We sift through what’s real and what’s just British after the BAFTAs this weekend, and whether or not the ‘A Star Is Born’ media blitz is helping or hurting its stock at the Oscars. Then we wonder what might happen if the Oscars telecast is as much of a disaster as it’s shaping up to be. Finally, Sean sits down with Nicholas Britell—the composer of the ‘If Beale Street Could Talk,’ ‘Moonlight,’ and ‘Succession’ soundtracks—to talk about the process of conceiving a score and working with a direct...
Feb 12, 2019•2 hr 33 min•Ep. 126
With today’s Netflix release of Steven Soderbergh’s newest film, ‘High Flying Bird,’ we sit down to list and discuss the top five movies he’s made in a prolific career. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 08, 2019•54 min•Ep. 125
We take stock of a Best Documentary Oscars race that doesn’t include ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’ and ‘Three Identical Strangers’—two of the most commercially successful documentaries of the year (0:40). Then ‘Free Solo’ directors Jimmy Chin and E. Chai Vasarhelyi join the show to talk about the challenges of filming a climber in a life-or-death situation (18:22). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Jimmy Chin and E. Chai Vasarhelyi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoic...
Feb 07, 2019•46 min•Ep. 124
We spend an inordinate amount of time talking about ‘The Wife,’ Glenn Close’s latest film that will likely net her her first Best Actress win at the Oscars (1:09). Then we assess the stock of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘A Star Is Born,’ and ‘Roma’ after the Directors Guild Awards (40:30). Finally, Sean sits down with ‘BlacKkKlansman’ editor Barry Alexander Brown to discuss working with Spike Lee and the role of an editor in the filmmaking process (59:15). Hosts: Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins Guest: B...
Feb 05, 2019•2 hr 33 min•Ep. 123
Dan Gilroy joins the show to talk his Netflix-backed horror-thriller art-world satire, directing Jake Gyllenhaal, and the commercialization of creativity. Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Dan Gilroy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 01, 2019•28 min•Ep. 122
This week we break down a big win for ‘Black Panther’ at the SAG Awards and whether it will improve its Best Picture chances (2:20). Then Sean shares his Academy Award nomination frustrations, and we examine how the telecast could be headed for disaster (16:00). Finally, we take a long look at the Best Director race, ‘Roma,’ and Netflix’s standing in the Oscar conversation (45:26). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins How Does Netflix Make Money? | Ringer PhD Learn more about your ad choices...
Jan 30, 2019•57 min•Ep. 121
Our instant reactions to the 2019 Oscar nominations pose as many questions as answers: Is 'Roma' the new favorite? Is ‘A Star Is Born’ doomed? And why couldn’t the Academy get it together for Ethan Hawke? Then we turn to the never-ending 'Green Book' saga in Stock Up/Stock Down and examine the Best Picture betting odds as they stand on January 22. Hosts: Amanda Dobbins, Chris Ryan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 22, 2019•46 min•Ep. 120
We react to ‘Glass,’ veteran director M. Night Shyamalan’s final installation in an almost-two-decade-long trilogy that includes ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Split.’ Where does the movie, which stars a cast of James McAvoy, Samuel L. Jackson, and Bruce Willis, fit into a catalogue that includes home runs like ‘The Sixth Sense’ and lows like ‘The Happening?’ Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Justin Charity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 21, 2019•32 min•Ep. 119
Rob Harvilla calls in to make sense of the release of two Fyre Festival documentaries in the same week by Netflix and Hulu. Then, ‘Minding the Gap’ director Bing Liu talks about navigating the complicated and personal themes in his documentary. Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Bing Liu, Rob Harvilla Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 18, 2019•58 min•Ep. 118
This week, we explore how the various guild awards can tell us who is in the best position to bring home Oscars (0:53). Then, we try and digest the deluge of ‘Green Book’ controversies (25:21). Finally, we try and place our finger on an answer to the existential question hanging over our show: What does 'Best Picture' even mean (32:42)? Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Links: This Is the Most Wide-Open Best Picture Race in Years, Sean Fennessey Green Book Director Used to Flash His Penis...
Jan 15, 2019•48 min•Ep. 117
Chris Ryan joins the show to break down the latest news that the Oscars will be hosted by committee and share his top five Los Angeles films. Then, director Karyn Kusama joins the show to discuss ‘Destroyer’—her second movie with a distinct take on L.A. Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Karyn Kusama, Chris Ryan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 11, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 116
We unpack a shocking night as the Golden Globes crown ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ Rami Malek, Glenn Close, and ‘Green Book’ — and ‘A Star Is Born’ comes away with only one award. What does it mean going forward for Oscars front-runners Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, and more? Hosts: Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 07, 2019•57 min•Ep. 115
‘Vice’ writer-director Adam McKay joins the show to talk about his relationship to the politics of Dick Cheney, learning to take criticism from his days in comedy, and whether ‘The Big Short’ and ‘Vice’ are a better indication of his future than ‘Step Brothers’ and ‘Anchorman.’ Host: Sean Fennessey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 04, 2019•34 min•Ep. 114
We share our ballot picks for all 14 movie categories ahead of Sunday’s Golden Globes and preview whether ‘A Star Is Born’ is the juggernaut we think it is (0:50). Then Sean sits down with ‘Cold War’ writer-director Pawel Pawlikowski to discuss how he crafted a detailed, memory-driven film about characters modeled after his parents (54:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 02, 2019•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 113
We examine and dissect the backlash against Adam McKay’s ‘Vice,’ starring Christian Bale as Dick Cheney (0:55). Then we touch on ’Black Panther,' ‘Mary Poppins Returns,’ and ‘Cold War’ in Stock Up/Stock Down (32:53), before closing out with a Best Picture race odds breakdown (59:43). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 27, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 112
Sean Fennessey and David Shoemaker take a trip into the cinematically gorgeous — but ultimately average — world of the latest DC Universe release, 'Aquaman.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 21, 2018•41 min•Ep. 111
Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins, and Juliet Litman discuss ‘Mary Poppins Returns,’ the sequel to the classic Disney film, starring Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 19, 2018•36 min•Ep. 110
The debate over how to watch ‘Roma’ is starting to obscure actual conversations about ‘Roma’ (1:15), and ‘The Mule’ doesn’t quite make the Oscars cut (9:15). Plus, a mailbag full of questions about ‘A Star Is Born,’ up-and-coming actors, and the future of Netflix’s influence on theaters (13:19). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 18, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 109
Sean Fennessey and Micah Peters recap the surprising highs of the latest installment of the ‘Spider-Man’ universe — an animated film that's also a major achievement in the genre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 14, 2018•34 min•Ep. 108
Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins returns to 'The Big Picture' to discuss his life and work since ‘Moonlight’ won Best Picture at the Oscars and the unique challenge of recreating 1970s Harlem for his adaptation of James Baldwin’s ‘If Beale Street Could Talk.’ Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Barry Jenkins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 13, 2018•43 min•Ep. 107
Kevin Hart is out as host of the Academy Awards after a bungled non-apology tour. What happens next (0:50)? Plus: What the Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards mean for ‘Roma,’ ‘A Star Is Born,’ and the Best Picture race (11:45), and a conversation about the best acting performances of the year with The New York Times’ Wesley Morris (19:30). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Wesley Morris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 11, 2018•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 106
We break down which movies made the final cut for our top 10 lists this year — including everything from ‘Black Panther’ and ‘A Star Is Born’ to ‘Burning,’ ‘Support the Girls,’ ‘Minding the Gap,’ and more. Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 07, 2018•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 105
Reacting to the Golden Globes nominations, including surprising love for ‘Vice,’ chaos in the category definitions, pleasant surprises and alarming snubs, and why we love Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg as hosts. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 06, 2018•54 min•Ep. 104
Actor, writer, and director John Krasinski joins the show to talk about how he became not just the star, but also the writer-director of the box office smash ‘A Quiet Place,’ how he evolved after ‘The Office,’ and where he’s going next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 29, 2018•40 min•Ep. 103
Can 'Black Panther' and 'A Star Is Born' power through an onslaught of smaller, highly regarded films like 'Roma,' and 'The Favourite'? (0:57); stock up/stock down for 'Green Book' and 'Widows' (22:00); and a close look at an unusually competitive Best Actress race (34:45). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 27, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 102
‘Creed II’ director Steven Caple Jr. joins the show to talk about Sylvester Stallone’s influence on his filmmaking and the 'Creed' franchise as well as the unique challenges of the 'Rocky' legacy. Host: Sean Fennessey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 21, 2018•42 min•Ep. 101
Academy Award–winning director Steve McQueen stops by to discuss his new film, the Viola Davis–starring heist drama ‘Widows.’ Host: Sean Fennessey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 19, 2018•33 min•Ep. 100
'Binge Mode' meets 'The Big Picture' as Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion join Sean Fennessey to react to the second film in Harry Potter’s ‘Fantastic Beasts’ series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 16, 2018•55 min•Ep. 99
With 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' set to hit Netflix November 16, Sean Fennessey taps Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman to share and dissect their top five Coen brothers films. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 15, 2018•53 min•Ep. 98
Dissecting ‘Outlaw King’ and what it means for Netflix’s upcoming releases of ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’ and ‘Roma’ (1:20), stock up/stock down with ‘The Front Runner’ (23:15), and the emerging favorites for the Best Supporting Actress category (36:45). Now Netflix Wants to Conquer Prestige Movies—and the Oscars. Why? Sean Fennessey Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 13, 2018•49 min•Ep. 97
