The claim that Johnny Depp declined Will Scarlet is explicitly doubted, though he is imagined as a better choice. — Bill Simmons
John Cleese was reportedly proposed as King Richard before Costner pushed for Connery, whose fee was described as reduced to a charitable donation. — Bill Simmons
Nancy Travis as a butcher receives the newly proposed award; her training, career history and knife skills are questioned.
The proposed Elisabeth Shue electrochemist name is reconsidered in favor of Denise Richards’s Dr. Christmas Jones; Nicole Kidman in Days of Thunder and The Peacemaker supplies comparisons.
For Sydney Sweeney’s husband, a younger Adam Driver is considered; Glen Powell is rejected as too attractive and Miles Teller is viewed as a better candidate. — Mallory Rubin
Jacob Elordi and Paul Mescal are rejected as too attractive for the desired contrast; Elordi’s height is also noted. — Bill Simmons
A producer identified in the transcript as Linda Oakes describes Harrelson’s appeal to women as both adorable and adventurous; the name remains uncertain. — Bill Simmons
Rory Culkin is proposed before the Succession actor is corrected to Kieran; Jeremy Strong follows, but the age gap with Sweeney draws an objection.
Brad Pitt is favored over “Leo” (surname not spoken) for Gage because of his resemblance to and career association with Redford. — Bill Simmons
Julia Roberts reportedly declined Diana; her apparent youth and repeating a paid-sex premise after Pretty Woman draw objections, although the character’s age is estimated at twenty-six. — Bill Simmons
Harrelson reportedly left Benny and Joon and faced a lawsuit; Johnny Depp had been approached for this film before taking that role, while White Men Can’t Jump persuaded Lyne to cast Harrelson. — Mallory Rubin
Harrelson is defended as inspired casting because David needs less overwhelming attractiveness than Cruise despite the marriage’s continuing sexual chemistry. — Mallory Rubin
Fincher is said to have reshaped Meg from Kidman’s more glamorous reading toward Foster’s practical, political portrayal — Bill Simmons
Foster reportedly became available after Russell Crowe’s injury halted a film she was directing, then her pregnancy complicated this production — Bill Simmons
Ron Howard turned down directing The Chamber, a movie that did not totally work, to direct this. — Bill Simmons
The first choice for Jimmy Shaker was Alec Baldwin, who turned it down because of how the child was endangered; Ray Leota also passed over how kids are treated in the script, and Sinise was the third choice. — Bill Simmons
Baldwin once said his movie career felt like a failure without a huge hit he drove; he fumbled Jack Ryan and should have made seven of those movies. — Van Lathan
Malice with Nicole Kidman is recommended for Baldwin's performance; the movie is called bad but rewatchable for a terrible Boston accent. — Bill Simmons
Runtime; reporter girlfriend subplot; Meg Ryan as Pam; Kevin Dillon as Johnny Drama; Wayne's World 2 parody; wigs; desert special effects; Doors missing Woodstock; easy fact-checking; the film's potential audience today
The movie is 25 minutes too long; the reporter girlfriend could be cut to a minute like Mimi Rogers' photographer, and the timeline of Jim's girlfriends and the Wiccan subplot, later negated by "I was stoned," is superfluous.
Teased as the all-time aged worst: Meg Ryan as Pam was horribly miscast, like Meg Ryan in a wig in a different movie; Stone later disowned the casting. — Bill Simmons
A reply calls it a thankless part as Stone conceived it, criticized by people around the Doors, though she does seem to be in another movie.
A different view: she is not that bad, seems to impersonate Nicole Kidman on the roof (Kidman would have been better), and is funny at Thanksgiving; the role was central partly because her family contributed. — Chuck Klosterman
There was controversy over nude scenes Stone required of whoever took the part; it ended up halfway. — Chuck Klosterman
Kevin Dillon reads as Johnny Drama; Entourage should have made the Doors drummer Drama's best role. — Bill Simmons
Wayne's World 2 parodied the Native American material, which a son did not understand. — Bill Simmons
The wigs are terrible on everyone except Morrison, with Ed Sullivan even joking about hair. — Bill Simmons
The desert drug special effects are dated, and the witch reporter girlfriend is noted again. — Bill Simmons
The film is a reminder the Doors were not invited to Woodstock, a giant miss where they might have stolen the show or been the worst band. — Bill Simmons
It would be hard to be the worst band there, but drunk Jim could have; by 1968-69 the Doors were moving into something darker than the hippie movement. — Chuck Klosterman
The office scene where everyone tells Jim they were not invited to Woodstock is another expository gem. — Chris Ryan
Allegations about Stone's casting process surfaced during Me Too in 2017, with Malora Hardin (as spoken), Melissa Gilbert and an actress named Caitlin O'Haney (as spoken) (who broke a non-disclosure agreement) speaking out; listeners are pointed to research it themselves. — Bill Simmons
What has not aged well: a biopic today is easily fact-checked, unlike 1991, which would have hurt Stone; critics would dwell on invented scenes rather than, as in Ebert's review, a self-destructive man. — Chuck Klosterman
Offered hesitantly: the potential audience has aged worse, as a new viewer feels an obligation to have the film declare Morrison a bad person, whereas in 1991 that was not a conversation. — Chuck Klosterman
Counter: it was assumed then that the character was a sociopath; one view says that is why movies are less interesting now. — Chuck Klosterman
The couple's chemistry is really good and could have gone wrong in the wrong hands; trained actors are often the best people for movies like this. — Bill Simmons
Bridesmaids had already shown what Rose Byrne could do, and research for that episode found people surprised she could do comedy. — Bill Simmons
Byrne is floated as the most versatile actor of her generation: serious dramas, superhero movies, broad comedies and TV, always good. — Bill Simmons
She is called underrated with the most versatility; Nicole Kidman in the Hawaii comedy seemed to be trying, while Byrne could have made only comedies. — Bill Simmons
The stunt casting of Mintz-Plasse works: heavier, grown out and older-looking, a deliberate break from the McLovin spell. — Bill Simmons
Dave Franco's intentional boners, about three in the movie, are hilarious; a son first saw the movie during the pandemic and was angry he had not been shown it sooner. — Bill Simmons
The opening 'taking it to Bonertown' exchange kills, and the airbag gimmick is hilarious. — Bill Simmons
The soundtrack is essential, as with The Hangover, and the frat-party music choices were really good. — Bill Simmons
The music captures the 2008-2015 pop moment of Missy Elliott, Flo Rida and Kesha that played at any gathering of more than 20 people. — Sean Fennessey
Craig weighs in with a Flo Rida comment, prompting a joke about whether Flo Rida beats Bob Dylan. — Bill Simmons
Agreement follows: an Australian is just an Australian, and she is funnier in this movie because she did not have to worry about her accent. — Chris Ryan
The accent sets up jokes such as her thinking the Kudrow character is called Dean, and one reference is enough to account for it; strained American accents may inhibit improv. — Bill Simmons
