The Big Picture
The Ringer
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Recent Episodes
‘Disclosure Day’ Is Steven Spielberg’s True Believer Manifesto. Kneel!
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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mel at 100: The Mel Brooks Movie Rankings. Plus: ‘Scary Movie’ Is Terrifyingly Awful
Sean and Amanda kick off the show with some movie news, including the remarkable box office surge that shows no signs of slowing down (0:45). Next, they discuss why the new Scary Movie doesn't work and why audiences are showing up for it anyway (8:48). Then, they are joined by Yasi Salek and Adam Nayman to celebrate Mel Brooks as he approaches his 100th birthday (16:57). Together, they comb through his legendary filmography, rank his films (55:24), discuss his lasting influence on comedy, and explore how his work helped shape generations of filmmakers. Never underestimate the power of the Schwartz! Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Yasi Salek and Adam Nayman Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh, Sarah Reddy, and Jamie Yukich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman!
Sean joins forces with Griffin Newman of the Blank Check podcast. Together, they discuss the recent run of box-office successes and what it says about the current state of movies (2:16), before answering the call of Grayskull and journeying to Eternia to unpack the latest adaptation of 'Masters of the Universe' (21:25). While there, they discuss the best high-fantasy films of all time (1:15:40), and Griffin unveils his Toy Movie Hall of Fame (1:25:58). Later, Sean sits down with Samara Weaving and Adam Rehmeier, the star and director of the new crime romance 'Carolina Caroline,' to discuss making the film and the winding paths that led them there (1:45:20). Hosts: Sean Fennessey Guests: Griffin Newman, Samara Weaving, and Adam Rehmeier Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh, Sarah Reddy, and Jamie Yukich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We’re So Back for Good: ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ Mania and 10 Movies We Missed!
Movies are so back! Sean and Amanda break down the remarkable success of 'Obsession' and 'Backrooms' and discuss the larger phenomenon currently unfolding in Hollywood (3:00). Then, they revisit their predictions in the Summer Movie Preview Game, examining where they were surprisingly spot-on and where they missed the mark entirely (33:00). Next, they catch up on 10 new releases they missed while traveling last month (39:45). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh, Sarah Reddy and Jamie Yukich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
‘Backrooms’ Is the Future of Movies, With Kane Parsons!
Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to explore some liminal spaces and figure out what really scares them. They open the show by reacting to some brief movie news (3:20) before diving deep into one of the most highly anticipated directorial debuts this decade: Kane Parsons’s ‘Backrooms,’ starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve (11:14). They break down how the movie pushes the filmmaking medium, discuss why it works on its own without any prior knowledge of the original material, and debate whether this type of success is a blip or whether it represents what the future of film will look like. Finally, Parsons joins Sean to discuss his new film and explain what the process was like shifting from making stuff for YouTube to making something for the big screen (1:02:02). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Kane Parsons and Chris Ryan Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Is the End of 'Star Wars' As We Know It. Plus: The Winners and Losers at Cannes.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away … we used to have good ‘Star Wars’ movies. Before diving into ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’, Sean and Amanda give a final recap of their trip to the Cannes Film Festival, and cover a handful of movie news headlines they missed while they were overseas (2:28). Then, they are joined by ‘Star Wars’ superfan Van Lathan to discuss who the movie was actually made for, why it doesn’t feel special for one of cinema’s biggest movie franchises, and how this film marks an end of an era for ‘Star Wars’ at large (32:02). Finally, Sean is joined by Daniel Roher to discuss why he felt his new film ‘Tuner’ was an exercise to prove to himself that he could broaden his horizons outside of the documentary genre (1:28:33). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Daniel Roher and Van Lathan Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We Went to Cannes! These Are the 10 Best (and Worst) Things We Saw.
Bonjour! Sean and Amanda recap their first trip to the legendary Cannes Film Festival, which has become an incredible bellwether for the Best Picture race over the last five to 10 years. First, they talk through what the actual experience at the festival is like, including how it logistically works, what the vibes are like, and how to survive (0:39). Then, they dive into the slate of films they’ve seen and categorize them into the good, the bad, and the WTF (24:29). Finally, they share their final predictions for all of the main prizes at the festival and briefly cover some potential Oscar implications (1:40:54). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Sarah Reddy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The 1976 Movie Draft
We’re drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by potential third chairs Chris Ryan and Tracy Letts to draft their favorite movies from 1976. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Chris Ryan and Tracy Letts Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Sarah Reddy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The 10 Best Horror Movies of the Year … So Far. Plus: The New Scary Movie Royalty, and ‘Obsession,’ With Curry Barker!
On today’s show, Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the current state of one of their favorite shared loves: horror movies. They talk through the current paths for directors to break into the genre (0:52), highlight which filmmakers they think are at the top of the game right now (13:52), and break down a myriad of recent releases, including ‘Obsession’, ‘Hokum’, and ‘Lee Cronin's The Mummy’ (32:45). Later, Curry Barker joins the show to discuss his new horror film, ‘Obsession’. He explains how he got his start as a filmmaker in Alabama, shares his personal perspective as a person who went through the YouTube pipeline, and breaks down what’s next for him as both a director and an actor (1:19:23). Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Curry Barker and Chris Ryan Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh This episode is sponsored by State Farm®️. A State Farm agent can help you choose the coverage you need. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Robert Duvall Hall of Fame
Sean is joined by Tracy Letts to honor the monumental work of legendary actor Robert Duvall. They celebrate the star’s illustrious career, share their personal relationships with his work, and build his Hall of Fame. Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Tracy Letts Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Sarah Reddy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Physical Media High Council Reconvenes!
Hear ye, hear ye! Gather 'round for the (somewhat) annual reconvening of the illustrious Physical Media High Council! Grand Maester Fennessey is joined by his three lords, Chris Ryan, first knight Timothy “Hitmaker” Simons, and the king of physical media Tracy Letts, to discuss the state of collecting and share some of their personal favorites from their respective collections (00:06). Then, they open up the mailbag to answer all of your questions regarding how to organize a collection, detailed breakdowns of their personal at-home setups, and share their individual 4K “grails” (1:35:00). Host: Sean Fennessey Executive Producer: Amanda Dobbins Guests: Chris Ryan, Tracy Letts, and Tim Simons Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The ‘Star Wars’ Rankings and the 'Andor' Miracle
May the Fourth be with you! Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to revisit the hit second season of ‘Andor’ and break down the countless things that make it a truly special television show (0:48). Then, they conduct their ‘Star Wars’ rankings and sort through every movie, as well as ‘Andor’ and ‘The Mandalorian’ (59:29). Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Chris Ryan Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Sarah Reddy and Lucas Cavanagh This episode is sponsored by State Farm®️. A State Farm agent can help you choose the coverage you need. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and the Movies That Feel Like Our Lives
Fresh off Fashion Week, Sean and Amanda react to one of their most anticipated movies of 2026: ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’. They share their feelings on the sequel, discuss how it differs from the original, and examine how the media and fashion industries have evolved over the past 20 years (1:01). Next, they cover ‘Mile End Kicks,’ a portrait of a young music writer in Canada circa 2011, with Sean reflecting on his own trials and tribulations working as a music journalist (57:50). Finally, Sean sits down with writer-director Chandler Levack to discuss both of her films being released this year—‘Mile End Kicks’ and the Netflix comedy ‘Roommates,’ produced by Happy Madison Productions (1:06:45). That’s all. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chandler Levack Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh, Sarah Reddy, and Jamie Yukich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The 'Star Wars' Movie Draft
In a galaxy far, far away … Sean and Amanda use the Force to bring in their fellow Jedis Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, and Van Lathan for a 'Star Wars' movie draft. They share their anticipation (or lack thereof) for ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu,' break down their relationships to the movies themselves, and draft some of their favorite and least favorite things about the iconic franchise. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, and Van Lathan Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Sarah Reddy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
‘Michael’ Wants to Start Something It Can’t Finish. Plus: ‘Mother Mary’ With David Lowery!
Sean and Amanda are joined by our music biopic correspondent, Yasi Salek, to unpack their complicated feelings on the highly anticipated musical biopic ‘Michael.’ Before diving into the movie, they quickly cover some movie news: most importantly, the ‘Miami Vice’ reboot getting a new title and a release date (1:51). Then, they break down all of the good, the bad, and the ugly with ‘Michael’ and highlight why the re-creation of Michael Jackson’s music feels deeply special but is ultimately inside of something hollow and uninteresting (10:31). Next, they discuss David Lowery’s new gothic fantasia musical, ‘Mother Mary,’ starring Anne Hathaway, which they praise for its beautiful filmmaking and nuanced and complicated portrayal of relationships, creativity, and fame (55:14). Finally, Lowery joins the show and explains why casting Hathaway and Michaela Coel was crucial to the movie’s success, how ‘The Green Knight’ helped him realize he wanted to work on something smaller in scale, and why making the movie felt like a supernatural experience (1:10:10). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: David Lowery and Yasi Salek Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh Camera Operators: Sarah Reddy, Donald LoBianco, and Ryan Todd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices