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‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey

July 1, 2025 · After Hours (1985) · Comedy · Crime · Drama · 1:47:00

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 48:37The diner scene with Marcy the second time (where she says 'my husband was a movie freak' and mentions Surrender Dorothy)
Sean Fennessey▶ 48:17The diner conversation between Rosanna Arquette and Griffin Dunn - the second one where she talks about her husband being a movie freak and mentions Surrender Dorothy

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 53:34After Hours is perfect as a title
Sean Fennessey▶ 53:11Not against One Night in Soho but generally accepts After Hours

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 59:22The Uneaten Diner Cheeseburger
Sean Fennessey▶ 59:25The Uneaten Diner Cheeseburger

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:52Terminal Bar - agrees with Sean's pick, comparing it to the Rocky One bar
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:04:01Terminal Bar - the bar that they go to where John Hard works as the bartender

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:59Paul not just walking home or trying other subway stops when he can't get on the subway

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:42Griffin Dunne — Griffin Dunne - he dials it up a couple times, especially when he gets mad at Marcy
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:54Will Patton — Will Patton as Horst - mentions his eyeliner and the tenor/timbre of his voice

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:31Tom Hanks — Originally supposed to be directed by Tim Burton, but he stepped aside when Scorsese wanted to be involved. They had trouble casting Linda Fiorentino's part. Questions if Griffin Dunne was the best lead actor choice for 1985 and suggests Tom Hanks as an alternative
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:15:45Tim Burton — Calls it a 'double casting what ifs' - Tim Burton not making this movie and instead making Pee-wee's Big Adventure the same year. Notes both films are about man-children thrust into worlds they don't understand. Discusses how Linda Fiorentino intimidated Scorsese and Griffin Dunne during auditions

Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:10Tom Hanks — Tom Hanks - says 1985 Hanks right out of Splash would have been perfect, better comic timing and awkward energy
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:22:55Tom Hanks — Agrees Hanks would be better, but suggests Michael Keaton would be even better than both Hanks and the original Griffin Dunn

Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:19Prestige TV series with all black cast - 10 episodes, one for each hour like 24, but questioning whether it would star Kiefer Sutherland or his son

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:49Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson - two minutes of 80s crazy Sam Jackson in a bar flipping out or in The Vigilante Mob
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:38:14Samuel L. Jackson — Jules Winfield (Sam Jackson's Pulp Fiction character)

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:22Thelma Schoonmaker — Editing - Thelma Schoonmaker

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:41The timeline of the movie - what time does he land back in front of his office? (concludes it's around 7:15am after a 7-hour ordeal) and Did he get arrested four hours later?
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:39:23What is Paul's job? He's a word processor, but what does that actually mean?

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:41:55Nothing good happens after 2 a.m.

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:44Into the Night — Into the Night - likes the New York/LA same kind of version energy comparison
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:42:12Pee-wee's Big Adventure — Multiple options including Pee Wee's Big Adventure with Into the Night, Uncut Gems, Bringing Out the Dead, and Game Night with The Purge

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:50Martin Scorsese — Scorsese
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:42:52Martin Scorsese — Scorsese - he was cooked and done for, but this movie getting made and acknowledged was enough to get him back on track and get his juices going again

Movies Referenced (80)

Goodfellas (1990)

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 4:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Home Alone (1990)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 40:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Raging Bull (1980)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 14:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Die Hard (1988)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 27:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Johnny Dangerously (1984)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:23:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 16:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Uncut Gems (2019)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:33:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Annie Hall (1977)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:02:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Casino (1995)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 31:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:33:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mean Streets (1973)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 17:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Men in Black (1997)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (12)

Martin Scorsese

27 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 1:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Francis Ford Coppola

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Apocalypse Now, The Godfather Part II▶ 15:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Powell

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:38:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sidney Lumet

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for 12 Angry Men▶ 10:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tim Burton

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Edward Scissorhands▶ 1:15:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John McTiernan

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Die Hard, Last Action Hero▶ 27:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Altman

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Gosford Park▶ 18:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Woody Allen

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Annie Hall, Deconstructing Harry▶ 31:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fritz Lang

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Metropolis▶ 58:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 1:34:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Weir

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Way Back, Witness▶ 20:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Scott

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Unstoppable, True Romance▶ 1:34:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (70)

Linda Fiorentino

25 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Last Seduction, Men in Black, Dogma▶ 32:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rosanna Arquette

15 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Pulp Fiction, After Hours▶ 30:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 1:22:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Terry Kinney

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 38:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Amy Robinson

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Mean Streets, After Hours▶ 1:17:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Keaton

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Spotlight, The Founder▶ 1:22:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Susan Sarandon

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Dead Man Walking▶ 11:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jade Scott Yorker

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Gridiron Gang, He Got Game▶ 1:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Judge Reinhold

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Beverly Hills Cop, Fast Times at Ridgemont High▶ 1:23:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert De Niro

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver▶ 14:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Catherine O'Hara

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Best in Show▶ 39:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dick Miller

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for The Terminator, Gremlins▶ 44:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (9)

Joseph Minion

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for After Hours▶ 48:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ryan Coogler

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Black Panther, Creed▶ 26:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Edgar Wright

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver▶ 53:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joan Didion

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for A Star Is Born▶ 1:18:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Franz Kafka

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Sayles

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Lone Star▶ 1:18:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mark Bomback

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:45:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Noah Baumbach

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Squid and the Whale, Marriage Story▶ 1:24:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Sheridan

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Hell or High Water, Wind River▶ 1:20:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (3)

Michael Ballhaus

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Goodfellas, Dracula▶ 1:18:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lotfi El Gorda

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Aquaman, Noah▶ 1:00:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Other Guys▶ 31:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗