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'Training Day' With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Shea Serrano

May 31, 2018 · Training Day (2001) · Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1:25:30

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 20:00the diner scene
Chris Ryan▶ 20:21the poker scene
Sean Fennessey▶ 17:41their first meeting in the diner - Tell me a story

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 25:42The music and the LA-ness of it
Chris Ryan▶ 25:45The performances, especially Denzel's performance
Sean Fennessey▶ 25:49The two main performances and the anti-hero quality that became consistent with later storytelling

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 28:18Dr. J's performance is just bad. It was bad then and now it's even worse.
Chris Ryan▶ 28:44The very first scene with Jake's family - seems like it was tested and added after the fact with really bad dialogue
Sean Fennessey▶ 28:36Macy Gray's appearance - it wasn't bad but sticks out like a sore thumb because she's not part of the culture anymore

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 35:34Snoop Dogg — Snoop Dogg - 'I'm giving Snoop Dogg just because it was so unexpected'
Chris Ryan▶ 35:05Cliff Curtis — Cliff Curtis for Smiley - 'I think I'm going to give it to Cliff Curtis for Smiley'
Sean Fennessey▶ 33:57Snoop Dogg — Praised Snoop Dogg's performance, saying 'by all accounts, should have been bad' but was good stuff

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 36:08Presents both Scott Glenn and Harris Yulin as nominees, discusses both extensively but doesn't make a definitive choice between them
Chris Ryan▶ 37:19Scott Glenn — Extensively discusses Scott Glenn's character Roger, praising his performance and the character's backstory, showing strong preference for Glenn
Sean Fennessey▶ 36:46Discusses both Harris Yulin's iconic roles (Ghostbusters 2, Scarface) and Scott Glenn's character background, but doesn't declare a winner

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 53:30Denzel Washington — Denzel Washington in Training Day - calls it his 'Michael Jordan 1992 finals moment' when he had everything except an Oscar and this iconic performance
Chris Ryan▶ 49:36Ethan Hawke — Ethan Hawke in Before Sunset - though also mentions Reality Bites as his movie star apex and praises his work in Boyhood
Sean Fennessey▶ 52:54Denzel Washington — Denzel Washington in Malcolm X - emphasizes how he plays three distinct characters (gangster, militant, spiritual leader) in one performance

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 59:40King Kong ain't got shit on me
Chris Ryan▶ 59:44You'll never see the light of the fuck you think you fucking with. I'm the police. I run shit here. You just live here.
Sean Fennessey▶ 59:53You better walk away. Go and walk away. Because I'm going to burn this motherfucker down.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:32How long it would take for the PCP to wear off
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:33What is Jake's tomorrow? What's he doing the day after training? Is he still a cop?
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:00Jake would try to become a lieutenant very young and rise up the ranks, similar trajectory to Edmund Exley from LA Confidential

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:58Denzel Washington — Denzel Washington won this movie
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:00Denzel Washington — Appears to agree with Denzel pick but response is fragmented
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:04:01Denzel Washington — Jokingly suggests Scott Glenn as alternative but seems to agree with consensus
Shea Serrano▶ 1:09:53Denzel Washington — Denzel Washington - calls it his cultural apex and discusses Denzel as greatest actor/movie star

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:29Denzel ad-libbed the King Kong line and they mixed up poker rules on Ethan Hawke to make him confused and uneasy
Shea Serrano▶ 1:17:19Ethan Hawke didn't know Denzel was going to slam the table in the diner scene

Movies Referenced (70)

Malcolm X (1992)

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea Serrano▶ 3:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

King Kong (2005)

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 18:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Flight (2012)

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano▶ 4:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Philadelphia (1993)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

He Got Game (1998)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 4:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 10:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Courage Under Fire (1996)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 11:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Crimson Tide (1995)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 4:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Man on Fire (2004)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pulp Fiction (1994)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 45:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rain Man (1988)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 23:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Big Chill (1983)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 33:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (18)

Antoine Fuqua

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Magnificent Seven, The Equalizer▶ 17:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 1:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Jackson

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for King Kong▶ 21:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carl Franklin

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Devil in a Blue Dress, Out of Time▶ 5:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Corner

1 mentions · Shea Serrano · Known for The Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 1:17:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny Boyle

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Shallow Grave▶ 35:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Lynch

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 21:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Davis Guggenheim

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Training Day▶ 30:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dine Haouari

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 20:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Bay

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Armageddon▶ 27:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Norman Jewison

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for In the Heat of the Night, Moonstruck▶ 15:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ridley Scott

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Martian, Blade Runner▶ 21:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (82)

Denzel Washington

129 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano▶ 1:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scott Glenn

33 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Hunt for Red October, Sucker Punch, The Bourne Legacy▶ 17:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ethan Hawke

30 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan · Known for Training Day, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight▶ 1:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

25 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 6:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Pantoliano

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Memento, Bound, The Matrix▶ 35:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny Trejo

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea Serrano · Known for Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators▶ 54:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Travolta

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Saturday Night Fever▶ 40:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Snoop Dogg

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Training Day, Soul Plane▶ 28:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Berenger

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Platoon, Inception, The Big Chill▶ 32:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tommy Lee Jones

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men▶ 40:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Will Smith

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Men in Black, I Am Legend▶ 3:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Matt Damon

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed▶ 11:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Malcolm X

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea Serrano · Known for Malcolm X▶ 3:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julie Siege

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 11:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Ayer

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for End of Watch, Suicide Squad▶ 55:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Greenwald

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Leonard

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 2:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Other Guys▶ 1:04:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗