The Next Reel Film Podcast

“I guess the wolf’s out of the bag.”Bella’s plight continues – who will she choose? We’re here for it!Bella continues pining for Edward long after he’s moved away, but Jacob’s there for her. That’s right, we’re talking about vampires, werewolves, Volturi and more! Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our journey through the Twilight series in our discussion about Chris Weitz’ 2009 film The Twilight Saga: New Moon.Here’s a hint at what we talk about.Kristen Stewart’s acting is tough, but is it her or Stephenie Meyer’s dialogue and romance novel elements? What about Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner? How about the Shakespearean elements? What do we think of the werewolves? And the effects? How is Weitz as the new director for the film? Do we like the romance? Or prefer the expanded lore? And how does Desplat do with the music? And the biggest question of all – are we on Team Jacob or Team Edward?So much smoldering romance, blood, wolves, and fantastic Italian architecture! We’re here for it. Check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film SundriesLearn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatchScript OptionsTheatrical trailerPoster artworkFlickchartLetterboxd Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

“I’ve never given much thought to how I would die, but dying in place of someone I love seems like a good way to go.”It’s time to explore the vampire romance Twilight!Make fun of us all you want. We thought exploring the romance novel vampire series would be worth the conversation. That’s right, we’re looking at all five films adapted from Stephenie Meyer’s books. Does it work for us, two middle-aged white guys? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we tackle the Twilight Saga starting with Catherine Hardwicke’s 2008 film Twilight.Here’s a hint at what we talk about.Hardwicke came from indie films dealing with youth angst. Do her skills translate here? How about her ability to direct action and special effects scenes? What about Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson? Do we buy into their characters? Their romance? How about the rest of the cast and characters?Where do we struggle more – with the smoldering teenage romance or with the murderous vampire subplot? And Edward’s less than savory approaches to courtship, particularly through modern eyes?And how about the vampires-through-Meyer’s-lens exposition?There’s plenty to discuss in this film. We have a great time chatting about it. Check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film SundriesLearn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatchScript OptionsTheatrical trailerPoster artworkFlickchartLetterboxd Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

“They're not cops anymore. They're in my world now.”Expanding the Universe with The Raid 2.We often talk about world building on our podcast. We also talk about leveling up and not simply remaking the first film when you make a second one. With The Raid 2, writer-director Gareth Evans proves he understands all of this. The world building expands in exciting ways, and the film levels up to take us outside of the building into the streets of Jakarta. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we wrap up our series looking at The Raid films with Evans 2014 followup, The Raid 2. Here’s a hint at what we talk about.So much action. It’s a thrill ride from start to finish, and Evans proves he doesn’t need to keep it in an enclosed space like he did the first film. We get more with the corrupt cops, more with the gangs, more with Rama as he agrees to step away from his family to help take down the criminal elements in Jakarta. It’s big and it’s operatic in scope. Is the violence too much though? Or is it part of the opera?How about the performances and the story? Too convoluted or does it all work? And why isn’t Evans doing more?There’s a lot to discuss with this fantastic conclusion to Evans’ epic. We have a great time chatting about it, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film SundriesLearn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatchScript OptionsTheatrical trailerPoster artworkFlickchartLetterboxd Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

“Just because you see what I do as wrong doesn’t mean I can’t be good at it.”We’re heading in to take down the big bad in The Raid.Gareth Huw Evans wasn’t making headway with his directing career in his home country of Wales, so moving to Indonesia to work in a project there at the suggestion of his wife – who happens to be from Indonesia – seemed like a good idea. It was there he learned more about the Pencak silat style of martial arts and where he met Iko Uwais. Uwais not only performs silat brilliantly, but also looks good and acts well on screen. That’s when they decided to make movies together. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our series looking at Evans Raid films starting with his 2011 film The Raid: Redemption. Here’s a hint at what we talk about.If the elements in this film feel like your typical action film, why does this film work so much better than those? Is it Evans’ direction? The performances by Uwais and the rest of the cast? The stunts? The camerawork? To a certain extent, this film feels very much like a video game. That sense of the levels and intensifying action throughout lends to this sensibility. For critics like Roger Ebert, it doesn’t work very well. For us, though, it’s easy to enjoy. We talk about the nature of the story, the elements that make it stand up over other action fare, the stunts, the camera work, the performances, and more. It’s a thrill ride and we have a great time watching and discussing it. Check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film SundriesLearn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatchScript TranscriptTheatrical trailerPoster artworkFlickchartLetterboxd Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

“Like sunlight, sunset, we appear, we disappear. We are so important to some, but we are just passing through.”Time to wrap things up with Jesse and CélineThe conclusion of our 18-year journey with the two principal characters in Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy lands in division. When we started this series, we were divided because of the Gen-X nature of the characters. With the second film, we both found a much stronger connection to the romantic rekindling between Jesse and Céline. Here, we find ourselves split again, and it’s because this pair – now together with kids – has a big fight. But there’s more to the film. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we tie things up in our Before Trilogy with a conversation about Linklater’s 2013 film Before Midnight. A lot to argue about, a lot to agree about.We both like how the film starts. We both like the conversation around the table as four couples talk about love, masculinity/femininity, and sex. It’s the nature of the marriage and Jesse’s and Céline’s conversations together – and arguments later – that lead to our splitting of the minds. Is it a natural conversation flow that leads to the fighting? Or is it crafted in a way that makes Céline seem crazier than she should and makes it feel like they haven’t talked in nine years? Does it all feel unnaturally “written” and not “real?” And did the conversation make sense to begin with?There’s a lot of debate and arguing, and it makes for a fun conversation. Check out the trilogy then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film SundriesLearn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatchScript PDFTheatrical trailerPoster artworkFlickchartLetterboxd Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

“Why didn’t we just exchange phone numbers and stuff?”Jesse and Céline are a bit more grown up in Before Sunset.The sequel wasn’t an immediate thought on the minds of the group behind 1995’s Before Sunrise, but certainly was something that writer/director Richard Linklater, co-writer Kim Krizan, and actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy all felt strongly about. They’d all grown close to the characters in the film and wanted to see where the were down the line. Did they meet up in six months? What have they been doing in the intervening years? Turns out, audiences were curious as well. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our exploration of the Before Trilogy with Linklater’s 2004 film Before Sunset. How do we feel about the film?Turns out, the film works better for us than the first film (and Andy loved the first film!). There’s a sense of growth to Jesse and Céline that feels authentic. They’ve experienced life, made hard choices, fallen in and out of love, and find themselves in this point where they meet again. It works for us.The conversations feel grounded, which we love. The city may not play as much a part of the story here, but it’s present in a way that works well that doesn’t feel like Paris has to be a third character.The film has some brilliant moments throughout, but that ending... it certainly works in a charming way. But how does it work as a story told in real time? Is it?It’s a delight of a film to watch and discuss. We have a great conversation about it, so check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film SundriesLearn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatchScript PDFTheatrical trailerPoster artworkFlickchartLetterboxd Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

“If there’s any kind of magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding someone, sharing something.”Looking at Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise.There’s often been a sense of the arthouse style of storytelling with Richard Linklater’s films. Even after big Hollywood success, he still returns to his roots. Early in his explorations of minimalist, conversational storytelling, he decided to write a semi-autobiographical story of two people meeting in Europe and talking for 12 or so hours, building a connection, until they have to part with the possibility of never seeing each other again. With co-writer Kim Krizan, along with uncredited help from his stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, he brought Before Sunrise to life. But is this another great My Dinner With André? Or is this too mired in Gen-X sensibilities that keep us from connecting with the characters? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our exploration of Linklater’s Before Trilogy with his 1995 film Before Sunrise. Here’s a hint at what we talk about.How does Linkater work for us? Do we connect with his more artsy, indie films or prefer his studio films like School of Rock? Perhaps the bigger question is how much can we – former Gen-Xers – connect with these characters through today’s eyes? Do we feel like we’ve grown past this sort of conversational, stream-of-consciousness exploration they do or does it work for us?To that end, how much do we enjoy Hawke and Delpy? And can we single out their performances outside of their own personas or, as uncredited co-writers of the film, does it seem they’re too intrinsically a part of these characters and vice versa to be able to pull out anything separate? Regardless, there are elements we can both agree on that work incredibly well for us. Unfortunately, that means there’s a lot of disagreement about other elements. We cover the gamut of those elements, debating the strengths and weaknesses of the film. It’s a great conversation about a unique film. Check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film SundriesLearn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatchScript PDFTheatrical trailerPoster artworkFlickchartLetterboxd Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

“You’ve been a very naughty girl, Turnip-Top!”The Bellas Are Back, But Should They Have Stayed Away?Making a sequel that’s more successful than its predecessor often means the studio wants to keep the ball rolling to make even more money – even when a third film isn’t needed. With the massive success of Pitch Perfect 2, they jumped at the chance to get #3 off the ground. Does it wrap things up as a trilogy? Yes. Does it do something new and level up from the previous films? To a certain extent. But does it feel necessary to us? Not really. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we conclude our conversation in our Pitch Perfect trilogy with Trish Sie’s 2017 film Pitch Perfect 3.Here’s a hint at what we talk about.It’s clear this movie – and the franchise, really – is not for us. That’s strange, because the first film certainly made it feel like it was. But it’s clear with each passing film that Executive Producer Elizabeth Banks preferred the goofy comedy direction for the franchise instead of the great a cappella focus. It’s frustrating, because the actors making up the Bellas clearly can sing, but the story doesn’t seem to want to be about that. It wants to be about wacky character turned up to 12.So while we can appreciate the singing and the performances in this film, it’s hard to get past the story that just feels so written. Even with a new director – Trish Sie – at the helm, the film doesn’t work for us. What’s funny is that, unlike the last film, this one feels like they were working harder to amp up the story and give it some new shifts that would level up the story from what we had previously. The second film didn’t do that, so that counts as a win here. Unfortunately, that ‘something new’ they’ve included is Fat Amy’s dad and their backstory, which just doesn’t work.But hey – the movie works for some people, and it still allows for a great conversation. So tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film SundriesLearn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatchTranscriptTheatrical trailerPoster artworkFlickchartLetterboxdPete’s Pitch Perfect Unarranged Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

“You are such a dis-a-ca-ppointment.” Back to Barden, the Bellas, the Treblemakers and more!We’re back to talk a cappella! That’s right, we return to Barden University to rejoin the Barden Bellas as they struggle to find their new sound, deal with being shut out of the ICCAs, and decide to compete at the World Finals. Producer Elizabeth Banks takes on the director’s role here with Kay Cannon back as the writer, so why does it feel so... rehashed? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Pitch Perfect series with Banks’ 2015 film Pitch Perfect 2. We have a lot of issues with this film  – but still a lot of love for its a cappella performancesIn the world of sequels, this film doesn’t do much to make it feel necessary. It’s largely a repeat of the first film. We talk about that and some of our struggles with their lack of imagination in where they take the story. They also seemed to have decided to crank everything that worked more or less in the last film to 11 in this film. We find that largely leaves most of it feeling very over-written. Plus, they take the racial comedy to levels that just feels inappropriate. We struggle quite a bit with what all of that does to characters and the overall journey Beca and the Bellas go on.But it’s still about a cappella, so there’s a lot to love. We just wish the songs were as memorable here as they were in the first film.It’s a rough ride after the first film. If you enjoy it really depends on how much you enjoy the a cappella performances. We’re a bit split there, but it still allows for a great conversation. Check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film SundriesLearn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatchScriptTheatrical trailerPoster artworkFlickchartLetterboxdPete’s Pitch Perfect Unarranged Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

“Nothing makes a woman feel more like a girl than a man who sings like a boy.”Time to warm up those vocals, Pitches.With Pete’s history in collegiate a cappella, it’s a surprise that it took us this long to get to the Pitch Perfect trilogy, but we’re finally here. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our new series with a discussion about Jason Moore’s 2012 film Pitch Perfect.How well does Pitch Perfect perfectly capture the world of collegiate a cappella competition?With Pete’s background in this arena, we have a lot to talk about here. We start by going into Pete’s history in the world of a cappella groups and ICCA competitions. We also talk about silly names of a cappella groups and the mashup style of performance. From there, we talk about this movie and how it gets so much right. The college life. The first few weeks of school with all the tables at the student center. The way students behave. Everything feels authentic.Once we get to the a cappella groups, they feel authentic as well. It’s clear from the foundational book for Kay Cannon’s script and Moore’s own history that they knew what they were doing. But the actors all feel perfect for the film as well, and they all sing like pros.It’s a fun film that’s easy to love, and a great start to this series. Check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film SundriesLearn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatchScriptTheatrical trailerPoster artworkFlickchartLetterboxdPete’s Pitch Perfect Unarranged Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible