Podcasts Steven Benedict

Writer-director, Jane Campion made history in 1993 when she became the first woman to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The post The Piano appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Producer Irwin Yablans originally called it The Baby-Sitter Murders, and put up $325,000. Under John Carpenter's direction, Halloween made over $70m. The post Halloween appeared first on Steven Benedict.

The Truman Show may credit its story as an original screenplay, but it is uncannily similar to several sci-fi TV shows from as far back as the 60s. The post The Truman Show appeared first on Steven Benedict.

With Steve McQueen in the title role, a legendary car-chase and a score by Lalo Schifrin, Peter Yates' Bullitt still oozes as much cool now as it did in 1968. The post Bullitt appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Great filmmakers have recurring themes and styles, but Anderson is unique because he continually explores new themes and styles. The post The Master, Paul Thomas Anderson appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Akin to a 70s' conspiracy thriller, Michael Clayton is also a character study with strong turns from George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson. The post Michael Clayton appeared first on Steven Benedict.

The studios didn't like the script and no one wanted to play the heroic Treasury Agent, Eliot Ness. So how did The Untouchables turn out to be such a success? The post The Untouchables appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Regarded as a poet of cinema, Terrence Malick's films have rarely connected with audiences. Has he been ahead of his time or is he now running out of it? The post Days of Heaven appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Kathryn Bigelow did not just make history when she became the first woman to win an Oscar for directing. She also made a landmark war film. The post The Hurt Locker appeared first on Steven Benedict.

How do you cast a movie star in a story about a Princess who does not want to be a Princess? You cast an unknown. Ladies and Gentlemen, Audrey Hepburn. The post Roman Holiday appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Ian McEwan's novel was always going to be a tough nut to crack, but Joe Wright and Christopher Hampton delivered a modern classic of a tragic tale. The post Atonement appeared first on Steven Benedict.

This 1939 children's classic, starring Judy Garland is one of Hollywood’s most enduring pictures. But is there more to it than a pair of ruby slippers? The post The Wizard of Oz appeared first on Steven Benedict.

When is a remake not a remake? When is it a re-imagining and not a reboot? And most pertinent of all, when are any of them ever any good? The post Remakes or Mistakes? appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas built his own cinema empire. But American Graffiti, made in his hometown is his masterpiece. The post American Graffiti appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Stanley Kubrick's most awarded film is the one that Martin Scorsese says was his best. Ridley Scott worships it. So why is it so seldom seen? The post Barry Lyndon appeared first on Steven Benedict.

With a story based around ABBA songs, and a stage musical that had rung up over $1b in sales, Mamma Mia! was always going to be a hit. The post Mamma Mia! appeared first on Steven Benedict.

How much does the Pentagon help Hollywood? Is Hollywood just the Pentagon's mouthpiece? The post The Military-Entertainment Complex appeared first on Steven Benedict.

When it comes to history, we are told that Hollywood always make mistakes. But could it be that it's the historians who get it wrong? The post Hollywood’s History Lesson appeared first on Steven Benedict.

The very definition of 'landmark film', without it would there be no Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story or even Avatar. The post Who Framed Roger Rabbit appeared first on Steven Benedict.

The students of Welton College carried their English teacher around the yard, shoulder high. Is this a fair reflection of school, or is it another Hollywood fantasy? The post Dead Poets Society appeared first on Steven Benedict.