WHAT WENT WRONG
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.
Episodes (54)
[Bonus Preview] The Conjuring: Last Rites
Join Chris & Lizzie as they review the latest entry in Warner Bros. continued reputation laundering of (*alleged) grifters, Ed and Lorraine Warren! Was a different path possible for the franchise?...
This Is Spinal Tap
What if Rob Reiner hadn’t directed ‘This Is Spinal Tap’? What if the classic 1984 rockumentary had never even existed? This week Chris and Lizzie go to eleven with a behind the scenes look at why no...
Fitzcarraldo
Come see us live! Oct. 8th and 9th at the Caveat Theater in Manhattan! Head to cheerfulearful.com/podlifeevents.com and click on our show dates for tickets!They say one man's dream is another man's...
[Patreon Preview] WWW Deep Cuts - August 2025
In our first ever "Deep Cuts" episode, Chris, Lizzie, and David dive into corrections and through lines from this month's movies, followed by an audience mailbag!See Privacy Policy at...
Bohemian Rhapsody
Between overly involved band members, a completely absent director, and a huge legacy for lead actor Rami Malek to live up to, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ had more than its fair share of problems. This week...
Below The Line - Creature Design & Practical FX (Starship Troopers)
You’d be hard pressed to find someone who’s contributed to more of your nightmares than Alec Gillis. He’s behind creature designs for monsters from Predators to Xenomorphs, Graboids, to brain bugs and...
Starship Troopers
How do you satirize a self-serious sci-fi staple? Any way you can! This week, Chris & Lizzie drop in on Paul Verhoeven's widely misunderstood anti-fascist spectacle and try to figure out how the...
BUGS (Primer for Starship Troopers)
Join Chris as he creeps and crawls through humanity's fear of some of its most helpful planetary cohabitants: bugs, and how they have evolved as on-screen foes.See Privacy Policy at...
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & Kill Bill: Vol 2 were never intended to be two separate movies - but Quentin Tarantino’s vision proved too expansive and the production too unruly. Join Chris and Lizzie as...
The Shawshank Redemption
Hope is a powerful thing, and Frank Darabont hung his on Stephen King. This week, Chris and Lizzie chronicle the unlikely story of an episodic Stephen King novella, shaped by the hands of a...
[Patreon Preview] The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review
Can ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ revive one of superhero cinema’s most troubled franchises? Find out what Chris and Lizzie think of the film - including a theory about Pedro Pascal’s performance...
All That Jazz (with Demi Adejuyigbe)
‘All That Jazz’ is a movie about what a brilliant jerk Bob Fosse is… and it was written and directed by Bob Fosse. Chaos ensued as the legendary choreographer attempted to confront his demons onscreen...
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
How did a freshly minted horror maestro, one of Hollywood's most alternative leading men, and the squeaky clean Mouse House join forces to revive the water-logged pirate genre? Join Chris and Lizzie...
Pirates (Primer for Pirates of the Caribbean)
Join Chris as he walks the plank and dives headfirst into the myth-filled world of pirates, from their state-sanctioned origins to their silver screen renditions.See Privacy Policy at...
[Patreon Preview] Superman (2025) Review
Lizzie and Chris breakdown some background on James Gunn's recently released Superman movie. Afterward, they let their reviews fly through the air like a bird. Or a plane. Or...For the full review,...
Braveheart
Mel Gibson shouts his way to a bigger budget, no one cares about historical accuracy, and somehow the most Scottish movie ever was filmed… in Ireland. Join Lizzie and Chris for a wild journey through...
Superman: The Movie (1978)
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a dummy fired out of a cannon! This week, join Chris and Lizzie as they fly 'round the world to turn back time to witness Richard Donner's herculean efforts to bring...
The Sound of Music
1965’s The Sound of Music would eventually become known as “The Sound of Money” but initially no one wanted to be a part of the film - especially Christopher Plummer. Join Lizzie and Chris as they...
[Patreon Preview] 28 Years Later Review
This is a preview of Chris and Lizzie's conversation on "28 Years Later". For their full discussion of fan theories, a few easter eggs and critical reactions to the film, support us at the $5 tier or...
28 Days Later
How did a scrappy production out of the UK with little more than a dozen DV camcorders revive a decidedly dead genre and spark a renaissance with the recently departed? Join Chris and Lizzie as they...
Zombies (Primer for 28 Days Later)
Join Chris as he explores the evolution of zombies, from their birth in the Caribbean amidst the horrors of the Atlantic slave trade to their high-speed, globalized, modern incarnations. Endlessly...
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
A very real fear of nuclear war drove Stanley Kubrick to create one of the greatest satirical films ever made - but it wasn’t always a comedy. Find out where the idea for 1964’s ‘Dr. Strangelove or:...
V for Vendetta
This week, join Chris and Lizzie as they learn how the two Midwestern mavens of the Matrix (facing diminishing box office returns), an unassuming Aussie assistant director, and mogul of mayhem Joel...
Glitter
Terrible timing, lack of creative direction, and straight up sabotage plagued Mariah Carey’s infamous big time flopper: 2001’s ‘Glitter’. Find out why the movie was doomed from the start, how Max...
Ben-Hur (1959)
How did a studio on the brink, a Jewish director, and a second-rate star turn a pulpy, near-blasphemous mass market Christian book into a blockbuster for the ages? Join Chris and Lizzie as they travel...
Below The Line - DP & Camera Operator (Donnie Darko)
Cinematographer Steven Poster and camera operator, Dave Chameides join the conversation to put us on the set of Richard Kelly's iconic film, Donnie Darko. Learn about the collaborative efforts...
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman took 75 years to make it to the big screen. Her journey was full of rewrites, reboots, and lots and lots of men. Find out how director Patty Jenkins got the job, why Superman helped Gal...
Listen Now: The Sam Sanders Show
Some movies are so bad, they become iconic. Think Cats, Joker: Folie à Deux, Madame Web, and The Flash—massive flops that cost studios millions and spark endless debate.Sam breaks down why these...
GoldenEye
Was the fall of the Iron Curtain Bond's curtain call? Tasked with saving the super spy were a pair of nepo babies, a television actor and a Kiwi director fresh off a flop. Join Chris and Lizzie as...
James Bond (Primer for GoldenEye)
Join Chris as he explores 007's origins, birthed from the mind of a 44 year old dilettante debut writer, the result of a bet with his nay-saying brother, at a vacation home in Jamaica affectionately...
Hulk (2003)
A decade of development hell, enough writers to take down a gorilla (maybe even a Hulk), and a director dealing with daddy issues. This week, Chris and Lizzie smash into the origins of Ang Lee's Hulk,...
Donnie Darko
A plane crash puts a premature end to a precocious protagonist… on screen and off. This week Chris and David explore Richard Kelly’s cult classic debut film, Donnie Darko. Learn how a fateful meeting...
Dirty Dancing
Jennifer Grey knew the part of Frances “Baby” Houseman was perfect for her. There was just one problem: Patrick Swayze. The stars of 1987’s ‘Dirty Dancing’ had history, and it wasn’t good. In this...
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Would audiences walk out? Would the animation make them sick? Was Walt Disney a madman? Such were the real musings of industry experts when Walt bet it all on Snow White, Disney’s first feature...
Walt Disney (Primer for Snow White)
In this atypical episode, Chris takes you down the Walt Disney rabbit hole, setting the table for our episode on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Join us for an exploration of the childhood and...
Predator
This week, Chris and special guest (and film critic) Dan Murrell get to the choppa! with a deep dive of 1987's Predator. They'll be braving snakes (venomous and Hollywood), fire ants, scorpions and...
Below The Line - Casting Director (Abbott Elementary, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
Chris and Lizzie speak with the incredible, Emmy-winning Casting Director, Wendy O'Brien (Abbott Elementary, Dave, It's Always Sunny, Wyrm). Enjoy a conversation about how this role is different from...
Some Like It Hot
Marilyn Monroe can’t remember her lines, Jack Lemmon can’t walk in heels, and Billy Wilder is slipping sleeping pills up his tuchus. ‘Some Like It Hot’ is a groundbreaking comedy that nearly broke...
Malcolm X
Three decades of development hell, a dozen drafts and one very embattled director. This week, Chris and Lizzie explore the tumultuous journey of Malcolm X, Spike Lee’s unusual path to the directing...
The Godfather - Part 1 (Part 2)
This week it’s Francis Ford Coppola vs Bob Evans vs everyone. Join Chris and Lizzie for part 2 as they break down the truly insane rivalries behind 1972’s The Godfather. Find out why Coppola’s team...
The Godfather - Part 1 (Part 1)
It’s a movie about the mafia… but they couldn’t say the word mafia… because the actual mafia threatened the entire production if they didn’t remove it. This week Chris and Lizzie dive into Francis...
Listen Now: The Big Flop
For over a decade, Tom Cruise was Hollywood's most bankable star, ruling Tinseltown with a million-dollar grin and a carefully crafted image. But when ditching his publicist led to couch-jumping...
Eyes Wide Shut
What happens when Tom Cruise’s unstoppable force meets Stanley Kubrick’s immovable object? Tune in as Lizzie & Chris uncover the secrets of the reclusive auteur’s thirteenth and final film, a...
Below The Line - Storyboard Artist (Shaft, Nightcrawler, Free Guy)
Storyboard artist Warren Drummond (Shaft, A Beautiful Mind, Nightcrawler, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) has worked with some of the greatest filmmakers of our time, from John Singleton to Denzel...
Die Hard
How did a tennis pro, a theater nerd, and a TV actor redefine the action genre? Because they had nothing left to lose. This week, Chris and Lizzie dive deep into 1988’s quintessential Christmas film:...
Gremlins
More Gremlins, more problems! But that didn’t stop Joe Dante and Steven Spielberg from adding an endless stream of critters to the deranged 1984 Christmas classic. Busted puppets caused massive delays...
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Part 2)
Blue screens! Tennis balls! Directions from George Lucas! What are three things that make an actor’s job harder? Chris and Lizzie conclude their Menace coverage with a crunch at ILM, the public...
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Part 1)
Jedi! Lightsabers! Taxes? This week, Chris tests Lizzie’s midi-chlorians (and patience) with George Lucas’ polarizing return to Star Wars. Was Lucas a victim of his own success, or were we all victims...
A Star Is Born (2018)
How did the 4th (or maybe 5th) version of ‘A Star is Born’ take almost 20 years to make… and why did it almost star Russell Crowe and Beyoncé?! This week Lizzie and Chris break down Bradley Cooper’s...
The Evil Dead
The only thing worse than being a character in a Sam Raimi movie? Acting in one. This week, Chris and Lizzie unearth the grueling, injury-laden production of The Evil Dead. Discover the importance of...
Clueless
Paul Rudd was almost murdered, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were wasted, and El Niño threatened to rain out production - that’s just the beginning of what went wrong on Clueless (1995). Find out how...
Tombstone (Part 2)
Tombstone' shot first and 'Wyatt Earp' died. In Part 2 of our coverage, Chris & Lizzie endure the explosive arrival of replacement director George P. Cosmatos, revisit Kurt Russell's last-minute...
Tombstone (Part 1)
Saddle up and skin that smokewagon, because Kevin Costner's about to shut your movie down. In Part 1 of our coverage on 'Tombstone', Chris & Lizzie dissect the film's Hollywood duel with rival...
Shakespeare In Love
How did Shakespeare in Love beat one of the greatest war movies of all time for Best Picture at the 1999 Oscars? It’s simple: Harvey Weinstein. But Saving Private Ryan was just one of many massive...
About this Podcast
Copyright
© Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
Language
en
Categories
TV & Film, HOLLYWOOD, History, Directing, ACTING, MOVIE, disaster, Flop, Blockbuster, FIlm