The Big Picture

Let’s run back a new tradition: our Alternative Academy Awards with The New York Times’ Wesley Morris. Sean, Amanda, and Wesley pick their favorite performances, first features, cameos, endings, and more as a counterbalance to this week’s Oscars ceremony. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuest: Wesley Morris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the first 'Big Picture' Movie Auction. What’s that? Well, as we anticipate our return to movie theaters, we thought we’d find a way to measure the movies we’re most excited to see in 2021. The return of James Bond? ‘Top Gun: Maverick’? Three MCU movies? This could be a fun year for Hollywood after all. And what better way to express our excitement than to wager cold, hard (imaginary) cash? Chris Ryan joins Sean and Amanda for a good old-fashioned auction, movie-style.Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuests: Chris Ryan and Danny Heifetz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With key victories at the DGAs and BAFTAs in the books, Sean and Amanda discuss whether it’s all over but the shouting for 'Nomadland’ and the Best Picture prize at the Academy Awards (0:30). Then, they travel back in time 10 years to redo one of the most egregious movie award ceremonies in recent memory: the 2011 Oscars (30:46).Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Nayman returns to the show to discuss the elusive nature of cult movies: what makes one qualify, and when and why does a movie officially earn cult status. Sean and Adam use two of their favorite recent movies, Netflix's prank comedy 'Bad Trip' and the impressive 2020 thriller 'The Empty Man,' as a launch point before sharing their favorite cult movies of all time (0:15). Then Sean is joined by writer-director Emma Seligman to talk about her terrifically entertaining and terrifying first feature 'Shiva Baby' (1:01:00).Hosts: Sean FennesseyGuest: Adam Nayman, Emma Seligman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean and Amanda dive into the return of the box office after ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ earned nearly $50 million over the holiday weekend. Are movie theaters back for good? Then, they discuss the results of the SAG Awards and what they mean for up-in-the-air Oscar races, including Best Actress and maybe Best Picture (0:30). Then, they’re joined by L.A. Times film critic Justin Chang to discuss the incredible body of work of Wong Kar-Wai, one of the signature filmmakers of the past three decades and the subject of a breathtaking new box set from the Criterion Collection (25:43).Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuest: Justin Chang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ is the first major blockbuster movie event of 2021. Shea Serrano joins Sean and Amanda to discuss the winners and losers of the latest monster showdown, which is now in theaters and available on HBO Max. Then, they share their five favorite blockbusters.Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuest: Shea Serrano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean and Amanda are once again joined by Chris Ryan to draft the best (a.k.a. their favorite) movies from the year 2016. They discuss their lives that year, how Hollywood was changing, what the 'Moonlight' Best Picture Oscar win meant, and how world events manifested at the movies.Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuest: Chris Ryan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean and Amanda dive into the news about the new release strategy for Disney’s long-awaited ‘Black Widow’ and what it means for movie theaters (0:16). Then, they look at the results of the WGA and PGA awards, and the complications of the forthcoming in-person Oscars ceremony. Finally, Sean is joined by Brian Koppelman—cocreator of ‘Billions’ and cowriter of ‘Rounders,’ ‘The Girlfriend Experience,’ and ‘Ocean’s 13’—to discuss the top five directorial debuts of filmmakers born between 1960 and 1980 (27:00).Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuest: Brian Koppelman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chuck Klosterman joins the show to discuss Adam Curtis' documentary series 'Can't Get You Out of My Head,' exploring the intersections of power, drugs, culture, and the future of civilization. They also dive into Chuck's radical theory of movie watching, discussing the value of biopics and the multiverse.

This is a very, very special episode of 'The Big Picture': our first watch-along commentary track. For 'Zack Snyder’s Justice League.' Except we’ve never seen it before. So when we press play on the Snyder Cut for the first time, we want you to do so as well and to watch with us on HBO Max. We will be together for all four hours and two minutes of this film’s run time discussing Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Steppenwolf, Darkseid, and especially Ben Affleck’s hair. For four hours. Let’s go. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuests: Chris Ryan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices