Christmas in July
Happy holidays, everybody! It’s time for our annual holiday episode here on The Next Reel. This year, we — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — are talking about a film that doesn’t actually take place at Christmas time. In fact, it’s a movie that doesn’t even really have anything to do with the holiday except that the name’s in the title. It’s Preston Sturges’ 1940 forgotten gem, “Christmas in July.”
The Fifth Element
There’s something about the wacky sci-fi fantasy eye-gasm The Fifth Element that is very divisive. On one side, it’s a bizarre, nonsensical, mess that hardly has a story worth talking about. On the other, it’s groundbreaking in its visual effects, inventive in its production and costume design, and a romping, mind-numbing good time. While the characters who aren’t weird muppet-y aliens would be better served by actually being cartoons, they’re played by big-name actors who all get into their roles with undeniable fervor and relish. It’s amazing how much of a mess the film is, yet a lot of people really dig it.
Léon: The Professional
It’s the perfect description of the awkward yet touching relationship between a simple 40-something assassin and a wise-beyond-her-years pre-teen girl, and it’s at the heart of our next pick in our Luc Besson series, his first foray into English-language cinema, 1994’s Leon: the Professional, or more simply just Léon.
Nikita
We’re starting off our Luc Besson series with a film that fascinates us, even if it sometimes devolves into a cartoonish atmosphere. This week, we chat about Besson’s 1990 film Nikita, or La Femme Nikita if you’re so inclined. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we start off this series with this Pygmalion-like tale of a young woman trained to be a government assassin.
Drive
Ryan Gosling plays such a mysterious, quiet character in Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 film, “Drive,” that he’s never even given a name — he’s simply credited as Driver. The film has shades of noir and of 80s crime films, creating a dreamy neon quality interrupted by horribly violent outbursts that wake you up. It’s a fascinating film that critics really took notice of when it was released.
Ronin
One of John Frankenheimer’s best films came late in his career — 1998’s Ronin. A seemingly simple story about a group of mercenaries who take a job trying to get a mysterious case is twisted around with double-crosses and plot twists, and becomes a perfect example of Hitchcock’s MacGuffin.
The French Connection
It’s our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY, everyone! That’s right, we’ve been doing this podcast for one year now, and what better way to celebrate than with the next in our Great Car Chase series—William Friedkin’s 1971 Best Picture Oscar-winner, “The French Connection.”
Bullitt
Steve McQueen was one of the coolest actors out there. He brought amazing performances to the screen time and time again. The Magnificent Seven. Papillon. The Thomas Crown Affair. The Great Escape. The Getaway. The Sand Pebbles. The list goes on. In 1968, he played Frank Bullitt in Peter Yates’ film Bullitt, and brought incredible realism, sensitivity and intelligence to the role of a San Francisco policeman. He also brought his desire to create realistic car chases, and because of this ended up a part the granddaddy of all car chases put on film.
The Descent
These aren’t words you want to hear when you’re stuck on a spelunking trip, particularly when you find out that the “something” that’s down here wants to eat you. That’s what happens to the cast of six ladies on an adventure trip in Neil Marshall’s 2005 film, “The Descent.”
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Zack Snyder’s 2004 “Dawn of the Dead” remake of George A. Romero’s 1978 zombie classic may not be trying to say much, but it sure provides a good, fun scare. Join us—Pete Wright and Andy Nelson—on this week’s episode as we continue our October Horror series with this film.