The Next Picture Show

• #486: Double Drebin, Pt. 1 — The Naked Gun (1988)

  While technically a sequel, Akiva Schaffer’s new THE NAKED GUN is more accurately a reboot of the 1988 Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker cop-show spoof, which was itself a sequel-slash-reboot of their TV series POLICE SQUAD and would go on to spawn two sequels of its own. As circuitous as this IP has become over the years, though, THE NAKED GUN remains simple in both its approach and its appeal, which are essentially the same: lots and lots and lots of jokes. The original NAKED GUN was not unique in that approach, particularly within the spoof genre, but it is uniquely successful at it, so this week we’re parsing how it balances small comedic one-offs with drawn-out set pieces, contemporary references with timeless silliness, and broad mugging with underplayed straight-facedness. Then, in Feedback, a listener helps fill in some knowledge gaps from our recent F1 episode. Please share your thoughts about any and all NAKED GUNs, 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: 00:00:00-00:03:59 Naked Gun Keynote: 00:03:59-00:10:01 Naked Gun Discussion: 00:10:01-00:45:29 Feedback/outro: 00:45:29-end Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Announcement: Next Pairing

  New pairing launching Tuesday, August 12th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 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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