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Very few filmmakers can honestly, and accurately, portray the plight of very young children on screen. But one of those filmmakers has always been M. Night Shyamalan. Despite his divisive reputation, he has often featured young characters at the heart of his stories while always maintaining a sensitivity in how he has them interact with the horror and thriller elements of his movies. This all started from the jump with The Sixth Sense, M. Night's directorial debut. His fall from grace has shrouded this movie in the past, but its honest portrayal of childhood, not to mention its iconic twist, keeps it just as memorable as it was over twenty years ago. But how does M. Night place someone so young at the center of something so tragic without turning them into a martyr? Why is he still one of the only filmmakers who can take such a vulnerable age group and treat them with such respect and dignity? To answer this, I brought in a Sixth Sense superfan and a horror lover through and through: Anna Chazelle. She is an incredibly talented triple threat--an actor, writer, and director--whose directorial debut, Narrow, proved that she knows what goes into making an effective psychological horror story. Today, she's going to share with us her insight into how the The Sixth Sense's central relationship, gripping performances, and terrifying ghosts make for one of cinema's most effective stories on childhood trauma.

Volunteering with the youth, The Tragedy of Macbeth, and acting with tennis balls. All of this and more on this week's edition of the "My Favorite Movie is..." Bonus Round!

Have you ever heard the phrase "they just don’t make ‘em like they used to?" I'm sure you have. Maybe you've even caught yourself saying it once or twice. There are certain creative mindsets that have been abandoned by studios in the franchise era that we’re living through right now. Back in the 80s and 90s, visionary filmmakers were taking bold story ideas that, on paper, sounded a little bizarre but, in execution, became all-time classics. Nobody did this kind of film better than Steven Spielberg, and one film proves it more than any other--Jurassic Park. There are plenty of reasons why the film was so successful but, when you break it all down, there’s really only one. And in today's episode, accomplished screenwriter, author, and podcaster, Tricia Aurand, is going to share that one key reason. It uncovers exactly why Jurassic Park remains one of the greatest films of all time and how maybe…just maybe…we can start making them like we used to.

Purple lightsabers, R2D2 bleep-bloops, and finally realizing what "Binary Sunset" means. All of this and more on this week's edition of the "My Favorite Movie is..." Bonus Round!

Star Wars. Just those two words evoke so much in so many of us: distant planets, unforgettable characters, and a battle of good versus evil spanning generations. But it's important to remember where it all began–with a young snarky farm boy from a desert planet who was destined to save the entire gallery. The original Star Wars remains to this day a very simple and accessible story. But it's also pretty damn complex, and for all that has already been said about it, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what that complexity is. So what is it? And how can a movie be simple and complex at the same time? Michael Tucker, the creator and voice behind Lessons From The Screenplay and Beyond The Screenplay, is here to crack the code on how the first installment in pop culture's most beloved space opera is actually simpler and more complex than you remember.

F*cked up families, No Children of Old Men, and the ending of Hereditary you didn't get to see. All of this and more on this week's edition of the "My Favorite Movie is..." Bonus Round!

Any passionate movie fan will tell you that deciding your all-time favorite movie is a painstaking process. But what happens when somebody's favorite movie isn't their favorite by choice?

Letters of Transit NFTs, scumbag Louis, and sharing Casablanca with Tom Hanks. All of this and more on our first official edition of the "My Favorite Movie is..." Bonus Round.

Casablanca is considered by many to be one of the greatest films of all time. There's very little that anybody could say that hasn't already been said. But what if I told you that I found the exception to that rule?

My Favorite Movie is... RETURNS on Sunday, April 17th with WEEKLY uploads wherever you get your podcasts.

We may be on hiatus until the Spring, but you can connect with me and our community of fellow filmmakers, storytellers, and film fans on Discord!

Back To The Future Parts II and III often sit in the shadow of their predecessor. But there are plenty of fresh, new story ideas that only deepen and reaffirm the themes, characters, and relationships of its predecessor. They may just be two of the greatest sequels of all time. On our season finale, and our second ever double header, host Larry Fried joins screenwriter and TikTok creator Steven Reyes, and filmmaker-EB Indie Film Festival co-founder Kevin Lin to give these films due justice. From the iconic interpretation of 2015, to the charming recreation of 1885, we break down everything that works in these hilarious, these movies can teach us a lot about what makes a great sequel.