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‘All the President’s Men’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

November 8, 2018 · All the President's Men (1976) · Drama · History · Thriller · 1:25:54

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Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 9:20Listed Redford's 1970s run: Jeremiah Johnson, The Candidate, The Way We Were, The Sting, The Great Gatsby, Waldo Pepper, Three Days of the Condor, and All the President's Men. Noted The Great Gatsby as the most flawed of these films.
Chris Ryan▶ 11:54Discussed Hoffman's superior acting talent and his exceptional run from 1974-1979, while noting Redford was the bigger star at the time of this movie despite Hoffman being more talented.
Sean Fennessey▶ 6:31Explained Redford pushed for the movie after talking to Woodward and Bernstein before they wrote the book, saw himself as Woodward, and was rewriting the script with Goldman while controlling production design and director selection.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 25:20Bernstein trying to steal the story from Woodward - the whole cat and mouse game scene, and Redford on the phone with Dahlberg calling back and forth (the six-minute single take phone scene)
Chris Ryan▶ 27:17Focused on the character dynamics and journalism ephemera throughout the scenes, particularly appreciating how the competitive writer scene reveals character traits without stating them explicitly
Sean Fennessey▶ 26:43Discussed the merits of the scenes another host mentioned, particularly praising the Woodward line 'your version is better, but I don't like the way that you did it' and the naturalistic qualities of the phone scene

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 44:27The value of reporting and journalism - doing thorough investigative work, not trusting initial stories, and taking time to get it right. Also mentions seeing 1970s Washington as a character in the movie.
Chris Ryan▶ 45:09The role of journalism in holding government institutions accountable, and investigative techniques like building cases from the outer edges inward. Also extensively praises Gordon Willis' cinematography work.
Sean Fennessey▶ 48:44Discusses Gordon Willis' cinematography and how it captures the atmosphere of D.C., plus the realistic portrayal of journalists' vulnerability and anxiety when they might have gotten something wrong.

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 53:09Al Pacino — Catherine Graham was cast (Faye Dunaway) but cut before filming; Al Pacino was first selected by Redford before choosing Dustin Hoffman
Chris Ryan▶ 53:42Richard Widmark — Multiple actors rumored for Deep Throat including Richard Widmark, Christopher Plummer, Anthony Quinn, Gene Hackman, Burt Lancaster, Robert Stack, Robert Mitchum, and Telly Savalas

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 58:37Martin Balsam — Martin Balsam - 'I feel like Martin Balsam's the winner here. I think Martin Balsam's been in a million things. And only people like us would know what his name is. So he's my winner.'
Sean Fennessey▶ 58:47Martin Balsam — Martin Balsam - agreed with another host, noting 'he's in Psycho. He's in 12 Angry Men. Like he's been in iconic American films.'

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:42Robert Redford — Yes for Redford - this is his apex mountain. No for Dustin Hoffman - Kramer vs Kramer is his peak. Yes for Jason Robards. Yes for William Goldman. Yes for Alan Pakula.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:16Robert Redford — Yes for Redford - calls this 'maybe the dictionary definition of Apex Mountain' since he got the movie made off his name and was never as big as when he made this.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:03:58Robert Redford — Agrees this could be Redford's last iconic movie. Uncertain about Jason Robards due to his many great moments including Iceman Cometh on Broadway. Discusses Alan Pakula's strong 1970s run.

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:26The Count the Ten scene - giving complicated instructions that the guy interprets the complete opposite way, felt too movie cutie
Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:14The Florida office scene - the trickery of calling from different room to trick secretary and sneak in, plus the guy just allowing the interview after being tricked

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:01Listed multiple quotes including 'Follow the money' (which became iconic), 'Your lives are in danger', and the Ben Bradlee speech about the first amendment
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:06Call Ben Bradlee and tell him, fuck you
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:11:31If you're going to do it, do it right. If you're going to hype it, hype it with the facts. I don't mind what you did. I mind the way you did it.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:08Is life more fun if we never found out who Deep Throat was? (Answer: Yes)
Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:45Did this lay the blueprint for the Russians? (Refers to how Watergate-era sabotage tactics may have influenced Russian interference in 2016)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:27Agrees it would be more fun not knowing Deep Throat but argues it was inevitable the identity would come out due to public obsession with the mystery
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:14:43Agrees it's more fun not knowing Deep Throat's identity in abstract terms, but understands the real-world reasons for revealing it. On Russian blueprint question, notes that ratfucking predates Watergate and became more sophisticated in 80s/90s

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:00Jason Robards
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:20:01Jason Robards

Movies Referenced (40)

Jaws (1975)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 2:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeremiah Johnson (1972)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 9:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Spotlight (2015)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 32:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Sting (1973)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 8:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Magnolia (1999)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Family Business (1989)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Marathon Man (1976)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

No Country for Old Men (2007)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 0:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rain Man (1988)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 17:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Great Gatsby (2013)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

12 Angry Men (1957)

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 58:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (11)

George Clooney

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Ides of March, Michael Clayton▶ 7:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Walden

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for All the President's Men▶ 55:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Heaven Can Wait▶ 6:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jayson Clute

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Titanic, American Psycho▶ 50:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 21:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James O'Keefe

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 56:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Marty Collins

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Ritchie

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Golden Child, Fletch▶ 9:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 1:20:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Philip Kaufman

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Right Stuff, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Raiders of the Lost Ark▶ 1:07:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sam Peckinpah

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs▶ 1:22:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (66)

Robert Redford

50 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Natural, Ordinary People, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid▶ 6:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jason Robards

31 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for All the President's Men, Magnolia, Once Upon a Time in the West▶ 17:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dustin Hoffman

28 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Rain Man, Tootsie, Midnight Cowboy▶ 6:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Warden

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for 12 Angry Men, All the President's Men, While You Were Sleeping▶ 18:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jane Alexander

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Kramer vs. Kramer, The Cider House Rules, All the President's Men▶ 18:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hal Holbrook

10 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Into the Wild, Lincoln, Capricorn One▶ 5:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Martin Balsam

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for All the President's Men, Psycho▶ 18:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Newman

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Road to Perdition, The Verdict▶ 8:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Pacino

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 15:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ned Beatty

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Network, Deliverance, Shooter▶ 18:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brad Pitt

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith▶ 7:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scott Glenn

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Hunt for Red October, Sucker Punch, The Bourne Legacy▶ 1:19:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (10)

William Goldman

23 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 8:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carl Bernstein

20 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for All the President's Men▶ 6:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Nixon

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 3:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nora Ephron

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Julie & Julia, When Harry Met Sally...▶ 16:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mark Felt

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 57:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Mamet

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Spanish Prisoner, House of Games▶ 19:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Gilroy

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Michael Clayton, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story▶ 21:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bob Woodward

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for All the President's Men▶ 14:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dashiell Hammett

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Maltese Falcon▶ 1:06:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Towne

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Chinatown, Mission: Impossible, The Last Detail▶ 1:00:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (3)

Gordon Willis

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Godfather Part II▶ 49:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Janusz Kaminski

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Schindler's List, Minority Report▶ 51:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Patricia Van Over

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Thin Red Line, Practical Magic▶ 1:07:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗