Best Den Of Geek Podcasts (2025)

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The Godfather Part III (1990) and Clueless (1995) 1:10:32

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1d ago1:10:32

1:10:32

Nearly 500 episodes in, and the Film Stories podcast finally arrives at a Godfather film. Specifically, The Godfather Part III, a fascinating project whose behind the scenes story went on for over a decade. The number of attempts to get the film made climbed into double figures, named such as Sylvester Stallone, Madonna and John Travolta were among…

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In conversation with Ilya Naishuller: Heads Of State, Hardcore Henry, Nobody and more 58:22

5d ago58:22

58:22

In a very special episode of the Film Stories podcast, director Ilya Naishuller joins Simon to talk about his new film, Heads Of State. Thing is, they talk about a hell of a lot of other things too before they get there. Nunchuks, sausages, Hardcore Henry, grief, CG on a pint of bitter, Nobody, trying to work a clapperboard... quite a conversation …

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Paranormal Caught on Camera Season 9: Behind the Scenes with the Cast 1:15:32

5d ago1:15:32

1:15:32

On this episode of Talking Strange, host Aaron Sagers is joined by his fellow experts from the hit Travel Channel and HBO Max/Discovery+ series Paranormal Caught on Camera to talk all things Season 9 — and what really goes on behind the scenes of the viral videos, haunted locations, cryptid clips, and UFO sightings featured on the show. Aaron sits …

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Aladdin (1992) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze (1991. Includes sausages. 1:03:40

9d ago1:03:40

1:03:40

1992's Aladdin is one of Disney's most successful animated films. There have been sequels. There's been a live action remake. A Broadway show. Yet on one point in 1991, a day known during the production as 'Black Friday', things went very wrong. And the creative team had less than 18 months to turn things around. The story of Teenage Mutant Ninja T…

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The Patterson Project: Bigfoot, Found Footage & Mockumentary Mayhem 35:05

13d ago35:05

35:05

Is this a funny found footage film, a scary one, or both? On this episode of Talking Strange, host Aaron Sagers is joined by director/co-writer Max Tzannes, co-writer Jacob Souza, and editor/cinematographer David San Miguel to discuss Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project — a meta mockumentary horror comedy produced by the Radio Silenc…

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Saw (2004), plus Domnhall Gleeson and Michael Pearce 1:07:55

16d ago1:07:55

1:07:55

James Wan and Leigh Whannell knew they wanted to make a film. They knew they had barely any money. They knew they could afford one room, and a couple of actors. They figured they could keep costs down by chaining the actors up. Made for around $1m in the end, the journey to 2004's Saw was a difficult one. And its behind the scenes story is told in …

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In conversation with Alex Garland 53:28

19d ago53:28

53:28

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Alex Garland joins us for a conversation about his latest project, and some of his other work too. That latest work is 28 Years Later, which he's returned to write the script for. He talks through his desire to write something he didn't have to direct, and also, some of the threads of the story. Plu…

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Inside Hell Motel with Paula Brancati & Jim Watson 37:09

21d ago37:09

37:09

We're checking into Hell Motel, the new horror anthology series from the creators of Slasher, Aaron Martin and Ian Carpenter. Paula Brancati and Jim Watson — both Slasher veterans — talk with host Aaron Sagers about their roles on the new Shudder and AMC+ series that blends true crime obsession with satanic panic and over-the-top kills. In Hell Mot…

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Tenet (2020), plus a huge interview with Gina Gershon 1:08:27

23d ago1:08:27

1:08:27

Christopher Nolan. A filmmaker long linked with James Bond. A man who loves his spy movies. A man who's got to the point where he can make pretty much any film he likes. 2020's Tenet remains arguably his most divisive, but talk of the film is also wrapped up in the lockdown year of 2020, and his split from long-term studio partner Warner Bros. We d…

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In conversation with Pixar producer Mary Alice Drumm 52:06

26d ago52:06

52:06

Chums, talk to producers. They have great stories. For this latest episode of Film Stories, Pixar's Mary Alice Drumm joins me for a long chat about her new film, Elio, and also a long chat about her career. We go from Warner Bros Animation - Quest For Camelot, The Iron Giant! - through to Cinderella II, Curious George and a whole lot more. And then…

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Haunted Prisons & Ghost Hunts with Heather Taddy 1:09:55

26d ago1:09:55

1:09:55

Paranormal investigator Heather Taddy (Paranormal State, Alien Highway, Portals to Hell) joins Aaron Sagers to talk haunted prisons, shadow figures, and the eerie activity captured in the latest episode of her hit YouTube series, Travel the Dead. Alongside Katrina Weidman, Heather investigates Cambria County Jail in Ebensburg, PA — where slamming j…

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The HD DVD disc format (2006) and Nightcrawler (2014) 58:14

30d ago58:14

58:14

In the 1970s and early 1980s, it was VHS vs Betamax. But in the 2000s, with companies keen to build on the success of DVD, a fresh movie format war sparked. In one corner? It was Blu-ray. In the other? HD DVD. The latter was best positioned to emerge victorious - but it all came to a head over a few days at the start of 2008. Dan Gilroy had built u…

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In conversation with Dean DeBlois 49:13

1M ago49:13

49:13

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by writer/director Dean DeBlois. He's the co-writer and co-director of the original How To Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch films, and after writing and directing the second and third Dragon movies, he's now done the same with the live action remake. Why did he do it? We get into …

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Shark Ritual Killings & Dangerous Animals Director Sean Byrne 37:30

1M ago37:30

37:30

Sean Byrne, acclaimed director of The Devil’s Candy and The Loved Ones, returns with Dangerous Animals — a nerve-shredding thriller that blends shark horror with serial killer dread. In this episode of Talking Strange, host Aaron Sagers dives deep with Byrne to discuss the psychological undercurrents of the film, the true nature of predators, and w…

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Waterworld, including The Ulysses Cut (1995), plus Len Wiseman 1:15:57

1M ago1:15:57

1:15:57

The legend of 1995's Waterworld suggests that it was a huge flop and a criticial disaster. The truth? It was neither. But it was one of the toughest Hollywood productions of the 1990s, and its story continued even after the arduous shoot was complete. In this episode, Simon goes through the origins of the film as a low budget idea, right through to…

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Bring Her Back with Danny & Michael Philippou 40:56

1M ago40:56

40:56

Danny and Michael Philippou — the breakout directors behind Talk to Me, A24’s highest-grossing horror hit — return to the world of supernatural terror with Bring Her Back. In this episode of Talking Strange, host Aaron Sagers talks with the Australian twin filmmakers about their new movie's dark secrets, grief-fueled rituals, and hidden connections…

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In conversation with Walter Murch 53:34

1M ago53:34

53:34

Multi-Oscar-winning editor, sound designer, writer and editor Walter Murch joins Simon for a very special episode of Film Stories. Walter's just released his latest book, Suddenly Something Clicked, and it's packed full of advice, plus stories from his extensive career. In this long chat, the pair talk about the Droid Olympics, The Conversation, Fr…

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Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), plus Michael Cera 56:46

1M ago56:46

56:46

The summer of 1989 gave Warner Bros an enormous box office hit with Batman - but not far behind it came Lethal Weapon 2, a sequel turned around in a couple of years, and bringing back most of the key creatives. Not writer Shane Black, though. His much darker idea for the sequel would be rejected, and the tone would duly shift. Plus, we'd get a lot …

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Shane Pittman: Finding Hope in Hauntings 1:08:00

2M ago1:08:00

1:08:00

On this episode of Talking Strange, Aaron Sagers sits down with Shane Pittman, paranormal investigator, and Aaron's co-star from Netflix’s 28 Days Haunted. Shane Pittman joins the show for a powerful, no-holds-barred conversation. Known for his work on The Holzer Files and as the founder of Beacon TV, Shane opens up about his deeply personal new bo…

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In conversation with Mia Threapleton - The Phoenician Scheme, dyslexia, Tesco ClubCard 37:18

2M ago37:18

37:18

Mia Threapleton, in her teens, was obsessed with Moonrise Kingdom, and wanted to work with Wes Anderson. Fast forward to now, and she's the standout of his new film, The Pheonician Scheme. In this long interview, she talks about working with Wes, about how dyslexia affects how she processes a script, and why she keeps being stuck on trains when she…

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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) and Pixar's Newt (abandoned) 58:17

2M ago58:17

58:17

The future of the Mission: Impossible movies was up in the air after the third film, with Paramount Pictures and Tom Cruise parting ways. It took some bridge building to get a fourth movie going, and even then, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol would bring with it changes. Plus, a contingency plan to replace Tom Cruise as the figurehead of the f…

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In conversation with Bobcat Goldthwait | God Bless America, Robin Williams, cat biscuits, odd Amazon reviews and more 59:45

2M ago59:45

59:45

In a very special episode of Film Stories, Simon is joined by writer, director, actor and comedian Bobcat Goldthwait, for a conversation about his film career. In the wide-ranging chat, taking place as God Bless America arrives on the Studiocanal Presents streaming channel in the UK, Bobcat tells us about his approach, The Muppets, and why he write…

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Batman vs. Werewolves with Rodney Barnes 53:56

2M ago53:56

53:56

On this episode of Talking Strange, host Aaron Sagers is joined by Rodney Barnes — the award-winning writer behind Killadelphia, Blacula, The Boondocks, and the new hardcover collection of the Batman vs. Werewolf book, Batman: Full Moon for DC Comics (available May 13). He's also the voice of the successful narrative horror podcast Run, Fool! and w…

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Jurassic Park (1993) and Booksmart (2019) 1:06:43

2M ago1:06:43

1:06:43

The behind the scenes stories of two films some time in the making come together in this episode, starting with 1993's Jurassic Park. A film made at a point when Steven Spielberg's box office touch was being questioned. A movie that, had a battle for the rights gone the other way, could have been made by one of Tim Burton, Joe Dante or Richard Donn…

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Small Talk: Floating Ghost Torso & Whistling Spirits! 14:48

2M ago14:48

14:48

In this "Small Talk" minisode of Talking Strange, host Aaron shares an audience-submitted story about a paranormal road trip where they investigated six haunted locations over the course of 10 days (including Mothman's hometown of Point Pleasant, Trans Allegheny Asylum, Old Blackford County Jail, Randolph County Infirmary, Whispers Estate, and Fowl…

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Clown in a Cornfield Director Eli Craig 33:32

2M ago33:32

33:32

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the corn… Director Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs Evil) returns to the horror scene with Clown in a Cornfield — opening in theaters May 9 — a brutal, blood-soaked love letter to ‘80s slashers and the haunted heartland of America. Based on Adam Cesare’s cult YA horror novel, this new film brings back …

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In conversation with Martin Campbell - Cleaner, Zorro, No Escape, GoldenEye, James Bond and more 57:18

2M ago57:18

57:18

Director Martin Campbell is guest of honour in the latest episode of Film Stories. He's just directed his new film, Cleaner, starring Daisy Ridley, and he talks Simon through that, as well as the challenges of independent filmmaking. Plus! The pair talk about some of Campbell's other directorial work, including Casino Royale, The Mask Of Zorro, No …

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Small Talk: Psychic Bigfoot Vision-Sighting? 23:44

2M ago23:44

23:44

Did a group of Sasquatch visit a Talking Strange listener, and warn her to stop a secret program that was harming them? That's part of the story in this week's Small Talk episode, where host Aaron reads reader-submitted tales of the strange and unusual. Mary writes in to tell of her dreamquest where Sasquatches are being harmed by something that so…

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In conversation with Geraldine Viswanathan: Blockers, Thunderbolts, guinea pigs and more 35:09

2M ago35:09

35:09

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by actor Geraldine Viswanathan for a conversation about her most recent work, and her body of work. That most recent film? Thunderbolts, which also happens to feature a guinea pig. That comes up in conversation. Films such as Bad Education and Blockers are also discussed, and how she…

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Emeraude Toubia Talks Latin Horror 'Rosario' 34:35

2M ago34:35

34:35

Host Aaron Sagers interviews actor Emeraude Toubia (Shadowhunters) and director Felipe Vargas (Milk Teeth), the star and filmmaker behind the new horror movie Rosario. Opening in theaters May 2, Rosario follows a Wall Street stockbroker, played by Toubia, who returns to her late grandmother’s apartment — only to uncover a terrifying secret. As she …

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Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Alive (1993) 1:01:35

2M ago1:01:35

1:01:35

After a week off for Easter, the Film Stories podcast is back with more behind the scenes movie stories. It's going all gangster this time too, with the tale of how Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels had to scale down from a very expensive film to a very cheap one. And the moment when Tom Cruise lent it a helping hand too. Then it's 1993's Alive, te…