The Big Picture

Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to explore some liminal spaces and figure out what really scares them. They open the show by reacting to some brief movie news (3:20) before diving deep into one of the most highly anticipated directorial debuts this decade: Kane Parsons’s ‘Backrooms,’ starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve (11:14). They break down how the movie pushes the filmmaking medium, discuss why it works on its own without any prior knowledge of the original material, and debate whether this type of success is a blip or whether it represents what the future of film will look like. Finally, Parsons joins Sean to discuss his new film and explain what the process was like shifting from making stuff for YouTube to making something for the big screen (1:02:02).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Kane Parsons and Chris Ryan

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away … we used to have good ‘Star Wars’ movies. Before diving into ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’, Sean and Amanda give a final recap of their trip to the Cannes Film Festival, and cover a handful of movie news headlines they missed while they were overseas (2:28). Then, they are joined by ‘Star Wars’ superfan Van Lathan to discuss who the movie was actually made for, why it doesn’t feel special for one of cinema’s biggest movie franchises, and how this film marks an end of an era for ‘Star Wars’ at large (32:02). Finally, Sean is joined by Daniel Roher to discuss why he felt his new film ‘Tuner’ was an exercise to prove to himself that he could broaden his horizons outside of the documentary genre (1:28:33).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Daniel Roher and Van Lathan

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Bonjour! Sean and Amanda recap their first trip to the legendary Cannes Film Festival, which has become an incredible bellwether for the Best Picture race over the last five to 10 years. First, they talk through what the actual experience at the festival is like, including how it logistically works, what the vibes are like, and how to survive (0:39). Then, they dive into the slate of films they’ve seen and categorize them into the good, the bad, and the WTF (24:29). Finally, they share their final predictions for all of the main prizes at the festival and briefly cover some potential Oscar implications (1:40:54).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Sarah Reddy
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We’re drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by potential third chairs Chris Ryan and Tracy Letts to draft their favorite movies from 1976. 

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Chris Ryan and Tracy Letts

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Sarah Reddy
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On today’s show, Sean is joined by Chris Ryan to discuss the current state of one of their favorite shared loves: horror movies. They talk through the current paths for directors to break into the genre (0:52), highlight which filmmakers they think are at the top of the game right now (13:52), and break down a myriad of recent releases, including ‘Obsession’, ‘Hokum’, and ‘Lee Cronin's The Mummy’ (32:45). Later, Curry Barker joins the show to discuss his new horror film, ‘Obsession’. He explains how he got his start as a filmmaker in Alabama, shares his personal perspective as a person who went through the YouTube pipeline, and breaks down what’s next for him as both a director and an actor (1:19:23).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Curry Barker and Chris Ryan

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

This episode is sponsored by State Farm®️. A State Farm agent can help you choose the coverage you need. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®️
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