Vampires 1998
John Carpenter's; the last time a weekend was this low was 1998, when it led with $55M.
The Big Picture · Discussion · Roundtable
Movie Theaters Are Closed. When They Reopen, Will the Movies Follow?
March 17, 2020/ 65 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
Recorded in the first weekend of COVID lockdown, as AMC and Alamo Drafthouse go dark and Universal drops three movies to $19.99 VOD.
23 films across 3 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.
The Theatrical Shutdownthe weekend theaters started closing
Lost Girls 2020
No. 2 on Netflix's top 10 and, per Sean, watched by no one he knows.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always 2020
Eliza Hittman's Sundance film opened to $18,000; the small-movie casualty they both mourn.
Onward 2020
No. 1 at $10M with the biggest second-week drop in Pixar history.
I Still Believe 2020
The Christian melodrama that still pulled $9.5M: the only thing stronger than coronavirus.
Bloodshot 2020
Vin Diesel comic-book movie at $9.3M, one of the century's worst comic-book openings.
The Invisible Man 2020
Already a hit and near the end of its run; the savviest of Universal's three VOD moves.
The Hunt 2020
The cursed satire; releasing it online is smart precisely because it's steeped in discourse.
Emma. 2020
Was supposed to widen to a thousand theaters this weekend; instead goes to VOD.
Frozen II 2019
Added to Disney+ three months early, a salve for parents locked in at home.
Mulan 2020
A senior Disney exec told the NYT a Disney+ pivot wasn't under discussion, citing piracy; days later, delayed.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 2019
Pushed to iTunes early; Sean won't be rewatching.
No Time to Die 2021
The Broccoli family got ahead of the curve with a November date; too big to ever price at $19.99.
Trolls World Tour 2020
Day-and-date theaters + all platforms on April 10; floated as the first big-picture live Zoom watch.
F9 2021
Universal moved Fast 9 to next spring for room to restart its marketing.
Black Widow 2021
The one everyone asks about; six weeks out and the most consequential release left on the calendar.
One Movie We'd Take Straight to VOD one host, one pick; big tentpoles excepted
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Death on the Nile 2022
Kenneth Branagh's second Agatha Christie; she doesn't care about the timeline, just release it.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
The Many Saints of Newark 2021
The Sopranos prequel, functionally a TV show, so he's happy to watch it at home.
What We're Watching at Home comfort viewing under quarantine
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Under the Tuscan Sun 2003
Her group-chat live-watch pick; strange enough to text about, not good enough to require silence.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
The American President 1995
Reiner-directed, Sorkin-written West Wing dry run and an underrated '90s rom-com.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Magic 1978
William Goldman's ventriloquist horror with Anthony Hopkins; an extended Twilight Zone episode.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Fail Safe 1964
The most intense movie ever made: every shot under some man's nose in a war room.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
All the President's Men 1976
People in a room solving problems and yelling; Goldman comfort food.
Also mentioned raised along the way
In passing The IrishmanMarriage StoryRomaSpenser ConfidentialTed 2GandhiTransformersMurder on the Orient ExpressEl Camino: A Breaking Bad MovieVFWSlay the Dragon
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV The SopranosBreaking BadThe West WingThe NewsroomThe Falcon and the Winter SoldierLego MastersPoirot
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