Jack Nicholson

Made films the shows talk about.

Wikidata Q39792: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by Wikidata joins them to As Good as It Gets, which The Lost World: Jurassic Park credits them on.

Counted as other. The films the hosts said they were tied to, which the two lists below run through too: The Truman Show (1998); Napoleon (Kubrick's unmade film); Napoleon (unmade); Ready Player One. Count them as director (1 film), actor (35 films), craft (1 film) instead.

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.

Alfred Hitchcock: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Truman Show (1998), which they were tied to as approached to replace Hopper: Alfred Hitchcock ⇒ The Truman Show (the host's read). Same line: the premise is Frank Capra crossed with Hitchcock.
    “you basically take Frank Capra and Alpha Hitchcock and you put it together, and that's what this movie is.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Truman Show’ With Bill Simmons, Glen Powell, and Chris Ryan · 0:29:43 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Boris Karloff: 1 line

  1. unmapped (borrowed habit) · them, directly: Boris Karloff ⇒ Jack Nicholson (the maker said so: the Vivian Kubrick documentary). In the Vivian Kubrick documentary Nicholson says he took his script-marking habit from Karloff.
    “I stole this from Boris Karloff”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 1:55:59 · Griffin Newman (0.45 sure it was them)

Frank Capra: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Truman Show (1998), which they were tied to as approached to replace Hopper: Frank Capra ⇒ The Truman Show (the host's read). Nichol's idea is described as Capra plus Hitchcock combined.
    “you basically take Frank Capra and Alpha Hitchcock and you put it together, and that's what this movie is.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Truman Show’ With Bill Simmons, Glen Powell, and Chris Ryan · 0:29:43 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Stanley Kubrick: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Ready Player One, which they were tied to as floated for a cameo: Stanley Kubrick ⇒ Ready Player One (the host's read). The film contains a deeper homage to Kubrick, maybe its best part.
    “There is a much deeper and fascinating homage to Stanley Cooper.”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:08:46 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)

The Shining (1980): 1 line

  1. lineage (homage) · through Ready Player One, which they were tied to as floated for a cameo: The Shining ⇒ Ready Player One (the host's read). Ready Player One has a fun sequence set in the hotel.
    “Ready player one, they go to the hotel.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 2:26:19 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

War and Peace: 1 line

  1. unmapped (scale envy) · through Napoleon (Kubrick's unmade film), which they were tied to as who Kubrick wanted to play Napoleon: War and Peace ⇒ Napoleon (Kubrick's unmade film) (the host's read). Kubrick is imagined looking at Bondarchuk's War and Peace and thinking he could stage battles like that.
    “He's just looking at that and being like, I could do this.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 1:12:51 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Whitey Bulger: 1 line

  1. unmapped (real-life model) · them, directly: Whitey Bulger ⇒ Jack Nicholson (the host's read). Nicholson is basically playing Whitey Bulger, a Boston crime lord who would not refuse a Red Sox hat.
    “he basically playing Whitey Bulger.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:34:35 · 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.

Survivor: 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through The Truman Show (1998), which they were tied to as approached to replace Hopper: The Truman Show ⇒ Survivor (the host's read). Truman Show weirdly kicked off reality TV, predating Survivor by a year or two.
    “This kind of weirdly kicked it off, like this predated by a year or two.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Truman Show’ With Bill Simmons, Glen Powell, and Chris Ryan · 0:12:44 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Directing (1) everyone in directing

Acting (72) everyone in acting

Other (5) everyone in other

Craft (1) everyone in craft

What was said about them, by kind

contrast (3)

  1. contrast (contrast): Tom Cruise → Jack Nicholson. The winner of the showdown is Cruise, not Nicholson.
    “the winner of that scene is Tom Cruise and not Jack Nicholson”
    The Big Picture · Objection! Top 10 Courtroom Dramas | The Big Picture · 1:25:51 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
  2. contrast (contrast): Jack Nicholson → Warren Beatty. The two were Hollywood's great lovers; Beatty settled down, Nicholson never slowed.
    “those were like the 2 major Hollywood lovers of their time, and then Beatty like settles down hard”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Something's Gotta Give with Bobby Finger (Ad-Free) · 1:09:05 · unknown (0.35 sure it was them)
  3. contrast (contrast): Alec Baldwin → Jack Nicholson. Baldwin is one-tenth of Nicholson in the casting of the two films.
    “The hire Alec Baldwin is like one tenth of Nicholson.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Something's Gotta Give with Bobby Finger (Ad-Free) · 1:26:13 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

craft (2)

  1. craft (craft): Jack Nicholson → As Good as It Gets. A host says Nicholson designed his own character's wardrobe, aiming for a downtown look, then jokes he sewed it himself like Daniel Day-Lewis.
    “Jack Nicholson designed the wardrobe for this character.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · As Good as It Gets with Chris Gethard · 1:28:16 · Griffin Newman or David Sims (unclear) (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. craft (craft): Terms of Endearment → Jack Nicholson. Nicholson is unusually unvain and vulnerable, as discussed on the Terms of Endearment episode.
    “he's so good at letting himself be like vulnerable and like foolish.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Something's Gotta Give with Bobby Finger (Ad-Free) · 0:46:03 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

people (5)

  1. people (people): Jack Nicholson → Terms of Endearment. Brooks had already worked with Nicholson on Terms of Endearment, where he won an Oscar.
    “he'd work with Nicholson on terms of endearment, he wins an Oscar.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · As Good as It Gets with Chris Gethard · 1:16:16 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  2. people (people): Jack Nicholson → Broadcast News. Nicholson also pops off in Broadcast News, another Brooks film.
    “Nicholson also pops off in broadcast news.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · As Good as It Gets with Chris Gethard · 1:16:21 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. people (tried to cast): Steven Spielberg → Jack Nicholson. Spielberg reportedly tried hard to get Nicholson for a cameo in Ready Player One.
    “I had heard how hard Spielberg tried to get him for Ready Player one.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Doctor Sleep · 0:21:18 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  4. people (collaborator): Bob Rafelson → Jack Nicholson. Rafelson wrote Head with Nicholson.
    “when Bob Raffelson was writing head with him.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 1:57:55 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  5. people (live-wire actors): Malcolm McDowell → Jack Nicholson. Both are called insane live-wire actors, chaos Kubrick knew how to control.
    “But like, McDowell and Nicholson are both like insane live wire behavioral uncontrollable actors.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 0:38:43 · unknown (0.50 sure it was them)

theme (6)

  1. theme (comparison): Jack Nicholson → Tim Robinson. Nicholson's second bar scene is half a percent from an I Think You Should Leave performance.
    “is about one half of a percent away from an I think you should leave Tim Robinson performance.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 0:37:13 · Tim Simons (0.55 sure it was them)
  2. theme (comparison): Jack Nicholson → Spencer Tracy. Kubrick compares Nicholson to Spencer Tracy as one of the two greatest stars.
    “Kubrick compares him to who he thinks of the 2 greatest stars, Spencer Tracy and Jimmy Cagney.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 1:31:09 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
  3. theme (comparison): Jack Nicholson → James Cagney. Kubrick compares Nicholson to Jimmy Cagney as one of the two greatest stars.
    “Kubrick compares him to who he thinks of the 2 greatest stars, Spencer Tracy and Jimmy Cagney.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 1:31:09 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
  4. theme (comparison): Jack Nicholson → Tim Robinson. Both can go huge without it feeling like pushing.
    “there are 2 guys who can go so fucking big.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 1:55:14 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  5. theme (theme): Something's Gotta Give → Jack Nicholson. The film is a deconstruction of Nicholson's own star persona.
    “It's very much a deconstruction of his star persona.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Something's Gotta Give with Bobby Finger (Ad-Free) · 0:05:47 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  6. theme (theme): Jack Nicholson → Mel Gibson. Nicholson, Gibson and Baldwin are Meyers's sleazy-but-appealing leading men.
    “Baldwin, Gibson, Baldwin, Gibson, and Nicholson are a trifactor.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Something's Gotta Give with Bobby Finger (Ad-Free) · 0:51:39 · unknown (0.35 sure it was them)

unmapped (6)

  1. unmapped (real-life model): Jack Nicholson → Whitey Bulger. Nicholson is basically playing Whitey Bulger, a Boston crime lord who would not refuse a Red Sox hat.
    “he basically playing Whitey Bulger.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:34:35 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (Hannibal Lecter part): Jack Nicholson → A Few Good Men. A role like Costello, like Jessup or Lecter, is a home-run part that should get a supporting actor nod.
    “This was like the Hannibal Lecter, that even the Jessup and Fugon man.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:49:34 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  3. unmapped (shared films): Scatman Crothers → Jack Nicholson. Scatman had been in a bunch of Nicholson movies, including The Fortune and Cuckoo's Nest.
    “he had been in a bunch of Nicholson movies.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 1:21:17 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
  4. unmapped (recommended): Jack Nicholson → Scatman Crothers. Nicholson recommended Scatman Crothers for the role.
    “And so Nicholson recommends him for this.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 1:21:23 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
  5. unmapped (borrowed habit): Boris Karloff → Jack Nicholson. In the Vivian Kubrick documentary Nicholson says he took his script-marking habit from Karloff.
    “I stole this from Boris Karloff”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 1:55:59 · Griffin Newman (0.45 sure it was them)
  6. unmapped (attached star): Jack Nicholson → Napoleon (Kubrick's unmade film). Nicholson was going to play Napoleon.
    “Jack Nicholson was going to play Napoleon, obviously.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · A Clockwork Orange with Alex Ross Perry (Ad-Free) · 1:14:18 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

what-if (4)

  1. what-if (casting what-if): Jack Nicholson → Al Pacino. Pacino was first choice for Costello and Simmons thinks he would have been better, though over the top.
    “I think Costello's better with Pacino.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:16:14 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  2. what-if (what-if casting): Jack Nicholson → Napoleon (unmade). Kubrick wanted Nicholson to play Napoleon in his unmade Napoleon film.
    “He had wanted him to play Napoleon in his Napoleon movie.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 1:30:35 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. what-if (what-if casting): Jack Nicholson → Napoleon (Kubrick's unmade film). Kubrick wanted Jack Nicholson as Napoleon.
    “He wanted Jack Nicholson to play the role.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Barry Lyndon with Karina Longworth (Ad-Free) · 0:20:13 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  4. what-if (what-if): Toni Erdmann → Jack Nicholson. A wish that Nicholson do the Toni Erdmann remake.
    “God, I want him to do like that Tony Irbman remake or something.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Something's Gotta Give with Bobby Finger (Ad-Free) · 1:08:42 · unknown (0.35 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about Jack Nicholson: Chris puts Melvin Udall in his top three unapologetic dickhead performances.
    “I think Jack Nicholson and this might be in my top three.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · As Good as It Gets with Chris Gethard · 0:32:43 · Chris Gethard (0.80 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about Jack Nicholson: Nicholson reportedly wanted a prostitute scene with a dildo, was talked out of it, but kept the prop and ad-libbed it into the movie theater scene.
    “he had some crazy hooker scene with dildos that he wanted to shoot and they talked him out of it”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:16:48 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
  3. fun, about Jack Nicholson: Half-assed research: Nicholson reportedly refused to wear a Red Sox hat and banned Celtics gear on the set, and he and Ray Winstone did not get along.
    “Nicholson refused to wear a Red Sox hat during the filming and banned all Celtic Cats on the set.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:28:58 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  4. fun, about Jack Nicholson: Winner of unintentional comedy: a 32-second Nicholson run at the end with his body going in nine directions.
    “there's this 32nd scene of Jack Nicholson running.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:37:19 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
  5. fun, about Jack Nicholson: Someone who worked with him reported Nicholson saying he makes classics, not movies.
    “I don't make movies. I make classics.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 0:32:16 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  6. fun, about Jack Nicholson: On set, Nicholson broke down the door with the axe faster than the crew could replace it; he was once a fireman.
    “He famously like broke the door down more than they could.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 1:57:08 · Griffin Newman (0.45 sure it was them)
  7. fun, about Jack Nicholson: On A Few Good Men, Nicholson gave full energy off camera for every other actor's coverage.
    “He did off camera for everyone's, like, fucking takes and he did full energy every time.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Shining with Timothy Simons (Ad-Free) · 1:57:27 · Griffin Newman (0.45 sure it was them)
  8. fun, about Jack Nicholson: After 9/11 Nicholson said he only wanted to make fun movies, telling Billy Crystal during an Oscar telecast.
    “He was saying this to Billy Crystal during an Oscar telecast.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Something's Gotta Give with Bobby Finger (Ad-Free) · 0:04:45 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)