‘Project X’ With Bill Simmons, David Jacoby, and Craig Horlbeck
June 28, 2022 · Project X (2012) · Comedy · Thriller · 1:27:35
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill Simmons▶ 18:49Multiple scenes: spreading the word at high school, meeting Miles Teller in liquor store, getting drugs from T-Rex, party taking off, Robert the neighbor confrontation, cops hiding everyone in backyard
Craig Horlbeck▶ 21:25Contributes to discussion of T-Rex scene and Robert the neighbor scene, notes security guards being like 12 years old
David Jacoby▶ 21:23Agrees with T-Rex scene and cops hiding everyone in backyard scene (calls it 'best scene of the last 10 years')
Best Quote
Bill Simmons▶ 36:54JB, why do you have a boner? and various other quotes mentioned throughout discussion
Craig Horlbeck▶ 37:45Discussed quotes like 'you guys fucking suck' and 'hey, you didn't pay us' but no single definitive pick
David Jacoby▶ 31:55We're going to have to let this thing burn out before we think about going back in
Slow Ride Award
David Jacoby▶ 41:24Discusses both Pursuit of Happiness and Heads Will Roll as the two crescendos/peaks of the party without clearly stating a preference
Big Kahuna Burger Award
Craig Horlbeck▶ 42:13Mentions ecstasy and highlights JB offering red wine to a woman who then shotguns beer instead
What's Aged the Worst
Bill Simmons▶ 45:02The disclaimer at the beginning being weird, Costa's inappropriate language, reference to Playboy's Pac-10 issue since Playboy no longer publishes with nudity, and Dax filming people hooking up without consent
Craig Horlbeck▶ 45:05The disclaimer at the beginning - couldn't tell if it was actual disclaimer or bragging about how epic the party was
David Jacoby▶ 46:14Dax non-consensually filming people hooking up - noted it seemed fine originally but feels wrong on rewatch
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill Simmons▶ 51:51Project XX (college sequel four years later) was one of the biggest missed sequel opportunities of the last decade
Craig Horlbeck▶ 50:52The party was worth it for Thomas - he gained confidence, popularity, and will have a better college experience
David Jacoby▶ 54:54Project X is the greatest piece of art that our species have ever accomplished, surpassing the Mona Lisa, Sistine Chapel, and Schindler's List
Casting What-Ifs
Bill Simmons▶ 55:10Explained the casting process - they avoided solo casting, concentrated on groups of three, and had actors audition together. Noted casting what-ifs 'is just not a lot' for this film.
Craig Horlbeck▶ 56:56Have a low-level pop star like Bobby Brackens (someone weirdly popular in 2012) show up to perform at the party
David Jacoby▶ 56:13Snoop Dogg — Replace Miles Teller with Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, or Flo Rida to diversify the party and add a different element when the celebrity shows up in the Sprinter van
Overacting Award
Bill Simmons▶ 57:36Brendan — The high school bully (Brendan) - says everyone's overacting but calls out the bully's 40-second locker scene as 'a cliche of a cliche of a cliche'
David Jacoby▶ 58:09Brendan — Brendan the cool kid/bully - agrees he was the only one actually acting and was very bad, like something from 1974
Apex Mountain
Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:46Multiple apex mountains: every cast member except Miles Teller, North Pasadena as movie location, movie parties (1-seed candidate), ecstasy in movies (positive portrayal), roof jumps (final four), bouncy castles, Jonah Hill ripoff characters
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:03:28Movie parties - 'Name me a movie that has a better party scene than this' and 'this is unparalleled'
Just One Oscar
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:15:14Agrees with editing choice, noting they had thousands of hours of footage to filter through
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:07Why wasn't Wheelchair Robert at the party; wouldn't the dog have died from all the drugs/alcohol; what did Costa's next 5 years look like (thinks he becomes like DJ Khaled or tries to capitalize on the party for years like the real Rudy); did T. Rick live and shouldn't he pay for the damage since he had the flamethrower
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:16:42Thinks PETA would hate the movie for the dog treatment; suggests Costa creates party cleanup service or ends up showing party videos in college; asks if T. Rick should pay for damage since he burned it down; wonders if this movie paved the way for Euphoria by being first to show gritty teenage drug use up close
David Jacoby▶ 1:16:13Agrees about Wheelchair Robert needing a director's cut storyline; thinks the dog (Milo) doesn't survive; believes Costa becomes a loser in college, ends up as glue guy in worst frat, then runs nightclub at Hooters Casino in Vegas; questions why liability is solely on Thomas when T. Rick brought the flamethrower
Best Double Feature
Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:37National Lampoon's Animal House — Animal House and Project X as bookends, with Risky Business and Project X as an alternative
David Jacoby▶ 1:22:03National Lampoon's Animal House — Project X twice, though also considered Animal House, Risky Business, or Revenge of the Nerds
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:41Parents should never go anywhere when they have kids between 14 and 18 - stay home 365 days a year during those years
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:25:11Don't tell all your neighbors you're not going to have a party - it doesn't work and is a waste of time
David Jacoby▶ 1:25:40Don't go chasing waterfalls - don't pursue the unattainable (Alexis) when you have something good (Kirby) right in front of you
Who Won the Movie
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:27:17The music or just the fact that the movie was made; agrees it's 'all of us' and 'humanity'
Movies Referenced (29)
Superbad (2007)
4 mentions · David Jacoby, Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons▶ 16:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Directors Referenced (2)
Todd Phillips
4 mentions · Bill Simmons, David Jacoby, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Joker, Due Date, Old School▶ 10:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Actors Referenced (36)
Miles Teller
26 mentions · Bill Simmons, David Jacoby, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Whiplash▶ 10:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Rick Shapiro
10 mentions · Bill Simmons, David Jacoby, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Project X▶ 22:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Alexis Knapp
8 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, David Jacoby, Bill Simmons · Known for Pitch Perfect, Project X▶ 46:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Chet Hanks
5 mentions · David Jacoby · Known for Project X▶ 1:01:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Jonah Hill
4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck · Known for 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, The Wolf of Wall Street▶ 16:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Snoop Dogg
4 mentions · David Jacoby, Bill Simmons · Known for Training Day, Soul Plane▶ 39:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Steve Aoki
3 mentions · Bill Simmons, David Jacoby · Known for The Raid 2▶ 33:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Burt Reynolds
2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Boogie Nights, Smokey and the Bandit, Striptease▶ 48:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Chris Rock
2 mentions · David Jacoby, Bill Simmons · Known for Top Five, The Longest Yard▶ 29:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Writers Referenced (2)
Matt Drake
2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Project X▶ 10:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Michael Bacall
2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Inglourious Basterds, 21 Jump Street▶ 10:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
Michael Grantland
3 mentions · Bill Simmons, David Jacoby · Known for The Other Guys▶ 3:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗