The Big Picture

The Ringer

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins review the movies you need to see. Plus: Top 5s, Movie Drafts, Oscars analysis, and more. Subscribe to Sean's newsletter, Projections, here.

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959 episodes
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Episodes959

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Apr 20, 2018 · 42 min
4/20 Special: Jay Chandrasekhar’s ‘Super Troopers’ Return | The Big Picture (Ep. 60)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with comedic actor, director, and writer Jay Chandrasekhar about returning to make a ‘Super Troopers’ sequel 17 years after the original. Chandrasekhar also discusses what it’s like being an Indian American in Hollywood, returning to his roots, and bridging the divided audiences in comedy.More from Sean Fennessey on Movies
Apr 13, 2018 · 31 min
Life and Death in the American West With ‘Lean on Pete’ Director Andrew Haigh | The Big Picture (Ep. 58)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with filmmaker Andrew Haigh about his emotionally devastating ‘Lean on Pete,’ about an orphaned boy (Charlie Plummer) and his horse, the titular Pete, and their journey from Oregon to Wyoming in search of a long-lost family member. Haigh also discusses his long career as a director and the difference between making TV shows and making movies.
Apr 6, 2018 · 30 min
'Blockers’ and the Revival of the Studio Comedy With Kay Cannon | The Big Picture (Ep. 58)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey sits down with Kay Cannon, the veteran screenwriter on ‘30 Rock,' New Girl,’ and all three ‘Pitch Perfect’ movies to discuss her new R-rated studio comedy and directorial debut ‘Blockers’ and her transition from writing to directing.
Mar 30, 2018 · 1 hr 5 min
Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57)
In preparation for Steven Spielberg's ‘Ready Player One,’ The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan discuss and debate the prolific filmmaker's best movies of all time. They cover everything from ‘Jaws’ to ‘Jurassic Park,’ from the ‘Indiana Jones’ series to ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ and many, many more (1:00). And later, CEO of The Ringer Bill Simmons stops by to give his take on how terrifying 'Jaws' was and Spielberg's career (43:00).Ringer web store
Mar 27, 2018 · 48 min
Cults, Sex, and the American Dream in 'Wild Wild Country' I The Big Picture (Ep. 56)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with 'Wild Wild Country' directors Maclain and Chapman Way and producer Mark Duplass about the arduous process of making an in-depth documentary that features a 64,000-acre ranch in Oregon, a spiritual guru, ritualistic group sex, assassination plots, guns, drugs, and bioterrorism.You can find the official Ringer web store here:http://bit.ly/ringershop
Mar 16, 2018 · 38 min
The Best Movies at the SXSW Film Festival | The Big Picture (Ep. 55)
The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan recap the best movies they saw at the SXSW Film Festival, including ‘Ready Player One,’ ‘A Quiet Place,’ ‘Eighth Grade,’ and more.
Mar 9, 2018 · 25 min
Cory Finley Breaks From the Stage with ‘Thoroughbreds’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 54)
Ringer Editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with first time director Cory Finley about his film ‘Thoroughbreds’ and his transition from playwright to filmmaker.
Mar 2, 2018 · 26 min
Jennifer Lawrence’s ‘Red Sparrow’ Transformation With Francis Lawrence | The Big Picture (Ep. 53)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with filmmaker Francis Lawrence about making ‘Red Sparrow,’ his fourth film in a row starring Jennifer Lawrence; their working relationship forged through ‘The Hunger Games’ movie franchise; and his new creative venture with Apple TV.More on movies from the Ringer
Feb 27, 2018 · 59 min
Is ‘Three Billboards’ Actually Just ‘Crash’ 2.0? Plus, Other Oscars Takes | The Big Picture (Ep. 52)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey sits down with The Ringer’s Amanda Dobbins and K. Austin Collins and New York Times critic Wesley Morris to discuss eerie similarities between ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ and the notorious 2006 Best Picture winner, ‘Crash’ (0:00). Then, Chris Ryan joins to discuss ‘Shape of Water’ and its status as the clear front-runner to win Best Picture (0:00).More on the Oscars from The Ringer:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiI3wRw9PbSYHic2RJiHo4
Feb 23, 2018 · 34 min
'Annihilation,’ ‘Ex Machina,’ and Alex Garland’s Disturbing Sci-Fi Vision | The Big Picture (Ep. 51)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey speaks with acclaimed writer and director Alex Garland about the making of the Natalie Portman sci-fi thriller ‘Annihilation’ and the tricky nature of adapting Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling book. They also discuss Garland’s first film, ‘Ex Machina’; his time as a novelist and screenwriter of movies like ‘28 Days Later...’ and ‘Sunshine’; and a lot more.For more movie coverage, check out The Ringer
Feb 19, 2018 · 33 min
Yance Ford Made ‘Strong Island’ to Face Down the Past | The Big Picture (Ep. 50)
Ringer Editor-in-Chief Sean Fennessey speaks with Academy Award-nominated documentarian Yance Ford about making Netflix’s ‘Strong Island,’ a personal film about the tragic murder of his brother, William, and the larger implications in the story about segregation, race, violence, and power.
Feb 16, 2018 · 25 min
Why Stop-Motion Animation Takes Forever to Make, With Nick Park | The Big Picture (Ep. 49)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey sits down with ‘Wallace and Gromit’ creator and Academy Award–winning animation director Nick Park to discuss the time-consuming process of making stop-motion animation, his commitment to the form, and his new underdog cavemen comedy, ‘Early Man.’
Feb 12, 2018 · 43 min
The Rise of Alex Ross Perry: From the Art House to the Mouse House | The Big Picture (Ep. 48)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey speaks with filmmaker Alex Ross Perry about his quick-and-cheap working style and his shift from art house movies like his latest, ‘Golden Exits,’ to his upcoming big-budget ‘Winnie the Pooh’ adaptation for Disney.
Feb 9, 2018 · 39 min
'Icarus’ Filmmaker Bryan Fogel on Why Russia Won’t Be at the Olympics | The Big Picture (Ep. 47)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey sits down with filmmaker Bryan Fogel to discuss his Academy Award–nominated documentary, ‘Icarus.’ Fogel explains how his journey into the world of blood doping and cycling was transformed into a larger story about the state-run Russian Olympic doping program.
Feb 2, 2018 · 29 min
The Art of True Crime Documentary with Erin Lee Carr | The Big Picture (Ep. 46)
Ringer Editor-in-Chief Sean Fennessey speaks with documentarian Erin Lee Carr (‘Mommy Dead and Dearest’) about her new project “Drug Short,” an installment in Netflix’s new doc series ‘Dirty Money’ and why she’s drawn to grim and morally gray stories.
Jan 23, 2018 · 1 hr
Oscar Season: The Snubs and Surprises of the Academy Awards Nominations | The Big Picture (Ep. 45)
The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins, and K. Austin Collins react to the 2018 Oscar nominations. They break down the front-runners, the most shocking snubs, and what to look forward to come March 4. Also: the Academy’s apparent love of fish sex.https://www.theringer.com/2018/1/23/16923366/academy-award-nominations-get-out-lady-bird-three-billboards-shape-of-water-snubs-surprises
Jan 12, 2018 · 22 min
Making Kick-Ass Liam Neeson Movies With Director Jaume Collet-Serra | The Big Picture (Ep. 44)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey sits down with director Jaume Collet-Serra to discuss teaming up with movie star Liam Neeson for a fourth time in his new movie, ‘The Commuter’; the difficulties of shooting a movie in a confined space; and why he keeps coming back to genre films.
Dec 29, 2017 · 31 min
The Urgency of ‘The Post’ With Screenwriters Liz Hannah and Josh Singer | The Big Picture (Ep. 43)
The Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with first-time screenwriter Liz Hannah and Academy Award-winning scribe Josh Singer about 'The Post,' their collaboration for Steven Spielberg about the men and women who published the Pentagon Papers in The Washington Post.
Dec 22, 2017 · 38 min
The Best Movies of 2017 | The Big Picture (Ep. 42)
The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Amanda Dobbins and K. Austin Collins rank and debate the best movies of 2017.
Dec 18, 2017 · 15 min
‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Is Just the Beginning for Rian Johnson | The Big Picture (Ep. 41)
Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with writer-director Rian Johnson about making ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi,’ putting his own spin on the franchise, and his upcoming spinoff trilogy.