BTL Radio Show - 06/02/2025 with CARLYLE EUBANK talking BROKE and JAMES BAMFORD talking THE LAST GUNFIGHT

A fun BEHIND THE LENS for you this week thanks to writer/director CARLYLE EUBANK, who joins me talking about his feature directorial debut, BROKE, and director JAMES BAMFORD, who breaks it all down for THE LAST GUNFIGHT.

It’s long been said to write what you know.  Well, that’s exactly what writer/director CARLYLE EUBANK has done with BROKE, his feature directorial debut.  Some of you might recognize Carlyle’s name and if you do, it’s probably thanks to “The Signal” which was written by Carlyle and directed and co-written by his brother William, or “Muzzle”  starring Aaron Eckhardt which he co-wrote with William and which was directed by John Stalberg, Jr.  But as Carlyle now steps into the director’s chair with BROKE, this is 100% Carlyle Eubank.  

Riding horses since before he could walk, Carlyle grew up living the Western lifestyle. He often helped his neighbors gather, sort, ship, and brand their cattle and continues to do so today. Familiar with all aspects of modern-day cowboy life, it makes sense that his first directorial feature, with a script written solely by him, would be a western.

BROKE is a contemporary western that follows the story of True Brandywine, played by Wyatt Russell, a bareback bronc rider clinging to his fading rodeo career. When True gets trapped in a freak spring blizzard, he must battle injuries, illness, and the bitter cold. While fighting for his survival, True is forced to face his choices and the circumstances that led him to his tenuous situation. 

Joining Wyatt Russell as True is Dennis Quaid, who plays his father George, while Mary McDonnell of “Dances with Wolves” fame plays his mother Mary.  Veteran actor Tom Skerritt is also on board as is Johnny Berchtold, who plays True’s younger brother Caleb.

BROKE has great emotional depth and texture thanks to an incredibly well-crafted and complex character in True Brandywine, providing what feels like a meditation on life, showcasing the complexities, not only within True, but within all of us. Your parent wants you to do one thing, you have your own mindset, and your heart is pulling you in another direction, even though you might not be making money, but you're happy. What outweighs what? And where do you go? I don't think there's a person anywhere who can't relate to that.

In this exclusive interview, Carlyle and I dissected the film from script to screen, discussing the immersive and beautiful cinematography of Charlie Sarroff, the creative use of flashbacks, shooting in different seasons on location in Montana to create the passage of time, as well as natural visual differences.  We even get into the challenges of filming in harsh winter conditions, including equipment failures and the need for some CGI to maintain continuity, such as with snowflakes.  I love our snowflake discussion!  And rodeos!  Actual rodeo footage and bronc busting from about 6 rodeos around the state that they traveled to and filmed at.  Casting is also covered, with much of the film’s success attributed to its immersive storytelling and the strong performances of Dennis and Wyatt, capturing the complex father-son dynamic. And let’s not forget Glenn Garland’s seamless editing.

Then we shift gears with THE LAST GUNFIGHT and yet another exclusive interview with one of my favorite directors and a fantastic guy in general, JAMES BAMFORD.  We chat so often that letting only a couple of months go by without talking is like going through withdrawal.  James is a fantastic director.  He came up through the stunt world as a stuntman, stunt coordinator, second unit director, and ultimately feature director so you know that his action is going to be spot on in every film.  His films are always action-packed, boast excellent casting, superlative well-choreographed and executed action, and solid stories.  Some of my fave Bamford films include "Shadow Land", "Air Force One Down", "Utopia", "Man With No Past", and "High Ground".