The Next Best Picture Podcast

Two-time Academy Award winner Alexandre Desplat is no stranger to Wes Anderson films. Since their first time working together on "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (2009), the in-demand composer has worked with Anderson on each of his movies since receiving two Oscar nominations in the process and one win for "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (2014). "The French Dispatch" is their fifth collaboration together and sees Desplat in the hunt once again for another nomination on a Wes Anderson film after previously receiving a nomination this year from the Golden Globes and now being shortlisted at both the BAFTAs and Academy Awards. Desplat was kind enough to return to the podcast (he previously spoke with us about his second Oscar-winning work on "The Shape of Water") and discuss his work on Anderson's latest, which you can listen to down below. We hope you enjoy the conversation!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/nextbestpicturepodcastiTunes Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTAnd be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a year filled with Marvel films, one of the most successful and beloved was Destin Daniel Cretton's "Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings." The film introduced audiences to Xu Shang-Chi (played by Simu Liu), the first Asian superhero, his relationships with his best friend Katy (played by Awkwafina), his father Xu Wenwu (played by Tony Leung in his first Hollywood film), and a whole new mythology in the MCU. The film was painstakingly brought to life by its visual effects team, who are shortlisted this year for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. We were lucky enough to get a chance to speak with VFX Supervisor Christopher Townsend, Additional VFX Supervisor Joe Farrell, WETA Digital VFX Supervisor Sean Walker, and SFX Supervisor Dan Oliver, who all went into detail about their various roles and contributions to the film. We hope you enjoy our conversation down below.Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/nextbestpicturepodcastiTunes Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTAnd be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The Eyes Of Tammy Faye" had its world premiere at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, where it quickly garnered awards season buzz for Jessica Chastain's transformational performance as the titular character. Part of what makes that transformation work, as well as it does, is the makeup and hair work being done on Chastain and Andrew Garfield as Jim Bakker. Makeup department head Linda Dowds and hair department head Stephanie Ingram were kind enough to talk with us about their work on both actors, which you can listen to down below! Enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/nextbestpicturepodcastiTunes Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTAnd be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been over twenty years since the original "Matrix" won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects at the 1999 Academy Awards. While the two sequels, "Reloaded" and "Revolutions," did not go on to receive nominations, "The Matrix Resurrections" finds itself shortlisted for Best Visual Effects once again. Recently nominated for a Critics Choice Award for Best Visual Effects and receiving two nominations from the Visual Effects Society, enough time may have passed for voters to want to return to Lana Wachowski's world. DNEG visual effects supervisor Huw J Evans was kind enough to talk with us about the work he and his team completed for the film, which you can listen to down below. Enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/nextbestpicturepodcastiTunes Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTAnd be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"King Richard" had its world premiere at last year's Telluride Film Festival, where it immediately struck up awards buzz for Will Smith's lead performance, the Beyoncé closing credits song "Be Alive," and other elements such as writing and editing, to help establish it as a contender in the Oscar race for Best Picture. Pamela Martin's editing has helped the film's success by keeping the 145-minute runtime moving and engaging, whether an audience member saw it in a theater or at home on HBO Max. She was kind enough to talk with us about her work, including the tennis matches, the closing montage which weaves in real-life footage of the Williams Sisters and their father, and more! Please take a listen down below and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/nextbestpicturepodcastiTunes Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTAnd be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Janus Billeskov Jansen has been the go-to editor in the Danish film industry, working with directors such as Thomas Vinterberg ("Another Round"), Nicolas Winding Refn ("Pusher II"), and Bille August ("Pelle The Conquerer"), but also working on acclaimed documentaries such as "The Act Of Killing" and "Strong Island." His most recent effort was on the 2021 Danish submission for Best International Feature, "Flee" (which is also contending for Best Documentary and Best Animated Feature Film). With NEON's acclaimed documentary releasing in more theaters this past week and continuing to expand, we wanted to revisit just what made this film so special, and through Jansen's work, we get a taste of that. Please take a listen down below and check here if theaters are currently showing the film in your area.Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/nextbestpicturepodcastiTunes Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTAnd be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nia DaCosta's "Candyman" was released in the summer of 2021 to strong reviews for her direction, her handling of the film's themes, and the score by composer Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe. Robert was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his haunting work on the film, which has been shortlisted for Best Original Score at this year's Academy Awards. If nominated, it would be one of the very rare times a horror movie has had its score nominated for an Oscar. You can take a listen to the discussion down below. Enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/nextbestpicturepodcastiTunes Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTAnd be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Academy Award-winner Javier Bardem had a tremendous 2021, starring in one of the biggest blockbusters of the year with "Dune," playing Desi Arnaz in Aaron Sorkin's "Being The Ricardos," which he recently received a SAG Nomination for Best Actor from his peers and playing the lead in the Spanish submission for Best International Feature Film, "The Good Boss." Javier was kind enough to spend some time with us discussing all three roles, including his musical work as entertainer, Desi Arnaz, the differences between Spanish and American productions, where things are at regarding his role as Stilgar in the upcoming "Dune: Part Two," and more! We hope you enjoy our conversation, which you can listen to down below.Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/nextbestpicturepodcastiTunes Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTAnd be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pedro Almodóvar's "Parallel Mothers" had its world premiere at last year's Venice Film Festival, where it won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for the film's star, Academy Award-winner Penélope Cruz. She has since gone on to win other Best Actress prizes from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society Of Film Critics. This is Cruz's seventh film with Almodóvar, and it's clear there's an inherent trust in their working relationship. Cruz was kind enough to spend some moments talking with us about her work on the film, her relationship with Almodóvar, her thoughts on her character, Janice, and what she plans to do next. Be sure to take a listen down below and enjoy!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/nextbestpicturepodcastiTunes Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTAnd be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The Harder They Fall" is a Black revisionist Western which has lit the world on fire and put Hollywood on notice with its all talented Black cast, genre-defying elements, and hip-hop-influenced soundtrack. Writer, director, and composer Jeymes Samuel was kind enough to chat with me about his inspiration for the project, how he chose to approach it compared to his music endeavors, and how his film is looking to reclaim the genre from Hollywood's long history of not giving Black voices their due. On top of that, Costume Designer Antoinette Messam spoke with Will Mavity about her work on the film, which seemed to blend the historic and the modern to present something vibrant and fresh for today's audience. We hope you enjoy it!Check out more on NextBestPicture.comPlease subscribe on...SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/nextbestpicturepodcastiTunes Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jTAnd be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices