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‘The Color of Money’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

October 19, 2021 · The Color of Money (1986) · Drama · Sport · 1:24:39

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 28:16The black pool hall scene where Cruz comes back and does the 'Doom' speech, then proceeds to make all the shots in the Werewolves of London sequence

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 30:17Bruce A. Young who plays Bozell is the same actor who played Jackie the Prostitute in Risky Business - discovered this connection during research
Chris Ryan▶ 34:30In the original script, the Werewolves of London scene was written as James Brown music instead

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 48:39Supported the continuation sequel concept as an underused movie gimmick that works well
Chris Ryan▶ 47:18The way the movie acknowledges The Hustler - subtle references without being overwrought, creating a true continuation sequel rather than recycling the same story
Sean Fennessey▶ 48:04Agreed with Chris Ryan's point about the subtle acknowledgment of The Hustler, particularly how Newman's character becomes like George C. Scott's character without explicitly stating it

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 50:22Cameos from 1980s pool stars like Steve Mihalik and Keith McCready - they were bigger deals then but now nobody would recognize them
Chris Ryan▶ 54:40Two things: guys waving cash at bars when betting (now everything is Venmo), and the whole premise doesn't work with phones because Vince would be on social media immediately
Sean Fennessey▶ 55:40Warren Zevon being on the jukebox at Chalky's - questioning why that song would realistically be there

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 55:57Jackie Gleason — Discusses Jackie Gleason potentially returning as Minnesota Fats but agrees it was good he wasn't included, and explains Helen Shaver's character was added late to avoid misinterpretation of Eddie and Vincent's relationship
Sean Fennessey▶ 56:18Jackie Gleason — Agrees that it's good Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats is not in the movie

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 58:14Paul Herman — Mentions Bruce A. Young as candidate, Bill Cobbs as Orvis, Cruz's uncle from Cocktail, and Paul Herman in Atlantic City bar - says 'I go with him or Cruz's uncle' referring to Paul Herman or Cruz's uncle
Chris Ryan▶ 57:52Paul Herman — Paul Herman - the guy in Atlantic City bar who won the Akron Open and is in Goodfellas ('you want to see helicopters?')
Sean Fennessey▶ 58:08Paul Herman — Supports Paul Herman identification as 'beansy from The Sopranos' and notes his roles in Goodfellas and The Irishman, calls it 'a good one'

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:34Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio — No for Newman, Cruise, Scorsese. Yes for billiards. No for Clapton (MTV Unplugged was bigger). Yes for Balabushka cue. Uncertain on Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio but leans toward this being her peak performance despite other bigger movies.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:34Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio — Thinks Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's peak was probably The Abyss or Perfect Storm, but acknowledges she's exceptional in this movie. Agrees on sweater vests being at apex mountain.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:06:29Keith McCready — Yes for Keith McCready. Thinks Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves might be bigger for Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio than this film.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:24Vincent gets murdered within days or becomes an ESPN star; Top Gun 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling' for best Tom Cruise singing moment; movie is better NOT knowing who won the final game
Chris Ryan▶ 1:17:27Vincent rededicates to Stalker then returns to Child World; Vincent wins the final match against Eddie; Vincent and Carmen break up quickly after his death
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:17:38Vincent gets shot in the face 12 days later; movie is definitely better not knowing who won the final game because the 'I'm back' ending is perfect

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:41Paul Newman — Acknowledges Newman won the Oscar but debates whether he deserved it over Hoffman (Tootsie) or Kingsley (Gandhi), suggesting it's a difficult choice
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:21:29Paul Newman — Newman - he won the Oscar, though Sean criticizes how long it took the Academy to recognize him

Movies Referenced (46)

Risky Business (1983)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 30:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 13:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 32:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gandhi (1982)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 6:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Inferno (2016)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 16:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Maguire (1996)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 9:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robin Hood (2010)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Sting (1973)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 4:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 53:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Goodfellas (1990)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 58:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Green Room (2015)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 58:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Platoon (1986)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (4)

Martin Scorsese

20 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 1:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 4:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jacob Hair

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 32:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Brady

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Hot Chick▶ 23:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (80)

Paul Newman

77 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Road to Perdition, The Verdict▶ 1:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

38 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 1:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julie Christie

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Don't Look Now, Fahrenheit 451▶ 1:00:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eric Clapton

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Lethal Weapon▶ 40:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Caruso

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for First Blood, Proof of Life▶ 43:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Helen Shaver

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 37:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ben Kingsley

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Sexy Beast, Gandhi, Schindler's List▶ 6:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Drowning Pool

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 16:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve McQueen

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Great Escape▶ 2:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Cobbs

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Demolition Man, Oz the Great and Powerful▶ 57:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Turturro

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Barton Fink▶ 27:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Omar Doom

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Inglourious Basterds, Death Proof, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood▶ 28:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Roger Ebert

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 24:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Walter Tevis

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 56:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jordan Belfort

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Wolf of Wall Street▶ 1:21:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Vivian Lee

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Ivan Strasburg

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 10:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗