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Podcast Manager, The Ringer

Craig Horlbeck

Producer who contributes to the discussion. In the Chicago live episode, he chooses Harrison Ford.

Also referred to as Craig, Bangkok Craig, Craig Grobeck, Craig Gahau

Stats

Episodes credited in this archive
220
Movies in this archive
217
Producer credits
217
Attributed podcast choices
13

Across the table

Appearing on these Rewatchables episodes

They Live

1988 film

Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey

Aired October 10, 2023

Toy Soldiers

1991 film

Bill Simmons · Kyle Brandt

Aired October 3, 2023

A Bronx Tale

1993 film

Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey · Van Lathan

Aired September 19, 2023

Cruel Intentions

1999 film

Bill Simmons · Juliet Litman · Amanda Dobbins

Aired August 22, 2023

A Few Good Men

1992 film

Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey

Aired August 1, 2023

Primal Fear

1996 film

Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey

Aired July 4, 2023

This Is the End

2013 film

Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Craig Horlbeck

Aired June 27, 2023

Displaying episodes 109 - 120 of 220 in total

Mentioned in discussions

Chef The Rewatchables
Chef

Producer review

Producer Craig loves the movie, its food content, social-media accuracy, parent-child dynamics, and grilled-cheese scene.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:00Read transcript
  • The producer says he has seen the movie many times and considers well-made food content exceptionally enjoyable. — Craig Horlbeck
  • He calls Chef one of the most accurate social-media movies. — Craig Horlbeck
  • The child understanding the emerging platform while the parent thinks Twitter is private is cited as especially accurate. — Craig Horlbeck
  • Carl’s rushed child drop-off is praised as a realistic parenting detail. — Craig Horlbeck
  • The cinematic grilled-cheese preparation and the kid’s understated approval capture the father-son relationship. — Craig Horlbeck
He Got Game

Producer review

About twenty-five minutes too long; dragging sex-worker scenes; Jesus’s unusually unprotected high-school life for a future top pick

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 02:01:21Read transcript
  • The producer explains that his parents' child-rearing years left him with a gap in 1990s movie knowledge.
  • He agrees that the film could be about twenty-five minutes shorter. — Craig Horlbeck
  • The eight-minute Milo Jobovich stretch is his clearest example of the excess length. — Craig Horlbeck
  • He is struck that a nationally known future top pick still attends school and plays in public without a protective structure. — Craig Horlbeck
  • The hosts answer that this reflects the pre-AAU and pre-social-media era.
  • LeBron is identified as the first high-school player whose fame felt nationally inescapable.
  • The later mixtape and social-media eras are described as distinct stages in high-school-player celebrity.
  • The closing explicitly credits producer Craig Horroback in the machine transcript. — Bill Simmons
Cape Fear

Producer review

Fantastic and very rewatchable except the difficult Lewis scene; an overqualified genre director is like The Menu’s cheeseburger

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:08Read transcript
  • Craig explicitly invited: fantastic and very rewatchable except difficult Lewis scene; overqualified director making genre film likened to cheeseburger in The Menu. — Craig Horlbeck
  • Craig prefers De Niro here to Pacino in Scent of a Woman, because he disappears into the character despite fame. — Craig Horlbeck
Cape Fear

The Andy and Red – Zihuatanejo Award for What Happens the Next Day?

Daughter imagined escaping to West Coast college or Seattle grunge; Cal, San Diego State and study-abroad / summer work possibilities.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:00Read transcript
  • Daughter imagined escaping to West Coast college or Seattle grunge; Cal, San Diego State and study-abroad / summer work possibilities.
  • Parents expected to divorce within year, sell house and split proceeds, with some to maid’s survivors. — Bill Simmons
  • Maid overnight presence explained by lack of ride home; how she was killed silently nearby remains unanswered, explicitly credited to Craig.
The Purge

Producer review

Better than expected; effective 85-minute confinement

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:36Read transcript
  • After Craig is invited to react, the discussion proposes staged Purge sports and acknowledges that spectators would also be at risk. — Chris Ryan
  • The reaction is more positive than expected despite the genre not being a favorite, praising the short runtime and confined setting as a twisted Home Alone. — Chris Ryan
  • The stranger’s presence is framed as a trolley problem, provoking competing responses about family protection and letting him stay. — Chris Ryan
Mission: Impossible – Fallout

What’s Aged the Best?

Action conventions, Paris, score and performers earn praise; Cavill and chemistry remain contested.

In the discussion (19)
Approx. transcript time · 00:41:10Read transcript
  • The fake threat to shoot Ethan’s friend is praised. — Bill Simmons
  • An Eyes Wide Shut connection is raised. — Chris Ryan
  • Alec Baldwin is praised. — Bill Simmons
  • The mission message is praised. — Bill Simmons
  • Paris is praised as a setting. — Bill Simmons
  • Ving Rhames is praised.
  • Ving Rhames’s wardrobe is praised.
  • The tracker trick is praised. — Bill Simmons
  • The theme and score are praised.
  • Cruise’s ankle injury and the reported expensive delay are discussed; the cost is a podcast claim.
  • The nuclear specialist is praised.
  • The plutonium itself is praised.
  • Baldwin’s lateral move is praised. — Chris Ryan
  • The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood speech provides a contrast with Cruise refusing to yield. Reported Man from Uncle casting and a planned Renner transition feed speculative motives for choosing a large handsome opponent. — Chris Ryan
  • Cavill is praised as awesome by some but Craig disputes his charisma and contribution, allowing that hidden identity may explain restraint. A defender values his sneaky presence and agrees to reconsider.
  • Vanessa Kirby is praised as the daughter of Vanessa Redgrave’s earlier character. — Chris Ryan
  • The nightclub sequence is praised.
  • Rebecca Ferguson and Michelle Monaghan are praised. — Bill Simmons
  • Cruise’s chemistry with the women is discussed favorably.
The Verdict The Rewatchables
The Verdict

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Pinball machine; powdered donut; doctor’s car

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:53:23Read transcript
  • The actual pinball machine is a memorabilia choice.
  • A1982 powdered donut is another choice.
  • Modern powdered donuts’ continued availability is debated,with Craig identifying packaged ones.
  • The doctor’s car is another memorabilia selection. — Chris Ryan
Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Picking Nits

Money and shared room, bathroom timing, driving duration, burnt-car safety, black eye and short overall ordeal.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:06Read transcript
  • Why spend75dollars on cab not own hotel room? Only-one-room and Neil pays correction debated; Craig correction acknowledged.
  • Neil money unresolved,extra50dollars room argued despite no vacancies; one traveler should sleep on floor. — Van Lathan
  • Dirty bathroom timing explained by deleted Del havoc after Neil enters shower. — Bill Simmons
  • StLouis–Chicago drive only4–4.5hours questioned against apparent12hours. — Van Lathan
  • Burnt car drivability/hot upholstery and freezing open vehicle/truck exposure implausible. — Bill Simmons
  • Burglar explained earlier; black eye reportedly Neil punches Del in unshown deleted scene, removal appropriate to character. — Craig Horlbeck
  • Craig invited nitpick:Tuesday–Thursday ordeal exaggerated,underwear since Tuesday is only day/36hours; leaving Monday would help. — Craig Horlbeck
Boogie Nights The Rewatchables
Boogie Nights

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
Tango & Cash

Producer review

Craig enjoys the distinct simplicity, cheese and stars of 1980s action films.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:25Read transcript
  • The addressed response finds older action films refreshing and treats Lethal Weapon as a favorite, unlike The Grey Man. — Craig Horlbeck
  • The discussion contrasts distinctive older stars with interchangeable modern casting and films driven by intellectual property.
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:15Read transcript
  • Producer Craig’s invited response finds Stallone’s comedy unsuccessful in contrast with his action roles; the other response strongly objects. — Craig Horlbeck
  • Stallone’s awkward comedy may itself be entertaining. Willis is proposed, countered as another Cash rather than a Tango, then defended as capable of a rich suited character. — Bill Simmons
  • Harrison Ford and Michael Douglas are proposed; Douglas lacks the desired physical size, while Ford has it.
  • Schwarzenegger’s comic ability is disputed, and the final preference keeps Stallone. — Bill Simmons
Displaying discussions 73 - 84 of 110 in total

Flex picks

Quiz Show The Rewatchables

Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:39Read transcript
  • Craig introduced Christopher McDonald as a mini-version of the category and praised his timing, looks, humor, and versatility.
  • The hosts agreed McDonald occupied an awkward space between leading man and character actor.
  • His work as Jack Barry and his tape-viewing double take were praised.
Sneakers The Rewatchables

Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:07Read transcript
  • Chooses the location flex category and praises San Francisco’s varied landscape and cinematic range. — Craig Horlbeck
  • Other Bay Area films, recognizable landmarks, and the city’s advantage over Boston are discussed as support. — Joanna Robinson
Brokeback Mountain

The Rick Dalton Award for the Greatest Fucking Acting I’ve Ever Seen

Ledger’s distinct performances in10 Things, A Knight’s Tale, Brokeback and Dark Knight make the actor disappear.

Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:50:06Read transcript
  • Ledger’s distinct performances in10 Things, A Knight’s Tale, Brokeback and Dark Knight make the actor disappear. — Craig Horlbeck
  • Comparisons with Pattinson, Chalamet, DiCaprio and others emphasize unusually wide range at a young age; the point is accepted. — Wesley Morris

Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:32Read transcript
  • Architect, pediatrician, journalist, chef and a grounded rich heir are attractive romantic-comedy jobs; architecture combines creativity and practicality. — Craig Horlbeck
  • Advertising evokes Don Draper’s womanizing; lawyer, businessman and widowed stay-at-home dad are considered, but unemployment is a barrier.
  • Chef, vet, urban planner and sports doctor are considered; plastic surgeon is too vain. Architect remains favored, with oil billionaire dismissed.
  • Realtor and marine biologist are added; marine research risks romantic unavailability.
  • Female sportswriter examples lead to sideline reporter as the best ESPN rom-com job; Trainwreck’s sports-doctor role enabled comic athlete interactions. — Mina Kimes
Marathon Man

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Babe misses clues and refuses to shoot Szell

Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:35Read transcript
  • Babe should recognize that being attacked by two older men in suits is unusual. — Craig Horlbeck
  • He is criticized for ignoring the connections among his murdered brother, Szell, and Elsa’s concealed German identity. — Craig Horlbeck
  • His refusal to shoot Szell is criticized as inconsistent after he shoots others at the farmhouse.
  • The novel reportedly has Babe shoot Szell and discard the diamonds before police take him away. — Bill Simmons

Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:40Read transcript
Close Encounters of the Third Kind

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

The five-note musical exchange works, but the extended mothership improvisation becomes awkward.

Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:35:36Read transcript
  • Craig says the initial five-note exchange works but the extended musical improvisation becomes awkward. — Craig Horlbeck
  • He argues that Spielberg and John Williams overextended the sequence once the brass and tuba-like sounds begin. — Craig Horlbeck
Star Wars: A New Hope

Apex Mountain

Science-fiction movies, galaxy adventures, fictional mythology, Mark Hamill, 20th Century Fox, and Apex categories: yes

Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:55Read transcript
  • Lucas’s apex is placed around 1981 after Empire and Raiders, though selling Lucasfilm for four billion dollars is another candidate.
  • Star Wars is judged an apex for science-fiction movies, galaxy adventures, and film-created fictional mythology.
  • The movie is accepted as Mark Hamill’s apex and a possible early apex for Carrie Fisher. — Bill Simmons
  • John Williams is difficult to pin to one apex, but Star Wars is preferred over later cultural competitors.
  • James Earl Jones is placed closer to Field of Dreams, Coming to America, or Mufasa than to his uncredited Vader voice. — Bill Simmons
  • Harrison Ford receives an explicit apex check and is rejected because his apex had already been named earlier. — Bill Simmons
  • The movie is an apex for 20th Century Fox because profits and stock value rose sharply. — Bill Simmons
  • The film is credited with beginning the cultural ascent of nerd fandom rather than representing its final apex in 1977. — Sean Fennessey
  • Its sound effects remain exceptional, including Vader breathing, TIE fighters, droids, and lightsabers.
  • The saga is called a leading story of absentee fathers because Vader reappears only after Luke becomes powerful. — Van Lathan
  • The film is declared the apex of Apex Mountain categories because so many people, crafts, objects, and institutions peak around it. — Chris Ryan
Displaying flex picks 25 - 35 of 35 in total