The Day of the Locust • The Next Reel

There have been a good number of films made about the film industry, but few have taken such a dark and surreal look at the Hollywood machine as John Schlesinger's 1975 "The Day of the Locust" did. While it's based on the Nathanael West book from 1939 and takes place at that time, it feels like a modern — or possibly even timeless — story of the business and the fringe-dwellers who want to be a part of its magic. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we begin our Richard Dysart series with Schlesinger's film. We talk about our experiences with this film (which is at times mind-boggling, slow, horrifically violent, absurd, and pointedly smart) and how it's one of those films that sticks with you whether you want it to or not. We discuss the performances and how perfect they are for the story — William Atherton, Karen Black, Donald Sutherland, Billy Barty, and of course Richard Dysart. We chat about the interesting structure this film has, feeling more like a novel than a 3-act screenplay, and how it challenges us with trying to determine who we would call the protagonist. And we work to figure out what the film is saying through some of its incredibly haunting imagery. It's not a film for everyone, but it's certainly a film worth watching if you're looking for a dark tale spun about the movie machine and how it destroys people. It certainly is a film that warrants a lot of discussion. Think you're up for it? Give it a watch then tune in! Hey! You know what would be awesome? If you would drop us a positive rating on iTunes! If you like what we’re doing here on TNR, it really is the best way to make sure that this show appears when others search for it, plus, it’s just a nice thing to do. Thanks!! The Next Reel on iTunesThe Next Reel on FacebookThe Next Reel on TwitterThe Next Reel on FlickchartThe Next Reel on LetterboxdGuess the Movie with The Next Reel on InstagramCheck out the Posters with The Next Reel on Pinterest And for anyone interested in our fine bouquet of show hosts: Follow Andy Nelson on TwitterFollow Pete Wright on TwitterFollow Steve Sarmento on TwitterCheck out Tom Metz on IMDBFollow Mike Evans on TwitterFollow Chadd Stoops on TwitterSupport The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible