Danger Close

If you are a Patron of the show, you will notice that this is our second film starring George Peppard and THIRD film scored by Jerry Goldsmith in a row! Is this just a coincidence, or some weird thing Liam has been doing with our film selection? Who knows!

This week's episode brings us a very famous WWI aviation film from director John Guillermin. It has been simultaneously lauded as one of the most accurate depictions of combat flight in that era, and maligned by the author of the book the film is based on for its inaccuracy.

Does it hold up? It's up to us to discuss, and for you listeners to decide. This was a highly requested episode, so we are looking forward to hearing what you all think!

Next Episode: Gettysburg (1993)

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From director John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, Birdman of Alcatraz, THE Island of Dr. Moreau) and screenwriter Rod Serling (The Twighlight Zone, Planet of the Apes), comes what many consider one of the best political thrillers of all time!

It asks questions of us that are just as relevant now as they were around the time of the JFK assassination:

Next Episode: The Blue Max (1966)

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BONUS EPISODE: Starship Troopers with Paul M. Sammon!

Just a taste of our Patreon offerings, for anyone who is on the fence.

Dan, Katie, and Liam talk with Hollywood legend and film historian Paul M. Sammon about all the bug-hunting details of this classic film from Dutch director Paul Verhoeven.

Paul Sammon has been in the business for a long time and was kind enough to sit down with us and tell us stories about his experiences in the film industry, the history of the film, epic mustaches, and more!

He has published dozens of books and has been involved in the making of a slew of films, including writing Future Noir (the making of Blade Runner), The Making of Starship Troopers, articles in The Los Angeles Times, Cinefex, and Cinefatastique among others; RoboCop, Robocop II, Platoon, Blue Velvet, Conan the Barbarian, The Silence of the Lambs, the list goes on.

This episode will be free for all listeners. If you enjoy it, join our patreon for only $4 a month here:

You can read more about Paul's work here:

Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments!

This film is...something. Depicting the first major battle between U.S. forces and the NVA, and the first coordinated use of helicopters in combat, there is no doubt that there is a story here that must be told. The common recollection seems to be that we all liked this film when it came out in 2002. But has it aged well?

At first, we were sure Mel Gibson had to have directed and produced the thing...but on closer inspection, it turns out he is only the star of the film. And he's surrounded by great talent! Sam Elliot, Greg Kinnear, a young John Hamm in his first major role...but what is that smell...?

OH, RANDAL WALLACE directing, that's what!! The screenwriter of Braveheart, and descendant of William Wallace. (Maybe). Turns out that he alludes strongly to that fact, but there is no proof of the claim. Probably not the only thing on his resume that fits that category.

Honestly, there could not be more stars involved here, including a graceful if mostly wasted Madeleine Stowe, but we kind of wish Randall Wallace had continued to live the life of a Scottish nobleman, drinking ale and not making movies. Alas, here we are.

Next Episode: Seven Days in May (1964)

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Based on Patrick O’Brien’s extensive series of novels set during the Napoleonic wars, and touted as one of the most accurate period pieces ever made, this film features Russell Crowe in his prime as Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, several brave little midshipmen, lots of swashbuckling, and...well, what more do you need? Oh right, maybe a proto-Darwinian expedition to the Galapagos complete with giant tortoises and flightless cormorants, a daring and adventurous biologist...and a battle to the death with the French!

See if we managed to pick the lesser of two weevils, and join on the high seas as we take the plunge into Naval history!

Next Episode: We Were Soldiers (2002)

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From writer/director Armando Iannucci of Veep fame, this dark comedy sheds some light on the inner turmoils of the Soviet government during and after Stalin's death in 1953.

Backstabbings and frontstabbings abound, and while it plays it a little loose with the facts, it doesn't have a dull moment. So toss off your cape, lock your doors, and join us before you get reported to the authorities!

Available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming platforms.

Next Episode: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

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Our first foray into acclaimed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's work, his adaptation of Macbeth has it all!

Available to stream on Criterion channel or Amazon Prime.

Note: as a reference, we discuss Justin Kurzel's 2015 Macbeth film in this episode, and there are spoilers.

Next Episode: The Death of Stalin (2017)

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There are few Hollywood movies more unbelievable than this true story of the mission to rescue six Americans during the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979, but are the liberties this films takes with the facts justified? Is it pro-CIA propaganda? And is it - in hindsight - deserving of the accolades it received upon its release? Please allow the flight attendant to collect all alcoholic beverages, as we are entering Iranian airspace in the 2012 Ben Affleck-directed Best Picture winner, Argo.

Next Episode: Throne of Blood (1957)

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Inspired by the Herman Melville novella Billy Budd, and shot on a small budget and in defiance of the French Military, the production of this movie saw more combat than actually ended up on the screen. But this tale of bitter obsession in a unit of the French Foreign Legion is as beautiful as it is confounding.

Directed by Claire Denis with Cinematographer Agnes Goddard behind the camera, next week we try our hand at our first bona fide Art Film.

Available as a Criterion disk or on their streaming service (free 14-day trial).

Next Episode: Argo (2012)

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In our second audience choice episode, Kingdom of Heaven just barely beat out The Dam Busters! But this may have been to our detriment, as us hosts collectively had to watch...something like fifteen hours' worth of this movie. And then we had the meta-struggle of deciding whether to cut our own short and long versions of this very episode!

In the end, we pulled together what we thought was the best of both worlds: a deep dive into Ridley Scott's phenomenal set design, swords and armor and all; and a conversation about the deeper meanings behind this film in a freshly post-9/11 world. Join us in the late 12th century as we parse out the historical from the not-so-much, in our crusade to find out if this 2005 epic still holds up.

Next Episode: Beau Travail (1999)

Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments!