The Next Reel Film Podcast show

The Next Reel Film Podcast

Summary: Subscribe to THE weekly podcast for movie people! Features in-depth reviews of classic films and contemporary hits, with ratings, rankings, and interviews. Hosted by Pete Wright and Andy Nelson.

Join Now to Subscribe to this Podcast
  • Visit Website
  • RSS
  • Artist: Andy Nelson & Pete Wright
  • Copyright: © 2011-14 Rash Pixel

Podcasts:

 Cloverfield | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:04:08

The J.J. Abrams team jumped into the found footage realm with a fun Godzilla-style monster movie that was kept under strict wraps while filming, to the point where excited audience members actually believed that it might have possibly been a live-action version of Voltron. "Cloverfield," which, in the film, is the name the government gives to this top secret creature after-the-fact, is a unique creature feature that at once allowed for an intimate story set in a massive location. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we discuss Matt Reeves' 2008 film "Cloverfield." We talk about how this film handles the camerawork vs. "Quarantine," and why this one may employ a bit more shaky-cam than our previous film. We discuss the goods and bads in the film, notably talking about how for both of us, the cast is one of our biggest problems with the movie. We chat about the filming and editing process and how they're used differently in a found footage style film. And we talk about the monster and how well she works for us. It's a fun film that may not be our favorite, but still is a lot of fun. It's well worth talking about. Tune in!

 Quarantine | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:12:18

For many audience members, found footage films are just an opportunity to to film a horror story on the cheap and don't bring anything to the table. There are films, however, that work to use the filmmaking style to their advantage in exploring different ways to tell their stories. Sure, it's a conceit, but if you buy into it, it can make for a fun style of storytelling. Join us -- Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we begin our Found Footage Series with John Erick Dowdle's 2008 film "Quarantine." We talk about the nature of found footage films, what they need, why they're often horror films, and why it works in this film. We discuss the script of this film and, while still enjoyable, what big problem crops up late in the film that leads to too many questions and, if thought about critically, can really spoil the story. We chat about the original Spanish film, "[REC]," on which this is based, what the differences are, which version works better, and why the original film's director hates this one so much. We chat about the cast and what they bring to the table in a film largely made up of long shots. And we complain about the marketing images for this film and ponder what could possibly have been their intention when using the film's final image as the poster design. It's a fun and frightening horror film that has its problems, but still is effective at creating a claustrophobic horror film. We have a great chat about it. Tune in!

 The Film Board Presents: Divergent | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:16:28

What better way to kick off the spring tentpole season than with the launch of another adaptation of a young adult novel. This time, it’s Veronica Roth’s take on dystopian Abercrobmie in “Divergent.” This is perhaps the most divided we’ve been on the Film Board. Andy Nelson, Steve Sarmento, and Tom Metz come out as pro-faction, Pete Wright and Mike Evans against. We take on Roth’s story and how well it translates to the big screen. We talk factions and the nature of social control in an after-the-fall Chicago. Somewhere in there, Pete makes a case for the musical montage, and Tom sings. The two are not related. If you’re wondering whether “Divergence” is a film for you, there’s likely someone on this week’s episode that will strike your fancy. Listen in!

 A League of Their Own | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:14:47

Tom Hanks and baseball — they go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Aside from always wanting to be an astronaut, Hanks has always been a great baseball fan and eagerly jumped at the chance to be in Penny Marshall's 1992 film about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The film is a crowd pleaser and drew in the crowds when it was released, which was great because it shined a light on an aspect of sports history that had sadly been largely forgotten. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we finish our Tom Hanks series with a dip back into our spring Baseball series of past years. We talk about how this film came to be, and how Penny Marshall couldn't even find any female screenwriters to come on board to write the script. We discuss the performances and how everyone, from top to bottom, really fits their parts and puts in the work, even if we don't always care for their performances. We chat about the script and how that might be what's leading to some of our struggles with performances as the script really does feel straight out of screenwriting basic training. We talk about the roles of women in sports and in media, how skewed toward men it all is, and how this film does help give better role models for young girls. And we close it out discussing Hanks himself and what these four films in the first decade (for the most part) of his career showed us about who he is and where he'd be going. It's a great film, albeit with a basic script, that highlights a key time in our history, and we have a great time talking about it. Tune in!

 Apollo 13 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:18:26

Tom Hanks already won his back-to-back Oscars and with an ensemble film like "Apollo 13," he wasn't a clear choice to get nominated again to make a three-peat a possibility. All of that aside, as anyone on the cast or crew who worked on the film knows — as well as anyone who saw the film — he was clearly born to play an astronaut. He reunited with Ron Howard on the making of this amazing film dealing with one of the worst space disasters the world has ever seen, and even though everyone knew what happened, it was a compelling piece of cinema. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Tom Hanks series with "Apollo 13." We talk about the amazing effects work and how it seamlessly blends with real footage, miniatures, and amazing weightless photography filmed in the vomit comet. We discuss the performances throughout the film and what each of the performers brings to the story, including Hanks, Gary Sinise, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan. We chat about the roles of women in this film and similar films, what works and what doesn't for us in their part of the story, and why we feel they're portrayed the way they are. We talk about the amazing score done by James Horner in this film and how well it fits in context of the film. And we chat about some of the awards the film won, was nominated for, and wasn't nominated for, and what we think about that. It's a great movie — one of our favorites — and we have a fantastic conversation about it. Tune in!

 Forrest Gump | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:26:15

"Forrest Gump" broke all sorts of box office records when it was released in the summer of 1994, which may be why people spent a lot of time digging into what they thought the film was really saying, even if it's not what the filmmakers were actually saying. At its heart, it's a character story about people struggling to find their paths in life, and looking back on it 20 years later, it's still an absolutely beautiful film. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Tom Hanks series with Robert Zemeckis' Oscar-winning film, "Forrest Gump." We talk about the rhetoric and opinions that came out shortly after the film's release and where we each stand with those lines of thinking. We discuss the amazing performances across the board, focusing on Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field and Hailey Joel Osment. We chat about the stunning effects work all through this film and how they're often completely invisible, and we reveal our opinions on the Oscars that year and what we think should have won. It's a great conversation about an unforgettable film. Tune in!

 Splash | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:19:12

In the late 70s and early 80s, Disney Pictures had been getting grief for releasing films that were too adult. When “Splash” came along, they decided to create a new label for releasing more adult fare. And thus, Touchstone Pictures was born! On top of that, the film was such a success that it pushed its star, Tom Hanks, and director, Ron Howard, up toward the upper echelons of the Hollywood elite. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we begin our Tom Hanks series near the beginning of his career with “Splash,” a film that Andy holds near and dear to his heart while Pete struggles with many aspects of it. We talk about the beginnings of Hanks’ career and how he ended up getting cast in this film, as well as how well he works in it. We touch on the other actors — Daryl Hannah, John Candy and Eugene Levy in particular — and how they do in the film. We discuss what works for Andy and what doesn’t work for Pete and try to identify specific elements that could be causing Pete to disconnect from the movie. And we chat about the cinematography and how beautiful the film looks, standing out from the flat lighting most comedies suffer from. It’s a film Andy and Pete likely will never agree on, but it’s certainly fun to talk about. Tune in!

 Inception | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:16:39

It's a sad state to consider that Christopher Nolan had to fight to get money to make "Inception" because it wasn't a sequel, based on a comic book, a remake, or something similar. It was purely an original script about a wild inverted heist taking place inside someone's dreams. Sure, Warner Bros. eventually gave Nolan $160 million plus to make his film and it went on to become one of the highest grossing films of all time, but the fact that he had to fight to get money doesn't bode well for the state of the industry. All that aside, it's a marvel of a film, and we conclude our latest Original Sci-Fi series with this non-benevolent alien movie, Nolan's 2010 film, "Inception." Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we talk about Nolan and the wild story he tells in this film, and how much of a struggle it must have been to not just fight to get the money but also to introduce all the exposition that goes along with telling an original film about dream thieves. We chat about Nolan's preference for physical effects and how much they bring to the film, even if some of them had to get enhanced by digital effects. We discuss the performers, particularly Leonardo DiCaprio and Marion Cotillard and the relationship their characters have. We go over the ending and what we think happens, as well as cover Nolan's intentions for ending it as he did. And we talk about the bombastic score by Hans Zimmer and how well it works in the film. Its an incredible film every time you watch it, and makes for a lot of great conversation. Join us!

 The Film Board Presents: The Monuments Men | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 55:02

Might be best to start off a conversation about George Clooney's latest, The Monuments Men, by telling you what this film is not. It's not a comedy. And in spite of its pedigree and subject matter, it's not all that much of a heist film. It doesn't spend enough time building character to be a character film. And if your name is either Andy Nelson or Tom Metz, the film isn't very good. This week on the show, Andy, Tom, and Pete Wright take on Clooney's latest opus and dish on story, script, concept, cinematography, and the relative importance of being able to find humor in Adolf Hitler. We spoil this film heavily, as usual, so if you don't want story rot on the brain, make sure you see it, then come hang out with us on The Film Board!

 The Abyss | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:17:32

When the extended trailer for James Cameron's 1989 undersea scifi spectacular, "The Abyss," was released, detailing everything from the production on sets built in an unfinished power plant to the intense action and character moments throughout the film, all set to Michael Stearns' powerful score from the IMAX film "Chronos," it set the stage for an epic film that promised to deliver "Aliens" underwater. When the film was released, it received good reviews and earned its money back, but wasn't what people expected. Plus, it had an ending that left audiences scratching their heads a bit. But 3 years later, Cameron was able to return to it and release an extended version with nearly 30 minutes of new material, including an extended ending that answered a lot of questions, even if it did add an element to the story that feels heavy handed. His new version was received very positively and showed that going back and meddling with a film could result in a better product, and it's definitely a film worth rewatching. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Original SciFi series with "The Abyss." We talk about what works for us and what doesn't in this film, and how much that really matters in the end. We talk about the amazing cast that really sell the story — even the cheesy lines and heavy-handed plot elements — and why some of them refuse to talk about production of this film to this day. We chat about the effects and where this film fits in the context of the history of special effects development. We discuss Cameron and his ability to make films as well as his passion for technologies and undersea exploration, and how those two passions came together perfectly here. And we discuss the nature of film worlds versus the real world, and how accurate a film needs to be when depicting real things. It's a great film with some problematic elements that we're perfectly willing to overlook, and we have a great time talking about it. Tune in!

 Close Encounters of the Third Kind | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:31:46

In 1977, Devil's Tower went from being known as the first National Monument (for those who had actually heard of it) to the iconographic image marking the rendezvous point where the aliens want to meet the humans in Steven Spielberg's third theatrical film, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." The release and success of the movie saw visits to the monument skyrocket, which shows the power in Spielberg's film. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we jump back into our Original SciFi series with this fantastic entry into the genre. We talk about the way this film has changed in our eyes as we've gotten older, and how the parenting of both Roy and Gillian, played by Richard Dreyfuss and Melinda Dillon, now feels incredibly poor. We discuss the nature of the 3 existing cuts of this film, what's different, what works and what doesn't in the changes, why the changes were made and which to watch. We chat about the nature of this film in the world of scifi films and why is feels very naturalistic, playing to realistic sensibilities that fit very much with Spielberg's views at the time he made this that it was more science speculation than it was science fiction — it's a story of alien visitors in a world where he believed we had already been visited. We go through the incredible talents behind the amazing special effects, the music, the editing and the production design, as well as the line up of the cast, even if Pete feels Spielberg should've swapped Dillon and Teri Garr in their roles. And we question the decision to put a "PRESENT DAY" title card up at the start of this film when watching it today clearly dates the film (leading us to question the import of ever using this title card). It's a fantastic and lengthy discussion over one of our favorite science fiction films of all time. Tune in!

 In the Mood for Love | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:14:06

Wong Kar-Wai's sumptuous film "In the Mood for Love" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000 and, while it lost the Palm d'Or, it left an indelible impression on everyone who saw it. A story of a connection between a man and woman who learn their spouses are having an affair, the film deals with their growing friendship as they help each other come to terms with the infidelity. In the process, they also struggle with their own draw to each other. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we discuss the first of our Listener's Choice films. Steven Smart won the drawing and chose this film for us to discuss, and we're thrilled he did because we both fell in love with it. We talk about the nature of the love between the two leads played by Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung and how, on the one hand, the draw they have to each other is never consummated because they don't want to stoop to the level of their spouses, while on the other hand, they both are afraid that it's not what the other person wants so they don't act. We discuss the stunning look of the film, both from a cinematography standpoint as well as costumes and production design, and how the artists behind those elements make the film what it is. And we chat about director Wong Kar-Wai and how he started making one film but ended up with this one (perhaps because he did this without a script?). It's a beautiful film that touched both of us with its art and finesse. We had a wonderful time watching this film and have a great time chatting about it. Tune in!

 Richard Dysart — a Special Next Reel Interview | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:13:26

Richard Dysart is one of those faces that you instantly recognize. He's acted on the stage, on the movie screen and on the TV screen most of his life. In his films, he generally played strong supporting characters, helping to fill any given scene with what it needed. (Look at him in the films we've discussed in our Dysart series as well as several past shows — The Hospital and The Thing — to really get a sense as to what he brought to those movies.) On TV, he often carried the projects, whether he was playing a US President (he played Truman and Eisenhower twice each), a studio head (Jack Warner and Louis B. Mayer), or his most iconic character, Leland McKenzie on the entire run of L.A. Law. He's worked in about every genre there is (as well as animation), has played some of the kindest characters on screen and some of the most vile, and has worked with an incredibly wide array of actors, directors and others in the industry. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we have a special episode talking with the incredible, humble and versatile Richard Dysart. We talk with Dick about where his passion for this crazy industry grew from and how he took that passion and turned it into a career in radio, which led to theatre, eventually TV and inevitably film. We chat about the way 'live TV' worked and how everyone was still kinda winging it in this fledgling industry at the time, and talk about how it's changed as the industry matured. We discuss his move into film, first playing an uncredited role in a Steve McQueen film, and then touch on a wide variety of movies that he worked in over the years. We point out several of our favorites and talk about the work on those specific projects. And we ask him about what he's up to now and if he has any regrets with his career. It's a delightful conversation with a funny, congenial man full of insight about the industry, stories about experiences on set, and a genuine passion for the world of acting. We're thrilled to ask you to join us for this special episode.

 Pale Rider | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:21:36

"Pale Rider" marks Clint Eastwood's 10th time directing himself in a film, something he went on doing until 2008's "Gran Torino" and something he clearly knows how to do well. This seems to hold true especially in westerns, even though he only directed himself in four of them. Perhaps that's because he had so much experience in them and learned from other directors like Sergio Leone how to stand, how to ride, how to stare, how to shoot on film. And while "Pale Rider" is an obvious retelling of the classic 1953 film "Shane," it can stand on its own merits and doesn't feel like a ripoff. Join us -- Pete Wright and Andy Nelson -- as we come to the last film in our Richard Dysart series, 1985's "Pale Rider." We talk about the story of this film and how lean it is, while also apparently being a ghost story, something neither of us ever caught on to until reading up on it. We discuss the actors, notably Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Richard Kiel, Sydney Penny, and of course Richard Dysart, and how well they work in this film. We chat about the Biblical references in the film, the idea of Eastwood's character, Preacher, being a ghost, and how that structure works in context of this story. We talk about the nature of the little man versus the corporate machine, something we've talked about in a few recent episodes, and how it works in this film. We go over the look of this film and discuss what Bruce Surtees and Eastwood bring to the film by using low lighting, particularly for the night and interior scenes. And we touch on Lennie Niehaus's music and why it works so well in context of the film. It's a classic western with some great moments that further cement Eastwood as the true iconic 'stranger' character. Give it a watch then tune in!

 The Film Board Presents: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:32:53

"Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" is worth exactly what you pay for it. And possibly slightly less. Such is the verdict of The Next Reel Film Board this month as we take on the Kenneth Branagh-helmed thriller. It's the fifth in the Ryan series, but the first not based on one of Tom Clancy's novels — a sore point for many of us on the board. Writers Adam Cozad and David Koepp conjure up some interesting moments in a script that is otherwise awash in trite. But the biggest questions remain: Can Chris Pine pull off the fish-out-of-water clumsiness of Ryan? Can Kevin Costner fill the giant shoes of James Earl Jones in the critical mentor role? Can Keira Knightley handle the American accent? (Spoiler: Not really.) Join board regulars Tom Metz, Steve Sarmento, Chadd Stoops, Andy Nelson, and Pete Wright as they digest this serving of spy soup, with a health helping of Oscars 2014!

Comments

Login or signup comment.