Sean is great. I’m sure this pod would be great with him and anyone else but Amanda. I can keep complaining or just stop listening. Bye.

I was thrilled to discover this pod a few years ago, but it’s really declining lately. Maybe in part due to the state of the industry, but it’s just not engaging or informative enough anymore. Amanda’s rants are putting the show on the brink of unlistenable. I have turned off multiple eps recently that I was looking forward to over her. There are plenty of informed, intelligent, and engaging women film critics, so why they went with someone who doesn’t appear to be informed about film history and mostly just lives to push Nancy Meyers pap and cling to some sort of younger generation relevance is hard to understand. Basicness is everywhere. It doesn’t need another champion. Give Katie Walsh a call. She knows her stuff. The hosts also spend way too much time on their personal lives. I am a parent, too, but I’m not that interested in that being part of a movie news show. Adding 20 on your personal lives is not preferable to an interesting 40-60 minutes of movie news and analyis. This used to be an engaging listen, but it is really losing its value.

I could feel you wanting to draw the parallel between the film and the reality in Gaza, but you didn’t do it. Kudos on your bravery

This podcast is at its very best when Amanda Dobbins is on maternity leave. I pray to the fertility gods to bless Amanda and Zach with many many more children.

I love Sean, too, and he drives the pod of course. But, it’s Amanda’s and CRs commentary that really makes the pod work. Everyone has great chemistry

If you’re looking for a parenting podcast that occasionally touches on movies, this may be for you. It’s not for me tho

This podcast features Amanda Dobbins, the biggest, most annoying troll on the planet. She’s proudly ignorant and seems to hate movies and people. She’s thin skinned and lashes out at everything like a petulant child. What other job in the world could you be as ignorant, unprepared, and lazy as she is continue to keep your job? Anyone who refers to movies as “boy movies” & “girl movies” or themselves in the third person in 2024 is just plainly an idiot not worth your time. Replace Amanda with literally anyone else! PS-no one is here to listen about your kid. Not one person. Those months without Amanda making everything about her narrow tastes and apathy towards movies was a glorious time for the pod. It blossomed without her and her atrocious vibes. Check the game tape. Your listeners hate Amanda!! She needs shut up and go away forever.

Do Amanda and Sean hate each other? He never picks up a joke when she volleys a setup to him and she belittles his opinions.

If the co-host was Joanna Robinson this show would be so much better. Sean has solid taste and movie critiques, but Amanda knows nothing about films and instead brings her terrible taste and idiocy to the show. She ruins it at every turn. I agree that there needs to be a co-host with different taste, which is why Jo would be great. She’s actually covered movies and tv for years and has discerning taste that doesn’t involve the cinema of “interior design.” #FireDobbins

Currently reading reviews and trying to figure out why some of you are so unhinged lol. Just enjoy the show (or don’t). Great podcast. Love the hosts and guest hosts!

She’s great!

I challenge anyone to find 2 people that are more self-absorbed than Amanda and Shawn. This show is half review half kids corner.

I can’t believe this host is even on a show, she is impossible to listen to. I feel like I can hear her gums. She is a contrarian to a point that wonder if she even likes movies. She’s rude to the other host and dismissive.

Would give this show 6 stars if it was just hosted by Sean and 2 if it was just hosted by Amanda. Honestly for every interesting piece of movie analysis and state of the industry that Sean provides, Amanda just brings up the monotony of her son Knox. I understand some listeners wants that yin and yang and maybe this was an intentional counterbalance to Sean’s legitimate movie critiques… but come one seriously she is not a professional. “So… you know… my son Knox…”

Amanda is obnoxiously uninformed on things and has some real awful takes. Can she go on leave again?

I’m including my original review below, but I came back to say that I am incensed by anyone who speaks ill of Amanda. Besides being relatable (which I understand a lot of film bros don’t necessarily want a relatable point of view), she is hysterical in her own right and it sadly often gets overlooked. A recent example when discussing Zero Day which they mislabeled as Day One Amanda: well it could be day one in the UK Come on! Time zone humor! Sorry you haven’t traveled the world but I died. Finally, I truly abhor contextualizing a woman through the performance of a man, but for all the Sean devotees out there (of which I am not only the president of the fan club but I’m also a member) Amanda brings out a funny, less serious side to our film king. Some of our favorite Sean moments would not have happened without Amanda. A recent example: 1. Well, if my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle. He punched that line but she set him up well. The long and short of it is, it’s nearly impossible to carve out a space in the film critic world for a woman or a person of color and this show needs and benefits from her perspective. Enough with the elitism. You filmbros need to come down from the projection booth every once in a while and sit in the seats behind the railing where you can put your legs up after a hard days work! ~~~~ ORIGINAL REVIEW: I cannot express how much I love this show. I learn so much and that’s incredible. I truly appreciate their attention to greater universal themes and comparisons to other films. Sean is the film nerd of my dreams I would die for him. I scream I laugh I cry. I love.

Sean you are literally the worst.

Just a bobby appreciation post. Love him, and his love of baseball, and the the Mets. He’s also a great follow on Letterboxd.

I just saw someone insult my dear podcast friend Amanda in these reviews and had to say she is awesome and I miss her when she is on leave. We need her to balance and banter with Sean and CR. The recent Tracey Letts 1982 draft was great! It is also amazing with Zach joins and Amanda can banter with her husband and Sean.

We love whatever you do even when it’s five people talking over each other and utterly unlistenable you’re like Linda Evangelista you can do no wrong!

Bobby Wagner is awful. He comes across as being very arrogant. He’s really unlikeable. The podcast would be much better without him.

……… besides Amanda being insufferable, Sean is a national treasure. Thus the podcast is worth it.

I've seen several reviews bashing Amanda and I just wanted to post on here to say Amanda, you rule, don't listen to these losers. You perfectly balance out Sean and I always love hearing your takes. You keep being you The people who hate on you are clearly outing themselves as misogynistic incels with no lives. Very sad stuff

I really would listen a lot more if it wasn’t for Amanda. Her voice and her takes are insufferable. Please replace her immediately.

I don’t think the hosts realize that their ceaseless banter and call backs to inside jokes make this podcast so hard to share. I’ve tried sending episodes about pertinent films to friends and they’re left confused who Knox is and what a luxury teacup has to do with anything.

Not great- Sean and Amanda have a very strong knowledge of what they believe. A good movie is, how movies are made, and the industry in general. My frustration is in their highbrow take on things, if it’s not art house it’s not worth watching in their opinion. Her voice is the epitome of a former sorority sister who is slightly buzzed with aggressive vocal fry. they talk about their kids, inside jokes and “stuff” that have nothing to do with movies. I’m not listening anymore, I just wanted to leave an opinion because as someone who 100% supports the theater experience and spends hundreds of dollars a year in the theater, I wanted to have a more well-rounded diverse open-mindedness in their selections and opinions. I was really disappointed.

They just called Adrien Brody’s insufferable acceptance speech a “good speech” and they “loved” his demands to turn off the music, so I can’t listen to this podcast anymore. Their takes have always been all over the place, but this is truly mind-boggling. The lack of consideration to prepare a speech is one thing, but then to demand they turn the music off was next level narcissism. And they’re praising him? This is also the guy who literally sexually assaulted Halle Berry on stage… So very out of touch.

I hate them

Best movie podcast out there…which is saying something because Amanda has just horrible takes consistently. Examples include her Trying to knock Civil War for “not getting it?” Basically she just recites the plot but with a confused tone and that’s her assessment. Couldn’t be more annoying and lacking thought. Agree with the sentiment of the comments around the uselessness of drafts. Some hosts ahem tend to draft the same movies over and over again. Four Weddings and A Funeral is not that great chill out

I count myself among the ranks of both The Dob Mob and The Fen Men.

The podcast is okay. The woman on the podcast kinda brings my rating down. She’s just incoherent when stating her opinions. Either she has not seem the film or doesn’t understand film. She also really hates on men in one episode. Other than that, it’s a decent podcast.

I appreciate that there’s a meticulously color-coded google cal somewhere that needs filling, but would you consider ditching the auctions/drafts episodes? They’re all crazy bloated, and have no stakes whatsoever for the listener. Also, respectfully: I’m sure your kids are super adorable and charming, but maybe save the anecdotes for a breakout ringer parenting pod?

Seriously

Move over Siskel and Ebert, here comes a brand new duo to help inform and entertain about film. People have mixed opinions about the hosts but there’s nothing you can do about that. I recommend that you give it a shot and let’s see if you like it!

Please stop them

omg why did I read the other reviews for this perfect podcast.

The podcast is exceptional. Amanda and Sean provide great insight and opinion. I would say that sometimes Amanda’s voice does reach a point of clipping which sounds harsh and startling. She has a great podcast voice and her opinions are excellent. Please try to limit the unexpected sudden volume increases. It’s unpleasant.

Amanda is so hot garbage. How can she continue to be on when she hasn’t seen the movies?

So glad Amanda’s back from maternity leave — she and Sean have the best chemistry! (Love when CR joins for 3rd chair, too)

Sean and Amanda have great chemistry. Their conversation on The Brutalist was the best commentary/discussion on that film I’ve heard all season.

Hello, I enjoy the content, but have become reluctant to listen because of the strident, unpleasant quality of Amanda’s voice. I suggest exploring a different mic or do a frequency analysis and use equalization to cut some of the offending upper/mid frequencies. I listen exclusively in a 2016 Toyota Camry and have no other similar problems with other podcasts, including The Town and Rewatchables. Thank you

Shout out producer Craig for setting the record straight on Cincinnati. Hope the festival comes here!

One of the screenwriters of It's a Wonderful Life is Frances Goodrich - is that where the filmmakers got the name of the eponymous character in this film?

I’m glad for the takes. But the disingenuous ‘I’m not a The Brutalist bro’ bro-y-ness this award season is a bit much. Meh.

I like this podcast, but it feels like it’s gatekeeping a bit. Unless you are very in the weeds with the discourse of the films being discussed and the industry as a whole, a lot will be missed. I don’t want to have to have listened to every episode of this podcast for years, read the trades every day and spend hours on Reddit just to have my bearings for your discussions. Listening often feels like reading a paper with no topic sentences. A small amount of background/explanation of what you’re referring to would do wonders.

Sean’s ok but I listen for Amanda. She’s the fun, cool one. All the Amanda haters just sound like nerds or incels. Keep up the good work, Dobbins!

I don’t understand the Amanda hate, she and everybody on the pod are awesome!

Used to love it but Amanda and Sean have BOTH become so insufferable. I told myself I’d unfollow if I heard ANOTHER episode discussing The Brutalist and heard Sean using the cringe-inducing “Brutal-Boys” phrase. This is not a serious film podcast and completely filled with hacks.

Please replace Amanda. She ruins every episode she’s on. She’s too interested in her own comments, isn’t funny, interrupts constantly (!!!!!) and is basically unbearable. Sean is great. Get Katy or Joanna to co-host. Please.

I’ve listened to this show for YEARS. Sean and Amanda’s chemistry is what makes it dynamic and interesting to watch. Without Amanda it would be a lot of Sean monologues and banter with Chris Ryan about their 20s in New York. No shade. Just pointing that Sean needs the balance that Amanda brings to the show, and also her chronically online presence. Amanda is always the one knowing what’s actually happening to the stars out of the screen and how that can impact the business they’re in. That said, I do have to agree with other reviewers about the kids talk. Good for your parenting guys, really, and they all seem pretty cute and all, but we listen to hear about movies, not your kids.