The Big Picture

Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to react to some trailer and release calendar news about ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Materialists,’ ‘F1,’ ‘Together,’ and ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ (2:41). Then, they discuss Barry Levinson’s new gangster movie ‘The Alto Nights,’ written by Nicholas Pileggi and starring Robert De Niro (18:58). Finally, they sketch out a new mini-genre, “Garbage Scorsese,” a list of films that are deeply indebted to the work of Martin Scorsese but not actually that good (43:45).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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We’re drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris are joined by the resident physical-media king of 'The Big Picture,' Tracy Letts, to draft movies from 1982 and take stock of the biggest ways the film world has changed in the past 40 years.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Tracy Letts and Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda kick off their year-long project of listing the 25 best movies of the 21st century so far with a discussion of Tony Gilroy’s ‘Michael Clayton,’ the 2007 legal thriller starring George Clooney and featuring one of the best scripts of the century. They talk about how tightly wound the movie is, some sliding doors in its production, and what it means for the list to start with such a beloved movie for both Sean and Amanda.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the latest Netflix mega-budget action movie, ‘The Electric State,’ one of the worst movies of the decade so far (1:00). They discuss the state of Netflix’s influence on the movie industry and the series of disastrous movies made by the Russo brothers since they left Marvel. Then, they run through a list of other movies they’ve missed on the show, including ‘The Gorge’ (47:00), ‘Last Breath’ (56:00), ‘The Monkey’ (1:00:00), ‘Eephus’ (1:04:00), ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ (1:07:00), ‘Chaos: The Manson Murders’ (1:10:00), ‘Love Hurts’ (1:12:00), and ‘The Actor’ (1:13:00). Finally, Sean is joined by writer-director Mark Anthony Green to discuss the long journey to making his first feature, ‘Opus,’ starring Ayo Edeberi and John Malkovich (1:18:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Mark Anthony Green

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producers: Jack Sanders and Jon Jones

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Sean and Amanda discuss their upcoming trip to Las Vegas for CinemaCon (1:00) before taking stock of Steven Soderbergh’s 36th feature film, ‘Black Bag,’ starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender (8:30). Then, they build a Hall of Fame for Blanchett by selecting the 10 most important performances by the two-time Oscar winner (27:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producers: John Richter and Jon Jones

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After a brief discussion of the A24-inflected ‘Thunderbolts*’ trailer that dropped over the weekend (0:45), Sean and Amanda dive into Bong Joon-ho’s eighth feature film, ‘Mickey 17’ (4:15). They discuss its often uneven tone, how the film fits into Bong Joon-ho’s body of work, Robert Pattinson’s incredible performance and lack of movie star persona, and some of their favorite scenes. Then, they rank all eight of Bong Joon-ho’s feature films (49:32).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producers: Bobby Wagner, Chia Hao Tat, Sasha Ashall, and Jon Jones

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Joanna Robinson to tie up some loose ends from Sunday’s Oscars (1:00) and to answer your mailbag questions about ‘Anora,’ Sean Baker’s huge night, snubs, ratings, the cultural relevance of the ceremony, and anything else you could cook up about the awards (42:00). Then, Sean is joined by returning guest Bong Joon-ho and interpreter Sharon Choi to discuss his new film ‘Mickey 17,’ following up the tremendous success of ‘Parasite,’ his famous storyboarding style, what he took inspiration from in the making of this movie, and more (1:30:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Bong Joon-ho and Joanna Robinson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producers: Chia Hao Tat and Jon Jones

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Sean and Amanda sit down moments after the conclusion of the 2025 Academy Awards to discuss ‘Anora’ and Sean Baker’s historic night. They discuss Baker taking home four Oscars for the same film, the uneven nature of the telecast and speeches, which films petered out before Hollywood’s biggest night, and much more. Plus: the results of Sean and Amanda’s final Oscar predictions as well as their Big Oscar Bet from back in September (0:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producers: John Richter and Cory McConnell

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Sean and Amanda discuss a bit of news about the 2026 movie slate (1:00), then launch headfirst into their final predictions for the 2025 Oscars’ winners, losers, and everything in between (15:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda return for their fifth annual Alternative Oscar awards (a.k.a. the Big Picks), in which they award alternative nominees and winners for the major Oscar categories, as well as some of our own homemade categories. The snubbed, the beloved, and more are all represented here (44:00)! Before handing out the awards, they react to the past week’s big news in the film world, including a fascinating Timothée Chalamet SAG speech, and the news that the Broccoli family has ceded creative control of the James Bond franchise to Amazon (1:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan gather to draft films that have been awarded Best Picture at the Academy Awards. This time, they select from six categories: 1930s, 1950s, 1970s, 1990s, 2010s, and Best Picture Loser.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda are joined by ‘Bandsplain’ host Yasi Salek to discuss ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,’ the fourth installment in the franchise (1:00), before breaking down ‘Paddington in Peru,’ the third film in the beloved ‘Paddington’ series (35:00). Then, they sketch out a loose American vision of the British film canon for the 21st century (50:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Yasi Salek

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to review the utter mess that is ‘Captain America: Brave New World.’ They discuss its various rewrites, the ways the movie shows its seams, why Harrison Ford is even interested in taking roles like this, and what it means for the end of Phase 5 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda react to the movie trailers that ran during the Super Bowl and give their broader thoughts about cinema’s role in football’s biggest broadcast (1:00). Then, they dig into the PGA and DGA Awards, including what they portend for the front-running films at the Oscars, like ‘Anora,’ ‘The Brutalist,’ and ‘Emilia Pérez’ (11:00). Finally, they open up the mailbag: Listeners sent in over 1,000 questions about watching habits, the state of theater-going, auteur theory, work-life-movie balance, and much more (37:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda react to the ‘Fantastic Four’ and ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ trailers (1:00) before discussing the slate of movies being released that are tied to Valentine’s Day, including Drew Hancock’s ‘Companion’ (15:15), ‘You’re Cordially Invited’ (29:30), ‘Love Me’, and ‘Heart Eyes’ (40:00). Then, they mint a new bespoke subgenre called “garbage love”—romance movies that use genre as a vehicle to deliver their love stories (55:00). Then, Sean is joined by Hancock to discuss his circuitous journey to directing his first feature, ‘Companion’; casting Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher in the lead roles; working alongside ‘Barbarian’ producer Zach Cregger; the themes of the film; the difficultly of promoting a movie that relies so much on the tension in its script; and more (1:24:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Drew Hancock

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda discuss the evolving story of Karla Sofía Gascón’s old tweets (1:00) and what it might portend for the ‘Emilia Pérez’ Oscar hopes. Then, they discuss an underwhelming Sundance 2025 (12:00) before diving deep into one of the best movies of 2024, ‘Nickel Boys’ (44:00), and discussing the excellent Michael Keaton performance at the center of ‘Goodrich’ (1:01:00). Finally, Sean is joined by director Tim Fehlbaum to discuss ‘September 5,’ how he became interested in the story that it depicts, casting the film, and the ascendant run it’s been on this awards season (1:15:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Tim Fehlbaum

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda dig into ‘The Brutalist’ (with spoilers!)—the text, the reception, the performances, the score, its awards chances, its lasting presence in the American film canon, and everything in between (1:00). Then, they’re joined by Joanna Robinson to weigh in on the Best Picture race and rank all 10 films nominated for the award based on their current chances to win the race (1:31:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Joanna Robinson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Yasi Salek to discuss ‘Better Man,’ the bizarro Robbie Williams biopic in which he is rendered as a CGI chimpanzee (1:00) and ‘One of Them Days,’ the Keke Palmer and SZA action comedy produced by Issa Rae and directed by Lawrence Lamont (29:00). Then, Yasi departs and Sean and Amanda explore ‘Back In Action,’ the spy-action-comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx that jumped up to number one on Netflix (53:00). Next, Chris Ryan joins to weigh in on ‘Wolf Man,’ ‘Flight’ Risk,' and ‘Presence,’ a trio of movies of wildly different quality from three accomplished directors (1:06:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Steven Soderbergh to discuss his 35th feature film ‘Presence,’ a tense thriller experimenting with point-of-view and form (1:40:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Yasi Salek, Chris Ryan, and Steven Soderbergh

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda give their instant reactions to the Oscar nominations announced this morning, including their takes on what films are running hot and which ones seem to have cooled off over the past few months (1:00). Is ‘Emilia Pérez’ the full-on front-runner? Will recent stories about the use of AI in ‘The Brutalist’ sour its chances in the big categories? Plus: They check in on the state of the Big Oscar Bet from September, when they attempted to predict the nominations and winners in 11 categories (1:07:00). Then, Sean is joined by the director of ‘Flow,’ Gints Zilbalodis, to discuss his nontraditional path to the director’s chair, the unexpected mass appeal of the film, how he found his particular animation style, and more (1:16:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Gints Zilbalodis

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to draft, in auction format, some of the movies they’re most excited for this year. They review the results and the rules from last year’s two auctions before launching into this year’s slate, including some mega-blockbusters like ‘Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning,’ ‘Jurassic World Rebirth,’ and ‘F1,’ as well as some smaller but still exciting indies like ‘Marty Supreme’ and ‘The Phoenician Scheme.’

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to reflect on the monumental loss of David Lynch, and try to take measure of the impact his films have made on them personally and the film culture at large (1:00). Then, they run through a number of guild nominations and assess the relative strength of the awards contenders (21:00). Finally, they review ‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’ and discuss its star Gerard Butler’s essential performance at the center and whether the overall movie lives up to the first in the franchise (1:08:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda discuss the latest out of the guild award nominations and what it portends for Oscar chances (1:00). They then look ahead to the rest of 2025 and share their 25 collectively most anticipated movies of the year (31:00), including new films from favorites of the show like Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Bong Joon-Ho, Steven Soderbergh, and Luca Guadagnino, as well as long awaited follow-ups from exciting young directors like Chloe Zhao, Celine Song, Joseph Kosinski, and more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda discuss the successes, shortcomings, themes, and performances of Halina Reijn’s ‘Babygirl,’ an erotic thriller/black comedy starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, and Antonio Banderas (1:00). Then, they build the Kidman Hall of Fame, choosing 10 installations in her film career that best represent her full body of work (41:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Reijn to discuss making the movie, building chemistry between the stars, why she was so interested in exploring the sexual themes and power dynamics in the movie, the importance of humor, and more (2:01:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Halina Reijn

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda are joined by ‘House of R’ host Joanna Robinson to react to the 2025 Golden Globes, an up-and-down award show highlighted by strong performances from Brady Corbet’s ‘The Brutalist’ and Jacques Audiard’s ‘Emilia Pérez.’ They also discuss the movies they were surprised performed weaker on the evening, like ‘Anora,’ ‘Conclave,’ and ‘Wicked.’ Finally, they evaluate the entertainment of the broadcast and host Nikki Glaser.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Joanna Robinson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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In her triumphant return, Amanda shares her overarching thoughts on the movies and shows from the past few months that she’s been out on parental leave (1:00). Then, Sean and Amanda predict the winners of each film category for Sunday’s Golden Globes (52:00. Plus: they introduce a new yearlong project for 2025 in which they count down their collective favorite films of the century so far.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Chia Hao Tat

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Sean is joined by Adam Nayman for an extensive examination of the themes, production, and style of Brady Corbet’s ‘The Brutalist,’ one of the most anticipated and audacious movies of the year (1:00). They discuss the idea of a new movie aiming at the canon, Corbet’s filmmaking style and the marketing associated with it, the chapterized structure of the storytelling, the performances both at the center and on the edges of the frame, and more. Sean is then joined by Corbet (1:17:00) to discuss the circuitous route to getting the film on the big screen; how he sees a director’s job; writing with his partner, Mona Fastvold; working with Adrien Brody; and more. Finally, Brody joins the show to talk about what was so appealing about the 'Brutalist’ script, how he accessed the personal themes of the character he plays, the different technological hurdles of shooting in the long-dormant VistaVision format, and more (2:08:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Adam Nayman, Brady Corbet, and Adrien Brody

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan and Rob Mahoney to discuss the new Robert Eggers vampire film, ‘Nosferatu,’ releasing on Christmas and starring Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard, and Nicholas Hoult (1:00). They discuss the original ‘Nosferatu,’ now more than 100 years old, Eggers’s vision of the character and story, and the long history of vampires in cinema, before ultimately each sharing their five favorite vampire movies (43:00). Then, Sean is joined by Eggers to talk about the production of the movie, why vampires persist in storytelling, the themes of the film, and more (1:11:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan, Rob Mahoney, and Robert Eggers

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan and Mallory Rubin to dig all the way into ‘A Complete Unknown,’ James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet. They discuss, among other things, the musical performances of Chalamet and his costar Monica Barbaro, the supporting performances around the edges of the movie, Mangold’s ability to tackle one of the most central pop cultural figures in American history, the moment the film is trying to capture, and more.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Mallory Rubin

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean starts the episode with a monologue about the up-and-down state of the movie release calendar after a handful of extremely disappointing movies like ‘Kraven the Hunter,’ ‘Mufasa: The Lion King,’ and ‘Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim’ hit theaters recently, before they give way to stronger films like ‘The Brutalist,’ ‘Nosferatu,’ ‘A Complete Unknown,’ ‘Babygirl,’ and more (1:00). Then, he’s joined by Joanna Robinson to talk about the winners and losers, broadly, of the year in movies (6:00). They then share their latest Best Picture power rankings (1:08:00). Finally, Sean is joined by ‘Nickel Boys’ director RaMell Ross to discuss the revolutionary style and vision of the film, adapting Colson Whitehead’s novel, his path to becoming an artist, and more (1:25:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Joanna Robinson and RaMell Ross

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean remarks on the release of the Oscars shortlists in below-the-line categories, international features, and documentary features, before discussing his five most underseen movies of 2024 (1:00). Then, he’s joined by a rotating cast of Ringer colleagues to discuss each of their favorite underseen movies of the year (40:00). Finally, he’s joined by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd to discuss the 40th anniversary of ‘Terminator’ (1:59:00). Among other things, the three talk about the challenge of getting it made before their careers had really taken off, the filmmaking style, shooting on location in L.A., and the prescience of the story.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, Charles Holmes, Yasi Salek, Joanna Robinson, Rob Mahoney, Amanda Dobbins, James Cameron, and Gale Anne Hurd

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined Joanna Robinson and Rob Mahoney to run through five of their favorite individual performances from the year in acting (1:00) before discussing Marielle Heller’s ‘Nightbitch,’ the story of a stay-at-home mom—played by Amy Adams—who is experiencing the normal stresses of motherhood and life while undergoing a more surreal transformation (43:00). Then, they select which 10 performances they would include if they were tasked with building the Amy Adams Hall of Fame (1:04:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Pablo Larraín to discuss ‘Maria,’ the third film in his recent trilogy about misunderstood and highly successful and famous women (1:54:00). The two discuss Angelina Jolie’s performance at the center of the movie, the unique challenges of portraying something as ineffable as opera singing, and how Larraín decides which moments to home in on when creating these works of historical fiction.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Rob Mahoney, Joanna Robinson, and Pablo Larraín

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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We are drafting again! And Amanda is back! She and Sean are joined by Chris Ryan to pick their faves and foil their pals in a draft of the movies from 2021.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by longtime playwright, actor, screenwriter, and physical media collector Tracy Letts to discuss his career and how he became such a fervent collector of physical media. They discuss what got them into the lifestyle, the state of their collections, what it has taught them about being a cinephile, the best physical releases of 2024, and much more.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Tracy Letts

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Joanna Robinson to give their immediate reactions to the Golden Globe nominations (1:00), discuss the evolution of the awards and how these nominations stack up against expectations, and opine about what these short lists mean for the Academy Awards. Then, Sean is joined by longtime movie star Richard Gere to discuss his work in Paul Schrader’s ‘Oh, Canada,’ the actor’s collaboration with Schrader over the decades, how he thinks about his career at this moment, and more (59:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Richard Gere and Joanna Robinson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman to discuss the ascendance of ‘Wicked’ in the awards race and the release of a handful of movies, including ‘Queer,’ ‘Kneecap,’ and ‘The Order’ (1:00). Then, the three each share their top five movies of 2024, a mix of widely seen blockbusters, smaller art-house movies, big swings from emergent auteurs, and more (43:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan and Rob Mahoney to discuss the robust domestic box office this past holiday weekend (1:00), before digging into Steve McQueen’s latest movie ‘Blitz,’ now in select theaters and on Apple TV+ (12:00). Then, they explore the renewable resource that is World War II movies, assessing the various subgenres that have sprung from that genre (26:00). Finally, they each share their top five WWII movies (42:00), and talk about whether they think the genre will persist.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Rob Mahoney

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Rob Harvilla and Yasi Salek to discuss two movies for the fun of it—‘Moana 2’ and ‘Hot Frosty.’ They start by reacting to the new ‘Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary’ (01:40) before discussing the surprising self-awareness, Easter eggs, and music in ‘Hot Frosty’ (04:59). Then, they share their movie-watching experiences while watching ‘Moana 2’ and how it compares to ‘Moana’ (36:50). Before Yasi and Rob leave, they share the movies they are looking forward to at the end of 2024 (62:40). Later, Sean is joined by filmmaker Garret Price to discuss ‘Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary’ (74:56). Created after he finished editing ‘Daisy Jones and the Six,’ he talks about finding the perfect commentators and getting all the bands to be involved.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Rob Harvilla, Yasi Salek, and Garret Price

Producer: Olivia Crerie

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Juliet Litman to discuss another highly anticipated 2024 release in Jon M. Chu’s ‘Wicked.’ They unpack their very mixed feelings (1:07), hypothesize why this movie is such a big hit (41:30), and forecast its Oscar chances by asking whether it could really win Best Picture (50:37). Then, they both rank their top five favorite musicals from the 21st century (58:58). Finally, Sean is joined by writer and director Malcolm Washington to discuss his new film, ‘The Piano Lesson.’ They talk about coming from a Hollywood family, what he hoped to attempt when given the chance to make this film, and turning August Wilson’s stage play into a bold cinematic experience (1:26:57).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Juliet Litman and Malcolm Washington

Audio Producer: Sasha Ashall

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan and Mallory Rubin to discuss one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2024, Ridley Scott’s new film ‘Gladiator II.’ They work through their complicated feelings on the sequel (05:09), highlight some of the key standout performances (22:49), and predict its box office potential and Oscars chances (67:25). Then, they each rank their top five favorite legacy sequels of all time (76:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Mallory Rubin

Producer: Olivia Crerie

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Joanna Robinson to assess why the hell ‘Red One’ is so awful (1:00) and try to make sense of the Rock’s baffling movie career. Then, they discuss ‘A Real Pain,’ Jesse Eisenberg’s new movie about a pair of cousins who go to Poland for a Holocaust tour (25:00). They then each share their top five two-handers in movie history (1:00:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Eisenberg to discuss the film, his evolution as not just an actor but a director, casting and working with Kieran Culkin, and more (1:19:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Joanna Robinson and Jesse Eisenberg

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Ringer-Verse host Joanna Robinson and The Ankler's awards editor Katey Rich to discuss the state of the Best Picture race. Amid this conversation, they go through the 10 films they think are running hottest to be nominated for the top award at the Oscars and compare their list to the last time Sean did said exercise (1:00). Then, they zero in on one of those front-runners, Jacques Audiard’s ‘Emilia Pérez,’ a challenging swing of a film that's received mixed reviews from critics and Letterboxd users alike since hitting the Netflix service (1:10:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Joanna Robinson and Katey Rich

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Adam Nayman to discuss the head-scratching rollout of Clint Eastwood’s justice system interrogation, ‘Juror No. 2’ and the movie’s successes, shortcomings, and Eastwood-isms (1:00). Then, Sean briefly discusses the appeal of ‘Heretic’ (55:00) before being joined by the film’s directors, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, to talk about their writing process, Hugh Grant’s lead performance, the state of getting movies made, and more (58:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Adam Nayman, Scott Beck, and Bryan Woods

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Ringer editor-at-large and ‘Press Box’ host Bryan Curtis to discuss ‘Here,’ the new wildly experimental movie from Robert Zemeckis chronicling thousands of years of history in one corner of the world (1:00). Then, they build the Zemeckis Hall of Fame, choosing 10 movies from his roller-coaster canon to enshrine (46:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Bryan Curtis

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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We are drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan as well as Griffin Newman and David Sims from the 'Blank Check' podcast to draft their favorite movie presidents.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan, Griffin Newman, and David Sims

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the latest rumors about Christopher Nolan’s next film (1:00) and wishcast some lost IP remakes for current hot directors (7:00). Then, they discuss one of the most exciting movies at the box office right now, Edward Berger’s ‘Conclave,’ the papal conclave thriller starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci (32:00). They discuss the performances of its leads, how refreshing it is to have a true thriller with twists at the theaters, and the effectiveness of the film’s final twist. Then, Sean is joined by Matt Tyrnauer, director of ‘Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid,’ a new documentary about political strategist James Carville (1:17:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Matt Tyrnauer

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Ringer-Verse pals Mallory Rubin and Charles Holmes to discuss a pair of films that have polar opposite energy. They start by assessing the quality of the third entry in the Tom Hardy Venom trilogy, ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ (1:00), before digging into one of the most heartwarming and visually astonishing movies of the year, ‘The Wild Robot’ (45:00). Then, Sean is joined by ‘Wild Robot’ director Chris Sanders, a stalwart animation creator whose latest film is a visual reinvention of the genre (1:15:00). Recorded after a screening of the film at Vidiots in Los Angeles, the two discuss pushing the visual style forward, animation in 2024, the role of a director in a feature animation project, and more.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Charles Holmes, Mallory Rubin, and Chris Sanders

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda field your questions about everything BUT movies (and some movie things). They answer questions about their origin story as friends, fiction and nonfiction book recommendations, death row meals, ‘Industry,’ cocktails, golf, fighting animals, and much more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Alex Ross Perry to discuss his new film ‘Pavements’ and the film festival hamster wheel (1:00). They then analyze the state of the slasher film subgenre (10:00) and the year in horror. Later, they run through the decades to build their slasher movie hall of fame (47:00), assessing the merits of stone-cold classics like ‘Halloween’ and ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre,’ as well as 90s era masterpieces like ‘Scream.’

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Alex Ross Perry

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Now that ‘Anora’ has hit select theaters, Sean assesses the state of the Best Picture race by running through a long (emphasis on long) list of 26 films that have a chance to be nominated at the Oscars (1:00). Then, Sean and Amanda discuss ‘Anora,’ Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or–winning drama about a whirlwind romance between a sex worker and the son of a Russian oligarch (30:00). Finally, Sean is joined by John Crowley, the director of the new Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh romance ‘We Live in Time’ (1:15:00). They discuss, among other things, the qualities that attracted Crowley to Garfield and Pugh, how he chooses to work in film vs. theater, his long-running project of sincere romantic dramas, and more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: John Crowley

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the biggest film at the box office, ‘Terrifier 3,’ the third installment of the independently made horror clown franchise that has become this year’s biggest box office surprise (1:00). After, they talk about another horror franchise that’s become a reliable sensation for moviegoers, ‘Smile 2’ (23:00); they go over the impressive filmmaking but ultimately choppy story. They then transition to each sharing their top five horror movies of the year so far (1:15:00), including some obvious bellwethers like ‘Longlegs’ and some franchise entries like ‘Alien: Romulus’ and ‘The First Omen.’

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean shares a recap of the best movies he caught at the 62nd New York Film Festival, including the heavy hitters at this upcoming Oscars, the latest installations from old masters and personal favorites, and the biggest surprises of the festival (1:00). Then, Ringer writer and ‘Press Box’ host Bryan Curtis joins to share the myriad successes and failures of ‘The Apprentice,’ Ali Abbasi’s character portrait of early Donald Trump’s rise to power in the New York real estate world and his complex relationship with lawyer and power broker Roy Cohn (50:00). Then, Sebastian Stan, who portrays Trump in the film, joins (1:30:00) to discuss how he chooses projects, what attracts him to playing characters who transform, and the long journey to getting ‘The Apprentice’ in theaters. They also discuss his work in ‘A Different Man,’ Aaron Schimberg’s new A24 movie about an aspiring young actor who undergoes a procedure to drastically alter his appearance in the hopes of improving his career prospects.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Bryan Curtis and Sebastian Stan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to break down ‘Saturday Night,’ Jason Reitman’s quasi-historical exploration of the beginnings of 'Saturday Night Live' (10:00). They discuss the disbelief that needs to be suspended, as well as the more or less knockout cast, before launching into their top five “backstage” movies and discussion of why it’s so interesting to pull back the curtain in cinema (44:00). Then, Sean is joined by New York Times pop critic and ‘Popcast’ host Jon Caramanica to review ‘Piece by Piece,’ the Pharrell Williams biopic told through Lego animation (1:07:00). They discuss the format, the content, the interviews, and how effectively it does or doesn’t capture the totemic career of Williams and his lasting impact on pop music.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Jon Caramanica

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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We are drafting again! And Amanda is back! She and Sean are joined by Chris Ryan to pick their faves and foil their pals in a draft of the movies from 1996.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Van Lathan to discuss ‘Joker: Folie à Deux,’ the off-putting sequel to Todd Phillips’s 2019 ‘Joker,’ starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga (1:00). They discuss the jukebox musical format’s successes and failures, the filmmaking vs. the experience of watching it, and whether they ultimately liked the movie. Then, they zoom out to discuss the state of moviegoing and movie watching (43:00) and explore whether we’re in a uniquely strange place with the reception of movies and the conversation social media inspires about divisive films and filmmakers. Finally, Sean is joined by director Greg Jardin to discuss his debut feature ‘It’s What’s Inside,’ an all-in-one-night sci-fi thriller with some unexpected twists (spoilers!) and fresh filmmaking choices (1:05:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Van Lathan and Greg Jardin

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda do their best to parse through the messiness of Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis,’ starring, among others, Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Aubrey Plaza (1:00). They discuss the circuitous journey Coppola took to finally making the film, the convoluted plot (and at times lack thereof), and the ambition in comparison to the actual execution of the final product. Then, they launch into the Coppola Hall of Fame, selecting 10 movies to enshrine from his uniquely boom-or-bust career, which features legendary movies like ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Apocalypse Now’ alongside historic financial and qualitative bombs (53:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda react to some news around the movie world (1:00), before discussing ‘Wolfs,’ the reunion of Brad Pitt and George Clooney in a movie about two lone wolf “fixers” who get assigned to the same job (13:00). They discuss whether the movie is interesting beyond the charisma of its leads and get into the up-and-down CV of Apple Films through 2024 (30:00). Then, they discuss four more movies either available or soon to be available at home or in theaters: ‘The Wild Robot,’ ‘Will & Harper,’ ‘His Three Daughters,’ and ‘Transformers One’ (39:00). Finally, Sean is joined by ‘Transformers One’ director Josh Cooley to discuss his role as director in the process of making an animated movie, his rise through Pixar, his love for Transformers, and what he’s looking to do next (59:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Josh Cooley

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda react to some news about the Golden Globes being … a lot like they’ve always been (1:00). Then, they discuss Coralie Fargeat’s new body horror film ‘The Substance,’ starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley (13:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Fargeat to discuss the first body horror movies she ever watched, the production process for making such a gross film, how she sees the themes of the movie, and more (1:12:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Coralie Fargeat

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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We are drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan and Zach Baron to pick their faves and foil their pals in a draft of the movies from Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan and Zach Baron

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda are joined by film critic, Ringer contributor, and resident “mean pod guy” Adam Nayman to do a speed recap of his favorite (and least favorite) movies out of the Toronto International Film Festival (1:00). Then, they revive the Big Oscar Bet, in which Sean and Amanda predict the nominees and winners of every major category at the 2025 Oscars (37:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Adam Nayman

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss ‘Speak No Evil,’ James Watkins’s reimagination of the 2022 Danish psychological horror film (1:00). Then, they discuss other movies that inspire the sensation of needing to get the f--- out of danger and share their top five in the subgenre (1:06:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Watkins and ‘Speak No Evil’ star James McAvoy to discuss why they wanted to remake the film, tapping into darker parts of the human psyche, and the physicality that goes into creating a thriller like this (1:40:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan, James McAvoy, and James Watkins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Video Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to review some news items out of the fall film festival circuit (1:00) before discussing one of their favorite genre movies of 2024, Jeremy Saulnier’s revenge thriller ‘Rebel Ridge’ (17:00). They discuss their delight at having Saulnier back in the director’s chair and Aaron Pierre’s breakout performance, before minting a new subgenre: Garbage Revenge, a.k.a. Trash Justice (49:00). Then, Sean is joined by Saulnier to discuss the production of the movie, what type of writer he is, how exacting type of filmmaking, and what he hopes to do next (1:22:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Jeremy Saulnier

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by ‘Higher Learning’ and ‘Midnight Boys’ cohost Van Lathan to discuss the successes and shortcomings of ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ another mega-sequel that's shaping up to perform well at this weekend’s box office (1:00). They discuss Michael Keaton’s return to the namesake character, how the bloated plot prevents it from reaching the highs of the first, the satisfying return of the original cast, and the refreshing addition of Jenna Ortega. Then, they get into the incredible run Tim Burton kicked his career off with and the precipitous drop-off that followed, before sharing their five favorite Burton movies (1:04:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Van Lathan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda recap the long weekend in film news and discuss the biggest films out of the Telluride Film Festival, including the much-anticipated ‘Anora,’ the 'SNL' origin story ‘Saturday Night,’ the Trump biopic ‘The Apprentice,’ and more (1:00). Then, they react to the Venice Film Festival from afar and take stock of the impact that this weekend’s major festivals have had on the state of the awards race (58:00). Finally, they share the yet-to-be-released movies that they’re most excited for this fall (1:20:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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With ‘Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice’ on the horizon, Sean and Amanda enlist the help of Michael Keaton superfan and ‘Blank Check’ cohost Griffin Newman to carve out the Michael Keaton movie Mount Rushmore: an ode to a career with incredible peaks and long, fallow stretches (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by ‘Between the Temples’ writer-director Nathan Silver and producer and star Jason Schwartzman to discuss the unique production style of the movie, how to inject a specific comedic tone into a script, the movie’s inspirations, and more (1:45:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Griffin Newman, Jason Schwartzman, and Nathan Silver

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda return to the feed in triumphant fashion by talking about, among other things, Oasis, the ‘Megalopolis’ trailer, and their weeks away (1:00). Then, they run through five recently released features and their “sicko” natures, measuring the quality of each film and the state of the release calendar in the doldrums of summer (18:00). Finally, Sean is joined by JT Mollner, the director of ‘Strange Darling’, to discuss the long gap between his first feature at Sundance and ‘Strange Darling,’ the twists and turns of his movie, and the way he conceives of making movies within genres that come with audience expectation (1:09:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: JT Mollner

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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‘The Hollywood Hack’ is a three-part narrative series chronicling the biggest Hollywood heist of all time: In the fall of 2014, a group of cyberterrorists hacked Sony Pictures, stealing hundreds of thousands of documents. The materials were eventually leaked online, causing an international incident that would change Hollywood forever. 

In Episode 3, the hackers attempt to halt the release of ‘The Interview’ by threatening to attack theaters—forcing Sony executives to make a difficult last-minute decision. After the dust clears, those involved with the hack reckon with its long-term consequences—both for themselves and for Hollywood.

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Baroldi, Brian Raftery, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Devon Renaldo

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville 

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‘The Hollywood Hack’ is a three-part narrative series chronicling the biggest Hollywood heist of all time: In the fall of 2014, a group of cyberterrorists hacked Sony Pictures, stealing hundreds of thousands of documents. The materials were eventually leaked online, causing an international incident that would change Hollywood forever. 

In Episode 2, the hackers release hundreds of thousands of top-secret Sony emails—causing a scandal that reaches from Hollywood to the White House and beyond. Meanwhile, Sony’s employees deal with the fallout of having their professional lives upended—and their personal lives exposed. 

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Baroldi, Brian Raftery, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Devon Renaldo

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville 

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‘The Hollywood Hack’ is a three-part narrative series chronicling the biggest Hollywood heist of all time: In the fall of 2014, a group of cyberterrorists hacked Sony Pictures, stealing hundreds of thousands of documents. The materials were eventually leaked online, causing an international incident that would change Hollywood forever. 

In Episode 1, thousands of Sony employees show up for work on November 24, 2014—only to discover a menacing message on their screens. It soon becomes clear that the studio has been targeted by a mysterious foreign power—all because of a goofy buddy-comedy called ‘The Interview.’ 

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Baroldi, Brian Raftery, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Devon Renaldo

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville 

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to react to a handful of casting tidbits (1:00), before digging into the newest installment in the ‘Alien’ franchise, ‘Alien: Romulus’ (11:00). They discuss the new movie’s fealty to the original, the chances it takes, how it works as a pure horror movie, and more. Then, they rank all nine movies in the franchise (53:00), before Sean is joined by ‘Romulus’ director Fede Álvarez to talk about making a movie in the franchise that he is a superfan of, some of the particular choices made around fan service, how he approached practical effects during the production, and more (1:11:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Fede Álvarez

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer contributor Brian Raftery to discuss his miniseries about the Sony hack, running next week on the ‘Big Picture’ feed (1:00). Then, they discuss two recent releases—Sean Wang’s coming-of-age movie ‘Dìdi’ and the Matt Damon and Casey Affleck vehicle ‘The Instigators’ (14:00)—before launching themselves into the Matt Damon Hall of Fame (34:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Wang to discuss making ‘Dìdi,’ the path to his first feature at just 29 years old, the particular time period of the movie, and more (1:36:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Brian Raftery and Sean Wang

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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In their 700th Episode, Sean and Amanda discuss the news that the Brad Pitt and George Clooney vehicle ‘Wolfs’ will have a one-week limited theatrical release before moving to streaming, then talk about a slightly deranged combination of films this week (0:45). First up, they dive into ‘Sing Sing,’ a deeply moving prison drama starring Colman Domingo about a small group of prisoners attempting to stage a theatrical production (11:53). Then, they transition to the bizarre and controversial Colleen Hoover adaptation ‘It Ends With Us,’ starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (28:11). Finally, Sean is joined by ‘Sing Sing’ director Greg Kwedar to discuss how this extraordinary film came together, casting formerly incarcerated actors, the unusual rollout of the film, and more (1:08:45).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Sasha Ashall

Engineers: Aleya Zenieris and Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda dig into a heap of news that Sean missed while he was on vacation (0:55), including the latest on the MCU (1:25), the fall festival landscape (18:27), and the just-announced Britney Spears biopic (30:5r0). Then, they dive deep into M. Night Shyamalan’s latest, the twisty serial killer thriller ‘Trap’ (38:05).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Brian H. Waters

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to commemorate the career of one of America’s greatest directors, Sidney Lumet. They talk about him as a person, his path to becoming a workman director, his methodology, and his standout moments (1:00) before going through his entire filmography and choosing the 10 most essential entries in the canon (43:00). Then, they each share their five personal favorites (1:37:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by three out of four of the Midnight Boys—Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, and Jomi Adeniran—to have a deep-dive conversation about Marvel’s big 2024 bet: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’ They discuss the somewhat convoluted plot of the movie (5:00), what they liked and didn’t like about it (11:00), what audience it’s aiming for (16:00), whether or not Marvel is back on the right track (1:00:00), and more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss the smashing success of Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones’s ‘Twisters’ (1:00) before reviewing ‘Fly Me to the Moon,’ a surprisingly under-the-radar Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum movie about the space race (21:00). After that, they open up the mailbag to answer your questions about the 2025 movie slate, Tom Cruise’s next projects, movie theater behavior, film books, James Bond, snacks, and more (30:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, ‘Twisters,’ starring their guy Glen Powell alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones (1:00). Then, in honor of the genre that ‘Twister’ amplified in the ’90s, they discuss what makes natural disaster movies so appealing and which are the most successful (40:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We’re drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to draft 2000s summer blockbusters.

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Aleya Zenieris and Jack Sanders

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Sean is joined by Rob Mahoney to appraise just how terrifying ‘Longlegs’ is after all the buzz (1:00). Then, they run through the canon of serial killer movies, a horror subgenre that distinguishes itself from slashers (26:00). Finally, Sean is joined by ‘Longlegs’ director Osgood Perkins to discuss his career, the particular elements of ‘Longlegs’ he was most interested in exploring, how a film like this gets received by wider audiences, and more (1:02:00).

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Rob Mahoney and Osgood Perkins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda react to the trailer for ‘F1,’ Joseph Kosinski’s follow-up to ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ starring Brad Pitt as a Formula One driver (1:00), then react to the news of the Paramount sale going through (5:00). They later dig into Ti West’s third installment in the ‘X’ trilogy, ‘MaXXXine’ (10:00). Next, they’re joined by Van Lathan to discuss Eddie Murphy’s return to the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ franchise in this past weekend’s Netflix release: ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ (28:00). Sean and Amanda then briefly discuss ‘Despicable Me 4’ and the state of the box office, as it has bounced back recently (50:00), before Sean is finally joined by West to discuss ‘MaXXXine’ in further depth, talk about why he wanted to stay in this story, and dig into some of the myriad influences on the film (58:00).

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Ti West and Van Lathan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by a deep bench of Ringer colleagues to share their favorite movies of the year. The selections range from heavy hitters like ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Challengers’ to big swings like ‘Civil War.’ And, of course, Glen Powell will feature.

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Adam Nayman, Rob Mahoney

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan for part two of the 2024 movie auction. They nominate 15 films they’re excited for—including some important movies out of Cannes, an M. Night Shyamalan thriller, a Brad Pitt and George Clooney reunion, and more—and bid on who will get each movie on their team.

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda recap the third installment of the ‘Quiet Place’ franchise—the Lupita Nyong’o–starring ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’—which surprised both of them with its scale and quality (1:00). Then, they are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss Kevin Costner’s gigantic gamble, ‘Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1’ (25:00). The trio dig into its weirdness, its Western tropes and subversions, and whether it stands even the slightest chance of not bombing.

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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With ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ on the … horizon … Sean and Amanda build the Kevin Costner Hall of Fame by running through Costner’s entire filmography to try to narrow it down to 10 movies. From the cowboy, to the athlete, to the spy, and back again, this filmography (and this episode) is a journey!

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss ‘The Bikeriders,’ a new Jeff Nichols movie starring Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Jodie Comer (1:00). They discuss the film’s successes, its influences, and more, before building a partial canon for movies in the “dudes rock” genre (30:00). Then, Chris leaves and Sean and Amanda discuss ‘Kinds of Kindness,’ Yorgos Lanthimos’s anthology film and the latest installment in his creative collaboration with Emma Stone (52:00). Finally, Sean is joined by ‘Bikeriders’ director Jeff Nichols to discuss the production of the movie, the book that inspired it, making such a stylized period piece, and more (1:15:00).

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Jeff Nichols

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the best movies of 2002.

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by ‘Midnight Boy’ Charles Holmes to react to the movie business news that Skydance is no longer looking to acquire Paramount and that Sony has purchased the theater chain Alamo Draft House (1:00). Then, they discuss Pixar’s latest attempt to get back to its heyday with ‘Inside Out 2’ and their relationship to the franchise (23:00). Then, they build their own Mount Rushmore of Pixar films, including which films represent which presidents on the monument (1:00:00). Finally, Sean is joined by documentarian Lance Oppenheim to discuss ‘Ren Faire’ and his career thus far (1:35:00).

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Charles Holmes and Lance Oppenheim

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda talk about the successes and shortcomings of the two biggest movies at this week’s box office: Will Smith’s return to franchise moviemaking in ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ (1:00), and ‘The Watchers,’ Ishana Night Shyamalan’s directorial debut (43:00). Then, they briefly discuss ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ (1:03:00), Viggo Mortensen’s second directorial feature, a Western starring Mortensen and podcast favorite Vicky Krieps (0:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Mortensen to discuss the project, where it came from for him creatively, the importance of casting Krieps, his favorite Westerns, and more (1:08:00).

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Viggo Mortensen

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss the unconfirmed casting news that Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, Harris Dickinson, and Charlie Rowe will be the leads of Sam Mendes’s quartet of biopics about the members of the Beatles (1:00). Then, they have an in-depth (and spoiler-filled) discussion about Richard Linklater’s 'Hit Man,' starring 'Big Pic' favorite Glen Powell (15:00). Finally, Powell and Linklater join the show to discuss the genesis of the script, striking a unique tone, their creative partnership, and more (1:02:00).

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Glen Powell and Richard Linklater

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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With no new movies hitting the box office this weekend, Sean and Amanda are instead building their own fantasy movie studio from scratch—directors, stars, writers, IP, studio locations, and more (1:00). Later in the show, Chris Ryan joins to help explain the uniqueness of ‘In a Violent Nature’ (1:22:00), before Sean is joined by the director of the film, Chris Nash, to discuss making it (1:34:00).

To watch episodes of ‘The Big Picture,’ head to https://www.youtube.com/@RingerMovies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Chris Nash

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the unique filmmaking prowess of Texas legend Richard Linklater. On the eve of his newest film, ‘Hit Man,’ starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona, they choose 10 films from his catalog to build out the Linklater Hall of Fame. Then, Sean is joined by director Ron Howard to discuss his documentary 'Jim Henson: Idea Man,' working in the documentary space, how he picks projects, and more (01:38:00)

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan and Ron Howard

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean opens the podcast by sharing some extended thoughts about the state of the box office as it relates to George Miller’s ‘Furiosa’ (1:00). Then, Chris Ryan and Joanna Robinson join to do a deeper dive into ‘Furiosa’ and its various successes and limitations (17:00), before ranking every installment in the ‘Mad Max’ saga (1:15:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Joanna Robinson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda dig into a spoiler-filled conversation about George Miller’s newest installment in his ‘Mad Max’ canon—the Anya Taylor-Joy– and Chris Hemsworth–starring ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.’ They discuss how it compares to 2015's ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ whether comparisons are fair or useful, the performances at the heart of the film, its visual prowess, its spot in the year of movies, whether it will have any chance at the Oscars, and more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Midnight Boy and resident hater Charles Holmes to discuss a trio of less-than-ideal movies out right now: John Krasinski’s semi-animated ‘IF’ (1:00), the Amy Winehouse biopic ‘Back to Black’ (45:00), and Jerry Seinfeld’s nightmarish directorial debut, ‘Unfrosted’ (1:07:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Charles Holmes

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the coolest scenes in action movie history.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Van Lathan to discuss the new installment in the ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise, the enduring power of the ‘Apes’ IP, and how it relates to modern IP storytelling (1:00). Finally, they rank the 10 films in the franchise (1:05:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Van Lathan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda answer your questions about the 2024 box office, roasts, YouTube movie clips, repertory theaters, and more (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Mean Pod Guy Adam Nayman to discuss an exciting new release, Jane Schoenbrun’s ‘I Saw the TV Glow,’ and its unique blend of body horror, nostalgia, and identity (1:15:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Schoenbrun to discuss the making of the movie, growing up hooked in to television, and what kind of films they’re interested in making moving forward (1:45:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Jane Schoenbrun and Adam Nayman

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda share some exciting announcements about the show (1:00), then dig into their experience at four different premium large-format movie theater experiences over the last few weeks (4:00). They later discuss the weekend’s biggest streaming film, the Anne Hathaway vehicle ‘The Idea of You’ (1:00:00). Does the movie work, should it have been in theaters, and what does this signal for Hathaway—one of their favorite stars in Hollywood.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda reflect on the reaction to the 35 Under 35 movie stars list they put together on Tuesday’s episode (1:00), before discussing the new Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy-romance movie, ‘The Fall Guy’ (5:00). Then, they revisit the highs of Gosling’s career by each sharing their five favorite performances from his long and chaptered career (51:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda reconvene the movie star committee to rank the 35 most important movie stars under the age of 35, using their proprietary blend of what a star has done already, what they have on their slate next, and what they could turn into in the future. Zendaya, Margot Robbie, Timothée Chalamet, Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi, Florence Pugh … Who will come out on top?

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda gather to discuss the 2024 film perfectly situated at the center of their respective tastes: ‘Challengers.’ They discuss the thrilling trio of actors at its center, underrated director Luca Guadagnino, its pulsing score, and its thrilling ending (1:00). Then, Sean interviews Justin Kuritzkes, the writer of the movie, about writing this script on spec, the balance of power dynamics among the characters, why he chose to set it in the world of tennis, and more (1:35:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Justin Kuritzkes

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the current state of horror in theaters (1:00). They run through a list of movies that are out right now, then dive into what they did and did not like about them (10:00). Later, they’re joined by a special guest to explain the plot of ‘Imaginary’ (27:00) to Chris, who hasn’t yet seen the film. Finally, Sean and Chris discuss the directors they’d most like to see work in the horror genre (1:00:00) and discuss their most-anticipated upcoming releases (1:10:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss the news that Quentin Tarantino has shelved what was previously reported as his 10th and final film, ‘The Movie Critic’ (1:00). Then, they react to some development news for Martin Scorsese’s and Steven Spielberg’s next projects (12:00), and discuss the most anticipated movie of this upcoming summer (29:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite and are joined by several special guests for a mega-draft of the best movies of 1999.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan, and Rob Mahoney

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to run through the 10 most anticipated movies from this week’s CinemaCon, which Sean attended (1:00). Then, they have a long—and, at times, combative—discussion about Alex Garland’s big-budget A24 release, ‘Civil War’ (44:00), delving into the film’s politics (or lack thereof), point of view, cinematic style, and more. Finally, Sean is joined by Garland to answer questions regarding some of those very things and where he sees this in the arc of his career, as well as discuss whether he will take a step back from filmmaking (1:50:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Alex Garland

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda revisit Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune: Part Two’ and assess whether the fervor for it holds up (1:00). Then, they share their 10 favorite movies of the year so far (25:00), including ‘Immaculate,’ ‘La Chimera,’ ‘The First Omen,’ and others. Sean is then joined by the director of ‘The First Omen,’ Arkasha Stevenson, to discuss the subversive nature of a her legacy sequel, how she got it made, and the career that led her here (1:15:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Arkasha Stevenson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda dig into the successes and shortcomings of this week’s biggest release at the box office: Dev Patel’s directorial debut, ‘Monkey Man’ (1:00). They discuss, among other things, the unique action put to screen and the movie’s rumored behind-the-scenes studio management. Then—after casually losing their sanity for 15 minutes in the middle of the podcast—they discuss the best directorial debuts of the 21st century (42:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda break down a pair of big franchise releases—‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ and ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ (1:00). They then share their thoughts on the new Steve Martin documentary ‘Steve!’ (30:00) and build the Steve Martin Hall of Fame (49:00). Finally, Sean is joined by the director of said documentary, Morgan Neville, to discuss picking a subject, building rapport with that subject, and how he chooses projects (1:40:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Morgan Neville

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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In a hundred years, when you and I are both long gone, anytime someone listens to this podcast, you will be alive again.

Chris Ryan joins Sean and Amanda as they discuss Damien Chazelle’s 'Babylon.'

(The movie is now available on Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+, so you can stream along with 'The Big Picture.')

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to briefly discuss ‘Immaculate,’ the new Sydney Sweeney nun horror movie, before digging into Jake Gyllenhaal’s ‘Road House’ remake (1:00). Then, Sean and Chris explore a new niche subgenre they’ve invented: junk fights (32:00). Finally, Sean is joined by ‘Immaculate’ director Michael Mohan to discuss working in the genre, working with Sweeney, and how he hopes to build on this film going forward (1:08:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Michael Mohan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the best movies of 1977—the year of Chris’s birth and a compelling year for many of our most iconic directors.

John Cassavetes on TV sucking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePptcNqXRJA

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss a recent run of positive 2025 movie news (1:00) before digging into Rose Glass’s second feature, ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ (20:00). They take stock of Kristen Stewart’s unique movie star presence, discuss Glass’s genre command and audacious screenwriting, and praise Katy O’Brian’s wonderfully physical and emotional performance. Then, they run down a list of films they’re calling the 21st Century Noir Movie Canon (36:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Glass to discuss the production of ‘Love Lies Bleeding,’ working with a star like Stewart, why she set the film in America, how Ed Harris became involved in the project, and more (53:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Rose Glass

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Joanna Robinson to briefly discuss ‘Dune: Part Two’ and other way-too-early contenders for the 2025 Oscars (1:00). Then, they open the mailbag to answer your questions about ‘Oppenheimer,’ Emma Stone, Lily Gladstone, ‘Rango,’ Bradley Cooper, ‘The Holdovers,’ and more (37:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Joanna Robinson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda give their immediate reactions to the 96th Academy Awards, which were largely dominated by Christopher Nolan and ‘Oppenheimer.’ They appreciate Jimmy Kimmel’s hosting, admire a barn-burning performance of ‘I’m Just Ken’ by Ryan Gosling, analyze a surprising Emma Stone victory over Lily Gladstone, discuss the increasingly international voting body of the Academy, note the continued cultural power of 'Barbie' (despite winning very little at the awards), and wonder whether this year is a one-off or whether it portends the Oscars telecast making a sustained comeback.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda make their final predictions for who will (and who should) win in every category at the 2024 Academy Awards. They discuss whether or not ‘Oppenheimer’ and Christopher Nolan will run the table as expected, who will come out on top in a neck-and-neck Best Actress race, whether any major contenders will go home empty-handed, and more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by New York Times film critic Wesley Morris to hand out The Big Picture’s very own Alternative Oscars (32:00). They've included a handful of categories they’ve invented, as well as alternative nominees and winners in the major Academy Awards categories. Before digging into this exercise, they open by talking about ‘Dune: Part Two,’ as well as the state of ‘Oppenheimer’ and director Christopher Nolan as overwhelming Oscar front-runners (1:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Wesley Morris

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the massively anticipated Denis Villeneuve epic, ‘Dune: Part Two.’ The trio discuss the scope of the film, the fan fervor, the movie star performances it centers, and more (1:00). Then, they discuss Villeneuve’s most successful film entries up to this point and decide where ‘Dune: Part Two’ slots in among his best achievements (1:20:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda open the show by discussing the SAG Awards and highlight the Netflix streaming experience, Lily Gladstone’s win for Best Actress, and the dominance of 'Oppenheimer’ (1:00). Then, they create their final Best Picture power rankings (43:55). Later, Tom Oyer joins the show to help explain how the Academy Awards actually work and what the voting process looks like (1:01:44).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Tom Oyer

Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer contributor and beloved “Mean Pod Guy” Adam Nayman to discuss ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ the latest solo Coen movie—this time directed by Ethan and written along with his wife, Tricia Cooke (1:00). After that, it’s the first iteration of The Big Picture Book Club. Sean and Amanda dig into ‘The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story,’ what it reveals about the highs and lows of Coppola’s career, what it tells us outside of the already well-known mythology of Coppola, and—with ‘Megalopolis’ likely coming out this year—the ways it contributes to Coppola’s presence in the film zeitgeist in 2024 (24:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Adam Nayman

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Dumpuary! Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the box office sensation of the year thus far, David Ayer’s politically charged action romp ‘The Beekeeper,’ starring Jason Statham (1:00). Then, conversely, Sean and Amanda dive (surprisingly) deep into what may be the worst movie of the year, the Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney superhero vehicle ‘Madame Web’ (31:00). They wrap up by running through some other dumpuary movies, including J.Lo’s ‘This Is Me ... Now: A Love Story’ (1:15:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda open by discussing the movie trailers that debuted at the Super Bowl (1:00), before digging into this past weekend’s biggest release: ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ (29:00). Then, they discuss one of their favorite movies of last year, the French cooking romance ‘The Taste of Things’ (39:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Tran Anh Hung and Juliette Binoche, the director and star (respectively) of ‘The Taste of Things,’ to discuss the unique challenges of making a movie so centered around cooking technique, and the ways they went about portraying the authenticity of love between the two main characters (1:20:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Tran Anh Hung and Juliette Binoche

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the best movies of 1991 (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by master filmmaker Wim Wenders to discuss his new film, ‘Perfect Days’; his return to a film set in Japan; how he looks back on his long career of making movies; and more (1:31:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Wim Wenders and Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss the wildly unsuccessful elements of ‘Argylle,’ Matthew Vaughn’s meta spy thriller starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell (1:00). Then, they try to contextualize it within what Sean has dubbed "wink action"—a subgenre of action that rose around the turn of the 2010s and has finally started to peter out (44:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Arcel to discuss ‘The Promised Land’ and the key creative differences between making movies in Hollywood and making movies internationally (1:20:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Arcel

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean is joined by actor and physical media enthusiast Tim Simons to refresh their conversation on the state of Blu-rays and physical media in the world of cinema.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Tim Simons

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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As the 10-year anniversary of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death approaches, Sean pays tribute to his favorite actor with an audio essay highlighting the ways in which Hoffman was sui generis on the screen (1:00). Then, Amanda joins to run through Hoffman’s entire filmography and select 10 movies to make up his hall of fame (10:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda open the mailbag to answer lingering questions about the Oscar nominations, including the growing fervor around Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig’s failure to be nominated for ‘Barbie,’ why ‘The Iron Claw’ received no nominations, which film could surprise at the awards, and more (1:00). Then, Sean gives a quick recap of what he saw at the Sundance Film Festival (1:13:00) before they finally do a full deep dive into Jonathan Glazer’s ‘The Zone of Interest’ (1:22:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda gather after the announcement of the 2024 Oscar nominations to discuss an ‘Oppenheimer’ runaway train, some disappointing and somewhat surprising snubs for Margot Robbie and ‘Barbie,’ and how the nominations circuit is much more of a known quantity than it used to be. Plus: waning momentum for ‘The Holdovers,’ growing momentum for ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ and ‘The Zone of Interest,’ and how ‘Nyad’ snuck into several big categories.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda predict the upcoming announcement of the Oscar nominations (1:00), before reviewing ‘Mean Girls’ (49:00)—a musical remake of the 2004 high school classic—and ‘All of Us Strangers’ (1:03:00), a heavily-tipped Oscar movie that is finally being released widely. Finally, Sean talks to ‘All of Us Strangers’ star Andrew Scott about what attracted him to this role, how he selects roles at this stage of his career, and the legwork that goes into building chemistry with costars (1:22:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Andrew Scott

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean, Amanda, and Chris gather to auction draft the movies they’re most excited for in 2024, including both Zendaya vehicles ‘Dune Part 2’ and ‘Challengers,’ Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Mickey 17,’ Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis,’ and more (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by first-time feature director Jake Johnson to talk about his movie ‘Self Reliance’ (1:17:00) and how he views it as fitting in the larger arc of his career on and off the screen.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Jake Johnson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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In this special episode audio from our live screening of ‘Oppenheimer’ at IMAX in Los Angeles, Sean is joined by cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, editor Jennifer Lame, and composer Ludwig Göransson to discuss the making of one of the biggest and best movies of the year: Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer.’

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Hoyte Van Hoytema, Jennifer Lame, and Ludwig Göransson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda react to a mixed bag of movie and awards nominations news (1:00), before digging into one of the year’s biggest movies not yet discussed on the show: Yorgos Lanthimos’s Emma Stone vehicle ‘Poor Things’ (15:00). They close by refreshing their Best Picture power rankings (:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Julianne Moore and Todd Haynes to discuss ‘May December’—the performances at the movie’s heart, the reception of its satire, rendering the recent past, and more (1:50:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Julianne Moore and Todd Haynes

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda give their immediate reactions to the 2024 Golden Globe Awards ceremony, which turned out to be a massive success for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer.’ They also share their thoughts about the shortcomings of the television production, the other movies—such as ‘The Holdovers’ and ‘Poor Things’—that had successful nights, and what we still don’t know heading into full-fledged Oscar season.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

Additional Production: Cory McConnell

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Sean and Amanda discuss the new release ‘Society of the Snow’ (1:00) before sharing their 24 most anticipated movies of 2024, including blockbuster releases like ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Furiosa’ (12:00). Then, Chris Ryan joins to recount the plot of ‘Night Swim’ in a follow-up to the time when he and Sean explained the plot of ‘Barbarian’ to Amanda, who has not seen either film (1:08:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda give some box office thoughts from the last couple weeks, before honing in on two films in theaters right now: Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s sex comedy ‘Anyone but You’ (15:00) and the musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel ‘The Color Purple’ (49:00). They close by each sharing three New Year’s movie resolutions that relate to the show (1:04:00).

RSVP for a chance to attend The Big Picture’s OPPENHEIMER screening at the IMAX campus in L.A. here: uni.pictures/oppenheimerbigpictureevent

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda each share five movies from the year that they feel were either under-discussed or underrated (1:00), before inviting The Ringer’s David Shoemaker on to dive deep on pro wrestling, the Von Erich family, and the way they’re represented in Sean Durkin’s new film, ‘The Iron Claw’ (28:00). Then, Durkin joins to talk about the unique challenges of recreating pro wrestling’s pseudo-reality in cinema, casting stars such as Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Harris Dickinson, what movies he took inspiration from, and more (1:12:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Sean Durkin and David Shoemaker

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by The Ringer’s Michael Mann aficionado Chris Ryan to discuss one of the year’s best and most anticipated movies: ‘Ferrari’ (1:00). They discuss the successes and failures of the casting, how transfixing Adam Driver is at the center of the frame, where this slots into the Mann oeuvre, and whether it will (or should) be Mann’s last film. Then, they each share their five favorite Michael Mann movies (41:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda open the show by talking about their five favorite scenes of the 2023 movie year (1:00), before digging into one of the most exciting directorial debuts of the year: Cord Jefferson’s ‘American Fiction’ (24:00). They talk about the state of family dramas and satires as genres and how ‘American Fiction’ succeeds as a refreshing mix of the two. Then, Sean is joined by Jefferson to talk about the expected and unexpected challenges of directing a film when you have a background as a writer, the movie’s deep and wonderful cast, what kinds of things he’s gravitating toward working on next, and more (38:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Cord Jefferson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda share their top 10 performances of the movie year, focusing on films that did not get as much attention in our top-five lists (1:00). Then, they dive deep into one of the biggest swings of the year, from one of the most ambitious directors we have working right now: Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’ (33:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the best movies of 2020.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Joanna Robinson to react to ‘Wonka’—what works, what doesn’t work, musicals in the 2020s, and whether a movie can subvert its early reputation as a meme (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Jonathan Glazer and Johnnie Burn, the director and sound designer, respectively, of ‘The Zone of Interest’ (1:12:00). They discuss recreation in film, interpretive sound design, their other collaborations, and more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Jonathan Glazer, Johnnie Burn, and Joanna Robinson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean is joined by Andy Greenwald and Charles Holmes to revel in the top film at the box office, Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, ‘The Boy and the Heron’ (1:00). They talk about Miyazaki’s whole career, including their top five Studio Ghibli movies (41:00). Then, Amanda rejoins the pod for a detailed discussion of the 2023 Palme d’Or winner, Justine Triet’s French courtroom drama ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ (1:12:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Andy Greenwald and Charles Holmes

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda instantly react to the Golden Globes nominations and what it portends for the Oscars (1:00). Then, they are (somehow) joined by Julia Roberts (28:00) and friend of the show Sam Esmail to discuss ‘Leave the World Behind,’ Esmail’s adaptation of the Rumaan Alam novel. Esmail sticks around for an in-depth conversation about adaptation, set design, costuming, casting, working for Netflix, what’s coming next, and everything in between (48:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Julia Roberts and Sam Esmail

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda react to the surprise box office hit of the weekend, ‘Godzilla Minus One’ (1:00); share preliminary thoughts about ‘Poor Things’ and why it’s seemingly losing steam in the awards races (18:00); and then open up the mailbag to answer your questions on all things Oscar season (32:00). Finally, they update their Best Picture power rankings (1:30:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman to share their respective lists of the five best movies released in 2023, including titanic works from master filmmakers, blockbuster hits that captured the zeitgeist, and smaller movies that challenged viewers to consider their artistry deeply.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Wesley Morris to unpack their feelings about Todd Haynes's ‘May December.’ They discuss the complicated nature of the performances, hypothesize its potential for awards season, and much more (1:19). Later, they talk about their shared love for the newest concert film, ‘Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,’ and highlight their appreciation for its impressive technical feats (55:13).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Wesley Morris

Producers: Jack Sanders and Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda briefly share thoughts on Disney’s ‘Wish’ (1:00), before digging deep into Emerald Fennell’s ‘Saltburn,’ including its cast, its spotty plot, its relation to Fennell’s first feature, and more (5:00). Then, they share their top five “big swing” movies (1:07:00). Finally, Sean is joined by ‘Holdovers’ director Alexander Payne to discuss reuniting with Paul Giamatti, casting an actor in their first role, the filmmaking style of the movie, and more (1:20:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Alexander Payne

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean, Amanda, and Chris explore the high highs of Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’—in particular the battle scenes—while trying to sort through their feelings on why the movie doesn’t come together as a whole quite how they hoped it would (1:00). Then, they try to place ‘Napoleon’ in the historical context of “great men” movies and share their top five in the genre (40:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda review two divergent releases from this past weekend—a continuation of the Hunger Games intellectual property, ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ (1:00), and Alexander Payne's latest feature, ‘The Holdovers’ (30:00). Then, Sean is joined by writer, director, and actor Eli Roth (1:07:00) to talk about ‘Thanksgiving,’ his feature-length follow-up to the fictional trailer of the same name, which first appeared in the 2007 film ‘Grindhouse.’ Sean and Eli discuss Roth’s particular interests within the horror genre, the state of modern IP horror, and what he’s interested in doing next.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Eli Roth

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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With Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’ hitting theaters, Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to build the Ridley Hall of Fame, selecting his 10 films most worthy of preservation (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by filmmaker Errol Morris to talk about his new John le Carré documentary, ‘The Pigeon Tunnel,’ Morris’s interviewing style, how he chooses subjects, the overlap between documentary and drama filmmaking, and more (1:27:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Errol Morris

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by The Ringer’s Joanna Robinson to discuss the successes and failures of ‘The Marvels’ and what it portends for Marvel’s hopes to pull out of their relative recent tailspin (1:00). Then, Sean talks with ‘Dream Scenario’ writer and director Kristoffer Borgli about how he get his career kick-started, making films in the United States vs. Europe, and working with Nic Cage (1:15:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Joanna Robinson and Kristoffer Borgli

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the trio’s collective favorite movie of 2023, David Fincher’s ‘The Killer’ (1:00). Then, Adam Nayman joins the show to give his take on ‘The Killer,’ the state of American auteur directors in 2023, and where the film fits into Fincher’s larger project (48:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda review Sofia Coppola’s ‘Priscilla’ (1:00), including the performances of its leads, Jacob Elordi and Cailee Spaeny, its set and costume design, where it slots in with her film canon, and more. Then, they take stock of the Best Picture Oscars race (47:00) and share the 10 movies they think are most likely to be nominated (1:02:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Coppola to talk about what she saw in Priscilla Presley’s memoir that made her want to adapt it, the process of recreating extremely famous figures, and the scale and scope that she likes to make her movies at (1:09:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Sofia Coppola

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the work of acclaimed director David Fincher.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss the somewhat surprising dominant movie at the box office, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s,’ a horror adaptation of a popular video game series (1:00). Then, they review ‘Pain Hustlers,’ the David Yates–directed drama about the opioid crisis starring Chris Evans and Emily Blunt (27:00), before running through Blunt’s career to this point and laying out her “movie star playbook” (36:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda debut a predictions-based game surrounding this year’s Oscars ceremony (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by frequent guest Alex Ross Perry to open the mailbag and answer questions about the current state of horror, how the WGA strike and new agreement affects filmmakers and writers like him, the state of physical media, and more (57:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Alex Ross Perry

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean, Amanda, and Chris are joined by David Sims and Griffin Newman of ‘Blank Check’ to draft their favorite lawyer movies—a broadening of the courtroom drama and legal thriller genre that gets contentious with two new guests involved in the draft.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan, Griffin Newman, and David Sims

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-half hour epic ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and everything that it entails. They explore the adaptation of the David Grann book and how Scorsese and screenwriter Eric Roth shifted the perspective in the film (10:00), Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro’s repeated collaborations with Scorsese (23:00), the spellbinding performance of Lily Gladstone (48:00), the ways the film reflects on themes Scorsese has explored repeatedly (38:00), how it slots into the late Scorsese oeuvre (1:27:00), its chances at the Oscars (1:30:00), and more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss the surprise box office smash hit of the year, ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’—what it means for the movie industry, whether any other artists are powerful enough to follow in Swift’s footsteps, and the ripples her music dominance has had on larger pop culture.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda review a trio of movies—‘Fair Play’ (1:00), ‘The Royal Hotel’ (30:00), and ‘Cat Person’ (40:00)—before having a wider conversation about the current role of sex in cinema (52:00). Then, Sean is joined by ‘Fair Play’ writer-director Chloe Domont to discuss her debut feature, the process of having a movie acquired out of Sundance, and the kinds of projects she’s interested in tackling next (1:20:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chloe Domont

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss the quartet of Wes Anderson short films that dropped on Netflix and the trend of established auteurs exploring the short film genre (1:00). Then, they run through a long list of the films they think have a chance at getting a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars and rank the 10 they think are most likely to garner that nomination (35:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Grant Singer to discuss his new crime thriller, ‘Reptile’ (1:21:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Grant Singer

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to review the latest film in the ‘Exorcist’ universe, ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ (1:00). Then, they discuss the ways that horror franchise filmmaking has enveloped David Gordon Green’s career (23:00), before zooming out to take stock of the last five years in horror by awarding "horror Oscars" to one film per year (40:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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With ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ just weeks away, Sean, Amanda, and Chris gather to run through the long list of films that Martin Scorsese has made and build a 10-movie Hall of Fame to Marty’s career.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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The 21st Century Sci-Fi Canon, ‘The Creator,’ and ‘No One Will Save You’

Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to discuss all things science fiction. First, they cover Brian Duffield’s new film, ‘No One Will Save You’ (4:33) before turning to Gareth Edwards’s ‘The Creator’ (14:58) starring John David Washington. Later, they come together to form the 21st Century Sci-Fi Canon featuring their ten favorite science fiction films since 2000 (48:47).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Jack Sanders

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Sean and Amanda briefly discuss the news that the Writers Guild of America has a tentative agreement with the AMPTP to end their strike (1:00), before bringing on The Ringer's Rob Harvilla to discuss A24's re-release of Jonathan Demme's Talking Heads concert film 'Stop Making Sense' (7:00). Then, the three rank their five favorite concert films (44:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Rob Harvilla

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean, Amanda, and Chris review ‘Dumb Money,’ Craig Gillespie’s new movie based on the events of the 2021 Wall Street GameStop short (1:00). Then, they craft a new entrant into their running “garbage” genre series—Garbage Cash—and list the 10 most apt entrants into the genre (53:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda review Kenneth Branagh’s third Agatha Christie adaptation, ‘A Haunting in Venice’ (1:00), before expanding their thoughts on haunted house films by sharing 10 of their favorites in the genre (45:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer contributor and film critic Adam Nayman to discuss the highs, lows, and shifting culture of the Toronto International Film Festival (1:00). Then, they share a joint list of the most anticipated movies of 2023 that neither have shown each other until now (23:00), including ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,’ ‘Pain Hustlers,’ ‘Leave the World Behind,’ and more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Adam Nayman

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan are joined by Bill Simmons and Van Lathan for a draft of the best Denzel Washington movies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, and Van Lathan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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To celebrate Episode 600, Sean and Amanda open up the mailbag to answer your questions about how they watch movies, Martin Scorsese, what’s changed in the last six years, the fictional location where they’d like to have a drink or meal, the rejected alternate names for the podcast, and more!

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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After their respective trips to Colorado and Italy, Sean and Amanda convene to discuss the movies they watched at Telluride and Venice Film Festivals, including films from David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Michael Mann, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and more (1:00). Then, they share some early Oscar predictions based on the quality and buzz surrounding the films coming out of the two festivals (1:10:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the best movies of 2006.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We’re back! Sean and Amanda discuss all the movies they missed, the big stories out of Hollywood, and much more (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by ‘Bottoms’ director Emma Seligman to discuss her new comedy (1:35:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Emma Seligman

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Oliver Stone returns to Vietnam with ‘Born on the Fourth of July’—a movie that closes out the ’80s, as well as the Vietnam movie boom. But ‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘Dead Presidents’ prove that ’90s audiences aren’t ready to leave Vietnam for good.

Other films we talk about in this episode include ‘Running on Empty’ (1988), ‘Dogfight’ (1991), and ‘Heaven and Earth’ (1993).

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Bobby Wagner 

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville 

All interviews for this series were conducted before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.

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In the late ’80s, a new wave of big-studio hits like ‘Full Metal Jacket’ and ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ introduces young moviegoers to Vietnam—and helps turn the war into an unlikely pop-culture phenomenon.

Other films we talk about in this episode include ‘Hamburger Hill’ (1987) and ‘Casualties of War’ (1989). 

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Bobby Wagner 

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville 

Interviews for this series were conducted before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.

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Oliver Stone’s harrowing and heartbreaking Vietnam drama ‘Platoon’ becomes a worldwide phenomenon in 1986—and signals the beginning of the Vietnam movie boom.

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Bobby Wagner 

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville 

All interviews for this series were conducted before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.

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In the early 1980s, as America is grappling with the fallout of Vietnam, a troubled big-screen vet named John Rambo launches an unlikely movie franchise—and leads a wave of make-believe soldiers who are ready to fight the war all over again.  

Other films we talk about in this episode include ‘First Blood’ (1982), ‘Uncommon Valor’ (1983), ‘Missing in Action’ (1984), and ‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’ (1985). 

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Bobby Wagner 

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville 

All interviews for this series were conducted before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.

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‘Apocalypse Now’ closes out the 1970s with the most ambitious Vietnam movie yet: a big-budget spectacle that will bring moviegoers closer than ever to the madness of war—and nearly push director Francis Ford Coppola over the edge. 

Other films we talk about in this episode include ‘Who’ll Stop the Rain’ (1978), ‘The Boys in Company C’ (1978), ‘Go Tell the Spartans’ (1978), and ‘Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse’ (1991).

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Bobby Wagner 

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville 

All interviews for this series were conducted before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.

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In the late ’70s, ‘The Deer Hunter’ and ‘Coming Home’ offer two very different visions of Vietnam—and become unexpected hits. Together, they’d bring the war to the mainstream—and to the Oscars.

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Bobby Wagner 

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville 

All interviews for this series were conducted before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.

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It’s the mid-’70s, and Hollywood is still scared of Vietnam. But a series of dark and wildly entertaining B movies brings the war to the big screen, with explosive results. 

Other films we talk about in this episode include ‘M*A*S*H’ (1970), ‘Soldier Blue’ (1970), ‘Brotherhood of Death’ (1976), ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976), and ‘Rolling Thunder’ (1977).

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Bobby Wagner 

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville

All interviews for this series were conducted before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.

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In the late-’60s, John Wayne stars in the first hit Vietnam movie: his controversial blockbuster ‘The Green Berets.’ And the piercing documentary ‘Hearts and Minds’ leads to an Oscar-night meltdown in 1975.

Other films we talk about in this episode include ‘In the Year of the Pig’ (1969) and ‘Winter Soldier’ (1972). 

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Bobby Wagner 

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville 

All interviews for this series were conducted before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.

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‘The Deer Hunter.’ ‘Apocalypse Now.’ ‘First Blood.’ ‘Platoon.’ They’re among the hit films dealing with the Vietnam War—a conflict that divided moviegoers and inspired filmmakers. For decades, Hollywood released countless films about the war and its fallout—from action flicks to combat tales to sweeping dramas. 

Through exclusive new interviews, ‘Do We Get to Win This Time?’ chronicles the making of Hollywood’s most ambitious and controversial Vietnam movies. Along the way, we also learn how these films reflected and shaped moviegoers’ feelings toward the war—and toward each other.

Host: Brian Raftery 

Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel

Sound Design: Bobby Wagner 

Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville 

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer contributor Brian Raftery to discuss his upcoming series ‘Do We Get to Win This Time? How Hollywood Made the Vietnam War,’ which will be running on ‘The Big Picture’ feed over the next three weeks (1:00). Then, at long last, Sean and Chris Ryan unveil the latest genre in their ongoing niche genre project: Garbage Fish (15:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Brian Raftery

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean discusses ‘Talk to Me,’ the horror movie of the summer, and his five scariest summer movies (1:00), before being joined by the directors of the film, Danny and Michael Philippou (10:00). Then, he is joined by ‘Afire’ director Christian Petzold to discuss his new film, his career, and the shared interests of arthouse and commercial cinema (41:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Danny and Michael Philippou, Christian Petzold

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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To celebrate Amanda’s birthday, Sean, Amanda, and Bobby gather to taste the various liquors, wines, beers, and mixed drinks endorsed or owned by movie stars. While tasting, they discuss the stars’ careers—past, present, and future—and whether their business projects are to blame for the shift in their focus away from the silver screen.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer-verse co-host Joanna Robinson to dive deep into ‘Barbie’—its innovation, its performances, its overwhelming success at the box office, and everything in between (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Greta Gerwig to discuss her approach to building the ‘Barbie’ world, the unique challenges it presented, how it relates to the other two films she’s directed, the cultural phenomenon it has set off, and more (1:29:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Greta Gerwig and Joanna Robinson

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ in granular detail, including its script, cinematography, extensive cast, big ideas, and ultimate success.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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The biggest movie weekend in years is finally here. Sean and Amanda discuss the theater-going experience surrounding Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ and Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ (1:00), including the order and circumstances in which you should see them. Then, they dig into their feelings on ‘Oppenheimer’ and where Nolan stands in Hollywood (17:00), before pivoting their focus to ‘Barbie’ and what it signals about Gerwig’s ambitions and desires as a filmmaker (52:00).

This episode makes an effort to be spoiler-free of plot points in both ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer,’ but does feature in-depth discussion of Sean and Amanda’s reactions and feelings about each movie.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss the dramatic effect the SAG-AFTRA strike will have on the movie industry (1:00), before opening up the mailbag and answering any and all questions about the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise (15:00). Then, they do the impossible work of ranking all seven installments in the franchise (1:10:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda dive into one of their most anticipated movies in years, the return of Ethan Hunt and the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda dig into the year’s releases that they haven’t covered yet, including ‘Joy Ride,’ ‘Insidious: The Red Door,’ ‘Elemental,’ and more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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At the halfway point of this year, we take a look at the movies yet to be released and hold an auction for the ones we’re most excited about.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda call up an all-star rotation of Ringer colleagues and contributors to share their favorite movies this year so far, from superhero movies to art house darlings and everything in between.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Rob Mahoney, Jessica Clemons, Adam Nayman

Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer-verse host and Harrison Ford scholar Mallory Rubin to discuss the latest installment in the ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise and whether it functions as a worthwhile send-off to Ford’s iconic role as Indy (1:00). Then, they rank the franchise's five films (56:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Mallory Rubin

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the life, legacy, and wonder of one of our great movie stars: Mr. Harrison Ford himself. On the cusp of the release of 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,' it’s time to choose the 10 essential Harrison Ford films for our hall.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Jennifer Lawrence is back in the center of a movie—this time a studio comedy. Sean and Amanda discuss the successes and shortcomings of ‘No Hard Feelings’ and the unique place this occupies in Lawrence’s movie career. Then, they outline the future playbook for J-Law’s continued development as a movie star.

Host: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Adam Nayman joins Sean and Amanda to discuss Wes Anderson’s career and filmmaking aesthetic before they dig into his latest film, ‘Asteroid City’ (1:00). Then, Sean and Amanda rank all 11 of Anderson’s feature films (50:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Adam Nayman

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Hugely hyped and also facing controversy around its star, ‘The Flash’ arrives at a complicated moment for superhero stories. Van Lathan joins Sean and Amanda to talk about the movie and DC’s future.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Van Lathan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the best movies of 2001.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean digs into his pet obsession, the ‘Transformers’ franchise, and its newest installment ‘Rise of the Beasts.’ Then, he recommends five new streaming movies, and opens up the mailbag to answer your questions.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda dive deep into 'Past Lives,' one of the year's finest films and an extraordinary example of writing, directing, and acting in romantic storytelling (1:00). Then, they share their five favorite romantic films (58:00). Finally, Sean is joined by writer-director Celine Song to talk about her debut feature (1:18:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Celine Song

Producers: Bobby Wagner and Sasha Ashall

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Charles Holmes to dive deep into the ‘Spider-Verse’ movies, from the breathtaking animation to the bold storytelling to the expectation-shattering standard they set.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Charles Holmes

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss the finale of ‘Succession’ as a portal into the true divide between movies and TV today, and the ways in which the latter has stolen the former’s mojo (1:00), before a breakdown of the new live-action remake of Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ (30:00). Then, Sean is joined by Cristian Mungiu, the Romanian master filmmaker, to discuss his latest, ‘R.M.N.’ (56:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Cristian Mungiu

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda come to you live (on tape) from Europe! They recap their journeys, discuss the hype out of the Cannes Film Festival (1:00), and share five new movie recommendations (17:00). Then, Sean is joined by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Nicole Holofcener, the star and the writer-director, respectively, of the new film ‘You Hurt My Feelings’ (58:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Nicole Holofcener

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft, with a twist. We’re drafting movies that feature Robert De Niro.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner 

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What a double feature. Sean and Amanda discuss ‘Fast X’ and the troubles of the franchise (1:00), before making the hard pivot to Paul Schrader’s ‘Master Gardener’ (40:00). Then, Sean is joined by Schrader to discuss the film, his long career as a writer and director, the state of movies, and more (57:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Paul Schrader

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Amanda and Sean discuss ‘BlackBerry’ before sharing their five most eagerly awaited movies of the summer season (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Matt Johnson, the filmmaker behind ‘BlackBerry’ (55:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Matt Johnson

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Two years have passed since Sean and Amanda ranked their active and over-35 movie icons. So we’re back with deeply scientific new rankings and deeply weird conversations. Please enjoy.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda dig into the mailbag to answer your questions about upcoming movies, the impact of the writers strike, and more.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Joanna Robinson joins Sean to talk about all things Marvel, from its rocky run of recent movies to changes in leadership to streaming series delays, before digging into the most anticipated entry in years, James Gunn’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Joanna Robinson

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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In honor of Guy Ritchie releasing two films in 2023, Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan—the team that brought you garbage crime, junk sci-fi, and trash spies—debut their latest hyper-specific, beloved genre: garbage lads.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Judy Blume’s beloved 1970 classic of young adult fiction has finally hit the big screen. Sean and Amanda discuss that, along with Disney’s new ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’ live-action adaptation (1:00) before sharing their top five favorite coming-of-age films (29:00). Then, Sean is joined by writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig to discuss making ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ (1:06:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Kelly Fremon Craig

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the summer blockbusters of the ’90s.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Ari Aster’s third feature, the Oedipal nightmare comedy ‘Beau Is Afraid,’ is here. Sean discusses the film’s virtuosic gifts and alienating approach at length with Adam Nayman (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Aster to discuss how he made his thrilling new movie (58:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Ari Aster and Adam Nayman

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Horror is booming—Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to talk about four big releases, the best movies in the genre they’ve seen so far, and what defines this era in scares (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Daniel Goldhaber, the director and cowriter of ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline,’ and Ariela Barer, the star and cowriter of the film (1:05:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan, Daniel Goldhaber, and Ariela Barer

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s time to swap, which means it’s time for our producer, Bobby, to finally watch ‘Casablanca’! Sean and Amanda pitch a pair of beloved spy classics—the 1942 Best Picture winner and 1979’s madcap comedy ‘The In-Laws’—while Bobby shares with them the millennial family romp ‘Spy Kids.’

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ and Kelly Reichardt’s ‘Showing Up’ (1:00) before checking in on several 2023 releases they missed on the show this year. Then, Sean is joined by Michelle Williams and Reichardt to discuss their fourth collaboration, ‘Showing Up’ (1:07:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Michelle Williams and Kelly Reichardt

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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At long last! Sean and Amanda dive deep on Ben Affleck’s ‘Air,’ the story of how Michael Jordan signed to Nike and the men who made it happen (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Sam Jones to discuss his new documentary, ‘Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed’ (58:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

Guest: Sam Jones

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Ben Lindbergh and Charles Holmes join Sean to talk about one of the most anticipated films of the year: 'Mario'! They discuss the new film (1:00) and how video games have been the most valuable IP in Hollywood (36:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Charles Holmes and Ben Lindbergh

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda dig into the surprisingly fun new ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ adaptation from the filmmakers who brought us ‘Game Night,’ before discussing a new sort of IP boom in Hollywood (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by A.V. Rockwell to discuss her debut feature, ‘A Thousand and One’ (58:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

Guest: A.V. Rockwell

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We are drafting again! Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan reunite for a draft of the movies from 2008.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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To celebrate the fourth installment of the 'John Wick' franchise, Sean and Amanda build Keanu Reeves’s hall of fame (9:00) before breaking down the new action epic (55:30). Then, Sean is joined by the director of ‘JW4,’ Chad Stahelski, to discuss how they pulled off the film’s breathtaking action (1:17:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chad Stahelski

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda look at the disappointing box office for ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ and discuss the perilous future of superhero movies (1:00). Then, they dig deep into ‘65’ and the fascinating career arc of Adam Driver, discussing his role choices and where he’s going as a modern movie star. Finally, Sean talks with writer-director Jamie Dack about her new film, ‘Palm Trees and Power Lines’ (65:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Jamie Dack

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan and Sean’s sister Grace to dive deep into ‘Scream VI’ and break down the entire franchise.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan and Grace Fennessey

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Joanna Robinson to dig deeper into the telecast and answer your questions about the past and future of the Academy Awards.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Joanna Robinson

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda break down the 95th Academy Awards, from Jimmy Kimmel’s take-no-prisoners monologue to the dominant performance of ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda dig into what to expect from the Academy Awards, including prop bets for the telecast and predictions for every category.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s time to wonder what will break first—your spirit … or your body. Chris Ryan joins Sean and Amanda to watch and discuss the final chapter in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. The movie is now available on HBO Max, so you can stream along with 'The Big Picture.'

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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The third film in the Adonis Creed story, and the directorial debut of its star Michael B. Jordan, is here. Sean and Amanda dive deep into the movie before rope-a-doping their way through the definitive list of the top 10 boxing movies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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That’s right, after a one-year hiatus, the Alternative Oscars are back, and that means Wesley Morris is back! He joins Sean and Amanda to hand out the only awards that matter.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Wesley Morris

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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That’s right, folks, ‘Cocaine Bear’ is here. It’s a movie about a bear on cocaine. That’s the movie. Sean and Amanda break it down and then share their favorite cocaine movies (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by ‘Turning Red’ writer and director Domee Shi to discuss her first full-length animated feature and her ascendant career at Pixar, on both the business and creative sides (57:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Domee Shi

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by Van Lathan to plumb the depths of two nautically inclined films that happen to be nominated for Best Picture at next month’s ceremony, 'Avatar: The Way of Water' and 'Triangle of Sadness.’

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Van Lathan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda are joined by 'Ringer-Verse' cohost Mallory Rubin to measure the successes and shortcomings of the first film in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Peyton Reed’s 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ (1:00). Then, they take stock of Marvel fatigue and its effects on the entire movie industry (43:00) before debuting Amanda’s new segment (1:02:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Mallory Rubin

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! And this time, the roster is growing. Van Lathan and Rob Mahoney join Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan for a draft of one of the greatest years in movie history: 1993.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, and Rob Mahoney

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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With this latest installment, Steven Soderbergh concludes his ‘Magic Mike’ trilogy. So, Sean and Amanda are celebrating by breaking down the new film (5:00), taking a long look at the filmmaker’s annual media diary, and sharing their five favorite dance movies (56:00).