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‘Thief’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

April 1, 2021 · Thief (1981) · Action · Crime · Drama · 1:24:41

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 27:36Khan goes to the plating company to get his money, Willie Nelson's prison scene with Frank, Prosky's first scene, and the diner monologue
Chris Ryan▶ 28:02Agreed with the plating company scene and Willie Nelson prison scene, noting the intensity between the characters
Sean Fennessey▶ 30:30Supported Willie Nelson's acting and scene, discussed Prosky's unique combination of warmth and evil

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 40:14The waiter in the Chinese restaurant

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 59:48Roy Scheider — Roy Scheider - would have been all in on him
Sean Fennessey▶ 59:20Jeff Bridges — Against Jeff Bridges - too young, not tough enough, too sweet

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:44Robert Prosky — Acknowledges Prosky and Farina were 'that guys' but notes they became bigger stars, making the award difficult to give
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:50Robert Prosky — Suggests changing it to 'Old Rookie of the Year Award' for Prosky, Farina, and Peterson who became staples for 30 years
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:11Tom Signorelli — Tom Sicarelli (Ataglia) - only one who maintained 'that guy' status, always the eighth goon, never became famous

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:26Multiple trivia facts including: Mann brought Caan to Gunsight Academy firearm school, Howard Johnson's restaurant connection to Alan Siegel's personal story, real burglary tools used as props, 60,000-gallon water truck for wet streets, Green Mill jazz club was Al Capone's hangout, and Tuesday Weld's Wikipedia page details
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:05:46Discussed Mann's visual sensibility and how he would drive around looking at bridges and water to develop his aesthetic of urban landscape colliding with natural world, explaining the wet streets signature style

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:31No for Jimmy Caan, Tuesday Weld, Michael Mann, Willie Nelson. Yes for Chicago Diners and Robert Prosky death scenes. Yes for Joliet prison (alongside Blues Brothers).
Chris Ryan▶ 1:08:44Ferris Bueller's Day Off — No for Robert Prosky (too early in career, became prominent in early 90s). Yes for Robert Prosky death scenes. Ferris Bueller for best Chicago movie.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:12:07Contributed to discussion about Chicago movies, mentioned Chicago (Best Picture winner) but didn't give clear apex mountain picks for individuals

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:59James Caan-Tuesday Weld relationship editing is confusing; bulletproof vest reveal at the end isn't obvious enough
Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:16Questions whether Prosky's mall investment deal was actually that bad, given shopping malls were profitable in the 1980s
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:15:40Questions how easy baby stealing is and how you get a social security card for a stolen baby

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:09What happened to Frank after the ending? Thief vs Heat similarities? Why James Caan never worked with Michael Mann again?
Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:37Would choose Neil McCauley over Frank for a bank heist because Frank is too combustible and emotional
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:18:04Believes Thief and Heat share material - 'it's all one movie for Michael Mann' with same motifs in different ways

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:08Michael Mann
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:57Robert Prosky — Acknowledges Khan as the obvious answer but highlights Prosky as one of the great crime movie villains
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:22:22James Caan — James Caan (Khan)

Movies Referenced (31)

Heat (1995)

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 4:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blade Runner (1982)

5 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 9:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Public Enemies (2009)

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:12:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Running Scared (2006)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Collateral (2004)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Misery (1990)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 23:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Miami Vice (2006)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Godfather (1972)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 16:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Atlantic City (1980)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 57:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Straight Time (1978)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 11:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Weird Science (1985)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (10)

Michael Mann

33 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 2:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Colorado

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hancock▶ 27:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 6:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ridley Scott

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Martian, Blade Runner▶ 10:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Steinberg

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Altman

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Gosford Park▶ 16:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Rodriguez

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 13:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stanley Kubrick

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon▶ 1:08:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Heaven Can Wait▶ 8:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Hoffa

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Limitless, Furious 7, Creed▶ 1:08:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (37)

Willie Nelson

22 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Dukes of Hazzard, Wag the Dog▶ 19:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tuesday Weld

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Thief, Once Upon a Time in America▶ 44:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dennis Farina

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Get Shorty, Manhunter, Snatch▶ 28:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Caan

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Thief, Rollerball, Misery▶ 2:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Howard Johnson

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Eddie and the Cruisers▶ 37:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Belushi

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for National Lampoon's Animal House, The Blues Brothers▶ 51:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roy Scheider

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Jaws, The French Connection, All That Jazz▶ 59:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Prosky

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Thief, Broadcast News, Mrs. Doubtfire▶ 32:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Pacino

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 1:07:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gene Hackman

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven▶ 59:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeff Bridges

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Big Lebowski, Crazy Heart, True Grit▶ 59:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Belushi

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Red Heat▶ 50:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

James Kahn

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 21:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Mamet

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Spanish Prisoner, House of Games▶ 47:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lawrence Kasdan

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Big Chill, Wyatt Earp▶ 7:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Bruckheimer

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Top Gun: Maverick, Armageddon▶ 9:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗