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Creed With Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey, and K. Austin Collins

January 4, 2022 · Creed (2015) · Action · Drama · Sport · 1:41:09 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 42:32Couldn't find any casting what-ifs
Sean Fennessey▶ 42:40Agrees that the casting seemed intentional with the main roles, discusses that they had to audition people

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 45:45Kornheiser and Wilbon (PTI segment discussing Apollo Creed's legacy)
Sean Fennessey▶ 47:03Ritchie Coster — Richie Coster as Leo's dad
Wesley Morris▶ 47:30Phylicia Rashad — Phylicia Rashad (for her reactions during the fight)

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 54:46Didn't feel there was much overacting in this movie, briefly considered Jim Lampley but dismissed it
Sean Fennessey▶ 54:56Michael B. Jordan — The scene where MBJ has a showdown before Bianca's concert with the guy who asks for a photo and calls him 'Baby Creed'
Wesley Morris▶ 55:11Agreed the scene felt fake but shifted to discussing broader boxing movie themes rather than specific overacting

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:41Multiple trivia facts: Stallone requested MBJ wear flag trunks, MBJ got actually hit in 11th round, Adrian's restaurant filmed at Victor Cafe in Philadelphia, MBJ gained 24 pounds of muscle working out 2-3 times daily, Adrian's maiden name Pennino is great Rocky trivia
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:02:15MBJ gained even more muscle for Black Panther - possibly 44 pounds - he's much bigger in that movie than in Creed
Wesley Morris▶ 1:01:36The knockout sequence with MBJ's fantasy montage is basically the same as the heart-shaped herb sequence from Black Panther

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:41Michael B. Jordan — Suggests this Creed movie could be apex mountain for Michael B. Jordan, but expresses uncertainty about whether to pick this or Black Panther
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:03:49Michael B. Jordan — Provides detailed career overview of Michael B. Jordan from The Wire through Creed, noting his progression but doesn't definitively state which is apex mountain
Wesley Morris▶ 1:08:00Michael B. Jordan — Analyzes Jordan's intensity as an actor and discusses his performance in Black Panther as complex and politically radical, but doesn't clearly state apex mountain pick

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:12Pretty Ricky Conlin's just not in shape - that dude has not seen a sit-up in like five years
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:17:33Creed is in better shape visually than Andre Ward in the movie, despite Andre Ward being a real fighter who held the WBC lightweight title
Wesley Morris▶ 1:17:56Michael B. Jordan is throwing off what an actual boxer's body looks like, but actors always do that in boxing movies

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:12want to prove I'm not a mistake

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:16The timeline of Apollo fathering Adonis doesn't work - if Apollo died in 1985 and Michael B. Jordan was born in 1987, Creed would be at least 29 years old in the movie, which seems late for a boxer starting out unless they came from jail
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:20:55Creed had been fighting for at least a few years with 15 fights in Mexico, so the timeline works because he wasn't just starting boxing at 28-29
Wesley Morris▶ 1:21:31The movie might not be set in 2015 - could be set 4 years earlier based on the music, which would make Creed 24 instead of 29, solving the timeline issue

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:24Sylvester Stallone — Stallone - he gets two victories: career revival as an actor (Best Supporting Actor nomination) and revival of the Rocky franchise
Wesley Morris▶ 1:36:15Ryan Coogler — Coogler won it for Stallone - Coogler revived Stallone's career, got him nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and revived the dead Rocky franchise

Movies Referenced (48)

Black Panther (2018)

36 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Friday Night Lights (2004)

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

First Blood (1982)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 11:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky Balboa (2006)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris▶ 4:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fantastic Four (2005)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky V (1990)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 2:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chronicle (2012)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 1:04:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinderella Man (2005)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 57:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Good Time (2017)

3 mentions · Wesley Morris▶ 29:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Logan (2017)

3 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 1:35:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Midnight Run (1988)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:15:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

That Awkward Moment (2014)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris▶ 1:05:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (8)

Ava DuVernay

4 mentions · Wesley Morris▶ 1:28:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dead or Alive

2 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for The A-Team▶ 21:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony D. Syracuse

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, KPop Demon Hunters▶ 4:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 1:35:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Fincher

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Se7en, Gone Girl, Zodiac▶ 1:33:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 6:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sidney Lumet

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, 12 Angry Men▶ 1:33:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Todd Haynes

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Far from Heaven, I'm Not There, Carol▶ 32:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (71)

Michael B. Jordan

17 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Black Panther, Creed, Fruitvale Station▶ 3:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lisa Bonet

9 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons · Known for Angel Heart, High Fidelity, Enemy of the State▶ 43:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tessa Thompson

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey · Known for Creed, Thor: Ragnarok▶ 5:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Travolta

7 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Saturday Night Fever▶ 19:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert De Niro

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris · Known for Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver▶ 1:12:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carl Weathers

6 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Rocky, Predator, Happy Gilmore▶ 11:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Phylicia Rashad

6 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons · Known for Creed▶ 39:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny Trejo

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators▶ 1:18:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Diane Lane

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Unfaithful, Under the Tuscan Sun, The Outsiders▶ 47:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Johnson

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Lost in Space▶ 46:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mark Rylance

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Bridge of Spies, The Trial of the Chicago 7▶ 1:24:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Barry Jenkins

4 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Zodiac▶ 28:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Ryan Coogler

39 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris · Known for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Black Panther, Creed▶ 1:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Damien Chazelle

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Whiplash, La La Land, First Man▶ 28:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Shonda Rhimes

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Colin Trevorrow

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Safety Not Guaranteed, Jurassic World, Deep Cover▶ 27:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Schrader

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for First Reformed, The Card Counter▶ 1:14:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Petri Jokiranta

1 mentions · ▶ 1:40:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 1:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗