Behind The Lens

debbie lynn elias
Behind The Lens

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. 12/16/2024

    BEHIND THE LENS #462: Featuring John Corcoran

    If you're a reader, listener, viewer, or follower of BEHIND THE LENS, then you know that this week is a very special show as it's the last show of 2024 AND the last show of the first TEN YEARS of BTL!!! And I think this is a special befitting the occasion thanks to my special guest w/d JOHN CORCORAN talking about his debut short film SKYFOREST, plus my exclusive interview with JACK HUSTON talking all things DAY OF THE FIGHT. We kick off the show with my exclusive interview with writer/director JACK HUSTON discussing his narrative feature directorial debut, DAY OF THE FIGHT. A truly knockout directorial that shows me that as good as Jack is acting onscreen, he's even better as a director and writer behind the lens. Written and directed by JACK HUSTON, DAY OF THE FIGHT boasts a megawatt cast including, among others, Michael Pitt as "Mikey", Ron Perlman as MIkey's trainer and father figure "Stevie", John Magaro as "Father Patrick", Steve Buscemi as Mikey's uncle, and Joe Pesci as Mikey's dad, along with Nicolette Robinson and Cameron Williamson. Then writer/director JOHN CORCORAN joins me live fresh off his West Coast premiere, discussing his directorial debut with the short film/concept film SKYFOREST, a sci-fi thriller that will have you wanting more as soon as it ends. Hard to believe that so much tension and anticipation can be built within 15 short minutes, but John together with his editor Jordan H. Johnson does just that. Truth be told, I didn't want to see this short end!

    1h 38m

  2. 12/09/2024

    BEHIND THE LENS #461: Featuring Simon Phillips and Nico Santucci

    In this week's episode of BEHIND THE LENS we welcomed in the holiday season with our very special BTL friend, SIMON PHILLIPS talking SILENT BITE while giving a big hello to NICO SANTUCCI who makes his feature directorial debut with SAROGETO. Leave it to SIMON PHILLIPS to fill us with the Christmas spirit and get us in the holiday mood with his latest film, SILENT BITE. Written and produced by Simon, with Simon also starring alongside several other talented folks and friends of his, only Simon could come up with a film that melds a bank heist, Christmas, and vampires! This film is so much fun!! And of course, a conversation with Simon is always more fun than a sleigh full of Santas. Listen as we talk SILENT BITE and its inspiration, Simon's secrets to writing this particular film, casting and characters (and what characters they are!), melding Christmas with lusty vampires, the secrets to shooting in snow-filled -20 degree weather, what led him to his first-time feature director Taylor Martin and her team for SILENT BITE, and more. Plus, we get a teensy weensy tidbit about THE MOUSE TRAP: WELCOME TO THE MICKEYVERSE, a sequel to the horror hit THE MOUSE TRAP. And as we bid adieu to Simon, writer/director NICO SANTUCCI joins me in talking about his new film, the exquisitely delicate and moving narrative SAROGETO; a meeting of East meets West philosophies on life, past life, future life, and mortality. An insightful and thoughtful conversation with Nico as we cagily break down the film without giving away spoilers and discuss the cinematography, color palette and lighting, casting and some very specific character requirements, the editing process, a special location Nico was allowed to shoot in, using the beauty of Mother Nature as powerful yet serene and calming element within the film, the beauteous score, and more. A delicate, elegant, and quiet film from a very thoughtful and meticulous filmmaker whom I hope to hear more from in the future.

    1h 15m

  3. 11/25/2024

    BEHIND THE LENS #460: Featuring Khemuni Norodom

    It's Musical Monday on BEHIND THE LENS as we look at two fun new musicals – SPELLBOUND with director VICKY JENSON and 1660 VINE with actor KHEMUNI NORODOM. Yes, musicals! Plus, my mini-review on the amazing BONHOEFFER: PASTOR. SPY. ASSASSIN, and some thoughts on the epic and masterful Roman spectacle GLADIATOR II. First, listen to my exclusive interview with director VICKY JENSON talking about the new animated musical from Netflix – SPELLBOUND. Beautiful animation, thoughtful and entertaining story, fun fun characters, creative and imaginative from beginning to end, and filled with music from the legendary Alan Menken, this is a film – and an interview – not to be missed. At the show's midpoint is actor, musician, and Prince of the Cambodian Royal Family, KHEMUNI "MUNI" NORODOM. He joins me live discussing his new film (and incredible breakout performance) – 1660 VINE. Now streaming on Prime, 1660 VINE is a Broadway-style high-octane energy musical with terrific cinematic elements thanks to director Patricia McGregor and unforgettable songs and performances. Muni is the fish-out-of-water protagonist with dreams of stardom, Danny, who moves from North Carolina to Hollywood and takes up residence at 1660 Vine along with other dreamers, Vloggers, and influencers seeking social media stardom. Talk about a fun and joy-filled conversation! Muni is a delight and his passion for his crafts, music/acting/musical theatre, is undeniable. A wonderful and insightful conversation as Muni talks about his background and the importance of education and training, making the leap into music and acting, the support of his family, the casting experience, insights he discovered about the production process once shooting starts, the fun of taking a cake in the face, working with an ensemble, being choreographed by Paula Abdul, dividing time between music and acting, his creative process and collaborations, and so much more. MUNI NORODOM is one person you want to put on your radar now!

    1h 17m

  4. 11/18/2024

    BEHIND THE LENS #459: Featuring George Nolfi and Andrew Kightlinger

    This week on BEHIND THE LENS it's all about the great outdoors and survival as we take a look at two wonderful films with two fantastic filmmakers as director GEORGE NOLFI discusses ELEVATION and ANDREW KIGHTLINGER talks about LOST ON A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE. First up, is my exclusive interview with director George Nolfi talking about his thrilling action film – ELEVATION. Set in the post-apocalyptic Rocky Mountains, a single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy. Written by John Glenn, Jacob Roman, and Kenny Ryan, ELEVATION stars Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, Maddie Hasson, and Danny Boyd Jr. Shot entirely on location at elevations above 8200 feet and as high as 11500 feet above sea level, this is a nail-biter. Take a listen as George and I discuss the film's structure, visuals, thematic elements, and the importance of shooting in real locations to create an authentic, naturalistic world. Another thrilling adventure comes to us courtesy of Andrew Kightlinger and his latest film, LOST ON A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE. Written by Luke Paradise and based on the book by the same name, the film tells the inspiring story of 12-year-old Donn Fendler, who, while climbing to the top of a famed local mountain, separated from his family by a fast-moving storm, and then had to fight to stay alive during his nine-day adventure lost in the backwoods of Maine. A true story based on the events of 1939, this marked the largest manhunt in the history of Maine up to this point. The local community and state mobilized, with media jumping in as well, to find young Donn. When he finally made it down from the mountain top he was 80 miles from where the family trek had started.

    59 min

  5. 11/11/2024

    BEHIND THE LENS #458: Featuring Colin Cunningham

    It's a wonderful mixed bag this week on BEHIND THE LENS thanks to director TERRY LOANE and his beautiful new film THE LAST RIFLEMAN, and actor COLIN CUNNINGHAM with his scene-stealing performance in HE NEVER LEFT (not to mention his ongoing role in Kevin Costner's "Horizon: An American Saga"). Kicking off the show is the perfect film for this Veteran's Day – THE LAST RIFLEMAN – and my exclusive interview with director TERRY LOANE. Inspired by the true story of WWII UK/Irish Veteran Bernard Jordan, we follow the adventure of Artie Crawford (age 92 3/4). After the death of his wife, he sneaks out of his nursing home and makes his way to France to reunite with his brothers-in-arms and honor the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. Starring Pierce Brosnan as Artie along with John Amos in one of his final performances as a US veteran, and Jürgen Prochnow as a veteran of the Nazi war machine, there is plenty of emotionality in this film that is balanced with a light visual tone. Then, he's baaaaack! That's right, the wonderful COLIN CUNNINGHAM returns to #BTLRadioShow talking about his latest performance in the slasher/serial killer/thriller HE NEVER LEFT, something very very different from his other performances as well as "The Little Pink House" which we spoke about with his last BTL appearance. A blood-soaked adventure to be sure, HE NEVER LEFT is chilling and Colin's performance is explosively over-the-top with anxious freneticism as well as a wonderful character arc filled with growth and redemption. And no surprise here, I Colin also discusses his role in multiple chapters of Kevin Costner's "Horizon: An American Saga" as he dives into Costner's directorial style and the beauty and meaning of the unfolding story of the American West.

    1h 14m

  6. 11/04/2024

    BEHIND THE LENS #457: Featuring Anthony Repinkski

    What a BEHIND THE LENS we've got for you with this episode as we take a look at two films as different as night and day thanks to writer/director ANTHONY REPINSKI and his film, HEATHER; plus, XAQUE GRUBER talks about the fabulous SALLYWOOD! Joining me at the top of the show is writer/director ANTHONY REPINSKI to discuss his new horror film, HEATHER. Brutal, and graphic but with a fascinating character study unfolding, it is impossible to look away no matter what unfolds onscreen. An interesting conversation with Tony as he talks about going from multiple tours of military duty in the Middle East to filmmaking, his love of storytelling, the genesis of HEATHER and the importance of the film's themes on bullying and beyond, working in a contained environment on a limited budget, having a strong production team, and more. Then get ready for the indefatigable and exuberant writer/director XAQUE GRUBER and SALLYWOOD. (Due to logistics on Xaque's end, although we had hoped to do this live, we prerecorded this interview on Halloween to air today.) Starring none other than Sally Kirkland as Sally Kirkland, this laugh-out-loud comedy is everything you could hope for from Sally Kirkland and more. Based on Xaque's true life experience as Sally's assistant, get ready for fun, silliness, lots of cameos, and more. SALLYWOOD is Sally! And Xaque breaks it all down for us in this fun-filled interview as he dives into the logistics of the production, working around Covid restrictions, the importance of color and visual tone in the film, casting (some amazing fun cameos), and more! A film that's sweet, brilliant fun with a filmmaker to match!

    1h 22m

  7. 10/28/2024

    BEHIND THE LENS #456: Featuring Jane Clark

    It's a fun Halloween week on BEHIND THE LENS thanks to our special guest JANE CLARK and her new film WITCHY WAYS; plus my exclusive interview with ROEL REINE discussing CLASSIFIED. Kicking off the show is my exclusive interview with director/DP/composer ROEL REINE disclosing all the secrets about making his new film, the action thriller CLASSIFIED starring Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin and Tim Roth. Written by Bob DeRosa, the script is tight, the plot has some original elements in the hitman genre, first-rate performances, superb action, and the location of Malta is glorious. Then writer/director JANE CLARK joins me talking about her magically enchanting new film WITCHY WAYS! My regular readers and listeners may remember Jane from prior appearances on #BTLRadioShow talking about the fantastically fun and funny "Crazy Bitches", the movie and the tv series! I love WITCHY WAYS and Jane and I have the best conversation here as she breaks down her filmmaking process from script to screen with WITCHY WAYS – finding a shooting location, writing for the specific location, themes, research into the "witch community" and its customs, practices, and spells, casting, production logistics and overcoming the perils of Mother Nature, working with her cinematographer, score and needledrops, some lovely witchy visual effects, and so much more. A perfect way to welcome in Halloween!

    1h 30m

  8. 10/21/2024

    BEHIND THE LENS #455: Featuring Vivian Kerr, Renny Grames and Boston McConnaughey

    With Halloween fast approaching, we keep the spooky going this week on BEHIND THE LENS and toss in some alien fun too, thanks to VIVIAN KERR and her new film, SEANCE, and RENNY GRAMES & BOSTON McCONNAUGHEY with their fun-filled alien encounter, ALIEN COUNTRY. Writer/director/actor VIVIAN KERR is kicking off the show and discussing her psychological thriller SEANCE. With only four actors, Scottie Thompson (who dazzles in period work), Connor Paolo, Jilon Van Over, and Kerr herself, this tightly knit ensemble shines in this tightly scripted and lensed story. A beautiful period piece set in 1892, Vivien dives into the genesis of the story and the making of the film discussing everything from locations and finding homes built in the 1890s that are still period-perfect, to Johanna Coelmo's lighting and lensing, the bulk of which is shot at night making beautiful use of negative space and candlelight, to Nina Fuller's gorgeous costuming... And then the dynamic duo of writer/actor RENNY GRAMES and writer/director BOSTON McCONNAUGHEY join me in talking about their fun-filled comedy ALIEN COUNTRY. I don't know about you, but how can you not love a film with an alien named Ben AND demolition derby! A fun aspect of this conversation is not just Boston's inspiration for the story (and its 2500 shots!), but the discussion on the film's practical creature creation with VFX/CGI meld, and the intensity of the action.

    1h 9m
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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 - 2024
  • Episodes
    458
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Elias Entertainment Network
  • Show Website
    Behind The Lens

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