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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38:54Season 1 · Episode 68Episode 68: Raw Talent (1984) - Larry Revene
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1:14:27Season 1 · Episode 67Episode 67: Battles without Honor and Humanity (1974)
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59:43Episode 66Episode 66: Freejack (1992)
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1:24:25Episode 65Episode 65: The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972)
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43:45Season 1 · Episode 7Special Report: Cinetopia and The State of Michigan Film
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2:00:50Season 1 · Episode 63Episode 63: Salo or The 120 Days of Sodom (1975)
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1:01:53Season 1 · Episode 62Episode 62: Miami Blues (1990)
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1:40:35Season 1 · Episode 61Episode 61: The Ghastly Love of Johnny X (2012)
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1:06:57Season 1 · Episode 60Episode 60: Grace of My Heart (1996)
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59:00Season 1 · Episode 59Episode 59: Superbman: The Other Movie (1981)
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47:32Season 1 · Episode 58Episode 58: An Honest Liar (2014)
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58:35Season 1 · Episode 57Episode 57: Night Dreams (1981)
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59:21Season 1 · Episode 56Episode 56: Mean Guns (1997)
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1:11:45Season 1 · Episode 55Episode 55: Putney Swope (1969)
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1:21:11Season 1 · Episode 54Episode 54: The Hitcher (1986)
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58:56Season 1 · Episode 53Episode 53: The Visitor (1979)
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59:27Season 1 · Episode 52Episode 52: Frankenhooker (1990)
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58:51Season 1 · Episode 51Episode 51: Battle Royale (2000)
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59:38Season 1 · Episode 50Episode 50: Cube (1997)
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58:56Season 1 · Episode 49Episode 49: Series 7: The Contenders (2001)
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58:53Season 1 · Episode 49Episode 48: Chicken Park (1994)
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53:28Season 1 · Episode 6Special Report: Manos - The Hands of Fate (1966)
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1:07:24Season 1 · Episode 47Episode 47: Score (1974)
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1:28:29Season 1 · Episode 46Episode 46: The Apple (1980)
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