Packer who lets his hormones muddy his quest for the Holy Grail of comics, the first appearance of "The Spyder", and lure him into the storage locker maze where he must face off with the demon to obtain his coveted prize.

And then writer/director MAX GOLD is on hand talking about his beautifully haunting reimagination of the Old World tale of "Beauty and the Beast" with BELLE. As envisioned and brought to life by Max, Belle works on the family farm and cares for her father after he falls severely ill. Desperate to save him, she journeys in search of a mythical rose believed to be a cure. But, she must surrender herself as a prisoner to a vicious beast as payment for the rose. Battling the beast's spell as well as her father's plans for her, and her own conscience and heart, Belle's true journey is only just beginning.

Listen as Max talks about shooting in Iceland and the importance of the location and cinematography, the use of natural light, color palette, sound, casting and performance, and more.

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Miss BEHIND THE LENS live? Catch up now as it's an episode celebrating the weird and the wonderful on #BTLRadioShow as we take a look at SUMMONING THE SPIRIT with writer/director JON GARCIA and PIGLADY with writer/director/actor ADAM RAY FAIR.

First up take a listen to my exclusive interview with writer/director JON GARCIA talking about SUMMONING THE SPIRIT; a fresh and refreshing tale of Big Foot that melds horror, the Big Foot mythology, New Age metaphysical aspects, a dash of the Age of Aquarius, with a touch of the supernatural. The film is beautifully shot and gives rise to some standout performances. (AND YES…. there is still plenty of blood!) I loved speaking with Jon as we dove into the making of SUMMONING THE SPIRIT, including his own experiences hunting Big Foot!

Then writer/director/actor ADAM RAY FAIR is live talking about his feature directorial debut with PIGLADY. And you know what they say about truth being stranger than fiction? Well, that's exactly what inspired this film as PIGLADY is loosely based on an Oregonian woman who killed people and fed people parts to her pigs. Plenty of blood and body parts, a chilling tale, beautiful location and night lensing, and plenty of pigs! And what an insightful conversation with first-time filmmaker Adam who tells us how he learned of the stories of "the Pig Lady murders" in Oregon (thanks to his friend for sharing those with him!), why he had to make this film, finding the location, tales from the neighbors of the Pig Lady, pig wrangling, collaborating with a small cast and crew, filmmaking lessons learned, and more. Uh, and part of that "more" is the possibility of a "Son of Piglady" sequel.

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It's an exciting mix of entertaining films and filmmakers on today's BEHIND THE LENS as we turn our attention to two very different films, both of which I wholeheartedly enjoyed and recommend – OPERATION NAPOLEON and RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE. While both films are adapted from best-selling novels, one filmmaker is a much-lauded veteran Icelandic director while the other makes the leap from the stage as a Tony-winning playwright to the screen with his feature directorial debut.

First up, take a listen to my exclusive interview with director OSKAR THOR AXELSSON as he talks about his new film, the slow-burn thriller OPERATION NAPOLEON. Adapted by Marteim Thorisson and Arnaldur Indridason from Indridason's novel of the same name, Oskar and I dive into the specifics of this adaptation as well as the filmmaking challenges inherent to shooting on a glacier, international casting, cinematography, and more.

Then listen to director and co-writer MATTHEW LOPEZ who makes his directorial feature debut with RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE. Based on Casey McQuiston's critically acclaimed New York Times best-seller, RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE is a light, bright, breezy, fun film that takes us back and forth across The Pond in this refreshing and charming flirtatious tale of a Prince of England and the United States First Son played by Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez, respectively. Matthew's exuberance and passion in talking about this film are joyously infectious as we cover everything from visual grammar and tonal energy to casting, editing, cinematography of Stephen Goldblatt, and yes, even eyelashes!

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