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'The Social Network' With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan
May 24, 2018 · The Social Network (2010) · Biography · Drama · 1:17:47 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsFour scenes: opening scene, crew scene at Henley Royal Regatta, first Justin Timberlake/Dakota Johnson scene, and Eduardo finding out he got screwed▶ 21:24
What's Aged the Best
Chris RyanThe Winklevoss twins digital effects - groundbreaking digital cinematography that still looks convincing years later▶ 38:40
Sean FennesseyHow much we should have been trusting the Peter Thiel character when he comes on as an investor (played by Wallace Langham)▶ 39:19
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsEisenberg's Zuckerberg portrayal, Zuck's message board comments, the hot-or-not rating app, Eduardo's girlfriend's bed-burning subplot, and Kevin Spacey as executive producer▶ 40:29
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsShia LaBeouf — Shia LaBeouf turned down Zuckerberg role - thinks Eisenberg was better and LaBeouf would have been fired; Jonathan Groff almost got Sean Parker role but JT was the right choice▶ 43:33
Sean FennesseyShia LaBeouf — Agrees Shia LaBeouf was too manic and Eisenberg was A+ for Zuckerberg; agrees JT was right choice over Jonathan Groff for Sean Parker▶ 43:37
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsHarvard scenes filmed at Phillips Milton Academy, Wheelock, and Johns Hopkins; Natalie Portman was the movie star referenced; Josh Pence (other Winklevoss twin) also appears in bathroom scene; Justin Timberlake lost 15-17 pounds to seem younger; opening breakup scene took 99 takes and 8 script pages; Bill Gates played by impersonator▶ 47:26
Chris RyanConfirmed Natalie Portman went to Harvard (initially thought she went to Brown); guessed Justin Timberlake lost weight because Sean Parker was on cocaine▶ 48:05
Sean FennesseyGuessed Justin Timberlake lost weight because Sean Parker was on paleo diet; noted usual script pages per scene is around three compared to the eight-page opening scene▶ 49:03
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsJesse Eisenberg — Jesse Eisenberg - calls it his Apex Mountain, says it's hard to imagine him having a more impactful role than this iconic one▶ 49:52
Chris RyanJesse Eisenberg — Agrees on Jesse Eisenberg's Apex. Says David Fincher's Apex is not this movie because it's 'not perverted enough' and considers Zodiac his masterpiece. Thinks Justin Timberlake's apex is his work with Lonely Island▶ 50:10
Sean FennesseyJesse Eisenberg — Agrees on Jesse Eisenberg. Says David Fincher hasn't reached his Apex Mountain yet - thinks something is 'around the bend.' For Justin Timberlake, says the 'Rock Your Body' video was his pinnacle. Says Armie Hammer's Apex is 'Call Me By Your Name'▶ 50:18
Picking Nits
Bill SimmonsThe Dustin Moskovitz/Eduardo Saverin thing for people who actually know a lot about Facebook▶ 1:01:30
Chris RyanThe PR guy who's in one scene is Chris Hughes, who now runs the New Republic, but he was one of the roommates▶ 1:01:37
Best Quote
Bill SimmonsMultiple quotes including 'There's a difference between being obsessed and being motivated', 'Dating you is like dating a stairmaster', 'You're going to go through life thinking girls won't like you because you're a nerd, and it's going to be because you're an asshole', and 'If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you would have invented Facebook'▶ 1:01:51
Chris RyanI'll bet what you hated the most is that they identified me as the co-founder of Facebook, which I am because you better lawyer up asshole because I'm coming back. Not for 30%. I'm coming back for everything.▶ 1:02:20
Sean FennesseySean Parker's monologue ending with 'This time you're going to hand them a business card that says I'm CEO, bitch', though also notes 'If you were the founder of Facebook, you would have founded Facebook' as the iconic line▶ 1:02:39
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsDid Zuck actually steal the Harvard connection? No. Was this movie too harsh about Zuck? No.▶ 1:03:47
Sean FennesseyOn the theft question, says it doesn't matter because Zuck won. On harshness toward Zuck, says the movie should have been harder on what he was doing.▶ 1:03:56
Who Won the Movie
Bill SimmonsAaron Sorkin — Sorkin - agrees with the others while acknowledging Jesse Eisenberg's excellent performance▶ 1:13:13
Chris RyanAaron Sorkin — Sorkin - argues the dialogue is the hero of the movie and creates the architecture for the film's structure▶ 1:12:08
Sean FennesseyAaron Sorkin — Sorkin - agrees with Chris, noting the script won an Oscar and is essential to everything else working▶ 1:13:13
Movies Referenced (47)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nope (2022) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:04:47 |
| Miami Vice (2006) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 20:43 |
| Molly's Game (2017) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 53:21 |
| 2012 (2009) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 16:42 |
| All the President's Men (1976) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 5:24 |
| Gone Girl (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 51:56 |
| Jaws (1975) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 0:10 |
| The Godfather (1972) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 0:10 |
| Call Me by Your Name (2017) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 55:58 |
| Hacksaw Ridge (2016) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 53:57 |
| Panic Room (2002) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 24:48 |
| Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 40:24 |
Directors Referenced (11)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Fincher | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 30 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Se7en, Gone Girl, Zodiac | ▶ 5:57 |
| Clint Eastwood | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven | ▶ 53:54 |
| Tom Hooper | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | The Danish Girl | ▶ 7:37 |
| Martin Scorsese | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets | ▶ 35:17 |
| Woody Allen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | Annie Hall | ▶ 1:15:30 |
| Christopher Nolan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Tenet, Interstellar, Inception | ▶ 1:10:07 |
| Dagny Atencio Looper | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:05:05 | |
| Gore Verbinski | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Rango | ▶ 56:06 |
| Mel Gibson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Braveheart, Lethal Weapon 3, Conspiracy Theory | ▶ 54:02 |
| Michael Mann | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans | ▶ 28:24 |
| Steven Soderbergh | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 37:17 |
Actors Referenced (70)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesse Eisenberg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 26 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | A Real Pain, The Social Network, The Squid and the Whale | ▶ 7:37 |
| Justin Timberlake | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 15 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | The Social Network | ▶ 20:02 |
| Armie Hammer | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Call Me by Your Name, The Social Network, The Lone Ranger | ▶ 33:49 |
| Rooney Mara | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network | ▶ 13:51 |
| Trent Reznor | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | ▶ 28:58 |
| Andrew Garfield | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Hacksaw Ridge, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Social Network | ▶ 15:42 |
| Dustin Hoffman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Rain Man, Tootsie, Midnight Cowboy | ▶ 2:01 |
| Larry King | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Ghostbusters, Enemy of the State | ▶ 7:34 |
| Roy Scheider | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Jaws, The French Connection, All That Jazz | ▶ 1:16:28 |
| Dakota Johnson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Fifty Shades of Grey, The Social Network | ▶ 24:52 |
| Max Minghella | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Babylon, The Social Network | ▶ 34:34 |
| Al Pacino | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather | ▶ 39:55 |
Writers Referenced (6)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Sorkin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 26 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | A Few Good Men | ▶ 5:33 |
| Andy Greenwald | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 48:11 | |
| Damien Chazelle | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Whiplash, La La Land, First Man | ▶ 1:15:27 |
| Harvey Weinstein | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Shakespeare in Love, The Hateful Eight | ▶ 8:55 |
| Noah Baumbach | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | The Squid and the Whale, Marriage Story | ▶ 1:15:21 |
| Spike Jonze | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Three Kings | ▶ 1:15:18 |
Cinematographers Referenced (3)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Grantland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | The Other Guys | ▶ 17:33 |
| Jeff Cronenweth | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Gone Girl, The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | ▶ 1:10:36 |
| Keith Eisberg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 55:05 |