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‘The Martian’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

October 13, 2020 · The Martian (2015) · Adventure · Drama · Sci-Fi · 1:32:52

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 34:46Opening storm scene, when he blows himself up with quote 'So yeah, I blew myself up', texting with NASA scene, potato farm exploding, and Starman montage
Chris Ryan▶ 36:43Supports opening storm scene for character establishment and Starman montage as effective despite being on-the-nose
Van Lathan▶ 35:42Agrees with opening storm scene and potato farm explosion as gut-wrenching, supports montages in general

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 58:13The 'I'll expect your resignation' trope/power dynamic

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:19Kristen Wiig's casting and performance - doesn't fit the tone and feels like she'll break into an SNL character
Chris Ryan▶ 1:03:20The unrealistic expectation that government agencies would feel compelled to level with the American public
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:02:24Kristen Wiig's tonal mismatch - doesn't have the register to be in dramatic scenes with Sean Bean and Jeff Daniels
Van Lathan▶ 1:02:23Agreed on Kristen Wiig lacking gravitas and believability in serious scenes, and skeptical about public caring about Mars mission in reality

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:49Jessica Chastain — Prefers Jessica Chastain over Cate Blanchett for the Lewis role - 'I actually like where they landed with Chastain'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:52Made a joke about Cate Blanchett's hair color but didn't express a clear preference between the casting options

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:05Benedict Wong — Benedict Wong because whenever I see him now in anything, he's the guy from The Martian
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:06:13Benedict Wong — Benedict Wong, but disagrees with another host's reasoning - knows him from the MCU/Doctor Strange universe instead
Van Lathan▶ 1:06:25Benedict Wong — Agrees with Benedict Wong as the pick

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:55Filmed in Jordan and Hungary with famous giant soundstage; NASA assisted filmmakers; Matt Damon filmed solo scenes for 5 weeks; real potato farm installed on studio lot; story set in 2035 when Tom Brady plays for Jacksonville Jaguars and LeBron returns to Cleveland for 4th time

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:47The Bourne Identity — Not Matt Damon's apex (says it's later with Bourne); suggests potatoes, botany, duct tape as apex/comeback mountain
Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:59The Bourne Identity — Potatoes and tarps as apex mountain; agrees Damon's apex is Bourne, not this movie
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:14:40Total Recall — Debated whether Mars reached apex mountain in this movie vs Total Recall

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:30Mark Watney space pirate monologue and colonizing Mars 'in your face, Neil Armstrong' quote
Chris Ryan▶ 1:21:00Sean Bean's 'he hasn't even told you the bad part yet'
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:21:05Mission Elrond reference with Sean Bean
Van Lathan▶ 1:20:12Chiwetel's 'are you kidding me' line

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:55Posed multiple questions: Where was Mark Watney's family? Is this the only sci-fi movie where nobody dies? CNN hosts in 2035? Being married to an astronaut dynamics? Mars sols vs Earth days?
Chris Ryan▶ 1:22:00Discussed Mark Watney's dating prospects post-Mars, astronaut spouses getting 'Tang money', and Instagram complications for space relationships. Noted it's probably the only major sci-fi where nobody dies.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:23:48Defended the movie's lack of character development as a strength, keeping focus on survival mission. Provided technical detail that a Mars sol is 24 hours 39 minutes.
Van Lathan▶ 1:22:20Mark Watney becomes the most famous man on Earth, spends 4-5 years 'hoeing around coast to coast' before becoming a teacher. Tang commercials, hanging out with Scarlett Johansson.

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:13Matt Damon
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:17Matt Damon

Movies Referenced (57)

Lincoln (2012)

23 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 23:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Revenant (2015)

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 8:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Goodfellas (1990)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan▶ 42:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Spotlight (2015)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 27:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve Jobs (2015)

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 28:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Total Recall (1990)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Black Hawk Down (2001)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 26:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boogie Nights (1997)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 43:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

First Blood (1982)

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 55:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Good Will Hunting (1997)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 19:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Minority Report (2002)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 3:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Aliens (1986)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 2:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Ridley Scott

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Martian, Blade Runner▶ 5:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Martin Scorsese

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 23:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Colorado

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hancock▶ 34:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Brady

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Hot Chick▶ 22:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 19:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 43:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (57)

Matt Damon

56 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed▶ 2:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mark Ruffalo

33 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Spotlight, The Kids Are All Right, The Avengers▶ 6:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Bean

30 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 2:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donald Glover

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan▶ 25:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jessica Chastain

9 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Zero Dark Thirty, Molly's Game▶ 25:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeff Daniels

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Squid and the Whale▶ 25:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kristen Wiig

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Bridesmaids, The Skeleton Twins▶ 25:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill O'Brien

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 41:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Will Smith

6 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Men in Black, I Am Legend▶ 10:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Benedict Wong

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Weapons, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness▶ 8:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kerry Washington

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Save the Last Dance▶ 1:02:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 8:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Andy Weir

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Martian▶ 25:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Drew Goddard

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Martian▶ 25:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Other Guys▶ 29:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗