Each episode of The Next Reel Film Podcast is a part of a series or collection of films brought together by time, idea, or contributor. Looking to build a great watchlist? You can’t go wrong with starting on a Next Reel Series.
For this month’s member bonus episode, we’re kicking off a three-part series looking at the nominees of the 1969 National Society of Film Critics Awards for Best Cinematography. First up, it’s Lindsay Anderson’s 1968 film “if…”. Fascinating film to talk about, interesting usage of both black-and-white and color cinematography. Tune in!
We wrap up our conversations about Ethan Hunt and the Mission: Impossible franchise – at least until next summer – with a deep (and spoilery) discussion about Christopher McQuarrie’s new film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. It’s a great new entry to the franchise, even if it doesn’t feel as strong as the past few films. Tune in!
Our June member bonus episode brings us to the conclusion of ‘Fast Eddie’ Felson’s story as we return to the world of billiard halls and hustlers with Martin Scorsese’s “The Color of Money” from 1986. How’s Paul Newman? What about young Tom Cruise? Does it work as a followup to “The Hustler”? Tune in!
Our members voted, and for this month and next, we’re talking about ‘Fast’ Eddie Felson. We start this month with Robert Rossen’s 1961 film ‘The Hustler’ starring Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, and George C. Scott. It’s a brilliant film about pool and life, and definitely takes us on a dark journey. Tune in!
We wrap up our conversations about the Infernal Affairs trilogy with our April 2023 member bonus episode, discussing Andrew Lau’s and Alan Mak’s 2003 film INFERNAL AFFAIRS III. Does it work as the conclusion to this trilogy? Why does it feel more convoluted than the previous two? Which of the story threads works best for us? Tune in!
We return to the world of moles working both for the cops and with the criminals as we dig into Andrew Lau’s and Alan Mak’s 2003 follow-up INFERNAL AFFAIRS II. Does it work as a prequel? Does it get muddied with character information that feels unnecessarily included just because it’s a prequel? How does the further development of our police superintendent Wong and crimelord Sam work? Tune in to our March member bonus episode!
We return to the Slumber Party Massacre series for our February 2023 member bonus episode. That’s right, we’re talking about Danishka Esterhazy’s 2021 remake/reboot ‘Slumber Party Massacre.’ It’s a ton of fun as a parody and revisioning of the original films. They’re all clearly having fun with this. They even throw in references to other great horror films and franchises. But does the parodying nature of this diminish the feminist approach? Do you need to have seen the previous films? Or does it stand strong as-is? Tune in!
We head to the Bahamas with Ellen Brody to hang out with Michael Caine, Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles, and Bruce the Shark. That’s right, it’s time for our conversation about the mess called Jaws: The Revenge. But is is completely terrible? Is there anything redeeming about it? Tune in to find out!
For our December Member Bonus episode, the members voted that we talk about Jaws 3-D! That’s right, we’re tackling Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Louis Gossett Jr., SeaWorld, and killer sharks in the third dimension! Tune in!
This series is over. We’ve covered all five of the Twilight films based on all four of Stephenie Meyer’s supernatural romance novels. So what did we think of them? Did we survive? And whose team did we end up landing on?