In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a franchise-starting hit, and a modest thriller with an impressive roster of personnel.

The success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now written large into movie history - but it's often forgotten just what a risk the first Iron Man movie was. And also, that it was arguably Marvel's most tight-fisted production too.

Pacific Heights was more modest, but did attract a legendary director, and in Michael Keaton, a man who'd just brought Batman to the big screen. Yet there were, as it turns out, behind the scenes problems on this one...

Stories of both are told in this episode.

Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod.

Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew.

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