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'Ocean’s 11' With Chris Ryan, Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Amanda Dobbins

June 7, 2018 · Ocean's Eleven (2001) · Crime · Thriller · 1:04:16 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Casting What-Ifs

Amanda Dobbins▶ 13:31Bruce Willis — Wilson brothers would have changed the vibe and been too pretentious/twee; against Johnny Depp generally; prefers Bruce Willis didn't get Danny Ocean role so he could cameo in Ocean's 12
Chris Ryan▶ 13:09Luke Wilson — Discussed multiple what-ifs including Luke/Owen Wilson as Malloy brothers, Ralph Fiennes as Terry Benedict, Alan Arkin as Saul, and was against Johnny Depp as Linus
Sean Fennessey▶ 15:10Owen Wilson — Wilson brothers casting would have been the only acceptable what-if change; skeptical of Coen brothers rumor; was a Johnny Depp fan in 2000 but agrees wrong fit for this movie

Most Rewatchable Scene

Amanda Dobbins▶ 22:08Multiple scenes including Danny and Tess dinner scene, House Always Wins speech, and Linus doing recon ending with Julia Roberts' entrance
Chris Ryan▶ 24:47The poker scene (including Danny Ocean's entrance and banter)
Sean Fennessey▶ 24:08Appreciates Bernie Mac scenes throughout, particularly his van dealership encounter and showdown with Linus

Half-Assed Internet Research

Amanda Dobbins▶ 32:10Responded to black and white trivia discussing how color pops are important to the film and how black and white would have hurt mainstream appeal and changed celebrity commentary
Chris Ryan▶ 32:03Shared multiple trivia facts: film considered for black and white, code names explained (Boski=Ivan Boski Wall Street fraudster referencing Reiner's con man Saul, Jim Brown=Bernie Mac bit, Miss Daisy=getaway vehicle, two Jethros=Molloys, Leon Spinks=boxing match reference, Ella Fitzgerald=videotaped robbery referencing Memorex commercial), Julia Roberts making $20M per movie when Clooney sent script with $20 bill, Don Cheadle's behind-the-scenes billing issues
Sean Fennessey▶ 34:20Added context about Don Cheadle being unbilled in the first film but getting proper billing alongside Damon, Clooney and Pitt in sequels, noting the significance as one of only two black actors in the film

Dion Waiters Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 37:36Bernie Mac
Chris Ryan▶ 38:13Elliott Gould — Elliot Gould
Sean Fennessey▶ 35:14Elliott Gould — Elliot Gould

Apex Mountain

Amanda Dobbins▶ 39:28Brad Pitt — Yes for Brad Pitt, yes for Clooney, no for Matt Damon (mentions Good Will Hunting and The Martian as contenders), Ocean's Eleven for Soderbergh
Chris Ryan▶ 39:12Brad Pitt — Yes for Brad Pitt, split vote between Out of Sight and Ocean's Eleven for Clooney, no for Matt Damon, Out of Sight for Soderbergh
Sean Fennessey▶ 39:25Brad Pitt — Yes for Brad Pitt, yes for Clooney, no for Matt Damon, not Ocean's Eleven for Soderbergh (prefers The Limey)

Picking Nits

Amanda Dobbins▶ 49:26Rebuilt vault appears to be only 300 feet from actual Bellagio which is unrealistic; casinos wouldn't call SWAT team, they have their own security; only three security guys manning cameras, vault, and calls is insufficient
Chris Ryan▶ 48:51Never completely understood how the heist worked; heist depends on too many precise elements like Matt Damon pickpocketing Terry Benedict and the specific bouncer beating up Clooney for 30-40 minutes; security system entrusted to one British guy is unrealistic; modern Vegas security would make this impossible
Sean Fennessey▶ 52:58Movie doesn't happen if casinos didn't allow filming inside, so vault security can't be realistic; money would be dispersed quickly to multiple locations; Lyman Zerga getting extensive time with casino owner despite no credentials is unlikely given Terry Benedict's precision

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Amanda Dobbins▶ 49:21Also still confused how the heist worked ('when did they film it?'); her first nit: the warehouse replica vault appears to be no more than ~300 feet from the actual Bellagio — you can see the Bellagio fountains right behind it.
Chris Ryan▶ 48:51He never completely understood how the heist actually worked.
Sean Fennessey▶ 49:10Rather than posing a question, tried to walk the group through the heist mechanics — they rebuild the presumed vault from captured footage and blueprints — after paying closer attention on his latest rewatch.

Best Quote

Amanda Dobbins▶ 55:59George Clooney and Julia Roberts exchange: 'You're a thief and a liar. I only lied about being a thief...' and 'You think we need one more?'
Chris Ryan▶ 55:54Multiple quotes: 'Danny, does he make you laugh? Tess, he doesn't make me cry.', the house always wins speech, Ruben's Benedict warning, and desert quote
Sean Fennessey▶ 57:41Rusty and bartender exchange: 'How's the game going?' 'Longest hour of my life.' 'What?' 'I'm running away with your wife.' 'Great.'

Who Won the Movie

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:01:45Brad Pitt — Brad Pitt - called him effervescent, understated, perfect, and noted this role was good for his legend
Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:40Brad Pitt — Brad Pitt - praised him as an astonishing sidekick who won the movie easily
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:02:49George Clooney — George Clooney - argued this was his biggest hit and only real franchise, and the movie doesn't work without him at the center

Movies Referenced (24)

Out of Sight (1998)

10 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins▶ 2:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ocean's Twelve (2004)

3 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Chris Ryan▶ 2:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

In Bruges (2008)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 16:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Perfect Storm (2000)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 3:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Traffic (2000)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 2:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All the Pretty Horses (2000)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 3:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Batman (1989)

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:03:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bottle Rocket (1996)

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 13:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dogma (1999)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 3:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fight Club (1999)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 3:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Good Will Hunting (1997)

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 43:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gravity (2013)

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:02:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

George Clooney

48 mentions · Chris Ryan, Amanda Dobbins, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Ides of March, Good Night, and Good Luck., Michael Clayton▶ 1:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Soderbergh

16 mentions · Chris Ryan, Amanda Dobbins, Sean Fennessey · Known for Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Traffic, Behind the Candelabra▶ 1:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Terry Benedict

15 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Hacksaw Ridge, The Terminator▶ 1:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David West

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 14:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scott Conn

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Predators, Machete, Planet Terror▶ 35:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (46)

Brad Pitt

38 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith▶ 3:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julia Roberts

22 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Pretty Woman, My Best Friend's Wedding▶ 1:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Matt Damon

16 mentions · Chris Ryan, Amanda Dobbins, Sean Fennessey · Known for Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed▶ 1:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bernie Mac

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Ocean's Eleven▶ 24:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Johnny Depp

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl▶ 17:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Topher Grace

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Amanda Dobbins, Sean Fennessey · Known for In Good Company, Spider-Man 3, Traffic▶ 7:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Casey Affleck

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Manchester by the Sea, Light of My Life, A Ghost Story▶ 13:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Cheadle

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Crash▶ 1:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Owen Wilson

5 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Chris Ryan · Known for The Royal Tenenbaums, Bottle Rocket, Wedding Crashers▶ 13:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruce Willis

4 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for Die Hard, Pulp Fiction▶ 18:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Garcia

3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Ocean's Eleven, The Godfather Part III▶ 41:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Sinatra

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Amanda Dobbins · Known for From Here to Eternity, High Society▶ 1:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (1)

Ethan Coen

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Inside Llewyn Davis, A Serious Man▶ 15:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗