By Matt Neglia 

For Episode 196, I am joined by Michael Schwartz, Nicole Ackman, Josh Parham & Dan Bayer. This week, we take a moment to address our feelings on what is going on related to the murder of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement and the various protests happening all over the country. We also provide film recommendations that speak to a large number of the issues being discussed in the news as a means to help educate our listeners on these vital topics. To help balance things out, we also talk about the latest news surrounding how the coronavirus has impacted the film industry, the polls, answer your fan-submitted questions and more. Enjoy and I'll leave you with this, "Always do the right thing."

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, Player FM, 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 Nicole Ackman and Dan Bayer. Together, the three of us are reviewing the new film from Focus Features which just released on digital streaming this weekend titled "The High Note" starring Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelvin Harrison Jr. & Ice Cube. What did we think of the film's music, performances, and story during this quarantine crisis? Tune in to find out.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, Player FM, 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 Dan Bayer 

​Welcome, film lovers! I don’t know about you, but I don’t think my kitchen has ever gotten quite as much of a workout as it has over the past couple of months. And given the rise of community cookbooks and #Instafood posts over that time, it seems like the same is true for quite a lot of people. Some people are in need of the comfort that old family recipes and childhood favorites provide. For others, the mandate to stay at home means that there is finally time to try all those crazy recipes that looked so mouthwatering on “Top Chef” or “The Great British Baking Show”. And for a few, the lack of delivery options means having to figure out what exactly the difference is between a chop and a dice, or how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon. Whatever your level of proficiency in the kitchen, I can guarantee that you will enjoy watching films about food. And it’s not just the impossibly delicious looking meals that you’ll savor, but the heaping portions of emotions that go with them. As always, we’ve restricted the film festival programming to what is available for free on the big three streaming services, so as to make it accessible to as many people as possible.

By Matt Neglia 

The Next Best Series Podcast is back where we discuss television! For this week, we wrap up miniseries Emmy contender "Mrs. America" starring Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Elizabeth Banks, Margo Martindale and more as they portrayal real-life political figures (and Sarah Paulson playing a pivotal fictional character, especially in these final three episodes) involved in the Women's Rights Movement of the 1970s. This first podcast covered episodes 1-3, the second one covered episodes 4-6 and now we've covering episodes 7-9 along with a discussion on the show's Emmy prospects. Joining me for this final podcast I have Amanda Spears, Michael Schwartz, Ryan C. Showers & Dan Bayer.

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 Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify,GooglePlay, Stitcher, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here.

By Tom O'Brien 

The deadline for eligibility for this year's Emmy Awards has been extended into early June, but one category that extension won't affect is the already red-hot race for Outstanding Limited Series in which all of the likely contenders have already been seen. To be considered as a limited series, a show must have two or more episodes with a running time of at least 150 minutes and tell a complete story without any teasers suggesting future episodes. There have been occasions where the limited series proves to be so popular that the networks and producers decide to take it to series – "Downton Abbey," "Fargo," and "Big Little Lies" – but it's a rarity.

This year, the Limited Series race is seen by Emmy prognosticators to be very tight. The leading contenders: superheroes seeking racial justice; female detectives investigating a true-life series of rape cases; a take on the real-life opponent of the growing women's rights movement in America in the 1970s; a fantasy speculating what a PC Hollywood would be like in the late 1940s. Let's meet the top ten contenders and rank their chances of getting a coveted Emmy nomination.

By Nicole Ackman ​
 
“Braveheart” was released in cinemas across America 25 years ago on May 24, 1995. The film received mostly positive reviews and made millions of dollars, eventually going on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, amongst others. The three-hour-long epic set the stage for other epics to follow and is remembered fondly by many who have nostalgia for cinema of the 1990s. The film even led to increased tourism in Scotland as moviegoers wanted to visit the places they had seen in the film. But how does “Braveheart” hold up 25 years later, as a film and as a Best Picture winner? I was only a year old when the film was released and made it this far in life without seeing it, so I decided to look at it with fresh eyes and explore its legacy.

By Jed Wells 

It’s now been one week since the conclusion of ESPN’s "The Last Dance," and while the documentary finished with a cathartic NBA championship, back in the real world there is still a ways to go before the return of the NBA. With professional sports suspended indefinitely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, "The Last Dance" gave sports fans a chance to return to the world of sports. So now, as "The Last Dance" draws to a close, many sports fans are left wondering where and when they can get their next hit of sports. With this in mind, here are five basketball documentaries to fix your "The Last Dance" cravings.

By Michael Schwartz 

To commemorate Mother's Day earlier this month and all of the wonderful mothers who dedicate their lives to their families, the NBT team takes a deep dive into our favorite mothers of Broadway. From "Into the Woods" to "Fun Home" and everything in between, we salute the maternal figures of the stage we have come to know and love over the years. Give a listen and let us know your favorite mothers of Broadway. Joining me for this episode we have Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer, Casey Lee Clark, Cody Dericks and for the first time ever Lauren LaMagna.

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 

In the wake of COVID-19, it is still a mystery what the various fall film festivals are going to do. Will they still take place? If so, to what extent? SXSW was cancelled and had some of its programming debut online. The same thing happened with the Tribeca Film Festival. However, most of the major films people had hoped to see at these festivals have been sitting on the shelf, waiting to see what new developments would come about from the pandemic. Now, the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, London Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and more have teamed up to launch We Are One, a free 10 day online film festival that will take place from May 29th to June 7th on YouTube. The line-up for this one of a kind film festival was announced today.

By Agambir Bajwa 

​​With the end of May just around the corner, Warner Media is entering the content wars with the launch of HBO Max in two days on the 27th. This would be the third streaming service to launch this year, along with Quibi and NBC/Universal's Peacock. The team behind HBO Max has clearly been analyzing different streaming services and employing some of their plans, to make their service the most competitive. Let's dive into what is to come.

By Matt Neglia 

For Episode 195, I am joined by Michael Schwartz, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer & Tom O'Brien. This week, we discuss the hype surrounding Warner Bros. this week as they get ready to launch HBO Max, the Snyder Cut of "Justice League" and a new trailer for Christopher Nolan's "Tenet." Sticking with that, our poll this week asks everyone which is their favorite Christopher Nolan film. We give our reactions to two new Netflix trailers for Spike Lee's "Da 5 Bloods" and "The Old Guard" starring Charlize Theron. We also discuss other news in the film industry related to COVID-19 such as a potential date change for the Academy Awards, answer your fan questions and more! Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone! Stay healthy. Stay safe. And enjoy!

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, Player FM, 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, we're reviewing a new film release for a change! Originally set to have its world premiere at this year's South By Southwest Film Festival, "The Lovebirds" finds director Michael Showalter re-teaming with his "The Big Sick" star Kumail Nanjiani and pairing him up this time with Issa Rae in this romantic-crime-comedy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now a Netflix film and many have had the chance to watch it at home. What did we think of it though? Tune in to hear thoughts from Dan Bayer, Daniel Howat and myself.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, Player FM, 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 Cody Dericks 

​With Emmy Season approaching, I’m sure a lot of us are thinking about not only the current shows that we love but also the influential, impactful shows that are no longer around. And in terms of art that made a definite dent in the pop culture conversation, few TV shows this century have reached the level of ABC's “Lost”. 

For a television show that was such a talking point for the better part of a decade, the current feeling towards “Lost” is generally one of either ambivalence or disappointment from its viewers. While the show started strong both in terms of reviews, ratings, and awards, its finale has widely been regarded as a letdown, and that reception has only grown in the decade since it aired. I recently finished my first ever watch-through of the series and since I had somehow managed to completely avoid any details of what happens across the course of the show, I was able to go into the finale with a fairly unclouded perspective. And somewhat surprisingly, I loved it. Since this month marks exactly ten years since the finale aired, now is the perfect time to reassess it and explore some of the common complaints lodged against it. An obvious warning: spoilers will be discussed, so proceed with caution if you’ve also been putting off watching “Lost”.

By Matt Neglia 

The 2014 retrospective continues this week with one of the year's more challenging films, Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's "Inherent Vice." With an incredibly dense noir plot, lots of characters and plenty of comedic gags, this one gave us a lot to talk about as our reactions were pretty split. We do our best to break down the film's whacky and ever-evolving story, the performances (led by Joaquin Phoenix), the technicals and more! Joining me for this podcast review I have Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, Danilo Castro & Patreon guest Travis Clark. Also be sure to check out our other 2014 reviews of "Selma," "Ida," "Foxcatcher," "The Grand Budapest Hotel" & "Wild."
​
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 Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, Player FM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here.

By Rebecca Daniel 

During this time of quarantine, I’ve found myself thinking about some of my favorite theatrical experiences. (I really miss going to the movies.) Seven years ago, at the start of summer blockbuster season, Baz Luhrmann’s ambitious adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel “The Great Gatsby” hit theaters. The film was met with a wildly mixed critical reaction. A common criticism was that it was “style over substance,” beautiful to look at but hollow at its core. I’ve always disagreed with this criticism of the film. Fitzgerald’s novel is among my favorite books; bringing such a classic novel to the big screen was never going to be an easy task. However, I want to look at how Luhrmann succeeded in his adaptation of “The Great Gatsby.” ​

By Michael Schwartz 

​While the entertainment landscape may look vastly different than we remember, one of the areas that has relatively stayed the same has been television. Thank goodness for good television in the time of COVID-19. Even if we can’t see new films or experience new theatre, we can still partake in experiencing new entries in the era of peak TV. With the hope that our world retains some sense of normalcy by the fall, we will have an Emmy telecast to look forward to. With that being the case, let’s take a look at what shows will be contending in the Comedy Series race.

By Matt Neglia 

For Episode 194, I am joined by Michael Schwartz, Bianca Garner, Josh Parham, Rebecca Daniel & Dan Bayer. This week, we discuss the current state of cinema. Will the film festivals be taking place? Are theaters going to re-open? We give our reactions to the trailer for "Unhinged" starring Russell Crowe, which new movie studio Solstice Studios hopes will be the first film to play in  theaters this summer. We also discuss what we think is winning the Oscar for Best Picture as of today, go over the polls, answer your fan questions and more!

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, Player FM, 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, we have a packed house for Academy Award Winner Bong Joon-ho's first english language film. "Snowpiercer" starring Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer, Tilda Swinton, Song Kang-jo, Jamie Bell and more! Released in 2014 to critical acclaim for its story and creative world building, it is now being adapted into a television series for TNT. Fitting into our 2014 retrospective and after Bong Joon-ho's profile raised considerably with "Parasite" we decided this was a more than appropriate film to revisit. Joining me for this one is Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer, Amanda Spears, Tom O'Brien & guest Daniel Brilliant.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, Player FM, 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 Casey Lee Clark 

One of the few silver linings of our current situation is that many of us have more free time to watch movies. Perhaps finally catch up on films that have long been on our watchlist or recommendations of films we wouldn’t typically gravitate towards. I would be the first person to suggest people go out of their comfort zone to watch a classic or older film, and there are a fair amount of them available on various streaming services if you look hard enough. While there are, of course, more niche film streaming services with plenty of older films available in their catalog (Criterion Channel, Mubi, Shudder, Kanopy, etc.), it can be harder to find more pre-90s films on major streaming services. I raved and recommended the Criterion Channel in my first NBP blog post this time last year, so I will keep my suggestions from them to a minimum (though I do still highly recommend the service and think it has only gotten better). While their catalog does change very frequently, Amazon Prime is probably the best mainstream service to find older classic film gems, either free with Prime or fairly cheap to rent. Netflix’s classic film catalog is fairly slim and rarely can you find films older than 1980, but it varies month to month and you can occasionally find a few good ones.

By Matt Neglia 

The 2014 retrospective rolls on. This week we're taking a look back at Jean-Marc Vallée's followup to his Oscar winning "Dallas Buyers Club" titled "Wild." Based on the memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Stayed, this deeply personal true story stars Reese Witherspoon & Laura Dern in Oscar nominated performances. Joining me for this review I have Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer and two Patreon guests: Connor Olen & Cheyne Nomura. Also be sure to check out our other 2014 reviews of "Selma," "Ida," "Foxcatcher" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel."
​
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 Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, Player FM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here.

By Will Mavity 
​
As part of its sweeping changes this year, the Academy has chosen to merge the categories of Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing into a single category. Some Academy members had expressed dissatisfaction with the apparent inability of voters at large and viewing audiences to differentiate between the two categories. Indeed, it seems like every year someone asks, “What is sound editing?” One year, Morgan Freeman had to do a whole five-minute recap of the art during the category’s presentation to try and make the distinction clear to viewers. And, to be fair, in recent years, the distinction between the role of the sound re-recording mixer and the supervising sound editor has begun to blur more than it once did. Since Best Sound Editing expanded to a full five nominees in 2006, it has had the same winner as Best Sound Mixing eight times. Of course, the winners are selected by the entire Academy, not by the sound branch, and thus may not accurately represent that distinction. Additionally, AMPAS has been working to deliver a shorter show, and eliminating a category or two may have seemed like an easy way to do that.

​​This past season, Next Best Picture spoke with several members of the Academy’s sound branch after they received a December email floating the possibility of merging the two categories. At the time, those we spoke with were against the move. We’ve since spoken to several branch members who do approve of the merger, but the reactions overall seem mixed. Supervising Sound Editor Cecelia Hall (“The Hunt for Red October”) told us, “I thought it was kind of unfortunate that there was never any kind of public meeting about this. It’s not as if 100 supervising sound editors were invited to share their feelings on this. It was just the executive committee’s decision.” But what’s done is done. Before the category’s eulogy is read, and since this is likely the last time anyone will be asked, “what is the difference between sound editing and sound mixing,” this piece will try to describe what the sound editor’s craft has historically entailed.

By Matt Neglia 

The Next Best Series Podcast is back where we discuss television! Continuing where we previously left off with Episodes 1-3, we are back to discuss "Mrs. America" Episodes 4-6 starring Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Elizabeth Banks, Margo Martindale and more! We will be back in the future with one more podcast covering episodes 7-9. Joining me for this second podcast I have Michael Schwartz, Dan Bayer and for the first time as a guest Liz Blanc.

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 Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, GooglePlay, Stitcher, Tunein, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here.

By Danilo Castro 
​
Tom Hardy is an anomaly. He’s a character actor disguised as a sex symbol and an indie darling with blockbuster credentials. He’s the reluctant superhero and the vengeful super-villain. He’s the everyman and the madman. In an era where Hollywood has all but retired the movie star model, he’s become the heir to fearless leading men like Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, and Robert De Niro. No part is too small, and no voice is too strange. 

Hardy’s latest film, “Capone,” adds another colorful rogue to his gallery, as he portrays the eponymous gangster at the end of his life. With that in mind, we decided to look back at Hardy’s impressive career and pinpoint his best film performances. Some were left off due to the actor’s limited screen time, so masterful turns in “Inception” (2010) and “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (2011) will have to suffice as honorable mentions.

Here are the 10 performances that made the list...

By Matt Neglia 

For Episode 193, I am joined by Michael Schwartz, Bianca Garner, Dan Bayer, Lauren LaMagna & Tom O'Brien. For this week, we take a look at three trailers for "Shirley," "Yes God Yes" and "The King Of Staten Island." We take a bit of a break from the current news this week to talk about Mother's Day, what we've been catching up on at home, the polls, plus we answer your fan questions and more!

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, Player FM, 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 once again joined by Josh Parham & Dan Bayer and together we are completing the "Planet Of The Apes" reboot trilogy with this 2014 installment (which also fits nicely into our 2014 retrospective) "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes." Once again starring Andy Serkis, Toby Kebbell (who receives a much more substantial role as the film's memorable antagonist) and being joined this time by a human cast comprising of Jason Clarke, Keri Russell and Gary Oldman, this is a sequel which truly expands on the first film in all of the best ways. Listen to our review and hear our thoughts on how we think this film has held up over the years and how it fits in with the rest of the trilogy.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, GooglePlay, Tunein, Player FM, 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.