AMERICAN PRESTIGE host, historian and author Daniel Bessner

AMERICAN PRESTIGE host, historian and author Daniel Bessner

Author: SpectreVision Radio December 2, 2025 Duration: 1:06:17
Author/historian Daniel Bessner discusses his favorite dystopian films with Josh Olson and Joe Dante. Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode Vanishing Point (1971) Mad Max (1971) Casablanca (1941) Looper (2012) Hollywood Boulevard (1976) Chronicle (2012) Fruitvale Station (2013) Black Panther (2018) Knives Out (2019) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) Children of Men (2010) Idiocracy (2006) The Matrix (1999) The Animatrix (2003) Batman: Gotham Knight (2008) They Live (1988) Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985) Minority Report (2002) Magnolia (1999) War of the Worlds (2005) Mission: Impossible (1996) Escape From LA (1996) Escape From New York (1981) Robocop (1987) The Warriors (1979) Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) 12 Monkeys (1995) Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1988) The Fisher King (1991) The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) Brazil (1985) Time Bandits (1981) V for Vendetta (2005) Gattaca (1997) Mad Max (1979) The Road Warrior (1981) Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985) Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Other Notable Items Our Patreon! Our pals at Movies Unlimited The Hollywood Food Coalition The American Cinematheque in Los Angeles Spike Lee George Miller Steven Seagal Daniel’s American Prestige podcast Lawrence Summers  Daniel’s “Life and Death of Hollywood" article in Harper’s Bazaar Rian Johnson Bruce Willis Joseph Gordon-Levitt Josh Trank  Ryan Coogler Dante Alighieri Barack Obama Poker Face TV series (2023- ) Laura Dern Carrie Fisher Clive Owen Julianne Moore Lana Wachowski Lily Wachowski Slavoj Zizek Keith David Rowdy Roddy Piper Joe Pantoliano John Carpenter Harlan Ellison Tom Cruise The Mission: Impossible film franchise Philip K. Dick Steven Spielberg Max von Sydow Kurt Russell Peter Fonda “Theme From New York, New York” song by Frank Sinatra (1977) 12 Monkeys TV series (2015-18) Bruce Willis Brad Pitt Terry Gilliam Henry Jaglom The Occupy Wall Street movement V for Vendetta graphic novel series by Alan Moore and David Lloyd (1982-89) Ethan Hawke Jude Law Ernest Borgnine Nicholas Hoult Tom Hardy Charlize Theron George Miller Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road book by Kyle Buchanan (2022) The Star Wars franchise The Indiana Jones franchise Mel Gibson Daniel’s American Prestige interview with Glen Lowry This list is also available on Movies Unlimited. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a particular magic in hearing a great filmmaker talk not about their own work, but about the movies they love. That’s the heart of The Movies That Made Me. Each episode, hosts Josh Olson-an Oscar-nominated screenwriter and TFH Guru-and the legendary director Joe Dante sit down with fellow filmmakers and entertainers for deep, personal conversations about the films that shaped them. These aren’t dry academic critiques; they’re lively, passionate discussions recorded live in Hollywood, full of behind-the-scenes insight and genuine nostalgia. The atmosphere is further enriched by the technical craft of film composer Don Barrett, who engineers the sessions. This podcast, part of the SpectreVision Radio network, digs into the foundational cinema that inspires creators, spanning genres and eras. You’ll hear guests unpack the specific scenes, directors, and sometimes forgotten gems that ignited their imaginations and, ultimately, guided their careers. It’s a journey into the collective memory of storytelling, revealing how the movies we watch in the dark go on to light the way for new stories. Tune in for a series of unexpected connections and celebrated histories, all through the lens of those who make movies for a living.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Movies That Made Me
Podcast Episodes
IDIOTS co-writer/director Macon Blair [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:56
Idiots director/co-writer Macon Blair breaks down his favorite comfort movies with podcast host Josh Olson! Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018) Idiots (2026) Straight Outta…
ONSLAUGHT star Adria Arjona [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:34
Onslaught star Adria Arjona joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to talk the movies that made her! Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode Onslaught (2026) The Guest (2014) The Belko Experiment (2014) Blink Twice (…
COYOTE VS. ACME director Dave Green [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:14
Coyote vs. Acme director Dave Green unpacks his favorite animated movies with a live-action sensibility and his favorite live-action movies with a cartoon sensibility with Josh Olson and (sometimes) Joe Dante! Show Notes…
BUDDY writer/director Casper Kelly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:40
Writer/director Casper Kelly unpacks his favorite movies about television with host Josh Olson. Casper's new movie Buddy opens August 28th! Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode Buddy (2026) Mandy (2018) Hallowee…
BOORMAN AND THE DEVIL director David Kittredge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:08
Boorman and the Devil director David Kittredge walks hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante through the movies he loves that a lot of other people think are terrible! Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode Boorman and the…
GIVE IT UP writer/star Gareth Reynolds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:36
Give It Up writer/star Gareth Reynolds breaks down some of the movies about comedians that made him with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante! Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship…
AMERICAN PSYCHO co-writer/director Mary Harron [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:57
Hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante chop it up with writer/director Mary Harron, the maestro behind the immortal American Psycho, about the movies that made her as a kid! Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode Avengers…
Will Tracy Returns! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:17
Screenwriter Will Tracy (BUGONIA, THE MENU, SUCCESSION) returns to walk Josh and Joe through movies that themselves have been cancelled or have been made with a cancelled person. Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Epi…
Ron Howard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:45
Oscar-winning superstar director Ron Howard talks to his former New World Pictures colleague Joe Dante and co-host Josh Olson about the movies that made him and continue to impress him! Show Notes: Movies Referenced In T…
TASK creator Brad Ingelsby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:40
TASK creator Brad Ingelsby walks hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante through the movies that have had the most sustained impact on him. Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode 52 Pickup (1986) Gremlins 2: The New Batch…