Raiders Of The Lost Podcast

Stanley Kubrick is one of the most influential and fascinating filmmakers in cinema history. In this Director Spotlight, we explore his journey from teenage photographer to legendary filmmaker, breaking down his obsession with creative control, meticulous research, visual style, technical innovation, and recurring themes of power, violence, technology and human nature.

We dive into Kubrick’s incredible filmography, including Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut. Along the way, we explore iconic scenes and shots, cinematography, music, performances, controversies and some of the wildest behind-the-scenes stories from his career.

Finally, we examine what makes a movie “Kubrickian,” his enormous influence on modern filmmaking, the myths surrounding his perfectionism and the unrealized projects that could have changed his career. Plus, we debate his greatest film, performance, scene, shot, ending and where Kubrick belongs among the greatest directors of all time.

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Few movies this year have inspired reactions as divided as DIGGER. In this deep dive, we take on Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ambitious, bizarre, visually audacious new film and try to figure out exactly audiences and critics seem so split on it.

We chat Iñárritu’s filmmaking, the film’s theatrical and surrealis approach, its production history and enormous studio ambitions, and of course Tom Cruise's brilliant performance.

We also get into the movie’s environmental satire, its layered storytelling, its filmmaking , and everything else that has made Digger such a polarizing experience. Is it a misunderstood masterpiece or an overstuffed misfire?

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Hollywood just got a MASSIVE shakeup. Paramount and Warner Bros. are officially becoming Skydance, creating a new entertainment giant under David Ellison that brings WB, Paramount, HBO, DC, CBS, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mission: Impossible, Top Gun and more under one roof. 

At the box office, Verity takes the top spot while Resident Evil crosses $200 million worldwide, Digger struggles with an $8 million weekend and seemingly decides to embrace the hate in its new marketing campaign. We also get into the early tracking for Clayface, plus our reactions to Whalefall and Crystal Lake.

Then we run through a packed week of additional news including Curry Barker

and Cooper Tomlinson's Anything But Ghosts, first reactions to M. Night Shyamalan's Remain, Jennifer Lawrence joining Zach Cregger's The Flood, Game of Thrones heading to theaters with Aegon's Conquest, a live-action Fast & Furiousseries, Bradley Cooper joining G.I. Joe, Michael B. Jordan and Christopher McQuarrie's Battlefield, 24 Jump Street, Ridley Scott's Treasure Island, Ti West's Ebenezer, Miami Vice, Carrie, Victorian Psycho, Portrait of God and a whole lot more!

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Would you erase the memory of someone to spare yourself pain?

In this episode, we dive deep into Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman’s unforgettable exploration of love, memory, heartbreak, and the strange ways we try to escape our own past.

Together we break down the groundbreaking story, unpacking its nonlinear structure and the emotional journey of Joel and Clementine, while also going behind the scenes to explore how the film was brought to life. From its ingenious practical effects and in-camera tricks to its inventive production design and visual storytelling, we take a close look at the filmmaking craft that makes the movie feel both intimate and surreal.

We also dig into the film’s bigger questions and philosophical ideas: Is forgetting pain actually worth losing the memories attached to it? Are our relationships defined by just the bad times?

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Two wildly different movies, two huge performances, and a lot to talk about this week. We’re diving into Primetime, with Robert Pattinson delivering a completely unhinged transformation into Chris Hansen, and Heart of the Beast, David Ayer’s brutal and emotional survival thriller starring Brad Pitt and a German Shepherd named Odin. From media obsession and fame to loyalty, trauma and survival, these movies could not be more different, but both give us plenty to unpack.

Primetime takes the rise of To Catch a Predator and turns it into something bizarre, funny and increasingly sinister, exploring the collision of journalism, entertainment, fame and public punishment. We break down Pattinson’s incredible performance, Lance Oppenheim’s surreal direction and the gorgeous early-2000s film aesthetic that makes it one of the most visually interesting movies of the year.

Then we head into the wilderness for Heart of the Beast, where a simple story about a retired Green Beret and his former combat dog becomes a powerful story about PTSD, loyalty, mortality and the bond between two veterans who have already survived hell together. We break down Brad Pitt’s restrained performance, the stunning New Zealand photography, the emotional ending and the incredible behind-the-scenes work that brought Odin to life.

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Avengers is back on top of the box office as the Endgame re-release beats out Primetime and Heart Of The Beast. New trailers for Werwulf and Day Drinker stun, Digger prepares its global release, plus Gremlins 3, Ray Gunn, Godzilla Minus Zero, Clayface, Madden, The Last Of Us, Nathan Fielder, Family Guy, Mary Poppins and so much more!

Table Of Contents:

2:03 (Box Office)
6:04 (Digger)
7:21 (Werewolf)
11:03 (Gremlins 3)
13:05 (Skywalker)
14:24 (Johnny Depp)
16:02 (NY Times TV Shows)
17:56 (Sopranos)
19:17 (Mad Men)
25:03 (Digger)
27:17 (Godzilla)
28:00 (Ray Gunn)
28:45 (Madden)
31:08 (Clayface)
31:56 (Tom Holland)
33:21 (Letterboxd Sale)
35:05 (Nathan Fielder)
36:04 (The Last of Us 3)
36:57 (Blair Witch)
37:59 (Family Guy Halloween)
38:38 (Ari Aster)
39:26 (Mary Poppins)
41:43 (Digger Not A Musical)

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A24 just crashed the summer box office party and outperformed some of Hollywood’s biggest studios in the process. In this episode, we break down how the indie powerhouse went from cult favorites and arthouse hits to competing directly with Warner Bros., Paramount, Disney, Universal, and Amazon MGM. With Backrooms exploding past $400 million worldwide, A24 suddenly looks a lot less like the scrappy outsider and a lot more like a serious Hollywood threat.

We’re breaking down the biggest hits, the most painful flops, and the insane amount of money studios gambled on movies audiences simply didn’t show up for.

A24 is getting bigger, bolder, and more commercial every year. So is this just one incredible summer, or are we watching the birth of Hollywood’s next major studio?

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Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is finally here, and it may be one of the greatest video game adaptations ever made. In this episode, we break down Cregger’s wild, hilarious, disgusting, and relentlessly entertaining trip through Raccoon City, Austin Abrams’ brilliant performance as Bryan, and why this completely original story manages to capture the DNA of Resident Evil better than almost any adaptation before it.

We dive deep into the incredible filmmaking, from Dariusz Wolski’s cinematography and the first person and over the shoulder gameplay inspired camerawork to the practical creatures, insane body horror, brutal kills, and constantly escalating environments. We also explore the massive collection of video game references, including green herbs, typewriters, weapon upgrades, ammo management, the diamond key, Umbrella, Raccoon City, mutated dogs, sewers, laboratories, and boss fights.

Most importantly, we discuss why Cregger’s approach works so well. He didn’t simply adapt the story of a Resident Evil game. He adapted the experience of playing one. Every new location feels like another level, every weapon feels like an upgrade, every bullet matters, and every monster is worse than the last. We’re breaking down the entire movie, its craziest moments, Easter eggs, production stories, and that absolutely insane ending. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Table of Contents:

05:09 (Production)
07:13 (Fiber Optic Lenses)
15:28 (Emotion)
19:45 (The Thing)
24:23 (Boss Origins)
32:01 (Farmhouse)
40:42 (The Girl)
45:49 (Sewer)
50:28 (Jump Street)
53:24 (Skyscraper)
59:02 (Lab)

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This week we break down Resident Evil’s massive $60 million domestic opening and the latest box office numbers before diving into the surprise announcement of the World War Z sequel with Brad Pitt returning and Conclave director Edward Berger taking over the franchise. We also discuss the new full length Cliff Booth trailer playing in theaters, Tom Cruise kicking off the Digger press tour, and Zach Cregger’s ambitious sci fi thriller The Flood.

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We’re heading back to 2003 to revisit one of the greatest adventure movies ever made and the unlikely blockbuster that transformed a Disney theme park ride into a massive movie franchise... Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

Plus, we revisit the best moments, including Jack’s unforgettable sinking boat entrance, the attack on Port Royal, Barbossa’s moonlight reveal, and the climactic battle. More than two decades later, we explore why Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl remains one of the most entertaining blockbusters ever made and arguably the definitive modern pirate movie.

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