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Apollo 13
Speed
Speed
Speed
Ali
To Live and Die in L.A.
To Live and Die in L.A.
Fargo
Sicario
F1
The Truman Show
Halloween II
Halloween II
The Legend of Billie Jean
The Legend of Billie Jean
Species
Jaws 2
Jaws 2
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
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
1988 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Van Lathan
Aired October 29, 2024
The Silence of the Lambs
1991 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey · Mallory Rubin
Aired October 15, 2024
The Grand Budapest Hotel
2014 film
Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey · Andy Greenwald
Aired August 13, 2024
Displaying episodes 61 - 72 of 286 in total
Mentioned in discussions
Is This Movie Better With…?
Wayne Jenkins as an astronaut
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:14Read transcript
- Some participants are content to skip without Chris Ryan
- A Wayne Jenkins reaction to Jack landing is imagined
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 02:03:03Read transcript
- Chris chooses Die Hard and two others agree — Bill Simmons
- Transformers is the fourth choice — Bill Simmons
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Would Harry as villain improve the movie, and who commands the bomb squad?
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:58:42Read transcript
- The panel prefers the finished version over the reported Harry-villain script
- Who is the most important Jan? De Bont is compared with Jan Hammer and others
- What is the bomb squad’s hierarchy when Jack and Harry keep improvising?
- When does Jack’s attraction to Annie become another motivation?
- The fictional Chris Ryan obituary tangent is not treated as a fact about him
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
The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot
The bus explosion behind Jack and the scale of the practical action
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:06Read transcript
- The Jaguar-door shot is recalled
- Chris’s pick centers on the camera panning around Jack as the bus explodes behind him
- Flames reflected in the ringing payphone are admired
- The low helicopter shot of the police escort is nominated
- The bus hitting the jet is nominated
- The rescued passengers watching Jack and Annie from the other bus is an emotional alternative
The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot
The speed-bag image, purposeful ramp walk, Foreman-fight entrance, dark Zaire arrival, and overhead-to-behind running shot are nominated.
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:44Read transcript
- CR chooses the camera behind the speed bag, synchronized with the music.
- The fast ramp walk and Ali’s Foreman-fight entrance are nominated.
- The dark Zaire arrival and running shot that closes in behind Ali are praised. — Van Lathan
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:31Read transcript
- Chris’s Vincent Chase flex questions Frank’s lyrics, musicianship, betrayal of a bandmate and contribution to the disastrous artistic direction; his class affectation is also mocked.
The Dennis Peck Relationship Test
Masters, Bianca and Serena’s openness
The panel proposes a new category here.
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:12Read transcript
- Chris’s Dennis Peck relationship test concludes that Masters, Bianca and Serena’s openness would defeat Peck’s usual destructive power. — Chris Ryan
Did This Movie Need a Random Sports Scene?
Masters joining the pickup basketball game
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:12Read transcript
- Chris’s random-sports flex proposes Masters joining the pickup basketball game; a possible White Shadow court connection remains uncertain.
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:27:06Read transcript
- That Guy choices split between Harve Presnell as Wade and Larry Brandenburg as Stan, with Chris choosing Brandenburg; Presnell’s return from obscurity is admired. — Bill Simmons
Most Rewatchable Scene
Mike Yanagita; roadside triple homicide; driveway witness
In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:43Read transcript
- The Mike Yanagita scene is defended as the clue that makes Marge revisit Jerry and as a thematic study of false appearances; a further interpretation suggests she briefly wants to feel noticed beyond domestic routine. — Chris Ryan
- Marge’s discomfort during the Yanagita encounter is praised as precise facial acting.
- The opening bar meeting is a scene candidate; empty bottles are criticized as a hacky drunkenness cue, countered by the bar’s possible lack of staff.
- The kidnapping setup’s domestic knitting and local morning show are enjoyed, particularly its incongruous Nile-cruise promotion. — Chris Ryan
- Young Adult is a regional comparison; Jean’s frozen response and then terror during the kidnapping are praised, with the sequence proposed for the Dan Campbell escalation category.
- The failed financing request, ice-scraper breakdown and rehearsed ransom call form a favorite run, exposing Jerry’s catastrophic planning; small cold-weather behavior adds authenticity. — Kyle Brandt
- The roadside murders are a scene candidate for shocking violence mixed with comedy; the physical effect of the headshot is questioned without a settled answer.
- Marge’s escort interviews and the repeated funny-looking description of Carl are praised; McDormand’s account says even the tiny verbal beats were scripted.
- Carl’s parking-attendant argument, Shep beating and Wade confrontation are scene candidates, with Buscemi’s mounting fury singled out.
- The snow-shoveling witness’s monotone account is a favorite scene, including his recollection of Carl threatening the last person who called him a jerk. — Bill Simmons
- The second Jerry interview, woodchipper approach, drive afterward and three-cent-stamp ending are scene candidates; abrupt death and Marge’s rare anger are praised.
- Kyle chooses the Mike Yanagita scene, including its alarming greeting and awkwardness. — Kyle Brandt
- Chris chooses the roadside triple homicide; another participant agrees on its filmmaking but personally prefers the driveway witness monologue, so the final scene preferences remain split. — Chris Ryan
Is This Movie Better With…?
Zane Lowe advising Ted
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:47:11Read transcript
- Chris chooses Zane Lowe encouraging Ted before the bar for Better With; Wayne Jenkins is jokingly put in the bullpen rather than declared permanently retired.
Displaying discussions 1 - 12 of 119 in total
Flex picks
When I Would Have Died
Clearing gravel from the track
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:31Read transcript
- The death flex imagines being distracted while clearing gravel from the track rather than dying as a driver. — Bill Simmons
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:01Read transcript
- The Green Mill is identified during Rob’s breakup confession and selected for its prominent use in Thief. — Chris Ryan
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:35Read transcript
- An explicitly invited flex awards onscreen smoking to Pacino, especially smoking through heart problems. — Cousin Sal
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
The line that no camera was ever inside Truman’s head
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:23Read transcript
- The line that no camera was ever inside Truman’s head is selected for placing a limit on surveillance. — Chris Ryan
- The control-room exchange explaining that the show never depicts the couple’s intimacy is another favorite. — Glen Powell
Steven Seagal Hard to Kill Award: Did This Movie Need a Better Intimacy Coordinator?
Yes: Pamela Susan Shoop’s reported experience with an inadequately closed set and pressure for more nudity establishes the need.
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:05Read transcript
- Shoop reportedly expected a closed set, encountered many male crew members, and was protected by Debra Hill from pressure to perform full-frontal nudity. — Chris Ryan
“OK, Motherfucker” Award for When the Movie Goes Up a Notch
Loomis’s “you don’t know what death is” and the score kicking in
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:05Read transcript
- Loomis’s “you don’t know what death is” and the score kicking in mark the chosen step-up moment. — Chris Ryan
Picking Nits
Billie Jean may not need a love interest; a love-triangle revision is suggested.
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:11Read transcript
- Craig’s addressed contribution questions immediate romance with the first man she meets as weakening empowerment and preventing an exploration of fame’s loneliness. — Chris Ryan
- A revision gives Billie Jean prior history with Hubie and a triangle with Lloyd; his souvenir-store inheritance is mocked. — Bill Simmons
The Andy and Red – Zihuatanejo Award for What Happens the Next Day?
Modern celebrity speculation is followed by imagined futures for Lloyd, Binks, Hubie and Billie Jean.
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:27Read transcript
- In 2025 she might appear on the Hawk Tua podcast, join the Unwell network and release music; in 1985 she might return to Corpus Christi and become a schoolteacher. — Chris Ryan
- Lloyd is imagined entering VHS pornography with equipment, capital and experience of crime. — Bill Simmons
- Binks is imagined moving to Burlington, working at Ben & Jerry’s and getting beaten up after selling bad acid at a Dead show. — Chris Ryan
- Lloyd’s father is imagined with a minor role in the David Koresh standoff; Hubie becomes lieutenant governor, and Billie Jean faces lengthy copyright litigation. — Chris Ryan
- Hubie’s governorship and Binks becoming Doug McCray’s father in The Town are additional jokes. — Bill Simmons
- Hubie using the Billie Jean episode to claim he learned his lessons and launch a Texas political career is endorsed. — Bill Simmons
Mallory Rubin Award: Did This Movie Need a Better Sex Scene?
The flex proposes a missed Madsen–Sil sexual encounter, citing her visions and suggesting a triangle with Dr. Baker.
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:56Read transcript
- The flex proposes a missed Madsen–Sil sexual encounter, citing her visions and suggesting a triangle with Dr. Baker. — Chris Ryan
- Sil coming into bed while Marge is away is proposed; Madsen is imagined as the best mate and Molina as the hurried substitute. — Chris Ryan
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:14Read transcript
- Fitch is nominated for excessive autonomy, inadequate containment and killing plans, and hiring civilians instead of military specialists. — Chris Ryan
- Plainclothes special forces are proposed as a better response, and the absence of supervisory scrutiny is criticized.
The Den of Thieves Benihana Award for Scene-Stealing Location
Hog’s Breath Saloon
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:48:35Read transcript
- Hog’s Breath Saloon in Florida convincingly resembles a Massachusetts bar. — Chris Ryan
The Sean Penn “I Brought My Own Pack” Award for Excellence in On-Screen Smoking
Roy Scheider’s breakfast cigarettes
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:48:19Read transcript
- Scheider’s three cigarettes with coffee before breakfast are elite on-screen smoking. — Chris Ryan
Displaying flex picks 13 - 24 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