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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

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmonsthe diner scene▶ 20:00
Chris Ryanthe poker scene▶ 20:21
Sean Fennesseytheir first meeting in the diner - Tell me a story▶ 17:41

What's Aged the Best

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

What's Aged the Worst

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

Dion Waiters Award

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

Joey Pants Award

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

Apex Mountain

Bill SimmonsDenzel 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▶ 53:30
Chris RyanEthan Hawke — Ethan Hawke in Before Sunset - though also mentions Reality Bites as his movie star apex and praises his work in Boyhood▶ 49:36
Sean FennesseyDenzel Washington — Denzel Washington in Malcolm X - emphasizes how he plays three distinct characters (gangster, militant, spiritual leader) in one performance▶ 52:54

Best Quote

Bill SimmonsKing Kong ain't got shit on me▶ 59:40
Chris RyanYou'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.▶ 59:44
Sean FennesseyYou better walk away. Go and walk away. Because I'm going to burn this motherfucker down.▶ 59:53

Probably Unanswerable Questions

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

Who Won the Movie

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

Half-Assed Internet Research

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

Movies Referenced (68)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
Malcolm X (1992)IMDb ↗Lb ↗16Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea Serrano▶ 3:38
King Kong (2005)IMDb ↗Lb ↗11Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 18:36
Philadelphia (1993)IMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:21
He Got Game (1998)IMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 4:14
Courage Under Fire (1996)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 11:35
Crimson Tide (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan▶ 4:40
Man on Fire (2004)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:47
Pulp Fiction (1994)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 45:46
Rain Man (1988)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 23:15
The Equalizer (2014)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 51:35
Boyhood (2014)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Sean Fennessey▶ 50:09
Before Sunrise (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 27:58

Directors Referenced (18)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Antoine FuquaIMDb ↗Lb ↗17Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanThe Magnificent Seven, The Equalizer▶ 17:06
Sean PennIMDb ↗Lb ↗9Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyMystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 1:09
Peter JacksonIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyKing Kong▶ 21:27
Carl FranklinIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyDevil in a Blue Dress, Out of Time▶ 5:19
Chris CornerIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Shea SerranoThe Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 1:17:03
Danny BoyleIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris Ryan127 Hours, 28 Days Later▶ 35:10
David LynchIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 21:27
Davis GuggenheimIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsTraining Day▶ 30:45
Dine HaouariIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 20:55
Michael BayIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanArmageddon▶ 27:42
Norman JewisonIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean FennesseyIn the Heat of the Night, Moonstruck▶ 15:29
Ridley ScottIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsThe Martian, Blade Runner▶ 21:22

Actors Referenced (82)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Denzel WashingtonIMDb ↗Lb ↗129Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano▶ 1:48
Scott GlennIMDb ↗Lb ↗33Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanThe Hunt for Red October, Sucker Punch, The Bourne Legacy▶ 17:51
Ethan HawkeIMDb ↗Lb ↗30Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris RyanTraining Day, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight▶ 1:32
Tom HanksIMDb ↗Lb ↗25Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea SerranoCast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 6:24
Joe PantolianoIMDb ↗Lb ↗9Sean Fennessey, Bill SimmonsMemento, The Matrix▶ 35:38
Danny TrejoIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea SerranoMachete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators▶ 54:39
John TravoltaIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Chris RyanPulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Saturday Night Fever▶ 40:39
Snoop DoggIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyTraining Day▶ 28:29
Tom BerengerIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Sean Fennessey, Bill SimmonsPlatoon, Inception, The Big Chill▶ 32:52
Tommy Lee JonesIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyThe Fugitive, No Country for Old Men▶ 40:23
Will SmithIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Sean FennesseyMen in Black, I Am Legend▶ 3:56
Matt DamonIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill SimmonsGood Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed▶ 11:46

Writers Referenced (5)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Malcolm XIMDb ↗Lb ↗17Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea SerranoMalcolm X▶ 3:38
Julie SiegeIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 11:37
David AyerIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Sean Fennessey, Chris RyanEnd of Watch, Suicide Squad▶ 55:02
Andy GreenwaldIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:55
Jim LeonardIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Sean Fennessey▶ 2:27

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Michael GrantlandIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsThe Other Guys▶ 1:04:59