Producer Craig’s invited response finds Stallone’s comedy unsuccessful in contrast with his action roles; the other response strongly objects. — Craig Horlbeck
Stallone’s awkward comedy may itself be entertaining. Willis is proposed, countered as another Cash rather than a Tango, then defended as capable of a rich suited character. — Bill Simmons
The hosts cite Mendez saying the fake Studio Six was so convincing that 26 scripts arrived after it folded, including one from Steven Spielberg. — Bill Simmons
The hosts cite a 2016 Vice report, based on Freedom of Information Act research, that the CIA was involved in the production of Argo and Zero Dark 30. — Bill Simmons
The hosts report that several hundred thousand bootleg copies circulated in Iran, watched out of hate, curiosity and quiet protest. — Bill Simmons
The hosts report that Carter only delayed authorization by 30 minutes, well before Mendez left for Europe, and that the chase sequence never happened. — Bill Simmons
The hosts report that Affleck had the six actors dress and hang out in character for a week to build chemistry. — Bill Simmons
The hosts note that Jack Kirby, who made the storyboards, was a comics pioneer. — Bill Simmons
The hosts cite the original Wired article placing the Studio Six offices at Sunset Gower, in Michael Douglas's vacated China Syndrome offices. — Chris Ryan
Whitney and Costner at their peaks; bodyguard-romance premise; soundtrack; Dolly Parton connection; resentful-sister concept; 'permanent position' quote; widescreen; Costner's haircut; a cappella opening; song-swap story; Costner's eulogy; Secret Service guys
Whitney in her late prime and Costner at his peak head the list. — Van Lathan
Professional bodyguard romances are loved, including Ridley Scott's late-80s Someone to Watch Over Me with Mimi Rogers, which has a similar premise. — Bill Simmons
A British terrorism series possibly called Bodyguard, with a Game of Thrones actor named Richard is liked. — Bill Simmons
Protectors crossing lines are compelling because the job is so intimate: a rigid, disciplined guy whose gooey center someone reaches. — Van Lathan
The Sentinel with Michael Douglas as a framed Secret Service agent is recommended as a rewatchable mid-2000s entry. — Bill Simmons
The soundtrack is loaded and called the best of all time; I Will Always Love You was a Dolly Parton song that finally found the right voice. — Bill Simmons
One participant learned only about four years earlier, from a Dolly Parton fan at TMZ, that the song was a cover, at 37 years old. — Van Lathan
The original singer owned and loved the cover, pulled over the first time she heard it, and showed no bitterness. — Bill Simmons
The resentful older sister-assistant concept is an untapped idea for movies and TV. — Bill Simmons
A favorite quote: "I'm no good in a permanent position, Monty, my feet go to sleep." — Bill Simmons
The widescreen framing was hard to follow on square TVs for 15 years and now plays better. — Bill Simmons
Costner's crew-cut, Steve McQueen-style hair became a thing that Clooney took further on ER and Jake tried on Melrose Place, sparking a Grant Show tangent. — Bill Simmons
Costner's idea to open I Will Always Love You a cappella was great. — Bill Simmons
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted was meant to be the cover until Fried Green Tomatoes used it to end that film in 1991. — Bill Simmons
A piece of Costner's eulogy is read: Whitney lacked confidence during filming, sang the whole song without a band, and was the only one who could have played Rachel at that time.
Costner's feelings for Houston deserve their own discussion; a Grantland party anecdote says Costner, brought by Kimmel five or six years earlier, still had it. — Bill Simmons
Secret Service guys have aged well: The Last Boy Scout is defended, later entries include the Channing Tatum White House movie and the Fallen films, and Ving Rhames in Dave is a shared favorite. — Van Lathan
Movie presidents are raised as something held for Apex Mountain; it is unclear whether the Mount Rushmore allows TV or only movies. — Bill Simmons
If movies only, the four most important movie presidents are Michael Douglas in The American President, Kevin Klein in Dave and Pullman in Independence Day, with the fourth spot wide open; for this participant it is Jeff Bridges in The Contender, who seemed very presidential. — Bill Simmons
Kevin Klein in Dave redid a budget and healed America; since a movie president appears only when something bad is happening, the preference is for one who can handle himself.
White House Down, seen only once, is said to be better and sillier than remembered; Olympus Has Fallen is preferred by one participant.
A case is made for Oliver Stone: Platoon and Wall Street back to back, a movie that became a true piece of pop culture, and a peak he never reached again. — Brian Koppelman
It stays Douglas because this and Fatal Attraction made him the biggest star in the world, with a character that stood for a period of America. — Brian Koppelman
Michael Douglas is at Apex with this or Fatal Attraction, becoming the biggest male star in the world. — Brian Koppelman
Oliver Stone is at Apex here after Platoon, letting him make any movie, leading to JFK, which is called his best movie. — Brian Koppelman
Charlie Sheen's Apex is argued to be the Two and a Half Men TV run or Platoon as an artist, not this movie; he was in a death match with Cruise for roles. — Brian Koppelman
Sean Young's Apex is No Way Out rather than this; Darrell Hanna could be argued for Roxanne. — Brian Koppelman
Wall Street itself is called an evergreen with no Apex; cocaine and limos are only maybe at the apex, and the Talking Heads peak is Stop Making Sense. — Brian Koppelman
Goofy movie robots are the favorite, a step crazier than Rocky 4, with Paul Guilfoyle playing with the robot. — Brian Koppelman
Early stealth Hamptons is raised; steak tartar is called at its high point, and squash is a call that is liked. — Brian Koppelman
The Sidney performance: it is really her fairy tale and her story. — Van Lathan
Aaron Sorkin: the Sidney performance led until the last 20 minutes, but this movie made his writing credit a star draw, like Robert Town and Goldman. — Bill Simmons
No for Michael Douglas (Wall Street), probably not for the Sidney actress (American Beauty Oscar), and no for Fox and Sheen. — Bill Simmons
No for Sorkin, with The West Wing or The Social Network suggested instead. — Bill Simmons
USA Today is a yes: breaking presidential romances before the internet knocked it out. — Bill Simmons
Presidential movies may peak here, paving the way for Independence Day, Armageddon, Deep Impact and Haysbert on 24; it feels like yes but only "could be". — Bill Simmons
This movie president is ranked number one: it was the first and only movie president for this participant, and the final speech lays out a president's values and character in four minutes. — Amanda Dobbins
A "Mount Presmore" is offered with Douglas in The American President and Kevin Klein in Dave, one of them called number one; another participant also has him number one but does not want to rank. — Amanda Dobbins
Jeff Bridges in The Contender is unbelievable and seems like he could have been a real president. — Bill Simmons
Haysbert in 24 was an ahead-of-its-time character who seemed in charge; the four so far are named as favorites, making Haysbert a candidate fourth slot. — Bill Simmons
Haysbert is switched out for Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact, a stern crisis president, leaving the fourth slot unsettled; Dave is the quintessential president movie and this the quintessential White House movie. — Van Lathan
All three participants love The Contender. — Van Lathan
Bill Pullman in Independence Day is added for his end speech; the worst movie presidents are left for a future president movie. — Bill Simmons
A participant initially proposes no winner because this is not the best work of anyone involved, except possibly Deborah Kara Unger; the panel objects that career-best work is not the criterion. — Chris Ryan
Douglas is defended because his old-school movie-star presence carries nearly every scene and gives the audience its point of view.
Penn is defended because Conrad’s few scenes require an actor with enough energy and danger to make the entire premise work. — Bill Simmons
Fincher is rejected because he disowned the movie, though its success helped position him to make Fight Club.
