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‘City Slickers’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

June 15, 2021 · City Slickers (1991) · Comedy · Western · 1:21:57 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 16:22City Slickers — References this movie as an ultimate Apex Mountain moment and notes it was the fifth biggest movie of 1991
Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:15Rapid-fire verdicts: Billy Crystal - yes; Bruno Kirby - no (his apex is Godfather Part II as young Clemenza, the gun-in-the-doorframe scene); Daniel Stern - 'unquestionably yes'; cattle vacations - yes; Jack Palance - no, it's Shane ('I don't care that he won the Oscar - he's in fucking Shane'); Helen Slater - Supergirl/Billie Jean era was her apex; Patricia Wettig - definitely.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:06:22Chips in on the run-through without full verdicts of his own - challenges the cattle-vacations apex ('depends on whether you consider Westworld a cattle vacation') and jokes about the Hollywood flex of shooting the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona for one scene.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:06:00Prompts the category and riffs along - notes Kirby played young Clemenza, 'love her, good career' on Helen Slater - but offers no apex verdicts of his own.

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 20:37Anthony Hopkins — Anthony Hopkins should have been moved to Best Supporting Actor category instead of Best Actor, which would have solved the Jack Palance Oscar win issue
Bill Simmons▶ 23:01Laurence Fishburne — If can't switch Hopkins categories, would give Best Supporting Actor to Lawrence Fishburne for Boyz n the Hood (who wasn't even nominated)
Bill Simmons▶ 58:05Jack Palance was the first choice for Curly but had another film, so Crystal went to Charles Bronson, who said no because he didn't like that the character died - then Palance got out of the other movie and rejoined; also, Rick Moranis was originally cast as Phil (Daniel Stern's part) and left the production when his wife became ill, with Stern added three weeks before filming.
Chris Ryan▶ 58:51Muses on the Bronson what-if - wonders if missing City Slickers haunted him (Palance won the Oscar, Bronson never did), notes Bronson could have 'doubled up' by returning as the twin in Curly's Gold, and calls it the make-good for Death Wish.
Sean Fennessey▶ 23:30Gary Oldman — Would have gone with Gary Oldman in JFK for Best Supporting Actor
Sean Fennessey▶ 58:25Relishes the Bronson phone call ('I'm Charles Bronson. I don't die.') and lands on 'Bronson would have been good' - he and Palance occupied the same Western-hero space; adds that Moranis's wife's cancer diagnosis is why he eventually left movies for 25 years.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 34:38Multiple scenes: airplane scene coming back from running with the bulls, Crystal-Tambor pizza ad scene, harmonica scene with Jack and Billy, and 'my best day, worst day' scene (which he calls his favorite)

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 39:56The midlife crisis angle, Curly's shocking death, young Jake Gyllenhaal, the one-arm push-ups Oscar moment, saying the title in dialogue, Billy Crystal's terrible one-liners, his meaning of life monologue, and normal people in Western setting
Sean Fennessey▶ 44:02Fish out of water tale and all the surrounding cast being well cast and fun

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 44:44Why the two drunk cattle guys suddenly become threatening and evil when there was no prior indication they were bad people
Chris Ryan▶ 44:34The drunk cattle guys are inconsistent characters who are nice when sober but become threatening alcoholics, then just disappear from the story
Sean Fennessey▶ 44:53The two threatening ranch hand characters serve no real purpose except to create artificial tension for 20 minutes

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 46:20VCR technology references, Director Ron Underwood's career trajectory, the veal eating message, and City Slickers 2
Chris Ryan▶ 50:32The Mark Shaman score with gospel music during the stampede and the overall softness/corniness of the movie's tone
Sean Fennessey▶ 50:25Billy Crystal getting one extra bad dad joke in every scene and the overall tone of these movies

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:34Robert Costanzo — Robert Costanza (guy speaking to kids) and Bill Henderson (older dentist)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:54Tracey Walter — Tracy Walter as Cookie and the chef/cook guy
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:01Bill Henderson — Bill Henderson (older dentist, the cop from Clue)

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:49Team vote for the Ben and Jerry's guys, Pamer and Mostel
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:57Agreed with the Ben and Jerry's guys choice, praised their performance in the ice cream pairing scene
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:03:09Agreed with the Ben and Jerry's guys choice, participated in recreating their scene dialogue

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:38Shared trivia including: Chris got idea from TV show about middle-aged man on fantasy vacations, borrowed pot from John Wayne's The Cowboys, Billy Crystal's son Jake made film debut, Crystal's daughter Lindsay was his real daughter, 10-11 different cows used as Norman, Norman's birth scene shot in three states, river crossing was toughest scene because cows kept mounting each other
Chris Ryan▶ 1:06:22Participated in discussion but primarily responded to trivia rather than presenting research
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:05:54Made comments about the research quality and noted he didn't know Lindsay Crystal was Billy's real daughter but thought the casting looked perfect

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:28Ron Underwood
Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:24Billy Crystal
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:18:37Billy Crystal — Billy Crystal (agrees with consensus)

Movies Referenced (50)

Night Shift (1982)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 38:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Home Alone (1990)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 24:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cape Fear (1991)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 21:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donnie Brasco (1997)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 56:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dances with Wolves (1990)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 24:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 27:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fever Pitch (2005)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:21:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Forget Paris (1995)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 15:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Friday Night Lights (2004)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Grand Canyon (1991)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 5:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Neighbors (2014)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 2:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (14)

Ron Underwood

11 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for City Slickers▶ 2:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrea Bias

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Black Adam, A Simple Favor, The Intern0:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Colorado

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Hancock▶ 50:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Reds, Heaven Can Wait▶ 20:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Diego Pamplona

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Triple Frontier, Mile 22▶ 1:06:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rob Reiner

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street▶ 47:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ron Howard

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for A Beautiful Mind▶ 1:20:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dead or Alive

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The A-Team▶ 8:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Dante

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Innerspace, Gremlins▶ 47:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Cassavetes

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Rosemary's Baby, A Woman Under the Influence▶ 41:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kosta Jokic

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Fair Play▶ 1:18:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Penny Marshall

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Big, A League of Their Own▶ 1:21:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (79)

Billy Crystal

56 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Forget Paris, City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally...▶ 2:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruno Kirby

34 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally...▶ 2:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Daniel Stern

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for City Slickers, Breaking Away▶ 2:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charles Bronson

11 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Once Upon a Time in the West, The Great Escape▶ 58:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jake Gyllenhaal

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Nightcrawler, Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko▶ 30:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Palance

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for City Slickers, Contempt▶ 16:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Seinfeld

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Bee Movie▶ 10:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robin Williams

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Mrs. Doubtfire▶ 9:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 13:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ben Kingsley

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Sexy Beast, Gandhi, Schindler's List▶ 20:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Helen Slater

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Supergirl, Ruthless People, City Slickers▶ 38:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Ritter

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Sling Blade, Problem Child0:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (9)

Lowell Ganz

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Parenthood▶ 3:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Young

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for King Kong, Big Fish▶ 40:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tommy Lee

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Vanilla Sky▶ 23:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Babaloo Mandel

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Where the Heart Is▶ 49:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Elaine May

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Primary Colors▶ 41:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Morwood

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 42:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 25:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Sheridan

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Hell or High Water, Wind River▶ 45:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Worst

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 39:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 1:16:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗