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‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

September 22, 2020 · Se7en (1995) · Crime · Drama · Mystery · 1:29:06

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake

Chris Ryan▶ 15:14Seven-episode limited series, citing the influence of Seven on True Detective

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 36:49Multiple scenes including the Tuesday library research scene with opera music, the dinner scene at Mills' apartment, the SWAT raid, the car ride with John Doe, and the ending - ultimately settles on the car ride as his pick
Chris Ryan▶ 40:21The ending scene with the box reveal and helicopter overhead shot
Sean Fennessey▶ 41:31The car ride scene with John Doe's performance and voice modulation

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 47:52The credits sequence designed to look like a serial killer made them, the seven deadly sins concept as the killer's strategy, the unnamed city setting that feels like hell, not showing Gwyneth's head in the box, and Brad Pitt's facial expression when he realizes what's in the box
Chris Ryan▶ 48:32The incredible credit sequence that immediately establishes the grotesque world, Brad Pitt's character hating reading and needing CliffsNotes, and Fincher's sound design making the city feel authentically scary with constant urban noise
Sean Fennessey▶ 53:35The Somerset character as God's loneliest man - a cynical detective who lives alone and needs a metronome to sleep, and the industrial/S&M music of the era including Nine Inch Nails that perfectly captured the dark tone

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:56Val Kilmer — Presents the casting what-ifs but focuses positively on Val Kilmer as John Doe: 'That would have been fucking awesome. He could have done it.' Dismisses Stallone as Mills and questions credibility of some casting rumors.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:48Sylvester Stallone — Dismissive of Stallone casting claim, suggesting 'Sly Stallone has been going into Wikipedia pages and adding his name' to movies he wasn't really considered for
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:04Val Kilmer — Skeptical of Stallone casting rumor calling it 'half-assed' and questions his involvement in prestige dramas. Enthusiastic about Val Kilmer as John Doe doing it 'as Doc Hollywood'

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:54Leland Orser

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:31Kevin Spacey
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:22Kevin Spacey — Agreed Spacey might be the dictionary definition but didn't state a clear preference
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:05:32Listed multiple contenders including Richard Schiff (asshole lawyer), Roundtree (press conference scene), Reggie/Kathy (coroner report), and Gwyneth Paltrow, but didn't make a definitive pick

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:33Presents multiple trivia facts: Brad Pitt's real injury, John Doe's books cost $15,000 and took 2 months, diner location shared with Training Day, Gwyneth's face appears briefly before gunshot, skinny actor Michael Reed McKay weighed 98 pounds
Chris Ryan▶ 1:08:28Connects Gwyneth's brief appearance to Fight Club's cigarette burn technique, calling Gwyneth 'like a cigarette burn'

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:47Morgan Freeman — Morgan Freeman - Yes, after Seven (not Shawshank). Had the most juice after this movie which paved the way for giant paychecks
Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:18Morgan Freeman — Expressed doubt about Freeman's 1989 being Apex Mountain, suggested the moment before Robin Hood as potential peak
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:11:44Made joking responses about decapitations (French Revolution) and deadly sins (Dante) but no serious picks for actors

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:56Just because the fucker has a library card doesn't make him Yoda
Chris Ryan▶ 1:21:04Maybe you guys want to cross your fingers somewhere else (fingerprint guy)

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:31Multiple questions: favorite deadly sin (envy), can you chew your own tongue off, did the dog die, what does Somerset do in next 24 hours
Chris Ryan▶ 1:23:37Deadly sin discussion participant, believes dogs weren't killed but probably neglected
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:24:27Cannot answer the tongue question - not in field of study

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:36David Fincher — Fincher
Chris Ryan▶ 1:25:42David Fincher — Fincher, but Freeman almost shares it with him due to his excellent performance as a guide through the world
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:25:35David Fincher — Fincher

Movies Referenced (56)

Fight Club (1999)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:08:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alien (1979)

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 11:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Casino (1995)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Game (1997)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 3:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

True Romance (1993)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 10:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Zodiac (2007)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 3:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Doc Hollywood (1991)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:02:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Unforgiven (1992)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 31:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Apollo 13 (1995)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Braveheart (1995)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 22:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Goodfellas (1990)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 23:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Mel Gibson

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 22:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 3:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Noonan

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 22:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeremiah S. Chechik

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation▶ 1:02:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Radford

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 23:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Figgis

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Leaving Las Vegas▶ 23:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (40)

Brad Pitt

41 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith▶ 2:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Morgan Freeman

24 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Se7en, Driving Miss Daisy, Million Dollar Baby▶ 2:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Spacey

22 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for L.A. Confidential, The Usual Suspects, American Beauty▶ 4:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gwyneth Paltrow

21 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Shakespeare in Love, Sliding Doors▶ 2:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Doe

19 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Road House▶ 7:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Leland Orser

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Taken, Se7en▶ 16:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Roundtree

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:05:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sigourney Weaver

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Avatar, Alien▶ 10:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Val Kilmer

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Doors, The Saint, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang▶ 1:01:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Bob Thornton

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Sling Blade, A Simple Plan▶ 5:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Denzel Washington

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heartless Bastards

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Safe Haven▶ 29:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Andrew Kevin Walker

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Killer, Se7en▶ 33:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 35:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Reed

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for On Her Majesty's Secret Service▶ 1:08:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗