Categories & segments

Just One of the Guys

Picking Nits

School transfer; recognition; Kevin relationship; Buddy’s betrayal; Hemingway poster

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:29Read transcript
  • Status, a car and a relationship carried over from school are possible reasons for Terry dating Kevin. — Bill Simmons
  • Changing schools for two weeks late in senior year without records, parental permission or recognition is criticized as implausible; a hacker helper could patch the premise. — Bill Simmons
  • Buddy revealing the plan to Kevin is questioned, then explained by chaos-seeking, wanting to attend prom and a threat of violence. — Bill Simmons
  • The enormous Hemingway poster is considered an unconvincing shorthand for Terry’s intellect; Woodward and Bernstein would fit her stated interests better. — Bill Simmons
  • Recognition across neighboring schools and the failure to notice Terry’s disappearance remain problems. — Kyle Brandt
Just One of the Guys

Probably Unanswerable Questions

How does Terry make up missed schoolwork?

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:32Read transcript
  • The beach prom clashes with Arizona filming and a visible Arizona plate, leaving the intended fictional location unclear.
  • Rick’s upset reaction is debated as understandable surprise after two weeks of platonic male friendship. — Bill Simmons
  • The adaptation is criticized for omitting the confused attraction found in Twelfth Night, while Rick’s acceptance of apparent homosexuality is praised.
  • The insistence on asking out and driving at the ending is criticized as unnecessary masculine control. — Bill Simmons
  • The final motorcycle pickup, Denise’s older musician and Rick’s sexual initiation by his mother’s friend highlight troubling adult-teen pairings.
  • The unexplained older motorcyclist is treated as a period fantasy and jokingly linked with the performer’s later MILF Manor appearance. — Kyle Brandt
  • The unanswered administrative question is how Terry makes up work when returning to her original school; the terrible article opening is recalled. — Bill Simmons
Just One of the Guys

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

“Horny will kick embarrassment’s ass anytime”; “All balls itch. It’s a fact.”

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:48:07Read transcript
  • A proposed life lesson endorses extreme deception for a newspaper prize, but the claim that multiple lives were ruined is challenged.
  • The embarrassment maxim and the observation that all testicles itch are preferred comic life lessons. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:49:36Read transcript
  • Soul Man is the shared double-feature choice because of its troubling academic-disguise premise; an encounter with its lead recalls how coveted the role originally was.
  • The younger participant knows Soul Man only as the blackface film; the cast and contemporary expectations are recalled critically. — Kyle Brandt
  • Summer School is another suggested pairing, especially for its eccentric student ensemble. — Kyle Brandt
  • Can’t Buy Me Love is suggested as a later counterpart within the same teen-film era. — Kyle Brandt
  • A quadruple feature adds Girls Just Want to Have Fun, The Sure Thing and The Breakfast Club, reportedly all in theaters in April 1985. — Kyle Brandt
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:55:13Read transcript
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Billy Jacoby
Speaker not identified
Billy Jacoby
Speaker not identified
Billy Jacoby
Just One of the Guys

Producer review

Negative; generational nostalgia acknowledged; William Zabka praised

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:53Read transcript
  • An invited response disputes the Bill Murray comparison while acknowledging the performer’s full commitment. — Bill Simmons
  • The invited younger viewer strongly dislikes the film while acknowledging how childhood exposure and limited access to sexual images can create lasting affection. — Bill Simmons
  • The reveal was anticipated immediately before it happened; the discussion argues the film’s legacy depends heavily on that scene, alongside the comic supporting performance. — Kyle Brandt
  • The younger viewer rejects the praise for Billy Jacoby and most performances, but makes an exception for William Zabka; cheesy line delivery is the central complaint. — Joanna Robinson
  • Terry’s disguise is compared with a young Michael Jackson and Elvis Costello. — Kyle Brandt
What Lies Beneath

What’s Aged the Worst?

Spoiler-heavy trailer; Claire staying in the house; Norman missing the possession; limited eroticism; student-attraction premise; empty-nester framing.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:20Read transcript
  • The trailer is condemned for revealing that Norman is suspicious and showing Claire’s possession, which drains suspense from the twist.
  • Remaining in the house after repeated frightening events is called reckless enough to make Claire responsible for her danger. — Mallory Rubin
  • Norman is criticized for taking too long to recognize that his wife is possessed. — Mallory Rubin
  • The film is considered too unerotic to function as the erotic thriller suggested by its marketing. — Mallory Rubin
  • The idea that a student’s attraction to Norman would be rare is rejected because Harrison Ford’s appeal makes that premise implausible. — Bill Simmons
  • The script’s treatment of Claire as an empty nester without an identity is called insufficiently delicate. — Chris Ryan
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