Our Golden Globe Predictions. Plus: Introducing 25 for ’25!

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Big Picture - "Our Golden Globe Predictions. Plus: Introducing 25 for ’25!"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Big Picture
• Host/Author: The Ringer (Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins)
• Episode: Our Golden Globe Predictions. Plus: Introducing 25 for ’25!
• Release Date: January 3, 2025

---

1. Introduction and Welcome Back

Amanda Dobbins rejoins the podcast after a three-month hiatus spent raising her two sons. Sean Fennessey warmly welcomes her back, highlighting the camaraderie and the dynamics of their families.

• Amanda: "Raising two children and not sleeping and listening to the podcast and seeing movies as best I could fit it in." [02:23]
• Sean: "I've spent a lot of time with your family in the last couple of years. I know, it's been wonderful." [02:34]

The hosts briefly touch upon their time apart, emphasizing the joy of Amanda’s return and hinting at upcoming projects.

2. Golden Globe Predictions

The primary focus of the episode is predicting the winners of the Golden Globes. The discussion delves into various categories, analyzing nominees based on their performances, box office success, and critical reception.

2.1 Best Picture Predictions

Amanda expresses surprise and skepticism about "Wicked" emerging as a frontrunner for Best Picture.

• Amanda: "I am baffled. I am absolutely gobsmacked that this is becoming the frontrunner." [09:44]
• Sean: "So you saw it?" [10:04]
• Amanda: "I did, but I just didn't really like the show very much." [10:05]

They debate the merits of "Wicked," discussing its musical elements, choreography, and overall appeal.

• Amanda: "I didn't care for the choreography or the dance numbers in general. I thought they were just a weird mishmash." [16:02]
• Sean: "I think he's trying to modernize a classical style, and that's hard to do." [16:31]

Despite reservations, Sean predicts "Wicked" will win Best Picture.

• Sean: "Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy... I chose Wicked." [117:12]

2.2 Performance Categories

Best Supporting Actress:

• Nominees: Selena Gomez, Emilia Perez, Ariana Grande ("Wicked"), Felicity Jones ("The Brutalist"), Margaret Qualley ("The Substance"), Isabella Rossellini ("Conclave"), Zoe Saldana ("Emilia Perez").

Amanda favors Ariana Grande for her role in "Wicked."

• Amanda: "I think Ariana Grande." [67:47]

Sean opts for Zoe Saldana, highlighting her multifaceted performance.

• Sean: "I went Zoe Saldana." [86:15]

Best Supporting Actor:

• Nominees: Adrien Brody ("The Brutalist"), Timothee Chalamet ("A Complete Unknown"), Daniel Craig ("Queer"), Colman Domingo ("Sing Sing"), Ralph Fiennes ("Conclave"), Sebastian Stan ("The Apprentice").

Both predict Adrien Brody will take the win.

• Sean: "That's who I have as well." [92:39]
• Amanda: "I think Adrien Brody." [No specific timestamp]

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama:

• Nominees: Pamela Anderson ("The Last Showgirl"), Angelina Jolie ("Maria"), Nicole Kidman ("Baby Girl"), Tilda Swinton ("The Room Next Door"), Fernanda Torres ("I'm Still Here"), Kate Winslet ("Lee").

Amanda supports Nicole Kidman for "Baby Girl."

• Amanda: "I have Nicole Kidman on my big bet." [99:53]

Sean aligns with Nicole Kidman as well, considering her strong performance.

• Sean: "I am choosing Nicole Kidman to win." [107:58]

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama:

• Nominees: Adrien Brody ("The Brutalist"), Timothee Chalamet ("A Complete Unknown"), Daniel Craig ("Queer"), Colman Domingo ("Sing Sing"), Ralph Fiennes ("Conclave"), Sebastian Stan ("The Apprentice").

Amanda supports Adrien Brody, while Sean also leans towards him.

• Amanda: "I think Adrien Brody." [No specific timestamp]
• Sean: "I think Adrien Brody will win." [92:39]

3. Introducing "25 for '25"

The hosts announce their new project, "25 for ’25," a countdown of their 25 favorite movies from the 21st century. They outline the rules and framework for the series.

• Sean: "This is an attempt to capture our favorite movies of the period, which represents essentially our adult lives." [53:29]
• Amanda: "It's not trying to speak for everyone. We're speaking for ourselves." [54:28]

Rules:

1. One film per filmmaker to ensure diversity.
2. Release Date: Movies released between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2024.
3. Categories: All genres and including international films.

They plan to reveal one movie from the countdown semi-weekly, starting post-Academy Awards in March.

4. Personal Anecdotes and Family Life

Throughout the episode, Amanda shares stories about her children’s movie preferences and activities, adding a personal touch to the discussion.

• Paddington: Influence from family members brought the character to her son.

• Wonka: Her son’s growing love for the film reflects her own enjoyment.

• Amanda: "He loves Wonka. He requests Wonka." [35:27]

• Sean: "He would be entertained by it." [81:52]

Sean and Amanda also discuss their attempts at unboxing and collecting physical media, showcasing their passion for movies beyond just watching them.

• Amanda: "I have a very strong preference for a physical paper book..." [28:21]
• Sean: "But I can tell you this is true. I know and love Apple Card." [00:27] (Note: Advertisements were supposed to be skipped, but this part seems to mix into the conversation)

5. Discussion on Film Aesthetics and Criticism

The hosts delve into the aesthetic choices of various films, particularly focusing on "Wicked" and "The Brutalist."

• Amanda: "The group numbers are not well done. And then the main performers aren't dancers." [16:57]
• Sean: "I think one of the reasons probably why the movie is resonating is that they're connected to those two people... Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande." [17:55]

They debate the effectiveness of choreography, CGI, and storytelling within these films, providing a critical analysis of what works and what doesn’t.

6. Sports and Miscellaneous Topics

Brief segments touch upon sports predictions, particularly the Mets’ performance, and personal fitness endeavors like joining the protein club.

• Sean: "The Mets would not be a playoff team." [48:56]
• Amanda: "I'm trying to join the protein club in 2025." [78:26]

7. Closing Remarks and Future Segments

As the episode concludes, the hosts reiterate their Golden Globe predictions, discuss upcoming segments for "25 for '25," and express excitement for future projects.

• Sean: "We're going to do 25 for 25... starting after the Academy Awards in March." [53:23]
• Amanda: "I'm excited to look at yours." [56:31]

They also tease potential YouTube collaborations and other interactive content for listeners.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Amanda: "I am absolutely gobsmacked that this is becoming the frontrunner." [09:44]
• Sean: "Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy... I chose Wicked." [117:12]
• Amanda: "I didn't care for the choreography or the dance numbers in general." [16:02]
• Sean: "The Core now, because that's not my job." [22:53]
• Amanda: "I've got some feedback for the people who designed the Apple TV homepage." [31:55]
• Sean: "Best original score... I went with Daniel Blumberg for 'The Brutalist'." [87:32]
• Amanda: "I'm really excited about Julia's press tour." [18:03]
• Sean: "I'm picking 'Flow' for Best Animated Feature." [82:31]
• Amanda: "Do you think Blake Lively will be in attendance?" [61:08]
• Sean: "I think Adrien Brody will win." [92:39]

---

Conclusion

In this episode of "The Big Picture," Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins engage in an in-depth discussion about their Golden Globe predictions, critically analyzing various nominees and anticipating the outcomes. They introduce their ambitious project, "25 for '25," promising listeners a curated list of favorite 21st-century films. Throughout the episode, personal anecdotes and banter enrich the conversation, providing listeners with both insightful film critique and relatable personal stories. The hosts balance their professional insights with moments of levity, making the episode both informative and engaging for fans of cinema and their podcast.

Transcript

[Amanda Dobbins]

Hey, it's Brian Curtis from the Ringer.

[Sean Fennessey]

And I want to tell you about.

[Amanda Dobbins]

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[Amanda Dobbins]

Jon Krakauer to Joe Buck. Your social media feeds are bursting with information every day.

[Sean Fennessey]

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[Amanda Dobbins]

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That easy?

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Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch terms and [e-mail] this episode is brought to you by State Farm. From your morning podcast to your afternoon playlist, State Farm knows you personalize your entire day. And that's why State Farm helps you personalize your insurance with the State Farm Personal Price plan. It offers coverage options that help protect what you care about most at an affordable price, just for you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

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Prices vary by state, options selected by customer availability, and eligibility may vary. I'm Sean Fennesee. I'm Amanda Dobbins and this is the Big Picture, a conversation show about the return of Dobbins.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm back.

[Sean Fennessey]

She's back. Later in this episode, Amanda and I will introduce our next big project for the show. We'll also predict the winners for Sunday's Golden Globes. Did you know the Golden Globes are happening on Sunday?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I do. I'm gonna be here. I've arranged it. I. I did make some preparations for my predictions, but for the Golden Globes, I, like, read through the list.

[Sean Fennessey]

I see.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I thought about it for five seconds, but that's gonna be a freewheeling portion of the podcast.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Well, let's get right into it. You're back.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm back.

[Sean Fennessey]

You're back. In a Manner of speaking. You're the mother of two children.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Two boys. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Congratulations.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Thank you so much.

[Sean Fennessey]

I've spent a lot of time with your family in the last couple years. I know, it's been wonderful.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, it was very nice, very sweet. We've each also spent a lot of times with our respective families.

[Sean Fennessey]

I have never been happier to be podcasting than I am at this exact moment with you guys because, yeah, we've been locked down, in a manner of speaking. But we're back and you've been. What. What have you been doing for the last three months?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Raising two children and not sleeping and listening to the podcast and seeing movies as. As best I could fit it in.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

With the understanding that my kids are on opposite schedules right now, so, like, no real downtime during the day. And then I was kind of falling asleep for a while, so I'm not caught up. And I'm gonna work on being caught up, you know, now that my time is coming back to me. And that'll be nice in a way because, like, then we can revisit some of the movies that you guys covered in the last three months. You know, you haven't had anyone to talk about a different man with. I was just listening to your underseen episodes on the way here.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So I could talk about that.

[Sean Fennessey]

You've seen that?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I actually saw that before Saya was born. But anyway, good movie.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Nickel Boys you have scheduled for February. That's great. I haven't seen Nickel Boys yet, so. But I'm going to got a ticket for the Brutalist at the Vista next week in the afternoon. So I guess that's the disclaimer of those.

[Sean Fennessey]

Do you want to reveal where you're seeing it so everyone can come see it with you?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I just said at the Vista.

[Sean Fennessey]

Oh, at the Vista.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Maybe I won't say the day. Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'll just tweet the dates.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you think that I have to wait in line?

[Sean Fennessey]

What do you mean?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like, I've.

[Sean Fennessey]

You won't have to wait in line at the bathroom, that's for sure. Because there will be a lot of men there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I know one. Some of the reports that I got while I was gone was Alex Ross Perry letting me know that he was early on the Brutalist Boys bathroom line divide and that there would not be any lines for the women.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Uh, you know, there just have been. There's been like, a lot of crowds outside the Vista.

[Sean Fennessey]

No, I think. I think the first, like two or two weeks at the Vista sold out pretty hard. And now I notice there's a lot of more available tickets, so I think.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It'Ll be okay, especially in the middle of the first time at the reopened Vista. So I'm excited about that.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's wonderful. Yeah, it's really cool. I especially love the snack selections. You got to go to Pam's Coffee next door coffee shop, named after Pam Grier.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

The. The. The pastries at Pam's Coffee Shop are.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Out of this world, so could I do that?

[Sean Fennessey]

And then they let you bring it in.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, great. All right.

[Sean Fennessey]

You can load up on stuff.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is there, like, a lunchtime offering at Pan's?

[Sean Fennessey]

I don't know for sure as lunch as. You know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. Well, I'm going around lunchtime.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think that's wise just to narrow down the window of when I'll be there. Yeah. So I haven't seen the Brutalists, so.

[Sean Fennessey]

But I think you've been doing, based on what you've told me, you're doing a smart thing, which is there's. You've seen a lot.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

But you've held out on a complete unknown. You've held out on the Brutalist. You've held out on nickel boys movies that you want to see on the big screen. Yes. And otherwise, it seems like you've been keeping up pretty good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. There are still some holes which we'll go through, I think, as we do Golden Globes. I'm way behind on international. I'm way behind on docs. I'm way behind on animated film.

[Sean Fennessey]

Hard to believe.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Will I catch up? We'll find out. And, yeah, there are spots here and there, but I did also manage to see. I saw Gladiator 2 on the big screen. I saw Wicked on the big screen.

[Sean Fennessey]

Sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think I've gotten most of the major experiences the way they were intended, and. Or I have them planned for the next weeks.

[Sean Fennessey]

So, I mean, where would you like to begin here? Like, you have. The floor is yours.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The floor is mine.

[Sean Fennessey]

For whatever has been transpiring here and in the world of movies over the last three months while you've been here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And also on the podcast. That's the other thing I have been listening. Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

Have to make it sound like you're here to scold me.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, Bobby, I see you on the screen there. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

What did I do?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, you're gonna find out because I have some feedback that I almost texted you guys yesterday, and then I was like, oh, I have an outlet. I have mostly been listening, but there are some episodes That I haven't gotten to yet, because, as you mentioned, I haven't seen a complete unknown yet. So I haven't listened to that. I did watch Pete Seeger's. The Pete Seeger impression.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. We got in the same week on this show, two new characters. We got Pete Seeger and Count Orlok are both on the show.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, that's another one. So I haven't seen Nosferatu, but I will see that. Great. In fact, I think you'll enjoy that. You know what? I was having the same conversation last night with our friend Zach and our friend Mark Anthony Green, and they were both like, no, I actually think you'll really like that.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's a gothic romance with a.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Some scary stuff, which I don't think I was expecting. So that's on the list. But I haven't listened to that episode yet. So I can't respond to everything because I haven't heard everything yet. But I have heard a lot.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I've been following along as best I can with the discussion, so I have some discussion points.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, I mean, we're very happy to have you back. I did want to say thank you to everyone who filled in for you, which, you know, Joanna Robinson, of course, CR Mallory Rubin, Rob Mahoney, Van Lathan. Van Lathan. Charles Holmes. Bobby, of course. I'm sure I'm forgetting Tracy Letts. Tracy Letts. The great Tracy Letts came through. Big Jim. Big Jim came through, which was delightful. Gail Hurd. Many filmmakers. The screenshots of Big Jim have been going around because I guess, you know, it got aggregated or whatever. And I just have to say I want to give a big shout out to Big Jim for just dressing like a BMX racer all the time. Sick outfit, you know, Incredible. Right in the big picture color scheme, too. It was amazing. Yeah, He. It got aggregated because he was a big fan of the film Emilia Perez.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh.

[Sean Fennessey]

And he shouted out Zoe Saldana's performance in that film. Obviously, he has collaborated with Zoe a few times on the Avatar films.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. Right. Okay. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

So then the. The. The. I think the Selena Gomez people picked it up.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right. And then you made it on film updates. Yes, now I remember.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'm.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I am watching that. Yeah, I did watch that. I have. Yeah. Thank you to everyone. Everyone was great. It was very fun to consume it as a listener and then to send outrage texts and. Or dictate them to my phone while I was driving, because that was often, like, my podcast listening time was driving to and from Whole Foods often With, like, a baby in the back and then just yelling, siri, tell Sean. Anyway, we'll get there. So I have prepared four larger discussion points here.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The first one is Oscar's State of Best Picture. You and Joanna have done great work, and I think I'm. I'm mostly agree with your read of where the Race Is. I mean, you guys are very good at this. You know, who am I to tell you and Joanna that you're wrong and I have not been as locked in, But I do wanna address where it looks like the race is headed.

[Sean Fennessey]

Mm. Please do. I think I know where you're going with this, and I think you might be right.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. So we gotta talk about Wicked. We have to talk about Wicked. Ladies and gentlemen. We have to talk right now. I am. I'm baffled. I am absolutely gobsmacked that this is, like, becoming the frontrunner.

[Sean Fennessey]

So you saw it?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I did.

[Sean Fennessey]

What did you think of the movie?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Not for me. On about eight different levels, including the basic fact that. So I had never seen Wicked the musical same. And I just. I wasn't part of that phenomenon. And that is, like, a phenomenon. And many people graduated from Rent the Musical to Wicked. I thought Juliette Lippman did just a fantastic job. It was a wonderful episode of this podcast, and she has. Has lived the Wicked life and really put that in a lot of context for me. But I just didn't really like the show very much. I was just. You know, that goat started singing, and I was like, oh, no, the animals are singing.

[Sean Fennessey]

I believe in the theatrical performance, there's just a man dressed as a goat. So in that respect, would you have preferred that to the cgi?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No one told me about the animal supply.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So in general, listen, be kind to animals and, like, don't make me think about it too much is kind of.

[Sean Fennessey]

Where I am, kind of a microscience corner there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Just like, let's be responsible and kind and like, okay, whatever. So that's the basic level then, obviously. Like the very, very obvious quote, unquote metaphor for, like, sure, okay. I mean, I'm against fascism, unlike most of this country, but that, you know, speaking of things I missed, and that's not true, I voted. But I thought that was pretty stupid. I didn't think the songs were that good.

[Sean Fennessey]

Did you know the songs going in?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I knew Defying Gravity, that was the only one, because somehow even the Idina Menzel, Defying Gravity thing was such a pop culture moment and people were rocking to the soundtrack that I was aware of that. I don't think I could have told you that it was, like, spliced up or I couldn't have done any of the analysis that Juliet did. So that was helpful. But I was like, oh, yeah, Divine gravity.

[Sean Fennessey]

Sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And then I think I learned from David Sims and Griffin Newman on Blank Check that Defying Gravity closes the first act, so it would close the part one of the movie. So I did kind of know that was coming, but that was it. Yeah. So I just, I didn't respond to it in any way and in fact, thought it was sort of boring and bad. Personally, I'm not sure that I get the listening to musical soundtracks as a phenomenon, and clearly I'm in the minority on that. I know it made a ton of money. Wicked, the soundtrack has brought people a lot of joy.

[Sean Fennessey]

It certainly has.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I know you listen to it in your house.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's on quite frequently. Last night, we listened to Popular three times in a row.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

And my daughter danced and performed the whole time.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Listen, I love nothing more than Alice's performances. We got a great one at Thanksgiving.

[Sean Fennessey]

We did. The ballerina has arrived for sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And we also got a great one at Christmas with Knox and Alice. So that was nice. I, I. How does that happen? Walk me through the choices that you have made as a person and a.

[Sean Fennessey]

Parent to where as though I've made choices.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She knows about Popular and is listening to it three times in a row.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, she's seen the movie Wicked.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

So how'd you get there before that? I think it was our friend Izzy who exposed her to the songs originally, but she knew that Wicked was coming because she loves the wizard of Oz. We've seen the wizard of Oz many times. And so she became aware of these other songs and began to love them. Loves Defying Gravity, loves Popular, loves the Wizard. And I, I think, is the other, like, major song. And. Yeah. She likes to dance in the evening time. She likes to go to the ball.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

She likes to put on a gown. Go to the ball and dance.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm great with all that.

[Sean Fennessey]

This is what she likes to do. So when she's like. So we put on whatever song she wants to hear, and then invariably Spotify starts playing songs that we've played in the past.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, so you let them. You let them.

[Sean Fennessey]

I haven't made a playlist, for example. Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, okay. So you're not taking the wheel.

[Sean Fennessey]

But I will say, I wouldn't say that she loved Wicked.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She didn't.

[Sean Fennessey]

I mean, it's very long. It's at times scary, I would say a little confusing narratively.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I would agree with that. As someone with, you know, basically three year old intelligence at the time of watching the movie. But a smart three year old Alice is, you know, very advanced.

[Sean Fennessey]

She's. She can get story pretty well. It's just, it's a lot of story and it's a lot. It's a bit convoluted, I would say. And so I thought she did pretty well with it. We watched it at home, but she has not asked for it since. This was like two and a half weeks ago. We watched it a week and a half ago. And that's notable because when she likes something, she says, I want to watch it again. So I think that now she's very young relative to what the core audience of this movie is, which is, I think 35 year old women, you know, they're watching it, not me anymore. In droves, maybe. Academy voters, obviously.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like, so that's the thing.

[Sean Fennessey]

So the short, huge queer fan base obviously for this movie. Yeah, of course, Broadway heads, like, there's a lot of people who love the movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Listen, you love what you love. I get it. And so I guess the ways it was not for me, number one, I just didn't understand the show. I didn't understand the appeal of the show. And I'm also not like a Listen to Musicals soundtrack person. Number two, I have to be honest, parts of it were okay. I did think Ariana Grande was very funny and good. And I was like, wow, what a star. I get it. I mean, I have always gotten it like since 2012, but that's a different conversation.

[Sean Fennessey]

I wouldn't even disagree with you. I like it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I get it. Otherwise, I didn't think it was very good. I agree with you. It looks like bordering on garbage.

[Sean Fennessey]

It looks pretty bad.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I didn't care for the choreography or the dance numbers in general. I thought they were just a weird mishmash of. And listen, I say that as a deep Step up fan, but they were lost somewhere between, you know, modern Step up choreography and Broadway choreography, which. Which ain't Gene Kelly.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yep, I think that's a good point. And I think that's something he's trying. He's trying to have it both ways. He's trying to modernize a classical style and that's hard to do. I think it's pretty iffy as well, but I'm not an expert in that, so I find it a little hard to criticize it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And also, I just think I. The group numbers are not well done. And then the main performers aren't dancers. Respectfully. It's true. I agree that.

[Sean Fennessey]

Is Jonathan Bailey a dancer? He may be a dancer.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is he? I thought he was just on Bridgerton also. That's the really long song where he just kind of like stands around and they do a lot of plot. And then there's the completely silent dance number, which, as you pointed out on the Wicked podcast, is one of the most bizarre filmmaking choices I've ever seen in my entire life.

[Sean Fennessey]

Hated it. People who.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's so baffling.

[Sean Fennessey]

People are having, like huge emotional connections to that. That sequence. I think us not knowing the show at all is probably holding us back. But when I was watching it, I was like, this is openly bad.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's like a. It's a pitch black room and there's no sound. The pacing is incredibly strange.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'm with you, man.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's the unfunny version of them touching fingers or whatever and holding space, which, by the way, incredible press conference, the press tour, which Juliet has really covered with gusto.

[Sean Fennessey]

And I think one of the reasons probably why the movie is resonating is that they're like connected to those two people. They're connected to Cynthia Erivo, they're connected to Ariana Grande.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I have loved Cynthia Erivo's press tour, including her appearance on Las Coulteristas where she was her, like, Honey, I can't was about cooking with onion and garlic. And like, we've lost creativity and imagination in our recipes. That every single recipe just has to start with onion and garlic. There have to be more possibilities, which I think is a great point.

[Sean Fennessey]

Is there like an alternative that you would start with?

[Amanda Dobbins]

She suggested some things that I don't remember, but every single time I like nutmeg. Like, what would be something, like, I mean, I hadn't heard of them and like, maybe we were veering into hippie dippy stuff that, like, that's fine, but.

[Sean Fennessey]

Like dmt, like, what was she thinking?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I hadn't heard of it. You know what I'm saying? And I don't want to speak to what I don't know.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, understood.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But every single time I've been cooking something and I'm chopping the onion and I'm chopping the garlic and then I'm sauteing it and I'm like, she's right, this is unimaginative. Like, what other flavor bases could we explore?

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All that said, I was confused by her performance in the film, which I. I didn't feel Met the energy of Ariana Grande or the rest of the movie and you know, maybe that's. I don't know.

[Sean Fennessey]

She just made a very. A choice to be incredibly serious and grave in the film which is a mode that she's very comfortable in as a performer. And if you've seen her in the good work that she's done, like in Harriet, which I don't think is a very good movie but I think she's very good in it, or if you see her in Widows, she has a kind of like tenacity and focus and intensity as a performer that benefits some movies. In a movie like this, which is supposed to be like candy colored and pop and uplifting in many ways, obviously she's a tremendous singer. But the acting style just seemed all wrong to me.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It didn't work for me. It was another imbalance in what is just a very long and often darks you look at movie. I just.

[Sean Fennessey]

But do you think it's going to win now?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, so. And this brings me to the third way in which it doesn't work for me. Putting aside it didn't work for me. That's fine. We all have different tastes. It brought joy to a lot of people and that's cool. And I, you know, get that money AMC Cinemas or whatever but. Or Regal too, you know, don't look.

[Sean Fennessey]

At you landmark and keeping your options for sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Let's share everybody. Congratulations, that's great. But this being the best picture winner, we will throw a tantrum probably, you know, I don't know what else to say. And it was a weird year, you know, so I like there isn't an obvious front runner. There isn't something. Even though, you know, I loved Anora, it was my favorite film of the year. But I like what.

[Sean Fennessey]

What are we doing?

[Amanda Dobbins]

So that the, the fact that it just keeps growing and growing. The shortlist made me really nervous. The shortlist is there so much. It is everywhere. And Dune 2 is not there to the same degree. I mean obviously Emilia Perez is also there, which we can talk about. We will in predictions. I've seen it. Yeah, I watched it.

[Sean Fennessey]

You loved it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I wanted to know what happened. You know, I watched the thing about.

[Sean Fennessey]

I put that on the poster.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I kept watching.

[Sean Fennessey]

I was like, I wanted to know what happened.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I want to know where this is going to go.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. So I didn't love where it went.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, I didn't either. And I didn't. I'm not sure I enjoyed the journey or the destination.

[Sean Fennessey]

Some things I did. But Both those movies are very the same to me, where I think that there is, like a real. You're either a one star or a five star for both of those films. I think that they both have things going for them, especially in performance that memorable, that elevate, I think, kind of shoddy material or weird filmmaking choices that didn't work. I think the writing in Amelia Paris is, like, appalling at times, and I think the sort of filmmaking stuff in Wicked doesn't work, but they feel like two of the strongest movies in the broader Academy Awards, meaning they will get the most nominations, most likely. Whether or not these are two movies that, like, actually can win anything beyond an acting performance, I'm not sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm not either.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's a little hard to tell, to be honest with you. And everybody that I've talked to who's a voter. People are all over the place. There has been no consistency in anybody I know who participates in this stuff being like, oh, yeah, it's the Brutalist, or, oh, yeah, it's an aura, or, oh, yeah, it's the Wicked. It's kind of spread out. So I. But the thing that you're hitting on, which is like, in the absence of a frontrunner, is it a better opportunity for a pop movie to rise or is it a better opportunity for a smaller film to rise? That's something we don't yet know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right. And you've done an okay job in the last few months of being the. Well, remember the international voters, because that's not my job. I know, and I appreciate it.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think Joanna has thought of it as well on your behalf, and you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Guys do bring it up, and I appreciate that, but I do.

[Sean Fennessey]

What is the international film? Is it Emilia Perez? Is that's the representative in this race?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, I. I guess so.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's such a funky one, though. But it is like a Mexican story made by a French filmmaker with, you know, American. American ad performers. You know, it's a. It's not quite.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's not quite confusing.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's not Anatomy of a Fall, you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Know, more that I. I don't know that Wicked translates internationally in the same way.

[Sean Fennessey]

Clearly has not commercially.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Commercially. And if you're not, you know, Wicked pilled from the age of 12 because you put this on in middle school, which, like Jade Whaley, one of our producers here, was like, yeah, we did it. We did Wicked in May. Maybe it was high school. I mean, you know, I'd love to meet the eighth grader who's. Yeah. Who's performing Defying Gravity.

[Sean Fennessey]

But it's a really good point.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, listen.

[Sean Fennessey]

I mean, Ariana Grande can perform that when she was right.

[Amanda Dobbins]

If the 8th grader can pull it off, then, like, you know, we've got a star.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'm sure 8th grade Cynthia Erivo could have, but they don't come along very often.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So, you know, I don' know if middle schools in, you know, in France or in Japan or wherever are. Are also performing Wicked. And maybe I'm wrong. I don't know any middle schoolers internationally. I don't. I don't think I know any international middle schoolers.

[Sean Fennessey]

I actually do. And I can ask them if you guys are.

[Amanda Dobbins]

If we have any, any international middle schoolers listening to this podcast, please let us know. You can call in with your Wicked review.

[Sean Fennessey]

You can let Amanda know I'm good. I think if you're 12 and you're listening to this show, I don't think I need to know how you're feeling about it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, so that is. That's one thing where I'm like, I'm not totally sure. I've been very resistant to this. As you know, I send you a lot of text messages on my walks being like, wicked. Are you sure? And.

[Sean Fennessey]

But it just kind of a relief that we're aligned on this, because if we were, if we had to fight about this movie for two months, I would have been kind of bummed. I. I think it's certainly possible right now. Yeah, I think when it first hit, I was like, oh, shit, this is happening. And that's when I said, I'm gonna throw a tantrum. Right when it first hit, I was.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like, oh, no, Right?

[Sean Fennessey]

This is such a wave. And sometimes this happens, you know, where a movie just hits hard and then it kind of slowed down a little bit. And if it kind of got like its own little, like, corner, where it was like, this is for people. This is their version of a big pop movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

And now, in the absence of anything rising, I'm starting to sense what you are circling, I think.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. And there's not a clear path to it, but there's not a clear path for any other movie right now. It's so funny. I know Joanna said on your most recent power rankings that, you know, isn't it fun? We don't know what's gonna happen. And I'm with you. I'm like, I find this baffling.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's a little anxiety inducing.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right? It's anxiety inducing. And also, you and I both have the Instinct to just correct whatever that get it right. Right. And to have opinions and be like. To be above the process. But you can't be above the process if you don't know what the process is. So I, I would agree that it's confusing and agitating, but I. Maybe also good content.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think it. It makes it more intriguing at large, which is good just for spending time on this stuff. It's not good for our very sad, hyper specific mental process for handling meaningless award shows. But. Okay, duly noted. What's next?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, well, we'll need to talk about the Tracy Letts episode, which was wonderful. Which was like, it was great. No credit to you. I mean, Tracy is just a wonderful guest. And that reminds me that I need to write him a thank you note if you can supply me with that contact information. Hello, Tracy. Happy New Year. And I loved listening to it. I was very, very, very upset. Very upset to hear you try to argue that your plastic cases are beautiful to look at. And that's just. I'm willing to go with you. Well, I'm not totally willing to go with you on this journey, but I would like to explore more. There is an interesting listening to that podcast, into the physical media part of that podcast was deranged, but it made me. Did think. It did make me think a lot about like, you know, art and ownership. And there's also like a completist streak to what you guys are both doing. And I think that that is like an interesting strain of how a certain type of person consumes art and what that means.

[Sean Fennessey]

Wait, so you see the brutalist.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

You know, significant theme.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. So, like, and it's also sort of just. I still don't totally understand it, you know, like, and I. So I wanted to ask you guys a lot of questions, not in an angry way, but just in like a.

[Sean Fennessey]

I mean, I think, you know, I think Tracy got it right. When we first met, we talked about it, which is like, it's just like a. It's a sickness, you know, it's like anytime you get interested in collecting anything.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's just. It kind of can get away from you really quickly.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

And I guess it has gotten away from us.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I guess like, collector brain is something that I don't understand. And that doesn't mean that I'm not materialist. I'm like the most materialist person that you know.

[Sean Fennessey]

I don't know about that. But you do. Like, you seek out stuff.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

But just not the entirety of stuff.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. And I. And I was even thinking about it in terms of books, because you guys.

[Sean Fennessey]

Have a ton of books.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, we have too many. We can't get rid of them. We tried. And I have a very strong preference for a physical paper book as opposed to, you know, the E Readers or whatever. For many of the same reasons that you prefer physical media. Physical media and, like, a good transfer and a good print. And I also understand that on a.

[Sean Fennessey]

That I'm getting more and more interested in as I get older is the way that I see things. Because now when I stream stuff.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, it looks so bad. It looks like a crap, of course.

[Sean Fennessey]

And now that, like, the technology has gotten really good on a lot of this stuff. So you're like, they're converting movies that you never thought you would see that would look good. I mean, Tracy made this point when he was talking, and maybe Tim and I didn't do a good job talking about this last couple years. But, like, movies being released on, like, of the Wages of Fear, being released on 4K is fucking mind blowing. Like, it looks so much better than what you would see on TCM in 1999. So that is an aspect of it for sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I'm, like, pretty lazy. And so I'm still mostly gonna use streaming, but I get all of that. But to go back to the books thing, I guess, because there's no possible way I could ever own every single book ever published. It's like, you know, I can't even own one. Four millionth of. I don't know.

[Sean Fennessey]

But you're building your personal canon of books that you care about, Right?

[Amanda Dobbins]

But that's not what you guys are doing.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's not what you guys. That's not what Tracy is doing. I'm still in a place where I can navigate, and it's getting away from me for sure, but I'm still. Because I'm getting drawn in by, like, movies I've never seen that I want to buy, which is not a good instinct unless it's something that I know is, like, a meaningful film.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

But when, like, exploitation movies that I don't know anything about are retailing for 34.99, and I'm like, I should get that. That's. I'm trying to get away from that as much as I can because it's not healthy and it's not good for your bank account. But I have a widening understanding of movie history, and I'm trying to continue to fill it out, and I want to be able to have access to stuff at any Time. And like, I just read this morning, the oldest movie that's available to stream on Netflix right now. Guess what year it is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

1963.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's 1973. It's the sting. That's the oldest movie that is available to stream on Netflix right now. That's fucking terrifying. There's 50 full years of movie history of, like, Hollywood movie history that comes before that movie that the biggest media streaming service is not making available, at least in the United States. That's not good. So when I read something like that, I'm like, I'm on a great mission. This is a great hobby.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. Okay. Even that. I still think that I am picking books and curating books in a different way than you are. And there's something. The collector's mindset. We'll come back to it. It's a theme to revisit throughout the year. That's all fine. The arguing that. That looks good. They look like shit. It is like, it's just. It's straight up ugly. Like, I just. I have to tell you, it's ugly. And Tracy, to his credit, pushed back immediately. But the plastic does not look good. This is. At some point, film is an aesthetic like, you know, is a visual medium. And we need you to understand some absolutes and that the rows of the plastic boxes don't look good. And Bobby, you're out here all of a sudden dropping indie, you know, label titles for. For Blu Ray releases. I don't like where this is going for you. Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

Oh, no, no, no. That was just. I was trying to contribute to the Hundreds of Beavers discussion. I don't actually buy any of these things.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. But I was a little alarmed that you were even aware of the release. Do you know what I mean? This is just.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yes. I was inspired. Thank you. Part of the algorithmic experience of the Internet now is that I just get force fed these things because I have a general interest in film.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I just wanted you to know that. Noticed. And I'm watching. Okay. Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

All right.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I'm.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'm. Now that I know I'm on Amanda's watch list, I'll tread very lightly. 2025. That'll be one of my goals.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I don't think plastic is beautiful.

[Sean Fennessey]

Fair enough. I grew up going to video stores and I loved video stores. And having a video store in my house is incredibly cool. The video store visually relaxing.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The video stores at least displayed the covers out.

[Sean Fennessey]

Some did. And I may get to a place, if I ever get a bigger house, where I would Display in a different way. But for now, I'm doing the best I can with a limited space. Like I can in a garage, which.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is like an entire garage with wall to wall shelving.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I would kill for that level of shelving for our books. Like we don't.

[Sean Fennessey]

You know, if I ever get another house, I. You can't imagine what I'm going to do. I'm going to build an incredible.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think the alarming thing is that I can.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's going to be so great. And you know what? You guys are invited to come over and watch films anytime you like.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's really nice.

[Sean Fennessey]

Setup will be amazing. There will be movie theater seating. It's going to be so special.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But like the really good movie theaters.

[Sean Fennessey]

It'S my dream to do it. My dream is to look at the Martin Scorsese personal screening room and to try to design in that mold. If I'm spending all this money on physical media. They're classic red, red velvet movie theater seats. They're not like Dolby Room, you know, recliners. I don't know. I don't think there are photos of it online.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Yeah, I mean, this is just images of screening rooms. That wasn't a very good Google search. I guess AI isn't working.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, just so you know, by talking about the construction of on this podcast, you've now signed yourself up to do a YouTube series, like Extreme Home Makeovers of you building this. If someone wants to pay for this. If there's like a Discovery Channel show.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That designs movie rooms, I will, I will be involved. I'll give so much feedback.

[Sean Fennessey]

I am, I am ready to be bought and sold. When it comes to designing my home theater. I'm dead serious. If you're listening to this show and you want sponsorship and you make these things fucking in. No question, this is. I mean, it syncs so naturally with everything we're doing. And then I'll make the plastic more beautiful for you. I'll display it more elegantly. I'll find again see the Brutalist. Then let's talk.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, I'm going to. I have a ticket.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Number three.

[Sean Fennessey]

Not so sure about this one.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I just. It's more a report of what's really been going on in my household and what I've really been watching, which is that my son has discovered Paddington. The concept of Paddington. Paddington the character. You have books, the bear. We have the book. We have the bear who is one of his best friends. And Paddington the bear closes the curtains in his room every night.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's very true.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And turns on the noise machine. But it has to be Paddington.

[Sean Fennessey]

I really like that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, no, I do, too. And I think it was my mother in law and sister in law. Hi. Ruthie went to London and they brought Paddington and the book back to Knox.

[Sean Fennessey]

Got it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So it's gone from there, as all things do. And we did in October when we had an infant start exploring the movies. So Paddington one, Paddington two. And I gotta tell you, this week we started doing Wonka. We're just fully in the Paul King hive. Wow.

[Sean Fennessey]

Wow. So he watched Wonka.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He loves Wonka. He requests Wonka. Listen. He also loved Paddington Crew, too, which I have now seen. And I'm like, part of the Debt. Paddington, dad, Hive. Like, what wonderful stuff. I was just also, like, weeping through half of both those movies. Obviously, I was in a deeply emotional postpartum state, but basically, it's dangerous to watch those.

[Sean Fennessey]

There's also some Amanda touch points there. Right. You've got the dad from Downton Abbey, the father in those films. You've got Nicole Kidman, obviously, in the first one, and Hugh Grant in the second one. You got some big stars. Those movies are good. I've talked about them before.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I will be teaching my own YouTube course called the Impossible Influence on Paddington 1 and 2.

[Sean Fennessey]

Oh, two. Especially with the train.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. But also in one, there's the overt. They actually. They play the theme song, I believe. And Nicole Kidman does the Langley.

[Sean Fennessey]

I've seen one in a long time.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Nicole Kidman does the Langley. Like, drop.

[Sean Fennessey]

Maybe I should revisit it for our Nicole Kidman episode.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Or for Paddington in Peru, which is coming out soon and which I've got to. Oh, have you seen it?

[Sean Fennessey]

No, I haven't seen it. I was just gonna say, notably not a Paul King movie. Paul King, the director of Paddington, Paddington 2.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Now he's moved on to Wonka. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

So, you know, we'll see about Paddington in Peru.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Anyway, that's what. That's what the kids are into in my house.

[Sean Fennessey]

If Knox loves something, then I love it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's how I feel about it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That is nice. And also the Nutcracker, the Macaulay Culkin version that we watched several times.

[Sean Fennessey]

That was revelation for us. I did not know that was available.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's really well filmed. I watched it when I was, like, 11. This came out in 1993. And it's just. I believe it's the New York City Ballet version. Or maybe it's the American Ballet. Will you google that for me. Balanchine production of the Nutcracker and filmed very well. But it's obviously because it's, you know, the primo Nutcracker production. The costumes and the sets are really.

[Sean Fennessey]

New York City Ballet.

[Amanda Dobbins]

New York City Ballet, yeah. I've always wanted to go to that Nutcracker. I was in a Nutcracker as a small child.

[Sean Fennessey]

What role did you play?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was one of the toy soldiers.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I was on the taller side. So I was one of the toy soldiers carrying a saber. But like, we watched it and I was like, noxie. That was me. He did not understand that at all.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So. But it is really beautifully filmed. They do a great job, right?

[Sean Fennessey]

Yep. It's an incredible production.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you have anything else you want to share on the kids watching Front with me? There was one you said yesterday that you were saving.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, we've been watching a lot of live action movies and I think some of it was related to Wicked coming along and the wave of the wizard of Oz becoming important to us. But she just. From looking at Disney, as we scroll to find the movie that we want, it's revealed that there are these live action adaptations of these classic films.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So when you say live action movies, you've been watching the live action Disney films.

[Sean Fennessey]

Correct. And not like, I haven't been showing her Sakari. No, no. I mean, we watched the live action Cinderella, which I'd never seen. We watched the live action Beauty and the Beast. Yes. Which I'd never seen. We watched the live action. What else? I mean, she saw the trailer for the new Snow White and she was like, I need that immediately.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She's literally the only person in the world who's like, I agree.

[Sean Fennessey]

She has, interestingly not asked for the Lion King or Mufasa. We have not seen the movie Mufasa. Oh, I have seen it. And I did not think it was very good and is just a tremendously disappointing Barry Jenkins two year experience. And I can't wait for him to get started on something else. Cause I was watching actually the Underground Railroad recently out on the Criterion Collection. Tracey brought this up when we were talking and I was thinking of it too, and what an amazing series that is. And I just look forward to his next non Disney project. And yeah, these live action movies are like somewhere between fine and horrendous. And we've talked about a bunch of them over the years. We've talked about Aladdin, we Talked about Maleficent 2.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Has she seen either of those?

[Sean Fennessey]

Has not seen either of Those we haven't gotten that far down the chain. But the one that she wanted to see recently was 101 Dalmatians, which is like the OG live action with Glenn Close from the early 2000s. Which is pretty good, I thought. Surprisingly good. And also I had a take for you, which is that Miranda Priestly, that's just a rip off of Cruella in. Of Glenn in that movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The hair for sure.

[Sean Fennessey]

The whole. The affectation, the designer aspect of it, you know, where, like, Cruella is a designer who's trying to get the fur for the puppies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right. I mean, I like. Is this cited?

[Sean Fennessey]

Has this been discussed?

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know, I don't think that Anna Wintour is, you know, ripping off Cruella.

[Sean Fennessey]

Are you sure?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm actually not sure. The hair is very spot on, but no. Meryl has said that her inspiration for Miranda Priestly is actually Clint Eastwood. Seriously? He never raises his voice. That's like a real thing.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, Cruella raises her voice for sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, so. But yeah, that's a good movie. I mean, Glenn Close is good until she was in Hillbilliology.

[Sean Fennessey]

She admits the bad stuff. Let me see what else Alice has seen over the break. Was there something else that I mentioned that you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, you said that there was something that was like, unforgivable that she had learned about outside of your influence.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Fucking super kitties.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What?

[Sean Fennessey]

Whatever kid told her about super kitties at school. How dare you?

[Amanda Dobbins]

What?

[Sean Fennessey]

Like, we have broken super kitties. Broken containment on the curated parental experience. And now culturally, we are just aware of things that are just not what I want her to be seeing. Now, obviously this happens to every parent.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What is super cute?

[Sean Fennessey]

It's just a 30 minute Disney show for morons about cats that are superheroes. And it makes me want to gouge my eyes. No disrespect to the fine people who make super cats.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That is better than Paw Patrol.

[Sean Fennessey]

At least it is. But, like, how far are we from Paw Patrol now?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't know. But you need to learn, though. We don't have that at our house.

[Sean Fennessey]

Unfortunately, it was identified while scrolling.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You can't be scrolling. I mean, it's true. It happens. So I don't want to pick fight.

[Sean Fennessey]

In my home, but this was not something that happened to me. That happened to my wife. And when I came in the house and saw that that was on it, honestly, I was mortified.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I have. I have some feedback for the people who designed the Apple TV homepage because.

[Sean Fennessey]

Knox has straight to jail.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Knox can find the remote now and Turns it on himself. And then it's like, I want that. You know? And sometimes it's hard out here, man. He's like. He tries to watch Deadpool and Wolverine or whatever, you know, they're advertising.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's actually pretty cool.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Silo. He TR so many times. He's like, I watched Silent. I watched that. I watched that.

[Sean Fennessey]

No, he quit after one episode. Like so many others.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm happy to report that Top Gun Maverick is just. It's like a huge passion still of our.

[Sean Fennessey]

But, you know, your husband shared with me that to soothe him at a time when he was frustrated recently, he just. He needed a little Top Gun.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, yeah. We had to go to urgent care for an ear infection. And we sat there waiting for the. It wasn't even Top Gun Maverick, the movie. I just played the Top Gun theme song on my iPhone and we just sat there listening to it.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's adorable.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And he knows how to rock out when the guitar solo really gets going in minute four of the Top Gun theme song, which is something maybe only he and I know about. No, but loves Top Gun Maverick. The interesting thing, though, the moment where he loses interest in the movie is Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connelly's quote, unquote, Night of Passion, where he's just like, I don't care about this. Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's when Tom Cruise checked out as well.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He loves the boat, but as soon as they get back to Connolly's house, he's like, no, no, no, start it over. I want whooshes. So there we go.

[Sean Fennessey]

Man of taste. Okay, what's next?

[Amanda Dobbins]

The final note and the thing that I want to address. And this is also, you know, I hear from listeners, other people in our life, and this is a recurring question, just observation. We just want to check in on the monopods and how you doing?

[Sean Fennessey]

What do you mean?

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know, you spend a lot of time alone in a dark room talking to Bobby on a screen, but really to yourself. And I want to know how you're doing. Do we need just a check in?

[Sean Fennessey]

I mean, honestly, I feel as though I found my calling. I feel like what I want to do is connect directly. I want to look beyond the void and find connectivity. So I've loved being in Studio 5.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So that's been a point of connection for you. You feel closer to people.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. All my unboxing boys. We did this great syllabus. That was Bob's.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, no, no, I know about the syllabus.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'll be doing many more syllabi in the future. I You know, I missed you dearly on the show and I had fun with other co hosts, but so that was like a. I'll tell you what, here's the thing. I've been watching a lot of YouTube over the last few years, like many other people.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Sean Fennessey]

And that's what just happening. Watching people do that. And I'm like, this is super funny. And so what I'm trying to do is some version of it that is like 50% sincere and 50%. That is self parody.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I understood that.

[Sean Fennessey]

And. And I hope it's funny and also informative.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

And I'm enjoying it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I've been thinking a lot about what I could do in terms of unboxing videos, but my unboxing is like touring Luca Guadagnino's hotel in Rome. You know, you should do a whole.

[Sean Fennessey]

Teacup series, just all teacups of the world.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I did. Zach got me Sofia Coppola's Augustinus Bader lip balms for Christmas, and it was a wonderful gift. Do any of those words mean anything to you?

[Sean Fennessey]

I. I know who Sophia is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. And.

[Sean Fennessey]

But I know what lip balm is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

The.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The Augustine's Bader is the. The body cream from Challengers. Oh, yes. Yeah. Yeah. And their. Their face cream is like their product.

[Sean Fennessey]

But Sophia coffee gift was that like roughly $27,000?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I. It actually. Yeah. He got me all three. So it was. It was like quite an investment. It was. But it's a lovely gift set. Thank you so much, Zachary.

[Sean Fennessey]

I've been. I like doing the videos in that room. People are like, the lighting is weird. I think the lighting looks good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It. It does kind of look like you've passed on to the next, you know, like to the great cinema in the sky.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's exactly the essence I'm going for. I am the spirit of movies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. I had two sub categories on this one that I wanted to check in. The first, I added right before we started recording, because that's funny because you and Bobby have a very different perspective on the Mets in 2025 than what I took away from Juan Soto and the fact that you guys absolutely waxed the Phillies, which that was like the first week Cy was born. Like Cy was born right before that series. And so we were like, I was just at home and we organized our life around those Phillies Mets games and that. And that was a terrible decision. So I was sort of starting to fear the Mets.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, I don't mind sharing this. When game one of that Phillies series happened, I was on a Text chain with CR and your husband. And there was a first inning home run in game one against Kodai Senga. And it was a risky move to start him in that game. And your husband came right out of the chute with some shit talking. Right out of the chute. And I made a decision to not talk shit. And I didn't talk shit when the Knicks beat the Sixers earlier this year. Let's just say that when it comes to New York sports teams, we're not. We owned Philly.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We are. We're not talking about the Sixers. I can't. Okay, well, we can live it away from that. The darkest time of anyone's year is coming, and that's February, when the Sixers are on.

[Sean Fennessey]

Like, they're attempting to, like, re. Cover their season right now, too. The Knicks, on the other hand, hottest team in the league. The Mets, went on to win that series handily. One of the great baseball series of my adult life. I loved it. I know Bob loved it. I know Jack loved it. The Juan Soto signing, pure elation, like, magical. Something you never would have thought could be possible for this team when they were owned by the Will Ponds, obviously. Great. I screamed about it on the pod. Since then, they haven't done a whole lot. And so I'm not criticizing them because I think they're doing the right thing right now. But what I said to Bobby before we started recording was, as of today, I don't think that they're a playoff team. That doesn't mean. I think that they won't be a playoff team this year. It means they have a lot of work left to do. For example, Pete Alonso is unsigned or someone who will fill his role. For example, they have five guys who I'm not totally sure are going to be good, competent starters in Major League Baseball this year lined up to start for them. It's a little iffy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Would you sign Pete Alonso? I mean, grand slam aside for the.

[Sean Fennessey]

For the three years and 90 million that was suggested was an offer that they made in a heartbeat. I love that deal. Anything beyond that, I don't think is a good idea. And I don't think it's something that David Stern's, their general manager would want to do.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, but it's like right up until the Grand Slam, there was no way.

[Sean Fennessey]

He was getting, I think, 0% chance he was coming back. Yeah. In fact, I think I might have tweeted, like, moments before that happened. Yes, you did, like, send this guy to the Hague. Even though I love Pete Alonso, And I've always loved him. So, you know, I don't know. Bobby, do you think that Pete will be back? Oh, I don't. I do think he will be back and I think neither side will be fully happy. Which is. Which is the definition of compromise when you're an imperfect free agent. Probably like four years, maybe four or five years, but a lower aav. I don't know. I just want to say. Don't let me in with his doomerism.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was going to say I want your time check. Ok. You're feeling okay. You're feeling graceful and open.

[Sean Fennessey]

Like, as of right now, the Mets would not be a playoff team. It's January 2nd. As of 50 games into last season, they weren't going to be a playoff team. And they still turned out to be magical.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

So I think we just got to like, we gotta let go of all of that. The worst thing will definitely happen. What law is that? I don't really. I don't know. I don't follow these things. We need Science Corner for that. Let go of it. Leave it behind.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

We're a quarter of the way through this century, Sean. They will definitely win a World Series this century. Will you and I be alive? I don't know. Yeah. I don't know. A lot of people lived and died without seeing the Red Sox win. A lot of people, whole lot of Boston fans. So I guess I was alive technically when they won. Bobby has never been alive when they won. We'll see. They're going to be fine. I think. I trust. I trust Steve Cohen. I trust.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I really need baseball season to come back. I'm very excited because I finally, finally figured out my Dodgers situation.

[Sean Fennessey]

So let's go. Baseball is back in a big way. I've been waiting for this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Culture's finally boomeranged around only January 2nd. We have so long to go and so much garbage Philly sports before then. Okay, final thing that I subcategory that I want to check in on. So you published your annual best of 2024 list.

[Sean Fennessey]

I did.

[Amanda Dobbins]

This is the first time in several years that I haven't been like with you while you were hiding in another room.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's true.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Publishing it, which I. I did. Like have a moment of reflection.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. How wonderful.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Did what. What were the circumstances in which you published this list?

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, like you, it's been a gauntlet of parenting over the last 12 days. So I literally had to beg off and be like, can you give me one hour? I'd just like to Go do this so I can keep my tradition up.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's you. You have done that every year.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, yeah. But this year was different because it was, like, more high stakes, because it was like, there's no cavalry. There's no Amanda coming in to entertain Alice for an hour.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, yeah, that's true. I mean, we were. We were in the same boat.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. So, yeah, no, I. I just said, can I have an hour? And I did. But I was more diligent about navigating it all year.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Oh, and so you've been arranging this and ranking this. So this is a ranking, right?

[Sean Fennessey]

It is a ranking, yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I. They're just. Honestly, I respect it. You know, I look forward to this every year, if only to disagree with it. But there are a couple things where I'm like, you're a real one. And I'd just like to let you know.

[Sean Fennessey]

Please.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I really appreciate that You've got Goodrich at 65 above a film I still haven't even seen. Above the Beekeeper, above Transformers, above Saturday Night.

[Sean Fennessey]

Can I tell you something about Goodrich?

[Amanda Dobbins]

You really liked it?

[Sean Fennessey]

I really liked it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I know everyone really likes it. I just haven't gotten there.

[Sean Fennessey]

The person who made Home Again and the person who made this movie, it's like they're two different people.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, well, I don't know.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's really well written. Michael Keaton is phenomenal. I mean, it has, like. It's obviously very, like, familiar and tropey, but as someone who, you know, can respond to an elevated version of that, I think you'll really like it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, no, I'm sure I will, too. Also, I love Michael Keaton, by the way. Condolences to that whole family that. Charles Shire. Charles Shire. Charles Shire, Yeah. They're dad Keaton. No, no, no. The Meyer Shire family.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, you know, I certainly don't want to make light of this, light of their loss, but it's hard to not watch that movie and not think about the fact that the woman who made this movie has made a movie about her father and. Or a father of some kind and her relationship to that father. And, you know, it just kind of. It hit me in a new way, and I thought it was very good. We're talking about Goodrich is the name of the movie, which is available on VOD now. Hayley Meyer Shire's new film, which got a very limited release and probably would have been like, a conversation topic if you were here. So when you see it, let me know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I will. Gladiator 2 at 100 is really funny.

[Sean Fennessey]

And years of magazine.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, I know, I know. But it was really good and I wanted to let you know I'm not.

[Sean Fennessey]

Just was not a huge fan.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. And then there were a couple other things where I was really. I was proud of you for trap at 26.

[Sean Fennessey]

Thanks.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And a couple other things that were lower than I expected and that seems rude to shout them out, but I'm proud of you for. I thought this was a good list.

[Sean Fennessey]

Thanks. It's very special.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, I haven't seen your numbers one and two and I. And you put civil war at six, but that's okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

C.R. put it at number one.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, I know. And I got many shout outs and that was really funny. I like. I really enjoyed. That was a great podcast, dude.

[Sean Fennessey]

You guys, it was fun. We did miss you on that episode, but it was nice. Okay, should we pivot?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. So we did talk about this quite a bit in 2024, at least three or four times. And we're definitely going to do it. We're going to do 25 for 25. We're going to count down across this year the 25 our favorite movies of the 21st century. The best, I think, is a little bit pointless.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's always the.

[Sean Fennessey]

This is a very. An emotional duopoly is how I would describe this show. And so we will make common cause to reveal, I guess, on a semi weekly basis, one movie from the countdown. We'll go in order from 25 to 1. I'd like to do this starting after the Academy Awards in March. Are you on board with that?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I am.

[Sean Fennessey]

And you've shared your long shortlist. I just shared with you this morning a longer list.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I haven't looked at it yet.

[Sean Fennessey]

The rules are minimal. Tell me how you feel about them in real time because we have not in person had a chance to discuss this. So 1. As I said, this is an attempt to capture our favorite movies of the period, which represents essentially our adult lives. Yeah, you know, I graduated from high school in 2000. You graduated from college in 06.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Correct.

[Sean Fennessey]

So, you know, we're looking at a pretty significant transformational period of movie watching, one film per filmmaker, which for us otorists that we are is very hard. Big challenge. And then the movies must have just been released between January 1st, 2000 and December 31st, 2024. Some people might quibble and say the 21st century did not start with the year 2000. Started with 2001.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. We can be a predicament.

[Sean Fennessey]

Those are pedantic. Discussions. We're gonna say January 1st, 2000 is when this all begins. I think that's it. Is there anything else we should add to the framework of this project?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, because I tested this out with you over text. You know, I think emphasizing that it is our list as opposed to, you know, definitive, all encompassing. Because there are. There are movies that even you, Sean Fennesee, have tons I haven't seen. Obviously, we are both American, so there we probably. We are. International's on the table. Documentaries are on the table. Everything is on the table. But we're gonna have our biases, so.

[Sean Fennessey]

And we're very Hollywood focused on the show.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. So it. It's not pedantic to point out that it will. If you get mad at us for having, like, a very Hollywood American list.

[Sean Fennessey]

But, like, that's what we do.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's what we're doing. Okay. So we're not trying to speak for everyone. We're speaking for ourselves. And then I agree that, like, if I hear anyone lecture me on centuries, I'm muting them.

[Sean Fennessey]

Agreed. So it'll be an interesting project.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you still feel okay with one per filmmaker?

[Sean Fennessey]

No, but I think it's a good rule to have in place. So it's not super samey. I mean, you're gonna find me arguing with you about whether or not we need a third or a fourth David Fincher movie, and that's just boring. That's not a very compelling.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, but you know, Fincher and pta, right off the bat, it's just.

[Sean Fennessey]

You know, Spielberg, Scorsese.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Spielberg's funny. You pick.

[Sean Fennessey]

I saw your suggestion. I won't remember. That's an interesting choice. Obviously, I'll film my life.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is there going to be. If you're only doing 25.

[Sean Fennessey]

No. His last two movies are spectacular.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They are, but are we putting them in the 25 of all time?

[Sean Fennessey]

I think that you and I are a good fit for this project for a couple reasons. One, obviously, we have very specific, discreet taste. Two, we have good intersections on our taste.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

Three, we editors, 15 years. But we were like. We're very strategic in thinking about what makes a compelling list. And so I think what we'll try. What I'm going to try to do is respect the presumed canon, respect my personal taste, and have some fun.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm trying. You saw I had some fun on my list.

[Sean Fennessey]

You did.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. I'm excited to look at yours.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. That will start. Yeah. At some point in March. I'm also scheming on a two week Break where you will be hosting the show without me so we can talk about that as well.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, really?

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. So start thinking about your colors.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm also. There's gonna be a month where I'm.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, I expect that. But I need a siesta.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think it was very fun to be a civilian.

[Sean Fennessey]

I could use it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it wasn't fun in the sense that what I was doing instead was emotionally rewarding but also exhausting.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'm not taking psy for my two week siesta, just so you know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He started smiling though, at me.

[Sean Fennessey]

I know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's really nice. Yeah, we have some good. Also, the side by sides of you with baby Knox and you with baby Sigh are very cute.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's like sitting with little Amanda and little. All right, should we do Golden Globes?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Sean Fennessey]

Do you feel like interested in this show which we should say is hosted by Nikki Glaser? You know, new owners. This is, I think, the third year of the new the Todd Boley ownership crew. Some shenanigans going on. We don't really spend any time on that. Yeah, it's become a much more critically oriented show. A lot of the voting body, there's some 300 people I think are a little bit more high minded than they used to be. Did you pay close attention to the nominations when they were released?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I did. Well, I read a list on my own time. I didn't wake up. And I listened to your podcast, which I thought was very good with Joanna. Thank you again, Joanna.

[Sean Fennessey]

Joe is gonna join us on Sunday, by the way, to talk about the show.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I have been thinking a lot about how they are the kind of. The Golden Globes now are the most kind of milquetoast consensus y. Let's just skim off of what all the pundits and everything have been talking about, but also whether they are. Whether it's all just like sort of confirmation predictive bias that is gonna. They've both. They both have no perspective and also like matter a lot now.

[Sean Fennessey]

I totally agree.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I don't know whether I don't even think that's just because this year has no front runner.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think they may matter to pundits more than voting bodies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think. I think bafta, sag, DGA are more influential on the outcome of the Academy Awards. I think Globes is more influential on the way that we will discuss the Academy Awards for the next six to seven weeks. Now, it doesn't mean that they won't match because I think in the past couple of Years they have matched more because of what you located, which is like. It feels like the voters are kind of looking at what the critics groups are saying.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

And saying, like, oh, yeah, we should nominate the Brutalist in seven categories. Like, in what universe was the Brutalist being nominated in seven categories in the globes 10 years ago? Like, something has kind of shifted there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Even nominated at a lot of places, including Independent Spirit Awards. Gothams.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Bizarre. The Spirit Awards thing is weird. It feels very pointed that that movie was passed over. Anyway, setting aside even my taste in my interest in the Brutalist, that was an odd one. But part of it is just because the Globes has so many nominees. They have six nominees in every category, plus they cut drama and comedy. So it just seems like you're getting every movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Like, our snubs were like, sure, there were a couple of meaningful snubs.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

But not a ton of people on the cutting room floor there. So it just feels like they're kind of, like you said, bringing everything in a big pot and then saying, like, let's pull out our onions and our garlic and see if this tastes good. The erivo.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But I like watching them.

[Sean Fennessey]

I do, too. Except for the TV awards, which seems like kind of a way. I guess it's kind of like a buffer time to eat.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

You can just eat a lot of Twizzlers in that time. I might get a lot of Twizzlers on Sunday.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Can we order sushi now that I can eat sushi again?

[Sean Fennessey]

Yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, great. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Where would you like to get it from?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't know. I just like, you know, mom's night out, maybe.

[Sean Fennessey]

You know me. Hand roll will be open. We can get that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

That would be.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't. Like I said, I've been phenomenal.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Shout out.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know, I wasn't really doing that for a year. No. So that part's nice. I just had to Google who Nikki Glaser is. So is that. Is that something I'm supposed to know.

[Sean Fennessey]

About who she is?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I recognize the name, but, like, she's.

[Sean Fennessey]

She's a roaster extraordinaire.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. That sort of seems one of your things.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, she's hilarious on the Tom Brady roast. I would even encourage you to just watch her.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I did hear about that, and I.

[Sean Fennessey]

Think she got booked.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

In part on that. I think she did. She host Fboy island, too.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Fuckboy Island, According to her Wikipedia page. Yes.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Which is a series that my wife has seen every episode of.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Really?

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Eileen rules I think she's very, very funny. I think she's also a good fit for the show because she's pretty loose and cutting and brings that kind of a medium between Ricky Gervais and Tina and Amy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

You know, great. So hopefully it goes well. She might drop a couple of extremely mean jokes, though, which will be interesting to see how they're received in 2025.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you think Blake Lively will be in attendance with Ryan Reynolds, who is nominated for cinematic and box office achievement?

[Sean Fennessey]

You want to start there?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Should we start there with cinematic and box office achievement?

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Cause then we can get that conversation out of the way.

[Amanda Dobbins]

A really stupid.

[Sean Fennessey]

Now obviously, you guys. You guys have been covering this on jam session.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, well, so we covered the first round. There were twin New Year's Eve lawsuits that we will be covering next Monday.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. So it ends with us is not recognized in cinematic box office achievement, which just seems crazy to me, given the size. I think that movie made $400 million internationally, and it's, you know, based on an extremely popular novel, but that doesn't mean anything. Popular novels bomb at the box office all the time. So the films that are nominated here are Alien, Romulus, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Deadpool and Wolverine, Gladiator 2, Inside Out 2, Twisters, Wicked, and the Wild Robot. This is obviously a stupid idea for an award. It's just an attempt to get movies like Inside out two and Twisters and.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Alien, Romulus, Deadpool and Wolverine. And Deadpool and Wolverine starring Ryan Reynolds with a cameo by Blake Lively.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yes. In a Deadpool costume.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. I assume Ryan Reynolds will be there.

[Sean Fennessey]

I assume as well. But who knows? He was not nominated. And like I said on the show a few months ago, Old Globes probably would have put him in.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I did notice that Rob McElhenney is presenting. Or it was on the list of presenters. Ryan Reynolds is not on the list of presenters. And they're the Wrexham people together. Right. From the Wrexham co owners that are funny guys. Yes. Yeah. I don't know whether they'll show up, but it might. I think they should, is my opinion.

[Sean Fennessey]

Just means they're gonna have to talk about it in some way. Right. Will Nikki Glaser make a single joke about it ends with us?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I wish. If they're in the room, she will. But I do.

[Sean Fennessey]

I welcome that moment.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Would it be at their expense or would it be at Justin Baldoni's expense?

[Sean Fennessey]

I assume the latter.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, so do I. So in that case, I'm like, well, it's. It Seems like a win.

[Sean Fennessey]

What a sordid tale. Some of the accusations are pretty awful.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All of the onset stuff, which has then been somewhat buried by the, I think, like, fascinating and very useful breakdown of the. The alleged smear campaign.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, that first piece is not even about the allegations. It's about. About modern media tactics, which is telling, I think, about where we are in the world, where I think the New York Times piece written by Megan Twohey about this kind of thing seven years ago would have looked a lot different.

[Amanda Dobbins]

A lot different.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yes. Nevertheless, if you listen to our episode about it ends with us, you know, I'm not an expert in any of this stuff and I don't really know what I'm talking about, so I have no opinion, frankly.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right. Well, I mean, it is interesting how both that story coincided with it and ends with us being available on Netflix. I don't know whether that was intentional, though. It's probably not. Not though.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's a lot of very strategic people. Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And a lot of it seems to be with filing at the end of the year. And I don't really know. I'm not that familiar with California law and statutes of limitations and whether there was like a legal reason that it all needed to happen in December or whether they just didn't want. Whether they wanted to news dump it. Especially like the two New Year's Eve suits. But anyway. Yeah, yeah. What a mess that we. We were also kind of like, what's going on here? At the time we did. But then also what's amazing is that no one really seems to have seen the movie but us and the 400 million people who are not opining online.

[Sean Fennessey]

About it, just enjoying their Colleen Hoover books.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, yeah, I guess so. But it is really funny as we identified, like, Justin Baldoni adapted this book, softened the abuse stuff, and then cast himself as the abuser. So, you know, that text was right there on the page.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yes. Also, literally the host of a podcast about, like, modern masculinity and how to be a better man. That was something that he was doing. You know, I think that regardless, like, it feels like we are often living in a simulation when you start seeing things like that. Very strange story. Cinematic box office achievement. My prediction is that Wicked is going to win this game.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, really?

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was going to predict the Wild Robot.

[Sean Fennessey]

You can predict it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think that would be a nice win for it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

I like that film. This is not right, but I'm going to say it. It felt to me like that movie actually underperformed just a little bit at the box office.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The Wild Robot.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Now it's excellent. I think it's in my top 20 on my. I think it's in the top 15 on my year end list. I'm a huge fan of it. I think it has a very. Yeah, I think it has a very strong chance to win animated feature. But given how well liked it is, given that it is also based on a very popular book, given that it's made by one of the most successful animation filmmakers of the last 25 years, its box office is not gigantic. This is not like an $800 million movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It does feel. I do feel like parent Core and family Core are really jumping on it as it's available.

[Sean Fennessey]

So it's a movie that honestly. But what is this award for?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is this for making money or is this for being good?

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, that's why it's a stupid award. Cinematic and box office achievement. What does that mean? This movie made $324 million. I would guess this is the lowest grossing movie on this list.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

Just off the top of my head, in fact, I'm almost certain it is. So.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So what, you think that inside out. I mean, I guess you think that Wicked will win.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think Wicked will win because they'll say that there's a challenge there. It's a musical. It is a different kind of ip. It's speaking to an audience. It's not speaking to the same audience as Deadpool and Wolverine that shows out for these kinds of things. It's not a sequel. I guess it's a prequel of a sort.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, that's fine.

[Sean Fennessey]

Rock with your prediction. That's great. We're gonna get this stuff wrong. Cause who the fuck knows with Globes? I mean, I have no idea.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't know what that award means. It's stupid. But continue.

[Sean Fennessey]

I thought it would be fun then to go to supporting performances. Okay. Just to get these out of the way, these are slightly more interesting categories than some of the other stuff we'll go through. So best performance by a female actor in a supporting role. The nominees are Selena Gomez and Emilia Perez. Ariana Grande in Wicked. Felicity Jones in the Brutalist. Margaret Qualley in the Substance. Isabella Rossellini in Conclave. And Zoe Saldana in Emilia Perez.

[Amanda Dobbins]

To me, this is between Ariana Grande and Zoe Saldana. And this is where I think I'm gonna go Globesy and say Ariana Grande.

[Sean Fennessey]

So I went Zoe Saldana. I like that we split, but I think you're right. It could Go either way. I've been percolating on a weird Globes. Goes all Brutalist galaxy take, which I don't think is right. But if it's like Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Adrien Brody, brutalist wins best drama, I wouldn't be shocked.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'm just saying I wouldn't be shocked.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Then I'm not gonna have a lot to say on Sunday night. But that's okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

No, it's fine. I mean, it will give you some indication of how the Globes is different now.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Hassany Jones been campaigning at all, I don't think.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, she's done a lot of group stuff with Brady, with Adrien. I haven't seen a lot of solo stuff.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She has been out there. Cause I just, like, haven't really.

[Sean Fennessey]

She has. You know, you'll see in the movie, she has a very specific role.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She's the wife.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yes. And she. Well, I don't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And we're challenging the ideas of what the wife does in the movie. Yeah, sure. Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

I didn't say that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, no one said that.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, so I'll go Zoe. You'll go Ariana.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Best performance.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What if Margaret Qualley wins?

[Sean Fennessey]

I think it'd be great. It'd be super fun.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You put substance at 10 on your list. Yeah, that's. I didn't. I didn't know that you were writing that high.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's a great movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I love it, too. But you were, like, being petulant about it.

[Sean Fennessey]

What do you mean? I think it was. The only thing I'm petulant about is whether or not it's really competing at the Oscars. The movie itself. Loved. Great, super fun. Is it 20 minutes too long? Sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

But that's the point, you know, if it gets into the Oscars, forget it. I don't know what I'm talking about anymore. The Oscars are totally different. If everything everywhere, all at once wins.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Best Picture, it definitely will get into the Oscars. It's just how many? It could get two nominations. It could get 5.

[Sean Fennessey]

Makeup and hairstyling feels like a lock. Everything else. We'll get there. We will get there. Martin. Quality would be cool. That'd be a cool win. Okay. Supporting best performance by a male actor in a supporting role. Stacked category, truly. Lot of my guys here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

A lot of your guys.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yura Borisov and Nora. Kieran Culkin, a real pain. Edward Norton, a complete unknown. Guy Pearce, the Brutalist. Jeremy Strong, the Apprentice. Denzel Washington, Gladiator 2. Now, historically, too much. This is a You haven't had a chance to speak on Denzel and Gladiator 2 yet. Maybe you will.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right now, that's all I'm really, really gonna do.

[Sean Fennessey]

Historically, this is a funky category for the Globes. You may recall when they gave Aaron Taylor Johnson the win for his role in Nocturnal Animals some years ago. I recall that when Michael Shannon was the clear supporting performance that should have been nominated. And then I think was at the Academy Awards and Aaron Taylor Johnson was not even nominated.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think they also nominated Jared Leto for his performance in Morbius. No. Is it all the Small Things? That's a Blink 182 song.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And that's also. Isn't that the name of. What's the Cillian Murphy movie that he. That's maybe also called all the Small Things.

[Sean Fennessey]

Anyway, Small things like these.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. Yeah. Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

Which I saw over the break. It was okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The Denzel Washington. The Max Only movie.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yes. Whatever it is. He played a serial killer.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He was okay in that. I mean, whatever.

[Sean Fennessey]

Great. It appears it's called the Little Things. The Little Things, sure. Thank you. Thank you. That's a movie that everyone lee hands on.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sabi, do you know the song all the Small Things?

[Sean Fennessey]

I mean, are you serious? Listen, that's a blink boy right there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

If I know, I just, you know, I don't know when it cuts out. So I like to check in with you.

[Sean Fennessey]

No, like pop punk is like firmly my scene. Vans Warped Tour. Like that's my shit. Yes, I'm in there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Love it. Okay, good.

[Sean Fennessey]

One of my worst takes is that I think Dude Ranch is the best Blink 182 album. I don't think that's one of your worst takes. I think that's a defensive because everybody loves them from that point on. But Dude Ranch, that's my kind of my thing.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Which one is that one?

[Sean Fennessey]

It's their breakthrough, I would say. But it's not the mega selling. It's the one with. Dammit.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, sure.

[Sean Fennessey]

1997. I was 14 when this album came out.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sick.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. Not like it was targeted at you or anything. Yeah, it hit pretty good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Kieran Culkin is gonna win this.

[Sean Fennessey]

He is gonna win. He's gonna win every award all the way down. I wanna ask you how you feel about that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I too liked Succession, I guess. And I guess everyone did and didn't get a chance to vote for him. Cause they are movie voters. Like, what are we doing?

[Sean Fennessey]

Didn't he win Emmys for success?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. But I guess, you know, if you're in The Academy of Motion Pictures. Maybe you're not an Emmy voter as well. I don't know. Like, he's great. I love him. I thought he was good playing himself in this movie that I liked, but I'm not as high on as you and Joanna.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, I mean, I think it's. It is good. And I had a nice time watching it, and there was something reassuring of like, oh, they're still making Sundance movies like this.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. I think they're obviously fixed limitations to that movie. I think with movies like that, it's about as good as we get these days. And I felt that for me, at least, and I felt that the first time we saw it, and it was very much. When I have listened, you know, Jesse was on the show and then listening to Jesse a lot, doing the rounds, promoting the movie. It's clear that, you know, he keeps identifying himself as a playwright, and it's very much a play. You know, it's got six characters. They're on a journey. The scenery is not everything. Obviously, there are a couple places that the film visits that are essential and crucial location wise, but if you think of it in this kind of contained way, I think it works a little bit better. I agree that Kieran Culkin, if not playing himself, is playing a very familiar Ciaran Culkin, archetype of, like, nervy talky, little scary, little sad motormouth. Like, that's what he does. He's the best in the world at it. He's literally. He's Kieran Culkin. Right? He's. Everybody likes him. Everybody thinks he's good. He carried succession at times. All of these other performances, to me are fascinating and great in many ways, all of them. I think that even Edward Norton, who I like to joke about on the show, but who was basically my favorite actor from 1995 through 2005, I think is, like, fantastic and a complete unknown. Yura Borisov. We raved about Nora. He's like the soul of that movie. Guy Pearce. I'll wait for you to see it. I think that's him doing, in many ways, a culmination of his on screen Persona. Jeremy Strong. Did you see the Apprentice?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Not yet. As I was looking at this, I was like, oh, I gotta watch it, because I didn't want to. You know, it came out two weeks before the election. You and Brian did an episode about it, right? And you were like, you know, more innocent times when you were like, will this matter?

[Sean Fennessey]

I forgot to thank Brian, who did two episodes with me, too. Yeah, that was a while ago. Yeah, he liked it more than I did. But both performances are great. We'll get to Sebastian Stan in a minute too. And that's a very transformative, methody kind of performance, you know?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

And then Denzel, who's just having a ball, who carries that movie? I mean, I don't. Can't even imagine the movie. Movie without him.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Now I. Yeah, I. I guess it's time to talk about that movie since we're not really going to talk about it.

[Sean Fennessey]

You were keeping the faith for a long time that it would be good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, well, I wanted to have fun, and I did have fun. You know, I went at 10am by myself, like, you know, mom's morning out, and it was like incredibly sloppy. Just. Just both. Which doesn't make sense in the sense that they had a. A playbook for what that movie was gonna be. And it was the first Gladiator. But yeah, just everyone's in a different room at some point, like talking, and I guess they edit it all together. I also did not know that those were intended to be baboons until I listened to you and Chris talking about Gladiator 2.

[Sean Fennessey]

You thought they were just ancient monsters?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I thought it was like a weird mythical mammal that had since gone extinct or was like Ridley's imagination of what an animal would be, but. So that's tough. CGI. I'm general. I'm out on CGI. Animals in 2024 and in 2025. We should make our in and out lists for 2025 for a future episode.

[Sean Fennessey]

Let's do it on the anticipated movies episode.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, but Denzel was very good.

[Sean Fennessey]

I agree. He's very entertaining.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Also, I think that you guys were a little too hard on Paul Mescal.

[Sean Fennessey]

Terrific actor who I thought was miscast.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, I. You know, I was rooting for him.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, cool.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He's just like. He's just like in a jail cell with a folding chair. If this guy that they got at IKEA for like two hours, he's just being like, whoops.

[Sean Fennessey]

I was on a text chain recently with some friends talking about this and whether or not he was right for the movie or not. And my suggestion was, and this is going to seem a little absurd, but do you know who Alan Ritchson is?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No.

[Sean Fennessey]

He's a Reacher. He's the new Jack Reacher on the list.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, you want to see that guy?

[Sean Fennessey]

The guy from Fast X? If that guy could do a credible fake British Roman guy accent.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, but then that's just 300.

[Sean Fennessey]

Paul Maskell's just looking a little scrawny in there to me.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Wow. I mean, is this like. Did Bobby get to you, like bulking wise in the.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yo. I don't agree. I think Paul Mescal, the build looks. It's just his disposition is small and strong. He's like a sad boy, you know, he's like a boy. Like Russell Crowe is a man, obviously. Alan Richmond, he's a boy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He's, you know, he's kind of.

[Sean Fennessey]

He's a boy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He's the prince. The Prince of Rome. As he yells like 45 times.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Alan Ritchson's body looks like too manicured and bodybuildery.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I don't like it. That's not Russell Crowe.

[Sean Fennessey]

Like, he looks like a guy that obviously he's absurdly jacked in a gladiator, but he looks like a guy that you could run into on the street. Same with Paul Mescal. I think that their bodies look pretty similar. Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. I really disagree to disagree, even though I am. I am trying to join the protein club in 2025.

[Sean Fennessey]

Bobby, I thought you already. You're already in the club.

[Amanda Dobbins]

As far as I know. I am, but it's like, you know, it's. It's so depressing. You turn 40 and then you go to the doctor and they give you the speech about like, you know, like it just clicks.

[Sean Fennessey]

There goes your muscle. It's starting to just disappear.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I gotta like, get up my protein, you know, for like bone health or whatever. That's fine. I'm. I'm thriving. But I. I was in the protein club, but I now I am making it a little bit more focus.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Well, sure, it was the holidays, but here's the thing. I'm not doing any. Any powders. I don't believe in that. I believe in naturally occurring protein.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. What about cocaine? You're starting to sound.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What is. Does that sound? Am I a little seed oily?

[Sean Fennessey]

Not necessarily. I think a lot of people believe in the whole foods being better for you. That's probably pretty proven science. But if you go too far down this road, you might be in the Yasi Salic zone, which, as Sean can tell you is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, right.

[Sean Fennessey]

Dangerous game to.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I've heard tell Yassi still and I haven't been on a podcast together.

[Sean Fennessey]

Happening soon.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Maybe we can just have protein club.

[Sean Fennessey]

I believe she specifically requested joining you to discuss the new Bridget Jones film.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, wow.

[Sean Fennessey]

Which is a.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you know what happens in that movie? No.

[Sean Fennessey]

I don't know anything.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You haven't read the book. Do you want me to tell you?

[Sean Fennessey]

In what universe have I read like the fourth Bridget Jones novel?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Have you read the first Bridget Jones novel? Have you not? Would you read it? Would you read it for me for it?

[Sean Fennessey]

What? Flat into you just now, like, go back 90 seconds. What did you think was happening? Did you think I was gonna say, of course I read it. I loved it. Oh my God. Bridget Jones 4. Incredible.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, I guess not 4, but you really haven't read the first one? The first Helen Fielding novel?

[Sean Fennessey]

No.

[Amanda Dobbins]

If I give it to you, we read it before Bridget Jones's.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'll read 12 pages.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, you have to read the whole thing. It's a lovely book. No, it's really funny.

[Sean Fennessey]

I've seen the film.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's different.

[Sean Fennessey]

I like the film.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's different. I almost put it on my long list, by the way, but then I found another movie to fill the slot that I think is more important. Bridget2001.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, that's an example of a kind of movie I would love to keep in the mix.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, but there's another movie that actually needs to be in the mix instead. Okay, I know what you're talking about. You should read Bridget Jones Diary. I'll give it to you.

[Sean Fennessey]

I mean, I'm not gonna do that, but I hear you. Okay, I gotcha. Salute to you. Yeah, congrats.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And then. And then Yassi and I can talk about protein.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, she has a couple other things she wants to discuss with you, but I'll let you guys sort that out. You guys are either gonna be like the best friends of all time or maybe like, like eye gouge each other and we'll see. Should be interesting.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Hablas espanol? Spries du joitsch.

[Sean Fennessey]

Com Dunos.

[Amanda Dobbins]

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[Sean Fennessey]

Best Motion Picture Animated okay. Flo Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Moana 2. Wallace and Gromit Vengeance most foul. And the Wild Robot. Foul with a W, F, O, W.

[Amanda Dobbins]

L. It's about chickens.

[Sean Fennessey]

It is. I've seen the foul. So how many of these have you seen? Two.

[Amanda Dobbins]

One.

[Sean Fennessey]

One Inside out. Two?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Sean Fennessey]

You haven't seen Wild Robot?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No.

[Sean Fennessey]

That could be, like, a good Knox movie. It's not. Because it's not.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Everyone says. Everyone says that it's, like, really emotional.

[Sean Fennessey]

It is very.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And, like, lots of crying. And I.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's such a crazy parent movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, but. And I'm still. So.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. It would hit you hard, I think.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know, all of the.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's really well done.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The protective layers are really off the first couple of months, so I don't think I'm ready for it. But, I mean, obviously I'll have to see it before the Oscar.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, so you're kind of flying blind here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. You know, which in some ways is just being my most honest self. Wild Robot again.

[Sean Fennessey]

So I picked Flow.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You picked Flow now, okay, this is.

[Sean Fennessey]

Probably my biggest reach, and I think I'm reaching towards kind of in that brutalist galaxy Brain Hive, where I'm like, it could happen. The globe's a little bit snootier than I think. Than we think they are. And if they choose Flow, I think that will tell us a lot about how they think about some of these things. The Wild Robot feels like the safe choice and probably the right choice, but I'm going with flow.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

Have I hedged enough?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Sean Fennessey]

Best Motion Picture.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Flow is about a cat.

[Sean Fennessey]

Flow is about a cat and a series of animals. A dog, a capybara.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is it gonna make me cry?

[Sean Fennessey]

I don't think so, but it's very interesting. It's essentially silent. There's no dialogue.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's just the animals.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Would Knox like it?

[Sean Fennessey]

He would be entertained by it. Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. It's just not antic and crazy animation, which I know you appreciate. Like, it's much more experiential. There is an aspect of it that is almost like a screensaver, which is good and bad.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That might really work for Knox.

[Sean Fennessey]

You should try it. It's a beautiful movie. I think I'm gonna have the filmmaker on the show later this month. Best Motion Picture, non English language. So you're a little behind on these as well.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I've only seen Emilia Perez.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, so the nominees are Emilia Perez. All We Imagine is Light. The Girl with the Needle. I'm Still Here. The Seed of the Sacred Fig. And Vermilio.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Emilia Perez.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's what I chose as well.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

The movies that are the official chosen international features this year that are competing in all the awards races didn't really hit with me very well. And there are a bunch of international films that I loved from this year. But for whatever reason, this crew, this crop, the Girl with the Needle is quite interesting. Very, very, very hard movie to watch, and I'm not sure it's a good time for you to watch it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. That kind of needle, it's worse than.

[Sean Fennessey]

You can ever imagine, honestly. It's very grave. It's from Denmark, but the. The cinematography in it, black and white, is beautiful. I wouldn't be surprised if it got, like, a little bit of a nudge over the last couple of months. Even though all we imagine is light and see the Sacred Fig are very, very well reviewed. And the Brazilians love I'm still here, and they're pushing for it very hard on social media, which you will find out soon when you start sharing on Blue Sky. Okay. Oh, the Brazilians are a spirited base supporting the film. I'm sorry.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, no, no, no. They are big on Blue sky as well.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think all social media.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I mean, I know that anywhere.

[Sean Fennessey]

Where the international feature film race is being discussed, they are there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

Best original score, the Brutalist, Daniel Blumberg. Challengers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Conclave. Volker bertleman. Dune Part 2, Hans Zimmer, Amelia Perez, Clement, Ducal and Camille. And the Wild robot, Chris Bowers. So 1. Dune Part 2 is not eligible at the Academy Awards.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But Wicked is.

[Sean Fennessey]

But Wicked is. Okay, I don't totally understand that people insist that there's a lot of new music in Wicked. Maybe that's the case. I don't know. I went with Daniel Bloomberg for the Brutalist.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I know you've been talking a lot about how beautiful it is.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's just massive.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay?

[Sean Fennessey]

More is more, and it helps the movie. It thrusts the movie forward, and it's a very long film. That being said, I could see anything winning here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I'm sort of at a loss.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, we rewatched Conclave over the break.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I was like, right, the score's really good.

[Sean Fennessey]

Pretty good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And it does have, like, the three or four note motif similar to the. Is it the same person who did.

[Sean Fennessey]

The score for All Quiet on the Western Front?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Quiet on the Western Front, which was a very good score. And you could see a world in which Conclave is, like, clearly on everyone's minds. But maybe they throw it a boat. Yeah. Where does it win?

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Could be some Killers of the flower moon situation there, obviously.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Challengers score is the score of the year for you and for me. Absolutely rocks. Did I tell you I got a tennis racket for Christmas?

[Sean Fennessey]

I heard, yes. From your husband.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right. Because then we had to get one for Knox.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's why.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Nice tennis racket. And Zach was like, knox, you may not touch it because it's. You can't ruin it.

[Sean Fennessey]

Did you get a Tashi Duncan official racket or.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No? I. I don't even know. I should ask him what the make is. But it's what Roger Federer uses, so. Or used past tense, which is sad. Anyway. Yeah. So I'm gonna try to take tennis lessons.

[Sean Fennessey]

I fully support that. Maybe you should just choose challengers with that in mind. Okay. You wanna go with challengers?

[Amanda Dobbins]

You don't want to talk more about my tennis lessons? I actually need a tennis instructor. Do you think that there's a tennis pro who listens to the big picture who lives in Los Angeles?

[Sean Fennessey]

You're about to find out.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like, seriously, I literally cannot serve, so you have to be really patient. I'm also, I'm told, like, not a great student.

[Sean Fennessey]

No. What?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Especially when I'm bad at things. But I would like to try.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

I wish you luck. Challengers, you're going with Challengers.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'm going with the Brutalist. Best original song, Our favorite category. Here are the nominees. Beautiful that Way. From the Last Showgirl, Compress Repress from Challengers, which I did not.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What is that?

[Sean Fennessey]

It's like the last song before Match Point. Yeah. It has lyrics that were written by Luca Guadagnino. It is a Reznor and Ross production. El Mal, which is one of the songs from Amelia Perez.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Which one?

[Sean Fennessey]

It's the one that. I believe it's the one that Zoe Saldana performs at the beginning of the film when she's sort of walking through the streets.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. And everyone.

[Sean Fennessey]

Actually, no, maybe. Actually, I.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Or is it the one.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think it's the one at the gala. Yeah, I think it's that one. Forbidden World.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We're not gonna have her do that again at Golden Globes, are they?

[Sean Fennessey]

I hope so.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. I mean, listen, Zoe Saldanya can act and can dance and as a show person, and I have known that since center stage. But continue.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. Forbidden Road, which is the song from Betterman, was this. Actually, was this. I think this was removed from eligibility because it had been previously used elsewhere. So I'm going to take this off. This is the Robbie Williams song from Better man, but I Don't think this is eligible anymore. So they've taken it out of the mix.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So it's that eligible at the Golden Globes?

[Sean Fennessey]

I believe so.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

Oh, no, no, no, no. Maybe it is at the Globes, but it's now taken off the short. No, it's taken off the short list. That's what it was. Sorry, I've gotten that mistaken. And then Kiss the Sky, which is the centerpiece song from the Wild Robot by Maren Morris. I chose Kiss the Sky.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

From the Wild Robot, which is, frankly, a banger that we play in our house.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think I'm a Maren Morris fan.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. She's good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I guess I'll go with El Mal just to make it interesting.

[Sean Fennessey]

Great.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I have to say, the songs were not my favorite part of Amelia Paris.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think they're mostly bad.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They're really bad.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. I think the choreography in that movie is pretty good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Yes. I would agree that it's of. At least of using the camera and the. And setting like a mise en scene.

[Sean Fennessey]

What'd you think about the sequence in the hospital?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, right. When they're singing about. I mean, that was funny at least. Or maybe not funny. I mean, it was a little funny.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's very camp.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Very camp and over the top. And, you know, it's like, oh, you're doing a thing here. Which to me made more sense than, like, Zoe Saldana, just, like, being a lawyer, singing a bad song about being a lawyer or whatever, or, you know.

[Sean Fennessey]

And then there was a lot.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And it's like, a lot of time spent in being like, is this, like, random lawyer gonna figure it out through bad pop songs? I'm not sure.

[Sean Fennessey]

Turns out no.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Okay. Best Screenplay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

Nominees are Emilia Perez Honora, the Brutalist, A Real Pain, the Substance, and Conclave, the substance, really?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think that this is where they'll give it their thing.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, this is one it can, and that's the other. I wouldn't say it's screenplay is its strength.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, I. I would agree with you.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But again, like, throwing a bone to something that they like and the idea of it. And there are others who are not us, who think that it is a. A searing insight into the problems of 21st century femininity. I suppose.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. I went with Anora.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. I mean, that's the other one that makes sense.

[Sean Fennessey]

You know, this is kind of a funky category. I think A Real Pain could compete here. You know, Conclave is an adaptation, so I find that to be kind of an odd nominee in this category. But anyway, okay, Best. Let's get into the heavy categories now. Best performance by a male actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy. Now this is a funky one because I'm not sure if any of these people are going to end up in the Oscar race. And this happens sometimes. The nominees are Jesse Eisenberg for Real Pain, Hugh Grant for Heretic, Gabriel LaBelle for Saturday night, Jesse Plemons for Kinds of Kindness, Glen Powell for Hitman, and Sebastian Stan for A Different man, which I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sebastian Stan won at the Gothams. The Gothams. Did he win at the Gothams or did A Different man win at the Gotham? I know it won.

[Sean Fennessey]

He had different man won Best Feature. Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Jesse Plemons won Best Actor at Cannes Shoe. Grant is winning. My Instagram algorithm. Really, really great stuff.

[Sean Fennessey]

You haven't seen this one yet, right?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, I watched it.

[Sean Fennessey]

Oh, no, you did, you did. You told me on Christmas. Yeah. And you enjoyed the first two thirds like so many of us.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure, yeah. As I said to you, I think it was a little less revelatory for me because I do consume all of the content of Hugh Grant just being weird and charming and talking a lot. And that movie is him talking in rooms.

[Sean Fennessey]

Is he lecturing people about Radiohead, though?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, primarily about the traffic patterns in London and though. And how the. The Tory government failed the uk, which seems to be true. So really, really, really good Twitter feed. And then also doing shots with Travis Kelsey at the ERAS tour. That's what he's talking about.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And. And how much he likes being a dad.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's nice. Yeah, I can relate to that. Who do you got winning here?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think I read this last night. Got stumped. It was like, I don't know, I'll wing it. And then didn't think about it again. M. Jesse Eisenberg.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's who I have as well. I think he's going to win. And that's interesting.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Because does that mean maybe he has a chance to get nominated? How much does the Academy like this movie is something I have no idea.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I can't really tell either. I'm surprised by how out there he is for this movie, which is possibly not surprising in the sense that he wrote and directed it and you want to sell something that you're proud of. But I always. I haven't thought of him as, like, promo guy, and he's in every junket. He was on Table Manners, which is the Jesse Ware and Lenny Ware, Her Mother. Wonderful podcast. But, like, he's doing everything.

[Sean Fennessey]

He is. His WTF episode is excellent if people like that show. You know, he's obviously a brilliant guy and a great talker, but you're right that he doesn't usually go out of his way to flood the zone. My suspicion. I have no fucking idea. My suspicion is he was very happy to see the positive feedback for the film out of Sundance and was like, okay, I'll put my weight behind this. Because he's very happy that people seem to like the work so much. And he's written a lot of screenplays, he said. And, you know, he's only directed two movies, so him winning here would be. There could be some interesting knockdown effect on that. Okay. Best performance by a female actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy. Amy Adams in Night, Cynthia Erivo in Wicked, Carla. Sofia Gascon in Amelia Perez, Mikey Madison in Anora, Demi Moore in the Substance, and Zendaya in Challengers. This may be the last time I'm able to say the word night bitch on this podcast. Yeah. And you were what on it?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I liked it more than I think you or I thought I would. I would say that our expectations were below this table because historically, I have not responded to the films of Marielle Heller or Amy Adams or Mom Corps or dogs.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So, yeah. Wow.

[Sean Fennessey]

Wow. Kind of a tic tac toe toe for you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You and Joe and Rob did a great episode. And I agree that, like, the. The genre, the dog thing, just. It didn't work. It didn't land. I also didn't totally understand the setup. Besides, like, the librarian is a. Is a mom dog, too. Anyway, I. I thought that the parent and the mom stuff was insightful and, as you said, like, comes from. I recognized it, and I recognized some of it in the. You know, there's a great monologue where she's talking about. I know that everyone will tell me that I shouldn't have held him when he was a baby because now he won't sleep by himself. But he was just so cozy and something. And I had all the moments. I'm like, sleep training right now. And I was like, yeah, you should not have held him. But then how can you, you know? So it was definitely engaging and very specific. You know, I've been at baby music class, too, and felt the way that she felt, so I give it credit for that.

[Sean Fennessey]

I like. Well, I said it on the show, but there's just not a lot of movies about this, and it's something that millions of people experience every day.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. You said on the show you theorize that it's because people just don't wanna be around it. And I like, once you've done it, you don't wanna revisit it.

[Sean Fennessey]

Memory hole it. Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, I'm so glad to be here and not, you know, for the same thing. So I think that that had a lot of truth of, like, the last thing that I want to do is watch or, you know, make art about.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think one aspect of it, too, is that a lot of women who want to make films don't want to be put in the box of. You're making a film about this thing that men don't understand or don't relate to. And, you know, for many years in the movie business, like, women had a certain kind of a job and, you know, and they were trying to break convention and they could hang with the guys or whatever the expectations were. And so now we're in a time where, like, in theory, there's a little bit more balance between couples in parental relationships. And so this is, like, this kind of movie can come to the surface, but, like, I couldn't think of any other movies that are about raising toddlers. Like, look who's talking. Like, there's no movies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Here's the thing. Other also is that it's not totally about raising a toddler, as you pointed out, as Eileen, your wife, pointed out, like, that is a basically angelic toddler.

[Sean Fennessey]

The toddler's too good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And the. And Joanna made a really great point about how this is. This is really the woman version of how do I, like, be an artist? And the struggle of being an artist.

[Sean Fennessey]

Kind of a brutalist sequel.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. So, you know, and I understand everything that you said about female directors, not, like, wanting to be siloed. And so you don't even want to touch this actual topic. You would have to, you know, metaphorize it. But we're. I'm still waiting for the great, like, toddler as a demon. I mean, I guess it is like every horror movie that's it has been.

[Sean Fennessey]

Shunted off to the imaginary.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But they are. They are just.

[Sean Fennessey]

It can be tough.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's amazing.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, they can be tough.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, I was telling you a.

[Sean Fennessey]

Year ago, I was like, yeah, yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, no, no. But it's just. It is like another otherworldly figure, like, takes over, and you're just like, wow, this is insane.

[Sean Fennessey]

We're getting through it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Best performance by a female actor in a motion picture drama.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Mikey Madison.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, I'm Mikey Madison, too.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think she's gonna win. I. If you told me Demi Moore won, I wouldn't be shocked.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. She has the coveted Gwyneth Paltrow defying Academy rules endorsement in order to post on Instagram. I don't know whether Gwyneth has been sanctioned, but by whom? The Academy.

[Sean Fennessey]

And how would that happen?

[Amanda Dobbins]

So Gwyneth was one of.

[Sean Fennessey]

Would she be banned?

[Amanda Dobbins]

It was Gwyneth and your beloved Edward Norton who were patient zeroes in the Andrea Riseborough affair. Yeah, but that is like, literally and honestly. I do think that Gwyneth's Instagram post about Andrea Riseborough was from a private screening and Demi Moore was also in the picture. So. And then she posted on Instagram recently being like, get this woman a nomination for the substance. Which you're not that. Listen, we read the rules.

[Sean Fennessey]

We're supposed to do that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. But Gwyneth is too powerful, and I love her forever.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. Demi Moore could win. I think Mikey Madison's gonna win. I think she's on a track to run the table here. We'll see female actor in a motion picture drama. The nominees are Pamela Anderson for the Last Showgirl. Angelina Jolie for Maria. Nicole Kidman for Baby Girl, Tilda Swinton for the Room Next Door, Fernanda Torres for I'm Still Here, and Kate Winslet for Lee. So unlike the male acting categories, I think you're getting a little bit of column A and column B, mixing drama and comedy or musical. How many would you say out of the drama nominees will make their way to the Academy Awards? If you had to guess, Two. Maybe two.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Maybe two.

[Sean Fennessey]

Now, my pick is indicative of who I think is going, so I'm choosing Nicole Kidman to win.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's exciting.

[Sean Fennessey]

That could be way off. I don't really know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I do think I have Nicole Kidman on my big bet because.

[Sean Fennessey]

Do you?

[Amanda Dobbins]

With the Oscars, the money is always bet on Nicole Kidman. I still haven't seen Baby Girl. I'm so excited. I was supposed to go and everyone in my house got sick. I'm going to see it before we record next week. I mean, Harris Dickinson, like, I just. We don't need to talk about it.

[Sean Fennessey]

There's a lot to report on.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We don't need to talk about it. But I haven't seen it now.

[Sean Fennessey]

There's certainly a world here where Angelina Jolie wins.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

And she continues on in a very kind of like, focused, tight campaign, which is what she's doing.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. You saw also that there was a New Year's Eve Divorce settlement.

[Sean Fennessey]

I did not.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's finally done. The Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt divorce has been legally. And they announced it on New Year's Eve as, like, a dump.

[Sean Fennessey]

Anyway, I'll read through all that documentation when I finish this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

There wasn't any documentation. It was just a statement from her publicist.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. Closed matter. Her campaign continues to pace. I think Nicole Kidman is going to win. Who do you think is going to win?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I really don't know because I've only seen Maria, which I'm really embarrassed about.

[Sean Fennessey]

Did you like Maria?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No. It was so boring. I also is. I liked the apartment.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Great production design. There is a conversation to be had there and about Angelina Jolie's performance. And maybe we can have it if she does get nominated.

[Sean Fennessey]

Should we do it off mic?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No. If she actually gets nominated, do it.

[Sean Fennessey]

In a quiet alleyway where no one can hear us.

[Amanda Dobbins]

With me on, like, every single pain medication known to man all at once and giant glasses.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, I mean, I think. I mean, but listen, I think she's good in the movie. I like the movie, but I like that project. I'm interested in that project. The, like, museum piece of 20th century women.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I liked the project as well, but the Wikipedia page that I read during the slow parts of the movie was way more interesting than whatever was in the movie.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. I think it's meant to be dramatizing a woman in a daze.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. But he's done that several times, and the first time was good primarily because of Natalie Portman's just absolutely insane voice. And then Peter Sarsgaard. Peter Sarsgaarding as a Kennedy in the corner.

[Sean Fennessey]

Both great.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. I'll take Angelina Jolie just for interest.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. Great. Best performance by a male actor in a motion picture drama. This is Bloodsport. The nominees are Adrien Brody for the Brutalist, Timothee Chalamet for A Complete Unknown, Daniel Craig for Queer, Colman Domingo for Sing Sing, Ralph Fiennes in Conclave, and Sebastian Stan for the Apprentice. Now, I think the first five names I just read are the nominees for the Academy Awards. A lot of really good performances here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

A lot of people really working for their Oscar nomination.

[Sean Fennessey]

So Adrien Brody, of course, has been out in full force shirtless on the.

[Amanda Dobbins]

COVID of New York magazine.

[Sean Fennessey]

He's promoting. He was on this show last week, Daniel Craig doing what he does. He's also promoting the movie pretty aggressively. Not a lot of people have seen Queer, but that there are high marks for his performance as a kind of Williams.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He is now, like, the one of the faces of Loewe, which is Jonathan Anderson's. One of Jonathan Anderson's brands. And Jonathan Anderson did the costumes for both Queer and Challengers and is a major designer.

[Sean Fennessey]

Colman Domingo. The Sing Sing campaign has restarted. It's being re released. You did. I think obviously he's beloved in the community as well. Ralph Fiennes has decided to start campaigning with Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper on the CNN New Year's Eve special. Like you do.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. It was very funny.

[Sean Fennessey]

He did the demure meme and was hilarious. I think he was also on Watch what Happens live with Juliette Binoche. She also went into the Criterion closet with Juliette Binoche.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, they were doing reunion stuff.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Well, no, they're in a new movie together.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, they are?

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Which is called the Return, but is about a very focused segment. I'm not kidding. Of the Odyssey.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We didn't even.

[Sean Fennessey]

I forgot to mention this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. You didn't respond to that text message both times.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, the first, it was a day where you sent one text message that was just incredibly hostile that I was not going to respond to. But then the second one was a good one, but then I was just busy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

Christopher Nolan is adapting the Odyssey. Now, I would say roughly 80% of the episodes we made while you were out was about what Christopher Nolan was going to do next. CR cooked often. Turns out what he cooked was spoiled rotten because he was wrong on all accounts. This is not a helicopter movie. It's not a vampire movie. It's not any of those things.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You don't know that there are no helicopters involved in this. Telling the Odyssey. You don't know.

[Sean Fennessey]

I don't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You don't know.

[Sean Fennessey]

It could be a modern day telling of the travels across and it keeps crashing land time, Scylla and Charybdis.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And then he asks Cyclops.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. It's possible that that's his boat, but I think more likely it's an ancient tale.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. You think it's set? It's contemporaneous with Homer.

[Sean Fennessey]

You know what I'm not ready to say. I don't really know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is Tom Holland Odysseus.

[Sean Fennessey]

I assume it was Matt Damon.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, good.

[Sean Fennessey]

Right? Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, I hope so.

[Sean Fennessey]

I feel like he's at a good age for that, actually.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. But you know, and then I guess maybe Tom Holland is Telemachus.

[Sean Fennessey]

Precisely. That was. That's what I suggested. So I would say I'm.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Who's Penelope?

[Sean Fennessey]

Not Zendaya, not Charlize.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is Charlize in This.

[Sean Fennessey]

She is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, interesting.

[Sean Fennessey]

Or Lupita. Oh, Lupita Nyong'o is also in this. Okay. So many fucking people in this movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

There's like a ton of movie stars in this movie. And I'm playing the cyclops.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Super excited. What if they just put the. It's universal, right? What if the cyclops minion is the cyclops?

[Sean Fennessey]

Oh, that's a good bit.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's really good.

[Sean Fennessey]

Somebody's gotta.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

You should have saved that for their marketing department. I'm looking forward to it. You know, I hope it's good. Christopher Nolan. You know, sometimes it's great, sometimes it's not.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I. I was surprised.

[Sean Fennessey]

This is really in your, like, core realm of interests.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It is, but I don't know.

[Sean Fennessey]

In fact, you gave a book of mythology to my daughter for Christmas. I did it, yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's such a. If you don't know the Dolores book of Greek myths. It's really, really very beautiful.

[Sean Fennessey]

We zeroed in very tightly on Aphrodite, as you might imagine, given Alice's interest. I've read that page many times, but.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, I still can see that. That art in my. In my head. It's so beautiful. I. I think it would be cooler if this actually were a helicopter version of the Odyssey.

[Sean Fennessey]

A modern day.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. In my opinion, if he is, like, doing his swords and sandals, like, searching for my wife, who is, like, alive this time.

[Sean Fennessey]

I mean, the ultimate wife guy. Or dead wife guy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Well, I mean, there's another thing. I don't know. It might. It might tweak the parts of Oppenheimer that I found insufferable for me.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But we'll see.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, let's talk quickly about Timothee Chalamet. So obviously he's on a press run for the ages, Right? He's been on college game day.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Incredible.

[Sean Fennessey]

He has been doing meme content.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He had help with that. Right. I mean, an incredible performance.

[Sean Fennessey]

But here's what I'll say. I think he's making a lot of choices based on personal taste. I think showing up on Theo Vaughn. I think I watched last night, his appearance on Nardwar. Are you familiar with Nardwar? Yes. And you know, I'm longtime music journalist, hip hop head. I've watched many a Nardwar interview in my day. This is among the best ones. There's a moment early on when Timothee Chalamet is handed a vinyl copy of an early Common single. I Used to Love Her Just his ode, his metaphorical ode to hip hop and Hearing Timmy explain who Common is and what he means to him and what he means to his heroes who were musical artists who were, to quote him, Kid Cudi and Lupe Fiasco.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

And what that era of Chicago hip hop was, was like just fucking fascinating. Like, just. There's no way that he, like showed up on the Nardwar show with all of his Bob Dylan, you know, micro knowledge, which is what he brought to the show, and his New York hip hop kid thing and his theater kid thing and his, like, nervy shout out to this guy. Shout out to this guy. Like, all of that. I could feel him doing a thing that he was comfortable and excited to do.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, of course. So he's clearly been a consumer of the show.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. So is he a huge college football fan? I don't know. Obviously, a lot of people have said it's not hard to memorize stats when you're an actor, but most of the hits that he's done, he's either been super high energy and funny. There was that really funny interview he had with Saoirse Ronan. I don't know if you saw it on social media, where they did a screening together and then they sat on stage and talked and told stories. He's having a ball there and Saoirse's clearly over him in many ways. And there was one other one that I. I just watched one with, I think, Vanity Fair. It was James Mangold, him and Monica Barbaro, and they were breaking down a scene, right? And he doesn't say anything for the first seven minutes of a ten minute video. And then at seven minutes he just like takes over. And I was like, whoa, he really is. He is the chosen one now. Like, he's holding like $5,000 sunglasses and he's wearing a polo rugby. And I was like, oh, man. Like, it's not Leo, but it's like it's a contemporary version of that thing.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He has been like for.

[Sean Fennessey]

I know, I know. I've just been feeling it so deeply now with this press run and he's obviously. I mean, you'll see the movie, but as well as you can do it. I think he did it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

So I think he's gonna win.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you think he's gonna win the Oscar or are you talking about your Golden Globes?

[Sean Fennessey]

I think he's winning the Golden Globe. I. I think he's gonna win the.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oscar for the Oscar.

[Sean Fennessey]

I mean, there's obviously a Ralph Fiennes, It's Time case to be made. And Ralph Fiennes is he's very good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

In Conclave, which is a movie I've seen twice, and that's kind of what. That's my summary.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's a movie I like. It's a movie I like. If you were like, adrien Brody's winning again, I wouldn't be shocked.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

But he's giving a major performance. But he's already won. So I'm going. Timmy, who are you going with? Best Director Jacques Odillard for Amelia Perez. Sean Baker for Anora, Edward Berger for Conclave, Brady Courbet for the Brutalist, Corly Farja for the substance and Pile Kapadia for all we imagine as light. I picked Brady Courbet.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You did?

[Sean Fennessey]

I did.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

I, for whatever reason, think that this body is going to be more pro the Brutalist than the Oscars.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Interesting.

[Sean Fennessey]

I don't know why I feel that. I think because it's more of a critical group, and the Brutalist has obviously done very well with critical groups. It is a big statement.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's not necessarily a comforting Oscar film. And I think just the idea, like, kind of how he pulled this off and how he mounted this big movie and this grand statement and did it independently, and it's a movie full of choices. And not that the substance isn't or all we imagine is light isn't, but. But it feels like the. That feels like the pick for me. I don't think I would say that about the Academy Awards right now. I think if I was picking the Oscars now, I would probably pick Shawn Baker.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. I think I'm going with Sean Baker here in part just because it's not fun to pick a movie I haven't seen. And also because it is. It's so weird that Anora is consensus and then. And also is starting to have that tinge of, like. We've been talking about it for so long, we think it's the presumed frontrunner for so long that now we're, like, looking for other angles.

[Sean Fennessey]

Totally.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know?

[Sean Fennessey]

Totally.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But I'll stick with Sean Baker and.

[Sean Fennessey]

A movie I love, Best Motion Picture Drama. The nominees are the Brutalist, A Complete Unknown. Conclave. Dune Part two, Nickel Boys. And the first time we are saying this movie's named September 5th.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I keep forgetting to watch that. I need to watch that.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think you can see it at home.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, No, I know.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's pretty good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I'm gonna watch it. That's one that I would watch with Zach. So we gotta find it.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, you guys will enjoy it. I don't know if it's on the level of these other films that are in this category. This is. These other films. Here are the best movies of the year. You know, I'm a little lower on A Complete Unknown and Conclave, but, like, Nickel Boy is Dune Part 2 and.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The Brutalist Complete Unknown is 63 on your list.

[Sean Fennessey]

That might have been a mistake.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Yeah. Because again, I haven't listened to the episode because I don't. I want to see it.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'm way lower on it than Chris and Mallory. Way lower.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You are. They really, really liked it. But even I thought you were kind of like, huh.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think I was just shocked at how not a mess it was.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think it's. It's barely a movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

It is a tremendous platform for those songs.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

And Chalamet and Barbaro are terrific. And Norton, too. No, I mean, Brutalist, Dune Part 2 and Nickel Boys, that's. I think that's like. That's three of my five favorite movies of the year.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

And the other three nominees are darn good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So you're gonna do Brutalist here?

[Sean Fennessey]

I am.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Should I do Brutalist or should I do Conclave? I don't think Conclave's gonna win.

[Sean Fennessey]

It could.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it could.

[Sean Fennessey]

It could. I think it's. It's absence in other categories, like its absence in supporting actor, for example, is a little iffy. It is. In the screenplay category.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They only have six spots for. Only. Yep.

[Sean Fennessey]

Who would you choose as the supporting actor? Who is your favorite supporting guy this year? No. In Conclave.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, well, you know, Tucci is doing great work. It is a war.

[Sean Fennessey]

I needed a little bit more of that from him in the movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. I mean, I wanted a little bit more of the politics for lack of, you know, and the scheming. And I wanted a completely different ending. I mean, I just don't know what it was. Respectfully or not respectfully.

[Sean Fennessey]

Someone at a brunch yesterday that we were at suggested what if the big reveal at the end were revealed much earlier in the movie. And that revelation was in the mind of the Ralph Fiennes character, which I thought was a cool idea. That's obviously different from the novel that the film is based on.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Sean Fennessey]

But I really liked that concept of how differently the movie would play if you had one character knowing the truth. Truth and that driving the narrative.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right. Unfortunately, like, what the truth is feels a little.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's a little silly.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Silly in terms of what I don't. Like. I don't know what that book thinks that it's trying to say about gender.

[Sean Fennessey]

But that's the thing is, in movie form, it is just like, ta da. Like, and then we're out. And because of that, you can't even really reflect on it in any way. You can't even really. You have to kind of, like, sit on it and think hard about what it wants to be to mean.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

Whereas if a character was doing the exact thing I just described, I think it might have worked better for me.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Totally. I definitely would work better. But then, you know, I think my preference would be just to rewrite the book and then the movie so that it's a political conspiracy. You know, I. Like, I kept thinking the twist because I knew there was a twist because you guys kept talking about some twist. And my mother, who is a book reader, who. She's not a book reader. I mean, she does read books, but in this case, I mean, she has read this book. Almost spoiled it for me, which I think I'm really hearing my mother try to explain that plot twist is just not something that I needed to experience. You experience her being like, why would I see a movie? I've already read the book. So that's what we're working with.

[Sean Fennessey]

This is a tough moment. Yeah, well, you know, hard five minutes on Christmas.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But I thought the twist was gonna be that the Pope was evil. I thought we were doing Nazi Pope again or something. I just wish Edward Berger would remake the Da Vinci Code. That's kind of where I am.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay. He's got a Netflix movie coming out pretty soon. That sounds good. Is it the Da Vinci Code? No, no.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It looks like a conclave, you know, when all the popes have umbrellas.

[Sean Fennessey]

Oh. The staging and the way it's edited is like. It's a silly movie, but it looks.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like explosion with it. Yeah. Looks great.

[Sean Fennessey]

The whole like, I'm making a Renaissance painting in modern times thing, that was just a good idea. It looks great. Okay, so I've got the Brutalist. You are gonna go Conclave or no?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I guess so.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I will go Conclave because I still have not seen the Brutalist.

[Sean Fennessey]

So Best Motion picture, musical or comedy. This is our last category.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

The nominees are Enora. Challengers. Emilia Perez, A Real Pain, the Substance and wick. I've chosen Wicked.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You're gonna do it?

[Sean Fennessey]

I have. I don't feel good about it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessey]

I hope maybe.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know what? I'll do it with you. I'll do it with you, because maybe we'll do. I did Sean Baker for director. So maybe they'll do that and then they'll do. Yeah, they'll do the split. I have no confidence in any of my picks.

[Sean Fennessey]

Will they give drama outlast or comedy or musical outlast?

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's a great question. Historically they do drama, but this year maybe they'll do comedy. It's the Golden Globes are totally made up. Even within the context of made up awards shows, they can do whatever they want as they have made it clear year after year. So sure, put it last.

[Sean Fennessey]

Will there be more nominees for best picture in musical or comedy or drama?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Let's see. So you've got 1, 2, 3, 4 and probably Nickel Boys. So you've got 5 out of 6 in drama. I agree with you guys that Nickel Boys right now, again, haven't seen it because I got to see it in a theater. But it does seem like it's trending.

[Sean Fennessey]

Needs a little bit of a boost. Needs a little bit of a boost. I did, like I said on the.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Show, it's rolling out. Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's rolling out in New York and LA right now. It's going to play really well with the Director's Guild. I don't know about the group at large because it's hard to sit through and I think it's going to be hard to stream. So if you're watching on the Portal, I'm not sure. The idea of, like, Nickel Boys and the substance being two versions of narrative extremity that are very unlike anything the Academy ever recognizes makes me think that maybe there's something else going in there and we're not thinking about it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I could be wrong, but that's always where we're wrong.

[Sean Fennessey]

The last few years for sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And the more avant garde or, you know, more frankly, original movies do get in at the expense of your complete unknowns.

[Sean Fennessey]

They have. They have. I was thinking recently of how, like, Michael Haneuka's Amor had like four Oscar nominations and how, you know, like, you're right that these things do sometimes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Remember how Zach and I went on an early date to see Amor. I was just thinking like, and now.

[Sean Fennessey]

You'Ll get to die together. That's so great.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But, you know, I have told that story several different times on this podcast, but it is like, you know, the Step up series or whatever where, like, you check in with that story every five years and every five years into our marriage, it really means something quite different.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. So let's circle back in five years on that one.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Musical, Wicked. Let's see. Honora yes. Emilia Perez. Yes. 2. Wicked. Yes. 3. I really do see a world where substance goes in. So to answer your question, still more films from drama, But I think it's.

[Sean Fennessey]

You don't think a real pain's going in?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, I forgot about that. Yeah. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 5 could be 5 and 5 and just challengers on September 5th are the.

[Sean Fennessey]

The ones that are left holding the bag.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, once again, comedy here is doing.

[Sean Fennessey]

Are any of these movies comedies? I guess a real Pain, which is a deep movie about deep trauma. The substance might be the funniest movie out of all these movies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, that's true.

[Sean Fennessey]

And Nora obviously has that screwball thing in the 30 minutes in the middle, which is great. But like what a fucking gut wrenching movie at the end.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's true.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, well, those are our picks. We'll be back Sunday night.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I could go, oh, for 20. I don't really care.

[Sean Fennessey]

You think you'll be fired if you do?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't know.

[Sean Fennessey]

Just call Bill. Is Amanda. If she goes O for 14.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Honestly, we should do that. That'd be exciting.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's a good little segment for us. I'm going to see Bill shortly. I'll ask him. Welcome back.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Thank you.

[Sean Fennessey]

We really missed you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I missed you guys. I'm thrilled to be back.

[Sean Fennessey]

Bobby, thank you for your work on this episode.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Happy New Year, Bobby.

[Sean Fennessey]

Happy New Year, Bob. You're very welcome. Amanda. It's great to have you back. Thanks for filling in. It's been a lot of work to be a figment of Sean's imagination. He's just been talking into an empty screen for the last few months. So it's great to have you back here. That's not true. I was speaking to you and with you. That's what you thought. But I'm not real. Sometimes I do feel bad about the cinema Heaven.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Sometimes I'm like, is this really happening?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I thought I was fairly normal on this episode. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Oh, I agree.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. I think I need to be medicated. In some ways I'm just like physically falling apart. Mental health is weakening by the day.

[Amanda Dobbins]

There were definitely, I would say between 8 and 15 times during this episode where I went to reach for a word and the language just wasn't there.

[Sean Fennessey]

Remember those days?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, that's sort of been like a three month project for me. But it's coming back.

[Sean Fennessey]

Kind of a prequel to Amor.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, well, great stuff. We'll see you guys on Sunday. Thanks for listening.