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‘There Will Be Blood’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

July 26, 2022 · There Will Be Blood (2007) · Drama · 2:14:55 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill SimmonsWhy doesn't he want to be in movies about things that are happening in this year?▶ 37:51

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes including: the opening hole fall sequence (first 20 minutes), Eli's sermon scene, the oil derrick explosion sequence, Daniel slapping Eli, Daniel's 'I have a competition in me' confession to his fake brother, Daniel's baptism, the drunk lunch scene, and the adult deaf son visit scene▶ 56:39
Chris RyanEmphasized the oil derrick explosion for its dramatic relevance (Daniel choosing oil over the kid) and the Henry/Daniel beach scene where Daniel figures out Henry is lying▶ 59:14
Sean FennesseyPraised the oil derrick explosion as potentially '10 minutes of movie in the last 20 years' and highlighted the sequence from union proposal through Henry's murder to baptism▶ 59:05

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill SimmonsMultiple shots including railroad scene with young son and the wordless shot of Daniel leaving his son behind on the train▶ 1:18:08
Chris RyanThe shot where Daniel decides to kill Henry and he's in the ocean, and the wave takes the camera into Daniel Day-Lewis▶ 1:16:06
Sean FennesseyBeautiful Vista shots with the derrick on fire and intimate camera work in Eli's first church scene▶ 1:16:45

Slow Ride Award

Bill SimmonsThe score during the explosion scene▶ 1:22:37
Chris RyanWhen Slow Ride drops on the closing credits▶ 1:23:10
Sean FennesseyThe clacking percussion score when Daniel is carrying H.W. back to the shack▶ 1:22:41

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill SimmonsDiscusses multiple food/drink moments including 'Two steaks, whiskey, water, and goat's milk' and Daniel Day-Lewis eating steak in the final scene, but doesn't give one clear pick▶ 1:24:41
Sean FennesseyThe whiskey stuff, especially when he's pouring whiskey and giving it to the kid▶ 1:25:10

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill SimmonsBowling alley (as number one pick, with Pacific Ocean as alternative)▶ 1:26:02
Sean FennesseySilver mine in the beginning▶ 1:25:55

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill SimmonsNo weak link - doesn't have anybody written down, likes all the decisions they made▶ 1:29:45
Sean FennesseyEnvironmental damage from the fire▶ 1:29:55

Best Quote

Bill SimmonsMentions several famous quotes including 'I drink your milkshake', 'I'm abandoned my son', 'I have a competition in me', and 'I've built up my hatreds over the years, little by little'▶ 1:33:27
Chris RyanLikes Eli's quote about 'he's completely failed to alert me to the recent panic in our economy' and Eli's sermon with 'if I have no teeth, I will gum you'▶ 1:33:39
Sean FennesseyYes, I do (as favorite line reading)▶ 1:34:01

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill SimmonsDaniel was secretly gay during an era when you had to be secretly gay, noting his lack of interest in women and possible impotence▶ 1:35:14
Chris RyanDaniel is in love with or obsessed with Henry in a way that transcends fraternal interest, with sexual chemistry and intimacy between them▶ 1:34:24

Picking Nits

Bill SimmonsDaniel Plainview is too savvy to ever believe Eli Sunday was actually his brother - he should have been more suspicious and tried to trap him way earlier▶ 1:35:47
Chris RyanDaniel could have done the Fond du Lac test (asking about the house) the first time he met Eli to expose him▶ 1:36:00

Casting What-Ifs

Bill SimmonsPhilip Seymour HoffmanPhilip Seymour Hoffman as Henry (the long lost brother) and discussed Ryan Gosling, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Heath Ledger as potential Eli recasts▶ 1:44:46
Chris RyanLeonardo DiCaprioWould prefer another young actor instead of Paul Dano playing twins, but acknowledges it was 'making lemonade out of lemons'. Against Leonardo DiCaprio as too big a star▶ 1:40:29
Sean FennesseyPaul DanoDisagrees with recasting Paul Dano - thinks he's great in the role and prefers him over alternate casting. Against Ryan Gosling as too modern for period pieces▶ 1:40:40

Apex Mountain

Bill SimmonsPaul Thomas AndersonYes for Paul Thomas Anderson and Dino De Laurentiis; discusses various other Apex Mountains including oil well explosions, faces covered in oil, feeding liquor to a baby, and 'my wife died during childbirth' excuse▶ 1:50:58
Chris RyanPaul Thomas AndersonAgrees this is Apex Mountain; says Paul Dano's Apex Mountain is probably being the Riddler in Batman rather than this film▶ 1:50:50
Sean FennesseyPaul Thomas AndersonAgrees on Apex Mountain for the main subjects; asks if this is the first movie in PTA's obituary and discusses private bowling alleys▶ 1:51:05

Racehorse Name Award

Bill SimmonsMultiple suggestions including Get Out Ghost, Milkshake, Plain View, Peach Tree Dance, and The Third Revelation (which they declare the winner)▶ 1:55:50
Sean FennesseyThe Bandy Tract and My Son and My Partner HW▶ 1:55:56

Is This Movie Better With

Just One Oscar

Best Double Feature

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill SimmonsOil defeats religion▶ 2:04:09
Chris RyanQuestioned whether competitive people should reflect on whether their drive is poisoning themselves and the earth▶ 2:04:27
Sean FennesseyStop worrying about dominating everybody▶ 2:04:12

Who Won the Movie

Bill SimmonsDaniel Day-LewisDaniel Day-Lewis, but acknowledges it's extremely difficult and calls it 'probably the single hardest who won the movie we've ever had'▶ 2:06:46
Chris RyanDaniel Day-LewisSupports Daniel Day-Lewis, arguing he's in almost every shot and integral to the movie, representing 50% of the accomplishment▶ 2:05:54
Sean FennesseyPaul Thomas AndersonPaul Thomas Anderson (PTA) - the writer/director/producer who conceived the film▶ 2:05:39

Movies Referenced (63)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
Boogie Nights (1997)IMDb ↗Lb ↗15Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 4:01
No Country for Old Men (2007)IMDb ↗Lb ↗11Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 14:48
Lincoln (2012)IMDb ↗Lb ↗9Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 27:42
Michael Clayton (2007)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 15:42
The Beach (2000)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:09
Chinatown (1974)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 12:09
Citizen Kane (1941)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 10:48
Days of Heaven (1978)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:16:29
Fargo (1996)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey▶ 47:22
Gangs of New York (2002)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 21:29
Inception (2010)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan▶ 15:30
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 33:24

Directors Referenced (8)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Paul Thomas AndersonIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris RyanPunch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 53:22
John HoustonIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 11:57
Karen HinesIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyMan of the Year▶ 33:14
George ClooneyIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Chris RyanThe Ides of March, Michael Clayton▶ 18:59
Wes AndersonIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean FennesseyThe Royal Tenenbaums, Isle of Dogs▶ 1:21:51
Brit ManorIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 1:50:01
Christopher NolanIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyTenet, Interstellar, Inception▶ 2:09:06
Robert AltmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyGosford Park▶ 11:20

Actors Referenced (70)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Daniel Day-LewisIMDb ↗Lb ↗27Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanThere Will Be Blood, The Last of the Mohicans, Lincoln▶ 5:27
Philip Seymour HoffmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗16Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 31:50
Paul DanoIMDb ↗Lb ↗13Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanThere Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine, 12 Years a Slave▶ 28:25
Ned DohenyIMDb ↗Lb ↗11Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 19:18
Jack NicholsonIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanChinatown, As Good as It Gets, The Departed▶ 17:03
Kevin O'ConnorIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill SimmonsLet's Scare Jessica to Death▶ 33:21
Philip Baker HallIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyMagnolia, Boogie Nights▶ 48:32
Al PacinoIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Sean Fennessey, Bill SimmonsDog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 23:01
Marlon BrandoIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyApocalypse Now, The Godfather, On the Waterfront▶ 29:55
Jon BernthalIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyThe Wolf of Wall Street, King Richard▶ 1:58:26
Jesse JamesIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Sean Fennessey, Bill SimmonsThe Butterfly Effect, As Good as It Gets, Message in a Bottle▶ 15:45
Kid CudiIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill SimmonsThe Harder They Fall, Don't Look Up, Need for Speed▶ 1:22:16

Writers Referenced (4)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Arthur MillerIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey▶ 22:46
Cormac McCarthyIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan, Sean FennesseyNo Country for Old Men▶ 50:16
Rebecca MillerIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris Ryan▶ 33:30
Tennessee WilliamsIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyA Streetcar Named Desire▶ 42:32

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Robert ElswitIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Chris RyanThere Will Be Blood, Nightcrawler▶ 1:15:43
Michael GrantlandIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanThe Other Guys▶ 1:28:43