

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 8, 2020 • 1h 33min
The Top Five Movies of 2020
This has been a strange year for movies, most of which were seen at home. But we didn't struggle to find some that lit up our imagination and reflected the times. Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman to pick their top five films of 2020.Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuests: Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 4, 2020 • 1h 30min
‘Mank’ Is Here. Does David Fincher’s Movie Live Up to the Hype?
After great anticipation, ‘Mank’ has arrived. Sean and Amanda look at David Fincher’s 11th feature film from every angle. What’s it really about? How does it play? Will it live up to the billing as Netflix’s great Oscar hope? All that and a lot more in this deep dive.Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 3, 2020 • 42min
Emergency Pod: Did Movie Theaters Just Die? Why Warner Bros. Is Dropping Its 2021 Releases on HBO Max
Major news in Hollywood: Warner Bros. has announced it will stream all of its new films in 2021 on HBO Max, including 'Godzilla vs. Kong,' 'In The Heights,' 'Space Jam: A New Legacy,' 'The Suicide Squad,' and 'Matrix 4.' Why did this happen? What does it mean for movie theaters? Will other studios follow suit? Amanda and Sean do their best to parse a historic day.Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 1, 2020 • 1h 31min
‘Mank' Week: The Importance of ‘Citizen Kane’ and Orson Welles
This week marks the arrival of David Fincher’s long-awaited 'Mank,' which chronicles the screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz’s life and work on the script for 'Citizen Kane.' Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman for an expansive chat on all things 'Kane,' Orson Welles, the fight over the film's authorship, and classic Hollywood.Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuests: Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 27, 2020 • 1h 4min
Bonus Episode: Errol Morris on ‘Dr. Strangelove,’ Donald Trump, LSD, and America
The legendary documentarian Errol Morris has a new film called 'My Psychedelic Love Story' premiering on Showtime this week. He returns to the show to talk with Sean about a wide array of topics, from psychedelics to psychotics.Host: Sean FennesseyGuest: Errol Morris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 25, 2020 • 1h 30min
The 2014 Movie Draft: CR's Revenge
It's time once again for a Movie Draft. Chris Ryan returns with hopes of staving off Sean and Amanda to claim his first draft victory (15:00). Then, Sean is joined by Clea DuVall, an actress you may know from films like 'But I’m a Cheerleader,' 'Zodiac,' and 'Argo.' They talk about DuVall’s second film as a director, 'Happiest Season'—a charming holiday rom-com about a couple played by Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis—that hits Hulu on Wednesday (59:47).Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuests: Chris Ryan and Clea DuVall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 24, 2020 • 1h 24min
'Hillbilly Elegy’ and the 10 Types of Oscar Bait You Meet in Hell
Ron Howard's adaptation of JD Vance's bestselling memoir hits Netflix this week—Sean and Amanda look at the film and the careers of stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close, including their chances at their first-ever Academy Award win (1:00). 'Hillbilly Elegy' also inspired a deep dive into the history of a tricky subcategory: Oscar Bait. What is it? When did it start? What movies count as Oscar Bait? Sean and Amanda break it all down (27:00).Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 19, 2020 • 1h 20min
‘The Queen’s Gambit,’ ‘Small Axe,’ and the Top Five Miniseries of 2020
With so many movies pushed to 2021, TV has taken an even bigger share of our viewing time this year. Sean and Amanda talk about the Netflix sensation ‘The Queen’s Gambit,’ Steve McQueen’s ‘Small Axe’ anthology series, and the best miniseries they’ve seen this year (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Aneesh Chaganty, the director of 2018’s ‘Searching’ and a new thriller called ‘Run’ that hits Hulu this weekend (48:00).Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuest: Aneesh Chaganty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 17, 2020 • 1h 47min
The Fate of ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and Top-Five Gambling Movies
The last big-ticket theatrical release, 'Wonder Woman 1984,' is still on the calendar. Will it go to HBO Max? PVOD? When will we see it? Amanda and Sean break down the possibilities (0:54). Then, they are joined by David Hill, the host of the new podcast series 'Gamblers,' to pick their top five gambling movies (17:44). Finally, Sean interviews director Christopher Landon, a Blumhouse staple who brought us the 'Happy Death Day' series, to talk about his clever new body-swap horror-comedy 'Freaky' (1:16:30).Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuests: David Hill and Christopher Landon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 13, 2020 • 1h 39min
Mailbag Special: 25 Movies You Should Stream Now
Sean and Amanda dive back into the mailbag to answer an array of questions about under-the-radar 2020 movies you can watch now on VOD and streaming, the prolonged closure of movie theaters around the country, and the book adaptation they've always wanted to see on the big screen, among others (0:50). Then, Sean is joined by Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin to discuss their delightful new film 'The Climb' (59:00).Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda DobbinsGuests: Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


