The Summer Movie Mailbag

Summary

The Big Picture – "The Summer Movie Mailbag"

Podcast by The Ringer | Hosts: Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins (with Jack Sanders) | July 23, 2026

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Overview

This lively mailbag episode finds Sean and Amanda (and producer Jack Sanders) answering listener questions while breaking down the current summer movie landscape. Hot topics include the Venice Film Festival lineup, the recent acquisition and revival of the iconic Arclight theaters, summer releases like "The Odyssey", the awards prospects of new films, box office formats, the future of IMAX, and plenty of playful pop culture and movie discourse. As always, humor and candid opinions are in abundance.

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Venice Film Festival Lineup & Industry Dynamics

[02:04 – 14:47]

• Venice Film Festival 2026 Lineup:

  • Amanda describes her morning excitement-turn-surprise checking the festival lineup: "Before I put my glasses on, phone straight to the nose. And maybe the lack of prescription lenses exacerbated my feeling of like, wait, where are the actual movies that are showing up at this festival?" [02:08]
  • Key entries: "Ink" by Danny Boyle (only big title hitting all four major fall festivals), "Wild Horse 9" by Martin McDonagh, "Prime Time" (A24, Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen), Florian Zeller’s "Bunker", Werner Herzog's "Bucking Faster", Hirokazu Kore-eda's "Look Back", and Werner Herzog's seven and a half hour Bertolucci documentary.
  • Notable: Very little star power and missing prominent Netflix and studio tentpole films.

• Industry Observations:

  • Sean notes a shift: "The only major Hollywood studio movie at this entire film festival is Oasis Don't Look Back in Anger, which is a concert documentary of their recent reunion tour." [05:22]
  • Amanda: "It does signal, like, what's missing from the fall, like, what else is there to look forward to." [06:03]
  • The major blockbusters ("Odyssey," Nolan, Villeneuve, Iñárritu) are skipping festivals entirely.
  • Discussion of Netflix's decreased festival presence and the impact on Venice: "I think they're in a different era. I don't think they're in the same Oscar race era that they once were." – Sean [10:34]
  • Gender disparity: Only one woman director in competition out of 20. "Once again. Alberto, what happened?" – Amanda [13:01]
  • "It's a problem. It's not good." – Sean [13:58]

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Movie Theater News: Arclight and Alamo Drafthouse

[16:58 – 24:50]

• Alamo Drafthouse to Revive the Arclight/Cinerama Dome in LA:
  • Sean shares nostalgia and hope that the new owners won’t ruin an LA institution: "For me it's church, but for a lot of people it is like at least sanctuary." [21:00]
  • Amanda notes the Arclight’s appeal: "It was both very art house cinephile vibes, but showed everything, you know, no fear of the commercial."
  • Debate over whether Alamo’s food and phone-ordering systems will fit the spirit of the old Arclight.
  • Both comment on the larger industry lesson: real estate costs are now a main factor in movie exhibition’s future viability.
  • "If we don't make this work, like, this moment might go away. Cause if people are gonna spend their time here, like, we have to make it comfortable for them." – Sean [22:35]

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Movie News Round-Up

[24:52 – 32:36]

• New Lou Gehrig Biopic:

  • Richard Linklater to direct; Glenn Powell to star: "They never come at anything head on." – Sean [25:50]
  • Amanda: "Glen Powell playing a baseball player. Great. Glen Powell back with Richard Linklater. Great. Richard Linklater working with Simon Rich. Great by me." [26:44]

• Days of Thunder 2 Announced:

  • Tom Cruise to return, maybe as a driver, not coach: "Cruz is almost certainly not going to be the coach. He's going to be in the car." – Sean [31:43]
  • Jokes about Nicole Kidman’s character’s age and medical specialty (neurosurgeon).
  • Amanda: "It was never Maverick. It was never my Cruise movie. But sure, whatever." [32:18]

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Summer Mailbag: Listener Q&A

[32:43 – 105:04]
(Note: Many questions were fielded by Jack Sanders, who summarized audience trends.)

1. The Future of IMAX (esp. 70mm)

[33:09 – 38:32]

• "The company's up for sale, so I feel like this matters." – Sean [33:44]
• Premium format demand is high, but real estate and cost are barriers. Suggestion for more repertory IMAX screenings and creative use of museum/aquarium IMAX screens.
• "If you want these things to get built, go to the movies more. Go to the movies in the downtime. Don't just go to the three movies a year that you hear you have to see." – Sean [36:43]

2. Why Is There More Hype for Spider-Man Than Avengers?

[39:01 – 42:52]

• Spider-Man is perpetual and kid-friendly, while "Avengers: Doomsday" has crossover fatigue.
• Sean: "When I said that Marvel is cooked, I meant creatively. I meant the movie doesn't look very good and it feels creatively bankrupt." [40:40]
• Planning for their own coverage of the Dune vs. Avengers simultaneous release.

3. What’s Next for Christopher Nolan?

[43:08 – 46:27]

• Listeners ask if he’ll tackle horror, adapt an ‘unadaptable’ text, or keep doing "Great Man" epics.
• Sean: "I would love if he did a standard issue horror movie. I don't mean like a slasher, something with a little bit of elevation to it." [44:21]
• Distinguishing Nolan from Kubrick: "Stanley Kubrick was obsessed with sexuality and power and psychology. ... Christopher Nolan is like a nice British guy with a good family." [46:20]

4. Historical (In)accuracy and Nudity in "The Odyssey"

[46:38 – 51:36]

• Humorous, detailed debate about the lack of onscreen male nudity and whether it was “historically accurate.”
• Amanda: "Let's just get back to dicks for a second ... Did the Trojan horse have a dick? I don't think so." [50:42]
• Sean: "Are we like, well, this film is great. Like, that's exactly what we needed in this movie?" [48:33]

5. The Awards Fate of "The Invite"

[51:36 – 55:45]

• "The Invite" seen as a possible Best Picture dark horse, especially benefiting as “counterprogramming” to big spectacle films.
• Amanda: "I think it's going to be on the radar and everyone likes it. I haven't met anyone who's like, this stinks." [54:24]

6. Major Questions about "The Odyssey" (Zendaya as Athena)

[56:33 – 61:34]

• Theories on the symbolism of Athena/Zendaya.
• Amanda: "She's the conscience and responsibility for the Odysseus character." [57:44]
• Widely praised as a deft adaptation move by Nolan.

7. Girl Dad Cinema

[95:27 – 101:10]

• Bobby, a listener, is about to have a daughter. They suggest and debate a canon of “girl dad” movies:
  • Somewhere (Sofia Coppola)
  • Logan
  • Taken
  • Clueless
  • Father of the Bride
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • After Sun, We Live in Time, and others
• Plug for Adam Nayman’s forthcoming book, "Daughter Theory."

8. Sea Cruises, Modern Partnerships, and "Odyssey" Marital Dynamics

[79:17 – 83:14]

• Amanda: "I don't know if I would let Zack go to the Trojan War. I would be so fucking pissed." [80:29]
• Comparison to "First Man," with focus on gender, agency, and expectations in both epic and domestic narratives.

9. Best Summer Movie?

[75:21 – 76:52]

• Contenders include "Tony" (Matt Johnson's Bourdain portrait), "The Invite," and "The Odyssey."
• Amanda: "It's been good!" [75:54]

10. Box Office Showdowns – Dune vs Avengers (Comparisons to Kanye vs 50 Cent)

[83:17 – 88:56]

• Sean: "I don't think Dune can win. Just from a purely box office perspective. The Dune movies are not nearly as big as the Avengers movies." [83:50]
• Lively analogies between music and movie rivalries: "It was the biggest deal in the universe if you were covering music." [84:25]
• Other memorable box office double-headers: Venom vs A Star is Born, The Dark Knight vs Mamma Mia.

11. Letterboxd’s Sale and Data Future

[90:54 – 95:22]

• Worry about what would happen to Letterboxd’s unique data/community if acquired, especially by a studio or Silicon Valley giant.
• Amanda: "If you own it and pay a lot of money for it, then you can't not turn it into a financial tool for you, which would then mean that it is a tool at ... the other movies." [93:06]

12. Minions and The Odyssey

[88:58 – 90:41]

• How would the Odyssey have been different if Odysseus’ crew were Minions?
• Amanda: "The arc of the Minions universe does bend towards justice." [89:24]

13. Pop Culture, Leo Season, and Personal Tangents

[72:00 – 75:21]

• Leo season, astrology, and Amanda’s hobby-building: "I'm living out loud. I'm done having children." [71:54]
• Joke about their "Emerald Year": "This is my active vow... I'm going to make this Leo season and this Emerald year work for me." – Amanda [74:55]

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• "Once again. Alberto, what happened?" – Amanda Dobbins on Venice’s lack of women directors [13:01]
• "Church... at least sanctuary." – Sean on the Arclight [21:00]
• "I would love if he did a standard issue horror movie." – Sean on Christopher Nolan [44:21]
• "Let's get back to dicks." – Amanda, re-centering the Odyssey nudity debate [50:42]
• "If you want these things to get built, go to the movies more." – Sean on theater support [36:43]
• "It is a practical way of expressing some of an internal character's thoughts out loud because he doesn't have anyone else to really talk to." – Amanda on Athena/Zendaya [58:12]
• "I've heard that." – Amanda, after Sean jokes about control and birthdays [104:02]
• "I'm living out loud. I'm done having children. Good for you. So I'm going outside, I'm making friends, I'm doing hobbies, you know." – Amanda [71:54]
• "I can't recommend something more than having a daughter. ... Check out Paul Thomas Anderson movies, have a daughter. That's it." – Sean [96:23]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic/Question | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------|------------------| | Venice Film Festival kickoff | 02:04 – 14:47 | | Arclight / Alamo Drafthouse news | 16:58 – 24:50 | | Lou Gehrig biopic & Days of Thunder 2 | 24:52 – 32:36 | | Future of IMAX (format, theaters) | 33:09 – 38:32 | | Spider-Man vs Avengers discourse | 39:01 – 42:52 | | What’s Next for Christopher Nolan | 43:08 – 46:27 | | Odyssey historical accuracy, nudity | 46:38 – 51:36 | | Invite Oscars prospects | 51:36 – 55:45 | | Zendaya/Athena's role in Odyssey | 56:33 – 61:34 | | Girl Dad Cinema picks | 95:27 – 101:10 |

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Tone & Style

The show is witty, passionate, conversational, and sometimes irreverent. The hosts aren’t afraid to air critiques, share personal anecdotes, or spiral into tangents about pop culture and moviegoing life. Jack Sanders curates the mailbag with dry humor and a keen eye for what’s on listeners’ minds.

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Summary for New Listeners

If you missed this episode, you missed a wide-ranging (and often hilarious) peek at the state of movies—on screen, at festivals, and in theaters. You’ll come away knowing what’s hot and what’s not for the fall, get a crash course in industry trends, and enjoy thoughtful, entertaining banter about everything from awards films to astrological signs to the essential “girl dad” movies. Expect less structure, more personality, and a lot of insight into how movie lovers are thinking and feeling in Summer 2026.

Transcript

[Amanda Dobbins]

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[Sean Fennese]

I'm Sean Fennese.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm Amanda Dobbins and this is the

[Sean Fennese]

Big Picture at Conversation show about your questions answered today on the show. We are opening up the mailbag to hear from you. We'll discuss the Odyssey, Chris Nolan's Great Men, Spider Man, Anthony Bourdain Ven.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No women, though.

[Sean Fennese]

No, no women. Not in Venice.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Not a lineup or in Venice.

[Sean Fennese]

Tough one, Alberto. We'll be talking about it more right after this. This episode of the Big Picture is presented by Amazon Prime. One of the best things about streaming is that you never just pick a title. You pick a feeling. And prime makes that easy. With great entertainment and fast shipping that brings the moment to life. Prime helps you experience the feeling you're craving. Shows you can't wait for and deliveries you don't wait for. One click away from streaming to fast shipping. It's on Prime. Okay, Amanda, your beloved Venice Film Festival lineup has been announced.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Let me set the scene for you. Woke up this morning. We had a lovely dinner with friends last night.

[Sean Fennese]

We did.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And it was wine Wednesdays. So that was great. So I woke up with two very urgent ideas in my head. Number one was like, I think it's time to get my ears pierced. And more on that. And number two was I need to check the Venice lineup right now. So before I put my glasses on, phone straight to the nose. And maybe the lack of prescription lenses exacerbated my feeling of like, wait, where are the actual movies that are showing up at this festival? But Alberto, what happened?

[Sean Fennese]

What happened? I. I'm Kind of relieved that you're not super defensive about this because this is a not, not a great line.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Listen, I'm going to Europe, like on the company dime for a week. Like I'm, I'm doing great, but it is. It's confusing.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it's like. And especially the absence of the Netflix films.

[Sean Fennese]

Let's do a little autopsy here because we can talk about the positives. And there are definitely some cool movies playing. So it's not like it's an absolute nightmare, but it is not what you've come to expect over the last few years, at least in terms of glitzy, big ticket movies. There's not really. I would say there's not really any big ticket movies here. There are a few awards contenders that are interesting. We've already talked about Ink, the new Danny Boyle film, which is very exciting. And it sounds like that film is going to end up playing Venice, Tiff, Telluride and New York. It sounds like that's the only big movie this year that's going to hit all four. That's what I've heard. So that one's good. Wild Horse 9, which has been expected to go there. The new Martin McDonagh film, which, you know, I think in any other year is like, oh, that's a great, like third or fourth best movie at a film festival. It's kind of the big movie at this festival, obviously stars John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi. It's about. I'm not sure if they're hitmen or CIA agents. Some combination of both. Could be both.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, could be both.

[Sean Fennese]

Looking forward to that movie very much. I hope it goes to Telluride.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Personally, I would assume that it will, but they didn't tell me.

[Sean Fennese]

We shall see. The other big one is Prime Time.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm pleased about this.

[Sean Fennese]

This is probably the best news of your morning. This is the new a 24 film directed by Lance Oppenheim, starring Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen from How to Catch a Predator. Yeah, that film opens very shortly after this festival. It was just dated for September 25th. I don't know what that means, but I thought it was interesting.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm excited to have Pattinson there. The. The summer fall year of Robert Pattinson continues.

[Sean Fennese]

He's going crazy right now and I'm

[Amanda Dobbins]

excited to see that film. We've both been anticipating it. I'm excited because a 24 throws the best parties, so I'm glad they're going to be in the mix. Yeah, I mean, it is. It's Thin.

[Sean Fennese]

It's thin. I mean, there are a few other notable things that I'm certainly interested in.

[Jack Sanders]

Oh, sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm gonna see all of these films.

[Sean Fennese]

Bunker, the new Florian Zeller film, which stars Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. Werner Herzog's Bucking Faster, which we talked about, which stars the Mara sisters. Corieda's Look Back. I wanted to recommend you check out the 60 minute animated version of Look Back that I think is still available on Prime Video that I think you would enjoy. It's a short anime, but it's very beautiful. And as you are having a Studio Ghibli moment with your family.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

I think you might. And this is effectively a remake of that animated film. So I'm just gonna suggest that to

[Amanda Dobbins]

you put that on the. Great. Thank you. We'll do that.

[Sean Fennese]

The only major Hollywood studio movie at this entire film festival is Oasis Don't Look Back in Anger, which is a concert documentary of their recent reunion tour, which you attended.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Sean Fennese]

Are you excited?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Did you not go?

[Sean Fennese]

I didn't go.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, really?

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah, I just.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, you weren't in the husband section. Sorry, I thought I'd forgotten that. I went with my friends and then the husbands went somewhere else and I thought you were just there.

[Sean Fennese]

I would have loved to have gone.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I was there at the Rose bowl and it was very fun. And I'll also watch. I'll do as much Oasis content as will be offered to me.

[Sean Fennese]

You just come off of a summer full of Wonderwall coming at us from the English national team and Liam Gallagher

[Amanda Dobbins]

on Twitter, which just, you know, gives and gives a legend. So this, I, I will seek this out. I will enjoy it. Do I? Maybe it'll be in the Oscar do conversation, though. Probably not given the. So, you know, in terms of Oscars, this is interesting. And in. And in terms of big fall movies and, you know, we're in the afterglow and the continuing glow of the Odyssey in a lot of ways. And real movies are back. It's all happening. And so this, I think this lineup feels like a little extra flat because it does signal, like, what's missing from the fall, like, what else is there to look forward to.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah, I completely agree with you and it's a really good point. I think it shows that there's like kind of an unevenness in the year. Whereas last year you were like, oh, new Coogler movie, new Paul Thomas Anderson movie. We were kind of like looking forward to things over periods of time. Some of those films went to festivals Some of them didn't. But in this particular case, you've got the big heavyweight filmmakers of this year, I think it's fair to say are Chris Nolan, Denis Villeneuve and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Those are like probably the three biggest names. You know, Steven Spielberg. Yes, but you know, in terms of like awards contention.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Sean Fennese]

But those are also three blockbuster movies that are not historically festival movies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Aspiring blockbuster.

[Sean Fennese]

We'll see about Digger. But it's a big scale movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

So that changes, I think, the dynamic of what to expect at festivals. Plus there's this thing going on we've been talking about where it's like some big filmmakers are shooing festivals. They feel like maybe they don't need that or they don't want that, or even the studios are thinking the same way. There's other stuff here that I'm interested in. Casey Affleck directed a movie. I had no idea about that. Starring Ben Mendelsohn. Paul Schrader's the Basics of Philosophy. Will you attend?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Of course I will. Just to take selfies at the screen and send them to you before I get kicked out. I would never do that. I respect cinema. You know, at Venice they have the. Do they have this at Telluride? They have like the little laser and so the ushers just have like laser pointers and if you're on your phone, they just go like this.

[Sean Fennese]

Like this. I think you told me that before. They don't take side. Yeah.

[Jack Sanders]

That's nice.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I've never been lasered because I would never look at my phone during a Venice Film Festival screening.

[Sean Fennese]

Will you sit through Alex Gibney's four hour Elon Musk documentary?

[Amanda Dobbins]

If the timing works out.

[Sean Fennese]

This is the. I would love to watch this on my couch.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

I'm not sure if this is what I want to be doing at a film festival, but I love Alex Gibney's docs. This movie's been in the works for a long time. It's been reportedly very controversial. Musk not happy at all about what's inside this movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, if I don't get. If this is the only opportunity to see it, then maybe I should.

[Sean Fennese]

I think has distributed. I think maybe Greenwich is distributed or Bleecker street might be distributing it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, maybe Bleecker street don't back down in fear.

[Sean Fennese]

Speaking of, there is an even longer documentary. I'm not sure if you saw this, but Luca Guadagnino will have a film at the festival. But it is not artificial.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That write up in paragraph When I did not have my glasses on yet was. That was a real rollercoaster emotional moment. They got me and then I lost it.

[Sean Fennese]

He has a seven and a half hour documentary about the great Italian filmmaker Bernardo bertolucci.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's cool.

[Sean Fennese]

Seven and a half hours.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm definitely not taking a boat at 7am to go spend my whole day doing that. With respect to Luca, I'll watch it at home.

[Sean Fennese]

You've also got to consider adding on some time because maybe the delays in

[Amanda Dobbins]

preparing the film to see exactly like the exact. The line outside the door in the thunderstorm with the umbrell that are literal lightning rods, never forget, could be challenging.

[Sean Fennese]

So no digger at Venice, which is something that people had been speculating for a year. No social reckoning. We talked about the reshoots last week.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. How are you feeling about if that's coming out in 26?

[Sean Fennese]

I think it will. Okay, but.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All right.

[Sean Fennese]

And I have a little bit more information about it now than I did yesterday, but I don't know if I think it's going to be good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I mean, I think we know what I think about that. No behemoth, exclamation point.

[Sean Fennese]

I think this means going, we're going to Telluride.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

So that would be nice. No artificial.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I think this is cowardly.

[Sean Fennese]

No Cliff Booth.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So is Dan Lin just hosting his own festival in the Netflix cafeteria now? Like, what's going on? Like what this is. So they have ink.

[Sean Fennese]

They have Ink.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Which is opening the festival, but it was announced as the opening festival before Netflix acquired it.

[Sean Fennese]

That's right. I suspected that that was done before that, though.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I'm sure. But it's. But still, that's it. And they normally have a big presence at this festival and it's notable that they're just skipping it completely this year.

[Sean Fennese]

I think they're in a different era. I don't think they're in the same Oscar race era that they once were.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know, we were just talking about how we think the lineup.

[Sean Fennese]

There's some cool movies is pretty good. Yeah, they have some cool movies coming out. Maybe those movies are not Oscar. You know, a movie like Here Comes the Flood, it's possible that's a completely commercial play. That there is not a scintilla of prestige about it. And if there's not, then it wouldn't go to a place like that. Maybe true for the other movies that I mentioned with you and Chris earlier this week. I don't know. It's interesting. It's interesting. You know, like Lobola Negra is going to tiff. That was an acquisition. Inc is an acquisition. It's a different time at the studio, I think. And how that impacts Venice long term is fascinating because Alberto has been relying for the last five years on Netflix.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right. To bring the glitz.

[Jack Sanders]

Yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

And so this is not a very starry edition of this festival.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No. And, you know, Venice is also where the great Joker 2 falia de debacle happened. Yes. Which I do think has.

[Sean Fennese]

That was the one year you missed, Right?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Since I've been going, because I think Cy was born, like, that weekend, and that's why we did not name Cy Arthur, and it was on the list. It's a nice, lovely name.

[Sean Fennese]

We discussed that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

My uncle and grandfather were named Arthur. It's a beautiful name.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But that was so roundly panned and then just sunk at the box office that I think that that has been not for the awards contenders, but for all the big studio movies. That, plus the Indiana Jones can situation was just kind of, why, for a studio blockbuster, unless you really have the goods, there's no point in doing this.

[Sean Fennese]

So it really changes the dynamic of what the draw is for those festivals.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I agree.

[Sean Fennese]

And it makes it really interesting to look at. There is gonna be some star power there. George Clooney and Ellen Burson will be honored with Lifetime achievement awards.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Great.

[Sean Fennese]

Do you attend that stuff? How does that work?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I went the first year when Wes Anderson got one, and it was like a Cartier Award or something. He was like a Cartier bubble ambassador. I mean, I have a. I suspect

[Sean Fennese]

he has a few awards.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. We did everything made. He got a collector edition, and that was very nice. But I think that was also. That was the year. Was it Henry Sugar? What were the short films? Yeah, I think that was the Henry Sugar year. So it worked together. So that was maybe the premiere of that as well.

[Sean Fennese]

Maggie Gyllenhaal's heading up the jury. A bit ironic, you know. Maggie, a very outspoken female filmmaker. There is only one woman with a film in competition at Venice this year out of 20.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You say what I say. Once again. Alberto, what happened? What?

[Sean Fennese]

This is a Thierry from O from Cannes come under fire over the years for this very same issue.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

You know, Nate Jones in Vulture this week published a 100 most powerful directors list.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennese]

And there were only eight women on that list. And I would say that that wasn't necessarily inaccurate.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No. I mean, you asked me about it, and I said, like, I don't think it's the list that's sexist. I think it's reflecting when Hollywood. How Hollywood movies get made. Right now there. There were subcategories. Great list. Like New York magazine, my alma mater. Still the best to do it, in my opinion. Nate Jones had a great list. So there were subheads. And I noticed that, like, basically all the women directors were put under the subhead of, like, film festival favorites, which is ironic, given that now they can't even get to the film festivals because they were. It was light at Cannes and even lighter here.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't know.

[Sean Fennese]

This is a problem. It's not good. And it's something that people who work in Hollywood have been working on. There are a lot of different foundations and think tanks and groups that focus on this and try to figure out how to build developmental systems to get more women making movies. I noted to you that half of the women who are on Nate's list are former actresses or current working actresses. It's a bit of an epidemic, and I'm not gonna white knight because I've got the real knight right here. You can say everything you need to say about it, but it keeps popping up in these festival circumstances. I hope you have a great time at the festival. I think this bodes pretty well for Telluride.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, that's. I'm happy.

[Sean Fennese]

That's my guess.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm happy for you. Then. Then we'll both be happy because you'll be in the mountains with Pedro Pascal, and I will be at Venice with Robert Pattinson and a really good after party. That's what I want.

[Sean Fennese]

Do you think Pedro has a lot to say to me? You know, do I have a lot to say to him?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you?

[Sean Fennese]

Well, Andor I like his work.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, he's not on Andor. He. He's Mandalorian, which is related, but different. Yeah. Do you think he knows what happened on andor? Do you think that was a prerequisite for working with Tony Gilroy?

[Sean Fennese]

No, but I'm sure he's seen it and enjoys it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

One can assume, I think.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What do you do in a situation like that? Do you just walk up and say, like, hey, man, thank you for your work?

[Sean Fennese]

I never do that. I never do that. No. I'm always more than happy to be introduced to someone and to chat with someone in that situation, But I am never the person who says, hey, I just want to tell you, your work means the world to me. In the mandalorian and grogu, like, I just wouldn't do that. That's just not my. Even though I have those feelings about people that I'm proximate to. Like Grogu. If it was Grogu, I would do it. If Grogu was at Telluride. Should Grogu go to Telluride this year?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I. You know, he went to the Oscars. He did, but he was stationary. I don't know whether I'm not talking

[Sean Fennese]

about the puppet, I'm talking about the real Grogu. Like, I want to get the real Grogu. None of this fake shit.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. The puppet is welcome in a little gondola at Venice. Imagine Grogu on the lut. Such a good.

[Sean Fennese]

Well, he wouldn't have to wait in line. He could zip around Taxi, you know?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

Wow.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, wow.

[Sean Fennese]

Would you roll with Grogu?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Absolutely. Are you kidding?

[Sean Fennese]

You don't have a scene partner this year at Venice.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, that's not true, but I'm parceling it together because now I have festival friends and people. So there are going to be some people there at the beginning. I have a friend coming from, like, Europe for a few days.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So, yeah, it's going to work out. We're going to be great. I'm going to go to the Dries Foundation. Do you know about that? Dries Van Noten has a. I know

[Sean Fennese]

what Dries Van Noten is. I don't know what the foundation is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's like a museum, you know?

[Sean Fennese]

Okay. And what are they working on?

[Amanda Dobbins]

What are they working on?

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah. Are they solving the world's problems?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. I'm going to do. The Art Biennale was this year. So I'm going to go to some of the pavilions and see all the art that the world has to offer us.

[Sean Fennese]

What do they have to say about

[Amanda Dobbins]

AI and recreate the brutalist. The ending of it, which went over so well the first time.

[Sean Fennese]

I loved it. Let's pivot away from Europe. The Arclight.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Mm, that's pivoting from Europe to the Alamo Drafthouse is really within the movie realm. Is as hard as you can pivot.

[Sean Fennese]

This is America. Yeah, this is America. The arclight is for those listening at home who don't know a historic movie cineplex here in Los Angeles, smack dab in the middle of Hollywood. If you've seen the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, you have seen the sequence where Cliff Booth drives past the Cinerama Dome, which is the primary movie theater and one of the most historic movie theaters in America. And it has been closed since COVID began in 2020. It has not reopened for me. I moved here in 2012. It was the number one movie theater that I attended in 2007 when I came to visit Los Angeles. Kind of like my scouting trip for Eileen and I to figure out if we wanted to live here. We went to the Arc Light twice. It is one of my absolute favorite places in the universe. And it was announced yesterday that the space, which has been sitting dormant, has been acquired by Alamo Drafthouse and will reopen in 2028 now by Sony and.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, Sony owns Alamo Drafthouse and so they are buying. They've bought the entire complex, which in addition to the Cinerama dome, was a 14 screen theater run by the ArcLight chain, which had several other locations, Pasadena, and was a wonderful, wonderful movie theater chain and managed to bridge something that no other chains or movie theaters like in Los Angeles or anywhere, but specifically Los Angeles, because it's such a movie town, have managed, which is like. It is both. It was like very like art house cinephile vibes, but showed everything, you know, no fear of the commercial. And it was the perfect experience for like people who just want to go see a movie comfortably and well projected.

[Sean Fennese]

Yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And the staff would introduce every movie and it was the best. And I miss it dearly.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So they're turning the 14 screens into an Alamo and then they are restoring the Cinerama Dome. So the Cinerama Dome, they say, will be as it was and they'll preserve the architecture and the retro vibe of it. Upgrading, I think the projection, which is great.

[Sean Fennese]

I think they're both the projection and I imagine the seating will be upgraded.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, that would be nice. But they will not be implementing the Alamo Dine in and hopefully not so much of the branding.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah, we'll see. You know, Alamo has been going through this fascinating reputational transition over the last year. And when it was first acquired, I think our reaction to it was, well, we'll see. I mean, Sony's never owned a movie theater chain. You couldn't legally own a movie theater chain as a studio until fairly recently when the Paramount law was overturned. So I think the response has generally been not good because of the introduction of the QR codes in the ordering system, which goes against the entire premise of Alamo Drafthouse, which was no phones, no disturbances, even though.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And let us lecture you about that at really, really great length, even as we allow people to run up and down the aisles through the climactic parts of dramatic movies to bring you your unlimited popcorn I've never been a fan.

[Sean Fennese]

It's a flawed system. I have always enjoyed my time in the Austin editions. I haven't spent a lot of time at the New York edition, but that one is also pretty popular. The one in LA has always been, I would say, a little snake bit. Structurally, it's in a very odd building. I do see movies still there and I still like to go see movies there. But it is an ideal. I hope that that energy is not completely transported to the Arclight, because the Arclight, you know, for me it's church, but for a lot of people it is like at least sanctuary. It's a place to go. At this time of year in LA, when it's 95 degrees, it's like one of the best places to go. It's very big. It's got a big open air kind of atrium in the lobby area that people are always hanging out in and talking in. It's got a great cafe inside. Like I want them to replicate all those things that I liked about it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And it, it did also, which is very rare for Los Angeles, have walkable like dining esque options nearby. Like in the same complex where you could park. You know, I don't believe that Stella Barra is there anywhere.

[Sean Fennese]

I don't think it's there anymore. Yeah, but there were a lot of restaurants, a lot of like takeout places

[Amanda Dobbins]

and now that's all filled with condos that people don't seem to live in.

[Sean Fennese]

I think it's an interesting thing for us to talk about here, even though it's a very local concern for us because it's an unusual situation where a big historic movie theater is being restored and is being made mass. You know, it's being made available to the public in a way that is not. This is not like Vidiots opening as a movie theater or the American cinema tech restorations of like the Egyptian or Los Fields 3. This is like a place where like everybody goes and you really have to get it right. And as this movie moment is happening and there are questions about this around imax with the Odyssey that we'll get to very shortly, I think there's this question of kind of like how can the industry meet the moment of people realizing like, oh, I do like to go to the movies, right? And I do think these formats are interesting to me. I noted that the Burbank 16 here in Los Angeles is building a second Dolby room to accommodate additional interest in PLFS. And you know, that kind of like elevated seating experience that people want in movie theaters. So there's something. It's not quite transformational, but I think everybody who owns movie theaters knows, like, shoot, if we don't make this work, like, this moment might go away. Cause if people are gonna spend their time here, like, we have to make it comfortable for them. And so I'll be keeping a very close eye on this experience as they upgrade this movie theater.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, this. It is also. It underlines how much of this specific movie theater's issues, but also movie theaters more broadly are like a real estate issue, you know, which is because this was. The theater was closed because of the pandemic. But also as we understood it and the reporting around it, because the owners didn't really feel like reopening it after the pandemic. And they felt that this could ultimately be more valuable as. As real estate, as, you know, being sold off, probably for condos. This is an area of Hollywood that has its own issues right now, for sure, as all of Los Angeles does. We. It's a wonderful city and also we live in hell. But so. And I would love the behind the scenes of, like, how Sony prevailed upon them to sell it and how much it is worth and. And what's going on with all the rest of those condos. Yeah, no, I'm sure. I'm really looking forward to it. I love a price tag as, you know, like, show, you know, follow the money. But that does seem to be a larger issue for all movie theaters, is that they've got the. They've got interest back. But do they have, like, the actual space and capital to be able to, to rebuild and to make these, like, make what they own valuable or to hang on in the new things? I don't know.

[Sean Fennese]

I think viable is really the question is like, can you justify the expense of a place like this? The Foreman family, which owned the movie theater in that space. What I've read, and I can't confirm this, but what I've read is that keeping the doors closed on the venue was largely like a tax choice that, you know, they would not have to pay. Not only would they not to pay employees or insurance liabilities, but it allowed for them to effectively make it a right, right down for a long stretch of time. So I think you're right that they probably paid a pretty penny to get the rights to this place, which, as I said here, it is an iconic space. There's not a single movie fan in LA that doesn't know what the Cinerama Dome is, that doesn't want it to reopen. So in that respect, I have to celebrate this. But I think we also have to be cautious about what it's gonna end up becoming.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay. You wanna talk about the Lou Gehrig biopic really quickly?

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know, it's sick.

[Sean Fennese]

Is this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I don't know.

[Sean Fennese]

I'm really. I'm so interested.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What do we know about.

[Sean Fennese]

Well, Richard Linklater is directing a biopic of the legendary New York Yankee slugger Lou Gehrig, starring Glenn Powell. The screenplay is written by Simon Rich. This is for Universal. It's a studio movie. This was announced yesterday. Yeah, all people I like, I'm a Mets fan, not a Yankees fan. But Lou Gehrig's life is completely fascinating. He's the Iron Horse, one of the best baseball players of all time. Someone who played a massive consecutive game streak slugger who came in behind Babe Ruth. An absolutely beloved, iconic figure who died very young because he's probably the first public person who was identified as being diagnosed with als. And it was called. And it's called Lou Gehrig's disease. And there is a movie about his life called, I think Pride of the Yankees. Is it Pride of the Yankees?

[Jack Sanders]

I believe that's correct.

[Sean Fennese]

Pride of the Yankees starring Gary Cooper. And it's a good movie. I saw it probably when I was a teenager. It's a bit of a stiff 1940s, sincere portrait of this man. But Rick Linklater and Simon Rich making this movie kind of fascinates me because they never come at anything head on. So is there sort of side door entrance to a sports movie, like a period piece sports biopic about a person who is generally revered? You know, if you were like, they're making Babe Ruth, I'd be like, oh, I see. They're gonna do like an irreverent take on Babe Ruth. Because Babe Ruth was kind of a. He was kind of a transgressive figure. You know, he liked. He liked women and wine. You know, he was. He was. Lou Gehrig is. He's the stuff dreams are made of. You know, he's like. He's all American.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But what this movie presupposes is maybe he's not.

[Jack Sanders]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Listen, I. Listen. Glen Powell playing a baseball player.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Great. Glen Powell back with Richard Linklater. Great. Richard Linklater working with Simon Rich. Great by me. Universal has good taste in this stuff and handles movies well.

[Sean Fennese]

Yep.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like, I agree. I'm fine. I'm fine. Try it. You know, let people try.

[Sean Fennese]

9 out of 10 times. If you, if you give me this much information about a movie, I'm like, I think I know what this is going to be.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

This one, I don't know.

[Jack Sanders]

I'm not.

[Sean Fennese]

I don't know. And that's exciting. Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is it? I mean, you are not expressing it as excitement. You like to know everything at all times.

[Sean Fennese]

I do.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's what you're.

[Sean Fennese]

Well, I love baseball. I just love baseball. And it's not even now. Well, yeah, of course. I have a lot to think about now with the Mets. I've got these young outfielders who I adore. You know, we've got Zach Thornton on the rise. Things are happening, Jack.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennese]

Things are happening.

[Jack Sanders]

Things are happening.

[Sean Fennese]

Thank you. Okay. We're doing a baseball movie draft later this year. You know that, right?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I do.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah. How do you feel about that?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I love baseball movies.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah. Yeah. Baseball movies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I love. I like baseball. We've had to turn it after the World cup, we were kind of like too much sports. Too much sports. Well, just too much plopping our children in front of the tv. And also we got to save the rest of that for the plane flights later this summer.

[Sean Fennese]

Understood.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So we have like had to resist the urge to put the Phillies on at 4:30 every day. How are the Phillies doing? Good, Bad. I know you guys don't care.

[Sean Fennese]

Maybe 12 games over. 500, something like that.

[Jack Sanders]

They're doing a whole lot better than the Mets who also fired their manager in season. Now they are very thickly in the wild card race, whereas we will be

[Amanda Dobbins]

trading all our good. Okay, so it's that time of the summer where you. So we've gone through this is catastrophe. My life is over. I can never believe in anything again. And then we're getting to the point in the summer where it's like, oh, there's a glimmer of hope. Maybe playoffs, maybe they're going to happen. And then you're rearranging your New York

[Sean Fennese]

film festival trip and no, not for the Mets. Not for the Mets.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The Phillies.

[Sean Fennese]

The Phillies are good. The Phillies are in good shape.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

They're almost certainly going to make the playoffs. The Mets are completely flat. I'm saying that to actually change and

[Amanda Dobbins]

then they'll forget how to hit like they do every October. Their lineup is deeply flow.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah, yeah. Their lineup is deeply flawed. But they're an intriguing team with three very strong frontline starting pitchers. So they're going to the playoffs. Days of Thunder 2. It's happening at Paramount with Tom Cruise, maybe Directed by Jonathan Levine. Unusual choice. Not a bad choice. Jonathan Levine, who I think most people came to see with the wackness who I had on the show for. Gosh, what was the Amy Schumer Goldie Hawn comedy?

[Jack Sanders]

Snatched.

[Sean Fennese]

Snatched. Thank you very much. Lovely guy. He directed Mr. Irrelevant, the forthcoming John Tuggle story in Paramount.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All right. Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

Sounds like maybe that's how he got in the mix.

[Jack Sanders]

Here.

[Sean Fennese]

Days of thunder 2. Do we need that?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, so you assume we just had F1. You assume that Nicole Kidman, the 23 year old neurologist from the original Days of Thunder, will have moved on.

[Sean Fennese]

Now she's a 68 year old neurologist.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She's a neurologist, Right. Is she a psychiatrist? I'm still recovering. I would like to formally apologize most of all to myself. But to everyone else who listened all the way through the Diane Keaton hall of Fame, thank you. Number one.

[Sean Fennese]

Who the fuck apologizes to themselves?

[Amanda Dobbins]

And number two, for misidentifying Sam Shepard's character in Baby Boom as a pediatrician when he is in fact a veterinarian. I was wrong. I'm correcting it now and I'm gonna do better in the future.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay, thanks for that, but so is she a neurologist?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't have to do that again.

[Sean Fennese]

Do you know where Cole.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Neurologist.

[Sean Fennese]

Do you know where Cole Trickle is from? Do you know where he was born and raised? Do you have any idea?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Neurosurgeon.

[Sean Fennese]

Neurosurgeon. Sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Ok.

[Sean Fennese]

I believe that. Do you know where Cole Trickle is from?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Long Island?

[Sean Fennese]

No. Eagle Rock, California.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, that doesn't make any sense at all.

[Sean Fennese]

It's just a fact. Watch the film. Any other movie news come across your transom?

[Amanda Dobbins]

So he's just doing F1? Is this what he's doing?

[Sean Fennese]

I don't know. Who's going to be. Who do you want to be the young buck coming up behind him?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Glen Powell.

[Jack Sanders]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know, okay.

[Sean Fennese]

I mean, we saw that movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Sean Fennese]

And I loved it. But do you think Cruz goes into the Robert Duvall role where he's the old coach?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I have to be honest. All I remember about Days of Thunder is driving and that Nicole Kidman is an absurdly young neuro doctor who I've now confirmed is a neurosurgeon.

[Sean Fennese]

Let's do some math right now. Okay, so Robert Duvall.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

Who played the inspirational coach in that film which came out in 1990. Duvall was born in 1931, which means he was 59 when that movie came out. Is that correct? Am I doing my math right? I think I am.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I wasn't listening to the numbers.

[Sean Fennese]

And how old is Tom Cruise?

[Amanda Dobbins]

64.

[Sean Fennese]

So Tom Cruise is five years older than Robert Duvall was when he was the coach in Days of Thunder.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Sean Fennese]

And in the film when I was 12 and I saw Days of Thunder and you were like, how old is the coach? I would have been like 87. He's probably the oldest man who's ever lived. And Cruz is five years older than him. And Cruz is almost certainly not going to be the coach. He's going to be in the car

[Amanda Dobbins]

and he's going to have the love interest.

[Sean Fennese]

What a time. What a time. No way.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, of course you think so. Excuse me, have you not lived through the 20 most recent years of Tom Cruise's work?

[Jack Sanders]

We're getting. But Digger, though. He's playing old.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, but Digger. But Digger.

[Sean Fennese]

But Digger, though.

[Jack Sanders]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

Anything else you want to say about days of thunder 2?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Why is this one? Why? This one is just because of F1, I guess. Because people. Yeah, people like cars going fast and

[Sean Fennese]

Days of Thunder is Bruckheimer. And I'm sure that that's part of the machine, right?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, it was never Maverick. It was never my Cruise movie. But sure, whatever.

[Sean Fennese]

You know, it's not mine either. It is Tony Scott, who I love, but it's not my favorite Tony Scott. I think it's kind of a bad script. All right, any other thoughts before we get to this mailbag? No. Do you want to say anything about LEO season before we do it?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No. I was trying to think, honestly, that silence was me trying to remember whether we've done LEO season yet. We'll get to it in the mailbag.

[Sean Fennese]

All right, Jack Sanders, you and Lucas Kavanaugh have scoured these emails. Any general takeaways from the emails before you ask these questions?

[Jack Sanders]

Honestly, a strong batch. Oh, Nate, major thank you to Lucas Kavanaugh, who sifted through 600 emails in a day. These questions were good. I honestly think it, like the strength of these questions kind of represents the worst. So back vibes that are going on right now.

[Sean Fennese]

Nice.

[Jack Sanders]

That's how I feel. So the first question, and there's a couple of these, is basically a combination of 100 people's different questions is people are asking about IMAX. Many listeners commented on the online discourse surrounding the format differences, the difficulty to secure IMAX 70 millimeter tickets, and the lack of true IMAX projectors. One listener even noted that their friends chose not to see the film because they couldn't get IMAX 70 millimeter tickets because the marketing told them that they needed to see it on the biggest screen possible. Now that audiences have become aware of this new kind of movie going experience, what do you think the future of IMAX looks like?

[Sean Fennese]

Well, the company's up for sale, so I feel like this matters.

[Jack Sanders]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

You know, there's only 1,000 screens in America that support this format. There's only 41 that support 70 millimeter in this format. I think it represented something like, was it 40% of ticket sales over the opening weekend? So it's obviously pretty critical to the future of the industry. And yet anytime you talk to someone, they say that building new projectors for IMAX 70 or building more screens is incredibly pricey and hard to come by. And I think for people like me and you, we're like, well, what do you mean? There's demand. Why can't you just make more? But you also made that salient point about real estate.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. And movie theaters don't exactly have a tremendous amount of cash on hand right now. And so having the money to build it, plus then renegotiating, you know, in Los Angeles and in New York and places with very vibrant movie cultures, it's probably easier to justify, like the extra space and also, you know, finding the space. But, you know, malls. Are our malls dead? Are malls coming back? I can't really tell these days. I don't know.

[Sean Fennese]

You know, L. A is an illusion because everything is still normal. It's like, it's not normal, but like, there are a lot of malls here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, it's like malls are dead, but also Addicted is the only, you know, clothing store in the world for anyone under 30. That's coming for you.

[Sean Fennese]

I don't know what that is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, you do. It's literally right next to the, the Americana movie theater. It's like the new. Well, it's the new Brandy Melville, which also still exists, but it's the new like wet seal, you know, type situation. You don't know what wet seal was?

[Sean Fennese]

I have no idea what you're talking about.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's where teenagers buy cheap, trashy clothing.

[Sean Fennese]

They sell Blu Rays there. Okay, I, I don't know what the answer to this is. Yeah, I think that they, they gotta build more screens. But I also think if you live in, I don't know, I don't want to disrespect any kind of smaller city or larger town in America, but let's just say Boise, Idaho, for example. I'm sure there's a wonderful moviegoing culture there. But if it's February 2029 and there's not a big movie on the slate and you're trying to force a dump youary title onto imax, and that's a space that could be very valuable, but you're not getting the most bang for your buck out of that real estate investment, it throws into question, like, what is the purpose of it? It's easy to say. At the time of the Odyssey or Dune Part three, every movie theater should have five IMAX screens. But that's not the reality. You and I go to Regal Passeo all the time. Whenever I go there, it's empty. And I love Regal Paseo, and I'm very grateful to have a movie theater like that. But it's a tough business. And it's only at times of great success and great desire when we get questions like this, and I understand them. If you want these things to get built, go to the movies more. Go to the movies in the downtime. Don't just go to the three movies a year that you hear you have to see.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Why isn't there a culture of rep IMAX screenings?

[Sean Fennese]

That's interesting. Maybe just because there's not enough to support. I saw someone. I'm not sure if this is actually true, but I think that there is an IMAX in Chattanooga that was built in a museum for, like, planetarium and nature documentary purposes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Was it in the aquarium? The Chattanooga Aquarium must be at the aquarium, yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

So that aquarium is just screening the Odyssey. They've just turned that movie theater into. And, you know, we have at the Natural History Museum here in Los Angeles, there's an IMAX screen and it only screens these shorter films. You could start turning those over if you can get those aquariums to agree to. Because I'm sure financially it's the better move to be selling out the entire population of the greater Chattanooga area who wants to see the Odyssey in its proper format. But it's gonna take a little bit of cleverness, I think, to expand the palette. I already told you the Dolby thing with Burbank, and I think that will keep happening, too. We're like, we'll see what Infinity Vision.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Infinity Vision. I was gonna say, yeah, Disney's trying it as well.

[Sean Fennese]

My understanding is that Infinity Vision is effectively just Dolby, and those rooms will be all allocated to Avengers 2.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And so that's an example of premium formats that are not like. IMAX is one company and it's branded. And Christopher Nolan has developed a real relationship with them and developed entire technologies to be able to use his particular cameras. But this is the Odyssey is a pretty specific example. And I think the larger point is about more premium format, like, nicer places to see movies, which also costs a lot of money.

[Sean Fennese]

It does. It makes it more expensive to go to the movies. So I don't know what is the future of imax? I hope if they get sold, I hope it's to a good company, not a bad company. You know, I don't know if I can be more direct than that. Okay, what's next, Jack?

[Jack Sanders]

Where are you guys at on aquariums?

[Sean Fennese]

Real quick, love. Agreed.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Chattanooga Aquarium was a big field trip. That. That's a big Southern, like, locale, you know, an attraction that we would go to. And also my family lived near Chattanooga. So listen, Ruby Falls, if you know, you know, I'm.

[Sean Fennese]

I'm going on vacation to see my family on Long island, and we will be going to the aquarium when we go back to Long Island. So, yeah, I'm very, very pro aquarium. The Long Beach. The aquarium beach year is wonderful. It's a great way to spend time. Okay, what's next?

[Jack Sanders]

Next question comes from Kathy. Why do you think there's so much negativity around Avengers Doomsday, but still so much excitement about Brand New Day? If Marvel is cooked in Shawn's words, wouldn't that affect Spider Man? Do you think it's the fact that the Spider man movies are narrowly focused on one protagonist, while Doomsday seems to include every character from the past 15 years?

[Sean Fennese]

I think there's a variety of ways to attack this question, though.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think, you know, sort of a leading question there, though it was phrased in form of a question. Thank you, Kathy. But yes.

[Sean Fennese]

Well, Spider man is like Batman and also Spider Man. Yeah, Spider man is like Batman. Every time you make a Spider man movie, people are gonna be interested. And the Tom Holland Spider man movies are pretty good. I like them a lot.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He's good as Spider man. Also Spider man as a kid. Not anymore in this movie, which is a little bit tricky.

[Sean Fennese]

We'll see how that goes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. But there is just an inherent interest for children in. Oh, look, it's another kid.

[Sean Fennese]

He does bridge a gap. He's an introductory character in a lot of ways. So he's kind of eternal. And Batman is kind of the same, I think, for, like, angsty boys, you know, when you're getting into your teenage years or you're a young adult, you know, your adolescent years. Batman is also like, he's the flip side of the coin to the Spider man hero archetype. So I think of them as very similar and I think those kinds of movies are always gonna work. Doomsday is one of those things where it's being eventized in a way that it's not a common comic book movie. It's an event style movie. Look, there's also a lot of positivity about Dooms. There are a lot of people who are very excited about Doomsday. When I said that Marvel is cooked, I meant creatively. I meant the movie doesn't look very good and it feels creatively bankrupt, which is what we discussed on the show. It's going to sell a lot of tickets whether or not it's going to

[Amanda Dobbins]

have in infinity vision.

[Sean Fennese]

But will it have any cultural capital? Will it get beyond the hardcore, the serious fandom? That's what we're going to find out.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'll see it.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah, I'm gonna see it for sure. Not only that, I look forward to seeing it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I might. Can we, can we make this? Oh, this would be so fun. So you know how every year around the holidays, I propose doing, you know, like one's title. What's a title that we can have? The big Pic Holiday Party.

[Sean Fennese]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Go to the movies with lots of booze.

[Jack Sanders]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Can it be Avengers Doomsday? I know. You have to pay attention.

[Sean Fennese]

We have to do podcasts.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Should I do the podcast?

[Sean Fennese]

We have to do like two podcasts about it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do we have to do two? I guess we do have to do two.

[Sean Fennese]

It's a fucking huge movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, but it's the same day as Dune.

[Sean Fennese]

I know. And I really don't know what we're gonna do about that. Just from a pure programming perspective.

[Amanda Dobbins]

December 18th.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That is like school is out.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know?

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So that's a real issue.

[Sean Fennese]

They're coming with us. Our kids are invited to the big picture holiday party at the Regal Paseo. I, I Jack, what are we gonna do with that? Are we gonna do two separate episodes,

[Jack Sanders]

four hour mega episode

[Sean Fennese]

that's gonna happen.

[Jack Sanders]

I do think the thing that makes sense to split it into two episodes.

[Sean Fennese]

So when Barbenheimer happened, we did a Barbenheimer episode where we talked about both movies and the experience of both movies. And that was fun. And then the next week we did a standalone Oppenheimer episode and a standalone Barbie episode. Yeah, I think that makes sense. But it also feels unsatisfying because I think what people want when they come out of a movie, well, here's not to program the show live on the show or whatever.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think that is probably the right strategy in terms of episodes. I think we gotta tinker with the release schedule.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I think we just gotta do everything as soon as possible.

[Sean Fennese]

Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. And then. And then it's Christmas. Because that's the other thing about this that is sort of weird is that then people like dis. Well, we hope to disappear off the face of the earth.

[Sean Fennese]

We'll be working that Monday and Tuesday.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm always working, you know, we will

[Sean Fennese]

be working that following Monday and Tuesday. But it is an insanely busy time. Yeah, we'll figure it out. We'll figure it out. It'll all work out fine. Everything's gonna go great. The show will definitely be great.

[Amanda Dobbins]

This is such a great plan. Thank you so much to the Disney and Warner Brothers corporations for everything that you do for us in the moviegoing community. It's very positive.

[Sean Fennese]

Tell you what, jacked up about dune part 3. Same show it to me now. Very, very much want to see injected into my van.

[Jack Sanders]

The next question is also a combination of many questions. People like this Chris Nolan guy. Many listeners are comparing him to Kubrick and they're asking, I bet they are, can we expect him to complete his Great man trilogy in his next film? Will he adapt another famous unadaptable text? Can he go any bigger? Will he make a horror movie? What is next for him?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Great man trilogy. We have what is 13A G? You know, that's what we have.

[Sean Fennese]

I think It'll be, yeah, 14 ogy. I don't know. I don't know what he's gonna do.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you feel angst about it?

[Sean Fennese]

No.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Did you get the impression that these people are worried for Christopher Nolan? That they feel stress about what he's gonna do next?

[Jack Sanders]

I didn't sense anxiety, but I think just people are like, what is it? What is next?

[Sean Fennese]

Anticipation.

[Jack Sanders]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

Not like worried, but he's on the generational heater. He's now doing the thing. I mean, he's about to enter a six month Oscar campaign for this movie. It has, I think, a very strong chance to do pretty much what Oppenheimer did. And that will interrupt some of his creative process. He usually takes about three years between movies. And Universal has already dated July 20, 2029. They haven't said this is untitled Christopher Nolan event film. But you can rest assured that's what that will be if the movie's ready. And so, yeah, we'll see. What should he do? I would love if he did a standard issue horror movie. I don't mean like a slasher, something with a little bit of elevation to it. But I think it'd be cool to see him just the same way. He's trying on classical biopic, Swords and sandals, epic space exploration, a movie about magic. There's all these kind of micro genres that he's.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Spy movie.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah, spy movie. He keeps dipping his toes in all of these really fun subgenres that we love to watch and talk about on the show. So horror movie would be a good one. And it would certainly be, as he talked about going to see Obsession with his kids, like, resonant with the times, you know, then it's like horror really made it. When the biggest director in the universe is like, time for my horror movie. There's some downside to that. There's some, like, I knew I liked this band before they were famous. Energy to that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, but you guys are already in that space. That's the horror fan reaction to Obsession was. Was. I had this on vinyl, you know,

[Sean Fennese]

it was not for me, but it was.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But it was.

[Sean Fennese]

I really liked it. But it was. But, yeah, I get what you're saying.

[Jack Sanders]

I don't know.

[Sean Fennese]

Is there something you'd want him to take a try at? Sense and Sensibility remake.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. From the perspective of Mr. Willoughby, that would be great. You don't get that reference. Because you don't.

[Sean Fennese]

I've only seen it one time. Yeah, but I like that. A retelling from a man's perspective, that's what we need.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's what we're missing.

[Sean Fennese]

Can I just say, the Kubrick comparison, I get what people are going for. I know that he makes these kind of big scale movies that really make you feel and think about the world or whatever, but they could not be more different. They really could not be. Stanley Kubrick was obsessed with sexuality and power and psychology. And he was really interested in what's on the outskirts of society and the human mind. Christopher Nolan is like a nice British guy with a good family.

[Jack Sanders]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

You know, he's not.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He doesn't.

[Sean Fennese]

He didn't show.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And he believes civilization will rise again.

[Sean Fennese]

Maybe. Yeah, maybe.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

Like, we didn't get to see Calypso fuck Odysseus. You know what I mean? Like, that was not on the menu for the Odyssey. They're not the same. Like, go watch. Eyes wide. Shit.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Can we go to the dicks question now?

[Jack Sanders]

Yes. Give me two seconds. Vamp for me.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, thank you. This is related, I think It's a good question. It's the very last question. Yeah, sorry if you were saving it for the kicker.

[Jack Sanders]

No, I got it right here. So this question comes from. I believe it's pronounced strati. There's a lot of people complaining about the historical accuracy of the Odyssey. And while I don't really care for that discourse, as a Greek American, the one complaint I do have on historical accuracy is the lack of penises. There were two scenes specifically that could have featured a penis or multiple penises. The naked cyclops scene or when Cersei turns the pigs back into men. So my question is, why didn't I see a penis? This question was definitely written in from Mallory Rubin.

[Sean Fennese]

Stratty would like to see the cyclops hang dong.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, yeah, listen, I'm with Stratty. I appreciate the historical context and the. And the interest, and I think I broadly agree, though, those are not the dicks I would want to see. You know, that's more like. I mean, sure, maybe the cyclops doesn't have a traditional human dick. You know, we don't know. We don't know what's up with the

[Sean Fennese]

cyclops, where the other eye is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, it's. I mean, it could be. It's unspecified in the text, at least in the Emily Wilson translation. And so I don't know what's up with cyclops anatomy.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I would imagine that the Greek soldiers anatomies is doing pretty well, and I would have been open to that. I think she makes some good points.

[Sean Fennese]

What if Menelaus just dropped trial mid story? Could work.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, you know, Agamemnon is bathed, but you're not in the bath. It's all from behind, which I thought actually was, like, excellent.

[Sean Fennese]

He's also. He's nude on a bed and is, you know, he's felled by Clytemnestra.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, it's nude, I think, you know, as. As previously noted patents and skirts pretty short, swinging in the breeze. There's some opportunity. I mean, but. But let's.

[Sean Fennese]

Let's just say that Nolan was like, we're gonna do it. We're gonna show it all. And just Matt Damon, IMAX 70, verticalized, unsheathes his sword for the whole world to see. Are we like, well, this film is great. Like, that's exactly what we needed in this movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, you know, in most cases, maybe they are. Maybe that's what was missing is more integral to the text of the film. You know, like.

[Sean Fennese]

And it's all about missing that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And there's also about there's an imbalance between the nudity, like female nudity and male nudity in the movie. There's not really that much female nudity either in this movie. Well, there's a shot of Charlize Theron with mesh from behind. She looks amazing.

[Sean Fennese]

I think she has something under the mesh.

[Jack Sanders]

The women on the island during the siren song are nude, but it's a

[Sean Fennese]

very far away shot. Their hair is covering.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's tasteful, it's very tasty. And it's only there they're seated, you know, so it's more of a.

[Sean Fennese]

Have you ever sat like that nude, like, like upon a rock?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, it's way too, like, paint me like one of your French girls, you know, type thing.

[Sean Fennese]

Have you ever been painted?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Why there. Yeah, there's a childhood portrait of me. You don't know about this. This is the most.

[Sean Fennese]

I can't believe that incredible lore drop.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like, I had to sit for a portrait.

[Sean Fennese]

Is it like in the style of Caravaggio? Like, what happened?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, but it's in the style. Style of, like, a weird portrait hall. And it's in my dad's home. I'll try to get a picture.

[Sean Fennese]

You and I were raised very differently.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We were raised very differently. And I. My memory of this was just my mother being like, amanda, sit still, Amanda, what's wrong with you? And I was like, I'm five. This sucks.

[Sean Fennese]

Anyway, I'm trying to imagine my parents saying, we want you to be painted. That's just. That never came up. I guarantee you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm not saying it was a great choice, but you asked the question, and I had an answer, and I had to do portrait hands. Like, my hands had to be like this one hand over the other.

[Sean Fennese]

It all makes sense now.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It doesn't make any sense at all. But here I am. Let's just get back to dicks for a second.

[Sean Fennese]

Let's get back to dicks.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Did the Trojan horse have a dick? I don't think so.

[Sean Fennese]

No, I don't think so.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, it's rearing up.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah, sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And it's not there. It's sort of a Barbie situation.

[Sean Fennese]

I don't know that anatomical correctness was an issue for that construction.

[Jack Sanders]

Right.

[Sean Fennese]

That was. That was. That was a gift, but.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So you're saying that it's not the erasure. It's not Nolan's erasure. It's historically accurate that there is no dick on horse?

[Sean Fennese]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They put all their other art.

[Sean Fennese]

Emily Wilson is On Derek Thompson's plain English this week, do you think that Derek asked that searing question, well, where was the Trojan horse's dick?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Did it have a dick?

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah. Did it? I don't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

These are life's great mysteries, I gotta say. Wonderful question. That's t wall for Amanda, what you just did. Okay, next question.

[Jack Sanders]

Next question comes from Nick. In honor of counter programming, do you think the invite will be a major player at the Academy Awards? It has stellar reviews, an awards friendly cast, and the minor 34% drop in its second weekend of wide release indicates strong word of mouth. Could we see a quartet of acting nominations or wild in the director race? Or is it more likely to just be in contention for screenplay, if even

[Sean Fennese]

that we did a whole episode about this movie and we didn't talk about this. We did not talk about whether or not this film has awards chances, Even though why not?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Because you forgot to ask.

[Sean Fennese]

I just forgot. I didn't.

[Jack Sanders]

Because it's a movie directed by a woman.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

Could be though. A movie I like quite a bit.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think the answer is yes to all of this. Why did you text me on Tuesday? Being like, what's up with you? Just sent me a screenshot of 11.

[Sean Fennese]

Someone online posted a screenshot of 10 films that they are predicting are gonna be the best picture nominees.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

Obviously we're not gonna start doing the best picture power rankings in July, but we'll do it in September. But from The Lido, the 10 movies that were shared, I thought were interesting. Cause it was some very obvious ones. Right. It's like the Odyssey and Project Hail Mary are almost certainly gonna be nominated for best Picture. I'll be stunned if neither of those movies are nominated for best picture. And then we talked about Wild Horse nine, Digger. There's a lot of those are filmmakers whose films have been nominated for best Picture before. It's reasonable to assume that Dune Part three, there's a lot of assumption that that's a movie, that it's the conclusion of a big trilogy. The first two are nominated. Fjord won the Palme d'. Or. Reasonable to assume that. And then look at the other movies that were on the list that I sent you. And it was Behemoth, which seems possible, though not necessarily likely, depending on the reception obsession, which is a big box office hit. It's kind of more like in the weapons mold. And the invite. Yeah, the invite is a movie that could very easily be nudged out if there's a bunch of international films that we haven't heard about coming in the festivals this year, some surprises that emerge late breaking, like the Brutalist or something like that might come along that we didn't know was going to be released. But the invite seems like a very obvious screenplay in one performance kind of thing. You know, you could see like, you know, maybe Olivia or Norton get nominated, adapted screenplay gets nominated and that's it. Or there's a world where, you know, actors love it. Olivia Wilde is like a great ambassador for the film. So you could see her doing FYC stuff for eight months and really selling it. And, you know, she was so great when she came on the show to talk about, you know, how she made the movie. And it's a movie that gets six or seven nominations. And then it's like, well, Woody Allen style, thoughtful, fun, entertaining. Adult movies are back this year too. So if you had to guess which direction it goes, which one do you think it will take?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right now it seems to me like the invite is a yes in Best Picture. And I think if it gets Best Picture, it's because it has actor support and people like the writing and people are rooting for Olivia Wilde. And I do think that Nick's point of like, of counter programming that it is a smaller movie in, you know, one well designed location with four people talking, which is very different than most of the other movies that are gonna be on the slate, certainly the Odyssey and Pride to Hail Mary. So I think probably, I think it's gonna be on the radar and everyone likes it. I haven't met anyone who's like, this stinks.

[Sean Fennese]

I agree. The problem is not enough people have seen it. It hasn't quite done as well as I expected it to at the box office. Nick's right that it went down a very low number, which bodes well. It added screens and went down a very low number. And I think it's got really good word of mouth, but it's the kind of movie that you really don't want to see show up on VOD in a week. You really want it to stay on 2,000 screens for four or five weeks, to let it kind of keep getting discovered.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But I do also think that it'll play incredibly well on awards season on the screener apps.

[Sean Fennese]

You're right.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All of those people are great campaigners. And so the people who don't see it now will check it out around voting. I just think it can stay. Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

There's one other thing that I think helps it, which is that Olivia Wilds is in Behemoth, Penelope Cruz is in La Bola Negra. They're also just gonna be around a bunch with other movies throughout the season, so that benefits it as well. We'll see. I would love it because it's much.

[Amanda Dobbins]

This episode is brought to you by Facebook. So you were scrolling on Marketplace, and there it was, the bike you'd been searching for. You sent a message and it turned out the seller was super chatty, kind of funny, and an avid cyclist. The next thing you know, you're in a cycling crew. Well, a community cycling group. The thing about Facebook, you might find more than what you're looking for from a browse to. To a bike ride this summer. Find more on Facebook.

[Sean Fennese]

One of my favorite movies of the year. What's the next question, Jack?

[Jack Sanders]

Next question is also a combination of multiple questions, and this was by far the most asked question. What is your interpretation of Zendaya's role as Athena in the Odyssey? Apologies to the listeners for not including all of your wonderful theories.

[Sean Fennese]

Good question. And I don't know if we actually specifically dove into this, but there are obviously multiple ways to read what that character represents. One being, is she just a manifestation of Odysseus? Guilt, regret, his kind of angst about the decision that he's made both to leave his family and then also to kind of leave Agamemnon and take this other route? And also his decision to participate in war and lead a war.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennese]

The other is a more literal interpretation, which is that she's Athena. She's the goddess Athena, and she appears to him the way that the goddesses and gods appear to the people who lived at this time in Greece and around the world, if they believe, because there are no other gods or goddesses in the movie. The former theory is the one that I think most people are accepting as this is my interpretation of what Zendaya represents to the movie. Is there another reading that I'm missing or another way you think about it?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, I don't think so. I mean, I think she's the conscience and responsibility for the Odysseus character. And, you know, it is. Again, sorry to be like, I reread half of the Odyssey, you know, in translation, but one of Emily Wilson's main criticisms was the lack of representation of the gods in the film because they are such. They are so present in the poem, but they also, like, they make the decisions. And so it almost becomes, you know, there is a different interpretation of free will and fate in the poem than in Nolan's movie. I enjoy Nolan's interpretation because, again, this is an interpretation. And also, we are modern audiences, but so I think that instead of. It's deft to use the God, the goddess character who is in the original text, you know, making a lot of things happen to then be the echo and the sort of inner monologue almost. It's also, you know, it's just. It is a practical way of expressing some of an internal character's thoughts out loud because he doesn't have anyone else to really talk to, you know. Cause it's a movie and you gotta say things. But. So I thought it was very smart to adjust the character into the person on his shoulder, his running monologue, I think his regrets. And also in a lot of ways, she is sort of the personification of Zeus's law of the way that you're. Or the way that Odysseus thinks he's supposed to live his life. And then that is used so dramatically and beautifully, I think, in that final scene where it is her. She's not. We don't actually see her being beheaded, but that it's the Athena statue that you've betrayed this idea, this way of living this code.

[Sean Fennese]

And I think kind of to continue that point, like, one other additional component that I see with it is that the gods and goddesses are actually just manifest in humanity. And so they're not these figures sitting on mountains throwing thunderbolts, but that, like, they are the kind of the stability or the cohesion of society. And that, like, by breaking that law that you're describing, like, you're going against humanity in a profound way. And so him seeing her as the innocent woman who was beheaded at this time of war, and equating her with Athena, who is, you know, the goddess of multiple things, but wisdom one of them. Also strategic warfare, like. So she is sort of like. She is almost literally his conscience in terms of what Odysseus represents to us as a figure in the world. So I thought it was a really, really cool and smart way to do it, you know. Richard Brody, the New Yorker critic, also criticized the film for removing the gods from the telling of the story. And some people. It reminded me a little bit of something.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it's very different.

[Sean Fennese]

It's very different. It reminded me of our conversation about Wuthering Heights, where I was really hard on that movie because I was like, this is not Wuthering Heights. And, you know, to me, I think what it ultimately means is it's not about the adaptation specifically. It's what you do with. If you change it and you make it Coherent. And I can understand why you would make those changes to make it more modern to your point or something else. I think Wuthering Heights is trying to do a similar thing. It's trying to create a more modern template for sexuality. But that one didn't make sense to me. It didn't work. I didn't really understand why the things that were taken out of that story were taken out. Whereas in this one, I feel like I can really see and understand the logic of it, and I like it. Is there a chance to make a cool movie where Zeus is throwing thunderbolts and Poseidon rises from the sea? Sure, yeah. It's hard to do that well with cgi.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think it would turn out like Masters of the Universe, but that's okay.

[Sean Fennese]

You might be right.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

Next question.

[Jack Sanders]

Next question comes from Justin. Is the Odyssey in the top five of Best Picture Winner? Follow ups.

[Sean Fennese]

I mean, Coppola did Godfather Part two in the conversation in the same year, two years after the Godfather. Yeah, I don't think that will be topped.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's true. But they're asking top five. So the other ones. The first one that came to my mind was talented Mr. Ripley after English Patient.

[Sean Fennese]

Good one. Good one.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You've got Shutter island after the Departed. I think neither of those are Martin Scorsese's best films, but that's how the cookie crumbles.

[Sean Fennese]

Two films I love.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Lucas pointed out Lawrence of Arabia after Bridge on the River Kwai, which is probably. That's. If anyone is going to upend Coppola,

[Sean Fennese]

I should correct the record. He is the one time, I believe the one time this has happened where a filmmaker went back to back with two films. Winning Best Picture and Best Director. It was lean for Lawrence of Arabian, Bridge on the River Kwai. Okay. I don't know. It might be. I think we're still a little apprehensive to be like, is this Chris Nolan's best movie? I'd like to see it again before I start getting comfortable with that. I've got it at three right now. Well, I'm not going to Chattanooga anytime soon. But if I. If I did, I would happily watch the film.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I wonder if they. Are they doing any, like, programming with it in Chattanooga? I mean, this is a tale of the sea. We are the people. You are the people from the sea. So, like, do the stingrays, like, show up? What else is going on?

[Sean Fennese]

This might be complete hearsay. Like, I'm. I'm reflecting off of Ah Tweet.

[Jack Sanders]

It's not hearsay. I looked it up. You looked it up? Yes.

[Sean Fennese]

Well, that's producing. I love that they did that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And it is. It's the. It's the Tennessee Aquarium, because. Right.

[Jack Sanders]

Chattanooga.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The Chattanooga. Well, yeah, that's the Tennessee. Oh, yeah, There it is. I mean, the first. I'm looking at their site. They are also showing BBC Earth, Wild Asia, Life at Extremes 3D and Ocean Dreams 3D. But then you've got the Odyssey and IMAX and the Coral Sea from the filmmakers who brought you Turtle Odyssey.

[Sean Fennese]

Turtle Odyssey, Yeah. That's about turtles going home.

[Jack Sanders]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Maybe they should be showing that right now. I'm not gonna tell the Tennessee Aquarium how to do their job.

[Sean Fennese]

I feel like they know what they're doing. Yeah, they're getting that Odyssey money. I don't know. We could probably go down the list of every single person that's won Best Director and say, well, this movie was better than this movie, or that movie wasn't better than that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But this is Best Picture.

[Sean Fennese]

Best Picture.

[Jack Sanders]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

I don't know. I'd probably have to go back to the 1930s and 40s, really give it some thought. I mean, you know, if we'd ever seen the real Magnificent Ambersons after Citizen Kane.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

You know, but Citizen Kane didn't win Best Picture, though, so it doesn't work. God damn it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, that's what makes it interesting about Best Picture is that Best Picture,

[Sean Fennese]

the wrong movie wins all the time. Yeah, exactly.

[Jack Sanders]

That's true.

[Sean Fennese]

What was Peter Farrelly's film after Green Book? What was that called?

[Jack Sanders]

Next question. Combination of multiple questions.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Jack Sanders]

Tom Holland Telemachus has been one of the most divisive performances in the Odyssey. Many people wrote and said they really enjoyed the performance. Others found him incredibly miscast.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Were any of those people his mom?

[Jack Sanders]

But performance aside, where does he go from here? How do you see his career playing out over the next decade or so?

[Sean Fennese]

Take chances, man. Like, you've already. You made four Spider man movies, two Avengers movies. You're in the Odyssey. Just go the path of Pattinson. Work with someone who seems exciting to you and isn't a sure thing and has done a smaller movie that is really interesting. Use your clout for good. That's the story of every great movie star. Use your clout for good.

[Jack Sanders]

But do you think he's capable?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like, Pattinson is a tough guy. Don't go the path of Pattinson because you have to find your path. Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

Go the path of Tom Cruise.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Sean Fennese]

You know, that's better. And work with Cameron Crowe. And Paul Thomas Anderson and, you know, agree. And you can balance it. You know, like, you can also still work with Ed Zwick. You can work with, like, craftspeople who are really good filmmakers but are trying to make commercial enterprises and make with audacious filmmakers who have really personal stories to tell. I mean, it's not. That's not hard. He's not 14 years old. He's like 30 years old. This isn't. I know he tried to make a couple serious movies and they didn't go so well. But I think the filmmakers that he chose to work with are maybe not as elevated as who someone like Pattinson or frankly, the person he should really talk to, and I'm sure he has at length, is Matt Damon. Matt Damon is the best at this. Matt Damon takes a lot of chances. He makes a lot of movies. He's made 100 movies. Some of them work, some of them don't. He's also made 10 movies that you and I will watch for the rest of our lives. So why are you yelling at me?

[Jack Sanders]

I don't.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I just like.

[Sean Fennese]

I didn't do it because everybody is so precious about Tom Holland because he's their beautiful little spider man. I'm like, guys, get over it. He's got to make more good movies. That's just a fact. I'm not mad at you. I'm not mad at him.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Direct at the camera, straight to camera.

[Sean Fennese]

Also, this question doesn't have a name on it. Show yourselves.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

Is it Tom Holland's mom who asked this question, asking for advice on the career of this incredibly successful man who's married to Zendaya? He's gonna be fine. Okay, I'm done.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He's also really good at golf.

[Jack Sanders]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

And a tribute to him, a great

[Jack Sanders]

athlete selling non alcoholic beer.

[Sean Fennese]

Is that a fact?

[Jack Sanders]

Indeed it is.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah. I read he's sober in Zach's piece.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's great.

[Sean Fennese]

I applaud that as well. Make a good movie, for fuck's sake.

[Jack Sanders]

Surprised that really got to you? His next question is because people who

[Sean Fennese]

are mad that we criticize the performance. I'm like, he's fine. Yeah, because they're like, that's my beautiful spider boy. Okay, Put it in the newspaper that they're mad. Yeah, okay, I will.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We still didn't get my newspaper prop.

[Sean Fennese]

I'm sorry, when did you ask for this?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I want a newspaper that I think I says, like, I'm mad or Sean's mad, so I can hold up the newspaper, you know, and we have, in fact, Put it in the newspaper that Sean is mad.

[Sean Fennese]

This is an idea you came up with by yourself and were told. I promise so. But no, I'll have Lucas write it down.

[Jack Sanders]

We'll get on that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I promise that. I theorized this once on a. On a podcast. I did also briefly think about getting a gavel for this episode.

[Jack Sanders]

I think that's a good idea.

[Sean Fennese]

No, but no to what?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, to answer Barry Lyndon, yes or no. No.

[Sean Fennese]

That's very you. Okay, what's next?

[Jack Sanders]

Next question comes from Danielle. Hey, big pic gang. Every year my friends and I host a screening of Dunkirk and get absolutely hammered. We're talking taking shots. Whenever a plane gets downed, famous people come on the screen. And when people actually talk, we also started an annual conclave screening where we all dress as cardinals and elect a new pope. We're looking for inspiration on a new screening to add to the rotation. If you could host an unhinged movie themed watch party or create a movie watching tradition, what would you do?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Danielle, where is my invitation?

[Sean Fennese]

This is a real pics or it didn't happen situation. Like you're hosting a conclave party with how many people are there? There's like, are we taking dozens of cardinals?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Where the Catholics are voting is still the favorite. My favorite thing that's happened on Christmas.

[Sean Fennese]

Was that CR who said that?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, that was Charles.

[Sean Fennese]

Charles, that's right. That was very funny. I don't know if you can top conclave party. Yeah, that's really good. That's really funny. And elite. And honestly, this is inspiring that this is what our fandom is doing. I salute to you, Danielle. You're crushing it. You know, I think Babylon is durational and there's a lot of opportunities to get really fucking drunk during it and imagine the costumes. Yeah, I think there's a lot of opportunity there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So I was. My first instinct was that tar is too solemn a movie in order to suggest. But you guys are taking shots when planes go down in Dunkirk. So, you know, this is not the most respectful way. We brought levity to the situation. Listen, Dunkirk number one. So I'm with you, Danielle.

[Sean Fennese]

Some people sail west to honor fallen soldiers. Some do. Some do shots.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But so tar, it seems like you guys could sort of do like a Bradley Cooper Maestro decorate, you know?

[Sean Fennese]

Oh, my God.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Competition. Well, no, no, but. But tar is better outfits, right? Like, everybody comes in their blazers. Everyone does their best. Lydia Tar.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm Petra's father. I know, but, you know, cucumber salad,

[Sean Fennese]

you know, you can see that being a Moment.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Double feature.

[Sean Fennese]

Double feature. Tar and Maestro.

[Amanda Dobbins]

There you go.

[Sean Fennese]

And Behemoth.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is there a lot of conducting in that? I mean, I saw some because there were no words in the trailer.

[Sean Fennese]

Well, yeah. You're really mad about this trailer.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I did, I did. It made me concerned.

[Sean Fennese]

I think you're just mad because it's not going to Venice. Okay, next question.

[Jack Sanders]

Well, I would say one, regretting you watch that movie. Absolutely blitzed. Amazing time.

[Sean Fennese]

Regretting you.

[Jack Sanders]

Yes. The 2025 motion picture star a Collie

[Amanda Dobbins]

and Hoover Festival is a really, really good.

[Sean Fennese]

That's a good idea.

[Jack Sanders]

And then also, you know, I don't know your guys opinion on this movie, but a classic would obviously be, if nobody's ever seen it. The room. Where do you stand on the room?

[Sean Fennese]

I've done it. I get it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, it was, it was, it was, it was fun.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah. You know, I had the. I threw the spoons. I was a part of that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What I like is the ingenuity in this, you know, like the room was not made for that. But then it has become its own Rocky horror picture like thing, which is awesome. Community, important.

[Sean Fennese]

I literally agree with that. I don't know if you're being. I don't know if you're being ironic, but I actually agree with what you said.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't know what. I agree with it too. But also, I don't think anyone should ever say the word community in that way. So, you know, it's, I mean, it's very like, like HR email at work this week.

[Sean Fennese]

I got to tell you, I do feel that you are in an era of your life where you're really engaged in your community. Like you're really trying to build your community in a really sincere way.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you mean that online or in the world?

[Sean Fennese]

In the world. I mean, online, sure. Yes. We're always doing that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennese]

That's kind of the modern condition. But in your life, I feel like you're accumulating new friends and you're like really putting yourself out there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I'm living out loud. I'm done having children. Good for you. So I'm going outside, I'm making friends, I'm doing hobbies, you know.

[Sean Fennese]

That's great. You can have it all. Mom, thank you so much.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That, that's so. That's so beautiful. So that's important. But what I like about this, Amanda

[Sean Fennese]

doesn't like being told what she is, which is something that I love to do.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Unless I'm told that I'm a Leo and then is now the Time when we read the AI description of Leo season.

[Sean Fennese]

It's Leo season.

[Amanda Dobbins]

This is a Leo podcast. We are both Leos, which is the least surprising news to ever be announced for like the 50th time on this podcast.

[Sean Fennese]

We're Leos.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We're Leos. So are Ben and Sandy, our patron saints over there.

[Sean Fennese]

Ben, August's birthday. Ben Affleck.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, he's a later Leo, I think.

[Sean Fennese]

What does that mean transitively? Are there other qualities?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I haven't looked into it because I'm August one. So then my interest ends.

[Sean Fennese]

Do you want to read the.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, no, you have it. I'm googling Ben Affleck's birthday to make sure. Oh, he's the 15th.

[Sean Fennese]

Interesting of August, late in the game.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

Leos are born between July 23, July 22 and August 22. And they are bold, charismatic and big hearted. Fire signs of the zodiac. We sure are ruled by the sun. They are natural born leaders who love the spotlight. They are known for being incredibly generous, loyal and creative, but can sometimes struggle with being stubborn or attention seeking.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Also who does that sound like? We read this to Jack because Jack does not know about the Leos. I think that that, that's good. You shouldn't really.

[Sean Fennese]

Jack a Scorpio?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, Jack's a Scorpio. And you shouldn't know too much about zodiac signs that are not your own. But we did read it to him and then he said, oh, that does actually sound exactly like you guys. And we were both saying that we have both been told our whole lives that we are deeply Leo. Just like to add in here a little sprinkle of excitement. Not only is it Leo's season, but this is the Leo's Emerald Year. And this is for Chris Ryan. This is. He mocked us in the van in Toronto, but now I'm giving him the information. So Jupiter is in one of our houses or something. And this means. Sorry, Susan Miller's website has a lot of ads. So it's the good Fortune planet. And it entered Leo for the first time in 12 years. So we will increasingly find ourselves at the right place at the right time.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay. Is that place the screening of Brand New Day on Monday? I hope so.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I forgot about that. That is that at the.

[Sean Fennese]

I'll be there.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Which one is it? Which theater?

[Sean Fennese]

I'll tell you off mic.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, great. You said that people can't come. Whatever. The deck is firmly stacked in our favor. Chris Ryan, who is also a Scorpio like Jack. So make the coming period even more special. Vow not to take a passive role, but an active one, fueled by your, my vision of all we hope to accomplish, both personally and professionally. This is my active vow right here in minute 80 million of this podcast. I'm going to make this Leo season and this Emerald year work for me.

[Sean Fennese]

That's inspiring.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You do whatever you want, but not honestly until August, because the moon is somewhere else right now.

[Sean Fennese]

I kind of checked out like five minutes ago. Scorpio. See, how crazy for Scorpios. You, Jack Sanders, my wife, and Chris Ryan, all Scorpios, your three favorite people on planet Earth. Essential people to my existence. That's fascinating. And then obviously my twin over here. Just amazing. Okay, what's next?

[Jack Sanders]

Next question comes from James. Because this is the summer movie Mailbag. He asks, what will be the best movie of the summer? And he noted, and why will it be Tony?

[Sean Fennese]

Man, I love Tony. I know you haven't seen Tony yet. We'll be talking about Tony on the show. I don't know if it's the best movie of the summer. It's pretty up there for me. Matt Johnson's new movie, portrait of Anthony Bourdain at a very young age. It's kind of a. Kind of shrunk down a long period of time in his life into a very short summer. So. Yeah, we'll get into that then. I don't know. I mean, the invite. The Odyssey.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, it's been good.

[Sean Fennese]

It's been good. We're gonna talk on Monday. We'll talk about a bunch of movies that we missed over the summer. I don't know if many of those movies will make the best movies of the summer list.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I'm thinking through. And most of them are poor to quite poor.

[Sean Fennese]

Yes. We'll also go through the summer movie game and figure out. I think we got some stuff wrong.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

You feel good about that?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Was it us or was it Hollywood?

[Sean Fennese]

Good point. Way to turn it back on that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Thank you. It's Leo season.

[Sean Fennese]

It's never a problem. I don't know, Jack, what's the best movie this summer?

[Jack Sanders]

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.

[Sean Fennese]

Oh, right, that's coming out, too. That's also a really great movie. We'll also talk about that movie on this podcast. Yeah, August has got some heaters. I saw another movie that's coming out in August that I'm not allowed to talk about that I also really like.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So is it the one that I'm excited about? Yeah, I'd like to see that.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But I will Be on vacation. That's fine. I'll see it at some point.

[Sean Fennese]

So yeah, August is, will be sneaky good. I do think Odyssey is going to have to hold down the Ford for the next two weeks though. What's the next question?

[Jack Sanders]

Next question comes from Mike. It's been a big year for Mr. Fennesy and I've got to know what's his fuck, Marry, Kill. Between going to the Cannes Film Festival interviewing Steven Spielberg and the New York Knicks winning the NBA championship.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, we all know he's going to kill can.

[Sean Fennese]

He is going to kill can. Now, under different circumstances, I wouldn't kill can because can. We just had better lineups, you know, we just didn't get a great lineup.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, it's not about that. It's about between interviewing Spielberg and yeah. Winning the NBA championship. Like you don't care about can.

[Sean Fennese]

And that's fine. It's in third place. I wouldn't want to, I wouldn't kill any of these things. I'd like to go back to the Cannes Film Festival at some point in my life. I know you'd like to go back in 10 months. I, I, I don't know. I think, I think it's probably fuck Spielberg and marry the Knicks.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Really?

[Sean Fennese]

Because I'm in a long term relationship with the Knicks.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. You know, and you're not in a long term.

[Sean Fennese]

I just met Steven Spielberg.

[Jack Sanders]

Okay. You saying it's probably fucks behind fuck?

[Sean Fennese]

Is there a better way to answer that question? Tell me, what do you think?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, in terms of, you know, immediate joy versus lasting. I mean, the Knicks championship, will that euphoria last a lifetime? Can it last a lifetime? That's sort of like the end of romantic comedy. You don't want to know.

[Sean Fennese]

I think you're describing marriage.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, well, no, that's why you should fuck it. And then you can.

[Sean Fennese]

No, no, the opposite.

[Amanda Dobbins]

All right.

[Sean Fennese]

You know, marriage is wonderful. I love being married. But you know, it's a parabola of experiences.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennese]

It goes up and down. The Knicks will go down and go back up again. I'll never go back to the moment. Any of the moments. Hanging out with Steven Spielberg, that was truly magical. That was very, very special. But you know what? Gotta be careful trying to recreate a one night stand. Dangerous stuff. Okay, Take it From me, the 43 year old married man,

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was just like, I'm not commented. I'm moving on.

[Jack Sanders]

I had the same thought. The next question comes from David. Since we just did a Sean fmk, this one's For Amanda.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Jack Sanders]

Amanda, if at the beginning of your marriage you and Zach discussed taking a cruise.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, well.

[Jack Sanders]

But then your husband gets lost at Sea for 10 years, comes back with an open air boat with no privacy and says, let's sail west. Are you sailing west with him?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, these are great questions. So I'm just gonna say right now, for my purposes, the cruise at the beginning is a big red flag. You know, like that's an issue. I, like, I would like to go on a yacht and can at some point, but then I want to get back off the yacht. I don't want to be stuck at sea, even with like the giant yachts or whatever. I, you know, I like the land. I like being able to move around.

[Sean Fennese]

You haven't been on a cruise before, right?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I have been on a cruise.

[Jack Sanders]

I wasn't.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, you've heard the story about the ex boyfriend who. Yeah. And I had to go on the cruise with his family, and then we were dating for another year and then we missed the boat or almost missed

[Sean Fennese]

the boat, and he was like, okay, with all your ex boyfriends.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, so the cruise, there was a side. But to answer the second part of your question, and I would pose this to you as well, I think this would be an interesting talking off point.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't know if I would let Zack go to the Trojan War. I would be so fucking pissed.

[Sean Fennese]

As a leader in an Odysseus type role or as a grunt. Does it matter?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Even as an Odysseus type guy, you

[Sean Fennese]

guys would move to Canada. What would be the move there?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, basically I would just be like, like, no, you can't just go do random shit and not come back. That's not what I agreed to. That's not how this is brought up.

[Sean Fennese]

That's actually the exact style of English that Nolan used in his script. Interestingly. No, you can't just go do shit. I don't think you'd have much say. I think honor was an incredible. Zeus's Law was an incredible component here. If you're sort of Fealtes Agamemnon, that might supersede. Hey, my wife said I can't, right? I mean, sure, but I wouldn't want to go to war.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They didn't say that I was back in ancient Greece.

[Sean Fennese]

True.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know, True.

[Sean Fennese]

What kind of cruise would you consider?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I was going to talk about First Man. This is like when in First Man. Is she Janet Armstrong? Did I just make that up?

[Sean Fennese]

Sounds right.

[Amanda Dobbins]

When Mrs. Armstrong.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah, miss, please.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, it's just really fucking pissed at him. She's like, why the fuck do you have to go to the moon? What's wrong with you? We have problems down here.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Which. And like, she's right. And that. That's a great movie.

[Sean Fennese]

Her name was Janet.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Oh, sick. Pull from me.

[Sean Fennese]

Well done.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Also. First man at La Land and win best Picture. But famously. But that's First Man's the follow up to that. Right?

[Sean Fennese]

Neil and Janet got divorced. Just FYI.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. But that's because he went to the moon anyway.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah. A bunch of boys.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Because he was like, I'm not gonna. You know. And then they, like, stared at each other through the glass.

[Sean Fennese]

God. We gotta go back to First Man.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's great.

[Sean Fennese]

What a film.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Anyway.

[Sean Fennese]

God damn it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So the open air bonus.

[Sean Fennese]

Let's do first man at one of our screenings. That would be great.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. They'll never pick it. First it's a bigger splash and then it's first man, you know?

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah. Bigger splash. Bigger splash is a new money ball.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I know it's tough. That's what it's.

[Sean Fennese]

I know. You were right about that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What a great summer movie it is.

[Sean Fennese]

We're talking about something nobody understands.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So I. So that. So he. We wouldn't even need to get to the point where as an open air boat with no privacy and let's sail west. Because I would already be pissed about the 10 years away. I agree that I have some questions about where they're sleeping on the open air boat. But again, I don't really want to go on a cruise.

[Sean Fennese]

This is a very odd question that someone's asked you. I really like that people are spending their time thinking about what you and your husband would do in the event that you went on a cruise.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I think it's a question about how the Odyssey is a portrait of a marriage but not a modern marriage.

[Sean Fennese]

Fair point. Okay, what's the next question?

[Jack Sanders]

This next question is fun. It comes from Danis from New Zealand with Dune Messiah and Avengers Doomsday, currently slated to open on the same day. Is this the closest movies have come to recreating The Kanye west vs 50 cent grad Kurdish showdown? Back then, the conventional wisdom was that 50 was the bigger commercial force. But Kanye won both the sales battle and the cultural argument, making a shift in what mainstream audiences wanted. Could Dune win? Or is Marvel still too much of a cultural juggernaut?

[Sean Fennese]

I don't think Dune can win. Just. Just from a purely box office perspective. The Dune movies are not nearly as big as the Avengers. Movies. And so I think if that's. That will win our hearts, if that's the way to think about it, I don't think that's gonna work out from a Prestige Awards, Metacritic score perspective. Almost Certainly Dune Part 3 is gonna do better. And look, I think you can just bank on this. Critics are gonna have their knives out for Doomsday. It's a blood in the water moment. Bunch of Marvel movies haven't worked consecutively. Nobody has to worry about being like, oh, wow, what an achievement that they told this story over 10 years. All that stuff's over. So in that respect, the movie's almost certainly not gonna be received as well. But, I mean, I think the Avengers movie's gonna make a billion dollars. I just think it's gonna be massive. So. But the way comparing it to The Kanye in 50 experience is really interesting. I mean, I was in the thick of covering this at Vibe when this was happening. This was like the biggest deal in the universe if you were covering music. And we didn't necessarily know it at the time, but right before, Kanye was more Critically acclaimed, but 50 was on top commercially at that point. Kanye had only put out two records, and Hurtis was like, when it became clear that it was over for 50,

[Amanda Dobbins]

there's not a. I'm looking at the track list right now.

[Sean Fennese]

There's not a classic, no jams on. You know, it's not a terrible album, but it is officially the fall off for 50 as a musician. And so I don't know if you could really compare them in that way either. Like, is this Denis Villeneuve elevating? Has he not yet made My Dark Twisted Fantasy? Has he made his 808s and heartbreak? You know, I don't know. And likewise, is Marvel really gonna be starring on Power in a few years on Stars, in terms of just following 50s trajectory? It's a really interesting comparison. There have been other days like this in the movies that I thought of almost immediately when I saw this question. Though the funniest one since the show has been around was when Venom and A Star Is Born came out on the same day, which I think was it October 5, 2018. I think that's what the date was. Something like that. Which that was actually when the show, I was like, I know exactly what this podcast is. These two things. This is everything, you know, like, big, glossy, starry Hollywood remake with the actors we love Gaga and then Tom Hardy jumping in a tank in a restaurant

[Amanda Dobbins]

to play with lobsters.

[Sean Fennese]

Like, this is cinema to me. But before That I think we've talked about the Dark Knight of Mamma Mi on the same day.

[Jack Sanders]

Right.

[Sean Fennese]

Maybe when we talked about Mamma Mia on the pod, did we talk about the fact that they came out on the same day?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't remember.

[Sean Fennese]

Smash hits.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Have you seen Mamma Mia 2 yet?

[Sean Fennese]

Not yet. I do own it on 4K.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, congratulations.

[Sean Fennese]

Figuring out Alice and I will watch it at some point. Not yet. Toy Story and Casino opened on the same day. Okay, who's 50 and who's Kanye in the Toy Story Casino showdown?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I can't say that casino is 50 because many, many listeners were so mad that we didn't put Casino in the Scorsese hall of Fame.

[Sean Fennese]

Did we not? I don't remember that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think we ultimately didn't. And that was probably me. And then the men were mad. Casino's good.

[Sean Fennese]

It's fantastic. I love it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

Did you know, I think this is right. Ghostbusters and Gremlins opened on the same day. And this is the closest I could come to figuring out Dune Avengers, where I'm like, these movies are aimed at the exact same audience. They're the exact same kind of movie. Fun, scary comedy. Just weird that that would happen. I think that's right. And then Scarface, in terms of Endearment also came out on the Same Day in 1983.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think Moonstruck and Broadcast News came out on the same day. Speaking of very specific. Same audiences and also two masterpieces.

[Sean Fennese]

Hmm. It's interesting when that happens.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Same weekend at least.

[Jack Sanders]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

This sort of stuff happens more frequently now when you've got a bunch of movies all coming out on, like, Christmas Day. But the historical comps are interesting. I don't know. You know what? I still like 50 cents music. Not afraid to say it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

When just a Little Bit came on at French Pilates with, like, five minutes to go, Wow. I was like, I have ascended into heaven. This is my life. Amanda Dobbins. This is your life. I mean, but do you expect to hear 50 Cent, like, at French Pilates when the woman is like, allez fille. You know, one more lunch in Paris, this happened? Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

Wow. That's great for you. I know that song was produced by Scott Storch. You remember the Scott Storch era?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Me too.

[Sean Fennese]

Pretty cool. The massacre by 50 Cent. You own that, Jack?

[Jack Sanders]

I do not.

[Sean Fennese]

Have you heard it? I have.

[Jack Sanders]

I do not own any physical music.

[Sean Fennese]

Because you feel all music should be free.

[Jack Sanders]

I bought a couple record players or I bought a couple of records and Never bought a record player. And once that happened, I was like, I need to ban myself from doing this.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay. I can't believe we got just a little bit drop from Amanda. That's incredible. Let's do two more questions.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Thank you. To Paris. Pilates.

[Sean Fennese]

Thank you.

[Jack Sanders]

You. This next question, I believe comes from Alistair. Alistair, I apologize if I'm mispronouncing. How would the Odyssey have gone different if Odysseus's crew were Minions? Would his journey have gone better or worse?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think it would have been more light hearted, you know, which then I don't know whether he would come to the same conclusions about his role in the, you know, moral universe, though. The Minions.

[Sean Fennese]

Minions.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The arc of the Minions universe does bend towards justice. And they do ultimately.

[Sean Fennese]

Does it?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. They learn that they want to be a force for good, not evil. Or they kind of get tricked into being a force for good rather than evil, usually by various accidents where they go splat and you laugh a lot. Love the Minions. I think honestly, the Minions in Cersei would be a very funny sequence that I would enjoy. Like, that'd be great.

[Sean Fennese]

It's a great idea.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's not like there's a lot of comedy here. The Minions going one by one into Charybdis, you know, just where we're both like, woo. Listen, I'm like, I'm available for ideas for always.

[Sean Fennese]

Did you leave the big picture to go work for illumination?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No. Well, in understanding, it's like, oh, listen, I'd love to do some partnerships, you know, no one asks.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay. Good to know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Me, Dua Lipa and the Minions. Magical things going on.

[Sean Fennese]

Why did Dua Lipa get involved in this?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Because Pierre Cofan did an interview with Rhys guy with the movie camera, and he talks about how he uses Dua Lipa songs like, Dua Lipa is part of minionese.

[Sean Fennese]

Oh, I see.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Seek it, seek it out.

[Sean Fennese]

I see. Yeah, got it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

You got your own thing going on. Living in. It's. We have a different algorithm. We can actually do two more now.

[Jack Sanders]

Okay, next question comes from Mehir. Hey, Sean and Amanda. I've been a big fan since 2020. Thanks so much for what you do. Letterboxd going on sale worries me. They have quietly become one of the few independent qualitative data sets that can help fill some of the information gap that exists in our post streaming world. Are either of you worried about what a letterbox sale would mean for the industry? Or do you think I put too much importance on what the app has

[Sean Fennese]

Become just want to point something out about Mehir's question that I found interesting because it's not the same concern that I've heard from other people about this. He's saying it's a qualitative data set and it's an information gap filler and that's how he values it. Which is interesting because there was a piece of that a person named Steven Fellows wrote on Substack this week that I shared about the numbers. Really, really interesting dive into what's happened to the website, the numbers, which is a box office tracking website that you and I have both used many times over the years that has been very helpful to me for coming up with show ideas and organizing stuff for episodes. And it was an independently owned and operated website and it has been scraped aggressively by AI bots over recent years and it is kind of like threatening to pull the site down from within with all the scraping that it's doing. And so they're rebuilding the site and they hope to relaunch the site. I encourage people to check out this piece, but to me, this question that Mahir is asking kind of recalls that, that it's almost like he thinks of, or she thinks of this letterbox as like a utility, you know, like a space full of information as opposed to the relationship that some other people have to it, which is like it's a community space, it's a space to get connected, or it's a recommendation engine, or it's a place to get jokes off or however you think of Flutterbox, which of course I love and have been using also since 2020. My reaction to the news about the sale is I just hope that they sell it to somebody who knows how great it is and preserves what's special about it and helps to make it even greater. And anybody who has a terrible idea of what it is and wants to ruin it, I hope doesn't participate in the acquisition. It's really not more complicated than that, I think. What do you think about the idea of a movie studio trying to buy it?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Don't feel great about it.

[Sean Fennese]

It's a little complicated.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Even the most well intentioned executives at movie studios, many of whom like really love movies and want to do stuff, we give them a hard time on this podcast because we give all executives a hard time. But like these are a lot of people who like movies. But if you own it and pay a lot of money for it, then you can't not turn it into a financial tool for you, which would then mean that it is a tool at of the other movies. And I think what is wonderful about letterbox is that it is like the gathering place. Whether you're coming to it for data or whether you're coming to it for reviews or to get like a truly unfiltered non Rotten Tomatoes nonsense check on what people who care about movies actually think about movies, it's incredibly valuable. And if it only speaks to a certain sliver of the movies or if a studio is putting, you know, some sort of pressure on it, even benevolent pressure, I think compromises it.

[Sean Fennese]

And people will be able to tell. Right. And people are always very skeptical about corporate acquisitions. We've been bore witness to a corporate acquisition in our careers. It's a very complicated thing. I think one thing I've always loved about letterboxd is that it does have a kind of homemade analog feel. Even though it's a pretty slick app, it just, it doesn't feel overly complicated and noisy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennese]

And so that's another thing that, you know, in an effort to escalate whatever it will become over time, you still want it to have that like pop in, open the app, log the movie, bounce out.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's intuitive and it feels very separate from the Silicon Valley. Grow, grow, grow algorithm notification, you know, everything because it's, it just is its own world. It's not trying desperately to like create some, you know, conquer all the other universes. And it did that very organically. So I think I would also worry about like a giant Silicon Valley purchase for the same reason. I mean we come to this in all roads of life in, in capitalism anyway where it's just like you're just hoping for the most like benevolent money possible and most of the times the money isn't benevolent. But I'm, I'm hopeful that there is someone who just has a lot of cash and, and gets it it same.

[Sean Fennese]

The same applies for the three of us. What's next?

[Jack Sanders]

This next question comes from Bobby. And I don't think Wagner, unless he has not kept me posted on some serious life updates.

[Sean Fennese]

You know, we heard from WAGS this week, so maybe it is Bobby.

[Jack Sanders]

My wife is currently pregnant with our first child, Bob.

[Sean Fennese]

If you didn't lead with that, hopefully that's not Wags then because I would have needed to know that. Not on Mike.

[Jack Sanders]

And we recently learned that it will be a girl. What would you consider to be the classics of Girl Dad Cinema and perhaps some underrated or lesser known films in the genre?

[Sean Fennese]

I wrote down a bunch of movies off the top of my head this

[Amanda Dobbins]

One, plug Adam Neiman's book. Right now, before anything, Adam Neiman is writing an entire book centered around this subject and examination of this subject, probably both in a slightly skeptical, you know, an academically rigorous way. It's called Dautur Theory, which is really smart. So pre order that when that's available. Adam sent us that pre order link. And also congratulations to Bobby.

[Sean Fennese]

This Bobby, whoever he is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. And his wife, who I hope is feeling well.

[Sean Fennese]

I can't recommend something more than having a daughter. You know, it's like, check out Paul Thomas Anderson movies. Have a daughter. Like, that's it. That's. That's the. Those are my two recommendations to all people. You know, as I was making a list of movies. And when Adam's book is published, I'm sure we'll do an entire girl dad movie episode and we can talk about all the films that he sees as fitting the bill. But most. Many of the movies I wrote down are your movies. Movies that you love.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Because you know what? I've been the daughter of a father my whole life.

[Sean Fennese]

There it is. And do you think that's why these movies speak to you?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm sure there's part of it, yeah. I mean, I think some of it is also that they don't make that many mom daughter movies. So in terms of.

[Sean Fennese]

And why is that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So in terms of parenting movie, like movies about dealing with a parent, this is the. This is the relationship that's been explored.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah. That is interesting.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

There is something special about the relationship. I don't know what it is, but I'm living through it off the top of my head.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. I mean, number one is just absolutely Stolen Valor, you know, first Jimothy, now Somewhere by Sofia Coppola. You've been out here. First of all, Rob Mahoney has taken it from me in just the one

[Sean Fennese]

draft taken from you. But also, this is a collective project.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Even when he took it for me, you were like, it's fine.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah, but it's a girl dad movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it is. It's a beautiful movie.

[Sean Fennese]

It's very much in the exact strain. Sofia Coppola, of course, the product of a girl dad relationship. Trap. Yeah, trap. What happens?

[Amanda Dobbins]

We were right. There was another question we didn't get to about what movies are gonna be reclaimed. Trap. But we don't need to reclaim it. Cause we were there.

[Sean Fennese]

We were there. Logan, the Wolverine movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I've seen that. I saw that at the Regal Paseo when it was an Arclight with Phoebe Riley.

[Sean Fennese]

Wouldn't you say that that's a girl dad movie. Not literally, but figuratively. So he's 23.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, sure.

[Sean Fennese]

The young girl, Daphne Keen.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

I think so.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Great.

[Sean Fennese]

Liam Neeson's taken.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. Canonical text.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah. I mean, one battle after another. Of course. Last year, grabbed the belt. I thought of Clueless.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's nice. I mean, she has a dad.

[Sean Fennese]

I love their relationship in that movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It is very funny. Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

And I feel like she really gets what's special about her daughter. He really gets. Dan Hedaya's character really gets. He's yelling at her sometimes, but he knows that she's got the juice.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Everywhere in LA. Takes 20 minutes.

[Sean Fennese]

That's right. I mean, Father of the Bride. Of course.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, this is the one. Forever and ever. This is just. You've seen it recently? I haven't Just an absolutely magical movie.

[Sean Fennese]

Did we do Nancy Myers before? The Nancy Myers episode? Before Alice was born. Because that was the last time I watched it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Don't remember.

[Jack Sanders]

Because October 9, 2020.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes, it was.

[Sean Fennese]

It was before. Okay, I'll get back to it. To Kill a Mockingbird.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Sean Fennese]

Atticus and Scout.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

Poor things.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Who's. Oh, sure. More of like girl Frankenstein, you know, but that is. That's a. That's a dad thing.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah. Willem Dafoe. That's dad.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Sean Fennese]

Have you seen the Nice Guys recently? Did you see that? CR just did a conversation with Shane Black about the Nice Guys.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I did. I have not. I guess I've watched it in the last 10 years.

[Sean Fennese]

Gosling plays a wonderful girl with that in the movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

His young daughter. He's trying to find a killer and trying to save her. You know, after sun is the one that most people will point to. I also thought of We Live in Time, which is a movie that affected me greatly. After Sun, I like, but don't love. I think the same for you, but we've been told we are canonical monsters for feeling that way.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's okay. We live in time. I just. It's too raw. And it came out right when Cy was born.

[Sean Fennese]

And it's a very simple, perhaps sentimental movie that I thought was very effective and got me no sentimental value.

[Amanda Dobbins]

An incredible girl, that movie.

[Sean Fennese]

Complicated one.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

How do you feel about the Descendants? I'm sure we've talked about it before. It's been a while since we had reason to discuss Clooney.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Haven't seen it in several years. I remember liking it at the time. Me too. I probably rewatched it it for the Holdovers. I almost said the Hangover. Different experience. Or is it.

[Sean Fennese]

Or was it Arrested Development as a theme?

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's traditionally understood to be the best that Clooney's ever been besides Michael Clayton and actual acting. And he is good.

[Sean Fennese]

I haven't seen it in forever. I didn't rewatch it for any of those episodes. I didn't rewatch it for the Clooney hall of Fame. I didn't rewatch it for Holdover. For Holdovers. I don't rewatch it for any of them. I should revisit it. I remember liking it as well. Shailene Woodley. I feel like that was her big breakthrough. I don't know.

[Jack Sanders]

I'll throw out one Moneyball.

[Sean Fennese]

Oh, yeah, of course. Of course. I'm sure there's a million more.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We're just social reckoning, you know, Aaron Sorkin's gonna get it in there somewhere.

[Sean Fennese]

Wow.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't know whether Mark Zuckerberg has any daughters. I don't know whether he identifies as a girl.

[Sean Fennese]

Dad, should we get him on the show?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. From Feed Me to the big Picture.

[Sean Fennese]

Would you be interested?

[Amanda Dobbins]

That'll go really well.

[Sean Fennese]

Would you be interested in him doing a live rebuttal to the social reckoning?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He has an entire platform available.

[Sean Fennese]

What is it? What's it called? Do you use Meta Products?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

You do?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I do, yeah. Even though they're like. They. They're breaking a lot more easily these days. Do you have.

[Sean Fennese]

I don't know if you've noticed, like, the headset.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, I just use Instagram. I tried it when it was the apple. Whatever.

[Sean Fennese]

Yeah, The Vision. The Vision Pro.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennese]

That didn't really take off.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, it was really heavy.

[Sean Fennese]

I kind of enjoyed it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I didn't like it very much. I. That was also. I think I was pregnant and nauseous, and then it was just like.

[Jack Sanders]

Like.

[Sean Fennese]

Seems like a bad idea.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. You know, not as bad as going to 40x while pregnant, which is also a thing that I did.

[Sean Fennese]

That was actually a bad idea.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sat on the floor.

[Sean Fennese]

Should we go to 40x again? My back is healed.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I'm curious about 40x the Odyssey.

[Jack Sanders]

I've seen some clips. It looks too intense for me.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

I think I want to do it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you want to do four. Your actual birthday, like, on Hungover? No, I don't think Hungover. That you should go, though. I'm. I'm looking into some probiotics for the party that you take before drinking.

[Sean Fennese]

Probiotics? Yeah, I mean, I know what those Are.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I think it's called.

[Sean Fennese]

Is that something people do now?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Sean Fennese]

Before consuming alcohol, they take probiotics. What does that do?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, a trusted friend. She said that it helps at least with the hangover. I don't know whether she wants to be, like. I don't know whether she wants me to, like, give away her, you know, pull quotes for free on this.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

On this podcast. I don't know that she wants to be credited with it, but I was good. Yeah. I'm gonna try it.

[Sean Fennese]

What does a probiotic.

[Amanda Dobbins]

A probiotic works with your gut.

[Sean Fennese]

Right. I get that, but what does it accomplish before drinking? Like, it makes you less hungover.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes, that's the point. I don't know whether it works yet, but I'm willing to.

[Sean Fennese]

Isn't the hangover more about dehydration and not about your stomach?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't. Maybe it's affecting how your body absorbs the alcohol or how your body processes the alcohol. I don't know.

[Sean Fennese]

What if I don't get drunk on my birthday?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Listen, it's your birthday, you know.

[Sean Fennese]

No, I like to be in control.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I've heard that.

[Sean Fennese]

Okay. This was good. Jack, you feel good about this?

[Jack Sanders]

This was honestly one of my favorite mailbags in recent memory.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, good.

[Sean Fennese]

Great. Me too. Thanks to the listeners. Leo season is here. Yeah. Thank you for the great question. 600 questions. That's really kind of everybody. Thanks to Jack Sanders. Thanks to Lucas Kavanaugh for going through those questions, helping us out. As I mentioned, we're going through 10 movies we missed. Will there be anything else fun happening on Monday in the news? Like, what do you think? Will someone die? Will someone get married? Will someone be born?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Someone dying?

[Sean Fennese]

No, it's not fun.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennese]

It's notable.

[Jack Sanders]

I pull strings to get Jimothy on the show.

[Sean Fennese]

Wow. Jimothy. Third chair.

[Jack Sanders]

Could you imagine?

[Amanda Dobbins]

When was the last time? Well, I guess you don't. You only get a rabies shot if you're bit by wildlife. Right? So we should need to have that. We would have that on hand.

[Sean Fennese]

Let's get you bit this weekend. That sounds perfect. All right, we'll see you next week.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile.

[Sean Fennese]

Now, I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun

[Amanda Dobbins]

if we made $15 bills, but it

[Sean Fennese]

turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a [e-mail].

[Amanda Dobbins]

switch upfront payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for a 12 month plan. Required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees. Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes. Me slow when network is busy. See terms.