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'The Player' With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Wesley Morris

April 12, 2022 · The Player (1992) · Comedy · Crime · Drama · 1:46:15 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 34:27The opening scene (7 minutes, 47 seconds) - highlights include Buck Henry pitching The Graduate 2, movie pitch metaphors, Fred Ward not seeing famous movies, and the meta 'Quiet at the Scent at the Top'
Sean Fennessey▶ 35:41Agrees with the opening scene, emphasizing the Russian doll aspects with real filmmakers Joan Tewksbury and Alan Rudolph pitching, plus details like Fred Ward discussing Touch of Evil but revealing he never watches foreign films
Wesley Morris▶ 36:26Supports the opening scene choice, focusing on Griffin Mill's character complexity - how he pretends knowledge but is actually conversant in films like 'Freaks' when talking to the detective

Dion Waiters Award

Sean Fennessey▶ 47:50Whoopi Goldberg — Whoopi Goldberg as the detective
Wesley Morris▶ 47:50Whoopi Goldberg — Whoopi Goldberg as the detective

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 49:48Whoopi Goldberg — Whoopi Goldberg - the era of her coming in hot for a few scenes and stealing them, citing this movie along with Sister Act and Ghost all from 1992

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:41John Travolta — Presents casting what-ifs including Chevy Chase wanting Griffin Mill role and Altman considering Travolta, but expresses relief that Travolta didn't get it because Robbins needed this role for his career arc
Wesley Morris▶ 1:14:08Tim Robbins — Discusses Tim Robbins' strong early 90s career including Bob Roberts in 1992 and proximity to Dead Man Walking, suggesting the importance of his casting

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:56Leah Ayres — Winner: Leah Ayers (Van Damme's love interest from Bloodsport who plays a studio worker); Runner-up: Richard E. Grant as Tom Oakley
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:16:35Richard E. Grant — Disagreed with the winner, strongly advocated for Richard E. Grant saying he was 'unbelievable in this movie'
Wesley Morris▶ 1:15:32Richard E. Grant — Praised Richard E. Grant's performance extensively but acknowledged not knowing Leah Ayers' name, which supported the winner choice

What's Aged the Best

Sean Fennessey▶ 1:32:33Douchey outdoor L.A. meals and drinks peaked in 2020-2022
Wesley Morris▶ 1:28:15The movie's prediction about the death of movie stars and great screenwriting, and how Japanese culture functions in 80s/90s movies as tourists who might colonize but aren't feared

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:01Did Altman see the future of movies? - Yes, for sure. This feels so ahead of its time now with every piece of this.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:39:09Agrees Altman saw the future, noting the Tim Robbins speech and 'movies now more than ever' tagline as prescient, but argues this cyclical nature of movie industry doom/revival means Altman was always right about movies
Wesley Morris▶ 1:40:53Acknowledges Altman's prescience but focuses on concern about whether good movies find audiences, using Underground Railroad as example of great work that 'fell in a forest and nobody heard it'

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:44:46Robert Altman — Altman - described as huge winner and incredible comeback, his fourth comeback
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:44:50Robert Altman — Altman - agreed with another host's assessment

Movies Referenced (47)

Ghost (1990)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 35:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sister Act (1992)

6 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 49:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wayne's World (1992)

6 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 4:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Striking Distance (1993)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 55:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 56:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gosford Park (2001)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 11:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Presumed Innocent (1990)

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

Pretty Woman (1990)

3 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 2:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Prestige (2006)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Argo (2012)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 44:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blade Runner (1982)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 55:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (8)

Robert Altman

66 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey · Known for Gosford Park, Nashville, Short Cuts▶ 2:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 19:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ben Affleck

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Argo, Gone Girl, The Town▶ 52:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 1:15:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fritz Lang

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Contempt, Metropolis▶ 1:43:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 46:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Bellany

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Bourne Ultimatum, Stardust▶ 0:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Reds, Heaven Can Wait▶ 43:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (90)

Fred Ward

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey · Known for Short Cuts, Chain Reaction▶ 35:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julia Roberts

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Pretty Woman, My Best Friend's Wedding▶ 35:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tim Robbins

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey · Known for Mystic River, The Player, Howard the Duck▶ 29:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cynthia Stevenson

11 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Jennifer's Body, Home for the Holidays▶ 1:16:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Whoopi Goldberg

10 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Ghost, Sister Act, The Color Purple▶ 47:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian James

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for A Cry in the Dark▶ 54:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruce Willis

8 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Die Hard, Pulp Fiction▶ 35:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Vincent D'Onofrio

8 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Men in Black, The Cell, Full Metal Jacket▶ 44:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nashville Pussy

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Super Troopers▶ 11:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Burt Reynolds

6 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Boogie Nights, Smokey and the Bandit, Striptease▶ 24:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robin Williams

6 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons · Known for Mrs. Doubtfire▶ 13:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wayne Gretzky

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 4:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Tom Holland

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Child's Play▶ 58:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Adam McKay

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Don't Look Up, The Other Guys, Vice▶ 31:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harvey Weinstein

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Shakespeare in Love, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Hateful Eight▶ 41:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Morwood

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 52:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Goldman

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 4:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗