

The Big Picture
The Ringer
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins review the movies you need to see. Plus: Top 5s, Movie Drafts, Oscars analysis, and more, featuring a rotating cast of Ringer colleagues like Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, and Bill Simmons.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 2, 2021 • 1h 8min
The Holiday Movie Draft
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 DobbinsGuest: Chris RyanProducer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 30, 2021 • 1h 26min
‘The Beatles: Get Back’ and Our Fab 5 Beatles Albums
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 DobbinsGuest: Penny LaneProducer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 26, 2021 • 1h 24min
‘Licorice Pizza’ and the Paul Thomas Anderson Rankings
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 DobbinsProducer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 24, 2021 • 1h 47min
‘House of Gucci’ and Top 5 Ridley Scott Movies
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 DobbinsGuests: Chris Ryan; Chris FriersonProducer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 22, 2021 • 1h 32min
‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife,’ ‘Tick, Tick ... Boom!,' and Our Top Five Feel-Good Movies
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 DobbinsGuest: Mike MillsProducer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 19, 2021 • 1h 48min
‘King Richard’ and Top 5 Sports Movies With Bill Simmons
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 DobbinsGuests: Bill Simmons and Reinaldo Marcus GreenProducer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 16, 2021 • 1h 25min
10 Irrational Best-Picture Oscar Predictions and Why ‘Belfast’ Is the Front-Runner
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 DobbinsGuest: Alison KlaymanProducer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 12, 2021 • 1h 7min
The Royal Movie Hall of Fame and ‘Spencer’
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 DobbinsProducer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 9, 2021 • 1h 18min
Top Five Movie Robots, ‘Finch,’ and the Awful Truth About Hollywood
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 FennesseyGuests: Brian Raftery and Jim CummingsProducer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 5, 2021 • 1h 25min
‘Eternals’ Is a Big Miss. But Is Marvel Too Big to Fail?
The newest entrant in the MCU comes from Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloe Zhao, but something isn’t quite right about the movie. Sean is joined by Joanna Robinson to break down the film and what its struggles mean for the future of Marvel (1:00). Then, writer-director Joanna Hogg stops by to talk about her latest, ‘The Souvenir Part II,’ the follow-up to her brilliant 2018 film (54:00).Host: Sean FennesseyGuests: Joanna Robinson and Joanna HoggProducer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


