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‘JFK’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Brian Koppelman

December 2, 2021 · JFK (1991) · Drama · History · Thriller · 2:01:02 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 35:20There's a photograph by a witness (who's in the movie) that shows the grassy knoll going the other way with only three people on one side, which kind of debunks the grassy knoll theory
Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:43Stone hired Jane Rusconi to lead the researchers - Stone read two dozen books on the assassination, she read between 100 and 200; Mr. X was based on Col. L. Fletcher Prouty, who once worked in the Pentagon but 'did not do the things that he said he did' - lots of holes in his stories; and the real Jim Garrison appears in the film (playing Earl Warren).
Brian Koppelman▶ 30:00Norman Mailer wrote a book about Oswald (came out in 1995) and went into it thinking it was a conspiracy but ended up certain that Oswald acted alone after following the trail that Oliver Stone put out there
Chris Ryan▶ 28:49James Woods wanted to play Garrison, but that would have been an all-time bad take because the story needs to be about the Garrison family and this guy sacrificing his family
Chris Ryan▶ 1:43:23'Tommy Lee Jones decided he wanted to paint himself gold - that's my favorite half-assed internet research.'

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:38Multiple scenes including Costner laying out the conspiracy in New Orleans, John Candy's big scene with 'Kennedy's as dead as that crab meat', Kevin Bacon's prison scene, and Pesci's last big scene
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:07:54The first Pesci interrogation scene where Costner detains him on Sunday, particularly how Costner handles himself in that scene
Chris Ryan▶ 1:03:01Agrees with the bar scene with a couple of Sazeracs and highlights Kevin Bacon's prison interrogation scene

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:51Oliver Stone's self-deprecating cameo in Dave (1995) where he appears as himself making conspiracy theories about the president
Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:49Gary Oldman as Lee Harvey Oswald - his performance and how creepy and good he looks in the role

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:40Acknowledges the homophobic elements were part of Garrison's case strategy against Clay Shaw in that era
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:18:07The movie's attitude about homosexuality - not acceptable on any level, pretty retrograde

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:00Jay O. Sanders — J.O. Sanders (one of Costner's cohorts who quits and shows up in courtroom) and Beata Posniak (Oswald's wife, also Russian doctor from Melrose Place)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:37:42Peter Maloney — Peter Maloney (medical examiner, also in The Thing)

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:04Sally Field — Sally Field instead of Sissy Spacek; Madeline Stowe instead of Rene Russo
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:42:31Gary Sinise — Gary Sinise as David Ferry
Chris Ryan▶ 1:41:40Asked whether to recast with contemporary actors or 1991-era actors but didn't make specific picks
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:41:37Denzel Washington — Disagreed with Denzel Washington as David Ferry but engaged in general recasting discussion

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:57:00The mob and CIA together
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:56:54The mob and CIA worked together, with Oswald involved
Chris Ryan▶ 1:56:45Intelligence community (active or ex-CIA)

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:58:38Oliver Stone — Oliver Stone (with alternative argument for Lee Harvey Oswald)
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:58:34Oliver Stone

Movies Referenced (44)

Platoon (1986)

13 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons▶ 4:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wall Street (1987)

7 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 22:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Angel Heart (1987)

6 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:09:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scarface (1983)

4 mentions · Brian Koppelman▶ 23:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Malcolm X (1992)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 50:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Fugitive (1993)

3 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons▶ 59:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Twister (1996)

3 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Chris Ryan▶ 1:17:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Few Good Men (1992)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman▶ 1:16:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Apollo 13 (1995)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 4:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Conspiracy Theory (1997)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Brian Koppelman▶ 1:33:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dances with Wolves (1990)

2 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons▶ 49:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (21)

Oliver Stone

55 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, JFK▶ 2:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

25 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman, Sean Fennessey · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 2:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Quentin Tarantino

7 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 1:48:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 1:32:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Martin Scorsese

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 1:48:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Errol Morris

3 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Fog of War▶ 56:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Donaldson

2 mentions · Brian Koppelman · Known for No Way Out, Species▶ 26:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Spike Lee

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Brian Koppelman · Known for Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It▶ 1:49:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Reds, Heaven Can Wait▶ 1:36:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alex Mill

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Black Widow, Tomb Raider▶ 1:50:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alison Wonderland

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Promising Young Woman, MaXXXine, The Weekend Away▶ 29:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Aurore Coppa

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (82)

Joe Pesci

22 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman, Sean Fennessey · Known for Goodfellas, Raging Bull, The Irishman▶ 6:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Candy

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman, Chris Ryan · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Spaceballs▶ 18:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Bacon

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Brian Koppelman · Known for Footloose, Hollow Man▶ 6:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donald Sutherland

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman, Sean Fennessey · Known for Klute▶ 10:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Rooker

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman, Sean Fennessey · Known for Guardians of the Galaxy, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer▶ 58:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gary Oldman

11 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Dark Knight, Darkest Hour▶ 58:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Ferry

9 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Boondock Saints, Man of the Year▶ 40:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sissy Spacek

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Brian Koppelman · Known for In the Bedroom, Coal Miner's Daughter, Carrie▶ 1:26:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Edward Asner

6 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Up, Elf▶ 58:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Lemmon

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for The Apartment, Glengarry Glen Ross, Some Like It Hot▶ 18:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Seinfeld

6 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Bee Movie▶ 14:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bobby Jones

5 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for The Legend of Billie Jean▶ 27:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (14)

Brian Koppelman

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Runaway Jury, Runner Runner, Michael Clayton▶ 2:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Garrison

7 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for JFK, The Big Easy▶ 16:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tommy Lee

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Vanilla Sky▶ 25:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don DeLillo

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Brian Koppelman, Sean Fennessey▶ 16:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Nixon

4 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 12:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dusty Rhodes

3 mentions · Brian Koppelman▶ 1:41:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Malcolm X

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Malcolm X, V for Vendetta▶ 50:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scott Frank

2 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Logan, Out of Sight▶ 1:10:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrew Cosby

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for 2 Guns▶ 1:24:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Drake Sather

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:39:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gerald Posner

1 mentions · Brian Koppelman▶ 8:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (3)

Michael Grantland

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 44:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gordon Willis

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Godfather Part II, Manhattan▶ 1:48:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Richardson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Inglourious Basterds, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood▶ 58:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗