That's Not How It Went Down

To fact check, or not to fact check, that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the cinema to suffer the inaccuracies and anachronisms of outrageous filmmaking, or to take umbrage against a sea of errors and by a podcast correct them. For although Shakespeare may perhaps be the most famous name in western civilisation we know dramatically little about the Bard of Avon and even less so... about his family. But what did Chloe Zhao's award-winning film get right? Did Agnes really have a premonition about her children? Did Will really leave the family home in his wife's time of need? And what is so special about the second best bed?! Join us to find out on That's Not How It Went Down! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes there's no watch more comforting than an unapologetically outrageous spy thriller - but unfortunately for us, so few of them seem to be submerged in reality. Surprisingly however, that can't be said for this 1990 classic adaptation of Tom Clancy's debut novel. Jack Ryan's search for the truth in the ocean depths inspired me to do something similar, and even though a Scottish sounding Russian submarine commander might be the least likely indicator of hidden truths, there is plenty going on beneath the surface. How did Tom Clancy know so much about submarines? Was the mutiny a success? And what's the best way to deter Russian submarines from a nation's shores?! Join us to find out on That's Not How It Went Down! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's never easy to tell a sympathetic story when war is the main focus. But following the invasion of Iraq in 2001, the opportunity to reinvent the war movie genre on a different battlefield seemed like too goood a chance to ignore. Jarhead, The Hurt Locker and Green Zone all take place amidst conflict in the Gulf Wars, but few movies are as deeply "patriotic" and culturally divisive as Clint Eastwood's 'American Sniper'. Despite becoming the highest-grossing war movie of all time upon its release, questions soon began to be asked about the message the film was making as well as the veracity of some of its claims - not just about Middle Eastern warfare, but about the movie's protagonist himself. Was Chris Kyle the deadliest sniper in US history? Was he really up against an ex-Olympian Iraqi sniper? And what the hell happened during Hurricane Katrina?! Join us to find out on That's Not How It Went Down! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It took Adam McKay over ten years to prove that he could write and direct a film that didn't star his legendary comedic collaborator Will Ferrell. And he did so with aplomb - cementing his reputation as a creative who knows exactly how to handle whatever story he decides. And I know what you're thinking - what else can be learned from a film that literally goes out of its way to make sure we know exactly what went down in the build up to the global recession in 2008? Well, here's award-winning podcaster Lewis Howard, and award-winning podcaster Elliot Fitzpatrick, sitting in a recording studio to explain. Was Mark quite as tempestuous? Did people really get mortgages under their dog's name? And why can't people just admit when an acronym doesn't work?! Join us to find out on That's Not How It Went Down! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The challenge of following up a smash-hit that happens to be the first of a series is commonly referred to in the world of music as the difficult second album. And with writer/director team George Lucas and Steven Spielberg wishing to make each of their sequels canonically disparate from their forebear, what better way to achieve this than by not making a sequel at all. Enter the (seldom-used) prequel then to establish a new timeline for Indy and introduce a darker storyline featuring Hindu goddesses, ancient Indian relics and mysterious cults to create the most heart-stopping adventure yet. But how much of this slice of Indian folklore and legend happens to be true? Are the Sankara Stones real? Did Shanghai have great nightlife in 1935? And was there really a demonic Thuggee cult?! Join us to find out on That's Not How It Went Down! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.