De Niro wanting to play Vincent, with Pacino aged up, seems true; Coppola did think about it. — Bill Simmons
Sinatra for Altobello is carried into the what-ifs alongside the names mentioned for Vincent. — Bill Simmons
The actor who played Willie Cicci (transcribed "Joe Spinelli") was supposed to work for Zasa but died before the movie, so the character was written out. — Bill Simmons
Paramount approached Sly Stallone, Scorsese, Cimino and Warren Beatty over the years; in the early 80s Stallone was to write and direct with John Travolta, and there is an internet rumor that Eisner took a run at the script.
Michael Mann gets a yes from two voices ('I would go yes. Me too.'); the diner gets a yes; L.A. bank robbery movies get a yes. — Bill Simmons
Not Pacino overall, but over-the-top late-prime Pacino: everything from Sea of Love on is Apex Mountain, and he is better in Heat than in Scent of a Woman. — Bill Simmons
The late-prime run is listed as Glengarry, Scent of a Woman, Carlito's Way, Heat, City Hall, Donnie Brasco, Devil's Advocate, The Insider and Any Given Sunday, whose speech is also iconic. — Bill Simmons
Not Val Kilmer's Apex, which is placed earlier around Tombstone; by Dr. Moreau the wheels come off, but it all starts here. — Bill Simmons
The Eady actress is proposed as absolutely Apex (NYPD Blue then Heat, leading to Judging Amy) but is vetoed. — Bill Simmons
Character actor Voight: yes, as the start of his character-actor journey and a favorite Voight performance. — Bill Simmons
Tom Sizemore: Saving Private Ryan may be a more developed role, though Heat plus Ryan is a nice mid-90s run. — Chris Ryan
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 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
Introduced as a new category with nominees: everything Voight is doing, Haysbert's Fu Manchu, Pacino's blow-dry look, De Niro's Van Dyke and Val Kilmer's bad-guy hair, a look only possible in the mid-90s. — Bill Simmons
Asked for a favorite, the answer is Voight's everything, with a joke that Voight's makeup artist should get the heat-check award. — Chris Ryan
A follow-up head-to-head between Voight's everything and Tom Noonan inexplicably in a wheelchair is answered with the wheelchair, though Noonan can walk; the hosts joke he lost the ability after inventing the internet. — Bill Simmons
One host tried to get creative with picks rather than the obvious ones; the other says this category requires playing the hits. — Bill Simmons
The first armored-car robbery: the truck hitting the armored car is one of the loudest, most terrifying sounds in a theater, and the shaped charge blowing out all the car windows at once is 'the coolest thing in the world'. — Bill Simmons
The robbery crew are clearly professionals until Waingro stares at the bleeding guard and kills him, forcing them to shoot everyone. — Bill Simmons
The Big Boys diner with Waingro ('I had to get it on, man. He was making a move'); a newly noticed detail is Michael moving to the counter while Trejo leaves to ready the plastic-lined trunk. — Chris Ryan
No customers react when Neil slams Waingro's head on the counter; De Niro is called vintage and purposeful in the scene. — Bill Simmons
Eady and Neil's first meeting ('Lady, why are you so interested in what I read or what I do?') is called their scene; it is believable because she is new and lonely in L.A. — Bill Simmons
In the meet-cute she lays out her Scotch-Irish Appalachian family tree and he answers only 'I'm from the Bay Area'. — Chris Ryan
Neil's crew debating the bank job ('The bank is worth the risk ... I need it, brother'); Sizemore heat-checks De Niro, like Reggie Miller against Michael Jordan, and lands 'for me, the action is the juice'. — Bill Simmons
Vincent realizing the crew has turned the surveillance around ('You know what they're looking at? ... Us ... We just got made'). — Bill Simmons
The diner scene between Neil and Vincent is introduced and called one of the most famous scenes of the 90s, or of the last 40 years, likened to LeBron and Kobe guarding each other in a Finals shown only in one-on-ones. — Bill Simmons
Square TVs showed one actor at a time, fueling a ten-year internet legend that the two were not in the scene together; widescreen disproved it. — Bill Simmons
Research cited says the scene was take 11 and was never rehearsed, at De Niro's request. — Bill Simmons
The exchange is compared to the two of them having a podcast; jokes about Vincent commandeering an LAPD helicopter just to get Neil to coffee. — Bill Simmons
De Niro listening and looking away before 'there's a flip side to that coin' is one of his favorite De Niro performances, though 'that's the discipline' is called his only bad acting moment. — Bill Simmons
Asked who wins the scene 25 years later, one host says Pacino and expects the other to say De Niro. — Chris Ryan
The hosts say Pacino later revealed his character was on cocaine throughout, a thread Mann cut from early scripts, which explains his darting eyes scanning the restaurant. — Chris Ryan
The other calls the scene a split decision, 115 to 114, possibly a draw. — Bill Simmons
The bank-robbery shootout is called probably the GOAT bank shootout that every later bank robbery homages; Den of Thieves is a flat-out rip-off and Inside Man the least like Heat. — Bill Simmons
Research cited says military units study how Kilmer and De Niro reload; Sizemore is rarely shown shooting; the hosts say Mann placed microphones to capture the gunfire live. — Bill Simmons
Shootout nits: the masked robber's 'we're not here for your money' reassurance, and Kilmer's slow 25-yard walk while Pacino drives in and gets out, which always drives one host nuts. — Bill Simmons
Neil killing Waingro and walking away from Eady is a tough breakup after she gave notice and packed to emigrate to New Zealand. — Chris Ryan
The hosts say production almost could not shoot at LAX because of a Unabomber threat. — Chris Ryan
Vincent versus Albert: Albert's salt-mine, pit-bull, hot-car-lot hideout and 'where's your empathy?'; Pacino is so off-menu the editing can't keep up, with audio from a different take. — Chris Ryan
Waingro's meeting with Van Zant: Van Zant has been living in his office, and 'I got some moves I can make here' is joked about as an NBA GM's trade pitch. — Chris Ryan
Vincent at BJs on Alvarado at 2 a.m., where everyone dances to silence because the music was dubbed in; Piven's Dr. Bob is also floated. — Chris Ryan
Stated answer: the most rewatchable scene is the diner scene, the second most is the bank shootout, and all other nominations are accepted. — Bill Simmons
Coppola, as with the first film, confirmed as one of the ten most important filmmakers. — Brian Koppelman
De Niro announced himself as the next major movie star, doing it all in Italian. — Brian Koppelman
Lee Strasberg, a teacher who had not performed, lays down a performance that never seems overmatched next to Pacino, like Brad Stevens climbing onto the court. — Brian Koppelman
Pacino, called the greatest performance ever seen and the first thing thought of with this movie. — Bill Simmons
A tangent asks whether Pacino resented De Niro becoming Brando's heir, comparing their later careers. — Sean Fennessey
A zag picks Cazale and Duvall as the soul of the movie. — Chris Ryan
Did Pacino actually hit Diane Keaton?; Was Michael justified in killing Fredo?; Would Fredo have betrayed the family again?; Did this movie create the Hail Mary?; Is the chronological saga the best way to watch?; Which film uses Italy better?
Did Pacino actually hit Diane Keaton in the abortion scene? Actors talk that through carefully, but it looks like an accident and the most realistic punch of the 70s.
A Rollerball episode is proposed as the first great sports movie that foreshadows the NFL, with jokes about ruining the show.
Was Michael justified in murdering Fredo? We will never know. — Brian Koppelman
Would Fredo have betrayed the family again? One answer is no because he seemed relieved to be back; Puzo reportedly resisted Michael killing Fredo and added waiting until the mother dies.
Nobody in the house objects because such orders were given quietly, as in real mob books.
An internet claim says the original script had Fredo think it was a kidnapping, which is called unforgivable and would have mirrored the first film. — Bill Simmons
Did this movie create the Hail Mary in football? The 1975 Drew Pearson catch is cited, with Tom Landry's relationship with God and a report that the phrase came from Pearson after the game.
Is the chronological saga the best way to watch? One view says no because the back-and-forth is essential; others enjoy the complete epic and want a Godfather channel.
The De Niro material is called the least favorite part of the first two films, and the Sicilian opening lacks the shotgun burst of the first film's wedding.
Which film makes you want to go to Italy more is raised and dismissed.
Young Pacino and young De Niro together; Merle; drapes shooting sequence; 'In my home' outburst; all things Fredo; Johnny Ola; Michael's IBM stock; Pentangeli's brother; Rocco Lampone; oranges; Gordon Willis photography; bathtub Roman-history scene; Talia Shire
Young Pacino and young De Niro in the same movie; De Niro spent four months studying Brando, learned Sicilian and speaks about eight words of English. — Bill Simmons
De Niro had been cast as Paulie in the original and read for Sonny.
Merle asking for a drink in Michael's office and Michael saying "I don't know this Merle" in the third person; the hosts speculate about what Merle does for a living.
The drapes-and-gunfire sequence, Michael diving for cover and finding Rocco alive, is great. — Chris Ryan
Pacino's "In my home!" outburst shows his volume changes in their pure form.
Michael's advice about trying to think like the people around you is great life advice. — Bill Simmons
All things Fredo: his outfits, hot drunk wife, hair and fishing; he gets wins left and right unlike Kay. — Bill Simmons
Dominic Cheney as Johnny Ola starts a Sopranos lineage of casting from these films. — Bill Simmons
The Geary dead-woman scene is praised for Duvall, though one view says the idea has aged worst; Duvall is argued as possibly the best actor of his generation. — Brian Koppelman
The scene shows the family is now doing the killing themselves, unlike the horse in Part I.
More entries include the daiquiri, Vito and Signor Roberto, and Michael's IBM stock. — Bill Simmons
Pentangeli's brother flying in from the old country and staring is the most Italian part of the movie.
Tom telling Michael he is staying, met with Michael being mean to him again, and the "anyone can be killed" line three years before JFK. — Bill Simmons
Rocco Lampone is underrated for two high-profile mob murders, including Roth. — Bill Simmons
The oranges are a literary echo; oranges reportedly represent memory and nostalgia to Sicilians.
Gordon Willis's photography, turn-of-the-century New York, the Ellis Island arrival and the recorder. — Chris Ryan
The top pick for one participant is the bathtub scene and its Roman history.
Another pick is the look of the film with Willis, plus De Niro and Pacino in their prime. — Bill Simmons
The 2012 Thunder comparison casts Kendrick Perkins as that team's Kay Corleone. — Bill Simmons
Talia Shire is added late: much better than in the first film, with an arc.
