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'The Longest Yard’ (1974) With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

June 19, 2024 · Comedy · Crime · Drama · 1:44:47

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 30:11Multiple scenes including the car chase and arrest, the Warden meets Paul Crew scene, the push-up guy confrontation, the library scene with Granville, caretaker's conversation with crew, and the entire football game sequence
Chris Ryan▶ 31:19Discusses multiple scenes including the Warden threatening crew scene and various moments from the football game sequence
Van Lathan▶ 30:40Agrees with the car chase scene and discusses various moments throughout the football game, particularly crew tanking and the final comeback

Apex Mountain

Van Lathan▶ 45:52Car chase Apex Mountain

Great Shot Gordo Award

Chris Ryan▶ 52:30the crossing the plane of the goal line and then the split away

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 52:43The football stadium
Van Lathan▶ 52:48The football stadium

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 55:19Homemade prison liquor/Raisin Jack

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 58:02The caretaker's death threat plot - Crew could have thought out the warden's threat to pin the murder on him better
Chris Ryan▶ 58:12Agreed with Bill about the caretaker death plot logic, also mentioned looped shots of the warden standing up in shock during game scenes
Van Lathan▶ 58:30General criticism of 'why don't you just tell them' plot devices in movies, including this one

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:14No, loves The Longest Yard because you don't know why it's called that until the last five minutes

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:52This movie is just as good about being about America as it is about sports - the thing that brings us all together is we fucking hate the boss and we love football
Van Lathan▶ 1:08:26There was a pregnancy in this movie and a life created inside the prison - Paul Crewe has a son

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:46Kirk Cousins — Discusses James Hampton sliding from Unger to caretaker role; proposes Kirk Cousins and Khalil Mack as 2024 equivalents of Joe Capp and Ray Nitschke; considers Fred Warner but agrees he's too good looking; identifies Unger as ultimate 'that guy' winner
Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:20James Hampton — Questions whether it has to be a middle linebacker specifically; considers James Hampton a 'that guy' to 99% of listeners; discusses Harry Caesar's role in A Few Good Men
Van Lathan▶ 1:10:57Fred Warner — Agrees Fred Warner is good choice but too good looking for the role; explains need for 'ugly linebacker' that audiences want to see get hit; considers James Hampton a 'that guy' but acknowledges context matters

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:33Listed multiple options including Charles Tyner, Bernadette Peters, Shockner, Richard Kale as Jaws, Pop (the Warden sidekick), and Michael Fox as the announcer, but didn't settle on one definitive pick
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:57Michael Fox as the announcer, noting that he also wrote his own commentary
Van Lathan▶ 1:13:05Bernadette Peters — Initially preferred Bernadette Peters because 'she turns up the heat so much in her second scene' going from standoffish to intimate, but agreed to go with the announcer

Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:04Tom Cruise — Cruise - calls it a Cruise movie
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:09Tom Cruise — Agrees this would be a fun Cruise movie, suggests both actors could have worked in different roles - Cruise as crew, Hanks as Scarborough

Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:50Prestige TV all black cast remake of The Longest Yard, or basketball version with convicts vs guards featuring a disgraced NBA star with races flipped
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:13Basketball prison movie called 'The Longest Three' and likes the idea of the Hansome Brothers being on the football team
Van Lathan▶ 1:29:45Contributes to the race-flipped basketball remake concept but doesn't give his own distinct sequel/remake idea

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:09Burt Reynolds

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Chris Ryan▶ 1:37:22Nate's speech about spending 14 years in prison and understanding you only have two things they can't take from you
Van Lathan▶ 1:37:32Caretaker explaining why football is so important when talking about shaving points

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:02Burt Reynolds
Chris Ryan▶ 1:38:07Albert S. Ruddy — Al Ruddy (producer who made The Godfather and had foresight to put Aldrich with Reynolds)
Van Lathan▶ 1:38:32Burt Reynolds — Acknowledges Al Ruddy's amazing career (The Godfather, Million Dollar Baby, this movie) but doesn't explicitly disagree with Burt Reynolds

Movies Referenced (39)

The Longest Yard (2005)

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 3:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Teen Wolf (1985)

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 25:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Any Given Sunday (1999)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 24:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Broken Arrow (1996)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 48:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jaws (1975)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 42:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Godfather (1972)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 3:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boogie Nights (1997)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 5:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 1:38:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pump Up the Volume (1990)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 47:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Shot Caller (2017)

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 55:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Domestic Disturbance (2001)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 48:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

For Love of the Game (1999)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 15:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

Iyi Tubi

12 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Ex Machina, World War Z▶ 7:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Aldrich

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 20:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 1:39:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Bellany

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Stardust▶ 0:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sam Peckinpah

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs▶ 23:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (52)

Burt Reynolds

28 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Boogie Nights, Smokey and the Bandit, Striptease▶ 3:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Justin Yard

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 3:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harrison Ford

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive▶ 5:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Adam Sandler

6 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Big Daddy, Little Nicky▶ 14:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bernadette Peters

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for The Jerk▶ 25:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Newman

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Road to Perdition, The Verdict▶ 9:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Pacino

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 27:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ray Nitschke

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Game

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Street Kings, The A-Team, Coach Carter▶ 15:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eddie Albert

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Roman Holiday▶ 3:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harry Caesar

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for A Few Good Men, Bird on a Wire▶ 27:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Albert Finney

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Erin Brockovich, Big Fish▶ 27:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗