Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love, La La Land) is the favorite re-pairing because they could make another completely different movie now. — Bill Simmons
The script is called well-constructed and well-written, with a shout-out to the writers, including Richard Price for the screenplay. — Bill Simmons
The kidnappers, by shorthand, are Lieutenant Dan, the bald Californication guy, New Kid on the Block number two, the HBO narrator guy and Lily Taylor; Lily Taylor is praised. — Bill Simmons
Early email as a plot device, when getting an email signaled that he must be really rich. — Bill Simmons
The crew is a sneaky good cast who all played their positions; Donnie Wahlberg was stunt casting in 1996 and has since become a successful actor on Blue Bloods. — Van Lathan
The narrative of the dirty cop as the lead villain has aged best. — Van Lathan
Rubber-plant condom joke; young Dean Norris and Nestor Serrano; blond Hitler-haired henchman; South African accents; Joss Ackland; Patsy Kensit; Eric Clapton soundtrack; decision not to kill Riggs; Pesci's introduction; nail guns
The condom material with the daughter paying off in the rubber-plant joke is classic cop humor. — Bill Simmons
Seen on cable as a kid, a dad laughed with his entire soul at the condom scene; the joke only made sense years later; a room full of cops is the right setting. — Van Lathan
The bad guy with the blond Hitler hair; a wispy mustache would have been too on the nose. — Bill Simmons
The South African accents get special applause ('who is the dickhead now, eh?'). — Bill Simmons
Asked why no South African accent was attempted, the reply is that South African is hard to do. — Chris Ryan
Joss Ackland, the Russian diplomat in Hunt for Red October, is good with a variety of accents. — Bill Simmons
Patsy Kensit does a great job, though notes follow about her character having no apparent culpability for working there; she looks great.
She faced a tough crowd in Michelle Pfeiffer's golden age, with Greta Scotchy and Meg Ryan also around; a high-school argument over Scotchy versus Kensit is recalled. — Bill Simmons
Kensit married Liam Gallagher and was originally a singer in a band. — Chris Ryan
The soundtrack: Eric Clapton does the guitar work and there is a George Harrison song. — Bill Simmons
The decision not to have Riggs die, financially. — Bill Simmons
The introduction of Pesci, like a microwave scorer off the bench, injects adrenaline and breaks into the Riggs-Murtaugh chemistry.
Nail guns: this was the first time seeing one, and with Snoop in The Wire nail guns aged really well. — Van Lathan
Desert drug scenes are asked about as an Apex; the reply muses that the movie cemented the desert as the place for hallucinogenics, with no yes given. — Chuck Klosterman
Frank Whaley's Apex is put at Pulp Fiction or Career Opportunities; debate over whether Apex means peak or most juice; this movie was not a success. — Bill Simmons
Olivia Diaba (as spoken), described as the teenage daughter from The Wonder Years and from Kicking and Screaming, would be the right age and easy to buy. — Chuck Klosterman
Sharon Stone is floated, but would compete with Morrison too much; she could have played the Kathleen Quinlan part.
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 hosts report that Robert Redford came up with the premise "the President elopes," selected Sorkin's treatment and was to star, then dropped out for unclear reasons. — Bill Simmons
Redford would be too cool for the goofy, sentimental material and the speech, and The President Elopes would have been a more solemn marriage story.
The hosts report that the Sidney actress and Douglas were to star in Disclosure until her pregnancy gave the part to Demi Moore; the casting should be kept as it is. — Bill Simmons
The holiday itself peaked in the early 90s when people cared whether the groundhog saw its shadow; global warming is an even better reason, and it seems stupid now. — Bill Simmons
Andy McDowell draws "I would say yes" and "Hard no", with Sex, Lies, and Videotape offered instead; 130 episodes in, Apex Mountain is still unsettled. — Bill Simmons
After Sex, Lies, and Videotape she was put center frame in mainstream films like Green Card, but she vanishes from memorable movies after 1996. — Sean Fennessey
The rebuttal about raising a family is answered with research saying she had her first kid in 1986, before being in a movie. — Sean Fennessey
The hosts say her youngest daughter is Margaret Quali from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, born in 1994, and that she did not stop working but made bad movies. — Sean Fennessey
A theory: female leads had four-to-five-year shelf lives until the mid-2010s (Madeline Stowe in Stakeout and Revenge), with Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock and Reese Witherspoon outlasting it; MacDowell was in that mix and the theory is called 100% legitimate, with a wish to bring Issa back. — Bill Simmons
She could have moved into supporting parts but made unfamiliar 2000s movies; Sex, Lies, and Videotape is promised for a future episode and is one participant's mom's favorite movie. — Bill Simmons
I Got You Babe was obviously at its apex on the 70s variety show, but lives on through this movie for anyone under 40, a belated apex; whether Cher got the joke leads to her Letterman appearance. — Bill Simmons
Asked whether it is Ramis's apex, the answer is "Probably, yeah," as the culmination of a 17-18 year run starting with National Lampoon. — Bill Simmons
A personal apex for him is the first 20 minutes of Stripes, called the best start of any comedy. — Bill Simmons
Michael Keaton is said to have turned it down as too confusing, regretted it, and ended up in Multiplicity with Ramis and Andy McDowell. — Bill Simmons
Eddie Murphy would have wanted the part in the mid-to-late 80s but not by 1993 after Boomerang; a circa-1990 Murphy would have been really good, Keaton also would have been good, but Bill Murray ended up perfect. — Bill Simmons
The hosts say Andy McDowell almost did not get the role because it was going to Tori Amos, amid a groundswell, before they played it safe; Sex, Lies, and Videotape is named as her breakthrough. — Bill Simmons
The Sarandon case: more mustard on the fastball playing off Bill Murray, the right age, and believable as an ambitious TV producer. — Sean Fennessey
The Sarandon idea draws pushback that she always feels older and was probably too old in 1993. — Sean Fennessey
Meg Ryan is floated and described as very sweet and so blonde. — Issa Rae
If Eddie Murphy were the lead, Whitney Houston is floated; the early 90s are called a tough era for actresses, Sandra Bullock too young though great, and Julia too big a star; the role is called a prop. — Bill Simmons
After the break, the guest's Eddie Murphy idea is revisited as an awesome 80s Eddie Murphy, with doubt he pulls it off in the 90s. — Bill Simmons
Julia Roberts is rumored to have passed; one of the writers is quoted saying lots of big actresses passed, which a host believes he told BuzzFeed UK in 2015. A host thinks it is described as one of her most regrettable decisions, but the hosts doubt she was ever seriously considered. — Juliet Litman
The hosts say the Vanity Fair article reports Demi Moore was wanted, which would have been her first rom-com; she would have made it more serious and anxious. — Juliet Litman
The Washington Post oral history is cited for Davis passing, funny because she and Pullman were married in A League of Their Own; when the director signed on, Harrison Ford and Davis were attached and both backed out. — Amanda Dobbins
Harrison Ford would have been great, if more of a jerk and less believable as the spare brother. — Juliet Litman
The hosts cite the Washington Post as saying Dennis Quaid was rumored for Jack; a host speculates he and Meg Ryan shared representation. — Juliet Litman
Patrick Swayze, also mentioned for Jack, is a no: too much charisma for a reticent role, leading into a tangent about Dirty Dancing and Ghost. — Amanda Dobbins
Matthew McConaughey was reportedly a top choice for Jack until his Texas accent got in the way; a host calls it a hard yes and invents a Texas-family fix, noting the grandmother's British accent goes unexplained. — Amanda Dobbins
The hosts report Pierce Brosnan was rumored for Peter; his accent hardly matters since Peter is asleep, and Peter Gallagher plays a yuppie better than almost anyone. — Juliet Litman
James Spater (as transcribed) was mentioned somewhere on the list, probably for Jack, but a host thinks he should have been Peter. — Amanda Dobbins
The Jack role could have worked with several actors, which is a testament to the writing; Jack is probably the best-written character even if Bullock sells hers best. — Juliet Litman
The casting is strong enough that the film does not miss a best friend; Lucy only has coworkers, making hers one of the sadder rom-com heroine backstories. — Amanda Dobbins
Her clothes nail an Eileen Fisher aesthetic; the sweaters, jeans and boots feel current, though the muddy long belted skirts at the family house are an exception. — Juliet Litman
Her deep red velvet New Year's Eve outfit echoes Meg Ryan's Christmas Eve outfit in Sleepless in Seattle, and the coat is back in style. — Juliet Litman
The handcrafting furniture maker played by Bill Pullman is an artsy boyfriend ahead of its time, a forerunner of Aiden in Sex and the City, and his furniture has aged better than Aiden's. — Juliet Litman
Walk-up apartments sucked in 1995 and still do. — Juliet Litman
The simple engagement ring is loved and likened to the ring Aiden gives Carrie; it also has to fit under the token slot. — Amanda Dobbins
The film is aspirational but not out of touch with how normal people live. — Juliet Litman
Jack's reversible jean jacket is loved; the hosts cite Ashley Spencer's Washington Post oral history, in which Bill Pullman is quoted as still having and wearing it. — Amanda Dobbins
The ranking settles on casting first, fashion second and the furniture boyfriend third. — Juliet Litman
The hosts say Verhoeven went for Demi Moore, Amanda Donohoe was considered, and Douglas was talked into Sharon Stone, who made $500,000. — Bill Simmons
The Nick Curran role was said to be originally a lesbian cop written with Kathleen Turner in mind. — Bill Simmons
The hosts say Verhoeven was slated to direct Black Rain but left for Total Recall, and that he wanted Tom Berenger for RoboCop and for Nick and was turned down. — Bill Simmons
Per the hosts, Milos Forman was the first choice to direct and many leading men were allegedly considered, including Swayze, Costner, De Niro, Willis, Gibson and Harrison Ford, but the role is iconic Douglas. — Bill Simmons
