The Rewatchables: ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman

Published 2022-07-05; 1:32:25 by the feed.

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

The extraction calls the show “The Rewatchables (The Ringer)” and the episode “'Misery' With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman”.

Hosts: Bill Simmons. Guests: Brian Koppelman, Craig (producer, appears at the end).

Subject films: Misery (1990).

On the transcript: Transcript has no speaker labels and mangled names; the first 40 seconds are an ad read for Westworld (Prestige TV podcast). Speaker attribution on King/Goldman passages is ambiguous between the two.

Awards and segments (72)

Double feature

pick Stand by Me: Pairs it with another Rob Reiner adaptation of a Stephen King story.
“My choice was stand by me. I would do standby me in misery.”
Bill Simmons · 1:19:38
pick The Dead Zone: Pairs it with another strong Stephen King adaptation he praised earlier in the episode.
“I would go dead zone. Dead zone and misery.”
Brian Koppelman · 1:19:43
pick Something Wild: Flips the premise, with Ray Liotta as the crazed person stalking and chasing the other lead.
“He's the crazed person stalking and chasing after the person, something wild.”
Bill Simmons · 1:20:00
pick The King of Comedy: Settles the debate on the obsessed-fan pairing: King of Comedy and Misery.
“I think it's king of comedy and misery.”
unknown · 1:20:11

Most rewatchable scene

pick The dinner scene, where Annie spills the wine and Paul's face reacts
“I think that's the most rewatchable scene.”
Bill Simmons · 0:50:31
pick The dinner scene, and whether Annie spills the wine on purpose
“but I would say the dinner scene's unbelievable.”
Brian Koppelman · 0:41:57
floated The opening credits and the car accident
“I love the opening credits in the car accident.”
Bill Simmons · 0:41:22
floated The tomato soup scene, the first time we see she is crazy
“So the tomato soup scene, which is the 1st time we see she's crazy, these are slum kids.”
Bill Simmons · 0:42:13
floated The wrong typewriter paper scene (Mr. Man)
“Um, I like when she buys the wrong paper for the typewriter, and he's like, this, this smears, and she's getting so mad, but trying to contain her stuff.”
Bill Simmons · 0:43:30
floated Paul getting out of the room and exploring the house
“When Paul gets out, that's a riveting 3 minutes because you're like, what else is in this house?”
Bill Simmons · 0:44:17
floated The hobbling scene, called the most famous scene but not rewatchable
“I mean, the hobbling isn't rewatchable, but it's the most famous scene, so it almost has to win the most famous scene award”
Bill Simmons · 0:50:25
floated Farnsworth showing up, and the fight with the typewriter at the end
“2 more 2 more scenes.”
Bill Simmons · 0:48:54
floated The gasoline scene where Annie makes him light the manuscript on fire
“Also, the scene with the gasoline when she's, when she, when she makes them put the, because you didn't listen, that was the best scene.”
Brian Koppelman · 0:50:42

Ebert review · Reading Roger Ebert's review and giving their own star rating.

pick Misery: Ebert gave 3 stars; Bill would give 3.5.
“Ebert, 3 stars.”
Bill Simmons · 0:40:43
pick Misery: Agrees on 3.5 stars, with Bates's performance making a 4 possible.
“Yeah, I think it's 3.5 star movie.”
Brian Koppelman · 0:41:06

Casting what-ifs · Who else could have played the parts.

pick Warren Beatty as Paul Sheldon: Would have been unbelievable but did not want to play a loser stuck in the bed.
“It's like they have Warren Beatty, who would have been unbelievable in the James Con part.”
Bill Simmons · 0:17:35
pick Richard Dreyfuss as Paul Sheldon: He would have bought Dreyfuss as a writer.
“So Dreyfus, I think, is would have been a really interesting one because I would have bought Dreyfus as a writer.”
Brian Koppelman · 0:35:27
pick Robin Williams as Paul Sheldon: Caged energy, and you would believe he read all the books.
“Yeah, Robin Williams to me would have been incredible.”
unknown · 0:35:35
pick Robert Duvall as Paul Sheldon: Was thinking Duvall for the late-50s version of the character.
“I was thinking Duval.”
unknown · 0:35:53
pick Michael Douglas as Paul Sheldon: Same demons and the IQ, at a good time of his career.
“Michael Douglas would have crushed it too, because he would have had the same demons.”
unknown · 0:35:56
pick Donald Sutherland as Paul Sheldon: Would have crushed it, with the joke that he would have tried something with Annie.
“You know who would have been the best?”
unknown · 0:37:15
pick Richard Gere as Paul Sheldon: Reads Goldman's view that Gere was the perfect fit but nobody mentioned his name.
“Richard Gere.”
Bill Simmons · 0:39:41
pick Lauren Bacall as the agent: Says the part could have hit harder and felt TV-movie-ish.
“I feel like Lauren Bacall could have hit harder.”
Bill Simmons · 1:06:26
pick Faye Dunaway as the agent: Offered Faye Dunaway and Jane Fonda as alternatives to Bacall.
“Fade down away.”
Brian Koppelman · 1:06:57
pick Jane Fonda as the agent: Second alternative to Bacall; Bill says he had her too.
“Jane Fonda.”
Brian Koppelman · 1:07:01

Ruffalo hand and Rubenek Partridge overacting award · The most over-the-top performance in the film.

pick Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes: No overacting award; they say Bates is perfect and would not change a minute.
“I wouldn't change one minute of Kathy Bates.”
Brian Koppelman · 1:05:42

Best That Guy · The best familiar face in a supporting part.

nominee Richard Farnsworth: The pick for Craig's generation.
“It's got to be Farnsworth for at least the Craigs generation.”
Bill Simmons · 1:05:55
winner Frances Sternhagen: Better choice because she is Cliff Claven's mom from Cheers.
“Because she's Cliff Claven's mom, right?”
Brian Koppelman · 1:06:04

Dion Waiters Award · Small role, big impact.

winner Frances Sternhagen: Barely in the movie and really good.
“She also wins the Dion Waiters Award.”
Bill Simmons · 1:06:17

Apex Mountain · Where this performance sits among crazy obsessed fans in movies and among Stephen King movies.

pick Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes: Bates is the answer with no question; the debate then moves to King of Comedy and the best Stephen King movie.
“Apex Mountain, Bates, no question.”
Bill Simmons · 1:09:30

Hall of Fame · The role that would go on an actor's Hall of Fame plaque.

winner Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes: Annie Wilkes would be her plaque role.
“It's Annie Wilkes, which is tough for her for the plaque, but I think it's Annie Wilkes would be the plaque.”
Bill Simmons · 1:11:28

Slow Ride Pursuit of Happiness Award · Best needle drop.

winner The happy opening credits song: Likes the trumpets; also praises Mark Shaiman's score.
“The slow ride pursuit Happiness Award for best needle drop.”
Bill Simmons · 0:56:52

Dracula the Musical Award · Best piece of fictional art inside the movie.

winner The Misery books: The concept of Misery seemed smart and excellent.
“Uh, we're giving this to the misery books.”
Bill Simmons · 0:57:32

Big Kahuna Burger Award · Best performance by food or drink.

nominee The spam meatloaf: The meatloaf made him a little hungry.
“The meatloaf made me a little hungry.”
Bill Simmons · 0:57:55
winner Dom Perignon: Bill agrees the Dom Perignon line has to win.
“Dom Perignon fucking is just great.”
Brian Koppelman · 0:53:09

Den of Thieves Benihana Award (scene-stealing location) · Scene-stealing location.

winner The basement: The long staircase down to the dark basement; the Four Seasons was the other choice.
“We don't really have it, but I do, I do respect the basement in this movie.”
Bill Simmons · 0:58:19

Great Shot Gordo Award · The best single shot in the movie.

winner Paul wakes up holding the knife to Annie's face as lightning goes off
“When he wakes up, when he falls asleep, hold the knife, and he wakes up.”
Bill Simmons · 0:58:50

Butch's Girlfriend Award · The weak link of the film.

winner The search for Paul Sheldon: Not a character this time: the sheriff goes alone and no search party forms for a famous author.
“How was this a whole search party?”
Bill Simmons · 1:00:32

What aged the best · What holds up best.

pick Mr. Man
“Mr. Man is so fucking funny.”
Brian Koppelman · 0:51:36
pick Annie Wilkes and Hannibal Lecter back to back
“Annie Wilkes and Hannibal Lecter, back to back ears.”
Bill Simmons · 0:51:47
pick The Paul Sheldon book jacket photo
“The Paul Sheldon book jacket photo.”
Bill Simmons · 0:52:30
pick Dom Perignon line
“one of the best lines of all time.”
Brian Koppelman · 0:53:11
pick The Goldman homage to Paul Sheldon having four seats at the Knicks
“I love the Goldman homage to Paul Sheldon having 4 seats in the Knicks.”
Bill Simmons · 0:53:44

What aged the worst · What holds up worst.

pick The book agent taking you to lunch at the Four Seasons
“Okay, right.”
unknown · 0:52:52
pick The hobbling, how painful it is to watch
“The hobbling, just how painful it is to watch.”
Bill Simmons · 1:00:43
pick Writing on a typewriter
“Writing on a typewriter has aged the worst.”
unknown · 1:00:45
pick The slow first hour: Thinks it is too slow for a rewatchable; producer Craig disagrees.
“It's a little slow.”
Bill Simmons · 1:01:01

Ron Burgundy Award (best time for a pee break) · Best time to take a pee break.

winner After the car accident up to when she shaves him
“I would go postcar accident up to when she's shaving him.”
Bill Simmons · 1:01:41

Best quote · Best line in the movie.

winner You'll never know the fear of losing someone like you, if you're someone like me as Annie Wilkes: The whole movie in one quote.
“You'll never know the fear of losing someone like you.”
Bill Simmons · 1:02:12
winner What's the name of that dago who painted the ceiling as Annie Wilkes: As a screenwriter, the best line in the movie.
“As a writer, what's the name of that Dago painted the ceiling is the best line in the movie.”
Brian Koppelman · 1:02:33
nominee I'm going to put on my Liberace records as Annie Wilkes
“Do you like Liberace?”
Bill Simmons · 1:11:16

Stephen A. Smith hottest take award · The hottest take.

pick Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes: Best best-actress performance of the 90s, 2000s, 2010s or this decade, over McDormand, Berry and Stone.
“I think this is the best, best actress performance of the 90s, 2000s, 2010s or this decade.”
Bill Simmons · 1:03:17

Picking Nits · Nitpicks of a film they love.

pick No car behind Paul in the opening, so how did Annie see the accident
“There's no car behind him at any point.”
Bill Simmons · 1:12:29
pick Villains keeping scrapbooks of their evil deeds in the living room
“When evil people or villains keep scrapbooks of all of their evil deeds.”
Brian Koppelman · 1:12:52
pick Paul would own a place in Colorado instead of staying at the same lodge
“I just feel like Paul would have owned his own place in Colorado at this point.”
Bill Simmons · 1:13:30
pick How Annie got out of jail after killing babies
“How she got out of jail after killing all those kids?”
Bill Simmons · 1:14:00
pick Paul falls asleep with the knife
“Here's another nitpick.”
unknown · 1:14:30
pick The bedpan and bathroom situation of a bedridden man
“I just feel like the pooping peeing situation would just be way bigger.”
Bill Simmons · 1:15:17

Sequel, prequel, prestige TV · How they would remake it or extend it.

pick Prestige TV limited series with the genders flipped or same sex, about 7 episodes
“Prestige TV limited series, either flip the genders or make it same sex.”
Bill Simmons · 1:16:47
pick Two women, period setting: Cannot set it now because everyone is too findable.
“I think if you make this again, it's 2 women and that's how you do it.”
Brian Koppelman · 1:17:37

Is this movie better with… · Whether another character actor would improve the film.

winner J.T. Walsh: No need to answer because he is already in it.
“We don't need to answer this one because JT Walsh is in it.”
Bill Simmons · 1:18:23
nominee Philip Baker Hall as Farnsworth's part
“Just want to ask where Philip Baker Hall would have been incredible in the Richard Farnsworth.”
Brian Koppelman · 1:18:27

Oscar pick · Who gets the Oscar.

winner Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes
“Just want Oscar who gets it, obviously, Bates.”
Bill Simmons · 1:18:33

Unanswerable questions · Questions the movie leaves open.

pick Paul Sheldon misses the Celtics season while held captive: Offered as an answerable question; they mostly covered the questions already in nitpicks.
“I have an answerable question.”
Bill Simmons · 1:18:52

Zihuatanejo Award (what happened the next day) · What happens in the time we do not see.

pick How Paul gets out of the house and to safety in the 48 hours before the Four Seasons: Both riff on crawling to the car and Paul being on People and the Tonight Show.
“How does he get out of the house?”
Bill Simmons · 1:20:34

Memorabilia · A prop they would own.

pick The unfiltered cigarette: Ties it to a poker afternoon with Stephen King and his four cigarettes a day.
“I want the unfiltered cigarette.”
Brian Koppelman · 1:22:23
pick The typewriter with the fake blood on it from the last scene
“I want the typewriter with the blood on it, the fake blood on it from the last scene.”
Bill Simmons · 1:22:36

Coach Finstock Award · Best life lesson from the movie.

pick Don't have fans
“I mean, the easy one is don't have fans.”
Bill Simmons · 1:24:27
pick Check the weather before driving a 66 Mustang in a blizzard
“Maybe check check check the weather before you leave your lodge.”
Bill Simmons · 1:24:44
pick Have a routine of checking in with people before and after you leave
“Have a routine where you check in with people before and after you leave some place.”
Brian Koppelman · 1:25:24

Who won the movie · Who comes out ahead because of the film.

winner Kathy Bates: Rob Reiner also mentioned, since the run continued for him.
“Kathy Bates and and Reiner, because it just continued for him.”
Bill Simmons · 1:25:35

Best racehorse name · Best racehorse name from the movie.

winner Sheldon's Misery: Also floated Misery, Annie Wilkes and Dragon Nurse.
“Sheldon's misery is a good one.”
Bill Simmons · 1:12:12

Films that came up

Claims (55)

craft (craft): Misery → William Goldman. Misery is called a perfectly executed film and Goldman wrote it.
“Our friend Goldman wrote this movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:02:09 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Stephen King → The Beatles. King was the biggest writer in the world as the Beatles were the biggest band.
“He was the biggest writer in the world in the way that the Beatles were the biggest band in the world.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:03:45 · Brian Koppelman (0.80 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Misery → The Shawshank Redemption. King adaptations ranked: Stand By Me, Shawshank, Misery, and The Shining as the four best.
“Misery's the 3rd of that of the 3 best ones, I think, and the Shining, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:04:34 · Brian Koppelman (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): The Shining → Stephen King. King did not even like The Shining despite it being a top King movie.
“And the shining he didn't even like.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:04:47 · Brian Koppelman (0.80 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Stephen King → John Grisham. Grisham had a King-like run for about 7 years; King had five such stretches.
“King had 5 stretches of 7 years like that, you know?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:05:09 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
people (people): The Dead Zone → David Cronenberg. Koppelman thinks of The Dead Zone as a Cronenberg movie and top-group King.
“which I think of as a Cronenberg movie, which is absolutely in that top group of Stephen King movies, the dead zone.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:09:31 · Brian Koppelman (0.85 sure it was them)
people (people): Carrie → Brian De Palma. First wave of King movies had big directors: De Palma does Carrie, Kubrick does The Shining.
“the Palma does carry. Kubrick does The Shining.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:09:53 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
people (people): Firestarter → George C. Scott. George C. Scott's Firestarter performance is the weirdest, maybe dead or drunk.
“which has the weirdest George C. Scott performance ever.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:10:02 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Dead Zone → Christopher Walken. The SNL trivial-psychic Walken bit pushed Dead Zone to another level.
“the trivial psychic, Christopher Walken thing, pushed that to another level in SNL”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:10:13 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
people (people): The Dead Zone → Martin Sheen. Sheen's villain in The Dead Zone was referenced twice on Billions.
“Martin Sheen in that movie, uh, is we, we, we referenced that movie twice last year on the TV show”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:10:31 · Brian Koppelman (0.85 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Misery → Stand by Me. King's first adaptation he liked was Stand By Me; Reiner got Misery through that deal.
“the 1st one of the 1st adaptation of his that he actually really liked was stand by me.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:11:08 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Misery → Stephen King. Misery is King's book about addiction; Annie Wilkes stands for the painkillers.
“Annie Wilkes is really, she represents that, this thing that's trying to kill him.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:11:22 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
people (people): Andy Scheinman → Rob Reiner. Scheinman, Reiner's producer partner, got the rights after reading the book on a plane; he met Reiner through tennis.
“he became friends with Rob Reiner because he was so good at tennis”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:12:17 · Brian Koppelman (0.70 sure it was them)
career (career): Rob Reiner → Archie Bunker. Reiner played Meathead, the foil to Archie Bunker on All in the Family.
“he's just the foil for Archie Bunker.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:13:27 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
career (career): Rob Reiner → This Is Spinal Tap. After All in the Family nobody could see Reiner doing anything else, but he directed Spinal Tap.
“he does this as Spinal Tap directs it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:14:07 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
career (career): Rob Reiner → The Sure Thing. The Sure Thing is a Reiner road-trip movie and John Cusack's breakout, now unstreamable.
“It's John Cusack's breakout role.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:14:39 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Stand by Me → Misery. Reiner's run: Stand By Me leads to When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men.
“It leads to, um, stand by me.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:14:44 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): The Sure Thing → Stand by Me. The Sure Thing did well and led to Stand By Me.
“It leads to, um, stand by me.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:14:44 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Misery → A Few Good Men. Misery sits in Reiner's incredible trio, all now Rewatchables.
“But when Harry Met Ali, Misery, Few Good Men, is really the best of all of these different great actors, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:15:13 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Misery → George Roy Hill. Hill, hired to direct, passed because he could not get past the hobbling scene.
“George Ray Hill's like, I can't get past the scene.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:17:00 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Misery → Warren Beatty. Beatty would have been unbelievable as Paul Sheldon but would not play a loser stuck in bed.
“Warren Beatty, who would have been unbelievable in the James Con part.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:17:35 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Misery → Rounders. Koppelman's own Rounders last-hand story echoes Goldman's you-never-know theme: he was sure, and was wrong.
“Goldman's recurring theme and all of his books is, you never know.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:19:50 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Rounders → John Dahl. Dahl proposed screening with and without hole cards; Koppelman and Levien were proven wrong.
“Once we're going to screen it where you can see Matt's cards, and once we're going to screen it where you can't, you guys sit in the audience and watch, and you guys make the decision.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:22:37 · Brian Koppelman (0.80 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Misery → Angelica Huston. Annie Wilkes was offered to Angelica Huston and Bette Midler first.
“they offered that role to Angelica Houston and Bette Midler.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:27:13 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Kathy Bates → Anthony Hopkins. Unknown-actor effect: Hopkins as Lecter worked by changing his look; Bates was an unknown.
“We knew Anthony Hopkins.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:28:17 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
career (career): Damian Lewis → Homeland. Koppelman needed episodes to unlearn Lewis as Brody to accept him on Billions.
“it took me, I don't know how many episodes just to unlearn my homeland, Damian Brody, and accept him.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:28:36 · Brian Koppelman (0.85 sure it was them)
career (career): James Caan → Sonny Corleone. Caan's Sonny Corleone manic energy argued by Goldman as the reason confinement worked.
“he had this manic energy to him, and Sonny Corleone, and just bouncing around.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:33:18 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
career (career): James Caan → Rollerball. Simmons is a James Caan fan and wants to do Rollerball as an episode.
“the podcast you and I promised to do 5 years ago, I think, is rollerball”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:33:41 · Brian Koppelman (0.70 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): James Caan → Denzel Washington. Denzel is the only other person you could imagine in the part.
“Denzel's the only person you could ever imagine”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:34:07 · Brian Koppelman (0.70 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Misery → Robin Williams. Williams had caged energy and you would believe he read the books.
“Robin Williams to me would have been incredible.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:35:35 · Brian Koppelman (0.55 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Misery → Michael Douglas. Douglas had the same demons and the genius IQ.
“Michael Douglas would have crushed it too, because he would have had the same demons.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:35:57 · Brian Koppelman (0.55 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Misery → Robert Duvall. Duvall at about the age of Sheldon, around when he turned down Godfather 3.
“It was right around when he turned down Godfather 3”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:36:29 · Brian Koppelman (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Misery → Donald Sutherland. Sutherland would have been the best, though he might try to hit on Annie.
“You know who would have been the best?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:37:15 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Kathy Bates → Joanne Woodward. Bates won Best Actress over Huston, Roberts, Streep, Woodward in a strong 1990 field.
“A rare, fantastic, best actress category.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:38:20 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Misery → Richard Gere. Goldman wrote that Richard Gere was perfect for Sheldon but was so dead nobody mentioned him.
“Richard Gere.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:39:41 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
career (career): Richard Gere → Pretty Woman. Gere's comeback came with Internal Affairs and Pretty Woman the same year.
“Richard Gere had 7 straight years of terrible movies and was dead and then Internal Affairs and Pretty Women completely arrived them”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:40:12 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): A Few Good Men → Misery. A Few Good Men can be rolled into anywhere; Misery cannot be started midway.
“You could just kind of roll into a few good men, wherever it's it's a perfect rewatchable, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:41:52 · Bill Simmons (0.65 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Misery → Hoosiers. Misery is a tier 2 or 3 rewatchable, not A Few Good Men or Hoosiers.
“it's probably like a tier 2 or a tier 3 rewatchable, it's not like a few good men.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:45:10 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Misery → The Ice Storm. Rewatchable lane: riveted by acting and uniqueness, like The Ice Storm.
“it's kind of on that ice storm lane of like, I'm just so riveted by how good the acting is”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:45:23 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Misery → The Silence of the Lambs. Annie Wilkes and Hannibal Lecter came back to back, two great thriller characters in 12 months.
“Annie Wilkes and Hannibal Lecter, back to back ears.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:51:47 · Bill Simmons (0.65 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Marc Shaiman → Misery. Praises Shaiman's score for Misery.
“Mark Shaman does a really good job with the score.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:57:08 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Misery → Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Dracula the Musical award is borrowed from Sarah Marshall; given to the Misery books.
“We relate, so in, in, uh, forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:57:17 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Misery → Pulp Fiction. Butch's Girlfriend Award for weak link of the film is borrowed from Pulp Fiction.
“The Butch's girlfriend Award, Butch's girlfriend from Pulp Fiction.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:59:07 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Kathy Bates → Fargo. Bates beats McDormand in Fargo, Berry in Monster's Ball, Stone in La La Land for best performance.
“Francis McDormand and Fargo.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:03:44 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Kathy Bates → Anthony Hopkins. Simmons feels the same way about Hopkins as Lecter: best role for the performer, seen in a theater.
“I feel the same way about Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:04:24 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Misery → Richard Dreyfuss. Dreyfuss would be believable as a writer, and expressed real regret at passing.
“Dreyfus, I think, was the one who expressed real regret.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:05:02 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Misery → Lauren Bacall. Bacall as agent felt TV-movie-ish; a recast would hit harder.
“I feel like Lauren Bacall could have hit harder.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:06:26 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Misery → Jane Fonda. Jane Fonda surfaces as an alternate for the agent.
“Jane Fonda.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:07:01 · Brian Koppelman (0.45 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Misery → Tommy Knockers. King put his dependency into his books; Tommy Knockers is clearly cocaine.
“Tommy knockers is clearly cocaine.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:09:19 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Misery → The King of Comedy. Obsessed-fan movies: King of Comedy first, then Misery's Bates at the apex.
“Crazy obsessed fans in a movie?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:09:33 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
people (people): The Fan → Tony Scott. De Niro did the fan twice; The Fan is a bad Tony Scott movie.
“It's funny because De Niro's done this twice because then he did the fan, which is terrible.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:09:41 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Misery → The Princess Bride. Reiner's apex discussion; the wine scene echoes iocaine powder in Princess Bride.
“the wine scene, it's funny, the iocaine powder, he's trying to put iocaine powder in her wine”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:10:49 · Brian Koppelman (0.50 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Misery → Stand by Me. Simmons' double feature is Stand By Me and Misery.
“I would do standby me in misery.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:19:39 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Misery → The Dead Zone. Koppelman's double feature is Dead Zone and Misery.
“Dead zone and misery.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:19:44 · Brian Koppelman (0.60 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Misery → Something Wild. Double-feature: Something Wild flips Misery, with Liotta as the crazed one chasing.
“He's the crazed person stalking and chasing after the person, something wild.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:20:00 · Brian Koppelman (0.75 sure it was them)

Fun items (26)

fun, about Stephen King: Simmons joked with friends that King being a serial killer would not surprise him.
“Would you be surprised?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:07:33 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Warren Beatty never wanted to sit in bed and let the other person be the star; Scheinman told Koppelman beside a tennis court.
“I could tell from moment one, Warren was never going to do it”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:18:11 · Brian Koppelman (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Goldman wanted the job because of King's foot-chopping scene; George Roy Hill could not direct it, and Reiner and Scheinman softened it to the ankle-breaking hobbling.
“The lapping scene was gone now forever replaced by the ankle breaking scene.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:19:18 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Goldman later wrote the changed scene worked, and the audience would have hated Annie if it had gone his way.
“If it had gone the way I wanted, it would have been too much.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:19:35 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Rounders: Koppelman and Levien insisted the audience never see Matt Damon's hand; Dahl screened it both ways and they conceded.
“I was like so fucking cocky and confident.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:22:49 · Brian Koppelman (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Rounders: Cut idea: Teddy KGB's thug shoving a urinal cake into Worm's mouth; Dahl said no actor would do it.
“shoves the urinal cake in his mouth.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:24:47 · Brian Koppelman (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Kathy Bates: A lesser actor would let you know she's in on the joke; Bates never makes fun of Annie.
“A lesser actor would let you know that she's in on the joke”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:32:37 · Brian Koppelman (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Bates is the only King adaptation to win a main Oscar and first woman to win Best Actress in a horror thriller.
“This was the only film based on a Stephen King novel to win one of the main Oscars.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:37:57 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about The Rewatchables: Ebert gave Misery 3 stars; Simmons would give 3.5.
“Ebert, 3 stars.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:40:43 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Dinner scene is the most rewatchable; Simmons believes she spilled the wine on purpose.
“I think she did spill the wine on purpose.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:42:05 · Brian Koppelman (0.55 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Mr. Man: Annie's pet name for Paul is a running joke in Simmons' house.
“Mr. Man is so fucking funny.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:51:36 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Sheriff's wife was invented by Goldman; the Farnsworth-Sternhagen marriage feels like Goldman.
“I believe the sheriff's wife is not in the book.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:52:11 · Brian Koppelman (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Goldman homage: Paul Sheldon has four seats at Knicks games, a Goldman detail.
“I love the Goldman homage to Paul Sheldon having 4 seats in the Knicks.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:53:44 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Worst search party: no one connects missing Stephen-King-level author with the murderous nurse's house.
“How was this a whole search party?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:00:32 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Kathy Bates: The Dago line: Bates throws away the ceiling line casually; both call it the best line in the movie.
“As a writer, what's the name of that Dago painted the ceiling is the best line in the movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:02:33 · Brian Koppelman (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Kathy Bates: Simmons' hottest take: best Best Actress performance since 1990, ahead of McDormand, Berry, Stone.
“I think this is the best, best actress performance of the 90s, 2000s, 2010s or this decade.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:03:17 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Rob Reiner: Reiner cameo as helicopter pilot, and J.T. Walsh as the state trooper.
“Rob Reiner, was an uncredited appearance as the helicopter pilot in this movie”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:05:08 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about James Caan: Caan once showed up hungover; Reiner claimed a lab problem and reshot, then docked his pay.
“apparently once he showed to the set, hungover, all his scenes, he shot that they were unusable.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:07:26 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Stephen King said Annie Wilkes is his favorite character he ever wrote.
“Stephen King said Annie Wilkes is his favorite character that he's ever written.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:08:05 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Caan liked to see how it goes while Bates was a rehearsal person; Reiner found a middle ground.
“She was a big rehearsal person and he was a big, let's let's see how it goes”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:08:14 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: 2015 Broadway version: Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf, written by Goldman.
“Did it a Broadway adaptation in 2015.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:08:25 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Fake legs were gelatin with wires at the ankles, holes in the bed for Caan's real legs.
“The fake legs were molded out of gelatin.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:08:50 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Stephen King: King reportedly kept quiet about the drug allegory for two decades so as not to detract from the book.
“So King didn't talk about that for 2 decades after this book.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:09:04 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Nitpick: Annie says she followed his car but no vehicle appears behind him in the opening.
“There's no car behind him at any point.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:12:29 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Prestige remake pitch: two women, period setting because modern phones make people too findable.
“I think if you make this again, it's 2 women and that's how you do it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:17:37 · Brian Koppelman (0.55 sure it was them)
fun, about Misery: Koppelman spent a day playing poker with King in 1993; King had one cigarette on the table, as in the film.
“4 cigarettes a day because he quit smoking, but he had 4 cigarettes a day.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:23:29 · Brian Koppelman (0.90 sure it was them)

Who's talking

Bill Simmons (host): Loves tidy, perfectly executed genre movies and the Rewatchables test of whether you can roll in midway. A Goldman and Stephen King devotee; hot-take prone about Kathy Bates. Can't stand slow first hours and logistical plot holes. A sucker for Knicks tangents.
Brian Koppelman (guest): Loves screenwriting craft, Goldman, Stephen King, and actors who disappear into a role. Admits poker-movie ego error and loves Caan. Dislikes actors who protect themselves from looking foolish. A sucker for a good line of dialogue.
Craig Horlbeck (guest): First-time Misery viewer, producer on the show; scared by Bates and praised Caan's forced smile. Not a deep taste portrait, only a review at the end.

The show's recurring bits

Apex Mountain: The moment a star peaks; where on the mountain a performance sits.
Who Won the Movie: The hosts name the person who came out of the film best off.
The Ebert review: Roger Ebert's original review and star rating read aloud. Ebert is cited, never on the show.
Casting what-ifs: Who was almost cast, or who should have been.
Most rewatchable scene: The scene each host would stop on while flipping channels.
Aged best / aged worst: What holds up and what does not.
Picking Nits: The little things in a film the hosts love that they don't think totally work: the nits.
Double feature: The film each host would pair it with; a programming pick.

Names the transcriber got wrong

Brian Coppleman / Copperman / Koppleman → Brian Koppelman
Rob Ryder / Ryaner → Rob Reiner
Andy Shimon / Shineman / Scheinman → Andy Scheinman
Bill Coleman / Bill Goldman, 'Goldman' → William Goldman
James Conn / Con / Khan → James Caan
Houston → Anjelica Huston
Ben Midler → Bette Midler
Francis Stern Hagen / Sternhagen → Frances Sternhagen
Dave and I / Levine → David Levien
Damian Brody → Damian Lewis (Brody is Homeland character)
Rubenek Partridge / Ruffalo hand → garbled award name
Charlene → Charlize Theron
Andean Red Zuan → Andy Dufresne / Red from Shawshank (award name)
Great shot Gordo → garbled award name
Mark Shaman → Marc Shaiman