The Next Reel Film Podcast

Where does this land in the Ben Falcone/Melissa McCarthy lineup of films they’ve made together? Should this be more than just a guilty pleasure? Is it okay to rank this higher than obviously better films like 'Autumn Sonata'? Tune in to this week’s show to get these answers and more!

Show Notes

“They’re probably just looking at my smock. It tends to catch the light.”

After collaborating on Tammy and The Boss, husband and wife team Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone proved that the third time’s a charm with Life of the Party. Of course, ‘charm’ may not be the most accurate word as the film was reviewed fairly poorly, but if it hadn’t been reviewed poorly, it wouldn’t fit into our current guilty pleasure series! Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we wrap up this year’s Guilty Pleasure series with Andy’s guilty pleasure, Falcone’s 2018 film Life of the Party.

We talk about why Andy finds so much joy in this film and why he finds Melissa McCarthy to be such an enjoyable actress to watch. We chat about the reasons Melissa works so well in this film, despite the fact that this film is so full of film tropes. We look at the rest of the cast filling out the roles and how well they work in their parts (or don’t, in a few cases). We look at the ways the script works and some ways it feels a bit clunky. And we discuss how the writing shows some smarts in some areas that seem like they’re to go the typical direction only to have them go another.

It’s not a perfect film and clearly isn’t liked by a great many people, but Andy loves it, and as it turns out so does Pete. We have a lot of fun talking about it on this week’s show, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.

Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!

Film Sundries

Thank you for supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast on Patreon!


Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:
The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:
Connect With Us:
Shop & Stream:

Creators and Guests

Host
Andy Nelson
With over 25 years of experience in film, television, and commercial production, Andy has cultivated an enduring passion for storytelling in all its forms. His enthusiasm for the craft began in his youth when he and his friends started making their own movies in grade school. After studying film at the University of Colorado Boulder, Andy wrote, directed, and produced several short films while also producing indie features like Netherbeast Incorporated and Ambush at Dark Canyon. Andy has been on the production team for award-winning documentaries such as The Imposter and The Joe Show, as well as TV shows like Investigation Discovery’s Deadly Dentists and Nat Geo’s Inside the Hunt for the Boston Bombers. Over a decade ago, he started podcasting with Pete and immediately embraced the medium. Now, as a partner at TruStory FM, Andy looks forward to more storytelling through their wide variety of shows. Throughout his career, Andy has passed on his knowledge by teaching young minds the crafts of screenwriting, producing, editing, and podcasting. Outside of work, Andy is a family man who enjoys a good martini, a cold beer, a nice cup o’ joe. And always, of course, a great movie.
Host
Pete Wright
#Movies, #ADHD, & #Podcasting • Co-founder @trustory.fm🎥 The Next Reel Family of #Film Podcasts @thenextreel.com🎙️ Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast @takecontroladhd.com📖 Co-author of Unapologetically ADHD • https://unapologeticallyadhdbook.com

What is The Next Reel Film Podcast?

A show about movies and how they connect.
We love movies. We’ve been talking about them, one movie a week, since 2011. It’s a lot of movies, that’s true, but we’re passionate about origins and performance, directors and actors, themes and genres, and so much more. So join the community, and let’s hear about your favorite movies, too.
When the movie ends, our conversation begins.