The Big Picture: ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best …

Published 2025-04-07; 1:28:39 by the feed.

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

The extraction calls the show “The Big Picture (The Ringer)” and the episode “'A Minecraft Movie' Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … (published 2025-04-07)”.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins. Guests: none.

Subject films: A Minecraft Movie (2025).

On the transcript: Auto transcript, no speaker labels; many names mangled, especially the recommended indie/arthouse titles. The first ~51 minutes are Minecraft and the state of movies; the second half is the best-of-the-year-so-far list.

Added from the extractor's memory, not said

Films that came up

subject (1)

A Minecraft Movie

passing (44)

The Woman in the Yard · Napoleon Dynamite · Nacho Libre · Transformers (the last movie) · One Battle After Another · Jumanji · Kung Fu Panda · School of Rock · Goosebumps · Ice Age · Shark Tale · High Fidelity · Gabby's Dollhouse (movie) · Mickey 17 · Sinners · How to Train Your Dragon (live action) · Elio · Lilo & Stitch · Inside Out 2 · Mufasa: The Lion King · Sonic the Hedgehog · Civil War · Godzilla vs. Kong · Everything Everywhere All at Once · Wall-E · Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (and the planned Fincher follow-up) · The Great Escape · Warfare · Star Wars · Jaws · Avatar · Jurassic World · The Fast and the Furious (franchise) · Ne Zha 2 · Oppenheimer · Mission: Impossible (upcoming) · Superman (upcoming) · Nosferatu · A Complete Unknown · The Beatles films (four-film project) · Fortnite movie (in development) · The Housemaid · Drop · It Ends With Us

compared (21)

Minions: The Rise of Gru · Rocky Horror Picture Show · Marvel movies · Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990 live-action film) · Barbie · The Super Mario Bros. Movie · Casablanca · The Last Starfighter · Invaders (as heard; likely Invaders from Mars) · The Greatest Showman · Challengers · Dune: Part Two · Ocean's Eleven · The Good German · Stranger by the Lake · His Three Daughters · Exotica · Chloe · Friday · Raising Cain · Bridesmaids

dismissed (8)

Fast X · Alto Knights · Snow White · Mortal Kombat · World of Warcraft · Assassin's Creed · Havoc · Free Guy

anecdote (1)

Kool-Aid Man movie (joke, not real)

recommended (11)

Black Bag · Misericordia · The Ballad of Wallace Island · The Assessment · Seven Veils · On Becoming a Guinea Fowl · One of Them Days · Presence (title not spoken; Soderbergh ghost story) · The Dead Thing · The Rule of Jenny Pen · Kinda Pregnant

Claims (102)

  1. unmapped (same night): The Woman in the Yard → A Minecraft Movie. Sean saw The Woman in the Yard at 7:30 and Minecraft at 9 the same night.
    “I went to a 9 p.m. screening after seeing a 7.30 p.m. screening of the woman in the yard.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:02:24 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (rowdy audience): A Minecraft Movie → Minions: The Rise of Gru. The last time Sean saw a theater this rowdy was Minions 2 (though that was teenagers doing memes).
    “Now, the last time I remember this experience was minions 2.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:04:55 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
  3. people (directed by): A Minecraft Movie → Jared Hess. Sean names Jared Hess as the director of the Minecraft movie.
    “The movie is directed by Jared Hess, who is probably best known for directing Napoleon Dynamite”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:05:34 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  4. people (directed): Jared Hess → Napoleon Dynamite. Hess is best known for Napoleon Dynamite.
    “The movie is directed by Jared Hess, who is probably best known for directing Napoleon Dynamite”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:05:34 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  5. people (directed): Jared Hess → Nacho Libre. Hess also directed Nacho Libre starring Jack Black.
    “Also, the director of a film called Nacho Libre starring Jack Black.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:05:49 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  6. unmapped (starred in): Jack Black → Nacho Libre. Jack Black starred in Nacho Libre.
    “Also, the director of a film called Nacho Libre starring Jack Black.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:05:49 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  7. people (reunion): Jared Hess → Jack Black. Minecraft reunites Hess and Black.
    “This is a reunion between Hess and Jack Black.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:05:52 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  8. people (collaborator): Jemaine Clement → Jared Hess. Clement is a longtime Hess collaborator and plays the storage-facility owner.
    “Jermaine Clement, also a longtime collaborator of Jared Hess, is the proprietor of this storage facility”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:07:25 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  9. unmapped (audience participation): A Minecraft Movie → The Rocky Horror Picture Show. People compare the Minecraft crowd (laughing, repeating lines) to Rocky Horror screenings.
    “A lot of people have been comparing the movie going experience to the Rocky Horror picture show”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:08:14 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  10. unmapped (in-joke crowd): A Minecraft Movie → Marvel movies. The Minecraft shout-along crowd reminded Sean of watching Marvel movies with Amanda, where he needs her to explain references.
    “It reminded me of sitting with you during Marvel movies.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:09:29 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
  11. contrast (contrast): A Minecraft Movie → Transformers (the last movie). Older-IP reboots like Transformers and TMNT were fun for adults but not really for 9-year-olds.
    “It's nice and fun for me, but it's not really for 9 year olds.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:10:31 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  12. unmapped (same phenomenon): A Minecraft Movie → Barbie. Minecraft, Barbie and Super Mario are recent hits of new-to-kids, adapted IP.
    “when you look at Barbie, when you look at the Super Mario Brothers movie, when you look at a handful of like recent phenomenon like this movie”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:10:35 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  13. unmapped (same phenomenon): A Minecraft Movie → The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Same list: Super Mario is another recent kid-driven adapted-IP hit.
    “when you look at Barbie, when you look at the Super Mario Brothers movie, when you look at a handful of like recent phenomenon like this movie”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:10:35 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  14. unmapped (subsidy): A Minecraft Movie → One Battle After Another. Minecraft's money effectively pays for Paul Thomas Anderson-style adult movies.
    “Minecraft success pays for one battle after another.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:11:44 · Sean Fennessey (0.75 sure it was them)
  15. contrast (contrast): A Minecraft Movie → Fast X. Minecraft is new-ish, unlike the endlessly repeated Fast sequels.
    “So this to me is a way different proposition than your fast X's or whatever”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:11:55 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  16. contrast (contrast): A Minecraft Movie → Casablanca. Sean concedes Minecraft is no classic but is something newish.
    “Minecraft is not Casablanca, and I'm not trying to say that it is.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:12:31 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  17. unmapped (closest comp): A Minecraft Movie → The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Amanda says Super Mario was the film she thought of: video game, big hit, bridges generations.
    “the movie that I thought about this weekend was Super Mario Brothers”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:13:32 · Amanda Dobbins (0.55 sure it was them)
  18. unmapped (shared star): Jack Black → The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Jack Black is in both Minecraft and Super Mario.
    “Also, Jack Black is in both films.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:13:57 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  19. unmapped (template): A Minecraft Movie → Barbie. Barbie is the template: IP plus adult-pleasing stars bridging generations.
    “This movie has a lot in common with Barbie.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:14:13 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
  20. unmapped (bridge star): Jack Black → Margot Robbie. Black and Momoa serve as the adult bridge the way Robbie and Gosling did for Barbie.
    “My thought is you don't like Jack Black and Jason Momoa as much as you like Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:14:31 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  21. career (kids-movie career): Jack Black → Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Evidence that Jack Black is the signature kids'-movie star of the last quarter century.
    “Jumanji, Super Mario Brothers, Kung Fu Panda, School of Rock, Goosebumps, Ice Age, Shark Tail.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:14:53 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  22. career (kids-movie career): Jack Black → Kung Fu Panda. Evidence that Jack Black is the signature kids'-movie star of the last quarter century.
    “Jumanji, Super Mario Brothers, Kung Fu Panda, School of Rock, Goosebumps, Ice Age, Shark Tail.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:14:53 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  23. career (kids-movie career): Jack Black → School of Rock. Evidence that Jack Black is the signature kids'-movie star of the last quarter century.
    “Jumanji, Super Mario Brothers, Kung Fu Panda, School of Rock, Goosebumps, Ice Age, Shark Tail.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:14:53 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  24. career (kids-movie career): Jack Black → Goosebumps. Evidence that Jack Black is the signature kids'-movie star of the last quarter century.
    “Jumanji, Super Mario Brothers, Kung Fu Panda, School of Rock, Goosebumps, Ice Age, Shark Tail.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:14:53 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  25. career (kids-movie career): Jack Black → Ice Age. Evidence that Jack Black is the signature kids'-movie star of the last quarter century.
    “Jumanji, Super Mario Brothers, Kung Fu Panda, School of Rock, Goosebumps, Ice Age, Shark Tail.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:14:53 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  26. career (kids-movie career): Jack Black → Shark Tale. Evidence that Jack Black is the signature kids'-movie star of the last quarter century.
    “Jumanji, Super Mario Brothers, Kung Fu Panda, School of Rock, Goosebumps, Ice Age, Shark Tail.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:14:53 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  27. verdict (earlier favorite): Jack Black → High Fidelity. The speaker loves him from High Fidelity and Tenacious D.
    “I love him from like high fidelity and tenacious D”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:14:53 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  28. industry (studio sibling): A Minecraft Movie → Barbie. Barbie came from the same studio, which the speaker thinks worth noting.
    “So to me, like, I actually think Barbie is like a template setter.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:15:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  29. contrast (joke contrast): A Minecraft Movie → Kool-Aid Man movie (joke, not real). Minecraft is to Barbie as a hypothetical Kool-Aid movie is to Barbie: IP without the sophistication.
    “I think Minecraft movie is to Barbie as the Kool-Aid movie from the studio is to Barbie.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:15:35 · Amanda Dobbins (0.55 sure it was them)
  30. theme (childhood echo): A Minecraft Movie → The Last Starfighter. A 10-year-old picking up a sword to fight an evil pig echoes 80s kid-hero movies.
    “movies I saw as a kid, like the last Starfighter or, um, invaders”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:16:04 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  31. theme (childhood echo): A Minecraft Movie → Invaders (as heard; likely Invaders from Mars). Same echo.
    “movies I saw as a kid, like the last Starfighter or, um, invaders”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:16:04 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  32. people (cast): Gabby's Dollhouse (movie) → Kristen Wiig. Kristen Wiig stars to bring in parents.
    “There's a movie adaptation starring Kristen Wig coming this summer, I think.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:17:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  33. unmapped (same play): Gabby's Dollhouse (movie) → A Minecraft Movie. Gabby's Dollhouse will try the same kid-plus-bridging-parents trick with Kristen Wiig and Gloria Estefan.
    “Yes, Gabby's dollhouse is going to attempt to do the same thing.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:17:51 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
  34. industry (studio fortunes): Mickey 17 → Mike De Luca. After Mickey 17 came out, the hosts spent weeks saying Warner heads De Luca and Abdy were screwed.
    “we just spent a month and a half post-Mickey 17 talking about how Mike DeLuca and Pam Abdy are screwed.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:18:04 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  35. contrast (Warner contrast): Alto Knights → A Minecraft Movie. Alto Knights was a fiasco; Minecraft rescues Warner's narrative.
    “Alto Knights, what a fiasco.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:18:15 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  36. unmapped (Warner rebound): A Minecraft Movie → Sinners. Minecraft's success plus Sinners' buzz eases the doom around Warner Bros.
    “Early reviews of sinners are through the roof and people are extremely excited”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:18:20 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  37. unmapped (Warner slate): A Minecraft Movie → One Battle After Another. Warner's slate (horror, One Battle After Another) may overperform too.
    “and then one battle after another, which I think might actually overperform a little bit too.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:18:26 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  38. unmapped (kids' movie results): Snow White → Inside Out 2. Kids movies almost always work (Inside Out 2) though Snow White bombed.
    “Obviously, Snow White vastly underperformed”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:20:43 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  39. unmapped (long-run hit): Mufasa: The Lion King → The Greatest Showman. Mufasa stayed in theaters three months, the 2024 Greatest Showman.
    “The greatest showman of 2024.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:20:51 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  40. unmapped (video game movies that worked): A Minecraft Movie → The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Minecraft and Super Mario are the first video game movies Hollywood really cracked.
    “I would say this and Super Mario Brothers are also like the 1st video game movies that they've really cracked, right?”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:21:13 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  41. unmapped (video game movies that worked): A Minecraft Movie → Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic is another cracked video game adaptation.
    “I mean, Sonic the Hedgehog as well.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:21:21 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  42. contrast (contrast): A Minecraft Movie → Mortal Kombat. Earlier video game movies were for grownups and mostly did not do well or earn quality credit.
    “Mortal Kombat. World of Warcraft, you know, all of that stuff.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:21:30 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  43. contrast (contrast): A Minecraft Movie → World of Warcraft. Earlier video game movies were for grownups and mostly did not do well or earn quality credit.
    “Mortal Kombat. World of Warcraft, you know, all of that stuff.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:21:30 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  44. people (cast): Assassin's Creed → Michael Fassbender. Assassin's Creed starred Michael Fassbender, cited as a grown-up game movie.
    “Yeah, Michael Fastbender was in that?”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:21:57 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  45. unmapped (last year's Q1): Challengers → Dune: Part Two. Last year's Q1 had Challengers, Dune Part 2, Civil War: three well-received hits.
    “we had challengers, we had Dune Part 2, and we had Civil War.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:22:32 · Amanda Dobbins (0.55 sure it was them)
  46. unmapped (last year's Q1): Dune: Part Two → Civil War. Same list.
    “we had challengers, we had Dune Part 2, and we had Civil War.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:22:32 · Amanda Dobbins (0.55 sure it was them)
  47. industry (last year's box office): Godzilla vs. Kong → Challengers. Last year's early-year box office also had the Godzilla vs Kong movie.
    “Last year we also had like the Godzilla movie, Godzilla versus Kong movie”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:22:49 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  48. unmapped (star promotion): Challengers → Zendaya. Challengers and Dune 2 needed star promotion, specifically Zendaya, so they were pushed to early last year after the strikes.
    “specifically Zendaya.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:23:18 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  49. unmapped (early-year prestige): Everything Everywhere All at Once → Black Bag. Prestige movies now release earlier; Everything Everywhere premiered at SXSW in spring.
    “everything ever all at once, for example, was like a south by southwest premiering”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:23:33 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  50. people (director of follow-up): Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (and the planned Fincher follow-up) → David Fincher. Fincher is making the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follow-up for Netflix.
    “if not for Netflix, this movie would not be getting made, because Fincher is the kind of person who can get it made”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:26:20 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
  51. theme (character ambition): Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (and the planned Fincher follow-up) → The Great Escape. Rick Dalton wants to escape TV bounty hunting to be in The Great Escape.
    “But he wants to be in the Great Escape.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:27:18 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  52. people (actor opportunity cost): Marvel movies → Chris Hemsworth. Comic book movies took great actors off the board; Hemsworth hasn't explored being a movie star because of Thor.
    “Just have not had a chance to even explore his potential as a movie star because he has so much commitment as Thor.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:34:18 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
  53. people (original writer): Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (and the planned Fincher follow-up) → Quentin Tarantino. The Netflix deal ties Fincher and Tarantino.
    “I know you're very upset about the Netflix vacation of Fincher and Tarantino.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:35:17 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  54. unmapped (IP onto TV): Marvel movies → Bob Iger. Iger spurred Marvel and Star Wars into TV during the pandemic, hollowing out movies.
    “initially spurred on by Bob Iger, who then left and Bob Chapek pushed all those stories across.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:37:32 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  55. unmapped (globalization start): Jaws → Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Movie globalization began in the 1970s when Jaws went wide and Star Wars became a phenomenon.
    “which started in the 1970s when Jaws went wide and Star Wars became a phenomenon”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:38:06 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  56. industry (Chinese box office): Marvel movies → Ne Zha 2. This franchise is among the wordless spectacle brands that played in China and pushed out mid-budget movies (target is the China-box-office counterexample).
    “And what played in China was Marvel, Jurassic World, the Fast and the Furious, Avatar, et cetera, et cetera.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:38:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  57. industry (Chinese box office): Jurassic World → Ne Zha 2. This franchise is among the wordless spectacle brands that played in China and pushed out mid-budget movies (target is the China-box-office counterexample).
    “And what played in China was Marvel, Jurassic World, the Fast and the Furious, Avatar, et cetera, et cetera.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:38:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  58. industry (Chinese box office): The Fast and the Furious (franchise) → Ne Zha 2. This franchise is among the wordless spectacle brands that played in China and pushed out mid-budget movies (target is the China-box-office counterexample).
    “And what played in China was Marvel, Jurassic World, the Fast and the Furious, Avatar, et cetera, et cetera.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:38:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  59. industry (Chinese box office): Avatar → Ne Zha 2. This franchise is among the wordless spectacle brands that played in China and pushed out mid-budget movies (target is the China-box-office counterexample).
    “And what played in China was Marvel, Jurassic World, the Fast and the Furious, Avatar, et cetera, et cetera.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:38:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  60. unmapped (counterexample): Ne Zha 2 → A Minecraft Movie. Ne Zha 2, a Chinese animation, is now the world's top grosser, almost all from China, showing China no longer needs Hollywood.
    “Niza 2 is the highest grossing movie in the world right now.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:39:23 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  61. industry (streaming vs theatrical): Black Bag → A Minecraft Movie. Movies like Black Bag go to streaming; Minecraft or Sonic are needed to revive theaters.
    “appetites lost interest in going out to a movie theater for a movie like Black Bag”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:40:03 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
  62. unmapped (theater revivers): A Minecraft Movie → Sonic the Hedgehog. Sean says we need a Minecraft or Sonic to revive theaters.
    “It's interesting that like we really need a Minecraft movie, or Sonic the Hedgehog, to revive.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:40:20 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  63. unmapped (exception): A Minecraft Movie → Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer-type hits can still happen, but not reversibly without IP.
    “And you'll get an Oppenheimer every once in a while.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:40:31 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  64. unmapped (critics' despair): Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles → A Minecraft Movie. Adult critics of Teen Turtles despaired that this was what kids wanted, like today.
    “Adult critics who saw Teen Turtles were like, we're so fucked.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:41:19 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  65. unmapped (generational analog): A Minecraft Movie → Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Minecraft is Gen Alpha's TMNT: adults despaired at the Turtles film but it opened a pathway for storytelling.
    “So this is our version of that.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:41:32 · Sean Fennessey (0.75 sure it was them)
  66. unmapped (December hits): Nosferatu → A Complete Unknown. The December comps for the fall: Nosferatu and A Complete Unknown as non-IP hits.
    “What's our version of Nosfrau and a complete unknown in December?”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:42:31 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  67. unmapped (healthy model): Nosferatu → A Minecraft Movie. A $50M gamble on an interesting filmmaker turning $200M is the healthy middle, versus a $18M comedy hoping for $700M.
    “I hope there are more Nosperatus, where they're like, we're going to give a really interesting filmmaker $50 million, because we think it can make $200 million.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:42:54 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  68. unmapped (mixed-feelings precedent): A Minecraft Movie → Barbie. Barbie wasn't Sean's favorite that year, but he's glad it happened; same attitude to Minecraft.
    “Barbie wasn't my favorite movie of that year, but I liked it.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:45:00 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
  69. unmapped (IP pipeline): A Minecraft Movie → Fortnite movie (in development). News that morning: a Fortnite movie is in development; everything in rich IP terrain gets developed.
    “we're going to put a Fortnite movie in development”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:47:45 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  70. contrast (cynicism contrast): Free Guy → A Minecraft Movie. Minecraft is lighthearted, not the craven IP-bait of Free Guy's ending.
    “It's not that craven thing that free guy is where by the time you got to the end of that movie.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:52:11 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  71. people (cynical cameo): Free Guy → Marvel movies. Free Guy's end pivots to Captain America as what the audience supposedly really wants.
    “makes you feel like I know what you really want is not me, but Captain America.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:52:24 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  72. people (directed by): Black Bag → Steven Soderbergh. Black Bag is Soderbergh's second feature this year.
    “This is Steven Soderberg's 2nd feature film this year.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:54:42 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  73. craft (Soderbergh structure): Black Bag → Ocean's Eleven. Black Bag has the Ocean's 11 flashback, putting-the-pieces-together payoff.
    “it does have that like Soderberg, Ocean's 11, had it all, you know, flashback, putting the pieces together, which is so satisfying”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:55:26 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  74. people (cast): Black Bag → Pierce Brosnan. Pierce Brosnan's reveal was a bit transparent.
    “I don't know whether it was like the most naughty and thus satisfying plot-wise conclusion with respect to Pierce Brosnan”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:56:00 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  75. unmapped (Soderbergh exercise): Black Bag → The Good German. Soderbergh is the king of the exercise; The Good German is an earlier, reclaimed exercise film.
    “the movie that is being reclaimed of his right now and is being released on 4K is a good German.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:56:34 · Sean Fennessey (0.65 sure it was them)
  76. lineage (homage): The Good German → Casablanca. The Good German is an exercise in post-Casablanca style filmmaking.
    “It is a kind of exercise in a post-Casablanca style of filmmaking.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:56:42 · Sean Fennessey (0.65 sure it was them)
  77. people (tell-tale casting): Black Bag → Vincent Price. Brosnan and Page show their hand early, like seeing Vincent Price in a movie and knowing he will do bad things.
    “sometimes you're watching a Vincent Price movie and you're like, well, Vincent Price is in this movie.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:58:00 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  78. industry (studio dependency): Black Bag → How to Train Your Dragon (live action). Universal needs Dragon to hit so it can afford more Black Bag-type movies.
    “Universal needs how to train your dragon to be a big hit so that we can get more black back.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:58:25 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  79. people (directed): Alain Guiraudie → Stranger by the Lake. He made Stranger by the Lake in 2014.
    “He made Stranger by the Lake, which is a very eerie, upsetting serial killer, queer thriller that came out in 2014.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:00:11 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  80. people (same director lineage): Misericordia → Stranger by the Lake. Misericordia is in the same lineage as Guiraudie's Stranger by the Lake: eerie, upsetting, queer serial-killer thriller.
    “This is very much in the same lineage as that movie.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:00:18 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  81. people (cast): The Ballad of Wallace Island → Carey Mulligan. Carey Mulligan is the supporting half of a former singing duo.
    “Carrie Mulligan is a supporting character.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:02:25 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  82. craft (tone): The Ballad of Wallace Island → John Carney. It feels like a John Carney music movie, and very Sundance.
    “It's very John Carney.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:04:27 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  83. people (cast): The Assessment → Elizabeth Olsen. Olsen, Vikander, Patel star.
    “It stars Elizabeth Olsen, Alicia Vicander, and Himish Patel.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:06:34 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  84. people (directed by): The Assessment → Fleur Fortune. Directed by an unknown-to-Sean Fleur Fortune.
    “The movie is directed by someone named Flor Fortune.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:07:02 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  85. people (actor pivot): The Assessment → His Three Daughters. Olsen is moving away from Wanda; His Three Daughters is another such role.
    “His 3 daughters is another example of this where she's just trying to totally different performance style.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:08:06 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
  86. people (director's earlier film): Seven Veils → Exotica. Egoyan is the legendary Canadian filmmaker behind Exotica.
    “legendary Canadian filmmaker, after Exotica”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:11:32 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  87. people (cast): Chloe → Julianne Moore. Chloe starred Seyfried and Julianne Moore.
    “called Chloe with Amanda Seifred and Julianne Moore”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:11:40 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  88. people (reunion): Seven Veils → Chloe. Seven Veils reunites Egoyan with Amanda Seyfried after Chloe.
    “This is a reunion with Amanda Seyford, who plays a theater director.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:11:49 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  89. career (upcoming role): Amanda Seyfried → The Housemaid. Seyfried is in Paul Feig's The Housemaid with Sydney Sweeney.
    “she's going to be in that movie, The Housemaid, directed by Paul Fig.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:12:50 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  90. career (upcoming role): Brandon Sklenar → Drop. Sklenar is in Drop, opening that weekend.
    “it ends with us in the forthcoming drop, which opens this weekend.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:12:57 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  91. industry (distributor): On Becoming a Guinea Fowl → A24. A24 released it after a Cannes premiere.
    “A24 released it earlier this year.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:14:15 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  92. verdict (best studio movie): One of Them Days → A Minecraft Movie. Called the second-best studio movie of the year.
    “Probably the 2nd best studio movie of the year.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:15:17 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  93. career (breakout parallel): SZA → Chris Tucker. SZA's film debut reminds Sean of Chris Tucker showing up in Friday.
    “Reminds me a lot of Chris Tucker showing up on Friday.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:15:50 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  94. lineage (inspired by): One of Them Days → Friday. One of Them Days takes Friday as a huge inspiration.
    “Obviously, Friday is a huge inspiration for that movie”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:15:52 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  95. unmapped (POV conceit): Presence → Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh shoots his own ghost film with himself as the ghost-camera.
    “Stephen Soderberg as the ghost of this family with the camera is an amazing, amazing concept”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:16:45 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  96. people (directed by): The Rule Of Jenny Pen → James Ashcroft. A James Ashcroft film with Lithgow and Rush.
    “In a James Ashcroft movie, about 2 men in a retirement community.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:18:29 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  97. people (performance echo): The Rule Of Jenny Pen → Raising Cain. Lithgow channels his Raising Cain, Dexter-era monster mode.
    “John Lithgow really, really channeling the raising cane, you know, Dexter era, like monster mode.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:19:02 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  98. people (directed by): Mickey 17 → Bong Joon-ho. Not Bong's best, following up his Oscar-winning film.
    “It's not Bong's best.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:21:32 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  99. unmapped (co-written by and starring): Kinda Pregnant → Amy Schumer. Amy Schumer co-wrote and stars.
    “co-written by and starring Amy Schumer.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:22:01 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  100. theme (comparison): Kinda Pregnant → Bridesmaids. Described on a prior show as Bridesmaids but for pregnancy.
    “bridesmaids but for pregnancy.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:22:13 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
  101. unmapped (filmmaker context): Warfare → Alex Garland. A Warfare conversation is planned.
    “there's also going to be a warfare conversation”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:25:16 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  102. unmapped (filmmaker joke): Civil War → Alex Garland. Amanda is disinvited from future Alex Garland conversations after her Civil War performance.
    “you've been disinvited from all future Alex Garland convos.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:25:22 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

Fun items (26)

  1. fun, about A Minecraft Movie: Sean sat next to a date-night couple; the guy crushed three Sam Adamses and chuckled, all while surrounded by 9-14-year-olds who did not know how to behave.
    “I watched a guy crush 3 Sam Adamses during the movie.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:03:53 · Sean Fennessey (0.90 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about Napoleon Dynamite: Amanda finds it a little overrated, though she chuckled in the moment.
    “It's a little overrated, in my opinion.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:05:43 · Amanda Dobbins (0.55 sure it was them)
  3. fun, about A Minecraft Movie: Participatory movie, compared to Rocky Horror; Sean felt like he had no Amanda to turn to for explanations, as with Marvel.
    “This is a participatory movie, the likes of which I haven't seen in a while.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:08:11 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
  4. fun, about A Minecraft Movie: The 'chicken jockey' moment: when a baby Frankenstein rides a chicken and fights Momoa and the words are uttered, the whole theater erupts like a World Series win; it happens 5-6 times in the movie.
    “The movie theater exploded as though everyone had just won the World Series.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:09:00 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
  5. fun, about Kool-Aid Man movie: The joke: Minecraft is to Barbie as a Kool-Aid movie, 'not Martin Scorsese's Kool-Aid.'
    “you know, it's not Martin Scorsese's Kool-Aid.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:15:51 · Amanda Dobbins (0.55 sure it was them)
  6. fun, about Gabby's Dollhouse: Eleven seasons on Netflix, from the creator of Blue's Clues; Universal pitched a movie with Kristen Wiig and Gloria Estefan.
    “It's a show that has 11 seasons on Netflix.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:17:21 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  7. fun, about TMNT (1990): Sean saw it in theaters at the time; adult critics despaired and it still became a path for decades of storytelling.
    “I saw it in the theater.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:41:03 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
  8. fun, about CinemaCon: Executives all quoted made-up stats, such as 4.5 billion, a number no one could round.
    “And I'm like, that's not a round number.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:44:39 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
  9. fun, about Free Guy: Sean thinks the ending of Free Guy was the most cynical thing: not enough original story, so cut to Captain America.
    “I hated that.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:52:30 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  10. fun, about Jack Black: Sean's gloss on Black's character: Steve is the Christopher Columbus of Minecraft, an interloper colonizing a land he did not originate.
    “He's sort of the Christopher Columbus of the Minecraft world, I would say.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:53:21 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  11. fun, about Jason Momoa: Momoa's Garbage Man wears a pink fringed leather jacket the entire film.
    “He's wearing wears a pink leather jacket with fringes throughout the entire film.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:53:39 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  12. fun, about Emma Myers: Cast as a 24-year-old social media worker, but looks 14 in the movie.
    “she's supposed to be like 24.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:53:50 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  13. fun, about Black Bag: The lie detector sequence is called absolutely elite filmmaking, acting and editing, and very funny.
    “That entire sequence is just absolutely elite filmmaking, acting, editing, very funny.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:55:43 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  14. fun, about Black Bag: Casting a particular actress as the coder/satellite tech expert is still the funniest thing that's ever happened.
    “By the way, just casting her as the coder is still the funniest thing that's ever happened.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:57:39 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  15. fun, about Black Bag: Sean's reading: a great movie about marriage, and a romantic one; the murder mystery ending is yada yada.
    “I think this is a great movie about marriage.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 0:58:08 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
  16. fun, about Misericordia: Murder in movies is elegant and thrilling; this film is closer to real murder: blunt, quiet, distancing. Sean calls it a movie for the sickos.
    “This movie is getting closer to real murder.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:01:32 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  17. fun, about The Ballad of Wallace Island: A fan pays a once-famous duo to play on a private island for him alone; it sounds creepy but is the sweetest movie Sean saw all year, maybe too sweet.
    “In fact, it's probably the sweetest movie I've seen this.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:03:37 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  18. fun, about The Ballad of Wallace Island: Sean's Franz Ferdinand story: he spent an afternoon in the lead singer's apartment while profiling them, and has loved the band ever since.
    “I was hanging out in the lead singers apartment for the day.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:05:37 · Sean Fennessey (0.90 sure it was them)
  19. fun, about The Assessment: Alicia Vikander plays an adult assessor who acts as a three-year-old in the couple's house; she nails the tantrums and defiance.
    “No, she as an adult acts like a three-year-old.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:07:44 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  20. fun, about Amanda Seyfried: Sean's fan trivia: her Vogue get-ready-with-me discussing her eczema, a Jimmy Fallon clip singing Joni Mitchell, an Architectural Digest tour full of hiding places.
    “doing her get ready with me, talking about her eczema.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:12:16 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  21. fun, about Amanda Seyfried: At CinemaCon, Sydney Sweeney treated Seyfried like she was Katharine Hepburn.
    “Sidney Sweeney was treating her like she was Catherine Hepburn.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:13:12 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  22. fun, about On Becoming a Guinea Fowl: Sean saw it with a packed house; a woman finds her dead uncle in the road, with serious tone and absurdist touches.
    “Um, I solicit idiots in a pack with a packed house and had a really good experience seeing it.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:14:51 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  23. fun, about One of Them Days: Called one of the best movies of the year in theaters; SZA's film debut: 'every single one of the bits works.'
    “Every single one of the bits works.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:15:38 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  24. fun, about Presence (Soderbergh): Soderbergh, as camera-ghost, tiptoeing around the house in grippy socks; a metaphor for how he sees himself, a ghost haunting humanity.
    “tiptoeing around in grippy socks”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:16:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  25. fun, about The Rule Of Jenny Pen: John Lithgow, in his 80s, has a notable dance sequence and is terrifying; a parable of elder-care evils.
    “Also surprisingly limber for a man in his 80s.”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:19:15 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  26. fun, about Kinda Pregnant: Amy Schumer steals a pregnancy bump from Hatch, the noise-machine company, pretending to be pregnant to keep up with her friend; one sex scene, harder than you'd expect.
    “harder than you might expect”
    The Big Picture · ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Is the Most Important Movie of the Year So Far. And These Flicks Are the Best … · 1:24:00 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)

Who's talking

The show's recurring bits

Names the transcriber got wrong