Wendy Director Benh Zeitlin Talks Adapting The Peter Pan Mythos & More Following his Oscar nominated debut, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin has spent the last 8 years crafting a very original adaptation of the Peter Pan story we all know and love. He stopped by the podcast to talk about working with young, non-professional actors, building his Neverland in the real world as opposed to a set, why they shifted the story's focus from Peter Pan to Wendy and so much more. Also in this w...
Feb 20, 2020•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 106
Parasite Wins Big, The Broadcast Falls Flat & More 2020 Oscars Reactions The awards race has officially come to a close, and in the spirit of our original name, AwardsBlend, we are here with our reactions to the very long telecast. Bong Joon Ho and Parasite won big. While only Producer Gabe was in love with the film, we are all very excited to see it win, and give our reactions to what this could mean for the future of the Academy. After last week's show, news broke that Sam Raimi is in talk...
Feb 11, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 105
Birds of Prey Director Cathy Yan Talks Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor & Directing Action On this week's show, we are joined by director Cathy Yan to discuss her latest film, Birds of Prey, starring Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. She talks about working with Margot and her input on the Harley Quinn character, what it took to pull of some of the huge action set pieces, why the film doesn't need Jared Leto's Joker and so much more. Stick around for later in the show whe...
Feb 06, 2020•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 104
Director Reed Morano Talks Blake Lively & The Rhythm Section We were so happy to sit down with Reed Morano to talk about her new film, The Rhythm Section, a spy, action, revenge flick starring Blake Lively and Jude Law. She discusses her career as a long-time cinematographer, and how that influenced her work as a director and with cinematographer Sean Bobbitt. She also dives into some of the creative decisions behind much of the film's action, and Blake's character overall. Be sure to stick ...
Jan 29, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 103
Bad Boys For Life Directors Talk Michael Bay & Beverly Hills Cop 4 Following their staggeringly successful opening weekend, directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi sat down with ReelBlend to discuss the early box office results, working with Michael Bay for the cameo and the advice he gave about handling his "baby." They also dive into their approach to filming the movie's action, working with Eddie Murphy and Netflix on Beverly Hills Cop 4 and more. Outside of our awesome conversation with...
Jan 23, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 102
2020 Oscar Nominations Reaction The nominees for the 2020 Academy Awards are out, and boy do we have some opinions. There are some heroes to root for, and plenty of snubs to detest so strap in for our reactions to the Oscars' ever-contentious list of nominations. Uncut Gems stayed true to the name, and couldn't make the cut for a single category, Lupita Nyong'o's jaw-dropping performance in Jordan Peele's Us appears to have been completely forgotten, and if you're Kevin, 1917 seems to be getting...
Jan 15, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 101
Our Most Anticipated Films of 2020 - LIVE! To celebrate our 100th episode, we invited a bunch of Blenders to meet us at the AMC Georgetown 14 in Washington D.C. for a special LIVE recording of the show! We get into the 5 films that we, as a show, are the most excited for in 2020, we give our FAVORITE films of the decade, and hear from many of the fans that made the trip to see us. For next week's BlendGame, we're looking out favorite scenes of all time. Play along on social using #SceneBlend, an...
Jan 08, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 100
Creating A Quentin Tarantino Documentary with Director Tara Wood Welcome to another awesome bonus episode of ReelBlend, this time featuring documentary director Tara Wood. Tara dives deep into the career of Quentin Tarantino with interviews featuring some of his many collaborators from Samuel L. Jackson to Jennifer Jason Leigh to Kurt Russell and more. We discuss some her favorite aspects of Tarantino's work, what she learned and adapted to during the process of making the doc, and reacts to som...
Jan 03, 2020•21 min
Our Favorite Movies of 2019 It's the end of another amazing year in movies, and the guys are here to breakdown their 10 favorite films of 2019 for you all. Enjoy! Follow The Show Here ReelBlend - @ReelBlend Sean - @Sean_OConnell Jake - @JakesTakes Kevin - @KevinMcCarthyTV Gabe - @gabeKovacs Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/reelblend/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy...
Jan 01, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 99
A Very Heated Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Review If there's one thing all Star Wars fans have in common, it's passion. That passion often brings us together in ways that only cinema and Star Wars can, but it can also drive us to opposite ends when it comes to debating what makes Star Wars good, and what doesn't. The "sequel trilogy" of Star Wars films that we've all come to enjoy (to varied degrees) over the past few years of been some of the most divisive additions to canon of all time. St...
Dec 23, 2019•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 98
Quentin Tarantino Vol. 2 Friend of the show, Quentin Tarantino returns for an extended 2+ hour conversation on his career, getting snub at the oscars, working with Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and so much more. You cannot miss this epic episode of the ReelBlend podcast! Follow The Show Here ReelBlend - @ReelBlend Sean - @Sean_OConnell Jake - @JakesTakes Kevin - @KevinMcCarthyTV Gabe - @gabeKovacs Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/reelblend/exclu...
Dec 19, 2019•2 hr 33 min•Ep. 97
How To Create An International Hit With Producers Hiram Garcia And Matt Tolmach Joining us for a special bonus episode of ReelBlend are producers of Jumanji: The Next Level, Hiram Garcia and Matt Tolmach. They discuss working with director Jake Kasdan and stars like Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart. With the success of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, they dive into what it takes to create a film for a global audience, and so much more. Enjoy! Follow The Show Here ReelBlend...
Dec 14, 2019•43 min
Director Sam Mendes Talks 1917 We are so happy to welcome acclaimed director of films like American Beauty, Road to Perdition and Skyfall, Sam Mendes, on the show to discuss the making of his latest, 1917. He dives into the storytelling aspects of the long take, winning an Oscar so early in his career, and what he looks forward to with the new Bond, No Time To Die. The awards race is in full swing with nominations dropping left and right. The Golden Globe and SAG nominations hit this week, and s...
Dec 13, 2019•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 96
Jumanji: The Next Level's Jake Kasdan Talks Dwayne Johnson, Competing with Star Wars & More On this week's show, we are joined by writer/director Jake Kasdan for his new film, Jumanji: The Next Level. He talks about finding the right story for a sequel, growing up with a filmmaking legend for a father, collaborating with Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and the cast, and more. It's a really fun conversation that you don't want to miss! During the main segment of the show, the guys react to the new...
Dec 04, 2019•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 95
Rian Johnson Talks Star Wars, Knives Out & More Writer/director Rian Johnson, the mind behind Brick, Looper and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, joins the show to talk about his latest, Knives Out, and look back at some incredible moments in his career. He shares stories from the set, his time writing the script and more. Also this week, the guys react to the latest clip released for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Jake and Sean react to 1917, and share what it's done to their Top 10 lists as wel...
Nov 27, 2019•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 94
Jamie Lee Curtis Talks Halloween, Knives Out & More It is an absolute honor to welcome Jamie Lee Curtis on to the show. She takes a look back at films throughout her career from where it all started with Halloween to True Lies to Freaky Friday to Knives Out. You do not want to miss this guest! Also on this week's show, the guys discuss the recent news of a Joker 2 sequel as well as the slightly more recent news of the fact that's not necessarily true. It's a sticky situation for sure, but do...
Nov 21, 2019•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 93
Waves Director Trey Edward Shults - Bonus Writer/Director of Waves, Trey Edward Shults joins us for a very special bonus episode of the show. In this spoiler-free conversation, he gets into the film's unique story structure, some behind-the-scenes details on making the film, and even dives into some of the carefully created, and immensely effective, foley work. ReelBlend Episode 100 D.C. Meet-Up!! We are getting together in Washington D.C. to celebrate our 100th episode (and sort of the New Year...
Nov 19, 2019•26 min
Director Bill Condon Talks Robert Pattinson, The Oscars & The Good Liar This week, we are joined by Bill Condon, writer and director behind films like Dreamgirls, Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, to talk about his latest film The Good Liar. He gets into what it feels like the moment you win an Oscar, he reflects on Robert Pattinson's career and recent choice to play Batman, and he comments on the ever-evolving "Scorsese vs Marvel" debate. With The Irishman's awkward release calendar, we are fi...
Nov 13, 2019•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 92
Daniel Kaluuya Talks Black Panther 2, The Oscars & Queen & Slim Daniel Kaluuya, star of Widows , Black Panther and Get Out , joins Sean to discuss his latest film, Queen & Slim (also starring Jodie Turner-Smith). They also dive into his previous work and the other great directors he's collaborated with, he gives a hilarious reaction to being an Oscar-nominated actor and more. Doctor Sleep is hitting theaters this week, and we have a spoiler-free review to share! We also discuss the r...
Nov 06, 2019•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 91
Terminator: Dark Fate Director Tim Miller Talks Linda Hamilton's Return & More Tim Miller, director of Deadpool, joins us on the show to discuss his latest, Terminator: Dark Fate. He shares some blunt thoughts on previous sequels in the franchise, why he and Linda Hamilton don't like that iconic "thumbs up" scene from T2: Judgement Day, and more. The guys get into the recent news that Game of Thrones' David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are no longer working on a Star Wars trilogy, share stories fr...
Oct 31, 2019•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 90
The Lighthouse Director Robert Eggers Talks Making The Film In a special bonus episode of the podcast, we are joined by indie-darling writer/director Robert Eggers to discuss his latest film, The Lighthouse, starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. He talks about the films aspect ratio, why it HAD to be done on black and white film, the incredibly old lenses they used for production, and...yes...we discuss the farts. (You're welcome, Kevin) Follow The Show Here ReelBlend - @ReelBlend Sean - @...
Oct 29, 2019•22 min
Edward Norton Talks Fight Club, Motherless Brooklyn & More We are incredibly humbled to welcome Edward Norton on the show to discuss his new film Motherless Brooklyn (starring Bruce Willis, Willem Dafoe, Alec Baldwin). He also gets into some sweet stories from the set of Fight Club and David Fincher's meticulous process, we learn a bit about that iconic twist at the end of Primal Fear, and he discusses the process of being a writer/director/actor. This past week, the guys all had some amazin...
Oct 24, 2019•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 89
Zombieland 2 Director Ruben Fleischer on Bringing the Cast Back & Venom 2 On this week's show we are excited to welcome director Ruben Fleischer to discuss his latest film, Zombieland: Double Tap. He gets into some awesome behind-the-scenes details about the film's epic "one-shot," talks about bringing back cast members like Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin, as well as newcomers Luke Wilson, Zoey Deutch and Thomas Middleditch. Ruben also gets into why he won't...
Oct 17, 2019•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 88
Director Todd Phillips Talks Making Joker Following up our wonderful interview with Joker himself, Joaquin Phoenix, we were able to sit down with, Writer/Director/Producer, Todd Phillips to talk about creating his own gritty version of Gotham City, creating the look of Joker, what it was like to work with one of his personal heroes, Robert De Niro, and more. Also this week, we dive into Joker's huge opening-weekend box office, and Robert Downey Jr.'s comments on NOT campaigning the Oscars for hi...
Oct 09, 2019•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 87
Joaquin Phoenix Talks The Ending of Joker & His Transformation We are so humbled to welcome Joaquin Phoenix, star of the new DC film Joker, on to the show this week! The guys were able to sit down with him at the press junket for Joker, and they spent an awesome 30 minutes chatting about how he prepared for the role, how they decided Joker's makeup look, some hilarious stories from behind the scenes of shooting the film and so much more! We also discuss the new trailers for (takes a deep bre...
Oct 04, 2019•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 86
Gremlins Director Joe Dante Talks The Film’s 35th Anniversary Joe Dante, director behind Gremlins, is here with us to celebrate the film's 35th anniversary, and commemorate the 4K Blu-ray release on October 1st. He gets into some behind-the-scenes moments from making the film, collaborating with Steven Spielberg, and what it was like creating the film with the very first PG-13 rating. During the main portion of the episode, Kevin was unfortunately unable to join us, but Jake and Sean get into th...
Sep 26, 2019•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 85
Legendary Cinematographer Roger Deakins & Director John Crowley Talk The Goldfinch Director John Crowley and Cinematographer Roger Deakins join the show to discuss their work on The Goldfinch. They get into the approach of adapting a highly regarded novel, what it was like on set when Deakins won his first Oscar for Blade Runner 2049, and the process of casting. Before we get into that though, we talk about the recent report that Robert Downey Jr. will show up as Tony Stark in Black Widow (s...
Sep 19, 2019•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 84
Bill Skarsgård Talks Playing Pennywise & IT Chapter 2’s Ending This week, the guys are joined by actor Bill Skarsgård to talk about his new film IT Chapter 2 (also starring Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, and James McAvoy). He gets into the Pennywise makeup, the first and final scenes he shot as The Dancing Clown, and more. In episode 83’s main portion of the show, we’re all together at TIFF! Sean, Jake, Kevin (and Gabe) gathered around in Kevin’s hotel to discuss the films they saw, and are s...
Sep 12, 2019•59 min•Ep. 83
The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Experience & It Chapter 2 Press Junket Sean, Kevin and Jake are back this week to unpack the news that Martin Scorsese's latest film, The Irishman (starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci), will reported be 3.5 hours long. They also react to the new trailer for Joker (starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro) which is getting some serious awards buzz heading into the festival circuit. Sean had the privilege of visiting Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Orlando, F...
Aug 30, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 82
The Peanut Butter Falcon Directors Talk Working With Shia LaBeouf And More The boys are back together, and this week was packed with some major film news. We have an official title and release date for Bond 25, No Time To Die, Disney and Sony appear to be breaking up Spider-Man's ties to the MCU (yes, Sean is in shambles, but he's pulling through), and they're making Matrix 4! Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss are returning, we have all the latest details on that and more. This week, we are grac...
Aug 22, 2019•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 81
