Sean and Amanda open the show with a few movie news topics including Ryan Gosling being cast in the highly anticipated next film for the Daniels, and the Oscars' decision to leave the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the 2029 Academy Awards (1:19). Then, they cover 15 2026 movies they have yet to discuss on the show this year, and share their top five favorite films of the year so far (19:04). Finally, Sean is joined by BenDavid Grabinski to discuss his new film, ‘Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice,’ as well as his long and arduous journey to directing his own material, what it’s actually like to pitch your movie, and why he needs to creatively collaborate with people who genuinely love movies (1:45:52).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: BenDavid Grabinski

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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We’re drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan and Bill Simmons to draft their favorite movies from the year 1988.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh and Jacob Cornett

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Sean is joined by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg for an extensive conversation about his illustrious career; what excited him about making his upcoming science fiction film, ‘Disclosure Day’; and how he feels about the current state of the industry (6:20).

Host: Sean Fennessey

Guest: Steven Spielberg

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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Sean and Amanda open the show by reacting to a ton of movie news, including the Oscar ratings being down 9 percent from last year, the new trailer for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ and Kirsten Dunst joining the cast of the upcoming ‘Minecraft Movie’ sequel (1:22). Then, they cover the biggest movie event of 2026 so far: Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s science fiction film ‘Project Hail Mary,’ starring Ryan Gosling (31:57). They break down why the film’s practicality is incredibly essential to its success and how the movie is beautiful in a way that mainstream Hollywood productions typically aren’t. Finally, Sean is joined by Lord and Miller themselves to discuss why they felt Andy Weir’s novel was the perfect source material for their next project and how the complicated process behind shooting space scenes was incredibly rewarding (1:08:19).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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Sean and Amanda kick off the show by reacting to a laundry list of movie news, including the new trailer for Denis Villeneuve's ‘Dune: Part Three,’ starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya; the reports that Bradley Cooper will direct a new 'Ocean's 11' prequel for Warner Bros.; and Universal’s decision to extend theatrical windows for new releases (1:15). Then, they open up the mailbag for a post-Oscars hangover discussion and talk through whether or not Chalamet will be OK going forward, what the Oscars can do differently when they move over to YouTube, and how the industry can build positive momentum around the good energy surrounding the state of cinema (35:22).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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Sean and Amanda instantly react to the 98th Academy Awards and share their main takeaways from Hollywood’s biggest night. They make the case for why these Oscars and the Best Picture win for ‘One Battle After Another’ were for “the movie nerds,” break down Michael B. Jordan’s incredible speech for his Best Actor win, and talk through their mixed feelings about the telecast itself.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producers: Jack Sanders, Chris Wohlers, and Kevin Cureghian

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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We’re getting close to the finish line! On today’s show, Sean and Amanda give their official picks for the 98th Academy Awards. Before diving in, they react to the new trailer for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming blockbuster, ‘Disclosure Day,’ starring Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt (2:11). Then, they discuss what their expectations are for the Oscars broadcast (9:36) and break down who they think will win, and should win every award (19:12).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producers: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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Sean and Amanda open up the mailbag and answer your "Anything But Oscars” questions! Before diving in, they cover a handful of movie news headlines, including a big opening weekend box office for ‘Hoppers,' two of the final Oscars precursors with the WGA and the ASC awards, and the news that Christopher McQuarrie is directing a new ‘Conan the Barbarian’ movie for 20th Century Studios (1:37). Next, they open the mailbag and answer whether or not Bob Ferguson is into physical media, highlight some 2026 titles they hope to see premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, and share the most memorable movie theater experiences of their lives (17:51). Finally, they cover Pixar’s new animated movie, ‘Hoppers,’ and break down why they were ultimately mixed-positive on Daniel Chong’s new film (1:47:14).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producers: Jack Sanders, Chris Wohlers, and Kevin Cureghian

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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On today’s show, Sean and Amanda break down Maggie Gyllenhaal's fascinating new movie, ‘The Bride!,’ starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale. They commend the film for its ambition and vision, highlight some of its utterly confounding fatal flaws, and debate the value of projects that reimagine old source material with modern ideas and context (4:17). Next, they make a list of their favorite reimaginings and reboots of all time (42:51). Then, they revisit Kleber Mendonca Filho’s ‘The Secret Agent,’ starring Wagner Moura. They explore why they found a rewatch of the movie to be incredibly rewarding, celebrate its singularity, and explain how Moura’s towering performance centers the entire story for the audience (54:53). Finally, they cover the Oscar-nominated films for Best Documentary this year and critique the current state of the voting branch and what types of movies it rewards (1:29:26).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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Sean and Amanda are joined by friend of the pod Wesley Morris for a very special episode! First, they react to the news that Paramount has won the bidding war for Warner Bros. and have an extensive conversation on the long-term ramifications for the industry (4:46). Next, they recap three recent awards shows with the ACE Awards, the PGAs, and the Actor Awards, and dissect what it means for the two-horse Best Picture race between ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Sinners’ (35:47). Lastly, they kick off their sixth annual Alternative Oscar awards (a.k.a. the Big Picks), in which they award alternative nominees and winners for the major Oscar categories, as well as some additional homemade categories which they believe should exist at the Academy Awards (1:30:00).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guest: Wesley Morris

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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On today’s action-packed episode, Sean first reacts to Netflix backing out of the bidding for Warner Brothers—clearing the path for a merger with Paramount (2:01). Next, he is joined by Chris Ryan to react to Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio’s casting in Michael Mann’s ‘Heat 2’ and give a general temperature check on the movie (6:36). Then, they cover ‘Scream 7’ and preface the conversation by discussing the rumored controversy behind the shuffling cast (16:17) before diving fully into spoilers and exploring the myriad of reasons why they found the film to be deeply unsuccessful (21:57). Later, Sean is joined by Amanda Dobbins and Adam Nayman to discuss one of their favorite movies of the year so far: Matt Johnson’s ‘Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.’ They talk through why the movie is so hysterical, how its sincerity makes the movie feel moving, and why it became an instant cult classic (49:10). Finally, Sean is joined by Johnson to discuss why he felt he needed to make this movie right now, how having no knowledge of the original series actually makes the movie better, and what he’s doing next with ‘Nirvanna the Band the Show’ Season 3, as well as his Anthony Bourdain biopic ‘Tony,’ starring Dominic Sessa (1:18:45).

Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Guests: Matt Johnson, Adam Nayman, and Chris Ryan

Producer: Jack Sanders

Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh

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