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Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Head of Content, The Ringer
Sean Fennessey
Writer, editor and podcaster. Hosts The Big Picture and cohosts The Rewatchables.
Also referred to as Sean, Sean Fantasy, Sean Fittenden, Sean Phenasy, Sean fantasy
Stats
- Episodes credited in this archive
- 174
- Movies in this archive
- 166
- Attributed podcast choices
- 24
Recently watched on Letterboxd
Across the table
Appearing on these Rewatchables episodes
L.A. Confidential
1997 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey · Andy Greenwald
Aired March 31, 2026
Displaying episodes 1 - 12 of 174 in total
Mentioned in discussions
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:49Read transcript
- A participant suggests Jack’s de-escalating language as an alternative to aggressive policing
- Sean distinguishes pure action from science fiction, superheroes, secret societies and mythology
- Mission: Impossible, The Rock, Ambulance, Taken and Bad Boys are offered as counterexamples
- Bill provocatively argues the destruction costs could outweigh saving the bus; the others push back
- The hot-take framing and objections are retained rather than treating this as advice
The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film
The jump’s physics, the extra subway act and Jack’s punch lines
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:19:07Read transcript
- One participant dislikes the jump’s lack of upward incline while others defend the sequence
- The additional act after escaping the bus feels less perfect than the first ninety minutes
- Bringing Annie downtown is questioned as a device to preserve her involvement
- Howard’s bomb speech feels forced to one speaker
- Sean reiterates his dislike of the Arnold-style punch lines
Most Rewatchable Scene
Four different favorites: the elevator, bus boarding, passenger transfer and Jack under the bus
In the discussion (18)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:46Read transcript
- The opening is separated into passenger rescue, freight elevator and hostage showdown
- Sean recalls interviewing Patrick Fischler about his first film role
- The first bus explosion and payphone introduce Howard’s threat
- Jack’s forgotten muffin becomes a comic everyday-life aside
- Annie catching the bus establishes her personality
- The Jaguar chase, door removal and leap onto the bus are praised
- The passenger with a gun shoots Sam after misunderstanding Jack’s arrival
- Sam’s rescue and Helen’s fatal attempt to escape are favorites
- The highway jump remains euphoric despite impossible physics
- The sharp turn and passengers changing sides are praised
- Jack on the sled under the bus is a favorite
- Harry’s discovery of the house trap is discussed
- Jack and Annie’s escape and the airplane explosion could have supplied an ending
- Howard’s decapitation and the subway crash conclude the action
- The elevator is one final choice
- Sean explicitly chooses the passenger transfer and Helen’s death after recalling the theatrical thrill of the jump
- Another choice is Jack boarding the bus
- The fourth choice is Jack under the bus; individual attribution beyond explicit naming stays unknown
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:59Read transcript
Is This Movie Better With…?
A 13-year-old third Fitzpatrick brother modeled on Sean Fennessey.
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 02:03:52Read transcript
- A young Sean Fennessey is proposed as a third Fitzpatrick brother. — Bill Simmons
- A Lucas Hedges-era young actor is proposed as the archetype.
- The younger brother flirting with Amanda Peet’s character is proposed.
When I Would Have Died
Early scenes; the tunnel
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:03Read transcript
- Sean explicitly chooses When Would I Have Died and answers essentially every early scene; another answer is the tunnel. Kate’s bulletproof-vest injuries prompt a Dörfler’s Door reference and speculative recovery discussion.
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:49:40Read transcript
- The full Sean Fennessey Award name and movie-nerd purpose are spoken. — Sean Fennessey
- All the President’s Men is identified as a structural blueprint. — Sean Fennessey
- The Most Dangerous Game is identified as a clear reference. — Sean Fennessey
- A witness describing the killer as normal is tied to Memories of Murder. — Sean Fennessey
- The phone-call pan toward a closed door is compared to Rosemary’s Baby. — Chris Ryan
Casting What-Ifs
Scheider’s Deer Hunter departure; Ricky Schroder replaced as Sean; Dreyfuss return discussion
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:55Read transcript
- Scheider’s departure from The Deer Hunter reportedly forced him into Jaws 2 under his Universal obligation; his fit for De Niro’s role is debated. Salary, points and a reportedly staged breakdown are discussed.
- Ricky Schroder was replaced as Sean after the director change. — Bill Simmons
- Dreyfuss’s proposed return becomes a joke about the novel’s affair; the affair is identified as novel material, not this film’s plot. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:37:47Read transcript
- Sean should have accompanied unconscious Mike to the hospital instead of remaining with unrelated teenagers in danger; Ellen’s lack of supervision is criticized despite a defense of seventies parenting norms. — Bill Simmons
- The boat driver should remain still or consider the nearby shore rather than pour gasoline over herself; Tina later survives by staying in the boat.
- Andy repeatedly kissing unrelated Sean’s cheek during the rescue seems overly familiar.
Half-Assed Internet Research
Director replacement; budget and gross; practical production; reused barrel; shark effects
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:46Read transcript
- John D. Hancock’s abandoned darker version, action difficulties and possible reduction of Ellen’s role are discussed as competing explanations for dismissal. A proposed Alves/Fields replacement reportedly met a DGA obstacle, treated skeptically.
- Reported $20 million budget, $208 million gross and seventh-place 1978 finish. — Bill Simmons
- Florida locations include Hog’s Breath Saloon and Navarre Beach. — Bill Simmons
- The Sean performer reportedly recalled actual hammerheads approaching during filming; the Brody porch planter reused an original-film yellow barrel. — Bill Simmons
- The fiberglass cable-junction set was slippery and nearly floated away. — Bill Simmons
- Numerous sea-monster imitators and a Jaws 2 Topps trading-card set are discussed. — Bill Simmons
- The original mechanical sharks had deteriorated; the new burned shark looks better but reportedly still malfunctioned.
- The making-of producers’ account of Hancock’s departure is criticized as evasive. — Bill Simmons
The Andy and Red – Zihuatanejo Award for What Happens the Next Day?
The segment imagines the consequences for Roy's family and Roy aboard the ship.
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:25Read transcript
- Sean selects the Next Day category as his flex choice. — Sean Fennessey
- Roy's time aboard the ship is imagined as decades of invasive experimentation.
- Ronnie is imagined rapidly rebuilding her life with a new partner after leaving Roy. — Chris Ryan
- Roy's oldest son is predicted to become delinquent after the family's collapse. — Chris Ryan
Sean Fennessey Award for Stealth Homage That Gives Every Movie Nerd a Criterion Orgasm
Colleen Camp’s Apocalypse Now poster
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:18Read transcript
- Sean’s explicitly invited flex returns to the Colleen Camp Playboy poster in Elwood’s room as an Apocalypse Now connection. — Sean Fennessey
- The poster connects Elwood’s apartment to Colleen Camp’s Apocalypse Now appearance and its reported Lynda Carter casting history. — Sean Fennessey
Displaying discussions 1 - 12 of 44 in total
Flex picks
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:20Read transcript
- Michael Biehn is nominated as an actor who should have become a bigger star — Sean Fennessey
The Proof of Life / David Caruso Award for a Character Who Should Have Been Spun Off into Their Own Sequel
Private Hudson; Vasquez and Drake also proposed
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:40Read transcript
- Private Hudson is the main spin-off suggestion
- Vasquez and Drake are suggested for a prequel
Sean Fennessey Award for Stealth Homage That Gives Every Movie Nerd a Criterion Orgasm
The film’s line about “bombing the universe” is identified as a deliberate homage to The Shining.
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:12:56Read transcript
- The line is directly tied to Jack Torrance speaking to Danny in The Shining. — Sean Fennessey
Clarence Worley Should Have Died
Bud should die heroically
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 02:13:52Read transcript
- A flex choice argues Bud should die heroically; seeing him in the car and the final Arizona line deflate the ending. — Bill Simmons
When I Would Have Died
Early scenes; the tunnel
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:03Read transcript
- Sean explicitly chooses When Would I Have Died and answers essentially every early scene; another answer is the tunnel. Kate’s bulletproof-vest injuries prompt a Dörfler’s Door reference and speculative recovery discussion.
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:07Read transcript
- Sean explicitly selects a stealth-homage flex: Ourumov shooting his own disobedient soldier recalls The Wild Bunch. Later invented homages are jokes, not findings. — Chris Ryan
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 02:14:57Read transcript
- The full Dan Campbell scale purpose is spoken. — Sean Fennessey
- The basement sequence makes the panel ask whether the film has turned into Halloween. — Bill Simmons
The Action Is the Juice Award for Best Milking of the Moment
John Carroll Lynch going toe to toe with Mark Ruffalo
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 02:14:43Read transcript
- The spoken category variant specifies the best toe-to-toe moment for a non-star. — Sean Fennessey
- John Carroll Lynch is selected for dominating the Arthur Leigh Allen interrogation opposite Ruffalo. — Sean Fennessey
I Used to Fuck Guys Like You in Prison Award for Craziest Quote
“Fat, fabulous, fantastic” and “skinny, mean, expensive.”
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:49Read transcript
- Rick’s paired descriptions of his wife and girlfriend are selected, with the line reading praised. — Sean Fennessey
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:52Read transcript
- Murray Hamilton’s real-life distress and nearly absent performance inadvertently suit a compromised mayor. — Sean Fennessey
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:46Read transcript
- Terminal Bar’s curved bar, tables, coffee-and-beer atmosphere and open space make it the ideal scene-stealing location. — Sean Fennessey
The Andy and Red – Zihuatanejo Award for What Happens the Next Day?
The segment imagines the consequences for Roy's family and Roy aboard the ship.
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:25Read transcript
- Sean selects the Next Day category as his flex choice. — Sean Fennessey
- Roy's time aboard the ship is imagined as decades of invasive experimentation.
- Ronnie is imagined rapidly rebuilding her life with a new partner after leaving Roy. — Chris Ryan
- Roy's oldest son is predicted to become delinquent after the family's collapse. — Chris Ryan
Displaying flex picks 1 - 12 of 18 in total