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Zodiac
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American Gangster
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Spotlight
Film credit
Mark Ruffalo
Also referred to as Ruffalo
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 5
- Movies in this archive
- 4
Rewatchables episodes featuring Mark Ruffalo’s films
Displaying all 5 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
Apex Mountain
David Fincher (creative apex disputed); Mark Ruffalo as a movie detective; John Carroll Lynch; Zodiac within Fincher’s filmography
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 02:17:56Read transcript
- Fincher’s apex is disputed among Zodiac, The Social Network, Fight Club, and Gone Girl, with a distinct case for Zodiac as his creative apex.
- Mark Ruffalo is judged at an apex specifically as a movie detective, with Zodiac favored over Collateral. — Bill Simmons
- Gyllenhaal’s apex is debated against Nightcrawler and his End of Watch/Prisoners period.
- San Francisco movies are measured against 48 Hrs., Bullitt, and Dirty Harry. — Bill Simmons
- Chloë Sevigny is rejected in favor of The Last Days of Disco. — Bill Simmons
- Fincher villains are compared, with John Doe favored over Arthur Leigh Allen and Mark Zuckerberg. — Bill Simmons
- John Carroll Lynch movies are compared, and Zodiac is chosen over Fargo. — Bill Simmons
- Donovan needle drops are compared across Zodiac, To Die For, and Goodfellas.
- Wooden dildos receive a joking apex discussion.
- Zodiac is selected as Fincher’s best or favorite movie, with Seven and other later films discussed. — Sean Fennessey
Half-Assed Internet Research
Period reconstruction, digital photography, a 1972 sting film, repeated straw takes, Ruffalo’s deal, and a cocktail
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 02:15:19Read transcript
- Production used period photos to recreate streets, cars, and the number of Volkswagen Beetles. — Bill Simmons
- The Thomson Viper digital camera is discussed as an early major digital-production choice. — Bill Simmons
- A 1972 Zodiac movie was reportedly screened as part of an attempted sting. — Bill Simmons
- The filmmakers behind that movie hoped the killer would attend. — Bill Simmons
- Downey’s straw trick reportedly required 26 takes. — Bill Simmons
- Ruffalo recounts a blunt studio negotiation over his casting. — Bill Simmons
- The movie’s cocktail recipe is enumerated and judged unappealing.
The Action Is the Juice Award for Best Milking of the Moment
John Carroll Lynch going toe to toe with Mark Ruffalo
Flex pick · Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 02:14:43Read transcript
- The spoken category variant specifies the best toe-to-toe moment for a non-star. — Sean Fennessey
- John Carroll Lynch is selected for dominating the Arthur Leigh Allen interrogation opposite Ruffalo. — Sean Fennessey
Casting What-Ifs
Gary Oldman, Orlando Bloom, Brad Pitt, and Jennifer Aniston appear in a detailed casting history.
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 02:07:46Read transcript
- Gary Oldman was considered for Melvin Belli but physical resemblance was an issue. — Sean Fennessey
- Orlando Bloom was lined up as an alternative Graysmith. — Sean Fennessey
- Jennifer Aniston reportedly recommended Gyllenhaal and Ruffalo to Fincher. — Sean Fennessey
- Aniston declined the Chloë Sevigny role. — Sean Fennessey
- Fincher wanted Brad Pitt for Avery before Robert Downey Jr. — Bill Simmons
- The panel prefers Downey’s fast, nervy energy for Avery. — Sean Fennessey
Steven Seagal shitting on himself award for most unbelievable anecdote from the actual film shoot
Fincher’s repeated takes and exacting treatment of Gyllenhaal, Downey, and Ruffalo supply several production-shoot anecdotes.
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:09Read transcript
- Fincher’s extreme number of takes is the central production anecdote. — Bill Simmons
- Gyllenhaal reportedly found the process bruising and later described difficulty working that way. — Bill Simmons
- A take in the mid-fifties was reportedly used after many repetitions. — Bill Simmons
- A reshoot involving Gyllenhaal’s father is discussed. — Bill Simmons
- Downey’s improvisational energy and Fincher’s control are contrasted. — Sean Fennessey
- Ruffalo’s experience with the exacting process is discussed. — Bill Simmons
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Absent actors, Denzel’s persona, ideal length, Trupo, Frank’s wife, and Stevie’s Yankees path
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:51:57Read transcript
- How Mark Ruffalo missed the large ensemble is asked
- Whether this performance created Jay Pharoah’s Denzel Washington impression is asked — Bill Simmons
- The maximum acceptable length is debated; one participant would watch a six-hour event
- More Vietnam, Jake, Stevie, and Frank-fall material is requested
- Trupo’s home life and golf club are questioned — Van Lathan
- Whether Frank’s wife set him up by insisting on the fur coat is debated
- The unexplained fake beard is raised as evidence of missing connective material
- Whether Stevie could plausibly go from the street to the Yankees in 1974 is questioned — Bill Simmons
Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake
A satirical all-white remake
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:49:37Read transcript
- The usual all-Black-remake prompt is inverted into an all-white American Gangster — Chris Ryan
- Mark Ruffalo and Adam Scott are proposed, with Scott as Nicky Barnes
- Rob McElhenney is proposed as Tango and Tom Cruise as Frank
- Sally Field is proposed as Frank’s mother
- JJ Redick is proposed as Stevie, changing baseball to basketball — Van Lathan
Recasting Couch
Jon Bernthal; Ethan Hawke; Oscar Isaac disputed; Jake Gyllenhaal qualified; Mark Ruffalo
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:48Read transcript
- Jon Bernthal is the ideal replacement proposed for the lead. — Bill Simmons
- Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke and Mark Ruffalo are further possibilities, especially for believable teaching scenes. — Bill Simmons
- Jake Gyllenhaal is another appealing replacement, imagined reacting with greater anguish at the roulette loss. — Bill Simmons
- Jon Bernthal is reaffirmed as the desired Wahlberg replacement. — Bill Simmons
- Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke are proposed for a more bookish lead; Isaac is challenged for lacking the unintentional comedy the film needs. — Bill Simmons
- Jake Gyllenhaal could supply comic excess, although his intensity and potential weight loss might go too far. — Bill Simmons
- Bernthal and Ruffalo are reaffirmed as performers who could deliver the classroom speech more convincingly. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:32Read transcript
- 'Justice' is suggested and ruled ineligible; Keaton is the first pick for keeping the tempo and tone. — Chris Ryan
- A second participant also had Keaton. — Ryen Russillo
- Ruffalo is argued as the winner: annoying at every turn in the best way and single-minded; the reply is still Keaton. — Ryen Russillo
- Ruffalo has the best part and Keaton the hardest, with a restrained accent that improves after the opening. — Bill Simmons
- Ruffalo's speech pattern and facial expressions were modeled on the real reporter. — Bill Simmons
- The show's producer, invited in, also picks Keaton and calls Ruffalo borderline too much; another host leans toward that view but says the role required it.
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- Michael Keaton
- Speaker not identified
- Michael Keaton
- Speaker not identified
- Michael Keaton
Apex Mountain
Khakis
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:12:28Read transcript
- The Boston Globe in real life is floated, still powerful before the internet, fresh off a Pulitzer; the answer is 'maybe' and 'in play'. — Bill Simmons
- Ruffalo is close but not at Apex; Zodiac is preferred, and he later spent his time on Hulk.
- Slattery lands his best movie role here, but Mad Men is his Apex.
- Liev Schreiber gets a yes, with Ray Donovan and the Chuck Weppner movie at the same time, but is challenged ('Are we sure?') and the talk drifts to his stage career. — Ryen Russillo
- Rachel McAdams is a no (with an apparent reference to The Notebook), and newspaper movies are a no. — Bill Simmons
- A category transcribed as 'pre-scandal movies' (the intended phrase is unclear in the transcript) gets a 'yes, unfortunately'; kept out of the result as unclear. — Ryen Russillo
- Schreiber is in the Damien remake that one host's son loves. — Bill Simmons
- One participant names khakis as an Apex Mountain, asking whether any film features them more prominently. — Chris Ryan
- For saying the title in the movie, Face/Off remains Apex despite Spotlight's frequent title drops. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:41Read transcript
- The award goes to Ruffalo, the original namesake, in what is called the easiest category ever, with 'They knew!' quoted.
- Asking when the Pats opener is would not have mattered to anyone in 2001. — Bill Simmons
Casting What-Ifs
Matt Damon as the Ruffalo character
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:47Read transcript
- Matt Damon apparently almost got the Ruffalo part, though it is hard to imagine anyone but Ruffalo. — Ryen Russillo
- Damon would have overpowered the movie in 2015; missing this part and another led to The Martian, the best result for everybody. — Bill Simmons
- No other casting what-ifs were found; the film seems to have been assembled quickly, and a Will Smith as Marty Baron idea is raised as a question. — Bill Simmons
Displaying discussions 13 - 24 of 44 in total
