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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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.
Their claims
Showing 1,201–1,295 of 1,295 claims.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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”
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.
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”
unmapped (shared line):
Old School → The Godfather.
Old School features the characters calling Luke Wilson 'Godfather'; the host also notes the Godfather timeline.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
career (career retrofit):
Liam Neeson → Love Actually.
Neeson's pre-Taken IMDb all got retrofit, even his Love Actually character reads as Brian Mills.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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?”
unmapped (kidnapping untapped):
Kidnap → Ransom.
Simmons asks about Ransom as another kidnapping movie streamers could remake; Serrano is out on Mel Gibson.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.