Most Rewatchable Scene · 36:29
The cheater punishment and count-room system
Bill Simmons: The casino surveillance and count-room explanation is nominated.
Bill Simmons: The Ichikawa whale sequence is nominated.
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The Rewatchables ·
Casino
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Who won the movie
Sharon Stone
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Roger Ebert
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Dion Waiters Award
James Woods
The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson · 31:53
The hosts enumerate ten lessons using movie lines and their own addenda.
Bill Simmons: When you love someone, you have to trust them and give them the key to everything, though the hosts dispute the advice.
Cast
Selected cast credits · Film reference
Robert De Niro
Sam "Ace" Rothstein
Sharon Stone
Ginger McKenna
Joe Pesci
Nicky Santoro
James Woods
Lester Diamond
Don Rickles
Billy Sherbert
Alan King
Andy Stone
Kevin Pollak
Phillip Green
L. Q. Jones
Pat Webb
Dick Smothers
Senator Harrison Roberts
Frank Vincent
Frank Marino
Everything from the episode
In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.
26:41
Roger Ebert's review
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:41Read transcript
- Ebert awarded Casino four stars.
- Siskel’s less enthusiastic response is contrasted. — Sean Fennessey
31:53
The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson
The hosts enumerate ten lessons using movie lines and their own addenda.
The hosts enumerate ten lessons using movie lines and their own addenda.
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:53Read transcript
- When you love someone, you have to trust them and give them the key to everything, though the hosts dispute the advice. — Bill Simmons
- Have the hole dug before arriving in the desert with a body. — Bill Simmons
- For gangsters, Vegas washes away sins like a morality car wash.
- Casinos are the only winners; players do not stand a chance. — Bill Simmons
- In Vegas, everyone watches everyone else. — Bill Simmons
- Keep players playing and returning because the longer they play, the more they lose. — Bill Simmons
- There is the right way, the wrong way, and Ace’s way. — Bill Simmons
- A control freak should avoid dating an attractive grifter who does not love him. — Bill Simmons
- Do not give one partner sole access to a two-million-dollar security deposit.
- Avoid dating someone with an ex named Lester.
36:29
Most Rewatchable Scene
The cheater punishment and count-room system
The cheater punishment and count-room system
In the discussion (17)
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:29Read transcript
- The casino surveillance and count-room explanation is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The Ichikawa whale sequence is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- Ginger’s entrance is nominated.
- The card-counter and cheater punishment is a leading choice.
- Nicky’s arrival and ban montage are nominated.
- Ace confronting Ginger about Lester in the diner is nominated.
- Ace and Nicky’s argument about lost control is nominated.
- Catherine Scorsese in the wiretap scene is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The desert argument is nominated.
- The Lester finger-snapping confrontation is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- Nicky and Ginger’s affair material is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The murder montage and cornfield killing are nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The old-Vegas ending is nominated.
- The sports-book operations are nominated.
- Ginger’s wedding phone call to Lester is nominated. — Sean Fennessey
- Ace giving Ginger the fur coat is nominated. — Sean Fennessey
- The film’s opening fifteen minutes are nominated as a run. — Bill Simmons
1:00:03
What’s Aged the Best?
Sharon Stone, old Las Vegas, casino systems, music, costumes, and supporting performances
Sharon Stone, old Las Vegas, casino systems, music, costumes, and supporting performances
In the discussion (23)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:03Read transcript
- Sharon Stone’s performance is praised.
- De Niro and Pesci’s improvisation is praised.
- Pesci becoming violent in bars is praised. — Bill Simmons
- Ginger tipping service workers is praised.
- The head-vice sequence and its ratings history are discussed. — Bill Simmons
- The old Strip and real locations are praised. — Bill Simmons
- James Woods is praised. — Bill Simmons
- Ginger’s scenes with her daughter are discussed. — Bill Simmons
- Nicky’s recurring oral-sex behavior is treated as a darkly comic character detail. — Bill Simmons
- Frank Vincent and Pesci reversing power from Goodfellas is praised. — Bill Simmons
- Ginger’s beehive and diamonds are praised. — Bill Simmons
- The golf-course airplane landing is praised. — Sean Fennessey
- The casting of old-Vegas personalities is praised. — Bill Simmons
- Aces High is praised.
- The music choices are praised.
- The count room is praised. — Bill Simmons
- The blueberry-muffin complaint is praised. — Bill Simmons
- The explosive opening is praised. — Bill Simmons
- The Rain Man dealer is praised. — Bill Simmons
- Scorsese’s inventive cocaine imagery is praised. — Bill Simmons
- The aged hitmen are praised.
- Ace’s house is praised. — Bill Simmons
- James Woods’s Lester is ultimately offered as another leading aged-best answer. — Bill Simmons
1:24:13
What’s Aged the Worst?
The runtime, narrator structure, mannequin explosion, ethnicity, Gimme Shelter, shootings, and childcare draw objecti...
The runtime, narrator structure, mannequin explosion, ethnicity, Gimme Shelter, shootings, and childcare draw objections.
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:13Read transcript
- The three-hour runtime is questioned.
- Repeated Ace–Ginger fights may be redundant.
- The use of three narrators is debated but defended. — Bill Simmons
- The mannequin in the car explosion is visible. — Bill Simmons
- De Niro playing a Jewish real-life figure is discussed. — Sean Fennessey
- The repeated use of Gimme Shelter is noted. — Sean Fennessey
- Pesci’s physical dominance is sometimes hard to accept. — Bill Simmons
- The staging of repeated shootings is questioned. — Bill Simmons
- The treatment of Ginger’s child is criticized.
1:27:25
Casting What-Ifs
Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Melanie Griffith, Traci Lords, and Sharon Stone’s audition history
Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Melanie Griffith, Traci Lords, and Sharon Stone’s audition history
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:27:25Read transcript
- Madonna says the role came down to her and Sharon Stone. — Bill Simmons
- Nicole Kidman was considered. — Bill Simmons
- Melanie Griffith was considered. — Bill Simmons
- Traci Lords reportedly gave an impressive audition. — Bill Simmons
- Sharon Stone’s repeatedly canceled auditions and Scorsese’s personal appeal are recounted. — Bill Simmons
- The panel prefers Stone to the alternatives. — Bill Simmons
1:30:42
The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award
Nick Mazzola and John Mankiewicz split the That Guy discussion.
Nick Mazzola and John Mankiewicz split the That Guy discussion.
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:42Read transcript
- Nick Mazzola, the blackjack dealer, is nominated.
- John Mankiewicz, identified as Nicky Eyes from Goodfellas, is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- No unambiguous final winner is stated. — Bill Simmons
1:33:44
The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award
De Niro’s commission hearing and Donnie, played by Joe Bob Briggs
De Niro’s commission hearing and Donnie, played by Joe Bob Briggs
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:33:44Read transcript
- De Niro’s gaming-commission scene is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- Donnie, played by Joe Bob Briggs, is criticized as conspicuously broad. — Bill Simmons
1:34:40
The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance
James Woods
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:40Read transcript
- James Woods is selected. — Bill Simmons
- Don Rickles is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- Catherine Scorsese is nominated. — Bill Simmons
1:34:51
Recasting Couch
Diane Lane, Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Scarlett Johansson for Nicky’s wife and Ginger
Diane Lane, Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Scarlett Johansson for Nicky’s wife and Ginger
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:51Read transcript
- Diane Lane is proposed for Nicky’s wife. — Bill Simmons
- Madonna is proposed for Nicky’s wife after losing the Ginger role.
- Lady Gaga is proposed for Ginger.
- Match Point-era Scarlett Johansson is proposed for Ginger. — Bill Simmons
1:37:15
Half-Assed Internet Research
Real people, costumes, a murder attempt, profanity, improv, sets, ribs, cigarettes, restaurants, and high rollers
Real people, costumes, a murder attempt, profanity, improv, sets, ribs, cigarettes, restaurants, and high rollers
In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:15Read transcript
- Frank Cullotta served as technical adviser and appeared as a hitman. — Bill Simmons
- The costume budget was one million dollars, with 70 De Niro outfits and 40 Stone outfits. — Bill Simmons
- Joe Pesci’s then-wife Claudia Haro was later convicted in an attempted-murder scheme against another ex-husband. — Bill Simmons
- The film uses the F-word 435 times. — Bill Simmons
- James Woods improvised dialogue and the detail that Lester was with a prostitute using cocaine during the wedding call. — Bill Simmons
- The count-room set was constructed because productions are not allowed into a real count room. — Bill Simmons
- Frank Rosenthal’s television-show guests included Sinatra, Hope, Liberace, O. J. Simpson, and Rickles. — Bill Simmons
- Pesci suffered a rib injury during the cornfield sequence.
- De Niro maintained cigarette length for continuity. — Bill Simmons
- Piero’s restaurant stood in for the Leaning Tower.
- Future Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman appears as an attorney.
- Nobu Matsuhisa plays Ichikawa. — Bill Simmons
- Akio Kashiwagi’s casino debts and murder are discussed. — Bill Simmons
- Ace’s house was later bought by Suge Knight. — Bill Simmons
- Frank Rosenthal’s later nightclub, online-betting, and family life are summarized. — Bill Simmons
1:45:07
Apex Mountain
De Niro, Pesci, Sharon Stone, golf-course landings, Las Vegas details, and skimming receive distinct apex judgments.
De Niro, Pesci, Sharon Stone, golf-course landings, Las Vegas details, and skimming receive distinct apex judgments.
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:45:07Read transcript
- De Niro is judged below his overall apex. — Bill Simmons
- Pesci’s apex is assigned to Goodfellas or My Cousin Vinny. — Bill Simmons
- The 1981 Cadillac Eldorado is judged at its apex.
- Kevin Pollak is judged at an apex shared with The Usual Suspects. — Bill Simmons
- Sharon Stone’s angry blackjack-table scenes are judged at an apex. — Bill Simmons
- Movie oral-sex references are denied an apex. — Bill Simmons
- Emergency golf-course airplane landings are judged below other examples.
- Lester is proposed as an apex scumbag ex-boyfriend. — Bill Simmons
- Star 80 is invoked as an alternate scumbag story. — Bill Simmons
- Skimming from a casino is assessed. — Bill Simmons
- Meetings conducted in code language are praised. — Bill Simmons
1:48:38
Picking Nits
Lester, security deposits, girlfriends, commission relatives, shootings, deposits, jewelry, and trust in Ginger produ...
Lester, security deposits, girlfriends, commission relatives, shootings, deposits, jewelry, and trust in Ginger produce distinct nitpicks.
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:48:38Read transcript
- Ace not killing Lester is questioned.
- Giving Ginger sole access to a two-million-dollar security deposit is questioned.
- Ace’s lack of another girlfriend before Ginger is questioned.
- Nicky not killing the county commissioner’s relative is debated. — Bill Simmons
- The physical staging of public shootings is questioned. — Bill Simmons
- Ginger withdrawing the deposit while police watch is questioned. — Bill Simmons
- The film’s jewelry includes pieces from the wrong decades. — Bill Simmons
- Ace trusting Ginger with everything is identified as the story’s core practical problem.
1:52:40
Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake
A prestige casino series; a Fredo-in-Vegas interquel
A prestige casino series; a Fredo-in-Vegas interquel
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:52:40Read transcript
- A large-budget prestige series about the casino operation sounds compelling. — Chris Ryan
- Kansas City or Chicago Mafia operations are suggested as alternate series subjects. — Chris Ryan
- A Fredo-in-Vegas story between the first two Godfather films is proposed.
1:53:53
Probably Unanswerable Questions
The pen victim, car bomb, and Frank Vincent’s alignment
The pen victim, car bomb, and Frank Vincent’s alignment
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:53:53Read transcript
- Did the man stabbed repeatedly with the pen die? — Bill Simmons
- Who planted the bomb in Ace’s car? — Sean Fennessey
- Why does Frank Vincent’s character turn on Nicky?
1:55:29
What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?
The house, robe, dice machine, brooch, ledger, jacket, vice, pen, and sports book
The house, robe, dice machine, brooch, ledger, jacket, vice, pen, and sports book
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:55:29Read transcript
- Ace’s house is proposed. — Sean Fennessey
- Ace’s John Barrymore robe is proposed. — Sean Fennessey
- The weighted-dice testing machine is proposed. — Sean Fennessey
- Ginger’s first diamond brooch is proposed.
- The Kansas City expense ledger is proposed. — Bill Simmons
- Joe Bob Briggs’s jacket is proposed. — Bill Simmons
- The head vice is proposed. — Bill Simmons
- The stabbing pen is proposed. — Bill Simmons
- Part of the Tangiers sports book is proposed. — Bill Simmons
1:56:38
Who Won the Movie?
Sharon Stone
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:56:38Read transcript
- Both responding hosts select Sharon Stone.
- Martin Scorsese is the principal alternative for the movie’s scale and control.
- Stone is praised for holding her own against De Niro and Pesci and for the scarcity of comparable later roles. — Bill Simmons
Mentions across The Rewatchables
Recorded movie reference
Cop Land
The Rewatchables · aired June 2, 2022
Ten De Niro pantheon performances
Transcript time unavailableRead transcript
Source 1