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‘The Purge’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

March 7, 2023 · The Purge (2013) · Horror · Sci-Fi · Thriller · 1:21:46

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 27:51the billiard room fight
Chris Ryan▶ 27:44the playroom fight

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 29:22Making it past 2022 - we're in 2023 and survived the dystopian future the movie predicted; semi-hidden gun cabinets with secret codes; the 85-minute runtime
Chris Ryan▶ 32:03The 85-minute runtime - perfect length for this type of movie; 'Release the beast' as a great saying; the fridge door hiding/reveal trope

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 34:31Queen Cersei with a giant glass of wine

Great Shot Gordo Award

Chris Ryan▶ 35:12All the surveillance stuff - the kid getting to look at the screens and seeing the stranger coming up, and all the use of security camera footage

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 38:16the idiot kid decides to just unlock the alarm

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 44:50Suggests 'Release the Beast' as a good alternative title, though notes it might be more of a horse name

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 44:58We're going to play the rest of this night out in motherfucking peace.

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 45:03Doesn't have a real hottest take other than wanting proof they didn't steal his 'felony land' idea and his leap year concept
Chris Ryan▶ 45:28Doesn't have a hottest take because the whole movie itself is a hottest take

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 45:39Couldn't find any casting what-ifs

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 54:59This is the 277th movie they've done, representing over 600 hours of movies to watch, and they've intentionally kept some bangers like Pulp Fiction in reserve
Chris Ryan▶ 54:00DeMonaco said in an interview that his favorite movies are around 50% on Rotten Tomatoes - movies that are polarizing or provocative end up in that zone, and there's room for 50% RT movies on The Rewatchables

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 57:01Ethan Hawke — Yes for Ethan Hawke (2013 with Sinister 2012 and three major 2013 movies making him a major star), Yes for Lena Headey (only successful leading role plus Game of Thrones phenomenon), Blumhouse around Get Out/Halloween 2018 era rather than Purge
Chris Ryan▶ 57:07Ethan Hawke — Initially thought Training Day was Hawke's apex mountain, agrees Blumhouse apex was Get Out era, supports Hawke's difficulty level doing original films with new directors

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:36The Purge

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:03The boyfriend character didn't work and was a bad rewrite - originally the daughter was supposed to try to kill the dad, which would have been much better
Chris Ryan▶ 1:03:36Ethan Hawke losing track of time at dinner on Purge night is unrealistic - he would be singularly focused and never casually lose track of time
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:46Henry's plan made no sense - what did he think Zoe's reaction would be after telling her he killed her dad, and he clearly hates Ethan Hawke more than he loves Zoe

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:33Wayne Jenkins in the last scene with Grace, realizing she's a sociopath
Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:02Wayne Jenkins at dinner that night, commenting on the food and purge night

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:04Multiple questions about purge logistics: what crimes aren't allowed, hospital situations the next morning, whether the purge actually worked to reduce crime, investing in glass/door companies, work dynamics after purge night, and professional targeting strategies
Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:08Why so many people in the purger group were horny, what kind of Yelp reviews the security company would get, whether it's a 'what happens in Vegas' situation the next day, and how work hierarchies would change with bosses being targeted

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:19Don't let anyone in your house turn the purge
Chris Ryan▶ 1:17:23Create an impenetrable bunker in the basement, turn off cameras, take Ambien and sleep through the purge

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:53Blumhouse
Chris Ryan▶ 1:17:55Ethan Hawke — Hawk (Ethan Hawke), though acknowledges Blumhouse is a good pick

Movies Referenced (41)

Escape from New York (1981)

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 3:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Wick (2014)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 25:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Leap Year (2010)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 13:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sinister (2012)

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 4:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Psycho (1960)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 24:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alien (1979)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Country Strong (2010)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 56:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scream (1996)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Godfather (1972)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 20:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 46:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Funny Games (2007)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 17:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Insidious (2010)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 7:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (3)

Chris Corner

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 30:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Carpenter

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Dark Star, Halloween▶ 3:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Corman

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Silence of the Lambs, Apollo 13, Little Shop of Horrors▶ 6:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (46)

Ethan Hawke

25 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Training Day, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight▶ 4:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Grillo

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Grey▶ 16:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Mulkey

8 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Captain Phillips▶ 46:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lena Headey

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 34:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jessica Chastain

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Zero Dark Thirty, Molly's Game▶ 51:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gerard Butler

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Law Abiding Citizen, The Phantom of the Opera▶ 19:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donald Trump

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York▶ 10:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Holy Fuck

4 mentions · ▶ 46:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jason Blum

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Get Out▶ 5:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 1:00:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brittany Staten

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 16:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Emily Brinks

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Menu▶ 13:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

James DeMonaco

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The First Purge▶ 3:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charles Manson

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood▶ 52:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗