Contemporary complaints that the Adagio in G minor was overused are themselves criticized because the older film examples were decades earlier. — Bill Simmons
Damon reports that a planned joyful family whale-watching flashback required difficult boat, whale and drone photography and was not filmed after the production ran out of money. — Bill Simmons
Damon is jokingly blamed for not contributing his own money to preserve the unfilmed ending. — Bill Simmons
A 2021 version would likely cast Mendez according to his ethnic background. — Chris Ryan
Which of the six would you be: Scoot questioning everything and smoking, Tate Donovan with too much Zeppelin and scotch, or Cleo Duval? — Chris Ryan
One answer would demand to know why Mendez used a fake name and ask about his past missions, likened to a David Kahn joke; the other would ask him to share more about himself. — Bill Simmons
Learning a new identity would be crammed the night before, with jokes about the all-star game and When the Levee Breaks on repeat. — Bill Simmons
Tate Donovan's own Apex is floated as Friends before settling on season one of The O.C. — Bill Simmons
Cranston first gets a no for Breaking Bad, then a yes on the argument that Breaking Bad is surging toward its finale while he establishes himself in movies. — Bill Simmons
The CIA is joked about as making a comeback after killing JFK, but no explicit Apex yes is given. — Bill Simmons
Whether this is the Apex for exfils is asked but drifts into Proof of Life and Predator without an answer; exfiltration is defined. — Bill Simmons
Alan Arkin and John Goodman; Affleck's hair; movie-business in-jokes; the Intelligence Star; the 1979 Iran feel; the heightened escape day; opening credits; soundtrack; Scoot McNairy; 70s thriller vibe and ensembles
Goodman and Arkin end the category; the casting is a 15 out of 10, and once the right people are cast there is little left to do. — Chris Ryan
The six were cast without star power, chosen to resemble the real people shown in the closing credits, while the stars went to Affleck, Arkin, Goodman and the government roles. — Bill Simmons
Goodman has one of the strangest filmographies, working constantly across hits and misses, and is best in dramas where he provides comic relief. — Bill Simmons
The movie-business in-jokes, such as the WGA line, hold up. — Bill Simmons
The Intelligence Star, an award with no ceremony that must be handed back immediately, is a favorite concept and is joked about as a Ringer podcast award for 2021. — Bill Simmons
Affleck breaks out his Good Will Hunting wistful half-smile when receiving the Intelligence Star. — Bill Simmons
It is unclear where the Iran scenes were shot, but the film feels like 1979, helped by cutting in news footage. — Chris Ryan
The decision to make the escape day far more tense holds up, though think pieces say the real departure was easy. — Chris Ryan
The hosts say Affleck was upfront about taking liberties and that the bazaar confrontation and the plane chase did not happen, and Zero Dark Thirty drew more trouble by presenting itself as closer to documentary. — Chris Ryan
Movies based on a true story should be watched for the story, not history; even Spotlight changed things, and the hosts say Arkin's character is a merger of real people. — Bill Simmons
The opening credit sequence and a soundtrack of four bangers, including Dance the Night Away and When the Levee Breaks, are praised despite a song that came out too late. — Bill Simmons
Song-year accuracy matters only if a film goes all in; still, the anachronistic song made one host think it was 1982. — Bill Simmons
Scoot McDerry is incredible as the only real foil to Affleck, though the constant doubting invites a shut-up. — Chris Ryan
His career is judged worse than it should have been; he could have had a Gandolfini-style leading turn, and his name may have hurt him. — Bill Simmons
The storming of the U.S. embassy is the first nominee, an electric eight-minute scene: the dartboard with the Ayatollah picture, the Marine commander going out to reason and being grabbed, and the order not to shoot anyone or start World War III while they burn the classified material. — Bill Simmons
The opening establishes each of the six, with Tate Donovan leading but an airhead and Scoot as the locker-room guy questioning the coach; small details include a captor taking a woman's glasses. — Chris Ryan
The frantic destruction of equipment recalls a Grantland one-hour evacuation plan near the end of the ESPN era that was never executed. — Bill Simmons
Mendez shooting down every rescue plan, such as bicycles 300 miles to the Turkish border with a tire pump, is the next nominee; it is compared to Chuck Kosterman calmly rejecting pitches at Grantland, and the scene is full of that-guy actors like Titus Welliver. — Bill Simmons
Goodman listening to the plan and the "associate producer at best" exchange lead into meeting Arkin, who is basically playing Alan Arkin with lines like the one about counting the wrinkles on his dog's balls. — Bill Simmons
Arkin was nominated essentially for playing himself; once Goodman and Arkin arrive, the film gains levity, comedy and sunlit Hollywood scenes. — Bill Simmons
Mendez meeting the Canadian six ("I get people out"), Scoot's "bad cards" speech and the intense bazaar scouting trip are singled out. — Bill Simmons
Affleck drilling everyone on their cover stories before the airport is praised as hard, tough-love coaching. — Bill Simmons
The hosts relate that Led Zeppelin allowed When the Levee Breaks but required the needle to sit near the end of the album side, matching the song's real position, so the shot was redone. — Bill Simmons
The song is called perfect for the night before the escape while things fall apart back home. — Bill Simmons
The last-minute ticket scramble with Cranston and the airport checks start the last 20 minutes, called the best part of the film, up to the announcement that alcohol can be served after clearing Iranian airspace. — Bill Simmons
Scoot explaining the movie premise to the angry guard, the call to Arkin and Goodman and the takeoff are listed. — Bill Simmons
The celebration montage is a favorite and covers the whole spectrum of celebrations, from Cranston's dry crying and Scoot's handshake to Messina's premature celebration and Arkin and Goodman dancing.
Asked for a final pick, one participant chooses the presentation of all the different escape plans. — Chris Ryan
The other pick is the stretch from the airport to the celebration montage, the part that led to watching the film over and over. — Bill Simmons
