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‘Pump Up the Volume’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Andy Greenwald

August 20, 2020 · Pump Up the Volume (1990) · Comedy · Drama · Music · 1:36:02

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Andy Greenwald▶ 49:33The screaming party shirtless dance scene that ends with Paige microwaving all her shit
Bill Simmons▶ 48:23Wave of mutilation scene - calls it 'probably the greatest minute of my life' and 'one of my favorite music drops in a movie ever'
Chris Ryan▶ 48:27Wave of mutilation scene - agrees with Bill's pick, describing the scene in detail

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 57:27Mentions having something in 'what's aged the worst' but doesn't clearly state what it is

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 59:00A tie between the soundtrack and Samantha Mathis

Joey Pants Award

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:07:36Robert Schenkkan — Robert Schenken as guidance counselor Devers (Pulitzer Prize winning playwright)
Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:17Mark's dad and Teen Wolf's dad (FCC head with bad rug) - leaves choice to others
Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:20Lin Shaye — Lynn Shea (parent at PTA meeting, later in Insidious movies)

Apex Mountain

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:14:49Christian Slater — Christian Slater - yes (agrees this convinced everyone he was the next leading man), The Pixies - yes (ultimate 'that band' at their peak coolness)
Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:44Christian Slater — Christian Slater - yes, Samantha Mathis - yes, Pirate Radio concept - yes, P.O. boxes - yes, pre-Nevermind alternative college radio era (1990) - yes
Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:50Christian Slater — Christian Slater - thought it would be Robin Hood but never happened, The Pixies - right in their peak range coming off Doolittle, P.O. boxes - yes

Best Quote

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:24:48Jam me, jack me, push me, pull me, talk hard. I don't care what, just do it.
Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:15But just remember one thing. It can't get any worse. It can only get better. I mean high school is the bottom. Being a teenager sucks, but that's the point. Surviving it is the whole point. Quitting is not going to make you strong. Living will. So just hang on and hang in there.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:29:38Nora dates Dave Pirner four years later and could have been spun off into her own movie or become a revolutionary young English teacher
Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:29Mark doesn't go to jail but gets 18 months probation and a felony on his permanent record, then appears on Real World Seattle and eventually hosts MTV shows
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:29Mark and Nora's relationship doesn't last - Nora gets a one-way ticket to Oberlin and never returns to Arizona

Who Won the Movie

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:30:46Samantha Mathis — Agrees with Samantha Mathis/Nora - compares her cultural impact to The Velvet Underground, saying she 'rewired' what an entire generation thought about women and themselves
Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:22Samantha Mathis — Samantha Mathis as Nora - calls her 'unbelievable' and says she wins it, though acknowledges it's like an NBA MVP where three people could have won
Chris Ryan▶ 1:30:36Samantha Mathis — Agrees with Samantha Mathis/Nora - says she is 'singed into my memory' in a way that Hard Harry isn't

Movies Referenced (26)

The Boat That Rocked (2009)

18 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan▶ 0:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Descendants (2011)

4 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 12:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Say Anything (1989)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fight Club (1999)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:16:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Goodfellas (1990)

2 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan▶ 14:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Poison Ivy (1992)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robin Hood (2010)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Teen Wolf (1985)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

True Romance (1993)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald▶ 2:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Armageddon (1998)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Batman (1989)

1 mentions · Andy Greenwald▶ 35:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boogie Nights (1997)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (9)

John Hughes

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 6:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cameron Crowe

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald · Known for Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky▶ 51:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Martin Scorsese

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 14:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Corner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 1:28:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cid Salcido

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 13:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lil Pump

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Good Boys▶ 44:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Bogdanovich

1 mentions · Andy Greenwald · Known for The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon▶ 1:12:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sonic Youth

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tim Burton

1 mentions · Andy Greenwald · Known for Edward Scissorhands▶ 35:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (61)

Mark Hunter

29 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Lost in Space▶ 10:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christian Slater

20 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for Very Bad Things, True Romance, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 0:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Samantha Mathis

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for Broken Arrow, American Psycho▶ 36:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Beastie Boys

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for Real Steel, Star Trek▶ 9:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Seth Green

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for The Italian Job, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery▶ 1:08:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nirvana

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald · Known for The Batman, Captain Marvel▶ 11:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert De Niro

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald · Known for Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver▶ 6:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ally Sheedy

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald · Known for WarGames, Short Circuit, The Breakfast Club▶ 1:11:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Drew Barrymore

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Charlie's Angels, 50 First Dates, Never Been Kissed▶ 1:06:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Cusack

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for High Fidelity, 1408▶ 36:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mazzy Star

4 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for Starship Troopers, End of Watch▶ 51:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Replacements

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald · Known for Say Anything, Jerry Maguire▶ 1:17:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Ellen Green

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for The Seventh Sign▶ 57:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

6 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 41:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ahmet Zappa

1 mentions · Andy Greenwald▶ 40:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

H.P. Lovecraft

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for From Beyond▶ 42:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Larry McMurtry

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Brokeback Mountain, The Last Picture Show▶ 43:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Goldman

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 27:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗