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‘Boyz n the Hood’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan, and Logan Murdock

June 29, 2021 · Boyz n the Hood (1991) · Crime · Drama · 1:48:07

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What's Aged the Worst

Van Lathan▶ 27:10The haircuts in this movie

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 58:28Praises the setup of the moment when Tre comes back and the scene with Fishburne, calling the movie brilliant
Logan Murdock▶ 57:41Discusses the revenge scene's impact in humanizing characters and showing how people become monsters
Sean Fennessey▶ 56:09The barbecue scene - while he finds Ricky getting shot most affecting, he prefers rewatching the barbecue scene
Van Lathan▶ 56:26The barbecue and ending are favorites, but emphasizes the revenge ride scene where Doughboy gives up his last humanity

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:35Mentions putting him in context at this time
Logan Murdock▶ 1:05:46Ice Cube — References Ice Cube's ambition
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:05:39Ice Cube — Discussing 1991 Ice Cube and Singleton identifying him for the role

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:50The successful casting of a musician (Ice Cube) in a movie role, noting how this worked out as well as it could have compared to many failed attempts throughout film history
Logan Murdock▶ 1:05:51John Singleton's persistence in pursuing Ice Cube for the role - the story of how Singleton as an 18-19 year old intern kept approaching Ice Cube at the Arsenio Hall show until Ice Cube gave him a ride back to USC
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:06:58Ice Cube's transformation from the most provocative musician in America to one of the 35-40 most successful movie stars of the last 30 years, comparing it to Elvis Presley being plucked for movies
Van Lathan▶ 1:07:08Ice Cube's career transformation and debut performance impact - how this movie allowed him to both redefine himself for existing fans and define himself for new audiences, setting up a completely different career trajectory

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:23John Cothran — John Cothran (USC recruiter)
Logan Murdock▶ 1:14:30Mentions someone being a 'monster' and discusses the black cop character extensively but doesn't clearly state his pick
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:15:29Jessie Lawrence Ferguson — Jesse Lawrence Ferguson (plays the black cop)
Van Lathan▶ 1:14:43Vonte Sweet — Vontae Sweet (appears in both Boyz n the Hood as the guy who takes the ball and Menace II Society as Sharif)

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:05Tyra Ferrell — Tyra Ferrell - praised her range and screen presence despite limited scenes, calling her the winner
Logan Murdock▶ 1:19:13Tyra Ferrell — Discussed Tyra Ferrell but noted she played similar characters in other films like White Men Can't Jump
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:19:24Alysia Rogers — Focused discussion on Alicia Rogers (Ricky's baby mother) whom he had a crush on, comparing her to other 1992 Best Supporting Actress nominees
Van Lathan▶ 1:18:47Tyra Ferrell — Tyra Ferrell - emphasized her range from hardened mom to vulnerable and terrified, noted her importance to the film

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:13Morgan Freeman — Suggested Morgan Freeman would have made the USC recruiter role too much about himself; considered Sam Jackson for USC recruiter role
Logan Murdock▶ 1:21:30Morgan Freeman — Against Morgan Freeman as USC recruiter - believes Freeman would make it about himself rather than Ricky, prefers current casting
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:22:28Denzel Washington — Agreed Denzel could have worked but noted it's hard to replace people in a movie where the director discovered so many actors
Van Lathan▶ 1:22:13Denzel Washington — Denzel Washington could have played Furious Styles - thought it was a Denzel part

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:32:13Discussion about 'pour out a little liquor' phrase possibly being invented by the movie, and Detroit Tiger hats being popularized by the film
Logan Murdock▶ 1:32:40Detroit Tiger hats popularized by the movie
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:32:31Referenced Tupac song 'Pour Out a Little Liquor' but noted it came after the movie, mentioned apex mountain discussion
Van Lathan▶ 1:32:25Expressed doubt that the movie invented 'pour out a little liquor' because the practice predates the film

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:12Should have included a 3-minute football game scene showing Ricky play; Fishburne is only 7 years older than Cuba Gooding Jr.; Little Ricky should be a better athlete; needed 10 seconds of Tecmo Bowl gameplay; Ricky's final moments don't make sense - he stops to pee and walks slowly doing scratch cards despite being chased by killers
Logan Murdock▶ 1:33:53Agrees they couldn't do Tecmo Bowl in the tense gun scene because it needed suspense; jokes that Postmates would have been clutch for getting cornmeal
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:36:13Ricky's death scene is 'the biggest flaw in the movie' and tells the others to stop 'blaming the victim'
Van Lathan▶ 1:34:36Ricky's death scene is illogical - he acts like a sitting duck, runs in a straight line instead of being evasive like the athlete he is, they hide in an alley with streets on both sides, and they don't act scared despite constant threats from the gang

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:43Did this movie create 'booyah'? Stuart Scott may have gotten his catchphrase from this movie since someone says it and he would grab pop culture stuff
Logan Murdock▶ 1:37:16Discussed the Ice Cube paradox and suggested Doughboy might have his own rap career but hasn't made it yet
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:37:06Does Ice Cube exist in Doughboy's world? Ice Cube's song 'A Bird in the Hand' plays during the opening scene where Doughboy is threatened
Van Lathan▶ 1:39:35Is this movie cursed? Yes, three actors died under weird circumstances including one killed in a satanic ritual by his cellmate

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:46:25John Singleton — John Singleton - first black director ever nominated for an Oscar and sets up a career
Logan MurdockPreviously mentioned Fishburne (referenced by Bill) but didn't speak in this segment
Van Lathan▶ 1:46:32John Singleton — Agrees it's got to be Singleton but really wants to say Ice Cube - notes Cube's career takes on different form after this and rarely does someone explode onto movie scene like he did

Movies Referenced (50)

Stand by Me (1986)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan▶ 17:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Do the Right Thing (1989)

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 14:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Apocalypse Now (1979)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan▶ 27:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Baby Boy (2001)

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Sean Fennessey▶ 12:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Color Purple (1985)

4 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 7:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

King of New York (1990)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 4:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Crocodile Dundee (1986)

2 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 49:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hidden Figures (2016)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan▶ 22:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Poetic Justice (1993)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Logan Murdock▶ 40:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pulp Fiction (1994)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 28:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 10:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (10)

Spike Lee

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan · Known for Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It▶ 12:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Singleton

12 mentions · Van Lathan, Logan Murdock, Sean Fennessey · Known for Boyz n the Hood, Four Brothers▶ 3:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Hughes

4 mentions · Logan Murdock, Van Lathan · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 1:28:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Quentin Tarantino

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 10:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Abel Ferrara

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Bad Lieutenant, King of New York▶ 5:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alfred Hitchcock

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest▶ 1:05:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Foxy Brown

1 mentions · Logan Murdock · Known for Jackie Brown, The 40-Year-Old Virgin▶ 6:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 22:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rob Reiner

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street▶ 17:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 14:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (25)

Laurence Fishburne

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Matrix, Contagion▶ 16:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ice Cube

15 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock▶ 8:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Regina King

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Harder They Fall▶ 4:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Larry Riley

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock, Van Lathan▶ 1:11:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nia Long

5 mentions · Logan Murdock, Bill Simmons · Known for The Best Man, Big Momma's House▶ 30:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Angela Bassett

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock · Known for Strange Days, Black Panther▶ 20:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Barry Jenkins

2 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Zodiac▶ 21:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eddie Murphy

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Logan Murdock · Known for Harlem Nights, The Nutty Professor▶ 7:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Juliette Lewis

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Cape Fear, Natural Born Killers▶ 1:20:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Morris Chestnut

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Best Man▶ 30:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Orson Welles

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil▶ 10:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Right Said Fred

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Grumpy Old Men▶ 14:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Frank Darabont

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Mist▶ 12:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Hill

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 23:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Morwood

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Theodore Melfi

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Hidden Figures▶ 22:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗