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‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

January 26, 2021 · Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) · Action · Adventure · Sci-Fi · 1:27:33

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 32:07Multiple scenes: naked Arnold in biker bar, John Connor arcade sequence through bike chase, springing Sarah Connor from asylum, attack at Joe Morton's house
Chris Ryan▶ 34:02Praised the Galleria sequence as 'one of the most thrilling 20 minute sequences in movie history' and discussed asylum escape scene

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 45:30Arnold worked for a month to learn the one-handed rifle reload and accidentally gave Edward Furlong a mild concussion with the rifle during filming
Bill Simmons▶ 49:25Robert Patrick took sprinting so seriously that he was actually catching up to the motor scooter and they had to tell him to slow down
Chris Ryan▶ 43:06Referenced that the hosts would mention in research how the helicopter pilot, motorcycle work, and big rig truck stunts pushed boundaries beyond what had been done in movies before
Van Lathan▶ 50:23Robert Patrick reprised his T-1000 role for one scene in Last Action Hero

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 54:55Supports the police criticism pick, contextualizing it against late 80s issues and contrasting with Colors (1988) where cops were heroes
Chris Ryan▶ 54:42Agrees about police as bad guys, noting Cameron's healthy skepticism about police force and dehumanizing aspects
Van Lathan▶ 54:32The idea of the police as the bad guys - first movie where someone in police uniform is the bad guy

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 57:34Edward Furlong's inconsistent performance (like a scattered basketball stat line), the reveal that Arnold was a good guy (though notes people don't remember this was significant), and the 'Why do you cry?' scene being corny
Chris Ryan▶ 57:51Edward Furlong's uneven performance, comparing it to LaMelo Ball's inconsistency with occasional flashes of brilliance
Van Lathan▶ 58:07Edward Furlong's performance - showed glimpses of being one of the best but couldn't get out of his own way creatively and personally

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:19Sean Bean — Discussed multiple casting what-ifs: Sean Bean as T-1000 (would have been cool), Billy Idol considered for T-1000, Charlie Korsmo originally cast as John Connor, and Denzel Washington offered Miles Dyson role
Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:42Sean Bean — Likes the idea of Sean Bean as T-1000 despite it being fucked up for Sarah Connor, but doesn't believe Charlie Korsmo as juvenile delinquent
Van Lathan▶ 1:02:35Denzel Washington — Acknowledged Charlie Korsmo was having a moment but questioned Denzel Washington casting as too ambitious, though agreed Denzel wasn't A-plus list yet in 1990

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:13Sarah Connor's doctor (from both films), John Connor's arcade friend who looks like the kid from Big but isn't
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:22The twin security guards

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:07Joe Morton — Joe Morton (after ruling Robert Patrick ineligible for too much screen time)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:06:25Joe Morton — Discusses Joe Morton's performance, particularly the Cyberdyne tour scene
Van Lathan▶ 1:06:09Joe Morton

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:14Arnold Schwarzenegger — Yes for Arnold Schwarzenegger - this was his apex mountain looking at his four movie run leading to this
Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:56Edward Furlong — Yes for Edward Furlong, Yes for Robert Patrick and his running
Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:02Titanic — No for James Cameron - still thinks it's Titanic
Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:43Terminator 2: Judgment Day — Yes for multiple categories: insane asylums (with Silence of the Lambs), chin-ups, arcades, one-liners with 'Hasta la vista baby', and summer blockbusters as events
Chris Ryan▶ 1:16:57Terminator 2: Judgment Day — Agrees this is apex mountain for summer blockbusters in his lifetime
Van Lathan▶ 1:14:08Avatar — Avatar for James Cameron, not Titanic
Van Lathan▶ 1:20:22Terminator 2: Judgment Day — This is apex mountain for the Terminator franchise

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:13Multiple questions: What happens to Sarah Connor going forward? What would really happen if a liquid nitrogen truck flipped? Why didn't everything change when Miles blew up Cyberdyne?
Chris Ryan▶ 1:23:20Sarah Connor probably starts a blog, opens a tamale stand, becomes a fitness instructor. Also noted there's never any traffic in Terminator movies
Van Lathan▶ 1:24:44How does the T-1000 regenerate with cop clothes on? Also discussed that subsequent movies explain judgment day can't be stopped

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:59Arnold Schwarzenegger — Schwarzenegger
Chris Ryan▶ 1:27:04Arnold Schwarzenegger — Arnold - agrees it's a great performance on top of his action star persona, when he was the biggest star in the world
Van Lathan▶ 1:27:24Arnold Schwarzenegger — Arnold - describes it as 'the jersey that's going up in the rafters' of all his great movie teams

Movies Referenced (42)

The Terminator (1984)

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 1:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Matrix (1999)

6 mentions · Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 11:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Avatar (2009)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:14:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cape Fear (1991)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 10:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kindergarten Cop (1990)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 21:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Titanic (1997)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 14:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Total Recall (1990)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

First Blood (1982)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

True Lies (1994)

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 25:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Aliens (1986)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 19:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blown Away (1994)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (50)

Arnold Schwarzenegger

44 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Terminator▶ 2:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Patrick

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 5:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Morton

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 17:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Denzel Washington

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 8:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Linda Hamilton

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Terminator▶ 18:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Laura Dern

4 mentions · · Known for Jurassic Park, Wild, Marriage Story▶ 23:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mario Kassar

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for First Blood, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Stargate▶ 1:09:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

River Phoenix

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for My Own Private Idaho, Stand by Me, The Mosquito Coast▶ 44:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boys Club

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 23:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlie Korsmo

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Hook, Dick Tracy, Can't Hardly Wait▶ 1:02:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Hemsworth

3 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for The Avengers▶ 28:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Edward Furlong

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day, American History X▶ 40:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

James Cameron

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 13:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 24:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Klaus Track

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for The Dictator▶ 49:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗