The Next Reel Film Podcast

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No Country for Old Men • The Next Reel Sep 12, 2013

Show notes

At the 2008 Oscars, Joel and Ethan Coen pulled off what only 4 other directors had done before them, walking away that night with 3 wins. The film, of course, is "No Country for Old Men," and they won for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Directors, and Best Picture. Javier Bardem won Best Supporting Actor for his chilling portrayal of hitman Anton Chigurh, which was well-deserved, and the film was nominated for 4 other Oscars. At the time, it was their highest grossing film, and put right at the top of many critics' best film of the year lists. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we conclude our Dramas of the Brothers Coen series with a conversation about "No Country for Old Men." We discuss the nature of the landscape in this film, and how it not only fits in the context of this particular story but also how it fits in the look of the Coens' films we've included in this series. We talk about the performances from top to bottom, starting with Tommy Lee Jones, Bardem, Josh Brolin and Kelly Macdonald and going all the way through Stephen Root and Barry Corbin (as well as the amazing faces the Coens consistently cast in small roles), and how they each bring 100% authenticity to this film. We chat about the differences between the book and the film and how the Coens really treated Cormac McCarthy right with this adaptation. And we discuss the trust the storytellers put in the audience by allowing key moments to happen off-screen and by ending the film where they do. It's a master-class in filmmaking from a pair of the most interesting directors working today. Watch the film and tune in!
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Fargo • The Next Reel Sep 05, 2013

Show notes

Joel and Ethan Coen may have won big at Cannes with "Barton Fink," but it wasn't until 1996's "Fargo" was nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture, and won Best Actress (Frances McDormand) and Best Original Screenplay for the Coens that Hollywood really started believing that these guys could deliver the goods. (They did fail miserably in Hollywood with their previous effort, "The Hudsucker Proxy," after all.) Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Drama by the Brothers Coen series with our discussion on this homespun tale of murder, "Fargo." We talk about the nature of the setting — North Dakota and Minnesota — and what that brings to the film. We chat about the brilliant talent — from William H. Macy to McDormand to Steve Buscemi to Peter Stormare to Harve Presnell — and what each of them brings to the table. We discuss the nature of protagonist vs. antagonist in a film structured like this and what reversals do to the storytelling process. We delve into the beautiful cinematography of Roger Deakins and explore what he was doing with the camera in this film. And we go back and forth on the Mike Yanagita character as far as what it means in the context of this film. We love this film and talk at length about it. Tune in!
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Barton Fink • The Next Reel Aug 30, 2013

Show notes

"Barton Fink" was the crowning glory of the Cannes Film Festival when it premiered there in May 1991. Critics heaped their praises on it. But it never really connected with the audience and hence was a box office failure. Luckily, Joel and Ethan Coen made a film that is worth rewatching and discussing, even if it's not completely decipherable. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Drama of the Brothers Coen series and delve into the murky, oozing depths of "Barton Fink." We talk about the pervasive symbolism throughout the film and ask what it means, if it's too much, if it's too on the nose, or if it's worth it. We chat about the brilliant sound design and beautiful cinematography, and how those elements of the senses play such key roles in this film. We chat about the nature of honesty and ethics and what this film has to say about them. And we discuss the fascinating character portrayals, most notably Barton played by John Turturro and Charlie played by John Goodman. It's not an easy film to understand but it's clear that it's a film made by deliberate filmmakers who know what they're doing. We have a great conversation about this film, and hopefully our conversation is easier to understand than the film itself. Tune in!
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Miller's Crossing • The Next Reel Aug 22, 2013

Show notes

For their third film, the Coen brothers decided to again make something completely different from what they've done before. With "Miller's Crossing," they made a gangster picture that honors conventions of the genre while also twisting those conventions, just as they did with "Blood Simple." And it worked for some people while not for others (and lead to a big bomb at the box office). Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — on this week's episode of The Next Reel as we continue our Drama by the Brothers Coen series with 1990s "Miller's Crossing." We talk about what we think of the film and why it's largely been a film that's been hard for both of us to get into over the years, yet one in which we finally connected this time — and liked quite a bit. We discuss the amazing performances from top to bottom in this film and what all of the wonderful actors — Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, Albert Finney, Jon Polito, John Turturro, J.E. Freeman, etc. — bring to the table. We chat about the role of the hat worn and lost time and time again by Tommy, Byrne's character, and what we think the Coens are saying with it. And we chat about some of the amazing production crew — Barry Sonnenfeld and Carter Burwell in particular — and why they stand out. (And we completely left out the amazing production designer Dennis Gassner and costume designer Richard Hornung, along with countless others — stellar work, all of you!). It's a tough film to follow but we both really got a lot out of it this time and had a great time talking about it. Check it out and tune in!
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Blood Simple • The Next Reel Aug 15, 2013

Show notes

"Blood Simple," released in film festivals in 1984 and theatrically in 1985, found as many detractors as it did fans initially, but no one can argue that it was all that the filmmaking duo of Joel and Ethan Coen needed to break onto the scene as fresh, quirky and sometimes violent voices in the cinema world. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — on this week's episode of The Next Reel as we start our Drama by the Brothers Coen series. We talk about how much we love this neo-noir crime thriller and why, and debate whether it's just a film noir or really a neo-noir (and if that really means anything anyway). We chat about the performances — Dan Hedaya, Frances McDormand, John Getz and the unforgettable M. Emmett Walsh — and why they each stand out for us in different ways (most notably Walsh in his horrible yellow jacket). We discuss how this film introduced the world largely to the cinematographic eye of Barry Sonnenfeld, what it did for the film, what worked, what didn't, and why Sonnenfeld shouldn't have started directing. We chat about the nature of the story — complex and simple all at the same time in a story that honors genre conventions as much as it manipulates and breaks them. And we talk about the Coen brothers in general and why we feel there is such a pervasive split between cinema-goers as to their opinions of the Coens' films. It's a fun, bloody, dark film that just gets better with age. Check it out and listen in!
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It Happened One Night • The Next Reel Aug 09, 2013

Show notes

In 1934, a little film studio released what they thought would be a minor but fun little film called "It Happened One Night." That film went on to earn 5 Oscar nominations — Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay — and win all 5. It also was an audience favorite and turned that little studio — Columbia Pictures — into one of the major players. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we talk about Frank Capra's wonderful film "It Happened One Night." We talk about how this film, which is generally considered to be the first screwball comedy, was huge in the careers of its two stars, Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, even if they didn't think it was a picture worth being in when they were making it. We discuss the supporting players and how Capra often filled his films with great ones — and how some in this film became the basis for various Looney Tune characters. We chat about the great work of Frank Capra but how he really was a director making films for a specific time. And we look at several specific scenes and talk about why they work so well, given the genre, the actors, and the script. It's a wonderful, fun and breezy film. Tune in!
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The Night of the Hunter • The Next Reel Aug 01, 2013

Show notes

Charles Laughton is most known for his larger than life performances in films from the 30s through the 60s, but he did have one chance to direct which came in the form of 1955's The Night of the Hunter, a film he also co-wrote with James Agee based on the novel by Davis Grubb. Unfortunately for him, the film was a huge flop. Luckily for us, this quirky anomaly of a film has not only survived but has thrived — it is now critically praised and generally considered to be a classic film. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Couples on the Run series with Laughton's The Night of the Hunter. We talk about our impressions of the film, why it works, and what are some of its potential stumbling blocks in connecting with audiences. We chat about the amazing performances, from Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce playing the two kids on the run to Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters and Lillian Gish, the three adults heading up the film. We discuss the look of the film and how it contributes to the unique vibe Laughton was going for, whether by using silent film techniques or film noir lighting styles. And we talk about the overall tone of the film — from horror to noir to comedy to fairy tale etc. — and how that helps give the film a unique tone not often seen in films. It truly is a wholly unique and special film, and we have a great time talking about it. Tune in!
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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid • The Next Reel Jul 25, 2013

Show notes

William Goldman is often credited as the first screenwriter to sell a spec script, meaning he wrote a script without getting paid for it then sold it once he was done with it. It's common in the novel-writing world, but in the late 60s, it was unheard of in the film business. That script was "The Sundance Kid & Butch Cassidy," which legendary producer Richard D. Zanuck, who was running 20th Century Fox at the time, optioned for twice what they were allowed to, knowing it was going to be big. And he was right. We continue our Couples On the Run series with George Roy Hill's 1969 western, "Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid." Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we discuss the place this film has in the western genre and why it remains a classic to this day. We talk about the wonderful performances by Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and how Hill had to fight to get Redford on at the time because he was relatively unknown. We chat about Hill and Conrad Hall, the cinematographer, and what they both brought to the table. And we discuss Burt Bacharach's Oscar-winning turn for his score and song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head," and how well these anachronistic bits worked for us this go around. It's top-notch filmmaking and we love this movie. Tune in!
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True Romance • The Next Reel Jul 18, 2013

Show notes

Quentin Tarantino's first script that he wrote turned out to be one he couldn't get made himself. Lucky for us (or unlucky as some Tarantino fans feel), he managed to get "True Romance" into the hands of Tony Scott. Tony gave it a linear structure and a happy ending and, in our estimation, created a magical fairy tale of a film. We're continuing our "Couples on the Run" series and are thrilled with this week's edition of "True Romance" to the list. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we talk about the origins of the script and its road to becoming the film that it is. We chat about not only the incredible performances throughout the film, but also the amazing, star-studded line-up of actors playing the parts and how much we enjoy them all. We discuss the nature of the violence in the film and how it created quite a stir politically at the time though how, by today's standards, it's not too harsh. And we hit on the crazy Tarantino Universe theory and how this film ties into it. We love this film and have a great time talking about it. Tune in!
This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5640170/advertisement

Midnight Run • The Next Reel Jul 11, 2013

Show notes

Infrequent filmmaker Martin Brest may have directed the box office bombs Gigli and Meet Joe Black, but he also directed the huge critical and commercial successes Beverly Hills Cop and Scent of a Woman. Somewhere in the middle of these films, he made a fantastic action-comedy about a bounty hunter taking a criminal across country to collect his reward. That's right, we're talking about Midnight Run, a part of our Couples on the Run series. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — on this week's episode of The Next Reel as we discuss the actors in this film, particularly Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Joe Pantoliano, Yaphet Kotto and Dennis Farina, and how they work for us now 25 years after the film first came out — some better than others. We chat about the nature of the action-comedy film, particularly those from the 80s, and how the comedy has fared as time's worn on. We talk about the great script by George Gallo and how it stands out in its genre because of the honestly written characters that are developed well over the course of the story. And we talk about the crew who worked on it with Brest, notably Danny Elfman turning in one of his early great scores that definitely veers away from the wacky. It's a film that holds up well — mostly — and one we have a great time talking about. Listen in!
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