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Just One of the Guys
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
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1989 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey
Aired June 20, 2023
Displaying episodes 169 - 180 of 437 in total
Mentioned in discussions
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Hackman’s greatest role
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:33:05Read transcript
- Popeye Doyle is offered as Hackman’s greatest role, difficult to separate from Little Bill.
- Crimson Tide is a personal favorite Hackman role.
- The Conversation is another candidate. — Chris Ryan
- Hoosiers is proposed but its appeal is reduced by reports Hackman disliked making it. — Bill Simmons
- Behind Enemy Lines is proposed and immediately doubted. — Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:32:05Read transcript
- Wayne Jenkins as Little Bill is enthusiastically imagined. — Chris Ryan
The Vincent Chase Award: Are We Sure This Character Is Actually Good at Their Job?
Skinny; Little Bill debated
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:28Read transcript
- Little Bill is proposed but his governing philosophy is provisionally defended. — Bill Simmons
- Skinny is criticized for poor brothel management and inadequate security, though the no-guns rule partly explains being unarmed. — Bill Simmons
- Employing the one-armed deputy as a doorman is suggested as a security improvement. — Chris Ryan
- Skinny should have collaborated more effectively with Strawberry Alice rather than alienating a useful ally.
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
Killing a man takes away all he has and will have; Deserves got nothing to do with it
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:40Read transcript
- The line about arming himself before decorating the saloon with Munny’s friend is praised. — Sean Fennessey
- I was building a house is a favorite line, paired with the denial that Little Bill deserves death. — Bill Simmons
- Deserves got nothing to do with it is praised as concise Western dialogue.
- The statement about killing a man taking away all he has and will ever have is favored as the most remembered and probably best line. — Sean Fennessey
- Deserves got nothing to do with it is the competing formal quote choice. — Bill Simmons
- Munny’s declaration of killing women, children, and other living things before avenging Ned is another favorite.
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Heat parallel; Little Bill’s rules; alternate perspective; deserved Eastwood Oscar
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:18Read transcript
- The film is compared with Heat through a reluctant criminal drawn back into action and a reckless lawman, with the two men as counterparts. — Bill Simmons
- Little Bill’s no-firearms and no-assassins policy is defended as coherent, then challenged as authoritarian and incapable of preventing human cruelty. — Sean Fennessey
- A Little Bill-centered version would portray Munny as the mysterious intruder destroying a town, with Forgiven proposed as a title. — Chris Ryan
- This is argued to be the film for which Eastwood actually deserved his directing Oscar, unlike some career-compensation wins. — Sean Fennessey
What’s Aged the Best?
Westerns; photography; premise; Big Whiskey; dialogue; sheriffs; Beauchamp; Harris’s accent; score; title; Hackman
In the discussion (16)
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:06Read transcript
- The beautiful landscapes and brothel photography contrast with Munny’s brutality. — Chris Ryan
- The romantic Claudia theme lends unexpected tenderness to the filmmaking. — Chris Ryan
- The opening title and grave-and-tree image establish a classical, romantic storytelling frame. — Sean Fennessey
- Westerns remain appealing and avoid the same sense of datedness as contemporary-set films; the setting is compared with the era before There Will Be Blood. — Bill Simmons
- The lean revenge premise remains effective. — Bill Simmons
- Big Whiskey is praised as a town name. — Bill Simmons
- Young and full of beans is an appealing phrase. — Bill Simmons
- The sheriff’s apparently unchecked authority is enjoyed as a dramatic device, compared with a fantasy commissioner and dominant coaches. — Bill Simmons
- Beauchamp is interpreted as expressing Eastwood’s hostility toward journalists; the pants-wetting is speculatively imagined as Eastwood’s addition. — Bill Simmons
- Harris dropping his cultivated accent for Cockney when leaving exposes English Bob’s pretensions. — Bill Simmons
- The score and Eastwood’s guitar theme are praised, with Lennie Niehaus also credited. — Chris Ryan
- Leaving very young children alone for weeks is jokingly called an appealing bygone freedom while also acknowledged as troubling. — Chris Ryan
- Unforgiven is praised as a superior title and powerful marketing for an Eastwood Western.
- Hackman’s performance has grown in stature, with the Beauchamp conversations giving the movie its heartbeat. — Chris Ryan
- Munny’s farming and Little Bill’s civic order and house-building are interpreted as competing attempts at redemption. — Chris Ryan
- Hackman makes morally compromised men enjoyable without erasing their humanity, compared with No Way Out, The Firm, Crimson Tide, and The Royal Tenenbaums. — Bill Simmons
Most Rewatchable Scene
Final saloon massacre
In the discussion (25)
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:31Read transcript
- Munny and Ned at the fire discussing being farmers rather than bad men is nominated for its worn-out outlaw perspective. — Bill Simmons
- The fire conversation’s recollection of shooting a man through the mouth is singled out. — Bill Simmons
- English Bob meeting Little Bill is nominated as a dismantling of Bob’s bravado and a revelation of the sheriff’s brutality. — Bill Simmons
- Little Bill resolving the mutilation through payment to Skinny rather than the victim establishes the film’s moral ambiguity. — Sean Fennessey
- English Bob’s train argument for monarchy, later mocked by Little Bill, is praised.
- Little Bill explaining how to judge killers to Beauchamp is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The three rules are to remain calm under fire, not prioritize draw speed, and kill the best shooter first. — Bill Simmons
- The climax is read as fulfilling Little Bill’s lesson, except that Munny kills Skinny first.
- Skinny-first is defended because he has the most invested in protecting the saloon. — Bill Simmons
- The competing interpretation is that killing unarmed Skinny announces that Munny will kill without hesitation. — Sean Fennessey
- Munny and Delilah’s conversation is praised for working despite seeming potentially mawkish.
- Killing the first cowboy is nominated as awkward and deliberately unlike a heroic Western shootout. — Bill Simmons
- Ned cannot shoot and the Kid is ineffective, undermining the image of expert gunmen. — Bill Simmons
- The killers negotiating water for their victim adds to the scene’s unsettling awkwardness. — Bill Simmons
- Davey’s prolonged dying and request for water underline the awkward, unheroic killing; the distress is jokingly compared with Will Ferrell in Austin Powers.
- The Kid’s repeated question about whether the man is dead would exhaust a companion’s patience. — Chris Ryan
- The Kid’s outhouse killing is nominated as a well-written scene that could benefit from a stronger actor. — Bill Simmons
- The saloon massacre is called the obvious most-rewatchable scene. — Bill Simmons
- The slow first stretch is defended retrospectively as preparation for an exceptionally strong ending. — Sean Fennessey
- Munny drinking whiskey upon hearing Ned is dead signals his return to violence. — Chris Ryan
- The saloon blocking keeps entrances and everyone’s positions legible, helping explain why the crowd fails to shoot Munny. — Bill Simmons
- Munny’s reputation seems to fill the saloon and transform him into an avenging figure, compared with Curry silencing an arena. — Chris Ryan
- The misfire and awkward pause reveal the other men’s inability to act, leaving Munny and Little Bill as the real killers. — Sean Fennessey
- Eastwood’s stiffness as a reformed farmer contrasts with his fluency when becoming the killer again, making the return both thrilling and sad.
- Munny’s threat while leaving is completely convincing because Eastwood has decades of authority with such dialogue.
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Is Day-Lewis cinema’s greatest facial-hair actor? Why does Daniel hate Standard Oil so intensely?
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:57:02Read transcript
- Mustaches, Bill the Butcher hair, and Lincoln’s chin strap demonstrate Day-Lewis’s range. — Bill Simmons
- The Standard executive’s mild advice about H.W. seems insufficient to explain Daniel’s throat-cutting threat, implying missing backstory. — Sean Fennessey
The Ron Burgundy Flute Award for the Best Time for a Pee Break
Penny and Maverick’s bedroom sequence — on a rewatch
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:52Read transcript
- Bill recommends leaving once Maverick takes Penny home — Bill Simmons
- Chris cautions that the sequence explains important backstory for first-time viewers — Bill Simmons
The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film
The underused supporting pilots; Phoenix divides the room
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:14Read transcript
- Bill wants more from Jay Ellis and Manny Jacinto
- Bob’s characterization and second-seat duties are questioned
- Bill considers Phoenix underdeveloped and imagines a Michelle Rodriguez-like presence
- Chris likes Phoenix and values her relationship with Rooster
- Craig is explicitly invited to break the tie and says she was good
- The discussion distinguishes the performance from the amount of character development
- The lack of a larger comic supporting personality is noted
The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot
The sailing scene, Darkstar flyby and aircraft launch
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:28Read transcript
- Chris offers the final-mission aircraft launch and receding carrier — Bill Simmons
- He also offers the twin vortices during the demonstration run — Bill Simmons
- The Darkstar flyby lifting the roof behind Ed Harris is a shared favorite — Bill Simmons
- Bill chooses the sailing scene with Connelly — Bill Simmons
- The hosts admire the physical realism of the sailing — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:43Read transcript
- The Darkstar opening and diner arrival are nominated — Bill Simmons
- The Hard Deck introduction through Rooster playing piano is praised for economical character work and emotional flashbacks — Bill Simmons
- Maverick defeating the trainees is nominated — Bill Simmons
- The Iceman visit is praised for restraint, typing, frustration, vulnerability and the closing joke — Bill Simmons
- The hosts question how deep the old rivals’ friendship became — Bill Simmons
- Dogfight football prompts detailed doubts about two balls, scoring, defensive pressure and strategy — Bill Simmons
- Maverick demonstrating the impossible training route is nominated — Bill Simmons
- The full final mission through the carrier reunion is a major choice — Bill Simmons
- Penny with the Porsche and the final flight provide an especially satisfying coda — Bill Simmons
- Bill favors the Kilmer scene leading into football — Bill Simmons
- Chris praises the extended finale and the lack of music during part of the mission — Bill Simmons
Displaying discussions 73 - 84 of 143 in total
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)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:06Read transcript
- 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)
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:13Read transcript
- 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)
Approx. transcript time · 01:32:51Read transcript
- 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)
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:34Read transcript
- 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)
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:42Read transcript
- 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)
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:53Read transcript
- 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)
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:25Read transcript
- 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)
Approx. transcript time · 01:35:11Read transcript
- 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)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:32Read transcript
- 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)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:41Read transcript
- 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)
Approx. transcript time · 02:01:21Read transcript
- 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)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:47Read transcript
- 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
Displaying flex picks 1 - 12 of 22 in total