By Matt Neglia 

The Telluride Film Festival kicked off today with the premiere of "The Old Man And The Gun" starring Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck and directed by David Lowery ("A Ghost Story").

Click below to see the reactions.

By Will Mavity 

Throughout the past six months, arguably no film has generated more hype than Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born.” Although Cooper is untested behind the camera, early word on the project is excellent. The film's test screenings from earlier in the year received acclaim suggesting that the film could be an across the board Oscar contender. Robert De Niro went wild for the project and Steven Spielberg loved it so much, Cooper was able to convince him to give him the rights to a Leonard Bernstein biopic. And now, after receiving positive reviews following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival people are looking at this one as a major Oscar contender…so long as it avoids controversy. 

That controversy could suddenly appear this fall in the form of a name almost nobody has mentioned in Hollywood in a decade: the self-described “Trump of Hollywood,” Jon Peters, a figure who disappeared from Hollywood into a “self-imposed exile” following a turbulent run as a studio exec and a 2011 sexual harassment lawsuit.

By Matt Neglia 

After yesterday's reactions for "The Favourite" and "Roma," the 2018 Venice Film Festival came back for a big third day with some greatly anticipated premieres including Bradley Cooper's take on "A Star Is Born," the lost Orson Welles film "The Other Side Of The Wind" and the Coen Brothers' Netflix western anthology titled "The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs."
​
What were the reactions?

By Edward Douglas

​For five years, Victor Levin was a producer on the hit sitcom “Mad About You,” which famously documented the relationship of a slightly dysfunctional married couple, played by Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt. The couple in Levin’s new movie “Destination Wedding” aren’t married, but they’re also much more dysfunctional as they find themselves stuck together at a destination wedding in California wine country, Paso Robles to be exact.

Keanu Reeves plays Frank, brother to the groom, who encounters Winona Ryder’s Lindsay, the groom’s ex, at the airport on the way to the wedding of the title. Unfortunately, they don’t get along and Frank’s brother has decided to stick them together from having adjoining hotel rooms to sitting at the same table. As they realize that they have more in common with each other than anyone else at the wedding, they go off exploring on their own, getting into all sorts of trouble.

Fans of ‘80s movies will be well aware of Reeves and Ryder’s work and might even remember them together in Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” from 1992.  In “Destination Wedding,” they share just about every scene, delivering Levin’s snarky barbs at each other with a deadpan wit that should greatly appeal to anyone cynical about romance and life in general.

By Daniel Howat 

​It’s been a remarkable summer for film. Many, including our friends over at InSessionFilm, have been calling this one of the best summers for movies in a very long time. Some blockbusters have exceeded expectations. Two long-running franchises saw new entries hailed as the best of their series. Documentaries found great success with multiple acclaimed releases. From Sundance hits, potential Oscar contenders and so much more, Summer 2018 gave something for everyone.

​Check out Top 10 Films of Summer 2018 voted on by the staff of Next Best Picture.​

By Josh Williams 

The medium of film is ever evolving as it shifts and discovers new territory for artists to work within. Whether it be the definition of what makes a film a specific genre or even discovering some new approach to the technical side of filmmaking and utilizing that for their stories, constantly looking for new ways to tell a story is in the blood of all filmmakers. With the release of this weekend's "Searching," we will be specifically taking a look at how the genre of found footage is starting to pivot in terms of how these films are being executed. But before we can see where something is headed, we should always take a look at where it began.

By Matt Neglia 

Another day at Venice and the anticipated Oscar contenders keep coming through. After yesterday's world premiere of Damien Chazelle's "First Man," audiences were treated to the new Yorgos Lanthimos film "The Favourite" and the black and white historical drama from Academy Award winning director Alfonso Cuarón titled "Roma."

How did everyone react to their world premieres at Venice?

By Matt Neglia 

As we continue to receive more word on films premiering at Venice, the Telluride Film Festival, which serves as another Oscar launching from the fall film festivals, has revealed its official lineup.

Click below to see the films coming to this year's festival.

By Matt Neglia 

The Next Best Series Podcast is back to finish reviewing HBO's "Sharp Objects" with episodes 5-8. Previously myself, Michael Schwartz & Ryan C. Showers gave our initial thoughts on HBO's new miniseries and as the show went on it gained some more fans over here at Next Best Picture who join us for this episode including: Jacey Aldredge, Kt Schaefer and the returning De Ann!! So now, after the entire show has wrapped up, what do we all think?

This is a preview of the podcast which we have uploaded for everyone to enjoy. The full version of the review is for our Patreon members only which you can subscribe to for at a minimum $1 a month in order to get this and other exclusive podcast content.

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, CastBox, Acast, or you can have a listen down below.

By Matt Neglia 

Nearly 50 years ago, Neil Armstrong landed on the moon and now Damien Chazelle's much anticipated follow up to his Oscar winning films "Whiplash" and "La La Land" has landed at the 2018 Venice Film Festival and the reactions are strong, signaling that this could be a major Oscar contender for the still unbelievably talented and young Oscar winning director.

By Matt Neglia 

Pippin - "It's so quiet.."
Gandalf - "It's the deep breath before the plunge."

​​And that's exactly where we are right now. It's been a long 6 months since the 90th Academy Awards ceremony and the next 6 are about to be even longer for it all begins again tomorrow: phase one of the 2018 Oscar season.

By Tom O'Brien 

​Welcome to the fourth in our NBP series of the 10 best early Oscar contenders in each of the four acting categories. For the first two weeks, we have looked at the early contenders in the Supporting categories before the fall film festivals kick into high gear, and last week we turned our attention to the hot Best Actress race. This week, we turn our eagle eye to the most likely contenders for the Oscar as Best Actor.

​Just to address this week's rumor mill, Kris Tapley of Variety sent a tweet that intimated that Clint Eastwood may jump into this race at the last minute for his performance in his latest film "The Mule," in which he portrays a real-life 90-year-old horticulturalist who moonlights as a drug smuggler for a Mexican cartel. Eastwood has a history of last-minute Oscar bids -- in 2004, "Million Dollar Baby" came out of nowhere at the last second to be eligible and wound up with a Best Picture win, as well as two major acting awards.  Without subsequent confirmation, however, I'm leaving him off this list for now. But keep your eye on Clint. He's a wily one.

At this moment, here are the 10 men who, as we see it, stand the best chance of hearing their name on nomination morning. Click below to see the top contenders in alphabetical order.

By Matt Neglia 

For our first podcast of the "Last Best Picture" series of reviews, we reviewed "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," then we reviewed "Lawrence Of Arabia" and last month we reviewed "Casablanca." Now, to wrap up the summer of 2018, we are reviewing Jonathan Demme's 1991 masterpiece, "The Silence Of The Lambs" starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. Joining me for this fan voted podcast is Celia Schlekewey, Danilo Castro, Josh Williams and one of our very own Patreon supporters: Hannah Lorence. The next fan voted podcast review for September will be announced this Sunday on Episode 106 of the podcast and 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 on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, CastBox, Acast, or you can have a listen down below.

By Ryan C. Showers 

Phase one of the awards season, aka. the festival circuit, is almost upon us.

In this pre-phase one time, uncertainty is the one constant. Though Oscar-qualifying films have been released all year long, the reality is, the majority of the high-profile movies that will compete during award season have not been released yet; most of the contenders will be seen at Venice, New York, Telluride, and Toronto over the next month, before being released to the public nationwide in the fall. This makes the process of predicting awards nearly impossible until well into phase one. Most Oscar predicting before that relies on a speculation. Some of the biggest sources of speculation come in trying to predict in which acting categories – lead or supporting – particular performances will be campaigned.​

By Matt Neglia 

"Searching" is one of the most thrilling and creative films of the year precisely because it tells its entire story through the use of various technological screens. In one of the more unique interviews we have ever conducted here, I had the pleasure to talk with the editors behind the film, Nick Johnson and Will Merrick. We discuss how they met writer/director Aneesh Chaganty, the techniques they used to edit the film, the long timeline until completion, their influences for the project and more!

"Searching" is currently playing in limited release and will go wide from Screen Gems on August 31st.

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, CastBox, Acast, or you can have a listen down below. Also be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive exclusive podcast content.

By Beatrice Loayza 

With a 25 year-old trench between “Joy Luck Club” (1993) and “Crazy Rich Asians,” Hollywood isn’t what you’d call “good” about on-screen representation, much less funding movies with an all Asian or Asian-American cast (though there are a handful of exceptional breakthroughs such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Harold & Kumar” that break with this norm). 

That’s not to say there’s a drought of Asian cinema-- not in the least. From South Korea to Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, several contemporary Asian filmmakers and films have been celebrated and beloved by international audiences and recognized beyond the Oscars and outside of America at Cannes, Berlin, and Locarno, as well as in homegrown awards such as Taiwan’s Golden Horse and South Korea’s Blue Dragon.

​With the recent Hollywood release of John Chu's "Crazy Rich Asians" and the soon to be wide released "Searching" (starring John Cho), this far from exhaustive list takes a look at some of the most important Asian productions of the past 25 years that might be of interest to Academy Award followers and Hollywood film buffs unfamiliar with the wealth of excellent cinema for all tastes and sensibilities an ocean away.

By Matt Neglia
​
For Episode 105, I am joined by Will Mavity, Michael Schwartz, Kt Schaefer & for the first time ever, Tom O'Brien. Together we prepare for phase one of the Oscar Season (The fall film festivals, which start this Wednesday with Venice), talk about the polls and give our reactions to the trailer for Netflix's "Outlaw King."

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, CastBox, Acast, or you can have a listen down below. Also be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive exclusive podcast content.

By Matt Neglia 

Our review this week on the podcast is the Sundance hit thriller told exclusively through screens, "Searching" starring John Cho. Opening in limited release this weekend with a wide release scheduled for next weekend, the team over at Next Best Picture could not wait to talk about this one. Please listen to myself, Beatrice Loayza, Kt Schaefer & Celia Schlekewey review the film to find out our thoughts on director/writer Aneesh Chaganty's debut film. ​

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM & CastBox or you can have a listen down below. Also be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

By Danilo Castro 

There are few comedians today that are capable of dominating a scene like Melissa McCarthy. Like her childhood idol Carol Burnett, McCarthy is capable of making even the most outlandish and aggressive behavior fun to watch. From stealing someone’s identity to stealing puppies at a bridal shower, she specializes in characters who wear their eccentricities like badges of honor, and who won’t hesitate to shove them down your throat if you give her a sideways glance.

This spirited aggression has allowed McCarthy to become one of the busiest actors of the decade. She’s headlined seven blockbuster comedies in the past five years, not to mention another four in which she’s had memorable supporting roles. McCarthy’s latest, “The Happytime Murders,” is now in theaters, and to commemorate its release, we’ve decided to rank her biggest films from worst to best.

By Tom O'Brien 

Welcome to the third in our NBP series of the 10 best early Oscar contenders in each of the four acting categories. For the past two weeks, we have looked at the early contenders in the Supporting categories before the fall film festivals kick into high gear. This week, we turn our attention to the most likely contenders for Best Actress.

​Just to address the rumor mill, there has been online speculation that two women whom we had listed as supporting contenders -- Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney in "Backseat" and Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in "The Favourite" -- might be pushed up to lead. Personally, I think it would be foolish for Adams to go lead because the best argument she has going for her is that a nomination this year would be her 6th without a win and that she's way overdue. However, going lead would likely put her up against Glenn Close ("The Wife"), for whom a nomination would be her 7th without a win -- even more overdue. As for Colman, she will be formidable wherever she's placed. So I'm leaving them both in supporting for now.

At this moment, here are the 10 women who, as we see it, stand the best chance of hearing their name on nomination morning. Click below to see the top contenders in alphabetical order.

By Josh Parham 

Shocked.

​That's how everyone felt after it was just recently announced that Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire"), who had previously been hired to direct the forthcoming 007 film, had left the project. According to a statement on the James Bond Twitter page, Boyle parted ways with Michael G. Wilson and Barbra Broccoli, the two main producers of the Bond films, as well as star Daniel Craig, due to “creative differences.” Such an announcement is unprecedented in the history of the series, especially with a shooting schedule that was supposed to commence in a matter of months. Now the wild speculation begins as to who could possibly take the reins of this film. These are some options that I would personally like to see considered.

By Will Mavity 

Earlier this year, we put up a poll for you all to select sources of material that could be potential contenders for Best Adapted Screenplay this year. The top 3 choices were Boy Erased (previously reviewed here), First Man (upcoming) and now our latest review of "Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction" by David Sheff. These are all going to have their source material examined by us on the show with an in depth discussion into the work's themes, characters and our predictions as to how it will all translate to the screen. These podcast episodes are exclusive to our Patreon subscribers but we have included a preview of the latest episode after the jump. For the small price of $1 a month, you can get the full episode, so be sure to subscribe here.

For the second episode of Next Best Adaptation myself, Kt Schaefer, Nicole Ackman and Dan Bayer all read David Sheff's story "Beautiful Boy" which will premiere at TIFF in a few days and be released by Amazon Studios on October 12th. The adaptation is being directed by Felix Van Groeningen ("The Broken Circle Breakdown") who also co-wrote the adaptation with Luke Davies ("Lion") and stars Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet as David Sheff and his son Nic Sheff respectively.

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM & CastBox. Also be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive exclusive podcast content.

By Matt Neglia
​
For Episode 104, I am joined by Will Mavity, Ryan C. Showers, Kt Schaefer & Josh Parham. Together we continue our discussion from Episode 103 about the Academy's newest Oscar category: Best Popular Film. We also discuss the polls, answer your fan questions and give our reactions to the trailers for "Roma" and "Green Book."

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. Also be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive exclusive podcast content.

By Matt Neglia 

Our review this week on the podcast is the all Asian starring film "Crazy Rich Asians" starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and a lot more! It's been hailed as a groundbreaking film for Asian representation on screen with endorsement from a major Hollywood studio but what did the NBP team think of it and its Oscar chances? Listen to myself, Beatrice Loayza and Josh Parham review the film to find out.

Thank you and please feel free to subscribe to the Next Best Picture Podcast on either ​SoundCloud, Tunein, GooglePlay, iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM & CastBox or you can have a listen down below. Also be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

By Edward Douglas

​Jesse Peretz has come a long way since his early days playing bass for Boston band the Lemonheads, who he continued to work with, directing their music videos before moving over to filmmaking with “The Chateau” in 2001, starring Paul Rudd and Romany Malco. Both actors would go on to  star in Judd Apatow’s directorial debut “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” There’s a great story that Peretz shares in our interview below.

After a few other movies, Peretz moved onto directing for television at just the right time when the medium was taking off, being behind the camera for such shows as “Nurse Jackie,” “Girls,” “New Girl” and most recently, the Netflix series “GLOW.”  Peretz was even nominated for an Emmy for directing the pilot of the latter, as well as directing the final episode of Season 2.

Peretz has returned to the movies for “Juliet, Naked,” an adaptation of Nick Hornby's 2009 novel about a British woman from a small seaside town whose frustration with her marriage leads to a friendship with an American rock star.  Rose Byrne plays Annie, whose husband Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) is a devout fan of alternative rocker Tucker Crowe, who vanished from the public eye after a gig twenty years earlier. When Duncan sleeps with a co-worker, Annie kicks him out of the house, but at the same time, she has been Emailing with Tucker (played by Ethan Hawke) who reemerged after reading a negative review Annie left on Duncan’s Tucker Crowe website (out of spite). The results are what might be one of the funniest rom-coms of the year which mixes Horby’s sensibilities with those of Peretz (and his sister Eugenia, who co-wrote the script), as well as producer Judd Apatow and of course, the three actors.

When I sat down with Peretz for the following interview, maybe it was apropos that our conversation began and ended with some talk about the Netflix series “GLOW,” the second season ending with the “GLOW girls” heading to Vegas to continue their wrestling show there.