By Josh Tarpley

Labor Day has long been the unofficial start of awards season. The Venice Film Festival has already seen a massive debut, TIFF will start on September 7, and now we have the final piece to our awards festival trifecta: Telluride. The Telluride Film Festival will happen this weekend (September 1-4) and they have announced their full lineup.

Click beyond the jump to see what our main Oscar players will be this year.

By Josh Tarpley

​“The Shape of Water,” the latest fantasy film from Guillermo Del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Crimson Peak”), is making its rounds through the Fall festival circuit, and it sounds to be a major player in this year’s Oscar race. The first trailer hit the web a few weeks ago, cueing audiences into another warped romance that one can only expect from Del Toro.

Will Del Toro join his fellow “Amigos” Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro González Iñárritu and jump into the Oscar race this Fall? Click beyond the jump to see the first reactions to “The Shape of Water.”

By Josh Tarpley

The Venice Film Festival has kicked off our 2017 awards season properly and Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing” is out of the gate first. The film, starring Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig and Christoph Waltz, looks to be the most fantastical project we have seen from the “Sideways” filmmaker. “Downsizing” follows a family as they adopt a promising new lifestyle, save money and the planet by shrinking and living in a smaller world.

Click beyond the jump to see the teaser trailer and first reactions to “Downsizing.”

By Daniel Howat

​In a refreshing change of pace, Ed Skrein ("Deadpool," "Game of Thrones") has dropped out of the upcoming "Hellboy' reboot after facing backlash that his role would be whitewashed. He had recently been cast as a Japanese-American character, although Skrein himself is white.​

By Matt Neglia
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This is it. It's the last episode of "Game Of Thrones" we will receive until at least a year (And some say even 2019). Will Mavity and I are back to review the season finale of Season 7 titled "The Dragon And The Wolf" and it is a jam packed episode (The longest episode of the series at 80 minutes long) so there is a TON to unpack and speculate on as we head into the final season. "The Dragon And The Wolf" was written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss and directed by Jeremy Podeswa.

​Remember that Next Best Series is a podcast exclusive and is a part of Next Best Picture. With your feedback and support, we will look into expanding this area of the site come next year.

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 first trailer for "Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House" starring Liam Neeson as the infamous "Deepthroat" during the Watergate scandal can be viewed below.

Click below to check out the trailer.

By Daniel Howat

​With no significant new releases, the Mayweather-McGregor fight, a hurricane rocking the south, plus the Season 7 Game Of Thrones finale over the weekend, the U.S. Box Office ended up taking a major hit. The top twelve finishers earned a combined $49 million, marking it as the worst weekend in 16 years, according to Box Office Mojo.

Click below to read more about this new development.

By Matt Neglia

For this week on Episode 53 myself and Will Mavity preview the 2017 Oscar Season, answer fan questions live as they come in and discuss the trailer for Richard Linklater's "Last Flag Flying."

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

For this week's main review, I am joined by Matthew Garrell and Mike Vermette. Together, we review the Sundance hit from earlier this year which is expanding to theaters wide, "Ingrid Goes West" starring Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen.

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 Josh Williams

​The summer movie season is always an exciting one. Cinephiles typically receive a small dose of every type of film that there is over the three month period from June to August. From a continuation in their favorite franchises to the "hot out of the festivals" indie film, there is something special about films in the summertime. And since 2017's summer is coming to close, we here at Next Best Picture have decided to take a look through some of the films that were released this summer.​

ByJosh Tarpley

So remember when the nominations for the 88th Academy Awards were being announced and they arrived at the Best Makeup and Hairstyling section? Guillermo Del Toro read the nominations and they were eventual winner “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the chapped lips documentary “The Revenant,” and (drum roll please) “The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared.” Well if you were confused by how an obscure Swedish film was able to break into the Oscar race, CBS Films and Will Ferrell hope to answer that question.

Click beyond the jump to read about the American adaptation of “The 100-Year-Old Man.”

By Matt Neglia

The first trailer for Richard Linklater's new film "Last Flag Flying" starring Steve Carrell, Bryan Cranston & Laurence Fishburne has landed online. Set to make its debut at this year's NYFF, the trailer from Amazon Studios can be viewed below.

Click below to check out the trailer.

By Josh Tarpley

After making a name in Will Ferrell comedies, Adam McKay burst onto the Oscar scene with 2015’s “The Big Short.” The “Anchorman” director picked up a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for the Wall Street drama and now he is moving on to what is just as volatile political subject as the 2008 Financial Crisis: Vice President Dick Cheney. With Christian Bale set to start and the supporting cast filling in, “Backseat” is taking shape as one of 2018’s most anticipated.

Click beyond the jump to read more about “Backseat.”

​By Daniel Howat

​Every year, come the end of December, Oscar season gets a few last minute entries trying to shake up the race. Some are more successful than others. Just last year we saw "Hidden Figures" released on Christmas Day, which snagged multiple nominations including Best Picture. Ben Affleck attempted this as well with "Live By Night," with a limited release in December. He didn't see any nominations though, and received the worst reviews of his directing career. This year, three legends are all racing to the finish line. Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, and Ridley Scott all began filming movies earlier this year, and all plan to rush them to release for awards season.

By Matt Neglia
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Will Mavity and I are back to review an episode of Game Of Thrones which proved to be even more divisive than the week before despite its epic action, moments and extended running time. The penultimate episode of Season 7 is titled "Beyond The Wall." It was written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss and was directed by Alan Taylor.

​Remember that Next Best Series is a podcast exclusive and is a part of Next Best Picture. With your feedback and support, we will look into expanding this area of the site come next year.

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

For this week on Episode 52 myself and Will Mavity recap the 2017 Summer Movie Season and we also talk about the trailers for "Molly's Game," "The Killing Of A Sacred Deer," and "The Florida Project."

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

For this week's main review, I am joined for the first time by a new contributor towards Next Best Picture in Matthew Garrell. Together, we review Steven Soderbergh's latest film "Logan Lucky" starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough and Daniel Craig.

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 Josh Tarpley

From Focus Features and the producers of “Les Misérables,” Saoirse Ronan will start in the upcoming period piece, “Mary, Queen of Scots.” Adapting the true story of Mary Stuart, the 16th century French Queen who returned to Scotland to reclaim that throne, “Mary, Queen of Scots” has some impressive talent behind it and is poised to be one of 2018’s most anticipated.

Click beyond the jump to read more.

By Josh Tarpley

After various release dates and being delayed multiple times, The Weinstein Company’s “Tulip Fever” is set for a wide release this Labor Day. The film stars Alicia Vikander, Christoph Waltz, and Dane Dehaan.

Click beyond the jump to see the trailer and read more about “Tulip Fever.”

By Josh Williams

​​Since his debut in the late 80's, Steven Soderbergh has become one of the most dynamic directors to have ever stepped behind a camera. With a career spanning over two decades, he has directed 25 feature films and every single one of them has been unique in their own way. Soderbergh has traveled across all planes of cinema and even crafted a cinematic language that is uniquely his. He is an artist who is constantly striving to create. He consistently is making films of different calibers, always in search of his magnum opus. Soderbergh is a director that will never be satisfied with what he has made and that is quite possibly his biggest strength.

And since Soderbergh’s most recent film, “Logan Lucky”, is hitting theaters this weekend we here at Next Best Picture decided to take a look at his films and chose our ten favorites. You can read Matt’s review of the film here. But without further ado, here are Next Best Picture's Top Ten Favorite Steven Soderbergh Films!

By JoshTarpley

​Amazon Studios is working hard to solidify their name in film production. After releasing movies like “Manchester By The Sea,” “The Handmaiden,” “The Big Sick” and what seems like all of this Fall’s New York Film Festival, Amazon is continuing to expand their movie producing wings. Working with Ridley Scott as a producer, the company is working on an adaptation of the dark sci-fi book, “The Beast Is An Animal.”

Click beyond the jump to read more.

By Matt Neglia

The first trailer for Yorgos Lanthimos' followup to "The Lobster" called "The Killing Of A Sacred Deer" has landed online starring Collin Farrell and Nicole Kidman.

Click below to check out the trailer.

By Daniel Howat

Writer-Director Robert Eggers and actress Anya Taylor-Joy first paired up with the 2016 breakout hit "The Witch." The two will pair up for yet another horror film with a remake of "Nosferatu," according to Entertainment Weekly. Can they find a unique twist on a classic horror film that is hailed as a masterpiece?

Click down below to read more.

By Matt Neglia
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After last week's epic episode, we now come to what is easily the most divisive "Game Of Thrones" episode yet for Season 7 as  Will Mavity and I review it with skepticism, excitement and bewilderment in some cases. The episode is titled "Eastwatch" and was written by Dave Hill while being directed by the director of last week's episode, Matt Shackman.

​Remember that Next Best Series is a podcast exclusive and is a part of Next Best Picture. With your feedback and support, we will look into expanding this area of the site come next year.

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 first trailer for Academy Award winning writer Aaron Sorkin's debut directorial film "Molly's Game" starring Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba has landed online.

Click below to check out the trailer.