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‘The Naked Gun’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt

July 2, 2024 · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) · Comedy · Crime · 1:36:19

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 4:24Dismisses the category, saying it's hard to pick nits with The Naked Gun since it's a movie made of nits, but acknowledges there are weak elements

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 4:34Initially wrote down every scene but narrowed it down to seven; specifically mentioned the bingo joke scene where the character opens a drawer and pulls out a bingo card

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 10:16The Naked Gun's visual presentation and timeless setting - it looks like it could be from 2005, unlike Airplane which looks dated from being set on old-fashioned planes

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 26:00O.J. Simpson/The Juice - called it possibly the strongest 'what's aged the worst' in Rewatchables history

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 49:03The Chinese food from Wong Wu's
Kyle Brandt▶ 49:12George Kennedy at the ball game eating beer, creamsicle, grapes, and then an entire cake one after another

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 55:59No better title - loves 'Naked Gun' as a great title even though he doesn't know what it means

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 59:51Leslie Nielsen should have been a bigger star - handsome, charismatic, good comic timing, but never appeared in an Oscar-nominated movie

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:47Bo Derek — Discussed Bo Derek for Jane role (would have worked), mentioned Vin Scully and Bob Costas for baseball announcing scene but had conflicts, noted George Kennedy campaigned for his role

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:11Shared multiple trivia facts: Queen Elizabeth attended an A's vs Orioles game with Reggie Jackson coaching; three 1988 comedies had steamroller deaths (Naked Gun, Fish Called Wanda, Roger Rabbit); Johnny Disco performed Drebin's umpire dancing; Ludwig's fish scene copied Game of Death; filmmakers wanted Brewers but got Mariners; Dodgers refused participation but provided stadium

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:36Leslie Nielsen — Yes for Leslie Nielsen, no for O.J. Simpson, yes for umpiring in movies, no for George Kennedy, no for Reggie Jackson, no for Montalban, yes for California Angels, yes for Priscilla Presley as actress, yes for bad guy toupees, yes for National Anthems with Enrico Palazzo scene

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:09Multiple baseball nits: leadoff hitter not swinging at three strikes down the middle, Reggie Jackson wearing a watch during the game, giant boobs billboard being in wrong location (south of Orange County, not near LAX), toxic waste in meatpacking factory, and why Mariners are fighting Angels when Frank only tackled Reggie Jackson

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:21Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson - could work him in as the pap smear character, the George Kennedy part, or the guy at Pier 32 that Frank negotiates with

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:05The writers

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:37The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear — Naked Gun 2 and a half

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:30You take a chance getting up in the morning, crossing the street, or sticking your face in a fan

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:55Leslie Nielsen

Movies Referenced (42)

The Naked Gun (2025)

13 mentions · ▶ 2:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Platoon (1986)

7 mentions · ▶ 36:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Step Brothers (2008)

4 mentions · ▶ 1:17:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

3 mentions · ▶ 22:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Teen Wolf (1985)

3 mentions · ▶ 40:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

There's Something About Mary (1998)

3 mentions · ▶ 11:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Police Academy (1984)

2 mentions · ▶ 55:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rushmore (1998)

2 mentions · ▶ 1:14:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scary Movie (2000)

2 mentions · ▶ 22:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Something to Talk About (1995)

2 mentions · ▶ 1:17:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Trek (2009)

2 mentions · ▶ 17:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Fugitive (1993)

2 mentions · ▶ 17:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (3)

David Zucker

4 mentions · · Known for Airplane!, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!▶ 4:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Phil Donahue

2 mentions · ▶ 16:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Allen

1 mentions · · Known for The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, Needful Things, Born on the Fourth of July▶ 43:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (75)

Naked Eyes

44 mentions · ▶ 2:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Reggie Jackson

20 mentions · · Known for The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!▶ 2:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anaheim Angels

17 mentions · ▶ 41:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hannah Nordberg

15 mentions · ▶ 25:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Leslie Nielsen

15 mentions · · Known for Airplane!, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!▶ 2:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ricardo Montalban

9 mentions · · Known for The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!▶ 2:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joyce Brothers

8 mentions · · Known for The King of Comedy, Spy Hard▶ 11:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

O.J. Simpson

8 mentions · · Known for Capricorn One, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!▶ 2:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Priscilla Presley

8 mentions · · Known for The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!▶ 2:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Marshawn Lynch

6 mentions · ▶ 27:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dan Aykroyd

5 mentions · · Known for Ghostbusters▶ 14:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Candy

5 mentions · · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Spaceballs▶ 14:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Roger Ebert

4 mentions · ▶ 15:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

'Weird Al' Yankovic

2 mentions · ▶ 3:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lorne Michaels

2 mentions · ▶ 14:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny McBride

1 mentions · · Known for Underworld▶ 1:02:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Cameron

1 mentions · · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 50:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pat Proft

1 mentions · · Known for Wrongfully Accused▶ 5:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Kai Blamey

1 mentions · · Known for Annihilation▶ 1:11:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lotfi El Gorda

1 mentions · · Known for Aquaman, Noah▶ 48:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗