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‘Dirty Work’ With Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey

September 21, 2021 · Dirty Work (1998) · Comedy · 1:10:53

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes including opening credits with kids as Norm/Artie, frat house prank with fake cops, Chevy Chase scenes, Rickles roast scene, dead hookers with David Koechner, dead fish scene, jail scene, and Farley releasing skunks▶ 34:29
Sean FennesseyAgrees with many of Bill's picks, particularly emphasizing the dead fish scene as traditional comedy like Abbott and Costello, the jail scene, and Chevy Chase's performance throughout▶ 39:11

Dion Waiters Award

Bill SimmonsThe opera critic▶ 51:57

Casting What-Ifs

Bill SimmonsHoward SternHoward Stern was originally offered Satan role (turned down, went to Sam), Rodney Dangerfield was original choice for Don Rickles part but they switched to get faster insults, thinks they should have brought Dangerfield in anyway as Jack Warden's hospital buddy▶ 54:12
Sean FennesseyDon RicklesDangerfield would have been funny but Rickles brought classic lines he'd been doing for years▶ 54:38

Joey Pants Award

Bill SimmonsKevin FarleyKevin Farley (Chris Farley's brother, the guy in the theater scene)▶ 56:18
Sean FennesseyKevin FarleyAgrees with Kevin Farley but notes there are many cameos that don't qualify as 'that guys' since they're famous in their own right▶ 56:32

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill SimmonsNBC banned all advertising from the movie when it was in theaters; scenes cut for PG-13 rating including donuts photographed around genitals scene and 'anal rape' dialogue dubbed over▶ 59:45
Sean FennesseyQuestioned the NBC advertising ban as potentially being urban myth; shared insight from Norm's 2011 WTF interview about SNL firing being more complex than the Don Ohlmeyer story▶ 59:52

Apex Mountain

Bill SimmonsNorm MacDonaldYes for Norm MacDonald - 1998 when he was biggest he'd ever been, just off SNL▶ 1:02:10
Sean FennesseyNorm MacDonaldThe moment they published Norm's first column on Grantland.com▶ 1:02:28

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill SimmonsHow did Artie outlive Norm and Farley? What were the odds in 98? Also asks: Did this movie create Little Nicky?▶ 1:07:12
Sean FennesseyAgrees on the Artie question - 'They are going to have to study Artie in museums' and agrees the movie might have sprung the idea for Little Nicky▶ 1:07:22

Movies Referenced (39)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
Big Daddy (1999)IMDb ↗Lb ↗6Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 53:07
Happy Gilmore (1996)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 5:22
There's Something About Mary (1998)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 3:09
Billy Madison (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey▶ 19:50
Fargo (1996)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 33:59
Little Nicky (2000)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:46
Sing (2016)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 40:35
Tommy Boy (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 4:59
Wayne's World (1992)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey▶ 49:25
12 Angry Men (1957)IMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 45:45
All the President's Men (1976)IMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 46:03
Armageddon (1998)IMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 31:37

Directors Referenced (2)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Warren BeattyIMDb ↗Lb ↗8Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyHeaven Can Wait▶ 46:29
Bob SagetIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 30:10

Actors Referenced (45)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Norm MacDonaldIMDb ↗Lb ↗61Sean Fennessey, Bill SimmonsDirty Work, Billy Madison▶ 2:10
Chevy ChaseIMDb ↗Lb ↗15Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyMemoirs of an Invisible Man, Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation▶ 2:11
Jack WardenIMDb ↗Lb ↗13Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey12 Angry Men, All the President's Men, While You Were Sleeping▶ 10:40
Don RicklesIMDb ↗Lb ↗12Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyCasino, Toy Story▶ 22:48
Howard SternIMDb ↗Lb ↗10Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 23:43
Chris FarleyIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyTommy Boy▶ 5:02
Jim DowneyIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 19:44
Kevin NealonIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Sean Fennessey, Bill SimmonsHappy Gilmore▶ 16:48
CannonballIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons▶ 44:00
Sean ConneryIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill SimmonsDr. No, The Untouchables, The Rock▶ 1:29
Christopher McDonaldIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Sean FennesseyQuiz Show, Happy Gilmore▶ 10:46
Dennis MillerIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill SimmonsThe Net▶ 18:13

Writers Referenced (8)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Thorne SmithIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 9:19
Brita McVeighIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey, Bill SimmonsLove at First Sight▶ 47:30
Lorne MichaelsIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:42
Roald DahlIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean FennesseyYou Only Live Twice▶ 29:58
Carl SaganIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 25:55
Fred WolfIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 1:03:51
Patch AdamsIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsPatch Adams▶ 32:15
Roger EbertIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 31:09

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Michael GrantlandIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill SimmonsThe Other Guys▶ 29:24