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‘Vision Quest’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Ryen Russillo

February 27, 2020 · Vision Quest (1985) · Drama · Romance · Sport · 1:25:59

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 22:25Multiple scenes: Loudon dropping on 178 beating Chooch with Journey's 'Only the Young', Chooch carrying the log up the steps, Loudon watching Chooch pin his opponent in 10 seconds while taking notes, Loudon climbing the wall with John Waite's 'Change' playing, and Loudon losing by medical default to Louis Smith
Ryen Russillo▶ 24:17Agrees with several of another host's picks and adds details, particularly emphasizing the scene of Loudon watching Chooch wrestle while dictating notes on a tape recorder

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 43:36Madonna performing as an obviously talented pop singer in a middle-of-nowhere Spokane sports bar - she's overqualified for the venue and should be playing at places like the Viper Room in Hollywood instead
Chris Ryan▶ 47:01High school radio station making gossipy announcements during lunch - this is an '80s movies device that doesn't exist in real life'
Ryen Russillo▶ 44:29Agrees with the Madonna bar performance issue, comparing it to 'Gwen Stefani at the Northside Tavern outside of Buckhead' - the mismatch between performer caliber and venue

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 49:36Tom Cruise — Couldn't find any casting what-ifs, liked all the actors and wouldn't change any. Suggested Tom Cruise as Loudon but noted he wouldn't pull off the horny part enough
Chris Ryan▶ 49:40Michael J. Fox — Michael J. Fox as the main character (Shoot)
Ryen Russillo▶ 50:04Discussed Carla's performance improving throughout filming but didn't propose specific recasting alternatives

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 53:02Harold Sylvester

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 57:54Multiple facts: Modine's comment that Madonna 'looked like Boy George' and producers weren't impressed; Frank Jasper (Shute) dropped from 215 to 189 pounds, got role through wrestling tryout; Michael Schoffling (Kootch) was accomplished wrestler who had to scale back abilities; Modine story about fan crashing car on Venice Beach
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:30Modine's Venice Beach story about fan who crashed his car being so emotional about Vision Quest saving his life
Ryen Russillo▶ 58:19Detailed story about Frank Jasper's weight cutting process, multiple drops from 220+ to 189, how he got discovered for the role through wrestling background, and observations about Schoffling's disappeared career

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:37Matthew Modine — Modine - Full Metal Jacket over this movie; 1985 was John Waite's overall Apex Mountain; Spokane - possibly this movie; Fiorentino - probably the Pete Byrd movie
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:28John Waite - 'Missing You' is bigger than this movie's song
Ryen Russillo▶ 1:03:51Frank Jasper — Frank Jasper - this is his Apex Mountain; Singlet - Saturday afternoon wrestling from childhood

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:50Started to mention having some unanswerable questions but was cut off

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:56Multiple quotes including 'His own father has to use a live wire to keep him from fucking the fireplace' and 'I loved your piece on the clitoris. I showed it to my mother'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:19Highlighted 'I loved your piece on the clitoris. I showed it to my mother' as a standout quote
Ryen Russillo▶ 1:11:01Agreed with the fireplace quote and discussed the 'I want to be able to look inside women, find the power that they have over me' line

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:33Matthew Modine — Modine - because he's playing somebody with unredeeming qualities but you're still rooting for him
Chris Ryan▶ 1:23:16Linda Fiorentino — Fiorentino (Carla) - that's why they would go back to this movie, finds her performance punk rock
Ryen Russillo▶ 1:23:46Atlases/traditional atlases - because without Google maps it took so long to drive to his grandfather's house

Movies Referenced (40)

All the Right Moves (1983)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Ryen Russillo▶ 10:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jaws (1975)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo▶ 21:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 11:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 3:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Boat That Rocked (2009)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo▶ 48:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Any Given Sunday (1999)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 38:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Inside Out (2015)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 21:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Major League (1989)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 12:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Platoon (1986)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rushmore (1998)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 39:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Karate Kid (1984)

2 mentions · Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons▶ 8:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (8)

Ben Affleck

2 mentions · Ryen Russillo · Known for Argo, Gone Girl, The Town▶ 37:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Hughes

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 3:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harold Becker

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Sea of Love, Mercury Rising▶ 20:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Carpenter

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Dark Star, Halloween▶ 3:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lil Pump

1 mentions · Ryen Russillo · Known for Good Boys▶ 48:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Quentin Tarantino

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 29:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Parrish

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 53:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Spielberg

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 3:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (44)

Matthew Modine

56 mentions · Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Full Metal Jacket, Cutthroat Island, The Dark Knight Rises▶ 2:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Caruso

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo · Known for First Blood, Proof of Life▶ 47:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Jasper

7 mentions · Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons · Known for Vision Quest▶ 23:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael J. Fox

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Ryen Russillo · Known for Back to the Future, Back to the Future Part II▶ 49:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chooch Paglaro

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, Chris Ryan · Known for The Edge▶ 22:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harold Sylvester

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Uncommon Valor, An Officer and a Gentleman▶ 46:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Linda Fiorentino

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons · Known for The Last Seduction, Men in Black, Dogma▶ 12:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Louis Smith

4 mentions · Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons▶ 27:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michelle Obama

4 mentions · Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons▶ 26:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony Michael Hall

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Ryen Russillo · Known for Live by Night▶ 12:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlie Sheen

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Wall Street▶ 1:13:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Montana

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo▶ 11:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (1)

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 19:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Joan Rope

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 39:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗