The Rewatchables: ‘Fight Club’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

Published 2021-07-20; 1:40:52 by the feed.

Awards and segments (66)

Most rewatchable scene

  1. pick The semi-opening insomnia and IKEA sequence, where the narrator sets up his life and the things he hates.
    “Um, I really like the opening, the semi-opening scene with the insomnia.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:51:12
  2. pick The second Tyler and narrator scene (the things you own end up owning you; hit me as hard as you can).
    “The 2nd Tyler and narrator scene.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:52:48
  3. pick The first actual Fight Club scene: Tyler's speech to the club and Lou's cameo.
    “So got that one, got the 1st actual fight club scene when the fight club gets together.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:54:02
  4. pick The starting-a-fight-with-a-stranger montage, through the narrator fighting himself in the boss's office and the first Project Mayhem montage; the roughly 20 minutes from Tyler's speech on is the most rewatchable stretch.
    “The starting a fight with a stranger montage”
    Chris Ryan · 0:55:31
  5. runner-up The car accident scene, which he calls a half rewatchable scene for how it was shot.
    “The car accident is a half rewatchable scene, but it really great how they shot that.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:56:38
  6. pick The narrator realizing in the hotel room that he is Tyler.
    “Next rewatchable narrator realizing that he's actually Tyler in the hotel room is just great.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:57:21
  7. pick The final Pitt and Norton scene, with the Pixies ending.
    “The final Pitt Norton scene.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:58:23
  8. pick The bar and the first fight, plus the speech, the Lou cameo and the stranger-fight montage; that whole first section.
    “But my favorite, my most rewatchable scene is just like the bar and then their 1st fight. I like the speech, the Lou Cameo and starting a fight with a stranger montage, that whole section, I would go with that.”
    Chris Ryan · 0:59:07

Casting What Ifs · Who else was up for the parts, or what else could have been.

  1. pick Matt Damon as the narrator: Imagines the universe where Damon does Fight Club and Norton does The Talented Mr. Ripley.
    “At the same time, Damon grabs talented Mr. Ripley, and the merry-go-round stops, and Norton ends up with rounders, but like, there is a weird alternate universe where Damon does Fight Club, and Norton does talented Mr. Ripley, and I'm not sure both movies aren't better, even though I love both actors in those roles.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:40:18
  2. pick Russell Crowe as Tyler Durden: One producer wanted Crowe; he would still rather have Pitt, and Chris says the film is Pitt.
    “Um, one producer went for Russell Crowe.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:09:58
  3. pick Janeane Garofalo as Marla Singer: Fincher's first choice for Marla, per his research.
    “I, I double research this because it blew me away and I was just so dumbfounded by it, but Fincher's 1st choice for the role of Marlo was Janine Garofalo.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:10:52
  4. pick Sarah Michelle Gellar as Marla Singer: Per Variety, they tried for her but she was doing Buffy.
    “According to Variety Magazine, they tried to get Sarah Michelle Geller, but she was doing Buffy the Vampire Slayer, couldn't get the part.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:11:20
  5. pick Courtney Love as Marla Singer: The studio wanted her, but she was dating Norton at the time, so it was too weird.
    “Studio wanted Courtney Love.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:11:40
  6. pick Radiohead doing the score: Fincher wanted Radiohead; the hosts agree it would have made a different, gloomier film, though Chris thinks it needs the Dust Brothers' energy.
    “Fincher wanted Radiohead to do the score, which would have been amazing.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:13:12
  7. pick Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Marla Singer: Skeptical this was real; thinks it came from IMDb trivia.
    “The one that I thought was incredible was Julia Louis Dreyfus?”
    Bill Simmons · 1:14:45
  8. pick Winona Ryder as Marla Singer: Also in the research as a possible Marla; he thinks it was made up.
    “And Winona Ryder was also in the research as like a possible Marla.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:15:07
  9. pick Reese Witherspoon as Marla Singer: On the recasting couch he loves the idea and thinks she would have been nominated.
    “But I really, really, really like the idea of Reese Witherspoon is Marla in this movie.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:19:28

Joey Pants Award · Best that guy.

  1. winner Zach Grenier as the narrator's boss: Chris names him and says he knows him from this and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
    “So have to mention it, but it's got to be narrators boss, right?”
    Bill Simmons · 1:15:42
  2. nominee Holt McCallany as one of Tyler's right-hand guys
    “Holt McCalney is that guy from Fight Club.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:15:28

Vincent Hanna Award · Overacting.

  1. nominee Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer: Offered as a candidate; Bill allows it. No winner is named.
    “Can we can we pull Helena in here or no?”
    Chris Ryan · 1:16:12

Judd Nelson Award (seems to be in a different movie) · A guy or girl who seems like they are in a different movie.

  1. winner Lou
    “Welcome to the Jen Nelson word, Lou.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:16:23

Dion Waiters Award · A small role that makes a big impact.

  1. winner Meat Loaf as Robert Paulson: The campy 70s rock star turning up in three or four scenes; Bill agrees he probably wins.
    “I mean, it has to be meatloaf, right?”
    Chris Ryan · 1:16:52
  2. nominee Chloe, the cancer patient
    “How about Chloe the cancer patient?”
    Bill Simmons · 1:17:13

Best Quote · A favorite line from the movie.

  1. pick Our fathers were our models for gods as Tyler Durden: His favorite line, about a generation whose fathers left.
    “Yeah, that, and the fact that these are, like, I thought, I, my favorite line from the movie and the one that I think is really important generally, generationally speaking is our fathers were our models for gods, if our fathers abandoned us.”
    Chris Ryan · 0:14:12
  2. pick The condom is the glass slipper of our generation as Marla Singer: A yearbook-quote pick.
    “The condom is the glass slipper of our generation.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:03:34
  3. pick It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything as Tyler Durden: He says Chris once said it to him when they were figuring out The Ringer.
    “It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:03:40

Who Won the Movie · Who came out ahead from this movie.

  1. winner Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden: A rock-star performance; the movie jumps up every time he is on screen. Norton is his bronze at best, and he would hear it for Fincher.
    “So I'm going to go pit because the watching it this time around, I was just like, this is rock star more than movie star performance. And for as good as Norton is, every time Pitt's on the screen, the movie jumps up like 5 notches.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:34:59
  2. nominee David Fincher: Torn between Fincher and Pitt, with Norton as bronze.
    “So it's between Pitt and Fincher for me.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:35:25
  3. winner Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden: Settles on Pitt: it is an iconic 90s performance that pushes his career to a different level.
    “that it's Fincher, but I'd feel like it's Pitt.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:36:23

What Aged Best · What has held up best.

  1. pick The twist that the narrator and Tyler are the same person: Bill agrees the twist aged best, then also lists it under aged worst.
    “And this is the one that I think ages the best and also, I care about the least.”
    Chris Ryan · 0:58:51
  2. pick The DVD: The 99-2000 DVD era done right: commentary, double disc, deleted scenes.
    “The DVD has aged the best.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:59:54
  3. pick The shirtless Pitt photo with the black eye and cigarette: Attribution inferred: it continues his DVD thread.
    “I think is aged the best of it's shirtless pit with the black eye and the cigarette. And it's like in the fight thing.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:00:21
  4. pick The Pixies song over the ending
    “I don't think we sold hard enough in what stage the best, the ending with the pixie song.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:26:02

What Aged Worst · What has held up worst.

  1. pick The reveal that Tyler and the narrator are the same person: Everyone knows it now, so you lose the rush of the first viewing.
    “The reveal that... Tyler and narrator are the same person.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:05:36
  2. pick The brief self-fighting scenes that carry the twist: They are shown so fleetingly because the visuals do not hold up.
    “Well, I would say that the only thing that's also aged the worst about that twist is there's a reason why they so fleetingly show the self-fighting scenes.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:06:34
  3. pick Semi-glorified Project Mayhem stuff, like the Disinformation and Mischief boxes: Attribution inferred from the exchange.
    “I mean, it's, there's things kind of semi-glorified in this movie that there's people would just not go near. And, um, just the fact there's, when they have the whole headquarters, there's a box that says disinformation on it.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:07:04
  4. pick The running time: Should have been about two hours ten.
    “It's 15 minutes too long.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:07:33
  5. pick The Project Mayhem material after January 6th
    “No, it was basically the same thing that it's really when you watch like all the project mayhem stuff after like January 6th and all the stuff that we've kind of seen.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:08:04
  6. pick Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer: He argues the home-run part deserved an Oscar nomination in stronger hands; Chris disagrees.
    “Helena Bottom Carter, for what stage is worst.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:08:16

Ebert Review · Roger Ebert's review of the film.

  1. pick Fight Club: Two stars: visceral and hard-edged, a thrill ride masquerading as philosophy.
    “Ebert, our guy Raj, 2 stars.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:50:29

Apex Mountain · Where each person's career or work peaked, yes or no.

  1. pick Brad Pitt: No, because the movie was not that successful.
    “Because the movie wasn't that successful.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:24:34
  2. pick Edward Norton: Yes: it rounds out his six-movie run.
    “Ed Norton, I'm gonna say yes.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:24:36
  3. pick David Fincher: No: still The Social Network.
    “Fincher, I'm going to say still social network.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:24:57
  4. pick Rosie O'Donnell: Maybe.
    “Rosie O'Donnell, maybe.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:25:03
  5. pick Helena Bonham Carter: Yes, though he still does not love her in this movie.
    “Helena Bottom Carter, yes.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:25:39
  6. pick The Pixies: No, probably not.
    “No, probably not.”
    unknown · 1:25:45
  7. pick IKEA: Yes: great job in the late 90s, maybe not eventually.
    “IKEA, I think Apex Mountain.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:26:41
  8. pick Actual fight clubs: Yes: they sprang up everywhere.
    “Fight clubs, definitely.”
    unknown · 1:27:25
  9. pick Meat Loaf: No: he peaked in the 70s.
    “Meatloaf, I still say 70s, he probably peaked.”
    unknown · 1:27:36

Picking Nits · Nitpicks of a film they love.

  1. pick Not enough facial damage from all the fighting
    “Feels like there would be just more facial damage from Fight Club, like more broken eye sockets, broken noses, missing teeth.”
    unknown · 1:27:45
  2. pick Norton's untreated fractured orbital bone and double vision
    “It's just, I just feel like Ed Norton has double vision, maybe at the hour 20 mark of this movie from his fractured orbo bone that never got healed, then he got punched in it again or something.”
    unknown · 1:28:01
  3. pick Tyler's face damage not matching the narrator's
    “Why didn't the Tyler face damage match the narrator face damage?”
    unknown · 1:28:16
  4. pick The police not shutting down the house of domestic terrorists: Chris answers that there are cops in the fight clubs and in Project Mayhem.
    “At what point does the police just shut down this house of domestic terrorists who are having fight clubs all over the city.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:29:02

Unanswered Questions · Open questions the hosts put to each other.

  1. pick Could this be made as a 10-episode Netflix show: Probably could, but both say please do not remake it.
    “Could this be made as a 10 episode Netflix show.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:29:18
  2. pick What is the narrator's name: Concludes it is Jack, with Tyler as his alter ego.
    “There's a lot of confusion, and there's a lot of internet chatter about what's the narrator's name, and people have decided it's Jack because he says, I am Jack.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:29:45
  3. pick Did this movie create the anti-hero: Discussed as a question; the answer given is no.
    “Did this movie create the anti-hero?”
    unknown · 1:30:24
  4. pick Would MMA training have quickly ruined Fight Club
    “Wouldn't MMA training have quickly ruined Fight Club.”
    unknown · 1:30:54
  5. pick Did Reddit and Twitter replace Fight Club: Chris agrees social media has taken the space for cultish devotion.
    “Did Reddit and Twitter replace Fight Club?”
    Bill Simmons · 1:31:50
  6. pick The Trump Tyler Durden cultural personality: Both see the appeal of a leader offering lonely, disenfranchised people an alternate path.
    “Um, We just have to at least mention it, the Trump Tyler Durden, the cultural personality.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:33:15

Memorabilia · A piece of memorabilia they would want from the movie.

  1. pick The soap
    “The soap would probably be the obvious pick.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:34:15
  2. pick The printouts of the Fight Club rules from the narrator's work: Attribution inferred from the exchange.
    “I would I would enjoy maybe a couple of like the printouts, like why is like why is the the narrator character like printing out the fight club club rules at work?”
    Bill Simmons · 1:34:20
  3. pick The Disinformation and Mischief boxes
    “Just having those 2 boxes in my office.”
    unknown · 1:34:41
  4. pick Brad Pitt's first leather jacket
    “I think Brad Pitt's 1st jacket would be cool to have too.”
    unknown · 1:34:46

Oscar Picks · Who should have been nominated, retroactively.

  1. pick Edward Norton as the narrator: Best actor; Chris says he takes the Sean Penn spot.
    “I'm going to give you best actor, which Norton would be eligible for.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:43:40
  2. pick Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden: Best supporting actor; they discuss bumping Michael Clarke Duncan, Michael Caine or Haley Joel Osment.
    “And I'll give you best supporting actor for Pitt.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:43:44

What If It Were Made Today · How the film would differ if made now.

  1. pick Fight Club with sponsored product placement: It would still mock those brands, but they would be sponsored content in the movie.
    “Like, if you made Fight Club now, you might still make fun of those things, but you would definitely have all that stuff like would be, like, it would be Sponcon with in your movie.”
    Chris Ryan · 0:18:03

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