This week’s Best Picture-winning archive pick takes us back to May 2018, when Adam and Josh returned to The Shire for a LORD OF THE RINGS reckoning. The original episode (#681) also includes a Top 5 Lord of the Rings Scenes.

For full access to the show archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad-free + bonus episodes, and more, ⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠⁠.

This week&rsquo;s Best Picture-winning archive pick takes us back to May 2018, when Adam and Josh returned to The Shire for a LORD OF THE RINGS reckoning. The original episode (#681) also includes a Top 5 Lord of the Rings Scenes.
For full access to the show archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad-free + bonus episodes, and more,&nbsp;<a href="https://filmspotting.supportingcast.fm/join?sc_promo=FS20" data-encore-id="textLink" data-slate-node="element" data-slate-inline="true">⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠⁠</a>.

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

New and classic movie reviews and top 5 lists.

Filmspotting

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Review | Archive

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/647bc0e8-52be-44a0-b994-b40a00234907/transcript

Adam sits down with legendary actor Tony Leung (In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express) to discuss his brilliant career and his new starring role in Ildiko Enyedi’s Silent Friend. Then Adam and Josh share their thoughts on the meditative multi-era drama itself, followed by reviews of Alberto Vasquez’s Spanish animated feature Decorado and Olivier Assayas's The Wizard of the Kremlin, which features Jude Law's terrifyingly charismatic portrayal of Vladimir Putin. Plus, 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.

Intro (00:00:00-00:04:34)
Interview: Tony Leung (00:04:35-00:18:33)
Filmspotting Family (00:18:34-00:23:59)
Silent Friend (00:24:00-00:48:25)
Decorado (00:48:26-01:02:23)
The Wizard of the Kremlin (01:02:24-01:10:40)
Massacre Theater (01:10:41- 01:19:31)
Credits/New Releases (01:19:32- 01:23:48)

Note:

-Gary Jules, of course, performs a cover of Tears for Fears' “Mad World” in Donnie Darko.

Links:

-Filmspotting Fest II: June 27-28, 2026
https://www.filmspottingfest.com

-Josh's photo of the holm oak at University of St. Andrews: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYXUjKgjcPt/?img_index=1

Feedback:

-Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠-⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content.

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Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access. https://filmspottingfamily.com
Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. https://www.filmspotting.net/shop⁠⁠⁠

Follow:

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-Adam/Filmspotting:

Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky

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Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky

Adam sits down with legendary actor Tony Leung (In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express) to discuss his brilliant career and his new starring role in Ildiko Enyedi&rsquo;s Silent Friend. Then Adam and Josh share their thoughts on the meditative multi-era drama itself, followed by reviews of Alberto Vasquez&rsquo;s Spanish animated feature Decorado and Olivier Assayas's The Wizard of the Kremlin, which features Jude Law's terrifyingly charismatic portrayal of Vladimir Putin. Plus, 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. <a href="https://experience.regmovies.com/join-unlimited?utm_source=podcast&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=filmspotting">Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off</a>.
Intro (00:00:00-00:04:34) Interview: Tony Leung (00:04:35-00:18:33) Filmspotting Family (00:18:34-00:23:59) Silent Friend (00:24:00-00:48:25) Decorado (00:48:26-01:02:23) The Wizard of the Kremlin (01:02:24-01:10:40) Massacre Theater (01:10:41- 01:19:31) Credits/New Releases (01:19:32- 01:23:48)
Note:
-Gary Jules, of course, performs a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS3SxWnSbtY">cover of Tears for Fears' &ldquo;Mad World&rdquo;</a> in Donnie Darko.
Links:
-Filmspotting Fest II: June 27-28, 2026 <a href="https://www.filmspottingfest.com">https://www.filmspottingfest.com</a>
-Josh's photo of the holm oak at University of St. Andrews:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYXUjKgjcPt/?img_index=1"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DYXUjKgjcPt/?img_index=1</a>
Feedback:
-Email us at <a href="mailto:feedback@filmspotting.net">feedback@filmspotting.net⁠⁠</a>.
⁠⁠⁠-⁠<a href="https://forms.gle/Bm7jULnbk7ASK647A">Ask Us Anything</a>⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support:
Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access. https://filmspottingfamily.com Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. https://www.filmspotting.net/shop⁠⁠⁠
Follow:
-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:
<a href="https://youtube.com/filmspotting">https://youtube.com/filmspotting</a>
-Adam/Filmspotting:
Letterboxd |<a href="https://instagram.com/filmspotting%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0"> Instagram</a> |<a href="https://facebook.com/filmspotting%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0"> Facebook</a> | Bluesky
-Josh/LarsenOnFilm:
<a href="https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0">Letterboxd</a> | Instagram |<a href="https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm"> Facebook</a> | Bluesky

How the “In The Mood For Love” legend prepared for his new role.

Tony Leung Talks Silent Friend, Plus Decorado and The Wizard of the Kremlin | #1065

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4b4c58ac-ad49-409f-9621-b4510165e6bd/transcript

From the timeless, unadorned perfection of early cinematic icons to the textured, battle-tested tactical gear of modern blockbusters, Adam and Josh (and some special guests) share their Top 5 Superhero Costumes and explore what makes a costume truly legendary.

Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠.

From the timeless, unadorned perfection of early cinematic icons to the textured, battle-tested tactical gear of modern blockbusters, Adam and Josh (and some special guests) share their Top 5 Superhero Costumes and explore what makes a costume truly legendary.
Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join the <a href="https://filmspotting.supportingcast.fm/">Filmspotting Family</a>⁠.

Top 5 Superhero Costumes | Archive

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2298bb71-6b69-4418-9aaa-b45000389491/transcript

Kyle Balda’s new family film The Sheep Detectives pulls off a move George Miller was dissuaded from including in his 1998 sequel Babe: Pig in the City — killing off its human farmer figure — but that premise-setting death aside, it’s generally a warmer and gentler take on talking animals venturing beyond their green pastures and into the big, scary human world. The Sheep Detectives may take the shape of a murder mystery, but as our discussion highlights, it taps into big ideas about memory, grief, and empathy, all while maintaining a sly sense of humor. It’s a tonal balancing act of a different sort than Pig in the City, which we bring back in for Connections to discuss these two films’ respective approaches to animal endangerment, interspecies communication, and making non-verbal creatures talk. Then in Your Next Picture Show we offer a sampler of recommendations for ostensible children’s entertainment that is darker than it initially appears. 

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.

Please share your thoughts about Babe: Pig in the City, The Sheep Detectives, 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: Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu and Kenji Misumi and Robert Houston’s Shogun Assassin

Kyle Balda&rsquo;s new family film The Sheep Detectives&nbsp;pulls off a move George Miller was dissuaded from including in his 1998 sequel&nbsp;Babe: Pig in the City &mdash;&nbsp;killing off its human farmer figure &mdash; but that premise-setting death aside, it&rsquo;s generally a warmer and gentler take on talking animals venturing beyond their green pastures and into the big, scary human world.&nbsp;The Sheep Detectives&nbsp;may take the shape of a murder mystery, but as our discussion highlights, it taps into big ideas about memory, grief, and empathy, all while maintaining a sly sense of humor. It&rsquo;s a tonal balancing act of a different sort than&nbsp;Pig in the City, which we bring back in for Connections to discuss these two films&rsquo; respective approaches to animal endangerment, interspecies communication, and making non-verbal creatures talk. Then in Your Next Picture Show we offer a sampler of recommendations for ostensible children&rsquo;s entertainment that is darker than it initially appears.&nbsp;
This episode is presented by⁠ <a href="https://www.regmovies.com/join-unlimited" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.regmovies.com/join-unlimited&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1779244825850000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Xwg4WTMplB-UNULPIVf8n">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Regal Unlimited⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.
Please share your thoughts about&nbsp;Babe: Pig in the City,&nbsp;The Sheep Detectives, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:comments@nextpictureshow.net">comments@nextpictureshow.net</a>, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.
Next Pairing: Jon Favreau&rsquo;s&nbsp;The Mandalorian and Grogu&nbsp;and Kenji Misumi and Robert Houston&rsquo;s&nbsp;Shogun Assassin

Burden of Hoof, Pt. 2 – The Sheep Detectives

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0c12cfb9-a10a-4c72-b9e2-b44f002da5a1/transcript

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Review | Archive

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