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‘Hardcore’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

April 23, 2024 · Hardcore (1979) · Crime · Drama · 1:36:39 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Hall of Fame Plaque

Sean Fennessey▶ 26:11An actor's career including Taxi Driver, Joe, Young Frankenstein, and Eddie Coyle - 'you're in the Hall of Fame'

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 34:22The theater scene where Andy Mass shows Jake the pornographic film of his daughter - calls it the best scene in the movie
Chris Ryan▶ 33:00Engages with the theater scene discussion, noting the theatricality and creepy aspects of Andy's approach
Sean Fennessey▶ 33:32Discusses the theater scene extensively, focusing on the dramatic impact and questioning the logistics of how Andy found the film

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 36:42The funhouse mirror shot of George C. Scott at the tail end of the scene - goes sideways up high and gets blurry as he's losing his mind

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 42:16Big Dick Black was being honest - he was a name, he was a guy, they would have thrown him the car keys
Chris Ryan▶ 42:43Discussed George C. Scott's quick transformation and the logic of Jake's disguise, but didn't directly answer the Big Dick Black question
Sean Fennessey▶ 42:05Do you think Big Dick Black's claims that he had worked with Harry Reams and Johnny Watt - was he being honest or lying to get a gig?

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 50:25Three 1970s elements: Hollywood hotel apartments, middle America kitchens/living rooms/wallpaper, and the late 1970s as fertile ground for kidnapping/runaway movie premises due to lack of technology to find people
Chris Ryan▶ 56:36Jake standing in front of the 'For Those Who Think Pink' hustler billboard - showing his transition from gray/brown Grand Rapids to technicolor Los Angeles
Sean Fennessey▶ 50:10The poster and Ed Begley Jr.'s early career performance

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 57:04The big, heavy Calvinist dinners in Grand Rapids - the big turkey on the table with stuffing, vegetables, cake, and big portions
Chris Ryan▶ 57:28Supported the Midwest food theme, describing Chicago portions as 'a pure heart attack' compared to East coast ordering
Sean Fennessey▶ 57:18Agreed with the Midwest dining experience, noting they missed out on that 'pile it on' approach as East coasters

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 59:00The creepy vibe between Jake and his daughter in early scenes, and Warren Beatty's involvement/departure from the project
Chris Ryan▶ 57:51Chaperones - no accountability for losing the daughter
Sean Fennessey▶ 58:08The casting of Ila Davis as Kristen and the father's unrealistic calm reaction to learning his daughter is missing

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:36All the people who audition like Jizz and Jim - terrible actors that Schrader was enjoying how bad they were, plus the guy who says 'do you want to see my stuff'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:24Robert De Niro — De Niro's volcanic moment - 'don't you call me lady' scene, though notes it's actually really good acting but he's going for it

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:49No, keeps 'Hardcore' - likes the double meaning and thinks it works better than the original title 'The Pilgrim'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:29No, prefers 'Hardcore' over 'The Pilgrim' because it's more marketable and clear
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:05:11Suggests joke title 'Hardcore 2: Big Dick Black's Revenge' but doesn't give serious alternative

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:17Eight Millimeter clearly ripped off this movie and they're okay with it
Chris Ryan▶ 1:06:13Jake Van Dooren left a lot on the table as a porn producer and could have been successful in that industry
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:06:57Calvinism gets a bad rap and has interesting ideas worth exploring

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:38Melanie Griffith — Discussed Diana Scarwid originally cast but studio said not attractive enough; suggested Melanie Griffith as recast but acknowledged timing issues and that current actress has innocence Griffith lacks
Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:32Melanie Griffith — Defended current actress saying she's fine in beginning of movie and problems come from added ending scene; noted Melanie Griffith seems too worldly and savvy
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:09:58Melanie Griffith — Explained Heila Davis was cast partly for comfort with porn scenes; noted Melanie Griffith would work but lacks the innocence of current actress; mentioned Marilyn Chambers was considered for Nicky role

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:39John Milius called it a wonderful script but lousy movie blaming Paul's direction; Schrader based it on a missing Grand Rapids girl found in porn; filmed in actual sex shops and strip clubs with real adult stars in Season Hubley's scene
Chris Ryan▶ 1:15:00Commented on how locals in Grand Rapids weren't happy during filming and joked about explaining the movie's plot to locals at Cracker Barrel
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:15:54Agrees with theory that Season Hubley's Nikki character is essentially older Jodie Foster from Taxi Driver in the Schraderverse - same world weariness, comfort with sex, brightness, and ability to make scenes come alive

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:29George C. Scott — George C. Scott - No, Patton is his apex mountain
Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:18Peter Boyle — Peter Boyle - Not this movie, but Everybody Loves Raymond is probably his apex mountain
Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:3170s fake movie porn - Yes, though Boogie Nights is mentioned as competition
Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:05Explaining Calvinism to a hooker - Absolutely apex mountain
Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:28Seedy side of 70s San Diego in movies/TV - 100% yes, never seen this before
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:16:47Paul Schrader — Paul Schrader - First Reformed, though discusses American Gigolo and Taxi Driver as contenders

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:10Byron Mayo
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:15Chris Ryan primarily performed impressions of Byron Mayo's character, referencing lines like 'Goddamn, Jizz and Jim' and a scenario involving a daughter, rather than directly stating Byron would improve the movie.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:29:50Byron Mayo

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:11George C. Scott

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:32:028MM — 8mm or Taxi Driver
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:32:11Cat People (Paul Schrader film)

Movies Referenced (27)

Taxi Driver (1976)

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 3:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taken (2008)

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 4:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blue Collar (1978)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 3:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Body Double (1984)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 43:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Changeling (2008)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 19:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Death Wish (2018)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 3:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

First Reformed (2017)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:16:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mystic River (2003)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

American Gigolo (1980)

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 3:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boogie Nights (1997)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cat People (1942)

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:32:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chappie (2015)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 25:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

Warren Beatty

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Reds, Heaven Can Wait▶ 1:00:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Iyi Tubi

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Ex Machina, World War Z▶ 51:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Nichols

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Graduate, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?▶ 18:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Houston

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 22:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 37:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (35)

George C. Scott

34 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Patton, The Hustler▶ 2:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Boyle

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Red Heat, Taxi Driver▶ 25:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Nicholson

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Chinatown, As Good as It Gets, The Departed▶ 7:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Erik Porn

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Pineapple Express, Ford v Ferrari▶ 1:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hal Williams

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Private Benjamin, Flight▶ 1:11:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jodie Foster

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Silence of the Lambs, Taxi Driver▶ 1:15:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Liam Neeson

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Schindler's List, The Grey▶ 4:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Neil Young

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Dead Man, Philadelphia▶ 26:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Soul Searchers

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Bride Wars, Meet the Spartans▶ 12:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Vincent Schiavelli

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Tomorrow Never Dies, Ghost, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension▶ 1:17:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Massey

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Ad Astra, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Electric State▶ 54:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony Michael Hall

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for War Machine, Live by Night, Foxcatcher▶ 25:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Paul Schrader

23 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for First Reformed, The Card Counter▶ 3:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Greenwald

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (3)

Shivam Rattan

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, House of Gucci▶ 54:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Theo Spearman

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Heart of Stone▶ 9:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Rolfe

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Star Trek Beyond, V for Vendetta▶ 25:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗