Recorded: September 2nd, 2021
Episode #54 Overview
Chewie and Pip are back with another Top Five, and this time they’re ranking their favorite cop movies of all time.
The idea comes courtesy of Pip’s longtime friend DK, a police officer in northern Indiana, longtime friend and loyal listener of The 406 Podcast. In his honor, the guys narrow the rules to movies centered specifically around cops – not FBI agents, Secret Service or other law enforcement – which immediately eliminates a few potential favorites.
From there, Chewie and Pip work their way through two very different lists covering comedy, action, crime thrillers and gritty police dramas. Their picks include Super Troopers, RoboCop, L.A. Confidential, Die Hard, Serpico, Seven, Heat and Tango & Cash.
Along the way they discuss Paul Verhoeven’s unmistakable filmmaking style, whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie, Al Pacino’s performance in Serpico, the surprising depth of RoboCop, David Fincher’s dark approach to Seven, and the legendary Pacino/De Niro pairing in Heat. Their #1 choices couldn’t be more different: one is a sprawling Michael Mann crime epic, while the other is an endlessly quotable late-’80s buddy-cop favorite.
The guys finish with honorable mentions for Beverly Hills Cop II and Minority Report, plus movies that barely missed the cut including Police Academy, Tombstone and Training Day.
The Rankings
Pip
- #5 — Super Troopers
- #4 — L.A. Confidential
- #3 — Serpico
- #2 — RoboCop
- #1 — Heat
- Honorable Mention — Beverly Hills Cop II
Chewie
- #5 — RoboCop
- #4 — Die Hard
- #3 — L.A. Confidential
- #2 — Seven
- #1 — Tango & Cash
- Honorable Mention — Minority Report
Topics Discussed
- Top Five favorite cop movies
- Buddy-cop movies, police dramas and crime thrillers
- RoboCop and Paul Verhoeven
- L.A. Confidential and Serpico
- Die Hard and the Christmas movie debate
- Seven and David Fincher
- Heat, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro
- Tango & Cash and ’80s action movies
- Beverly Hills Cop II and Minority Report
- Police Academy, Tombstone and Training Day
Listen To Episode #54
Watch on YouTube | Watch on Rumble
Episode Chapters
0:00 – Intro
0:27 – Chewie & Pip
1:37 – Summer Catch-Up
2:09 – Escaping the News Cycle
4:20 – Tonight’s Topic & a Tribute to DK
5:35 – Top 5 Favorite Cop Movies
7:00 – The Rules: Cops Only
7:58 – Predicting the List Overlaps
9:10 – Pip #5: Super Troopers
13:19 – Chewie #5: RoboCop
17:53 – Pip #4: L.A. Confidential
21:36 – Chewie #4: Die Hard
25:26 – Pip #3: Serpico
29:07 – Chewie #3: L.A. Confidential
31:34 – Pip #2: RoboCop
37:13 – Chewie #2: Seven
41:46 – Pip #1: Heat
47:12 – Chewie #1: Tango & Cash
52:28 – Pip’s Honorable Mention
52:43 – Beverly Hills Cop II
57:22 – Chewie’s Honorable Mention
58:10 – Minority Report
1:01:45 – Movies That Barely Missed the List
1:02:10 – Police Academy, Tombstone & Training Day
1:05:03 – What’s Next for The 406 Podcast?
1:05:51 – Horror Movie Season
1:06:22 – Outro
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