253 episodes

Are you interested in how movies are made? Do you wonder how a film went from conception to completion? If so Verbal Diorama, hosted by Em, is the podcast for you!

Movies are tough to make, and Verbal Diorama is here to celebrate the coming together of teams of extraordinary cast and crew, bringing us movies that inspire us, delight us, make us laugh, make us cry and frighten us. This podcast discovers the stories behind the scenes, and proves how amazing it is that movies actually exist!

Welcome to Verbal Diorama. The podcast all about the history and legacy of movies you know, and movies you don't! Subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and enjoy new episodes every week.

Verbal Diorama Verbal Diorama

    • TV & Film
    • 4.7 • 57 Ratings

Are you interested in how movies are made? Do you wonder how a film went from conception to completion? If so Verbal Diorama, hosted by Em, is the podcast for you!

Movies are tough to make, and Verbal Diorama is here to celebrate the coming together of teams of extraordinary cast and crew, bringing us movies that inspire us, delight us, make us laugh, make us cry and frighten us. This podcast discovers the stories behind the scenes, and proves how amazing it is that movies actually exist!

Welcome to Verbal Diorama. The podcast all about the history and legacy of movies you know, and movies you don't! Subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and enjoy new episodes every week.

    The Flintstones (1994)

    The Flintstones (1994)

    64 years ago, The Flintstones became the first ever animated prime time sitcom in the US, and 30 years ago, the live-action film was released.
    A live action adaptation of The Flintstones first came about in 1985, but it wouldn't be 'til Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment acquired the rights in 1992 that the project started moving forward, but by that point eight writers had already had a crack at the script...
    Once Spielberg, and mega fan director Brian Levant, got involved, many more writers would have a pass, but only three would ever be credited for their work after the Writer's Guild of America got involved.
    Credit to the team of writers behind The Flintstones...
    Steven E. de SouzaDaniel GoldinJoshua GoldinPeter Martin WortmannRobert ConteMitch MarkowitzJeffrey RenoRon OsbourneMichael J. WilsonJim JenneweinTom S. ParkerGary RossAl AidekmanCindy BegelLloyd GarverDavid SilvermanStephen SustarsicNancy SteenNeil ThompsonBrian LevantRob DamesLenny RippsFred Fox Jr.Dava SavelLon DiamondDavid RichardsonRoy TeicherRichard GurmanMichael J. DigaetanoRuth BennettLowell GanzBabaloo Mandel
    That's 32 writers. 29 of which never received credit.
    This movie has incredible production design, set design, costumes, puppet work and casting. It does not deserve to be as derided as it is. Let's celebrate The Flintstones! Yabba dabba doo!
    I would love to hear your thoughts on The Flintstones (1994) !
    CONTACT....
    Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.com
    SUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....
    Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review
    Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch
    ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA
    Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.
    Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio
    Patrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!

    • 44 min
    Shakespeare in Love

    Shakespeare in Love

    The history and legacy of Shakespeare in Love is long-winded and complicated, but how is it that a movie can be wholly and completely tarnished by one man?
    I don't know. It's a mystery.
    From its beginnings as a project for Universal starring Julia Roberts, to it being shut down after spending $6 million and losing Julia Roberts, to being resurrected in the worst possible way by actual real-life villain Harvey Weinstein; the story of Shakespeare in Love has comedy, romance and tragedy, just like an actual Shakespeare play.
    Nowadays its mostly known as being the "unworthy" winner of the Best Picture Academy Award in 1999, beating Saving Private Ryan, in an unprecedented marketing and bad-mouthing campaign that changed awards season.
    Was Saving Private Ryan really "robbed" of its Best Picture Oscar? Or were more Academy voters just charmed by a period romantic comedy than a war epic that year? I guess we'll never truly know the answer, other than it ends as stories must when love's denied; with tears and a journey.
    I would love to hear your thoughts on Shakespeare in Love !
    CONTACT....
    Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.com
    SUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....
    Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review
    Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch
    ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA
    Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.
    Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio
    Patrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and BRAND-NEW PATRON Russell!

    • 52 min
    Van Helsing (2004)

    Van Helsing (2004)

    After making The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, Stephen Sommers wanted to make a small movie; no monsters, no action, no visual effects, just something simple, but then he started thinking about all the Universal monster movies he loved as a child, and came up with a collective story of three monsters, connected by one man - Van Helsing - but not the Abraham Van Helsing you knew....
    Gabriel Van Helsing would be serving alongside Dracula with the Knights of the Holy Order before having to kill him. He would ask for his memories to be removed to purge himself of his sins, and end up walking the Earth for 400 years with no memories and end up at the Vatican. Hugh Jackman, fresh from playing Wolverine in X-Men, would be Van Helsing, and when Universal realised what they had, thoughts of a franchise appeared in front of them...
    It would be Universal's Dark Universe, before Universal's Dark Universe....
    I would love to hear your thoughts on Van Helsing (2004) !
    CONTACT....
    Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.com
    SUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....
    Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review
    Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch
    ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA
    Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.
    Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio
    Patrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean and Ryno!

    • 42 min
    Back to the Future

    Back to the Future

    Great Scott, it’s the 250th episode! Where we’re going, we don’t need roads, and if my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to get the history and legacy of Back to the Future! It's a story of how Romancing the Stone, Coca-Cola's takeover of Columbia and Double Indemnity came together to make Back to the Future a possibility.
    Back in the days when Ronald Reagan, the actor! was president and you needed a nuclear reaction to generation 1.21 jigowatts of electricity to power a DeLorean, a young man called Calvin Klein changed the course of his own personal history by going back to 1955, meeting his parents and technically then accidentally dating his own mother; jeopardising his future in the process.
    I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet, but your kids are gonna love it. It’s your density to listen. So, make like a tree, and get outta here.... pop your 1980's headphones on, turn up the volume and listen to this!
    I would love to hear your thoughts on Back to the Future ! THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR 250 EPISODES!
    CONTACT....
    Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.com
    SUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....
    Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review
    Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch
    ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA
    Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.
    Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio
    Patrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos and Sean!

    • 1 hr 7 min
    Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) & Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003)

    Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) & Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003)

    In 1993, before they were acquired by Eidos, a little games developer in Derby called Core Design were working on their new action adventure game. It was an Indiana Jones-style 3D platformer; revolutionary for its time, and not just because of the immense 3D world and cleverly designed levels, but the protagonist was a woman.
    Her name was Lara Croft, and the game was Tomb Raider.
    In the mid-90s, Lara Croft became a virtual celebrity, and while Eidos demanded more and more Tomb Raider games, the wheels were in motion to give Lara the cinematic outings she deserved.
    Lara Croft: Tomb Raider had a revolving door of writers, and a special clause in the contract between Eidos and Paramount, which meant production had to start, and start quickly. Director Simon West only wanted Angelina Jolie for the main role, and ended up putting together a two-hour plus first cut. The problem was, Paramount hated it, ended up firing West and getting in one of Hollywood's most famous fixers to save the movie...
    Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life was the opportunity to fix the mistakes of the previous movie. Angelina Jolie had refused to return unless Lara was more well-rounded, so Lara was given more personality, more character and more stakes. The budget would be smaller, but the director would be a coup - Jan de Bont. This time there was one writer, a lead actress who was happier with the direction of her character, and no issues with editing, however the experience would lead to Jan de Bont retiring from directing...
    I would love to hear your thoughts on Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) & Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003) !
    CONTACT....
    Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.com
    SUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....
    Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review
    Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch
    ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA
    Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.
    Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio
    Patrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos and Sean!

    • 53 min
    Fighting with My Family

    Fighting with My Family

    Sport biopics are usually only reserved for well known big-name sportspeople from yesteryear - people like Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, James Hunt and Niki Lauda, or stories based in reality with fictional characters.
    What makes Fighting with My Family, and Paige’s story so different, is that not only did she achieve the WWE Divas Champion at the tender age of 21, she also won that title just ten years ago, and she comes from a working class family from Norwich, that had just so happened to be the feature of a Channel 4 documentary in 2012. Women’s sporting achievements are rarely commended or highlighted in Hollywood, but working class women’s sporting achievements are less so.
    A meeting with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson just before winning the Divas title in 2014 would change everything for Paige. Not only would she take the title from AJ Lee, but Johnson had seen the documentary, related to her story, and told her that very day that he wanted to make a movie of her incredible story.
    Fighting with My Family perfectly captures the spirit of a family brought together by wrestling, and you'll find something to love whether you're a wrestling fan or not. Ironically, it was the wrestling that made it such a hard sell to studios in the first place...
    I would love to hear your thoughts on Fighting with My Family !
    CONTACT....
    Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.com
    SUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....
    Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review
    Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch
    ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA
    Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.
    Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio
    Patrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos and Sean!

    • 43 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
57 Ratings

57 Ratings

Swayze of Arabia ,

Perfect podcast

This podcast is perfect, it’s well researched and Em is a wonderful host who clearly loves movies and wants to inform people about the history of movies we know and movies we don’t, plus who doesn’t love an obligatory Keanu reference?

JayTrotter2 ,

Great show

Em is a great host who does an excellent job running down film history. Informative and fun, this is a great pod for any film buff out there.

Neil B Johnson ,

Delightful

A delight to behold and listen to. The podcast host is perky and will always cheer you up. She is well researched, professional and concise. And friendly. One of my top 10 Podcasts!!!

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