Behind The Lens

This week on BEHIND THE LENS, it's all about tension and terror, blood and brutality with writer/director ANTON SIGURDSSON's psychological thriller/mystery, REFUGE. Four estranged friends reunite on a fishing trip, but a missing child and a desperate father's accusation turn the reunion into a deadly reckoning. Brutal, bloody…..lots of duct tape involved. Terror-filled. A twisted ending that will probably surprise most. Written and directed by Icelandic filmmaker ANTON SIGURDSSON, REFUGE boasts a wonderful cast of Adam Sinclair (Sam), Adam Dorsey (Mike), Donald Paul (Barry), and Christopher Dietrick (Jay). Behind the lens, we have high storytelling production values thanks to cinematographer Gunnar Audum Johansson and editor Sharif M.Es. Ali, amazing production designer Jarrett Staaf, and a score by Yu Miyashita. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

This week on BEHIND THE LENS it's all about "To See or Not To See", and after hearing today's exclusive interviews with BEN WHEATLEY discussing NORMAL and ANEIL KARIA talking all things HAMLET, I think you'll agree that the answer will easily be – Must See. Both of these films are fresh and fantastic, from story to performances to production values. First up today is director ANEIL KARIA talking about HAMLET starring Riz Ahmed. It takes guts to handle Shakespeare and adapt and reimagine, but director Aneil Karia did an amazing job with HAMLET. One of the most interesting aspects of the film comes courtesy of Michael Lesslie's screenplay. Michael did a wonderful job adapting "Macbeth" for director Justin Kurzel, and once again delivers a Shakespearean adaptation that is relatable and attainable for today's audience with HAMLET. Switching gears and genres, we head to the small town of NORMAL with director BEN WHEATLEY. I love Ben Wheatley's work, be it Hig

As promised, this week on BEHIND THE LENS we're talking about the religious-themed, historical drama A GREAT AWAKENING. Brought to us by director/co-writer Joshua Enck and those terrific folks at Sight & Sound, A GREAT AWAKENING tells the true story of an unlikely friendship between Reverend George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin that resulted in one of the most defining moments in American history – the American Revolution. The film is enlightening, eye-opening, engrossing, and entertaining. It is visually and emotionally immersive. With the colonies on the brink of collapse in 1739, the Reverend George Whitefield sparked the first Great Awakening, uniting an entire generation with his thundering proclamation of liberty in Christ. In a miraculous turn of events, one of Whitefield's closest friends and greatest promoters becomes none other than Benjamin Franklin. With the nation's freedom hanging in the balance, Franklin discovers true liberty cannot only be written into law – it mus

Sorry that I missed all of you last week with BEHIND THE LENS, but I had no voice. And you all know how catastrophic that is when I cannot talk and sound worse than a Budweiser bullfrog. So my apologies. But it's a new week, and I've got a working voice and working internet, so let's take a look at a film and filmmaker that just blew me away – OUR HERO, BALTHAZAR and co-writer/director OSCAR BOYSON. OUR HERO BALTHAZAR marks Oscar's feature directorial debut, but it is certainly not his first time in the cinematic rodeo given his prior directing experience with some episodics and shorts, but also serving as a producer on films like UNCUT GEMS and FRANCES HA, as well as working his way through the various components of filmmaking, including sound recording, editing, production design, and more, giving him a nice grounding for a feature directorial experience. OUR HERO, BALTHAZAR is a brilliant directorial calling card for Oscar. Co-written by Oscar with Ricky Camilleri, OUR HERO, BALTHA

It's post-Oscar Monday on BEHIND THE LENS and most of Hollywood is probably still recuperating from a night of celebration. Some big winners last evening, notably ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, SINNERS, and KPOP DEMON HUNTERS, and you'll hear me talk about the evening with the good, the bad, and, to borrow from Sigourney Weaver, the adorable. But on #BTLRadioShow, we're looking ahead with films that could be in contention for the 99th Academy Awards next year, namely COLD STORAGE and screenwriter DAVID KOEPP, and DO NOT ENTER and director MARC KLASFELD. First up is screenwriter – and also author – David Koepp talking about his sci-fi thriller COLD STORAGE. You all know who David is. He's the screenwriter behind Jurassic Park, Stir of Echoes, The Mummy, several Indiana Jones movies, Zathura, Death Becomes Her, Carlito's Way, and so many more. Some are original scripts. Many are adaptations of books or novellas from authors like Michael Crichton and Stephen King. But now, with COLD S

I love this week's BEHIND THE LENS, and my interview with writer/director PAUL BOYD talking about his new film SCARED TO DEATH. In this exclusive conversation, Paul dives deep into the making of his horror-comedy SCARED TO DEATH, a self-described "love letter to horror movies" that blends satire, absurdity, and genuine genre reverence. We explore the film's genesis and how the film uses a haunted-house movie-within-a-movie setup to examine belief, fear, masks people wear, and the absurdities of Hollywood itself. Paul details the personal inspirations behind the story (including buying a supposedly haunted house once owned by Charlie Chaplin), the joyful collaboration with his cast and crew, and the deliberate balance of scares, humor, and emotional undercurrents. As you'll hear, we break down the visual grammar and Paul's work with cinematographer Steven Poster, whose work all of you are well familiar with – DONNIE DARKO, SOUTHLAND TALES, LIFE STINKS, ROCKY V, NEXT OF KIN, REV

It's a jam-packed show this week on BEHIND THE LENS with two fantastic films and two equally fantastic filmmakers, both of whom are enthusiastic, energetic, and excited about filmmaking. You'll be hearing from writer/director CINQUE LEE in the second half of the show, talking about his new film, the survival thriller LAST RIDE. But first up is my exclusive interview with writer/director NASTASYA POPOV, going in-depth about her narrative feature directorial film, the oh-so-funny fashion and family comedy IDIOTKA. In this sharp, irreverent comedy, a disgraced fashion designer with a dangerously low credit score, Margarita, enters a reality show (a la Project Runway) with a six-figure cash prize that would save her babushka's West Hollywood apartment. But as the competition intensifies, the show's slick producer Nicol pushes her to spin her family's struggle into spectacle, forcing Margarita to decide whether to play along or take control of her own narrative, one unhinged look at a t

Welcome back to another week of BEHIND THE LENS! This week, we're taking a look at WORLDBREAKER, an apocalyptic, action-oriented, sci-fi, creature feature with a dad and daughter dynamic that is told from the perspective of a young teenage girl, directed by BRAD ANDERSON. Described as a pulse-pounding sci-fi action thriller about survival, sacrifice, and a young woman's fight to step out of the shadows and into the war she was born to face, we encounter this apocalyptic world at a time of war following "The Stitch", a rift in the earth that released the Breakers, monsters that infect and twist their victims. There are also the Hybrids, the term for infected humans when attacked and injured by the Breakers. Men succumbed first to the Breakers, leaving women to lead the fight. Willa's mother is one of the war's fiercest warriors. Her father, a battle-scarred veteran not yet infected by the monsters, hides with Willa on a remote island, training her to survive. Their fragile

I'm very excited about this week's BEHIND THE LENS and my special guest, director KEVIN LEWIS. This marks Kevin's third appearance on #BTLRadioShow, following the brilliantly bonkers WILLY'S WONDERLAND and PIG HILL. Still, this time we're talking about his new film MISDIRECTION, which, in many respects, is a big departure from the horror films you've come to know and love from Kevin. Set over one long night in a glass-walled modern house, MISDIRECTION follows a couple driven to carry out a series of high-end heists to pay off a dangerous mob debt. When their latest break-in — targeting a prominent defense attorney — spirals out of control, the pair find themselves caught in a web of secrets, deception, and deadly consequences. Directed by Kevin Lewis and written by Lacy McClory, MISDIRECTION stars Frank Grillo, Olga Kurylenko, and Oliver Trevana. MISDIRECTION is a completely new style for Kevin. It's a bold, different work in his filmography. So used to seeing horror

This is a fun week for me on BEHIND THE LENS, given the two films that we're talking about and the two filmmakers I'm speaking with. It's a great way to kick off my 44th year as a film critic (although I was published with reviews going back 5 years before that)! Today you'll hear from one of my all-time favorite directors, RENNY HARLIN, as we talk about THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3, which now completes his trilogy of the rebooted classic. And, then a new fave writer/director BRYAN FULLER, who makes his feature directorial debut with the sumptuous and fun visual feast, DUST BUNNY. First up – RENNY HARLIN and THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3. The Strangers began back in 2008 thanks to w/d Bryan Bertino, who treated us to the tale of James Hoyt and Kristen McKay, who visit an isolated vacation home to enjoy some time together. Hopeful bliss turned into terror, making their stay a bloody nightmare. In 2018, director Johannes Roberts, with a script by Bryan Bertino and Ben Ketai, rebooted the franc

Welcome back to another week of BEHIND THE LENS! I'm excited about today's show and my exclusive interview with my special guest, director/writer/editor TOM BOTCHII, talking about his new film RELENTLESS. RELENTLESS starts as a seemingly straightforward home invasion robbery but quickly becomes a sustained chase between two men—Teddy, a homeless drifter, and Jun, a successful businessman—layering the pursuit with ideas drawn from what Tom calls the "Twitter mentality." Not Twitter as a platform, but as psychology: rage without listening, guilt assigned without process, justice declared without context. A two-hander that stars Jeffrey Decker as Teddy and Shuhei Kinoshita as Jun, Tom wanted multiple journeys within the same film. The first is visceral: survive the pursuit. The second is moral and psychological: are we even right about who's guilty? In this exclusive interview, Tom discusses the inspiration and creation of his film RELENTLESS, emphasizing its brutal and primal nature.

Welcome back to BEHIND THE LENS! This past weekend was Dances With Films NY and from all accounts, it was a blast. You all know how much I love to champion indie films, which makes DWF one of my fave fests. And how lucky are we to not only have DWF in Los Angeles later in the year, but also an abbreviated version in NY! First up, let's take a look and a listen at STOP TIME and my exclusive interview with writer, director, editor, and cinematographer PAUL SCHWARTZ. STOP TIME tells the intertwined stories of Peter de Vries, a photographer, and Adrianna Maier, a theatrical lighting designer. Both are carrying heavy burdens of sadness: burdens that mutual friends of theirs believe each could lighten for the other. Over the course of 24 hours in New York City, their lives circle, until they meet at the opening of Peter's gallery show, which leads them both down an unexpected path. Written and directed by PAUL SCHWARTZ, STOP TIME stars Nelson Avidon, Tara Westwood, Patty McCormack, Kelly Deadmon, Chr

We're looking at another emotional film this week on BEHIND THE LENS as I chat with writer/director and actor STEVEN GRAYHM in this exclusive interview about his latest film, SHEEPDOG, one of the most important and powerful films you will see this year. SHEEPDOG is the story of decorated U.S. Army combat veteran Calvin Cole, who is court-ordered into treatment and into the care of a VA trauma therapist in-training. Things become even more complicated when Calvin's father-in-law, a retired Vietnam Veteran, shows up on his doorstep having just been released from prison. As Calvin's plan to run from his past becomes even more challenging, he learns through the support of his community: tough love and compassion, that he must put himself back together again for his family – and for himself. Written and directed by Steven Grayhm, SHEEPDOG stars Vondie Curtis-Hall, Virginia Madsen, Lilli Cooper, Dominic Fumusa, Matt Dallas, and Steven Grayhm. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

Welcome back to another year of BEHIND THE LENS and BTLRadioShow!! I'm excited to be back and kick off Year 12 of #BTLRadioShow and am beyond thrilled to start the new year with a very special guest and talk about the absolute 'Must See' film of 2026. And that guest is none other than my friend of 40+ years – director RIC ROMAN WAUGH – and that film is GREENLAND 2: MIGRATION. Action, deep palpable emotion, practical in-camera action, explosions. His films are always emotionally layered and capture all the shades of grey, both sides of the coin. And now with the next chapter of "Greenland", GREENLAND 2: MIGRATION, Ric tops his own level of excellence with more depth, humanity, and breathtaking action than ever before. Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin are back as John and Allison Garrity, and Roman Griffin Davis steps in as their now 15-year-old son, Nathan. You may remember Roman Griffin Davis from his scene-stealing performance in Taika Waititi's "JoJo Rabbit".

It's the last BEHIND THE LENS for 2025! And this week, we shine a light on producer, director, writer, and actor RYAN FRANCIS and his latest film, SPEED TRAIN. I have had the pleasure of knowing Ryan for more than two decades. I reviewed his first directorial short film and multiple feature films thereafter, and interviewed him. And over the years, he has moved from being an actor in front of the camera to going behind the camera into directing and, most recently, also producing. And now he brings us a fast-paced, entertaining futuristic film that posits some interesting questions for us as individuals and a society – SPEED TRAIN. In this very candid, fun, and unfettered exclusive interview, writer/director RYAN FRANCIS discusses his career growth from acting to directing, highlighting his recent film SPEED TRAIN, as well as discussing at length some of his prior films of late in which he only acts or serves an Executive Producer versus directing; notably, "Reverence", "The Jurassic

Welcome to another week of BEHIND THE LENS and this week it's all about Christmas as I welcome director/co-cinematographer/co-editor ADAM VOLERICH, talking about his feature directorial debut, DRINK AND BE MERRY, and director CELIA ANISKOVICH, who is filled with the Christmas spirit as she talks about her documentary, THE MERCHANTS OF JOY. So, let's get that cinematic sleigh going with Adam Volerich and DRINK AND BE MERRY. At a struggling New York dive bar in the days leading up to Christmas 2019, Chet, a beleaguered bartender in a state of extended arrested development, must balance caring for his misanthropic, aging regulars – who have nowhere else to go, and rely on him for far more than pouring drinks – with his naive desires to muster some Christmas spirit. Neither Chet nor his regulars know if this will be their last Christmas together, but for them, every day is just another day, but under the prettiest of holiday wrappings. And now we move from the warmth of a cozy, nostalgic bar to the h

While today's films and filmmakers may not be about holiday movies, they do fit with the love and laughter of the holidays as MICHELLE DANNER joins me talking about her new film, the beautiful and romantic UNDER THE STARS, while writer/director MICHAEL J. WEITHORN is on hand discussing his fantastic film, THE BEST YOU CAN. First, let's turn our attention to Puglia, Italy, and UNDER THE STARS with MICHELLE DANNER. Directed by Danner with a script by Victoria Vinuesa, UNDER THE STARS stars Toni Collette, Andy Garcia, Alex Pettyfer, Eva De Dominici, Rob Estes, and Vincent Riotta. UNDER THE STARS follows a struggling romance novelist named Ian played by Alex Pettyfer, in what I consider to be the best performance of his career, trapped in a lifeless relationship and plagued by writer's block. Hoping to reignite his passion, he travels to Italy for inspiration – only to unexpectedly fall for Ariana, a spirited local who challenges everything he thought he knew about love and himself. And as if

With it already Thanksgiving this week, it's time for BEHIND THE LENS (and all of you) to haul out the holly, put up the tree, fill up the stockings, and grab those dreidels because the holiday season is here! And what better way to kick off the Yuletide than to get into the spirit of the season with #BTLRadioShow, talking about two wonderful films and four fabulous filmmakers. So get ready as MARISA GUTERMAN and KEITH GERCHAK tell us all about their feature directorial debut, the charming and nostalgic LOST & FOUND IN CLEVELAND, while ZAC MONCRIEF and JON COLTON BARRY fill us with the fun and joy of Christmas with the animated delight, A CHUCK E. CHEESE CHRISTMAS. Our first stop today is Cleveland with the wonderfully warm and toasty slice of Americana, LOST & FOUND IN CLEVELAND. A look at the American Dream set in "the best location in the nation", this is a slice of life set over a 24-hour period that follows the personal odysseys of five very different people, whose lives intertwin

This week on BEHIND THE LENS, it's all about mysteries thanks to director STEPHEN SHIMEK talking about MURDER AT THE EMBASSY, and writer/director LOTFY NATHAN discussing THE CARPENTER'S SON. But first, let's take a little trip to Cairo with director STEPHEN SHIMEK and MURDER AT THE EMBASSY. The second film in the Miranda Greene franchise, this story is fun, and the film is as entertaining as it is beautiful, as it drenches you in the beauty and wonder of Egypt. Set in 1930s Cairo with pyramids and antiquities at the height of Egyptology and archaeology, private detective Miranda Green is called to investigate a suspicious murder inside Cairo's seemingly impenetrable British Embassy when she discovers a second crime has been committed that could spark war across the globe. Everyone within the walls of the embassy is a suspect, but the ultimate evil force is lurking right around the corner. Directed by STEPHEN SHIMEK and written by Mark Brennan, MURDER AT THE EMBASSY stars Mischa Barton,

This week on BEHIND THE LENS, it's all about action thanks to director SHANE DAX TAYLOR and his new film, EXIT PROTOCOL, and director MICHAEL DOWSE and his latest film, TRAP HOUSE. First up, let's take a look at TRAP HOUSE and my exclusive interview with director MICHAEL DOWSE. TRAP HOUSE is set in El Paso, Texas, at the border where DEA Agent Ray Seale and his team infiltrate a drug trafficking operation run by notorious cartel boss 'Guzman'. But things go wrong, and one of his team is shot and killed. In the aftermath, the slain agent's son, Jesse, is devastated and struggles financially, having to move back to Spain with his mom. Ray's own son, Cody feels sorry for Jesse and bands together a group of other DEA kids to utilize their skills and access to resources to enact revenge, stealing money from trap houses operated by the Guzman family. Directed by Michael Dowse and written by Gary Scott Thompson and Tom O'Connor, TRAP HOUSE stars Dave Bautista and Bobby Cannavale