Home/Episodes/'Talladega Nights' With Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, and Danny Kelly
'Talladega Nights' With Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, and Danny Kelly
September 8, 2026 · 2:08:17 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
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Most Rewatchable Scene
Craig Horlbeck▶ 30:31Runs through many candidate scenes (title card, opening vignettes, 'car handle real nice', the family dinner scene with Walker Texas Ranger/Chip, Ricky Bobby winning a race driving in reverse) without settling on a single final pick in this segment
Danny Heifetz▶ 33:07Highlights the dinner/prayer scene ('I pissed in my pants' line, 'I threw grandpa's war medals off the bridge') and its 'ape shit' line as culturally influential, without giving one definitive final pick in this segment
Danny Kelly▶ 33:12Calls out the 'Dear Lord Baby Jesus' prayer scene as one of the most iconic moments, but doesn't lock in a final definitive pick in this segment
Half-Assed Internet Research
Craig Horlbeck▶ 35:35Researched whether cars can actually drive as fast in reverse as forward for the Ricky Bobby reverse-race scene; found that gas-powered cars cannot (limited by having only one reverse gear), but electric cars physically can.
Craig Horlbeck▶ 42:38Notes that Amy Adams was not yet famous when Talladega Nights was filmed — she'd only done a small role in Catch Me If You Can and had just wrapped June Bug (which later got her an Oscar nomination) right as she booked this film.
Danny Heifetz▶ 34:25Strong theory that Beyoncé and Jay-Z's song 'Apeshit' (filmed at the Louvre) was inspired by Talladega Nights; also claims 'apeshit' as a term exploded in popularity after this movie.
What's Aged the Best
Craig Horlbeck▶ 59:02Craig's claim he could go 3-for-5 from three in an NBA game, standing wide open in the corner
Danny Heifetz▶ 58:52Rick's line about not wanting to live forever but with modern tech maybe he could hit 245-300 years old
Danny Kelly▶ 59:44The 'Laughing Clown Malt Liquor' brand detail (car sponsorship and dad's tall boy can) for Big Kahuna Burger/food-drink award
Big Kahuna Burger Award
Danny Heifetz▶ 1:00:20The Lucky Charms scene with the cocaine ('20 kilos of Colombian Bam Bam' / 'don't snort these')
Danny Kelly▶ 59:50Laughing Clown Malt Liquor - the running gag of the tall boy can his dad drinks throughout the movie and the car's sponsorship
Great Shot Gordo Award
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:00:36The crane shot atop the racetrack where the cars are racing and the crane swoops down into the driver's seat with Ricky Bobby
Danny Kelly▶ 1:00:51Praised the long crash scene shown in slow motion with the tumbling car and fire in the engine block, plus an earlier crash moment ('I'm flying through the air, this is not good'), and the pre-race flyby shot with fighter jets; didn't lock into one single definitive pick
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:05:49Would NASCAR-suggested alternate title 'High, Wide and Handsome' have worked? No — 'Talladega Nights is Talladega Nights,' you don't want to mess with that name; also raises whether Chuck Norris could've been cast given the Dodgeball 'F you Chuck Norris' joke.
Danny Heifetz▶ 1:06:30Agrees the alternate title is bad and questions why they couldn't get Chuck Norris after referencing him in Dodgeball ('you can't just run back Chuck Norris')
Is There a Better Title?
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:06:10Prefers the actual title Talladega Nights over discarded options like 'High, Wide and Handsome'; says 'you don't want to mess with that'
Danny Heifetz▶ 1:06:52Discusses alternate proposed titles ('High, Wide and Handsome', 'Red White and Racing') but doesn't clearly pick a favorite, seems fine with either the actual title or these alternates
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Danny Kelly▶ 1:09:34Sacha Baron Cohen's overly thick, slow French accent as Jean Girard, which he felt limited the character's comedic potential.
Racehorse Name Award
Danny Heifetz▶ 1:17:32"Shake and bake" - the catchphrase/line from the movie, which he says sounds like a great racehorse name
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:21:09Talladega Nights has aged better than Anchorman and is funnier if watched today
Danny Heifetz▶ 1:20:07Talladega Nights is the funniest sports movie ever made, period, better than Happy Gilmore
Danny Kelly▶ 1:19:07NASCAR is actually way better than he thought and he wants to start a NASCAR podcast
Danny Kelly▶ 1:22:29Talladega Nights feels too high-budget/Hollywood/glossy for a comedy; comedies hit harder when low-budget and campy
Casting What-Ifs
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:25:07John C. Reilly was originally cast as Brick but had scheduling conflicts and dropped out; for Cal Naughton Jr., candidates were Jack Black, Billy Crystal, and Dennis Quaid - Craig says no to Billy Crystal and Dennis Quaid, thinks Jack Black would've been funny but too silly/big, would steal too much thunder, while John C. Reilly is better at letting Will Ferrell be the star. For Jean Girard, candidates were Michael J. Fox, Seth Green, and John Stamos - Craig thinks Seth Green would be a disaster, Michael J. Fox feels weird, but John Stamos could work given his slick look.
Danny Heifetz▶ 1:25:29Agrees it's hard to imagine anyone but Steve Carell as Brick; questions whether they knew Borat was happening when casting Sacha Baron Cohen as Jean Girard.
Danny Kelly▶ 1:25:33Recalls John C. Reilly's Tim and Eric-style drunk doctor internet character as reasoning he'd have been funny as Brick; notes Sacha Baron Cohen had been doing Borat/Ali G bits for a while before Talladega Nights came out, mostly popular in the UK at that point.
Apex Mountain
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:42:29Will Ferrell's apex mountain is around this Talladega Nights/Stepbrothers era; thinks Elf is his biggest commercial movie but Talladega Nights fits the timeframe (2004-2008). Also picks John C. Reilly's apex as around this movie since it led to Walk Hard. Says Tom Hanks (not Tom Cruise) would be the right fit if Ricky Bobby were miscast.
Danny Heifetz▶ 1:43:11Argues Talladega Nights represents Will Ferrell's apex mountain because of how much creative freedom/juice he had ('blank check' pitch), coming off Anchorman; also notes 2006 as apex mountain for NASCAR movies and acknowledges Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat-era peak
Danny Kelly▶ 1:42:52Believes Talladega Nights is culturally bigger than Stepbrothers for Will Ferrell's apex mountain
Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:52:41Untouchable - glad Talladega Nights never got the rumored 'Ricky Bobby goes to Europe for Formula One' sequel, even though McKay considered it; Ferrell/McKay largely avoiding true sequels together (aside from Anchorman 2) is a good thing because this type of character-based comedy doesn't work twice
Danny Heifetz▶ 1:53:04Notes that a modern sequel would actually attract more sponsors/cameos (real NASCAR/F1 drivers, Michael Jordan, etc.) due to increased brand interest, though doesn't commit to wanting the sequel
Is This Movie Better With
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:53:48Declares Talladega Nights 'untouchable' - already has the full utility player crew (Wayne Jenkins, Fergie the Florist, Zane Lowe, Robert Evans, Dr. Charles Nichols, Ted Levine), jokingly considers adding Tom Brady doing play-by-play
Just One Oscar
Danny Heifetz▶ 1:55:51Jokingly argued for Best Sound, but ultimately conceded to Will Ferrell after debating whether John C. Reilly deserved it over Mark Wahlberg's actual nomination for The Departed
Best Double Feature
Danny Kelly▶ 2:04:20Considered Ferrell/John C. Reilly pairing (Anchorman or Talladega Nights), leaned toward Anchorman; also joked about Cars or Days of Thunder as alternates
Who Won the Movie
Craig Horlbeck▶ 2:04:43Will Ferrell - had consequence-free sex with his friend's wife, won the race, got all the sponsors, and was the biggest comedy star in the world at the time
Danny Kelly▶ 2:04:50Seemed to agree/build on the Ferrell pick, noting his character got the house and won the race at the end
Movies Referenced (43)
Borat (2006)
9 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly▶ 53:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Happy Gilmore (1996)
7 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly▶ 1:16:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Days of Thunder (1990)
5 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly▶ 1:06:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Directors Referenced (3)
Christopher Nolan
1 mentions · Danny Kelly · Known for Tenet, Interstellar, Inception▶ 1:35:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Martin Scorsese
1 mentions · Craig Horlbeck · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 26:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Actors Referenced (22)
Jim Carrey
3 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz · Known for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Bruce Almighty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind▶ 12:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Bill Murray
2 mentions · Craig Horlbeck · Known for Lost in Translation, Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom▶ 13:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Chuck Norris
2 mentions · Danny Kelly, Danny Heifetz · Known for The Expendables 2, The Way of the Dragon▶ 1:06:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Jane Lynch
2 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Danny Kelly · Known for Wreck-It Ralph, A Mighty Wind▶ 1:39:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Adam McCann
1 mentions · Craig Horlbeck · Known for Star Trek Into Darkness▶ 1:33:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Danny McBride
1 mentions · Danny Heifetz · Known for Pineapple Express, Your Highness, Tropic Thunder▶ 1:35:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗
David Caruso
1 mentions · Craig Horlbeck · Known for First Blood, Proof of Life▶ 1:27:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Jack Black
1 mentions · Craig Horlbeck · Known for High Fidelity, School of Rock, Nacho Libre▶ 1:26:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Jack McBrayer
1 mentions · Craig Horlbeck · Known for Wreck-It Ralph, Forgetting Sarah Marshall▶ 1:48:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Jeff Daniels
1 mentions · Craig Horlbeck · Known for The Squid and the Whale, Arachnophobia, The Purple Rose of Cairo▶ 26:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Writers Referenced (1)
Adam McKay
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Don't Look Up, The Other Guys, Vice▶ 1:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗