The Projection Booth
· Season 1 · Episode 788 · Latest episodeSpecial Report: Clean Hands (2026)
Mike talks with Jake Allyn, writer-director of Clean Hands (2026), a true-crime drama about a celebrated Hagerstown, Maryland narcotics sergeant fighting the opioid pipeline he polices by day while his own daughter is consumed by it at home.
Allyn found the story on YouTube during COVID and became close enough with the real Kevin and Dana Simmers that he calls them second parents; they and the police officers who served with Kevin were on set throughout the 20-day Atlanta and Hagerstown shoot, alongside Brooke’s actual drug counselor, who appears in the film herself. Zach Braff, taking his first dramatic lead as a real person and a cop, reportedly came to need Kevin’s presence on set by the second week after initially asking for space; Esther McGregor carried the weight of standing in for every woman who’s passed through the recovery home the real story inspired. Allyn structured the film’s financing so that a third of its profits go directly to Brooke’s House, the real nonprofit recovery residence Kevin founded after his daughter’s story played out.
The film is Allyn’s second directing credit, made with his brother Conor, following their earlier border drama Ride; it opens Friday, October 16th, after premiering at this year’s Tribeca Festival.
Follow the film on Instagram, and visit Brooke’s House to support the recovery program.
Allyn found the story on YouTube during COVID and became close enough with the real Kevin and Dana Simmers that he calls them second parents; they and the police officers who served with Kevin were on set throughout the 20-day Atlanta and Hagerstown shoot, alongside Brooke’s actual drug counselor, who appears in the film herself. Zach Braff, taking his first dramatic lead as a real person and a cop, reportedly came to need Kevin’s presence on set by the second week after initially asking for space; Esther McGregor carried the weight of standing in for every woman who’s passed through the recovery home the real story inspired. Allyn structured the film’s financing so that a third of its profits go directly to Brooke’s House, the real nonprofit recovery residence Kevin founded after his daughter’s story played out.
The film is Allyn’s second directing credit, made with his brother Conor, following their earlier border drama Ride; it opens Friday, October 16th, after premiering at this year’s Tribeca Festival.
Follow the film on Instagram, and visit Brooke’s House to support the recovery program.
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About this show
Mike White's flagship film podcast, pairing scholarly discussion with original interviews of directors, writers, actors, and craftspeople, with a focus on cult, international, regional, and independent cinema. Recognized by The Washington Post, The A.V. Club, IndieWire, Entertainment Weekly, and Filmmaker Magazine.
Hosts
- Mike WhiteHost, producer and editor
All episodes (1,551)
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24:14Season 1 · Episode 81Episode 81: The Haunting of Julia (1977): Richard Loncraine
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3:28:30Season 1 · Episode 11Special Report: Blade Runner (1982)
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1:09:31Season 1 · Episode 80Episode 80: The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
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17:35Season 1 · Episode 80Episode 80: The Thirteenth Floor (1999): Michael Ballhaus
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48:21Season 1 · Episode 80Episode 80: The Thirteenth Floor (1999): Craig Bierko
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2:24:14Season 1 · Episode 10Special Report: Detropia (2012)
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1:45:02Season 1 · Episode 79Episode 79: Detroit 9000 (1973)
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1:01:17Season 1 · Episode 9Special Report: QWERTY (2012)
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1:15:59Season 1 · Episode 78Episode 78: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
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1:44:14Season 1 · Episode 77Episode 77: The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
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1:36:46Season 1 · Episode 76Episode 76: Tromeo & Juliet (1996)
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1:29:32Season 1 · Episode 75Episode 75: Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
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14:38Season 1 · Episode 75Episode 75: Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990): Floyd Mutrux
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25:16Season 1 · Episode 75Episode 75: Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990): Rex Weiner
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42:18Season 1 · Episode 75Episode 75: Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990): Daniel Waters
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1:17:51Season 1 · Episode 74Episode 74: CSA - Confederate States of America (2004)
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1:51:07Season 1 · Episode 73Episode 73: The Coffin Joe Trilogy
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58:00Season 1 · Episode 72Episode 72: Raw Force (1982)
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58:48Season 1 · Episode 71Episode 71: An American Hippie in Israel (1972)
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59:12Season 1 · Episode 8Special Report: Jubilee Hitchhiker (2012)
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1:03:07Season 1 · Episode 70Episode 70: Vanishing Point (1971)
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1:33:00Season 1 · Episode 69Episode 69: The Toxic Avenger (1984)
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2:25:33Season 1 · Episode 68Episode 68: Raw Talent (1984)
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38:40Season 1 · Episode 68Episode 68: Raw Talent (1984) - Jerry Butler
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12:44Season 1 · Episode 68Episode 68: Raw Talent (1984) - Joyce Snyder
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