The Rewatchables: A CR Month Mailbag! (March 19, 2026)

Episode Overview

This special mailbag episode of The Rewatchables is a deep-dive celebration of "CR Month," dedicated to co-host Chris Ryan (CR). Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Craig Horbeck field listener questions, brainstorm new categories, and debate the ever-evolving lexicon of "rewatchable" movies. Topics range from recurring podcast moments, new category ideas, film trivia, and insider jokes, to broader film culture debates about narration, athletic authenticity, and peak actor moments.

Tone: Conversational, funny, deeply nerdy, and surprisingly affectionate, with the hosts poking fun at themselves and one another while riffing on movies and podcast culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Meaning of "CR Month" and Favorite Rewatchables

• [01:10]
  • Bill congratulates CR and the "CR Army." CR jokes CR Month is like "attending my own funeral."
  • Discussion on each host’s “number 16 Limitless” – their own inexplicably beloved but not-great movie.
    • Craig: Margin Call (rewatched the most this century)
    • Bill: Limitless
    • Chris: Accepted, with a detour into love/hate for Fever Pitch

2. Analyzing Classic Podcast Rhythm and On-Pod Habits

• [05:11]
  • A listener notices CR gets "wound up" ~40 minutes before the end. Hypotheses: excitement for categories, load management, or pod fatigue.
    • Chris: “It probably comes right after you do like a minute long Zane Lowe impression.” [05:11]
    • Craig: “I have like an internal game clock. At 51 minutes, I’ve checked out.” [05:29]

3. Brainstorming and Expanding Podcast Categories

• Discussion of potential new or upgraded categories for The Rewatchables, often with listener prompts:

a. Anti-Apex Award / “Nadir Mountain”

• [07:52] Listener proposes recognizing a star’s low point.
• They break down low points for iconic actors:
  • Cruise: Couch-jumping on Oprah / War of the Worlds slump
  • De Niro: Rocky and Bullwinkle, early 2000s "paycheck" movies
  • Pacino: Author! Author! (early ‘80s)
  • Denzel: No true nadir; perhaps Virtuosity or Ricochet, but still “no stinkers”
  • Sly Stallone: Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot
  • Bill: “We would never do these on the rewatch.”

b. Naming a Category for Bad Athleticism

• [15:11] What should the “terrible sports motion” category be called?
• Nominees: Tim Robbins (Bull Durham), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Summer Catch), Wesley Snipes (White Men Can’t Jump, Major League), Wiley Wiggins (Dazed and Confused), Tom Cruise (War of the Worlds)
  • “Maybe we narrow it down to a final four and put it up [for a vote].” – Bill [22:12]

c. Best Improvised or Transformative At-Home Haircut

• [23:01] Host’s wife (a hairdresser) rages at "miracle” bathroom haircuts in film. Proposed: The Vidal Baboon Award.
• Bourne Identity, Working Girl, Sicario: Day of the Soldado

d. “Secret Handshake” Memorbilia

• [26:21] Items only hardcore fans would recognize.
• Heat: “A copy of Stretch Fractures in Titanium”
• Vision Quest: Red ASICS from the hero
• Sicario: Pink/blue money bands; matches from a cartel bar

e. Narration in Movies—Pet Peeve vs. Asset

• [36:03] Bill reevaluates his anti-narrator stance.
• Listener lists great narrators (Shawshank, Goodfellas, Princess Bride, etc.):
  • Chris: “If the movie’s already good, the narration isn’t a problem.”
  • Bill: “There’s nothing worse than bad narration… Maybe that’s where I need to land.”

f. Other Noteworthy Category Brainstorms:

• [40:35] “I Still Got It Mountain” – for actors’ post-prime victories (The Martian, Taken, John Wick)
• [42:37] “Would You Accept This Character’s Organ Donation?” – gross but hilarious
• [44:28] The “Clint Eastwood Ego Stroke Award” for scenes inserted just to flatter the star
• [45:55] The “Bad First Date Mount Rushmore”—movies to ruin your odds of a second date (Bad Lieutenant, Happiness, Come and See, etc.)

4. Funniest and Most Memorable Listener Questions

a. Side-Tracking and Host Riffing Moments

• [11:45] “My answer for mispronunciations, as always, is: it’s hard to host.” - Bill, responding to a new mispronunciation challenge flag [33:07]
• [54:00] When Bill calls Chris during dinner “just because” – “You called me when I was in Indianapolis… I leave to step outside… you go, ‘you’re going to love CR’s Zane Lowe impression on today’s pod.” – Chris

b. New Flex Categories Discussed

• [77:47] “That’s good, you should be proud of that right there, don’t worry if you don’t make it any further” — The Social Network Award for best line reading
• [76:52] “Christmas Jones Award” (formerly the Elizabeth Shue Award) for most implausible casting of a hot scientist (after Denise Richards in The World is Not Enough)
• [79:07] “Wilson I’m Sorry” Award for a line or moment breaking out into pop culture (Houston, we have a problem, Just when I thought I was out…)

c. Hall of Fame/Pantheon for the Rewatchables

• [62:40] Build a Rewatchables Movie Universe Hall of Fame Pyramid:
  • First Ballot: Cruise, Pacino, De Niro, Denzel, Sly
  • Directors: Spielberg, Tony Scott, Michael Mann, Scorsese
  • That Guy Award: Joey Pants, John Carroll Lynch, Catherine O’Hara, James Remar, Philip Baker Hall
  • Special Achievement: Rene Russo, Steven Seagal, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robert Loggia, Lorraine Bracco

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chris, on podcast energy: "I have like an internal game clock... At 51 minutes, I’ve checked out.” [05:29]
• Bill (defending narrators): “There’s nothing worse than bad narration… Maybe that’s where I need to land.” [37:19]
• Craig (on anti-apex): "I dare say that...the gangster movie [De Niro] made for Barry Levinson last year...is my Dirty Grandpa." [10:01]
• Listener email, on on-pod dynamic: “I couldn’t help but imagine CR is Ed Norton’s character in Fight Club, looking at Bill as Brad Pitt’s character is heaping praise... and Chris said himself, ‘I feel like destroying something beautiful.’” [12:15]
• Bill (on Fever Pitch): “Just didn’t like it... She jumps off the center field wall at the end. By the way, you’d break at least one ankle...” [03:47]
• Craig (on haircut scenes): "It really bothers me when you don’t have the tools to do it, and then you come out and you’re like, look, I look great.” [24:29]
• Bill, re: Maddening Athleticism: "Tim Robbins said he threw out his arm like two days [into Bull Durham filming]. He left it all on the field.” [21:46]
• Chris (on SNL hosts): "Gosling...the best right now. He's at the top of the mountain for SNL." [51:13]
• Craig (on the Peter North Award): "It's like Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea." [89:13]
• Bill (on animated films): "I've honestly never really fully understood it. I like the one sad Toy Story. I thought was good." [93:34]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:23] Number 16 Limitless Movie Discussion
• [05:11] Listener Email: Why does CR get “wound up” late in the pod?
• [07:52] "Nadir Mountain" (Anti-Apex) Category Brainstorming
• [15:11] "Worst Sports Performance" Category Foundations
• [23:01] Home Haircut Category Introduction
• [26:21] Memorabilia/"Secret Handshake" Category
• [36:03] Movie Narration: Reconsidering the Anti-Narrator Stance
• [40:35] “I Still Got It Mountain” (Local Maximum) Category
• [42:37] Organ Donor Category for Characters
• [44:28] Clint Eastwood Ego Stroke Award Introduction
• [45:55] Mount Rushmore of First-Date-Destroying Movie Recommendations
• [62:40] Rewatchables Hall of Fame "Pyramid" Concept
• [77:47] Best Line Reading Category
• [93:34] Animated Movies, Personal Preferences, and Parenting

Additional Notes/Recurring Inside Jokes

• Running joke about “load management” on the pod and cameoing co-hosts.
• Ongoing mockery of peculiar athletic scenes and bad movie casting.
• Bill’s frequent mispronunciations flagged for new awards.
• “Ego stroke” scenes in which Hollywood actors boost their own image.
• Hall of Fame debate reveals ongoing obsession with ranking everything movie-related by stats.

Conclusion and Flow

The episode is a breezy, rapid-fire mailbag that highlights the playful, deeply informed rapport between hosts and their audience. The mailbag format allows for energetic riffing on classic Rewatchables categories, plenty of laughter at the very concept of “rewatchability,” and the ongoing evolution of the “Rewatchables Cinematic Universe” of movies and inside jokes. Whether debating the finer points of movie narration, the authenticity of on-screen athleticism, or the silliest new award ideas, Bill, CR, and Craig keep the tone light, self-aware, and always nerdy-fun—making this episode a perfect snapshot of The Rewatchables at its best.

For fans seeking a greatest-hits of Rewatchables banter, new category ideas, and the sense of collaborative movie-geek joy, this episode is a must-listen.