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 activi
12 Oct 2026 · 1 h 29 minWhat 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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes
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
8 Oct 2026 · 38 minJust 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 claustrophob
5 Oct 2026 · 1 h 13 minLana 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, debau
1 Oct 2026 · 1 h 0 minIt’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
28 Sep 2026 · 1 h 16 minThis 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, Mic
21 Sep 2026 · 1 h 30 minDespite 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 Kid
14 Sep 2026 · 1 h 21 minAs 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
11 Sep 2026 · 49 minWe 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
7 Sep 2026 · 1 h 33 minThis 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. Hosted on Acast.
2 Sep 2026 · 1 h 9 min‘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
31 Aug 2026 · 1 h 23 min‘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 199
28 Aug 2026 · 1 h 2 min54 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 subj
24 Aug 2026 · 1 h 25 minWhen 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 madne
17 Aug 2026 · 1 h 25 minIt'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. Go to surfshark.com/wro
10 Aug 2026 · 1 h 23 minJoin 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 conne
7 Aug 2026 · 49 minIn the summer of 1979, citizens of Chicago found themselves subject to traffic jams, random explosions, and S.W.A.T. teams invading Daley Plaza. But they weren’t frightened, they were thrilled! It was just Jake & Elwood Blues, and they were on a mission from God. This week Chris and Lizzie dive head first into John Landis’ 1980 classic ‘The Blues Brothers’. Find out why they really drove cars thro
3 Aug 2026 · 1 h 18 minWho are you calling ugly? This week, Chris and Lizzie defend Eli Wallach's looks, Sergio Leone's directing style (to a point...), Clint Eastwood's acting chops and screenwriter Luciano Vincenzoni's decision to pitch a sequel to For a Few Dollars More without his director's input. Plus, why you should always let the Italian stunt men do their job, never trust the Spanish army with a detonation, and
27 Jul 2026 · 1 h 31 minWho do you think of when you think of Spaghetti Westerns? Because Sergio Leone thinks of... Akira Kurosawa? In this week's primer, Chris & Lizzie dive into the Eurocentric Western revival of the 60's and 70's, how it saved Clint Eastwood's career, drew the scorn of American critics, and gave birth to some of the most stylish movies ever made. This episode is brought to you by Brami. Shop Brami at
24 Jul 2026 · 53 minIt took Christopher Nolan mere minutes to sell Warner Brothers on his vision of Batman. And while he began to change the face of superhero movies with Batman Begins he altered it forever with The Dark Knight. This week Chris and Lizzie break down which element of The Joker made the studio very nervous, why Hong Kong proved incredibly difficult to film in, and how the hell they flipped that 18 whee
20 Jul 2026 · 1 h 16 min