That's Not How It Went Down
*Winners of Best TV & Film Podcast at the Independent Podcast Awards 2025 Many movies claim to be 'based on a true story', but how much truth actually makes it onto the silver screen? Whilst one of us queries the less believable moments from the film, the other takes a deep dive into the fact behind the fiction to educate us and answer… is that really how it went down? Produced by 2020 Recordings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
January 5, 2026 • 57 mins
Tom Cruise plays someone that can competently fly a plane. But that doesn't really narrow it down. How about, 'Tom Cruise plays a man on the wrong side of the law'. That whittles it down a fair bit. Tom Cruise is in a 21st century 'comedy'. We're into single figures, which is the last thing that can be said about the box office for this film. But something isn't sitting quite right despite a robust set of filmic ingredients in this...
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December 29, 2025 • 60 mins
"Are you paying attention? Good". Whilst our computational skills might not quite be up to the standard of, say, Alan Turing our ability to weed out the fiction from the facts is no secret. But given the undeniable critical praise for 2014's Turing biopic, "The Imitation Game", arguably Benedict Cumberbatch's breakthrough cinematic role, can it really be said that the story of the men and women behind Britain's codebreaking triumph...
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December 22, 2025 • 51 mins
Much like a year ago, the temptation to bend a holiday classic towards our rules forces us to meet it halfway. Whilst exploring the initial nucleus for these festive mainstays gives us something to talk about, it's when we explore stories that may have even been inspired by the exploits of Harry and Marv, or anecdotes that bear an uncanny similarity to Kevin's situation that we can really indulge. Join us in this bonus episode of T...
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December 15, 2025 • 55 mins
With the festive season upon us once again it seemed fitting to not just look into the veracity of a classic Yuletide movie, but perhaps even the very origins of our modern Christmas itself. There are very few amongst us who won't be aware of the source material for lines such as "Bah! Humbug!" and "God bless us, every one!" but when a movie was produced in 2017 exploring the genesis of Dickens' enduring festive fairytale it seemed...
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December 8, 2025 • 52 mins
He may admit to having a slight fear of the ocean, but that didn't stop Ron Howard tackling the huge budget and epic story that is said to have inspired Herman Melville's Moby Dick. For the 'thalassaphobic' (sic) among us, this film is a challenging watch - and for those that struggle hearing inconsistent accents, this film is a challenging watch. But putting aside petty grievances, pursuing the truth in the vast ocean of Hollywood...
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December 1, 2025 • 51 mins
"Listen to the ground. There is movement all around. There is something goin' down and I can feel it". The iconic opening lyrics to The Bee Gees smash hit, "Night Fever", hint at something of a cultural revolution. With vast swathes of America's youth feeling increasingly hopeless by the end of the 1970s, disco dancing on a Saturday night became a surefire outlet where under the thumb young people could shine. With producers on the...
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November 24, 2025 • 56 mins
As we've explored before, there's a small part of the human psyche that wants the fugitive to escape when we watch crime capers. Maybe not those films where the crimes committed are particularly evil, but how can you not feel for the cheeky and charming Channing Tatum attempting to start a brand new life, whilst hiding in the now nostalgia-inducing Toys "Я" Us? But then again, he did threaten innocent McDonald's employees at gunpoi...
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November 17, 2025 • 58 mins
Family movies featuring innumerable children are a dime a dozen. But whilst The Sound of Music, The Swiss Family Robinson and Home Alone might boast extraordinarily large family units, nothing compares to Cheaper by the Dozen. And upon learning that this unfeasibly large clan was based on a real household I felt it was my domestic duty to investigate this unusual brood. Were there really twelve children living under one roof? How d...
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November 10, 2025 • 54 mins
It's a common understanding that Disney only look inwardly for their animation film storylines, and most of them are born from a very small nucleus of an idea before taking our imaginations on a journey beyond reality. Occasionally they can be traced to a period in history but few are based on something quite as dark as this 19th century gothic novel, containing quotes such as: "I bear the dungeon within me; within me is winter, ic...
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November 3, 2025 • 59 mins
Whilst Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson might be the highest earning actor on the planet, there was one genre it seemed he was never destined to grace: drama. Until now, that is. Having recently acquired shares in UFC's parent company, it makes sense that an MMA-themed movie with DJ at the helm would follow. The surprise came on the revelation that he would be telling the true story of a UFC pioneer, dogged by a life of substance abuse an...
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October 28, 2025 • 59 mins
After probing the 'true' events of the first film in this franchise, I joked we could simply run the same episode again but add a '2' to the title. But in fairness to James Wan, his follow-up horror attempts to carve new ground instead of copying the same format of the first. But even though we're introduced to new scary characters, they are still somewhat familiar - a crooked man and a demonic female figure taking advantage of a v...
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October 20, 2025 • 59 mins
This week we're holding our commandments dear and pledging our allegiance to the truth. The story of a soldier who refuses to bear arms, whilst saving the lives of dozens of his fellow men in one of the bloodiest battles of WWII was seemingly a tale so inspiring that Mel Gibson couldn't pass it by. But in telling the history of a simple carpenter travelling the world treating the injured, was there a chance of straying too far from...
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October 13, 2025 • 52 mins
Vroom vroom. Long before becoming the outlandish franchise that invited anyone with an action film on their CV, Dom Toretto's car obsessed, tank-top wearing posse of muscles were created from a surprisingly modest beginning. A good magazine article doth not a good film make - at least in the context of 'The Bling Ring' - but as Dom's crew would know, by tweaking one or two components here and there, you'll end up with a much better...
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October 6, 2025 • 58 mins
It's seconds out… as we step into the ring to give a blow by blow account of one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time. Whilst Jake LaMotta is undoubtedly an all-time boxing great, can the same be said about the man outside the ring? A turbulent childhood, an unlikely rise to middleweight champion of the world and a history of abuse and assault all lie beneath the canvas. Did Jake really take a dive? Was he really sent...
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September 29, 2025 • 59 mins
Most CIA personnel when they retire probably explore other avenues as a consultant in the intelligence community, but Jason Matthews described wanting something productive to do and began penning novels inspired by his years of service. One of these was adapted into a 2018 film, starring the constantly impressive Jennifer Lawrence as a spy trained in the methods of seduction to obtain information. But where were these methods learn...
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September 22, 2025 • 58 mins
The 1950s and 60s saw movie musicals sweeping the Oscars. "My Fair Lady", "Gigi", "Oliver!" and more all walked away with Best Picture. But after 1967 we were left with a 35 year wait for the next. Enter Rob Marshall and his ground-breaking smash-hit, "Chicago". But having read about the history of Murderess Row in 1920s Chicago I felt compelled to find the truth behind the razzle-dazzle. Was the real Velma Kelly a cabaret singer? ...
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September 15, 2025 • 59 mins
"This is Sparta!"... or is it? Long before Zack Snyder polarised the fanbase of the DCEU, he started his career directing adverts, a skill which no doubt informed his style as an action film director. After receiving gentle praise for his 'Army Of The Dead' remake in 2004, he created a visual feast two years later by adapting a graphic novel about six-pack-boasting Spartan warriors. But what accounts do we have of this battle? Wher...
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September 8, 2025 • 58 mins
"Now, I know what you're thinkin'. How the heck does a 52-year-old, over-the-hill milkshake-machine salesman build a fast-food empire?" Simple. He capitalises on someone else's readymade formula. But just who exactly was the eponymous "Founder"? Was Ray a beleaguered multi-mix salesman? Did he divorce his wife over dinner? And who really created the Golden Arches?! Join us to find out on That's Not How It Went Down!
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September 1, 2025 • 59 mins
When you weave a character indirectly inspired by real life explorers at the turn of the 20th century with mythical relics and the villainous fascism of pre-WWII Germany, you end up with possibly the greatest action-adventure film ever made. The gap between mystery and history is part of what makes this story so legendary, but what do we find in that gap? Is the Golden Idol a genuine artefact? Where is the Ark of the Covenant? And ...
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August 25, 2025 • 59 mins
Everybody knows the story of the boy who never grew up. But how many can claim to know about the man behind Peter Pan and the inspirations that brought his imaginings to life? Was the true story filled with joy and laughter or was their more darkness lurking in Peter Pan's shadow? Was there a real-life inspiration for Peter Pan? Was JM Barrie chasing after a widow whilst still married? And was Nana really a Saint Bernard?! Join us ...
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