‘Airplane!’ With Bill Simmons and Bill Hader
September 23, 2025 · Airplane! (1980) · Comedy · 1:39:42 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes: red zone/white zone argument, Jive Guys boarding the plane, Ted's disco story with the stunt woman fight, the kid bringing coffee scene, Captain Oveur meets Joey, and the Kareem scene▶ 36:13
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsKareem Abdul-Jabbar — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - literally his apex mountain having just won the 1980 title, had the best game of his life in game 5, finished an incredible 11 year run at the top▶ 41:03
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsLeslie Nielsen being a comedy actor - unleashed him into three Naked Gun movies and Police Squad▶ 50:34
Big Kahuna Burger Award
Bill Haderthe poison fish scene with the reaction, him talking about it and puking, featuring Peter Graves doing all the symptoms▶ 51:55
Great Shot Gordo Award
Bill Haderthe shot where they're in the cockpit when he's telling them you have to land the plane and everything, but the light is very dark and the lighting in the cockpit suddenly changes▶ 52:16
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill HaderDisagrees - likes that the movie is short and leaves you wanting more, prefers the brevity over adding more content▶ 53:48
Bill SimmonsThe movie is too short - could have used five more minutes with scenes like one more with the jab guys, more Steven Stucker in the first half, one more round with kids acting like adults, and something in the airplane bathroom▶ 53:41
Casting What-Ifs
Bill HaderRobert Hays — The casting across the board is perfect - can't imagine anybody else, especially Robert Hayes and Julie Haggerty who play it straight▶ 1:02:52
Bill SimmonsRobert Hays — Presents extensive casting alternatives but agrees Robert Hayes was perfect for Ted Stryker despite other options like David Letterman, Barry Manilow, Fred Willard, Tim Matheson, and Bruce Jenner▶ 1:03:21
Dion Waiters Award
Bill HaderStephen Stucker — Stephen Stucker - 'he comes out of nowhere and just owns the movie' and 'steals scenes' in 'one of the funniest movies ever made'▶ 1:12:11
Bill SimmonsNominated Ethel Merman, Kareem, The Jive Guys, Lloyd Bridges, and Stephen Stucker but didn't express a clear preference▶ 1:11:58
Hanks or Cruise
Bill HaderTom Cruise — Cruise, specifically serious Scorsese-Thunder-era Cruise would be funny in this▶ 1:20:50
Is This Movie Better With
Bill HaderChris Collinsworth - doing his commentary voice about having fish that's making him sick▶ 1:27:56
Just One Oscar
Bill HaderLeslie Nielsen — Considers writing or Leslie Nielsen for Best Supporting Actor, but acknowledges Oscars don't respect comedy▶ 1:28:12
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill HaderThey probably made up the inflatable pilots, and it's best that the topless scene actress identity is left to the imagination.▶ 1:29:25
Bill SimmonsDid planes actually have inflatable pilots in 1980 or did they make that up? Also, the mystery of who the actress was in the topless scene - nobody knows and it's truly unanswerable.▶ 1:29:19
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill HaderStick to your instincts and make what you find funny - like Nathan Fielder or Tim Robinson who just make what they find funny because they can't help it▶ 1:31:29
Bill SimmonsDon't forget to zag when you're making a movie - these guys zagged on using actors playing it straight over doing comedy▶ 1:31:19
Best Double Feature
Bill HaderThe Naked Gun — Suggests Airplane and Naked Gun, but notes it might be too much laughing; alternatively proposes Zero Hour and Airplane as a pairing▶ 1:32:02
Who Won the Movie
Bill HaderLeslie Nielsen — Steve Zucker or Leslie Nielsen - loves Steve so much in the movie but would say either of them▶ 1:32:22
Bill SimmonsLeslie Nielsen — Leslie Nielsen - because it completely changed his career and gave him another 20 years▶ 1:32:40
Movies Referenced (32)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risky Business (1983) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Hader | ▶ 1:11:28 |
| Knocked Up (2007) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Hader, Bill Simmons | ▶ 13:36 |
| Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Hader, Bill Simmons | ▶ 2:01 |
| Back to the Future (1985) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Hader | ▶ 1:00:17 |
| Blazing Saddles (1974) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Hader | ▶ 3:39 |
| Funny People (2009) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Bill Hader | ▶ 9:08 |
| Inferno (2016) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Bill Hader | ▶ 21:22 |
| Pineapple Express (2008) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 27:14 |
| Saturday Night Fever (1977) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 22:24 |
| The Hangover (2009) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 9:19 |
| The Untouchables (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Hader | ▶ 4:45 |
| Tropic Thunder (2008) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 27:05 |
Directors Referenced (9)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Hayes | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Bill Hader | ▶ 5:30 | |
| Jerry Zucker | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Hader, Bill Simmons | Airplane!, Ghost | ▶ 10:54 |
| Woody Allen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Hader | Annie Hall | ▶ 3:39 |
| David Zucker | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Hader | Airplane!, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | ▶ 10:32 |
| Sean Penn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking | ▶ 53:02 |
| Douglas Sirk | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Hader | ▶ 25:06 | |
| Monty Python | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Hader | ▶ 3:28 | |
| Sam Raimi | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Hader | Spider-Man, The Evil Dead, Army of Darkness | ▶ 16:06 |
| William Hoffa | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Hader | Limitless, Furious 7, Creed | ▶ 1:30:25 |
Actors Referenced (71)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie Nielsen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 16 | Bill Hader, Bill Simmons | Airplane!, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | ▶ 4:37 |
| Robert Stack | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 16 | Bill Hader, Bill Simmons | To Be or Not to Be, Airplane! | ▶ 4:45 |
| Naked Eyes | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Hader, Bill Simmons | ▶ 4:07 | |
| Lloyd Bridges | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Hader, Bill Simmons | Airplane! | ▶ 4:31 |
| Peter Graves | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Hader, Bill Simmons | Airplane! | ▶ 5:44 |
| Stephen Stucker | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Bill Hader | Airplane!, Trading Places | ▶ 53:58 |
| LeBron James | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Bill Hader | ▶ 41:58 | |
| Chris Farley | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Bill Hader | Tommy Boy | ▶ 27:44 |
| Ethel Merman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Hader, Bill Simmons | It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World | ▶ 46:59 |
| Brian Williams | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Hader, Bill Simmons | Toy Soldiers | ▶ 3:34 |
| Anita Bryant | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Bill Hader | ▶ 47:23 | |
| Barry Manilow | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Bill Hader | ▶ 10:21 |
Writers Referenced (4)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Letterman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Hader, Bill Simmons | ▶ 18:26 | |
| Danny McBride | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Underworld | ▶ 1:38:14 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 35:51 | |
| Alec Berg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 31:01 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon Willis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Hader | The Godfather Part II | ▶ 52:02 |