‘Eyes Wide Shut’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin
August 15, 2023 · Eyes Wide Shut (1999) · Drama · Mystery · Thriller · 1:34:29 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsDo you think Nick was pretending for Tom Cruise that he didn't know what was going on, or did he not know but then worked out a deal with those guys?▶ 50:21
Chris RyanHow rich are Bill and Alice? Are they getting invited to Ziegler's because of their social circle or is this high altitude for them?▶ 44:46
Mallory RubinThey have money based on how much Bill shells out during his night out - every transaction involves extra hundreds on top of what's needed▶ 46:03
Sean FennesseyZiegler is worth like 500 million and they're worth like 15 million - they're wealthy because he does house calls to rich people▶ 45:02
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsThe scene where Alice tells Bill about her dream, specifically her explicit dialogue about being with other men▶ 51:25
Chris RyanKubrick's reputation preventing proper criticism of his methods, like shooting Full Metal Jacket in England instead of a Vietnam-like location▶ 54:04
Mallory RubinAlice's dream speech to Bill, which she reads aloud and questions why the actors agreed to say such dialogue▶ 52:13
Sean FennesseyHow Kubrick exploited actors, calling it an indictment on how dumb actors are for agreeing to work with him despite his destructive methods▶ 53:05
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsThe movie's timeless quality - it doesn't take place in a specific year and could be right now, except for minor details like caps and his wife texting▶ 1:02:36
Chris RyanAgrees with the timeless quality but jokes about how social media would change the secret society scenes▶ 1:02:50
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsHarrison Ford — Lists multiple alternate casting possibilities: Woody Allen in the 70s (would have been disaster), Steve Martin (1980s sex comedy version), Harrison Ford (top choice at one point), Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, Jennifer Jason Lee and Harvey Keitel, Johnny Depp▶ 1:07:56
Chris RyanVal Kilmer — Val Kilmer sent 30 unsolicited audition tapes to Kubrick and would have gone full frontal▶ 1:09:31
Mallory RubinHarrison Ford — Notes Harrison Ford connection to character name 'Harford' but says she couldn't have handled that casting▶ 1:08:27
Sean FennesseyHarrison Ford — Harrison Ford in the late 80s would have been really interesting and better in some ways▶ 1:09:02
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsCate Blanchett voiced the mysterious masked woman at the orgy; Cruise and Kidman sued Star Magazine for claiming they had a sex therapist coach them; various rumors about Harvey Keitel's departure that he won't mention▶ 1:12:01
Chris RyanSydney Pollack was brought in as Warner Brothers' spy and as the 'Cruise whisperer' after Keitel left; Gary Oldman's story about Keitel losing it on the 88th take of opening a door▶ 1:12:30
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsEyes Wide Shut party/orgies in general, and movies filmed in London pretending to be in New York▶ 1:13:15
Picking Nits
Bill SimmonsAlice's bad stoned acting - she acted drunk instead of stoned; Domino having a roommate is unrealistic for someone in her profession▶ 1:13:49
Chris RyanThe apartment being an unrealistic shithole - looked like a depression era jail cell that they didn't bother to tidy up; unnatural dialogue throughout the movie▶ 1:16:07
Mallory RubinAlice getting too high from a couple hits of one joint; Domino's roommate knowing details about Bill but not knowing they didn't sleep together; Dr. Bill wearing UGGs at home▶ 1:13:41
Sean FennesseyThe generic beer ordering scene - Bill asking for 'a beer' without specifying, likely due to product placement issues with the Budweiser-like bottle▶ 1:16:49
Who Won the Movie
Bill SimmonsStanley Kubrick — Kubrick - because this movie never should have worked in a million years, it's so weird, and it was his last contribution to cinema▶ 1:33:38
Mallory RubinStanley Kubrick — Kubrick - agrees with Bill's pick, noting his last contribution to cinema was having Nicole Kidman say they had to fuck▶ 1:33:50
Movies Referenced (35)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Shining (1980) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 13:12 |
| The Mask (1994) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan | ▶ 4:40 |
| Full Metal Jacket (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 30:16 |
| Alien (1979) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 56:29 |
| Top Gun (1986) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 24:04 |
| Born on the Fourth of July (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 32:21 |
| Conspiracy Theory (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 22:30 |
| Fargo (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:11:34 |
| Psycho (1960) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 56:19 |
| A Clockwork Orange (1971) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 13:13 |
| Aliens (1986) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 33:28 |
| Apocalypse Now (1979) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 25:26 |
Directors Referenced (4)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley Kubrick | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon | ▶ 8:57 |
| Andrea Bias | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Mallory Rubin | Black Adam, A Simple Favor, The Intern | ▶ 0:06 |
| David Cronenberg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | The Fly | ▶ 47:35 |
| Tony Scott | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Unstoppable, True Romance | ▶ 32:38 |
Actors Referenced (11)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Cruise | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Top Gun, Minority Report | ▶ 6:33 |
| Harrison Ford | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Mallory Rubin, Sean Fennessey | Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive | ▶ 1:08:32 |
| Nicole Kidman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 7:39 | |
| Ryan O'Neill | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 53:39 | |
| Alan Cumming | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:33:14 | |
| Chris Denison | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:08:42 | |
| John Starks | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:32:46 | |
| Kaiser Chiefs | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Mallory Rubin | ▶ 0:18 | |
| Kansas | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Mallory Rubin | Pitch Perfect | ▶ 0:18 |
| Peter Sellers | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 53:55 | |
| Steve Martin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | The Jerk | ▶ 1:08:13 |
Writers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Schnitzler | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Mallory Rubin | Eyes Wide Shut | ▶ 8:49 |