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'Training Day' With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Shea Serrano

May 31, 2018 · Training Day (2001) · Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1:25:30 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 20:00the diner scene
Chris Ryan▶ 20:21the poker scene
Chris Ryan▶ 57:22The scene where Alonzo makes Jake take the drugs after the diner ('that scene is incredible'), including Alonzo pulling the gun on the other motorist who stays cool no matter what.
Sean Fennessey▶ 17:41their first meeting in the diner - Tell me a story

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 25:42The music and the LA-ness of it
Chris Ryan▶ 25:45The performances, especially Denzel's performance
Sean Fennessey▶ 25:49The two main performances and the anti-hero quality that became consistent with later storytelling

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 28:18Dr. J's performance is just bad. It was bad then and now it's even worse.
Chris Ryan▶ 28:44The very first scene with Jake's family - seems like it was tested and added after the fact with really bad dialogue
Sean Fennessey▶ 28:36Macy Gray's appearance - it wasn't bad but sticks out like a sore thumb because she's not part of the culture anymore

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 35:34Snoop Dogg — Snoop Dogg - 'I'm giving Snoop Dogg just because it was so unexpected'
Chris Ryan▶ 35:05Cliff Curtis — Cliff Curtis for Smiley - 'I think I'm going to give it to Cliff Curtis for Smiley'
Sean Fennessey▶ 33:57Snoop Dogg — Praised Snoop Dogg's performance, saying 'by all accounts, should have been bad' but was good stuff

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 36:08Presents both Scott Glenn and Harris Yulin as nominees, discusses both extensively but doesn't make a definitive choice between them
Chris Ryan▶ 37:19Scott Glenn — Extensively discusses Scott Glenn's character Roger, praising his performance and the character's backstory, showing strong preference for Glenn
Sean Fennessey▶ 36:46Discusses both Harris Yulin's iconic roles (Ghostbusters 2, Scarface) and Scott Glenn's character background, but doesn't declare a winner

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 53:30Denzel Washington — Denzel Washington in Training Day - calls it his 'Michael Jordan 1992 finals moment' when he had everything except an Oscar and this iconic performance
Chris Ryan▶ 49:36Ethan Hawke — Ethan Hawke in Before Sunset - though also mentions Reality Bites as his movie star apex and praises his work in Boyhood
Sean Fennessey▶ 52:54Denzel Washington — Denzel Washington in Malcolm X - emphasizes how he plays three distinct characters (gangster, militant, spiritual leader) in one performance

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 59:40King Kong ain't got shit on me
Chris Ryan▶ 59:44You'll never see the light of the fuck you think you fucking with. I'm the police. I run shit here. You just live here.
Sean Fennessey▶ 59:53You better walk away. Go and walk away. Because I'm going to burn this motherfucker down.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:32How long it would take for the PCP to wear off
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:33What is Jake's tomorrow? What's he doing the day after training? Is he still a cop?
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:00Jake would try to become a lieutenant very young and rise up the ranks, similar trajectory to Edmund Exley from LA Confidential

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:58Denzel Washington — Denzel Washington won this movie
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:00Denzel Washington — Appears to agree with Denzel pick but response is fragmented
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:04:01Denzel Washington — Jokingly suggests Scott Glenn as alternative but seems to agree with consensus
Shea Serrano▶ 1:09:53Denzel Washington — Denzel Washington - calls it his cultural apex and discusses Denzel as greatest actor/movie star

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:29Denzel ad-libbed the King Kong line and they mixed up poker rules on Ethan Hawke to make him confused and uneasy
Shea Serrano▶ 1:17:19Ethan Hawke didn't know Denzel was going to slam the table in the diner scene

Movies Referenced (72)

Malcolm X (1992)

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea Serrano▶ 3:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

King Kong (2005)

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 18:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Flight (2012)

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano▶ 4:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Philadelphia (1993)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

He Got Game (1998)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 4:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 10:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Courage Under Fire (1996)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 11:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Crimson Tide (1995)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 4:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Man on Fire (2004)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pulp Fiction (1994)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 45:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rain Man (1988)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 23:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Big Chill (1983)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 33:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (18)

Antoine Fuqua

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Magnificent Seven, The Equalizer▶ 17:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 1:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Jackson

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Bad Taste, King Kong▶ 21:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carl Franklin

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Devil in a Blue Dress, One False Move, Out of Time▶ 5:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Corner

1 mentions · Shea Serrano · Known for The Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 1:17:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny Boyle

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Shallow Grave▶ 35:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Lynch

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Inland Empire▶ 21:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Davis Guggenheim

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Training Day, An Inconvenient Truth▶ 30:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dine Haouari

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 20:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Bay

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Armageddon▶ 27:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Norman Jewison

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for In the Heat of the Night, Moonstruck▶ 15:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ridley Scott

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Martian, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise▶ 21:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (82)

Denzel Washington

129 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano · Known for Fences, The Book of Eli▶ 1:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scott Glenn

33 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Hunt for Red October, Sucker Punch, The Bourne Legacy▶ 17:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ethan Hawke

30 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan · Known for Training Day, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight▶ 1:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

25 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 6:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Pantoliano

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Memento, Bound, The Matrix▶ 35:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny Trejo

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea Serrano · Known for Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators▶ 54:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Travolta

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Saturday Night Fever▶ 40:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Snoop Dogg

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Training Day, Soul Plane▶ 28:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Berenger

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Platoon, Inception, The Big Chill▶ 32:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tommy Lee Jones

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men▶ 40:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Will Smith

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Men in Black, I Am Legend▶ 3:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Matt Damon

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed▶ 11:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Malcolm X

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea Serrano · Known for Malcolm X, V for Vendetta▶ 3:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julie Siege

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 11:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Ayer

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for End of Watch, Suicide Squad▶ 55:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Greenwald

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Leonard

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

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 1:04:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗