“Your mother can’t be with you anymore.”Talking About Bambi with our Guest Todd Alcott, ScreenwriterWhen released in 1942 during WWII, Walt Disney’s Bambi struggled to find its audience. It still did well enough for itself, but it wasn’t until its subsequent releases over the decades when Disney would bring its classics back to theatres where it really found its audience. Since that time, it’s often cited as one of the best animated films out there. Why does this simple film about a young deer l...
Apr 24, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 2
“Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends.”We Finally Talk About Peter Jackson’s Epic Fantasy TrilogyConsidering our immense love for this film and the original material, it’s a bit surprising that it’s taken us into our twelfth season to discuss The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Peter Jackson and his amazing team believed in this world and crafted a script, found a cast, built a crew, and gave it their all to deliver a series of films that perfectly...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Season 12Ep. 60
“Friendship means little when it’s convenient.”Wrapping Up the John Wick SagaBefore the pandemic, director Chad Stahelski and team had been planning to film John Wick: Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 back to back. After delays, they ended up dropping the fifth chapter, opting to wrap everything up in the fourth film. So how does Chapter 4 work to continue expanding this world of assassins while also wrapping up John’s story? Do more story threads get dropped? And how do they amp up the stunt sequences t...
Apr 13, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Season 12Ep. 59
“I will serve. I will be of service.”We’re On the Run With John Wick.Picking up right where Chapter 2 ended, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum gives us more of what came before – amazing fight sequences with serious stuntwork, beautiful cinematography, and expanded world-building. While it delivers on all fronts, some people found this one’s expanded universe to be a bit too much. But is it? Or does it work? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our journey through the John Wick...
Apr 06, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 12Ep. 57
When we started our movie podcast, the original name was Movies We Like. Eventually, as we began talking about some movies we didn't like, we figured we should rebrand. Hence, The Next Reel Film Podcast was born. But we never could let go of the name Movies We Like. We just didn't have a place for it at the time. Then, as we were looking at rebranding this podcast as we worked to bring more guests from the industry to join us in talking about a movie they liked, we realized that this would be th...
Apr 03, 2023•5 min
“Can a man like you know peace?”We’re Back With John as He Takes on the Italian MafiaJohn Wick: Chapter 2 starts mid-action sequence as John fights Viggo’s brother to get his car back. It sets up the action for this film, and sets up John’s motivations. He’s a man stuck in the past who clings to his relics. Once he has his car, he even goes so far as to try breaking the rules to stay out of the business. Unfortunately, he’s not allowed, which propels this film. There’s a lot more world-building ...
Mar 30, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 12Ep. 56
“Now that I have found my peace, find yours.” Time to Avenge the Dead Puppy with John WickIt took some time to get all the right players so the movie John Wick could move forward. Luckily, everything worked out and stunt coordinators Chad Stahelski and David Leitch got the opportunity to direct their first big film. Derek Kolstad’s script had all the right magic and Keanu Reeves reinvented himself yet again with a title that surprised everyone. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson as we kick of...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 12Ep. 55
“So be addicted. Be addicted to something else.”Checking in 20 Years Later with Renton, Spud, Sick Boy, and BegbyThat’s right, it’s time to talk about Danny Boyle’s legacy sequel T2 Trainspotting. It was a long time coming, and that’s even after author Irvine Welsh wrote a 10-years-later sequel called “Porno” to his original novel “Trainspotting.” Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we wrap up our conversations about the Trainspotting series with a look at Boyle’s 2017 film T2 Trainspotti...
Mar 16, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 12Ep. 54
“Living like this is a full-time business.” Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose Trainspotting. Danny Boyle had directed before making Trainspotting, but it’s this film that really seemed to stamp him as a director to notice. This film follows a rowdy group of twenty-somethings, several of whom are heroin addicts. It not only pushed Boyle into the conversation, but Ewan McGregor as well, who stands out as the protagonist of our film. His journey as an addict who works to break free from the life on...
Mar 09, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 12Ep. 53
Driller Killer’s Back! But He’s Different...It was inevitable with the successes of The Slumber Party Massacre and Slumber Party Massacre II that Roger Corman would want a third film made. Again, he chose to have a female writer and female director which is a nice change from the norm – particularly for the era. But why does this one feel separate from the first two? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we conclude our Slumber Party Massacre series with a conversation about Sally Mattison’...
Mar 02, 2023•52 min•Season 12Ep. 51
“I didn’t know girls really did this stuff!” All aboard for the rockabilly massacre dreamscape! There’s a clearly logical path from The Slumber Party Massacre to its followup five years later, Slumber Party Massacre II. The sequel follows the young sister from the first movie, now in high school herself, as she’s still dealing with how being a witness to the murders in the first affected not only her mind but also that of her sister, now institutionalized. The filmmakers clearly didn’t want to j...
Feb 23, 2023•51 min•Season 12Ep. 50
“Maybe we should split up.” Time to Tackle Some 80s Slumber Party Slashers Amy Holden Jones had been working as an editor but wanted to direct. She found her chance with Roger Corman doing one of his slasher films. The script, however, was a parody of slashers written by Rita Mae Brown, and even though it was reworked by Corman’s team, it still has some traces of that parody. What resulted is an interesting slasher film that feels like it’s doing something a bit more than others of its time. Joi...
Feb 16, 2023•1 hr•Season 12Ep. 49
“Death is certain. If God doesn’t kill me, this neighborhood will.” Another Gangster Saga About Being Trapped in the Family Business Chalk it up to writer/director Anurag Kashyap’s connection to the films of Coppola, De Palma, and Scorsese, but there’s a lot of The Godfather Part II, Scarface, and GoodFellas in this film. The family business. Betrayal. Extreme violence. Different factions working with and against each other. This film, the second half of Kashyap’s epic gangster saga detailing th...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr•Season 12Ep. 48
We head to the coal mines in India as we tackle the epic gangster saga Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1. It’s over two-and-a-half hours and is quite a ride. Visceral filmmaking and a tale based on real events as we follow several families and groups vying to rule the area in this wild tale. We have a great time with it so check it out then tune in!“A dog always stays a dog.” Tackling the Epic Indian Gangster Saga When director Anurag Kashyap finished his film Gangs of Wasseypur, it was five hours and...
Feb 02, 2023•52 min•Season 12Ep. 46
“Oh boy! Another murder!” Closing Out Our Time With Nick and Nora In 1947, Edward Buzzell directed the last of the ‘Thin Man’ films, written by a new pair – Steve Fisher and Nat Perrin. Despite the fact that the creative team’s largely new, William Powell and Myrna Loy remain the constants, and bring their same charm as Nick and Nora Charles to the screen. And the creative team here does a wonderful job of blending the comedy and the crime elements. At times, it feels downright film noir. The ca...
Jan 26, 2023•56 min•Season 12Ep. 45
“There’s nothing in the world Nick wants more than a pat on the back from his father. If he got that, I think he’d pop a vest button.” Nick and Nora head to small town America to visit Nick’s parents and find mystery... It took some doing, but Myrna Loy was finally convinced to make just one film during the War, taking time out of her volunteer efforts she was committing to the Red Cross. That one film was a return to the Thin Man series with her co-star William Powell. It had first been delayed...
Jan 19, 2023•57 min•Season 12Ep. 44
Nick and Norah investigating a murder at the racetracks W.S. Van Dyke’s back to have another good time with Nick and Nora Charles, though this time it’s with different writers. How does that affect things? And is William Powell seeming to be feeling better this time around? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Thin Man series with a conversation about Maj. W.S. Van Dyke II’s Shadow of the Thin Man. Here’s a hint at what we talk about. The mystery’s better this time around, ...
Jan 12, 2023•58 min•Season 12Ep. 43
“He says his name is Charles, but he looks to me like a pool parlor dude.” Nick and Nora have a baby! It wasn’t an easy film for William Powell to jump into. He was recovering from the death of the love of his life, and he was also recovering from cancer. But he returned for yet another round with Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, and this time they have a baby. But does Powell seem like he has the energy for it? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Thin Man series with W...
Jan 05, 2023•55 min•Season 12Ep. 41
“C’mon, let’s get something to eat. I’m thirsty!” Back in the World of Nick and Norah Charles With the success of The Thin Man, it was inevitable that the studio would want to return to the world of Nick and Norah Charles. While not based on another book by Dashiell Hammett, it’s clearly his characters and the returning screenwriting duo of Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich know how to bring Nick and Norah to life. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our ‘The Thin Man’ serie...
Dec 29, 2022•54 min•Season 12Ep. 39
Co-Parenting in the MoviesWe’re ending the year with a podcast crossover episode. Andy joins Pete on How to Split a Toaster: A Divorce Podcast About Saving Your Relationships. On that show, Pete and his co-host Seth Nelson discuss a variety of divorce-related topics to help those going through the difficult process. Today’s episode is a reprieve from that specific focus. In this episode, everyone’s bringing three movies that feature co-parenting. Here’s a breakdown of what each person talks abou...
Dec 27, 2022•34 min•Season 12Ep. 40
“Jake, you really do stink.” The End of the ‘Epic’ Saga The time has come to wrap up the adaptations of Stephenie Meyer’s supernatural romance novels. And we didn’t even talk about reasons why they split the book up! Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we conclude our Twilight series with a conversation about Bill Condon’s 2012 film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. Vampires and werewolves and Volturi, oh my!There’s... a lot... going on with these stories. They’re not great, but ...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 12Ep. 36
“We must destroy it before it’s born.” Condon goes for lust, horror and a bit of camp We return to Forks, Washington, to join Edward and Bella at their wedding. We also join them on their honeymoon and then struggle with them as they figure out how to deal with a vampire baby. That’s right – we’re back in Twilight territory. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Twilight series with a a conversation about Bill Condon’s 2011 film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1. Her...
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 12Ep. 35
“Let’s face it – I AM hotter than you.” The melodrama continues between Bella and Jacob and Edward David Slade takes the helm with the third adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s supernatural romance novels, but how does it do to advance the story? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our series on the Twilight films with Slade’s 2010 film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Here’s a hint at what we talk about.The romance novel love triangle just keeps happening, even though we feel it’s ove...
Dec 08, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 12Ep. 34
“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 i...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 12Ep. 33
“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 wi...
Nov 24, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 12Ep. 32
“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...
Nov 17, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Season 12Ep. 29
“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 sila...
Nov 10, 2022•58 min•Season 12Ep. 28
“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 Céline The 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, ...
Nov 03, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 12Ep. 25
“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 ...
Oct 27, 2022•56 min•Season 12Ep. 24
“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 ...
Oct 20, 2022•59 min•Season 12Ep. 22
