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‘The Vanishing’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

February 7, 2023 · The Vanishing (1993) · Drama · Horror · Mystery · 1:11:15

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 23:36Multiple scenes including the opening 25 minutes (gas station fight and Diane's disappearance), Rita cracking the password, Jeff beating up Barney after the answering machine message, and Jeff and Barney's car ride

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 34:02Your obsession is my weapon
Chris Ryan▶ 34:19Your obsession is my weapon

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 34:58If you're going to die in the coffin like Jeff, don't use the lighter and set the coffin on fire - you should try to kick your way out instead
Chris Ryan▶ 35:11Agrees that using fire would kill you via smoke inhalation, suggests doing the Kill Bill approach and punching through, but acknowledges the coffin is under six feet of dirt making escape difficult

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 38:25Your obsession as my weapon
Chris Ryan▶ 38:29Nancy Travis saying 'no secrets, Jeff, in the heart are on the lips'

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 38:49Coffee - specifically the black coffee and how hot it was in the mug at 140 degrees

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 39:18The gas station
Chris Ryan▶ 39:06The boathouse scene where Barney has a meltdown drinking black coffee and smoking cigarettes

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 41:01Rita staying with Jeff after discovering his lies - that she wouldn't realistically stick around after finding out about his fake Army Reserve story and terrible novel
Chris Ryan▶ 41:05Rita's perma-sloshed friend from the diner who's always hanging out with her and getting drunk in the middle of the day

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 43:00The reviews of this movie have aged the worst
Chris Ryan▶ 43:09Jeff's poor emergency preparedness and the implausibility of someone disappearing at a gas station in the modern surveillance age, plus drinking and driving being normalized

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 46:41No better title, but suggests 'Your obsession was my weapon' would be pretty good

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 46:50I'm okay with remaking foreign movies that I would never watch

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 48:00Couldn't find any casting what-ifs

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 48:43Lynn Hamilton (Lucky Charms Lady) was Fred Sanford's girlfriend on Sanford and Son; filmed around Seattle with cabin in Monroe, Washington and gas station at Mountainside Shell Station in North Bend; Jeff Bridges fake arm casting was from Ted Bundy movie; Stanley Kubrick thought original 1988 Vanishing was most terrifying film he'd ever seen
Chris Ryan▶ 48:26Found IMDb message board thread of guys discussing what they'd do if buried alive; the 24-hour missing person rule is a complete movie myth - you can report someone missing immediately (confirmed by texting his police officer father)

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 51:42Nancy Travis — Nancy Travis possibly (early 90s range with Internal Affairs and So I Married an Axe Murderer), Full Service Awesome Gas Stations yes, Seattle yes (citing Singles, Sonics, Say Anything)

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 52:44Infinity Bracelet
Chris Ryan▶ 52:46The Vanishing

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Chris Ryan▶ 58:18If a cop asks you if you've fought with their recently vanished spouse, just say no

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:09Wayne Jenkins as the cop

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:35Jeff Bridges — Bridges

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:42Jagged Edge — Suggests the original film (tough four hours) or Jagged Edge with Jeff Bridges as another thriller option

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:11How did Jeff's book do? What's it about - how they killed this guy and got away with it?
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:58How did Jeff and Rita explain Barney's death? Wouldn't Barney's kid be like, where's my dad? Wouldn't there be an investigation?

Movies Referenced (29)

Buried (2010)

5 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 34:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cape Fear (1991)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 13:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Proof of Life (2000)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 17:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Speed (1994)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 18:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blown Away (1994)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Open Your Eyes (1997)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 47:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 53:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Internal Affairs (1990)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 37:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 51:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Menu (2022)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Shining (1980)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 50:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Vanilla Sky (2001)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 47:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

Richard Fearless

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Lost in Space, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, The Replacement Killers▶ 11:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Johnson

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Aliens, Alien▶ 1:09:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Roth

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Great Debaters, Maleficent▶ 8:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Bellany

1 mentions · · Known for Stardust▶ 0:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stanley Kubrick

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon▶ 50:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (39)

Nancy Travis

18 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for So I Married an Axe Murderer, The Vanishing, Three Men and a Little Lady▶ 2:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeff Bridges

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Big Lebowski, Crazy Heart, True Grit▶ 2:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kiefer Sutherland

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Phone Booth▶ 2:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sandra Bullock

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Proposal, Miss Congeniality, Speed▶ 3:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julia Roberts

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Pretty Woman, My Best Friend's Wedding▶ 3:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Matt Damon

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed▶ 0:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Angela Bend

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Office Christmas Party▶ 49:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Daniel Missing

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Florence Pugh

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 11:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gerard Butler

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Law Abiding Citizen, The Phantom of the Opera▶ 11:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kurt Russell

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Escape from New York, The Hateful Eight▶ 9:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Barty

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Masters of the Universe▶ 45:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (1)

Todd Graff

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Abyss, The Vanishing▶ 9:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Wilfredo Cancel

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for 22 Jump Street▶ 55:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗