Picked by Tim Simons
Sorcerer 1977
His guiding rule: buy your favorite movie. Friedkin's remake of 'The Wages of Fear,' with Roy Scheider; on and off Tim's favorite film, and one he had to hunt down a Blu-ray of on Amazon.
The Big Picture · Roundtable · Interview
A 'Big Pic' Gift Guide: 10 Blu-rays Every Human Needs. Plus: Park Chan-wook!
December 9, 2022/ 121 min/ Sean Fennessey · Tim Simons
Sean Fennessey and 'Veep' actor Tim Simons make the case for physical media: pawn-shop Blu-ray hauls, region-free players, and the boutique labels (Criterion, Arrow, Vinegar Syndrome, Indicator, Eureka) worth collecting. Then each names discs everyone should own. Plus: Park Chan-wook on 'Decision to Leave.'
23 films across 2 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
10 Blu-rays every human needs Sean's and Tim's picks
Picked by Tim Simons
The Raid 2 2014
Sold separately from the first; blu-ray.com is where he checks region and transfer quality before buying.
Picked by Tim Simons
Rad 1986
Vinegar Syndrome's 4K of the small-town BMX movie (Lori Loughlin, directed by a stuntman) he watched three times a day for a week home from ear surgery. The gateway to Vinegar Syndrome for him.
Picked by Tim Simons
Cloak & Dagger 1984
Arrow's release of the Richard Franklin kid-spy thriller (Henry Thomas, Dabney Coleman) about a boy, his dad, and a video-game cartridge hiding spy-plane plans.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Warner Bros. Best of 50
Starter box set, around $175 for 50 films: 'Wizard of Oz,' 'Goodfellas,' 'Unforgiven,' '2001,' 'The Shining' and more. Sean's pick for building a library from nothing.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Apocalypse Now 1979
The Final Cut 4K: Coppola's latest recut, bundled with the 'Hearts of Darkness' documentary.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
The Matrix 1999
The first DVD he ever owned, in the fold-out cardboard case. Holds up loud and sharp at home.
Picked by Tim Simons
To Live and Die in L.A. 1985
Friedkin crime film with no US release; the reason to own a region-free player, via Arrow.
Picked by Tim Simons
Blackhat 2015
His Michael Mann love object; he owns the theatrical cut and a self-burned copy of the FX director's cut.
Picked by Tim Simons
Star Wars 1977
The fan Despecialized Edition: you track down the files and burn your own Blu-ray, cover included.
Picked by Tim Simons
Malcolm X 1992
The Criterion 4K, bought from Spike Lee's shop and autographed by Spike for about $50. One buy he doesn't regret.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection
Around $85 for fourteen Hitchcocks with extras: 'Vertigo,' 'Psycho,' 'Rear Window,' 'The Birds' and on. A whole-filmography starter set.
Picked by Tim Simons
Double Indemnity 1944
The new Criterion 4K of a movie he returns to; watch it and you realize everything stole from it.
Picked by Tim Simons
Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1988
A kid entry point that holds up, and smuggles in film-noir tropes for later.
Picked by Tim Simons
Spirited Away 2001
Part of the Miyazaki-for-kids argument; he grabbed a few Ghibli steelbooks.
Picked by Tim Simons
My Neighbor Totoro 1988
Via Amazon's exclusive collected-Miyazaki box (about $150). Watching his kids watch it, he says, taught him the movie.
In conversation
Park Chan-wook on
Decision to Leave 2022
Park set out to make a romance that dialed down the sex and violence his earlier films are known for, so the love story could show through. A detective with insomnia and a murder suspect; a translation app, texting, and a mountain climb built out of match cuts. The idea started from a song called 'Mist' and an image of a man peering into fog for a lover who left.
Park Chan-wook on
Oldboy 2003
His example of the single large reversal; here he wanted a run of smaller reversals instead.
Park Chan-wook on
Nightmare Alley 2021
His answer to the show's closing question, the last great thing he saw: Guillermo del Toro's.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Tim's collection and regrets Green RoomAvatarNorth by NorthwestPiecesDestry Rides AgainSound of MetalAll That JazzThe Seven UpsOkjaBlood QuantumThe Third Man
Named while talking labels and players SuspiriaMallratsThe New CenturionsThe KillerTrue RomanceRoboCopMiami ViceManhunterRoad GamesPsycho IIBamboozledInside ManSkinamarinkThe Gray ManTár
In the Warner Bros. Best of 50 set The Wizard of OzThe Maltese FalconSingin' in the RainCool Hand Luke2001: A Space OdysseyThe ExorcistOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestSupermanThe ShiningFull Metal JacketGoodfellasUnforgivenChariots of Fire
In the Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection SaboteurShadow of a DoubtRopeRear WindowThe Trouble with HarryThe Man Who Knew Too MuchVertigoPsychoThe BirdsMarnieTorn CurtainTopazFrenzyFamily PlotThe 39 StepsNotorious
Sidney Lumet and the hard-to-find 12 Angry MenDog Day AfternoonNetworkThe GroupThe OffenseBye Bye BravermanSaint JackMaskTexasville
Park comparisons and other mentions RebeccaMemories of MurderParasiteInherent ViceDon't Worry Darling
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV VeepThe SopranosGame of ThronesHomelandCandyThe Thick of ItBrass EyeThe Day Today
Books Heat 2Dissident Cinema
Games FIFA World Cup Launch Edition
Ads NOS EnergyTalkAboutPD / Peyronie'sNetflixBoar's HeadRing of MMA