Speed (The Re-Speed)
26 winners · 2 left open
Who Won the Movie?
Apparent consensusKeanu Reeves as Jack Traven
Keanu gets two of the three closing votes, with Bullock making it close.
Most Rewatchable Scene
Apparent consensusJack under the bus
The group cited several great sequences, with Jack sliding beneath the bus emerging as the final choice.
What's Aged the Best
Apparent consensusPre-CGI action filmmaking
The practical stunts, locations, and grounded production still give the film unusual reality.
Apex Mountain
Apparent consensusDie Hard ripoffs
Speed was framed as the peak of the Die Hard-derived action premise, with other possible apexes debated.
Open the full ledger24 more categories, in podcast order↓
Most 1994 Thing
Apparent consensusNo O.J. jokes despite the Los Angeles setting
The absence of O.J. references felt especially tied to the movie being shot before the scandal.
Great Shot, Gordo
Apparent consensusBus exploding behind Jack outside the coffee shop
The uninterrupted background explosion behind Jack was singled out as an astonishing production shot.
Best Character Name
Apparent consensusOfficer Jack Traven
Jack Traven was treated as the perfect short, unmistakably ’90s action-hero cop name.
Better Title
DeclaredSpeed
The hosts considered alternatives but defended Speed as a strong, concise action title.
Best Quote or Exchange
Declared“Poor people are crazy, Jack.” / “I’m eccentric.”
Hopper’s class-conscious exchange was selected as the movie’s signature quote.
Hans Gruber Scale: Villain Ranking
DeclaredHoward Payne — 8.5/10
Howard Payne ranked very highly, though his lack of physical menace kept him below Hans Gruber.
Sean Fennessey Award for Criteriagasm
DeclaredPacific Courier Freight production-design connection
A production-design in-joke connects the terrorist truck in two Die Hard films to Speed’s destroyed plane.
Weak Link of the Film
Apparent consensusThe extra 25-minute Howard Payne ending
The otherwise excellent film loses momentum when it extends beyond the bus escape to resolve Howard.
What's Aged the Worst
Apparent consensusDennis Hopper running
Hopper’s running was the clearest visibly dated performance choice.
Don't Worry If You Don't Make It Any Further: Best Line Reading
Declared“That’s a cheap gold watch, buddy.”
Howard’s gold-watch line received the special best-line-reading award.
Hottest Take
DeclaredThe bus should have been allowed to blow up
The deliberately extreme take argued that sacrificing the bus would have protected Los Angeles from catastrophic damage.
Recasting Couch
DeclaredNo change
The hosts explored numerous alternatives but did not want to recast or relocate the finished film.
Joey Pants Award for Best That Guy
Apparent consensusHawthorne James
Hawthorne James was recognized for playing Sam and the library security guard in Se7en.
Dion Waiters Award
Apparent consensusJoe Morton
Joe Morton’s performance was judged the most likely to steal attention beyond its intended supporting role.
Half-Assed Internet Research
Apparent consensusSpeed’s ending drawing from Runaway Train, Die Hard, and Silver Streak
The research segment connected Speed’s finale to earlier train and action movies.
Edie Falco and Coppola Award: Character Made Hotter by Smoking
No consensusNo clear winner
Annie qualified in theory, but the film never actually shows her taking a drag.
Rick Cicchetti Guard Meat Award
DeclaredSubway conductor
The subway conductor receives the most memorable disposable death despite presumably having a life outside the movie.
Picking Nits
Apparent consensusWhy not shoot the bus tires?
The hosts treated shooting the tires as the most obvious unresolved practical solution.
Sequel, Prequel, or Prestige TV
Apparent consensusHoward Payne prequel set in the bomb squad
The preferred follow-up was a Howard Payne bomb-squad prequel rather than another direct sequel.
Who Gets the Oscar?
Apparent consensusSound
The hosts joked that Speed’s sound work deserved the Oscar, while also lobbying for director Jan de Bont.
Unanswerable Questions
No consensusNo clear winner
The episode posed several questions without reaching a definitive answer.
Memorabilia Most Wanted
Apparent consensusBomb trigger stick
The bomb trigger stick was the most coveted physical object from the film.
Mr. Miyagi Award: Best/Worst Life Lesson
Apparent consensusLuck runs out sooner or later
The movie’s central lesson is that luck can sustain danger only temporarily.
Best Double Feature
DeclaredDie Hard
Die Hard was the unanimous pairing for Speed.