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 801–900 of 1,295 claims.
theme (era):
Miracle → Remember the Titans.
Both belong to the one-star-on-the-poster era of sports movies from 97 to 05.
“this is from 97 to basically 05, premise, get one big star.”
lineage (remake):
Father of the Bride → Father of the Bride.
The 1991 film remakes the Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor original, and the duo argue the remake anxiety has faded with time.
“there is obviously the original with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor, but fine.”
contrast (tonal opposite):
Father of the Bride → Rachel Getting Married.
Rachel Getting Married is the dysfunctional, intense wedding movie; Father of the Bride is the gentle one where everyone ends up loving each other.
“the bizarre version of this is Rachel's getting married.”
people (dad performance):
Father of the Bride → Rachel Getting Married.
The dad in Rachel Getting Married, and the kitchen meltdown scene, is amazing but intense in the opposite way.
unmapped (aged-comedy peers):
The Jerk → Airplane!.
The Jerk is grouped with Airplane and Blues Brothers as all-time bangers that faded as years passed.
“like airplane, Blues Brothers, some of those where they were just like, all kind, all time bangers, and then as the years passed, they've kind of faded”
unmapped (same actress, sexiness as a trait):
The Man with Two Brains → Body Heat.
Kathleen Turner's sexiness is exploited as a trait in both films, an all-time hot performance.
“between that and body heat, all time hot performance by an actress where it's just like the sexiness of the actress is actually a trait they're exploiting in the movie.”
career (career turn):
Baby Boom → Diane Keaton.
Baby Boom was the first time Keaton moved away from Annie Hall and Woody Allen and the Godfather to lead a movie herself.
“it was the 1st time she moved away from Annie Hall, Woody Allen's 70s, Kate Corleone, and it's like, can she actually lead a movie herself and she did?”
unmapped (marriage and directing team):
Nancy Meyers → Charles Shyer.
Husband and wife team who did Baby Boom and both Father of the Bride films, then divorced and she went on to direct Parent Trap and others.
“they were like a husband and wife directing team, and they did Baby Boom, they did Father-Bride, Father-Bride part 2, and then they flip, and she directs Parent trap.”
lineage (remake-distance analogy):
Father of the Bride → Risky Business.
Remaking a film starring the biggest stars of 1982-83 would still have them hanging over it, as Elizabeth Taylor hung over the 1991 remake.
“if you remade risky business, Tom Cruise would hang over that movie.”
unmapped (narration that works):
Father of the Bride → Goodfellas.
Narration is usually a crutch, but it works in Goodfellas and here because the monologue is good and the narration lets George say what he cannot say.
“Narration is usually a crutch and you really, like Goodfellas is a good example of like, narration totally worked.”
unmapped (basketball scene scale):
Father of the Bride → Teen Wolf.
Teen Wolf has the worst basketball scene ever; Father of the Bride's father-daughter scene rates about an eight against its one.
“The worst, the worst basketball scene ever in a movie is in Teen Wolf.”
what-if (casting what-if):
George Clooney → Father of the Bride.
Recasting Brian with 1991 Facts of Life-era Clooney would have made him more of a threat and pulled the focus.
“I'm thinking Moet, Facts of Life, George Clooney, where it's like, he's still boyish.”
people (bookend casting):
Tom Irish → Father of the Bride.
He debuted in the 1950 film and made his last appearance in the 1991 remake, playing Ben Banks in both.
“made his film debut in the father of the bride in 1950, and his last film appearance in this movie, and he played the same character in both Ben Banks.”
theme (character basis):
Martin Short → Kevin Lee.
Short's wedding planner is based on Kevin Lee of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills who helped with Pitt and Aniston's wedding.
“Martin Short portrayed the wedding planner. is the portrayal is based on somebody named Kevin Lee.”
contrast (tonal opposite):
Father of the Bride → Rachel Getting Married.
Apex pick: Father of the Bride is the happy wedding movie, not the one with complete dysfunction.
“not Rachel's getting married where it's just complete dysfunction and people fucking in the basement.”
people (wedding movie exclusion / actor redemption):
Father of the Bride → The Godfather.
Simmons does not count The Godfather as a wedding movie, and says Keaton's performance here makes up for Kay Corleone.
“I don't count the godfather as a wedding movie, even though the wedding is important.”
verdict (best-Martin-movie rival):
Roxanne → Father of the Bride.
Roxanne was a massive movie that people feared he could not pull off, but this is still his best.
“Roxanne was a massive movie. And was a movie that people were not were worried that he was going to pull it off and they did, and it's really good.”
verdict (best-Martin-movie rival):
Parenthood → Father of the Bride.
Some would pick Parenthood as his best because it tried this type of movie first and spun off into a TV show.
“Some people might say parenthood actually, because it's the 1st type of movie that tried to do the stuff they did.”
industry (industry):
Saturday Night Fever → Jaws.
Jaws, Rocky, Star Wars and this film mark the 70s run where pop culture and the business changed direction.
“75, we have Jaws, which creates the summer blockbuster.”
theme (theme):
Saturday Night Fever → Mean Streets.
70s and 80s films tried to capture a city or group; Scorsese did it in Mean Streets with people who are not great either.
“like, you know, mean streets, Scorsese does that.”
contrast (contrast):
Saturday Night Fever → The Sopranos.
Simmons wonders whether the producers knew these men were bad guys, unlike David Chase on The Sopranos.
“I know for the Sopranos, for instance, you know that David Chase knows that these are bad guys”
industry (industry):
Saturday Night Fever → Equus.
Best Actor field that year included Richard Burton in Equus, which Kimmel says is unfair for plays adapted to film.
industry (industry):
Saturday Night Fever → The Goodbye Girl.
Richard Dreyfuss won the Best Actor Oscar over Travolta for The Goodbye Girl; Simmons calls it a do-over.
“And then our winner, Richard Dreyfus and the Goodbye Girl.”
lineage (lineage):
Saturday Night Fever → Mean Streets.
Ebert, read aloud, ties the film to Little Italy as Scorsese saw it in Mean Streets: characters with few aims and no way out.
“it reminds him of New York's Little Italy, as Martin Scorsese saw it”
verdict (verdict):
Saturday Night Fever → Chinatown.
Simmons ranks the dance floor takeover among the five most iconic scenes of the 70s next to Chinatown and The Godfather.
“I actually think this is one of the 5 most iconic scenes of the 70s.”
craft (craft):
Saturday Night Fever → The Warriors.
The Barracudas fight should have been better compared with The Warriors and other great 70s fight scenes.
“if you're comparing it to movies like the Warriors and some of the great 70s fight scene movies.”
industry (industry):
Saturday Night Fever → Midnight Run.
Network edits of R-rated films were painful; Midnight Run was the worst with 200 swears to remove.
“Midnight Run's the worst one because Bendet Run has like 200 swears in it”
craft (craft):
Saturday Night Fever → Stevie Wonder.
Scenes were shot to Stevie Wonder and Boz Scaggs, not the Bee Gees; the Bee Gees songs came after.
“It was Stevie Wonder and Boz Skaggs, which was what he was dancing.”
theme (theme):
Saturday Night Fever → Goodfellas.
Italian family dinners recur in mafia movies; Goodfellas has the visit to mother after the body scene.
lineage (lineage):
Saturday Night Fever → Staying Alive.
The sequel; the hosts agree it is a bad one but Simmons is glad it exists and thinks it did not ruin the original.
fun, about
Beverly Hills Cop II:
Trivia: the license plate 2GAT123 is apparently the license-plate equivalent of the 555 phone number, appearing in other LA stories.
“is apparently the license plate equivalent of the 555 phone number.”
fun, about
Brigitte Nielsen:
Nielsen, who had affairs with Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Tony Scott, Mark Gastineau and Flavor Flav, is called a rainbow of romances.
fun, about
Beverly Hills Cop II:
Double-feature style pitch: Axel is brought to LA as a consultant on a cop movie and discovers it is laundering drug money. Simmons adds Don Simpson with a giant pile of cocaine.
“Then we could have just had Don Simpson in the movie with a giant pile of cocaine.”
fun, about
Robert Altman:
Studio offered full financing if Altman got a bigger star than Tim Robbins; he told them off and self-financed, hence Spelling Entertainment in the credits.
“Altman was offered full studio financing of the player if he had a bigger star than Tim Robbins, and Altman said, fuck you”
fun, about
The Player cameos:
Altman got 65 celebrities to do cameos by saying only that it was about an executive who murders a screenwriter and gets away with it.
“I only told them, I'm making a film about a studio executive who murders the screenwriter and get away, gets away with it, and they all wanted to be in it.”
fun, about
The Player opening shot:
The 7:47 opening tracking shot took 15 takes and they used the 10th; it holds the Buck Henry Graduate II pitch and the meta quiet-on-the-set start.
“The opening scene, 7 minutes, 47 seconds, 15 takes were required.”
fun, about
Habeas Corpus (inside The Player):
The pitch is no stars, an unknown cast and a depressing ending; a year later it stars Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis with a happy ending.
fun, about
Sydney Pollack:
Sydney Pollack in suspenders and no shirt in Eyes Wide Shut is the text-thread photo and the energy Bill says he strives for.
fun, about
Vincent D'Onofrio and Greta Scacchi:
Six degrees: their daughter Leila George married Sean Penn, whom Tim Robbins directed in Dead Man Walking.
“They have a daughter named Leila George, who's married to Sean Penn.”
fun, about
Greta Scacchi:
Scacchi refused nudity after Presumed Innocent, so the sex scene is shot from the neck up; Cynthia Stevenson's nude hot tub scene is the counterpoint.
“Skocky said no nudity. So that was why they filmed the sex scene from the neck up.”
fun, about
Die Hard 2:
Most rewatchable scene: McClane fights two guys in a restricted baggage area, a cluttered multi-room fight setup nobody does anymore.
“John fights 2 guys in a security restricted baggage area.”
fun, about
Die Hard 2:
Most rewatchable: Carmine Lorenzo meets McClane and is unimpressed by the Nakatomi hero; the hosts joke about the Sully equivalent.
“Yeah, we're not at the Nakatomi building anymore, McQueen.”
fun, about
Die Hard 2:
The plane crash is the craziest, most horrifying scene in action movies and why the hosts hadn't done the movie; memorable, not rewatchable.
“I wouldn't call it rewatchable, more like memorable”
fun, about
Die Hard 2:
Christmas movie debate: Simmons holds firm that Die Hard and Die Hard 2 are not Christmas movies; the others say this captures holiday travel anxiety.
“In my heart of hearts, it's not a Christmas movie.”
fun, about
Will Smith:
On the Oscars: Bill says the first 2.5 hours were boring but the slap was the most must-see TV in five years; Kimmel compared it to Tyson biting Holyfield's ear.
“as soon as that happened, that was the most must see TV thing that has happened in, what, 5 years?”
fun, about
David Fincher:
Fincher's lessons from Panic Room: don't shoot 100 days in one place; he ended up two years in thinking nothing was worth it.
fun, about
Jodie Foster:
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976) is one of the five craziest movies you could ever rewatch; there's a dead person in the basement.
“which is one of the 5 craziest movies you could ever rewatch.”
fun, about
Panic Room:
Nicole Kidman was first cast as Meg, hurt her knee, and Foster replaced her on a week's notice because her Flora Plum shut down; then Foster got pregnant and production stopped again, which is why it took two years.
fun, about
Panic Room:
Bill reads Roger Ebert's three-star review (Fincher a visual virtuoso, Foster spellbinding) and asks why not 3.5; the Ebert running gag.
fun, about
Panic Room:
Most rewatchable scene candidates: robbers show up, Jody finds out they're in the house, Jody gets her phone (slow-mo), Leto screws up the safe talk, the switcheroo, the propane-tank sequence.
fun, about
Panic Room:
Bearer bonds explainer: bill Googles it; bonds are owned by whoever holds them, so they're 'the original Bitcoin' and a lazy heist-movie staple.
fun, about
Forest Whitaker:
Bill calls him 'the Jeff Green of actors' because of his baffling career: Oscar winner who is also in Taken 3, ER, and a Fast Times linebacker.
fun, about
Forest Whitaker:
He passed on directing Panic Room, wanting to act in it; he was prepping First Daughter, starring Katie Holmes, which he directed.
“He also directed 1st daughter starring Katie Holmes.”
fun, about
Dwight Yoakam:
Casting what-if: Maynard from Tool was first choice for Raoul, the greatest what-if in Rewatchables history; Yoakam was number two.
fun, about
Panic Room:
Kristen Stewart grew more than three inches during shooting, towering over Foster; Bill wants a database of child actors who grew mid-production.
“Kristen Stewart grew more than 3 inches during the filming.”
fun, about
Panic Room:
Craig asks about SOS flashlight signaling; leads to Kitty Genovese and the bystander effect and the Halloween neighbor who won't help Jamie Lee.
fun, about
Miracle:
Simmons listened to the Sweden game on a clock radio; the broadcast was tape delayed and he overheard the score in a grocery store.
“I swear to God, in my room, in Brooklyn, Massachusetts, I listened to us tie the Sweden game on my clock radio.”
fun, about
Al Michaels:
Michaels re-recorded his narration so the third act is narrated by him; his real last ten seconds call is higher and more excited.
fun, about
Bill Simmons:
Simmons's 2004 ESPN The Magazine column was rewritten by editors because Disney owned both; the new ending was 'by the way, I'm seeing it on Friday.'
“You can't, like, trash the idea of the movie in your column.”
fun, about
Father of the Bride (most rewatchable scene):
Annie announces she is getting married at the first family dinner. It sets up all the dynamics, and Steve Martin's expressions and Diane Keaton's welling-up are the payoff.
“it's got to be that 1st family dinner scene because it sets up all of the dynamics of the movie and everybody's very funny in it.”
fun, about
Kieran Culkin:
Best 'what ages the best': a child Kieran Culkin in the dinner scene whose face already looks like Roman Roy. Simmons and wife waited for the 8-year-old equivalent of a dick pic scene.
“It is so fucking hilarious to watch this and think that kid's going to be Roman Roy.”
fun, about
San Marino:
Both hosts give San Marino, the film's suburb, a best-aged vote; Simmons says it is a secret like Fight Club, with old-school drugstores with ice cream sundaes. The house exteriors are actually in Pasadena.
fun, about
Father of the Bride (basketball scene):
The kid montage into the father-daughter basketball scene set to a Darlene Love song. Simmons grades it an eight against Teen Wolf's one, and notes dads do not play one-on-one with a 5-foot-2 daughter.
“So if that's a one, this is like an eight, I would say.”
fun, about
Phoebe Cates:
Casting what-if: Phoebe Cates was offered Annie Banks but was pregnant. Simmons says she and Demi Moore would have split the Demi Moore parts.
“Phoebe Cates. Offered the role of Annie Banks. had to turn it down because she was pregnant.”
fun, about
George Newbern:
Best That Guy (Joey Pants Award) debate: Brian the son-in-law is George Newbern, who has hundreds of credits and over 350 audiobook credits on Audible as of September 2020. Simmons gives him the award over B.D. Wong.
“As of September 2020, over 350 credits on Audible.”
fun, about
George Clooney:
Recast-and-catch: George Clooney as the son-in-law, in 1991 Facts of Life mode, which Simmons says would make him a bit more of a threat and make a fun wrinkle.
“I can't believe George Clooney was the son-in-law, just would have been a fun wrinkle.”
fun, about
Tom Irish:
Trivia: an actor debuted in the 1950 Father of the Bride and made his last film appearance in the 1991 remake, playing Ben Banks in both.
fun, about
Father of the Bride (the house):
The house exterior is in Pasadena and the rest is sets or another house; the reception house sold for $1.998 million in August 2016. Fans take photos like at the Michael Myers house.
“It's like the like the Michael Myers house and a bunch of other ones.”