The Big Picture

Micah Peters and Rob Harvilla join the show to make the case for why ‘Black Panther’ transcends the Marvel Cinematic Universe and should be taken more seriously as a Best Picture nominee (1:00). Then Ruth E. Carter, the film’s costume designer, joins to detail the unique demands of designing for a comic book movie, her work with Spike Lee, and her path from Broadway to Hollywood (21:38). Host: Sea...

We sift through what’s real and what’s just British after the BAFTAs this weekend, and whether or not the ‘A Star Is Born’ media blitz is helping or hurting its stock at the Oscars. Then we wonder what might happen if the Oscars telecast is as much of a disaster as it’s shaping up to be. Finally, Sean sits down with Nicholas Britell—the composer of the ‘If Beale Street Could Talk,’ ‘Moonlight,’ an...

With today’s Netflix release of Steven Soderbergh’s newest film, ‘High Flying Bird,’ we sit down to list and discuss the top five movies he’s made in a prolific career. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We take stock of a Best Documentary Oscars race that doesn’t include ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’ and ‘Three Identical Strangers’—two of the most commercially successful documentaries of the year (0:40). Then ‘Free Solo’ directors Jimmy Chin and E. Chai Vasarhelyi join the show to talk about the challenges of filming a climber in a life-or-death situation (18:22). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Do...

We spend an inordinate amount of time talking about ‘The Wife,’ Glenn Close’s latest film that will likely net her her first Best Actress win at the Oscars (1:09). Then we assess the stock of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘A Star Is Born,’ and ‘Roma’ after the Directors Guild Awards (40:30). Finally, Sean sits down with ‘BlacKkKlansman’ editor Barry Alexander Brown to discuss working with Spike Lee and the...

Dan Gilroy joins the show to talk his Netflix-backed horror-thriller art-world satire, directing Jake Gyllenhaal, and the commercialization of creativity. Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Dan Gilroy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we break down a big win for ‘Black Panther’ at the SAG Awards and whether it will improve its Best Picture chances (2:20). Then Sean shares his Academy Award nomination frustrations, and we examine how the telecast could be headed for disaster (16:00). Finally, we take a long look at the Best Director race, ‘Roma,’ and Netflix’s standing in the Oscar conversation (45:26). Hosts: Sean Fen...

Our instant reactions to the 2019 Oscar nominations pose as many questions as answers: Is 'Roma' the new favorite? Is ‘A Star Is Born’ doomed? And why couldn’t the Academy get it together for Ethan Hawke? Then we turn to the never-ending 'Green Book' saga in Stock Up/Stock Down and examine the Best Picture betting odds as they stand on January 22. Hosts: Amanda Dobbins, Chris Ryan Learn more about...

We react to ‘Glass,’ veteran director M. Night Shyamalan’s final installation in an almost-two-decade-long trilogy that includes ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Split.’ Where does the movie, which stars a cast of James McAvoy, Samuel L. Jackson, and Bruce Willis, fit into a catalogue that includes home runs like ‘The Sixth Sense’ and lows like ‘The Happening?’ Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Justin Charity Learn m...

Rob Harvilla calls in to make sense of the release of two Fyre Festival documentaries in the same week by Netflix and Hulu. Then, ‘Minding the Gap’ director Bing Liu talks about navigating the complicated and personal themes in his documentary. Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Bing Liu, Rob Harvilla Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we explore how the various guild awards can tell us who is in the best position to bring home Oscars (0:53). Then, we try and digest the deluge of ‘Green Book’ controversies (25:21). Finally, we try and place our finger on an answer to the existential question hanging over our show: What does 'Best Picture' even mean (32:42)? Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Links: This Is the M...

Chris Ryan joins the show to break down the latest news that the Oscars will be hosted by committee and share his top five Los Angeles films. Then, director Karyn Kusama joins the show to discuss ‘Destroyer’—her second movie with a distinct take on L.A. Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Karyn Kusama, Chris Ryan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We unpack a shocking night as the Golden Globes crown ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ Rami Malek, Glenn Close, and ‘Green Book’ — and ‘A Star Is Born’ comes away with only one award. What does it mean going forward for Oscars front-runners Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, and more? Hosts: Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

‘Vice’ writer-director Adam McKay joins the show to talk about his relationship to the politics of Dick Cheney, learning to take criticism from his days in comedy, and whether ‘The Big Short’ and ‘Vice’ are a better indication of his future than ‘Step Brothers’ and ‘Anchorman.’ Host: Sean Fennessey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We share our ballot picks for all 14 movie categories ahead of Sunday’s Golden Globes and preview whether ‘A Star Is Born’ is the juggernaut we think it is (0:50). Then Sean sits down with ‘Cold War’ writer-director Pawel Pawlikowski to discuss how he crafted a detailed, memory-driven film about characters modeled after his parents (54:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about...

We examine and dissect the backlash against Adam McKay’s ‘Vice,’ starring Christian Bale as Dick Cheney (0:55). Then we touch on ’Black Panther,' ‘Mary Poppins Returns,’ and ‘Cold War’ in Stock Up/Stock Down (32:53), before closing out with a Best Picture race odds breakdown (59:43). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean Fennessey and David Shoemaker take a trip into the cinematically gorgeous — but ultimately average — world of the latest DC Universe release, 'Aquaman.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins, and Juliet Litman discuss ‘Mary Poppins Returns,’ the sequel to the classic Disney film, starring Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The debate over how to watch ‘Roma’ is starting to obscure actual conversations about ‘Roma’ (1:15), and ‘The Mule’ doesn’t quite make the Oscars cut (9:15). Plus, a mailbag full of questions about ‘A Star Is Born,’ up-and-coming actors, and the future of Netflix’s influence on theaters (13:19). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adc...

Sean Fennessey and Micah Peters recap the surprising highs of the latest installment of the ‘Spider-Man’ universe — an animated film that's also a major achievement in the genre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins returns to 'The Big Picture' to discuss his life and work since ‘Moonlight’ won Best Picture at the Oscars and the unique challenge of recreating 1970s Harlem for his adaptation of James Baldwin’s ‘If Beale Street Could Talk.’ Host: Sean Fennessey Guest: Barry Jenkins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kevin Hart is out as host of the Academy Awards after a bungled non-apology tour. What happens next (0:50)? Plus: What the Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards mean for ‘Roma,’ ‘A Star Is Born,’ and the Best Picture race (11:45), and a conversation about the best acting performances of the year with The New York Times’ Wesley Morris (19:30). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: W...

We break down which movies made the final cut for our top 10 lists this year — including everything from ‘Black Panther’ and ‘A Star Is Born’ to ‘Burning,’ ‘Support the Girls,’ ‘Minding the Gap,’ and more. Host: Sean Fennessey Guests: Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reacting to the Golden Globes nominations, including surprising love for ‘Vice,’ chaos in the category definitions, pleasant surprises and alarming snubs, and why we love Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg as hosts. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Actor, writer, and director John Krasinski joins the show to talk about how he became not just the star, but also the writer-director of the box office smash ‘A Quiet Place,’ how he evolved after ‘The Office,’ and where he’s going next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices