By Matt Neglia 

For Episode 267, I am being joined by Bianca Garner & Dan Bayer. This week, we're discussing various news in Hollywood & Awards Season, including the recently announced sequel for "Dune," the new "House Of Gucci" trailer, more country's selections for Best International Feature, and more! We also go over the polls, give our reactions to the trailers for "The Unforgivable and "Lightyear," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Enjoy and Happy Halloween!

​Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us 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 our main podcast review this weekend, Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer & Danilo Castro are reviewing the latest film from filmmaker Edgar Wright, "Last Night In Soho," starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin McKenzie, Matt Smith, Terence Stamp & Diana Rigg. Traveling back to 1960s London and paying tribute to genre horror films, Wright's passion for cinema is on display as ever, but how does the story come together? What did we think of the performances, soundtrack, and other filmmaking crafts? Tune in down below to find out in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Enjoy!
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Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us 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 Danilo Castro 

There's nobody quite like Edgar Wright. As a technician and a visual storyteller, Wright has cultivated a style resulting in some of the most irreverent and clever comedies of the millennium. He may be second to Quentin Tarantino in terms of cataloging obscure film references, but unlike Tarantino, he invites the audience to laugh at them and share in their inherent silliness.

There's more to Wright than satire, however. He's proven himself to be a master documentarian and a filmmaker who's constantly looking to up the ante in terms of form and aesthetic. "Last Night in Soho" is Wright's latest and most uncharacteristic release. Given the buzz surrounding it, we decided to pull out our collections and determine which Wright films we love most and which ones we'd consider chucking at heads of nearby zombies.

Here is Next Best Picture's ranking of Edgar Wright's films, from worst to best.​..

By Dan Bayer 

"Violet" premiered earlier this year at SXSW and later played at the Toronto International Film Festival. It is now playing in theaters and will be on video on demand on November 9th from Relativity Media. If you have not seen it yet, it's one of the best indie films of the year as we follow a film executive (Olivia Munn) who is constantly battling a voice inside her head (Justin Theroux) telling her she isn't good enough. Director, writer and producer Justine Bateman was kind enough to spend a few minutes chatting with us about where the idea for the film came from, her feelings on the film's themes, people finally getting a chance to see it during the pandemic, and more. Please take a listen down below and enjoy!
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Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us 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 Danilo Castro 

Happy Halloween weekend from Next Best Picture!

The movie remake is a thankless undertaking. There are so many elements working against it, not only in terms of artistry but in the viewer's expectations, that it can often fall apart before it even has a chance to find its own identity. A special talent comes into play when mounting a successful remake, and while there haven't been many to speak of overall, there have been standout examples within the horror genre.

Horror remakes experienced a boom in the 1980s when filmmakers discovered a way to combine the premises of 1950s B-movies with the craft and sophistication these earlier movies weren't afforded. Suddenly a camp yarn about a scientist and a fly became a Kafkaesque tragedy, and a thriller about a snowbound alien became an allegory for disease. Since then, the horror genre has served as an oasis for artists who want to pinpoint a fresh thread within a familiar story. Let's take a look at the ten horror movie remakes we think are the best the genre has to offer.

​By Cameron Lee 

​"Titane" took the Cannes Film Festival by storm this past July when it won the coveted Palme d'Or and became only the second time in history that the top prize went to a female director (the first being Jane Campion for "The Piano"). Since then, the film has gone on to shock and make audiences faint at various festivals and in art house theaters around the globe. With its successful buzz and the recent announcement of France choosing it as their selection for Best International Feature at the Oscars, "Titane" is currently in a relatively good place to do well this awards season. However, many pundits still doubt it will translate with many members of the Academy due to its graphic, disturbing violence and uncompromising vision, which is undoubtedly not for everyone. While these pundits do have a point based on the Academy's past history, there is a case to be made for why "Titane" might surprise everyone come Oscar nomination morning.

By Matt Neglia 
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The 73rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are over, and now we're looking ahead towards a whole new year of television. We have a packed show where we discuss many shows, including the returns of "Succession," "Ted Lasso," "The Morning Show," and new shows such as "Squid Game," "The White Lotus," "Maid," "Only Murders In The Building" and much more! We also discuss the Gotham Award nominations for their Series categories. Joining me for this episode, I have Amanda Spears & guest Joey Gentile. Enjoy!

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 episode along with other exclusive podcast content, so be sure to subscribe here.

Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us 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 Josh Parham 

This is always the busiest time of year for the most dedicated of cinephiles. The fall movie season is in full swing, and with it, the avalanche of film festivals with a wide range of stories to showcase. While places like Telluride, Toronto, and New York get the bulk of the notices, the many regional festivals provide wonderful opportunities to seek out anticipated films in other parts of the country. It's one reason why the Chicago International Film Festival has been such a treasured event, and for the 57th annual event, the offering was no different. Here is a rundown of some of the titles I was able to see. This list isn't representative of all thirty films I saw in a two-week time period but just a small sampling of what I was able to see.

​By Matt Neglia 

Academy Award-nominated editor Joe Walker has worked with director Denis Villeneuve four times now with "Sicario," "Arrival," "Blade Runner 2049," and their latest project, "Dune." Their latest collaboration is their most extensive and trickiest yet, which resulted in a 20-month long post-production process. With multiple characters, new worlds, dream sequences, action set pieces, and more, it was an arduous but creatively rewarding task to adapt Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel to the big screen. Joe was kind enough to spend time with me talking about the process of editing the film, his hopes for "Part Two " (which has now officially been greenlit), whether or not if we'll see an extended cut of "Part One," and more! It's a fascinating and wonderful discussion behind the biggest film of 2021. Enjoy!

Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us 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 
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Disney Pixar have released the trailer for "Lightyear" starring Chris Evans as the voice of the character who inspired the beloved toy we all know from the "Toy Story" films. Annie Award-winning director and veteran Pixar animator Angus MacLane, who co-directed 2016’s "Finding Dory" is directing. The film will come to theaters June 17th, 2022.

​Click below to see the trailer.

By Robert Dougherty 

In the first year where the Best Picture field has expanded back to ten nominees again, it leaves things wide open for a huge big screen spectacle like "Dune" to crash the category. After a big opening weekend and plenty of passionate support, the drumbeat will go on for "Dune" to do more than just sweep below-the-line categories. In the process, it should keep inspiring comparisons to how "Mad Max: Fury Road" was the last fantasy blockbuster to truly threaten in above-the-line categories with director George Miller coming close to a win. However, the real blockbuster comparison for "Dune" isn't with "Mad Max: Fury Road" "Star Wars" or "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy – but rather, with the last sci-fi blockbuster to crash the Oscars in the first year of a ten film nominated Best Picture field. Of course, "Avatar" became a more massive hit in 2009 than "Dune" will surely be in 2021, yet the two share a lot beyond that little difference.

By Matt Neglia 

For our second podcast review this week, I am joined by Nicole Ackman, Daniel Howat & guest Isaac Feldberg to discuss the latest film from Wes Anderson, "The French Dispatch." Starring a large ensemble, which includes Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Jeffrey Wright, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, and a bunch of others, the film is presented as an anthology of separate stories paying tribute to journalism. What did we think of the craft on display, the stories themselves, the performances, where Wes Anderson finds himself at this stage in his career, and the film's Oscar prospects? We discuss all of these points and more in our review, which you can listen to down below. Enjoy!

Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us 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 
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Netflix has released the trailer for "The Unforgivable" starring Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Rob Morgan, Vincent D'Onofrio & Jon Bernthal. Directed by Nora Fingscheidt, the film is scheduled to be released in a limited release on November 24th, 2021, prior to streaming on Netflix on December 10th, 2021.

​Click below to see the trailer.

By Matt Neglia 

The International Documentary Association (IDA) has announced the 37th Annual IDA Documentary Awards shortlists for the Best Feature and Best Short categories. The nominees for all categories will be revealed on Monday, November 15th, 2021. The 2021 awards ceremony will take place Saturday, February 5th, 2022 at Paramount Studios. From the shortlists, up to ten nominees in each of the feature and short documentary categories will be selected. Following the nominees announcement, IDA members will vote for Best Feature and Best Short starting Monday, December 13th, 2021. ​

By Eve O'Dea 
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​This year's Oscar race for Best Director is sure to feature faces both familiar and new to Academy voters. As seen at this past year's various international film festivals, there has been no shortage of highly acclaimed films directed by women worthy of this honor. With Chloé Zhao being only the second female director in Academy history to win (the first being Kathryn Bigelow for "The Hurt Locker" in 2009), and last year being the first time two women had ever been simultaneously nominated, there is hope that this year's slate will contain a greater diversity of voices.​

​By Matt Neglia 

For Episode 266, I am being joined by Josh Parham & Dan Bayer. This week, we're discussing the 2021 Gotham Award Nominations, the Critics Choice Documentary Award Nominations, other various important updates for this year's Awards Season, and the trailers for "The Lost Daughter" & "Being The Ricardos." We also go over the polls, answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Enjoy!

​Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us 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 our main podcast review this weekend, Dan Bayer, Daniel Howat & guest Marianna Neal from Impression Blend are journeying to Arrakis with me to discuss Denis Villeneuve's "Dune," starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Sharon Duncan Brewster, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, David Dastmalchian, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa & Javier Bardem. Based on the first half of Frank Herbert's classic 1965 sci-fi novel of the same name, the film is very much a Part One and introduces audiences to a whole new world, with tons of characters and a lot of exposition. It is the big-screen event of the year, despite being available to view at home on HBO Max. What did we think of the scale and scope of it all? What did we think of the performances, the story, and the crafts? We discuss all of these points plus the film's Oscar prospects as well in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Enjoy!

Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us 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 Will Mavity 

Whether a screenplay is "Original" or "Adapted" seems like an easy question. The WGA (Writers Guild of America) has its own standards for what constitutes adapted. However, The Academy writers' branch disagrees. Seemingly every year, there are screenplays that the WGA and the studios submitting them for awards consideration considered to be "Original," that the Academy reclassifies at the last minute as Adapted. While the WGA (and other awards like BAFTA) typically consider a screenplay "Adapted" if it is based on a play, book, article, or pre-existing film, the Academy opts for a more expansive view of what constitutes adaptation. 

By Matt Neglia 

​It has been more than a year since we did our first audio commentary track for "Serenity." We promise it won't be that long again, but now, with the release of Denis Villeneuve's in theaters and on HBO Max, we decided to watch David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel "Dune." An incoherent mess that attempted to adapt the whole book into a two-hour film, the film has grown a cult following over the years for its design elements, bizarre performances, and tone. Joining me for this disaster of a film are Sara Clements and Dan Bayer. Kick back, inhale the spice, fire up your movie stream, and come with us to Arrakis! Enjoy!

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 commentary along with other exclusive podcast content, so be sure to subscribe here.
​
Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us 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 Matt Neglia 

The 31st annual Gotham Independent Film Awards have announced their full list of nominations for the 2021 film year representing the best in independent film. The event for the winners will take place on Monday, November, 29th, 2021.

​Click below to see the full list of nominations

By Daniel Howat 

At age 83 years old, Ridley Scott is at the top of his game, crafting large-scale medieval epics that most Hollywood directors wouldn't even dream of attempting. Part of the reason why his vision for these movies is so fully realized is because of the crafts team he assembles with each new endeavor. For "The Last Duel," he re-teamed with cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, costume designer Janty Yates, and composer Harry Gregson-Williams. The three of them were kind enough to take some time and speak with us in a group setting about their work on the film. Take a listen down below and enjoy!

​Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us 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 
​
Amazon Studios has released the trailer for "Being The Ricardos" starring Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J. K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy & Clark Gregg. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the film will be released in theaters on December 10th, 2021, prior to streaming on Prime Video on December 21st, 2022.

​Click below to see the trailer.

By Matt Neglia 

For our second podcast review this week, Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer, Ema Sasic & Lauren LaMagna join me to discuss Ridley Scott's latest epic, "The Last Duel," starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer & Ben Affleck. Told from three different perspectives, this medieval #MeToo movie has caused quite a stir lately over its depictions of rape, its commentary on the male patriarchy, and more. What did we think of the screenplay? The action set pieces? The editing? Performances? We discuss all of these topics and more in our spoiler-filled review down below. Please take a listen and enjoy!

Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us 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 

​The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has announced the nominees for the sixth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards (CCDA). "Ascension" and "Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)" led this year's nominations. The winners will be revealed at a Gala Event on Sunday, November 14, 2021 at BRIC in Brooklyn, NY.

Click below to see the nominees.

By Lauren LaMagna 

​The 29th annual Hamptons International Film Festival took place from October 7th - 13th, 2021, and I had the pleasure of attending this year. After a year and a half of being in the lockdown and watching films at home due to the coronavirus, it was a delight watching films in a grand theater with fellow film lovers. Standing in line and talking to fellow cinephiles about their favorite films at the festival and what they thought after each screening has and always will be a highlight of the movie-going experience. I am so excited that we are safely going back to this activity.

Being from Long Island, I took the hour and a half drive out to the Hamptons each day I could to see what films would fit in my schedule. During the completely in-person event, the festival hosted several films, including "Belfast," "A Hero," "Benedetta," "The Worst Person in the World," and much more. Due to my schedule, I could only see a few films this year, but all were thought-provoking and exciting pieces. So without further adieu, here is what I saw at this year's Hamptons Film Festival.