Filmspotting

4.6 (4K)
Film Reviews
Weekly

Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen review new and classic movies, offering "affable, insightful film analysis since 2005" (NY Times).

1h ago

You Can See Everything, plus Wildwood and Fjord | #1088

Adam and Josh finally get a chance to talk about the movie that everyone is talking about: Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s You Can See Everything. Along with some (well demarcated!) Spoiler Talk about the movie, they share poll results about the best docs of the 2020s (so far), and Josh weighs in on Laika’s Wildwood and the Palme d’Or-winning Fjord from Romania’s Cristian Mungiu. 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 (00:00:00-00:02:42) You Can See Everything (00:02:43-00:27:11) Filmspotting Family (00:27:12-00:33:27) You Can See Everything cont. (00:33:28-00:54:31) Spoiler Talk: You Can See Everything (00:54:31-00:1:17:22) Wildwood (00:1:17:23-01:23:10) Fjord (001:23:11-01:28:15) Polls (01:28:16-01:39:10) Credits / New Releases (01:39:11-01:43:16) Notes: 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 shows, archive access, and more. 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.
1d ago

Direct to Camera, Pt. 1 — Real Life (1979)

As co-director of You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder is unusually present in front of the camera, arguably overshadowing the film’s ostensible subject, disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. That’s just the start of the film’s unconventionalities, which we’ll get into more next week, but first we’re revisiting a 1979 comedy that predicts Fielder’s turn as the stealth protagonist of his own documentary. As a prototype of the mockumentary form, as well as a satire of the then-nascent genre of reality television, Albert Brooks’ deeply meta debut feature Real Life encourages the audience to recognize an essential fact about documentary filmmaking, which is that cameras inevitably affect the behavior of those in front of it. And this week in Feedback, we correct an oversight in our recent discussion of The Social Network, and touch on some of the other titles we considered for this pairing. Please share your thoughts about Real Life, You Can See Everything, 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.
2d ago

Double Indemnity | Archive

What better way to kick off Noir-vember than with a Sacred Cow review of arguably the greatest noir ever made, Billy Wilder's 1944 classic Double Indemnity. Originally reviewed in 2022 as part of the Barbara Stanwyck Marathon. 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.
3d ago

The Godzilla Show! | SVU

With Godzilla Minus Zero coming to theaters this weekend, Matt and Jordan took it upon themselves to brush up on the “King of the Monsters.” Helping them out is guest Aaron Neuwirth, co-host of the 2 Black Guys Talk Godzilla podcast. Between them, they recommend five Godzilla titles that are available to stream. Plus, a listener request for whimsical - but still informative! - documentaries. And Matt hosts this week’s game: Letterboxd-ing — Roland With the Punches Edition. Intro (00:00:00–00:03:07) Streaming Godzilla movies w/Aaron Neuwirth (00:03:08–01:00:34) Listener Request Seg: Whimsical Docs (01:00:35–01:23:33) Game: Letterboxd-ing — “Roland With the Punches Edition” (01:23:34–01:40:25) New to Streaming / Credits (01:40:26–01:51:08) Show Notes 2 Black Guys Talk Godzilla https://2blackguystalkgodzilla.substack.com/ “Stomping Through “Godzilla” History: Where to Begin & What To Watch | Aaron Neuwirth https://www.firstshowing.net/2019/stomping-through-godzilla-history-where-to-begin-what-to-watch/ Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive⁠ https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/⁠ Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (available now!):⁠ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/⁠ Matt’s book tour! matt-singer.net Bazooga jingle by Dave Van Hallgren 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.
4d ago

The Third Man vs. Touch of Evil with Matt Gourley and Anne Thompson | Movie Death Match

For our Noirvember edition, Chris Klimek convenes a showdown between two noir classics featuring unforgettable Orson Welles villains: Carol Reed's The Third Man and Welles's own Touch of Evil. One is a postwar mystery set amid the shattered streets and shadows of occupied Vienna, featuring Welles as the charmingly monstrous Harry Lime. The other is a feverish border-town nightmare with the filmmaker buried beneath prosthetics as corrupt police captain Hank Quinlan. Arguing for The Third Man is Matt Gourley (Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, With Gourley and Rust, James Bonding), who contends that Reed's masterpiece transcends noir, combining unforgettable atmosphere, moral ambiguity, and one of cinema's greatest endings. Representing Touch of Evil is Anne Thompson (IndieWire, Screen Talk), who makes the case that Welles's final Hollywood film is a singular feat of visual storytelling and one of the boldest achievements ever produced within the studio system. Which Welles villain casts the longer shadow, and which film deserves to survive? Choose your winner at moviedeathmatch.com. (Times will not be precise with ads.) Intro / Meet the Advocates (00:00:00-00:12:01) Rd. 1 – The Movies in Their Time (00:12:02-00:24:14) Rd. 2 – The Movies in Our Time (00:24:15-00:46:49) Rd. 3 – The Movies for All Time (00:46:50-01:05:33) The Verdict / Credits (01:05:34-01:13:04) More From Anne: -IndieWire https://www.indiewire.com/author/anne-thompson/ -Sight & Sound: Who voted for Touch of Evil? https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/829f71c1-8c9d-5294-b77d-93de81913c9d/touch-of-evil -The $11 Billion Year: From Sundance to the Oscars… https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062218018 More From Matt: -“Normal Like Me” https://deathbed.ghost.io/normal-like-me/ -Superego https://www.gosuperego.com/ Follow Chris: -Instagram | Bluesky | X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5d ago

Hoop Dreams (1994) with Samantha N. Sheppard | Field of Scenes

Adam and Travis welcome Samantha N. Sheppard, PhD, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at Cornell University, to discuss Steve James's landmark 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams. Drawing on research from her new book, The Basketball Film: A Cultural and Transmedia History, Sheppard explains why Hoop Dreams stands as the defining work of the basketball film genre. The conversation explores the film's complicated relationship to competition, bell hooks' famous critique, and why the stories of Arthur Agee and William Gates continue to resonate more than three decades later. Along the way, Sheppard reflects on her own path to becoming one of the leading scholars of sports cinema and shares some personal favorites from the basketball movie canon. Next Episode: –The Hurricane with Grant Wiedenfeld, Ph.D., MFA (University of Toronto) Links: –Email the show at fos@filmspotting.net. -Sporting Blackness: Race, Embodiment, and Critical Muscle Memory on Screen Theme Music: –King of the Corpse Flowers by Oxykitten | Spotify See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 30

Wes Craven’s Scream at 30 | #1087

For Halloween week, Adam and Josh revisit the movie that reanimated the slasher, Wes Craven’s 1996 meta-horror classic Scream. Plus, highlights from the 5th annual Refocus Film Festival and Massacre Theatre. 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 (00:00:00-00:01:55) Scream at 30 (00:01:56-00:30:43) Filmspotting Family (00:30:44-00:34:56) Scream cont. (00:34:57-00:1:03:28) Refocus Film Festival (00:1:03:29-01:15:07) Massacre Theatre (01:15:08-01:22:23) Credits / New Releases (01:22:24-01:26:47) Notes: -Refocus Film Festival https://refocusfilmfestival.org/ 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 shows, archive access, and more. 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.
Oct 29

Zuck Dynasty, Pt. 2 — The Social Reckoning

A few weeks out from The Social Reckoning’’s tepid theatrical debut, it’s safe to say Aaron Sorkin’s “spiritual sequel” to 2010’s The Social Network won’t match its successor’s box-office success, nor is it likely to be as fondly remembered in 16 years’ time. There are many ways in which the newer film goes astray, which we cover in our opening discussion of Reckoning, before bringing Network back in for Connections to consider how much of each film’s vision of Mark Zuckerberg’s social-media empire can be attributed to/blamed on Sorkin specifically. Then in a Zuck-inspired Your Next Picture Show, we briefly review a very long documentary about another tech billionaire whose name has become something of a four-letter word over the years: Alex Gibney’s Musk. Please share your thoughts about The Social Network, The Social Reckoning, 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: Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s You Can See Everything and Albert Brooks’ Real Life. 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.

See All (232)

Adam Kempenaar

Host
Josh Larsen

Host
Aaron Neuwirth

Guest
Matt Gourley

Guest
Anne Thompson

Guest
Samantha N. Sheppard

Guest
Bilge Ebiri

Guest
Angelica Jade Bastién

Guest
Manohla Dargis

Guest

4.6

out of 5

3,969 Ratings

Best Movie Podcast

Oct 6

MDF2001

They call the Filmspotting listenership a “family” for a reason — it stems from the hosts, Adam and Josh, setting a tone of warmth, humor, intelligence and respect that ought to make any listener feel welcome, engaged, and comfortable. There’s no high-brow snark or clickbait outrage here — just really good film analysis in the manner of a lively and respectful conversation among friends. The hosts’ cinephile credentials are legit, and their critical insights are incisive and clear. I frequently disagree with both critics, but I find I always learn more about a film or a genre even as I formulate my disagreement in my mind. Filmspotting is really the standard-bearer for conversational film criticism in the podcasting world; I’ve sampled but ultimately drifted away from all the other competitors.
Take SVU off this feed

Sep 29

Dcdcdc83

I’m sympathetic that people need to make money, but the inclusion of SVU (and my subsequent accidental listening of it) onto the Filmspotting feed has not only made me dumber (because of the lack of insight that one of the hosts had) but also angry in how dismissive and actively not funny one of the hosts was (while clearly being so self satisfied in the most annoying way). It was just so bad it’s forced me to leave this review. Please take them off the feed.
Remove the non film spotting podcasts from feed

Aug 15

Mark from Calif

The recent decision to expand the feed to include non Film Spotting podcasts is frustrating. The other podcasts are third rate or of no interest and are now attempting to be nepo-babied by film spotting - the entire purpose of following a podcast is to avoid sifting through others. So dumb.
SVU Disaster

Aug 11

Erictheblonde

Love Filmspotting. (Even though I disagree with Josh about 50% of the time). 5 Stars. But today I got served up an episode of SVU. Wow. Just terrible. Completely rudderless and devoid of any real point of view. The 1st 1/2 of the episode was ostensibly about Spider-Man, but no one ever really made a point or insightful observation of any kind, except that one of the hosts doesn’t like animated movies. The second half just turned into even more meandering with no real theme of any kind at which point I turned it off. It’s a one-star experience. Skipping all future episodes of that dumpster fire. -2 stars for allowing this on the air.