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Across 469 episodes of The Rewatchables.

Top Directors

People who directed the most films covered on the show.

  1. 01Steven Spielberg9 films directed
  2. 02Michael Mann8 films directed
  3. 03Martin Scorsese8 films directed
  4. 04Tony Scott8 films directed
  5. 05David Fincher7 films directed
  6. 06Rob Reiner7 films directed
  7. 07Robert Zemeckis6 films directed
  8. 08Ivan Reitman5 films directed
  9. 09Brian De Palma5 films directed
  10. 10Ridley Scott5 films directed

Top Actors

People who starred in the most films covered on the show.

  1. 01Tom Cruise17 films starred in
  2. 02Robert De Niro14 films starred in
  3. 03Al Pacino12 films starred in
  4. 04Denzel Washington12 films starred in
  5. 05Sylvester Stallone11 films starred in
  6. 06Matt Damon10 films starred in
  7. 07Tom Hanks10 films starred in
  8. 08Bill Murray9 films starred in
  9. 09Kevin Costner9 films starred in
  10. 10Arnold Schwarzenegger8 films starred in

Top Decades

Which decade the covered films come from.

1990s186
1980s103
2000s76
2010s56
1970s33
2020s3
1960s2

Top Genres

The genres of the films covered.

Drama287
Comedy155
Crime139
Action124
Thriller105
Romance82
Adventure59
Mystery42
Sport39
Sci-Fi30
Horror26
Biography20

Top Referenced Movies

Movies mentioned most across all episodes — usually films other than the one being discussed.

  1. 01Heat636 mentions
  2. 02Rocky546 mentions
  3. 03Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope483 mentions
  4. 04Die Hard472 mentions
  5. 05Top Gun436 mentions
  6. 06Fargo427 mentions
  7. 07Jaws418 mentions
  8. 08Goodfellas389 mentions
  9. 09John Wick385 mentions
  10. 10Pulp Fiction364 mentions

Top Hosts

Who has appeared on the most episodes.

  1. 01Bill Simmons429 episodes
  2. 02Chris Ryan280 episodes
  3. 03Sean Fennessey171 episodes
  4. 04Van Lathan74 episodes
  5. 05Mallory Rubin38 episodes
  6. 06Amanda Dobbins37 episodes
  7. 07Craig Horlbeck33 episodes
  8. 08Shea Serrano33 episodes
  9. 09Kyle Brandt29 episodes
  10. 10Wesley Morris24 episodes

Top Host Combinations

The exact host panels that recur most often.

  1. 01Bill, Chris & Sean93 episodes
  2. 02Bill & Chris47 episodes
  3. 03Bill, Chris & Van29 episodes
  4. 04Bill & Van14 episodes
  5. 05Bill & Kyle13 episodes
  6. 06Bill, Chris & Craig11 episodes
  7. 07Bill & Mallory9 episodes
  8. 08Bill & Sean9 episodes
  9. 09Amanda, Bill & Juliet8 episodes
  10. 10Bill, Chris & Shea7 episodes

Host Patterns

Which hosts gravitate to which genres and directors.

When Bill’s away, the show gets younger and artier

2010s films 2.0× · Wes Anderson both times · Nolan 3/4 · sci-fi & rom-coms up, thrillers & ’90s dramas down. Sean & Chris cover the 8% Bill misses.

Sean Fennessey is the auteur guy

Tarantino 5/5 · PTA 4/4 · Scorsese 8/9 · Spielberg 8/9 · Fincher 7/8

Chris Ryan owns the action stylists

Michael Mann 10/10 · Tony Scott 9/9 · Friedkin 5/5 — they’ve done Heat three times

Juliet Litman = rom-coms

Romance 4.8× the show’s rate · Comedy 2.6×

Jason Concepcion = the genre / nerd lane

Sci-Fi 4.8× · Adventure 3.4× · Action 3.0×

Amanda Dobbins = rom-coms, too

Romance 3.6× · a Rob Reiner streak (3/8)

Van Lathan = James Cameron & fantasy

Cameron 3/5 films · Fantasy 3.2×

Mallory Rubin = mysteries

Mystery 1.9× the show’s rate

Categories

Every recurring segment, by the numbers — open a category page for the full answer list.

Apex Mountain

Career peak debate for actors/directors.

Appears in 408 episodes

Most-debated careers

  1. 01Eddie Murphy14
  2. 02Tom Cruise13
  3. 03Keanu Reeves12
  4. 04Seth Rogen12
  5. 05Robert Redford11
  6. 06Leonardo DiCaprio11
  7. 07Sylvester Stallone11
  8. 08Brad Pitt11
  9. 09Al Pacino10
  10. 10Tom Hanks10

Films most often crowned someone’s apex

  1. 01Titanic11
  2. 02Forrest Gump8
  3. 03Back to the Future7
  4. 04Terminator 2: Judgment Day7
  5. 05La La Land6
  6. 06Wedding Crashers6
  7. 07Jerry Maguire5
  8. 08The Bourne Identity5
  9. 09The Social Network5
  10. 10Ordinary People5

Flip-flops — same host, same person, different peak

Bill Simmons on Bradley Cooper

A Star Is Born → Limitless

Bill Simmons on Robert Redford

All the President's Men → Ordinary People

Bill Simmons on William Goldman

All the President's Men → Marathon Man

Bill Simmons on Richard Gere

Pretty Woman → An Officer and a Gentleman → Internal Affairs

Bill Simmons on Michael Douglas

Wall Street → Basic Instinct

Bill Simmons on Eddie Murphy

Beverly Hills Cop → Trading Places

Bill Simmons on Ryan Coogler

Creed → Sinners

Bill Simmons on Jim Carrey

Dumb and Dumber → The Truman Show

Casting What-Ifs

Alternate casting possibilities.

Appears in 373 episodes

Actors most often reimagined into another role

  1. 01Harrison Ford8
  2. 02Robert Downey Jr.8
  3. 03Denzel Washington5
  4. 04Leonardo DiCaprio5
  5. 05Kevin Costner4
  6. 06Mark Wahlberg4
  7. 07Sean Connery4
  8. 08Brad Pitt4
  9. 09Richard Dreyfuss4
  10. 10Meryl Streep4

Who Won the Movie

Who benefits most from the film.

Appears in 387 episodes

Most wins

  1. 01Tom Cruise21
  2. 02Sylvester Stallone10
  3. 03Steven Spielberg9
  4. 04Kevin Costner9
  5. 05Al Pacino9
  6. 06Quentin Tarantino9
  7. 07Eddie Murphy8
  8. 08Denzel Washington8
  9. 09Martin Scorsese7
  10. 10Tom Hanks7
See all 11 films Tom Cruise won →

A Few Good Men · Cocktail · Collateral · Days of Thunder · Edge of Tomorrow · Jerry Maguire · Magnolia · Mission: Impossible · Mission: Impossible - Fallout · Top Gun · Top Gun: Maverick

Dion Waiters Award

Best short screen-time performance (heat check).

Appears in 249 episodes

Multiple-time winners (of 216 total)

  1. 01Andrew Dice Clay3
  2. 02Bernie Mac3
  3. 03Leilani Sarelle3
  4. 04John Witherspoon3
  5. 05Randy Quaid3
  6. 06Alan Cumming3
  7. 07Frank Vincent3
  8. 08Devin Ratray3
  9. 09Murray Hamilton3
  10. 10Sydney Pollack3

Joey Pants Award

Best character actor ('that guy' actor).

Appears in 206 episodes

Multiple-time winners (of 203 total)

Joe Pantoliano won his own award 6×.

  1. 01Joe Pantoliano6
  2. 02James Rebhorn4
  3. 03Tracey Walter3
  4. 04Nick Mazzola3
  5. 05Rick Aviles3
  6. 06Leland Orser3
  7. 07Cara Buono3
  8. 08Balthazar Getty3
  9. 09Benedict Wong3
  10. 10Martin Balsam2

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Most controversial opinion.

Appears in 177 episodes

The hottest takes

Hotness = how much debate a take sparked (reaction-window discussion) blended with an AI spiciness rating — recomputed as new episodes land.

01

“Tom Hanks is neither the GOAT movie star nor the GOAT actor - not even close. He's made too many movies that suck in the last 20 years”

Catch Me If You Can Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:42

93hotness
02

“Trading Places is the most underrated Christmas movie and is a better Christmas movie than Home Alone”

Trading Places Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:13

90hotness
03

“This is Cameron's finest directing work ever, better than Terminator 2, because of his versatility in directing multiple genres within one film”

True Lies Van Lathan▶ 7:40

90hotness
04

“Rudy's brother Frank was right about everything - Rudy should have stayed with his wife, job, and stable life instead of pursuing his dream, which ultimately broke up his family and led to him being mocked”

Rudy Kyle Brandt▶ 1:08:21

89hotness
05

“Animal House caused more copycat damage than any movie ever made — it was the 'gasoline and match' that wrecked two generations of college kids, giving them a blueprint for frat/party chaos and killing more brain cells than any film in terms of its influence on kids' expectations of college.”

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:07

88hotness
06

“This movie (Jaws 2) is actually what killed the New Hollywood, not Jaws or Star Wars, because it proved movies don't even have to be okay to make money”

Jaws 2 Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:49

86hotness
07

“Two takes: 1) Kevin orchestrates being separated and wants to be alone, is bummed when his mom finds him. 2) Harry and Marv are lovers in a romantic relationship.”

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Kyle Brandt▶ 1:03:23

86hotness
08

“This is Harrison Ford's best part of any role he's ever played, ranking it above Indiana Jones and Han Solo”

Witness Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:17

86hotness
09

“The scene after the bar fight where Lee breaks down in George's wife's arms is better than the hill scene”

Manchester by the Sea Chris Ryan▶ 45:48

84hotness
10

“Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone's chemistry in Crazy Stupid Love is so much better than La La Land, and the romantic scene in this movie is better than any scene in La La Land”

Crazy, Stupid, Love. Mina Kimes▶ 17:57

83hotness

Is This Movie Better With

Hosts run through a growing list of recurring 'utility player' actors/characters and decide whether the movie would be improved by their inclusion.

Appears in 165 episodes

Most-invoked utility players

  1. 01Samuel L. Jackson51 eps
  2. 02Philip Baker Hall20 eps
  3. 03Danny Trejo17 eps
  4. 04Kathryn Hahn16 eps
  5. 05J.T. Walsh15 eps
  6. 06Steve Buscemi14 eps
  7. 07Zane Lowe11 eps
  8. 08Jon Bernthal10 eps
  9. 09Doris Burke7 eps
  10. 10Wilford Brimley5 eps

Best Double Feature

Best companion film pairing.

Appears in 144 episodes

Most-recommended pairing films

  1. 01The Warriors5
  2. 02Cast Away3
  3. 03Top Gun3
  4. 04No Country for Old Men3
  5. 05Good Will Hunting3
  6. 06Dumb and Dumber2
  7. 07Fearless2
  8. 08Waiting for Guffman2
  9. 09Den of Thieves: Pantera2
  10. 10Varsity Blues2

Just One Oscar

One award the movie deserves.

Appears in 132 episodes

Multiple-time winners (of 104 total)

  1. 01Matt Damon4
  2. 02Danny McBride4
  3. 03Chazz Palminteri3
  4. 04Kathleen Turner3
  5. 05Ryan Coogler3
  6. 06Sean Connery3
  7. 07Mike Myers3
  8. 08The Score2
  9. 09Tom Hanks2
  10. 10Brokeback Mountain2

Overacting Award

Most exaggerated performance.

Appears in 106 episodes

Multiple-time winners (of 79 total)

  1. 01Saul Rubinek4
  2. 02Al Pacino4
  3. 03Will Patton2
  4. 04Richard Crenna2
  5. 05Kurtwood Smith2
  6. 06Jeff Goldblum2
  7. 07Bradley Whitford2
  8. 08Woody Harrelson2
  9. 09Richard Attenborough2
  10. 10Julianne Moore2

Great Shot Gordo Award

Most cinematic shot.

Appears in 87 episodes

Cinematographers who earned the most great shots

  1. 01Janusz Kaminski9
  2. 02Julio Macat8
  3. 03Robert Elswit8
  4. 04Reynaldo Villalobos6
  5. 05John Bailey6
  6. 06Michael Chapman6
  7. 07Gilbert Taylor5
  8. 08Tom Priestley Jr.4
  9. 09Don Burgess4
  10. 10Andrzej Bartkowiak4

Racehorse Name Award

Phrase that sounds like a racehorse name.

Appears in 64 episodes

The 10 funniest

  1. 1.Bong Mitzvahfrom Pineapple Express
  2. 2.Screaming Irish Pigfrom The Untouchables
  3. 3.Historic Chili Dogfrom Singles
  4. 4.My Son and My Partner HWfrom There Will Be Blood
  5. 5.No Bullets Bitchfrom Cliffhanger
  6. 6.Pussy Without the Hairfrom Above the Rim
  7. 7.Giant Ass Pandafrom Adventureland
  8. 8.Giant Ass Pandafrom Adventureland
  9. 9.Lactic Acidosisfrom A Few Good Men
  10. 10.One on Bumfrom Above the Rim

Hanks or Cruise

Hosts debate whether Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise would have been better in lead roles, often comparing across multiple parts.

Appears in 41 episodes

Tom Hanks

14

category wins

VS

Tom Cruise

25

category wins

Films Cruise was chosen for (12) →

A Few Good Men · Cocktail · Collateral · Days of Thunder · Edge of Tomorrow · Jerry Maguire · Magnolia · Mission: Impossible · Mission: Impossible - Fallout · Rain Man · Top Gun · Top Gun: Maverick

Films Hanks was chosen for (5) →

Big · Cast Away · Forrest Gump · Toy Story · What Lies Beneath

Horlbeck Runtime Scale

Runtime evaluation metric.

Appears in 9 episodes

Over / just right / under

Minus 16 on the Horlbeck scale, likely the shortest movie they've done (84 minutes)

Borat

Notes an intro clip is longer than the movie, but says the short runtime is fine and could even be shorter

Borat

Movie was 107 minutes, rated a plus-7 on the Horlbeck scale, though it feels like a plus-14

Tropic Thunder

119-minute runtime, so plus-19; thinks you could shave 5-10 minutes to make it tighter, but defends keeping the Hitchhiker scene and Jonathan Richmond musical segments

There's Something About Mary

Would cut Jonathan Richmond and the Hitchhiker scene, joking it would get the movie down to 'like an hour,' but then walks it back saying the Hitchhiker scene is non-negotiable

There's Something About Mary

Doesn't propose cuts; says he loves the Jonathan Richmond stuff and thinks it's a great choice that feels very 90s

There's Something About Mary

Rates Ghostbusters's runtime as 'hour 45' on the Horlbeck scale, says it's 'kind of perfect' and he wouldn't cut anything

Ghostbusters

Says 'anything in the hour 40 is fine' runtime-wise

Ghostbusters

Agrees 95 minutes is a strength, noting it fit perfectly into HBO's schedule (done at 9:35 into a comedy special), reinforcing the runtime as a plus.

Eddie and the Cruisers

95 minutes, five under par ('five under par... pretty impressive'). Says the short runtime is a core reason the movie is enjoyable — at two and a half hours it would be 'unwatchable.'

Eddie and the Cruisers