Home/Episodes/Glengarry Glen Ross

‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ With Chris Ryan and Sean Fennessey

October 11, 2022 · Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) · Crime · Drama · Mystery · 2:04:37 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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What's Aged the Worst

Chris RyanAgrees with Sean's point about door-to-door sales culture disappearing, but frames it as an evolution - sees modern phishing scams and targeted digital advertising as the current equivalent of Shelly Levine showing up unannounced▶ 36:00
Sean FennesseyThe culture of allowing strangers (door-to-door salespeople) into your home - the practice of cold callers being welcomed into people's houses that was normal then but would never happen now▶ 34:38

Most Rewatchable Scene

Chris RyanBlake's speech - mentions he has completely memorized it and always gets chills at the littlest moments▶ 45:29
Sean FennesseyAgrees with Blake's speech choice and provides extensive analysis of Baldwin's performance and character type▶ 50:01

Dion Waiters Award

Chris RyanAlec BaldwinAlec Baldwin's Blake character - calls it the most heat check off the bench performance, out of his mind for 16 minutes then never seen again, worthy of renaming the award after this character▶ 51:39
Sean FennesseyAlec BaldwinAlec Baldwin's Blake - agrees this is the reason the category exists and calls it a diamond piece of acting▶ 51:56

What's Aged the Best

Chris RyanAl Jarreau's rendition of Irving Berlin's Blue Skies at the end, noting it's an allusion to blue sky laws (state regulations to prevent securities fraud)▶ 1:15:45

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Chris RyanCuddy and water▶ 1:16:26
Sean FennesseyDouble J&B for Shelly▶ 1:16:29

Great Shot Gordo Award

Chris RyanThe push in on Alan Arkin when Moss says 'Robbery'▶ 1:18:00
Sean FennesseyThe moment when the camera follows Levine and Williamson into the side room and goes handheld, creating claustrophobia as the walls close in on Shelley▶ 1:18:10

Best Quote

Chris RyanMultiple Dave Moss quotes including 'I know what I'll do. I'll rob everybody blind and go to Argentina because nobody ever thought of that before' and 'we take the fucking Glendary leads'▶ 1:27:35
Sean FennesseyDave Moss quotes including 'fucked a lot of you' and 'who's my pal, Ricky? What are you? Bishop Sheen', plus various Blake and Roma lines▶ 1:28:25

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Sean FennesseyDave Moss was right - the sales system is inhumane and designed to control lower middle class men, so he needed to break it▶ 1:29:43

Casting What-Ifs

Chris RyanAlec BaldwinFocuses on Alec Baldwin's right of first refusal to play Roma if Pacino wasn't available - thinks Baldwin could have done it and would have been awesome, though acknowledges no one could do better than Pacino. Also suggests Bruce Willis could have been good as Williamson or Blake.▶ 1:32:13
Sean FennesseyAlec BaldwinQuestions whether Baldwin would have worked as Roma because he's too tall, dark and handsome - believes Pacino's physical appearance better fits someone who has 'reached the highest level of the lowest station in life.' Discusses Joe Mantegna originating the stage role and Mamet's loyalty in writing him two movies as compensation.▶ 1:33:24

Overacting Award

Chris RyanAl PacinoAl Pacino - 'I don't really know how we're giving that to anybody else'▶ 1:38:20
Sean FennesseyAgrees that overacting is relative and a necessity in this context▶ 1:38:16

Half-Assed Internet Research

Chris RyanJack Lemmon called this the greatest ensemble he'd ever been part of; Al's desk faces a different direction than others; actors spent days off watching other actors work; Rio Rancho became a real suburb so would have been a good investment▶ 1:44:28

Apex Mountain

Chris RyanAl PacinoArgues for Pacino in 1992 (this movie) over Godfather, notes David Mamet as definitive apex mountain, and agrees on real estate sales movies▶ 1:47:18
Sean FennesseyAl PacinoSays Pacino has scaled the mountain multiple times (Serpico, Godfather Part Two, Dog Day Afternoon), agrees Mamet apex mountain is Spanish Prisoner/State and Main/Heist trilogy▶ 1:47:45

Racehorse Name Award

Is This Movie Better With

Chris RyanJon BernthalPhilip Baker Hall as Shelly Levine and JT Walsh as Williamson would be amazing, but they already played those roles; Jon Bernthal would be a 'fucking amazing' Roma▶ 1:52:43

Just One Oscar

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Chris RyanDouble Impact as the funniest movie for Dave Moss to see; Dustin Hoffman as Jerry Graff (also suggesting Hoffman play twins as Mitch and Murray)▶ 1:54:51
Sean FennesseyThe Last Boy Scout or Cape Fear for Dave Moss; Warren Beatty as Jerry Graff or Arnold Schwarzenegger as Lemkin▶ 1:55:05

Best Double Feature

Chris RyanBoiler RoomBoiler Room - to show how the lessons/reception of the film changed over generations▶ 1:58:00
Sean FennesseyDeath of a SalesmanDeath of a Salesman (adaptation) as primary pick, also suggests Moneyball as interesting pairing▶ 1:57:04

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Chris RyanNever open your mouth until you know the shot▶ 2:02:15

Who Won the Movie

Movies Referenced (36)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
Moneyball (2011)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:50:32
The Apartment (1960)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 39:01
Tommy Boy (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan▶ 1:50:16
Top Gun (1986)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Sean Fennessey▶ 22:43
12 Angry Men (1957)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey▶ 27:56
Boogie Nights (1997)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey▶ 5:47
Coco (2017)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:52
Identity (2003)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan▶ 7:46
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)IMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 27:56
American Beauty (1999)IMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 26:16
Back to the Future (1985)IMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 22:43
Creed (2015)IMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris Ryan▶ 2:02:24

Directors Referenced (10)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
George ClooneyIMDb ↗Lb ↗11Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyThe Ides of March, Michael Clayton▶ 56:52
James FoleyIMDb ↗Lb ↗11Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanGlengarry Glen Ross▶ 3:00
Sidney LumetIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan12 Angry Men▶ 1:41:57
Warren BeattyIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanHeaven Can Wait▶ 1:56:17
David FincherIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanSe7en, Gone Girl, Zodiac▶ 1:40:07
John FrankenheimerIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseySeven Days in May▶ 1:41:57
Larry CharlesIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanThe Dictator▶ 2:04:34
Oliver StoneIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyBorn on the Fourth of July, Platoon, JFK▶ 39:21
Quentin TarantinoIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanReservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 21:15
Sean PennIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanMystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 3:14

Actors Referenced (61)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Ricky RomaIMDb ↗Lb ↗47Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 6:03
Al PacinoIMDb ↗Lb ↗38Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyDog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 3:08
Alec BaldwinIMDb ↗Lb ↗25Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyThe Departed, It's Complicated, Glengarry Glen Ross▶ 4:58
Ed HarrisIMDb ↗Lb ↗16Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyThe Truman Show▶ 5:08
Jack LemmonIMDb ↗Lb ↗13Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyThe Apartment, Glengarry Glen Ross, Some Like It Hot▶ 3:25
Alan ArkinIMDb ↗Lb ↗8Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyArgo, Little Miss Sunshine, Glengarry Glen Ross▶ 25:20
Kevin SpaceyIMDb ↗Lb ↗8Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyL.A. Confidential, The Usual Suspects, American Beauty▶ 5:13
Jerry GraffIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Chris Ryan▶ 24:17
James TolkanIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Sean FennesseyWarGames, Top Gun, Back to the Future▶ 22:36
Stephen A. SmithIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Chris RyanI Think I Love My Wife, Creed III, Happy Gilmore 2▶ 1:29:34
Dustin HoffmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyRain Man, Tootsie, Midnight Cowboy▶ 1:55:44
Joe MantegnaIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanSearching for Bobby Fischer, Baby's Day Out, The Godfather Part III▶ 6:00

Writers Referenced (11)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
David MametIMDb ↗Lb ↗31Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanHouse of Games▶ 3:16
Jonathan LemkinIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyThe Devil's Advocate, Shooter▶ 1:09:56
Roger EbertIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan▶ 43:13
Aaron SorkinIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyA Few Good Men▶ 1:43:08
Irving BerlinIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan▶ 1:15:46
William GoldmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris RyanButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 7:27
Arthur MillerIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 1:57:22
Edward AlbeeIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 59:16
Harold PinterIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 59:16
Malcolm XIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanMalcolm X▶ 38:09
Virginia WoolfIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 28:01