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"Atonement" is a 2026 American drama film, written, produced, and directed by Reed Van Dyk in his directorial debut, based on the 2012 New Yorker article "Atonement" by Dexter Filkins. It stars Boyd Holbrook as a U.S. Marine who accidentally kills three members of a family during a firefight in Baghdad, Iraq. Haunted by memories of war and racked with guilt, he tries to reconcile with the family matriarch, played by Hiam Abbass, years later, with help from English journalist Michael Reid (Kenneth Branagh). The film had its world premiere at the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Caméra d'Or and received positive reviews for its writing and performances. Van Dyk, Abbass, and Holbrook were all kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their work and experiences making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will be released in theaters on October 2nd by Kino Lorber. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/HTjqRoO_jW0 Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hello! And welcome to September 2026 edition of the Dana Gould Hour Podcast. Fasten your funny belt, we are blasting off, yet again. Filmmaker Mike Mendez is here. Mike is a good friend of the show, and he has a new film out called Dernsie which is a documentary of the inimitable actor Bruce Dern that, get this, just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. And Mark Evanier is with us. Mark is a legendary comic book and television writer, with stories of being in the tranches from everyone from Jack Kirby to Sid & Marty Krofft, from Stan Lee to Pink Lady and Jeff. And he has deigned to share his stories with us. Mark is the author of Jack Kirby, King Of Comics, which is mandatory reading if you are in anyway interested in that world. And if you're listening to this podcast my guess is you are, and talk about his book. There are some great live performances coming up, so check out the events page at www.danagould.com/events/!
In this week's Review Show, our guest critics Hannah McGill and Fergus Morgan join Kirsty Wark to discuss three dystopian thrillers: Bestselling novelist Emily St John Mandel's latest work of speculative fiction, Exit Party, chronicles how a range of characters respond to a complete collapse in society - in America, where Texas and California are now republics, and militia roam the streets, and in Paris, where a giant dome has been constructed to protect elites. An alien invasion in the heart stopping South Korean sci-fi action thriller Hope, by writer, director and producer Na Hong-jin, which received an enthusiastic ovation at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to become a smash box office hit. And a new adaptation of George Orwell's seminal 1984, in which a couple's love affair is an act of rebellion against a totalitarian regime, which is touring Scottish theatres between now and November. Producer: Mark Crossan
As Derek takes a week off from the pod, Jeff and Amir return to the eerie world of Jane Schoenbrun with a review of their latest film: Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. A Cannes darling that won the Queer Palm at the 2026 festival, Schoenbrun's latest explores the slasher genre, our relationship with horror, and the foundations of human sexual desire. A clap back against the academic distance we put between ourselves and a base enjoyment of guilty pleasure cinema, Camp Miasma dares to say: "If it gets to real you can always turn It off,"
Mark Isham is an electronic music innovator, jazz artist and prolific film composer. Isham's ability to create unforgettable melodies, combined with his willingness to experiment with innovative musical palettes, has earned him accolades including Grammy and Emmy awards, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. Isham's inimitable musical voice is evident in his memorable scores for award-winning features including the Oscar-winning Judas and the Black Messiah, Crash and A River Runs Through It (Oscar nomination) along with Golden Globe winning Bobby, and Nell (Golden Globe nomination). For The Black Dahlia, Isham was awarded “Best Score” by the International Film Music Critics Association. He has collaborated with top directors and artists including Robert Redford, Robert Altman, Sting, Jodie Foster, Shaka King, Lynn Shelton, Swizz Beatz, George Tillman, Forest Whitaker, Tom Cruise, Brian De Palma, Chick Corea, Will.i.am, Sidney Lumet, and Mick Jagger. Most notably, Mark has scored films such as The Cooler (2003), Blade (1998) and Miracle (2004), as well as TV shows such as Hulu's limited series Little Fires Everywhere for which he garnered his sixth Emmy nomination, EPIX series The Godfather of Harlem, and the long-running hit show Once Upon a Time. In 2020, Isham made Cannes Film Festival history as the first film composer to perform a live in-studio concert of some of his most beloved scores, for the inaugural film music summit of the Cannes Film Market, the business counterpart of the prestigious festival.
For this week's main podcast review, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, and Brendan Hodges joined me before I left for Telluride/TIFF to review and discuss the latest film from South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin, "Hope," starring Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender. The film premiered in competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its suspenseful first hour, adrenaline-pumping action sequences, and ensemble performances. It was, however, heavily criticized for its visual effects and intentional sequel baiting, a rarity at the Cannes Film Festival. What did we think of it, though? Please tune in, either on video or audio only, as we discuss the story, performances, action scenes, visual effects, sequel potential, awards season potential, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/ODzaJ3sqLAM Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Hope" is a 2026 South Korean epic science fiction action thriller film written, directed, and co-produced by Na Hong-jin ("The Wailing"). Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender, the film centers on a village police chief and his rookie deputy who must defend his local community from a mysterious creature after wildfires sever all communications, while a local hunting party finds itself being hunted deep in the mountains. The film premiered in the main competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or and received positive reviews, with special praise for Na Hong-jin's direction in action sequences. Na Hong-jin was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from NEON. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/3eg3pvQ5TAQ Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After creating one of the biggest waves of any film to ever hit the Cannes Film Festival, Director Na Hong-jin is bringing his genre defying spectacle "Hope" to theaters. IndieWire's Chris O'Falt could not wait to dive into the incredible world building, audacious motion capture CGI, and some of the most spectacular action filmmaking we've seen in in a while. Skip to 27:16 to hear Director Na Hong-jin's full answers in Korean. Watch the trailer for "Hope'" - https://www.indiewire.com/news/trailers/hope-trailer-na-hong-jin-1235204304/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
One more midweek pop-in because there's so much to discuss now that September has arrived. Here's what we reviewed on the latest episode of our Breakfast All Day podcast. PRACTICAL MAGIC 2. It's the sequel to "Practical Magic." But can Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman still cast a spell on us, 28 years later? This time, they travel to England to try and end the family's centuries-old curse. Joey King, Lee Pace, Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest co-star. In theaters. PRACTICAL MAGIC (1998). Alonso had never seen the original movie, and Christy only saw it when it came out, so this was a good opportunity to revisit it. Griffin Dunne's film was not exactly a giant hit with critics or audiences back then, but it's gained a cult following over time, which we try to understand. Streaming and rentable. HOPE. This crazy, overlong Korean horror movie from writer-director Na Hong-jin played at the Cannes Film Festival and is now out there for you to enjoy, as well. Something is rampaging through a small harbor town near the North Korean border, and a group of citizens and police officers try and stop it. We liked it for a while. In theaters. Thanks for listening! Join us at our YouTube channel on Friday at Noon Pacific for one big Movie News LIVE! catch-up. Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter: https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/
As a young filmmaker, Raphael Wregas Bhanuteja became the first Indonesian director to receive an award at the Cannes Film Festival for his short film Prenjak in 2016. Wregas has also received several other accolades, including Citra Awards for Best Director, Best Short Film (This Town and Prenjak), and Best Original Screenplay; a Maya Award for Short Film (Lemantun); and the Iqbal Rais Special Award for Young Director. Levitating (Para Perasuk) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2026. The film also served as the opening film for the Darwin International Film Festival, September 10 to 20, 2026. - Sebagai seorang sineas muda, Raphael Wregas Bhanuteja menjadi sutradara film Indonesia pertama yang menerima penghargaan di Film Festival Cannes untuk film pendeknya yang berjudul Prenjak, 2016. Selain itu Wregas juga telah menerima beberapa penghargaan lainnya seperti Penghargaan Citra untuk Sutradara Terbaik, Penghargaan Citra untuk Film Pendek Terbaik (Kota ini dan Prenjak) dan Penghargaan Citra untuk Skenario Asli Terbaik serta Penghargaan Maya untuk Film Pendek (Lemantun) dan Spesial Penghargaan Iqbal Rais sebagai Sutradara Muda. Penayangan perdana film Para Perasuk ini dilakukan di Film Festival Sundace, 24 Januari 2026. Film ini juga menjadi film pembuka di Festival Film Internasional Darwin yang berlangsung dari 10 – 20 September 2026.#sbsaudiopodcast - #sbsaudiopodcast
This episode of GHJ's Media Clips podcast features Entertainment Practice Leader Ilan Haimoff and guests:Manatt Entertainment Transactions and Finance Practice Leader Sophia YenTPC Executive Vice President Viviana ZarragoitiaSalem Partners Managing Director Ivar CombrinckThe industry leaders discuss:How the financing and dealmaking landscape has changed, and how this was reflected at the Cannes Film FestivalGuidance for producers and entertainment companies working to get deals doneCurrent trends and predictions for the future of the entertainment industry, from streaming and short-form content to financing
This week we're excited to present a conversation from 2022 with the great British filmmaker Mike Leigh as he discusses his 1993 film: the NYFF31 selection Naked. Mike Leigh returns to the New York Film Festival with his final film, Tender Loving Care, at the 64th New York Film Festival this September and October. Secure your seats with an NYFF64 Pass at filmlinc.org/passes The acclaimed winner of the 1996 Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, Mike Leigh's mid-'90s masterpiece cemented his status as the poet laureate of modern family life. The story concerns Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn, awarded Best Actress at Cannes), a working-class white woman whose personal and interpersonal lives are transformed when she learns that a Black optometrist is the child she gave up for adoption 27 years prior. Created, like Leigh's other films, after long months of intensely collaborative improvisation, Secrets & Lies is remarkable for its lived-in warmth and humor, and above all for its unflinching honesty in capturing the everyday evasions and deceptions that can define our lives.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is a 2026 American satirical surrealist psychological slasher film written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun. It stars Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, with Jack Haven and Patrick Fischler in supporting roles. The film follows a filmmaker (Einbinder) who is hired to direct a new installment of the slasher franchise Camp Miasma, and becomes fixated on casting the actress (Anderson) who played the final girl in the original film.The film premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on May 12 as the opening film of the Un Certain Regard section, where it won the Queer Palm. It was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 7, 2026, expanding to more theaters on August 14, before a much wider release on August 21. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Before diving into a new season of Be. Make. Do., Lisa and Dan have some catching up to do—from a sabbatical in the New Mexico desert to a spontaneous trip to the Cannes Film Festival. They talk about rest, risk, creative identity, failure, and what can happen when we make enough space to ask: What's next?Dan returns from an intentional sabbatical that took him into the New Mexico desert, the streets of Austin, and an unexpected encounter with a question he's wrestled with for years: Am I really an artist?Lisa shares about an almost-impossible-to-plan trip to France that took her and her husband to the Cannes Film Festival, a retreat with Christian artists from around the world, and a conversation with a filmmaker whose years of failures became the very reason his film eventually made it to Cannes.Together, they talk about what happens when we disrupt our routines long enough to listen: the possibilities we can't see when we're buried in responsibility, the creativity that emerges when no one is watching, and the discoveries waiting on the other side of risk, failure, and uncertainty.It's a conversation about rest, adventure, perseverance, creative identity—and getting curious about what God might be doing when things don't go according to plan.And it sets the stage for where Be. Make. Do. is headed next: exploring what it means to be an artist in a moment of cultural fragmentation, technological acceleration, and spiritual longing.Links: Arcadia Sky Album: https://www.arcadiaskymusic.com/ Arcadia Sky: Touching the Sky Film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt41667529/Connect and Share: Subscribe to Be. Make. Do. wherever you get your podcasts Share this episode with a friend or creative you know Join the conversation on socials using: @bemakedopodcast Join our Instagram Broadcast Channel!
In this episode, Shelby and Laura review One Night Only, the new RomCom directed by Will Gluck and starring Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro. We dissect the film's ambitious no-premarital-sex premise and whether the characters' whirlwind journey through New York City actually makes sense.We also talk about why we loved that Owen and Allie have such unique jobs, how refreshing it is to see an original RomCom in theaters, and why we appreciated the movie's big swings—even if the world-building and execution didn't always land perfectly. Plus, we share our thoughts on the stars' chemistry and hijinks and, of course, discuss why we are absolutely obsessed with Callum Turner's real-life relationship with pop star Dua Lipa!Interested in more movie reviews? Check out our podcast episodes on American Fiction, Barbie, Cannes Film Festival 2024, Challengers, Deadpool & Wolverine, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Gladiator II Ft. Queens Podcast, Inside Out 2 ft. Nikki Meadows, Joker: Folie a Deux, Killers of the Flower Moon, Madame Web ft. Mitch Broadwater, Mean Girls (2024), Oppenheimer, Past Lives Ft. Toya From Harlem, Poor Things, The Fall Guy, The Oscars 2024, We Live In Time, and Wicked Ft. Sisters and the Stars.To stay up to date on all things SWW:- Follow @SistersWhoWatch on all social media channels (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn)- Subscribe to our YouTube channel - Check out our website and fill out the contact information formWhat should we watch next? Email us at sisterswhowatch@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram with your suggestions.Thank you for listening and we appreciate your support! Please rate, subscribe, download, share, and leave us a review :)
"Colony" (Korean: 군체) is a 2026 South Korean action horror film directed and written by Yeon Sang-ho, with Choi Gyu-seok as co-writer. It stars Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Kim Shin-rok, Shin Hyun-been, and Go Soo. The film explores the harrowing struggle of isolated survivors trapped in a building, quarantined amidst an unknown outbreak, as they fight for survival against the unpredictably evolving infected. The film had its world premiere at the Midnight Screenings section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its action, makeup effects, and anxiety about the spread of technology. Yeon Sang-ho was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film when it opens in theaters on August 28th from Well-Go USA. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/keAE5LjejiM Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For this Out Takes, we looked at two very different queer films adapted from much loved books, got the scoop on the program of one of our favourite Sydney queer film festivals and revisited our interview with Gregg Araki, whose latest film is in cinemas this week. First up was our review of ‘Here the Whole Time’ from Brazilian writer and translator Vitor Martins whose debut novel won the Best Translated Young Adult Book award from the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative and is published in 9 countries. The story follows a 15 day period during their school break where two young guys are thrown together and come to realise that all of the things on the surface that make them so different is also the ingredients that bring them together. The book was described as the ultimate feel-good YA romance which celebrates body positivity, self-acceptance and standing up to bullying and homophobia and it is now a gorgeous and uplifting feature film available to watch now on Netflix. Next up we took a look at ‘The Chronology of Water’, the directorial debut from Kristen Stewart that is adapted from Lidia Yuknavitch's autobiographical bestseller. Brought up in an environment torn apart by violence, abuse, alcohol and extreme trauma, the story follows Lidia's journey to find her own voice in an exploration of how trauma can be transformed into art through re-possessing our own bloody histories, particularly those uniquely experienced by the bodies of women and girls. We then moved on to the 13th Queer Screen Film Festival which is back on in Sydney from September 2 – 8 and on demand from the 9 – 16. This year's program features 28 films plus the return of the Queer Screen Pitch Off Competition and Emerging Narrative Feature Competition, and, for the first time, Queer Screen Studio — a high-octane day of masterclasses, practical panels, and elite networking, from mastering the perfect investor pitch to navigating global festival circuits and post-production secrets. We caught up with Queer Screen’s CEO Benson Wu and it’s Programming Assistant Celeste Diep to get all of the details on this year’s festival including the special guests and events on offer alongside a great line-up of feature and short films. We finished up by revisiting our interview from June with Gregg Araki, the legendary queer filmmaker noted for his involvement with the New Queer Cinema movement whose latest film ‘I Want Your Sex’ is in select Australian cinemas from August 27. His filmography includes the Teenage Apocalypse film trilogy from the 90’s and his 2010 film ‘Kaboom’ was also the inaugural winner of the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. His latest film stars Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman and Charli XCX in what has been described as an enjoyably outrageous, risqué sex-comedy, set in the Los Angeles contemporary art scene. We jumped at the chance to speak with him earlier this year and in this interview, we discussed his motivation for telling this story, his influence on the lead characters and how he feels now about being labelled one of the pioneers of New Queer Cinema. The post Queer Screen 2026, reviews of ‘Here The Whole Time’ and The Chronology of Water’ plus Gregg Araki appeared first on Out Takes.
I'm back in the cult section of Video Ezy this week with David Lynch's version of Re-Animator, Fire Walk With Me . This film, chronicling the last 7 days of Laura Palmer was released to boos and hisses at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. Derided and misunderstood by Joe Public & critics back in the day, Fire Walk With Me has been resurrected and reassessed as one of the great Lynch cinematic experiences.Let's Rock!Join Patreon!Follow Substack!IG!*There are very few spoilers in this episode, other than the identity of the killer. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sofiamella.substack.com/subscribe
Movie of the Year: 2006VolverThe Volver Podcast Episode Enters the BracketThe Volver podcast episode brings Pedro Almodóvar's beloved ghost story into the full Movie of the Year 2006 bracket. This week, Greg and Mike hold down the fort while Ryan sits this one out. Fortunately, they have serious backup. New Yorker television critic Inkoo Kang joins the panel to talk grief, ghosts, and the women of La Mancha. Together, they ask whether Almodóvar's warmest film has what it takes to survive the tournament.The conversation covers the film's supernatural heart, its unforgettable women, and its thoroughly rotten men. Additionally, the crew builds a Mount Rushmore of It Girls and runs through The Five. As always, the bracket outcome stays a secret here. Consequently, you will need to listen to find out how Volver fares.About the FilmVolver is a 2006 Spanish comedy-drama written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Penélope Cruz stars as Raimunda, a working-class mother in Madrid whose life unravels after a sudden death at home. Meanwhile, her sister Sole discovers that their late mother Irene, played by Carmen Maura, may have returned from the grave. The film is set partly in La Mancha, the windswept region where Almodóvar grew up.Volver premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, where it won Best Screenplay. Notably, its six lead actresses shared the Best Actress prize, an almost unheard-of collective honor. Cruz later earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, a landmark for Spanish-language performances. Roger Ebert gave the film four stars and named it among his four-star movies of 2006. You can find full details on the film's cast and awards at IMDb.The 2006 field is stacked with heavyweights. Volver joins previous entries like The Prestige, Little Miss Sunshine, and Borat in the fight for the crown.Guest Panelist: Inkoo KangInkoo Kang is the television critic at The New Yorker, where she has covered TV since 2022. Before that, she served as a TV critic at The Washington Post and The Hollywood Reporter. Her byline has also appeared at Slate, MTV News, The Village Voice, and TheWrap over a career spanning more than a decade. In practice, that résumé makes her one of the sharpest working critics on storytelling, performance, and cultural memory. Her perspective on Almodóvar's women makes this Volver podcast conversation essential listening.Ghosts and Grief on the Volver PodcastVolver treats death with a shrug and grief with a casserole. The Taste Buds dig into how Almodóvar builds a ghost story without a single scare. Irene's return plays as domestic comedy first and emotional reckoning second. However, the laughs never cheapen the loss underneath them.Inkoo, Greg, and Mike explore how the film's La Mancha setting shapes its view of mortality. The village women tend graves like gardens and speak of the dead like neighbors. As a result, the supernatural feels less like fantasy and more like tradition. The panel asks whether that matter-of-fact approach to death is exactly why the film hits so hard. Ultimately, Volver argues that the dead stay with us because we keep setting a place for them.Mothers, Daughters, and Sisters on the Volver PodcastEvery meaningful relationship in Volver runs between women. Raimunda and her daughter Paula protect each other through the film's darkest turn. Sole and Raimunda circle each other with the friction only sisters manage. Above all, Irene's return forces three generations to confront secrets that shaped them all.The panel unpacks how Almodóvar stages forgiveness as the film's true climax. Specifically, they discuss the confessions between mother and daughter that reframe everything before them. Inkoo brings a critic's eye to Cruz's performance, which anchors the whole ensemble. Moreover, the group considers how the film honors caretaking as heroic labor. Cooking, cleaning, and burying become acts of love here, not background noise.Ugh, Dudes: The Men of VolverThe men of Volver are a rogues' gallery of predators, cheats, and dead weight. Consequently, the Volver podcast panel dedicates a full segment to asking a simple question. Why does Almodóvar write men this way, and what does their awfulness reveal?The panel argues that the film's male characters function as weather, not people. They cause damage, and then the women clean up after the storm. By contrast, the women get every ounce of the film's interiority and warmth. The crew debates whether this imbalance is a flaw or the entire point. Nevertheless, everyone agrees on one thing. The dudes in this movie? Ugh.Rushmore: It GirlsPenélope Cruz became a global It Girl on the strength of this performance. Therefore, the crew carves a Mount Rushmore of It Girls in her honor. Greg, Mike, and Inkoo each argue for the four faces that defined It Girl status across eras. The picks range from obvious icons to deep-cut favorites, and the debate gets appropriately heated. Listen to the episode to hear which four faces make the mountain.The Five on This Week's Volver PodcastThe episode also features The Five, a recurring segment built on movie archetypes. The panel receives five iconic character types and must argue for the 2006 star who best embodies each one. This week's archetypes are a murderers' row: Scout Finch, Batman, Ripley, Robin Hood, and Frankenstein's Monster.Consequently, the debate ranges across the entire 2006 landscape. Who carries Scout's wide-eyed moral clarity? Which star wears Batman's brooding armor? Moreover, who earns Ripley's steel, Robin Hood's roguish charm, or the Monster's tragic misunderstood soul? Greg, Mike, and Inkoo each make their cases, and the picks get delightfully contentious. The answers stay spoiler-free here, so hit play to hear who claims each archetype.Why Volver Still MattersVolver endures because it treats ordinary women's lives as the stuff of grand cinema. Twenty years later, its blend of melodrama, comedy, and ghost story still feels singular. Cruz's Oscar-nominated turn opened doors for Spanish-language performances in Hollywood's biggest categories. Furthermore, the film cemented Almodóvar's late-career run as one of world cinema's great streaks.The Volver podcast conversation makes the case that the film's warmth is its weapon. Plenty of movies mine grief for devastation. By contrast, Volver mines grief for connection, and that choice keeps audiences returning. The title means "to return" in Spanish, after all. Great films do exactly that.Related Episodes from Movie of the Year: 2006Movies of 2006: Intro Part 12006 Bracket Reveal and Sweet 16Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story2006 Mixtape Part I2006 Mixtape Part IIBrickThe Puffy ChairThe Devil Wears PradaLittle Miss SunshineThe PrestigeBoratAll Movie of the Year episodesFAQ: Volver Podcast and FilmWhat is the Volver podcast episode about?In this Volver podcast episode, Greg and Mike from Movie of the Year discuss Pedro Almodóvar's 2006 film with guest critic Inkoo Kang. Topics include ghosts and grief, the film's women, its terrible men, a Mount Rushmore of It Girls, and The Five.What is Volver about?Volver follows Raimunda, a Madrid mother played by Penélope Cruz, as she covers up a death at home. Meanwhile, her late mother apparently returns from the grave to settle unfinished business with her daughters.Who directed Volver?Pedro Almodóvar wrote and directed Volver. The Spanish filmmaker set the story partly in La Mancha, the region where he grew up.What does Volver mean?Volver means "to return" in Spanish. The title comes from a classic tango and...
This week we're excited to present a recent conversation with The Samurai and the Prisoner director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, moderated by film critic Siddhant Adlakha. The Samurai and the Prisoner is currently playing daily at Film at Lincoln Center, courtesy of Janus Films. Get tickets at filmlinc.org/samurai In 16th-century Japan, Lord Murashige (Masahiro Motoki) turns against Oda, the warlord he once served, and is besieged inside his own castle, where inexplicable crimes begin to look to Murashige and his frightened advisors like signs of divine judgment. As Oda's invading army tightens its grip outside and suspicion infiltrates the stronghold, Murashige is forced to consult Kanbei (Masaki Suda of Cloud), the cunning strategist he has locked in the dungeon, while his wife Chiyoho (Yuriko Yoshitaka) and his generals try to keep the court from devouring itself. Kiyoshi Kurosawa's stately jidaigeki—adapted from Honobu Yonezawa's best-selling, Naoki Prize–winning novel and selected at this year's Cannes Film Festival—is a tense and metaphysical whodunit with the director's characteristic philosophical overtones, bringing the winding investigations of Cure and Serpent's Path into a meticulously composed period piece about the manipulation of terror.
“Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” is a 2026 horror comedy film written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun, following the success of their previous film, “I Saw the TV Glow.” Starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, the film combines a mind-bending structure and meta storytelling with Schoenbrun's signature exploration of pop culture and identity. However, unlike nearly everything the filmmaker has made before, this is as much a comedy as it is a strange, sexual, and visually stunning horror film. It had its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it received rave reviews. Before its theatrical release, Schoenbrun spoke with me, while Einbinder and Anderson joined Cody Dericks to discuss their experiences making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will be released in theaters by MUBI on August 7th. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/A4uk9HRMhRA https://youtu.be/Zz7FNVQlS20 Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"The Samurai And The Prisoner" is a 2026 Japanese historical drama mystery film written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa and based on the novel of the same name by Honobu Yonezawa. It stars Masahiro Motoki, Masaki Suda, Yuriko Yoshitaka, Munetaka Aoki, and Ryota Miyadate. Set in 16th-century Japan, the film follows Lord Murashige Araki (Motoki), who, besieged in his castle, confronts mysterious crimes and allies with imprisoned strategist Kanbei Kuroda (Suda) to uncover the truth. The film had its world premiere in the Cannes Premiere section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its overall design reminiscent of classic samurai films, detective narrative, and performances. Kurosawa was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in NY and LA select theaters and will expand nationwide later from Janus Films. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/svpf8EEw9Nk Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode, JD and Megan discuss Hirokazu Koreeda's latest film SHEEP IN THE BOX! It's JD's most anticipated film of the year (coupled with Koreeda's upcoming film LOOK BACK), so we were pretty excited to dive into this one, especially given the reviews coming out of this year's Cannes Film Festival where it was decimated by critics. Short of it; we're not sure where that's coming from exactly. - Review starts at 8:59 Visit https://insessionfilm.com for merch and more! Thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe! Become an ISF VIP today to get exclusive bonus content! Follow us on X/Twitter! @InSessionFilm | @RealJDDuran | @BrendanJCassidy
When Sarah Leavitt's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, she began documenting everything she could through drawings and writing. Those records became Tangles, her acclaimed 2010 graphic memoir, which was the first graphic narrative to be named a finalist for the Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction. Now, more than 15 years later, Tangles has been adapted into a film starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, Veep), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) and Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine). Sarah co-wrote the screenplay, and the film premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it received a lengthy standing ovation. Q guest host Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe caught up with Sarah to talk about it.
Our exit today has us singin' songs about the Southland. This week, we are talking about Sweet Home Alabama, written by C. Jay Cox and directed by Andy Tennant. Along the way, we talk a lot about Southern movies and culture, along with small-town films, the rising star power of Reese Witherspoon, snobby New York mayors, love triangles, Jewel covers, Wet Hot American Summer, and of course, female directors at the Cannes Film Festival.Theme music by Jonworthymusic.Powered by RiversideFM.CFF Films with Ross and friends.Movies We've Covered on the Show on Letterboxd.Movies Recommended on the Show on Letterboxd.
Marya and Robert are back at the Draft Table, this time joined by Booster Club Official Sponsor Eric Darling, to rank the 7 BEST films that have won the coveted PALME D'OR at the Cannes Film Festival since the year 2000! Want more Screen Drafts? Become a Booster! For just $5 a month get ad-free Main Feed episodes, plus monthly installments of The Franchise mini-Super Draft, The Marathon, Speed Drafts, and the Cool Kids Criterion Club Corner. Or, become a Lodge Member to get all of that, plus the brand new Mid-Budget Masterpiece Theatre! Visit www.patreon.com/screendrafts to join the Club and support the show!
Editor Katie McQuerrey has collaborated with Joel and Ethan Coen on several significant films over the past 25 years, including Intolerable Cruelty, No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man, True Grit, and Inside Llewyn Davis. Their partnership began during the Coens' transition from film to digital – a period that also saw major changes to their editing process and suite. Katie's work transcends a unique range of genres and styles. Her credits include Matthew Barney's six-hour opera film River of Fundament; the road films Driveways and Wanderland; Roger Waters' concert documentaries Roger Waters: The Wall (2014) and Us + Them (2019); X, the short film directed by Josh Brolin; Naked Singularity, starring John Boyega; and Asphalt City (formerly Black Flies), starring Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, and Michael Pitt. Asphalt City marked her third collaboration with director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, following Punk and A Prayer Before Dawn. In television, Katie has also edited episodes of Human Giant, the cult classic The Andy Milonakis Show, and George & Tammy. Her most recent project, De Gaulle: Résistance, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026. Directed by Antonin Baudry and starring Simon Abkarian as Charles de Gaulle, the film chronicles de Gaulle's emergence as one of the defining military and political figures of World War II France. Adapted by Baudry and Bérénice Vila from Julian Jackson's biography A Certain Idea of France: The Life of Charles de Gaulle, Résistance is the first installment of an ambitious two-part epic, preceding De Gaulle: Liberté, which opened theatrically across France on June 26, 2026. In our conversation, we discussed Katie's multicultural background; the profound impact of seeing Apocalypse Now at a young age; her path to becoming one of Hollywood's most sought-after editors and collaborating with Joel and Ethan Coen; and her experience editing De Gaulle through an international post-production process spanning France and the United States.Opening Credits: Pierce Murphy - Persimmon I CC BY; Pierce Murphy - Among The Stars I CC BY. Closing Credits: Tommaso Croce - Electric Clementine I CC BY-NC.
For this week's main podcast review, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Giovanni Lago, and Larry Fried join me to review and discuss the first feature film from Nicolas Winding Refn in a decade, "Her Private Hell," starring Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu, Kristine Froseth, Shioli Kutsuna, Aoi Yamada, Dougray Scott, Diego Calva, and Hidetoshi Nishijima. Premiering out of competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, the film caused more walkouts than any other film at the festival and has gained quite a divisive reaction from critics and audiences. What did we think of it? Please tune in either on video or audio only as we debate the merits of its convoluted story, its strange performances, the neon-lit cinematography, Pino Donaggio's gorgeous score, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/ILY8KuEJ_5Y Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Her Private Hell" is a 2026 science fiction horror thriller film produced and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, from a story he wrote and a screenplay he co-wrote with Esti Giordani. It stars Sophie Thatcher as a troubled young woman who searches for her father as a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity. Her quest collides with an American G.I. (Charles Melton) who's on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from hell. The film also stars Havana Rose Liu, Kristine Froseth, Shioli Kutsuna, Aoi Yamada, Dougray Scott, Diego Calva, and Hidetoshi Nishijima. It had its world premiere out of competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it received mixed reviews, but its visuals, performances, and the score by legendary Italian composer Pino Donaggio were praised. Thatcher, Melton and Winding Refn were all kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their work and experiences making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will be released in theaters by NEON on July 24th. Thank you, and enjoy! https://youtu.be/r4ENIJpyPLo https://youtu.be/-52ywXkEti0 Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On episode 354 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade, and Mark Johnson, aka The Awards Alchemist, to chat about the lineup for the 83rd Venice International Film Festival and to share their first Oscar podcast predictions for Adapted and Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture. First, they dive into Venice's world premieres, including Wild Horse Nine, Primetime, and Bucking Fastard. Does this lineup look a little bit lackluster compared to previous editions? The group gives an overview of how they think this lineup (plus early announcements for TIFF and NYFF) could shape the Telluride lineup and the rest of the season. Then, they take a look at four major Oscar categories, the likely nominees, and early possible winners. They discuss the dominance of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, contenders from the Cannes Film Festival, potential lone writing nominees, and other unseen films that could crash the party. Other films mentioned include Dune: Part Three, Project Hail Mary, La Bola Negra, Fjord, Minotaur, The Invite, Club Kid and more. You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube, and more. This podcast runs 1 hr and 35 min. We will be back next week with an Oscar retrospective of the 79th Academy Awards. Until then, let's get into it. Music: "Modern Fashion" from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), "B-3" from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).
Chosen by Chris and released in 1993, Falling Down was directed by Joel Schumacher from a screenplay by Ebbe Roe Smith. Produced for an estimated $25 million, the film stars Michael Douglas in one of his most unsettling roles, supported by Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin, Frederic Forrest and Tuesday Weld. The production filmed extensively on location across Los Angeles, using the city's traffic jams, fast-food restaurants, convenience stores and sun-baked streets to create a sweaty urban pressure cooker.The film opened at number one in the United States and earned more than $40 million domestically, while provoking a sharply divided response from critics and audiences. Douglas's performance received widespread praise, but the film's treatment of unemployment, race, violence and male resentment generated considerable controversy. It was also nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. More than three decades later, Falling Down remains a fiercely debated cult thriller: part social satire, part character study and part reminder that leaving your car during rush hour rarely leads anywhere sensible.Trailer Guy SynopsisIn the suffocating heat of Los Angeles, one ordinary-looking man has finally had enough.His car is trapped. His patience is gone. And all he wants is to cross the city and reach his daughter's birthday party.But every broken promise, inflated price and minor inconvenience pushes him further beyond the edge. As a veteran detective begins following the trail, Los Angeles is about to discover that the man in the white shirt is no longer playing by society's rules.Fun FactsScreenwriter Ebbe Roe Smith completed the original screenplay in just ten weeks.Smith was inspired by a news report about an enraged truck driver who deliberately rammed other vehicles on a highway.Every major Hollywood studio initially rejected the screenplay, and the project came close to becoming an HBO television film before Warner Bros. intervened.William Foster is usually identified as “D-FENS,” taken from the personalised licence plate on his car rather than from a conventional character nickname.Michael Douglas said the character began to click once the production gave him the severe flattop haircut, tight white shirt, pocket pens and small plastic calculator.The white shirt was deliberately made slightly too small for Douglas, helping D-FENS appear physically restricted and permanently uncomfortable.Political posters by Los Angeles artist Michael McNielly were placed throughout the backgrounds to add another layer of social commentary.Special permission was required to film the closing sequences on Venice Pier because it had been closed to the public since 1988 and was considered unsafe.Production happened to be underway when the 1992 Los Angeles riots began, giving the film's already tense depiction of the city an uncomfortable real-world backdrop.Ebbe Roe Smith makes a brief appearance as the frustrated motorist shouting from the traffic jam near the beginning of the film.If you enjoy the show and would like to support us, we have a Patreon here.If you're listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leaving us a 5-star review (and a short comment) really helps more people discover the show. It's quick, free, and makes a huge difference.Referral links also help out the show if you were going to sign up:NordVPNNordPassthevhsstrikesback@gmail.comhttps://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback
Bonjour! In this episode, Shelby and Laura react to 79th annual Cannes Film Festival. Laura spills all the behind the scenes tea as an employee at the American Pavilion within Cannes's international village. Laura ranks the 15 movies she saw, identifies the most highly anticipated films of the festival, and shares how it felt to walk the Cannes red carpet! She also describes the fashion and luxurious aesthetic of the French Riviera.Check out our podcast episodes reviewing the 2025 and the 2024 Cannes Film Festivals!To stay up to date on all things SWW: Follow @SistersWhoWatch on all social media channels (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn) Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our website and fill out the contact information form. What should we watch next? Email us at sisterswhowatch@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram with your suggestions. Thank you for listening and we appreciate your support! Please rate, subscribe, download, share, and leave us a review :)
What a treat to sit down and talk with 10-year-old Clark Shotwell, the young star of John Travolta's new film Propeller One-Way Night Coach, now streaming on Apple TV. Clark plays Jeff, a young airplane enthusiast whose cross-country journey with his mother becomes the adventure of a lifetime. Set during the golden age of aviation, the film is written, directed, narrated, and produced by John Travolta—and marks Clark's feature-film debut. We talk with Clark about landing the role, working with John Travolta and the cast, the magic of stepping onto a film set, and what it's like to see your first major movie take flight. It's a fascinating conversation about acting, Hollywood, and his unexpected journey, including post-premiere interviews and an exciting trip to the Cannes Film Festival in Paris. Meanwhile, you can see Clark and his entire family perform locally at the annual Christmas show at The Coeur d'Alene Resort, opening the day after Thanksgiving. Tickets for the Christmas show will be available at cdaresort.com/events later this fall.
Chosen by Timothy and released in 2002, Irreversible was written and directed by Gaspar Noe, the Argentine-born French filmmaker already known for pushing audiences well outside the comfort zone. The film stars Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel, with Bellucci and Cassel appearing together while they were married in real life, which adds an extra layer of intensity to an already very uncomfortable viewing experience.Shot in France on a relatively modest budget, Irreversible became one of the most talked-about films of the early 2000s after its Cannes Film Festival premiere, where it reportedly caused walkouts, outrage and intense debate. Its reputation has only grown since then, becoming a notorious landmark of extreme cinema, French arthouse provocation and the kind of DVD rental choice that could absolutely ruin a quiet night in.TRAILER GUY PLOT SYNOPSISIn a city that never seems to stop moving, one night spirals into panic, rage and revenge. Two men descend into the Paris underground, searching for someone they believe must pay, while the world around them twists, turns and refuses to offer anything close to comfort.But this is no ordinary thriller. Time itself has been shattered, the pieces laid out backwards, forcing us to watch consequence before cause, fury before heartbreak, and chaos before the fragile moments that came before it.Irreversible is a cinematic endurance test from 2002, where love, violence and fate collide in a film that asks one simple question: are you sure you meant to rent this?FUN FACTSIrreversible premiered at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and quickly became one of the most controversial films of that year.The film is structured in reverse chronological order, with scenes playing out from the end of the story back to the beginning.Gaspar Noe has said the backwards structure was partly inspired by the idea that life can only be understood after events have already happened.Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel were married at the time of filming, making their performances together especially striking.The film is often grouped with the New French Extremity movement, a wave of French cinema known for graphic, confrontational and boundary-pushing storytelling.Much of the film's unsettling atmosphere comes from its aggressive sound design, including low-frequency audio designed to make viewers feel physically uncomfortable.The nightclub sequence is famous for its disorientating camerawork, harsh lighting and deliberately oppressive visual style.Irreversible was banned or heavily restricted in some countries due to its explicit content and graphic violence.The film's title refers to the idea that time destroys everything, which is also one of the film's most quoted themes.In 2019, Gaspar Noe released a “Straight Cut” version of the film, presenting the story in chronological order.Support the ShowIf you enjoy the show and would like to support us, we have a Patreon here.If you're listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leaving us a 5-star review (and a short comment) really helps more people discover the show. It's quick, free, and makes a huge difference.Referral links also help out the show if you were going to sign up:NordVPNNordPassthevhsstrikesback@gmail.comhttps://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback
The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features one of the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winners, David Lean's Brief Encounter. Directed and co-written by David Lean and starring Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey and Cyril Raymond, Brief Encounter was one of 11 films to tie for the Grand Prix at the first-ever Cannes Film Festival.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1946/08/26/archives/the-screen-in-review.html), Variety, and C.A. Lejeune in The Observer (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/16/brief-encounter-romance-archive-review).Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you're a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1946 episode, featuring our documentary pick, John Huston's Let There Be Light.
Two great personal documentarians grace the podcast: Ross McElwee (“Sherman’s March”) and Michel Negroponte (“I’m Dangerous With Love”). Long friends and colleagues, Ross and Michel come on to primarily discuss the sensitive subject matter behind Ross’ latest film, “Remake” The film begins a theatrical engagement at Film Forum in NYC on 7/10/2026. They are currently screening a 40th anniversary 4K restored print of his seminal “Sherman’s March”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Vph7D_TxY The death of his son causes McElwee, an autobiographical filmmaker, to look back on his life's work. He eventually turns to his archive of home movies — an afternoon trapping crayfish with his son Adrian, age 4; helping with homework, age 11; discussing career plans with his son, age 24. To what extent did his camera affect their relationship when Adrian was alive? To what extent does it define that relationship now that he is gone? Meanwhile, an effort to adapt McElwee's first feature, “Sherman's March”, into a work of fiction lurches along, giving the filmmaker another perspective from which to meditate on movie making and mortality. Ross McElwee is a documentary filmmaker from Charlotte, North Carolina currently living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. McElwee has made ten feature-length films. “Sherman's March” won Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival and was chosen for preservation by the U.S Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2000 as a “historically significant American motion picture.” Bright Leaves premiered at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight. McElwee’s In Paraguay premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2008, and he returned to Venice in 2011 to premiere Photographic Memory. McElwee has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the American Film Institute. He has twice been awarded fellowships in filmmaking by the National Endowment for the Arts and production grants from the LEF foundation. McElwee received the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival's Career Award in 2007 and the Pennebaker Award for his career in 2023. In 2024, the French Ministry of Culture awarded McElwee the rank of Chevalier des Artes et des Lettres. McElwee was Professor of the Practice of Filmmaking in the Department of Art, Film and Visual Studies at Harvard beginning in 2003 until his retirement in 2024. He is now a Research Professor, Emeritus in the AFVS Department. About Michel Negroponte Michel Negroponte is an award winning filmmaker who has been making feature length documentaries for more than 30 years. He was born and raised in New York City, and studied filmmaking with Richard Leacock and Ed Pincus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1970s. In addition to making his own films, he has freelanced on countless films for HBO, PBS, the BBC, and Channel Four. He has also worked with independent filmmakers like Ross McElwee, Doug Block, Lisa Crafts, D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, Christine Choy, Dick Rogers, John Marshall and Al Maysles. His films include SPACE COAST (1979), RESIDENT EXILE (1981), SILVER VALLEY (1984), JUPITER’S WIFE (1994), NO ACCIDENT (1996), W.I.S.O.R. (2000), METHADONIA (2005) and I’M DANGEROUS WITH LOVE (2009). JUPITER’S WIFE, a portrait of a beguiling homeless woman named Maggie, won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the prize for Best Feature Documentary at the Vancouver and the Santa Barbara Film Festivals. The film was also awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Documentary. Originally shot on small format video, it premiered on HBO/Cinemax before getting a nationwide 35mm theatrical release. Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle called it one of the ten best films of the year. John Koch of the Boston Globe wrote, “Negroponte has a painter’s eye and a novelist’s reach; and if there is anything more engaging and satisfying than “Jupiter’s Wife” on television or at the movies these days, by all means tell me about it.” Negroponte’s films have been broadcast in the United States on PBS, HBO, and the Sundance Channel as well as in England, France, Germany, Spain, and Japan. His work has been shown at the Sundance Film Festival, The New York Film Festival, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and in festivals in Berlin, Rotterdam, Vancouver, and Japan. Negroponte has also taught in the graduate and undergraduate film programs at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and Temple University. Recently, he helped create a new graduate program in documentary filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, which opened in September, 2009. He is part of the faculty there as well.
It's been said that you can spot an American from a mile away. Travelers to Europe are advised to adjust their attire to blend in with locals and avoid looking so … casual. The French think Americans are loud and rude, and Europe has a long tradition of sneering at how classless we all are, even before Trump.I spent a month in Italy, and it's a beautiful place. The slow living, the long naps when all the stores shut down for hours during the day, the tiny cars, the laundry drying on the balconies, the fresh food at the Farmer's Market. I feel lucky that when I came back from Italy, I was pregnant and having my baby is the single greatest thing that has ever happened to me. But I'm also glad she grew up in America.I used to travel to France to cover the Cannes Film Festival, and again, I admired their way of life, the food especially. But every time I stayed too long, I began to miss my home in America. There is something thrilling about living in a free country that I've never felt anywhere else.It seems to me that if you are born here, you make up your life as it goes along. It is not planned out for you, necessarily, although in some cases, I guess it probably is. In my case, it wasn't. I knew I could invent myself any way I wanted. And if I didn't like that version, I could reinvent myself. We're like our country, a work in progress. It's always there for the taking, that promise of opportunity.Donald Trump is all of America's freedoms wrapped up in one imperfect man. He broke through the thick layer of oppressive thought and speech and showed the world that here, you really can say anything you want - as long as some crazed totalitarian doesn't try to shoot you. That's the country I want to live in. It isn't that the greatest writing or art has come from a place like America. Plenty of great works have come from places that don't center freedom as their main objective. But once you've tasted it, you can't give it up.In his speech last night, Trump said:The American founding represents the best ideas and traditions in history by the best people, like you. You can be loyal to Karl Marx or you can be loyal to America. You can be a communist or you can be a patriot. You cannot be both. As for those who peddle Marxist lies about our heritage, tell our children that we live on stolen land or that our heroes were oppressors, they're doing something much worse than slandering our past. They are slandering and attacking our future. Not going to let that happen.They're trying to tear down the great American character to destroy the people who declared independence, who crossed the Delaware, who settled the West and conquered the skies. You know who those people are. But we will never let that happen.In America now, two stories are competing to claim the right to rule the future. Trump is telling the better story, the one America was founded on and the one we've all believed, at least up until recently, when a new wave of progressives decided that the better story paints America as a corrupt, rotten, white supremacist empire that has to be torn down to the studs and rebuilt.They must be terrified about the 2030 Census because they've decided to die on the hill of illegal immigration, which is fast becoming their most important issue. That, alongside Democratic Socialism, is a recipe for disaster.This was Bill Clinton's bummer message on the Fourth:I always thought Bill Clinton was a good president, but reading that just now makes me think he wasn't. All he's ever been able to do is point the finger at the other side and never offer any real solutions. He's not the man in the arena. He's the man on the sidelines.What I love about Trump and his supporters is how much they love America. They love it so much that they plant flags all over their homes. They admire the Founding Fathers. They call themselves Patriots. We didn't have that kind of pride on the Left when I was growing up.And even now, so many see the American flag and the love of country as dangerous, racist, bigoted, fascist. Whoever told those people that is what MAGA is about lied. They're protective of America's laws and its border. That is out of love for the country. The Left has taken almost everything from them. They've locked them out of culture, forbidden them from participating in any of their major events, dehumanized, demonized, and disenfranchised them. But the one thing they couldn't take was their citizenship. They hit the jackpot just by being born in America. To think it would be so easy for people all over the world to come here illegally and claim that prize or to come here and attempt to remake America into something it was never meant to be devalues the one thing they treasure most of all. I've always been a proud American. I've always preferred this country over any other, but only in the last few years have I understood what it means to be a Patriot, to be ready to fight for the country I love. And that is because of the people I've gotten to know on the Right.This country is worth fighting for. I might not agree with all of the policies on the Right, or even Trump himself, all of the time, but I'd rather have the future of this country in the hands of people who love it the way Trump does than people who hate it, the way so many on the Left do, just because their candidates are weak and their policies are toxic. I wanted to write 250 things I love about America, but it got too long, so this will have to do. Here are just some of the things I love:I love the interstates as part of the great legacy of Dwight D. Eisenhower.I love the Pacific Ocean because it stretches along the state. I love Catalina Island off the California Coast, where I spent many a summer with my best friend.I love seeing our history in the many cultures that came here, like Chinatown, Little Italy, Mexican food in LA, soul food in the South, Irish bars and pubs in the middle of nowhere. And yes, you can appreciate a nation of immigrants while still policing our borders now. I love how nice people are in some places, like California, Ohio, and Iowa, where they smile at you on the street.I love the weather extremes, from the dusty plains to the snowy mountains to hurricanes by the sea.I love the historic monuments from the Civil War and the Revolutionary War.I love the town squares that you can still see if you drive through the middle of America. Even though many are abandoned, they still look like hope to me.I love how each town square has a church, a post office, and a school.I love the many farmlands that blanket the Midwest.I love the small mom-and-pop coffee drive-throughs, and even the convenience of a Starbucks in nearly every town.I love Route 66 and how people still drive it and visit the forgotten places.I love the absurdity of Las Vegas, how it sprouts up impossibly in the middle of the desert.I love the American writers who helped shape our country's sense of itself - Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Flannery O'Connor, Richard Ford, Maya Angelou. I love the musical traditions that started here: Jazz and the Blues. And became Rock n' Roll. I love the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the town that still remembers it.I love diners and dive bars.I love Gone with the Wind and how it's still the highest-grossing film of all time when adjusted for inflation. I love The Twilight Zone and find it timeless, as relevant today as it was in the 1950s.I love the footprints at the (Grauman's) Chinese Theater in Hollywood.I love the US military and its devotion to the country. I love the wildflowers that bloom in California every year.I love soft-serve ice cream at the DQ.I love Levi's.I love New York pizza.I love Solvang in California.I love driving up the Oregon coast. I love the songs of Bob Dylan.I love the tap dancing of Fred Astaire.I love how anyone can be a star on YouTube, no matter where they come from, but YouTube couldn't have been invented anywhere but America.I love how I could build a business as a single mom in a one-room guesthouse in Van Nuys, and that business would, five years later, become profitable because I worked hard and had a good idea. And then, when my career went up in flames in 2024 because I voted for Trump, I could build another career on Substack because that is what America is all about - inventing and reinventing yourself.I love the innovative spirit that built America in real life and online.I love reading about the early settlers, the Puritans, and the homesteaders, how much they sacrificed to help make America a home. And I love the history of the Native Americans, too, even if so much of it remains a tragedy now. I love high-speed internet and Wi-Fi that are available almost everywhere, and if they're not, I have a hotspot.I love the old American cars that were not just exceptional but beautiful.I love the tradition of baseball.I love that people faithfully watch football, even if I don't.I love the tradition of sourdough bread all over social media.I love that the best basketball players in the world are from here.I love that every state is different from one to the next.I love Harper's Ferry, how it's frozen in time.I love that we found a way to move on from the trauma of our past with slavery and how we fought a bloody Civil War to end it. I love that we were the good guys in World War II. We did the right thing in entering the war and helping the Allies win. I love that you can be anything here. The door is always open. It's up to you to walk through it.I love that America is a Christian nation, and you can see that if you drive across it. But it's also a country that stands for freedom of religion, too.I love the American comedians: Groucho Marx, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, and Johnny Carson.I love that the best films from the 1970s were American movies, like The Godfather, The French Connection, Taxi Driver, and Network. But I also love more modern masterpieces by American filmmakers, like No Country for Old Men and Sideways.I love that people play the lottery, thinking one day they will hit the jackpot. They never will, but they can still dream.I love Thanksgiving and the way we celebrate it in America, which is to say, all together as one big dysfunctional family.I love the tradition of Halloween and how every October, the pumpkins and costumes come out. I love the way the weather changes. I love the Declaration of Independence and those who dared to build this wild, untamed, optimistic work in progress. I love that America is always looking to the future to find a better version of itself and its people. I love that so many Americans still believe in the American Dream.I love watching the movie Jaws on the 4th of July.I love that people watch fireworks, even if I never do, because they traumatize my dogs.I love that we have a holiday just to celebrate the day we became a country, a ragtag group of deplorable revolutionaries who set out to build a brand new country. Oh, the audacity of it. I love living here and would not want to live anywhere else. Happy 250th Birthday, my beloved country.Happy 4th to you, dear readers. Thanks for everything. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sashastone.com/subscribe
For years, Jordana Brewster quietly lived with a life-altering diagnosis that few people knew about. After suffering a seizure at 28, she learned she had a cavernous malformation (CVM), a rare vascular condition in her brain that made carrying a pregnancy dangerously high-risk. While continuing a successful acting career, she privately managed her condition, navigated fertility treatments, and ultimately chose gestational surrogacy to grow her family.In this candid conversation, Jordana joins Mary Alice Haney to share the emotional realities behind IVF, infertility, surrogacy, and the difficult decisions that come with protecting both your health and your dream of becoming a parent. She also opens up about undergoing awake brain surgery, overcoming the stigma of living with a neurological condition, healing from disordered eating, and how divorce, blended family life, and finding love again gave her the courage to embrace a completely new chapter.Subscribe to SHE MD Podcast for expert tips on PMOS, endometriosis, fertility, hormonal balance, mental health, and more. Share with friends and visit SHE MD website and Ovii for research-backed resources, holistic health strategies, and expert guidance on women's health and well-being.SponsorsProlon: Visit ProlonLife.com/SHEMD to claim your 15% discount and your bonus gift. Talkiatry: Head to Talkiatry.com/sheMD to complete the short assessment and get matched with an in‑network psychiatrist in just a few minutes.Alaya Naturals: Visit www.alayanaturals.com/SheMD and enter code SheMD at checkout for 20% off your order.Tuckernuck: Visit tnuck.com and use code SHEMD for 15% off your first purchase.Square: You can get up to $200 off Square hardware at square.com/go/shemdWhat You'll LearnWhat a cavernous malformation (CVM) is and how it can affect pregnancy and neurological healthHow Jordana's first seizure led to a diagnosis that changed the course of her lifeWhy doctors advised her against carrying a pregnancyThe emotional and physical realities of IVF that aren't often discussedWhat the gestational surrogacy process actually looks like, from choosing a surrogate to legal agreements and deliveryWhy infertility evaluations should always include both partnersCommon misconceptions and stigma surrounding surrogacyWhat it's like to undergo awake brain surgery while doctors monitor language and brain functionHow Jordana managed a seizure disorder while building a demanding acting careerThe long-term impact of disordered eating and learning to build a healthier relationship with food and exerciseHow becoming a mother reshaped her perspective on control, trust, and vulnerabilityNavigating divorce, blended families, co-parenting, and finding love again after major life changesWhy speaking openly about women's health experiences helps break stigma for future generationsKey Timestamps00:00 Why Surrogacy Is Only Legal In 3 Countries01:03 Meet Jordana Brewster, Actress, Mom And Survivor03:39 When Jordana Decided She Wanted To Be A Mom04:36 The Brain Diagnosis That Changed Everything06:30 Living With A Seizure Disorder In Hollywood09:03 The Breakthrough Seizures That Forced A Decision10:11 What Awake Brain Surgery Actually Feels Like12:08 Six Years Seizure Free After The Surgery12:36 Overhauling Her Entire Life In 202015:43 The Stigma Around Surrogacy And What People Get Wrong17:02 Finding The Right Surrogate And Trusting Your Gut19:36 The IVF Journey And Why It Is Never A Slam Dunk22:08 The Hardest Part Of Surrogacy Nobody Talks About24:44 The Birth Story And Being In The Delivery Room26:29 Why She Didn't Take Maternity Leave And Regrets It27:37 Stop Ignoring The Man's Role In Fertility31:43 Finding Love Again And Blending A Family Of Six34:34 How To Successfully Navigate A Blended Family46:37 Losing Paul Walker And How She Honors His Legacy48:19 What She Would Tell Her Younger SelfKey TakeawaysA cavernous malformation (CVM) is a vascular condition in the brain that can cause seizures and may make pregnancy high-risk for some patientsIVF and gestational surrogacy are complex medical processes that often require multiple specialists, legal protections, and emotional resilienceFertility evaluations should include both partners, as male-factor infertility is a significant contributor to difficulty conceivingAwake brain surgery allows surgeons to monitor critical brain functions, such as speech, while safely removing lesions located near essential areas of the brainOpen conversations about infertility, surrogacy, neurological conditions, and mental health can help reduce stigma and encourage others to seek careGuest Bio: Jordana BrewsterJordana Brewster's beauty and natural screen presence has etched her a permanent place in Hollywood in both film and television. Jordana can most recently be seen in the independent feature THE PIRATE KING, which premiered at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival. She will next be seen as ‘Kat' in the upcoming Prime Video series BISHOP. Jordana is best known for her work in the FAST & FURIOUS franchise which stands at over $7 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing film series globally. The franchise is celebrating its 25th Anniversary since this original film this year which recently screened at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and was named a “Cannes Classic.” She can also be seen starring in the Sony feature HEART EYES with Devon Sawa and Olivia Holt, which released Feb 7, 2025. Jordana also starred in the thriller CELLAR DOOR with Scott Speedman and Laurence Fishburne, which was released by Lionsgate in November 2024. On television, Jordan played the role of ‘Denise Brown' in Ryan Murphy's Emmy award winning series “American Crime Story”. She also starred on the FOX series “Lethal Weapon,” TNT's “Dallas,” and ABC's ”Secrets and Lies” opposite Juliette Lewis and Michael Ealy.In between shooting the F&F franchise, Jordana attended and graduated from Yale University. She is fluent in Portuguese.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Katey and Chris Rosen regroup to look at the 2026 movies that are already in the Oscar race, how the buzz from this year's Cannes Film Festival will translate to the fall, and what we're already anticipating, including new trailers for fall movies like Digger and The Debut. 00:00 Intro 00:57 The Vibes Are Finally Good 03:30 Project Hail Mary Leads The Pack 07:47 The Optimism Theory 11:23 Can Obsession Go All The Way? 15:18 The Trouble With Michael 17:51 Movies We're Mourning 21:49 The Bride And Pressure's Chances 24:56 Anne Hathaway's Busy Year 28:15 Zendaya And Pattinson's Overdue Oscars 30:50 Toy Story 5 And Taylor Swift 34:48 The Cannes Contenders 40:38 Paper Tiger And Coward 43:06 The Digger Trailer 46:21 Turturro's Best Actor Case 48:25 The Debut And Giamatti's Moment 52:08 Artificial In Limbo 54:11 The Odyssey Outlook 57:20 Coming Up Subscribe today to Prestige Junkie After Party bonus episodes. Subscribe to the Prestige Junkie newsletter. Follow Katey on Letterboxd. Follow The Ankler.
"Romería" is a 2025 drama film written and directed by Carla Simón. It stars Llúcia Garcia as Marina, a young woman seeking the truth about her deceased biological father. The plot consists of a fictionalized account of Simón's own experiences. The film premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme D'Or and received positive reviews from critics for its direction, lead performance from Llúcia Garcia, editing, and cinematography. Simón was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about her work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in New York and will open in Los Angeles on July 1st with a nationwide expansion to follow from Janus Films. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over the last couple weeks, there has been an enormous amount written—from The New York Times to Le Monde to Haaretz, among other places—about a controversy centered on Nadav Lapid, an Israeli filmmaker living in France. Lapid has made several critically acclaimed films, including Synonyms, Ahed's Knee, and, most recently, Yes, and his work has taken home jury prizes at the Berlinale and Cannes.The recent controversy was focused on the FIDMarseille international film festival. There was a planned retrospective of Palestinian films at the festival this year. Meanwhile, Lapid was invited to head the jury. It was also decided that there would be an event honoring him, and that he would teach a master class. When a dozen filmmakers threatened to pull their films from the festival, Lapid withdrew as head of the jury. When that did not quell the protests, he decided to cancel the event and the master class, as well.The response from many in the film world has largely been to rally around Lapid, with two letters published in Le Monde, one of them garnering over 350 signatures of high-profile figures in the industry. The letters allege that Lapid is being boycotted solely because of his identity. One of them declares, “Nothing justifies the silencing of an artist . . . the cultural boycott is an intellectual dead end that we must collectively overcome.”Meanwhile, Film Workers for Palestine, allied with PACBI, which coordinates the academic and cultural boycott of Israel, published a translation of a statement by Palestine Will Save Cinema, pointing to the fact that Nadav Lapid's latest film, Yes, received support from the Israeli Film Fund, was presented at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival as an Israeli co‑production, and competed for the Ophir Awards (akin to Israel's Academy Awards). “States have always invested in cinema, literature, the arts, and festivals as instruments of influence and legitimacy. Cultural production does not circulate in a political vacuum. It contributes to the representation of nations, the construction of their international image, and the dissemination of their narratives,” they wrote. “This is precisely why cultural boycott exists. Not because artists are responsible for the crimes committed by their governments, nor because certain works should be prohibited, but because cultural institutions, funding systems, and distribution policies play a concrete role in states' strategies of legitimation.” There can be no mistaking the content of Yes, which seeks to depict the depravity of Israeli society during the genocide. But it does open with the icon of Israel's Ministry of Culture, due to the support it took from the Israeli Film Fund, which accounted for 13% of the film's funding.On this episode of On the Nose, Arielle Angel talks to Nadav Lapid about the recent controversy, and the two hash out some of their disagreements about cultural boycott.Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for editing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Media Mentioned and Further Reading“‘Guilty by Virtue of My Identity,'” Nirit Anderman, HaaretzTwo letters in support of Nadav Lapid, published in Le MondeFilm Workers for Palestine translation of Palestine Will Save Cinema statement on FID MarseillleFilm Workers for Palestine Pledge to End Complicity“What the NY Knicks Mania Reveals About Israelis and Collective Blame for Gaza,” Libby Lenkinski, Haaretz“Thank You for Boycotting Me: As an Israeli Filmmaker, Here's Why Global Pressure Amid Gaza Matters,” Avigail Sperber, Haaretz“Paul Simon's Graceland: the acclaim and the outrage,” Robin Denselow, The Guardian“Non,” Catherine Haas, lundimatin“Is the cultural boycott of Israel an effective political tool for the Palestinian cause?” on Radio France“Israeli Grotesque,” Mitchell Abidor, Jewish CurrentsTranscript forthcoming.
This Queer as Fiction episode is on Kenyan director Wanuri Kahiu's 2018 lesbian romance film, Rafiki. Join us for a rich exploration of Kenyan culture through the lens of the director's self-titled “Afrobubblegum” genre, the real-world ramifications of releasing a lesbian film with a happy ending in a country where homosexuality is criminalised, and a DJ named after an Australian cartoon character. Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as everything there is to know about Queer as Fact. If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky. [Image: A poster for the film Rafiki, featuring the two leads, Samantha Mugatsia and Shiela Munyiva. It specifies that the film was an Official Selection “un certain regard” at Cannes Film Festival.]
The great jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins died Monday at the age of 95. He was known for his improvisation and technique, his full bodied sound that could erupt into grunts and brays, and his love of songs. Rollins said of improvising: “When I'm actually on the stage and performing, the optimum condition is not to think. I just want the music to play itself. I didn't want to have to think about it.” We listen back to Terry Gross's 1994 interview with Rollins. Also, jazz historian Kevin Whitehead pays tribute. Finally, critic Justin Chang tells us about the highlights from the Cannes Film Festival. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away … we used to have good ‘Star Wars' movies. Before diving into ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu', Sean and Amanda give a final recap of their trip to the Cannes Film Festival, and cover a handful of movie news headlines they missed while they were overseas (2:28). Then, they are joined by ‘Star Wars' superfan Van Lathan to discuss who the movie was actually made for, why it doesn't feel special for one of cinema's biggest movie franchises, and how this film marks an end of an era for ‘Star Wars' at large (32:02). Finally, Sean is joined by Daniel Roher to discuss why he felt his new film ‘Tuner' was an exercise to prove to himself that he could broaden his horizons outside of the documentary genre (1:28:33). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Daniel Roher and Van Lathan Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
President Trump says an agreement with Iran to end the war has been "largely negotiated", writing on social media that the deal will include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Contradicting his statement, Iranian media reports say the vital waterway will remain under Tehran's control. Our North America correspondent assesses the latest claims. Also: US secret service agents kill a shooter who opened fire near a White House security checkpoint; the Pentagon releases a further batch of previously classified files on alleged UFO sightings; the latest on the Democratic Republic of Congo where more than 200 people have died in the current Ebola outbreak; a new law in Japan finally allows divorced couples to share custody of their children; and we hear about the Norwegian based film, Fjord - winner of this year's Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
A number of Republicans have come out against Trump’s DOJ “anti-weaponization” fund. Mary Clare Jalonick of the Associated Press explains the backlash. A 3-year-old boy was killed after ICE detained his mother. The Washington Post’s Maria Sacchetti explores the absence of standards to protect the children of detainees. Millions of Americans are driving out of town for the Memorial Day weekend. USA Today’s Keith Laing joins to discuss how the high gas prices are changing some travelers’ plans. Plus, a flight from Paris to the U.S. was diverted to Canada over Ebola concerns, a newly released report dissects how Democrats lost the 2024 election, and the Cannes Film Festival debuted a fully AI film. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.
Bonjour! Sean and Amanda recap their first trip to the legendary Cannes Film Festival, which has become an incredible bellwether for the Best Picture race over the last five to 10 years. First, they talk through what the actual experience at the festival is like, including how it logistically works, what the vibes are like, and how to survive (0:39). Then, they dive into the slate of films they've seen and categorize them into the good, the bad, and the WTF (24:29). Finally, they share their final predictions for all of the main prizes at the festival and briefly cover some potential Oscar implications (1:40:54). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Sarah Reddy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ukraine is winning, and a botox-bloated Putin looks like a dead-man walking. While the spineless MAGA right still tries to block aid, Ukrainian innovation has turned Russia's imperialist delusion into an embarrassing nightmare, as predicted on Gaslit Nation at the start of the full-scale invasion. Award-winning war reporter James Verini, author of The Theater: Courage and Survival in the Defining Atrocity of the Ukraine War, joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the desperation rattling Moscow. Putin wanted a grand Cold War rematch, but instead, he's trapped in a catastrophic, modern-day Afghanistan with a staggering one million Russian casualties. The reality the MAGA death cult and isolationists ignore? Ukraine is the true vanguard of global democracy. They are out-innovating Goliath with world-leading drone technology and defending the open society while MAGA lackeys play craven partisan games. Putin's radical, Dugin-fueled imperial ego has officially broken Russia, much like Trump's is breaking the U.S. To beat Big Tech censorship, subscribe to Gaslit Nation's Patreon at the Truth-Teller level or higher today. Thank you to everyone who supports the show and joins our lively Monday salons–recordngs are available, only on Patreon. EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join on Patreon. The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult. Join on Patreon. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join on Patreon. Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join on Patreon. Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect. Join on Patreon. Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join. Join in Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, join on Patreon. As always, keep it kind in our chat groups, extend grace and assume good faith. A culture of care is how we build a better world. Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit Show Notes: Opening clip: Spanish actor Javier Bardem at the Cannes Film Festival, saying what needs to be said: https://bsky.app/profile/hannibal.bsky.social/post/3mm4eomatbk2t The Theater Courage and Survival in the Defining Atrocity of the Ukraine War By James Verini https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Theater/James-Verini/9781668062203 Russia in No Mood for Celebration on Kremlin's Biggest Day of the Year: As the country heads into Victory Day, the economy is stalling, internet restrictions are growing and the Kremlin is fearing Ukrainian attacks. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/world/europe/russia-mood-victory-day.html?unlocked_article_code=1.jlA.mQvz.bsjmfvh1AxHe&smid=url-share Ukraine is forging the future of war: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/17/world/killer-robots-ukraine-ebola-qatar.html?unlocked_article_code=1.jlA.Tkdm.TaPFOgd0QcG8&smid=url-share Kyivan Rus, then and now: How has Russia distorted the history of Kyivan Rus? https://kyivindependent.com/kyivan-rus-then-and-now/ The men who could succeed Vladimir Putin https://theweek.com/feature/briefing/1024619/putins-potential-successors Democrats bypass Mike Johnson on Ukraine aid with GOP help https://www.axios.com/2026/05/13/ukraine-aid-discharge-petition-mike-johnson-kiley Putin health fears as Russian president appears at victory parade with 'swollen' face https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/putin-health-fears-as-russian-president-appears-at-victory-parade-with-swollen-face/ar-AA22ZIE7
More than 70 MPs from Britain's governing Labour party have publicly called on the prime minister Keir Starmer to stand down, following disastrous local elections results. Several senior ministers have urged him to set a timetable for his departure. Earlier Keir Starmer insisted he would not quit, and would fight any leadership challenge. Also: Iran says it is ready to respond to any aggression, after President Trump dismissed its latest peace proposals and said the ceasefire was on "life support". Researchers are warning that increased ship traffic off South Africa, due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, is causing dangers for whales. Our correspondent returns home to Khartoum, which was battered during Sudan's civil war. The last remaining passengers are evacuated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship, as the crew sets course for the Netherlands where it will dock for disinfection. We look at how AI centres are causing a shortage of memory chips, pushing up prices of tech products. The hugely popular online puzzle Wordle is being turned into a TV game show. And we're at the Cannes Film Festival with the inside track on movies to look out for this year.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Louis Virtel is joined by Rheeqrheeq Chainey and Kyle Buchanan to break down the biggest moments from Monday night's Met Gala, dive into The Devil Wears Prada 2, unpack the 2026 Tony nominations, and preview what's ahead at this year's Cannes Film Festival.