It Was A Sh*t Show - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

YouTube Deep Dive: Waterworld (1995) Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

Making Mad Max on water is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Waterworld, from the budget spiraling out of control, to the recurring feud between Kevin Costner and Director Kevin Reynolds.

You can watch the full video version of this episode on YouTube!

📺 | Watch or Listen!

💸 | Support us!

🔗 | Follow us!

👕 | Buy our merch!

In the entertainment world, there are millions of dollars on the line and troubled productions are bound to happen. Whether it's big egos, bigger budgets, or just plain bad luck, we are going behind-the-scenes on these disastrous, never ending, and sometimes dangerous productions. From the creators of WTF Happened To This Movie?, It Was A Sh*t Show is a video essay/documentary/podcast series looking at some of your favorite films and tv shows, and why they were such a nightmare to make.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

00:36 - Roger Corman’s Mad Max

01:49 - Peter Rader’s Original Script

02:56 - The Kevins (Costner & Reynolds)

05:53 - Reworking Waterworld

07:36 - An Expensive Atoll

09:03 - Bigger (& Harder) Than Jaws

12:01 - Dangerous Waters

13:13 - Finale Feud

15:36 - Editing: Costner vs Reynolds

19:46 - Bad Press & Rumor Mill

22:54 - Waterworld Released July 28, 1995

Sources:

AV Club: https://bit.ly/4p6Tpmi

befores & afters: https://bit.ly/3L5Ntfa

Entertainment Weekly: https://bit.ly/3YyLS4z

https://bit.ly/47zrHJ8

https://bit.ly/4jhOUDF

LA Times: https://bit.ly/49LM6fl

https://bit.ly/3Lul3LI

https://bit.ly/4i06USt

https://bit.ly/4shoXbo

https://bit.ly/4shY9I8

Newsweek: https://bit.ly/4juEBwt

https://bit.ly/49PHCEy

New York Times: https://bit.ly/49bz9cT

People: https://bit.ly/4o5hRDR

SFGATE: https://bit.ly/48X7hdF

Time: https://bit.ly/3MRKE1L

The Wall Street Journal: https://bit.ly/4pEnNFd

Yahoo: https://bit.ly/4oPC5S8

Indie Film Hustle Podcast: http://y2u.be/l0aqDhnZwEA

Maelstrom: The Odyssey of Waterworld (2018)

ScreenSlam: http://y2u.be/Lo12lN3ECFM

Featured Footage:

The Cable Guy (1996)

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005– )

Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)*

Waterworld (1995)*

*and special features

Music:

James Newton Howard - Waterworld OST

Michael Kamen - Robin Hood: Price of Thieves OST

Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme

#itwasashtshow #waterworld #kevincostner

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maximum Overdrive (1986) Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

Fighting trucks is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Maximum Overdrive, from Director Stephen King admitting he was on cocaine throughout production, to the cinematographer losing his eye.

Get the longer Director’s Cut version of this episode on Patreon (with 23 extra minutes)!

You can watch the full video version of this episode on YouTube!

📺 | Watch or Listen!

💸 | Support us!

🔗 | Follow us!

👕 | Buy our merch!

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

02:38 - Clint’s Closet

03:58 - Maximum Overdrive

01:20:55 - Follow Ups!

Sources:

American Film: https://bit.ly/4oQ73dj

Cinefantastique: https://bit.ly/43ev8lT

Deseret News: https://bit.ly/4qGm6YP

Fangoria: https://bit.ly/4hN8rev

Gainesville Sun: https://bit.ly/4qABVQW

Slash Film: https://bit.ly/47mjdFd

Yahoo: https://bit.ly/499HXBz

Featured Footage:

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Music:

AC/DC - Who Made Who

Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme

#itwasashtshow #maximumoverdrive #stephenking

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alien: Resurrection (1997) w/ Sequoia Simone Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

Cloning Ellen Ripley is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Alien: Resurrection, from the feud between the writer and director, to the long grueling underwater shoot.

Special Guest: Sequoia Simone from FX's Alien: Earth - The Official Podcast

Get the longer Director’s Cut version of this episode on Patreon (with 29 extra minutes)!

You can watch the full video version of this episode on YouTube!

📺 | Watch or Listen!

💸 | Support us!

🔗 | Follow us!

👕 | Buy our merch!

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

04:02 - Clint’s Closet

07:11 - Alien: Resurrection (1997)

01:28:03 - Follow Ups!

Sources:

Bullz-Eye: https://bit.ly/3WbbROi
Den of Geek: https://bit.ly/48RwsP0
Entertainment Weekly: https://bit.ly/4mK9Xij
The Hollywood Reporter: https://bit.ly/4oDQC3S
The Independent: https://bit.ly/4pTD1Xz
In Focus: https://bit.ly/4qbwk3l
One Step Beyond: The Making of Alien Resurrection (2003)

Featured Footage:

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Music:

Robert John - Sad Eyes
Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme

#itwasashtshow #alienresurrection #xenomorph

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mortal Kombat (1995) Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

Testing your might is hard. For our 100th episode (!), let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Mortal Kombat, from the multiple actor injuries, to the possibility of a plagiarized theme song.

Get the longer Director’s Cut version of this episode on Patreon (with 21 extra minutes)!

You can watch the full video version of this episode on YouTube!

📺 | Watch or Listen!

💸 | Support us!

🔗 | Follow us!

👕 | Buy our merch!

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro
04:38 - Clint’s Closet
12:13 - Mortal Kombat (The Games)
17:06 - Mortal Kombat (The Movie)
01:23:03 - Follow Ups!

Sources:

Flickering Myth: https://bit.ly/42ZqNCL
Hollywood Reporter: https://bit.ly/41PYPJd
http://y2u.be/s2VeFNWdrmA
Vulture: https://bit.ly/471Lp0f

Featured Footage:

Mortal Kombat (1995) and special features

Music:

2 Unlimited - Twilight Zone
The Immortals - Sub-Zero (Chinese Ninja Warrior)
The Immortals - Techno Syndrome (Mortal Kombat)
Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme

#itwasashtshow #mortalkombat #liukang

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

YouTube Deep Dive: Jaws (1975) Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

Making a mechanical great white is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, Jaws, from the never ending problems with the film’s shark, to the chaos of filming on the open ocean.

Animation by Paul Crewe (@WieverOfPassion)

📺 | Watch or Listen!

💸 | Support us!

🔗 | Follow us!

👕 | Buy our merch!

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

00:52 - Peter Benchley’s Jaws

03:48 - Real Sharks Won’t Work

08:42 - Carl Gottlieb’s Improv-ments

10:49 - The Monkey Paw of Martha’s Vineyard

13:02 - Shooting at Sea (without a Shark)

15:28 - Endless Shark Troubles

18:20 - Boredom & Feuds

21:26 - Tempers Flare & Ships Sink

23:18 - Shutting Down Spielberg

25:13 - The Shark Works: Finishing Filming

28:58 - Verna Fields & John Williams

30:51 - Jaws releases Jun 20, 1975

34:22 - The Legacy of Behind the Scenes

Sources:

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: https://bit.ly/4mKFuRE

Empire: https://bit.ly/47zMM6p

The Films of Steven Spielberg: https://bit.ly/45Uuv2w

Hollywood Reporter: http://bit.ly/3V8QwUY

The Jaws Log: https://bit.ly/4mmIy6V

Jaws: Memories from Martha’s Vineyard: https://bit.ly/4fB24K8

Reel Terror: https://bit.ly/4mLM9vw

Steven Spielberg: A Biography: https://bit.ly/46U6vh0

Vanity Fair: https://bit.ly/45JVe1S

Variety: https://bit.ly/46gjp7b

In The Teeth of Jaws (1997)

Jaws: The Inside Story (2010)

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025)

The Making of Jaws (1995)

The Shark Is Still Working (2007)

Spielberg (2017)

Spotlight on Location: The Making of Jaws (2000)

Featured Footage:

Finding Nemo (2003)

Jaws (1975) and special features

The Simpsons (1989- )

CBS Sunday Morning

Corridor Crew

Directors Guild of America

The Late Show

The Movie Rabbit Hole

Television Academy Foundation

Music:

Daniel Pemberton - Into the Spider-Verse OST

John Williams - Jaws OST

Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fantastic Four (2015) w/ Alan Seawright Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

Making superpowers gritty is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make 2015’s Fantastic Four, from director Josh Trank’s erratic behavior to reshooting a third of the film months before releasing.

Special Guest: Alan Seawright from Cinema Therapy

Get the longer Director’s Cut version of this episode on Patreon (with 18 extra minutes)!

You can watch the full video version of this episode on YouTube!

📺 | Watch or Listen!

💸 | Support us!

🔗 | Follow us!

👕 | Buy our merch!

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

05:58 - Clint’s Closet

07:57 - Fantastic Four (2015)

01:43:41 - Follow Ups!

Sources:

Bleeding Cool: https://bit.ly/44m0F4S

Comicbook.com: https://bit.ly/4lrYPXn

Den of Geek: https://bit.ly/3GpjrR5

Entertainment Weekly: https://bit.ly/4kqBTHa

https://bit.ly/3GmxzdS

https://bit.ly/3Uan0he

First Cut Studios: http://y2u.be/ANhtp34ePKE

Hollywood Reporter: https://bit.ly/3I4rTWk

https://bit.ly/45GUGbS

LA Times: https://bit.ly/3IksAea

Polygon: https://bit.ly/3FTYNIN

TheWrap: https://bit.ly/44mUG00

Featured Footage:

Fantastic Four (2015)

Mallrats (1995)

Music:

Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme

#itwasashtshow #fantasticfour #joshtrank

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Poster Controversies w/ Jonathan Giesbrecht Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

Making promotional art is hard. Let’s talk about how some movie posters dealt with controversies, from the royalties for Pulp Fiction, to the whitewashing on Couples Retreat.

Special Guest: Jonathan Giesbrecht from Paper and Light

Get the longer Director’s Cut version of this episode on Patreon (with 28 extra minutes)!

You can watch the full video version of this episode on YouTube!

📺 | Watch or Listen!

💸 | Support us!

🔗 | Follow us!

👕 | Buy our merch!

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

04:37 - The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)

07:38 - 12 Years A Slave (2013)

10:38 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

14:37 - Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

23:22 - Camp Hell (2010)

29:58 - Iron Man 3 (2013)

38:38 - Clint’s Closet

42:15 - Pulp Fiction (1994)

01:11:55 - Couples Retreat (2009)

01:41:00 - Follow Ups!

Sources:

Digital Spy: https://bit.ly/4lhf61a

Down and Dirty Pictures: https://bit.ly/44c0eKx

The Hollywood Reporter: https://bit.ly/4kOa78t

https://bit.ly/4la54Pb

New York Post: https://bit.ly/45biGVL

Variety: https://bit.ly/3ZP2LZG

https://bit.ly/4kR2dLu

Yahoo: https://bit.ly/3G7O6SP

Featured Footage:

Couples Retreat (2009)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Music:

Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme

#itwasashtshow #pulpfiction #movieposters

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blade: Trinity (2004) Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

Making Blade act is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Blade: Trinity, from Wesley Snipes refusing to show up on set, to him suing New Line Cinema for taxes.

Get the longer Director’s Cut version of this episode on Patreon (with 25 extra minutes)!

You can watch the full video version of this episode on YouTube!

📺 | Watch or Listen!

💸 | Support us!

🔗 | Follow us!

👕 | Buy our merch!

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

02:50 - Clint’s Closet

04:21 - Blade (1998)

27:32 - Blade II (2002)

32:07 - Blade: Trinity (2004)

01:37:37 - Follow Ups!

Sources:

AV Club: https://bit.ly/3SbwlED

eFilmCritic: https://bit.ly/4kKB8cz

Film School Rejects: https://bit.ly/3ZjNIqI

Guardian: https://bit.ly/4kthKRa

Hollywood Reporter: https://bit.ly/3Fg7cFZ

IGN: https://bit.ly/4kthWjm

https://bit.ly/3FeO3UO

The Independent: https://bit.ly/4j9mDgS

Looper: https://bit.ly/3Flpa9V

Variety: https://bit.ly/4m0D81D

https://bit.ly/43kJSyR

Uproxx: https://bit.ly/3Sdr3Zg

Featured Footage:

Blade (1998)

Blade: Trinity (2004)

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Josh Horowitz: http://y2u.be/yCg3ViXMUJo

Pete Holmes: http://y2u.be/i8rCtzKA9tQ

Music:

New Order - Confusion (Pump Panel Reconstruction Mix)

Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

YouTube Deep Dive: The Dark Universe May 28, 2025

Show notes

Making monsters is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Universal’s Dark Universe, from abandoning Dracula Untold as a franchise starter, to 2017’s Mummy burying the shared universe before it could begin.

You can watch the full video version of this episode on YouTube!

📺 | Watch or Listen!

💸 | Support us!

🔗 | Follow us!

👕 | Buy our merch!

Sourced Audio:

Collider: http://y2u.be/eMNvXdpjZ10

Fandom: http://y2u.be/3mzZcLJzKt4

Flicks in the City: http://y2u.be/cV1JcAlTdFw

HeyUGuys: http://y2u.be/rYfwByztMhg

IGN: http://y2u.be/oevUS1Nun-M

See all sources on the YouTube page.

Music:

Alan Silvestri - Van Helsing OST

The Book of Mormon - Two by Two

Brian Tyler - The Mummy (2017) OST

Jerry Goldsmith - The Mummy (1999) OST

Ramin Djawadi - Dracula Untold OST

Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Triple Frontier (2019) May 07, 2025

Show notes

Stealing from drug lords is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make Triple Frontier, from its decade long journey to existence to the endless rotation of big name stars.

Get the longer Director’s Cut version of this episode on Patreon (with 4 extra minutes)!

You can watch the full video version of this episode on YouTube!

📺 | Watch or Listen!

💸 | Support us!

🔗 | Follow us!

👕 | Buy our merch!

Chapters: