‘Stand By Me’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan
July 14, 2020 · Stand by Me (1986) · Adventure · Comedy · Drama · 1:21:48 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsThe simplicity of gang leader characters like Ace - how you could be a badass just by playing chicken and carrying a knife, versus the much darker complexity required for such characters today▶ 5:28
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes: the hat scene with Ace and the older kids, Gordy buying supplies at the store and the junkyard chase, River Phoenix's speech about Gordy's writing talent, and the train bridge/pie eating contest scenes▶ 30:38
Chris RyanAgrees with and elaborates on SPEAKER_00's picks, particularly praising the hat scene for its character establishment and the store scene for its nostalgic relatability▶ 31:54
Joey Pants Award
Chris RyanMarshall Bell — Marshall Bell (who plays Gordy's dad and also Quato in Total Recall)▶ 1:01:31
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsJason Patric — Recast Eyeball with Jason Patrick, Ralph Macchio, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Christian Bale, or Christian Slater - someone in that Jason Patrick tier of actor▶ 1:05:24
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsShared multiple production facts: cast bonded for 2 weeks without rehearsing, vomit scene used cottage cheese and pies from local bakery, train scene used 600mm telephoto lens trick, Singleton homaged Stand By Me in Boyz n the Hood, Dreyfuss dismissive quote about not remembering the film, Wheaton was picked on by Corey Feldman and had to fake losing sprint to River Phoenix▶ 1:06:08
Chris RyanProvided commentary and reactions to SPEAKER_00's research, explaining the telephoto lens technique, criticizing Dreyfuss for being ungrateful, and suggesting new award category for actors least grateful about being in movies▶ 1:07:15
Picking Nits
Chris RyanIt really looks like Gordy's got the drop on Chris, but Chris turns on incredible Carl Lewis speed at that end there▶ 1:09:45
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsWil Wheaton — Will Wheaton: yes, Rob Reiner: no (A Few Good Men + Castle Rock/Seinfeld era is his apex), Corey Feldman: no (prefers Blown Away or Goonies), Jerry O'Connell: marrying Rebecca Romijn▶ 1:10:20
Chris RyanRiver Phoenix — River Phoenix: Indiana Jones or My Own Private Idaho, vandalism in movies: Stand By Me is apex▶ 1:11:18
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsHow did Ace's gang find the body since it wasn't near anything? What's Gordy's writing career like - is it fiction or nonfiction, is he famous, what's his success level?▶ 1:15:50
Chris RyanWhat was the plan when they got to the body for either group? How did Ace's gang find the body in the middle of nowhere? Where is law enforcement in Castle Rock?▶ 1:14:54
Who Won the Movie
Bill SimmonsRiver Phoenix — River Phoenix (though acknowledges Rob Reiner as a possibility due to founding Castle Rock Entertainment after this film's success)▶ 1:18:47
Chris RyanRiver Phoenix — River Phoenix (calling it a generational performance that has stood the test of time with timeless acting style)▶ 1:18:48
Movies Referenced (23)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Few Good Men (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 24:50 |
| Road Trip (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 23:55 |
| My Own Private Idaho (1991) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 8:22 |
| The Beach (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:01:59 |
| This Boy's Life (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 6:09 |
| Titanic (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 9:30 |
| Basic Instinct (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:10:36 |
| Better Off Dead (1985) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:04:04 |
| Blood Diamond (2006) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 11:13 |
| East of Eden (1955) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:18:53 |
| Friday the 13th (1980) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:10:58 |
| Home Alone (1990) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 7:45 |
Directors Referenced (4)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Reiner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street | ▶ 0:46 |
| Andrea Bias | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Black Adam, A Simple Favor, The Intern | ▶ 6:35 |
| Michael Mann | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans | ▶ 46:53 |
| Sean Penn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking | ▶ 14:47 |
Actors Referenced (61)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Phoenix | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 27 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | My Own Private Idaho, Stand by Me, The Mosquito Coast | ▶ 5:50 |
| Corey Feldman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, The Goonies | ▶ 18:33 |
| Kiefer Sutherland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons | Phone Booth | ▶ 19:29 |
| John Cusack | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | High Fidelity, 1408 | ▶ 17:28 |
| Jerry O'Connell | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Stand by Me | ▶ 19:04 |
| Richard Dreyfuss | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mr. Holland's Opus | ▶ 1:00:20 |
| Castle Rock | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:11:55 | |
| Corey Haim | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons | The Lost Boys | ▶ 18:41 |
| Alex Winter | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:27 | |
| Wil Wheaton | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Stand by Me, Toy Soldiers | ▶ 10:55 |
| David Dukes | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:00:24 | |
| Leonardo DiCaprio | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed | ▶ 6:09 |
Writers Referenced (3)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen King | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 2:34 | |
| Norman Lear | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Fried Green Tomatoes | ▶ 25:59 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 29:51 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamos Triantafyllos | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Wonder Woman | ▶ 50:57 |