Denzel Washington

Made films the shows talk about.

Wikidata Q42101: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by the only person by that name on Wikidata.

Counted as other. The films the hosts said they were tied to, which the two lists below run through too: Seven (1995); Twister (1996); The Insider (1999); Michael Clayton (2007); Oscars 2022. Count them as actor (20 films) 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 Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Alfred Hitchcock ⇒ Seven (the host's read). Se7en is a Hitchcock movie in its pulling-your-chain structure of mystery, reveal and anxiety, and Hitchcock is Fincher's biggest influence.
    “I think as much as this seems like a modern movie, it's also just completely a Hitchcock movie in so many ways.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:14:30 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)

All That Jazz (1979): 1 line

  1. lineage (cited influence) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: All That Jazz ⇒ Seven (the maker said so). A host recalls a Fincher film the show covered where he cited All That Jazz as an inspiration for the look, maybe Seven.
    “where he cited how much of an inspiration all that jazz was for him for the look of the movie?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · David Fincher Music Videos · 1:13:07 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

All the President's Men (1976): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Insider (1999), which they were tied to as mentioned: All the President's Men ⇒ The Insider (the host's read). The Insider is hoped to capture the same wave of reaction that All the President's Men did.
    “they're hoping to capture that same kind of that wave that people have when they saw all the president's men.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Insider’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:21:08 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)

Industrial Light & Magic: 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Twister (1996), which they were tied to as hypothetical lead: Industrial Light & Magic ⇒ Twister (the host's read). The movie was built out of an ILM proof-of-concept clip of a pickup truck driving toward a tornado.
    “It was a proof of concept clip from Industrial Light Magic”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Twister’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:11:39 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)

Jaws (1975): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Twister (1996), which they were tied to as hypothetical lead: Jaws ⇒ Twister (the host's read). Jonas is the Jaws-mayor archetype, a money-motivated antagonist that became a stock character in every movie.
    “The mayor in Jaws is the character that kind of pushes against our lead person.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Twister’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:54:51 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)

Jurassic Park (1993): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Twister (1996), which they were tied to as hypothetical lead: Jurassic Park ⇒ Twister (the host's read). Marketing a disaster around unknown leads follows Jurassic Park, where Sam Neill and Laura Dern were known but not famous.
    “coming off of Jurassic Park where it was like Sam Neil and Laura Dern were like well-known, but not famous.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Twister’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:53:21 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)

Klute: 1 line

  1. lineage (visual inspiration) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Klute ⇒ Seven (the maker said so). The speaker watched Klute because Fincher and DP Darius Khondji cited it as an inspiration for Se7en's dark look and flashlight-led framing.
    “I watched Clute over the weekend because I know that both Fincher and Darius Conji, the DP, had cited that as an inspiration”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 2:38:58 · Nick Wiger or Mike Mitchell (unresolved) (0.30 sure it was them)

Mike Wallace Is Here (2019): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through The Insider (1999), which they were tied to as mentioned: Mike Wallace Is Here ⇒ The Insider (the host's read). The documentary on Wallace informs the Plummer scenes.
    “And I think it actually informs this scene a lot”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Insider’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:37:42 · Sean Fennessey (0.45 sure it was them)

Paul Newman: 1 line

  1. lineage (star lineage) · them, directly: Paul Newman ⇒ Denzel Washington (the host's read). The actor-and-movie-star blend passes from Newman to Denzel to Leo.
    “Newman then passes it to Denzel, then Denzel passes it to Leo.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Color of Money’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:43:19 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)

Speed (1994): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Twister (1996), which they were tied to as hypothetical lead: Speed ⇒ Twister (the host's read). Hollywood shifted after Speed; Twister marketed Paxton and others as future stars.
    “The one that changed it was speed.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:54:13 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)

William Friedkin: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: William Friedkin ⇒ Seven (the maker said so). Fincher drew from Friedkin and wanted it to feel like an episode of Cops.
    “he's drawn from like Friedkin, but he's also, he's, he's referenced like how he wanted it to feel like an episode of cops.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:15:42 · 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.

Fight Club (1999): 2 lines

  1. career (career) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ Fight Club (the host's read). Without Se7en's power Fincher does not get to do The Game and Fight Club his way.
    “I think without this movie, he doesn't go on this run”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:27:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
  2. career (career lever) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ Fight Club (the host's read). Se7en's success is what let Fincher make the seemingly impossible Fight Club.
    “But the fight club is him more being like, okay, guys, I know this seems impossible, but I made seven.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 1:05:55 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

The Game (1997): 2 lines

  1. unmapped (R-rated proof) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ The Game (the host's read). Se7en's hit status as an R-rated film convinced the backers to fund The Game.
    “I think convinced, um, people like, okay, like, you can make an R-rated movie a hit.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:33:16 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (commercial lead-in) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ The Game (the host's read). Se7en's success gave Fincher an absurd budget for The Game.
    “this is better for me because now I can make this movie at an absurd budget.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:47:35 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

8mm (1999): 1 line

  1. lineage (rip-off) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ 8mm (the host's read). Calls 8mm Schumacher ripping off Se7en.
    “8 millimeter is Schumacher ripping off seven.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:41:48 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

MTV Movie Awards Se7en parody: 1 line

  1. unmapped (parody) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ MTV Movie Awards Se7en parody (the host's read). The MTV Movie Awards parodied the Se7en ending with William Shatner playing every role and the head in the box.
    “And then Shatner's head is in the box and then he sings a song.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 2:34:40 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Nine Inch Nails: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ Nine Inch Nails (the host's read). Se7en caught industrial rock at its peak and led to Fincher-Reznor scores.
    “Fincher and Rezner go on to make this incredible partnership”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:55:04 · Sean Fennessey (0.45 sure it was them)

Saw (film series): 1 line

  1. unmapped (borrowing) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ Saw (film series) (the host's read). Rewatching the Saw movies, the speaker was struck by how much they lifted from Se7en.
    “I forgot how much saw stole.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 0:59:00 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

The Batman (2022): 1 line

  1. unmapped (borrowing) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ The Batman (the host's read). The speaker had forgotten how indebted The Batman is to Fincher, mostly to Se7en.
    “I had forgotten just how indebted the Batman is to...”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 1:28:34 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Titanic (1997): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Twister (1996), which they were tied to as hypothetical lead: Twister ⇒ Titanic (the host's read). Twister started a playbook of putting not-yet-A-list leads in a spectacle, which Titanic and later Star Wars followed.
    “It became a playbook for it.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Twister’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:54:01 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)

True Detective (2014): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ True Detective (the host's read). Se7en's influence shows in True Detective from the title sequence to the characters, though True Detective's first season flinches at the dark ending.
    “you can see the influence of of 7 on things like True Detective from the title sequence to the characters.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:15:19 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)

Zodiac (2007): 1 line

  1. unmapped (why Fincher was offered it) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ Zodiac (the host's read). Seven made Fincher the first choice for any serial-killer project, Zodiac included.
    “Ever since he makes seven, if there's some serial killer movie, is getting sent it”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 0:51:53 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)

later crime thrillers and crime TV (unnamed): 1 line

  1. lineage (genre influence) · through Seven (1995), which they were tied to as turned down Mills: Seven ⇒ later crime thrillers and crime TV (unnamed) (the host's read). As an adult the speaker is less shocked by Se7en because everyone since took a page out of its book.
    “I'm not as shocked by 7 because everyone took a page out of its book, of course.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 2:15:39 · Mike Mitchell (0.50 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Acting (26) everyone in acting

Other (6) everyone in other

What was said about them, by kind

career (5)

  1. career (career): Denzel Washington → Virtuosity. Denzel has no real stinker, so Virtuosity, a movie the speaker loves, stands in as the closest thing to his low.
    “So I'd have to go with virtuosity, a movie that I love that we probably will do on rewatchables”
    The Rewatchables · A CR Month Mailbag! · 0:10:29 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. career (career): Jodie Foster → Denzel Washington. In Inside Man Foster goes toe to toe with Denzel.
    “I'll go toe to toe with Denzel Washington.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Panic Room’ (Plus a Mini Will Smith–Oscars Recap) With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:32:11 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
  3. career (career): Denzel Washington → Fences. His filmography runs from August Wilson plays like Fences to big blockbusters.
    “he's been on this mission to make films like fences to get August Wilson's films, plays in front of people.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 0:55:45 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
  4. career (career): Denzel Washington → Training Day. Macrinus is a rare outlandish, fun-having role for Denzel, with Alonzo in Training Day the nearest earlier cousin.
    “You could say like Alonzo a little bit in training day is this”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 0:57:12 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
  5. career (career): Denzel Washington → The Equalizer. Denzel's brand is secure from the Equalizer movies, so he can take a risky villain part.
    “I do the equalizer.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 1:01:48 · Sean Fennessey (0.30 sure it was them)

contrast (1)

  1. contrast (contrast): Denzel Washington → Will Smith. As always, Denzel wins; the only winner of the night.
    “there are no winners tonight at all, except for Denzel Washington, who just continues to win.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Panic Room’ (Plus a Mini Will Smith–Oscars Recap) With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:04:31 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)

lineage (1)

  1. lineage (star lineage): Paul Newman → Denzel Washington. The actor-and-movie-star blend passes from Newman to Denzel to Leo.
    “Newman then passes it to Denzel, then Denzel passes it to Leo.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Color of Money’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:43:19 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)

people (1)

  1. people (people): Al Pacino → Denzel Washington. Denzel is another actor who is great at being a screen partner, receiving and giving.
    “That's a Denzel thing is very good at that too.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Insider’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:44:02 · Sean Fennessey (0.35 sure it was them)

theme (1)

  1. theme (comparison): Tom Cruise → Denzel Washington. Denzel is the closest comparison because of Tony Scott movies, but better actor who also does Shakespeare.
    “I think Denzel is probably the closer comparison because he does like a lot of Tony Scott movies”
    The Big Picture · The Tom Cruise Hall of Fame · 0:28:14 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)

unmapped (1)

  1. unmapped (only other option): Liam Neeson → Denzel Washington. Only Denzel could have pulled off the actor-in-action-hero role before Neeson.
    “Denzel could have done it. And maybe that's it afterward.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:10:28 · Shea Serrano (0.60 sure it was them)

verdict (1)

  1. verdict (verdict): Denzel Washington → Denzel Washington. Denzel has a hit in every decade for four decades and really has no stinkers, which is why the anti-apex exercise fails for him.
    “And he really doesn't have stinkers.”
    The Rewatchables · A CR Month Mailbag! · 0:11:13 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

what-if (4)

  1. what-if (what-if): Twister → Denzel Washington. Denzel is too cool, like Charlton Heston as Brody in Jaws, so nobody believes he would lose to a tornado.
    “Charlton Heston wanted to be Brody.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Twister’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:34:01 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. what-if (what-if): Denzel Washington → Training Day. Denzel as Peck in 1990 would be a different movie, essentially Training Day.
    “it's called training day.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Internal Affairs’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:10:06 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. what-if (what-if): James Caan → Denzel Washington. Denzel is the only other person you could imagine in the part.
    “Denzel's the only person you could ever imagine”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:34:07 · Brian Koppelman (0.70 sure it was them)
  4. what-if (what-if): Denzel Washington → Seven. Denzel turned down the Mills part, calling it too dark and evil, and later regretted it.
    “Told Entertainment Weekly, the film was, quote, too dark and evil.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:00:25 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about Denzel Washington: Running gag: Denzel always wins; whenever there is chaos, there is Denzel.
    “Whenever there's chaos, there's Denzel.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Panic Room’ (Plus a Mini Will Smith–Oscars Recap) With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:12:34 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about Denzel Washington: Denzel is both multi-Oscar-nominated and the surest box-office draw who skips Marvel, and here plays a bisexual, earring-wearing schemer.
    “He's really struck this harmonious balance in his 70s of being wildly acclaimed multi-Oscar nominated actor.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 0:56:10 · Sean Fennessey (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. fun, about Denzel Washington: Denzel's Esquire as-told-to piece about getting sober, plus his Oscar-voting jabs, made this an unusually fun promo cycle.
    “he did this esquire as told 2 piece that is fascinating about his life and getting sober”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 0:56:45 · Sean Fennessey (0.40 sure it was them)
  4. fun, about Denzel Washington: Awards: second place behind Kieran Culkin for supporting actor right now.
    “I think he's in 2nd place behind Kieran Culkin right now for real pain.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Gladiator II’ Is Here. Are We Not Entertained? · 1:12:27 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)