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‘Cobra’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt

October 12, 2021 · Cobra (1986) · Action · Crime · Thriller · 1:20:46

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Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill SimmonsExtensive trivia including: Stallone rewrote Beverly Hills Cop script but it was rejected; cinematographer Rick Waite called out Stallone for delays due to 'fooling around with Brigitte Nielsen'; supporting cast and extras were forbidden to talk to Stallone on set; Brian Thompson (Night Slasher) was told by Stallone the character backstory was just 'the guy's just evil'; rough cut was over 2 hours long with 40 minutes of additional footage; movie was edited to under 90 minutes to compete with Top Gun at box office▶ 7:21
Kyle BrandtAdded commentary and reactions to SPEAKER_00's research, including jokes about Peter Schrager, comparisons to bachelor party excess, sympathy for Brian Thompson's lack of character development, and observations about Western movie influences and 1980s cop movie tropes▶ 9:09

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill SimmonsThe supermarket scene where Cobra confronts the gunman▶ 26:24
Kyle BrandtAgrees the supermarket scene is entertaining and discusses why Stallone's dialogue is hard to hear▶ 28:06

Apex Mountain

Kyle BrandtCobraSuggests this might be apex mountain for product placement, specifically citing the extreme Coors banquet beer placement scene▶ 28:21

Casting What-Ifs

Bill SimmonsNo casting what-ifs - not enough research about alternate casting decisions for this movie▶ 55:09

Picking Nits

Bill SimmonsBrigitte Nielsen being cast as a fashion model is a stretch - she had the height but it's not believable▶ 1:10:23
Bill SimmonsCobretti takes Brigitte to a safe house even though he knows there's a mole, but then lots of police know where the safe house is, defeating the purpose of protection▶ 1:10:32

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill SimmonsSix questions: How did you join the axe-clanging serial killer cult? Did this movie invent the nitrous boost? Did it invent Hero Ball? Did it foreshadow evil LA cops? Has any movie star been shot at more by people with terrible aim than Stallone? Does the Night Slasher check the most boxes as a horror villain?▶ 1:12:39
Kyle BrandtIs there anything less safe than a safe house? - noting it's a classic genre trope where safe houses always become slaughterhouses▶ 1:10:47

Who Won the Movie

Kyle BrandtSylvester StalloneSly Stallone, but offers curveball pick of 'the knife' as what won the movie, calling it the indelible image and star of the movie▶ 1:19:21

Movies Referenced (38)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
Dirty Harry (1971)IMDb ↗Lb ↗10Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 3:18
Safe House (2012)IMDb ↗Lb ↗9Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 14:09
Halloween (1978)IMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 34:02
Rambo (2008)IMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 2:33
Rocky IV (1985)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons▶ 58:18
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons▶ 7:31
Field of Dreams (1989)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 56:07
Frozen (2013)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 30:54
Nightcrawler (2014)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons▶ 32:54
Psycho (1960)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons▶ 46:11
Back to the Future (1985)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:13
Citizen Kane (1941)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons▶ 4:47

Directors Referenced (1)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Sean PennIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsMystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 55:22

Actors Referenced (41)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Sylvester StalloneIMDb ↗Lb ↗49Bill Simmons, Kyle BrandtRocky, Rocky IV, Creed▶ 3:30
Bill BelichickIMDb ↗Lb ↗25Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons▶ 1:34
Brian ThompsonIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Kyle Brandt, Bill SimmonsThe Terminator, Cobra▶ 9:31
Brigitte NielsenIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Kyle BrandtBeverly Hills Cop II▶ 6:21
Dolph LundgrenIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Kyle Brandt, Bill SimmonsRocky IV, Masters of the Universe▶ 1:03:46
Norm MacDonaldIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Kyle BrandtDirty Work, Billy Madison▶ 17:18
Robert TepperIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill SimmonsCobra, Get Hard▶ 48:57
Art LaFleurIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Kyle BrandtThe Sandlot, Cobra, Field of Dreams▶ 56:00
Eddie MurphyIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill SimmonsThe Nutty Professor, Beverly Hills Cop II▶ 7:49
Eli ManningIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Kyle Brandt▶ 1:27
Flavor FlavIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Kyle BrandtEnd of Watch, Three Kings, Friday Night Lights▶ 1:07:35
Fred SavageIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill SimmonsThe Princess Bride▶ 56:17

Writers Referenced (2)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
George LucasIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill SimmonsStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, American Graffiti▶ 8:29
Paula GoslingIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsCobra▶ 1:04:31