The Big Picture

We’re diving deep into Daniels’ multiversal extravaganza ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once,’ one of the year’s most acclaimed and thrilling movies. Sean is joined by Adam Nayman and Joanna Robinson to break down the film, its bold style, and why it’s become such a sensation (1:00). Then, they share their favorite, zany, audacious movie swings (39:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Adam Nayman and Joanna Robinson

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Michael Bay is back on the big screen with 'Ambulance,' a thrilling, nonstop cornucopia of explosions, car chases, shoot-outs, bank robberies, and emergency bullet-removal surgeries. Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to talk about Bay (1:00) and our favorite action movie sequences of all time (38:30).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s time for another movie swap! It’s a 1996 showdown as Sean sends Amanda the Coen Brothers’ thriller ‘Fargo’ and Amanda returns volley with Anthony Minghella’s Best Picture winner, ‘The English Patient.’ They talk 1996 movies, the year’s Academy Awards, and how these two modern classics hold up.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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With the release of ‘Morbius,’ Van Lathan joins Sean to discuss the new Spider-Man-adjacent Jared Leto vampire thriller (1:00). Then, they share their five favorite bloodsucker movies (25:00). Then, Sean is joined by Charlie McDowell to discuss ‘Windfall,’ his pivot back to film, and the art of the all-in-one-setting movie (48:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Van Lathan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s been a couple of days since one of the most shocking moments in Oscars history. Sean reflects on the Will Smith–Chris Rock incident, what the future holds for Smith, and how the Academy could respond (1:00). Then, it’s a post-Oscars mailbag extravaganza (10:30). Finally, Sean is joined by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert to discuss their extraordinary new movie, ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (55:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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The 94th Academy Awards is in the books, and Sean and Joanna Robinson are here to break down all the winners, the ceremony, the hosts, and of course that shocking Will Smith- Chris Rock confrontation.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Joanna Robinson

Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman

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It’s almost time for the 94th annual Academy Awards, so Sean and Joanna Robinson are making picks in all 23 categories. Don’t fill out your Oscar ballot until you’ve listened.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Joanna Robinson

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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With the Oscars right around the corner, Chris Ryan joins Sean and Amanda to draft their favorite Oscar winners from the 1990s (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by ‘Drive My Car’ writer-director Ryusuke Hamaguchi to discuss his Oscar-nominated film (1:13:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan and Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s a recommendations episode! Sean talks about 10 movies from 2022 that he likes, where you can watch them, and why you should (1:00). Spoiler alert, one of those movies is ‘X,’ the new horror movie from director Ti West. Ti joins Sean to talk about making his first horror film in nine years and why he isn’t done yet (38:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Ti West

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Let’s talk movie music. Writer Jayson Greene joins Sean to talk about the art of the film score, the giants of the form, this year’s Oscar nominees, and their top five scores ever (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by legendary composer Hans Zimmer to discuss his Oscar-nominated work on ‘Dune’ and his career (1:07:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Jayson Greene and Hans Zimmer

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We are in the home stretch of a very long award season. On this episode, Sean is joined by Joanna Robinson and they are finally digging into Jane Campion’s widely praised revisionist western ‘The Power of the Dog’ and why it has remained the presumptive Best Picture favorite for months. Then, Sean and Joanna share their favorite Best Picture winners ever.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Joanna Robinson

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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That’s right—we are watching ‘Free Guy,’ one of the biggest hits of 2021 and a very divisive movie. Chris joins Sean and Amanda to discuss the Ryan Reynolds action-comedy for its entire running time. The movie is now available on HBO Max and Disney+, so you can stream along with 'The Big Picture.'

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean is joined by Van Lathan and Rob Mahoney to take a deep dive into Matt Reeves’s ‘The Batman’ and have a spoiler-filled conversation (1:00) before ranking all 14 Batman movies (47:00). Then, Sean is joined by director Kogonada to discuss his new film, ‘After Yang’ (1:12:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Van Lathan, Rob Mahoney, and Kogonada

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Holy reaction podcast, Batman! Chris Ryan and Joanna Robinson join Sean to break down ‘The Batman,’ the most-anticipated movie of the year so far (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by ‘The Batman’ director and cowriter Matt Reeves to talk about how and why he made the film (58:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Chris Ryan, Joanna Robinson, and Matt Reeves

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Award season is (finally) in full swing. Joanna Robinson joins Sean to break down the SAG Awards, the state of Best Picture (1:00), and to let Sean get some takes off his chest (34:30). Then, directing duo Coodie & Chike join Sean to talk about ‘jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy,’ Netflix’s new three-part documentary film series tracking the rise of Kanye West (1:02:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Joanna Robinson, Coodie & Chike

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We are drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to pick their faves and foil their pals in another hotly contested draft of a memorable year in recent movie history: 2018.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We’re looking at the latest chapter in the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ story, now available on Netflix, and the history of extreme, depraved, disgusting, and shocking movies with writer, director, and returning champion Alex Ross Perry.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Alex Ross Perry

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Shea Serrano joins Sean to break down the landscape of action moviemaking. With ‘Uncharted’ in theaters, featuring two generations of action hero—Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland—we ask: What does it mean to be an action star in the 21st century? Sean and Shea build out the Hall of Fame with 10 excruciating picks.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Shea Serrano

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Joanna Robinson joins Sean to break down the Super Bowl movie trailers and ‘Death on the Nile,’ Kenneth Branagh’s latest Agatha Christie adaptation, which was released last week (1:00). Then, Sean talks with Chuck Klosterman about his new book, ‘The Nineties,’ and the movies that played a key role during that decade (31:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Joanna Robinson, Chuck Klosterman

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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In 2020, Chris Ryan and Sean identified a key subgenre in American movies—garbage crime—and laid out what makes it great. Today on the show, a sequel of sorts. With the release of Roland Emmerich’s interstellar disaster movie ‘Moonfall’ in theaters and Steven Soderbergh’s techno-anxiety thriller ‘Kimi’ now streaming on HBO Max, we are digging into a beloved sister category: junk sci-fi.

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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The nominations for the 94th annual Academy Awards are here, and Amanda and Sean are breaking down all of them.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Chris Ryan joins Sean to break down the new trailer for Netflix’s 2022 movie lineup (1:00), and then celebrate the new movie ‘Jackass Forever’ (14:00) and the greatest stunts in the history of the franchise (36:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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With the virtual 2022 Sundance Film Festival wrapped, Amy Nicholson rejoins Sean to discuss their experience from the couch, the big acquisitions, and their top 5 favorite movies at the fest (:44). Then, Sean is joined by the Norwegian director Joachim Trier to talk about his critically acclaimed new film ‘The Worst Person in the World.’ (1:14:10).

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Sean and Amanda hit on the Producers Guild, Writers Guild, and ACE Eddie nominations, key bellwethers of award season, and what they mean for the Academy Awards (0:35). Then they share some streaming recommendations for you (35:00). And finally, since we’re getting down to our final days with Amanda for a little while, we figured it’s time to get as much of her as we can, so we’ve got an Ask Amanda mailbag for the Dobb Mob (51:18).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

Associate Producer: Sasha Ashall

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We're hopping in a time machine back to 1992. Why? It’s been 30 years since Quentin Tarantino’s debut film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival along with other movies from a memorable class of other filmmakers. Adam Nayman joins Sean to discuss 'Dogs' and what it means now and how some of those other films were remembered, or not.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Adam Nayman

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We’re auctioning off movies again, this time with a fresh slate for 2022. Chris Ryan joins Sean and Amanda to discuss the new ‘Scream’ sequel (1:00), before revisiting their 2021 draft auction results (16:00), and digging into a new round of competitive auctioneering (22:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss Joel Coen’s ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth,’ the latest Shakespeare adaptation, which stars Denzel Washington and is the director’s first without his brother, Ethan. They talk about how the story has been updated, and how it hasn’t (1:00), where it stands in the awards race (33:00), and how it stacks up in the Coen brothers filmography (1:12:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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A surprising SAG Awards nomination has got Sean and Amanda thinking about Bradley Cooper’s unusual path to superstardom. In this episode, they discuss the rest of the surprises and snubs of the nominations (5:00), the incredible legacy of the late Sidney Poitier (1:00), and then finally build a hall of fame for Cooper on the eve of a potential ninth Academy Award nomination (36:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s time for a very important conversation about a very important film: Paul Thomas Anderson’s ninth feature, ‘Licorice Pizza.’ Joining Sean and Amanda to break it all down—including favorite performances, scenes, and needle drops, and how it fits into PTA’s filmography—are Chris Ryan and Wosny Lambre, a.k.a. Big Wos.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Wosny Lambre

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Amanda and Sean are gearing up for a fun 2022 at the movies … if they can go to the movies. On this episode, they pick their 11 most eagerly awaited films (20:00), discuss Steven Soderbergh’s annual media list (1:00), and break down George Clooney’s new film, ‘The Tender Bar’ (10:00). They also celebrate the life and work of the late filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich, who died at 82 this week (17:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda look at a debate that has been roiling the movie industry for nearly 15 years: Should the Academy Awards more accurately reflect the interests of moviegoers? And if so, should franchise films be regularly competing for Best Picture? The campaign for the new ‘Spider-Man’ movie raises new questions as the theatrical movie business endures a historic period of transition (1:00). Then, they discuss Maggie Gyllenhaal’s feature directorial debut, ‘The Lost Daughter,’ now available on Netflix (42:00) and power-rank the Best Picture contenders (59:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s our last episode of the year and Sean and Amanda are celebrating 2021 by naming their 10 favorite performances on the big screen (1:00) before opening up the mailbag to answer your questions ahead of the new year (38:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Andy Greenwald joins Sean to discuss Disney’s latest achievement in animation, ‘Encanto,’ and share some tips for how to be a dad who wants to introduce their child to movies (1:00). Chris Ryan swings by to talk about Paul Verhoeven’s sexy nuns movie, ‘Benedetta’ (38:00). Then, Adam Nayman and Sean list their 10 most underrated, underseen, or underdiscussed movies of 2021 (51:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan, and Adam Nayman

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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‘The Matrix Resurrections’ is out in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Sean and Amanda talk about the film, the franchise (1:00), and the Wachowskis cinematic experience (43:00). Joining them is Ringer staff writer Rob Mahoney.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Rob Mahoney

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Alan Siegel interviews the cast and crew of ‘Scream’ and uncovers what it took to get the iconic horror film made.You can read the written version of this piece at theringer.com.

Host: Alan Siegel

Producer: Steve Ahlman

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Sean and Amanda hit the stunning box office success of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (1:00). Then they circle back to the Oscar race because this week sees the release of some serious contenders, including Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Being the Ricardos’ and Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’ (12:00). Then, Sean talks with Sean Baker, director and cowriter of ‘Red Rocket’ (1:00:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Sean Baker

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We’re talking about the most anticipated movie of the winter: 'Spider-Man: No Way Home.' Swinging into the conversation with Sean and Amanda is our friendly neighbor Mallory Rubin for a spoiler-free (1:40) and then spoiler-packed breakdown of the movie (33:00). Later in this episode, Sean will have a conversation with Tommy Oliver, the director of 'Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss,' the final film in HBO and The Ringer’s Music Box documentary series (1:15:00).

Hosts; Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Mallory Rubin and Tommy Oliver

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Sean and Amanda discuss the new Netflix climate crisis satire ‘Don’t Look Up,’ which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Meryl Streep (1:00). Then, they build a Hall of Fame to Leo, one of the best movie stars ever (20:00). Finally, ‘Don’t Look Up’ writer-director Adam McKay joins Sean to discuss his new film (1:00:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Adam McKay

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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This week marks the release of Steven Spielberg’s first musical, a remake and modest reimagining of the 1957 show and legendary 1961 film. Sean and Amanda are joined by Joanna Robinson to talk about the original, Spielberg's remake, and their five favorite Spielberg films.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Joanna Robinson

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s a music-movies team-up episode. Rob Harvilla returns to the show to talk about the art of the soundtrack and share his top five favorites (1:00). Then, Sean talks with John Maggio, who directed the latest entry in The Ringer’s Music Box film series on HBO. His movie, ‘Mr. Saturday Night,’ chronicles the fascinating life of Robert Stigwood, an impresario of stage, screen, and music responsible for projects like ‘Saturday Night Fever’ (46:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Rob Harvilla and John Maggio

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It's time to talk about the best of the year, so Sean and Amanda are joined by Adam Nayman and Chris Ryan to share their five favorite movies of 2021 (1:00). Then, 'Dune' director Denis Villeneuve comes to the show to talk about his extraordinary adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel (1:17:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Denis Villeneuve, Chris Ryan, and Adam Nayman

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It’s December, which means it’s officially holiday movie season. We’re bringing Chris Ryan back to draft holiday movies with one special twist—a wild-card category of any holiday content. It’s the most wonderful draft of the year!

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Chris Ryan

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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The weekend delivered a bountiful feast for Beatles fans: Peter Jackson’s epic, revelatory eight-hour ‘Get Back’ documentary series on Disney+. Amanda and Sean talk about the film today and their favorite Beatles albums (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Penny Lane, whose film ‘Listening to Kenny G’ in the latest installment of The Ringer’s Music Box series, which premieres on HBO and HBO Max Thursday night (49:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Penny Lane

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Paul Thomas Anderson’s ninth feature film opens today in select theaters. Sean and Amanda have a spoiler-free conversation about the coming-of-age story set in the San Fernando Valley (1:00). Then, Amanda allows Sean some room to work through his feelings and rank his favorite director’s movies from top to bottom (33:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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It's time for the house of Gucci! Ridley Scott's much-anticipated family crime drama set among the famed Italian fashion empire, starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, and many others, is here. Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to talk about how much fun they had with the film, the performances, the style, and the Gucci of it all (1:00). Then they share their top 5 favorite Scott-directed films (35:00). Finally, Sean is joined by Chris Frierson, the filmmaker behind the Music Box entry 'DMX: Don't Try to Understand,' to talk about his documentary on the beloved rapper (1:16:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan; Chris Frierson

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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We're talking about a trio of new releases—'Ghostbusters: Afterlife,' 'Tick, Tick ... Boom!,' and 'C'mon C'mon'—that attempt to pluck our heartstrings. They inspired Sean and Amanda to share their top five feel-good movies (1:00). Then, Sean talks with 'C'mon C'mon' writer-director Mike Mills about his wonderful new film (1:00:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Mike Mills

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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With Will Smith in the center of the frame, ‘King Richard’ has garnered a lot of Oscars buzz. Now that the film is in theaters and on HBO Max, we talk about what makes it a throwback sports movie—and ultimately a big success—before sharing our top five sports movies (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by ‘King Richard’ director Reinaldo Marcus Green to discuss how he became involved in the project, working closely with Will Smith, and the lineage of sports movies that influenced his approach to directing this film (1:17:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Bill Simmons and Reinaldo Marcus Green

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Once upon a time, this was a podcast dedicated to Academy Awards coverage, so we’re going to throwback today to discuss Kenneth Branagh’s autobiographical feature ‘Belfast’ and the state of the 2021 Oscar race (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Alison Klayman to discuss ‘Jagged,’ her film about Alanis Morissette that is part of Ringer Films’ ‘Music Box’ documentary series on HBO (51:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Alison Klayman

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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Kristen Stewart’s much-anticipated role as Princess Diana in ‘Spencer’ has finally arrived. We discuss Stewart’s performance, as well as the larger successes and failures of the film (1:00) before building a 10-movie Hall of Fame comprising the best films about royals (34:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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A new Tom Hanks movie, ‘Finch,’ just hit Apple TV+; it's about a man and his robot pal enduring a post-apocalyptic terrain. Sean is joined by 'Gene and Roger' host and writer Brian Raftery to break down the movie and share their favorite movie robots (1:00). Then, writer-director-producer Jim Cummings stops by to talk about his new film, ‘The Beta Test,’ and the uncomfortable truths about a career in Hollywood (49:00).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guests: Brian Raftery and Jim Cummings

Producer: Bobby Wagner

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