That's Not How It Went Down

They say that a man's best friend is his dog. But surely a filmmaker's best bet is to avoid our four-legged pals. The danger of unpredictability, lack of potty training and a tendency to lean into the sentimentality of pet owning are surely all reasons to steer clear of a canine-centric picture. The challenge of movies like Turner & Hooch, Air Bud and Beethoven all providing evidence that you can't teach an old dog new tricks... but what about a new one? John Grogan's smash-hit memoir "Marley & Me", which spent an incredible 76 weeks on the bestseller chart telling the story of "the worst dog in the world", was hounded down by movie execs and turned into a surprise Christmas hit in 2008. But how accurate to history can a comedy starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston really be? Was Marley actually known as "Clearance Dog"? Were they kicked out of puppy training sessions? And what's the best way to clean a gold necklace?! Join us to find out on That's Not How It Went Down! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here we are again. The Warrens - this time back on US soil after virtually zero involvement in Enfield - become major instigators, rather than investigators, in the explanation for the brutal murder of Alan Bono in 1981. Again, this film retelling is determined to showcase the brilliant work the Warrens did and the help they offered to poor suffering souls in need of demonic liberation, but again again, when we remove the testimony of these two (insert synonym of choice for 'charlatans'), what are we left with? Even after a Netflix documentary containing interviews from the people affected was released in 2023, there is still more to uncover in what is undoubtedly the least scary film of the franchise so far. Did Ed Warren have a heart attack? What actually happened in court? And who on earth wants a second hand waterbed?! Join us to find out on That's Not How It Went Down! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To fact check, or not to fact check, that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the cinema to suffer the inaccuracies and anachronisms of outrageous filmmaking, or to take umbrage against a sea of errors and by a podcast correct them. For although Shakespeare may perhaps be the most famous name in western civilisation we know dramatically little about the Bard of Avon and even less so... about his family. But what did Chloe Zhao's award-winning film get right? Did Agnes really have a premonition about her children? Did Will really leave the family home in his wife's time of need? And what is so special about the second best bed?! Join us to find out on That's Not How It Went Down! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes there's no watch more comforting than an unapologetically outrageous spy thriller - but unfortunately for us, so few of them seem to be submerged in reality. Surprisingly however, that can't be said for this 1990 classic adaptation of Tom Clancy's debut novel. Jack Ryan's search for the truth in the ocean depths inspired me to do something similar, and even though a Scottish sounding Russian submarine commander might be the least likely indicator of hidden truths, there is plenty going on beneath the surface. How did Tom Clancy know so much about submarines? Was the mutiny a success? And what's the best way to deter Russian submarines from a nation's shores?! Join us to find out on That's Not How It Went Down! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's never easy to tell a sympathetic story when war is the main focus. But following the invasion of Iraq in 2001, the opportunity to reinvent the war movie genre on a different battlefield seemed like too goood a chance to ignore. Jarhead, The Hurt Locker and Green Zone all take place amidst conflict in the Gulf Wars, but few movies are as deeply "patriotic" and culturally divisive as Clint Eastwood's 'American Sniper'. Despite becoming the highest-grossing war movie of all time upon its release, questions soon began to be asked about the message the film was making as well as the veracity of some of its claims - not just about Middle Eastern warfare, but about the movie's protagonist himself. Was Chris Kyle the deadliest sniper in US history? Was he really up against an ex-Olympian Iraqi sniper? And what the hell happened during Hurricane Katrina?! Join us to find out on That's Not How It Went Down! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.