The Godfather Part II
1974 film
Bill Simmons · Sean Fennessey · Chris Ryan · Brian Koppelman
Aired December 17, 2019
‹ All people
Rocky II
Two for the Money
Two for the Money
Two for the Money
Two for the Money
Two for the Money
Two for the Money
Two for the Money
Snake Eyes
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Star Wars: A New Hope
Film credit
Al Pacino
Also referred to as Pacino
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 16
- Movies in this archive
- 17
Rewatchables episodes featuring Al Pacino’s films
Displaying episodes 13 - 16 of 16 in total
Mentioned in discussions
Recasting Couch
Chris Ryan as the commercial director; Al Pacino as backup
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:13Read transcript
- Chris Ryan is proposed as the commercial director, with Al Pacino as the backup. — Bill Simmons
Producer review
Improves on rewatch; Pacino makes it entertaining
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:56Read transcript
- The invited producer chooses Pacino and says the performance turns an initially modest reaction into greater enjoyment on revisiting clips. — Chris Ryan
Who Won the Movie?
Al Pacino (two choices); Matthew McConaughey (two choices)
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:33Read transcript
- Pacino receives the first winner choice. — Bill Simmons
- McConaughey receives the second winner choice. — Bill Simmons
- McConaughey receives another choice, though the claim that this immediately changed his career is challenged; Pacino’s balance of broad comedy and a substantial character is praised. — Bill Simmons
- The invited producer chooses Pacino and says the performance turns an initially modest reaction into greater enjoyment on revisiting clips. — Chris Ryan
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- Al Pacino
- Speaker not identified
- Matthew McConaughey
- Speaker not identified
- Matthew McConaughey
- Speaker not identified
- Al Pacino
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Monday-night chasing; ideal anxious-husband actor; earnings; Walter’s motives
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:31Read transcript
- The claim that Monday-night popularity comes from chasing losses is questioned; Sunday night is offered as the more natural chase before Monday settlement.
- Pacino is proposed as the top casting choice for a sexually displaced husband. — Bill Simmons
- Other possible actors for the sexually anxious husband include Hackman, Douglas and Gere, without a settled ranking. — Cousin Sal
- Indoor Oakley wraparound sunglasses are admired.
- Brandon’s total earnings remain unclear; percentages and a $100,000 payment on a $2million win are discussed. — Bill Simmons
- Employer-funded housing and perks may explain apparent wealth without large cash compensation. — Bill Simmons
- The staged kiss and surveillance support a reading of Walter gambling on his marriage by trying to replace himself with Brandon.
Just One Oscar
Al Pacino, supporting actor
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:24Read transcript
- Pacino in supporting actor receives agreement as the single Oscar choice. — Bill Simmons
Apex Mountain
Jeremy Piven; USFL footage (qualified)
In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:14Read transcript
- No Apex for the three stars; Jaime King is tentatively considered. — Bill Simmons
- The Gambler remains ahead among sports-gambling movies; White Chicks and Pearl Harbor challenge the Jaime King suggestion. — Bill Simmons
- Central Park humiliation and premium-phone lines are raised without a clear affirmative decision. — Bill Simmons
- Ghost is rejected as a 900-number example; Reality Bites is offered and this film’s heavy use considered. — Bill Simmons
- Childhood premium calls included wrestling, immediate sports scores and other less-admirable numbers. — Chris Ryan
- A junior newspaper job included answering callers seeking sports scores. — Cousin Sal
- Delayed newspaper box scores left fantasy matchups unsettled until Wednesday; phone calls filled the gap, with trades but no waivers recalled. — Bill Simmons
- A fantasy-advice business and blind fantasy without instant statistics are proposed.
- Immediate fantasy-score checking and unwanted alerts reduce enjoyment; an analog return appeals.
- Swingers remains the peak use of You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You. — Chris Ryan
- Piven may be at his career peak between Entourage’s first two seasons as his profile rises. — Bill Simmons
- The film may be the leading use of USFL footage. — Chris Ryan
- Heat remains ahead in the joking category of Pacino characters whose partners see other men.
- An added Apex question compares injury-derailed fictional football players, beginning with Jason Street and Johnny Utah. — Bill Simmons
- The injured-player comparison adds Joe Pendleton, Jimmy Dix and Paul Crewe but focuses on Johnny Utah’s proven college status versus Jason Street’s high-school promise, without a clear shared winner. — Chris Ryan
The most GIFable moment
I’m gambling again
Flex pick · Bill Simmons
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:55Read transcript
- The gambling-again declaration is proposed as an underused Pacino GIF or meme, alongside his established memorable screen moments. — Bill Simmons
- The choice is confirmed as Most GIFable Moment; Best Line is floated as another possible home for it. — Bill Simmons
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:35Read transcript
- An explicitly invited flex awards onscreen smoking to Pacino, especially smoking through heart problems. — Cousin Sal
What’s Aged the Best?
Stu Feiner inspiration; New York arrival; dialogue; physique; Russo casting; petty rival; slicked-back hair; Southie
In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:51Read transcript
- The character’s reported basis in Stu Feiner is an aged-best choice, with the real personality’s continuing visibility noted. — Chris Ryan
- A newcomer’s arrival in New York has a Wizard of Oz quality; the toilet-mouth insult, family-dysfunction dialogue and Winged Foot difficulty are praised. — Chris Ryan
- McConaughey’s physique is an aged-best choice. — Bill Simmons
- Piven’s pettiness and Pacino’s pep talks hold up. — Bill Simmons
- Russo is believably Walter’s partner while also a possible match for the younger lead.
- Russo’s husband is corrected from director to screenwriter; the director’s style is considered appropriate.
- The three leads’ struggling hairlines are enjoyed, and Jerry Sykes resembles Ari Gold working for a phone hotline. — Chris Ryan
- Piven seems to have retained his Entourage character; Ari Gold would suit a money-related tout name. — Cousin Sal
- More Ari-style film appearances would be welcome, even at the expense of showing acting range. — Bill Simmons
- Slicked-back hair as a shorthand for a changed identity is praised through a Miami Vice comparison. — Bill Simmons
- Kevin Chapman and the character name Southie are praised. — Bill Simmons
- A green-screen Las Vegas location or mathematics laboratory for the psych-system presenter is a missed comic opportunity. — Bill Simmons
Casting What-Ifs
Al Pacino; Will Smith; swapped Sinise and Cage.
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:41Read transcript
- Al Pacino is identified as an offered alternative for Kevin Dunne, with the need for an older Rick discussed.
- Will Smith is identified as another offered alternative, and his choosing Enemy of the State is defended. — Bill Simmons
- The panel says Smith as Kevin would have let him play an unusual villain. — Bill Simmons
- Swapping Gary Sinise and Nicolas Cage remains an alternate recasting idea.
Casting What-Ifs
Steve McQueen, James Caan, Pacino, Hoffman, Hackman, Nicholson, Streep, Irving, and others
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:53Read transcript
- Steve McQueen is reported to have declined because he could not cry on cue despite admiring the script. — Sean Fennessey
- James Caan, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, and Gene Hackman are reported to have declined the lead, while Jack Nicholson had conflicts. — Bill Simmons
- Richard Dreyfuss is reported to have lobbied Spielberg persistently before salary demands briefly stalled the deal. — Bill Simmons
- Hackman's troubled marriage and reluctance to leave Los Angeles, along with Caan's price, are given as reasons the alternatives failed.
- Teri Garr wanted Jillian but was cast as Ronnie; Meryl Streep and Amy Irving also auditioned for Ronnie. — Bill Simmons
- Hal Ashby is reported to have recommended Melinda Dillon, who was cast only days before filming. — Bill Simmons
- Carrie Guffey reportedly lost the chance to play Danny Torrance because he was committed to other films. — Bill Simmons
Casting What-Ifs
The original casting search is reviewed across Luke, Leia, Han, Obi-Wan, Vader, Chewbacca, and physical Vader.
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:10Read transcript
- Lucas and De Palma auditioned actors together for Star Wars and Carrie, producing overlapping candidates. — Bill Simmons
- John Travolta, William Cat, Robby Benson, Kurt Russell, and Charles Martin Smith are among the discussed Luke possibilities.
- Andrew Stevens is said to have competed with Hamill for both The Oregon Trail and Star Wars. — Bill Simmons
- Karen Allen, Amy Irving, Cindy Williams, Linda Pearl, and Joe Foster are discussed as Leia possibilities, with uncertainty around some claims. — Bill Simmons
- Russell is said to have auditioned for both Luke and Han because his age placed him between the roles. — Bill Simmons
- Jack Nicholson is an intriguing Han thought experiment, while James Kahn and Al Pacino later claimed to have declined the role. — Bill Simmons
- Richard Dreyfuss was reportedly considered for the voice of one of the droids. — Bill Simmons
- The lead actor from many Kurosawa films reportedly declined the mentor role because he feared it would diminish samurai cinema. — Bill Simmons
- Orson Welles was considered for Vader’s voice but rejected as too recognizable; James Earl Jones was used without an initial screen credit. — Bill Simmons
- Peter Mayhew and David Prowse were offered a choice between Chewbacca and physical Vader and selected the good and bad roles respectively. — Bill Simmons
Displaying discussions 1 - 12 of 137 in total
Films in the archive
The Godfather Part II
1974
The Godfather Part III
1990
The Insider
1999
The Irishman
2019
Two for the Money
2005