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‘Whiplash’ With Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey

February 21, 2023 · Whiplash (2014) · Drama · Music · 1:34:25

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Hall of Fame Plaque

Bill Simmons▶ 20:33Agrees on Chazelle being the first person mentioned from the under-40 generation of directors, along with Coogler as the standout talents
Sean Fennessey▶ 19:04J.K. Simmons achieving cultural recognition - going from mostly unknown but appreciated actor to winning every award, and Damien Chazelle being recognized as one of the most virtuosic under-40 American filmmakers

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 41:44The opening scene - 'all of a sudden, he's just banging the drums. There's JK. Now the camera's going back and forth and we're off'
Bill Simmons▶ 44:12Fletcher gets rid of the Happy Meal kid scene - the 'rushing or dragging' sequence
Bill Simmons▶ 47:01The dinner scene where Andrew argues with his family about Charlie Parker vs. his football-playing cousins
Sean Fennessey▶ 45:47Agrees with the opening and supports the 'rushing or dragging' scene as iconic, noting it's what gets parodied and quoted most

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:10M&Ms and popcorn combination (claims to have invented it)

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:04Suggested both The Jazz Bar and The Broom Closet where he's practicing

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:09Multiple shots: opening scene, bloody hand in ice water, and the ending with cross-cutting between drumming and JK Simmons getting excited
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:11:31Series of reaction shots showing faces and insert shots of drum details, describing it as 'a movie of faces'

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:02Missing a scene between the main character and his girlfriend to establish their connection, though likes both actors
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:13:04The mean-spirited insults aging poorly in modern context, and criticisms about jazz accuracy being misplaced

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:46No - likes 'Whiplash' because of the double/triple meaning, though mentions 'Caravan' as a possibility
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:16:52'Drummed Out' - though acknowledges it might be too obvious about what the movie is about

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:18There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job.

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:09Moisa Benoist must hate Emma Stone because Emma Stone keeps taking roles that were supposed to be hers
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:18:19Whiplash is still by far Chazelle's best movie and is better than La La Land despite La La Land's greater success

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:08Chris Mulkey — Mentions Happy Meal Kid and Chris Mulkey as possibilities for overacting
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:19:03Chris Mulkey — Acknowledges it's tough because the movie is about overdoing it, provides background on Chris Mulkey's other roles

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:34Damien Chazelle — Tower hasn't had Apex Mountain yet but will have something bigger coming. Chazelle's is La La Land.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:22:01Tom Cruise — Tower's Apex Mountain is probably Maverick for now, but he'll have a bigger moment. Chazelle's is La La Land.

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:52Suggested multiple options: Caravan, Happy Meal, Pick and Nits, and noted that all jazz titles work as racehorse names

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:31Wayne Jenkins
Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:31Danny Trejo
Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:31Kathryn Hahn — Catherine Hahn
Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:31Steve Buscemi
Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:31Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson
Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:31J.T. Walsh — JT Walsh
Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:31Philip Baker Hall
Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:43Suggests Wayne Jenkins could have played the uncle character.

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:15Tár — Mentions Tar as obvious but grueling choice, suggests Officer and a Gentleman as good combo for different eras

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:28There's a price to being great. Do you want to pay the price or not?

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:44Damien Chazelle — Agrees with Chazelle pick, noting he emerges as a major director and acknowledges 'we got one'
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:31:37Damien Chazelle — Damien Chazelle - calls it the ultimate calling card movie that put him on the map as one of the big directors in Hollywood

Movies Referenced (49)

La La Land (2016)

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 21:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boyhood (2014)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 23:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Babylon (2022)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 22:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boogie Nights (1997)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 26:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

First Blood (1982)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 48:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Juno (2007)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 7:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

American Sniper (2014)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 23:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Divergent (2014)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 31:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 29:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Project X (2012)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Spider-Man (2002)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 7:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taxi Driver (1976)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 21:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Jason Reitman

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Up in the Air, Saturday Night▶ 7:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Bellany

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Stardust▶ 24:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sidney Lumet

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for 12 Angry Men▶ 48:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Hackford

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Dolores Claiborne▶ 57:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Todd Field

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Tár, Little Children▶ 1:08:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wes Anderson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Royal Tenenbaums, Isle of Dogs▶ 24:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (77)

Miles Teller

25 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Whiplash▶ 5:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

J.K. Simmons

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Whiplash, Juno, La La Land▶ 2:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlie Parker

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 47:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Reiser

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Aliens, Whiplash▶ 58:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Buddy Rich

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Whiplash, Motherless Brooklyn▶ 14:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Diane Keaton

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Annie Hall, Something's Gotta Give▶ 24:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Pacino

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 3:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bradley Cooper

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for A Star Is Born, Silver Linings Playbook, American Sniper▶ 20:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Mulkey

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Captain Phillips▶ 48:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Schillinger

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Connie Britton

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for American Ultra▶ 18:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ethan Hawke

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Training Day, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight▶ 23:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

Damien Chazelle

41 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Whiplash, La La Land, First Man▶ 2:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Justin Hurwitz

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for La La Land, First Man, Whiplash▶ 1:09:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kurt Warner

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

6 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Other Guys▶ 3:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗