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‘Trading Places’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

May 16, 2023 · Trading Places (1983) · Comedy · 1:38:29

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 4:49Eddie Murphy — Eddie Murphy - Trading Places launches Eddie to the stratosphere, making him probably the biggest black movie/TV person after this movie
Chris Ryan▶ 4:09Eddie Murphy — Eddie Murphy's 1980-1984 run as one of the great four-year runs in American pop culture
Van Lathan▶ 7:16Eddie Murphy — Both Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd seem to be peaking - they're young, hungry, in their creative sweet spot

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 41:00Multiple scenes including Randolph and Mortimer's chemistry, the gorilla scene with Beaks, and various rich guy moments like the door waiting scene and the Constance Fry song
Chris Ryan▶ 43:09Rich guy moments including the dinner scene where Louis tells Coleman to have the dessert
Van Lathan▶ 40:40The scene where Billy Ray finally proves his worth to the Dukes with the Kung Fu grip

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 45:30The big ending with the orange juice short selling scheme - that audiences don't need to fully understand the mechanics for it to work dramatically
Van Lathan▶ 46:11Discussed understanding the commodities trading after watching The Big Short, focusing on how the crop report serves as an important plot device

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 47:56How much money did they actually invest? They're on an island and in a boat but might have just been vacationing, not made three hundred million dollars
Chris Ryan▶ 48:09All the cash they had was from Jamie Lee Curtis's savings and Coleman's savings
Van Lathan▶ 48:14They had enough to do two things: bankrupt the Dukes and get them back in the game

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 50:31Crepe Suzette (that Coleman made for dessert but was told to go eat and puts in the garbage)

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 50:54The giant conference room where Winthrop gets framed

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 51:04The ending on the beach/island

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 52:00The train scene - citing issues with Beaks flying/riding train with passengers, not recognizing everyone, and the blackface
Chris Ryan▶ 55:11Supports the train scene criticism, noting it was unnecessary and could have been handled differently
Van Lathan▶ 52:20Agrees the train scene is problematic, focusing extensively on the blackface controversy and broader 1980s content issues

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 57:04Use of racial slurs, Jamie Lee Curtis nude scene impact, EF Hutton references, World Trade Center 'kill or be killed' line
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:03Dan Aykroyd's gross Santa Claus scene with salmon (traumatized him as a child) and blackface
Van Lathan▶ 1:02:06Blackface

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:48Agrees that Trading Places is better
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:42No, Trading Places is better than the original screenplay title 'Black and White'

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:56When I was growing up, we wanted a jacuzzi. We had to fart in the tub.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:03:00$5. Maybe I'll go to the movies by myself.
Van Lathan▶ 1:03:10Mortimer's incredulous response about half the money being from him - '$2.50. I gave you that.'

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:13Trading Places is the most underrated Christmas movie and is a better Christmas movie than Home Alone
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:04Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd should also be arrested for insider trading and market manipulation after stealing the crop report
Van Lathan▶ 1:06:06Chevy Chase would have killed in Dan Aykroyd's role - considering him as a recasting choice

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:11Richard Pryor — Provided extensive casting information including Richard Pryor/Gene Wilder originally cast, Eddie Murphy replacing Pryor, Paramount not wanting Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis being Landis's choice, Don Ameche replacing Ray Milland, G. Gordon Liddy originally cast as Beeks, and Rick Moranis/Dave Thomas originally as baggage handlers
Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:24Richard Pryor — Made observations about Richard Pryor's unique reason for not being able to do the film (setting himself on fire) and noted the trend of buddy movies going to the Caribbean
Van Lathan▶ 1:11:58G. Gordon Liddy — Expressed enthusiasm for G. Gordon Liddy as Beeks casting what-if and noted Eddie 'fucked over' Gene Wilder by not wanting to work with him

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:01Billy Ray Valentine and Constance by the Lake

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:35Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson
Chris Ryan▶ 1:28:35Proposed Wayne Jenkins interacting with Ophelia during the T-bill conversation, imagining him as a financial advisor.

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:22Eddie Murphy — Eddie Murphy for Best Supporting Actor
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:27Eddie Murphy — Initially agrees with Eddie but questions if it should be Best Supporting Actor vs Lead Actor, and considers the script as an alternative

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:14Don't be a racist asshole

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:19Eddie Murphy

Movies Referenced (47)

Home Alone (1990)

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Coming to America (1988)

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 4:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Halloween (1978)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 15:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

7 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 3:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Die Hard (1988)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:07:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Creed (2015)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ghostbusters (1984)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 13:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Running Scared (2006)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Silver Streak (1976)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:34:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Summer School (1987)

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 22:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Blues Brothers (1980)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 4:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

12 Monkeys (1995)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (3)

John Landis

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for The Blues Brothers▶ 3:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Hughes

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 8:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Capra

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for It's a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Night▶ 12:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (63)

Eddie Murphy

76 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Harlem Nights, The Nutty Professor▶ 2:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dan Aykroyd

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Ghostbusters▶ 4:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Belushi

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Red Heat▶ 4:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Pryor

10 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Silver Streak▶ 5:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jamie Lee

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Cold Mountain▶ 18:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chevy Chase

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation▶ 15:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ralph Bellamy

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for His Girl Friday, The Wolf Man, Trading Places▶ 20:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jamie Lee Curtis

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for True Lies, Everything Everywhere All at Once▶ 15:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Oz

5 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 56:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Duke

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Predator, Commando▶ 1:14:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gene Wilder

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Young Frankenstein▶ 1:10:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julia Roberts

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Pretty Woman, My Best Friend's Wedding▶ 1:30:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Billy Ray

20 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Captain Phillips, The Hunger Games, Shattered Glass▶ 11:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeffrey Katzenberg

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Shrek, Just Like Heaven▶ 39:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Timothy Harris

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Trading Places▶ 22:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Thorne Smith

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 22:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrew Cosby

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 25:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Barry Ackroyd

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Hurt Locker, Captain Phillips, United 93▶ 1:06:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗