A Film By... Episodes

Sidney Lumet is one of the greatest filmmakers with a body of work spanning six decades. His accolades are as impressive as the list of legendary actors he has worked with. From "12 Angry Men", to his final film "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead",...

Taika Waititi seems to be successful no matter what genre he explores. From vampires, and pirates, to superheroes, and droids, Waititi has a gift for evoking emotion when and where you least expect it, even when a young boy's imaginary friend is...

From his early days at Disney, to his blockbusters throughout the years, Tim Burton has consistently delivered everything from gothic fantasy, to quirky oddball tales. He's put his unusual touch on some of Hollywood's biggest characters, including Pee...

Colin Trevorrow is one of the most successful directors to take Hollywood by storm in the last ten years. From his debut film, the brilliant time travel comedy "Safety Not Guaranteed", to the massive box office success of Jurassic World, Trevorrow...

From the beginning of his career, critically acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee has received accolades for his work. From Academy Award winner Sense and Sensibility, to the visually stunning Gemini Man, Lee has proven himself across genres; with two Oscar...

Akira Kurosawa is one of the most celebrated filmmakers of all time. His influence can be seen in the work of many of Hollywood's most successful directors. From Roshomon to Ran, the legendary Kurosawa delivered one incredible film after another. With...

In the late 60's and early 70's, he led several young directors in the creation of a new Hollywood. He's won 6 Academy Awards, 5 Golden Globes, and the Palmes d'Or twice. He is Francis Ford Coppola. From his masterpiece, The Godfather, to his...

Sofia Coppola is the youngest child and only daughter of Francis Ford Coppola. Her films have a visual style that have been described as hazy and dream-like; filled with neglected characters that long to be acknowledged and seen. Coppola has...

To celebrate the 94th Academy Awards, Brad nominates Dayton Johnson of the Docking Bay 77 podcast to join him for a frank conversation on the Academy's hits and their very many misses! From those who were robbed, to those robbed more by the omission...

Catherine Hardwicke has achieved things most directors dream of and so very few accomplish. Her directorial debut, thirteen, garnered Oscar attention. Her adaptation of YA novel, Twilight, was a global blockbuster, and turned relative unknowns Kristen...

Amy Heckerling's written and directorial efforts make her a comedic legend in Hollywood. She gave a voice to teenagers everywhere in separate decades with Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Clueless. She took the Griswold's to Europe, and made us think...

Antoine Fuqua is one of Hollywood's busiest directors because he's one of the most successful directors working today. His appreciation for Kurosawa shows in many of his films, from Tears of the Sun to his Equalizer franchise. Brooklyn's Finest; his...

"What is high? What is high-er? What is learn? What is learn-ing" Higher Learning was John Singleton's third film about college life on a highly volatile campus; boasting an incredible ensemble cast, poignant storytelling, and a diversified hit...

Kevin Reynolds is a director known for offering up the occasional blockbuster, and his many collaborations with Kevin Costner. In 1988, he created one of the more poignant films about war with his Soviet tank drama, The Beast.

Vietnam. Presidents. Rock stars. Social commentary. Throughout his storied career, filmmaker Oliver Stone has written outstanding scripts, made memorable movies, and won Academy Awards. With this neo-noir crime thriller, he delves into the world of...

It's the annual Christmas episode! This year, Brad and Jeff discuss Nora Ephron's dark Christmas comedy "Mixed Nuts"! It's a wild night of unexpected events taking place at a crisis hotline center with Steve Martin doing his best to control the...

Hot off the back-to-back blockbuster success of Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, rising star Steven Spielberg took a shot at comedy in 1979 with his WWII parody film, 1941. On the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, Brad and Jeff...

The Wachowskis are known for big budget, FX-driven blockbusters. Their directorial debut, Bound, is a small, neo-noir thriller starring several actors at the top of their game. With a new Matrix film about to be released, Brad and Jeff discuss the...

They're back! Five years after the massive success of Ghostbusters, Director Ivan Reitman brought the boys back together to battle the ectoplasmic supernatural in Ghostbusters 2. Brad and Jeff team up with Dee and Jason of the Surely You Can't Be...

Alfred Hitchcock's body of work proves he's the master of suspense! Brad and Jeff discuss his first American film, Rebecca; a gothic romantic thriller. Listen along as they talk about comparison's to a recent episode topic Crimson Peak, their favorite...

Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg's successful career has spanned more than half a century. Regarded as the originator of the body horror genre, his work is known to be strange, cerebral, and limit-pushing for it's visuals and effects. Join us, as...

Guillermo del Toro has a reputation for the fantastical. He's danced with the darker heroes of comics with Blade and Hellboy. He's softened our hearts with oddities in Pan's Labyrinth and his Oscar-winning The Shape of Water. In 2015, del Toro offered...

15 years after Earth, humanity's last hope...is Titan A.E. Don Bluth was Disney royalty before moving on to form his own independent animation company. Brad is joined by special co-host Dayton Johnson to discuss Bluth's ambitious sci-fi fantasy Titan...

Comedy legends Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito team up for an unlikely murder plot in the dark comedy Throw Momma From The Train! Jeff is joined by regular 1986 contributor David Burns to discuss DeVito's feature directorial effort with the memorable...