Listen to stories from the fathers of modern cinema in the ‘Blockbuster’ podcast

The first season of “Blockbuster” is a narrative feature following two of the most successful and groundbreaking directors to ever stand behind the camera: George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. The podcast starts in the early 1970s, where a young Spielberg has just held a screening of his newest venture Duel in Francis Ford Coppola’s living room. Together, those young directors along with directorial powerhouses Brian DePalma and Martin Scorsese would reinvigorate the film scene of the late 20th century. While Coppola, DePalma, and Scorsese certainly created revered films, Spielberg and Lucas would be in a league of their own: making movies.

For any film buff, Star Wars fan, film music lover, or truly just anyone who has appreciated one of Spielberg’s or Lucas’s works, “Blockbuster” will blow you away. Described as “a movie for your ears,” this podcast tells the history of film from the 1933 release of King Kong, the first movie to have its score recorded as opposed to played by live musicians in the theater, through the 1970s’ Movie Revolution. Filled with original music evoking the sounds of iconic film scores past, this audio film is epic, emotional, and grandiose: exactly like the movies “Blockbuster” is talking about.

This first season doesn’t just focus on Lucas and Spielberg, though. Both directors have a close working and personal relationship with the legendary film composer John Williams. Together, the three would create some of the greatest audio-visual masterpieces of all time. From Sugarland Express and Star Wars, to Jaws and Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, the teams of Williams & Spielberg and Williams & Lucas has become synonymous with excellence.

The second season has also been a smash hit: covering the life and career of director James Cameron. A truck driver and college dropout, Cameron knew he was destined for something more. Filled with bonus interviews with friends and colleagues from Cameron’s life, “Blockbuster” Season 2 follows Cameron from Roger Corman’s film studio to the completion of the most expensive movie production of all-time, Titanic.

Through meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger for his Terminator to nearly sinking two film studios and almost drowning a young Kate Winslet, Cameron’s rise through the ranks is remarkable. The second season of “Blockbuster” is somehow even bigger than the first – exactly how James Cameron makes his movies.

Like Spielberg and Lucas, Cameron is also known for his partnership with a revolutionary film composer. In this case, it’s the late James Horner. Together, they were a masterful and innovative duo that changed the sights and sounds of cinema. Horner scored three of Cameron’s biggest hits: Titanic, Aliens, and Avatar. The final bonus interview of the series is between series creator Matt Schrader and Cameron on the legacy of Horner, who passed away at just 61 years old in 2015.

“Blockbuster” is an Epicleff Originals and Cadence 13 nonfiction miniseries about the biggest directors who recasted Hollywood. Listen to Season 1 for George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and the 1970s Movie Revolution, and Season 2 for The Story of James Cameron.