Podcast
Filmspotting
Hosted by Filmspotting · EN
Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen review new and classic movies, offering "affable, insightful film analysis since 2005" (NY Times).
92episodes
Episodes
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Top 5 Films of 2026 (So Far) | #1073
4d ago01:30:55Tap to summarizeAdam and Josh take stock of the movie year with their Top 5 Films of 2026 (So Far), making picks that reflect the strength of of the year’s genre offerings, comedies, and intimate dramas. Plus: Massacre Theatre, and Best of ‘26 poll results. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off. (Timecodes/chapters may not be precise with ads.) Intro (00:00:00-00:03:03) Top 5 of 2026 (00:03:04-00:32:36) Filmspotting Family: ‘20s/’30s Madness (00:32:37-00:40:52) Poll: Best of ‘26 (So Far) (00:40:53-00:49:36) Top 5 of 2026, cont. (00:49:37-01:17:26) RIP Sam Neill / Massacre Theatre (01:17:27-01:26:54) Credits / Releases (01:26:55-01:28:56) Links: Alison Willmore on Blue Heron | Vulture https://www.vulture.com/article/review-the-masterful-blue-heron-uses-cinema-as-a-sance.html Feedback: -Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net -Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. https://www.filmspotting.net/shop Follow: -Watch Filmspotting on YouTube: https://youtube.com/filmspotting -Adam/Filmspotting: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky -Josh/LarsenOnFilm: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | BlueskySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Lady Justice, Pt. 2 — Supergirl | The Next Picture Show
5d ago01:01:03Tap to summarizeA good chunk of Supergirl’s DNA can be traced back to True Grit by way of the comics miniseries the film is adapting, which is why we paired it with Joel and Ethan Coen’s 2010 version of that story. But as our discussion of Craig Gillespie’s new entry in James Gunn’s revamped DC Universe details, Supergirl often feels less indebted to its space-western source material than to several other superhero films that preceded it, including some of Gunn’s. That makes it tough to balance a film we all consider okay-at-best against a stone-cold Coens classic, but we attempt to anyway in Connections as we consider these two films’ shared interest in vengeance, western tropes, and really, really bad guys with murky motivations. Then in Your Next Picture Show, we honorTrue Grit’s star-making performance with a recommendation for another Hailee Steinfeld film that’s a favorite of this podcast, The Edge of Seventeen. Please share your thoughts about True Grit, Supergirl, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. Next Pairing: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and The Coen Brothers’ (yes, again) O Brother, Where Art Thou? This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Top 5 Movie Tattoos (That We'd Get) | Archive
6d ago00:43:58Tap to summarizeFor this week's Archive episode, we go back to 2014 for the Top 5 Movie Tattoos (That We'd Get). The "we" being Adam and Josh. 16 years later... no tats yet. But they're sticking by (most) of their picks. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The State of Streaming: Tubi | SVU
1w ago01:46:13Tap to summarizeMatt and Jordan deep-dive into the free, ad-supported streaming platform Tubi. They evaluate the platform across five distinct categories: library; playback/interface; reliability; originals; and price. Plus, recommended titles to watch on Tubi, and a recommendations for a listener who is looking for a hangout comedy like semi-obscure 2005 comedy. And Producer Sam hosts this week’s game: Tubi or Not Tubi. The State of Streaming: Tubi (00:00:00–00:49:36) Rec Seg: Watch on Tubi (00:49:37–01:01:23) Listener Request Recs: Hangout Comedies (01:01:24–01:17:23) Game: Tubi or Not Tubi (01:17:24–01:38:35) New to Streaming / Credits (01:38:36–01:45:49) Show Notes Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/ Pre-Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (Coming October 6th): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/ Alissa Quart’s “Hyperlink Cinema” in Film Forum https://static1.squarespace.com/static/549355e2e4b0a309c8cef596/t/556ca8c0e4b0ca905b2d74ef/1433184448821/QuartonHyperlink%281%29.pdf Hyperlink Cinema, a Letterboxd Listhttps://letterboxd.com/sc_elly/list/hyperlink-films/ Handmade Films, a Letterboxd List https://letterboxd.com/studio/handmade-films/ Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspottingSVU.com Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvuSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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"Every film about war ends up being pro-war" with Michael Shannon | The Movie Racket
1w ago00:43:36Tap to summarizeWelcome to The Movie Racket, a new Filmspotting production hosted by Michael Phillips. Each week, we’ll test a so-called "law" of cinema — a bit of received wisdom about how movies work, or don’t. For our debut episode, actor Michael Shannon joins the show to examine a provocative claim from François Truffaut: that every film about war ends up being pro-war. Is it true that a movie about combat, survival, and heroism can never escape the pull of spectacle and the way cinema inevitably renders violence compelling? Shannon reflects on that inherent tension and revisits his experience working on Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor, a film that presents this question of representation head-on. So: was Truffaut right? Or does cinema allow for something more complicated than a binary verdict? Join the conversation at movieracket@filmspotting.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Fargo: Lies, Myths, and Murder, plus The Invite | #1072
2w ago01:46:28Tap to summarizeAdam and Josh celebrate Fargo's 30th anniversary with a Pantheon Project review (the show’s longest ever) of the Coen Brothers' career-altering 1996 film. Plus, Olivia Wilde's The Invite, David Wain's Gail Daughtry's Celebrity Sex Pass, and listeners choose the best pair of '90s blockbusters. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off. (Timecodes/chapters may not be precise with ads.) Intro (00:00:00-00:03:33) Fargo at 30 (00:03:34-01:16:58) Filmspotting Family (01:16:59-01:21:34) The Invite (01:21:35-01:25:46) Gail Daughtry’s Celebrity Sex Pass (01:25:47-01:33:56) Polls (01:33:57-01:41:34) Credits / Releases (01:41:35-01:44:08) Links: -Josh’s Fargo Video Essay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaRRXpfTyfU Feedback: -Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net -Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. https://www.filmspotting.net/shop Follow: -Watch Filmspotting on YouTube: https://youtube.com/filmspotting -Adam/Filmspotting: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky -Josh/LarsenOnFilm: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | BlueskySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Miller's Crossing | Archive
2w ago00:37:47Tap to summarizeThis week's archive episode is Adam and Josh's 2018 Sacred Cow review of the Coen Brothers' period gangster film Miller's Crossing. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Little Brother: Chaos Agent vs. Real Estate Agent | SVU
2w ago01:32:58Tap to summarizeMatt and Jordan review Netflix’s new comedy Little Brother, which stars Eric Andre as a chaos agent who disrupts the life of a tightly wound real estate agent played by John Cena. Hijinx, nudity, and parabolas of urine ensue. Then, in Rec Seg, they offer some related streaming titles, including a musical dramedy about brothers and a classic '70s comedy. Plus, in reply to a listener streaming request, a pair of international films from the early '60s, and Producer Sam hosts a John Cena-inspired round of trivia. Intro, Little Brother (00:00:00–00:24:16) Rec Seg: Little Brother-Inspired Streaming Recs (00:24:17–00:39:27) Listener Request Recs for an Artsy Down Under Movie Club (00:39:28–01:00:06) Trivia: So You’ve Cen-a Lotta Movies, Have You? (01:00:07–01:24:51) New to Streaming / Credits (01:24:52–01:32:35) Show Notes Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/ Pre-Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (Coming October 6th): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/ Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspottingSVU.com Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvuSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Lady Justice, Pt. 1 — True Grit (2010) | The Next Picture Show
2w ago01:07:39Tap to summarizeThe new Supergirl isn’t an outright adaptation of the comic-book miniseries Woman of Tomorrow, but it retains enough of its shape that it evokes that comic’s own source of inspiration, True Grit. Either of the two film adaptations of Charles Portis’ 1968 Western novel about a young girl enlisting a reluctant, drunken hero to help her enact revenge would have provided plenty of connections to Supergirl, but we opted for Joel and Ethan Coen’s 2010 version starring Hailee Steinfeld and Jeff Bridges. So this week we’re discussing what distinguishes True Grit as both a Coens movie and a Western, the film’s overlapping notions of vengeance and justice, and how it utilizes two frequently abused elements — sincerity and voiceover narration — sparingly and effectively. Then in Feedback, we respond to a listener’s misgivings about accepting Disclosure Day’s premise at a time when conspiracy theories don’t feel as harmless as they once did. Please share your thoughts about True Grit, Supergirl, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Inception vs. Interstellar | Movie Death Match
2w ago01:30:24Tap to summarizeWelcome to the sophomore installment of Movie Death Match. Host Chris Klimek presides as two Christopher Nolan films go head to head in anticipation of The Odyssey. Arguing for Inception is Bilge Ebiri (Vulture), while Abigail James (@popculturescientist) advocates for Interstellar. Which film offers the more emotionally resonant lead performance and better captures Nolan’s vision of time — its dilation and psychological weight? Vote now at moviedeathmatch.com. Intro (00:00:00-00:12:22) Opening Statements (00:12:23-00:23:21) In Their Time (00:23:22-00:48:11) In Our Time (00:48:12-01:07:36) For All Time (01:07:37-01:22:20) The Verdict / Close (01:22:21-01:29:45) LINKS – ABI -The biggest plot hole in Interstellar? -Can We Escape Gravity? | Interstellar’s Biggest Lie Explained LINKS – BILGE -The Hidden ‘Inception’ Within Inception -When to hit the Bathroom During Inception -Six New Things We Learned From the Inception Blu-ray -How Many Times Each Inception Character Dies -You Can Hate Inception All You Want LINKS – CHRIS -'Interstellar': Stunning And Bold, With Lots Of Corn | NPR, Nov. 6, 2014) -Interstellar’s Scientific Fact-Checker | Air & Space / Smithsonian, Nov. 13, 2014) -Wartime Terror And Valor Thread Together In Nolan's Gripping 'Dunkirk' | NPR, July 20, 2017) -A Degree Absolute! | An Entire Podcast Series About The Prisoner, the cult British spy-fi series Nolan has periodically threatened to adapt for the [very] big screen.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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