WHAT WENT WRONG
Sad Boom Media
SummaryEver wonder why some of your favorite blockbusters feel a little off, or how a surefire hit managed to crash and burn at the box office? Welcome to What Went Wrong, the show where hosts Chris Winterbauer and Lizzie Bassett pull back the curtain on the chaotic, fascinating, and often bizarre production histories of legendary cinema. Instead of just recapping plots, this podcast digs into the friction behind the scenes. From the ego clashes and creative compromises that shaped films like The 13th Warrior and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom to the industry biases that hindered gems like Tank Girl, we explore the precarious journey from script to screen. We examine how visionary directors navigate studio interference, the risks of adapting beloved literature, and the unpredictable alchemy of casting that can make or break a legacy. Our episodes offer a blend of deep-dive film criticism and historical investigation. Whether we are dissecting the evolution of disaster tropes in Spielberg films, tracing the cultural ripple effects of movies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, or untangling the ethical complexities of true-crime adaptations, we aim to uncover the human stories behind the lens. Join us as we celebrate the triumphs, dissect the failures, and reveal how the industry’s greatest masterclasses and most notable misfires all came to be. It is the perfect deep dive for anyone who loves movies and the messy, complicated realities of making them.
Updated Jul 8, 2026
Episodes
Independence Day
Discover how Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin turned a three-week writing spree into the ultimate alien invasion blockbuster.
Tank Girl
Despite its killer soundtrack and creative production design, Tank Girl failed to survive a clash of studio demands.
The 13th Warrior
The Thirteenth Warrior was a massive, expensive, and messy production that sacrificed character depth for visual spectacle.
War of the Worlds (2005)
Spielberg delivers a terrifying alien invasion masterpiece where humanity is saved only by extraterrestrial diarrhea.
Out of Frame: Scientology and Hollywood
Explore the history and influence of Scientology as it mirrors the strange, ambitious, and lucrative culture of L.A.
Giant (1956)
George Stevens turned an sprawling Texas epic into a complex, career-defining challenge for leads Rock Hudson and James Dean.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Nia Vardalos beat the odds to transform her personal Greek family stories into a massive, record-breaking box office hit.
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Breakfast at Tiffany's transformed a complex, gritty novella about a call girl into a shallow, sanitized romance.
Out of Frame: In Cold Blood | Movie vs. Book
Discover how the 1967 film In Cold Blood captured a haunting true-crime masterpiece while omitting its creator entirely.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is an absurdly dark, mean-spirited, and regressive roller coaster ride.
Oscars 2026: Sinners & One Battle After Another
The Interview
Game of Thrones (Pilot)
The Life and Death of River Phoenix (with Last Podcast on the Left)
Don't Worry Darling
Memento
Top Movie Moments (with Glamorous Trash)
[Bonus Preview] Avatar: Fire and Ash Review
Avatar (2009)
Aliens
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