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

December 24, 2018 · Tombstone (1993) · Biography · Drama · History · 1:15:40

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 25:31The Hell's Coming With Me scene followed by the killing montage
Chris Ryan▶ 22:50Likes the 'I'm going to turn your head into a canoe' scene with Kurt Russell pistol whipping and Val Kilmer's 'I got two guns, one for each of you'
Sean Fennessey▶ 26:32The Billy Bob Thornton confrontation scene with Wyatt Earp

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 41:24Richard Gere — Discusses Richard Gere as Wyatt Earp and Willem Dafoe as Doc Holliday - says 'No way not' and 'Thank God he was not Doc Holliday'. Also mentions Mickey Rourke almost cast as Johnny Ringo
Chris Ryan▶ 41:38Mickey Rourke — Agrees the Dafoe casting would have been bad due to Disney/Buena Vista rejecting him over Last Temptation of Christ. Says Mickey Rourke as Ringo would have been 'one too many cooks in the kitchen'
Sean Fennessey▶ 41:46Willem Dafoe — Agrees Willem Dafoe would have been wrong for Doc Holliday, saying 'Thank God he was not Doc Holliday'

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 46:49Jason Priestley — Kurt Russell: Tango and Cash (1989) - established him as A-list star at end of 80s; Val Kilmer: Heat (1995) - biggest mid-90s movie where he was De Niro's wingman; Jason Priestley: Tombstone - 1000% Apex Mountain, never bigger during 90210 peak
Chris Ryan▶ 46:32Jason Priestley — Kurt Russell: Tombstone era due to his ability to finance the movie coming off Backdraft; Val Kilmer: Top Gun era when people saw him as neck-and-neck with Tom Cruise; agreed on Priestley's Apex being Tombstone
Sean Fennessey▶ 48:08Kurt Russell — Kurt Russell: The Thing/Silkwood era (1982-83) - he got Oscar nomination for Silkwood and had great run including Escape from New York; Bill Paxton: Tombstone era as sweet spot when he was figuring out how to be Bill Paxton

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 55:33Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
Chris Ryan▶ 56:16Dana Wheeler-Nicholson — Supports Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, appreciates her performance and defends her against criticism
Sean Fennessey▶ 56:21Dana Wheeler-Nicholson — Discusses Dana Wheeler-Nicholson favorably, mentions her other roles including Bye Bye Love

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:19Multiple quotes including 'I never saw a rich man that didn't have a guilty conscience...', 'I don't think I'll let you arrest us today, B-Han', 'Make no mistake, it's not revenge he's after. It's a reckoning', and Kilmer's 'I don't' response
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:17I'm your Huckleberry
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:05:08Johnny, I apologize. I forgot you were there. You may go now.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:20Asks whether Kevin Costner would make Tombstone better or worse, argues Russell was the right level of famous while Costner was too famous and too focused on being an auteur. Also discusses whether anyone would want to see Kurt Russell's reconstructed 'Western Godfather' version of Tombstone.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:28Agrees you can't make the movie without Russell, notes Costner was in his own head about being an auteur and focused on different character aspects like romantic relationships in Wyatt Earp. Discusses challenges of Western filmmaking and director's cuts.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:44Uses The Other Side of the Wind as example of why film reconstructions often result in amazing documents but not amazing movies, argues he likes Tombstone's flaws and messiness as is.

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:15Val Kilmer — Val Kilmer wins the movie from a performance perspective, Kurt Russell wins it spiritually for keeping it alive
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:49Val Kilmer — Val Kilmer - he's the reason we remember the movie
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:12:32Kurt Russell — Kurt Russell - he's the star, it's one of his best movies, and he gets ownership of making it so good

Movies Referenced (59)

Wyatt Earp (1994)

15 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 4:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 11:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Aliens (1986)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 24:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Batman (1989)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 11:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Deep Impact (1998)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 6:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rambo (2008)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 3:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Abyss (1989)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 25:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Godfather (1972)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 3:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Armageddon (1998)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 6:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Escape from New York (1981)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 46:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Public Enemies (2009)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky IV (1985)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 50:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Kevin Costner

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 4:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Panos Cosmatos

9 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Tombstone▶ 8:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 49:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anson Jew

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Wonder Woman▶ 45:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Ford

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Quiet Man▶ 34:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Oliver Stone

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, JFK▶ 50:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (69)

Kurt Russell

51 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Escape from New York, The Hateful Eight▶ 3:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Val Kilmer

43 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Doors, The Saint, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang▶ 10:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wyatt Earp

25 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Tombstone▶ 2:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Doc Holliday

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 12:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Paxton

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Aliens, Apollo 13▶ 17:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carla Gugino

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Watchmen, Sucker Punch▶ 31:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jason Priestley

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 17:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Barbara Stanwyck

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Double Indemnity▶ 57:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mutya Buena

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Love Actually▶ 7:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Bob Thornton

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Sling Blade, A Simple Plan▶ 17:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Zane

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Titanic, Dead Calm▶ 16:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Rooker

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Guardians of the Galaxy▶ 17:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (7)

Lawrence Kasdan

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Big Chill, Wyatt Earp▶ 4:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Cameron

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 25:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Oscar Wilde

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Importance of Being Earnest, Dorian Gray▶ 40:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 15:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Towne

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Chinatown, Mission: Impossible, The Last Detail▶ 6:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jackie Files

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 56:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Jarre

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Rambo: First Blood Part II, The Mummy▶ 2:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Other Guys▶ 1:04:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗