Behind The Lens

debbie lynn elias
  • 5.0 (6)
  • TV & Film
  • Updated Biweekly

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. 5d ago

    BEHIND THE LENS #534: Featuring Alicia MacDonald and Casper Kelly

    It's a fun show this week on BEHIND THE LENS thanks to director ALICIA MacDONALD talking about her new film opening on Friday, FINDING EMILY, and writer/director CASPER KELLY discussing his new film BUDDY, which also opens in theatres this Friday! First up, we're going to Manchester, England with FINDING EMILY. Directed by Alicia MacDonald and written by Rachel Hirons, FINDING EMILY is the story of a lovesick musician named Owen who is given the wrong number for his dream girl, "Emily", which leads him to team up with a driven psychology student from the United States, Emily Raine, to find her. Together, they spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way. Side note for all of you – there are 40,000 students at the University. 318 are named Emily… plus some non-students also named Emily. And Owen's ideas for finding "the right Emily" bring on all sorts of hilarity and heart. Shifting gears, get ready for a fun-filled look into the world of BUDDY courtesy of writer/director CASPER KELLY. I had so much fun watching this film and speaking with Casper about it. BUDDY is very cool. Fresh. Original. A novel idea! So, who is BUDDY? Well, BUDDY is a bright orange unicorn and star of the fictional classic childrens' television show who brought joy and life lessons into your living room. And Casper takes us inside the world of "It's Buddy!" where we meet a group of children who spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness, while learning important life lessons. But what happens when one child refuses to play along, displeasing and angering Buddy? http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  2. Aug 17

    BEHIND THE LENS #533: Featuring Ben Gregor

    I'm very excited to bring you this week's BEHIND THE LENS Radio Show and my exclusive conversation with director BEN GREGOR talking about THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE, a film, like the book on which it’s based, that keeps the child inside of us alive with fun and fantasy and good storytelling that speaks to family, imagination, and risk that is a shared language to us all. I've been under embargo on this one until today, and I'm so happy I can bring you this fun and interesting interview. Adapted from Enid Blyton's beloved classic novel THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE, the film centers on Polly, Tim, and their three children – Fran, Beth, and Joe – a modern family forced to relocate to the remote and rustic English countryside due to financial difficulties. As they adapt to their new lives with no electricity and no wifi and none of the modern conveniences they were used to, the children discover a magical tree and its extraordinary and eccentric residents, including treasured characters Moonface, Silky, Dame Washalot, Saucepan Man, Mr. Watzisname and Oom Boom Boom. At the top of the tree, they are transported to spectacular, fantastical lands like the Land of Goodies, the Land of Birthdays, the Land of Back to Front, the Land of Knowalls, and through the joys and challenges of their adventures, the family learns to reconnect and value each other for the first time in years. Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby based on Enid Blyton's novel of the same name, THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE stars Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Nonso Anozie, Nicola Coughlan, Jessica Gunning, Jennifer Saunders, Rebecca Ferguson, Dustin Demri-Burns, Oliver Chris, Mark Heap, and more. The real magic and wonder and fun of THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE comes courtesy of the incredible crafts artisans who bring the worlds of THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE to life – cinematographer Zac Nicholson, editor Gary Dollner, production designer Alexandra Walker, art directors Janet Harwood, Hannah Moseley and Jo Riddell, composer Isabella Summers, and costume designer Ann Maskrey whose work here is truly award-worthy. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  3. Aug 10

    BEHIND THE LENS #532: Featuring Reed Arnold

    Sorry we didn't have a BEHIND THE LENS show for you last week due to unforeseen circumstances, but I'm back this week with a fun interview with a very affable, engaging, funny, and talented director, writer, and actor REED ARNOLD as we talk about his feature directorial debut DO US PART. A fun, fun rom com, filled with a lot of heart, terrific performances, and some great physical comedy, DO US PART is the perfect relaxing summer entertainment. On what should be the happiest day of his life, Ryan's wedding is thrown into chaos when Rose, his best friend from college—and the woman who has secretly loved him for years—arrives uninvited, determined to finally tell him how she feels. As old emotions resurface, Ryan's best man, Mark, finds himself scrambling to keep a web of long-buried secrets from detonating before the couple can say "I do." Starring Travis Laughlin as our groom Ryan, Reed Arnold as Ryan's best man and long time best friend Mark, and Kelly Russo as Rose, the third prong in this collegial friendship, the dynamic between the three is seamless, palpable, and beyond believable. But beyond that, their individual and collective acting talents with comedic timing – both in dialogue and physical comedy – is superb. As I told Reed, Kelly has shades of Lucille Ball in her performance as Rose. So, take a listen and enjoy the fun and insight from writer/director/actor REED ARNOLD into DO US PART. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  4. Jul 27

    BEHIND THE LENS #531: Featuring Jesse V. Johnson

    It's finally here! It's SHARK WEEK 2026! And who doesn't love SHARK WEEK? I know I do! To celebrate this time-honored tradition, this week we're talking sharks and shark movies with director JESSE V. JOHNSON and his new film ABOVE & BELOW. A basic premise, but one that has tension reigning supreme above the water and danger lurking below, in ABOVE & BELOW, during a Mexican shark dive, five friends are ambushed after discovering cartel cocaine. Trapped in a shark cage, Tatiana and Kaley are forced by the cartel to retrieve a bag of drugs on the seafloor. Battling legendary Great White sharks, dwindling air, and armed killers, the survivors mount a brutal fight to outsmart their captors and escape. Directed by Jesse Johnson with script by Anthony Giordano, ABOVE & BELOW stars Antonio Banderas, Laura Marano, Louis Mandylor, Jess Liaudin, Timothy V. Murphy, Christina Ochoa, Donncha Tynan, Ryan Bertroche, and Diego Llinas, while the team behind the lens includes one of my fave cinematographers Maxime Alexandre, editor Matthew Lorentz, and composer Maria Vertiz. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  5. Jul 20

    BEHIND THE LENS #530: Featuring Eric Owen

    Get ready for a fun interview today on BEHIND THE LENS as I talk with writer/director and composer ERIC OWEN about his latest film IN A COLD VEIN. While we dig into the making of IN A COLD VEIN, we also have a lot of fun talking cats, duct tape, and blood. And my regular readers and listeners know how much I love talking duct tape and excessive use of blood in films. IN A COLD VEIN is Eric's sophomore directorial following his debut feature in 2023, THIRST. I'll tell you right now, I see growth in his filmmaking with IN A COLD VEIN, notably with the technical elements and using the tools in the toolbox. IN A COLD VEIN has a very simple plot – Dean is kidnapped and left for dead. Who kidnapped him, how, and why are the questions that unfold as the story progresses. Desperation takes hold as Dean unleashes a firestorm of vengeance to find his 9-year-old son, who is missing. But the truth behind the conspiracy is a shocking betrayal that may cost him everything. Written and directed by Eric Owen, IN A COLD VEIN stars, among others, Evan Gamble as Dean, Brian Villalobos and P. Michael Hayes as kidnappers Phil and Steve, Marc Pouhe, Mor Cohen, Cliff Dean, and Steve Brudniak as a trucker named Chuck. On the production side, Josh Taylor delivers on lighting and lensing while Samantha McDanel builds tension and suspense with the film's editing. Nihar Gagneja dazzles with the film's sound design and mix with a celebration of silence. And as mentioned, Eric is also the film's composer. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  6. Jul 13

    BEHIND THE LENS #529: Featuring Britt Bankhead

    A new filmmaker for you today on BEHIND THE LENS! BRITT BANKHEAD – director, co-writer, producer, and lead actor joins me talking about his narrative feature directorial debut, THE TOWN THAT TAKES. How many of you remember some of your elementary school lessons about the early settlers of the colonies? I know I do, and so does Britt, and he is bringing us an interesting and entertaining film that blends the legend of CROATOAN with a present-day mystery-horror film that focuses on those 115 settlers in Roanoke, Virginia, who went missing in the 1500s. Inspired by CROATOAN, the only clue left behind following the disappearance of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, the film transforms one of America's most enduring unsolved mysteries into a chilling blend of Southern Gothic atmosphere, investigative suspense, a whodunnit, and supernatural terror, and lots of old-school action. For generations, historians, researchers, authors, and paranormal enthusiasts have searched for answers surrounding the disappearance of the Roanoke colonists. Science and documents have shown what theoretically happened, but with no definitive explanation ever discovered, the event remains one of the most debated mysteries in American history. The only clue left behind was a single word in Algonquin: CROATOAN. The official synopsis for THE TOWN THAT TAKES is that this is the story of Dean Richardson, a troubled Army veteran living alone in Georgia, who travels to North Carolina following the sudden death of his ex-wife. After the funeral, he brings his estranged twelve-year-old son, Wyatt, home with him in hopes of rebuilding their fractured relationship. Directed by Britt Bankhead, and written by Bankhead and Jon Blaze, THE TOWN THAT TAKES stars Bankhead as Dean Richardson, Miles Mussenden and Grace Patterson as Detectives O'Shea and St. Claire, respectively, Nico Tirozzi as young Wyatt (and he is fantastic), and Mike Markoff as Officer Adams. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  7. Jul 6

    BEHIND THE LENS #528: Featuring Anthony Frith

    It's another entertaining and enlightening episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to co-writer/director ANTHONY FRITH and his documentary MOCKBUSTER. Now, MOCKBUSTER isn't your typical documentary. This is a documentary directed by Anthony Frith concurrently with his directing of an Asylum Studios B-movie classic, THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT. I know you know The Asylum, the studio responsible for the SHARKNADO franchise and a few hundred other glorious B-movie genre gems that inevitably revolve around sharks, aliens, dinosaurs, Nazis, Russians, nukes, bad accents, vampires, zombies, and generally a take-off on known blockbusters by altering titles and scripts ever so slightly into what have become known as "Mockbusters." Enter Australian filmmaker ANTHONY FRITH. Anthony has an interesting background but has primarily made a living making corporate video shorts and PSAs like "how to grieve" video manuals, but has long dreamed of directing a feature film. One day, the light bulb went off, and he got the idea to reach out to The Asylum, asking to direct a film. As luck would have it, The Asylum had a movie for him to direct – THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT. Terrific! But, Anthony has to adhere to The Asylum model – 6 days to film, there is no script yet, and we want it shot in Australia. Okay! But Anthony took things a step further. He saw comedic potential in documenting the process of making a film for The Asylum and spoke with David Latt, CEO and Head of Production, about his idea to shoot a documentary of the making of THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT while he was shooting THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT. Needless to say, Latt loved the idea and said go for it, which meant Anthony would be directing two films simultaneously – a documentary and a narrative, with the documentary capturing the entire Asylum process of B-movie filmmaking. Thus, MOCKBUSTER was born. MOCKBUSTER is a scream! And this conversation with Anthony is almost too much fun as Anthony and I dive into the logistics and challenges of directing two films concurrently. THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT was financed entirely by The Asylum, while it was left to Anthony and his documentary producers to find financing for MOCKBUSTER. As you will hear, Anthony makes it clear that the two productions maintained separate budgets and did not overlap financially. They also had separate crews. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

  8. Jul 1

    BEHIND THE LENS #527: Featuring Josh Dragotta and Doug "Fini" Finical

    Surprise! It's a bonus episode of BEHIND THE LENS! So many terrific interviews of late with some very energetic and enthusiastic filmmakers, and all rather lengthy, that I can't fit them all in on our weekly Monday show. And because of the fun and enthusiasm of these filmmakers, I want you to hear and enjoy that enthusiasm rather than read a written feature. So you're getting some bonus episodes, and this is one of them as I chat with director and editor JOSH DRAGOTTA and Tiki mug collector and film subject DOUG "FINI" FINICAL about the documentary CABALI AND THE TIKI MUG OBSESSION. CABALI made its Los Angeles premiere at Dances With Films last month. What a fun, fun film and what passionate and engaging guys. I, for one, have always admired the artistry of tiki mugs, but until this film, never knew the history of the Tiki culture. CABALI AND THE TIKI MUG OBSESSION fills that void as it examines the history, artistry, and resurgence of Tiki culture through the collectors, artists, and enthusiasts who helped preserve it during a period when much of the culture was disappearing. And did you know that the Tiki culture, as it's called, started right outside of LA in Venice, California? Directed by JOSH DRAGOTTA who is a veteran editor specializing in commercial production, trailers and documentaries, along with editing on projects tied to La La Land, Bullet Train, Severance, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians, CABALI marks his feature directorial debut. Focusing on the evolution of Tiki mug collecting from a niche hobby into a worldwide community rooted in design, craftsmanship, nostalgia, and preservation, the film also follows Doug "Fini" Finical, a longtime Tiki collector whose extensive collection of over 1000 Tiki mugs inspired the creation of Cabali, a modern speakeasy-style Tiki bar in Oro Valley, Arizona. 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
    528
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Elias Entertainment Network
  • Show Website
    Behind The Lens