Home/Episodes/Risky Business

‘Risky Business’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

March 12, 2024 · Risky Business (1983) · Comedy · Crime · Drama · 1:48:29 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

Categories

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill SimmonsRebecca De Mornay had never been in a movie before this but got the role because she was Harry Dean Stanton's girlfriend▶ 17:37
Chris RyanThis trivia about Rebecca De Mornay and Harry Dean Stanton is the only piece of half-assed internet research you ever need to know▶ 17:43

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill SimmonsThe poker game and first 10 minutes including the 'what the fuck' speech between Miles and Joel outside▶ 33:57
Chris RyanThe first 10 minutes including the credit sequence, the dream, and the poker game▶ 33:40

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill SimmonsThe Drake hotel in Chicago, specifically the scene where they get hot chocolate▶ 1:01:39
Chris RyanLake Michigan as the backdrop▶ 1:01:51

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill SimmonsThe shot from Joel's perspective when he's about to drop his parents off at the airport and realizes something's wrong with too much space▶ 1:02:02
Chris RyanJoel calling Lana for the first time while putting on the catcher's mask with cash register checks flashing in the background▶ 1:02:16

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill SimmonsThe scene where they move all the furniture back in the house too quickly before the parents return▶ 1:04:07
Chris RyanThe scene where they move all the furniture back in the house too quickly before the parents return▶ 1:04:26

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Chris RyanThe scene where the teenage kids drink brandy with dinner when parents are gone▶ 1:05:16

What's Aged the Worst

Bill SimmonsFuture enterprisers - the goal of getting rich that the movie promotes, which has become what society values through Instagram and social media▶ 1:07:08

Is There a Better Title?

Bill SimmonsWhite Boys Off the Lake (the original script title) is a better title 40 years later▶ 1:08:38
Chris RyanNo, Risky Business is good and you can't top it▶ 1:08:32

Best Quote

Bill Simmonswhat the fuck if you can't say you can't do▶ 1:09:23

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill SimmonsJoel Goodson is the second best Tom Cruise role ever, after Jerry Maguire but ahead of Top Gun's Pete Mitchell and Ethan Hunt▶ 1:10:39
Chris RyanRisky Business is the prequel to Eyes Wide Shut - the character Joel could have grown up to be Tom Cruise's character in Eyes Wide Shut▶ 1:09:29

Apex Mountain

Bill SimmonsPaul BrickmanDiscusses multiple apex mountains including Cruise (not apex), Brickman (high for 80s teen movies, picks this over Fast Times), Porsche marketing influence, and various other topics▶ 1:21:17
Chris RyanSay AnythingSuggests Say Anything as potential apex mountain for teen movies, discusses Chicago suburb movies, Rebecca De Mornay (notes The Hand That Rocks the Cradle was bigger), and various other apex mountain topics▶ 1:21:21

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill SimmonsJoel is a virgin at the beginning of the movie and might have prepared by masturbating before Lana arrived▶ 1:26:14
Chris RyanA mechanic getting a car out of Lake Michigan and fully repairing it within the timeframe of parents being gone is highly unlikely▶ 1:27:18

Picking Nits

Bill SimmonsMultiple nits: Guido couldn't catch Joel in car chase, Miles' confusing party scene dialogue, neighbors would definitely tell Joel's parents about the party and yard sale, Joel's Princeton scores (1090 SAT, 3.1 GPA) are inconceivably low for admission, and the party math doesn't add up - 80 transactions with 12 workers means 6+ encounters each▶ 1:27:57
Chris RyanAgrees with Bill's nits and adds that Joel has no extracurriculars like sports, the party numbers seem high like 'farmer's market' busy, and suggests Lana might be skimming money from the operation▶ 1:28:34

Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake

Bill SimmonsRisky Business sequel with Joel now in his 60s retiring at a party where Lana shows up, or Joel's son living out 21st century version with Ben Simmons remaking it▶ 1:35:03
Chris RyanPrequel showing Joel in college at Princeton where Lana shows up, or sequel with Joel's son (possibly Lana's kid) living out the 21st century version of Risky Business▶ 1:34:49

Is This Movie Better With

Bill SimmonsLoved Wayne Jenkins and thought Byron Mayo would have been great in a scene with Joel and Jackie▶ 1:36:23
Chris RyanPhilip Baker HallPhilip Baker Hall as the Princeton admissions interviewer/Rutherford, and Wayne Jenkins with extensive impersonation dialogue▶ 1:35:48

Just One Oscar

Bill SimmonsPaul BrickmanBrickman for the screenplay, with Tangerine Dream for soundtrack as alternative▶ 1:36:58

Best Double Feature

Bill SimmonsAll the Right MovesEyes Wide Shut as a fun pairing, but prefers All the Right Moves to see early Cruise in 1983▶ 1:39:23
Chris RyanFerris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day Off - contrasts Joel's obsession with money/success against Bueller's rejection of that system▶ 1:39:42

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill SimmonsSometimes you gotta say what the fuck▶ 1:41:52
Chris RyanSometimes you gotta say what the fuck▶ 1:41:58

Movies Referenced (33)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
The Killer (2023)IMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 18:20
All the Right Moves (1983)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 6:26
Frozen (2013)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons▶ 37:22
Miami Vice (2006)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 8:35
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:32
Neighbors (2014)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:56
Say Anything (1989)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 29:05
Top Gun (1986)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 14:51
Trading Places (1983)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 10:56
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:27
Creed (2015)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:06
Hancock (2008)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 28:22

Directors Referenced (11)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Sean PennIMDb ↗Lb ↗12Bill Simmons, Chris RyanMystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 0:22
Alexander PayneIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsThe Descendants▶ 26:04
Cameron CroweIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsAlmost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky▶ 29:00
Michael MannIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris RyanThe Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 5:10
John HughesIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Chris RyanPlanes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 7:50
Ben StoufferIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsThe Haunting in Connecticut▶ 37:36
Clint EastwoodIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanMillion Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 9:15
Jonathan DemmeIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsThe Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married▶ 46:29
Sidney LumetIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons12 Angry Men▶ 1:11:46
Stanley KubrickIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanA Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon▶ 1:10:08
Tom BradyIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanThe Hot Chick▶ 15:08

Actors Referenced (51)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Tom CruiseIMDb ↗Lb ↗21Bill Simmons, Chris RyanTop Gun, Minority Report▶ 2:18
Curtis ArmstrongIMDb ↗Lb ↗9Bill Simmons, Chris RyanBetter Off Dead, Risky Business, Revenge of the Nerds▶ 3:28
David GeffenIMDb ↗Lb ↗8Bill SimmonsLittle Shop of Horrors, Interview with the Vampire▶ 3:47
Rebecca De MornayIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Chris RyanThe Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Risky Business▶ 7:23
Harry Dean StantonIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Chris RyanAlien, The Green Mile▶ 17:40
Bronson PinchotIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris RyanBeverly Hills Cop, True Romance, Risky Business▶ 3:25
Frank SinatraIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris RyanFrom Here to Eternity▶ 1:13:34
Joe BidenIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:59
Ron DeanIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris RyanThe Fugitive, The Breakfast Club, The Dark Knight▶ 40:42
Timothy HuttonIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill SimmonsOrdinary People, Beautiful Girls▶ 16:07
Bruce YoungIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:02
Charlie SheenIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris RyanWall Street▶ 16:48

Writers Referenced (6)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Paul BrickmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗15Bill Simmons, Chris RyanRisky Business▶ 5:38
Bruce SpringsteenIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill SimmonsThe Wrestler, Philadelphia▶ 9:53
Stephen KingIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons▶ 12:31
Joel CohenIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanToy Story▶ 26:25
Roger EbertIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 31:59
Tom HollandIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsChild's Play▶ 1:13:22

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Michael GrantlandIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsThe Other Guys▶ 34:49