By Will Mavity 

​​One of the most notable aspects of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise (And one of the key aspects in keeping it fresh) is that it has boasted an ever-revolving door of directors. Brian DePalma was the perfect start for the franchise, bringing his paranoid conspiracy mentality to the universe. John Woo introduced the world to the franchise’s amazing motorcycle chases and bombarded us with his excellent shoot-outs. J.J. Abrams made…a J.J. Abrams movie and introduced us to priceless supporting characters like Simon Pegg’s Benji. Brad Bird brought a much-needed brevity to the proceedings and upped the ante for the series’ larger than life action sequences. And finally, there's Christopher McQuarrie, who took the action somewhere even better. The point is, going into a "Mission: Impossible" movie, audiences can always expect something different than the last run through. There are different editors, different composers, different DPs, and sometimes, different actors. And that is one of the great selling points of a franchise which otherwise delivers the same concept of “Ethan Hunt saves the world” over and over again. This is how it avoids becoming tired. Which means that although McQuarrie returned to direct a second film in the franchise, he will likely not be back for a third.

So…with the newest film earning series-high reviews and roping in a healthy box office, it won’t be long before we see the series’ next installment. And with it, a new director who will bring his or her own unique vision for the franchise. 

By Michael Schwartz 

For the first time ever, Next Best Theatre is proud to give you an episode that is not solely focused on the Tony Awards but instead on relevant news inside the world of theatre arts and we take a look back at the 2003 Tony Award winning Musical "Avenue Q" which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. We do all of with our traditional team of myself, Dan Bayer and Nicole Ackman and the newest member of the Next Best Theatre team: Cody Dericks.

As always we appreciate your feedback as we continue to expand this exciting section of the Next Best Picture family. 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 

Our Patreon Podcast series for "Last Best Picture" continues with a new month and a new poll of 10 randomly selected Best Picture Winners/Nominees for you to choose from. The winner of which will be reviewed on the podcast in September 2018. Stay tuned for August's winner ("The Silence Of The Lambs") which will go up later this month and you can now listen to July's winner "Casablanca."

Head on over to the polls page to vote and take a look at the new films below. Voting ends August 31st 2018.

By Will Mavity 

​2018 is packed with feature directorial debuts by actors. Idris Elba, Rupert Everett, and Paul Dano premiered their directorial debuts at Sundance. Heather Graham quietly released hers in February. John Krasinski may not have debuted with “A Quiet Place,” but his second film certainly brought him into the public eye as a director. Amber Tamblyn also dropped one in May. And before the year is up, we have Jonah Hill’s “Mid90s” and Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born” coming down the pipeline. 

Actors stepping behind the camera is not exactly a new phenomenon. Some, like Ron Howard, Warren Beatty, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner, Woody Allen, and Mel Gibson proved so successful at directing that they would win Oscars. Others, like Eddie Murphy, Ryan Gosling, Steven Seagal, William Shatner, Ewan McGregor, and Nicolas Cage are best left forgotten. And then the majority lands somewhere in between - competent, but not game-changing, such as Sean Penn, Jodie Foster, Don Cheadle, Dustin Hoffman, Joseph-Gordon Levitt and plenty more. 

With so many recent success stories of actors-turned-directors peppering the headlines (Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig just got Oscar nominations on their debut films), it is not surprising that more and more respected actors would want to try their own hands behind the camera. 

As such, here are the 10 most exciting upcoming directorial debuts by actors.

By Matt Neglia 

For our first podcast review on "Last Best Picture" we reviewed "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," then we reviewed "Lawrence Of Arabia." Now, for the month of July, the winner of our poll for the next Best Picture Winner/Nominee for us to review was 1942's "Casablanca." It is a classic, timeless film which Michael Schwartz and I were so happy to revisit and talk about on the podcast. The next fan voted podcast review for August has been announced as "The Silence Of The Lambs" while a new batch of choices can be voted on here until the end of the month of August.

This is a preview of the podcast which is an exclusive to our Patreon members. For the small price of $1 a month, you can get the full episode and more exclusive podcast content, so be sure to subscribe here.

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM & CastBox.

By Matt Neglia
​
For Episode 101, we introduce a new team member, Celia Schlekewey. Along with myself, Will Mavity & Michael Schwartz, the four of us talk about this weeks fall film festival announcements for the lineups for Venice, Toronto (TIFF) and what this means for Telluride and NYFF. We also discuss the recent troubles of MoviePass, the polls and the trailers for Mike Leigh's new film "Peterloo" and the directorial debut of Jonah Hill, "Mid90s."

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 

Our review this week on the podcast is the next (And best?) installment in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise titled "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" starring Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and directed/written by Christopher McQuarrie (Director of "Rogue Nation" & writer for "Edge Of Tomorrow"). Joining me for this action-packed review is Danilo Castro & Daniel Howat.

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM & CastBox.

​By Will Mavity 

​Disney has announced the full cast for J.J. Abrams’ upcoming “Star Wars: Episode IX.” The main cast from “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi” are returning, along with series veterans, Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), and Mark Hammil (Luke Skywalker). 

By Jacey Aldredge 

I previously told everyone about my first hand account from this year's San Diego Comic-Con here. Now, I am going to get you all caught up on the other interesting bits of information, trailers and pieces of entertainment which were dropped last week. This year’s Comic-Con felt a little underwhelming compared to past years, with the elephant in the room being the absence of big-hitting panels from Marvel, HBO, Netflix, and LucasFilm; however, this did allow for studio competitors Warner Bros. and DC to take center stage, and they did not disappoint.

By Danilo Castro 

​Like its daredevil star, the “Mission: Impossible” franchise continues to defy the odds. What started out as a reboot of the campy 1960s TV series has since evolved into one of the most kinetic and consistently exciting franchises in recent memory. Where “Mission: Impossible” differs from the MCU and other competing blockbusters, however, is its emphasis on variety. Success, both critically and commercially, often hinges on the creativity that each director brings to their respective installment.

Whether indulging in the psychodrama of Brian De Palma, the glossy excess of John Woo, or the cartoonish sensibilities of Brad Bird, the franchise is constantly reinventing and refining its own wheel. And given the ecstatic reviews for the latest installment, “Mission: Impossible - Fallout,” it looks like that wheel will keep right on spinning.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to check out our ranking of the “Mission: Impossible” films from worst to best. Be sure to leave your comments below and let us know how your rankings compare! 

Nothing will self-destruct, we promise.

​By Celia Schlekewey 

Timothée Chalamet broke many hearts during last year’s Oscar season. He tugged at our collective heartstrings when he portrayed Elio in "Call Me By Your Name." It was touching film about first love and also Chalamet’s first leading role in a mainstream film. Then, when he became the youngest Best Actor nominee in 80 years, he hurt audiences again, when his masterful performance went unawarded. However, at his age, a nod is nothing to sneeze at. This weekend, Chalamet’s follow-up hits theaters in the form of "Hot Summer Nights" - a darker kind of coming-of-age story set before a backdrop of an impending hurricane. He has some big shoes to fill, with expectations high. Knowing this, let’s take a look at 10 other actors who also received some Oscar love early in their career and see how they chose to return to the big screen - and where they have gone since.

By Will Mavity 

Yet another installment in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise opens this week. Coming up on 22 years running, the franchise has proven itself one of the most reliable action franchises in Hollywood, netting more than $2.7 billion at the worldwide box office. With 6 films under its belt, many argue that the series is one of the rare ones to improve with time. While the first film only landed in the mid 60’s on Rotten Tomatoes, 2011’s “Ghost Protocol” and 2015’s “Rogue Nation” both ended up in the 90s. However, all five films in the franchise have never been recognized by the Academy with a single Oscar nomination in any category. Perhaps the time has finally come for Academy voters to recognize the "Mission: Impossible" franchise with its latest (And many say best) film to date: "Mission: Impossible - Fallout."​

By Will Mavity 

​Netflix has been in the news a lot lately with reports of tumbling stocks. Many are blaming the company’s lackluster output of original content. Netflix Originals such as “Bright” and “Mute” underwhelmed critically and the less said about “The Cloverfield Paradox,” the better. However, even the well-reviewed Netflix Originals often seem to come and go with little fanfare, being buried alongside the streaming service’s many low budget zombie films and Adam Sandler comedies. 

In addition, after failing to adequately campaign “Beasts Of No Nation” enough to even snag Idris Elba an Oscar nomination and subsequently proving unable to secure a Best Picture Nomination for “Mudbound” last year, despite a large campaign and strong reviews, many have written off any film with Netflix attached as a potential Oscar contender. What people don’t seem to notice is that Netflix seems to be changing. Last year, the company hired veteran Producer, Scott Stuber (Formerly an executive at Universal) to oversee its burgeoning film department. The company also quietly started hiring A-List directors to helm feature projects including Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuaron, Joel and Ethan Coen, Paul Greengrass, J.C Chandor, and John Lee Hancock.

By Will Mavity 

Peter Albrechtsen is a sound designer and sound re-recording mixer for many films both with features and documentaries including last year's Oscar winning film "Dunkirk," "Thelma," 2009's "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," "Antichrist" and more. In this interview he talks about the nature of his work, his work on Lauren Greenfield's new documentary "Generation Wealth" and more. For anyone interested in the art of sound, this one is a real treat.

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 official lineup for the 75th Venice Film Festival has been announced. There are a few world premieres and a few classics being restored as well. The competition jury will be led by last year's winner for the Golden Lion and eventually the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director, Guillermo del Toro ("The Shape Of Water").

Click below to see which films will be coming to the festival this year.