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‘Disclosure’ With Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, and Wosny Lambre

December 10, 2024 · Disclosure (1994) · Drama · Thriller · 1:48:47 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 18:55Demi Moore's best performances were in St. Elmo's Fire and this movie because they leaned into her unique sexuality, which she didn't want to unleash in too many movies
Van Lathan▶ 23:10Tech moguls like Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Jobs claim to change humanity but really just optimize selling products - their soaring rhetoric about higher calling is BS, similar to the corporate platitudes critiqued in the movie

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 42:54Tom finds out he might be out of a job; Tom and Meredith see each other for the first time leading to Douglas angrily telling his staff; Tom goes to have a drink with Meredith (the office seduction scene)
Van Lathan▶ 43:53When Tom realizes he got passed over and tells his team, leading to them debating feminism with workplace banter; the office seduction scene between Tom and Meredith

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 55:39Discusses multiple cinematic scenes including the VR sequence where Tom gets the files and Demi Moore's avatar appears, calling it one of the best scenes
Van Lathan▶ 49:31The office scene with Demi Moore in her bra begging for the protagonist to come back - calls it 'Easiest great shot Gordo of all time'

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:07The DigiCom office building — an all-glass office set built from scratch for the movie because Levinson wanted everyone able to see what each other was doing.
Van Lathan▶ 1:09:22Concurred on the purpose-built office set — 'and it's really good... on a $50 million budget they built the whole office.'

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:02The 91 bottle, 91 Paul Meyer
Van Lathan▶ 1:11:07The scene when she hands him the glass and says 'I like to keep the boys below me happy'

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:44Initially suggests the sexual harassment plot as unnecessary, but then identifies the wife as the weak link, criticizing her for not being pissed off enough and being too dutiful and forgiving
Van Lathan▶ 1:12:02The wife - she's not in Demi Moore's league, doesn't add anything, wants to be ride or die but is also nagging, and vacillates back and forth before disappearing from the movie

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:52No, the title is perfect

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:51Dennis Miller — Discusses multiple casting alternatives: Annette Bening was originally set for Meredith but got pregnant; Pfeiffer would have worked but was in different career phase; Dennis Miller was written for the Mark character by Michael Crichton
Van Lathan▶ 1:19:01Annette Bening — Agrees Annette Bening is probably a better actress than Demi Moore but doesn't work for the role; agrees 80s Michelle Pfeiffer could have worked

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:16Dennis Miller
Van Lathan▶ 1:21:31Dennis Miller — Dennis Miller (agrees and cites the dinner scene where he tries to out Michael Douglas to his wife)

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:34Demi Moore — Demi Moore - this movie (Disclosure) because she gets $12 million for Striptease after this, setting a salary record
Van Lathan▶ 1:29:24Demi Moore — Not Demi Moore for this movie - says people don't think of Disclosure when they think of Demi Moore, probably Ghost instead

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:00Multiple questions including: Malaysian CD-ROMs logistics, whether Elizabeth's son became a tech billionaire like Jeff Bezos, and whether Meredith became VP nominee in 2008 or bought back the company
Van Lathan▶ 1:37:27Elizabeth's son living off Apple stock profits, speculation about Meredith becoming a billionaire and buying back the company, and idea for a Sex and the City-style sequel about Meredith

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:12The Net
Van Lathan▶ 1:40:03The Game — The Game (changed from Basic Instinct)

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:41:53Don't ever assume what the internet's going to be like
Van Lathan▶ 1:42:25Don't give your boss a shoulder up

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:43:49Demi Moore
Van Lathan▶ 1:42:40Barry Levinson — Levinson - for having the balls to tackle multiple weighty topics like women in the workplace, sexual harassment, technology, and corporate culture

Hall of Fame Plaque

Bill Simmons▶ 1:44:30Cultural artifact - kids in sociology should be required to watch this movie to see what people were thinking in the nineties
Van Lathan▶ 1:45:02Agreed with the cultural artifact concept and expanded on how movies like this and Philadelphia capture their era's attitudes authentically

Movies Referenced (35)

Baby Boy (2001)

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:24:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Basic Instinct (1992)

6 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 5:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Game (1997)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 12:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Few Good Men (1992)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 15:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fatal Attraction (1987)

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 5:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Den of Thieves (2018)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 2:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Philadelphia (1993)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Presumed Innocent (1990)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:34:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rain Man (1988)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:22:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

2 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 1:32:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

David Fincher

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Se7en, Gone Girl, Zodiac▶ 1:21:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Barry Levinson

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Rain Man, Wag the Dog▶ 22:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Singleton

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Boyz n the Hood, Four Brothers▶ 1:25:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 1:24:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Milos Forman

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus▶ 1:18:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (43)

Demi Moore

36 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Striptease, Indecent Proposal▶ 3:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Douglas

32 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Wall Street, Behind the Candelabra, Romancing the Stone▶ 3:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dennis Miller

19 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for The Net▶ 14:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donald Sutherland

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Klute▶ 27:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

10 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, Minority Report▶ 42:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dylan Baker

6 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Revolutionary Road▶ 1:02:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michelle Pfeiffer

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for The Fabulous Baker Boys, What Lies Beneath▶ 1:19:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sharon Stone

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Basic Instinct, Casino, The Quick and the Dead▶ 12:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ivana Basic

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Rhythm Section▶ 5:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 1:30:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Sinatra

3 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for From Here to Eternity, High Society▶ 56:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kathleen Turner

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Romancing the Stone, Peggy Sue Got Married, Body Heat▶ 19:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Michael Crichton

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Jurassic Park, Twister, Westworld▶ 24:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 41:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sam Levinson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Malcolm & Marie▶ 1:44:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Sheridan

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Hell or High Water, Wind River▶ 42:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗