Podcast
The Next Picture Show
Hosted by Filmspotting · EN
Looking at cinema's present via its past. From the former editorial team of The Dissolve, The Next Picture Show examines how classic films inspire and inform modern movies. Episodes take a deep dive into a classic film and its legacy, then compare and contrast that film with a modern successor. Hosted and produced by Genevieve Koski, Keith Phipps, Tasha Robinson, and Scott Tobias.
24episodes
Episodes
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Burden of Hoof, Pt. 2 – The Sheep Detectives
2w ago01:26:59Tap to summarizeKyle Balda’s new family film The Sheep Detectives pulls off a move George Miller was dissuaded from including in his 1998 sequel Babe: Pig in the City — killing off its human farmer figure — but that premise-setting death aside, it’s generally a warmer and gentler take on talking animals venturing beyond their green pastures and into the big, scary human world. The Sheep Detectives may take the shape of a murder mystery, but as our discussion highlights, it taps into big ideas about memory, grief, and empathy, all while maintaining a sly sense of humor. It’s a tonal balancing act of a different sort than Pig in the City, which we bring back in for Connections to discuss these two films’ respective approaches to animal endangerment, interspecies communication, and making non-verbal creatures talk. Then in Your Next Picture Show we offer a sampler of recommendations for ostensible children’s entertainment that is darker than it initially appears. 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. Please share your thoughts about Babe: Pig in the City, The Sheep Detectives, 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: Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu and Kenji Misumi and Robert Houston’s Shogun AssassinSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/join/NextPictureShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Burden of Hoof, Pt. 1 — Babe: Pig in the City
3w ago01:07:33Tap to summarizeThe Sheep Detectives is about as short on pigs as Babe: Pig In the City is short on sheep, but Kyle Balda’s new family film still reminded us of the 1998 box-office-bomb-turned-cult-classic in its tale of talking animals venturing beyond their idyllic pastures and into a dangerous corner of the human world. George Miller’s poorly received sequel to Babe may technically have a lower body count than the murder mystery of Sheep Detectives — not for Miller’s lack of trying — but its combination of fable-like whimsy with tragedy and trauma strikes a deeply odd and at times unsettling chord that turned off audiences charmed by its predecessor. It also gives us much to discuss in this week’s revisitation of Pig in the City, as we attempt to locate the emotional core lurking beneath the slapstick antics and kinetic chase scenes, and consider what Miller was trying to say about humanity via a bunch of down-on-their-luck animals. Then in Feedback we return to a point of contention from our recent Fargo episode, and port over a question from the Patreon regarding the critical response to the new biopic Michael. Please share your thoughts about Babe: Pig in the City, The Sheep Detectives, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/join/NextPictureShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Minnesota Not-So-Nice, Pt. 2 — Normal
4w ago01:10:31Tap to summarizeDespite the snowy setting, law-enforcement-officer protagonist, and pointed poking at the idea of "Minnesota Nice," Ben Wheatley's new Bob Odenkirk-starring shoot-'em-up Nowhere is in many ways the anti-Fargo. Is it fair to compare this scrappy (some might even say sloppy) genre effort to a film as revered as the Coen brothers' comedic crime classic? Maybe not, but that's what we do here at The Next Picture Show, so after a spirited debate over which parts of Nowhere we found the most enervating, we turn to Connections to consider how the two films' many overlapping elements can play out in such different ways. Then we keep the Fargo talk going in Your Next Picture Show via a general recommendation for its FX television offshoot, and a specific recommendation for which of its five anthology seasons to start with. Please share your thoughts about Fargo, Normal, 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: Kyle Balda's The Sheep Detectives and George Miller's Babe: Pig in the City 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/join/NextPictureShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Minnesota Not-So-Nice, Pt. 1 — Fargo
Apr 2801:03:56Tap to summarizeAs a comedic crime thriller set in snowy Minnesota and featuring a sheriff protagonist, it would be pretty tough for the new Bob Odenkirk-starring shoot-em-up Normal to avoid comparisons to Fargo, and since we will never pass up an opportunity to discuss the Coen Brothers’ 1996 classic, that’s precisely what we will be comparing it to next week. But first we’ll spend this week discussing why Fargo remains so discussable even after multiple viewings, what makes Marge Gunderson — or maybe Jerry Lundegaard — such an effective protagonist, and how the film’s unusual structure and tonal shifts can take even the most seasoned viewer by surprise. Then in Feedback, we keep The Drama going with an encore presentation of our disagreement about that film’s ending. Please share your thoughts about Fargo, Normal, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/join/NextPictureShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Past Imperfect, Pt. 2 — The Drama
Apr 2101:06:09Tap to summarizeKristoffer Borgli’s provocative new The Drama turns on the revelation of a secret past that is more of an abstraction than the one in the other half of this pairing, making the resulting relationship rift between Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s characters both frustrating and fascinating to parse. After talking through our responses to the film’s button-pushing, and our vastly different takes on its ending, we bring A History of Violence back in for Connections to see how two films with very different agendas court our sympathy for both the secret-keepers and the secret-kept, and explore the intertwined questions of how much a person can change and how much punishment they deserve for their past. Then in Your Next Picture Show we recommend a couple other films that would make a good The Drama double feature, Sleeping Dogs Lie and The Celebration. Please share your thoughts about A History of Violence, The Drama, 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: Bet Wheatley's Normal and Joel & Ethan Coen's Fargo. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/join/NextPictureShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Past Imperfect, Pt. 1 — A History of Violence
Apr 1401:09:29Tap to summarizeKristoffer Borgli’s The Drama uses the revelation of one character’s dark secret as a provocative “twist,” but also as the basis for an exploration of whether a romantic relationship can survive such dramatic upheaval, a premise that calls to mind 2005’s A History of Violence. The central couple of David Cronenberg’s thriller, played by Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello, is much further along in their marriage than the altar-bound pair in The Drama, which lends fascinating nuance to their attempts to reckon with the husband’s violent past — particularly for a bunch of podcasters who are decades into their own long-term relationships. So this week we do our own reckoning with the film’s ideas about how violence can shape a person and redefine a marriage, and what makes A History of Violence stand out among both action thrillers and Cronenberg films. Then in Feedback, we welcome some constructive criticism regarding Project Hail Mary as well as our choice of film to pair it with. Please share your thoughts about A History of Violence, The Drama, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/join/NextPictureShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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In a Lonely Space, Pt. 2 — Project Hail Mary
Apr 701:23:40Tap to summarizePhil Lord and Christopher Miller’s Project Hail Mary is an exceptionally audience-friendly adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel of the same name, offsetting the story’s doomsday scenario with lots of jokes, a charismatic lead, and most especially the buddy dynamic between Ryan Gosling’s human protagonist and an alien engineer named Rocky. The film’s light touch has made it a hit, but it also left some of your Next Picture Show hosts wanting more, as we break down in our discussion of the new film before turning to Connections and a companion film that’s as prickly as Project Hail Mary is cuddly: Douglas Trumbull’s 1972 directorial feature debut, Silent Running. Sure, both films explore the idea of a lonely man finding human connection in a non-human companion, the threat of worldwide ecological collapse, and the question of what we owe the Earth and what causes are worth dying for, but each takes a very different approach, to very different effect... as do the several other films we considered pairing with PHM, which we collectively recommend in Your Next Picture Show. Please share your thoughts about Silent Running, Project Hail Mary, 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: Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama and David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/join/NextPictureShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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In a Lonely Space, Pt. 1 — Silent Running
Mar 3101:13:59Tap to summarizeAlready the biggest blockbuster of the year so far, Project Hail Mary has proven itself about as audience-friendly as a story about looming worldwide ecological collapse can be. That makes it an interesting point of contrast with 1972’s Silent Running, which approaches many of the same basic narrative beats — a man in space on a solo mission that threatens his sanity, who finds his most human connection in a non-human companion — with a melancholic tone and deeply unpleasant protagonist. So this week we’re looking back at one of just two movies made by pioneering special-effects artist Douglas Trumbull to consider how Silent Running functions today as both an environmental parable and a counterculture story about fighting The Man, how it tests our sympathies for its supposed hero, and whether that supposed hero knows anything about growing plants, in space or otherwise. Then in Feedback, a listener prompt inspires us to revisit some of our most memorable interruptions to the theatrical experience. Please share your thoughts about Silent Running, Project Hail Mary, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/join/NextPictureShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Couples Getaway, Pt. 2 — The Bride!
Mar 2400:53:33Tap to summarizeThe Bride! is already a certified box-office flop, but does Maggie Gyllenhaal’s ambitious but deeply flawed sophomore feature as a writer-director have potential for a second life as a cult film? We consider that possibility as we run through the highs and lows, both intentional and unintentional, of a movie that, if nothing else, offers a lot to talk about. It also offers the opportunity to revisit an unambiguous classic via Gyllenhaal’s stated inspiration point of 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde, which we bring back in for Connections to consider how The Bride! stacks up, in both conception and execution, in its ideas about lovers on the lam, outlaw media sensations, and empowered women empowering women. Then for Your Next Picture Show, we offer a recommendation for another film about coupled-up criminals that predates Bonnie and Clyde, the 1950 noir Gun Crazy. Please share your thoughts about Bonnie and Clyde, The Bride!, 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: Phil Lord & Chris Miller's Project Hail Mary and Douglas Trumbull's Silent Running. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/join/NextPictureShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Couples Getaway, Pt. 1 — Bonnie and Clyde
Mar 1700:55:02Tap to summarizeThe obvious point of comparison for The Bride! is apparent in the title, but Maggie Gyllenhaal’s new revivification of The Bride of Frankenstein finds its animating spirit in a different film, with her protagonist couple spending a good portion of the movie on the run from the law in the 1930s in scenes that openly evoke Bonnie and Clyde. Whether The Bride! manages to rise anywhere close to the level of its inspiration is a question for next week’s episode; this week, we’re revisiting Arthur Penn’s "lovers on the lam" classic to consider why it hit the way it did in 1967 and what remains striking about it to this day. Then in Feedback, we tackle a couple of listener questions concerning our recent discussions of Send Help and Wuthering Heights. Please share your thoughts about Bonnie and Clyde, The Bride!, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/join/NextPictureShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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