The Next Picture Show

• 485: Men of Steel, Pt. 2 — Superman (2025)

  By skipping the origin story and dropping viewers right into the action, James Gunn’s SUPERMAN avoids feeling like the franchise reset it is, and allows the director to get to work creating the sort of busy, quick-paced onscreen universe at which he excels. We’re joined once again by writer, podcaster, and Superman aficionado Chris Klimek to break exactly down why it works so well, as well as a few places where it doesn’t, before returning to the film that helped facilitate this shorthand approach, 1978’s SUPERMAN, to see how these different iterations of the title character — not to mention the familiar ensemble surrounding him — play in close proximity to each other. Can Superman be too corny? Is Lois Lane a good or terrible journalist? Why is Lex Luthor obsessed with land grabs, and what does his associate Eve Teschmacher actually add to these movies? We dig into all of that, then offer some options for Super-lementary viewing and reading in Your Next Picture Show. Please share your thoughts about either and all versions of SUPERMAN, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. 00:00:00. Intro 00:03:58. Superman 2025 discussion 00:30:12. Superman 1978/2025 Connections 01:00:12. Your Next Picture Show and goodbyes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• #484: Men of Steel, Pt. 1 — Superman (1978)

  James Gunn’s new SUPERMAN begins from the assumption that audiences already have a working knowledge of the Man of Steel’s origin story, his super-skill set, and his romance with Lois Lane. Gunn’s film benefits greatly from being able to skip past the basics, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Richard Donner’s franchise-launching blockbuster SUPERMAN, which codified those basics for the big screen. So this week we’re spinning the planet backwards to 1978 and revisiting filmgoers’ first introduction to The Last Son Of Krypton — who we don’t properly meet until nearly an hour in because, as it turns out, there are about four different movies tucked inside SUPERMAN. We’re joined by writer, podcaster, and Supes superfan Chris Klimek to discuss how it all holds together from a modern perspective, and whether Christopher Reeve’s definitive performance is enough to overcome all the film’s flaws, or just most of them. Then in Feedback, the SINNERS conversation lives on, with a listener detailing its many connections to another film that we considered for that pairing.  Please share your thoughts about either and all versions of SUPERMAN, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. 00:00:00 Intro 00:11:41 Superman Keynote 00:18:48 Superman Discussion 01:04:47 Feedback/outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• #483: Kings of the Road, Pt. 2 — F1

  On the one hand, the IMAX-driven spectacle of F1 is undeniably satisfying to watch on the big screen; on the other hand, we all walked out of Joseph Kosinski’s second teamup with producer Jerry Bruckheimer unsure whether it qualifies as a movie and not just a sophisticated simulation thereof. Despite the star power of Brad Pitt and a plethora of familiar sports-movie tropes, there’s a human element missing from F1 that left us all slightly perplexed, and which is thrown into even sharper relief when placed against the character-driven comedy of the other film in this pairing, TALLADEGA NIGHTS. But despite their drastically different points of view, the two share some uncanny similarities that we get into during Connections, from their shared narrative tension between team loyalty and individual glory, to a crash-and-burn approach to trauma, to a wallpaper-like view of corporate sponsorship. Then we take an extra lap on this racing pairing with a Your Next Picture show recommendation for the long-running Netflix docuseries F1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE. Please share your thoughts about TALLADEGA NIGHTS, F1, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. Next Pairing: James Gunn’s SUPERMAN and Richard Donner’s SUPERMAN Intro: 00:00:00-00:02:11 F1 discussion: 00:02:12-00:29:30 F1/Talladega Nights Connections: 00:29:31-00:50:44 Your Next Picture Show: 00:50:45-00:54:14 Next episode preview and goodbyes: 00:54:15-end Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• #482: Kings of the Road, Pt. 1 — Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

  The new F1 brings even more attention to a sport/brand that’s becoming as popular in the U.S. as it is internationally, but its application of sports-movie tropes to the world of racing, in particular its focus on an intersquad rivalry, has big, booming echoes in the defiantly American world of NASCAR as depicted in TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY. The 2006 Adam McKay/Will Ferrell comedy isn’t even two decades old, but as discussed in this week’s revisitation, its loose, improv-driven approach already feels like a relic of the past, and to what degree it all holds up today is a matter of some debate — though we can at least all agree that Baby Jesus is the best Jesus. After that, we dip into some listener Feedback inspired by a couple of new releases recently covered on the podcast, MATERIALISTS and PAVEMENTS.  Please share your thoughts about TALLADEGA NIGHTS, F1, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. Intro: 00:00:00-00:08:55 Talladega Nights Keynote: 00:08:55-00:15:19 Talladega Nights Discussion: 00:15:19-00:51:14 Feedback/outro: 00:51:14-end Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• #481: For Love or Money, Pt. 2 — Materialists

  Celine Song’s new MATERIALISTS feints at being a romcom, but it’s far too interested in the economic realities and calculated compromise of modern dating for the label to be a comfortable fit; its romantic leanings are more in line with the works of Jane Austen and several cinematic adaptations thereof, as laid out in the “movie syllabus” Song made for her film and which inspired this pairing. But MATERIALISTS is more of a riff on Austen than a flat-out homage, and Song’s spin on the material worked better for some than others on this panel. We get into that before bringing Austen back into the picture via Joe Wright’s PRIDE & PREJUDICE to see how past speaks to present when it comes to the intersection of wealth and marriage, the art of matchmaking, nature as the realm of romance vs. the cold scrutiny of society, and the centuries-spanning fear of being “left on the shelf” as a single woman. Then in Your Next Picture Show we touch on some of the other films on Song’s list and how they might have fit into this pairing as a triple feature.  Please share your thoughts about PRIDE & PREJUDICE, MATERIALISTS, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. Next Pairing: Joseph Kosinski’s F1 THE MOVIE and Adam McKay’s TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY Intro: 00:00:00-00:02:43 Materialists discussion: 00:02:43-26:43 Materialists/Pride & Prejudice Connections: 00:26:43-52:41 Your Next Picture Show: 00:52:41-00:57:11 Next episode preview and goodbyes: 00:57:11-end Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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