Grays Almanac

Home/Episodes/St. Elmo's Fire

‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

July 7, 2020 · St. Elmo's Fire (1985) · Drama · Romance · 1:34:58 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 10:50Tom Cruise — Mentions Cruz, C. Thomas Howell, and Timothy Hutton as people who weren't in the movie but were part of that generation who all knew each other and were partying together
Bill Simmons▶ 59:42Recounted the what-ifs: Emilio Estevez wanted to play Billy ('would have been a disaster'), Robert Downey Jr. was considered for Billy before Rob Lowe won it in three auditions, C. Thomas Howell auditioned for Kirby, and Madonna was floated for Jules if Demi Moore hadn't gotten clean — Bill's take: Madonna is 'a good runner-up' but Demi was perfect and Madonna couldn't have pulled off the Jeep scene, 'some of the best acting Demi Moore has ever done'.
Chris Ryan▶ 57:19'Robert Downey as Kevin is the sweet spot'; also noted Charlie Sheen (who skipped his audition) could easily have played Alec — 'he basically does in Wall Street' — and relayed the Linda Hamilton rumor.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 27:44Schumacher's quote about the film being about friendship groups splitting up, comparison to The Graduate, inspiration from Georgetown students, film announced in 1984 as 'little big chill', $38 million box office on $10 million budget, critical reviews including David Denby calling Schumacher 'brutally untalented' and Siskel & Ebert thumbs down
Chris Ryan▶ 28:43Commentary on costume design reflecting characters' personalities and Joel Schumacher's career resilience despite critical failures

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 36:43Billy's big sax scene
Chris Ryan▶ 37:23Billy's big sax scene - 'Billy Hicks and the new breed' Halloween night performance

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 39:47Why does Schumacher have lengthy sax solo scenes in both this movie and The Lost Boys - is it a weird fetish of his?
Chris Ryan▶ 38:52Is Billy actually a musician trying to make it professionally, or just playing casually?

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 44:53Jules as a character, the movie's exchanges/dialogue (especially 'moving up curbo'), and Alec and Leslie's apartment
Chris Ryan▶ 43:28Jules' rescue scene, all the apartments, Billy's humorous tie wearing, and the dialogue exchanges (especially 'forever got shorter')

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 54:57Dale's understanding boyfriend at the ski house who is unrealistically accommodating to her stalker, and the unrealistic apartments for 22-year-olds
Chris Ryan▶ 55:59Kirby's entire plot and the focus on Wendy's family storyline instead of Jules as the main drama

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:12Rob Lowe — Rob Lowe - About Last Night (1986); Judd Nelson - Yes (St. Elmo's Fire); Andrew McCarthy - Weekend at Bernie's or Mannequin; Demi Moore - No, suggests Striptease contract signing; Ally Sheedy - Yes; Emilio Estevez - No, Young Guns instead; John Parr - Yes; 1982 Jeep CJ7 - Yes; Georgetown - Yes (movie + Patrick Ewing title)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:49Demi Moore — Generally agrees with another host's assessments, particularly on Demi Moore (Striptease contract as apex), discusses Georgetown basketball references missing from film

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:57You break my heart, then again, you break everyone's heart - calls this the iconic quote
Chris Ryan▶ 1:16:42I enjoy being afraid of Russia. It's a harmless fear but it makes America feel better. Russia gets an inflated sense of national worth from our paranoia

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:53Rob Lowe — Rob Lowe and Demi Moore (co-winners)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:21:35Demi Moore

Movies Referenced (24)

Reality Bites (1994)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 2:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Batman (1989)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 26:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Exorcist (1973)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:06:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Time to Kill (1996)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Batman Forever (1995)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pump Up the Volume (1990)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Young Guns (1988)

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

Monty Python's the Meaning of Life (1983)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 37:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Big Chill (1983)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 2:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Lost Boys (1987)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 41:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Few Good Men (1992)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (9)

Joel Schumacher

16 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Phantom of the Opera, Batman & Robin, 8MM▶ 23:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Hughes

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 58:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrea Bias

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Black Adam, A Simple Favor, The Intern▶ 1:32:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cameron Crowe

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky▶ 58:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jacob Hair

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lil Pump

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Deadpool 2, Good Boys▶ 1:22:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sal Amato

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Brady

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Hot Chick▶ 1:15:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Woody Allen

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Annie Hall, Manhattan, Deconstructing Harry▶ 1:11:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (57)

Rob Lowe

28 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for St. Elmo's Fire, Behind the Candelabra, The Outsiders▶ 3:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Judd Nelson

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire▶ 15:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrew McCarthy

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Pretty in Pink▶ 10:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Demi Moore

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Striptease, Indecent Proposal▶ 10:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Emilio Estevez

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 12:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ally Sheedy

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for WarGames, Short Circuit, The Breakfast Club▶ 11:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mare Winningham

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for St. Elmo's Fire, Miracle Mile▶ 34:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Idol

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Wedding Singer, Speed▶ 1:12:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mr. T

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Rocky III, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs▶ 22:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Patrick Ewing

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Space Jam, The Exorcist III▶ 1:10:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Abner Biberman

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for His Girl Friday▶ 1:17:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Aretha Franklin

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Blues Brothers▶ 24:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Bruce Springsteen

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Blinded by the Light, The Wrestler, Philadelphia▶ 36:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carl Kurlander

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for St. Elmo's Fire▶ 14:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hunter S. Thompson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas▶ 51:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jay McInerney

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 46:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 1:22:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗