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‘Say Anything’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Judd Apatow

June 10, 2020 · Say Anything (1989) · Comedy · Drama · Romance · 1:29:36

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 31:21Lists multiple scenes: Lloyd telling friends he'll call Diane (opening), Diane calling Lloyd back, and identifies the party scene as his favorite in the movie
Judd Apatow▶ 31:36Lloyd telling his friends he's going to call Diane (opening scene with the three female friends)

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:32John Mahoney — Lists multiple casting what-ifs including Cusack beating Christian Slater, Downey turning it down, Jennifer Connelly and Elizabeth Shue auditioning for Diane, Pamela Adlon auditioning for the friend role, Julia Roberts considered for Amy Brooks' role, and Dick Van Dyke expressing interest in the father role. Prefers Mahoney over Van Dyke.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:06:02Richard Dreyfuss — Mentions Dreyfus had read the script for Mahoney's part and wanted to be Lloyd
Judd Apatow▶ 1:05:20Dick Van Dyke — Dick Van Dyke would have been interesting but glad it didn't happen because Mahoney was great

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:35Mike Cameron — Mike Cameron - the guy in the car at the end of the party that they have to drive around
Judd Apatow▶ 1:06:52Discusses the actor who played Joe as a potential pick but doesn't definitively choose

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:46Eric Stoltz — Likes Eric Stoltz, noting he's only in the movie for four minutes at age 22, hanging out and throwing parties
Judd Apatow▶ 1:09:26Joan Cusack — Joan Cusack's son - calls him a total scene stealer who tracks the action and is great in every shot

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:47Multiple facts: dojo was from Karate Kid, Cusack's kickboxing obsession from Don Wilson, boombox was Toshiba RTSX1, Cameron Crowe rejected Smithereens' 'A Girl Like You' as theme song which became their biggest hit
Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:41Guessed Samsung or Sony for the boombox model
Judd Apatow▶ 1:12:29Praised the Smithereens and recommended their greatest hits album

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:46Ione Skye — Yes for Ione Skye - this is the best character she ever played. No for John Cusack - he has two peaks, this one and 10 years later with Con Air, Being John Malkovich, and High Fidelity. No for 80s high school movies - Ferris Bueller or Breakfast Club would be first. No for Seattle movies - Singles is more of a Seattle movie.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:57John Cusack — Agrees John Cusack has two peaks - this one and 10 years later with Con Air, Being John Malkovich, and High Fidelity. Agrees Singles is more of a Seattle movie than this one.
Judd Apatow▶ 1:13:32John Cusack — Agrees John Cusack is in it for the long haul with amazing movies in every era. This movie feels more sophisticated and in its own space compared to other 80s high school movies. Doesn't see much of Seattle visually in this film.

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:06The rain on my car is a baptism, the new me, ice man, power, Lloyd, my assault on the world begins now
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:40The world is full of guys, be a man, don't be a guy - and also loves the line about every great success story
Judd Apatow▶ 1:21:31I can't really tell if I'm great until I've had a couple of pro fights but I haven't been knocked out yet... so I'm going to hang out with your daughter

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:14Did Lloyd predict the UFC and start a kickboxing network that didn't work? What is Lloyd's day job? Is Lloyd an MMA blogger/podcaster who makes appearances on Rogan?
Chris Ryan▶ 1:24:31Lloyd and Diane have no family obligations pulling them apart, but after two months Diane will want to go out without Lloyd talking about kickboxing
Judd Apatow▶ 1:23:56How long do they stay together in England? Seven weeks - Lloyd gets depressed, goes back for a fight, starts podcasting empire and meets Dana White

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:45Cameron Crowe — Cameron Crowe because while Cusack has had multiple signature movies, this launched Crowe's career at age 32 and was very influential
Chris Ryan▶ 1:25:11John Cusack — Probably Cusack, but makes an outsider case for Peter Gabriel because his song becomes one of the most memorable things about the movie
Judd Apatow▶ 1:25:41Cameron Crowe — Cameron Crowe because it launched his directing career and invented a genre by taking young people more seriously, also mentions John Mahoney deserves respect

Movies Referenced (37)

Tommy Boy (1995)

5 mentions · Judd Apatow, Bill Simmons▶ 26:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

1408 (2007)

4 mentions · Judd Apatow, Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Better Off Dead (1985)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 21:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Almost Famous (2000)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Judd Apatow▶ 20:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

High Fidelity (2000)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Broadcast News (1987)

2 mentions · Judd Apatow, Bill Simmons▶ 7:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Can't Hardly Wait (1998)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 24:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

2 mentions · Judd Apatow▶ 3:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

2 mentions · Judd Apatow▶ 11:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Cable Guy (1996)

2 mentions · Judd Apatow▶ 26:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Sure Thing (1985)

2 mentions · Judd Apatow▶ 3:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 24:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

Cameron Crowe

15 mentions · Judd Apatow, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky▶ 3:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Greg Mottola

1 mentions · Judd Apatow · Known for Adventureland, Superbad▶ 43:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Hughes

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 5:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Nichols

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Graduate▶ 29:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wes Anderson

1 mentions · Judd Apatow · Known for The Royal Tenenbaums, Isle of Dogs▶ 8:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (28)

John Cusack

12 mentions · Judd Apatow, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for High Fidelity, 1408▶ 3:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Brooks

7 mentions · Judd Apatow, Bill Simmons · Known for The Game▶ 7:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Mahoney

7 mentions · Judd Apatow, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Moonstruck, Barton Fink▶ 46:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eric Stoltz

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Judd Apatow · Known for Pulp Fiction, The Butterfly Effect▶ 35:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mental As Anything

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Crocodile Dundee, Animal Kingdom▶ 2:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pete Davidson

3 mentions · Judd Apatow · Known for The King of Staten Island▶ 14:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carla Gallo

2 mentions · Judd Apatow · Known for Neighbors, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall▶ 42:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christian Slater

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Very Bad Things, True Romance, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 22:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Dean

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause▶ 5:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Philip Baker Hall

2 mentions · Judd Apatow, Bill Simmons · Known for Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Hard Eight▶ 55:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Downey Jr.

2 mentions · Judd Apatow · Known for Iron Man▶ 23:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve Higgins

2 mentions · Judd Apatow▶ 22:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Roger Ebert

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Judd Apatow▶ 26:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lily Taylor

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Judd Apatow▶ 5:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lawrence Kasdan

2 mentions · Judd Apatow · Known for The Big Chill, Wyatt Earp▶ 7:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fred Wolf

1 mentions · Judd Apatow▶ 27:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Sayles

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Lone Star▶ 21:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Polly Platt

1 mentions · Judd Apatow · Known for Say Anything, Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News▶ 7:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗