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Tropic Thunder
Tropic Thunder
Tropic Thunder
There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary
Meet the Parents
Meet the Parents
Film credit
Ben Stiller
Also referred to as Stiller
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 8
- Movies in this archive
- 8
Rewatchables episodes featuring Ben Stiller’s films
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
2004 film
Craig Horlbeck · Danny Heifetz · Danny Kelly
Aired August 6, 2024
Happy Gilmore
1996 film
Bill Simmons · Sean Fennessey · Josh Safdie · Benny Safdie
Aired December 10, 2019
Displaying all 8 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
Best Double Feature
Four distinct pairings
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 02:04:15Read transcript
- Zoolander is selected as another Ben Stiller satire.
- Hot Shots! is selected as another war parody. — Chris Ryan
- Dead Presidents is selected. — Chris Ryan
- The Player is selected as another Hollywood satire. — Chris Ryan
- Stepbrothers is selected as the 2008 pairing.
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:50:04Read transcript
- Robert Downey Jr. is judged at Apex because Iron Man arrived the same year.
- Ben Stiller is considered but not affirmed.
- Vietnam War parody is judged at Apex here.
- Jack Black, Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel, Matthew McConaughey, and Bill Hader are considered without affirmative selections.
- Politically incorrect comedies are discussed, with Blazing Saddles remaining the leading historical example.
Casting What-Ifs
Keanu Reeves and other declined roles
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:42:44Read transcript
- Keanu Reeves was wanted for Tug while Ben Stiller would have played Rick Peck.
- Kevin Hart and Mos Def reportedly declined Alpa Chino for different concerns about the character. — Bill Simmons
- Tom Cruise vacated Rick Peck, Owen Wilson later left the role, and Matthew McConaughey ultimately joined. — Bill Simmons
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Platoon parody effect; two qualified reactions to the portrayal; two proposed role swaps and Craig's response
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:49Read transcript
- Tropic Thunder is said to affect later viewing of Platoon in the way Walk Hard affects music biographies because many shots closely parody Platoon. — Chris Ryan
- One answer says the blackface performance has never personally offended him, while emphasizing that blackface outside this satirical context is objectionable. — Van Lathan
- A separate qualification agrees that it had to be as good as it was to meet that bar.
- A second answer says he is not offended by the blackface at all, understands the joke, and can laugh at material like it. — Joel Anderson
- Matthew McConaughey is proposed for Tug because Ben Stiller's version feels too similar to his Zoolander mode, with Stiller moving to Rick Peck. — Bill Simmons
- Bill Hader is proposed for Jeff Portnoy because he would have brought fresher improvisation than the already-established Jack Black. — Bill Simmons
- McConaughey as Tug is explicitly endorsed when Craig is asked, but the Jack Black replacement is challenged because Black's physicality and Chris Farley-like energy enliven the jungle passages. — Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:02Read transcript
- The last third is judged seven or eight minutes too long, with a preference for more pre-jungle ensemble scenes. — Bill Simmons
- Jack Black is selected because his withdrawal material sometimes pulls focus from stronger combinations. — Van Lathan
- Steve Coogan is considered funnier in the mockumentary than in the main film. — Chris Ryan
- Ben Stiller is selected because the performance feels familiar.
- The defense of Stiller is that his nuanced straight-man work supports the more extreme performances and makes his own self-parody effective.
Who Won the Movie?
Disputed: Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, and the Farrelly brothers
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:50Read transcript
- Matt Dillon is selected for being the viewing’s funniest surprise — Chris Ryan
- Ben Stiller is selected for the long comedy-star run the film launched — Chris Ryan
- Cameron Diaz is selected because the title, poster, and cultural impact center her
- The contemporary 1998 winner is framed as Diaz while Dillon is the retrospective winner
- The Farrelly brothers are credited with the film’s construction and immediate promise — Craig Horlbeck
Apex Mountain
Cameron Diaz, Chris Elliott, “franks and beans,” and Jonathan Richman: yes
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:23:26Read transcript
- Ben Stiller is judged not yet at his apex — Chris Ryan
- Cameron Diaz is judged at her apex — Chris Ryan
- Matt Dillon’s apex is placed in his early-1980s teen-star period — Chris Ryan
- The Farrelly brothers are debated between this film and Peter Farrelly’s later Best Picture win
- Chris Elliott is judged near or at his apex
- “Franks and beans” is judged an apex comic phrase and penis-injury gag
- Jonathan Richman’s appearances are judged an apex — Chris Ryan
Who Won the Movie?
Robert De Niro; Stiller choice in ambiguous exchange
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:47:30Read transcript
- De Niro is the main choice; Owen Wilson is considered for scene stealing but set aside.
- A brief Stiller choice appears in the undiarized exchange; the following words are garbled, so a unanimous outcome cannot be established. — Craig Horlbeck
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- Robert De Niro
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:13Read transcript
- Hanks is selected for the Stiller role; Cruise might be funnier to imagine, but repeated volleyball and Top Gun dialogue create awkward overlap. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:02Read transcript
- Stiller is placed in an Apex period between this film and Zoolander. — Bill Simmons
- De Niro is rejected. — Bill Simmons
- Nicorette gum is affirmed because it is prominently used and named. — Bill Simmons
- In-law films remain a two-film final between this and The In-Laws. — Bill Simmons
- Teri Polo is a definite yes. — Bill Simmons
- Septic-tank disasters are affirmed, distinguished from ordinary clogged-toilet jokes. — Kyle Brandt
- Lil’ Kim posters are affirmed. — Bill Simmons
- Smoking male nurses and the $24.99 strap-on are affirmed. — Bill Simmons
- Kitty litter is near the top, qualified by the memorable material actually being ashes. — Bill Simmons
- Atlantic American Airlines is floated jokingly without a settled answer. — Bill Simmons
- Subtle lacrosse-camp jokes are an emphatic yes. — Bill Simmons
- Lie detectors receive a strong case through the poster and central scene, challenged by Basic Instinct. — Kyle Brandt
- Cats in films, expanded jokingly to cats overall, receive enthusiastic support for performance and narrative importance. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:22Read transcript
- Stiller’s brief attempt at smoking is nominated: the hand movement imitates De Niro, but failing to inhale betrays his inexperience. — Bill Simmons
What’s Aged the Best?
Lost luggage; eye gesture; Focker jokes; cameras; phat slang; monitoring business; Polo; Greg’s bad decisions
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:34Read transcript
- Lost luggage is an effective engine for repeated jokes, forcing uncomfortable clothes, the swimsuit and a mistaken bag containing a strap-on. — Kyle Brandt
- Jack’s eye-pointing “I’m watching you” gesture remains effective. — Bill Simmons
- Repeatedly calling Greg Focker still gets laughs, especially during volleyball. — Kyle Brandt
- The teddy-bear camera anticipates ubiquitous hidden and doorbell cameras; pointing it at Dina adds a side gag. — Bill Simmons
- Stiller calling Lil’ Kim “phat” evokes TRL-era slang. — Bill Simmons
- Jack’s babysitter-monitoring business seems commercially plausible. — Bill Simmons
- Teri Polo’s appearance receives praise. — Bill Simmons
- Greg’s repeated bad decisions—flushing the toilet, letting Jinx out, smoking on the roof and substituting a painted cat—add rewatchable frustration. — Bill Simmons
Displaying discussions 1 - 12 of 43 in total
Films in the archive
Along Came Polly
2004
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
2004
Happy Gilmore
1996
Meet the Parents
2000
Reality Bites
1994
There's Something About Mary
1998
The Royal Tenenbaums
2001
Tropic Thunder
2008