Author/historian Daniel Bessner discusses his favorite dystopian films with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes:

Movies Referenced In This Episode

Vanishing Point (1971)

Mad Max (1971)

Casablanca (1941)

Looper (2012)

Hollywood Boulevard (1976)

Chronicle (2012)

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Black Panther (2018)

Knives Out (2019)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Children of Men (2010)

Idiocracy (2006)

The Matrix (1999)

The Animatrix (2003)

Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)

They Live (1988)

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

Minority Report (2002)

Magnolia (1999)

War of the Worlds (2005)

Mission: Impossible (1996)

Escape From LA (1996)

Escape From New York (1981)

Robocop (1987)

The Warriors (1979)

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

12 Monkeys (1995)

Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1988)

The Fisher King (1991)

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)

Brazil (1985)

Time Bandits (1981)

V for Vendetta (2005)

Gattaca (1997)

Mad Max (1979)

The Road Warrior (1981)

Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Other Notable Items

Our Patreon!

Our pals at Movies Unlimited

The Hollywood Food Coalition

The American Cinematheque in Los Angeles

Spike Lee

George Miller

Steven Seagal

Daniel’s American Prestige podcast

Lawrence Summers 

Daniel’s “Life and Death of Hollywood" article in Harper’s Bazaar

Rian Johnson

Bruce Willis

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Josh Trank 

Ryan Coogler

Dante Alighieri

Barack Obama

Poker Face TV series (2023- )

Laura Dern

Carrie Fisher

Clive Owen

Julianne Moore

Lana Wachowski

Lily Wachowski

Slavoj Zizek

Keith David

Rowdy Roddy Piper

Joe Pantoliano

John Carpenter

Harlan Ellison

Tom Cruise

The Mission: Impossible film franchise

Philip K. Dick

Steven Spielberg

Max von Sydow

Kurt Russell

Peter Fonda

“Theme From New York, New York” song by Frank Sinatra (1977)

12 Monkeys TV series (2015-18)

Bruce Willis

Brad Pitt

Terry Gilliam

Henry Jaglom

The Occupy Wall Street movement

V for Vendetta graphic novel series by Alan Moore and David Lloyd (1982-89)

Ethan Hawke

Jude Law

Ernest Borgnine

Nicholas Hoult

Tom Hardy

Charlize Theron

George Miller

Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road book by Kyle Buchanan (2022)

The Star Wars franchise

The Indiana Jones franchise

Mel Gibson

Daniel’s American Prestige interview with Glen Lowry

This list is also available on Movies Unlimited.

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