In this week’s episode, Jamelle and John scrape the bottom of the cinematic barrel with the 1994 environmentalist action flick, “On Deadly Ground,” directed by and starring Steven Seagall. It’s not a good movie, but they had a good conversation covering Seagall’s political trajectory, right-wing misogyny, and the psychological origins of authoritarian politics.

Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.

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Jamelle Bouie

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Links from the episode!

New York Times front-page for February 18, 1994

A Variety review of “On Deadly Ground”

Siskel and Ebert review “On Deadly Ground”

Next week, Jamelle and John will be joined by The New Yorker’s Clare Malone to discuss “Blown Away” with Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones.

For this week’s Patreon episode, Jamelle and John cover the 1959 film “Our Man in Havana,” an adaptation of a 1958 Graham Greene novel by the same name. We talk Graham Greene, director Carol Reed, and Alec Guinness, the star, as well as esoteric topics like motivated reasoning, the nature of intelligence work, and the power and peril of propaganda. We also, as always, looked at the news for the day the film was released, December 30, 1959.

Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.

To hear the full episode, subscribe to the Unclear and Present Patreon and get access to our show on the films (and television) of the Cold War, as well special mailbag episodes, monthly entry into a movie raffle, and whatever else we can think of.

In this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle, John and special guest Jay Willis of Balls and Strikes discuss the 1993 adaptation of John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief,” and ask whether anything about the movie’s plot actually makes any sense. They also discuss the early days of the conservative legal movement, the political hegemony of capital, and Stanley Tucci.

Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.

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John Ganz

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Jay Willis

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And join the Unclear and Present Patreon! For just $5 a month, patrons get access to a bonus show on the films of the Cold War, and much, much more. Last week, we covered the 1979 BBC adaptation of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”

Links from the episode!

New York Times front-page for December 17, 1993

Kirkus book review of “The Pelican Brief.”

The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement: The Battle or Control of the Law

We have another Patreon episode for you and this week, it’s a John favorite: the 1979 BBC adaptation of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” We go deep into the character of George Smiley, John le Carre’s critique of the British ruling class, and the idea of national “decadence.” Jamelle also spends a little time talking about the American constitutional system, so it’s basically an episode where everyone is on brand.

Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.

To hear the full episode, subscribe to the Unclear and Present Patreon and get access to our show on the films (and television) of the Cold War, as well special mailbag episodes, monthly entry into a movie raffle, and whatever else we can think of.

Jamelle and John are joined by Michael Liroff of the Five Four podcast to discuss “The Fugitive,” a masterpiece of Dad cinema. They talk the liberal politics of the 1990s, the surprisingly nuanced racial politics of the film, and complain, as always, that they just don’t make them like this anymore.

Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.

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John Ganz

Jamelle Bouie

UnclearPod

And join the Unclear and Present Patreon! For just $5 a month, patrons get access to a bonus show on the films of the Cold War, and much, much more.

Links from the episode!

The New York Times front-page for August 6, 1993

Toni Morrison on Bill Clinton

Wikipedia entry on Harold Washington, the 51st mayor of Chicago

Also, a quick note: Jamelle said this was the 27th episode of the podcast, ti is actually the 28th! Our apologies for the mistake.

Episode 26 — The Hunt for Red October (Take Two)

In this one year anniversary episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John return to the film that started it all, “The Hunt for Red October.” They discuss the film as an elegy for the Cold War era, and further explore the dilemma of American power and identity in the post-Soviet world.

Next week’s episode…”The Fugitive.”

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Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.

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John Ganz

Jamelle Bouie

UnclearPod

Links from the episode!

New York Times front-page for March 2, 1990

Episode 25 — The Firm

In this episode of Unclear and Present Danger, John and Jamelle discuss the 1993 John Grisham film adaptation “The Firm.” They use the genre of the legal thriller to discuss the legalization of American life in the 1990s and the turn from politics in crucible of history to management at its putative end. They also talk about Wilford Brimley, so there’s that too.

Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.

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Links from the episode!

New York Times front-page for June 30, 1993

Barack Obama’s lost manuscript

“Two Cheers for Politics: Why Democracy is Flawed, Frightening—and Our Best Hope”

Next time on Unclear and Present Danger…Jamelle and John return to “The Hunt for Red October.”

In this episode of Unclear and Present Danger, Jamelle and John are joined by Amanda Smith of the Disaster Girls podcast to discuss the Wesley Snipes vehicle “Passenger 57,” which features an extremely charismatic Snipes facing off against an off-band Hannibal Lecter and also, casual racism.

Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.

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• UnclearPod

• John Ganz

• Jamelle Bouie

• Amanda Smith

Links from the episode!

• New York Times front-page for November 6, 1992

• Interview with Stewart Raffill, one of the writers for Passenger 57

• Disaster Girls podcast

Somehow, a crime thriller starring Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Mickey Rourke set in the New Mexico desert isn’t especially good. Still, the 1992 film “White Sands” gave Jamelle and John a little bit to discuss for this week’s episode of Unclear and Present Danger.

Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.

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Links from the episode!

New York Times front-page for April 24, 1992

Jamelle, John and special guest Adam Serwer of The Atlantic watch one of the great crime movies of the 1990s — Bill Duke’s “Deep Cover” — and talk about post-Cold War anxiety over the drug trade, Black “tough on crime” politics, and the war on drugs.

Connor Lynch produced this episode. Artwork by Rachel Eck.

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Links from the episode!

New York Times front-page for April 15, 1992

James Forman’s book on the Black politics of the early 1990s, “Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America.”

“THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Candidates' Records; Four Years of Bush’s Drug War: New Funds but an Old Strategy”