The Big Picture

The Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Movie Draft. Plus: ‘The Rip.’

January 19, 2026

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  • The current January movie slate, featuring films like *Primate* and *The Rip*, is surprisingly strong, challenging the traditional notion of January as a dumping ground for weak studio releases. 
  • The new Netflix film *The Rip*, starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, is considered an A-plus January Netflix release due to the actors' chemistry and competent execution of B-movie material, despite a somewhat familiar plot. 
  • Damon and Affleck are viewed as fascinating case studies in modern stardom, successfully leveraging their friendship and shared love of cinema through Artist Equity to produce mid-budget, character-driven films that service their public image as articulate guardians of moviemaking. 
  • The hosts and guest Chris Ryan conducted a draft of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's filmography, with Chris Ryan securing the first overall pick and selecting *Good Will Hunting*. 
  • The draft revealed significant differences in how the participants valued certain films, such as Amanda Dobbins selecting *Gone Girl* as the best movie about Ben Affleck and Sean Fennessey prioritizing *The Town* for its directorial achievement. 
  • The conversation briefly diverted into personal anecdotes, including Chris Ryan's story about retrieving a lost credit card with the help of David Sims and Griffin Newman, and a humorous tangent about the merits of zipper flies versus button flies on jeans. 
  • The speakers anticipate potential surprises in Oscar nominations, particularly regarding the number of international features in Best Picture and the performance of 'It Was Just an Accident' following Guild results. 
  • The internationalization of the Academy is expected to make Oscar predictions harder, potentially diminishing the predictive power of precursor awards. 

Segments

January Movie Quality Debate
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(00:01:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Current January releases like Primate and The Rip suggest the month is evolving beyond its traditional role as a dumping ground for studio failures.
  • Summary: The hosts debate whether the current strong January slate, including successful genre films like Primate, signifies a shift in movie release strategy. Primate is highlighted as a successful, gory B-movie in the tradition of films by Jaume Collet-Serra. This month’s quality contrasts with the usual expectation of weak programming in the first month of the year.
Historical January Box Office Review
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(00:05:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Historical Januaries, such as 1996, featured bizarre mainstream comedy clusters like Biodome and Don’t Be a Menace to South Central while drinking your juice in the hood, alongside notable genre entries like From Dusk Till Dawn.
  • Summary: A review of Januaries from 1986, 1996, 2006, and 2016 reveals historical trends of lower-quality or niche releases. The year 1996 was notable for three mainstream comedies opening simultaneously, while 2016 included 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi and Dirty Grandpa. The discussion also touched upon the early internet era of 1996, characterized by dial-up speeds and AOL CDs.
Review of The Rip
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(00:18:03)
  • Key Takeaway: The Rip is an A-plus January Netflix release that succeeds due to the charisma of its overqualified cast, particularly the chemistry between Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, despite having a B-minus script.
  • Summary: Directed by Joe Carnahan, The Rip features a large ensemble cast tasked with investigating a police corruption scheme involving a large cash seizure. The film is praised for its style, well-executed action sequences, and the enjoyable inversion of Damon and Affleck’s power dynamic compared to their roles in Air. Listeners are cautioned that the plot setup is slightly confusing, but the overall experience is fun and competent.
Damon and Affleck’s Industry Impact
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(00:39:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Damon and Affleck function as articulate ambassadors for filmmaking, using their success to champion a new business model via Artist Equity aimed at rebuilding the middle class of filmmaking.
  • Summary: The actors are seen as case studies in navigating Hollywood fame, with Damon pursuing franchise work and Affleck exploring directing and varied roles. Their current iteration is compared favorably to William Goldman’s description of movie-making guardians, as they actively discuss technical aspects of film production. Their ability to secure deals like The Rip (paid on success rather than a flat fee) demonstrates their power to bend the industry system.
Draft Categories Setup
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(00:45:44)
  • Key Takeaway: The categories for the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck movie draft include Blockbuster, Oscar Nominee (widened to include any nominated film they appeared in), Matt and Ben Together, Directed/Produced by, Supporting Role, and Wildcard.
  • Summary: The hosts finalize the categories for the draft, mirroring a previous George Clooney/Brad Pitt exercise. The ‘Oscar Nominee’ category was intentionally widened to include any film they were in that received an Academy Award nomination, ensuring more flexibility for the draft. The hosts express enthusiasm for continuing the draft format, viewing it as a valuable way to chew the fat about cinema.
Draft Order and Goodwill Hunting Pick
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(00:51:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Chris Ryan secured the first pick in the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck movie draft, immediately selecting Good Will Hunting.
  • Summary: The draft order was established as Chris Ryan first, Sean Fennessey second, and Amanda Dobbins third. Chris Ryan used his first pick to select Good Will Hunting, citing its Oscar win and status as the clear number one choice for him.
The Town Selection
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(00:58:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Amanda Dobbins selected The Town under the ‘directed or produced by’ category, preempting other strong contenders.
  • Summary: Amanda Dobbins chose The Town for the category of directed or produced by, acknowledging it was a film she would have picked otherwise. The film is praised for being highly involving even upon repeat viewings, particularly the bank robbery sequence.
Blockbuster and Oscar Nominee Picks
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(01:00:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Amanda Dobbins selected Gone Girl as the best movie about Ben Affleck and Manchester by the Sea for Damon’s production work.
  • Summary: Amanda Dobbins selected Gone Girl in the Blockbuster category, calling it the single best movie made about Ben Affleck. For Oscar nominee (directed/produced), she chose Manchester by the Sea, noting it was a devastating Kenneth Lonergan film Matt Damon produced.
Dogma and Last Duel Selections
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(01:03:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Sean Fennessey chose Dogma for the ‘Matt and Ben Together’ category, valuing their 90s essence in the Kevin Smith film.
  • Summary: Sean Fennessey selected Dogma for the ‘Matt and Ben Together’ category, highlighting the actors’ dynamic as fallen angels and praising Kevin Smith’s attempt at a more serious film. He also picked The Last Duel for the ‘Matt and Ben Together’ category, suggesting it eclipses The Rip in long-term value.
The Martian and Talented Mr. Ripley
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(01:07:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Sean Fennessey selected The Martian for its showcase of Damon’s intelligent, overcoming-struggle persona, while Amanda Dobbins chose The Talented Mr. Ripley for Damon’s performance against his charisma.
  • Summary: Sean Fennessey picked The Martian in the Oscar nominee category, appreciating how Damon sold the blockbuster role. Amanda Dobbins countered with The Talented Mr. Ripley, viewing it as Damon’s best performance where he plays against his natural charisma.
Ocean’s 12 and The Departed
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(01:09:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Amanda Dobbins selected Ocean’s 12 for supporting role, while Sean Fennessey took The Departed for Blockbuster.
  • Summary: Amanda Dobbins chose Ocean’s 12 in the supporting role category, viewing it as a fun ensemble piece where Linus Caldwell comes into his own. Sean Fennessey selected The Departed in Blockbuster, noting it won Best Picture but didn’t receive the expected accolades, and that Damon’s performance was overlooked.
Dazed and Confused and Saving Private Ryan
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(01:20:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Sean Fennessey selected Dazed and Confused for supporting role, while Chris Ryan chose Saving Private Ryan for the same category.
  • Summary: Sean Fennessey picked Dazed and Confused to boost his Ben Affleck count, citing Affleck’s portrayal of an insecure bully. Chris Ryan selected Saving Private Ryan, noting the genius screenwriting made Damon’s character ungrateful for the journey the soldiers undertook.
Rounders and Gone Baby Gone
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(01:26:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Chris Ryan secured Rounders for Wildcard, calling it one of his favorite movies, while Amanda Dobbins chose Gone Baby Gone for Wildcard, acknowledging its upsetting nature.
  • Summary: Chris Ryan selected Rounders, viewing Damon’s role as a star turn comfortable in a classical mold that any major star from the 50s-80s could have played. Amanda Dobbins picked Gone Baby Gone, noting it was too upsetting for Bill Simmons to revisit, but respecting the film’s quality.
Field of Dreams and Draft Recap
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(01:21:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Amanda Dobbins selected Field of Dreams for the ‘Matt and Ben Together’ category based on their brief cameos in the Fenway scene.
  • Summary: Amanda Dobbins chose Field of Dreams for the ‘Matt and Ben Together’ category due to their uncredited cameos in the final Fenway scene. The segment concluded with a full recap of all drafted films for each participant.
Oscar Surprise Predictions
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(01:38:44)
  • Key Takeaway: A major surprise in Oscar nominations would involve a significant ‘begonia wave’ (unexpected strong showing) or if ‘It Was Just an Accident’ is completely locked out after Guild performance.
  • Summary: The speakers speculate on potential shocking Oscar outcomes, noting that Emma Stone’s inclusion is plausible but a large ‘begonia wave’ would be surprising. They express concern if the film ‘It Was Just an Accident’ is entirely excluded after its performance in the recent Guild waves. The film is noted as being amazing and historically relevant to the current moment.
Academy Internationalization Impact
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(01:39:35)
  • Key Takeaway: The increasing international makeup of the Academy is expected to lead to more interesting Oscar reveals, potentially favoring international features over domestic leanings seen in Guilds.
  • Summary: The Guilds have recently shown a domestic leaning in their voting patterns. However, the growing international presence within the Academy itself is predicted to result in a more unpredictable and interesting final reveal. If four international features are nominated for Best Picture, precursor awards will become less meaningful indicators compared to past years.
Guest Departure and Future Drafts
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(01:39:59)
  • Key Takeaway: Guest Chris Ryan confirmed his departure after three consecutive episodes and proposed an ‘Oscar Snubs draft’ as a potential future topic.
  • Summary: Chris Ryan thanked the hosts after appearing on three episodes in a row and mentioned needing to coordinate his return based on an ‘iHeart thing.’ He suggested an ‘Oscar Snubs draft’ as a great future episode idea, which could involve defining snubs as either non-nominees or non-winners, possibly restricted to certain decades.
Future Content Planning
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(01:40:47)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts plan to invite special guests for future drafts and confirmed that discussions about the film ‘Heat’ and the return of ‘Garbage Crime’ are forthcoming.
  • Summary: The group agreed that future drafts might benefit from special guests to make them less ‘polite.’ The return of ‘Garbage Crime’ was mentioned as exciting, and there is a stated need to dedicate more airtime to discussing the film ‘Heat,’ which one host described as ‘disgusting’ in a positive context.
Episode Wrap-up and Break
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(01:41:09)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode concluded with acknowledgments to producer Jack Sanders and an announcement of a short recording break for the hosts.
  • Summary: Thanks were given to Jack Sanders for his production work on the episode, noting the high volume of recordings completed that week. The hosts expressed excitement for a break from recording from Monday through Wednesday of the following week, wishing listeners a great Martin Luther King Day.