‘Lethal Weapon’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan
April 6, 2021 · Lethal Weapon (1987) · Action · Crime · Thriller · 1:25:58 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsRiggs drug bust/Christmas tree scene, handcuff jump scene, Riggs-Murtaugh boat conversation, and daughter desert exchange scene▶ 29:29
Chris RyanAgrees with the Christmas tree drug bust scene, emphasizing the Christmas elements and Riggs' wild energy after consuming cocaine▶ 30:16
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsThere was four more minutes of the fight that got cut down because it was too much - the audience would be worn out▶ 42:28
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsThe chemistry between Gibson and Glover, and the helicopter scene filmmaking/cinematography▶ 48:43
Joey Pants Award
Bill SimmonsEd O'Ross — Edo Ross (who played Cruise in 48 Hours 2 and appears as Mendez in this movie)▶ 1:01:35
Chris RyanGrand L. Bush — Multiple picks including Mary Ellen Traynor (the therapist), but ultimately agrees Grant L. Bush (Agent Johnson from Die Hard) is the winner▶ 1:01:57
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsRichard Donner — Gibson: no; Glover: Lethal Weapon 2 + Grand Canyon era; Busey: Buddy Holly Story; Donner: this movie (Lethal Weapon) over Goonies because it sets up franchise wealth; Helicopter assassination scenes: First Blood; Cocaine balcony jumps: this movie is literally Apex Mountain; Christmas in LA movies: Die Hard over this; Drinking Coors in movies: this movie▶ 1:13:44
Chris RyanDanny Glover — Glover: should make argument he's on Apex Mountain (Color Purple/Silverado era vs Lethal Weapon 2); Helicopter assassination scenes: Godfather 3; Jumps into inflatable trampolines: this movie over The Game; Christmas in LA movies: Die Hard; Mobile homes: Nomadland; Drinking Coors: this movie▶ 1:13:55
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsMultiple questions: Cosbys vs Murtaughs in Family Feud (picks Murtaughs long-term, Cosbys in 1987), whether Running Scared was better than Lethal Weapon (concludes it's not), whether this is a Christmas movie, and what police reports would look like after the strip joint shootout▶ 1:21:04
Chris RyanWeighs in on Family Feud question (leans toward Cosbys in 1987), disagrees that Running Scared is better than Lethal Weapon, and argues the holiday season makes Murtaugh more open to inviting Riggs over, supporting the Christmas movie angle▶ 1:21:19
Movies Referenced (52)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Die Hard (1988) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 18 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 13:50 |
| Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 2:52 |
| Running Scared (2006) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 4:22 |
| Predator (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:18:06 |
| Halloween (1978) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:02:54 |
| First Blood (1982) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 59:39 |
| Jumper (2008) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 10:45 |
| Mad Max (1979) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 7:44 |
| Superman (2025) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 23:07 |
| Weapons (2025) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 16:13 |
| Aliens (1986) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 3:54 |
| Back to the Future (1985) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 26:17 |
Directors Referenced (6)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mel Gibson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 39 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Braveheart, Lethal Weapon 3, Conspiracy Theory | ▶ 2:34 |
| Richard Donner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Lethal Weapon | ▶ 3:23 |
| Ridley Scott | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Martian, Blade Runner | ▶ 58:52 |
| Robert Zemeckis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan | Back to the Future, Forrest Gump | ▶ 26:14 |
| Kevin Smith | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Clerks, Chasing Amy | ▶ 4:35 |
| Robert Tate | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 20:03 |
Actors Referenced (52)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Murtaugh | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 26 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days | ▶ 11:02 |
| Danny Glover | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 3, Lethal Weapon 4 | ▶ 2:34 |
| Gary Busey | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Lethal Weapon, Point Break | ▶ 37:28 |
| Bruce Willis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Die Hard, Pulp Fiction | ▶ 4:35 |
| Joel Silver | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Nice Guys, The Matrix | ▶ 13:24 |
| John Saxon | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | A Nightmare on Elm Street, Enter the Dragon, New Nightmare | ▶ 1:35 |
| Jack Palance | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons | City Slickers | ▶ 12:09 |
| Bill Paxton | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Aliens, Apollo 13 | ▶ 21:11 |
| Michael Bean | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:00:02 | |
| Pierce Brosnan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | The World Is Not Enough | ▶ 58:18 |
| Tom Atkins | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:02:30 | |
| William Hurt | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | A History of Violence, Lost in Space, Broadcast News | ▶ 1:00:52 |
Writers Referenced (7)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Black | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Predator, The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang | ▶ 3:20 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 21:53 | |
| Andrew Cosby | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 17:27 | |
| Buddy Holly | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Big Fish, Almost Famous | ▶ 1:00:46 |
| Charles Manson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood | ▶ 1:00:26 |
| William Goldman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride | ▶ 20:03 |
| Andy Greenwald | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:20:50 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Grantland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | The Other Guys | ▶ 34:58 |