Bill Simmons

51 sketches, 1,295 claims, and 677 fun items attributed to them. What was said about them.

Personality, episode by episode

Showing 21–40 of 51 sketches.

The Rewatchables: ‘My Cousin Vinny’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Wesley Morris (host)

Loves the rewatchable ones that snuck up on him and the last half hour of courtroom movies; is a sucker for stat-style trivia and Oscar conspiracies. Dislikes lazy car endings only mildly; mostly he cannot resist digging up oral-history detail.

Stances

  • Believes the frozen-envelope Oscar theory over Jack Palance
  • Pesci was the most improbable A-list star of his lifetime

Humor: Dry, sports-metaphor-heavy riffs and relentless trivia.

In their words

  • “I believe the David Stern thing, the frozen envelope way more than the Jack Palance.” (0:17:18)
  • “The most improbable A-list movie star I think we've had in my lifetime.” (0:25:57)

The Rewatchables: ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck (host)

Loves ensemble comedies and a great one-line movie pitch, and believes in the McBride gospel. Can't stand Hitler-adjacent hand-wringing and sequels that disappoint (Fletch 2). A sucker for sports analogies (Dion Waiters, Stephen A.) and Kenny Powers bloopers.

Stances

  • Danny McBride is the funniest since Ferrell
  • Rogen and Goldberg did the right thing by not making sequels
  • Release the Hitler cut

Humor: Drops sports-radio-style asides and rapid callbacks to running Rewatchables gags.

In their words

  • “I said he was the he's the funniest guy since Ferrell.” (0:26:30)
  • “I think they should have done it.” (0:43:49)

The Rewatchables: ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan (host)

Loves survival and wilderness movies, bears, and plot-heavy 90s star vehicles, and has read Art Linson's book on the making of the film. Won't rewatch The Revenant and dislikes bad casting. Sucker for nitpicks like the watch engraver and for sports analogies.

Stances

  • The Edge is the best mainstream bear movie
  • Bart the Bear won the movie
  • A real actress should have played Mickey
  • Baldwin is a prick on set but a good actor
  • Always in on survival movies

Humor: Rapid sports analogies, deadpan nitpicks, and elaborate hypothetical bits.

In their words

  • “Bart the Bear won the movie.” (1:34:04)
  • “Sadly, it's Elle McPherson's acting, for sure.” (1:02:43)

The Rewatchables: ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman (host)

Loves ensemble casts throwing 98 miles an hour, office thrillers, and A-listers used from the bullpen. Dislikes weak links and weak titles. A sucker for a good rewatch category.

Stances

  • Margin Call is better than The Big Short
  • Margin Call is a horror movie more than a drama
  • Irons is the worst human being
  • Margin Call is a bad title

Humor: Runs bits and games, poking at colleagues and his own diet.

In their words

  • “I dig that it's more of a horror movie than a drama.” (0:01:48)
  • “I just like this movie more than the big short.” (1:04:08)

The Rewatchables: ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman (host)

Loves tidy, perfectly executed genre movies and the Rewatchables test of whether you can roll in midway. A Goldman and Stephen King devotee; hot-take prone about Kathy Bates. Can't stand slow first hours and logistical plot holes. A sucker for Knicks tangents.

Stances

  • Misery is a perfect thing but only a tier 2 or 3 rewatchable
  • Bates is the best Best Actress performance of the last 30 years
  • Sweating logistics: search party, pooping, scrapbooks

Humor: Self-mocking, obsessive nitpicking that spirals into Knicks panic.

In their words

  • “I think this is the best, best actress performance of the 90s, 2000s, 2010s or this decade.” (1:03:17)
  • “I think for a rewatchable, it's too slow.” (1:01:12)
  • “Brunson thing definitely would have sent him into a complete tailspin.” (0:55:26)

The Rewatchables: ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck (host)

Loves hangout comedy where friends rip each other, improvised bits, and a well-timed needle drop. Sucker for sports analogies and for the stars-who-have-it argument. Wary of bloated runtimes and subplots that go nowhere.

Stances

  • The com-rom era (2004-2011) is a real genre shift from the 89-05 rom-com boom
  • Knocked Up is too long and should be about 1:40
  • The fantasy-baseball cheating subplot and the labor sequence are the weak links
  • Heigl and Lohan are the decade's two lost superstars

Humor: Dry, list-and-stat-driven riffs and sports comparisons, plus teasing his producer.

In their words

  • “I just think her and Lohan are the 2 lost superstars from this decade.” (0:25:19)
  • “That's got to be the best comedy producing run anyone's had.” (0:10:54)
  • “It is 7.5 minutes that you could cut so easily.” (0:54:05)

The Rewatchables: ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan (host)

Loves 80s excess, star-power movies, Eddie Murphy, Simpson-Bruckheimer productions, and magazine research on set chaos. Cannot stand Axel being asexual again and plot holes like Jan. A sucker for action-comedy, theme songs, and sports analogies.

Stances

  • Cop II is more rewatchable than Cop I, though not better
  • Eddie Murphy is on his all-time favorites short list
  • The movie should have been 10-15 minutes longer
  • Villains are overstuffed (five villains)

Humor: Delivers deadpan 80s-coke-era jokes and sports analogies, and riffs on producer Don Simpson excess.

In their words

  • “So, yeah, the 80s are the fucking best.” (0:17:59)
  • “I don't think it's a better movie, but I actually think it's a more rewatchable movie because it's sleeker.” (0:21:30)

The Rewatchables: 'The Player' With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Wesley Morris (host)

Loves early-90s LA-mystique movies, cameo spotting, and rewatching favorite sequences. Admits Altman's Popeye turned him off as a kid and he loves Striking Distance and Sarah Jessica Parker. Can't connect with Greta Scacchi's character and says Scacchi is not that good here.

Stances

  • The Player is where meta-Hollywood storytelling starts
  • Greta Scacchi's character is underwritten and he doesn't get her
  • Randall Batinkoff deserved a career
  • Hollywood execs are always the bad guys in these stories

Humor: Runs bits (Striking Distance week, rookie cards, Total Dunk) and plays the straight man to the others' riffs.

In their words

  • “I remember seeing presumed innocent in the theater with my buddy Bysch.” (1:05:50)
  • “I had I had his rookie cards.” (0:52:53)
  • “We should do Rowdy Harrington week.” (0:56:10)

The Rewatchables: ‘Die Hard 2’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey (host)

Loves movies of his own youth, the 1990s theatrical-era blockbusters and John McClane's mix of comedy and action. Cannot stand the Die Hard-as-Christmas-movie take and finds the plane crash a conflicted, joyless moment. A sucker for NBA metaphors, Regarding Henry as a cult comedy, and bad-movie tangents.

Stances

  • Die Hard and Die Hard 2 are not Christmas movies
  • the plane crash is memorable, not rewatchable
  • Regarding Henry is now a hilarious comedy
  • the plot and getaway plan do not make sense

Humor: Rapid-fire running bits, sports analogies, self-deprecating dad jokes and stubborn contrarian takes.

In their words

  • “In my heart of hearts, it's not a Christmas movie.” (1:16:22)
  • “I wouldn't call it rewatchable, more like memorable” (0:30:15)

The Rewatchables: ‘Panic Room’ (Plus a Mini Will Smith–Oscars Recap) With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey (host)

Loves rewatchable ensemble thrillers, box-office and calendar context, and sports analogies; delights in bad-guy-as-star casting what-ifs. Can't stand Contact. A sucker for production trivia and record-setting script sales.

Stances

  • Contact is an awful movie
  • Fincher's movies are rewatchable and date-movie friendly
  • Panic Room is a well-made B movie elevated by its director
  • Wants movie-reference websites (script records, growing child actors)

Humor: Mixes sports analogies (LeBron, Jeff Green, Iverson) with running bits about Robert Williams and the Celtics.

In their words

  • “Matthew McConey and Jody Foster had no chemistry at all.” (0:27:06)
  • “like the Jeff Green of actors.” (1:01:28)
  • “Why not 3.5, Rog?” (0:42:18)

The Rewatchables: ‘The Ice Storm’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey (host)

Loves adult 90s movies, period detail on set walls (Planet of the Apes, Doors, Nixon posters), Sigourney Weaver and Joan Allen, and any chance to rank things. Can't stand water beds, Elijah Wood's one move, or an unearned plot beat. A sucker for nostalgia, sports analogies, and the key party as a gimmick.

Stances

  • Ice Storm has almost no standalone rewatchable scenes beyond the key party
  • Joan Allen deserved an Oscar nomination
  • The film needs the mid-90s to make sense

Humor: Turns everything into sports analogies and running bits like premature-ejaculation jokes.

In their words

  • “There's really almost no rewatchable scenes other than, um, other than the key party.” (0:03:10)
  • “What was fun about a water bed?” (0:55:34)
  • “I love bong scenes in movies, just I'm always in bong scenes.” (0:51:14)

The Rewatchables: ‘Miracle’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan (host)

Loves sports movies, speeches, and tight dramatizations of events he lived through; remembers 1980 in detail. Cannot stand wet-blanket wives and sports movies that run long. A sucker for Remember the Titans and memorabilia.

Stances

  • Third period of the USSR game is most rewatchable
  • The wife character is one of the worst of its kind
  • Disney sports movies run 20 minutes too long
  • Pacino in Any Given Sunday is the top sports speech

Humor: Anecdotal, self-deprecating tangents tied to his own life.

In their words

  • “I said this was the greatest moment of my entire childhood.” (0:01:33)
  • “It's a media script.” (0:18:37)

The Rewatchables: ‘Father of the Bride’ With Bill Simmons and Amanda Dobbins (host)

Loves Steve Martin's whole career and sentimental family movies; a sucker for dad-daughter material now that he has a 16-year-old. Cannot stand Martin Short's one-note gag, mis-cast Diane Keaton in The Godfather, and sloppy wedding logistics. Loves celebrity trivia, rating scales, and 90s nostalgia.

Stances

  • Father of the Bride is the default my-daughter-is-getting-married movie
  • Steve Martin's second-career peak starts here but his true apex was 1978-79
  • Annie is a bad daughter
  • Martin Short is overacted and one note
  • Teen Wolf has the worst basketball scene ever

Humor: Deadpan self-deprecating dad humor plus sports analogies (Apex to Nader, Patriots losing).

In their words

  • “This is the only my daughter is getting married movie that I think is the default for everybody.” (0:01:54)
  • “The worst, the worst basketball scene ever in a movie is in Teen Wolf.” (0:42:02)

The Rewatchables: ‘Saturday Night Fever’ With Bill Simmons and Jimmy Kimmel (host)

Loves films that capture a time and place and treats the Bee Gees soundtrack as untouchable. Cares about the production mechanics and the behind-the-scenes deals (Stigwood, Paramount, the Steadicam). Can't stand weak casting and unfinished payoffs such as the dance contest and the hollow Rocky-style moment. A sucker for dance-floor takeover scenes.

Stances

  • Travolta wins the movie; Grease was his apex
  • The dance contest should have been better
  • Karen Lynn Gorney was miscast
  • The movie may be more self-aware than it looks
  • Staying Alive is bad but he is glad it exists

Humor: Dry deadpan on production oddities and blunt about miscasting; reads trivia like a prosecutor.

In their words

  • “Fuck up the legacy of Saturday.” (0:43:22)
  • “I'm so confused why she got cast for this movie that I actually spent like a half hour Googling it” (0:55:09)
  • “I think the 1st 5 minutes of it are among the 5 funniest moments minutes of the entire 80s.” (1:17:53)

The Rewatchables: ‘The Color of Money’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey (host)

Loves Newman, a rewatchable sports-movie structure, montages, and 80s style, and was a serious pool player. Wants a sports movie to show who won, and gripes about the forfeit logic. A sucker for Cruise committing to a bit.

Stances

  • Newman might be his favorite actor of all time
  • The ending's forfeit never added up
  • Wanted to see who won the final match
  • Pool deserves a TV comeback

Humor: Self-deprecating pool-hustler boasts and long running riffs like a White Lotus sequel.

In their words

  • “I actually think he might be my favorite actor of all time” (0:42:49)
  • “I hate the forfeit in the tournament.” (1:08:52)
  • “Did you model your game after anyone you saw in this movie?” (1:00:11)

The Rewatchables: ‘What About Bob?’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Van Lathan (host)

Loves mainstream, star-driven 80s and early-90s comedies and sports-flavored framing; admires Bill Murray. Skeptical about the film's morals, raising whether Bob is a sociopath, and nitpicks plot logic. Sucker for box-office year lists and trivia.

Stances

  • Considers What About Bob? almost perfect yet asks 'what was the point'
  • Believes Murray had three career phases
  • Full team Bill Murray over Dreyfuss
  • No recasting needed because everyone is perfect

Humor: Dry, list-heavy riffs, teasing his co-hosts about their weekend habits and the crew, and sports metaphors.

In their words

  • “This movie kills me. I think it's almost perfect.” (0:01:41)
  • “Full team Bill Murray.” (1:03:09)

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

Stances

  • Thief and Heat are a Mann family
  • Ferris Bueller best Chicago movie

Humor: Rapid-fire riffing and ad reads.

In their words

  • “I'm literally the number one fan of running scared.” (1:09:04)

The Rewatchables: ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan (host)

Loves a patient procedural that sucks you in on cable, and ranks Freeman's contributions highly. Likes trivia like diner locations and casting what-ifs, and sports analogies for everything. Sucker for the last forty minutes of a great movie.

Stances

  • Wants to come in halfway through; the last hour is the rewatch.
  • Brad Pitt is good here but not top-tier; Freeman's apex is after Se7en.
  • Sly in Se7en would derail it.

Humor: Escalates a nitpick into a long mock-forensic bit, with sports metaphors.

In their words

  • “Seven lives are saved.” (0:59:59)
  • “How do you mail someone a severed head, Chris?” (1:14:04)

The Rewatchables: ‘Fletch’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan (host)

Loves 80s cable comedies that wear you down on rewatch, Lakers lore, and character-actor trivia. Defends The Saint and Val Kilmer against everyone. Can't stand misses of what a movie is trying to be; a sucker for sports detail and Mystery Science Theater.

Stances

  • Fletch is a stone cold classic and one of the most quotable movies of the 80s
  • Chevy Chase's career is a fascinating drug-era casualty arc
  • The Saint is underrated

Humor: Deadpan trash talk of his co-hosts and a running self-owning bit about his own obsessions.

In their words

  • “This is a stone cold fucking classic, and we need to put respect on Fletch's name.” (0:02:50)
  • “Craig killed the energy.” (0:45:33)

The Rewatchables: ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan (host)

Loves cars, sports analogies, and the first half of Ferris; fixated on timelines, nitpicks, and category structure. Can not stand Cameron's decision to destroy the Ferrari. A sucker for big iconic cars and 80s teenage girl nostalgia.

Stances

  • The first half of the movie is better than the second
  • Cameron should not have destroyed the car
  • Hughes won the movie
  • Parade traffic would make the timeline impossible

Humor: Mock-serious obsession with logistics and trivia, running gags like Mount Rushmores and Hall of Fame inductions.

In their words

  • “It's like, honestly, watching a perfect game all the way, even at the Wrigley Field, the baseball game.” (0:18:08)
  • “It a replica, as it turns out.” (0:40:45)

Their shows' recurring bits

Running bits, not opinions; a critic read aloud is cited, not present.

The Big Picture

The Rewatchables

Their claims

Showing 1,201–1,295 of 1,295 claims.

  1. industry (industry): Reality Bites → Beautiful Girls. Stiller could not clear Kiss's Beth; two years later Beautiful Girls got it.
    “And what's weird is 2 years later, beautiful girls got the rights to the sun.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reality Bites’ 25th Anniversary With Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, and Chris Ryan · 1:01:00 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. career (career): Winona Ryder → Heathers. Ryder's peak is debated: Heathers is the more significant film but she is in her prime here.
    “She's great in Heather's.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reality Bites’ 25th Anniversary With Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, and Chris Ryan · 1:03:43 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  3. career (career): Ethan Hawke → Reality Bites. A shot from Reality Bites, not another film, runs in his Oscar in-memoriam montage as shorthand.
    “When he dies in the Oscar montage, it's a shot from reality bites.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reality Bites’ 25th Anniversary With Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, and Chris Ryan · 1:04:37 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  4. people (people): Saul Rubinek → True Romance. Bill defines the Dino Waiters award via overacting in True Romance's Rubinek-Pinchot scene.
    “So in true romance, when Saul Rubineck turns to Bronson Pinchot”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reality Bites’ 25th Anniversary With Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, and Chris Ryan · 1:09:04 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  5. verdict (verdict): Reality Bites → Singles. Singles looks like a sketch about dead technology: payphones, answering machines, video-cassette dating.
    “Singles is almost like someone, it looks like now, like someone has made a sketch about technology we no longer use.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reality Bites’ 25th Anniversary With Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, and Chris Ryan · 1:15:31 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
  6. career (career): Ethan Hawke → Gattaca. Gattaca helped move Hawke out of the Troy typecast.
    “Gattica flip that?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Reality Bites’ 25th Anniversary With Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, and Chris Ryan · 1:30:36 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  7. lineage (genre lineage): Old School → Animal House. Old School is the latest in a frat-movie cycle that returns every 10 to 15 years, starting with Animal House.
    “It is in keeping with the kind of every 10 to 15 years frat movie that we now get.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:05:23 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  8. lineage (genre lineage): Old School → Stripes. Old School sits in the Animal House-to-early-80s run of comedy plus nudity that includes Stripes.
    “there is a run, basically, that starts with Animal House and goes all the way.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:06:03 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  9. career (career echo): Vince Vaughn → Swingers. Old School comes back to the Swingers energy after years of odd roles, including the Psycho remake.
    “I think this is the funniest I've ever found him.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:12:53 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  10. career (career run): Will Ferrell → Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Old School, Elf, and Anchorman are Ferrell's back-to-back-to-back three-movie run.
    “So Pharaoh rips off old school Elf Anchorman, just back to back to back.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:15:48 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  11. craft (soundtrack): Old School → Ryan Adams. The film opens on Ryan Adams' 'To Be Young', a great way to start.
    “Set to one of the best songs literally of all time, Ryan Adams, to be young”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:24:34 · Bill Simmons (0.45 sure it was them)
  12. career (career perspective): Ellen Pompeo → Old School. Pompeo is a cute crush here, shortly before becoming one of TV's most bankable stars.
    “Who is about to become one of the biggest and most bankable TV stars of the last 40 years”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:24:44 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  13. craft (shared structural flaw): Old School → Back to School. The late competition-element plot is a flaw borrowed from Back to School and also seen in Stripes' war.
    “when it starts to become too much like back to school, you know, where there's like a competition element to it.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:34:32 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  14. lineage (genre lineage): Animal House → Old School. Animal House started the habit of a winnable conflict set-piece that comedies copied for ten years, and Old School revived it.
    “I think Animal House started it and then the next 10 years of comedy is ripped off”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:34:48 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  15. career (career regret): Brian Callen → Old School. Callen is the favorite guy from that era who never fully broke through; Bill blames his agent.
    “Brian Callen is my favorite guy who didn't totally make it from that era.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:38:26 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  16. lineage (unmade sequel): Old School → Old School 2 (unmade sequel script). A 2006 sequel script about spring break was turned down by Ferrell and Vaughn as repetitive.
    “It felt like it was repeating.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:42:01 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  17. theme (location reuse): Old School → Back to the Future. The house used as the frat house in Pasadena also appeared in Back to the Future, Back to the Future Part II, and Teen Wolf.
    “It's been used for 3 Michael J. Fox movies.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:45:01 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  18. career (career debt): Luke Wilson → Wes Anderson. Bill argues Wilson owes his good roles to his brother Owen and Wes Anderson.
    “I think he is the beneficiary of having a very creative brother, and forging a partnership with Owen and Wes Anderson”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:48:53 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  19. theme (repeated persona): Luke Wilson → Bottle Rocket. His doe-eyed innocent persona in Bottle Rocket recurs in Charlie's Angels, Legally Blonde, and Old School.
    “He's very good in bottle rocket because he plays this kind of doe eye, innocent type”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 0:49:06 · Bill Simmons (0.45 sure it was them)
  20. craft (shared device): Old School → Wedding Crashers. Both open with a wedding; Bill calls it his open-your-movie-with-a-wedding theory.
    “This movie also nicely slots into my open your movie with a wedding theory.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:01:05 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  21. unmapped (shared line): Old School → The Godfather. Old School features the characters calling Luke Wilson 'Godfather'; the host also notes the Godfather timeline.
    “Godfather. Godfather.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:04:59 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  22. lineage (mentor-style lineage): Todd Phillips → Ivan Reitman. Phillips' skill of picking people at the right time is something Bill says he learned from Reitman.
    “clearly he learned that from Ivan Reitman, who was amazing at that in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Old School’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey · 1:07:28 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  23. programming (programming): Wyatt Earp → Tombstone. Rival Earp films, the second to market lost ground; Tombstone came first.
    “It's almost like whichever one comes out 1st has such an advantage.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:05:54 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  24. programming (programming): Without Limits → Prefontaine. Rival Prefontaine biopics; Without Limits beat the other despite coming second.
    “And then without limits came out and was just a 100 times better than Prefontaine with Jared Leto.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:06:41 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  25. career (career): Val Kilmer → Batman Forever. Kilmer's Batman is called the worst Batman but he was a huge star.
    “the worst Batman, but still Heat 95.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:11:31 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  26. verdict (verdict): Val Kilmer → The Island of Dr. Moreau. Defended or insisted-on bad Kilmer cinema.
    “Dr. Moreau 96, which I stand by until his death.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:11:38 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  27. people (people): Val Kilmer → Kurt Russell. The film is a microcosm of both careers: Russell the necessary hero, Kilmer the heat-check guy.
    “I think this movie is the perfect microcosm of both of their careers.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:12:28 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  28. career (career): Kurt Russell → Tequila Sunrise. Russell's late-80s run: Tequila Sunrise nearly co-starred Pat Riley.
    “Which I still can't believe they almost had Pat Riley as his co-star for that.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:13:36 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  29. what-if (what-if): Pat Riley → Tequila Sunrise. Riley was nearly cast opposite Russell.
    “is one of the great win ifs of all time.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:13:40 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  30. verdict (verdict): Roger Ebert → Tombstone. Ebert gave Tombstone three stars, called Kilmer the definitive saloon cowboy.
    “Singled out Valcomer's portrayal as the definitive saloon cowboy of our time.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:15:24 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  31. verdict (verdict): Gene Siskel → Tombstone. Siskel gave it a thumbs down.
    “By the way, Cisco Cisco thumbs downed it.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:15:34 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  32. career (career): Kurt Russell → Dark Blue. Ebert quoted in review of Russell's Dark Blue.
    “Roger Ebert, in his review of Kurt Russell's Dark Blue”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:15:37 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  33. verdict (verdict): Roger Ebert → Dark Blue. Ebert's Dark Blue review lamented Tombstone getting lost in the holiday shuffle.
    “got lost in the year-end holiday shuffle and never got the recognition it deserved.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:15:44 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  34. career (career): Cruising → Al Pacino. Cruising is called Pacino's most incredible choice.
    “It's Pacino's most incredible choice.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:20:34 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  35. people (people): Cruising → William Friedkin. Cruising is directed by Friedkin.
    “Directed by the great Billy Friedkin.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:21:10 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  36. career (career): Michael Biehn → The Terminator. Biehn was the lead of a big sci-fi movie of the 80s.
    “He was the lead of the biggest science fiction movie of the of the entire 80s”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:24:53 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  37. contrast (contrast): Dana Delany → Carla Gugino. Delany compared to Gugino as a woman who should have been a bigger star.
    “She was kind of the Carlo Gugino of her era”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:31:40 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  38. what-if (what-if): Richard Gere → Tombstone. Per Russell, Gere nearly played Wyatt Earp.
    “Kurt Russell said the film was nearly cast with Richard Gere as Wyatt Earp”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:41:26 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  39. career (career): Stephen Lang → Avatar. Lang is the star of Avatar but unrecognizable in Tombstone.
    “he's... He's basically the star of Avatar.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:43:12 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  40. career (career): Val Kilmer → Heat. Kilmer as De Niro's wingman in the biggest movie of the mid 90s.
    “He's De Nero's wingman.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:49:41 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  41. industry (industry): Twister → Speed. 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)
  42. career (career): Dana Wheeler-Nicholson → Fletch. Dana Wheeler-Nicholson is the girl from Fletch.
    “That girl from Fletch, can I borrow a towel?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:55:36 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  43. verdict (verdict): Val Kilmer → Tombstone. Winner: Kilmer is the best one in it.
    “I think Val Kilmer wins the movie.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Tombstone’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:13:15 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  44. unmapped (same type): John Wick → Taken. John Wick is called an elaborate 5 o'clocker with more moving pieces than Taken.
    “Uh, is an elaborate 5 o'clock or. There's actually some moving pieces in that, and you can't totally shut your brain off.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:04:59 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  45. people (casting against type): Taken → First Blood. Both worked because the actor had not done this kind of role before, so it felt like a genuine surprise.
    “I think with Liam Neeson, it's the same thing. Where it's just like, he's, this was a guy who was in like Woody Allen movies.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:11:43 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  46. theme (five-word plot): The Grey → Taken. Neeson's later action films each fit the five-words-or-less 5 o'clocker test: The Grey, Non-Stop, The Commuter.
    “Liam Neeson wilderness wolves.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:14:44 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  47. contrast (realism contrast): Taken → Kidnap. Halle Berry's frantic-parent chase is more realistic than Neeson taking out 35 Albanians.
    “I think that's a more realistic look for me than taking out 35 Albanians.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:18:35 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  48. theme (five-word plot): The Equalizer → Chris Ryan. Chris Ryan pitched The Equalizer to Simmons as Denzel killing a bunch of dudes in a Home Depot.
    “Denzel kills a bunch of dudes in a Home Depot.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:21:10 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  49. unmapped (surprising detail): Taken → Beverly Hills Cop. Taken's line about forgetting the weight of a gun is the kind of never-seen-before detail, like Beverly Hills Cop's gum wrapper trick.
    “Remember in Beverly Hills cop when they break in the house and he uses the gum wrapper to like disarm the center on the window.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:31:03 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  50. career (career retrofit): Liam Neeson → Love Actually. Neeson's pre-Taken IMDb all got retrofit, even his Love Actually character reads as Brian Mills.
    “He's Brian Mills in love actually.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:36:53 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  51. people (writer blamed): Luc Besson → Taken. U2 as the band that two teenagers would lie for is blamed on the writers, Besson and someone else, who had no feel for kids.
    “It was written by Luke Bassan and somebody else, who clearly didn't have a feel for what little kids like.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:37:57 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  52. lineage (sequel quality): Taken → Taken 3. Taken 3 is conceded as horrific.
    “let's concede that taken 3 was horrific”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:42:00 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  53. lineage (sequel quality): Taken 2 → John Wick: Chapter 2. Simmons says Taken 2 is not the case where the sequel is arguably better than the first, as John Wick 2 is.
    “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.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:42:12 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  54. what-if (casting what-if): Jeff Bridges → Liam Neeson. Jeff Bridges was the first choice for Brian but dropped out because it was too physical, paving the way for Neeson.
    “paving the way for Liam Neeson to be Brian?”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:43:46 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  55. theme (trope): Taken → Training Day. Bad guys playing cards at the hideout is a staple, as in Training Day, which was even more intense.
    “this happened in training day as well, and training day was even more intense”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:45:40 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  56. unmapped (method commitment): Liam Neeson → Tom Cruise. Neeson trained in karate during four months in Paris, which went a little Tom Cruise.
    “Went a little Tom Cruise on us, really wanted to live the role.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:47:44 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  57. theme (toddler comparison): Furious 7 → Taken. Toddlers are like cars without brakes, as in Furious 7 with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker.
    “in fact, in Furious seven. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in that car are jumping across buildings because there's no breaks in it.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:52:34 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  58. theme (same era): Maggie Grace → Lost. Maggie Grace was on Lost at the same time as Taken, and this is her Apex Mountain.
    “Maggie Grace, um, who was also on Lost at the same time as taken.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:55:33 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  59. unmapped (overacting): Alive → Taken. Simmons's overacting category is nearly named after a guy in Alive, prompted by the sex club manager's performance in Taken.
    “there's an overacting guy in that, that was like the quintessential. I almost want to name the category after him.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 0:58:35 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  60. theme (trope): Taken → Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Both stage the illicit auction downstairs while the party continues upstairs.
    “They do the same thing in the Fallen Kingdom, the New Jurassic World movie. There's like a dinosaur auction.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 1:06:08 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  61. industry (streaming revival): Taken → To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Netflix revives mid-budget genres theaters stopped making, such as rom-coms, and could do the same for Taken-style action.
    “what if we get a string of taken style movies on Netflix?”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 1:07:43 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  62. unmapped (kidnapping untapped): Kidnap → Ransom. Simmons asks about Ransom as another kidnapping movie streamers could remake; Serrano is out on Mel Gibson.
    “Where do you stand on ransom with Mo Gibson?”
    The Rewatchables · 'Taken' With Bill Simmons and Shea Serrano · 1:09:20 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  63. industry (same studio campaign): Leonardo DiCaprio → Blood Diamond. Leo was campaigned for Blood Diamond instead of The Departed because one studio made both.
    “Leo got nominated for Blood Diamond because the same studio did Blood Diamond and the Departed.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:08:22 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  64. unmapped (star clash): The Departed → Heat. The Nicholson-DiCaprio scene echoes the Pacino-De Niro anticipation of their Heat scene, though with less weight.
    “it was like this anticipation of Pacino and De Niro finally being in a scene together.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:09:47 · Bill Simmons (0.65 sure it was them)
  65. people (third collaboration): Martin Scorsese → Leonardo DiCaprio. Leo took the movie seriously partly because this was his third film with Scorsese and his chops were not yet proven.
    “Martin Scorsese directed me for the 3rd time, and I'm having a good career, but I haven't really proven my chops yet.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:13:05 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  66. 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)
  67. unmapped (passed the part): Brad Pitt → Matt Damon. Pitt dropped out of the Damon role and produced; Damon later passed Manchester by the Sea to Casey Affleck in a similar gesture.
    “Matt Damon later paying it forward in that same way, giving Casey Affleck, Manchester.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:17:38 · Bill Simmons (0.65 sure it was them)
  68. craft (craft): The Departed → Dropkick Murphys. The Dropkick Murphys needle drop over the title sequence is singled out as a high point of the film.
    “The title sequence coming in 18 minutes in with Dropkick Murphy.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:17:49 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  69. craft (soundtrack): The Departed → Goodfellas. Asked which soundtrack he prefers, Simmons picks Goodfellas.
    “Which soundtrack do you prefer this or Goodfellas?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:21:18 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  70. unmapped (repeated song): The Departed → Casino. Scorsese used Gimme Shelter a third time here after Goodfellas and Casino, which they find funny and a sign of his Stones fetish.
    “Scorsese using Gimme Shelter 3rd time.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:24:16 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  71. craft (craft): Martin Scorsese → Robbie Robertson. A host says Robbie Robertson mostly serves as music supervisor on Scorsese's soundtracks.
    “Robbie Robertson from the band for these soundtracks where Robbie will do a little bit of music, but for the most part, he's the music supervisor.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:24:45 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  72. contrast (contrast): The Departed → Robbie Robertson. A host says that for the fee a name like Robertson commands, the Departed soundtrack should beat classic-radio picks like Gimme Shelter.
    “you could do better than every classic radio station in America”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:24:51 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  73. unmapped (signature obsessions): Martin Scorsese → Robert De Niro. Simmons sums up Scorsese as loving De Niro, the Stones, and people getting hit over the head with a glass in a bar.
    “He loved Bob De Niro, called him Bob, the stones, and people getting hit over the head in a bar with a glass.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:25:28 · Bill Simmons (0.65 sure it was them)
  74. unmapped (turned down): Ray Winstone → The Wire. Winstone turned down the McNulty role that became The Wire's, per Simmons's Googling.
    “Turned down the role of Jimmy McDulty in 2002.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:26:14 · Bill Simmons (0.65 sure it was them)
  75. people (that guy): Mark Boone Junior → The Shawshank Redemption. Delahunt is played by Boggs from Shawshank, who led the sisters and became forever known for that role.
    “Boggs from Shawshank has a key role in this movie.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:27:55 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  76. unmapped (dropped out for): Leonardo DiCaprio → The Good Shepherd. Leo left The Good Shepherd to do The Departed, and De Niro turned down Sheen's part to do it.
    “Leo dropped out of the Good Shepherd to do the departed.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:29:14 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  77. unmapped (Boston geography): The Departed → Blown Away. Blown Away has its own violations of Boston geography, like a downhill chase for fifteen blocks and a Four Seasons view that does not exist.
    “Blown away with Jeff Bridges, which has its own just severe violations of Boston.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:39:41 · Bill Simmons (0.65 sure it was them)
  78. 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)
  79. unmapped (fun villain): The Silence of the Lambs → Manhunter. Hopkins makes Lecter delightful so Silence is rewatched more than the terrifying Manhunter, an argument Simmons uses to defend a fun Costello.
    “I watch Signs of the Lambs, more than Manhunter, partially because Anthony Hopkins is like almost delightful to watch, whereas Brian Cox is just terrifying in Manhunter.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:52:45 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  80. unmapped (speech): The Departed → Glengarry Glen Ross. Wahlberg dressing down Leo is called the Alec Baldwin Glengarry speech.
    “he gives him the Alec Baldwin Glengarry speech.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:56:00 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  81. unmapped (flaws make it rewatchable): The Departed → Cast Away. Simmons likes movies with questions to chew on, like Cast Away, which he can talk about for an hour.
    “The flaws do make it more rewatchable, right?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Departed’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:56:54 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
  82. verdict (verdict): E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial → E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. E.T. is among the five greatest movies of all time given how kids still love it 36 years on.
    “ET is one of the 5 greatest movies of all time”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:44:52 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  83. craft (craft): Jaws → John Williams. Jaws on a big HD set is helped by the booming sound of John Williams's score.
    “And the sound that John Williams scored booming, you know?”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:46:01 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  84. contrast (contrast): Close Encounters of the Third Kind → Jaws. Close Encounters moves too slowly for kids; Jaws is propulsive and not slow.
    “the cool thing about Jaws is it's not slow.”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:48:18 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  85. what-if (what-if): Munich → Michael Mann. Munich should have been shot like a vintage Michael Mann thriller.
    “It should have been like a Michael Mann movie.”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:50:45 · Bill Simmons (0.65 sure it was them)
  86. craft (craft): Jaws → Jurassic Park. Spielberg's pre-Jurassic blockbusters: Jurassic does some of the same things as Jaws -- entertaining, not slow.
    “I think it does some of the same stuff that Jaws does, where it's really entertaining.”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:52:13 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  87. contrast (contrast): Steven Spielberg → Michael Mann. Mann is fastidious and obsessed; Spielberg is all over the place, childlike wonder one film, Oscar bait the next.
    “And Spielberg's just kind of all over the place and it's like, oh, the wonder, the childish wonder.”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:53:19 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
  88. verdict (verdict): Schindler's List → Steven Spielberg. Bill suspected Spielberg did it for an Oscar, which he admits isn't fair.
    “he's doing this because he wants to win an Oscar?”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:53:26 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
  89. contrast (contrast): Steven Spielberg → Francis Ford Coppola. Coppola and Scorsese are viewed romantically for loving their work; Spielberg isn't.
    “Whereas like with Scorsese and with Coppola, Coppola, who really his career completely fell apart in the early 80s”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:55:02 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
  90. verdict (verdict): Catch Me If You Can → Leonardo DiCaprio. Catch Me If You Can is Leo at his best but falls apart in the last half hour.
    “It falls apart with about a half hour to go.”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:55:49 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  91. verdict (verdict): Saving Private Ryan → Saving Private Ryan. The first 20 minutes are among the best 20 minute stretches ever.
    “I think the 1st 20 minutes of that movie are absolutely one of the best 20 minute stretches ever.”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 0:58:44 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  92. verdict (verdict): Raiders of the Lost Ark → Jaws. Raiders is a little slow now and not as perfect as Jaws.
    “It's not as perfect as Jaws.”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 1:00:18 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
  93. people (people): Catch Me If You Can → This Boy's Life. Leo in Catch Me If You Can is the most the speaker has liked him, other than maybe This Boy's Life and Titanic.
    “other than maybe this boy's life and Titanic.”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 1:01:47 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
  94. what-if (what-if): Tom Cruise → The Verdict. Cruise should do a serious historical drama, something like The Verdict.
    “It should be the verdict or a movie like that.”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 1:02:28 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  95. verdict (verdict): Tom Cruise → American Made. Cruise's age in American Made (a 56-year-old playing a younger pilot) was too distracting.
    “He's playing a pilot in the 80s and he's got this weird wig on and he's 20 years older than the guy he was playing”
    The Big Picture · Steven Spielberg's Top 5 Movies With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan | The Big Picture (Ep. 57) · 1:02:46 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)

Their fun items

Showing 201–300 of 677 fun items.

  1. fun, about My Cousin Vinny: The chessboard knocked over in Vinny's name speech was an accident kept in the movie.
    “he knocks over the chessboard, that was an accident”
    The Rewatchables · ‘My Cousin Vinny’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Wesley Morris · 1:07:33 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about Ralph Macchio: He's often asked to sign cans of tuna.
    “Machio said he's often asked to sign cans of tuna.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘My Cousin Vinny’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Wesley Morris · 1:07:47 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  3. fun, about Joe Pesci: Made a lounge album called Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings for You.
    “Vincent LaGuardia Gambini sings for you.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘My Cousin Vinny’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Wesley Morris · 1:08:45 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  4. fun, about My Cousin Vinny: Hosts keep Tomei's Oscar and argue the courtroom scene earned it.
    “So we're letting her keep the Oscar for this.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘My Cousin Vinny’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Wesley Morris · 1:22:51 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  5. fun, about This Is the End: The pitch: celebrities play themselves at the apocalypse, with a demon with a 10-foot penis; the cockiest pitch ever.
    “I think this is the end might be the the most the most cocky movie pitch ever.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:12:46 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  6. fun, about This Is the End: Last movie rented at a Blockbuster before it closed on November 9, 2013; a fitting end to 30 years of video-store comedy.
    “This was the last movie ever rented in a blockbuster before Blockbuster closed on November 9, 2013.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:13:37 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  7. fun, about This Is the End: Blockbuster, video-store tie: comedies from video stores.
    “Thought that was kind of fitting because this is 30 years of running comedies from video stores.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:13:46 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  8. fun, about Evan Goldberg: Goal on set was to get cast to say 'no, I can't do that'; only Franco and Rogen never broke. About 85% improvised.
    “the only people who never broke were Franco and Rogan.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:14:26 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  9. fun, about This Is the End: Budget about $40M (they all took pay cuts), grossed about $126M; mostly three sets.
    “$40000000 budget made 126.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:18:18 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  10. fun, about This Is the End: Turned up in the leaked Sony documents as a $50M profit.
    “this is the end made $50000000 in profit.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:18:27 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  11. fun, about Raj: Grantland's Raj died April 2013 so never reviewed it; Bill thinks he'd have hated it ('celebrities jerking each other off').
    “I think he would have said there's no story.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:18:49 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  12. fun, about Wesley Morris: Wesley Morris liked it: a movie that mocks its own excesses and burns them down.
    “have produced a movie that wants to call mocking attention to its excesses and privileges and then burn them down.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:18:56 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  13. fun, about Jay Barrishell: Daily Beast interview: Jay said he and Jonah didn't get along and found Jonah's compliment scene exhausting, then loved the rough cut.
    “Jay said, not even fucking kind of.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:40:19 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  14. fun, about Danny McBride: His entrance, making breakfast, is the cinematic shot of the film and the most rewatchable stretch.
    “McBride probably wins most cinematic.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:43:22 · Bill Simmons (0.35 sure it was them)
  15. fun, about Emma Watson: Reported to have left set over improvised scenes; Rogen said the narrative she was unprofessional is 'complete bullshit.'
    “the narrative that she was in some way uncool or unprofessional is complete bullshit.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:45:35 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  16. fun, about This Is the End: Original ending: Morgan Freeman as God in heaven; Freeman said no, so the Backstreet Boys were used.
    “But then Morgan Freeman said, no.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:52:00 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  17. fun, about Danny McBride: Rewatchables created a new award named for him: best job playing yourself.
    “Going forward, the Danny McBride a word.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:53:11 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  18. fun, about Rihanna: Slapped Michael Cera for real; Cera asked if he could slap her butt and she said only if she could hit back; multiple takes left him lying down.
    “he asked Rihanna if he could actually slap her butt and she said, if I can hit you back.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:55:37 · Bill Simmons (0.45 sure it was them)
  19. fun, about This Is the End: Rogen and Goldberg were shocked it wasn't NC-17; test audiences said the Franco severed-foot blood scene went too far.
    “These guys were shocked this movie wasn't NC17.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:56:05 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  20. fun, about This Is the End: A post-credits scene in hell with Hitler smoking marijuana was nearly filmed; Bill wants the Hitler cut released.
    “They really did almost film the marijuana Hitler scene and they all decided it was too much.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:56:43 · Bill Simmons (0.35 sure it was them)
  21. fun, about This Is the End: Apex Mountain for Rogan: This Is the End; for pitches, the best.
    “I think it's Apex Mountain for just movie pitches.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 1:00:26 · Bill Simmons (0.30 sure it was them)
  22. fun, about Dion Waiters: Running gag: the Dion Waiters Award (best short cameo/heat check) goes to Michael Cera again.
    “Dion Waiters is to this podcast as weed culture is to this is the end.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘This Is the End’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horlbeck · 1:08:42 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
  23. fun, about Alec Baldwin: On set Baldwin refused to shave his beard, so Bill Pullman was lined up to replace him; he then shaved but stopped talking to the director for the shoot.
    “And then won't talk to the director for the rest of the shoot.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 0:27:54 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  24. fun, about David Mamet: Art Linson's book: in the pitch an executive objected that nobody roots for a rich guy, so Mamet added the affair and the cuckold angle.
    “nobody's going to root for a rich guy.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 0:29:14 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  25. fun, about Roger Ebert: Ebert gave 3 stars but hated the ending credit for Bart the Bear right after the emotional close.
    “Now, Bart is one hell of a bear, but this credit in this place is a spectacularly bad idea.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 0:31:13 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  26. fun, about Bart the Bear: Bart's filmography: Legends of the Fall, The Great Outdoors, 12 Monkeys, Grizzly Adams, presented at the 1998 Academy Awards.
    “He was a presenter at the Academy Awards in 1998”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 0:33:07 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  27. fun, about Bart the Bear: Trainer said Hopkins respected Bart like a fellow actor and would spend hours looking at him.
    “acknowledged and respected Bart, like a fellow actor.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 0:33:48 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  28. fun, about The Edge: Die-of-shame monologue is the line that stuck with Bill enough to put in his book.
    “Don't die of shame.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 0:59:32 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  29. fun, about The Edge: Title what-if from Linson's book: it was called Bookworm; Deadfall was the favorite alternate; The Bear in the Brain was not.
    “This movie was called Bookworm for a long time.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 1:08:33 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  30. fun, about The Edge: Best quote picks: never feel sorry for a man who owns a plane; what one man can do, another can do.
    “never feel sorry for a man who owns a plane.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 1:09:49 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  31. fun, about Robert De Niro: At the table read De Niro kept saying the bear concerned him; Bill does the Jimmy Conway voice.
    “The bear still concerns me.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 1:12:53 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  32. fun, about The Edge: Casting recast: Uma Thurman or Nicole Kidman for Macpherson's role, with a bag dropped.
    “I'll give you Uma Thurman or Nicole Kidman for the part of Elle McPherson, and we're just dropping a bag.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 1:15:07 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  33. fun, about The Edge: Hopkins had a herniated disc and hypothermia; production shut for ten days.
    “They had to shut the movie down for like 10 days for Hopkins.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 1:15:32 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  34. fun, about The Edge: The film inspired a Brazilian reality show where contestants used Charles Morse's techniques.
    “apparently the movie inspired TV reality show in Brazil”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 1:15:39 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  35. fun, about Alec Baldwin: In his autobiography Baldwin says Mamet's script was great and became a dumb action movie; he's still mad about The Edge.
    “he's still mad about the edge.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 1:15:56 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
  36. fun, about The Edge: Apex Mountain: nobody from the cast, with Harold Perrineau calling it the Best Man and Lost era instead.
    “this is the best mainstream bear movie.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 1:16:52 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  37. fun, about Harold Perrineau: Rewatchable scene: Harold impales himself making a spear; the show's Apex Mountain pick for his career.
    “I think in movies, I would say that the best man is probably Harold Paranoos.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 1:17:02 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  38. fun, about The Edge: Wikipedia joked that Bart won an Oscar but could not attend, so it went to somebody else.
    “Bart the Bear won an Oscar”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 1:26:25 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  39. fun, about The Edge: Who won the movie: Bart the Bear, in the movie 4.5 minutes, as Hopkins was in Silence for about 16.
    “Bart the Bear won the movie.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘The Edge’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan · 1:34:04 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  40. fun, about Margin Call: Koppelman has watched this more than any movie of the last 15 years; Simmons calls it more horror than drama.
    “I dig that it's more of a horror movie than a drama.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:01:48 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  41. fun, about Jeremy Irons: Irons lists financial panics by year; Russillo likens it to NBA cyclical trades.
    “he just starts listing the years.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:18:55 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  42. fun, about Jeremy Irons: Because of his schedule, all his scenes had to be crammed into three days, and Simmons thinks the haggard look helps.
    “they had to cram all of the scenes in the space of 3 days.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:31:20 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  43. fun, about Margin Call: Shot in 17 days on a $3.5 million budget that grossed $19 million; nominated for best original screenplay.
    “This movie had a $3500000 budget made 19 million.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:34:32 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
  44. fun, about Paul Bettany: The shoulder slap on Eric Dale is Simmons's favorite bit.
    “My favorite part is the betany shoulder slap, though.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:37:52 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  45. fun, about Paul Bettany: Best scene of his career on the balcony; Simmons and Koppelman both pick it for most rewatchable.
    “This is probably the best betting scene of his career is on a balcony.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:39:10 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  46. fun, about Paul Bettany: Balcony speech: fear of falling is really fear that you might jump; then the money-left-after-taxes run with 76,520 on hookers.
    “isn't the fear of falling?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:39:15 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  47. fun, about Demi Moore: Simmons likes seeing A-listers come out of the bullpen in a smaller role.
    “throw 20 pitches in the 7th inning.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:51:13 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  48. fun, about Zachary Quinto: Pitch to Zachary Quinto to join Billions in season nine after Damian Lewis left.
    “Season nine.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:56:31 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  49. fun, about Margin Call: Best-title discussion: Russillo and Simmons say Margin Call is a bad title; suggestion of Sell, Sell, Sell.
    “I think it's a bad title.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:02:41 · Bill Simmons (0.75 sure it was them)
  50. fun, about Margin Call: Casting what-ifs: Irons role first offered to Ben Kingsley, Tim Robbins and Billy Crudup passed, Carla Gugino was to play Demi Moore's part.
    “The Jeremy Ions ions world was originally offered too.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:05:32 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  51. fun, about Grace Gummer: Her scene as Quinto's ex-girlfriend was cut for poor directorial work; it's on the DVD.
    “you can find it on the DVD.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:06:24 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  52. fun, about Margin Call: Best that guy: Asif Mandvi plays the executive lawyer.
    “His name is Asif Manvi.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:07:55 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  53. fun, about Margin Call: More than 80 percent of the film was shot on the 42nd floor of One Penn Plaza, vacated by a trading firm.
    “more than 80% of the action was shot on the 42nd floor of one Penn Plaza”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:12:11 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  54. fun, about Jeremy Irons: His work visa needed U.S. senators; the credits thank the Jeremy Irons visa miracle team.
    “they actually thank the Jeremy Irons visa miracle team”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:12:33 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  55. fun, about Jeremy Irons: Eric Dale's bridge math is off by 10x; the real figure is millions of days.
    “He shortchanged himself by 10 times.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:13:01 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  56. fun, about Simon Baker: Name award: he doesn't look like a Jared Cohen.
    “he definitely doesn't look like a Jared Cohen.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:16:12 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  57. fun, about Stephen King: Simmons joked with friends that King being a serial killer would not surprise him.
    “Would you be surprised?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:07:33 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  58. fun, about Misery: Goldman wanted the job because of King's foot-chopping scene; George Roy Hill could not direct it, and Reiner and Scheinman softened it to the ankle-breaking hobbling.
    “The lapping scene was gone now forever replaced by the ankle breaking scene.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:19:18 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
  59. fun, about Misery: Goldman later wrote the changed scene worked, and the audience would have hated Annie if it had gone his way.
    “If it had gone the way I wanted, it would have been too much.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:19:35 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
  60. fun, about Misery: Bates is the only King adaptation to win a main Oscar and first woman to win Best Actress in a horror thriller.
    “This was the only film based on a Stephen King novel to win one of the main Oscars.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:37:57 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
  61. fun, about The Rewatchables: Ebert gave Misery 3 stars; Simmons would give 3.5.
    “Ebert, 3 stars.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:40:43 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
  62. fun, about Misery: Mr. Man: Annie's pet name for Paul is a running joke in Simmons' house.
    “Mr. Man is so fucking funny.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:51:36 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  63. fun, about Misery: Goldman homage: Paul Sheldon has four seats at Knicks games, a Goldman detail.
    “I love the Goldman homage to Paul Sheldon having 4 seats in the Knicks.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 0:53:44 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  64. fun, about Misery: Worst search party: no one connects missing Stephen-King-level author with the murderous nurse's house.
    “How was this a whole search party?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:00:32 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  65. fun, about Kathy Bates: Simmons' hottest take: best Best Actress performance since 1990, ahead of McDormand, Berry, Stone.
    “I think this is the best, best actress performance of the 90s, 2000s, 2010s or this decade.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:03:17 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
  66. fun, about Rob Reiner: Reiner cameo as helicopter pilot, and J.T. Walsh as the state trooper.
    “Rob Reiner, was an uncredited appearance as the helicopter pilot in this movie”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:05:08 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
  67. fun, about James Caan: Caan once showed up hungover; Reiner claimed a lab problem and reshot, then docked his pay.
    “apparently once he showed to the set, hungover, all his scenes, he shot that they were unusable.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:07:26 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  68. fun, about Misery: Stephen King said Annie Wilkes is his favorite character he ever wrote.
    “Stephen King said Annie Wilkes is his favorite character that he's ever written.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:08:05 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
  69. fun, about Misery: Caan liked to see how it goes while Bates was a rehearsal person; Reiner found a middle ground.
    “She was a big rehearsal person and he was a big, let's let's see how it goes”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:08:14 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  70. fun, about Misery: 2015 Broadway version: Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf, written by Goldman.
    “Did it a Broadway adaptation in 2015.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:08:25 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  71. fun, about Misery: Fake legs were gelatin with wires at the ankles, holes in the bed for Caan's real legs.
    “The fake legs were molded out of gelatin.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:08:50 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  72. fun, about Stephen King: King reportedly kept quiet about the drug allegory for two decades so as not to detract from the book.
    “So King didn't talk about that for 2 decades after this book.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:09:04 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  73. fun, about Misery: Nitpick: Annie says she followed his car but no vehicle appears behind him in the opening.
    “There's no car behind him at any point.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman · 1:12:29 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  74. fun, about Knocked Up: Bill's theory: the rom-com boom runs 1989 to 2005, then comes the 'com-rom', comedies that also have romance.
    “I'm going to say 1989 to 2005 is the rom-com boom.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:03:09 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
  75. fun, about Judd Apatow: Bill on why the hangout scenes work: guys just busting each other's balls for five hours at a poker game or fantasy draft.
    “all we're doing is making fun of each other for 5 hours.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:08:57 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
  76. fun, about Judd Apatow: Apatow shot reportedly a million feet of film and let the guys keep going.
    “like a 1000000 feet of film for this thing.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:10:15 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  77. fun, about Judd Apatow: Bill reads the Rudd character as a stand-in for Judd, with Apatow's own wife and kids on screen: 'Judd's really going through something'.
    “Judd's really going through something.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:14:17 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  78. fun, about Grey's Anatomy (TV): Bill's aside on how shows write out people they dislike, compared to SNL cast standing distance from the host.
    “It's like at the end of SNL, like how close the cast stands to the host is like how much they like them.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:30:22 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  79. fun, about Jonah Hill: Jonah Hill yelling has aged the best: 'he's one of the best yellers in comedy history'.
    “He's one of the best yellers in comedy history.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:42:15 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  80. fun, about Ryan Seacrest: Seacrest's self-mocking rant is called his most lovable moment, better than American Idol or Kardashian Seacrest.
    “Like, that is the most lovable he has ever been.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:46:58 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  81. fun, about Knocked Up: P-break award: the 7.5 minutes of labor before they reach the hospital, which Bill would cut entirely.
    “It is 7.5 minutes that you could cut so easily.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:54:05 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
  82. fun, about Knocked Up: Best quote: 'Isn't it weird when you have kids and all your dreams and hopes go out the window?'
    “isn't it weird when you have kids and all your dreams and hopes go out the window.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:55:28 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  83. fun, about Anne Hathaway: Hathaway reportedly left over plans to use real birth footage, which turned out to require paying the baby as an extra.
    “they would have had to pay the baby as an extra”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 0:57:13 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  84. fun, about Katherine Heigl: Bill's half-fast research: Heigl in 2014 owned 8 dogs, 4 cats, 9 horses, 2 donkeys, 2 goats and 8 chickens.
    “She owned 8 dogs, 4 cats, 9 horses, 2 donkeys, 2 goats, and 8 chickens.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 1:06:13 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  85. fun, about Wild Things: Jonah Hill's Wild Things scene shows Neve Campbell topless in a pool, though she isn't in either version of the actual movie.
    “she's not topless in either version of the actual movie.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 1:06:51 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  86. fun, about Knocked Up: Ideal-length ruling: cut the labor stretch and the fantasy-football cheating sidetrack entirely.
    “We don't have the fantasy football, cheating sidetrack at all.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Knocked Up’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Craig Horlbeck · 1:26:13 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  87. fun, about Beverly Hills Cop II: A Premiere magazine piece says the script was rewritten dozens of times, finalized three weeks before production, with a 10-week shoot stretching to 20.
    “Cop 2 ate up the energy of 2 executive producers, 2 producers, one director, 6 writers, and various productive production executives of personnel at Paramount.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:03:53 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  88. fun, about Brigitte Nielsen: Most rewatchable scene pick: the jewelry-store robbery with the robber calling out elapsed time and time left.
    “If a movie features a scene where there is a robbery and the robber is calling out the amount of time that they've been in there and how much time they have left, probably going to be a rewatchable at some point.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:06:44 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  89. fun, about Beverly Hills Cop II: Murphy's original pitch was a Testarossa and a Beverly Hills gun club; the studio first considered England/Scotland Yard and a TV series, but Murphy refused both.
    “Murphy's ideas was that that Folish should have a testeras, Rosa Ferrari, and that there should be something at the Beverly Hills gun club.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:12:43 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  90. fun, about Tony Scott: Scott flew to New Jersey to meet Murphy, shot pool, then Murphy vanished mid-rematch and sent his boys to say Scott was fine with him.
    “Scott recalls shooting some pool with Murphy. who won the 1st game, then disappeared in the middle of a rematch.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:13:50 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  91. fun, about Eddie Murphy: Murphy arrived with a huge trailer and an entourage including his Uncle Ray, brother Charlie, cousin Ray Jr., Fruity, and a 21-year-old valet, and was late all the time, then ad-libbed.
    “he was late all the time, according to one of the crew.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:15:50 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  92. fun, about Beverly Hills Cop II: Eddie Murphy himself called it the most successful mediocre picture in history, a half-assed rehash that was less spontaneous. Both hosts disagree and say they love it.
    “Beverly Hills cop 2 was probably the most successful mediocre picture in history.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:16:54 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  93. fun, about Eddie Murphy: Murphy bought a $65,000 Porsche at lunch when depressed, and fought producers to keep the Ferrari from the movie; the producers' spokesman denied they ever gave him one.
    “Eddie may have bought a red Ferrari, but Don and Jerry never gave him one.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:17:45 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
  94. fun, about Beverly Hills Cop II: Most rewatchable scene: Axel at the gun club pleading for his daughters Monique and Unique; Simmons calls it a fucking classic.
    “I'd like to see my kids, Monique and Unique again, fucking classic.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:30:04 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  95. fun, about Beverly Hills Cop II: Best quote candidate: the Gerald Ford lookalike in the strip club; Simmons says he still doesn't know why it's funny after all these years.
    “President Gerald Ford is so fucking funny.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:31:52 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  96. fun, about Tony Scott: On the armored-truck city deposit robbery: Scott takes off his shirt, rubs body butter on his arms and does action-sequence curls for three minutes.
    “Tony's like, takes off his shirt, rubs his arms with body butter, and just fucking does some curls for us for about 3 minutes.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:32:42 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  97. fun, about Beverly Hills Cop II: Ages the best: the opening song 'Shakedown' by Bob Seger; Simmons wants more theme songs thematically drawn from the movie, like running away from crime in the city.
    “We just don't have, we used to do things in this country.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:38:43 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  98. fun, about Beverly Hills Cop II: Ages the best: Producer Craig plays the Faltermeyer opening and Simmons says it makes him want to rob a jewelry store; they plan to end pods with a 45-second Craig song.
    “Makes me want to rob a jewelry store.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:40:08 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  99. fun, about Hugh Hefner: First movie ever filmed at the Playboy Mansion; Hefner had said no film, then supposedly found a film reflecting his values. Paul Reiser also reads Playboy Sisters in three scenes.
    “Reiser, he's reading Playboy Sisters, 112 pages of Sexy Siblings.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:45:23 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  100. fun, about Beverly Hills Cop II: Casting what-if: Simmons wants Geena Davis in the thin role of Bogomil's daughter Jan, and Ryan wants Lisa Bonet as a strip-club character killed to fuel Axel's revenge, an 11-minute sidetrack.
    “It's just 2 phone calls and then she's like, I've solved where this guy's visa came from?”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan · 0:51:10 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)