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
Boyz n the Hood
1991 film
Bill Simmons · Sean Fennessey · Van Lathan · Logan Murdock
Aired June 29, 2021
Mentioned in discussions
In the discussion (3)
- Hanks goes in the Philadelphia shadow sequel with Denzel as Nick, and Cruise would be a phenomenal Clyde, a dark role he should have done more after Collateral.
- Cruise would have crushed the hyper-fixated Clyde and learned tunneling and bomb-making; running would have been added in the parking garage. — Bill Simmons
- A speaker says Craig thought Cruise would make a good Rewatchables guest and they argued; the other thinks Cruise would not answer a single category and dares him to come on. — Bill Simmons
The Slow Ride / Kid Cudi – Pursuit of Happiness Award for Best Needle Drop
"Eminence Front" by The Who
In the discussion (2)
- 'Eminence Front' by The Who, remembered from Craig's favorite show Entourage.
- A tangent covers the recent Jake Paul gambling ad with Piven and Grenier playing thinly veiled Entourage characters, which the hosts describe the Entourage creator objecting to; hosts enjoyed seeing them and would watch a relaunch. — Bill Simmons
What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?
Armor, Vasquez’s headband and a prop gun
In the discussion (3)
- Armored vest
- Vasquez’s headband
- A heavy prop gun; Craig is explicitly asked and chooses a gun
Marion Cobretti Pizza Cutting Award: Why Didn’t They Stop This on Set?
Ripley’s unchanged clothing style
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (2)
- Craig questions why Ripley’s clothing style is unchanged after 57 years
- The group offers fashion-cycle and personal-style explanations
Willem Dafoe: This Creepy-Looking Guy Turned Out to Be Nice Award
Bishop — Craig’s proposed award
The panel proposes a new category here.
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (2)
- Craig proposes an award for a suspicious-looking character who turns out to be kind
- Bishop is the example
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Franchise direction, Vietnam comparison and Ripley’s final line
In the discussion (4)
- Aliens may be the best entry while constraining the franchise around Ripley
- Aliens may be a better Vietnam film than Full Metal Jacket, without necessarily being a better movie
- Ripley’s famous final line delivery is criticized; another participant defends it
- Craig is invited to prepare for this category in future and has no prepared take here
In the discussion (5)
- Craig reports not having seen it in ten to fifteen years — Craig Horlbeck
- He praises the practical Los Angeles production and the warmth of Hanks and Howard — Craig Horlbeck
- The last hour had him standing and pacing despite knowing the ending — Craig Horlbeck
- Family scenes and the child’s door question land more strongly now — Craig Horlbeck
- He comes away with renewed appreciation for Hanks — Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (4)
- First Man is proposed as a contrasting portrait of ambition, marriage and reaching the moon
- Gravity is another double-feature choice
- The Martian is chosen for another problem-solving survival story
- Craig adds Rocky IV for the Cold War/American-competition theme
Todd Parker Award for Best Character Entrance
Buzz and Neil arriving at the Lovell home
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (3)
- Craig chooses the understated arrival of Armstrong and Aldrin — Craig Horlbeck
- Their first names alone establish their stature — Craig Horlbeck
- Their silent presence raises the stakes — Craig Horlbeck
Who Won the Movie?
Mini Coopers; Edward Norton also proposed.
In the discussion (2)
- Edward Norton is proposed because the performance is captivating on rewatch.
- Mini Coopers are selected emphatically as the movie winner. — Craig Horlbeck
Podcast choices
- Craig Horlbeck
- Mini Coopers
Best Race Horse Name from This Movie
One Wish Willow.
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (1)
- One Wish Willow is selected as a racehorse name. — Craig Horlbeck
The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film
Ian’s performance; Nikki screaming through the wish-service call.
In the discussion (6)
- The performance of Ian is proposed as capable of improvement.
- Ian being written as a dirtbag is offered as a defense of the performance. — Chris Ryan
- Nikki screaming through the wish-service call is criticized as unnecessary.
- The screaming is defended as evidence of her entrapment and of Bear’s moral obligation.
- The scene is said to work without the screaming. — Joanna Robinson
- The screaming is retained by a two-to-one vote, with Craig explicitly supporting it. — Craig Horlbeck
Flex picks
The Vincent Chase Award: Are We Sure This Character Is Actually Good at Their Job?
Catherine Tramell as a killer
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (2)
- Craig introduces the Vincent Chase flex for Catherine: her planning is admired but excessive stabbing, abandoned weapons and disregard for evidence are criticized; her authorial quality is debated using bestseller and review-blurb clues. — Bill Simmons
- The counterargument says Catherine gets away with everything; an ice-pick search before bed becomes a joking hypothetical. — Chris Ryan
The Bam Out of Bayo 83 Point
Sal Amato
The panel proposes a new category here.
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (2)
- An explicit flex selects Sal for the Bam Adebayo unexpected-performance category, praising his smooth nightclub command. — Bill Simmons
- Craig confirms that his earlier Sal Amato choice was the Bam Adebayo flex, explicitly connecting the category with the 83-point game. — Bill Simmons
The Dan Campbell Scale for “Holy Shit, Are They Really Going for It Right Now?”
The extended sex scene
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (1)
- Craig introduces the Dan Campbell flex for the explicit sex scene’s sustained nudity and physical staging.
Franchise Tag: Should This Movie Have Sequels?
Protect Sicario from sequels; continuation disputed
The panel proposes a new category here.
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (3)
- Craig introduces a Movie Franchise Tag flex proposing that a small annual group of films, including Sicario and The Devil Wears Prada, be protected from sequels.
- Chris counters that once Sicario’s sequel exists the series should continue, while a prestige television version is discussed and Del Toro’s participation doubted.
- The franchise-tag proposal expands to Sinners, Barbie and Oppenheimer with disagreement; Limitless is explicitly exempted and its television series recalled.
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
“Mom, relax. It’s your husband, not Al Qaeda.”
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (1)
- Craig’s flex selects Robbie’s husband-not-Al-Qaeda line as best quote and a 2011 marker. — Bill Simmons
Female Sex-Killer Mount Rushmore
Xenia; Catherine Tramell; Sil; Amy Dunne
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (1)
- Craig’s female-sex-killer Mount Rushmore names Xenia, Catherine Tramell, Sil and Amy Dunne. Die Hard with a Vengeance, Mia Goth and horror alternatives are additions. — Bill Simmons
References You Missed as a Child
Love Boat; Crying Game; Star Trek; Binaca; Claude Rains; Poltergeist; Tone Lōc; Miami Vice; Connery
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (3)
- Craig introduces the Millennial Missed Reference Power Ranking flex, beginning with Love Boat, Crying Game, Star Trek and Binaca references; it is not yet a numbered ten-entry list. — Craig Horlbeck
- Craig’s missed-reference flex continues with Binaca, Claude Rains, Poltergeist, Tone Lōc, Miami Vice and Connery. Zach dislikes the exorcised-demons punchline and also missed several references when young. — Craig Horlbeck
- The hosts defend dated cultural references as entertaining later discoveries, contrasting Wayne’s World 2 relying on a whole-film Doors parody. — Bill Simmons
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (1)
- Craig selects the Devil Wears Prada flex; the film is judged perfect for what it attempts. — Bill Simmons
The Vincent Chase Award: Are We Sure This Character Is Actually Good at Their Job?
The Zodiac is judged surprisingly bad at his job because victims survive and he leaves conspicuous clues.
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (5)
- Two victims survive attacks. — Craig Horlbeck
- He wears a Zodiac-branded watch. — Craig Horlbeck
- He reveals a birthday clue over the phone. — Craig Horlbeck
- He claims left-handedness while wearing a watch inconsistently. — Craig Horlbeck
- Arthur Leigh Allen wears a conspicuous Lee name tag at the hardware store. — Craig Horlbeck
Is There a Porn Parody of This Movie?
The Zodiac Killer starring John Holmes
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (4)
- The category asks whether the movie has a porn parody. — Craig Horlbeck
- The title The Zodiac Killer and John Holmes are identified.
- The premise casts Holmes as a cop hunting a killer.
- Its 63-minute runtime is compared with the Century Club benchmark.
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
“If shit was worth something, poor people would be born with no assholes”
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (2)
- The poverty-and-excrement line is the selected quote. — Craig Horlbeck
- The old-football-bet explanation and request to talk black people stuff are additional favorite lines. — Chris Ryan
Unintentional Comedy Award
The paramedic making injured Laurie take a “big step” into the ambulance
Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (2)
- Laurie has been unable to walk, yet receives no stretcher and must put weight on the injured ankle.
- Jimmy’s extreme injured acting is an additional low-key overacting joke; an alternate TV ending puts him beside Laurie in the ambulance. — Bill Simmons