The Big Picture

We are drafting again and since it’s Halloween season, we needed to bring in a big gun. Six-time 'Big Picture' returning champion Alex Ross Perry is live and in studio to parse through the horror canon.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Alex Ross Perry and Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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This year marks the 30th anniversary of David Lynch’s ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,’ and the 25th anniversary of ‘Lost Highway.’ To celebrate, Sean and Adam Nayman are diving deep into the unnerving, beautiful, often terrifying dream logic of their Lynchian fascinatination.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Adam Nayman

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda get excited for the best movie month of the year, digging into some new October releases, including ‘Amsterdam,’ ‘Triangle of Sadness,’ and ‘Tár,’ as well as the best movies at the New York Film Festival and a brief celebration of the new Star Wars show 'Andor.'

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ the sequel to the most lucrative movie of all time, is slated for the end of this year. Does anyone care? Sean is joined by Griffin Newman and David Sims, hosts of the ‘Blank Check’ podcast, to discuss the lasting impact of James Cameron’s technologically revolutionary behemoth, and more importantly, whether ‘Avatar’ is actually good.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Griffin Newman and David Sims

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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‘Bros,’ Billy Eichner’s first leading role in a feature, is in theaters. Sean and Amanda dig into the movie before sharing their five favorite studio comedies of the century (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Nicholas Stoller, the director of ‘Bros’ and other comedy installments like ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ and ‘Neighbors,’ to discuss the film and the current state of theatrical comedies in relation to streaming and television (58:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Nicholas Stoller

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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‘Blonde,’ Andrew Dominik’s long-awaited Marilyn Monroe biopic starring Ana de Armas, is now available on Netflix. Sean and Amanda dissect the film’s handful of successes and numerous, puzzling failures, before discussing Monroe’s titanic impact on movie stardom and the various depictions of her throughout cinema history.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s the movie event of the fall, but not in a good way. Sean and Amanda break down all things ‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ Olivia Wilde’s controversy-racked new thriller, and talk about the most scandalous productions in movie history (2:00). Then, Sean is joined by Brett Morgen, direct of the new David Bowie documentary ‘Moonage Daydream’ (1:05:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Brett Morgen

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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After a quiet few weeks, movies are back in theaters in a big way—and none bigger than Gina Prince-Bythewood’s warrior epic ‘The Woman King.’ Sean and Amanda break down the new Viola Davis vehicle and nine more new releases, including a pair of disturbing horror movies, a David Bowie doc, and, um, ‘Pinocchio’ (2:00). Then, Adam Nayman joins Sean to share a report from the Toronto International Film Festival, including word on Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Fabelmans,’ ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,’ and ‘My Policeman’ (56:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Adam Nayman

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! And we’re widening the scope this time around. Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan pick their faves and foil their pals in a draft of 1980s comedy movies.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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The no. 1 movie in America is a depraved, completely unpredictable horror movie: hallelujah! Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan (2:00) to talk about this wonderful freak show before Sean is joined by writer-director Zach Cregger (53:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Zach Cregger

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We did it—500 episodes! To celebrate, Sean, Amanda, and Bobby are taking your calls and answering your burning questions about their favorite episodes, movie theater experiences, Big-Pic bits, and the future of the show.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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The Oscars Show is back! Sean recounts his biggest takeaways from Telluride and what can be gleaned for the upcoming awards season, before Sean and Amanda share their semi-serious predictions for an Oscars show that is six months away.

To call in and leave a voicemail for our 500th episode mailbag, give us a ring at (916) 900-2826‬.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! And we have a twist: Rather than draft the best movies of 2005, we’re looking at some of the worst and making a case for them. Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan pick their faves and foil their pals in an upside-down draft of the movies from 2005.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sylvester Stallone is back on the big screen in ‘Samaritan,’ an Amazon Prime superhero vehicle with Stallone at the center. To mark the occasion, Sean is joined by Bill Simmons to build out the Sly Hall of Fame.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Bill Simmons

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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George Miller, the beloved filmmaker responsible for the 'Mad Max' films, 'Babe,' 'Happy Feet,' and more, has a new fantasy film called 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' out this weekend. Sean is joined by Joanna Robinson to talk about the movie, and our undeniable fantasy moment (1:00). Then, Owen Kline talks to Sean about his debut feature ‘Funny Pages' (1:09:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Joanna Robinson and Owen Kline

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s been a grim summer movie season, but a promising fall awaits. Amanda and Sean break down the summer doldrums at the box office and then share the 20 fall films of 2022 they’re most excited to see.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Joanna Robinson joins Sean to dig into A24’s new Gen Z horror-comedy-whodunit ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ (0:00) and to share their five favorite “one crazy night” movies (1:00). Then, Halina Reijn, the Dutch actress and director of ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies,’ talks with Sean about how she transitioned to working behind the camera full-time (1:12:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Joanna Robinson and Halina Reijn

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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The latest in the ‘Predator’ movie saga, ‘Prey,’ is streaming on Hulu now. Chris Ryan joins Sean to talk about the film and where it sits in the ‘Predator’ canon (1:00). Then, ‘Prey’ director Dan Trachtenberg talks with Sean about how he made the film (44:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Dan Trachtenberg and Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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‘Bullet Train’, a new movie set—you guessed it—on a Bullet Train, hits theaters this weekend. Van Lathan joins Sean to discuss the star-studded Brad Pitt action vehicle, and then they share their top five favorite movies set on the railway (23:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Van Lathan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean shares five new films to stream (1:00) before opening up the mailbag to answer your questions and beat the summer doldrums (22:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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The Russo Brothers’ new Netflix action extravaganza got Sean and Chris Ryan thinking about a subgenre they love: trashy spy subcontractor stories. They discuss ‘The Gray Man’ (1:00) and the movies it’s lifting from in depth (33:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again and we have some special guests: Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary, longtime friends, filmmaking collaborators, and the hosts of the Video Archives Podcast join Sean, Amanda, and Chris Ryan to pick their faves and foil their pals in a draft of the movies from 1987.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, and Chris Ryan

Producers: Bobby Wagner

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‘Nope,’ Jordan Peele’s third feature film as writer-director, is in theaters now. Sean and Van Lathan dig into this complex, fascinating extraterrestrial tale (1:00), before Peele himself joins to talk about how and why he made his movie (1:05:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Jordan Peele and Van Lathan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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This year marks the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter’s sci-fi horror masterpiece, one of the signature cult classics in American cinema. Sean and Chris Ryan break down everything they love about the movie (1:00) before Carpenter joins the show to discuss how he made the film, and why it resonates to this day (55:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: John Carpenter and Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s time to auction again—after a thrilling Part 1 earlier in the year, Chris rejoins Sean and Amanda to bid on the best of the rest of the movies of 2022.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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There’s some angst among fans of the biggest franchise story of the 21st century. So Sean is joined by Charles Holmes and Rob Mahoney to discuss 'Thor: Love and Thunder', and the MCU'S recent struggles. They then pitch the Marvel stories they want to see on the big screen.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Charles Holmes and Rob Mahoney

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean is joined by Joanna Robinson to reflect on the passing of the great James Caan, before breaking down Taika Waititi’s latest installment of the Thor story, ‘Love and Thunder' (6:37). Then, Sean is joined by the French filmmaker Claire Denis to talk about her brilliant career and her latest film, ‘Both Sides of the Blade’ (67:11).

HOST: Sean Fennessey

GUESTS: Joanna Robinson and Claire Denis

PRODUCER: Steve Ahlman

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After years of threats, Sean and Amanda finally dive deep into the franchise that houses the world’s biggest movie stars: the Minions! They discuss the movies, including the just released ‘The Rise of Gru’ (2:00) and then share five movies they will show their children (39:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Mike Wargon

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Sean invites an all-star cast of Ringer contributors to share their favorite movies of the year.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Rob Harvilla, Charles Holmes, Van Lathan, Rob Mahoney, Adam Nayman, Joanna Robinson, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Chris Ryan joins Sean to discuss the new horror thriller 'The Black Phone,' which stars one of our most beloved actors, Ethan Hawke (1:00). Then, they build out the Hawke Hall of Fame with his 10 essential performances (25:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Baz Luhrmann’s latest film, a life-spanning biopic of Elvis Presley, is here, and Sean and Amanda are breaking down this exhaustive, expansive new film (1:00). Then, Adam Nayman joins to discuss the prescient comedy ‘Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story’ and their favorite music biopics (24:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Adam Nayman

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda break down 'Lightyear,' the one new movie in theaters while a whole bundle of new movies are streaming at home right now, and what that tells us about the state of the movie business.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s real and it’s here. Chris Ryan joins Sean to discuss Netflix’s new sci-fi drama ‘Spiderhead.’ Then they discuss Netflix’s challenges as a movie studio in 2022 (1:00). Finally, ‘Spiderhead’ screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick discuss with Sean how they came to adapt a George Saunders short story and their careers (56:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! And Amanda is back! She and Sean are joined by Chris Ryan to pick their faves and foil their pals in a draft of the movies from 2009.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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There’s a new installment of the ‘Jurassic World’ series. Bryan Curtis joins Sean to break down the conclusion of the Jurassic saga and ranks all six films.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Bryan Curtis

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean is joined by Rob Harvilla to discuss Adam Sandler, his new Netflix NBA drama ‘Hustle,’ and share their top Sandler movies of all time.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Rob Harvilla

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s a recommendations episode! Sean breaks down 10 intriguing new movies that you can watch right now on a variety of streaming services (1:00). Then, he’s joined by David Cronenberg to discuss the legendary director’s new film, ‘Crimes of the Future,’ starring Viggo Mortensen and Kristen Stewart (42:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: David Cronenberg

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Movies are back, Maverick is back, Tom Cruise is back, and Sean and Amanda are back to dive deep into the movie phenomenon of this young summer: ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It. Is. Here! Tom Cruise’s Maverick flies again, after a years-long wait. Sean and Amanda break down the exhilarating arrival of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (1:00). Then, Joseph Kosinski, the film’s director, joins Sean to discuss, in great detail, how they made this action-packed return to the skies (41:00).

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Joseph Kosinski

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s a whole darn week of Tom Cruise on The Big Picture, because Cruise is returning to the big screen after four long years with ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ To celebrate, Chris Ryan joins Sean and Amanda to choose 10 key films and construct the Tom Cruise Hall of Fame.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean is joined by Joanna Robinson to discuss the beguiling movies of writer-director Alex Garland, including his latest, the eerie folk-horror film ‘Men.’ (1:00) Then, Garland talks with Sean about his work and where his career is headed (52:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Alex Garland and Joanna Robinson

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! And Amanda is back! She and Sean are joined by Chris Ryan to pick their faves and foil their pals in a draft of the movies from 1992.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producers: Bobby Wagner and Kaya McMullen

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There is a new adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘Firestarter’ out this weekend, which got us thinking about King movies and how they never really go away. Sean is joined by Matt Gourley and Paul Rust of the With Gourley and Rust podcast to build a shrine comprised of 10 Stephen King adaptations.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Matt Gourley and Paul Rust

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Let’s dig into the mailbag! Sean answers your questions about the year in movies so far, film book recommendations, what a producer actually does, and a lot more.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s one of the year’s most anticipated movies, the first MCU entry of 2022, and the first movie in almost 10 years from the great Sam Raimi. Joanna Robinson and Chris join Sean for a non-spoiler conversation, followed by a spoiler-filled breakdown of the new ‘Doctor Strange’ film.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Joanna Robinson and Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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This week sees the release of ‘Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ which is directed by one of our favorite filmmakers, Sam Raimi. Adam Nayman talks with Sean about Raimi's expansive career and style, before ranking his 15 features (38:00). Then, Sean is joined by Tom Gormican, the director of ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,’ to discuss his Nicolas Cage meta-action vehicle (1:11:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Adam Nayman and Tom Gormican

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Of all the movies we saw in 2021, the one we keep returning to is Guillermo del Toro’s modern noir about a mysterious carnival worker. To dig deep into the movie and how its themes connect to our time, Sean is joined by comedian, actor, and certified movie freak Patton Oswalt. Patton shares his deep knowledge of film noir, his favorites in the genre, and where ‘Nightmare Alley’ fits in its history.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Patton Oswalt

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s Nic Cage season! To celebrate, Van Lathan and Rob Mahoney join Sean to talk about the new meta-action-comedy ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ (1:00) before building a shrine to Cage in the form of his Hall of Fame (35:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Van Lathan and Rob Mahoney

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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The breathtaking new action-adventure epic from Robert Eggers, the director of ‘The Witch’ and ‘The Lighthouse,’ is here. Chris Ryan joins to dive into this Viking epic (1:00) before Eggers talks with Sean about the making of the film (56:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan and Robert Eggers

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, and Joanna Robinson to pick their faves and foil their pals in a draft of the movies from 2003.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Joanna Robinson, Mallory Rubin, and Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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