Home/Episodes/The Physical Media High Council Awards
The Big Picture
The Physical Media High Council Awards
September 19, 2025 · 2:03:11 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Hosts: Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · With Tracy Letts, Tim Simons
The Physical Media High Council — Awards
Tracy Letts · 39 discs
| Lifeguard | Fun City Editions | ▶ 52:59 | |
| Possession | Umbrella Entertainment · 4K UHD; real upgrade over prior Blu-ray | ▶ 54:41 | |
| Shawscope: Volume Three | Arrow Video · 14-film Shaw Brothers box, samurai-leaning | ▶ 1:03:22 | |
| Taking Off | Carlotta Films · French import Blu-ray, English audio | ▶ 1:04:44 | |
| Cruising — a gift for Sean Fennessey | Arrow Video · 4K UHD | ▶ 1:13:02 | |
| Dirty Harry | Warner Bros. · 4K steelbook | ▶ 1:20:32 | |
| The Outlaw Josey Wales | Warner Bros. · 4K steelbook; reference quality | ▶ 1:20:32 | |
| Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World — a gift for Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:21:22 | ||
| No Country for Old Men — a gift for Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:21:22 | ||
| Inside Llewyn Davis — a gift for Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:21:22 | ||
| Double Indemnity — a gift for Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:21:22 | ||
| Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood — a gift for Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:21:22 | ||
| Wrath of Man — a gift for Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:21:22 | ||
| The Conversation — a gift for Chris Ryan | Blu-ray | ▶ 1:21:22 | |
| Narc — a gift for Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:22:56 | ||
| Yourself and Yours — a gift for Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:22:56 | ||
| The Last Stop in Yuma County — a gift for Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:22:56 | ||
| Happiness — a gift for Chris Ryan | Criterion Collection · 4K UHD (via Carrie's Criterion Closet run) | ▶ 1:23:32 | |
| Wanda — a gift for Chris Ryan | Criterion Collection · Blu-ray | ▶ 1:23:32 | |
| Mandabi — a gift for Chris Ryan | Criterion Collection · Blu-ray | ▶ 1:23:32 | |
| An Unmarried Woman — a gift for Chris Ryan | Criterion Collection · Blu-ray | ▶ 1:23:32 | |
| Lilies of the Field — a gift for Chris Ryan | Kino Lorber | ▶ 1:24:00 | |
| Zhou Yu's Train — a gift for Chris Ryan | Imprint | ▶ 1:24:00 | |
| The Three Musketeers — a gift for Chris Ryan | Recent adaptation; exact version unclear | ▶ 1:24:00 | |
| King Kong (1976) — a gift for Sean Fennessey | 4K UHD, Jeff Bridges version | ▶ 1:24:00 | |
| The Case of Barnabáš Kos | Second Run | ▶ 1:36:09 | |
| Who Wants to Kill Jessie? | Second Run | ▶ 1:36:09 | |
| Choose Me | Criterion Collection | ▶ 1:47:00 | |
| Witness — a gift for Chris Ryan | Blu-ray box edition | ▶ 1:49:39 | |
| Witness — a gift for Tim Simons | 4K UHD | ▶ 1:49:39 | |
| Barquero | Kino Lorber | ▶ 1:50:18 | |
| Diary of a Chambermaid | Kino Lorber · Only Blu-ray of Buñuel's version | ▶ 1:50:18 | |
| Clean and Sober | Warner Archive · No-frills Blu-ray | ▶ 1:51:00 | |
| Vixen | Severin · 4K (Severin's Russ Meyer line) | ▶ 1:54:30 | |
| Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia | Shout! Factory (Shout Select) · New 4K | ▶ 1:55:00 | |
| Last Year at Marienbad | Kino Lorber · 4K; reference quality | ▶ 1:55:00 | |
| Terror in the Fog: The Wallace Krimi at CCC | Eureka · Edgar Wallace German krimis; proto-giallo box | ▶ 1:55:35 | |
| Mabuse Lives! Dr. Mabuse at CCC — a gift for Chris Ryan | Eureka · Six 1960s Mabuse films | ▶ 1:55:35 | |
| V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal | Arrow Video · Japanese straight-to-video crime films | ▶ 1:55:35 |
Tim Simons · 7 discs
| Wake in Fright | Umbrella Entertainment · 4K UHD | ▶ 56:47 | |
| The Third Man | StudioCanal · Collector's ed. pops up and plays zither theme | ▶ 1:06:29 | |
| My Neighbor Totoro | Shout! Factory · Steelbook (Studio Ghibli line) | ▶ 1:13:58 | |
| To Live and Die in L.A. | Arrow Video · UK edition, bought before any good US release | ▶ 1:36:09 | |
| The Warriors | 4K; replaces comic-book director's-cut Blu-ray | ▶ 1:53:19 | |
| Night Moves | Criterion Collection | ▶ 1:53:19 | |
| Match Point | Import Blu-ray found via YesAsia | ▶ 1:53:19 |
Chris Ryan · 7 discs
| Welcome to Fun City | Fun City Editions · ~5-hour 1960s/70s trailer-compilation disc | ▶ 59:22 | |
| The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | Arrow Video · UK 4K: poster, intl + extended cuts, booklet | ▶ 1:08:01 | |
| Sympathy for the Underdog | Radiance Films | ▶ 1:16:23 | |
| Hard-Boiled: Three Pulp Thrillers by Alain Corneau | Radiance Films · 3 Corneau thrillers incl. Choice of Arms | ▶ 1:16:23 | |
| Kingdom of Heaven | Director's Cut steelbook; Ridley Scott commentary | ▶ 1:25:17 | |
| The Worricker Trilogy | 3 David Hare BBC spy films w/ Bill Nighy | ▶ 1:39:23 | |
| End of the Line | Terror Vision | ▶ 1:40:40 |
Sean Fennessey · 12 discs
| City on Fire | Shout! Factory · First release in Shout's Hong Kong classics line | ▶ 1:01:33 | |
| Film Focus: Gene Hackman | Imprint · 4 Hackman films incl. I Never Sang for My Father | ▶ 1:11:03 | |
| Blaxploitation Classics, Vols. 1 & 2 | Shout! Factory · Two 4K sets: Pam Grier films, Truck Turner, etc. | ▶ 1:18:23 | |
| Sorcerer | Criterion Collection · 4K; Sean participated in the extras | ▶ 1:27:38 | |
| Barry Lyndon | Criterion Collection · 4K reissue; astonishing upgrade | ▶ 1:27:38 | |
| This Is Spinal Tap | Criterion Collection · New 4K, shown pre-street-date | ▶ 1:27:38 | |
| Gushing Prayer | Terror Vision (Graveface) | ▶ 1:41:27 | |
| Bang the Drum Slowly — a gift for Tracy Letts | Cinématographe (Vinegar Syndrome) · 4K UHD | ▶ 1:41:27 | |
| Let's Scare Jessica to Death | Vinegar Syndrome | ▶ 1:41:27 | |
| Carnal Knowledge | Indicator/Powerhouse · 2025 ed.; rival Criterion ed. announced 2 wks later | ▶ 1:44:12 | |
| Cemetery Man | Severin | ▶ 1:48:10 | |
| Errol Flynn 6-Film Collection | Warner Archive · 6 films, 4 by Curtiz; Robin Hood, Sea Hawk | ▶ 1:48:10 |
The Council · 1 disc
| The Servant | StudioCanal · 4K UHD | ▶ 1:07:00 |
Movies Referenced (57)
Directors Referenced (23)
9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride▶ 3:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗
7 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Gosford Park, Nashville, Short Cuts▶ 1:47:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗
5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Sherlock Holmes, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch▶ 1:21:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗
5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Annie Hall, Manhattan, Deconstructing Harry▶ 36:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 1:08:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Se7en, Gone Girl, Zodiac▶ 22:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Graduate, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?▶ 1:44:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · · Known for To Live and Die in L.A., The French Connection, The Exorcist▶ 44:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Mildred Pierce▶ 1:48:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus▶ 1:00:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Jackie Brown, The 40-Year-Old Virgin▶ 1:19:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Actors Referenced (56)
7 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Carnal Knowledge, Catch-22▶ 32:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗
5 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for A Star Is Born, The Hero, Hulk▶ 53:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗
4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven▶ 20:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Scream VI▶ 55:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Tootsie, The Postman Always Rings Twice▶ 1:24:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Christopher Robin, The Princess and the Frog▶ 1:23:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Silence of the Lambs, Taxi Driver▶ 30:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · · Known for Escape from New York, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, For a Few Dollars More▶ 50:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · · Known for Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil▶ 1:07:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗
3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Fences, The Help, Doubt▶ 40:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Graduate, Catch-22▶ 1:00:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Writers Referenced (9)
3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for King Kong▶ 1:55:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Reader▶ 1:39:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗
2 mentions · · Known for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?▶ 28:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗
1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 22:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗
1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Black Panther, Creed▶ 0:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗
1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Hell or High Water, Wind River▶ 54:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗
1 mentions · · Known for A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof▶ 28:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗