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‘Proof of Life’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

January 29, 2019 · Proof of Life (2000) · Action · Drama · Thriller · 1:12:14

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 26:56David Caruso — David Caruso as Dino - calls it the greatest Dion Waiters performance ever, comparing it to legendary achievements like Bill Walton going 21 for 22
Chris Ryan▶ 27:00David Caruso — David Caruso as Dino - agrees it's the all-time best, noting he speaks three languages unnecessarily and acts like it's his movie

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 44:41The kidnapping scene downtown
Chris Ryan▶ 43:19Terry's exposition scene explaining the rebel guerrillas to Alice and Janice with montage cuts, and the extended fight between David Morse and Meg Ryan at the beginning

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 48:09Caruso - describes him as incredible and says nothing's ever aged better than Caruso in this movie

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 48:32The opening Chesney scene should be cut, movie is too long and could lose 9-10 minutes, Meg Ryan's appearance with Botox/cosmetic work, and the missing sex scene between Crowe and Ryan makes the kiss feel weird and unmotivated
Chris Ryan▶ 48:37Agrees the opening scene isn't needed and that Meg Ryan's character seems nervy and unhappy, making her less likeable

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 52:55Why does Alice get to take time to say goodbye to Russell Crowe when her husband Peter is severely injured and traumatized after being rescued from kidnapping?
Chris Ryan▶ 53:30Agrees the situation is problematic and notes that everything goes unsaid in the final scene, predicting the couple breaks up within two months

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 54:42Harrison Ford — Discusses Harrison Ford being offered the lead and turning it down (glad he did, would have ruined it), Russell Crowe turning down Wolverine for Proof of Life, and various other Russell Crowe what-ifs including Collateral, Matrix
Chris Ryan▶ 54:49Harrison Ford — Agrees Harrison Ford wouldn't have worked (too old), discusses the butterfly effect of Russell Crowe casting decisions and how different their lives would be

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 57:28Presented multiple production facts: brutal shoot conditions (hailstorms, mudslides, altitude sickness, volcanic eruptions, tear gas), death of body double Will Gaffney, director Taylor Hackford losing control, Henry Cavill as extra who got advice from Russell Crowe, Just Cause reference on set, Russell Crowe's dangerous helicopter stunt
Chris Ryan▶ 59:51Provided commentary on Russell Crowe's helicopter stunt details - noted he had no safety harness, questioned if it was really 100 feet high, compared to Tom Cruise's later Mission Impossible stunts

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:30David Morse — David Morris - definitely Apex Mountain because he's really good in this movie and holding his own with famous people
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:17David Caruso — Not Caruso - he was at base camp, having come down from NYPD Blue peak. The character lives on Apex Mountain but not the actor

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:48Anthony Heald — Anthony Heald (Hannibal Lecter's doctor)

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:51Don't you die on me, man. Don't you fucking die on me.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:26Anytime Dino opens his mouth

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:47Russell Crowe — Russell Crowe - calls it his favorite Crowe performance, better than Gladiator
Chris Ryan▶ 1:08:45Russell Crowe — Russell Crowe - says it's 'unassailably' Crowe and that he 'really does own this role'

Movies Referenced (43)

Gladiator (2000)

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 12:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Man on Fire (2004)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 3:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Body of Lies (2008)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 13:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taken (2008)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 4:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Collateral (2004)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 55:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Iron Man (2008)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 23:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

American Gangster (2007)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 13:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 4:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lethal Weapon (1987)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 16:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mad Dog and Glory (1993)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 30:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rushmore (1998)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 4:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (9)

Mel Gibson

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 12:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Hackford

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Dolores Claiborne▶ 8:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ben Affleck

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Argo, Gone Girl, The Town▶ 14:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 41:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cecil B. DeMille

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Ten Commandments, The Greatest Show on Earth, Sunset Boulevard▶ 27:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Morrison

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 53:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ridley Scott

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Martian, Blade Runner▶ 24:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Parrish

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 35:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ron Howard

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for A Beautiful Mind▶ 14:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (51)

Russell Crowe

64 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind▶ 2:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Caruso

46 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for First Blood, Proof of Life▶ 16:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meg Ryan

32 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for When Harry Met Sally..., Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail▶ 2:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Morse

13 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Green Mile, The Hurt Locker, The Rock▶ 7:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harrison Ford

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive▶ 12:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dennis Quaid

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Far from Heaven, The Day After Tomorrow▶ 18:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Pratt

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World▶ 22:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pamela Reed

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Proof of Life, Kindergarten Cop, The Right Stuff▶ 6:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joaquin Phoenix

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Walk the Line, Gladiator▶ 35:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rachel Nichols

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Amityville Horror▶ 55:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Reese Witherspoon

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Wild, Walk the Line, Legally Blonde▶ 21:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 55:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

David Milch

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 27:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Gilroy

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Michael Clayton, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story▶ 8:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jon Favreau

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Chef, Iron Man, Swingers▶ 27:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kenneth Lonergan

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Manchester by the Sea, You Can Count on Me▶ 23:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Mario de Dios

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Avatar▶ 33:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Other Guys▶ 1:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗