Witches! A Primer

This week, Chris & Lizzie try to figure out how Paul W.S. Anderson saved his career, his love life, and Constantin Film (maybe just in the United States) with a lovable clunker of a zombie movie. They trace the origins of the hit game Resident Evil is based on (and the game that game was born from, and the movie that game was based on), untangle a creative love triangle between Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, and their director, and work through the complicated, mostly fruitless attempts to find synergy between the movies and video games. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite its all-star cast, when ‘Practical Magic’ landed in theaters in 1998 it was a critical and commercial failure. The blow was particularly devastating for director Griffin Dunne who had tried to exorcise some very personal demons via the film. This week, Chris and Lizzie discover how the Owens sisters went from box office poison to home video magic. Find out how Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman got involved, how the film fooled Barbra Streisand, who built those beautiful sets, and why an actual witch tried to burn the whole movie down. Come back on Friday for our subscriber-only review of ‘Practical Magic 2’!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As spooky season approaches, Chris and Lizzie explore a brief history of witches. Find out how they’ve evolved in folklore, literature, and entertainment from ‘MacBeth’ to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ to ‘Weapons’ and beyond! Plus discover how ‘Practical Magic’ fits into this witchy arc, and what the upcoming sequel may bring to the cauldron. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all go a little mad sometimes... And Alfred Hitchcock certainly seemed to when he decided to follow up his most expensive film to date with a black and white B-movie based on a gritty novel that would never survive the withering glare of the Motion Picture Production Code. Chris & Lizzie explore the restrictions that birthed one of the most influential horror films in history, the brilliance of casting Anthony Perkins, Bernard Herrmann's late-in-the-game musical heroics, and Janet Leigh's unusually positive experience working with Hitchcock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have Andy Beckerman and Naomi Ekperigin from the Couples Therapy podcast to discuss some of the most chaotic creative partnerships and rivalries in Hollywood history. Join us as we lay out an array of feuds from Tom Cruise vs. Anne Rice, to Patrick Swayze vs. Jennifer Grey, and beyond. Grab yourself a bucket of Liz Taylor’s favorite chili and get ready to pick a side. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Thelma and Louise’ has one of the most iconic endings ever, but it almost didn’t make it to the screen. This week Chris and Lizzie explore Callie Khouri’s relentless dedication to her screenplay, Ridley Scott’s reluctance to direct it, and why neither Geena Davis nor Brad Pitt were even close to first choice for their roles. Find out which alternate ending earned boos from a test audience and how ‘Thelma and Louise’ beat the odds to become a financial success despite almost no marketing budget. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ was supposed to be a big break for first time feature writer Lona Williams and first time feature director Michael Patrick Jann… except they couldn’t agree on anything. Difficulties with the film’s biggest star, Kirstie Alley, and a lawsuit from Dairy Queen didn’t help. In this bonus Featurette, Halle Kiefer from the Ruined podcast joins Chris and Lizzie to break down this 1999 box office bomb that somehow became a cult classic. Discover why Lona wasn’t allowed to play the role she’d written for herself, how Kirsten Dunst got cast, and why we have this movie to thank for Amy Adams’ career! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

54 years ago, nearly to the day, John Wojtowicz and two accomplices caught a matinee showing of The Godfather, then walked into a bank and inadvertently changed cinema history. Chris & Lizzie explore Sidney Lumet's adaptation of Wojtowicz's sensational and tragic failed heist, the major studios' reticence to touch the material, Al Pacino's struggles with the role, and what Hollywood owes the subjects who inspire the films they make. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When George Clooney read the script for 1999’s ‘Three Kings’, he knew it was the kind of project he wanted to be attached to. Even though Clooney was a bonafide TV star, he hadn’t found his footing as a leading man yet, so he practically begged director David O. Russell to cast him. Little did he know he had just signed up to work for his worst enemy. This week Lizzie and Chris dive into the madness of ‘Three Kings’, from a disastrous desert shoot, to the truth behind Clooney and Russell’s infamous knock-down drag-out fight.*CORRECTIONS: Lizzie mistakenly calls cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel "Newton Thomas Howell". Our apologies to Mr. Sigel.Go to surfshark.com/wrong or use code WRONG at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the film that fin(n)ished Carolco! Or so we've been led to believe... This week, Chris & Lizzie seek to uncover who really scuttled Carolco Pictures - was it Geena Davis and Renny Harlin? Or was Cutthroat Island a mere scapegoat? Plus, Matthew Modine takes his lumps (on set and after), poop tanks infect the crew, and Michael Douglas dodges a trip to Davy Jones' locker.Go to surfshark.com/wrong or use code WRONG at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.