Podcast

WHAT WENT WRONG

Film History, History, TV & Film

What Went Wrong covers Hollywood’s most notoriously disastrous movie productions, digging into the behind-the-scenes insanity of everything from massive flops to record-breaking blockbusters. In each episode, hosts Lizzie Bassett and Chris Winterbauer dive into a new film to explore the mind-blowing (and sometimes numbing) reasons why making a movie is nearly impossible (especially a good one). Produced by David Boman.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon for monthly bonus episodes!

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Film History chart
#1
Episodes
221
Releases
Weekly
Typical length
1 hr 22 min
On air since
2020
Latest episode
1 day ago

Episodes

221 episodes, newest first

  1. Space Jam (1996)

    Show notes

    It's time to jam in space! Or maybe... under the Hollow Earth? Either way, Chris & Lizzie are leaping back to a simpler time, when Michael Jordan laid it all on the line to save the Looney Tunes and ignored his family for an unspecified amount of time! They'll explore Bill Murray's tenuous attachment to the project, Ivan Reitman and director Joe Pytka's tonal squabbles, the heroic efforts of the entire animation team, and the origins of some of the movie's best (and most true-to-life) jokes.

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    1 hr 22 min
  2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

    Show notes

    ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ was a 1974 horror blockbuster that defined slasher tropes for decades… but thanks to shady business deals and alleged mob connections, its creators and stars saw almost none of the profits. This week Chris and Lizzie dive into the harrowing backstory of Tobe Hooper’s breakout film. Find out how many real bones were used on set, why the cast and crew had to run to the windows to vomit, and how one of the OG final girls went through a very real hell in Texas.

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    1 hr 18 min
  3. Review Preview (Spoiler Free) - You Can See Everything Bonus

    Show notes

    Check out this spoiler-free bonus review preview.

    It's the movie we didn't know we needed (or existed!) and Chris and Lizzie are still grappling with how You Can See Everything made them feel. Did Nathan Fielder, master of narrative manipulation and manufactured awkwardness, meet his match in Elizabeth Holmes? How did Chris and Lizzie interpret the film's myriad mind-boggling moments? Should this be the first documentary nominated for Best Picture (and perhaps a few other categories)?

    Subscribe for $5 on Patreon, Spotify, or Apple for access to all bonus and ad-free episodes.

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    20 min
  4. The Lion King (1994)

    Show notes

    To be, or not to be... based on Hamlet? Join Chris and Lizzie as they brave the predator laden hunting grounds of Disney during the Animation Renaissance, try to unearth the true author of the studio's most successful film in decades, Katzenberg's crazy claims, Jeremy Irons' beef with the animators, who was nearly cast before James Earl Jones and Matthew Broderick's suspicion that the movie wasn't as original as it was being advertised.

    #MarsPartner Find Mars product at local retail. Visit @MarsGlobal on Instagram and Mars.com to learn more about our brands.

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    1 hr 35 min
  5. Sense and Sensibility (1995)

    Show notes

    Jane Austen’s first novel became Emma Thompson’s first screenplay, which eventually won her an Academy Award. But when producer Lindsay Doran first pitched ‘Sense and Sensibility’ no one understood her vision - including director Ang Lee. This week Chris and Lizzie venture into a comedy of errors behind the scenes where language barriers, broken hearts, blossoming romances, and some illegal activity on the Sunset Strip threatened to derail this classic film. Find out why Kate Winslet almost didn’t get cast, how Stephen Fry saved the script, and why Ang Lee discovered he had more in common with Jane Austen than he realized.

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    1 hr 29 min
  6. ENCORE: James McAvoy on California Schemin' Bonus

    Show notes

    This week, we revisit our interview with the one and only James McAvoy as Chris and Lizzie break down what went wrong - and very right - on his directorial debut, California Schemin’.

    The film follows two young Scottish rappers who get laughed out of the music industry… until they start pretending to be American. It’s a true story of ambition, delusion, and the blurry line between reinvention and outright fraud.

    Find out what drew McAvoy to the script, how he assembled the perfect cast, and what surprised him most about stepping behind the camera for the first time. Plus, discover the tricks he borrowed from some of the best directors he’s worked with (and which ones actually worked).

    Check out California Schemin’ in theaters on October 9th!

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    39 min
  7. Saw

    Show notes

    Just two guys and we're having a good time! This week, Chris and Lizzie chain themselves to James Wan and Leigh Whannell's breakout horror hit, SAW. What began as a simple exercise to try to escape their tiny home country of Australia led to a franchise beyond either of their expectations and, perhaps, desires. From work VISAs to unpaid profits and Cary Elwes' self-discovery of latent claustrophobia, this terrifyingly crunched production proves that just because you don't make the movie you wanted, doesn't mean you can't make the movie the audience did.

    *CORRECTIONS: Cary Elwes did reprise his role in Saw 3D (2010).

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    1 hr 14 min
  8. Out of Frame: Lana Turner & Johnny Stompanato (ft. Hollywood Crime Scene) Bonus

    Show notes

    Lana Turner made a name for herself as one of Hollywood’s most sought after femme fatales in films like ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’, but her personal life may have been more scandalous than anything she portrayed on screen. Turner was a true rags to riches story - complete with an iconic discovery at a soda shop counter - but her life was an extremely difficult one, full of married men, debauchery, and abuse. However it was her relationship with mobster Johnny Stompanato that would haunt her - and her daughter - for the rest of their lives. This week, Lizzie is joined by Desi and Rachel from Hollywood Crime Scene to break down one of Old Hollywood’s most infamous homicides.

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    1 hr 1 min
  9. Carrie (1976)

    Show notes

    It’s been 50 years since Brian De Palma turned prom into a blood bath, so let’s find out what went wrong on ‘Carrie’. Join Chris and Lizzie as they dive deep into Stephen King’s first on-screen adaptation. Find out why no one wanted to adapt the novel, why De Palma had to beg for the job, and why he was dead-set against casting Sissy Spacek. Plus, discover why that deadly prom sequence was just as scary in real life.

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    1 hr 17 min
  10. Resident Evil (2002)

    Show notes

    This week, Chris & Lizzie try to figure out how Paul W.S. Anderson saved his career, his love life, and Constantin Film (maybe just in the United States) with a lovable clunker of a zombie movie. They trace the origins of the hit game Resident Evil is based on (and the game that game was born from, and the movie that game was based on), untangle a creative love triangle between Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, and their director, and work through the complicated, mostly fruitless attempts to find synergy between the movies and video games.

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    1 hr 30 min
  11. Practical Magic

    Show notes

    Despite its all-star cast, when ‘Practical Magic’ landed in theaters in 1998 it was a critical and commercial failure. The blow was particularly devastating for director Griffin Dunne who had tried to exorcise some very personal demons via the film. This week, Chris and Lizzie discover how the Owens sisters went from box office poison to home video magic. Find out how Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman got involved, how the film fooled Barbra Streisand, who built those beautiful sets, and why an actual witch tried to burn the whole movie down.

    Come back on Friday for our subscriber-only review of ‘Practical Magic 2’!

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    1 hr 22 min
  12. Witches! A Primer

    Show notes

    As spooky season approaches, Chris and Lizzie explore a brief history of witches. Find out how they’ve evolved in folklore, literature, and entertainment from ‘MacBeth’ to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ to ‘Weapons’ and beyond! Plus discover how ‘Practical Magic’ fits into this witchy arc, and what the upcoming sequel may bring to the cauldron.

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    49 min
  13. Psycho

    Show notes

    We all go a little mad sometimes... And Alfred Hitchcock certainly seemed to when he decided to follow up his most expensive film to date with a black and white B-movie based on a gritty novel that would never survive the withering glare of the Motion Picture Production Code. Chris & Lizzie explore the restrictions that birthed one of the most influential horror films in history, the brilliance of casting Anthony Perkins, Bernard Herrmann's late-in-the-game musical heroics, and Janet Leigh's unusually positive experience working with Hitchcock.

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    1 hr 34 min
  14. Dysfunctional Duos (with Couples Therapy Podcast) Bonus

    Show notes

    This week we have Andy Beckerman and Naomi Ekperigin from the Couples Therapy podcast to discuss some of the most chaotic creative partnerships and rivalries in Hollywood history. Join us as we lay out an array of feuds from Tom Cruise vs. Anne Rice, to Patrick Swayze vs. Jennifer Grey, and beyond. Grab yourself a bucket of Liz Taylor’s favorite chili and get ready to pick a side.

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    1 hr 10 min
  15. Thelma & Louise

    Show notes

    ‘Thelma and Louise’ has one of the most iconic endings ever, but it almost didn’t make it to the screen. This week Chris and Lizzie explore Callie Khouri’s relentless dedication to her screenplay, Ridley Scott’s reluctance to direct it, and why neither Geena Davis nor Brad Pitt were even close to first choice for their roles. Find out which alternate ending earned boos from a test audience and how ‘Thelma and Louise’ beat the odds to become a financial success despite almost no marketing budget.

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    1 hr 24 min
  16. Featurette: Drop Dead Gorgeous (with Ruined) Bonus

    Show notes

    ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ was supposed to be a big break for first time feature writer Lona Williams and first time feature director Michael Patrick Jann… except they couldn’t agree on anything. Difficulties with the film’s biggest star, Kirstie Alley, and a lawsuit from Dairy Queen didn’t help. In this bonus Featurette, Halle Kiefer from the Ruined podcast joins Chris and Lizzie to break down this 1999 box office bomb that somehow became a cult classic. Discover why Lona wasn’t allowed to play the role she’d written for herself, how Kirsten Dunst got cast, and why we have this movie to thank for Amy Adams’ career!

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    1 hr 3 min
  17. Dog Day Afternoon

    Show notes

    54 years ago, nearly to the day, John Wojtowicz and two accomplices caught a matinee showing of The Godfather, then walked into a bank and inadvertently changed cinema history. Chris & Lizzie explore Sidney Lumet's adaptation of Wojtowicz's sensational and tragic failed heist, the major studios' reticence to touch the material, Al Pacino's struggles with the role, and what Hollywood owes the subjects who inspire the films they make.

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    1 hr 26 min
  18. Three Kings

    Show notes

    When George Clooney read the script for 1999’s ‘Three Kings’, he knew it was the kind of project he wanted to be attached to. Even though Clooney was a bonafide TV star, he hadn’t found his footing as a leading man yet, so he practically begged director David O. Russell to cast him. Little did he know he had just signed up to work for his worst enemy. This week Lizzie and Chris dive into the madness of ‘Three Kings’, from a disastrous desert shoot, to the truth behind Clooney and Russell’s infamous knock-down drag-out fight.

    *CORRECTIONS: Lizzie mistakenly calls cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel "Newton Thomas Howell". Our apologies to Mr. Sigel.

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    1 hr 26 min
  19. Cutthroat Island

    Show notes

    It's the film that fin(n)ished Carolco! Or so we've been led to believe... This week, Chris & Lizzie seek to uncover who really scuttled Carolco Pictures - was it Geena Davis and Renny Harlin? Or was Cutthroat Island a mere scapegoat? Plus, Matthew Modine takes his lumps (on set and after), poop tanks infect the crew, and Michael Douglas dodges a trip to Davy Jones' locker.

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    1 hr 24 min
  20. Raina Deerwater of GLAAD Bonus

    Show notes

    Join Chris & Lizzie for a conversation with Raina Deerwater, GLAAD’s Associate Director, Entertainment Research & Analysis covering GLAAD's recently published Where We Are in Film Study. They'll cover the findings of GLAAD's research, the future of film for the LGBTQ community, and how an increasingly consolidated Hollywood can benefit from a diverse ecosystem of stories and storytellers.

    To connect with GLAAD, please use this contact form: https://glaad.org/contact

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    49 min