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‘The Godfather Part III' With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

March 17, 2020 · The Godfather Part III (1990) · Crime · Drama · 1:30:09 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 37:05Multiple scenes including the Joey Zaza-Vincent Mancini showdown in Michael's office, the penthouse conference scene with helicopter attack, and the kitchen scene with Pacino's 'just when I thought I was out' moment
Chris Ryan▶ 37:21Contributes details about multiple scenes including Garcia's drunk acting, the penthouse helicopter scene with oranges rolling, and the San Gennaro feast sequence
Sean Fennessey▶ 42:03Discusses the penthouse conference scene positively, noting it's like a 70s exploitation movie but works well in the film

What's Aged the Best

Chris Ryan▶ 49:58Archbishop Gilday — 'he has aged the most. It's the best and the worst': baffling on screen ('what the fuck am I watching?') yet makes the movie totally singular, with the 'International Immobiliare' tonsil-acting delivery

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 53:12Kate Corleone's hair - calls it looking like a poodle or Westminster dog show
Chris Ryan▶ 54:00The incest plot - says it's what's aged the worst

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:40Alec Baldwin — Believes Alec Baldwin was the most credible alternate for Vincent Mancini, dismisses Tom Cruise/Matt Dillon/Val Kilmer rumors, thinks Charlie Sheen and Vincent Spano were possible, mentions De Niro wanted to play Vincent with aged-up Pacino
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:39Luke Perry — Likes the Luke Perry audition possibility, agrees Nicolas Cage could have been good despite being a family member
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:02:14Nicolas Cage — Notes Nicolas Cage as family member option, mentions classic Irish-for-Italian casting with Baldwin reference

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:18Rick Aviles — One of the two assassins that comes into Vincent's apartment (who also played Willie Lopez in Ghost)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:17Mario Donatone — Mario Donatone as Mosco, the Sicilian assassin; Donald Donnelly as International Immovarelli
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:04:53Don Novello — Don Novello (Father Guido Sarducci from SNL) as Dominic Abandando, the PR guy; also mentioned John Savage as Andrew Hagen

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:40Eli Wallach
Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:39Discusses Wallach's casting rationale but doesn't give alternative pick
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:58Discusses Wallach's career and casting issues but doesn't give alternative pick

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:08Multiple facts: First draft written in 1979 by Dean Reisner about Anthony as CIA naval officer; Sofia Coppola was in all three films (baby in baptism, Ellis Island child, Mary in Part 3); 2,000 actors auditioned for Anthony; prefers not recasting Brando as Don Altobello because he's too different physically
Chris Ryan▶ 1:15:51Would be excited to see the planned Godfather 4 starring Andy Garcia as Vincent and Leonardo DiCaprio as young Sonny, set in 90s New York during Giuliani era
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:17:04Would like to see the planned Godfather 4 with Andy Garcia and Leonardo DiCaprio, and would watch another Godfather movie in general

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:45Andy Garcia — Andy Garcia (yes), Sofia Coppola acting jokes, George Hamilton, Women's hair, The Vatican
Chris Ryan▶ 1:19:22Donal Donnelly — Donald Donnelly
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:18:52Discussed Internal Affairs movie but unclear on specific Apex Mountain picks

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:48Why wasn't everyone more horrified by the incest plot? Can't believe critics like Ebert weren't more critical of it
Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:32The Vatican financial plot is too hard to follow - too many characters and subplots to keep track of
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:09What's the vetting process for Archbishop Gilday to become in charge of all of the Vatican's finances?
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:20:18The Vatican's vetting process for putting Archbishop Gilday in charge of finances doesn't make sense - why put the nervy smoking guy in charge of the bank?

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:47The movie should have had a scene where Michael takes Kay back to Apollonia's house in Sicily and comes clean about his first marriage
Chris Ryan▶ 1:22:28Agrees with Bill's Apollonia scene idea but notes that romance/true love isn't the most compelling aspect of the trilogy
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:20:42What happened to the $600 million immobiliari deal after Mary dies - did it close and is Michael in charge of Vatican Bank finances?

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:11Multiple quotes including 'Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment', 'He who builds on the people builds on mud', 'I don't need tough guys. I need more lawyers', and 'Now they'll fear you. Maybe they should fear you'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:23:19Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:20Al Pacino — Pacino wins it, but Garcia makes a better run than realized
Chris Ryan▶ 1:26:05Al Pacino — Pacino
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:26:24Andy Garcia — Considers Andy Garcia's case by reviewing his career trajectory from 1986-1990

Movies Referenced (41)

The Godfather (1972)

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 1:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dangerous Minds (1995)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:27:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 2:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ghost (1990)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Goodfellas (1990)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 8:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Internal Affairs (1990)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:06:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scarface (1983)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 15:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

21 Jump Street (2012)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 47:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Black Rain (1989)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:27:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dick Tracy (1990)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 6:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pretty Woman (1990)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Proof of Life (2000)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (7)

Sofia Coppola

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Godfather Part III, The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation▶ 3:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ralph Lucchese

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 44:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Martin Scorsese

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 18:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John P. Fertitta

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Blaze, Mississippi Burning▶ 11:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Reds, Heaven Can Wait▶ 6:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eleanor Coppola

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse▶ 32:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sergio Leone

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Once Upon a Time in America, Once Upon a Time in the West▶ 1:08:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (69)

Al Pacino

42 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 4:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Garcia

30 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Ocean's Eleven, The Godfather Part III▶ 6:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Hamilton

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Godfather Part III▶ 25:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Diane Keaton

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Annie Hall, Reds, Something's Gotta Give▶ 21:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Sinatra

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for From Here to Eternity, High Society▶ 1:00:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert De Niro

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver▶ 7:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eli Wallach

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly▶ 54:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Winona Ryder

8 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Dracula▶ 19:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Newman

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Hustler, Road to Perdition, The Verdict▶ 53:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Mantegna

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Searching for Bobby Fischer, Baby's Day Out, The Godfather Part III▶ 39:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Daniel Sea

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 15:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Savage

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Deer Hunter▶ 25:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Roger Ebert

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 6:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Koppelman

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Runaway Jury, Runner Runner, Michael Clayton▶ 2:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Mamet

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Spanish Prisoner, House of Games, State and Main▶ 40:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Cimino

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Deer Hunter, Silent Running, Heaven's Gate▶ 1:03:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Adam Macbeth

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Deadpool & Wolverine, IF▶ 24:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗