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

Published 2021-04-01; 1:24:41 by the feed.

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

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

Hosts: Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan. Guests: Craig (producer).

Subject films: Thief (1981).

On the transcript: Machine transcript with ad reads, no speaker labels, many Mann/Caan name errors; film titles like 'the needle' are unclear.

Awards and segments (62)

Most rewatchable scene

pick Frank goes to the plating company to demand his money.
“I just wrote down, Con goes to the plating company to get his money.”
Bill Simmons · 0:26:36
pick Willie Nelson's big prison scene with Frank, ending in 'I don't want to die in here, Frank.'
“We have to put Willie Nelson's big scene in here.”
unknown · 0:27:48
pick Robert Prosky's first scene, the entrance of Leo.
“Prosky's 1st scene”
Bill Simmons · 0:30:30
pick The diner monologue, Frank's first date with Jessie.
“Next scene, the diner monologue, which is the reason we're doing this podcast because I think I texted Chris like 2 months ago.”
Bill Simmons · 0:33:04
pick The elevator-shaft sequence leading into the break-in.
“The elevator scene is like weirdly harrowing when you're watching it.”
Bill Simmons · 0:39:27
pick Prosky lays down the law to Frank, shot from Frank's POV.
“I wrote, Proski lays down the law.”
Bill Simmons · 0:40:56
pick The ending: Frank blows up his life and takes out Leo's men.
“And then last is the ending.”
Bill Simmons · 0:42:40
pick The diner scene with Tuesday Weld, the closing pick of the segment; a second host agrees.
“I think it's probably the, honestly for me, it's the diner scene with Tuesday Wells.”
unknown · 0:45:50

Ebert review · What Roger Ebert said of the film.

pick Thief: Ebert gave it 3.5 stars and called it one of the most intelligent thrillers he had seen.
“3.5 stars.”
Bill Simmons · 0:25:45

What aged the best · The parts of the movie that have held up best.

pick The no-contractions criminal dialogue and underworld lingo: Mann insisted the characters never use contractions, and the dialogue never dumbs down for the audience.
“And the dialogue is my favorite kind of dialogue because it never dumbs down for the audience.”
Chris Ryan · 0:47:03
pick Tangerine Dream's score: The score sounds new, and the band had a run of scores in the early 80s.
“Tangerine dream.”
Bill Simmons · 0:47:51
pick Frank's collage (the vision board): The hosts joke that Mann invented Pinterest.
“Frank's collage.”
Bill Simmons · 0:48:18
pick Frank asks Leo for a boy and Prosky says done
“James Cott saying, I want a boy in Broske going, done.”
Bill Simmons · 0:49:19
pick The film debuts of Belushi, Petersen, Farina, Capalos and Prosky, and Belushi's inspired casting
“This was the film debuts of Jim Belushi, William Peterson, Dennis Farina, John Capalos, the janitor from Breakfast Club, and Proski.”
Bill Simmons · 0:50:00
pick Belushi's sideburns
“Belushi's sideburns.”
Bill Simmons · 0:51:34
pick Tuesday Weld as Jessie: Compared to a market correction on Jessica Lange; the hosts think she was terrific and Oscar-worthy.
“Jessica Lang, kind of market corrected Tuesday well, just center packing, right around here.”
Bill Simmons · 0:51:47

What aged the worst · The parts of the movie that have aged badly.

pick The Razzie nomination for worst musical score
“The film was nominated for a Razzy Award for worst musical score.”
Bill Simmons · 0:54:12
pick Willie Nelson as Okla: Not his performance but the 1981 stunt-casting aspect.
“And then I have Willie Nelson as a what stage the worst, not for his performance in the movie, but the stunt casting aspect in 1981 of having Willie Nelson in a movie was like a real thing.”
Bill Simmons · 0:54:21
pick Taking your phone calls at your favorite bar: Brought back as a dated thing the modern world should revive.
“Bring bars back in 2021.”
Chris Ryan · 0:56:18

Casting what-ifs · Almost-castings and recasts.

pick Jeff Bridges as Frank: Mann's choice, rejected by the studio as too young; the hosts say he is too sweet.
“So Jeff Bridges was Michael Mann's choice to play Frank. was rejected by the studio because he was too young.”
Bill Simmons · 0:56:49
pick Roy Scheider as Frank: Gene Hackman and Scheider were reportedly considered; the hosts would have been all in on Scheider.
“It says, there's research that says Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider were considered.”
Bill Simmons · 0:57:11
pick Rutger Hauer as Frank: A host calls Rutger Hauer (rendered 'Russ Shatter') a good option.
“I thought Russ Shatter was a good one, though.”
unknown · 0:57:17
pick Jonathan Banks as The Sarge: Would have been the perfect time for him, as the character-actor type the film was missing.
“Was thinking, what about Jonathan Banks?”
Bill Simmons · 1:01:22

Joey Pants Award (Best That Guy) · Best that-guy character actor.

pick Robert Prosky, Dennis Farina and William Petersen, who broke out here: Suggests renaming it the old rookie of the year award for this movie; none of them were that guy yet.
“I was almost going to say maybe we should change it just for this movie to the old rookie of the year award.”
Bill Simmons · 0:58:32
winner Tom Signorelli as Attaglia: The only one who kept that-guy status; always the eighth goon.
“I think the only guy who held that guy's status is a Taglia.”
unknown · 0:58:49

Vincent Hanna Award · Give-me-all-you-got overacting.

winner James Caan's first date outburst with Tuesday Weld
“I mean, it's it's either Con on the 1st date with Tuesday weld.”
Bill Simmons · 0:59:05
winner James Caan in the adoption agency scene: Both scenes get the award.
“Or the adopt, everything he does in the adoption scene is so over the top.”
unknown · 0:59:51

Judd Nelson Award (seems to be in a different movie) · The person who seems like he is in a different movie than everybody else.

winner Willie Nelson as Okla
“I got to say Willie Nelson, just because it's Willie Nelson, that whole, everything about that scene is just kind of...”
Bill Simmons · 1:00:08

Dion Waiters Award · Small role, big impact.

nominee Willie Nelson as Okla
“We can give this to Willie if you want.”
Bill Simmons · 1:00:46
winner John Santucci as Detective Arezzi: Others agree; Prosky and Tuesday Weld are in it too much.
“Santucci for Detective Arezzi?”
Bill Simmons · 1:00:54
nominee James Belushi as Barry: Dropped because he doesn't dial it up enough.
“I was going to say Belushi.”
unknown · 1:01:00

Half-fast internet research · Behind-the-scenes trivia dug up by the hosts.

pick Mann sent Caan to Gunsite Academy and the actors were trained on real burglary tools
“Um, Man brought con to Gunsite Academy, a firearm school in Arizona.”
Bill Simmons · 1:02:13
pick The Howard Johnson's booth where Mann took his future wife in 1971: Cited from Alan Siegel's piece.
“He took his future wife there in 1971 for coffee at the exact booth that they filmed that scene in and they talked all night and 50 years later, they're still married.”
Bill Simmons · 1:02:22
pick A 60,000 gallon water truck kept the streets wet
“A 60,000 gallon water truck was used to keep the streets constantly wet, which was another man's staple.”
Bill Simmons · 1:02:56
pick Belushi did his own death scene and absorbed dozens of squib shots
“Belushi begged to do his death scene himself and absorbed a dozen dozens of squib shots and they had to give him Percocet.”
Bill Simmons · 1:05:03
pick Tuesday Weld: Her Wikipedia page is full of dating gossip.
“I highly encourage you guys to read Tuesday welds, Wikipedia.”
Bill Simmons · 1:05:20

Apex Mountain · Whether a person, performance or thing sits on the apex mountain.

nominee James Caan: Not on the mountain.
“Jimmy Khan, no.”
Bill Simmons · 1:06:13
nominee Tuesday Weld: No, even though she is really good.
“Tuesday weld, I would say no.”
Bill Simmons · 1:06:16
nominee Michael Mann
“Michael Mann no.”
Bill Simmons · 1:06:19
nominee Robert Prosky: A hell of a debut, but he became Prosky in the early 90s.
“He became Prosky in the early 90s.”
unknown · 1:06:34
winner Chicago diners
“Chicago Diners?”
unknown · 1:06:37
winner Illegal adoption: Prosky cut out the middle man.
“Illegal.”
unknown · 1:06:59
nominee Willie Nelson
“Apex Mountain, Willie Nelson, no.”
Bill Simmons · 1:07:46
winner Robert Prosky's death scenes
“I'm going to say yes.”
unknown · 1:07:51
winner Joliet prison
“Maybe Blues Brothers, but somewhere in here is the Joliet Prison Apex Mountain, I think.”
unknown · 1:08:15
winner Ferris Bueller's Day Off: Picked as the Chicago movie that uses the city best.
“But I think Ferris Bueller uses the city of Chicago the best.”
Chris Ryan · 1:09:14

Picking Nits · Nitpicks of a movie they love.

pick Frank and Jessie's relationship is confusing and edited oddly
“The, the, James Khan, Tuesday world relationship is just super confusing.”
unknown · 1:10:06
pick The ending's final shootout is not obvious enough: Another host agrees and compares it to the end of Manhunter.
“The boat professed that the end is not obvious enough.”
unknown · 1:10:58
pick Was Prosky's shopping mall deal really that bad
“Are we sure that like the mall deal that Prosky was offering him was that bad?”
unknown · 1:11:24
pick Baby-stealing seems too easy
“Is baby stealing this easy?”
unknown · 1:12:47

Could this be made today · How the movie would work as a modern prestige series.

pick A streaming remake and what technology a thief has in 2021
“I would like to know what the 2021 Paramount Plus Netflix, Apple, Amazon, whatever the version of this now.”
Bill Simmons · 1:13:37
pick An 8-episode season about one job
“It's like an 8 episode season about one job, right?”
unknown · 1:14:09

Unanswerable questions · Open questions the movie leaves.

pick What happened to Frank: Mann sees no hope; Caan thinks Frank would get it all back.
“Probably unanswerable questions.”
Bill Simmons · 1:14:14
pick Thief as the first Heat: Caan told Pacino the unused scenes went to Heat.
“I said, you fucker, that was my movie.”
Bill Simmons · 1:15:04
pick Neil McCauley over Frank to get $5.5 million out of a bank: Frank is too combustible, Neil is ice cold.
“Neil.”
Chris Ryan · 1:15:44
pick Why James Caan was never in another Michael Mann movie
“James Conn never in another Michael Mann movie.”
Bill Simmons · 1:16:34

Memorabilia · A prop or piece they would own.

pick One of Frank's Oldsmobiles, or Prosky's yellow golf shirt
“So I would love to get one of Frank's cars.”
Chris Ryan · 1:17:25
pick The thermal lance
“I would say probably like the £2000 thermal lance?”
Sean Fennessey · 1:17:42
pick The big booth in the bar
“I was thinking the big booth in the in the bar that they hang out and it just be such a cool thing to have like in your living room.”
Bill Simmons · 1:17:49

Who won the movie · Who comes out ahead in the movie.

winner Robert Prosky as Leo: One of the great crime movie villains.
“prosecute is one of the great crime movie villains I've ever seen.”
unknown · 1:18:08
winner Michael Mann
“It's funny. I have Michael Mann winning this movie.”
unknown · 1:18:13
winner James Caan as Frank: Said right after the Mann pick; speaker unclear.
“Uh, so Jimmy Khan. I love James Khan.”
unknown · 1:18:28

Films that came up

Claims (44)

verdict (verdict): Thief → The Jericho Mile. The Jericho Mile is one of the best sports movies and best TV movies.
“I still feel like is one of the 10 best sports movies ever made”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:01:26 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Thief → Heat. Thief is the notebook sketch for Mann's later work, with Heat sharing DNA.
“the building blocks for what you wind up seeing in heat and collateral and Miami Vice in so many of his films to come.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:02:54 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Michael Mann → Paul Thomas Anderson. Anderson reinvents his visual language each film; Mann makes one movie in variations.
“With Michael Mann, I feel like it's all one movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:05:27 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Thief → Heat. Thief is more Sean's jam; he likes Heat less.
“This is more your kind of jam thief.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:06:07 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Thief → Escape from New York. 1981 produced films that couldn't be made now.
“I wrote down 8 movies that I just don't think would ever happen now.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:06:18 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Michael Mann → Jerry Bruckheimer. Mann used Bruckheimer here, who became a major producer.
“Michael Mann uses Jerry Bruckheimer in this movie, who goes on to become such an important producer”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:08:02 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Thief → Blade Runner. Thief and Blade Runner mark a new era: neo-noir lone heroes in dystopian landscapes.
“Blade Runner also just feels like a new era.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:08:46 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Thief → Blade Runner. Blade Runner is inscrutable and picked over; Thief is straightforward.
“Whereas Thief is much more straightforward, but, you know, Ridley Scott uses Vangelis, Michael Mann uses Tangerine Dream”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:09:35 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Thief → Blade Runner. Both films mark a new era partly through their synth scores: Mann used Tangerine Dream, Scott used Vangelis.
“Ridley Scott uses Vangelis, Michael Mann uses Tangerine Dream, like these, the, it sounds different.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:09:35 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Thief → Hard Eight. Both are first features with patience and ambition.
“Hard 8's another one with P.T. Anderson, that that, you know, that movie has some flaws”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:11:14 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Thief → Rififi. Thief draws on Bogart movies, Rififi, samurai movies, French New Wave.
“in thief, you can feel Humphrey Bogart movies, you can feel, Rafifi, you can feel samurai movies, you can feel French new wave.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:11:29 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
career (career): Thief → The Jericho Mile. Mann pulled the story's texture from prison guys he met making Jericho Mile.
“It was being pulled from the stories he had heard from the guys he had met working on Jericho Mile.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:12:52 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Thief → Straight Time. Mann spent time in prison for his uncredited draft of Straight Time.
“which was the Dustin Hoffman movie, which he's not credited on, but he definitely did a draft of”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:13:25 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Thief → Heat. Prison as a purifying origin recurs in Heat's crew.
“All the, all the guys in, in, uh, in Neil's crew are like from, from our jail buddies.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:13:50 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): James Caan → Mark Wahlberg. Wahlberg wanted to be Caan but is only half there, and remade The Gambler.
“Wahlberg probably wanted to be James Khan, but he's 50% there.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:20:21 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Thief → Boogie Nights. Caan's collapse-into-tears move recalls Wahlberg breaking down in Boogie Nights.
“Wahlberg and Boogie Nights, like when he breaks down in the bedroom with his mom.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:20:32 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): James Caan → Mark Wahlberg. Caan today would have gravitated to Tarantino, not Bourne sequels.
“He probably would have loved to work with Tarantino.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:21:07 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Thief → The Godfather. 1981 compared with the Oscar crowd: Thief shut out.
“So thief got shut out in the Oscars.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:25:30 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): The Natural → Thief. Prosky was villainous in The Natural but never likable.
“He was just too evil in the natural.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:32:14 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Robert Prosky → Glengarry Glen Ross. Prosky originated Shelly Levene on Broadway.
“he's the guy who originated Shelley Levine from Glengarry Glenn Ross.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:32:35 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Thief → The Godfather. Godfather made Caan; Thief holds his best moment, better than any Godfather moment.
“I think it's better than any godfather moment.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:33:25 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Thief → Heat. The first date in Thief rhymes with Neil and Eady's meeting in Heat.
“the Edie and Neil date is like something out of Nancy Myers movie compared to this date.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:34:06 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Thief → Heat. The diner scene's wide shot echoes Heat's, which never shows both guys.
“Wide shot, some heat DNA, although in heat, they don't have, you never see the 2 guys”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:36:13 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Thief → Panic Room. Fincher may have watched Thief before Panic Room.
“Fincher does panic room and he probably saw Thief like 2 weeks before he started filming”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:40:36 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Thief → Miami Vice. Same send-the-wife-away beat in Miami Vice's Calderon's revenge.
“Miami Vice, which I think he had a pretty big imprint on season one.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:44:28 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Thief → Heat. The wife who must be sent packing recurs in Mann films.
“Michael Mann has this movie where he has to send the wife packing.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:44:37 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Tangerine Dream → Vangelis. Tangerine Dream and Vangelis defined cool early-80s music.
“This was really all we had for cool music.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:47:55 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Tangerine Dream → Howard Faltermeyer. Tangerine Dream followed Sorcerer with Thief and Risky Business.
“They go sorcerer score, thief score.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:48:04 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
people (people): Jim Belushi → John Belushi. Jim Belushi's casting reminded the speaker of John, who visited the set.
“John Belushi visited the set often.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:50:56 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
people (people): Jessica Lange → Tuesday Weld. Weld's best friend Jessica Lange was a 'market correction' for her.
“Jessica Lang, kind of market corrected Tuesday well, just center packing, right around here.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:51:47 · Sean Fennessey (0.40 sure it was them)
people (people): James Caan → Willie Nelson. Caan and Nelson were the two draws in 1981.
“It was James Conn and Willie Nelson were like the 2 draws.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:55:30 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Thief → Collateral. Mann later circled back to blues in Collateral after trying all-blues for Thief.
“but then circled back in collateral”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:57:36 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Thief → Taxi Driver. Scorsese used wet streets in Taxi Driver before Mann made it a signature.
“Scorsese did a little bit in taxi driver”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:03:18 · Bill Simmons (0.45 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Blues Brothers → Thief. Joliet prison appears in Blues Brothers and then Thief.
“because you have Blues Brothers, and you and next year, Thief, with Willie Nelson shooting”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:08:05 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Thief → Running Scared. Running Scared is an ardent personal favorite as a Chicago movie.
“I'm literally the number one fan of running scared.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:09:04 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Thief → Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Ferris Bueller uses Chicago best of all Chicago movies.
“I think Ferris Bueller uses the city of Chicago the best.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:09:14 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Thief → Manhunter. Thief's final shootout is a dry run for Manhunter's.
“That whole shootout is very reminiscent of the shootout at the end of Manhunter”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:11:12 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Thief → Weird Science. Joke about shopping malls hosting Weird Science filming.
“They're filming weird science at our mall this week.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:12:38 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Thief → Heat. Caan said scenes cut from Thief went to Heat.
“All the scenes that weren't used in our picture came over to you guys.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:15:06 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Thief → Heat. Thief is a man alone; Heat is a showdown.
“thief is about a man alone and heat is a showdown movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:15:21 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Michael Mann → Jon Voight. Frank could have become Voight's role in Heat, setting up scores years later.
“it would have been amazing if Voight was frank.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:16:11 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
people (people): James Caan → Michael Mann. The two difficult talents made one film and never again.
“made one movie together and decided, yeah, we're good.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:17:11 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Thief → Heat. Rewatchable does Mann films: five done, others remaining.
“How many Michael Mann movies have we done now?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:19:45 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Thief → Public Enemies. Remaining Mann candidates for future episodes.
“We got do, we got Manhunter, Black Hat, and Public Enemies left, I think.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:19:48 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

Fun items (24)

fun, about James Caan: Doctor in the Willie Nelson death scene genuinely scared by Caan's stare.
“the actor who played the doctor actually got scared.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:18:35 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about James Caan: Caan turned down Kramer vs. Kramer, Apocalypse Now, Superman, MASH, Cuckoo's Nest.
“He turned all of those down.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:22:18 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about James Caan: Caan on his marriages.
“I used to say marriages were like tornadoes.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:24:58 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Ebert gave 3.5 stars and called it intelligent.
“one of the most intelligent thrillers I've ever seen.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:25:46 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Willie Nelson: Nelson's Frankie Boy 'I don't want to die in here' scene.
“I don't want to die in here, Frank.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:29:26 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Robert Prosky: Mann auditioned dozens, Bruckheimer advice: the right person hasn't walked in yet.
“He said the right person has not walked in the room.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:31:31 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Diner monologue is the reason for the episode and the best Caan moment.
“Next scene, the diner monologue, which is the reason we're doing this podcast”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:33:04 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Howard Johnson's diner scene as first date.
“is my favorite 1st date in movie history.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:33:51 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Mann insisted characters never use contractions.
“Belushi and he was talking about how man was very insistent that these guys never speak in contractions”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:46:39 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Frank's collage as Pinterest, with an NFT joke.
“So does Michael Mann know that he invented Pinterest?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:49:05 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Jim Belushi: Belushi and Caan hanging out at Belushi's Speakeasy.
“the cast and crew hung out at Belushi's Speakeasy”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:50:56 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Razzie nomination for worst score.
“The film was nominated for a Razzy Award for worst musical score.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:54:12 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Chris would take calls at the bar.
“Bring bars back in 2021.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:56:18 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Mann first wanted Jeff Bridges; studio said too young.
“So Jeff Bridges was Michael Mann's choice to play Frank.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:56:47 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Mann began with an all-Chicago blues score, switched to Tangerine Dream.
“Michael Mann originally intended to score this movie with all Chicago blues stuff.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:57:31 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Original title was Violent Streets.
“The film's original title.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:58:04 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Howard Johnson's was where Mann took his future wife in 1971.
“He took his future wife there in 1971 for coffee at the exact booth that they filmed that scene in”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:02:22 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Safecracking details: real tools, actors trained.
“were not props, but they were real tools, and the actors were trained to use them”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:02:46 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: A 60,000 gallon water truck kept the streets wet.
“A 60,000 gallon water truck was used to keep the streets constantly wet”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:02:56 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Michael Mann: Mann drives around looking at bridges and water.
“I would drive around and I would look at things.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:03:42 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Thief: Belushi begged to do his own death scene, absorbing dozens of squibs.
“Belushi begged to do his death scene himself”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:05:10 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Tuesday Weld: Weld's Wikipedia dating history.
“I highly encourage you guys to read Tuesday welds, Wikipedia.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:05:18 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Heat: Thief and Heat meeting: Caan told Pacino 'you fucker, that was my movie'; leftover scenes went to Heat.
“I said, you fucker, that was my movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:15:04 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about The Jericho Mile: Twilight Time put out the Blu-ray; hard to find for years.
“It's probably one of like the 4 greatest TV movies ever.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:20:43 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

Who's talking

Bill Simmons (host): Loves ensemble crime movies and gets sentimental about the 1981 era; relishes procedural detail and tough-guy actors. Can't stand muddled endings but is easy on style. Sucker for Chicago movies and Running Scared.
Sean Fennessey (host): Admires Mann's themes and the rich cinematic lineage; calls himself a weed smoker for Heat but loves Thief. Fond of Caan's volatile nuance, finds Weld and Nelson fascinating.
Chris Ryan (host): Heroin-level Mann fan; Heat-lover; adores dialogue and procedure. Sucker for Prosky.
Craig Horlbeck (guest): Producer; first-time viewer, Gen Z borderline; enjoyed it but found it slow at first.

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 Fennessey
James Conn/Khan/Cott → James Caan
Jimmy Conn → Jimmy Caan
Rafifi → Rififi
Raj → Roger (Ebert)
man → Mann
Proski/Prosky → Robert Prosky
Tuesday well/wells → Tuesday Weld
Van Latham Mao → intro host (promo)
Juliet → Joliet
Willie Nelson as 'Okla'
Tom Sigarelli → Tom Signorelli
Peterson → William Petersen
Dorisi/Arezzi/Urizzi → Urizzi
Black Cat → Black Hat
Void → Voight
Matisse Thibel/Sam Hankey → unclear names