Podcasts Steven Benedict

There have been four adaptations of Jack Finney's novel. But what new angle could you bring to the classic sci-fi allegory? The post Invasion of the Body Snatchers appeared first on Steven Benedict.

To make a masterpiece about greed, media manipulation and McCarthyism, you hire a director whose background is in comedy. The post Sweet Smell of Success appeared first on Steven Benedict.

The Searchers is both a cinematic monument and an extremely unsettling depiction of the racism that lies at the heart of America's own mythology. The post The Searchers appeared first on Steven Benedict.

The legend has endured for 500 years and Hollywood has filmed it a dozen times. But Errol Flynn is still the only Robin Hood. The post The Adventures of Robin Hood appeared first on Steven Benedict.

In Ferris Bueller, John Hughes forged an icon of teenage freedom. But who is the film about? Certainly not the title character. The post Ferris Bueller’s Day Off appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Sergio Leone's masterpiece doesn't only reference American westerns. He also drew inspiration from an English film. The post Once Upon a Time in the West appeared first on Steven Benedict.

How do you make a film about Marxism, sexual oppression and Nazis? Set the whole thing in an Argentinean prison. The post Kiss of the Spider Woman appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Repulsion was Roman Polanski's first film he made after defecting from communist Poland. Its depiction of mental disintegration is also his first masterpiece. The post Repulsion appeared first on Steven Benedict.

When Paddy Chayefsky set out to write Network, his aim was to satirise the medium that had given him his start. What he gave cinema was a tragic opera. The post Network appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Earning 5 Oscar nominations and $600m around the globe, the success (and controversy) of Fatal Attraction should be squarely laid at the feet of its producers. The post Fatal Attraction appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Clint Eastwood's latest film has earned 6 Oscar nominations and is breaking box-office records. But does it deserve all the controversy it is generating? The post American Sniper appeared first on Steven Benedict.

With 5 Oscar nominations, Damien Chazelle's dynamic debut is about jazz, right? Think again. Think it is about an abusive teacher? Think again. The post Whiplash appeared first on Steven Benedict.

The publicity will tell you that Foxcatcher is about wrestling. But like all great directors, Bennett Miller uses his subject as a metaphor for something else. The post Foxcatcher appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Alejandro Iñárritu's brilliant new film pretends to be about an actor trying to escape his comic-book alter ego. But really it's about our need to escape our own egos. The post Birdman appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Joan Crawford's portrayal of martyred mother Mildred Pierce is the stuff of legend. It not only won her an Oscar but provided her with a career defining role. The post Mildred Pierce appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Nature sank the luxury liner, but as his $200m production spiralled out of control it was James Cameron who proved himself to be unsinkable. The post Titanic appeared first on Steven Benedict.

If you want to change television, stop people watching it. That is just one of the many tricks behind this great adaptation of Michael Dobbs's best-selling novels. The post House of Cards appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Released in 1996, Trainspotting was accused of promoting drug abuse. But really, it was a much needed shot in the arm for British cinema. The post Trainspotting appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Although Wim Wenders' picture won the Palme d'Or at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, a lot of American critics thought little of it. Has time proven them wrong? The post Paris, Texas appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Without question, Mike Nichols was one of America's most feted entertainers. But how did he manage to break new ground and tell such compelling stories? The post Mike Nichols appeared first on Steven Benedict.