POPULARITY
This week, Ticket Stubs turns its gaze toward the American past with a double feature of two recent films determined to look at history from decidedly unconventional angles: RaMell Ross's formally audacious Nickel Boys and Kelly Reichardt's quietly offbeat The Mastermind. Join us as we consider the radically different ways these filmmakers look at only recently bygone eras of American life. But first, our Blue Plate Special hits the road as we recount our recent pilgrimage to Phoenixville, Pennsylvania for Blobfest, celebrating all things The Blob amid one of the great gatherings of cult movie fandom, before heading west to the Monroeville Mall outside Pittsburgh to wander the hallowed shopping grounds where George A. Romero filmed his 1978 zombie classic Dawn of the Dead. From there, we return to the present, and venture a little further into the future, with thoughts on The Odyssey before cracking open the release calendar to preview some of the movies we're most anticipating throughout the remainder of the year. As always, please like, subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever else you listen! Got thoughts or questions? Email us at huffmanbrothersproductions@gmail.com.
The Missionaries has Vincent and Len combing through the history of Black Teen actors in the 1980s and the origin of the Buddy-Cop genre (would you believe 1974?). They shower respect and flowers on the career of Lorriane Toussaint while questioning the legacy of Nell Carter. Vincent asks, "Who's Dean Jones?" Then, the Men of Micheaux are a couple of flies on the wall for director RaMell Ross's visual poem about small towns in Alabama. Please find us on PATREON patreon.com/micheauxmission Thank you for your support! Proud member of the BLEAV Podcast Network | Every Sport, Every Topic, Everywhere. www.bleav.com You can always email us at micheauxmission@gmail.com We're making video versions of our reviews! Be sure to follow us on the following platforms: YouTube Tiktok Instagram Threads Credits: Len Webb produces and edits the show. Vincent Williams is the co-producer, and Moe Poplar is our associate producer. Our theme music is by Alexa Gold. ••If you'd like to advertise with or sponsor us, please e-mail micheauxmission@gmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
NICKEL BOYS is one of a kind. That's not to say the narrative is brand-new. Two Black teens struggling to keep their sanity while stuck in an abusive institution brings to mind ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, THE GREAT ESCAPE, the millennial cinematic classic HOLES.But where NICKEL BOYS differs, as the great Roger Ebert wrote, is in HOW it's about what it's about. The camera is an extension of the main characters, their first-person perspective. But unlike other films that've adopted this approach, NICKEL BOYS invests its energy into the authenticity of this perspective.Think about yourself reading this. You might glance down, turn your head to see a phone notification. You might reread the last paragraph and conjure a mental image of Jack Nicholson or Nurse Ratched. Is that thought confined by a tiny editor in your head, INSIDE OUT-style, reacting with the timing of someone who wants the smoothest cut? No. It's instant. How can the experience of being human and all its minutia be translated to a cinematic language? That's where NICKEL BOYS shines.Ross, along with cinematographer Jomo Fray, move their cameras patiently, deliberately in a manner that attempts to pull this off, described in interviews as a "sentient experience." As such, the result is immersive, at times feeling like I or you or she or he have possessed Elwood (Ethan Herisse) or Turner (Brandon Wilson) as they navigates their Black body through 1960s Florida.By doing so, Ross reminds us that while we may not be Black, the story of Nickel Academy and its culture of murdering children, contrasted with the promise of new civil rights and space exploration, is not merely a subgenre of history. It's our collective memory. It's our duty and responsibility to accept, from which to learn and rebuke.---Please follow, rate and review The Movies wherever you listen to podcasts!Follow The Movies on Instagram, Bluesky and Letterboxd
This week we're traveling back to the 1960s with Nickel Boys! Join us as we learn about the horrific excavations of the Dozier School, the circulation of MLK speeches, Mexican-American identity in the South, and more! Sources: David Canfield Interview with RaMell Ross and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Vanity Fair: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/nickel-boys-telluride-exclusive-awards-insider?srsltid=AfmBOor0GmWj9WdElwUsFDSFjin9iJFcXiJGYeKF1ZkLFVGHvogkPHAI How Nickel Boys Was Filmed in First-Person POV: https://www.theverge.com/24318489/nickel-boys-ramell-ross-interview-first-person-cinematography Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_Boys https://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-long-not-long-speech-text/ 1968 records, https://www.ebay.com/itm/256940070706?itmmeta=01K2N47HV7MRK73AZVCR13RX76&hash=item3bd2d25732:g:8r0AAOSwBGtoLQ7T&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA4MHg7L1Zz0LA5DYYmRTS30mP1%2Bszy%2Bf6oVsASGa76%2BT6T7uHacf7Cm%2FjdA%2ByTSvnvFH9qx4MXJebysIfG0bnMzw%2Frg1%2Fj2ZpEvbyaNVVJL8v8uA6ZDH637qT9DBURWwR5AP6X2UyjS84oaicywqrtGRJFmTDHiPdM3AOcdz6K1n9Sg9tqBwFtSjNZN087eDcc2UAPoK1nDJR1pEwKU43A5kTdTzxyUhfWrR84X1Wvn%2F5wP%2Fy%2FZvE88xfgNhiiK%2BHFWS9IiOayG2pBLCwn7ToT1GMXB8COAbYKcPx4%2B%2FF7pie%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-SfnqSVZg, https://www.ebay.com/itm/387262357112?itmmeta=01K2N47HV6C6JWENTA1FTVXKMD&hash=item5a2aa29e78:g:n2oAAOSwhKNmrrU-&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA4MHg7L1Zz0LA5DYYmRTS30m7rHgwCXW5OKCOZBpIuqTDUa8e4Fr6cjGgrnFXY1aiv3R98Ks0x7IkOcBlGJLQthx%2F6C9%2FiHxMFXf5Eu6o0Zyx73WrPpLQ23k2CC1sXLZLjxlzxqNofeY77UCrEUpDt07MjmRwneQ7hfCYySVT%2FHnEqbYH80QduZE01AADrpxFU19AXRUVL4OZpq7uKVG5%2F75WwJbYkvQpU04GmdY1wQgNuF3vEB7kdkDm5o4CeHpXtCZI%2FUMg1Jv1cpG6MKAoWypcYkmc9TmbkVgDdQEHvd6T%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-KfnqSVZg Jarrod Hanson and Ruben Donato, "The Braceros: Mexican Workers in the Jim Crow South, 1949-1951," Social Education 83, no.1 (2019): 51-57. Julie M. Weise, "Mexican Nationalisms, Southern Racisms: Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the U.S. South, 1908-1939," American Quarterly 60, no.3 (2008): 749-77. Tyina Steptoe, ""Blaxicans" and Black Creoles," in Houston Bound: Culture and Color in a Jim Crow City (University of California Press, 2016). https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt19633hq.10 Erin Kimmerle et al, Report, Documentation of the Boot Hill Cemetery (8JA1860) at the Former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys: Interim Report, 2012 https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=dozier_school Erin Kimmerle, "Forensic Anthropology in Long-Term Investigations: 100 Cold Years," Annals of Anthropological Practice 38, 1
Filmmaker RaMell Ross joins moderator Mireille Miller-Young, UCSB Feminist Studies, for a discussion of Nickel Boys. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40545]
Do you know how much of A Real Pain it is to keep the years straight with us straddling three different global release windows? We do! We got Caught by the Tides and are a little late with this one but nevertheless, join our Conclave for the fifth (!) time as we huddle around the Ghostlight to talk about the films of the last year! We cover award-winning films (Anora, The Brutalist, No Other Land), notable blockbusters (Dune: Part Two, Wicked), blitz through some honorable Challengers to our top picks, and then Look Back on our personal top fives. You know podcast favorite Luca Guadagnino is going to feature in Wilson's favorite films… but how Queer will it be?? If you're A Different Man, you'll have different faves, so enter our Red Rooms and tell us your favorite 2024 films on our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.comLinks:Ben's 2024 ListEli's 2024 ListWilson's 2024 ListTimestamps:(00:00:00) Intro(00:03:21) 2024 in general(00:17:06) Obligatory mentions(00:17:28) Anora (dir. Sean Baker)(00:22:55) Conclave (dir. Edward Berger)(00:25:14) The Brutalist (dir. Brady Corbet)(00:33:53) Nickel Boys (dir. Ramell Ross)(00:36:53) Hit Man (dir. Richard Linklater)(00:39:45) All We Imagine as Light (dir. Payal Kapadia)(00:43:02) Flow (dir. Gints Zilbalodis) (00:46:14) Emilia Perez (dir. Jacques Audiard)(00:50:29) Sing Sing (dir. Greg Kwedar)(00:52:01) The Substance (dir. Coralie Fargeat)(00:55:26) Wicked (dir. Jon M. Chu)(00:59:09) Deep Cut Coverage of 2024(00:59:20) All Shall Be Well (dir. Ray Yeung)(01:00:19) The People's Joker (dir. Vera Drew)(01:02:37) Happyend (dir. Neo Sora)(01:05:13) Deep Cut Upkeeps of 2024(01:08:55) Honorable mentions(01:08:57) Megalopolis (dir. Francis Ford Coppola)(01:12:43) Trap (dir. M. Night Shyamalan)(01:14:13) An Unfinished Film (dir. Lou Ye)(01:14:26) The Monk and the Gun (dir. Pawo Choyning Dorji)(01:16:02) Hard Truths (dir. Mike Leigh)(01:17:41) Not Friends (dir. Atta Hemwadee)(01:19:08) Fly Me to the Moon (dir. Sasha Chuk)(01:20:38) Black Box Diaries (dir. Shiori Ito)(01:24:06) A Traveler's Needs / By the Stream (dir. Hong Sang-soo)(01:25:56) Look Back (dir. Kiyotaka Oshiyama)(01:27:34) The Room Next Door (dir. Pedro Almodovar)(01:30:10) Didi (dir. Sean Wang)(01:31:22) Last Summer (dir. Catherine Breillat)(01:32:33) Hundreds of Beavers (dir. Mike Cheslik)(01:33:43) The Diarrhea Brothers Save the Day (dir. Joel Haver)(01:35:09) Rap World (dir. Conner O'Malley)(01:37:11) Janet Planet (dir. Annie Baker)(01:38:43) Ben's #5(01:41:06) SKIP ELI'S BIT!!(01:42:19) Wilson's #5(01:46:33) Eli's #5(01:50:14) Ben's #4(01:52:54) Wilson's #4(02:00:50) Eli's #4(02:01:47) Ben's #3(02:03:16) Wilson's #3(02:08:22) Eli's #3(02:12:30) Ben and Wilson's #2(02:23:46) Eli's #2(02:27:19) Ben's #1(02:31:50) Wilson's #1(02:38:39) Eli and ???'s #1(02:43:34) Upcoming from Deep Cut(02:46:32) Outro
A special episode featuring a panel of 2025 Writers Guild Award nominees from the original and adapted screenplay categories. Moderator Kathryn VanArendonk, TV critic at Vulture and New York Magazine, moderates a conversation between Justin Kuritzkes, Joslyn Barnes, Ramell Ross, and Dana Fox to talk about their critically and culturally acclaimed screenplays. Justin Kuritzkes is the writer of Challengers. Joslyn Barnes and Ramell Ross are the co-writers of The Nickel Boys. Dana Fox is a co-writer and executive producer of Wicked. This episode is a live taping of our annual Writers Guild Awards contenders panel, And the Nominees Are..., which took place at the SVA Theatre on January 30, 2025. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast
Just when we thought we had our final rankings pretty much in the bag, Nickel Boys comes and changes everything. RaMell Ross's living piece of art took us all by surprise and moved us in ways we never expected. The performances were extraordinary, but the heart of the piece was in the direction and camera work. We'll be angrily shaking our fists for years to come that this didn't receive more nominations. Another year in the books, tell us your final rankings! Let us know on Twitter, Instagram or Threads! Listen to the score, track played Grown Into by Alex Somers Read the script Listen to our other episodes we talked about - Judas and the Black Messiah, Moonlight, The Tree of Life, The Zone of Interest, Maestro Watch Passing Read The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Listen to Olivier Messiaen's Quartet For The End Of Time Theme music by RomanBelov #NickelBoys #BestPicture #BestAdaptedScreenplay #Oscars2025 #2025Oscars #AcademyAwards #Oscars
RaMell Ross is a multi time Academy-Award nominee in documentary and narrative, a filmmaker, photographer, academic, and writer. You may have seen his directorial debut Hale County This Morning, This Evening, an experimental documentary about black life in Hale County, Alabama. RaMell's most recent directorial work is the historical drama Nickel Boys, based on the novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead. It's nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards and RaMell Ross and co-writer Joslyn Barnes are both nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. You can stream the film at home or watch in theaters right now.RaMell joins Feeling Seen to talk about the film, cultural criticism, and the 1992 biographical drama Malcolm X, directed by Spike Lee. Plus, notes on basketball, Bart Simpson, and Black feminist author Bell Hooks. Then Jordan has one quick thing about season 3 of the action series Reacher. God bless Alan Ritchson! We can't help but stan the man. Feeling Seen is hosted by Jordan Crucchiola and is a production Maximum Fun. Need more Feeling Seen? Keep up with the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
In this episode we delve into an in-depth discussion about Nickel Boys, directed and co-written by RaMell Ross. We explore the film's narrative style, and the powerful storytelling derived from its poignant backdrop. We also discuss the technical aspects of filming, and the thematic depth portrayed by the actors, particularly Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. We get into speculations about the film's Oscar nominations and the impact of its crucial scenes.
Host Jeff Goldsmith interviews writers Joslyn Barnes, Clint Bentley, Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Greg Kwedar and RaMell Ross about their Oscar® nominated screenplays. Download my podcast here Copyright © Unlikely Films, Inc. 2025. All rights reserved. For more great content check out Backstory Magazine @ Backstory.net
Feature: ‘Nickel Boys’ writer-director RaMell Ross discusses creative ways of adapting Colson Whitehead’s novel Since the book was released in 2019, Colson Whitehead's historical fiction novel The Nickel Boys has reached great critical acclaim, having most notably won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. So to adapt the book into a feature-length film seems like it’d offer a lot of pressure, but it’s one the RaMell Ross seemed willing to take on following his Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening. This year, Ross now finds his Nickel Boys adaptation nominated for multiple Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. Similar to the book, the film follows the lives of two boys at the now-defunct Nickel Academy, a reform school in Florida that had a track record of abusing the African American children who attended. Ross also takes a unique approach, leaning heavily into his protagonist’s perspective, with most of the film switching between Elwood and Turner’s first-person point of view. Joining us to discuss the work put into Nickel Boys is the film’s co-writer and director, RaMell Ross. Nickel Boys is out in select theaters and is now on VOD/digital.
RaMell Ross's Oscar-nominated film, Nickel Boys, centers on two young Black men attempting to survive a brutal Florida reformatory school in the 1960s. He says he's sees the rural South as a "meaning-making space." Ross spoke with Tonya Mosley about his photography and performance art, too. Also, John Powers reviews the new season of HBO's The White Lotus.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Erin and Paul wade through a pile of awards-season contenders and also-rans, including Brady Corbet's THE BRUTALIST, RaMell Ross' NICKEL BOYS, Pedro Almodovar's THE ROOM NEXT DOOR and Gia Coppola's THE LAST SHOWGIRL. Plus: a bunch of SNL documentaries, a classic David Fincher exercise in Nordic noir, and the Errol Morris doc FAST, CHEAP & OUT OF CONTROL.
How do you adapt an "unadaptable" book? Today, host Brittany Luse finds out with RaMell Ross, director of the Oscar nominated adaptation of Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys.The story, set in the Jim Crow South, follows two Black boys doing everything they can to survive their tenure at the abusive Nickel Academy in Tallahassee, Florida. The film brings us a new perspective on Black life and complicates the discourse surrounding Black films.Support public media and receive ad-free listening & bonus. Join NPR+ today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
It’s not every day that a director’s debut feature film earns an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. But that’s what happened to RaMell Ross and the movie, “Nickel Boys." Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown spoke with Ross about his distinctive style for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Ep. 297: RaMell Ross on Nickel Boys Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. One of the great films of 2024 and now nominated for Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay, Nickel Boys is the fiction feature debut of RaMell Ross, who adapted Colson Whitehead's novel with Joslyn Barnes, after previously directing the Oscar-nominated Hale County This Morning, This Evening. I was lucky enough to speak with Ross about making the movie, especially crafting the form, screenwriting, representations of race, what he brought from documentary filmmaking, casting, and some of his influences. Ross and his DP Jomo Fray use an innovative mix of extended first-person camerawork to tell the stories of two boys, Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), in a Jim Crow-era reform school in Florida that's essentially a prison, including additional impressionistic glimpses of the world through archival video and film. (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor co-stars as Elwood's grandmother, Hattie.) (Note: this interview was recorded earlier.) Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Photo by Steve Snodgrass
On this episode, Anthony discusses two films he saw this week in theatres: Brady Corbet's throwback epicThe Brutalist, and RaMell Ross's revelatory Nickel Boys. Also, in honor of the Super Bowl, Anthony watched the 1999 Oliver Stone Al Pacino football drama teamupAny Given Sundayand discusses how crazy it is (complimentary).Introduction (0:43)The Brutalist(2:48)Nickel Boys(13:19)Any Given Sunday(19:16)Donate to help those impacted by the California Wildfires (list courtesy of Blank Check)https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11bqiUd4IjO94NrqboOp0LGMVVqmFTtj4n3TPIKsNoCI/htmlview
This week we review RaMell Ross's Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead's novel of the same name. The story of two Black boys who form an unshakeable bond at a segregated reform school in the Jim Crow South, Nickel Boys transcends its first person conceit, its Oscar-bait trappings, and the swerve of its twist ending to deliver a major work of American cinema. Keep an eye on this one.
When the filmmaker and photographer RaMell Ross first read “The Nickel Boys,” Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about two Black boys in a dangerous reform school in the 1960s, he couldn't help but put himself in the shoes of its protagonists, Elwood and Turner.In his film adaptation of the book, Ross does that to the audience: You see what the characters see, because it's filmed from the main character's point of view. “I wondered,” Ross said, “how do you explicitly film from the perspective of a Black person?”It was an experiment that has paid off in critical acclaim. “Nickel Boys” has been nominated for two Academy Awards: best adapted screenplay and best picture.In the first episode of our special series devoted to Oscar-nominated films adapted from books, host Gilbert Cruz talks with Ross about why he made the film this particular way. Produced by Tina Antolini and Alex BarronWith Kate LoPrestiEdited by Wendy DorrEngineered by Sophia LanmanOriginal music by Elisheba IttoopHosted by Gilbert Cruz Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
We welcome back Bilge Ebiri (Vulture / New York Magazine) to discuss RaMell Ross's 2024 film, Nickel Boys! We talk about the film's formal stylistic innovations, its focus on interstitial moments, its exploration of different responses to injustice, how it invites us to integrate our own memories and experiences with its narrative, and more! Find us on the web and on Blue Sky!
In our first episode back after the Oscar nominations, we chat with 'Nickel Boys' filmmaker RaMell Ross and costume designer Arianne Phillips of 'A Complete Unknown.'
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, RaMell Ross talk 'Nickel Boys'; Organization reveals its 'heartbreaking results' on US schools test scores; FDA approves non-opioid, non-addictive pain killer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, RaMell Ross talk 'Nickel Boys'; Organization reveals its 'heartbreaking results' on US schools test scores; FDA approves non-opioid, non-addictive pain killer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listen in for our third person perspective on Ramell Ross' adaptation of Colson Whiteheads' "Nickel Boys"and find out why fictionalized history matters!Nickel Boys Discussion starts at 35:17California wildfire relief organizations:CCF Wildfire Recovery FundCalifornia Fire FoundationIf you're enjoying the show, consider buying us a coffee, sending us an email or hitting us up on Twitter(X), BlueSky or Instagram!You can catch our episodes early and ad free over on Nebula! Sign up with the link below. It really helps out the pod so we thank you in advance!https://go.nebula.tv/theonlypodcastaboutmoviesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On this week's show, Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe sits in for Stephen. First, the panel explores Babygirl and its kinks. The latest feature from Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn stars Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, and is fascinated by sex (mostly, as a concept.) Then, the three puzzle over Nickel Boys and the film's audacious use of first-person point-of-view in filmmaker RaMell Ross' adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Nickel Boys. Finally, what does a Hollywood smear campaign look like? The trio discusses the messy legal and PR conflict embroiling Blake Lively and former It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel checks in with Julia and production assistant Kat, as they share their experiences of the L.A. wildfires. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Nadira: Transa by Red Hot Org. Specifically, “Is It Cold In The Water” performed by Moses Sumney and ANOHNI. Julia: Niksa sleep masks. Dana: Exploring your local college radio stations. She likes WFUV (owned by Fordham University) and Columbia University's WKCR. Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's show, Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe sits in for Stephen. First, the panel explores Babygirl and its kinks. The latest feature from Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn stars Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, and is fascinated by sex (mostly, as a concept.) Then, the three puzzle over Nickel Boys and the film's audacious use of first-person point-of-view in filmmaker RaMell Ross' adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Nickel Boys. Finally, what does a Hollywood smear campaign look like? The trio discusses the messy legal and PR conflict embroiling Blake Lively and former It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel checks in with Julia and production assistant Kat, as they share their experiences of the L.A. wildfires. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Nadira: Transa by Red Hot Org. Specifically, “Is It Cold In The Water” performed by Moses Sumney and ANOHNI. Julia: Niksa sleep masks. Dana: Exploring your local college radio stations. She likes WFUV (owned by Fordham University) and Columbia University's WKCR. Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's show, Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe sits in for Stephen. First, the panel explores Babygirl and its kinks. The latest feature from Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn stars Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, and is fascinated by sex (mostly, as a concept.) Then, the three puzzle over Nickel Boys and the film's audacious use of first-person point-of-view in filmmaker RaMell Ross' adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Nickel Boys. Finally, what does a Hollywood smear campaign look like? The trio discusses the messy legal and PR conflict embroiling Blake Lively and former It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel checks in with Julia and production assistant Kat, as they share their experiences of the L.A. wildfires. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Nadira: Transa by Red Hot Org. Specifically, “Is It Cold In The Water” performed by Moses Sumney and ANOHNI. Julia: Niksa sleep masks. Dana: Exploring your local college radio stations. She likes WFUV (owned by Fordham University) and Columbia University's WKCR. Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's show, Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe sits in for Stephen. First, the panel explores Babygirl and its kinks. The latest feature from Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn stars Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, and is fascinated by sex (mostly, as a concept.) Then, the three puzzle over Nickel Boys and the film's audacious use of first-person point-of-view in filmmaker RaMell Ross' adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Nickel Boys. Finally, what does a Hollywood smear campaign look like? The trio discusses the messy legal and PR conflict embroiling Blake Lively and former It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel checks in with Julia and production assistant Kat, as they share their experiences of the L.A. wildfires. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Nadira: Transa by Red Hot Org. Specifically, “Is It Cold In The Water” performed by Moses Sumney and ANOHNI. Julia: Niksa sleep masks. Dana: Exploring your local college radio stations. She likes WFUV (owned by Fordham University) and Columbia University's WKCR. Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's show, Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe sits in for Stephen. First, the panel explores Babygirl and its kinks. The latest feature from Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn stars Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, and is fascinated by sex (mostly, as a concept.) Then, the three puzzle over Nickel Boys and the film's audacious use of first-person point-of-view in filmmaker RaMell Ross' adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Nickel Boys. Finally, what does a Hollywood smear campaign look like? The trio discusses the messy legal and PR conflict embroiling Blake Lively and former It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel checks in with Julia and production assistant Kat, as they share their experiences of the L.A. wildfires. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements: Nadira: Transa by Red Hot Org. Specifically, “Is It Cold In The Water” performed by Moses Sumney and ANOHNI. Julia: Niksa sleep masks. Dana: Exploring your local college radio stations. She likes WFUV (owned by Fordham University) and Columbia University's WKCR. Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry. Production assistance by Kat Hong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Larry weighs in on the L.A. Fires. He's then joined by writer and Academy Award-winning filmmaker RaMell Ross to discuss his newest movie ‘Nickel Boys' (8:33). They begin their conversation by talking about how the project came together, RaMell's experimental inspirations, and the screenwriting process with co-writer Joslyn Barnes. Next they dive into RaMell's personal connection with the Colson Whitehead novel that provides the movie's base and break down the ‘epic banal' philosophy behind the images in his storytelling (24:10). After the break, Larry and RaMell shine a light on the exquisite casting for ‘Nickel Boys' and discuss what Ross took away personally from making the film (36:14). RaMell ends the pod by discussing why he loves teaching so much and his thoughts on the state of the movie industry (55:43). Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: RaMell Ross Producer: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The critically acclaimed new film “Nickel Boys,” based on Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, is largely shot from the point of view of its two main characters as they try to survive in an abusive reform school called the Nickel Academy. Director RaMell Ross sits down with Tom Power to talk about his decision to tell the story through the eyes of his two leads, how trauma is built across time and distilled across memory, and how basketball has influenced his filmmaking.
The first person is a narrative style as old as storytelling itself—one that, at its best, allows us to experience the world through another person's eyes. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz trace how the technique has been used across mediums throughout history. They discuss the ways in which fiction writers have played with the unstable triangulation between author, reader, and narrator, as in Vladimir Nabokov's “Lolita” and Bret Easton Ellis's “American Psycho,” a book that adopts the perspective of a serial killer, and whose publication provoked public outcry. RaMell Ross's “Nickel Boys”—an adaptation of Colson Whitehead's 2019 novel—is a bold new attempt to deploy the first person onscreen. The film points to a larger question about the bounds of narrative, and of selfhood: Can we ever truly occupy someone else's point of view? “The answer, in large part, is no,” Cunningham says. “But that impossibility is, for me, the actual promise: not the promise of a final mind meld but a confrontation, a negotiation with the fact that our perspectives really are our own.”Read, watch, and listen with the critics:“Nickel Boys” (2024)“The Nickel Boys,” by Colson Whitehead“Lolita,” by Vladimir Nabokov“Meet the Director Who Reinvented the Act of Seeing,” by Salamishah Tillet (The New York Times)“Great Books Don't Make Great Films, but ‘Nickel Boys' Is a Glorious Exception,” by Richard Brody (The New Yorker)“Lady in the Lake” (1947)“Dark Passage” (1947)“Enter the Void” (2010)“The Blair Witch Project” (1999)Doom (1993)“The Berlin Stories,” by Christopher Isherwood“American Psycho,” by Bret Easton Ellis“The Adventures of Augie March,” by Saul Bellow“Why Did I Stop Loving My Cat When I Had a Baby?” by Anonymous (The Cut)“Harmony and Dissonance: Orphism in Paris, 1910-1930” at the Guggenheim MuseumNew episodes drop every Thursday. Follow Critics at Large wherever you get your podcasts. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
This bonus Out Now with Aaron & Abe looks back at a rough era. Aaron and Abe discuss Nickel Boys from director RaMell Ross. Hear what the two have to say about this adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, and whether the film could bring it to life effectively. Plus, some extra fun and more movie chatter. So now, if you've got an hour or so to kill… Get yourself a free audiobook and help out the show at AudibleTrial.com/OutNowPodcast! Follow all of us on Twitter/Bluesky: @Outnow_Podcast, @AaronsPS4, @WalrusMoose Check out all of our sites, podcasts, and blogs: TheCodeIsZeek.substack.com, Why So Blu?, We Live Entertainment Read Aaron's review for Nickel Boys. Watch the trailer for Nickel Boys. Next Week's Show: The Top Ten of 2024
Talk about setting a high bar. Nickel Boys – the new film from RaMell Ross – is a drama that may be one of the first releases of the 2025, but will almost certainly still be reverberating come the end of it. Adapted from a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by The Underground Railroad author Colson Whitehead, it tells the story of a reform school for primarily Black young offenders, where violence and cruelty are carried out and covered up in a rapidly changing America. The Nickel Academy as it's known in the film is fictional, but the Dozier School in Florida, on which Whitehead based his tale, was all too real. In 2010, an investigation into the site uncovered an 111-year history of beatings, rapes, torture and murder of students by staff. Fifty five unidentified bodies in unmarked graves were discovered. More than one hundred children in total were killed, often in the most unthinkably inhumane ways, with much of the worst abuse carried out in a building known only as the White House.In Nickel Boys, a beautiful friendship begins amid that horror and injustice. The film adopts a unique first-person perspective to show a deep bond bloom, between Ethan Herisse's Elwood and Brandon Wilson's Turner. Jumping between then and now, with Daveed Diggs playing a haunted older version of one of these characters, it's one of the boldest films in this year's Oscar conversation, narratively, aesthetically and otherwise. In the spoiler conversation you're about to hear, RaMell and Al discuss the film's approach to memory, the meaning of the crocodile that stalks the backdrop of scenes in this film – and why the film juxtaposes the terror of earth with the beauty of the cosmos, through shots of the atmosphere as America wins the space race. Script Apart is hosted by Al Horner and produced by Kamil Dymek. Follow us on Instagram, or email us on thescriptapartpodcast@gmail.com.Support for this episode comes from ScreenCraft, Final Draft, Creative Command and WeScreenplay.To get ad-free episodes and exclusive content, join us on Patreon.Support the show
We are looking at the 2024 film, Nickel Boys, directed by RaMell Ross, based off the 2019 Colson Whitehead book of the same name. Plus we look at other films covering lesser known historical events. Our guest today is the talented director and writer, Tristán T.A. Hill. What's Good:Drea - LED face mask/cat snuggle comboTristan - New doc he directed: Game Maker's Journey | "Legends of Orisha: Blood and Water"Ify - White Elephant gift partyStaff Picks:Drea - A Fire InsideTristan - ConclaveIfy - Fruitvale StationPlugs!Watch Game Maker's Journey | "Legends of Orisha: Blood and Water" Have Yourself A Movie Little ChristmasI'll Be Home For Christmas Movies Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher
The moments in NICKEL BOYS that nod to 1958's THE DEFIANT ONES are less direct citations than stylized invocations by director RaMell Ross, who incorporates a number of abstractions and flourishes into the film's visual language. Chief among those stylistic gambits is the film's use of first-person perspective, which kicks off our discussion of NICKEL BOYS' uniquely textured take on Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer-winning novel. From there we consider the deeper meaning and intent behind NICKEL BOYS' use of visuals and audio from THE DEFIANT ONES, and where the two films overlap in their ideas about racial justice in the Jim Crow South and clashing philosophies of idealism and realism. Then our returning guest co-host Noel Murray offers a Your Next Picture Show recommendation for another social-issue film from the team behind THE DEFIANT ONES. Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about THE DEFIANT ONES, NICKEL BOYS, and anything else in the world of film by sending an email or voice memo to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's episode centers on the powerful and deeply moving design work behind the film *Nickel Boys*, the adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Joining me are two incredible talents: Production Designer Nora Mendis and Set Decorator Monique Champagne, who brought the harrowing yet human story of the Dozier School for Boys to life. Led by director RaMell Ross the innovative POV shooting style takes audiences deep into the protagonist's experience. With the camera primarily showing what the protagonist sees, the set dressing had to authentically reflect this subjective perspective. Nora and Monique meticulously chose items that would naturally populate the protagonist's world while conveying historical accuracy and thematic depth. They sourced authentic materials from places like Etsy and eBay, including 1970s subway coins, bus schedules, refrigerator magnets, fabrics, and more, ensuring each detail felt genuine. They overcame budget constraints and transformed unconventional locations, like an old convent and an Amtrak station, into emotionally charged spaces. This creative approach not only enhanced the visual storytelling but also enriched the film's emotional and historical resonance. This episode is a testament to the power of production design in storytelling. Whether you're a film enthusiast, history buff, or aspiring decorator, the stories shared by Nora and Monique will inspire and educate you on the profound impact of thoughtful dedication of production design and decorating. Discover the Art of TV and Film Design on Decorating Pages Podcast! Step behind the scenes with Emmy-winning set decorator Kim Wannop as she explores the magic of visual storytelling. Each episode delves into the artistry of TV and film production, featuring exclusive interviews with industry professionals—production designers, set decorators, prop masters, and more. Gain rare insights into how your favorite shows and movies come to life. Whether you're a film enthusiast, design lover, or simply curious about the creative process, Decorating Pages Podcast is your ultimate guide to the world of TV and film production. Don't miss a single episode—subscribe now to start your journey behind the scenes!
It's Arthouse Tuesday on a Friday here at Breakfast All Day, as we review a couple of major awards contenders. First, we rave about "The Brutalist," which will end up on both of our year-end top-10 lists. Brady Corbet's epic is a stunning achivement (and a lengthy one at 3 1/2 hours, including an intermission). Adrien Brody stars as a visionary architect who travels to the United States after World War II, seeking artistic freedom and success. Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones, Joe Alwyn and Alessandro Nivola co-star. See it in 70mm if you can. In theaters now. Then, we catch up with the formally daring "Nickel Boys." RaMell Ross' film, based on Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer prize-winning novel, tells the story of two young black men who become friends at a reform school in 1960s Florida. Our fellow critics adore this movie, but we found its first-person perspective distancing (and, for Christy at least, headache-inducing). In limited release now and expanding to more cities in upcoming weeks. Finally, we did our last Movie News LIVE! of 2024 on Friday. Lots to talk about including the teaser for James Gunn's "Superman," Oscar shortlists, "Mufasa" vs. "Sonic 3" at the box office this weekend and more. If you've been able to join us at all this year for our livestreams, thank you for taking some time out of the middle of your day, wherever you are in the world! We'll squeeze in one more podcast episode for you early next week before Christmas and New Year's. 'Til then, thanks for joining us and hope you're enjoying the holiday season! Subscribe to Christy's Saturday Matinee newsletter: https://christylemire.beehiiv.com/
Sean starts the episode with a monologue about the up-and-down state of the movie release calendar after a handful of extremely disappointing movies like ‘Kraven the Hunter,' ‘Mufasa: The Lion King,' and ‘Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim' hit theaters recently, before they give way to stronger films like ‘The Brutalist,' ‘Nosferatu,' ‘A Complete Unknown,' ‘Babygirl,' and more (1:00). Then, he's joined by Joanna Robinson to talk about the winners and losers, broadly, of the year in movies (6:00). They then share their latest Best Picture power rankings (1:08:00). Finally, Sean is joined by ‘Nickel Boys' director RaMell Ross to discuss the revolutionary style and vision of the film, adapting Colson Whitehead's novel, his path to becoming an artist, and more (1:25:00). Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Joanna Robinson and RaMell Ross Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner Video Producer: Jack Sanders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
For this week's second podcast review, I am joined by Alyssa Christian, Josh Parham, Giovanni Lago & Cody Dericks to review and discuss the latest film from Academy Award-nominee RaMell Ross, "Nickel Boys," starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs & Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Adapted from Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize Award-winning novel, the story follows two African American boys, Elwood and Turner, who are sent to an abusive reform school called the Nickel Academy in 1960s Florida. It has received critical acclaim since its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and has since been nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards and five nominations at the 30th Critics' Choice Awards, including Best Picture. What did we think of the story, cinematography, performances, themes, score, and direction from Ross? Please tune in as we discuss these topics, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, 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
Stanley Kramer's 1958 feature THE DEFIANT ONES, a film very much of its time, makes multiple on-screen appearances in RaMell Ross' new NICKEL BOYS, a film about the way the past haunts the present. Both movies take place in the Jim Crow-era South and engage with that setting's lopsided ideas about justice, but THE DEFIANT ONES does so from a much more straightforward approach, operating as both a stylish thriller about two escaped prisoners, one black (Sidney Poitier) and one white (Tony Curtis), and an earnest allegory about interracial acceptance. That latter quality makes it easy to lump in with Kramer's other “message movies,” which are often dismissed from a modern vantage point as stodgy and sanctimonious, so we're revisiting THE DEFIANT ONES, with an assist from critic and pal Noel Murray, to see whether it earns or defies that reputation. And in Feedback we revisit our WIZARD OF OZ discussion with a reader suggestion of another child female protagonist who rivals Dorothy when it comes to teary helplessness. Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about THE DEFIANT ONES, NICKEL BOYS, and anything else in the world of film by sending an email or voice memo to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Nickel Boys" had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, where it received enthusiastic reviews from critics who praised writer and director RaMell Ross's adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the cinematography by Jomo Fray, the score by Alex Somers and Scott Alario and the performances from the entire cast. The film has gone on to be nominated for the Independent Spirit Award, Gotham Award, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Award for Best Picture. The Next Best Picture team was lucky enough to speak with some people involved in the making of the film. First up, we have Dan Bayer's interview with director and writer RaMell Ross, followed by my conversation with stars Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson, followed by Giovanni Lago's interview with cinematographer Jomo Fray and then ending with my talk with the film's composers Alex Somers and Scott Alario. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in select theaters from Amazon MGM Studios and is up for your consideration at this year's Academy Awards in all eligible categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. 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
On this episode, Sophia Ciminello joins JD and Brendan to discuss one of the very best films of the year in RaMell Ross' NICKEL BOYS! Visit https://insessionfilm.com for merch and more! Thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe on your podcast app of choice! https://insessionfilm.com/subscribe Follow us on Twitter! @InSessionFilm | @RealJDDuran | @BrendanJCassidy
The Colson Whitehead novel The Nickel Boys is a brutal story of an abusive reform school in segregated South Florida. Filmmaker RaMell Ross discusses writing and directing the new film adaptation of the novel, "Nickel Boys," and shares how his background in documentary filmmaking helped him create a unique take on this novel. The film is in select theaters starting December 13.
Bonus episode! Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and her "Nickel Boys" writer-director RaMell Ross join Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast for a conversation recorded as part of ScreenCraft's 2024 Winter Writers Summit. The duo discusses the unorthodox creative process on "Nickel Boys" and their synergy as director and actor.
The antagonist becomes the protagonist in Jon M. Chu's WICKED, which adapts a stage musical — the first act, anyway — which adapts a novel that flipped the script on 1939's THE WIZARD OF OZ (itself an adaptation of L. Frank Baum's novel). So while there are plenty of narrative and character parallels between the two films, they often run perpendicular to each other in their respective notions of good and wicked. But the two films are certainly aligned in their aim to be big-screen spectacles of the highest order, though opinions differ among our hosts as to what degree WICKED achieves that goal in its heavily CGI-ed and halved form. Following that debate, we pit Dorothy and Elphaba against each other to see what each protagonist has to offer when it comes to fish-out-of-water pluck, character-defining“I Want” songs, and willingness to trust in that scoundrel the Wizard. And for Your Next Picture Show, Scott wheels out a recommendation for one of the weirder, but strangely enduring, cinematic visions of Oz. Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about THE WIZARD OF OZ, WICKED, and anything else in the world of film by sending an email or voice memo to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. Next pairing: RaMell Ross's NICKEL BOYS and Stanley Kramer's THE DEFIANT ONES Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If “Wicked, Part I” and “Gladiator II” are not getting you into the theatre this weekend, Justin Chang, The New Yorker's film critic, offers three other films coming out this holiday season which are “among the most thrilling that I've seen this year.” He recommends “Nickel Boys,” based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead and directed by RaMell Ross; “The Brutalist,” starring Adrian Brody; and “Hard Truths,” directed by Mike Leigh. These are heavy subjects—not traditional holiday fare—but “I returned to the words of Roger Ebert,” Chang tells David Remnick. “No good movie is depressing. All bad movies are depressing.”
Director RaMell Ross discusses his new film, Nickel Boys, with fellow Director Channing Godfrey Peoples in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses approaching his adaptation differently from the book while still trying to stay true to it, working with his actors and DP to capture his unique perspectives for the narrative, and his considered approach to imagery with this subject matter, given the historical imagery preceding it. Based on the novel by Colson Whitehead, the film tells the story of Elwood, who's sentenced to the brutal reformatory Nickel Academy in Jim Crow South after an innocent misstep. Upon meeting Turner, a seasoned ward of the reformatory, Elwood learns the fundamental tips for survival while striving to hold onto his humanity- and forms a powerful friendship with Turner. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://dga.org/Events/2024/Dec2024/NickelBoys_QnA_1024
On the first episode of our two-part special coverage of the 62nd New York Film Festival, we're reviewing several fantastic selections from this year's lineup, including: Miguel Gomes' Grand Tour, Hong Sangsoo's A Traveler's Needs, and RaMell Ross's Nickel Boys. Additionally, even though Chris covered it out of TIFF, Andrew and Eric weigh in on Sean Baker's Anora, and Andrew reports on the new restoration of Clive Barker's Hellraiser! Plus, currently in release and fresh off its official NYFF special IMAX screening, Eric and Chris give their takes on Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis—Steve and Andrew will weigh in on the most talked about film of the year when On-Screen Live returns to its regularly scheduled programming later in October. Be sure to catch our second segment of NYFF62 coverage, airing next Monday, October 7, at noon/eastern, on YouTube! Be sure to head to our website for all ticketing information on our final shows of the year in Seattle, Portland (Oregon) & Boston! And don't miss our worldwide digital event on October 23 where we're talking Scream 4! Can't make it the night of? The show has a 14-day replay window after the broadcast! Make the WHM Merch Store your one-stop shop for all your We Hate Movies merch-related needs! Including new Bus Movie, Night Vision & Too Old For This Shit designs! Original cover art by Felipe Sobreiro.