The Next Reel Film Podcast

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. We discuss what works and what doesn't in the performances, particularly focusing on Anne Parillaud's performance of the title character. We chat about Besson and what he brings to the table, for better or for worse. We talk about the nature of this French government assassin program and why it creates an interesting idea, though that is pretty ridiculous when you think about it too long. And we talk about the amazing visual style that Besson uses to tell this story, even if the script and the direction aren't always on par with it. He's a wild director and we have a wild romp in this, the first of our Luc Besson series. Listen in! 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

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. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we talk about it in this week's episode of Movies We Like, wrapping up our Great Car Chase series. We talk about the car chases in this film and what they bring to the story. We chat about Gosling as well as all of the other great actors, particularly Albert Brooks who's darker than we've ever seen him before. We chat about the camera used to shoot the film and what that brings to the table. And we mull over the violence as it's depicted in the film, and question what Refn could be saying by making it so violent. It's a great finish to a fun series. Listen in! 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

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. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — on this week's episode of Movies We Like as we continue our great car chase series. We talk about the great car chases in this film and how they were executed, as well as why Frankenheimer chose to film them the way he did. We discuss the script and the writers, most notably David Mamet, and how he ended up deciding to get credited as co-screenwriter under an alias. We chat about the great actors and what they bring to the film, yet how one of them never has felt right to us in his role, as great of an actor as he is. And we chat about the title of the film, the nature of ronin warriors, and what it means in context of this film. It's a great action thriller with amazing car chases and definitely a film worth talking about. Listen in! 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

It's our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY, everyone! That's right, we've been doing the "Movies We Like" 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." Join us—Pete Wright and Andy Nelson—as we celebrate one of our absolute favorite films. We talk about the fantastic car chase in this film and how Friedkin and his producer Philip D'Antoni—who also produced "Bullitt"—worked hard to come up with a way to kick it up a notch and create what is now regarded one of the best car chases in cinema history. We chat about Friedkin's documentary background and what he brought to the table, creating a gritty vibe and a new style of filmmaking that would change the nature of cop films for years to come. We discuss the fantastic performances all through the film—Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey, etc.—and how they tapped into this gritty realism by working with their real-life counterparts. We also, of course, talk about the real French connection case that this was based on, who was involved, how they helped with this film, and how the film and the real story differ. And we look at 1971's other cop films and Oscar nominees to see how this film compares. It's top-notch filmmaking and certainly a movie we like. We have a blast talking about it and hope you enjoy listening. 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

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 Crowne 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. Join us—Pete Wright and Andy Nelson—for this week's episode of Rash Pixel's "Movies We Like" as we begin our Great Car Chase Series with this fun film. We talk about what works in the film (performances, real locations, stunts) and what doesn't (the story). We chat about the great performers all through the film, as well as the amazing crew helping put it together. And we chat about the car chase, what it's done for the world of stuntwork, as well as what the cars were that were involved in the dramatic 10-minute chase. It's a fun chat starting us off in a new series. Listen in! 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

"Hey, there's something down here." 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." It's the final episode in our month of horror series, and what a way to end! Join us—Pete Wright and Andy Nelson—as we talk about one of the greatest horror films of the last decade on this week's episode of Rash Pixel's "Movies We Like." We chat about why this movie works so well, both as a horror movie and as a metaphor for someone descending into madness. We discuss the great cast and how well they work within Marshall's smartly written script. We talk about the crawlers, the monsters in the film, hypothesize their origins and discuss why they are so effective. We talk about the amazing look of the film (dark is the key word) and the haunting music. And we break down the two different endings and what the original/extended ending really adds to the film with its presence. It's a fantastic film and DEFINITELY a movie we like. Listen in! 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

"Is everyone there dead?""Yeah, in the sense that they all sort of fell down, and then... got up and... started eating each other." 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 of Rash Pixel's "Movies We Like" as we continue our October Horror series with this film. We talk about the differences between the original and this remake, what works in the remake and what doesn't. We talk about the great effects work, as well as Snyder and his career. We discuss the great actors in this film and the inherent problem of having too many characters for us to have to pay attention to, as well as what characters and relationships ended up being the ones we latched onto. We chat about the interesting connection Heather "A Nightmare on Elm Street" Langenkamp has to this film. And we talk about our favorite moments in the film—the ones that always work and create great zombie moments, regardless of how ridiculous they may be. It's a fun and scary film, and the penultimate in our month of horror movies. Listen in! 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

"This is what I've seen in the four weeks since infection: people killing people, which is much what I saw in the four weeks before infection and the four weeks before that and before that as far back as I care to remember. People killing people." Zombies had notoriously been slow entities—let's face it, the walking dead just don't move so fast. But then Danny Boyle came along and, with writer Alex Garland, injected the zombie sub-genre with speed in their film "28 Days Later." The zombies became fast creatures. And all the more terrifying because of it. Join us—Pete Wright and Andy Nelson—on this week's episode of Rash Pixel's "Movies We Like" as we continue our October Horror series by delving into this 2002 film that revolutionized zombie films to come. We talk about how the movie not only altered what people think of zombies and zombie movies, but also how the filmmaking style has since influenced countless low-budget horror filmmakers, including many who shoot projects in the first person film style. We chat about the great actors inhabiting the film, as well as some of the fabulous production people involved. And we also talk about the shift in the third act, how that works for us and really what the filmmakers are trying to say with the story taking the direction it does. It's a bloody and bloody brilliant film, and definitely a movie we like. Listen in! 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

In 1982, John Carpenter's "The Thing" was released but had a tough time competing against other big sci-fi films released at the same time—E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and Blade Runner. It also was viewed by critics as being overly gory and wretched. With time, however, the film has gained a big cult following, big enough to warrant a prequel, a comic book series, a video game and a potential sequel. Now, it's considered by many to be one of the great horror films of all time. Join us—Pete Wright and Andy Nelson—on this week's episode of Rash Pixel's "Movies We Like" (our 50th!) as we start our October horror series with this fantastic film. We talk about why it's one of our favorites and the memories of seeing it for the first time. We chat about the amazing cast and the stellar "thing" designed by FX master Rob Bottin. We talk about Ennio Morricone's music and why this film has gained popularity over time, becoming such a staple in horror, and how that's lead to all of the subsequent spin-offs. It's a marvelous horror film and a great one to start our horror series. Listen in! Oh, and did you know that The Thing is regularly viewed by members of the winter crew down at the Asmundsen-Scott South Pole Station after the last flight out? How fittingly morbid of them... 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 young. Life has been kind to you. You will learn." With these words early on in Tim Burton's 2007 film adaptation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, we instantly get a sense of the dark place that the character of Sweeney Todd, played marvelously by Johnny Depp, has come from. This isn't your typical happy-go-lucky musical. No, this is dark and bloody and beautifully grim. It's the perfect story for Burton and ends up being one of our favorite films of his, the final film in our Richard D. Zanuck series. Join us—Pete Wright and Andy Nelson—for this episode of Rash Pixel's "Movies We Like" as we delve into everything about this film. We chat about the stellar performances by Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and everyone else. We discuss the amazing Stephen Sondheim and the surprisingly long history of the story of Todd. We chat about the blood and the grand guignol style Burton uses for the film, but also about the melancholy and heartbreak present in the story. We bring up Depp's singing and what it does for the film and talk about the rain of blood in the title sequence and how it perfectly sets us up for the film. And, of course, we talk about Zanuck, his involvement in the film, and how challenging it was to get the film made. It's a horror and it's a marvel, and it's definitely a movie we like. Listen in! 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