Today’s conversation was a hugely thrilling and exciting occasion for me, because the man I spoke to is a true pioneer and a legend of sci-fi cinema, and the movie which he’s most famous for is one which really resonated with me when I first saw it as a teenager, and it’s continued to hold that fascination throughout the years. I’ve had the immense pleasure of talking to Steven Lisberger, the writer and director of TRON, an immensely influential 1982 movie in which Jeff Bridges travels into the virtual world inside the computer, which to a young kid interested in The post #44 – “I was always competing with TRON”: Director Steven Lisberger about his sci-fi adventure SLIPSTREAM appeared first on Talking Pictures.

For today’s episode, I’ve had the immense pleasure of talking to screenwriter Mike Rich about his very first film, FINDING FORRESTER. Directed by Gus Van Sant, the film came out in the year 2000 and features the legendary “original James Bond” Sean Connery as a reclusive writer in the vein of J.D. Salinger, named William Forrester, who starts mentoring a young 16-year old black kid from the Bronx, Jamal, played by then-newcomer Rob Brown, who divides his time between playing basketball with his friends and at school and his secret interest in writing and literature. The film also stars a The post #43 – “I wrote the screenplay with no expectations”: Mike Rich on FINDING FORRESTER appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is Mike Curb, best known as the head of the independent record label Curb Records, which started out in 1964 as Sidewalk Records and is still going strong in 2025. Over the years, Curb have released records like the best-selling COYOTE UGLY soundtrack album and music by Gloria Gaynor, Willie Nelson, Bananarama, The Four Seasons, LeAnn Rimes, Sixpence None the Richer and many other great artists. Mike Curb has also served as the lieutenant governor of California from 1979 to 1983, he’s owned a NASCAR team, he renovated a house owned by Elvis Presley, he supports many charity The post #41 – “Roger Corman Said I Was More Radical”: Composer/Music Producer Mike Curb on THE WILD ANGELS and Other Biker & Counterculture Films appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is Bob Blackburn – he’s the son of the famous sportscaster by the same name, Bob Blackburn, who was the play-by-play voice of the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA and was inducted into the Sports Halls of Fame in both Oregon and Washington. Bob, the son, also has a background in radio, but the reason I’m talking to him today is the book he just released: KATHY WOOD & I – HOW I FELL DOWN THE ED WOOD JR. ANGORA RABBIT HOLE. Bob, you see, is the custodian of the estate of the independent filmmaker Ed Wood –… The post #40 – “He Would Have Been So Happy About This Notoriety”: Ed Wood Heir Bob Blackburn on the PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE Director’s Legacy appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is screenwriter Dave Callaham, and our conversation revolves around one of his early screenwriting assignments: the adaptation of the influential video game DOOM by id Software, turned into an action movie starring The Rock in 2005. Dave quickly became an in-demand writer in Hollywood, and his credits include a ton of high-profile action movies and blockbusters – he wrote the initial script of what would then became Sylvester Stallone’s THE EXPENDABLES, he worked on films like GODZILLA and ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP, he was a screenwriter on big comic book movies like WONDER WOMAN 1984, SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND… The post #39 – “I Still Don’t Feel the Code Has Been Cracked on How to Adapt These Things”: Screenwriter Dave Callaham on DOOM appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is Irish filmmaker Enda McCallion, and our interview was prompted by his involvement in the 2005 horror film DOOM starring The Rock, an adaptation of the influential video game by id Software. Enda was attached to the project in its initial stages and during pre-production, but was then fired and replaced by Andzrej Bartkowiak as the new director. Here, for maybe for the first time, Enda talks about his experience developing DOOM and explains what happened during pre-production, and he also gives us a glimpse of what his version of DOOM would have looked like and what remains… The post #38 – “I Started Becoming Very Irresponsible”: Director Enda McCallion Explains How He Got Fired from DOOM (and What He’s Up to Now) appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is filmmaker Tony Giglio, and our conversation revolves around his 2019 film DOOM: ANNIHILATION which he wrote and directed. Unlike the 2005 DOOM movie starring The Rock, this newer adaptation of the infamous and influential ego shooter video game by id Software was made on a very small budget, and it’s not a sequel or remake, but basically a new take on the story of a marines team fighting a horde of demons which infiltrated a space station on Phobos, one of the moons of Mars. DOOM: ANNIHILATION is a well-made, fun action film which finds a good… The post #37 – “You’re Never Going to Meet Up with Expectations”: Director/Writer Tony Giglio on His Video Game Adaptation DOOM: ANNIHILATION appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is Ron Bonk, best known as the owner of the New York-based underground production and distribution company SRS Cinema. Ron started out as a filmmaker in the shot-on-video world of the 1990’s, writing and directing low-budget genre films like CITY OF THE VAMPIRES and THE VICIOUS SWEET. He went on to direct several independent horror films like CLAY, MS. CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST or the tongue-in-cheek HOUSE SHARK. With SRS Cinema, he’s produced and distributed numerous other films with splendid titles such as AMITYVILLE BIGFOOT, PUPPET SHARK or COCAINE CRABS FROM OUTER SPACE. Our conversation revolves around a found footage… The post #36: “Nobody Said: Wow, We’re Doing Something Revolutionary Here”: Ron Bonk on his Early Found-Footage Film STRAWBERRY ESTATES appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is Dean Alioto, writer and director of the groundbreaking found footage horror film UFO ABDUCTION, which also became known as THE MCPHERSON TAPE. The film tells the story of a family whose house is surrounded by alien creatures one night, and while the panicked people inside the house become more and more frightened and try to deal with the situation, a family members records the entire event with a 1980’s-style home video camera. Dean made the film on a shoestring budget in 1989 while he was in his mid-Twenties, and while there have been several found footage and… The post #35: “It’s Good to Be Ahead of Your Time, But Not a Decade”: Director Dean Alioto on Pioneering Found Footage Film UFO ABDUCTION appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is Ted Nicolaou, best known for his many collaborations with producer Charles Band, including the popular SUBSPECIES series. Ted started out as a sound recordist on Tobe Hooper’s cult classic THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE and then went into editing, working on films like ROAR, TRANCERS and GHOULIES. As a director, and ofentimes as a writer, too, he made films like the offbeat horror comedy TERRORVISION, charming fantasy movies for children like DRAGONWORLD or LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUNS, and, of course, the aforementioned SUBSPECIES films – a series of vampire horror films which made perfect use of their impressive Romanian… The post #34: “It’s very easy for me to scare myself”: Director Ted Nicolaou on THE ST. FRANCISVILLE EXPERIMENT appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is Stefan Avalos, who was once profiled by Wired magazine as “one of the twenty five people helping to reinvent entertainment”. Together with Lance Weiler, he wrote, produced, directed and starred in the found footage thriller THE LAST BROADCAST, a film which they also shot, edited and scored themselves – and which became the first feature film that was released digitally in commercial cinemas in 1998. The film is a true crime documentary about the two hosts of a cable access show called Fact or Fiction who disappear in search of the mythical Jersey Devil creature. A strange… The post #33: “We Didn’t Think Anyone Would Watch 1½ Hours of Crappy Video of Running Around in the Woods”: Stefan Avalos on Found Footage Precursor THE LAST BROADCAST appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is Brian Leslie, producer of the found footage horror film THE BLACK DOOR, which came out in 2001 on the heels of the success of the genre-defining THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. THE BLACK DOOR was directed by Kit Wong, and Brian Leslie was brought on board by his production partner Lucas Lowe. Lowe, best known as the director of martial arts action films like KING OF THE KICKBOXERS and AMERICAN SHAOLIN, had worked with Brian on a horror/mystery anthology series which was originally called THE LEGENDS OF THE BUSHWALKER and was then renamed DIARIES OF DARKNESS, with Lowe… The post #32: “In 1999, There’s a Lot of Things People Don’t Know About”: Brian Leslie on Producing the BLAIR WITCH Follow-up THE BLACK DOOR appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is director Carl Schultz, and our conversation revolves around his work on the TV series THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES, or THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES, as it’s later been retitled. This lavishly produced early 90’s show, a spin-off of the popular Indiana Jones movies, follows the adventures of Indy as a boy, played by Corey Carrier, and as a young man, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, encountering numerous famous historical figures and events. Carl directed several episodes of the show, including the first few episodes which has the protagonist meeting contemporaries like Pancho Villa, Winston Churchill,… The post #31: “I Don’t Need Cute” – Director Carl Schultz on THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is actor Sean Patrick Flanery, and our conversation revolves around his work on the TV series THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES, later re-titled as THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES– a lavishly produced spin-off of the popular Indiana Jones movies which ran from 1992 to 1996, following the adventures of Indy as a boy, played by Corey Carrier, and as a young man, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, encountering numerous famous historical figures and events. Sean appeared in the lion’s share of the episodes, with Indy fighting numerous battles in World War I, joining Sidney Bechet’s jazz band… The post #30: “It Made Me Read THE TRIAL by Franz Kafka”: Actor Sean Patrick Flanery on THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Just like in our last episode, today’s guest is not a filmmaker but a novelist. In our last episode, I spoke to Rob MacGregor who wrote several Indiana Jones novels at the beginning of the Nineties – this time, I’m talking to writer Max McCoy who continued the series from 1995 to 1999 with four original Indiana Jones stories, starting with INDIANA JONES AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE and continuing with INDIANA JONES AND THE DINOSAUR EGGS, THE HOLLOW EARTH and THE SECRET OF THE SPHINX. Before his Indy series, Max had already written several novels in the Western genre, including… The post #29: “We Need the Indiana Jones Character”, Says Novelist Max McCoy appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is not a filmmaker – but his best-known work is closely connected to one of the most popular movie series of all time. It is novelist Rob MacGregor, who wrote the novelization of Steven Spielberg’s third Indiana Jones movie, INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE – and then went on to write six more original Indy adventures shortly afterwards, starting with INDIANA JONES AND THE PERIL AT DELPHI in 1991 and then continuing with DANCE OF THE GIANTS, THE SEVEN VEILS, THE GENESIS DELUGE, THE UNICORN’S LEGACY and INDIANA JONES AND THE INTERIOR WORLD throughout 1991 and 1992.… The post #28: Mythology and Spirituality: Rob MacGregor on his Indiana Jones Novels appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is screenwriter and director Menno Meyjes, best known for his collaboration with Steven Spielberg in the 80’s. Menno was born in the Netherlands but moved to the United States in 1972 to study at the San Francisco Art Institute. After writing a script for one of the best-known episodes of Spielberg’s AMAZING STORIES TV series – “The Mission”, starring a young Kevin Costner and directed by Spielberg himself – Menno received an Academy Award nomination for his adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel THE COLOR PURPLE, as directed by Spielberg. As a screenwriter, he also worked on… The post #27: “Nothing Would Ever Top the Ark of the Covenant”: Screenwriter Menno Meyjes on INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is Barry Opper, best known as the producer of the CRITTERS series, the tongue-in-cheek sci-fi horror series about furry little creatures from outer space creating havoc here on Earth. Barry started out, together with his business partner Rupert Harvey, as the producer of Aaron Lipstadt’s 1982 sci-fi cult film ANDROID, which was made in collaboration with Roger Corman and starred Klaus Kinski and Barry’s brother Don, who also wrote the screenplay. Barry and Rupert went on to produce the CRITTERS series, which also starred Don as Critter hunter Charlie, and they also made Aaron Lipstadt’s post-apocalyptic film CITY… The post #26: CRITTERS, CREEPERS & Other Impossible Projects: A Conversation with Producer Barry Opper appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is Aaron Lipstadt, best known from the mid-80’s onwards as a director on popular TV shows like MIAMI VICE, QUANTUM LEAP, LAW & ORDER, CROSSING JORDAN, THE 4400, BOSCH or ELEMENTARY. As a producer/director, he also worked on shows like THE MARSHAL, THE DIVISION, MEDIUM and GRIMM. In our interview, however, we go back to the beginning of Aaron’s career – to an independent little science-fiction gem called ANDROID, which came out in 1982 and was compared by film critic Roger Ebert to cult debut films like George Lucas’ THX 1138 and John Carpenter’s DARK STAR. ANDROID was… The post Talking Pictures #25: Aaron Lipstadt, Director of ANDROID appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is the amazing writer and director Nicholas Meyer. While Meyer is probably best known as the writer and director of the beloved sci-fi sequels STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN and STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY and also as the director of the sci-fi adventure TIME AFTER TIME and the devastating nuclear disaster TV movie THE DAY AFTER, our conversation revolves around his Sherlock Holmes stories. In 1974, Meyer published the bestselling novel THE SEVEN PER-CENT SOLUTION, presented as a rediscovered manuscript in which Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective meets Sigmund Freud in Vienna who cures… The post Talking Pictures #22: Nicholas Meyer, Writer of THE SEVEN PER-CENT SOLUTION appeared first on Talking Pictures.