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‘Internal Affairs’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

March 19, 2024 · Internal Affairs (1990) · Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1:40:10 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Probably Unanswerable Questions

Chris RyanIs it Van Stretch like Van Lathan or is it Van Stretch like Keith Van Horn? And they just don't call him by his first name.▶ 22:30

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill SimmonsRamon goes to see Dennis at the taco stand where Peck asks 'Your wife fuck around?' and manipulates Raymond▶ 30:39
Bill SimmonsDennis goes to have a drink with the Orokas where he puts his hand on the wife's thigh▶ 35:49
Chris RyanStrongly supports the taco stand scene, introducing a new award for Richard Gere's acting performance in that scene▶ 32:35
Van LathanAgrees with and analyzes both scenes mentioned by SPEAKER_00, particularly praising the manipulation and acting in the taco stand scene▶ 31:57

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill SimmonsAll the styrofoam cup drinking and the Big Pepsis when they're both checking out the girl that walks by▶ 53:43

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill SimmonsLa Pantororosa (the club) - because of the wide shot when he stumbles out in the morning▶ 53:55
Van LathanMentioned the Orocus Malibu place as a good option but didn't definitively pick it over the club▶ 54:06

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill SimmonsThe domestic violence scene where the protagonist hits his wife in a crowded restaurant▶ 57:39
Chris RyanAgrees the domestic violence is horrible and problematic, especially how they reconcile afterwards as if it was romantic▶ 57:48
Van LathanThe toxic masculinity trope that has aged poorly - where aggressive male behavior is justified by obsessive love▶ 58:03

What's Aged the Worst

Bill SimmonsOld police computers with green type - questioning how people could even read computers back then▶ 1:00:25
Chris RyanPeck taking away the cop's Raiders tickets, preventing him from seeing Bo Jackson in his prime▶ 58:51
Van LathanThe sexually charged scene where Ray puts his power over Amy when she reminds him she's the senior officer▶ 1:01:21

What's Aged the Best

Bill SimmonsCook holding - agrees it's way better known now and that this movie created the 'cook thriller' genre▶ 1:01:49
Van LathanCook holding - the concept is much better known now and exists in pop culture in a way it didn't before▶ 1:01:41

Is There a Better Title?

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill SimmonsInternal Affairs is a cooler job than it gets credit for in movies - movies always portray IA negatively when they're actually the good guys trying to stop dirty cops▶ 1:08:07
Chris RyanDennis Peck's murders versus wives fucks ratio (11 to 5, or 2.2 ratio) - presented as 'John Hollinger Advanced Analytics Award' instead of Stephen A. Smith award▶ 1:06:45
Van LathanThis movie didn't need any more black people - it was the perfect amount of black representation for what was happening in the story▶ 1:09:51

Casting What-Ifs

Overacting Award

Bill SimmonsJohn CapellaCarl, the janitor (John Capella)▶ 1:15:05
Chris RyanAnnabella SciorraLolly (Peck's ex-wife)▶ 1:15:41
Van LathanThe Latino actor that gets shot and the cousin in the bar (both 'that guy' actors)▶ 1:15:08

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill SimmonsDeleted scene with Raymond and Peck in bar talking about cops wanting to be bad, Dennis drives 1963 Chevrolet Stingray convertible, LAPD chief Daryl Gates condemned the movie, Faye Grant was married to Stephen Collins who was later accused of sexual abuse▶ 1:16:41
Chris RyanDiscussed placement of deleted scene, asking if it comes after the beating scene▶ 1:17:08
Van LathanCommented that Daryl Gates was the worst police chief and didn't like the movie▶ 1:17:38

Apex Mountain

Bill SimmonsRichard GereRichard Gere - 1990 (Pretty Woman and Internal Affairs), Andy Garcia - 1990 (Internal Affairs and Godfather 3), Billy Baldwin - Backdraft, The Valley - Internal Affairs shows a cool side of the Valley, Slapping in movies - this film has extensive slapping scenes▶ 1:18:15
Chris RyanRichard GereRichard Gere - Pretty Woman is his Apex Mountain (1990), The Valley - suggests this might be Apex Mountain for the Valley rather than Boogie Nights or Magnolia▶ 1:18:18
Van LathanRichard GereRichard Gere - 1990 is his apex year, Cops fucking their partners' wives - this is the apex mountain for that trope, Man imagining wife with another man - Indecent Proposal is probably the winner for this category▶ 1:18:24

Is This Movie Better With

Bill SimmonsWayne Jenkins, Danny Trejo, Catherine Hahn, Steve Buscemi, Sam Jackson, Michael K. Williams, Raymond Ramon, JT Walsh, Byron Mayo, Harley Mays▶ 1:30:00
Chris RyanChris Ryan suggests Byron Mayo would fit the 'dirty cop' theme, and then lists a series of names (Raymond, Kathleen, Kenny, Heather, Lolly, Key, Tova, Amy) seemingly as random additions, before pivoting to a tangent about oysters and an unfinished house.▶ 1:30:19

Just One Oscar

Best Double Feature

Bill SimmonsDeep CoverDeep Cover (initially suggested) and Bad Influence (also mentioned for weird psycho sex movies era)▶ 1:33:16

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill SimmonsDon't talk about wives▶ 1:34:51
Chris RyanThe key to a great villain is they have to be super attractive - attractive villains are the best kind of villains▶ 1:35:44

Movies Referenced (43)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
From Hell (2001)IMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 27:55
Van Wilder (2002)IMDb ↗Lb ↗6Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 22:46
Pretty Woman (1990)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 10:18
Training Day (2001)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 5:51
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 24:24
Braveheart (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 1:10:50
The Untouchables (1987)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 13:23
Bad Boys (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 1:14:29
Basic Instinct (1992)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Van Lathan▶ 1:33:42
Fargo (1996)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:52
Ocean's Eleven (2001)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:42
Risky Business (1983)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 1:10:20

Directors Referenced (4)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Mike FiggisIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Chris RyanLeaving Las Vegas▶ 23:10
Kevin CostnerIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Chris RyanDances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 12:31
Neil JordanIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan▶ 23:45
Mel GibsonIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanBraveheart, Lethal Weapon 3, Conspiracy Theory▶ 1:11:38

Actors Referenced (67)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Andy GarciaIMDb ↗Lb ↗28Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris RyanOcean's Eleven, The Godfather Part III▶ 2:38
Richard GereIMDb ↗Lb ↗21Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Chris RyanPretty Woman, An Officer and a Gentleman▶ 2:37
Alec BaldwinIMDb ↗Lb ↗20Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van LathanThe Departed, It's Complicated, Glengarry Glen Ross▶ 14:49
Nancy TravisIMDb ↗Lb ↗11Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van LathanSo I Married an Axe Murderer, The Vanishing, Three Men and a Little Lady▶ 47:06
Michael BeachIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 9:51
Ron SilverIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons▶ 52:40
Bo JacksonIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 58:54
Don JohnsonIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Van Lathan, Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsDjango Unchained▶ 1:11:42
Ray LiottaIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris RyanGoodfellas, Field of Dreams▶ 6:03
Annabella SciorraIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan, Van LathanThe Hand That Rocks the Cradle▶ 8:52
Bill BelichickIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 42:56
Bruce WillisIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris RyanDie Hard, Pulp Fiction▶ 1:36:05

Writers Referenced (2)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Henry BeanIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris RyanDeep Cover▶ 22:15
Cord JeffersonIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsAmerican Fiction▶ 1:02:13