The Truth About Netflix Buying Warner Bros. Plus: Snubs and Surprises of the Golden Globe Nominations and Jafar Panahi on ‘It Was Just an Accident.’
Sean and Amanda have an action-packed show today, and they start with the biggest piece of news: Netflix’s $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. They talk through their initial gut reactions to the news; cover the additional information that came through over the weekend, including Paramount’s hostile bid; and hypothesize whether or not the sale will go through (1:57). Then, they react to the Golden Globe nominations and try to make sense of what they mean for the Academy Awards (1:00:11). Finally, they briefly discuss Jafar Panahi’s ‘It Was Just an Accident’ (1:20:29) before Sean is joined by Panahi himself to discuss how he casts his actors, why he prioritized balancing a humorous tone and serious drama, and why he feels that his next film has to be about war (1:26:51).
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guests: Jafar Panahi and Sheida Dayani
Producer: Jack Sanders
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1:58:38
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1:58:38
The Top Five Movies of 2025
Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman to share their five favorite films from the year. But before diving in, they cover a handful of movie news items, including the updated rumors regarding the potential sale of Warner Bros. (1:25), the massive box office success of ‘Zootopia 2’ (5:44), and the speculation that Leonardo DiCaprio has been cast in Michael Mann’s ‘Heat 2’ (11:15). Then, they each share their top five favorite movies from 2025 (25:20).
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guests: Chris Ryan and Adam Nayman
Producer: Jack Sanders
Shopping. Streaming. Celebrating. It’s on Prime.
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2:10:53
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2:10:53
The ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Watch-Along!
Sean, Amanda, and Chris visit Pandora and join the Na’vi to watch James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ in anticipation of his upcoming sequel, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash.’
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Chris Ryan
Producer: Jack Sanders
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3:19:16
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3:19:16
The Robert Redford Hall of Fame
Sean and Amanda are joined by Tracy Letts to cover the monumental work of legendary actor Robert Redford. They celebrate the star’s illustrious career, share their personal relationship to his work, and build his Hall of Fame.
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guest: Tracy Letts
Producer: Jack Sanders
Research: Brantley Palmer
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2:33:35
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2:33:35
The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 3 - '25th Hour’
Sean and Amanda return to continue their yearlong project of listing the 25 best movies of the 21st century so far. Today, they discuss Spike Lee’s ‘25th Hour,’ one of the most present tense films ever made. They discuss its fascinating legacy as a somewhat under-discussed masterpiece, explain why Lee’s stylistic choices are deeply moving, and identify the impressive fricative tension in all of the movie’s ideas.
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Producer: Jack Sanders
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Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins review the movies you need to see. Plus: Top 5s, Movie Drafts, Oscars analysis, and more, featuring a rotating cast of Ringer colleagues like Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, and Bill Simmons.