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DESCRIPTION: Long promised and finally delivered, we are here with the first part of our Light the Wick miniseries dedicated to all things “John Wick.” We kick things off with one of the franchise masterminds, director Chad Stahelski. In this installment, we talk about how he got involved in the movies, his relationship with Christopher McQuarrie, and how his production process mirrors the “Mission: Impossible” movies. Plus, so much more! Released January 29th, 2021.

SHOW NOTES: In the interview we discuss actor Michael Nyqvist, who played the villain in “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol” and the first “John Wick”...

Chad talks about being influenced by Akira Kurosawa and Sergio Leone with the way he composes his shots. Here are a couple of side-by-side comparisons with Leone’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and Kurosawa’s “Yojimbo.” These screen shots are courtesy of Film-Grab...

We also talk about the editing style of the “John Wick” films, which is very different from the rapid cutting that’s used in a lot of action movies. Here’s an example from the first “John Wick” that showcases the long takes we discussed...