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‘Best in Show’ With Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, and Joanna Robinson

March 11, 2025 · Best in Show (2000) · Comedy · 1:43:58 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:32:16Answered the odds question — Rhapsody in White was 'like minus 400 on FanDuel', two-time winner with the best trainer; ruled Cookie's fall a pure accident, not sabotage ('borderline nitpick... it's a bad fall'); and did the math on Cookie's number — ~75 a year for 15 years, 'that gets us to a thousand, and I love that for her' — plus a bit that Cookie was on some non-music vintage tapes from the 80s.
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:30:48Took the opening question head-on: people gravitate toward dogs that match their vibe/energy (agreeing it's narcissism); argued Cookie's small town caps her number ('at some point you're going to run out of people'); and pitched that Scott and Stefan's calendar business would boom by letting customers put their own pets in the calendar.
Mallory Rubin▶ 5:43What is the rest of Beatrice's life?
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:32:31Drove the question list with committed takes: did money ever exchange hands with the judges — the Cummings camp's $10K annual party with the ice sculpture counts as smoothing; doubted Jerry and Cookie's tapes sold ('I don't think it went well'); believed the calendar business was a home run; and argued Cookie's 'hundreds' was really more like 1,000 ('50 a year sounds low... good for her').

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 37:21Jerry and Cookie have dinner with her old boyfriend - the scene with Zach playing with his parachuter, the ex-boyfriend flirting while talking about being a hostage negotiator, and Eugene Levy getting mad and complimenting the wife on her breasts
Joanna Robinson▶ 37:30Disagrees with Bill's pick - states 'I don't like this sequence'

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 56:46the zoom in on Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Lynch (agreed with others)
Joanna Robinson▶ 56:35the zoom in on Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Lynch
Mallory Rubin▶ 56:41the zoom in on Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Lynch (agreed with Joanna)

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 56:51her complimenting the food as being like cafeteria food
Joanna Robinson▶ 57:02suggested the frozen yogurt scene with Jennifer Coolidge and the meat counter scene
Mallory Rubin▶ 57:19the meat counter scene

Best Quote

Joanna Robinson▶ 58:33I was a hairdresser about 14 years, and I went to a show, and I saw his nibs here, having his way with a borzoi, and I asked my ex-wife, who's that? And she said, that's Scott.

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 59:13Christopher Guest as Harlan Pepper - doesn't make him laugh, gets the joke immediately but it's a lot of work
Joanna Robinson▶ 59:24Defended Harlan Pepper, particularly praising the nut monologue scene as really funny
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:01:06Harlan's ventriloquist act - least favorite of the prominent cast members

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:36Chris Guest left $200 million on the table by not turning Best in Show into a TV series
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:06:30Best in Show should have been a TV miniseries instead of a movie

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:38Larry Miller — Larry Miller, Max Berman, Leslie Ward Cabot, Harlan's Two Buddies, Will Sasso as Dale
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:08:58The pet shop owner (who holds it together opposite Parker Posey)

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:56John Michael Higgins — John Michael Higgins - yes; Catherine O'Hara - no, probably Home Alone; McKean - no, Better Call Saul; Jennifer Coolidge - multiple peaks (Stifler's mom era and White Lotus); Fred Willard - no, this movie; Jane Lynch - Glee; Parker Posey - mid-90s somewhere; Eugene Levy - Schitt's Creek
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:15:01Michael McKean — McKean - Better Call Saul; Jennifer Coolidge - Legally Blonde made her an imitable figure, but White Lotus also significant; Parker Posey - Party Girl era, she was the 'It-Girl' in mid-90s
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:13:52Catherine O'Hara — Catherine O'Hara - no, she's the mom in Home Alone ($700 million) and Beetlejuice; Jennifer Coolidge - White Lotus for rediscovered fame, but maybe multiple Apex Mountains due to time gap; Eugene Levy - Schitt's Creek

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:28Danny Trejo — Danny Trejo and Sam Jackson (for sequel)
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:24:32Danny Trejo — Agrees with Danny Trejo - he could take it seriously and kill in comedy
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:25:12Wayne Jenkins with his Rottweiler, fighting Hamilton Swan backstage

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:52Fred Willard — Fred Willard for Best Supporting Actor
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:26:01Christopher Guest — Christopher Guest for Best Editing
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:26:11Catherine O'Hara — Catherine O'Hara for Best Supporting Actress

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:46Catherine O'Hara — Agreed with Catherine O'Hara and Parker Posey, emphasizing they are the two actors no one else could replace in the movie
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:29:48Eugene Levy — Added Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Jennifer Coolidge, and Jane Lynch as actors whose 'wars are all so high' and irreplaceable
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:29:35Catherine O'Hara — Discussed Catherine O'Hara and Parker Posey as strong contenders, noting both are irreplaceable in their roles

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:33Waiting for Guffman
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:37:30Waiting for Guffman — Waiting for Guffman (suggested doing all four Christopher Guest films as a marathon)
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:37:36Would prefer Schitt's Creek but acknowledged it's not allowed since it's TV; didn't give a movie alternative

Movies Referenced (37)

Almost Famous (2000)

8 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Home Alone (1990)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 1:14:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Snow Dogs (2002)

5 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Mallory Rubin▶ 20:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

3 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons▶ 48:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Air Bud (1997)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 20:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

American Pie (1999)

2 mentions · Joanna Robinson▶ 34:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Beetlejuice (1988)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 1:14:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blade Runner (1982)

2 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Bill Simmons▶ 18:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bridesmaids (2011)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Crash (2004)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 3:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eight Below (2006)

2 mentions · Craig Horlbeck▶ 21:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Legally Blonde (2001)

2 mentions · Mallory Rubin▶ 1:15:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

Ridley Scott

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson, Mallory Rubin · Known for The Martian, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise▶ 17:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Busy Bee

9 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons · Known for Boiler Room▶ 22:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

W.K. Border

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure▶ 10:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Greg Daniels

1 mentions · Joanna Robinson▶ 15:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ruby Stillwater

1 mentions · Joanna Robinson · Known for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story▶ 1:27:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (55)

Christopher Guest

27 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind▶ 11:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Fleck

21 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson · Known for Edward Scissorhands▶ 12:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Michael Higgins

20 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Craig Horlbeck · Known for A Mighty Wind, Pitch Perfect▶ 23:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fred Willard

18 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson, Mallory Rubin · Known for Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy▶ 15:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Parker Posey

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson, Mallory Rubin · Known for Scream 3, Superman Returns▶ 16:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eugene Levy

14 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman▶ 12:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Catherine O'Hara

13 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck · Known for A Mighty Wind, Best in Show▶ 12:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jane Lynch

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson, Mallory Rubin · Known for Wreck-It Ralph, A Mighty Wind▶ 36:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jennifer Coolidge

10 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck · Known for A Mighty Wind, A Cinderella Story, Shotgun Wedding▶ 34:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bob Balaban

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Gosford Park, A Mighty Wind, Capote▶ 21:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Will Ferrell

8 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Blades of Glory▶ 1:09:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kate Hudson

6 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Almost Famous, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Bride Wars▶ 1:27:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

Roger Ebert

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson▶ 27:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Letterman

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 23:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jackie Files

1 mentions · Joanna Robinson▶ 1:08:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Don Davis

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson▶ 1:02:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗