In today’s action-packed episode, Sean and Amanda react to ‘Resident Evil’ smashing its opening weekend box office expectations, Paramount settling lawsuits paving the way for the Warner Bros. merger to go through, and the new trailer released for ‘The Further Misadventures of Cliff Booth.’ Then, they bring in mean pod guy Adam Nayman to break down the good, the bad, and the strange from the Toronto International Film Festival. Next, Sean and Amanda construct their first Best Picture power rankings of the year and go over 31 possible contenders for the Oscars' biggest prize. Finally, Zach Cregger joins the show to have an in-depth (spoilers included) conversation about his new film, ‘Resident Evil,’ and explains why it was the hardest thing he’s ever made.
(0:00) Intro
(1:56) ‘Resident Evil’'s big box office success
(3:02) Paramount to settle lawsuits, paving the way for Warner Bros. deal to go through
(8:39) ‘The Further Misadventures of Cliff Booth’ trailer reaction
(10:57) Teaser for Jeremy Saulnier’s new film, ‘Slayground!’
(14:15) ‘NARNIA’ NEWS
(19:06) Best of TIFF with Adam Nayman!
(54:04) The first Best Picture power rankings
(1:23:42) Amanda’s thoughts on ‘Resident Evil’
(1:29:55) Zach Cregger joins the show!
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guests: Zach Cregger and Adam Nayman
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Get in, gang. We’re going to Raccoon City. Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to discuss Zach Cregger’s thrilling follow-up to his mega-successful ‘Weapons’ with his video game adaptation ‘Resident Evil,’ starring Austin Abrams. Before diving in, they react to a handful of movie news headlines, including Noah Baumbach leaving Netflix for Warner Bros. Clockwork, Quentin Tarantino publishing a new Cliff Booth novel, and John Leguizamo joining ‘Miami Vice ‘85’. Then, they giddily break down ‘Resident Evil’ and gush over the countless reasons why the movie is absolutely incredible. Finally, they look into what the future holds for movie video game adaptations, and take a look at the history of horror-comedy genre mashups and talk through why it’s so hard to pull off successfully.
(0:00) We’re coming to San Francisco!
(0:36) Intro
(2:02) Noah Baumbach leaves Netflix for Warner Bros. Clockwork
(9:15) Quentin Tarantino is publishing a new Cliff Booth novel
(11:04) What do strange rollouts for big movies mean for their box office potential?
(14:27) ‘River’ is the big acquisition out of TIFF
(15:59) John Leguizamo joins 'Miami Vice ‘85'
(18:49) ‘Resident Evil’
(35:36) SPOILER WARNING
(1:08:51) Box office expectations and what’s next for Zach Cregger
(1:17:57) The future of video game movie adaptations
(1:30:49) A brief history of horror-comedy
Host: Sean Fennessey
Guest: Chris Ryan
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Don’t look back in anger if you spent over two hours watching a pretty rough legacy sequel. On today’s show, Sean and Amanda are joined by Yasi Salek to cover two new releases in ‘Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger,’ a film they loved, and ‘Practical Magic 2,’ a film they found to be quite poor. Later, they bring back the movie star playbook for Sandra Bullock and explore what they’d like to see from her career going forward.
(0:00) We’re coming to San Francisco!
(0:45) Intro
(2:02) TIFF premieres and Venice film festival prize winners
(10:21) ‘Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger’
(33:17) Our relationship to the original ‘Practical Magic’
(41:59) ‘Practical Magic 2’ is a brutal watch
(59:11) ‘Practical Magic 2’ significantly underperforms at the box office
(1:05:29) The Movie Star Playbook: Sandra Bullock
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Yasi Salek
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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On today’s action-packed show, Sean and Amanda briefly react to the first trailer released for M. Night Shyamalan's new film, ‘Remain,’ and the news that Paul Feig is attached to remake ‘The Italian Job.’ Then, they look back at the historic summer at the box office and share some of their biggest winners and losers, as well as recap the final results of their very serious summer movie preview game. Later, they cover a handful of recent releases they haven’t discussed on the show yet, including ‘The Uprising,’ ‘Hope,’ and more. Finally, in collaboration with his curation for the Criterion Channel, Sean is joined by friend of the show BenDavid Grabinski to celebrate legendary filmmaker Abel Ferrera. They explore his complicated legacy, dive deep into his filmography by highlighting their personal favorites, and identify what makes Ferrera such a special director.
(0:00) Intro
(2:01) ‘Remain’ trailer reaction
(3:46) Paul Feig attached to remake ‘The Italian Job’
(7:33) An incredible summer for the box office (and us)
(10:02) The biggest winners of the summer
(41:18) The biggest losers of the summer
(55:13) The Summer Movie Preview Game results
(1:00:38) Movies we missed
(1:40:28) BenDavid Grabinski joins the show to discuss Abel Ferrera
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: BenDavid Grabinski
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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It’s time for one of our favorite episodes of the year: the fall film festival report! Sean and Amanda break down all of the best things they saw this year at the Telluride and Venice film festivals, the general vibes, and what it all means for the Oscar races going forward.
(0:00) Intro
(3:22) ‘Artificial’ trailer
(6:22) The secret screening of Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary stuns at Telluride
(23:30) The festival vibes report
(40:50) The best movies from Telluride and Venice
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to take some MDMA, get kinky, and grab some guns because on today’s show, Chris Ryan joins us (duh) to discuss Adam Wingard’s new metal action flick, ‘Onslaught.’ They briefly cover two additional recent releases in ‘Mutiny’ and ‘The Whisper Man’ before diving into ‘Onslaught’ and building out their “Black-and-Chrome Action Movie Pack.” Later, Sean is joined by iconic actor Michael Biehn and Wingard to discuss ‘Onslaught’ as well as the wild personal story that inspired the film and plenty of anecdotes about making movies in Hollywood.
(0:00) Intro
(1:47) The ‘Mutiny’ leak, and does piracy affect the box office?
(7:19) ‘The Whisper Man’
(17:22) ‘Onslaught’
(34:08) The Black-and-Chrome Action Movie Pack
(52:05) Michael Biehn and Adam Wingard join the show!
Host: Sean Fennessey
Guests: Chris Ryan, Michael Biehn, and Adam Wingard
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Jacob Cornett
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Sean and Amanda open today’s show by breaking down the weekend box office and highlighting the solid performance of ‘Coyote vs. Acme,’ the continued bulldozing by ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ and ‘The Odyssey,’ and the big bomb by ‘The Dog Stars.’ Then, they kick off their fall movie preview by each highlighting five movies they can’t wait to see and three movies they’ve seen and would recommend. Finally, they create the "September Oscars” and select five “guaranteed” Oscar nominations from films that have already been released.
(0:00) Intro
(0:38) ‘Coyote vs. Acme’
(6:08) ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ and ‘The Odyssey’ box office
(9:32) ‘Buddy’
(10:38) ‘The Dog Stars’ bombs at the box office
(12:20) Anne Hathaway joins the ‘Days of Thunder’ sequel
(15:44) Five movies we can’t wait to see this fall
(59:11) Three movies we’ve seen and would recommend
(1:13:12) The September Oscars (five Oscar nomination guarantees from films that have already come out)
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the newest release from his guy Ridley Scott in ‘The Dog Stars’ starring Jacob Elordi and Margaret Qualley. They share their takeaways from the movie, debate Elordi’s performance and evolution as an actor, and assess where the film fits within Scott’s career. Before diving into ‘The Dog Stars’, they reflect on the passing of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, celebrating their remarkable careers and discussing what each of them meant personally. Then, they check in on the latest James Bond casting race and debate the strongest candidates among the six remaining contenders, before touching on Ryan Gosling’s developing ‘Flintstones’ project and whether it means Chris’s king is officially dead. Finally, Sean, Amanda, and Chris take on the daunting task of ranking all 30 films in Ridley Scott’s vast filmography.
(0:00) Intro
(1:16) Dolly Parton and Tim Curry
(5:51) The next James Bond
(15:46) Ryan Gosling ‘Flintstones’ spin-off
(19:23) ‘The Dog Stars’
(50:33) Talking Ridley Scott
(1:02:53) The Ridley Scott Movie Rankings
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Chris Ryan
Producer: Jack Sanders
Editor: Jamie Yukich
Production Support: Sarah Reddy and Lucas Cavanagh
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We’re drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan for their first ever “Flops Movie Draft” where they highlight some of their favorite movies that were commercial failures at the box office.
(0:00) Intro
(1:43) Earliest flop memories
(12:34) The Flops Movie Draft rules breakdown
(17:17) The Flops Movie Draft
(1:38:25) Honorable mentions
(1:48:06) Draft recap
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guests: Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan
Producer: Jack Sanders
Editor: Jamie Yukich
Production Support: Sarah Reddy and Lucas Cavanagh
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Well, there’s only one man to bring in to discuss Matt Johnson’s new biopic, ‘Tony,’ and that’s Anthony Bourdain aficionado Chris Ryan. Before diving into the movie, CR briefly gives a temperature check on the highly anticipated ‘Miami Vice’ sequel. Then, they unpack ‘Tony’ and highlight all of the reasons they found it to be deeply affecting. Later, they both share their top five “coming of age” movies of all time. Finally, Matt Johnson joins the show to tell Sean all of his secrets, because he likes him (his exact words). Johnson explains how Dominic Sessa convinced him to make the film despite his distaste for biopics in general, why he didn’t use any of his traditional filmmaking moves in the movie, and much more.
(0:00) Intro
(0:54) Chris Ryan joins the show!
(2:07) ‘Miami Vice’ reboot temperature check
(6:33) ‘Tony’
(33:00) The top five “coming of age” movies
(1:00:47) Matt Johnson joins the show!
Host: Sean Fennessey
Guests: Matt Johnson and Chris Ryan
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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A very special occasion (a potentially good dinosaur movie) requires very special company, which is why on today’s show, Sean is joined by Chris Ryan and Mallory Rubin to discuss David Robert Mitchell’s ‘The End of Oak Street.’ Before transporting back to the Mesozoic era, they cover Mallory’s trip to D23 and react to myriad announcements, most crucially the casting for the upcoming X-Men movie. Then, they briefly discuss ‘The Last House’ (a film they found utterly dreadful) before diving into ‘The End of Oak Street’ (a film they found wildly entertaining and incredibly fascinating). Later, they each provide their top five favorite ‘Twilight Zone’ movies. Finally, Sean is joined by actor Will Poulter to discuss his new film, ‘Union County,’ and why he’s pushing himself out of his comfort zone with roles that scare him.
(0:00) Intro
(1:07) CR and Mal join the show!
(4:28) X-Men casting announcements
(21:12) ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ trailer reaction
(27:42) Mal’s ‘Starfighter’ trailer reaction
(31:47) Other D23 announcements
(38:14) ‘The Last House’
(48:05) ‘The End of Oak Street’
(1:17:16) The top five 'Twilight Zone' movies
(1:45:27) Will Poulter joins the show!
(2:26:45) End-of-show outro
Host: Sean Fennessey
Guests: Will Poulter, Chris Ryan, and Mallory Rubin
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Sean is joined by “mean pod guy” Adam Nayman to cover Jane Schoenbrun’s new sexy slasher flick ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson. They celebrate what makes the movie so exciting and singular, and make the case for why it cements Schoenbrun as a crucially important and definitional millennial filmmaker. Then, they discuss what makes a great “final girl” and build the “final girl” film canon. Finally, Sean has a very special conversation with Schoenbrun, Einbinder, and Anderson where they dive deep into their film, shed light on the actual process behind making the movie, and explain why the project felt so special for each of them.
(0:00) Intro
(0:51) Adam Nayman joins the show!
(1:38) ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’
(44:07) The Final Girl Film Canon
(1:04:11) Gillian Anderson, Hannah Einbinder, and Jane Schoenbrun join the show!
Host: Sean Fennessey
Guests: Jane Schoenbrun, Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson, and Adam Nayman
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Sean is back from vacation, and to celebrate, we opened up the mailbag with an incredibly fun “ask Sean anything” prompt. Before diving in, he reacts to the massive commercial success of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ wish-casts some potential ‘X-Men’ roles following more casting updates, and shares his thoughts on the trailer for ‘Primetime,’ starring Robert Pattinson. Then, he answers all of your questions on how he prepares for filmmaker interviews, which actors are the most reliable chemistry alchemists, and whether he is “too horny.” Finally, Sean is joined by Patrick Fischler to break down what it’s really like to be a character actor in the industry. He tells the incredible story of how David Lynch taught him how to act in ‘Mulholland Drive,' and much more!
(0:00) Intro
(1:25) ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ box office
(7:41) ‘X-Men’ casting updates wish-casting
(12:24) ‘Primetime’ trailer reaction
(14:05) ‘Paper Tiger’ teaser
(15:18) Movies delayed to 2027
(16:58) The "ask Sean anything" mailbag
(1:17:24) The Amazing Life of a Character Actor, with Patrick Fischler
Host: Sean Fennessey
Guest: Patrick Fischler
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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On today’s show, Amanda is joined by her Jam Session co-host and romantic comedy expert Juliet Litman to discuss a movie referenced as "The Purge, but for sex,” otherwise known as ‘One Night Only,’ starring Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro. They break down why it’s an incredibly charming movie that almost works, mainly because it has all of the essential “rom-com” tropes nailed down, but has an insurmountable premise. Later, they theorize why romantic comedies have been dying as a genre and form their legally binding 21st century romantic comedy canon.
(0:00) Intro
(0:49) Juliet Litman joins the show!
(2:45) Movie news
(12:38) ‘One Night Only’
(55:45) Why are romantic comedies dying?
(1:07:02) Our definition of a romantic comedy
(1:15:36) The 21st Century Rom-Com Canon
Host: Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Juliet Litman
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Sarah Reddy
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O Canada! For the first time in The Big Picture’s history, we visited Toronto for a very special live show at the TIFF Lightbox. They open the show with some movie trivia about Canadian film, Christopher Nolan, and much more, before being joined by a wandering man named Chris searching for his girlfriend “Brie”. Then, they are joined by filmmaker Matt Johnson to discuss the current state of the Canadian film industry and answer what makes a movie Canadian. Finally, they are joined by mean pod guy Adam Nayman to draft some of their favorite “Canadian movies” across some very loose categories.
(0:00) Intro
(1:29) Movie trivia
(17:28) What makes a movie Canadian with Matt Johnson
(36:18) Adam Nayman joins the show!
(44:26) The Canadian Movie Draft
(1:43:35) Honorable mentions and draft recap
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guests: Matt Johnson, Adam Nayman, and Chris Ryan
Producers: Jack Sanders, Elizabeth Fierman, and Helen Eichner
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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With great power comes great responsibility. That’s why we brought in Van Lathan to discuss the fourth installment in the Tom Holland–era Spidey series: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day.’ They break down what worked for them and what didn’t work and sort through what it could all mean for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Later, they debate how it stacks up against the rest of the franchise and rank all 11 Spider-Man movies.
(0:00) Intro
(1:08) We are returning to American Cinematheque's Friend of the Fest!
(2:16) ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ trailer reaction
(8:14) ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ (SPOILER WARNING)
(1:03:56) The future of the MCU and box office predictions
(1:30:07) How our taste informs our relationship to different genres
(1:41:28) The Spider-Man Movie Rankings
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Van Lathan
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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It’s Sean’s (observed) birthday, and what better way to celebrate than by reacting to the news that Ryan Gosling will star as Ghost Rider in a Shawn Levy–directed MCU film? Then, they cover some additional movie news before giving a brief update on their Summer Movie Preview game. Next, they cover a handful of recent releases they haven’t discussed on the show yet, ranging anywhere from interesting to awful. Finally, Sean is joined by Gregg Araki to discuss his new film, ‘I Want Your Sex,’ starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman. He breaks down what he learned over the last decade making television, discusses why he put so much of his personal self into the main characters of this movie, and tells the story of how he cast Wilde and Hoffman in the lead parts.
(0:00) Intro
(1:21) Sean’s birthday episode (it’s over; he’s hit the age cliff)
(2:34) Ryan Gosling will star as Ghost Rider in a Shawn Levy–directed MCU film
(8:54) David Jonsson announced as the next Black Panther
(11:18) The box office success of ‘The Odyssey’
(15:48) Director Chuck Russell passed away at 74
(17:45) Summer Movie Preview game check-in
(24:08) Some movies we still haven't seen
(27:49) Ten movies we missed
(27:58) ‘Moana’
(33:48) ‘Minions & Monsters’
(40:33) ‘The Dink’
(47:56) ‘Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass’
(54:55) ‘Evil Dead Burn’
(58:04) ‘I Want Your Sex’
(1:01:08) ‘Her Private Hell’
(1:06:37) ‘Young Washington’
(1:14:21) ‘Motor City’
(1:19:28) ‘Voicemails for Isabelle’
(1:32:40) ‘The Samurai and the Prisoner’
(1:33:59) ‘Sheep in the Box’
(1:34:41) ‘Late Fame’
(1:38:42) Previewing August movies
(1:40:10) Gregg Araki joins the show!
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Gregg Araki
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Sean and Amanda open the show by reacting to the quite disappointing official lineup for this year’s Venice Film Festival, the news that Sony and Alamo Drafthouse are reviving the iconic Cinerama Dome, and some exciting new movies that have officially been green-lit. Then, they open up the mailbag to answer all of your summer movie questions. They explore what the future of IMAX will look like (especially with an impending sale on the table), wonder where Christopher Nolan could possibly go from here, debate what the best movie of the summer will be, and much more.
(0:00) Intro
(0:59) The Venice Film Festival lineup
(15:56) The Cinerama Dome is reopening
(23:52) Lou Gehrig biopic in the works with Richard Linklater and Glen Powell
(27:50) ‘Days of Thunder 2’ with Tom Cruise green-lit at Paramount
(31:42) The summer movie mailbag
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Movies are back! On today’s show, Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to bask in the glorious commercial and cultural success of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey.’ Before diving in, they react to myriad movie news headlines, including the first trailer for ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ the Paramount and Warner Bros. merger being paused, some fall film festival updates, and much more. Then, they sort through the dominant opening weekend box office performance of ‘The Odyssey’ and break down the film at length by discussing some of CR’s main takeaways. Finally, they embark on the overwhelming challenge of ranking every movie from Nolan’s filmography.
(0:00) Intro
(0:54) Summer movie mailbag
(1:52) ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ trailer reaction
(10:50) Paramount-Warner Bros. merger has been paused
(12:40) Fall film festival updates
(17:55) Ryan Coogler’s ‘X-Files’ reboot pilot shot on 65mm film
(19:15) Edward Berger making the next ‘Bourne’ movie with Matt Damon
(22:20) Rachel Cusk is writing a novel about Natalie Portman
(24:30) ‘The Odyssey’ smashes its opening weekend, and CR’s takeaways
(1:13:14) Our relationship to Christopher Nolan in 2026
(1:22:32) The Christopher Nolan movie rankings
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Chris Ryan
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time. On today’s show, Sean and Amanda cover the biggest movie event of the year, Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated ‘The Odyssey.’ Before entering their wooden horse to ambush the gates of Troy, they react to some movie news, including ‘The Batman Part II’ being delayed (again), some fall film festival lineup announcements, and more. Then, they kick off their deep dive into this legitimately levitating epic. They make the case for why it’s the perfect Christopher Nolan movie, highlight the pivotal decision to cast Matt Damon as Odysseus, and predict its box office and Academy Awards chances.
(0:00) Intro
(1:11) Movie news
(22:37) ‘The Odyssey’ deep dive
(1:51:32) Box office and Oscar predictions
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan for their first ever (and potentially last) Epic Movie Draft, in anticipation of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’. Before kicking things off, they react to legendary actor Sam Neil’s passing, Moana’s opening weekend box office bomb, and the trailers released for ‘Digger’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’. Then, they debate what it is exactly that makes a movie “epic” and draft some incredible films from a myriad of different categories.
(0:00) Intro
(1:47) We went to Canada
(3:27) Sam Neill’s passing
(7:12) ‘Moana’ bombs at the box office (and Disney's live-action future)
(17:04) ‘Digger’ trailer reaction
(22:11) ‘Dune: Part Three’ trailer reaction
(24:58) ‘Odyssey’-inspired epics series on the Criterion Channel
(27:00) What makes a movie epic?
(33:20) The Epic Movie Draft
(1:39:15) Honorable mentions and draft recap
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Chris Ryan
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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On today’s show, Sean and Amanda invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbor Chris Ryan for an episode that spirals into unexpected places, because they’re discussing Olivia Wilde’s ‘The Invite.’ They praise Wilde for her incredible sense of direction, celebrate the connective tissue between the wonderful writing and the distinct performances, and explore whether they read the ending as optimistic or pessimistic. Then, they share their personal top five “nightmare couple movies” of all time. Finally, Sean is joined by Wilde to dive deep into her new film. She explains why she feels we're very isolated in our culture now, how you know whether you’re giving the right performance in a movie you’re directing, and why this film had no chance being made within the studio system.
(0:00) Intro
(1:13) ‘The Invite’
(20:40) Spoiler alert
(45:37) The top five nightmare couple movies
(55:28) Olivia Wilde joins the show!
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Chris Ryan
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Sean and Amanda open the show by briefly discussing the disappointing opening weekend box office performance of ‘Minions & Monsters.’ Then, they honor legendary actor Diane Keaton by celebrating what made her such a special star, and they build her Hall of Fame, selecting their favorite performances from her illustrious career.
(0:00) Intro
(0:58) The disappointing box office performance of ‘Minions & Monsters’
(8:38) What made Diane Keaton so special?
(36:28) The Diane Keaton Hall of Fame
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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We’re back with the second part of our 2026 Movie Auction! Chris Ryan returns to look back at the results from the first auction (thus far), and then Chris, Sean, and Amanda bid against one another for some of their most anticipated movies coming out during the second half of the year.
(0:00) Intro
(1:17) ‘Werwulf’ trailer reaction
(5:20) The 2026 Movie Auction returns
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Chris Ryan
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Sean and Amanda are joined by some Ringer all-stars to share their favorite movies of the year so far, including big blockbusters, small indies, and everything in between. Later, Sean is joined by John Early to discuss his new film, ‘Maddie’s Secret,’ and break down the crazy journey of making this movie, shed light on his cinematic influences, and explain why he wants to prioritize filmmaking in his career going forward.
(0:00) Intro
(1:00) Chris Ryan’s favorite movie of 2026
(7:01) Joanna Robinson’s favorite movie of 2026
(17:20) Charles Holmes’s favorite movie of 2026
(27:22) Mallory Rubin’s favorite movie of 2026
(44:36) Van Lathan’s favorite movie of 2026
(58:21) Adam Nayman’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:12:12) Yasi Salek’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:26:19) Rob Mahoney’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:37:17) Jack Sanders’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:45:04) Amanda Dobbins’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:52:44) Sean Fennessey’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:58:23) John Early joins the show!
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guests: Chris Ryan, Joanna Robinson, Charles Holmes, Mallory Rubin, Van Lathan, Adam Nayman, Yasi Salek, Rob Mahoney, and John Early
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Sean and Amanda open the show by covering myriad movie news headlines, including the status of Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Artificial’, new footage released of Tom Cruise in his highly anticipated film, ‘Digger,’ and the Academy inviting 529 members, including Jacob Elordi, Teyana Taylor, Josh O’Connor, and more. Then, Sean and Amanda use the new DC film, ‘Supergirl,' which they found creatively and technically empty, as a springboard to have a wide-ranging conversation about the decline in importance of superhero movie culture. Finally, Chris Ryan joins the show to discuss the (potentially) final film of the ‘Jackass’ franchise: ‘Jackass: Best and Last’, a movie they all thoroughly enjoyed.
(0:00) Intro
(0:49) Movie news
(23:42) ‘Supergirl’
(45:12) What was the superhero movie era?
(1:03:23) ‘Jackass: Best and Last’ with Chris Ryan
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Chris Ryan
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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We’re drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by Ringer all-stars Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, Van Lathan, Joanna Robinson, and Rob Mahoney to draft their favorite movies from the year 2010.
(0:00) Intro
(0:17) The state of movies (and us) in 2010
(24:03) The 2010 Mega-Movie Re-Draft
(2:40:50) Honorable mentions and draft recap
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guests: Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, Van Lathan, Joanna Robinson, and Rob Mahoney
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh, Jacob Cornett, and Jamie Yukich
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Sean and Amanda open today’s show with a long list of movie news headlines, including Luca Guadagnino’s Sam Altman movie ‘Artificial’ being dropped by Amazon following their OpenAI partnership, and Curry Barker inking a 10-figure deal with Universal and Blumhouse Atomic Monster for his next original project. Then, they cover a new release with Michael Sarnoski’s ‘The Death of Robin Hood’ starring Hugh Jackman. They highlight its impressively gnarly filmmaking, explain why its big flaw is in the concept of the film itself, and take a look at the history of ‘Robin Hood’ movies and discuss what makes them successful. Next, they discuss ‘Toy Story 5’, a film which Sean and Amanda had vastly different reactions to. After debating what did and didn’t work for them, they rank every film from the ‘Toy Story’ franchise.
(0:00) Intro
(0:36) Movie news
(19:03) ‘The Death of Robin Hood’
(27:04) What makes a good ‘Robin Hood’ movie?
(42:18) ‘Toy Story 5’
(1:15:19) What is Pixar now?
(1:21:07) The ‘Toy Story’ movie rankings
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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On today’s show, Sean and Amanda dive deep into legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s filmography throughout the 21st century. Before discussing those movies, they celebrate the New York Knicks becoming NBA champions, a feat so magnificent that Sean swears he’s become a changed man. Next, they briefly touch on the overperformance of ‘Disclosure Day’ at the box office on opening weekend and cover two wildly different recent releases: ‘Office Romance’ and ‘The Furious.’ Then, they share some secondary thoughts about ‘Disclosure Day’ and react to the divisive response to the film thus far. Finally, they explore Spielberg’s 21st-century filmography and identify some key touchpoints and ideas before ranking every film he’s made this century.
(0:00) Intro
(0:36) The New York Knicks are NBA champions
(9:10) ‘Disclosure Day’ box office performance
(12:08) ‘Office Romance’
(24:05) ‘The Furious’
(26:53) Secondary ‘Disclosure Day’ thoughts and the divisive audience response
(43:17) Steven Spielberg’s 21st-century filmography
(1:15:34) The 21st-Century Steven Spielberg Rankings
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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On today’s show, Sean and Amanda cover one of their most anticipated movies of the year: Steven Spielberg’s alien thriller ‘Disclosure Day,’ starring Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt. Before diving in, Sean revels in the glory of an all-time New York Knicks victory that extended their NBA Finals lead over the San Antonio Spurs to 3-1 (0:43). Then, they hit myriad movie news headlines and, most importantly, react to the first trailer for Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Social Reckoning’ (12:47). Next, they have a wide-ranging conversation about ‘Disclosure Day,’ which they found to be an incredibly fascinating movie, not without flaws, and an amazing platform for Emily Blunt, who delivers the best performance of her career (38:05). Finally, they go into full spoilers and break down specific plot points, character motivations, and the final shot of the film (1:05:29).
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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