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WHAT WENT WRONG
Lawrence of Arabia
David Lean's ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made… but behind the sweeping desert vistas was a production as brutal and unpredictable as the landscape itself.
This week, Chris and Lizzie break down how a script that was never truly finished—thanks in part to one of its screenwriters landing in jail—left the film constantly evolving even as cameras rolled. Discover why Omar Sharif was a last minute replacement, and why both Sharif and Peter O’Toole were forced to perform their own dangerous stunts on camels that were as temperamental as they were painful to ride.
While ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ cemented David Lean's place in cinematic history, it also played a major role in shaping how the world understands the real T.E. Lawrence — for better and for worse.
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Labyrinth
01:25:55|How did the Star Man, the Star Wars Man, and the Muppet Man come together to make the seminal 1986 oddity, Labyrinth? Join Chris and Lizzie as they get lost in the experimental mind of Jim Henson, young Jennifer Connelly's dispassion for acting, and the remarkable juggling of David Bowie's (crystal) balls.*CORRECTION: Terry Jones was Welsh, not English.
American History X
01:17:02|'American History X' was a tough sell on paper, though that didn't stop up-and-coming star Edward Norton from fighting for it. But what started as a promising collaboration between Norton and first-time director Tony Kaye would soon explode into one of the most infamous behind-the-scenes battles in movie history.This week, Chris and Lizzie break down how tensions that started brewing on set spiraled into an all out war in post-production. Discover how Kaye got completely shut out of the edit, and find out why he decided to spend $100K of his own money to retaliate... in public.
'WWW' on 'No Such Thing': Why Are There so Many Twin Films?
46:45|On this week's episode, the boys chat with Chris and Lizzie, the hosts of the What Went Wrong podcast about why Hollywood produces so many "twin films," movies that have very similar concepts and that release within a year of each other. They also debate whether A Bug's Life or ANTZ is the better movie, and talk through some controversial Hollywood development rumors.
Seven Samurai
01:21:41|A Kubrickian schedule! Two months of shooting in the mud! Roundworm, tuberculosis, and mass-method acting! What are the building blocks of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 classic jidaigeki film, Seven Samurai? Chris and Lizzie learn of Kurosawa's battles with censors (Japanese and American), studios, and his own personal demons. Plus, how the score went from the wastebasket to the silver screen, how Toshiro Mifune saved the film from a self-serious tone, and how a request for 10 days off can lead to a two year stay at your director's house.*This episode was made possible by the incredible support of Patrons like Blaise Ambrose!
Forrest Gump
01:23:35|‘Forrest Gump’ became one of the biggest hits of the ’90s—but it was never a sure thing. What started as a seemingly unadaptable novel bounced through multiple directors, screenwriters, and studios before it finally found the team that could bring it to life.This week, Chris and Lizzie break down how Robert Zemeckis pulled off the film’s groundbreaking visual effects, why the first three days of Tom Hanks’ performance were thrown in the trash, and the unexpected source behind Forrest’s now-iconic accent.
Casablanca
01:32:29|This week, everybody comes to Rick's! Chris and Lizzie head to French Morocco for a deep dive on Casablanca, the movie that no one believed in and everyone wanted credit for. Learn how a notoriously tough director (Michael Curtiz), a freshly minted producer (Hal Wallis), a frustrated starlet (Ingrid Bergman), and a truly international cast brought this Hollywood classic from an unproduced play to the silver screen in mere months.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
01:21:00|'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' was supposed to launch a franchise... Instead, it was a production so toxic it ended a legendary career—and shoved one of the most influential comic writers of all time into a legal nightmare. This week, Chris and Lizzie break down how 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' collapsed under the weight of ego, chaos, and truly terrible luck. From devastating floods that destroyed entire sets to a power struggle between director Stephen Norrington and star Sean Connery that nearly turned physical, 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' was doomed from the start.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
01:29:31|Were Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman star-crossed lovers or creatively cursed? This week, Chris & Lizzie plumb the memories of all involved in the 2004 sci-fi hit, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a movie Charlie Kaufman tried endlessly to break up with. Plus, Gondry and Jim Carrey's loveless marriage, how Kate Winslet set the tone, and Mark Ruffalo and Tom Wilkinson's wildly different reactions to the on set vibes.