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‘Ransom’ With Bill Simmons and Van Lathan

November 9, 2021 · Ransom (1996) · Action · Crime · Drama · 1:24:21 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Bill's four favorite kidnapping movies ever

Unranked list · Bill Simmons · ▶ 4:21

  1. ·Man on Fire (2004)▶ 4:21
  2. ·Taken (2008)▶ 4:24
  3. ·Misery (1990)▶ 4:27
  4. ·Proof of Life (2000)▶ 4:34
  5. ·Ransom (1996) · honorable mention▶ 4:42
  6. ·Fargo (1996) · honorable mention▶ 4:44
  7. ·Without a Trace (1983) · honorable mention▶ 4:49

Van's kidnapping movies Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore · Van Lathan · ▶ 5:07

  1. ·Taken (2008)▶ 5:07
  2. ·Man on Fire (2004)▶ 5:11
  3. ·Who's Harry Crumb? (1989)▶ 5:22
  4. ·Ruthless People (1986)▶ 6:19

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 29:48Sean getting kidnapped
Van Lathan▶ 31:13Agrees with the kidnapping scene and provides detailed analysis of why it works - shows parents' internalized guilt, Sean's isolation due to his parents' status, and the setup for their neglect

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:41Mel Gibson and AJ Benza's cameo, plus the treatment of the kidnapped child being 25% too mean
Van Lathan▶ 1:02:07The rich billionaire as the hero of a movie (with exception for comic book heroes like Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne who use wealth for good)

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:19Evan Handler — Considers Dan Hedaya but leans toward 'bald Californication guy' whose name he doesn't know
Van Lathan▶ 1:08:00Dan Hedaya — Mentions Dan Hedaya and the bald Californication guy as options, also notes an Asian actress from What About Bob but says she's too small a role

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:50Ben Affleck — Ben Affleck as the Liev Schreiber character, also suggests Brendan Fraser and Jason Lee
Van Lathan▶ 1:10:18Ben Affleck — Acknowledges the timing works for Affleck (Mallrats era) and agrees Jason Lee would bring wise-ass comments but notes similar attempts didn't work

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:47Production delayed due to Mel Gibson's emergency appendectomy, pushed release from 1995 to 1996; Brawley Nolte (Nick Nolte's son) played the kid
Van Lathan▶ 1:11:09Noticed Brawley Nolte in the credits and looked up that he's Nick Nolte's son

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:41Rene Russo — Renee Russo - 1996 (Ransom and Tin Cup same year), Gary Sinise - Apollo 13 coming off Forrest Gump, kidnapping movies as a genre, Jackie Brown as movie character, rich guy New York apartments
Van Lathan▶ 1:12:01Delroy Lindo — Kidnapping movies as most popular ever, Delroy Lindo - Crooklyn if he had one, agrees on rich guy New York apartments

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:38Mel Gibson
Van Lathan▶ 1:22:39Mel Gibson — Mel Gibson (agreed)

Movies Referenced (71)

Jackie Brown (1997)

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 48:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taken (2008)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 4:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Get Shorty (1995)

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 19:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Man on Fire (2004)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 4:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Reindeer Games (2000)

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 25:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Apollo 13 (1995)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 22:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Friday Night Lights (2004)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 45:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 18:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Payback (1999)

4 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 1:23:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ruthless People (1986)

4 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 6:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 4:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Major League (1989)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 21:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (3)

Mel Gibson

65 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Braveheart, Lethal Weapon 3, Conspiracy Theory▶ 2:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ron Howard

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for A Beautiful Mind▶ 2:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ben Affleck

6 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Argo, Gone Girl, The Town▶ 37:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (59)

Rene Russo

15 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Nightcrawler, The Thomas Crown Affair, Ransom▶ 18:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gary Sinise

14 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Forrest Gump, Of Mice and Men, Apollo 13▶ 23:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Matt Damon

13 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed▶ 47:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Delroy Lindo

11 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Sinners, Get Shorty, Da 5 Bloods▶ 44:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alec Baldwin

7 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Departed, It's Complicated, Glengarry Glen Ross▶ 11:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dan Hedaya

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for The Usual Suspects, Commando, Mulholland Drive▶ 57:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donnie Wahlberg

7 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Saw II, Ransom, Dead Silence▶ 29:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jason Lee

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Almost Famous, Chasing Amy, Vanilla Sky▶ 1:08:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony Mackie

6 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for The Hurt Locker, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Adjustment Bureau▶ 36:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Judge Reinhold

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Beverly Hills Cop, Fast Times at Ridgemont High▶ 6:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

6 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, Minority Report▶ 14:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tommy Lee Jones

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Homesman, The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men▶ 24:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Sean Mullen

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Idle Hands▶ 29:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lily Taylor

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 57:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Behringer

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for No Hard Feelings, Draft Day▶ 21:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cyril Hume

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Ransom, Forbidden Planet▶ 57:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Price

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Ransom, Sea of Love▶ 57:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 27:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗