The Press Box

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey sits down with Kay Cannon, the veteran screenwriter on ‘30 Rock,' New Girl,’ and all three ‘Pitch Perfect’ movies to discuss her new R-rated studio comedy and directorial debut ‘Blockers’ and her transition from writing to directing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins discuss actress Allison Mack's reported involvement in the alleged sex cult called Nxivm (1:38), Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan's breakup (12:48), Chris Hemsworth and Matt Damon's budding friendship (21:43), and the possible bad blood between Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss (28:06). You can find the official Ringer web store here: http://bit.ly/ringershop More from The Ringer: The Leonardo DiCaprio Baseball Cap Bracket Check out other podcasts from The Ringer Podcast Network On NXIVM: Here Comes The Legal Protection - Blind Gossip How ‘Smallville’ Actress Allison Mack Became a Women-Branding Cult Leader - The Daily Beast Inside a Secretive Group Where Women Are Branded - The New York Times On the Channing Tatum/Jenna Dewan breakup All the Gossip About Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan’s Divorce - The Cut Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s David Shoemaker and Bryan Curtis discuss President Trump and Amazon’s latest spat (2:30), ESPN’s new morning show ‘Get Up!’ (18:05), and the latest Tiger Woods tell-all biography (35:51). You can find the official Ringer web store here: http://bit.ly/ringershop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In preparation for Steven Spielberg's ‘Ready Player One,’ The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan discuss and debate the prolific filmmaker's best movies of all time. They cover everything from ‘Jaws’ to ‘Jurassic Park,’ from the ‘Indiana Jones’ series to ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ and many, many more (1:00). And later, CEO of The Ringer Bill Simmons stops by to give his take on how terrifying 'Jaws' was and Spielberg's career (43:00). Ringer web store Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on 'Damage Control,' The Ringer’s Justin Charity and K. Austin Collins discuss the unrealistic expectations surrounding Stormy Daniels’s ‘60 Minutes’ interview (1:47), the obsession with creating nostalgia porn for millennials (18:33), and how ‘Ready Player One’ may not be as groundbreaking as gamers think (29:04). You can find the official Ringer web store here: http://bit.ly/ringershop More from The Ringer: Subscribe to 'The Recappables' The Hilarious Life And Agonizing Death of Online Comedy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with 'Wild Wild Country' directors Maclain and Chapman Way and producer Mark Duplass about the arduous process of making an in-depth documentary that features a 64,000-acre ranch in Oregon, a spiritual guru, ritualistic group sex, assassination plots, guns, drugs, and bioterrorism. You can find the official Ringer web store here: http://bit.ly/ringershop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker discuss the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Mark Zuckerberg’s apology tour (02:00), the news that Sports Illustrated’s parent company intends to sell the venerable magazine (21:20), and a Fox News analyst leaving the network while Breitbart hemorrhages readers (34:45). You can find the official Ringer web store here: http://bit.ly/ringershop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins break down the timeline of Ben Affleck's phoenix back tattoo now that we finally know it's real (1:52). They also discuss Cynthia Nixon's announcement that she's running for New York governor (24:21), Aubrey O'Day's alleged affair with Donald Trump Jr. (27:15), Rihanna's takedown of Snapchat (34:13), and the latest in the Reese Witherspoon/'Big Little Lies' universe (38:53). More from The Ringer: Cynthia Nixon Might Not Be the Average Celebrity Candidate The Secret Ingredient—and Best Hope—of ‘Roseanne’ Subscribe to 'The Recappables' Also: Photos of Ben Affleck's back tattoo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker examine the startling story behind John Skipper's ESPN departure (01:45), Chris Cuomo's pivot to primetime (19:30), and how cable news is staffing the White House (28:30). They wrap up the show by reflecting on some notable media moments from the NCAA Tournament (33:15). Read Bryan Curtis's article "The New Draft Gurus" here: https://t.co/8hZGuxkOmQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan recap the best movies they saw at the SXSW Film Festival, including ‘Ready Player One,’ ‘A Quiet Place,’ ‘Eighth Grade,’ and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on 'Damage Control,' The Ringer’s Justin Charity and K. Austin Collins discuss critics’ confusing handling of Ava DuVernay’s ‘A Wrinkle In Time’ (1:17), why wishing for black artists to have opportunities to make mediocre work is flawed thinking (19:44), and the cultural-appropriation accusations against Bruno Mars (21:39). More from The Ringer: ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ Is a Noble Failure The ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ Exit Survey Subscribe to 'The Recappables' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker discuss the media spectacle surrounding Donald Trump's alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels (03:00), the controversy following New York Times columnist Farhad Manjoo's social media experiment (22:00), and how Michael Smith's departure from 'SportsCenter' reflects ESPN's programming problem (34:30).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ringer Editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with first time director Cory Finley about his film ‘Thoroughbreds’ and his transition from playwright to filmmaker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker break down the handling of the Academy Awards (01:45), what Hope Hicks's White House departure means for the press (22:45), and the FBI vs. the University of Arizona by way of ESPN and Mark Schlabach (35:30). Read Miles Surrey's "The Winners and Losers of the 2018 Academy Awards" here: https://t.co/FR1HeJsNqi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer’s Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins rejoice at the end of awards season and discuss Sunday night’s Oscars (1:21). They also talk about Barbra Streisand cloning her dogs (17:23) and the four billboards outside Palm Springs in honor of Serena Williams (22:26). More from The Ringer: 2018 Oscars coverage Subscribe to 'Bachelor Party' Related Links: Barbra Streisand Explains: Why I Cloned My Dog (New York Times) Serena Williams' four billboards (Instagram) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with filmmaker Francis Lawrence about making ‘Red Sparrow,’ his fourth film in a row starring Jennifer Lawrence; their working relationship forged through ‘The Hunger Games’ movie franchise; and his new creative venture with Apple TV. More on movies from the Ringer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on 'Damage Control,' The Ringer’s Justin Charity and K. Austin Collins discuss the strange media phenomena surrounding the Parkland activists (1:18), Donald Glover's identity crisis playing out in The New Yorker (12:06), and the outcry over Mo'Nique’s pay-equity campaign against Netflix (26:08). More From The Ringer: The Surprising, Very Public Evolution of Donald Glover Subscribe to 'The Recappables' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker talk about how the NRA became a media entity (03:00), the messy Winter Olympics coverage (17:45), and Amos Barshad's article about The Player's Tribune (34:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey sits down with The Ringer’s Amanda Dobbins and K. Austin Collins and New York Times critic Wesley Morris to discuss eerie similarities between ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ and the notorious 2006 Best Picture winner, ‘Crash’ (0:00). Then, Chris Ryan joins to discuss ‘Shape of Water’ and its status as the clear front-runner to win Best Picture (0:00). More on the Oscars from The Ringer: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiI3wRw9PbSYHic2RJiHo4UxfhVD2DYWb https://www.theringer.com/oscars Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey speaks with acclaimed writer and director Alex Garland about the making of the Natalie Portman sci-fi thriller ‘Annihilation’ and the tricky nature of adapting Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling book. They also discuss Garland’s first film, ‘Ex Machina’; his time as a novelist and screenwriter of movies like ‘28 Days Later...’ and ‘Sunshine’; and a lot more. For more movie coverage, check out The Ringer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices