By Matt Neglia 

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Cody Dericks, Danilo Castro, Josh Williams and for the first time ever as a guest here on the show we have Emily Kubincanek from Film School Rejects to discuss Leigh Whannell's 2020 version of "The Invisible Man" starring Elisabeth Moss. It's a horror film that hits so hard, you won't know what hit you! We discuss the film's themes, its filmmaking techniques, Moss's incredible performance and more on this one, so please give us a listen. We hope you enjoy!

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you're feeling generous and you enjoy what you hear and want more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Danilo Castro 

For a cinematic landscape that remains dominated by shared universes and crossover events, it can be easy to forget that Universal Studios normalized the practice almost one hundred years ago. Between the 1920s and the 1950s, they released dozens of horror films that relied on the interplay between iconic characters like Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man. At best they were considered genre classics, and at worst they were harmless camp that benefits from their communal mythology.

Universal has spent the past two decades trying to reimagine their monsters for the current generation, and the results have been mixed. There have been triumphs, there have been disasters, and there have been bizarre films that fall somewhere in the middle. Leigh Wannell’s “The Invisible Man” is the studio’s latest attempt, and it proves that there are still plenty of compelling stories to be pulled from these archaic templates.

With that in mind, here’s our ranking of the Universal monster remakes from worst to best. We are only counting remakes that were released by Universal or were explicitly meant to be part of a franchise, so films like “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” or “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” will not be counted.

By Rebecca Daniel 

​​The date is February 27. On this day, I look back with a twinge of sorrow and think about what could have been. Oh, what could have been on this evening nine years ago at the Kodak Theater. Thousands of miles away from the swanky Los Angeles festivities, I sat anxiously watching the Oscars at home hoping that David Fincher’s masterpiece, “The Social Network,” would take home Best Picture. Surely it would, right? The film swept the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, received eight Oscar nominations and landed at the top of various critics’ lists. All I could do was wait to see the outcome.

By Josh Williams 

With the 2010s now behind us, it feels only natural to look back and discuss what films we felt had the largest effect on us. Some of us have already posted about this including our EIC Matt Neglia and Ryan C. Showers. We recently announced the nominations for the NBP Film Community Awards representing the best of the 2010s and now I'd like to share with you the films that connected with me emotionally, that I felt were crafted to perfection, and some I just found to be endlessly entertaining.

​Here are my 25 favorite films of the past decade!

By Josh Parham 
​
​The upcoming release of “The Invisible Man” has stirred many feelings within me lately. There’s a genuine curiosity to see what Universal has in store for this quasi-reboot of its notorious Dark Universe franchise. There’s also a general annoyance at the continued pace at which Hollywood seems destined to keep remaking its own previously produced properties. Of course, there’s also a feeling of excitement to see a great actress like Elisabeth Moss hopefully be able to showcase once again the presence she has as a performer. However, above all else, this new film mostly recalls my nostalgic memories for the 1933 original

By Matt Neglia 

Apologies that this is so late but as heard the other day on the podcast, we announced the NBP Film Community nominations for the 2010s. That's right. An entire decade's worth of content. As a result, the nominations are pretty stacked but we're still only allowing one vote per category so choose wisely. Voting officially starts now and runs until March 21st 2020. The full list of nominees can be listed below along with the link which will take you to the form to fill out your ballot.

The winners will be announced on the podcast on March 22nd 2020. Congratulations on your nominations and happy voting!

​By Jonah Evarts 

The much sought-after Best Picture Oscar was awarded to Bong Joon Ho’s masterpiece "Parasite" this year, amid a flurry of strong opinions and controversial nominations for the films that fell to it. Now that the awards season is over, it’ll be a year until we see who will triumph over it next. This begs the question: how will we look back on this awards season a year from now? Historically, the perception of Best Picture winners takes shape over time, and some winners age well, while others flatten under the pressure of longevity.

By Matthew Underwood 

How many times have you watched Jane Fonda open the envelope and read "Parasite?" How many reaction videos have you come across on Twitter? And in the two weeks since its historic triumph at the 92nd Academy Awards, how many times have you turned on "Parasite" to descend into the basement with the Kim family?

By Matt Neglia 

For Episode 182, Josh Parham, Lauren LaMagna, Rebecca Daniel and I go over the poll winners for the Best Oscar winners of the decade in all categories. It was our most voted on poll ever and we really appreciate the participation from all of you. Continuing with  that trend, we also announce the long awaited NBP Film Community Nominations for the Best of the 2010s. It's an entire decade's worth of content to cover, so take a listen and get ready because the Oscars may be over but we aren't going anywhere!

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you're feeling generous, you enjoy what you hear and want to hear more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Matt Neglia 

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by guest Rosa Parra from In Their Own League to discuss the latest Jane Austen adaptation of "Emma" titled "Emma." starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Mia Goth, Callum Turner and more. We talk about our experience with the other adaptations, the film's ensemble, it's technicals and more. Please take a listen down  below.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you're feeling generous and you enjoy what you hear and want more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Michael Frank 

Screening at the Cannes Film Festival last year and the Sundance Film Festival earlier in 2020, writer/director Levan Akin’s "And Then We Danced" hit the festival circuit with critical acclaim. A Swedish-Georgian film focused on the latter country, the drama sparked protests in the streets of Georgia while being hailed as a win for love and a distancing from bigotry.

Following Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), a young dancer on the National Georgian Ensemble, the film explores the conversative and taboo nature of homosexuality within the region, especially within the confines of tradition. The gay love story between Merab and newcomer dancer Irakli (Bachi Valishvili) devolves into a gorgeous, passionate, and striking relationship to watch on screen, one that packs a serious punch.

"And Then We Danced" has had far-ranging effects throughout the world and has been adored by audiences and critics alike. We chatted with director Levan Akin and lead actor and dancer Levan Gelbakhiani about the Georgian culture, making films that matter, and the absolutely delicious Georgian wine. ​

By Lauren LaMagna 

​Happy Female Filmmaker Friday everyone! Within the last few years, there has been an immense social shift in Hollywood regarding female directors. Today, we now see major studios hiring female directors and including that aspect as a major part of their marketing strategy, especially this past awards season with “Hustlers,” “The Farewell,” “Honey Boy,” and “Little Women,” for example. It’s safe to say that Hollywood is making positive strides in this gender battle.
 
But what about the films directed by women before this cultural shift? There are female-directed films that were made long before 2019 that are equally as good as the ones that are being made today. But for some reason, no one saw them due to a lack of support or a lack of promotion. They either got lost in the streaming universe or were in and out of theaters too quickly. So, in no particular order, here are ten female-directed films everyone should see.

By Sam Howe 

The Martin Scorsese discourse online has reared once again its ugly head, with this particular set of posts focusing on the notion that most Scorsese films are “the same” and that he repeats the same tropes over and over again. While anyone who has watched more than just a couple of Scorsese films could tell you this is a ridiculous statement, as very few people would say that “Raging Bull,” “The Last Temptation of Christ,” “Hugo,” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” are repeating themselves; it just so happens that some of the more famous Scorsese films are in the gangster genre and, therefore, people assume this is all he does.

By Bianca Garner 

Very shortly, I will be attending this year’s Berlin Film Festival for the first time ever. I won’t lie, I am slightly nervous about flying, but I’m trying to distract myself by planning my viewing schedule. The festival (which is in its 70th year) will be taking place from February 20 until March 1st. The opening film will be "My Salinger Year" (directed by Philippe Falardeau) which follows a young assistant Joanna (Margaret Qualley) who dreams of being a writer, but her day job consists of answering fan letters for cult author J.D. Salinger. The film co-stars Sigourney Weaver and Douglas Booth.

By Matt Neglia 

​You read that right. Josh Parham, Dan Bayer and I sat down one evening and watched Steven Knight's colossal 2019 misfire titled "Serenity" starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jason Clarke, Diane Lane, Djimon Honsou & Jeremy Strong. This is a Patreon exclusive and the first audio commentary track we've ever recorded so your feedback is greatly appreciated. Fire up your Amazon Prime Video app, watch along and let us know what you think! Now let's go fishing!

This is a preview of the podcast, the full version of which is only available to those who subscribe to us on Patreon. For the small price of $1 a month, you can receive this commentary track along with other exclusive podcast content, so be sure to subscribe here.
​
Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Theatre Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here.

By Nicole Ackman ​

I know it's arriving late but I wanted to make sure I had seen everything from 2019 before I submitted my top 10 list. You've heard from Matt Neglia, Daniel Howat, Josh Parham, Ryan C. Showers, Cody Dericks, Kt Schaefer and now, I get to end it all.

It feels a bit miraculous just how many truly amazing movies were released in 2019. The first half of the year was a bit worrying as it felt great movies were few and far between, but the second half of the year definitely delivered. This year, I made a point of seeing more movies directed by women (because the best way to support female directors is to buy tickets to their movies) and there were so many amazing ones to choose from – from Marielle Heller’s “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” to Alma Har’el’s “Honey Boy.” 
 
I had a difficult time narrowing down my list to ten so a few honorable mentions: “Just Mercy,” “The King,” “Blinded by the Light,” “Frozen II,” & “Rocketman.” 

​By Rebecca Daniel 

There’s something extraordinary about the work of Jane Austen. Even though her beloved novels were published 200 years ago, they still connect with audiences today. It’s not just literary audiences that relate to her work, but cinematic audiences as well. Austen’s work has been adapted to film time and time again, whether it’s Joe Wright’s iconic “Pride & Prejudice,” the witty “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” or the classic “Sense and Sensibility.” Today I’m shining the spotlight on “Emma,” Austen’s tale of a young woman who loves to play matchmaker for her peers. The story has made its way to the screen quite a few times, with a particular surge in the ‘90s. A new version of the tale is making its way to theaters this month with quite a promising cast. Let’s take a look at “Emma” on the big screen.

By Matt Neglia 

For Episode 181, we are answering all of your questions on the 92nd Academy Awards and thus saying goodbye to the 2019 Awards Season. Here to join me is Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer, Casey Lee Clark, Josh Parham & Lauren LaMagna. We give our final thoughts on the evening where we saw "Parasite" make history, what the win means for the future and much more! We also discuss the polls which recap the best Oscar winners of the decade, the trailers for "The Green Knight" and "The French Dispatch" and we make a big announcement at the end of the podcast.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you're feeling generous, you enjoy what you hear and want to hear more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Matt Neglia 

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Josh Parham, Dan Bayer & Tom O'Brien to discuss the American remake of the 2014 Swedish film "Force Majeure" titled "Downhill" starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Will Ferrell. What do we think of this remake? How does it hold up to the original? What's similar and what's different? We talk about all of this and more in this week's review.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you're feeling generous and you enjoy what you hear and want more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Nicole Ackman 
​
We’ve shared Next Best Picture team’s favorite horror movies for Halloween, Thanksgiving movies, and Christmas movies, so it felt appropriate to share our favorite romantic comedies in honor of Valentine’s Day. I talked to the team to gather some of our collective favorite romantic comedies (or rom-coms_ and we had a lot of variety. There were (of course) a lot of great ones that didn’t make the list like “You’ve Got Mail,” “Pretty Woman,” and “Love, Simon.” 

Whether you’re in a committed relationship with a partner or just with Letterboxd, here are some great movies to watch on Valentine’s Day weekend. 

By Dan Bayer 

​Well, the four-way acting sweep happened. At every major televised award show this year (except, bless, the Indie Spirits), the same four people won acting awards: Brad Pitt for Supporting Actor, Laura Dern for Supporting Actress, Joaquin Phoenix for Leading Actor, and Renée Zellweger for Leading Actress. Over and over again, the pattern played out. You’d think they were the only actors worth honoring this year! Of course, there are sweepers and people who get left behind, but in full sweep years like this and 2017 (kind of shocking that the last full sweep year was only the year before last), it’s especially painful when, with a rich field of contenders, awards bodies end up defaulting to the same four people time and time again.
 
So I thought it would be nice to have a memorial service for the performances left by the wayside this year, at least when it comes to the major awards ceremonies. A time to collectively mourn and celebrate the great performances of 2019 that got the shaft in everyone’s rush to reward the same old same old.

By Matt Neglia 
​
Nat Faxon &  Jim Rash are Academy Award winning screenwriters for the 2011 film "The Descendants." They made their co-directing debut together with the hit indie film "The Way Way Back." And now, they are back again writing and directing the American remake of the 2014 Swedish film "Force Majeure," now titled "Downhill" starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Will Ferrell. Nat and Jim were kind enough to talk to me about their reasoning for the remake, their process of co-writing with "Succession" creator Jesse Armstrong, working with the cast, the differences between this version and the original and more. Take a listen down below.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you're feeling generous and you enjoy what you hear and want more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Matt Neglia 

Patreon Throwback Reviews on the podcast are back! For this month we are looking back at the 2014 Swedish film "Froce Majeure" to help us  get ready for the release of the American remake "Downhill." We discuss the film's themes, its technical aspects, its performances and its awards season run where it was famously snubbed of a Best International Feature Film Oscar nomination. Here to join me in this review is Josh Parham, Dan Bayer and Patreon contributors/guests Andre Watkins & Samuel Haines.
​
This is a preview of the podcast, the full version of which is only available to those who subscribe to us on Patreon. For the small price of $1 a month, you can receive this review along with other exclusive podcast content, so be sure to subscribe here.
​
Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Theatre Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here.

By Nicole Ackman 

For this month, the Next Best Theatre team has a special Valentine’s Day themed episode for our listeners. Michael Schwartz, Casey Lee Clark, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, and I share our favorite musical theatre love songs. We discuss songs from shows from “Carousel” to “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” We finish by talking a bit about our favorite Broadway couples. Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Next Best Theatre!

This is a preview of the podcast, the full version of which is only available to those who subscribe to us on Patreon. For the small price of $1 a month, you can receive this review along with other exclusive podcast content, so be sure to subscribe here.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Theatre Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you're feeling generous and you enjoy what you hear and want more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Matt Neglia 

History has been made. It took 92 years but a foreign language film has finally won Best Picture. "Parasite" was the big winner on Oscar night leading the way with 4 wins including Best Picture(!!), Best Director, Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay. There's so much more to talk about other than Bong Joon-ho's historic win as Cody Dericks, Dan Bayer, Josh Parham, Lauren LaMagna, Nicole Ackman & Tom O'Brien all  join me to discuss the winners, the song and dance numbers, the speeches and more from the 92nd Academy Awards. Thank you all for what was an incredible evening and a brief but memorable awards season. We're not going anywhere after this as there will be more to discuss in the weeks ahead but for now, enjoy our initial reactions to the 2020 Oscars.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you're feeling generous and you enjoy what you hear and want more, please help to support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.