Michael Madsen

Made films the shows talk about.

Wikidata Q220584: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by Wikidata joins them to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the subject film of ‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’ Live From Sundance With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan.

Counted as actor. The films the hosts said they acted in, which the two lists below run through too: The Natural (1984); The Doors (1991); Thelma & Louise (1991); Reservoir Dogs (1992); True Romance (1993); The Getaway (1994); Wyatt Earp (1994); Species (1995); Donnie Brasco (1997); Species II (1998); Kill Bill (2003); Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004); The Hateful Eight (2015).

Draws on

What the speakers say they, or a film of theirs, drew on. Each is a speaker's account: “the maker said so” when they report the maker's own words, “the host's read” when the read is theirs.

Alien (1979): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Species (1995), which they acted in: Alien ⇒ Species (the maker said so). Giger thought Species ripped off too many other alien movies, such as the chest-burster.
    “He thought the movie ripped off too many other alien movies”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:12:56 · Bill Simmons (0.30 sure it was them)

Babe Ruth: 1 line

  1. people (people) · through The Natural (1984), which they acted in: Babe Ruth ⇒ The Natural (the host's read). The Whammer is a stand-in for Babe Ruth; real names and fictional creations blend.
    “I like the whammer as a cover.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Natural’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:32:24 · Mallory Rubin (0.60 sure it was them)

Bama Rowell: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Natural (1984), which they acted in: Bama Rowell ⇒ The Natural (the host's read). The scoreboard-clock home run was inspired by Bama Rowell breaking a clock at Ebbets Field in 1946.
    “inspired by Bammer Roell of the Boston Braves doing it to Ebbitt's Field.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Natural’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:06:06 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

Bernard Malamud: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Natural (1984), which they acted in: Bernard Malamud ⇒ The Natural (the host's read). The film is adapted from his 1952 novel, but its ending is very different.
    “Written in 1952 by Bernard Malamud.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Natural’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:13:28 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)

City on Fire (1987): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: City on Fire ⇒ Reservoir Dogs (the host's read). City on Fire contains huge parts of Reservoir Dogs, which raises the homage-versus-theft question.
    “This might make you mad to watch this movie because City on Fire is Reservoir Dogs.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:49:12 · unknown (0.35 sure it was them)

Django (1966): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: Django ⇒ Reservoir Dogs (the host's read). Corbucci's 1966 Django is credited as an inspiration for the torture scene.
    “Sergio Corbucci's 1966 spaghetti western Django inspired the scene”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:47:43 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)

Do the Right Thing (1989): 1 line

  1. unmapped (borrowed speech) · through True Romance (1993), which they acted in: Do the Right Thing ⇒ True Romance (the host's read). The Sicilians-and-Moors speech in True Romance echoes what Mookie says to Pino in Sal's.
    “Well, Sicilians and and Africans and the Moors in that whole speech that appears in true romance, which is also something that Mookie essentially says to Pino”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Do The Right Thing’ With Sean Fennessey and Wesley Morris · 0:51:06 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)

Eddie Waitkus: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Natural (1984), which they acted in: Eddie Waitkus ⇒ The Natural (the host's read). The novel borrowed from the 1949 shooting of Eddie Waitkus of the Phillies.
    “Borrowed from this bizarre shooting of Eddie Waitkiss in 1949 in the Phillies”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Natural’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:13:33 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)

Fox Force Five: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Kill Bill (2003), which they acted in: Fox Force Five ⇒ Kill Bill (the host's read). Mia's Fox Force Five pitch (five women with different skills) is a seed of Kill Bill.
    “He kind of makes this with Kill Bill.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Pulp Fiction’ (Part 2) With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:26:49 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

Hard Boiled (1992): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: Hard Boiled ⇒ Reservoir Dogs (the host's read). The speaker had not yet seen Hard Boiled, but the standoff read as John Woo.
    “I don't know if I'd seen hardboiled or whatever, any of those movies yet”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:37:14 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

John Woo: 1 line

  1. craft (craft) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: John Woo ⇒ Reservoir Dogs (the host's read). The Mexican standoff was the first visual reference the speaker caught: like a John Woo Hong Kong action movie.
    “It was very like John Wu Hong Kong action movie.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:37:12 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Roy Campanella: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Natural (1984), which they acted in: Roy Campanella ⇒ The Natural (the host's read). Roy's line about a lot of little boy in you was actually a Campanella quote.
    “It was actually a quote by Ray Campanella.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Natural’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:07:50 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

Ruth Ann Steinhagen: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Natural (1984), which they acted in: Ruth Ann Steinhagen ⇒ The Natural (the host's read). A real person, Ruth Ann Steinhagen, inspired Harriet.
    “a real person, Ruth Ann Steinhagen inspired Harriet”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Natural’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:12:40 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

Shoeless Joe Jackson: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Natural (1984), which they acted in: Shoeless Joe Jackson ⇒ The Natural (the host's read). The book's ending, with a boy saying it ain't true, Roy, is a clear Shoeless Joe Jackson rip-off.
    “which is a clear shoeless Joe Jackson, rip off thing.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Natural’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:14:00 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)

Ted Williams: 1 line

  1. people (people) · through The Natural (1984), which they acted in: Ted Williams ⇒ The Natural (the host's read). Hobbs was loosely modeled after Ted Williams.
    “Hobbs was loosely modeled after Ted Williams, lefty number nine”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Natural’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:11:12 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)

The Big Combo (1955): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: The Big Combo ⇒ Reservoir Dogs (the host's read). Per the host's notes, The Big Combo and Corbucci's Django inspired the scene of a cop torturing a chair (sic).
    “Joseph H. Lewis's filmed the big combo and Sergio Corbucci's 1966 spaghetti western Django inspired the scene”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:47:43 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)

The Killing (1956): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: The Killing ⇒ Reservoir Dogs (the maker said so: a Tarantino quote the host reads). Tarantino said Reservoir Dogs was his version of Kubrick's heist film, without meaning it as a ripoff.
    “but I did think of it as my killing, my take on that kind of heist movie.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:47:05 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)

The Odyssey (Homer): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Natural (1984), which they acted in: The Odyssey (Homer) ⇒ The Natural (the host's read). The movie maps onto Homer: Roy is Odysseus, Harriet and Memo play siren/Calypso figures, Iris is Penelope.
    “So basically it's Roy Hobbs is Odysseus.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Natural’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:14:21 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three ⇒ Reservoir Dogs (the host's read). The color-name aliases were first seen in Pelham; called a great homage.
    “It's just a great homage, great Walter Mathow in taking Pelham one, 2, 3.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:49:00 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)

Video Archives: 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: Video Archives ⇒ Reservoir Dogs (the host's read). Tarantino distilled the video-store aesthetic into the film; he programmed shelves like a film festival.
    “he talks about how he used to program shelves at the video story worked at as if it was like a film festival.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:14:17 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)

Drawn on by

What the speakers say drew on them or a film of theirs, marked the same way.

Bret Hart: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Natural (1984), which they acted in: The Natural ⇒ Bret Hart (the host's read). Bret Hart took his catchphrase from this movie.
    “Took his catchphrase from this.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Natural’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:11:47 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019): 1 line

  1. theme (opening echo) · through The Hateful Eight (2015), which they acted in: The Hateful Eight ⇒ Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (the host's read). The slow pan out to the painting of Rick echoes the slow pan out to the Jesus statue in Hateful Eight.
    “It's very similar to the beginning of Hateful 8, where there's this very slow panout and it's like a Jesus Christ statue.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’ Live From Sundance With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:44:05 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)

Pulp Fiction (1994): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: Reservoir Dogs ⇒ Pulp Fiction (the host's read). Pulp's opening two-song credits echo the radio dial concept from Reservoir Dogs.
    “Well, the radio, the concept of the radio had been in Reservoir Dogs, but I think switching the songs in the middle, because you hear him change the dial.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Pulp Fiction’ (Part 2) With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:04:26 · Sean Fennessey (0.35 sure it was them)

Swingers (1996): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: Reservoir Dogs ⇒ Swingers (the host's read). Swingers openly ripped off the opening credit strut and joked about everyone copying Tarantino.
    “The opening credit sequence is really fun to watch after swingers blatantly ripped it off”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:50:17 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

The Farewell (2019): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: Reservoir Dogs ⇒ The Farewell (the host's read). The slow-motion group walk in The Farewell echoes the Reservoir Dogs shot, which remains influential.
    “And that shot is still really influential.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:50:54 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: Reservoir Dogs ⇒ Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (the host's read). Called a bad-but-fun movie that would not exist without Tarantino, part of the ripoff era.
    “kind of bad and would not exist without Tarantino.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:37:47 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Very Bad Things (1998): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Reservoir Dogs (1992), which they acted in: Reservoir Dogs ⇒ Very Bad Things (the host's read). Part of the era of Tarantino ripoffs about groups of friends.
    “Well, that was the era of the Tarantino Ripoff era.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:37:51 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007): 1 line

  1. industry (marketing mimicry) · through The Doors (1991), which they acted in: The Doors ⇒ Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (the host's read). Walk Hard's poster of John C. Reilly was modeled on Val Kilmer in The Doors so it would pass as a real biopic.
    “the poster of John C. Riley is modeled on Val Kilmer in the doors, right?”
    The Big Picture · ‘Elvis,’ ‘Walk Hard’ and Top Five Music Biopics · 0:30:27 · Adam Nayman (0.85 sure it was them)

Wayne's World (1992): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Doors (1991), which they acted in: The Doors ⇒ Wayne's World (the host's read). Wayne's World 2 depends on knowing Oliver Stone's The Doors, as Weird Science depends on knowing The Road Warrior.
    “We talked a lot about Wayne's World 2 and we're like, it's very, very dependent on knowing Oliver Stone's the Doors movie.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Weird Science’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt · 1:07:39 · Kyle Brandt (0.60 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Acting (22) everyone in acting

Other (1) everyone in other

What was said about them, by kind

career (7)

  1. career (career): Michael Madsen → True Romance. Madsen's ineffable cool runs through Dogs, True Romance and Species.
    “You see it in true romance and you see it here.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:04:19 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. career (career): Michael Madsen → John Travolta. Madsen's 90s roles overlapped with the ones Travolta was getting.
    “Also in the 90s for him, a lot of his roles to me intersected with roles that Travolta was getting.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:06:19 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. career (career): Michael Madsen → Pulp Fiction. Madsen passed up Pulp Fiction, which was the turning point of his career.
    “Like he passed up pulp fiction, like he probably has the most juice right around there.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:15:03 · Van Lathan (0.30 sure it was them)
  4. career (career): Michael Madsen → The Doors. Madsen played the John Holmes-type character in The Doors.
    “Manson was the John Holmes character in the doors.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:24:38 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  5. career (career): Michael Madsen → Species. Madsen's run culminates in Species, a great performance with Marg Helgenberger.
    “All culminating in species, where he gets one of the great performances of all time.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:24:52 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  6. career (career): Michael Madsen → Pulp Fiction. Madsen not being in Pulp Fiction is explained by the Vega-brothers plan.
    “the plan, long term, was to do the Vega Brothers.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:53:19 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
  7. career (career): Michael Madsen → The Hateful Eight. Madsen's voice has gone raspy, hard to understand in The Hateful Eight.
    “He's got the raspiest, darkest, most difficult to understand voice and the hateful eight.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:54:38 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)

contrast (1)

  1. contrast (contrast): Michael Madsen → Tom Sizemore. The panel splits on Madsen versus Sizemore; Madsen can do everything Sizemore can, plus be the leading man.
    “I think Madson can do everything that Sizemore can do.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:22:28 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)

lineage (2)

  1. lineage (lineage): Michael Madsen → Humphrey Bogart. Madsen is the Bogart-like figure at the center of the Species team.
    “He is this like, like kind of Humphrey Bogart figure in the middle of this team”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:04:09 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage): Michael Madsen → Ava Gardner. Madsen feels like a time-machined 1940s or 50s actor who belongs opposite Ava Gardner.
    “But I think that thing that stands out for me with him is he feels like a 1940s or 50s actor.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:05:20 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)

verdict (3)

  1. verdict (verdict): Michael Madsen → Species II. Madsen called Species 2 lousy and said he only did it for the paycheck.
    “I only did it for the paycheck.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:59:55 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. verdict (verdict): Michael Madsen → Reservoir Dogs. Apex mountain pick for Madsen is Reservoir Dogs, argued against by the VHS-era 1995 context.
    “Uh, I would say probably Reservoir”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:14:23 · Van Lathan (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. verdict (favorite actors): Quentin Tarantino → Michael Madsen. Tarantino has gotten the best out of actors like Travolta, Madsen, Jamie Foxx, David Carradine.
    “He's definitely gotten the best Madsons, yeah.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’ Live From Sundance With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:19:29 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)

what-if (5)

  1. what-if (what-if): Michael Madsen → Face/Off. Madsen could have played in Face/Off.
    “Could have been good in face off.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:06:41 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  2. what-if (what-if): Michael Madsen → CSI. After 1997 Madsen should have done a CSI-type show; he and Helgenberger had the chemistry.
    “The move in retrospect after like 97, he should have just done like a CSI type show.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:06:47 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. what-if (what-if): Michael Madsen → Basic Instinct. Madsen could have played the Michael Douglas part in Basic Instinct.
    “Like Madson could have been the Michael Douglas basic instinct part.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:22:58 · Van Lathan (0.30 sure it was them)
  4. what-if (what-if): Michael Madsen → Shooter. Shooter needed someone clean-cut with a dark side, and that is Madsen.
    “The only thing about shooter is shooter, shooter had to be somebody that looked clean cut but had a dark side, that's Madson.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:23:17 · Van Lathan (0.30 sure it was them)
  5. what-if (what-if): Michael Madsen → Reservoir Dogs. Madsen first auditioned for Mr. Pink.
    “Michael Madson originally auditioned for Mr. Pink.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:03:25 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about Michael Madsen: Madsen said he liked Species because he got to play a good guy; he hated Species 2.
    “he was like, I liked species because I got to play a good guy.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:04:00 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about Michael Madsen: Madsen's tough-guy introduction is handing off a cat; the speakers joke it was Madsen's idea and Donaldson just needed the shot.
    “The 1st time we see him, he's handing a cat to his cat center, awesome moment.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Species’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:20:42 · Van Lathan (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. fun, about Michael Madsen: The Cadillac in the film is the same one from Reservoir Dogs.
    “Same Cadillac that appeared in Reservoir Dogs in 1992, driven by Michael... the cops in the trunk?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’ Live From Sundance With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:05:26 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  4. fun, about Michael Madsen: The ear scene cuts away to the 'watch your head' graffiti for about 10 seconds; the hosts like that Tarantino rarely shows violence.
    “they pan and they just show the watch your head graffiti above the doorway for about 10 seconds.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reservoir Dogs’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:38:52 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)