There was a bit of a bidding war when an upcoming writer called Kevin Williamson penned an idea called Scary Movie. It'd change its name to Scream a little way down the road, but having been inspired by a creepy night when he was housesitting, Williamson went with a lower offer, and the company most likely to actually make the film.
The problem? Nobody wanted to direct Scream. At first, including the man who did.
The brothers Strause meanwhile had huge successes in visual effects, and made their directorial debut with the, er, 'less successful' Aliens Vs Predator - Requiem. For their next film as directors? They wanted something they had more control over - Skyline - and it turned out it was really useful one of them had just bought a new apartment...
Stories of both are told in this episode...
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1:09:28
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1:09:28
In conversation with Phil Johnston - The Twits, Wreck-It Ralph, Cedar Rapids and more
Quite the story, this. Phil Johnston, in a special episode of Film Stories, takes us through his own tale, and how it led to a nomination at the Academy Awards.
He and Simon chat through the struggles to get The Twits - an adaptation of Roald Dahl's book - off the ground, and how for a few weeks it all looked like it'd fallen apart. Plus, how he landed at Disney with Wreck-It Ralph, how Ralph Breaks The Interest earned him an Oscar nomination, and a bit of Cedar Rapids too...
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36:07
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36:07
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) and Doctor Who (2010s unmade movie)
There's a time travel theme to this latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, starting with Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Quite the story behind this, too. The distributor going bankrupt just as the movie was being finished, the year-long delay to its release, the audition that threw Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter together...? There's quite the story behind it all.
In the early 2010s too, one interview ignited a whole conversation about a possible Doctor Who movie, around the era when Matt Smith was in the TARDIS. In theory, this would have been made in America, seperate to the TV show that was being put together in Wales. Things, er, went awry...
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1:00:04
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1:00:04
In conversation with David Zucker | Top Secret, Airplane, The Naked Gun, The Star Of Malta, books, and more
In a very special episode of the Film Stories podcast, writer/producer/director David Zucker joins Simon for a conversation about his work.
Amongst the films that come up in the chat? Airplane!, which is shortly getting as we'll hear an unusual director's cut, Top Secret!, the original The Naked Gun trilogy, My Big Fat Important Important (better known as An American Carol), Baseketball and more.
Plus: a pair of books, bring excluded from the latest The Naked Gun film, trees, The Star Of Malta and a whole lot more.
You can find David Zucker on social media at @TheDavidZucker, and you can find MasterCrash Comedy at www.mastercrash.com.
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1:19:06
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1:19:06
Top Gun (1986), plus Embeth Davidtz
It started as a magazine article, and ended up as a global phenomenon. Yet the journey to 1986's Top Gun wasn't a straightforward one. You have cast members unsure if they wanted to commit and a studio that took a long time to decide it wanted the film. Then, director Tony Scott started shooting the movie in a way that, er, Paramount Pictures wasn't keen on.
For the second half of this episode, it was a thrill to be joined by Embeth Davidtz. Primarily known for her acting work - and Matilda comes up! - she chats about writing and directing Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight, and the six year journey to get it to the screen. Plus, a bit on fonts, too...
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Film Stories with Simon Brew is a podcast that looks to dig into the stories behind popular movies.From troubled productions, to rights issues, to difficulties with release to films nearly falling apart, the podcast will be looking at the stories that don't always seem apparent when watching a movie!
The podcast is hosted by Simon Brew, the founder of Den Of Geek. Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Thank you!