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‘Stand By Me’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

July 14, 2020 · Stand by Me (1986) · Adventure · Comedy · Drama · 1:21:48

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 4:46Doesn't have a lot of what's aged the worst - the movie is just that good

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 5:28The simplicity of gang leader characters like Ace - how you could be a badass just by playing chicken and carrying a knife, versus the much darker complexity required for such characters today

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 30:38Multiple scenes: the hat scene with Ace and the older kids, Gordy buying supplies at the store and the junkyard chase, River Phoenix's speech about Gordy's writing talent, and the train bridge/pie eating contest scenes
Chris Ryan▶ 31:54Agrees with and elaborates on another host's picks, particularly praising the hat scene for its character establishment and the store scene for its nostalgic relatability

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:40Marshall Bell — Marshall Bell (agrees with another host's pick)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:31Marshall Bell — Marshall Bell (who plays Gordy's dad and also Quato in Total Recall)

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:24Jason Patric — Recast Eyeball with Jason Patrick, Ralph Macchio, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Christian Bale, or Christian Slater - someone in that Jason Patrick tier of actor

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:08Shared multiple production facts: cast bonded for 2 weeks without rehearsing, vomit scene used cottage cheese and pies from local bakery, train scene used 600mm telephoto lens trick, Singleton homaged Stand By Me in Boyz n the Hood, Dreyfuss dismissive quote about not remembering the film, Wheaton was picked on by Corey Feldman and had to fake losing sprint to River Phoenix
Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:15Provided commentary and reactions to another host's research, explaining the telephoto lens technique, criticizing Dreyfuss for being ungrateful, and suggesting new award category for actors least grateful about being in movies

Picking Nits

Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:45It really looks like Gordy's got the drop on Chris, but Chris turns on incredible Carl Lewis speed at that end there

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:20Wil Wheaton — Will Wheaton: yes, Rob Reiner: no (A Few Good Men + Castle Rock/Seinfeld era is his apex), Corey Feldman: no (prefers Blown Away or Goonies), Jerry O'Connell: marrying Rebecca Romijn
Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:18River Phoenix — River Phoenix: Indiana Jones or My Own Private Idaho, vandalism in movies: Stand By Me is apex

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:50How did Ace's gang find the body since it wasn't near anything? What's Gordy's writing career like - is it fiction or nonfiction, is he famous, what's his success level?
Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:54What was the plan when they got to the body for either group? How did Ace's gang find the body in the middle of nowhere? Where is law enforcement in Castle Rock?

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:47River Phoenix — River Phoenix (though acknowledges Rob Reiner as a possibility due to founding Castle Rock Entertainment after this film's success)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:48River Phoenix — River Phoenix (calling it a generational performance that has stood the test of time with timeless acting style)

Movies Referenced (25)

A Few Good Men (1992)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 24:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 8:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Beautiful Girls (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 46:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 22:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

This Boy's Life (1993)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Titanic (1997)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 9:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Basic Instinct (1992)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Better Off Dead (1985)

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

Blood Diamond (2006)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 11:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blown Away (1994)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

East of Eden (1955)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (4)

Rob Reiner

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street▶ 0:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrea Bias

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Black Adam, A Simple Favor, The Intern▶ 6:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 46:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 14:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (61)

River Phoenix

27 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for My Own Private Idaho, Stand by Me, The Mosquito Coast▶ 5:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Corey Feldman

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, The Goonies▶ 18:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kiefer Sutherland

11 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Phone Booth▶ 19:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Cusack

10 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for High Fidelity, 1408▶ 17:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry O'Connell

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Stand by Me▶ 19:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Dreyfuss

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Goodbye Girl, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mr. Holland's Opus▶ 1:00:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Castle Rock

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Corey Haim

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Lost Boys▶ 18:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alex Winter

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wil Wheaton

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Stand by Me, Toy Soldiers▶ 10:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Dukes

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Leonardo DiCaprio

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed▶ 6:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

Stephen King

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Maximum Overdrive▶ 2:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Norman Lear

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Fried Green Tomatoes▶ 25:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 29:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Stamos Triantafyllos

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Wonder Woman▶ 50:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗