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‘The Devil’s Advocate’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

July 25, 2023 · The Devil's Advocate (1997) · Drama · Fantasy · Mystery · 1:49:34

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 36:36Keanu meets Pacino on the outdoor water roof
Van Lathan▶ 38:40The opening scene (Keanu's cross-examination of the little girl in the pedophile trial)

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 59:55The voodoo meat scene
Van Lathan▶ 1:00:28The scene where she's painting her house and eating what looks like a four-piece from Popeye's, taking a whole breast and putting it in her mouth

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:01Suggests multiple New York locations including the Trump apartment and the roof, with slight preference for the roof as 'probably the coolest one'
Van Lathan▶ 1:02:04The roof

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:20the empty Fifth Avenue or whatever it's supposed to be
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:05the empty Fifth Avenue or whatever it's supposed to be
Van Lathan▶ 1:02:09the empty Fifth Avenue or whatever it's supposed to be

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:20Just seeing Jeffrey Jones in a movie has aged the worst

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:41No - keeps original title, suggests 'Paradise Lost' as alternative
Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:06Last Defense - to hide the twist and market it differently
Van Lathan▶ 1:10:11Damn, Yo Daddy is the Devil - as a Tubi streaming title

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:26I'm the hand up Mona Lisa skirt. I'm a surprise. They don't see me coming.
Van Lathan▶ 1:10:42I'm the hand up Mona Lisa skirt. I'm a surprise. They don't see me coming.

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:47Keanu is the greatest bad actor of the last 35 years

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Chris Ryan▶ 1:16:35No, Lomax is not a good lawyer - he's assisted by the devil at every point and never shows brilliance on his own
Van Lathan▶ 1:17:06No, he's not a good lawyer on his own merit - he's only special in the first scene, then everything else was the devil's influence

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:47Brad Pitt — Would have liked to see the 1994 Joel Schumacher version with Brad Pitt; also thinks Johnny Depp would have been really good at this point in his career
Van Lathan▶ 1:18:00Brad Pitt — Brad Pitt would have been better than Keanu and would have gotten nominated for Best Actor

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:58Charlize Theron — Listed multiple options including Craig T. Nelson, Southern accent reporter, Keanu trying to dial it up, and Pacino for the whole movie, but agreed with Charlize
Chris Ryan▶ 1:19:17Charlize Theron — Charlize Theron - demonstrated with quotes from her overacting scenes
Van Lathan▶ 1:19:14Charlize Theron — Charlize Theron - 'She's going nuts'

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:20Multiple trivia facts including copyright lawsuit over sculpture, outdoor patio filming details, Roy Jones Jr. fight specifics, Connie Nielsen casting story, 57th Street clearing, and Rick Baker makeup effects work
Chris Ryan▶ 1:23:21Nobody should be recast as Milton, rejected Redford rumors
Van Lathan▶ 1:23:02Tom Skerritt as recasting for Cullen and commentary on Roy Jones Jr. fight outcome

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:42Ray Jones Jr. — No actors from this movie; Ray Jones Jr. at height of powers; boning assistant while family gets murdered; Charlize Theron eating chicken
Chris Ryan▶ 1:25:45Satan/the devil on film
Van Lathan▶ 1:25:50Satan/the devil on film - a person playing Satan

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:34Barzoon
Chris Ryan▶ 1:27:28Barzoon
Van Lathan▶ 1:27:26Fan of man

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:20Keanu should go home more often to visit his mother, and it's weird when Keanu calls Pacino 'dad' at the end
Chris Ryan▶ 1:30:20Larry the journalist doesn't wash his hands after urinating in both the fantasy and reality versions, and the prosecutor randomly throws his glasses on Keanu's table in the courtroom scene
Van Lathan▶ 1:28:24The mother's behavior after having sex with the devil doesn't change - she just goes back to church like nothing happened, and there are unanswerable questions about whether she knows it was the devil

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:41Wayne Jenkins - agrees that Wayne wins again after Chris Ryan's scenario
Chris Ryan▶ 1:39:13Wayne Jenkins - creates detailed scenario of Wayne in Milton's office saying lines about Kevin being Prince of Darkness and referencing his complicated family situation

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:44And Justice for All — Injustice for All
Van Lathan▶ 1:45:55Bedazzled

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:47:36Free will - stop blaming other people, it's all your choice, and don't ignore your wife
Van Lathan▶ 1:47:51Keep the wife happy - happy wife, happy life, or else you'll have to have sex with your sister

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:47:59Al Pacino — Al Pacino (not his teeth, but the rest of Al Pacino)

Movies Referenced (43)

Speed (1994)

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 3:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 32:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 22:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chain Reaction (1996)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 3:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack and Jill (2011)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 33:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Wick (2014)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mystic River (2003)

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 53:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Point Break (1991)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Primal Fear (1996)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 19:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Any Given Sunday (1999)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 3:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blood Diamond (2006)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:04:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dick Tracy (1990)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 32:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (7)

Taylor Hackford

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Dolores Claiborne▶ 9:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Iyi Tubi

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Ex Machina, World War Z▶ 1:09:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joel Schumacher

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Phantom of the Opera, 8MM▶ 1:17:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

2 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 53:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Brady

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for The Hot Chick▶ 13:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony D. Syracuse

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Howard Hughes

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (64)

Al Pacino

57 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 2:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Keanu Reeves

37 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for The Matrix, Speed, Point Break▶ 2:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlize Theron

20 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Mad Max: Fury Road▶ 6:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donald Trump

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York▶ 14:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Van Lathan Jr.

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

Carrie Fisher

11 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi▶ 1:48:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Jordan

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Space Jam, He Got Game▶ 46:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Delroy Lindo

9 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Sinners, Get Shorty▶ 48:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Belichick

8 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 13:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Nicholson

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Chinatown, As Good as It Gets, The Departed▶ 33:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeffrey Jones

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Amadeus, Howard the Duck, The Hunt for Red October▶ 42:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Zazie Beetz

6 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Joker▶ 1:36:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Tony Gilroy

8 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Michael Clayton, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story▶ 7:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Milton

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 18:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny McBride

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Underworld▶ 58:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 33:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Worst

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Kevin Hall

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Walking Tall, To All the Boys I've Loved Before▶ 10:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jesse Moyes

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Fool's Gold, Knowing, The Great Gatsby▶ 48:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗