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Film credit
William Petersen
Also referred to as William Peterson, Bill Pete
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 3
- Movies in this archive
- 3
Rewatchables episodes featuring William Petersen’s films
Displaying all 3 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:11Read transcript
- Douglas’s repeated naked walks after the sex scene receive the William Petersen unnecessary-nudity award. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 02:03:31Read transcript
- The first answer is transcribed as freedom; its intended identity is unresolved. — Chris Ryan
- Petersen receives an explicit choice.
- A second explicit answer chooses Petersen.
- The career-to-CSI rationale leads into a coffee anecdote that is immediately admitted to be invented. — Sean Fennessey
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- William Petersen
- Speaker not identified
- William Petersen
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:37Read transcript
- A hottest take argues Petersen was only a few choices from major stardom; reported rejections of Goodfellas, Heat and Platoon are discussed with uncertainty about particular roles and his preference for other work. — Bill Simmons
- The Rat Pack, The Contender and CSI are praised as later successes; Petersen’s watchability and pre-existing bond with Pankow are credited for the partnership’s chemistry, and his financial and personal outcome is considered successful.
- Costner roles such as Bull Durham, Field of Dreams and No Way Out are imagined for Petersen, emphasizing physical presence, sports credibility and sex appeal. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:50:32Read transcript
- De Niro was offered Jimmy or Tommy, chose Jimmy, and his commitment secured financing. — Bill Simmons
- John Malkovich and William Petersen are discussed as reported Jimmy alternatives. — Bill Simmons
- Liotta’s Something Wild work helped establish him for Henry, and he reportedly turned down Harvey Dent in Batman. — Bill Simmons
- Sean Penn is discussed as a possible Henry. — Bill Simmons
- Paul Sorvino reportedly considered leaving until he saw a frightening expression in the mirror and found Paulie. — Bill Simmons
- Tom Cruise and Madonna are discussed as reported alternate star casting, though the panel questions how real the offers were. — Bill Simmons
Apex Mountain
William Petersen’s movie career, Tom Noonan, Captiva, burning corpses on rolling chairs, and cutoff gray shirts: yes
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:55Read transcript
- William Petersen is judged at his movie apex, though CSI complicates his overall apex. — Bill Simmons
- Tom Noonan is judged at his apex. — Bill Simmons
- Michael Mann is judged below his apex.
- Joan Allen is judged below her apex.
- Burning corpses on rolling chairs are jokingly assessed as an apex. — Bill Simmons
- Profiling is denied an apex because CSI and The Silence of the Lambs took it further. — Bill Simmons
- The climactic song use is debated as an apex. — Bill Simmons
- Sprinting through a window is assessed against being thrown through one.
- Captiva is judged at its apex.
- Cutoff gray shirts receive an apex joke. — Sean Fennessey
The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award
William Petersen and Stephen Lang split the overacting discussion.
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:12:58Read transcript
- Petersen’s visibly tormented Graham moments are nominated and debated. — Bill Simmons
- Stephen Lang’s Freddie Lounds is nominated for operating at a different intensity. — Chris Ryan
- The panel compares Lang’s performance to Judd Nelson in a different movie. — Bill Simmons
What’s Aged the Best?
Profiling, Mann’s style, the soundtrack, Tom Noonan, Brian Cox, and procedural details
In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:06Read transcript
- The film’s early criminal-profiling and forensic-procedure material remains compelling. — Bill Simmons
- The Red 7 heartbeat device is praised.
- The soundtrack is praised.
- The Captiva beach house and coastal setting are praised. — Bill Simmons
- Tom Noonan is highlighted. — Bill Simmons
- Lecter’s quoted verbal precision remains effective. — Bill Simmons
- The movie’s color design is praised. — Bill Simmons
- Brian Cox’s later career strengthens appreciation for his Lecter.
- The recurring “time is luck” line is highlighted. — Bill Simmons
- Mann’s use of Miami Vice repertory actors adds texture. — Bill Simmons
- Dante Spinotti’s cinematography is praised. — Chris Ryan
- Blue, green, and red are read as a simple, effective visual code.
- William Petersen’s Will Graham is considered among the notable 1980s movie cops.
What’s Aged the Best?
Dialogue; Tangerine Dream; Frank's collage; "I want a boy" exchange; film debuts; 1980 Caan and John Belushi in Chicago; Belushi's sideburns; Tuesday Weld; Mann's nihilistic ending
In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:10Read transcript
- The dialogue: Mamet-influenced; per a Belushi video interview, Mann insisted the characters never speak in contractions because they are so precise; it never dumbs down the Chicago underworld lingo for criminals or cops, including the beating speech. — Chris Ryan
- Tangerine Dream, fresh off Sorcerer and before Risky Business; with Vangelis and Faltermeyer they were the cool music of the early 80s. — Bill Simmons
- Frank's collage of children, a car and a house he doesn't have, his jailed mentor Willie Nelson and 12 skulls; jokes about a personal collage of Sean that is now an NFT, and Mann inventing Pinterest. — Bill Simmons
- Caan saying "I want a boy" and Prosky answering "Done"; the second meeting in the bar is a favorite conversation ("Wham-Bam Magic Sam"). — Sean Fennessey
- The film debuts of Jim Belushi, William Petersen, Dennis Farina, John Kapelos and Prosky; Farina was a Chicago policeman during filming, and Belushi was inspired casting. — Bill Simmons
- A participant saw it in a Boston theater in 1981 at 11 or 12 with his dad and was puzzled by Jim Belushi, who looked like John Belushi, then still alive. — Bill Simmons
- John Belushi visited the set, and the cast and crew hung out free all night at his Blues Brothers bar in Chicago; 1980 Caan and Belushi together must have produced stories. — Bill Simmons
- Belushi's sideburns were fantastic. — Bill Simmons
- Tuesday Weld: Wesley approved the take that Jessica Lange market-corrected her; she is terrific and perfect here, an Oscar nominee famous from Dobie Gillis who hasn't acted in 20 years, and, with a weak Best Supporting Actress category that year, could probably have nailed that down.
- These films shortchange wife and girlfriend roles, but this one gives her a big scene to come off the bench and score 22. — Chris Ryan
- Mann on the final decision, from the Ringer piece: having something makes Frank vulnerable, so the nihilistic act of destroying it returns his power. — Chris Ryan
- A joke about deleting the feed after the last Mann movie, with Heat as the 500th episode alongside Tom Sizemore.
Casting What-Ifs
Walter Hill directing; Keanu Reeves as Chris; Michael Madsen as Michael; Don Johnson as Michael; Ted Levine as Waingro; Voight declining Nate; the Thief star as Nate
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:08Read transcript
- The hosts say Mann shopped the script to Walter Hill in the 1980s and Hill turned it down; a Hill-Mann bank movie would have been huge news, perhaps starring Nick Nolte and Don Johnson. — Bill Simmons
- The hosts say Keanu Reeves was originally set to play Chris and lost the part when Kilmer fit it around Batman Forever; one host would totally go for Keanu. — Bill Simmons
- The hosts say Michael Madsen was originally cast as Michael and replaced by Sizemore, and Don Johnson was considered for Michael and as a backup for De Niro and Pacino. — Bill Simmons
- After rewatching every Michael scene with Don Johnson in mind, one host says no; the other thinks he could have worked, better as Nate. — Bill Simmons
- William Petersen allegedly turned down Michael, which one host doubts. — Chris Ryan
- The hosts say Ted Levine was offered Waingro and turned it down to avoid typecasting after Buffalo Bill; one host can't fathom it, the other thinks he would like that movie more. — Bill Simmons
- The hosts say Voight initially turned down Nate, saying others could do it better, until Mann insisted. — Bill Simmons
- An internet claim that the actress later in Mann's Miami Vice refused Justine unless the script was translated into Mandarin is called half-fast and fishy. — Bill Simmons
- The Thief star lamented on a 1998 Thief DVD commentary with Mann that he had no role in Heat; the hosts say he should have played Nate. — Bill Simmons
- Offered the Thief star as Nate plus Keanu as Chris, one host would rather keep Kilmer, whose unpredictable performance he loves. — Bill Simmons
Recasting Couch
David Caruso as Mr. Orange; James Gandolfini as Nice Guy Eddie or Joe Cabot; Dennis Farina as Joe Cabot; William Petersen as Mr. Blonde; Daniel Day-Lewis as Mr. Orange or Joe Cabot
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:20Read transcript
- A new category that might stick around: recast any key role in the movie with an actor you like, as long as it makes sense for 1992.
- He sprang the recasting category on the others without warning. — Bill Simmons
- Caruso could have been Mr. Orange because of that hair; Gandolfini as Nice Guy Eddie instead of Chris Penn, or as Joe Cabot given his physical bearing, is called a great pick; Schwarzenegger as Mr. Pink is a joke.
- Dennis Farina as Joe would be awesome, a little older but realistic as Eddie's father, and his reaction to Buscemi getting mad about being Mr. Pink would lift the scene to another level.
- William Peterson (as transcribed), 'Bill Pete', as Mr. Blonde is called really good; Daniel Day Lewis as Mr. Orange would bring in a different Brit Pack, or Oldman; DDL as Joe Cabot gaining seventy pounds and shaving his head draws a Lincoln impression.
Displaying all 10 discussions
