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‘Blackhat’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

September 12, 2023 · Blackhat (2015) · Action · Crime · Thriller · 1:16:15 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes: Korean restaurant scene where movie takes off, explosion when brother blows up (best scene in movie), basement raid, final ceremony gunfight▶ 25:23
Chris RyanAgrees with Korean restaurant scene and basement raid discussions, emphasizes gunfight quality and Michael Mann's style▶ 28:51

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill SimmonsThe Korean restaurant▶ 42:15
Chris RyanDiscussed the scene where Barrett gets killed looking up at the tower and the tarmac scene with Hathaway, ultimately choosing Barrett dying▶ 43:09

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill SimmonsHow fucking confusing it is if you're watching it the first time▶ 43:53

What's Aged the Worst

Bill SimmonsThe trope of characters going to jail for 'noble' fights instead of realistic crimes, people who fix TVs and garage door openers getting shot at, and dense plots that require Wikipedia to follow▶ 47:02
Chris RyanThe jumpy dialogue trying to explain dense plots, and the audio mix issues in a Michael Mann film▶ 48:13

Is There a Better Title?

Bill SimmonsSuggests 'Handsome Hacker' and 'Ghostface' as alternative titles, notes original title was 'Cyber'▶ 50:25
Chris RyanPrefers the original title 'Cyber' as more communicative of what the movie was about▶ 50:21

Best Quote

Bill SimmonsI'm not sure there's any light at the end of this tunnel anymore (Hemsworth says that to the sister)▶ 51:56
Chris RyanDo my own time, not the institution. See, to hold on to who you are in there. You dedicate yourself to a program. You work out your body and your mind.▶ 52:04

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill SimmonsThis isn't Michael Mann's worst movie - Public Enemies is worse and doesn't work▶ 52:37

Casting What-Ifs

Bill SimmonsCouldn't find any casting what-ifs▶ 52:55

Dion Waiters Award

Bill SimmonsWilliam MapotherWilliam Mapother as Tom Cruise's cousin/brother, and York Van Wageningen as Sadak▶ 53:50

Apex Mountain

Bill SimmonsSoy Futures and Hamgy Park Restaurant▶ 58:42
Chris RyanHacking on screen▶ 58:23

Is This Movie Better With

Bill SimmonsJon BernthalJon Bernthal as Hathaway's cellmate, though questions if he'd be believable as a hacker▶ 1:05:00
Chris RyanWayne Jenkins as Hathaway's cellmate with specific dialogue about rooming with 'Steve Jobs'▶ 1:04:32

Just One Oscar

Bill SimmonsConsiders leaving it blank, explicitly rules out the composer▶ 1:05:27

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill SimmonsIs hacking really this easy where you can just type some stuff and immediately access all someone's information? Questions whether elite hackers can actually break into systems as effortlessly as shown in movies▶ 1:05:58
Chris RyanWhy would someone just out of federal prison immediately get into a serious romantic relationship? Questions the realistic dynamic between the main characters when not actively hacking▶ 1:08:38

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Chris RyanDo my time, don't let my time do me▶ 1:11:31

Who Won the Movie

Bill SimmonsViola DavisViola Davis - she owns every scene and makes the movie work▶ 1:11:53
Chris RyanViola DavisViola Davis - if she's replacement level, this movie is not as good; she makes this movie top▶ 1:11:44

Movies Referenced (35)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
Miami Vice (2006)IMDb ↗Lb ↗10Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 8:42
Black Widow (2021)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons▶ 39:51
Blade Runner (1982)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Chris Ryan▶ 12:57
American Sniper (2014)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:16
Public Enemies (2009)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 8:49
Fargo (1996)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 23:05
Fight Club (1999)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 23:49
Jason Bourne (2016)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan▶ 14:28
Shot Caller (2017)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 36:57
Suicide Squad (2016)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan▶ 34:54
Trading Places (1983)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 17:37
Blade (1998)IMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris Ryan▶ 21:11

Directors Referenced (4)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Michael MannIMDb ↗Lb ↗43Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsThe Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 3:09
Chad StahelskiIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanJohn Wick▶ 31:28
John WooIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris Ryan▶ 31:28
Ridley ScottIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanThe Martian, Blade Runner▶ 21:19

Actors Referenced (35)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Chris HemsworthIMDb ↗Lb ↗23Bill Simmons, Chris RyanThe Avengers▶ 13:46
Jon BernthalIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill SimmonsThe Wolf of Wall Street, King Richard▶ 1:05:00
Mario KassarIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsFirst Blood, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Stargate▶ 11:23
John OrtizIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris RyanSilver Linings Playbook, American Gangster, Miami Vice▶ 39:16
Tom CruiseIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill SimmonsTop Gun, Minority Report▶ 53:50
Crazy TownIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill SimmonsSomething's Gotta Give▶ 37:12
Viola DavisIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill SimmonsThe Help▶ 43:20
Colin FarrellIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill SimmonsThe Lobster, In Bruges▶ 14:22
Jamie FoxxIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill SimmonsCollateral, Django Unchained▶ 9:43
Paul WalkerIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Chris RyanThe Fast and the Furious, Furious 7, Running Scared▶ 19:20
Robert RedfordIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris RyanThe Natural, Ordinary People, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid▶ 58:13
Russell CroweIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill SimmonsGladiator, A Beautiful Mind▶ 50:59

Writers Referenced (2)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Roger EbertIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 21:50
Ted JessupIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanTed 2▶ 36:02

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Michael GrantlandIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsThe Other Guys▶ 4:12