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'What Lies Beneath’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Mallory Rubin

January 14, 2026 · What Lies Beneath (2000) · Drama · Horror · Mystery · 1:44:27

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Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 23:27Joe Mooney — Discussed multiple 'that guy' actors including Rogan (cameraman in Anchorman), Wendy Creason, Diana Scarwood, and Joe Mooney from Terminator 2
Chris Ryan▶ 23:28Referenced Joey Pants and discussed Rogan, but mentioned having his own 'that guy' pick that wasn't revealed in this segment
Craig Horlbeck▶ 22:37Mentioned getting actors like those in The Matrix and compared 'that guy' actors to Robert Horry - having titles but as side characters

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Mallory Rubin▶ 29:41If you stay in a haunted house that long you deserve to maybe die - Claire should have left pretty early after all the horrible things happening

Horlbeck Runtime Scale

Bill Simmons▶ 32:08154 minutes is probably the right move
Chris Ryan▶ 32:40Agrees it could be shorter, citing unnecessary lengthy sequences like the trip to get the key
Mallory Rubin▶ 32:11Should be shorter, remove about 20 minutes from the front - the slow deliberate pacing is too much on rewatch

Watch Party

Bill Simmons▶ 33:14Safe scary - kids can watch it, good for casual viewing situations like visiting girlfriend in college
Chris Ryan▶ 32:32Late summer vacation vibes - last two days of vacation before going home, with water nearby

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 36:12The dinner scene (loves double dates with info gathering and couple dynamics), the Ouija board scene (notes Ouija board scenes always work)
Chris Ryan▶ 35:56The binoculars jump scare through the fence, though notes the first half hour is somewhat unnecessary
Mallory Rubin▶ 37:05The fear sex scene between Claire and Norman, and enjoys the dinner scene dynamics

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 42:03Agrees Warren might do both - kill Mary and leave her for a student, calling it a 'same game parlay'
Chris Ryan▶ 42:19Discusses Michelle Pfeiffer's realization that there's a huge chunk of her life she doesn't remember, particularly regarding the car accident
Mallory Rubin▶ 41:54How many years into the future does Warren kill Mary? Because for sure he kills her. He just leaves her for a student. Or maybe both.

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 45:42Claire finds the buried chest leading into semi crying, confessing Harrison Ford

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:26Jodie
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:52Jodie - thinks they left potential on the table, could have been witchier
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:03:29Jodie - calls her 'awful, awful' for not telling about Norman's cheating

Hall of Fame Plaque

Mallory Rubin▶ 1:10:15If you're going to kill me, don't do it in the same way you killed your mistress who you cheated on me with. It's just insulting.

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:49No casting what-ifs because Zemeckis wanted these specific two actors
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:52Harrison Ford — Harrison Ford turned down Perfect Storm to do What Lies Beneath, creating a casting what-if for Perfect Storm instead

Dion Waiters Award

Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:28Joe Morton — Joe Morton the therapist
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:13:34Discussed Ghost Lady and Madison (no lines) as options, questioned if Jodie has too much screen time to qualify

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:06Tom Cruise — Goes through multiple items saying no to most (Harrison Ford, ghost movies, Zemeckis, etc.), maybe to 'cheating husband comeuppance movies', strongly supports Tom Cruise over Tom Hanks
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:13Tom Hanks — Tom Hanks - argues this would be counter-programming against his image, like Harrison Ford did
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:21:38Against factoring in actors' shooting schedules when making apex mountain determinations
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:21:09Tom Hanks — Against Tom Hanks due to scheduling conflicts with Castaway (weight loss/physical transformation incompatible)

What's Aged the Worst

Mallory Rubin▶ 1:27:39The portrayal of empty nest syndrome - the whole 'I've lost my mind because I'm an empty nester now and have no identity' aspect, calling it not the most delicate portrait in the script

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:32:02Enjoyed Fergie the Florist as an option, but didn't make a definitive selection
Chris Ryan▶ 1:31:38Fergie the Florist - imagining him as the threatening figure ('you're gonna do this for me')
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:32:06Discussed Wayne Jenkins as local law enforcement and expressed that Fergie is one of her favorites, but no single definitive pick

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:37If you're gonna go through all this hullabaloo to kill your mistress, figure out a better place to dump all of her stuff with the necklace - not in front of your dock
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:37:07Agrees with the life lesson about poor disposal choices, emphasizing he has a boat and could throw evidence anywhere

Memorabilia Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:18The Scott Carino photos - would frame them and give them to Jeff Gallo for Christmas
Chris Ryan▶ 1:37:25The boat, but if not available then his outfit from the boat
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:37:55Does not want Madison's braid

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:52Panic Room
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:38:57Panic Room — Multiple suggestions: Panic Room (agreed with Bill), Mosquito Coast (Ford as bad guy theme), The Fugitive or Presumed Innocent (guilty/not guilty ambiguity theme)

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:43Michelle Pfeiffer
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:39:48Michelle Pfeiffer — Said 'Rock solid' when asked, but unclear if agreeing with Pfeiffer or giving separate answer

Movies Referenced (41)

Fatal Attraction (1987)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 53:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Presumed Innocent (1990)

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 16:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Fugitive (1993)

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 12:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Good Son (1993)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 14:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blade Runner (1982)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 22:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Random Hearts (1999)

3 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 16:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dangerous Minds (1995)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 12:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Panic Room (2002)

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

Six Days Seven Nights (1998)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 17:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Lord of the Rings (1978)

2 mentions · Mallory Rubin▶ 1:13:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Matrix (1999)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 9:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Derwin James

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 3:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ridley Scott

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Martian, Blade Runner▶ 25:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rob Reiner

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street▶ 15:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher Nolan

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Tenet, Interstellar, Inception▶ 1:42:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Denis Villeneuve

1 mentions · Mallory Rubin · Known for Blade Runner 2049▶ 26:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Soderbergh

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Traffic▶ 50:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (51)

Harrison Ford

56 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive▶ 3:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michelle Pfeiffer

28 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan · Known for What Lies Beneath▶ 3:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

11 mentions · Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 25:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ouija Whittemore

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin▶ 40:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Gere

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Mallory Rubin · Known for Chicago, Pretty Woman, An Officer and a Gentleman▶ 23:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ray Baker

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Total Recall▶ 12:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clark Gregg

5 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Avengers▶ 26:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Luke Wilson

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums▶ 25:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scott Carino

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 53:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 1:21:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Elando Baltimore

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 1:05:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kelly McGillis

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Witness, Top Gun▶ 16:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Norman Spencer

41 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Vanishing Point▶ 20:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 33:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (3)

Martin Fuhrer

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Lord of the Flies▶ 57:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Burgess

1 mentions · Mallory Rubin · Known for Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Contact▶ 1:32:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Gantz

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 24:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗