Rewatchables Reference

• Bill: The bridge and reunion scene – last 14 minutes of the movie.
• Chris: The Fuentes scene, starting with Denzel walking in with a rocket launcher. 'Forgiveness is between them and God. It's my job to arrange the meeting.'
• Craig: Denzel and Dakota Fanning swim practice – 'Not even close. I could have watched that for three hours.'

• Mexico City as an action movie location.
• The opening graphic: 'There's one kidnapping every 60 minutes in Latin America, 70% of the victims don't survive.'
• Trent Reznor doing the score alongside Harry Gregson-Williams.
• Marc Anthony in the movie.
• Dakota Fanning swimming – Tony Scott filming the swim scenes like a major sporting event.

• The kidnapping scene – the gunshot, Dakota realizing, the frame cutting back, starting with the dog, the cop car pulling up.
• The Fuentes burning car scene – reflections of the flames make it look like Fuentes is on fire, representing he's going to hell.

The rave scene music.

• The title card 'John Creasy 1964-2004' – Chris: 'This isn't John Adams.'
• The subsequent date cards at the end are unnecessary.

• Dakota Fanning not becoming the biggest actress in the world as expected.
• Radha Mitchell developing a Southern accent midway through the movie.
• Denzel's Spanish going in and out.
• John Creasy as a rave attendee with a bandana on his head.

• Bill: 'This is my favorite Denzel movie' – acknowledged as a genuine hot take.
• Chris: Sammy's financial woes seem largely rooted in his father's gambling.

• Russell Crowe was offered the role of Creasy but turned it down – said 'Have you seen 'Proof of Life'? I've been there, done that.'
• Will Smith was considered – would have been good but not as good as Denzel.
• Tom Cruise and Bruce Willis were mentioned as possibilities over the years.
• Marlon Brando was supposedly considered for the Rayburn character (Walken's role).
• Walken was originally supposed to play the lawyer (Mickey Rourke's role) but wanted the other part.
• Anton Fuqua and Michael Bay were both offered the chance to direct.

Marc Anthony's confession scene: 'I did it! I did it for the three of us!' and his confrontation with Denzel about the kidnapping.

• Giancarlo Giannini – described as 'the official Italian double of Al Pacino.'
• Rachel Ticotin – hosts note she should have been a bigger star.

• Christopher Walken – described as a 'permanent heat check guy' in this era. Compared to Jordan Clarkson.
• Other candidates: Mickey Rourke, Rachel Ticotin.

• Angelina Jolie (2004 Mr. & Mrs. Smith era) as the mom Lisa instead of Radha Mitchell.
• Javier Bardem as the Marc Anthony part (Samuel).

• Brian Helgeland discovered the source novel via Tarantino at a video store.
• Denzel was going through an 'actor identity crisis' after winning the Oscar for 'Training Day' in 2001.
• Mickey Rourke and Denzel did not get along during filming.
• Dakota Fanning's missing teeth – they considered fake teeth and decided against them.
• Denzel spent 10 days in advanced weapons training.
• Mexico City crew targeted for kidnapping; crew members robbed at gunpoint.
• The kidnappers modeled after the Arizmendi gang ($300M in ransom over six years).
• The alternate ending (butt bomb at the Voice's house) and the deleted sex scene.

• Denzel: No.
• Tony Scott: No.
• Christopher Walken: No.
• Dakota Fanning: Argued yes – she was a child going toe to toe with Denzel, felt like she would be a generational actress.
• Kid swimming meets: 'Fuck yes.'
• Mexico City as an action locale: Yes or close.
• Rachel Ticotin: Still 'Total Recall'.

• Creasy walks off four bullet wounds and is back in action a month later.
• Why wouldn't they kill Creasy in the hospital?
• Would you bleed to death getting your hand shot off? The guy's stump isn't even bleeding later.
• Hard to follow in the last hour how Creasy gets from point A to B to C with information gathering.
• Mariana the journalist throws the weight of the press behind a vigilante mission with no editorial oversight.
• The kidnapping plan itself: any plan where 'somebody's taking my kid for two days' is insane to greenlight.

• Would be incredible as prestige TV.
• Prequel idea: Walken and Denzel in the '80s/'90s counterterrorism operations.
• Sequel idea: Dakota Fanning going back to Mexico doing Creasy's old job – 'Woman on Fire.'

• Why wasn't Radha Mitchell a bigger star?
• Did 'John Wick' rip off this movie blatantly or just peripherally?
• Does Devante Adams do the 'Man on Fire walk' as a tribute?
• Why wouldn't Creasy have figured out a way to kill everyone at the end instead of making a deal?

• Chris: Denzel's varsity jacket from the last half of the movie, or his entire rave ensemble.
• Bill: The St. Jude medal/necklace chain – 'an important part of the movie.'

• Don't arrange your own child's kidnapping.
• If your lawyer tells you that your wife is a 'sweet piece of ass,' get a different lawyer.
• 'There is no tough. There is trained and untrained.'

• Bill: Flight (damaged Denzel double feature).
• Chris: 'Proof of Life'.

• Bill: Denzel Washington.
• Chris: Agrees it's Denzel; also makes the case for Tony Scott as his most hallucinatory and favorite Tony Scott movie.