By Ryan C. Showers

The past year contained many strong films that were sufficient at talking about our society, showing inter-personal relationships, honoring historical moments and figures, and having endlessly creative and artistic ways of entertaining us as moviegoers. Please accept the following list as my two cents into the discussion of the best films of 2017. These are the films that especially touched or impacted me, or made me sit back in my theater seat, in awe of what I was seeing. They stimulated me intellectually, emotionally, and visually.

By Liam Heffernan​

Following 13 unsuccessful Oscar nominations, Roger Deakins is now one of the unluckiest nominees of all time, and arguably the most overdue of this year’s nominees. With his latest film "Blade Runner 2049," we need to ask: is it finally his time?​ The stats say yes and yet, we are still skeptical.

By Matt Neglia

Just as I did yesterday with the acting, screenplay and other best film categories, I am now going to dive deep into my predictions for the four audio categories at the Oscars - Best Original Score,Best Original Song, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.

​Click below to see analysis and predictions for these four categories.

By Matt Neglia

For Episode 79, myself, Michael Schwartz, Will Mavity & DeAnn Chiazzese debate, joke, agonize and throw lots of stats at each other, as we reveal to you our final Oscar predictions for the 90th Academy Awards.

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, CastBox or you can have a listen down below.

By Matt Neglia

The Makeup & Hair Stylists Guild winners have been announced, representing the best in the field for 2017. The winners will be announced February 24th 2018.

Click below to see the winners.

By Matt Neglia

The Cinema Audio Society (CAS) have announced their winners representing the best in Sound Mixing for 2017.

Click below to see the winners.

By Matt Neglia

For this week's review, on my birthday no less, I am joined by another who is also celebrating their birthday, DeAnn Chiazzese! Together, we are joined by Ryan C. Showers and guest Jessica Peña (Who are not celebrating their birthdays) as the four of us review Alex Garland's new sci-fi film "Annihilation" starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez and Oscar Isaac. The spoiler section of the review starts at 36:33.

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, CastBox or you can have a listen down below.

By Paul Hardister

Countless people who visit Hollywood & Highland from across the globe pass the names of Best Pictures gone by. The Academy selected an exceptional list of nominees this year for consideration to be next to join film history. Although I have many favorites, the movie I would place in the time capsule outside the Dolby Theatre is “Get Out”. It is also the film which is being unfairly written off by many people as a film which won't win Best Picture. While their arguments make sense in a vacuum where the old rules of the Academy certainly applied, they are failing to see that the film industry has changed and is continuing to change. That change is enough to suggest that "Get Out" stands a far greater chance to win Best Picture than most people are willing to let on.

By Matt Neglia

Just as I did yesterday with the acting and screenplay categories, I am now going to dive into my predictions for three categories which recognizes different divisions of "Best Picture" - Animation, Foreign Language and Documentary. These three categories feel like locks to me but maybe you'll think differently.

​Click below to see analysis and predictions for these three categories.

By Matt Neglia
​
The Black Reel Awards (BRA) have announced their winners for the best in film for 2017.

Click below to see the winners.

By Ryan C. Showers

​Before the preferential ballot, predicting the Oscar Best Picture was simpler. The film everyone loved would win in a plurality vote, and that would be that. We have that movie, one that has collected the high-profile prizes of TIFF, Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA Best Picture awards, in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” It’s the film that the most people are passionate about. But it’s also a movie everyone is skeptical to predict as a solid winner due to the fact that controversy has surrounded it in the past, in particular, after its successes at the Golden Globes and SAG. The theory goes, the controversy will prevent it from doing well on the preferential ballot. Most people want to throw it out of the conversation entirely because it is divisive, meaning voters will either have it ranked in the first or last places on their ballots, making it unable to win the category overall.

However, a few weeks have passed since the Internet’s rampage went viral on the film, and the intense hatred has dwindled down to a simmer. In fact, it coincided with the fact that Martin McDonagh did not receive a Best Director nomination for the film. Since then, the think-pieces haven’t been as abundant – maybe people on Twitter feel less threatened by it without a directing nomination? So, over the past few weeks, the film has flown under the radar (Regaining some of its underdog narrative), and perhaps many voters have forgotten the extremity of the film’s polarization.

By Matt Neglia

As announced on Episode 78 of the Podcast yesterday, the winners for the first ever NBP Film Community Awards representing the best in film for 2017 and voted on by YOU the fans of Next Best Picture were revealed. Congratulations on your winners and thank you for voting!

​Click below to see the winners.

By Matt Neglia

The Costume Designers Guild (CDG) have announced their winners representing the best in Costume Design for 2017.

Click below to see the winners.

By Matt Neglia

For Episode 78, myself, Michael Schwartz, Ryan C. Showers & this week's guest Paul Hardister talk about the BAFTA's, reveal what will be the first ever historical film review on the podcast (For Patreon members only), discuss the weekly poll, answer fan questions and reveal the winners of the first ever NBP Film Community Awards voted on by the fans of Next Best Picture.

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, CastBox or you can have a listen down below.

By Matt Neglia

Just as I did yesterday with the acting categories at this year's Oscars, I am now going to do the same for the Screenplay races where I dive in deep, examine the stats and put my brain to good use in predicting which films are going to win these two categories. We now know the winners of the Critics Choice, the Golden Globe, USC Scripter, Writers Guild Of America and the BAFTA for Best Original and Adapted Screenplay. One of these categories is all locked up while the other could go either way.

​Click below to see my in-depth analysis on these two categories.

By Matt Neglia

The Motion Picture of Sound Editors (MPSE) have announced their winners for the best in Sound Editing  for 2017 called the Golden Reel awards.

​Click below to see the winners.

By Matt Neglia

Now that the BAFTA Awards are out of the way, just as I did last year, it's now time to start analyzing all of the Oscar categories as we head towards the 90th Academy Awards in less than two weeks on March 4th. As we get closer, I will be analyzing each category and making my final predictions for the Oscars and using lots of stats to help make up my mind on the more difficult categories. Usually, I start with the techs but today I figured I'd change it up a bit and move on to what has now become four of the biggest locks of the night: the acting categories! Those who know me, know that I am a stats guy and will always rely on those to help me with my predictions. Now, I'm not blind. I know that these four categories are pretty much locked up. However, take a few moments and journey with me as I use the past 23 years worth of winners at Critics Choice, Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA to see if any upsets can take place on March 4th 2018.

Click below to see my in-depth analysis on each of the four acting categories.

By Daniel Howat

​We’re in the home stretch! The 71st BAFTA Awards were announced on February 18th. These are the final major precursor awards. Now, there’s nothing much stopping us from locking in our final Oscar predictions. The Academy Awards are two weeks away! Let’s take a look at how the BAFTAs could affect the Oscars.

By Will Mavity

Earlier this week we brought you an interview with the Sound Editor/Mixer of "Baby Driver, " Julian Slater. This week we have another interview, this time with the Oscar nominated Sound Mixing team on "The Shape Of Water," Chris Cooke and Glen Gauthier.

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, CastBox or you can have a listen down below.

By Matt Neglia

​The British Academy Of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) have announced their winners representing the best in film for 2017.

Click below to see the winners.