The Big Picture - The 2022 Movie Draft

Episode Date: December 17, 2025

We’re drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to discuss who they were in 2022 and draft the best movies from that year.  Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Producer: Jack Sanders Shopping. Streaming. Celebrating. It’s on Prime. A State Farm agent can help you choose the coverage you need. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I'm Sean Fennessey. And this is the big picture. A Conversation Show about 2022. Chris Ryan is here. Thanks, man. I've been trying to pierce this guy's heart. I've been trying to get inside the breastplate, figure out who this man really is. Doctor heal thyself.

That's what Cameron Winters. You got to work on what's happening over here. So were you there last night? No, that was Yassie. Sorry, I was just confusing Instagrams. And also this was recording us for the future. Earlier in 2025 with Yassie at the Barnstall Art Center. A lovely park.

I've been there many times. Cameron Winter, you know, is going to be the subject of a documentary, perhaps co-directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and Benny Safdi. May we live in interesting times. Yeah. Chris Ryan, congratulations. This is huge, dude. Very exciting.

This episode of The Big Picture is presented by Amazon Prime. You know how in every great holiday movie, there's that last minute scramble to make it all come together? From gifts to hosting essentials, Prime's fast shipping is always there for you during the holidays, especially when it's last minute and just can't wait. So if you need fast free delivery that saves the day, it's on Prime. Head to Amazon.com slash Prime to shop now.

Let's just get right into 2020. Unless there's anything you want to get off your chests. I was trying to think about whether or not I had any takes. L. McKay, no. Did you see that? No, but, like, I am interested in the fact that it's been critically revived in just 72 hours. El Miquet.

Oh, it's been revived? Yeah. No, it has, no. You mean, like, reclaimed? Yeah. No, it's all irony, poison millennials who are like, actually, here's why this is good. We'll get into that later this week.

Did you happen to see either Ethan Hawke interview Cindy Sweeney for actors on actors or Ethan Hawk and his performance on Rogan? I saw a clip of Ethan Hawke on Rogan. explaining why the Tarantino Paul Dano thing was actually an amazing gift to Paul Dano because he learned how many people love him. Yes. Ethan Hawk is unstoppable.

Ethan Hawke should, I mean, like, he would be wasted as president. Like, let's do more, you know? Let's think bigger. Yeah. Unbelievable. And it was like... I would never burden him with the president's saying. I didn't even click on it as a Rogan clip.

You know, it was just fed to me. And then suddenly they cut to Joe Rogan just like trying to look earnest or whatever. But he was like, I'm actually seeing things. differently. Yeah. He's just been giving a lot of gifts this season. He's a very special person. Um, 2020. Yeah, sure. We were, we were together. We were, we were, we were, we were, we had emerged from quarantine. Just living in the house that Jason Collar built, you know? Yeah, it was a, it was a, that wasn't Project popcorn. That was 21. No, but I think that,

it kind of bled into 2022. We, we kind of are in the, the, the, what do they call it, the water that comes from the back of the boat. The, oh, the wake. The wake of Project Popcorn. I see. I noticed you didn't turn to him for that boat question. It's like, I knew you're a woman of the waves. On a boat?

I'm from Long Island. How dare you? I was on boats all the time. You've never been tubing or jet skiing. I haven't been tubing but not tubing behind a boat. Would you do it? So you wouldn't know about the waves. Would I do it?

Yeah. Like today? Watch along. I'll do fire and ash if you go tubing with me I'll consider it I'll consider it just to get you in front of Jake Sully one more time Just Tubin would be a good

podcast for us to do if like Andy ever quits the watch yeah and it's just Sean on TV Just tubing oh nice Yeah that's good Have you ever That was 2021 You know, and in 2021, how many pods did you record wearing no pants? Totally nude underneath?

Yeah, most of the rewatchables from them. Gladiator, for sure. And full attention. Yeah. Do you like wearing pants? Do you guys like wearing pants? Very much so. You don't like it.

I mean, I've come back around on it. I mean, you remember there was like a dress phase. You did have a dress phase, yeah. Yeah, and now I think for a while when pregnant, it was like very hard to wear pants. because they don't really the technology is not there yet for pregnant women. As we're calling your smock era.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We've got to get Jim Cameron on this. But now I'm back. Oh, on the technology. Honestly, like, if they put Jim Cameron in charge of, like, prenatal and care and, like, postpartum technology or whatever, like, our lives would be so much better.

I think, like, people, like, quite literally many women's lives would be saved. All of them medical care and the experience would, be like tremendously improved if Jim Cameron could just get to work. Anyway, I wasn't wearing pants for a while. So now I'm like kind of back to pants, though. You know, that's true. But, you know, I, some people like those. And then the babies can swim. I feel like we haven't really figured pants out. Okay. Like, there's still something very unfinished to me about this experience.

Yeah. You know, like, I get it. We need to cover ourselves, right? For a variety of reasons. For propriety, for warmth. Yeah. For safety. But. The way that these things fit is just funny. I gotta tell you, man, I don't really know where you're coming from on this because I feel like in 2008, I saw you wear a babe jacket, and since then you've worn the same outfit every day.

Like, your pant leg never changed, right? All through skinny to, now we're going back to 501 full leg. Like, you never bit on... You don't wear 501s, do you? No, he never did. He has whatever cut he wears... Oh, you mean that we, the culture.

Or Jean. The pants. Sean remains the North Star. I have a uniform. Yeah. I have a uniform. Are it still the slim rag and bones? Yes.

Yeah, yeah. Not slim. Whatever number three is. Okay. I think they're all slim cut. But that's okay. It works for you. Thanks.

It's better. They're not all slim cut. That's incorrect. Well, on the, and the range of things. Like compared to Zach Cosset, you know? The silhouettes have widened. That I've noticed. Around the, you know, more broadly.

And that will, that will change again. First episode of Just Toubin. you wear diesel bootcut jeans who says no whenever I'm getting dressed in the morning I think would this be acceptable if I were to meet Frank Sinatra today that's exactly what crosses my mind

do you think about things that way no should we pivot back to 2022 or just keep sure men's sartorial choices is that of note to you is this the year that that slop poisoned the well

is this when you went through the list of films it's a dramatic idea well I was just like my process for these drafts in which I'm undefeated for five years right. Many people are saying.

No, my process for these draft is to go through chronologically the list of American theatrically released films. The definition of theatrically Because you will not watch a foreign language film. Yeah, I mean, like, I don't feel like I'm hearing it in the intended language.

I'm not here to read. I was only one. Except for every single film that I watch with subtitles. I'm all. Oh, yeah, every movie. Yeah, yeah. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff and also the

unbelievable amount of films. I was like, what is that? There are two DJ Caruso films here. When did those come out? And what platform or service were they available? I see. And just the kind of, not the poisoning of the well, but just the changing shape and feel of the film landscape

feels very distinct in 2022. like we come out on the other side of COVID and everything's different. That's something that really struck me. We look going through the movies. That's an interesting query. We never really talk about it in that context because I just pulled up the average rating

of all the films released that year according to the list that I made on Letterboxed. And if you look from the bottom up, the lowest rated films of the year, any guesses? I'm sure you haven't spent much time thinking about these movies because we won't be drafting them. No, I mean like also I don't even know how wide the sort of aperture is.

there. I mean, like, how many movies do you have listed there? Haunted, I think I have over 300 movies here. Oh, wow. So, a lot. What's the bottom? Like, yeah, what were you going to say? Morbius is at the bottom. Sure. Yeah. The Fire Starter remake. Judd Apatow's The Bubble.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, I never saw that. Netflix's Texas Chainslaw Massacre reboot. That's fucking wrong. Robertsomechus is Pinocchio. Never saw it. Sure. Not the fascist one.

No. There's a fascist path? Yeah, Guillermo del Toro also made a Pinocchio this year. And he makes a Pinocchio. Oh, well, he made Frankenstein. Oh, you in 2022. In 2022, he made, excuse me, and he made him fascist. He did?

Yes. He made him a puppet contemporaneous to the rise of fascism in Italy. Yeah, but like, Pinocchio is like dancing around. Pretty fascist. Italy. In Italy. Italy. Yeah.

I spent some time this weekend watching Joe Wright's Mussolini's son of the century. How is it? Very Joe righty, but it's. basically this guy playing Mussolini being like, I am a fascist, like the entire, like screaming at camera, yes. And you did watch it. First time ever watching a subtitled film? You know, I'm a citizen of the world.

Many people are saying that as well, yes. So now you're finally giving yourself over to this podcast. It only took 20 minutes. Are you wearing pants right now? Also on this list of the lowest rated films of that year, Halloween ends, the final in David Gordon Green's trilogy of Halloween, boots. Southern 4XD.

Okay. 4DX. 4XD like on Pornhub? Where do you see that? Trying to have like a real cultural conversation. Yeah, 40X is the one with the sides. Yeah. But like not the whole thing in sides, which was my disappointment.

Yes. Yeah. I actually saw the other film on this list in 40X, Andrew Dominic's blonde. It was crazy. It was like you felt like you were going through the birth canal. It was wild. Yeah. a little bit of a complicated year.

High highs. Yeah. Some big hitters. Sure. This year. Not unlike 2025 for me, honestly, this movie. But there are a couple, like, all time I went to the movies and I'll never forget it experiences.

And then just a lot of other stuff. Some of which I liked and some of which I didn't really, but there's like a pretty big chasm between the high high, the top and the mid and then the low. What about for you? Did you like it? Despite the slop? Yeah, no, I mean, I also am a slop connoisseur. You know, I've been known to tuck in to a big heaping bowl of kale and other crap.

You know what I mean? I think that one thing that here's how I would define what I think I mean by the slop stuff is where the bottom falls out on the competency, not even the competency, but the foundation of movies that I ordinarily would be like, this is pretty cool, like a cool genre movie, 90 minutes. And it's like, why is this two hours and 20 minutes? It looks like it's been through four reshoots. And it looks like it was shot with like an iPhone 11.

And that would be a major release. And so I think that you see a little bit of like a loosening of standards maybe on some of that stuff. And I still enjoyed a bunch of stuff from this year. But like Amanda, I do think that there's like five to ten movies that sort of stand a above everything else. There's certainly a handful of movies that I absolutely love on the list. Not a ton.

Yeah. I do think it's interesting to think about the health of the box office at this time coming out of COVID relative to even where we are now. When you look at the top of the box office here, the top five movies are Jurassic World Dominion, which made $375 million, Dr. Strange 2, which made 411,

Black Panther 2, which made 450, Avatar 2, which made 680, and Top Gun Mavis. which made 7.20. This is just domestically. That's pretty healthy. Yeah. Now, those are sequels. They're all sequels. And the movies below them are all sequels. So it's not as though we've kind of

dramatically changed where we were. But it does feel like even from this time, things have changed. And maybe it's augured in part by what you're describing. I seem to remember having a pretty good time at the movies this year, though. And they're with with one big hulking, you know, we are back right in the middle of it. Isn't this the invention of we are back kind of? I don't remember. When did we start doing that? I'm not sure.

Well, we were literally back. We were back. Yeah. We were quite literally. Well, I think the first movie I was back for was. A Quiet Place, too. Quiet place, too. I remember that.

Yeah, it was the previous summer. Yes. And I felt that that was the greatest film ever made when I was sitting in the movie theater, even though I'm sure it's fine. Yeah. Was, what's the M. Night Shyamalan on the beach? The old. Yeah, old. That was August.

Yeah. Is that August 22? No, it was 21. 21. Because, that was my first time back. I was, strangers. No, not strange.

A quiet place was my first one back. And then I was also there. I was at the La Cognada movie theater, seeing old in an empty theater by myself. But I had also just told Sean that I was pregnant for the first time. So I was texting with Sean. from the movie there, which is really rude. I'm sorry to M. Night Shyamalan about old in the theater. Why did you text me about that during a movie?

Zach was actually, Zach wanted to tell you as a friend that we were having a kid. And so he called you, but like he didn't really time the call correctly. Did you guys end up having the kid? Did you see old? We did. But so that was also, this was, 2022 was when Knox was born.

Your son was born. Some of these movies It was interesting Like I caught up with a lot of things But there are some of the slap I just got to You know, take a pass on You got to skip Morbius

I think Morbius came out February 2020 It did It did So not I saw with Van Yeah No I remember You usually do the first podcast

After I have a kid with Van That's butt Which is just Tradition I'm like any other And now it's done Yeah And now we're done

No So Morbius was his like around his due date. His due date was actually the day of the Oscar nominations. So we scheduled that Oscar nominations podcast in the morning and then I went to the hospital. That's a true story. And then, but my first back movie in theaters was Top Gun Maverick. Like I, you know, I got to go finally. I was released from postpartum hell. And that's part of the reason that I feel as affectionately toward that movie as I do. But it was also, everyone was like, okay, we feel good about this. Like, vaccines are in a decent place.

We're all done. Let's fucking go. And they did. They really did. They went very fast. Do you remember anything distinct about yourself in 2022? Who you were, what you were doing? I know you were doing pods and we were all hanging out.

I don't know. I think I was, I have to say, I was looking at a short-lived diary that I was keeping from like two years ago. Wow. And was very struck by the similarity of like my day-to-day life. So I think obviously, like, you get to a certain point in your 40s and, like, things start to, like, settle. I traveled a lot in 22, I think obviously relative to the previous two years. So, you know, I'm a little seasoned, you know.

Are you ready for a change now? In my professional life? If you could go back to school, we've been joking that Amanda's going to business school because she wants to help us better understand this Warner Brothers situation. So she'll be getting her. Did you hear about the network that I pitched also? I didn't. Or not in the studio. Sorry.

So if I win Warner Brothers. I think I'm giving the studio tour and then you're just live all the time doing like business Chris giving people updates on what our new company is going to mean in the... Yeah, exactly. Seems like a good use of your talents.

Yeah, definitely. Do I want to change? You know, I was talking, we have high fidelity is going up today on rewatchables. And I did say that I think I was probably happiest in my life just working in a record store.

And if I had been told like, this is it. We'll give you like 5,000 more dollars every year. I'd been like, all right, let's just do that. That's interesting. Yeah. Did you explore that emotionally? Or did Bill just go like, thanks for sharing that, Chris, and move on? Yeah, without the thanks for sharing that part.

I think, you know, I'm glad that I moved on with my life and there aren't that many record stores. There would have been a lot of competition. But just so I'm clear about this, you are unhappy now at this stage of your life. I'm not unhappy. I'm not unhappy. I'm very happy. I was... Are you?

22. 22 is hard. Yeah. I had a very young, very unhappy child. Extremely unhappy. Zero to one year old. And so that was a very challenging period. Remember very vividly, and I can say this out loud now, because I've just entirely

replaced our roof. Our roof was fucked up because there was so much rain in California in January, February, and March of this year. I'll never forget it. It was like world historical rain, or at least it felt like it was. And then I think 23, we also had a lot of rain. Anyhow, personally, I remember that very vividly because it was so challenging. And it's so different from how I feel now.

Movie-wise, pretty good, not great. Very interesting draft situation here for us. Because a couple of hyper-hot commodities. I did have one question for you. Yeah, well, I know. But, like, I did want to know whether when you look at a year like this where you say pretty good, not great, are you like, I'm glad I saw everything, though. I'm still glad I watched it all.

I'm still glad I was a pretty big completest. Well, why do you ask that? Because I know that when we get to the end of the years, you're just like, God damn it, that was a lot of movies. You know what I mean? And I know that it's the project. And I know you want to see everything and then say like... So funny, bring this up.

I was just texting with somebody else about this, about like my main era. I'm trying to see as much as I came before the years out. I'm not psychoanalyzing you. I'm actually like, I'm wondering, I just did the 10 best of the year for the watch. It's impossible to watch all TV. But, you know, I did feel a little bit in the back of my head.

Like, man, I really feel like I have to watch 20 hours of these three shows. shows or whatever to have like a real take on the best of the year. I was like, it's just not doable, but you really do, you go for it. You go for the entire picture. Yeah. So you can see here on the list that I've made, it's 309 movies and it says you've watched 309 of 309. So I saw all of these movies that are on this list from the release this year. Now, at the risk of being corny, I really do feel lucky to get to do this with you guys, to get to be on a show like this when I was 12, if you had told me that this is how I would spend

a huge part of my professional time, I would have lost my mind. I would have been so happy. So I see it as like a responsibility to try to see as much as I can. The problem is, and I'm feeling at this time of year, obviously December 15th,

where I'm like, there's still 60 movies I think I should see before the years out. It's usually diminishing returns. And the ones that you put off are usually the ones you put off because you're like, I know I'm not going to like this anyway. Sometimes you get surprised

but most of the time you don't. So there is a feeling of wasted effort. But I don't feel like my life is passing me by because the only things that I'm really interested in doing are being here, doing these shows, being a part of this company, and being with my family and friends. So I've kind of found a way to make it all work together. So I don't regret it. Is this what you dreamed of when you were 12? I don't think I could have dreamed that this would be a thing. Yeah. Yeah. No, I couldn't have either. No. It's, I mean, I, I agree with you. What did you dream of? What did I dream of? You

dreamed of being a ballerina in the Bolshoi ballet. I think my 12s that had aged out. The first female president? Yeah. You dreamed of being first clarinet and Lydia Tar's orchestra. I don't, yeah. Not a woodwinds person. No kidding. You don't like how they sound. No, I do. The L.A. Phil did a kid's show focused on Woodwinds recently and we went and it was a lovely time and they played Rhapsody and Blue and that, you know what? Gershwin. There you go. But no, I would be more in the the string section, I think. Okay. I recently learned

that Rob Mahoney played the viola. Checks out. Watch I thought was cool. Just wanted to share that with everyone, some crossover stuff. What did you play as a child? A recorder when I was young.

Recorder. A little bit of violin. And then... Like, every parent dreads the day when the child comes home with a recorder. But I really tiny you with a recorder.

I can't imagine. We had to play some Hanukkah song. I can't remember. And then... Violin briefly. How briefly? And then guitar. You know?

You were also a vocalist, right? Yes, that was more in college, though. Thank you, Jack. I mean, I'm not ashamed of it. There was no shame coming from my way. Sing a tune. No, my music would fucking scare your middle-class, middle-brow audience.

Only Zach Barron understands it. Are you blind that the watch does not have a middle-class middle-brow audience? Well, half of us do, yeah. Okay. Well, probably time to... Is there anything we want to say about the awards that year? Would you rather save it?

Save it. Okay. There's, of course, a very potent film with the Academy Awards in this year. This movie draft is brought to us by State Farm. And now we're back with a new one. And life is all about choices, like deciding whether or not to check out the latest release in theaters. At State Farm, their goal is. is to help you make decisions that you feel good about.

Speaking of good decisions, it is time to pick a draft order. Jack Sanders. Very crucial. I know. Very crucial. Maybe like the most no-brainer number one pick in a long time. I feel like, is it though?

Well, so here's the real thing. But we need the order first. Okay. Coming right up. Here we go. I'm nervous. Dungeons and Dragons Ball. I'm nervous.

This is like the. This is like who's going to get Wendy. This is like for real, you know. Except you're not being judged on your beauty. or intelligence, but merely by Jack's ability to shake a bag. Selecting first is CR. Wow.

Okay. Wow. Wow. Okay. We did it, Joe. All right, but this is the real one. This is like who's second, yeah. Selecting second, Sean Fennessy.

God damn it! Third, Amanda Dobbins. I want to send, I want to show you something from yesterday, Amanda. I sent this to Sean like in the middle of the afternoon. I'm, yeah. what does it say it says amanda if she loses out on tar and maverick tomorrow and it's patrick booms's tweet that says don't know why it had to happen and not going to lie it hurts but all we can do now is trust in god and attack every single day and over and over again

we may not know who will dominate this draft but with the state farm personal price plan you can choose the right amount of coverage to help create an affordable price talk to a state farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with the personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, state farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility vary by state. Well, Amanda, it's very important that you be a good neighbor right now.

I have to have a meeting with myself for a minute. And, like, maybe you guys can be. Can I just give you some people's perspective? Sure. I feel like we've had it. In a real, really, like, lovely way, we've really made space for each other this year on these drafts, I think. That's beautiful.

And don't you think that, like, if you went back historically over the last break? Here's the thing. It's fucking Cynthia Revo and Ariana Grande putting their hearts together. Get out of here. Like I said, like I said, I'm going to have a meeting with myself. And if you want to help,

you can just give me a minute because, like, I'm fucked. And that's fine, but there were... That's not true. There were, well... I think anybody who's going to get Top Gun was going to be in the pole position. Did we ever do a...

the 89 draft results? Do we ever poll that? Yeah, I won 100% to zero. It's up somewhere, I think. It doesn't, there's no centrality where we vote anymore. So there's no way to like... It's the streets.

It's... What are the people tell you? I do think it's very fun at the live shows when we do the QR code. You know what would be fun for charity is if we do a draft and then we phone banked afterwards to like take like polls?

Oh, like what people thought? Yeah, are you home? But what if they're like super disappointed when I pick up the phone and not you? And they're like, I needed to jerk off with Chris on the other line. Can you please patch me into Chris immediately?

Yeah. I don't, is it, did the results matter? We've been doing drafts since COVID for five years. Yeah. They've never mattered to me. Haven't they? Why did you just throw a temper tantrum? Just say you needed a full minute.

You have a meeting with yourself about something that doesn't matter. I had to have a meeting with myself about not being a petulant brat for the rest of the, thing because... Do you have a meeting with yourself before? I'm like, it's no fun without the two. Because I really only like two movies this year. And I'm not going to get that. You only like two movies?

Yeah, everything else. I'm just like, whatever. I don't care. Really? Like, I didn't see that many. And so I remember going to see the big two and being like, this is awesome. Movies are back. Had like an incredible experience.

Everything, like, there are some things I like, but like... Interesting. You know, you're shuffling around them. And so it's just not, you know. Good outcome. You grud. taking movies you don't care about is always funny. That's always good content.

People love that. Well, there's six categories. I'm going to talk through the categories for the listeners at home. So perhaps I should pull up the document in which they're listed. I was going to do seven. And then I took one off the board. I took comedy off the board. We're in death rows of studio comedies here.

I don't know if we can really do comedy as a category for the next few years. narrative. Is this the end of studio movies? Around, not in the movie. Yeah. Yeah. Because there are no laughs in the movie. There are? Not very many. No, not really, no. It's a tough said. Yeah. How is how is

Albert Brooks in the movie? Quite good. Okay. Yeah, but underutilized? Okay. He's not in very much. Yeah. Just nice to see him. Six categories. Drama. Action Horror Thriller. Oscar nominee. sequel

Blockbuster with a $100 million threshold there are 18 films eligible and Wildcard Amanda has forfeit she is sitting out

this entire draft because there are no good films you and me taking ambulance 14 times making out I remember listening

to that one on leave and I was like if these two found each other and that's beautiful that was the coolest night

of my life spiritual that we the movie ended and we turned to each other like two swans who found one another in a giant lake and we were like god this is so beautiful that we can have this he throws a drone under an ambulance does he actually throw it no i mean he drove he flies the drone underneath knox is like really taken with drones and i'm not excited about it he's just like very interested you know the best moment in television

this year is the drone getting caught on the street light and plurface that was incredible that was so good Okay, do you want to start? I mean, yeah. Like, I mean, do you want to riff anymore? No, I'm good. You got any more gags you want to do? No, I don't know. You want to get, literally gag?

There's just like my feelings, but it's fine. My connection to cinema. Go ahead. There are good films this year. It's fine. Do what you're going to do. Is it because there's a movie called women talking? Yeah. These women are talking too much.

Talk less. That's what it is. CR, go ahead. I'll take Top Gunn' Oscar. In Oscar. Interesting. Okay. Not my favorite batch of Oscar movies. So while it's obviously eligible for several categories, including Blockbuster, I'm going to take this in Oscar.

I think we all believed, we all dreamed that maybe TC would get his big statue here. But, you know, obviously, like, Hollywood has a way of correcting things. But I'm happy that he eventually got, like, what was this, like, the Lifetime Achievement Award that he received? Yeah, it's Governor's Award. Honorary? But is that part of the Academy? It is, yeah. I mean, he got an Oscar,

but we don't recognize it. On this podcast. No, that's not true. I don't. Give him in a competitive one. Like, be real. It's a real Academy Award. You know what I mean.

Okay. This movie still rules. I rewatched it recently, actually, on a streaming service, and it plays, obviously, not as bombastically and as involvingly, but, like, just as well as it did in the theater. It's actually, like, the last, Well, I would say the last 30 minutes up until the last 10 minutes are perfect cinema, where from when they leave the battleship to go into the coffin run,

you know, some of the stuff with the parachuting and rescuing the parachutes and stuff at the very end is a little silly, but the very end is fantastic. I always knew that I would like this movie. I never knew I would love it, you know? And in some ways, I think I agree with you that this is like kind of like this weird, it's like better than the first one. And it makes you love this character in a way you didn't really in the first one. So, yeah, Top Gun Maverick was just, it was truly the Clarion call, the battle cry of Warsaw back.

Remember when we came to your house during the fires because we didn't have power? Yes. And my son was very freaked out and you sat in the other room with my son watching Top Gun Maverick while I figured out what to do. Yeah. Thanks for that moment. First he gave it to you and then he took it from you. Yeah. Yeah. It was very sweet though.

Yeah. So thank you for doing that. just thinking about that the other day. Do it. It's fine. I'm deleting it right now. December is the season of giving. Oh my God.

You don't have to do it. Do it. I don't want it. I don't want it. Because there is a movie that I love more than her movie. You used to get so mad at me when I would do stuff like this. Well, things have changed. But it's almost like I don't trust it.

Like, why are you doing this? I'm just being myself because I love Babylon more than I love Tar. and I care more about Babylon than I do about TAR and I know TAR means a lot to you and I know that I well frankly I need you to perform a good podcast here

I said I had a meeting with myself so that I would I'll be taking Babylon in I guess drama I think drama because to me this isn't interesting

Oscar year and I'm kind of middling drama year and Babylon, of course, Damien Chiselle's near masterpiece about the development of Hollywood, the rise of a certain kind of

storytelling, something that I'm completely obsessed with, a movie that I helped construct with many millions of people of beautiful hive. We've been living inside that hive for some time. We did a watch along on it. Kind of an instant cult classic, bombed

at the box office, but bounced back pretty vigorously for those who understand and love it. I haven't revisited it since our watch-along. I tend to not go back to films, aside from Zach Snyder's Justice League, which I've seen 10 times. But... I've seen Dark Night Rises like six times.

Is that true? It's on a lot, so I will stick around for any Bain Nuggets I can... On what? On HBO. Oh, okay. So you just, you, like, are flipping channels? Mm-hmm. That's what I'm watching basketball. I watch the sports. I'll flip to, like, on the commercial,

I go to the movie channel. Interesting. Okay. Do you feel like you understand the ending of Babylon anymore now that you have seen Avatar the way of water? It feels cheap that he would put that movie in the like montage of the greatest film moments ever and whatever. It's a horrendous take. It's the most freezing cold take I've ever heard. Okay.

I'm not going to fight with you about it. The whole point is about the evolution of cinema over time. Avatar was part of the evolution. What Chris is saying is that he. didn't feel that Avatar the Way of Water was as evolved as maybe we presented it to him. But he didn't see it in 3D, you know? That's right. And I never will.

So maybe I'll just be blind to that for the rest of my life. Frankly, I find your attitude quite poor. So yeah, I've got Babylon. Okay. That was very nice. Are you excited for the prison movie, the Damien's Chiselle prison film? I can't wait. Remind me of the cast.

It's two actors. that I'm very excited about. No. This just came out last week. I just Google Damian Chazel Prison Drama. Killian Murphy and Daniel Craig? Incredible. It is incredible.

That's amazing. The brutalist guy is shooting it. Yeah. Law. Crawley. Thank you, Jack. Yeah. Yes.

Come on. No? Yeah, sure. I like those people. Yes. Do you think those guys are playing Americans? Probably. It'd be better if they weren't.

Yeah. What's the British and Irish prison system like? It's pretty bad. I mean, it's like they haven't really updated those places in a long time. Do we think this is a period piece or contemporary prison situation? Chazelle hasn't made a contemporary film since La La Land. La Land. Yeah.

Right, which is sort of fantasy. But it's set in the modern times. Going hard in my home right now. La La Land. Yeah, though Knox thinks it's called Gaga Land. Close enough. It's actually a star is born. But you know, it's pretty good.

He's good at the endings of movies. So you took Babylon. Yes. Perhaps as a great peace offering at the end. That was really nice. Thank you. You're welcome. I promised that I would have gotten it together,

but I will, in Oscar nominee, take Tar, which is, you know, I have two favorites of this year, Top Gun Maverick for the spectacle of cinema and Tar for just absolutely fucking going for it, capital C, cinema. I started, like, laughing with joy and I can't believe you're doing this at the end of this movie, which is just a feeling that is so rare in movies at all now, but especially it's very, very hard to end things. This is like an amazing, smart, funny, completely discomforting, like really naughty, just like instant. masterpiece that we had such a nice, like, fun time arguing back and forth about what it means

different people has been so interesting and, like, you know, keeps changing. There are so many, like, small, observed moments that I think about all of the time, you know, just like the, the, the deleting of the email and the, the, all of, um, Kate Blanton's, like, furtive movement, movements and stairs and. What does she do with that kid where she, like, the kid who's like, Bling. Oh, I am Petra's father. Like, and I, oh, my God, I was so incredible. Amazing shit.

So, uh, Todd Field interviewed Noah Baumbach for Jay Kelly at the DGA. And his questions were so good. I was so jealous of the way that he interviewed Noah Baumbach. You know, Noah is usually, he's a little more restrained in terms of how he answers a question, but it was a, it was a reminder recently of just like special dude, super, He came on the show for Tar. It was super cool. Really smart.

The origins of that movie are so strange where, like, Focus had the, was developing a movie about a conductor. And they kind of gave it to him. And then he ripped it up and started making his own version of the movie. Really? Yeah. It's such a fascinating thing. And, God, he's only made three movies. Like, I just really would love to get a few more.

Have you heard anything about if he's got something rolling right now? I don't know. I'm not sure. I hope soon. I mean, now I'm just, like, running, in through my head. The Juilliard set, you know, confrontation between the student and Lydia Tarr is sort of like an instant time capsule of that whole time period that we lived in. And it's, you know, has been done since less well, including literally putting Julia Roberts in a blazer

and having her dress down a college student for like being overly simplistic about, you know, cancel culture. But it really is an like incredible piece of writing. Incredible performance. Thank you for letting me have this movie, Sean. You're welcome. Did you see after the hunt? No. It's a good C.R. Zag movie.

Because there is. Oh, like, I think you guys, like, why was everybody so mad about this? There's a take on it that you could do that's like, this movie knows what it's doing, and it's actually really smart. Like, I wanted to get there after I saw it. I wanted to do that, and I just couldn't do it. I thought I was going to be able to do it until I saw the last 35 minutes. But I did almost. It really botches it.

Yeah. I did almost put, like, the first hour and a half after the hunt on my, like, honorable mentions list, but it just, it doesn't really get there. You should check it out, though. It's kind of, it will over the holidays. It's chewy. You'll be, you'll find things to like about it. I have another pick.

And so in drama, I'm going to take the Fableman's. Yeah, good pick. Which is Steven Spielberg's under-celebrated film about his childhood. and divorce and creativity and not quite understanding your parents and also that nice guy who's hanging around your house all the time. And there are like four movies within it

that's, it's, you know, episodic almost, even though it is ultimately about his relationship with his father and his mother and coming of age as a filmmaker. But like, you know, the weird, not weird, like the lovely American graffiti high school like interlude in the middle. Everything is so

lovingly and like deceptively complicatedly made you know because it could just be a guy with a camera and trains you know and maybe some people would explain Spielberg that way but there is a lot more going on.

So I really like this movie it seemed to really piss a lot of people off and then... I don't know really know why. I don't know. I guess. It's a super sincere self-portrait. Was it like the Michelle Williams aspect of it necessarily or like the depiction of the mother?

Like I don't really know. I mean, I think it seems to, you know, like all late period Spielberg, like after the up and down of its initial release, just has like kind of like this 100% approval reading in terms of its craft and stuff like that. Sinefiles tend to pretty quickly just be like West Side Story, banger, the post banger. Like these movies are just like eminently watchable. incredibly creative given the constraints of the story and this one's just a little different because it's so deep

but it's also this like active collaboration right because he wrote it with Tony Kushner thank you and I think it's a fascinating piece of work I think it's a good pick really really raw and really and also now that

the ending has a extra lovely meaning of labor Gabriel Level fantastic in the movie but given David Lynch's passing so you know very very special movie. So that's in drama and those are my two picks.

Interesting moment here for us. Easy one for me. Blockbuster, I'm taking note. Yeah. This was my favorite movie of 2022. This is my favorite Jordan Peel movie. This is I saw it on 70mm

this summer with Eileen and she still was like, I don't really understand this movie. But that summer? We saw it this past summer for my birthday. And it was an incredible experience. Actually, Jack, you were there, right? I was. What did you think of that screening?

Absolutely amazing. Yeah. On 70, it was just come. And how loud the movie was projected, too, it was fucking amazing. It was sick. We saw it the Egyptian. And yeah, you know, I think a really smart, kind of similar to the Fabelman's, like exploration of self

and like what you do in the act of making movies in the way in which certain artists are overlooked historically while others are celebrated. And then also this really deep and kind of complicated and maybe unsorted idea of spectacle and like why we're drawn to things that could be dangerous, that could be exploitative, that could be

that could kind of corrode us in some way and like for a movie that has a diaphanous UFO in it is really, really thematically rich amazing performances from Kluya and Kiki Palmer. Great mishmash of genres, great moments that stay with you

like the Steven Yun like, you know, And like the, obviously the sort of childhood TV. Yeah, the sitcom sequence with the ape. I feel like Peel's kind of standing or maybe curating or whatever is diminished a little bit over the years largely because of the stuff that his production company has been associated with, not living up to the promise of Get Out. And I don't know, his movies actually now to me play better on like the 10. 10th watch than they do on the first. Totally. And nope's a great example of like something that's like in the theater.

You're like, what the fuck are what it's going on? Not because it's confusing, but just because you're like, wow, what a big swing. Yeah. What an interesting idea to throw in the middle of this movie or at the end of this movie. I totally agree. I do think we talked about this on 25 for 25. The get out is such a complete statement. Like it's a movie that is very legible.

Yeah. It's very fun to watch, very fun-y. Right. It's pop, but also has a lot of ideas. As depth. Yeah. But us and Nob are like a little messier, have a lot of strands around them. Like it does feel, it feels less neat.

And I like that. I like when a great filmmaker is trying to stretch some things out and go a little bit deeper. So I hope that this is just another link in a chain of progression for him. But I love, love, love this movie. I probably will watch this movie every couple of years until I die. So easy pick for me. Okay. Amanda, no, Chris, you've got two.

Okay, so I will, in drama, I'm going to take bansches of an issue. that is because I really like this movie a lot it is also a little bit of a chess move on the Oscar category for you guys because it takes another one off the board Martin McDonough's incredible drama comedy about friendship in a rural Irish island village is it an island I think it's an island yeah island

starring Colin Farrell, Brennan Gleason, Barracki and Carrie Condon and my wife when you watch the first time through like I think you go into it and you're like this is going to be like a kind of very snappy dark typically McDonough movie about like these two guys and they're weird Forever War but the underlying plot about

Keegan's longing for the Carrie Condon character is the thing that really stayed with me and I think remains Keegan's best performance and you know Carrie Condon obviously got to do this She's, she's in F1. This year is one of my favorite sort of unsung performers.

And I really love this movie. I think it's probably his most satisfying film for me since in Bruges. So I will take that in drama. Great movie. That was a fun, we did, that was a fun pod we did when you came back. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I very much felt like to Carrie Condon in that particular podcast, but that's okay. And we were both Barry Keoghung.

Right. Yeah, we'd chop each other's fingers off. There goes that dream. Okay, so I do that in drama. Are you taking a Blockbuster? No. Have you taken a Blockbuster? I have.

You took Nope in Blockbuster. I did. I don't like these blockbusters that much. And I feel like I got to take the Batman here. Okay. Yeah. Good pick. Good movie. And, you know, I'd just stand with Paul Dano.

Well, this was a gift to him. Yeah. That's what he received. Yeah. Right. What do you mean? That's what Ethan Hawks said. This was a gift to him.

Oh, right. This whole experience was a gift. Yeah. Yeah. I picked up your. I didn't know if you meant, like, getting the riddler was a gift in. Well, no, but this is my, as I've said before, one of my favorite memes of this century is, no! No!

Like, him losing his mind behind the Arkham jail cell. This is good. This is if the prisoner's guy grew up and moved to Gotham, you know? Very much. Very much. And he's a fantastic villain in it. Patinson, a really solid Batman. really good visualization of a world.

Reeves kind of came to this and had a fully fleshed out landscape of characters that he obviously wanted to put out there. Did you see the rumor that Brad Pitt is going to be the villain in the Batman too? But yes, he was going to be either

Dr. Arkham. The proprietor of Arkham Asylum. Okay. I'm guessing it's not best practices there. I have gone deeper into Rumorville with that. that one. Okay. And you've learned

that it is not true. I've learned that that is not happening. Apparently he cannot make that work with the, what was the movie that he's going to make

driving all over? Oh, every burger movie that he's making. But it does seem like Scarjo might be the villain of this movie.

Okay. Well, who would she be? She would be Harvey Dent's wife. Wow. Are you breaking that here on this spot? Can I ask you something?

So when you're, you know, you're doing the lurk on the message boards. Are you ever posting? No. Never. Never. You're a 100% lurker. Yes. Have you thought about posting in 2026? Do you think I should post? I think, but you should never be like, you shouldn't be CR. You want me to do burners of, yeah, I do. And getting involved in movie, DC spoilers. I just, I feel like you could bring a lot of joy. Okay. Don't you think? Don't, don't run with this as if it's like, I didn't report this at all. I just read it on Reddit that she is

playing, that there is a specific Batman run that this is being drawn from. Okay. Yeah. What's Harvey Dent's wife's name? Does she have a name? She has a woman, after all. You could give her some life, some value. The nickname

that she has of a super villain. Isn't Scarlet Johansson doing something else? She's the Exorcist. Right. No, but she also joined another franchise. No, it was the Exorcist. That was the big one that she's doing. She's got Jurassic Park World. Was there another one that she joined? I thought so.

I'm going to look right now. You guys can keep talking. She's just a survivor. She was like, I'll go from lily pad to lily pad. Yeah. Fuck you pay me. You like it? I mean, I have to respect it.

Sure. You know, she's not suggesting that she's some sort of great artist when she makes Jurassic World Rebirth. She directed her own movie with June Square. Yeah, Eleanor the Great. Do you see it? I didn't. Why did you skip it? This is a movie for adults.

Yeah, because I only watch Taylor Sheridan TV shows. Yeah. You can't find it. Oh, no, it was the Batman, according to Batman and The Exorcist. Yeah. But so I think that the D.C. rumor was what I was thinking about. Gilda.

Gilda. Yeah. Gilda. Gilda. Dent. But also Gilda Gold, according to this AI. Oh, and is that inspired by the, by the 1940s noir? I don't know.

I haven't ever heard of that. What, Gilda? Gilda? A film, Gilda? Yeah. Yeah. I've heard of it, but I don't have it at my fingertips. Okay.

it's a great film. Okay. Should consider it. It's really good. It's where she does the hair flip, you know? Oh, is that the movie where she does that? Is that Marlena Dieterck? No.

It's Rita Hayworth. Oh, me, Rita Hayworth. When does Marleya Dietrich do a hair flip? No, she just goes like... She doesn't really do a hair flip, yeah. The hair, that hair doesn't move. My dad. Yeah.

You should check out Gilda. I feel like you'd enjoy it. It's kind of, it's pretty firmly in your zone. And then you'll be able to understand the Batman, too. What's the song she performs? Like, what's the song thing? I forget. Okay.

I mean, I have a Gilda song. It's on the Criterion's collection. Do you people start drafting movies from like the 1940s? Put the blame on maim. Put the blame on me. Yeah. It's really good, Gilda. I want to do the 1939 movie draft.

Okay. So we can do it November, 26. Okay. If we need to prep. Okay. But it's, you know, considered among many of the greatest movie year of all time. I think it would be kind of a tough sell for the audience once you get past the first five.

Grow up. But, 2021. Michael Curtiz Draft Michael Curtis All of Fame Yeah That's a hard one

Okay You pick both You picked the Batman And you picked The Banshees of Inasharon I did And now I have a pick Hmm

I think In sequel I will take No In Oscar nominee I will take Avatar Okay.

Which is, of course, a film that I love. Yeah. And brings you to tears. It moved me. Yeah. No tears were shut on the podcast. People can watch it at home that there's not a single tear. It's as close as you've ever got to crying that I've ever seen you.

You can't. Is that true? I think so. That can't be true. If the Mets win the World Series, I'm assuming you're going to burst into tears. I've seen you tear up a couple other times on this podcast. Really? Yeah, but like in all other situations, it's when we're talking about children dying.

and then we both are crying and that was just him crying about a whale I guess I did not cry I will not be slandered on this podcast I was moved

thinking about Jake Sully and his family and PyCon and Pycon's pain and being cast aside is Pycine got a big role in Fire Nash he sure does

good really important role his majesty is on display this of course is Jim Cameron's thunderous return to feature filmmaking 13 years after the original Avatar. He came back

and he showed us what his powers can really conjure. I guess in two days are going to record an episode about the third film. Just the two of you? Yeah, I guess so. Yeah. PyCon not available. No spoiler. I didn't know if you were

going to be bringing in like another avatar head. Well, you hate it. Joanna hates it. Van loved it. I was wondering whether we should see if he's... Van stood and applauded at the conclusion of the film. Yes. Dan also hit us with a similar to Dune Part 2

like a goddamn in the middle of the movie which is really exciting. Oh, can I just say something really quick to our listeners? Yes. I have been doing other research about Dune. I think you're going to say vaccines. Part three. And I feel bad because I have been

like fake spoiling it for a while. And I kept it like, this is going to happen in Dune 3. And that doesn't happen for like three books. So never mind what I was saying about Dune Part 3. But I did find out of happens. So that was a message for the listeners. To whom you've spoiled the film Dune 3. But don't worry about it.

If I did spoil it. Because he hasn't spoiled it. Don't sweat it. That doesn't happen until way later. Anytime you started talking about Dune 3, either one of you, I just immediately checked out mentally. So you don't like Dune 3. No, I'm out on Dune 3. You just don't want to know what happens.

Oh, okay. Good. So you have no what you don't have any memory. of what I've said about June 3. I know that there's some worm situations in play, but that's all I really know. Everything else I don't know. I kind of want to read the books, to be honest, but I know I'll never do that.

No, you won't do it. Would you listen to them? Are you an audio book person for fiction? I've never done it for fiction. I can't do it for fiction. Well, you do it if... I've done it for nonfiction many times. Salomey reads them, but as the Liverpool rapper that he supposedly is? SD kid? The answer is yes. The answer is yes. This episode of The Big Picture is brought to you by State Farm.

Having people in your corner to help you makes all the difference. For example, I'm usually loathe to trust Sean and his movie recommendations, but after many months of him waxing rhapsodic about train dreams, I finally watched it and I have to be honest. He was right. It was wonderful. And like those people, State Farm is there to help you feel supported by helping you choose the coverage you need. Go online at StateFarm.com or use the award-winning app to get help from one of their local agents. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

So, Amanda, you have a pick? I do. In fact, I have two picks. I was very nervous there for a second in sequel that you were going to take my pick. So in sequel, I will be taking Downton Abbey, a new era, which is the best of the down-in-era movies. It's really good. He'll tell you too. Yeah, it's incredible.

The films, have you not seen the movies? I don't think so. I never finished Down Abbey the series. The first one is like fine, but it's just two TV shows stitched together. It's solid. But yeah, but it's like there's like a plot. You know, exactly at one hour, they wrap up the first one and then they move on to the second one. That's true. That's okay.

This one, fully realized, there's a whole new cast of characters who live on the French Riviera, who the crawlies have to go visit. Meanwhile, this is the one where Hugh Dancy shows up and is making a film, and Lady Mary has to sing in and the rain it because... He wants to, she want to shoot the film at Downton. Yeah. While the whole family is that. Killing it in the American Revolution, by the way. Oh, no kidding. I didn't know he was on law and order until Saturday night football.

For several years. Several years. Is Hugh Dancy a loyalist? Who is he portraying? A loyalist? Yeah. He's portraying, like, I think, a British general or something. Okay.

British colonel. Got it. Yeah. Okay. Sorry. So he's the film producer. Yeah. And then it turns out that, so, and it's just pure crib from singing in the rain,

But it starts as a silent film and then, you know, they go to see the jazz singer. And then they're like, oh, no, we have to make this. But the woman actress can't, doesn't have a proper speaking voice. So Lady Mary steps in and dubs it for her. And then, you know, who writes the script? Oh, my God. I thought if I kept talking that I would be able to remember. Oh, so you were vamping just now.

What his name is? No, what's his name? That is all that happens. That's true. What's his name? The guy, the, the, the, the ballot. You know, who writes the script. Yes.

Who becomes the screenwriter. Come on. Listen, and I'm not even telling you, they go to the French Riviera because Lady Violet, aka the Dowager countess, like had a tour love affair, and she got left a house. Really?

Yeah. That's great. This is a great film. This is definitely the best of the three. Do you feel like I need to be current on doubt in the series to watch the movies? No, but just put that on, and you are going to have a great time. Molesley. Molesley, of course.

Yeah. Does it ever suggest... Did you mention Dominic West? No. Oh, yeah. The fake, like, Errol Flynn. And he comes in and he's an actor, but he's also a gay man. And he fought behind the scenes, he fall...

Who does he fall in Thomas? Yeah. And he and Thomas having a fair. This is... Honestly, these movies, I think, are genuinely good. Yeah. It was really, really fun. Did you see Katie Baker did a really good piece for The Ringer where she interviewed a bunch

of showrunners about their favorite episodes of the last 25 years? And Julian Fellowses was for presumed innocent. the pilot pretty good pilot yeah awesome it was a great that was the problem yeah

I was also like tough last three episodes where you knew what was gonna happen yeah that wasn't ideal anyway sequel downed abbey a new era

great job to everyone involved and then look at her she's got so much pep in her step because she walked out with Tar and Downton

I did I did this is friendship it was it was really nice and I will I'll always remember it Sean here's what I'm gonna do In action horror thriller

The student has become the appreciator I will take Pearl Which I saw because I promised to watch Maxine Yeah And then I was like well I got to watch the first two And I was really charmed by Pearl Excellent film Which did you like X?

This completes the trilogy of silent film transition Yes In movies this year between Babylon Downton Abbey in New Era and Pearl Oh you could teach a seminar about that That's really interesting I mean, you know, but it is a horror movie at some point. But for a while, it is just Mia Gough being very weird and charming in the Midwest.

The chronology of parole is a little bit. And doing some inappropriate things at a movie theater. And David Corrin's what is there. Okay. I think it's, I thought it was Texas. Because I thought X takes place in Texas. It's where the houses. Oh, yeah.

That would make sense. It is Texas. I just, I was very charmed by this. me a goth performance. Even when it gets gnarly, I think her best performance. I think that it's like amusing gnarly instead of freaking me out Narley. David Kornswet. Yeah. Did you like X?

Oh yeah. I liked that one. But Pearl was definitely my favorite. And then Maxie and I was insulted by them being like this is Bates Motel. This is where psycho happened. You know, I was like, thanks. Thanks so much. I got to like Maxx. I also just, I'll never forget watching Maxine on a plane and just be like this is so inappropriate. Yeah. Yeah.

The stomping of the balls is really quite powerful. Pearl being a movie that Ty West and Miyagoth just cooked up because they were stuck in, I think, Australia or maybe New Zealand during the production of X is also one of those really, a weirdly positive outcome of the struggles of 2020 and 2021. There's a lot of, like, we had to go to some far-flung place to shoot a movie that could have just as easily been shot in Plano. Yeah. Right, right. Um, okay, good pick. I love Pearl. I will stay in thriller, action horror, and I'll be taking Barbarian.

Yeah, I was waiting. I was, I was, I took, I took banshees in drama because it's a thin category. You wanted to take Barbarian. I wanted to, are you taking an open Barbarian hurts? Well, Barbarian also in my top 10 that year, I, the minute it was over, I was like, we have another guy. We have another person whose movies I will be seeing for the next 25 years. and that's very exciting. And that really just came to fruition

with weapons in the success that Zach Greger had with that movie. Barbarian, we recorded an episode about the film, very normal episode in which Chris and I, in extraordinary detail, talked minute by minute

through the film off of memory to Amanda. That was before I was getting close to the 44 cliff and I could still do things like that. I think I wasn't, this would have been me

at 47, 6. See, he's proof that we're going to be okay. But I just didn't procreate. So part of my program for you, we are going to start doing some weightlifting, some strength training. Okay, okay. Who's we? Well, I... Like together?

No, no, no, no. Unless, I did think it would be funny if you guys came to Pilates with me sometime. I just, I'd like to watch you fall into the machine. I think doing Pilates would be helpful for me. Yeah. I don't think I want to do anything with you. That's fine. I don't want to be in shorts.

There's a, there's like a. there's always one man in the Pilates class and I love the one man in the Pilates class and I like salute him specifically or like is he like a generally speaking there is always a guy like there's like one guy in like like Steve's always there in any class you're in except for the time that maybe a man who's haunting you except for the time that there was a Shrek soundtrack themed Pilates class after me and there was more than one man going which says a lot but the one man in the Pilates class I have respect for this man he's always trying his best and he just like always comes up against the moment where he can't, he can go no further. Yeah. But it keeps trying. And I, I admire it. But all the women in the class can. Yeah, that's right.

Because it is, it's some tough shit. Which is why I want you to come, because I think it would be fun. But also it would be good for you. Okay. Anyway. I'm open to anything in 206. That'll help you with your wellness cliff. I was talking about barbarian.

I think Barbarian's great Yeah And I need it on 4K Yeah what's up with that Zach City's working on it Okay We'll see It's been three years

Bob Iger if you're listening Okay Your movie studio produced Barbarian I'd like to say thank you Thank you for contributing the funds And the distribution power for that film I'm glad I was able to see it on a movie theater screen Put it on 4K now

Bob, in return for putting it on 4K I, on behalf of Sean, consent for his likeness to be available in SORA AI training videos. I will have tea with Mini Mouse on Sora. Oh, if you think that's what I'm doing with you on SORR. What would you do?

I would have you wearing a Chase Utley uniform crying at his Hall of Fame induction. Well, now someone's just going to go and make that. You're the most beautiful big boy in my life. Now I have to make Chase Utley AI to combat that. Like you're going to make me make slop so that all the people in my mentions making slop. See, this is the problem. We could go to Pilates, but instead we're going to send each other videos of Chase Utley.

Yeah, I mean, putting it all together, I think would be really the ideal execution. Yeah. I had a funny conversation about chat GPT over the weekend at your house where someone was telling me that they, someone was telling Eileen and I that they use it. and we were asking questions about what they use it for and why they use it and then this guy who was explaining it to us

was like yeah and you know it's like you gotta pay the monthly fee and Eileen almost lost her mind and she was like you have to pay for this

like how much do you have to pay and I was like was it 799 or something and she was like I will get a pitchfork and take it to the door of open AI was the guy using it

for more than just like a slightly elevated Google was he using it as like companionship or what was It was, as a companion to raise his son. No. Okay.

Chris, you have a pick. Okay. Right? Chris's pick? Yeah, I think so because I just got to do. Let me just review what we got here. I have a drama. I have a Oscar nominee and I have a blockbuster.

So I need a sequel, a wild card and a action horror thriller. Do you still take like the green supplements in the morning? No. Okay. I do, I don't really do that either, but I'm wondering. A vitamin C goop. I've been kind of on for the last couple of months. Oh, I tried that, like the honey one.

But I have an immersion blender thingy that, Phoebe got that I use. Yeah, I'm not allowed to use those. I just crushed those. Yeah, the finger. But I was thinking some sort of, like, you know, vitamins or powder type thing that you can just put in tea or coffee or whatever. Yeah, for you to make sure that you're getting the fruits that you need. I want to have creatine and never drink. That's fine. Do you want the girl creatine?

Do I want the girl creatine? Yeah, they have special girl creatine. Let's go back. Let's go back to the exact second before you asked me the question. Was there ever a moment when you thought to yourself, he's going to say yes. He's going to say, I want girl creatine. No, but I thought you might ask some more questions. I will now be making AI slop of Sean being like, yes, mommy, give me girl creatine.

Nothing makes me appreciate Chase Utley's beauty like girl creatine. Case Udly really was quite handsome. Give me a fucking break. Get the fuck out of here. That's just sort of like small player. And like better as he aged. I honestly when you said it, I Google it just to make sure. But like Chase Adley could get it.

Sorry. Disgusting. The way that he played indicated a real fragile ego, a weak baby. Somebody who had to stomp on defenseless people because he was bullied as a child. What a weak bitch. Fuck him. That's how I really feel. Okay.

All right. Amanda, you're up. No, I'm like. No, he's up. He didn't pick yet. We're skipping your face. Chase Sutley is suspended and you're out. In action horror thriller, I'll take ambulance.

Yeah. Yeah. Michael Bays. See? And then there was healing. One crazy day in L.A. Yeah. With Yaya Abdul Mateen and Jake Jelen Hall as brothers.

I think actually Jolenhall's character was inspired by Chase Sutley. Now that I think about it. Coked out of his mind. Expired by Hunter Biden. It's very Hunter Biden. As brothers, right? They're brothers. Yeah.

Why would they not be brothers? Of course. And they are... Are you suggesting there is a reason they would not be brothers? And there's the first half of this film, skipping right past that. Well, because they don't seem like

they would be from the same mother, right? But they're adoptive brothers. Why? Because one is black and one is white. Got it. Okay. I guess that's how it works. The first half of this movie is basically,

like Michael Bay being like I want to make heat and then the second half of this movie is one of the best chase movies that you will see this century

some of the greatest work with defibrillators you'll ever see in a film it's so fucking good I can't remember how it ends specifically like where

it like what happens everyone survives and everyone is not in jail like we're actually we are blood brothers now yep um is Jerry Aronah

this movie no Aiza Gonzalez I use a Gonzales I use a Gonzales I'm not even laughing at you. Keep going. I was just thinking about a seat into my blockbuster and I started like... Does she know we're doing a pod? Did you go there a camera?

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Can we do like a full-time Amanda cam? But then don't publish it on Amanda's YouTube channel. We're just fucking like... I'm sorry. Yeah. Did you choose your blog?

No, I just, I was thinking. It's the blockbuster you're going to choose. Yeah, I was, you're laughing about something that's about to happen in the future. You were talking about it. But that you all, you've already seen. Yeah, no, I was just laughing thinking about a thing. You just, you were talking about ambulance for a long time. So I was just trying to multitask. And then I could possibly have happened in Black Adam that made you so happy. Seriously. Anyway. And then and then I just and then I lost it. But I know that ambulance meant a lot to you guys. I listened to you talk about it for like 90 minutes. Wasn't the highest rated episode of the show? Ambulance is my action horror thriller. And then my sequel, may I take Confess Fletch? You may. Yeah.

I'll take that. Greg Mottola's riff on a movie, a franchise that has long been promised to get rebooted at some point. Chevy Chase did an iconic turn as a Fletch character, a journalist come detective in Los Angeles. And, you know, I think several actors have circled the idea of reviving it over the years.

I think Kevin Smith was involved at some point. But they finally settled on Greg Motolo, who's one of, like, the most accomplished undersung directors out there. And he made this with John Hamm taking on the Fletch role. And it's just like a really, really charming comedy mystery that I loved. It was, I think, kind of straight streaming. Paramount Plus. And it just went really overlooked. If anybody, you know, is listening to these pods,

and it's like, I'm looking for something I didn't see. I think confess Fletch is awesome. I do think that was the other half of the Barbarian episode. It might have been. That discussion? Yes. I can't recall. It was.

Do you like confess Fletch? I do. Quite good. I would love similarly to just have three or four more of these with John Hamm as Fletch. I also would have liked to have seen it in a movie theater. Yes. Definitely watched it at home. It didn't quite feel the same.

So I have a pick. I've got sequel and wildcard left Okay Interesting interesting situation here In sequel I will take prey Okay I'm quite stunned that Chris did not take prey

I like pray a lot But as we learned Not as much as predators In 35 years after you've logged Predators Several more times And Predator 2 Yeah Predator 2

Yeah, Predator 2, you would watch more times than the rest of your life. I like Prey. I don't know if Prey is a rewatchable film for me. I like Pray a lot. Because it centers a woman in the story? Because it's largely silent. And it's like, I love to have the chatter. I see.

This is so no foreign films and no silent films. Just want to be clear about this. Yeah. And no pants when you're recording podcasts. Just to chase Utley Jersey. Pray. Dan Tractenberg's first crack at the Predator franchise. He just made two subsequent films, including the most recent Predator Badlands, which

why were we just talking about Predator Badlands? Oh, Charlie X-EX watched it. Didn't leave any note on it. No heart, didn't put any stars on it. You think she got it? You think she was into it? Honestly, she probably had the similar reaction to us. I'm glad I saw that.

You see Predator Badlands? No, but I, again, listen to your podcast. You would enjoy it. Yeah. And you were like, I'm really glad I get to go to the theater. I really only listened and watch movies like this. I really only experienced the Predator films through you podcasting about them and or acting them out for me. Does it sound like something you're interested in?

I think that everyone should have access to your library enactments of Predator. I think that the next one they do, you should be hired as the TikTok correspondent. And you just and then this and then this. And then a guy comes this way. They're really good. There are no guys in the most recent Predator Badlands. That's right. Well.

There's no dudes. But the Yautja is a male. Yeah, but there's no just like, there's no Boyd Holbrook. You know, there's no guy who's just like, I'm walking across the screen, Straight Talk Express. Just, I'm going to undermine this again. Predators, which features several men, Christmas. Right. Badlands and prey, which.

features primarily female characters. What's your predator ranking? I believe I did it on the pod. Yeah, but like, like, did you just stand by it? It's prey, and then nothing else. It's the only one I've seen and the only one I like.

Okay. No, Predator one. Strong case for prey, too. Strong case. From a pure filmmaking perspective. It has nothing to do with my gender politics. Yeah. Your allyship. I'm not sure

to think about it. Predator 2 is probably number 2. Yes. Prey is probably 3. Okay. So Predators 4 for you. Predator Badlands 5. We just did this podcast.

I can't believe we're doing it again. Yeah, I think that's right. I think Pray is really good. Is it a sequel? Prey is chronologically a prequel. Okay. But I will accept it as part of a franchise just because you were so benevolent to let me have

Confess Fletch, which is just a reboot. good point I hadn't thought of that Yeah All right you're up Amanda I am you have two picks Your final two picks My last two picks I have Blockbuster and Wildcard yet

Left In Blockbuster It's as Chris identified It's not a great list And I saw more of this slop Than you would think For someone who Was out for six months this year

but I don't want to pick most of it even some of the quote unquote original stuff such as the Lost City and Bullet Train which are sliding in under the wires so I will instead take the film that made me crack up just now remembering a scene in it that I was going to try to explain to Chris

which is of course Minions the Rise of Crew which I saw by myself you know kind of just feels like did you, do you almost feel like you should take back Tar because if that's what she's going to do with it? This exact thought I had in my head. It's like you would blaspheme Tar's reputation.

So listen, I was originally, if I had first pick, I was going to do Top Gun Maverick and Blackbuster, but someone made that impossible. So now I need to tell you. So do you know about the minions? Okay, so. I know they're yellow.

So, yeah, so there's this guy. And they loom over the valley. There's this guy grew and he wants to be a villain. And so he has all of these minions. who are like, you know, they are his minions and they like help him, but they are they're instead like the three stooges. They're like the 85,000 stooges.

They multiply and they're just like stupid and funny. Yes. And there's a lot of... It's like sitting with David Bordwell explaining the theory of film. So they keep, you know, they get stuck in vending machines and stuff. That's funny.

I've actually seen that scene. Yeah, it's good and they just always like sprout new hair. You know, there's always a new one. There's a lot of renovation anyway. But what made me laugh was I saw this movie by myself at my childhood theater, Phipps Plaza in Atlanta, Georgia, because I was home visiting my parents, and I was able to secure some babysitting at 11 a.m. And I went... What was Zach doing? He was golfing with you, you jackass.

So now you have to hear about... Uh-huh. So the minions... There are like three main minions. One of them's named Bob. I don't remember the other two. But, like, more minions show up. And at the end, I guess he makes it into the...

What made you laugh? Spend more time on minions, the rise of grue than tar. There's a Minion's choir that shows up from nowhere, and they just start singing, like, the choral part of... You can't always get what you want. And they're all swinging like this. And it makes you laugh. She'll be like, Pearl.

That's really funny. I told me it was a weird year. There are two movies I wanted. There's going to be a new Minions movie. It's the next year that I'm going to take Knox to. Okay, Minions Rise of Gru is my blockbuster. You made a lot of money. Remember when all the children were wearing their suits?

Gentle Minions. Yeah. And then were you a gentle minion, jog? I was not a gentle minion. I think I aged out just a little bit. Okay. That's good. And then I have a lot of, like, serious movies that I could take in Wildcard.

But I don't really think I'm in that headspace right now. So I'm in it. Surprised to learn that. What would be the hardest fucking... Armageddon time. It's on my list, but I'm not. Yeah. After Sun.

Yeah. That would be all time. Amanda did like an eight-minute Minions recap and then was like, after Sun. Wild Card. Think about that. No. I'm picking the movie that I've thought about the third most in 2022 after TAR and Top Gun Maverick, which is, I swear to you, Jennifer Lopez halftimes, because here's the thing.

Here's what happens. Is this a movie? Yes, it's a documentary that was released in 2022. Jennifer Lopez Half Times? Yes. And this is the one where she's nominated for a goal. Golden Globe for Hustlers, but not... It's just halftime.

Oh, okay. Well, okay. Halftime, right, because she's also doing the Super Bowl halftime show. Did you watch this? But, I'm pretty sure I did. I'm going to look it up on Lutterbox. She does the halftime show with Shakira, and, you know, there's some feedback from people, and they do a good job. But...

I did. Two and a half stars. She's nominated for a Golden Globe for Hustlers for this. And she doesn't win. And the cameras are with her back. as she doesn't win the Golden Globe. And it's like the most defeated, disappointed, like, I can't believe, like, I let you guys all down for a fucking Golden Globe to whom?

To her team, to the camera. Like, she thought this was going to be her moment and she took it so seriously. Who did she lose to that year? She wasn't even nominated ultimately for an Oscar. I don't remember. So this would have been, who did she lose? That's probably Michelle Yeo, right? Yeah, musical comedy, I think.

Like Michelle Yo for everything every real once. And then she didn't even get an Oscar nomination. But every time we talk about... I can't believe I gave you tar. This is outrageous. Every time we talk about award season or the gold... Half time. I, like, and you and I are very glib

and we're like, we think these people, you know, it's a machine. Like, it's all made up, blah, blah, blah. And there is this woman having a breakdown because she didn't win a Golden Globe. I think it's fascinating. I think that I can't believe she allowed it to be filmed. I think that everyone should watch this as an example not to behave after the Golden Globes

and also not to take the Golden Globes seriously. My advice would be don't have a camera follow you around if you're nominated for a Golden Globe. Food for thought. But she did. And then she let another camera follow her around while she was married to Ben Affleck. And that was also wonderful.

She's an important documentary subject to me. Okay. I have a wild card pick. Mm-hmm. How can you match that? I can't believe you also logged halftime. I was hoping that maybe you were going to pick a wildcard that he hadn't seen. I saw all 309 films released in 2022, you know?

It's just something that I do. It was on Netflix, right? Yeah. I'm going to take everything everywhere all at once in Wildcard. So here's the thing. Were you going to? No. Yeah.

Here's the thing. All right. That's fine. Revision is history. I like that movie, and I always did. Okay. The pod that we did on it, I think I did it with Joanna. You were still on leave when the movie came out.

Yeah, well, it was March. I had just started, leave. And the movie went through the spin cycle in the same way. We were just had a conversation on the last episode about Green Book. Whereas, like, Green Book came out and we were like, this is kind of funny. This is like fun. And a crowd pleaser, you know? It's like a fairly brother's...

Then it went into the spin cycle of like that movie was more problematic, I would say, than everything ever at once, like the origins of how it was made and who made it. But this is the same thing. same thing where this movie like probably I would not have chosen it for best picture that year I it's still kind of fascinating that it became it's really strange just like a centerpiece of awards conversation and everybody just got behind it you know Jamie Lee Curtis won in addition to Michelle yo and the whole thing was just very strange and it was like a fun moment in the moment but it didn't I think it hurt the movie's reputation weirdly um but I really liked the movie as a

genre mashup and as like a pretty sincere portrait of like an immigrant family and how the generation gap between people and how they can't communicate with each other. And it has a lot of fucking kung fu in it. And that's all stuff I like. So I'm not going to shy away. I'm going to take a movie that I like in this space. Yeah.

Okay. I think that's okay. And it's a useful note to remember that, you know, these movies live on beyond their awards campaigns. They do. And they should be viewed as their own pieces of art, not part of like a... Menians, The Rise of Gru,

out of the spin cycle, the take cycle. We can see it clearly as a special film. There were a bunch of small films from 2022 that I would highlight or that I would think about taking for my wild card. I'm going to pick Emily the Criminal. Yeah.

Which is a very cool John Patton Ford movie. He's got, he's the director of this upcoming Glenn Powell movie. Yes. Which is called, it was called Huntington. What's it called now? It is how to rob.

What? How to Make a Killing. How to Make a killing. Thank you. John Patton. How to Rob is a great song by 50 cent. That's right. Is a film with

Aubrey Plaza and a really, really cool term by Theo Rossi in this film. It's just a really good contemporary crime movie about the slippery slope someone can find themselves on when they're in debt and they're looking for answers and they're running out of moves.

And it's about Aubrey Plaza's character, the titular Emily becomes basically a petty thief fraudster and rather than shying away from that lifestyle continues to embrace it and embrace it kind of has like a little bit of a vibe I'm not saying it's the same thing

but a little bit of a vibe of like 70s movies like straight time where it's just like a very cool character portrait and Plaza gives like a really great probably at that point uncharacteristic for her kind of role and a really great performance and this is a movie that I've strangely gone back to

and not strangely. I have gone back to I have gone back to that I think is one of the better crime films of the decade great pick yeah really like it was also in my wildcard list

but you know I thought the minions rise of grew too more important yeah Emily the criminal segue uh okay let's recap I'll go first

great in drama I selected Babylon in action horror thriller barbarian an Oscar nominee avatar the way of water and sequel prey in blockbuster

nope and wildcard everything everywhere all at once Amanda. In drama, I have The Fablements in Action Horror Thriller, Pearl, in Oscar nominee, Tar. Thank you, Sean Fennessee. In sequel, I have Down Abbey, A New Era, Blockbuster, Minions, the Rise of Gru, and Wildcard, Jennifer Lopez, half-time. I love your recap voice. Thank you so much. It kind of reminds me of the voice message in Pluribus, like, hello, Carol. In drama, I took Banshees of Inishiren, in Action Horror Thriller, I took Ambulance, in Oscar nominee. I Top Gun Maverick. In sequel, I took Confess Fletch. In Blockbuster, I took the Batman, and in Wildcard,

I took Emily the Criminal. That's it. Last draft of the year? Last CR appearance of the year. Yeah. Oh, wow. What else? Last what? Last appearance period? Yeah, I'm moving on. Okay. Where are you moving? To Sora. Digitizing myself so I can podcast with some of my idols. Who among them? Like Benjamin Franklin And Slame owner

Will you be moving on or you sticking around? I've committed to at least five more episodes of this podcast this year How many are left at this point? Jack, what's the count? I know how many. I know exactly how many.

It's six. Okay. Six left to record. And Monday. Yeah. And next week. Okay. Six more episodes.

We just have to hold it together until then. Friday's episode is about Avatar Fire and Ash. It's going to be seven hours long. When are you doing Ellen McKay and is this thing on? We'll be recording that on Friday. Yeah. Where will you be? Hanging out with Bradley Cooper and more.

You're welcome to join us if you want. Maybe getting a tight 15 up at the cellar, you know, thinking about my wife. Well, I mean, that pod records at 1130 a.m. on Friday. Yeah. Let us know. Give it some thought. I will. I will.

Thanks to Jack Sanders for his last in-person recording of 2025. It's been a hell of a year. Indeed, it has. How do you feel? I feel great. Never better.

That's the positivity we're looking for. Who's going to step in for Jack? No, and just I'll be engineering while recording on my hands on it. No, that's not true. We have a crack team here at the ringer of people who will be filling in. Any final thoughts, Amanda?

Thank you to the minions. And the Rolling Stones. And to Sean and Chris. And to me a goth. See you next time.