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‘L.A. Confidential’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Andy Greenwald
March 31, 2026 · L.A. Confidential (1997) · Crime · Drama · Mystery · 2:30:57 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsMatthew McConaughey — McConaughey was considered but would have been a bad move for the role, prefers the actual casting▶ 11:35
Chris RyanMatthew McConaughey — Agrees McConaughey would have been bad, too similar to his Time to Kill character▶ 11:39
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Andy GreenwaldDanny DeVito's performance as an Italian character, calling it the worst onscreen Italian as Jew since De Niro in Casino▶ 1:32:01
Bill SimmonsDanny DeVito - too much of a famous presence, takes him out of the movie, suggests the role didn't need a famous actor▶ 1:33:42
Chris RyanInitially mentions passage of time and heroin plot being hard to track, but ultimately agrees with Danny DeVito▶ 1:33:05
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill SimmonsPierce Patchett's business idea of high class call girls cut to look like movie actors was actually pretty awesome and brilliant - ahead of its time and could work today▶ 1:43:30
Chris RyanThis is the perfect modern period film - has all the superficial 1950s elements but feels like a 1990s movie in its editing, acting style, and performance while combining it with classic LA noir▶ 1:41:13
Sean FennesseyLA Confidential is the second best adaptation of The Wizard of Oz of all time - Bud is the cop with no brain, Ed has no heart, Jack has no courage, Lynn wants to escape back to Arizona, and Dudley is the wizard▶ 1:42:30
Big Kahuna Burger Award
Andy GreenwaldDiscussed multiple food/drink moments: liquor store scene with no choices, Stensland's mixology at the party, Johnny Stompanato's daytime Schlitz at Formosa, and Matt Reynolds' last meal (frankfurter, french fries, alcohol and sperm)▶ 1:51:48
Apex Mountain
Andy GreenwaldJames Cromwell — Agrees Guy Pearce is interesting actor who will age into different gravitas, but suggests he should stay offline due to his recent tweets; James Cromwell - very good in Star Trek movie and Succession▶ 1:56:01
Bill SimmonsKevin Spacey — Kevin Spacey - either this or American Beauty, but likes this because it sets up American Beauty; Guy Pearce - it's Memento; Kim Basinger - not this, was in the 80s during Nine and a Half Weeks stretch; James Cromwell - might say this film▶ 1:55:02
Sean FennesseyGuy Pearce — Guy Pearce - might be now post-Brutalist (2024), thinks he's very well regarded as an actor▶ 1:55:19
Is This Movie Better With
Bill SimmonsAsked about Wayne Jenkins, Fergie the florist, Zane Lowe, or somebody else but didn't provide his own pick▶ 2:08:35
Chris RyanZane Lowe — Zane Lowe - does extended impression of Zane interviewing cops/characters from the movie▶ 2:10:00
Best Double Feature
Chris RyanDiscussed Touch of Evil and Black Dahlia as options but didn't give a definitive pick▶ 2:20:18
Who Won the Movie
Andy GreenwaldRussell Crowe — Russell Crowe, emphasizing this was a breakout performance where you leave the movie only talking about this person▶ 2:21:44
Bill SimmonsRussell Crowe — Curtis Hanson initially, then agreed Russell Crowe won the movie because it set up 10 years of Crowe being one of the biggest stars▶ 2:21:30
Chris RyanRussell Crowe — Russell Crowe, noting that Crowe has been minimized in their discussion▶ 2:21:38
Movies Referenced (89)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psycho (1960) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 2:15:15 |
| Boogie Nights (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 5:37 |
| From Hell (2001) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 25:08 |
| Babylon (2022) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 36:40 |
| Titanic (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Andy Greenwald | ▶ 5:37 |
| Jackie Brown (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 5:37 |
| Proof of Life (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 40:31 |
| Vertigo (1958) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 2:16:13 |
| American Beauty (1999) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 42:40 |
| Chinatown (1974) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald | ▶ 18:08 |
| Cloud Atlas (2012) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 2:02:04 |
| Gladiator (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:22:15 |
Directors Referenced (19)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curtis Hanson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 21 | Andy Greenwald, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | L.A. Confidential, In Her Shoes, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle | ▶ 9:47 |
| Mic Tomasi | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald | Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway | ▶ 31:27 |
| Ben Affleck | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Argo, Gone Girl, The Town | ▶ 1:17:08 |
| Don Siegel | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Dirty Harry, Escape from Alcatraz | ▶ 37:35 |
| Iyi Tubi | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Ex Machina, World War Z | ▶ 1:09:26 |
| Ron Howard | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | A Beautiful Mind | ▶ 23:35 |
| Alfred Hitchcock | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest | ▶ 2:04:04 |
| Anson Jew | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Andy Greenwald | Wonder Woman | ▶ 1:32:04 |
| Brett Ratner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Andy Greenwald | Red Dragon, Rush Hour | ▶ 2:12:30 |
| Brian De Palma | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Body Double, Dressed to Kill, The Bonfire of the Vanities | ▶ 2:20:20 |
| Harold Becker | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Sea of Love | ▶ 2:29:30 |
| Howard Hawks | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Andy Greenwald | ▶ 26:29 |
Actors Referenced (123)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bud White | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 42 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald | ▶ 9:40 | |
| Kevin Spacey | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 28 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | L.A. Confidential, The Usual Suspects, American Beauty | ▶ 31:36 |
| Danny DeVito | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 21 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | The War of the Roses, Batman Returns | ▶ 15:49 |
| Kim Basinger | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 21 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Andy Greenwald | L.A. Confidential, Batman | ▶ 14:36 |
| Russell Crowe | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 21 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald | Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind | ▶ 38:20 |
| James Cromwell | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 20 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald | L.A. Confidential, The Green Mile | ▶ 20:26 |
| Veronica Lake | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald | The Blue Dahlia | ▶ 31:18 |
| Zane Lowe | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 2:08:35 | |
| Daryl Patchett | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald, Sean Fennessey | The Incredible Hulk, Man of Steel | ▶ 1:12:23 |
| Guy Pearce | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald | Memento, L.A. Confidential | ▶ 11:29 |
| Tom Cruise | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Top Gun, Minority Report | ▶ 1:22:12 |
| Bruce McGill | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Law Abiding Citizen, National Lampoon's Animal House, My Cousin Vinny | ▶ 1:12:59 |
Writers Referenced (11)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Burns | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:10:47 | |
| Bruce McCall | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:12:56 | |
| David Letterman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:39:29 | |
| Jordan Harper | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Andy Greenwald | ▶ 2:09:07 | |
| Raymond Chandler | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | Double Indemnity | ▶ 31:24 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:04:17 | |
| Brian Helgeland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Andy Greenwald | Man on Fire | ▶ 32:27 |
| Damien Chazelle | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Whiplash, La La Land, First Man | ▶ 36:49 |
| Leonard Bernstein | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | West Side Story | ▶ 1:30:36 |
| Matthew Weiner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:00:56 | |
| Tom Clancy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Hunt for Red October, The Sum of All Fears, Clear and Present Danger | ▶ 1:48:54 |
Cinematographers Referenced (4)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Grantland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Other Guys | ▶ 2:53 |
| Dante Spinotti | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Andy Greenwald, Bill Simmons | L.A. Confidential, The Last of the Mohicans, The Insider | ▶ 24:33 |
| Aeron McKeough | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Escape Plan | ▶ 1:12:13 |
| Keith Eisberg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:06:33 |