Film Stories with Simon Brew

Épisodes

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  James Cameron's Titanic (1997), the two battling studios, and drugs in the chowder 14.09.2026 1h 6min

  James Cameron knew as he pitched Titanic to 20th Century Fox that it wasn't likely to be as commercial a film as the one he'd just done, True Lies. The budget was set to be lower, the release date was initially set for just a year after the start of filming, and there was to be no song. What happened changed his career and many others. From the unhappy crew member drugging the food table, to press reports of a production out of control, Simon Brew digs into the extraordinary story behind one of the biggest movies of all time... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Interview special with Oscar winner Susanne Bier (Practical Magic 2) and producer Ken Petrie (Sunny Dancer and more) 11.09.2026 1h

  Two different creatives share their film stories in this special episode of the podcast! First up, Oscar-winner Susanne Bier talked to Simon the day after the Practical Magic 2 premiere in London. The pair natter about the the film, about the set build, and what Susanne is up to next. And then producer Ken Petrie joins, a man who's had an unusual journey to film producing. Just how do you get from doing the pytotechnics at a Katherine Jenkins Christmas show, to producing the acclaimed indie comedy Sunny Dancer? You'll hear both conversations in this episode... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Parenthood, the plane trip that led to the film, plus a lovely chat with Robert Carlyle 07.09.2026 1h 11min

  1989's Parenthood started life on a long haul flight. Director Ron Howard would tell of how 'testing' it was to do such a journey with kids in tow, and soon, he realised there was a film in it. But it'd be a movie where he, producer Brian Grazer, and writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, would end up mining their personal lives. Plus, it was going to need one hell of an ensemble cast. For the second part of this episode, Simon is joined by Robert Carlyle, who has just directed for the third time. Fittingly, it's a short film called three, and Robert talks about why he made it, how it differered from his other directing film, plus the importance of putting the bins out... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  In conversation with Michael Sarnoski - The Death Of Robin Hood, Death Stranding, Pig, and videogames 03.09.2026 46min

  In UK cinemas now is the third film from writer/director Michael Sarnoski, The Death Of Robin Hood. Headlined by Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, it's a hugely ambitious independent movie, with a very different spin on a well-known character. Sarnoski joined Simon Brew for a Film Stories special, chatting about the movie, about filming in Northern Ireland, about the weather, and about shooting on film. Plus, the pair talking about working with Nicolas Cage on Pig, an assortment of videogames, Sarnoski's upcoming Death Stranding movie, and the deadly nature of Split Fiction... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey, the title that had to change, plus a chat with William Sadler and Alex Winter too 01.09.2026 1h 31min

  With Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure already playing in cinemas, plans moved quickly for a sequel. Originally entitled Bill & Ted Go To Hell, the movie that became Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey survived the financial problems of the studio behind it, and brought in a first-time director, with a really tight schedule to turn the film around. In the first part of this episode, Simon tells the story of the film. In the second, he's joined by two of its stars, Alex Winter and William Sadler, to put their side of things. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey has just made its 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray debut in the UK, courtesy of Arrow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Speed (1994), the lack of Speed 3, plus director Dave Green on the Coyote Vs Acme saga 24.08.2026 1h 22min

  1994's Speed may now be regarded as an action classic, but the original idea was a bus that didn't go above 20mph, in a film called Minimum Speed. Sat for a late summer release in 1994, things changed after a really successful test screening - and Keanu Reeves' haircut! - but it'd gone over a lot of hurdles to get to that point. Plus: where's Speed 3?! In the second half of this episode, director Dave Green joins Simon to chat about the terrific Coyote Vs Acme, a film that very, very nearly didn't exist... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  In conversation with Adam Shankman - Stop That Train, the Oscars, Hairspray and more 21.08.2026 35min

  Director Adam Shankman shot the joyously entertaining Stop! That! Train! in under three weeks, and it arrives in cinemas this very weekend in the UK. In this special Film Stories interview, he talks to Simon Brew about getting the film made, as well as his time producing the Oscars, the short film that got him started, Hairspray, and an upcoming Christmas movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger too... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Licence To Kill (1989), plus Toby Kebbell on Dead Man's Shoes and more 17.08.2026 1h 25min

  James Bond 007 took a grittier turn with 1989's Licence To Kill, an adventure that was the first and only Bond film very specifically written for Timothy Dalton. It was an attempt to turn Bond grittier, and would mark the end of an era for many involved in the saga. Plus, it would end up doing box office battles with some tougher than expected competition. For the second half of this episode, Simon is talking Dead Man's Shoes with actor Toby Kebbell, for whom it marked his first film apperance. The movie is finally available on Blu-ray for the first time, and Toby is not short of stories about it... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Film Stories Live: with Mark Kermode in Cornwall 10.08.2026 1h 38min

  Up front, you can find Simon's tour dates at www.filmstories.co.uk/live. Simon Brew has been touring the UK with Film Stories in 2026, and in June 2026, he landed at the lovely Plaza Cinema in Truro. There, for an hour and half, he and Mark Kermode talked movies. And lots of them. In this special recording, you can hear the pair talk about dentistry, John Travola, Event Horizon, The Devils, The Exorcist II, Howard The Duck, Masters Of The Universe and a whole lot more... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Carlito's Way, a film it took ten attempts to make 22.07.2026 59min

  Brian De Palma's 1993 movie Carlito's Way was not a box office success. De Palma managed to predict the critical reaction to the film, reacted to studio notes saying it was too long by making it longer, and had to retool the finale action sequence very late in the day. Even getting it to filming was a challenge - and the option to the source books would be taken out ten different times before Carlito's Way finally made it to production....! The story is told in this episode. Please subscribe, leave nice reviews, and don't annoy Benny Blanco from the Bronx... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Dances With Wolves (1990), plus its three different cuts... 13.07.2026 59min

  Kevin Costner gambled hard on making a three hour western, a third of which wasn't in the English language. He turned down roles in The Hunt For Red October and Presumed Innocent to take the risk of making Dances With Wolves. And while history tells it as a masterstroke, in the months leading up to the release, it looked anything but. In this episode, Simon digs into the story of the film, the fact that it was millions short of its modest budget when shooting began... and now, the tale of three different cuts of Dances With Wolves too. If you like this independent podcast, made in a small room in the West Midlands here in the UK, please leave a nice review and subscribe. If you really like it, head over to www.patreon.com/simonbrew too. Thank you so much for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Howard The Duck (1986) and the first Marvel movie, plus Terri White 07.07.2026 1h 22min

  I hear you, folks! Do more Marvel films? Gotcha! Let's go back to 1986, and Howard The Duck, the stunning-ish George Lucas-produced film of the subversive comic book character. Howard The Duck would become notable on its release, but its production alone would have been worth the stories. Malfunctioning ducks, cigars, tonal conversations, George Lucas' chosen director passing on the film, and a fallout in the Universal boardroom afterwards? The making of is just as odd as the film. Then! For the second part of this episode, live from Simon's recent show in Manchester, former Empire editor Terri White in conversation about Armageddon, regional cinema, and the Rocky franchise. For more live shows - and print magazines! - head to www.filmstories.co.uk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Gladiator (2000) and its journey to the screen, plus director Morgan Matthews 29.06.2026 1h 32min

  2000's Gladiator might be regarded as a classic now, but heck, did it have some bumps on its way to the screen. A script that was a long way from finished. A leading man, er, 'not too thrilled' with the fact said screenplay was constantly in flux. The death of Oliver Reed before the end of filming. And the worries of a studio that happened to be making its biggest-ever film. The story is told in this episode. Plus, the second half is spent in the company of BAFTA-winning director Morgan Matthews, chatting about films such as 500 Miles (now in UK cinemas), The Railway Children Return, X+Y, and a £1 bet. Please leave a nice review and subscribe. Thank you for supporting this independent podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  American Made (2017), and the Tom Cruise film that's fallen through the cracks 22.06.2026 46min

  Just as Tom Cruise embarked on his run of Mission: Impossible and Top Gun sequels, he slipped in one of bolder choices too: an R-rated crime caper, based on a true story. Originally called Mena before being retitled American Made, the shoot saw the writer, director and star of the film living in the same house. It also saw wildly ambitious flying sequences, a tragic accident, a challenge when selling the film and a whole lot more.... Please subscribe to this show if you like it and leave a nice review. Support us at www.patreon.com/simonbrew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  In conversation with Sam Campbell - Make That Movie, bananas, VHS tapes, cinema and more 19.06.2026 53min

  Sam Campbell - he of Taskmaster and Last One Laughing - has made a comedy series about films. In Make That Movie, he and his crew face a filmmaking challenge each episode. All six episodes are streaming now on 4. Sam joins Simon Brew for a conversation about the show, but it doesn't take long for it to go off track. Banana, VHS tapes, old films,a samurai sword? It's quite the chat... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Fight Club (1999), plus the dig against Rupert Murdoch at the end 15.06.2026 53min

  Outside of the very well known rules, there's a whole load of other stuff about 1999's Fight Club. There's the director who turned the book down, freely admitting they didn't get it. There's the moment when the budget was suddenly going to soar. There's the bit where the studio boss knew he was going to hit trouble for greenlighting the film (and boy, did he). And then there was a studio left with a film it didn't know how to market. The story is told in this episode. Please subscribe, leave nice reviews, and try not to punch us hard in an after hours fighting establishment... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  In conversation with Paul Mercurio - Strictly Ballroom, Exit To Eden, and, er, homebrew beer 12.06.2026 56min

  Over 30 years since its original release, Strictly Ballroom - the debut feature from Baz Luhrmann - is back in cinemas with a 4K remaster. In a Film Stories special, Simon chats to its star - Paul Mercurio - about the making of the film, and looking back on it now. Plus! Paul talks homebrew, cooking, and making Garry Marshall's S&M comedy, Exit To Eden... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Jurassic Park (1993), and the struggle to bring dinosaurs to the screen 08.06.2026 57min

  The original Jurassic Park movie was set to land a few years earlier than it did. Announce in 1990, director Steven Spielberg would move on to making Hook while some of the art team were moved to Death Becomes Her. The reason for the delays? How on earth do you bring dinosaurs to life. Even when that was cracked, though, there was a moment during the shoot when real life peril outweighed dino danger. Even when the film was done, there was the looming threat of Arnold Schwarzenegger's return to cinema with Last Action Hero. It wouldn't turn out to be much of a blockbuster battle... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The New Mutants (2020), and a big missed opportunity 01.06.2026 59min

  The idea wasn't a bad one. With the cost of X-Men movies spiralling, 20th Century Fox was interested in a lower cost, slightly more niche film in the saga. One that could perhaps appeal to a teen audience, that wouldn't put quite the strain on the old finances. Josh Boone - off the back of The Fault In Our Stars - was brought in to write and direct, a dream project for him. But the dream would soon turn sour, with two big, unexpected obstacles, and a whole lot of to and fro over potential reshoots... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  In conversation with director Alicia MacDonald - Finding Emily, Mike Leigh, short films, romantic comedies, Kickstarter 24.05.2026 52min

  Alicia MacDonald first feature film as director, Finding Emily, turns out to be a Working Title-backed romantic comedy, the kind that used to fill British cinema charts. Albeit with a twist! In this Film Stories special, she talks to Simon Brew about launching her first feature, the years on her way up when she found herself alongside Mike Leigh, and in a room while Alan Rickman watched her type. Plus a whole lot more... Finding Emily is now in UK cinemas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices