The Rewatchables: ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

Published 2022-03-01; 1:35:05 by the feed.

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

The extraction calls the show “The Rewatchables (The Ringer)” and the episode “'The Ice Storm' With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey”.

Hosts: Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey. Guests: none.

Subject films: The Ice Storm (1997).

On the transcript: Auto-transcript with no speaker labels; film titles and names often mangled, and several cross-talk lines are garbled. Opening is a promo and clip montage.

Awards and segments (58)

Double feature

pick Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice: A host pairs it as a satire of the early sexual revolution, set at its start where The Ice Storm sits at its tail end.
“I think there's a really interesting movie to pair this movie with that's called Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice.”
unknown · 0:14:04

Most rewatchable scene

floated The first dinner party scene, after the wine is spilled, with everyone seated next to a spouse they don't seem to like
“The 1st dinner party scene.”
Bill Simmons · 0:39:01
floated Kevin Kline's affair reveal with Sigourney Weaver, where he babbles about golf and she says he's boring her
“He's just babbling about golf and she says, You're boring me.”
Bill Simmons · 0:39:30
floated Kline left alone in Weaver's house, then coming down to find Elijah Wood and Christina Ricci and the Nixon mask
“This is the Nixon Mass scene and Klein comes down.”
Bill Simmons · 0:40:20
floated The car ride to the key party with Kline and Joan Allen debating what will happen
“The car ride to the key party with Kevin Klein and Joe Allen debating on whether they're, you know, what's going to happen.”
Bill Simmons · 0:43:24
floated Tearing up to Levon by Elton John as Katie Holmes passes out
“I just love tearing Levon by Elton John.”
unknown · 0:43:39
pick The key party itself
“The key party itself for rewatchable scene.”
Bill Simmons · 0:45:32
floated The whole electrocution scene at the end
“But the whole electrocution scene is fucking tire.”
Bill Simmons · 0:46:05
floated Joan Allen at the book sale, where she meets the Reverend and then sees Wendy riding her bike
“Which is Joan Allen at the, at the book sale, where she encounters the Reverend, and then she sees Wendy riding her bike.”
unknown · 0:47:50
floated Kline driving Tobey Maguire back from the train and talking about self-abuse
“Kevin Klein driving Toby Maguire back from the train and talking about self-abuse.”
Chris Ryan · 0:48:01
pick The key party as the one rewatchable scene, agreed by the group
“Key party is the one.”
unknown · 0:48:11

Roger Ebert review · Reading what Roger Ebert said about the film.

pick The Ice Storm: Four stars; Ebert called it satirical, funny and quietly observant, and it was his favorite of 97.
“Four stars for this one.”
Bill Simmons · 0:38:08

What aged the best · What about the movie holds up best.

pick Key parties as a pop-culture gimmick, and CBS's Swingtown
“Just the whole concept of key parties as a pop culture TV show movie gimmick, I think.”
unknown · 0:50:09
pick The one-step-up split-level living room in the client's house
“Very 70s.”
unknown · 0:50:43
pick Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver, who played the president and first lady four years earlier, as an adulterous 70s couple
“The weirdness in a good way of Kevin Klein and Sigourney Weaver, who played the president and the 1st lady 4 years earlier”
Bill Simmons · 0:50:59
pick The bong scene
“I love bong scenes in movies”
Bill Simmons · 0:51:14
pick Posters on the boarding school room wall
“I always like these period movies where you get to look on the walls and see what the set director's like”
unknown · 0:52:49
pick Francis and Paul, the roommates, as a gear shift
“the roommates and their and their relationship, I think, is of much needed, like, kind of gear shift in this movie.”
unknown · 0:52:57
pick Sigourney Weaver
“I just so rationally love Sigourney Weaver.”
unknown · 0:53:33

Oscar pick · Who should have been nominated from a movie with no Oscar performances.

winner Joan Allen as Elaine Hood: Hosts say she should have had Gloria Stuart's supporting actress spot.
“Joan Allen.”
unknown · 0:53:47

What aged the worst · What about the movie has dated badly.

pick Water beds
“Water beds.”
unknown · 0:55:23
pick Jim Carver's premature ejaculation: Jamey Sheridan's character.
“So you, like, it literally aged the worst that he came too quickly.”
unknown · 0:56:08

Picking Nits · Nitpicks of a film they admire.

pick Mikey's wide receiver play: Said to be the one moment that felt directed by someone who didn't grow up in America.
“Is Mikey the worst wide receiver of all time?”
unknown · 0:56:58
pick A Nixon poster over a boarding school bed in 1973
“Would someone in boarding school in 1973 really have a Nixon poster over their bed?”
unknown · 1:14:38
pick Jim Carver never asks if drunk Kevin Kline hit his son with his car
“Isn't your instinct that drunk Kevin Klein hit him with his car?”
unknown · 1:15:06
pick How the key party is organized: a single reverend and a woman's son in attendance
“I don't understand how the key party is organized.”
unknown · 1:15:35
pick Marlboro Lights, not invented until 1977, appear in the film: Also noted the MTA did not exist at the time.
“Marlboro Lights, not invented till 1977.”
Bill Simmons · 1:08:12

Casting what-ifs · Almost-castings and recasts.

pick Natalie Portman as Wendy: Hosts glad Christina Ricci did it instead.
“Natalie Portman turned down the role of Wendy.”
Bill Simmons · 0:58:01
pick Sharon Stone as Sigourney Weaver's part: Concluded Weaver is more believable as a suburban housewife.
“Sharon Stone and the Sigourney Weaver part.”
unknown · 1:02:54
pick Harrison Ford as Kevin Kline's part
“How about Harrison Ford instead of coin?”
unknown · 1:04:04
pick Macaulay Culkin as Elijah Wood's part
“Yeah, what if we just swapped Elijah Wood for Macaulay Culkin?”
Sean Fennessey · 1:04:56
pick Philip Seymour Hoffman as the Reverend, or Jim Carver, or Paul
“if we could have just worked Philip Seymour Hoffman into this movie somewhere, it would have been amazing.”
Chris Ryan · 1:05:38
pick Jeff Bridges or Nick Nolte as Jim Carver: Argues the Jim Carver part is the one to recast.
“If that was like Jeff Bridges, you'd be like, oh, wow, this movie has a fucking event.”
unknown · 1:06:42

Joey Pants Award · Best that guy.

nominee Unnamed weather lady, the overlaugher from Sleepless in Seattle: Spotted by his wife.
“It was the annoying overlaugher from Sleepless in Seattle who goes on the dates with Tom Hanks.”
Bill Simmons · 0:59:09
winner Michael Cumpsty as the Reverend: Plays priests often; flies into the side of the mountain at the key party.
“His name is Michael Kumpstie.”
unknown · 0:59:28

Vincent Hanna Award · Inverted this time: wanting more reaction from an underplaying actor.

winner Jamey Sheridan as Jim Carver: Bill zagged into a new award for underreacting.
“I wanted you to be a little more upset that your son just got electrocuted and you're looking at his dead body award for the guy at the end.”
Bill Simmons · 1:00:45

Dion Waiters Award · Small role, big impact.

winner Allison Janney as Dolores/Jenny
“It's got to go to Jenny, guys.”
unknown · 1:02:03
nominee Henry Czerny as Hood neighbor taking the heavyset woman's keys: His look to the other guys.
“Love Henry Cherney, but when he gets the keys of the heavyset woman”
unknown · 1:02:21

Apex Mountain · Where a star's career sits on the mountain.

pick Kevin Kline
“Klein, no.”
unknown · 1:08:41
pick Sigourney Weaver
“Weaver has this movie and Alien Resurrection same year, but I still would say no.”
unknown · 1:08:44
pick Ang Lee: Brokeback Mountain is his apex.
“Angley no.”
unknown · 1:09:05
winner Joan Allen: Contested against The Bourne Supremacy and The Contender.
“For the sake of this pot, I'll say this is her apex.”
Chris Ryan · 1:12:08
pick Tobey Maguire
“Toby McGuire no.”
unknown · 1:13:19
pick Katie Holmes
“Katie Holmes, no.”
unknown · 1:13:20
pick Key parties: Joke category.
“Key parties, 100%, yes.”
unknown · 1:13:22
pick Premature ejaculation scenes
“I'm still going Forrest Gump.”
Bill Simmons · 1:14:08

Unanswered questions · Questions the movie leaves open.

pick What happens to the two families, and to Sandy
“What are the next few weeks, months, and years look like for both families?”
unknown · 1:19:50
pick Why didn't Jim Carver rub one out before the key party
“Why didn't Jim Carver just rub one out before the key party?”
unknown · 1:20:25
pick Did anyone have a worse night in a movie than Jim Carver
“Did anyone ever have a worse night in a movie than Jim Carver that didn't involve jail?”
unknown · 1:21:13
pick Did Paul have any chance with Libby
“Did Paul have any chance with was Paul Toby McGuire's character?”
unknown · 1:21:50

What if it were made today · Remaking it as a streaming series.

pick A 10-episode Netflix show: Ideas included a 2-episode coda and one family per episode.
“Could this be remade in the 10 episode Netflix show?”
unknown · 1:17:34

Memorabilia · A prop they would own.

pick The Nixon mask
“It's got to be the Nixon mask, right?”
unknown · 1:22:18
pick One of Elijah Wood's sweaters
“it's one of Elijah Wood's sweaters.”
unknown · 1:22:20
pick The football playbook from Mikey's game
“That or the playbook from Elijah Woods football game.”
unknown · 1:22:27
pick Jim Carver's Buick
“what about Jim Carver's Buick?”
unknown · 1:22:43
winner The key party bowl and fake keys
“It's the key party bowl.”
unknown · 1:22:51

Who won the movie · Who came out ahead from the film.

nominee Ang Lee: It confirmed him as a major filmmaker in America.
“I gotta go, Ang.”
Bill Simmons · 1:23:01
winner Joan Allen: Chosen because the movie flopped and it was a best dramatic performance outside The Contender.
“I think it's Joan Allen”
unknown · 1:25:12

Films that came up

Claims (60)

industry (industry): The Ice Storm → LA Confidential, Titanic, Good Will Hunting, Boogie Nights (1997 slate). Simmons says a late-1997 run of adult-oriented movies shows how different Hollywood was; today The Ice Storm would be an eight-episode Hulu series.
“if the ice storm is made now, it's a freaking 8 episode Hulu thing and it sucks.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:04:27 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
industry (industry): The Ice Storm → Prestige TV (streaming series). The film was made for adults in a pre-prestige-cable era; Ryan frames it as just before cable TV gets incredible.
“It's before right before cable gets cable TV gets incredible and you start to get this revolution going on on HBO.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:05:52 · Chris Ryan (0.60 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): The Ice Storm → Michael Clayton. Michael Clayton has several standalone scenes you watch when it airs; The Ice Storm must be seen as a whole.
“The ice storm kind of needs to be seen as a total package.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:07:46 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): The Ice Storm → Rick Moody's novel. Based on Rick Moody's 1994 book; the author cried at the end of a cut and said they got it.
“It's based on Rick Moody's 1994 book, who saw a cut of it and cried at the end and was like, my God, they got it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:08:18 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Ang Lee → Sense and Sensibility. Ice Storm was Lee's first American film; the film before was the English-set Sense and Sensibility.
“the movie he makes before, this is Sense and Sensibility, which is an English story”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:08:53 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): Ang Lee → Hulk. Fennessey cites Lee's varied filmography, a superhero movie among martial arts, dramas and comedies.
“He's made a superhero movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:09:13 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Ang Lee → Brokeback Mountain. Lee is a master of teleporting into new worlds; Brokeback is the other proof.
“Brokeback Mountain, and, you know, many times over the years that he is a master of like teleporting into new worlds every time he makes a film.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:10:05 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Ice Storm → JFK. Ryan asks whether decades had to pass before America could tell the story, as Simmons said about Oliver Stone's JFK.
“when we did the JFK pod, you talked a little bit about needing some time to go by for America to be ready to hear about that story”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:10:48 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): The Ice Storm → The Brady Bunch Movie. Simmons traces a mid-90s wave of 70s nostalgia (Brady Bunch movies, Reality Bites) that led to harder looks like Ice Storm.
“They make the Brady Bunch movie, which is a parody of the Brady Bunch.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:12:44 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): The Ice Storm → Nixon. Simmons says the nostalgia turned to re-examination in the mid-90s, citing Oliver Stone's Nixon.
“So mid 90s, it starts to be like, hmm.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:13:48 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): The Ice Storm → Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. Fennessey pairs the 1969 Mazursky satire of the early sexual revolution with Ice Storm, which comes at the end of that era.
“I think there's a really interesting movie to pair this movie with that's called Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:14:04 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): The Ice Storm → The Doors. Simmons ties The Doors (1991) to the era of re-examining 60s and 70s figures in the most fun way.
“the doors, which we did in the rewatchables, that came out like 91”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:15:44 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): The Ice Storm → Forrest Gump. Simmons calls Forrest Gump the old-school nostalgia version, like karaoke, before filmmakers dug deeper.
“It's like nostalgic karaoke, basically.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:16:06 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Ice Storm → Mad Men. Kevin Kline's out-of-step character parallels late-series Don Draper, uncool as the 70s change.
“that's basically the Kevin Klein character in this, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:16:54 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Ice Storm → The Brady Bunch Movie. Fennessey says the Brady Bunch movie made subtext into text, while Ice Storm stays subtext.
“did take that subtext and make it text.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:17:13 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): The Ice Storm → Boogie Nights. The key party built hype like Boogie Nights' reveal, the thing the audience waits for.
“boogie nights is the same year and that had a whole thing about he's got a huge slong”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:21:05 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
craft (craft): The Ice Storm → Jaws. Simmons says the key party became the movie's marketing hook, like the shark in Jaws.
“it's kind of became like Jaws where it's like, 0 my god, what's this thing going to look like?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:21:05 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Jenny → Jaws. Fennessey says the woman in the key party scene looks like Jaws, ready to eat everyone.
“She kind of, she kind of looks like Jaws in that scene.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:25:51 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
industry (industry): The Ice Storm → Deep Throat. Simmons sets the key party against eras of porn access, from Deep Throat in theaters to video stores.
“deep throw comes out a year before, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:27:13 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Ice Storm → The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Fennessey places the film between Deep Throat (1972) and Texas Chain Saw (1974) as culture coarsened after Watergate.
“This movie takes place right in between those 2 things.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:28:56 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
craft (craft): The Ice Storm → Brokeback Mountain. Simmons says the two films share a vibe: sparse dialogue and the way Lee advances story and sets scenery.
“They have no relation to each other at all.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:35:35 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Ice Storm → Brokeback Mountain. The shared superpower is what is unsaid between characters; in both, characters feel lonely even with their partners.
“This movie is all about what is unsaid between characters.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:36:03 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
people (people): James Schamus → Ang Lee. Lee and Schamus are longtime producing and writing partners who know each other's strengths.
“Like those guys are thickest thieves.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:36:26 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Ang Lee → Hulk. Even in a Hulk movie he dislikes, Fennessey sees Lee chasing a battle between two sides of a man.
“There's the 2 sides of a man that he's really interested in that.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:36:45 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Roger Ebert → The Ice Storm. Ebert gave it four stars as satirical, funny and observant; Siskel also loved it.
“Four stars for this one.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:38:08 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Gene Siskel → The Ice Storm. Siskel named it his favorite movie of 1997.
“It was Cisco's favorite movie of 97.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:38:21 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Ice Storm → Kramer vs. Kramer. Both belong to Fucked Up Family February and trade on unspoken tension rather than action.
“We were talking about last week with Kramer versus Kramer”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:38:30 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Ice Storm → Basic Instinct. Ryan says mass media (Basic Instinct) taught him about sex, like the kids learning from TV in this film.
“mass media had taught me like the basic instinct and whatnot had taught me everything I needed to know.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:48:57 · Chris Ryan (0.60 sure it was them)
programming (programming): The Ice Storm → Swingtown (TV). Swingtown tried to tap the key party idea but belonged on Cinemax.
“That show has to be on Cinemax.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:50:18 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): The Ice Storm → Mad Men. Simmons notes Mad Men never had a key party, just chronic adultery.
“Mad men never had the key party, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:50:22 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
people (people): Kevin Kline → Sigourney Weaver. They played the president and first lady four years earlier (in Dave) and here are a 70s adultery couple.
“who played the president and the 1st lady 4 years earlier”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:51:02 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career): Tobey Maguire → Pleasantville. Simmons says Ice Storm led to Pleasantville and to Maguire becoming a thing.
“But Toby, this led to Pleasantville and Toby becoming a thing.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:51:39 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career): Katie Holmes → Dawson's Creek (TV). Holmes went from her first film role here to Dawson's Creek, Disturbing Behavior, and Teaching Mrs. Tingle.
“Dawson's Creek, Disturbing behavior.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:51:53 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Kim Basinger → LA Confidential. Basinger won Best Supporting Actress that year; Simmons rates it 5 out of 10.
“Kim Basinger won for LA Confidential.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:54:04 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Joan Allen → Gloria Stuart. Allen should have taken the Supporting Actress nomination that went to Titanic's Gloria Stuart.
“I think that that was Joan Allen's spot.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:54:40 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Natalie Portman → Léon: The Professional. Cast what-if: Portman turned down Wendy, which would have made a trifecta with Professional and Beautiful Girls.
“completing the trifecta of sexualizing Natalie Portman characters before she's turned 18”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:58:22 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Christina Ricci → Natalie Portman. Ricci's darker, more withering energy suits Wendy better than Portman would have.
“Christina Ricci just has like a slightly darker energy and is a little bit more withering.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:58:57 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Jamey Sheridan → The Stand (TV). Sheridan played Randall Flagg in The Stand, hugely over the top, contrasting his restraint here.
“he played the devil in the stand, the TV adaptation of the stand.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:01:18 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Sharon Stone → Sigourney Weaver. Casting Stone instead of Weaver would not work because Stone reads as a vixen, not a believable suburban housewife.
“Sigourney Weaver works because she's obviously very attractive in this movie, but is still like believable as a suburban housewife”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:03:23 · Chris Ryan (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Harrison Ford → Kevin Kline. Bill floats Ford for Kline's role, then notes his sex scenes are always stressed-out.
“How about Harrison Ford instead of coin?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:04:04 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): The Ice Storm → Presumed Innocent. Simmons notes Harrison Ford sex scenes (Presumed Innocent, Witness, Frantic) are stressed-out sex.
“it's a lot of like, I'm really stressed out sex.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:04:45 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Macaulay Culkin → Elijah Wood. Fennessey proposes swapping Elijah Wood for Macaulay Culkin or any Culkin.
“what if we just swapped Elijah Wood for Macaulay Culkin?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:04:56 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): The Ice Storm → The Faculty. Ryan says Wood was awesome in The Faculty, while Simmons dismisses him as a bulging-eyes guy.
“He was awesome in the faculty.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:05:31 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Philip Seymour Hoffman → The Ice Storm. Ryan wishes Hoffman could be in the film as the Reverend, Jim Carver, or Paul.
“if we could have just worked Philip Seymour Hoffman into this movie somewhere, it would have been amazing.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:05:38 · Chris Ryan (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Jeff Bridges → Jamey Sheridan. A bigger star like Jeff Bridges or Nick Nolte in Sheridan's role would make the cast an event.
“If that was like Jeff Bridges, you'd be like, oh, wow, this movie has a fucking event.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:06:42 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Ang Lee → Brokeback Mountain. Apex Mountain pick for Lee is Brokeback Mountain, not Ice Storm.
“I think it's broke back.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:09:09 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Ang Lee → Life of Pi. He has two Best Director Oscars, the second for Life of Pi.
“he won for Life of Pi as well.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:09:16 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Brokeback Mountain → The Ice Storm. Simmons eyes Brokeback Mountain as a contender for Fucked Up Family February 2023.
“Brokeback Mountain is definitely one of the contenders.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:09:25 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): Joan Allen → The Bourne Supremacy. Simmons argues her apex is Bourne, 2004, as Pamela Landy in the biggest action franchise.
“You don't think it's 04 where she's Pamela Landy in like the biggest action franchise in the world?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:10:18 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Joan Allen → Face/Off. 1997 was Allen's year: The Ice Storm and Face/Off, leading to Pleasantville.
“It's ice storm and face off in the same year leading to Pleasantville.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:10:23 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Joan Allen → The Contender. In 2000 she starred in The Contender and got an Oscar nomination, though the film did not do well.
“Or is it 2000 when she is the star of the contender?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:10:30 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Joan Allen → The Upside of Anger. Fennessey likes Upside of Anger, which he says came out in the wrong decade.
“It should have come out in like 1997.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:12:05 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): The Ice Storm → After Hours. Simmons asks whether any movie character had a worse night than Jim Carver and cites After Hours.
“Griffin Dunn in after hours or in competition for worse than true.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:21:39 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
industry (industry): The Ice Storm → The Full Monty. Weaver blamed Titanic and The Full Monty for taking art-house audiences from the film.
“the other movie that she thought really undercut it was the full Monty.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:23:46 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
industry (industry): The Ice Storm → American Beauty. Simmons thinks American Beauty blocked Ice Storm from a second wind; a B-grade version of it.
“I always felt like American beauty kind of blocked this movie from having any kind of 2nd wind.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:24:05 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Miami Vice → Michael Mann. Simmons and Ryan joke that their persistence made the Miami Vice movie beloved.
“made the Miami Vice, the movie, um, more powerful than the TV show”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:24:35 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): The Contender → The Ice Storm. Allen's best dramatic performance besides The Contender, which is problematic now.
“this is probably her best dramatic performance other than the contender.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:25:12 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Joan Allen → Face/Off. Face/Off and Ice Storm solidified 1997 for her, including her inability to tell Travolta from Cage.
“really solidified 1997 for her.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:25:55 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
programming (programming): The Ice Storm → The Squid and the Whale. Fennessey says Squid and the Whale was the biggest near-miss for Fucked Up Family February.
“I think was probably the biggest one that could have made it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:26:54 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
programming (programming): The Ice Storm → Pulp Fiction. Next episodes will cover two famous movies; Ryan and Simmons tease Pulp Fiction.
“I've been watching a lot of pulp fiction lately.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:27:53 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

Fun items (26)

fun, about The Ice Storm: Simmons says there is hardly any rewatchable scene beyond the key party; it works as a whole.
“There's really almost no rewatchable scenes other than, um, other than the key party.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:03:10 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: The key party was the sales hook of the film, but the last 25 minutes feel like a drill to the head.
“The last 25 minutes is like being, uh, having a drill put to the side of your head.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:07:18 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Structure: crosscutting among three storylines makes it a poem rather than short stories.
“it's more of like a poem than it is short stories, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:08:01 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Ang Lee: Lee's philosophy: movies are sight and sound, not language.
“movies are sight and sound.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:09:21 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Ryan loves the film's dark, funny undercurrent: it is a satire with tragedy.
“It's got a really dark, funny undercurrent to it that you kind of have to give yourself over to.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:10:30 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Fennessey notes the opening reading of the Fantastic Four as nearly announcing its theme: four family members at the end.
“you have a character open the movie reading the Fantastic Four.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:17:35 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: The kids' trance in front of the television shows mass media taking over minds.
“the hypnotic power of television.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:18:08 · Sean Fennessey (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Box office: $18 million budget, about $8 million gross, likely the least successful film in the series.
“I think out of all the movies we've done, this might have been the least successful at the box office.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:20:48 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Simmons would have wanted the key party to run an hour, or as a two-parter on Hulu.
“am I wrong to think that could have been an hour of this movie?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:22:10 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: The key party as a sports broadcast: Nance and Romo calling it.
“I think Nance and Romo.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:23:26 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Ryan on the key party's fumbling: everyone is scared or confused except Jenny.
“the funny thing about the key party to me is just how fumbling it is.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:25:25 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Nixon haunts the film: poster next to the bed, a speech, and a Nixon mask on the teens.
“Nixon has a funny relationship to this movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:30:38 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Rewatchable scene: the Nixon mask scene is one of the most unnerving in a non-horror film.
“It's one of the most unnerving scenes in a non-horror movie in film history.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:41:00 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Ryan's Elton John story: a college friend kept replaying Levon, unaware Ryan was home sick.
“And it became a running joke for 35 years.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:45:20 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Jamey Sheridan: Aged worst: Jim Carver's premature ejaculation; later jokes recur through the show.
“his his orgasm aged the worst.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:56:18 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Mikey (Elijah Wood): Most-wrong-aged: Mikey as the worst wide receiver of all time.
“Is Mikey the worst wide receiver of all time?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:56:58 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Simmons casts football analysis: only time the film felt directed by someone who did not grow up in America.
“That's the only time in the movie that I felt like it was definitely directed by somebody who didn't grow up in America.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:57:22 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Michael Cumpsty: The Reverend gets the show's single-guy key party rules debate and a Jed Nelson Award.
“sometimes the shepherd needs to play with the flock.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:00:21 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Simmons says Henry Czerny gets the Dion Waiters Award for his look at the key party.
“that's a great Dion Waiters moment.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:02:38 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Lee said what attracted him to the book was the climax and the family reunion the next morning.
“the book movement at those 2 points, I knew there was a movie there.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:07:34 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Anachronism: the MTA did not exist at the time, and Marlboro Lights were not invented until 1977.
“Marlboro Lights, not invented till 1977.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:08:12 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Key party rules: no solos, no reverends, no sons or daughters with the parents.
“rule number one would be no solos at the key party.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:16:54 · Sean Fennessey (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Memorabilia pick: the Nixon mask, Elijah Wood's sweaters, or the key party bowl of keys.
“It's got to be the Nixon mask, right?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:22:18 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Winner of the movie: Ang Lee and Joan Allen; Ang's confirmation as a major filmmaker.
“it confirms him as a major filmmaker.”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:23:22 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ice Storm: Fucked Up Family February's next-year list: Squid and the Whale, Over the Top, Margot at the Wedding.
“Over the top was Slice Stallone, the greatest arm wrestling divorce movie ever”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:26:57 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Pulp Fiction: Ryan complains about a continuity hole: Travolta never hears Willis come in.
“How does John Travolta not realize he's in the kitchen?”
The Rewatchables · ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:29:00 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)

Who's talking

Bill Simmons (host): Loves adult 90s movies, period detail on set walls (Planet of the Apes, Doors, Nixon posters), Sigourney Weaver and Joan Allen, and any chance to rank things. Can't stand water beds, Elijah Wood's one move, or an unearned plot beat. A sucker for nostalgia, sports analogies, and the key party as a gimmick.
Chris Ryan (host): Loves close observation of performances, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ang Lee's restraint, Sigourney Weaver, and fussy period detail like anachronisms. Can't stand exploitative handling of kids. A sucker for casting what-ifs and Philly-childhood stories.
Sean Fennessey (host): Loves Ang Lee's range, Brokeback Mountain, tragedy with satire, and thinking about how industry changes. Can't stand over-explained text. A sucker for Joan Allen and small observed behavior.

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

'Sean Fantasy'/'Sean Fantasies' = Sean Fennessey
'Angley'/'Anglee' = Ang Lee
'Kevin Klein' = Kevin Kline
'Toby McGuire' = Tobey Maguire
'Jamie Sheridan' = Jamey Sheridan
'James Seamus' = James Schamus
'Cisco' = Gene Siskel
'Gordon Willis' = likely a joke or mistranscription (cinematographer not confirmed)
'Michael Kumpstie' = Michael Cumpsty
'Henry Cherney' = Henry Czerny
'Gloria Stewart' = Gloria Stuart
'Jed Nelson Award' = Jed Nelson award (show bit)
'Mike Bender' = Mike Binder
'Costa' = Kevin Costner
'Craig Horlbeck/Corback' = producer Craig Horlbeck
'Green Dragon' = likely a mistranscription of Good Will Hunting's supporting actress (unclear)