‘Ronin’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan
April 23, 2020 · Ronin (1998) · Action · Crime · Thriller · 1:14:50 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsDe Niro turning on Sean Bean ('What's the color of the boat house, man?' / 'Draw it again' scene) and the first big shootout chase scene▶ 28:57
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsIs this a Neil Macaulay sequel? - questioning why De Niro didn't just play Neil again from Heat since the character is 50% there▶ 30:54
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsTest audiences hated the alternate ending that Frankenheimer preferred; mentions Katarina Witt as German figure skater who won gold medals and appears in movie as Russian skater; notes De Niro's camera technique for photographing the case▶ 39:43
Chris RyanConfirms test audience reaction and Frankenheimer's preference for alternate ending; notes United Artists' influence on final cut decision; discusses Natasha McElhone being from England▶ 39:46
Dion Waiters Award
Bill SimmonsSean Bean — Acknowledges Sean Bean but suggests he could also fit in Vincent Hanna category, doesn't commit to a pick▶ 44:59
Chris RyanSean Bean — Sean Bean as Ronan - argues he could be changing the name of the award with his performance▶ 44:47
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsDe Niro kissing scenes (finds them gross), the shoehorned sexual tension between De Niro and Deirdre that comes out of nowhere with no build-up▶ 52:16
Chris RyanThe 70s-style score (wants it redone like Heat's score), the unnecessary love interest subplot added by Mamet, and subpar stunt work where young stunt doubles are obviously different from the middle-aged actors▶ 55:17
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsStellan Skarsgård — Stellan Skarsgård (citing this film plus Good Will Hunting in same year), movies with mysterious suitcases that get switched, late nineties France movies, and Nice (the city)▶ 1:02:56
Chris RyanStellan Skarsgård — Agreed on Stellan Skarsgård ('Apex Skarsgård'), disagreed on Katarina Witt (said her apex was Olympic medals), disagreed on John Frankenheimer (said Manchurian Candidate was his apex)▶ 1:03:11
Best Quote
Bill SimmonsMultiple quotes including 'either you're part of the problem or you're part of the solution or you're just part of the landscape', 'Lady, I never walk into a place I don't know how to walk out of', and 'if you don't mind, I'm going to pass out'▶ 1:06:31
Chris Ryan'Tell me about an ambush. I ambushed you with a cup of coffee' and 'Man and a woman going for a walk and all that that entails'▶ 1:07:19
Movies Referenced (62)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Blood (1982) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 46:51 |
| Good Will Hunting (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 11:08 |
| John Wick (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 4:45 |
| Midnight Run (1988) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 23:43 |
| Pulp Fiction (1994) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 50:52 |
| Sicario (2015) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 4:03 |
| The Fugitive (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 8:34 |
| Wag the Dog (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 19:50 |
| Armageddon (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 10:46 |
| Before We Go (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:07:17 |
| Cape Fear (1991) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 23:58 |
| Enemy of the State (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 14:07 |
Directors Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Frankenheimer | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 43 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Seven Days in May | ▶ 6:50 |
| Ben Affleck | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Argo, Gone Girl, The Town | ▶ 10:46 |
| Michael Mann | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans | ▶ 31:04 |
| Barry Levinson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Rain Man, Wag the Dog | ▶ 20:02 |
| William Hoffa | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Limitless, Furious 7, Creed | ▶ 19:45 |
Actors Referenced (37)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert De Niro | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 60 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver | ▶ 2:19 |
| Saoirse Ronan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 18 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Atonement | ▶ 9:04 |
| Katarina Witt | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 14 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Ronin, Jerry Maguire | ▶ 38:26 |
| Sean Bean | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 14 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 27:15 | |
| Al Pacino | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather | ▶ 2:52 |
| Vincent Hanna | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 22:50 | |
| Stellan Skarsgård | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 26:15 | |
| Will Smith | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Men in Black, I Am Legend | ▶ 11:08 |
| Daniel Sea | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 14:21 | |
| Chuck Klosterman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 28:16 | |
| Colin Farrell | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Lobster, In Bruges | ▶ 58:29 |
| Ellen Barkin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 52:55 |
Writers Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Mamet | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 14 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | House of Games | ▶ 3:21 |
| Patch Adams | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Patch Adams | ▶ 15:37 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 27:21 | |
| Andy Greenwald | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 28:02 | |
| John Irving | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | The Cider House Rules, The World According to Garp | ▶ 26:34 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Grantland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Other Guys | ▶ 49:07 |