Behind The Lens

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 kill all of the "cryptids", lines are drawn between utopia and counter-culture idealism versus pragmatism leaving it up to each individual to choose their own path. With voice talents of Lake Bell, Zoe Kazan, Michael Cera, Louisa Krause, Peter Stormare, Thomas Jay Ryan, Grace Zabriskie and Angeliki Papoulia, Shaw's story and Samborski's animation soar with creativity, imagination, and entertainment.

Then a big welcome to writer/director/composer OLIVER THOMPSON who joins us live talking about his film WELCOME TO HAPPINESS. Already on the "Happiness" bandwagon since its 2015 festival run and subsequent 2016 release, I'm excited to see WELCOME TO HAPPINESS now deliver a Director's Cut aka Special Edition of this magical enchantment. Boasting the talents of Kyle Gallner, Nick Offerman, Molly C. Quinn, Olivia Thirlby, Frances Conroy, Paget Brewster, Michael Keegan-Key, Robert Pike Daniel, Josh Brenner, Brendan Sexton III, WELCOME TO HAPPINESS is a tale of redemption and second chances and finding happiness if you are one of "the chosen" to enter a world only accessible through a magic door inside a closet in the apartment of a young writer named Woody. But if you are chosen to go through that door, the question becomes "do I erase the past and start anew or hold on to what I already have?".

Take a listen as Oliver and I go down memory lane with the origin of the story and the "making of", including cinematography, production design, casting, the editing process, scoring and lyric soundtrack, while taking a look at the changes with the "Special Edition" version, including some added scenes, editing out about 15 minutes from the original film, and with 20/20 hindsight in today's post-lockdown pandemic world, is WELCOME TO HAPPINESS now a film for this time.

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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 how Luke and his team mastered them.

Then, it's a fun fun fun conversation with director JOSH TESSIER talking about his narrative feature directorial debut with OVERRUN. Non-stop action and twists and turns from beginning to end, and boasting some terrific casting and production values, not only does Josh bring his decades of experience as a stuntman and stunt coordinator to the table as he jumps into the director's chair, but he proves himself a more than capable storyteller. One of my favorite on-air interviews, Josh and I go "inside baseball" with some of our own filmmaking experiences and trivia, finding much less than six degrees of separation between us. Josh is no holds barred as he talks about casting (how about landing Bruce Dern AND "The Greatest American Hero" himself, William Katt?!), collaboration with his cinematographer, the editing process, focus on characters over action and finding a balance, score, and more. Plus, a real treat for all – – – how about Josh's personal take on working with Baby Yoda aka Grogu on "The Mandalorian"? That's right. Josh performed stunt work on several episodes of "The Mandalorian" and has some raves about the experience!

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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 to Drago now and then see THE STAIRS this Thursday night, August 12 at one of 700 theatres across the country for a very special screening!

She's back!!! Producer JESSICA DEVANEY is back with us talking about the powerful new documentary about the dangerous practice of conversion therapy – PRAY AWAY. Directed by Kristine Stolakis and produced by Jessica and Multitude Films (along with Ryan Murphy, Blumhouse, Chicken & Egg, and more), Jessica joined us several months ago fresh off the film's world premiere at Tribeca but we held off in-depth discussion on PRAY AWAY until its release on Netflix on August 3. Now that this powerhouse doc is available for all to watch and we dig into the film and how it came to be, Jessica's involvement as producer, working with director Kristine Stolakis, the importance of this film in today's world, the responsibilities as a producer in telling a story like PRAY AWAY, balancing cinema and sensitivity, marketing strategy during a pandemic, resource guides and other materials made available on the film website www.prayawayfilm.com as companion pieces to the film, and more.

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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 visual tonal bandwidth with lighting and lensing, working with his actors (who did their own stunt work), editing, scoring, and more!

Then take a listen to filmmakers KATHRYN O'SULLIVAN and PAUL AWAD who are with us live talking their new film – A SAVAGE NATURE. Co-producers and co-writers, Paul also flexes his directorial and cinematographic muscles. An intense character study with a neo-noir styling and sensibility, this is a chilling tale of a small town, a young married couple, and how life can go horribly wrong. Filled with twists and turns and, shot primarily in a single location with a minimal ensemble cast, the cinematic challenges in bringing this story to life are plentiful. With no holds barred, we dive right into "the making of" A SAVAGE NATURE and how savage indie filmmaking can be; crafting the script and the characters, keeping the ensemble small, shooting in one location and with time constraints, working within the confines of not only a very old house but one filled with logistic challenges of corners/hallways/doors that while benefitting the story metaphorically can be the death of a cinematographer, inherent challenges of shooting day for night as the bulk of the film takes place during the course of one night, casting, creative exterior build-outs, lensing action and fight choreography, editing, score, and more. . . Animated, engaging, and with wicked senses of humor, you will love hearing this conversation about A SAVAGE NATURE, not to mention Kathryn and I bonding over guilty tv viewing pleasure with "Hoarders".

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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 will ever hear about a film involving LAPD, Hansen Dam, and Chris in handcuffs.

Then, writer/director HARRY GREENBERGER is live talking about his new film HERE AFTER. Singles purgatory? Ghostly dating? Finding a soulmate in order to make it into heaven? Sweet, charming, and poignant, Andy Karl and Nora Arnezeder are perfection as star-crossed and plane-crossed lovers. The devil is in the visual details with so much of HERE AFTER, and Harry covers it all; from the impetus for this story to casting to working with DP Christopher Walters to Sara Corrigan's editing to some beautifully subtle and nuanced visual effects, and more.

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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 locals who did so much for the shoot, and so much more.

Then it's Christmas in July as writer/director COREY MOSS joins us live talking about WHITE ELEPHANT. What happens when a group of 8 best friends get together for their annual White Elephant Christmas celebration? While things may have gone smoothly in the past for these couples, that doesn't appear to be the case this year. Filled with puns, puns, and more puns, happiness, and heartache, WHITE ELEPHANT is just the film to fill you with the holiday spirit (and dread). Listen as Corey and I rip open the wrapping with a lot of cheer as we talk about his inspiration for this story, wearing many many elf hats on this lo budget/no budget/micro budget pandemically shot film, shooting in one location and using camera and character movement to vary the visuals and affect the tone, score and integration of mandatory holiday musical motifs, production design, gift wrapping, a very unique lensing of flashbacks, and more.

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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 the water, and under the water, and expertly utilizing O'Loughlan's lensing to its greatest tension-fueled advantage, to Tom Count's score, and so much more. A wonderful laugh, a great sense of humor, and a dedicated craftsman, this is an interview and a film you don't want to miss!

Then we shift gears to another kind of shark experience. How about those shark-infested waters of the dating pool? Writer/director SASHA COLLINGTON talking about her debut feature film, LOVE TYPE D. Are you the "dumper" or the "dumpee"? And would you really take advice from an 11-year old science nerd who convinces you that it's all genetically predetermined? A real charmer that thinks outside the traditional "rom-com" box?

Take a listen as Sasha talks about the inspiration for LOVE TYPE D and the challenges she faced over the five years it took her to get the film made, not the least of which was a growing 11-year old boy in a lead role and losing locations that had already been used and due to lengthy delays between shooting periods as Sasha was obtaining more funding, required to be "reconstructed" in alternate locations to match earlier shot footage. We also talk about casting, most notably young Rory Stroud who steals the show as "Wilbur", and the necessary chemistry between Wilbur and our heroine dumpee Frankie played by Maeve Dermody; the lightness of Christoper Schneider's lighting and lensing; finding the comedic tone and balance in the editing process with editors John Murphy and St. John O'Rorke; Richard Canavan's score; and so much more.

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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, take a listen to my exclusive conversation with writer/director TY ROBERTS talking about his latest film, 12 MIGHTY ORPHANS. You've heard me mention the film the past several weeks on #BTLRadioShow, encouraging you to see it. Now the film is out across the nation and you've had a chance to see what Ty and I talk about with the specifics of making the film. The Mighty Mights were the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage during the Great Depression who went from playing without shoes – or even a football – to playing for the Texas state championships. It was thanks to coach Rusty Russell and his belief and encouragement in these young men that they not only found inner worth and confidence, but their resilient spirit became an inspiration to the entire country at a time it was most needed.

From adapting Jim Dent's book about this real-life story of Rusty Russell and the Mighty Mights for the big screen to casting not only Luke Wilson, Martin Sheen, and Wayne Knight but the Mighty Might football team and opponents, to cinematography and the importance of color palette, capturing the Texas light and tone of the 1930s and 40s Depression Era, and the challenges of shooting football games, to reteaming with some cast and crew from his first feature film The Iron Orchard, and so much more, Ty and I cover it all.

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A female-centric fun BEHIND THE LENS with this episode thanks to producer JESSICA DEVANEY and director D.W. THOMAS.

First up, we're welcoming JESSICA DEVANEY, producer and founder/president of Multitude Films who joins us live off fresh off the world premiere at Tribeca of her latest film, PRAY AWAY. Just in time for Pride Month, Jessica talks about the genesis of Multitude Films and its mission. An LGBTQ-led independent production company, Multitude is dedicated to telling non-fiction stories by and about underrepresented communities. Listen as Jessica talks about founding Multitude, finding and developing stories, working hands-on/boots on the ground as a producer with specific films, film financing and hybridization, and more. Plus, just prior to airtime, the development deal between Steven Spielberg and Netflix was announced and we get Jessica's first impressions about streaming versus theatrical releasing, particularly in light of the Spielberg deal.

Then get ready because co-writer/director and editor D.W. THOMAS is with us live talking about her new film and feature directorial debut with TOO LATE. A fun and funny dark comedic gem, not only does TOO LATE boast some first-rate production values, but a terrific cast.

D.W. and I dig deep into the "making of" TOO LATE, a story set in the Los Angeles indie comedy scene focusing on Violet Fields, assistant to Bob Devore, famed comedian and host of the live variety show "Too Late". And while it's clear Bob is a monster of a boss, he may also be another kind of monster, one hungry for young comics and particularly, comedian Jimmy Rhodes, to whom Violet has taken more than a shine.

Take a listen as we talk about this first-rate cast which includes Alyssa Limperis as Violet, Ron Lynch as Bob, plus Will Weldon, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Fred Armisen, Jenny Zigrino, Jack De Sena, and Brooks Wheelan, and then dive into the idea for this story and co-writing with Tom Becker, rich cinematography courtesy of Scott Toler Collins, the editing process and how her work as the film's editor impacted her directing and visuals, Sam Slosburg's production design, Mikel Hurwitz' score, finding comedy beats and pace, and more.

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We're taking a look at life, love, and death in this week's BEHIND THE LENS with special guest writer/director ANNA ELIZABETH JAMES talking about her new film, DEADLY ILLUSIONS. Plus, hear our exclusive interview with writer/director SEBASTIAN SIEGEL talking about the emotionally powerful GRACE AND GRIT.

Joining us live is writer/director ANNA ELIZABETH JAMES talking about her delicious new film, DEADLY ILLUSIONS. Starring Kristin Davis as a bestselling female novelist suffering from writer's block who becomes spellbound by her children's caregiver, things take a dangerous turn as writer Morrison begins to indulge in the fantasies of her latest bestseller in a blurring of the lines between fantasy and reality. Listen as Anna talks about the inspiration for the film, the importance of casting not only Kristin Davis but Greer Grammer and their necessary dynamic as the driving force of the film, working with cinematographer Mike McMillin to establish the perfect visual tonal bandwidth, editing, establishing pacing that creates and fuels ambiguity and mystery, scoring, and more.

But first, take a listen to our prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director SEBASTIAN SIEGEL talking about the emotionally powerful story GRACE AND GRIT. Based on the true story of Treya and Ken Wilber and adapted by Sebastian from Ken's book chronicling Treya's journal entries through her battle with cancer, a battle buoyed by Ken and Treya's transcendent love, this is a film and interview not to be missed.

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