The two drunk cattle hands; the last third; the opening animated credits; the VCR recording conversation; Ron Underwood's filmography; veal; the ranch owner's sale speech; City Slickers II
The two drunk cattle hands are bizarre: after Curly dies they play with guns and taunt Mitch about killing Norman, with no hint earlier that they were evil.
Many 80s and 90s movies invent two characters to supply 20 minutes of tension; these two only introduce Curly by threatening Helen Slater's character, and a Taylor Sheridan version would have had a shootout.
The last 35 minutes fall off, with crossing a river as the major tension. — Bill Simmons
The expensive animated opening credits of a cowboy doing a rope trick are a long time suck, unlike thematically coherent Pink Panther openings.
A conversation about recording on a different VCR channel could not have aged worse and would take an hour to explain to Craig.
Ron Underwood's IMDb is read: Tremors, City Slickers, Heart and Souls, Speechless, Mighty Joe Young, The Adventures of Pluto Nash and Stealing Sinatra, prompting a 'JV Rob Reiner' comparison.
The movie makes you feel bad about eating veal, though veal parm is still enjoyed. — Bill Simmons
The ranch owner's speech about selling the cattle is called a bit of a picking nit and jokingly credited as the birth of veganism.
Without being sure it counts as aged the worst, the era's tone, an extra bad dad joke in every scene and Mark Shaman's score with gospel music during the stampede, is called corny and soft and said to belong to an era.
City Slickers 2 is called a money grab; Kirby not returning is likened to Duvall not doing Godfather 3, Palance returns as a twin, and Lovitz replaces Kirby with Godfather 2 speeches.
City Slickers 2 was not fired up deliberately: it came on during a channel flip while Lovitz was doing Godfather 2, and watching started from there. — Bill Simmons
Kirby's absence from the sequel was never explained; a reported excuse is a horse allergy that required shots on set, and internet rumors of a falling-out and blackballing by Crystal are called absurd, though Kirby's IMDb fell apart. — Bill Simmons
Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere is quoted theorizing that actors labeled bad news get avoided, and the host stresses he is not saying Crystal did this. — Bill Simmons
A 2001 USA Today junket exchange for America's Sweethearts is recounted: asked about Kirby, the answer was not having seen or spoken to him in a long time but thinking they were still friends, followed by calling the reporter the worst junket story. — Bill Simmons
Kirby's later career dropped off apart from roles like Donnie Brasco and Sleepers, and he died young. — Bill Simmons
No for Michael Douglas (Wall Street), probably not for the Sidney actress (American Beauty Oscar), and no for Fox and Sheen. — Bill Simmons
No for Sorkin, with The West Wing or The Social Network suggested instead. — Bill Simmons
USA Today is a yes: breaking presidential romances before the internet knocked it out. — Bill Simmons
Presidential movies may peak here, paving the way for Independence Day, Armageddon, Deep Impact and Haysbert on 24; it feels like yes but only "could be". — Bill Simmons
The hosts report that Sorkin later admitted writing the screenplay high on crack cocaine, locked in the Four Seasons in LA while also developing Sports Night. — Bill Simmons
The news is met with shock and the joke that it explains why nobody finishes a sentence in his movies; he is still called a fantastic writer. — Van Lathan
Two participants say they already knew; his substance issues are described as documented and continuing for a while. — Van Lathan
The hosts say sources conflict on whether the White House set was built for Dave or for this movie and reused for Nixon and Independence Day; the bedrooms are said to match The West Wing but not Dave. — Bill Simmons
The hosts say Spin City came out of someone seeing this movie. — Bill Simmons
The hosts report Fox kept his Parkinson's secret, hiding his shaking left hand in his pocket. — Bill Simmons
The hosts report Reiner followed Bill Clinton around the White House for two days for research. — Bill Simmons
Ebert gave the film four stars and loved it, praising the flawless recreation of the White House, the smart dialogue and the love story, calling it one of the year's best films. — Bill Simmons
His co-critic, rendered Cisco in the transcript, also loved it; both had called Reiner's previous film North the worst movie of the year and were apologizing while reviewing this one, which the speaker thinks was unnecessary. — Bill Simmons
A case is made for Rob Reiner, read from Wikipedia: after this film he co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment, probably worth billions. — Bill Simmons
That participant still sides with River Phoenix for a generational, timeless performance; James Dean in East of Eden now seems histrionic, while Phoenix would fit an HBO show tomorrow. — Chris Ryan
Phoenix was revered by his generation in a way Leo may never have been; the speaker knows of no documentary about him, and people close to him will not exploit him, so he wins the movie. — Bill Simmons
One voice would only 'probably' put Stand By Me as the apex for vandalism, such as mailbox baseball and low-grade 1950s gang activity (hedged, so not in the result); teen smoking is then offered and affirmed 'Yeah. Definitely'; burying pennies is floated without an answer. — Chris Ryan
The case for Reiner, as the hosts put it: after this film he starts Castle Rock Entertainment, which syndicates Seinfeld; his apex is the early 90s with A Few Good Men, and Castle Rock is the town in this movie. — Bill Simmons
The hosts say Reiner saw nearly every young actor, was moved by Phoenix reading for Chris, and wondered about him as Gordy or Chris. — Bill Simmons
The hosts say Corey Haim auditioned for Gordy, the studio wanted him as Chris, and he turned it down to make Lucas; Haim would have been okay, but Wil Wheaton remains the first choice. — Bill Simmons
The hosts say David Dukes, Ted Bessell and Michael McKean preceded Dreyfuss for the adult Gordy; the hosts say a Dukes scene was shot and his far-away shot remains. — Bill Simmons
The hosts say the film was long called The Body until Columbia refused the title; calling it The Body would have been a mistake. — Chris Ryan
The first pick is the early run-in with Ace, who takes the Yankee hat Denny gave Gordy; it does a lot in two minutes, establishing Ace, Gordy's inability to fight back and Chris not yet able to stop the cigarette. — Bill Simmons
There is not a wasted frame: the end mirrors the beginning, and the world holds only the kids looking for Ray Brower and the Cobras, with no parents or cops. — Chris Ryan
Gordy's trip to the store for Cokes and hamburger meat, the store guy's quarterback comment about his brother, and the junkyard chase that ends with Feldman yelling at the junkyard guy is a favorite; the store evokes first solo shopping trips, though baseball cards at the counter would have been a nice touch. — Bill Simmons
Chris's speech about Gordy's gift for writing shows in about 150 seconds why they are best friends: Chris is tough with a sensitive side, Gordy sensitive and wanting to be cool, always in each other's corner unlike Vern and Teddy. — Bill Simmons
An NBA analogy makes Chris and Gordy the two stars with a rotating cast; Vern is compared to Dwight Howard and to not wanting to go in the bubble. — Bill Simmons
The train scene is iconic: the wide bridge shots, the quiet, feeling the tracks, Teddy's line, Jerry O'Connell crawling and screaming, and the jump make a flawless four minutes. — Bill Simmons
The pie-eating story delivers for little kids; its editing, cutting back to the campfire where the others ask 'that's it?', is praised. — Bill Simmons
Chris's milk-money monologue is when Phoenix became the number-one draft pick; the hosts say Reiner told the 2016 Variety oral history he asked Phoenix to think of an adult who let him down, and the next take is in the movie. — Bill Simmons
The scene reflects learning that people in power disappoint you; none of the four is getting out of town, each for his own reason. — Bill Simmons
Gordy and Chris facing Ace with the gun is good, with Kiefer 'throwing 110 miles an hour' next to the decomposing body. — Bill Simmons
The ending keeps building: goodbye to Chris, the story of his death, Chris vanishing, then the writer finding his last sentence, which the speaker, a former columnist, identifies with; then wrestling with his son. — Bill Simmons
A joke imagines the same feeling after a 200th-episode Heat podcast with Michael Mann. — Bill Simmons
A second participant adds Vern running up to the treehouse and being cut off while the others keep singing, which sets up the gang as real characters.
The Cobras' mailbox baseball and tattoo scenes show what the boys could become; not even the bad guys have fun lives in this town. That participant calls the bridge crossing the most rewatchable. — Chris Ryan
Mailbox baseball and smashing pumpkins are called New England traditions after one participant admits he might have done it in Worcester. — Bill Simmons
Another participant agrees the train scene is the most rewatchable, a flawless four or five minutes; the hosts' research says a camera trick made the distant train seem right behind the boys. — Bill Simmons
The award is introduced as the Linda Partridge, don't call me lady, award for overacting and immediately derailed by confusion over the Joey Pants award.
Reiner, not even a question: he is nuts in this movie and screams the entire time; the award, formerly the Saul Rubinek 'they stab me in the heart' and before that the Mark Ruffalo, is not a critique and Rob Reiner is not canceled, he just yells for five minutes, delivered like Rob Manfred ruling on sign stealing with Jim Crane and a couple of cops; no case for McConaughey, and Kimmy a little bit.
Earlier, during the heat check, Dujardin is one host's overacting pick for being in a different movie.
