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‘Victory’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

August 3, 2021 · Victory (1981) · Drama · Sport · War · 1:29:29

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 32:16Multiple scenes from the last 30 minutes including Pele getting injured, the tunnel speech scene with 'Please, Hatch' moment, the comeback sequence with goals, and Pele's bicycle kick
Chris Ryan▶ 29:35Discussed various scenes including the first Colby von Steiner negotiation scene and commented on the soccer sequences, but didn't clearly state a single definitive pick

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 37:02How are there at least 500 people not escaping when they're opening fire on the crowd

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 40:23Widescreen/HD technology for this movie, Prisoner FC team name detail, Pele's scissor kick, POW camps as movie premise, closing credits showing players with countries, the 'good Nazi' character concept, and Pele's legacy preservation in this film
Chris Ryan▶ 41:15Pele's bicycle kick goal (comparing it to Zidane's Champions League goal), British officers who domesticated the prison camp, beating Nazis at anything concept, and Conti's goal

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 50:39Pele holding his ribs and jumping up during the bicycle kick scene, plus Hatch's escape subplot to Paris
Chris Ryan▶ 51:19Hatch's escape subplot, particularly the whole sojourn to Paris

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 54:48Clint Eastwood — Discussed Roger Moore as John Colby but seemed neutral; explored Clint Eastwood as Hatch, saying it would be a completely different movie with no comic relief
Chris Ryan▶ 54:54Michael Caine — Prefers Michael Caine over Roger Moore for John Colby; suggests modern casting should be 'a more working man's Colin Firth'

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 56:21The two unnamed guys who help with the escape plan, sitting in the crowd (one with glasses who puts his hand to his face)
Chris Ryan▶ 56:44Maurice Roëves — Maurice Roves, the Scottish officer who later gets his heart cut out by Magua in Last of the Mohicans

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:40Osvaldo Ardiles — Agrees on 'If switch town' having apex mountain, rejects Stallone, Pele, Michael Caine, Werner Roth, John Houston, and soccer. Notes Ozzie Ardiles' 1978 World Cup as his peak. Suggests two-man sit-ups and old school calisthenics as apex mountain moments.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:03:41Michael Caine — Agrees on 'If switch town' apex mountain, discusses good Nazi performances in Great Escape, notes Michael Caine's use of 'bloody' as potential apex mountain for that word usage.

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:49Pelé — Pele - for making his enduring legacy, nailing the bicycle kick, and making soccer seem cool
Chris Ryan▶ 1:27:17Michael Caine — Michael Cain - for showing he could act under any circumstances and be believable as a soccer player despite lacking the skills
Chris Ryan▶ 1:28:44Pelé — Pele

Movies Referenced (28)

Rocky (1976)

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 24:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jaws (1975)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 24:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blue Chips (1994)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Red Dawn (2012)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:16:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Breaking Away (1979)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 25:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Casablanca (1942)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:25:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fat City (1972)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 18:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

First Blood (1982)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Dirty Dozen (1967)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 17:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Great Escape (1963)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 16:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Longest Yard (2005)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 3:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

John Houston

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 9:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 55:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Colorado

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hancock▶ 29:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ingmar Bergman

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Seventh Seal▶ 1:04:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Oliver Stone

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, JFK▶ 23:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (38)

Sylvester Stallone

24 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Rocky, Rocky IV, Creed▶ 5:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Caine

21 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Dark Knight, The Cider House Rules▶ 5:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Werner Roth

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Victory▶ 6:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bobby Moore

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Victory▶ 6:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Crazy Town

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Something's Gotta Give, Saving Silverman, Orange County▶ 21:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Conti

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for For Your Eyes Only, Rocky, The Right Stuff▶ 38:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gene Hackman

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven▶ 1:17:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

LeBron James

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alan Thatcher

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Stir of Echoes▶ 33:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Moore

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Moonraker, The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only▶ 54:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Revolutionary Road▶ 1:01:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Adam Sandler

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Big Daddy, Little Nicky▶ 3:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Andy Greenwald

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Joyce

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:08:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Robert Barcelona

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Elysium, Venom, Jurassic World▶ 20:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Kahn

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Jurassic Park, Minority Report▶ 33:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗