Back from the New Year’s break, Adam and Josh go long on the majesty - and some of the shortcomings - of Josh Safdie’s MARTY SUPREME. Plus, Josh is positive on the new AVATAR, and Adam recommends Gus Van Sant’s DEAD MAN’S WIRE and Kaouther Ben Hania’s THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB. 

This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits.

(Timecodes and chapter starts may not be precise with ads.)

Intro (00:00:00-00:04:33)

Marty Supreme (00:04:34-00:50:40)

Filmspotting Family (00:50:41-00:56:50)

Avatar: Fire & Ash (00:56:51-01:04:53)

Dead Man’s Wire (01:04:54-01:15:38)

Next Week / Notes (01:15:39-01:21:38)

Poll: 2026 Most Anticipated (01:21:39-01:29:26)

The Voice of Hind Rajab (01:29:27-01:37:34)

Credits / New Releases (01:37:35-01:40:30)

Links:

-DGA’s Director’s Cut Podcast w/Josh Safdie

https://www.dga.org/events/2026/february2026/martysupreme_qna_1225

-Walter Chaw’s 0-star review of Avatar: Fire & Ash

https://filmfreakcentral.net/2025/12/avatar-fire-and-ash-2025/

-Pop Culture Happy Hour on Avatar: Fire & Ash

https://www.npr.org/2025/12/19/nx-s1-5648236/avatar-fire-and-ash-is-one-battle-after-another

Feedback:

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With Adam and Josh's MARTY SUPREME review coming later this week, we're sharing Adam's December 2019 "Uncut Gems" interview with the Safdie Brothers.

For full access to the Filmspotting Archive going back to 2005, join the Filmspotting Family. Membership includes monthly bonus shows, a weekly newsletter, access to the Filmspotting Discord, and more.

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For the first show of the New Year, we’re sharing a couple of previously unaired live conversations: Adam with Matt Singer about Jeff Nichols’s TAKE SHELTER, recorded at Filmspotting Fest; and Adam with Michael Phillips about John Sayles’s 1996 western noir LONE STAR at the City of Chicago’s Siskel & Ebert at 50 celebration.

This episode is presented by⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Regal Unlimited⁠⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits.

(Timecodes and chapter starts may not be precise with ads.)

Intro (00:00:00-00:01:55)

Take Shelter at Filmspotting Fest (00:01:56-00:26:45)

Next Week / Notes (00:26:46-00:29:33)

Lone Star at Siskel & Ebert at 50 (00:29:34-01:04:25)

Credits / New Releases (01:04:26-01:05:44)

Links:

-Filmspotting Fest

⁠​​https://www.filmspotting.net/filmspotting-fest⁠

-Siskel & Ebert at 50

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/provdrs/chicago_film_office/news/2025/october/siskel_ebert.html

Feedback:

-Email us at [email protected]⁠⁠.

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Support:

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For the second part of their Top 10 Films of 2025 conversation with Michael Phillips and Vulture critic Alison Willmore, the roundtable gets to the films that made at least two and, in one case, all four of their individual lists. Plus, thoughts on Rob Reiner’s passing, and film-of-the-year picks from Aisha Harris, Scott Tobias, Keith Phipps, Tasha Robinson, Marya E. Gates, David Chen, Chris Klimek, and Aaron Neuwirth. 

This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits.

(Timecodes and chapter starts may not be precise with ads.)Intro (00:00:00-00:00:45)

Rob Reiner / Notes (00:00:46-00:11:18)

Poll Results: Film of 2025 (00:11:19-00:17:26)

Two-Listers (00:17:26-00:48:55)

Three-Listers (00:48:56-01:30:01)

#1 Films of 2025 (01:30:02-01:53:52)

More ‘Outlier’ Picks (01:53:53-01:58:42)

Credits / New Releases (01:48:43-01:03:50)

Links:

-Rob Reiner Was Good | Matt Zoller Seitz

https://www.vulture.com/article/rob-reiner-was-good.html

-Filmspotting's 2025 Top 10 Picks

https://www.filmspotting.net/top-5-lists-archive/1044-top-10-films-of-2025

Feedback:

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Support:

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Adam and Josh’s Top 10 Films of 2025 conversation with Michael Phillips and Vulture critic Alison Willmore went so long that it had to be split into two parts. In this offering, the roundtable shares their "outlier" choices, and we hear film of the year picks from Matt Singer⁠, Amy Nicholson⁠, Roxana Hadadi⁠, Mitchell Beaupre⁠, and more. Plus, the finalists for the 2025 Golden Brick Award⁠.

This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits.

(Timecodes and chapter starts may not be precise with ads.)

Intro (00:00:00-00:06:16)

The Year in Movies (00:06:17-00:25:06)

'Outest' Outliers (00:25:07-01:00:22)

'Expected' Outliers (01:00:23-01:53:52)

More Top 10s / Brick Finalists (01:53:53-02:21:55)

Links:

Ted Gioia On the Future's Demand for Human Curators

⁠https://youtu.be/OF8kBtVNJXI?si=dF0akmcpGBJlvf4F&t=1750⁠ 

-"Derek Cianfrance’s Midlife Crisis" | Roxana Hadadi

⁠https://www.vulture.com/article/roofman-director-derek-cianfrance-interview.html⁠

-Poll: 2025 Golden Brick

⁠⁠https://poll.fm/16408482⁠

-Filmspotting's Top 10s

⁠https://www.filmspotting.net/top10lists⁠

Feedback:

-Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠.

-⁠⁠⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content.

Support:

-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access.

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Follow:

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Something for the holidays special from the Filmspotting Archive: Adam and Josh's ⁠9 From '99⁠ review of Stanley Kubrick's EYES WIDE SHUT.

For full access to the archive going back to 2005, plus monthly bonus shows, a weekly newsletter, access to the Filmspotting Discord, and more, join the ⁠⁠Filmspotting Family⁠⁠.

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Hot on the heels of submitting their Chicago Film Critics Association ballots, Adam and Josh share their favorite performances of the year, plus some thoughts on Rian Johnson’s WAKE UP DEAD MAN and Chloe Zhao’s HAMNET.

This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits.

(Timecodes and chapter starts may not be precise with ads.)

Intro (00:00:00-00:03:26)

Performances of ‘25: Supporting (00:03:27-00:31:15)

Filmspotting Family (00:31:16-00:35:40)

Performances of ‘25: Lead (00:35:41-01:09:03)

Wake Up Dead Man (01:09:04-01:17:51)

Hamnet (01:17:52-01:29:11)

Brickspotting (Boys Go to Jupiter, If I Had Legs…) (01:29:12-01:35:41)

Notes / Massacre Theatre (01:35:42-01:46:19)

Polls (01:46:20-01:54:07)

Credits / New Releases (01:54:08-01:57:17)

Links:

-Chicago Film Critics Association

https://chicagofilmcritics.org/

-Poll: Film of the Year

https://poll.fm/16367252

-“Black Actresses Are Carrying One Battle After Another” | Vulture

https://www.vulture.com/article/black-actresses-are-carrying-one-battle-after-another.html

-”Wagner Moura's moment is now.” | L.A. Times

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-12-03/wagner-moura-brazil-secret-agent-kleber-mendonca-filho

Feedback:

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Support:

-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access.

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For this week's archive drop, we're sharing Adam and Josh's 2019 review of Rian Johnson's KNIVES OUT. The third film in the series, WAKE UP DEAD MAN, is currently in theaters and comes to Netflix on Dec. 12.

For full access to the archive going back to 2005, plus monthly bonus shows, a weekly newsletter, access to the Filmspotting Discord, and more, join the Filmspotting Family.

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Back in October, Michael Phillips joined Adam at Iowa City’s Refocus Film Festival for a live recording of the Top 5 Movies Adapted From Iowa Writers. The town is home to the University of Iowa’s famed Writers’ Workshop, so picks were not confined to "Field of Dreams" and "The Music Man" (but those get shout-outs, too).

This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits.

(Timecodes and chapter starts may not be precise with ads.)

Intro (00:00:00-00:03:59)

Top 5 Iowa Writer Adaptations (04:00-00:35:37)

Next Week / Notes (00:35:38-00:38:45)

Top 5, continued (00:38:46-01:02:46)

Credits / New Releases (01:02:47-01:05:34)

Links:

-Poll: ‘25 Scene Stealers

https://poll.fm/16310945

-London Meetup w/Josh on Dec. 11

https://forms.gle/rUcgUKicTddzwFBs5

Feedback:

-Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠.

-⁠⁠⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content.

Support:

-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access.

⁠⁠⁠http://filmspottingfamily.com⁠⁠⁠

-T-shirts and more available at the Filmspotting Shop.

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Follow:

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For November's Filmspotting Family bonus episode, Adam, Josh, and Producer Sam fielded a wide variety of questions from listeners, including how Josh ended up in Scotland, how Adam ended up (back) in Iowa, and the very second, circa 2005, when Sam knew that Filmspotting was something bigger than he and Adam imagined it would be.

Monthly bonus episodes are just one of the benefits of becoming a Filmspotting Family member, along with early and ad-free episodes, a weekly newsletter, access to the Filmspotting Discord, and more.

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