Loves charisma performances, movie stars at their peak, and trivia from Tarantino's circle. Champions Brad Pitt as the winner. Can't stand awards mistakes like The Artist winning, and he warns about the 'Oscars should wait five years' view. A sucker for 1960s details, driving scenes, and Boogie Nights real estate.
Stances
Brad Pitt won the movie
Oscars should be awarded five years later
Focus is underrated
Humor: Runs bits on movies he almost bought, fake research, and sports-style comparisons.
In their words
“I think Pitt won the movie.” (1:17:58)
“I think I'm the only one that likes focus.” (0:32:43)
Loves the mid-80s Eddie Murphy and the movie's cultural phenomenon, and has a clear soft spot for Lisa Eilbacher. Is a sucker for Hollywood-excess anecdotes (Simpson, cocaine, Rourke, Stallone) and for sports analogies. Has little patience for plot logic holes but loves list games and categories.
Stances
Eddie Murphy in 1984 was the biggest star in the world after Michael Jackson
Lisa Eilbacher is the Apex Mountain and the film's winner
The Eddie-Murphy-as-star what-if game (Top Gun) is a worthwhile question
Humor: Rapid-fire sports analogies (WAR, LeBron, Dion Waiters, Shawn Michaels) and mock-indignant asides.
Loves the lore of how a movie got made, the lists (casting what-ifs, recasting), and the 'unanswerable questions' category. Has little patience for Lawrence Tierney's acting or for Ebert missing on Tarantino. He remembers the 1992 Boston era of a movie that mattered and is a sucker for a heist.
Stances
Tarantino won the movie
Lawrence Tierney is bad (the 'Mike Francesa' bit)
Does not want new Reservoir Dogs content
Wants to see the heist, plays devil's advocate
Humor: Throws sports analogies, invents award names, and runs recurring bits like Roger Ebert and Felony Land.
In their words
“I love bank ice scenes.” (1:23:55)
“It's Tarantino, and I think all of those actors robbing a bank.” (1:23:22)
“Can I make the case for seeing the heist?” (1:23:18)
Loves ensemble casts and film-lineage framing, sports analogies (Dwight Gooden, Penny Hardaway), and the show's recurring awards. Wants a better soundtrack, and cannot stand the ending speech. Is a sucker for his wife and kids' opinions of the film.
Stances
Mean Girls is the best Lorne Michaels movie
Lohan's decline is like an athlete's lost career
Soundtrack and ending speech are weak
Humor: Dry, sports-and-family riffs, often teased by his co-hosts.
In their words
“that was like Dwight Gooden in 1985 on the Mets.” (0:27:59)
“I think this is the best Lauren Michaels movie.” (0:16:22)
Bill loves old-school sports myth-making, baseball nostalgia, the Natural's chill scene, and stat-nerd rabbit holes like reconstructing Roy Hobbs's season. He is picky about throwing motions and lineup logic, and is a sucker for the dugout-emptying slow-motion shot. He ranks Bull Durham/Hoosiers/Rocky near the top and finds slow hospital stretches in sports movies unbearable.
Stances
The Natural used to be the greatest sports movie but is now slower than he remembers
Every great sports movie needs a chill scene
Dislikes bad throwing motions on screen
Hospital detours in sports movies should be cut short
Roy Hobbs was a Bonds-level statistical machine, or worse
Humor: Dry, list-making sports-nerd riffs and reaching pop-culture asides (Bachelor, Harry Potter) delivered as if serious.
In their words
“My move with sports movies is like, get me out of the hospital as fast as possible.” (1:00:37)
“nothing drives me crazier than when somebody can't throw in a baseball movie.” (0:56:43)
Loves Gen X touchstones and basketball analogies; sticks up for Winona Ryder and Friends season one; mocks Troy-type guys and over-talky English majors. A sucker for half-assed internet research and awards-bit tradition.
Stances
Winona Ryder won the movie
Singles is a flawed but beloved sibling
Ben Stiller deserves credit
Humor: Rolls NBA references and mock-feuds into everything.
In their words
“I do look at her in a way, like, uh, like I look at some NBA players.” (0:32:14)
Loves sports-adjacent silliness, big broad comedy and quotable lines, and wedding toast chaos. Can't stand being wrong about movie trivia he has already litigated. A sucker for his own running categories and bits (Ebert, Joey Pants, Dion Waiters).
Stances
Roger Ebert is never to be trusted on comedies
Comedies of the era were a nice 6-7 year run
Open your movie with a wedding theory
Luke Wilson is not Harrison Ford
Humor: Deadpan rapid-fire teasing of co-hosts and mock-outrage, plus sports references.
In their words
“never to be trusted on comedies.” (0:15:17)
“This movie also nicely slots into my open your movie with a wedding theory.” (1:01:05)
Loves sports analogies, Kurt Russell and Pacino's Cruising, defends 90s movies like Fletch. Dislikes dated romance interludes like the picnic. A sucker for mustaches and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson.
Stances
Val Kilmer wins the movie
Wyatt Earp is the rival, Tombstone is more entertaining
Cruising is incredible
Cut the 12-minute theater scene
Humor: Rapid-fire sports comparisons and teasing his cohosts.
In their words
“I think this movie is the perfect microcosm of both of their careers.” (0:12:28)
“I just don't come to Tombstone for picnics” (0:29:44)
Loves old-school and 5 o'clocker action, Seagal, Stallone, Nick Cage, and movies that know exactly what they are. Can't stand over-explained worldbuilding or sequels that give the hero a known villain. A sucker for the Neeson comeback and for ranking things by era.
Stances
Taken is the perfect 5 o'clocker
Taken 2 is not better than the first
Neeson is the Apex Mountain of the movie
The first Taken works because there is no main villain
Humor: Deadpan nitpicking, escalating sports analogies, and long self-deprecating dad stories.
In their words
“I just like watching movies that know exactly what they are.” (0:32:10)
“I don't think it's a John Wick 2 situation where John Wick 2 is actually somehow better than John Wick one, or we could at least have the debate.” (0:42:12)
Loves big star-driven movies and sets the show's categories; adores the Wahlberg and Baldwin scenes, Boston flavor and the crazy cast what-ifs. Can't stand Nicholson's performance here, implausible plot points and the rat. A sucker for 'that guy' actors, Goodfellas and Boston details.
Stances
The Departed is a Hall of Famer because it is flawed and fun
Leo won the movie, Nicholson loses it
Costello should have been Pacino
Damon's Boston accent beats Wahlberg's
Scorsese's Stones fetish is funny
Humor: Deadpan nitpicking, jokes about plot holes and trivia, rapid mock-outrage.
In their words
“This is a perfect rewatchable because it is a great bad movie.” (0:12:23)
Calls Spielberg the greatest director ever but is skeptical of his late period and Munich. Loves Jaws, Raiders, and E.T. through his kids, and measures movies by whether kids can stay with them. Distrusts the calculating, career-minded side of Spielberg and Spielberg's DreamWorks hedging.
Stances
Spielberg's first 15 years are the greatest career stretch ever
His recent work is solid but not special
Spielberg is 'calculating' where Mann or Coppola are obsessive
Judges movies by whether his kids can watch them
Humor: Wry and teasing; leans on sports analogies (LeBron, Popovich) and bits like 'hit by a car in 1986'.
In their words
“if you just got hit by a car at the peak of your career, how would people remember you?” (0:51:08)
“I judge everything by my kids who have, you know, 21st century ADD with pop culture.” (1:00:09)
Their shows' recurring bits
Running bits, not opinions; a critic read aloud is cited, not present.
The Big Picture
Drafts: Hosts and guests draft films in rounds; every pick is a recommendation with an argument.
Hall of Fame: A star's or director's best, ranked and argued.
Countdowns: Ranked lists, top five or top ten.
The Rewatchables
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.
career (chain: SNL comeback):
Fletch → Lorne Michaels.
Chase's mid-80s comeback with Three Amigos reunited him with Lorne Michaels and Spies Like Us with Dan Aykroyd.
“The 3 amigos get some back with Lorne Michaels, which is huge.”
theme (persona parallel):
Michael Keaton → Night Shift.
Keaton was the other 80s wiseass; in Night Shift he is a cocky shithead, and Night Shift is a forgotten movie like Seems Like Old Times.
“But I'm saying like when he, like he's in night shift, that guy's just like a cocky shithead, basically.”
lineage (source material):
Fletch → Gregory McDonald.
Fletch adapts the McDonald novels; the noir voiceover feels like the book, the ad-libbed scenes deviate.
unmapped (mocked expectation):
Roger Ebert → The Killing Fields.
Mock-Ebert asks why Fletch is not like serious dramas such as The Killing Fields or Chariots of Fire.
people (athlete-actor contender):
Jim Brown → The Dirty Dozen.
Brown offered as most successful athlete-actor: Mars Attacks, Any Given Sunday, Running Man, Dirty Dozen.
“Dirty dozen was like an actual real role in a great movie.”
people (director filmography):
Michael Ritchie → Downhill Racer.
Ritchie is called the best sports-movie director ever on the strength of Downhill Racer, Bad News Bears, Semi-Tough, Wildcats and Diggstown.
“This is the this is the all-time best sports movie director ever.”
people (composer trajectory):
Harold Faltermeyer → Top Gun.
Faltermeyer scored Beverly Hills Cop then Fletch; the sky is the limit after, literally with Top Gun.
people (director filmography):
Philip Noyce → Clear and Present Danger.
Noyce directed The Saint, Sliver and Clear and Present Danger; Bill wants to rewatch Clear and Present Danger.
“I'd love to do clear and present danger on this podcast.”
what-if (casting what-if):
Matthew Broderick → Family Ties.
Broderick was first choice for Alex P. Keaton and turned it down, raising a Back to the Future ripple question.
“He was the 1st choice to play Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties.”
what-if (casting what-if):
Matthew Broderick → Back to the Future.
If Broderick took Family Ties, would Michael J. Fox have played Ferris and Broderick Marty McFly.
“if Matthew Broderick's in family ties, does that mean he's then in back to the future? and Michael J. Fox's Ferris Bueller?”
what-if (casting what-if):
Matthew Broderick → Point Break.
Broderick turned down Johnny Utah, which went to Keanu; hosts say he is too slight and not a quarterback type.
“He turned down the role of Johnny Utah, point break.”
career (creator self-projection):
John Hughes → The Breakfast Club.
Hughes is a cross between Hall's Breakfast Club character and Cameron, and did his best writing for those guys.
“my guess would be he was kind of a cross between Anthony Michael Hall's breakfast club character and Cameron in a lot of ways”
unmapped (critical disagreement):
Roger Ebert → Gene Siskel.
Siskel disliked Ferris over Chicago accuracy, while Ebert gave it three stars and later Roeper made it his favorite.
craft (comedic device):
Ferris Bueller's Day Off → Beverly Hills Cop.
Impersonating people over multiple phones to outwit annoying people peaked in Ferris, Beverly Hills Cop, and Fletch.
“This was peak trying to outwit really fucking annoying people by pretending to be different characters and using different phones.”
craft (cut music):
Robert Smith → Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Robert Smith wrote original museum music that failed in screening; replaced by an instrumental of a Smiths song.
“the music that they got rid of is was written for the movie by Robert Smith from The Cure.”
unmapped (same year):
Ferris Bueller's Day Off → Platoon.
Oscar year 1986 pairs Platoon with Ferris, and Platoon's nominees are listed alongside the 1986 supporting actor race.
“Lucas, Ferris Bueller, Platoon. Iconic one year.”
what-if (casting what-if):
Paul Gleason → The Breakfast Club.
Gleason, Dick Vernon in Breakfast Club, was considered for Rooney; hosts debate if that is too distracting.
“Paul Gleason considered. For the role of Ed Rooney.”
unmapped (sibling film):
Ferris Bueller's Day Off → The Breakfast Club.
The two were basically filmed simultaneously at Shermer High, which also hosts Weird Science and Sixteen Candles.
“Ferris Bewer and Breakfast Club were basically filmed simultaneously in Shermer High.”
theme (shared location):
Ferris Bueller's Day Off → Weird Science.
Shermer High is the location for Weird Science, Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, and Ferris.
“Shermer High is the location for weird science, um, 16 candles, Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller.”
people (that guy filmography):
Max Perlich → Beautiful Girls.
Classroom actor Perlich also appears in Beautiful Girls, My Own Private Idaho, and Drugstore Cowboy.
“Is he in my own private Idaho or drugstore cowboy?”
what-if (casting what-if):
Ronny Cox → Total Recall.
Ronny Cox's 83 to 90 run playing guys in charge makes him a Rooney candidate, tied to a past Total Recall episode.
theme (shared location):
Ferris Bueller's Day Off → The Blues Brothers.
Chez Louis is the same restaurant as in Blues Brothers and St. Elmo's Fire, a three-year span of iconic 80s restaurant movies.
“Same restaurant as the Blues Brothers, with Elwood and Jake.”
theme (genre: Chicago movies):
Ferris Bueller's Day Off → About Last Night.
Ferris is argued as the Apex Mountain for Chicago in movies, alongside Blues Brothers and About Last Night.
“is this is this Apex Mountain for Chicago in movies.”
theme (genre: all in one day):
Ferris Bueller's Day Off → Dazed and Confused.
Other nominees for the all-in-one-day genre include Dazed and Confused, Dog Day Afternoon, Before Sunrise/Sunset, Do the Right Thing.
“Dazed and Confused, dog day afternoon. Um, the before sunrise before sunset movies. Do the right thing is on that list.”
unmapped (year context):
Ferris Bueller's Day Off → Back to the Future.
Hughes has the biggest cultural footprint of 80s directors, involved in five of the fifteen biggest 80s movies, plus Home Alone.
“out of the 15 biggest 80s movies. I think he was involved in five.”
career (career comparison):
Brad Pitt → Newitski.
Simmons compares the role's effect on Pitt to a title lifting an already Hall of Fame player (the transcript renders it 'Newitski', a mangled Dirk Nowitzki).
“I compared it to when Newitski, when the title in 2011, where Newitski was a Hall of Famer anyway”
“Tarantino wanted it to look like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and had his crew research, Texas Chant, and the whole feel of it and how desolate it was.”
lineage (visual influence):
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood → Apocalypse Now.
The dogs at Spahn Ranch play the role of the Duvall helicopters, constantly present and disorienting.
unmapped (script anecdote):
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood → True Romance.
Sharon watching her own movie came from Tarantino sneaking into a theater showing True Romance; Pitt's acid-trip moment is likened to Floyd from True Romance.
“he's basically Floyd from True Romance for the 1st 2 minutes of that scene”
lineage (ad-lib source):
Brad Pitt → True Romance.
Pitt's ad-libbed line was based on an actor who told him the same in the early 90s; they guess True Romance's Michael Rapaport/Saul Rubinek.
“You're Rick fucking Dalton, don't you forget it?”
unmapped (LA movie):
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood → Heat.
Heat is floated as a best Los Angeles movie in a list including Boyz n the Hood and Nightcrawler.
“This, uh, he, Boys in the Hood, Nightcrawler, like what else?”
verdict (favorite actors):
Quentin Tarantino → Michael Madsen.
Tarantino has gotten the best out of actors like Travolta, Madsen, Jamie Foxx, David Carradine.
programming (programming):
Saturday Night Live → Eddie Murphy.
Being on SNL meant Eddie brought it every week; his movies were not shot 18 months earlier, he was appointment viewing.
“oh, he was like on television every weekend was appointment viewing.”
verdict (verdict):
Beverly Hills Cop → Roger Ebert.
Ebert gave the film 2.5 stars, calling Eddie a victim of the Star Magic Syndrome.
“Eddie Murphy looks like the latest victim of the Star Magic Syndrome, in which it is assumed that a movie will be a hit simply because it stars enormously talented person.”
industry (industry):
Eddie Murphy → Walter Hill.
Eddie mostly worked with really good directors early: Walter Hill, Tony Scott, Robert Townsend, Landis, with Brest the exception.
“Walter Hill, Tony Scott, Robert Townsend, doing shooting the comedy special,”
career (career):
Jonathan Banks → Breaking Bad.
Banks was a first-ballot-hall-of-fame 'that guy' from Wiseguy and BHC until Breaking Bad made his name.
“And then Breaking Bad happened and he became Jonathan Banks.”
career (career):
Bronson Pinchot → Dion Waiters.
Pinchot's two scenes leading to a sitcom is likened to a Dion Waiters-style success story, awarded the Dion Waiters Award.
industry (industry):
Beverly Hills Cop → Michael Eisner.
Eisner claims he came up with the idea after a speeding ticket in 1975; Simpson claimed it from 1977.
“in 1975, he got a speeding ticket with a cop, thought the guy was a little bit of a dick”
verdict (verdict):
Reservoir Dogs → Roger Ebert.
Ebert gave it 2.5 of 4, saying the script lacked curiosity about the characters; the hosts call it a miss.
“But Tarantino's script does not have much curiosity about the characters, gave it 2.5 stars out of four.”
lineage (lineage):
Reservoir Dogs → The Killing.
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.”
lineage (lineage):
Reservoir Dogs → The Big Combo.
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”
fun, about
Steve Martin (Apex Mountain):
Apex ruling: Martin's true apex is 1978-79 (The Jerk and SNL); mainstream Steve Martin starts here. Keaton's apex is Annie Hall; Kimberly Williams and father-daughter movies yes; Nancy Meyers no; San Marino 100%; wedding movies likely.
fun, about
Father of the Bride (nitpicks):
Nitpick roll: no father-daughter dance, no rehearsal dinner, honeymoon flight that night, LA snow that melts perfectly, and a 14-year age gap between Annie and Matty.
fun, about
Father of the Bride (wedding cost):
Unanswerable question: wedding cost estimated at $250K by a frugal site; the hosts use their own math to land on $60K-$90K in 1991 prices, and a 500-person list cut to 150.
“So we'll say somewhere between like 60,000 and 90,000.”
fun, about
Sidekick / George Banks:
Piece of memorabilia: the bedazzled bridal sneakers (Simmons's wife and daughter went nuts); Dobbins takes the cappuccino maker; both wonder if George's Sidekick shoe company merged with Foot Locker.
“it's probably more likely he like merges with foot locker and it doesn't really work out that well.”
fun, about
Tony Manero:
The movie in a nutshell: Tony's line that he has been told he was good twice in his life, once for a raise and once for dancing at the disco.
“This raised today and dancing, dancing at the disco.”
fun, about
Saturday Night Fever:
Gene Siskel bought the white suit at a 1979 charity auction for $2,000 and sold it in 1995 at Christie's for $145,000.
fun, about
Travolta dance solo:
Travolta threatened to quit unless the director shot the solo wide; with the Steadicam they let him cook for two minutes.
“I'm quitting the film unless you go wide, and you kind of let me cook.”
fun, about
Karen Lynn Gorney:
Simmons spent half an hour searching for why she was cast and found nothing; she is also about nine years older than Travolta and a weak dancer.
“I'm so confused why she got cast for this movie that I actually spent like a half hour Googling it”
fun, about
The Color of Money:
In the 1986 Quigley poll of most marketable stars, Cruise was number one and Newman tenth, his last appearance; Newman made it 13 times before 1986. The narrative was Cruise taking the torch.
“Cruz was number one in 1986 when this movie came out. Newman was 10th. It was his last appearance.”
fun, about
The Color of Money:
Newman was hands-on: he effectively cast it, hired the director, and badgered Richard Price. It's Scorsese's only film to come in under schedule and under budget.
“Scorsese's only film he has directed that came under schedule and under budget because Newman was a maniac about it.”
fun, about
The Color of Money:
Roger Ebert gave it 2.5 stars, saying it wasn't an exciting film even though Scorsese was a friend; the hosts disagree but respect his integrity.
“And it's not an exciting film. It doesn't have the electricity, the wound up tension of his best work.”
fun, about
Tom Cruise:
Most rewatchable scene: Cruise's Werewolves of London pool run, with a cue-flipping routine. 'No camera has ever loved an actor more than those 2 minutes.'
“No camera has ever loved an actor more than those 2 minutes.”
fun, about
Casting / White Lotus joke:
Running joke: Cruise from Cocktail now owns the White Lotus resort as Brian Flanagan; Vince owns it with Jennifer Coolidge, Julie Christie and Olivier.
“Cruise from cocktail now owns the resort in Jamaica.”
fun, about
The Color of Money:
What ages worst: the fictional video game Stalker and the 1980s pool-star cameos (Steve Mizerak, Keith McCready) that were a big deal then.
“I knew who Steve Mahalik was and some of these other dudes”
fun, about
The Color of Money:
Bill's theory on why pool left TV: the best players were the people you least wanted to hang out with, like Phil Hellmuth in poker.
“the people who were the best at pool were people you just didn't want to hang out with when you were watching TV”
fun, about
Casting what-ifs:
Bill pitches Julie Christie for the Helen Shaver part; others suggest Charlotte Rampling, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, Sissy Spacek.
fun, about
Paul Newman:
Newman became one of only six people to win or be nominated for an Oscar for a part he'd already played; he and Joanne Woodward were the first married couple with his and hers Oscars since Olivier and Leigh.
“Newman became one of like only 6 people who won and one or even got nominated for an Oscar for playing a part he'd already played.”
fun, about
Tom Cruise:
Cruise did his own trick shots except the ball-jumping-two-balls shot, which used a stunt person because learning it would have cost two production days.
fun, about
Apex Mountain: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio:
Not Apex Mountain for her (maybe Abyss or Perfect Storm), but she's 'a 5 alarm fire' here; Bill blames her long name for her stalled career.
fun, about
Best Tom Cruise singing along:
Category contenders: Top Gun (twice), Cocktail (Addicted to Love), Risky Business, Jerry Maguire (Free Fallin'), and this film; Top Gun probably wins.
“This is the secret of Cruise's success. singing along to songs.”
fun, about
Bill Murray's phases:
Sean says Murray has two career phases split at Rushmore; Bill argues for three, with Ghostbusters ending phase one. Van jokes they are MC Ewing-ing Bill Murray.
“See, I would argue Murray had 3 phases, not two.”
fun, about
Film year 1991:
Bill reads off the 1991 top box office list as a great pop-culture year, asking if 1991 is the movie year to what 1995 is hip hop.
“I wonder if 91 is the movie year to what 95 is the hip hop year.”
fun, about
Siskel and Ebert:
Ebert gave three stars and called it Murray's best since Ghostbusters; Siskel felt Dreyfuss gave too angry a performance. The hosts disagree with Siskel.
“Said, Dreyfus gave too angry of a performance and it ruined the movie for him.”
fun, about
Most rewatchable scene:
Bill's pick: the first therapy scene, with 'What if my heart stops beating' and the line about two types of people, those who like Neil Diamond and those who don't.
“There are 2 types of people in this world. Those are like Neil Diamond and those who don't.”
fun, about
Catherine Erbe's age:
Sean's theory: Anna is a 26-year-old post-college failure living with her family, which is why she invites Bob in. Bill says Sean just made a whole different movie.
fun, about
Most rewatchable scene:
Dreyfuss's puppets: he addresses his daughter via two puppets in the family conference, and Bill says this is when the movie takes off.
“To me, this is when, right here is when the movie takes off.”
fun, about
Best quote / most rewatchable:
The call that Bob supposedly killed himself: Dr. Marvin's wife says how horrible, he pauses, then 'let's not let it spoil our vacation.' Bill says it turns the light off.
fun, about
Dr. Marvin's wagoner:
What Aged the Best: the 80s station wagon, which the hosts want to return; Bill says there could be a website of 80s wagoners in comedies.
“there could easily be a website just with all the 80s wagoners and different movies”
fun, about
Half-fast research: the house:
The lake house that explodes at the end was a model replica built at 34th scale on a different lot; the vacation house was filmed at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.
“they built a 34th size model replica of the house”
fun, about
Bill Murray / Richard Dreyfuss:
Dreyfuss recalled Murray as 'an Irish drunken bully' who screamed 'Everyone hates you. You were tolerated' and threw a glass-blown ashtray. The hosts side 1000 percent with Murray and mock Dreyfuss for specifying the ashtray was 'modern glass-blown' and 3/4 pound.
fun, about
Charlie Korsmo:
The child actor who plays Siggy stopped acting in 1998, got a physics degree from MIT and a JD from Yale, passed the New York bar and now teaches corporate law at Case Western Reserve; Van is stunned.
“Earned his jurisdoctor degree from Yale Law School in 2006.”
fun, about
Apex Mountain:
Apex Mountain verdicts: Murray no, Dreyfuss no, Korsmo yes (with an Obama nomination later), Hagerty no, 'death therapy' yes for the apex; Good Morning America passes maybe.
fun, about
Pick nit: the 35-day vacation:
Producer Craig asks if July 31 to Labor Day is too long a vacation; Bill notes a psychiatrist leaving for 35 days; Van says he'd take it personally.
fun, about
Se7en (ending):
Fincher wanted to cut to black right after Mills shoots John Doe; in test screenings the house lights came up immediately, New Line panicked and added Somerset's coda, which Freeman, Pitt and Fincher still resent.
“So New Line freaked out and they ended up doing that little coda at the end”
fun, about
Chevy Chase:
Chase nearly died during Modern Problems when airplane landing lights on his costume malfunctioned and passed an electric current through his arm, back and neck.
“An electric current passes through his arm back and neck muscles and he almost dies.”
fun, about
Fletch:
Producer rights were bought July 1976, every studio passed for 8 years, then Michael Douglas pushed it through; $8M budget, $59M gross, $24.4M in video rentals.
fun, about
Fletch / Roger Ebert:
Ebert gave Fletch 2.5 stars saying Chase's detached mask prevents identification; hosts mock him, saying Siskel got it and Ebert wanted a drama.
“Fletch needed an actor more interested in playing the character than in playing himself.”
fun, about
Fletch:
Scene: Fletch at the physical, the doctor snaps on a glove and Fletch asks if he used the whole fist, Doc; Bill's son stayed stone-faced.
fun, about
Fletch:
The second tennis club visit: Fletch orders caviar twice and champagne to Cabana One on Underhill's tab; Sean's single favorite 6 minutes.
“Bring two bottles of, uh, Dom Perignon to Cabana One.”
fun, about
Fletch:
Fletch steals the Alfa Romeo, fakes a Smart Patrol emissions stop, then crashes Fred Dorfman's luncheon and gives a speech; probably Chase's best 90 seconds.
fun, about
Fletch:
The full list of Fletch's pseudonyms, from Ted Nugent to Harry S. Truman.
“Fletch, Fletch, Ted Nugent, Arnold Babar, Dr. Rosen Penis, Dr. Rosenbosen, John Cocktail Stone, Mr. Poon, Igor Stravinsky, Gordon Liddy, John Levinstein, Donc Corleone, and Harry S. Truman.”
fun, about
Fletch (what's aged worst):
Producer Craig, who joined the Zoom, doesn't like Fletch and calls the jokes dad jokes; hosts call it the most tension ever on the show.
“The biggest the most tension we've ever had on a rewatchables.”
fun, about
Fletch (casting what-ifs):
Considered for Fletch: Burt Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, Mick Jagger, Barry Bostwick; the author rejected Reynolds and Jagger; the producer first wanted Richard Dreyfuss, whom Chris imitated.