Danger Close

Can we still enjoy early, pre-winning Charlie Sheen? How well does a comedy so firmly rooted in the early 90s hold up? Tune in for our possibly ill-advised break from the serious as we venture into the absurdity of this Gulf War/Top Gun spoof from 1991: HOT SHOTS!

Next Episode: Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

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A story told through the eyes of a British woman as a child, young nurse, and old writer, Atonement is an epic romance spanning from the pre-war years to Britain's strategic retreat at Dunkirk. Joe Wright directs a formidable cast, but with...debatable success. Let's see whether Dan and Katie can defend this war film from the onslaught of Liam's cynicism and David Lean's widow's less than flowery appraisal. And somehow Joel Schumacher makes an appearance too. Go figure.

Next Episode: Hot Shots! (1991)

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The Japanese invasion of China had been ongoing since the early 1930s, but in coordination with the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Japanese forces moved into allied colonies on the mainland. This included the international section of Shanghai, where Jamie, the spoiled son of a British manufacturer, becomes separated from his parents in the chaos of war and has to fend for himself in a Japanese internment camp. With powerful performances from Christian Bale, John Malkovich, and Miranda Richardson, this is Spielberg at his best, portraying a seldom-depicted theater of WWII in one of his most underrated films.

Next Episode: Atonement (2007)

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In this daring comedy, Taika Waititi tries his hand at historical satire. The story follows a young boy named Jojo in a small German town at the end of WWII; through his interactions with his mother, his imaginary friend Adolf, and a mysterious girl hiding in his attic, Jojo has to come to grips with the reality of Nazi propaganda, and deal with his shifting understanding of the world.

Next Episode: Empire of the Sun (1987)

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Seita and his little sister Setsuko navigate through the aftermath of the firebombings of Kobe in early 1945. Within months of the attack that shattered their lives, the U.S. would drop the only atomic bombs ever used in warfare and bring the Japanese Empire to an unconditional surrender. But before those weapons of mass destruction, there were others. This is a sad film - even Liam couldn't dick-joke his way out of this one - yet in the depths of its tragedy, it is a masterful depiction of the beauty of humanity and the innocence of childhood.

Next Episode: Jojo Rabbit (2019)

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A star-studded cast brings the USS Caine to life, a fictional WWII minesweeping-ship commanded by a paranoid and arguably incompetent Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart). Training incidents, accusations of icebox theft by the sailors, and finally a dangerous storm that threatens to sink the ship, bring the officers to mutiny, resulting in a third-act court martial for the culprits.

Will the Navy side with the Captain, or the crew? Is Queeg a madman? And where the hell are those damn strawberries?

Join us and find out!

Next Episode: Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

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Made as a heartfelt tribute to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the Armistice, Peter Jackson crafted this incredible documentary from hundreds of hours of interviews and never before seen footage from the archives of the Imperial War Museum and the BBC. But it wouldn't be a Peter Jackson film without pulling out every technical trick in the book, including showing it in 3D.

Join us as the gang debates, among other things, whether Jackson's cinematic wizardry deepens or cheapens the subject matter, and if one should be kink shamed for a British pooping stick fetish.

Next Episode: The Caine Mutiny (1954)

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As one of the most realistic and accurate war films ever made, 2020's The Outpost was difficult both to watch and to discuss. Eight U.S. Soldiers lost their lives in the battle depicted, countless others were wounded, and two walked away with The Medal of Honor, something that had not happened in over fifty years.

Join us as we talk about how the film was made, how well it serves the memory of those who lost their lives, and of course, how Liam would have done it better.

Next Episode: They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)

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We didn't mean to drop our first film dealing with the Tet Offensive on the actual Vietnamese Holiday, but sometimes the planets align without any help from us. Join us as we launch this new project and separate the Cowboys from the Jokers with Stanley Kubrick's iconic depiction of the Marine experience in the Vietnam War.

Next episode: The Outpost (2020)

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In combat, DANGER CLOSE is the term used when calling for fire support if you or other friendly forces are in close proximity to the target.

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