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‘John Wick’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Shea Serrano

September 17, 2024 · John Wick (2014) · Action · Crime · Thriller · 1:48:56 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Would Roger Ebert Have Liked This Movie

Chris Ryan▶ 34:17He would have liked it but found it mind-numbing and a little thin, wanting more character development for Helen

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 37:08Multiple scenes including the gas station interaction, Vigo explaining John Wick (Baba Yaga scene), and the attack at Wick's house where John kills 12 guys
Chris Ryan▶ 40:28Agrees with the Baba Yaga scene and highlights the attack at Wick's house, particularly the knife hammering moment
Shea Serrano▶ 38:06Vigo explaining John Wick (the Baba Yaga scene) - calls it 'the best character introduction in an action movie'

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:14The nightclub (Continental)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:29Continental

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:49The cereal for Wick and the dog

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:19When they capture John Wick and don't kill him immediately - they have guns drawn on him after he's killed 50-60 of their people but decide to bring him to a remote location instead of just killing him
Shea Serrano▶ 1:08:48The same issue as Bill - Vigo not killing John Wick when he has the chance, particularly when John is knocked unconscious twice in the movie, but explains it's due to Vigo's ego needing to give his speech

What's Aged the Worst

Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:26The multiple uses of Marilyn Manson throughout the movie

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:50Mentions considering 'I'm thinking I'm back' but decides against putting it in this category
Chris Ryan▶ 1:15:12'I'm thinking I'm back' - argues it can be both the Rubinick and what's aged the best because it's dialing it up, not bad acting
Shea Serrano▶ 1:12:49Human shield scenes/trope in movies - loves when bad guys grab people as human shields

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:16priceless, priceless
Chris Ryan▶ 1:15:13References a quote as potentially the best but doesn't specify what it is, only calling it 'sick'

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:44No, John Wick is better than the original title 'Scorn'

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:27Vigo is right that John Wick's wife died due to karma - maybe don't kill 1,500 people and the karma wouldn't have ended up with your wife dying
Chris Ryan▶ 1:19:14John Wick's reaction to the dog dying is a massive overreaction and deflection from his own boredom at suburban life - he had a void in his soul he was trying to fill
Shea Serrano▶ 1:16:36John Leguizamo should be in every movie for at least 90 minutes - every movie you can think of, put him in it and it's better

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:26Ian McShane — Ian McShane replaced Jason Isaacs as Winston - only casting what-if he could find

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:18Extensive research on Keanu's training (4 months, multiple martial arts, tactical gun training with SWAT/Navy SEALs, stunt driving), car details (1969 Boss 429 Mustang, only 1,359 made), production facts about fight scenes and injuries, and John Wick's total kill count of 84
Chris Ryan▶ 1:24:59Alfie Allen went to Russian bathhouses to research his character Yosef, and the Red Circle nightclub is named after Jean-Pierre Melville's French crime film Le Cirque La Rouge
Shea Serrano▶ 1:27:08Guessed 112 for John Wick's total kill count (actual was 84, closer than Bill's guess of 67)

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:27The Matrix — Matrix for Keanu; Yes for Fake Hotel Universe; Tyra/Friday Night Lights for Adrian Palicki; Yes for Russian boogeymen; Yes for burying/digging up former career; Yes for John Wick movies
Chris Ryan▶ 1:27:28The Matrix — Matrix for Keanu (agreed with Bill)
Shea Serrano▶ 1:29:50Eastern Promises — Eastern Promises for Russian bad guy characters

Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:56Tom Cruise — Cruise for John Wick role - references his performance in Collateral as evidence
Chris Ryan▶ 1:30:59Tom Cruise — Cruise - calls it an 'Easy Cruise win' and '100% Cruise'

Is This Movie Better With

Chris Ryan▶ 1:39:41Wayne Jenkins (performed an impression/dialogue as the character)

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:40:24The stunts

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:40:31Why is John Wick a 6 a.m. guy when he's a retired hitman? Could a boogeyman hitman really find true love? Czechians are the scariest because UFC fighters from there are always badasses
Chris Ryan▶ 1:43:15Vigo's henchmen lack separation - it's basically just Kyrill and then everybody else, which would make ranking them difficult
Shea Serrano▶ 1:42:06Albanians are number one in evil foreign mobster rankings - doesn't want to mess with the Albanians from Taken

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:43:49John Wick: Chapter 2 — John Wick 2

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:44:58Don't fuck with another man's dog, car, or both
Chris Ryan▶ 1:45:03If you're a Russian mob boss, just let your kids know about the Bobby Yeager/John Wick - warn them never to fuck with this guy

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:21Keanu Reeves

Movies Referenced (41)

The Matrix (1999)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan▶ 8:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Point Break (1991)

5 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 5:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Friday Night Lights (2004)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 31:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Equalizer (2014)

4 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 24:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Die Hard (1988)

3 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons▶ 15:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eastern Promises (2007)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano▶ 1:28:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 53:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gladiator (2000)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 34:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Knock Knock (2015)

2 mentions · Shea Serrano▶ 51:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Man on Fire (2004)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 24:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rebel Ridge (2024)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 18:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Speed (1994)

2 mentions · Shea Serrano▶ 8:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (7)

Timothy Nyquist

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Woo

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano · Known for A Better Tomorrow, Hard Boiled▶ 32:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kosta Jokic

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Fair Play▶ 1:42:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Baz Luhrmann

1 mentions · Shea Serrano · Known for Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby▶ 1:17:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chad Stahelski

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for John Wick: Chapter 4, The Matrix Resurrections, John Wick▶ 1:26:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 32:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Brady

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Hot Chick▶ 41:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (53)

Keanu Reeves

39 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano · Known for The Matrix, Speed, Point Break▶ 4:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Leguizamo

12 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons · Known for Moulin Rouge!▶ 31:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Adrianne Palicki

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano · Known for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, John Wick▶ 54:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, Minority Report▶ 10:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dean Winters

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for John Wick▶ 32:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alfie Allen

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for John Wick, The Predator▶ 32:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lance Reddick

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan · Known for John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2▶ 29:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Viggo Mortensen

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano · Known for Captain Fantastic, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Road▶ 1:28:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Garcia

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Ocean's Eleven, The Godfather Part III▶ 1:13:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ian McShane

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Kung Fu Panda▶ 55:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve McQueen

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Great Escape▶ 17:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Vincent Chase

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:06:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Roger Ebert

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 34:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Derek Kolstad

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Nobody, Nobody 2▶ 32:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Cameron

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 1:11:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Noah Baumbach

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Squid and the Whale, Marriage Story▶ 1:39:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Michael Grantland

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 4:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ryan Creasy

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for War for the Planet of the Apes, Logan, Terminator Genisys▶ 1:35:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗