By Matt Neglia 

​2020 started off with a historic moment when "Parasite" won the Oscar for Best Picture and then COVID-19 happened, shutting down movie theaters across the country. As a result, the movies we have received in 2020 have mostly been independents that were going straight to VOD, smaller movies that the studios were willing to release to streaming or the usual studio-fare we get during the January-March time period (which is traditionally the weakest quarter of the year in terms of quality). Despite all of this, the NBP Team managed to compile all of their Top 10 lists into one mega Top 20 list for the best films of 2020 so far as we enter into the second half and hopefully, theaters will eventually re-open.

By Michael Schwartz 

​We are not throwing away our shot! To commemorate five years of "Hamilton" on Broadway, the NBT team examines Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s masterpiece and the impact it has had on the world since 2015. We also build anticipation ahead of the Disney+ filmed recording, which drops on July 3. Join us to celebrate the brilliance of "Hamilton" and come to remember just how important it is to the theatre community. Joining me for this episode we have Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer, Casey Lee Clark, Cody Dericks & Lauren LaMagna.

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 Nicole Ackman 

​Last year’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and “Elisa & Marcela” are two examples of period dramas that feature two women in love. In past years, there has been a growing number of period films that depict lesbian relationships, some more explicitly than others. Of course, we’ve seen this in films for many years, notably in “The Color Purple” (1985) (though Celie and Shug’s relationship is toned down from the novel the film is based on). Period television shows have also portrayed lesbian relationships; from the BBC’s 2002 miniseries, “Tipping the Velvet,” to the recent hit “Gentleman Jack”. But the popularity of films like “Carol” (2015) and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” have made it abundantly clear that there seem to be more period films that center around a lesbian relationship that make it into the mainstream conversation than any other genre.

By Daniel Howat 
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced more changes today. Agents referred to as “artists representatives” by the Academy, have been granted the right to vote for the Oscars. While this is likely to cause plenty of debate within the film community, agents have lobbied for voting privileges for years. This change comes just days ahead of an expected announcement of this year’s new members.

By Melody Lee 

In a memo released today to the Sundance community, director Tabitha Jackson detailed potential plans for the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. These plans include an online platform and holding the festival in multiple cities. The festival, traditionally held in late January, is known for its indie film selection. In the past, films such as "Call Me By Your Name", "Mudbound", “Eighth  Grade”, "The Last Black Man In San Francisco" & “The Farewell” have premiered at Sundance and gone on to become Oscar contenders.

By Cody Dericks 
 
As the events of the past month have shown all of us, the struggle for equality in America is far from over. And in this month of Pride, rather than the outright celebration that’s often found in many American cities, I think this is a time that could instead be a period of introspection for the queer community; learning and engaging with both our history and our current moment. In that spirit, I’ve compiled a list of politically-minded queer films that encompass what I believe would be helpful to explore at this moment. Some of these films are outwardly political in their stories, while some challenge the status quo just by nature of whom and what they depict. I wanted to focus more on films that are slightly outside of the conversation, so although you won’t find films like “Carol” or “Moonlight” on here they are still worth watching, especially this time of year.

By Matt Neglia 

For our 200th episode, I am joined by Michael Schwartz, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, Tom O'Brien and the newest member of Next Best Picture, Kaiya Shunyata. Kaiya's announcement isn't the only major announcement we have on the podcast. We reflect on 200 episodes worth of memories, listen to special shout outs from our fans, answer their questions, discuss the latest developments in awards season, recap the first half of 2020, pay tribute to Pride Month, go over the polls, and give reactions to the trailers for "Ava" and "Greenland." It's a big episode and we want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed over the years to make the show what it is today! 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, I am joined by Dan Bayer & Daniel Howat. For this week, we're reviewing the second narrative feature film from writer/director Jon Stewart, "Irresistible" starring Steve Carell, Chris Cooper, Rose Byrne & Mackenzie Davis. Originally meant for a theatrical release but pushed to digital VOD due to COVID-19, how does the satirical political comedy fare in such tumultuous times? Listen below 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 Melody Lee 

Christina Hodson, who wrote “Bumblebee” and “Birds of Prey”, has been announced to pen a new "Pirates of the Caribbean" film for Disney. Margot Robbie, who previously worked with Hodson on “Birds of Prey”, will lead the film, which is described to be a “wholly original story with new characters under the Pirates moniker” according to THR.

By Agambir Bajwa 
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While being under lockdown, some of the studios and theater chains have struggled to stay in business. This pandemic has given them a new reality to deal with but has also opened their eyes to see that there needs to be a robust change for the industry to thrive again. This is a six-part breakdown of how the theatrical and Hollywood business model needs to evolve.

By Dan Bayer 

It’s Pride Month! Truthfully, it’s felt like a strange month to be celebrating Pride when so much of the world seems to be on fire. But in terms of our monthly Quarantine Film Festival, it offers an exciting opportunity to tell even more diverse stories and try to glean what lessons we can from them. So come join me on our journey, curated from the Big Three streaming services.​

By Matt Neglia 

The 2014 retrospective continues this week with Morten Tyldum's "The Imitation Game" starring Benedict Cumberbatch & Keira Knightley. Based on the life of Alan Turing, this movie was critically acclaimed upon its release, receiving 8 Oscar nominations and one win for Best Adapted Screenplay. However, the years have not been kind to the historically inaccurate biopic. Tune in below to find out why. Joining me for this intense podcast review I have Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer, Josh Parham, Ryan C. Showers & Patreon guest Roxanne Danis. Also be sure to check out our other 2014 reviews of "Selma," "Ida," "Foxcatcher," "The Grand Budapest Hotel," "Wild", "Inherent Vice" & "Whiplash."
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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.
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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 Dan Bayer 

Happy Pride, everyone! In honor of Pride Month 2020, the Next Best Theater team decided to talk about the history of LGBTQ+ representation on stage, starting with a brief historical overview and then talking about seven plays and musicals that marked a major moment for queer characters. The theater world still has a long ways to go in terms of equal representation for all minorities, but in the spirit of the season, let's celebrate what strides have been made by looking at what has gotten us here. Come join us on our journey and be sure to let us know your favorite queer plays, musicals, characters, and writers in the comments and on Twitter! Joining me for this episode we have Cody Dericks, Nicole Ackman, Michael Schwartz, Casey Lee Clark & 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 Melody Lee 

​The 45th Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) will be unlike any other: due to COVID-19, the film festival will adjust with socially distanced screenings, drive-ins, and a digital platform. These digital screenings will allow for journalists and audiences unable to travel to Toronto to connect with the festival.

​By Josh Parham ​

June is usually a joyous time for many people because it marks Pride Month. It’s meant to be a time to empower LGBTQ+ voices and experiences around the world. It’s a time for somber reflection of the hard-fought battles of the past and a recognition of the groundwork that still has yet to be laid for future accomplishments. However, at the core, it’s a moment of celebration for a community that continues to face so much hardship. In the past, it was meant to signal a joyous occasion. This year, sadly, the start of Pride Month was marked by tragedy. Not only has the global pandemic forced many events to be canceled – activities used to create safe spaces to create communal connections – but a cry against racial injustices at the hands of an overzealous police force has resulted in sizable protests. It can be easy to think that there’s no room to mark this usual time, when in reality, it’s now more important than ever. After all, the entire birth of the gay rights movement as it’s known today is because of the perilous work by Black trans activists; often ignored in the past, but fortunately are slowly gaining the recognition they long fought for.

By Bianca Garner  

​“See, there's a catch, Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy.” This is the reply from Dr. "Doc" Daneeka (Jack Gilford) to Alan Arkin’s Captain John Yossarian when he asks whether he can be declared crazy in order to be grounded. Yossarian, along with his buddies Captain Orr (Bob Balaban), Lt. Nately (Art Garfunkel), and Lt. Dobbs (Martin Sheen), have flown countless missions with their commanding officer, Colonel Cathcart (Martin Balsam), continually increasing the number of missions they must perform before they can be switched out. Naturally, this all begins to take its toll, not just on Yossarian, but on his fellow squadron members. They don’t have to be crazy to fly, but it certainly helps.

By Tom O'Brien 
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There's been some speculation on Film Twitter that this year's potential Emmy nominees for Outstanding Television Movie are somewhat lesser because the star power in the Outstanding Limited Series category is so much stronger. Baloney! How can you turn up your nose at the likes of Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney (twice!), Aaron Paul, Daniel Radcliffe, Jon Hamm, Viola Davis, Willem Dafoe, and Dolly Parton? We've got a real race here.

Logic would have it that the contest is between HBO's "Bad Education" and AMC's "El Camino," but this category contains a number of sleeper candidates that can easily snatch the crown away, particularly in a crazy year where Emmy voters are cooped up at home and have time to see many more films than just the presumed favorites. Let's meet the top ten contenders and rank their chances of getting that coveted Emmy nomination.

By Matt Neglia 

For Episode 199, I am joined by Amanda Spears, Dan Bayer & guests Kaiya Shunyata & Ryan McQuade. Not soon after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced that they were reverting back to 10 Best Picture nominees in 2021, they also announced a date change and an extended eligibility window. We discuss this major shift in the Awards Season, other various news in the industry this week, go over the polls, give our reactions to the trailers for "Palm Springs," "The Nest" & "The Rental," 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 Lauren LaMagna ​
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Today is Father’s Day. A day that celebrates fathers of all kinds. For some, you might want to celebrate the day with dad’s favorite movie or watch a movie that makes you think of the fatherly figure in your life. But like many things in cinema, time has allowed great change to happen. When it comes to representation, up until recently, cinema was only depicting one type of father: the constantly working, strict, authoritative figure. And even though we had great portrayals of these fathers, it is apparent that there are other types of parental figures out in the world. But as time moves forward and different voices get to tell their stories, the father character has evolved into a beautiful spectrum to represent more than just one type of father.

By Matt Neglia 

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and guests Sarah Williams & Kaiya Shunyata. For this week, we're taking a break from new releases and reviewing a movie that slipped through the cracks in our podcast schedule last year. A movie with a passionate fanbase. A movie that is getting added to the Criterion Collection in a few days. A movie that is a perfect representation for Pride Month. We are of course talking about Céline Sciamma's breathtaking "Portrait Of A Lady On Fire" starring Noémie Merlant & Adèle Haenel. This podcast is long overdue and there is plenty to talk about, so don't waste any time, click below and listen to our thoughts on one of 2019's best.

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 Bianca Garner  

If you were to ask any cinematographer what the most challenging space to film in, they will probably answer, one that is tightly confined and restricts movement. You won’t find a more restrictive space to film than an actual airplane cockpit. Cinematography is a fundamental aspect of filmmaking, it is how we see the world in which the story takes place in. How does a cinematographer successfully manage to capture a story and a world where the action is confined to a few feet, and not sacrifice on the beautiful art form that is cinematography?

By Amanda Spears

​​With the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ continued effort to expand the diversity of their membership, they have decided once again to have ten nominees for Best Picture; dropping the rolling scale based on number one votes. What would have been the 10th, and in some cases, the ninth or 10th films nominated? Would it have led to a more diverse set of nominees or just more of the same?

By Melody Lee 

​After six years in the development process, Jamie Foxx recently announced that his Mike Tyson biopic is happening. This news was first announced in 2014, with Terrence Winter ("The Wolf of Wall Street") as the screenwriter and Martin Scorsese in talks to direct. It is unknown if Winter will still be writing the film, and Scorsese is likely busy with other projects. On Mark Birnbaum’s Instagram Live series Catching Up, Foxx said that the biopic was officially moving forward.

By Michael Schwartz 

After a well-deserved writing win at the 2019 Emmys, the buzz around HBO’s “Succession” seemed to hit a fever pitch – and that was just for the first season. As the darkly funny family drama entered season two last year, it miraculously avoided the notorious sophomore slump. Instead, “Succession” became a deeper show, exploring the complexities and intricates of the fictional Roy family and their media empire. Through razor-sharp writing and performances, “Succession” has developed into a series that takes us into the lives of the rich and famous while simultaneously scrutinizing them. It’s a piece of riveting theatre and the type of show that builds momentum as it moves along. A series win does not seem outside the realm of possibility.

By Melody Lee 

Kristen Stewart has been cast to play Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s new film “Spencer”. Larraín previously directed the 2016 acclaimed film “Jackie”, where Natalie Portman starrred as Jackie Onassis. According to Deadline, the film will take place over one weekend in the early ‘90s where Diana made a critical decision regarding her marriage to Prince Charles. The film was written by Steven Knight, who previously wrote 2013’s “Locke”.