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The Rewatchables ·

Die Hard with a Vengeance

year 1995decade 90sdirector John McTiernangenre Action
host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanhost Van Lathan theme New York Month
All 36 categories

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award · 1:26:00

Favorite Die Hard, with best-film dissent

Calling this the best Die Hard is proposed, aided by not imperiling Holly, then challenged because the original is groundbreaking with a stronger ending.

Van Lathan: This is accepted as a personal favorite or the most entertaining installment without necessarily being the best.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson · 1:58:12

Cooperate across racial differences

Cooperation can overcome racism and the European villains; never underestimate divorced alcoholics is another joking lesson.

The film

Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

Directed by John McTiernan · Action

128 minutes

IMDb Letterboxd Find on JustWatch Rotten Tomatoes
Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

6:54

Picking Nits

Geography; riddles; surviving injuries; gold logistics; Simon’s monitoring and aspirin clue

Geography; riddles; surviving injuries; gold logistics; Simon’s monitoring and aspirin clue

In the discussion (17)
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:54Read transcript
  • Holly’s refusal to move back from Los Angeles is questioned after McClane’s ordeals.
  • Getting to Yankee Stadium so quickly strains New York geography. — Bill Simmons
  • From the Yankee Stadium diversion onward, the ending feels improvised even though it remains enjoyable. — Bill Simmons
  • The crowded stoop and open repair shop seem implausibly active before school starts; the store is corrected from a pawnshop to an electronics repair business.
  • Escaping ten attackers after being struck with a bottle seems unlikely. — Bill Simmons
  • The subway bomb should cause greater damage and deaths. — Chris Ryan
  • McClane might have recognized the German connection sooner after being told about Simon’s accent. — Bill Simmons
  • The riddles seem too difficult to solve so quickly; whether Simon expects success is raised as a counterpoint. — Bill Simmons
  • Zeus abandoning an unlocked shop and rarely worrying about it is questioned; the objection is corrected because he does mention its likely destruction.
  • Simon’s apparent ability to observe each task and the logistics of his large mercenary crew are questioned.
  • Simon’s claim to be a soldier rather than a monster conflicts with bombing an occupied subway, even if the blast serves the heist.
  • The heroes accumulate blood, gunshot injuries, crashes, falls, flooding and cable fragments yet remain mobile; McClane is jokingly likened to Unbreakable’s protagonist.
  • McClane’s lack of temptation by the enormous stolen fortune, or even a single gold bar, is questioned and compared with Marathon Man’s rejected diamonds. — Van Lathan
  • The uniformly tall German henchmen and Simon’s false American persona should be obvious impostors rather than credible police or city workers.
  • Surviving the flooded tunnel and being shot into the air exactly as Zeus drives past is the decisive implausibility.
  • The anti-lock-brake maneuver is nevertheless admired as a striking stunt. — Chris Ryan
  • Simon’s meticulous plan is undermined by handing over the identifying aspirin bottle; replacing the gang’s gold with scrap should also be discovered.
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14:20

Half-Assed Internet Research

Original scripts; alternate ending; rejected action projects; FBI questions; digitally altered sign

Original scripts; alternate ending; rejected action projects; FBI questions; digitally altered sign

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:20Read transcript
  • The script was reportedly acquired for a fourth Lethal Weapon film before Fox bought it and turned it into this sequel. — Bill Simmons
  • An alternate ending has McClane find Simon in Hungary, play McClane Says and kill him with a rocket launcher; the studio reportedly rejected its vigilante darkness and financed a replacement. — Bill Simmons
  • Willis rejected a cruise-ship sequel script as too close to Under Siege; it was reportedly repurposed as Speed 2. — Bill Simmons
  • Reported Die Hard-style projects include Sandblast in a sandstorm, No Safe Haven on Martha’s Vineyard and Track Down in the Channel Tunnel. — Chris Ryan
  • Suspension was set on the George Washington Bridge, Platform and Rig on oil rigs, and High Roller in Las Vegas. — Chris Ryan
  • Other reported projects included In Contempt in a courthouse, He Who Dares at the British embassy, L4 at a disease-control facility and several hurricane scenarios. — Chris Ryan
  • Jonathan Hensleigh was reportedly questioned by the FBI because the gold-reserve details seemed unusually accurate; he attributed his research to the New York Times. — Bill Simmons
  • Willis’s sign was reportedly blank during filming and its offensive wording added digitally. — Bill Simmons
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14:20

Recasting Couch

Annabella Sciorra; Joe Pantoliano; San Francisco setting

Annabella Sciorra; Joe Pantoliano; San Francisco setting

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:20Read transcript
  • Gibson and Glover could fit the material, though the Willis–Jackson pairing is preferred.
  • Annabella Sciorra could replace Colleen Camp as a colleague and post-divorce lover who dumped McClane for drinking, adding workplace tension and personal stakes. — Bill Simmons
  • Joe Pantoliano could fit as Walter Cobb or elsewhere among the police without weakening the film.
  • San Francisco is an alternative city; Los Angeles traffic would make the timed missions impossible.
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21:29

Casting What-Ifs

Laurence Fishburne; Brandon Lee; uncertain Sean Connery story; McTiernan’s Batman offer

Laurence Fishburne; Brandon Lee; uncertain Sean Connery story; McTiernan’s Batman offer

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:29Read transcript
  • Fishburne reportedly had a verbal agreement for the role, but compensation negotiations stalled and Andrew Vajna chose Jackson after seeing Pulp Fiction at Cannes. — Bill Simmons
  • Fishburne reportedly received $750,000 after suing, and the producers also had to option a script he wrote. — Bill Simmons
  • Simon Says was reportedly intended for Brandon Lee before his death. — Bill Simmons
  • Connery was reportedly first choice for Simon, though the research is not treated as certain; his villain credibility, German accent and physical fit are doubted.
  • McTiernan reportedly declined Batman Forever to make this film. — Bill Simmons
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31:17

Roger Ebert's review
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:17Read transcript
  • Ebert awarded three stars; the review praises a cleverly made, energetic action machine but the final stretch is treated as limiting its success. — Bill Simmons
  • The review itself receives a joking two-star assessment for being less distinctive than usual; this is separate from Ebert’s three-star film rating. — Chris Ryan
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32:30

Most Rewatchable Scene

Phone riddle, Central Park cab chase and subway explosion (consensus)

Phone riddle, Central Park cab chase and subway explosion (consensus)

In the discussion (22)
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:30Read transcript
  • The opening city montage abruptly gives way to the department-store explosion and Simon’s call. — Bill Simmons
  • McClane’s racist sign and meeting Zeus remain startling to first-time viewers; the sequence is nevertheless praised for its comic exchanges. — Bill Simmons
  • The men on the stoop are criticized as a more racist depiction than the sign: shirtless, armed, drinking and tossing a basketball without a hoop. — Van Lathan
  • Zeus recognizes that a police officer being killed in his neighborhood would bring serious consequences, helping explain his intervention. — Van Lathan
  • Simon’s negotiation and McClane getting his badge back introduce the supporting police; his boss’s brutally candid description of his failings is especially funny.
  • Charlie’s small office explosion and the officers’ contempt for the therapist add comic energy to the negotiation scene. — Chris Ryan
  • The phone riddle, Central Park cab ride, subway boarding and train explosion form the main scene choice, about fifteen electrifying minutes. — Chris Ryan
  • Zeus voices the audience’s disbelief at the wild driving while retaining his own perspective and comic anger. — Chris Ryan
  • Diving from the supposed phone-booth bomb is especially funny. — Van Lathan
  • The route arguments, Gray’s Papaya backdrop, ambulance trick and subway access make the chase distinctly New York. — Chris Ryan
  • The practical-looking destruction provokes amazement, and the pursuing officer losing them amid exploding café furniture supplies another visual gag. — Bill Simmons
  • Catching the opening or cab chase on television would pull viewers into the film despite other plans or sports. — Bill Simmons
  • Zeus’s confrontation with the impatient caller and nervous officer as the payphone rings is another highlight. — Bill Simmons
  • The speeding practical train wreck is admired as dangerous filmmaking that would now likely be replaced with CGI. — Chris Ryan
  • The gold-vault break-in, entrance of Simon’s accomplice and enormous drill are praised; the vault is corrected from Fort Knox. — Bill Simmons
  • The elevator ambush is compared with The Winter Soldier; fast editing disguises how McClane fires through his coat at the men behind him. — Van Lathan
  • McClane’s elevator survival is implausibly difficult, but the not-my-blood line and clues exposing the impostors are admired.
  • More New York sports questions could have extended the impostor-detection scene. — Bill Simmons
  • A child’s observation that the absent police make it Christmas for thieves gives McClane a satisfying realization. — Bill Simmons
  • Simon effortlessly taking Zeus’s gun and shooting his leg establishes a cool, fearless villain against an inexperienced opponent. — Bill Simmons
  • The ending is ridiculous, but the greeting to Simon’s brother is enjoyed. — Bill Simmons
  • The cab ride downtown is the explicit final choice of both invited respondents, agreeing with the earlier phone-game-through-train-explosion sequence. — Bill Simmons
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32:48

The Slow Ride / Kid Cudi – Pursuit of Happiness Award for Best Needle Drop

Summer in the City

Summer in the City

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:48Read transcript
  • The opening Summer in the City needle drop wins for its deceptive sunny introduction before the explosion. — Bill Simmons
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56:02

The most 1995 thing

Payphones; taxis; Rodney King; pre-cleanup New York; Twin Towers; Bonwit Teller

Payphones; taxis; Rodney King; pre-cleanup New York; Twin Towers; Bonwit Teller

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:02Read transcript
  • Payphones, crucial taxi rides, Rodney King references and only forty-two presidents date the film.
  • The less corporate, pre-cleanup New York atmosphere contrasts with today’s city of branded events, electric bikes and conspicuous cannabis smoke. — Van Lathan
  • Trump and Hillary Clinton references, Willis and Jackson still having hair, the Twin Towers and Bonwit Teller are period markers. — Bill Simmons
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58:41

Is There a Better Title for This Movie?

Die Hard 3: Simon Says; Die Hard 3; Die Hard in New York

Die Hard 3: Simon Says; Die Hard 3; Die Hard in New York

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:41Read transcript
  • Die Hard in New York, Die Hard 3: Simon Says and simply Die Hard 3 are preferred possibilities; The Other Gruber or Second Gruber are joking alternatives.
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1:01:31

What’s Aged the Best?

Racial partnership; hangover; New York; Gruber reveal; deadlines; Zeus’s brains; Katia’s entrance

Racial partnership; hangover; New York; Gruber reveal; deadlines; Zeus’s brains; Katia’s entrance

In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:31Read transcript
  • The black-white partnership directly confronts racial suspicion and unequal power while requiring cooperation against the European villains. — Van Lathan
  • McClane’s desperate need for aspirin makes this a great hangover movie. — Bill Simmons
  • Location filming and the police-station line urging a reluctant officer to take a call remain pleasures. — Bill Simmons
  • The revenge-minded brother works better than a similar Another 48 Hrs. device; hiding Simon until around minute fifty increases the impact of his appearance.
  • Simon’s impersonation and visibly wounded response to McClane insulting Hans add enjoyment and depth. — Van Lathan
  • Targo’s elaborate background as a Hungarian explosives expert working for Iran is relished. — Bill Simmons
  • The Gruber-name reveal and flashback to Hans falling are enjoyed. — Chris Ryan
  • A passenger unknowingly entering an action-scene cab and commandeering a civilian Mercedes are reliable comic pleasures. — Bill Simmons
  • The battered, hungover everyman who can still rise to the occasion defines Willis’s distinctive action persona.
  • Repeated deadlines, sometimes running in real time, and loss of radio communication sustain urgency. — Chris Ryan
  • The dummy mission, school-bomb search and heist create a multifront narrative anticipating later action movies. — Van Lathan
  • This performance may exaggerate the familiar Jackson persona, but Pulp Fiction is agreed to be its main source for impersonations. — Bill Simmons
  • Zeus solving St. Ives establishes him as the puzzle-solving brains; the initial attribution to McClane is corrected. — Bill Simmons
  • An action villain using Simon Says is an appealing device.
  • Katia’s sunglasses, slicked-back hair, cigarette and bloody knife attack make an exceptional entrance, compared favorably with Edie Falco in Cop Land. — Chris Ryan
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1:11:55

Mallory Rubin Award: Did This Movie Need a Better Sex Scene?

Yes—more Simon and Katia

Yes—more Simon and Katia

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:55Read transcript
  • A more developed Simon–Katia sex scene is desired; the existing scene was reportedly added because the film would receive an R rating anyway.
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1:13:06

The Big Kahuna Burger Award for Best Use of Food and Drink

Aspirin

Aspirin

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:06Read transcript
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1:13:06

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Department-store explosion; sunrise; cable bisecting a man

Department-store explosion; sunrise; cable bisecting a man

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:06Read transcript
  • The department-store explosion is one cinematic-shot choice. — Bill Simmons
  • The opening sunrise shots make New York’s heat palpable and are another choice. — Chris Ryan
  • The cable bisecting a man is the third choice, with the dragging of separated body parts admired for its graphic excess. — Bill Simmons
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1:13:49

Chest Rockwell / Brock Landers Award for Best Character Name

Zeus Carver

Zeus Carver

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:49Read transcript
  • Zeus Carver is the agreed character-name choice. — Bill Simmons
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1:14:00

When I Would Have Died

Water-jug puzzle; St. Ives riddle

Water-jug puzzle; St. Ives riddle

Flex pick · Chris Ryan

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:00Read transcript
  • The water-jug puzzle would be fatal to the flex picker; another response finds that manageable but doubts remembering St. Ives after one fast recital. — Chris Ryan
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1:14:25

Ratso Rizzo I’m Walking Here Award for Most New York Quote

“They don’t allow dump trucks on the FDR”

“They don’t allow dump trucks on the FDR”

Flex pick · Chris Ryan

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:25Read transcript
  • A new Ratso Rizzo I’m Walking Here award for most New York quote is proposed as a second flex. — Chris Ryan
  • Candidates include Zeus rejecting Jesus, the cab passenger’s medallion threat, and Zeus’s refusal to handle a white man’s problems above 110th Street. — Chris Ryan
  • The exchange ending with dump trucks being prohibited on the FDR is the favorite. — Chris Ryan
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1:15:39

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Finale; Zeus staying involved; repeated Holly references

Finale; Zeus staying involved; repeated Holly references

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:39Read transcript
  • The early action is so strong that the finale cannot top it, likened to Apocalypse Now’s helicopter sequence overwhelming later scenes. — Chris Ryan
  • Zeus has no credible reason to remain involved once Simon no longer needs him, particularly after being shot; ordinary civilians becoming commandos is compared with Under Siege and 48 Hrs.
  • Repeated pressure to call Holly distracts from the mission and an apparently finished marriage.
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1:19:10

What’s Aged the Worst?

Headaches; bombing context; killing suspects; truck and gold logistics; ending

Headaches; bombing context; killing suspects; truck and gold logistics; ending

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:19:10Read transcript
  • The repeated headache references become stale. — Chris Ryan
  • New York financial-district explosions are now sensitive imagery; release near the Oklahoma City bombing reportedly required careful publicity. — Chris Ryan
  • McClane kills suspected enemies without normal arrest procedure, though the combat circumstances offer a partial defense. — Van Lathan
  • Police accepting a line of dump trucks at the damaged vault strains plausibility. — Van Lathan
  • The film’s trusting, heroic picture of municipal workers searching dangerous schools contrasts with diminished contemporary regard for public services. — Chris Ryan
  • The stolen gold is far too heavy for the available trucks; the discussion cites 480 trucks and twenty-five-pound bars while questioning the film’s value figures.
  • The theatrical ending is judged poor and its aspirin-bottle location clue implausible. — Bill Simmons
  • Zeus joining the Quebec pursuit despite his injured leg is absurd; arresting Simon or sending a tactical team would be more sensible. — Bill Simmons
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1:24:30

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Samuel L. Jackson; Jeremy Irons

Samuel L. Jackson; Jeremy Irons

Flex pick · Bill Simmons

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:30Read transcript
  • Jackson and Irons each dial up their performances at times. — Bill Simmons
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1:24:47

Did This Movie Need a Random Sports Scene?

Yes—a Yankees game

Yes—a Yankees game

Flex pick · Van Lathan

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:47Read transcript
  • The flex proposes an actual Yankees game during the stadium scene. The baseball strike may explain access, but the film could mention it; the Mets’ stadium is another option.
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1:26:00

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Favorite Die Hard, with best-film dissent; Simon Says deserved its own franchise

Favorite Die Hard, with best-film dissent; Simon Says deserved its own franchise

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:00Read transcript
  • Calling this the best Die Hard is proposed, aided by not imperiling Holly, then challenged because the original is groundbreaking with a stronger ending.
  • This is accepted as a personal favorite or the most entertaining installment without necessarily being the best. — Van Lathan
  • Using Simon Says here squandered a possible standalone action or horror franchise; Saw is offered as a comparable concept. — Bill Simmons
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1:30:56

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Larry Bryggman; Kevin Chamberlin; Anthony Peck; John Doman; Elvis Duran; Phyllis Yvonne Stickney

Larry Bryggman; Kevin Chamberlin; Anthony Peck; John Doman; Elvis Duran; Phyllis Yvonne Stickney

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:56Read transcript
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1:33:19

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Sam Phillips; Joe Zaloom

Sam Phillips; Joe Zaloom

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:33:19Read transcript
  • Sam Phillips is the immediate heat-check choice; Jerry the truck driver, played by Joe Zaloom, is the other candidate for briefly solving the presidential riddle.
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1:40:07

Apex Mountain

Bruce Willis; Colleen Camp; Sam Phillips; summer action setting; Wall Street school system; gold reserves; Bonwit Tel...

Bruce Willis; Colleen Camp; Sam Phillips; summer action setting; Wall Street school system; gold reserves; Bonwit Teller; Die Hard sequels; McClane’s sidekicks

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:07Read transcript
  • Willis receives support for this comeback period: Pulp Fiction and this hit lead into a run of major films and first-call status. — Bill Simmons
  • Willis and Demi Moore’s combined stardom adds to the case; Moore’s reported Striptease salary is corrected from twenty to twelve million.
  • Jackson’s peak is unresolved among the Pulp Fiction era, Jackie Brown, later-1990s permanence and Star Wars. — Bill Simmons
  • Irons’s Oscar win or Margin Call are alternatives; Harlem is rejected as only a brief setting here, with Harlem Knights, The Cotton Club and Hoodlum discussed. — Van Lathan
  • Summer as an integral action-movie setting receives qualified support, as do the Wall Street school system, gold reserves and Bonwit Teller.
  • Colleen Camp and Sam Phillips receive affirmative support. — Bill Simmons
  • Die Hard sequels and McClane’s sidekicks receive clear affirmative answers, with Zeus preferred over the other companions. — Van Lathan
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1:44:11

Cruise or Hanks?

Cruise as McClane or Simon; Cruise–Hanks pairing proposed

Cruise as McClane or Simon; Cruise–Hanks pairing proposed

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:44:11Read transcript
  • Cruise is the easy choice as McClane; a blond Cruise as Simon with a German accent is another enthusiastic possibility.
  • A Cruise–Hanks pairing with Cruise as Zeus prompts a joke about a white Harlem electronics-shop owner and gentrification.
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1:45:26

Scorsese or Spielberg?

Scorsese

Scorsese

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:45:26Read transcript
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1:45:26

What role would Philip Seymour Hoffman play?

Simon; lead officer; Graham Greene’s role

Simon; lead officer; Graham Greene’s role

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:45:26Read transcript
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1:47:28

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Simon’s monitoring and task count; next-day news coverage

Simon’s monitoring and task count; next-day news coverage

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:47:28Read transcript
  • How many tasks Simon expected McClane to solve, and how he monitored them, remain open questions.
  • The next day’s newspaper lead could be the subway crash, multiple attacks, school threat, flood or McClane; New York under attack is a possible umbrella headline.
  • A multi-day version would allow ongoing newspaper headlines; filming amid New York’s 1994 sports excitement is recalled. — Bill Simmons
  • Mike and the Mad Dog are imagined delaying discussion of the attacks until after Knicks–Pacers and returning to Rangers coverage; the impression is fictional. — Bill Simmons
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1:52:33

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Existing sequels discussed; no new proposal settled

Existing sequels discussed; no new proposal settled

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:52:33Read transcript
  • Later sequels already exist; Live Free or Die Hard divides opinion, with Olyphant and hacking defended but other responses disappointed or only willing to watch on a flight. — Bill Simmons
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1:53:12

Is This Movie Better With…?

Doris Burke

Doris Burke

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:53:12Read transcript
  • Doris Burke narrating Simon’s schemes and McClane playing through headaches is the choice, with a German farewell riff.
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1:54:00

Just One Oscar

John McTiernan for directing

John McTiernan for directing

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:54:00Read transcript
  • McTiernan’s direction is the choice; Irons is considered but rejected as not doing enough, against a strong Oscar year. — Bill Simmons
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1:57:11

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Katia’s knife; prop gold brick; replacement shirt; sandwich board rejected

Katia’s knife; prop gold brick; replacement shirt; sandwich board rejected

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:57:11Read transcript
  • Katia’s knife and a movie-used gold brick are desired, with recognition that the prop brick would be fake.
  • McClane’s packaged replacement shirt is another desired item. — Chris Ryan
  • The racist sandwich board is rejected, including a blank version; imagined reactions are jokes. — Bill Simmons
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1:58:12

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

Cooperate across racial differences; never underestimate divorced alcoholics

Cooperate across racial differences; never underestimate divorced alcoholics

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:58:12Read transcript
  • Cooperation can overcome racism and the European villains; never underestimate divorced alcoholics is another joking lesson.
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1:59:34

Best Double Feature

Die Hard; Under Siege; The Siege; Pulp Fiction
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Die Hard
Under Siege
The Siege
Pulp Fiction
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:59:34Read transcript
  • Die Hard followed directly by this film is a pairing, skipping the more self-contained second installment. — Bill Simmons
  • Under Siege is another pairing; The Siege is separately proposed for New York and Willis, with its merits debated.
  • Pulp Fiction is the final additional pairing. — Chris Ryan
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2:00:28

Who Won the Movie?

Samuel L. Jackson (two choices); Bruce Willis (one choice)

Samuel L. Jackson (two choices); Bruce Willis (one choice)

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 02:00:28Read transcript
  • Jackson receives two explicit winner choices for refreshing the franchise and bringing out Willis’s willingness to share the screen. — Chris Ryan
  • Willis receives a competing choice because John McClane is hard to beat; the Jackson case emphasizes proving Pulp Fiction was no fluke and carrying a major hit. — Bill Simmons
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Samuel L. Jackson
Speaker not identified
Samuel L. Jackson
Speaker not identified
Bruce Willis
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2:10:06

Producer review

Jack Sanders prefers this to the original; Jackson elevates Willis

Jack Sanders prefers this to the original; Jackson elevates Willis

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 02:10:06Read transcript
  • The invited Jack Sanders response compares Willis gaining Jackson to LeBron gaining Kevin Love, chooses this over the original Die Hard and credits Jackson with immediately elevating it. — Jack Sanders
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More from the conversation

McClane’s divorced, alcoholic and unemployed condition is celebrated as an action-movie setup; imagined real-life misconduct is comic invention.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:13Read transcript
After saving a building and airport, McClane should plausibly have public fame, media work and speaking fees; the sequel instead requires a troubled outsider.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:36Read transcript
A third film about producing a movie of McClane’s earlier exploits is proposed as an alternative premise.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:54Read transcript
Modern notoriety could bring scrutiny of old offensive posts or photographs; those examples are invented jokes about the character.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:28Read transcript
McClane may function best during emergencies; his tactical ingenuity coexists with fear, hangover and reluctance to touch the bomb.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:17Read transcript
The first seventy-five to eighty minutes are considered exceptional rewatchable action filmmaking, while the final half hour disappointed even on first viewing.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:46Read transcript
An explosion within ninety seconds and persistent imminent danger establish pace without laborious exposition.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:39Read transcript
The film exceeded diminished expectations for aging action stars, arriving near the end of their early-1990s run.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:02Read transcript
Pulp Fiction made the Willis–Jackson pairing especially attractive; humor, pace and natural interactions distinguish this sequel.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:18Read transcript
The release coincided with personal career uncertainty and a dispiriting period for Boston sports, making the pairing appealing escapism.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:58Read transcript
Jackson’s post-Pulp Fiction run balanced established stars, newer leads and franchises, capitalizing on a late breakthrough.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:39Read transcript
Numerous tiny early roles complicate Jackson’s Rewatchables appearance total; Jungle Fever and Fresh are singled out as evidence of his developing prominence.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:40Read transcript
Jackson’s continued franchise work and cultural presence are likened to Snoop Dogg’s longevity.
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:38Read transcript
Making genre films he might enjoy and taking supporting roles is seen as sustaining Jackson’s prolific career without bearing sole responsibility for failures.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:10Read transcript
Zeus is proposed as a top-three-or-four Jackson character. Jules is the number-one preference, Ordell a close competitor, with Fresh and Deep Blue Sea also admired; no complete ordered ranking is settled.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:37Read transcript
Tarantino reportedly wrote Jules for Laurence Fishburne, whose advisers discouraged a supporting part; the decision is criticized as a major career fork.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:31Read transcript
Passing on Pulp Fiction and losing this sequel to Jackson is framed as a pivotal Fishburne/Jackson career reversal, with Morpheus later reviving Fishburne’s momentum.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:14Read transcript
The career fork is compared with the Lakers choosing James Worthy rather than Dominique Wilkins and the hypothetical fame Wilkins could have gained alongside Magic Johnson.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:31Read transcript
Willis’s second major run from Pulp Fiction through The Whole Nine Yards is celebrated.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:27Read transcript
The sequel had to compete with films borrowing Die Hard’s premise, including Speed and Under Siege; an equal partner and citywide movement refresh its formula.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:47Read transcript
New York’s traffic, hospital boundaries, grid, parks and financial district shape the plot and make the characters’ route easy to picture.
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:13Read transcript
McTiernan’s run from Predator through The Thomas Crown Affair is admired, followed by discussion of Rollerball’s failure and reported wiretapping-related imprisonment.
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:43Read transcript
Reported budget and box office lead to praise for 1995’s depth; worldwide success over Toy Story, Apollo 13, GoldenEye and Batman Forever is striking.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:56Read transcript
Under Siege 2 remains enjoyable; Money Train may have been overshadowed by its release year and is remembered for reuniting its leads and Jennifer Lopez’s arrival.
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:26Read transcript
Irons brought Oscar-winning credibility needed for Hans Gruber’s brother while enjoying a physical, sexy villain role and varied accents.
Approx. transcript time · 00:33:31Read transcript
Daniel Day-Lewis is imagined taking the villain role with absurdly intensive preparation; his reputation may discourage such blockbuster work, unlike later-career Olivier or Hopkins.
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:32Read transcript
An unverified rumor about Marvel pursuing Day-Lewis prompts skepticism; his reported return in his son’s film is discussed without confidently identifying the son.
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:00Read transcript
Phantom Thread is praised and proposed as a future Rewatchables episode.
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:42Read transcript
An imagined disheveled, alcoholic podcast cohost is an extended joke rather than a claim about a participant.
Approx. transcript time · 00:42:56Read transcript
The gun-and-badge restoration trope and chaotic paper-and-landline police stations are nostalgic pleasures; 48 Hrs. is singled out as a favorite example.
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:45Read transcript
Walter’s repeated references to Holly prompt joking speculation that he loves her.
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:18Read transcript
Former regional department stores prompt recollections and uncertainty about chain names, mergers and geographic reach.
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:35Read transcript
A revenge plot involving podcast colleagues is explicitly an invented action-movie premise.
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:10Read transcript
Sam Phillips’s music career and marriage to T Bone Burnett surprise viewers who assumed she was an Eastern European performer.
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:24Read transcript
A generational disagreement about gratuitous nudity prompts a proposed strip-club bomb sequence instead of the school threat.
Approx. transcript time · 01:12:19Read transcript
A Lakers valuation tangent turns into a dispute over whether championships remain with a relocated franchise or belong to the city where they were won.
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:26Read transcript
A contemporary political Simon Says scenario is an invented joke, compared with Captain America: Brave New World.
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:00Read transcript
Joel Silver’s absence is tentatively attributed to a falling-out with Willis; a possible Shane Black version is recalled with uncertainty.
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:38Read transcript
Jokes about not knowing The Hunt for Red October mask a long-standing request to cover it on the podcast.
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:55Read transcript
A missed Marathon Man That Guy identification is revisited through the same actor’s gardener role in The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training; enthusiasm for that film sparks sequel jokes.
Approx. transcript time · 01:32:11Read transcript
An imagined Martha’s Vineyard action movie stars Ryen Russillo and Chris Long stranded after a long night; this is invented casting rather than production news.
Approx. transcript time · 01:35:30Read transcript
Catalina is suggested as another isolated action setting.
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:15Read transcript
An explanation of the jug solution fills the five-gallon jug twice from the three-gallon jug, preserves one gallon, then adds three; a sponsored challenge with altered numbers is proposed jokingly.
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:05Read transcript
Gold-bar memorabilia prompts uncertain arithmetic about twenty-five-pound bars and current gold prices; figures are conversational and time-specific.
Approx. transcript time · 01:57:11Read transcript
A packed revival screening demonstrates the film’s continuing appeal.
Approx. transcript time · 02:01:12Read transcript
Florida Keys and New Orleans theme months are weighed through Out of Time, Angel Heart, Heaven’s Prisoners, The Big Easy and Let’s Do It Again.
Approx. transcript time · 02:01:43Read transcript
Tightrope suggests a crossing-the-line theme; Night Moves, Wild Things, Scarface and Bloodline expand the Florida discussion, with Wild Things’ precise setting uncertain.
Approx. transcript time · 02:02:51Read transcript
New Orleans is considered underused as itself despite frequent filming there; The Big Easy seems dated, and Heaven’s Prisoners prompts doubt about Baldwin’s leading-man trajectory.
Approx. transcript time · 02:04:10Read transcript
Angel Heart’s scandal, especially Lisa Bonet’s break from her family-television image, is recalled as extraordinary; the film may have aged better than some contemporaries.
Approx. transcript time · 02:04:52Read transcript
A controversy theme month is proposed; rumors about actual sex in Angel Heart, Monster’s Ball, Don’t Look Now, Last Tango in Paris and The Getaway remain speculative discussion, not verified claims.
Approx. transcript time · 02:06:04Read transcript
Affection for Baldwin’s The Getaway and Heaven’s Prisoners contrasts with their reception; his choices and departure from Jack Ryan are questioned.
Approx. transcript time · 02:06:58Read transcript
Gandolfini’s work in The Mexican, True Romance and 8MM is praised as evidence of a talent waiting for The Sopranos.
Approx. transcript time · 02:07:23Read transcript
A family screening of Swingers worked surprisingly well for younger viewers, especially the painfully repeated phone calls; its pre-internet Los Angeles remains vivid.
Approx. transcript time · 02:08:03Read transcript
Distinct city identities in film and television may have weakened; Insecure is offered as a recent Los Angeles counterexample.
Approx. transcript time · 02:09:07Read transcript