Light The Fuse - The Official Mission: Impossible Podcast

We are joined by Sean S. Cunningham for this very special, very spooky episode of “The Directors.” “Friday the 13th” director Cunningham tells us about the origins of the film, how they actually produced the movie and what it was like to kill Kevin Bacon with an arrow. Grab your popcorn, turn out the lights and listen up! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s go back to (almost) the beginning with our very in-depth conversation with filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie. In this episode, McQuarrie talks about his involvement in “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” how that wound up with him directing “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” and finally about the just-released (at the time) “Mission: Impossible – Fallout.” It’s a wonderful chat with one of our favorite people. This episode was originally released in December 2018. You can own “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” on digital and 4K HD, Blu-ray and DVD now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are so thrilled to be joined by Dan Trachtenberg, the filmmaker behind “10 Cloverfield Lane,” on this week’s episode of “The Directors.” We discuss working within the Bad Robot framework, how the movie was supposed to look and what J.J. Abrams contributed. Plus, get updates on Trachtenberg’s “Prey” sequel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining us on this episode of “The Directors” is Dan Trachtenberg, the director of new Paramount classic “10 Cloverfield Lane.” In this episode, learn about Trachtenberg’s origin story, how he got on board the project and how a spec script called “The Cellar” became “10 Cloverfield Lane.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we are revisiting our conversation with Oscar®-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit, who shot both “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” and “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.” It was a huge thrill getting to chat with this legend, who shares details about the making of both films, including what it was like to shoot the Burj, how his background in visual effects aided in the underwater sequence and what went into the opera sequence. It's a doozy! This episode was originally released in February 2019. You can own “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” on digital and 4K HD, Blu-ray and DVD now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexander Payne joins us on “The Directors,” where we touch on his other Paramount gems – the road trip movie “Nebraska” and the underrated “Downsizing.” Learn how he got the studio to agree to black-and-white for “Nebraska” and why he thinks “Downsizing” should have been a television series instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of “The Directors” we are joined by Alexander Payne, who takes us through the inception and making of his early Paramount classic “Election.” Payne discusses the challenges with multiple voiceovers, working with MTV and his playful sense of continuity. If you love “Election” as much as we do (and even if you don’t), this is a very fun conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Giacchino is a world-famous composer who did both “Mission: Impossible III” and “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.” He is also a very cool guy. We talked to him about how he got involved with the franchise, working with filmmakers J.J. Abrams and Brad Bird, and his debut solo album. And yes, we also talk about the amazing track names on the score albums. This episode was originally released in November 2020. You can own “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” on digital and 4K HD, Blu-ray and DVD now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are joined by Jonathan Lynn, who made the cult comedy classic “Clue,” this time talking about the film’s release and some of his other projects, notably “The Distinguished Gentleman,” “The Whole Nine Yards” and the Oscar-winning “My Cousin Vinny.” It’s a good one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are joined by Jonathan Lynn, the filmmaker behind the immortal based-on-a-board-game comedic mystery “Clue.” Learn how he joined the project, the decision to engage with the multiple endings idea and how there was a fourth ending that was ultimately cut. It doesn’t take a detective to see that this is a super-entertaining chat! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Knoll is one of the most legendary visual effects artists in history. He also served as the visual effects supervisor for both the first “Mission: Impossible” and “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.” He talks about the shot he did on the first film to get his name in the opening credits, working with “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” director Brad Bird on the unmade earthquake epic “1906” and we get his Tom Cruise hair rankings. This episode was originally released in February 2020. You can own “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” on digital and 4K HD, Blu-ray and DVD now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by Howard Deutch, the filmmaker behind “Pretty in Pink.” Learn what advice Deutch was given by “Mission: Impossible” director Brian De Palma, go behind the scenes of “Some Kind of Wonderful,” hear about how much John Candy hated making “The Great Outdoors," and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On “The Directors,” we are so thrilled to be chatting with filmmaker Howard Deutch, who directed “Pretty in Pink” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.” This week we get into his collaborative relationship with John Hughes, how Duckie was a controversial figure, and his unmade Hughes project “Oil and Vinegar” – plus much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time to look your best because we are joined by Michael Kaplan, the genius costume designer for “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” and one of the most talented people currently living (just look up his résumé). We discuss Tom Cruise’s quick-change outfit, the gecko gloves and – of course! – the snow ensembles that he created but were never used. This is an amazing conversation, down to the last stitch. This episode was originally released in April 2020. You can own “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” on digital and 4K HD, Blu-ray and DVD now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are joined by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, better known as the ZAZ team. And while we continue our deep dive into the making of “Airplane!,” we also discuss “Top Secret!,” “Police Squad,” “The Naked Gun” and – of course! – “Ghost,” which was directed by Jerry and became a phenomenon. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll question every decision you’ve ever made! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices