Trailer Rewind

"Just gotta keep going. This isn’t our home."

A long journey with a horse . . . through brutal environments . . . and encounters with ruthless people . . . no, we’re not talking about Hostiles again. But after taking a month off we wanted to pick up where we were. So this month Steve and JJ are taking on the emotional cliff dive known as Lean on Pete.

With a cast that includes Steve Buscemi and Steve Zahn, you would think that JJ wouldn’t have to endure another brutal film that breaks your heart. But this film is not what you would expect. Steve and JJ are challenged to identify anyone they would recommend it to. Not because it is a bad film, but because it’s hard to imagine anyone you would want to willingly put as a participant in Charly’s journey to find a home.

Is it worth watching? Definitely! Does Steve learn more about the geography of the Pacific Northwest than he expected? Most definitely! Is there an unexpected connection to R. Kelly that makes JJ a bit uncomfortable? Possibly.

Film Sundries

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"I've killed everything that's walked or crawled. If you do it enough, you get used to it."

JJ and Steve are heading out west this month. It's a long and grueling journey, and one of them may not make it to the end. It’s a Trailer Rewind first. This month they dig into the Saturday Matinee archives to find a film to talk about. They are in new territory with Scott Cooper’s 2017 film, Hostiles.

Even though JJ was spared the experience of watching Raw last month, he is emotionally raw after the first 6 minutes of Hostiles. This was an unpleasant journey for him and he isn’t willing to take it again. He gets picky on this one and readily points out all its flaws and the choices made that he has issues with. If only there had been more Ben Foster.

Steve enjoyed this dark and emotionally cold road trip, but focused on the transformation of characters during the long trek and what message that has for us today. Steve borrows a line from Andy and admits that he even though he has “quibbles” he still enjoys it.

They both agree it's a good idea to watch 3:10 to Yuma again. At least they have found some common ground. Isn’t that what we all hope to find when we take a troubling journey with someone - a shared experience that connects us together in ways that we haven’t expected?

Film Sundries

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• Original theatrical trailer
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"I'm sure you'll find a solution, honey."

Steve couldn’t ask JJ to stomach this month’s film, so he brought Andy in to chew the fat on this one. Andy admits that if he were at this school he would have been out of there right away. Steve, as usual, thinks this film may be about more than it seems. They both agree Julia Ducournau created something unique. This isn’t a horror film, even though there is a lot of blood, gore, and flesh wounds. But it isn’t a typical family drama either. FInd out what is at the heart of the film that gained notoriety for turning stomachs.

Film Sundries

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• Watch this film: iTunes • Amazon • Netflix • YouTube
• Original theatrical trailer
• Original poster artwork
• Flickchart
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• Creating the Disturbing World of RAW — Julia Ducournau

"Has anyone out there had a particularly hard day?"

What are you waiting for? Just press play. Don’t stop to think, just say yes and press the button because JJ and Steve are working without a script. This month they take a look at Mike Birbiglia’s 2016 film Don’t Think Twice.

You may be expecting a comedy because of familiar funny faces like Gillian Jacobs (Community) and Keegan Michael Key (Key & Peele), however, this is not that film. As the character Allison (Kate Micucci) says “It's like when something sounds funny, but it isn't funny.” Mike Birbiglia has created an exploration of the pursuit of dreams, and the challenges of falling short of them.. JJ and Steve have a deep discussion about a film that explores how these characters cope with the struggle of living a life working toward unrealized goals. It gets heavy. It gets serious. It’s unexpected commentary about the human condition in a film about comedy.

Film Sundries

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• Original theatrical trailer
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"Vern and learn, baby."

JJ and Steve return from their summer break with a big bang. This month they attempt to survive the brutal shootout in Ben Wheatley’s 2016 film Free Fire.

How many rounds does it take to get to the end of the shootout in Free Fire? Let’s count. One, two, three . . .

Film Sundries

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• Original theatrical trailer
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• Watch Ben Wheatley’s Head Get Run Over
• The secret to free fire's 62-minute shootout? Minecraft

"We want to scan you, all of you, your body, your face, your emotions, your laughter, your tears. We want to own this thing called Robin Wright."

Just before the summer break, Steve and JJ take a trippy ride to The Congress. Based on Stanislaw Lem’s 1971 novel The Futurological Congress, this was Pete’s trailer pick from May 23, 2014. There is a lot going on in this movie, especially once we get to the animated zone Abrahama City. Centered around Robin Wright, played by Robin Wright, this film explores the next generation of filmmaking, the ability to convert a person into corporate property, and the bond between a mother and son. We also get Harvey Keitel, John Hamm, Danny Huston, Paul Giamatti, Kodi Smit-McPhee and a brief animated cameo from one of Hollywood’s biggest names, in this mind-bending exploration of what the future may hold for us. Underneath all of the crazy there is an interesting parable about entertainment, celebrity, and the role of the audience. Once they start down the swirling, rainbow path to Abrahama, JJ and Steve may not make it back to the real world.

Film Sundries

Thank you for supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast on Patreon! — https://patreon.com/thenextreel

• Watch this film: iTunes • Amazon • YouTube
• Script Transcript
• Original theatrical trailer
• Original poster artwork
• The Futurological Congress: From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy by Stanislaw Lem
• Flickchart
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"There is no limit to what desperate men will do when pushed."

We call the Filmboard a gang of thugs, but we’ve got nothing on the crew from Triple 9, a violent cop drama from 2016 directed by John Hilcoat. With both the Marvel and DC cinematic universes represented as well as The Walking Dead, this film has a slew of familiar faces. We have corrupt cops working one last heist for the mafia, and needing to sacrifice one of their own to do it. From early on this films delivers on action and adrenaline, but can the story and actors deliver an appropriate finish? How many times has Woody Harrelson played a law enforcement role? Why are accents such a problem for some actors? And if the Filmboard ever needed a sacrificial lamb, would we pick JJ or Tommy?

Film Sundries

Thank you for supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast on Patreon! — https://patreon.com/thenextreel

• Watch this film: iTunes • Amazon • YouTube
• Original theatrical trailer
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"There’s a boy and he’s on the road and he’s had a - he’s fallen off his bike."

As Joel Edgerton is starting to become a familiar face for American audiences he is also starting to cultivate his behind the screen talents. This month JJ and Steve investigate Edgerton’s feature-length screenplay - 2014’s Felony. Edgerton shares the screen with Tom Wilkinson and Jai Courtney in this character-driven police thriller. While Steve was disappointed that this wasn’t the police procedural he thought it was setting out to be, JJ enjoyed this character-focused story on the human condition. But they both agree that the performances make this one worth adding to your list.

Film Sundries

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• Original theatrical trailer
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"Once I put those shoes on, I never wanted to take them off."

It’s time to put on your rubber-soled salsa shoes and hit the floor with JJ and Steve. This month they have got fire in their heels as they talk about Cuban Fury. For March they are lightening the mood with this romantic comedy from 2014 starring Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd, and Ian McShane. This was Pete’s trailer pick from April 2014, and he predicted that writer Jon Brown was going to bring some of the same offensive humor that he brought to the tv series 'Misfits.' And boy did he ever! If there is one thing JJ wants you to know about this film it is how crude and offensive Chris O’Dowd’s character Drew is. If you can handle the crude shenanigans you will find that this is a film that is not just a romantic comedy but also the story of a man who rediscovers what truly brings joy to his heart.

Film Sundries

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"Sometimes there's no lesson. That's a lesson in itself."

Call the maid for turn down service, because this month JJ and Steve take on a movie that takes place in a hotel room. JJ and Steve spend time with Charlie Kaufman’s 2015 film, Anomalisa and discuss why it is an unsettling film. Although they both agree it is not a film that they will watch again, they end up giving it three stars. What is it that they find so compelling in the stop-motion animated film? Perhaps it’s the ever present voice of Tom Noonan, or could it be the rousing speech delivered by Michael Stone at the film’s climax? Listen in to this month’s Trailer Rewind to find out what makes Anomalisa an anomaly.

Film Sundries

Thank you for supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast on Patreon! — https://patreon.com/thenextreel

• Watch this film: iTunes • Amazon • YouTube • Hulu
• Script Transcript
• Original theatrical trailer
• Original poster artwork
• Flickchart
• Letterboxd