The Next Picture Show

Our cinematic matchup of Coen brothers past and present continues as we dive deeper into the connections between 1991's BARTON FINK and the new HAIL, CAESAR! In this half of the discussion, we get into the films' shared lineage as "movies about movies," and try to home in on what exactly gives both films "that Coen Brothers feeling." Plus, Your Next Picture Show, where we share recent filmgoing ex...

This week's pairing seems like an obvious one: Two Coen Brothers films about Hollywood, set at the same fictional studio, during roughly the same time period–what do you need, a roadmap? But Joel and Ethan Coen's 1991 breakout BARTON FINK has very different things on its mind than the brothers' new HAIL, CAESAR! In the first half of this week's discussion, we get into our various interpretations o...

Our discussion of "old marrieds" past and present reveals that Andrew Haigh's new 45 YEARS covers a lot of the same ground as Mike Nichols' WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF — it just does it a lot more quietly. We talk over how the two films relate and diverge when it comes to their depictions of a long marriage, how the past informs those marriages, and what emotional inflections each film brings t...

The release of Andrew Haigh's beautiful 45 YEARS got us thinking about another film about the toxic dynamic between a long-married couple: Mike Nichols' 1966 film debut WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? In this half, we discuss how Nichols brought Edward Albee’s play to the screen, how Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton brought the tension of their own famously fraught marriage to their performance...

Our conversation linking the very first STAR WARS film with the new sequel (or is it a reboot? a remake?) THE FORCE AWAKENS delves into the myriad ways the two films are connected, and how the cultural impact of A NEW HOPE plays out in the new film. And in a special edition of our recommendation segment Your Next Picture Show, we'll share our top films of 2015, our ultimate recommendation for what...

J.J. Abrams' record-breaking smash THE FORCE AWAKENS consciously reaches back to the very first entry in the STAR WARS universe, 1977's A NEW HOPE, for inspiration, plot points and design — and offers us an opportunity to look back at how George Lucas changed the game for science-fiction, and film in general, forever. In this half of this week's discussion, we'll look at Lucas' inspirations, the s...

Our conversation about the links between Werner Herzog's 1972 cult classic AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD and Alejandro González Iñárritu's new THE REVENANT delves into the way the two films handle the themes of imperialism and madness, and how each is informed by their reportedly tense and exhausting shooting conditions. Plus, Your Next Picture Show, where we share recent filmgoing experiences in hope...

BIRDMAN director Alejandro González Iñárritu is back with THE REVENANT, a half-revenge thriller/half-survival adventure that recalls in many ways the work of cinema’s most intrepid adventurer, Werner Herzog – particularly AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD. In the first half of this week's discussion, we talk about how Herzog's 1972 cult classic, about Spanish conquistadors searching for El Dorado, informs...

Our conversation on Pixar's trajectory from 1995 to today delves into the company's most recent offering, discussing how THE GOOD DINOSAUR fits in with the rest of Pixar's output, including TOY STORY, as well as the modern computer-animated-feature landscape. Plus, Your Next Picture Show, where we share recent filmgoing experiences in hopes of putting something new on your cinematic radar. Please...

The second Pixar film of 2015, THE GOOD DINOSAUR, inspires us to look back at the revered animation company's auspicious beginning: 1995's TOY STORY, the first computer-animated feature film. In the first half of this Pixar-spanning discussion, we discuss the history of the company that would go on to change feature animation forever, and how the seeds of that change are apparent in TOY STORY. Ple...

Our conversation on the many connections between BATTLE ROYALE and THE HUNGER GAMES series continues with the Forum discussion focusing on the films' respective styles, their different approaches to violence and teen angst, and their influence on the YA film genre as a whole. Plus, Your Next Picture show, where we share recent filmgoing experiences in hopes of putting something new on your cinemat...

With the final installment of the blockbuster YA series THE HUNGER GAMES hitting theaters, we look back to the material many accused HUNGER GAMES author Suzanne Collins of ripping off: 2000's BATTLE ROYALE, a hyper-violent Japanese film adaptation of a hyper-violent manga about kids killing kids in a government-mandated slaughter. In this episode, we get into the many similarities – and many more...

The Next Picture Show's discussion of ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and SPOTLIGHT continues with the group Forum discussion. In this half, Scott Tobias, Tasha Robinson and Keith Phipps talk about the films' respective approaches to journalism, the cities of Washington, D.C., and Boston, and visual style. Plus, Your Next Picture show, where we share recent filmgoing experiences in hopes of putting someth...

Welcome to The Next Picture Show, a movie of the week podcast devoted to a classic film that has shaped our take on a new release. With director Tom McCarthy's SPOTLIGHT getting lots of acclaim for its treatment of the Boston Globe's investigation into the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal, Scott Tobias, Tasha Robinson and Keith Phipps devote their debut show to arguably the Fourth Estate's fin...