The ‘Cats’ trailer set fire to Twitter, and Marvel extinguished the flames by announcing its next decade of IP dominance—what are we looking forward to most (1:00)? Then, we finally hash it out: We debate the top five Quentin Tarantino movies (16:15). Lastly, producer Cameron Crowe, director A.J. Eaton, and titular star David Crosby join the show to discuss ‘David Crosby: Remember My Name,’ the long-in-the-works documentary about Crosby’s legendary life and music career (1:22:45). Host: Sean Fen...
Jul 23, 2019•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 175
Disney is in the midst of a nostalgia churn, and the latest installment is a remake of ‘The Lion King,’ the iconic 1994 peak of the Disney golden era. Have we reached a dark place with live-action remakes, and are there more to come? Plus, does the 2019 all-star cast live up to the original voice performances? Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 19, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 174
The slow box office summer continued this weekend as ‘Stuber’ failed to make a real impact in theaters. Is streaming going to put an end to the big-budget action comedy (0:37)? Plus, a long conversation with Lulu Wang about her path to becoming a filmmaker, the deeply personal experience of making ‘The Farewell,’ and what wider success means for a Sundance darling (42:30). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Lulu Wang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...
Jul 16, 2019•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 173
David Shoemaker joins the show to talk about how action stars are minted in the post–The Rock era of filmmaking, Dave Bautista’s rise to legitimate actor, and who is primed to make the leap from WWE to the big screen (0:45). Then, ‘Stuber’ director Michael Dowse comes in to talk about the role of improvisation in his films, working with Bautista and comedian Kumail Nanjiani, and what his future in directing looks like (25:07). Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: David Shoemaker, Michael Dowse Learn mor...
Jul 12, 2019•55 min•Ep. 172
We take an early survey of the alleged frontrunners in the 2020 Oscars—a slim list of movies that are already getting negative buzz—before discussing the live-action remake trend that Disney is employing in its latest effort to dominate the financial landscapes of moviemaking (1:00). Then, Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Stearns join the podcast (previously recorded at SXSW) to discuss their partnership in making ‘The Art of Self-Defense’ (54:17). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Jesse...
Jul 09, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 171
Chris Ryan joins to discuss ‘Midsommar,’ Ari Aster’s shocking Swedish nightmare follow up to his debut horror hit ‘Hereditary’ (1:00). Then, Aster comes by to talk about the challenges of making a horror film set exclusively in the daylight, the pressure of following ‘Hereditary,’ and what he’s doing next (14:47). Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Chris Ryan and Ari Aster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 03, 2019•53 min•Ep. 169
Friendly neighborhood MCU fan Micah Peters joins the show to discuss ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home,’ the Marvel movie tasked with following ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ the wonders of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio, and how the movie stacks up to last year’s smash hit ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’ Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Micah Peters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 02, 2019•43 min•Ep. 170
In this double episode, Sean and Amanda review ‘Yesterday,’ a movie that delivered in Beatles nostalgia but came up short in plot payoff (1:00). Then, Adam Nayman calls in from Toronto to share his top five movies of a slow year so far (42:50). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Adam Nayman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 28, 2019•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 168
The horror genre spent decades as the lowbrow stepchild of the movie industry, but now it’s the vehicle for exciting young filmmakers like Ari Aster and Jordan Peele. Chris Ryan joins the show to help make sense of how we got here (1:00). Then, Gary Dauberman stops by to discuss his path from writing spec scripts to becoming the director of ‘Annabelle Comes Home’—the latest movie in the 'Conjuring' universe, a series he helped grow (21:31). Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Chris Ryan and Gary Dauber...
Jun 25, 2019•50 min•Ep. 167
Despite the threat of sequel fatigue, Pixar has managed to create classics. 'Toy Story 4' is the latest example, a fascinating portrait of identity that doubles as a treatise on trash. Rob Harvilla joins Sean Fennessey to talk about the new film, what it means to kids and parents, and how the studio has persisted for 25 years (1:36). Then, they share their top five Pixar movies (28:43). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 21, 2019•53 min•Ep. 166
'Men in Black: International' is yet another in a series of disappointing and drab sequels to hit this summer. What went wrong with the alien comedy relaunch? And should young stars like Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson count on shaky franchises to brighten their careers (1:15)? Then, we examine what makes a great summer movie slate, and what—if anything—we can learn from the lineups of the past 10 years (36:40). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
Jun 18, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 165
We dive deep on ‘The Snyder Cut’—the unreleased director’s cut of ‘Justice League’—and the activism surrounding it from DCEU fans, before reviewing the Netflix Bob Dylan mockumentary ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’ (1:00). Then, indie film pioneer Jim Jarmusch joins the show to discuss his new film 'The Dead Don’t Die,' his first foray into the zombie genre (37:55). Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Rob Harvilla, Jim Jarmusch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 14, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 164
We go over Mindy Kaling’s feature screenwriting debut, ‘Late Night, before reviewing the box office flop of ‘Dark Phoenix,’ the most recent and final release of this generation of the X-Men franchise (1:00). Then, ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ director Joe Talbot joins to talk about his directorial debut—a picturesque examination of his hometown in the face of rapid gentrification (55:45). Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Amanda Dobbins and Joe Talbot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
Jun 11, 2019•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 163
Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to dive deep on the existing X-Men franchise, a two-decade-long series of movies that have seldom delivered but still grabbed our attention. Then, the two review the newly released “Dark Phoenix” and speculate over the direction Disney will take with X-Men’s intellectual property. Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Chris Ryan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 07, 2019•53 min•Ep. 162
Sean is joined by Mallory Rubin to react as fans to HBO’s ‘Chernobyl’—a science-laden docudrama that snuck up as one of the best shows on television this year (1:00). Then showrunner Craig Mazin comes to the studio to talk about making the jump from film to TV and how writing for feature-length comedy prepared him for conveying a real-life tragedy on screen (37:00). Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Mallory Rubin and Craig Mazin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jun 04, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 161
We give our immediate reactions to ‘Rocketman’—Dexter Fletcher’s Elton John biopic, starring Taron Egerton. How is Egerton’s singing? How does the film handle John’s sexuality in comparison to a film like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody?’ Is “Elton John is good” the first thing Sean and Amanda have ever agreed on? Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 31, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 160
The discourse around ‘Booksmart’ blew up on Twitter over the long weekend, but the film still disappointed at the box office. What, if anything, is there to make of the reaction (1:15)? Then we discuss the breakout movies from the Cannes Film Festival, the premiere of Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,' and early Oscar favorites (25:41). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 29, 2019•58 min•Ep. 159
Disney is releasing its third live-action remake of a beloved animated classic this year alone—is this overflooding the market or is it a smart strategy for bolstering their incoming streaming platform? Plus, we examine how Will Smith’s career led him to be a charming (if lacking) Genie, and the perplexing decisions of an ultimately interesting filmmaker in Guy Ritchie. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 24, 2019•56 min•Ep. 158
We preview ‘Booksmart,’ Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut out this weekend, and the latest in a long tradition of what we call “high school movies"—of which we share our top five lists (1:10). Then (recorded previously at SXSW), Sean is joined by Olivia Wilde, Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Katie Silberman, and Billie Lourd to talk about making ‘Booksmart’ and what it takes to make a successful high school comedy in 2019 (49:30). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Olivia Wilde, Be...
May 21, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 157
Chad Stahelski, the mind behind John Wick, joins the show to discuss some of the unique difficulties of shooting one of the most action-packed franchises in Hollywood, his relationship with Keanu Reeves, and the converging arts of stunt making and directing (2:11). Then, Shea Serrano calls in to wax poetic about the Wick universe and what ‘Parabellum’ means for its future (50:42). Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Chad Stahelski, Shea Serrano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...
May 17, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 156
You asked and we answered—sort of. In a year dominated by superheroes, it's been hard to find a common theme at the movies for just about anything else. So we share some of the weirdest movies of the year so far, like 'Serenity,' 'Under the Silver Lake,' and 'Wine Country.' Then we break down some of our favorites, including Olivier Assayas's 'Non-Fiction' and Claire Denis's 'High Life.' Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...
May 14, 2019•50 min•Ep. 155
Micah Peters joins the show to make sense of the public’s obsession with Pokémon and the release of ‘Detective Pikachu’ (1:30). Then, Werner Herzog comes by the studio to discuss his new documentary, ‘Meeting Gorbachev,’ and the scope of his long and successful career (26:30). Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Micah Peters and Werner Herzog Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 10, 2019•57 min•Ep. 154
We discuss the continued dominance of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at the box office and the ramifications for wide-release movies and smaller festival darlings alike (1:30) before analyzing Zac Efron’s portrayal of Ted Bundy (26:40) in Netflix's ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile.’ Then the film's director, Joe Berlinger, joins the show to discuss his documentary work, his second narrative film, and its companion documentary (31:40). Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Amanda Dobbins, Joe Berlinger L...
May 07, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 153
We examine Charlize Theron’s arc on the big screen—from prototypical roles that leaned heavily on her sexuality to her turn toward action stardom, ultimately leading to her role as secretary of state in Jonathan Levine’s new comedy, ‘Long Shot’ (0:45). Then, Levine joins the show to talk about working with Theron, Seth Rogen, and what types of films he sees himself making in the future (49:15). Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Amanda Dobbins, Rob Harvilla, Jonathan Levine Learn more about your ad ch...
May 03, 2019•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 152
We discuss the high-wire act that ‘Avengers: Endgame’ was trying to pull off—stitching together over a decade of films into one neat, fan-serviceable, creative ending—and if it ultimately worked (1:00). Then, we take a step back and look at some of the numbers ‘Endgame’ put up at the box office, and whether it spells total domination for the mid-budget movie (23:40). Finally, we look ahead to a summer full of non-Marvel movies and share which ones we’re most excited for (40:30). Hosts: Sean Fenn...
Apr 30, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 151
‘Avengers: Endgame,’ the culmination of more than a decade of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, is finally here. We discuss how the long-running arcs of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and many others have been strung together and resolved in ‘Endgame.’ Plus, we break down the movie’s complex ideas about time travel, character deaths, and, ultimately, its stakes. Finally, we take stock of where this leaves the MCU, and what could be in store for Phase 4 and beyond. Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Ma...
Apr 26, 2019•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 150
‘Avengers: Endgame’ is just days away, and with that comes the final installment in our Marvel Month series: ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming.’ We discuss our relationships with Spider-Man as a cinematic figure, Tom Holland’s portrayal of a character who hadn’t been quite nailed down by other talented actors like Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, and where the character is headed as the Marvel story drifts further into space—decidedly different than the high school setting of this film. Host: Sean Fenne...
Apr 24, 2019•53 min•Ep. 149
We go over the week in the movie world: Beyoncé’s documentary ‘Homecoming,’ the Oscars happening two weeks earlier, and the movies we’re anticipating will enter the Best Picture conversation (1:40). Then Andrew Garfield joins the show to talk about his new film ‘Under the Silver Lake,’ an L.A.-based noir film that is a change of pace from his career arc thus far (33:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Andrew Garfield Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adc...
Apr 19, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 148
In the penultimate episode of our Marvel Month preview series, we sit down to discuss ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’ How does AI function as a villain in the Marvel universe? Does the movie jump from location to location too frequently? Is this movie better now than when it actually came out? Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Micah Peters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 17, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 147
As ‘Avengers: Endgame’ inches closer, we continue our Marvel month with one of the most effective, influential, and surprising movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: James Gunn’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ We review the original ‘Guardians’ comics, then examine the movie’s star-making ability, its use of music, and its long-lasting impact on the MCU. Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: David Shoemaker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 12, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 146
