Behind The Lens

BEHIND THE LENS is back for its SEVENTH YEAR and what a show we've got for you to start the New Year and Year Seven!

First up, is our exclusive interview with the incomparable JASON ISAACS talking about his explosive new film, SKYFIRE, an action-disaster film which finds Isaacs playing an entrepreneur named Jack Harris who has built a luxury resort on a volcano located in the "Ring of Fire", aimed at delivering the ultimate up close and personal travel experience. Adding to the mix is a young team of scientists led by a volcanologist named Meng who has developed an early warning system in the hopes of preventing the kind of loss she suffered at the mouth of a volcano – the death of her mother when Meng was only about 8 or 9 years old. Needless to say, things go horribly wrong when the volcano erupts and Harris has ignored Meng's warnings of volcanic instability.

And then take a listen to our prerecorded exclusive interview with one of the best (and a personal fave) action directors, now action-disaster film director, in town – SIMON WEST – as he goes in-depth talking about the making of SKYFIRE! Covering everything from working with Second Unit Director and stunatman extraordinaire Noon Orsatti, the importance of in-camera action and stunts over CGI, cinematographer Alan Caudillo and designing the visuals and creating a visual tonal bandwidth, working underwater and infusing a romantic balletic element as a contrast to the unfolding volcanic tragedy, casting, research into volcanoes and incorporating science and fact into the film from a visual standpoint – not the least of which is a stunning sequence involving static electricity, the use of color as a metaphor, the importance of "purpose" for the main character, and more.

Then we say a big "Welcome Back" to writer/director BLAYNE WEAVER as he returns to #BTLRadioShow with his latest directorial, GetAWAY. A horror-thriller that is essentially a slasher film within a slasher film within a slasher film, Blayne dusted off an old script and put it into production with a simple premise; a group of college film students has to create a film for their class finals. One such film is a slasher film set in a forested area during a weekend retreat. The gang all comes together to head off for the weekend shoot, however, not without a lot of drama and the pre-departure murder of their teacher. But once at this cabin in the woods, one by one, the cast and crew start disappearing…or dying. It's not part of the student script so what's happening? Tapping into recognizable personality traits for his characters, Blayne goes one better and for some of his cast and actual GetAWAY film crew, hires some of his own film students (in his "spare" time, Blayne teaches film). Talk about authenticity! Take a listen as Blayne talks about the genesis of the story, casting and production staffing, the importance of location, Chad McClarnon's cinematography, visual decisions when it comes to portraying horrific kills and balancing cost vs visual effectiveness, practical in-camera effects, horror tropes, scoring, and more.

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It's the final #BTLRadioShow of 2020 and we are ending the year with fun! First up, we've got two fantastic prerecorded exclusive interviews for you – writer/director/cinematographer/editor ROBERT RODRIGUEZ and YA YA GOSSELIN & VIVIEN LYRA BLAIR – talking about their new film WE CAN BE HEROES!

This is THE family film of the year! And I can think of no better Christmas present from Netflix than premiering this on Christmas Day. Take a listen as ROBERT RODRIGUEZ talks about the genesis of WE CAN BE HEROES, inclusivity, diversity, imagination, inspiration for characters, scoring, family, and more!

Then hear what YA YA GOSSELIN and VIVIEN LYRA BLAIR have to say about their characters, Missy and Guppy, respectively; performing their own stunts, the freedom of creativity that Robert gives them as well as treating them like professionals, the fun of the film (including Vivien having an idea that Robert used – a big deal for a 7 yr old), developing their onscreen relationship and more.

And the fun keeps going with writer/director MICHAEL STASKO who is live talking about his new film BOYS VS GIRLS! It's those kinder gentler days of 1990. Summer camp. The Battle of the Sexes. Hijinks and fun abound! Listen as Michael talks about the story and script and calling on all of those notes he made over his youth at summer camp to develop BOYS VS GIRLS, casting, the perfect location, cinematography and use of natural light, the music and most notably some perfect (and potentially pricey) hit songs of the day that set the tone for us all.

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It's all about the women on film this week on #BTLRadioShow thanks to writer/director BRIAN CAVALLARO and his latest film 32 WEEKS, and our prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director JULIA HART talking I'M YOUR WOMAN.

We open the show with our prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director JULIA HART talking about her latest film, I'M YOUR WOMAN. (Hart is also the force behind Disney's Stargirl which you can watch on Disney+.) We've all seen mafia crime thrillers before and with rare exceptions, all are told from the male perspective with the wives, girlfriends, and children relegated to background window dressing. Stepping outside of the box, together with co-writer Jordan Horowitz, Hart gives us the story of Jean with Rachel Brosnahan delivering one of the best performances of her career in the role, along with Marsha Stephanie Blake, Arinze Kene, Frankie Faison, and Bill Heck. A mob wife with no skills and no street smarts, Jean is oblivious to what her husband Eddie does for a living. She lives in an upscale suburban neighborhood, is perfectly coiffed, has impeccably manicured nails, and wears the trendiest fashion the 1970's has to offer, but she can't cook, doesn't clean, and is in fact so inept she doesn't even know how to cut tags out of clothing. Just imagine what happens when Eddie arrives home "from work" one day holding out a baby like it's the latest edition headline of the National Enquirer and saying "He's yours." But then take it a step further and have Cal, one of Eddie's enforcers, show up at the house in the dead of night to whisk Jean and the baby to safety only to then have to leave her on her own. And this is just the beginning of Jean's story. Take a listen as Julia and I go deep into her creating a perfect apportioned 1970's world with all the colors of the period both in production design and costume, color palette, choreographing and shooting action sequences, the themes tackled within the film, casting and chemistry, Jean's journey and arc of the characters, and, of course, working with a baby.

Then we welcome writer/director BRIAN CAVALLARO back to the show to talk about his new film, 32 WEEKS. Brian last joined us a couple of years ago for Against the Night, a chilling film shot in a 100+-year-old abandoned prison in suburban Philadelphia. With the majority of that film in darkness with much lighting relegated to single headlamps only, Brian now not only shifts coasts with 32 WEEKS but brings us out of the terror of the dark and into the light of sunny Santa Monica, California, while exploring the empty darkness of one woman's mind following a car accident that left her with short term memory amnesia and many unanswered questions. The biggest unanswered questions. A long time award-winning producer, as well as director of multiple episodes in many television series, as well as reality and awards show, it's exciting to see Brian behind the camera with narrative features. Even more exciting is to see his directorial range and growth just between 32 WEEKS and Against the Night. Listen as Brian dives into the genesis of the story, the twists and turns and ambiguity created not only through the script but by nuanced performances and keen editing, finding the pacing and timing of reveals with editing most particularly with flashbacks of memory, casting, cinematography, visual metaphor, the challenges of a multiplicity of locations especially on a lo budget/no budget/micro-budget film, and so much more.

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It's all about family, friendship, and forgiveness on this episode of #BTLRadioShow thanks to our very special guests GENE POPE and ROXI POPE, and our prerecorded exclusive interview with RANDALL BATINKOFF.

First up, it's all about THE LAST CHAMPION thanks to RANDALL BATINKOFF who goes in-depth about the film, his character "Bobby Baker", and how his real-life 30+ year friendship with Cole Hauser impacted this role and his performance. Directed by Glenn Withrow and written by Glenn, wife Hallie Todd, and daughter Ivy Winthrow, THE LAST CHAMPION stars Cole Hauser, Sean Scully, Randall Batinkoff, Hallie Todd, and Peter Onorati in this story about a former small-town hero and his fall from grace and the power of friendship and forgiveness. A "must listen" conversation about this "Must See" film! And as an added bonus, how about another "Must See" film starring Randall? Randall also talks about his other film that is also out now, ANGIE: LOST GIRLS, an important and powerful film about human trafficking from director Julia Vardin.

And then listen to a real-life family affair with actor/writer/producer GENE POPE and his daughter, actor ROXI POPE, who are live talking about KING OF KNIVES. A blistering "crap-happy" comedy about a family in a mid-life crisis, as funny as the film is, there is also undeniable and inescapable truth and heart, most of which comes from this father and daughter duo who take their real-life roles onto the screen. Take a listen as Gene talks about the genesis of the film and its lengthy development, crafting his character of Frank, casting – including multiple auditions for Roxi for the role of Frank's daughter (no nepotism in this film!), bringing on director Jon Delgado and the collaboration that brings this story to life, finding the balance of humor and heart, and just the pure joy of hearing the real-life chemistry between Gene and Roxi will not only have you laughing, but wondering how anyone else could have even been considered for the role of Kaitlin. It's a fun and enlightening conversation with Gene and Roxi.

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This week we welcome old friends and new with our special guests TYLER Q. ROSEN and JOAN CARR-WIGGIN as they talk about their latest films, DOIN' MY DRUGS and GETTING TO KNOW YOU, respectively.

First up, writer/director/cinematographer/editor/producer TYLER Q. ROSEN joins us live to talk about his feature documentary directorial debut – DOIN' MY DRUGS. Now, I bet you're thinking this documentary has something to do with drug abuse. If you are, then you'd be wrong. DOIN' MY DRUGS is an inspiring documentary that tells the story of musician Thomas Muchimba Buttenschon and how he is using his music to help wipe out HIV/AIDS in his native Zambia. Born in 1985 and diagnosed with HIV/AIDS as an infant, Thomas' parents both had the disease and moved the family to Denmark where they could receive proper medical care. Although Thomas' parents both succumbed to the disease, Thomas has been healthy for decades thanks to an antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and has gone on to be a husband and father and have a successful music career. Tyler and Thomas join forces with the making of this documentary as Thomas hopes to use music as a means to encourage Zambians to get tested and get treatment. For more information on Thomas Muchimba and his efforts, check out the Muchimba Music Foundation website: https://www.muchimba.org/.

Then writer/director JOAN CARR-WIGGIN is on hand to talk about her latest dramedy/rom-com, GETTING TO KNOW YOU. Joan is an extraordinary filmmaker and storyteller and someone whom I have had the privilege and pleasure to know for the past 12 years. She has an incredible grasp of the "everyday" and what makes it and "everyday" people special and in that, she finds her greatest stories and characters; the "what if" moments, the characters who you think will do one thing but do something else. Her films are grounded, emotionally tangible, with high production values and exemplary casting. GETTING TO KNOW YOU is no different. This is a story about Luke, a man returning to his small hometown for a high school class reunion (which doesn't go quite the way he envisioned) where he gets into an uncomfortable jam thanks to his old girlfriend, Kayla. Enter Abby Sorenson who just happens to be staying at the same hotel as Luke. Abby has left her husband and children at home in London while she makes quick arrangements for the funeral of her brother who just passed and to empty out his home. When Luke finds himself in a predicament with Kayla, Abby comes to his rescue and pretends to be his wife for what should only have been a few minutes, but turns into a couple of days as Kayla decides she wants Luke all these 25 years later but Luke now finds himself falling for the very married Abby. Listen as Joan talks about GETTING TO KNOW YOU from casting the wonderful Rupert Penry-Jones, Nastasha Little, and Rachel Blanchard to the supporting characters and importance of making them as full-bodied and three-dimensional as the main leads, reteaming with cinematographer Bruce Worrall, production design, delightful scoring by Kenneth Harrison and more.

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It's an eclectic week showcasing diverse talents on this episode of #BTLRadioShow thanks to our special guest actor/comedienne/author ELAINE BALLACE who joins us live, plus our prerecorded exclusive interview with composer BRIAN TYLER talking about the scoring of CLOUDS.

First up, take a listen to our exclusive interview with composer BRIAN TYLER talking about CLOUDS. A definite FYC frontrunner this awards season for this exquisite score, Brian goes in-depth as we talk about musical motifs, instrumentation, his approach to scoring given the original material from musician Zach Sobiech on whose story this film is based, the emotionality of the film and the music, some interesting musical history that led to some of Brian's choices with scoring and instrumentation, and so much more. To see and hear Brian in action as composer, orchestrator, conductor, musician, and providing non-verbal vocals, check out this music video for his ethereal theme from CLOUDS. As you can see in this video, Brian is one of those rarities in the world of musical composition and scoring in that not only is he able to compose and perform each musical instrument, but he does so with his heart every step of the way.

The soundtrack for CLOUDS, released by Interscope, contains all of the vocal tracks from the film and is currently available. The CLOUDS original score album from Walt Disney Records featuring Brian's complete score is also now available at all brick & mortar and online music retailers. Watch the film CLOUDS exclusively on Disney+.

And then get ready because she's baaaack! The fabulous ELAINE BALLACE is back with us, this time talking about another myriad of projects – the feature films FREE LUNCH EXPRESS and LOVE WITHOUT HAIRS, plus her new book HOW TO WRITE A BOOK CAMP ELAINE STYLE.

Last week you heard writer/director Lenny Britton and producer/actor Sam Brittan talk about FREE LUNCH EXPRESS and now Elaine continues the conversation from her perspective as not only an actor, but an actor playing a real-life person, namely Jane Sanders. But Elaine has sooooo much more happening and we delve into it all, including her lead role in LOVE WITHOUT HAIRS (now on Amazon Prime), a two-hander with Anthony Gaeta and directed and her new book, HOW TO WRITE A BOOK CAMP ELAINE STYLE. Not only do we talk about Elaine's current projects, but we learn a lot about Elaine and how she brings her life experiences (including that as a school teacher!) to her performances and to her outlook on life. Talent, effervescence, and kindness all rolled into one, this is one fun-filled, energetic conversation you don't want to miss!

And if you want to pick up a copy of Elaine's book (personally autographed no less) just in time for holiday gift-giving, you can order it from Elaine directly on Facebook or go to https://platzer.media/elaine.

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Comedy is king on this week's episode of BEHIND THE LENS as we take a look at two very different types of comedy through the lenses of their creators. FREE LUNCH EXPRESS is a balls-to-the wall political satiric farce from LENNY BRITTON and SAM BRITTAN about Bernie Sanders while brothers and co-writers/directors IAN and ESHOM NELMS deliver a deliciously dark comedic look at Santa Claus with FATMAN.

First up, take a listen to our prerecorded exclusive interview with IAN and ESHOM NELMS as we unwrap the secrets, and the heart, behind FATMAN. A rich dark comedic gem glittering in the twinkling holiday cinematic light, FATMAN dleivers the real deal Santa; the guy who has the potential to be jolly but centuries of greedy and grousing kids (and adults) has just taken its toll on him, so much so that Santa's packin' (and we're not talking just presents) when he takes off in his sleigh on Christmas Eve. But before he even gets to next Christmas, Santa's got to deal with cash flow issues thanks to toy company outsourcing to China and India with sweatshop labor and cheaper manufacturing costs. Companies just aren't buying from Santa's Workshop any longer. And then there are the non-believers. Kids aren't even writing "letters to Santa" as much as they did in days gone by. But the topper on the Christmas grumps is the angry lump-of-coal group who hate Santa for the crummy gift they just received. Unfortunately, Santa's sleigh is against the wall and if there are to be anymore Christmases, he has to make a deal with the devil aka the US military who love his elf-driven production line. And as if this isn't enough stress, who should show up at Santa's home and factory but a hitman who hates Santa and who is working for a wealthy bratty rich kid who hates Santa even more after just getting a lump of coal. It's madness! And madness like this leads to delicious dark comedy.

Then get ready for the comedy stylings of writer/director LENNY BRITTON and producer/actor SAM BRITTAN as they find the funny in FREE LUNCH EXPRESS. Laugh-out-loud hilarity from beginning to end in this political satire as you find out "everything you thought you knew but really didn't" about Bernie Sanders as the boys take us back in time to the child Bernie in Brooklyn and his admiration of Stalin on up through his middle years with commune living, freeloading, pot-smoking with ice cream icons Ben & Jerry, perpetual unemployment until age 40, and then into the iconic public persona we have come to know over the past decade-plus as he tangles with the Clintons, gets some worldly wisdom from Maxine Waters (not to mention otherworldly insight from Joseph Stalin), has drinks with AOC, and so much more. Brittan plays Bernie in his middle years, picking up the mantle from Jonah Britton as young Bernie and then passing the torch to Charles Hutchins as the present day Bernie. Joining in the comedic hijinks are Don Frankel as Bill Clinton, Robert William Campbell as Stalin, and Elaine Ballace as Bernie's second and current wife, Jane. Structured as a fireside storytime as told by Malcolm McDowell, one of the most interesting aspects about the making of FREE LUNCH EXPRESS that we talk about is the research Lenny did into the actual milestones and influences on Sanders life and then exaggerating that to create the farcical tone of the film. It's a fine line that not only Lenny walks, but that the cast walks, most notably Sam, given the real-life figures portrayed. Lenny and Sam explore the challenges of post-production in a pandemic world (they wrapped shooting just before lockdowns), needle drop musical selections, the extreme benefit of having the talented Jon Vasquez as cinematographer and editor as well as composer, and casting, including the joy of having Malcolm McDowell as the narrator. Some fun anecdotes here folks!

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This week's BEHIND THE LENS has a focus on cinematic drama and tension thanks to our special guest ANDRE WELSH talking about his new film DISRUPTED, plus our prerecorded exclusive interview with Academy Award winner ROBERT PORT and acclaimed author RICHARD BAUSCH who talk about their very special film, RECON, timed for release on Veteran's Day on November 11th.

First up, take a listen as Academy Award winning writer/director ROBERT PORT and acclaimed author and Air Force veteran RICHARD BAUSCH (2 novels, 8 short story collections, a volume of poetry and prose) talk about RECON, a stellar adaptation of Bausch's NYT best-seller, PEACE. Based on the true story of four young GIs in Italy during WWII (one of whom was Bausch's father), RECON takes place over the course of one day as each reflects on his own life, his own fate, his own hopes and dreams, their collective commonalities and differences define the course of things to come amidst the hell of war. Can they find humanity in the horror? An outstanding conversation with Robert and Richard into the making of RECON and their beautiful collaboration and friendship. Listen as we talk about Richard's confidence in Robert's adapting the novel, casting – most notably, Alexander Ludwig who delivers the best performance of his career, and the legendary Franco Nero who was a young boy in Italy at the time of this event, location and the challenges and benefits it presented for the story and for cinematographer Edd Lukas, the orchestral score composed by Anders Niska and Klas Wahl, Ken Skoglund's sound design, and more. This is an interview – and a film – you don't want to miss.

And then listen to writer/director/cinematographer ANDRE WELSH who joins us live talking about his new film, DISRUPTED. A slow burn that is structured similarly to Paul Haggis' "Crash" with seemingly independent events occurring, DISRUPTED is a character-driven thriller that finds a lonely widower seeking revenge 30 years after the murder of his wife when similar-style murders start occurring in the area. Listen as we delve into some of Andre's challenges with this shoot and his "looser" style as a filmmaker, particularly given he is also cinematographer and camera operator in addition to directing. You'll hear about developing the script and the themes and issues he incorporates therein, working with drones as a story point and for shooting, the importance of location and how Andre incorporated that into the story as a whole, some impeccable casting starting with Ron Kaell, Geoffrey Lower, and the always solid Daniel Roebuck, the importance of color correction and how Andre used it to his advantage in DISRUPTED, and how about some fun anecdotes like being stopped by the police during filming? And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

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It's a fun-filled episode of #BTLRadioShow this week thanks to our special guests, co-writers/directors JEFF KERR and RAY SPIVEY talking their debut narrative feature WRITER'S BLOCK, plus our prerecorded exclusive interview with cinematographer turned director SHANNON KOHLI talking about her feature film directorial debut, ALL JOKING ASIDE!

We kick off this episode listening to director SHANNON KOHLI talk about her feature film directorial debut with ALL JOKING ASIDE. An acclaimed cinematographer, Shannon made the leap into the director's chair some time ago with episodic television. Best familiar with her work as cinematographer, it was earlier this year that I had the chance to appreciate her directorial talents thanks to Dirty John: Betty Broderick starring Amanda Peet Christian Slater, the 12-part mini-series of which she directed the climactic final episode. With that, Shannon showed a true command of storytelling and finding that balance of emotion through performance and visuals. Needless to say, when the narrative feature film ALL JOKING ASIDE rolled around, I jumped at the chance to check out the film and speak with Shannon about it. Listen here as Shannon talks about helming ALL JOKING ASIDE, her approach to story, casting and character, using the tools in the toolbox to add layers to the film, collaboration with her cinematographer and composer, and how much she was inspired by and related to this beautiful character study and journey to finding yourself and loving yourself, not to mention protagonist Charlie Murray's fight to fulfill her dream of becoming a stand-up comic, and so much more.

And then for all you writers – and filmmakers – out there, get ready for a bit of "inspiration" as co-writers/directors JEFF KERR and RAY SPIVEY are live talking about their feature directorial debut, WRITER'S BLOCK. The tale of a struggling writer who accepts a once-in-a-lifetime offer to collaborate with a best-selling novelist at his remote Texas ranch, WRITER'S BLOCK is just the film to shock you into creativity. . .or make you run in the opposite direction. If no one has learned by now that if something looks too good to be true, it generally is, you'll certainly walk away from WRITER'S BLOCK knowing that. Crafted with as many twists and turns as a page-turning mystery, WRITER'S BLOCK has plenty of tension, scares, and bloodshed, not to mention a somewhat megalomaniacal best-selling author on the loose. Listen as Jeff and Ray talk about their filmmaking journey with this film as we delve into the origin of the story, casting, Alex Walker's cinematography, the importance of production design and one jaw-dropping setpiece in particular, location location location, the tension and intentional ambiguity created by Ryan Kelley's editing, David Kerr's score, and so much more.

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A show so chock full of fun thanks to our special guests that we expanded this week's episode of #BTLRadioShow to 90 minutes!! Filmmakers and brothers, CHARLEY and VLAS PARLAPANIDES, who join us talking about their new anime series on Netflix, BLOOD OF ZEUS. But in addition to Charley and Vlas, we've also got our pre-recorded exclusive interview with director LYDIA DEAN PILCHER and co-director/writer GINNY MOHLER talking about their new film, RADIUM GIRLS.

I first met Charley and Vlas nine years ago for the blockbuster film Immortals which they co-wrote. Their love of mythology, which gave rise to some of the most ancient oral forms of storytelling, was at the heart of that film. And while they have had other projects since Immortals, nothing compares to what they now bring us as the Executive Producers, creators, and writers of BLOOD OF ZEUS. If you love Greek mythology, you'll love the series. If you love anime, you'll love this series. If you love mythology and anime together, you will go crazy for this series. Action, adventure, glorious visuals, characters that are larger than life (as all gods should be), yet a series with heart thanks to a hero. Involved in every level of the series development and production, listen as Charley and Vlas talk in-depth about anime vs cartoons, the genesis of the series, their love of mythology, developing storylines, picking the Olympian gods of which to include, writing for a defined episodic series vs a feature film, their writing process as co-writers and brothers, creating episodic arcs within the overall 8-episode series arc while tieing it all together with color, character, and visual composition, the animation itself, storyboarding, score, the importance of collaboration and the mantra of "no idea is a bad idea".

But, before we get to Charley and Vlas, we kick off the show with our pre-recorded exclusive interview with LYDIA DEAN PILCHER and GINNY MOHLER talking about their new film, RADIUM GIRLS. Many of you may know of Lydia's work as a producer of films like Cutie & the Boxer, The Queen of Katwe, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, or her latest directorial A Call to Spy starring Stana Katic which she actually filmed after RADIUM GIRLS, but now she joins forces with Ginny and co-writer Brittany Shaw to bring the true story of the "Radium Girls" to the silver screen. RADIUM GIRLS is the story of the lawsuit brought by five very brave girls against the US Radium Corporation in 1927 related to unsafe work conditions surrounding the use of radium to handpaint the dials of "glow in the dark" watches. Despite illnesses and death of numerous employees, US Radium maintained there was nothing wrong at the factory nor with the radium. As would be discovered, that was anything but the truth. They knew about the dangers of radium and the radiation poisoning of its employees, yet covered it up. Pilcher and Mohler now bring the story of the Radium Girls to life while interweaving the essence and feel of the "jazz baby" era into the legal battle. Captivating with the energy and effervescence of the 1920's thanks to archival footage, beautiful cinematography, exquisite score, the twinkling magic of radium itself, and diving in through the eyes of the victims, most notably the character of Bessie and her sister Jo played by Joey King and Abby Quinn, respectively, makes RADIUM GIRLS a "must see" film.

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