"Blood Simple," released in film festivals in 1984 and theatrically in 1985, found as many detractors as it did fans initially, but no one can argue that it was all that the filmmaking duo of Joel and Ethan Coen needed to break onto the scene as fresh, quirky and sometimes violent voices in the cinema world. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — on this week's episode of The Next Reel as we start our Drama by the Brothers Coen series. We talk about how much we love this neo-noir crime thriller and why, and debate whether it's just a film noir or really a neo-noir (and if that really means anything anyway). We chat about the performances — Dan Hedaya, Frances McDormand, John Getz and the unforgettable M. Emmett Walsh — and why they each stand out for us in different ways (most notably Walsh in his horrible yellow jacket). We discuss how this film introduced the world largely to the cinematographic eye of Barry Sonnenfeld, what it did for the film, what worked, what didn't, and why Sonnenfeld shouldn't have started directing. We chat about the nature of the story — complex and simple all at the same time in a story that honors genre conventions as much as it manipulates and breaks them. And we talk about the Coen brothers in general and why we feel there is such a pervasive split between cinema-goers as to their opinions of the Coens' films. It's a fun, bloody, dark film that just gets better with age. Check it out and listen in!
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The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:

• Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
• The Film Board
• Movies We Like
• The Next Reel Film Podcast
• Sitting in the Dark

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Nobody expected anything from this one. Clark Gable showed up hungover. Claudette Colbert called it the worst picture she'd ever made—and wasn't even at the ceremony when she won Best Actress for it. Frank Capra thought he was making a throwaway. Instead, they accidentally invented the screwball romantic comedy and became the first film to sweep all five major Academy Awards.
Pete and Andy dig into the hitchhiking scene, the Walls of Jericho, and the surprisingly rich supporting cast—including the detail that Oscar Shapeley and Ellie's father may have inspired Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in—The Next Reel on TruStory FM, when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
Find the full episode resources and transcript here.
🎬 Watch & Discover
Watch "It Happened One Night": Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd
Trailer
If You Liked This Conversation, Try These from the Next Reel Family:
Couples on the Run series — All eight films in the series, from "It Happened One Night" to "Gun Crazy."
"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" — Another defining Frank Capra film, part of The Next Reel's 1939 series.
"The Silence of the Lambs" — One of only two other films to ever sweep the Big Five Oscars, part of The Next Reel's Hannibal Lecter series.
Screwball Comedy's Battle of the Sexes — Andy's Cinema Scope deep dive into the genre this film helped invent.
Screwball Comedy's Hidden Treasures — A second Cinema Scope conversation exploring the genre further.
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Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:

• Become a member for just $5/month or $55/year
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The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:

• Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
• The Film Board
• Movies We Like
• The Next Reel Film Podcast
• Sitting in the Dark

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• Movie Platforms: Letterboxd | Flickchart
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Charles Laughton is most known for his larger than life performances in films from the 30s through the 60s, but he did have one chance to direct which came in the form of 1955's The Night of the Hunter, a film he also co-wrote with James Agee based on the novel by Davis Grubb. Unfortunately for him, the film was a huge flop. Luckily for us, this quirky anomaly of a film has not only survived but has thrived — it is now critically praised and generally considered to be a classic film. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Couples on the Run series with Laughton's The Night of the Hunter. We talk about our impressions of the film, why it works, and what are some of its potential stumbling blocks in connecting with audiences. We chat about the amazing performances, from Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce playing the two kids on the run to Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters and Lillian Gish, the three adults heading up the film. We discuss the look of the film and how it contributes to the unique vibe Laughton was going for, whether by using silent film techniques or film noir lighting styles. And we talk about the overall tone of the film — from horror to noir to comedy to fairy tale etc. — and how that helps give the film a unique tone not often seen in films. It truly is a wholly unique and special film, and we have a great time talking about it. Tune in!

Andy first saw this in a college film noir class. Every rewatch since has pulled him further from that label and closer to something else: a dark fairy tale, fragile as an eggshell, built by a director who got exactly one shot to make a film. Pete, seeing it for the first time, lands somewhere similar—a beautiful, unsettling stage play about two kids fleeing a preacher who isn't what he claims to be.
They dig into Robert Mitchum's terrifying-yet-buffoonish performance, the film's commercial disaster and slow rediscovery, and an ending they genuinely disagree about. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in—The Next Reel on TruStory FM, when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
Find the full episode resources and transcript here.
🎬 Watch & Discover
Watch "The Night of the Hunter": Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd
Trailer
If You Liked This Conversation, Try These from the Next Reel Family:
Couples on the Run series — All eight films in the series, from "It Happened One Night" to "Gun Crazy."
Film Noir series — Andy's complicated relationship with calling this a true noir makes a good entry point into The Next Reel's broader genre coverage.
Film Noir: Crime & the Ordinary Man — Andy's Cinema Scope deep dive into the genre conventions this film bends and borrows from.
🔓 The movie ends. The conversation goes further. Become a member.
🎧 Members get this episode early and ad-free in their private feed—plus every show in The Next Reel family.
Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:

• Become a member for just $5/month or $55/year
• Join our Discord community of movie lovers

The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:

• Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
• The Film Board
• Movies We Like
• The Next Reel Film Podcast
• Sitting in the Dark

Connect With Us:

• Main Site: Web
• Movie Platforms: Letterboxd | Flickchart
• Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | Pinterest
• Your Hosts: Andy | Pete

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• Originals: Source material from our episodes
• Special offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

The Film Board gathers! It's a full house this week as we take on the latest clawed brawler from Marvel, "The Wolverine." The crew agrees: there are some stunningly beautiful sequences in this film, and while Jackman's Wolverine rarely disappoints, on the whole the film loses steam tragically too early and delivers an ultimately forgettable experience. Steve shares his report on the Atmos experience of "The Wolverine," which may make the film worth seeing on the big screen, if you have such a theater near you. Check out this month's Film Board review for details and plenty, plenty of spoilers!

William Goldman is often credited as the first screenwriter to sell a spec script, meaning he wrote a script without getting paid for it then sold it once he was done with it. It's common in the novel-writing world, but in the late 60s, it was unheard of in the film business. That script was "The Sundance Kid & Butch Cassidy," which legendary producer Richard D. Zanuck, who was running 20th Century Fox at the time, optioned for twice what they were allowed to, knowing it was going to be big. And he was right. We continue our Couples On the Run series with George Roy Hill's 1969 western, "Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid." Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we discuss the place this film has in the western genre and why it remains a classic to this day. We talk about the wonderful performances by Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and how Hill had to fight to get Redford on at the time because he was relatively unknown. We chat about Hill and Conrad Hall, the cinematographer, and what they both brought to the table. And we discuss Burt Bacharach's Oscar-winning turn for his score and song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head," and how well these anachronistic bits worked for us this go around. It's top-notch filmmaking and we love this movie. Tune in!

Pete and Andy come away from this rewatch noticing something they'd half-missed before: this isn't just two outlaws on the run, it's two men watching their entire way of life go obsolete in real time. That reading reshapes everything—the bicycle sequence, the gentlemanly train robberies, even the brutal Bolivia ending. Paul Newman and Robert Redford anchor George Roy Hill's 1969 western, with Katharine Ross as Etta Place.
They dig into the casting fight that nearly gave the role to Steve McQueen, Conrad Hall's stunning, never-repeating cinematography, and William Goldman's patient, structure-defying script. Andy even shares his own real brush with Sundance Kid legend hunters. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in—The Next Reel on TruStory FM, when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
Find the full episode resources and transcript here.
🎬 Watch & Discover
Watch "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid": Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd
Trailer
If You Liked This Conversation, Try These from the Next Reel Family:
Couples on the Run series — All eight films in the series, from "It Happened One Night" to "Gun Crazy."
"The Sting" — George Roy Hill's other Newman/Redford classic, part of The Next Reel's Richard D. Zanuck series.
"Marathon Man" — Another William Goldman script, also shot by cinematographer Conrad Hall, part of The Next Reel's 1976 series.
"The Princess Bride" — One of Goldman's most beloved scripts, part of The Next Reel's 1988 Academy Awards Best Visual Effects Nominees series.
"Misery" — Goldman's adaptation of Stephen King, part of The Next Reel's Stephen King series.
"All the President's Men" — Goldman's Oscar-winning screenplay about Watergate, part of The Next Reel's Alan J. Pakula Paranoia Trilogy.
🔓 The movie ends. The conversation goes further. Become a member.
🎧 Members get this episode early and ad-free in their private feed—plus every show in The Next Reel family.

Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:

• Become a member for just $5/month or $55/year
• Join our Discord community of movie lovers

The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:

• Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
• The Film Board
• Movies We Like
• The Next Reel Film Podcast
• Sitting in the Dark

Connect With Us:

• Main Site: Web
• Movie Platforms: Letterboxd | Flickchart
• Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | Pinterest
• Your Hosts: Andy | Pete

Shop & Stream:

• Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & more
• Watch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussed
• Originals: Source material from our episodes
• Special offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

Quentin Tarantino's first script that he wrote turned out to be one he couldn't get made himself. Lucky for us (or unlucky as some Tarantino fans feel), he managed to get "True Romance" into the hands of Tony Scott. Tony gave it a linear structure and a happy ending and, in our estimation, created a magical fairy tale of a film. We're continuing our "Couples on the Run" series and are thrilled with this week's edition of "True Romance" to the list. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we talk about the origins of the script and its road to becoming the film that it is. We chat about not only the incredible performances throughout the film, but also the amazing, star-studded line-up of actors playing the parts and how much we enjoy them all. We discuss the nature of the violence in the film and how it created quite a stir politically at the time though how, by today's standards, it's not too harsh. And we hit on the crazy Tarantino Universe theory and how this film ties into it. We love this film and have a great time talking about it. Tune in!

Clarence falls fast for Alabama, a call girl hired as his birthday gift. When he kills her pimp and accidentally walks off with a suitcase of cocaine instead of her clothes, the two end up on the run from the mob, the police, and a Hollywood producer's security detail—chasing a payday that might let them disappear together for good. Quentin Tarantino's first script, directed by Tony Scott.
Andy worried a rewatch after ten years might sour him on a film he loved—it didn't. Pete keeps recognizing now-famous faces he didn't register the first time around. Together they dig into the film's stacked cast, its tangled production history, and the political firestorm it landed in. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in—The Next Reel on TruStory FM, when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
Find the full episode resources and transcript here.
🎬 Watch & Discover
Watch "True Romance": Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd | Trailer
If You Liked This Conversation, Try These from the Next Reel Family:
Couples on the Run series — All eight films in the series, from "It Happened One Night" to "Gun Crazy."
"Midnight Run" — The film that kicked off the Couples on the Run series, referenced directly at the end of this episode.
"The Last Boy Scout" — Tony Scott's other film in The Next Reel's catalog, part of their Shane Black series.
"Strange Days" — Tom Sizemore's performance here gets compared directly to his work in this 1995 thriller, the opening entry in the Kathryn Bigelow series.
"Jackie Brown" — The only other Tarantino film Pete and Andy have covered, part of their 1998 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Lead Actress series.
🔓 The movie ends. The conversation goes further. Become a member.
🎧 Members get this episode early and ad-free in their private feed—plus every show in The Next Reel family.
Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:

• Become a member for just $5/month or $55/year
• Join our Discord community of movie lovers

The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:

• Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
• The Film Board
• Movies We Like
• The Next Reel Film Podcast
• Sitting in the Dark

Connect With Us:

• Main Site: Web
• Movie Platforms: Letterboxd | Flickchart
• Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | Pinterest
• Your Hosts: Andy | Pete

Shop & Stream:

• Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & more
• Watch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussed
• Originals: Source material from our episodes
• Special offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible

Infrequent filmmaker Martin Brest may have directed the box office bombs Gigli and Meet Joe Black, but he also directed the huge critical and commercial successes Beverly Hills Cop and Scent of a Woman. Somewhere in the middle of these films, he made a fantastic action-comedy about a bounty hunter taking a criminal across country to collect his reward. That's right, we're talking about Midnight Run, a part of our Couples on the Run series. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — on this week's episode of The Next Reel as we discuss the actors in this film, particularly Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Joe Pantoliano, Yaphet Kotto and Dennis Farina, and how they work for us now 25 years after the film first came out — some better than others. We chat about the nature of the action-comedy film, particularly those from the 80s, and how the comedy has fared as time's worn on. We talk about the great script by George Gallo and how it stands out in its genre because of the honestly written characters that are developed well over the course of the story. And we talk about the crew who worked on it with Brest, notably Danny Elfman turning in one of his early great scores that definitely veers away from the wacky. It's a film that holds up well — mostly — and one we have a great time talking about. Listen in!