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‘GoldenEye’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

February 17, 2026 · GoldenEye (1995) · Action · Adventure · Thriller · 1:49:28

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 33:41The opening scene
Sean Fennessey▶ 33:43The opening scene (agrees with Bill)

Apex Mountain

Sean Fennessey▶ 33:54Bungee jumping was approaching its apex mountain in the early 90s, being introduced in theme parks and becoming a trope in action movies

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 57:20Hugh Grant — Hugh Grant had momentum but couldn't have been Bond - doesn't see it working
Chris Ryan▶ 57:47Liam Neeson — Liam Neeson would have brought a lot of pain and taken a dramatic approach to Bond
Sean Fennessey▶ 57:32Liam Neeson — Hugh Grant never would have worked and would have ruined it; Liam Neeson is the more interesting alternative - would have been burlier, tougher, more physical like Daniel Craig eventually was

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 59:28The opening scene - the dam, the wall, the plane hitting the dam

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:49Confusing plot with too many variables, scenes where Bond should have died, gadget scene could have been more fun, score and soundtrack sucked, passwords being too simple like 'chair'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:03:30Confusing elements like whether there are two Goldeneyes, overly complicated plots to avoid scrutiny, weak gadget scene with leg cast missile, terrible Super Mario Brothers-like music during the car chase scene
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:03:49Finds all James Bond plot mechanics a little dumb but accepts that Bond films are style over substance by design, mentions simple passwords for world-destroying satellites

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:59The cringy quote 'the things we do for frequent flyer mileage' - terrible line that should have been vetted
Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:02The one moment where they try to make it serious and Bond is wistfully staring at the sea in the Caribbean - feels forced given the movie's tone

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:19Alan Cumming — Alan Cumming as Boris
Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:24Sean Bean — Sean Bean moment on the train where he goes 'see you in hell' and gestures to indicate killing

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:58Opening scene rewritten from US admiral to Canadian due to military objection; GoldenEye named after Fleming's Jamaica house; 90,000 Perrier cans used in tank scene after other brands declined; Bond killed 47 people (highest ever for Bond)
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:23:21GoldenEye was also named after a WWII military operation strategy Fleming worked on for potential Nazi invasion through Spain, which influenced the screenplay's WWII themes

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:34:45James escaping from 100 Russian soldiers in close quarters, Natalia surviving the tank explosion, tanks not being able to do that maneuver, and Sean Bean surviving a 100-foot fall without dying instantly
Chris Ryan▶ 1:35:01James Bond getting out of the tank too slowly as the train approaches, and Bond and Natalia surviving a missile hit and plane crash into the jungle with only minor injuries
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:36:07The missile acting like a boomerang instead of exploding the plane, villains not shooting Sean Bean when they had the chance, and Sean Bean not shooting Bond when he could have

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:31Zane Lowe — Approves of adding Zane Lowe to the rotation alongside Wayne Jenkins and Fergie the Florist
Chris Ryan▶ 1:36:37Zane Lowe — Proposes adding Zane Lowe to the rotation, pitching him as M or handler giving Bond motivational speeches
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:37:30Zane Lowe — Reacts positively to the Zane Lowe pitch but doesn't give a definitive position

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:44Martin Campbell — Martin Campbell for Best Director, special effects, or the stunt guy who did the bungee jump

Memorabilia Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:29Initially couldn't think of anything, then suggested the Aston Martin but noted they always pick cars, then settled on the pen as a good option
Chris Ryan▶ 1:45:05A functional mint condition Nintendo 64 and a mint condition version of GoldenEye 007

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:47Governments change. The lies stay the same.

Best Double Feature

Sean Fennessey▶ 1:45:59Moonraker — Moonraker (Bond stretching for limits theme) and Lawn Mower Man (early Pierce Brosnan with hacking virtual worlds)

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:47:42Pierce Brosnan — Pierce Brosnan, with agreement that the Bond franchise also won by being re-invigorated

Movies Referenced (38)

Skyfall (2012)

12 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 3:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Broken Arrow (1996)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Casino Royale (2006)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 2:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 7:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Goldfinger (1964)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 2:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rushmore (1998)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:21:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 3:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Vertical Limit (2000)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 45:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

X-Men (2000)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Black Bag (2025)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:25:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Die Hard (1988)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

From Russia with Love (1963)

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

Directors Referenced (12)

Martin Campbell

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Casino Royale, Vertical Limit▶ 3:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 1:15:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Denis Villeneuve

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Blade Runner 2049▶ 9:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 47:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrei Tarkovsky

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John McTiernan

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Die Hard, Last Action Hero▶ 1:25:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Woo

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hard Boiled▶ 1:18:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 41:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kosta Jokic

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 55:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Apted

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Amazing Grace▶ 18:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 1:09:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Brady

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Hot Chick▶ 29:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (79)

Pierce Brosnan

28 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The World Is Not Enough▶ 2:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Don Baker

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for GoldenEye, Cape Fear▶ 48:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Bean

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 27:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Connery

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Dr. No, The Untouchables, The Rock▶ 3:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Daniel Craig

8 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for No Time to Die, Casino Royale, Skyfall▶ 54:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Xenia

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 26:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Zane Lowe

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:36:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alan Cumming

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 41:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Javier Bardem

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Skyfall, No Country for Old Men▶ 28:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Liam Neeson

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Schindler's List, The Grey▶ 57:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tina Turner

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Last Action Hero▶ 48:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dan Campbell

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 35:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (7)

Taylor Sheridan

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Hell or High Water, Wind River▶ 1:25:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ian Fleming

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Casino Royale, Dr. No, Never Say Never Again▶ 21:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

JD Vance

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Hillbilly Elegy▶ 20:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Cameron

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 17:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mark Ellis

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:08:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 31:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Goldman

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 1:09:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Other Guys▶ 1:37:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗