Movies I Love That No One Talks About
105 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 49 ratingsEvery week, host Dan Benamor interviews a guest who worked on an under appreciated hidden gem of a movie, or an industry figure that shares his love of these unheralded masterpieces.
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Episodes
FALLEN
November 06, 2020 06:25 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBOscar-nominated screenwriter Nicholas Kazan joins the show to discuss his Denzel Washington supernatural thriller, FALLEN. One of the more underrated Denzel films, this movie features one of the best twists in cinematic history, for my money. It also has a sly sense of humor, and wall-to-wall great performances from an able supporting cast, including Donald Sutherland, James Gandolfini, Elias Koteas and John Goodman.
A MOST VIOLENT YEAR
November 01, 2020 00:05 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBJ.C. Chandor has quietly become one of the best filmmakers working today, with MARGIN CALL, ALL IS LOST, TRIPLE FRONTIER and A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, perhaps his least-seen, most-underrated film (not by critics, who loved it, but by the general public). Have you seen this movie? It is, in some ways, to the gangster film what UNFORGIVEN is to the western, a deconstruction of the foundational tropes of the genre. Oscar Isaac IS early Al Pacino, a conclusion widely-found in the critical response to ...
THE SALTON SEA
October 24, 2020 22:23 - 27 minutes - 25.8 MBThe writer of this film, Tony Gayton, joins the podcast. Tony also created HELL ON WHEELS, and wrote FASTER and MURDER BY NUMBERS. This film, a wild, inventive, tonally adventurous neo-noir, stars Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Peter Sarsgaard and marked the directorial debut of DJ Caruso, who would go on to direct DISTURBIA and many other films. A true original, this film is as fresh and unpredictable today as it was when it first came out.
COP LAND
October 18, 2020 14:55 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBScreenwriter Raul Inglis (AMERICAN HEIST w/Adrien Brody, SUDDENLY w/Ray Liotta) joins the show to discuss James Mangold's cop drama, COP LAND, featuring a cast so absurdly stacked it's tough to write all their names in this summary - Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Peter Berg, John Spencer, Malik Yoba, Janeane Garafolo, Noah Emmerich, Frank Vincent, Edie Falco, Annabella Sciorra and Michael Rapaport. As he's done at various points throughout his career, Stallone ...
INITIATION
October 10, 2020 15:00 - 42 minutes - 39.6 MBThe director, co-writer, and editor of this film, Oren Benamor, joins the show. Bloody Disgusting called INITIATION, "unusually thoughtful," and a, "well-crafted thriller." It's a death match movie, about a mysterious cult that kidnaps a group of strangers and makes them fight its recruits to the death as part of an initiation ceremony. You might notice that Oren and I have the same last name - he's my cousin, and I'm the other writer of the film. Listeners of the show know that I am brutally...
THE LOOKOUT
October 04, 2020 19:22 - 30 minutes - 28 MBAcclaimed screenwriter Ali Imran Zaidi joins the show to discuss Scott Frank's too-little-seen crime thriller, THE LOOKOUT, starring Joseph Gordon Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Isla Fisher and Matthew Goode. The type of intimate character study that's rarely made at this level anymore, full of richly-realized characters, and a great re-watch in 2020, especially for Chris Pratt.
BREACH
September 27, 2020 11:00 - 52 minutes - 49 MBMy biggest guests yet - all-universe writer and director Billy Ray (CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, THE HUNGER GAMES) and prolific producer Adam Merims (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, BRIGHT). They join the show to discuss BREACH, their film about Robert Hanssen, FBI agent, Soviet spy, and one of the worst intelligence disasters in US history. Chris Cooper plays Hanssen in one of his career best performances, opposite an excellent Ryan Phillippe. Released the same day as the premiere of THE COMEY RULE on Showtime...
THE PRESTIGE
September 21, 2020 01:36 - 45 minutes - 42.2 MBChristopher Nolan's best movie? Yes, it is. But bizarrely, it's one of the lowest scoring movies (from audience members) of any of his films. Screenwriter Tyler Burton Smith (the Chucky reboot CHILD'S PLAY, and upcoming KUNG FURY 2 w/Arnold Schwarzenegger) joins the show to puzzle out this staggeringly complex yet always crystal-clear dueling magicians film, starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall and David Bowie. If you can't see TENET, go watch this movie rig...
WIDOWS
September 14, 2020 05:42 - 43 minutes - 40.4 MBOne of the movies that made me want to do this show - pop culture writer LaToya Ferguson (AV Club, IndieWire) joins the show to chat about Steve McQueen's heist drama film, working with writer Gillian Flynn (GONE GIRL), with an absurd cast, Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Daniel Kaluuya, Brian Tyree, Jon Bernthal, and more. As great a popcorn heist movie as it is a thoughtful, artful, independent movie, this film ha...
SUICIDE KINGS
September 07, 2020 04:21 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBThe co-writer/producer of the film, Wayne Rice, joins the podcast to discuss SUICIDE KINGS - one of the great career showcases of Christopher Walken, featuring early-days Jay Mohr, Johnny Galecki, Jeremy Sisto, Henry Thomas, Sean Patrick Flanery, and a tremendous, boot-wearing Denis Leary. Listen to the end for Wayne's wild announcement about a possible reunion!
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
August 31, 2020 13:03 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBScreenwriter Ian Shorr, who sold a futuristic version of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO to Warner Brothers, joins the show to discuss the 2002 Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce version, directed by ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES director Kevin Reynolds, adapted by PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN scribe Jay Wolpert. Featuring one of the great late-career turns by Richard Harris and a teenaged pre-Superman Henry Cavill, this movie is fun, funny, and maybe one of the last great classic adventure films.
ARBITRAGE
August 25, 2020 19:35 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBThe writer/director of ARBITRAGE, Nicholas Jarecki, joins the show to discuss his stunning Richard Gere film, on par with MICHAEL CLAYTON and UNCUT GEMS as tremendously compelling portraits of deeply flawed leading men, with Gere ably supported by an all-star cast including Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, and Brit Marling.
THE SKELETON KEY
August 18, 2020 23:19 - 42 minutes - 39.6 MBThe director of THE SKELETON KEY, Iain Softley, joins the show to discuss this perennially underrated horror film starring Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, Peter Sarsgaard and John Hurt, which low-key ran much of the same creative road as GET OUT, but never broke through in the same way. This remains one of the best-acted, best-plotted horror movies, with a flat-out great final twist.
FOUR BROTHERS
August 13, 2020 21:09 - 38 minutes - 35.8 MBMark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin, Garrett Hedlund, and Chiwetel Ejiofor anchor this deeply satisfying John Singleton crime thriller. Comedian and screenwriter Atif Myers joins me to argue that it’s one of Wahlberg’s best and most underrated movies.
KISS KISS BANG BANG
August 06, 2020 19:11 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MBShane Black at his best, channeling pulp crime novels in Hollywood with Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer, and Michelle Monaghan. Screenwriter John Sullivan (SECURITY w/Antonio Banderas) and I exchange witty one-liners and reminisce about our own LA experiences as we dive into this under-the-radar crime/comedy classic.
FRAILTY
July 30, 2020 22:56 - 50 minutes - 47.1 MBThe screenwriter of FRAILTY, Brent Hanley, joins the show to explain how this stunningly bold thriller - where a father teaches his kids to murder people, claiming an angel has commanded him - got made. starring (and directed by) Bill Paxton, with Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe.
THE GUEST
July 24, 2020 18:31 - 32 minutes - 30 MBScreenwriter Brian D. Young joins the show to talk about the nightmare riff on the 80s, John Carpenter, and horror/thrillers, Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett’s film THE GUEST, with Dan Stevens very far away from DOWNTON ABBEY.
HAMLET 2
July 16, 2020 19:08 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBThe director and co-writer of HAMLET 2, Andrew Fleming (THE CRAFT) joins the show to discuss this wild Steve Coogan comedy, which remains criminally under-watched (you don’t have to see HAMLET to watch this movie!). The film was co-written with Pam Brady, who co-wrote TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE, which is not a coincidence.
BLUE RUIN
July 09, 2020 21:00 - 29 minutes - 27.6 MBScreenwriter Matt O’Reilly joins the show to discuss the radically stripped-down, surprisingly soulful, homeless drifter revenge film BLUE RUIN, directed by Jeremy Saulnier, starring Macon Blair.
RED PLANET
July 03, 2020 19:36 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBThe co-writer of this film, Chuck Pfarrer, sold this as an original spec script for a million dollars. Hear him explain how it became the Val Kilmer film RED PLANET, which is much better than its reputation.
SPARTAN
July 02, 2020 18:52 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBLiterary manager Jarrod Murray returns for David Mamet’s SPARTAN, the cinematic equivalent of a punch to the face, starring Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, William H. Macy, Ed O’Neill and Kristen Bell.
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN
June 25, 2020 19:19 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBLegendary producer Lucas Foster (FORD V FERRARI, BAD BOYS, CRIMSON TIDE) joins the show to discuss the Gerard Butler & Jamie Foxx rage against the machine thriller, LAW ABIDING CITIZEN.
WALK HARD
June 17, 2020 21:11 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBEntertainment lawyer Sam Strantz joins the show to talk WALK HARD, the saga of Dewey Cox. John C. Reilly leads an all-star cast in this sublimely goofy music satire, which has been impossibly under-seen.
UNFRIENDED
June 09, 2020 18:48 - 37 minutes - 34.9 MBScreenwriter Nelson Greaves details the wild genesis of his screens-only horror film, and how he essentially willed it into existence with sheer willpower and creativity. The film exceeded everyone’s expectations and was a global hit, but we break down why it is much more than just a gimmick.
EASTERN PROMISES
June 04, 2020 19:02 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBRussian screenwriter Michael Arkof joins the show to talk Viggo Mortensen’s accent, nude fights, and GODFATHER level greatness in David Cronenberg’s crime epic EASTERN PROMISES.
DRIVE ANGRY
May 28, 2020 18:33 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBScreenwriter Todd Farmer joins the show to discuss his tendency to appear as a nude character named Frank in his films, improvised Nicolas Cage kissing, and the general demented merriment of the action/horror/comedy DRIVE ANGRY.
BEST OF THE BEST
May 21, 2020 18:53 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBMartial artist and screenwriter Joshua James (POUND OF FLESH w/Jean Claude Van Damme) joins the show, and franchise creator Phillip Rhee answers audience questions, regarding BEST OF THE BEST, the best late 80s sports film you may not have seen, starring Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones, Chris Penn, and Phillip Rhee.
COLD IN JULY
May 14, 2020 18:44 - 33 minutes - 31.2 MBDevelopment executive Harris Kauffman joins host Dan Benamor to discuss Jim Mickle’s backcountry noir acid trip of a movie, COLD IN JULY, starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard and Don Johnson, adapted from Joe R. Lansdale’s novel.
JACK REACHER
May 08, 2020 19:34 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBFormer Cruise/Wagner executive Jeff Buitenveld joins the show to talk Tom Cruise and JACK REACHER.
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
May 07, 2020 22:47 - 44 minutes - 41.5 MBOscar-nominated screenwriter Josh Olson joins host Dan Benamor to discuss his Viggo Mortensen / David Cronenberg film A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE.
JUST FRIENDS
May 01, 2020 18:58 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MBScreenwriter Adam “Tex” Davis joins host Dan Benamor to discuss his early-career Ryan Reynolds classic, JUST FRIENDS.
3:10 TO YUMA
April 30, 2020 19:03 - 27 minutes - 25.7 MBFilmmaker Ryan Little (SAINTS AND SOLDIERS) joins host Dan Benamor to discuss arguably the last best classic Western to get a big theatrical release with a star-studded cast, headed up by Christian Bale and Russell Crowe.
DONNYBROOK
April 24, 2020 19:03 - 41 minutes - 38.6 MBWriter/director Tim Sutton joins host Dan Benamor to discuss his Jamie Bell / Frank Grillo film, the haunting, bone-crunching, mythical, cage-fighting, hillbilly elegy, DONNYBROOK.
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
April 22, 2020 20:51 - 36 minutes - 34 MBProducer Oliver Ridge (upcoming LANSKY w/Harvey Keitel) joins host Dan Benamor to discuss the star-studded, generational saga THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES.
POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING
April 16, 2020 18:22 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBDevelopment executive Ryan Stayton (Netflix’s THE WITCHER) and filmmaker Sam Thompson join host Dan Benamor to discuss Andy Samberg’s pop opus, POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING.
GONE BABY GONE
April 10, 2020 20:43 - 31 minutes - 29 MBActor Martin Thomson (upcoming SNOWPIERCER TV series on TNT) joins host Dan Benamor to discuss Ben Affleck’s less heralded but arguably best film, GONE BABY GONE.
I SEE YOU
April 05, 2020 18:11 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBDirector Adam Randall joins host Dan Benamor to discuss his supremely twisty Helen Hunt thriller I SEE YOU.
THE RELIC
April 01, 2020 20:56 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBScreenwriters Ryan Dixon and Luke Piotrowski (fresh off the 12M sale of his film THE NIGHT HOUSE at Sundance) join host Dan Benamor to discuss the insane, funny, gory JURASSIC PARK-in-a-museum movie THE RELIC.
BROTHERHOOD
March 25, 2020 20:39 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBWriter/director Will Canon joins host Dan Benamor to discuss his insanely tense thriller BROTHERHOOD.
UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING
March 18, 2020 21:06 - 40 minutes - 37.6 MBProlific action screenwriter Chad Law joins host Dan Benamor to discuss arguably the best Scott Adkins, Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren film, UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING.
WORLD’S GREATEST DAD
March 11, 2020 18:43 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBFilmmaker Jeremy LaLonde joins host Dan Benamor to discuss the Robin Williams dark comedy cult classic WORLD’S GREATEST DAD.
A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES
March 04, 2020 21:08 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBComic book writer Michael Gordon joins host Dan Benamor to discuss the underrated crown jewel of Liam Neeson films, A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES.
IN BRUGES
February 27, 2020 00:12 - 32 minutes - 30.4 MBJOHN WICK creator/screenwriter Derek Kolstad joins host Dan Benamor to discuss the darkly comic Colin Farrell crime film, IN BRUGES.
TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL
February 19, 2020 19:25 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBScreenwriter David Wingert joins host Dan Benamor to discuss the redneck-slasher-subverting-horror-comedy TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL.
FRESH
February 05, 2020 20:08 - 47 minutes - 44.4 MBScreenwriter Joshua James (POUND OF FLESH w/Jean Claude Van Damme) joins host Dan Benamor to discuss Boaz Yakin’s film FRESH featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Giancarlo Esposito.
THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE
February 02, 2020 15:36 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBFilmmaker Aaron Harvey (CATCH-44 w/Bruce Willis, INTO THE ASHES w/Frank Grillo) joins host Dan Benamor to discuss the Robert Mitchum crime film THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE.
BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS
January 30, 2020 20:52 - 31 minutes - 29 MBScreenwriter Dikran Ornekian joins the show to discuss the Werner Herzog / Nicolas Cage film BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS.
THE MATADOR
January 29, 2020 20:08 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBWriter/Director Richard Shepard (THE PERFECTION, DOM HEMINGWAY, HBO’s GIRLS) joins host Dan Benamor to discuss his Pierce Brosnan film THE MATADOR.
THE COUNSELOR
January 25, 2020 00:38 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBLiterary manager and producer Jarrod Murray joins host Dan Benamor to discuss the criminally underrated Ridley Scott film THE COUNSELOR.
SPLICE
January 22, 2020 19:56 - 37 minutes - 35.1 MBHorror filmmaker Michael Kuciak joins host Dan Benamor to discuss the disturbing horror masterpiece SPLICE.