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'Mission: Impossible' With Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Jason Concepcion

July 26, 2018 · Mission: Impossible (1996) · Action · Adventure · Thriller · 1:09:34

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Chris Ryan▶ 21:36Prague sequence (32-minute opening act), Ethan and Max's negotiation, Langley heist, and Phelps vs. Hunt coffee scene
Jason Concepcion▶ 24:23The Langley heist
Sean Fennessey▶ 23:03Acknowledges Langley break-in as most iconic, but prefers the scene where Tom Cruise calls Kittredge saying 'My team is dead!'

What's Aged the Best

Chris Ryan▶ 27:03The Hitchcockian vibe, cat and mouse format of set pieces, and Cruz's performance - but ultimately agrees with De Palma visual style
Jason Concepcion▶ 30:58De Palma's visual flair and style
Sean Fennessey▶ 27:42Casting great actors in supporting roles and the ensemble cast quality

Casting What-Ifs

Chris Ryan▶ 33:21Demi Moore — Demi Moore as Claire instead of Emmanuelle Béart, citing chemistry with Tom Cruise from A Few Good Men
Jason Concepcion▶ 34:32Emmanuelle Béart — Disagrees with Demi Moore casting, argues Emmanuelle Béart's sphinx-like quality was right for the role
Sean Fennessey▶ 34:25Susan Sarandon — Questions whether Demi Moore would work, suggests Susan Sarandon as alternative, and raises whether Max should have always been a woman

Dion Waiters Award

Chris Ryan▶ 42:37Vanessa Redgrave
Jason Concepcion▶ 41:56Vanessa Redgrave
Sean Fennessey▶ 41:27Ving Rhames — Discussed Vanessa Redgrave positively and nominated Ving Rhames as Luther

Half-Assed Internet Research

Chris Ryan▶ 48:52Original script had IMF team killed leaving Cruz to solve mystery; Apple tie-in with PowerBook laptops and $15M web adventure; Langley Heist homage to Jules Dassin films; Ethan Hunt name possibly tribute to Howard Hunt CIA spy
Jason Concepcion▶ 51:28Contributed personal experience about being on the Phish Usenet group, one of the first for a musical act
Sean Fennessey▶ 51:13Reacted to and discussed the research findings, particularly about Usenet groups and early internet technology, sharing personal AOL experience

Picking Nits

Chris Ryan▶ 56:01Why Jim shoots Claire first on the train when she barely resists; Jim's crude comments about Claire to Ethan; what happens with Kittredge's deal with Max at the end
Jason Concepcion▶ 56:39Jim and Claire's confusing relationship in general; the impracticality of flying a helicopter through a train tunnel, especially with oncoming trains
Sean Fennessey▶ 57:21Why Jim shoots Claire first (agrees with another host); what's Krieger's endgame; the illogical helicopter-in-train-tunnel sequence

Best Quote

Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:09They knew! (overacting by Cruise)
Jason Concepcion▶ 59:53You've never seen me very upset
Sean Fennessey▶ 59:41They're dead/My team is dead (Ethan screaming)

Who Won the Movie

Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:12Tom Cruise — Tom Cruise - he's the engine of the entire thing and can't imagine anybody else playing Ethan Hunt
Jason Concepcion▶ 1:03:50Hollywood/the collaborative filmmaking style - the chaotic, improvisatory filmmaking approach that produces great synergy
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:05:05Mission Impossible movies as a franchise - sees the film as end of an era for many involved but beginning of the MI franchise

Movies Referenced (50)

The Fugitive (1993)

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 2:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Few Good Men (1992)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 12:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Maguire (1996)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 4:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 11:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Aliens (1986)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 16:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Batman (1989)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Body Double (1984)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 8:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clear and Present Danger (1994)

2 mentions · Jason Concepcion, Chris Ryan▶ 40:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Days of Thunder (1990)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 12:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Die Hard (1988)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mad Max (1979)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Mighty Ducks (1992)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 40:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (9)

Brian De Palma

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Body Double, Dressed to Kill, The Bonfire of the Vanities▶ 1:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Spielberg

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 16:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cameron Crowe

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky▶ 12:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 12:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Denis Villeneuve

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Blade Runner 2049▶ 31:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Woo

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Hard Boiled▶ 14:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rob Zombie

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 48:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Friend

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Jerry Maguire▶ 9:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Hoffa

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Limitless, Furious 7, Creed▶ 1:02:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (35)

Tom Cruise

45 mentions · Chris Ryan, Jason Concepcion, Sean Fennessey · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 0:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Emilio Estevez

8 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Jason Concepcion▶ 8:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jean Reno

8 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Jason Concepcion · Known for Ronin▶ 11:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Bean

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Vanessa Redgrave

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Atonement▶ 28:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ving Rhames

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Jason Concepcion · Known for Pulp Fiction, Bringing Out the Dead▶ 25:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Demi Moore

5 mentions · Jason Concepcion, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Striptease, Indecent Proposal▶ 33:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve Buscemi

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Fargo, Reservoir Dogs▶ 2:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny Trejo

3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators▶ 1:00:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Juliette Binoche

3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The English Patient, Ghost in the Shell▶ 32:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Martin Landau

3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Ed Wood, Crimes and Misdemeanors, North by Northwest▶ 32:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Graves

3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Stalag 17, Airplane!▶ 32:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Robert Towne

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Chinatown, Mission: Impossible, The Last Detail▶ 2:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Koepp

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Jurassic Park, Stir of Echoes, Black Bag▶ 2:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Aaron Sorkin

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for A Few Good Men▶ 12:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Greenwald

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 44:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gloria Katz

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Howard the Duck, American Graffiti, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom▶ 48:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Schrader

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for First Reformed, The Card Counter▶ 1:07:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

M.I. Littin-Menz

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 44:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗