‘The Nice Guys’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Rob Mahoney

Summary

The Rewatchables: ‘The Nice Guys’

Hosts: Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Rob Mahoney, Craig
Date: March 24, 2026
Film Discussed: The Nice Guys (2016)

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Episode Overview

In this lively installment of The Rewatchables, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Rob Mahoney, and Craig dive into Shane Black's 1970s-set black comedy The Nice Guys. The crew unpacks why this “instant cult classic” is so endlessly rewatchable, what makes its blend of buddy-comedy and noir unique, and laments that a sequel never materialized. With a focus on the film’s standout performances (especially Ryan Gosling’s comedic chops and Russell Crowe’s career-shifting turn), the hosts reminisce about 1970s L.A., analyze Shane Black's screenwriting style, and highlight the film's most memorable lines and scenes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why The Nice Guys Is a Rewatchable Cult Classic

• Cult status trajectory: Released in 2016, the film quickly became a cult favorite, showing up repeatedly on cable and streaming platforms despite underperforming at the box office.
  • “It was destined to become a beloved cult movie but tried to be a hit, but then it wasn’t… and then it became exactly what it was supposed to be.” — Rob Mahoney [02:00]
• Perfect rewatchability: The film’s rapid-fire dialogue, quotable lines, and physical comedy make it work whether you're fully engaged or just listening from another room.
  • “It’s a perfect rewatchable… the line deliveries are so great… if you’re just walking around doing chores, you're cackling from the next room.” — Bill Simmons [03:45]

2. The Shane Black Formula and 1970s Nostalgia

• Recipe for success: Black’s films often feature wisecracking buddy duos, seamless action set pieces, and cynical—but heartfelt—storylines.
  • “He is really, really, really maybe the best ever at the buddy movie… just wisecracks, action, and good set pieces.” — Chris Ryan [23:42]
• Love for the ‘70s: The setting is described as a fundamental “secret sauce,” referencing other successful movies set during the era (Boogie Nights, Almost Famous, Zodiac).
  • “Why is it so fun to go back to the ‘70s? The cars are cool. It’s fun to smoke. Ladies looked great…” — Chris Ryan [04:40]

3. Ryan Gosling & Russell Crowe: Chemistry and Career Impact

• Gosling’s comedic breakthrough: The hosts argue that this film unlocked new possibilities for Gosling, paving the way for his comedic work in Barbie and SNL.
  • “He’s so fucking funny… I bet every dollar in my pocket, Ken does not happen without this movie. This is him going full buffoon.” — Bill Simmons [12:08]
• Crowe’s rejuvenation: Despite being a “hard 51” at the time, Crowe’s gruff-yet-principled Healy is “phenomenal” and essential to the film’s heart.
  • “This movie doesn’t work without his, like, counterweight to everything…he is the beating heart that, like, rounds out the whole movie.” — Bill Simmons [21:21 & 55:53]
  • Great chemistry with Gosling — “I really like that he was able to find chemistry with another actor [besides Caruso and Proof of Life].” — Rob Mahoney [18:43]

4. The Dialogue-Heavy, Gag-Laden Script

• Memorable lines: The script is considered “as Shane Black as it gets” with most humor arising from dialogue, line readings, and reaction shots.
  • “This is a great dialogue movie. This is a great memorable lines movie.” — Chris Ryan [03:07]
• Physical comedy: Many laugh-out-loud moments come from Gosling’s physical performance, like the bathroom stall gag and high-pitched screams.
  • “Maybe the best moment…is him with his pants down in a bathroom stall, trying to kick the door open and hold it…it requires you to be willing to embarrass yourself in a kind of way.” — Bill Simmons [14:10]

5. Celebrating Supporting Players and Bit Characters

• Scene-stealing moments: The hosts single out the “big dick kid on the bike” and the surreality of the LA porn party.
  • “Every time. $20. Fucking Chet. When Chet, the guy, his life and his life's work–really makes you think. Not really, Chet.” — Chris Ryan [30:08]
• Ensemble praise: Angourie Rice’s performance as Holly is lauded as a “tremendous little kid performance,” and Margaret Qualley’s later stardom gets noted.
  • “I’m gonna give Rice the Sasha Jenkins award for the actor you can’t believe didn’t become a bigger star just from this movie.” — Rob Mahoney [20:43]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “It's the closest thing we've got to Midnight Run this century.”
  — Chris Ryan [03:07]

• (On LA in ‘70s films) “This movie is so cool for exactly those reasons. Even though, like, everyone in it is aggressively uncool, like it shouldn’t be…but because of the era, it just works.”
  — Bill Simmons [05:05]

• “He's fucking funny. He is so funny, and he's funny in La La Land…I mean, he's maybe not funny in Blade Runner, but he is able to do comedy.”
  — Chris Ryan [11:06]

• “Comedy is the biggest risk of any genre you can take…all the other young, great actors right now…none of them are really taking a risk with comedy.”
  — Craig [15:13]

• “Of all the characters for some of these movies…we left for Red October. Nice. Maybe October. Maybe we just don’t do it in October. Who knows?”
  — Rob Mahoney closing out [85:29–end]

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Structured Breakdown with Timestamps

The Movie’s Place in the Rewatchables Pantheon

• [02:00–03:45]: Discussion of The Nice Guys’ journey from near-flop to cult sensation and its rare combination of dialogue, physical comedy, and perennial "cable movie" status.
• [05:16–06:53]: Why 1970s settings have enduring appeal: nostalgia, cars, party scenes, and cultural context.

Performances, Chemistry, and Career Impact

• [09:17–14:35]: Detailed breakdown of Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe’s chemistry, the rarity of Gosling’s comedic turn, and Crowe’s post-Oscar trajectory; the risks and rewards of A-listers doing comedy.
• [16:10–18:53]: The Shane Black effect on both their performances and careers.

Dialogue, Structure, and Shane Black’s Screenwriting

• [23:31–24:18]: Shane Black as a top-five screenwriter, master of “buddy movies,” and the “million-dollar spec” phenomenon.
• [25:06–32:56]: Most rewatchable scenes, from the outrageous opening to the porn party set piece; the “big dick kid” scene; and memorable comedic gags.

Celebrating the 1970s and Old School LA

• [33:21–34:04]: The most "1977" things in the movie: gas crisis, killer bees, John Boy villain, electric razors in cars, and a roaming sense of LA’s geography.
• [34:35–35:51]: The unique niche filled by R-rated action comedies in the 2010s; a genre in decline but exemplified by The Nice Guys.

Awards & Category Riffs

• [39:05–40:06]: Downey Jr. cameo (“Sid Shattuck” dead body), surprise Easter egg for film nerds.
• [51:58–53:00]: Hans Gruber villain scale, overacting award, best death of a bystander.
• [54:06–56:21]: Hottest take—this should have become a franchise; the tragedy of Angry Birds stealing its thunder.

Unanswerable Questions & Nitpicks

• [66:02–70:16]: Picking nits: why are there so few cops, can a 13-year-old drive a '70s car, miraculous surviving of big falls, and the cigarette-in-water continuity error.

Who Won the Movie?

• [74:48–82:17]: Universal consensus: Ryan Gosling, with big assists for Shane Black’s script and the overall supporting cast.
• [81:06–81:49]: The Nice Guys celebrated as “the best comedy of the last 10 years;” Craig’s all-timer.

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Notable Rewatchable Scenes

• Opening Credits and Car Crash (LA flyover and “Misty Mountains” reveal) [27:09–28:22]
• “Big Dick Kid” Scene (“I offered to show you… because I got a big dick.”) [29:42–30:14]
• Porn Party Chaos (Gosling’s physical gags, upside-down mermaids, party lines) [31:03–31:32]
• Bathroom Stall Scream & Cookie Jar Bit (Gosling’s physical comedy setpiece) [28:45–29:30]
• Elevator Scene/Hitler Jokes [31:48–32:10]
• Nixon Story (“So what’s the point?” “There’s two ways to look at something…”) [32:25–32:30]

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Awards & Inside-Jokes

• Best Character Name: Misty Mountains, John Boy
• Amanda Dobbins Real Estate Award: Sid Shattuck’s house (Atlanta home of Dallas Austin, seen on MTV Cribs) [44:43]
• Kid Cudi Award (Needle Drop): “Get Down On It”, “Horse With No Name”, “September”, Al Green closing credits [45:02–45:20]
• Best Quote/Flex: Gosling at the protest—“Which one of you cock and balls…” [45:26]
• Butch’s Girlfriend Weak Link: Kim Basinger’s performance “a little off register,” ideas for recasting discussed [47:07–49:44]

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Unanswerable Questions

• How long did the Nice Guys Agency last before March lost custody and Healy’s heart gave out? [77:26]
• Did the plot-line porn film ever actually change anything? [82:26]
• Why didn’t more sequels follow, especially now that Gosling is a mega-star? [54:06–55:12]

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Conclusion: Why We Can’t Stop Rewatching

The hosts agree The Nice Guys is “an all-timer”—the rare buddy-cop comedy finding gold in both its dialogue and its action. Gosling’s comedic timing and Crowe’s world-weary counterpart elevate Black’s cynical heart, and the world-building both skewers and pays tribute to 1970s L.A.

“Everybody I’ve watched it with likes it. It’s just universally beloved. Fuck Angry Birds.” — Craig [82:06]

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For First-Time Listeners

You don’t have to be a Nice Guys superfan to enjoy this episode—the hosts break down its charms, its 1970s context, why comedy is harder than it looks, and the enduring magic of two perfect leads. For fans and newcomers alike, this is a riotously fun discussion of a modern cult classic.

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Quick Reference: Notable Timestamps

• 02:00 — Movie’s cult status and cable/streaming “stickiness”
• 11:06 — Gosling’s comedic breakthrough & versatility
• 14:10 — Physical comedy and humility in star roles
• 27:09 — Opening iconic LA scene
• 29:42 — “Big Dick Kid” and quotable one-liners
• 31:03 — Porn party set piece
• 54:06 — The “Tragedy” of no sequel and hottest takes
• 74:48 — Who won the movie

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Next week: LA Confidential (not on Netflix; check Amazon Prime). Meanwhile, revisit the archives for more Rewatchables gems—and watch out for that big dick kid.

Transcript

[Rob Mahoney]

This episode is brought to you by TikTok. TikTok gives parents the visibility control they need to help shape the right environment that makes sense for their teens. Teens under 18 have a 60 minute screen time reminder in place and with family pairing, parents can set their own screen time limits and link accounts to see their teens followers who they follow and help restrict content that's not right for them. When safety comes first, Discovery can follow. Learn [e-mail] guardiansguide. The Rewatchables is brought to you by the Ringer Podcast Network where you can find the Ringer NBA show with Rob Mahoney Group Chat sure can. And the Prestige TV podcast.

[Bill Simmons]

It's all happening.

[Rob Mahoney]

And the Rewatchables. What a week for you. And you were on my podcast.

[Bill Simmons]

That's a lot.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, you were on a lot.

[Bill Simmons]

Do I. What's happening?

[Rob Mahoney]

Try not to overexpose you. Chris Ryan we're still in CR Month.

[Craig]

We are.

[Rob Mahoney]

Rob said on my podcast this week that every month is CR Month. That's been a consensus.

[Chris Ryan]

That's really nice of people to say. I don't know whether that means I've outworn my welcome or what.

[Bill Simmons]

Just for those who doesn't need to celebrate.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, exactly. It's. How do you, how do you choose to recognize CR Month completely?

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, we're. We're 60% through CR Month, 80% after this one. We did a vote, put 12 movies up for vote. You thought Goonies was going to win?

[Chris Ryan]

Well, I sometimes think that we skew a little bit older in our demo, but apparently the young people, it's like when they voted. We voted for Obama in 08. You know, we took it back.

[Bill Simmons]

Who's the we here?

[Chris Ryan]

I voted for Obama. I'm not afraid to say it.

[Rob Mahoney]

Craig's excited because it's opening up a whole bunch of last 15 year movies. When these movies do well from 2010-25,

[Craig]

all the voters were just bots that I made on the Internet.

[Bill Simmons]

I'm happy for it.

[Rob Mahoney]

The Nice Guys is next. This episode of the Rewatchables is presented by by TikTok. The online world moves fast. That's why TikTok approaches teen safety with families in mind from the start. On TikTok, teens get over 50 built in protections right when they join, their accounts start private by default. For those under 16, direct messages are turned off. Only friends can comment on their videos. When safety comes first, discovery can follow. Learn [e-mail] guardiansguide. Nice guys. Technically, the 10 year anniversary of this movie came out in 2016, one of those I wrote down, destined to become a beloved cult movie, but tried to be a hit movie, but then it wasn't a hit movie. And then it became exactly what it was supposed to be, which was a beloved cult movie. And it happened almost immediately. It was in the last vestiges of when people would go to cable and still watch stuff on cable. But the streamers were coming. And you know that this movie is popular because it's on all the time on cable channels. It's always on one of the big streamers. It's just here, and it feels like it's here to stay.

[Chris Ryan]

Sierra, it's got everything you want from a movie. See, usually when we do rewatchables, especially over the last couple of months, I've noticed, like, a lot of the things that I tend to highlight are, like, sequences, filmmaking, moments from the movie. This is. It's all lines. This is a great dialogue movie. This is a great memorable lines movie. It features my favorite Ryan Gosling performance. And he's in the news, obviously, because Project Hail Mary is coming out this weekend, I guess, when we're recording. So it'll be past weekend when you hear this. And yeah, this is just a. Like, do you really need to know the plot of this movie? You just turn it on and hang out with it. It's the closest thing we've got to Midnight Run this century.

[Bill Simmons]

It is Midnight Run, but somehow sleazier. Like, it's like we get even grimier, even weirder. And you're right about the lines. But I feel like this is. It's a perfect rewatchable because if you are locked in, the physical comedy is so funny. Yes. But if you're second screening, the line deliveries are so great. And if you're just like walking around doing chores, you're gonna be like, cackling from the next room. Cause some of the stuff is so big you can just hear it and react to it.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. It's a chemistry. It's only. It's weird they've only made one, but I guess the movie didn't do well enough to bring back.

[Chris Ryan]

It's such a shame. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

I have a list of movies that went backwards to the 1970s because I think that's part of the secret sauce. Boogie Nights, Almost Famous Casino, Goodfellas, the Conjuring Rush, Zodiac Anchorman, Ice Storm, Nice Guys, Days to Confuse Argo and American Gangster. So that is just 13. I think we've done all of those on rewatchables now, except for Rush, which is on the list. Why is it so fun to go back to the seventies? What is it?

[Chris Ryan]

The cars are cool. It's fun to smoke. Ladies looked great.

[Rob Mahoney]

Ladies looked great. They really look the best back then.

[Chris Ryan]

What else do you need? You know, it's like everybody was kind of like, this fucking government is screwing us over. But, like, what could we do about it?

[Rob Mahoney]

Let's get drunk, let's have some cigarettes. It's okay. You can drive home. You're fine.

[Chris Ryan]

The burgeoning porn industry, I mean, what

[Rob Mahoney]

else do you want?

[Bill Simmons]

I mean, this movie is so cool for exactly those reasons. Even though, like, everyone in it is aggressively uncool, like it shouldn't be, but because of the era, because of the stylings, because of the cars, like, it just kind of works in that way.

[Rob Mahoney]

Craig. I was there for the 70s, so I vaguely remember some of it. You missed it by a couple decades. When you go back in the 70s, what is it for you?

[Craig]

The giant lapels, the brown suits. Parties just seeming really fun. No phones, everyone's topless

[Chris Ryan]

guys and girls.

[Craig]

There's topless mermaids at parties. I mean, come on.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

We really had it all figured out back then. I'm trying to. What are movies that failed that went back to the 70s? I'm sure there's been a couple and we blocked them out of our minds.

[Bill Simmons]

But it's a great question.

[Rob Mahoney]

Has there been ones where we go back and it just didn't work? And we were like, why are we doing this? Because maybe like Semi Pro.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Didn't totally work. But even that one I kind of enjoy.

[Chris Ryan]

The funny thing is, like, with a movie like Semi Pro, which I actually like, there's a couple of really amazing scenes in that.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

It's like they can't get out of their own contemporary heads enough. You know, it's like you're always aware that you were watching Will Ferrell pretend to be an ABA basketball player.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

Whereas like this, like, this just feels like an episode of the Rockford Files, man. Like, with all, like, with more profanity and more nudity and better jokes.

[Rob Mahoney]

Pluto's really brought back this decade. They have. I think they might even have a 70s channel. But you can just dive into Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Rockford Files, Vegas. And it really was kind of like this. Especially like you watch like the Charlie's Angels where everything was resolved in an hour and you would just have these skeevy guys, like the Russell Crowe character. You'd have good looking women trying to navigate this inherently Crazy sexist world. Everybody's drinking and just people have nice cars and they're just driving around la. There's never traffic.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

It just seems like the greatest place. The big crisis in this movie is smog.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

And meanwhile there's no traffic. They're just zooming down Sunset happily popping around different parties.

[Chris Ryan]

That's because they also had the gas crisis. So maybe some people were staying off

[Rob Mahoney]

the road when you were growing up and you're watching these 70 shows but have no context. Any part of LA reruns.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

And you don't know where LA begins and ends. In your mind you think the beach is next to Sunset Boulevard and all this stuff. But I was, I. That was the LA I fell in love with. It was one of the reasons I want to move here.

[Chris Ryan]

I still remember the first time I came here. I did one of those like this is how la. LA is supposed to work days. Right. So I went to the beach. Then I drove to Silver Lake and then went to a hockey game. And it was like one of the worst days of my life because I spent five hours in bumper to bumper traffic trying to do that. And so it was, it really, you know, it, it wiped away any preconceived notions I had about how easy it would be to get around here.

[Bill Simmons]

So how do we go back other than a smog crisis and massive corporate conspiracy? Like how. How do we get it back?

[Rob Mahoney]

It feels like we can rebuild it. When you, when you moved here, what was different about LA than. Than you expected?

[Bill Simmons]

I think it's as advertised. Like it's as miserable going across town as everyone tells you that it is. I am exactly in the size of bubble that everyone warned me I would be. As long as you're like aware of what's happening, I think it's fine.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

Every once in a while I'll have an LA experience. I just have one driving over where I'm like, I w have Jack and Holland in the car with me to kind of like. Because I was just behind a waymo that refused to take the left turn, you know. It was just like, well there still could be traffic coming. And I'm like, well we're just going to sit here behind this fucking robot car disaster for half an hour. This is insane. And I was just like, I wish those guys were in the backseat just like shooting at your car. One one liners. Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

This has been my most LA experience is learn I'm not an aggressive driver by type. The city brings it out of you. But learning that you can bully every robot car on the road has been a very formative experience for me.

[Chris Ryan]

Until they turn back the tide.

[Bill Simmons]

That's true. I'm going to get my licks in.

[Rob Mahoney]

In the meantime, I've been doing a new thing when. When I'm walking around and I see the wayo coming, I just kind of go on the street a little bit because it spazzes out and it's just like, yeah, who's in charge now?

[Craig]

Wayo.

[Chris Ryan]

Somewhere there's a Reddit. Fred was like, I was in a wayo, and Bill Simmons kept taunting my car.

[Rob Mahoney]

Ryan Gosling, this is his. So we. We talked about the concept of Oscars. MVPs were, like, who owned the year? Did we talk about that? The last rewatch was.

[Chris Ryan]

We talked about that being a new category that we may need to introduce because there are certain years where, like,

[Rob Mahoney]

Spielberg, actor, director Gosling does this in La La Land. And I, you know, this. This movie didn't do, like, fantastic or anything, but two really distinct performances. Really fun. He's one of the first people you think about.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

When you think about this year, he would have, I think, been nominated for mvp. It would have been his trying to think, what basketball. It's his Cade Cunningham year. Like, please throw me in the mix for your podcast conversations. I'm not actually gonna win.

[Chris Ryan]

Jalen Duran.

[Rob Mahoney]

Whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I was thinking about years where you could watch a terrific actor do completely different things in two movies in the same year. And I was trying to find all the times that this happened. The funniest example that just stood out was Ed Norton, who's in Rounders as Worm in American History X in the same year with iconic performances. Right. Yes, He's Worm, and then he's the American History X guy. Hanks was Philadelphia and Sleepless in Seattle in 1993. Pretty distinct. And then Leo did Departed and Blood diamond same year.

[Bill Simmons]

Those aren't that different.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, one, he's got the accent.

[Bill Simmons]

I mean, that is true.

[Rob Mahoney]

Denny.

[Chris Ryan]

Denny.

[Bill Simmons]

The accent's quite different.

[Rob Mahoney]

And there's other ones that had, like, big years, like Poitier. Big people like that. Cruise had a couple, two movie combos, but he's always Cruise. But it's like Maguire and Mission 1, Top Gun and Call Her Money, Cocktail and Rain Man. But you wouldn't say, like, Cruz became two different people. Gosling in this movie, compared to La La Land, feels like two different people.

[Bill Simmons]

Dramatically.

[Chris Ryan]

Yes. But this is my favorite era for him. It's after his, like, angry young man Opening of, like, Half Nelson and Drive and some of that stuff. This is like, one of the best runs for me in the recent memory of an actor showing their taste. He's working with great directors. He kind of stops at, what, like, first man or Blade Runner 2049, and takes a few years off, and it comes back to this era that we're in now, which is like, Fall Guy, Barbie, Project, Hail Mary. And it's kind of a little bit more happy. Go lucky here for a good time, not a long time, Kind of like vibes. Whereas, like, this is really, like, complicated or charming. Really, really, like, like, well tailored to his skill set. And the thing about him that I think is really lost on some of our big young stars now is he's fucking funny. He is so funny, and he's funny in La Land. I mean, he's maybe not funny in Blade Runner, but he is able to do comedy.

[Rob Mahoney]

He's hilarious and drive.

[Chris Ryan]

He's hysterical. Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

But in him being a comedic actor, like, I think this movie launches him in a totally different way. And I would bet every dollar in my pocket, Ken does not happen without this movie. Like, this is him going full buffoon in a way that you need to sell that pitch of, oh, he can be this guy. And not just like a smarmy, kind of like, wisecracking comedian, but someone who's like, the butt of every joke in this movie.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, so you could be funny by how you deliver lines, but then you could be funny by not doing anything, which is a much harder level of funny. And he has moments in this movie where he's funny and he's not saying lines.

[Chris Ryan]

It's funny when he's just throwing cigarettes

[Rob Mahoney]

in his pool, right?

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Cause, like, when he's. We talked about in the rewatchables mailbag that's coming on Thursday. Oh, it probably already happened by the time people heard this. Yeah, by the time people hear this. We talked about how good of an SNL host he is. And I think the best SNL sketch he had was when he was like, those Beavis and Butthead guys. That's so cool in the audience.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

And it was just all facial expressions. But he does that a couple of times in this movie. And, you know, I can't wait to see who we thought won the movie when we do. At the end, he's obviously in the running, but I kind of feel like he needed this for the IMDb need, like, one of these, like, what we talked about with Crazy, Stupid Love. Same thing where it's like, I can be, like, handsome rom com guy. I can be, like, really funny detective guy. I can be mysterious drive guy. I can be La La Land.

[Chris Ryan]

I can be Neil Armstrong.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. He's got a lot of. A lot of pitches, which I think separates him.

[Chris Ryan]

He's got a ton of humility. Because there are other actors who would do this and have three characters in the movie make reference to how handsome he is or like, why are you so talented? You're throwing everything away. This guy's just a loser. And the only person who really sees him and is anything else is his daughter.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

And it's. The movie works because of that. If it was like, oh, he's so hot. He's so funny. It's like, no. Everybody thinks this guy is basically a functioning alcoholic who happens at the end to become a great detective or, like, to rediscover his detective skills and he has to suck.

[Bill Simmons]

Like, he has to be that kind of low life. To the point that, like, maybe the best moment of this movie is him with his pants down in a bathroom stall, like.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

Trying to kick the door open and hold it. And it's like the physical beats of that are really hard to pull off. But you're right. It requires you to be willing to embarrass yourself in a kind of way.

[Chris Ryan]

It's hard to be like, hey, you're one of the biggest stars in the world. We want you to take a dump, drop a cigarette in your lap, and then get intimidated by Russell Crowe not holding a gun on you.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

We talked about this when we did some Warren Beatty podcasts last year on Rewatchables, and we did Redford Month, and we talked about the concept of stardom and what stars were willing and unwilling to do. And William Goldman was telling that story about Warren Beatty turning down Misery. Cause the guy was crippled in bed. And he's like, I don't want to play a loser. And that was like a recurring theme with some of those guys. I don't want to be a loser. I get to be the hero. I want to be the guy. I don't want to be vulnerable. Gosling does not care. He's willing to go for whatever. You know who loves Gosling? Craig, it's like your number one guy, definitely.

[Craig]

Of this generation. Yes. Because the comedy thing is the biggest risk of any genre I think you can take. If you do a really weird dramatic role. There's prestige in that. All the other young, great actors right now, Chalamet and Jacob Elordi and Whoever you want to say, none of them are really taking a risk with comedy. Elordi can take a risk with Frankenstein and be in the makeup and do all that stuff, and it's like a pivot. But the specific curveball of comedy is risky now and nobody does it. And Gosling, to your point, and even when he's on snl, he's okay making himself look stupid. That's like half the fun of it. And I think Gosling is having the most fun in this movie. And you can even tell how much Gosling loves this movie. To this day, he still does press when he's doing press for other stuff like Project Hail Mary. He keeps talking about how Angry Birds, the movie is the reason why the Nice Guys flopped because they came out the same weekend. He's like, fucking Angry Birds, man. Those birds were just so angry.

[Chris Ryan]

So wait, what's your.

[Craig]

He knows this movie's good.

[Chris Ryan]

What's your history with this movie?

[Rob Mahoney]

Late. Late. Coming to it.

[Chris Ryan]

Okay.

[Rob Mahoney]

Saw it VOD probably after it came out, and then was a slow burn just. Cause it was on a lot. And it has a couple really good set pieces. This had a crazy Netflix run.

[Craig]

I mean, I didn't see this movie in theaters. Did you?

[Chris Ryan]

Yes. But this would be right around when I was. I also love Shane Black. So, like, I have. I have a lot of affinity for Lethal Weapon and Long Kiss Good Night and Last Action were like the. The other ones that he did in the 80s and the early 90s. So. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Last Boy Scout.

[Chris Ryan]

Last Boy Scout.

[Bill Simmons]

And this is like as Shane Black. As Shane Black gets. Honestly, like, purely distilled. I think especially. It's so cynical. And I think there's this kind of, like, discrepancy in the movie of, like, what's the right move versus what's the smart move.

[Chris Ryan]

Yes.

[Bill Simmons]

And they're making the smart move the whole time, which is basically to be as crooked as everyone else and like, pull over one on old ladies and beat people up whenever you need. And that, like, idea that we're all cynical, we're all exploiting people, but then sometimes it's like you get to the bottom of the barrel and it's like, I kind of just want to do the one right thing. Yes.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

And Shane Black is so good at that.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. This. I think this movie is like a second or third watch because the plot is so convoluted.

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's hard to follow the first time you're watching, like, what's going on? There's a tape and that audio show,

[Chris Ryan]

it starts out confusing and we'll get to it probably in the, in their categories, but like, it's unclear if you're just watching it the first time. You're like, wait, so he's following Amelia, but he's just looking for Emilia because she's germane to another case.

[Rob Mahoney]

And who's Amelia again? Yeah, exactly. That's Margaret Qualley. Russell Crowe, a little bit after one of the best actor career ones. We had this 11 year run from 97 to 07. Had a pretty hard career swoon. Some of that was self inflicted. And he's 51 when he does this movie and it's a hard 51. Like he's lived some life. He lived some Australian life.

[Chris Ryan]

He said it was a character choice he did to pack on a few for this guy.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, he might have already packed it on. I would say. Rob. This wasn't quite his 22 Steph warriors title, but little bit similar vibes of like, I'm still here, I'm still really good at stuff. Don't count me out yet.

[Bill Simmons]

I think he's more than still here. Like this movie doesn't work without his, like, counterweight to everything. We just praised Gosling up and down. I think you need the specificities of Carow's performance. I want to save some more about that for later. But I think he's just phenomenal in this movie.

[Rob Mahoney]

Me too. I mean, look, him and Gosling are great together. Obviously he peaked chemistry wise, the most with Caruso and Proof of Life. Yeah, we don't need to litigate that.

[Chris Ryan]

No. Stuff of legends.

[Rob Mahoney]

I really like that he was able to find chemistry with another actor though, after. When you peak like that with Caruso.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

To know that he could still do it again, I thought was cool.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah. So like, he just makes some odd choices with what to do with his career. That may be a matter of like, what's offered to him versus, you know, what he wants to be doing. I mean, it's more likely now that you'll see him in an exorcism movie than you'll see him in a big drama.

[Rob Mahoney]

He's had a big, like early 60s Renaissance. He's moved into this horror film kind of.

[Chris Ryan]

But he's in Nuremberg, Right. That came out this year. This past year. He's fantastic in this. He's such a great, gruff, you know, bully with a heart of gold. And he's the one with principles in this movie. To your point.

[Rob Mahoney]

I'm a big fan of the Somebody opens the Door and just gets punched right in the face.

[Chris Ryan]

Move.

[Rob Mahoney]

I think always works from a comedic standpoint.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's so starting in 2010, Robin Hood. Next three days, Republic of Doyle, man with the Iron Fist, Les Miserables, Broken City, man of Steel, Winter's Tale, Noah the Water Diviner, and Fathers and Daughters.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Tough. That's six years. This was in the running for biggest actor that we had in the early 2000s. It was Simon Denzel. Right?

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

We talked about this when we did gangster, but good comeback from him. Also some really good stuff from the younger actors in this. How do we say Andre Rice?

[Chris Ryan]

Is that how he's Angori?

[Rob Mahoney]

I think Angori Rice.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Margaret Quadra.

[Chris Ryan]

I like Andre Rice, though.

[Rob Mahoney]

He played Andre Risen is in this 2009. But rice has a tremendous little kid performance in this.

[Bill Simmons]

Amazing.

[Rob Mahoney]

And if you came out of this movie and you were like, which of these two are going to have a bigger career, Rice or Quali? I think Rice would have been like a minus 300 favorite.

[Chris Ryan]

She was younger. She was in Mayor of Easttown. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

But Quali, it's funny to watch her in this now because she's a major, major star.

[Chris Ryan]

Sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

I'm gonna give Rice the Sasha Jenkins award for the actor you can't believe didn't become a bigger star just from this movie.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

There's still so much time, though.

[Rob Mahoney]

I don't even know. She's 25. It still can happen. That's why she can't officially get it. And then our guy Keith David is in this cr.

[Chris Ryan]

Great to see him.

[Rob Mahoney]

Is it that guy? To Craig, I. I get.

[Chris Ryan]

It's Keith David.

[Rob Mahoney]

We're not going to litigate that either.

[Bill Simmons]

I'm glad he didn't go to Detroit. You know, he came back. Came back for the second turn in this movie.

[Chris Ryan]

You go to Michigan. We're cool.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. The nice guys took inspiration from Brett Halliday's novel Blue Murder, which is a pulp book. You have this one.

[Chris Ryan]

I do not have this one. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

I need to get this for the book collection.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Try to figure it out. Directed and co written by Shane Black. You mentioned his credentials earlier. Last Boy Scout, wrote Last Action Era, wrote Long Kiss Good Night, Wrote. Created the Lethal Weapon franchise. Wrote all of them. Directed Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Wrote and directed Iron Man 3, which was the most successful. Walk me through Iron Man 3. What happens?

[Bill Simmons]

The first two thirds are actually really good. The last third is like a bunch of action figures mashing against each other.

[Chris Ryan]

And the kid who finds Misty Mountains in this movie the kid who discovers her in the beginning is the star of Iron Man 3.

[Rob Mahoney]

Really?

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah, straight up.

[Rob Mahoney]

Interesting. Well, he started the script for this in 01. It almost became a CBS TV series at some point. And then they changed the setting in 1977, and it fell into place as a movie, eventually. TV series. I don't know if that one would've

[Chris Ryan]

worked a little early for the prestige TV run. Like, I can see this working, but I don't think you get Gosling and Crow to do this.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

We'll talk more about what they should have done with this franchise later.

[Bill Simmons]

I feel like the TV part is almost more believable than the idea that it wouldn't be a period piece. Like trying to set this in 2016 or 2010 or something. I don't even know what that story is.

[Chris Ryan]

It would just be guys sitting in traffic.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, well, it allows you a lot more fun, too, with 77, because you have way less rules and constrictions. So this movie. 50 million made. 62.8. Barely made the money back. Gosling made the point over and over again about Angry Birds. It also opened against Neighbors 2.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Which was a reprehensible sequel. One of the. Was that when comedy died, Craig. Neighbors two.

[Craig]

What year was that? Oh, that was 2016.

[Bill Simmons]

Same.

[Rob Mahoney]

Same year.

[Craig]

Yeah. That's bad.

[Rob Mahoney]

Might have been. That might have been the.

[Chris Ryan]

Who were the additions to the Neighbors universe in that Chloe Grace Moretz was

[Rob Mahoney]

in it because he was sorority. It's really bad. 115 minutes, this movie, Craig.

[Craig]

Yeah. Great. I'm not gonna criticize this being over 100 minutes at all. This is, like, my favorite movie the last 10 years.

[Bill Simmons]

So let's go.

[Craig]

Good with me.

[Rob Mahoney]

So plus 15. You're good. Anyway.

[Craig]

Fine. It's so tight. The script is great. I have no notes.

[Rob Mahoney]

Okay. Did we do enough about Shane Black? Is he like a top five screenwriter for you?

[Chris Ryan]

I think he's a hugely influential and consequential screenwriter. And like, him and Joe eszterhas in the 80s kind of introduced this idea of, like, the million dollar spec.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

And he is really, really, really maybe the best ever. The Buddy. The Buddy movie. The Buddy.

[Rob Mahoney]

I can tell he grew up on, like, the 48 Hours type of movies and was just like, this is going to be my recipe.

[Chris Ryan]

Sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

Just. Just wise cracks. And action. And good set pieces, and I'm going to nail this.

[Bill Simmons]

He does break your heart sometimes, though.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

Like, they're either big hits like this, or it's like play dirty or I don't know that I ever looked more forward to a movie than when he did a predator mo that really went

[Chris Ryan]

wrong in a couple different ways.

[Bill Simmons]

Does not work. Unfortunately.

[Rob Mahoney]

Roger Ebert sadly passed away in 2016.

[Chris Ryan]

You're gonna or 2013 disgrace yourself by asking chat GPT don't do that.

[Rob Mahoney]

What?

[Bill Simmons]

Don't do that.

[Rob Mahoney]

I did. No, ChatGPT said probably three and a half stars. Roger to given he said he had a strong appreciation for great comedic performances.

[Chris Ryan]

I think he would have gone three. I think he would have been like, it's pretty convoluted.

[Bill Simmons]

I think Shane Black was right about humanity. Just like we are the absolute shit. Just bottom of the barrel stuff. Chad Gpting Roger Ebert's opinion about a

[Chris Ryan]

movie we don't have.

[Rob Mahoney]

Roger we didn't have the review. Oh my God. I would say three and a half, but I could see the three.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

But I do think he would have really loved Gosling and I think he liked these goofy genre kind of movies like this.

[Chris Ryan]

You gotta really want it with this movie because I do think you're right on first watch, you're probably a little confused by the plot and it's a little bit more confus than necessary. And then it's like the second, third, fourth time around where like it's the line underneath the line or the sight gag happening in the background of a scene like Janet throwing the bowling ball backwards that you're just like, holy shit, this is so funny.

[Bill Simmons]

Fucking Janet.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, but then dropping the dead body on the dinner table was funny the first time.

[Bill Simmons]

Yes, but only escalates every time you see Sid Shattuck's body collapse. That poor dinner party.

[Rob Mahoney]

Poor Sid Shattuck. We're gonna take a break and then we are going to do the catego. This episode is brought to you by Claude from Anthropic. You know that thing where you finish a movie and you immediately have to look up who directed it, what year it came out, how much money it made. Suddenly it's 1am well, Claude is built for that kind of rabbit hole. Deep research featuring digs across dozens of sources pulls it all together. Cast connections, box office context, production history. So you're not bouncing between 10 tabs because that stinks. It thinks with you. Instead of just handing you a quick summary. Try it free at Claude AI Rewatchables this episode is brought to you by Taxact. Like an expert coach, Taxact offers step by step guidance and guaranteed accuracy when filing taxes. Get tips along the way. Add expert assist to talk to tax experts and let our Experts do your taxes for you with expert Full Service Tax act helps you find the deductions and credits you deserve so you can get them over with. Visit taxact.com to learn more. Conditions apply. See taxact.com for details. All right, most rewatchable scene opening credits with overhead LA right into a car going through a house. Yep, pretty good start. Yeah, I think that overhead helicopter shot is really cool though of the city, how they did that. And I like the house they landed on there are these like. These houses still exist by the way. These houses that came like right out of the Brady Bunch.

[Chris Ryan]

Sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

These and they're mostly in the Valley. They're usually one story and very rarely like you go to a party or you drive by one or like for parents as you. When you have kids in here, like you have some sort of drop off or birthday party or somebody's friend's house and you're like, oh my God, that house is like out of 1979. Like their ranch style or always, always the one story. Like sometimes like the circle driveway in front. They have a couple of those in these but very, very like la.

[Bill Simmons]

But I mean if you're out there and you got a lead on one of these hit I would like this house.

[Chris Ryan]

Rob will live in Encino.

[Rob Mahoney]

The car going through the house wasn't nothing though. That was a pretty good. What the fuck is going on.

[Chris Ryan]

Just a great way to start a movie. Shane Black's really smart about like what will grab somebody's attention.

[Bill Simmons]

Yes.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, then we get a nude scene in this too. If they weren't trying to grab your attention enough.

[Bill Simmons]

I always.

[Rob Mahoney]

If Van was here, he would be

[Craig]

bringing this up even in the background. The shot of when the kid's at the sink and then you see the car tumbling down the hill in the background.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's really, it's really well done.

[Bill Simmons]

The number of times I've tried to watch this on a plane, including in the in flight entertainment and I just have seen it so many times I forget about the like almost full frontal nudity in the first five minutes and she's like, oh, I am. I am that guy sitting next to a child on a plane watching the opening scene of the nice guys.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, thank God Van is in here because this would be about five minutes longer. We'll go to the next scene. Jackson beats up March this includes the we're going to play a game. It's called Shut up unless you're me. Good one to say to your kids, by the way, I don't Know if you've tried that with. Why did people go see this movie?

[Chris Ryan]

Like, unbelievable. Shut up.

[Rob Mahoney]

I like that game.

[Bill Simmons]

This whole se. Including like the tic tac toe of Gosling trying to open the cookie jar and get the gun out and then getting punched in the face. It's just like. This might be the most rewatchable scene

[Craig]

right out of the gate.

[Chris Ryan]

Discretionary revelation.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, we didn't mention before this scene. He. He punches through the window. Oh my God. It's his arm open.

[Chris Ryan]

I can watch him react to his bleeding wrists so many times. He's just like, that's a lot of blood.

[Rob Mahoney]

I like wraps it like it's gonna go really well. Yeah. Tell him you have a spiral fracture. The left radio followed by the high pitched scream, which is a really funny Gosling on the. On the john in the bathroom with the gun and the cig at his pants down. Yeah, just hilarious. Great job by him.

[Chris Ryan]

It's amazing.

[Bill Simmons]

Plus Holly asking Healy to beat up Janet.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, the whole bowling alley scene's great.

[Rob Mahoney]

I just. It's a small scene, but it kills me. And it just be my kind of humor. But the little kid on the bike,

[Chris Ryan]

Bill, this is the most rewatchable scene.

[Rob Mahoney]

Bragging about his dick.

[Bill Simmons]

I mean, it's my big dick.

[Rob Mahoney]

You want to see it?

[Chris Ryan]

How many categories can this scene win? This kid.

[Rob Mahoney]

This is awesome.

[Chris Ryan]

Every time.

[Rob Mahoney]

$20.

[Chris Ryan]

Fucking Chet. When check the guy, his life and his life's work really makes you think. Not really, Chet.

[Craig]

I offered to show my dick because I got a big dick. All right?

[Rob Mahoney]

I love the kid's perfectly cast too, because he really has that I have a big dick confidence. But he's just this 12 year old

[Chris Ryan]

on a bike no one's named. Hat rack.

[Craig]

Can we give that kid the best fucking acting I've ever seen in my life?

[Rob Mahoney]

Listen, Dan Weiner, It's a rap. $20.

[Chris Ryan]

That kid's like up there with Jacob Tremblay, you know what I mean? Like in terms of fucking young acting,

[Rob Mahoney]

how did anyone keep a straight face during that?

[Chris Ryan]

I don't think they did. The bloopers of this movie must be insane.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, my God. I would have been fucking dying.

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, fuck.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like, how is he just saying this? The big porn party scene, which includes. Sweetheart, how many times have I told you, don't say and stuff. Just say there are horses. And then you know why they call them killer bees, don't you?

[Chris Ryan]

Because they kill you.

[Rob Mahoney]

They kill you. Gossing over the deck is great. And the can't speak thing is Funny. Everything is great. I love the party. I like how weird it is. There's girls upside down.

[Chris Ryan]

When he goes up to one of the dancers and he just says, you seem to have a very good vantage point up there. I lost my sister.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, man.

[Bill Simmons]

I think this has to be the pick. The party.

[Chris Ryan]

The porn party.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah. It's got the mermaids.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, it's got it.

[Bill Simmons]

It's got a banging soundtrack. It's got a fight, it's got a death.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like, it really has got the roll down the hill. It was my pick, too. Couple more. The dumping the body over the fence on the dinner party into the fight scene is good. The hot tub. Shooting through the hot tub I thought was effective. I know that the elevator scene is short, but it's so fucking funny.

[Chris Ryan]

I mean, it's definitely the most givable moment.

[Rob Mahoney]

Right before the door opens, he's like, hitler only had one ball.

[Bill Simmons]

Every Hitler joke in this movie works.

[Rob Mahoney]

They keep going back.

[Bill Simmons]

There's like eight of them.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

But it was only 30 years prior.

[Rob Mahoney]

You know, he's really interested in Hitler. And then when it's going back down and Gosling's like, vibrating, eyes like, twitching. He's like body floss.

[Chris Ryan]

I love how scared March gets at violence.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. Two more. The Nixon story, when he finishes, and he's like, so what's the point? There are two ways to look at something. Why don't you just fucking say that? And then.

[Chris Ryan]

Then they bring it back when you.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, and then it pays off. Nixon in the pool.

[Chris Ryan]

I don't know if this is a good podcast, but I'm having a really good time too.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. Gosling and the fake porn movie. And the auto.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Weird auto show and it. There's parts of this that almost feel like one of those SNL movies in the 90s. Like how it kind of wraps up improv almost Tommy boy. Like those kind of. Oh, now all our characters are here. A little elevated version of it, but it's effective. So we all agree it's the porn party.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

But I would say if you want to know why this movie is so special, it's the chat scene with the kid being like, because I got a big kid. All right. Just because it's like even that whole thing. They're standing in the. In the ashes of a burned down house. Gosling lights a cigarette, and it's just like moving around and it's just like, what am I doing here?

[Bill Simmons]

So annoyed.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

We have to change this to the most 1977 thing about this movie. I think which includes a gas shortage, killer bees in Brazil. I actually remember when that happened being little and being like, are we gonna get killed by bees? It was. It was a thing.

[Chris Ryan]

That was a thing.

[Rob Mahoney]

It was a real thing. A killer with a mole named John Boy.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

There's some Sunset Boulevard stuff, including the tower records, which is gone but was here when I moved here.

[Chris Ryan]

And the Comedy Store.

[Rob Mahoney]

Comedy Store with Robert Klein.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

And then the smog rallies. But I think it's John Boy, I think is the winner for this.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like Craig. Did you know who John boy was? Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

I would also go for guys shaving in their cars.

[Rob Mahoney]

The waltz was a massive show in the 70s.

[Chris Ryan]

Fair enough.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's really hard to explain now.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

I couldn't tell you one thing about it.

[Chris Ryan]

Do you. Have you.

[Rob Mahoney]

My dad's family watched it. I never watched. My dad's family was like a big Waltons family.

[Chris Ryan]

Did you. Were you ever an electric razor guy? Like portable electric razor guy? Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

But the number of people who still will walk around just using those things in public, not in their cars so much, but in public spaces, you would be shocked.

[Chris Ryan]

I like the idea of like doing a lot of shit in your car. Like using the. The rearview mirror because you're like, ah, I just live in here. I gotta shape up a little bit.

[Rob Mahoney]

Guy has a big electric razor. Caught him a couple times.

[Bill Simmons]

As far as the 2016 part, what about just like an R rated comedy period?

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, right.

[Bill Simmons]

Like this year alone, 2016, we talked about neighbors too. Pop star, Deadpool. Everybody wants some edge of 17. Swiss army man, Sausage party, Bad moms. Mike and Dave need wedding dates. Bridget Jones's baby Keanu, Office Christmas party, How to be single, Dirty grandpa, Nice guys. We get maybe one of these.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like it's all moved to heart.

[Bill Simmons]

It's a genre that doesn't really.

[Rob Mahoney]

Streamers don't make them anymore. The funny thing about all those movies you listened, you listed. My son was 8 and then turned 9 that year. And I think we watched all of them because he was at that being dangerous with our rated comedy stage. So this is how I saw all those movies.

[Chris Ryan]

This one of my backup hottest takes was the action. Comedy is the thing that most people love that is the hardest to make. The hardest to make. Well, I can count on one hand successful action comedies over the last.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like you have to nail the one or two actors that are the weeds. It has to be bounty like this

[Chris Ryan]

in Pineapple Express and I don't know, can you think of any others of this Century. Yeah. Of like, truly an action comedy.

[Rob Mahoney]

Craig's working on a script right now of him and Bellany and Lucas going to the Oscars together and things go horribly wrong at the Vanity Fair party.

[Craig]

It gets drone strike, too.

[Bill Simmons]

What else?

[Rob Mahoney]

They need that third act to get that down.

[Bill Simmons]

Hot fuzz.

[Chris Ryan]

Yes. And I would say the Cornell trilogy is probably right there. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

I think it'll come back because I think there's too many horror movies and not enough comedies right now.

[Chris Ryan]

Sure. More comedy than in action.

[Craig]

You're right.

[Rob Mahoney]

The other guys is hilarious. We put that in the poll.

[Craig]

It was.

[Chris Ryan]

We thought maybe.

[Rob Mahoney]

I was hoping it might steal it.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

I mean, it might be the best, like, opening gag of any comedy.

[Rob Mahoney]

In terms of.

[Bill Simmons]

In terms of, like, the. The misdirect of what that movie is going to be. No, like them jumping off of the rooftop.

[Craig]

Right, right, right.

[Bill Simmons]

Yes. Again, unbelievable.

[Rob Mahoney]

The Eva Mendez thing just is one

[Chris Ryan]

of the funniest five guys of the century. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

You're dressed like that. The Floyd Gandali. Butter in my ass and lollipops in my mouth. A word for something. I just enjoy a great addition to the rewatch.

[Craig]

Do you want me to throw the challenge flag? Because it's gondoli.

[Rob Mahoney]

Gandoli.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Craig]

You said Gandali.

[Rob Mahoney]

You didn't bring the challenge flag. We needed one. We did this in the mailbag. When I do a mispronunciation. A reader wanted. A listener wanted Craig to actually throw.

[Bill Simmons]

We're going to say that.

[Chris Ryan]

I think you would get really on tilt if we started throwing flags. You'd be like, hey, fuck. Hard to host.

[Rob Mahoney]

I be kicked off. It is hard to host.

[Chris Ryan]

I be kicked off this show very quickly.

[Rob Mahoney]

I. I do. I. Maybe two.

[Chris Ryan]

Maybe the third, we think can take on more responsibility. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

I have for this. For my butter my ass award.

[Chris Ryan]

I think it's better when you mispronounce goli.

[Rob Mahoney]

Floli. I think. Cuz I spelled it wrong. Goli.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Movies that organically end with the possibility that the main characters might reunite for a sequel, you know, but that's every movie now. No, but it's. They do this in a way where you're like, is there a second one coming? What's happening? It's not like. Like Neighbors. They didn't know Neighbors 2 was happening when they made Neighbors. I think most times they don't.

[Chris Ryan]

No. We learned our lesson. It's all over now.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. In this one, it's kind of like if this does well, do you want to do this in Two years were the vibes, and it just didn't happen.

[Chris Ryan]

It's worth mentioning that the research suggests that these guys read the script instantaneously, were like, I'll do it if he does it.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

And that it was, like, a pleasure to make for the most part, like, it's so. It is a great shame that they never made another one and that the advertisement for their detective agency was so great. Sorry. You look Filipino or Mexican.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, we never hear the research where the guy's like, I'll do it if Rob does it.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

And then they go to Rob and he's like, nah, I don't want to be in it.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

No, no, thanks. Yeah, we never get like that in the research. Did you have a. A Gondoli Award?

[Chris Ryan]

Barely functioning alcoholic private detective.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

When it works every time. Yeah, I had every time somebody in this movie trips holding a gun and just, like, shoots somebody.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, that's how it always works for a movie.

[Chris Ryan]

It's a great bit.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. It's undefeated. Special award. We don't get to give this too much. The Robert Duvall dressed like a priest and swinging in Invasion of the Body Snatchers award for bizarre uncredited cameo.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Robert Downey is the dead guy. Sid. Sid. The bottom. When he. When he lights the. I had no idea until I did the research. Did you guys know this?

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, I knew it from. But only from researching in the past of reading about the movie.

[Rob Mahoney]

Did you know this?

[Bill Simmons]

I did not. It's like, unmistakable once you know it. Like, of course. That looks like Robert Downey Jr. Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

Shane Black basically is the bridge to Downey. The Downey Sants, where he does Kiss Kiss with him, does Iron Man 3 together.

[Rob Mahoney]

And they couldn't get him. Couldn't they get him, like, not. He couldn't get him insured for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

[Chris Ryan]

It was very hard.

[Rob Mahoney]

If they did the mid 2000s, it was hard to do it.

[Bill Simmons]

So if not for Shane Black, the Marvel Cinematic Universe never really happens and

[Chris Ryan]

nobody pushes back on Oppenheimer.

[Rob Mahoney]

Good slide.

[Chris Ryan]

Thank you.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, one thing with this. If I'm going to do an uncredited cameo in Rob's film, I'm probably not doing one where I have to wear a ton of makeup.

[Chris Ryan]

It is surprising.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

I'd rather just have been, like, the bartender, like in the porn movie with Misty Mountains, like, just briefly. You see me not, like, just covered with a gunshot wound and sitting outdoors for probably two days.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

You're doing a night shooting.

[Rob Mahoney]

What's fun about that?

[Bill Simmons]

You don't Want to be the human statue?

[Rob Mahoney]

I would have said no to that one. What stage? The best. We mentioned 70s LA as a setting. Young Margaret quality. Just what's happened her in the last 10 years. It's fun to see her in this. The don't say and stuff is just funny. Yeah. I don't know if that has that caught on in real life.

[Craig]

It should have.

[Rob Mahoney]

All right. Maybe there's still time. Marriage is buying a house for someone you hate. Remember that

[Chris Ryan]

stuff.

[Rob Mahoney]

Is there still time for high school yearbook quotes? We should probably throw that in there for the kids out there. Russell Crowe in the research claiming he put on some extra weight for Jackson Haley.

[Chris Ryan]

That's amazing.

[Rob Mahoney]

I love that one. That's like, when Shaq would come back from this summer, the Lakers, and be like, I put on some extra weight. I'm gonna lose it as the year goes along.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, that's good.

[Rob Mahoney]

Okay, Shaq.

[Chris Ryan]

I lost my hair right. When we went on video because I thought it would be good. Yeah, it is.

[Bill Simmons]

It's a good comedy.

[Rob Mahoney]

A Crow Basinger Arena. Do anything for you?

[Bill Simmons]

It did not, I have to admit.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, she's coming up in later categories.

[Bill Simmons]

Love the original. This one, I don't know.

[Rob Mahoney]

And then some hall of Fame lines that we covered, like, shut up, unless you're me. I'm sorry, you look Filipino. And so on. And then there's a fantasy criteria, orgasm, in this, where Gosling's doing Lou Costello with the.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Not being able to talk. That's like a famous 1930s gag. So what'd you have for what stage?

[Chris Ryan]

Best CD, Los Angeles. So porn and strip strip clubs. Dive bars, hotel bars.

[Rob Mahoney]

It seemed awesome.

[Chris Ryan]

I loved the setup of the Burbank Airport Hotel, where it's like the Flight Deck Bar. So there's like a dive bar in the first floor, but then there's also like a penthouse bar. I would.

[Rob Mahoney]

A lot of. It seemed like a lot of hotel bars. Two movie theaters.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Adult bookstores and just kind of creepy places.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

It's just a great rendition of it. I also really enjoy the runners that they have. So, like, the jokes that keep appearing in the. In the movie. Number one being Janet. And just like, how much everybody hates Janet.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

We're also like, is it Janet or Jessica? It's like, God, Jessica. Jessica's sister is a slut.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah. Also when they're trying to figure out how to wake up Amelia, Jessica's like, we could just hit her really hard.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

Jessica Stealth, MVP of this movie.

[Chris Ryan]

But it's like, it's just really funny to hear Ryan Gosling talk about kids like they're adults.

[Bill Simmons]

Right.

[Craig]

And that.

[Chris Ryan]

So that, that is definitely.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's a good. What stage the best for this treating kids like AD completely the 70s. Cuz by the way, that's what we did in the 70s.

[Craig]

She drives, his daughter drives.

[Bill Simmons]

No one talks about it the whole movie.

[Rob Mahoney]

No, you just have a 12 year old babysit 5 other kids and be out for 6 hours.

[Chris Ryan]

My other. What's age the best is Hannibal Burris as the killer bee in the back seat when he falls asleep while he's driving. Great.

[Bill Simmons]

It's really great. What do you have rap being suspicious of major corporations.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yep.

[Bill Simmons]

Maybe they don't have our best interests at heart. Possible.

[Rob Mahoney]

So it's a big theme these days.

[Chris Ryan]

Did you guys feel like the catalytic converter Detroit layer of this movie was like a little bit too. It's like. It's like putting a little bit too much garnish on the sandwich. Like, it's really great. There's the missing girl, there's the porn stuff. There's all this like conspiracy. But then you add on Detroit automakers being the main villain of it.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. It's all, you know, hey, they're going for it.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah, they are. I like it because it perpetuates humor.

[Rob Mahoney]

Right.

[Bill Simmons]

Like because you. Then you get to lean into the smog stuff. Then you get the protesters with the gas mask. It's like because they're poking fun at it the whole time. Like that's why I think.

[Chris Ryan]

And you get Gosling saying, we're all going to be driving Japanese cars.

[Bill Simmons]

I guarantee it.

[Rob Mahoney]

You have any other what stage the best.

[Bill Simmons]

Gosling himself. I mean, like, he was a star then, but he is something else now.

[Craig]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Great shot, Gordo.

[Chris Ryan]

Keith David hitting the pool deck and

[Rob Mahoney]

it just turns into red. Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

But just that overhead shot of Gosling and him falling.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, I like that. Chess Rockwell Brocklanders Award Best Character Name we don't always give this out, but we do it. Misty Mountains and John Boy. Just a killer named John Boy was really smart. I like it.

[Chris Ryan]

And Misty Mountains is like if you have to come up with a Christy Canyon suit, that's great.

[Rob Mahoney]

Pretty easy.

[Bill Simmons]

What about Pornucchio?

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

From.

[Bill Simmons]

I mean the man from the billboard himself. We see him in the flat. Well, in the wood. Like it's. It's not his nose that grows.

[Rob Mahoney]

Amanda Dobbins Award for Best Piece of Real Estate we don't get to give this out all the time, but should Sid Shattuck's house was the Atlanta home of hip hop producer Dallas Austin.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Also featured on MTV Cribs.

[Bill Simmons]

So a true Dobbins Award.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. And Atlanta as lady.

[Chris Ryan]

I like Gosling's house too. Yeah. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Kid Cudi Pursuit of happiness award for best needle drop. We can either go with Kiss, I want to rock and roll or Night or America. Horse with no name.

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, I had get down on it. The cooling again.

[Rob Mahoney]

Which is the song playing at the special band.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Okay.

[Bill Simmons]

We get September at the porn party. Also, I like Al Green closing credits.

[Chris Ryan]

I like Al Green closing credits is

[Craig]

all bands playing on the roof of

[Chris Ryan]

a party is pretty cool.

[Craig]

Pretty cool.

[Rob Mahoney]

What do you have for your flex?

[Chris Ryan]

Okay, so I have a couple I'm going to go with. It's a book about medals. Award for belatedly best quote is at the clean air protest when Gosling goes, which one of you cock and balls.

[Bill Simmons]

20 bucks.

[Chris Ryan]

I kind of wish you would just like walk out into the bullpen of the ringer and say that

[Rob Mahoney]

maybe our new Sycamore studio.

[Craig]

I'll just do that once a month.

[Chris Ryan]

Sean Penn. I brought my own back. Award goes to Gosling and the he got game hooker scene. Most awkward scene if somebody randomly walks in is when Holly is watching porn

[Rob Mahoney]

with the adult film actress talking about anal. Yeah, yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

And stuff.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, and stuff.

[Rob Mahoney]

Those are good. Butch's girlfriend award for weak link of the film. I don't know. I like this movie. I struggled. I came up with one, but I don't feel great about it.

[Chris Ryan]

Let's talk this out. Is this movie better, worse or the same if Holly stays home for like half the adventures that they go on?

[Rob Mahoney]

So it's interesting because I had her as the weakling too. Even though I liked performance, I like

[Chris Ryan]

the performance in it.

[Rob Mahoney]

I had a different angle on it though.

[Chris Ryan]

Okay.

[Rob Mahoney]

The. The incredibly savvy 13 year old girl with the heart of gold. It's little bit of. Little bit of movie tropy.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

What's the purpose if these people don't really exist?

[Bill Simmons]

I mean, I think the purpose is to nudge Healey, right? To nudge Russell Crowe's character because if she's not around, he's murdering everybody they run into. And so like the turn of the heart of the movie I think comes through her being there and him stopping.

[Chris Ryan]

It is weird that the two people she wants to save are John Boy and Blueface. Like these two guys really almost killed

[Rob Mahoney]

Blueface, tried to shoot her.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. What'd you have for weak links? You have one.

[Bill Simmons]

I think this is Kim Basinger.

[Rob Mahoney]

I had her in a later category.

[Bill Simmons]

She's the one thing in this movie that's like a little off register, that kind of takes me out of it. And it's like, clearly she can do the genre in this mode. In this kind of part. She sticks out a little bit.

[Chris Ryan]

It's tough because you wonder whether or not she did, like, four days on the. On the movie. Because she's in two scenes, basically, and they were like, yeah, here it is. And she had no idea how zany the rest of the movie was.

[Rob Mahoney]

She's in a. Honestly, you could give her. I had her for. What stage is the worst you could give her? In the. What's the word? We have the Judd Nelson, New Jack City. I'm in a different movie. She's just. Every time she's in the movie, it's another movie's happening.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

I think what makes it more noticeable is Tally Yaya Da Costa. Like, she feels of a piece of everything that's happening. And so then the contrast between her and Kim Basinger is just, like, that much more stark.

[Rob Mahoney]

So jumping ahead, we can come back to this. But I had for recasting Couch trying to figure out who would have been a good Kim Basinger part for this.

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, good.

[Rob Mahoney]

Because I think. I do think it's gotta be somebody who's a little bit funny. But you don't wanna go like Sean Young, Ace Ventura, like, over the top. But I think it's gotta be somebody that's got a little sauce to them. She just doesn't have sauce.

[Chris Ryan]

But who's your idea?

[Rob Mahoney]

I had a lot of trouble figuring it out. Cause it would have to have been. They wanted somebody, like, probably in their mid-50s at the time. Right. But somebody that was famous. So it's somebody. It's really like Meryl Streep in the early 2000s.

[Chris Ryan]

You think Holly Hunter would be too old?

[Bill Simmons]

I don't mind that.

[Rob Mahoney]

Holly Hunter is a good one.

[Chris Ryan]

Holly Hunter. Frances McDormand. Not that Frances McDormand probably wouldn't.

[Rob Mahoney]

Honestly. Frances McDormand would be amazing.

[Bill Simmons]

She'd be really good.

[Rob Mahoney]

I always feel like Diane Lane could have needed a part like this, but I also love Diane Lane. She might be wrong. Sharon Stone, I think, was probably a little too old at this point in 2016. But in the mid 2000s, I think would have been really good. It's got to be somebody who was sexy, older, but also, like, had some. Some comedy chops.

[Craig]

Demi Moore.

[Bill Simmons]

I was wondering about, like, Demi. Do we collapse the space time continuum and just make Demi Moore Margaret Qualley's mom?

[Chris Ryan]

I wonder if she does something similar to what Basinger does where it's kind

[Rob Mahoney]

of like, what kind of comedy has she done, though?

[Chris Ryan]

I don't know.

[Rob Mahoney]

I can't think of one. Tough.

[Bill Simmons]

Would it be too meta to just do Andie MacDowell?

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, Rob. Like, it's right there.

[Rob Mahoney]

Wow, Rob, you fucking did it. You redeemed yourself for the Nirvana episode. Yeah. Andie McDowell can do comedy.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, that's a great idea. Why didn't they do that?

[Chris Ryan]

I don't know.

[Bill Simmons]

I mean, maybe this is at the point of Margaret Qualley's career where she doesn't want that too, but maybe if it happens now.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah. Because they've made a movie since together since.

[Bill Simmons]

I think so.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's a really good point that it doesn't seem like Basinger knows what movie she's in because it's just. She's just playing it straight and there's no extra sauce to it at all. I just don't really get it. I don't get what they're trying to get.

[Craig]

You don't know when they filmed it. They could have filmed that scene earlier in the movie. And then it got way zanier throughout the filmmaking.

[Chris Ryan]

Because when you watch the behind the scenes, the making of like, even Matt Bomer who plays John Boy, is like, this movie's fucking funny. Like, that's the thing you gotta know about it. And Kim Basinger just seems to be like, you know, it's a very complicated story about LA and crime. I love Shane Black's writing.

[Rob Mahoney]

And it's like, yeah, she thinks she's in LA Confidential again. Any other what stage the worst? I had trouble finding what stage the worst because I think this movie's aged really well. And it's also set in the 70s when it's supposed to age well.

[Chris Ryan]

The only thing I had was there is an element of Den of Thieves, downtown Atlanta to some of the exterior shots of la. So, like, the vibe is always great, but sometimes you can tell, like, the streets are a little too narrow or there's too much, you know, like, foliage in different places. Like, when you're watching Den of Thieves, you can tell that's not gardenia and like, you know.

[Rob Mahoney]

So you've seen Den of Thieves a few times.

[Chris Ryan]

I've seen Den of Thieves yeah. And they shot this in downtown Atlanta.

[Craig]

Jeff.

[Rob Mahoney]

Any woods age.

[Bill Simmons]

It's a perfect movie.

[Rob Mahoney]

Hans Gruber scale villain ranking Blueface is like a nine.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Even though he's barely in it.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

John Boy. Solid. John Boy, I thought was like at least a seven and a half.

[Chris Ryan]

Let me ask you something though, John Boy. It's like, it's kind of like, are you expecting a little bit more, a little bit of Darren Peterson vibes from John Boy, where you're like, I'm hearing all about this guy getting off the plane from New York. He's the baddest.

[Rob Mahoney]

How come you've missed 200 shots? Yeah, he does miss a lot of

[Chris Ryan]

shots by two teenage girls. Pretty quickly foxed, but he.

[Bill Simmons]

He is menacing. Like, he is creepy. And I say this with full acknowledgment. Like, look, I don't. I don't want to put this out there, but I literally have the same haircut as him. So it's not a great energy that we're putting out in the world, but he shows up and he's definitely serves the intended effect.

[Rob Mahoney]

John Boy, great, great name for a villain. Ruffalo handed Ruben and Partridge over acting word. Blueface. Dialing it up the whole time.

[Chris Ryan]

The whole time.

[Rob Mahoney]

And then quality has that one monologue when she. At one point she's like, it's not a poor. Just like start screaming for some reason. So it's one of those two. Rob, you have a flex.

[Bill Simmons]

I do. I went with the Rick Sassetti guard meat award. Most memorable death by a security guard or the bystander. The movie treats as inconsequential as a spouse and kids who love them specifically. There is a hard working out actor out there in. In Hollywood got a job. It's not the best job, but it paid. They showed up. They're just trying to support their family. Your job is to be a tree man at this porn party on stilts. And you're just taking straight like just takes a stray bullet to the chest.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

On what otherwise was like a normal

[Rob Mahoney]

job in your family. Yeah. You have a mask on as you die or a helmet, whatever the fuck he's got on.

[Bill Simmons]

Imagine being that guy's wife who then has to explain.

[Chris Ryan]

Do you think he gets a sag car?

[Rob Mahoney]

Identify the body.

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, my God.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's a good one. We'll take one more break. And then we got hottest this episode is brought to you by Taxact. Like an expert coach, Taxact offers step by step guidance and guaranteed accuracy when filing taxes. Get tips along the way. Add expert assist to talk to tax experts and let our experts do your taxes for you. With Expert Full Service TaxAct helps you find the deductions and credits you deserve so you can get them over with. Visit taxact.com to learn more. Conditions apply. See taxact.com for details. This episode is brought to you by the Home Depot. Spring is starting, so it's time to wake up your yard. And at the Home Depot, they've got everything you need to do. With low prices, guaranteed mowing your lawn is a dream. With top brand outdoor power tools like the Ryobi 40 volt mower. With up to 50 minutes of runtime, you can add a pop of color with spring blooms and fresh plants and refresh your garden beds with EarthGrow mulch. Five bags for just $10. Start your spring with low prices now through April 1st. Available at the Home Depot. Exclusions apply. See homedepot.com Pricematch for details. All right, the CR thinks Luke Wilson could have been Harrison Ford. Hottest Take a word. Threatening to be renamed as the Nirvana was overrated. Rob Mohoney thinks Nirvana's overrated award. What do you have for hottest takes here?

[Chris Ryan]

We should be actively awaiting the third movie of this series right now and not pining for it. When people get interviewed for other movies that they're in, it's ridiculous. This is such an enjoyable movie. You could kick it ahead five years and do like 1982. Nice guys. What are we doing? Why can't we make more movies like this and more?

[Rob Mahoney]

So you could do mid-80s at least. You could do like Simpson Bruckheimer, height of the cocaine Hollywood era, and just, just run it back.

[Craig]

The.

[Chris Ryan]

I can't remember the actual literal title, but like, they were like, what we would do is go to Mexico. It would be nice guys in Mexico, which would have just been like, come on, man.

[Bill Simmons]

I'm still trying to decide who to blame. Like, we know the Angry Birds are to blame, but I'm willing to back it up. Like Steve Jobs introduces the iPhone.

[Chris Ryan]

Seriously.

[Bill Simmons]

American civilization nose dives, including the creation of the games that become Angry Birds. Birds that then outgrow nice guys at the box office.

[Rob Mahoney]

Neighbors too. I think I blame neighbors. Neighbors blame neighbors, too, for a lot of stuff. Gosling's so famous now that I, I just feel like he could say, hey, it's time. I want to do nice guys too. Are they really saying no to that?

[Bill Simmons]

If he wanted to, he. He could.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like, a streamer is going to be like, n we're not funny.

[Craig]

I mean, David Ellison now owns Warner Brothers, who made this movie. Ellison, I feel like be into this.

[Chris Ryan]

You think so yeah, yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

His. His taste.

[Chris Ryan]

Seems Dave's got some edgy taste.

[Rob Mahoney]

I think he likes Buddy Cop.

[Chris Ryan]

I think he's like, this chat joke

[Rob Mahoney]

was like, can we get the kid with the big dick again? What do you have for hot?

[Bill Simmons]

A steak like we talked about. Gosling.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

He's on fire in this movie. I think this is the best that Russell Crowe has ever been, period. No, I'm sorry. During CR month. I don't mean to do that.

[Chris Ryan]

Insider.

[Rob Mahoney]

That is so.

[Bill Simmons]

That, to me, is the only real competition.

[Chris Ryan]

That take is really good at this. So he is.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, my God, he is the action

[Bill Simmons]

star of this movie. Like, he is in every fight, he is in every shootout. He is genuinely hilarious in terms of he's getting a chance to play a role he's never allowed to play, which is this sort of comedic role. And he's the beating heart that like, rounds out the whole movie and makes it, to me, a rewatchable. Like, if this is just depraved and funny, that's nice and you move on. But it's like, it does have a feel good element that comes from him. And I think he is the piece that kind of brings it all together in a way that even Gosling does him.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's hard for me to get too mad at that when I think Proof of Life was his apex.

[Chris Ryan]

Sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

Interesting take, though. I. I think what's missing is, like, there was a time, like, way earlier when, you know, he was a really handsome, like, lead man, but also like Gladiator Russell Crowe.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

I just don't think there's a lot of people who could have been Gladiator. Russell Crowe.

[Bill Simmons]

You don't think so?

[Rob Mahoney]

No, I don't.

[Bill Simmons]

I think he kind of gets dog walked by Joaquin in that movie, to be honest with you. Really?

[Chris Ryan]

Like, he's.

[Bill Simmons]

He's good. He's really good in it.

[Chris Ryan]

Dog walk. They're only in two scenes together. No, but in terms of, like, who

[Bill Simmons]

is owning the presence of that movie? He like. And so look, a lot of it's just character. She's playing a pretty straightforward, like, hero's journey. Go and fight the big fight, like Avenger Family, all of that stuff.

[Chris Ryan]

Right.

[Bill Simmons]

There's not a lot for him to do that's exciting and he holds it and he's good in it. And like, should he have won best actor for Gladiator?

[Rob Mahoney]

Did he win for that one or Beautiful Mind?

[Chris Ryan]

He went for both, didn't he?

[Rob Mahoney]

No, he only won one, I think.

[Bill Simmons]

I think he went for Gladiator Yeah,

[Rob Mahoney]

he went for Gladiator. I don't know. Maximus was pretty great.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Where do you stand on this, Craig? Are you a Gladiator guy? Greg? Craig.

[Craig]

I'm closer to Rob on this, to be honest about Gladiator and Crow.

[Rob Mahoney]

Wow.

[Craig]

It's a traditional role.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Craig]

It's a little limited.

[Chris Ryan]

It's a generational thing. I don't know.

[Bill Simmons]

I do think Insider is that's the one.

[Chris Ryan]

If you're going to pick something my command, unleash hell. You're not like, let's go, let's do it.

[Bill Simmons]

I'm like, let's go. But could you plug another actor in and say the same thing? I'd still be like, let's go. I think I would.

[Craig]

He only won for Gladiator, not Beautiful Mind.

[Rob Mahoney]

I feel like Concepcion is going to just dive through the window right now. Attack Rob. My hottest take was also Russell Crowe related. I think he was the Shaquille o' Neal of Actors hall of Fame potential. You could see it early in the 90s. Like, this guy. Something's going to happen. Even goes head to head with Denzel. Career apex from 2000 to 2002. Just like Shaq. 3 finals MVPs for Shaq. 3 best actor nominations in a row and a win for Russia Crazy. Should have won a couple more MVPs. Kind of didn't totally want it. Went a little sideways. Couldn't really stay in his shape, which was like a Shaq thing, I think. Nice guys. And the Miami title as the sidekick with Wade.

[Chris Ryan]

That's a really good one.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like a combo of that. And I still think he's a Pantheon guy from the last 50 years, but I feel like he left a little on the table. It's an 11 year run. I felt like it could have been longer.

[Chris Ryan]

Tease this analogy out. That means last night Russell Crowe went live right after the Oscars. It was like. Like Michael B. Jordan, mate. Could have done a little bit more to impress me playing twins. I did that. I did that. And we didn't even have special effects.

[Bill Simmons]

You forgot budding musical careers too.

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, that's right. You know, very important part of the Billy Bob Thornton. Like kind of more interested in rocking out than. Than acting, maybe.

[Bill Simmons]

Who to blame?

[Craig]

Him.

[Chris Ryan]

I know.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. Casting. What ifs? None. It's too early. The movie just came out.

[Chris Ryan]

And also, would you really change that much other than basinger the big one?

[Rob Mahoney]

The big one was that the mailing the scripts to the two guys and then being like, I'm in. If he's in which doesn't really seem to happen that often. Best that Guy award for the casuals. Keith David.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Stealth. Bo Knapp, who plays Blueface. He's one of those guys. I don't even know where he's from.

[Chris Ryan]

I had Lois Smith as the old lady with the Coke bottle glasses on.

[Bill Simmons]

Meg from Twister.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, that's who that was.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's a good one.

[Bill Simmons]

I do think Boat is Bonehab not just doing Sasha Baron Cohen as Blueface. Is that not like the energy?

[Chris Ryan]

Every time this movie comes on, I was like, is Sasha Baron Cohen in this movie?

[Bill Simmons]

Apparently not.

[Rob Mahoney]

Dion waiters, Muriel Tello as Misty Mountains. Blueface could keep going, but it's the little names.

[Chris Ryan]

Lance Valentine.

[Rob Mahoney]

Is that what his name is? He's only in one scene, right?

[Chris Ryan]

Perfect. Dion.

[Rob Mahoney]

Legendary Dion performance. We did recasting Couch. Unless you guys have anything else for that. Oh, Craig, you have a flex.

[Craig]

So I created a new category. I just think no one knows how to open a movie and set the tone quite like Shane Black. And it made me think of when Kobe Bryant plowed through Pau Gasol on the Redeem team, which is like Misty Mountains plowing through the Build the home to start this movie. And if you go back and you look through Shane Black's movies, Lethal Weapon starts with the naked stripper committing suicide off the hotel. Last Boy Scout starts with the football player, pulls out the pistol, shoots the guy before scoring the touchdown. And you have this movie. So I think it's the Kobe Bryant shoving Pau Gasol award for the best tone setting opening move. And Shane Black has the belt right now.

[Bill Simmons]

Wow.

[Chris Ryan]

He's also just like. If you read his scripts, they grab you by the lapel. They're like, keep reading.

[Craig]

Also, I love when an opening scene, I guess this is my gondoli. I love when an opening scene has characters that aren't involved with the rest of the of the movie. Oh, yeah. It's just like a tight, like.

[Chris Ryan]

Like a cold package. Yes. Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

There's so many of those throughout this movie too. Like the two women who walk by at the porn party being like, well, if he wanted me to do that, he shouldn't eaten the asparagus. It's just like that's happening constantly in this movie.

[Craig]

Great at it.

[Rob Mahoney]

Half asset and research. Not a lot at this point. We had the Atlanta thing. Russell Crowe said it was one of two films where he wished there was a sequel. Said this on Howard Stern. The other was LA Confidential, which ironically, we're doing next week here in the

[Chris Ryan]

Rewatchables unintentional that this happened.

[Rob Mahoney]

The book Holly was reading from is called A Cat among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie. That was really all otherwise we mentioned.

[Bill Simmons]

I did like you mentioned the Abbott and Costello thing earlier with Gosling. And the part of it that I liked was the reason he got into Abbott and Costello is because his parents wouldn't pay for Blockbuster, so the only movies he could get were from the public library. Found Abbott and Costello interesting.

[Rob Mahoney]

Apex Mountain Crow. I guess for Rob and nobody else.

[Bill Simmons]

For me personally.

[Rob Mahoney]

Gosling with this in la la land. I think we're here.

[Chris Ryan]

This is the definition of it, right?

[Rob Mahoney]

It's not quite Wang Chung Apex Mountain, but it's. It's Apex Mountain.

[Bill Simmons]

But again, I'm perpetually.

[Rob Mahoney]

You missed the Wang Chun combo in the last.

[Bill Simmons]

Well, I'm just confused by this category. Regardless of any Wang Chung happening, Wang

[Rob Mahoney]

Chung's 1985 was the all time apex battle that's ever happened.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

It's the apex of Apex Mountains.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's now Wang Chung's Apex Mountain. Like the SOFI stadium. Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

I'm glad for the branding.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

Does he not have like more cachet post Barbie than after this gets into

[Chris Ryan]

what kind of Apex Mountain? What kind of mountain do you like being on? Is it when it seems like it's all out in front of you or you're just at the height of your earning potential?

[Rob Mahoney]

We had a. In the mailbag, we had a mathematician write in about the post Apex. You can actually. It's kind of the. You've still got it combined with. Maybe you were higher, but it wasn't quite Apex Mountain. But it was like you actually. It was like the Curry 2022, basically.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

So Barbie was probably that for Gosling.

[Chris Ryan]

Do you think you'll go see Project Hail Mary?

[Rob Mahoney]

My son wants to see it so it's in play.

[Chris Ryan]

Okay.

[Rob Mahoney]

But then he'll be like, yeah, I saw it last night with my girlfriend. Sorry, what's the hold of it?

[Bill Simmons]

Just the sci fi. That's what's keeping you out.

[Rob Mahoney]

No, I want to see it. There's really good buzz on it.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

You haven't seen him, right?

[Chris Ryan]

I'm seeing it tonight. Nice. 2 hours and 45 minutes.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, look at the big boy. What does he say?

[Chris Ryan]

Look at the big brain.

[Rob Mahoney]

Man. I fucked that up. Apex Mountain for 1977, just in general is the greatest year we've ever produced as in the world.

[Chris Ryan]

I was bored that year.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

What a great year.

[Bill Simmons]

Star wars. Pretty good.

[Rob Mahoney]

Good stuff. Reggie Jackson.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Keith David fight scenes. Sadly, no, it's still. They live.

[Bill Simmons]

That's an amazing.

[Rob Mahoney]

They live. No, that wasn't him. Xavier Brooks.

[Bill Simmons]

He turned him in the alley.

[Rob Mahoney]

Did I just do the thing where I confused Keith David and Avery Brooks?

[Craig]

Wait, Keith David is in the.

[Chris Ryan]

Keith David's in the list?

[Rob Mahoney]

Why did you look at me like I was crazy?

[Chris Ryan]

I didn't.

[Rob Mahoney]

Keith David and Roddy Piper.

[Craig]

It was him, Bill, not me.

[Bill Simmons]

First of all, I didn't say anything. You second guessed yourself.

[Rob Mahoney]

I did. I second guessed myself.

[Chris Ryan]

Keith David and they live. Keith David is still the winner. Yeah. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Shane Black, probably.

[Bill Simmons]

No, don't think.

[Rob Mahoney]

Iron Man 3.

[Chris Ryan]

I mean, Iron Man 3, but nothing kind of happened after that. I would say writing Lethal Weapon one

[Bill Simmons]

of the Lethal Weapons and being like

[Chris Ryan]

one of the most successful. Lethal Weapon 1 is his apex mountain, I think.

[Rob Mahoney]

Anguri Rice.

[Bill Simmons]

I hope not.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Too early to say quality. Too early to say. Dad Daughter movies. Probably not.

[Bill Simmons]

No.

[Rob Mahoney]

Basinger. No. The 1978 auto show. I think it might have been for sure. Yeah. Not a lot of talk about that show other than this. John Boy and the Waltons. Probably still the Waltons.

[Chris Ryan]

I think so.

[Rob Mahoney]

Which was the number one show for,

[Chris Ryan]

like, more than the nice guys. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

Fair.

[Rob Mahoney]

Breaking a window, going wrong. Might have been the. Might have been the peak.

[Chris Ryan]

I can't think of another example as

[Bill Simmons]

funny as it gets. For sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

1967 red Mustangs with a white convertible top.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Rob Mahoney]

For a movie. Pretty good.

[Chris Ryan]

Retro porn portraits.

[Rob Mahoney]

Boogey dance.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Cruiser. Cruiser.

[Bill Simmons]

Hanks Cruz as John Boy. Like.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, interesting.

[Bill Simmons]

He just shows. You don't. You don't.

[Rob Mahoney]

With, like a bad wig. He has like five lines.

[Chris Ryan]

It would have been better if he would play Shadock.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah. Cruising one of these supporting parts who you hear about and then just shows up.

[Rob Mahoney]

Could Hanks have been Russell Crowe's character?

[Chris Ryan]

I had Hanks for Holland March at a different time in his life. Oh, it's kind of like right after, like, late 80s.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, late 80s. Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

He could do that.

[Rob Mahoney]

I like Cruz for John Boy. I think that has my.

[Bill Simmons]

Could be fun.

[Rob Mahoney]

You down with that, Craig?

[Craig]

But the official winner, we're saying, is Hanks for the lead role.

[Rob Mahoney]

In terms of a lead role, Scorsese or Spielberg? Clearly Scorsese.

[Chris Ryan]

Definitely.

[Rob Mahoney]

Way more coke at the party. Yes. And we probably would. Had, I don't know, tops from the Rolling Stones.

[Chris Ryan]

No, no. Daughter. Because you just want to get way darker, way more up. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Did.

[Bill Simmons]

Has Spielberg ever done something like as getting his hands dirty as this? I can't think of anything.

[Rob Mahoney]

Best hang. Worst hang. I mean, ironically, Gosling's daughter in this movie is probably the best tang of all these people. Blueface is the worst thing. Blueface. Tough cross country drive.

[Chris Ryan]

Blueface would be awful. I, I would, I would spend the night hanging out with with Gosling in a bar. That'd be a lot of fun.

[Bill Simmons]

I would hang out with Amelia. Like, I am one legal substance away from being very on board to her. Like, big speech about her mom and like, Mammon is her God. Yeah, I'm on board for that. Worst hang. Chet.

[Rob Mahoney]

Chet.

[Chris Ryan]

I like Chet.

[Rob Mahoney]

You talk about the projector.

[Bill Simmons]

I'm in the industry. I'm a projectionalist.

[Chris Ryan]

I'm a projectionalist.

[Bill Simmons]

Come on, guy.

[Rob Mahoney]

Picking it. 13 year old kids driving. I'm not even sure this was happening in 1977, especially with manual steering. Yeah, that was.

[Chris Ryan]

That would have been tough. Do you have the upper body strength to control a car like that?

[Rob Mahoney]

That's a choice. How did Amelia land on their car and not like die immediately? How far did she fall? Just had questions about that.

[Craig]

The camera kind of pans up. There's a fire escape. She climbs down.

[Bill Simmons]

She climbs down and hops down. Jumps.

[Craig]

Yeah, it's probably a 15 foot jump,

[Bill Simmons]

but she's putting in a lot of mileage in this movie. Barefoot.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

Like just running all over the city.

[Rob Mahoney]

And I think that dress is probably a lot more banged up. I think there's probably some coffee on it. All kinds of things. How did they so easily get into Misty Mountain's house a couple days after the murder? And why was all the evidence just still sitting there?

[Bill Simmons]

Well, they have her aunt with them.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, I know, but wouldn't they have picked up like specific evidence of people that were in her life and brought it or did that just not how they did in 1977?

[Bill Simmons]

I mean, there was a handwritten note from Chet just sitting there.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. Wouldn't they have brought that into the station?

[Chris Ryan]

Gets into just a complete absence of cops in this movie.

[Bill Simmons]

They show up a couple times way

[Chris Ryan]

after the fact and never detaining.

[Rob Mahoney]

Right.

[Bill Simmons]

That's true.

[Chris Ryan]

Jackson in March, despite the fact that there's like seven dead bodies.

[Bill Simmons]

How do they never go to prison in this movie?

[Chris Ryan]

I don't know. That could have been nice guys. Three going to jail.

[Rob Mahoney]

He can't smell. They joke. Did you know what a nose MIA was?

[Bill Simmons]

I did not.

[Chris Ryan]

Was that real? I.

[Rob Mahoney]

Who knows if that's real or not? But his daughter kind of says, this is why mom died, because he couldn't

[Chris Ryan]

smell because of the gas leak.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, but you can't smell gas leak.

[Bill Simmons]

I don't think I. I still enjoyed it. To me, that's the very, like, gremlins to My dad died coming down the chimney as Santa. Kind of, like, weird anecdote into tragic backstory that I can definitely appreciate.

[Rob Mahoney]

I have one more, but what? Did you have any nitpicks?

[Chris Ryan]

No, we kind of hit most of them. With what stage? The worst. I think that the thing I would nitpick the most at is the slightly, like, convoluted plot. Like. Like, that kind of thing with, like. Obviously she saw the movie that they were watching, which means there's another movie, which means we have to.

[Rob Mahoney]

She was watching it on the wall.

[Bill Simmons]

I think Healy pulling together the whole case because he saw a suit on a rack in the office that one time is, like, maybe a bit much, but it feeds into something I really like about this movie, which is they basically never catch a break because they're good. They basically always catch a break because they're lucky. Like, Amelia literally falls on their car. And that kind of stuff is happening constantly.

[Chris Ryan]

And there's. There's a lack of heroism in the movie in the sense that, like, they don't save Amelia.

[Bill Simmons]

No.

[Chris Ryan]

She's very unceremoniously dispatched by kyjamas.

[Rob Mahoney]

That was one of the things I liked was It's. It really is shocking when she gets shot.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

But it's that kind of movie. It's the kind of movie where not only is she gonna get shot, it's not gonna cut away. Like, you were just gonna see her in Cold Blood get murdered and left in the street.

[Chris Ryan]

It's also good because makes, like, Angori Rice's character being present for all of it a little bit more dangerous because, like, that can happen retroactively.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

This is my big one, Craig. This is. This is why I'm a Hall of Famer. This next nitpick gosling, twice in the movie, is in a body of water and then smokes a cigarette. Like, five minutes later, those cigarettes are wet. Oh, yeah. Not lighting. No chance.

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, his pack.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, his pack in his pocket. Done. Yeah, it's a wrap. That thing's not lighting.

[Bill Simmons]

So he's in the tank with the mermaids, but he's, like, in boxers in that. What's the second body of water when

[Chris Ryan]

he falls into the pool?

[Rob Mahoney]

Falls into the pool.

[Bill Simmons]

Oh, that one is cooked.

[Rob Mahoney]

There's no way. He's. No chance lighting the cigarette.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, those.

[Rob Mahoney]

All that whole pack's a wrap. It's all they're soggy. They're falling apart. Bill, Sometimes we need the cigarette consultancy company.

[Bill Simmons]

You just win.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's true. Sometimes you just win.

[Chris Ryan]

And also, he can't die.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's the Revelation, sequel, prequel, Prestige, gbl, Black Caster, Untouchables. So the idea you mentioned, Chris, was nice guys, two Mexican Detectives. Yeah, that's what Crowe and Gosling wanted to do.

[Bill Simmons]

Billion dollar idea.

[Rob Mahoney]

Come on.

[Chris Ryan]

I also would accept if they did this the way that Netflix did Sherlock, where it's just like once every like three or four years, they just do a three episode thing.

[Rob Mahoney]

Right.

[Bill Simmons]

Be awesome.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, this has happened a couple times in movies and I'm pretty sure it happened with Anchorman because I don't think Anchorman crushed it at the box office, but then became beloved over the next couple years to the point where we were like, why don't we do Anchorman two? That'll fucking crush.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

This happened with Austin Powers, too.

[Chris Ryan]

Sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

The first one did okay, wasn't great, but became a cult movie. And then two was a monster. I would just, these guys, two would just be bigger.

[Chris Ryan]

It would be, but I would worry at this point, Crow might be long in the tooth to do it.

[Bill Simmons]

I think the only reason that could work is because it's, it is kind of the movie. Right. Like, they're so run down that however many years pass before they make it, it could kind of fit who these guys are.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's kind of sacrilege. But could you, could you do this and not have them as the partners?

[Chris Ryan]

I don't think it's the same.

[Rob Mahoney]

Could you have Gosling, could you have Crow, like retired, getting sucked back in. But there's a new partner and there's three people in that, too.

[Chris Ryan]

No, I don't think it works.

[Bill Simmons]

I hope not.

[Chris Ryan]

That and that's exactly what they would do. They would put a younger person who's

[Bill Simmons]

in it it who's, who's the youngest. Is this like a miles?

[Rob Mahoney]

I wish I didn't bring this up. Is this movie better with Wayne Jenkins, Fergie the Florist, Zane Low, Robert Loggia or anybody else? What do you think?

[Chris Ryan]

CR Zane Lowe. Interviewing John Boy, man, you're Jenny here from New York City. Everybody's talking about it here in the streets of Los Angeles. You're named after a Walton character. But what are you gonna do to forge your own character? Sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

You have a mole.

[Chris Ryan]

Sure. And that and that some people would look that as a handicap, but man, you see, it's your power. I see that as your power. Again, South African. I can't stop making Zane low South African.

[Rob Mahoney]

Maybe we should have you as Leo and Blood diamond as Zane. Maybe you just combine the two.

[Chris Ryan]

Give this one another box.

[Bill Simmons]

I don't know. I don't know what to say. It's. It's really something.

[Rob Mahoney]

Is Blood diamond rewatchable for you?

[Chris Ryan]

Didn't we do Blood diamond? We didn't.

[Rob Mahoney]

20 year anniversary.

[Chris Ryan]

Wait a second. Yes, we did.

[Craig]

Yeah, we have.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, we've done Blood diamond, dude.

[Craig]

We have.

[Chris Ryan]

Because the AIDS thing, are you sure? We did. We had a whole conversation about whether he's HIV positive in this movie.

[Rob Mahoney]

Hold on. I gotta find out when we did

[Bill Simmons]

it because spoiler alert.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yes, Blood Time definitely is.

[Chris Ryan]

We definitely did.

[Craig]

June 2023.

[Chris Ryan]

This is so in the Bill zone of like. I don't remember this. No.

[Rob Mahoney]

But I usually don't remember. Oh, I usually don't remember. 2000 and 2021. Because the COVID vaccine.

[Bill Simmons]

Sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

But I. 23.

[Chris Ryan]

I remember not because you chose to podcast eight times a week during COVID

[Rob Mahoney]

What else are we gonna do?

[Chris Ryan]

Be with our family.

[Rob Mahoney]

Wow. We did that three years ago. Who do we do it with?

[Chris Ryan]

I think it might have just been you and me. One for us. The two. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, I'm gonna have to listen to that. That sounds great.

[Chris Ryan]

I think I remember Sean's favorite when I told him we were doing Blood diamond and he's like, cool.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like, bum daddy wasn't on it or thought it was.

[Chris Ryan]

It probably was a little bit of both, but he was. And then I remember telling him like, yeah, Bill and I really tried to unpack whether Danny Archer has HIV in that movie. And John was like, cool.

[Rob Mahoney]

Glad I skipped that one. Yeah, now I remember it. God. Which is so many podcasts.

[Bill Simmons]

There really are.

[Rob Mahoney]

Then 42728 Rewatchables talking about Joel, Embiid and Luca, whether he could put it together and bam. Out of BioScoring. 83 points. It all blends together after a while.

[Bill Simmons]

Who is the most name checked non Celtics player on the rewatchables, do you think?

[Chris Ryan]

Oh, that's a really good question.

[Bill Simmons]

Joel, I feel like might be up there just for the antagonist, for the jokes. Like you're just.

[Chris Ryan]

You're just prodding once a month where he'll just be like, oh, this would be like if Embiid could actually play five games in a row.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's honestly probably, probably Jordan, right? Yeah. Like mentioning different, like Jordan kind of parallels and things.

[Bill Simmons]

Makes sense.

[Rob Mahoney]

Interesting. Someday we'll have AI and we'll just be able to ask AI and it'll just listen to every rewatch balls in one second. And then be like, was actually Shaquille

[Chris Ryan]

o' Neal and I will speak like Roger Ebert. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

We'll speak like diamond guy crossed with Zane Low.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Just want to ask her who gets it.

[Bill Simmons]

Gosling.

[Rob Mahoney]

Gosling script.

[Bill Simmons]

That's probably the second.

[Chris Ryan]

It's really good, but I think a lot of what's great about this movie are his reactions. Like, there's moments that wouldn't really jump off the page. Like when they go to the dive bar in the hotel and they are like, you know, have you seen Emilia? And he's just like, I just work here. He's like, yeah, I know. That's why I'm asking you. That's not like a hilarious thing on the page, but it's so funny, like, the way they do it.

[Bill Simmons]

He also chases every line. Every time that character thinks they're being smart, he, like, winks at somebody or does, like, a little eyebrow raise. It's just like, he sells everything so hard and so well.

[Chris Ryan]

Do you like my friend?

[Rob Mahoney]

He's wearing.

[Craig]

I made it myself.

[Chris Ryan]

Is that a shirt?

[Rob Mahoney]

So Casey Affleck wins for Manchester by the Sea that year. Gosling nominated for La La Land. The other three were Denzel and Fences, Viggo Mortensen and Captain Fantastic.

[Bill Simmons]

Get them out.

[Rob Mahoney]

What happened?

[Chris Ryan]

So you want to go double God,

[Rob Mahoney]

double Gosling or Andrew Garfield and Hacksaw Rich? We were just.

[Bill Simmons]

That one can go.

[Rob Mahoney]

What a drought.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

That was like when Peja Stakovic was fourth in mvp.

[Chris Ryan]

Let's get paid.

[Rob Mahoney]

Let's get paid. Out.

[Chris Ryan]

Where does this kid go? Doesn't. Isn't his kid playing now?

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah, he's playing somewhere in college or something.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. So could Gosling potentially have been nominated twice and has that ever happened?

[Chris Ryan]

I know it has.

[Rob Mahoney]

I don't think anyone's been in the same category with two movies.

[Bill Simmons]

Did Leo not. I think. Did he not? Wasn't Blood diamond and Catch Me if you can the same?

[Rob Mahoney]

No, it wasn't. Same year it was Departed, and it

[Bill Simmons]

was Departed in Blood Diamond. Did he not get double nominated for those?

[Chris Ryan]

This is the same year. 2000.

[Rob Mahoney]

Is that until this. So that would have been 2007, I think. What's. It's happened a few times where somebody's gotten best actor and supporting. Yeah, but not too best.

[Craig]

The most recent Scarlett Johansson marriage story. And Jojo Rabbit was lead and support.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Leo only got one that Year.

[Bill Simmons]

Damn.

[Chris Ryan]

Did you find out where Pedro Stackovic's kid goes to college?

[Craig]

It's Illinois. Oh, is it? I don't know.

[Bill Simmons]

I could be wrong there.

[Rob Mahoney]

You're O07 best actor in a supporting role. Alan Arin 1. Jackie Earl Harley and Little Children. Yeah. Diamond Hunu and In Blood Diamond. Eddie Murphy and Dream Girls. And Mark Wahlberg in the Departed. Yeah. We need to do the Re. Re Departed too, apparently. I can't remember any podcasts we've done. Probably unanswerable questions. How long did the Nice Guys Agency keep going before Jackson Healey died of a massive heart attack?

[Craig]

Right.

[Chris Ryan]

Or, like, two years later, March gets his child taken away by protective services.

[Bill Simmons]

Imminent.

[Rob Mahoney]

Did we have protective services? Yeah, I don't. I don't feel like we did. Did. I was left alone for four or five hours.

[Chris Ryan]

I just found out relatively recently about kids being in car seats until they're a certain weight now instead of age. So it's like you could be in a car seat until you're, like, seven or eight.

[Bill Simmons]

Right. Theoretically. That seems extreme.

[Chris Ryan]

I was in. I was, like, rolling around the back of a Pontiac when I was, like, three. Like, you know, like.

[Bill Simmons]

And you turned out great.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

I told Rob when we did the mailbag for my pond, I. I wanted to put Khan in a car seat. I didn't want him to get hurt, but he's huge.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Couldn't really do it. I used to. My dad would drive me home from. From school sometimes, and I would get to sit, like, on his lap on the seat in front of him and drive.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

And then one time, I looked down and noticed his hand was on the bottom of the wheel. When he was really driving, I was like, fuck, I thought I was driving.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

This whole time. I was like, five.

[Chris Ryan]

Would you.

[Rob Mahoney]

But can you imagine seeing anyone do that now where there's this little kid driving 30 miles an hour in the front seat with the steering wheel, like, right there. But that's what we did in the 70s.

[Chris Ryan]

If it was the kid with the big dick from the back end.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. Let him go. So a mailbag that we did that Rob didn't hear yet because we haven't run it yet. But it was before this podcast. We changed the memorabilia question slightly to secret handshake memorabilia from the movie. Oh, so it's still the memorabilia from the movie, but it's. It's an item that you have to really love the movie to get. So, like, a Misty Mountains poster.

[Chris Ryan]

That would be good.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Craig]

All right.

[Rob Mahoney]

Or maybe people would get that too easily.

[Chris Ryan]

Well, a poster for how do you like my car, big boy?

[Bill Simmons]

That would be one good.

[Chris Ryan]

My personal one, which is a little bit more on the memorabilia side. But I, I kind of. If anybody knows, please email. I think they may have made it for the movie is the navy blue mesh bat Dodgers hat that Gosling wears for the two scenes when he punches the window and when he's at the hospital.

[Bill Simmons]

You think it was custom merch?

[Chris Ryan]

I can't find a navy blue dodgers mesh hat, 70s or otherwise. Maybe I'm wrong.

[Rob Mahoney]

Interesting. What do you have for this wrap?

[Bill Simmons]

Secret handshake. One is tough because. Yeah, there's not a lot of signature items. I would go for the pink cow, post it notes which I'm going to then send to everyone I know anytime I have an important flight slash hotel room to mark on a piece of paper.

[Rob Mahoney]

Right.

[Bill Simmons]

We're in business.

[Chris Ryan]

I would love if you. It would be great if you could get a blow up poster of the Jackson and Holland's Detective agency ad.

[Bill Simmons]

Oh, yeah. In all of its Filipino or maybe Mexican glory.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's right, Coach Finstock. Mr. Miyagi word for best worst life lesson, which people want. At least one person wanted to be Coglin's Law from Cocktail, which I guess this could be a Coggin's Law. Sometimes you just win.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah, you do. How about sometimes there's two ways to look at something.

[Rob Mahoney]

Best double feature choice. Would you go Shane Black?

[Chris Ryan]

So I had just. Because it also brings in the Detroit part of a crime for a crime film is no Sudden Move, which is the Steven Soderbergh movie from a few years ago with Don Cheadle.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah, that's a great one. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang feels too easy almost. I. I like that angle. I would almost go like drama comedy, like let's do like a Michael Clayton or a Pelican Brief. Another like corporate conspiracy kind of movie like that.

[Chris Ryan]

Speaking of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Chet is Val Kilmer. Oh, no, Jack.

[Rob Mahoney]

Jack Kilmer. I have the other guys. I would have this first, then the other guys. Okay. And just do guys, guys. Night, guys. Night, other guys. And then we have Gosling winning the movie.

[Chris Ryan]

We do.

[Bill Simmons]

I think he has to.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. Craig, you wanted this for a while.

[Craig]

Yeah. This is just all timer for me. Probably. I think it's the best comedy of the last 10 years since 2016. Not that there's a ton it's competing against, but I love the Lethal Weapon movies which you guys introduced to me on the rewatchables. And like you said the buddy cop, the dark action comedy. Buddy cop comedy, I think, is my number one favorite genre in movies. This movie in particular strikes a really delicate tone. It's pretty impressive that they kill Margaret Qualley. Jessica gets thrown through a glass window. And there's no love interest in this

[Chris Ryan]

movie, which I really like, except for Tally briefly. Hold up, I'm writing this down.

[Rob Mahoney]

Porn.

[Chris Ryan]

It's bad.

[Craig]

When she walks in, he's like, you look great.

[Bill Simmons]

And then she throws a pair of scissors at Holly's head.

[Craig]

But I don't know. I love that. I love that it's just about these two guys. There's no kiss at the end. It's perfect to me. I rewatch it every couple years.

[Chris Ryan]

Everybody I've watched it with likes it.

[Craig]

It's just universally beloved. Fuck Angry Birds.

[Bill Simmons]

I love that it can end too. Like, Gosling welling up, tears in his eyes, holding up the film reel. It's like, sometimes you do just win.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like, again.

[Bill Simmons]

It's inexplicable. It's indefensible. But they lucked into it.

[Rob Mahoney]

We never did the. What happened the next day with the film reel?

[Chris Ryan]

Like, do they ever do anything with it?

[Rob Mahoney]

Like, was it. Was it a huge story? Was it a national story?

[Bill Simmons]

Well, they say no one lives. Kim Basinger didn't face any consequences, or she gets sent to prison. But the companies aren't held liable.

[Craig]

We should discuss this. The entire plan of making a porn movie that has a message in it

[Chris Ryan]

to show it all, well, it's just

[Bill Simmons]

a commercial element is a horrible plan.

[Craig]

I mean, just like, you have the information, send it to, like, a news station. Right.

[Chris Ryan]

You'd expect, like, sometime in 77. They're still riding high off Watergate because they asked, because Nixon's still in office.

[Craig]

And they were like, go to the cops. And she's like, my mom is the cops. Okay. You could find a journalist out there who would take this story and write about it and blow it up in the LA Times.

[Bill Simmons]

They do ask her, and she says that they control the media too.

[Rob Mahoney]

Come on.

[Bill Simmons]

I like it because it's from the perspective of, like, stoned out Margaret Qualley logic. Like, that's the only mechanism that can solve this problem.

[Craig]

It's also the movie takes. It's not like the message is in the very beginning of the porn movie either. Like, you have to kind of sit down and watch it.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Craig]

Which also makes no sense. But I do love the line, they made a porn where the plot is the point of the movie.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

That's great.

[Rob Mahoney]

This was like the last era where they were making porn films where they're actually kind of go for it with the plot.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

With how they filmed it and actually spending money on it. Which as Boogie Nights covered, where Jack Horner is, like, really trying to make money.

[Chris Ryan]

And the idea that anybody is like an experimental filmmaker who's also doing these things ironically.

[Rob Mahoney]

We were texting about this yesterday about porn. The new Bev Cinema.

[Chris Ryan]

That's right.

[Bill Simmons]

Oh, sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. Literally they're showing these, like, porn noir Friday nights or Saturday nights at midnight. They were showing some movie. I thought it was a joke, but it was real. And I texted them and Van's like, yeah, they've been doing it all month.

[Chris Ryan]

Okay. I'm not going to name any names.

[Bill Simmons]

We do have a colleague who has attended some of these out of experimental curiosity.

[Chris Ryan]

Funny how you, like. Van was like, kind of getting irritated where he's like, you guys all treat me like a freak, but you know

[Bill Simmons]

as much as I do.

[Rob Mahoney]

Started throwing porn scandals at us. Yeah. So I'm gonna guess that's a mostly male crowd.

[Bill Simmons]

Couldn't tell you.

[Chris Ryan]

No. Wasn't it like. Like, didn't somebody say it was like couples or something like that?

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Bill Simmons]

No, Van.

[Craig]

It must have been Van.

[Rob Mahoney]

No way. That's true. That's 40 guys by themselves and two couples.

[Craig]

I'm here for the.

[Chris Ryan]

No, it's a really important piece of cinema history.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, we're almost done with CR Month. Cr. Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

One more.

[Rob Mahoney]

Any. Have you started to think big picture? What this month meant to you and the love from the fans.

[Chris Ryan]

I'm curious to see how you use me going forward. You know, from a coaching perspective. You know, like you've. Now, do you take me down a peg or two? Do you. Do you ice me? What do you do next with me?

[Rob Mahoney]

What do you mean? You've been on like 70 to 75% of them.

[Chris Ryan]

But now I'm riding high. So do you.

[Rob Mahoney]

Well, first of all, I like that we saved some for the next cigar month. Because when, you know, we have a year to play in this now with the festival.

[Chris Ryan]

Sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

And you know, the merch, all that stuff.

[Chris Ryan]

The guy. You can hire the guy to play the tree.

[Rob Mahoney]

Right, the guy. The $20 big dick guy. We'll have him there. Of all the characters for some of these movies. But yeah, we left for Red.

[Chris Ryan]

October for October. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Nice. Maybe October. Maybe we just don't do it in October. Who knows?

[Chris Ryan]

Okay. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Who knows if we'll do it or not?

[Bill Simmons]

I'm just worried for you, Chris.

[Chris Ryan]

We saved aliens as well.

[Bill Simmons]

Oh, thank goodness.

[Rob Mahoney]

Those were the two that didn't. That you talked about the most. There's been other ones, but those have been other than the ones. We've already done this, if you want to know.

[Chris Ryan]

Like, the other contenders were all, like, basically up in the brackets that we just did.

[Rob Mahoney]

I've noticed. I don't always go into the comments, but I did for the Instagram vote. And some people were like, yes, Sorcerer, you, Sorcerer has to win. Like, people are, like, angry that anyone has voted for anything other than Sorcerer.

[Chris Ryan]

I think Sorcerer is a passionate, passionate fan base.

[Bill Simmons]

Those were the CR heads. The true CR heads. Those are Sorcerer heads, guys.

[Rob Mahoney]

Are you a Sorcerer guy?

[Bill Simmons]

Yes, but not as a whole personality.

[Rob Mahoney]

I don't know how I missed it for 50 years.

[Chris Ryan]

It's. It's. It's a real film. Nerd. New class.

[Rob Mahoney]

No, I get it, bro.

[Bill Simmons]

New classic.

[Rob Mahoney]

But it's like, obviously my wheelhouse. I just, you know, it's only been the great ones that it looked as

[Chris Ryan]

good as it looks now, though.

[Rob Mahoney]

Is that what it is?

[Chris Ryan]

Because I saw it at New Beverly and it was. It was still a pretty beat up print and everybody was really pumped about it, but, like, it's been a while. It took a while for it to look as good as it looks.

[Bill Simmons]

Was that a more male audience than the porn New Beverly screening you saw?

[Chris Ryan]

It was a double feature, so it's hard to tell.

[Rob Mahoney]

They should put that when they tweet out the movie that they should have an audience survey after what the demo was.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like, I wonder if they've ever got 100% dudes. Henry Portrait, the serial killer. Like that kind of.

[Chris Ryan]

I've been in some movies with 100% dudes.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, the 100% dude.

[Chris Ryan]

That's like Soldado. Yeah, yeah.

[Craig]

That's like the ringer fantasy football show demo.

[Chris Ryan]

Every time I watch, it's like 97.

[Rob Mahoney]

I watched Soldado again after we did Sicario.

[Bill Simmons]

I'm not gonna. I'm gonna withhold judgment during CR month.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's not tough. It's got some moments.

[Bill Simmons]

Yeah.

[Chris Ryan]

2033, we're still kicking around.

[Rob Mahoney]

We're looking for movies to do 2033. Very possible. Rob Mahoney, thank you, CR. A pleasure as always, Craig. Thank you. Back on Rewatchables next week, LA Confidential, which is on Netflix.

[Chris Ryan]

Yes.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, Yeah, I don't know. No, I think it is. LA Confidential is on.

[Chris Ryan]

Yeah, go ahead and check.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, yeah, so. And if not, then we'll have to edit this out and do a separate piece of it, but LA Confidential coming next week for. For CR Month. And don't forget, we did a mailbag if you missed it last week as well. So. Yeah, no, it's on there. I'm confident. LA Confidential, Netflix.

[Craig]

It's not.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's not. It's not on there.

[Craig]

No, it's on Amazon Prime.

[Rob Mahoney]

Damn it.

[Craig]

Well, we did just get acquired by Amazon prime, so that'll be fun.

[Chris Ryan]

There you go.

[Rob Mahoney]

Okay. All right, LA Confidential, not on Netflix. Thanks, everybody.

[Bill Simmons]

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[Rob Mahoney]

That's 40% less than the 5 grams per serving in leading traditional coffee creamers for a rich, delicious experience.

[Bill Simmons]

Whether you enjoy your coffee hot, cold,

[Rob Mahoney]

bold or frothy, two good coffee creamers

[Bill Simmons]

make every sip a good one. Two good coffee creamers, real goodness in every sip. Find them at your local Kroger in the creamer isle.

[Chris Ryan]

There's a world where legends race across city skylines. Romance blossoms in glittering ballrooms. And there's magic around every corner. It's a world known to many as Great Britain. You've seen the action on screen now. Now visit the real star of the show. Visit Great Britain. To discover more, go to tripadvisor.com Great Britain.