Ep. 116 – Russell Crowe (feat. Blake Howard)

The B-Side: A Film Stage Podcast

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we talk with a legend (Blake Howard of One Heat Minute Productions) about a legend: Russell Crowe. Born in New Zealand and settled in Australia, Crowe had starred in a dozen films (he was even a child actor!) before his American breakthrough in Curtis Hanson’s L.A. Confidential. Our first B-Side is an Australian picture he made with icon (and close friend) Jack Thompson: The Sum of Us. Our second is the wines & vines rom-com A Good Year! Number three is the Pittsburgh shot-and-set action drama The Next Three Days. And, finally, we get a little Unhinged. Don’t worry, during this part of the show you will find nary a hinge. Blake dishes out an essential Russell Crowe theory that’s worth the listen alone. We reminisce about the moment Gladiator had (and how it still lingers in pop culture to this day). And, finally, we make the connection between late period Crowe and late period Marlon Brando. To be clear, this is a connection made with only love. Last but not least, be sure to listen to Blake’s new podcast mini-series, Podcaster and Commander, which breaks down the minutiae of Peter Weir’s 2003 masterpiece, as only a One Heat Minute Production can! Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!