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‘The Purge’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

March 7, 2023 · The Purge (2013) · Horror · Sci-Fi · Thriller · 1:21:46

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmonsthe billiard room fight▶ 27:51
Chris Ryanthe playroom fight▶ 27:44

What's Aged the Best

Bill SimmonsMaking it past 2022 - we're in 2023 and survived the dystopian future the movie predicted; semi-hidden gun cabinets with secret codes; the 85-minute runtime▶ 29:22
Chris RyanThe 85-minute runtime - perfect length for this type of movie; 'Release the beast' as a great saying; the fridge door hiding/reveal trope▶ 32:03

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill SimmonsQueen Cersei with a giant glass of wine▶ 34:31

Great Shot Gordo Award

Chris RyanAll the surveillance stuff - the kid getting to look at the screens and seeing the stranger coming up, and all the use of security camera footage▶ 35:12

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmonsthe idiot kid decides to just unlock the alarm▶ 38:16

Is There a Better Title?

Bill SimmonsSuggests 'Release the Beast' as a good alternative title, though notes it might be more of a horse name▶ 44:50

Best Quote

Bill SimmonsWe're going to play the rest of this night out in motherfucking peace.▶ 44:58

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill SimmonsDoesn't have a real hottest take other than wanting proof they didn't steal his 'felony land' idea and his leap year concept▶ 45:03
Chris RyanDoesn't have a hottest take because the whole movie itself is a hottest take▶ 45:28

Casting What-Ifs

Bill SimmonsCouldn't find any casting what-ifs▶ 45:39

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill SimmonsThis is the 277th movie they've done, representing over 600 hours of movies to watch, and they've intentionally kept some bangers like Pulp Fiction in reserve▶ 54:59
Chris RyanDeMonaco said in an interview that his favorite movies are around 50% on Rotten Tomatoes - movies that are polarizing or provocative end up in that zone, and there's room for 50% RT movies on The Rewatchables▶ 54:00

Apex Mountain

Bill SimmonsEthan HawkeYes for Ethan Hawke (2013 with Sinister 2012 and three major 2013 movies making him a major star), Yes for Lena Headey (only successful leading role plus Game of Thrones phenomenon), Blumhouse around Get Out/Halloween 2018 era rather than Purge▶ 57:01
Chris RyanEthan HawkeInitially thought Training Day was Hawke's apex mountain, agrees Blumhouse apex was Get Out era, supports Hawke's difficulty level doing original films with new directors▶ 57:07

Racehorse Name Award

Picking Nits

Bill SimmonsThe boyfriend character didn't work and was a bad rewrite - originally the daughter was supposed to try to kill the dad, which would have been much better▶ 1:03:03
Chris RyanEthan Hawke losing track of time at dinner on Purge night is unrealistic - he would be singularly focused and never casually lose track of time▶ 1:03:36
Chris RyanHenry's plan made no sense - what did he think Zoe's reaction would be after telling her he killed her dad, and he clearly hates Ethan Hawke more than he loves Zoe▶ 1:04:46

Is This Movie Better With

Bill SimmonsWayne Jenkins in the last scene with Grace, realizing she's a sociopath▶ 1:07:33
Chris RyanWayne Jenkins at dinner that night, commenting on the food and purge night▶ 1:07:02

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill SimmonsMultiple questions about purge logistics: what crimes aren't allowed, hospital situations the next morning, whether the purge actually worked to reduce crime, investing in glass/door companies, work dynamics after purge night, and professional targeting strategies▶ 1:08:04
Chris RyanWhy so many people in the purger group were horny, what kind of Yelp reviews the security company would get, whether it's a 'what happens in Vegas' situation the next day, and how work hierarchies would change with bosses being targeted▶ 1:09:08

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill SimmonsDon't let anyone in your house turn the purge▶ 1:17:19
Chris RyanCreate an impenetrable bunker in the basement, turn off cameras, take Ambien and sleep through the purge▶ 1:17:23

Who Won the Movie

Bill SimmonsBlumhouse▶ 1:17:53
Chris RyanEthan HawkeHawk (Ethan Hawke), though acknowledges Blumhouse is a good pick▶ 1:17:55

Movies Referenced (48)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
Halloween (1978)IMDb ↗Lb ↗9Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 7:06
Escape from New York (1981)IMDb ↗Lb ↗7Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 3:17
John Wick (2014)IMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 25:32
Leap Year (2010)IMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons▶ 13:14
Neighbors (2014)IMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons▶ 15:48
Sinister (2012)IMDb ↗Lb ↗6Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 4:29
2012 (2009)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:29
Psycho (1960)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons▶ 24:08
Alien (1979)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:51
Crank (2006)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons▶ 1:47
Scream (1996)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons▶ 26:07
The Godfather (1972)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 20:28

Directors Referenced (3)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Chris CornerIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill SimmonsThe Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 30:39
John CarpenterIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsHalloween▶ 3:25
Roger CormanIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanThe Silence of the Lambs, Apollo 13, Little Shop of Horrors▶ 6:54

Actors Referenced (46)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Ethan HawkeIMDb ↗Lb ↗25Bill Simmons, Chris RyanTraining Day, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight▶ 4:20
Frank GrilloIMDb ↗Lb ↗10Bill Simmons, Chris RyanThe Grey▶ 16:12
Chris MulkeyIMDb ↗Lb ↗8Bill SimmonsCaptain Phillips▶ 46:38
Lena HeadeyIMDb ↗Lb ↗8Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 34:03
Jessica ChastainIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Chris RyanZero Dark Thirty, Molly's Game▶ 51:18
Gerard ButlerIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Chris RyanLaw Abiding Citizen, The Phantom of the Opera▶ 19:06
Donald TrumpIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris RyanHome Alone 2: Lost in New York▶ 10:47
Holy FuckIMDb ↗Lb ↗4▶ 46:24
Jason BlumIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsGet Out▶ 5:22
Tom HanksIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill SimmonsCast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 1:00:40
Brittany StatenIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 16:29
Emily BrinksIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill SimmonsThe Menu▶ 13:40

Writers Referenced (2)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
James DeMonacoIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 3:27
Charles MansonIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill SimmonsOnce Upon a Time... in Hollywood▶ 52:37