‘I Am Legend’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan
December 20, 2022 · I Am Legend (2007) · Drama · Horror · Sci-Fi · 1:30:24 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsThe opening scene where he's chasing a flock of crazed deer through empty New York City, driving his car really fast until a lion gets to the deer before him▶ 31:01
Van LathanThe scene where Will Smith is giving her the raw stats on the virus - telling her the virus had a 90% kill rate, there were this many people on earth, talking like a pathologist giving you the raw numbers▶ 24:08
What's Aged the Best
Van LathanThe movie predicting the future - COVID pandemic, Batman vs Superman movie billboard, and $6 gas prices▶ 49:26
Den of Thieves Benihana Award
Bill SimmonsEmpty New York generally, specifically mentions empty Times Square and Washington Square as standout locations▶ 53:38
Great Shot Gordo Award
Bill SimmonsThe wide shot when he's hunting and crawling through the weeds with the dog, where you can see the city▶ 54:56
Van LathanThe hunting scene shot from inside the car when he steps down off the car onto the windshield▶ 55:07
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill SimmonsThe movie trope of talking to inanimate objects, specifically referencing how he doesn't buy characters having long conversations with objects like Wilson the volleyball▶ 55:36
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsThe CGI bad guy faces are the worst part of the movie and easily what aged the worst▶ 1:00:45
Van LathanThe CGI bad guys - the more you see them up close, the less scary they are and that's what aged easily the worst▶ 1:01:17
Ron Burgundy Flute Award
Van Lathanagrees the movie slows down when Anna and Ethan appear, criticizing Anna's character as offering nothing and having no idea what should be going on▶ 1:03:34
Is There a Better Title?
Bill SimmonsProposed three alternative titles: Last Man Standing, Light Up the Darkness, and Dark Seekers▶ 1:03:57
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Van LathanThis is Will Smith's best acting performance, better than his Academy Award-winning performance in King Richard▶ 1:05:28
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsArnold Schwarzenegger — Thinks Arnold Schwarzenegger couldn't have carried the movie alone for 45 minutes, supports Nick Cage in '98 era, glad Michael Bay/Will Smith made Bad Boys 2 instead▶ 1:07:40
Van LathanArnold Schwarzenegger — Thinks Arnold is underrated and would be interesting in this role despite Bill's doubts, agrees Nick Cage '98 works, supports the Bad Boys 2 choice, finds Guillermo del Toro directing Will Smith 'super interesting'▶ 1:07:51
Overacting Award
Bill SimmonsDash Mihok — Dash Mihok (the alpha male/dominant vampire) - calls it the 'fucking ham Sam Deon waiter's award'▶ 1:10:20
Van LathanWill Smith — Will Smith - says he dials it up and was a powder keg waiting to explode▶ 1:10:10
Picking Nits
Bill SimmonsMultiple scientific and engineering issues: viruses don't mutate to become airborne the way shown, Neville's immunity makes no sense, and the bridge wouldn't have collapsed that way according to experts▶ 1:21:26
Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake
Bill SimmonsMake it a prestige TV 10-episode series instead of a movie sequel - get Amazon to give $500 million and blow it out with virus origin story and COVID parallels▶ 1:23:30
Van LathanAgrees with the prestige TV series idea but notes Michael B. Jordan won't do TV and would prefer to bang out a movie▶ 1:24:12
Is This Movie Better With
Bill SimmonsSamuel L. Jackson — Suggests Sam Jackson as Robert Neville's brother in flashback scenes, creating new action sequences with dark seekers▶ 1:24:31
Van LathanSamuel L. Jackson — Agrees with Sam Jackson addition, enthusiastically describing action scene where he fights dark seekers saying 'motherfucker'▶ 1:24:53
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsWhere did he get the time-coded copies of the NBC Today Show, did he break into 30 Rock; Dr. Robert Neville should have just died of CTE from multiple major concussions; September 9th should be Robert Neville Day▶ 1:26:02
Best Double Feature
Bill SimmonsCast Away — Suggested three options: Castaway, I Robot, or Vanilla Sky (for a 'fucked up empty New York combo')▶ 1:27:15
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill SimmonsDon't fuck around when you're the last person on earth - be responsible, stay disciplined, get back to safety before dark, keep Sam on a leash▶ 1:29:03
Van LathanWhen you're chasing deer and you have a gun, just stop and shoot one instead of continuing to chase them▶ 1:29:32
Movies Referenced (42)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hitch (2005) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | ▶ 11:23 |
| Vanilla Sky (2001) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | ▶ 27:38 |
| Superman (2025) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan | ▶ 49:37 |
| Bad Boys (1995) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 6:01 |
| Friday Night Lights (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 48:47 |
| John Wick (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 46:11 |
| Noah (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 4:57 |
| Seven Pounds (2008) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Van Lathan | ▶ 19:08 |
| Batman (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Van Lathan | ▶ 49:37 |
| Fargo (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:06:56 |
| Hancock (2008) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Van Lathan | ▶ 11:27 |
| King Richard (2021) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | ▶ 1:05:17 |
Directors Referenced (6)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Mann | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans | ▶ 11:11 |
| George Clooney | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Ides of March, Michael Clayton | ▶ 1:05:50 |
| Michael Bay | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | Armageddon | ▶ 1:08:57 |
| Paul Bellany | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Stardust | ▶ 0:11 | |
| Richard Williams | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | Who Framed Roger Rabbit | ▶ 9:45 |
| Roman Polanski | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | Chinatown | ▶ 9:00 |
Actors Referenced (27)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Smith | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 40 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | Men in Black, I Am Legend | ▶ 3:05 |
| Chris Rock | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | The Longest Yard | ▶ 3:18 |
| Paul Newman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons | Road to Perdition, The Verdict | ▶ 12:47 |
| Crazy Town | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Something's Gotta Give | ▶ 0:18 |
| Matt Damon | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed | ▶ 0:11 |
| Trevor Noah | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | Black Panther | ▶ 4:57 |
| Viola Davis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | The Help | ▶ 14:01 |
| Paul Walker | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | The Fast and the Furious, Furious 7, Running Scared | ▶ 39:35 |
| Tommy Lee Jones | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men | ▶ 11:06 |
| Bob Marley | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | I Am Legend | ▶ 1:16:22 |
| Bruce Willis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Die Hard, Pulp Fiction | ▶ 1:03:57 |
| Cameron Diaz | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | Charlie's Angels, Vanilla Sky, There's Something About Mary | ▶ 13:47 |
Writers Referenced (3)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akiva Goldsman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | A Beautiful Mind | ▶ 1:23:06 |
| Richard Matheson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 17:02 | |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 26:21 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Grantland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Other Guys | ▶ 12:40 |