Home/Episodes/Crimson Tide

‘Crimson Tide’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

May 12, 2020 · Crimson Tide (1995) · Action · Drama · Thriller · 1:25:36 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

Categories

Casting What-Ifs

Bill SimmonsTom CruiseTom Cruise could have played Denzel's part - would have been more brash and sarcastic, like A Few Good Men▶ 12:23

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes: First Hackman-Denzel meeting with the horses/high school girls comparison, the post-fire missile drill confrontation, Denzel's Silver Surfer scene, and the mutiny scene where Denzel relieves Hackman▶ 31:50

What's Aged the Worst

Bill SimmonsMultiple picks: the movie being a great big screen experience that's hard to replicate at home, Lillo Brancato (the actor from Bronx Tale) due to his real-life issues, Hackman threatening to kill people, and Hackman's overt racism at the end▶ 53:42

Joey Pants Award

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill SimmonsShared multiple trivia facts: Tarantino's three scenes, Denzel confronting Tarantino about N-word usage on set, Robert Town dictating rewrites over phone to Simpson/Bruckheimer, Robert Mueller quoting Hackman's line, and U.S. Navy withdrawing support after learning about mutiny plot▶ 1:08:16
Chris RyanReferenced David Milch's story about Don Simpson phone calls on Dinner for Five show, comparing it to the Robert Town rewrite situation▶ 1:09:58
Sean FennesseyRecommended the book 'High Concept' about Simpson and Bruckheimer, and shared Tony Scott's response to Navy controversy about mutiny training for officers▶ 1:10:51

Apex Mountain

Bill SimmonsTony ScottTony Scott - argues for Crimson Tide as his apex because The Fan was greenlit after it despite being terrible, showing his peak influence▶ 1:13:40
Sean FennesseyTony ScottTony Scott - mentions his three favorites are Last Boy Scout, True Romance and Crimson Tide but doesn't definitively pick one as apex▶ 1:13:22

Picking Nits

Bill SimmonsBringing the dog on the sub and the bathroom logistics - should have had someone walk it or created an AstroTurf area instead of having piss and shit everywhere▶ 1:17:10
Bill SimmonsHackman's character going full racist, which he never fully understood▶ 1:17:58
Chris RyanWhat Steve Zahn's actual job is - he just spends time smoking, listening to radio, and can't perform basic tasks like closing hatches▶ 1:18:06
Chris RyanThe crew learns too much information from cable news, even for 1995 - they find out about major events from TV rather than military briefings▶ 1:18:21
Sean FennesseyWhy the only cassette they listen to is Martha and the Vandellas 'Nowhere to Run' over and over - weird choice for naval officers in 1995▶ 1:18:52

Best Quote

Bill SimmonsIndicates they covered all the best quotes earlier in discussion▶ 1:19:15
Sean FennesseyDenzel's pronunciation of 'Holocaust' in 'Nuclear Holocaust'▶ 1:19:18

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill SimmonsWhat happened next to Lomachenko/Vlad character after the movie▶ 1:20:06
Chris RyanThe final reconciliation scene doesn't work - characters forgive too easily after the racist analogy and nuclear incident▶ 1:20:37
Sean FennesseyAgrees the final scene is problematic, noting the character circles back aggressively on his racist analogy and nearly caused nuclear destruction▶ 1:20:53

Who Won the Movie

Bill SimmonsDenzel WashingtonDenzel Washington (tied with Don Simpson) - thought Denzel's part was harder and ultimately chose him over Hackman▶ 1:22:57
Chris RyanDenzel WashingtonWashington - establishes himself as a movie star at another level▶ 1:22:31
Sean FennesseyDenzel WashingtonDenzel Washington - agrees with Chris that Denzel supercharged into mainstream movie stardom▶ 1:22:48

Movies Referenced (46)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
Braveheart (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 19:30
Enemy of the State (1998)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 9:35
True Romance (1993)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:02:36
A Few Good Men (1992)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:23:10
Run Silent Run Deep (1958)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Sean Fennessey▶ 15:48
Top Gun (1986)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 36:58
Apollo 13 (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 20:46
Basic Instinct (1992)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 27:04
Boogie Nights (1997)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 58:40
Deja Vu (2006)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 7:24
Groundhog Day (1993)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:00:01
Malcolm X (1992)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 8:03

Directors Referenced (10)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Tony ScottIMDb ↗Lb ↗27Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanUnstoppable, True Romance▶ 1:51
Sean PennIMDb ↗Lb ↗15Bill Simmons, Chris RyanMystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 1:46
Quentin TarantinoIMDb ↗Lb ↗12Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanReservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 6:40
Warren BeattyIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyHeaven Can Wait▶ 58:15
John McTiernanIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Chris RyanDie Hard, Last Action Hero▶ 47:53
Spike LeeIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanDo the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It▶ 9:25
Walt FrasierIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:17
Jannecke NilsenIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris Ryan▶ 27:04
John P. FertittaIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsMississippi Burning▶ 47:09
Michael MannIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyThe Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 4:52

Actors Referenced (66)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Denzel WashingtonIMDb ↗Lb ↗63Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:29
Gene HackmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗60Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanThe French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven▶ 1:32
Don SimpsonIMDb ↗Lb ↗19Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyDays of Thunder, Beverly Hills Cop, The Rock▶ 1:57
Al PacinoIMDb ↗Lb ↗11Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyDog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 10:30
Hans ZimmerIMDb ↗Lb ↗10Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyGladiator, Interstellar▶ 27:27
Brad PittIMDb ↗Lb ↗8Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyFight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith▶ 20:47
Jason RobardsIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyAll the President's Men, Magnolia, Once Upon a Time in the West▶ 16:40
Matt CravenIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Chris RyanCrimson Tide, A Few Good Men▶ 44:06
Tom CruiseIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyTop Gun, Minority Report▶ 24:40
Tom HanksIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyCast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 8:20
DJ PremierIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris RyanInside Man▶ 1:08:35
Danny NucciIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanTitanic, Crimson Tide, Alive▶ 34:17

Writers Referenced (12)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Jerry BruckheimerIMDb ↗Lb ↗12Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanTop Gun: Maverick, Armageddon▶ 1:57
Ted JessupIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill SimmonsTed 2▶ 1:23:21
David MilchIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:04
Malcolm XIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Sean Fennessey, Bill SimmonsMalcolm X▶ 8:03
Michael SchifferIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris RyanCrimson Tide▶ 7:41
Robert TowneIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill SimmonsChinatown, Mission: Impossible▶ 3:50
Brian KoppelmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsRunaway Jury, Michael Clayton▶ 30:41
Jon FavreauIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanChef, Iron Man, Swingers▶ 1:10:16
Julie SiegeIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 59:16
Michael DinnerIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:04
Tom ClancyIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanThe Hunt for Red October, The Sum of All Fears, Clear and Present Danger▶ 1:16:14
William GoldmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 4:00