The Big Picture - The 25 Most Anticipated Movies of 2025

Episode Date: January 14, 2025

Sean and Amanda discuss the latest out of the guild award nominations and what it portends for Oscar chances (1:00). They then look ahead to the rest of 2025 and share their 25 collectively most anticipated movies of the year (31:00), including new films from favorites of the show like Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Bong Joon-Ho, Steven Soderbergh, and Luca Guadagnino, as well as long awaited follow-ups from exciting young directors like Chloe Zhao, Celine Song, Joseph Kosinski, and more. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner Video Producer: Jack Sanders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's happening? It's Todd McShea and I'm back with a new home and a new show at The Ringer and Spotify. The McShea Show. It's a video and audio podcast coming to you year-round with all my NFL draft information. Big boards, mock drafts, and player movement. Plus, I'll be chatting with some of my best friends in football, including some of your favorite football analysts. During the week, we'll have episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays that'll include discussions about my player rankings, who's rising, who's falling, and who your NFL team should be keeping an eye on. Plus, we'll be reacting each week to the college football playoff polls and giving you previews and picks for each Saturday's slate. In addition, I'll have episodes on Saturday nights with my immediate reaction to the full day in college football every week.

So if you love the college game, the NFL, the draft or all of it like me, make sure to like, follow, subscribe and get ready for the McShay Show on the Ringer, Spotify and wherever you watch or listen to podcasts. I'm Sean Fennessy. I'm Amanda Dobbins. And this is the Big Picture, a conversation show about the most anticipated movies of the year. Amanda, we have some news to discuss. Obviously we are very lucky to be safe and home and back in Los Angeles. It's been an epically terrible last five or six days here in the city. We were fortunate enough to get out of the city and our loved ones are safe, but we have

been living through a truly nightmarish time. Appreciate everybody who is checking in on us, checking in on folks working on the show, checking in on folks at the Ringer. Really grateful for that. We know a lot of people have been meaningfully impacted by the fires over the last few days. So I want to just thank everyone for thinking about us and think about the people that are here in the city that are a part of the communities that we cover on a regular basis, and that are really profoundly deeply impacted by everything that's going on.

We're we're okay. And we're incredibly lucky. And I would add thank you to everyone who reached out to us. I would also add that this is just ongoing. You know, it's still happening in a weather sense, in a community sense, in a trying to help people, and in an industry sense. And so a lot of the things that we're gonna talk about today from the Oscars to the most anticipated movies of 2025, you know, I think things will shake out differently

this year. We're only at the beginning of the consequences of this. So lots of love to everyone affected in ways big and small. And also let us know what we can do to help now that we're back. You know, I sincerely mean that, whether we can amplify stuff or donate stuff or whatever. In theory, we are supporting an industry that is gonna be deeply impacted by this. It's very strange that this is happening smack dab

in the middle of award season because award season drives a lot of meaningful employment across the city. And obviously a lot of that has been shaken up pretty profoundly. Just this morning, we got an announcement that the Academy Award nominations will be pushed back. They were supposed to be this Friday, then they were pushed to Sunday, and now they're

happening on Thursday the 23rd at 5 a.m. We will podcast that morning if they are announced. We have no idea. Yes. That's actually going to happen, as you said. This is a very fluid situation. Right. The Academy has also said that the intention is to keep the telecast on March 2nd. We'll see if that holds. It's very unusual for the Academy Awards to be moved.

It's only happened a handful of times and when it has happened, it's only been by a day or two or a couple of days more. So we'll keep an eye on that obviously as we're covering the show. You know, the awards race seems like ridiculous, but it is like something that is at the center of Los Angeles in so many ways. And just as a lot of the news was unfolding as the fires were growing and growing on Tuesday night into Wednesday, that was when announcements were supposed to start happening. There was supposed to be a big fancy SAG awards announcement that got turned into an email.

Some other bodies have pushed their announcements. The PGA's just announced that they'll push their announcement into later next week. The WGA's has still not announced their awards. I don't know if they're gonna push it or not. They may announce later today. Maybe they'll do it while we're recording. It could very well. Breaking news alert. I think that this could have been an email, like, has taken on new meaning in this context, given how dour and intense everything is. Maybe they just haven't sent the email yet, you know?

Do they know how to send an email? You know, we don't even know. We're waiting to find out. Sag did send the email. Let's just do some takeaways. So, do you think it's worth running through every category? It's a precious, it's a small group of nominees on the film side.

Do you want to hear it just to emotionally refresh? Yeah, and I'd love to hear you do movie phone voice. Okay, I'm happy to do it. Obviously film ensemble is the big category at the screen actor's field. Why don't we do one category at a time and then we can do takeaways. That sounds great.

Meaning I'll say it. You'll do movie phone voice and then we'll have some phone voice and then we'll have some emotional reactions and then we'll go to the next one. Oh I see. Okay. You know that sounds good. Okay. So film ensemble that's the big, sure, big, big tuna here. The nominees in that category are Anora, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Emilia Perez, and Wicked. Yeah. Your thoughts? People really love Amelia Perez. I'd like to hear from those people. I'd like to meet them. I know you and Joanna have talked a lot about you don't really know anyone. I have not yet met anyone who's enthusiastic about that film, but it is persistent. So

they got to be out there. Yeah. I'm starting to wrap my head around the Amelia Perez thing potentially happening. I think it's increasingly and increasingly likely because again, it is kind of an international production, cast, voting body, and it just, it won't give up. It won't. It is a divisive movie and with rank choice, that does present some issues. I think, you know, not to skip ahead too far, but the fact that Selena Gomez did not make the cut here,

I would say, I don't know if it's encouraging, but the fact that she's not represented means that it's not an overwhelming amount of support here that some other folks are getting involved. To me, the big surprise in this category was a complete unknown getting in and over movies like Sing Sing where people thought that maybe there would be a good narrative around that. I think in addition to that, Enora had a tough Golden Globes and is now here in Ensemble.

I think it's a great nomination. That is a great Ensemble. Conclave always felt like it was going to make it in. Right. Wicked is not surprising at all, though Wicked showed a ton of strength in these nominees as we will get to as we go down the line. You do have to think a little bit about the voting body which is the Screen Actors Guild which is a really really large guild filled with and I say this with love and I've got actors in my life and I think they're awesome.

Hi Tim, how are you? You know, they're actors, you know? They like, they enjoy certain performances and they've historically like prized certain things and like not been as interested in other things. And you know, you look at something like the Selena Gomez snub, but you see that Carla Sofia Gascon was nominated, Enzoé Saldana, and the film, and you're like, well, maybe they don't like this Disney pop star infringing on their space a little.

You know, listen, it's been a dark week. Maybe we can just, we can have a little fun with the narratives. So, Wicked is a theater kid movie, and I think probably speaks to theater kids. And that's cool. Yes. I had a beautiful Wicked moment with your daughter movie, and I think probably speaks to theater kids. And that's cool. I had a beautiful Wicked moment with your daughter this week that, yeah, you were literally sitting right there, remember? It's been a long week.

Yeah, Alice and I did the silent dance, but what was so amazing is like, I sort of, I cued her up for it because she was wearing an Elphaba dress, right? And I said, should we do the Glenda Elphaba dance? And I kind of held my hand up and she knew all of it. And she like really locked in, well, she didn't know it. We were just kind of awkwardly moving in silence.

I think she has a connection to you. So she was connecting with you. Well, and it was real, I mean, I love it, but like it went on for a long time and she was willing to hang in as everyone else in that movie and many supporters are. And I was really impressed with that. So Wicked is speaking to people. It's speaking to your daughter. It's speaking to large groups of actors.

It is. It really is. You know, if films like Amelia Perez and Wicked and A Complete Unknown are getting in, you know, Sing Sing is out. The Brutalist also not represented here, which is very notable. The two tracks that I was hearing from people over the past six or so days since the Golden Globes was Brutalist is definitely winning or Amelia Perez is definitely winning. Now, when that starts happening, that kind of bifurcation,

I tend to think neither of them are gonna win. I haven't fully moved off my Inora thing, even though it seems like Inora is in a tough spot right now, because it feels like everyone has admiration for Enora. Whereas a lot of these other movies are very divisive, but... Yeah, I should add, my brutalist tickets were for Wednesday, January 8th. So thank you to the Vista for that prompt refund. I didn't make it. I will get there.

I had a ticket for Thursday and they also refunded me for Thursday as well. Oh good. My husband had a ticket for Thursday night. I haven't checked on that refund. I'm going on Friday now in theory. Oh, in the afternoon or evening? In the afternoon. We just did some scheduling. How are you going to be gone all day? I'm a working man in this fine city. I mean that's true. So am I. I'm aiming for next week. We'll talk, we just did some scheduling. Harry, you're going to be gone all day?

I'm a working man in this fine city. I mean, that's true. So am I. I'm aiming for next week. Okay. I don't really know. You know, The Brutalist, obviously more of an arthouse film. I think a divisive movie, a movie that arrived later in the year.

You know, there were a couple of notable omissions from their cast in this lineup, too I do want to raise the specter of the um, the alphabet bias in SAG voting. Are you familiar with this theory? That we have a lot of A B's and C's. Yeah, so some awards bodies when they send out their ballots This is a true story some awards bodies when they send out their ballots will do for example, I believe the Grammys does this they'll have an For example, I believe the Grammys does this. They'll have an A, B, C, D row, and then they'll have a Z, Y, X row, where they'll go sort of reverse. Oh.

So that it keeps a sense of balance in terms of what names you're seeing and checking off as you go through your ballot. SAG over the years has leaned very front half alphabet over the years. I know this sounds preposterous, but look at the nominees. A, A, C, E, B, C, C, D, and film actor. Let's just use film actor as a transitional point of discussion. I mean, but this is also, in some ways, yes, but also I think this is the five. I agree with you, but is the awards race

being fully codified in best actor because of the alphabet bias of SAG? So the nominees for best actor, why don't you do it? Sure, for film actor, Adrienne Brody, the? Sure. For film actor, Adrian Brody, the Brutalist, Timothy Chalamet, A Complete Unknown, Daniel Craig, Queer, Coleman Domingo, Sing Sing, and Ray Fiennes, Conclave. Right. So that is BCCDF.

And they're alphabetizing by last name. We're sure about that. You know who is not represented here is Sebastian Stan. Yes. And we're confirmed that they're using last names? They're using last names. Okay. Last names coming first.

Because Zach and I have a real standoff with this because he's barren for Dobbins, but if you're doing first name. In our home, Eileen and I will often say, what are Z and A doing? Oh really? Oh that's nice. Just to kind of get a sense of what's your weekend.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's really, are they going by first name or last sense of what's your weekend. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's really, are they going by first name or last name? Preschool goes by first name, so they just keep calling me, even though we've designated Zach as the number one. But that's okay. I believe that it's last name. And so, you know, on the one hand, I agree with you.

I think in film actor, I think this is the five. I think these will be the nominees at the Academy Awards. I think this is a great group of nominees. Okay. Let's do supporting actor. Can we jump? I know it's not in order, but just while we're on the topic of the ABCs. There is yet more strong evidence to support this theory. The nominees for film supporting actor are Jonathan Bailey for Wicked, Yura Borisov for Enora, Kieran Culkin for Real Pain, Edward Norton for A Complete unknown, and Jeremy Strong for the apprentice. Now, the Jeremy Strong nomination

upends this theory. That because sort of like Clarence Macklin or Guy Pearce, which do not appear here. But it comes before Denzel Washington. And Denzel Washington also not represented. Yeah. So Strong is the outlier, but then you've got a threat. And then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then the outlier, but then you've got eight through eight. And Jonathan Bailey, the surprise, is right up there on the top of the list. Exactly. Okay, and then, oh, do supporting. That's fun. Supporting actress? Yeah. So film supporting actress, the nominees are Monica Barbaro for A Complete Unknown, Jamie Lee Curtis for The Last Showgirl, Danielle Deadweiler for The Piano Lesson,

Ariana Grande for Wicked, and Zoe Saldana for Amelia Perez. Now, if you told me that the top three nominees were not at the Academy Awards in a week or so, I wouldn't be surprised. And they're BCD in their last names. Something's going on here. Let me just say, I'm thrilled to see Monica Bovaro getting any sort of recognition.

She's transcendent in that movie. I hope she's nominated for a supporting actress. She's fantastic. I do too. She's really great. That said, this is... And Daniel Dedweiler is someone who has been sort of... Was at the front of prognosticators list. Is very good in the piano lesson.

And then has been snubbed for a number of awards, including the Golden Globes. So that seems great. Jamie Lee Curtis. I still haven't seen The Last Showgirl. I'm gonna watch it. You know, there were some setbacks this week with respect to access to power. But this, I mean, this just feels like everything, everywhere, all at once. Trane, like, keeps on going and everyone's like, oh, hey, more come back. Let's do it some more. Let's talk about film actress then too so that we can have a Last Showgirl conversation briefly. So

in film actress, one of the biggest surprises of the announcement last week was Pamela Anderson for The Last Show Girl, who was also nominated at the Golden Globes. But I think many felt like that was sort of a critical nomination. You know, this is a this is her peers. This is the Actors Guild that is nominating her. Her last name does begin with A. I'm just going to point that out. It's a great point. The other nominees are Cynthia Erivo for Wicked, Carla Sofia Gascon for Amelia Perez,

Mikey Madison for Enora, and Demi Moore for The Substance. Now the bottom four, I think, are going. They're going to be the Academy Awards. That top spot? Who does that belong to? People are just like, oh, hey. I like Pamela Anderson. So notably not here, Angelina Jolie, who also missed the BAFTA shortlist, which means

she's out. It's over. Like, she's not getting nominated. And if she gets nominated, it'll be a shock at this point, given the lack of precursors. No Nicole Kidman, no Fernanda Torres, no Marion Jean-Baptiste. International performers sometimes have a little bit more of a struggle at SAG. Sometimes they're represented, sometimes they're not. In this case, none of those other meaningful contenders are there. One of those four is probably going to replace Pamela Anderson.

The Last Showgirl has had a very, very, very, very limited release thus far. I've seen it, you know, when Pam was nominated at the Globes, I was like, this is a nice gesture for a person who is obviously like a deeply thoughtful artist and not just the bimbo that she was derided as in the 90s. But I think that movie is very flawed and it has good performances, but. But no, but it's a nomination for her.

It's like, it is part of the substance wave, but you know, she has been at an about for the past couple of years and like noticeably not wearing makeup, which given her, her like Baywatch origins, Yes. It's sort of like an aesthetic statement on its own. I mean, she looks beautiful. She doesn't need it. But like, it does feel like this attention is rewarding.

You know, the Pam Anderson much in the way that the substance stuff is rewarding to me more as much. But also, the substance has more of a following as a movie. Yeah, I have started to fully come around on the idea of Timmy Moore winning in this category of the Academy Awards. I mean, I really do think on Golden Globes Night, I went from, I don't know if she'll get nominated too,

I think she's going to win. Yeah, I think that's right. But anyway, in this category too, you've got AEGMM. Yeah. I mean, in this category too, you've got A, E, G, M, M. Yeah. I mean, Jolie and Kidman would come before M. So, but I do think if they were just like, Pamela Anderson is the first one in the fifth spot that jumped out and people are like, oh, that seems nice. A little bit strange.

The last thing is a category that I would love to see added to the Academy Awards. We do have a stunt Oscar coming soon, but this is a cool way of framing it. The film stunt ensemble and the nominees in that category are Deadpool, Wolverine, Dune Park 2, The Fall Guy, Gladiator 2, and Wicked. What were the stunts in Wicked? I think a lot of the flying stuff, you know, a lot of the tower work at the end. Yeah. That sucked. Yeah, I, you know, I know, I would put Furiosa here, if it were up to me, and remove Wicked. Sure. If we're talking about stunts.

I mean, there's incredible stunt work in Furiosa. That seems like an obvious one to slip in there. I would also put Josh O'Connor's work in Challengers, maybe, for stunt work. Yeah. You know, when Zendaya astride him, that was impressive as well. Yeah. Missed them. How they're doing.

Congratulations to Zendaya. Oh, she got engaged. Yeah, we sort them. How they're doing. Congratulations to Zendaya. Oh, she got engaged. Yeah, we sort of, we missed that on Golden Globes night. I observed it. I just don't care. I missed it, okay? My algorithms are like really not working in concert anymore. Is that true?

Yeah. Is it your pure wind algorithm now? Yeah, I mean, I guess so. But it's like, I, you know, I, I can't look at whatever we're calling former Twitter now. Um, and cause it's, yeah, it's too many ads and so junky and they, they dark-moded me against my will.

Uh, and I really don't appreciate that. And that, I mean, just, it's just nerd vibes and, and sell vibes all over that place. And then, um, I like blue sky Blue Sky, like what are we doing? I'm trying, I'm trying, but it's not really giving me back. And I'm just missing crucial pieces of information. Like I didn't know Lily Allen and David Harbour split up. That happened like over Christmas. Oh my God.

Well, if anyone is gonna be up on that, it should be me. Yeah, I didn't know that happened. And I didn't know that happened. So, like, Instagram has its... I'm a huge fan of the Red Guardian from the Thunderbolts film, so... I'm a huge fan of Lily Allen. Um, I'm rooting for her.

But so, just things are getting lost in the middle, you know? And I love Instagram, and I'm learning a lot about things I need to buy, but... Do you think people would pay for my foot pictures on OnlyFans? I think what we've learned is that people will pay for anyone's foot pictures. And I'm not going to judge. Feet are a funny thing. How do you know if you have nice looking feet? You know when you have really ugly feet.

That's clear. But like, I don't know. Am I just a middle grounder in the feet beauty? Probably. I guess you know if you have really ugly feet and then maybe if you take pride in that, I don't know. I guess there is like an ideal foot aesthetic that has been upheld through like shoe ads and stuff

and sandals and that sort of thing. Going back to sophisies for sure, absolutely. I mean, they are on the sides of the bases and whatever, you know, they're in the sculptures. That's right. So, but- So they're wearing those sandals. We're supposed to be upending beauty norms, right?

So I don't know what like the, we are as a- I'm actually the other way. I'm like, let's go back to the hegemony. I had to give Bobby a speech about imposter syndrome. I, and I got to give everyone, this is what we owe to the next generation. I think we should go back to just being hot and just objectifying everyone.

I feel like that was fine. I just don't think it was that big of a deal. I think that that's like not a great thing for you to be saying as we embark on our video adventure. I mean sarcastic. I'm just like, we have to be in front of cameras now, so we need people to be as accepting as possible. It's a done deal. I'm in my 40s.

What am I going to do? I don't know. OK, well, those are the nominees for SAG. I don't know that there are too, too, too many takeaways here. I think a complete unknown is in a very good position right now because of these awards. I already thought Emilia Perez and An um, and, and, and, and Enora were going to do very well at the Academy Awards.

No Stanley Tucci for Conclave. No Isabella Rossellini. No Isabella Rossellini. That is notable. But that's also, like, this SAG Ensemble Award exists for movies like that. For Conclave. Yes. I agree. And in fact, it could win.

It's probably going to be Amelia Perez, and then we're going to have a little bit of a panic attack. But you know. I don't think I'm going to have a panic attack. Do you want to do like a, is Amelia Perez worthy of a longer discussion? Because I had one with Joe and Katie when you were out. And I kind of very briefly elucidated

my primary problem with the movie. The sort of like central premise issue that I have with the movie. I think obviously a lot of Mexican critics have a lot of problems with the movie. Trans critics have problems with the movie. Yeah. Et cetera, et cetera. But if we're barreling towards a best picture win, usually we tend to dig into movies like that. Like we'll dig into The Brutalist after you see it.

I think there's another movie, too, that we haven't really had a chance to dig into. We did talk about Enora. We didn't talk about Conclave, though Chris and I did. If you do want to spend more time on that movie, we can. I think that's another movie that has a secret little best picture case right now. Still so up in the air. I can't even believe how up in the air all this is. We did Enora. I do think, I mean, I, you know, I know I was joking at the beginning, but if we're going to do the Amelia Perez conversation,

I would like to have someone on the show who is an enthusiast for it and who can speak to, well, I know, so. Yeah, I mean, we already had Jim Cameron, so I don't know, what can I do? Because both of us just being like, this didn't work for us because the premise has some ideological trap holes and the songs are like bad and it was filmed on a bunch of closed sets and it just looks, you know, ideological trap holes and the songs are like bad.

And it was filmed on a bunch of closed sets and it just looks, you know, like just not our cup of tea. I'll go, I'll cast around for some pro Amelia Presse critics. There are not a lot, honestly. Most of the awards that they have been granted have come from like-minded bodies. So we'll see. Let's talk about DGAs as well, since that also happened in email form last week.

This is usually pretty impactful on the Oscar race, though not fully. Nominees for theatrical feature film, perhaps betraying a bit of an alphabet bias here as well. Nominees are Jacques Audiard for Amelia Perez, Sean Baker for Enora, Edward Berger for Conclave, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown. Once again, I think James Mangold, the big surprise here, no Denis Villeneuve, which shame on you. I mean, that's over.

It is over. It does feel over. It is very strange. I know Joanna said it after Golden Globes, but weird, what's going on with people? I don't think people in those bodies care about science fiction, and I don't think they really ever have. I mean, but I don't care about science fiction, and I was like, that's pretty good. Yeah, I think the intention,

even in the sort of marketing and strategy of the movie, was to make it seem more like Lawrence of Arabia. You know, that it was a story about a conflicted anti-hero, and that by deepening it, you wouldn't think as much about the gliding and the special effects and the, you know, the mystical stuff. I guess so, but the gliding is so, whatever. I don't get it, but that's fine.

Those films, historically, the ones that really make a profound impact, sometimes get nominated. Like Star Wars was nominated for Best Picture, but didn't win a whole lot of awards. And I don't think George Lucas was nominated for director that year. I should look that up. Also notable, No Corley Farzia. Right.

Which... By extension, No Women. No Women for... It was noted here that this this is the the second time is it the second time in the last five years that there was no no women represented here and two of the last five winners were women Jane Campion and Chloe Zhao will a woman be nominated at the Academy Awards you noted also that there usually is some difference

from DGAs and Oscars, and it is almost always international. Yeah. But we have two international filmmakers in the lineup already, technically speaking. Jacques Audiard, of course. And Edward Berger is German. The Oscars DGAs always get a little interesting, honestly. They cast a wider berth, and I think that they're willing

to be a little more experimental. Or they're willing to, I don't know whether Mangold makes it, is kind of what I'm saying, with respect. I really like to complete unknown. We've been playing a lot of Dylan for Knox. Hell yeah. I think he likes it.

How could you not? Yeah. He only asked us to turn it off once, but I'm not allowed to sing along, so that's tough. Don't do that. Oh, that's what he says? Yeah. He only asked us to turn it off once, but I'm not allowed to sing along, so that's tough. Don't do that. Oh, that's what he says. Invite me over. I can really capture Bob's essence. The only person who gets closer than me is Timmy. There's also another award that the DGA nominates for for features, which is First Time Theatrical Feature Film, which is an interesting delineation, especially given at least one of the nominees

here. You've got a lot of people who've been making work over the years. The nominees are Pyle Kapadia for All We Imagine is Light, Megan Park for Mild Ass, Rommel Ross for Nickel Boys, Halfton Olm and Tondol for Armand, and Sean Wang for Dee Dee. Now, I have not seen Armand yet. It's on my list. These other four nominees, I mean, Megan Park has definitely made another movie. I think it might have been a straight to Max movie, but she's already directed a film. Rimmel Ross is an Academy Award nominated documentarian. Right. You know, Sean Wong has made like short films and worked at Google and you know, like this is kind of an odd way of framing this.

I mean, it's the Grammy best new artists conundrum, which I think even when we make up Oscar categories and do all that sort of stuff, we come across this of like, you know, how are you gonna set the boundaries of something that's like a vibe, you know? Which is these people are not the James Maygolds and even the Sean Baker's of the world.

Yeah. But they're not brand new, you know? It's just got real, we just learned about these people vibes. I mean, it is, that's what it is. But it is also if you're gonna do strict like first time feature, like respectfully with a lot like. I know that would be cool though.

Sure. And you'd really have to dig. I guess so, but also you're digging through, I don't know, I like a little bit of, I like some experience, you know? Let's everybody learn on the job. Well, to your point about that fifth slot in theatrical feature film, there's certainly a world in which either Rommel Ross or Pile Capadia make it into that spot. We saw Pyle Capadia was recognized at

the Golden Globes. Rommel Ross, I think there's a lot of admiration for what he brought to Nickel Boys. So that seems plausible. I agree that in theory Mangold is weak, but I don't know. Complete Unknown is box office success and Timmy's hosting SNL and... And also musical guesting on SNL. God bless him. He's really working. Elite. It's really hard every time you say a completed note, I just want to do, how does it feel?

And I'm just not, I'm holding it in. Um, I... You know, there are historical songs like, um, Love Me Do or something like that, you know? Or I Want to Hold Your Hand, where you're like, I've heard this so many times, I don't need to hear it ever again. Yeah. like, Love Me Do or something like that, you know? Or I want to hold your hand where you're like, I've heard this so many times, I don't need to hear it ever again.

Yeah. But then it circles back and you have a wave. Yeah. And I'm having that wave with like a Rolling Stone, right? I just can play it like 300 times in a row. Listen, listen, I know I'm in the minority here, but you know, as I've said, my favorite part of any music biopic

is when they start, you they start doing a little bit and you're like, oh my God, they're writing Respect. And this movie is just 45 versions of that. Of like, oh my God, he just banged Joan Baez and now he's writing Blown in the Wind, how cool. Yeah. I mean, that's not even. The original title of Blown in the Wind

was Blown in the Wind parentheses, banging Joan Baez, yeah. That's just what happens in the movie. But did she not bang him? You know? That's true. It was the 60s, you know? Because she was covering his records using his artistry

to leverage her success. You know, something interesting, a little unexplored in there, Stu, I would say. Anyway, so I loved this movie because it was just that, over and over again, even when it was sort of cheesy. A lot of bad scenes of him like hunched over a desk at 2 a.m., like writing things in pencil, like I don't know, that's not cinematic.

No, I know, I mean, it was like a little silly, but I don't care every single time, I'm like, OMG, it's this one. But to that point, when they hit the organ in a rolling, like a rolling stone for the first time, it's just like, oh my God, there it is! They found it! It's the absolute best. I totally agree.

And then every time I've listened to it since then, I'm like, wow, they found the organ. So it's great. Just that snare hit at the beginning of that song is like, it's like taking crack. Okay. The awards race, we'll see. Hopefully things stay calm in Los Angeles and we can get on with a typical award season. I mean, I, you know, I do think if it does go on that it will and like, hopefully that, like it should have some sort of like fundraising, like awareness element.

Do you think that they'll do that? That they'll bend around to that? You know, there was this big, you know, store, Jean Smart tweeted that she feels that that should happen. I think there's a lot of complexity around that and making that viable. But, man, like, this speaks to the conversation about our most anticipated movies,

which you pointed out to me before we started recording. Like, some of these movies may be meaningfully impacted by the fact that hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people lost their homes, lost all their earthly possessions. Some people have died through these tragedies. This is a crazy earth shattering week in Los Angeles history. And so because of that, how much fall down will there be

because of all of this? I don't know, we're gonna have to see. You know, some of the films haven't begun filming yet. So that just seems from a basic infrastructure period. You know, I think that one case for awards shows in general is that you have the attention of a larger group of people on an industry. And so if you can use it to either fundraise for people who lost homes, who lost their entire lives, or for, you know, to support an industry that I think is going to need help.

You know, should the giant corporations that own it help? Yes, probably. Will they? No. So that's, put it in that aside. So like I'm sympathetic to Gene Smart's argument of like, nobody wants this right now, but also I do think that if good can be done,

then why not try? I think it would be tone deaf to hold a big fancy awards show and not mention it. Yeah, no, I agree. And it will be mentioned. I think how it can be pivoted to doing a greater good beyond your traditional donations. And I'm sure some of the choices that they make will be incredibly tone deaf, you know?

Like you just can't, you can't get around that. That's Hollywood, baby. Yeah. I don't know what to say about that. I still believe in Hollywood. I still believe in movies. Preparing for this episode, I was like, it's gonna be okay. It was really exciting.

It's gonna be okay. Yeah, well, it's, we're gonna have a fun year. I mean, it was really exciting. And preparing for this episode, I was like, well, it's hard to anticipate things right now because it feels like such uncertainty. And then I'm really excited about all of these movies and want to see them.

And I also love movies. And then I have the anxiety of, will they be able to be released? Will they be able to be made? Like, how is everyone involved with them? You know, so it's a mix of things. Yeah, I mean, as far as Los Angeles is concerned, so little actual production happens in the city at this point for films, but so much post-production happens.

And obviously, some of the people who live here, it will be harder and harder for them to work. Honestly, just like us, this is a time when a lot of people pour themselves into their work to pretend like whatever is going on out in the outside world is not really happening. That's a very, very common response. That's the most honest thing that Sean has said about himself today. That's why we're sitting here today. I'd rather be doing this than sitting at home

thinking about what could be happening tomorrow. So I do think that there will be a push in that specific respect for people who can do that. And a lot of this stuff like we know will happen because it's wrapped and it's been done and it'll come out. So, you know, every... So when? We're gonna share release dates as we know them, but I think almost every single one of them. Most of these movies that we'll talk about are not dated at the moment.

Yeah. So keeping that in mind, a lot of them will probably ultimately end up becoming festival films, aside from the handful of tent poles that we'll talk about. The honorable mentions list has got like 40 movies on it. So that's how you know we've got something fun. Every year that we've done this,

we've added a movie to match the year. So if we're doing this in 2037, will we do 37 films? If we're doing it in 2054, will we do 54 films? Will you do this with me in 29 years? Sean, if we're still here, if they've got, what do you think will be on YouTube? What will be the, you know, will be holograms? It'll be BrainTube.

It'll be going right into our cortex. I think that's what everyone wants is a direct line into what's going on in this head of mine. Yeah, exactly. Okay, so we've got 25 films. You chose 12, I chose 12. I thought as a fun exercise we could collectively choose the 25th together from the honorable mentions list.

How does that sound? Is there anything missing from the honorable mentions that I haven't included so as to more meaningfully represent you? If there is, I forgot about it, but maybe we can discover that while Googling or people can let us know. Before we get into our list,

I wanna just put a real is this happening circle around three titles. Because I don't know if they're happening. If they did happen, it's safe to say that if they didn't appear on my list, they would have a minimum appear on the honorable mentions list. Oh, yeah. One of these movies was shot many years ago. A member of my family has seen one of these movies. Yes. In full?

I believe so. OK, so Knox has a really good attention movies. Yes. In full? I believe so. Okay, so the movie- Knox has a really good attention span these days. It's come a long way. Yo, do you wanna know how many times we watched Top Gun Maverick this week? It was a lot. It makes me so proud every time I hear that.

It was really, really beautiful. The most beautiful memory of this week is Chris Ryan sitting in a room with Knox, reading him the first text drop before Top Gun Maverick. I'm very grateful to Chris. Uh, the movie you're referring to is Horizon, Colon, and American Saga, Chapter Two. Yeah.

Which was supposed to be released. What if I was like size, just a big cost in her head? Me? Three months. I mean, so far he's a little, he's solemn and doesn't speak much, so. Absolutely. Yeah.

And quick-drawed too. You know, good with a pistol. Chapter two was supposed to come out six weeks after chapter one. And then chapter one came out and Warner Brothers said, nope, we're not putting that in movie theaters. And it has not been redated. A lot of speculation that it will eventually be on Max. Of course, chapter one went on Netflix a few weeks ago,

a couple of weeks ago, shot right to number one. And that's when I started getting texts from friends and some prominent film people telling me that they think Horizon Chapter One is a complete masterpiece. So just want you to know that's in the air. I'll tell you off mic who I'm referring to. I didn't dislike it.

But I just like it, but did not love it. Listen, you know, television also can achieve great heights. And this was my primary complaint, was it felt very much like an episodic TV show, a great episodic TV show in some ways. Didn't Horizon Chapter Two play at Venice? And then we heard nothing about it? It did, but it doesn't sound like the press was invited.

Because there were no reviews out of Venice. So it seems like it was, and I don't even know how you arrange that. It's more of a private confab. But I don't remember reading any reviews. I don't either. So the only person who reviewed it to me was your husband. So okay, Horizon American Saga Chapter One, I hope it comes out. I hope it comes out in a movie theater,

because it's a movie you'd like to see on a big screen. The other one is Ella McKay, which is, I believe is in production, which is James L. Brooks' next film, his first film since How Do You Know. It's been a long time since he's made a movie. And James Brooks, you know, I would say, kind of an icon meeting point of taste for you and I, has made a number of wonderful movies over the years. He's a little bit older now, but I really anticipate this movie. The star is, remind me of Emma Mackie.

Emma Mackie. Who's really good. She's very, very talented. She was in Barbie. She was memorably in which of the Agatha Christie's? Death on the Nile, the remake, which I... is offensive. Terrible film, but I kind of enjoy her in that movie. Oh no, she's really good. Yeah. And she was in the Emily Bronte biopic a couple of years ago. Oh. And she's also, I believe, in sex education? She is, yes. And then the third film is The Way of the Wind, which Terrence Malick made a number of years ago.

Sure. And it's about Jesus. Okay. Who is playing Jesus? I want to say it's Joseph Fiennes. Wow. Blast from the past. Is it Joseph Fiennes? Or no, maybe it's, it might be Matthias Schoenartz. No, it's an actor named Giza Roerig. Matthias Schoenartz is St. Peter.

Sure. He's St. Peter to me too. Do you know who Mark Rylance plays? Well, I just pulled up Wikipedia, so I'm pleased to inform you that it's Satan. He plays Satan. Okay. Yeah, it's been a long time since this film was shot, but as with all Malik projects, it's all a continuum. Everything is just flowing like the wind. So I look forward to this movie. Josephines is in the movie, but he is not playing Jesus. And answer my friends. Okay. Those are the three I'm not sure if this is real. The rest of this stuff we'll

talk about is at a minimum real films that we will see at some point, if not this year, next year. You want to go first? You want me to go first? You go first? You want me to go first? You go first. Okay. My first pick is Eddington. Eddington is an interesting one for us both. This is Ari Aster's new movie, a black comedy western starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler. It's about a small town New Mexico sheriff with higher aspirations, I assume played by Joaquin.

Okay. A24 movie, shot by Darius Kanji, cinematographer of seven in a great many films. And let's go. I'm a fan of almost everything listed, except sometimes for Westerns, but I trust Ari Aster to play with the dust in interesting ways. We did, Bo is afraid and wrong.

We did? No, not you and I. Oh. We're innocent. But the world at large. There was a woman literally taking phone calls on her laptop in the screening, but I still watched and enjoyed it. It was unreal. That's Mark Rylan satanic.

She was like in the very back, sitting on the floor, like rolling calls and then was asked to leave. Oh, by you? No. Okay. Eddington, this is a testimony to what an exciting year it is, is that this is my number 12. In many years, a new Ari Aster movie, a new Western, that cast, that cast is nuts.

That cast is really great. So I'm excited. OK, what's your number 12? My number 12 is Megan 2.0, which actually, so it's, is it Megan with a three because she was like the third? Mithregan? Mithregan? Well, that's how they're spelling it, but why isn't it

Mithregan, you know? Honestly, a wonderful question. I'm sure this was debated in the Blumhouse offices. You've got to imagine. But I understand that you have to have the 2.0, because she's like a scary robot doll, and also because you just need people to understand it's the second one. I get it.

I understand in terms of marketing, narratively, but it's Mattoogin to me. OK, so Mattoogin. This is also written by Keela Cooper, who wrote the original. Allison Williams is returning. It's a prequel. And Amy Donald, the young dancer

who portrays Megan dancing is back. One of the great performances. It's a prequel, but also they had to put 2.0 in the title and they had to keep the three from the original. I think this is very backwards. Hold on, hold on. I don't remember, but maybe she's Megan 3.0 in the original and so 2.0 would be before 3.0.

I see. So that's why there's the three in the original Megan title from 2022. Oh, maybe. That is very convoluted. Because she's the third. That is very convoluted. Incredibly convoluted. Eddington is undated.

Right now, Megan 2.0 is dated for June 27th, 2025. Another film on my list is dated for June 27th, 2025. Intriguing. Yeah. Should be quite an episode that day. Barbenheimer. Let's go. I mean, it sort of is, but it's not.

My number 11 is Mother Mary. This movie is porn without penetration for me. It's an epic melodrama starring Anne Hathaway, Michaela Cole, and Hunter Schaeffer. The story is about the relationship between a musician and a fashion designer. Anne Hathaway plays the pop star, Michaela Cole plays the designer, written and directed by David Lowery, who one of the more interesting, one for them,

one for me, balance actors in moviemaking these days. The Green Knight is the last movie he made, the last time he was on the show. I've seen one photo, one production photo from this film. It's very exciting stuff. I don't really know anything else about it. It's undated, also an A24 movie. So Anne Hathaway is the pop star and Michaela Cole is the fashion designer. I'm seeing here on Wikipedia, the world's number one film resource,

that songs are being provided by Jack Antonoff and Charlie XCX. Can you confirm that? Um, I'm seeing that same information on Wikipedia, which is, of course, the people's encyclopedia. Listen, I had as much of a Bratz summer as a 40-year-old pregnant woman can have, but I'm open for Bratz summer too. I've listened to that album a lot. I really liked it.

Well, I worked wonders for Kamala. Jesus Christ. So, uh. FKA Twigs is also in this film apparently. This looks intriguing. That's what I will say. David Lowery never makes the same movie twice. He always does something interesting,

even when he's taking on family fare for Disney. So, I'm very excited about this one. Okay, number 11 for you. My number 11 is Hamnet, the Kluy Chau adaptation of the Maggie O'Farrell novel starring Paul Meskell and Jesse Buckley. So tell me what is Hamnet? So about you've read it? I have read it. Okay. I it was an astonishing, astonishing novel that is historical fiction. Paul Meskell is playing the main character, a man named William Shakespeare. Perhaps you've heard of him and Jesse Buckley plays his wife, Agnes. And it is about the, I mean, spoiler alert, I guess it's about the eventual death of one of their children,

their 11-year-old son whose name was Hamnet. And yes, the relationship and the similarity to a famous play by a guy named William Shakespeare is like, is tied in. It's an extraordinary novel and one of the best endings to a novel in recent, like best and most heartbreaking that I can remember. It is really tough reading.

I read it before I had children. And so this is only at my number 11 because I am a little bit nervous about this subject matter just in terms of it being really, really sad. And I think Paul Meskell and Jesse Buckley are amazing actors who will go for it, but I don't know if this will be uplifting, necessarily. But I'm sure it'll be quite good.

And an incredible book. I'm excited. You know, the Chloe Zhao comeback trail. Much needed after Eternals. Have you revisited Eternals recently? No, but I'll always have the memory of sitting next to you when I don't remember whether it was Hiroshima or Nagasaki that showed up in Eternals. Either one was a poor choice. Yes, a flaw in the storytelling at the old Marvel MCU factory. That performance moved Andy Greenwald to tears though, just so you know,

that is something oft cited on the Watch Podcast. My number 10 is A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. This is the new film starring Margot Robbie, her first starring role since Barbie. Also stars Colin Farrell reuniting with the filmmaker Ko Anada, who made a movie a couple years ago called After Yang, which is a very beautiful science fiction film. This is a much bigger production. When I'm banging the drum for what I want studios

to do and what I want movie stars to do, it is in theory this, whatever this is. I don't know very much about this screenplay, this story, what this movie is going to be about, but I know that it is a big budget movie star movie with an original story from an exciting young filmmaker leveraging her success. So if you haven't seen After Yang, I highly recommend you check it out. Kogunata, a fascinating guy, kind of got his starter, kind of made his name making film essays, like you might find on YouTube, kind of analyzing and deconstructing film form and film approach. And look at him now. I'm here, yeah.

He has elevated to the highest heights of Hollywood filmmaking. I'm excited to see where the syllabi will take you. Well, we will see. I mean, he's much more well suited to making a syllabi than I am, but you know, stacked supporting cast in this movie too. Lily Rave, Jodie Turner-Smith, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Billy Magnussen, Hamish Linklater, like on down the line. So a lot of great, exciting people in this.

And it looks like a kind of like elevated fantastical dramedy. Does Colin Farrell get to be Colin Farrell and not the penguin in this? He'll be portraying the penguin in this film. Uh... The log line for this movie is incredible work by IMDb. An imaginative tale of two strangers and the unbelievable journey that connects them. So a movie.

They're keeping it real tight on this one. That's the 2025 tagline for this podcast. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha five tagline for this podcast. Can we put that in the show description? Jack, can we do a Chiron underneath? That's very good. Okay. Uh, what's my, am I up? You're up.

You're number 10. My number 10 is Die My Love, Lynn Ramsey, um, starring your girl, Jennifer Lawrence and, uh, Robert Pattinson. Speaking of comebacks. My guy. Um, so I'm going to, So I'm gonna read this logline. It's an adaptation of the 2017 novel by Ariana Horowitz about a new mother in the French countryside

who develops postpartum depression and enteropsychosis. So it's me, what, if I were living my best life. (*both laugh*) And married to Robert Pattinson. Yeah, all the way down to Jennifer Lawrence. Just Google this movie and you'll see some of the stills or the paparazzi shots, including one of the two of them dancing. I'm in. I'm completely in.

Lynn Ramsey hasn't made a movie since you were never really here. The incredible... Oh, shit. They've moved this to the Montana countryside, though. Oh, damn it. What was it originally? The French countryside. You're out on Montana? You know me. I'm Montana. Where do you hide?

It's good. In the caves, in the mountains. No, it's just the plains and the flats. I just, I don't. What's it able to take up to Yellowstone? I don't, I don't understand. What are you hiding from? I...

I had never been to Montana and Zach and I went and we're driving along and that was like my first instinctive primal thing. It's like, where do I hide? You see someone coming and there's like nowhere else to go. That's what the landscape brought out in me. I don't know. Well, my number nine can save you. It's Superman.

In the event that you find yourself trapped in Montana with nowhere to go, the only person who can save you, it's Superman. In the event that you find yourself trapped in Montana with nowhere to go, the only person who can save you, Amanda, is Superman. Now, I think I might have mentioned this before, but a child friend of our children is a very big DC Comics fan. And has introduced our children, and especially my daughter, to the extended world of DC characters.

Oh, so that's through, I don't know whether we're allowed to talk about it. We won't, we'll keep his protected identity. His mom is listening, we love you. I gave this child Batman Legos for Christmas because I just want kids to be happy, as evidenced by the drum set. So all the way up until this morning,

the wave of curiosity about who is Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Robin, the Joker, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Supergirl. Wow. These are all characters that are portrayed in pictures in one picture book that we have. OK. And she's getting caught up in the mythos.

This is a real, and my kid, you know, obviously, a mythos kid. But I'm trying to imagine, like, is Superman something I can even make her aware of in a meaningful way? Like, when did I foresee the image, an image of Superman in my life? When did I see Christopher Reeve or George Reeves as Superman? It probably was like four or five years old.

And imprinted on me so profoundly. So the idea of this, this is a, I think this is a really good year for a Superman movie. That's gonna seem a little bit hokey and sentimental. James Gunn can be very sentimental in his filmmaking. You have your issues with James Gunn, I'm a huge fan. Just make the damn movie and put it out. I think the movie is been made.

That's fine. Then I don't need to hear anything about it. Okay, well you hear anything about it. Well, you will hear about it on this podcast. I know. Like, people just grown adults melting down about his suit or whatever. I don't care about that stuff. I would like to be inspired. Is there anything wrong with that?

No, I think that's beautiful. What was the Batman tagline that we were talking about? The world's greatest detective. You learn something new every day. You didn't know that. You weren't aware that that was his. I didn't know that. I didn't know that, you know? I've been 40 years on this earth and seen many Batman movies. Well, he doesn't have powers.

Sure. He does have enormous wealth. Yeah, I wouldn't say that any of the Batman movies I have seen show him doing, like, detective work as I come to the film. I would say that as a flaw. The Batman, the most, the Matt Reeves one, is more in that vein.

Though I would not say he's Sherlock Holmesing his way through things, but there is more of a puzzle serial killer quality to the way that movie is pitched. The two things I remember about The Batman, number one, Robert Pattinson's really tall, or whoever they got to wear that suit's really tall. I think it was him. And I thought that was a good development. And number two, I didn't know who the Joker was

when he came on at the end of the movie. He's barely visible. I was also, that was like three weeks after Knox was born. So, and that was, and I watched it over three nights. The thing I remember the most was Paul Dano saying, no, no, no! That was my favorite part of the movie.

Okay. I love that. So man, it was my number nine. It's coming out July 11th. Okay. Will you see it? Yes. Okay.

I will. Do you like David Cornsweat? He, you know, had a strong jaw in Twisters. So that's important. Yeah. Cut glass with that jaw. Okay, we're up to number nine. I'm going to have a drink from the giant water bottle now. Thanks for sharing.

Right when it was your turn to talk. $10 a Target. I will take sponsorship. Right now, the people listening at home are either like, her mind, or they're like, will she talk? There's no in between. It's 64 ounces. Okay, number nine, that's where we are, is a double header from Richard Linklater,

who just keeps working with rules. This is good. Okay, so I would say that I'm slightly, I'm really anticipating Blue Moon. Okay. Because this is about heart. I would say that I'm slightly, I'm really anticipating Blue Moon. Okay. Because this is about Heart, what is his first name? I'm Googling it, Lawrence Heart.

I know them as Rodgers and Heart who wrote Oklahoma and The Sound of Music and many other musicals. So it's a biopic about the last days, the opening night of Oklahoma, in fact. Interesting, that's a good framing device. Yeah, and stars Ethan Hawke as Lawrence Heart of Oklahoma, in fact. Interesting. That's a good framing device. Yeah. And stars Ethan Hawke as Lawrence Hart and Andrew Scott as Oscar Hammerstein II, which I didn't know he had a two.

Anyway, I'm into it. We tried Oklahoma with Knox recently. He liked the square dancing, like the party scenes. Oh, what a beautiful morning. Yeah, but it is like a lot of people just like. Movie is not very good. No, it's not. We've really been going through all of the old timey musicals.

And often like this adapted stage musicals don't really work. See also, wicked. It's shot like on location though, right? It's not sound stagey. I seem to recall the opening being on the farm. Yeah, they are definitely like out. I mean, they're just fringes and story on top.

They just like walk from field to field and then sing another classic song. But Knox doesn't really care about the classic songs necessarily, so. I like the music of Oklahoma quite a bit. Yeah, it's good. The movie I've never really liked. It's kind of one of those just like dingy, not dingy.

It's the opposite of dingy. It's like super bright, technicolor, absurdist, like two and a half hour extravagant. We've also been doing a lot of guys and dolls. I like that better. But it's like not very good. Frank Sinatra is barely awake. OK, it's tough. You know, Frank Sinatra was barely awake. Okay. It's tough. You know, they just...

It takes a long time. We usually... There are some drums and cymbals at the beginning, which knocks requests, and then we fast forward to sit down and rock in the boat, which is a long fast forward. I tried Luck Be a Lady. He wasn't into it. Anyway, the other Linklater movie from this year, coming out this year, allegedly, is Nüvelvag,

which is the making of Breathless. Starring Zoe Deutsch is, though I kind of feel like Emma Stone stole her thunder a little bit with the haircut at the Golden Globes. Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting. Zoe Deutsch obviously was in Everybody Wants Some, has worked with Link later before. The making of Breathless. obviously was in Everybody Wants Some, has worked with Linklater before. The making of Breathless. Breathless is one... What is our version of Breathless? What is like the, you know, pulp fiction, I guess?

Like there's a handful of movies over the years. There's like one movie a decade where you're like, I saw that movie and everything changed. And obviously a lot of kids who, you know, the French New Wave kids grew up watching Hollywood productions, they had their minds blown. And then American filmmakers watching the French New Wave have these movies. Linklater is a little bit young to be,

he wasn't there, you know, when Breathless dropped, right? So him kind of digging in as not somebody who is, so, you know, if you listen like William Fried can talk about the French New Wave, like he just split his brain open. He couldn't believe it. So I'll be curious to see what this take is. I mean, both of these stories are biopic-y in nature.

You know, they're historically bound, which is something he's done before, right? Like he did me in Orson Welles. Yeah. He's done, I'm trying to think, what are their, the Newton boys in a way is kind of a biopic movie. I'm sure I'm forgetting something else that he's done that is in that vein as well. So it's not totally foreign to him, but those are not historically his most successful projects.

Nevertheless, two link later movies in a year is exciting. Blue moon is, or the, as best Google can tell me rumored for May, 2025, which has a Cannes feel to it. And you almost wonder if they'd do like a- Pin them together. A double header at Cannes. Yeah. Maybe honor him in some way.

Yeah. Yeah. That would be cool. Should we go? Uh, I'm going to golf in Oregon that weekend. I'm so angry at both of you right now. I'm experiencing, I'm trying to work my way through a hip flexor strain right now. Okay.

So in the event that it is not healed, then I'll go to France. You'll go to France instead of going back to Oregon. That's my solemn oath to you. To golf with my... I... Be nice. Be nice. When you guys booked this, I said to you, that is the same time as Cannes.

Like, let's go to Cannes instead. And both you and my husband were like, no. Yeah, I mean, America first. What can I say? Okay. Uh, my number eight is The Mastermind. Another movie that I don't know a lot about, but has a very intriguing tagline and a great cast. This is basically how we make these lineups.

I know, very impressive water bottle. Congratulations. There's water in it. The Mastermind written and directed by Kelly. You okay? You can't make me laugh. No, I'm okay. Yeah, it was just very powerful, you know, so a lot of water at once.

Let's put that in the fan cam, folks. And then I had to open the thing. I'm going to leave it open now. Great. Seems like a good idea. You're very performatively popping it open, too. I know. That's why I was like, that was a mistake.

I have to keep it closed, like at home around it, because Knox will go right for it, you know? And I gave a whole speech about how my water bottle is going to be like, I'm going to go right for it. I'm going to go right for it. I'm going to go right for it. I'm going to go right for it. I'm going to go right for it.

I'm going to go right for it. I'm going to go right for it. I'm going to go right for it. I'm going to go right for it. I'm going's why I was like that was a that was a mistake. I have to keep it closed like at home around that because Knox will go right for it you know and I gave a whole speech about how my water bottle is just for me and I do him but not to me thankfully. I don't like sharing water bottles among other things but so I agree for recordings I should keep it open. It's our first time with the water bottle. Are you okay? I'm doing my best. Jesus Christ. So glad we chose to record today. Uh, The Mastermind is the movie on my list. Written and directed by Kelly Reichert,

one of my favorite directors. Uh, this is the logline of this movie. A daring art theft set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Great. That's just a lot. That's a tic-tac-toe if I've ever heard one. Incredible cast in this movie.

Josh O'Connor, John Magaro, Gabby Hoffman, Bill Camp, Alana Heim. It rules. Good. Yeah. Let's go, show it to me. All the cool people want to work with Kelly Riker, including me.

It also feels like a canned title. If not then, then it'll definitely be at the fall festivals. Very, very excited about this one. Okay, number eight for you. And number eight is Paper Tiger. I'm glad you grabbed this. From James Gray, written and directed by... This is not started filming yet, so this is one...

Could be 26. Yeah, this is one where you wonder, but this is supposed to star Adam Driver, Jeremy Strong, and Anne Hathaway. The latter two starred in Armageddon Time. And I'll read the description. Paper Tiger is described as a tense and greedy story Adam Driver, Jeremy Strong, and Anne Hathaway. The latter two starred in Armageddon Time. And I'll read the description. Paper Tiger is described as a tense and greedy story

about two brothers pursuing the American Dream only to become entangled in a scheme that turns out to be too good to be true. And then more stuff happens. Listen, Adam Driver and Jeremy Strong. And Anne Hathaway. I'm in. Um, Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong were very overlooked for their work in Armageddon time. I agree.

Uh, great. That sounds good. I'm very excited about that movie. I fear it will be 2026, but maybe not. I do too. Maybe not. Uh, my number seven is also very intriguing to me. It's called Sentimental Value. This is the reunion of Joachim Trier and Renata Rensvi, the stars of the star and filmmaker behind The Worst Person in the World. This movie, I don't know a whole lot about it. I just know that in the Bill Simmons parlance,

I have season tickets to this pairing, and I'm really excited. Eskil Vogt is also back. He was the co-writer of Worst Person in the World. And so I'm really pumped for this. Comedy drama, also stars Stellan Skarsgård and Al Fanning and Corey Michael Smith, who portrayed Chevy Chase in Saturday Night. So and he was good.

I mean, if you're tall, you're tall, you know? I really enjoyed his work. He's also phenomenal in May, December. He is Julianne Moore's also phenomenal in May-December. He is Julianne Moore's elder son in May-December. He's a super talented actor. Oh, yeah. Yeah, he's really good.

So this is a cool cast. Looks like it will be, it was shot in Oslo, but I assume much of it will be in English given some of this cast. But The Worst Person in the World, I think, was my second favorite movie of that year when it came out. And I'm really excited about this. So that's my number seven. Okay. What do you got? Number seven. And this is honestly where all the rankings just get silly.

You know, we're just choosing who knows. This is an excuse to say movie titles. Yeah. Mickey 17. Bong Joon-Ho's follow-up to Parasite, starring Robert Pattinson. One of the great movie stars working. I'm in. This has moved release dates like 45 times. Yep. Warner Brothers up to some shenanigans, but I think it has most recently landed on March 7th.

Yes. It just recently flipped dates with Sinners, which is a movie that I'm about to name on my list. Sinners is a new Ryan Cooller movie. So now it's coming in March after originally being in January and before that being in 2024. So hopefully we'll finally get to see this movie. You know, a movie that's been much concern trolled in terms of its financial viability. I will make a pledge to you right now to not worry about that. Great. I think that's beautiful.

To take the movie at its face and to enjoy it as much as I can. We're only going to get so many Bong Joon Ho movies in this lifetime. Let's try to enjoy them. That's lovely. That can be your second tagline of this podcast for this year. What was the other one? It was like two mystical children. And connect in order to discover their lives. They love water bottles and films.

My number six is Highest to Lowest, which is a new movie from Apple and A24, directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington. This movie notably is a remake of a sort of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low, which is one of my favorite films of all time. If you listen to our episode about Toshiro Mifune that Chris and I did during COVID,

we talked about this movie quite a bit, story about a businessman who is enduring a kidnapping of his child and needs to navigate all the moving pieces to make sure that he can get his family back together. I would imagine they're going to take some liberties with this storyline. The cast of this movie is really interesting. It's Denzel, Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice, and Asap Rocky. Cool. That is not a joke. That's great. Very intriguing. We'll see. I'm excited. It's based on King's ransom, the Ed McBain novel, which I guess is what the high and low film

is based on, which I don't know if I even really realized that the Ed McBain novel was the original basis. Okay. Next up, number six for you. Number six. After the Hunt, the Luca Guadagnino movie that has filmed. This is one that is in the can. It's done? Well, yes. I think they filmed it as opposed to his 45 Other Things that he's working on. Are you editing it?

I'm available. I'll hang out with Luca anytime he wants. Here or in Rome at the hotel that he creative directed. Who's in this movie? This is Julia Roberts, Iowa Dibri, and he of the David Herman pendant, Andrew Garfield, and also Michael Stilbarg and Chloe Sevigny. It's just incredible.

So this is academic me too, as best I understand it. A college professor is forced to grapple with her own secretive past after one of her colleagues is faced with a serious accusation. Intriguing. Yeah, I'm in. Love Luca. Season tickets to Luca.

Luca loves a sordid tale. He does. And he likes beautiful things. He does. And he likes movie stars. So I'm on board. And also apparently square by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross again.

Thankfully. You have not seen Queer yet? No, I just, I'm behind. That's one of those movies where now I saw it, didn't really like it very much. And now there's something calling to me that I'd like to return to it and reconsider. So if you get around to it, let me know.

Maybe we'll make an opportunity to discuss on the show. Number five is Sinners. That's the movie I just mentioned. Ryan Coogler. This is, I guess, a period piece vampire movie, though vampires have not really been revealed in any of the marketing materials. But if you know, it's pretty heavily implied, you know? Yeah. Obviously Michael B. Jordan appears in all films directed by Ryan Coogler. This one notably for Warner Brothers and his first non-Marvel film in quite some time.

I guess the log line here is trying to leave their troubled lives behind twin brothers who were both portrayed by Michael B. Return to their hometown to start again only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. Haley Steinfeld, Jack O'Connell, Wanmi Masako, Jamie Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, my guy Delroy Lindo.

Amazing cast. Extraordinary cast. Ludwig Guernsen is back in the mix. Oh, good, great. Composer. Okay, cool. I'm in. Vampires?

Just so soon after Nosferatu. Another one that I still haven't seen. I'm gonna do it. My heart's open. You know, uh, Coogler negotiated to retain the copyright of this film. I do know that. So he will own it after a certain number of years. It's either 10 or 25. I can't remember. Sounds like 20. I was gonna say 25.

But I'm not his lawyer, so... What do you think about that phenomenon? Great? Yeah. Does that... What does that mean? That means that then, after 25 years, he can do whatever he wants with it in terms of releasing it, licensing it. If he wants to license it to a streamer.

Yeah. Yeah. If somebody wants to run it in a repertory house. If he wants to make a sequel. Release the 4K. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

You know, I have some big 4K news, but I'm going to sit on it. It's actually not my news to share. Wow. Yeah. Okay. I'm waiting for the it. It's actually not my news to share. Wow. Yeah. Okay. I'm waiting for the right time. I'm really excited. That's beautiful.

Yeah. It's not my news. Is it someone that I know's news? Yeah. Am I gonna be disappointed? I hope you'll be delighted. Okay. I was delighted.

Delighted. Okay. What's your number five? The Phoenician Scheme. I mean, new Wes Anderson movie. I'm pumped for this. Espionage comedy drama? Great.

So pumped for this. I mean, you know, it's a Wes Anderson version of an Espionage comedy drama, but I bet, let me read some of the cast for you. Benicio Del Toro, Michael Cera, Bill Murray, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Benedict Cumberbatch, Scarlett Johansson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Rupert Fren, Willem Dafoe, Brian Cranston, Mia Therripleton, Tony

Horango, Isha Joy Samuel. The list goes on and on. Great. I love it. Think this is happening this year? Seems like it, right? I hope so. Reason to return to Venice?

I think that they have at least filmed it. What's your fall film festival strategy this year? Honestly, here is the main issue. Well, okay, number one, I have two children. That is definitely the main issue. So that's a thing that we're working through on an hour to hour basis. Number two, my friend got Oasis tickets at the Rose Bowl. And I think one is earmarked for me.

But so that's, I think it is. Yeah. Uh, but I think it's in real conflict with the Venice schedule. So how am I going to get from Venice to Oasis at the Rose Bowl? Yeah, it's tell your right time. No, it's not. I don't, you know me. Come to the mountains.

I don't do mountains. I don't do fields. You're going to Toronto. Is that what you're going to do instead? Will you go to the Toronto Film I don't do mountains, I don't do fields. You're going to Toronto. Is that what you're gonna do instead? Will you go to the Toronto Film Festival? I've never been to Canada, so maybe this is my year. Something to consider. And I guess I could go-

You're a woman of the people. That's the People's Film Festival. Sure, yes, that is true. That's what I do. Everyone is saying that. So I don't know. I gotta talk to Venice. I gotta talk to my-

You gotta talk to Venice? Yeah, I gotta talk to Venice. I gotta talk to my other people, namely my husband. I'd like to go to New York too. The New York Film Festival. Yes. I'll be there. Yeah, which is in October. I am not golfing, so I'd like to go to Cannes, but you know, like to go to Cannes, but you know, I, there are a lot of things I'd like in the next hours, days, months, and years. We'll see. The struggle of life. Yeah. My number four is 28 years later. I was very much looking forward to this movie. I mentioned this in a video that Chris and I made about the trailer on YouTube, but that I was told by someone who works in the industry that this script was the best script

They had read in five years written by Alex Garland Directed once again by Boyle. It's the third film in their 28 zombie trilogy Soon to be a quadrilogy and a what is five quintology? Mm-hmm. I believe there are two other films coming in the aftermath of this movie. But this one, yeah, my friend said best script in five years. And once we saw the trailer, I was like, put it in my, put it inside me. Put it inside me immediately. Okay.

I'm very, very, very, very pumped for this. This movie comes out, we mentioned, I should mention Sinners comes out in April and 28 years later is released June 20th. So June looking much better than July this year, have you noticed that? None of this seems solid to me. You think a lot of at least not summer wise. Anything from May on I just I think that there will be a lot of moving around. Interesting, okay. Have you seen the 28 days and months later? You haven't seen those films? No, because it's zombies, right?

It is zombies, yeah. They're very fast zombies. Yeah. Yeah, that was the big innovation. I mean, that seems really upsetting. Yeah. I'll check it out before this one. Okay.

You know that it's virtually impossible to stream either of these, the first two films. Okay. They're not available on digital. You need to own them on physical media. Well. Which of course I do. That's great. In fact, I have a double pack.

I have one box that has both films inside of it. I'm happy for you. I'm also a member of- Do you want to come over and watch them? Sure. That'd be great. I have one box that has both films inside of it. I'm happy for you. I'm also a member of- Do you wanna come over and watch them? Sure, that'd be great. Or I could just rent them from Videots, our local community video store,

and not have to interact with you. Why not Videotek as well? There's so many great options in your neighborhood. You wouldn't have to interact with me? That's just mean. Okay, what's your number for? Black Bag. Yeah. Let's go. Okay, what's your number four? Black Bag. Yeah.

Let's go. Coming soon. This is the second Steven Soderbergh film of 2024. Yes, we've both seen Presence. Yes. So we don't have Presence on our list. Presence is coming to movie theaters in a week and a half.

Incredible. This is coming on March 14th. Not the only March 14th release on my list. We'll get there. We'll come back to that. But this is a spy thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. So, and written, no, directed by, written by David Capp and directed by Steven Soderbergh,

who is just an incredibly important figure in my life, filmmaking and ideologically. Just once again, his culture diary, no one doing it better. If I could ask him one question about his culture diary, what would you ask him? I would like to know about his book reading and how he's making his fiction choices because he is one of the great readers of contemporary women's fiction out there. Like every single, like, you know, Oprah or Good Morning America book club book, or any literary fiction book written by a woman

that is released, like it is on Soderbergh's list. That's awesome. And like, and so we have a lot of overlap because that's often where my tastes go as well. But I would like to know how he's making his choices. And why is that his lane? Is that just what he's interested in reading? Is he reading that for producing purposes? Is that just... He did a great podcast for the New York Times Book Review with Gilbert Cruz

and was talking about how he reads to turn his brain off, which I relate to but anyway that's what I want to know how's he picking his fiction and has he noticed those patterns? I'll ask him okay should I also ask him for his number? I mean I hope you you know have it for zoom purposes but I don't need it you could also ask him about the tennis does he tennis? Does he have a tennis instructor? Are you sure you don't want to join me for this interview? I really don't. It's okay. Okay. I'll also be asking him why he rewatched every Star Wars property last year. He's just hanging out. He's very notable that he was like, today is a good day to watch Revenge of the Sith.

He also watched so much tennis and so much true crime. And... You're getting like all, like I can feel you getting all worked up. I just, it's pretty legendary. You know, like the Miami Open Women's Final. Like that's a real one. Black Bag is a movie.

Yeah. Starring Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, right? Yes. Um, it looks great. Yeah, it's sort of like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but if Soderbergh directed it and maybe not funny. I think it's going very overtly for 70s Michael Caine spy movie.

Okay, great. Which is a genre of movie that I like quite a bit. I think I sent you the trailer to The Black Windmill when I saw the black bag trailer and I was like, seems like he's really in this. I think he watched The Holcroft Covenant last year, which is another one of those Michael Caine movies. So yeah, it seems like a pretty dark inspired.

I just meant they're married and they're spies. Totally, yes. The premise is very similar to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, not the look. My number three is Mission Impossible, The Final Reckoning. Yeah, I mean, at some point, we're just putting things on lists that we can't.

That we both want to see. Number three is sort of low. You think so? Well, numbers two and one. Well, number one is obviously like everyone knows, but number one, okay. Number two and one. Three, two, and.

Eeeh. I get it, okay. I texted you, I didn't see this trailer when it came out because I think it came out like while I was in the hospital with Cy. So then I saw it before Gladiator 2 at like 10 in the morning and I started crying in the theater and texted you. It's overwhelming.

First of all, I never left. I never abandoned Mission Impossible and I never will. The way that the whole trailer is set up to be like Tom Cruise must once again for the final time, sacrifice his body and soul so that you may be entertained and the world may survive. Hilarious, just incredible stuff. I'm pumped, I'm pumped. It was a magnificent trailer.

I love these movies. I still don't care about AI. I have some, you know. This movie is gonna be proven to be so prescient. Come on. It just, the last, the AI part, it didn't make sense. Okay, so now he's got like- There's a cruciform key.

He's got like submarine dive and then it's the- And they need it to open the submarine. It's like slight revisionist history cause you were a little cold on Dead Reckoning on the actual reaction pod. That's a touch cold. That's, and that, listen, Bobby. I think that we have to open our hearts

to the idea of change and evolution. This is our third tagline. So it's okay. It's we're opening our hearts to the idea of change and evolution. She was really cold on it. I was trying to defend. I just said that the AI stuff doesn't work.

And once again, I don't really like underwater stunts. A cruciform key. I think it's cool that Tom Cruise can scuba dive or whatever, but cinematically, like do I like watching it that much as when he's sailing through the air? I love Hayley Atwell. I would like to marry Hayley Atwell.

I forgot to, did I cancel my Starz subscription? Cause I was gonna, I subscribed to watch Apollo 13 and then I was gonna rewatch the Howard's End that she did with Matthew McFadden. It's been such a long week, I can't believe this. Just, you know what? Detach, please. Just, just detach.

You didn't have to come in today. You were the one that was like, we can do it. And I said, I'll get it together. And so now I'm talking about Haley Atwell. I, I mean, I, I'm so excited for this movie. This is a war! Um, okay. Why don't you... Why don't you do your number three? Okay. We're getting close here.

Materialist. Yeah. Celine Song's new film starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, who you and Joanna owe an apology to, and Pedro Pascal. This is Chris Evans as a revenge. Um... I like all of these people and all of their work. And this is also a romantic comedy about a matchmaker,

her ex-boyfriend, and a wealthy businessman, because why not? Last Wednesday, I was feeling very sad, for obvious reasons, and put on 21 Jump Street on Netflix. And I had forgotten Dakota Johnson was in it, just talking shit to Jonah Hill. Really funny. Really great.

21 Jump Street, fantastic. Super funny movie. Has aged very well in my mind. Yeah. Materialist, sounds good. It looks a little bit polished based on the set photos. OK. Which I would say is a little different from how

I viewed past lives. And I wonder, you know, obviously a filmmaker going up, going up in budget, going up in star power. Curious to see how that translates. Celine Song, I Have Faith. A polished rom-com with three stars from a writer-director who... actually, who thinks about things. Into Your Veins.

My number two is Marty Supreme. I mean, in like this would be on my list too. In 99 out of 100 years, this would be my number one. Yeah, of course. Most anticipated. This is the one of two Safdie movies coming out this year. This film is directed by Josh and I believe is co-written with Ronald Bronstein, the co-writer of many Safdie Brothers movies. This is their first feature since Uncut Gems. Benny also has a film coming out this year, The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne The Rock Johnson.

Interestingly, I believe Marty Supreme is based on a true story. And is it based on a true story? I can't recall. It's a ping pong movie starring Timothee Chalamet and set in the 1950s. And Timmy has been rocking that nice mustache for the last few months.

And he's been rocking it because he's been in character for this movie. Also stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyler the Creator, Penjolet, Abel Ferrara, the legendary filmmaker, Fran Drescher. I don't know very much about the movie other than I'm getting after hours vibes. Yeah. Um, I'm feeling, I'm feeling the Scorsese influence, which is always evident in the

Safdie Brothers movies and New York set story, of course, dated for Christmas day. I'm, I'm just very pumped. Gwyneth Paltrow did a legendary Instagram post where it was just a roundup of all of the fancy restaurants she went to while living in New York filming this movie, which she's my queen. I'm very excited about this also. Intriguing putting Gwyneth in a Safdie Brothers movie. I love it.

You know, she is really like a languorous kind of performer, you know, really sort of even keeled, not a nervy type, I would say. Yeah, but I mean, she grew up in New York. She can do it. OK. Yeah, in the hard scrabble streets of New York. She can do it. Okay, yeah. In the hard scrabble streets of New York, for sure. Remember when Susan Sarandon was dating that ping pong guy?

I do. I do. That was like a whole thing. So I don't know very much about this fellow, but Marty Reisman is the guy's name who the story is based on, who was a professional champion table tennis player. I'm excited about this. That's my number two. And I'm looking forward to the Smashing Machine, too.

I really love Benny and I love The Curse, the Nathan Fielder, Emma Stone show, which we're going to look back on as like a miracle. That show is insane and profound and so strange and features incredible performances from the three of them. So yeah, I'm looking forward to that one, too. Okay, what's number two for you? incredible performances from the two, from the three of them. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to that one, too. OK, what's number two for you?

My number two is not my number one, because that would feel like too biased. And it was also on my lastest, but last year's list. But this is confirmed. This is a film written and directed by my very good friend Mark Anthony Green called Opus. It is coming out on March 14th. It's debuting at Sundance in like a week and a half. It stars John Malkovich and Iowa Dibbari. I mean, it's a horror film being released by A24.

MAG did it. I can't wait. I'm psyched. Yeah, it's crazy. I mean, I haven't seen this movie. I've no idea. I haven't seen it either. And honestly, MAG, like it's, it's a little fucked up at this point

because Zach has seen it. Like, everyone else in my life knows a lot about it. And it's not that he's been keeping it from me, but I think he's like, it's going to be, you're going to see the finished product. Yeah, he's been keeping it from me. I've known MAG for almost 15 years at this point. We worked together at GQ many, many years ago.

And I've been hearing about iterations of a feature film from him for a long, long time. And this is a real movie. This is a movie movie. Yeah, I'm in the can for it. Like we visited the set, Knox Ruin to take. Like it's really like truly, I'm very sorry, A24, thank you. I know better than to take a small child to a movie set.

But I'm really excited. This is the real thing. Me too. Hope I can see it soon. Yeah. You are going to Sundance. Unless one of the kids gets sick. I mean, listen, I was going to Sundance

until the events of the last week. I mean, I do my absolute best. We're both going. But I think if between me and Zach, if only one of us can go, I think Zach goes, but I don't know. He's already seen it. That is true.

Something to think about. Anyway, yes, I hope we both go. My number one is the Battle of Bacton Cross, which I still don't believe will be the title of this film, though we shall see. This is the new feature film from Paul Thomas Anderson. It's coming out in August, August 8th. Okay.

So I know that there's a thing with the IMAX screens and so that there's going to be competition for the IMAX screens. And this is like in IMAX. And so you think it's going to keep that August 8th date because of IMAX. I just haven't heard anything to the contrary. I know Matt Bellamy suggested on an episode of The Town at the end of last year that he had heard rumblings that it might move to 2026. Obviously, things at Warner Brothers have been incredibly complicated over the last

three or four years under the new administration. Their head of marketing just got fired after a series of flops this year. It's all up in the air. Huge year for the leadership. Pam Avde and Mike DeLuca. Mike DeLuca, famously the guy who gave PTA a huge shot with Boogie Nights. A huge advocate for him over the years.

This may or may not be an adaptation of Pensions Vineland. It's been unconfirmed a lot of the outlines of the story that I've read. And I've been breaking a lot of my own rules with trying to figure out what the hell's going on with this movie and trying to, like, read up on things that I shouldn't be reading up on. But the cast is insane. It's Leo, Regina Hall, who I've been breaking a lot of my own rules with trying to figure out what the hell's going on with this movie and trying to, like, read up on things that I shouldn't be reading up on.

But the cast is insane. It's Leo, Regina Hall, who I've been hoping they would work together for years. She's, like, the most perfect fit for his sensibility. I know he's a fan of hers. Sean Penn back after working with him on the last film. Alana Heim back. Teyana Taylor, also an inspired casting choice.

Wood Harris from The Fucking Wire. Benicio Del Toro, they're reuniting again. It seems like a big, crazy, violent spectacle, not quite like a war movie, but a movie with battle. And Leo's styling in the film is interesting. I mean, yeah, of course. This is it, this is it. Front row seat or like, you know, buying tickets the minute they're on sale.

Yeah, take me home. How many more PTA movies are we going to get? I just always hate this not is not ideal. This goes right in the corner of the Mickey 17 box office. I don't care. It's also not ideal for our lives. So I would love for them to. You go on vacation.

I'm happy to pot a line. It's called leave? It's called parental leave, bonding time? Go ahead, take it. See, but you say it like a threat. So- What do you mean? You know.

You're free to take it whatever you like. I also want to see this movie. I'm looking forward to it. I like the films of Paul Thomas Anderson. Take July, come back in August. You can miss Superman. Okay, well- Think about it.

That is something to think about. Okay. But whatever. I'm excited for this film. Okay. I think it deserves a- So it'll be a real test of your enthusiasm. I knew that you would put in those terms.

Okay. What's your number one? My number one is F1. Currently scheduled for June 27th. Yep. Last movie you'll see before you leave. Well, I'm planning to see it at Cannes, where I do think it will debut out of competition. It's currently scheduled for June 27th. Yep. Last movie you'll see before you leave. I sister... Well, I'm planning to see it at Cannes, where I do think it will debut out of competition.

Listen, as I said, we've been watching a lot of Top Gun Maverick. So, and I do believe in Joseph Kaczynski. I'm like even more Top Gun Maverick-pilled than I was, I think, in 2022, if that's possible. Just because, you know, I can watch it with my almost three-year-old and my parents and everyone comes together and just cheers when Tom Cruise throws the rule book into the trash can, you know? Which is, that's beautiful. That's cinema. It's what my dad would have done. It's very emotional.

Insane. That's beautiful. That's cinema. It's what my dad would have done. It's very emotional. I do also, I feel like Brad Pitt pulling a Tom Cruise is sort of sad and also like maybe a good career path. Like it was very strategic to me. You know, it's some of the other experiments have not really worked out in the last couple years. I think his celebrity is like at a really interesting or complicated, shall we say, point. And so if you just become a guy

who just drives cars for forever. Yeah, I mean, that's been my theory for the last five or so years with his career is he's taking a lot of parts that don't have a lot of opportunity to discuss, like human psychology, personal experience. They're not quite superhero parts, but they're very contained,

and they're very like small, odd worlds. And that way there's not a lot of penetration into the broader Brad Pitt experience, because he's protecting a lot. He's protecting a lot, given what's been going on on the tabloids over the years. So I think that's a good use of him.

Even if it's sad that you don't get, you know, your money balls and your burn after readings and your character actor stuff. He's in a different phase than I think most big time movie stars. You know, we're planning this Paul Newman episode, which will now happen probably in February. I'm thinking about him and how he kind of transitioned into his 50s and 60s and how he's really like the model

for getting older while being like a strapping, young, beautiful star. And we talk a lot about how Cruz does it, how Denzel does it, how daring some actors are, and how some like retrench into something very safe. The best way to do it if you're gonna be safe is to do something big and bold. And F1 is like a big, bold, old school temple movie.

Yeah, well that's the other thing I was gonna say is that it's been filming for 15 years. Like a $350 million movie. It's a huge movie. And like is that sometimes you need time and sometimes that is alarming. It seems to be Joseph Kaczynski's method, like a bit, especially when you're doing all of the practical,

like the actual driving. Yeah. We'll see. The trailer, absolutely. Yes, I'm in. Kicked ass. Yeah. Kicked ass. So, I'm excited. And I'm also, I think, like,

I'm ready for a big budget spectacle, you know? If it's ridiculous, I'm good. And summer blockbuster-y, all the better for me. Okay, so I don't know if you have any additional honorable mentions on top of what I put Down here. I put down a lot and I thought we could choose one movie from this honorable mentions list to be our 25th and Final film. Okay. Okay. Yeah, so I'm gonna go through them as quickly as I can. Okay The first one which was originally on my list and I took it off last minute, but I've heard great things about this movie It's called the drama. This is the new movie from Christopher Borglie, starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. Oh, right. I had the

aspect of the script explained to me and it sounded fascinating. I really like Dream Scenario, the last Borglie movie. I really like Sick of Myself, his movie before that. He's got a really like corrosive, funny point of view. He was an awesome guest on the show. If people haven't, a lot of people hadn't seen Dream Scenario when we did that episode, but I highly encourage people to go back and listen to him because he was such a smart guy, such a cool guest. So that's one.

Two, Caught Stealing, new Darren Aronofsky movie. You have, this is a real war for you. It's like, it's really, really, really hard because in addition to it starring Austin Butler as a former baseball player, it also stars Zoe Kravitz, Regina King, and Matt Smith, who is really, really important and I think underused. But.

But Aronofsky. Now, I love Darren Aronofsky movies. Not all of them, but most of them. You do not. What's your favorite? My favorite Darren Aronofsky movie? I mean, I guess Black Swan. Even though my issues with it are the issues that I have with many of the other movies.

Yeah, that it focuses women. I was just kind of like all full of shit. You know what I'm saying? I mean, I guess The Wrestler is not. The Wrestler is very good. I would argue that's the most full of shit movie he's ever made. Well, I mean, that's the thing. It's like they're all like really, really full of shit. It's like, OK, guy, I know you love Mother.

I love Mother. You know, and maybe Mother. And Noah is the one that I can't really get into. I like the wrestler. I just think it's like him really kind of putting on somebody else's clothes. Mother is at least the most honest of like where, just think it's like him really kind of putting on somebody else's clothes. Mother is at least the most honest of like where,

I think it's the most honest of his movies. Okay. I just find them kind of annoying, but also all the rest of this is just right down the middle for me. Okay, more. A remake of The Running Man, which under normal circumstances, I would not be terribly interested in.

But Glenn Powell. Glenn Powell and Edgar Wright. Yeah. And they recently cast someone else. I'll call him a Domingo. Oh, yeah. Who's playing the host who was originally portrayed by Richard Dawson. Um, which is pretty inspired casting.

So, and you know, The Running Man, um, I believe was originally a Richard Bachman story, which was a Stephen King pseudonym in the 80s when he was like literally publishing like 13 novels a year. Arnold and Glenn Powell are very, very different. And I think, I believe in the Bachman story, there's a little bit more of an everyman quality to the lead. And Arnold being this superheroic figure Bachman story, there's a little bit more of an everyman quality to the lead.

And Arnold being this superheroic figure and becoming so unbeatable in the game of the running man is an interesting way of reframing it. I could be wrong about this. I haven't read that story in a long time. I probably read it when I was a teenager, but I don't know. It's been a long time since an Edgar Wright movie. I think last night in Soho was like 2020 too. So looking forward to that one. The Monkey, this is the new Oz, good Perkins movie,

his first movie since Long Legs. Yeah. Theo James in this, very crazy trailer for this movie, very violent, very bloody. Should be interesting, I'm seeing it next week. I was thinking about Phil's Long Legs. That was really good. That was good.

That's why we do this on video. A new thriller from Park Chan Wook, No Other Choice. Very fired up about that. I've paired two movies here. Avatar, Fire, and Ash. Perhaps you've heard of it. This is the third Avatar feature from James Cameron. Zoe Saldana off her Oscar win.

Is she in this one? What happened? So they join the water community. Yeah, and now I believe it will be fire. They love water. They talk to the whale. Do they have to leave at the end? I mean, not to put too fine a point on it, but these are parables about ecology. community. Yeah. And now I love water. They talk to the whale. Do they have to leave at the end? I mean, not to put too fine a point on it, but, you know, these are parables about ecology. And we're in the year of the L.A.

fires. This is going to be a movie. This is almost certainly going to be about that. It's going to be almost certainly going to be about what happens when we don't take care of our our earth, our space, our world. Right. And how it can burn. Like that's again. Yeah. James Cameron, operating in a completely other orbit

from the rest of the world. And also somebody who has been banging the drums so, so loudly about climate change for so long. And fire. And I mean, you can read about the Malibu compound before he sold it. Yes. Yeah.

Okay. And then his former partner, Catherine Bigelow, has a new movie coming out. It does not have a title. All we know is that it's set at the White House and features the president. I mean, it's for Netflix.

Yeah. I don't know. What would Catherine Bigelow, we like presidential movies. Also, do I want to live in that world right now? I saw Detroit. It could go a lot of different ways. Rebecca Ferguson, Jared Harris, Idris Elba, Greta Lee. I mean, I like all of those people. What if I told you our friend Tracy Letts was in it?

I'm excited. That makes me think more highly of it. Okay. I don't know. We could keep going. We have a lot more here before we decide. Okay. I don't know. We keep going. We have a lot more here before you decide. Okay. We have a lot more.

Uh, Roof Man. Okay. This is Derek C. in France's new movie. He of Blue Valentine and a Place Beyond the Pines. And Cowboy Bebop? No. What was that? That's not, that's not Derek C. in France.

Oh, what is that? Cowboy Bebop is a, was a Japanese anime title. Okay, then. It was adapted into a Netflix series. What was. Oh, what is that? Cowboy Bebop was a Japanese anime title. It was adapted into a Netflix series. What was the cowboy thing? And was that not C. in France? Oh no, it's Winning Refn. Yeah, you're confusing your preferred Ryan Gosling auteurs. Okay, but which one was, I mean, that was a cowboy.

Copenhagen Cowboy was that one. That was Nicholas Winning Refn. Yeah, also Soderbergh watched that last year. That was a quality program that I spoke with Chris Ryan about in 2023 on the watch. I listened to that podcast. I really enjoyed that show. Uh, Roof Man is about a roof man.

OK. Incredible cast, Channing Tatum, Peter Dinklage, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, Lakeith Stanfield, and Juno Temple. OK. This is an old school character piece about a regular guy. One of my notes to the Golden Globes about their production was that Kirsten Dunst was in attendance

and I did not see her on the screen. So, fix that. It's a shame. Let's keep going. I mentioned the Bigelow movie. Honey Don't is the next Ethan Coen movie that also stars Margaret Qualley. Okay, like, people should do whatever they want

with their time and their ideas and their success. Cool. Very kind gesture on the movie podcast from you. What about Elio, the new Pixar movie? What about it, Sean? My child looks very excited about this movie. We've seen the trailer a couple times. It's been pushed a couple times. Disney famously needed to have a gonzo 2024,

and all their risky titles got pushed to 2025. Deadpool and Wolverine can stay. Inside Out 2 can stay. Elio going to 2025. We'll see. Originals are tough for Pixar these days. I hope it's good. I'm looking forward to it.

Joyce Aldania is also a voice performer in this film. What a year for her. It's going to be incredible. Okay. Begonia. What's this again? Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone's new movie. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

This is the one that she cut her hair for. She picked it up. Yeah, she shaved her head. So we're that much hair growth in like two months? I guess. Is that what we're meant to believe? in like two months? I guess. Is that what we're meant to believe? Or maybe she just sort of, I've had this length of hair for roughly 25 years.

Yeah, no, I know. So I'm currently, you know how you lose a lot of hair at postpartum? So that happened, it started happening this week, by the way, I was just like, Well, I'm sure there are other reasons for that. Well, sure, totally, totally. But I was like, oh, this is great.

And so my recollection, and we will all chart this together on YouTube. Thanks for joining everyone. Um, it's like, it takes the hair longer to grow back. But I guess the hair, her hair was like this long, right? You're talking about Emma Stone's hair. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not your own hair. Yeah.

I just like, did she actually bick it or was or did she just cut it very short and then wear a bald cap and then... It's a good question. Okay. I'm not really sure. She looks great. Does it really matter? No.

The Life of Chuck was the audience award winner at the Toronto International Film Festival. New film from Mike Flanagan, stars Tom Hiddleston. Looking forward to it, also based on a Stephen King work. The Bride? Okay. Oh, right, the Maggie Gyllenhaal? This is the Maggie Gyllenhaal adaptation of The Bride of Frankenstein starring Jesse Buckley.

Right. And then you've paired it with Frankenstein, which is the Guillermo del Toro Frankenstein starring Jacob Elordi. Correct. Where is, what's Jacob Elordi been up to? He's got another project coming down the pike too. Well, you haven't, have you not seen the Paul Schrader film?

Mm-mm. Oh my. You know. Oh Canada? Uh, he's got another project coming down the pike too. Well, you haven't, have you not seen the Paul Schrader film? Oh my. You know, Oh Canada. Yeah. I definitely read and listened to you talking about it a lot. Beautiful movie. That's great. Incredible Richard Gere performance. Lordy's good.

Yeah. He plays young gear. Yeah. There, there's a height difference. Yeah. I mean, he's like really tall. Uh, Lordy is yeah, six, five or six, six. Yeah. He was in a movie that debuted a TIF called Unswift Hors, I mean he's like really tall. Lordy is yeah, 6'5 or 6'6. Yeah, he was in a movie that debuted a TIF called Unswift Horses and then he's

playing Frankenstein's monster in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein. Right. Oh and he's supposed to replace Paul Mescal in the new Ridley Scott movie. Okay. I just read that, yeah. It's quite a... And he had a beard. Quite a cast in this Franken uh, Frankenstein. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, I forgot. Oh. And he's in Wuthering Heights with Emeril LeVe. Yeah. That, that disaster, that like, yikes. That's 2026, right? Uh, yeah. February 13th.

Okay. Okay. Um, friendship. The Paul Rudd, Tim Robinson comedy that Adam Naiman told us about at the Toronto Film Festival, which also got picked up by A24 and is reportedly the funniest studio comedy in a decade. I'm excited. We'll see. Yeah. I love to laugh. Speaking of laughing, the untitled Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Kendrick Lamar comedy. Okay. This is dated for July 4th. Okay. Not very much is known

about it. Okay. Kendrick famously a fan of South Park. Okay. Not very much is known about it. Okay. Kendrick, famously a fan of South Park. Yeah. Where are you at on Trey and Matt? You know, I am second to you, you know, and I see the floor to you in your enthusiasm. Yeah. And isn't that all the origin of The Nuzlar?

It is. Cannibal the musical, Orgasmo, South Park, Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, Team America, World Police, Baseball, 35 Seasons of South Park. Name a more iconic duo. But you won't let me talk about Howard's Ed. You know? I'm not stopping you. I've created a platform. And I'm using it to speak about the great works. I, that's great. I think that...

Like South Park, Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, where love flourished, and here we are 25 years later. I mean, those are funny, you know? They're all funny. They're funny. I haven't seen all of them, but like I was a teenager during... I really fell off South Park. I don't really watch South Park anymore.

I can't pretend to. I was a teenager when South I really fell off South Park. I don't really watch South Park anymore. I can't pretend to. I was a teenager when South Park was, wasn't I? It's hard to overstate the phenomenon level when we were in like eighth grade when South Park hit. It took over culture for a period of time. And obviously it's still very, very popular. It held culture all the way till I was in middle school. South Park, bigger, longer, uncut

when Triple Platinum at the sleepovers. Wow. I'm not trying to take it from any uncut when triple platinum at the sleepovers. Wow. I'm not trying to take it from any other generation. It belongs to all of us. Whether I, as the mom at the middle school boys sleepover, Will allow that? Would screen it, not because I disapprove, but like. Because it's animated.

Imagine getting the call from the parent who doesn't approve. I mean, this will be our life soon. I don't wanna be having that phone call. I'm going to be the permissive dad. You can watch whatever you want. Well, I mean, I think so too, but like, I really, really don't want to be here. I'll still be watching Sleepaway Camp, Silent Night, Deadly Night in a couple of years.

It's all good. The Fantastic Four, the first steps. Yeah. How are you feeling? Well. Mm-hmm. Yeah. How are you feeling? Well... Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Hold on. Let me see if I can name all...

I just want to name the actors. I don't know who they're playing. Okay, so Eben Mossbach, right? Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and that guy with the cat from Quiet Place, day one. The Human Torch with, would like a bank loan. That's a line from Anchorman. His name's Joseph Quinn. Yeah, and he was also in Gladiator 2.

He was. He was one of the Mad Embers. Those are the four? Those are the four, yeah. They're playing The Thing, Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman. What does she do? Like, what's her vibe? What do you think she does? Like, you know, what's the story? The President of the United States of America. What's his vibe? What does he do?

Uh, she's a doting and faithful wife to a genius. You say that. It's a familiar archetype. That's funny. You're not always funny, but that was funny. But it's like Batman's a detective and I didn't know that. You're learning so much. You're on the pod. So like what's her origin story? You know, what's she bringing? She got married to Reed Richards and they were like, let's go to space.

And then like they get exposed to some space stuff and then it makes them, it makes them transform and get all these powers. Okay. So are other, he's invisible too? No, he is stretchy. He can, he can move. He can move. He can move.

He can move. He can move. He can move. He can move. He can move. He can move. He can move. He can move. He can move. He can move. He can move. He can move. to some space stuff and then it makes them transform and get all these powers. Okay. So are other people... He's invisible too?

No, he is stretchy. He can reach in any direction, you know, with his legs and his arms. I do think being invisible is cooler than being stretchy. I think it's the sexual opportunity. Sure, that's true. I mean... That's why she sticks around, Sue Storm. Like how much fan fiction is there about that? That's not, that's legitimately not my lane, but I'll let it exist.

Okay. Yeah, so that'll be interesting. There have been other adaptations of The Fantastic Four. They've all been abominable. So. Why? What is it about The Fantastic Four? Well, I think they're making a good choice here by setting this movie, I believe in the 1960s,

which is, there's a kind of like, uh, nuclear family awshucksiness to the Fantastic Four story and there's, you know, it's a kind of a space race sort of a story. Um, I don't know if it's actually going to be a space, but I think there's, you know, there's an interplanetary travel thing. I don't want to give you Apollo 13, but like there might be a little bit of it. Matt Shaqman, long, long, long time TV director. No, I don't, I don't think so give you Apollo 13, but there might be a little bit of it. Matt Shackman, long, long, long time TV director. You didn't want me to talk about stars again. No, I don't think so, Carl Sagan.

Uh, Tron Aries. No, it's the movie channel. Oh, no, I don't want you to say that either. Tron Aries. Yeah, sure. This is the third Tron film. It's directed by Joakim Ronning. He directed The Young Woman in the Sea.

Starring Daisy Ridley. Did you see that? No, not yet. I liked it. Okay, good. Pretty nice movie. The last one is the history of sound. Yeah. This is the new film from Oliver Hermanus starring your boy Josh O'Connor. And Paul Mescal. And Paul Mescal, yeah. Who I think you kind of owe an apology to as well. What do you mean? I think he was fine in Gladiator 2. That's my Irish brother. He's miscast. And also, like, your understanding of muscle tone needs work.

You're frail, Paul. You're a frail boy. That's crazy. I'm just playing. OK, out of all of these movies, what's the 25th choice? So we can wrap this up. Um, OK. of all of these movies, what's the 25th choice? So we can wrap this up. Okay.

But should we do, I don't know, the drama, caught stealing, the running man? Do you want to do something bigger? Do you want to do something more fun? Do you want to do- Bob has got his cursor on no other choice, the Park Chan walk film. That would be my vote. That's your vote?

I mean, that... You have a lot of taste. That's very high-minded and high-brow of you. And... That's fine. I mean, I do like movie stars. You know, I'm draw... Like, it's my Robert Pattinson here, so that's kind of where I want to go. Okay. Bob, your choice is No Other Choice from Park Chan-wook.

A very good choice. This movie is also very high on my list. Almost made it to my 12. Let's do the drama. Okay. We got movie stars. Yeah. We get an original story that we don't know very much about.

Great. That's it. You feel good about this? You glad you came to work today? Yeah, I am. This was nice. This was trying to look forward to things was nice. It was a good vibe.

It was a good vibe. I hope that people experienced it that way. Yes. Just love and good thoughts to everybody who's been dealing with the awfulness of the last week, and I hope everybody stays safe through whatever is coming in the next few days. We may have another episode this week. I hope we do. We're going to try our best.

We're going to try our best to see Den of Thieves to Pantera, which CR has seen. Amanda and I have not seen it yet. Yeah. And we're gonna talk about it. And maybe some other stuff. Maybe we'll throw some other movies in there. Maybe September 5th.

Maybe we'll get into that. I have seen that one. We'll see. But if we don't have another episode, that's okay. Okay, thank you. We'll be back at some point. We're gonna stay safe. We're gonna try to stay healthy. Thanks to Jack Sanders for his work on this episode.

Thanks to our producer, Bobby Wagner, for his work as well. We'll see you soon.