Published by Filmspotting
Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen review new and classic movies, offering "affable, insightful film analysis since 2005" (NY Times).
Listen on Apple PodcastsWith the world’s Spidey sense activated by Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Adam and Josh look back at the webslinger’s first 25 years on screen with their Top 5 Spider-Man Scenes. Yes, even Andrew Garfield gets a little love. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off. (Timecodes will not be precise with ads.) Intro (00:00:00-00:02:35) Top 5 Spider-Man Scenes – Pt. 1 (00:02:36-00:43:30) Family Madness — Round 2 (00:43:31-00:51:22) Notes / Poll: Best Spidey Movie (00:51:23-01:05:38) Top 5 Spider-Man Scenes – Pt. 2 (01:05:38-01:36:46) Credits / Releases (01:36:47-01:40:12) Links: “When Mary Jane Kissed Spider-Man” | The Ringer https://www.theringer.com/2022/05/03/movies/spider-man-kiss-tobey-maguire-kirsten-dunst "Goodbye to the Lake Street Screening Room" | RogerEbert.com https://www.rogerebert.com/features/a-home-away-from-home-goodbye-to-the-lake-street-screening-room Feedback: -Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net - Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. https://www.filmspotting.net/shop Follow: -Watch Filmspotting on YouTube: https://youtube.com/filmspotting -Adam/Filmspotting: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky -Josh/LarsenOnFilm: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey approaches Homer’s epic from a much more literal vantage point than O Brother Where Art Thou, but that doesn’t mean it’s a dutiful, beat-by-beat adaptation. So this week we’re talking through the ways in which Nolan put his personal stamp on one of the most well-known stories in all of literature, from the film’s non-linear structure and preoccupation with time, to the physicality and humanity Nolan brings to this big-screen spectacle about a time of apparent magic. Then in Connections, we look at how these two very different films approach their shared source material, not just in direct character and narrative parallels, but also their interest in the oral tradition and eras coming to an end. Then in Your Next Picture we return to the subject of O Brother ’s music with a recommendation for the 2000 concert film Down From the Mountain. Please share your thoughts about O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Odyssey , or 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: Matt Johnson’s Tony and Brad Bird’s Ratatouille This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited , the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Back in 2022, Adam and Josh gave Sam Raimi's Spider-Man the 20th anniversary Sacred Cow treatment. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jordan and Matt break format - and Zeus’s Law? - for an Odyssey -themed episode, including thoughts on the new blockbuster film, favorite Christopher Nolan films, and streaming recommendations inspired by the Homeric epic. And then a game, which Jordan dubs "My Big Fat Greek Filmspotting Game." The Odyssey (00:00:00–00:23:33) #1 Nolans (00:23:34–00:47:08) Rec Seg: Odyssey -inspired recommendations (00:47:09–01:04:23) Game: My Big Fat Greek Filmspotting Game (01:04:24–01:24:05) New to Streaming / Credits (01:24:05–01:31:47) Show Notes Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/ Pre-Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (Coming October 6th): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/ Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspottingSVU.com Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Story analyst Billy Mernit joins Michael Phillips to test one of Hollywood’s most enduring (and slippery) unofficial rules: Howard Hawks’ idea that a good movie is three good scenes and no bad ones. Mernit, an instructor and writer known as the “guru of rom-com,” brings nearly three decades of reading studio scripts and a working knowledge of how films get evaluated before they ever reach the screen. Together, they dig into what makes a “good scene” in the first place. Is Hawks’ dictum still useful? Or, like so many Hollywood rules, is it less a law of motion pictures than a reflection of how we choose to remember them? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rod and Karen are joined by Pete Dominick to discuss Podjam 3, the importance of community, doing warm-up for TV shows, interviewing authors, growing up funny, racial differences in comedy, political comedy, meeting J-L Cauvin, J-L running for office, hyper vigilance, and some white people news. The Black Guy Who Tips Podcast Podjam 3 Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/podjam3 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theblackguywhotips Twitter: @rodimusprime @SayDatAgain @TBGWT Instagram: @TheBlackGuyWhoTips Email: theblackguywhotips@gmail.com Blog: www.theblackguywhotips.com Teepublic Store- https://the-black-guy-who-tips-podcast.dashery.com/ Amazon Wishlist – https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1PDD9JUQUNVY5?ref_=wl_share Crowdcast – https://www.crowdcast.io/theblackguywhotips Voicemail: (980) 500-9034 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey a cinematic gift, or is it a Trojan Horse filled with the director’s narrative obsessions? Maybe both. In their review, Adam and Josh talk about the ways Nolan diverges from Homer’s epic tale, and which of the director’s previous films offer the best insight into his latest. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off. Feedback: -Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net - Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. https://www.filmspotting.net/shop Follow: -Watch Filmspotting on YouTube: https://youtube.com/filmspotting -Adam/Filmspotting: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky -Josh/LarsenOnFilm: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Considering The Odyssey is one of the most famous and influential stories of all time, there had been relatively few attempts to directly translate Homer’s epic poem to the big screen until Christopher Nolan came along to do it at a blockbuster scale. It’s been more common for filmmakers, such as Joel and Ethan Coen, to use it as the loose framework for a flawed hero’s journey home, such as the one undertaken by Ulysses Everett McGill in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a Depression-era musical comedy that maps on to Homer’s version only in the broadest of strokes. But revisiting O Brother through the lens of its stated source material, as we’re doing this week, is a revealing lesson in the malleability of adaptation, as well as the Coens’ ability to make even one of the most familiar tales in all of storytelling uniquely theirs. Then in Feedback, we finally break our silence on the indie-horror phenomenon that is Obsession. Please share your thoughts about O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Odyssey , or 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. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited , the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As part of 2020’s Christopher Nolan Oeuvre-view, Adam and Josh revisited The Prestige (2006), which – alongside his current The Odyssey – is among the rare Nolans adapted from existing material. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Matt and Jordan give Hulu’s new multiverse revenge thriller Redux Redux a spin, crediting Kevin and Matthew McManus’s film for its low-budget stylishness and its central performance (by another McManus, sister Michaela). Then some Redux -inspired streaming recommendations, answers to a listener request for off-the-grid heist movies, and a game (“Multi-Box Letter-Verse”) hosted by Producer Sam. Intro / The Odyssey (00:00:00–00:11:36) Redux Redux (0:11:37–00:28:27) Rec Seg (00:28:28–00:45:35) Listener Request Recs: Off-the-Grid Heist Movies (00:45:36–01:02:42) Game: Multi-box Letter-verse (01:02:43–01:29:32) New to Streaming / Credits (01:29:33–01:38:12) Show Notes Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/ Pre-Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (Coming October 6th): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/ Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspottingSVU.com Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Film critic Amy Nicholson joins host Michael Phillips to test a set of unofficial Hollywood axioms: Preston Sturges’ 11 Rules for Box Office Appeal. Written (or so the story goes) in the early 1940s, the list is equal parts joke and provocation, a series of blunt, sometimes baffling claims about what makes movies work. But taken together, the rules point toward something more coherent: a theory of cinema built on movement, rhythm, and the constant opening of possibilities. Amy and Michael dig into what still holds up and what these rules reveal about the way comedy — and movies — create momentum. Is Sturges simply being playful? Or is there real wisdom hiding inside the punchlines? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Dissident Cinema Marathon continues with Marcel Ophuls’s towering 1969 documentary The Sorrow and the Pity , which challenged the so-called “Gaullist myth” that the French people had largely resisted Nazi occupation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Adam and Josh take stock of the movie year with their Top 5 Films of 2026 (So Far), making picks that reflect the strength of of the year’s genre offerings, comedies, and intimate dramas. Plus: Massacre Theatre, and Best of ‘26 poll results. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off. (Timecodes/chapters may not be precise with ads.) Intro (00:00:00-00:03:03) Top 5 of 2026 (00:03:04-00:32:36) Filmspotting Family: ‘20s/’30s Madness (00:32:37-00:40:52) Poll: Best of ‘26 (So Far) (00:40:53-00:49:36) Top 5 of 2026, cont. (00:49:37-01:17:26) RIP Sam Neill / Massacre Theatre (01:17:27-01:26:54) Credits / Releases (01:26:55-01:28:56) Links: Alison Willmore on Blue Heron | Vulture https://www.vulture.com/article/review-the-masterful-blue-heron-uses-cinema-as-a-sance.html Feedback: -Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net - Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. https://www.filmspotting.net/shop Follow: -Watch Filmspotting on YouTube: https://youtube.com/filmspotting -Adam/Filmspotting: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky -Josh/LarsenOnFilm: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A good chunk of Supergirl ’s DNA can be traced back to True Grit by way of the comics miniseries the film is adapting, which is why we paired it with Joel and Ethan Coen’s 2010 version of that story. But as our discussion of Craig Gillespie’s new entry in James Gunn’s revamped DC Universe details, Supergirl often feels less indebted to its space-western source material than to several other superhero films that preceded it, including some of Gunn’s. That makes it tough to balance a film we all consider okay-at-best against a stone-cold Coens classic, but we attempt to anyway in Connections as we consider these two films’ shared interest in vengeance, western tropes, and really, really bad guys with murky motivations. Then in Your Next Picture Show, we honor True Grit ’s star-making performance with a recommendation for another Hailee Steinfeld film that’s a favorite of this podcast, The Edge of Seventeen. Please share your thoughts about True Grit, Supergirl , or 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: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and The Coen Brothers’ (yes, again) O Brother, Where Art Thou? This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For this week's Archive episode, we go back to 2014 for the Top 5 Movie Tattoos (That We'd Get). The "we" being Adam and Josh. 16 years later... no tats yet. But they're sticking by (most) of their picks. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Matt and Jordan deep-dive into the free, ad-supported streaming platform Tubi. They evaluate the platform across five distinct categories: library; playback/interface; reliability; originals; and price. Plus, recommended titles to watch on Tubi, and a recommendations for a listener who is looking for a hangout comedy like semi-obscure 2005 comedy. And Producer Sam hosts this week’s game: Tubi or Not Tubi. The State of Streaming: Tubi (00:00:00–00:49:36) Rec Seg: Watch on Tubi (00:49:37–01:01:23) Listener Request Recs: Hangout Comedies (01:01:24–01:17:23) Game: Tubi or Not Tubi (01:17:24–01:38:35) New to Streaming / Credits (01:38:36–01:45:49) Show Notes Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/ Pre-Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (Coming October 6th): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/ Alissa Quart’s “Hyperlink Cinema” in Film Forum https://static1.squarespace.com/static/549355e2e4b0a309c8cef596/t/556ca8c0e4b0ca905b2d74ef/1433184448821/QuartonHyperlink%281%29.pdf Hyperlink Cinema, a Letterboxd List https://letterboxd.com/sc_elly/list/hyperlink-films/ Handmade Films, a Letterboxd List https://letterboxd.com/studio/handmade-films/ Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspottingSVU.com Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to The Movie Racket, a new Filmspotting production hosted by Michael Phillips. Each week, we’ll test a so-called "law" of cinema — a bit of received wisdom about how movies work, or don’t. For our debut episode, actor Michael Shannon joins the show to examine a provocative claim from François Truffaut: that every film about war ends up being pro-war. Is it true that a movie about combat, survival, and heroism can never escape the pull of spectacle and the way cinema inevitably renders violence compelling? Shannon reflects on that inherent tension and revisits his experience working on Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor , a film that presents this question of representation head-on. So: was Truffaut right? Or does cinema allow for something more complicated than a binary verdict? Join the conversation at movieracket@filmspotting.net . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Adam and Josh celebrate Fargo 's 30th anniversary with a Pantheon Project review (the show’s longest ever) of the Coen Brothers' career-altering 1996 film. Plus, Olivia Wilde's The Invite , David Wain's Gail Daughtry's Celebrity Sex Pass , and listeners choose the best pair of '90s blockbusters. This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off . (Timecodes/chapters may not be precise with ads.) Intro (00:00:00-00:03:33) Fargo at 30 (00:03:34-01:16:58) Filmspotting Family (01:16:59-01:21:34) The Invite (01:21:35-01:25:46) Gail Daughtry’s Celebrity Sex Pass (01:25:47-01:33:56) Polls (01:33:57-01:41:34) Credits / Releases (01:41:35-01:44:08) Links: -Josh’s Fargo Video Essay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaRRXpfTyfU Feedback: -Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net - Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access. http://filmspottingfamily.com -Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. https://www.filmspotting.net/shop Follow: -Watch Filmspotting on YouTube: https://youtube.com/filmspotting -Adam/Filmspotting: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky -Josh/LarsenOnFilm: Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week's archive episode is Adam and Josh's 2018 Sacred Cow review of the Coen Brothers' period gangster film Miller's Crossing . Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Matt and Jordan review Netflix’s new comedy Little Brother , which stars Eric Andre as a chaos agent who disrupts the life of a tightly wound real estate agent played by John Cena. Hijinx, nudity, and parabolas of urine ensue. Then, in Rec Seg , they offer some related streaming titles, including a musical dramedy about brothers and a classic '70s comedy. Plus, in reply to a listener streaming request, a pair of international films from the early '60s, and Producer Sam hosts a John Cena-inspired round of trivia. Intro, Little Brother (00:00:00–00:24:16) Rec Seg: Little Brother -Inspired Streaming Recs (00:24:17–00:39:27) Listener Request Recs for an Artsy Down Under Movie Club (00:39:28–01:00:06) Trivia: So You’ve Cen-a Lotta Movies, Have You? (01:00:07–01:24:51) New to Streaming / Credits (01:24:52–01:32:35) Show Notes Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/ Pre-Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (Coming October 6th): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/ Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspottingSVU.com Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
United Kingdom
Norway
Norway
United States
United States
Apple Podcasts rankings supplied by Mato Topic Intelligence Platform.
Observed July 30, 2026.
Apple and Apple Podcasts are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.