The Film Board

Katniss and crew are back in part one of their journey against the Capitol. Things are grim, as evidenced by the jumpsuits and rubble, and the crying that happens whenever our heroes see jumpsuits and/or rubble in the frame. The gang of thugs is back this week to take on Francis Lawrence’s latest take on The Hunger Games Saga, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1,  and we’re firmly split on the r...

The Film Board gathers to fully spoil Brad Pitt’s and David Ayer's latest World War II tank-a-palooza, Fury. First spoiler: it's a war film, more intimate than epic, but it comes with all the violence that such a film typically entails. Too gratuitous? Does the film truck in inappropriately annoying stereotypes? Does Brad Pitt have crazy-fantastic scars? Did Shia really pull out his own tooth for...

It’s throwback time on The Film Board as we take on Denzel Washington’s latest, The Equalizer. We discuss all the various social constructs Denzel and director Antoine Fuqua look to equalize, from guns and home improvement to racism and gender inequality. Plus, the film is punctuated with violence and not a little allegory. So join us — Andy Nelson, Steve Sarmento, Pete Wright, and the disembodied...

This, good people, is a summer tentpole we can get excited about. Director James Gunn has delivered a funny and frolicking space opera in Guardians of the Galaxy with a terrific cast, immersive effects, and a script that is, as we're apt to say, way smarter than it needed to be. Join Mike Evans, Tommy Metz III, Andy Nelson, Steve Sarmento, Chadd Stoops, and Pete Wright as we break down the film. W...

Waitwaitwait... what?? A summer tentpole that causes us to ask big questions and congratulate smart filmmaking decisions? WHAT? Such is our review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, people, and we’re as shocked as you are. This follow up to the 2011 reboot, Rise of the Planet of the Apes marks director Matt Reeves' big screen intro to the franchise. Does he live up to the love we showered him on f...

Tom Cruise is back in Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow, tripping through time and trauma on the road to defeat an alien horde. Here’s the weird thing about this summer tentpole: we all loved it. No kidding. Andy Nelson, Steve Sarmento, Tommy Metz III, and Pete Wright make up The Film Board this week and dish spoilerifically on the time loop architecture at work in the film, the action, the humor (yes...

Japan + Nuclear Power Plant + Misunderstood Fear of Technology = GODZILLA! The Film Board gathers to take on this summer romp and the jury is split. Did this summer’s dose of midtown mayhem lift you out of your seats? Join Tommy Metz III, Steve Sarmento, Andy Nelson, and Pete Wright for a chat about all things Godzilla-licious! Did Gareth Edwards bring his indie spirit to this monster mash? Did Ma...

Film Board assemble! It’s Captain America and his bestie The Winter Soldier this week as Andy Nelson, Pete Wright, Steve Sarmento, and Chadd Stoops huddle up to give this film a good drilling. We hash out the Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely-penned script, the direction of the Russo brothers, and of course, Robert Redford being all Robert Redford-y. How does Captain America: The Winter Soldi...

What better way to kick off the spring tentpole season than with the launch of another adaptation of a young adult novel. This time, it’s Veronica Roth’s take on dystopian Abercrombie in Divergent. This is perhaps the most divided we’ve been on The Film Board. Andy Nelson, Steve Sarmento, and Tommy Metz III come out as pro-faction, Pete Wright and Mike Evans against. We take on Roth’s story and ho...

Might be best to start off a conversation about George Clooney's latest, The Monuments Men, by telling you what this film is not. It's not a comedy. And in spite of its pedigree and subject matter, it's not all that much of a heist film. It doesn't spend enough time building character to be a character film. And if your name is either Andy Nelson or Tommy Metz III, the film isn't very good. This w...

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is worth exactly what you pay for it. And possibly slightly less. Such is the verdict of The Film Board this month as we take on the Kenneth Branagh-helmed thriller. It's the fifth in the Ryan series, but the first not based on one of Tom Clancy's novels — a sore point for many of us on The Board. Writers Adam Cozad and David Koepp conjure up some interesting moments in a...

Winding his way back and forth across the expanse of Middle Earth, Peter Jackson brings us his second stab at The Hobbit with The Desolation of Smaug, the fifth film in the Peter Jackson Middle Earth Cinematic Universe. That's right, we've come to understand more of Jackson's intent with this film and its place in his Tolkien saga. But the questions are plenty: Did he best the first Bilbo with the...

We're headed back to Asgard this week as we gather The Film Board to take on Thor: The Dark World! Join Andy Nelson, Pete Wright, Steve Sarmento, and Tommy Metz III as we meticulously dissect the strange attraction we have for a hero that has no flaw, and is a god. We talk about Natalie Portman's riveting portrayal of a woman who deeply loves science. We talk about Kat Dennings and how much funnie...

We’re on a trip to space with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in this month’s Film Board review of Cuarón & Son’s astro-tacular, Gravity. Join Steve Sarmento, Tommy Metz III, Andy Nelson, and Pete Wright as we pull apart a film miraculously greater than the sum of its pretty good parts. We pull apart the film, the performance(s), the writing, but most of all (spoiler) we lavish unheard of pr...

The next time your young daughter asks if she can take Joy to your house on the other side of the neighborhood, the correct answer is a resounding "no." Such is the lesson from this week's Film Board subject, Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners. Join Steve Sarmento, Mike Evans, Andy Nelson, and Pete Wright as we discuss the strong performances across the cast, led by the captivating Hugh Jackman and Jake...

Spoiler alert — the crew is as divided on You're Next as we have ever been on this show. Director Adam Wingard's home invasion horror romp has been hailed as "clever," "deliciously twisted," and that it "streamlines the gory stuff for something truly shocking: good characters." So, is it really the refreshing attempt to turn the genre on its ear? Or is it dumb dumb stupid dumb and the sign of the...

The Film Board gathers! It's a full house this week as we take on the latest clawed brawler from Marvel, The Wolverine. The crew agrees: there are some stunningly beautiful sequences in this film, and while Jackman's Wolverine rarely disappoints, on the whole the film loses steam tragically too early and delivers an ultimately forgettable experience. Steve shares his report on the Atmos experience...

The curse is broken! The Film Board gathers and we finally have a movie that all of us like! It's Brad Pitt against the world's nasty plague problem on the show this week and Steve, Andy, and Pete talk about why you should see World War Z, why you should like this film, and why it's culturally far more relevant than a run-of-the-mill zombie thriller. That's right, we're cutting against the grain t...

It's a Very Special Episode for this month's Film Board gathering. Today on the show, Steve Sarmento and Chadd Stoops join Andy Nelson and Pete Wright to take on the great Next Reel Crossover with Now You See Me — a magical heist film of skeptical proportions. Director Louis Leterrier takes The Four Horsemen Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco and manufactures the epic s...

The Film Board gathers to take on this weekend's new release, 42. This Jackie Robinson biopic comes with some misgivings, not the least of which comes in writer-director Brian Helgeland's script. The Board is moved somewhere between "stark and emotionless" to "Lifetime Movie of the Week" with this entry into cinema baseball-dom, with a few noted highlights: Chadwick Boseman and Nicole Beharie offe...

The Film Board gathers to take on Disney's latest trip to the Emerald Kingdom. This week on the show, Steve Sarmento and Tommy Metz III join Andy and Pete to pull apart Oz The Great and Powerful, and pull it apart they do. Clumsy scripting? Trouble with the protagonist? Witches that can shoot lightning from their fingers throwing away everything because of a crush on a boy? All that, and we're sti...

The band is back together! And this month, the illustrious Film Board gathers its ranks to take on Steven Soderbergh's "final" film, Side Effects. Haven't seen it yet? Don't worry, we'll spoil it for you, but it won't matter – you won't understand it anyway. Chadd Stoops, Steve Sarmento, Mike Evans, and newcomer Tommy Metz III join Andy and Pete to hash out just how Soderberghian this film really...

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has landed in HFR 3D glory! Join us for this special episode of The Film Board as we take on Peter Jackson's latest contribution to Middle Earth. This month's contributors Steve Sarmento and Chadd Stoops join Andy and Pete for a conversation on the tech, the tools, and the people that bring this beloved children's classic to life. Listen in! Support The Next Reel...

The Film Board gathers to take on Cloud Atlas, the epic journey of a whole lot of Toms Hanks and Halles Berry. Join Andy Nelson, Pete Wright, and Chadd Stoops as they share what worked, what didn't, and what makes this film a passionate, beautiful mess. Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts: Become a member for just $5/month or $55/year Join our Discord community of movie lovers The Next R...

In spite of scheduling complications, The Film Board goes on. This month, Pete and Andy talk Looper starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis. Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts: Become a member for just $5/month or $55/year Join our Discord community of movie lovers The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts: Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements The Film Board Movies...