The Chicago Movie Draft LIVE in Chicago!

Summary

The Big Picture: The Chicago Movie Draft LIVE in Chicago! Episode Release Date: July 22, 2025

Introduction In this special live episode of The Big Picture hosted by Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins, the Ringer team delves into the vibrant world of Chicago cinema. The episode, titled "The Chicago Movie Draft LIVE in Chicago!", features a dynamic conversation among regular hosts and guests, including Chris Ryan and Chicago theater legend Tracy Letts. The main event centers around drafting the best Chicago movies across various categories, intertwined with engaging trivia sponsored by the Criterion Collection.

Trivia Challenge The episode kicks off with a lively trivia segment, sponsored by the Criterion Collection and the Criterion Channel. Sean emphasizes the importance of a fair and respectful trivia process:

Sean Fennessey [02:25]: "If you yell out the answer, no more trivia. If you start saying things that are not the right answer just to get attention for yourself, no more trivia."

Amanda adds a humorous caution:

Amanda Dobbins [01:36]: "If people start blurting out answers, there will be no more Trivia."

The trivia questions ranged from identifying the highest-grossing movie of 2025 to specific details about classic Chicago-based films like Jurassic World: Rebirth and True West. Audience participation was encouraged, with prizes linked to Criterion’s curated selection of Chicago-rooted films.

One standout moment occurs when Chris Ryan correctly identifies Nezha 2 as the highest-grossing movie:

Chris Ryan [04:07]: "Nejatu."

Drafting the Movies: Categories and Picks Following the trivia, the focus shifts to the main event: drafting Chicago movies across six categories—Drama, Oscar Nominee, Blockbuster, Action/Horror/Thriller, Comedy, and Wild Card. Each participant selects their top choices, providing insights and personal anecdotes about each film.

1. Drama

   • Sean Fennessey: Picks Risky Business.

     Sean Fennessy [74:54]: "One of the most dramatic films ever made, Risky Business."

   • Chris Ryan: Chooses Eight Men Out, highlighting its portrayal of the Black Sox scandal.

     Chris Ryan [76:10]: "An incredibly dense and well-written piece of filmmaking."

   • Amanda Dobbins: Selects A League of Their Own, appreciating its heartfelt narrative.

     Amanda Dobbins [83:02]: "An amazing film about confidence and anxiety."

2. Oscar Nominee

   • Sean Fennessy: Selects The Fugitive, praising its action and storytelling.

     Sean Fennessy [36:41]: "The Fugitive is my pick for Oscar nominee."

   • Tracy Letts: Chooses Hoop Dreams, a highly acclaimed documentary.

     Tracy Letts [41:19]: "The best sports movie ever made, a real Chicago story."

3. Blockbuster

   • Sean Fennessy: Picks The Color of Money.

     Sean Fennessy [37:16]: "A quintessential Chicago movie with Paul Newman."

   • Amanda Dobbins: Chooses My Best Friend's Wedding, a beloved rom-com.

     Amanda Dobbins [73:08]: "A top five romantic comedy for me."

   • Tracy Letts: Selects The Untouchables.

     Tracy Letts [70:31]: "A delightful representation of Chicago."

4. Action/Horror/Thriller

   • Sean Fennessy: Drafts House of Games, lauding its intricate plot.

     Sean Fennessy [80:00]: "An extraordinary con man movie."

   • Amanda Dobbins: Picks Widows, commending its strong performances.

     Amanda Dobbins [65:50]: "A very Chicago movie with incredible cast."

   • Tracy Letts: Chooses Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, highlighting its chilling narrative.

     Tracy Letts [67:46]: "A terrifying depiction of Chicago's darker side."

5. Comedy

   • Sean Fennessy: Selects Wayne's World, embracing its cult status.

     Sean Fennessy [62:16]: "A classic Chicago movie beloved by many."

   • Amanda Dobbins: Chooses Ferris Bueller's Day Off, a personal favorite.

     Amanda Dobbins [38:57]: "A great teen movie about confidence and dancing in the streets."

   • Tracy Letts: Picks The Blues Brothers, celebrating its timeless humor.

     Tracy Letts [43:22]: "A rocking good time and a great comedy."

6. Wild Card

   • Sean Fennessy: Chooses Dark of the Moon, praising its thought-provoking narrative.

     Sean Fennessy [86:03]: "A film that changed the way I think about the world."

   • Amanda Dobbins: Selects While You Were Sleeping, a unique romantic comedy.

     Amanda Dobbins [93:35]: "A messed-up yet charming romantic comedy."

   • Tracy Letts: Picks Love Jones, admiring its emotional honesty.

     Tracy Letts [89:29]: "A beautiful, underseen story about young love in Chicago."

Discussions and Insights Throughout the drafting process, participants engage in spirited discussions about the eligibility of certain films, the portrayal of Chicago in cinema, and personal connections to the selected movies. Tracy Letts shares anecdotes from his theater background, emphasizing the cultural richness of Chicago's artistic scene.

A memorable exchange occurs when Sean connects his personal experiences with Chicago cinema:

Sean Fennessy [04:09]: "I haven't seen Neizia."

Amanda humorously contemplates the challenges of correctly placing movies within categories:

Amanda Dobbins [08:32]: "I'll take four out of five. Can anybody do four out of five?"

Tracy reflects on the significance of the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago's theater landscape, offering deep insights into the city's theatrical prowess.

Conclusion As the draft concludes, the results reveal Amanda Dobbins as the winner of the trivia challenge with her picks for three out of five correct answers. The episode wraps up with heartfelt thanks to all participants, including Tracy Letts and Chris Ryan, and acknowledgments to the Steppenwolf Theater and the event team.

Amanda Dobbins [117:29]: "This was amazing. Thank you for voting for me."

Sean summarizes the evening's achievements and hints at future episodes, promising more engaging content and discussions about iconic films.

Sean Fennessy [119:00]: "Later this week we will be back with an episode about Fantastic Four's first steps. So this is going to be a cool week on the podcast."

The live episode successfully blends humor, competition, and in-depth discussions, celebrating Chicago's rich cinematic heritage and fostering a sense of community among movie enthusiasts.

Transcript

[Sean Fennessy]

This episode of the Big Picture is presented by Starbucks. We are big Starbucks Frappuccino fans over here. So when we heard about the new Strato Frappuccino blended beverage, we had to try it. It's a crave worthy iced blended beverage topped with cold foam, making for delicious layers of flavor.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I love how Starbucks leans into the seasons, especially summer. From vibrant refreshers to cold blended beverages, there's always something exciting to sip on.

[Sean Fennessy]

Available now for a limited time only, your Strato Frappuccino blended beverage is ready at Starbucks. I'm Sean Fennessy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm Amanda Dobbins.

[Sean Fennessy]

And this is the Big Picture. A conversation show. A conversation show about Chicago movies. We are drafting on this episode. We are drafting Chicago movies now. We're not drafting yet. Yeah, as you see, there are two open seats. There will be two additional drafters. They're not here yet. We're not ready to talk with them yet. They're being very patient. We appreciate them. But first we're going to do some trivia. Now we're. Those of you in the audience will be able to answer these trivia questions. Now this needs to be an extremely calm, reasonable, rational, emotionally democratic process.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I want to let you guys know that yesterday in the car we were talking about this process and Sean said in his clearest dad voice, if people start blurting out answers, there will be no more Trivia.

[Sean Fennessy]

That is 100% accurate and I stand by it. And you will hear the dad voice if you misbehave. The wonderful people at the Criterion Collection and the Criterion Channel have sponsored this trivia. And so the prizes will be connected to the work that they do, which I'm very excited about. So 10 questions. 10 audience members will answer those questions. Just raise your hand and we'll call on you. If you yell out the answer, no more trivia. If you start saying things that are not the right answer just to get attention for yourself, no more trivia.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, yeah, that's the other thing is that if you are called upon and you don't know the answer, Sean's also very concerned about that. I didn't even occur to me that that's something that you all would do. I think that we all respect each other here, but Sean has a no tolerance policy for that.

[Sean Fennessy]

We're going to make this work. I trust everyone here. The sad news is that anybody in the upper section is not eligible for trivia. I apologize. This was Chris Ryan's decision. He insisted upon it would not show up unless he said no. Upper section will be eligible for trivia. I said okay, Chris, we need you here tonight. So would you like to begin? So Amanda and I are going to ask these questions back and forth. I just want to see a hand go up if you know the answer to the question. If you don't know the answer and you raise your hand and you say something dumb, I'm going to have a large person escort you from the premises. Okay? But if you know it in good faith, we'll call on you. You'll answer it. Maybe there's a prize on the other side of that answer.

[Chris Ryan]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay, let's start. Remember how I said I always wanted to be a game shower?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I have a negroni in a sippy cup, so I'm just gonna drink that.

[Sean Fennessy]

First question. What is the highest grossing movie of 2025 worldwide? This gentleman right here on the aisle. That was the first hand I saw go up.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Lilo and Stitch.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's incorrect. This young woman right here in the white button down shirt.

[Tracy Letts]

Minecraft.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's incorrect.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

This fellow here in the glasses and the black T shirt.

[Chris Ryan]

Nejatu.

[Sean Fennessy]

That is the correct answer. Ney Zha 2, the Chinese animated sequel. And I know you've all seen Ney Zha, so I can share the details of the sequel here is one of the most successful Chinese productions of all time and is being redistributed here in the United States this summer by a 24. Did you know that?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I didn't. Have you seen it already?

[Sean Fennessy]

I haven't.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, well, maybe we'll go.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay. Will you watch Neizia with me?

[Amanda Dobbins]

It depends how much money's on the table. Okay. Question number two. This is really good. Sean wrote this one. And I think that despite everything he's just done, he deserves credit for this name. The three dinosaurs the mercenaries needed to extract blood from in Jurassic World. Rebirth. Yes. All three. No hands. Wow. No hands. Oh. Okay, go. You got it. Microphone's coming to you. This is your.

[Sean Fennessy]

Hold on, sir. Please wait for the microphone. I know you love this film. The Quetzalcoatl, the Titanosaurus and the mesosaurus. That's correct.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That is incorrect.

[Sean Fennessy]

That is land, air and sea.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That was legendary.

[Sean Fennessy]

That was electrifying. That's a legendary moment in the history of this show. All right, here's a fun one. Friend of the Pod, Tracy Letts and Steppenwolf. Legend has won a Pulitzer for drama and a Tony Award for Best actor for his work in the theater. For which plays did he win each respective award? This gentleman Right here. He won the Pulitzer for August Osage County. He won Best Actor at the Tonys.

[Chris Ryan]

For who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

[Sean Fennessy]

That is correct.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Bing.

[Sean Fennessy]

I just want to say again that it's just embarrassing for us that we're here at the Steppenwolf.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Somehow we are the people on this.

[Sean Fennessy]

Stage, no talent losers who talk about movies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You guys should ask for your money back.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah. Malkovich and Joan Allen once stood here doing wonderful things. All right, Amanda, next question.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. Chris Ryan's father, Desmond, was an esteemed film critic for which hallowed newspaper. Okay. In the middle. Yeah. I'm sorry, because I do see you, but. No, you in the. Yeah. This one. Yeah. Sorry, I couldn't see. Yes. In the Ford Bronco T shirt.

[Chris Ryan]

You switched the questions and the pathology reports. You falsified your research so that Bill Simmons would give you a podcast and Devlin McGregor could give you Pro Basic.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What's up? You did it.

[Sean Fennessy]

You killed this guy's moment.

[Chris Ryan]

Go ahead, brother. I'm sorry.

[Sean Fennessy]

Now I'm really nervous. The Philadelphia Enquirer. That's correct.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's right.

[Sean Fennessy]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Just like choosing a movie to stream, State Farm has options to choose from to help you find coverage that best fits your needs. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with the personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts, and savings and eligibility vary by state. Okay, this one's hard. As I said, the fine folks at Criterion are sponsoring this round of trivia for us, and they have provided gift bags for people who get questions right. In these gift bags, there are five films that Criterion has issued with strong roots in Chicago. Name the five films.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Whoa. You just switched it.

[Sean Fennessy]

I did.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Live on stage. He was going to say four out of five, so now it's five.

[Sean Fennessy]

I'll take four out of five. Can anybody do four out of five?

[Amanda Dobbins]

There you go. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. People are timid. I think you scared them. It's okay if you earnestly get it wrong. Just nothing silly.

[Sean Fennessy]

I disagree.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Thief 1.

[Chris Ryan]

No, he win the fractal.

[Tracy Letts]

Hold on, hold on. The Breakfast Club.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's in the criteria, right?

[Sean Fennessy]

It is, though it is not in this set, but I will accept that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

Oh, okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. That works.

[Tracy Letts]

Manhunter?

[Sean Fennessy]

Nope.

[Chris Ryan]

Damn.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Does he get to keep going or.

[Sean Fennessy]

You're done. Four out of five, you lose. Anyone else want to Give it a try.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We've got someone back there. Yeah. I find I'm drawn to people with real Amanda energy in terms of getting that. So just a tip.

[Chris Ryan]

Okay, so Thief and Breakfast Club are also his.

[Sean Fennessy]

Sir, please. We only have two hours.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah. And Hoop Dreams.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes. That's three.

[Chris Ryan]

And I forgot the last one.

[Sean Fennessy]

Do not raise your hand if you don't have answers. He tapped out. We've got three of four. You need to get one more film and you are gonna get a bag.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Coast on the greatness of others.

[Sean Fennessy]

How do you choose?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'll pick me. Okay, well, listen. There we go. You're following instructions. Back and forth.

[Sean Fennessy]

The bearded gentleman who's waving his hand aggressively.

[Tracy Letts]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Risky Business.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes. That's four. Can you keep going? The Breakfast Club, Hoop Dreams.

[Chris Ryan]

Thief.

[Sean Fennessy]

You have any more? I cannot think. You said four was okay. Four is okay.

[Tracy Letts]

I cannot think of the fifth one.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't think of. Damn it. All right, we'll allow it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Thank you.

[Sean Fennessy]

The other two films which are both included in the bags are Love Jones and Cooley High. Next question.

[Amanda Dobbins]

This movie set a long standing Guinness World Record for the largest number of automobiles ever destroyed in a movie. 60 refurbished and reinforced police cars were wrecked in the various chase scenes. This record. I'm gonna read the whole question. It's my moment. This record held until the belated sequel deliberately set the new record by wrecking one additional automobile for a total of 61. Okay, well, now everybody's waving. Okay, you pick.

[Sean Fennessy]

Dob mob member. Right here.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Of course. The Blues Brothers. Correct.

[Sean Fennessy]

Listeners of the podc that I was present for the world premiere of Blues Brothers 2000 back in 1998 for my 16th birthday. One of the greatest days of my life. Terrible movie. No offense. Chicago. Next question. Are these going okay? Okay, thank you. Before signing on to the Chicago set horror classic Candyman, actor Tony Todd negotiated a bonus of $1,000 for every bee sting he suffered during filming.

[Chris Ryan]

How are they gonna get this?

[Sean Fennessy]

How many times was he stun?

[Chris Ryan]

Can I give it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

There's. Oh, no. A hand went up right there. An eager hand, immediately. Yes, right by the camera. That's you.

[Chris Ryan]

Keep.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Listen. Keep shining. Hold it up high. 23,000.

[Sean Fennessy]

Wait. Hold on.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm sorry.

[Chris Ryan]

20.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He was sorry.

[Chris Ryan]

He won $23,000. He was stung 23 times.

[Sean Fennessy]

That is Rico.

[Chris Ryan]

How did you know that?

[Sean Fennessy]

That's insane. Are you related to the late, great Tony Todd? No, not in any way related to.

[Chris Ryan]

Are you allergic to bee Stings. Okay, good.

[Sean Fennessy]

Tony Todd, most recently seen in the wonderful film Final Destination. Bloodlines.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

One of the best movies of the year.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Name three of the four movies set in Chicago that went on to win Best Picture. 3 of 4. Okay, now everyone's nervous for that.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, we're proud of this one.

[Amanda Dobbins]

This is a little easier than knowing Criterion Editions, so believe in yourselves. Anyone? I'm gonna tell you, one's a gimme. So. All right, there we go in the back. One taker. Chicago the Musical. There we go. All right.

[Chris Ryan]

Untouchable.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, it's not correct, but a good guess.

[Sean Fennessy]

No one else out there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You're so mean about trivia. Now everybody knows what it's like to be you.

[Sean Fennessy]

This, this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, all right.

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, you take it up with Chris. You know, there's someone who's got their hand raised right here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, okay, great.

[Sean Fennessy]

He's wearing a Criterion T shirt.

[Tracy Letts]

Thank you.

[Chris Ryan]

I'm gonna fall on the sword and give another one. But I don't know both. Ordinary People.

[Sean Fennessy]

That is once.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's two.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All right.

[Chris Ryan]

This is an amazing.

[Sean Fennessy]

Can someone help us?

[Chris Ryan]

And I do have a Criterion shirt on.

[Sean Fennessy]

So whoever gets the third, maybe I.

[Chris Ryan]

Get one of the movies in the bag or something like that. I don't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think, listen, I think that's a good deal. Okay. Yeah. In the back.

[Chris Ryan]

This is an active community building. You guys are just step by step.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah. Trade numbers. Follow each other on letterboxd. The Sting. The Sting is correct.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Bingo.

[Sean Fennessy]

Nice job. Nice team effort out there. The fourth film, which is a little bit of a cheat because only a little bit of this movie takes place there. But the Great Ziegfeld in 1936 begins in Chicago.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We'll revisit that eligibility at a later date.

[Sean Fennessy]

Here's an easy one. In what 1992 Chicago based movie does Tracy Letts play a character named Sean?

[Chris Ryan]

Wow.

[Sean Fennessy]

Anyway, I'll give you all a hint.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, yeah, A couple people.

[Sean Fennessy]

Who knows? I'm gonna know it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's okay. You put your hand on it, right? Then you listen.

[Sean Fennessy]

If you know it, you know it.

[Tracy Letts]

I believe that's the fugitive.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's wrong.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Okay. Okay. Another one. There we go. Earnestly wrong. The Rookie of the Year.

[Sean Fennessy]

Incorrect.

[Chris Ryan]

Incorrect.

[Sean Fennessy]

I'll give a big hint. One more guess before the big hint. He pulled it back.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

I'm getting really nervous. Home Alone. Incorrect.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No.

[Sean Fennessy]

Dolly Parton is the star of this movie. Can anyone think?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, over here.

[Sean Fennessy]

Starring Dolly Parton from 1992. Is it a 9 to 5? No.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But that's a good movie. Okay. Waving, waving, waving. Oh, yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

There's a lot. Quite a gesturing going on in the back there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's good.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's sort of a blue man group situation. Straight talk. Straight talk is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's it.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay, one more question.

[Amanda Dobbins]

In 1993's Rookie of the Year, Thomas Ian Nicholas. Excuse me. Plays a kid who brings the Chicago Cubs to a World Series. What is his character's name? Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

All the bro hands went up.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I know.

[Sean Fennessy]

Look at all these boys.

[Chris Ryan]

Chris, Ryan, this gentleman in the front row, he went up first.

[Sean Fennessy]

I think it's Henry Roengartner.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Exactly, right?

[Chris Ryan]

That's right.

[Sean Fennessy]

That bag is just full of 30 copies, 4k of rookie of the Year. So please enjoy.

[Chris Ryan]

That's just full of Pete Crowe Armstrong highlights, actually.

[Sean Fennessy]

You guys ready to draft?

[Chris Ryan]

Let's do it.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay, before we do that, we need to bring out the fourth drafter, who is, of course, Chicago legend Tracy Letts.

[Tracy Letts]

Hello.

[Sean Fennessy]

How does it feel? Like going back to church.

[Tracy Letts]

It feels good. Feels great.

[Sean Fennessy]

So before every draft, we tend to talk about the main subject, whether it be a year or a performer in broad generalities, what it means to us, where we were when we're a trio of posers. Really?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Absolutely.

[Sean Fennessy]

I've only been to this city four times. I love it here. I've had a great time. Don't boo me. We're here now. How many times have you been here?

[Amanda Dobbins]

This is my first trip. I just. I want to say you guys smashed it. Just absolutely great time. I've seen everything. We went full tourists today. Everyone on this stage participated in some of the tourism with me, and it's been wonderful. But I also, you know, otherwise. I've known it in movies.

[Sean Fennessy]

Cr. What about you? You were in a Touch and go band for about 15 years out of Chicago.

[Chris Ryan]

No, I've been here about half a dozen times. I love this city. Got good friends here. Yeah, this is one of my favorite places.

[Sean Fennessy]

What about you?

[Tracy Letts]

I lived here for 36.

[Chris Ryan]

We kind of teed that up for you.

[Tracy Letts]

So, yeah, I moved here in the summer of 1986, and unfortunately, I left here a couple of years ago. My wife works on a TV show that shoots in New York. We have little kids and had to put them in school and had to live there instead of here. So we just feel like displaced Chicagoans. Though I'm too old to be now a New Yorker or an east coast person. I'm just a Chicagoan who happens to live in the East Coast.

[Sean Fennessy]

Can you give a snapshot of Steppenwolf. What it means to you, how you came to be a part of this place.

[Tracy Letts]

Theater was. I don't want to do a Wikipedia page. The theater was formed in 1974, started by Gary Sinise, Jeff Perry and Terry Kinney. The original company included Maury Metcalf, John Malkovich, a bunch of kids who were going to school together at Illinois State University. Yes, they started this company in 74 in a church basement in Highland Park, Illinois, in a suburb. Eventually they moved into the city. They performed at a variety of locations. They had a permanent space for a while a bit further north on Halstead. They built this. Well, the big successes that transferred to New York, True West, Balm and Gilead. These plays really brought Chicago theater into the national consciousness in a big way. And certainly the recorded version of True west that Gary Sinise and John Malkovich did for American Playhouse was a kind of a beacon to actors across the country who wanted to do that kind of theater. And, you know, this city has always had beautiful handmade theater done in storefronts. And it's a great theater town. To my way of thinking, it's the best theater town. So I came with a pretty large migration of actors who came here wanting to do that kind of work and frankly, who. Who weren't necessarily looking for fame and fortune in movies and television. They don't make movies and TV in Chicago, for the most part. We'll talk about some of that tonight in the draft, I would guess. But, I mean, we came here for the work. Brian Denny, he used to say he worked here a lot, and he used to say, you come to Chicago for the work, you're not here, you're not going to get paid, you're not going to make any money, you're not going to be a star. You're here for the work. So that's why I came here. And it's been true ever since. So Steppenwolf meant a lot coming here. And it took a long time before I was able to break through here. I did my first play here in 1988 at the Space up the Street. I did production of the Glass Menagerie. I was not added to the company until 2002, I think. @ the time I was added, it was the longest apprenticeship or tenure, whatever you call that, before being added to the company.

[Sean Fennessy]

Nobody trying to tell you with that.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah, you got to keep working, kid, you know? So it took a long time before I was added to the company. But then once I was added, I did a lot of work on this stage. A lot of work on this stage, both as an actor and as a playwright.

[Sean Fennessy]

We thank you for doing a little more work tonight.

[Chris Ryan]

Tracy, can I ask you a question? While you were living here through the 80s and stuff, when you would see Chicago represented on screen, on the big screen, would you swell with pride? Would you be annoyed that the bus was going the wrong way, that you thought it should be going, or that.

[Tracy Letts]

I probably felt all of those things. You know, quite frequently when a movie is made in Chicago, they're Hollywood stars who are coming here to act in the movie. And as an actor in Chicago, you're hoping to get a part as a day player or maybe you get a couple of weeks on the movie if you're lucky. There just aren't a lot of jobs for those people. Again, that will come up some tonight. What are those productions that just kind of landed in Chicago and. And didn't really care about? Well, I'll tell you a story. When I first came here, I first visited in the summer of 85, and the Goodman Theater was doing a general audition. And so we were all trying to get in the General, because you'd perform at the General, but there were a lot of other theater casting directors who were watching, so you'd get in front of them. Well, it turns out that we were told that Brian De Palma was actually watching that general audition because he was scouting for the Untouchables. I don't really think Brian DePalma was watching. I think maybe a casting director from the Untouchables was watching, because, dear listener, there are no Chicago actors in the Untouchables.

[Sean Fennessy]

So you were never up for Elliot Ness, is what you're saying.

[Tracy Letts]

To answer Chris's question, I had a mixed reaction to it. We always did. We loved seeing our city represented. We loved it when we were able to get some work on a thing. Sometimes we didn't have much of a personal relationship to it. Sometimes we did. Sometimes it's absurd, you know, when you see people, when the geography gets confused, but who cares, right? Ultimately, people don't care about that.

[Sean Fennessy]

What do you think about when you think of Chicago and the movies?

[Chris Ryan]

Well, for the most of my life, I did that. What I knew of Chicago, I knew through film, I knew through Ferris Bueller, I knew through John Hughes movies, and as I got older, some other films that we're going to talk about tonight. But I think it's, like, funny to have a relationship with it, where you come here and there's so many iconic landmarks the architecture, which we learned all about on a lovely river.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Listen, that boat tour, incredible.

[Chris Ryan]

That guy. 100% approval.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Tracy recommendation. But then every single other person from Chicago has just been like, yeah, doesn't miss.

[Chris Ryan]

There's literally a woman on the street who was just like, did you guys do the boat tour? And like, yeah, but that is like, when you see those buildings, when you see, like the angle that you remember from one of the movies, it's just you get like a little. The hair on the back of your neck stands up because you're like, oh, I'm standing right here.

[Sean Fennessy]

What about for you?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I mean, for me, there are two Chicago's. It's the John Hughes suburbs and then the everything else. And I definitely watched all of those John hughes movies like 4000 times and at a younger age. Right. So, I mean, I was looking for the Ferris Bueller angles as well today on the boat. But there are some other important movies that I really don't want to reveal before we get into drafting because we've kept it mostly civil. We've had a lovely time on this trip. It's been. Everyone's been lovely to us, but we've also gotten to spend time together. And I don't want to get the knives out before we got to get the knives out.

[Sean Fennessy]

I think it's time to get the knives out.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Tracy Letts]

I will say, in terms of how we feel about Chicago movies, when I first heard about this, and you would think maybe I was the person who instigated us being here, I'm not at all. I was kind of one of the last elements added. But when I heard that this was happening, if you think for one second that I was going to allow Philadelphia and Atlanta and Long island to sit on stage at the Steppenwolf Theater and draft Chicago movies, I mean, what kind of a third chair would I be?

[Sean Fennessy]

I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but it's been very exciting watching Chris and Tracy interact all weekend as they compete for our love. And now we'll all compete against each other.

[Chris Ryan]

So we have a small business venture that we're looking for. Anybody deep pocketed in the audience wants to fund the third Chair llc. Tracy and I are considering doing a podcast, every big picture podcast, where we discuss errors in judgment, social faux pas, psychology of the hose, crippling anxieties that we could detect and stuff, et cetera, and then talk about the movies that they missed. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

As we all know, there are no errors or anxieties or faux pas on this show. Okay, so we do have to draft. We have categories. We have to find a draft order. I think we all uniformly disagree about the qualifications for a Chicago movie, too.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And we have. Every time it's come up. Sorry, I'm trying to speak and open water at the same time. Every time it's come up, we have said, save it for the show. So there has been some kind of, like, you know, backroom dealings, but, like, individually, about what the eligibility may be, but we have not hashed it out. We are going to do that live in front of all of you, and I think it's gonna go really well.

[Chris Ryan]

She did all the backroom dealing. She took Tracy to a museum, and now they have, like, a whole plant.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sorry. Tracy respects art. You know, you guys went home.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's all very underhanded. All right, as you can see, if you are here with us today, we have six categories. These are more or less the traditional categories that we draft from. They include drama, Oscar nominee, blockbuster, action, horror or thriller, comedy, and Wild card. Now, the threshold for blockbuster is going to be $50 million, and that's because we're talking about the entire history of cinema, you know, and movies released in 1939 just can't compete with movies released this year. And there is a movie that was released this year that will be eligible for this draft, and we'll get to that shortly. But first, we do have to determine a draft order. Now, before we do that, Tracy, very confidently, before the draft, you said, I don't want first, and I don't want second, and I don't want third. I want fourth. Why did you say that?

[Tracy Letts]

Probably to reverse jinx the order of the draft. Also, because I believe that Jack is simply going to read out a list in the order that you gave him before we started the podcast.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Hi, Jack. Yeah. He's waving.

[Sean Fennessy]

Jack, that's your cue. We need a draft order.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. How are you deciding on this?

[Chris Ryan]

I very heavily considered rigging it for Tracy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Chris Ryan]

But, you know, no Top Gun hat today. But in line of Bobby Wagner, Sean, and myself, I have my New York Metropolitan's hat.

[Sean Fennessy]

Let's go.

[Chris Ryan]

It's going to be all fair and square.

[Sean Fennessy]

What's the score of the game right now, Jack?

[Chris Ryan]

Last time I checked, they were losing four nothing to the Los Angeles Angels, but it's all good.

[Sean Fennessy]

Here we go.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So it's really not what you want?

[Sean Fennessy]

God damn it.

[Chris Ryan]

Drafting first will be Christopher Ryan.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, I like it. Chaos. Okay.

[Tracy Letts]

So. So fucking rigged, man.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, you're gonna do that? Great.

[Chris Ryan]

Drafting second will be Sean Fennessy.

[Tracy Letts]

Jesus Christ.

[Sean Fennessy]

You said you wanted fourth.

[Chris Ryan]

Drafting third, Amanda Dobbins. You're welcome, Tracy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Really?

[Sean Fennessy]

Dreams do come true.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's good. You have the turn.

[Tracy Letts]

It's great.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. All right. You're just gonna stand for this pick?

[Chris Ryan]

I might as well.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, I'm taking Thief.

[Chris Ryan]

Come on.

[Tracy Letts]

Right.

[Chris Ryan]

The rain slicked streets of Chicago. Jimmy Khan taking Tuesday Weld on the greatest first date ever. Tracy's compatriot, William Peterson makes a brief appearance in this film. Michael Mann's 1981 movie about a master safecracker and his complicated relationship to management. And one of my favorite films of all time, a Criterion Film. So I think some. Hopefully, somebody received that this evening.

[Sean Fennessy]

Hopefully 10 people.

[Chris Ryan]

10 people received that this evening. Thief. It's the goat. I have no compunction.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All right, you do your filing. We'll talk about it.

[Chris Ryan]

What's that?

[Amanda Dobbins]

You do your filing and we'll talk about it. Now? Yes. This is. It's a new system. And, you know, it's exciting. There are a lot of movies on there, some of which I do not feel should be eligible.

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, I got to choose my genre.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Choose your genre. Why don't you do it in real time? Put it up where it belongs.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Oh, this is exciting.

[Chris Ryan]

I will.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is it now a visual not eligible for Blockbuster? I know.

[Chris Ryan]

I know what it is. All right. The stupidity of the proletariat is not, you know, like, we're not going to see this movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I wasn't saying. I just.

[Chris Ryan]

I'll put it. I'm going to put it in Thriller.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, great. What a great pick. Chris Ryan. We drove by a bridge.

[Tracy Letts]

What's that?

[Amanda Dobbins]

We drove by a bridge that was featured in Thief yesterday, right?

[Tracy Letts]

That's correct.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We pointed it out.

[Tracy Letts]

That's correct. I have a couple of things to say about this movie.

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, great.

[Tracy Letts]

First of all, I knew what Chris Ryan's first pick was going to be. I think we all did.

[Sean Fennessy]

Will you be saying I have a few things to say about this movie after.

[Tracy Letts]

I won't.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay.

[Tracy Letts]

I have that to say about only about two or three movies, but I definitely have a couple things do.

[Chris Ryan]

To.

[Tracy Letts]

To say about Thief. First of all, Tuesday Weld works at the Belden Deli. The Belden Deli was at the corner of Belden and Clark. Anybody who's ever been to the Belden Deli realizes that it's so ridiculous that Tuesday Weld would work at the Bell in Deli. Every person who worked at the Belden Deli was a 250 pound Russian slab of concrete. It was so absurd. I want to ask Michael Mann, was that a joke? Was that the in joke that Tuesday Weld would work there? The other thing I want to say about Thief is that there's a scene where James Caan goes to a guy who apparently makes machinery for criminals.

[Chris Ryan]

That was my backup job. If I didn't get the ringer yet.

[Tracy Letts]

That actor is a gentleman I worked with on stage here in Chicago, here at Steppenwolf. His name is Nathan Davis. He is the father of the movie director Andrew Davis, who made the Fugitive.

[Sean Fennessy]

How convenient for my second pick.

[Tracy Letts]

Nathan was a real ubiquitous presence on Chicago stages as the old guy. He played the old guy a lot. And I have a story I want to tell you about Nathan Davis. I mean, I know that people didn't come here tonight to hear a story about Nathan Davis necessarily, but it's a good story.

[Sean Fennessy]

Right next to Dob Mob is Nathan Davis mob, actually. So you're in luck.

[Tracy Letts]

So we were doing the play Picasso at the Le Panagile, the Steve Martin show. It began here and it traveled to Los Angeles. I performed in that play 468 performances. When we performed in Los Angeles, it was the Westwood Playhouse. And then David Geffen came to see the play, and he liked it so much, he bought the theater and it became the Geffen Playhouse. While we were doing that play, the bathrooms and the dressing rooms were in the basement, as they are here. But there was a green room right off stage, and we would go in there for notes. And there was a small bathroom in the green room. And one time we went in there for notes, and the bathroom door was closed. And I tapped on the bathroom door, and Nathan, who by the way, was very generous and genial fellow, always a smile on his face. I heard him call from inside, occupied. Okay, sorry. Go out for notes and wait for the bathroom. And the door explodes open. And Nathan says, who is that knocking on the door? And I said, it was me. And he said. He came up to me privately and he said, when the bathroom door is closed, I'm taking a shit. I said, I'm sorry, Nate. Well, the bathroom door is closed. Why did you knock on it? And I said, well, because I thought maybe somebody had used the bathroom and left and then closed the door. I thought maybe there was nobody in there, so I was tapping to see if anybody was inside the bathroom. Well, when the bathroom door is closed, I'm taking a shit.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So.

[Tracy Letts]

Okay, so I'm really sorry. The next day, I'm standing at the coffee pot in the green room, and there's a tap on my shoulder. And I turn around and Nathan is about this far away from my face, and. And he's trembling. And he said, yesterday I was angry about this, but today I'm fucking furious. When the goddamn bathroom door is closed, I'm taking a fucking shit. Really Sorry, Nate. He left the show shortly after that.

[Chris Ryan]

Did you ever talk to him again?

[Sean Fennessy]

I don't know if Nathan Davis mob is feeling stronger or weaker after that story.

[Chris Ryan]

Did you ever have any future interactions with him? Or was this like, this is it?

[Tracy Letts]

That was pretty much it.

[Chris Ryan]

That's great.

[Sean Fennessy]

Is the man alive?

[Tracy Letts]

He's not. Nathan passed away someday.

[Sean Fennessy]

I have no idea how I'm going to segue out of that, but I do know how to pick out of it. And with the second pick, I will be drafting the shitting man's son's masterpiece.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

The Fugitive.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, that's good. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

1993. Directed by. By the great Andrew Davis, who made many films in Chicago. And when we were talking about doing this, we were talking about who is kind of the bard of Chicago for filmmakers. Who are the filmmakers you think of most when you think of this city? Think of Michael Mann. You think of John Hughes. Underrated. Andrew Davis, who made many Guy with a Gun movies here. And I think this is his best one. Based on a TV show. It was IP and transformed into a magical movie, an action thriller that was Oscar nominated. Oscar wins. I will be selecting it in Oscar nominee. Tommy Lee Jones, of course, won best supporting actor for his performance.

[Chris Ryan]

This may be the. Is this the quintessential Chicago movie in terms of the amount of Chicago per minute that you see in this. In this film, like urban Chicago. Bueller. But Bueller's got a lot of suburbs in the beginning, right? At least, like the first 30 minutes, right?

[Tracy Letts]

I don't have an answer to this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

When we. When we were on the river today, I was thinking about it being green. So, you know, and it was a little green actually. You know, you're in the wrong row. Not in a mean way.

[Tracy Letts]

You're in the wrong row.

[Chris Ryan]

That's my.

[Sean Fennessy]

All right, don't make me summon Nathan Davis spirit.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay? That's a good pick.

[Sean Fennessy]

Thank you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It was on my list, but it was now my number one pick. So, Tracy, now you get to find out what my number one pick is, which is still on the board. And the thing is, the way the draft order works is that then you'll get Two picks, and then I get to pick again. So I am making my number one pick and not picking something else. And you could screw me. And so this is about trust between you and me. And I'm looking at you right now, and I'm just letting you know. And you do with that what you will. Cause I know you came to win. Anyway, my first pick will, of course, be Ferris Bueller's Day Off. And I. I'm taking it in comedy. And I mean, just, you know, for Sean's bookkeeping purposes. This movie I owned on. Well, you know, I just. You're gonna complete.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's my 800th draft.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Can I put it up? Oh, yeah. Do you mind? Thanks so much. What service? What is this?

[Sean Fennessy]

White glove service? I don't remember you asking me if I needed any help.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was going to talk and then do it. So, you know, we're multitasking. This is by far my favorite of the John Hughes movies. I had this on VHS, which was a way that you watched movies before DVDs for the younger among you and watched it a thousand times. A great teen movie about confidence and anxiety and also dancing in the street in Chicago.

[Chris Ryan]

Did you?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Did you. Where is it going? Oh, no. Oh, we can't find it.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Well, that's all right.

[Sean Fennessy]

It turns out it's ineligible. Sorry.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, that would be amazing.

[Chris Ryan]

There was no letter F. It's in there.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's misplaced.

[Chris Ryan]

Do you think it's under Bueller?

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, I pulled Fugitive out, so F must be there, right?

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, you took F out, didn't you?

[Sean Fennessy]

No.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, this is exciting.

[Sean Fennessy]

This is what you get for offering to help her.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, there we go. Thank you so much. Okay, there it is. There it is. Yes, please, in comedy.

[Sean Fennessy]

Jack, cut all this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I have a tremendous amount of this. I mean, we all have a lot of this film memorized. And I was asked recently by our friend Van Lathan what 80s movie characters best represented my sons. And I was like, well, you can't say Ferris Bueller. And I think, in fact, that they have a lot of Cameron in them. But, like, you want Ferris for all of them, right? You know, was it the guys who.

[Chris Ryan]

Work in the garage?

[Amanda Dobbins]

What?

[Chris Ryan]

Was it the guys who work in the garage?

[Amanda Dobbins]

That was it. That was it.

[Sean Fennessy]

We all want to be Ferris.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I know. That's the beauty of the film. I know. There we go.

[Sean Fennessy]

Great movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

You've got printhouse in front of you.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah, I do, because I.

[Chris Ryan]

Do you have any commentary on Ferris Bueller's day off? Did you want to add anything about that film?

[Tracy Letts]

That's a lot of fun.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, bless her. We had a lovely moment in front of the Surrott this afternoon. We're just looking at all the dots, you know.

[Sean Fennessy]

Absolutely love that.

[Tracy Letts]

In Oscar nominee. I'm taking Hoop Dreams.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

I wanted this. Obviously. This is one of the best documentaries ever made.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

So it's pretty cool.

[Sean Fennessy]

Some would say the best documentary ever made. Steve James's masterpiece following two young guys attempting to make it from, I believe it's south side of Chicago and trying to make it into the upper crust collegiate basketball and the idea of getting into college football and getting into the NBA and heartbreaking and incredibly intimate movie about family and about sacrifices that are made. And, you know, we just talked about Moneyball last night about sports movies that are about not quite getting there, not quite making it, not quite achieving what you'd hope to achieve. And that might be the best sports movie ever about that idea. Fair to say.

[Tracy Letts]

I think it's the best sports movie ever made, in my view. I, Carrie and I were asked to do top 10 lists for the 1990s for Indiewire, and Hoop Dreams was number one on my list. I think it's a great movie about the city of Chicago. I think it's a great movie about athletics, unlike some of the other movies on here. It's about poor people and it's about working class people and it's about people who are a real part of this city.

[Sean Fennessy]

We don't have to tear down Richard Kimball to lift up who. Dr. Richard Kimball.

[Tracy Letts]

It's a real Chicago story. Steve James is a great documentarian and he's continued to be a great documentarian, both in movie and TV form. And it was my number one pick. I got my number one, so I'm feeling very good about that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

How are your predictions, predictions going so far?

[Tracy Letts]

What's that?

[Amanda Dobbins]

How are your predictions going so far?

[Tracy Letts]

Oh, I'm 100%.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You are.

[Sean Fennessy]

How convenient.

[Tracy Letts]

You have another pick in comedy. I'll take the Blues Brothers.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

This is a blow.

[Chris Ryan]

This is a blow for you.

[Sean Fennessy]

This is a blow.

[Chris Ryan]

My strategy, you love two whole fried chickens and white toast or.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I assumed that this would be on your list, so I, you know, who's.

[Sean Fennessy]

Jake and who's Elwood here?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't think we need to answer that question. This was a real. This was. My dad was like, hey, Amanda, you're five years old. Here's the Blues Brothers, and I think I'm better for it.

[Sean Fennessy]

One weird thing about the Blues Brothers movie is. It's six hours long.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Do people remember that? It's incredibly long.

[Chris Ryan]

There's a car chase that you grow a beard during. Like, it is really something else.

[Tracy Letts]

But Aretha Franklin's in this movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Tracy Letts]

Aretha Franklin isn't in any of those other movies.

[Chris Ryan]

Well, if that's the criteria, then I didn't know.

[Sean Fennessy]

We're just grabbing new elements to help win drafts, aren't we? It's just building your resume in unique ways.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm back.

[Sean Fennessy]

You're back.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You don't want to say anything else about the Blues Brothers?

[Tracy Letts]

About the Blues Brothers? What's to say, man? It's a rocking good time. It's a great comedy. It's. It's. And it stood the test of time. It's great. You know, Belushi was. Belushi was lightning in a bottle. And we didn't have him for long enough. But he was. I mean, you. At the time he died, he had the, like, the number one album, the number one movie, and the number one TV show. There's a. They don't make him like that. He was. Phenomenon.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Tracy Letts]

It's great. I love it.

[Chris Ryan]

Did you think it was realistic when Carrie Fisher shot a bazooka into his hotel and everybody lives?

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah, I wasn't watching for the realism.

[Sean Fennessy]

Do you know my whole nugget about the poster on the wall in Jake and Elwood's apartment?

[Tracy Letts]

No.

[Sean Fennessy]

Do the nugget. Dare I do it again?

[Chris Ryan]

Do the nugget.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay. I did this on the rewatchable, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself for anybody, but there's a poster on the wall early in the film. And the poster is of Lynda Carter, who was Wonder Woman on television, nude. It's a fake Playboy centerfold. And this is a very curious thing because, one, she never was a centerfold. But two, she was cast in a movie called Apocalypse now to be one of the Playboy bunnies who gets off the helicopter and seduces some of the soldiers. And she couldn't make the film work because of the crazy schedule of the film. And they recast her part with Colleen Camp. And they recreated the same photo shoot and put Colleen Camp's centerfold in the movie. But the Lynda Carter centerfold exists in the Blues Brothers. So the Blues Brothers takes place in an alternate universe where Lynda Carter stars in Apocalypse Now.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's good.

[Sean Fennessy]

Is that not one of the craziest things in movie history?

[Tracy Letts]

Pretty crazy.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Also, I did that from memory.

[Tracy Letts]

Henry Gibson, too. I just have to say Henry Gibson.

[Sean Fennessy]

He's good.

[Tracy Letts]

That's a great performance.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All right, I have another pick. Tracy, can you guess what it is?

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah, I think I can.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. I mean, the floor is yours.

[Tracy Letts]

What? No, I'm not. No, no.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All right. Okay. Aidan steal your thunder in Blockbuster. And it could have cleared the 75 million as well, which was a threshold under consideration. I will, of course, be taking My Best Friend's Wedding. Yeah. I did actually own this on VHS also, and it was not really a robust VHS collection. It was pretty much Ferris Bueller, My Best Friend's wedding, and Apollo 13. So thank you, Chicago, I guess, for raising me. This is. I do think it's a top five romantic comedy for me. And this is the Julia Roberts rom com that I have watched the most. Then Notting Hill, then Pretty Woman. I respect them all, but, I mean, you know, they're all magical. But I like that she's the evil one in this. Oh, thank you. I was gonna listen. I'm gonna talk and then. But it's, you know, thank you. It is making fun and sending up a genre that I like very much while also hitting all of the notes. This soundtrack was very formative to me. Oh, Blockbuster. And, you know, with this, I say a little prayer for you and the lobster hands and then the. You guys know what I'm talking about. Really, really good stuff. The boat ride today was quite emotional, given what happens between Dermot and Mulroney. Doesn't quite happen between Dermot o' Rooney and Julia Roberts on the boat. And I just. It's. It hits. It is like. It is romantic comedy, but she still doesn't get the guy. And I appreciate that.

[Chris Ryan]

Can I ask you about a scene in this film?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Chris Ryan]

And I have to admit that this was brought to my attention when I went and saw this movie screened and several comedians. It was like, Doug loves movies. And several comedians are kind of making fun of the movie while we're watching it and also loving the film while we're watching it. There's a scene where Julia Roberts impersonates Dermot Mulroney by writing an email from. Or. No, from. She impersonates Cameron Diaz's dad.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She breaks into his office and she's.

[Chris Ryan]

Writes an email from his account.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right? Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

To Dermot Mulroney's boss at, like, Sport magazine.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Chris Ryan]

Batman gets the email, writes a letter in response to this email, has it printed out.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I wonder if it was.

[Chris Ryan]

And people take it by courier. To Dermot Mulroney. So that he knows that he is like, this is happening behind his back. And it is the weirdest conflation of communication methods. It's like courier, email, letter writing. And it was just like, it's right at that edge before the Matrix, you know, like before everything changed.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That also it's delivered to him at the Drake Hotel. That's right, yeah. Which we didn't. I didn't get to visit that one. But between that and Mission Impossible, a very important movie hotel.

[Sean Fennessy]

As a journalist, how did you feel about her ethics as a restaurant reviewer?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, she was up front, you know, no disguises. So she in fact takes one bite and then announces, I'm writing it up as I don't, you know, inventive and whatever. I actually didn't rewatch this movie. I've seen it so many times. It could be worse. I'm more concerned that she's 28 and the restaurant critic of a major newspaper. I'm really happy that you're 28. And also if you are the critic at a major newspaper, that's awesome. But it's not happy for most people right now. What?

[Sean Fennessy]

Our media is in so much trouble.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. No, it's true. How do you feel about the fact that they had a pact to marry each other at the age of 28 if they weren't already married?

[Chris Ryan]

Because they were.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That, you know, it's. That's. Listen, give yourselves a little more time. If anyone out here, you know, it's. It's okay.

[Tracy Letts]

I really admire the way the movie establishes the. The conceit. The premise of the film is established so early in the movie. It's like, here's what we're doing, folks. This is. This is the concept. This is of a high concept romantic comedy. This is the concept. We'll get to the character development later. Right. I think that a lot of movies now spend 20 minutes in the character development before they introduce the inciting incident. And this movie doesn't. I really admire the way it gets to its business.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. She falls off the bed and is like, what? And that's that.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah. And I admire the physical comp. That the physical comedy is introduced, even though there are players in it who you don't think of as physical comedy actors. Right, right.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Are you just mad that her family is like a White Sox owner instead of the Cubs? Like, what's your. What's your damage?

[Tracy Letts]

I'm not mad. Don't say I'm mad.

[Sean Fennessy]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Life's full of decisions. Big and small. And sometimes you make one you can really stand behind. For example, I'm trying to get my daughter to watch more movies. I suggested a childhood favorite recently, and she bought in, and I'm glad I did. State Farm gets it. Making confident choices can make all the difference. That's why with the State Farm personal price plan, you can choose the right amount of coverage to help create an affordable price for you. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on ratings plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts, and savings and eligibility vary by state. Well, Chris is going to be mad. In Blockbuster, I'm taking the Color of Money.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, so let's talk about this from a Chicago movie.

[Chris Ryan]

Well, let's talk about whether this is a Chicago movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right. This is what I'm saying.

[Chris Ryan]

It was shot here. Correct.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And they meet here.

[Chris Ryan]

They.

[Tracy Letts]

They shot some of it here?

[Chris Ryan]

Yes, they shot some of it here. I would say this is an example of a film being spiritually Chicago.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, okay. So you're gonna give it to him even though they then go out on the road for a while and then ultimately wind up in Atlantic City.

[Chris Ryan]

Atlantic City, yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. In your neck of the woods.

[Chris Ryan]

In my neck of the woods, yeah. Give me some of the reasoning behind why you chose this.

[Sean Fennessy]

I think Vince represents the essence of the town.

[Chris Ryan]

Vince, okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

Which you might think Paul Newman's character, the legendary character carrying over from the hustler, hard bitten, coming from nothing, working hard to build himself up over time, represents Chicago. But Chicago, as I've learned in the last 48 hours, a town of flash, a town of pizzazz, a showman's town.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

A town where a man may wear his own name on a T shirt, such as Vince does. And I don't know, there's something about the kind of, like, working class moving in the pool hall identity. The kind of like doing everything you can to get the most that you can energy that is in the first 40 minutes of this movie that is unmistakable.

[Chris Ryan]

What was the name of the pool hall? Was that Lincoln Athletic Club we were walking by?

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah. On diversity.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah. So I guess they shot there. Okay, Good picture.

[Sean Fennessy]

This is directed by Martin Scorsese.

[Chris Ryan]

I know.

[Sean Fennessy]

Stars Tom Cruise and Paul Newman. It's one of the best sports movies ever made. Is it in the Conversation with Hoop Dreams? Tracy?

[Tracy Letts]

No.

[Sean Fennessy]

Put that on a T. I feel good about the pick. You guys can undermine me if you'd like.

[Chris Ryan]

No, we'll see what happens.

[Sean Fennessy]

We'll see what happens.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah. Cause I think.

[Sean Fennessy]

Is that like a threat for later tonight?

[Chris Ryan]

What you did is you broke the seal. And now we're gonna start coloring outside the lines, okay? And that's why I am gonna pick Dark Knight.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Chris Ryan]

And Blockbuster. I spent some time this week with Batman Begins, Dark Knight and Dark Knight Rises. And I have come to the conclusion that Batman Begins is largely set in Mongolia. The Dark Knight is a Chicago film and Dark Knight Rises is a Pittsburgh movie. And I think that that's pretty watertight. And I'll take this. In Blockbuster.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. In Blockbuster.

[Sean Fennessy]

Once again, I ask, is Christopher Nolan okay? How did Gotham go from Chicago to Pittsburgh? Has anyone confronted him about this? Have you?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, maybe we could have. If we put this movie on 25 for 25.

[Sean Fennessy]

No regrets. No regrets. It should have been memento.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oppenheimer is on this long list. Is there an Oppenheimer card in there?

[Sean Fennessy]

There could be.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Let's not spoil it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Any thoughts on Dark Knight?

[Tracy Letts]

Any thoughts on the Dark Knight?

[Chris Ryan]

It'd be incredible if he was third chair, honestly, if he was just like Tracy, you know, F1. What do you think, man? Nothing. Don't. I don't like driving. That's not a thing.

[Sean Fennessy]

Are you stepping back? Are you ceding territory?

[Chris Ryan]

I'm just saying, just think about, you know, you can see what the other side is like over here. You know, you'll miss me when I'm gone.

[Sean Fennessy]

You have no more material on the Dark Knight.

[Chris Ryan]

This movie rocks. And they flip a truck in the middle of the street and Heath Ledger gives one of the great villain performances of all time. Although, was he a villain? You know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And.

[Chris Ryan]

What a brilliant movie. You know, Eckhart the da yeah, well.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Got away from you at the end there. But yeah, much like the movie, you're.

[Sean Fennessy]

A two faced guy.

[Chris Ryan]

I thought he gave an effective performance. I thought it was. He was really. He had it stacking up. It was Brockovich and that. And then he kind of left to do the White House has been attacked movies.

[Sean Fennessy]

Do you see? Do you have like a kind of common empathy for 2Face's plight? You know, that he is seeking goodness, but then a crazed clown burns off half of his face and thinks that a caped crusader did it and so he has to seek revenge on the rest of the city?

[Chris Ryan]

Yes, I do think that that's a very empathetic arc. Should I pick. Am I on the turn here?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, you're on the turn.

[Sean Fennessy]

Dark Knight Rises is not eligible.

[Chris Ryan]

Dark Knight Rises is a Pittsburgh movie. It's like Doug Drabeck. It might as well just be the Pittsburgh Pirate movie.

[Sean Fennessy]

No one here knows who Doug Drabeck comes from.

[Chris Ryan]

I will take for drama.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

Think of a movie.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, no, it's not that. It's just category stuff. I'm gonna take Primal Fear.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, okay. No, I'll find it. You talk.

[Chris Ryan]

And I'm gonna take it. In Oscar nominee, Oscar nominee, Fred Norton. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay. You said, I'm gonna take a drama.

[Chris Ryan]

I changed my mind. It is a drama. It's a thriller.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's.

[Chris Ryan]

It's comic in places. You know, Richard Gere is funny in this movie. In Oscar nominee. Thanks. Wow, what a lineup. The big three. This is just.

[Sean Fennessy]

Who directed this movie? Can you remember who directed this film?

[Chris Ryan]

Hoblit.

[Sean Fennessy]

Hoblit. Gregory Hoblit. Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

Don't try and throw your stripes at me.

[Sean Fennessy]

What's your second favorite Hoblit film?

[Chris Ryan]

He made a Denzel movie that was fucked up. I can't remember what it was called.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's called Fallen.

[Chris Ryan]

Yes.

[Sean Fennessy]

You guys seen Fallen? Where the devil goes into Denzel.

[Chris Ryan]

That's right.

[Sean Fennessy]

Seen Fallen.

[Chris Ryan]

No, wait, but do you own Fallen on Blu Ray?

[Tracy Letts]

No, I don't.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

I was gonna start this show. I seriously considered starting this show by bringing the Blu Rays that I bought at television on stage and just talking through them for 40 minutes. This is a true story. I'm going to tell it right here. We went to Terravision yesterday and incredible selection of imports and obscure exploitation films from around the world. And every single disc that I pulled off of a shelf and showed to Tracy, he was like, I've got that. Every single one. Like 30 of them. He had them all. Okay, I'm done.

[Chris Ryan]

No, it was like watching Morpheus and Neo train. He was just like.

[Sean Fennessy]

In that equation, though, am I the chosen one?

[Chris Ryan]

I guess so when it comes to wasting money on DVDs. But, yeah, I think you're up.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, you gotta pick.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay. The cinema of Hoblit has been selected. Okay. I've currently got Oscar nominee and blockbuster.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, do you want us to fill right now?

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, I'm thinking.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All right.

[Sean Fennessy]

I'm thinking hard now. This is an interesting question. Is his Girl Friday a Chicago film?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No.

[Chris Ryan]

No.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Absolutely not. Don't even try it.

[Sean Fennessy]

But the film. But the play that the film is based on is set in Chicago.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's all about the trained Albany frontage. I will absolutely walk out of this theater.

[Sean Fennessy]

Maybe I should take it then. Okay. Actually.

[Tracy Letts]

Actually, I actually think there's an argument to be made for his Girl Friday being considered a Chicago film.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They're in New York.

[Tracy Letts]

They're not.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They're not.

[Tracy Letts]

No. They're traveling to Albany. Even in the original play written by Ben hecht and Charles MacArthur, they're traveling to Albany on the train from Chicag, Though his Girl Friday never makes explicit that they're in the city of Chicago. They even say in the original 1931.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Film, they say, I know in the original he's welcome. About his girlfriend for the front page.

[Chris Ryan]

Either version.

[Sean Fennessy]

I think it's hard because she didn't plan for this and she would have taken it, and now she's mad that it's considered eligible.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I did, but. But it's not stated as Chicago.

[Tracy Letts]

It's not stated as Chicago, and it's not filmed in Chicago, and nobody in it is from Chicago. All of that is true. That's all true.

[Sean Fennessy]

Now, we didn't determine that any of those are parameters around which we didn't. A movie would be a Chicago.

[Tracy Letts]

But can you look at yourself in the mirror? Yeah, with great joy.

[Chris Ryan]

I know that Batman is from Chicago and that Christian Bale and. And Gary Oldman and Heath Ledger cut their teeth here.

[Tracy Letts]

You know, I think the 1931 front page is a more honest pick than His Girl Friday.

[Sean Fennessy]

Oh, thank you for weighing in. What about Wayne's World?

[Amanda Dobbins]

There you go. That's better.

[Sean Fennessy]

Now, that's a Chicago movie. It's also a suburbs of Chicago movie. And how did the suburbs work here? Is the suburbs truly part of the city? Interesting.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

Now, as a Long Islander, I don't claim New York City. I'm not from New York City. I'm from Long Island. So if you're from the suburbs of Chicago, you cannot claim Chicago. But do they. They do go to Chicago in the film Wayne's World. So I'll be taking Wayne's World in comedy.

[Tracy Letts]

I think. I think we all hear the muted response.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Tracy Letts]

You took Wayne's World 2.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah. Did you mean to do that?

[Sean Fennessy]

Wayne's World 2 is set in the desert with a Native American man. I'll need to find that. Here it is. I'll have you know you're our guest. This may be your house, but you are our guest. This episode is brought to you by Pretty Litter. Keeping your house clean when you've got a cat is no easy feat. But with Pretty Litter, you don't have to choose between a fresh house and a healthy cat. This litter is practically magic. It's low dust, controls odors and lasts up to a whole month. But the best part, it monitors your cat's health every time they use the box. Plus, Pretty Litter ship's free right to your door. So no heavy bags to carry and no last minute pet store runs right now. Save 20% on your first order and get a free cat toy. A Pretty Litter.com BigPicture that's PrettyLitter.com BigPicture to save 20% on your first order AND get a free cat toy. PrettyLitter.com BigPicture Pretty Litter cannot detect every feline health issue or prevent or diagnose diseases. A diagnosis can only come from a licensed veterinarian. Terms and conditions apply. See site for details. You're up High School Friday.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. I'm not going to do it. I thought about it. I'm going to be a bit strategic here.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's a first.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's her fault you're mad. It's her fault you're mad because everyone shamed you into doing the honorable thing. No. You know, as we all know, action and horror and thriller tends to generally be a slightly thinner category for me research wise. And the Fugitive is gone, so. And the Dark Knight was also maybe on my list. But I'm actually happy that instead in action, horror, thriller, I am going to take Widows, starring Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Colin Farrell, Cynthia Erivo, Brian Tyree, Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Robert Duvall, Liam Neeson, Jon Bernthal and Carrie Coon. And a dog who was really good in that scene. And also in Game Night, this movie, I remember we saw it at the time and we're like, this is a movie. You and I were very psyched about it. And then this is Directed by Steve McQueen and stars everyone I just named and is a very Chicago movie and about Chicago politics and other forces. And it was like a muted response, I guess. People kind of liked it. No Oscars. Kind of forgotten. Rewatched it again yesterday. A banger. Just a great movie. So I'm thrilled to have it.

[Sean Fennessy]

Very memorable moment where Colin Farrell, who's playing kind of a powerful man, the camera is on the front of the car and you see out the back of the windshield the whole city moving from the poorest parts of the city all the way to where he lives and probably never seen Chicago quite that clearly in a movie for such an extended shot. It's like 10 minutes in that film.

[Tracy Letts]

Carrie and I have never seen Widows.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

Wow.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All right.

[Tracy Letts]

She didn't Have a very good time making it. Yeah, she didn't have a very good time making it. And sometimes the experience you have when you're making a movie colors how you feel about watching it later. So she just wasn't enthusiastic. I mean, she wasn't like, I'll never watch that thing. It was just. We own it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Tracy Letts]

We own it on blue. I think there's a nice 4k of widows. We. We haven't watched it yet. We'll watch it sometime.

[Sean Fennessy]

So it was not on that piece of paper?

[Tracy Letts]

No, I don't think it is.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, I should hope so.

[Tracy Letts]

Oh, I actually have it listed just because I knew, you know, but far down. I mean, I wasn't going to pick it because I haven't seen it.

[Sean Fennessy]

You're getting naked here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I guess so. I mean, I'm. I'm sad about that.

[Chris Ryan]

But, you know, up on the board, you're.

[Tracy Letts]

You're.

[Chris Ryan]

You're sticking with this?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I'm sticking. Yeah. No, no. I mean, I.

[Chris Ryan]

Because he hasn't seen it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's right. Yeah, I'm sticking with it. I thought she was very good in it.

[Tracy Letts]

Oh, thanks.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Tracy Letts]

Well, we should watch it.

[Sean Fennessy]

Watch along. The three of us. You and Carrie. Yeah.

[Tracy Letts]

Do a watch along.

[Sean Fennessy]

Could be a good pod. Could be interesting. Okay. You have two selections.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah. And it's getting a little dicey. The board's getting a little dicey.

[Sean Fennessy]

Thinning out. But his Girl Friday's still available.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah. In action. Horror, thriller. I'm going to take Henry. Portrait of a Serial.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's the true essence of Chicago.

[Chris Ryan]

This is a heartwarming crowd pleaser.

[Sean Fennessy]

Are you sure you don't want to put it in comedy?

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. That's right.

[Sean Fennessy]

This film is Directed by John McNaughton. Right, John McNaughton, director of Wild Things. All you wild Things, fans of.

[Chris Ryan]

And Mad Dog and Glory.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, Mad Dog and Glory. A number of other very good films. It stars Michael Rooker in an absolutely terrifying performance as a man named Henry who is a serial killer.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah, all of that's true. It's very scary. It's very Chicago. Lower Wacker has never been more terrifying than in Henry. Portrait of a Serial Killer. It's really shown to terrifying effect. Michael Rooker went to school at DePaul University, to the theater school. And around the time that I arrived in town, he was just making this movie. The movie was coming out this mid-80s, and he was at a party and he gave a girl a ride home from the party. And as he was dropping her Off. He said, you haven't seen Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer, have you? And she said, no, I haven't. He said, that's why you let me give you a ride.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was nervous during that story. But it worked out, right?

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah, it's a really good. It's a great. You know, it shares something in common with Texas Chainsaw Massacre and some movies of that ilk. In that part of the genius of the film is you're not quite sure that the people who made it aren't mad men themselves. Right. And you're like, I don't know that the person who's got control of the wheel here is morally responsible.

[Chris Ryan]

Those are literally my favorite films.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah, right. That's part of the chilling effect of Henry. You feel scared, even kind of putting it on to watch it. It's a scary experience.

[Sean Fennessy]

Interesting choice. By you.

[Tracy Letts]

Why is that?

[Sean Fennessy]

It's revealing. You have another pick.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You have another pick.

[Chris Ryan]

What if that piece of paper just says Henry Portrait of a serial killer, like 55 times?

[Sean Fennessy]

All work and no play makes Tracy Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer.

[Chris Ryan]

And then it's just Wayne's World once. Yeah.

[Tracy Letts]

I have another pick. What do I owe? Drama. Blockbuster. Wild card. Consult my maps and charts here in Blockbuster. I'm going to take the Untouchable.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'll do it. I got it for you.

[Tracy Letts]

Just a real movie. Movie and shows. Chicago. I mean, as I say, De Palma didn't cast any. Cast any Chicagoans in this film other than the great Del Close, who was improv guru and a great guy and a friend of mine. He was also in Picasso Le Panagil for a while. I did that with Dell. He has the line in the movies where he says, you guys are supposed to be untouchable. Is that the thing? That's Dil. Close. It's just a real. It's a delight, the movie. It's so much fun. I think it's De Palma sort of at his most. At his most fun, sort of cutting loose. I mean, Sean Connery as an Irishman is akin to Mickey Rooney playing that Japanese character in Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's just an absolute fucking insult to the Irish.

[Sean Fennessy]

He.

[Chris Ryan]

You did this, Chris, when he goes like, that's the Chicago way. That's hard. That's so cool.

[Tracy Letts]

It's just a good time. Anybody. Anybody have anything to say about the Untouchables?

[Chris Ryan]

Dairo in this fantastic. Really living life to the fullest. Great opera scene from him. Little tear coming down the eye. That's why he's the best.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

I love this film. I would have. I would have taken it in a second. I wish if there was a best score category. Ennio Morricone. One of my favorite scores is the Untouchables.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah, it's amazing score. There's some. You know, there's some writing in there.

[Chris Ryan]

It's hard for Canada in it.

[Tracy Letts]

You know, Kevin Costner to say, I've become what I beheld. That's. That's tough. That's tough for all of us.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, that was me, like, 180 podcasts ago.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

I've become what I beheld, in my opinion. Minor De Palma.

[Chris Ryan]

You're so v. What are you talking about?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it's not one of my faves, you know, not one of my faves. It's not. It doesn't get freaky in the way that he likes to.

[Chris Ryan]

Baby carriage coming down the train station.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Really, really upsetting to kill.

[Chris Ryan]

Carry.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, you know, that's fine.

[Sean Fennessy]

Untouchables is here. It's eye level. Not over my head.

[Chris Ryan]

There's 30ft of. And then there's the Untouchables.

[Sean Fennessy]

No, it's a very good movie. I like it.

[Tracy Letts]

You took Wayne's World. What are you talking about?

[Sean Fennessy]

How have you seen Wayne's World?

[Tracy Letts]

I think it's Minor de palm.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You took Wayne's World? It's Wayne's World.

[Sean Fennessy]

This guy didn't even watch Widows.

[Chris Ryan]

Come on.

[Sean Fennessy]

How seriously can we take these takes? I got. All right, what do I have to get? Drama, Action, Horror. Oh, you're up. I'm sorry. I apologize.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I really, honestly can't believe that this is falling in place to me. In the fourth round for Oscar nominee, I will be taking Home Alone, which. Oh, good. Oh, you clapped for that one.

[Sean Fennessy]

I was just informed that the suburbs are not Chicago.

[Chris Ryan]

Well, there's a major sequence in o' Hare o'.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Hare. And he sent us the photo I sent you guys. There we go. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And also, you know, I guess the plane they've just taken off from Chicago, it's airspace.

[Sean Fennessy]

Let's play this out. Home alone 6. You and Zach and Sy are getting on a plane, right? Knox is at home.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. He even has a little haircut. You know, I haven't showed him this one yet because I think he would still be too scared by it. And I remember being a little scared. More about people breaking in than about being left at home. That honestly looks great. And frankly, like, Home Alone 2. My own, you know, charge card at the plaza, like, sign me Up. Yeah, I mean, I guess we could do it, but it would be pretty sad. This is an emotional movie as well as really, really funny and slapstick comedy. And you just can't imagine being six years old and seeing this movie, which you're all so young that you. Maybe you were six when you saw it, but really spoke to us.

[Sean Fennessy]

Great pick.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Thank you.

[Chris Ryan]

Nice pick.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Thanks, Chris.

[Chris Ryan]

Suburban, but nice pick. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

I've got to pick. And in drama, I'll be taking Risky Business.

[Tracy Letts]

Good.

[Chris Ryan]

Wow. Muted applause. I'm surprised.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

I thought there would be more thrills at Rebecca De Mornay and Tom Cruise's undeniable chemistry when they went on the.

[Sean Fennessy]

Train together and they found love and this happened. How did you feel inside, Chris?

[Chris Ryan]

Well, I support public transportation, and I. Whatever it takes to keep our great. Our great l running. You know, this would also be in my favorite score if we were doing a favorite music from Chicago movie. Tangerine Dream. Cooking.

[Tracy Letts]

Drama's a little shifty.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think. That is a little.

[Chris Ryan]

He's got a point.

[Sean Fennessy]

What is it?

[Chris Ryan]

It's a comedy.

[Tracy Letts]

It's a comedy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's a comedy drama. I mean, things get dark.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's very dramatic. I mean, it's borderline thriller.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

When Joey Pants comes around, that's terrifying stuff.

[Tracy Letts]

All right.

[Sean Fennessy]

Shall we consult Wikipedia? It will invariably say, risky business is a 1985 comedy drama, thriller. So that never helps.

[Chris Ryan]

You're looking at me.

[Sean Fennessy]

No notes.

[Chris Ryan]

No, I'm allowing this. We're allowing. I think this is a very forgiving audience. So I think that you can have Risky Business. I mean, it's obviously a quintessential Chicago movie, but drama is a stretch.

[Sean Fennessy]

I'm under attack here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I actually think it's okay in drama.

[Sean Fennessy]

Thank you, Amanda.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I, in general, am more flexible on category fraud, as opposed to Chicago fraud.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay, Chris, you have two picks.

[Chris Ryan]

What's that?

[Sean Fennessy]

Coming of age teen comedy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

There you go.

[Tracy Letts]

Wikipedia.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Tracy Letts]

Coming of age teen comedy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But that's what. It's 82. Is that when risky business.

[Sean Fennessy]

Is that 85.

[Amanda Dobbins]

85. Oh, I mean, but, like, even in 85, their definition of comedy was, like, a little different.

[Sean Fennessy]

Risky Business.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, come on.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's basically a crime movie.

[Chris Ryan]

Okay, For.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We'd get arrested now if we let our kids do that.

[Chris Ryan]

So for drama. So I have two.

[Sean Fennessy]

You have two picks for drama.

[Chris Ryan]

I'm gonna do Eight Men Out.

[Tracy Letts]

Little.

[Chris Ryan]

Is that because of the White Sox part, the gambling part? I feel like John Sales. Incredible film about the fall of this amazing baseball team.

[Sean Fennessy]

Did you throw any Games. When you were a young baseball player?

[Chris Ryan]

When I was in the 1910s, did I throw on games?

[Sean Fennessy]

No. When you were in like eighth grade.

[Chris Ryan]

When I was in eighth grade, yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I can't deny we established that yesterday.

[Sean Fennessy]

We had a shouting match in which Chris aloud said, I made varsity. Shut up.

[Tracy Letts]

I actually think the muted response might be that I don't know this to be the case, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of this audience doesn't know the movie. Has not seen the movie Eight Men Out. I don't know how. Well, how much it's been watched.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, it's a John Sills movie about the White Sox, AKA the Black Sox. It stars David Strathearn and John Cusack and D.B. sweeney plays Joe Jackson, who would later feature in Field of Dreams in some way by Ray Liotta, played by Ray Liotta. Anyway, this is an incredibly dense and well written piece of filmmaking and I love this movie. Oh, I have another pick right here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you want to sit? I'll do it.

[Tracy Letts]

Studs Terkel in Eight Men Out. I have to shout out, studs, Studs.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, you're good on your feet, so if you want to keep moving.

[Chris Ryan]

And then for.

[Tracy Letts]

Hold on, hold on. Don't say it yet. Okay, show of hands. How many of you have not seen Eight Men Out?

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's a lot of most of the audience.

[Sean Fennessy]

For those of you at home, roughly 80% of the audience.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, but now you have a movie recommendation.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, I guess that's what that is. I thought everybody was gonna be like, yeah, Chris, way to go, dude. Tracy, do you like this film?

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah, sure. I think John Sayles is maybe our most underrated filmmaker. I really do.

[Chris Ryan]

For comedy, I'm going to take the Sting. Redford Newman, George Roy Hill directing. That would be funny. This win Best Picture.

[Sean Fennessy]

It did win best Picture. Yes.

[Chris Ryan]

Could have had an Oscar between the.

[Tracy Letts]

God there, I believe.

[Sean Fennessy]

Indeed.

[Chris Ryan]

Does anyone even mention Chicago and Sleepless in Seattle?

[Sean Fennessy]

She's in Chicago in the movie.

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, I thought she was in Baltimore for some reason. I haven't seen it in a while, so.

[Sean Fennessy]

Is so mad.

[Chris Ryan]

Too busy watching Eight Men Out. You know, like the Sting is one of my favorite. I've seen this movie probably in comedy and I've seen this movie dozens of times. This was one of my parents favorite movies and I think I prefer to Butch and Sundance, honestly.

[Sean Fennessy]

What in the world?

[Chris Ryan]

Just throwing it out there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's quite an opinion.

[Sean Fennessy]

Do you really?

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Alrighty.

[Amanda Dobbins]

My parents also really liked this movie. It was another. Hey, you're fine.

[Sean Fennessy]

He said he prefers it to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. That's kind of a shame.

[Tracy Letts]

Okay.

[Chris Ryan]

I think Butch Cassidy and the Sand Dance Kid, there are elements of it that are kind of dated, and this thing remains timeless to me, even though.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know, I mean, it's good.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's four guys who want to have a drink after this in the crowd who are right on board with you, who love that take. Well, I'm in a bit of a pickle, as I always am. The stage of the draft, you know, I'm missing action, horror, thriller and wild Card. And so I think I will take a personal favorite that has probably been seen by fewer people than those who saw Eight Men Out. But. But a movie written and directed by David Mamet called House of Games, starring Joe Montana and Lindsey Krause. Thank you. An extraordinary con man movie. And if you like con man movies, this is quite literally my favorite. That takes us inside the world of a con man and a psychologist who is attempting to explore this underbelly of the city and the people who inhabit it. A number of Chicago actors in the movie.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

This is certainly the first time I saw Ricky J. The famed magician and historian, who plays a very nasty type who's in on the con. My dad showed me this movie when I was about 10 years old, and this is my dad's movie. This is exactly the kind of movie that he likes and was always trying to show me this kind of thing, and it made a huge impression on me. So as an act of recommendation, if you have not seen House of Games, it has actually been released by the Criterion Collection. Maybe you can track down a copy. I love this movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Tracy, do you own it? Do you own this?

[Tracy Letts]

Oh, yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Chris Ryan]

Sean has spent this weekend giving us some of the more treasured nuggets of wisdom that his father imparted on him. Did he have anything about con men or House of Games?

[Sean Fennessy]

No, but I'll share the two that I shared with you guys, which is, if you use drugs, I will put you in prison myself. That is a true thing. He said to me that I'm an adolescent. And then the other thing, which I shared with Tracy, as he was barking at me about his strategy today, I said, jealousy is a weak emotion. I learned that from my father. Here we are today.

[Tracy Letts]

And that was very revealing.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, I'm up.

[Sean Fennessy]

You're up.

[Amanda Dobbins]

In drama, I have drama and wildcard left. So in drama, I actually, I do think this fits, but we can open it up to the floor. I will be taking A League of Their Own, which obviously hasn't funny moments, but, you know, that lady's husband died in the war and Bill Pullman's gone for like a really long time and he's sad. And then the sisters, you know, they don't see each other again until Cooperstown many years later when they have really old makeup on.

[Sean Fennessy]

This used to be their playground.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Anyway, when that hit in the movie theater at the end, when Madonna. The needle dropped.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, my God. So, yeah, Madonna, Rosie, Geena Davis, obviously Lori Petty. And again, I guess this. I had never thought about it, that this came out at an impressionable age for me and was about women playing baseball and is probably another reason I like baseball as much as I do. But, you know, an amazing. It could have gone in like five categories, right? Like blockbuster, Oscar nominee. But I'm doing drama and I love that movie very much.

[Chris Ryan]

I think this is like a wider Illinois movie, right? There's like some Peoria in this, right?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. I mean, Rockford, Rockford speeches, right? Yeah, yeah. Which I. What?

[Chris Ryan]

No, no, I'm not.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Listen, I'm learning. I'm learning. Okay? But it did when we were flying in, you know, and you're watching the map as you, like, get closer and closer to shot. Rockford showed up on the map and I was like, hey, but. But the field, when they come for tryouts and everything, that's Chicago.

[Sean Fennessy]

Remember when I got booed for having been here four times and you got applauded for being here one time? What the fuck was that? Dob mob. It's a cult. It's a cult.

[Tracy Letts]

I think the first of all, we haven't put the card up, so I'll do it.

[Chris Ryan]

Sean's got.

[Tracy Letts]

I think. I think you've now been exposed for not giving Sean more shit about Risky Business because you were planning to put A League of Their Own in drama.

[Chris Ryan]

Wait, you put this in drama? Tracy, those two movies are comedies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

When was the last time you saw League of Their Own?

[Tracy Letts]

When it came out.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Tracy Letts]

Didn't shed a tear.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

Your widows is going to blow your mind, man. I'll allow it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Thank you. I appreciate you.

[Tracy Letts]

Got it.

[Sean Fennessy]

Got you.

[Tracy Letts]

Look at the fixes in, man.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Her husband died in the war. There's a telegram.

[Sean Fennessy]

Come on, man. Marla Hooch.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Jimmy Dugan's got to bring it to her.

[Sean Fennessy]

Think of Marla Hooch's emotional struggles.

[Chris Ryan]

You know, when Tom Hanks urinates for four minutes, that is really, like. This is what you know, Shakespeare meant the whole. The world is a stage and he's peeing on it.

[Sean Fennessy]

One of the Blu Rays I got yesterday was the film Tank Girl, which also stars Lori Petty, and I think that's the film she made immediately after A League of Their Own. Is that right?

[Tracy Letts]

Sure, yeah, that sounds.

[Sean Fennessy]

You got your final two picks.

[Tracy Letts]

Right.

[Sean Fennessy]

Now on the board for you. Wild Card and Drama. You still thinking about Henry? Portrait of a Serial Killer.

[Tracy Letts]

That's all that's written here.

[Sean Fennessy]

Can I take it again?

[Tracy Letts]

In Drama? No, I'm not gonna do that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Tracy Letts]

In Drama. I'm going to take a movie that's probably the least watched film of any that'll be announced tonight, and that is the movie Medium Cool.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Here. I might have to make the card. You talk, I'll do it. You talk.

[Chris Ryan]

Talk.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'll do it.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah. Do we feel like more people have seen Eight Men out than Medium Cool? Yes, I guess you're right. Haskell Wexler. Haskell Wexler directed this.

[Tracy Letts]

Haskell Wexler. My son is named Haskell. He's named after my grandfather. He's not named after Haskell Wexler, but Haskell Wexler is the only.

[Sean Fennessy]

The.

[Tracy Letts]

He's the only other Haskell I know. He's a great cinematographer, an important cinematographer, and he was a pissed off dude. And Medium Cool is a pissed off movie. And if you haven't seen it, it's kind of remarkable. As Sean points out, it takes a little patience. It's a bit of a slow burn.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's a product of its time, very much.

[Tracy Letts]

It was shot. The great Robert Forster plays the lead. He plays a cameraman, a journalist cameraman. And the movie was shot. Some of it was shot during the Chicago riots in 1968. And it is kind of a docufiction because we see fictional characters interacting with very real drama. There's a remarkable moment in the movie when the cops are busting up some protesters in the park and they throw some tear gas and you hear a guy shout, look out, Haskell. It's real. Yeah, it's remarkable. It's. I mean, and Haskell Wexler left it in the film because he was making a movie about the here and now of 1968. But, you know, what goes around comes around and turns out that fascist cops in 1968 might. Might look scarily familiar now, too. So it has some. It does have some. It's got some scary relevance. And so I advise you to check out Medium Cool. And I put it up there so you will Check out a very interesting, provocative movie.

[Chris Ryan]

That's.

[Sean Fennessy]

What if I was just, like, overrated, miserable tripe.

[Tracy Letts]

That's not going to win me the draft. I know that.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You've got wild card.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah, I do.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You can bring it home.

[Chris Ryan]

Going to win you the draft. This wild card pick.

[Tracy Letts]

I'm not going to win the draft.

[Sean Fennessy]

I have several text messages from Tracy that say, I will win this draft.

[Tracy Letts]

I will win this draft in here where it counts. In wild card. I'm going to take Love Jones.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, amazing. I could have done it for you, Tracy, but now you're up.

[Sean Fennessy]

I just watched it this week because I saw that you had watched it, and I knew that it was going to be in those bags. And kind of a beautiful, very underseen story about a young black couple, two young people coming together in Chicago in the late 90s. One, a kind of poet musician trying to make his way in the city as an artist who's got a bit of a hustler mentality when it comes to women. And then Nia Long, a professional woman who is not sure if the man played by Lorenz Tate is serious enough about their love. That has incredible performances, a real sense of ease. And the filmmaker, whose name escapes me right now, has not directed another film. And he's often considered one of the sort of, like, victims of the way that black filmmakers are overlooked in Hollywood over the years.

[Tracy Letts]

His name's Theodore Witcher, and it's. I'll be honest with you, I didn't know the movie. I watched it in preparation for this draft, and it was just kind of. Criterion has an edition of it, and I was just kind of knocked out by it. I didn't know this movie at all. It wasn't what I thought it was. I guess I had an impression that it was like Soul Food, that there was a kind of softness, a kind of soft ease to the romantic comedy aspect. But it's a tougher movie than that, and it just seems very emotionally honest. And it's just. It's a hard movie to do well, and I think it's very well done. So, again, if you haven't seen it, check out Love Johnson.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's a great pick. I have Wildcard left. And we can just do a yes, no to the crowd. I don't want to hear from anyone up on this stage. Is mean girls too suburban? Okay, but. Well, all right, here's the thing. Are we being inconsistent? Look in your own hearts, because, listen, this is a hugely important and great comedy and movie for my Generation. And maybe yours. And I have felt really bad that we have not been talking about it on 25 for 25 or spoiler alert, it's not on 25 for 25. Sorry. I mean, I don't know.

[Sean Fennessy]

Imagine if it was, like, number three. Meaning that would be weird.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Some other good stuff is it's okay. But both comedy wise, sociologically, obviously, it spawned a musical, which was very confusing, and then a reboot that was also a musical, but then they redid all the lines. It's meme central on the Internet, which is important. Lindsay Lohan is obviously very important to me. Long island, but I thought it was suburban, so are you guys sure? Yeah. Now you want to claim it.

[Sean Fennessy]

This is all very squishy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. It's fine. I have a backup.

[Chris Ryan]

I guess I have to admit, it never, ever, ever occurred to me that Mean Girls was in Chicago.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's fine. I've got a backup. And it is very. Okay, so we have an audience member that says they talk more about Madison, Wisconsin.

[Sean Fennessy]

Shots fired at Madison, Wisconsin.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I said I opened it up. That's fine. Let's get real. Okay. My. My actual wild card takes place on public transportation. And it is, of course, while you were sleeping. This movie is so messed up. Like, I know it's become a cliche to say. And My Best friend's wedding is also in this category of, like, the lessons that women of my age or film viewers of my age were taught from romantic comedies are just truly how to be a sociopath. But this is fairly indefensible. Tracy, are you familiar with while you're sleeping?

[Tracy Letts]

I didn't. Yeah, I'm familiar with it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So she's in love with Peter Gallagher from afar. She works in the.

[Chris Ryan]

It's the L. She's Sandra Bullock, by the way.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm sorry. Thank you so much. Sandra Bullock works. She is like a ticket collector or a coin collector. You know, listen, it's the classic where you find.

[Chris Ryan]

Sandra Bullock kind of gave.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm sorry.

[Tracy Letts]

Bill Pullman's in this movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But so we're getting there.

[Sean Fennessy]

So you're double pullmaning.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. I'm not in Sleepless in Seattle because that is a movie about Seattle, even if, technically, they work in Chicago in the beginning. So she's in love. She sees Peter Gallagher taking the train every day, and she's in love with him from afar. And then he is in an accident and goes into a coma, and she starts visiting him in the hospital and meets his family, and surprise, he's an Asshole. And so his family doesn't know who he's dating. So she says, yeah, it's me. And then she befriends his whole family. And she's a lonely person, you know, as they always are.

[Sean Fennessy]

And then that hag, Sandra Bullock. Yeah, she can't meet a guy, so.

[Chris Ryan]

When she's not taking the bus across la, she's just taking tickets in Chicago.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And so she finds.

[Sean Fennessy]

Is she gonna catch a break?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Family. And finds love and warmth and also the patient and loving gaze of Bill Pullman, who is Peter Gallagher's brother. And then Peter Gallagher wakes up, doesn't remember anything, and plays along for a little while. But then she's like, no, actually, I like your brother. And then in the end, she winds up with Bill Pullman. So to recap, she pretends to be dating someone in a coma and then leaves the person in the coma for her brother.

[Tracy Letts]

Are you telling me all of this?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't know.

[Sean Fennessy]

This is what it's like. On every episode, something happens where she's like, I've decided to recap the entire movie at you for eight minutes, and I have no idea. I never asked for it. I. I just watched it happen to someone else, and I was like, thank God I'm not alone. That was remarkable.

[Tracy Letts]

I. I've seen the movie. It's charming.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Do you own it?

[Tracy Letts]

I don't think so.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, okay. It's not available on 4K yet.

[Sean Fennessy]

They didn't have it at Terravision.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You'll let me know? Anyway, I'm pleased to have While youe Were Sleeping. And also to have. Oh, I'll do it. To have been able to talk about Mean Girls, which is about Madison, Wisconsin, as we have learned.

[Sean Fennessy]

So I've got one more pick left. I've got Wildcard. And I was listening to Traci speak about Medium Cool and the time that we find ourselves in and what a challenging moment this is in history. And it had me reflecting on a movie that changed the way that I thought about the world. And that movie is called Dark of the Moon.

[Chris Ryan]

Will you do the entire plot of Transformers?

[Sean Fennessy]

Let me think about it while I grab the card.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is this. No, no. Yeah. No, you. You talk.

[Sean Fennessy]

This film is directed by Michael Bay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is this the jfk? Is this the JFK one?

[Sean Fennessy]

This is the jfk. Should we all get the moon landing and jfk?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Red Libra?

[Sean Fennessy]

This is a film that asks us to question whether or not Cybertron played a role in the faked moon landing and how long Optimus prime and The Autobots have been protecting Earth and the disinformation state that we find ourselves in.

[Chris Ryan]

Honestly, if this movie turned out to be true, if Tomorrow the Transformers emerge and we're like, we've always been here. We've been manipulating, wouldn't you honestly feel, like, a little relieved?

[Sean Fennessy]

Absolutely.

[Chris Ryan]

Wouldn't it be like, God, well, thank God it wasn't the alternative, you know, that we were, like, creepy into.

[Sean Fennessy]

I don't think the movie is exploitative at all. I think it's completely sincere. Yeah, it's like something is up here and it might be giant robots. Like, there is a chance that all this is happening for a reason.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Wait, so it's that they landed on the moon? What is it again? I saw this.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's honestly much more complicated than that. I'm not gonna recap it the way you just recapped while you were sleeping, but it does take place in the same universe as while you were sleeping.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

And it turns out Optimus prime was in love with Bill Pullman all the time, which is an amazing film, and I'm so proud to have it on my board.

[Tracy Letts]

Good job. I'm just surprised you didn't put it in drama.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's too real to be a drama.

[Tracy Letts]

But Risky Fucking Business was already there.

[Chris Ryan]

So I have the last pick. I have a question. How wild do we want to get? Because I have an idea for what Mine. I doubt there's a card in there. This box for the film, I'd like to suggest, because it hasn't been made yet. But there is a large part of Heat two that takes place in Chicago, and as we get closer and closer to its possible production, you know.

[Sean Fennessy]

You'Re attempting to draft a film with no stars, no studio.

[Chris Ryan]

Warner Brothers are very happy with the early drafts that they've seen. Steve, are you not on Reddit?

[Tracy Letts]

Come on, dude.

[Chris Ryan]

Now, it could actually come to pass that they're going to mostly concentrate on the Val Kilmer part, which takes largely, like, place in Panama, I believe. Right?

[Sean Fennessy]

That sounds right.

[Tracy Letts]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

Which is not a Chicago film. So for my wild card, I think I'm going to take Glengarry Glenross, which is the second man that you picked.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, I got it. I got it. I got it.

[Chris Ryan]

Tracy, you have been in this production.

[Tracy Letts]

Of this play, on this stage.

[Chris Ryan]

On this stage. So in honor of Tracy being here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It'S genuinely insulting that we're doing this on this stage.

[Tracy Letts]

I did. Yeah. I've done it twice, actually. I played Williamson both times. Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

They're not like hey, you want to try Roma or you want to try somebody else?

[Tracy Letts]

I liked the role of Williamson, you know. Oh, shit. His name just left my. Who played it in the original production?

[Chris Ryan]

Kevin?

[Sean Fennessy]

J.T.

[Tracy Letts]

Walsh.

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, yes.

[Sean Fennessy]

J.T.

[Tracy Letts]

Walsh played in the original production. And, you know, Williamson wins at the end of the thing.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, that's true. You know, two Rs, one N, two Rs. But that's one word. And then. Okay, yeah, just trying to be precise. It's about real estate. It's about Chinese restaurants.

[Tracy Letts]

JT apparently had a terrible time when he was doing the play because he didn't like the fact that. That everybody on stage hated him and that they all called him a. And, you know, he. He. He. He didn't have any fun doing that. But I. I didn't mind because I was like, at the end, I'm going to win, so you call me whatever you want because I know I'm going to win. In the end of this play, you.

[Sean Fennessy]

Got to say, will you go to lunch?

[Tracy Letts]

I did.

[Sean Fennessy]

Will you?

[Tracy Letts]

I did. I said it better than that. But, yes.

[Sean Fennessy]

I was doing Kevin Spacey, doing Williamson.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessy]

So naturally, it wasn't as good. I didn't see you on stage because I wasn't alive.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Tracy Letts]

I get it. I get it.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah. Thus concludes our draft. It's on us.

[Sean Fennessy]

How do you feel?

[Tracy Letts]

I think. I think aside from a couple of examples of category fraud, I think it is a very good looking Chicago movie. Boy. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Do you feel good about everything that you got? How you got it?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I do. Are you asking me to show remorse in any way? Because that's unlikely. No, no, I feel good.

[Chris Ryan]

I was actually wondering, though, if you could just run while you were sleeping back again, because I wasn't sure I got the nuance of the second act in your recap, though.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, she really likes the mom, you know, and she doesn't have a mother figure of her own, so. How do you feel?

[Sean Fennessy]

Fine. Chris, do you want to recap what you picked?

[Chris Ryan]

What I picked? Yeah, sure. In drama, I took eight Men out, which no one's seen an Oscar nominee. I took Primal Fear, but didn't talk much about how amazing Evan Norton is in this film. And also the rest of the cast, like Maura Tierney and Richard Gere, John Mahoney. And John Mahoney.

[Sean Fennessy]

Primal Fear plays a member of the company.

[Chris Ryan]

Kind of naughty little priest. Dark Knight in Blockbuster, a Chicago movie. Thief in Action, horror thriller. My favorite Chicago movie comedy, I took the Sting, which is better than Butch and Sundance. And in Wild Card, I Took One Gary Glen Ross, which Tracy has been in twice.

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, in drama, I took one of the most dramatic films ever made, Risky Business. In Oscar nominee, I took the Fugitive. In blockbuster, I took the Color of Money. In action horror thriller, I got House of Games. In comedy, I got Wayne's World. And in Wild Card, I took Dark of the Moon. And I'll have you know that there was a placard made for Dark of the Moon, and I feel proud of that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. In drama, I took A League of Their Own, which is about a woman receiving a sad telegram. In Oscar nominee, I Got Home Alone. In blockbuster, My Best Friend's Wedding. In action horror thriller, I Got Widows, which I have seen. In comedy, Ferris Bueller's Day off and Wildcard, an exploration of Sandra Bullock's journey into the unknown of her own heart. And also social conventions while you were sleeping.

[Tracy Letts]

In drama, I took Medium Cool. In Oscar nominee, I took Hoop Dreams. In blockbuster, I took the Untouchables. In action horror thriller, I took Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer. In comedy, I took the Blues Brothers. And in Wild Card, I took Love Jones.

[Chris Ryan]

You did that in Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer. Voice just there. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Do you think you could do this twice a week for the rest of your life?

[Tracy Letts]

Yes.

[Sean Fennessy]

Wait, is there a QR code of some kind, Jack?

[Tracy Letts]

Do we do that before we do honorable mentions?

[Sean Fennessy]

You want to do some honorable mentions? Let's do something.

[Tracy Letts]

I do, because there's some stuff. Not a lot, not a ton. I'm not going to list 100 movies.

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, you have to say Henry of a Portrait of a serial killer like 100 more times. You can do that.

[Tracy Letts]

There's a few things we should revisit here. My Bodyguard, which is a Tony Bill comedy, a beautiful coming of age comedy. First movie of Joan Cusack, first movie of Jennifer Beals. And a. And a real Chicago movie is set in Chicago, Ordinary People, which is not on our board, but which is a very fine movie. And I hold the unpopular opinion that. That it was the rightful winner of best picture. In 1980, we saw a guy wearing.

[Chris Ryan]

An Ordinary People hat today.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is that guy here tonight?

[Chris Ryan]

That's shocking.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I actually, I really, honestly, when we saw him in line, I was like, oh, he's probably coming tonight.

[Sean Fennessy]

He was wearing a hat that said Ordinary People.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. And then he got on the Architecture Architecture tour with us.

[Sean Fennessy]

But was it the, like the logo from the film?

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tracy Letts]

Huh.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's an odd thing to represent. It's a very sincere drama about pain.

[Tracy Letts]

Cooley.

[Chris Ryan]

High.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes.

[Tracy Letts]

Which is a great teen comedy and took place in the Cabrini Green housing project, which is about four blocks from here. A real Chicago movie. The front page, 1931. An absolutely great Chicago play and a great representation of that play, man with the Golden Arm, based on Nelson Algren. Great Chicago writer, Otto Preminger. Film compulsion doesn't really count. Oh, it's kind of interesting there wasn't more John Hughes representation, don't you think? There wasn't a lot. Breakfast Club didn't get taken.

[Chris Ryan]

I was trying to stick to the, to the, you know, the core urban center, you know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right, right.

[Chris Ryan]

If we were doing the Chicago suburbs draft, I'd be here all day.

[Sean Fennessy]

Breakfast Club be back next year.

[Tracy Letts]

Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Tracy Letts]

Which again, most of it's on the road. It ends in Chicago, but that's their destination. And because it's Hughes, it does feel like a Chicago movie. About last night never came up in conversation. And I know that that's. It's an odd movie. Right. The mammoth play is such a dyspeptic, cynical view of the war between sexes. And then the movie is this very light sort of 80s style romantic comedy. But it actually, it's written by Tim Kazarinsky, who's a friend of mine, and his writing partner Denise Ducloux. And they did such a great job of translating that text into this style of movie. This romantic comedy, though Rob Lowe wears a Cubs hat and the way he looks and a guy like that hanging out in Rush street bars. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of people in this audience who have some ugly connotations with that character there. There's a non zero chance some, some people in here have been roofied by that dude.

[Sean Fennessy]

You're not saying Rob Lowe. No, Got it. Just want to make sure sort of publicly it's being recorded.

[Chris Ryan]

Can I throw a couple wild cards or a couple of honorable mentions up spiritually? A Chicago movie. Midnight Run, one of my favorites. I didn't pick it because largely it's on the road, but Jimmy Serrano is one of my favorite Chicago characters. Dennis Farina, Judas and the Black Messiah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Absolutely.

[Chris Ryan]

I was going to throw that on there. Backdraft. I really fucked up and should have picked Backdraft. I was like, what am I not doing this for? But you know, William Baldwin can't get more Chicago than that. And did you guys know that in 10 years we will be at the moment that iRobot is set in Chicago? So you have that to look forward.

[Amanda Dobbins]

To, which is nice.

[Sean Fennessy]

Might Actually be sooner.

[Tracy Letts]

And I predict that this movie will be perhaps the one that more people in here are saying, why didn't they choose that than any other? And that's High Fidelity. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, I just took it in another draft. That's the only reason I didn't take it. I love High Fidelity. It's a wonderful movie. I was on a text chain with friends called Rob from High Fidelity Personified recently, which I thought was rude, but also nice. There are a handful of others.

[Tracy Letts]

Right.

[Sean Fennessy]

So here's a question. Is Bridesmaids a Chicago movie?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. All right.

[Sean Fennessy]

Some immediate yeses and then some grumbling.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Some people sound a little mad.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay, here's a movie I don't like, but has been suggested. Flatliners. Joel Schumacher's movie about dying and coming back to life, which is what this episode has felt like for me.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Let's bring it to the people. Sinners, what do you think?

[Chris Ryan]

This was a late breaking addition to our.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So I am all of you groaning and saying, yeah, I see someone flashing the gnome.

[Sean Fennessy]

You all missed the end credits sequence as well, apparently, like Amanda did. Because in that film, not in the movie, of course. The movie is about two characters who have left the Delta and gone to Chicago and come back from Chicago back to their home in Mississippi.

[Amanda Dobbins]

If it's movies that talk about Chicago Draft.

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, again, Amanda has not seen this sequence in the film because they put.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It after the credits, the mid credits.

[Sean Fennessy]

Which is still technically part of the film. We see character played by Buddy Guy in a much older age at his club, Legends in Chicago, playing acoustic guitar. And then backstage at the bar. And Michael B. One half of Michael B. Jordan's characters from the movie comes backstage. Spoilers for Sinners, by the way. Along with hailee Steinfeld, circa 1992, dressed immaculately.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah. The door knockers and everything.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah. And in that scene, they're in the city of Chicago.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's great. So Sinners two will be eligible when they make that.

[Chris Ryan]

Well, you missed a part, though. So, like, it finishes. They're in Chicago. They're in the bar. Zoom out the moon. Crypto. Superman sitting there, looking down, being like, looks like we have some vampires to take care of. Then zoom out. Transformers, behind those guys, they are like, we were on the dark side of the moon. Looks like Superman and Crypto are on the good side. We gotta get over there.

[Sean Fennessy]

As Michael Bay taught us, it's all connected.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Sinner should have been eligible, in my opinion.

[Tracy Letts]

Scarface, 1932, some would argue north by Northwest. Amanda and I talked about this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's a.

[Sean Fennessy]

No, I didn't bring it up because I think it's a little on the line.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it's included, but you think of, like, four other iconic American locations.

[Sean Fennessy]

Mount Rushmore. Yes, sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Also the Plaza.

[Sean Fennessy]

Should we do the Mount Rushmore? Mount Rushmore.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I honestly. Are there three more?

[Sean Fennessy]

Help us out. Okay, stop.

[Tracy Letts]

Barbershop.

[Sean Fennessy]

Good one.

[Tracy Letts]

Rookie of the year with Amy Morton, my frequent collaborator on this stage. How do you guys feel about running scared?

[Chris Ryan]

I love running scared. I did the rewatchables about it. It's like iconic T shirt in that movie.

[Tracy Letts]

Nobody was ever less of a Chicagoan than Billy Crystal. But the action isn't bad in that movie. You know, the big scene at Daly Plaza at the end at the Daily center is a. That's a. That's a good scene. His new job. You guys know that movie?

[Sean Fennessy]

I don't, no.

[Tracy Letts]

Well, it was made in 1915 and starred Charlie Chaplin. At the time, SNA Studios was here. It was located in uptown, and Charlie Chaplin came here on a contract and it was too cold. He left. But he did make a movie called His New Job with Charlie Chaplin and Ben Turpin in 1915.

[Sean Fennessy]

What's the runtime on that movie?

[Tracy Letts]

I don't know. 65 minutes. It's my guess.

[Sean Fennessy]

Pretty good. Sinners 2, also 65 minutes.

[Chris Ryan]

Any other in collateral, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange gets hacked or not collateral.

[Sean Fennessy]

Black hat.

[Chris Ryan]

Black hat. My bad.

[Sean Fennessy]

Wow. You blew that shit.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The mart.

[Sean Fennessy]

Jeez.

[Chris Ryan]

What's that?

[Amanda Dobbins]

The mart?

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, they hacked that and then they.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Blew it with all the nuclear plant statues outside of.

[Sean Fennessy]

Mr. Weimar, explain the rest of the plot of Black Cat while here.

[Chris Ryan]

That's on the Patreon.

[Sean Fennessy]

So where is the QR code?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Jack's gonna put it up, right?

[Sean Fennessy]

So I think I put a QR code up. You know what you're able to do? You're able to vote? Yeah, right now.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Wow. It's very exciting.

[Sean Fennessy]

And we're going to get live results and choose wisely. I think we're going to vamp. That's a threat that she just offered you. I think you're going to be able to get live results here if this all works. We've never done this before.

[Chris Ryan]

Do they have, like, the New York Times needle where it's like, Sean's willing.

[Sean Fennessy]

Oh, the needle. Can you not. Can we not talk about the needle?

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's done so well. How you feeling? How are you feeling?

[Tracy Letts]

I feel great. How do you feel?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I feel great. I was just, you know, you've been kind of gauging how this. You had a lot of predictions. You had a lot of.

[Tracy Letts]

You know, so much of this went the way I expected it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, there we go. See, that's what I was looking for.

[Tracy Letts]

Other than, as I say, some shifty category fraud.

[Sean Fennessy]

You were so mean about Waynesboro World. Such a nice movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Now everyone's. Don't let other people influence your vote. This is just like school, right? It's your paper, no one else's.

[Chris Ryan]

And if this QR code takes you to a Google form where they ask you to put in your Social Security number.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, wow. Okay. Okay. We're getting some live results. That is absolutely right. Keep going. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Shamelessly working the crowd. She's not going to give you after the show. Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

These people love. While you were.

[Sean Fennessy]

When do we close the voting? Momentarily.

[Tracy Letts]

Well, hold on a second.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah. Seriously.

[Sean Fennessy]

Stuffing the ballot. This is some real Mayor Daly. Okay, we're going to give you 30 more seconds, and then we're going to close this puppy down. If you haven't been able to get your phone, focus on that QR code.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Anyone's a neighbor, you know, don't be. You can ask for help. Yeah, just now I know.

[Chris Ryan]

Hillary Clinton.

[Sean Fennessy]

Candyman. Thank you. Obviously, there was a trivia question about Candyman. You mentioned Cabrini Green, where Candyman is also set. Wonderful movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I wanted you guys to know that there is a card in there for the accountant. Just, you know, so you know, I didn't pick it, though.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Are we.

[Chris Ryan]

Stay in line. No, Too soon. Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

Now, are we able to display the results? We are. Jack is giving me the thumbs up.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Oh, no. I think you can just share.

[Tracy Letts]

Can you hear me?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. Oh, Jack, you're gonna announce it. Voice of God, Jack. Here we go.

[Chris Ryan]

In fourth place, with roughly 8%, Sean Fennesee.

[Sean Fennessy]

I stand by Risky Business.

[Chris Ryan]

In third place, with around 17%, Tracy Letts.

[Sean Fennessy]

All right.

[Chris Ryan]

In second place.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on. Let us hold hands like Miss America. Do you know they do that?

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

Let's go. It all comes down to Georgia versus Barrymore thing today. In second place, with 32%, Christopher Ryan.

[Sean Fennessy]

And with 43%, Amanda Dobbins.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You're all very kind and indulging me, and I really appreciate it.

[Chris Ryan]

Are you giving a speech? Do you want to give a speech?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, I already did.

[Chris Ryan]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate your support. You know, and we. We. We all like rom coms.

[Sean Fennessy]

Thank you, Chicago.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Guys, thank you so much. This is Amazing.

[Sean Fennessy]

I want to thank a handful of people before we go. Tracy Letts, who is obviously an incredibly gifted person and a very generous person. And we're really happy that he was able to do this with us and spend the weekend with us, which has been honestly quite, quite fun.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Fun and showing us around Chicago and the Steppenwolf is really a gift. So thank you.

[Sean Fennessy]

Thank you for hosting.

[Tracy Letts]

My pleasure.

[Sean Fennessy]

Thank you to the Steppenwolf Theater, which is just an amazing place and I hope if you live in this city, you are spending time here and spending money here and coming to see the great work. They've been very kind to us. Thank you to our entire events team, especially Elizabeth, Helen and Charlie, who made all of this seem very easy and normal, even though it is not easy and normal. Thanks to Jack Sanders for producing this episode. Thank you to Jack Wilson from the Ringer for being here. Anybody you want to thank, Sandra Bullock, everyone here, really.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, this was amazing.

[Chris Ryan]

Thanks for coming out.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. Thank you and just a great day. Thank you for listening and, you know, thank you for voting for me.

[Sean Fennessy]

This is an episode that is being recorded and so I am oblig obliged to say later this week we will be back with an episode about Fantastic Four first steps. So this is going to be a cool week on the podcast. Thank you again. We really appreciate it.

[Tracy Letts]

Thank you.

[Sean Fennessy]

Chicago SA.