The Fall Movie Preview (with Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins of ‘The Big Picture’)

**Amanda Dobbins** (0:00)
This is already far more civil than the drafts are.

**Sam Fragoso** (0:03)
We just, we haven't started yet.

**Amanda Dobbins** (0:04)
Well, I just, if you would like us to, if you would like us to behave, you should say so now.

**Sam Fragoso** (0:18)
This is Talk Easy, I'm Sam Fragoso, welcome to the show.
Today, it's Lord of Letterboxd and the head of the da mob, Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins. They host The Big Picture, one of the flagship shows over at The Ringer, and each week they break down what's happening in movies, what's playing in theaters, what you can watch on streaming, and of course the films coming just around the corner. And so, with the fall movie season upon us, and both Sean and Amanda heading off to two different festivals in Telluride and Venice, we thought we'd borrow a page from their beloved movie drafts playbook and look ahead at the projects we're most excited to see come the end of 2026 That's the first half of the episode. After the break and the draft, we turn to some of Sean and Amanda's origin story, how they first met back in New York City, their time working in magazines, the creation of The Ringer and The Big Picture, this latest chapter with Netflix, and how they've evolved as co-host after nearly 1,000 episodes. That's coming up next with Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins. I hope you enjoy.
Amanda Dobbins, Sean Fennessey, thank you for being here.

**Sean Fennessey** (1:35)
Thanks for having us.

**Sam Fragoso** (1:36)
How are you two doing? You were on vacation. The tan is fantastic.

**Amanda Dobbins** (1:40)
I'm a little self-conscious about it, but thank you. Yeah, it's a little too much.
I wore sunscreen every day. I reapplied. I wore a hat. I did all of the responsible things I'm supposed to do as a mother and a woman over 40 with fearing sun damage, but here we are.

**Sam Fragoso** (1:57)
This is all natural. This is no, there's no.

**Amanda Dobbins** (1:59)
No, yeah, of course it's natural. Yeah. I don't know. No, oh, no spray tans. No, I don't do spray tans. Many people do and that's great for them, but that's not in my arsenal.

**Sean Fennessey** (2:09)
You can naturally look like George Hamilton.

**Amanda Dobbins** (2:11)
He's amazing.

**Sam Fragoso** (2:11)
That's what I was about to say. This is pretty, if I could do that.

**Sean Fennessey** (2:16)
You and I, we don't have that a lot, much.

**Sam Fragoso** (2:19)
Have you been OK without Amanda on The Big Picture since you've been on vacation?

**Sean Fennessey** (2:23)
Yeah, I've been OK.

**Sam Fragoso** (2:24)
You've been OK.

**Amanda Dobbins** (2:25)
I listened to the most recent episode. You did well.

**Sean Fennessey** (2:27)
Thank you.

**Sam Fragoso** (2:28)
Good job.

**Sean Fennessey** (2:30)
Yeah, we've both been on parental leave in the past. We both had to do the show without each other in the past. It's not as fun, but we make do.

**Sam Fragoso** (2:38)
I wanted to start there in a recent episode that you weren't on. Just to kind of clear the air and make sure I give you a chance to respond, Sean has been accused throughout the years, but especially this year, of being too horny on the podcast.

**Amanda Dobbins** (2:53)
Right, yes.

**Sam Fragoso** (2:54)
And I want to play just a little bit from that episode for us. And Amanda will give you a shot to jump in.

**SPEAKER_4** (3:01)
I love Sean Fennessey, but sometimes he's too horny on The Big Picture.

**Sean Fennessey** (3:05)
I think that's a misrepresentation. I'm not saying I'm not too horny, but on The Big Picture, I think me noting my appreciation for certain actresses, I have my faves, right? Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain. That is not too horny. It's like looking at a great work of art and saying, God, there's such depth and specialness here. We should acknowledge it every time we see it. If you go to the Louvre, you've been to the Louvre five times, you don't not look at the Mona Lisa. You look at the Mona Lisa. It's there.
It's a classical work of art that's meant to be appreciated over and over again. And it's right to say so. Is that too horny? No. That doesn't mean I'm not horny, but it doesn't mean I'm too horny. I'm doing my best. If I cross the line sometimes, it's only out of appreciation and respect. I'm not trying to objectify anybody, and I won't. Amanda, on the other hand, is too horny.

**Sam Fragoso** (3:51)
Welcome back.

**Amanda Dobbins** (3:52)
Thank you so much. I did see that on Instagram. I thought you did. Yeah.