Episodes

Empire of the Sun is a forgotten gem in Steven Spielberg’s filmography, which is fitting since its setting is sort of a forgotten perspective on WWII. This is a bit of a hybrid for Spielberg in that it marries his childlike f...

Actor Christian Robertson joins me in this episode for a great interview. We talk about his personal journey into getting into acting, what he has learned from acting coaches, what it is like to work with directors and be on ...

In his first attempt at a serious adult drama, Spielberg takes on not just a new type of movie for his career but also an adaption of an award winning novel with a predominantly black cast (unfortunately a tremendous anomaly ...

Twilight Zone: The Movie was supposed to be a collaborative passion project for longtime fan of the TV series Steven Spielberg who produced it and directed one of its four segments. But with a tragedy casting a shadow over th...

We have made it to Episode 50!!! For this special milestone episode, I share three thoughts on what I have learned so far in the journey of making this podcast relating to both creative efforts in general and more specificall...

This week, I interviewed Elijah Davidson, Chief Critic and Managing Editor of Brehm Film, to pick his brain about writing about film. What is the process of writing books and articles about films? How do you choose which book...

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a film in a beloved franchise that actually carries a heavy burden with it for its filmmakers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. In this episode I am joined by Elijah Davidson of Brehm ...

In honor of our discussion of Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, Melvin of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast joins me again to do an Alien Invasions Movie Draft! This was a really fun movie draft where we chose some of our ...

This week, Melvin Benson of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast joins us to discuss what Steven Spielberg has called his most personal film: E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. At the height of his powers in the 1980’s, this awe-filled lo...

This week, I talk with The West Sisters (Chasah and Charliese) about screenwriting. They have done a good bit of screenwriting, entering into screenwriting contests, and have even been able to write and direct some short film...

Indiana Jones is one of the most iconic characters of all time, and it is all due to a combination of the charm of Harrison Ford and the masterful character building of Steven Spielberg as director and George Lucas as storyte...

Sometimes even the best directors have a big ol’, old fashioned FLOP. This week, we decided to follow up our discussion of Spielberg’s critical and audience flop with a movie draft of some of our most renowned directors’ flop...

In 1941, the 1979 WWII comedy, we have a prime example of a powerhouse director putting out a complete flop. Steven Spielberg along with writers in Robert Zemecki & Bob Gale and producer John Milius were trying to ride the tr...

We discuss some of our approaches to film viewing. We tackle questions concerning motivations for watching films, how to choose what to watch, how we process films, and how we determine if a film is good or not. We also share...

Spielberg followed up his breakout summer blockbuster Jaws with a sci-fi adventure thriller in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Its success is due to the incredible visual and narrative storytelling alongside the innovativ...

To accompany our discussion of Jaws last week, we did a Creature Feature Movie Draft! Creature Features are generally any film where a creature of some sort (beast, vampire, alien, zombie, etc.) is the main antagonist. We dra...

Jaws marks both the breakout of Steven Spielberg’s illustrious career and the beginning of the summer blockbuster. From crazy production stories to camera work to efficient character building and more, this discussion with gu...

Storytelling is a vital element of filmmaking. It is done in through the written narrative, the visuals, the sound, the performances, the camera work, and so much more. This week, I discuss storytelling, especially as it rela...

Spielberg’s first theatrically released feature film, The Sugarland Express, showed many signs of what was to come for the young director. In this episode I discuss the many Spielberg-ian themes, character traits, camera tech...

It’s Oscars weekend! On this episode I share my favorite films of 2023, and we hear from some listeners/past guests on their favorites as well. Then, I go through the 2024 Oscars nominations and share what my choices would ha...

Steven Spielberg’s Duel was never supposed to be as successful as it was. As a movie of the week TV feature in 1971, the 24 year old director gained the attention of critics and studios alike with a road thriller that begged ...

Steven Spielberg’s Duel inspired me to do a Car Chase Movie Draft with my guest, Dave Lester. Listen as we take turns drafting what we think are some of the best movie car chases out there. I also share some honorable mention...

Steven Spielberg is one of the most accomplished directors in film history. In this episode, we do an overview of his career focusing on the first two decades of his work as a director. Everything from his childhood, his star...

To accompany our discussion of Wes Anderson’s short films including The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, we did a draft of our favorite short films. There are so many great short films from Maya Deren’s work to Pixar’s shorts....