Home/Episodes/The 40-Year-Old Virgin

‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

August 25, 2020 · The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) · Comedy · Romance · 1:17:17 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

Categories

Apex Mountain

Bill SimmonsSteve CarellSteve Carell - calling it his apex mountain, not hard to figure out▶ 11:21

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill SimmonsDoes this become an incel comedy if this is 2020?▶ 12:12

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes including Best Buy opening with Seth Rogen's horse story, Paul Rudd's Michael McDonald rant, poker game 'bag of sand' scene (personal favorite), Leslie Mann scene, body waxing scene, Paul Rudd bringing porn/Boner Jams, speed dating, first date call, support group, and virginity/musical ending▶ 32:09
Chris RyanExtended version of Kevin Hart and Romany Malco scene, plus general agreement with other mentioned scenes▶ 39:52
Sean FennesseyHighlights Boner Jams 03 as favorite line, bookstore scene with 'be David Caruso and Jade' as best line in movie, and appreciation for extended Kevin Hart/Romany Malco scene▶ 37:41

What's Aged the Worst

Bill SimmonseBay store concept, VHS technology and porn collections on VHS, and the 'I know you're gay' theme/gay panic jokes▶ 51:39
Chris RyanVHS/DVD dual player references and Paul Rudd's character's stalker behavior toward his ex-girlfriend▶ 52:49
Sean FennesseyTechnology references like VCRs, recordable CDs, and VHS/DVD dual players; gay panic jokes that wouldn't play well today▶ 52:34

Casting What-Ifs

Bill SimmonsJason SegelJason Segel was supposed to play one of the buddies alongside Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen, but Universal refused to allow Apatow to cast him▶ 54:48

Joey Pants Award

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill SimmonsShared multiple trivia facts: Gary Shanlin's idea for the ending, Technicolor champagne tradition, fish deaths preventing animal safety certification, Leslie Mann's drunk research with Seth Rogen, repurposed Staples store as set, movie's influence on The Office character development▶ 1:00:44
Chris RyanDiscussed the meaninglessness of animal safety certifications since movies can still be released without them, and engaged with various trivia points▶ 1:01:25
Sean FennesseyAdded that Catherine Keener was also in Capote the same year, playing Harper Lee▶ 1:04:06

Picking Nits

Bill SimmonsNo nitpicks - the movie ties up all the potential complaints and addresses the central premise credibly through research▶ 1:08:44
Chris RyanNo nitpicks - hard to have nitpicks because the movie fully creates its own reality▶ 1:09:30

Who Won the Movie

Bill SimmonsJudd ApatowApatow - agrees with Sean's case that this set up the next 15 years for Judd despite considering Carell▶ 1:14:25
Chris RyanDiscusses how the movie's success helped both Apatow and Carell (giving The Office runway, making Carell a movie star doing TV), but doesn't give definitive pick▶ 1:14:38
Sean FennesseyJudd ApatowApatow - kicked off 10 years of him at center of American movie comedy, gave him credibility and auteur status▶ 1:13:25

Movies Referenced (26)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
Munich (2005)IMDb ↗Lb ↗16Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 25:32
Ant-Man (2015)IMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 1:06:12
Knocked Up (2007)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 17:19
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:11
Funny People (2009)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons▶ 3:53
Apocalypse Now (1979)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 4:16
Before We Go (2014)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:26
Neighbors (2014)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 14:31
The Other Guys (2010)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 22:52
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)IMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 28:54
About Time (2013)IMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 38:01
As Good as It Gets (1997)IMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:04

Directors Referenced (7)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Billy WilderIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyThe Apartment, Some Like It Hot▶ 28:41
Hal AshbyIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyIn the Heat of the Night, Harold and Maude▶ 9:43
John ColoradoIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsHancock▶ 32:02
Lil PumpIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsDeadpool 2▶ 29:29
Sonic YouthIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 49:33
Stormy DanielsIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyThe 40-Year-Old Virgin▶ 49:55
William FriedkinIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsTo Live and Die in L.A., The French Connection, The Exorcist▶ 47:55

Actors Referenced (46)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Seth RogenIMDb ↗Lb ↗21Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanThis Is the End, Superbad, Pineapple Express▶ 3:04
Paul RuddIMDb ↗Lb ↗18Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyAnt-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp▶ 3:04
Steve CarellIMDb ↗Lb ↗17Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyThe 40-Year-Old Virgin▶ 10:19
Romany MalcoIMDb ↗Lb ↗13Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris RyanThe 40-Year-Old Virgin▶ 9:37
Kevin HartIMDb ↗Lb ↗10Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanRide Along, Central Intelligence▶ 19:51
Catherine KeenerIMDb ↗Lb ↗9Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanBeing John Malkovich, The 40-Year-Old Virgin▶ 13:16
Leslie MannIMDb ↗Lb ↗8Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanKnocked Up, This Is 40, The Other Woman▶ 35:08
Michael McDonaldIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyThe 40-Year-Old Virgin, No Way Out, Twister▶ 32:58
Elizabeth BanksIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Sean Fennessey, Bill SimmonsThe Hunger Games▶ 9:36
Johnny HoopsIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill SimmonsBabylon▶ 0:26
Oscar GoodmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyCasino▶ 26:40
Amy SchumerIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsI Feel Pretty▶ 7:45

Writers Referenced (5)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Judd ApatowIMDb ↗Lb ↗33Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanThe King of Staten Island, Knocked Up▶ 2:06
Edward R. MurrowIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 27:45
Harper LeeIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyTo Kill a Mockingbird▶ 1:04:10
Roger EbertIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 29:29
William GoldmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 24:12

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Michael GrantlandIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyThe Other Guys▶ 45:30
Michael ScottIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanSpeed, Twister, Donnie Darko▶ 1:14:50