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‘Slap Shot’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

June 4, 2024 · Slap Shot (1977) · Comedy · Drama · Sport · 1:46:54 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 37:41The opening scene with Jim Carr fixing the mic with his toupee and Dennis the goalie explaining penalties

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 44:08The three Hansons hitting the guy and then the shot from behind the boards of the guy slowly sinking
Chris Ryan▶ 44:16Says he has a different one but doesn't specify what it is
Sean Fennessey▶ 44:23The National Anthem shot when it's on the ref's face and you can see the three Hansons behind him

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 49:16Multiple picks: Newman's leather fur jacket, brown leather leisure suit, awkward local sports interviews, Lindsay Crouse and Newman pairing, classic 70s milf character Francine, the threatening to expose himself scene, Deep Throat/Meatball double feature marquee, McCracken insult scene, bad 70s daytime TV shows, Schmitt's beer, super horny teammate Mo, the guy who won't fight
Chris Ryan▶ 48:27Calling arenas 'war memorial' instead of corporate names; the scrappy 'us versus the owners' sports trope
Sean Fennessey▶ 48:57The cast ensemble - many actors' early career performances that people would see repeatedly

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 59:57Downtown (not really Charlestown) and the hyena sport with rotary during the moons scene
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:08Reg's Place (the bachelor pad)

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:12The use of flasks (though acknowledges Schmidt's beer is also great)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:16Discusses the intensity of Lily drinking from a flask at a bar
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:22Agrees and adds context about someone offering beer with the flask

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:44The sudden forfeit - it's always bothered me for 47 years, tough way to lose the finals
Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:30I don't really have one
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:02:03The forfeit - it feels like you get cheated out of a great sports movie moment, might even hold it back from being the sports movie

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:54No way there's a better title, but had 'Old Time Hockey' as only alternative

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:28The movie would be better if Ned fought McCracken and they had a traditional sports movie ending instead of the striptease
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:09:29He would have happily watched a sequel - Slap Shot Part Two

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:04Paul D'Amato — Tim McCracken (Dr. Hook) - Paul D'Amato
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:14:05Paul D'Amato — Tim McCracken (Dr. Hook)

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:01Dave Schultz — Should have had a real life NHL enforcer from the mid 70s on the Syracuse team, suggests Dave Schultz (most famous Broad Street bully), John Winsink, or Gary Howitt
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:15:17Clark Gillies — Mentions there was an Islanders enforcer in the Mike Bossy era, agrees with Bill's suggestion of Clark Gillies

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:35Extensive trivia including Quebec French translation making it 'the godfather for French-speaking Canadians', filming locations, Reggie Dunlop based on John Brophy, Johnstown Jets history, Carlson brothers birth timing and penalty minutes, Jim Carr's toupee modeled after Bill Wilson, real-life incidents inspiring movie scenes
Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:54Ontario Reign as LA area minor league team, comparison to Ron Shelton's real-life research methods, and Nancy Dowd career facts including her work on Coming Home, SNL, and other films plus her brother playing Ogie Oglethorpe
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:17:23Brief responses about Long Island Ducks now being a baseball team, minor league hockey teams in LA area, and personal anecdotes about hockey starting age

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:38Paul Newman — Newman: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or The Sting; Keane: yes for this movie; George Roy Hill: no; Sports movies: yes, this could be apex mountain; Hockey movies: definitely yes; Hockey fighting in general: yes; Minor league hockey: yes
Chris Ryan▶ 1:23:56Kerry Von Erich — Keane: most people think of him as the guy from Twin Peaks; Sports movies: 1977 has a shout for best sports movie year; Movie brothers: yes for the Carlson/Corleone brothers; Minor league hockey: this or Major League for apex mountain
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:22:45Paul Newman — Newman: The Sting winning Best Picture in '74 and Towering Inferno being biggest movie of the year - tough to match; Keane: Twin Peaks in 1990 when it was the biggest show on TV; Sports movies: maybe not the center in terms of quality, late 80s era was more important; Lindsay Crouse: The Verdict

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:50Tom Cruise — Tom Cruise in the Ankeen role with Al Pacino (for height compatibility) - describes Cruz's method acting preparation
Chris Ryan▶ 1:28:01Tom Cruise — Agrees with Cruz casting and discusses various nitpicks about hockey logistics rather than specific casting suggestions
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:27:46Tom Cruise — Tom Cruise in the Ankeen role - discusses the subtext implications

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:00Hanrahan hockey scene issues - he just stands in place and skates over and stops unrealistically; Lindsay Crouse's unclear accent; sudden crowd appearance for Hansons first game despite previous empty games; team has no practice scenes; can't really hide minor league team ownership in 1977
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:48Defends some plot points as realistic for the 1970s small town setting and communication limitations of the era, but doesn't offer specific nits of his own
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:29:42Doesn't understand Anita Cambridge's tax write-off reasoning for not selling the team instead of getting cash; doubts McGrath's claim about NHL scouts with contracts in their pockets; finds Reg and Lily's relationship plan unclear

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:20Paul Newman — Newman (Paul Newman for acting)
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:36:23Nancy Dowd — Nancy Dowd for screenplay

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:45All the Right Moves — All the Right Moves - staying in the same city
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:38:50Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid — Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or The Sting

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:43:27Paul Newman — Paul Newman, but also makes a case for hockey as the sport benefiting from the film
Chris Ryan▶ 1:44:03Discusses how hockey maintained its culture longer than other sports, implicitly agreeing the sport benefited
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:43:41Paul Newman — Agrees with Paul Newman but questions whether hockey would be any different without the movie

Movies Referenced (62)

Bull Durham (1988)

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 3:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Sting (1973)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 13:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Field of Dreams (1989)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:25:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Shining (1980)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 57:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All the Right Moves (1983)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 23:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 3:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 17:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 48:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Major League (1989)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 3:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pulp Fiction (1994)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:46:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Godfather (1972)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 57:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Longest Yard (2005)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 14:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (13)

George Roy Hill

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Slap Shot▶ 5:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eddie Shore

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Boyhood▶ 23:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony D. Syracuse

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, KPop Demon Hunters▶ 29:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Altman

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Gosford Park, Nashville, Short Cuts▶ 13:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sidney Lumet

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, 12 Angry Men▶ 20:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Lean

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai▶ 28:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hal Ashby

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for In the Heat of the Night, Harold and Maude, Being There▶ 31:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James D. Tittle

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Independence Day▶ 47:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Frankenheimer

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Seven Days in May▶ 30:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Howitt

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Sliding Doors▶ 1:15:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Benton

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Kramer vs. Kramer, Bonnie and Clyde, Superman▶ 15:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Brady

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Hot Chick▶ 50:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (62)

Paul Newman

44 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Hustler, Road to Perdition, The Verdict▶ 2:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Butch Cassidy

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Hollywood Homicide▶ 7:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Carrey

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Bruce Almighty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind▶ 1:39:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kaiser Chiefs

5 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Melinda Dillon

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Magnolia, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, A Christmas Story▶ 10:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nick Nolte

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Warrior▶ 1:10:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 14:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeff Carlson

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Slap Shot▶ 1:03:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Luke Wilson

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums▶ 17:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Phoebe Cates

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Gremlins▶ 20:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robin Williams

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Mrs. Doubtfire▶ 1:39:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Pacino

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 1:10:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Nancy Dowd

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Slap Shot, Coming Home▶ 25:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Goldman

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 28:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ron Shelton

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Bull Durham, Hollywood Homicide, White Men Can't Jump▶ 26:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dave Schultz

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Humanity Bureau▶ 1:15:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Ivan Strasburg

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Bloody Sunday▶ 35:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Barcelona

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Elysium, Venom, Jurassic World▶ 1:30:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗