Shows
The Next Best Picture PodcastA Behind The Scenes Look At "Train Dreams""Train Dreams" had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and later screened at the Toronto and AFI Film Festivals. It received positive reviews for its adaptation of the 2011 novella of the same name, Clint Bentley's direction, Joel Edgerton's leading performance, its cinematography, and its score by Bryce Dessner. Members of the cast and crew were kind enough to spend some time speaking with Next Best Picture over the past few weeks, and you can watch or listen to those conversations below. First, we have Daniel Howat's interview with Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones. Then, we have my in...
2025-11-2144 min
Backwater Bastards: An Actual Play PodcastBest friends friendsWhen the going gets tough, the tough split the party. (…Right?)
The hunt for Cleo continues, as the Cap/Bastard rescue squad spreads through the BioLife flagship like a handful of subpar nanites.
Ze kicks us off by taking one for the universe by locking himself in with Robin to both protect the party, and gather intel. Together, they discover that Robin is not the only big fish in this pond.
While Ze goes brain to brain with a fellow brain, Bortis, Boris, and Fron come together to form the Best Friends Force (BFF). Or is it Best Friend’s Fr...
2025-11-201h 32
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 465 - Awards Season Preview, "The Testament Of Ann Lee," "Michael," "Five Nights At Freddy's 2," "100 Nights Of Hero" & "Rosemead" TrailersFor Episode 465, Megan Lachinski, Cody Dericks, Daniel Howat, Tom O'Brien, and I are here to preview what's to come over the next several weeks for the 2025-2026 awards season as more nominations roll in from groups such as the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) and Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA). For this week's poll, we're revisiting our famous question, "Which Film Do You Think Is Going To Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, for the wide and limited releases of "Predator: Badlands" and "Sentimental Value" respectively, "Which Is Your Fa...
2025-11-092h 09
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Christy"For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Josh Parham, Joselyn Safadi, Dan Bayer & Daniel Howat join me to discuss the latest film from David Michôd, "Christy," starring Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, and Katy O'Brian. Based on former professional boxer Christy Martin, the film chronicles Martin's rise to becoming America's most well-known female boxer in the 1990s, and later her abusive relationship with her husband/trainer. The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival to positive reviews for Sweeney and Foster's performances, but what did we think of it? Please tune in as we discuss that, th...
2025-11-081h 40
The Next Best Picture PodcastA Behind The Scenes Look At "Frankenstein""Frankenstein" had its world premiere at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival and later screened at the Telluride and Toronto International Film Festivals. It received positive reviews for its direction and adaptation by Guillermo del Toro of Mary Shelley's beloved, iconic novel, as well as incredible craftsmanship from all areas of production, and performances from Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth. Members of the cast and crew were kind enough to spend some time speaking with members of Next Best Picture over the past few weeks, which you can listen to below. First, we have Nadia Dalimonte speaking with...
2025-11-041h 14
Backwater Bastards: An Actual Play PodcastAn eerie presence feat. Fiona K. T. Howat and HamiltonThe plan is working, and our crew is aboard the BioLife ship, where wave after wave of guards welcome them. It's the fastest slow going you could hope for, while Boris, Trevor, Dr. Ze, The Nine Blades and Vache fight to clear the halls, and our Cleo fights to stay alive. Every BioLife lackey between the rescue team and Cleo is a bag of extracted blood, a few million nanites, a last minute stalling tactic.
Regardless, our rescuers have boarded, and it's enough work to stay alive. There is no time to stop and consider the small...
2025-10-231h 16
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Roofman"For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Dan Bayer, Sara Clements, Daniel Howat, and Tom O'Brien join me to review and discuss the latest film from Derek Cianfrance, "Roofman," starring Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang, and Peter Dinklage. Based on the real-life story of robber Jeffrey Manchester, who hid out in a toy store from law enforcement, the film had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for Tatum and Dunst's performances, as well as Cianfrance's writing and di...
2025-10-111h 29
Backwater Bastards: An Actual Play PodcastSurprise Surprise feat. Fiona K. T. Howat and HamiltonThe Caps, The remaining Bastards, and… Margo’s BioLife escapee friends, are teaming up to bring back Cleo.
Vache de Mer and The Nine Blades have been captured by BioLife almost more times than they can count. (They are after all, remnants of experiments failed.) Which is why they’re Margo’s ticket to stealthily finding the BioLife stronghold that’s holding Cleo. The plan is airtight. Set a trap, lay the bait, wait for capture- and send the whole dang team in to infiltrate. All we need is for the right interstellar space corporation to drive by. Sure hope the f...
2025-09-271h 22
The Next Best Picture PodcastThe Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 56 - Our Reactions To The 2025 Emmy Award WinnersTHIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture
The 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held last night! Daniel Howat and Giovanni Lago initially joined me to recap the show on Sunday night, but unfortunately, we forgot to hit record. As a result, Giovanni Lago and I were joined by Amy Kim for the first time on the show as a guest to review the winners for our second recording last night. We exp...
2025-09-1631 min
Piecing It Together PodcastThe Long Walk LIVE (Featuring Daniel Howat)On the 473rd episode of Piecing It Together, we are LIVE from AMC Town Square after an early screening of The Long Walk with film critic Daniel Howat. This adaptation of the Stephen King novel from JT Mollner and Francis Lawerence features a great young cast and a lot of walking. Puzzle pieces include Speed, Ploattoon, Cool Hand Luke and The Hunger Games.As always, SPOILER ALERT for The Long Walk and the movies we discuss!Written by JT MollnerDirected by Francis LawerenceStarring Cooper Hoffman, David Jo...
2025-09-1226 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastThe Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 55 - Our Final Winner Predictions For The 2025 Emmy AwardsThe Next Best Series Podcast is back with Megan Lachinski, Giovanni Lago, Nadia Dalimonte, Daniel Howat, and Alyssa Christian for Episode 55, where they discuss the latest television shows and, more importantly, reveal their final winner predictions for the 77th Annual Emmy Primetime Awards on Sunday, September 14th. The Creative Arts Emmy Award winners have already been announced, and this conversation was recorded a few days ago, before they took place, so excuse us if some of the content discussed is no longer relevant. We hope you enjoy us arguing over who we think will win in the writing, directing, acting, a...
2025-09-102h 45
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Highest 2 Lowest"For this week's main podcast review, Josh Parham, Giovanni Lago, Daniel Howat, Brendan Hodges, and Tom O'Brien join me to review and discuss the latest Spike Lee joint, "Highest 2 Lowest," starring Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera & ASAP Rocky. It is an English-language remake and reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 Japanese film High and Low, itself based on the 1959 novel King's Ransom by Ed McBain. It marks the first collaboration between Lee and Washington since "Inside Man" in 2006. The film premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews, but what did we think of it? Please tune in as we dis...
2025-09-062h 23
The Next Best Picture PodcastLive From The 2025 Telluride Film FestivalThe 2025 Telluride Film Festival has concluded. Unfortunately, Will Mavity had to leave early, and J Don Birnam wasn't staying with us this year, so it was just Daniel Howat and me as we take you through all of the movies we saw over the Labor Day weekend. From world premieres such as "Hamnet," "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere," "Ballad Of A Small Player," "Tuner," and "Hamlet," to Sundance and Cannes favorites such as "It Was Just An Accident," "Sentimental Value," "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You," "The Secret Agent," "All That's Left Of You," "Urchin," to Venice crossovers such as "...
2025-09-021h 25
The Next Best Picture PodcastA Behind The Scenes Look At "Adolescence""Adolescence" is a British television psychological crime drama series created by Emmy nominees Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Emmy nominee Philip Barantini. It centers on a 13-year-old schoolboy, Jamie Miller (Emmy nominee Owen Cooper), who is arrested after the murder of a girl in his school. Each of its episodes was shot in one continuous take. The limited series received critical acclaim for its directing, writing, and cinematography, with special attention paid to its atmosphere and performances. It has received thirteen nominations at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, including for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and...
2025-08-251h 19
Backwater Bastards: An Actual Play PodcastShort Stories | The Art of Getting Caught feat. Hamilton and Fiona K. T. HowatWhile the Bastards and The Caps are busy planning their rescue mission, Margo is busy hunting down her own backup plan.
Deep in the jungle on a desolate planet, Margo is tracking down the perpetually-captured duo known as "Nine Blades", (despite having only eight visible), and his precognitive partner Vache de Mer. With their “help”, Margo hatches a scheme to infiltrate BioLife and save Cleo. Her plan? Use Vache and Nine Blades’ unique talent for getting themselves captured by BioLife, as the ultimate Trojan Horse operation. By hiding the Bastard/Cap crew in their stolen BioLife ship and letting themse...
2025-07-3110 min
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Eddington"THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture
For this week's second podcast review, Dan Bayer, Giovanni Lago, Daniel Howat & Brendan Hodges, join me to review and discuss the latest film from Ari Aster, "Eddington," starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, Austin Butler & Emma Stone. After its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, much like Aster's other films, his COVID-19 pandemic-set Western has sparked an intense discu...
2025-07-2339 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastThe Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 53 - Our Reactions To The 2025 Emmy NominationsTHIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture
For Episode 53 of the Next Best Series Podcast, Daniel Howat takes over hosting duties and, along with Nadia Dalimonte, Megan Lachinski & Tom O'Brien, they give their reactions to the 77th Emmy Award Nominations. They discuss who got in, who missed, who on the team performed well in their predictions, and what the most challenging races to call are now that the nominations have been announced...
2025-07-1625 min
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Elio"For this week's main podcast review, Josh Parham, Alyssa Christian, Cody Dericks & Daniel Howat join me to review and discuss the newest Pixar film, "Elio," starring Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett & Jameela Jamil. With a long and troubled production that resulted in multiple directors and screenwriters being accredited, the original animated film has finally been released in theaters. Now we're left wondering how it compares to the best Pixar has had to offer. Please tune in as we discuss the themes, characters, voice performances, animation, score, awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER...
2025-06-211h 34
The Next Best Picture PodcastThe Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 51 - Emmy Nomination FYC & Gotham TV Award WinnersThe Next Best Series Podcast is back to discuss the latest television shows, including the season finales of "Hacks," "The Last Of Us," "The Rehearsal," "Your Friends & Neighbors" & "Dope Thief." We also review the Gotham TV Award winners and express to Emmy Award voters who we hope they'll consider when casting their votes for this year's Emmy Award nominations. Please tune in as Megan Lachinski, Daniel Howat, and Giovanni Lago join me to discuss these topics, shows, and more on this week's episode! We'll return with another new episode later this month to discuss our final Emmy Nomination Predictions. Thank...
2025-06-121h 53
The Establishing ShotThe Adventures Of Tintin (w/ Daniel Howat)Tintin is a unique film in the Spielberg filmography as his only fully animated film. Because of this, this discussion is full of interesting topics like his forging into motion capture technology, the sense of playfulness felt in the film, and much more. I might even get into a bit of Movie-Dad talk with my guest Daniel Howat of Next Best Picture, talking about movies we have enjoyed showing our kids. This was a fun episode for a movie about having fun!https://www.establishingshotpod.com/Feedback:Email us at...
2025-05-302h 26
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning"THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture
For this week's second podcast review, Dan Bayer, Alyssa Christian, Daniel Howat & Giovanni Lago join me to review and discuss the final "Mission: Impossible" film, "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" starring Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Mark...
2025-05-2727 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastInterview With "The Oscars" Producers Raj Kapoor & Katy MullanFew shows face the criticism from all sides that “The Oscars” do. Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan know that better than most. They’ve produced the last two Academy Awards, facing the challenge head-on and boosting ratings along the way. The Academy and ABC have taken notice, quickly announcing Kapoor and Mullan as the producers of next year’s Oscars, along with returning host Conan O’Brien. In an exclusive conversation with Daniel Howat from Next Best Picture, Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan discuss their approach to producing “The Oscars,” honoring the crafts behind the films, and the challenge of the time crun...
2025-05-0722 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastInterviews With "Adolescence" Star Erin Doherty & Director Philip Barantini"Adolescence" is quite possibly the buzziest and best show of 2025. A cultural phenomenon all over the world, particularly within the UK (it was the first streaming show to place at the top of the Barb Audiences weekly television ratings), the series has received universal critical acclaim for its directing, writing, one-take cinematography, and performances. Director Philip Barantini was kind enough to spend some time speaking with Daniel Howat about his work on all four episodes of the series while star Erin Doherty spoke with Nadia Dalimonte about her haunting work in Episode 3, which you can listen to below. Please b...
2025-05-0636 min
What Am I Rolling?Bonus: Q&A with Daniel Kwan and Wandering BladesShow Notes
To tide us over til our next one-shot, here's a bonus episode where our host and GM Fiona chats to podcaster, game designer, and cultural consultant Daniel Kwan about his upcoming game: Wandering Blades.
Wandering Blades is a roleplaying game of violent, martial arts melodrama for 2-5 players. In this game, players take on the roles of highly skilled martial artists who wander the lands seeking to redress wrongs, help the downtrodden, and free the innocent from oppressive forces.
Using a streamlined system inspired by old-school renaissance products, Wandering Blades enables...
2025-05-041h 03
The Next Best Picture PodcastThe Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 50 - "The Last Of Us," "Andor," "Hacks," & Gotham TV Award NominationsTHIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture
The Next Best Series Podcast is back to discuss the latest television shows, including the season finale of "The White Lotus," and the returns of "The Last Of Us," "Andor," and reigning Outstanding Comedy Series champion "Hacks." We also go over the second annual Gotham TV Award nominations, the trailers for "Wednesday" Season Two, "Duster," "Sirens," and "The Better Sister." Please tune in as Meg...
2025-05-0224 min
The Next Best Picture Podcast"The Amateur"For this week's main podcast review, Katie Johnson, Josh Parham, Alyssa Christian, Daniel Howat, and I are reviewing and discussing "The Amateur," starring Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, and Laurence Fishburne. Based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Robert Littell, which was previously adapted into a Canadian film that same year, the film tells the story of a CIA decoder who goes rogue on a global mission for justice after his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack when his superiors refuse to act, using nothing but his intelle...
2025-04-121h 12
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Warfare"THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPictureFor this week's second podcast review, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Brendan Hodges, Daniel Howat, and I are reviewing and discussing the latest film from Alex Garland and co-directed alongside Iran war veteran Ray Mendoza, "Warfare," starring D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Charles Melton, Joseph Quinn, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Michael Gandolfini, Noah Centineo, Finn Bennett & Taylor John Smith. Taking place in real-time, abandoning typical war genre...
2025-04-1132 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 436 - 2025 Cannes Predictions, CinemaCon Recap, "Tron: Ares," "M3GAN 2.0," "Fountain Of Youth" & "Bring Her Back" TrailersFor Episode 436, I am joined by Daniel Howat and Katie Johnson to discuss what we think will be announced this week for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and recap what was announced at CinemaCon this week. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Film From Q1 2025?" and pose this week's poll question for the release of "Warfare" asking, "Which Is Your Favorite Project Alex Garland Has Written And/Or Directed?" We also react to the trailers for "Tron: Ares," "M3GAN 2.0," "Bring Her Back," "Fountain Of Youth," answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! Thank y...
2025-04-062h 03
The Next Best Picture PodcastOur Immediate Reactions To The 97th Academy AwardsTHIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPictureThe 97th Academy Awards are officially over. Another awards season is behind us, and it was indeed a night to remember with some tight races, deserved wins, and a respectful ceremony that honored the heroes of the LA fires and the city of Los Angeles (along with some other questionable tributes: James Bond??). We witnessed some powerfully moving speeches, the longest speech ever, and m...
2025-03-0319 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 431 - Our Final Predictions For The 97th Academy Awards, "Freaky Tales" & "The Actor" TrailersFor Episode 431, I am joined by Nadia Dalimonte, Josh Parham, Daniel Howat, Cody Dericks, Tom O'Brien, and Will Mavity. This is it. It's time for us to deliver our final winner predictions for the 97th Academy Awards, which will be held this Sunday, March 2nd. Tune in as we discuss all 23 categories in detail and use all of the information from this season's precursors to make the best predictions we can. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Categories Do You Think Are The Hardest To Predict For The 97th Academy Awards?" and ask this week's...
2025-02-244h 20
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Flow"THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPictureWith its two Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best International Feature Film, Alyssa Christian, Dan Bayer, Daniel Howat, and I have come together to deliver a proper review for Gints Zilbalodis's animated feature film "Flow." Rendered on the free and open-source software Blender and containing no dialogue, the Latvian film has captivated audiences since its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival...
2025-02-0423 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 427 - Oscar Nomination Fallout, SXSW & Berlinale Lineups, "Drop," "Opus" & "Hell Of A Summer" TrailersFor Episode 427, while Matt Neglia is away at Sundance, Daniel Howat hosts this week's episode featuring Lauren LaMagna and Will Mavity as they discuss the 2025 Oscar nominations, the fallout of the announcement from last week and what it means for the Best Picture race. They also discuss the SXSW & Berlinale lineups, reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Oscar Nomination For The 97th Academy Awards Made You The Happiest?" and ask this week's poll question, "Which Film Do You Think Will Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" They also answer your fan-submitted questions and give their reactions to th...
2025-01-271h 44
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 426 - Our Final Oscar Nomination Predictions & "The Ballad Of Wallis Island" TrailerFor Episode 426, Alyssa Christian, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, Daniel Howat & Giovanni Lago join me for one of our most anticipated episodes every year: Our final Oscar nominations predictions episode!! This year, we may have gone overboard as we dove deep, as we always do, into each category with as much detail, analysis, and curiosity as possible, trying to correctly predict what will be announced on the morning of January 23rd. It's a long one, our longest ever in fact, but we hope you enjoy it. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Fives Films Wi...
2025-01-206h 24
The Next Best Picture PodcastA Behind The Scenes Look At "September 5""September 5" had its world premiere at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival in the Orizzonti Extra section, where it received positive reviews for its unique approach toward the Munich massacre of 1972 from the perspective of the ABC Sports crew and their coverage of the events. The film has gone on to receive nominations from the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama, the Producers Guild Of America as one of the ten best films of the year, the Critics Choice Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing, and the Film Independent Spirit Awards for Best Editing. Members...
2025-01-171h 08
The Next Best Picture PodcastInterviews With "The Wild Robot" Composer Kris Bowers & Songwriter Maren Morris"The Wild Robot" had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received enthusiastic reviews for its animation, story, heart, and music. An adaptation of Peter Brown's beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller, the Dreamworks Animation film has gone on to gross over $300 million worldwide, won more Best Animated Feature prizes than any other film in 2024 and has earned multiple nominations from the Critics Choice, Golden Globes and BAFTA awards for Best Animated Feature, Best Original Score (composed by Kris Bowers) and Best Original Song ("Kiss The Sky" by Maren Morris). Bowers and Morris were kind...
2025-01-1643 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastInterviews With "Better Man" Director/Co-Writer Michael Gracey & Star Robbie Williams"Better Man" had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its elaborately staged and choreographed musical sequences from director Michael Gracey ("The Greatest Showman") and the raw honesty with which global pop star Robbie Williams allowed his story to be told (all the while being portrayed on-screen by a CGI monkey nonetheless). Gracey and Williams were both kind enough to spend some time speaking with Daniel Howat and Dan Bayer, respectively, about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is n...
2025-01-1344 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 425 - The LA Fires, Golden Globes Impact, SAG & DGA Nominations & The "Companion" TrailerFor Episode 425, Nadia Dalimonte, Daniel Howat, Alyssa Christian & Tom O'Brien join me to offer our condolences and resources to those in Los Angeles impacted by the recent fires that have broken out over the past week. We also react to the Golden Globe winners' impact on the Oscar race and the SAG, DGA, ADG, and MPSE nominations. We also reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which 2025 Movie Are You Looking Forward To The Most?" and ask this week's poll question, "Which Five Films Will Be Nominated For Best International Feature Film At The 97th Academy Awards?" We also answer you...
2025-01-132h 33
The Next Best Picture PodcastOur Immediate Reactions To The 2025 Golden Globe Award WinnersTHIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPictureFollowing the airing of the 82nd annual Golden Globe Awards on CBS, Daniel Howat, Dan Bayer & Giovanni Lago hopped on the podcast to deliver their immediate reactions to the winners from the evening celebrating the best in film and television for 2024. How did the wins and speeches help shape the Oscar race? What did they think of Nikki Glazer's hosting? There's plenty to discuss, as awa...
2025-01-0619 min
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Nadia Dalimonte, Josh Parham & Daniel Howat to review and discuss the latest film in the "Wallace & Gromit" franchise: "Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl" starring Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel & Reece Shearsmith. It is the sixth "Wallace & Gromit" film and the second feature-length film after the Oscar-winning "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" (2005) with the return of the villainous penguin Feathers McGraw from "The Wrong Trousers" (1993), which takes revenge on Wallace and Gromit by reprogramming their robotic garden gnome Wallace has become so dependent on. What did we think of the stor...
2025-01-0457 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastA Behind The Scenes Look At "Saturday Night""Saturday Night" had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for Jason Reitman and Gil Keenan's screenplay, the real-time editing of the film's narrative, and the performances from the ensemble cast, which consists of primarily young and up and coming talent in Hollywood. Director and co-writer Jason Reitman, along with members of the film's crew, were all kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their work on the film, which you can listen to below. First, we have Daniel Howat's interview with Reitman, followed by his conversation with Production Designer...
2025-01-021h 31
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 423 - Our Golden Globe Winner Predictions & Favorite Films Of 2024For Episode 423, Sara Clements, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, Daniel Howat, Tom O'Brien & Will Mavity all join me for a special end of the year episode as we say goodbye to 2024 by recapping some of our favorite movies of the year, our best theater experiences, and yes, even some of our worst disappointments. We also give our winner predictions for the 87th Golden Globe Awards, reveal the winner of last week's poll, asking, "Which Film Do You Think Will Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" and ask this week's poll question, "What Is Your Favorite Film Of 2024?" We also answer y...
2024-12-302h 50
The Next Best Picture PodcastA Behind The Scenes Look At "A Complete Unknown""A Complete Unknown" is the latest music biopic by director James Mangold after he had previously given audiences "Walk The Line" in 2005. This one covers Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) through his folk music success in the early 1960s until his controversial decision to switch from acoustic to electric instruments at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. The Next Best Picture team was lucky enough to speak with many people who worked on the film, which you can listen to below. First, we have Daniel Howat's interviews with Director/Co-Writer James Mangold and actress Monica Barbaro, who plays Joan Baez in the...
2024-12-291h 47
The Next Best Picture PodcastA Behind The Scenes Look At "The Brutalist""The Brutalist" had its world premiere at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival, where it received enthusiastic reviews for its direction from Brady Corbet (which won him the Silver Lion for Best Director), the tremendous performances from its cast consisting of Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, and Felicity Jones, and the film's monumental scope on such a small budget. The Next Best Picture team was lucky enough to speak with many cast and crew members over the last several weeks, and we're happy to share this with you as the film is now playing in limited release and expanding to more...
2024-12-231h 52
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Nightbitch"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Ema Sasic, Josh Parham, Nadia Dalimonte, Daniel Howat & Tom O'Brien to review and discuss the latest film from Marielle Heller, "Nightbitch," starring Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Patrick Snowdon, Emmett James Snowdon, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, Archana Rajan & Jessica Harper. The film received solid reviews after its premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival but has gone on to receive a more mixed reception as more people have seen it. What did we think of it? Tune in as we discuss its theme of motherhood, Amy Adams's committed performance, the writi...
2024-12-071h 42
The Next Best Picture PodcastInterviews With Clarence Maclin, Songwriters Adrian Quesada & Abraham Alexander, And Composer Bryce Dessner For "Sing Sing""Sing Sing" premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was praised for its relevance to current social issues, powerful performances, and skilled direction. It's one of the most acclaimed films of 2024 and a strong Oscar contender for A24. The film tells the important story of a group of people who are incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility who find redemption through the art of creating theatrical stage shows in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program. I had the privilege of hearing from breakthrough actor, the Gotham Award-winning Clarence Maclin, about his life, experience making the film...
2024-12-0559 min
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Wicked"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Ema Sasic, Dan Bayer, Lauren LaMagna, Daniel Howat & Alyssa Christian to review and discuss the long-anticipated Broadway-to-film adaptation of "Wicked" starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh & Jeff Goldblum. "In The Heights" director Jon M. Chu has finally given us the popular first half of the story fans have been waiting for over twenty years to see on the big screen, and thank goodness it couldn't have come at a more relevant time in our lives. What did we think o...
2024-11-232h 44
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Juror #2"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Josh Parham, Dan Bayer & Daniel Howat to review and discuss Clint Eastwood's latest film "Juror #2," starring Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J. K. Simmons, Chris Messina, Zoey Deutch, Cedric Yarbrough & Kiefer Sutherland. The film had its world premiere at the 2024 AFI Fest last week, where it received solid reviews, but is being unceremoniously dumped in less than 50 theaters by Warner Bros. So what gives? Is this as bad as the studio is making it out to be, or is something else happening here? Tune in as we discuss the acting, writing...
2024-11-021h 18
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 414 - Live From AFI Fest 2024, "The Brutalist" & "September 5" TrailersFor Episode 414, Daniel Howat, Tom O'Brien, and I are coming to you from the 2024 AFI Fest from our hotel room to bring you our recap from the final significant fall film festival of the year, including discussions about the world premieres for "Juror #2," "Here," and "Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl." We reveal the winners of last week's poll, asking, "Which Films Are You Most Looking Forward To From The 2024 AFI Film Festival?" and ask this week's poll question, "Which Film Do You Think Will Be The Next Best Picture Oscar Winner?" We also give our reactions to the trailers for "The...
2024-10-281h 44
The Next Best Picture Podcast"The Wild Robot"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Sara Clements, Dan Bayer, Daniel Howat & Will Mavity to review and discuss the new animated film from Dreamworks Animation, "The Wild Robot" starring Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, Matt Berry & Ving Rhames. Directed by Academy Award-nominee Chris Sanders ("How To Train Your Dragon"), it's the final film to be animated entirely in-house at DreamWorks and has received universally positive reviews since its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. What did we think of it? Tune in as we discus...
2024-09-281h 26
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Transformers One"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Daniel Howat, Brendan Hodges & Giovanni Lago to review and discuss "Transformers One" starring Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne & Jon Hamm. Directed by Academy Award-winner Josh Cooley ("Toy Story 4"), the film tells an origin story for the beloved Hasbro characters Optimus Prime and Megatron in the medium of animation, a first for the franchise since the original 1986 "The Transformers: The Movie." What did we think of it? Tune in as we discuss the animation, voice acting, humor, action, and more in our SPOI...
2024-09-211h 27
The Next Best Picture PodcastThe Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 47 - Our Reactions To The 2024 Emmy Award WinnersTHIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPictureThe 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held last night, our second Emmy Awards show this year! I was joined by Daniel Howat and Giovanni Lago moments following the show to discuss the winners from last night's ceremony. We expected three shows, "Shogun," "The Bear," and "Baby Reindeer," to dominate the evening just like how "Succession," "The Bear," and "Beef" did earlier this year. Did tha...
2024-09-1613 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastThe Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 46 - Our Final 2024 Emmy Award Winner PredictionsFor Episode 46 of The Next Best Series Podcast, I'm joined by Giovanni Lago & Daniel Howat. It feels like yesterday when we discussed our final winner predictions for the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, handed out on January 15th. Now, we are back again so soon to discuss who we think will win at the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, which h are scheduled to take place on September 15th. The Creative Arts Emmy Award winners have already been announced, and this conversation was recorded a few days ago before they took place, so excuse us if some of the cont...
2024-09-091h 33
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Dìdi"For this week's second podcast review, Dan Bayer, Daniel Howat, Danilo Castro, and I are reviewing the feature directorial debut from Academy Award-nominee Sean Wang, "Dìdi," starring Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen & Chang Li Hua. After making its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the independent Focus Features film went on to win the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award. What did we think of this personal coming-of-age story of a 13-year-old Taiwanese-American kid going through adolescence? Tune in as we discuss the writing, performances, pain...
2024-07-301h 22
The Next Best Picture PodcastThe Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 44 - Final 2024 Emmy Nomination Predictions, "The Bear" & "The Boys"For Episode 44 of The Next Best Series Podcast, I'm joined by Daniel Howat & Giovanni Lago. Together, we give our final Emmy nomination predictions, which will be announced on July 17th. Please listen as we debate who we feel will be nominated, who might miss out, who will be the returning favorites amongst the Television Academy, and which shows we selfishly hope will have a good nomination morning even if we're not fully committing to predicting them. We have much to discuss, including dishing out our thoughts on Season 3 of "The Bear," and Season 4 of "The Boys." Thank you for you...
2024-07-081h 58
The Next Best Picture Podcast"IF"For this week's main podcast review, because I'm in Cannes, Daniel Howat takes over hosting duties along with Giovanni Lago to discuss John Krasinski's new film "IF," starring himself, Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr. & Steve Carell. What do these two think of this family film? Tune in as they discuss the story, performances, visual effects, Krasinski's move from the horror of "A Quiet Place" to a family film, and more in their SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.com
2024-05-1841 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 388 - Reactions To The 2024 Cannes Film Festival Lineup, "Joker: Folie à Deux," "MaXXXine" & "Speak No Evil" TrailersSIGN UP FOR REGAL UNLIMITED W/ PROMO CODE - REGALNBP24 - https://regmovies.onelink.me/4207629222/q4j9urzsFor Episode 388, I am joined by Josh Parham. In this week's episode, we react to the 2024 Cannes Film Festival lineup (which we'll attend in person next month). We also go over the polls, give our reactions to the trailers for "Joker: Folie à Deux," "MaXXXine," and "Speak No Evil," answer your fan-submitted questions and more! Daniel Howat and I will cover CinemaCon in a separate video for our YouTube channel. Thank you, as always, for listening. You're all...
2024-04-141h 54
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Monkey Man"SIGN UP FOR REGAL UNLIMITED W/ PROMO CODE - REGALNBP24 - https://regmovies.onelink.me/4207629222/q4j9urzsFor this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Josh Parham, Dan Bayer & Daniel Howat. Today, we are reviewing the feature film directorial debut from Dev Patel, "Monkey Man," starring Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Sobhita Dhulipala, Sikandar Kher, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte & Makarand Deshpande. After having its world premiere at SXSW, the buzz for Patel's action-packed revenge film has been boiling hot, but what did we think of it? Tune in as we disc...
2024-04-061h 18
The Next Best Picture PodcastOur Immediate Reactions To The 96th Academy AwardsTHIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPictureThe 96th Academy Awards are over. Another awards season is behind us, and it was indeed a night to remember with some tight races, deserved wins, and a respectful ceremony that honored the nominees and the art of cinema. We witnessed powerful, moving speeches, shocking wins, and memories that will last a lifetime. Daniel Howat, Ema Sasic, and Alyssa Christian reacted to the winners moment...
2024-03-1116 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 383 - Our Final Predictions For The 96th Academy Awards, "Horizon: An American Saga" & "I Saw The TV Glow" TrailersFor Episode 383, I am joined by Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, Daniel Howat & Tom O'Brien. This week is the episode you've all been waiting for. We are delivering our final predictions for who we believe will walk away with Oscars one week from tonight at the 96th Academy Awards. Tune in as we discuss all 23 categories in detail and use all of the information from this season's precursors to make the best predictions we can. We also go over the polls, give our reactions to the trailers for "Horizon: An American Saga," "I Saw The TV Glow," answer your fa...
2024-03-043h 53
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Dune: Part Two"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Lauren LaMagna, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, Giovanni Lago & Daniel Howat. Today, we are reviewing the latest film from Denis Villeneuve, "Dune: Part Two," starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling & Javier Bardem. Continuing after 2021's Oscar-winning "Dune" (or "Dune: Part One"), the second half of the story brings Frank Herbert's classic 1965 sci-fi novel to life in a way many thought we would never see. Shot on a grand scal...
2024-03-023h 23
The Next Best Picture PodcastOur Reactions To The 2024 Oscar NominationsTHIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPictureZazie Beetz and Jack Quaid were up nice and early yesterday to announce the nominations for the 96th annual Academy Awards. As per usual, there were many surprises, shocking omissions, and lots of high emotions from the Next Best Picture Team (Check out our live reactions video to the nominations on our Patreon here). Many of us got together later that evening to unpack...
2024-01-2423 min
What Am I Rolling?Bonus: Q&A with Daniel Hand - The RPG Therapist!Show NotesTo tide us over til our next one-shot, here's a bonus episode where our host and GM Fiona interviews Daniel Hand aka The RPG Therapist.Daniel is an experienced counselor who offers integrative counselling and ‘Quest’ (RPG/story-based) therapy. RPG Therapy uses storytelling (and dice!) to help predominately younger clients explore their inner worlds.His book, Role-Playing Games in Psychotherapy: A Practitioner’s Guide, is an accessible and comprehensive resource for practitioners who wish to incorporate RPGs in their client-work. Timestamps
Intro: 00:00:10
Q&A start: 00:01:24
Outro: 01:00:05
Q...
2024-01-211h 03
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Origin"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Ema Sasic, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer & Daniel Howat. Today, we are reviewing the latest film from Ava DuVernay, "Origin," starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Niecy Nash-Betts, Nick Offerman & Blair Underwood. Making its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Lion, the dramatic adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson's life and novel "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" was one of 2023's most unique and powerful films. What did we think of it? Should it have been made into...
2024-01-201h 23
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 377 - Our Final Oscar Nomination Predictions & The "Abigail" TrailerFor Episode 377, I am joined by Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, Daniel Howat & Giovanni Lago. It's a massive episode this week! Because Cody and I will be at Sundance starting Wednesday this week, we're delivering our final Oscar nomination predictions earlier than expected to you all following the nominations for PGA, DGA, and SAG, but without the final BAFTA nominations. Hopefully, our over-analysis of each Oscar category is enough to overcome this roadblock, and you'll enjoy listening to us argue, debate, and advocate for who we think will be nominated on January 23rd. We also go over the polls...
2024-01-143h 58
The Next Best Picture PodcastInterviews With "The Holdovers" Stars Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa & Editor Kevin Tent"The Holdovers" had its world premiere at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival, where it received universal acclaim, with many claiming it to be Alexander Payne's best film since "Sideways." The film reunites him with that 2004 film's star Paul Giamatti in a role that has earned him Critics Choice and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor, while his co-star Da'Vine Joy Randolph has received the same nominations with both winning prizes from the National Board Of Review. The film also introduces the world to Dominic Sessa in his first film role, for which he's won a few breakout prizes this awards...
2024-01-0358 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastInterviews With "The Boys In The Boat" Stars Callum Turner, Joel Edgerton & Screenwriter Mark L. Smith"The Boys In The Boat" is a biographical sports drama directed by George Clooney, based on the 2013 book of the same name by Daniel James Brown. It tells the story of the University of Washington's rowing crew representing the United States in the men's eight at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin against the Nazis. Actors Callum Turner & Joel Edgerton were kind enough to speak with Will Mavity about their work on the film, while screenwriter Mark L. Smith spoke with Daniel Howat. Please take a listen to the interviews below and be sure to check out the film, whi...
2023-12-2639 min
The DM‘s Book ClubBonus: DIY Podcasting: Editing, Sound Design, and How to Get Started (MCM Comic Con London 2023)Show NotesWith Dragonmeet along the way at the beginning of December, we have a special bonus to tie us over til then - a live recording of the panel - DIY Podcasting: Editing, Sound Design, and How to Get Started.Ever wanted to make your own podcast but didn’t know where to start? Join the pros and figure out how! Learn some tips and tricks for editing your tracks, and leave ready to make your mark on the audio world. Please note - due to the live nature of this recording, the...
2023-11-221h 03
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Nyad"For this week's second podcast review, I am joined by Dan Bayer & Daniel Howat. Today, we are reviewing the newest film from the Academy Award-winning directing duo Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, "Nyad" starring Annette Bening, Jodie Foster & Rhys Ifans. After their award-winning documentaries "Free Solo" and "The Rescue," the two filmmakers have made their first narrative feature for Netflix, and it carries over many shared themes and elements as the previous stories they've told. What did we think of the story, the performances, the crafts, and how Elizabeth and Jimmy made the transition over to narrative feature film...
2023-11-011h 06
The Next Best Picture Podcast"The Holdovers"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Ema Sasic, Dan Bayer & Daniel Howat. Today, we are reviewing the newest film from Academy Award-winner Alexander Payne, "The Holdovers," starring Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and newcomer Dominic Sessa. The Christmas comedy-drama had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, where many hailed it as a return to form for Payne and his best film since the 2004 Oscar-winning "Sideways." Reuniting for the first time with Paul Giamatti since that film's release, will this one find similar success with the Academy? Tune in as we discuss its awards pote...
2023-10-281h 18
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Killers Of The Flower Moon"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Josh Parham, Daniel Howat, Brendan Hodges, Giovanni Lago & Isaiah Washington. We are reviewing the latest film from Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, "Killers Of The Flower Moon," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser & John Lithgow. Premiering earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, the highly anticipated film from the 80-year-old legendary filmmaker has finally been released theatrically (with a streaming release on Apple TV+ set to come later this year) and has garnered some of the best reviews of 2023. It has drummed up a l...
2023-10-223h 26
The Next Best Picture Podcast"The Creator"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Ema Sasic, Daniel Howat, Isaiah Washington & Will Mavity to discuss the latest film from Gareth Edwards, "The Creator" starring John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Allison Janney & Madeleine Yuna Voyles. An original sci-fi film made for under $100 million but made to look like it cost a lot more, Edwards and his team have created a film that's turning quite a few heads within the industry, but for all of its fascinating behind-the-scenes production stories, what did we think of the final result? Tune in as we discus...
2023-09-301h 23
The Next Best Picture PodcastEpisode 360 - 2023 TIFF Recap, "The Boy And The Heron," "The Bikeriders," "Nyad," "The Burial" & "Origin" TrailersFor Episode 360, I am joined by Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Giovanni Lago & Daniel Howat. After taking a week off to cover the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals, we are back with a mammoth episode recapping the end of Venice and the entirety of TIFF as we break down each movie we saw at the film festivals. We also go over the polls, give our reactions to the trailers for "The Boy And The Heron," "Nyad," "The Bikeriders," "Origin," and "The Burial," answer your fan-submitted questions and more! Thank you all for your continued support (which you can also share...
2023-09-173h 04
The Next Best Picture Podcast"The Artist"THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPictureOur 2011 retrospective has come to an end. Our final review is Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist," starring Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Malcolm McDowell, Missi Pyle, Beth Grant, Ed Lauter, Joel Murray, Ken Davitian & John Goodman. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, and it went on one of the most unlikely award season runs we...
2023-08-3125 min
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Hugo"THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPictureOur 2011 retrospective is almost at an end. Our second to last review is Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" based on Brian Selznick's 2007 book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," starring Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer & Jude Law. The movie found unexpected ways to pay homage to cinema's past while incorporating 3D technology from cinema's present to give audiences a...
2023-08-2435 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastThe Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 36 - Our Final 2023 Emmy Nomination PredictionsFor Episode 36 of The Next Best Series Podcast, I'm joined by Daniel Howat, Giovanni Lago & guest Adriano Caporusso and. Together, we give our final Emmy nomination predictions, which will be announced on July 12th. Please listen as we discuss all of the acting and series categories, who we feel is up, who we think is down, who will the Television Academy have sympathy for, and who will be the returning favorites, even if they don't deserve to come back this year. We have much to discuss, including answering some of your fan-submitted questions at the end! Thank you for your...
2023-07-042h 13
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Elemental"For this week's second podcast review, I am joined by Josh Parham, Cody Dericks, Daniel Howat, Isaiah Washington & Will Mavity. Together, we're discussing the latest film from Pixar, "Elemental" starring Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Catherine O'Hara, Mason Wertheimer, Joe Pera & Matt Yang King. After its world premiere at Cannes, expectations were brought down by the mixed reviews but having seen it ourselves now, what did we ultimately think of the animation studio's first rom-com? What did we think of its immigrant story exploring the relationship between a daughter and her parents? Tune in as...
2023-06-211h 40
The Next Best Picture PodcastThe Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 34 - The Series Finales Of "Succession," "Ted Lasso," "Barry" & "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPictureThe Next Best Series Podcast is back, and for Episode 34, I'm joined by Nadia Dalimonte, Daniel Howat & Giovanni Lago. For this episode, we're sadly discussing the series finales of four Emmy Award-winning television shows: "Succession," "Ted Lasso," "Barry," and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." We also answer your fan-submitted questions and discuss what else we've been watching! Thank you for your continued support. We hope you...
2023-06-0120 min
The Next Best Picture Podcast"Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3"For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Lauren LaMagna, Josh Parham, Daniel Howat & Brendan Hodges. Today, we're discussing the latest and final(?) film in the "Guardians Of The Galaxy" franchise from director/writer James Gunn, "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3" starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki, Maria Bakalova & Sylvester Stallone. What did we think of the focus on Rocket's story, the humor, action, and performances from this beloved cast, and how Gunn uses practical effects compared to other blockb...
2023-05-062h 16
The Next Best Picture PodcastA Behind The Scenes Look At "Shrinking"With "Ted Lasso" possibly ending after its third season, Apple TV+ watchers have wondered what feel-good show would fill the hole that series would leave behind. Well, they received their answer earlier this year when "Shrinking" premiered to positive reviews and captured viewers' hearts. Daniel Howat was fortunate to speak with many members behind the scenes of one of 2023 hottest shows, all of whom are up for your consideration for this year's Emmy Awards. First, we have Casting Directors Debby Romano & Brett Benner, then Cinematographer Jim Frohna, and we wrap things up with Composer Tom Howe. Be sure to...
2023-05-0559 min
The Next Best Picture PodcastThe Next Best Series Podcast: Episode 32 - "Succession," "Beef," "Barry" & Introducing MaxAfter re-introducing the Next Best Series podcast two weeks ago for this television awards season, we're back again with another episode! For Episode 32, I'm joined by Meredith Loftus, Daniel Howat, and Tom O'Brien. This week, we're discussing the current shows we're watching on TV, including "Succession," "Beef," "Barry," and more! We also go over our favorite shows this year, discuss HBO Max and Discovery+ merging into Max, the possibility of a WGA strike, answer your fan-submitted questions, and more! We're again allowing this episode to be free for all of our listeners this week as we continue to decide wha...
2023-04-181h 27
And the Runner-Up IsFor My Consideration: Toy Story (1995)Listen to a PREVIEW of the 10th episode of For My Consideration, a special bonus series you can hear on the And the Runner-Up Is Patreon exclusive feed! For My Consideration is a series in which Kevin is joined by a special guest in reviewing any film nominated for an Oscar in Academy history, as requested by patrons. In this episode, Kevin speaks with Daniel Howat and John T about 1995's "Toy Story," which was nominated for three Oscars. This episode includes a review of the film, a discussion of its award season, and which categories Kevin...
2023-04-1225 minPiecing It Together PodcastCha Cha Real Smooth (Featuring Daniel Howat)On the 247th episode of Piecing It Together, Daniel Howat returns to the podcast to talk about Sundance favorite and sure to be crowd pleaser Cha Cha Real Smooth. The second film from Cooper Raiff, writer/director of 2020's Shithouse, it's available now on Apple TV+. Puzzle pieces include The Wedding Singer, The Graduate and Lost In Translation.As always, SPOILER ALERT for Cha Cha Real Smooth and the movies we discuss!https://www.chachafilm.com/Director – Cooper RaiffWriter – Cooper RaiffStarring Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan A...
2022-06-2436 minPiecing It Together PodcastTurning Red (Featuring Daniel Howat)On the 229th episode of Piecing It Together, Daniel Howat from Next Best Picture joins me to talk about Pixar's latest, Turning Red! It's a fun movie about a a teen who turns into a giant panda whenever her emotions get the best of her... A story that anyone can relate to. Puzzle pieces include Teen Wolf, Lady Bird, Eighth Grade and PEN15.As always, SPOILER ALERT for Turning Red and the movies we discuss!https://movies.disney.com/turning-redDirector – Domee ShiWriter – Domee Shi and Julia ChoStarri...
2022-03-1838 min
And the Runner-Up IsOn Second Thought: Nashville (1975)Listen to this PREVIEW of the 43rd episode of On Second Thought, a special bonus series you can hear on the And the Runner-Up Is Patreon exclusive feed! On Second Thought is a series in which Kevin is joined by TWO special guests in breaking down another Best Picture nominee not reviewed on the regular show that could have still been the runner-up. In this episode, Kevin speaks with Tom O'Brien and Daniel Howat about Robert Altman's "Nashville," the possible runner-up that lost Best Picture to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1975. This episode includes a...
2021-09-2215 min
And the Runner-Up IsOn Second Thought: The Right Stuff (1983)Listen to this PREVIEW of the 35th episode of On Second Thought, a special bonus series you can hear on the And the Runner-Up Is Patreon exclusive feed! On Second Thought is a series in which Kevin is joined by TWO special guests in breaking down another Best Picture nominee not reviewed on the regular show that could have still been the runner-up. In this episode, Kevin speaks with Daniel Howat and Charlie Bright about Philip Kaufman's "The Right Stuff," the possible runner-up that lost Best Picture to "Terms of Endearment" in 1983. This episode includes a review...
2021-01-1325 min
Total Movie RecallTMR 037 – Amelie This week on Total Movie Recall, we find a new zest for life in 2001’s Amelie. Steve gets wistful recalling his time working in a porn shop, and Ryan reveals his ignorance about Paris. But is it ignorance? Don’t we kind of all know what Paris is really like? Smelly and smoky and rude? Not according to Amelie. Paris is a place of magical realism, true love, and tastefully decorated porn shops. Amelie (2001) d. Jean-Pierre Jeunet Starring: Audrey Tautou Mathieu Kassovitz Rufus Jamel Debbouze Isabelle Nant...
2020-09-0700 min
And the Runner-Up IsOn Second Thought: Shine (1996)Listen to this PREVIEW of the 22nd episode of On Second Thought, a special bonus series you can hear on the And the Runner-Up Is Patreon exclusive feed! On Second Thought is a series in which Kevin is joined by TWO special guests in breaking down another Best Picture nominee not reviewed on the regular show that could have still been the runner-up. In this episode, Kevin speaks with Michael Schwartz and Daniel Howat about Scott Hicks' "Shine," the possible runner-up that lost Best Picture to "The English Patient" in 1996. This episode includes a review of the...
2020-05-1324 min
Screeners PodcastTrolls World Tour (and More!)You may have heard about an upstart streaming service called Quibi (https://quibi.com/)—at least, you probably have if you watched the Super Bowl. It's an entire platform built around the premise that people often only have 10 minutes or less at a time to consume media. When we pitched this idea to our our sweatpants drawer, it said, "Well, bless their hearts", but we're going to watch a few anyway. We might just watch the whole catalog—we, um, have the time.
Once we're done with that (short content gets a short review; see how that works?), it's been awhi...
2020-04-151h 16
Screeners PodcastFinal Oscar PredictionsWe’re less than a week away from the 92nd Academy Awards, and with so much credibility on the line, you knew the Screeners would have to get together one final time to second-guess each other and maybe even convince themselves to change their own picks. Can Daniel be talked out of anything? Probably not, but stranger things have happened.
If you want to take your own shot at changing a Screener pick (or participating in the wager yourself!), just hop on Twitter (https://twitter.com/screenerscast/) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/screenerscast/) and post your picks!
Subscribe: iTunes (ht...
2020-02-0657 min
Screeners PodcastLittle WomenLittle Women may have been the 19th century equivalent of a supermarket novel, but its staying power is pretty indisputable. We’re on film adaptation number 7 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Women#Film) so far, and this one might be the best one yet, if you listen to the critics. Will the Screeners agree?
Speaking of big-screen adaptations of classic novels, there are enough of those for a Top 3 segment, so let’s go ahead and do one. Chris isn’t here for this episode, so let’s take bets on who will take up his mantle and pick Ready Pl...
2020-01-041h 14
Screeners PodcastJokerThe new Batman movie isn’t really a Batman movie, but it’s definitely getting attention. Whether that attention (and Joker itself) is good or bad all depends on your perspective. We won’t take any position here; there will be plenty of time to do that in the episode. We have four hosts for this one, another who saw it but couldn’t make the recording, and even Josh wanted to see it in time, so that should tell you something.
And to maybe lighten the mood a bit, we have a brand-new game brought to us from another podcast...
2019-10-081h 21
Screeners PodcastAwards Season Kick-Off & The GoldfinchIf you heard the results of the Screeners’ box office wager, you know that Daniel was...less than pleased. Turns out he was so unhappy that he’s invented another contest just to redeem himself. This time, we’ll be picking Oscar nominees. The rules are similar to those for the box office wager, but Daniel has doctored them in his favor.
Also: Money isn’t everything—or, at least, that’s what you have to tell yourself if you’re a fan of the recent adaptation of Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch. Its opening weekend was a huge letdown from a box offic...
2019-09-181h 25
Screeners PodcastThe Lion King, Comic-Con, and MoreComic-Con’s just wrapping up in San Diego, so now’s the perfect time to talk about all the hottest new trailers. Maybe we’ll even find out about Tyler’s latest cosplaying adventure.
OK; we’ll talk about The Little Mermaid in due time, we promise. For now, though, Disney has remade an even bigger property in full live-ish action glory. These things are always risky, though, especially when the original Lion King was so beloved, and 90’s nostalgia is in its heyday. The Screeners won’t steer you wrong, though, especially with Daniel “The Lion King is the greatest film of...
2019-07-231h 01
And the Runner-Up IsOn Second Thought: Manchester by the Sea (2016)Listen to this PREVIEW of the second episode of On Second Thought, a special bonus series you can hear on the And the Runner-Up Is Patreon exclusive feed! On Second Thought is a series in which Kevin is joined by TWO special guests in breaking down another Best Picture nominee not reviewed on the regular show that could have still been the runner-up. In this episode, Kevin speaks with Andrew Carden and Daniel Howat about Kenneth Lonergan's "Manchester by the Sea" the possible runner-up that lost Best Picture to "Moonlight" in 2016. This episode includes a review of t...
2019-04-1724 min
Screeners PodcastEpisode 116: 2019 Oscars PreviewThe Screeners just awarded their best of 2018, and it’s about to be the Academy’s turn (we totally planned the recording schedule that way, btw). You know what that means: Chad, Daniel, and Tyler are going to dish on the Oscars—who’s in the running, who’s not, why that’s such a crime, and why Josh should pay more attention to awards season. OK, so no one cares about that last one, but we figured that if we were going to pretend that people cared about the other three...
Just kidding; the Academy Awards are a yearly institution...
2019-02-141h 13
And the Runner-Up IsApollo 13 (feat. Daniel Howat)Kevin speaks with Screeners Podcast host and Next Best Picture writer Daniel Howat to discuss Ron Howard's space action thriller 'Apollo 13,' the likely runner-up in the 1995 Oscar race that lost to 'Braveheart.' 0:00 - 1:15 - Introduction 1:16 - 27:04 - 'Apollo 13' review 27:05 - 55:37 - Why 'Apollo 13' lost Best Picture 55:38 - 1:21:20 - Shoulda been a contender 1:21:21 - 1:25:11 - Did 'Apollo 13' deserve to win? Go to FilmTrophies.com or email at filmtrophies@gmail.com to vote for which film you think deserved to win Best Picture.
2018-08-291h 25
Podcasts from The King's Church296 The Story of God – Philippians 3Daniel Howat speaks about the ‘J’ shape of following Jesus.
2018-06-2829 min
Screeners PodcastBonus Episode: All the Money in the World and DownsizingAmong the deluge of movies released over the holidays were All The Money In The World and Downsizing, so it’s time for another bonus episode! Daniel’s joined by Next Trek Podcast host Tyler Howat for the reviews.
All The Money In The World has been a subject of controversy and anticipation. Only a few short weeks ago, Christoper Plummer replaced Kevin Spacey after his career imploded. Was that the right move? Did the movie come together in such a short time? Daniel and Tyler made sure to weigh in.
Alexander Payne is the authority on films about white men...
2018-01-0354 min
Screeners PodcastBonus Episode: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Lady BirdWe’ve finally gotten to the movie season designed for Josh, and guess who’s still not at the theater. Oh well, at least we have Chad and Daniel to talk about the year’s less “important” events—you know, like the best-reviewed movie on Rotten Tomatoes (http://www.vulture.com/2017/11/lady-bird-is-the-best-reviewed-movie-on-rotten-tomatoes.html).
Daniel’s brother Tyler (of Next Trek (https://thenexttrek.fireside.fm/) fame) fills out the cast for this double feature bonus episode covering Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Lady Bird.
Next on the agenda: a recap of The Disaster Artist, James Franco’s tribute to The Room, then it’s...
2017-12-091h 07
Screeners PodcastBonus Episode: The Florida ProjectWillem Dafoe as a good guy? In a movie starring children? The Florida Project may not have been in too many theaters around the country, but it’s getting plenty of awards buzz. Daniel is joined by co-host of The Next Trek Podcast (and his brother) Tyler Howat for a quick review. They do a deep dive into the movie, its themes, and even a little bit of its Oscar chances.
We know Chad is mad he missed recording this episode, but he’ll let us know his thoughts on the movie elsewhere—and you should too! Chime in on Facebo...
2017-11-3034 min