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‘Cocktail’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

September 1, 2020 · Cocktail (1988) · Comedy · Drama · Romance · 1:24:26 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 29:33Coughlin giving tips to Cruz, including Coughlin's law scene and Flanagan's first good bartending night, plus Cruz bartending with 'Addicted to Love' playing as one of the most 80s moments in film
Chris Ryan▶ 31:33Likes the TGI Fridays sections overall, finds the whole part of their rise and fall within the Fridays ecosystem delightful, including daytime shots and night shifts
Sean Fennessey▶ 31:51Agrees the TGI Fridays part is his favorite part of the movie, though notes it wouldn't work as a full movie by itself

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 34:34Discusses various Tom Cruise behavioral questions - drinking beer incorrectly, never having played basketball, and general awkwardness with activities he's never done before
Chris Ryan▶ 33:43Was that the first time Tom Cruise had heard 'Addicted to Love'?
Sean Fennessey▶ 42:22Did Coughlin go seek out where Flanagan was for his honeymoon?

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 47:14Uncle Pat's philosophy of never buying drinks if you own a bar, Elizabeth Shue as an 80s goddess transitioning to more adult roles, the scene where Cruise diagnoses the passed-out friend, director Roger Donaldson's late 80s run, and Cruise playing basketball/his athletic abilities across movies
Chris Ryan▶ 48:44Discussed Uncle Pat's business practices critically, pointed out Elizabeth Shue abandoning her friend, and critiqued the unrealistic basketball scene as part of a broader pattern in movies
Sean Fennessey▶ 47:24Discussed bar buyback culture and Uncle Pat's philosophy, praised director Roger Donaldson particularly for 'No Way Out', and agreed that Tom Cruise was undeniably a good athlete despite lacking coordination

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:35Charlie Sheen — Discussed Charlie Sheen making sense for Brian Flanagan, Robin Williams feeling weird for the role, and prefers Elizabeth Shue over Heather Graham for Jordan Mooney

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:46Ron Dean — Proposed Uncle Pat (Ron Dean) and Jordan's dad (Lawrence Luckenbill) as candidates
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:03Gary Bannon — Gary Bannon (Kevin McAllister's uncle from Home Alone) - the guy with the tracking shot at the bar
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:04:25James Eckhouse — Expressed enthusiasm for seeing James Eckhouse on screen but didn't give a definitive pick

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:21Presented multiple trivia facts including: bottle tossing added at Cruise's request, Kokomo Grammy/Golden Globe nominations, flare bartending term, Andrew Shue cameo, Cruise's Scientology conversion during filming, Louis Trey brandy worth $3,600 in 2020, plastic bottles used on set, and deleted yacht scene details

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:26Tom Cruise — Argues case for Tom Cruise (Rain Man/Cocktail era) but accepts Sean's 1996 Jerry Maguire counter; gives definitive picks for Brian Brown (FX), Kelly Lynch (Three of Hearts, 1992), and various other topics
Chris Ryan▶ 1:08:33Belly — Jamaica's cinematic Apex Mountain is Belly; Bartending Apex Mountain is Cheers over Cocktail
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:51Tom Cruise — Tom Cruise: 1996 Jerry Maguire/Mission Impossible

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:08Tom Cruise — Cruise, but gives credit to Coughlin for an incredible performance as sidekick

Movies Referenced (29)

Rain Man (1988)

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 7:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Maguire (1996)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 6:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

No Way Out (1987)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 50:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Firm (1993)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 6:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Few Good Men (1992)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 11:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 8:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Collateral (2004)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wall Street (1987)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 18:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All the Right Moves (1983)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 44:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Magnolia (1999)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 24:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

25th Hour (2002)

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 29:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (4)

Roger Donaldson

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for No Way Out, Species▶ 31:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 1:05:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Corner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 1:20:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Lynch

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Inland Empire▶ 37:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (40)

Tom Cruise

74 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, Minority Report▶ 2:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrew Shue

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Rainmaker▶ 38:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kelly Lynch

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Drugstore Cowboy, Road House, Charlie's Angels▶ 4:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Brown

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Iron Man▶ 5:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Eckhouse

9 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Big▶ 29:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bobby McFerrin

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for The Two Popes, Cocktail, Dawn of the Dead▶ 55:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gina Gershon

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Killer Joe, Bound, Showgirls▶ 37:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Vincent Hanna

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 6:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlie Sheen

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Wall Street▶ 1:02:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Foreman

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Fighter▶ 57:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heather Graham

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Boogie Nights, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Bowfinger▶ 1:03:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Natasha Henstridge

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Species, Ghosts of Mars▶ 1:21:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Andy Greenwald

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 5:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Worst

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 23:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Crichton

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Jurassic Park, Twister, Westworld▶ 3:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 27:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 35:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗