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‘Misery’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman

July 5, 2022 · Misery (1990) · Drama · Thriller · 1:32:25

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Best Quote

Brian Koppelman▶ 33:29The 'Dago line' - 'What's the name of that Dago who painted the ceiling?' referring to Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 43:57Multiple scenes: opening credits/car accident, tomato soup scene (first time seeing she's crazy), when she reveals she never called anyone, wrong typewriter paper scene, Paul's escape sequence, hobbling scene, Farnsworth's death, and the final fight scene
Brian Koppelman▶ 44:35The dinner scene, particularly debating whether Annie spilled the wine intentionally (believes she did)

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 56:22Paul Sheldon book jacket photo, Dom Perignon line, the 'N' key not working on typewriter (writer PTSD), Goldman homage with Paul Sheldon having four Knicks seats, and the hobbling scene change from book

Slow Ride Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:46The happy opening credit song
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:00:59Agrees with the opening credits song with trumpets, also praises Mark Shiman's score work

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:47The meatloaf (spam meatloaf)
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:02:05Don Perignon

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:13The basement - described as psycho-esque with long staircase down to dark, dungeon-y basement
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:02:28The fancy Four Seasons restaurant at the end where he's living it up with desserts

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:50When Paul wakes up after falling asleep and pulling the knife - Annie's face appears with lightning going off, camera going up

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:37The hobbling scene being too painful to watch, writing on a typewriter looking amazingly primitive, and the movie being a little slow especially in the first hour
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:03:39The implausible police investigation - how cops couldn't connect the dots between Paul's disappearance route and Annie Wilkes' known murderous history, even with 1990 technology

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:53No, there is not a better title
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:05:56No, it's a great title

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:11Kathy Bates in Misery is the best actress performance of the 90s, 2000s, 2010s or this decade, better than Frances McDormand in Fargo, Halle Berry in Monster's Ball, Emma Stone in La La Land, and others
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:08:09Suggests Charlize Theron in Monster as another contender but acknowledges not loving that movie, seems to generally agree with the Kathy Bates assessment

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:41William Hurt — Lists extensive casting alternatives for Paul Sheldon role including William Hurt (offered twice), Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Dustin Hoffman, De Niro, Pacino, Richard Dreyfuss, Gene Hackman, and Robert Redford - all turned it down. Notes Dreyfuss and Bette Midler expressed regret.

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:48Richard Farnsworth — Farnsworth (for at least the Craig's generation)
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:09:54Frances Sternhagen — Sternhagen (Cliff Clavin's mom from Cheers)

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:11Kathy Bates — She also wins the Dion Waiters Award
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:10:29Kathy Bates — Agrees with the pick

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:03Multiple trivia facts including James Caan showing up hungover requiring reshoots, Stephen King's Annie Wilkes being his favorite character, acting clash between Caan and Bates over rehearsal styles, Broadway adaptation details, forensic analysis of Annie's mental illness, fake legs production details, and King's admission that the story represented his drug dependency
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:11:40Some scenes appear to have been looped/ADR'd in post-production due to questionable performances, possibly related to the James Caan hungover shooting issue

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:24Kathy Bates — Kathy Bates - no question

Hall of Fame Plaque

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:20Annie Wilkes from Misery for Kathy Bates
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:15:29Agrees with Annie Wilkes, praising Bates as an incredible all-star actor

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:51Suggested multiple options: Misery, Annie Wilkes, Dragon Nurse, and Sheldon's Misery
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:16:05Sheldon's Misery

Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:44Prestige TV limited series with gender flip - two women, set in period or modern 2022 all-female Misery
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:21:00Agrees gender flip would be compelling but expresses concerns about modern setting due to technology making characters too findable

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:17J.T. Walsh — JT Walsh - already in the movie

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:29Kathy Bates — Bates

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:34Has one unanswerable question but says it ties into another category, doesn't specify what it is
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:22:38Had unanswerable questions about her nursing time but says they were already covered

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:05The King of Comedy — Initially suggested Stand By Me and Misery (Double Rob Reiner), then Dead Zone and Misery (Stephen King double feature), but ultimately settled on King of Comedy and Misery as the best pairing
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:23:49Something Wild — Something Wild and Misery - pairing Ray Liotta films where his role flips from being the crazed stalker to the victim

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:21Don't have fans, don't drive a 66 Mustang during a blizzard, and if you're successful like Paul Sheldon, buy your own place instead of staying at lodges
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:28:38Check the weather before you leave, avoid driving Mustangs in bad weather, and have a routine where you check in with people before and after you leave someplace

Who Won the Movie

Brian Koppelman▶ 1:29:27Kathy Bates — Kathy Bates, with honorable mention to Reiner

Movies Referenced (22)

Stand by Me (1986)

10 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons▶ 5:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Dead Zone (1983)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman▶ 10:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Shining (1980)

6 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons▶ 5:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pretty Woman (1990)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman▶ 40:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Few Good Men (1992)

3 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons▶ 44:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 55:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carrie (1976)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 10:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Night Shift (1982)

2 mentions · Brian Koppelman▶ 9:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Something Wild (1986)

2 mentions · Brian Koppelman▶ 1:23:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Prestige (2006)

2 mentions · ▶ 0:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Den of Thieves (2018)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Rob Reiner

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman · Known for This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street▶ 2:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

8 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Heaven Can Wait▶ 18:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Colorado

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman · Known for Hancock▶ 1:03:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Roy Hill

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Slap Shot▶ 17:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Dahl

2 mentions · Brian Koppelman · Known for The Last Seduction▶ 22:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Scott

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Unstoppable, True Romance▶ 1:13:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (61)

Kathy Bates

33 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman · Known for Misery, Dolores Claiborne, Titanic▶ 3:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Newman

23 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman · Known for Road to Perdition, The Verdict▶ 2:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Caan

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman · Known for Thief, Rollerball, Misery▶ 3:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Farnsworth

7 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Straight Story, Misery, The Natural▶ 51:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony Hopkins

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Silence of the Lambs▶ 30:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Douglas

4 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Wall Street, Romancing the Stone▶ 38:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Gere

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Chicago, Pretty Woman, An Officer and a Gentleman▶ 42:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlie Ward

3 mentions · Brian Koppelman · Known for Tombstone▶ 1:00:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donald Sutherland

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman▶ 39:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mark Jackson

3 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Air Bud▶ 59:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bette Midler

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Ruthless People▶ 29:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny Trejo

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators▶ 0:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Stephen King

32 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Maximum Overdrive▶ 1:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Grisham

4 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Runaway Jury, A Time to Kill▶ 5:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Kahn

2 mentions · Brian Koppelman▶ 52:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Koppelman

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Runaway Jury, Runner Runner, Michael Clayton▶ 1:16:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

J.K. Rowling

1 mentions · Brian Koppelman▶ 4:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗