Best Picture This

With a star-studded ensemble cast led by Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, director Stephen Daldry's "The Hours" has a literary style and lofty ambitions. That combination led it to an Oscar nomination for Best Picture in 2002. 

In this episode, Mike and Brian are divided in discussing the film's impact and best moments. They talk trivia, explore what might have been and, the big one, play Kick It or Keep it.

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Is "The Two Towers" even better "The Fellowship of the Ring"? 

Would the movie be stronger with less Gollum?

And is every film in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy a lock for its respective year's top 5?

Mike and Brian tackle these questions and more in this episode, recorded in studio on Facebook Live, then get into trivia and play Keep It or Kick It.

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Live-action reimaginings of animated Disney classics: yea or nay?

Mike and Brian continue their summer series this week with Disney's live-action "Mulan." They dive into the history of the Chinese legend that inspired the story, Disney's recent run of live-action remakes, as well as the usual Best Moments, trivia and more. 

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Jim Carrey makes his return to the big screen (and to absurdist comedy) in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (2020), directed by Jeff Fowler. But is his commitment to the role enough to keep this film afloat?

In this Facebook Live bonus episode, Mike and Brian dive into Carrey's career in comedy and drama, talk trivia and pull out the Popcorn-O-Meter to measure exactly how successful this children's movie is, given the long history of failures the movies-based-on-video-game genre has produced. 

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Director Paul Greengrass explores the power of storytelling in 2020's "News of the World" which, starring the great Tom Hanks, earned four Academy Award nominations. But what else can the Oscar-nomated western teach us about genre, truth and modern life in America?

In this special bonus episode, broadcast live on Facebook and in partnership with the Palm Coast Observer, Mike and Brian explore the movie's best moments, talk trivia and whistle dixie.

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What was really the best movie of 2001?

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences chose Ron Howard's "A Beautiful Mind." But how does that pick hold up 20 years later?

In this miniseries finale, Mike and Brian re-rank the Academy's nominees for Best Picture, kick those that don't belong and build their own top 5 lists for the year in film.

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How much truth do we need in movies that are "based off of a true story"? Director Ron Howard takes many liberties throughout "A Beautiful Mind," which took home the Academy Award for Best Picture. But is the movie better or worse because of those changes?

Mike and Brian explore the film's best moments, compare Russell Crowe's performance to those he delivered in his previous two movies ("Gladiator" in '00, and "The Insider" in '99 -- both nominated for Best Picture), talk trivia and decide whether "A Beautiful Mind" really is the best movie of 2001 -- or even belongs in the top five at all.

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What makes a cult classic? For director Richard Kelly's "Donnie Darko," starring a young Jake Gyllenhaal, it's its seamless mix of horror, comedy, sci-fi, philosophy, '80s pop music, religious subtext and an unwavering committment to Sparkle Motion.

But how does all that ambition hold up on rewatch?

In this episode, Mike and Brian dive into the movie's best moments, talk trivia and debate the place of "Donnie Darko" among the Best Picture nominees of 2001.

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Can a fantasy epic really be one of the best pictures of the year? Peter Jackson gets started on his Lord of the Rings trilogy with "The Fellowship of the Ring," and Mike and Brian tackle the big themes — and some small, petty ones — in this episode, which was simulcast on Facebook Live.

Visit bestpicturethis.com for past episodes and that all-important Patreon button. Tolkien would be proud?!?!

Is Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) really an "avenging angel"?

How are we supposed to feel about his climactic shootout?

Is director Martin Scorsese trying to drive us crazy with saxophones?!?

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1976, TAXI DRIVER is crammed full of enigmas, and in this special bonus episode, Mike and Brian dive headlong into them through their Questions Three, talk trivia and critics' reviews, then argue ... a lot.

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