Movie Wars

Is there a better way to kick off the New Year than another epic Arnold Vs. Sly battle? At the time of their release, 1986's Cobra and Raw Deal were considered regressions for the 80's action kings. However, Cobra has amassed a large cult following that has solidified it as a fan favorite. The story behind the funding of Raw Deal gave Arnold all the ammunition he needed to parlay a deal leading to his leading role in Total Recall. You can't miss this episode if you enjoy fraught productions, disgruntled actors, misplaced directors, and prime 80's action. Crime is the disease, and Movie Wars is the cure. 

Click here to become an executive producer on Movie Wars by supporting us on Patreon! A measly $7 gets you access to Kyle’s new 20-minute film retrospectives which are deep dives into the films we cover(and Patron Requests), interviews with legendary filmmakers, Host Q and A, and bonus content.

Film Summaries: 

Cobra

Los Angeles policeman Lt. Marion "Cobra" Cobretti (Sylvester Stallone) finds himself at the center of a spate of murders carried out by a secret society called New Order: killers who select "weak" members of society for extermination. As the murder rate rises, Cobra takes model Ingrid (Brigitte Nielsen) into protective custody after she witnesses New Order's leader in action. As Cobra falls for Ingrid, they find shelter in a small town, but must soon fight for survival.

• Rating: R
• Genre: action, Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
• Original Language:
• English
• Director: George P. Cosmatos
• Producer:Menahem Golan, Yoram Globus
• Writer: Sylvester Stallone
• Release Date (Streaming):
• Jul 3, 2001
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $47.5M
• Runtime:
• 1h 23m

(Compliments of Rotten Tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cobra)

Raw Deal

When efforts to prosecute mob boss Luigi Patrovita (Sam Wanamaker) are repeatedly derailed thanks to a mole in the FBI, the only choice is to bring in an outsider -- specifically, Mark Kaminsky (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a disgraced agent who leaps at a chance for reinstatement. After FBI chief Shannon (Darren McGavin) gives him his orders, Kaminsky fakes his death and reemerges as an ex-con named Brenner. Undercover and accountable to no one, the former Fed tears up the mob from the inside.

• Rating: R
• Genre: Action
• Original Language: English
• Director: John Irvin
• Producer: Martha De Laurentiis
• Writer:
• Gary DeVore, Norman Wexler
• Release Date (Theaters): Jun 6, 1986 Original
• Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2006
• Box Office (Gross USA): $14.8M
• Runtime: 1h 45m

(Complements of Rotten Tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1017226-raw_deal)

One of the problematic aspects of Movie Wars is picking matchups for iconic films like Raiders Of The Lost Ark. One of the best ways to find a matchup is by picking a film that is a representative descendant of that iconic film. National Treasure expounds on the Indiana Jones blueprint in new ways and with a modern twist. Escape from the boulder with the Movie Wars crew as we tackle two adventure film giants. 

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Film Summaries

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Dr. Indiana Jones, a renowned archeologist and expert in the occult, is hired by the U.S. Government to find the ark of the covenant, which is believed to still hold the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, Hitler's agents are also after the ark. Indy and his ex-flame Marion escape from various close scrapes in a quest that takes them from Nepal to Cairo.

• Rating:
• PG
• Genre:
• Adventure, Action
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• Steven Spielberg
• Producer:
• Frank Marshall
• Writer:
• Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Philip Kaufman
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Jun 12, 1981 Wide
• Release Date (Streaming):
• May 13, 2008
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $248.2M
• Runtime:
• 1h 55m
• Distributor:
• Paramount Pictures

National Treasure

Historian and code-breaker Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) has been searching his whole life for a rumored treasure dating back to the creation of the United States. Joining an expedition led by fellow treasure hunter Ian Howe (Sean Bean), Gates finds an ice-locked Colonial ship in the Arctic Circle that contains a clue linking the treasure to the Declaration of Independence. But when Howe betrays him, Gates has to race to get to the document ahead of his so-called colleague.

• Rating:
• PG (Some Scary Images|Action/Violence)
• Genre:
• Adventure, Action
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• Jon Turteltaub
• Producer:
• Oren Aviv, Jerry Bruckheimer
• Writer:
• Ted Elliott, E. Max Frye
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Nov 19, 2004 Wide
• Release Date (Streaming):
• May 3, 2005
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $173.0M
• Runtime:
• 2h 10m

Let's just call this the ultimate "Cage" match. Nicholas Cage had an incredible run of films starting in the early 90's and tapering off in the early 2000's. His popularity landed him roles that were tailored to his eccentric persona. If you've listened to Movie Wars before, we love talking about the evolution of action from how it was sprinkled into Westerns and Bond films, to the macho muscle era, and to the Average Joe Bruce Willis era. Face/Off and Con Air represent the era of absurdity that could only occur in the 90's. Swap faces with the Movie Wars crew for the ultimate "Cage" match. 

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If you reaeeeellllly love Movie wars, become an executive producer on Movie Wars by supporting us on Patreon! A measly $7 gets you access to Kyle’s new 20-minute film retrospectives which are deep dives into the films we cover(and Patron Requests), interviews with legendary filmmakers, Host Q and A, and bonus content. 

Con Air

Just-paroled army ranger Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) is headed back to his wife (Monica Potter), but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" with some of the worst criminals living. Along with Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames) and Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson), genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich) unleashes a violent escape plot in mid-flight. Secretly working with U.S. Marshall Vince Larkin (John Cusack), Poe tries to foil Grissom's plan.

• Rating:
• R
• Genre:
• Action
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• Simon West
• Producer:
• Jerry Bruckheimer
• Writer:
• Scott Rosenberg
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Jun 6, 1997 Original
• Release Date (Streaming):
• May 16, 2006
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $101.1M
• Runtime:
• 1h 55m
• Distributor:
• Buena Vista Pictures

(info courtesy of https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/con_air)

Face/Off

Obsessed with bringing terrorist Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage) to justice, FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) tracks down Troy, who has boarded a plane in Los Angeles. After the plane crashes and Troy is severely injured, possibly dead, Archer undergoes surgery to remove his face and replace it with Troy's. As Archer tries to use his disguise to elicit information about a bomb from Troy's brother, Troy awakes from a coma and forces the doctor who performed the surgery to give him Archer's face.

• Rating:
• R
• Genre:
• Action
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• John Woo
• Producer:
• David Permut, Barrie M. Osborne, Raul Julia-Levy
• Writer:
• Mike Werb, Michael Colleary
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Jun 27, 1997 Original
• Release Date (Streaming):
• Sep 11, 2007
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $112.3M
• Runtime:
• 2h 18m
• Distributor:
• Buena Vista Pictures, Paramount Picture</

The Slasher film is easily one of the most popular subgenres in all of cinema. The genre’s roots begin with Hitchcock's desire to modernize the horror genre by taking it out of European castles and removing werewolves and vampires. 1960's Psycho and Peeping Tom are true predecessors to 1978's Halloween. That being said, Halloween is seen as the first film to solidify what would become the slasher formula. Just six years later, A Nightmare On Elm Street shows the evolution of the genre featuring a comedic and vocal antagonist which departed from the silent stalkers embodied by Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees. It doesn't matter how fast you run, Episode 0034 of Movie Wars will find you. 

Film Summaries

A Nightmare On Elm Street

In Wes Craven's classic slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers in their dreams -- which, in turn, kills them in reality. After investigating the phenomenon, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) begins to suspect that a dark secret kept by her and her friends' parents may be the key to unraveling the mystery, but can Nancy and her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) solve the puzzle before it's too late?

A Nightmare On Elm Street(1984)

• Rating:
• R
• Genre:
• Horror
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• Wes Craven
• Producer:
• Robert Shaye
• Writer:
• Wes Craven
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Nov 9, 1984 Original
• Release Date (Streaming):
• Oct 25, 2005
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $57.3M
• Runtime:
• 1h 31m
• Distributor:
• Media Home Entertainment, Image Entertainment Inc., Anchor Bay Entertainment, New Line Home Video [us], New Line Cinema

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nightmare_on_elm_street

Halloween(1978)

On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21-year-old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes Smith's Grove. He returns to his quiet hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he looks for his next victims.

• Rating:
• R
• Genre:
• Holiday, Horror, Mystery & Thriller
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• John Carpenter
• Producer:
• Debra Hill, John Carpenter
• Writer:
• Debra Hill, John Carpenter
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Oct 25, 1978 Wide
• Release Date (Streaming):
• Sep 28, 1999
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $47.5M
• Runtime:
• 1h 31m
• Distributor:
• Compass International Pictures

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1009113-halloween

The Fugitive and Enemy Of The State are great examples of innocent protagonists on the run due to false accusations and mistaken identities. Will Smith Versus Harrison Ford is one of our most intriguing leading men battles to date. We also discuss how the NSA technology of Enemy Of The State holds up in today's technological landscape. Plan your escape and claim your identity with the Movie Wars crew as we compare The Fugitive and Enemy Of The State. 

Click here to become an executive producer on Movie Wars by supporting us on Patreon! A measly $7 gets you access to Kyle's new 20-minute film retrospectives, which are deep dives into the films we cover(and Patron Requests), interviews with legendary filmmakers, Host Q and A, and bonus content.

Enemy Of The State

Corrupt National Security Agency official Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight) has a congressman assassinated to assure the passage of expansive new surveillance legislation. When a videotape of the murder ends up in the hands of Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith), a labor lawyer and dedicated family man, he is framed for murder. With the help of ex-intelligence agent Edward "Brill" Lyle (Gene Hackman), Dean attempts to throw Reynolds off his trail and prove his innocence.

• Rating:
• R
• Genre:
• Mystery & Thriller, Action
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• Tony Scott
• Producer:
• Jerry Bruckheimer
• Writer:
• David Marconi
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Nov 20, 1998 Wide
• Release Date (Streaming):
• May 9, 2001
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $111.5M
• Runtime:
• 2h 7m

(Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/enemy_of_the_state)

The Fugitive

Wrongfully accused of murdering his wife, Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) escapes from the law in an attempt to find her killer and clear his name. Pursuing him is a team of U.S. marshals led by Deputy Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), a determined detective who will not rest until Richard is captured. As Richard leads the team through a series of intricate chases, he discovers the secrets behind his wife's death and struggles to expose the killer before it is too late.

• Rating:
• PG-13
• Genre:
• Action, Mystery & Thriller
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• Andrew Davis
• Producer:
• Arnold Kopelson
• Writer:
• Jeb Stuart, David Twohy
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Aug 6, 1993 Wide
• Release Date (Streaming):
• Mar 25, 1997
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $183.8M
• Runtime:
• 2h 7m
• Distributor:
• Warner Bros. Pictures

(Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1046129-fugitive)

Head to the bottom of the sea with the Movie Wars crew as they compare two of the greatest submarine warfare movies ever made. Both films feature incredible acting duos and center around the submarine tactics of the cold war. Listen with Kyle, Drew, and Phil as they start a mutiny between The Hunt For Red October and Crimson Tide. 

Click here to become an executive producer on Movie Wars by supporting us on Patreon! A measly $7 gets you access to Kyle’s new 20-minute film retrospectives which are deep dives into the films we cover(and Patron Requests), interviews with legendary filmmakers, Host Q and A, and bonus content.

FIlm Summaries

The Hunt For Red October

Based on the popular Tom Clancy novel, this suspenseful movie tracks Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) as he abandons his orders and heads for the east coast of the United States. Equipped with innovative stealth technology, Ramius' submarine, "Red October," is virtually invisible. However, when an American sub briefly detects the Russians' presence, CIA agent Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) sets out to determine Ramius' motives, fearing he may launch an attack on the U.S.

• Rating:
• PG
• Genre:
• Mystery & Thriller, Action, Adventure
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• John McTiernan
• Producer:
• Mace Neufeld
• Writer:
• Larry Ferguson, Donald Stewart
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Feb 2, 1990 Original
• Release Date (Streaming):
• May 6, 2003
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $119.1M
• Runtime:
• 2h 17m

Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hunt_for_red_october

Crimson Tide

After the Cold War, a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear warheads becomes a possible worldwide threat. U.S. submarine Capt. Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman) signs on a relatively green but highly recommended Lt. Cmdr. Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington) to the USS Alabama, which may be the only ship able to stop a possible Armageddon. When Ramsay insists that the Alabama must act aggressively, Hunter, fearing they will start rather than stop a disaster, leads a potential mutiny to stop him.

• Rating:
• R
• Genre:
• Mystery & Thriller, Drama
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• Tony Scott
• Producer:
• Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer
• Writer:
• Richard P. Henrick, Michael Schiffer
• Release Date (Theaters):
• May 12, 1995 Original
• Release Date (Streaming):
• May 16, 2006
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $91.4M
• Runtime:
• 1h 55m
• Distributor:
• Buena Vista Pictures, Image Entertainment Inc.
• Sound Mix:
• Surround, Stereo

Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/crimson_tide

Absurd premises are the bread and butter of so many great action films. Air Force One and The Rock are no exception. Both films replicate the containerized action formula made famous by Die Hard. Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage make an unforgettable duo while Harrison Ford kicks tail Commander-In-Chief style. Get off the plane with the Movie Wars crew and save San Francisco as they compare two action classics. Click here to become an executive producer on Movie Wars by supporting us on Patreon! A measly $7 gets you access to Kyle’s new 20-minute film retrospectives which are deep dives into the films we cover(and Patron Requests), interviews with legendary filmmakers, Host Q and A, and bonus content.

Film Summaries

The Rock

FBI chemical warfare expert Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) is sent on an urgent mission with a former British spy, John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), to stop Gen. Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris) from launching chemical weapons on Alcatraz Island into San Francisco. Gen. Hummel demands $100 million in war reparations to be paid to the families of slain servicemen who died on covert operations. After their SEAL team is wiped out, Stanley and John deal with the soldiers on their own.

• Rating:
• R
• Genre:
• Action
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• Michael Bay
• Producer:
• Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer
• Writer:
• Douglas S. Cook, David Weisberg, Mark Rosner
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Jun 7, 1996 Wide
• Release Date (Streaming):
• Mar 13, 2001
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $134.1M
• Runtime:
• 2h 16m

Air Force One

After making a speech in Moscow vowing to never negotiate with terrorists, President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) boards Air Force One with his family (Wendy Crewson, Liesel Matthews) and advisers. When a group of terrorists led by Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman) hijacks the flight, the President's principles are put to the test. Feigning escape, ex-solider Marshall stows away in the aircraft and must race against time to rescue his family and everyone else on board.

• Rating:
• R
• Genre:
• Mystery & Thriller, Action
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• Wolfgang Petersen
• Producer:
• Jonathan Shestack, Gail Katz
• Writer:
• Andrew W. Marlowe
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Jul 25, 1997 Original
• Release Date (Streaming):
• Dec 26, 2000
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $172.7M
• Runtime:
• 2h 4m

(Info courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/air_force_one and https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1072011-rock)

The Movie Wars crew takes a gamble on episode 0030 where we compare Casino and Rounders. These films show gambling and high-stakes poker from different perspectives. Scorsese described Casino as a grandiose, indirect sequel to his Masterpiece Good Fellas. Rounders shows the seedy underground of high-stakes poker with a 90's flare. Roll the dice and enjoy Casino Vs. Rounders. Click here to become an executive producer on Movie Wars by supporting us on Patreon! A measly $7 gets you access to Kyle’s new 15-minute show “Filmosophy”, interviews with legendary filmmakers, Host Q and A, and bonus content.

Film Summaries (info courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes)

Casino

In early-1970s Las Vegas, low-level mobster Sam "Ace" Rothstein (Robert De Niro) gets tapped by his bosses to head the Tangiers Casino. At first, he's a great success in the job, but over the years, problems with his loose-cannon enforcer Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), his ex-hustler wife Ginger (Sharon Stone), her con-artist ex Lester Diamond (James Woods) and a handful of corrupt politicians put Sam in ever-increasing danger. Martin Scorsese directs this adaptation of Nicholas Pileggi's book.

• Rating:
• R
• Genre:
• Crime, Drama
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• Martin Scorsese
• Producer:
• Barbara De Fina
• Writer:
• Nicholas Pileggi, Martin Scorsese
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Nov 22, 1995  Original
• Release Date (Streaming):
• Feb 26, 2002
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $42.4M
• Runtime:
• 2h 57m
• Distributor:
• MCA/Universal Pictures [us]

Rounders

Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) loses his money in a poker game against Russian gangster Teddy "KGB" (John Malkovich). Under pressure from his girlfriend, Jo (Gretchen Mol), he promises to quit gambling. This lasts until his friend, Lester "Worm" Murphy (Edward Norton), gets out of prison and needs to pay off an old debt. The pair come close to earning the money back but are caught cheating. Then Mike finds out the debt is owed to Teddy and makes one last-ditch effort to beat the Russian.

• Rating:
• R
• Genre:
• Drama
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• John Dahl
• Producer:
• Joel Stillerman, Ted Demme
• Writer:
• David Levien, Brian Koppelman
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Sep 8, 1998  Original
• Release Date (Streaming):
• Mar 10, 2009
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $22.9M
• Runtime:
• 2h 0m
• Distributor:
• Miramax Films

Crooked-cop films are the ultimate twist on the cops and robbers genre. Denzel Washington put on one of the most memorable performances of his career while Sylvester Stallone transformed from his usual musclebound action hero to an overweight cop steeped in naivety. The protagonists are tasked with traversing the moral complexity of taking down their corrupt counterparts who don’t operate with a rulebook. Enjoy your training day with Kyle, Drew, and Phil. Click here to become an executive producer on Movie Wars by supporting us on Patreon! A measly $7 gets you access to Kyle’s new 15-minute show “Filmosophy”, interviews with legendary filmmakers, Host Q and A, and bonus content.

FIlm Summaries

Training Day

Police drama about a veteran officer who escorts a rookie on his first day with the LAPD's tough inner-city narcotics unit. "Training Day" is a blistering action drama that asks the audience to decide what is necessary, what is heroic and what crosses the line in the harrowing gray zone of fighting urban crime. Does law-abiding law enforcement come at the expense of justice and public safety? If so, do we demand safe streets at any cost?

• Rating:
• R (Drug Content|Brief Nudity|Pervasive Language|Strong Brutal Violence)
• Genre:
• Crime, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• Antoine Fuqua
• Producer:
• Jeffrey Silver, Bobby Newmyer
• Writer:
• David Ayer
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Oct 5, 2001  Wide
• Release Date (Streaming):
• Mar 19, 2002
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $76.3M
• (courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/training_day) 

Cop Land 

When hotheaded Superboy (Michael Rapaport) accidentally gets involved in an ugly racially-motivated incident, his uncle Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel), a corrupt New York City cop, attempts to sweep it under the rug by helping fake his nephew's death. The bungled cover-up leads to investigations by idealistic Internal Affairs officer Moe Tilden (Robert De Niro) and Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone), sheriff of the suburban New Jersey town where Donlan and his fellow crooked policemen live.

• Rating:
• R (Strong Language|Brief Nudity|Violence)
• Genre:
• Crime, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
• Original Language:
• English
• Director:
• James Mangold
• Producer:
• Cary Woods, Ezra Swerdlow, Cathy Konrad
• Writer:
• James Mangold
• Release Date (Theaters):
• Aug 15, 1997  Original
• Release Date (Streaming):
• Jul 2, 2002
• Box Office (Gross USA):
• $44.9M
• Runtime:
• 1h 45m

(info courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cop_land)

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and American Beauty are part of a distinguished group of films nominated for "The Big 5" Oscars (Best Film, Screenplay, Director, Actor and Actress). One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is in even rarer company being one of 3 films to win all 5 of those categories. On a deeper level, they share strong philosophical themes such as imprisonment and freedom, juxtaposed against how society defines "sanity". Get ready to enter the dark depths of society as the guys dive deep and explore these two incredible films alongside one of the most prolific leading man battles to date. Click here to become an executive producer on Movie Wars by supporting us on Patreon! A measly $7 gets you access to Kyle’s new 15-minute show “Filmosophy”, interviews with legendary filmmakers, Host Q and A, and bonus content.