‹ All people
Blood Diamond
Blood Diamond
Blood Diamond
The Verdict
The Verdict
The Verdict
Boogie Nights
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Marathon Man
Heaven Can Wait
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Death Wish
Star Wars: A New Hope
Someone to Watch Over Me
Minority Report
Blue Chips
Editorial Director, The Ringer
Chris Ryan
Chris Ryan is listed by The Ringer as editorial director.
Also referred to as Chris, CR, Christopher Ryan, Sierra
Stats
- Episodes credited in this archive
- 286
- Movies in this archive
- 271
- Attributed podcast choices
- 46
Recently watched on Letterboxd
Across the table
Appearing on these Rewatchables episodes
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey
Aired May 20, 2025
Star Wars: A New Hope
1977 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey · Van Lathan
Aired May 6, 2025
Star Wars: A New Hope
1977 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey · Van Lathan
Aired May 6, 2025
Displaying episodes 37 - 48 of 286 in total
Mentioned in discussions
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:35Read transcript
- Lab-grown diamonds are added as the clearest thing that aged well. — Craig Horlbeck
- The producer had not seen the film and responds positively to its mix of action and difficult subject matter. — Craig Horlbeck
- Modern difficult-topic awards movies are contrasted as smaller and sadder rather than large star vehicles. — Craig Horlbeck
- Kanye West’s Diamonds from Sierra Leone was the producer’s first exposure to conflict diamonds. — Craig Horlbeck
- A modern Zwick might make a documentary because a hundred-million-dollar studio feature is hard to greenlight. — Chris Ryan
- DiCaprio is praised for still using stardom to mount expensive issue-oriented films. — Chris Ryan
- The Siege is used to show how quickly current-affairs films can be overtaken by history. — Chris Ryan
- Global studios’ need for broadly marketable antagonists is cited as another constraint. — Chris Ryan
Picking Nits
Danny’s perfect facial hair, cross-border arrest geography, Solomon risking death at the camp, Maddie’s photo distraction, Benjamin’s death, mountain reception, and constant Guinness drinking
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:02Read transcript
- Danny’s facial hair remains too precisely groomed after many days on the road. — Bill Simmons
- An arrest by Liberian border guards should place Danny in Liberia rather than the Sierra Leone prison where he meets Solomon. — Bill Simmons
- Hiding diamonds inside goat skin is praised as a useful smuggling detail. — Bill Simmons
- Solomon’s public breakdown after seeing Dia through the camp fence seems likely to get him shot. — Bill Simmons
- Maddie stopping armed soldiers by taking their pictures feels like a television-movie device. — Bill Simmons
- Benjamin’s death is treated as an avoidable action detour that could be cut. — Bill Simmons
- The final cell call remains implausibly clear. — Bill Simmons
- Repeated bottled Guinness orders in tropical heat are questioned as possible product placement. — Chris Ryan
Half-Assed Internet Research
DiCaprio family cameos, Dia’s name, Jennifer Connelly’s injury, DiCaprio’s training, and the diamond industry’s objection
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:09Read transcript
- Two women at the airport are reported as Leonardo DiCaprio’s mother and grandmother. — Bill Simmons
- Dia is reported to mean expensive in an adapted Sierra Leone language. — Bill Simmons
- Jennifer Connelly reportedly suffered a serious neck injury during a car chase. — Bill Simmons
- The injury may explain her absence from shots inside the fleeing car, though this remains an inference. — Chris Ryan
- DiCaprio reportedly gained muscle and trained with former Rhodesian soldiers. — Bill Simmons
- The De Beers company is reported as unhappy with the movie. — Bill Simmons
What’s Aged the Best?
The explanatory title cards, David Harewood’s villain, child-soldier depiction, diamond smuggling, Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2006 leap, local language, road-movie structure, goat-skin concealment, and lab-grown diamonds
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:37Read transcript
- The opening Sierra Leone title cards efficiently establish civil war and control of diamond fields. — Chris Ryan
- The observed David Harwood villain is immediately hateful yet gains dimension while radicalizing Dia.
- The child-soldier passages show indoctrination through several short scenes without reducing the process to one speech. — Chris Ryan
- The refugee-camp and Western-culpability material make the story more detailed than a short romance-driven version would be. — Chris Ryan
- A diamond hidden in a tooth works as portable currency that immediately funds the next step. — Bill Simmons
- The old light-blue VW bugs provide memorable period texture. — Bill Simmons
- DiCaprio’s 2006 work completes the transition from promising child actor to adult leading man. — Bill Simmons
- The film’s local language and repeated journey through the landscape strengthen the road-movie feeling. — Chris Ryan
- The road structure makes Danny, Maddie, and Solomon’s relationships change through shared travel. — Chris Ryan
- Diamonds concealed inside goat skin are praised as another effective smuggling detail. — Bill Simmons
- Lab-grown diamonds are added as the clearest missed Aged Best answer. — Craig Horlbeck
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Delayed lawsuit; Mickey’s generosity; award amount; sobriety; Laura; disbarment; higher settlement
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:51Read transcript
- Whether Galvin would accept a 510,000 settlement is explicitly unanswerable.
- Unanswerable: why the suit took four years; family relocation needs and Galvin's long inaction are possible explanations.
- Mickey's business and motives for giving Galvin a 70,000 opportunity and extensive unpaid help are questioned; an older-generation friendship/fence-building anecdote offers context. — Sean Fennessey
- Unpaid substantial favors are contrasted with the hosts' lesser willingness to help each other,defending Mickey as an older-generation friend. — Sean Fennessey
- The award is guessed at one million,then several million,including four or five million. — Sean Fennessey
- A further estimate is three to four million,with one million for Frank. — Bill Simmons
- Whether Galvin stays sober is disputed: coffee suggests reform,but others expect continued drinking and note he never fully stops; refusing brandy at the archdiocese is admired.
- Laura is proposed as an ultimate Chris Ryan attraction,contrasting her darkness with Dana Wheeler-Nicholson's upbeat appeal.
- Whether every lawyer and the judge should be disbarred receives a joking probable yes. — Bill Simmons
- The doctor's paid disappearance renews questions about why the defense did not simply raise the settlement or locate the nurse.
What’s Aged the Best?
Afraid-to-try lawyer; camera work; opening; judge; phone bill; Rampling; dialogue; Church villain; Warden
In the discussion (18)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:28Read transcript
- Cheap, unsuccessful lawyers afraid to enter court are praised as an effective dramatic type. — Bill Simmons
- The wide stationary camera angles are praised. — Bill Simmons
- The opening establishes a broken-down drunk while preserving sympathy. — Bill Simmons
- O’Shea’s judge is a memorably hateful villain. — Sean Fennessey
- The extreme unfairness strains credibility for one viewer,while others accept the depiction. — Sean Fennessey
- Refusing a nighttime extension is a powerful scene.
- Ebert's observation that Newman's newly tired appearance reveals his acting and foreshadows older roles is placed in aged best. — Bill Simmons
- Galvin finding a witness through a stolen phone bill is admired as clever and plausible despite being a stretch. — Bill Simmons
- Concannon's uniformly white legal team and excitement at the opposing expert being Black expose their prejudice. — Bill Simmons
- Rampling's performance improves on rewatch once her motives are known. — Bill Simmons
- Laura's alluring but damaged presence in Galvin's ordinary bar seems implausibly fortunate until her motives are revealed; Chris expresses particular admiration. — Chris Ryan
- Rampling surveying the apartment,keeping her eyes open during a kiss and acknowledging the ex-wife photograph rewards rewatching. — Chris Ryan
- Laura’s encouragement manipulates Galvin’s masculinity. — Sean Fennessey
- Mamet's repeated accusations that people do not care whom they hurt and cigarette requests are admired. — Bill Simmons
- The Catholic Church as villain is considered prescient. — Sean Fennessey
- Warden's age-weary dialogue is almost a parody of his persona but remains enjoyable. — Bill Simmons
- Lumet and Bartkowiak reportedly studied Caravaggio paintings for visual references and color. — Bill Simmons
- Galvin’s frustration at discovering the broken elevator after using eye drops is admired. — Sean Fennessey
Most Rewatchable Scene
Judge confrontation; Kaitlin’s testimony; opening
In the discussion (26)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:44Read transcript
- The opening pinball,drinking and smoking credits are admired as an economical introduction. — Bill Simmons
- The credit graphics are criticized. — Bill Simmons
- The opening beer is guessed as Schlitz,Harp or Bud without resolution. — Bill Simmons
- The opening funeral crashing,newspaper obituary circles and shaky shot-glass hand establish Galvin without exposition or invented trauma flashbacks.
- Mason's first preparation meeting explains the case elegantly and includes canceling a subordinate's Bahamas vacation while sending flowers and a tanning bed. — Chris Ryan
- Galvin meeting the cardinal and noting that 210,000 divides neatly into his 70,000 fee is admired; whether the moral decision occurs in the room or with developing Polaroids is debated.
- Concannon and Galvin in the eating judge's chambers reveal the opposing lawyer's connection without heavy exposition. — Bill Simmons
- The son-in-law's furious confrontation and line about living with professionals' mistakes are admired; he knocks the briefcase aside rather than slapping Galvin, and is called the most Boston moment.
- Concannon prepping the anesthesiologist to replace jargon with plain language is another scene candidate.
- Mason coaching the doctor to dramatize heroic attempts to save mother and child is like an acting class, and receives particular praise; Wesley Addy is identified as a recurring Lumet actor.
- Galvin attacking the judge after the expert testimony is a major scene candidate,especially the bagman accusation.
- Mason’s silent reactions during Galvin’s confrontation are admired. — Bill Simmons
- The bar-booth first date and jury speech return as a favorite, with the incongruity of staying in the same bar for dinner noted.
- Concannon paying Laura reveals her betrayal; the line about being paid to win is praised and her apparently implausible interest in Galvin retrospectively explained. — Bill Simmons
- Galvin traveling to New York to seek Kaitlin's help is a scene candidate. — Sean Fennessey
- Kaitlin’s rebuttal testimony is especially loved. — Bill Simmons
- The doctor’s standing double take when he hears Kaitlin’s name is admired.
- Mason’s intimidation gives way to the revelation that Kaitlin kept a copy showing one hour rather than nine.
- The judge lets the testimony run long enough that the jury cannot unhear it; the family members' silent reactions deepen the scene. — Chris Ryan
- Galvin’s final speech is a scene candidate.
- Lumet’s commentary reportedly says a camera hair spoiled a take and Newman’s repeat was even better. — Bill Simmons
- The jury asking to exceed the requested award and Warden looking upward provide a favorite payoff.
- The judge being forced to relinquish control makes the verdict especially satisfying. — Sean Fennessey
- Chris's final scene choice is Galvin dressing down the judge in chambers.
- Kaitlin's testimony is another final scene choice, with Lindsay Crouse's performance and later House of Games praised. — Sean Fennessey
- The opening two minutes receive the remaining final scene endorsement. — Sean Fennessey
Producer review
The producer is directly invited, likes LA ensemble striving and asks old-versus-new adult film depiction; hosts see nostalgia and filmmaking ambition versus meaner video.
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 02:44:07Read transcript
- The producer is directly invited, likes LA ensemble striving and asks old-versus-new adult film depiction; hosts see nostalgia and filmmaking ambition versus meaner video.
- Movie-house replica rentals proposed and liked with hypothetical cost/parties/wedding, not actual booking.
- The producer is thanked for producing, full name Craig Horleback explicitly supplied and Chris Ryan/Sean Fennancy/Dylan Burkey thanked; ending-show/Viking-funeral jokes remain jokes. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:47Read transcript
- Philip Baker Hall could play John or Sam. — Bill Simmons
- Hall could instead appear briefly as a new background character during the layoffs. — Bill Simmons
- A flashback casting Hall as Sam’s father receives agreement. — Brian Koppelman
- Wayne Jenkins replacing Dale is imagined but considered too disruptive to the movie, with a Chris Ryan impression wished for.
Recasting Couch
Jenna Ortega or Sydney Sweeney as Phoenix
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:03Read transcript
- Jenna Ortega is proposed for Phoenix — Bill Simmons
- Sydney Sweeney is another proposal, including a car-restoration conversation with Penny — Bill Simmons
- Chris offers no recasting choice — Bill Simmons
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
Displaying discussions 49 - 60 of 119 in total
Flex picks
Ratso Rizzo I’m Walking Here Award for Most New York Quote
“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
When I Would Have Died
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
When I Would Have Died
The bathroom entrapment and revelation of dental tools
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:22Read transcript
- One participant says the bathroom entrapment would be the likely death point, possibly by drowning or self-harm to avoid torture. — Chris Ryan
- Another participant also chooses the bathroom because the window offers no escape. — Chris Ryan
- The dental tools and Szell’s accent are said to be enough to cause a fatal panic or prompt a request for immediate death.
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:24Read transcript
- The explicitly invited first-name contributor chooses the firing award: Joe bikes on the freeway, Warden misses game day, the lovers cannot conceal the affair or kill Joe effectively, Christie abandons principles, and the angels kill Joe twice.
- Responses agree broadly and add the coach ignoring a clinically dead quarterback. The angels-as-demons remark recalls the earlier horror theory.
Mallory Rubin Award: Did This Movie Need a Better Sex Scene?
Grodin and Cannon sex scene
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:34Read transcript
- An explicit CR flex invitation introduces the need for a Grodin/Cannon scene, contrasting her appeal with his full-pajama never-nude presentation. — Chris Ryan
- The film’s PG restraint and chaste central kiss are noted; a PG13 assumption is corrected as anachronistic. The film is said to cry out for a sex scene, with jokes about Beatty’s restraint. — Chris Ryan
The Sean Penn “I Brought My Own Pack” Award for Excellence in On-Screen Smoking
The segment proposes that Ronnie or Jillian should have smoked to fit 1977 Indiana.
The panel proposes a new category here.
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:46Read transcript
- The flex proposal argues that Ronnie smoking constantly would make her more period-authentic and relatable. — Chris Ryan
- Jillian is also proposed as a smoker because smoking would have been common in 1977 Indiana.
I Used to Fuck Guys Like You in Prison Award for Craziest Quote
Jeff Goldblum's shouted threat and demand for money
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:36Read transcript
- A censored threat shouted by Goldblum's attacker is the first quote candidate. — Chris Ryan
- The attacker's shouted demand for money is the alternate quote candidate. — Bill Simmons
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
Han Solo’s rejection of an all-powerful Force
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:47Read transcript
- The selected line says the speaker has crossed the galaxy without seeing proof that a mystical field controls destiny. — Chris Ryan
- The quotation was used as a senior yearbook quote at a Quaker school.
The Vincent Chase Award: Are We Sure This Character Is Actually Good at Their Job?
The New York police are the flex choice.
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:59Read transcript
- Knowing the killer yet failing to detain him or protect Claire makes the department look incompetent; the bathroom assault should itself prompt action. — Bill Simmons
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Pre-cogs for gambling; prevent the affair first; restore pre-crime despite errors
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:24Read transcript
- The pre-cogs are proposed as cinema’s ultimate gambling tool; exploiting markets or taking Agatha to a casino is imagined instead of using the gift only to prevent murder.
- Preventing the triggering affair rather than waiting to interrupt murder is proposed from Howard’s perspective, while ordinary emotional freedom complicates that argument.
- An explicitly invited Craig flex becomes a hottest take defending restoration of pre-crime despite a proposed two-percent error rate; civil-liberty costs and utilitarian reasoning are debated.
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:46Read transcript
- An explicitly invited CR flex selects Peter Stormare’s surgeon for the Teddy KGB Award for Actor Doing His Own Thing; earlier memorable roles are recalled.
- Stormare is praised for improving small roles and dominating the anesthetized Cruise’s scene with his own eccentric performance.
Cruise or Hanks?
Hanks initially; Cruise reconsidered as Pete or Happy
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:46Read transcript
- Hanks receives the initial choices; Cruise is doubted as someone who would be involved in college basketball. — Chris Ryan
- Cruise could instead play Happy with Les Grossman or evil Jerry Maguire energy. — Bill Simmons
- A further flex invitation leads to jokes about Cruise teaching Neon footwork in hidden platform shoes and being lifted to dunk. — Bill Simmons
- Cruise as Pete with Jerry Maguire energy is reconsidered favorably, especially for the final broken-man speech; present-day Cruise becomes a possible choice. — Bill Simmons
Displaying flex picks 25 - 36 of 41 in total
From other episodes
Sourced picks from episodes not yet fully included in the archive.
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
Han Solo’s speech rejecting a mystical force controlling his destiny
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
Transcript excerpt · Targeted transcript check; recording not verified
Star Wars: A New Hope — Part Two
· May 6, 2025