Rewatchables Reference

• Everything from Riggs escaping torture through the 101 freeway shootout – an incredible 11-minute stretch (Bill's pick).
• The Hunsaker helicopter assassination scene – Riggs chasing the helicopter emptying clips into the ocean (Chris's pick).
• The handcuff/jumper scene – Riggs handcuffs himself to a suicidal jumper and they both jump.
• The Christmas tree drug bust – the 'shoot me' scene where Riggs swallows cocaine off a switchblade.
• 'What do you say, Jack? Would you like a shot at the title?' – the front yard fight.
• Riggs comes over to Murtaugh's for dinner / hanging out in the boat in the driveway.

• Christmas in LA – the Shane Black Christmas vibe; Darlene Love (who plays Trish Murtaugh) is the singer of 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)'.
• The chemistry between Gibson and Glover – 'one out of a hundred times' in casting.
• Gibson's 'NHL hair' – his massive blown-out mullet.
• The movie ending with an Elvis Christmas song ('I'll Be Home for Christmas').
• The helicopter/cliff scene filmmaking and wide shots of LA locations.

• Mel Gibson himself – his real-life troubles; some of that is present in Riggs's character (homophobic moments).
• The father-daughter dynamic – very strange bathtub birthday cake scene; Traci Wolfe was 27 playing what seems like a 16-18 year old.
• Murtaugh's giant portable Radio Shack cell phone – possibly competing with Gordon Gekko for first filmed cell phone use.

• Bruce Willis could have had 'Lethal Weapon'; Mel Gibson could have had 'Die Hard'.
• Brian Dennehy was lined up for Murtaugh but turned it down (didn't want to play another cop after 'First Blood').
• Ridley Scott was considered to direct but had tensions with Warner Brothers over Blade Runner.
• Shane Black originally wanted William Hurt to play Riggs.
• Michael Biehn was considered for Riggs but was filming Aliens.
• Busey was 'the opposite of red hot' – had to audition, lost weight for the role.

• Tom Atkins as Hunsaker – 'You find them and you kill them!' right before being assassinated; 'He had nine cups of coffee for 10 seconds'.
• Jimmy Skaggs as Coke Dealer Number One at the Christmas tree lot.

• Grand L. Bush (one of the Agent Johnsons from 'Die Hard') – winner.
• Ed O'Ross as Mendez (also Cruz from Another 48 Hrs).
• Mary Ellen Trainor (the therapist – in Romancing the Stone, Goonies, 'Die Hard').
• Tom Atkins as Hunsaker (lead of 'Halloween' III: Season of the Witch).

• The police hat guy in the Christmas tree drug bust.
• Runner-up: Gary Busey as Mr. Joshua – revived his career, set up 'Point Break'.

• Mitchell Ryan as The General (McAllister) – soap opera actor who feels like 'somebody called in sick'; compared unfavorably to Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber.
• The 'Lethal Weapon' franchise never really had a great villain.

• The General (Mitchell Ryan) – could think of 100 better actors; Sam Shepard, Harry Dean Stanton, Robert Duvall suggested.
• Traci Wolfe as Rianne – Lisa Bonet instead (she could have done this instead of Angel Heart).
• The doctor/therapist – someone like Mimi Rogers for sexual tension with Riggs.

• Jackie Swanson (Amanda Hunsaker) did the balcony jump stunt herself.
• The prop gun was a Beretta 92F (same as Bruce Willis in 'Die Hard'); has since been retired.
• There's a director's cut with ~7 extra minutes and alternate opening/ending.
• Gibson has a horseshoe kidney (two kidneys fused into one).

• Richard Donner – yes, this is it; sets up three sequels, makes him generationally wealthy ($200M net worth).
• Cocaine balcony jumps – 'this is probably literally apex mountain for that'.
• Jumps into giant inflatable cushions – number one.
• Drinking Coors in movies – this is apex mountain.
• Mel Gibson – no, Braveheart; Danny Glover – probably LW2; Gary Busey – no, Buddy Holly Story.

• Why didn't they just kill Riggs and Murtaugh immediately instead of torturing them?
• Murtaugh's gunshot wound comes and goes – shot in the desert, seems fine later.
• They didn't hear the helicopter approaching the Hunsaker estate – it's 15 feet away and Riggs is a sniper.
• Murtaugh's classified Phoenix program info would NOT be in a personnel file.
• What family comes in while their dad is in the bath?

• Fox did a 'Lethal Weapon' TV series with Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford – 'legendary casting fuck up'.
• Should have been a cable show – cinematic, profane, violent.
• Chris argues True Detective essentially remade this buddy cop dynamic.

• The Cosbys or the Murtaughs – who wins Family Feud? At their peak: the Cosbys. In the long tail of history: the Murtaughs.
• Is this a Christmas movie? Bill says no, Chris argues the holiday season is what opens Murtaugh to inviting Riggs over.

• The Beretta 92F used in the film – since it's been retired, it would be worth money (Bill's pick).
• Gibson's blown-out mullet wig/hair – a cast of it (Chris's pick).

Gibson and Glover together as a duo – it vaulted both of them; Donner also gets credit for bringing the Shane Black material to life.