Behind The Lens

debbie lynn elias

Join noted film critic debbie lynn elias and a line-up of talented co-hosts and informed guests each week as she goes BEHIND THE LENS and below the line with in-depth looks at films and filmmaking with the movers and shakers and up and comers of the industry, along with movie reviews, interviews, box office round-ups, awards, festival coverage, specialty segments like Tech Talk, Legalese and Classic Corner, and more every Monday at 11am PT/2pm ET - only on Adrenaline Radio!

  1. 3d ago

    BEHIND THE LENS #542: Featuring Matt Stuertz

    It's not only the last Monday in October, but it's Halloween week, and that means BEHIND THE LENS is celebrating the holiday with blood and gore and fun. I've had quite a few horror and thriller films this month to pick from for today's show, but I've settled on one that is Bloody Bonkers Brilliance – HUMAN from writer/director/editor/sound mixer MATT STUERTZ. BLOODY BONKERS BRILLIANCE are the three words that perfectly encapsulate the gloriously demented, outrageously entertaining, blood-soaked cinematic insanity that is HUMAN. A frenetic, frenzied, visually dazzling supernatural horror extravaganza that embraces the absurd while remaining grounded in something surprisingly fundamental: the emotions that make us human. And thanks to a balls-to-the-wall performance by Jackie Kelly, cinematography by David Christopher Pitt that would make Technicolor guru Natalie Kalmus rise from her grave demanding a Technicolor credit, some ingenious editing, and a soundscape that alternates between sensory overload and terrifying silence, HUMAN is one helluva ride! HUMAN follows Dani Ferris (Jackie Kelly), who is alone and exhausted past the point of reason. It's past midnight and she's all alone. Away from home. Tired as hell. Not prepared for the roller coaster of emotions she's about to ride front-row. Sleep? Nope. What she wanted is a little tease of digital debauchery before bed. What she's going to get is a blood-drenched supernatural nightmare of horrors and heartbreak as tonight is a night for friends, lovers, enemies, frenemies, little guns, bigger guns, love, hate, life, death, and things a hell of a lot more super than natural. A night Dani will never forget. And neither will he. Tonight, every relationship is a gamble and every hour brings a new threat as Matt Stuertz keeps the pressure rising as Dani rides a roller coaster of emotions she never saw coming. Happy Halloween! http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  2. Oct 19

    BEHIND THE LENS #541: Featuring Josh Loeb

    Introducing you to a new filmmaker this week on BEHIND THE LENS – writer/director JOSH LOEB – who makes his feature film directorial debut IN SPITE OF OURSELVES, after a 20-year stint as a restaurateur! He went to film school, but then pursued a career in food and restaurants – which are still going strong, by the way. And now, in his 40s, he has wended his way back to film with this sweet charmer, IN SPITE OF OURSELVES. As we all know, love comes easy (sometimes) — relationships don't. The film follows Hannah, a determined Portland baker, and Archie, an up-and-coming Los Angeles comedian with a tendency to dodge commitment. What begins as instant, undeniable chemistry turns into two blissful weeks together before real life pulls them in opposite directions. As distance, doubt, and their own messy insecurities take hold, they are forced to confront whether what they shared was fleeting or something worth holding on to. As their relationship develops, they navigate laughter and tears, joy and fear, as each is challenged to show up fully for the other. Archie sets aside career ambitions to care for Hannah, while she learns to trust and embrace support in her own life. Their connection grows in a space both intimate and expansive, revealing the courage it takes to build a bond that is honest, messy, and deeply human. IN SPITE OF OURSELVES stars Conor Leslie and Brett Dier as Hannah and Archie, respectively. But as good as they are, the supporting cast also wows us – Mo Mandel, Alyssa Limperis, Zara Casebere, Britian Seibert, and the wonderful Glenn Morshower. From a production standpoint, Josh has also surrounded himself with top-notch artisans, including DP Gabe Mayhan, editors Diandra Kendall Luzon and Joel Plotch, and composer Jim Fairchild, among others. A sweet and lovely film filled with heartfelt tissue moments, and an engaging interview with writer/director JOSH LOEB make for an irresistible combination. So take a listen as JOSH LOEB talks all things IN SPITE OF OURSELVES. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  3. Oct 12

    BEHIND THE LENS #540: Featuring David Ferino

    As promised, we've got a fun BEHIND THE LENS this week as we explore ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES: ORGANIC INTELLIGENCE with director and editor DAVID FERINO. How many of you have seen any of the ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES movies over the last 50 years? How about the animated series? If you have, then you are probably one of those, like me, who is more than excited over this long-awaited fifth installment in one of cult cinema's most enduring horror-comedy franchises. If you haven't seen any of the TOMATOES films, then you need to start scrolling and streaming right now because they are each a kick in the ass with campy comedic fun with a deliberately outrageous mixture of horror, comedy and social satire. MONDO FABULOCITY is the best way to describe the gloriously ridiculous, outrageously funny, camp-filled cinematic insanity that is ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES: ORGANIC INTELLIGENCE! And yes, "Mondo Fabulocity" is actually a line in the film. One that perfectly encapsulates every deliciously absurd minute of this fifth installment in the beloved cult franchise. The tomatoes are back, they’re bigger, badder, and smarter than ever, and they’re ready to ketchup with the times! http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  4. Oct 5

    BEHIND THE LENS #539: Featuring Renny Harlin

    I've got a terrific BEHIND THE LENS for you this week thanks to the incomparable RENNY HARLIN, who joins me to talk about THE BEAST, his new podcast Harlin House, his next film "Black Tides," which is currently in post-production, and so much more. This is the third time this year that Renny and I have gotten to chat about his "latest" film, in this case, THE BEAST, and as always it is not only an absolute delight, but extremely insightful as well. Although full reviews of THE BEAST are embargoed until this Wednesday, October 7th, with the film opening on Friday, October 9th, needless to say, you'll be hearing a lot in this interview that will give you more than a sense of my thoughts on the film which is, to be blunt, action-packed with nail-biting intensity, and boasting stellar emotional performances from Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman. In all honesty, THE BEAST is one of the best films that Renny has ever done. THE BEAST stars Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman and is directed by Renny Harlin with script by Umair Aleem. A simple premise – When a militia of unidentified hostiles coordinates a coup against the U.S., the president is forced to drive the presidential limousine and unlock the full extent of The Beast's highly classified offensive capabilities to save his injured Secret Service agent, reunite with his wife, and save the world. And yes, Samuel L. Jackson IS the President of the United States. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  5. Sep 28

    BEHIND THE LENS #538: Featuring Delilah Napier, Lucy Powers and Claire Scanlon

    It's a fun show this week on BEHIND THE LENS as we're talking comedy. Laugh-out-loud funny comedy, dark comedy, and screwball comedies, thanks to DELILAH NAPIER and LUCY POWERS and their film FLOATING CAROUSEL, and CLAIRE SCANLON who talks about her fabulously fun screwball comedy, THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS. First up, are DELILAH NAPIER and LUCY POWERS and FLOATING CAROUSEL. FLOATING CAROUSEL is a dark comedy that follows five characters in their 20s. We meet our core five – a Gender Studies masters student, a messy philanderer, an in-denial Sugar Baby, an aspiring cabaret artist, and a professional cuddler – in a web of dystopian dating scenarios in modern-day New York City. The film takes a surreal turn when two of the characters plot an elaborate revenge scheme that inadvertently unleashes an infestation across New York. A humorous and raunchy look at the transactional nature of our modern day relationships – in a time which has been called the "loneliest century." FLOATING CAROUSEL is written, directed, edited and stars Delilah and Lucy, featuring an additional cast of Glori Dei Filippone, Brittany Bradford, Jon Rudnitsky, Reg Rogers, Dylan T. Jackson, and Julian Cihi. The film's cinematographer is Fletcher Wolfe and composer is Anna Dubrich. Switching gears, we're going from dark comedy to balls out screwball comedy thanks to CLAIRE SCANLON and her latest film THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS. Based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Ali Hazelwood, THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS follows Olive (Lili Reinhart), a brilliant Ph.D. candidate focused on her future in academia. But when she realizes her best friend Ahn (Rachel Marsh) has fallen for her crush Jeremy (Nicholas Duvernay), Olive impulsively kisses intimidating professor Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman) to prove she's moved on. What begins as a desperate act of friendship spirals into a fake relationship with rules, boundaries, and a mutually beneficial agreement. When their arrangement begins to blur the lines between performance and reality, Olive is forced to test her most daunting hypothesis yet: that love might actually be worth the risk. Directed by Claire Scanlon and written by Sarah Rothschild based on Ali Hazelwood's best selling novel, THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS stars Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman, together with Rachel Marsh, Nicholas Duvernay, and Jaboukie Young-White. Cinematographer is the fabulous Matthew Clark, with editing done courtesy of Kim Boritz-Brehm and Tia Nolan, with a score by Laura Karpman. A very female centric POV made with a female centric gaze (but for Matthew Clark), and I love it. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  6. Sep 21

    BEHIND THE LENS #537: Featuring Geoffrey Moore

    I am thrilled to bring you this week's BEHIND THE LENS and this week's featured interview because we're talking with Moore. Geoffrey Moore. There is an inevitability to Geoffrey Moore playing a British spy. He knows it. We know it. And when asked whether he had any trepidation about stepping into the role of MI5 agent Hugh in KNIGHTFALL given that his father happened to be Sir Roger Moore, Geoffrey doesn't hesitate. "No. Money is the answer." The laugh, the wit. That sums up Geoffrey Moore. Witty, funny and self-deprecating, Moore is fully aware of the enormous cinematic elephant standing in the room with him—and entirely unwilling to spend the next half hour genuflecting before it. His is a particularly British wit: quick, dry and responsive, catching an idea in midair and tossing it back with an unexpected spin. And you'll hear for yourselves, when the laughter subsides, Geoffrey gets to the more thoughtful truth. As for KNIGHTFALL, there is something wonderfully refreshing about an espionage thriller that remembers the most important weapon in a spy's arsenal is his brain. Lean, character-driven, and refreshingly free of gadgetry and bombast, KNIGHTFALL puts intelligence before action and then makes that action count. Produced by Jonathan Sothcott, director Ben Fortune and writers Robert Dunn, James Smy, and Bob Schultz deliver a grounded British spy thriller in which moves and countermoves matter, relationships carry consequences, and a chessboard proves every bit as important to understanding the film as a gun. And Geoffrey Moore is one part of a very interesting puzzle. One of the most enjoyable and lovely conversations I've had over the decades, I think you'll enjoy this one too. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  7. Sep 14

    BEHIND THE LENS #536: Featuring Padraic McKinley

    Welcome back to another week of BEHIND THE LENS! I was going to air director Scott Waugh's interview on RUNNER starring Owen Wilson and Alan Ritchson today, but given that the review has been out, my interview feature with Scott is also out, and there's so much positive traction on the film already, that I'm switching things up and bringing you PADRAIC "PAT" McKINLEY and his new film THE WEIGHT! What a film! Directed by Pat McKinley and written by Matthew Booi and Shelby Gaines, THE WEIGHT stars Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelic, Avi Nash, Sam Hazeldine, and the oh so adorable Avy Berry. A taut thriller set in Oregon in 1933 during the depths of the Great Depression, THE WEIGHT stars Ethan Hawke as Samuel Murphy, a father torn from his daughter and imprisoned in a brutal work camp where Russell Crowe's corrupt and imposing Warden Clancy offers him a chance at early release: help smuggle gold through miles of unforgiving wilderness. What follows is not merely an adventure or survival story, but a testament to the human spirit and the need for personal freedom, anchored by the gut-wrenching power of a father's love for his daughter. This is the story of an ordinary man in an extraordinary circumstance. There are a lot of new films out right now in theatres and On Demand and On Digital. I just want to put a few of the indie gems on your radar. One is a sweet nostalgic film is AMERICAN SUMMER starring Steve Guttenberg as a 50-something year old guy looking back on his best summer ever. Then there are two bloody horror films for you – FEED which has an interesting juxtaposition of social media influencers and vampires; and GATOR FACE which is oh so fun with real alligators and the "leader" of the gators wearing a to-die-for gator coat and a gator mask that is shaped like a gator snout but strongly resembles a WWI gas mask. For a change of pace, the British spy thriller KNIGHTFALL is now on digital and it stars Ian Ogilvy, Jeanine Sothcott, and none other than Geoffrey Moore (son of 007 Sir Roger Moore). I'll be speaking with Geoffrey on Tuesday. Plus, I'm speaking with the wonderful James Nunn again this week talking about ONE LAST SHOT to close out the "One Shot" trilogy with Scott Adkins. And folks – it is action-packed. And there's so much more already onn the calendar and in the queue! http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  8. Aug 31

    BEHIND THE LENS #535: Featuring Kevin MacDonald

    This week on BEHIND THE LENS, I've got an interesting and fun interview for you as I talk with director KEVIN MACDONALD about his new film, the psychological thriller THE RUNNER. Plus, it will tease you a bit before THE RUNNER releases on September 2nd on Prime Video! Directed by Kevin Macdonald, who you probably best know for The Last King of Scotland or How I Live Now (I also love his work with The Mauritanian and Black Sea), and written by Mark Gibson who has previously brought us the oh-so-fun Snow Dogs and the animated film The Wild, together they bring us THE RUNNER. THE RUNNER stars Gal Gadot as Maia Marten, a sharp, resourceful high-powered lawyer at the pinnacle of London's legal world. She is also a single mother. During her routine morning run, a single phone call shatters her world: her son has been taken. The instructions to get him back are simple and merciless — keep moving, follow every command, and tell no one. Stop, and he dies. Forced to sprint through the city and obey a series of sinister commands, Maia must confront an impossible question: how far will she go to bring her son home? A pulse-pounding psychological thriller set against the backdrop of London's hyper-connected streets, THE RUNNER is a visceral, high-stakes race where every second counts, every choice carries a price, and a mother’s unstoppable love becomes the most dangerous weapon of all. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Join noted film critic debbie lynn elias and a line-up of talented co-hosts and informed guests each week as she goes BEHIND THE LENS and below the line with in-depth looks at films and filmmaking with the movers and shakers and up and comers of the industry, along with movie reviews, interviews, box office round-ups, awards, festival coverage, specialty segments like Tech Talk, Legalese and Classic Corner, and more every Monday at 11am PT/2pm ET - only on Adrenaline Radio!

Information

  • Creator
    debbie lynn elias
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    536
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Elias Entertainment Network
  • Show Website
    Behind The Lens