Paula and Lynette smoking, dressing for the weekend and listening to Pat Benatar are aged-best choices; the setting's rural presentation is debated as a frontier-like Navy town.
Paula and Lynette are aged-best character choices; Lynette's shack with carefully kept plants is praised, while her dated haircut is deferred to aged-worst.
Caruso's appearance with a crew cut is an aged-best choice. — Bill Simmons
DOR as a reusable life concept and obstacle-course scenes are aged-best choices. — Bill Simmons
Foley's warning about the Puget Debs is an aged-best choice, with the term explained as sarcastic debutantes. — Bill Simmons
Hair-shaving scenes are an aged-best choice, compared with Stripes and Full Metal Jacket. — Chris Ryan
Sid swallowing the ring and Treat Me Right are recalled as enduring details; politically incorrect marching songs are considered both aged-best and aged-worst. — Bill Simmons
Opening and closing credits and the factory rescue ending are aged-best choices.
Grace Zabriskie's mother is praised; the silent stepfather is read as resenting reminders of his wife's earlier pilot relationship.
Water-submersion training is praised as unusual film material, although the category is qualified as scenes rarely seen now rather than something literally aging well. — Bill Simmons
Foley's first inspection is nominated for its insulting exchanges, tattoo reaction and immediate establishment of the character. — Bill Simmons
The first obstacle course is nominated, contrasting Mayo's selfish excellence with Seeger's struggle and room to improve.
Mayo and Paula meeting is nominated for immediate chemistry despite the dated ethnic language. — Bill Simmons
The bar fight is nominated for the payoff when an aggressive local ignores Mayo's reluctance and is beaten; the trope of hostility to servicemen is questioned and partly defended through post-Vietnam context. — Bill Simmons
Caruso's near-drowning and Foley's rescue are nominated, with attention to Caruso's youthful appearance. — Bill Simmons
Foley demanding Mayo's resignation and the ensuing punishment culminating in I got nowhere else to go is the favored scene, receiving explicit agreement. — Bill Simmons
Paula trying to make Mayo jealous at the bar is a second-favorite scene, especially the use of Tunnel of Love; the apparent long separation conflicts with the few days actually elapsed. — Bill Simmons
The second obstacle course is nominated for Mayo sacrificing a record to help Seeger, completing his shift from selfish standout to teammate. — Bill Simmons
Worley's altitude-chamber panic is praised as part of convincing training sequences that invite viewers to imagine enduring the tests. — Bill Simmons
Mayo and Paula confronting Lynette while searching for Sid is praised as powerful rather than comfortably rewatchable; Sid swallowing the ring is similarly intense and alarming.
Mayo fighting Foley in the hangar is enjoyed as a sudden martial-arts-film detour, while the lack of military oversight is questioned.
The assignment ceremony and Mayo's farewell to Foley are praised as an Oscar-worthy sequence, especially Foley's restrained reaction.
The factory rescue ending is praised, while Lynette's cheerful reaction remains uncomfortable after her role in Sid's fate.
Final scene choices favor the long-weekend DOR punishment with agreement, while another choice is the Tunnel of Love bar encounter for its depiction of formerly intimate people reconnecting. — Sean Fennessey
The sex scene is praised as unusually beautiful and convincing; reported edits to avoid an X rating and Winger's dissatisfaction are noted.
Two finalists are named, Caruso in a nothing part and Art, the psycho deputy with about eight minutes on screen who hangs over the whole movie; no winner is picked. — Brian Koppelman
Caruso is the other nominee, playing it far less cool than in his later TV roles; Stallone earned his explosion after staying quiet all movie. Each host keeps his nominee. — Brian Koppelman
Hero survives ending; premise; score; PTSD theme; early David Caruso; police brutality; original John Rambo; Teasle rising in his office; National Guard photo; Clinton Morgen character; "They drew first blood"; Kassar and Vajna credits; real-life touches
Pulled forward from What's Aged the Best: not having Rambo kill himself, as in the script, after test audiences disliked it may be the smartest action-movie decision ever; don't kill your hero. — Brian Koppelman
The premise is unassailable and the score is great, including when he plows through the cars near the end. — Bill Simmons
A hero with PTSD was still new; it is how one host learned about PTSD at 13. — Bill Simmons
Objection: the PTSD flashbacks as a filmmaking technique did not age well; Spike's Five Bloods did them better. — Brian Koppelman
Early Caruso, sneering with a terrible haircut, was somebody to watch. — Brian Koppelman
Police brutality, cops treating someone like dirt for no reason, was new in a popular movie; original John Rambo has aged well. — Brian Koppelman
Teasle slowly standing in his office when told Rambo is alive, and the weekend National Guard guys posing for a picture ("back to the drugstore on Monday") are singled out. — Brian Koppelman
From the arrest to the motorcycle is as good as action filmmaking gets; the stretch from the shaving to the cliff runs about 30 minutes. — Bill Simmons
Stallone took real punishment, as when Ernie Shavers sent him to the hospital. — Bill Simmons
The cliff scene: Art threatens Rambo from the helicopter, Rambo jumps into the tree; Stallone did the bottom third of the fall himself and broke a rib. — Bill Simmons
The jump has been ripped off for 40 years; unlike Butch and Sundance, Stallone looks like a war machine hanging from the cliff. — Brian Koppelman
The perfectly timed rock hitting the helicopter glass is compared to a throw from deep left field. — Bill Simmons
The night hunt, with the "We ain't hunting him, he's hunting us" line, has Rambo taking out the deputies one by one. — Bill Simmons
Troutman's first scene ("God didn't build Rambo. I made him") and Teasle's disgust are another pick. — Bill Simmons
The rats play better on a theater screen; Stallone reportedly got bitten and needed a tetanus shot. — Bill Simmons
Rambo taking the Jeep ("That's how accidents happen") and blowing up the gas station are two more rewatchable moments. — Bill Simmons
The "Nothing is over" ending is shockingly good acting, but it is flagged as not rewatchable because it is so emotional. — Bill Simmons
The final pick is the jail escape through the cliff, about a 30-minute stretch; kept to one scene it is jail to motorcycle, with Troutman's entrance also named. — Bill Simmons
Crenna is praised along with The Flamingo Kid; someone else reportedly had the Troutman part until the day before. — Bill Simmons
The opening store scene does a lot, with Seth Rogen's story about a Tijuana show featuring a woman and a horse, which turned out not as cool as it sounds. — Bill Simmons
Paul Rudd accosting Jane Lynch over the Michael McDonald DVD, ending with the 'Yamo burn this place to the ground' line; the speaker's son got bored about 40 minutes in but watched that bit on YouTube over and over.
The same DVD played over and over in the store is very real to anyone who has worked retail. — Bill Simmons
The poker game feels like an SNL sketch; the line about a breast feeling like a bag of sand makes it the speaker's personal favorite scene. — Bill Simmons
The Leslie Mann scene is bonkers, the only unrealistically unhinged scene, but in a good way. — Bill Simmons
The body-waxing scene was like Caddyshack's Baby Ruth scene coming out of the theater.
The hosts say the waxing was done for real with five cameras and an actress as the waxer, so the nipple was not oiled and his right nipple was ravaged; it was really Carell's chest, and they had to keep waxing it for later shirtless scenes. — Bill Simmons
Paul Rudd bringing over a big box of porn and the Boner Jams '03 mix tape, followed by the Everybody Loves Raymond tape; Boner Jams '03 is called the favorite line in the movie.
The speed dating scene is really good, with Mo Collins's character flagged to come up later for the Dion Waiters category. — Bill Simmons
Andy's first date call to Catherine Keener while the others do 'you know how I know you're gay', which has not aged well in some ways but is Rudd and Rogen cooking. — Bill Simmons
The support group scene and Seth with his dad, who berates him about his little Jew fro. — Bill Simmons
The ending, where losing his virginity turns into a musical number with the whole cast, is called a really good choice and credited to Gary Shandling because they couldn't figure out the ending. — Bill Simmons
A special shout-out goes to the extended version of the Kevin Hart and Malco scene, compared to Clemens and Cecil Fielder going toe to toe; the lister agrees and had it in what's aged the best.
Andy following Rogen's character's tips in the bookstore: the just-ask-questions bit, the 'be David Caruso in Jade' advice, then the best line in the movie and the 90-second seduction by Elizabeth Banks. — Sean Fennessey
The David Caruso in Jade reference may have aged best or worst, since producer Craig would not know what Jade was. — Bill Simmons
Formal pick: the poker game, because it is perfectly written. — Bill Simmons
A second voice agrees the poker game is the most iconic now: the chest waxing was, but the bag-of-sand line is the one quoted back. — Sean Fennessey
It fits the movie because the other guys' sex talk makes sex seem gross and foreign, so Andy's choice to stay home with his electronic drum kit seems understandable. — Chris Ryan
Bill Paxton is proposed for the Rekall salesman who talks Quaid into the vacation. — Bill Simmons
An objection: Paxton was too young in the Aliens era; the role needs a sleazy 40-something used-car-salesman type, and he lacked the gravitas to talk Quaid into the chair. — Jason Concepcion
A rebuttal: Paxton's voice makes him someone who could talk you into anything. — Jason Concepcion
David Caruso is nominated but judged too sinister; Judd Nelson is judged too weird, and Paxton is called the right move.
A replacement for Altobello would need an Italian-American actor of the era with Sinatra-like charisma; Paul Sorvino is unavailable because of Goodfellas. — Bill Simmons
Casting Wallach may echo the Lee Strasberg gamble, but it telegraphs the villain because he has played so many heavies.
The winner for Hamilton's part is William Hurt, called a no-brainer who looks like Duvall and could be Hagen's Harvard son as the new consigliere.
Recasting Hagen himself with Hurt is rejected as anti-recasting, and a Hagen son working for Michael is questioned given Michael's record. — Chris Ryan
Was Omar from The Wire inspired by Frank White? Avon Barksdale is suggested instead, or Frank split into several characters; the film may be missing an Omar-type gunfighter Frank keeps on ice.
Did Walken's subway muggers come back for a job? Yes, Harold Perrineau is seen later at the Plaza and in the Schoolly D scene.
Why does it take filmmakers so long to tap people who are obviously stars, as with Grantland and Ringer writers? The answer is the actors spent a decade building toward the right role, and most directors know only already-known actors.
While casting Reservoir Dogs, the speaker recalls casting director Ronnie Eskell (as heard) telling him, 'Quentin, if this directing thing doesn't work, I will give you half my business.' — Quentin Tarantino
Game recognizes game: Ferrara and the NYPD Blue team (Bocchco and Milch) recognized Caruso was ready; Tim Robbins recounted being promised The Player despite funding pressure.
On Jackie Brown, Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, Robert Forster and John Saxon were the four Max Cherry ideas; Forster got the role after an Alligator rewatch and a chance restaurant meeting, before bigger names could ask.
Pam Greer was baked into that project; Travolta was first considered for the Eric Stoltz role while Michael Madsen was expected as Vincent, then became the backup when that fell through.
For the last movie, casting Brad Pitt needed availability, a deal, and Rick cast first so his double Cliff would be realistic.
"I'm going downtown, find me a girl, and get my knob polished"; "Who wanted to see you in a cage, man?"; "You don't sell drugs, my brother. You shoot people."; "The test came back negative"; "I thought about you every time I jerked off"
The opener is Jimmy at the Plaza: 'I'm going downtown, find me a girl, and get my knob polished.'
Every Fishburne line gets said back to the screen, like Smokey in Friday; 'get my knob polished' feels like a Fishburne ad lib, though Nick St. John could have written it.
'Hey Jimmy, why didn't you visit me?' / 'Who wanted to see you in a cage, man?' is a great line and a genuine explanation that defuses the reunion's tension.
Jimmy before the raid: 'I want to know who I'm selling drugs to' / 'You don't sell drugs, my brother. You shoot people.' / 'Yo, I'm unemployed. Ain't nobody left.'
Caruso's 'The test came back negative' aside in the toast and his bar speech; Caruso communicates arrogance better than any actor. — Sean Fennessey
Frank's line during his first arrest, 'I thought about you every time I jerked off', is a favorite; 'slap the black off you' is also thrown out.
