By Matt Neglia 

For this week's main podcast review, myself, Bianca Garner, Daniel Howat & Danilo Castro head to the race track to discuss the new film from director James Mangold, "Ford v Ferrari" starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon. Based on a true story, with high production value and every department firing on all cylinders to deliver us some popcorn entertainment that also moves us, it's undoubtedly one of the year's best films. Find out why we  think so in this week's main review.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture 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 to support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Matt Neglia 

In what is truly one of 2019's most emotionally impactful cinematic experiences, writer/director Trey Edward Shults has outdone himself with his third feature film "Waves." Marking his second collaboration with star Kelvin Harrison Jr. ("Luce"), the two were kind enough to chat with me separately about the year they are both having, the making of "Waves," how the film has been received so far during its festival run and more! Take a listen and be sure to check out "Waves" now playing in limited release from A24.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture 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 to support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Bianca Garner ​​

This week sees the UK release of a film known as “Le Mans ‘66,” the film features Christian Bale and Matt Damon as Ken Miles and Caroll Shelby and follows their mission to build the Ford GT40, a new racing car which could beat Ferrari during the 24-hour Le Mans race of 1966. If this plot sounds strangely familiar to “Ford v Ferrari” then that’s because “Le Mans ‘66” is the exact same film but with a different name for European audiences. With the world so open to communication via social media networks such as Twitter, it seems odd to me that the studio would make the decision to rename the film for the audience across the pond, and I suspect that I’m not the only one who’s been left slightly puzzled.

By Ryan C. Showers 
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It’s difficult for a film to grow a high profile without a coordinated effort to build a name for itself. Going to film festivals is an easy way for a movie aiming for awards season to gain great prestige and notoriety, but there are always a few stragglers who bypass the festival opportunities, or films that are simply not ready to be screened so early in the season. The best way for a non-festival late release to find success at the Oscars is by making a big splash upon release. I would argue that leaving an impression on one cohort of the Academy, in particular, is key to Oscar success for films that skip the festival circuit: the acting branch. The two examples of this that jump to mind are “American Hustle” and “Vice,” both released late in December of their respective years without festival exposure. The former received four acting nominations (one in each category) and the latter was awarded three. There were nominations across the board for “American Hustle” and “Vice,” but actors were the beating hearts of these films and the indisputable aspect that people who disliked the two could appreciate.

By Casey Lee Clark 

We open on voiceover narration; a couple reading what they have written about one another. What I love about Nicole: her bravery as a performer, her playfulness as a mother, her little quirks that may be annoying but that you love anyway, her competitiveness. What I love about Charlie: his brilliance as a director, his love for the mundaneness of fatherhood, his effortless style, his competitiveness. We come to reality to see these are exercises with a couples counselor facilitated to mediate the couple in their impending separation and divorce. What follows is a complex and moving tale that looks at the struggle between breaking up as a couple but staying together as a family, and all the pain and drama that come along with that. This is Noah Baumbach’s latest film “Marriage Story.”

By Tom O'Brien 

The first shot fired on November 1: The debut of AppleTV+. It introduced four new streaming series, with the promise of many more as the week's progress. Accessible in about 100 countries, Apple streaming launches with a worldwide reach that will likely dwarf even the mighty Disney+, which has finally flipped the switch on its streaming service.

​According to the Financial Times, AppleTV+ has poured more than $6 billion into original programming for the service, and their plan appears to be rolling out new shows gradually, effectively ensuring that there will be a steady stream of products to keep subscribers happy. On paper, the rollout of only four series, all remarkably different, appeared to be a wise one so that the public can more easily evaluate the quality of their shows.

But are they any good? And more importantly, should you subscribe? I watched the first three episodes of each series and based on viewing those, I have a few thoughts on all four.

By Matt Neglia 

We're all heading for the grave. The infinite darkness that we all fear, hoping there will be something else instead. Another life? Possibly the afterlife? No matter how we live our lives, one way or another, we're going. As I continue to get older, the finality of death is something that I've continued to obsess over from a psychological standpoint, as I seek to understand how everyone approaches it. We deal with grief in our unique ways and I believe our own death carries its own foreboding grief that we all eventually need to come to terms with. Martin Scorsese's latest film "The Irishman" is a reckoning for its lead character, Frank Sheeran, as we watch him live a life of crime, loyalty, and betrayal. By the time he comes to the end of that life, he is filled with regret despite his own survival through the cold and vicious world of organized crime.  Scorsese's storytelling, through the final act of "The Irishman" and his haunting final shot, has lingered with me long after I saw it at its world premiere at this year's New York Film Festival. You've probably read my written review of the film and you've also probably heard our podcast review, but now I want to hone in on the thing that I think makes this particular gangster film, not just a great film in Scorsese's filmography but a great film for all time that could resonate strongly enough to win Best Picture.

By Cody Dericks 

​As a huge horror fan, I consider Mike Flanagan to be the most exciting director working in the genre today. He has delivered a level of consistency across the past decade that is undeniably impressive, firmly establishing a style and visual language all his own. Aside from the aesthetic qualities of his filmmaking, he has proven to be extremely adept at crafting scary stories that serve as metaphors for some of the horrors we face in the real world. The most apparent of these is his penchant for exploring the lingering effects of trauma, especially stemming from a difficult childhood. It’s a theme that can be found in many of his works, and as such, the horror elements of his films and TV shows can often be considered symbols for the trauma caused by addiction, PTSD, and mental illness. As I explore his works that tackle these themes, please note that a full spoiler warning is in effect.

By Matt Neglia 

For this week's second podcast review, myself, Casey Lee Clark, Ryan C. Showers​, Cody Dericks & Tom O'Brien talk about Martin Scorsese's latest film "The Irishman," reuniting him with Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and for the first time ever, working with Al Pacino. A Netflix film with a production budget of over $150 million, heavily involved CGI, a sprawling story that takes place over several decades, packed with heavy themes and meta-commentary, Scorsese's late career gangster film has been hailed as a modern masterpiece. What does the NBP team think about it though? Kick back and a take a listen as we chat about Scorsese's near three and a half hour epic.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture 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 to support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Will Mavity 

With the Makeup & Hairstyling Guild announcing their nominees today and with the Critics Choice Documentary Awards taking place yesterday, now is a good time to let you all in on the important dates you need to know this awards season as far as the precursors are concerned. As mentioned before, this is a shortened season with the Oscars being moved to early February and we do not know what effect that will have on the rest of the season. It's promising to be an exciting sprint to the finish line, so take a look below at all of the dates and mark your calendars!

By Will Mavity & Daniel Howat 

One of the year's biggest technical marvels, is the year's biggest film made by Marvel. "Avengers: Endgame" is the highest grossing film of all time and a culmination not just for the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also for everyone behind the scenes who have worked tirelessly to bring this chapter to its stunning conclusion. Two people heavily involved with the making of the film were kind enough to lend their time to talk about their involvement in "Avengers: Endgame." First up we have Daniel Howat interviewing composer Alan Silvestri, followed by Will Mavity's interview with Visual Effects Supervisor Dan DeLeeuw. Tune in to hear from both of them what their experience was like making the year's biggest film, the lasting impact of their work on the MCU 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, 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 to support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Ryan C. Showers 
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The way the Academy votes for Best Picture has dominated the awards season pundit discourse since the 2015 and, more prominently, 2016 Best Picture races. When the Academy expanded the Best Picture lineup from five to ten nominees, it implemented a preferential ballot, where voters rank the Best Picture nominees from their favorite to least favorite, and a process goes underway to find a “consensus” movie ranked highly enough by all the voters on their ballots. The Academy has since reversed course, allowing a range between five to ten possible Best Picture nominees from 2011 through the present day. The pundit community didn't think about the preferential ballot back then in the same way we do now. “The Hurt Locker,” “The King’s Speech,” “The Artist,” “Argo,” “12 Years a Slave,” and “Birdman” would have probably won just as easily if not more easily had the Academy voted with a plural ballot, where whichever film receives the most votes would be the winner.

By Matt Neglia 

The Makeup & Hair Stylists Guild nominations have been announced, representing the best in the field for 2019. The winners will be announced January 11th 2020.

​Click below to see this year's nominees.

By Matt Neglia

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) have announces their winners for the best in Documentary films for 2019 at the fourth annual Critics' Choice Documentary Awards (CCDA) this evening.

Click below to see the winners.

By Matt Neglia 

For Episode 167, myself, Nicole Ackman, Dan Bayer & Lauren LaMagna preview this year's AFI Film Festival by discussing "Richard Jewell," "Queen & Slim" along with the AppleTV+ film "The Banker." We also discuss the trailer for that film along with trailers for Pixar's "Soul" and "Wendy" from "Beasts Of The Southern Wild" director Benh Zeitlin. We also go over the polls, answer your fan questions, give our latest thoughts on the Oscar race 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, 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 to 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, Cody Dericks and I review the sequel to the 1980 film "The Shining," based on a novel by Stephen King published in 2013 which was written in response to his dissatisfaction with the Stanley Kubrick film adaptation. Director Mike Flanagan ("Gerald's Game") has the tough task of trying to appease both camps with "Doctor Sleep." Does he succeed? What do we think of the performances by Ewan McGregor & Rebecca Ferguson? The themes? We discuss all of these things on this week's podcast review.

Thank you so much for listening. You can subscribe to the Next Best Picture 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 to support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Edward Douglas 

Paul Feig has made all kinds of comedies from his days as creator of “Freaks and Geeks” to the 2011 hit comedy “Bridesmaids” and the attempted “Ghostbusters” reboot in 2016. Last year, Feig took a hard left turn by making the thriller “A Simple Favor” with Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, and Henry Golding.

Now, Feig is back doing comedy with “Last Christmas,” a holiday rom-com centered around the music of George Michael with a screenplay co-written by the wonderful Dame Emma Thompson. It stars Emilia Clarke from “Game of Thrones” as Kate, a problemed Londoner who works at a Christmas shop run by Michelle Yeoh. One night she meets Henry Golding’s Tom, and the two of them form a bond that leads to a few wonderful moments that will easily put you in the Christmas spirit however hard you might try and fight it.

Next Best Picture spoke with Feig when he was in New York to talk about his movie a week or two back.

By Michael Schwartz 
​
As the Best Picture race continues to heat up, we must consider what categories will be swept along with top tier contenders. One such category that often aligns with Best Picture is Best Director. The Academy’s director’s branch is notoriously fickle and prefers to reward so-called “members of the club.” Yet when they manage to surprise, the results are often sensational.

​Let’s take a look at what filmmakers will be in the mix this season.

By Dan Bayer 

When the call went around for someone to write up the NBP Community’s list of the Best Horror Films of the Decade, I didn’t speak up at first. I’ve never been much of a horror guy. I’ve always had trouble sleeping as it is, plus I get really queasy around blood and gore, so I grew up with the impression that horror was just not my thing. That started to change in the early ‘00s, when in the wake of “The Sixth Sense” and “The Blair Witch Project” there was a moment when non-gory horror films like “The Others” and “The Ring” were big hits. But then along came the torture porn of the “Saw” franchise and its ilk, and I went back to hiding under my covers.

But in this most recent decade, horror has had something of an artful resurgence, and my interest in the genre has been rekindled. I became more fascinated with the genre and started watching old horror movies to fill in lots of cinematic blind spots that I had quite purposefully avoided. And then I thought, who better than me, a latent horror-phobe, to write up these films? Some of them are among my very favorite films of the decade, after all. So let’s take a look at those films you voted on as your favorites, shall we?

By Matt Neglia 

The Next Best Picture Podcast is back with another Patreon Throwback review! This one is to help us get ready for Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman." So we are traveling back to 1990 to revisit his gangster masterpiece. A film that created its own cinematic language and has had an enduring legacy to this day, so much so that Martin Scorsese and stars Robert De Niro and  Joe Pesci have re-united once again in 2019. The film is "Goodfellas" and it also stars Ray Liotta & Lorraine Bracco. Myself, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, and guest Brad Heyen go into what makes this film so special, has does it stand up today, our favorite moments and more! Be sure to take a listen.
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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, PlayerFM, Acast & Castbox or you can listen down below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here.

By Ryan C. Showers 

​Best Supporting Actress has shifted as a horserace in the few months into phase one (the film festivals) of the year. Though now that late-breaking December releases are helping to fill out this category a bit more than before, Best Supporting Actress is still very much up in the air. It’s exciting to have such unpredictability just a month out before phase two (the precursor awards) begins. This category will materialize based on how other related factors shake out. For example, depending on how intensely the Academy decides to support “The Farewell,” “Jojo Rabbit,” and “Bombshell” could dictate certain spots being filled quickly. Similarly, if voters remember to take seriously certain films, like “The Laundromat” and “Downton Abbey,” the trajectory of the category could be very fluid

By Will Mavity 
 
The tendency of the Academy “design” voters to primarily single out fantasy and period films has long been a source of frustration among film fans. The costume design category, for example, has only nominated five non-fantasy or period films this century (and one of those was "101 Dalmatians," which teeters on the edge of fantasy). The production design category has only nominated three such films, which is to say, even though contemporary films often require enormous amounts of creative production and costume design, voters often ignore them for “flashier” fantasy and/or period works. Still, there are exceptions. Sometimes, a contemporary film is striking enough to catch voters’ fancy and show up. And who knows, maybe this year, “Parasite,” is that contemporary film.

By Matt Neglia 

For this week's second podcast review, myself, Josh Parham and Nicole Ackman head back to our streaming devices for another Netflix film, David Michôd's "The King" starring Timothée Chalamet as King Henry V. In this Shakespeare adaptation (co-written by Michôd and star Joel Edgerton), wars are fought, kingdoms are conquered and betrayal lurks around every corner from within. What did we think of it? Tune in 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, 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 to support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month and you'll receive some exclusive podcast content.

By Matt Neglia 

​​As I said last week, I'm going to be devoting more time towards commenting on this year's awards race here rather than just on the podcast. The hope is that many of you will be able to get a more clear picture as to where my head is at as I continue to make my predictions this awards season. One such category that I've been thinking about a lot over these past few weeks since Telluride has been Best Actress. As of today, I have seen all of the Best Actress contenders with the exception of Saoirse Ronan in "Little Women." Knowing what I know and looking into my crystal ball, it is my belief that the path is beginning to clear for Scarlett Johansson to emerge as the winner on February 9th 2020 for her performance in "Marriage Story."

How did I come to this conclusion? Why do I feel so confident about it and what could possibly change my mind? We all want races for the Oscar to be competitive and this one very well could be. However, there are a few factors that have contributed towards my decision to settle on Johansson as the front-runner...

By Matt Neglia 

​The Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) announced their nominees today for music in film, TV, video games, commercials and trailers. Like last year, it could be an early sign of things to come for the Best Original Score & Song categories this awards season. The winners will be announced on November 20th.

​Click below to see the film nominees.