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The Flops Movie Draft

The Big Picture

Hosted by Amanda Dobbins and Sean Fennessey

1h 54m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins host a movie draft episode of The Big Picture, joined by Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan to debate and draft cinematic failures across specific categories including low-grossing studio releases, star bombs, massive financial losers, Roger Ebert zero-star reviews, poorly rated Rotten Tomatoes titles, and failed franchise launches. The participants playfully negotiate the loose rules, challenge each other's selections like Shawshank Redemption, and defend misunderstood or nostalgic flops such as Congo, Ishtar, and Eight Millimeter. The discussion covers box office expectations, critical reception, home video second lives, and the strange history of Hollywood hubris.

  • Distinguish between independent art-house films and high-expectation studio releases when evaluating whether a financial disappointment qualifies as a true box office flop. 12:43
  • Examine pre-release press and studio interventions as key indicators of whether a high-profile movie will struggle with audiences and critics upon release. 8:10
  • Account for inflation when assessing the true financial impact of historical Hollywood box office disasters and studio losses. 15:46

Chapters

  1. 0:00
    Brian Dawkins Shares Mental Health Story

    The episode opens with former NFL player Brian Dawkins discussing his battle with major depressive disorder and encouraging listeners to seek help.

  2. 0:37
    Caplyta Prescription Discussion

    The hosts transition to a medical segment about the antidepressant Caplyta, its benefits, and safety considerations.

  3. 1:31
    Applebee's Late‑Night Promotion

    A brief commercial break featuring Applebee's half‑price late‑night appetizers interrupts the conversation.

  4. 2:17
    Introduction to the Flops Draft

    Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins, and Bill Simmons introduce the episode’s main focus: drafting the worst movies of all time.

  5. 3:00
    Defining Flop Categories

    The hosts outline the criteria for the draft, including budget limits, star bombs, and other categories that qualify a film as a flop.

  6. 8:00
    Draft Order and First Picks

    The draft order is revealed, and the first overall pick—Tom Green’s "Freddy Got Fingered"—is announced along with a brief Ebert review.

  7. 8:36
    Debating Classic Flops

    The panel debates which older films, such as "Waterworld" and "Heaven's Gate," should be included, discussing financial loss and critical reception.

  8. 10:00
    Salt and the Failed Franchise Launch

    They pick Angelina Jolie’s Salt as an example of a franchise that never expanded, noting its modest budget and limited box‑office impact.

  9. 20:00
    Closing Reflections and Listener Takeaways

    The episode wraps up with final thoughts on the discussed films, audience engagement prompts, and a brief recap of key points.

  10. 24:06
    Wildcard: The Last Duel as a Missed Opportunity

    The hosts discuss Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, a high‑budget film that underperformed due to timing and cultural context, and debate its potential as a franchise.

  11. 46:05
    Intro and Lost City of Z Overview

    The hosts introduce the episode and discuss the box‑office performance and critical reception of James Gray’s Lost City of Z.

  12. 49:57
    Black Hat as a Sub‑$30 Million Flop

    The group selects Black Hat, a Michael Mann film that barely made $30 million domestically, and explains its box‑office failure and cult status.

  13. 1:13:13
    Manhunter and the Resurgence of 90s Bombs

    They highlight Manhunter, a 1990s thriller that was a flop on release but has since gained appreciation, illustrating how reception can change over time.

  14. 1:30:21
    Typos and Aging Conversations

    The hosts joke about typos in documents and discuss aging, reflecting on their past roles and personal milestones.

Highlights

  • 14:42

    Defining the Flops Draft Parametersstrategy

    Sean Fennessey explains the specific categories for the movie draft, replacing traditional drama and comedy buckets with rules targeting low domestic gross, star misfires, 100 million dollar losses, Ebert zero-star films, and failed franchises.

  • 20:52

    Freddy Got Fingered as First Pickinsight

    Sean Fennessey uses his first overall pick in the Ebert zero-star category to select Tom Green's comedy Freddy Got Fingered, reading from Roger Ebert's famously scathing review.

  • 31:47

    Shawshank Redemption Eligibility Disputedebate

    Chris Ryan attempts to draft The Shawshank Redemption under the low domestic gross category, leading to immediate pushback and vetoes from Sean Fennessey and Bill Simmons over whether the acclaimed film was ever truly a flop.

  • 35:29

    Defending Cruising as Pacino Star Bombdebate

    Bill Simmons successfully defends drafting William Friedkin's Cruising under the star bomb category, arguing that the controversial thriller damaged Al Pacino's career momentum in the 1980s.

  • 37:45

    West Side Story Box Office Lossdata

    Amanda Dobbins selects Steven Spielberg's West Side Story in the category of films that lost more than one hundred million dollars, noting its heavy financial shortfall despite critical acclaim.

  • 42:46

    Congo and the Loss of Innocencestory

    Sean Fennessey defends Frank Marshall's Congo as a sub-25% Rotten Tomatoes pick, explaining how discovering its terrible reviews as a kid marked a pivotal turning point in his life.

  • 50:01

    Black Hat as Michael Mann Epicinsight

    Chris Ryan drafts Michael Mann's Black Hat under the low domestic gross category, celebrating its physical media legacy and Chris Hemsworth's unique performance.

Quotes

  • “I carried sadness and anger because I thought I could handle it alone, but I couldn't.”
    Unnamed speaker · 0:08
  • “Waterworld, I feel like is about hubris, you know?”
    Sean Fennessey · 7:19
  • “I don't know why I'm here right now.”
    Amanda Dobbins · 5:42
  • “I think it has a couple of the best stretches, which makes it a rewatchable.”
    Unnamed speaker · 48:42
  • “I had a hard time watching Wolf Creek.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:17:32
  • “The Thing made $3 million.”
    Sean Fennessey · 1:29:29
  • “I was going like, I honestly thought I was dying.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:31:24
  • “John Carter lost the most money of all the movies that have lost money.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:50:08
  • Applebee's 1:30–1:56
  • NOS Energy 1:01:21–1:01:40
  • Panda Express 1:01:45–1:01:58
  • FanDuel 1:02:18–1:02:26
  • Lucas Kavanagh 1:54:02–1:54:06

About this episode

We’re drafting again! Sean and Amanda are joined by Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan for their first ever “Flops Movie Draft” where they highlight some of their favorite movies that were commercial failures at the box office. (0:00) Intro (1:43) Earliest flop memories (12:34) The Flops Movie Draft rules breakdown (17:17) The Flops Movie Draft (1:38:25) Honorable mentions (1:48:06) Draft recap Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan Producer: Jack Sanders Editor: Jamie Yukich Production Support: Sarah Reddy and Lucas Cavanagh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

0:00
1:54:08

22,951 words · 7 speakers

Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

Topics

  • The Thing
  • Waterworld
  • Salt
  • Ishtar
  • Black Hat
  • Heaven's Gate
  • Battleship
  • Police Academy
  • Lost City of Z
  • Congo

Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated