The Big Picture

Drop the “the.” Just “Big Picture.” It’s cleaner. Today on Big Picture, Sean and Amanda discuss the much anticipated (and also dreaded) legacy sequel ‘The Social Reckoning,’ written and directed by one of our main characters: Aaron Sorkin. Before diving in, they briefly react to the official merging of Warner Bros. and Paramount and hypothesize what the future of David Ellison’s Skydance will look like. Then, Sean shares his New York Film Festival recap and highlights the best movies he saw, many of which Amanda has also seen. Next, in theme with corporate power trillionaires, they cover Alex Gibney’s new documentary, ‘Musk,’ and break down what did and didn’t work for them. Finally, they unpack all of their feelings on ‘The Social Reckoning,’ explore why many of the performances didn’t jive with Sorkin’s style, and share their most unnecessary legasequels of all time.

(0:00) Intro

(1:22) Skydance movie news

(13:02) New York Film Festival recap

(44:33) ‘Musk’

(53:58) ‘The Social Reckoning’

(1:35:48) The most unnecessary legasequels

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Another year, another Colleen Hoover adaptation. How lucky are we? Before diving into the biggest box office success from the weekend, Sean and Amanda react to the news that Mike DeLuca and Pam Abdy will not continue their roles at David Ellison’s Skydance. They look back at their biggest successes and failures, and wonder what the future of Skydance looks like. Then, they briefly discuss ‘Sicario 3’ being greenlit with all of the returning stars, but notably neither Denis Villeneuve or Stefano Sollima. Finally, they cover ‘Verity,’ an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s erotic thriller, starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett. They break down why the original source material sets the movie up for failure, what they want from the erotic thriller genre going forward, and debate whether we have a “Dakota Johnson problem.”

(0:00) Intro

(0:50) ‘Digger’ bombs at the box office

(7:32) Mike DeLuca and Pam Abdy out at Warner Bros.-Paramount, and the future of Skydance

(38:04) ‘Sicario 3’ a go with Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin to return

(41:09) ‘Verity’

(1:02:07) SPOILER WARNING

(1:23:31) Dakota Johnson temperature check

(1:29:24) The state of erotic thrillers vs. what we want

(1:32:46) Looking forward to the October slate

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Remy Hernandez

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BANG! BANG! BANG! On today’s show, Sean and Amanda discuss one of their most anticipated movies of the year in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ‘Digger,’ starring Tom Cruise. They unpack their very complicated feelings and make the case for why you need to see this incredibly divisive movie on the big screen. Later, they look at Iñárritu’s career at large and wonder: Why did Tom Cruise make this movie? Finally, they take an extensive look at where Cruise fits into the Best Actor race at this year’s Academy Awards, and share their 10 favorite performances from his fascinating career.

(0:00) Intro

(1:07) ‘Digger’

(13:05) SPOILER WARNING

(54:18) Iñárritu’s career at large

(59:21) Why did Tom Cruise make this movie?

(1:08:07) The Best Actor race

(1:23:05) The top 10 Tom Cruise performances

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Batter up! Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan and Mallory Rubin to draft some of their favorite movies focused on one of their biggest shared interests: baseball. They break down what makes baseball movies so special, explain the new (and somewhat controversial) categories, and, most importantly, draft.

(0:00) Intro

(1:19) Why baseball movies are the best sports movies

(17:27) The categories and draft order

(25:11) The Baseball Movie Draft

(1:29:47) Honorable mentions and draft recap

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Mallory Rubin

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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What does it mean when old movie rereleases make more money than ever at the box office? Sean and Amanda try to answer that question on today’s show by discussing ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ outperforming a slew of new releases this weekend, including ‘Heart of the Beast,’ ‘Forgotten Island,’ and ‘Primetime.’ Then, they cover a handful of other recent releases in ‘The Weight,’ ‘The Love Hypothesis,’ and ‘The History of Concrete.’ Finally, Sean is joined by acclaimed documentarian John Wilson to discuss his new film, ‘The History of Concrete,’ and why he finds the current state of the genre to be strange.

(0:00) Intro

(1:57) Jon Watts to direct new ‘Star Wars’ film

(7:13) Sabrina Carpenter, Margaret Qualley join Tom Holland's Fred Astaire biopic

(10:15) The weekend box office and the old vs. new wave

(18:28) ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’

(34:51) ‘Heart of the Beast’

(50:38) ‘Forgotten Island’

(58:28) ‘Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother’

(1:05:10) ‘The Weight’

(1:13:07) ‘The Love Hypothesis’

(1:25:32) ‘The History of Concrete’

(1:30:45) John Wilson joins the show!

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: John Wilson

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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Why don’t you take a seat and sit back, because on today’s show, Sean and Amanda discuss one of their most anticipated films of the year: ‘Primetime,’ starring Robert Pattinson. Before diving in, they briefly share their overall feelings with the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger looking likely to go through, and preview an exciting weekend at the movies. Then, they break down the new film from Lance Oppenheim and sing its praises by identifying it as one of the most exciting movies of the year. Finally, Oppenheim joins Sean to explore the difficulties of transitioning from documentary to narrative film, how he first discovered Chris Hansen as a kid and found him endlessly fascinating, and shares a handful of films that ultimately inspired Pattinson’s performance.

(0:00) Intro

(1:37) Paramount merger feelings and looking forward to an exciting weekend at the movies

(10:00) ‘Primetime’

(31:56) SPOILER WARNING

(53:11) Opening weekend cultural, critical, and box office expectations

(1:00:33) Amanda’s (very brief) ‘La Bola Negra’ thoughts

(1:03:00) Lance Oppenheim joins the show!

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Lance Oppenheim

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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On today’s show, Sean is joined by Tracy Letts to cover a new documentary, ‘Boorman and the Devil,' which tells the fascinating tale of director John Boorman and his misbegotten ‘Exorcist’ sequel. They discuss the film at length as well as use it as a springboard to discuss what a director actually does on set, as well as share their favorite documentaries and scripted movies about filmmakers.

(0:00) ‘Halloween’ double feature in San Francisco!

(1:05) Intro

(2:10) ‘Boorman and the Devil’, why ‘The Exorcist II’ doesn’t work, and John Boorman’s legacy

(43:30) Demythologizing the director myth and the best documentaries about directors

(1:28:37) Scripted films about real directors

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Tracy Letts

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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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

It’s on Prime.
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