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‘The Saint’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt

April 5, 2025 · The Saint (1997) · Action · Adventure · Romance · 1:40:02

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What's Aged the Best

Kyle Brandt▶ 10:56The problematic on-set actor behavior - missing actors like Val Kilmer who would shove directors and bust up hotel rooms, finding that kind of difficult but talented artist persona 'cool'

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 41:12Discussed multiple scenes including Moscow Microchip Heist, Long hair Val seduction scene, Dr. Emma Russell cold fusion explanation, mouse race club, and Emma confronting Simon, with particular enthusiasm for the cold fusion explanation scene
Kyle Brandt▶ 43:03Long hair Val seduction scene with Thomas Moore character - 'It's fantastic. It's why you watch this movie'

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:22Simon breaking the wine bottle and then blading San Martino style

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:25The river
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:03:28Either the river or the rat race coke den with the prostitutes and mariachi band

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:06Val Kilmer as master of disguise - you can recognize him in every disguise
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:05:25Val Kilmer when he's not in costume - not charismatic, underplaying it, doing puppy dog love thing

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:01Ralph Fiennes — Discussed Pierce Brosnan (mid-80s), Ralph Fiennes who was offered $1M but passed and criticized the genre, Mel Gibson who passed after Braveheart, Hugh Grant who didn't like director's approach, and questioned credibility of Schwarzenegger rumors
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:11:58Ralph Fiennes — Criticized Ralph Fiennes for his dismissive comments about the genre, agreed Schwarzenegger wouldn't work due to accent issues, and discussed Tommy Flanagan (Scarface character) trivia

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:31Emily Mortimer — Emily Mortimer as the stewardess who flirts with Val Kilmer for 90 seconds

Hall of Fame Plaque

Kyle Brandt▶ 1:17:05That was the 90s rewind Hall of Fame. It's sexy as hell. I love that scene.

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:27Not Kilmer (1995 Batman/Heat was his peak), not Elizabeth Shue (she won an Oscar), possibly electronic music scene in the 90s, and definitively cold fusion
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:20:31Val Kilmer — Agrees Kilmer's apex was 1995 with Batman and Heat, notes his reputation was in the gutter during this movie

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:20Peter Schrager — Considered Peter Schrager fake laughing to a Mike Greenberg Jets joke in mid-October, but said he needs to workshop it for another month
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:28:36Gus Johnson — Gus Johnson calling the scene where Elizabeth Shue warms up Val Kilmer with her body heat

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:00The theme song

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:28How long will Thomas and Emma's relationship last given their incompatible personalities and backgrounds; What are the global ramifications of Russia having cold fusion technology and becoming a superpower; How does the blade mechanism in Simon's boot actually work
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:31:34Is Thomas' seduction of Emma illegal/immoral since it's based on breaking and entering; Whether Emma and Thomas will stay together given the power/money dynamics; How the retractable blade mechanism in boots actually functions

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:35:15If you have an idea that can save the world, don't put them in cocktail napkins in your bra, and change up your aliases - don't stick with one gimmick like Saint names

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:46Val Kilmer — Val Kilmer (agreed)
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:38:41Val Kilmer

Movies Referenced (55)

Batman (1989)

17 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons▶ 4:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Wick (2014)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 39:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

5 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons▶ 6:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 5:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Batman Forever (1995)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taken 2 (2012)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 27:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Braveheart (1995)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 1:12:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Good Will Hunting (1997)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 30:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Just One of the Guys (1985)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lost in Space (1998)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 22:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pulp Fiction (1994)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 19:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rat Race (2001)

2 mentions · Kyle Brandt▶ 48:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Joel Schumacher

4 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons · Known for The Phantom of the Opera, 8MM▶ 11:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 1:12:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 25:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Scott

2 mentions · Kyle Brandt · Known for Unstoppable, True Romance▶ 1:16:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Frankenheimer

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Seven Days in May▶ 11:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Heaven Can Wait▶ 26:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (83)

Val Kilmer

90 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for The Doors, The Saint, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang▶ 1:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Elisabeth Shue

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Leaving Las Vegas, Adventures in Babysitting, The Saint▶ 2:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Russell Crowe

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind▶ 11:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Thomas Moore

6 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons · Known for Stir Crazy▶ 19:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

6 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 3:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Morrison

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Forrest Gump, The X Files▶ 7:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Matt Damon

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed▶ 15:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Doc Holliday

4 mentions · Kyle Brandt▶ 6:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gene Siskel

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 40:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nicole Kidman

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Rabbit Hole▶ 30:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ralph Fiennes

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for The Constant Gardener, Schindler's List, The Grand Budapest Hotel▶ 26:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sneaker Pimps

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for The Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 1:03:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Roger Ebert

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 20:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Daft Punk

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Saint▶ 31:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Judy Blume

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 47:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Leslie Charteris

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Saint▶ 24:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nicholas Sparks

1 mentions · Kyle Brandt · Known for Safe Haven▶ 52:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗