‘Sudden Death’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt
April 25, 2023 · Sudden Death (1995) · Action · Crime · Thriller · 1:35:47
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill Simmons▶ 5:45The hockey game sequence - describes it as an incredible sequence happening simultaneously with the terrorist plot, with the game being 2-2 and involving power plays
Kyle Brandt▶ 6:08Agrees with the hockey game being one of the most famous hockey scenes ever filmed, focusing more on the meta-commentary about the NHL allowing such a violent terrorist plot in their stadium
Apex Mountain
Kyle Brandt▶ 40:11Vision Quest — Running on stadium steps - Vision Quest guy holding log over shoulders up stairs still holds the apex
What's Aged the Worst
Bill Simmons▶ 53:31The kid actors in this movie are so bad (though notes it could paradoxically be What's Aged the Best because it's entertainingly bad)
Kyle Brandt▶ 54:30The inappropriate content involving children - parents putting the little girl in violent situations with people getting gunned down around her, Powers Booth threatening to kill her daddy
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill Simmons▶ 56:46The kids (especially the son who disrespects his dad), the dead girl opening scene, bringing machine guns to sporting events, lack of crowd energy for Game 7, missing Mario Lemieux, weak movie score, cheap roof fight scene, fake hockey players due to lockout, slow opening 17-20 minutes
Kyle Brandt▶ 57:25The disrespectful son, dead girl's open eyes being unnecessary, 555 phone numbers, cheap-looking Penguins locker room, and especially the excessive remorseless 90s violence throughout the movie
Is There a Better Title?
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:02:25No, likes that you can say 'Jean-Claude Van Damme is in Sudden Death' as a complete sentence
Best Quote
Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:33Multiple Powers Booth quotes: 'Dead heroes get the best funerals', 'Nobody does anything if it's right. They only do it if you make them', and 'Would you like it if I filled your little mouth with spiders?'
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:00Baseball or professional lacrosse need a terrorist attack movie the most because they are desperate for attention and would welcome it
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:04:22The Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals overtime terrorist attack from Sudden Death is the fictional sporting event he would most want to attend of all time
Casting What-Ifs
Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:02James Woods — Discusses that Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Willis all turned down the lead role for various reasons. Notes James Woods would have been better than Powers Boothe in the villain role, calling it 'a better movie' and 'no question'
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:09:29James Woods — Agrees James Woods would have been great, referencing his Lester Diamond role and saying 'James Woods was coming at this point'
Dion Waiters Award
Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:50Faith Minton — Considered the hockey coach, mascot maniac, and Luke Robitaille, but thinks the mascot person (woman who gets her hand deep fried) wins
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:10:34The hockey coach who tells Van Damme 'you feeling better? Well, then get the fuck in there'
Is This Movie Better With
Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:09Danny Trejo — Wayne Jenkins, Danny Trejo, Catherine Hunt, Steve Buscemi, Sam Jackson, JT Walsh, or Philip Baker Hall
Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:23Ross Malinger — Ross Ballinger - 'No, because he was really good in Sleepless in Seattle.'
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:14:36Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson - 'The line is literally, we lost the motherfucking vice president.'
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:17:00Powers Boothe — Kyle questions Powers Booth's value, referencing *Tombstone* and *Deadwood*, but ultimately seems open to the idea if the role fit.
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:09Does Chicago protest the game because Pittsburgh used an illegal player (Van Damme not on roster)? What happens with the game logistics - forfeit, reschedule, or neutral site? Does Brad Tolliver die from his injuries? Does anyone discover Van Damme played goalie or does it remain a conspiracy theory?
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:24:21Chicago would definitely protest the illegal player usage. Game would need to be resolved since it's Stanley Cup Finals Game 7, possibly picking up from when the illegal player entered. What's the sports media reaction to the fire marshal goalie hero - does he become a celebrity and get a hockey tryout?
Best Double Feature
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:27:26Under Siege 2: Dark Territory — Sudden Death paired with Under Siege 2: Dark Territory - a 1995 head-to-head matchup
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:42If your kids think you're an unemployed loser, the best thing you can do is foil a terrorist attack in front of them
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:29:53Going from being a lightbulb score winner to that's my dad - agrees with the lesson about winning back your kids
Movies Referenced (40)
Directors Referenced (5)
Chris Corner
5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 1:08:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Roland Emmerich
1 mentions · Kyle Brandt · Known for Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow▶ 1:17:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Actors Referenced (62)
Jean-Claude Van Damme
70 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Double Impact, Double Team▶ 1:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Steven Seagal
40 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Under Siege 2: Dark Territory▶ 2:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Alan Rickman
4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 30:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Jason Statham
4 mentions · Kyle Brandt · Known for Crank, Furious 7, The Meg▶ 16:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Steve Buscemi
4 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons · Known for Fargo, Reservoir Dogs▶ 1:14:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Bruce Willis
3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Die Hard, Pulp Fiction▶ 55:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗
James Woods
3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Hercules, The Virgin Suicides▶ 1:09:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗
They Might Be Giants
3 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons · Known for The Adjustment Bureau, Sky High▶ 1:06:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Tom Skerritt
3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Alien, Contact, Top Gun▶ 31:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Vin Diesel
3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for The Fast and the Furious, Guardians of the Galaxy▶ 1:33:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Writers Referenced (3)
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
Oliver Moron
1 mentions · Kyle Brandt · Known for Unknown▶ 57:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗