Founder and Managing Director, The Ringer
Bill Simmons
Founder of The Ringer and a regular voice on The Rewatchables. Appears in all ten episodes selected for this pilot.
Also referred to as Bill, Simmons
Stats
- Episodes credited in this archive
- 437
- Movies in this archive
- 419
- Attributed podcast choices
- 99
Across the table
Appearing on these Rewatchables episodes
Mentioned in discussions
The most 1995 thing
BMW Z3; post-Soviet Russia; internet cafés; computers; workplace flirtation; theme-song team
In the discussion (3)
- Most-1995 choices include post-Soviet Russia, internet cafés, computers, workplace flirtation and the theme-song team; BMW Z3 is the leading choice.
- The Z3 marketing debut prompts Bill’s dislike of the design and a joking car-podcast/personal driving digression. — Bill Simmons
- The driving anecdote concludes and the Z3 period answer is reaffirmed.
Scorsese or Spielberg?
Split: Scorsese; Spielberg (Bill favors Scorsese)
In the discussion (4)
- The panel runs Scorsese or Spielberg as a named category. — Bill Simmons
- A Spielberg version is argued for through procedural clarity. — Bill Simmons
- A Scorsese version is argued for through obsession and moral decay. — Sean Fennessey
- No unanimous choice is reached. — Bill Simmons
Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake
All-Black cast, tentatively; prestige television with flashbacks.
In the discussion (3)
- An all-Black cast version is proposed and receives tentative interest as a Tubi movie. — Chris Ryan
- A prestige television version is proposed, with the amount of flashback and supernatural material left as key choices. — Mallory Rubin
- Fergie the Florist, Wayne, Buffalo Bill, Byron Mayo, Dan Orlovsky, and William Brimley are proposed in a joking cast. — Mallory Rubin
Just One Oscar
Bill Conti
In the discussion (2)
- Bill Conti receives the single Oscar. — Bill Simmons
- Apollo’s wife is offered as an alternative. — Bill Simmons
Is This Movie Better With…?
Mad Dog Russo; Buffalo Bill
In the discussion (1)
- Mad Dog Russo’s football rant and Buffalo Bill are suggested additions; Walter already resembles Byron Mayo. — Bill Simmons
Probably Unanswerable Questions
The NSA’s eventual surveillance powers, San Francisco status, hypothetical rewards, and Redford’s hair.
In the discussion (7)
- The panel questions the heroes’ victory in light of later real-world NSA surveillance. — Bill Simmons
- Sneakers is called a top-tier San Francisco movie, with a wish for still more recognizable city footage. — Bill Simmons
- Geographic discontinuities in other movie chases lead to questions about Giants-ballpark appearances on film. — Bill Simmons
- Liz declining a reward prompts hypothetical requests, including stopping Jordan’s baseball retirement. — Kyle Brandt
- Access to private screenings of new films is proposed as a reward. — Bill Simmons
- Bill speculates about whether Redford wore a wig; others suggest hair dye, and no conclusion is established. — Bill Simmons
- The speculation becomes a joking proposal for a podcast about actors’ hair, wigs, and cosmetic changes.
Is This Movie Better With…?
Bill Simmons podcasting about Luke’s growth
In the discussion (1)
- A mock Sunday-night podcast celebrates nineteen-year-old Luke’s untapped levels after his mentor falls. — Chris Ryan
Picking Nits
The new car creates ending inconsistencies.
In the discussion (4)
- The hacking possibility is weighed against the script’s pre-Internet origins.
- Bill is considered a bland character name, with more local-sounding alternatives proposed. — Ryen Russillo
- Why do friends collect Will for work after giving him a car, and why not notice that car is missing? — Sean Fennessey
- Taking a paycheck and flying to meet Skylar seems more practical than the drive; other criminal/gambling paths are jokingly imagined.
Picking Nits
Coincidences; police behavior; public racism; trafficking expertise
In the discussion (6)
- Picking Nits all-of-them joke/Bill top10intro but no formal ten-item ranked list: Bullock shouting racist locksmith claims within earshot, implausible recurring encounters across giant LA—Dillon/Newton, Phillippe/Howard then Cheadle brother.
- Interconnected vignette films rarely work, Magnolia and Playing by Heart defended; latter cast/architecture monologue appreciation.
- Nit Dillon might let assault witness die to avoid lawsuit/job loss; darker cigarette-drop murder imagined as better movie.
- Nit carjacking aftermath cops fail search car for slouching Ludacris; discussion distinguishes neutralizing advancing Howard first versus searching once controlled, no full agreement on procedural timing.
- Nit Cheadle collision where brother killed coincidence, rebuttal he may have been responding to scene.
- Nit van keys left12hours untouched, chop-shop operator instant expertise selling trafficked people despite earlier blood-spatter caution; joking chop shops most evil.
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Sex; romantic grand gestures; Jesse’s writing; literary interpretation
In the discussion (6)
- Whether the couple had sex is raised, with the later film said to supply an answer. — Chris Ryan
- The hosts wonder how many first dates copied Jesse's grand romantic gestures. — Chris Ryan
- Bill says he made similarly grand gestures when he was younger. — Bill Simmons
- Jesse becoming a novelist makes it puzzling that he never shows Celine any writing during the night. — Bill Simmons
- Jesse's distrust of the poet is connected to his difficulty surrendering his own vulnerability.
- The discussion turns into a question about a participant’s attraction to literary, metaphor-seeking characters despite his resistance to being one. — Sean Fennessey
The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film
Closing song — tentative
In the discussion (5)
- No actor is identified as a weak link, and two participants say they have none. — Bill Simmons
- Bill considers whether the closing song could have made the film feel more specifically 1995. — Bill Simmons
- The Jayhawks' “Blue” and Green Day's “Good Riddance” are rejected alternatives. — Bill Simmons
- The Innocence Mission's “Bright as Yellow” is Bill's proposed replacement. — Bill Simmons
- Bill concedes that the original song helps keep the movie timeless and that his answer is forced. — Bill Simmons
Jesse in Before Sunrise Award for the Character Who Should Have Smoked but Didn’t
Jesse; probably Céline too
The panel proposes a new category here.
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (5)
- Chris explicitly selects the category as his flex after Bill invites him to restore a cut category. — Chris Ryan
- Chris remembers Jesse as a smoker and argues that Hawke's real-life smoking makes the omission puzzling. — Chris Ryan
- The 1995 European setting and the smoking poet make the absence of cigarettes especially conspicuous.
- The lack of smoking now makes the movie feel unexpectedly modern.
- Julie Delpy is also proposed as someone who would plausibly smoke. — Bill Simmons
Flex picks
Did This Movie Need a Random Sports Scene?
Nick's Saturday-morning basketball game with an exploding ball
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (2)
- Nick's Saturday-morning basketball game with legal colleagues, where the ball explodes on a layup after Nick passes it. — Bill Simmons
- Tennis and softball are considered, but basketball is best; Nick insisting on his hoops game amid the bombings fits the character. — Bill Simmons
Jesse Eisenberg “That’s good. You should be proud of that right there. Don’t worry if you don’t make it any further” Award for Best Line Reading
A bomb that does not explode is a cheap gold watch
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (2)
- A second flex picker chooses Hopper’s gold-watch line — Sean Fennessey
- The picker links it to Chris’s earlier quote choice but their own identity is not explicit in this text — Sean Fennessey
Mila Kunis Forgetting Sarah Marshall Award: Is This the Hottest This Person Has Ever Been in a Movie?
Rob Lowe: later West Wing or Parks and Recreation era; Demi Moore: Indecent Proposal leads a divided field.
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (4)
- For Rob Lowe, this movie is rejected because of the 1980s hair; older appearances in The West Wing or Parks and Recreation are preferred. — Bill Simmons
- For Demi Moore, G.I. Jane, The Substance, and Indecent Proposal are proposed. — Mallory Rubin
- Indecent Proposal receives the strongest support. — Bill Simmons
- Disclosure is added as another Demi Moore candidate. — Bill Simmons
The Bam Out of Bayo 83 Point
The restaurant scene’s convincing romantic chemistry is the83-point surprise.
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (2)
- The flex selection praises the dinner scene’s real romantic chemistry and imagines Reitman being delighted by unexpectedly strong acting. — Kyle Brandt
- The selection receives agreement and a proud reaction. — Kyle Brandt
The Amanda Dobbins Award for Best Piece of Real Estate
Lynn’s Hancock Park house
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (3)
- Lynn’s Hancock Park house is favored; a personal open-house visit and later reported $7.5 million sale are discussed.
- A flex selector chooses Patchett’s house, identified as the Lovell house by Neutra; another participant wanted a larger interior. — Bill Simmons
- Bob’s Market in Echo Park is additionally mentioned as a recognizable Fast and Furious location.
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (1)
- Gosling is explicitly selected for the brought-my-own-pack award. — Bill Simmons
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
The clean-air-protest question is the flex quote choice.
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (1)
- The clean air protest question about which one drew the cock and balls is chosen as best quote, with jokes about saying it in the Ringer bullpen. — Chris Ryan
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
“I’m getting too old for this”
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (1)
- An explicit flex selects the line “I’m getting too old for this,” noting that it predates Lethal Weapon. — Bill Simmons
Most Memorable Death by a Security Guard or Other Bystander
The state trooper
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (2)
- The state trooper is the bystander-award choice, with the parking attendant and two witnesses also considered. No needle drop is offered. — Chris Ryan
- Stormare is reaffirmed for smoking. The trooper is credited for noticing the tags and bribe.
I Used to Fuck Guys Like You in Prison Award for Craziest Quote
“Time to meet God”; “Just lay back and let it happen, baby”
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (1)
- An additional craziest-quote flex selects Time to meet God, with Just lay back and let it happen, baby as another candidate. A pre-recording joke about the first line is recalled.
The Rick Dalton Award for the Greatest Fucking Acting I’ve Ever Seen
Robert Downey Jr.’s houseboat performance
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (3)
- Downey’s delivery of “somebody should write a book” is singled out.
- His physical acting on the houseboat is praised.
- The scene’s exposed, disheveled presentation strengthens the performance.
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
“Just after my dad died, this friend of my mom’s, I think she wanted to cheer me up. And she did.”
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (2)
- A flex quote nomination singles out the exchange about the mother’s friend cheering Rick up after his father died, followed immediately by a change of subject. — Bill Simmons
- The best-quote flex is recalled as the exchange about sex with the mother’s friend. — Bill Simmons