Inside 2021
Burnham wrote, shot, edited, and directed it alone in one room over the pandemic. Amanda, a stated skeptic of sad-boy musical comedy, was won over; both land on movie status for its self-contained intentionality.
The Big Picture · Discussion · Roundtable · Interview
Bo Burnham’s ‘Inside,’ Five New Movies to Stream, and the First Couple of ‘The Big Picture’
June 8, 2021/ 98 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
Sean and Amanda argue over whether Bo Burnham's Netflix special 'Inside' is a movie, hand out five streaming picks, work through a mailbag, and close with two listeners who met over Letterboxd.
46 films across 5 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.
Bo Burnham's 'Inside': Is It a Movie?the Netflix special, debated
Eighth Grade 2018
Burnham's feature debut. Amanda wasn't a fan; Sean marks it as where his interest in Burnham started.
On the Count of Three 2021
Jerrod Carmichael's Sundance directorial debut, cited as a comedian-goes-serious swing neither host thought quite worked; Carmichael is a close friend of Burnham's.
Stop Making Sense 1984
Named as one of the concert-film DNA strands Sean hears in the special's staging.
Anchorman 2004
Shorthand for the old comedian career path (leave the stage, go make the broad mainstream comedy) that Sean thinks 'Inside' upends.
Five New Movies to Stream Sean's streaming recommendations
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Riders of Justice 2020
Anders Thomas Jensen's revenge drama-comedy with Mads Mikkelsen, a very different turn from Another Round. Both hosts liked its odd tonal collision of grief and buffoonery.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Plan B 2021
Natalie Morales's raunchy teen road comedy on Hulu, chasing the morning-after pill. Winning leads in Kuhoo Verma and Victoria Moroles; Amanda flagged the politics as a little uneasy.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Skull: The Mask 2020
A gross, well-executed Brazilian slasher Sean holds up against the elevated-horror wave. He promised Amanda she'll never watch it.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Happily 2021
Ben David Grabinski's disorienting couples-in-an-Airbnb fantasy with Joel McHale and Kerry Bishé, plus a deep who's-that supporting cast. Its closing song sent Sean to the fifth pick.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Streets of Fire 1984
Walter Hill's rock-and-roll fable, newly on Netflix, surfaced via a song in 'Happily.' Sean hadn't seen it in 20 years and reports it still kicks ass.
A Criterion Commentarythe plug
Visions of Eight 1973
The 1972 Munich Olympics documentary by eight directors. Sean, Amanda, Chris Ryan, and producer Bobby Wagner recorded a commentary for Criterion's new Blu-ray, out June 22.
The MailbagOscar strategy, the Apatow guys, TV vs. film, box office, and Jaws
Dances with Wolves 1990
Floated (as a hypothetical sequel from Taylor Sheridan) in the win-an-Oscar-at-any-cost question; Amanda swears it's more than you remember.
Field of Dreams 1989
The Kevin Costner box Amanda wants to keep him in.
Foxcatcher 2014
Sean's example of Steve Carell reaching for prestige; he rates Bennett Miller's film higher than most.
Steve Jobs 2015
Seth Rogen as Wozniak, offered as evidence the Apatow guys keep circling seriousness.
Don't Look Up 2021
Jonah Hill's next, an Adam McKay ensemble; hard to gauge how large the role is.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin 2005
Raised in the who-owns-Steve-Carell question of Apatow vs. McKay vs. the Office universe.
Marriage Story 2019
One of the few Netflix films that made it to a Criterion physical release, in Sean's link-rot argument for owning what you love.
Roma 2018
Cited alongside Marriage Story as a purchasable Netflix title, the exception to the rule.
The Irishman 2019
Another Netflix-to-Criterion title, and a punchline about historically significant movies that don't win.
Blow Out 1981
Sean's example of memorializing fandom with a hard copy; a De Palma favorite he'd pull off the shelf.
Chinatown 1974
Surfaces via Sam Wasson's The Big Goodbye in the best New Hollywood book question.
Black Widow 2021
Box office prediction; the Disney+ Premier Access wrinkle makes it the odd Marvel proposition.
F9 2021
On the table as a theaters-only tentpole.
Dune 2021
Going to HBO Max but still feels like a big-ticket item.
No Time to Die 2021
Theaters-only Bond, a safe bet among the year's biggest.
Top Gun: Maverick 2022
Named 'Top Gun 2' in the 2021 box office guesses.
A Quiet Place Part II 2021
Headed to Paramount+ soon; interesting as one of the first movies back.
Venom 2018
The surprise first hit, cited to argue its sequel will be huge too.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage 2021
Part of the busy October Sean expects.
Jaws 1975
Would you CGI the shark to look more believable? Absolute no from both. Sean rewatched it the night before and loves the shark on the boat most.
The First Couple of 'The Big Picture'Ben and Erica, who met over Letterboxd
Ben and Erica on
Mank 2020
The shared enthusiasm that first connected them; Ben calls his relationship 'equal parts Mank and equal parts Sean Fennessey.'
Ben and Erica on
Sicario 2015
Ben watched one of Erica's favorites on purpose as an early signal; she only learned it was deliberate later.
Ben and Erica on
Brief Encounter 1945
His Valentine's Day review of it, which Erica read as a signal without realizing.
Ben and Erica on
I Think I Love My Wife 2007
Ben's Chris Rock review mentioned he was single; Erica took it as a hint to message him.
Ben and Erica on
House 1977
Nobuhiko Obayashi's 'Hausu,' their first movie watched together in person, five stars from both.
Ben and Erica on
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 2003
Erica's contested opinion: two stars for Vol. 1, which Ben can't abide.
Ben and Erica on
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 2004
Four stars from Erica, who's in it for the narrative and the heart, not the fight scenes.
Ben and Erica on
Before Sunrise 1995
The basis for Ben's viral joke Letterboxd-dating-app meme, with Hawke and Delpy's profiles.
Ben and Erica on
The Lost City of Z 2017
Amanda's movie-draft pick that she thought was a slam dunk: a James Gray movie beloved by her and the show, big in Europe, ignored at home.
Ben and Erica on
Thor: Ragnarok 2017
The crowd-pleaser that, Amanda jokes, wins the draft over her prestige picks anyway.
Ben and Erica on
Ghost World 2001
A core text for Ben and Erica; Ben says its disgust-but-yearning tone is the tone of their relationship.
Ben and Erica on
Crumb 1994
Named among Terry Zwigoff's range as Sean's example of an underserved filmmaker.
Ben and Erica on
The Love Witch 2016
Anna Biller's film, raised by Erica as a fascinating director who gets little coverage; Sean once tried and failed to interview her for its release.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Named in the 'Riders of Justice' action-comedy riff The Hitman's BodyguardThe GentlemenHobbs & ShawBirds of PreyGame NightLethal WeaponHitman's Wife's BodyguardAnother RoundThe Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Altman's New Hollywood, rattled off in the book question The Long GoodbyeMASHCalifornia SplitImages3 WomenBonnie and ClydeThe Wild BunchShampoo
In the mailbag, in passing Florence Foster JenkinsRango
In the interview, in passing GhostbustersSe7enFight ClubFear Street Part One: 1994ScreamDazed and ConfusedLady Bird
Teased for next episode In the Heights
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV FrasierSeinfeldThe OfficeMare of EasttownThe Underground RailroadLisey's StoryThe Falcon and the Winter SoldierGeorge Carlin: Back in Town
Podcasts Higher LearningThe RewatchablesYou Must Remember ThisThe Watch
Books Easy Riders, Raging BullsThe Big GoodbyePictures at a RevolutionRobert Altman: The Oral BiographyThe Dream LifeMake My Day
Not a film The Muppets Great Gatsby (a viral spec script)
Ads Boar's HeadNespressoWhite Claw